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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
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The Two-Way Trap
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The Heirs Fight Together
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Sleep…
To sleep, perchance to dream, as the great Bard once said.
In Yumi's dreams, she dreamed of the six races of Neo-Spacians… The strange creatures in Jaden's deck…
Then her dreams turned strange…
She dreamed herself back in Neo-Space, but at a different location. It was deep in the jungle, far away from the beach. A futuristic building loomed some distance away…
And there was a duel going on.
And Yumi could tell that this time, the two duelists were not on very friendly terms.
One of them was a young man about Jaden's age. He had a boyish face, spiky, black hair, and wore a black overcoat.
His opponent was more bizarre. It was a tall man dressed in a jacket that looked like it was sculpted out of silver, and black pants. He had no more hair on his head than an egg did.
Behind the young duelist, three Neo-Spacians were watching – one Aqua Dolphin, one Air Hummingbird, and one Flare Scarab – and they looked very frightened.
Yumi shuddered when she looked at the field. It was clear that the young man was losing. He had only 2,000 Life Points left, and his side of the field consisted of three defensive Monsters. Yumi recognized them as Ojama Yellow, Ojama Black, and Ojama Green.
This was pathetic compared to what his opponent had. His two Monsters were Horus the Black Flame Dragon Lv 8 and Jinzo, one of the deadliest combinations in the game. He also had a facedown card. He had 5,000 Life Points remaining.
The bald man laughed.
"Look at yourself, Princeton…" he said. "How the mighty have fallen… Cowering behind those three pathetic runts… If you had any sense, you would have thrown them away years ago."
"Eh, I've tried, they just won't let me," replied the duelist.
"You let your Monsters dictate your actions?" asked the man. "Heh… It's a wonder to me why Jaden even let you come… Unless he wanted someone to lord over…"
"Listen, Ming the Clueless!" shouted the young man. "If you think you can waltz down here and start something, you're dead wrong… Every one of us is more than ready to deal with anyone who threatens Neo-Space."
He drew a card.
"Heh, heh… And you are really gonna regret that the Chazz found you first. I just drew the card that I traveled to the ends of the universe to find!"
"I'm so scared," said his opponent. "I'd like to see you try to beat me with it."
"Okay, I will," said Chazz, lifting his Disk. "Since you destroyed them, you know that there are exactly three Dark Monsters in my Graveyard.
"Return Zombie… Dark Blade… And Chthonian Soldier.
"When there are three Dark Monsters in my grave, no more, no less…
"I can Special Summon THIS!"
He threw a card on his Disk, and an explosion lit up the jungle.
A huge Duel Monster that Yumi had never seen before appeared in front of the young duelist. It was a Dragon twenty feet tall, that seemed to be made as much of metal as it was of flesh, and was covered with blades, spikes, and knives. Its eyes glowed with dark energy. (2,800/1,000)
"What is that?" shouted the man.
"It's the Armed Dark Dragon," said Chazz. "Quite a looker, isn't he? And he's got a powerful ability. By removing a Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play, I can destroy any card on the field."
His Chthonian Soldier slipped out of his discard slot.
"And I'm gonna start with your facedown card."
The duelist gasped as his facedown card, revealed to be My Body as a Shield, was impaled by knives and blown apart.
"Figures," said Chazz. "Now for your Dragon…"
Dark Blade slipped out of his Disk, and a volley of knives flew at Horus. The Black Flame Dragon screeched, and blew into bits.
"Third time's the charm…" said Chazz, as he took Return Zombie out of his discard slot.
The volley of knives shot at Jinzo, and the android exploded.
"Since you can't stop me from playing Spells any more," he continued, "I think I'll play Polymerization. Let's go guys!"
He played the card, and the three Ojamas flew into the air…
With a crash, the huge form of Ojama King landed. (0/3,000)
"Now I'll play an Equip Spell," he said, placing a card in his Disk. "Shield Attack. When a Monster is Equipped with this, its Attack and Defense Scores switch…"
Ojama King glowed with energy, and its Attack Score rose to 3,000.
"Not much to say, huh?" asked Chazz. "Ojama King… Attack him directly with Ojama belly-flop drop!"
Ojama King leapt into the air, and hang for a few seconds. The invader looked up in fear…
With a crash, the huge Beast body-slammed into him, shaking the whole forest.
The man got up, holding his head…
…only to see Armed Dark Dragon looming over him.
The Dragon struck with his claw, and one smash ended the duel.
Yumi cried out in joy. She tried to run to the victor, but as she did, the scenery blurred and faded…
Slowly, she woke up.
She yawned.
Odd… she thought. I guess Jaden and his friends have to defend Neo-Space from time to time…
She shuddered.
Man, I hope that what I was seeing was something that happened in the past, and not something that just happened now…
There's so much out there I don't know about…
She yawned again.
She fell back asleep.
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Rasputin sat in an easy chair in his hotel room, his head bowed.
He poured vodka from a bottle that he had already drank two thirds of…
Not because he wanted it…
…but because he was trying to drown the voice out of his head.
Rasputin hated a lot of things, but his own qualities were among the things he hated most.
He hated the fact that he could be weak at times.
He had been hearing that accursed voice for so long. So many times, it had offered to help him, and so many times, he had given in, and said yes.
But the help it offered always came with a price.
It was there when the duel with Yumi had started, and he had said yes. That was where the Power Wall card had come from, he was certain of it.
And when he found himself in the Astral Plane, it offered help again. And he was frightened by the soothsayer's strange powers… Enough to say yes…
It was a mistake. The help it gave him this time was to turn his fear into rage. So much that he made stupid mistakes throughout the whole duel…
And when he had been hit by the powerful direct attack, his rage was at its height. At this point, he couldn't believe what he had said… Had he actually said the most blasphemous thing he could think of while standing on the body of a deceased god?
Blasphemy, sacrilege, and desecration of a god's resting place in one single rant… Such vile words in such a consecrated place may well have been punished with death… He didn't know why he was spared by the strange beings that looked over that place. Did the soothsayer intervene?
It was certainly not the one who had promised him help. It didn't turn out to be much help at all.
He clutched his head, which was now pounding… The voice was still whispering into his ear…
"Get out of my head!" he screamed.
He threw the liquor bottle against the wall, and it shattered.
He closed his eyes. He lifted up his head slowly.
It was gone… For now… But it would return… It always returned…
He picked up the phone.
"Uhm, housekeeping?" he said, quietly. "Sorry to call at such a late hour… Yes, I know… I, uhm, dropped a liquor bottle and there's glass all over the place… No, I'm perfectly all right.
"Thank you…"
He sighed.
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Four hours later…
It was six AM, the morning of Day Five…
…the last day to qualify for the finals.
On the street in the Restaurant District, two duelists were trying hard to do so. One was Olga, the other was Tucker.
Olga seemed to have the advantage. She had Dakini on her side of the field (2,700/2,400), while her opponent had nothing. But it was his turn.
(Olga: 3,000) -------------------- (Tucker: 5,100)
"Ready to throw in the towel?" asked Olga. "Your Golem is history, and I doubt you have anything else that can beat Dakini."
"We'll see," said Tucker, drawing a card.
He played two cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.
"That'll do."
Olga drew one card.
It was Ritual Weapon. Dakini couldn't be Equipped with it – she was too powerful.
"Dakini, destroy his Monster!"
Cyber Angel Dakini flew at the facedown card. A cute, red robot with googly eyes and a huge gear on its back appeared on the card, right before it was smashed to pieces. Tucker cringed.
(O: 3,000) -------------------- (T: 3,900)
"All right, my move…" he said.
He drew a card.
"I play Ancient Gear Workshop. Now my Golem comes back to my hand."
A card slipped out of his discard slot.
"And just how are you gonna summon it?" asked Olga.
"I'll show you," he replied. "I summon a second Red Gadget."
He played the card, and a cute robot, looking much like the one that was just destroyed, appeared on the field. (1,300/1,500)
"Now I get to take Yellow Gadget from my deck," he said, taking another card from his deck. "Next, I activate my Trap Card…"
His facedown card lifted.
"Ultimate Offering. Now I can pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget…"
He played the card, and another cute robot appeared. This one was – obviously – yellow, with no face, and a gear through the center of its torso. (1,200/1,200)
"Now I can take Green Gadget from my deck," he continued, taking another card from his deck. "And I'll use Ultimate Offering again to summon it."
Yet another cute robot appeared, this one appearing to have one big, green gear for a torso. (1,400/600)
"Normally that would mean I could search for another Red Gadget, but I don't have a third one.
"Now I'll use the effect of Ultimate Offering one more time… And sacrifice Red and Yellow… To summon Ancient Gear Golem!"
Two of the Gadgets vanished, and the mighty Golem towered over the field. (3,000/3,000)
Dakini looked up with a look of fear…
"Ancient Gear Golem…" he ordered, "attack her Cyber Angel!"
The Golem threw its mighty fist, and it slammed into Dakini, smashing her flat.
"Green Gadget, attack her directly!"
Green Gadget flew at Olga, and walloped her in the eye.
"Heh, heh…" said Tucker. "Your move…"
(O: 1,300) -------------------- (T: 2,400)
Olga slowly drew a card.
"All right…" she said. "I play… Pot of Greed!"
She played the card, and drew twice.
"Perfect," she said. "I play Fulfillment of the Contract. Now I can bring Cyber Angel Idaten back."
In a flash of light, Idaten appeared. (1,600/2,000)
"Now I get one Spell Card back… And I choose… Pot of Greed.
"Now I play it again…"
She drew two cards again.
"I play Machine Angel Ritual one more time," she said. "I'll sacrifice Idaten to summon Cyber Angel Benten!"
Idaten turned to metal, and slowly vanished…
In a bolt of lightning, Benten appeared, holding her fans. (1,800/1,500)
"Now I play… Ritual Weapon, to give her a boost."
Tucker gasped, as Benten rose to (3,300/3,000).
"Benten…" ordered Olga, "destroy his Golem!"
Cyber Angel Benten leapt up, and delivered a savage kick to the Ancient Gear Golem. It toppled over, and smashed to pieces.
"It isn't over!" shouted Tucker.
"Afraid it is," said Olga. "Now you lose Life Points equal to your Golem's Defense Score, which I believe is 3,000."
Tucker shook in fear as Benten stared him in the eye…
He screamed as he erupted in green flames…
And then he collapsed.
(O: 500) -------------------- (T: 0)
Olga looked at her badge, which was now at Gold.
She walked up to Tucker, and bent over him. She planted a deep kiss on his lips.
His eyes opened wide, as green wisps of smoke escaped from where they met. Then he closed them and was still.
"Excellent work, my dear," said a tired voice.
Olga turned around, and saw Rasputin, who was clutching his forehead.
"It's done," she mumbled.
"Yes…" he said with a sigh. "And that will be the last time you'll have to use your old Cyber Angel Deck. At the finals, your real deck will shine again.
"And once Nicholas finds his target, all three of us will be in the finals…
"But that doesn't mean we can't strike at our foes one last time before they start…"
He looked at Tucker.
"I have a plan in mind to use a few things we've been saving… Which should be interesting at least…"
Olga looked at him.
"Rasputin…" she said. "How much did you have to drink last night?"
Rasputin sighed.
"A little…" he replied.
"A little?" said Olga, clearly not believing him. "Oh, come on. I know a hangover when I see one."
"What difference does it make, Olga?" he asked. "It's not like I intended to drive – ever since we've known each other, I've used a chauffer. And I don't have to worry about liver disease.
"If I want to drink until I can't see straight, I'm not hurting anyone except myself…
"Now why don't you go get breakfast?"
Olga shook her head, and walked in the other direction.
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It was almost eleven o'clock when Yumi woke up again. She yawned and stretched. She hadn't felt so refreshed for a long time.
Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she walked over to the computer her hotel room had provided, and turned it on. Checking her e-mail was always the first thing she did when she woke up.
"You've got mail!" exclaimed the familiar voice.
Yumi smiled, and clicked on the small mailbox. It was an e-mail from Sheena Arachne.
She read the e-mail.
Dear Ms. Mouto,
Congratulations! You have qualified as a finalist for this year's tournament. I shake you warmly by the hand! By being one of the first to reach Gold, more opportunities open for you – the possibility to be crowned Queen of Games, with the five million dollar prize, and the biggest prize of all… Any wish that KaibaCorp can fulfill that your heart desires.
Tomorrow at noon, be by the front of your hotel with all your luggage. A limousine will arrive to take you to the special VIP accommodations, which you will find far more luxurious than your present ones.
Once that is done, you will receive instructions on attending the briefing for further instructions for the finals, where the true King – or Queen – of Games will be crowned.
If you have any questions, or need special arrangements, don't hesitate to call the number provided below.
We await your arrival – the finals are going to be an event like nothing ever before, and you are the main attraction.
Sincerely,
Sheena Arachne
Yumi smiled.
"Yumi," said the Pharaoh's voice.
Yumi jumped slightly at this.
"Good grief," she replied. "I've had cats that made more noise than you!"
"Sorry," replied the Pharaoh, "but as you know, a lot has been happening lately…"
"Tell me about it," she said.
He sighed.
"I've been thinking a lot lately," he said. "With each Shadow Charm that has been claimed, things have been coming back to me… Memories have been returning… Bits and pieces…"
He picked up Yumi's deck, and looked though it until he found Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl.
"I see the two of them clearly now… Mahad and Mana…
"I see others too… So many I left behind…"
"Hey…" said Yumi, trying to put her hand on his shoulder (which was hard, since he was immaterial) "I know it's hard… I promise you, I'll do whatever it takes to help you get back to them…"
The Pharaoh sighed.
"And we have help, Yumi," he said. "The Charms are taunting me, it seems. They're letting me regain only bits and pieces of my memories about myself…
"But they're letting me remember a lot about the Sorcerer Kings."
He sat down.
"When I was Pharaoh, I knew about them. Everyone feared them, because they didn't recognize anyone's rule except their own. Anyone who tried to force them to was never seen again, unless they were dealing with Machius. He was generous enough to negotiate for a prisoner's release. He was even kind enough to tell us that any dealings with them should be done peacefully… He told us that the ones who had gone to the others looking for a fight were enslaved…"
He sighed.
"He also told us that attempts at rescue were suicide, and warned us not to try it.
"We did try peaceful negotiations. But they refused to form alliances, saying they were quite happy the way they were.
"Then we sent scholars and sages, offering all manner of things for whatever knowledge they had accumulated. Some of them – but not all of them – were flattered enough to tell us a little, but not anything of great importance…
"One important thing we did find out… This information may be key…"
"I'm listening," said Yumi.
"Well," said the Pharaoh. "It seems that the Sorcerer Kings practiced a rare form of magic called Macroism, which was based on the theory that the universe was composed of eight basic building blocks, eight concepts, more or less…"
"So, I'm guessing that each of them specialized in one of them," replied Yumi.
"Exactly," said the Pharaoh, "and each Charm, if used correctly, can harness the power of that concept.
"The Sword of Tsunami represents Matter. The Cat's Cradle Comb, the one owned by Olga, represents Energy.
"Erik's Amulet of the Mind represents Thought, while Sam's Ring of Spirits represents Time.
"Nicholas's Gale Shield represents Order, while Ren's Horn of Chance represents the opposing force, Chaos."
She paused.
"The Crown of Souls represents a more powerful force… Life."
Yumi paused. She took the Crown from the side of the desk, and looked at it.
"Wait…" she muttered. "Does that mean that the Rod of the Ancients represents Death?"
"Not quite…" replied the Pharaoh. "We learned the specifics about this from Machius, because no-one was ever brave enough to approach Unus. The rumors of the dark magic he possessed frightened even the hardiest of mortals…
"The Rod's power more properly represents Entropy. Destruction and decay.
"Your Charm creates… Rasputin's Charm… destroys."
"Wonderful," muttered Yumi. "Rasputin just got even more dangerous. We have to…"
"You've got mail!" said the computer.
"Huh?" said Yumi.
She turned, and clicked on the message.
She read:
Princess of Games,
I am holding Ren and Chelsea hostage. They were no match for me.
If you want to see them again, come to the roof of the Serpent Complex Pavilion. Tell the Centurions, and their souls will be sent to the darkness.
Bring your Disk and the Crown of Souls.
There was no signature.
"No…" muttered Yumi.
"Yumi…" the Pharaoh. "Beware… This has trap written all over it…"
"So I see…" said Yumi, taking out her cell phone.
Fear turned to panic after calls to Ren and Chelsea resulted in no answer.
Yumi got up and started looking for some fresh clothes.
Hang on guys, she thought, I'm coming…
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Half an hour later, Yumi was in the Shopping District, running towards the Serpent Complex Pavilion, a huge shopping center with a giant statue of a Sinister Serpent on the top.
As she reached the front doors, she almost collided with Sam.
"Get out of my way, Yumi!" screamed her rival.
"What's the matter, Sam?" replied Yumi.
"What's the matter?" shouted Sam. "Erik's been kidnapped!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," replied Yumi. "Erik too? So has Ren and Chelsea."
There was a pause.
"Sam, calm down…" she said. "Whoever is behind this must be very powerful to have beaten all three of them…"
"Well, I'm gonna get him back," said Sam. "No-one messes with Samantha St. Clare Arachne!"
She walked into the lobby and headed towards the elevator.
"Your middle name is St. Clare?" asked Yumi, as they both got in the elevator. "I… never knew that…"
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Five minutes later, the door to the roof bust open, and Yumi and Sam rushed out.
They stopped short. Ren, Chelsea, and Erik were sitting in the center of the roof, their hands tied behind their backs, and their eyes and mouths closed with duct tape.
Sam fumed with anger. She ran towards them.
"Sam, wait!" shouted Yumi.
Sam didn't wait. Yumi ran after her.
As the two of them approached, the three hostages blurred, and vanished.
Yumi paused, puzzled.
"A hologram?" she mused.
"A very good hologram, I must say, Yumi old girl," said a familiar voice. "These Disks are quite the cutting edge."
Yumi and Sam spun around.
Two people they knew were behind them. One was Marlon, still dressed in his prim clothing. The other, contrasting against Marlon's formal look, was Tucker, leaning casually against a vent.
"Tucker…" growled Sam.
"Nice to see you too," he replied.
"Marlon, what's going on?" asked Yumi.
"Before you two worry yourselves too much," replied Marlon, "the kidnapping thing was all a big ruse. We slipped your friends a note and a coupon for a free lunch at a seafood restaurant. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet today. Our employer is buying."
"Erik never could resist shrimp…" muttered Sam. "Damn, he's gonna get fat on me…"
"They're likely having a ball," said Tucker. "You guys ain't so lucky… The only way out is past us, and we're not budging until you duel us.
"And once we pummel you, we'll be taking your Charms…"
Yumi's eyes narrows.
"Your employer…" she said. "Marlon… You can't be working for Rasputin, you would never…"
She stopped short…
She remembered something…
After Rasputin and Marlon had dueled, the two of them shook hands… And then something had been wrong with Marlon's hand…
"Arthritis my butt," she muttered. "Rasputin must have been wearing a ring or something… He used it to transmit a poison of some sort…
"Anastasia?"
Anastasia appeared next to her. Sam looked up, noticing her.
"Can what you did for Felicia work on these two?" asked Yumi.
"Well… In theory, yes…" replied Anastasia. "But the same restriction is in effect."
Yumi sighed.
"It's never easy…" she muttered. "Just once I'd like it to be easy…
"Feel like a two-on-two, Sam? I mean, it's not like we have much of a choice… In physical confrontations between burly British explorers and petite teenage schoolgirls, petite teenage schoolgirls don't usually win."
"Tucker doesn't look like a pushover either…" muttered Sam. "Eh… why not? I beat this clown once, I can do it again…"
She quickly opened the pouch that contained her side deck, and took a couple of cards from it. Then she removed the same number of cards from her deck, made a switch, and reshuffled.
"Just try not to drag me down!" shouted Sam.
The four of them stood apart in a rectangular pattern… Simultaneously, four Disks activated.
"Hey…" said Yumi with a chuckle. "There was once a time when Fiends and Dark Spellcasters went together in a deck like two peas in a pod. Dark Magician and Dark Ruler Ha Des were once practically brothers."
"Game on!" all four of them shouted at once.
(Yumi: 8,000) ----- (Sam: 8,000) ----- (Marlon: 8,000) ----- (Tucker: 8,000)
"I'll start this show," said Marlon, making his first draw.
He carefully looked over his first hand.
"I place one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode."
A facedown Spell or Trap appeared in front of him, followed by a facedown Monster.
"I end my turn."
"My move!" said Yumi, drawing a card.
She played three of them.
"I toss two cards facedown on the field, and toss Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer out in Attack Mode."
Two facedown cards appeared, and the bald, scarred monk materialized in a burst of darkness. His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. (1,800/700)
"I'm not allowed to attack until everyone has drawn once, so I'll end my turn there."
"Then it's my move!" said Tucker, drawing a card.
"And I summon my Hammer Golem in Attack Mode."
In a cloud of dust, a Machine that neither Yumi nor Sam had ever seen before appeared. It was similar to Ancient Gear Soldier in outline, but bulkier, in gunmetal grey armor, with a hammer in place of one hand, and a pick in place of the other. (1,500/1,000)
"That doesn't seem so tough," said Sam.
"Looks can be deceiving," said Tucker. "It can resist being destroyed – by anything – twice. However, in exchange for that, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points if I want to attack with it.
"I end MY turn."
"Then watch out!" shouted Sam.
She drew a card.
"I summon The Bistro Butcher!"
She played the card, and the fiendish chef appeared, holding his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)
Okay… she thought. I'm free to attack, so… Let's see…
Can resist being destroyed, twice, huh?
"Butcher, attack the Hammer Golem!"
The Bistro Butcher cackled, and made a swipe with its cleaver, smashing off a chunk of Hammer Golem's armor. Tucker cringed.
"Don't celebrate yet," he replied. "Since your Butcher damaged my Life Points, I get two cards."
He made two draws.
"Whatever," said Sam. "I'll set one card facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared.
"Our side is stacked already, and you two have barely anything. This duel is as good as ours."
(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 8,000) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 7,700)
"Or so you'd like to believe…" replied Marlon. "True, I don't have much, but what I do have is incredibly powerful…"
He drew one card.
"I flip my Babycerasaurus into Attack Mode."
The Monster Card in front of him turned, and flipped up, and a small form materialized on the field. It looked like a baby triceratops, wearing an eggshell the way most infants would wear a diaper. It looked at Sam and Yumi with an adorable smile. (500/500)
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Sam. "Oh, I get it… You're trying to make us laugh until we collapse, is that it?"
"Sam, watch out…" cautioned Yumi. "Low Attack Points usually means powerful effect…"
"Indeed," replied Marlon. "Next, I'm going to use my Destroyersaurus."
He discarded one of his cards.
"By discarding Destroyersaurus to the Graveyard, I get to take a certain Spell Card from my deck…"
He looked through his deck, and got what he wanted.
"Now I'll play it," he said, opening his Field Slot. "Jurassic World!"
In a burst of energy, the rooftop faded away, and a primitive jungle sprang up around them. Haze filled the air, dinosaurs trudged by in the distance, and an active volcano was far behind Marlon.
"In this place, all Dinosaurs gain 300 to both Scores," explained Marlon, as Babycerasaurus rose to (800/800). "But that won't matter in a minute…
"I move right to my End Phase, and then activate this…"
His facedown card lifted.
"Volcanic Eruption!"
Suddenly, the volcano behind him blew its top. Fire filled the sky, and burning rocks crashed onto the playing field. First, Kycoo, then The Bistro Butcher, and then Babycerasaurus were incinerated. Then Yumi's facedown A Hero Emerges and Mirror Force and Sam's facedown Option Hunter were blown to pieces. Finally, Jurassic World itself went up in flames, and collapsed into ash.
"Marlon…" gasped Yumi. "What did you do?"
"Volcanic Eruption is a powerful Trap that I can only play during my End Phase when Jurassic World is active," said Marlon. "As you saw, it destroyed every card on the field.
"Well… almost every card."
"Why do you think I only summoned my Hammer Golem?" asked Tucker, with a grin. "As you can see, he survived."
"And we have someone else," continued Marlon. "Since Babycerasaurus was just destroyed by a card effect, its effect activates, letting me Special Summon a Dinosaur from my deck, so long as it's Level Four or less…
"So I'll summon Sabersaurus!"
In a flash of light, the armored, fiercer relative of the triceratops appeared, and growled. (1,900/500)
"Well, Sam…" muttered Yumi. "As one great mind once said, we may be in deep do-do…"
She drew a card.
No kidding… she thought. Marlon has gotten better, and I'd wager Tucker has too… Rasputin may even have strengthened their decks…
"I summon Magician's Valkyria."
She played another card, and Valkyria appeared. (1,600/1,800)
"Valkyria… Destroy Tucker's Hammer Golem!"
Valkyria fired her burning blast, and with no armor left to shield it, Hammer Golem was blown to pieces.
(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 8,000) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 7,600)
"I end my turn," said Yumi.
"Then it's my move…" said Tucker.
He drew a card. He smirked.
"First…" he said, "I play Graceful Charity. I'm sure everyone here knows how that works…"
The card glowed, and he drew three cards. He discarded two of them very quickly.
That's the fastest I've ever seen anyone decide what to discard, thought Yumi. He's up to something…
"Next…" said Tucker, "I'll conjure up my Ancient Gear Castle."
He placed a card in his Disk, and with a loud, rumbling noise, a huge structure rose out of the floor behind him. It was a crazy, clockwork castle, full of gears, gaskets, and sprockets, with cannons mounted on its towers.
"Now, any Monster with the word 'Ancient' in its name gains 300 extra Attack Points. And I'll play Premature Burial to summon one back."
He played the card, and in a burst of dirt and dust, Ancient Gear Soldier rose up again. (1,300/1,300) –) (1,600/1,300)
"And I'm not done," he continued. "Next I'll summon Barrier Statue of the Drought."
He played the card, and a large monolith appeared next to Ancient Gear Soldier. It was a stone statue of a muscular man with a rhino's head, mounted on a pedestal. (1,000/1,000)
A torch in one of the windows of the Castle lit up.
"I know…" said Tucker, "you're wondering what the Statue does, right? Well, so long as it's on the field, all players are forbidden to Special Summon Monsters, unless they happen to be Earth Monsters.
"My partner and I have almost ALL Earth Monsters. I doubt either of you have even one."
"Yeah?" asked Sam. "Well, your Statue has only 1,000 Attack Points, so it won't be lasting very long."
"Oh, right," said Tucker, playing a card. "Thanks for reminding me… I play Mist Body. So long as it's Equipped with this, my Statue can't be destroyed in battle."
A misty aura surrounded the Barrier Statue.
"Now I have something for you… Two direct attacks! Ancient Gear Soldier, attack Sam directly! Rapid-fire shot!"
The Soldier blasted its gun, and Sam doubled over in pain as they stabbed into her chest.
"Barrier Statue, attack her with dust blast!"
The Statue opened its mouth, and breathed a blast of sand and grit, knocking Sam over.
"One card facedown, and my turn ends," he said.
A facedown card appeared.
(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,800)
"Uh, Sam?" asked Yumi. "I'm guessing that asking if you were okay would be cruel…"
"Shut up, Yumi…" said Sam, getting up.
She drew a card.
She looked at the Castle.
Swell, she thought. Normal Summoning is just going to help him… And I can't Special Summon… Could this get any worse?
"I summon… Gil Garth," she said.
In a burst of energy, the robotic Fiend appeared, brandishing its scimitar. (1,800/1,200)
A second torch lit in another window of the Castle.
"Smash his Soldier!" she shouted.
Gil Garth obeyed, making a slash with its sword, cutting the Machine down the center. The pieces fell apart, and then shattered.
"That'll do…" she muttered.
(Y: 8,000) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)
"Then the turn comes to me," said Marlon, drawing a card.
He looked at it.
"I'll place a card facedown to start," he said, setting a card. "And then I'll play… Side Attack."
A facedown card, and then an odd Spell Card appeared.
"Side Attack?" said Yumi. "What's that?"
"A special card for team duels, Yumi," replied Marlon. "Now, you can only target my field, and Sam can only target Tucker's.
"My partner and I, however, gain a bonus… We can attack either of you directly if even ONE of you lacks Monsters."
"No fair!" shouted Sam. "That's playing dirty!"
"It's a perfectly legit card," replied Marlon with a shrug.
The Pharaoh appeared beside Yumi.
"That is true," he said. "It's perfectly legal. But I agree with Sam, it is playing dirty… Neither Sam nor the two of us came here knowing this would be a two-on-two, but Marlon and Tucker have apparently prepared in advance. There's no telling what advantages they may have."
"Bad guys aren't known for playing fair," said Yumi. "Any ideas?"
"Well, it all depends on how well we can work with Sam," he replied.
"We are doomed…" muttered Yumi.
"Sabersaurus…" commanded Marlon, "attack Yumi's Magician's Valkyria!"
The Dinosaur charged like a rhino at the young Spellcaster. She screamed as it rammed into her with its horn, and she shattered.
(Y: 7,700) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Marlon. "I end my turn…"
"And I start mine!" shouted Yumi.
She drew a card.
"So, I can only attack you, Marlon? I see no problem with that…
"I play Monster Reborn… And if I can only Special Summon Earth Monsters, I'll use it to summon Babycerasaurus from your Graveyard."
She played the card, and the young Dinosaur appeared in a flash of light (500/500).
"Now… I sacrifice her, to summon Chaos Command Magician!"
Valkyria vanished in a burst of energy, and the powerful Chaos Mage appeared, glowing with light. (2,400/1,900)
A third torch lit in the Ancient Gear Castle.
"Destroy his Sabersaurus!" shouted Yumi. "Chaos magic!"
Chaos Command Magician aimed his scepter.
"Hold it right there!" shouted Marlon. "I activate… Magic Cylinder!"
Yumi's eyes opened wide as Marlon's facedown card lifted.
"It throws your chaos magic in reverse…" he said.
Two cylinders appeared in mid-air. Chaos Command Magician fired his blast, and one of them caught it. Then the other one fired a blast at Yumi like a cannon, and she was propelled backwards.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)
Yumi slowly got up.
"I have to end my turn…" she muttered.
Tucker drew a card.
He smirked.
"First, I move my Barrier Statue to Defense Mode, just to be safe," he said.
Barrier Statue of the Drought crossed its arms in Defense.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for… I sacrifice the Ancient Gear Castle itself…"
The torches in Ancient Gear Castle burned fiercely. Then the Castle itself burst into an explosion of shards.
"To summon… Ancient Gear Golem!"
In a dark shadow, the huge Golem loomed over the field. Its single optic sensor glowed red as it glared at Sam and her Monster. (3,000/3,000)
"Not bad, old sport," said Marlon. "Just remember… As ancient as your Machines are, my Monsters are older still."
"Your Monsters are extinct, Marlon," replied Tucker. "Mine are hundreds of years old, and still running smoothly. Unlike yours, they were built to last.
"Anyway… Golem, attack Gil Garth with mechanized melee!"
Ancient Gear Golem raised its fist, and then threw a mighty punch. Gil Garth crumpled like it was tinfoil.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 4,200) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)
"Any ideas, Yumi?" asked Sam.
"Don't give up, Sam!" replied Yumi. "Remember, my grandfather was in a situation like this with your great uncle!"
She paused.
"Of course, back then, your great uncle had Obelisk… He's someone who'd be useful to have right about now…"
"I don't need any dumb old God Card…" muttered Sam, making a draw.
She looked at the card.
"I play… Graceful Charity," she said.
Her deck glowed with energy, and she drew three cards.
She lifted an eyebrow when she saw what one of them was. She took it, and discarded it along with another card that was already in her hand.
"I set two cards facedown, and then summon Opticlops in Attack Mode," she said.
Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light, and then, the muscular, one-eyed ogre appeared. (1,800/1,700)
"That's my turn," she said.
Marlon drew a card.
"Hmm…" he said.
"What hmmm?" asked Yumi. "I don't like hmmm."
Marlon played a card.
"I sacrifice my Sabersaurus in order to play a Spell Card," he said, as Sabersaurus vanished. "It's called Big Evolution Pill.
"This card stays on the field until my opponent has had three turns. Unfortunately, in this type of duel, both of my opponents count, meaning I can only use its effect for two of my turns.
"But… For when I can, I'm allowed to Normal Summon a high-level Dinosaur without making any sacrifices.
"And I'm going to summon this one… My Saurobeast Brachion."
He played the card, and a titanic creature loomed over the field. It looked like a demonic Apatosaurus or Diplodocus, or some other giant herbivorous dinosaur, with a small head on a long neck, huge body, and long tail. (1,500/3,000)
"Uhm, okay…" gulped Yumi. "That's certainly... big… But it has only 1,500 Attack Points. It can't beat our Monsters."
"It has help," replied Marlon. "I play the Spell Card, Tail Swing. I can only use this when I have a Dinosaur on the field that's at least Level Five, and my Brachion is Level Eight. Now, I can send two Monsters on the field that are a lower level than said Dinosaur back to their owners' hands."
Brachion lashed with its tail, creating a gust of wind. Chaos Command Magician and Opticlops staggered against the force, and then vanished. Their cards appeared back in Yumi and Sam's hands.
"Brachion…" ordered Marlon, "attack Yumi directly!"
"Here it comes…" muttered Yumi.
Brachion charged forward, causing the rooftop to tremble…
"Don't worry, Yumi," said Tucker, "I've got your back… Or rather, Sam does…"
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate Revolving Stage. Since Side Attack is on the field, Sam will be the one taking that hit."
"Say WHAT?" shouted Sam. "That is the dirtiest…"
And then she was cut short as the huge herbivore slammed into her. She was thrown ten feet backwards, and fell on her back.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 6,600)
"Is it possible?" asked Sam, sitting up. "Could it be possible that I hate him even more now than I did before?"
"Tucker!" scolded Marlon. "I do NOT believe that was part of the plan!"
"Sorry, old dude," said Tucker, "but this babe humiliated me twice now. You take your shots when you can."
"Tucker, I was against working with a rogue like you from the start," said Marlon. "Our goal is to defeat them to take their Charms, not some silly desire for revenge. Now stick to the plan, before they manage to find some flaw in it!"
Well, well… thought Yumi. Seems there is a weakness…
"Anything else, Marlon?" she asked.
Marlon looked at his cards.
"No…" he muttered.
Yumi drew a card.
"I play… Graceful Charity," she said. "Man, this is getting repetitive…"
She played the card, and the lovely angel materialized behind her. Her feathers showered on her deck, and she drew two cards.
Hmm… thought Yumi. A plan is starting to form…
She looked at Barrier Statue of the Drought.
I've just got to hope Sam finds a solution to that problem fast…
She discarded two cards.
"I summon my second Magician's Valkyria," she said.
Another Valkyria, seemingly a twin of the first, appeared in a burst of light. (1,600/1,800)
"Sorry, Yumi," said Marlon, "but my Monster won't be taken down so easily. As soon as your Monster appears, it moves into Defense Mode."
Brachion sat down and curled up, as two spiny, wing-like protrusions sprouted from its shoulders.
"Dang…" muttered Yumi.
She took another card from her hand and placed it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn…" she said, nervously.
Those facedown cards Sam has had better be good ones, or she's a goner… One smash from that Golem, and she's out of this duel…
And there's no way I can beat both of them on my own…
Tucker drew a card.
"Now I'm gonna finish you off, Sam!" he shouted. "And I'm gonna put some serious marks on your friend while I'm at it…"
"I move my Barrier Statue to Attack Mode, and summon a second Ancient Gear Soldier."
Barrier Statue of the Drought uncrossed its arms, and another Soldier appeared. (1,300/1,300)
"GO!" shouted Sam, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "Shadow Spell!"
A mass of chains shot up from the ground, looping around Ancient Gear Golem. It struggled, but was secured to the ground, and its Attack Score fell to 2,300.
"Okay, fine!" shouted Tucker. "I can still attack you with my other…"
"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted. "Call of the Haunted!"
"Weren't you listening a few minutes ago?" asked Tucker. "You can't Special Summon anything."
"WRONG," replied Sam. "I can Special Summon an Earth Monster. And you were wrong when you said my deck didn't have any…"
Three separate tombstones appeared in front of Sam…
Then, three tall creatures with green, scaly skin, bald, knobbed craniums, and pointed ears, wearing armor and holding spears, rose up in front of her. (2,200/1,500)
"Goblin Elite Attack Force?" shouted Tucker.
"Yep," said Sam. "I put them in my Graveyard when I played Graceful Charity. And they're no less an Earth Monster than your guys."
"Ooh!" cursed Tucker. "I end my turn! Even with your Shadow Spell, those guys aren't strong enough to destroy my Golem!"
"Sam…" said Yumi, "it's up to you… I don't think I can take down a Monster with 3,000 Defense Points without Special Summoning…"
Sam drew a card.
"It's all taken care of…" she said.
"I play… Mystical Space Typhoon. And my target is… your Statue's Mist Body!"
She played the card, and the cyclone blew forward, blowing the mist right off the Barrier Statue.
"Now…" she said. "I sacrifice my Goblins…"
Goblin Elite Attack Force shattered into pixels.
"…to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
In a burst of shadow, the mighty ruler of Fiends loomed over the field, casting his shadow on Tucker.
He eyed Tucker, and frowned. (2,450/1,600)
"Oh, look…" said Sam, with a chuckle. "I think he remembers you from our last duel.
"Ha Des… smash his Barrier Statue! Stygian blast!"
Dark Ruler Ha Des blasted his bolt of black flames, and the Barrier Statue of the Drought shattered into shards of rock.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 8,000) ----- (T: 5,150)
"So what now, 'partner'?" asked Tucker, sarcastically. "I seem to remember that putting that dumb statue in my deck was your idea."
"Tucker, get a hold of yourself!" shouted Marlon. "If we start arguing, we'll lose for certain! Need I remind you, this is exactly what happened to Lumis and Umbra? You know what happened to them…"
Tucker paused. He gulped.
"And it's my move…" continued Marlon.
He drew a card.
"I use the effect of Big Evolution Pill again," he said, "to summon… Black Tyranno!"
With a bellowing roar, Black Tyranno materialized on the field. (2,600/1,800)
"That's just what I was waiting for, Marlon," said Yumi. "Trap Card, activate…"
Her facedown card lifted…
A black coffin appeared on her side of the field, and the lid opened. With a fierce rush of air, both Magician's Valkyria and Black Tyranno were sucked inside it, and the lid slammed closed.
"What in blazes…" said Marlon.
"It's called Dark Renewal," replied Yumi. "My grandpa got this very card from Arcana in Battle City as a result of the ante rule. He could have taken his Dark Magician, but he didn't want it… His deck's Dark Magician didn't share the spotlight with anyone.
"What this Trap does is activate when you summon a Monster. Now I can sacrifice that Monster along with one of mine to summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard. And I put a good one there using Graceful Charity…"
The coffin glowed with eldritch energy…
"Dark Magician… You're on!"
The lid opened, and Dark Magician stepped out. (2,500/2,100)
"Lovely…" muttered Tucker. "Now the aces of both their decks are on the field."
Marlon nervously looked at his other cards.
"I have to end my turn…" he muttered. "I still have my Brachion!"
The Big Evolution Pill card vanished.
"Soon to change…" said Yumi, drawing a card.
She quickly added it to her hand.
"I summon Skilled Dark Magician," she said.
The mage in a bulky, black robe appeared on the field. (1,900/1,700)
"But he isn't staying," she continued. "Next, I play Magical Dimension. I sacrifice him, and bring Dark Magician Girl to the field."
Skilled Dark Magician vanished into grains of light, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of sparkles. She pirouetted and winked at Dark Magician. (2,000/1,700)
"And as per the second effect of Magical Dimension, I can destroy one Monster," continued Yumi.
Marlon shielded himself as Brachion exploded into a burst of shards.
"You've got nothing left, Marlon!" shouted Yumi. "Dark Magician… Dark Magician Girl… double dark magic attack!"
The two sorcerers leapt into the air, and then clashed their staffs together. A thunderous blast shot from where they met, striking Marlon and knocking him backwards in an explosion that nearly drowned out his scream.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,700) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 5,150)
"Well…" said Yumi, smugly, crossing her arms. "It's about time you lost some Life Points."
"Yumi, be careful," said the Pharaoh's voice.
Yumi looked at him.
"Do not gloat too much," said the spirit. "Keep in mind that both of them are victims."
"I know, I know…" muttered Yumi, "but I really didn't need this today…"
"While you're picking yourself up, I'll move…" muttered Tucker.
He made a draw.
"I'll move Ancient Gear Soldier to Defense Mode, to start…"
The Soldier knelt, and held its gun on its lap.
"Then another Monster in Defense Mode…"
He played a card, and it appeared facedown.
"Then I set a card facedown."
A facedown card appeared behind his Monsters.
He glared at Sam.
Sam drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.
She made two draws.
She was a little surprised to see what one of them was. It was one of the cards from her side deck…
She looked at Tucker with an evil grin…
"Look at this, Tucker!" she said, showing him the card. "I drew my Electric Virus! I put it in my deck just for you…"
She discarded the card.
"By sending it to the Graveyard, I can take control of one opposing Dragon or Machine for one round…"
"You can't!" shouted Tucker.
"I can, and I will," replied Sam. "So hand over your Golem!"
Electricity sparked all over the bound Golem, and it tore itself free from the chains, and walked over to Sam's side of the field.
"Now…" said Sam. "To get rid of it… I sacrifice your junk heap…"
Ancient Gear Golem dissolved into particles of light.
"…in order to summon Lesser Fiend."
With a roar, the hulking, four-armed Fiend rose where the Golem had been. (2,100/1,000)
"Lesser Fiend, destroy his Soldier!"
Lesser Fiend grabbed the Ancient Gear Soldier with all four arms, and literally tore it apart. The pieces shattered into bits.
"Ha Des, destroy his last Monster!"
The Dark Ruler fired his Stygian blast at the facedown Monster. An Ancient Gear appeared on the card, and was vaporized.
Sam placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Marlon, think of something…" said Tucker, nervously. "They've got four powerful Monsters, and we've got none…"
Marlon sweat as he drew a card.
"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.
He drew two cards. He looked at them.
"I set one card facedown, and then play Monster Reborn. I'll bring back my Sabersaurus.
In a burst of light, the armored Dinosaur appeared again. (1,900/500)
"You have no more cards, so it's my move…" said Yumi.
She drew a card.
"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said, setting a Monster.
"Dark Magician Girl, attack…"
"Not so fast, Yumi!" exclaimed Marlon. "I activate… Zero Gravity!"
His Trap Card lifted.
"Now, all Monsters on the field switch Modes."
Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Sabersaurus, and Lesser Fiend all crouched in Defense Mode.
"Hey, not bad!" said Tucker.
"A little something I often combo with Black Tyranno," muttered Marlon. "I gave you a chance, Tucker… Now don't waste it."
"I have to end my turn," muttered Yumi.
Tucker drew a card.
"Guess what, Marlon?" he said. "We're gonna turn this duel around right now…"
"Oh?" asked Sam. "How? Your Golem has been junked."
"True…" said Tucker, with an evil glint in his eye, "but I have in my hand, two medieval Machines that are even stronger than the Ancient Gear Golem!"
"What?" gasped Sam. "There's no such thing!"
"Prepare to believe…" said Tucker. "First, I'll summon Red Gadget…"
He played the card, and Red Gadget materialized in a burst of light. (1,300/1,500)
"And just by summoning him," he said, taking his deck, "I get to search my deck for Yellow Gadget.
"Next, I activate… Ultimate Offering."
His facedown card lifted.
"Now I'll pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget."
Tucker glowed with red energy. In another flash, Yellow Gadget appeared. (1,200/1,200)
"That means I get to search my deck for Green Gadget," he said, taking another card from his deck. Then I'll use the effect of my Trap Card to summon him as well."
Tucker glowed again, and Green Gadget appeared on the field. (1,400/600)
"Three toy robots," muttered Sam. "I'm so scared…"
"Sam…" said Yumi. "You should know better than anyone that Monsters that look like toys can be deadly…"
"Uh, heh, heh…" chuckled Sam. "Uhm, touché…"
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate Gift of the Mystical Elf!" she shouted.
The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind her, and cast a spell.
"Now I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field, and I see nine total."
She glowed with energy as her Life Points went up.
"It won't help you," snarled Tucker. "Because now, I use the effect of Ultimate Offering a third time, and sacrifice Green and Yellow, to summon… the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!"
Tucker glowed again, Green Gadget and Yellow Gadget vanished, and a huge, shadowy form rose into the air behind tucker. It was like something out of a nightmare… It looked like a makeshift mechanical dragon cobbled together from broken gears, bent metal, and pieces of junk. Its wings didn't look like they were capable of keeping a small creature – much less one this big – airborne, but it was flying nonetheless. (3,000/2,000)
"Ho boy…" muttered Sam.
"I'm not done…" said Tucker. "I promised you two powerful Monsters, remember? I use Ultimate Offering one last time, and sacrifice Red Gadget, to summon the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera!"
Tucker glowed with energy again, Red Gadget vanished, and another nightmarish contraption appeared. Like the Dragon, it looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts, and its shape suggested a mechanical cross between an ape and a great cat. It had three small heads on the front with cold, inhuman eyes. (2,300/1,300)
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 5,400) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 3,150)
"I kinda liked the Golem better…" muttered Sam.
"Allow me to explain how these two terrors of technology work," continued Tucker. "The Dragon, no matter how it's summoned, has the same effect as most Ancient Gear Monsters… He prevents you from activating Traps and Spells during the Battle Phase.
"As for other effects… If they're summoned by sacrificing Gadgets, they gain effects depending on the types of Gadget.
"So, since I sacrificed a Green Gadget to summon my Dragon, it gains a trampling effect, just like the Golem.
"And since I also sacrificed a Yellow Gadget, it inflicts 600 points of damage to the owner of any Monster it destroys.
"As for my Chimera… Since I summoned it by sacrificing a Red Gadget, it deals 500 extra points of damage whenever it deals battle damage.
"Enough talk… Chimera… Attack Dark Ruler Ha Des with toxic blast!"
The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera opened its three mouths and vomited three blasts of toxic sludge at Ha Des. The Fiend ruler screamed, and then melted into a stinking puddle of ichor.
"You'll pay for that…" growled Sam.
"Just send me the bill…" replied Tucker. "Dragon… Wipe out her Lesser Fiend with mechanized molten blast!"
Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon roared, and opened its jaws. Flames appeared in its throat…
A volley of white hot spheres of burning plasma shot towards Sam's side of the field, eradicating Lesser Fiend and throwing Sam off her feet.
(Y: 5,300) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,500) ----- (T: 3,150)
Sam got up, clutching her chest in pain.
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Tucker. "Your move…"
Sam nervously drew a card.
She looked at it closely for a minute.
"I play… Monster Reborn," she said.
She played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared over her.
"Heh, heh," chuckled Tucker. "Nothing in your Graveyard can help you…"
"Maybe not…" replied Sam. "But one in your partner's Graveyard will help…"
Marlon looked surprised as his discard slot started to glow…
Then, Saurobeast Brachion loomed over Sam, and curled up in Defense Mode. (1,500/3,000)
"Three-thousand Defense Points, Tucker!" said Sam, crossing her arms. "Your Dragon's trampling effect is worthless if it can't beat a Monster's Defense!"
"Very smart, Samantha…" muttered Marlon. "But it's my move now…"
He drew a card.
He quickly placed it facedown, and it appeared. Sabersaurus moved back into Attack Mode.
"Sabersaurus, attack Yumi's Dark Magician Girl!"
Sabersaurus charged and the whole roof shook. Dark Magician Girl covered her head with her hands before she was run down and smashed.
Yumi clutched her heart. That had hurt more than when he had done it in their first duel…
She slowly drew a card…
"I first move Dark Magician into Attack Mode…" she said.
Dark Magician stood up.
"Then I flip my facedown Monster… my Morphing Jar!"
Her facedown Monster flipped up. The Morphing Jar appeared and cackled. (700/600)
"Now every one of us has to toss every card and draw five. It's a benefit to everyone, but I had no choice."
Everyone discarded the rest of their cards (except Marlon, who had none) and drew five.
Yumi looked over her cards, and then took one.
"Next I play… Premature Burial."
She played the card, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a sparkle of light. She smiled sweetly, as if nothing had happened. (2,000/1,700)
"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Marlon, as his facedown card lifted. "It's called Hunting Instinct. Since you just Special Summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon one.
"So behold… Dark Driceratops!"
The rooftop rumbled, and the huge half-bird-half-lizard Dinosaur burst out in an explosion of pebbles. (2,400/1,500)
"Not bad…" muttered Yumi. "Dark Magician… Destroy it…"
Dark Magician fired his blast, and Dark Driceratops roared as the black magic enveloped it. It shattered into bits.
"Dark Magician Girl, take out the other one."
Dark Magician Girl cast her own spell, and Sabersaurus cringed before it shattered too.
"And I'm not done with you, Marlon…" said Yumi.
The shadowy creature inside the Morphing Jar darted forth and rammed Marlon in the stomach. He winced a little as his Life Points dropped slightly.
Yumi placed three cards in her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.
(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 2,600) ----- (T: 3,150)
If all goes right… she thought, we can still win this…
Tucker drew a card.
Three-thousand Defense Points, huh? he thought. Well, I can't take Sam down on this turn… Next turn, however…
"Okay, Sam," he said, playing a Spell Card, "I play Ancient Gear Drill."
He discarded one of his cards, and a large drilling machine appeared in front of his two Monsters. With a loud, boring noise, it plunged its drill into the floor, sending up a shower of sparks.
The machine vanished as Tucker took a card from his deck.
"Since I have an Ancient Gear Monster on the field, I can take any Spell Card I want from my deck, and set it on the field. I can't use it this turn, but next turn, it will be ready to go."
He fit it in his Disk, and it appeared.
"Or will it?" asked Yumi. "Go, Dust Tornado!"
One of her three facedown cards sprang up, and Tucker watched in horror as the Tornado blew towards the facedown card. The card, revealed to be Limiter Removal, lifted up and shattered to pieces.
"Yumi…" muttered Sam. "I… I don't know what to say…"
"A thank you would be nice," replied Yumi.
"OOHH!" shouted Tucker. "Fine, I end my turn! Just TRY to defeat my Dragon!"
Sam nervously drew a card.
"Uhm, Sam…" said Yumi. "I don't know if your second copy of you-know-who is in your hand right now, but if he is, why not use my Morphing Jar to summon him, and then attack that big Dragon?"
"WHAT?" shouted Sam. "Are you crazy?"
Tucker and Marlon looked at each other with quizzical looks.
"Sam, trust me…" replied Yumi.
Sam looked at her cards. She started to sweat…
She took one of them.
"I sacrifice Yumi's Morphing Jar to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!" she shouted.
The Morphing Jar vanished, and the Dark Ruler appeared again. (2,450/1,600)
"You'd best know what you're doing, Yumi!" screamed Sam. "Ha Des, attack the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!"
Ha Des raised his hand, and black flames surrounded it…
"Go, Spell Card!" shouted Yumi, as another facedown card lifted. "Rush Recklessly!
"Now I can increase the Attack Score of any Monster on the field by 700… And I think I'll choose Sam's Dark Ruler!"
Dark Ruler Ha Des rose to an Attack of 3,150. A much more intense Stygian blast struck the Dragon, and it howled. It smashed into pieces of junk that rained upon the field. Everyone covered their heads.
(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 2,600) ----- (T: 3,000)
Sam grinned.
"Still no thank you?" asked Yumi with a shrug.
Sam fit one card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
If he tries to attack me now, my Bark of Dark Ruler will make him sorry, she thought.
She nodded.
Marlon angrily drew a card.
"I place one card facedown, and summon Black Stego," he said.
A facedown card appeared, followed by the huge stegosaurus. (1,200/2,000)
"I end my turn…"
Yumi drew a card.
"I remember your Black Stego's effect, Marlon," she said. "It will move to Defense Mode when I attack. So, I just have to attack it with my stronger Monster.
"Dark Magician, attack!"
Dark Magician cast his spell again. Black Stego crouched in Defense Mode, right before it was blasted to bits.
"Dark Magician Girl…"
"Hold it, old girl," said Marlon.
His Trap Card lifted.
Just how many Trap Cards does this guy have in his deck? thought Yumi.
"I activate Survival Instinct. Now, I can remove the Dinosaurs in my Graveyard from play, and for each one I remove, I gain 400 Life Points.
A menagerie of Dinosaurs appeared behind Marlon. Black Stego, Dark Driceratops, Sabersaurus, Black Tyranno, Babycerasaurus, and a fierce-looking thing that must have been Destroyersaurus. They vanished into mist.
"That means 2,000 more Life Points. So your sorceress's attack means nothing."
"I'll attack anyway," said Yumi.
Marlon grunted as Dark Magician Girl blasted him with her spell.
"I'll end my turn there…" muttered Yumi.
(Y: 4,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,000) ----- (T: 3,000)
Tucker sighed. He drew a card.
"I'll set a card facedown," he said, "set a Monster in Defense Mode, and move Chimera to Defense Mode…"
A facedown card, followed by a facedown Monster appeared. Then the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera sat and shielded itself.
My Trap Card is a powerful one that I could use to blow all their Monsters to Kingdom Come, he thought. Only problem is, I need to discard another Trap from my hand to activate it, and I don't have one!
Sam drew a card.
"I sacrifice Brachion…" she said.
The huge Dinosaur next to her shattered into pixels.
"…to summon my second Lesser Fiend!"
In a burst of dark energy, another Lesser Fiend arose. (2,100/1,000)
"Take down that Chimera!" she shouted.
Lesser Fiend roared. It charged, and punched the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Chimera; the Machine exploded into a fiery blast of molten slag.
"Ha Des, destroy his mystery Monster!"
Ha Des cast his evil spell, and Tucker's final Ancient Gear Soldier appeared, and exploded into spare parts.
"I'm done for now…" said Sam, crossing her arms.
Marlon frowned, and drew a card.
"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Tucker, old boy… I drew… it…"
"Really?" asked Tucker.
"It?" said Sam. "What's 'it'? I have a feeling I don't like 'it'…"
"It is a special Spell Card I put in my deck especially for this duel," said Marlon. "One that lets our decks work together to bring out a mighty Monster. It's called Ultimate Evolution.
"First, I remove from play one Dinosaur from my Graveyard…"
Brachion appeared behind him.
"Then…" said Tucker, "I'll remove one Machine from mine…"
Ancient Gear Soldier appeared behind him.
The two Monsters vanished.
"And as a result…" continued Marlon, "I'm able to Special Summon… My Super Conductor Tyranno."
Yumi stepped back, half in fear and half in awe, as a giant Dinosaur loomed over Marlon. It was twenty feet tall, looked like it was made as much metal as it was flesh, and electricity coursed over its whole flesh.
It roared, and both Yumi and Sam stepped back again… (3,300/1,400)
"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh, "we've seen Marlon use this thing before…"
"Yeah," she replied. "In his duel with Rasputin, and he would have won if Rasputin hadn't gotten a lucky draw. Any ideas?"
"Bearing a good idea from Sam, I'm running out of them," he said. "We've used up almost all of our good cards… And we're down to less than half our deck."
"Well…" said Marlon. "I could just attack… But I'm not going to risk that Trap Card you have just yet… Fortunately, this beast has another way to hurt you…"
He placed another card on his Disk.
"I summon Balloon Lizard."
The large, spherical lizard appeared, floating in mid-air. (500/1,900)
"Now, by sacrificing a Monster, my Tyranno can inflict 1,000 points of damage to your Life Points."
Balloon Lizard exploded into shards. Super Conductor Tyranno breathed a blast of electric energy, striking Yumi. She screamed.
(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 2,800) ----- (M: 3,000) ----- (T: 3,000)
"Yumi!" shouted Sam.
"I'm all right…" muttered Yumi.
She slowly drew a card.
She turned the two cards on her Disk, and Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl knelt in Defense Mode.
"That's all I can do…" she muttered.
Tucker drew a card.
He grinned. It was Damage Condenser.
"Okay, Sam!" he laughed. "I activate… Safecracker!"
His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Cliff the Trap Remover working on a safe.
"Now, by discarding one other Trap Card…"
He discarded the Damage Condenser.
"I can duplicate a Trap Card in either of my opponents' Graveyards. And I think I'll duplicate your Shadow Spell!"
Sam gasped, as a mass of chains sprouted up, grabbing hold of Ha Des and tying him down.
"Now, I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."
A hidden Monster appeared.
My facedown Monster is Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, he thought. Her Lesser Fiend will never crack it. And as soon as I draw Ancient Gear Workshop, I can easily bring back my Golem…
Sam drew a card.
It was another card she had switched from her side deck. But the purpose of this Spell was very different…
She sighed… She had hoped to use this against Yumi when the two of them finally dueled… But it appeared she had no choice now…
"Yumi…" muttered Sam. "I… I have something that might… just might, mind you, get us out of this… But I have to borrow your Dark Magician to do it."
Yumi looked at her strangely.
She looked at the Pharaoh, and he nodded.
"Okay, Sam…" she said. "Good luck…"
Sam played the card.
"Go, Polymerization!" she shouted.
"Polymerization?" asked Marlon.
"What the heck are you gonna fuse?" asked Tucker.
"I have a very rare, and very special Fusion Monster…" replied Sam. "And it can only be summoned by fusing a Fiend and a Spellcaster, both of which must be at least Level Six…
"So… I choose to fuse my Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Yumi's Dark Magician!"
A dark portal opened behind her, and a ring of fire formed around it. Dark Magician was sucked through. The chains holding Ha Des snapped, and he was drawn through it too.
"The resulting creature is both a Fiend and a Spellcaster," said Sam. "I bring forth… Astaroth, Sage of the Underworld!"
Stepping out of the portal was a diabolic-looking creature. It had the head of a fiendish wolf, or maybe jackal, with sharp fangs and glowing eyes. It had claws that were a cross between a wolf's paws and a human's hands. It was dressed in the flowing, formal robes of a scholar, with scroll tubes tied to its belt, and it carried a leather-bound tome under its arm.
"As far as points go," said Sam, "we take the Attack and Defense, respectively, of the two Monsters I fused, add them together, and then divide by two."
(2,475/1,850)
Tucker gulped…
"Humph…" said Marlon. "A wasted effort… Even if you could attack my Tyranno, and you can't, it isn't nearly strong enough."
"Did I mention its cool special effect?" asked Sam. "Once per round, I can pay 800 Life Points to flip the top card of my deck. Then, I remove that card from play, and destroy a face-up card of the same type.
"So, let's see…"
She took a card off the top of her deck.
She smirked.
She showed it to him. It was Ring of Defense.
"HA!" laughed Marlon. "That's a Spell… So you can't destroy my Monster."
"True…" replied Sam. "But… I can destroy that annoying Side Attack."
Astaroth formed a crackling ball of black energy in its free hand, and hurled it, blasting the Side Attack card to pieces.
"And now that it's gone," continued Sam, pocketing the Ring of Defense card, "I'm free to attack either one of you.
"Astaroth, attack his Super Conductive Tyranno with forbidden curse!"
The Fiend sorcerer prepared to fire its lethal hex again…
"What are you doing?" shouted Marlon. "It isn't strong enough!"
Sam nodded, and her facedown card lifted, revealing Bark of Dark Ruler.
"I'll give up 1,900 Life Points," she said, "and that will cut your Monster down to a more manageable level."
Super Conductor Tyranno glowed with an aura of dark energy, and its Attack Score fell to 1,400.
Astaroth hurled the ball of darkness, and the giant Dinosaur exploded in a burst of light and flames.
"Lesser Fiend… Attack him directly!"
Lesser Fiend lunged at Marlon, and clobbered him with all four fists. He fell over.
(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 100) ----- (M: 0) ----- (T: 3,000)
"Well, that's it for me…" said Sam. "Yumi, take care of Tucker for me, will you?"
"Right!" shouted Yumi, drawing a card. "Time to end this…
"I activate… Call of the Haunted!"
Her facedown card lifted, and a black coffin appeared on the field. Dark Magician stepped out of it.
She looked at the card she had just drawn.
She played it.
"Now I summon… my second Skilled Dark Magician!"
In a burst of dark energy, the lesser Spellcaster appeared next to the two stronger ones. (1,900/1,700)
"Dark Magician, attack his facedown Monster!"
Dark Magician cast his mighty spell. Gear Golem the Moving Fortress appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
Dark Magician Girl and Skilled Dark Magician aimed their scepters. A double blast of dark magic struck Tucker, and he collapsed.
(Y: 3,500) ----- (S: 100) ----- (M: 0) ----- (T: 0)
The remaining Monsters vanished, and Yumi ran up to their two opponents, with Anastasia behind them.
"Sam…" said Yumi, placing her hand on Marlon's chest (and fortunately, not meeting with any objections), "once we're done here, we have to hurry and find Ren, Chelsea, and Erik."
"What?" asked Sam. "You don't think these guys were lying, do you?"
Yumi paused.
"The Crown lets me see the holders of other Charms when they're in crisis…" said Yumi.
"Erik is in one right now… He's just been goaded into a duel…"
The two heirs are triumphant. Yumi and Sam have managed what Yugi and Kaiba did so many years ago. But Rasputin seems to have been crafty, using the divide and conquer strategy that Yumi had tried so hard to avoid. Can Sam arrive in time to provide support for her boyfriend? Stay tuned…
0
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ARMED DARK DRAGON (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can be Special Summoned from your hand when there are exactly three DARK Monsters in your Graveyard. By removing one DARK Monster in your Graveyard from play, you can destroy one card on the field.
Note: "Armed Dark Dragon" will be released in the upcoming "Phantom Darkness" booster pack, due out in Japan in November.
0
0
0
SHIELD ATTACK (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A cartoonish picture of an old man hitting a younger warrior with a beer keg.
Card Description: Switch the base ATK and DEF of the Monster Equipped with this card.
Note: "Shield Attack" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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0
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HAMMER GOLEM (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, place two "Armor Counters" on it. If this card would be destroyed, you may remove one "Armor Counter" from it to prevent it from being destroyed. You must pay 1,000 Life Points to attack with this card.
0
0
0
ASTAROTH, SAGE OF THE UNDERWORLD (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: ?
DEF: ?
Card Description: Any one Fiend-Type Monster that is Level Six or greater plus Any one Spellcaster-Type Monster that is Level Six or greater
This card can only be summoned via Fusion Summon using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. The base ATK and DEF of this card are that of the ATK and DEF, respectively, of the two Monsters used as Fusion Material, added together, and divided by two. This card is also considered a Spellcaster-Type Monster. Once per round, you may pay 800 Life Points to reveal the top card on your deck. Then, destroy a face-up card on the field of the same type as the revealed card. Then, remove the revealed card from play.
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0
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SAUROBEAST BRACHION (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Dinosaur/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 3,000
Card Description: When a Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned to your opponent's side of the field, this card is switched to face-up Defense Position.
Note: "Saurobeast Brachion" was first used by Tyranno in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
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DARK RENEWAL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A dark coffin with a pentagram on the cover.
Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster. Tribute the summoned Monster and a face-up Monster on your side of the field. Then, Special Summon one Spellcaster-Type Monster from your Graveyard.
Note: "Dark Renewal" was first used by Arkana in the original anime episode "Master of Magicians (Part Two)" and used by Yugi and the Pharaoh infrequently after that. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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0
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ULTIMATE EVOLUTION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A capsule glowing with fiery energy in front of a roaring dinosaur.
Card Description: Remove from play one Dinosaur-Type and one Machine-Type Monster in your hand and/or Graveyard to activate this card. Special Summon one LIGHT Dinosaur-Type Monster from your hand or deck.
Note: "Ultimate Evolution" was first used by Tyranno in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken By Storm (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
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SIDE ATTACK (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A yellow starburst with a ninja in each corner, each one facing the one diagonal to him. Two sets of arrows, one blue and one red, connect the two sets of ninjas facing each other.
Card Description: This card can only be used in a two-on-two Tag Duel. You are "A1" and your tag partner is "A2". When this card is played, select one of your opponents. That opponent is "B1" and his tag partner is "B2". "A1" is paired with "B1", "B1" is "A1's" attack target and cannot select anyone else. "A2" is paired with "B2", "B2" is "A2's" attack target and cannot select anyone else. When a Monster does not exist on "B1's" area of the field, "A1" may attack "B2" directly. When a Monster does not exist on "B2's" area of the field, "A2" may attack "B1" directly.
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REVOLVING STAGE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Two splendidly dressed dancers on a circular stage with a spotlight on them.
Card Description: You can only activate this card when a "Side Attack" is active on the field. When one of your opponents is about to receive battle damage, you can redirect that battle damage to your other opponent.
Note: "Side Attack" and "Revolving Stage" were first used by Thunder and Frost in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken By Storm". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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0
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SAFECRACKER (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Cliff the Trap Remover working on a safe.
Card Description: Discard one Trap Card from your hand. Select one Trap Card from your opponent's Graveyard and activate it from the Graveyard as your Trap Card.
Note: "Safecracker" first appeared in "Dark Messiah".
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Sam: We gotta find Erik fast! I'm really starting to hate that Rasputin…
Yumi: Leave it to him to strike when we were busy… I wonder who he's dueling…
Anastasia: He's dueling someone who's mad at him, Yumi. While this duelist is under Rasputin's control, Rasputin may not have had to even bother… He might have dueled Erik on his own…
Coming up next, "Battle of Vengeance; Erik versus Leroy, Round Two".
Time for a rematch, and this time, it won't be so easy…