This thing on? Good. A couple of announcements.
First, for those who didn't get the reference, Nagaina was the female cobra (and the more dangerous of the two) in Rudyard Kipling's short story "Riki-Tiki-Tavi".
Second…
The anime-only cards in this chapter are hard to use in fanfictions with any amount of accuracy. They are arguably the most widely misinterpreted cards in the anime. Go to three websites, and they'll interpret their effects three ways, most likely. Even Janime got some of them wrong.
I decided not to rely on websites to interpret their effects. I went to the most reliable source, which is what all writers should do before using anime-only cards…
I watched the actual episodes, and interpreted their effects from what I saw. You can't get simpler than that.
Thus, I assure you, that the effects of the cards that are detailed here are indeed the true intended effects, as the writers planned. I will not respond to anyone who points out that I was mistaken in my interpretation of any of the cards, no matter what website you refer me to, because quite simply, this is how they worked on the actual show.
Now that that's taken care of…
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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
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Fiery Perdition of Gehenna
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Sam versus Olga
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It was eleven o'clock the next day, and the Coliseum was almost filled up.
In the VIP seats, there were two distinct factions. Yumi's group (which included Sam and Erik, at least for now) were keeping close watch on Rasputin and his two lackeys. (They weren't going to make an assumption that Nicholas and Olga were anything more than hired help.)
"So what now?" asked Chelsea.
"We wait for Rasputin to make the first move, if he wants to make one," replied Yumi. "He'd be nuts to do anything truly out of line – there are Centurions at every corner in this place."
As they watched the three closely, Louis walked up to his employers carrying a tray of food.
"Uh, let's see," he said. "Double cheeseburger, spicy fries, and milkshake…"
He gave them to Nicholas.
"Chili dog and Diet Pepsi…"
He gave them to Olga.
"And beef gyro and Sprite."
He handed it to Rasputin.
"Louis, I asked for hot sauce," said Rasputin.
"Oh… yeah…" replied Louis.
He took a packet of hot sauce out of his pocket and ripped it open. He spread the condiment on the gyro.
He sighed, and took a seat between the two groups.
"Hey, Louis," said Ren. "What's it like being a professional bootlicker?"
"Huh?" asked Louis. "Hey, I ain't no bootlicker!"
"Oh?" asked Ren. "You seem more than willing to do everything those guys tell you to do without so much as a thank you from them. I seem to remember that Nicholas called you a thug yesterday. Don't you have any pride?"
"Well, I…" muttered Louis. "Hey, it's my job. Rasputin pays me to do what he says."
"So you work like a dog, they treat you like dirt, and the money makes up for it?" asked Ren.
"It ain't just money!" shouted Louis. "I get free medical and dental, I get Sundays off, and…"
"Louis!" shouted Rasputin. "Just ignore him, will you, or you'll need to make use of that free dental!"
Meanwhile, Sam was looking hard at Olga.
She took two decks out of cases on her belt.
Hmm… she thought. The Dark World Deck might not work against her… I'll save it for round two…
I'll use my old deck this time…
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The clock inched towards noon…
At the stroke of noon, a great flame erupted in the center of the arena…
The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys soared out of the bonfire, let out an earsplitting screech, and flew into the sky, disappearing into the sun.
Bursts of sparks exploded all around the arena, as Ben Fulton and Natalie Malone appeared on the announcers screen.
"Greetings again everyone, and welcome again to Duelatopia XX!" exclaimed Ben. "Hello to all of our guests, and to everyone watching at home. To all duelists around the world, welcome!"
"Enough with the artsy opening ceremonies," said Natalie. "I'm ready to see the fur fly!"
"Wish granted," said Ben. "And while this may only be the first round, it might well be the biggest, because it has four titanic matches.
"I give you… The quarter finals!"
The screen turned blue, and a tournament tree appeared. Sam's face appeared next to Olga's, Ren's next to Chelsea's, Yumi's next to Nicholas's and Erik's next to Rasputin's.
"And here she is," said Natalie, "our gracious host, Sheena Arachne!"
The crowd cheered, as Sheena appeared in the center of the arena, wearing a Duel Disk.
Strange, thought Yumi. Why would she need that?
"Welcome everybody," said Sheena, speaking into the microphone. "I know we'd best get something started before this turns into a mob, so without further ado, let's meet the first duelists of the quarter finals."
"Coming out first… A duelist who needs no introduction, but I'm going to introduce her anyway… Samantha Arachne!"
The gate at the south end of the arena opened, and Sam ran out. The crowd cheered, and she blew kisses to them as she ran up to her mother's side.
Sheena put her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Remember," she whispered, "if by some chance you lose before you can make the wager with Yumi, you automatically lose the wager."
"Don't worry, mom," she replied. "This duel is in the bag."
Sheena put the microphone to her mouth again.
"Her opponent," she said, "joining us from Liverpool, England… Olga Warren!"
Olga appeared at the other end of the arena. A few folks cheered, and she waved. She had changed her wardrobe a bit, now wearing a green halter and a short skirt. Her hair was tied in pigtails, one of which held the Cat's Cradle Comb. With it, she practically oozed charisma. Several boys in the audience made catcalls as she walked up to her opponent.
"Now…" said Sheena. "It is my pleasure to introduce this year's guest referee… Coming to us from Las Vegas, he's taken time off from his busy schedule to be with us… Please welcome Lawrence Delmato!"
The crowd was silenced. Then they erupted in cheers as a man walked up behind Sheena. His appearance suggested a Marine, with a shaved head, wearing sunglasses and a pinstriped referee's uniform. The uniform didn't hide the fact that he was well-built and muscular underneath it.
"Delmato?" said Erik, getting up. "The boxing referee who did last year's Marcus versus Jose title bout? Sheena has more pull than I thought!"
"Who'd have thought he knew anything about Duel Monsters?" said Ren.
"You learn something new every day," said Chelsea.
Sheena activated her Disk.
"All right people," she said, opening the Field slot. "I promised an explosive match, and I'm going to give you all one. So I'm making an adjustment to this arena…"
She placed a card in the slot, and the holographic towers around the arena glowed.
"Using the latest in KaibaCorp holographic technology," she said, "we can transport through the planar boundaries. Welcome to…"
There was a great explosion…
"The Fiery Perdition of Gehenna!"
As Sam and Olga looked around, they saw that they were in a volcanic, rocky wasteland. Lava flowed around them, down mountains to their sides, and the sky above – all around the arena, actually – was full of black smoke. It was as if the card had transformed all of Duelatopia into a hellscape.
"All right, you two," said Delmato. "Let's get this started. Some ground rules. In this duel, I'm the boss, and what I say goes, you got that?"
The two duelists saluted.
"That isn't necessary," he said. "Now, both of you cut and shuffle each other's decks, and no funny business."
The two of them handed each other their decks, and both started to shuffle.
"Say, Sam," said Olga, "what would you say to a wager?"
"Depends," growled Sam. "Does it involve you being humiliated when I beat you?"
Olga smirked.
"I'll wager my Cat's Cradle Comb against your Ring of Spirits," she replied.
Sam stared at her. In her seat, Yumi stood up.
So that's how Rasputin intends to get the Charms away from us, she thought.
He's gonna do it the legitimate way…
I guess the only thing you can rely on about a bad guy is you can't rely on him!
"My pleasure!" shouted Sam, snatching her deck back. "When this is over, I'll have TWO Shadow Charms! I'm more than prepared for your Fairies!"
I'm not sure about that, thought Olga. Especially now that I'm using my actual deck… A breed of Fairies much deadlier than the Cyber Angels…
Are you truly prepared for it? Can anyone be?
"Not to be biased," said Ben, "But I think we all can expect big things from young Samantha. After all, she has the Kaiba blood running through her."
"And in this intense match," said Natalie, "our old-time fans' memory will be refreshed on what happens when Kaiba blood boils!"
Delmato produced a large gold coin.
"Okay ladies," he said, showing it to them. "This is heads… This is tails…"
"Olga can call it…" said Sam.
He tossed it.
"Heads!" shouted Olga.
The coin fell.
"Heads it is," he said. "Now get to your positions, and game on!"
"I'm as game as you are, Olga," said Sam, backing up.
The two Disks activated… A geyser of lava erupted behind Sam…
(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Olga: 8,000)
"And it begins!" shouted Ben, as Olga made her first draw. "The first match of the first round of the finals of Duelatopia XX!"
Olga made her first draw, and looked over her hand.
"If we can ignore our loudmouthed announcer for a minute," said Olga, "I'll start by setting a Monster in Defense Mode."
She placed the card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Next," she said. "I play a Spell Card…"
She played a card, showing the image of an enormous, beautiful tree with three small figures under it.
"It's called Guardians of Yggdrasil, and it works like this… I have to pay 2,000 Life Points first. But then I get to search my deck for three specific Spell Cards.
"However, if I don't activate all three of them successfully by the end of my turn, all three of them go to the Graveyard.
"Of course, since you haven't been able to play a single card yet, and have no way to counter them, I'm not too worried about that."
She got the three cards, and then started to shuffle her deck.
"Who are the Guardians of Yggdrasil?" asked Ren.
"The Norns," replied Yumi. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"
"All right, ladies and gentlemen…" said Olga. "Let's all have a Duelatopia welcome… For the three Norns themselves…
"I play… Goddess Skuld's Oracle!"
She played the card, and in a burst of light, a tall form appeared next to her. It was a young girl, with long, blue pigtails, dressed in a fancy dress, holding a staff topped with a red orb inside a circle.
"Next, Goddess Verdande's Guidance!"
She played another card, and another woman appeared next to Skuld. She was older, wore the same fancy dress, had long, pink hair, and her staff had a green orb.
"And finally, Goddess Urd's Verdict."
She played the third card, and the third Norn appeared. She was the eldest, had short, blonde hair, and her staff had a blue orb.
"Okay…" said Sam. "That's… Impressive."
Olga and the three goddesses smiled at Sam in a way that made her blood run cold…
"I know this combo," muttered Yumi. "If Sam doesn't draw something that can destroy Spells on her turn, she's in very big trouble…"
"End… turn…" said Olga.
(S: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 6,000)
"Olga has ended her turn 2,000 Life Points poorer, but three odd Continuous Spell Cards richer. Let's see what Sam has."
Sam drew a card.
Only one Monster, she thought, but he'll do…
"I summon… Opticlops!" she shouted.
In a burst of darkness, Opticlops materialized. (1,800/1,700)
"Olga may have gone defensive," said Ben, "but Sam has gone on the offensive!"
"Opticlops… Attack!" ordered Sam.
Steam blew from the Fiend's nostrils, and he charged towards the facedown card…
Spirit of the Harp appeared on the card. She whacked Opticlops with her instrument, and he fell backwards. (800/2,000)
"All right," said Sam, taking three of her cards. "I'll end with these…"
She fit them into her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared in three bursts of light.
(S: 7,800) -------------------- (O: 6,000)
Likely anti-attack Trap Cards, thought Olga, drawing a card. Well, I have time to deal with them… I'm not going to attack until I'm truly ready…
"All right Samantha…" said Olga, "it's time to show my true power…"
The three goddesses glowed with multicolored light, and lava spouted behind Olga.
"With the power to control the Past, Present, and the Future, the three Norns control Time itself, making them a force that cannot be opposed!
"Allow me to show you…
"Skuld possesses the power to see the Future. What will be. So by activating her ability, I can see the next three cards that you'll draw, and rearrange them any way I please. So Skuld, if you would…"
Skuld let out a girlish giggle, and aimed her staff, striking Sam's deck with a blast of magic. The images of three cards appeared over Sam's head.
Malice Doll of Demise, then Pot of Avarice, and then Giant Orc.
Olga grinned. She waved her hand, and the cards changed position, Giant Orc going first, Pot of Avarice second, and Malice Doll of Demise third.
"Next," said Olga, as the cards vanished, "Verdande represents the Present, the here and now."
Verdande held her staff and started to glow.
"So, by using her power, I get to take a guess at whether the top card on your deck is a Spell, Trap, or Monster, and if I'm right, you set it on the field.
"And I guess it's a Monster."
Sam drew the card, and looked at Giant Orc.
"What a surprise," she said, sarcastically. "You were right."
She placed it on her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"And finally," continued Olga, "Urd has power over the Past. History and what was. So now I get to try to guess what one of your facedown cards is, and if I'm right, it's history. Meaning it's removed from play.
"So… Could that facedown Monster be Giant Orc?"
Urd waved her staff, and the facedown Monster vanished.
"It's the perfect combo," muttered Erik. "One Spell Card leads to another."
"I know…" said Yumi. "Ziegfried Von Schroder used this combo. My grandfather Joey went up against a deck like this when he dueled Ziegfried…"
"Mind telling us how he beat him?" asked Erik.
"Actually…" said Yumi, "my grandfather lost that duel. He almost won, but one of his gamble cards… Well, his luck finally ran out.
"Ziegfried came close to beating Seto Kaiba too. And he might have, if Kaiba hadn't gotten what might have been the luckiest draw in his career."
"Heh, heh…" said Olga. "That's all for now, Samantha, so draw your card. Not that I don't already know what it is…"
Sam drew a card, and it was Pot of Avarice.
"Bitch," she muttered, adding it to her hand.
The other two cards in her hand were Premature Burial and Metamorphosis. Three utterly useless cards…
But what she had out already was still useful.
"Opticlops…" she said, "attack her Spirit of the Harp!"
Opticlops roared again.
"What are you doing, trying to lose?" asked Olga.
"Not at all," said Sam, as one of her facedown cards lifted.
"Bark of Dark Ruler?" said Olga in surprise.
"That's right," said Sam. "I just have to pay 300 Life Points, and your harpist's Defense falls to a much more manageable level."
Spirit of the Harp cringed as she was surrounded by a dark aura, and her Defense fell to 1,700.
She screamed as Opticlops plowed into her, and she shattered. Her harp fell to the ground, broken into two pieces.
The three goddesses gave Sam dirty looks.
"Well, I can't say I admire Sam's finesse," said Natalie, "but she got the job done."
"For now," said Ben. "Let's see what else Olga has up her sleeve."
(S: 7,500) -------------------- (O: 6,000)
"My draw," said Olga, drawing a card.
"And I play Pot of Greed."
She played the card, and the fiendish jar appeared. She drew two cards.
"Time for my goddesses to go to work again," she said, adding them to her hand. "First, Skuld… Let's do it!"
Skuld cast her spell again, and the three cards appeared again. They were Malice Doll of Demise, Monster Reincarnation, and Graceful Charity.
Heh, thought Olga. I don't need to change them at all!
The cards vanished.
"Next, Verdande," she said. "I guess that your top card is a Monster again."
Sam drew.
"Right again…" she muttered, placing it on her Disk.
The facedown Monster appeared.
"And finally, Urd," said Olga. "I guess that your facedown Monster is Malice Doll of Demise."
Urd cast her spell, and the facedown card was vaporized.
"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn."
She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared facedown on the field.
Sam drew.
Monster Reincarnation, she thought, looking at it. This is getting ridiculous…
She has no Monsters on her side of the field now. The three goddesses don't count as Monsters. On one hand, there are those facedown cards to worry about. On the other hand, she likely wasn't expecting me to get past her wall Monster.
I'm gonna go for it!
"Opticlops… Attack her directly!"
Opticlops snorted, and charged at Olga.
"Stop right there!" shouted Olga. "I activate… Wotan's Judgment!"
A facedown card lifted, and thunder flashed in the dark sky. An intimidating man in a green cloak and hood with a great beard appeared, looming over Olga. He pointed a cudgel at Opticlops, and the Fiend cowered in fright.
"I can use this Trap when I have at least one Spell Card in my hand, and fortunately, I do," said Olga. "And now it channels the power of Wotan himself, causing any of your Monsters who try to attack me to run for cover!
"And that's not all… Now I get to draw one card…"
She made a draw.
"But then I have to put a Spell Card in my hand on the top of my deck…"
She took a card from her hand, and placed it on the top of her deck.
"But I'm going to get it back right away. Know why?"
Her other Trap activated. It was Jar of Greed.
She drew the card she had just placed on top of her deck, and added it to her hand.
"Well, that was certainly a combo," said Ren. "But who exactly is Wotan?"
"Basically, another name for Odin," replied Yumi. "When one group of gods is worshipped in several regions, each region tends to have different names for them."
"Ooh, I end my turn!" shouted Sam.
Olga drew a card.
"Well, I'll start mine…" she said.
She sighed.
"Boy, this is fun…" she said, sarcastically. "This is about as exciting as washing my hair…"
"You mean… girls actually do that?" asked Ren. "I assumed it was just an excuse to turn down a date."
"Hit it, girls!" shouted Olga.
Skuld glowed, and for the third time, the top three cards of Sam's deck were revealed.
They were: Graceful Charity, Ectoplasmer, and Dark Ruler Ha Des.
Well, well… thought Olga.
She waved her hand, putting Dark Ruler Ha Des first, Ectoplasmer second, and Graceful Charity third.
Erik got up.
NO! he thought.
"Once again, time for Verdande," said Olga. "I guess that your top card is a Monster."
Sam drew the card.
She gave a slight smirk when she saw what it was.
"You're right…" she said with a smile. "So it goes facedown…"
The facedown Monster appeared. And as it appeared, one of Sam's facedown cards lifted.
"Go, Dust Tornado!"
A tornado tore across the field…
"Say bye-bye to Urd!" laughed Sam.
Olga gasped. Urd screamed as the Dust Tornado plowed into her, and she was blasted to bits.
"Wha… buh… guh…" gasped Olga. "You mean… You… You could have broken up my combo any time you wanted to?"
"Yep!" said Sam with a grin. "I was waiting for you to let me set something powerful, sucker. Now I was able to get Ha Des onto the field… With no sacrifice."
The crowd cheered.
"Looks like Sam turned out to be a trickster worthy of Loki," said Ben. "So what's Olga gonna do now?"
"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do!" shouted Olga. "I'm gonna place two more cards facedown, and end my turn."
Two more facedown cards appeared.
"Fine," said Sam. "Draw!"
She drew a card.
She added Ectoplasmer to her hand.
"I've never Flip-Summoned Ha Des before," she said, "but hey, there's a first time for everything…"
The card flipped up, and with a roar, Dark Ruler Ha Des arose. He seemed right at home in the lava-strewn wasteland. (2,450/1,600)
"Let's go!" shouted Sam. "Opticlops… Get her!"
Opticlops charged, and Olga screamed as he rammed his horn into her stomach.
"That was just the appetizer," said Sam. "Hope you're ready to choke down seconds… Ha Des, attack!"
Ha Des prepared to cast his evil spell.
"Me eat seconds?" asked Olga. "You wish… This figure doesn't stay so trim on its own…"
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"I activate… Fricka's Meditation."
With a glowing light, another goddess with long, green hair, a pink dress, and a green cape appeared behind Olga. She glared at Ha Des, and he cowered away.
A card slipped out of Olga's discard slot.
"I just have to remove Wotan's Judgment from play," she said, pocketing the card, "and your Dark Ruler's attack is called off.
"Next, I'll chain-activate Emergency Provisions."
Her second facedown card lifted.
"I'll sacrifice Fricka's Meditation, Goddess Skuld's Oracle, and Goddess Verdande's Guidance, and gain 3,000 Life Points."
Fricka, Skuld, and Verdande vanished into grains of light.
"Not bad," said Sam. "But you have nothing left. I end my turn."
(S: 7,500) -------------------- (O: 7,200)
"Sam has finally managed to clear Olga's side of the field," said Natalie, "but it's Olga's turn."
Olga drew a card.
She grinned.
She played a Spell Card, and it appeared on her side of the field. It had the image of a group of ancient palaces amid the clouds.
"Is that what I think it is?" asked Sam, nervously.
"It is…" said Olga.
Then the Coliseum's sound system flared to life, playing an all-too-familiar classical music score. Everyone looked around.
"Natalie?" asked Ben. "Did you bring your Boston Pops collection here?"
"Calm down everyone," said Olga. "When I play the Spell Card, Ride of the Valkyries, the Disk plays the song of the same name, from the Wagner opera, Die Walküre. Beginning of Act III, for those of you who aren't into that sort of thing.
"As for what this Spell Card does, it lets me Special Summon all the Monsters in my hand that have the word 'Valkyrie' in their names…
"And guess what, Sam? I have four of them."
She quickly threw four cards on her Disk.
"So let's all welcome… Valkyrie Dritte, Valkyrie Erste, and two twin sisters named Valkyrie Zweite."
In four flashes of light, four powerful forms appeared on Olga's side of the field. It was four women, dressed in golden armor with winged helmets, mounted on winged horses. Each one carried a long sword and a shield. The only real way to tell the difference between them was the color of their hair. Dritte's hair was bright red (1,000/1,600), Erste's was green (1,600/1,800), and the two Zweittes' were long and pink (1,600/1,600).
"Okay…" said Sam. "That's… trouble…"
"More than you think," replied Olga. "Each of my Valkyries has a powerful ability. First there's my two Zweittes. Just by summoning them, each one can destroy one of your Monsters, and remove them from play."
The two Zweittes glowed with golden fire. Dark Ruler Ha Des and Opticlops glowed with the same golden fire, and then vanished.
"Next," said Olga, "for each Monster that's been removed from play so far, Dritte gains 100 Attack Points."
Dritte glowed with a similar golden aura. (1,400/1,600)
"And as for Erste," said Olga, "we take the base Attack Scores of every Monster that's been removed from play so far, then add them together, and then add them to her Attack Score."
"Now wait a second…" said Ren. "She had 1,600 on her own, Giant Orc had 2,200, Malice Doll of Demise had 1,600…"
"Don't strain your brain," said Yumi. "The Disk already figured it out, and it's bad news."
Erste glowed like a bonfire… (9,650/1,800)
"ARGH!" shouted Ren. "She can take out Sam with one blow!"
"Take her out?" shouted Erik. "She'll be lucky if she doesn't end up in the hospital!"
"Tell you what…" said Olga. "I'll be merciful, and grant you a quick death…"
She grinned a sinister grin.
"You're all heart, Olga," said Sam, sarcastically.
"Well, it's been fun, Samantha," said Olga, "but now you've got an appointment with a real Valkyrie.
"Erste, attack directly with charge of Asgard!"
"Tell me when it's over…" said Erik, covering his eyes.
Erste charged at Sam on her mount, sword-first.
"Sorry to be a spoilsport, Olga," said Sam, "but this is far from over…"
Her last facedown card, which Olga had completely forgotten about, lifted up…
"Draining Shield?!" shouted Olga. "NO! Erste! STOP!"
It was too late. A dome of energy formed around Sam, and as Erste's sword slammed into it, the sky of Gehenna flashed with lightning, and every volcano around the two duelists erupted at once. Sam laughed with joy as energy flowed into her…
Rasputin slammed his fist down on the railing in front of him.
"DAMN!" he shouted.
Then he realized that the railing he had slammed his fist into was made of steel. He held his hand in pain.
"Trying to end this so soon, Olga?" asked Sam. "Heck, this was just getting interesting!"
She held her head.
"Whoa… Feel like I just chugged a gallon of Gatorade..."
"With a well-placed Trap Card, Sam comes back from the brink of defeat!" exclaimed Ben. "Folks, I hope you're strapped in, because this may be just getting started!"
"I suppose you think you're so smart!" shouted Olga. "Forget merciful… My other three Valkyries want a piece of you now…
"Zweittes, attack her directly!"
The two pink-haired Valkyries galloped forward, and two swords slashed across Sam's chest, crossing her heart. She screamed.
She held her chest in pain.
"Dritte, your turn," said Olga.
Dritte charged at Sam and stabbed her right in the belly. She screamed again.
(S: 12,550) -------------------- (O: 7,200)
"Oh, yeah?" muttered Sam, gasping for breath. "Well, I happen to know that Ride of the Valkyries has an unfortunate side effect. As soon as you end your turn, those four gals will all go back to your deck. And you just ran out of Monsters to attack me with. Tough break, huh?"
"Look who knows so much," said Olga, sarcastically. "I have to end my turn now… Ladies… It's been real."
The four Valkyries vanished into grains of light. Olga took her deck, and added the cards to it.
"You may be in the lead," she said, as she reshuffled, "but I've beaten worse. This isn't the first time my Ride of the Valkyries failed. But you know something? I've never lost with this deck!"
"Like I said before," said Sam.
She drew a card.
"There's a first time for everything. And with your Norns gone, I just drew the first good draw in four turns.
"In case you don't remember what it is, I'll show you. I play Graceful Charity."
Her deck glowed, and she drew three cards.
"Now, let's see," she said, looking at them. "Shouldn't be too hard deciding what to discard…"
She smirked. She discarded Ectoplasmer and the Gil Garth she just drew.
"Next, I play Premature Burial," she said. "Spending my Life Points means nothing when I have over twelve-thousand, and I think I'll bring back the guy I just tossed. Meet Gil Garth."
In a burst of light, the robotic, armored Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)
"But he's not staying for long. You may have gotten rid of Ha Des, but I have two copies of his card in my deck. And guess what? I also drew the other one.
"So I sacrifice Gil Garth, and Ha Des makes his triumphant return."
Gil Garth vanished, and Ha Des loomed over the field once more. (2,450/1,600)
Olga gulped…
"Ha Des…" ordered Sam. "Let her have it! Stygian blast!"
Ha Des cast his burst of black fire, and Olga screamed as it roasted her. She fell over on her behind.
(S: 11,750) -------------------- (O: 4,750)
"Well, that's enough for one turn," said Sam. "Let's see what else you have."
"I'll show you what else I have…" said Olga, drawing a card.
She looked at it, and the other card in her hand.
"Okay, Sam," she said. "I play… Final Light. I have to pay 1,000 Life Points, but I get to Special Summon a Light-Attribute Monster from my Graveyard."
In a burst of light, Spirit of the Harp reappeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)
"You get to summon a Monster from your Graveyard too," she continued, "but it has to have 2,000 Attack Points or less."
"I only have one Monster in my Graveyard," replied Sam. "And what do you know? He fits the bill."
Gil Garth reappeared on her side of the field in another burst of light. (1,800/1,200)
"I'll toss this facedown, and end my turn," said Olga, playing her last card.
A facedown card appeared.
(S: 11,750) -------------------- (O: 3,750)
Sam drew again.
She looked the card. It was a very powerful Monster that she had added to her deck especially for the finals. But she couldn't summon it right now, not with its effect… Nor could she Normal Summon it unless she sacrificed Ha Des.
Well, it might help later… she thought, adding it to her hand.
"I summon The Bistro Butcher," she said.
In a burst of darkness, the fiendish chef appeared, raising his cleaver. (1,800/1,000)
"Time to prepare today's special," said Sam. "Fairy duelist au gratin. But first thing's first…
"Ha Des… Take out Spirit of the Harp!"
Ha Des cast his spell, and the Fairy was consumed by the black flames.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Olga, as her facedown card lifted. "Loge's Flame!"
"Huh?" said Sam.
The whole arena glowed, as if a blue bonfire had been lit, and they were in the middle of it.
"Sorry, Samantha," said Olga. "But as long as Loge's Flame burns, only Monsters who have more than 2,000 Attack Points are allowed to attack. I'm afraid Gil Garth and The Bistro Butcher aren't in that club."
"Well…" said Ben. "That's an… Odd Trap Card. Seems like the opposite of Messenger of Peace, almost."
"Olga is up to something," said Natalie. "We'll just have to wait and see what."
I know exactly what, said Yumi. Loge's Flame has another effect… If used right, it will let Olga summon someone who's likely the most powerful Monster in her deck…
Sam frowned.
"I end my turn!" she shouted.
"I draw one card…" muttered Olga, drawing.
She looked at the card.
"I play… Card of Variation," she said, playing it. "Now I get to draw two cards."
She made two draws.
"It has a cost, of course, but we won't get into that until the end of my turn. Now…"
She looked at the two cards she had just drawn. She smiled.
"First I place one card facedown," she said.
She played the card, and a facedown card appeared.
"Then I play… Giant Trunade!"
She played the other card, and a furious wind blew across the field. Her facedown card and Loge's Flame were blown off the field, and reappeared in her hand.
"Now, you're likely wondering why the heck I set a facedown card and then played Giant Trunade. Well, it's because the facedown card I set was this one. It's called Treasure Map.
"Now I get to draw two cards, so long as I then discard one from my hand."
She made two draws.
"And since Treasure Map itself is now worthless, as all treasure maps are after you find the treasure, that's what I'll discard."
She discarded the card.
"And I'm far from done. Since Loge's Flame was blown off the field, its second effect was activated…
"Now I get to summon this lady… Meet one of the greatest warriors of Asgard, and the most powerful of the Choosers of the Slain… Valkyrie Brunhilde!"
In another burst of light, a new Valkyrie appeared. Like the previous Valkyries, the only way to discern her from her sisters was her hair, which in this case was long, blue, and billowy. (1,800/2,000)
"She doesn't look so tough," said Sam.
"She's about to get tougher," replied Olga, taking another card. "Time to open the gates of Asgard and show her true power."
Open the gates of Asgard? thought Yumi. Oh no… That could only mean…
"I play a Spell Card that's a mouthful," said Olga, "and to you, it's a handful… Rainbow Bridge Bifrost!"
Thunder rumbled again, and a gleaming rainbow descended from the dark sky. Brunhilde closed her eyes as it covered her, and she glowed with energy.
"Now…" said Olga. "Brunhilde gains 500 more Attack Points for every Monster that been removed from play so far. At last count, there were four of them."
(3,800/2,000)
"No Trap Cards to protect you now!" shouted Olga. "Brunhilde, attack the Dark Ruler Ha Des with pride of Odin!"
Brunhilde swooped down on the Fiend ruler on her mount, and with one slash of her sword, Ha Des was no more.
(S: 10,400) -------------------- (O: 3,750)
"That's all I can do for this turn," said Olga. "Now, since I played Card of Variation when I started this turn, I have to discard a card now, or I lose 3,000 Life Points. And since Loge's Flame has served its purpose, I'll get rid of that."
She discarded the card.
"Olga may have the upper hand again," said Natalie, "but Sam still has a commanding lead. So much depends on what she draws now."
Sam looked at the Monster Card in her hand.
She had enough Monsters to summon it now… But it wasn't strong enough beat Brunhilde.
She drew a card.
Hmm, she thought, looking at the Trap Card. Might come in handy.
She set the card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Then she turned her two cards, and Gil Garth and The Bistro Butcher crouched in Defense Mode.
"Go ahead," she said.
Olga drew a card.
"Okay, Sam," she said, playing a card. "I play, Akashic Record."
The Spell Card appeared on the field, showing the image of a group of dinosaur bones and a skull.
"And what does that do?" asked Sam.
"It's a rare card that lets me draw two cards," said Olga. "Of course, there is a little catch. If either of the two cards are ones that I've used before, then all copies of them are removed from play."
She drew two cards. She looked at them.
She turned them forward, revealing Kuriboh and Soul Resurrection.
"Looks like I was lucky," she said.
"Olga sure has a lot of draw power in that deck," said Chelsea.
"Can you blame her?" asked Yumi. "If Ride of the Valkyries doesn't work, and it didn't, it could cost her every card in her hand. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a Morphing Jar in that deck too."
"So what the heck is an Akashic Record?" asked Sam.
Olga chuckled.
"Some philosophers in some old religions believe that on some mystical plane of existence," she replied, "all knowledge, every iota of information that humanity has ever known and recorded, starting from the time they first became sentient up to the present, is gathered together in one great celestial library. These are the Akashic Records. You might call it God's database.
"Some dreamers say that if they could access this great library, they could discover the answers to literally anything… Maybe even the meaning and purpose of life…
"But don't get your hopes up… I doubt that the place will ever be open to the public.
"Anyway…
"Brunhilde, attack Gil Garth!"
Brunhilde swung her sword, and Gil Garth shattered into triangles.
Olga fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Your move," she said.
Sam drew a card.
It's clearly Soul Resurrection, she thought. I'm going to have to bust through that Spirit of the Harp again sooner or later…
She looked at her own facedown card.
Unless…
"I play… Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card she just drew.
She ignored the jar, and drew two cards.
She looked at them.
She gave a sly look at Olga, and then set a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.
"Your move," she said with a satisfied smile.
Olga made another draw.
Her eyes narrowed.
"That wouldn't happen to be a Night Assailant, would it, Sam?" she asked. "Well sorry, nice try, but I'm getting rid of it."
She played a Spell Card.
"I play Valkyrie's Embrace. Now I just have to switch Brunhilde to Defense Mode, and she can destroy one Monster."
Brunhilde dismounted her horse, and walked towards the facedown card with her arms extended, as if wanting to deliver a hug. The Monster appeared – which was, indeed, Night Assailant – and as Brunhilde delivered the embrace, it shattered.
Brunhilde went back next to her mount, and then knelt and shielded herself in Defense Mode.
"End turn," said Olga.
"And it's the end for Brunhilde," said Sam, drawing a card. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do. By moving her to Defense Mode, you fell right into my trap."
"What?" said Olga. "You have a Monster that can beat her Defense? Well let me tell you…"
"I know, I know…" said Sam. "Her effect. You can prevent her from being destroyed in battle if you just reduce her Defense Score by 1,000. That means she has to be attacked three times before she dies.
"Well… I'm gonna do just that…"
She held up a card.
"You ever hear of this Spell Card, Olga?" she exclaimed with a laugh.
"It can't be!" shouted Olga.
"Oh, but it is!" yelled Sam.
She threw the card into her Disk.
"I play Dimension Fusion! I pay 2,000 Life Points, and every Monster that's been removed from play comes back!"
The sky above Gehenna flashed with lightning again, and another geyser of lava erupted. A portal to a dark void tore open above them…
Four creatures flew out of the portal. Dark Ruler Ha Des led the way. (2,450/1,600) Opticlops was right behind him. (1,800/1,700) Next came Giant Orc, looking more confused than it usually was. (2,200/0) Finally, Malice Doll of Demise took up the rear. (1,600/1,700)
"Go, Soul Resurrection!" shouted Olga in panic.
Sam looked at her facedown card.
No, better not… she thought.
Olga's Trap Card lifted. Spirit of the Harp appeared crouching in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)
"Well then…" said Sam, as The Bistro Butcher stood up in Attack Mode, "I'll just take her out first… Ha Des… Destroy Spirit of the Harp! Stygian blast!"
Spirit of the Harp simply closed her eyes and leaned her head on her hand, as if she just wanted the duel to end already. She barely moved as the Dark Ruler's blast hit her.
Brunhilde, however, was a great deal more nervous…
"Giant Orc," ordered Sam, "attack Valkyrie Brunhilde with bone basher!"
Giant Orc lumbered towards Brunhilde and clobbered her over the head with her club. Brunhilde screamed, and then held her head in a daze. Her Defense fell to 1,000.
"Butcher, your turn," said Sam. "Siamese cut!"
The Bistro Butcher leapt at Brunhilde and sliced her from stem to stern. She screamed again, and her Defense fell to zero.
"Malice Doll of Demise, finish the job," said Sam. "Cleaver heaver!"
The evil puppet hurled his axe, and this time, Brunhilde had no defense. She was blasted into pixels.
Sam glared at Olga.
"Opticlops, attack her directly!"
Opticlops charged towards Olga.
"Kuriboh, go!" shouted Olga, tossing a card.
A wall of the small, furry Fiends sprang up, and Opticlops was thrown backwards as they exploded on impact.
Giant Orc dropped its club, and fell over in a daze.
"I end my turn…" said Sam.
(S: 8,400) -------------------- (O: 3,750)
Olga drew a card.
She fit the card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Your move…" she said.
I haven't lost yet… she thought. The Trap Card I just set is my deadliest, one that not even Ziegfried knew about…
The Horn of Heimdall. It will cost me half my Life Points, but I'll be able to summon four Valkyries from my deck.
They'll be destroyed on my next End Phase, but if I bring out all three Zweittes and one Erste, one round will be all I'll need.
Sam drew a card.
"Ha Des, attack…" she said.
"I activate… The Horn of Heimdall!" shouted Olga.
Her facedown card lifted.
"Now…"
"Sorry, Olga, but Ragnarok will have to wait," said Sam.
Her own Trap Card lifted.
"I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit. So your almighty Horn is silenced."
Olga's Trap Card was blasted to bits.
"Good thing I saved that Counter Trap," said Sam with a chuckle. "And a good thing that you had to show me that Kuriboh when you drew it using that Akashic Record card. I'd have never known you had it if you didn't, and would have wasted Seven Tools on Soul Resurrection, thinking I could have won…
"See, having a deck full of the rarest, most powerful cards may seem like a benefit… But in Duel Monsters, you have to realize that the more powerful a card is, the more debilitating its cost."
Olga closed her eyes and hung her head.
"Now where were we?" said Sam. "Oh yes… Ha Des was about to attack…"
Olga screamed as the final Stygian blast burned her skin. She tumbled over, and fell flat on her face.
(S: 7,400) -------------------- (O: 0)
Delmato walked up to Sam and lifted her arm up into the air.
"Samantha Arachne is the winner!" he shouted.
The crowd cheered, as explosions of fireworks lit up the hellscape.
"Thank you!" shouted Sam. "Thank you all! You're too kind…"
She noticed that something was in her hair. She took it out and looked at it.
It was the Cat's Cradle Comb. She smirked.
"Well, Sam got out of that mess," said Ren.
"Yeah," said Yumi. "And I'll bet Rasputin isn't too happy about it!"
Then she noticed that Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis had left their seats.
"Hey, where did they go?" asked Chelsea.
Yumi rubbed her chin.
"Somehow, I don't think they left to get a hot dog…" she said.
"Thank you everybody!" exclaimed Sheena, who appeared on the field. "There'll be a half-hour intermission before the next match. Until then, get up, stretch your legs, get popcorn, and then get back here, because this next duel is one you aren't gonna want to miss!"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Actually, Rasputin, Nicholas, and Louis were indeed next to a refreshment stand, but they weren't interested in food. Rasputin was about ready to explode.
"Aren't you going to wait until Olga gets here so you can yell at her?" asked Nicholas.
"That might release some aggression," growled Rasputin, "but it would not get me any closer to the one who is truly responsible for me losing the Cat's Cradle Comb."
"What do mean?" asked Nicholas. "Olga was the one who screwed up…"
"Think about it, Nicholas!" shouted Rasputin. "Do you know of any reason for Samantha to have Dimension Fusion in her deck? Do you know of any way that card would fit her strategy?
"No, it wouldn't. The only reason she would put it in her deck is if someone told her what Olga's strategy was…
"The traitor has struck again… And now, not only have we failed to win the Ring of Spirits because of this treachery, we have lost the Cat's Cradle Comb! This act of treason has now become far too serious to disregard."
There was a long pause.
"So what are you gonna do?" asked Nicholas.
Rasputin thought.
Truthfully, he didn't know…
He also didn't know that someone was watching from around the corner.
Problems, Rasputin? thought the watcher. You thought you could manipulate everyone… Politicians, businessmen, power players, the underworld, but now someone has finally had the nerve to turn against you, and you don't know who it is…
And you can't tell any of your men to look for the traitor, because one of the men you tell to look for him might BE the traitor.
Look at yourself, Rasputin, and ask yourself a question… Right now, who can you trust?
As of right now, the answer is: No-one.
A decisive victory has been won by the forces of Good, as Sam has defeated Olga and taken her Charm. But Rasputin likely will not give up his current plan. The finals will continue, and more duels lie ahead, as the contenders vie for the top spot. The main event is just starting!
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0
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FINAL LIGHT (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A glowing, flowing curtain.
Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon one LIGHT Monster from your Graveyard. Your opponent may then Special Summon one Monster with 2,000 ATK or less from his/her Graveyard.
0
0
0
FRICKA'S MEDITATION (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A goddess with long, green hair in a white dress casting a powerful spell.
Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Remove one "Wotan's Judgment" in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack.
0
0
0
GODDESS SKULD'S ORACLE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A young goddess with blue hair in pigtails in a fancy white dress, holding a staff topped with a red orb.
Card Description: During your Standby Phase, both you and your opponent may look at the top three cards of your opponent's deck. Then, you can rearrange them in any order, and return them to the top of the deck (your opponent cannot see the order of the cards).
0
0
0
GODDESS URD'S VERDICT (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A goddess with short, blonde hair in a white dress, holding a staff topped with a blue orb.
Card Description: During your Standby Phase, you can guess the name of one face-down card on your opponent's side of the field. If you guess correctly, remove the card from play.
0
0
0
GODDESS VERDANDE'S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A goddess with long, pink hair in a white and blue dress holding a staff topped with a green orb.
Card Description: During your Standby Phase, guess what type of card (Monster, Spell, or Trap) is on top of your opponent's deck. If you guess correctly, your opponent must set the card on his/her side of the field (if the card is a Monster Card, disregard any summoning requirements or restrictions).
0
0
0
LOGE'S FLAME (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A tornado of blue fire.
Card Description: When this card is active, Monsters with 2,000 Attack Points or fewer cannot attack. When this card is removed from the field, you may Special Summon one "Valkyrie Brunhilde" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.
0
0
0
RAINBOW BRIDGE BIFROST (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A rainbow descending from a dark, cloudy sky.
Card Description: Select one "Valkyrie" Monster on your side of the field. Increase the ATK of the selected Monster by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x500. This increase lasts until the selected Monster is no longer face-up on the field.
0
0
0
RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A collection of ancient palaces amid the clouds.
Card Description: Special Summon any number of "Valkyrie" Monsters from your hand. During the End Phase of the turn, return all Monsters Special Summoned with this card's effect back to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck.
0
0
0
VALKYRIE BRUNHILDE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: Increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each Warrior- and Dragon-Type Monster on the field. If this card is attacked, you can decrease the DEF of this card by 1000. If you do, this card is not destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.)
0
0
0
VALKYRIE DRITTE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x100. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.
0
0
0
VALKYRIE ERSTE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the sum of the base ATKs of all your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.
0
0
0
VALKYRIE ZWEITE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 5
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field and remove it from play.
0
0
0
VALKYRIE'S EMBRACE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A Valkyrie reaching out to embrace a young man.
Card Description: Switch one "Valkyrie" Monster on your side of the field to face-up Defense Position. Destroy one opposing Monster.
0
0
0
WOTAN'S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A deity in a green robe and hood with a full beard, holding a wooden cudgel.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you have at least one Spell Card in your hand, and your opponent declares an attack. Negate the attack and end your opponent's Battle Phase. Draw one card from your deck, then select one Spell Card from your hand and place it on top of your deck.
Note: The proceeding cards were all used by Ziegfried at various times during the original anime series Grand Prix arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes.
0
0
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CARD OF VARIATION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A Duel Monsters card floating in clear water.
Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. At the End Phase of the turn, discard one card in your hand to the Graveyard. If you do not, inflict 3,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points.
Note: "Card of Variation" 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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AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A group of dinosaur bones and a large dinosaur skull.
Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. If you have used any copies of either of the two drawn cards previously in the duel, remove from play all copies of the previously used card(s) from your hand, deck, field, and Graveyard.
Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Jesse (while possessed by Yubel) in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
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GUARDIANS OF YGGDRASIL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A huge tree, with three small, feminine forms standing under it.
Card Description: Pay 2,000 Life Points to activate this card. Search your deck for one "Goddess Skuld's Oracle", one "Goddess Verdande's Guidance", and one "Goddess Urd's Verdict" and add them to your hand. If you do not successfully activate all three cards in the same round you activate "Guardians of Yggdrasil", send all three cards to the Graveyard.
0
0
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THE HORN OF HEIMDALL (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A Norse deity with a flowing beard holding a huge, brass horn.
Card Description: You can only activate this card during your opponent's turn when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon from your hand and/or deck four "Valkyrie" Monsters. Monsters Special Summoned by this card are destroyed at the End Phase of your next turn.
0
0
0
Ren: I didn't want it to have to come to this…
Chelsea: We knew it probably would, Ren. It's you versus me…
Ren: Then by all means, let's make it good. Show me what you've got!
Chelsea: Don't hold back! Come and get me!
Yumi: I'll be here to support you both, guys. I'll be front-row-center.
Coming up next, "Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands; Ren versus Chelsea."
Let's get this over with…