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CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
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Olympian Glades of Arborea
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Yumi versus Nicholas
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Yumi sighed…
She sipped water from a bottle.
She frowned as she looked at it. Who were the evil geniuses behind bottled water, anyway? There was a time when, when a person wanted water, he filled a glass at the tap, and he was satisfied. But one day, someone decided to put water in bottles, and make it more expensive than beer. People fell for this ridiculous concept, and started to believe that tap water was unclean and unfit for human consumption.
She sighed again.
She was trying to block out the more serious issue at hand. In twenty minutes, she'd be dueling Nicholas.
Every time she had glanced at him since the duel between Ren and Chelsea had ended, he had been looking at her with a slight smile. It seemed his crush on her had yet to go away…
He was working for the enemy, and yet he had a crush on her. The worst part was, he was kind of handsome… Such perfect hair, and those dimples…
It was the "Bat and the Cat Syndrome", with the genders reversed.
Yumi took out her deck, and looked through it. It had gone through a great deal of changes since her last duel, as likely did most of the decks being used here. And she really didn't know what to expect from Nicholas. Olga's new deck had no Cyber Angels. She could safely assume that Nicholas did not plan to use Ojamas.
She shuffled and cut, and tossed the water bottle in the trash.
She figured she'd best be prepared for anything.
Rasputin nudged Nicholas.
"Listen closely, Nicholas," he said. "With Olga's attempt a failure, and the traitor still a viable threat, a lot depends on you. This next duel is going to take the perfect combination of skill, strategy, and timing. Are you absolutely sure you can handle it?"
"Nope," replied Nicholas.
Rasputin slapped his forehead with his hand.
"Nicholas…" he muttered. "You realize that with your strategy against hers, there is a risk… She uses a certain Monster…"
"Don't worry!" interrupted Nicholas. "I'm well-prepared for… that guy."
"Just get out there and win me that Crown!" cursed Rasputin.
Nicholas sighed.
He looked closely at the small bottle of domination pheromone that he had convinced Rasputin to give him…
This was the first time he had actually asked him for it. He felt a little dirty having to use it, but he wanted Yumi more than anything now…
He would have liked it better if Yumi submitted to him willingly, but he didn't put too much faith in that happening…
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The ground burst open, and Elemental Heroes Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman flew out of the ground and soared into the sky, leaving trails of colored smoke in their wake. They flew in a pattern, before hovering over the arena, and then exploding into a multicolored fireworks display.
"Welcome back, dudes and dudettes," said Ben. "The halfway point of the first round of the finals of Duelatopia XX is past, and we're about set to send off what might be the most explosive match so far."
"That's right," said Natalie. "One of our next duelists has a lot of history behind her…
"Yugi Mouto the first was the original King of Games. His achievements include winning the original Duelist Kingdom and the original Battle City."
"His son was no slouch either," continued Ben, "winning Anastasia Pegasus's Duelist Labyrinth, and well, the first Duelatopia."
"Today we see if his granddaughter can continue the tradition," said Natalie. "It's been a long and winding road since the first Mouto first put together a deck, so we'll see how far the apple has fallen from the tree."
"Introducing…" said Ben, "from Domino City… Yumi Mouto!"
In a burst of fireworks, Yumi appeared at one gate.
As she walked to the center of the arena amid cheers, her Puzzle glowed, and the change slowly overtook her.
"Ready?" she said softly.
"Ready," replied the voice in her head.
"And her opponent," said Natalie, "from London, England, Nicholas Algernon!"
In another burst of pyrotechnics, Nicholas walked out, a smile on his face, a few girls cheered, and he waved.
"Ah, look at that guy," said Chelsea, "soaking it up… Well, Yumi will pound him black and blue."
"She'd better," mumbled Sam. "No-one's gonna beat Yumi in this tournament but me…"
Sheena and Delmato appeared between the two duelists.
Sheena opened the Field Slot on her Disk again.
"Time to switch locales again, ladies and gentlemen," she said, placing a card into it. "Let's all go…"
A bright flash enveloped the arena.
"…to the Olympian Glades of Arborea!"
When the light died down, the city had been replaced by a cloudy mountain valley, and the arena had been transformed into a grassy meadow. Ancient castles were perched on peaks in the distance. Watching the two duelists were beautiful nymphs and sly satyrs.
"Okay, you two," said Delmato. "Heracles had to perform twelve labors before they let him up here, so you lucked out. But now you have to prove you have the warrior's skill. Now cut and shuffle each other's decks."
"Yumi…" said Nicholas, taking Yumi's deck, "I'm willing to make you a wager…"
"Pick your poison…" grumbled Yumi, taking his.
"Simple…" he replied. "Your Crown of Souls against my Gale Shield."
"I'm game if you are," said Yumi, shuffling. "And do you know why? Because you're gonna lose! You aren't gonna beat me like your boss did!"
I beg to differ, Yumi, thought Nicholas. Rasputin did beat you, and you were smashed to pieces in that duel like glass. And while someone was able to put you together again, it's a known fact that something that is broken and then fixed can never function as well as it did as when it was new…
But take heart… Once I beat you, I'll comfort you… I'll keep you warm tonight…
They took back their decks.
"Okay everybody," said Delmato, "get to your places, and game on!"
The two Disks activated…
(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Nicholas: 8,000)
Yumi whipped her first draw off her deck.
"Here we go!" she shouted.
She looked over her hand.
"I'll place this in Defense Mode, and that's all for now…" she said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"What's Yumi doing?" asked Ren. "She's never defended on her first turn before."
"Maybe she has a bad hand, and it's her Morphing Jar," suggested Chelsea.
Nicholas drew a card.
"I have a question for you, Yumi," he said. "Do you believe that the universe is a place of order, or a place of chaos?"
"What?" said Yumi, looking at him.
She glared at him.
"Order, I would hope…" she said.
"So do I," said Nicholas. "And here's an interesting fact… There are three laws that define an orderly universe.
"Anyone who has a pen and paper handy, you might want to write this down.
"The first law is, in an orderly universe, things come in threes. Three is the most perfect number. See two things, always look for the third.
"The second law is, in an orderly universe, things move in circular motion. A circle is the most ideal shape, and a ring is the most ideal path.
"The third rule is, because the universe is infinite in size, no matter where you are, you are always standing at its center. Anywhere and everywhere is the center of all."
"Is this a duel or a metaphysics lesson?" shouted Yumi.
"Yumi…" said Nicholas, "when you face my deck, the two are one and the same.
"But I digress… First, I'll also place a Monster in Defense Mode."
He placed a card on his Disk, and a hidden Monster appeared.
"Next, I'll play a powerful Spell Card. It's called Card Trader."
He fit the card into his Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared next to him. It bore the picture of a sinister-looking man in a top hat, cloak, and a mask, holding a deck of cards.
"I can't activate this card's effect until my next Standby Phase," he said. "But after that, I can use it on each of my Standby Phases if I desire.
"That's all for my turn, so I'll turn the reigns over to you."
"Well, it's going slow so far," said Ben. "Monsters in Defense Mode, little action… Let's hope this round they stop talking and start fighting."
Yumi drew a card.
"Your wish is my command," she said. "I Flip-Summon Blast Magician!"
Her facedown Monster flipped up, and in a burst of fire, Blast Magician appeared. (1,400/1,700)
"And since he looks lonely, I'll also summon Magician's Valkyria!"
In a burst of light, Valkyria appeared, and glared at Nicholas. (1,600/1,800)
"Valkyria, attack his Monster! Light beam blast!"
Magician's Valkyria cast her spell of burning light at the facedown card…
A weird creature appeared on the card. It was a short, stout Fiend with blue skin and one bulbous eye. It was blown to pieces.
"That was Hiro's Shadow Scout," said Nicholas with a grin. "Before you ask, no, I do not know who Hiro is. But his scout has a useful ability. Now you have to draw three cards, and show them to me."
"Big deal…" said Yumi, drawing three cards.
Magician of Faith, Magical Dimension, and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared above her head.
"I almost forgot…" continued Nicholas. "You discard any of them that are Spell Cards."
Yumi frowned.
"Terrific," muttered Ren. "Yumi just lost two of her best Spells!"
"Well, at least she got her Magician of Faith…" said Chelsea with a shrug.
Yumi discarded the two cards.
"My turn is hardly over, Nicholas…" she said. "Blast Magician… Blast him!"
Blast Magician pointed his staff, and fired a flaming burst at Nicholas. He groaned, and held his chest.
The crowd cheered…
(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (N: 6,600)
"Well, seems we know who the clear favorite is here!" laughed Natalie.
"I end my turn," said Yumi, with a scowl.
Nicholas drew a card.
"Now I can activate the effect of Card Trader," he said. "First, I shuffle one card in my hand into my deck."
He took Total Defense Shogun from his hand, placed it in his deck, and shuffled.
"Then I get to make one draw."
He drew a new card. Then he quickly took the one he had drawn already.
"Next, I play Pot of Greed…"
The sinister jar appeared in a flash, and he made two draws.
He looked at them, and then the Field Slot on his Disk opened.
"All right, Yumi," he said. "I play this…"
He placed a card in the slot, and then they were surrounded by a large circle of bright, shimmering light. Then an odd, prismatic design formed inside the circle.
"It's called Array of Revealing Light. When I activate it, I name one Type of Monster. That Type is not allowed to attack on the round it is summoned."
Yumi looked at him with fury. His deck was likely anti-Spellcaster.
"I name Warriors," continued Nicholas.
The crowd was silenced.
"People…" said Ben, "I have been an announcer for Duel Monsters tournaments for eight years, and at the risk of making an opinion, I have never seen a move that stupid."
"What in the world?" said Sam. "If he had named Spellcasters, he could have dominated Yumi until she tore that field down! Why the heck did he choose Warriors?"
"I'm getting a funny feeling about this…" said Ren, scratching his head. "And I don't mean funny-ha-ha, I mean funny-weird."
"Nicholas, are you nuts?" asked Yumi. "My deck has one Warrior in it!"
Maybe so… said Nicholas, but that one Warrior… I don't want to deal with him…
"I'll place a new Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."
A facedown Monster appeared.
Yumi made her draw.
Hope that isn't another Scout, she thought, looking over her hand, but if it is, I'll hurt him badly.
"I summon Gemini Elf," she said.
She played the card, and the two elf twins appeared. (1,900/900)
"Attack!" she shouted. "Dual magic!"
Gemini Elf fired a burst of lighting…
Then they shrieked as their spell backfired. Yumi looked at the target, and saw an ugly figure made of mud and soil, buried in the ground up to its waist. (500/2,000)
"That was my Earthbound Spirit, Yumi," said Nicholas. "And its Defense is a little too high."
"But its Attack Score is very low," said Yumi. "And since my Blast Magician has one Spell Counter on him, I can get rid of it, to destroy a Monster with 700 Attack Points or less."
Blast Magician aimed his staff, and fired a bolt of flames at Earthbound Spirit. It exploded into dust and dirt.
"I'll place one card facedown, and take a break," she said.
A facedown card appeared.
(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 6,600)
"Folks, this has to be the most one-sided duel I've seen in years," said Ben. "I think it's safe to say we know who's gonna come out on top."
Nicholas drew a card.
"I… don't think I'll use the effect of Card Trader this round," he said. "But I will play Card of Sanctity."
A golden glow flashed over the sky of Arborea, and coins fell from the clouds. They both started drawing.
Nicholas looked at his new hand.
He played a card, and Premature Burial appeared on his side of the field. Hiro's Shadow Scout appeared again. (650/500)
"Now…" continued Nicholas, "I'll sacrifice it, to summon The Earl of Demise."
The Scout disappeared into particles, and a tall, ghoulish figure appeared on the field. It was dressed in a tattered nobleman's outfit, and held a long rapier. (2,000/700)
"How did this guy even get to the finals?" asked Sam. "Nobody uses that third-rate Fiend any more."
"Nicholas is certainly playing a strange strategy," said Natalie. "His antiquated Monsters aren't going to cut it in the modern game."
"Old fashioned yes," said Nicholas, "but still stronger than any of your Monsters, Yumi! Earl of Demise, attack Magician's Valkyria!"
The Fiend moaned, and lunged at Valkyria with its sword…
"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi.
Her facedown card lifted, and Valkyria shot up to an Attack of 2,300. She fired a blast, blowing The Earl of Demise into shards of rotting flesh and bone.
Nicholas grinned.
(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 5,500)
"I was hoping you'd do that, Yumi…" he said. "See, in order for my true strategy to take effect, three of my Monsters had to die first…
"I move to my second Main Phase, and I remove Hiro's Shadow Scout, Earthbound Spirit, and The Earl of Demise from play…"
The sky above Arborea darkened, and ghostly spirits started to fly above the arena. The nymphs and satyrs watching huddled together in fright…
A demonic creature slowly took shape in front of Nicholas. It was vaguely feminine, with blue skin, a bald head, and pointed ears. It was dressed in a skirt, halter top and boots made of metal, and part of its torso was devoid of flesh, revealing bones underneath. It held a fiendish-looking infant in its hands. It was surrounded by an aura of black fire. (2,200/2,800)
"Dark Necrofear…" muttered Erik. "Is that a good enough Fiend, Sam?"
"Well, it certainly explains why he played the weak Fiends first," she replied. "Yumi may well be in trouble."
"How come you never use that card?" he asked.
"I'm the Consort of Ha Des, Erik!" snapped Sam. "The last thing I need in my deck is competition…"
"So, Yumi," said Nicholas. "Surprised?"
"Actually, no," replied Yumi. "I was kinda expecting this all along…"
Nicholas looked at her funny.
"I mean, come on, Nicholas… The three worthless Fiends that you practically let me destroy… You set the whole thing all out in front of me!"
"Indeed…" said Nicholas, with a sigh. "I'll place two cards facedown, and that will be my turn…"
Two facedown cards appeared behind Dark Necrofear.
"Yumi is in a tight spot," said Ben, "facing one of the most infamous Monsters in the game… How will she get out of this one?"
Yumi drew a card.
"I sacrifice Gemini Elf and Blast Magician…" she said.
The two Spellcasters disappeared into grains of light…
"To summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"
Lightning flashed, and in a burst of shadowy darkness, the powerful chaos mage emerged on Yumi's side of the field. He glared at Dark Necrofear with a grim look. (2,800/2,600)
The crowd went silent…
"Well…" said Nicholas, with a smile. "A powerful Monster… That's exactly what I was hoping for!"
"You're planning to use Dark Necrofear's effect to take control of him, right?" asked Yumi, putting her hand on her hip. "Well it won't work. Dark Necrofear has to go to the Graveyard to use its effect, and Dark Magician of Chaos removes from play any Monster that he destroys.
"Oh, by the way, in case your plan is to use the Dark Sanctuary/Destiny Board strategy, that's ruined too."
Nicholas's smile quickly turned into a scowl.
"But first," said Yumi, "due to another one of his effects, I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard…"
A card slipped out of her discard slot and she took it.
"Now…" commanded Yumi, "Dark Magician of Chaos…"
The sorcerer held aloft his scepter, and lightning flashed…
"…crush Dark Necrofear! Scepter strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and struck the ground, sending a blast of magical energy ripping towards the demon. Dark Necrofear screamed as the flesh literally melted off its bones…
Finally, what was left was blasted into pixels.
"I'm not done with you!" shouted Yumi. "Valkyria, attack him directly!"
Magician's Valkyria leapt up, and cast her spell, striking Nicholas and knocking him over.
(Y: 7,900) -------------------- (N: 3,300)
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Nicholas is in trouble!" exclaimed Ben. "His strategy has just been dashed apart, and he's down to less than half his Life Points, with his opponent hardly even touched. He's gonna need a miracle just to keep from humiliating himself."
"So why does he look so happy?" asked Natalie.
Nicholas slowly got up.
"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Thank you, Yumi… You've made my job a great deal easier…"
Yumi glared at him.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Any other move you'd like to make?" he asked.
Yumi slowly fit a card into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"Uh, that's all…" she said.
Nicholas made a draw.
"I don't think I'll use Card Trader this round either…" he said.
"You see, Yumi… Dark Necrofear may have been powerful, and it might even be the key card in some decks… But in mine, it's just sacrifice bait to awaken an even greater power. In order to bring out my true star, I had to meet very specific Special Summoning requirements…"
Thunder rolled…
"At least three of my Monsters had to be removed from play… All three had to be either Fiends or Fairies…
"One had to be Level Four or less, one had to be Level Five or Six, and one had to be Level Seven or higher…
"I fulfilled two of those conditions on my own by summoning Dark Necrofear, and you so graciously fulfilled the third for me.
"Do you remember what I told you when we started this duel? The three laws of an orderly universe?"
One of his two facedown cards lifted, showing a Trap Card with the image of a beautiful woman with angelic wings holding two golden orbs in her outstretched arms while a third one hovered over her head.
"I activate, Rule of Three!" he shouted.
His second facedown card lifted, and a second Trap Card appeared. This one bore the image of a male and a female figure holding hands inside a design made up of three interlocking golden rings.
"Next, I activate Unity of Rings!"
Then, he threw a card into his Disk, and a Spell Card appeared. The picture was that of DaVinci's Vitruvian Man in the midst of a cosmic scene.
"And now I play… Center of All!"
Lightning crashed over Arborea…
"Guys?" said Ren. "I'm getting that funny-not-funny-ha-ha-but-funny-weird feeling again…"
"Now," said Nicholas, "I can sacrifice my three metaphysical pillars to call forth a being who controls the very temporal flow…"
The two Trap Cards and the Spell Card turned to stone, and then shattered into bits. Three beams of light shot upwards, and thick clouds covered the arena… Lightning flashed again…
"What's happening?" shouted Sam.
"I have no idea…" said Chelsea. "But I don't think it's good news…"
"Descend great Dragon lord of all time!" shouted Nicholas. "I summon you… Chronopsis the Chronomancer!"
With a roar, a gigantic creature emerged from the clouds. It was a golden, draconic creature that seemed as much an automaton as it was Dragon. Its wings and other joints seemed to be hinged by strange gears and other devices. But it was clearly no Machine… Inside the spaces of its golden armor that you could see, there were images of moons, planets, and stars, as if a whole miniature galaxy resided within its inner workings.
It bellowed a great roar…
(3,000/3,000)
"Oh… kay…" said Yumi. "Uhm… I kinda expected the lord of all time to be a little more than just 3,000 Attack Points…"
"He also has a powerful effect, Yumi," said Nicholas. "Once per round, he destroys one Monster on the field.
"And before you embarrass yourself by triggering that facedown card, which I'm certain is Magical Dimension, let me tell you it won't work. Chronopsis is impervious to all Spells, Traps, and all Monster effects except his own."
"You mean he's unbeatable?" gasped Yumi.
"Of course not," replied Nicholas. "He's not unbeatable… You simply have to attack him with something that has at least 3,000 Attack Points.
"But I'm not going to give you that chance. Chronopsis, wipe out Dark Magician of Chaos!"
The great Dragon's eyes glowed. Dark Magician of Chaos's body started to stretch and warp, and finally, he shattered into bits.
"I still have his normal attack," said Nicholas. "Chronopsis, kill Valkyria! Temporal blast!"
Chronopsis breathed a thunderous blast of pure energy. Magician's Valkyria let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was engulfed by it…
When the light subsided, and Yumi looked, she had been turned to solid stone. Then she simply crumbled into a pile of rocks and dust.
(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (N: 3,300)
"I'll place one card, facedown, and end my turn."
He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared behind the great creature.
"Your move, Yumi," said Nicholas, looking at his hand. "Your side looks kind of empty. Maybe you should play a Monster?"
Yumi drew a card.
She realized something. Suddenly, the purpose behind Nicholas's strange choice with the Field Spell had become perfectly clear…
"Fat chance, Nicholas," she said.
"Pardon?" he asked.
"All Monsters have a weakness, Nicholas," she said. "And I think I already see what your Monster's is."
"Do tell," replied Nicholas.
"You said that Chronopsis is immune to all Monster effects…" said Yumi, "except his own. Why the heck would you use his own effect on him?
"That leads me to believe that his effect isn't optional. If I just end my turn without doing anything, and have no Monster on the field, you'd have to destroy one of your own Monsters. That might even mean Chronopsis himself if you couldn't summon one."
"Does that mean you end your turn?" asked Nicholas.
"Mmm!" said Yumi.
Nicholas chuckled, and drew a card.
"You're very bright, Yumi," he said. "Most folks don't pick up on his weakness. They foolishly waste their Monsters thinking they can somehow defend against this guy…
"Oh well…
"I could summon a Monster of my own… But why waste them when I have this?"
His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of a zombie crawling out from beneath a tombstone.
"It's called Mis-Revive," he said. "And it lets me choose a Monster in your Graveyard, and summon it to your side of the field."
Yumi stepped back in shock, as Magician's Valkyria materialized on her side of the field, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)
"And like you said," continued Nicholas, "Chronopsis's effect isn't optional, so she just drew the short straw."
The Dragon's eyes glowed, and the Valkyria clutched her stomach. Her body started to warp, and she screamed before shattering into shards.
"Valkyria…" muttered Yumi. "I am SO sorry…"
"Now the fun part…" said Nicholas.
"Oh no…" said Yumi.
"Chronopsis, attack Yumi directly! Temporal blast!"
Yumi tried to brace herself as the powerful blast hit her. To her horror, she felt her muscles stiffen, and her skin tightening…
Had Nicholas created some Shadow Game of his own? Could this creature's attack do to her what it had done to Valkyria the first time?
The blast let up, and she took some deep breaths. The tightness started to go away…
She didn't know if the answer to either of those two questions was yes, but she certainly didn't want to take another attack to find out.
"Next…" said Nicholas, "I play… Sebek's Blessing."
He played a one of his two cards, and in a dark aura, the huge form of the crocodile god appeared behind him, and waved a scepter. He glowed with energy.
"Now, all the Life Points you just lost, go right into mine. Like they say, Yumi… Your loss is my gain! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"
(Y: 3,500) -------------------- (N: 6,300)
Rasputin sighed and put his head on his hand.
How many times have I told you, Nicholas? he thought. Maniacal laughter makes you sound so… undignified…
"Well, Yumi, it's your move…" said Nicholas.
"Well…" said Natalie, "looks like the apple fell pretty far from the tree after all… The end of a great dueling legacy may well end here at the hands of this powerful God of Time..."
Yumi drew a card.
She glared at Nicholas.
She opened her Field slot, and placed a card in it.
"I play… Mausoleum of the Emperor!" she shouted.
The fancy, decorated circle shattered into shards…
The sky darkened, and the Olympian Glades faded away. The temples of the sacred tomb rose behind each duelist, with the bridge between them, and the statues of the Terracotta Army lurking below.
"What?" said Nicholas.
"Now…" continued Yumi. "I pay 2,000 Life Points to bring forth two Terracotta statues…"
Two statues of soldiers in oriental armor floated up in front of her.
"And now I sacrifice them… Begone!"
The statues vanished.
In a flash of energy, the intimidating form of Dark Magician appeared, confronting the huge temporal deity. (2,500/2,100)
"It's the Mouto family's super spectacular signature Monster!" shouted Ben. "As long time fans know, when the Dark Magician shows up, he might well turn the duel around!"
"Yeah, right…" said Nicholas, with a laugh. "I hope the 2,000 Life Points was worth bringing your star out, Yumi… Next turn, this duel is over."
"Not quite," said Yumi. "Forget my facedown card?"
"I already told you," said Nicholas. "Magical Dimension won't work."
The facedown card flipped up.
"What?" shouted Nicholas. "Rush Recklessly?"
"I never said it was Magical Dimension, pal," said Yumi, as Dark Magician's Attack Score rose to 3,200. "And with no facedown cards to protect your Monster from an attack, the lord of time is about to become history.
"Dark Magician… Dark magic attack!"
Dark Magician spun his staff dramatically, and fired a blast at the great golden Dragon. It roared, and powerful magical energy flew from its metallic hull. Cracks started to appear in its beautiful armor…
Finally, a deafening explosion shook the whole arena, as Chronopsis the Chronomancer was vanquished.
(Y: 1,500) -------------------- (N: 6,100)
Nicholas fell to his knees…
"This isn't happening…" he gasped. "This is a nightmare… A bad dream…
"My best card… No one has ever beaten it!"
"Too bad, so sad," replied Yumi, placing a card in her Disk.
A facedown card appeared behind Dark Magician.
"Your move, by the way."
Nicholas growled as he got up. He drew a card.
He looked at his cards.
"I'll use the effect of Card Trader this round…" he muttered.
He placed one of his cards in his deck, reshuffled, and then made a draw.
The bad news is, I lost Chronopsis, he thought. The good news is, I'm still in the lead… And a good duelist always has a backup plan…
"All right, Yumi…" he said, playing a card. "I play… Dimension Fusion!
"It may cost me 2,000 Life Points, but now, every Monster that I removed from play comes back."
Four beams of light shot up into the sky…
Four Monsters appeared on his side of the field. First, Hiro's Shadow Scout. (650/500) Then, Earthbound Spirit. (500/2,000) Next came The Earl of Demise. (2,000/700) Finally, Dark Necrofear reappeared in the same shadowy aura. (2,200/2,800)
"Now I…" he started.
Then he was startled to see Dark Magician of Chaos on Yumi's side of the field. (2,800/2,600)
"Huh?" he said. "Where did he come from?"
"You forgot," said Yumi. "I also get to bring back any of my Monsters that have been removed from play. And when you destroyed him, he was removed from play by his own effect.
"That means I get a Spell Card back again, by the way…"
A card slipped out of her discard slot.
She smirked a little as she looked at Rush Recklessly again.
"Yeah, well, neither he nor it will do you any good," replied Nicholas. "I have more than one Fiend that's Level Seven or higher in this deck…
"I sacrifice Earthbound Spirit and Hiro's Shadow Scout to summon Invader of Darkness!"
The two Fiends disintegrated into shadowy particles, and a new, intimidating Fiend appeared. It was a tall, man-shaped, muscular demon, with golden skin, clad in a dark robe and hood. (2,900/2,500)
"Okay…" said Yumi. "That's trouble…"
"More than you know," replied Nicholas. "Because he has a powerful effect. So long as he's around, you can't activate Quickplay Spell Cards."
"I can't use Quickplay Spell Cards?" shouted Yumi.
"You heard me," replied Nicholas. "That means no Rush Recklessly, no Magical Dimension, and no Mystical Space Typhoon, whichever of the three it was that you got back with that guy's effect.
"So…
"Invader of Darkness, attack Dark Magician of Chaos! Shadow blast!"
Invader of Darkness pointed, and his hand became shrouded in shadow…
A blast of pure darkness fired from his fingertips, vaporizing Dark Magician of Chaos.
"Now, I'll, uhm…" he said.
He paused. He looked at Dark Necrofear.
"Go on…" said Yumi, with a sinister smile. "You know you want to…"
Nicholas paused again.
Man, I had forgotten she could bring back Dark Magician of Chaos… he thought. I was going to just attack Dark Magician with Invader of Darkness and then attack her with Dark Necrofear…
But now…
If I kamikaze Dark Necrofear against Dark Magician, I could use its effect to take control of Dark Magician…
But her facedown card… What if it's something she could use to negate that effect? Any number of anti-Spell cards could do it…
He paused again.
"By all means, take your time…" said Yumi. "I'll just wait…"
Man, she has a poker face! thought Nicholas. Fine… I'll just take care of her Dark Magician next turn…
"I end my turn!" he shouted.
(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 4,100)
Yumi drew a card.
He's smarter than I thought… she thought.
"Now…" she said, "time to take this duel to the next level!"
She played a card, and Polymerization appeared in front of her.
"Huh?" said Nicholas. "Polymerization?"
"I use this…" said Yumi, "to fuse together Dark Magician… With Buster Blader…"
Buster Blader appeared on the field, and the Spellcaster and the Warrior swirled into a multicolored collage of light…
"Arise…"
A much more magnificent form descended to Yumi's side of the field. It was a powerful figure in decorated, lavender armor, with glowing, golden eyes, holding a long staff tipped with a large, serrated blade. He glowed with an aura of dark energy. (2,900/2,400)
Dark Paladin? thought Rasputin, getting nervous. The Dragon-slaying sorcerer?
"See, Nicholas," said Yumi, "I figured it out. My Buster Blader was the biggest threat to your deck's most lethal weapon. If I had managed to summon him while Chronopsis was on the field, his Attack Score would have been 3,100, which was stronger than Chronopsis.
"So you played that Field Spell and named Warriors. That way, Chronopsis could have destroyed him with its effect before he ever got a chance to attack.
"It was a sound plan… But you totally forgot about this guy. Dark Paladin inherits Buster Blader's Dragon-slaying powers. And with Chronopsis in your Graveyard, that's 500 more Attack Points."
Dark Paladin grew to an Attack of 3,400.
"Even if I hadn't destroyed your Field Spell, this guy is no Warrior. So your Invader is out of luck…
"Dark Paladin, attack Invader of Darkness with dark sword of fury!"
Dark Paladin swung his weapon, and blasted a blade of dark energy at the Fiend. Invader of Darkness was literally cut in two before shattering into bits.
"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode," said Yumi, "and end my turn."
A facedown Monster appeared next to Dark Paladin.
(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 3,600)
Nicholas started to sweat. He didn't have a Monster in his entire deck that could beat this Spellcaster…
He drew a card.
He smirked. It was Torrential Tribute.
I just have to set this, he thought, and if she summons another Monster, I can…
Wait…
She can use Quickplays again… And she didn't set a card just then! If she had Rush Recklessly or Magical Dimension, she likely would have…
What if the card she got back from Dark Magician of Chaos's effect that time was… Mystical Space Typhoon?
He looked at Dark Necrofear again.
Only one chance… he thought. I'll force her to use it to get back her Dark Paladin.
"I'll move The Earl of Demise to Defense Mode…" he said. "Then I play a facedown."
The ghoulish Earl knelt and held its rapier in its lap. A facedown card appeared behind it.
"Now… Dark Necrofear…" he commanded. "Attack the Dark Paladin!"
Dark Necrofear's evil eyes opened wide…
"A Dark Necrofear kamikaze strike!" shouted Ben. "Yumi may be in trouble!"
The evil hex blasted towards Dark Paladin, but he swatted it aside with his free hand. Dark Necrofear let out an unholy scream, and exploded into a plume of black flames and smoke.
Ghostly spirits started to fly around the arena, but Dark Paladin strangely didn't look worried…
Actually, he looked downright annoyed.
"Get him…" said Nicholas.
One of the ghosts flew towards the Spellcaster…
And then it shattered into bits against his armor.
"What?" said Nicholas.
"Dark Paladin has another ability," said Yumi, as she discarded her copy of Double Spell. "I just have to discard one card, and he can negate any Spell Card you try to play. And Dark Necrofear counts as an Equip Spell Card when you use that effect."
Nicholas gulped.
"I end my turn," he said, quickly.
I still have one last chance… he thought. If it isn't Mystical Space Typhoon, my Torrential Tribute might make all the difference…
(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 2,400)
Yumi drew a card.
It was Dark Magician Girl.
Heh, she thought. You came late for the party…
"Nicholas," she said, "you've been a worthy adversary, but it's ending now…
"I was fully prepared in case you used Dark Necrofear against Dark Magician… And now that preparation pays off."
Her facedown card lifted, revealing Dust Tornado.
It tore across the field, blowing his Torrential Tribute to pieces.
"Nice try," she said. "Now, I sacrifice my facedown Magician of Faith, for Dark Magician Girl."
The facedown Monster vanished, and Dark Magician Girl appeared in a flurry of flowers and hearts. She smiled sweetly at Nicholas. (2,000/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700)
"Dark Magician Girl, wipe out his last Monster!"
The Spellcaster cast her dark spell, and The Earl of Demise was blown to bits again.
"Dark Paladin, attack him directly and finish this!"
Nicholas screamed as the blade of dark energy ripped through him, seemingly cutting right through him. He fell to his knees.
(Y: 1,400) -------------------- (N: 0)
"And that's a wrap," said Natalie.
Delmato walked up to Yumi, and held her hand in the air.
"Yumi Mouto is the winner!" he shouted.
The crowd cheered.
Yumi looked on her wrist, and saw the Gale Shield on it.
"Thanks, Nicholas, that was fun," she said.
Nicholas glared at her.
Then he held his stomach.
"Ooh…" he muttered to himself. "All of a sudden, I don't feel too good…"
Sheena walked to the center of the arena, as Nicholas ran off the field.
"Well, guys and gals," she said, "we have one more duel for the day. Be sure to be here in thirty minutes, as Erik takes on Rasputin, in the last match of the quarter finals!"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Five minutes later…
Rasputin and Olga were standing outside a men's room. They clearly heard Nicholas inside, seemingly puking his guts out.
"Is he gonna be all right?" asked Olga.
"He has no-one to blame but himself," growled Rasputin. "He insisted on using the domination pheromone, and since he was unable to transmit it this time, it made him sick.
"I also blame the three cheeseburgers he's had.
"But to answer your question, yeah, he'll be fine…"
He frowned and crossed his arms.
"You aren't really going to make the same wager with Erik, are you?" asked Olga.
"Of course I am!" shouted Rasputin. "Since you two lost the Cat's Cradle Comb and the Gale Shield, we only have one Charm left! We must get another…"
"But what if you lose?" asked Olga.
"Please…" replied Rasputin. "Even if that traitor spoke to Erik, he won't win… If I can't beat some duelist with a Toy Deck, I don't deserve the Rod of the Ancients…
"Erik will soon learn that this is not child's play any more…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back at the seats, Sam was nervously eating from a box of Crackerjacks.
"You're worried about Erik, aren't you?" asked Yumi.
"Why do you care?" snapped Sam.
"Stop worrying about him, Sam," replied Yumi. "Erik has grown and matured a great deal since he first set foot on Duelatopia. He's become a true duelist…
"And I'd say his chances against Rasputin are better than you may think.
"He'll do fine."
Sam sighed.
She noticed something in the box of snacks. She picked it out.
"Oh, look…" she said nervously. "The best thing about eating Crackerjacks is finding the prize…
"Rub-on tattoos… Neat."
Meanwhile, Erik was taking some deep breaths. He looked through his deck.
Gren Maju Da Eiza is a powerful Monster… he thought, but it isn't impossible to beat…
In order to beat a powerful foe, all you need…
…is a plan…
The heroes have scored another victory, and another Shadow Charm is in their hands. But the last one may be the hardest to get, as it is in the hands of a duelist who has already defeated Yumi. Can Erik and his deck containing the figments of childhood dreams stand up to the raw power that nearly killed Yumi? Stay tuned…
0
0
0
RULE OF THREE (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A beautiful woman with angelic wings holding two golden orbs in her outstretched arms while a third one hovers over her head.
Card Description: You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Four or less has been removed from play. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Four or less removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.
0
0
0
UNITY OF RINGS (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A male and a female figure holding hands inside a design made up of three interlocking golden rings.
Card Description: You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Five or Level Six has been removed from play. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Five or Level Six removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.
0
0
0
CENTER OF ALL (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: DaVinci's Vitruvian Man in the midst of a cosmic scene.
Card Description: You may activate this card if at least one of your Fiend or Fairy-Type Monsters that is Level Seven or higher has been removed from play. Send one face-up "Rule of Three" and one face-up "Unity of Rings" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to Special Summon one "Chronopsis the Chronomancer" from your hand or deck. You must have one Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster that is Level Seven or higher removed from play for each time you activate a card with this name.
0
0
0
CHRONOPSIS THE CHRONOMANCER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Dragon/Effect
Attribute:
Light
Level:
10
ATK:
3,000
DEF:
3,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Center of All". Once per round, during your Main Phase, destroy one Monster on the field (this effect is not optional). This card is not affected by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster effects except its own effect.
0
0
0
MIS-REVIVE (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A zombie crawling out of the ground from under a tombstone.
Card Description: Select one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard. Special Summon the selected Monster to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position.
Note: "Mis-Revive" is a real card that will be released in "Gladiator's Assault".
0
0
0
Ren: What's going on? Rasputin didn't use those cards before…
Chelsea: It's a completely new strategy… Erik has gone in totally unprepared!
Yumi: Yes, but he doesn't seem to be worried… I think Erik may have a plan…
Erik: I have a plan, but I'm keeping it secret until it's time to bring it out… My Monsters may look immature, but I can use them in a smart way.
Sam: Coming up next, "The Tarterian Depths of Carceri; Erik versus Rasputin."
Rasputin: Hah! The deck that Yumi saw was only a sample of my true power… The playthings of children can't defeat me...