Happy Thanksgiving.
If you're reading this, you're likely in one of two situations: You're hungry and waiting for dinner to be served, or you're fighting off the fatigue that the tryptophan in the turkey has caused. Maybe you're waiting for the big football game to come on, if that catches your fancy.
Anyway, I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family on Tuesday, since I couldn't go home today because of my work schedule. So, I figured I celebrate with you today, with my new chapter.
Again, happy Turkey Day. And save a slice of pie for me.
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CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
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Mounting Heavens of Celestia
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Yumi versus Sam
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It was ten o'clock the next morning.
Yumi sat on the edge of her bed in her luxurious suite, going over her deck one more time, one that she had reworked, hopefully to prepare for Sam.
She knew that Sam wasn't dumb… She had likely done the same and prepared for her.
And now she was more nervous than she had been since she had gotten off the boat…
She gave Dark Magician Girl a long look before shuffling her back into the deck.
"Pre-duel butterflies?" said that familiar voice.
She turned, and saw the Pharaoh standing beside her.
Yumi shrugged.
"Weird, you know…" she mumbled. "Ever since that day when Seto Kaiba ripped Grandpa Mouto's Blue-Eyes in half and my grandfather beat him with Exodia… The Moutos and the Kaibas have been rivals in every sense of the word…
"Sam and I only had an uneasy truce since this tournament started… As of noon, it's officially called off."
"I know, Yumi, I know…" said the Pharaoh. "It's been like this for ages…"
He shook his head.
"My memory is still hazy, but I know of Kaiba's counterpart… His ancestor… The original holder of the Millennium Rod… The rivalry was there back then too…
"But so was the uneasy alliance…
"Kaiba wasn't always an enemy."
Yumi nodded.
"You're talking about the duel with Marik, right?" she asked. "Did he ever say why he gave grandpa that Fiend's Sanctuary card?"
"No…" replied the Pharaoh. "I don't even know if Kaiba knew why. Kaiba's reason was, he wanted to believe that his helping Yugi wouldn't be any help at all, and giving him the card would disprove any prophecies… But I'm sure that there were deeper reasons."
"Well…" said Yumi with a sigh, "I guess that Sam and I really didn't have much of a choice… We couldn't back down from this duel even if we wanted too…
"Besides…"
She stood up. She smiled.
"I really don't think I wanted to…"
The Pharaoh smiled back.
The Puzzle glowed with golden light. Yumi spread her arms, as the golden aura surrounded her.
Her eyes narrowed, and her features turned feral. She slipped the Duel Disk on her arm.
"It's time to duel…" she said.
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As the visual screens played footage of past Duelatopias, and the seats filled up, the V.I.P. seats were looking pretty empty. Only Ren and Chelsea were there right now.
"So where's Rasputin and his goon squad?" asked Ren.
"Haven't you heard?" replied Chelsea. "They're fugitives now. Sheena found someone willing to testify that he's behind the League of Ascension. Once the Centurions find where he's hiding, it'll be all over."
"Thank goodness," said Ren with a sigh. "So where's Erik?"
"Acting as Sam's corner man," replied Chelsea. "I offered to do the same for Yumi, but she said she could handle herself."
At a far end of the arena, Erik was mopping Sam's brow with a towel.
"Okay, baby, now remember," he said, "watch out for facedown cards… You know she has a Mirror Force."
"Yes…" said Sam.
"And if she activates A Hero Emerges, look close, and choose the card she isn't looking at. That's the trick to it."
"Yes…" said Sam.
"And that Dark Paladin of hers can negate your Spells, so save your best Traps for…"
"Erik, please!" shouted Sam. "You trying to make me more nervous than I am?"
She panted.
"Water…"
Erik took a squirt bottle and lifted it to her mouth. Then he wiped her brow again.
"Why are vacation resorts always in the tropics?" she muttered.
"So people can go there in the winter," replied Erik. "Now get out there and make your dad proud! Don't forget, I got twenty clams on you."
"I'm going to have to duel with twenty clams on me?" said Sam. "Gonna be pretty cumbersome…"
"A regular comedian…" muttered Erik. "Just win, okay!"
Fireworks started to burst in the sky again, and Ben Fulton and Natalie Malone appeared again.
"Hello everybody!" shouted Natalie. "It's been a long and winding road, as the Beatles once said, but we have finally reached the end point…"
"And what an end point!" replied Ben. "A lot of you may not know about it, but there is significance in this final duel of the finals that cannot be denied.
"Once upon a time, there were two little duelists named Yugi Mouto and Seto Kaiba. One was the host of the legendary King of Games… The other was the most powerful man in the gaming world."
"These two little duelists defeated scores of opponents during their long careers," said Ben. "But no doubt, their greatest matches were when they faced each other."
"Eventually, the two hung up their Disks," said Natalie. "But Yugi bore a son, while a nephew took up Kaiba's legacy. When both came of age, the rivalry started again."
"Will this cycle ever end?" asked Ben. "Well, I for one hope not. It won't end today, that's for sure, because Yugi Mouto Jr.'s daughter and Siegfried Kaiba's daughter are both more than willing to take over where their fathers left off!"
More fireworks went off, and the crowd cheered.
"Introducing…" announced Ben, "the Princess of Games, who is vying for the title of Queen… Ms. Yumi Mouto!"
Half the crowd cheered, as Yumi stepped up to the center of the arena, where Sheena and Delmato were waiting.
"And her opponent, the heir to the Kaiba empire… Ms. Samantha Arachne!"
The other half of the crowd cheered, as Sam ran out, with a big smile on her face.
As she looked at her opponent, Sheena approached them.
"Okay you two…" she said, opening the Field slot on her Disk. "We've seen the depths of Hell, the Domain of the Beasts, the Realms of Law and Chaos…
"Now both of you will get a glimpse of the Blessed Realm… But only the winner of this duel will be allowed to enter…"
She placed a card in the Disk.
"The Mounting Heavens of Celestia!"
An overpowering light enveloped the arena. When everyone could see again, they were in a heavenly place, where the arena was dwarfed by a mountain of titanic size, reaching into the sky. Angelic beings hovered around them and overhead.
Their goal was behind Sheena: A pair of golden gates guarded by powerful-looking hosts with feathered wings.
"I trust no more needs to be said," said Delmato. "Now each of you, cut and shuffle each other's decks."
The two swapped decks.
"Interesting, huh Yumi?" said Sam. "Whoever wins this duel will be allowed into Heaven, while the loser will be thrown out.
"Why don't we up the stakes a little more… So the loser will be even more humiliated?"
"What do you have in mind?" asked Yumi. "I'm listening…"
"I'm suggesting that at the award ceremony tomorrow," said Sam, "whoever loses presents the novelty award check to the winner."
"I'm fine with that," said Yumi.
"…wearing a bikini," continued Sam.
Yumi paused. Sam grinned.
The audience was silenced.
Yumi frowned.
"What's the matter, Yumi?" asked Sam. "Afraid to show your goods on global TV?"
"Fine," she replied. "It's a bet. Gimme."
She took her deck back.
"Oh, for the love of…" muttered Ren. "Of all the crazy bets they could have made, that has to be the craziest!
"YUMI! You'd better win!"
Oh, I fully intend to… thought Yumi.
"All right…" said Delmato. "Players…
"Guests…
"GAME ON!"
(Yumi: 8,000) -------------------- (Sam: 8,000)
"Let's start things out with a bang!" shouted Yumi, making her first draw.
"I summon…"
She threw a card down.
"…my Double Coston!"
A creeping shadow slipped across the field, and it formed into two black globs, with grinning faces. They were connected by a wispy tendril of ectoplasm. (1,700/1,650)
"You call THAT starting off with a bang?" asked Sam. "Please… I can see what you're planning from a mile away."
"Uh, yeah…" said Yumi, taking a card from her hand. "I'm gonna play one more card, and that will be all for now…"
A facedown card appeared.
Sam made her first draw and looked over her hand.
She looked at the Trap Card she had… Something nasty she had put in her deck especially for Yumi.
Double Coston counts as two sacrifices when she uses it to summon a Dark Monster, she thought. She might be planning to summon Dark Magician, in which case, maybe I should let her…
But… it could also mean Dark Magician of Chaos… That would be bad…
Hmm… I don't like that facedown card, but I'd better chance it…
"I summon… Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.
In a burst of black smoke, the infernal shocktrooper appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,900/1,500)
"Attack her Double Coston!" she shouted.
Archfiend Soldier lifted his blade, and flew at the twin Zombies…
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. "Magic Cylinder!"
Sam's eyes opened wide. Archfiend Soldier howled, as he was thrown back by a wave of energy. The backlash struck Sam, and she fell backwards on her behind.
"Let me guess…" growled Sam. "A leftover from your duel with Rasputin?"
"Uh huh," replied Yumi. "I just didn't draw it then."
(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (S: 6,100)
"With a well-placed Trap Card, Yumi has taken an early lead," said Ben. "She's ahead on points, and next round, she might be ahead on Monsters too."
Okay… thought Sam. So attacking wasn't the brightest idea…
"We'll see about that," she said. "I'll set two of my cards facedown, and that will end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared behind Archfiend Soldier.
By all means, bring Dark Magician out, she thought. You'll regret it this time…
Yumi drew a card.
"Time to get serious!" shouted Yumi. "I sacrifice Double Coston…"
The two-in-one Monster vanished.
"And I'll bring out Dark Magician!"
In a flash of energy, the powerful sorcerer appeared, brandishing his staff. (2,500/2,100)
"That's just what I was waiting for, Yumi!" laughed Sam. "I activate my own Trap Card!"
Her facedown card lifted.
"Dora of Fate!"
A low tone sounded over the field, and then a large, bronze, ornate gong appeared behind Sam. Next to it was a nasty-looking gremlin holding a mallet.
"Dora of Fate?" asked Yumi.
"Let me explain," said Sam. "When I activate this card during your turn, I choose one of your Monsters. Now let's see… I think I'll choose… your Dark Magician.
"Your Dark Magician is Level Seven. Now, if on my next turn, I manage to summon a Monster who's exactly one Level lower than that, you get nailed for 500 points of damage for each Level of the Monster I just chose.
"Now isn't that interesting?"
Yumi looked at Dark Magician.
She's clearly planning to summon Ha Des… she thought.
"There's one small problem with your plan, Sam," she said. "You need a sacrifice to summon a Level Six Monster, and I'm about to blow your only Monster to Kingdom Come.
"Dark Magician… Attack the Archfiend Soldier!
"Dark magic attack!"
Dark Magician cast his spell, and Archfiend Soldier howled before exploding into black shards.
(Y: 8,000) -------------------- (S: 5,500)
"I end my turn…" said Yumi, narrowing her eyes.
Sam chuckled and drew a card.
Her eyebrows raised as she saw what card it was.
Hmm… she thought. This is the card that Hoshi gave me before I went in to get those Dark World cards. It may be just what I need…
Her other facedown card lifted.
"Call of the Haunted?" gasped Yumi.
"Uh huh," said Sam.
A stone coffin appeared on Sam's side of the field. It slowly opened, and Archfiend Soldier stepped out. (1,900/1,500)
"Now I have a sacrifice…" said Sam. "So, Archfiend Soldier, take a hike…"
Archfiend Soldier vanished…
The sky above Celestia darkened, and a bonfire of black flames appeared on Sam's side of the field.
Dark Ruler Ha Des had come again. (2,450/1,600)
"In case you didn't realize it," said Sam, "Ha Des is Level Six. So how fast can you multiply seven times five-hundred?"
The gremlin smacked the gong with its mallet, and the tone rang over the whole field. Fire erupted over Yumi's skin, and she screamed and fell to her knees.
(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (S: 5,500)
"This is a classic confrontation!" shouted Ben. "Both duelists have been hurt, and now, both of them have the aces of their decks out! What will be the outcome of this confrontation? It may be too tough to call!"
"Uhm, actually, Ben," said Natalie, "unless Sam has the right Spell or Trap Card in her hand right now, it might be incredibly easy to call."
"Our announcer makes a good point," snarled Yumi, as she got up. "The oldest rule in Duel Monsters is that the stronger Monster wins the battle. And in case you didn't notice, Dark Magician trumps the Dark Ruler by fifty points."
"Maybe…" said Sam. "But I'm going to play a Field Spell."
"What?" asked Yumi, almost laughing. "Yami? Mystic Plasma Zone? Both of those Fields will help Dark Magician as much as they'll help your Fiends!"
Sam placed a card in her Field Slot.
"I play… Domicile of the Dark Ruler!" she shouted.
A shadow covered the field, and when it lifted, the glory of Celestia had faded away. Now, both of them were on a broken wasteland, filled with twisted trees and lava pits bubbling out of the ground. Most remarkably, a hideous palace of bones and skulls was behind Sam.
"Where are we?" asked Yumi. "Is this the Underworld?"
"More or less," said Sam. "I end my turn."
Yumi slowly drew a card.
Something's up… she thought. This Field Spell hasn't increased the scores of her Dark Ruler or decreased those of my Magician… but it must do something…
She played a card.
"I summon the newest member of my team," she said. "Meet the Skilled White Magician!"
In a flash of light, a new Spellcaster appeared next to Dark Magician. He looked similar to Skilled Dark Magician, but with a less bulky robe, that was pure white, radiating a soft glow. (1,700/1,900)
Yumi shook her head. She had taken one of her three Skilled Dark Magicians out of her deck to make room for this guy, and she really hoped she had made the right choice. She was cautious about "trying something out" for such an important duel, but if this guy might help her summon Buster Blader, it would be worth it.
"Dark Magician…" she ordered. "Attack Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
Dark Magician blasted the Fiend lord with his burning magic… Ha Des shielded himself with his arm as he was struck by it…
(Y: 4,500) -------------------- (S: 5,450)
When the smoke cleared, Ha Des was still there, chuckling evilly.
"He survived?" asked Yumi.
"That's the power Ha Des possesses in his home realm, Yumi," said Sam. "See, this Field Spell can't exist if Ha Des isn't present… However, so long as this Field stands, Fiends cannot be destroyed in battle!"
"Very clever," said Yumi. "But it's still my turn…
"I play this Spell Card…"
A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field. The image showed a bird's-eye view of the five Dark Scorpions sitting around a table that was strewn with loot.
"Share of Spoils?" asked Sam. "Never heard of that one…"
In two puffs of smoke, two treasure chests appeared in front of Yumi. One was red, and the other was blue.
"Consider this a little offering to the enemy," said Yumi. "Each of these chests has a treasure, and you get to choose one.
"The red one lets you draw two cards.
"The blue one gives you 2,000 Life Points."
"And why are you being so nice?" asked Sam. "There's a catch, right?"
"Uh huh," said Yumi. "After you choose, I get the one you didn't choose. So think hard before you choose…"
Sam paused.
She looked at her hand.
If I'm gonna make any serious headway, I'm gonna have to take out her Dark Magician, thought Sam. I know from experience how dangerous he can be. And I have to draw something that can do it before she draws something that can tear my Field Spell down.
"All right…" she said. "I choose the red one…"
The red chest opened, and two cards floated out, glowing with golden energy.
Sam drew two cards and looked at them. She smirked, and added them to her hand.
"Now I get the blue one," said Yumi, and the blue chest opened.
Golden dust flew out of the blue chest as it opened, and Yumi glowed with energy.
"I end my turn," she said.
(Y: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 5,450)
"All right… Watch out!" shouted Sam.
She drew a card.
"Thanks for the free cards, Yumi," she said. "One's going facedown…"
A facedown card appeared.
"And the other one I'm using. Come on out… Opticlops!"
In another burst of dark energy, the horned, one-eyed ogre appeared with a roar. (1,800/1,700)
"Ha Des… Attack the Skilled White Magician! Stygian blast!"
Ha Des put his hands together, and formed a ball of black flames. He hurled it at the Spellcaster, and he cringed before blasting into bits.
(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 5,450)
"That's all for my turn…" she said.
Yumi looked long and hard at the facedown card. Then she drew a card.
"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode…" she said, placing a card on her Disk.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"By the way, I noticed that when Dark Magician attacked last time, you still lost Life Points. This Field doesn't make you invulnerable.
"Dark Magician… Attack Opticlops!"
Dark Magician aimed his scepter.
"You actually fell for it!" laughed Sam.
Her facedown card lifted.
"I activate… Bark of Dark Ruler!"
Dark Ruler Ha Des roared.
"I'll pay 700 Life Points, and you can kiss your Dark Magician goodbye!"
A dark aura appeared around Dark Magician, and he fell to an Attack of 1,800…
"That was just what I was expecting, Sam," said Yumi. "When push comes to shove, you're just as predictable as always…"
She threw a card into her Disk.
"I play Rush Recklessly. Now my Dark Magician gains back the 700 Attack Points that your Trap Card took from him. He won't be leaving, but 700 more of your Life Points will be."
Dark Magician fired his blast, and Opticlops shielded himself as it hit. The Fiend staggered backwards and howled in pain.
Sam cringed and started to sweat…
(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 4,050)
"Your move…" said Yumi, crossing her arms.
Sam drew a card, and looked at it.
Okay, she thought, looking at her opponent. If I want to beat Yumi, then I'm gonna have to start thinking like I am Yumi…
She paused, and held her forehead with her hand.
I'm a blonde, teenage girl with a sarcastic attitude who wears a belly shirt and a gaudy pendant and goes to a hairstylist who likely flunked out of beauty school, and…
Okay… Yes… There… I think I got it…
Yumi is no idiot… She knows that Monsters with Flip-Effects are no good when Ha Des is on the field, so her facedown Monster is likely just a Monster with high defense…
Most likely Magician's Valkyria… If I attacked her with Opticlops, the battle would be a draw.
However…
She played a card.
"I summon a second Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.
In a burst of energy, another Archfiend appeared. (1,900/1,500)
"Attack her facedown Monster!" she shouted.
Archfiend Soldier leapt at the facedown Monster, and Magician's Valkyria appeared, kneeling on the card. She shrieked before she was cut down.
Boy, I'm good… thought Sam. No way am I gonna have to wear that bikini!
"I end my turn," she said.
Yumi drew a card.
"Okay, Sam," she said, holding up a Spell Card. "I play… Dark Magic Attack."
"Wha?" said Sam. "Dark Magic Attack? Isn't that the name of the attack that Dark Magician uses? Why is it the name of a card?"
"It is, and here's what it does," said Yumi. "When Dark Magician is on my side of the field, it works just like Harpie's Feather Duster."
"But that means…" said Sam.
"That's right…" said Yumi. "I hope you haven't gotten too attached to this place.
"Dark Magician… Destroy the Domicile!"
Dark Magician raised his staff above his head, and chanted a mighty command. Lightning flashed in the sky, and the earth broke, and split apart. Dark Ruler Ha Des looked around in horror, as his castle… his home… was reduced to dust by the mighty spell…
Misty clouds rose from the ground. A light enveloped the area, and they were back at the foothills of Celestia again.
"Do you know what you've done?" said Sam, angrily. "You're gonna regret that, Yumi!"
"I'm not done, Sam," said Yumi. "That doesn't count as an attack, you know."
Sam looked at Ha Des in horror.
Dark Magician cast his spell, and Dark Ruler Ha Des roared before he burst into a cloud of embers and black smoke.
(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 4,000)
Yumi's supporters in the crowd cheered.
"The standoff is over and Dark Magician is the victor!" shouted Ben. "Sam had best do something fast, or she's gonna regret making that wager in spades!"
"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and let you go," said Yumi.
A facedown Monster appeared.
Sam growled, and drew a card.
"Both of you… move to Defense Mode," she said.
Opticlops and Archfiend Soldier knelt and shielded themselves.
"That's all I can do…" she muttered.
"Fine by me…" said Yumi, drawing a card.
"Dark Magician, attack her Archfiend Soldier!"
Again, the Dark Magician cast his spell, and Archfiend Soldier exploded.
"This is quickly becoming less like a duel, and more like target practice for Yumi," said Natalie. "I don't know if poor Sam will be able to make a comeback after losing her best Monster."
Sam drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Greed," she said.
She played the card, and made two draws.
Her eyes opened, as she saw what one of them was.
She made a sinister smirk.
Ha Des may have been my star… she thought, but I have a stronger Monster than him…
And if I can take a little pain, I can take control of this duel…
"I pass," she said, adding them to her hand. "Your move…"
Yumi drew a card.
"I summon… Skilled Dark Magician!" she shouted.
In a flash of light, the black-robed mage appeared, brandishing his staff. (1,900/1,700)
"Skilled Dark Magician… Destroy Opticlops! Black magic blast!"
Skilled Dark Magician cast his spell, and the ogre was blown to pieces.
"Sam has nothing left!" shouted Ben. "Looks like she has nowhere to go but up in smoke!"
"You got that right!" shouted Yumi. "Dark Magician… Attack her directly!"
Dark Magician flew at Sam…
She screamed loudly as the mighty spell burned at her skin, shocking every nerve ending.
Sam doubled over, and gasped for breath…
(Y: 5,750) -------------------- (S: 1,500)
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Yumi. "So… How do you like that, Sam?"
Sam coughed, and took some deep breaths…
"Actually, I like it a lot, Yumi…" she said with a painful smile. "I was hoping you would attack me…"
There was silence in the arena.
"They say that what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger…" she said. "I'm not dead yet, and I'm about to become stronger that you can ever dream!
"You see, Yumi… I have a very special, incredibly rare Monster that I added to my deck just for the finals… And I'm allowed to Special Summon him when I lose Life Points when I have no cards on my side of the field…
"After all… Ha Des is King of the Underworld… He has a few incredibly powerful servants…
"Prepare yourself… I summon the Dark Ruler's right-hand man… Come forward… Messenger of Ha Des – Gors!"
A column of flames shot up in front of her, and two glowing eyes appeared inside it…
A figure stepped out of the flames. It was a fiendish man in a studded, leather outfit and cape, wearing a leather mask under red hair, with blades on his wrists, holding a huge zanbatô. A dark aura surrounded him. He growled, and slammed his blade downward, driving the point into the ground. (2,700/2,500)
"Ho… boy…" said Yumi.
"I'm not done!" snarled Sam. "Gors has two different effects. Which one I get to use depends on the type of damage I had to endure to summon him. Since it was battle damage, I get to summon his partner… Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien."
Another flame appeared on the field, and a new figure walked out of it. It was a grim-faced woman in black armor and a Spartan helmet, carrying a pair of wavy swords. If her expression wasn't so stern, she might actually have been considered attractive.
"Kaien is an angel who was thrown out of Heaven for being too violent," said Sam. "She was just the type of warrior that the Dark Ruler was looking for. And as far as her Attack and Defense go, they're equal to the amount of damage I took in order to summon Gors."
(2,500/2,500)
Yumi looked at the two cards in her hand.
"Uh… I have to end my turn…" she muttered.
Sam drew a card.
"I summon Gil Garth," she said.
In another burst of dark energy, the metal, robotic Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200)
"I've wanted to do this for a long time," said Sam. "Gors… Attack the Dark Magician with Demonblade!"
Gors swung his huge sword as if it were as light as a feather, and slashed at Dark Magician. He grunted, and then shattered into bits.
"Gil Garth, take out her facedown Monster," continued Sam.
Gil Garth flew towards the facedown Monster. Magician of Faith appeared on the card before the Fiend slashed with his sword, and she was smashed to bits.
"Well…" muttered Yumi. "Unless Gors has the same effect as his boss, I get to take a Spell Card from my Graveyard now…"
"He doesn't!" snapped Sam. "Make it quick!"
Yumi took a card from her discard slot. She looked at the Rush Recklessly card.
"Kaien, attack that Skilled Dark Magician!" shouted Sam.
Kaien lunged at Skilled Dark Magician and slashed across his chest with the sword in her right hand. He took one step back before she followed through with her left, and then shattered.
"Okay, that was really bad…" muttered Yumi.
"I'm not done," said Sam, taking a card from her hand. "Since Kaien is still technically a Fairy, most of my cards wouldn't work on her. So I'll use her to give my Life Points a boost.
"I play Mystik Wok. Kaien, beat it."
She played a Spell Card, and Kaien dissolved into light. Sam glowed with energy.
(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 4,000)
"And with that, my turn is over…"
"I'm surprised Gors can use that huge thing so easily…" muttered Ren.
"In theory," said Chelsea, "those swords were supposed to be used in feudal Japan by footsoldiers with the purpose of taking out a rider and his horse in one blow. But it took two footsoldiers to use one. However, there is much debate as to whether the zanbatô saw any use on the battlefield at all, since it was so hard to use. You see them in cartoons and video games more often than they were ever likely used in reality.
"But this guy… Well, if Ha Des chose him as a right-hand man, he must have super strength or something…"
Yumi looked over the field for a minute.
She drew a card.
She looked at the four cards in her hand.
If this doesn't work… she thought, this might be my last turn…
No way am I wearing a bikini on global television…
Not that I have anything to be ashamed of…
"All right Sam," she said, "I toss down two facedowns, and summon my second Magician's Valkyria."
Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light, and then Valkyria appeared in another flash of light. (1,600/1,800)
"I end my turn."
Sam drew a card.
Okay, let's think about this, she thought. She hasn't played that many Spell Cards during this duel, and since she didn't use whatever she got back from Magician of Faith on her turn, it was likely Rush Recklessly, and it's one of her facedown cards.
But… Even with 700 more Attack Points, Valkyria is no match for Gors…
"Gors, attack…"
"I activate… Call of the Haunted!" shouted Yumi.
Her facedown card lifted up, and a dark coffin appeared on her side of the field.
It opened, and Yumi's first Valkyria stepped out of it. She stood beside her twin and glared at Sam. (1,600/1,800)
Sam sighed.
"Very clever, Yumi…" she muttered. "I end my turn."
"So why did she call off her attack?" asked Ben.
"Don't you know how Valkyria works?" asked Natalie. "When she's on the field, Yumi's opponent can't attack any Spellcasters except her. And since Valkyria herself is a Spellcaster…"
"Oh…" said Ben. "So, it's like Marauding Captain."
"Exactly," said Natalie. "Yumi just created a lock."
Yumi drew.
She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
She nodded.
"Not one to talk much, are you, Yumi," said Sam, drawing a card. "Especially when you have the advantage…"
She smirked when she saw what the card was.
"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn."
A facedown card appeared on her side of the field.
"Fine…" said Yumi. "Here goes…"
She drew a card.
"And here goes my card!" shouted Sam. "Dust Tornado!"
Her facedown card flipped up, and the Tornado tore across the field.
"Now I can take out your Call of the Haunted, and take out your Valkyria with it!"
The Trap Card shattered. Valkyria clutched her stomach, and then shattered as well.
Nuts… thought Yumi. Time to go for broke…
"I set another card facedown," she said, placing a card in her Disk.
A facedown card appeared.
"Then, I Flip-Summon my Morphing Jar."
Her facedown card flipped up, and the Morphing Jar appeared, and let out an evil cackle.
"I'm sure you know how it works," said Yumi.
Sam growled. They each discarded their hands, and then drew five cards.
Yumi looked them over.
"I move Valkyria to Defense Mode, and then summon Gemini Elf."
Valkyria knelt in Defense, and then in a burst of light, the elf twins appeared next to her, their arms around each other's waists. (1,900/900)
"Attack her Gil Garth!" she shouted. "Dual magic!"
The two elves shot twin lighting bolts, and the robotic Fiend exploded in a fiery burst.
(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 3,900)
"That's all for me…" she said.
"About time…" said Sam, drawing a card.
She smirked. It was her second copy of Dark Ruler Ha Des.
She looked over the other five cards in her hand.
Gors was too valuable to sacrifice, but she did have another way to get someone…
"I play… Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "I'll bring back an old friend…"
In a flash of light, Archfiend Soldier reappeared. (1,900/1,500)
"That's just what I was waiting for," said Yumi. "I activate Dark Renewal!"
The Trap Card she had just set lifted up.
A coffin appeared on the field, and the lid opened. A suction drew both Morphing Jar and Archfiend Soldier inside and the lid slammed shut.
Sam glared at Yumi in anger.
"Now I can summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard," said Yumi. "Guess who it is…"
The coffin glowed with energy. It opened, and Dark Magician stepped out. (2,500/2,100)
"Fine!" shouted Sam, in rage. "I'll kill him again!
"I play Monster Reincarnation! I'll toss this…"
She threw her Lesser Fiend into the discard slot.
"And guess who's back…"
She took Archfiend Soldier from the slot, and held the card up.
She threw it on her Disk, and he appeared again. (1,900/1,500)
"Attack Magician's Valkyria!" she shouted. "Sword of Perdition!"
The Archfiend slashed at Valkyria, and she was cut down.
"Gors, destroy her Dark Magician! Demonblade!"
Gors lunged at Dark Magician…
"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Yumi, as her last facedown card lifted.
Sam gulped. Dark Magician rose to an Attack of 3,200…
As Gors lunged at him, Dark Magician swung his staff. The sword flew from the Messenger's hand, and embedded in the ground. Then, with one dark magic attack, the Messenger of Ha Des was vanquished.
(Y: 4,950) -------------------- (S: 3,700)
Sam growled.
"I set one card facedown…" she said.
A facedown card appeared behind Archfiend Soldier.
"Do your worst."
Yumi drew a card.
If that facedown card can't stop me, I can win on this turn, she thought.
"I summon… Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer," she said, playing a card.
The bald, scarred monk appeared in a burst of darkness. (1,800/700)
"Now I play… Premature Burial."
She fit the card in her Disk, and Valkyria appeared once again. (1,600/1,800)
"Then… I play Dedication Through Light and Darkness."
She played the Spell Card, and a group of shadowy tendrils consumed Dark Magician…
Dark Magician of Chaos emerged from the shadowy cloud. (2,800/2,600)
"That means I get a Spell Card back," she continued.
Rush Recklessly slipped out of her discard slot again.
"All right… Gemini Elf… Attack Archfiend Soldier!"
Gemini Elf cast bolts of lightning at Archfiend Soldier. He swat the blast aside with a backhand, but toppled backwards and shattered. The two elves were thrown backwards from the backlash, and they shattered as well.
"Sam!" shouted Erik. "No!"
"Dark Magician of Chaos…" ordered Yumi. "Attack her directly! Scepter strike!"
Dark Magician of Chaos twirled his staff, and slammed it to the ground, sending a shockwave towards Sam…
"Activate Draining Shield!" shouted Sam.
Her Trap Card flipped up, and a dome of energy surrounded her. The blast struck the dome, and she glowed with light.
"Oh, well…" said Yumi. "Valkyria… You attack… Light beam blast!"
Valkyria fired a burning beam of light at Sam, and she screamed.
"Kycoo, spell of banishment!" shouted Yumi.
Kycoo cast a dark bolt, and Sam screamed louder.
"Now I can remove two Monsters in your Graveyard from play," said Yumi. "And I choose Dark Ruler Ha Des and Messenger of Ha Des – Gors."
Sam grumbled as the two cards fell out of her discard slot.
(Y: 4,150) -------------------- (S: 3,100)
"Sam is in big trouble now," said Ben. "I don't know what she's gonna do…"
Sam panted for breath.
"My… move…" she said.
She drew a card.
"I activate… Pot of Avarice," she said, playing it.
She took five cards from her discard slot – Kuriboh, Lesser Fiend, two Archfiend Soldiers, and Opticlops, and shuffled then back into her deck. Then she drew two cards.
"All right…" she said. "I play… Silent Doom."
She played the card, and Gil Garth appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,200)
"Now I'll sacrifice him… To summon, you guessed it… Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
Lightning flashed again, Gil Garth vanished, and the ruler of Fiends appeared once more. (2,450/1,600)
"Ha Des… Attack that blasted Valkyria!"
Ha Des fired his Stygian blast, and Valkyria screamed before she was eradicated again.
"I'll set two more cards facedown, and end my turn," said Sam.
She played the last two cards in her hand, and two facedown cards appeared behind Ha Des.
(Y: 3,300) -------------------- (S: 3,100)
Yumi's brow furrowed as she drew a card.
"I play… Pot of Greed!" she shouted.
The laughing jar appeared, and she quickly drew two cards.
She looked at them and then looked at the field.
"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack her Dark Ruler!" she shouted.
The Chaos Mage aimed his staff.
"Surprise," said Sam. "I have a Trap! Go, Shadow Spell!"
A mass of chains burst out of the ground, and seized Dark Magician of Chaos by the wrists and ankles. He struggled, but they were too tight, and his Attack Score fell to 2,100.
"I've caught one of your best Monsters, Yumi," said Sam. "Now what are you gonna do?"
"I'll show you," said Yumi. "I'll play Rush Recklessly."
She played the card, and Kycoo rose to an Attack of 2,500.
"Kycoo, you attack him!"
Kycoo started to chant…
"Surprise again, Yumi!" shouted Sam, as her other facedown card lifted up. "I have a Quickplay too, and it's gonna cut your Ghost Destroyer down to size.
"It's a little thing called Shrink, one of my uncle's favorites. Kycoo may have gained 700 Attack Points, but now he's gonna lose 900 of them."
Kycoo shank to half his size, and his Attack Score fell to 1,600. As he blasted his cursed magic, Ha Des swatted it aside. Kycoo fell back from the backlash, and shattered.
Yumi grumbled.
"I set one more Monster in Defense Mode," she said, "and end my turn."
A Defensive Monster appeared in front of her.
(Y: 2,450) -------------------- (S: 3,100)
Sam drew a card.
Huh? she thought, looking at it. Nuts… I was hoping for a Monster… I don't need this now…
"Ha Des, destroy her Dark Magician of Chaos!"
Ha Des fired his blast, and the Spellcaster was vanquished in an explosion of flames and smoke that reached the sky. Yumi shielded herself with her arm...
(Y: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 3,100)
"With that move, Sam has moved way ahead," said Natalie, "both on points and Monsters. This duel has gone back and forth more than a tennis match, and the endpoint may not be far away."
Yumi stared at Sam.
"My move…" she said.
She drew a card.
She looked at the cards in her hand.
"I'm sure you'll remember this next young lady from my duel with Rasputin…" she said. "Crystal Seer… Show yourself!"
Her facedown Monster Card flipped up, and the mysterious fortuneteller appeared, with her glowing crystal orb floating between her hands. (100/100)
"You remember her effect, right?" asked Yumi. "If not, let me give you a refresher. I take the top two cards off of my deck. One goes to my hand, and the other goes to the bottom of my deck…"
She took two cards off of her deck and looked at them.
She took one, and placed it under her deck.
"So, Yumi…" said Sam. "Did your Seer give you a good card?"
"You tell me," replied Yumi. "I'm going to sacrifice her… To summon my ace card…"
Crystal Seer vanished, and Dark Magician Girl appeared with a fancy pirouette. (2,000/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700)
"Finally, I toss three cards facedown…" she said.
She threw three cards into her Disk, and three facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.
"It's your move, Sam," said Yumi. "I'd be careful if I were you."
She looked at the last card in her hand.
Sam drew a card.
Yeah… she said, looking at it. I would be careful… There's only a 150-point difference between Ha Des's Attack Score and Dark Magician Girl's. If one of those facedown cards could change the scores even slightly, I'd be in serious trouble…
She took a card from her hand.
I'll get rid of her another way.
"Okay, Yumi…" she said. "I play… Hand of Ha Des!"
Yumi's eyes opened wide.
"This is how you beat Chelsea!" she shouted.
She looked at one of her facedown cards.
No… she thought, shaking her head. I'll take my chances…
"That's right, Yumi," said Sam, as the card appeared. "Remember how it works? We pick up cards from our decks until we pick up a Monster… And whoever's Monster is weaker… Her Monster on the field is toast."
The two rivals glared at each other.
They each took a card from their decks.
Yumi's card was Draining Shield. Sam's was Confiscation.
"Again!" said Sam.
Yumi quickly picked up another one.
Yumi showed it to her.
Blast Magician.
Sam laughed as she picked up hers.
Then she stopped short…
It was Winged Minion.
Yumi smirked.
"Sorry Sam…" she said. "But I guess your luck isn't even close to that of my grandfather Joey's…"
A gruesome hand burst out of the ground and grabbed Dark Ruler Ha Des, and then pulled him under. The crowd was silenced.
"So…" said Yumi. "Anything else?"
"It's still my turn, Yumi!" shouted Sam.
She looked at the last card in her hand.
Ring of Destruction.
She smirked.
She placed Ring of Destruction in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared in front of her.
I'm still gonna win… she thought. When I use this Trap Card to destroy Dark Magician Girl, we'll both lose 2,300 Life Points… That's more than she has left… But I'll still be standing…
I've waited a long time for this…
"Your move, Yumi…"
Yumi drew a card…
"GO!" shouted Sam, as her Trap Card lifted. "Ring of Destruction!"
Dark Magician Girl cried out in terror as the ring of grenades appeared around her neck…
"It's over, Yumi!" shouted Sam.
Yumi paused.
"I couldn't agree more, Sam…" she said, slowly.
One of her three facedown cards lifted.
"Huh?" said Sam. "AHH! Your Dark Bribe Trap Card!"
"That's right, Sam," said Yumi. "Now you draw one card… But your Trap is negated."
Tears fell down Sam's face as she drew a card.
It was Seven Tools of the Bandit. She had drawn it too late…
The Ring of Destruction was blown to dust, and Dark Magician Girl breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now…" said Yumi, "I'll play the card I just drew…"
She played a Spell Card, and it appeared…
Monster Reborn.
In an aura of light, Dark Magician appeared beside his apprentice. (2,500/2,100)
"Both of you… Attack her directly! Double dark magic attack!"
Sam screamed as two blasts of black magic shot into her…
She collapsed on her back.
(Y: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 0)
The crowd stood up and cheered. Yumi wiped her brow. She turned, and saw the gates of Celestia open. Sheena was waiting inside them.
Sam didn't move, so Yumi simply walked towards the gates, where Sheena and a host of angels greeted her.
"Congratulations, Yumi," said Sheena. "It was a long and arduous duel… But you have now truly earned the title of Queen of Games."
The crowd cheered again.
"The prize money will be yours in whatever manner your parents wish to distribute it," she continued. "And I'll be sure that my daughter lives up to her end of the bargain tomorrow.
"As for your other prize… Think about it tonight… You don't have to make the request right away…"
"Thanks Sheena," said Yumi. "Gonna be tough to choose…"
"I hope so…" said Sheena. "And I hope everyone can make the awards ceremonies tomorrow.
"Now… Here's White Rain again!"
As White Rain begun their enchanting melody, Erik was hugging Sam and leading her off the arena.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
It was five in the afternoon. The Colosseum had cleared up, and Sheena had promised diner in an hour. Ren, Chelsea, and Yumi were sitting on a park bench outside the massive building.
"So where do you think Sam and Erik are?" asked Yumi.
"Probably in Erik's suite," replied Chelsea. "Erik is most likely trying to cheer Sam up, if you know what I mean…"
They all chuckled.
"It was a good thing you were smart enough to put that Dark Bribe facedown," thought Ren, with a shudder. "It was close…"
"Actually…" said Yumi, "Dark Bribe wasn't part of my plan at that point…
"You see, the last card in my hand was Buster Blader. My other two facedown cards were A Hero Emerges and Staunch Defender.
"If Sam had attacked Dark Magician Girl, the first Trap would have let me summon Buster Blader. If she had continued her attack, Staunch Defender would have drawn Ha Des's attack to Buster Blader, and he was stronger.
"But I had to make sure that Buster Blader was the only card in my hand, so Sam would have only one card to choose from when A Hero Emerges was activated. So I set Dark Bribe to get it out of my hand.
"Frankly, I had no idea she was intending to use Ring of Destruction…"
"Eh, serves her right," muttered Chelsea. "Ring of Destruction is one of the most unfair Trap Cards in circulation. It goes on and off the Forbidden List so often…Sooner or later, someone's gonna wise up and decide to put it on the list and keep it on."
"Careful, Chelsea…" said Yumi. "You were first in line to get that Mirage of Nightmare when it came off the list…"
There was silence for a few minutes.
"Hard to believe the tournament is… over…" muttered Ren.
"Hey…" said Yumi, "we can come back during winter break. Then there won't be any dumb competition to worry about. It'll just be a vacation at this great resort with all the dueling we could ever want!
"Now, before Sheena treats us to dinner, I need a shower, and I think you two could use one too."
As they got up and left, the Pharaoh appeared next to Yumi.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked.
"Rasputin and his two henchmen can't hide from the Centurions forever," she replied. "Sooner or later, they'll be brought in.
"And if Rasputin won't give up the Rod, well, they certainly won't give him access to chemicals. He won't be able to make his serum anymore, and he'll likely be gone before his trial even starts. The Rod will become available again, and Olga and Nicholas will probably be in jail – they won't be getting it. I'm sure Sheena's lawyers can pull some strings to let us at least use it, and then bury the information if it doesn't survive the ceremony."
"Yes…" sighed the Pharaoh. "The ceremony… I know about that now… What it's going to entail…"
Yumi lifted her head. She looked at him.
He nodded.
"It's going to be another duel, Yumi… One that I'm going to have to fight without your help…"
Yumi looked at him.
"Heh, you had me worried there for a second," she laughed. "Come on! You're the original King of Games! If anything, I'm slowing you down! No matter who you duel, you'll win with no problem…"
"That is the whole problem, Yumi," he said with a sigh.
He looked away from her.
"It can't end in my victory. If it does, the ceremony will fail."
She looked at him.
"This is one duel I can't win…"
There was another long pause.
"You want to start over from the beginning?" she asked. "You kind of lost me…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In a hidden location, Rasputin held the Rod of the Ancients in front of him.
"It's time…" said a voice from a source he couldn't see.
The Charm burned with golden fire.
"Very well…" said Rasputin. "If I must, I guess I simply must…
"While Yumi is being taken care of, I'll use the power of this Rod to do the rest…
"And if Yumi prevails, there's still a way to get her two Charms…
"In fact… There are a few…"
He paused. His voice sank to a whisper as he closed his eyes…
"Children…" he said. "I'm sorry it had to come to this…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi sighed as she wrapped a towel around herself.
She had to admit too. It was hard to believe that it was over.
After what the Pharaoh had told her, she was thinking that the gods must be crazy, as the tagline for an old movie went. Why did someone have to lose to prove he was worthy of moving on? To show he could take defeat?
Maybe it made a little sense, but it still sounded crazy.
The craziest part was that he had asked Yumi to choose his opponent.
She could see right through him (in more ways than one). She knew that she was the only one who could do it, and he likely knew she knew.
Well, she was certainly glad she had won the tournament… Now she knew exactly what she was going to ask for tomorrow.
Then she noticed something…
On her bed was the Crown of Souls… And it was glowing with golden energy.
Hardly knowing what she was doing, she took it, and placed it on her head…
As she did, a headache bored through her skull, unlike any she ever had before.
She almost considered throwing off the Crown. But an instinct told her that this pain wasn't trying to harm her…
It was a side effect of something the Crown was doing to protect her, from something far worse.
So, she held on to the Crown, and grit her teeth. The pain continued, and the towel slipped off, but she didn't care. She knew that the Crown was the one thing shielding her from an attack of incredible evil…
Eventually, the pain stopped with a snap. Yumi's eyes rolled into her head, and she collapsed from exhaustion.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
At her table, Cassandra looked at a single card in front of her. It was The High Priestess.
She turned to the deck. She slowly drew the top card.
She gasped and dropped it.
It was The Devil…
Yumi has been crowned the Queen of Games, but there's no time to celebrate. A vicious attack from an assailant she cannot see has changed the situation dramatically, and the rules may have been altered to the extreme. The tournament is over, but tonight will be a night that Yumi will not soon forget…
0
0
0
SHARE OF SPOILS (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The five Dark Scorpions sitting around a table with gold and jewelry spread out on it.
Card Description: When you play this card, your opponent chooses one of the following effects. That effect is activated:
- You draw two cards from your deck. Your opponent gains 2,000 Life Points.
- You gain 2,000 Life Points. Your opponent draws two cards from his/her deck.
0
0
0
MESSENGER OF HA DES – GORS (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: If you have no cards on your side of the field, and you receive damage to your Life Points from a card controlled by your opponent, you may Special Summon this card from your hand, and activate one of the following effects depending on the type of damage you received:
- Battle Damage: Special Summon one "Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien Token" (Fairy/Light/Level Seven/? ATK/? DEF). The ATK and DEF of a "Messenger of Ha Des – Kaien Token" is equal to the amount of damage taken.
- Effect Damage: Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the amount of damage you received.
Note: "Messenger of Ha Des – Gors" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.
0
0
0
DOMICILE OF THE DARK RULER (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: A hideous palace of bones standing on a dark wasteland.
Card Description: This card is destroyed if there is no "Dark Ruler Ha Des" on the controller's side of the field. Fiend-Type Monsters on both sides of the field cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).
Note: "Domicile of the Dark Ruler" first appeared in "Dark Messiah".
0
0
0
Yumi: Oohh…
Ren… Chelsea… Sam… Erik?
Where did everybody go? I'm alone…
Voice: Yes, you're alone, Yumi… You have no idea how alone. You may think it's over, but you couldn't have been more wrong. Rasputin is more dangerous than ever, because now he truly has nothing left to lose.
Are you willing to take the challenge to a new level?
Anastasia: Don't despair yet, Yumi! I'm still here! I'll be here until the end…
I won't be caught this time like I was last time…
Coming up next: "A Crisis Looms; Yumi versus Samen".
Yumi: I'm the Queen of Games now… I guess I'll have to defend my title…