0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
David Deck versus Goliath Deck
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Battle of Polar Opposites
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
The air over Duelatopia was definitely not right now… People could feel it.
Strange clouds of fog hung in the air, leaving an odd feeling that stuck to the skin and wouldn't come off. It was like poison ivy, only it didn't truly itch.
Kenta could feel it quite plainly. He was on his way back to his hotel, thinking that it might be safe there.
He was wrong.
"What's going on here?" he thought, as he opened the front doors. "Is this one of those strange tropical weather patterns?"
He looked in the hotel lobby and stopped short.
Eleven duelists were lying on the floor, unconscious.
And even more shocking, their wrists and ankles were bound by glowing green chains.
Kenta looked up, and saw a duelist securing one of them with the strange bindings.
"Hey!" he shouted.
The duelist stood up and looked at him. He was wearing the same prison grays as the others, and his eyes were glowing red.
"What a coincidence…" said the duelist, or whatever was controlling him. "I just had a group of captives ready for transport… And now I get to make it an even dozen…"
"Transport?" said Kenta, shocked. "To where?"
"You'll find out soon enough," said the creature. "Are you going to give yourself up, or do I have to subdue you in a Game of Shadows?"
He raised his Disk, and the doors to the hotel slammed shut.
Kenta gulped. He placed his deck in his Disk and it activated.
"Why do they always want to do it the hard way?" said the creature with a sigh.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ren was the first one through the door at the top of the stairs.
"Whoa…" he said, stepping out. "Surreal…"
His allies followed him, and saw what he meant. They were in a huge chamber full of giant gears and cogs; the innards of the clock itself. Each of the four walls was the back side of one of the immense clock faces, and above them was the huge set of bells that rang every hour. The gears turned in perfect synchrony, moving the giant timepiece.
Yumi took some deep, gasping breaths.
"Yumi…" said Sam. "You can't go through with this… You're too tired… Look, maybe I can duel him…"
"Afraid that's impossible," said a voice.
They all turned, and saw Erik standing in the center of the chamber. Again, he was pale, and cold-looking.
"I'm afraid dueling anyone before I dueled Yumi would be a colossal waste of time," he said. "She's the only one with anything useful to wager…"
He slowly lifted the Talisman of the Mind that was around his neck.
"So what about it, Yumi?" he said. "Care for the same wager? My Talisman against your Crown."
"Erik, baby, please!" shouted Sam. "It's me! It's me, lover! Don't you remember who I am?"
"No," he said offhand. "You look like some whore to me."
Sam burned with fury. She was going to kill that ambassador for making her dress like this…
"Erik baby, wake up!" she pleaded. "I'm begging you!"
"I'm here to duel Yumi, and nothing else," replied Erik. "But if you want to duel me once I kill her, maybe I'll consider it."
Yumi looked at Erik with a tired look. Then she stepped forward, stumbling as she did.
She took Erik's deck out of the holster, and placed it in her Disk.
Erik grinned.
"You're tired, aren't you?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm willing to bet you could barely beat a beginner right now. Why don't you just concede and spare yourself the embarrassment?"
"I can't…" muttered Yumi, weakly.
"Then prepare to lose with dishonor," said Erik.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"YUMI!" said the Pharaoh's voice.
Yumi was inside her head, and the Pharaoh was standing behind her.
"Yumi…" he said. "If Erik's deck is as strong as what we've seen so far, your chances of beating him in this state are abysmal.
"And another Shadow Game may be too much for your system… You could die if you try to duel him!"
"What do I do?" groaned Yumi. "If I don't beat him, Rasputin wins… Erik will be lost… And he'll get us too…"
There was a long pause.
"Yumi…" said the Pharaoh. "Let me take over."
"Huh?" asked Yumi.
"Just close your eyes, and sleep," said the Pharaoh. "I'll duel Erik."
Yumi looked at him.
"Okay…" she muttered.
She closed her eyes.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi's Puzzle glowed brighter than ever, and her features turned even sharper than they usually did…
"Let's duel, Erik," she said, in a voice that was deeper and huskier than it normally was.
"What?" asked Erik. "How did you get your second wind?"
"Yumi is resting," said the Pharaoh. "I'm dueling in her place.
"But don't worry… The stakes still stand. If you win, you still get the Crown."
Erik paused. He tilted his head slightly.
He heard Rasputin's voice from the microphone in his ear.
"This is very odd, Erik," said Rasputin. "I did kind of have the feeling that the Mouto family had a spiritual guide of some sort.
"But duel her… him, whatever… anyway… It's perfectly legitimate to win the Shadow Charms by assigning a proxy to fight for you, so it makes no difference.
"This may be even better, actually… Once we win, we can get them both."
"Fine, whoever you are," said Erik.
The Disks activated.
"So what are you?" he chuckled. "Yumi's imaginary friend? Someone she dreamed up when she was four?"
"I'm something far more than that," replied the Pharaoh. "Get ready… It's time to duel!"
(Pharaoh: 8,000) -------------------- (Erik: 8,000)
Sleep peacefully, Yumi, thought the Pharaoh, making his first draw. I swear that when you wake up, you won't be under Rasputin's control…
"I throw one card facedown, and then summon Toy Wind-Up," he said.
He played two cards, and a facedown card appeared, followed by the bulky tin soldier, carrying his blunderbuss. (1,000/700)
"And that's enough to start…"
Erik laughed as he made his first draw.
"You think you can impress me by using my old cards?" he asked. "Now I use Monsters that have the right to be called Monsters…
"I play… Heavy Storm!"
He played the card, and a furious wind tore through the gear housing. The Pharaoh's facedown Mirror Force was blown apart.
"Aw, no…" muttered Chelsea. "Now Toy Wind-Up is a sitting duck…"
"Now that it's gone…" said Erik, taking a card. "I summon… Cyber Dragon!"
There was a rumble, and a huge creature burst out of the floor, resembling a huge, limbless, mechanical serpent. It was indeed a Cyber Dragon, one of the most dreaded Machines in the game. (2,100/1,600)
"NO!" screamed Sam. "Erik, baby, please wake up! You don't know what you're doing!"
"What?" asked Chelsea.
Sam started to sob.
"He's always hated Cyber Dragons…" she cried. "He called them insults to true Dragons and cards used by duelists who wanted easy ways to win…"
"I've changed," said Erik. "I've grown up. And it's like my mother is fond of saying, there's only one major difference between boys and men…
"…the price of their toys.
"And I'm not done…"
He played another card.
"Since that was a Special Summon, I'll Normal Summon Proto Cyber Dragon."
He played another card, and a much smaller, much cruder version of the true Cyber Dragon appeared next to the first one. (1,100/600)
"All right!" shouted Erik. "Proto Cyber Dragon, annihilate the Toy Wind-Up!"
The smaller Machine fired a blast of concentrated light from its mouth, and Toy Wind-Up exploded into shards.
"Cyber Dragon… Attack… Well, attack whoever she is directly! Strident blast!"
Cyber Dragon breathed a blast of white-hot flames, striking Yumi's body squarely…
(P: 5,800) -------------------- (E: 8,000)
When the smoke cleared, the Pharaoh was looking at him sternly, the attack not seeming to have hurt him at all.
"What are you made of?" asked Erik.
"Stronger stuff than that Dragon is," he replied. "Is that your turn?"
"Go ahead," he said, "but I have more where that came from."
The Pharaoh drew a card, and looked at it.
"I play another card facedown," he said, "and then summon Toy Soldier."
A facedown card appeared, and Toy Soldier appeared in a burst of energy. (800/300)
"That's all for now…"
Erik chuckled as he drew a card.
"Know what?" he said. "I think you're bluffing… And I'm gonna finish you off…
"I play Limiter Removal!"
He played a Spell Card, and both Machines glowed with fiery energy. Proto Cyber Dragon grew to an Attack of 2,200, while the normal Cyber Dragon grew to 4,200.
"No…" gasped Chelsea.
"It'd better not be a bluff…"
"Proto Cyber Dragon…" ordered Erik, "attack…"
"GO! Zero Gravity!" shouted the Pharaoh, as his Trap Card lifted up.
Toy Soldier crouched in Defense Mode. Then both Cyber Dragon and Proto Cyber Dragon curled up in Defense Mode.
"Ooh, you think you're so smart…" muttered Erik. "Fine… I play a facedown…"
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn… And that means my Limiter Removal destroys my Monsters…"
The two Machines exploded into shards.
"I draw one card," said the Pharaoh, drawing.
"And my Trap activates," said Erik, as his facedown card flipped up. "Call of the Haunted. Guess who's back…"
Cyber Dragon appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,600)
"Toy Soldier's effect also activates," said the Pharaoh, taking his deck. "That means two more come out."
Two more Toy Soldiers materialized. (800/300 x2)
"Now… I play Crowning of the Emperor."
The Toy Soldier in Defense Mode glowed. He vanished, and Toy Emperor galloped onto the field. (2,300/800)
The Pharaoh took another card from his hand.
"Next, I play this… Fife and Drum Corp…"
He played the card, and the parade of Toy Soldiers marched onto the field, playing their flutes and drums. The two smaller Toy Soldiers glowed, and rose to Attack Scores of 1,600 apiece.
"Time to take control of this duel!" shouted the Pharaoh. "Toy Emperor, demolish the Cyber Dragon with imperial charge!"
Toy Emperor urged his mount at the much larger Monster, and with one swipe of his saber, the metal serpent exploded.
"Don't forget his effect," said the Pharaoh, taking his deck. "I get to search for a Trap Card now."
He chose a card, and added it to his hand.
"Toy Soldiers… Attack him directly!"
Erik hollered as the two Soldiers fired their muskets and the shells stabbed into him.
(P: 5,800) -------------------- (E: 4,600)
"Please!" begged Sam. "Please be easy on him…"
"Hey, he started it," said Ren.
"I throw a card facedown, and end my turn," said the Pharaoh, as a facedown card appeared.
He took a deep breath.
This is taxing, he thought. Controlling Yumi's body alone is more tiring than I thought it would be. I forgot what it was like to be mortal… It hasn't been like this since…
…since…
He shuddered. He started to sweat.
…since Yugi was taken prisoner by the Seal of Orichalcos…
And using Erik's deck isn't the easiest thing in the world. These cards really aren't my style. I like to think I can use any cards… But whether I can succeed with a deck like this…
Well, I'll just have to hope…
"My move!" shouted Erik, drawing a card.
He looked at the card he had drawn.
"I play… Pot of Greed."
He played the card, and made two draws.
"Heh, heh…" he said. "First I throw a card facedown…"
He fit the card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon. And the card I'm going to destroy is the one I just set facedown."
He played the card, and his facedown Trap Card lifted up and shattered.
"What in blazes?" asked Ren.
"Why did he just destroy his own Trap Card, you may ask?" asked Erik. "Was it Dark Coffin? No… Was it Statue of the Wicked? No…
"What it was is a special Trap called Drowsing Point, and when it's destroyed, I get to search my deck for any Monster I desire."
He took a card from his deck and then reshuffled.
"And now I'm going to use it," he said. "I play Polymerization, to fuse together the two Cyber Dragons in my hand, to form Cyber Twin Dragon!"
He played the card, and two Cyber Dragons appeared on the field. They melted into a swirl of light…
A huge creature rose up above Erik… A much bigger mechanical serpent, with two vicious heads. (2,800/2,100)
"Erik, please wake up…" sobbed Sam, sadly.
The Pharaoh tensed…
"It has two heads, and each one has its own attack," said Erik. "Here comes the first… Attack the Toy Emperor!"
The left head breathed a stream of flames at the diminutive monarch…
"Activate Draining Shield!" shouted the Pharaoh.
His Trap Card lifted, and the flames plowed into an invisible shield. Energy flowed into him.
"Big deal," said Erik. "It gets to attack twice, remember?"
The right head breathed a second stream of flames, and Toy Emperor exploded.
"Your move…" said Erik.
(P: 8,100) -------------------- (E: 4,600)
The Pharaoh drew a card.
"I play my own Pot of Greed, Erik," he said.
He played the card, and drew two cards.
He frowned as he looked at them.
He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared. Then both Toy Soldiers knelt in Defense Mode.
"That's all I can do…" he said.
The door behind them opened.
Ren and Chelsea spun around.
"Who's there?" demanded Ren.
"Don't shoot!" shouted a familiar voice.
Everyone was shocked.
"Enrique?" said Chelsea.
"Si," said the young man. "I found out that Yumi was trapped in here, so I fought my way in. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Then he saw the huge Cyber Twin Dragon and stepped back.
"Madre los Dios…" he said. "Never mind…"
"If you want to help, say a good prayer for us," said Ren.
"Quiet," said Erik, drawing a card. "I'll deal with all of you, once I deal with this guy…"
He looked at the card.
"I summon Cyber Phoenix."
He played the card, and a new Machine appeared in a burst of flame. It was a big, metal bird with four large wings. (1,200/1,600)
"Guess what, pal?" he said. "So long as my Phoenix is in Attack Mode, Spells and Traps don't work on my Machines.
"But enough about that… Cyber Phoenix, toast his Toy Soldier!"
Cyber Phoenix blasted a flamethrower from its beak, burning one of the Toy Soldiers to a crisp.
"And then there's my Cyber Twin Dragon!"
The huge Machine blasted its first attack, eradicating the other Toy Soldier.
Then it fired its second attack at the facedown Monster. Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was blown to particles.
"I use Giant Rat's effect!" shouted the Pharaoh. "I summon Toy Wind-Up!"
In a burst of energy, another Toy Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)
"As if that worried me," said Erik. "Make your move."
"This had better be the best draw ever…" said Ren, as the Pharaoh made a draw.
The Pharaoh looked at the four cards in his hand. One of them was a Monster that could stand up to Cyber Twin…
What am I going to do? he thought. This Monster is too powerful to summon without a sacrifice… I'd need a special card or…
He paused. He looked at a Spell Card in his hand.
Of course… he thought. Yumi and I saw Erik do this same trick in his duel with Rasputin…
Let me think…
He played the card.
"I play Dark Designator," he said, playing a Spell Card. "And the Monster I name is… Proto Cyber Dragon."
Erik looked him in the eye.
"Okay, I have another one…" he said, taking the card from his deck.
"Good…" said the Pharaoh. "Now I can summon… Puppet King!"
In an explosion of energy, the mighty Puppet King appeared, glaring at the huge Machine. (2,800/2,600)
"Puppet King…" ordered the Pharaoh, "attack Cyber Twin Dragon with Judy punch!"
Puppet King leapt at the two-headed Machine, fist-first. Cyber Twin Dragon roared, and lunged to meet the strike…
Both duelists reeled from the huge explosion that resulted from the impact, blowing both Monsters to pieces.
"Caramba!" shouted Enrique. "It was a draw!"
"And I'm not done!" exclaimed the Pharaoh. "I play… Rush Recklessly!"
He played the card, and Toy Wind-Up rose to an Attack of 1,700.
"Attack Cyber Phoenix with blunderbuss blast!"
Toy Wind-Up fired his gun, and the Phoenix exploded in a conflagration of smoke and flame.
"Grrr…" growled Erik. "When Cyber Phoenix is defeated, I get to draw one card…"
He made one draw.
"And I get to summon my third Wind-Up," said the Pharaoh.
Yet another Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)
"Attack him directly!"
The toy fired its blunderbuss, and Erik fell over, wincing in pain.
(P: 8,100) -------------------- (E: 3,100)
"Your move…" he muttered.
Erik drew a card,
"Okay, who or whatever you are," he said. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this…
"But I play Lightning Vortex."
He played a Spell Card, and discarded Proto Cyber Dragon. Thunder clapped, and lightning struck the two Wind-Ups, blowing them to pieces.
"No…" muttered Sam.
"Now…" said Erik, taking the last card in his hand, "I'll play Card of Sanctity, and we'll see whose luck is better."
He played the card. He drew six cards, and the Pharaoh drew five.
"I summon Cyber Soldier of Darkworld," he said.
He played the card, and a robot appeared in front of him. It was an android of the type commonly found in science fiction movies, with armor, mechanical limbs, and wires all over. (1,400/1,200)
"Now, I'll play my own Rush Recklessly…"
He played the card, and the Cyber Soldier's Attack Score went up to 2,100.
"Attack her… him… them… Ho boy, this is a pronoun nightmare. Just attack directly! Cosmic cannon!"
Cyber Soldier of Darkworld pointed at its foe and fired a bolt of burning energy. The Pharaoh closed his eyes and sweat started to form.
(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 3,100)
"And that's all," said Erik.
The Pharaoh drew a card.
He played one of the cards in his hand, and Graceful Charity appeared on the field. The lovely angel appeared, looking sad again.
He drew three cards, and then looked at the cards in his hand. He thought for a minute, and then discarded Gulliver Chain and Toy Cannon.
"I summon Toy Magician," he said.
In a burst of light, the toy Spellcaster appeared, holding his scepter. (1,600/1,500)
"Destroy Cyber Soldier of Darkworld!" he ordered.
Toy Magician fired his sparkle blast at the android. Sparks flew from its armor, and then it exploded.
"I set a facedown card, and end my turn…"
A facedown card appeared behind Toy Magician.
(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 2,900)
The Pharaoh looked at his hand, and saw Toy Dragon clearly there.
It's Erik's true soul… he thought. I've never been more sure… Now I simply have to force him to bring out the false soul, and hope I can use this to beat it…
But if it's what I think it is… That might be very, very hard.
Because it's likely something that can match Obelisk in terms of raw power…
Erik drew a card.
He chuckled.
"Okay, buddy," he said. "Time to bring this duel to the endpoint…"
He turned a Spell Card in his hand around.
"Power Bond?" gasped Chelsea.
"Erik, no!" shouted Sam. "Please!"
"Shut up!" said Erik. "I know what I'm doing… I'm going to use this to bring out my strongest Monster…
"The only problem is, my three Cyber Dragons are in my Graveyard… But no matter…
"I have another Spell Card…
"I play Cybernetic Fusion Support!"
He played both Spell Cards at once.
"Now, by removing those Cyber Dragons from play, and paying half my Life Points, I can use Power Bond to Fusion Summon the ultimate beast…"
A dark shadow loomed behind him…
"Behold the Cyber End Dragon!"
With a roar that was composed of three voices, Zane Truesdale's signature Monster loomed over the field, glaring at the spirit in Yumi's body with six fiery optic sensors… (4,000/2,800) –) (8,000/2,800)
No… thought the Pharaoh.
"It's been swell…" said Erik, with an evil glint in his eye. "But now…
"Cyber End Dragon… Attack Toy Magician with super strident blaze!"
Flames appeared in the Machine's three mouths…
Heaven forgive me… thought the Pharaoh.
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate Gravity Bind!" he screamed.
Cyber End Dragon groaned, and bowed its head. The Pharaoh bowed his head too.
"I'm so sorry, Erik…" he said. "But it can't attack now…
"And once you end your turn, the side effect of Power Bond will activate, and you'll lose…"
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh," chuckled Erik.
"What?" said the Pharaoh.
"Not quite," replied Erik. "I saw that facedown card of yours perfectly clearly, and I wasn't dumb enough to use Power Bond unprepared."
He played another card.
"I summon Cyber Kirin."
A very small Machine appeared on the field. It looked like a small, metal dog with the same silvery armor as a Cyber Dragon. (300/800)
"Now, by sacrificing it," he continued, "the damage Power Bond would have done to me is reduced to zero."
Cyber Kirin vanished.
"I'm still in this duel, Yumi, and my Cyber End Dragon is still here… And it still has 8,000 Attack Points…
"And I know that deck you're using… Its ways of destroying a Monster this powerful are very limited.
"I end my turn."
(P: 6,000) -------------------- (E: 1,450)
The Pharaoh looked at his hand.
The false soul has appeared, he thought. And if I want to save Erik, the true soul has to defeat it…
He paused.
Impossible… There's no way to make Toy Dragon that strong…
He looked at the card on top of Erik's deck…
He paused. He drew the card.
He quickly placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.
"What the Hell?" shouted Sam. "Yumi didn't even look at that card!"
"Eh… Can she do that?" asked Enrique. "How'd she even know it wasn't a Monster?"
"Well, since the Disk didn't register an illegal move, I guess it isn't," said Chelsea. "But even so…"
The Pharaoh took another card from his hand.
"I summon Blockman," he said.
A strange Monster materialized next to Toy Magician. It looked like a man made entirely out of Legos. (1,000/1,500)
"Heh, heh," chuckled Ren. "Lego my Ego."
"Ren, this isn't the time for jokes…" said Chelsea, rolling her eyes.
"Go ahead, Erik," said Yumi.
Erik drew a card.
"You're up to something…" he muttered.
He played a Spell Card.
"I play Burial From a Different Dimension. Now my three Cyber Dragons go back to my Graveyard, so we may get to them again later."
He slipped three cards into his discard slot.
"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn."
Two facedown cards appeared behind Cyber End in flashes of light.
"My move!" shouted the Pharaoh, drawing a card.
"Since this is my second turn that it has been on the field, I can sacrifice Blockman to summon two Block Tokens."
Blockman vanished, and then two tokens that looked just like it appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,500 x2)
"Now, I activate Emergency Provisions," he said, playing a card. "I'll dispose of Gravity Bind."
Gravity Bind disintegrated.
"WHAT?" shouted Erik.
"Is she crazy?" shouted Enrique.
"Now I activate my Trap Card…" continued the Pharaoh.
"Curse of Anubis!"
The facedown card he had set the last round lifted up, and the ghostly jackal appeared over the field. It howled, and both Toy Magician and Cyber End Dragon cowered in Defense Mode. The Defense Scores of all the Monsters on the field fell to zero.
"Now…" said the Pharaoh, "I sacrifice my two Block Tokens to summon Toy Dragon!"
The two tokens vanished, and the huge, blocky Dragon appeared. (2,300/2,000) –) (2,700/2,000)
Erik gasped.
"Toy Dragon…" ordered the Pharaoh, "attack Cyber End Dragon with shooting star shower!"
Erik screamed as a barrage of glowing motes plowed into the huge Machine, and explosions erupted all over its armor. He fell to the floor as the giant beast exploded into scrap.
"No… way…" said Sam. "How did Yumi know that the card she had drawn was Curse of Anubis?"
The Pharaoh smiled.
Because Erik's deck was calling out to me, he thought. It told me what it was.
Erik bowed his head.
There was a long silence.
"Erik!" screamed Rasputin's voice in his ear. "I will not accept this! I will not accept failure again! You will not let Yumi get that Talisman!
"Now draw your card and continue this duel! That's an order!"
Erik slowly got up. He lifted his head. Incredible anger was in his eyes.
"Why not?" he said, drawing a card. "On with the duel!"
He looked at it.
"I play Card of Demise!"
He played the card. Five candles lit up in front of him, and he quickly drew five cards.
"All right… I activate Premature Burial."
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"Now… which Monster should I bring back? Hmm…"
In an explosion of energy, Cyber End Dragon appeared again. (4,000/2,800)
The Pharaoh bowed his head…
It's over… he thought.
"Yes!" shouted Rasputin's voice. "Murder that accursed Toy Dragon!"
"Now I activate this," he said, as his other facedown card lifted. "The Spell Card, Cyber Seller.
"Now, I can sacrifice one Machine on my side of the field with the word 'Cyber' in its name. So I'm trading in this big scrap heap."
Cyber Dragon End Dragon vanished into grains of light.
"Next, I take its Level – that's ten. Then I can either gain 300 Life Points for each Level, or draw one card for every four.
"I choose the Life Points."
He glowed with energy.
(P: 7,000) -------------------- (E: 3,650)
"ERIK, you big idiot!" screamed Rasputin's voice. "Why the Hell did you do something so stupid? Are you trying to…"
Erik didn't hear the rest. He took the device out of his ear.
"I'm sorry," he said, "the number you have reached is no longer in service. Please make sure you have dialed correctly.
"On second thought, get bent."
He dropped the device on the floor and then crushed it with his foot.
"I'm far from done, Yumi," he said. "I play another Spell Card…
"It's called Cemetery Change. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and first, every Monster on the field is destroyed."
The Pharaoh covered his head as a great flame burst over the entire arena, and Toy Dragon and Toy Magician were blown into shards.
"Then," continued Erik, "we swap the cards in our Graveyards. So come here!"
"Huh?" said the Pharaoh.
"You heard me!" he replied, walking forward.
That card… thought Sam. It was in my deck too… It was the last card I drew before Ha Des told me to attack…
Why did Rasputin give us these Spell Cards?
The change was made, and Erik walked back to his position.
"Continuing…" he said. "I play Infernal Transaction!"
He played another Spell Card.
"Now I get a Spell Card from my Graveyard…"
Pot of Greed slipped out of his discard slot.
"…and in return, you get to summon a Monster from yours. But it has to have at least 2,000 Attack Points."
The Pharaoh stared at him.
"Hold on…" he said. "I have to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard, and it has to have at least 2,000 Attack Points?"
"Yes!" shouted Erik. "So do it already!"
"Fine…" said the Pharaoh, "but just remember, you brought this on yourself…"
In a burst of energy, Cyber End Dragon appeared on his side of the field, and roared. (4,000/2,800)
"Heh…"said Erik. "Good… I was kinda hoping you'd choose that one…
"I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn…"
Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.
(P: 7,000) -------------------- (E: 2,650)
What is he up to? thought the Pharaoh, drawing a card.
"Cyber End Dragon… Attack Erik directly with super strident blaze!"
Cyber End's three heads breathed triple blasts of flame at Erik…
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Erik. "Magic Cylinder!"
The Pharaoh shielded himself and staggered backwards as the flames were shot right back at him.
He fell on one knee, and gasped for breath.
(P: 3,000) -------------------- (E: 2,650)
"While you're picking yourself up…" said Erik.
His other facedown card lifted up.
"I activate… Exchange of the Spirits. Since I have at least fifteen cards in my Graveyard, I can pay 1,000 Life Points, and we both switch the cards in our decks with those in our Graveyards."
The Pharaoh chuckled as he got up.
"I get it, Erik," he said, making the change. "You want to finish this duel with your own cards, right?
"Well, it's your move… Go right ahead…"
(P: 3,000) -------------------- (E: 1,650)
Erik drew a card. The first candle in front of him went out.
"I play… Pot of Greed!" he shouted.
He played the card, and drew twice more.
He threw three of his cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.
"That's all…"
"Draw…" said the Pharaoh.
He looked at the card.
"Cyber End Dragon, attack…"
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Erik. "Toy Cannon!"
The cannon appeared in front of him, and the team of Toy Soldiers loaded it…
It fired, and Cyber End Dragon fell into Defense Mode. The Pharaoh cringed.
"Next, Gulliver Chain!"
His second facedown card lifted, and the chains burst out of the floor, binding Cyber End Dragon.
"Finally… Zero Gravity!"
His last facedown card lifted. Cyber End Dragon roared loudly as it tried to move into Attack Mode. It pulled against the chains, until finally, it exploded into scrap, and the chains fell to the ground with a clatter.
(P: 2,600) -------------------- (E: 1,650)
The Pharaoh looked at Erik for a few seconds.
He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.
"Your move…" he said.
Erik sighed, and drew a card.
He looked at it.
"Look," he said. "I'm not sure who you are exactly… But whoever you are, thanks for what you did…
"I know that the wager I made with Yumi still stands, so I can't win this duel… But destroying that thing… Well, it was just something I had to do.
"So here…"
He played the card, and a Toy Soldier appeared. (800/300)
"Finish it…"
"I will…" said the Pharaoh, drawing a card.
"I sacrifice my facedown Monster to summon Cyber Dragon."
The facedown Monster disintegrated, and Cyber Dragon appeared for the last time. (2,100/1,600)
"Now… I play Limiter Removal…"
He played the card, and Cyber Dragon rose to an Attack of 4,200.
"Cyber Dragon… Attack the Toy Soldier…"
The Machine fired one final strident blast, and Toy Soldier was atomized.
(P: 2,600) -------------------- (E: 0)
The Pharaoh paused. The Talisman of the Mind appeared around his – their neck.
And then he collapsed.
Yumi's spirit had been asleep since the duel had started. Now her body was as well.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In his hiding place, Rasputin crossed his arms.
"I did NOT approve of putting Cemetery Change, Infernal Transaction, or Exchange of the Spirits in his deck," he said. "Where did they come from?"
"Clearly," said a voice from the shadows, "the traitor in your organization is more powerful than you thought at first.
"But don't despair yet…
"Your plan may have failed, but Yumi is now in no condition to face you… If you strike now, you may be able to regain the advantage.
"You know the other ways that thrall powder can be delivered… It works if placed on a helpless victim…
"Yumi is now clearly helpless, yes? Now's your chance…"
Rasputin sighed.
"So now I become a vulture…" he sneered. "A looming scavenger who circles above his weakened prey until she drops from exhaustion. This is going to far…"
He crossed his arms in a sulk.
"Fine… I'll try, but I'll have to clear out her allies first…"
"Easily done," said the voice. "The Rod's shadow magic is still working. Your protégés can defeat them.
"And if they can't…
"Maybe I'll do it myself…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Everyone in the room had seen sleep before, but not like this.
Yumi was lying prone, and hovering a foot off the ground, glowing with a golden light.
"What's happening to her?" asked Ren.
Anastasia appeared next to Yumi in a soft aura of light.
"It's a collective power of the seven Charms she has," she replied. "She's healing herself.
"I'm afraid we can't move her, which puts us at a quandary. Rasputin might come for the final assault at any time."
"Don't worry…" said Chelsea.
Simultaneously, four Disks activated. Enrique stood up and activated his as well.
"Anyone who wants to get to Yumi is going to have to get through us…
"We owe her that much…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
In the lobby of the hotel, Kenta seemed to have the advantage. He had Exodia Necross on his side of the field. (2,800/0) and 3,500 Life Points remaining, while his opponent had a facedown Monster, the Continuous Trap Card Backfire, and 1,600 Life Points remaining.
"I draw one card," said Kenta, making a draw. "And before Necross makes its move, it gains another 500 Attack Points…"
Necross grew to an Attack Score of 3,300.
"Now attack his facedown Monster!"
Necross lunged with its mighty fist. Battle Footballer appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
"Forget about my Backfire?" asked the possessed Ascender. "Since you just destroyed a Fire Monster, you lose another 500 Life Points."
Kenta groaned as a fiery aura surrounded him, and his Life Points fell to 3,000.
"We'll see who laughs last," said Kenta. "It's your move."
A facedown card appeared.
The Ascender drew a card.
He chuckled wickedly.
"I just drew my best Monster!" he laughed. "And it's gonna take out your overrated behemoth.
"But in order to summon it, I have to remove one Fire and two Water Monsters from play. So I'll get rid of my Battle Footballer and my two Sea Serpent Warriors of Darkness."
Three cards fell out of his discard slot.
"Now you'll see the method to my deck's madness… I summon… Frost and Flame Dragon!"
A blast of ice and a plume of fire shot up on his side of the field, forming into a huge two-headed serpent, one head made of ice, the other burning with flames. (2,300/2,000)
"Now, I just have to toss one card, to activate its effect…"
He threw a card into his discard slot, and Frost and Flame Dragon shot blasts of intense cold and fire at the huge Spellcaster.
"You know what happens when something gets very hot, and then gets very cold an instant later?" asked the Ascender.
Exodia Necross shattered into shards of rock.
"Now you know…" chuckled the Ascender. "And I still have his normal attack to use on you… Frost and Flame, attack the mortal directly!"
The Dragon breathed its twin blasts again, and Kenta screamed.
He bent over clutching his chest, as his Life Points fell to 700.
I've taken several direct attacks in this game… he thought. I've been burned… I've been frozen… But NEVER both at once…
"I'll play a facedown, and end my turn," said the Ascender.
A facedown card appeared, next to Backfire.
Kenta drew a card.
"Well, what do you know?" he said.
"I play, Recurring Nightmare!" he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I can recover two Dark Monsters from my Graveyard, so long as their Defense Scores are no higher than zero."
Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.
"Now, I'll play another Contract With Exodia to summon one of them. Exodia Necross… Welcome back!"
The room grew dark, and a pentagram formed on the floor. Exodia Necross rose up again. (1,800/0)
"Ha!" laughed the Ascender. "It's too weak to beat my Dragon, and on my turn, I'll destroy it again!"
"He's not going to attack your Dragon," said Kenta. "My other Monster will be the one doing that. I summon Mist Archfiend!"
He played another card, and a smoky mist erupted on his side of the field. A Fiend with a black and red exoskeleton, horns, black wings, and a mass of smoke in place of legs appeared out of the mist. (2,400/0)
"Mist Archfiend… Attack Frost and Flame Dragon with death fog!"
Mist Archfiend pointed its arm forward, and a stream of mist shot towards the two-headed Dragon. It screamed as the deadly mist literally melted the flesh off its bones. The remains shattered.
"Necross… Attack him directly!"
Necross lunged towards the Ascender.
"Surprise," said the Ascender. "Facedown card, activate…"
His facedown card lifted.
"Emergency Provisions. I'll send Backfire to the Graveyard, and gain 1,000 Life Points before your attack hits…"
The Trap Card disintegrated, just before Necross walloped him.
The Ascender got up, chuckling, as his Life Points fell to 700.
"Nice try, mortal…" he said with a sinister grin. "But you failed to finish me… And since you Normal Summoned Mist Archfiend without a sacrifice, you must pay the price… When you end your turn, it will self-destruct, and you lose 1,000 Life Points… Which is more than you have left…"
Kenta glared at him.
He placed a card in his Disk, and it appeared on the field.
"Not if I beat you this turn," he said, as it appeared. "I play Ectoplasmer. Now I can sacrifice a Monster, and blast you for damage equal to half of that Monster's Attack Points."
Mist Archfiend slumped over, and a hideous-looking ghost made of mist flew out of its body. It flew at the Ascender with a roar, and swiped at him with a misty claw. The Ascender groaned as his Life Points fell to zero.
"Clever…" groaned the Ascender. "I didn't expect that… I guess that means you win…
"But you won't win the war… There are more of us… This island will be ours once…"
Then he collapsed.
Kenta watched, as a smoky, fiendish creature flew out of his body. It glared at him with angry eyes, and then vanished.
The chains holding the captives crumbled into sand, and they started to wake up.
Gotta find a phone… thought Kenta.
Yumi and her spirit guide have spent the last of their energy. While the seven Shadow Charms that they now hold work to restore it, Rasputin and his strange ally plan to strike when she can't possibly defend herself. Fortunately, Yumi's rescue mission was a success, and her four friends, with the addition a young Latino, vow to guard her at all costs. The only question is… Who will try to get by them first?
0
0
0
CYBERNETIC FUSION SUPPORT (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A high-tech machine generating energy towards a central point.
Card Description: If the cards listed as Fusion Material Monsters for a Machine-Type Fusion Monster are in your Graveyard, you may remove those Fusion Material Monsters from play and pay half your Life Points to substitute this card for the Fusion Material Monsters.
Note: "Cybernetic Fusion Support" was first used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
DROWSING POINT (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A flowing, moss-covered waterfall.
Card Description: This card can only be activated if it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Select one Monster Card from your deck and add it to your hand.
Note: "Drowsing Point" was first used by T-Bone in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "J-Dawg and T-Bone". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
CEMETERY CHANGE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Two hands pushing handfuls of cards towards each other.
Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Then, switch all the cards in your Graveyard with those in your opponent's Graveyard.
0
0
0
INFERNAL TRANSACTION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A huge, demonic hand reaching out of a lava pit towards a chest full of gold and jewels.
Card Description: Your opponent Special Summons a Monster from his/her Graveyard with a base ATK of 2,000 or more. Take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.
Note: "Cemetery Change" and "Infernal Transaction" were first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded By The Light (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
CYBER SELLER (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A man outside a used car lot, which includes a Cyber Dragon among the cars.
Card Description: Offer as a Tribute one Machine-Type Monster on your side of the field with the word "Cyber" in its name. Then choose one the following effects:
- Gain Life Points equal to the Level of the Tributed Monsters x 300.
- For every multiple of four in the Level of the Tributed Monster, draw one card.
0
0
0
Ren: Come and get us, Rasputin! We're more than ready for you! Is everybody in?
Chelsea: Willing and able. How about you, Sam?
Sam?
Sam: I have to duel… And the duel that follows is what will decide my future… Will the Kaiba legacy continue, or will it end in shame because of what I did?
I'll duel using this deck, and I'll hope…
Ha Des: Duel with your heart behind it, Samantha… Prove that you are truly worthy of regaining your title, and I will grant you victory…
Coming up next, "Duel of Destiny; Sam versus the Goblin King".
I may be the ruler of Fiends, but I am not without mercy… Still, I won't give it to one who doesn't deserve it…