Merry day-after-Christmas! Hope you all had a good holiday...
At least, I hope it was better than the day my protagonists are having...
On with the story.
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Duel of Destiny
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sam versus the Goblin King
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
By now, the population of Duelatopia had caught on. The honest guests were fleeing to brightly lit and well-occupied areas where Centurions were guarding them diligently.
Only a few hardy souls dared the dark areas.
One of these hardy souls was Angel. He wasn't ready to retreat to safety yet. He recognized the strange air about the island, and he had a feeling that an old friend – well, someone who claimed to be his friend – would approach him before long.
He leaned against the corner of a building in the Shopping District, taking a drag on a cigarette…
Then he burst into a fit of coughing and gagging.
Angrily, he threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. Then he took the whole pack of cancer sticks out of his pocket. He hardly cared about the six dollars he had spent on them three hours ago. He crushed the pack in his fist, and then threw it on the ground.
"I quit!" he shouted. "And this time, I mean it…"
He heard laughter behind him.
"You quit, huh?" said an evil voice. "You realize, Angel, that you're gonna gain weight, and be a miserable, angry wreck until the withdrawal ends, if you even succeed…"
Angel snarled.
"That's what you told me the last time I wanted to quit, Arbal," he growled. "So I didn't quit. And it makes no difference… Thanks to you, I have no friends to get angry at…"
He turned around, and saw another one of the possessed Ascenders.
"That's a bad thing to say, Angel," he replied. "I've been your friend for so long… But what happened? Ever since you lost that duel with Chelsea, you've pushed us away… We could have helped you win your duels… But you pushed us away, and you kept losing."
"Well, you see, Arbal…" muttered Angel, "that was the thing…
"I used to think I was special… I could see spirits…
"But I noticed something after that duel with Chelsea… Chelsea could see spirits too… And after I saw them all hanging around her, cheering for her and giving her support, I did some thinking, and I finally realized something…
"Her spirits were benign creatures, ones with whom she shared a mutual friendship…
"But mine… They were creatures of darkness who were leading me down a path of ruin. You've helped me win a few duels, but you've soured my attitude towards life in general. All the advice you've given me has been bad advice.
"You were only helping me because you wanted something in return. Well, tough. I'm going to be going on my own from now on. You and the other things that have been hanging around me can get lost."
He turned to walk away.
"I'm afraid it's not that easy, Angel," said Arbal, in a much more sinister voice.
Angel froze in fear as a dark aura surrounded him.
"If you don't want to accept my master's help anymore, fine," said the fiend, "but I intend to collect from what I've already given you."
Angel stared at him.
He looked at the Duel Disk on the possessed human's arm.
He activated his own.
"Oh, please!" laughed Arbal, "you don't think you can beat me, can you? With no help from us, that Slash Draw strategy doesn't stand a chance!"
Angel placed his deck in his Disk.
"Oh, very well…" laughed the fiend. "I might as well humor you…"
His own Disk activated.
"And if I beat you, we're through, you hear me?" said Angel. "Kaput!"
"Whatever," said the demon.
The Life Point counters set.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi's friends could take comfort in one thing…
Yumi looked very peaceful in the sleep she was in.
"Come on, Anne," said Ren, "when is she gonna wake up?"
"I'm not sure," said Anastasia, who was kneeling beside Yumi's body. "Both she and her spiritual guide went through a lot, and…"
She paused.
"Look sharp, children," she said. "Evil draws near…"
Sam, Ren, Chelsea, Erik, and Enrique surrounded Yumi in a tight circle. As they did, a door appeared in front of them, with nothing supporting its frame and hinges.
It opened, and a hulking figure stepped out.
They couldn't believe it. It was Louis.
He was still dressed in his expensive, custom-tailored, Italian suit, but there was one major change to his ensemble: He was wearing a Duel Disk on his left arm.
"Well, well," muttered Ren. "The big boss's lapdog has decided to come face us…"
"For the last time," snarled Louis, "I ain't no lapdog! I could leave Rasputin any time I wanted to."
He frowned. He was lying when he said that, but he wanted to keep some semblance of pride.
"So what's with the Disk?" asked Chelsea. "Wouldn't it be more your style just to beat us up in order to get to Yumi?"
"You may think I'm an idiot," said Louis. "So many people have made the mistake that my brain is as weak as my body is strong.
"There are five of you and only one of me. I know from experience that odds like that are bad, even for me. I may be strong, but I know I can't force my way past all of you.
"Especially when Rasputin told me that one of you has a carry permit."
Everyone looked at Enrique. He slowly nodded.
Louis sighed.
"You guys are all the same…" he muttered. "You think I spent my childhood dreaming about being a thug? Well, I didn't! But since I was so strong and my grades weren't so hot, being a thug was what I did in school for most of my time. If some brainiac was being teased and he had money, he paid me to protect him…
"But I was too crude to ever be a real bodyguard like the kind that celebrities got. My guidance counselor told me that the only honest career I might have gotten was to be a soldier…
"And you know what? I tried to do that! I tried to enlist in His Majesty's Army…
"But I was turned down… You know why? Because of an inner ear infection… You wouldn't believe how picky they are…
"When you're a muscle-bound thug with no future, and someone offers you a job as good as the one Rasputin offered me, you take it. You know that you're never going to get a better chance."
He placed a deck of cards into his Disk.
"So who's it gonna be? I'll duel any of you…"
Before Ren or Chelsea could step forward, Sam felt a strange feeling she looked at her deck.
"Stand back, people…" she said.
She stood up to the huge duelist.
"I'll duel you…" she said.
Louis chuckled, looking at her skimpy attire.
"Fine with me…" he said. "Actually, I was kinda hoping it would be you…"
This is it, thought Sam, looking at the deck. If I win this duel, I'll be restored. If I lose, I'll have no choice but to retire in shame…
She closed her eyes, and a single tear fell down her cheek.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
(Sam: 8,000) -------------------- (Louis: 8,000)
"You think Sam can beat this guy?" asked Chelsea.
"Please…" muttered Ren. "I'll wager my little sister can beat this guy…"
"Hey, I may not duel for a living like you kids," said Louis, making his first draw, "but that don't mean I'm not any good."
"That was a double negative," said Sam. "Just move already…"
Louis looked at the card he had just drawn. It wasn't exactly the right time for it, so he added it to his hand and chose another one.
"I'll have a Monster defend me to start…" he said.
A defensive Monster appeared in front of him.
"Then I'll put two cards flat on the field."
Two facedown cards appeared behind the Monster.
"And that's all for me."
Sam drew a card.
She looked at her hand. She breathed a small sigh of relief. She had four Monsters she could summon right away, and even Bark of Dark Ruler.
The Trap Card was what made her feel even better. Ha Des had given her one of his most potent weapons in her opening hand.
Of course, until his card showed up, she wouldn't truly feel sure of herself.
She took the Trap Card and placed it in her Disk. It appeared facedown.
"Now I summon… Archfiend Soldier!" she shouted.
In a plume of dark smoke, the demonic soldier appeared, hefting his blade. (1,900/1,500)
Archfiend Soldier looked at her, with an expression that was hard to interpret.
"What?" whispered Sam. "If there's something I should know, tell me!"
Archfiend Soldier shook his head.
"Aw… Attack his Monster!" she shouted.
Archfiend Soldier lifted his sword…
"I activate a Trap!" shouted Louis.
A facedown card lifted, it showed a picture of Freed the Matchless General sitting at a table in front of a map.
"It's called A Feint Plan," he said. "Now, you can't attack any of my facedown Monsters."
"Meaning I can't attack at all," muttered Sam. "Swell…"
"It's okay, baby!" shouted Erik. "He can't stall forever!"
"My move…" said Louis. "I draw…"
He drew a card.
"If you're so anxious to see what my Monster is, I'll show it to you…" he said.
The facedown card turned, and then flipped up.
"I reveal… Goblin Calligrapher!"
A small creature leapt out of the card. It was a nasty-looking imp with a horn on its forehead, with a pen tucked behind its ear. (400/400)
"Wow, he said 'calligrapher'," muttered Ren. "That's a pretty big word for someone who probably has to label his socks 'left' and 'right'."
"Okay, that does it!" shouted Louis. "Once I take care of this chick, you're next!
"And as for big words, you want to hear more of them?"
His other facedown card lifted.
"I activate The League of Uniform Nomenclature!"
The Trap Card had a disturbing picture of three grinning Ojama Yellows.
"What does that do?" asked Ren.
Anastasia appeared behind him, looking worried.
"Since that Goblin is only Level One, and is a Normal Monster," she explained, "he now gets to Special Summon two more from his deck. Clearly, he's forming an odd strategy…"
Two more Calligraphers appeared next to the first. (400/400 x2)
Louis took another card from his hand.
"Now…" he said, "I summon Man-Thro' Tro."
He played the card, and a new Monster lumbered onto the field. It was a hulking, fat troll, with flabby, folding flesh, and no hair. (1,000/1,000)
"Oh, no…" muttered Ren.
This he had seen before…
Louis pointed at Sam.
"Get her," he said.
The troll grabbed the three Calligraphers, and hurled them, one at time, striking Sam in the head, then chest, and then mid-section. She groaned and then toppled over.
"Ooh…" she muttered, lying on the floor.
The ogre chuckled.
"That was nothing," said Louis. "My deck has much more waiting in it… I'm just getting warmed up…"
(S: 5,600) -------------------- (L: 8,000)
Sam slowly got up.
"I really hope you enjoyed that…" she muttered. "It's my move now…"
She drew a card.
"Opticlops, come on out…" she said.
In an aura of dark energy, the cyclopsed Fiend appeared, growling with anger. (1,800/1,700)
"Destroy his Man-Thro' Tro!" shouted Sam.
Steam blew from Opticlops's nostrils, and it charged at the troll. A look of shock appeared on the Beast-Warrior's face before the Fiend rammed into it, blowing it to gibbets.
"Archfiend Soldier, attack that ape directly!"
Archfiend Soldier lunged at Louis, and slashed at him with his sword.
Louis grinned.
"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Didn't feel a thing, Sam… When you do what I do for living, it takes a lot more than that to make you react."
(S: 5,600) -------------------- (L: 5,300)
"Just move, okay?" asked Sam.
He's gonna need more preparation than he can do in one turn to set up another assault with another Man-Thro' Tro, she thought. And if he tries to attack, I've still got Bark of Dark Ruler…
Louis drew a card.
"I summon Goblin Attack Force," he said.
He played a card, and in a burst of energy, a gang of five goblins, wearing armor and carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)
"I'm beginning to get the idea," said Enrique. "His whole deck is full of Goblins."
"Oh, don't worry about those guys," said Chelsea. "If they attack, they'll have to move to Defense Mode, and Sam will take them out without breaking a sweat."
Louis placed a card in his Disk and a facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn," he said.
He didn't attack? thought Sam. Hmm… Smarter than I thought…
She drew a card.
"I move Archfiend Soldier and Opticlops to Defense Mode…" she said.
The two Fiends knelt and shielded themselves…
"Forget it," said Louis, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Final Attack Orders."
Opticlops and Archfiend Soldier stood back up into Attack Mode.
"This guy is better than I gave him credit for!" shouted Ren. "Not only can't Sam's two Monsters defend, but now he did away with Goblin Attack Force's weakness!"
Sam growled, and placed two cards on her Disk. A facedown Monster and a second facedown card appeared.
"Your move…" she muttered.
Louis drew a card and looked at it.
He added the card to his hand and then chose another one.
"Now I summon… Giant Orc."
He played the card, and in a burst of energy, the huge, lumbering ogre holding a bone club towered over the field. (2,200/0)
"That Monster suits you, Louis," said Sam with a scowl.
"You ain't the first one to say that," he replied. "Not by a long shot…
"Goblin Attack Force… Run down Archfiend Soldier with goblin rush!"
The lead goblin shouted a war cry, and the small regiment charged at Archfiend Soldier…
"Go, Bark of Dark Ruler!" shouted Sam.
Her facedown card lifted. Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared in an explosion of black smoke, and his eyes burned with evil light.
"I'm giving up 2,300 Life Points to use this card," she said. "Giving your Attack Force no more force than an infant."
Goblin Attack Force's Attack Score fell to nothing. Archfiend Soldier swung his sword, and the goblins toppled over like tenpins before shattering to bits.
Sam looked at the Dark Ruler beside her. He looked back with an odd expression.
That… thought Sam. Is that… Is that a smile? Has he decided yet?
Ha Des slowly vanished.
Impossible to tell… thought Sam. He might be helping me… Or he might be toying with me so my loss will be even worse…
"I'm not done!" shouted Louis. "Giant Orc, you attack! Bone basher!"
Giant Orc lumbered towards the Archfiend…
"Forget about my other facedown card?" asked Sam. "Activate… Shrink!"
The Quickplay Spell lifted, and Giant Orc shrank to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,100. Archfiend Soldier swung its sword, and the ogre was blown to bits.
"Grrr…" growled Louis. "I activate Monster Reborn."
He played a card, and the ankh appeared. Giant Orc rose onto the field again. (2,200/0)
"And that's all…" he said with a chuckle.
(S: 3,300) -------------------- (L: 2,600)
Sam nervously drew a card.
She sighed. She placed a card on her Disk, and a second facedown Monster appeared.
She nodded.
Louis drew another card.
"I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force," he said.
He played the card, and three more goblins appeared. These ones were carrying long swords, and their armor was far better made than their Warrior counterparts. (2,200/1,500)
"You folks still think I'm a moron?" yelled Louis.
"Uhm, I don't recall ever using the word 'moron'," muttered Ren.
"Giant Orc, smash her facedown Monster on the left!" he shouted.
Giant Orc swung with his club, and Morphing Jar was smashed into pebbles.
"You know what that means, I trust," said Sam.
Louis frowned. They both discarded the remains of their hands, and drew five cards apiece.
"Elite Attack Force," he shouted, "destroy her other facedown Monster!"
One of the Goblins swung with his sword, and Skull Knight #2 was blown to pieces.
"What the heck?" said Chelsea. "Why didn't he attack Opticlops or Archfiend Soldier? He didn't do any damage to Sam this round at all…"
Anastasia looked worried.
"Given what we've seen of his deck," she said, "I think I know why…"
"I play a facedown, and end my turn," said Louis, as a facedown card appeared on his side of the field. "Your move, toots."
"Louis," said Erik, "you'd better hope that your muscles came with some decent fighting skills. Because the last guy who called her 'toots' in front of me was wearing sunglasses for a week to hide two black eyes."
"I'd like to see you try it!" dared Louis.
"People!" shouted Sam. "Need I remind you we're in the middle of a duel?"
She drew a card.
Heh, heh, she thought, looking at it. This guy thinks his Monsters are so tough… But he's in for a surprise…
Because I've got a Giant Orc of my own…
"I summon someone new to the field!" she shouted. "Meet MY Giant Orc!"
In a burst of energy, another of the huge ogres appeared. (2,200/0)
Sam's Orc and Louis's Orc looked at each other. They exchanged dirty looks.
"Heh…" chuckled Enrique. "Those two don't seem to like each other too much, eh?"
"Well, well…" said Louis. "So we both have the same Monster… We'll soon see which one chose to be on the winning side… Any other moves you wanna make?"
"Yes…" said Sam. "I play Mystik Wok…"
She played a Spell Card.
"Now I can sacrifice Archfiend Soldier, and gain Life Points equal to his Attack Score."
Archfiend Soldier vanished into grains of light.
"And I end my turn now."
(S: 5,200) -------------------- (L: 2,600)
"Then I draw…" said Louis.
He looked at the card, and then added it to his hand.
"I summon my best Monster!" he shouted. "Arise, Goblin King!"
An explosion of energy appeared on the field…
The creature that appeared didn't look too formidable. It was a little goblin, about three feet high, wearing royal robes that were two sizes too big for it, and a small crown on its bald head. (0/0)
"Que?" said Enrique. "His best Monster has zero Attack Points?"
"Not for long…" said Ren, sweating. "That little guy may look puny, but it gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points for every Fiend-Type Monster on the field, including the ones on Sam's side of the field."
"That's why he spared her two Fiends in Attack Mode…" muttered Chelsea.
Goblin King roared, and then grew, until it was even bigger than Giant Orc. (4,000/4,000)
"And that ain't all," said Louis. "You aren't allowed to attack my King until you get rid of the other Fiends on my side of the field.
"Of course, there is a little problem… If I attack your Monsters, my King would get weaker…
"Unless I Equip him with this… The Spell Card, Opti-Camouflage Armor."
He played a card, and Goblin King's robes became silver and reflective.
"What does that do?" asked Ren.
"It can only be Equipped to Level One Monsters," said Anastasia. "It lets them attack directly…"
"SAM!" screamed Erik.
"Goblin King…" ordered Louis, "flatten her!"
Goblin King hissed, and lunged at Sam.
"Go, Kuriboh!" shouted Sam, throwing a card into her discard slot.
A wall of the little, furry Fiends appeared, and exploded as Goblin King leapt into them. The monarch roared and was thrown backwards.
Louis snapped his fingers.
"Darn…" he muttered. "Well, I can always play this…"
He played a Spell Card.
"It's called Goblin Thief. This takes 500 Life Points away from you."
Sam groaned as a black aura surrounded her.
"And whaddaya know?" continued Louis, as a golden aura surrounded him. "They go right to me.
"I'm done with my turn. It's your move."
(S: 4,700) -------------------- (L: 3,100)
Sam's hand trembled as she drew a card.
She looked at it.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, stuttering, "and then place this facedown."
A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.
She sighed.
"It's your move…" she said.
"Oh, I hope that facedown card can block an attack…" said Erik nervously.
Sam shook nervously. She knew that it couldn't. But it might still help a little…
"All right!" shouted Louis. "I draw…"
He drew a card.
"Then I attack! Goblin King, attack directly!"
Goblin King flew at Sam again.
Sam truly screamed and fell on her back as the blow landed. She truly felt like the mighty fist smashed her flat from the impact.
Through great effort, she managed to sit up…
"Giant Orc, attack her Opticlops!" shouted Louis.
Giant Orc smashed Opticlops over the head with his club. The smaller ogre shattered into pixels.
Sam shouted out, her ribs aching as she did.
"Activate Option Hunter!" she moaned, as her facedown card lifted. "Now, for every Attack Point Opticlops had, I gain one Life Point."
Goblin King fell to an Attack of 3,000.
"Big deal," said Louis. "Elite Attack Force, destroy her facedown Monster."
The Goblins rushed with their swords, and Gil Garth appeared before it was slashed to ribbons.
(S: 2,200) -------------------- (L: 3,100)
"Now I'll activate the card that will seal your fate…" he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Minor Goblin Official.
"And with that… I end my turn…"
"People, this just got even worse…" said Ren. "Minor Goblin Official is a very nasty Trap Card. It will inflict 500 points of damage to Sam every time she starts her turn."
"As if a Monster with 3,000 Attack Points who can attack directly wasn't bad enough," said Chelsea. "I'm afraid Sam won't be winning this…"
"People, don't give up hope!" shouted Erik. "The magic is still in place! The Shadows are still hanging in the air.
"What will happen if Sam loses? She might become Rasputin's slave again. I don't want her to go back to working for whoever forced her to wear that outfit…"
Sam, meanwhile, was in tears. She tried to stand, but her legs were numb. It looked like she would have to finish this duel sitting down.
She cried even more. She couldn't even finish her last duel with dignity…
One more direct attack from Goblin King would finish her…
She looked at the top of her deck.
If he was going to see it in his heart to forgive, he would have to decide NOW.
She drew a card.
She closed her eyes and winced as a burning sensation stung her skin from the Minor Goblin Official.
She looked at the card.
She couldn't believe it. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.
But had he come to save her… Or to finish her off?
She looked at the other two cards in her hand, one of which was Pot of Avarice.
She took the Spell Card.
It all comes down to this… she thought.
She played the card, and the goofy pink jug appeared in front of her.
Archfiend Soldier, Opticlops, Skull Knight #2, Kuriboh, and Gil Garth all slipped out of her discard slot. She slowly shuffled, and then drew two cards.
Her eyes lit up as she saw what they were.
"Hey everybody…" she said. "Question… What's the best way to deal with an overgrown windbag?"
Louis glared at her.
"Uh… Blow it away?" asked Ren.
"Exactly," answered Sam. "I play Heavy Storm."
"Aw, crap…" muttered Louis, as she played the card.
A fierce wind blew through the gear housing, and Louis's Final Attack Orders, Minor Goblin Official, and Opti-Camouflage Armor were blown to bits.
"Now…" said Sam, "I sacrifice my Orc, to summon Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
Giant Orc vanished into a dark shadow…
A black bonfire appeared on the field, and the Dark Ruler stepped out, with a stern look on his face. (2,450/1,600)
He paused and looked at Sam.
Then he offered her his hand.
Sam hesitated. Then she took it. The Fiend Lord helped her to her feet.
Then he turned to face Louis.
"Attack Goblin Elite Attack Force!" shouted Sam. "Stygian blast!"
The Dark Ruler growled, and blasted his bolt of black flame. The three Goblins screamed and were consumed in dark fire.
Their scorched armor and swords fell to the ground with a clatter before disappearing.
"I place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Sam.
A facedown card appeared, as Goblin King's Attack Score fell to 2,000.
(S: 1,700) -------------------- (L: 2,850)
Louis nervously drew a card.
"I'm not through yet, Sam!" he shouted.
"First, I'll summon another Giant Orc…"
He played the card, and a second of the huge ogres appeared. (2,200/0)
"Next…" he said. "I'll send the Blindly Loyal Goblin in my hand to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon my Half-Goblin, in Defense Mode."
He discarded one card, and then played another. A small creature appeared on his side of the field in Defense Mode. It looked basically like one of the Goblins from Goblin Attack Force, only with no club. (500/500)
"That's four Fiends on the field, Sam," said Louis, as Goblin King grew to an Attack Score of 4,000, "and that's enough to turn your Dark Ruler to paste!
"Attack her Dark Ruler Ha Des!"
Goblin King leapt at the Dark Ruler…
"Not in this lifetime!" screamed Sam. "I activate Shadow Spell!"
Her facedown card lifted up. Goblin King roared as a mass of chains burst out of the ground, seizing it. Its Attack Score fell to 3,300.
"Ergh…" muttered Louis. "I switch my other Giant Orc to Defense Mode, and end my turn!"
The first Giant Orc knelt and held its club on its lap.
"Draw!" shouted Sam.
She drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted.
She played the card, and the evil jar appeared again. She quickly drew two cards.
She looked at them, and then threw the card she already had in her hand onto her Disk.
"I summon The Bistro Butcher!" she shouted.
With a cackling laugh, the fiendish chef appeared, holding his cleaver up high. (1,800/1,000)
Goblin King rose to an Attack of 4,300.
"Next…" said Sam, "I play Monster Reborn! Now who should I bring back?
"I know…"
The holy ankh appeared on the field, and in a flash of light, her own Giant Orc returned. (2,200/0)
Goblin King rose to an Attack of 5,300.
"What is she doing?" screamed Erik. "She's only making his Monster stronger."
"Don't worry…" said Anastasia. "If she does what I think she's going to do, it will soon be too weak to be a threat."
"Butcher…" said Sam, "attack the Giant Orc in Defense Mode."
The Bistro Butcher made a savage cut, and the Orc exploded.
"Giant Orc, attack his other Orc!"
Sam's Giant Orc roared. Louis's Orc roared back. The two ogres charged at each other… Two clubs fell…
What followed was almost funny. Each Orc clobbered the other one over the head. Both of them saw stars and slumped to the ground before they both burst into triangles.
"Ha Des, destroy his Half-Goblin!" shouted Sam.
Ha Des fired a blast of flame, reducing the small Fiend to a scorched smear on the ground.
Goblin King fell to an Attack of 1,300.
Sam looked at her opponent.
"I place one card facedown," she said slowly. "And I'll end my turn…"
A facedown card appeared.
She glared at him.
Louis slowly drew a card.
"Uhm…" he said. "I set this in Defense Mode, and that's all I can do…"
A facedown Monster appeared.
Sam smiled, and drew a card.
"Ha Des, show that Goblin who the real king is!" she shouted. "Attack the Goblin King!"
Ha Des fired his dark flame, and Goblin King was no more.
"Bistro Butcher, take out his facedown Monster."
The Butcher slashed at the facedown card. Blindly Loyal Goblin appeared on the card, and shattered to pieces.
"Now I activate… Call of the Haunted!"
Her facedown card flipped up. In a burst of energy, Giant Orc appeared yet again. (2,200/0)
"Giant Orc, attack that meathead directly!"
"Hey, wait a minute…" said Louis.
Giant Orc lumbered over and clobbered Louis with his club. The henchman groaned before falling over.
(S: 1,700) -------------------- (L: 0)
The henchman fell flat on his back. He was out cold.
Sam breathed a sigh of relief…
She closed her eyes…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
When Sam opened her eyes, she was somewhere else. It looked like some sort of throne room. One that belonged to someone with a very odd taste in décor.
There were skulls decorating the golden furniture, and skins that had belonged to very frightening looking monsters were draped over some tables. Tapestries depicted Fiends of all types.
Sam looked behind her, and was surprised to see that there were two Opticlops guarding the door in.
She turned towards the front of the room. On a dais, sitting on a throne made of gold, silver, and skulls, was the Dark Ruler, looking down at her. He clutched a goblet containing smoking, green liquid.
"So…" muttered Sam, meekly. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"
The Dark Ruler sighed. He set the goblet down.
"Consort…" he said (causing Sam to smile broadly), "the society of Fiends is one built on a foundation of betrayal… Where I come from, it is commonplace for one to advance by backstabbing one above him…
"I myself obtained my position by overthrowing the Dark King of the Abyss, when I was his right-hand man."
"Yeah…" said Sam. "The Spell Card, Demotion…"
"In a way," said Ha Des, "I couldn't help but be a little impressed by what you did…
"So yes… Consider this victory my forgiveness, on one condition…
"Should you and your allies make it through the night, then when the closing ceremonies of Duelatopia come, you will accept the terms of the wager you made with Yumi. And you will accept them with a smile. That will be your final punishment."
"Heh," said Sam with another smile. "No problem… So… See you the next time I duel…"
"But…" said Ha Des, angrily, getting up, "should you ever betray me again…"
His voice was so powerful that Sam trembled.
"I won't… honest," she squeaked.
"See that you don't…" said Ha Des, sitting down. "Now go back and warn your friend Chelsea. Rasputin's next henchman is coming for her, and you've dueled enough for one night…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sam opened her eyes to find that Erik was holding her.
"Thank goodness," he said. "You blacked out… For a minute, we thought you had ended up like Louis…"
"Louis?" said Sam. "Where… where is he?"
She looked over, and saw that Ren, Chelsea, and Enrique were standing over the thug, who was slumped over. His eyes were half-open, but he seemed truly out of it.
Ren snapped his fingers in front of Louis's face a few times.
"He's alive…" said Ren. "But… There's just no-one home…"
"Some new rule has come into effect," said Anastasia, who was looking over them. "The power that the evil Shadows are emitting is now even stronger than before. Losing a duel at this point might mean paying an incredible price."
"Chelsea!" shouted Sam. "I'm… I'm not sure who's coming next, but he's aiming to take you out."
"How do you know?" asked Chelsea.
Sam sighed.
"Someone close told me," she replied.
"Uhm, everyone?" said Enrique. "Cover your ears."
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
They realized what he meant. The great clock was about to strike eleven.
They covered their ears, as the huge bell above them started to toll, the vibrations shaking their insides and nearly knocking them over. The din seemed enough to wake the dead…
But Yumi still slept. It seemed no noise could awaken her.
When the last toll died, everyone looked at Yumi, who had slept silently through the whole duel.
Deep inside Yumi's mind, she and the Pharaoh held each other close. They knew what was happening, and wanted to help, but their energy wasn't restored yet. They also knew that their body was now a sitting duck, and their friends were their only defense.
For now, all they could do was wait, and put their trust in them…
"Enrique," said Chelsea. "Why didn't you mention sooner that you were packing heat?"
"I'm not," replied Enrique.
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
"Rasputin got his facts wrong," said Enrique. "What I have is a hunting permit. I can use a rifle, but that's far from a permit to own, let alone carry a handgun."
He looked at Louis.
"But I figured that if he thought I did, I wasn't going to tell him otherwise."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, Angel was not having an easy time.
The only thing he had on his side of the field was Swords of Revealing Light and a facedown card. It was keeping his opponent's five Monsters at bay: Hitotsu-Me Giant, Enraged Battle Ox, Vorse Raider, Mad Dog of Darkness, and Des Kangaroo. His opponent also had a facedown card.
He only had 2,000 Life Points left, while his opponent had 5,000.
"My move!" shouted Angel.
He drew.
"I play Pot of Greed!" he shouted.
He drew two cards.
His eyes lit up. He had drawn his last Slash Draw and Big Eye! If he could hold out for one more turn, he might stand a chance…
His facedown card lifted.
"I activate The Transmigration Prophesy," he said. "Now I get to take two cards from my Graveyard, and shuffle them back into my deck…"
He took his other two Slash Draw cards from his Graveyard, returned them to his deck, and then reshuffled.
"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that's all…" he said.
A facedown Monster appeared.
"Then I draw…" said Arbal.
He drew a card.
"I play… Shield Crush," he said.
Angel screamed as the Spell Card appeared. A blast of energy shot towards his facedown Monster, and it exploded.
"Now to truly humiliate you," said Arbal. "I sacrifice Des Kangaroo and Hitotsu-Me Giant to summon Sengenjin."
With a roar, a huge, hulking creature appeared on the demon's side of the field. It was a giant ogre with blue skin, a single eye, and a shark-like mouth, wearing a spiked harness and carrying a pack full of weapons. (2,750/2,500)
"Now…" continued Arbal, "I play Call of the Haunted to bring back Des Kangaroo."
His facedown card lifted, and the short, scrappy kangaroo with green fur and boxing gloves appeared again. (1,500/1,700)
"My turn is over, as is the effect of your Swords," he said, as the swords of light vanished. "Make your final move…"
Angel drew a card.
Worthless… he thought, looking at it.
He bowed his head.
Maybe I should just give up…
Then, from out of nowhere, he heard someone say something…
He had heard the words before. They were the words he had heard Yumi say to Rasputin after she had won the duel in the finals:
"Let me tell you… In this crazy world, where things don't always make sense, and nothing is ever for certain, a little faith can work wonders."
He lifted his head. He looked at his foe.
He threw a card into his Disk.
"I play… Slash Draw," he said.
Arbal laughed out loud.
"Look at you!" laughed the demon. "You'd have to be desperate… You're making a blind shot at it… Without any help, it will never work…"
"Quiet…" snarled Angel, as six cards slipped out of his deck. "Since there are six cards on the field, these six cards go to the Graveyard…"
He discarded the cards.
"Now…"
He started to sweat heavily. His hand reached for his Disk.
He drew.
"Heh, heh…" he chuckled, as he looked at the last card. "Guess what, Arbal? Looks like I got the last laugh on you after all!"
He started to glow, as the second Slash Draw appeared.
"That's impossible…" muttered the demon.
The sword appeared on Angel's hip, and he grabbed its hilt.
"Get back to where you came from, you big jerk," he said. "And don't let the door hit you where the dog would have bit you."
He drew the sword, and a blade of energy blasted forward. Arbal and his five Monsters screamed in agony…
Angel slowly sheathed the sword and it vanished. He looked at his fallen foe.
Black smoke poured from the Ascender's orifices, and then fled from his unconscious body.
Angel breathed a sigh of relief.
He reached for his pack of cigarettes.
Then he remembered.
He sighed. This was going to be hard…
He looked towards the lighted areas a few blocks away, and wondered if he could bum a stick of Juicyfruit off of someone there…
Sam is back in good graces with Ha Des, but Yumi is still recovering. How long can her allies defend her before they also succumb to exhaustion? In the heart of the terrible clock, the heroes can do little but wait as Rasputin plans whatever his final plan is. And a realization comes to them slowly… Perhaps Rasputin is the lesser evil in this whole conspiracy…
0
0
0
HALF-GOBLIN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500
Card Description: If you discard one Warrior-Type Monster in your hand to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.
Note: "Half-Goblin" was first used by Briar and Beauregard in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Giant". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
Ren: Chelsea, look sharp. Olga is coming after Yumi next…
Chelsea: Let her try. I'll turn her Valkyries' horsies into glue.
Anastasia: Be warned, Chelsea, I fear that's not what Olga has planned for you…
There are many ironies in this world… Olga works for Rasputin, a man who has rejected religion in all its forms… Why then, does one of his most trusted henchmen use exalted beings with holy power as her weapons of choice?
We may or may not find the answer soon… But this may be Olga's last stand…
Coming up next, "Chelsea versus Olga; Battle in the Celestial Realm".
Chelsea: My Monsters may be undead creatures of the night, but I like to think that the morals of a Monster are defined by the duelist using them. Are your Monsters truly Fairies Olga? Or are they Angels With Dirty Faces?