0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER SIXTY
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Revelations
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Secrets from the Past and Present
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
Olga bowed her head silently as Descartes cuffed her hands behind her.
"This is crazy…" said Yumi. "Olga… Maria was you the whole time?"
Olga smirked.
"Well, think about it, Yumi," she said. "Did you ever see me and Maria together in the same place?"
"How could you have been Maria?" shouted Sam, standing up. "Maria was the one who warned me about your Valkyrie Deck! Are you saying that you wanted me to beat you, so you told me about your deck beforehand?"
"Yeah, we want answers, Olga!" shouted Chelsea. "Just who's side were you on?"
Olga sighed. She turned her head towards Descartes.
"All right," he said, taking hold of her shoulders. "Sit down, and we'll hear it. But I'm going to be watching you closely."
He slowly lowered her to the ground.
"Where to start?" sighed Olga.
"At the beginning," said Yumi.
"My mother died giving birth to me," said Olga.
"Well, maybe not that far back," said Yumi.
"I have to," said Olga. "You see, my father was a lawyer, a very rich and respected man for a big firm in Liverpool. But he didn't have much in the way of family except his wife. When she died giving birth to me, I was all he had left.
"He once showed me a photo of my mom… She had beautiful, sea-green eyes, and long, honey-blonde hair… Just like mine…
"Anyway, he became fiercely protective of me… The greatest treasure he had. He often called me 'Angel' as a pet name… As you know, when I got interested in Duel Monsters for the first time, he pulled some strings to get me one of the rarest Fairies in existence, the Neo-Parshath.
"But he forbade me from ever touching a Disk, saying I would have to wait until I was much older… The thought of me being hurt from a direct attack from an actual holographic duel frightened him to no end.
"Father always told me, that if he had to protect me with his last ounce of strength, he'd do it.
"I first saw Rasputin when I was ten. I knew him as an acquaintance of my father. Eventually, I saw him as a family friend, and grew to trust him. If my father was involved in any illicit activities, I don't know, and I forgive him for all of them.
"But little did I know, Rasputin's relationship with my father wasn't really very friendly. Maybe I heard them arguing on occasion, but this happened with a lot of adults I knew. I never asked him what the arguments were about… It was none of my business.
"You see, my father owned something that Rasputin wanted. I'm still not sure what it was. I assume it was some artifact dealing with alchemy. My father wouldn't sell it for some reason. I guess it had value that he couldn't put a price on. Maybe it even belonged to my mother.
"When I was fourteen years old, Rasputin got tired of dealing with him through legitimate means. He hired a thug of sorts to break into our house and find the item of interest, and make off with it. He told the thug when my father and I would be out, so as to give him plenty of time to get in, grab it, and get away.
"But this criminal got greedy. He saw all the artwork and other expensive items that were in our townhouse. So he started stuffing his bag with everything he could see that was valuable. He was so bold as to take the most valuable heirloom we had, a gem-encrusted tiara that dated back to the time of Louis the XIV that I estimate was worth six figures. A common thug like him could never have successfully fenced it.
"He wasted time until we came home, and caught him in the act.
"The thug wasn't about to let himself be arrested, and he thought that the value of what he had taken was worth committing any crime now. He had come armed. When my father confronted him, the thug pulled a gun, and shot him.
"I didn't have time to do much at that point. The thug at first decided to shoot me too… But then he realized something. He realized that an attractive fourteen-year-old girl was in front of him, helpless and at his mercy.
"I was cornered, and facing rape from a killer… But it seemed that he had made his last mistake…
"You see, his shot had not killed my father right away. And my father never went anywhere without his own gun. As the thug approached me, turning his back to his first victim, my father managed to aim his own gun, and fire a shot that went through the assailant's skull.
"For his greed and his raw lust, he paid the ultimate price.
"Unfortunately, the wound my father had suffered was too much. My father had said that if he had to protect me with his last ounce of strength, he'd do it. Turns out that he had to make good that promise."
She sighed. A tear fell down her cheek.
"The police were summoned, and as you might expect, I was a sobbing wreck. Then Rasputin showed up. He played the part of a caring friend, saying that he could help me through this tragedy by volunteering to become my new guardian. I had no idea that the thug had been working for him, and it was either that or the orphanage. I was fourteen years old… No-one would have ever have adopted me at that age. So I said yes.
"What I didn't know was, Rasputin had many motives for wanting to adopt me. Maybe he was a little compassionate about what had happened. Maybe he felt a little regret, and more than a little responsible, because a life had been lost due to him hiring a scoundrel instead of a thief with more sense. But he saw some opportunities. One, he saw a chance to obtain a protégé. Two, if I was his ward, he'd have legal use of anything that my father bequeathed to me in his will until I reached the age of consent. So Rasputin would be able to use that item that he had wanted after all.
"I might have never known the truth, if not for one thing…
"Rasputin had actually hired two thugs. They were brothers, in fact. The other one served as lookout while the other went through the house. When the brother came to him to demand compensation, stating that his brother was dead because of the job, Rasputin refused. He said that the burglary was botched because of his brother's greed and gross incompetence, a murder had been committed for no reason, and he didn't pay for stupidity.
"The thug threatened to report him to the authorities, but Rasputin reminded him that anyone connected to my father's death would be held accountable, including him, and he couldn't afford as good a lawyer as Rasputin could. Not to mention the fact that there were several outstanding warrants for this man already.
"The thug was forced to leave with nothing. He burned with rage, and grief over the death of his brother. Why he cared for such scum, I'll never know.
"But he had one idea for revenge.
"I remember it quite clearly. He confronted me one day, while I was buying a sandwich from a vendor in Piccadilly Circus. He quickly told me that he was the brother of the man who had killed my father, and that he was working for Rasputin at the time.
'He fled before I could find a policeman. The police later found his body – he had committed suicide, put a gun to his head.
"I did my own investigating… I found out proof that it wasn't a lie… But the proof I found was inadmissible evidence that no legal authority would accept. Going to the police would get me nowhere. And the one person who might have been a witness to the truth was dead.
"Even if Rasputin didn't intend to kill my father, I held him responsible. I wanted him to answer for the crime somehow…
"It was around that time that Rasputin's plans became known to me. I decided to start planning my own agenda… One that would bring him down… One that would avenge my father… In the meantime, I was becoming a duelist of no small skill. And Rasputin didn't object to me using a Disk. Nor did I.
"I'm not proud of some of the things I did… the crimes I committed. But I kept telling myself that I was committing crimes with the intent to stop a greater evil.
"I took a big step forward when Rasputin found this…"
She nodded to the necklace.
"It's an alchemic device called the Plasmage Jewel. It shapes flesh. Rasputin intended to use it to make himself look young and handsome.
"But he made a mistake. Before using it on himself, he decided to test it. He bribed a homeless man to convince him to be a test subject.
"And the Jewel has a strange condition attached to it. If you use it to shape another's flesh, you can never shape your own. And if you use it to shape your own, you can never shape another's.
"Since Rasputin saw it as now worthless, he put it in cold storage. But I took it, and was able to form my identity as Maria. A spy who could infiltrate his organization from right under his nose, and never be caught because of the flawless disguise. He'd never suspect me."
"Whoa…" said Ren.
Olga nodded.
"This was how I allied myself with Cassandra," she said. "I visited her as Maria when I found she worked in Duelatopia. We dueled, and I used my Sanctuary Deck. She defeated me, mostly because her Monsters were Fairies, and benefited from my Field Spell. But she had an interest in helping you, Yumi, so we decided to keep in touch.
"So, all through Duelatopia, I used my close proximity to Rasputin to give you all the help I could. Rasputin knew there was a traitor, but he didn't know how close that traitor was."
She chuckled.
"I was even able to help you, Yumi, when he cast the spell to brainwash your friends. That bastard Unus told me to inspect the decks he designed to give to you all, making sure they were… up to par. I slipped copies of three cards into each of them: Cemetery Change, Infernal Transaction, and Exchange of the Spirits. I hoped that the duelist's ability to get most of his own deck back in the middle of a duel might help break the spell. And with Erik, it worked.
"I tried to help you too, Chelsea, when Unus ordered me to duel you. I used my Sanctuary Deck, hoping that its holy power would protect us both from the evil Shadows, regardless of who won. When it did, I used the Shadows to my advantage, using Goryu to escape from the Clock Tower.
"The final thing I had to do was send you Goryu while the Shadows were still lingering, so you wouldn't drown. I had a feeling that The Glass Menagerie could be used as a giant deathtrap if all other plans failed.
"And now that Rasputin is gone, and the true evil behind him is vanquished…
"My father can rest in peace…"
Yumi remembered something.
When I dueled Cassandra, she thought, she told me that I might find an ally from the most unlikely of places… How right she was…
Then a sudden thought occurred to her.
"Wait!" she said. "If Maria never existed… She never fought in Battle City… That Divine Mallet card…"
Olga grinned.
"It belonged to a real champion of Battle City," she said. "Odion Ishtar."
"That makes no sense," said Yumi. "Odion had no Warriors in his deck."
"Not the deck everyone saw," replied Olga. "The Trap-heavy deck that he used was more than a match for Joey…
"But think about it… The match-ups for the finals were determined at random. What if he had to duel Yugi or Kaiba?"
There was a long pause.
"His Traps would have been worthless against Obelisk or Slifer…" muttered Yumi.
Olga sighed.
"I met him on a trip to Cairo last year… He's an old man now, but still robust and vigorous due to his very healthy diet and exercises. He showed me his Warrior Deck… It's full of strange Monsters, sort of like the Warrior equivalents of Gravekeepers.
"I was shocked when he gave me that card. He asked for nothing in return, even though it was priceless. He said that he felt it might be needed again."
She sighed.
She turned towards Descartes.
"That's all I have to say…"
The Commander lifted her to her feet.
"Olga…" said Yumi.
"Good luck, Yumi," she said. "And please, don't worry about me. I'll be able to cut a deal with the Yard too. Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again…"
As Olga was led away, Yumi let out a big sigh.
She wanted to know more…
But more than anything right now, she wanted to sleep…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yumi slept more soundly than she ever did, until about nine in the morning.
She felt very secure. Sheena and Descartes were taking no chances. Two armed Centurions each were guarding outside the doors to their rooms, with orders not to let anyone in under any conditions. They also had orders to restrain them if they appeared brainwashed and tried to leave.
Finally, Yumi sat up and yawned.
She turned, and saw the eight Shadow Charms on the floor next to her bed.
All eight of them were hers…
The Pharaoh appeared sitting next to her.
"Quite a night, wasn't it?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Yumi…" he said. "I was… meditating while you were asleep… And it seems that the Charms have done their job…
"It's like they opened a floodgate. It's all coming back to me. I know who I am…
"And I know who you are…"
Yumi looked at him strangely.
"The girl in the vision…" she said.
"It was you in a past life," he replied. "A girl whom I rescued… One whom was also targeted by a worshipper of Chaos…
"Lie down, Yumi, it's quite a story…"
Yumi lay down on her back, as he began to speak.
"When I was Pharaoh," he started, "I employed an alchemist of my own. His name was Zoman.
"Now, Zoman wasn't a very nice guy. He was overweight, he drank too much, had a perverted sense of humor… And he squandered his money on luxuries. I often regretted employing him.
"Nothing he ever did broke the law, but I was suspicious… So I had my more loyal servants keep an eye on him.
"One day, he did something that was brought to my attention… His focus shifted on a merchant… A young girl with blonde hair and violet eyes…"
"Me?" said Yumi.
"I'm certain of it," he replied. "She seemed innocent enough. She was nothing more than a basket weaver who sold her wares in the outdoor market.
"But Zoman reported to the authorities that she had seduced his nephew, and had taken money from him. That she was a prostitute and a thief. He ordered her arrested. Accusations from high-class men against lower-class citizens are usually taken seriously.
"I believe that the judge who oversaw this case was bribed. She was sentenced to be auctioned at a slave market.
"I discovered this, seeing as I was already keeping an eye on Zoman, and I smelled a rat. Now, as Pharaoh, I could have easily overturned the judge's ruling… But I worried about the girl's safety. I feared that if I did, she might be the victim of murder, one that would go unpunished.
"It was clear to me what Zoman intended to do.
"The night before the auction, I went to take a look at this girl at the prison where she was kept. I was wearing a hood and a cloak, keeping my face covered, so she didn't recognize me. She assumed I was just somebody checking out the available 'merchandise'. She wouldn't give up her pride, and refused to speak to anyone.
"I knew just by looking at her then, that there was something special about this girl… She wasn't just a basket weaver…
"So I attended the auction personally. When the girl's lot came up, as I expected, Zoman bid a great deal of money. Then, I bid triple, shocking everyone.
"Zoman was visibly upset. I decided to see how far he was willing to go. He bid double that amount. Then, I bid triple that amount.
"There were no bids after that."
"Uh… Exactly how much money are we talking about here?" asked Yumi.
The Pharaoh smirked.
"Suffice to say, a lot," he replied. "I had some money set aside that I was going to use to build a set of obelisks. But unlike most Pharaohs of the time, I cared a great deal more for the lives of my subjects than I did for monuments."
He lifted up the Puzzle and looked at it.
"My father was the same way. He ordered these things created, but he certainly did not approve of the cruel method in which my uncle created them…"
"The Millennium Items?" asked Yumi.
The Pharaoh nodded.
"Ninety-nine human lives had to be sacrificed," muttered the Pharaoh. "A whole village was murdered… The victims' blood, flesh, and bone mixed with the gold that was cast to forge the seven items…"
"Okay, now I don't want to wear this!" shouted Yumi.
"Well," said the Pharaoh. "When my father learned of how they were made, he offered his own soul to the gods of Egypt as penance for the horrific act. It spared me from divine retribution… But not from everyone's. One of the survivors of that massacre was… Well, it was the spirit that possessed Bakura."
Yumi looked at him intently.
"But anyway… Where was I?"
"The slave auction…" said Yumi.
"Yes," said the Pharaoh. "There was a lot of whispering and talk behind my back for a few weeks. Many folks thought I had wanted a new concubine. Apparently that was what the girl herself thought, because she was paralyzed with fear when I spoke to her for the first time. It took a lot of gentle reassurances before she would trust me.
"Zoman looked at me and her with angry looks every time he passed. But he didn't dare raise a hand. The law of the time stated that if a man destroyed another man's property, which included killing a slave, he would have to pay the owner twice the amount the owner had paid for that property. Zoman couldn't come close to affording that much. That, of course, was my whole plan. It was my way of protecting this girl until I figured out his scheme.
"I decided to keep the girl as an unofficial guest until I knew what was going on. In the meantime, I had her taught a few things. She learned to read and learned a few skills that were more useful than basket weaving.
"And in the times when Shadow Games threatened, and I had to defend myself, she watched with wide eyes. She was excited by things that would have sent most commoners fleeing in panic.
"But nothing prepared me for what happened one day…
"I took it upon myself to show her some of the stone tablets used for summoning the Shadow creatures. She touched one, and to the surprise of both of us, the demon inside emerged.
"I started to cast the spell that would seal it back in the tablet. She screamed and yelled at it to get away from her…
"…and I was shocked when it obeyed.
"I realized that there was power inside this girl. Something deeper ran within her. I had to know what.
"Finally, Zoman took a great risk. He attacked the girl outright when he thought I wasn't looking. But I was. A duel of spells between the two of us ensued, and he was no match for me.
"When he collapsed, I gave him a choice. He could either hang for treason, or he could tell me what she was to him.
"He broke down like the coward I knew he was, and started telling the whole story. He was working for one of the Sorcerer Kings – I realize now that it was Unus – who had worshipped a Scion of Chaos. Unus had told him to bring him the girl, so that the prophesy opposing the Grand Rebirth wouldn't occur. He couldn't tell us more.
"We found him dead in his cell the next morning. From what we saw, he had apparently died of fright."
"I doubt Unus and Shogarr thought of him as anything more than an expendable lackey," said Yumi, shaking her head. "Much like they regarded Rasputin."
"Well," continued the Pharaoh, "I had my sages search every book in my libraries for information on the Grand Rebirth, and we found out what it was… It was a plan set forth by this Scion of Chaos that he mentioned. Obviously, it's Shogarr's master plan.
"Legend's state that if something called 'the Great Helm' is constructed and used at the time of a particular aligning of the stars, the Dread Emperor will be able to perform some sort of ritual that will merge the dimensions together, destroying Order and restoring it to the Chaos that was present before the worlds were formed. From it, he can recreate the world… Shogarr's version of a perfect world. A world where Law doesn't exist…"
Yumi shivered.
"But we also discovered the prophesy," said the Pharaoh. "When he finally puts this plan into play, he will be opposed by a young woman of fair skin and golden hair.
"You are the one who will oppose Shogarr, Yumi. He tried in your past life, and he tried again now to imprison your soul so that his plan would be unopposed. But you've escaped him so far.
"Yumi… It's quite possible that you've died and been granted a new life many times over the millennia. Maybe once this battle occurs… Maybe if you manage to defeat him, that won't be needed any more. You'll be able to live out the rest of your life with no worries…
"And once you pass on… You'll pass on with the memories of everyone you've been with you… Including that basket weaver I rescued."
"Wow…" said Yumi. "That's a lot to take in…"
The Pharaoh chuckled.
"You know, Yumi…" he said. "Just before I gave her freedom, I promised her I'd duel her when she was skilled enough…"
Yumi looked at the eight Charms. She walked towards them.
"You don't have to, you know," he said. "You have all eight… You could have the power that the other Sorcerer Kings obtained…
"You could have the power of a goddess…"
Yumi lifted up the Crown of Souls.
"The power of a goddess…" she sighed.
"You know…" she said. "There's an old saying… With great power comes great responsibility… If you have power, you have to be responsible.
"But what if you have godlike power? It would give you godlike responsibility!"
She shook her head.
"I'm not ready for that…
"We'll do the ceremony…
"I'll wish you luck…"
The Pharaoh bowed his head.
"You forget, Yumi…" he said. "You need more luck than me in this duel…
"Because this test is twofold. Not only will success prove that the King of Games can take defeat…
"But that he leaves behind a successor who is worthy of the title."
Yumi slowly nodded.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The noon sun shone down on the Colosseum, as the whole crowd cheered for Yumi, as she stood on the central platform.
Sheena lifted Yumi's hand.
"I give you, ladies and gentlemen," she said, "one who not only triumphed in our tournament, but the one who made a fool out of the terrible Demons of Chaos, and likely saved Duelatopia! I give you the true Queen of Games!"
The crowd cheered again.
Behind her, White Rain started to play again. It was slow, easy tune this time.
The lead singer stepped forward, and started to sing:
They're drenched in blood,
Or caked with mud,
You yell and scream when one of them arrives…
There is no denying,
And I'm not lying,
Monsters lead such interesting lives.
They live in ooze,
They've paid their dues,
No mothers, sisters, moms or dads or wives…
Honest, I'm not lying,
There's simply no denying,
Monsters lead such interesting lives.
When you see them coming down the street,
You'd better not have weights tied to your feet.
They'll steal your heart,
Tear you apart,
Limb from limb,
On a whim…
They'll suck your brains,
And eat your remains,
They'll slice you up with little forks and knives…
They're never merry,
They're oh so scary,
Yes, Monsters lead such interesting lives.
They're independent fellah's…
They don't live nine-to-fives…
Yes, Monsters lead such interesting lives…
There were more cheers.
"That was more from White Rain's latest CD," announced Sheena. "'Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives', once an obscure song written by Mel Tormé.
"Yes, it was a tiring night last night. A lot of our guests were attacked, but we can safely say that this invasion of Chaos was successfully thwarted.
"And here to present the first of two prizes to our champion…"
Sam stepped out onto the field grinning, wearing a leopard-skin, leather bikini, and holding a huge, novelty check over her head. She only smiled when everyone started taking her picture. She started blowing kisses to the crowd.
She was embarrassed, of course, but it was a small price to pay to get back into good graces with Ha Des. She considered herself lucky he hadn't spirited her off to some nether reason and locked her in his dungeons.
She was the Consort of Ha Des again. And she wouldn't make the mistake another time.
She stepped up on the platform and handed it to Yumi.
"Just one word of warning, Yumi…" she said. "Wait 'til next year!"
White Rain started to play some background music.
"Now, Yumi…" said Sheena, putting her arm around her, "as you know, as winner, you are entitled to anything you want, that KaibaCorp can provide. If you need more time to think about it…"
"Actually, Sheena, I know just what I want," said Yumi.
She cleared her throat.
"I want access to KaibaCorp's collection of Duel Monsters cards, in order to construct two decks.
"I promised a very important duel with someone… And both me and my opponent need new decks for it."
Sheena nodded.
"Very well," she said. "You needn't even leave this island. We have an impressive collection right here. And should you need anything we don't have, we can have it here in three hours max.
"Once the closing ceremonies end, you can get right on it if you desire."
As White Rain started to play again, Ren whispered to Chelsea.
"Is this duel going to be what I think it is?" he asked.
"I don't see what else it could be…" she replied.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cassandra sat at her table, on which were now two cards:
The High Priestess, which represented Yumi, and The Hierophant, which represented the Pharaoh.
She took the card off the top of her deck, and placed it below the two cards.
She smiled.
The card bore the image of a woman dancing inside a laurel wreath, surrounded by two wands, a cherub, and eagle, a lion, and a bull.
"The World…" she whispered. "The symbol of the end of one life…
"…and the beginning of another…"
She placed the cards back in the deck, and then put the deck away.
Then she stood up, and left the room.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
It was now four o'clock in the afternoon.
Yumi had to admit, Sheena's claim was an understatement. The card library in Duelatopia was very extensive.
For the past two hours, she had followed a specific pattern. First she looked up the card she needed on the computer's database. Then she went to one of the hundreds of storage bins in the huge library she was in, and looked through it until she found the card. Then, she carefully added the card to the deck she was constructing, and started again.
Right now, she was at the computer looking up the thirty-fourth card. It was the last card she'd need here for her own deck. She had already had the last six.
Bingo! she thought, as the card's image came up on the screen. Once I get it, we'll be half-done…
She walked over to another one of the bins…
As she lifted out the card, the silence was broken.
"Yumi?" said a voice.
Yumi turned, and saw Sheena.
"Yes, Ms. Arachne?" she asked. "I hope we aren't being a hassle with all that's been happening…"
"Yeah…" said Sheena. "We're gonna have our hands full cleaning up the damage and vandalism that those demons caused. The insurance company is never gonna believe this… We'd sue Shogarr if we could, but my lawyers can't think of a way to file lawsuits against extraplanar entities…"
"Demon lords live like kings in their luxurious palaces, while whole worlds suffer from the sins they've created," muttered Yumi. "And until the battle between Good and Evil reaches a decisive victory by Good, they'll likely never face retribution for any of it…"
"I know…" said Sheena. "Whoever said that crime doesn't pay and that cheaters never prosper were idiots.
"But anyway, a few things… First, some Centurions with frogman training found the Glass Menagerie submerged about a mile off the coast. There's nothing valuable inside. We have no way to remove it, but since glass isn't toxic, it shouldn't be a problem.
"It might even help the environment in the long run. It will eventually become overgrown with coral, and become a small reef for aquatic wildlife.
"The biggest concern is, The Wicked Eraser apparently vanished along with Unus. But I don't think it will be showing up again.
"The important thing is, Shogarr seems to have abandoned the place.
"Also… The shrine is ready."
Yumi looked at her closely.
"What shrine?" she asked.
"The shrine below Clock Tower Prison," said Sheena. "Where the sacrifice and the ceremony will take place."
Yumi looked at her.
"You lost me…" she said.
Sheena sighed.
"Yumi…" she said, "as you know, Siegfried was chosen by one of the Archlords to protect the Mandate…
"But there were other Archlords, and each of them chose a mortal as a protector.
"One of them chose me…"
Yumi's eyes opened wide.
"I'll never forget it, Yumi…" she said. "I was just a poor girl, sitting out in the yard of the orphanage in Santa Fe one evening, when a beautiful man with radiant feathered wings appeared before me. He told me he needed help with something important. Then he told me what he needed done.
"I didn't know why he even bothered with someone as insignificant as me. But he told me that he had two reasons. The first one was, that while I was pure of heart and soul, I was among the last people that the ones looking for the Mandate would look for information about it. The second reason was, he saw potential in me, potential for great things.
"This gave me hope… Hope for a brighter future. I agreed. He kissed me, and as our lips met, the responsibility he bore became mine.
"When Siegfried was putting the final touches on Duelatopia, he decided it might be best to get many of the Chosen Ones together to defend it. And as the richest one and the one with the most political power, he was given far more abilities than the rest. He had ways to find the others. So his reasons for hiring me were twofold.
"But even he didn't know that we would fall love…"
She sighed.
"And the others?" asked Yumi.
"Some of them are retired, a few have passed away," said Sheena. "Some are still around. Cassandra is one of them."
Yumi's eyes opened wide again.
"Yes, Yumi," said Sheena. "She's much older than you think. She's used her psychic abilities to channel the Astral Plane to age much slower than normal. She isn't truly immortal, but she'll likely outlive both of us.
"But anyway, I knew well that because of the Mandate, the first attempt at the ceremony had to be interrupted. So a few years ago, I received instructions for its completion by the successor of the one who gave me that duty.
"The real purpose of Clock Tower Prison was to serve as an… antenna of sorts, to channel divine energy into a shrine in the subbasement below it. It will serve as the perfect place to perform the sacrifice… And the Ceremonial Duel that has been delayed for so long… Fortunately, neither Rasputin nor Unus ever found it.
"In the meantime, I was able to use the structure to draw power from the strange energy source that this island still possesses. That's how several Centurions, including the Eliminators, came to possess actual supernatural abilities… Abilities that were, in the past, only illusion.
"So… Whenever you and your opponent are ready…"
She turned and left the room.
Yumi quickly added the card she had just gotten to the deck.
Then, she took six cards from a pouch on her belt.
Four of them were Monsters from her old deck. The other two were the ones Mystara had given her.
She added the six cards to the deck, and then gave it a thorough shuffle.
Then she placed it in a deck case.
"All right, Pharaoh…" she said. "Your turn…"
Her Puzzle glowed, and the change overtook her in a flash of light.
Yumi's eyes opened, with her spiritual guide looking through them.
Slowly, he sat at the computer, and started again, just as Yumi had…
…albeit with a different taste in card strategy.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
At seven o'clock, Ren and Chelsea were waiting outside of Clock Tower Prison.
Ren was looking at a single Duel Monsters card. Chelsea looked over his shoulder as he was looking at it.
It was Armageddon Knight.
"Ren, I can't believe it!" she shouted. "You stole that from Rasputin's deck!"
"I did not!" replied Ren. "I was given it. They told me that they gave the deck to Nicholas. So I went to see him in the brig and asked him if he wanted to make a trade. And he said I could just have it. He said he was giving all of Rasputin's cards away. Something about not wanting to be reminded of the past…"
He sighed.
"I really hope that Sheena's promise to give us a ride back to Domino on her private jet was good," he said, looking at his watch, "because the boats home are leaving in half an hour. And I still have to read Great Expectations to finish my summer reading list. Frankly, my expectations about the book aren't too great."
"Don't worry," said Sam's voice. "The book is good, and so is mom's promise."
She and Erik walked up.
"And you two are here, because?" asked Chelsea.
"Yumi invited us," said Erik. "She promised us a duel between herself and the original King of Games. At first I thought that meant her grandfather was showing up, but she told us it was someone even better than him."
"And personally," said Sam, "I'd turn down an invitation to eat with the Emperor of Japan to see Yumi get trashed."
"Actually, Sam," muttered Chelsea. "We have to pray that Yumi can win. Otherwise, her opponent won't get another chance for another five-thousand years."
"Say what?" said Sam.
As she was thinking about this, Yumi walked up.
"It's time…" she said somberly.
She walked past the gates of Clock Tower Prison, which were still broken due to Enrique's blasting them down, and towards the entrance. They all followed.
The door opened, and Sheena was right inside. Yumi nodded, Sheena nodded back, and they all went in.
"You want to explain this to me?" asked Sam. "Because I'm kind of confused…"
"Okay, here's what I know," said Chelsea. "You know that guy who took over for Yumi when she was too tired to duel Erik?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, he's Yumi's opponent. For this duel, if Yumi wins, he gets to, quote, pass on to the other side, unquote.
"And once he's there, he'll try his best to make sure that the Shadow Games end. Forever.
"But if Yumi loses… Well… The future is uncertain…"
"And how the heck are they going to duel each other if they share the same body?" asked Sam.
"Dunno," said Ren. "Looks like we'll find out…"
Sheena took a small remote control pad out of her pocket.
"Watch your feet," she said, hitting a button on it.
A compartment in the floor opened up, and a spiral stairway unfolded, going down. Erik nearly fell down the stairs.
"Could have warned us…" he said.
Yumi walked down first, and Sheena was close behind. The others followed. Down the stairway was a stone corridor, lit by torches.
Yumi looked around. She felt a strange chill…
At the end of the hallway was a large, circular chamber. Someone was waiting at the entrance.
"Cassandra?" said Yumi.
"Hello Yumi," said the fortuneteller. "It's almost come full circle now, hasn't it?
"When we first met, I peered into your future… But I have reached the limits of what I can see in you.
"We'll soon see how my final prediction concerning you is to be interpreted."
She pointed to the far end of the chamber. There was a statue made of marble, depicting a powerful deity with the head of a falcon.
"Re-Horakhty, the Pharaoh of the Gods," said Cassandra. "The Sorcerer Kings all attempted to gain their powers without aid from him or any other gods, and with the exception of Unus, they succeeded. The gods didn't take kindly to this neglect…
"Now Yumi… Once their Charms are handed over to Re-Horakhty as a sacrifice, the Sorcerer Kings will be able to influence and watch the mortal world no longer. They'll have their paradise realm, but they'll be alone in it. It will keep them and their influence in as much as it keeps others out.
"And the ceremony will be allowed to begin."
Yumi sighed. She looked at the statue.
"You hesitate?" said Cassandra.
"Well, yeah…" said Yumi. "I mean, I feel dirty… I don't mind giving him the Rod… But the others… They kinda helped me beat Unus…"
"Do not mistake that for benevolence, Yumi," said Cassandra. "They did so because they wanted Unus to lose. The other Sorcerer Kings had one goal when they ascended, leaving their Charms behind – for another Sorcerer King to rule the world as their heir, and spread their glory. But they didn't want it to be Unus. And Rasputin didn't fit the bill, as far as they were concerned.
"That is why they helped you. They saw you as a much more worthy candidate.
"So, Yumi… You can either hand them over to Re, or you can do as they desire. I warn you, with such power in your hands, you will not be able to resist the temptation forever…"
Yumi sighed. She walked up to the statue.
Cassandra was right. It was a choice between trusting the King of the Gods or a group of sorcerers who had already displayed human vices taken to the extreme. That was no choice at all.
She took the Sword of Tsunami from around her waist, and fastened it around the statue's waist.
"Matter," she said. "The building blocks that form the world…"
She took the Cat's Cradle Comb and placed it in a nook where the statue's ear would be.
"Energy," she said. "Power that fuels motion."
She took the Talisman of the Mind from around her neck, and placed it around the statue's neck.
"Thought," she said. "Intelligence to know fact, and wisdom to know truth."
She took the Ring of Spirits from her finger and placed it on the statue's left index finger.
"Time," she said. "The flow that takes us from beginnings to endings and starts new beginnings."
She took the Gale Shield and slid it on the statue's right wrist.
"Order," she said. "The power of law that keeps the universe from collapse."
She took the Horn of Chance, and placed it around his waist.
"Chaos," she said. "The freedom that all sentient creatures need to keep sane."
She slowly removed the Crown of Souls. She looked at it for a second, and then placed it on the statue's head.
"Life," she said. "The greatest miracle of Heaven. The spark that empowers all beings."
Finally, she placed the Rod of the Ancients in his left hand.
"Entropy," she said. "Everything that lives must one day die. Every structure that stands will eventually crumble… All things must come to an end."
She stepped back. She had none of the Charms now. All she had now was the clothes on her back, two deck cases on her belt, and a Duel Disk.
The statue started to glow.
Everyone watched as it started to glow with blinding light… The light enveloped the whole chamber in a soft glow…
It slowly started to subside… And when it had ended, the eight Shadow Charms were gone.
Then Yumi started to glow. She closed her eyes, and a ghostly form stepped out of her body.
It slowly started to solidify. Everyone watching was amazed as they saw him appear, looking like an older and more pronounced version of her grandfather in his Battle City days.
He closed his eyes, and a Duel Disk of his own appeared on his arm. One of the two deck cases on Yumi's hip vanished, and a deck appeared in the tray.
"I take it no more needs to be said, Yumi," he said.
Yumi nodded.
"Let's make this count…" she said.
The two Disks activated.
"Game on!" they both shouted.
The final duel to decide the fate of the Pharaoh, one which was interrupted so long ago, will finally commence. The last duel of Duelatopia is at hand. What will be the outcome? That may be something that not even Cassandra can predict…
0
0
0
Sam: If I wasn't seeing this with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it.
Ren: It's something, all right. This may be Yumi's true test.
Chelsea: But even if she wins, then what? How can she duel if this guy leaves?
Cassandra: That's why she is dueling the Pharaoh and none of you are. She must prove she can continue without him. For her future may be one that even I can't predict.
Coming up next, "Yumi versus the Pharaoh; Unwritten Future".
The final chapter of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Legend of the Sorcerer Kings"!
Coming Friday. You won't want to miss it…