When you're the little brother of a CEO, you get a lot of unwanted attention. From people who try to suck up to you by being your 'friend', to a lot of unsavory folk who want to use you as a bargaining chip.
But the strangest unwanted attention I've gotten was from demons. Real live demons that prey on the souls of innocent maidens and children who think these monsters are their "imaginary friends".
You see, back when Seto and I were living under the reign of our abusive step-father, I found myself dreaming that I was in the Underworld. There, I met up with the beings that lived there and, for some very odd reason, they wished to follow me and would do whatever I wanted them to do. I would later find out why they chose me, but at that time I was still skeptical and (sarcastically) asked them to prove their worth by accomplishing one task...
And I guess you can expect what I asked them to do, huh?
I have never told Seto about that incident. Would he believe me? I mean, he used to believe in magic until Gozaburo drilled it into his head that it doesn't exist; what is he going to think when he sees that his younger brother controls the monsters who rule Hell? I shudder at the thought.
Right now, I'm about to engage in friendly competition alongside them, and if there's something that these monsters love, it's a fight.
Well then...Let's ROCK!
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3rd Draw
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Snow Cloak
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"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Who wishes to have their fortune told?"
This comes from a fortune teller dressed as Lady of Faith, currently shuffling a deck of cards in her hands. The fortune teller sits in a tent lit by electric candles that give an ominous glow. On the table in front of her is a silk bag filled with runes, a crystal ball, and a few coins marked with a strange eye symbol. The fortune teller smiles as someone lifts the flap of the tent open.
"Ah, good day to you all," she says in a British accent. "Sit down, sit down...the Lady of Faith loves guests."
"Hello there," says Masato, seating himself down on a beanbag chair. Mokuba and Haruka also sat in-between Masato as the young boy asks, "How are you doing today?"
"Fine, love," The Lady of Faith replies she sets her cards down. "So, who wishes to have a fortune told?"
"I do!" says Mokuba, watching as the Lady of Faith fans the cards out. The back of the cards are black with a strange golden eye in the center, almost as if observing the curious person who wants their fortune told. "What do you have in store?"
"What is it that you wish to see?" The Lady of Faith motions to the cards on the table. "Draw your card, and let me see what the Fates have foretold."
Mokuba nods his head as he waves his hand over the cards, trying to find the one that appeals to him the most. Masato and Haruka stay quiet as he lowers his hand to pick a card in the middle. The Lady of Faith points to it, and Mokuba nods his head.
"Very well then," says the fortune teller. "Let's see what the cards have in store for us."
She pulls the card out then flips it over. It shows a wise king with a long white beard sitting on a throne. He is dressed in a red tunic and a golden crown is on his head. The card is upside-down causing the Lady of Faith to gasp.
"Oh my!" she exclaims. "I see some sort of authority over-shadowing you. This is very troublesome."
"It is?" Mokuba asks, taking a glance at Haruka. Haruka narrows her eyes as she looks at her Duel Disk, where the lifepoint counter and deck holder is shaped like a wheel with eight spokes, before looking at the fortune teller. "How so?"
"It seems you lack ambition for the important things in your life," says the Lady of Faith. "This is quite sad, considering someone of your...position."
Mokuba frowns and curls his hands into fists.
"Is that so?" he says. He snarls and lowers his head as he adds, "Well, thank you for your reading today, Lady of Faith." He stands up, face calm as he tells his friends, "Come on, you two. We're going."
"Mokuba!" Masato exclaims, following his friend out of the tent. "Wait for me!"
As the two boys leave, Haruka watches the Lady of Faith gather the cards once again, stacking them into a neat pile before folding her hands out in front. Then, she speaks.
"Ryou-sempai," she begins. "Please don't tease him like that; you know the troubles Mokuba has to go through. You know how much blood he's spilled because of those monsters..."
The fortune-teller, Ryou Wataru, smiles sweetly at Haruka, causing the girl to glare while he leans forward.
"It's what the cards say though," Ryou notes with a chuckle. His chocolate eyes show some mischief as he stands up. He then takes Haruka's hand into her own, tracing the lines on her palm with a finger. "I wonder what I can give you…"
"Perhaps I can give a clue," says a deep, husky voice. Haruka flinches as she slowly turns around, gasping at a figure that looks similar to Ryou- what with the same white hair and the dark brown eyes the fortune teller has-but his skin is tan, and there is a scar running down the right side of his face. Dressed in a long red coat lined with gold, the figure chuckles, before flashing a wicked grin. To Haruka, she is reminded of a shark whenever she sees that smile.
"Bakura," Haruka begins, "What are you planning?"
"Nothing of the sorts, milady," Bakura answers, bowing toward Haruka, "But on a day like this, a bit of competition can bring out the best in anyone, am I right?"
Ryou approaches Haruka, silently as the only sound that is heard is the swish of his costume, as he cups her face gently. Haruka still glares.
"I see a battle in your future, too," he says. "But be careful, for the decision you make after the victor is decided will change everything."
"W..what do you mean?" Haruka whispers. But she gets no response as Ryou returns to his cards. "And what about you, Ba-"
She turns around and Bakura has vanished into thin air. She doesn't seem too surprised though; Bakura is always like this around her. Ryou chuckles.
"Take care of yourself, dear seer," he says with a wave of his hand. "We'll see each other tomorrow, correct?"
"...Yeah, we will," is what Haruka says as she leaves the tent. As she does, Ryou frowns as he pulls a top card from the newly shuffled deck. In front of him is a wheel with three strange creatures riding on its rim, the card upright.
"Wheel of Fortune, hmm?" he says. "Very interesting…"
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After the food challenge (which they succeeded in), the group have split into two parties: Rebecca and her brothers are off to venture in an Escape Room challenge, and Ash and Serena with Masato, Mokuba and Haruka are exploring some of the carnival booths. Pikachu is currently on Ash's shoulder, as usual, while Serena and Ash wait for their friends to arrive at a shooting gallery, having made an excuse to "see into the future" before meeting up at this particular spot.
"So," says Ash, seeing Mokuba and Masato approaching him. "How did the fortune-telling go?"
"...Fine," Mokuba answers curtly, pulling out some money from a pouch attached to his costume. He places it on the counter then picks up a gun. "Just fine."
Without flinching, he fires the gun toward the target, a plushie of Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss and keeps firing a round of corks until, after thirty seconds of this, it tips over to the side, the doll giving a small smile as a klaxon of bells ring. The booth owner goes to pick up the doll as Mokuba set the gun down and Serena places a hand on Mokuba's shoulder.
"What card did you get?" she asks. "I mean, as long as it's not Death or anything, then it should be fine."
"He got an inverted Emperor," says Haruka, approaching them. Having removed the veil a while back to make it easier to speak, she lets out a sigh as she adds, "Which is about lack of ambition."
"Why would he have that?" asks Ash, watching Mokuba take the doll of Dante into his hands, "I mean, he's the younger brother of Seto Kaiba, after all."
"Well…" Masato begins, but he's stopped as Mokuba slams his hand on the counter, hand on his forehead. "Oh no…"
Mokuba pants heavily as he stares at the doll, the hand gripping on it tightening before he tosses it to the ground. Haruka hastily picks up the doll while Masato chases after Mokuba. Ash looks in confusion, so does Pikachu.
"What's that all about?" he asks, turning to the two girls. Both Haruka and Serena share a glance before Serena looks at Ash. She gently squeezes the Dante plushie as she says,
"Let's take this somewhere quiet. This is...sort of private."
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"Mokuba, wait up!"
Mokuba has approached an area targeted for duelists, seeing various people in costumes (like a Zombyra the Dark fighting a Cybernetic Magician, the former's Elemental Heroes in a battle against the latter's Cyber Dragons) as he looks at his Duel Disk, colored black and red. A deep, rumbling voice whispers in his ear.
You're not letting a simple card tell you who you are, am I right? How dare that fortune-teller tempt your mind like that, Master!
"Shut up, Malacoda," Mokuba mutters. He groans as he hears Masato approaching him.
"What's going on?" asks Masato, seeing Mokuba turn toward him. "Is it...them?"
"...Yeah," Mokuba answers. "They get antsy if I don't do anything." He folds his arms over his chest and sighs.
"The card's words can be interpreted differently; you've seen my sister and how she uses her deck. I mean, why are you upset about this reading?"
"I think...I think it's because of what Ash did when Seto tried to pull the scepter out. Whatever he said...I don't know, but I'm worried."
Masato hesitates before smiling. "Hey, let's do what Serena and Rebecca did-a duel will keep your mind off of the reading. And besides," he smirks. "I bet you my new Synchro Monsters will kick Dante's ass."
"Really now?" Mokuba asks with a smirk of his own. "Well, consider that a challenge."
"Come on!" said Masato, pointing to an open dueling field. "Race you there!"
"Hey, wait up! You got a head start!"
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"That's what he's been hiding?!" Ash asks with shock. "And his brother doesn't know about it?"
"Trust us, I don't think Kaiba's a guy who is going to believe that his brother can talk and summon the demons of Hell lightly," Serena notes. The three are sitting on a bench underneath a large tree, Pikachu asleep on Serena's lap. Serena lets out a sigh. "But there's more than just summoning those guys."
"What do you mean?"
"He once said that he can enter the Nightmare Realm," Haruka whispers, still holding Mokuba's Dante plushie in her hands, "A realm that one enters in their sleep, a gateway that can lead one into other worlds…"
"Wait, if Mokuba can do that then…" Ash hesitates. Does he really want to go back home now? After he has seen those visions about Seto and Jounochi? And the scepter? Plus, he hasn't even dueled yet. Despite his hesitation, Serena and Haruka pick it up immediately.
"We don't know if he can send you back to where you came from," Serena begins. "And even if he could, maybe he'd accidentally send you to another world. Worse, you could be constantly wandering the Nightmare Realm and never go back home."
Ash falls silent as he contemplates Serena's words. Of course, entering a world is easy but escaping it is a different story. He runs a hand over Pikachu's fur, the Mouse Pokémon slowly waking up from his nap to stare at his friend with bleary black eyes.
"I see," he whispers. "Well, at least we tried."
"Come on," says Serena, helping Ash stand up, "Let's go find Mokuba and Masato. Knowing those two, they're probably about to duel each other."
"What type of monsters do they use?" asks Ash.
"You'll see," says Haruka. "But, just like Serena, they're dressed as one of the monsters in their respective archetypes."
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"Are you ready Mokuba?" asks Masato. His Duel Disk, with the deck holder colored cyan and designed to look like two sets of hexagons, the outer ring having points to make it look similar to a snowflake, activates. "If you are, then let the storm rage on!"
"This party's gonna get crazy" says Mokuba, his own Duel Disk activating. "Let's rock!"
(Masato: 8000) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 8000)
"I'll start off," says Masato, drawing a card. "For my first move, I'll play Shard of Greed."
A Continuous Spell Card appears, depicting a shard of the Pot of Greed (specifically the part that shows one of its eyes) with magic rising out of it.
"Now whenever I make a draw during my Draw Phase, I get a Greed Counter," Masato explains. "And next, I'll summon Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode!"
Someone rises onto Masato's side of the field in a geyser of ice. It is a young girl with long white hair with a simple gold circlet as decoration, wearing a red blouse and blue pants. Draped on her shoulder is a red cape with a white feathery collar. In her hands is a staff. (1200 ATK)
"And I'm not done!" Masato continues. "I'll play Double Summon so I can summon another Ice Barrier monster-my Defender of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode!"
In a second burst of ice, a red fox in blue battle armor emerges. The most notable part of the armor is the series of spikes trailing down its bushy tail. (200 ATK)
"And since Defender of the Ice Barrier is a Tuner Monster, I'll enact a Synchro Summon with him and my Spellbreaker right now!" says Masato. "You ready?"
Ready as I'll ever be against whatever you're summoning...Mokuba thinks to himself.
Defender of the Ice Barrier howls as he fades into a set of rings. Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier winks before transforming into a cluster of stars that fly through the rings, the two fading into a bright light.
(*3 + *4 = *7)
"A mighty force emerging from the icy depths," Masato chanted. "A monster that will never fail to strike its target. Come forth, Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
A bolt of lightning strikes the field as a dragon, looking as if it is carved from blue ice, emerges. Underneath its body, one can see a red glow that spreads throughout, giving the look of a flame trapped beneath ice itself. (2500 ATK)
"Oh boy…" Mokuba notes.
"Since it's only the first turn, I won't be able to use its effect," Masato chuckles. "But I will send one card face-down and end it at that. You're up!"
Keep it together, Mokuba...Mokuba thinks to himself, drawing a card. That monster's tough, but it doesn't hold dominion over the graveyard. Let's see what I can do.
"For my move," Mokuba begins, I'll be activating the special abilities of my Burning Abyss monsters; whenever I have no Spell or Trap cards on the field, I can Special Summon them from my hand. So for this, I'll be Special Summoning both Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in Attack Mode!"
In contrast to Masato's Ice Barrier Monsters, Mokuba's monsters arise in plumes of fire. Cir is a purple-black demon with the face of a pig (1600 ATK) while Graff is a demonic hell hound with large wings and a spiked collar that let out a loud howl as he stares at Masato's Gungnir with glee (1000 ATK).
"And I still have a Normal Summon to use," Mokuba continues. "So I'll use it to summon Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in Attack Mode."
There is laughter as a winged figure emerges from the ground: dressed in black armor, having a head of white hair and his eyes covered by a white blindfold. The Burning Abyss smirks as a plume of black-blue fire emerges from his palm. (1200 ATK)
"I'll end it with one card face-down," says Mokuba, slipping a card into his Duel Disk. "And that's it."
"Hey, there you guys are!" Serena shouts, approaching the duel.
"Hi guys!" says Masato, waving to his sister before drawing a card. "I'm just about to use my Gungnir to destroy Mokuba's monsters."
"That's a bad idea!" says Haruka. "You know what happens when Burning Abyss monsters get sent to the Graveyard."
"What happens?" asks Ash, Pikachu back on his shoulder.
"Burning Abyss monsters have two effects," Serena explains. "They can be Special Summoned onto the field if you have no Spell or Trap cards on the field, and each one of them has various effects if they're sent to the Graveyard. So you could have a monster that negates effects, or banishes them, or you could Special Summon another Burning Abyss monster from the Graveyard or Deck, the list goes on and on." Ash looks confused as Serena sighs. "Just watch the duel and you'll see."
"First off," Masato begins. "Since I conducted my Draw Phase, Shard of Greed gets a Greed Counter."
The Shard of Greed Spell Card begins to glow as a small green orb hovers over it. (GC: 1)
"Next, I'll play Salvage," Masato continues. "And with that, I can bring back two Water monsters with less than 1500 Attack Points from my Graveyard back into my hand."
A Spell Card appears, depicting an orca whale dredging up a machine from the ocean. Two cards pop out from Masato's Graveyard, expanding his hand to three.
"And to make sure you don't get any ideas…" Masato shows Defender of the Ice Barrier before placing it on his Duel Disk, the fox appearing on the Field once again. (1600 DEF)
"I have an idea, and you're not gonna like it…" says Mokuba. "I activate my Trap Card, Fire Lake of the Burning Abyss!"
Mokuba's face-down card flips over, revealing two members of the Burning Abyss Monsters (Alich and Calcab) in a pool of lava. Then, a large lava pool materializes and drags both Cir and Graffe into the fiery depths.
"What did you just do?" asks Masato. Mokuba chuckles.
"If I send two of my 'Burning Abyss' monsters into the Graveyard, I can destroy up to three cards on the field," Mokuba answers. "So, I think I'll be destroying Defender of the Ice Barrier and my Alich."
"Huh?!" asks Ash, noticing Gungnir. "He's not going to destroy Masato's dragon with that card?"
"I have something better in mind," Mokuba replies. "So now, it's time for an offering for these demons."
The Fire Lake begins to overflow as lava burns both cards on the field, the two monsters unleashing howls of pain as they are sent to the Graveyard. Meanwhile, Mokuba's Graveyard begins to glow all while Masato cringes.
"With three Burning Abyss monsters in the Graveyard, I can activate their effects," says Mokuba. "First off, Alich can negate the special ability of your Gungnir…"
Alich's ghostly form materializes as he hurls his black-blue fire at Gungnir, causing it to groan.
"And I'll use Graff's special ability to Special Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck onto the field…like Barbar here."
With a laugh, a viking with a white beard and a horned helmet (one horn being broken) emerges. In his hands is a mace connected to a large chain. (1700 ATK)
A card ejects itself from his deck as Mokuba takes it into his hand. Meanwhile, Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss emerges in Defense Mode. (1500 DEF)
"Oh and one more thing," says Mokuba. "When Cir's in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon another 'Burning Abyss' monster from the graveyard, as long as it's not Cir himself. So, you'll have no choice but to attack either him or Barbar before you get to my lifepoints."
"Fine," says Masato. "Gungnir, attack Cir with Odon Blizzard!"
Gungnir opens his mouth and unleashes an icy blizzard that causes Cir to howl before shattering. Mokuba lets out a sigh.
"You know," he begins. "Contrary to belief, Hell has a circle that's nothing but ice. That's the 9th Floor, made specifically for those who committed treachery. Examples include Cain, Judas and, the most important of them all, Satan. My Burning Abyss monsters are based on the 8th circle, and the Fire Lake represented how these demons would dunk corrupt politicians in boiling pitch."
And I hope that son of a bitch likes his extended vacation there. He thinks to himself.
"Um...wow, I didn't know that," says Masato. "I guess I'll end my turn there. Your move."
"Huh?" says Ash. "Why doesn't Mokuba use Cir's effect since he was sent to the Graveyard?"
"It can only be done once per turn," Haruka answers.
"Oh…"
"My move," says Mokuba, drawing his card. "And I'll start my move by playing Graceful Charity."
"Smart," Serena whispers. "He draws three cards but discards two- that way he can activate the effects of the Burning Abyss monsters he discarded."
An angel in a green dress and matching green wings materializes in front of Mokuba while he draws three cards. After looking at them, he sends two to the Graveyard.
"And before you ask," Mokuba begins. "The Burning Abyss monsters I discarded are Farfa and Scarm."
"Oh that's not good!" Masato exclaims. "That means Farfa will make you banish Gungnir until your end phase!"
"Exactly!"
A spectral version of Farfa, a demon with a metallic face and horns, alongside wings for arms and long white hair that fall to his ankles, flies toward Gungnir, the dragon letting out a roar as they become sucked into a vortex and vanish. Masato gulps as Mokuba grins.
"Next, I'll Normal Summon Rubic, Malebranche of Burning Abyss in Defense Mode."
The ground begins to rumble as a purple skinned demon in a black cloak emerges, wielding a gnarled wooden staff and a purple flame hovering in his right hand. (2100 DEF)
"You're not the only one who can Synchro Summon, Masato," says Mokuba. "With Rubic as a Tuner Monster, I'm gonna summon a star in the Burning Abyss! Let's go, you two!"
Rubic and Barbar leap into the air, Rubic turning into rings of light while Barbar transforms into three stars.
(*3 + *3 = *6)
"A guide to the Underworld, he is the one who helps those who have lost their way in the land of demons. Here he is now, the nightmare troubadour himself...Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss!"
A bard with red hair emerges, dressed in a white tunic, purple striped pants and a white hat wrapped with a red sash and a large white feather sticking out. In his hands is a lute gilded with gold and blue flames emerging from the soundboard and frets. He plucks a tune before bowing toward Masato, tipping his hat toward the boy. (2500 ATK)
"And without anything to stop his attack…" Mokuba laughs. "Virgil, attack with Melodious Nocturne!"
Virgil strums a few notes on his lute before pointing it toward Masato, unleashing a burst of blue fire that Masato blocks with his Duel Disk.
(Masato: 5500) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 8000)
"And I'm off to my second Main Phase," says Mokuba. "Since Barbar was used for a Synchro Summon and is now back in my Graveyard, I can activate his effect to Banish up to 3 'Burning Abyss' cards in my Graveyard and inflict 300 lifepoints for each card. Barbar…"
Barbar lets out a mighty laugh from beyond the grave as three fireballs target Masato, the boy cringing from how hot the flames are (okay, they aren't that hot, but it feels like it).
(Masato: 4600) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 8000)
"I'll just set one more card face-down…" Mokuba slips a card behind Virgil. "And that'll be it. Which means Scarm's effect lets me take a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck to hand."
A card pops out of his deck, which Mokuba takes.
"And you get your dragon back."
Gungnir roars as it rises from a large ice crystal, flying toward Masato's side. (2500 ATK)
"Then it's my turn," says Masato, drawing his card. "And now, my Shard of Greed has two Greed Counters, thus I can sacrifice it to make two more draws!"
Shard of Greed shatters as Masato expands his hand to five cards.
"And next, I'll play Samurai of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode!"
A pillar of ice rises next to Gungnir's side, revealing a samurai in icy blue armor. The samurai opens his eyes and slices the ice that imprisons him before staring at Mokuba. (1800 ATK)
"I'll activate Gungnir's effect now," says Masato, discarding Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier into his Graveyard. "Once per turn, I can discard up to two cards in my hand and destroy as many cards as you control. Guess what happens to Virgil now?"
Virgil steps back as Gungnir grins. The dragon opens its mouth and encases Virgil in a flurry of snow before smashing it with its mighty tail. Mokuba gulps as he finds himself defenseless against the samurai and the dragon.
"All righty then," says Masato. "Gungnir, Odin Blizzard!"
Gungnir opens its mouth and fires a powerful blizzard attack, causing Mokuba to slightly shiver.
(Masato: 4600) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 5500)
"I'm not done! Samurai of the Ice Barrier, attack with Sub-zero Sword Slash!"
Samurai of the Ice Barrier rushes toward Mokuba, unsheathing his sword as he inches closer and closer.
"Not so fast!" Mokuba exclaims. "I activate my Trap Card, Karma Cut!"
The Trap Card flips over, revealing Warrior Lady of the Wasteland emerging from a portal, with her left arm covered by a metal gauntlet. Mokuba slips a card into the Graveyard as Samurai of the Ice Barrier vanishes alongside the card.
"What did you just do?!" Masato exclaims.
"When I play Karma Cut, I can discard one card from my hand to banish your Samurai," Mokuba explains. "Plus, if you have any other copies of this monster, they go too."
Masato groans as another Samurai of the Ice Barrier from his deck pops out. He pockets it as Mokuba pulls out his deck.
"Oh, and the card I sent to the graveyard?" The Burning Abyss duelist continues. "That was Draghig, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. When he gets sent to the Graveyard, I can take one 'Burning Abyss' card from my deck and place it on top." He searches through the cards, finds the one he wants, places it on top, and then slips the deck back in. "So thanks for that."
"...I end my turn with a face-down card," says Masato. "You're up."
"Man," Ash notes. "Mokuba's deck is more complicated than Rebecca's. How the heck does he manage that?"
"It's just something you learn," Haruka answers with a shrug of her shoulders. "Mokuba has the most experience with dueling, which makes sense considering who his brother is."
"You know, speaking of Seto Kaiba…" Haruka trails off as she looks down at the Dante plushie. "Sometimes, I think there's something more to him than he's showing."
"You mean beside his romance with Jounochi?" asks Serena.
"I mean he's hiding some strange...power…." Haruka trails off as Mokuba has played Card of Demise, drawing until he had five more cards.
"...And, as you know, I must discard my hand after 5 Standby Phases," he says. "But until then, I summon Crane Crane in Attack Mode!"
A strange machine appears on the field-it is a mechanical crane that looks like the avian crane. (300 ATK)
"Um...what does that do exactly?" asks Masato, watching the Crane lowering its hook into a black portal that has materialized on the field.
"When Crane Crane is on the field, I can Special Summon a Level 3 Monster from the Graveyard without its effect," Mokuba explains.
"Smart…" says Serena. "Burning Abyss monsters get destroyed if there are monsters other than those of the Burning Abyss on Mokuba's field. What's he gonna go through this? Dante?"
"Who knows?" asks Haruka, watching as Crane Crane pulls out Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from the Graveyard. "But I bet it's gonna be big."
"And with these two monsters, I'll play my Ritual Spell Card Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss to sacrifice them for the Lord of the Burning Abyss himself!"
"Oh yeah...big." Serena comments.
A Spell Card depicting the image of Dante in the background of clouds (on the left) and a black demonic face (on the right) appears before Crane Crane and Farfa become devoured by the shadows.
"With these two, I summon Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss in Attack Mode!" Mokuba exclaims.
A plume of black fire erupts as a figure emerges: it can be nothing else than a demon, with red skin dressed in blue battle armor, large black and purple demonic wings, and a tail that also doubles as a serpent. Masato can only gulp as Malacoda smirks. (2700 ATK)
"So…" Malacoda growls as he turns to Mokuba. "It appears we are going to have some fresh meat today…"
Mokuba smirks. "Let's have some fun…" he says, flipping one of the cards in his hand to reveal Cir, Malechante of the Burning Abyss.
"Um...what are you doing?" asks Masato.
"I'm activating Malacoda's special ability," Mokuba answers. "I discard one 'Burning Abyss' monster from my hand and Malacoda can decrease Gungnir's Attack and Defense equal to Cir's own. So…"
Cir's spirit materializes before Malacoda grasps it. The spirit transforms into a black ball of fire that the Netherlord hurls at the Ice Barrier Dragon, weakening it. (2500/1700 - 900/500)
"And with Cir in the Graveyard…"
The image of Barbar emerges next to Malacoda, swinging his mace above his head with glee. (1700 ATK)
"Malacoda, attack Gungnir with Infernal Hellfire!"
"As you command." says Malacoda, creating a large ball of black fire, hurling it at Gungnir's chest, causing the dragon to slowly melt with a roar of pain.
(Masato: 2800) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 5500)
"And Barbac," says Mokuba, pointing to Masato. "Attack directly with Hell Barbaric Mace Swing!"
Barbac rushes toward Masato, swinging his mace widely as Masato smirks.
"I activate Call of the Haunted!" he says. "And I'll use it to Special Summon Spellbreaker of the Ice Barrier in Defense Mode!"
The white haired, red dressed Ice Barrier monster appears, kneeling in defense. (2000 DEF) Barbac stops just before his mace touches Spellbreaker and he snarls before walking off.
"I'll end my turn with a card face-down," says Mokuba. "But you better get something good before Malacoda burns you and your monsters."
"How about this?" asks Masato, drawing his card. "I play Card of Sanctity!"
Coins fell down from the sky as both duelists draw more cards (Masato draws four more while Mokuba draws five). Masato fans his cards out…
Then, he laughs.
"What's so funny?" asks Mokuba. Masato shows three cards and flips them over before sending a card into his Duel Disk.
"I activate Magic Triangle of Ice Barrier," he answers. "By revealing three Ice Barrier monsters in my hand, I can destroy one card you control…"
Masato's Spell Card, depicting General Gantala, General Grunard and General Raiho of the Ice Barrier standing in a triangle formation in front of a magic seal while a blizzard starts forming. Soon, an icy wind begins to form around Malacoda before a large chunk of ice pierces through his heart.
"Not so fast," Mokuba states. "When Malacoda is sent to the Graveyard, he gets to send one card you control to the Graveyard. So, I hate to say this Spellbreaker...actually, I don't hate to say that you're off to the Graveyard again."
With the last of his power, Malacoda incinerates Masato's Call of the Haunted, causing Spellbreaker to scream before she is sent to the Graveyard.
"A small price to pay," Masato shrugs his shoulders as he places an Ice Barrier card on the Duel Disk. "Because now I can Special Summon my General Grunard onto the field without sacrifice!"
Rising from the ground is a ice sculpture of an imposing figure, before the ice shatters and a warrior dressed in sapphire armor that resembles ice with a spiky crown on his head and the emblem of the Ice Barrier monsters on his chest. Surrounding him is six icicles. (2800 ATK)
"And you know how Serena's Ghostrick Mummy lets her summon another 'Ghostrick' monster on the field?" says Masato. "Well, General Grunard can do that with my 'Ice Barrier' cards. So I'll be summoning both Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier…"
A warrior wearing a helmet and purple tunic materializes, wielding two hand-scythes made of ice. (1300 ATK)
"And Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier…"
Rising in a lotus position is a blond haired Ice Barirer monster, dressed in red silk robes lined with gold. His eyes are closed in concentration. (1500 ATK)
"And then I'll Synchro Summon them both to bring out my next Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
Cryomancer and Pilgrim of the Ice Barrier leap into the air as a roar begins to shake the field.
(*2 + *4 = *6)
"A dragon that pierces through the heart of the enemy. Who brings order with her icy breath and fear into the heart of her enemies. Appear right now, Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
Emerging from a freezing blue and white portal is a blue serpentine dragon with wings at a ten feet wingspan and claws ready to slice the Burning Abyss monsters into bits of demonic flesh. She lets out a low growl at Barbar. (2300 ATK)
"You know," Mokuba notes. "It's pretty annoying that they call Brionac a Dragon even though she's a Sea-Serpent on the card."
"She's not complaining," says Masato. "And you better not complain when I activate her ability.
"You see once per turn, I can discard cards from my hand to the Graveyard and select any card you control that I can return to your hand." Masato shows a card and slips it into the Graveyard slot. "So, I think that your monster needs a break, don't you think."
Brionac flaps her mighty wings as Barbar is thrown back into Mokuba's hand.
"General Grunard and Brionac, attack directly!" says Masato!
The high-leveled warrior and sea-serpent create orbs of icy-blue energy that they hurl toward Mokuba.
"I activate my face-down card, Sakuretsu Armor!" he shouts. "Now your general is retiring in the Graveyard!"
General Grunard shatters into pieces while Brionac successfully fires her attack, causing Mokuba to fly back a few inches and land on his back.
(Masato: 2800) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 3200)
"Mokuba!" Ash exclaims. "Are you all right?"
"I've gone through worse," Mokuba mutters, slowly standing up. "Besides, I've got this in the bag."
Masato places his last card into his Duel Disk then signals the end of his turn as Mokuba draws his card.
"So, Masato, you've seen the Rock Star and Netherlord," he begins. "And I'm the Traveler of the Burning Abyss, as you can tell…
"But now, I'm going to reveal Dante's true form! I activate The Terminus of the Burning Abyss!"
The Spell Card materializes, depicting a woman in purple clothing standing in front of a portal of heaven, while someone (perhaps Dante) in white and gold robes, tries to reach out to them. Mokuba then takes three cards from his hand then slips them into his Graveyard.
"This lets me Fusion Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster by discarding the Fusion Material needed for it," Mokuba explains. "So, I'll be discarding my Calcab, Graff and Cir to unleash Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss in Attack Mode!"
A figure in white emerges from the card, wielding a caduceus with a blue gem in the center. It looks like an older Dante, with a laurel wreath topping his braided blue hair, and his body adorned in a white and golden robe and cape. His eyes show wisdom, and perhaps understanding of things that most are unable to comprehend. (2900 ATK)
"And you just sent three of your Burning Abyss monsters to the Graveyard to summon it…" Masato trails off, knowing exactly where this was going. "Oh cupcakes…"
"First is Calcab," Mokuba begins. "Which makes you return that face-down card into your hand..."
A purple skinned demon wearing a loincloth flaps his mighty wings as Masato's card (Torrential Tribute) is back in his hand once more.
"Next is another copy of Graff that lets me Special Summon another 'Burning Abyss' monster from my deck like, I don't know, Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss…"
A black gargoyle-like demon emerges from the shadow, crouching down and letting out a low growl. (1500 ATK)
"And Cir lets me bring back a 'Burning Abyss' monster from the Graveyard once more. So, let's try this out Farfa!"
The long white-haired Burning Abyss monster emerges with a cackle as Masato gulps, his only defense being his Sea-Serpent/Dragon.
"Looks like this is over," Mokuba chuckles. "But, the fact that you got to bring out two Synchro Summons is saying something. Ah well.."
"Dante, attack Brionic with Paradisio Pummel!"
Dante rises into the air before diving straight toward Masato's dragon, bashing her on the head with his weapon.
(Masato: 2300) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 3200)
"Cagna and Falfa, end this now!"
Masato soon finds Cagna slicing him from behind while Farfa unleashes a screech attack that causes Masato to fall to his knees, taking the last of his lifepoints with him.
(Masato: 0) - - - - - - - (Mokuba: 3200)
"Well, that was fun," says Mokuba with a sigh. "And, you know what? I feel much better after that. Thanks, Masato."
"No prob," says Masato. "It sucks that all of my better cards were at the bottom of my deck. Next time, I'll make sure to give you a better fight."
He and Mokuba shake hands as Rebecca and her brothers approach the dueling courts, a ribbon pinned to Rebecca's chest.
"Aww, we missed an epic duel, didn't we?" she pouts. "Oh well, we can have another one tomorrow if we want to."
"So," says Amelda, looking at the large group. "What do we do now?"
"How about going on the carnival rides?" Miruko suggests. "Rollercoasters, Ferris Wheel, maybe a merry-go-round…"
"Well…" Amelda smiles as he turns to Varon. "Maybe a merry-go-round would be nice."
"And maybe we can go win some more prizes!" says Haruka, slipping the plushie into a bag. "What do you wanna do, Ash?"
"I'll just do whatever you want to do," Ash answers with a shrug of his shoulders. "As long as it doesn't involve that scepter and all.."
"What was that?" asked Raphael, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing, nothing…" Ash hastily answers, staring at his Duel Disk. "Just thinking and all.."
"Relax, kid," says Varon, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What can go wrong on a day like this?"
Don't jinx it...Haruka thinks to herself, recalling Ryou's prediction. We have no idea what's going to happen next.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Say, Bakura?"
"Yes, my love?"
"About that boy that's with them…" Ryou stays silent as he stares at the upright Wheel of Fortune in front of him. "Have you sensed anything unusual about him?"
"He's basically a normal ten-year-old boy, excited, friendly, outgoing...and he possess a strange aura around him," Bakura answers, closing his eyes as he sits down near his partner. "But if what Atem and Seto have been saying is true...then he's going to be the center of everything once he faces his destiny.
"All we need to do is hope that he'll accept it."
"He will," Ryou whispers, shuffling the card back into his deck. "Because we have no other options."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Haruka: Okay, so it looks like I'm the only one in our little group who hasn't dueled yet, huh?
Mokuba: Cheer up. I'm sure you'll get to use your monsters soon enough.
Ash: I've had it with this bad feeling about that scepter! Haruka, I want to duel for the right to pull it out!
Serena: Really? Man, you're either courageous or a fool to do something like that!
Masato: Perhaps both?
Ash: Next time, Ab Initio Chapter 4: "Aura Break"
Haruka: Then it looks like Fate is going to shine upon us then. Very well, Ash Ketchum. I accept your challenge!