A/N: Compare this chapter with Chapter 5 of the original "Ojamajo: The Verz Incident". This chapter is, after all, its counterpart.
-Thanatos Ein-
Hana yawned. It was just now in the early morning, and she had school to go to. She was reluctant, but her friends and mamas would all be there as usual. To that end, she stretched to get her blood flowing and to relieve any stiffness from her sleep.
And saw that she was wearing her "Evil Costume", as she called it.
Hana grinned sheepishly to herself. She had decided to wear it last night for a few moments at most…
I guess I forgot to take it off before bed… Hana thought, complete with an internal giggle.
"Hana-chan! Wake up!" Majo Rika called, "You're gonna be late for school!" Hana heard Majo Rika approaching and quickly removed her circlet and her devil-winged hair decorations and slipped back under the covers. She was just in time. "Hana-chan! Did you-?" Majo Rika entered right then and there and saw the awkward scene. "Hana-chan? Why are looking at me that way?"
The white Ojamajo giggled sheepishly. "Can Hana-chan have some time to get ready first?"
Majo Rika shot a look of suspicion and knowing before heading back down. Once she was gone, Hana made haste in changing her clothes and hiding the removed costume. Once that was said and done, she went downstairs, got her stuff, ate breakfast, bid a hasty farewell, and left quickly.
Majo Rika and Lala exchanged sighs not long after…
The day was a bit longer than usual. The events from last night hadn't set too well with the girls, and it interfered with their concentration and made them keep a closer watch on the time. Even during their lunch break, thins seemed slow and bleak.
All of this was swiftly noticed by Kotake, Takao, and Masaru and they explained to one another when the day finally ended.
"So it wasn't just Doremi-chan, Momo-chan, and Hana-chan acting weird today then?" Kotake surmised.
Takao nodded. "What we heard those nights ago is still more or less fresh in my mind."
"If we're going to discuss this, then we need a better place than this," Masaru warned, "We'll meet at the park."
The other two boys agreed. A few minutes, all three of them had made it to their destination. Kotake was a bit late from going straight home and getting some stuff. And he couldn't help but notice Takao smirking at him upon his arrival.
"What are looking at me like that for?" Kotake half-demanded.
"Y'know, Kotake?" Takao began, "I see you with Doremi almost every day. You sure you weren't made for her?" His smirk deepened. "You were late like she was just now, after all."
Kotake went red in the face. "H-Hey! Doremi-chan is just another girl in the school! I-I don't have f-feelings for her!"
"You can say what you want," Masaru said, "But that's for later. Right now, we're here to discuss what we found out those nights ago."
Kotake and Takao looked at one another and nodded. The former spoke first.
"Okay, I'd like to bring a strange experience I had the other day," Kotake began, "It was weird. One moment, I was sitting at the table having dinner and the next I saw it." Kotake took a deep breath. "It looked like a duel, not the kind where you sit at a table and slap cards onto certain places, but the kind like on that show about that card game."
Takao raised his eyebrow. "Nani yo?"
"Seriously! I saw what I saw! And even felt it! But, come on! Even I don't believe it!" Kotake closed his eyes and took another deep breath. "But it felt too real. I even saw who Doremi-chan was dueling against."
"You're gonna make us ask, aren't you?" Masaru deadpanned.
"Okay, fine! But I am serious. Doremi-chan's opponent was Ai-chan. Only…she seemed darker and more malevolent."
"Are you seri-?" Takao began. He then face-palmed. "Gomen gomen!"
Kotake sighed. "That isn't all either. And it's what I believe least but…there was another Doremi-chan…and another Hazuki-chan and TWO Hana-chans! I'm not kidding! Doremi-chan's friends were there on the sidelines while the lookalikes were behind the evil-looking Ai-chan! Well, except Hana-chan, but that's beside the point."
"This story is really starting to sound farfetched," Takao replied, "Are you sure you saw all of this?"
"I know, it sounds ridiculous, but what I saw is what I saw. And the Doremi, Hazuki, and Hana lookalikes were just as evil-looking as that Aiko! …though that other Hana looked less so and the one Hana-chan beside her was kneeling in shackles."
Masaru gave a hard look at Kotake. "It sounds unreal, but what they were talking about a few days ago-"
"When we were eavesdropping?" Takao added.
Masaru nodded. "-they mentioned some odd things there…including a 'Shadow Hazuki' and how she completely trashed Doremi-chan in a duel."
"Y'know, come to think of it," Takao continued, "Doremi-chan did seem to wince occasionally and clutch an area on her shoulder."
All three sighed.
"It's getting late," Masaru warned, "Do we have anything else?"
"Yeah," Kotake replied, "Right before I saw all of that, I got this feeling…like Doremi-chan needed me. I can't explain it. At all."
"We'll continue this tomorrow," Takao said, "'Til then!"
And with that, the three boys left the park and went back to their respective homes.
Hours had gone by since class ended. The Ojamajos were at the Maho-Dou, as usual. And just like the past several days, they had been practicing their dueling, much to Majo Rika's chagrin. Still, she knew the importance of this hobby now, given recent events.
"So, Hana-chan?" Doremi began, "I forgot to ask."
Hai, Mama?" Hana replied.
"Um, why did Shadow Hana call you 'Hana-chan' like that? Doesn't she, I dunno, want you dead?"
Hana giggled slightly. "Shadow Hana-chan has changed a lot since she dragged Hana-chan off to the dungeon. It's a funny story, really."
This piqued the curiosity of the other Ojamajos. They dropped what they were doing at once and gathered around Hana. Even Majo Rika seemed interested now…and recalled her earlier suspicion.
"Where should Hana-chan begin?" Hana asked.
Majo Don and Majo Sloane appeared in the Maho-Dou. Neither of them appeared to be here for a friendly visit. Surprised, the Ojamajos and Majo Rika turned to face the two senior Witches.
"You all must come to Majo Kai. Now!" Majo Don said urgently.
"Majorin has been abducted," Majo Sloane added.
That told the girls all the needed to know. Immediately, they got out their taps and compact, but Hana looked down at it in dismay.
"Gomennasai, Hana-chan," Aiko said, "We should've refilled your tap back then."
"We'll transform first and then give Hana-chan the energy," Doremi added.
At once, the six Ojamajos activated their taps and transformed.
"Pretty Witchi Aiko-Chi!" Aiko chanted.
"Pretty Witchi Onpu-chi!" Onpu chanted.
"Pretty Witchi Hazuki-chi!" Hazuki chanted.
"Pretty Witchi Momoko-chi!" Momoko chanted.
"Pretty Witchi Pop-chi!" Pop chanted.
"Pretty Witchi Doremi-chi!" Doremi chanted.
Immediately, the group, aside from Pop, drew their porons and gathered energy into them. The energy coalesced into a ball that quickly flew into Hana's tap. Hana then wasted no time in transforming.
"Pretty Witchi Hana-chan-chi!" Hana chanted.
The glow from the porons faded completely after that. And everyone knew what that meant.
"Good thing we're going to Majo Kai…" Momoko sighed, "At least Majo Toron is there."
Majo Don and Majo Sloane nodded. "Majo Rika?" Majo Don began.
"Hai!" Majo Rika replied.
"Leave this to us!" Majo Sloane added.
At once, the three Witches gathered into a circle and gathered their own magic together. It was their own Magical Stage. And after a brilliant flash of light, all Witches and Ojamajos present found themselves in Majo Kai right beside the door to the Maho-Dou.
Majo Heart and Majo Toron paced around the audience hall. Majo Isabelle was present as well, but her crystal had been appropriated for obvious reasons. In addition, guards were keeping a very close watch on the Witch.
Majo Heart was about to say something, but the arrival of the Ojamajos, Majo Rika, Majo Don, and Majo Sloane stopped her. The latter two quickly flew up to their respective places in the massive, dark, chamber.
"Sorry we're late!" Doremi shouted.
"Better late than never," Majo Heart replied, "But every one of you might want to be more punctual during future crises." She gave a concerned look as she pulled out a note. "But what's done is done. This was left at the scene."
Majo Heart opened the note. "It was from Evil Rin. She has said that if we wanted Majorin back, then we have to surrender the Seven Seals and a restored Book of Shadows to the Shadows."
"We can't do that!" Majo Prima objected, "If they get both of them, then they will end us all!"
"We know that," Majo Sullivan replied, "But Jou-sama averted it the first time that happened."
Majo Heart pulled out the Seven Seals. "You girls are her greatest threat right now," she explained, "Therefore, I implore you to use these to rescue Majorin."
"You're putting the fate of Majo Kai in these children?" Majo Reed inquired.
"These children have proven themselves repeatedly," Majo Vanilla pointed out, "And they have survived numerous battles against this foe. They are our best bet."
"We understand, Majo Heart-san," Doremi said. She accepted the first Seal. "We'll do our best and bring Majorin back!"
The other Ojamajos nodded in agreement as they each received a Seal.
"Umm," Hazuki peeped, "Maybe Meg-chan can come too? She has a lot of strength too."
"Meg-chan is in studying abroad," Onpu pointed out, "We could ruin things for her if we interrupt her." She gulped a bit. "Besides…The fewer people who are worrying, the better."
"Then…I guess we're all set," Aiko said.
"Good luck to you seven then," Majo Heart said.
"But before we go," Doremi began, "Uh…Majo Toron-san?"
Majo Toron read their expressions. "You need more energy?"
"We'll help you out later in exchange for energy," Onpu promised.
"You know, you really don't have to make that offer. This is a crisis, and I can't just force you to work for more energy like this."
The Ojamajos exchanged looks. "That doesn't matter. We'll still help you, even if we don't have to!"
"You girls are so touching!" Majo Isabelle shouted sarcastically. The guards keeping watch on her immediately turned and glared daggers at the Spanish Witch. "Hmph! Worthless brujas…"
The Ojamajos, who witnessed the outburst, decided it was high time to leave. Majo Toron took their porons and recharged them in a heartbeat. She then gave them a salute before going back to Majo Heart's side.
"Minna-san…Wait!" called a voice. Everyone's eyes went wide as it source, Majo Kai no Jou-sama, entered. "Please…!"
"Jou-sama!" Majo Heart called urgently, "You shouldn't be out like this!"
"Demo ne…Majorin is…!" Jou-sama collapsed, gasping for breath. "Even…even they…even with the Seals…!"
"Please! Jou-sama!" Doremi pleaded, "I'm sorry…but you can't come with us! Not in your condition…"
Jou-sama tried to counter Doremi's statement, but the words died in her throat. Her strength quickly followed, prompting the guards to catch her. She reached out a hand…and that was all she was able to do at this point.
The Ojamajos looked at Jou-sama in sadness. They knew she deeply loved Majorin, but her condition would make it suicide for her. For now, they will have to leave her behind. With one final look at the Queen, the girls moved into a circle, a Seal in each of their off-hands.
"Pirika Pirilala Nobiyakani!" Doremi chanted.
"Paipai Ponpoi Shiyakani!" Hazuki chanted.
"Pameruku Lalaluku Takarakani!" Aiko chanted.
"Pururun Purun Suzuyakani!" Onpu chanted.
"Peruton Petton Sawayakani!" Momoko chanted.
"Pippito Purito Hogarakani!" Pop chanted.
"Pororin Pyaurin HanaHana Pii!" Hana chanted.
All of their powers coalesced into one form. At the same time, the Seals in their hands glowed, lending extra power to their spell.
"Magical Stage!" The Ojamajos chanted, "Take us to Kage Kai!"
The combined powers of the Ojamajos transformed into a gigantic gem. And as it descended, the girls vanished into the shadows right before everyone's eyes. Everyone present, except Majo Isabelle, wished them luck.
The Ojamajos landed on the ground in a heap. The journey to Kage Kai was far more turbulent than expected…something the girls should've anticipated. But it was over now. They could now make their move and start heading for the Castle. And to their fortune, it was visible…and very close.
"Looks just like Majo Kai's Castle, don't it?" Aiko stated.
"It's not surprising," Onpu replied, "It's a shadow version of the Castle, so of course it would look the same."
"Majo Rika, Majo Rika, Majo Rika…" Hazuki chanted to herself.
"Then why is the land like this?" Momoko asked.
The girls looked around at the yellow Ojamajo's behest. The land was completely unlike Majo Kai, being a barren wasteland. In addition, the sky itself was dark aside from some dim stars and a moon; the latter seemed more malevolent, given the shape of its smile compared to the one they knew.
Hana seemed to be the least unnerved. "Minna-san!" Hana called, "Hana-chan knows how to get in unnoticed!"
The girls nodded at the white Ojamajo's lead. However, they felt unsure of how Hana would know of such a way in…
Getting there didn't take long, but it still took longer due to the fear of being spotted. After all, they stood out like a sore thumb against the dark sky and landscape. As such, they had to fly low and below the tree line…and they weren't sure how they got there unnoticed given that the trees looked…dead or decayed.
Before they knew it, they were at the Castle's outer perimeter. Guards patrolled the area, forcing them to hide.
"Great!" Doremi said, "How are we getting in?"
"Make a loud noise and maybe they'll drag us in?" Pop deadpanned quietly, "That's what'll happen if you don't quiet down!"
Doremi gulped. "Then what?"
"Over here!" Hana said quietly. She was pointing to a small spot. "There's a secret entrance to the dungeons here!"
"Eh?" Aiko replied, "Are ya sure?"
Hana nodded and then pushed aside a panel. She then slipped in, ushering the others to come too. They now had a question, but decided to save it for when they were inside. Regardless, it was very suspicious how Hana would've known about that passage…
It had taken longer than expected, but they made it. Hana pushed aside another panel and ushered her fellow Ojamajos to follow. Once they were all out, Hana pushed the panel back into place.
Aiko stood up and stretched. "Why do those secret passages have to be so cramped?" she groaned.
"To keep intruders from taking advantage of them?" Pop deadpanned.
"I think we have other matters to attend to," Onpu stated sternly, "Hana-chan? How did you know of that passage?"
Hana tilted her head. "Shadow Hana-chan showed me," she replied, "And almost everything else in the Castle!"
The girls looked at her with shock and confusion. Did their daughter really just say those words? Or was it just their imagination?
"N-nani…yo?" Doremi inquired.
"Hana-chan speaks true!" Hana chirped, "Hana-chan even met two others here while imprisoned!"
"…And you didn't tell this to any of us earlier because?" Pop inquired with suspicion.
Hana sweat-dropped and she smiled sheepishly. "Hana-chan…forgot?"
"Let's go on ahead," Aiko suggested, "We'll talk about this later."
"Going on ahead might not be too good of an idea right now…" replied a voice.
The voice sounded familiar to the Ojamajos but only Hana knew who it was.
"M-Majo Ruka?!" Onpu asked, shocked.
Hana shook her head. "Shadow Ruka! Shadow Isabelle! Hana-chan brought friends!"
At once, the girls rushed ahead to the cells where the voice came from. On one side of the walkway was a being who looked exactly like Majo Ruka aside from having darker colors. The other side had the same thing, except the being resembled Majo Isabelle with darker colors.
"No way…!" Doremi said, half-speechless.
"Yes way," Shadow Isabelle retorted, "What were you expecting? My insane Light Half?"
The Ojamajos -sans Hana- couldn't believe it. They were speaking to the Shadow of one of Majo Kai's worst villains…and the Shadow of Majo Rika's rival. It was jarring to say the least, given how Majo Isabelle is and what she has tried to do to get to her goal of world domination.
"So…you can help us, right?" Momoko asked.
"Well, not exactly," Shadow Ruka replied, "We don't have our crystals and Shadow Isabelle-chan only has so many materials."
"So you can't escape as you are?" Onpu inquired.
"Actually, yes we can," Shadow Isabelle replied, "Any time, in fact. But we're not leaving without our crystals…and none of us even know where they keep them."
"Then can you shed some light on a few questions we have?" Aiko asked.
"Aren't you in a rush?" Shadow Ruka asked back, "If you are, then we can't keep you here for too much longer!"
"Yeah, but you might be able to make it faster!" Aiko took a deep breath. "Do you know where Majorin is?"
"Oh, Light Rin? Easy. She's in her old cell…and she's nursing quite a nasty bruise on her stomach." Shadow Isabelle had pointed to Hana regarding the cell. "But I will tell you this: It's not a pretty sight."
At once, the Ojamajos rushed to the cell, with the white Ojamajo guiding them…right next to Shadow Isabelle's cell in fact. And it was just as the Spanish Shadow warned: Majorin was lying there, curled up in a ball and clutching her stomach. She was very clearly in pain.
"Majorin-san!" Doremi shouted. She banged on the cell bars, to no avail. "Is there a way in?!"
"Here! Catch!" Shadow Ruka called. She threw Doremi a small object, but Aiko was the one who caught it. "That thing can pick the lock easily. Use it!"
Aiko went up to the cell bar's lock and inserted the object. It opened after a few seconds of jiggling, allowing the girls into the cell.
"Majorin-san!" Onpu called, "Daijoubu?"
Majorin turned her head and managed to open one eye. "It's…great…to see you *AGH!*!" The Ojamajos looked at one another and quickly handed the red-violet Witch the Seven Seals. "You…had these?"
"Yeah," Doremi replied, "The Shadows wanted us to hand them over in exchange for your life."
"So they sent us here to free you," Aiko added, "And we're not givin' them the Seven Seals!"
Majorin nodded and, using the Seals, temporarily changed into her Super Witch Form. It lasted for only a few seconds, but it was enough. When she reverted, she was healed of her injuries.
"That's all I can do with these for now," Majorin muttered.
The Ojamajos nodded. "Then let's head on back!" Pop said. She looked back at Shadow Ruka and Shadow Isabelle. "Are you two sure you don't want to come with us?"
"Unless you can find and return our crystals, we can't really help you," Shadow Isabelle replied, "Even if we give you-."
Suddenly, the door to outside the dungeon opened up. In the doorway stood a guard. She was smirking maliciously.
"What do we have here?" she asked mockingly.
"Dammit! Run!" Shadow Ruka shouted.
"You're not getting away this easily!" The guard began her approach.
"Pirika Pirilala Poporina Peperuto!" Doremi chanted. As she did so, the Seal she held glowed. "Blast that Shadow Guard!" Immediately, a beam of pink magic, charged up by the Seal's power, emerged from Doremi's poron. The Guard countered with a beam of her own, impacting it. But Doremi's beam overpowered the Guard's, splitting it apart and striking her dead-center. She let out a scream as the energy slew her…dissolving her into nothingness. "Whoa! No wonder the Shadows want these…"
"All the more reason to keep the Seal out of their hands," Aiko replied, "Now come on! We gotta lot of ground to cover!"
"Good luck, Light Beings!" Shadow Ruka called.
"Kick some a**, girls!" Shadow Isabelle added.
The Ojamajos nodded at the sentiments and silently bid farewell. They then went up the stairs and into a hallway, with Majorin in tow. Thee, they encountered more Guards.
"Leave this to us!" Aiko said, nodding with Momoko, "Pameruku Raruku Laliloli Poppun!"
"Peruton Petton Palila Pon!" Momoko chanted.
"Blast hose Guards!" Both shouted. The Seals in their hands glowed as well. And no sooner than they finish chanting, two high-powered blue and yellow beams of magic shot forth, striking and disintegrating the Guards who were unlucky enough to be in its path and leaving only one left standing. "Sugoi…!"
"My turn next!" Onpu shouted, "Pururun Purun Famifami Faa!" The seal in her hand glowed too. "Blast the last Guard!" A beam of purple magic fired from the poron, striking the Guard and disintegrating her. "It's clear! Let's go!"
Evil Rin rushed into the throne room. She was definitely angry and seemed interested in taking someone's life.
"Black Queen-sama!" Evil Rinj said urgently, "We have a situation!"
Black Queen, who was on the throne, rose to her feet and gave an aggravated sigh. "How many guards have they killed?" the Shadow tyrant inquired.
"Roughly thirty-four…and counting." Evil Rin face-palmed. "Seriously? Why do we even have those guards? They all get massacred every other occasion anyway!"
Black Queen chuckled. "They're expendable and easy to bring back. And their numbers will allow us to discern the threat level of whatever's attacking us. However, these Light Beings only have so much magic…and even with the Seven Seals backing them, it's only a matter of time."
Evil Rin gave her signature smirk. "I see. Then allow me to-?"
"No. I will see to them myself." The Shadow tyrant pulled out a deck of cards and pocketed it. "I want to test this out against them, see how good I've become." She chuckled again. "But I will tell you what you can do…"
"Pororin Pyuarin HanaHana Pii!" Hana chanted. Her Seal glowed too. "Blast the Guards!" At once, a thick wave of white magic washed down the hall. The Guards caught in the attack attempted to defend, but her magic was far too great, leaving them to be disintegrated and vanish into nothingness. "If we go down here, then we'll be at the Entrance Hall and out of here!"
The girls chose not to complain and followed Hana's lead. They went down the next hall…only to encounter more Guards.
"There's just no end to them, are there?!" Aiko shouted.
"Paipai Ponpoi Puwapuwa Puu!" Hazuki chanted. Her Seal glowed as well.
"Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto!" Pop chanted. Her Seal glowed too.
"Blast the Guards!" Pop and Hazuki shouted.
A twin beam of red and orange magic spiraled out of the two Ojamajos' porons, striking every Guard in its path. And just like with Aiko and Momoko's earlier attack, it left few survivors, albeit stunned by its aftermath. Majorin conjured an orb of magic and blasted the remaining Guards, disintegrating them too.
"Alright, let's go!" Doremi shouted.
The group continued down the hall at a breakneck pace. They knew they had to be getting close, but couldn't be sure. Hana seemed to know the layout quite well…and was making very good use of it.
Hana pointed toward a corner and ushered the group to round it. But as soon as they did, Doremi was struck hard in the shoulder by a beam of pink and black magic. It was painful and had managed to stun her.
"Do you really have to make such a loud racket, Light Ojamajos?" Shadow Doremi deadpanned in annoyance, "If you're gonna do that, do it right!"
"Knock it off, Shadow Doremi!" Doremi ordered. Aiko and Hazuki helped her back to her feet. "You can't beat us by yourself! So I would suggest letting us by."
"You think I don't know that? I know I can't beat you like this…but I can slow you down!" Shadow Doremi smirked as she cast another spell. Pink and black energy crackled in between the walls and, in mere moments, a wall had formed. "Try getting past this!"
"We can't waste magic here," Aiko warned, "Hana-chan! Is there another way?"
"Un!" Hana nodded, "Follow me!"
The group backtracked and rounded another corner. Almost immediately, they were ambushed again, this time by Shadow Aiko and Shadow Pop. Both Shadow Ojamajos fired beams of blue/black magic and red/black magic at their adversaries, respectively. But Majorin reacted quickly and raised a barrier to absorb the beams.
"You losers really should've masked your approach better," Shadow Pop mocked.
"Yeah," added Shadow Aiko, "Maybe then you wouldn't be so damn predictable!"
"Pameruku Laluku Laliloli Poppun!" Aiko chanted.
"Peruton Petton Palalila Pon!" Momoko chanted.
"Blast Shadow Aiko and Shadow Pop!" Both Ojamajos shouted.
Once again, a blue-and-yellow beam of magic burst forth from their porons, with their respective Seals powering it up. Shadow Aiko and Shadow Pop smirked and combined their magic into a spear-like shield. It did the trick, deflecting the attack.
No sooner than that happened, Majorin was struck in the back by another beam of magic. As she fell to her knees, the Ojamajos turned and saw the culprit: Shadow Hazuki.
"Way to keep an eye on my stack, Light Rin!" Shadow Hazuki deadpanned.
Kuso! Doremi thought, Even with the power of the Seven Seals, we're still getting beaten! She looked at her poron. And we only have so much magic too…
"Pirika-!" Doremi began chanting.
"Too slow!" Shadow Aiko shouted, shooting another beam of magic.
Doremi barely dodged the attack, but she lost concentration regardless. That's when Hana decided to use her own magic…and decided against using her phrase this time. Another wave of white magic erupted from her gloves, forcing Shadow Aiko and Shadow Pop to take cover, much to Shadow Hazuki's surprise.
"Pururun Purun Famifami Faa!" Onpu chanted, "Knock out Shadow Hazuki!" Her spell did the trick. Onpu took advantage of the orange Shadow's stupor and struck hard. She survived, albeit stunned. "Minna-san! We have to go! Now!"
Hana led the way once again. They climbed several flights of stairs, running into more and more Guards as well as again fighting those Shadow Ojamajos they had run into thus far. The same happened when they climbed down other flights. And they all took damage along the way.
It was frustrating.
Their magic was running dry. By the time they made it back to the second floor, Hazuki, Onpu, and Momoko were out of magic. Pop had only five magical spheres left. Aiko had roughly enough energy to cast one more spell, Hana had only one shot left before she would revert back, and Doremi only had enough for three.
And just as they rounded another corner, they were again ambushed. This time, it was Shadow Hana. But for some reason, she didn't seem too keen on fighting this time.
"Shadow Hana-chan?" Hana began. Majorin shot a weirded-out look at the white Ojamajo. Doremi and Onpu shrugged at the red-violet Witch. "Do we really have to fight now?"
Shadow Hana looked past the group with a grimace. "I…think we do."
"But Hana-chan doesn't want to hurt you!"
"Tell that to the Guards you massacred!" shouted a voice. Its source quickly identified itself as Shadow Onpu. "Let's show these Light Beings what happens when you ignore Black Queen-sama's terms!"
Shadow Doremi appeared by her side. "Did I miss anything?"
Shadow Hana hesitated for a bit. Majorin saw her chance and snapped her fingers. At that moment, time froze and everything went monochrome.
"Now's our chance!" Majorin shouted.
At once, the group went forward. The only exception was Hana; instead of going with the others, she walked up to her Shadow and planted a peck on her cheek. She looked sad.
"Gomen ne, Shadow Hana-chan…" Hana said. She then rushed off to catch up with the others. "Minna-san gomennasai!"
Doremi looked at the white Ojamajo with worry. "Please, Hana-chan! Don't walk off by yourself here!"
"Look out!" Onpu shouted.
At once, the group pulled back just as a blast of Shadow magic whished pas them. It impacted the wall in an explosion while the Ojamajos looked at the source.
It was Evil Rin. And she was moving without regard to Majorin's spell.
"Let's move!" Majorin called.
The group made haste as Majorin fired a beam of magic at the floor. It impacted hard and kicked up a lot of dust. By the time it cleared, they were gone…and that much closer to their destination.
Evil Rin gave one of her signature smirks. "You can run, but you can't hide!" she shouted.
While Evil Rin gave chase, time started flowing normally again. Hana led the group around another corner and right toward a long flight of stairs. She gave a sigh of relief as they followed it.
"There it is!" Hana shouted, "The Entrance Hall!"
"I just hope we have enough magic to get back home!" Onpu said, worried.
Despite Kage Kai Castle looking identical to Majo Kai Castle on the outside, the inside was very different. The near-endless halls were one thing, but the Entrance Hall was quite another. It was seemingly wide open, had several other doors on either side, and a massive, ornately decorated door that would lead outside.
The group immediately made a break for the exit. And then, just before they could reach it, a shadowy barrier appeared around the door. Majorin tested it with her own power.
It was blocked by the barrier.
A malicious chuckling sounded from behind them. As the group turned around, its source revealed herself as she materialized right before their eyes. She looked exactly like Majo Kai no Jou-sama, except her insanely long hair was darker than the blackest void, the star pendent was a darker shade of purple, and the normally white parts of the dress were black.
"Black Queen…?!" Majorin gasped.
Black Queen said nothing. Instead, she chose to fire a wave of her powerful Shadow magic. Doremi ducked just in time, but the blast hit everyone else, slamming them against the barrier.
"It looks like you're the only one left, Light Doremi," Black Queen said, "But I am feeling a bit generous today…So I'll make a proposal."
"Don't listen to her!" Aiko called, "She's trying to-!"
"SILENCE!" Black Queen, eyes glowing red, shot Aiko with a bolt of Shadow magic, knocking her unconscious. "Now, where was I? Ah yes! Our little deal."
Doremi grit her teeth. "If it has anything to do with working for you, then forget it!" she spat.
Black Queen chuckled again. "Me? Wanting you to work for us? Oh, no." Black Queen's demeanor changed dramatically. "Why would I, the Queen of the Shadow World, want a mere Light Being like you as a minion?!" She composed herself. "No. My deal is something else entirely."
Black queen snapped her fingers. In seconds, a burst of darkness erupted around her arm. When it cleared, there was a Duel Disk around the limb. It looked nothing like Jou-sama's in that it had what appeared to be fragmented stars as the slots.
"You…want to duel?" Doremi asked incredulously.
"I want to be Light Queen's superior in everything she does. This includes this otherwise pointless card game. But I do admit…It's actually more than a little…amusing." Black Queen inserted her deck into the slot. "If you win, then you and your friends can leave without further incident. Lose…" She chuckled maliciously. "So…do we have a deal?"
Doremi grit her teeth. It was jarring to see Black Queen actually have an interest in a children's card game…and it was even more so to hear her making such a deal. She had to be very confident in her deck and skill. But then she remembered the resonance and how poorly understood it currently is. She looked at her deck in anticipation.
Doremi inserted her poron into her bracelet. "Alright, Black Queen!" Doremi shouted, "We have a deal!"
Both of their Life Point meters raced to 8000 as they drew their opening hands.
"Duel!" Both shouted.
"I hope Onee-chan knows what she's doing…" Pop said worriedly.
"Wait!" Aiko called, "Why aren't we going to the realm between Light and Shadow? Each time we dueled our own Shadows, we got taken there by some weird force!"
Black Queen chuckled. "I guess it's because Kage Kai just stabilizes everything better than your world."
"All worlds keep each other in balance, Black Queen!" Majorin reminded, "And most of all, each duel was begun in Ningen Kai. So I think the Duel Disks transferred them to that realm to balance themselves properly. And now that we're in one of them, it doesn't have to do that! And I don't think it really matters if it's Kage Kai, Majo Kai, or Mahoutsukai Kai!"
Black Queen only shook her head, chuckling at what the red-violet Witch shouted.
Doremi looked over her opening hand. She had everything she needed to summon a Rank 4 monster, but she needed to be sure which one she would summon. She had no idea what Black Queen was running and she was certain she had seen her deck several times.
"I…think I will let you take the first move," Black Queen said calmly.
Her tone made Doremi feel uneasy. "W-with p-p-pleasure? Atashi no Turn! Draw!" Dormei drew her card and looked at it. She felt her confidence return. "First, I will activate Reinforcement! With this, I can add any Lv4 or below Warrior to my hand!" Doremi took her card. "This card is one of the keys to my deck, so I'll summon it! Golbindbergh!"
Immediately, a trio of planes piloted by goblins appeared (1400/0). They were carrying a large, six-sided metal crate.
"And when Goblindbergh is normal summoned, I can special summon any Lv4 monster from my hand!" Doremi took a card from her hand…only to see a number of small sparkling eyes appear around Black Queen. "EH?!"
"Increasing 'G'. By discarding this card, I can draw a card each time you special summon," Black Queen replied, "And since I chained it to your Goblindbergh…"
Doremi bit her lip. She had already activated her monster's effect and therefore had no choice. Her opponent was going to get a free card from her deck no matter what now. But that wasn't the main problem.
In reality, Doremi had wanted to make one of the more dangerous-to-the-opponent Rank 4 Xyz monsters. But doing so would require several special summons. And with Increasing "G" active until the end of the turn, getting out the monster in question was going to give Black Queen several cards to work with.
The metal crate opened up, revealing Summon Priest. He knelt in his meditative position (800/1600). At the same time, the eyes increased in number as Black Queen drew her card.
"This isn't good," Onpu said gravely, "That card almost always puts your opponent in a tight spot."
"If they want field presence, then they have to help their opponent gain hand advantage," Aiko stated, "But if you have a summon loop and can get enough special summons…"
"Not likely in Onee-chan's case," Pop warned, "Doremi-chan only has so many moves and her deck isn't built to do all those special summons."
"It's a risk I'm going to have to take," Doremi muttered, "Summon Priest no kouka hatsudou! By discarding any spell card from my hand, I can special summon any Lv4 monster from my deck! I choose Astell Drawn!" At once, the Priest gathered his strength and, using the energy from the sacrificed spell, opened a portal. Astell Drawn emerged from it (1600/1000). At the same time, the eyes swarming around Black Queen increased in number as she drew her card. "I'm not done yet, Black Queen!"
Goblindbergh, Summon Priest, and Astell Drawn turned into orbs of energy and quickly spiraled into a vortex.
"With these three Lv4 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" All three spiraled into a galaxy-like vortex. Once all three had entered, an explosion of rainbow energy erupted forth. It was followed by what appeared to be a magenta cube, though its structure implied another was inside. It began unfolding, driving one plate after another away and even altering the shape dramatically. When it finished, it had two shield-like extensions attached to what seemed to be a wall of sorts (2300/1600). "Appear now, Number 16: Ruler of Color – Shock Ruler!"
No sooner than it appeared, the eyes increased again, enabling Black Queen to draw another card. At the same time, a figment of Astell Drawn appeared over Shock Ruler.
"And when Astell Drawn is used as Xyz material, I can-!" Doremi began.
"I am fully aware of its ability, Light Doremi," Black Queen said nonchalantly, "But that drawing effect actually becomes part of the new monster itself…which leaves it vulnerable to this!" A small, winged being appeared over Shock Ruler (0/0). He cast a spell…and eliminated Astell Drawn's image. And the spell itself seemed to spread to Shock Ruler, causing him to appear ill. "Effect Veiler can negate any monster's effects, including effects that were given to it."
Doremi grit her teeth. "I will set one card. Turn end." A reversed card appeared behind Shock Ruler. And no sooner did Doremi end, her monster seemed to have recovered. I'm already at a disadvantage. If I don't do something or draw what I need, then I'll be in trouble!
"Watashi no Turn! Draw!" Black Queen said. She expression was concealed behind her veil, but it was clear she was enjoying Doremi's predicament. "I will begin by activating Cyclone! I believe you know exactly what it does?" A whirlwind whipped up from Black Queen's field and spun right into Doremi's set card. The card, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, was destroyed. "Nice to know I eliminated that nuisance…"
Doremi's expression changed drastically. She felt weak -and stupid- for allowing her opponent to get too many outs to her defenses. And she had the feeling that it was just going to get worse from then on.
"I will now activate Allure of Darkness!" A dark aura surrounded the Queen of the Shadows. "I draw two cards…and then I have to have a DARK monster to banish." She took both cards from her deck and then pocketed one of them. "And since it worked pretty well for you, I will use my own Reinforcement! And I will get this card." Black Queen pulled out her new monster: Junk Synchron. "Next…I will activate Hand Obliteration!"
Doremi took a step back. She frowned as she was forced to discard her hand and draw two new ones. Black Queen discarded hers too, and drew six new ones herself. In any case, the pink Ojamajo didn't like how her opponent threw her cards away just to go through her deck faster and set up her graveyard. For this reason, her resolve to win increased.
"With my new hand, I will summon Junk Synchron!" Black Queen announced. At once, a being that would easily have lived in a junk heap appeared by Black Queen's side (1300/500). "And his ability allows me to bring back any Lv2 or below monster with its effect negated. And I know exactly who to choose!"
Junk Synchron opened a portal. Emerging from it was a terrible, insect-like creature that was wielding…and giant fork (400/400).
"Huh?" Pop deadpanned, "Oh well, I guess it's useful for Synchro Summoning…"
"And since I special summoned a weak monster while you had one yourself, I can activate this: Hell's Reckless Summon!" Immediately, the area shook. Then, the ground tore open, allowing two more Fork-wielding insect-like monsters to emerge. "Normally, you too can special summon all of your copies…but this card doesn't special summon from the Extra Deck, now does it?"
"That's three Lv2 monsters and a Lv3 tuner," Onpu stated grimly, "She can go for a level 5,7, or 9 Synchro Monster and, in the former-most case, a rank 2!"
"Oh, you read my mind, Light Onpu," Black Queen mocked, "But I know who I'm going to summon. I tune one of my Lv2 Malicevrous Forks with my Lv3 Junk Synchron!" Both monsters leapt into the air, with the latter turning into three green rings and the former passing through them. "Ally of Darkness, hear my call and beckoning! Appear before me and serve as the all-exterminator! Synchro Summon! Awareru! Ally of Justice – Catastor!"
And just like that, an all too familiar machine monster descended. And like always, it sported a large cannon on its front (2200/1200). No sooner than it appeared, the remaining Forks transformed into purple orbs of energy.
"And with my last two Lv2 DARK monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Both monsters spiraled into another galaxy-like vortex. Something like a giant pair of demonic scissors emerged from it, with two purple lights orbiting it. The far ends slung down and stretched out and detached easily enough while the main blade split down the middle. Limbs took shape and split off as the rest of the sealed formed continued to shift and change. By the time it was finished, Black Queen's new monster resembled a one-winged demon with blades for arms (1300/0). "This is my new monster! Number 65: Judge Buster the Cutting Devil!"
"It can't be all bad, can it?" Hazuki peeped, "It only has 1300 ATK, right?"
"The show registered it as a Legendary Number for a reason, Hazuki-chan," Onpu stated, "That thing's ability could ruin anyone who relies on monster effects to get by…"
"But why stop at this form?" Black Queen inquired. She inserted a card into the slot. "I activate the spell Rank-Up Magic – Barian's Force!" Immediately, the Barian insignia appeared beneath Judge Buster, transforming it into an orb of magenta energy and spiral up into a dark vortex. "With this card, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"
An explosion of dark rainbow-colored energy erupted from the vortex. A massive object resembling a wrapped-up king's scepter descended from it. It quickly unfolded, transforming into a much more menacing being than its previous form. The wrappings unwound, and blades and limbs emerged from the core. Once finished, it resembled its previous form, including having one wing. But its right hand was no longer a blade and now held a scythe. Magenta energy pulsed within the powerful monster (1600/0). Floating near it were armored magenta crystals.
"This…is Chaos number 65: Judge Devil the Cutting Demon King!" Black Queen announced, "Welcome to hell, Light Doremi."
"It's barely stronger than it was previously!" Aiko shouted.
"Then Mama has a chance!" Hana cheered.
"Do you really think this monster is at all weak?" Black Queen inquired, "But do not forget: Barian's Force is still going! Chaos Drain!" And just like that, a lash of magenta energy emerged from Judge Devil's scythe, latching on to one of the lights orbiting Shock Ruler, transforming it into another armored crystal, and dragging it to the others. "And Judge Devil has plenty of abilities. By detaching one Overlay, I can target any monster you control and take 1000 ATK and DEF! Do you know who I'm going to hurt?"
One of the magenta armored crystals floating beside Judge Devil reverted to energy and entered his scythe. Then, a similarly-colored beam burst forth, striking Shock Ruler and causing it great pain (2300-1300/1600-600). The once-powerful Number collapsed to the ground and emitted an agonized groan.
"Shock Ruler!" Doremi called out.
"What were your cheerleaders saying about Judge Devil? How it's 'barely stronger than its previous form'?" Black Queen mockingly inquired, "Perhaps I should let them know why he's called the Cutting Demon King! Judge Devil! Destroy that weak Ruler of Colors!" Judge Devil seemed all too eager to obey his mistress's orders. He leapt into the air and sliced the Number to pieces with both scythe and blade arm. Then, he used his single wing to blow the remains into Doremi. She weathered the attack, but her Life Points fell to 7700. "And don't think you're getting off easy. Catastor! Attack her directly!"
Gasping, Doremi saw Black Queen's other monster taking aim. She braced herself early, but she wasn't able to ward off the beam when it fired. It hit her hard, sending her flying and screaming to the floor as her Life Points fell to 5500.
"Doremi-chan!" Hazuki cried.
"Mama!" Hana called, "Don't give up!"
Doremi got back up, though she hurt all over.
"I'm appalled that a Light Being would possess so much strength," Black Queen said with annoyance, "I set one card. Turn end." A reversed card appeared behind Judge Devil. "Are you still certain you have a chance?"
"Atashi no Turn! Draw!" Doremi shouted, ignoring the Tyrant. She looked at her new hand and her new card. "This is all I have right now. Since I control no monsters, I can special summon Solar Wind Jammer from my hand!" At once, something like a massive ship appeared. It had a double set of masts, one above and one below (800-400/2400-1200). "Of course, I have to cut its ATK and DEF in half, but that's not an issue with what I have planned."
"Oh, do go on," Black Queen replied, "I am just dying to see this 'play' of yours!"
"With pleasure! I activate the spell Gagagarevenge! With this, I can revive any Gagaga monster from my graveyard!" A massive coffin burst out of the ground. "I will bring back Gagaga Magician!" The coffin opened, revealing the juvenile magician. He appeared ready to fight (1500/1000). And Magician has an ability!"
"Yes, I'm sure it does." Black Queen chuckled menacingly. "Reversed card, open! Pitfall of Hell hatsudou!" Doremi gasped in horror as a massive hole opened up underneath Gagaga Magician. He screamed as he fell into the endless abyss below. And no sooner did he vanish, the hole closed up. "Pitfall of Hell banishes whatever it destroys, so I have a feeling your Magician won't be coming back. Ever."
Doremi collapsed to her knees. This proved it: She was in over her head. Black Queen had drawn all of the outs to her moves and was drawing them too often to be a coincidence. It had to be the resonance at work…and it was clear Black Queen's resonance was well beyond her own.
"Turn…end." Doremi said slowly.
"This can't be happening!" Hazuki spoke up, "Doremi-chan can't lose to her like this! She just can't!"
Onpu put her arm on Hazuki's shoulder and shook her head. "I want to believe Doremi-chan can win too. I really do. But Black Queen keeps pulling the right cards at the right time." Onpu looked back at the duel. "But that doesn't mean Doremi-chan can just sit there and give up!"
"Doremi-chan!" Aiko shouted, "You can still win this! You have that card you used on Shadow Aiko! It has to be able to do something!"
Doremi turned around and saw Aiko. Determination returned to her. "Arigatou, Ai-chan!"
"Then let me make your remaining moments on the duel hell. Watashi no Turn! Draw!" Black Queen said, drawing her new card, "There's nothing for me to really play right now, so I'll just have Judge Devil tear your Jammer apart!" Judge Devil leapt up again. And just like Shock Ruler before it, the large ship was ruthlessly sliced to pieces. "And now it's your turn, Catastor! Attack her Life Points dirdctly!"
And once again, Catastor fired its beam. Doremi tried to defend herself again, but the beam was too powerful. She was knocked the floor yet again and was now hurting even worse than before. Her Life Points fell to 3300.
"And turn end!"
Doremi managed to stumble to her feet. "Atashi…no Turn! Draw!" The moment Doremi touched the top card of her deck, she felt it. The same feeling she had during her battle against Shadow Aiko. Kotake-kun! She drew her card…and saw that it was indeed Kotake's card. "Alright! Since I control no monsters, I can normal summon this without release! Awareru! Temporal Machine God – Metaion!"
And just like that, the angelic machine appeared on the field. The screen shifted from static to the image of the being inside. He gave a determined look as he stared won Judge Devil and Catastor (0/0).
"The same card that crushed Shadow Aiko," Black Queen half-muttered, "But it was her fault she didn't win."
"I punish you with the power of my guardian! Metaion! Attack Judge Devil!" Metaion obeyed, launching a wave of fire at Judge Devil. It was completely unfazed by the attack. "And at the end of the Battle Phase, Meation's ability activates!" The time machine angel attempted to spread another fiery wave, but Judge Devil jammed his Scythe into the ground. Suddenly, Metaion couldn't find it in him to continue. "Meation?"
"Judge Devil has another ability," Black Queen explained, "As long as Judge Buster remains attached to him, Judge Devil prevents any of your monsters from activating their effects on the field!"
"So much for that idea," mocked another voice. Its source, Shadow Doremi, walked down the stairs. And with her were the other Shadow Ojamajos. And as they entered, Evil Rin appeared by her superior's side. "You're not bad, Black Queen-sama!"
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Shadow Doremi!" Black Queen scolded. She then noticed Shadow Hana rubbing her cheek. "Hmm?"
Shadow realized what the Tyrant was looking at and immediately ceased. "It's nothing, Black Queen-sama," she said half-sheepishly, "But…if you win, can I have, uh, Light Hana back?"
The Ojamajos looked up at her in shock and disgust. "No way we're letting you have Hana-chan again!" Momoko shouted, "Doremi-chan risked her life to get her back. So there's no way any of us will let you take her again!"
"How touching," Shadow Onpu replied, "And pathetic!"
"Urusai!" Onpu shouted back.
"Enough talk," Black Queen scolded, "These Light Beings are at my mercy as of this moment." She then pointed at Doremi. "I believe you were ending your turn?"
"Hai," Doremi reluctantly replied.
"Good. Watashi no Turn! Draw!" Black Queen took the card from her deck. "I think I'll pass this turn."
"Oh come on!" Shadow Doremi shouted, "Blow her away already!"
"I will when the time comes."
I have one chance to turn this around. I must make it count! Doremi thought, "Atashi no Turn!" The top card of her deck started to glow a brilliant pink…DESTINY DRAW. "The power of my friends runs in this deck! Please grant me the power!" Doremi took her card and added it to her hand. "And now, I activate Black Hole! With this, all monsters will be destroyed!"
Suddenly, a massive, dark, vortex formed in the middle of the duel. Judge Devil drove his scythe into the ground while Catastor did the same with its forelegs. Neither held up for long and were quickly sucked into oblivion. Metaion, on the other hand, had formed a fiery barrier around himself…and lived the destructive vortex.
"Metaion cannot be destroyed by any card effects," Doremi explained, "Turn end."
"You may have defeated two of my best monsters, but they pale in comparison to what lies ahead!" Black Queen shouted maniacally, "Watashi n Turn! Draw!" The Tyrant began laughing at the card she had drawn. "First, I summon Malicevorous Knife to my field!" Immediately, another insect-like monster appeared. It wielded a giant knife (600/100). "And his ability allows me to bring back any Malicevorous from my graveyard other than another Knife! So return, Malicevorous Fork!"
Knife swung with his weapon of choice and seemed to slice open a portal to the netherworld. Fork emerged from it.
"And if I control a DARK monster, I can special summon Black Claw Crow from my hand!" Immediately, a small crow whose lower body seemed more like a large claw at first arrived. It squawked loudly in anger (900/600). Then, all three of her monsters transformed into orbs of purple energy. "And with these three Lv2 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" All three of them spiraled into yet another galaxy-like vortex. The rainbow-color explosion erupted out of it…and was flowed by the emergence of a massive, inky teardrop that moved like a flame. Two clawed arms followed by two clawed legs burst out from the drop as it shrunk into a horrible, inhuman shape (100/1000). "Meet my true ace! Number 96: Black Mist!"
"But it can't do anything against Metaion!" Doremi shouted.
"I'm aware of that! And it will be more than a match when I use this!" Black Queen inserted another card into the slot. "Rank-Up Magic – Numeron Force!"
"Numeron…Force?"
Black Queen chuckled menacingly. "With this card, I rebuild the Overlay Network!" Black Mist transformed into a much calmer-looking cyan energy and spiraled upward into another dark vortex. And explosion of a cyan-themed rainbow energy soon erupted…and was followed by the descent of another sealed form. This one was an even bigger blob than the tear that sported six eyes and seemed to have a burning top; four purple lights orbited it.
"Born from the depths of chaos rises a new horror! Being pain and destruction…and all shall be left as ruin! Xyz summon!"
Clawed, bestial limbs emerged from it, as did two massive tentacles. When it finished, it resembled a more feral and monstrous version of Black Mist (1000/1000). "Awareru! Chaos Number 96: Black Storm!"
"I was kind of expecting those Overlay Units to be armored crystals," Pop deadpanned.
"It doesn't matter, Pop-chan!" Aiko said confidently.
"Yeah! That joke's on you, Black Queen!" Momoko shouted, "It still can't stop Metaion!"
"I'm afraid it can now." Black Queen laughed again. "This time, I used Numeron Force to Rank-Up my card."
"What's special about Numeron Force?" Onpu inquired.
"Barian's Force takes an Xyz monster's Overlay Units. Numeron Force…takes away the powers of all other face-up cards on the field…except the monster it just summoned!"
A wave of cyan energy burst forth from Black Storm. It hit Metaion, but he seemed to weather it. However, when it faded, the time machine angel crackled with cyan electricity and he dropped to the ground in pain.
"Metaion…?" Doremi gasped.
"And now, Black Storm! Attack and destroy Metaion! Black Chaos Whip!"
Black Storm lashed out with its tentacles. They grabbed the now-powerless Metaion and dragged him closer. And once he was in range…Dark Storm began slashing repeatedly, tearing off entire slabs of its armor and smashing its arms. Then, it drove its claws right through Metaion's screen, shattering it and then tearing what was left of him in half. But it wasn't finished yet; Black Storm fired a ball of magenta energy at Doremi striking her down and dropping her to 2300 Life Points.
The other looked on, horrified at the carnage. Even the Shadow Ojamajos didn't seem too keen on this level of destruction. But Black Queen had enjoyed it…thoroughly.
"Doremi-chan…!" Hazuki gasped.
"Tell me, Light Doremi," Black Queen began, "What was it your 'Guardian' was going to do? Punish me? That thing needed to be sent to the scrap heap…so Black Storm did it a favor and put it out of its misery." She chuckled. "Turn end."
Clutching her heart, Doremi struggled to her feet. She was both horrified and angry at Black Queen, both for tearing apart Kotake's gift to her and for rubbing it in.
"Atashi…no…Turn! Draw!" Doremi shouted. She took her card from her deck and gave it a hard look. "I…will activate-!"
"Did it ever occur to you why Kotake gave you that card?" Black Queen inquired suddenly.
"How did you-?!"
"It's not just my Light Half I know a lot of, Light Being. Now then, is it perhaps he doesn't need it? That he considers it useless? He does run Flame Stars, after all, and it would just slow him down. Maybe that's why he gave it to you? Because it was garbage and he really feels the same way about you?"
"URUSAI!" Doremi shouted.
"Damn you, Black Queen!" Aiko shouted angrily, "That's worser than the worst!"
"Unforgivable!" Momoko added.
"You leave Onee-chan alone!" Pop shouted.
"To pull this kind of reprehensible act…" Majorin began, "Your heart is truly black with your evil and tyranny. You don't even deserve your existence!"
Black Queen chuckled once again. "Light Queen said the same thing a long time ago, Light Rin. She was incorrect of course."
Doremi put her original card back and took another one. "I activate the spell Pot of Avarice! With this, by returning any five monsters to my deck, I can draw two more cards!" Five fallen monsters appeared: Shock Ruler, Solar Wind Jammer, Astell Drawn, Summon Priest, and Goblindbergh. All five of them flew into Doremi's deck, which shuffled itself. She then took her two cards. "Next, I activate the spell Instant Fusion! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can automatically Fusion Summon any Lv5 or below monster! I choose Ojama Knight!"
Immediately, a can appeared. It opened up, and out came a knight from the Ojama Country (0/2500). Doremi felt a slight pain as her Life Points fell to 1300.
"Hey!" Shadow Doremi griped, "That's MY card!"
"And I'm not done yet! I summon Gagaga Magican!" Doremi practically slammed the card onto her Duel Disk. Magician appeared, but he seemed more than a little out of it. "And his ability allows me to make him Lv5!" Magician recovered and boosted himself. He and Knight then transformed into orbs of energy. "And with these two Lv5 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
Black Queen smirked underneath her veil as the two monsters spiraled into the galaxy-like vortex. "And she has taken the bait!" she said to herself.
An explosion of rainbow energy erupted once again from the vortex. It was the followed by the descent of a familiar floating city (2400/1500).
"Descend, Number 33: OOPArts Super Weapon – Machu Mach!" Doremi panted. This was it. Her final stand. "Machu Mach! Attack Black Storm! Fire of Vril!"
Machu Mach gathered energy at the uppermost spire.
"I knew you Light Beings were foolish, but this is ridiculous!" Black Queen shouted maniacally, "Black Storm no kouka hatsudou! When an attack is declared involving him, I can detach any Overlay Unit…and have him steal all of his enemy's ATK!"
Doremi's eyes went wide as she gasped in shock. "U-Usou…!"
"Too late now! Black Storm! Shadow Chaos Gain!" One of the lights orbiting Black Storm vanished into its eyes. Then, two more-gaseous tentacles sprouted from its back and drove right into Machu Mach. Energy was drained from it until the core within stopped glowing and its attack stopped charging (Machu Mach: 2400-0/1500). "Now finish it! Black Chaos Whip!"
Black Storm leapt up onto the still-floating city and tore through the upper layers. Explosions rocked the entire creature as its assailant did its damage. Finally, it reached Machu Mach's core…and completely shattered it. No sooner than it did, it jumped back to the ground and, malice evident its eyes, began approaching Doremi, even as the remnants of Machu Mach crashed to the floor.
Doremi was beside herself in abject terror. Try as she might, she was unable to run. To her, her legs had turned to stone while her blood turned to ice.
Finally, the monster was right on top of her. With one final glare, it brought its fangs, claws, and tentacles upon the young girl.
Aiko and Pop drew their porons. "Pameruku Laluu Laliloli Poppun!" Aiko chanted desperately
"Pippito Purito Puritan Peperuto!"
"Doremi-chan wo tasukate!" Both shouted
In the nick of time, a blue and red barrier appeared around Doremi. Black Storm struck hard, breaking the barrier but vanishing before it could deal a fatal blow. Her life points fell to 0.
Black Queen is the winner!
"Doremi-chan! Doremi-chan!" The Ojamajos shouted, rushing up to their shell-choked friend. "Daijoubu!"
Doremi didn't say a word. Her horror and expression said all that needed to be said.
"Well then!" Black Queen said nonchalantly, "I suppose every one of you shall be…executed." She looked at the horrified gazes of the Ojamajos and the defiant gaze of Majorin. "I may be an evil Tyrant, but you did break in, caused a lot of destruction around my Castle, and massacred over half of my Guards! Therefore, I am fully in the right to have you all killed at once!"
Black Queen gestured for the Shadow Ojamajos and Evil Rin to come closer and perform the executions.
Suddenly, the barrier protecting the door shattered. And before Black Queen could register her shock, it opened, revealing Jou-sama. And she was standing easily enough by herself with no problem whatsoever.
"Minna-san!" Jou-sama called, "Leave this to me!" At once, the Seven Seal began to glow brilliantly and float away from the Ojamajos. Then, they raced to Jou-sama and were absorbed into her body. Another, even more brilliant flash erupted, and the Queen had transformed into her Super Witch Form and had summoned her Royale Keyblade. "Now Black Queen! I am giving you this warning: Allow them to leave…or you and the Shadows will pay the consequences!"
Black Queen grit her teeth. Even with her power, she knew she couldn't take her Light Half like this. She hated it…everything about that fact.
"Very well then," Black Queen bitterly replied, "You can-!"
"Wait a minute, Black Queen-sama," Evil Rin beckoned. She was giving her signature smirk.
Black Queen turned to her right hand Shadow. "Do you have something to say?"
Evil Rin chuckled. "There's something…off…about my precious snowflake. I can see it from my vantage point. Can you see it too?"
"This is your final warning!" Jou-sama shouted, "Allow us to leave…or pay the price!"
Black Queen smirked underneath her veil. "Do you want a crack at my Light Half?"
"Gladly!" Evil Rin eagerly replied, drawing her signature dagger.
Black, gray, and silver Shadow immediately rushed the Super Witch. The latter dodged to the left, but Evil Rin proved to be more agile and, extending the blade with her magic, managed to get a clean cut off on her opponent.
The wound…didn't heal immediately.
Jou-sama fought back with her own swordplay, but Evil Rin was easily parrying the blows. Finally, Jou-sama leapt back.
"A pure and noble Queen! Take this!" Jou-sama shouted, "Queen's Starburst!"
And just like that, Jou-sama, sheathing her Keyblade in energy, rammed it forward. Evil Rin sidestepped the powerful attack…and grabbed the Keyblade. She then kicked Jou-sama down and, without giving her the chance to recall it, dual-wielded the stolen Keyblade and her dagger, slicing repeatedly. Finally, she slammed the Keyblade down hard on Jou-sama, breaking her Super Witch Form and scattering the Seals on the floor.
Evil Rin stood over the fallen Queen, smirking. "You know, my precious snowflake," she began, "I had a feeling you were bluffing from the way you were acting. As such, I went on a gut feeling and the rest is history. Your movements were stiff and halting, your form was sloppy, and your attacks could never hit! In short, I beat you…in your Super Witch Form!" Evil Rin let out an evil laugh as she went up to a now-horrified Majorin. "Now say goodbye to that worthless Light Being you all a lover!"
Jou-sama remained on the ground, glaring at the Shadow Witch. She could barely move…and she could feel her rage building…
Majorin managed to get away from her Shadow's grip. At the same time, the Shadow Ojamajos were approaching their own Light Halves. The Ojamajos retreated, but there was nowhere to go. But Shadow Hana stopped.
"Wait!" Shadow Hana called, "Do we really have to execute them, Black Queen-sama?"
Black Queen turned toward the white Shadow. "Nani?"
"Um well!" She turned to her fellow Shadow Ojamajos. "If we kill them, then wouldn't we be depriving ouselves of our favorite, uh…victims? Yeah! Shadow Doremi-chan! You love pranking Light Doremi, right! She's your favorite victim!"
"There's plenty of replacements," Shadow Doremi said dryly.
"Shadow Hazuki-chan?"
"That idiot gets scared at the drop of a hat," Shadow Hazuki retorted, "I'm utterly embarrassed to be her Shadow!"
"Uh, Shadow Ai-chan?"
"Pass," Shadow Aiko replied nonchalantly.
"Shadow Onpu-chan?!"
"Same as Shadow Ai-chan," Shadow Onpu replied.
"Shadow Momo-!?"
"I don't care," Shadow Momoko bitterly said.
Shadow Hana turned to the last one she could trust. "Shadow Pop-chan! We're partners in crime! Surely you agree with me! …right…?"
Shadow Pop shook her head in disgust. "You know, Shadow Hana-chan? Ever since we imprisoned your Light Half, the second day especially, it's like you've been friends with her!" she ranted, "What about us?! What about our friendship?! Does that mean anything anymore?!"
"But I-?"
Shadow Pop shook her head. "It's over. Unless you're not really friends with Light Hana, are you?"
"Nani yo?! Of course not!"
Shadow Pop conjured a dagger and handed it to Shadow Hana. "Then prove it. Prove it by killing her…again!"
Shadow Hana looked at the dagger in apprehension. She knew that she now had conflicting loyalties now. If she killed Hana, then she would be betraying a newfound friend who legitimately cared about her. On the other hand, if she chose to betray her own kind, who would lose her long-time best friend…who also cared about her.
The Ojamajos saw the white Shadow take the dagger and begin her approach. They knew what she was meaning to do…and could see in her eyes that she didn't seem too keen on it. Only Hana knew why that was the case.
"Why do you hesitate, Shadow Hana?" Black Queen coldly inquired.
Shadow Hana didn't answer.
Suddenly, a powerful energy erupted from Majo Kai no Jou-sama's fallen form, drawing attention from Light Beings and Shadows alike. They saw Jou-sama getting up off the floor and floating in the air. The energy around her was no doubt that of the Seven Seals, but it felt darker and more malevolent. Moments later, the Queen's form righted itself and began a transformation sequence not unlike her Super Witch Form. But what set it apart was the presence of dark markings appearing on her skin and similar blood-red markings on her outfit. Dark-feathered angelic wings sprouted from her back as she summoned a more corrupt version of her Royale Keyblade.
Majorin looked at the form in horror. "N-no…Please, no!" she said, shuddering.
Jou-sama finished and brandished her weapon at Black Queen and Evil Rin. Her expression was anything but normal; it showed malice and glee.
"Jou-sama?" Doremi spoke up.
Jou-sama smirked. She slammed her Keyblade onto the floor, creating a wave of darkened energy that rocketed right for the Shadows. Black Queen raised a barrier with Evil Rin assisting, but even they were blown ack. The Shadow Ojamajos were able to use the shadows to teleport out of the way, but even they were shaken up by the attack.
But the corrupted Super Witch wasn't finished yet. Her wings burst apart, revealing a new set of draconic wings identical to those of Verz Bahamut's. She then fired a beam of what seemed to be a spear of cold darkness at the Shadows. Black Queen and Evil Rin just barely avoided it, as did the Shadow Ojamajos, but Jou-sama simply set off another wave, sending them into the wall.
"Why is Jou-sama doing this?" Hazuki asked, shocked, "what's going on? Majorin-san?"
Majorin turned toward the Ojamajos. "I've seen this form before," she explained, "Once…Jou-sama was overwhelmed by her fear, anger, and hate…and when she tried to use the Seals power again, she turned into some kind of Corrupt Super Witch form. It was horrifying. Even though she was still trying to fight for good, Jou-sama was evil in this state. But it seemed weaker and when Jou-sama finally snapped out of it and returned to her old self…she almost died. But now…but here…it's worse."
The Ojamajos gasped. They had no idea this version of Jou-sama's Super Witch form existed or even could exist. But there it was, right before their eyes. Jou-sama was fighting the Shadows alright. But she wasn't trying to kill them…yet. Rather, she was just toying with them, taking sadistic pleasure in watching them suffer. But they knew there was a way to snap her out of it.
"Jou-sama!" Doremi called.
"Please!" Hazuki called, "Come to your senses!"
"You're not an evil queen!" Hana pleaded.
Jou-sama seemed to hear the girls' pleas and turned to face them. Her expression had changed; it showed shock and worry. Then…her wings changed again, extending further and becoming identical to Verz Ophion's.
"You stay out of this!" Jou-sama said, her expression reverting to one of malice.
Immediately, the corrupted Queen's Keyblade became sheathed in a blackened cloud. She then swung it hard, sending a thick wave of the black cloud hurtling toward the girls. Majorin snapped her fingers, creating a barrier to ward it off.
It was no use.
The barrier was displaced and forcefully shrunken down to only be able to protect herself. The Ojamajos were caught in the attack and thrown to the ground. When the attack cleared, Majorin noticed several dark auras around the girls; they quickly faded as they recovered, but Majorin didn't like what the auras looked like…
Finally, Jou-sama slammed Black Queen into the wall and threw Evil Rin to the floor. She then unleashed another black wave, striking the Shadow Ojamajos this time and knocking them down and sending them skidding across the ground. Her wings changed again, this time becoming identical to those of Verz Ouroboros'.
Suddenly, a new being appeared from the shadows. It didn't take long to identify him: Skaj. His expression started off as bored but quickly changed to one of surprise.
"Yeah," Skaj deadpanned, "This didn't go right." He turned to the Ojamajos and Majorin. "You ladies get outta here. I'll hold this one off."
The door was, thankfully, still open. Majorin and the Ojamajos nodded at Skaj and quickly bounded for the exit. But Hana hesitated before the way out when she noticed that Shadow Hana was lying right next to it, half-conscious. She went up to her and tried to pick her up.
"Shadow Hana-chan!" Hana called, shaking the white Shadow awake, "We have to get out of here!"
Shadow Hana stirred back to reality and looked at her Light Half. "I…can't, Hana-chan," she replied weakly, "If I am to die here…then at least I would've allowed you…to live."
"But, Shadow Hana-chan-!"
"Besides…I have to stay with the other Shadow Ojamajos 'til the end. We may be friends now…but I am still a Shadow and have to stick by them." Shadow Hana got to her feet. "No go!"
Hana tried to get a reply off, but Shadow Hana had already used her magic to teleport her back to the Ojamajos.
The girls looked at their porons.
"We only have Doremi-chan, Pop-chan, and Hana-chan with magic right now," Onpu pointed out, "Even with Majorin-san's magic…is it going to be enough?"
"I don't know," Majorin replied.
"And that's also why I was sent here," Skaj said, appearing to of nowhere, "Hang on tight?"
Skaj didn't wait for a reaction. Instead, he summons black chains form his cards and dragged all eight through the shadows. Moments later, everyone found themselves in a dark place in Majo Kai. And as quickly as they made it there, the group noticed that the Shadow Puer Magi had vanished just as quickly.
"Prepare the Witches for bad news…" Majorin said grimly.
Featured Duel: Doremi vs. Black Queen
Doremi LP (8000) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Doremi's turn:
Doremi has Pot of Duality, Summoner Monk, Reinforcement of the Army, Gagaga Magician, and Penguin Soldier as her opening hand. She draws Scrap-Iron Scarecrow.
Doremi activates Reinforcement of the Army and uses it to add Goblindbergh to her hand. She then normal summons Goblindbergh and uses his effect to special summon Summoner Monk from her hand; Black Queen chains to the former by discarding Maxx "C" and is able to draw a card. She follows with Monk's effect, discarding Pot of Duality to special summon Star Drawing from her deck; Black Queen draws another card. She then overlays Monk, Drawing, and Goblindbergh to Xyz summon Number 16: Shock Master; Black Queen draws another card.
Black Queen chains Effect Veiler to Drawing's effect; since it's actually given to Shock Master, Black Queen can negate it with Effect Veiler.
Doremi sets Scrap-Iron Scarecrow and ends.
Black Queen's turn:
Black Queen has Card Destruction, Malicevorous Fork, Allure of Darkness, and Reinforcement of the Army, Cherry Inmato, and Mystical Space Typhoon as her opening hand. She draws Nimble Momonga.
Black Queen activates Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting and destroying Doremi's set Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. She follows by activating Allure of Darkness, drawing Giant Germ and Malicevorous Spoon and banishing Spoon. She then activates Reinforcement of the Army and uses it to add Junk Synchron to her hand. She follows with Card Destruction, forcing both players to discard their hands.
Black Queen draws Junk Synchron, Inferno Reckless Summon, Bottomless Trap Hole, Effect Veiler, and Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force. Doremi draws Gagagarevenge and Pot of Avarice.
Black Queen normal summons Junk Synchron and uses his effect to revive Giant Germ and then activates Inferno Reckless Summon in response; she is able to special summon two more Giant Germs. She overlays two Germs to Xyz summon Number 65: Judge Buster the Adjudicutter Djinn. She follows by tuning Lv2 Giant Germ with Lv3 Junk Synchron to Synchro Summon Ally of Justice Catastor.
Black Queen uses Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force, targeting Judge Buster and using it as Xyz material to Xyz summon Number C65: Judge Doom the Adjudicutter King; Barian's Force takes the Summoner Monk attached to Shock Master and attaches it to Judge Doom. She activates Judge Doom's effect, detaching a Fork to target Shock Master; it loses 1000 ATK.
Black Queen attacks Shock Master with Judge Doom, destroying it. She then attacks directly with Catastor.
Black Queen sets Bottomless Trap Hole and ends.
Doremi LP (5500) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Doremi's turn:
Doremi draws Solar Wind Jammer.
Since Doremi controls a no monsters, she can special summon Solar Wind Jammer from her hand. She activates Gagagarevenge and uses it to revive Gagaga Magician. Black Queen activates Bottomless Trap Hole, destroying and banishing Magician.
Doremi ends.
Black Queen's turn:
Black Queen draws Malicevorous Knife.
Black Queen attacks Solar Wind Jammer with Judge Doom, destroying it. She then attacks directly with Catastor.
She ends.
Doremi LP (3300) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Doremi's turn:
Doremi draws Metaion, the Timelord.
Since Doremi again controls no monsters, she can normal summon Metaion without tributing.
Doremi attacks Judge Devil with Metaion. Metaion cannot be destroyed by battle and all damage Doremi takes is nulled. At the end of the Battle Phase, Metaion's effect cannot activate due to Judge Doom having Judge Buster attached to it.
Doremi ends.
Black Queen's turn:
Black Queen draws Caligo Claw Crow. She passes.
Doremi LP (3300) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Doremi's turn:
Doremi uses DESTINY DRAW to get Dark Hole.
Metaion's effect to return to the deck is unable to activate since Judge Doom has Judge Buster attached to it.
Doremi activates Dark Hole, destroying all monsters on the field. Metaion is the only exception. She ends.
Black Queen's turn:
Black Queen draws Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force.
Black Queen normal summons Malicevours Knife and uses its effect to revive Malicevorous Fork. And since she controls a DARK monster, she can special summon Caligo Claw Crow. She then overlays Knife, Fork, and Caligo to Xyz summon Number 96: Dark Mist. She follows by activating Rank-up-Magic Numeron Force, using Dark Mist as Xyz material to Xyz summon Number C96: Dark Storm. Numeron Force negates the effects of all other cards on the field.
Black Queen attacks Metaion with Dark Storm, destroying it. She ends.
Doremi LP (2300) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Doremi's turn:
Doremi draws Monster Reborn.
Doremi activates Pot of Avarice, returning Solar Wind Jammer, Summoner Monk, Goblindbergh, Star drawing, and Shock Master to her deck and drawing Instant Fusion and Gagaga Magician.
Doremi activates Instant Fusion, paying 1000 LP to special summon Ojama Knight. She then normal summons Gagaga Magician and uses his effect to make him Lv5. She overlays Magician and Knight to Xyz summon Number Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech.
Doremi attacks Dark Storm with Machu Mech. Since an attack was declared involving it, Black Queen activates Dark Storm's effect, detaching Caligo Claw Crow to drop Machu Mech to 0 ATK and give Dark Storm the amount lost. Machu Mech is destroyed.
Doremi LP (0) – Black Queen LP (8000)
Black Queen is the winner!
After what just happened, I'm willing to let this man have his way. He warned us in a way, but we refused to listen…and now we've paid the price. But he does know an awful lot about what's going on...and we need all the help we can get.
…
Lswarm has begun its approach…
A/N: I redid this duel's chapter. I deemed its original to be too long and boring to keep, but it can still be found if you know where to look. I am also surprised at how long this chapter became. It really shouldn't have even been this long at all. In fact, I'm certain the earlier part of this could have been put into the previous chapter. But it doesn't matter now.