Chapter 29: In the Shadow of Dreadroot

Kasumi had gotten to the Hibiki Center early that morning. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was in for a rough duel. Any distraction caused by the nostalgic feeling of being back at Duel Academy was only going to hamper her ability to give the duel her best. And so she admired the arena in quiet reverence as she remember the countless duels she'd seen played atop those platforms. Stressful or not, she'd had some good times at Duel Academy.

Students began pouring in twenty minutes before the duel's scheduled start time. Dr. Spengler, her headmaster, had made sure to give her the usual pep talk ("The outcome of the duel isn't as important as knowing that you performed to the very best of your ability. Even though I hate losing to that half-wit Corbin West. I have half a mind to shove our wager down his throat every time he wins.") The sentiment amused Kasumi. She knew that the reason Dr. Spengler only hated losing to Dr. West with such passion was seated in their longtime college rivalry. There was no real hatred there.

From the moment Matt walked into the convocation center, Kasumi felt his eyes on her. It made sense. They were together for quite a while, and she was a pretty woman. Since she left Duel Academy, her stress levels had dropped and left her looking more stunning than ever. Still, it was odd to see him so fixated—unable to break his gaze from her. Did he feel a change of heart from seeing her again after all?

He decided to go for broke and descended the aisles to meet her side-stage. Matt looked good in his blue uniform. He had finally taken her advice and wore it more form-fitting. He had the right body for it.

It may have been self-centered, but Kasumi was sure every eye in the place was on the two of them, just to see where this was going.

Matt's expression was uncertain. "Look, Kas," he said finally. "I'm sorry."

She grinned coyly. "For breaking up with me?"

Matt stifled a laugh. "No, not for that. We had some good times, but we have both grown in ways we might not have if we stuck it out. There's no regret in ending our relationship. But I'm sorry for how I did it. Instead of confronting you with the problems, I became distant and allowed you to feel like Rory was stealing me away despite the reality that I was running away. I should never have put the two of you in that position. I guess I still have some growing up to do."

Kasumi spent a moment smiling back at him. When she did speak, she patted him once on the shoulder. "That's what college is for. You're forgiven, okay?" A second pat transformed into a playful punch. "Treat her better and we'll call it even."

"I'll try," Matt said. His smile couldn't hide the uncertainty he felt. "I'm still learning."

"Feel free to ask her for help," said Kasumi. "All you ever had to do was talk to me and my mind would have been an open book to you." She beamed at him for a moment before splitting to go leap into Cary's arms for a bear-sized hug from the best friend she had made at Duel Academy.

Matt watched the two old friends hug it out and speak in excited tones about the duel to come. As he wondered about roads not taken, Matt felt Bryan's arm slide comfortably over his shoulder. Rory had followed him. She showed her affection by scratching his back softly.

"She's doing well," Bryan said. "She looks so much less stressed out than when she left."

"I know. I'm happy for her."

Bryan turned his head so he could look directly into Matt's ear when he spoke. "Are you the leader of a multinational, underground organization bent on controlling the world through economics, power, and a children's card game?"

Matt's brow furrowed as he tried to process that question. Rory felt compelled to say, "That was the most random segue I've ever heard."

"He's had worse," Matt said. Looking to Bryan, he said, "What?"

Bryan decided to draw it out of Matt. You know… Ask questions that he could only know the answers to if he was really part of the Hellfire Club. "I'm trying to figure out the identity of the Overlord, if that's even possible. He seems to know a lot about what's going on with the god cards. I mean, how are we going to close the rift and prevent the World Collision from happening?"

"The Ars Arcanum," Matt said.

"Aha!" Bryan caught him now! "How did you know about the Ars Arcanum?"

"You told me the mystery guy on the phone talked about it in Yasna," Matt said. Bryan had forgotten that he told Matt the entire story.

"Oh yeah. So… There's a prophecy in the Hellfire Club. Apparently they believe God will eventually come to Earth and zip up that rift between worlds like it's just a crack in the sky."

Matt laughed. "Do they really?"

Rory was just as skeptical. "That can't possibly be what they think the Ars Arcanum does."

Bryan sighed. Somehow Matt wasn't falling for his information traps. "It isn't. Really, they think God came to Earth already and is in hiding." He eyed Matt carefully, looking for any kind of recognition to the story. If Matt truly was the Overlord, then he should recognize the prophecy Bryan mentioned and know that he was fudging the details.

But Matt only shrugged. "That's kind of true, I guess." He lowered his voice. "Ahura Mazda is secretly here with me. What better place to hide? The Hellfire Club would never think to check a foster home for a god." There wasn't even the slightest glimmer in his eyes that Matt knew about the prophecy. He even referred to the Hellfire Club; James had suggested the members didn't call themselves that, preferring a generic term like "the organization."

"What are you playing at, Bryan?" Cary asked. She wasn't one to miss the innuendo. "Why do you think Matt is this Hellfire Overlord?"

Now Matt caught on. "You think I'm in charge of Hellfire?"

"Cat's out of the bag now," Bryan moaned. He straightened up to tell his theory the right way. "According to… another member…" He had promised not to blow James's cover. "There's some Hellfire prophecy about the end of the world that pretty closely fits the World Collision mentioned by the Overlord. According to the prophecy, the true God was supposed to be borne into a human whose parents were Hellfire patrons… like your parents. Rumor is he was raised to become the leader of the entire outfit."

Matt realized what Bryan was saying, but he immediately drew another conclusion. "Maybe they found him. I have a twin brother!"

Never had Bryan felt so oblivious before. He slapped himself in the forehead. "Duh! That Zeke guy is the Overlord!"

"It fits," Matt said. "When I spoke to him in Yasna, he abandoned me to take a phone call right about the same time the Overlord called that meeting you spied on."

"Yeah, yeah!" Bryan agreed. "He was late to that call, too. That must be because he wasn't expecting your visit to take so long in the cabin. Dude, Zeke is totally our guy!"

Rory leaned in to ask the big question. "So what does that mean for our situation?"

For a moment, neither Bryan nor Matt had an answer. "Um… well…" Finally Matt found coherent words. "It means I should contact him, if I can figure out how. He'll talk to me, even if it takes some working him over. Plus, maybe my mother will bring me more to that story when she comes to visit."

"When is that?" Bryan asked.

"This Saturday," he said.

"That's only two days," said Rory.

He nodded. "I know. Two more days and we'll start getting some answers."

Kasumi took charge of the duel like she had never done before. "I begin with Sacred Sword of Seven Stars. I banish Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos (7) from my hand to draw two cards from my deck. Before that, Blaster's effect activated: When he is banished, I take one Fire monster from my deck and move it to my hand." She revealed Masked Dragon. "Now my Spell resolves and I draw two cards." She took two cards off the top of her pile. "I set one monster, and then I play the Field Spell called Dragon Shrine."

Petrified dragon tails emerged from the field grounds. Oversized rib bones lay in arches down the length of stone walls, chiseled from hefty fangs. What was once a blank stadium now had the feel of a dragon graveyard.

"Dragon Shrine's effect activates," Kasumi said. "I can send my dragon-type Flamvell Guard from my deck to the Graveyard, and because it's a normal monster, I can also send Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the Graveyard. With that, my turn ends."

Lucy 8000: Kasumi 8000.

It was a lot of cards to move during the first turn. The No-Draw rule didn't slow Kasumi at all. But Lucy planned to enjoy the hand advantage that came with her chance to draw a sixth card.

"I summon Skilled Dark Magician (4/1900/1600)." A man shrouded in black robes. The large pauldrons on his shoulders gave his mantle the appearance of curtains draped over his body. "Next, I play Magical Citadel of Endymion." Lucy found herself surrounded by a wall fortress made up of four open-walled silos circling a central tower. The boundaries of her citadel stopped just short of Kasumi's shrine. A jewel on Skilled Dark Magician's mantle lit up. "Playing a Spell gives my Skilled Magician a Spell Counter. I'll give him another one by playing Terraforming. Its effect puts another Magical Citadel of Endymion in my hand from the deck." A shooting star struck the tower and dropped a Field Spell into Lucy's hand while a second jewel on Skilled Dark Magician illuminated. At the same time, one of the silos inside Endymion shone brightly. "Now I play Pot of Duality: I excavate three cards from the top of my deck, select one to keep, and shuffle the remaining two into my deck. And my third Spell gives Skilled Magician his third Spell Counter." A third jewel on Skill Dark Magician gained its light while a second silo in the Citadel did likewise.

"When Skilled Dark Magician has three Spell Counters, I can tribute him to summon from the deck Dark Magician (7/2500/2100)." Appearing on the field from within an illusory cloud of smoke was the game's ultimate wizard, adorned in his signature purple robes with that patented smirk playing at his lips. Although she was no King of Games, Lucy was proud to possess even a replica of that legendary card.

"I also play Upstart Goblin to draw one more card from my deck; in exchange, you may have an extra 1000 Life Points." As she spoke and Kasumi's points rose, a third silo in Lucy's Citadel grew bright.

"Now I attack," she said. Dark Magician thrust forward his staff and launched a wave of magic that swallowed the field and smothered Kasumi's Masked Dragon (3/1400/1100).

Watching her white dragon disappear into the Graveyard, Kasumi gave a grim nod. "When Masked Dragon is destroyed in battle, I summon a second Masked Dragon (3/1400/1100) from my deck to the field in defense mode." A second, identical dragon appeared in place of the first, position and size all a perfect match. It looked as if the dark magic assault had been only an illusion.

"That ends my Battle Phase and carries me into a second Main Phase," Lucy said. "I set two cards face-down on the field, and then I end my turn. Now you may take your turn."

Lucy 8000: Kasumi 8000 + 1000 = 9000.

"Thank you," said Kasumi cordially. She drew for the first time in the duel and frowned. "I set one card face-down and place a monster in defense mode. That's it for now."

"Okay," Lucy said slowly. She couldn't help being suspicious of Kasumi when she opted to do nothing but remain in defense. Then again, it would take a real powerhouse to confront the Dark Magician head-on. And when Lucy drew, she found one such card—a gift from Matt when he dropped the Cyber Dragons from his deck.

"I remove Cyber End Dragon from my Extra Deck in order to play Malefic Cyber End Dragon (10/4000/2800)." A large, cybernetic dragon emerged onto the field. It was serpentine in appearance, but its metallic scales gleamed brightly despite the blackness of its wings. The torso split off to form three necks, each ending in a mechanical dragon head. "I launch an immediate assault on your face-down monster using Malefic Cyber End Dragon." As three blasts of electrical energy combined into a single, devastating blow, the attack collided with an icy structure, shattering it beyond repair.

"You destroyed Ice Hand (4/1400/1600)," Kasumi said. As the smoke from the collision faded, pieces of the prosthetic arm rained onto the field, including the palm—still largely intact. It landed on Lucy's face-down card. "When you do that, it destroys one card in your Spell/Trap Zones."

"I respond by activating that card," Lucy interrupted. "Mind Crush forces you to discard all copies of a card in your hand if I can correctly guess its name. Do you hold the Red-Eyes B. Dragon?"

Kasumi grinned, shaking her head slowly. "I do not."

"It was worth a shot, even if I do have to discard as penance for guessing wrong," said Lucy flippantly. She held her hand so that only she could see the cards but so that Dr. Lankford—the judge for the School Duel—could count and distinguish them. He selected one and Lucy proceeded to drop it into the Graveyard. "Bad luck. When Shaddoll Dragon is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, it destroys one of the cards in your Spell/Trap Zone. You only have one."

"And I will also play the chain," said Kasumi. "Fiend Comedian flips a coin: If I call it right, all cards in your Graveyard are banished." The stadium generated a holographic coin that spin wildly in the air. When Kasumi indicated her selection ("heads") on the panel, the coin stopped spinning and revealed "tails." "I guessed wrong this time, so the new effect is that I mill the same number of cards from my deck as the number in your Graveyard."

"My Graveyard has six cards," Lucy announced.

"Then six cards move from the top of my deck to the Graveyard." Kasumi completed the effect as required.

Lucy said, "That's so sad for you to lose so many cards."

"Is it?" Kasumi asked. She gave a wink. A good duelist makes use of her cards no matter where they are. "Now we can finally finish resolving the effect of Ice Hand. Even though you chained Mind Crush and resolved its effect, Ice Hand still destroys the card itself. As a result, Fire Hand (4/1600/1000) moves from my deck to the field."

After Lucy flipped her wrist, a fissure filled with molten, red liquid swallowed Fire Hand as damned souls fluttered past into the air. "I chain Bottomless Trap Hole. Your monster is banished."

"Touché," said Kasumi.

Lucy took a deep breath to regain her bearings. "After all that, is it still my turn?" She huffed. "My turn ends."

Kasumi drew. "Here's where I benefit from Fiend Comedian. I banish two dragons just sent to my Graveyard so that I can summon Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls (7/2600/2000)." Water splashed all over as if the dragon had burst from an invisible waterfall directly in front of Kasumi. It stood tall and lanky, shimmering with azure scales that looked almost crystalline. The two protuberances on the sides of its head were clearly intended for goring opponents in a single, fell strike. "Upon summoning him, I banished Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms. Doing so lets me move a wind-attribute dragon from my deck to my hand, like Red-Eyes Wyvern." She flashed the card to Lucy. "And now Tidal will blast Dark Magician (2500)." A torrent rushed forward as Tidal's wings flapped, forming a tsunami that enveloped the classic wizard.

When the waves receded, the field had one fewer monster. "As my turn ends," Kasumi said, "I banish Red-Eyes Wyvern from my Graveyard. Doing so lets me summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000) from my deck." The field simulated a volcanic eruption with a lanky dragon emerging from the flame. The onyx scales showed no signs of life save for the ominous glow of its red eyes.

Lucy 8000 – 100 = 7900: Kasumi 9000.

Lucy drew. "I propose One Day of Peace." All the monsters on the field took a knee and bowed their heads in reverie. "With this effect, we each draw one card and take no damage until the end of your next turn. With another Spell Card played, my Endymion gains another counter." The fourth silo within the citadel walls lit up. "And now, I move into my Battle Phase. Even though you won't take damage for it, I still plan to destroy your Red-Eyes before your deck can unleash its potential." The three-headed, mechanical monstrosity on Lucy's field blasted the sleek, black-scaled dragon in a lethal combination assault. Kasumi had no reply. "That ends my turn."

Kasumi hung her head. "During your End Phase on the turn after Tidal was summoned specially, it returns to my hand." Just like that, Kasumi's aquatic dragon disappeared with nary a splash and left her field without an attacker. "Lucky for me your Spell protects me for now," she said.

"I choose to banish my Masked Dragon to summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (10/2800/2400) to my field," Kasumi declared. Where the black dragon once had sleek scales, it now possessed metallic armor, coating its body in a protective shell lined with red. "Once per turn, this dragon summons a dragon from my hand or Graveyard for free, and I opt to restore the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000) that you just destroyed." Rising from the grave came the lanky dragon in its original form, less protected but still ferocious. When it roared, flames danced along its tongue. "I set one card and end my turn.

"And during my End Phase, since I didn't use my Normal summon this turn, I can banish a second Red-Eyes Wyvern from my grave to summon a second Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000)." Now her field was lined with three powerful dragons. Even facing a beast as powerful as the Malefic Cyber End Dragon, they would make a difficult trio to beat.

Lucy drew. A wave of excitement rushed through her as she developed a strategy to clear the field, but she did everything she could to restrain herself. "I begin by playing Upstart Goblin. Once again, you will receive 1000 Life Points so that I may draw a new card." The central tower of her Endymion Field Spell illuminated as she got what she had hoped for: another spell! "I activate Terraforming to move a field card from my deck to my hand." Although the illumination remained the same, the central tower flashed again, representing a sixth Spell Counter while Lucy moved another Magical Citadel of Endymion to her hand.

"By removing six Spell Counters from my Magical Citadel of Endymion, I can summon Endymion, the Master Magician (7/2700/1700) straight from my hand." Lucy's new monster wore robes similar to those of the Dark Magician. Endymion came adorned in black, studded with Spell Counters on his clothes and staff and on the ring encircling his back. "By discarding my extra Field Spell from my hand, Endymion casts a spell that destroys your Darkness Metal Dragon instantly." Endymion drew back his staff as it became charged with a Spell Counter. When he thrust it forward, the magical energy swarmed the field and swept the metallic dragon clear from the field. "Now both my monsters will attack your Red-Eyes Black Dragons (2400)."

"I chain Waboku," said Kasumi. Three women shrouded by robes of aquamarine materialized in a protective V before the two dragons, instantly parting all the strength from Malefic Cyber End Dragon's and Endymion's attacks. Both Red-Eyes escaped unscathed thanks to their protection. "No battle damage and no destroyed monsters this turn."

"Good move," Lucy said. She fingers one of her cards for a moment and then dropped her arms to her side. "My turn ends."

Lucy 7900: Kasumi 9000 + 1000 = 10,000.

Kasumi nodded and drew her card. "I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth (3/1500/1200), and then I activate Double Summon." A wave of energy flashed across her field, lighting up one of the silos on the Citadel. "Now I can summon again, and I do so by offering all three of my monsters as tributes to The Wicked Dreadroot (10/4000/4000)." Dark energy rolled onto the field like a low mist, collecting before Kasumi to form a green demon the size of an oak tree. It grew so large that only the torso was visible above the shadowy fog. The demon wore bone armor apparently created from a defeated Summoned Skull, previously thought to be the strongest of fiend monsters. The new god's wingspan reached from one end of the field to the other.

Simply gazing upon the face of this beast—twisted by a maniacal appreciation for torment and agony—turned Lucy's stomach. She felt the pressure roiling in the air, threatening to smother her if she gave even an inch to the fear welling up inside her. She reminded herself that Obelisk the Tormentor had been fear incarnate and yet she faced him successfully in battle, winning his allegiance and her position as a Guardian Dueler. This battle was no different… except that Kasumi was a much stronger duelist than Elijah Cardine had been when she first won Obelisk from him. Otherwise, she had no reason to fret.

Oh, and her monsters also felt the pressure. Endymion, the Master Magician (-1350/-850) and Malefic Cyber End Dragon (-2000/-1400) were both crushed under the paralyzing fear exuded from Dreadroot's bones, cutting all their power in half.

Kasumi, by contrast, handled the pressure just fine. "I'll set one card and then launch an attack on Endymion." All Dreadroot had to do was spread wide his wings to grow in noticeable size and loose a bloodcurdling roar. The level of fear pressured onto Lucy's magician grew so unbearable that his skin lost all color, leaving him perfectly pale and helpless as his mind and body gave in to the easy exit offered by the Graveyard. "That ends my turn."

Lucy 7900 – 2650 = 5250: Kasumi 10,000.

Staring into the face of the godly demon, Lucy felt numbness creeping into her toes. She tried leaning on one leg to jiggle her opposite foot, repeating the process on the other side. The exercise failed to achieve its desired effect of restoring sensation. The deadening feeling reached her ankles. She glanced down to see the dark mist climbing her legs. Was she being consumed by the Shadows, here in this friendly duel? Perhaps the power of Dreadroot couldn't be contained by Kasumi. Lucy would have to help, but how could she do that? The fear of total paralysis sparked an entirely different panic within her.

Draw, she told herself. Play a card!

Terrified though she was, she managed to lift a card from her deck and drop it straight onto the field. Immediately, swords began to rain from the sky. But these were no bladed weapons for battling foes; these swords comprised pure light. As each hit the ground and fenced in Kasumi's deity, the darkness emanating from its body vanished. The Shadows withdrew their advance on Lucy and dissipated harmlessly into the air. Lucy gave a sigh of relief. Her fear had not paled completely, but the terror was gone. She could wriggle her toes at will again.

"Swords of Revealing Light not only evaporates the darkness on the field and gives my Citadel another Spell Counter. It also freezes your monsters in place. For three turns, you will be unable to attack. That means I have three turns to devise a strategy."

"Before you go ending your turn too soon," Kasumi said, "I play Silver's Cry." A melodious roar filled the sky and resounded in the distance. "Hear that song? It has the power to resurrect one normal dragon in my Graveyard, and I choose Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/-1200/-1000)." Her dragon reappeared on the field, seemingly a fixture in the sculpture garden of the Dragon's Shrine.

Kasumi drew. "Now my real turn begins. I banish two more dragons from my Graveyard to summon Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls (7/-1300/-1000) to my field. And now I overlay Tidal with Red-Eyes to summon the Rank 7 monster called Number 11: Big Eye (7/-1300/-1000)." A conical monster with a panel cut from the side appeared on the field. With a red device on the inside and a glowing yellow ring, the cone resembled a scowling eyeball. "I activate Big Eye's effect by detaching one Xyz material: Now Big Eye takes control of Malefic Cyber End Dragon." The conical monster hovered into the air and generated energy in the shape of a golden ring encompassing its point. Seen at this angle against the stadium backdrop, it again resembled a giant eye—wide-open this time. Ensnared by the magnetic draw of the ring, Cyber End Dragon transitioned to the opposite side of the field.

"This is not good," Lucy noted. Now she had no monsters and still had to stare down the darkest form of Obelisk the Tormentor. She staved off the immobilizing effects of fear for now, but what card could possibly save her?

"I activate Pot of Duality. I view three cards off the top of my deck, select which one I want to keep, and then shuffle the other two back into the deck." She handed her deck to Dr. Lankford to complete the shuffle. "I will activate that card right now. I chose Dark Hole." A small orb appeared in the center of the field. The darkness of it was total, as was its gravitational pull. In an instant, all monsters were drawn into its unending shadow, swallowed whole without a trace left behind. All four silos and the central tower of Endymion's citadel now shone brightly. "I end my turn with no further moves." And why not? She may lack a monster but her Swords of Revealing Light were still iridescent.

Kasumi drew. "If I can't attack, then I'll simply set one card. Of course, during my End Phase I'll banish another Red-Eyes Wyvern to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000). So even if you did not know my deck theme earlier, you should know by now, yeah?"

Lucy smiled and gave a single nod. "Well, that was two turns with my Swords holding you in place. Just one more. In preparation of that moment, I set one monster and end my turn."

"In that case, I set two cards face-down and end my turn," said Kasumi. The lights triangulating her field dimmed, flickered, and disappeared. "Your Swords of Revealing Light have gone."

"I see it," said Lucy. "I have my ways of reactivating them, however. My Magician of Faith (1/300/400) flips face-up." A woman with hair of lavender stood, draped in robes dyed royal blue and burgundy. She tapped her golden, moon-crested staff on the ground and a wave of energy rippled into the Graveyard. "When she is revealed, she casts a spell that returns one Spell Card from my discard pile. I choose to retrieve Swords of Revealing Light. It will be nice to have in case you summon Dreadroot again."

"Good plan," Kasumi agreed as the radiant swords once again rained down on her Dragon Shrine.

"That Spell makes six counters on my Magical Citadel of Endymion," Lucy pointed out. "I remove them all to summon Endymion, the Master Magician (7/2700/1700)." For the second time, an overpowered spellcaster appeared on her field, his robes studded with Spell Counters and granting him power. "Endymion attacks Red-Eyes." A burst of dark energy sailed from the mage's body and swallowed the black dragon until its scales crunched.

Kasumi cheered with a facetious tone in her voice. "Hey! You finally damaged my Life Points."

"It's coming," Lucy replied hopefully. "I discard a Spell from my hand to activate Endymion's effect." Energized by a new Spell Counter, Endymion launched a spell from his staff and incinerated one of Kasumi's face-down cards. "That ends my turn."

Lucy 5250: Kasumi 10,000 – 300 = 9700.

"My turn begins with Monster Reincarnation. I drop one card in my Graveyard to reclaim The Wicked Dreadroot. And since you had so much fun with it the first time, I'll summon it again." Her voice was dark and her expression intense as she shifted her cards around to summon three monsters. Escape from the Dark Dimension summoned one of her banished Red-Eyes Wyverns, Silver's Cry summoned a Red-Eyes Black Dragon from her Graveyard, and banishing two more dragons summoned Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls once more. All three monsters vanished as wisps—the dam breaking to pour Shadows back onto the field. The mammoth form of The Wicked Dreadroot (10/4000/4000) filled the confines gated by the Swords of Revealing Light. "See how easy that was?"

Even though Kasumi ended her turn without an attack and her monster was temporarily restrained, the fear emanating from Dreadroot remained. All of Lucy's monsters lost half their power. Lucy again felt the tingle of numbness creeping into her toes. She was only protected by the immobilization of fear because of her Swords of Revealing Light keeping the Shadows in check. If she could not remove Dreadroot from the field again, she would be helpless under the weight of her fear. And if she couldn't find a way to keep the Wicked God out of play, then Kasumi may just swarm the field with her dragons and summon it again.

No. Something more permanent must be done. "I set one monster in defense mode, and then I switch both Magician of Faith (-150/-200) and Endymion, the Master Magician (-1350/-850) to defense position as well. That ends my turn."

Kasumi clicked her tongue as she drew. "This is the second turn with your Swords." She summoned Blizzard Dragon (4/-900/-500), a blue-scaled, amphibious dragon without wings—rather having extended webbing between its lengthy claws. "Only one turn left."

Lucy knew she was right. It was now or never, and she still lacked the card she needed. "I flip my second Magician of Faith (-150/-200) and use her effect to retrieve another Spell from my Graveyard. Immediately I choose to activate Upstart Goblin, giving you 1000 more Life Points so that I may draw one card."

It was difficult for Kasumi not to chuckle. "If you continue to give me Life Points, you will find this duel exceptionally difficult to win."

"And yet sometimes it is worth the cost when I get the card I need. I tribute both Magicians of Faith to summon Dark Magician (7/-1250/-1050) to my field." Once more the game's ultimate wizard materialized onto the field from within a whirl of dark magic.

"He is subject to the same chaotic emotions as all other monsters," Kasumi declared. "See him tremble? Terror has gripped him like a snake coiled tightly around his throat."

"Fear is natural," Lucy objected. "Fear prevents recklessness. Only those who feel fear can learn what it means to be strong and to join forces when that strength still isn't enough." Kasumi gasped, but it was too late to object. "I overlay Dark Magician with Endymion, the Master Magician to summon Ebon Illusion Magician (7/-1250/1050)!" Merging their energies together, the two magicians grew more powerful than they could have been alone. Still adorned in the Dark Magician's purple robes, the Rank-Seven monster seemed to be the twin of the legendary wizard. Only the pallor of his hair and the darkness of his skin separated them.

Kasumi was taken aback, stunned into momentary speechlessness. "Ebon Illusion Magician? I've never heard of that card."

"It hasn't been mass-produced yet," Lucy explained. "For the immediate future, this is a unique card outside of the Industrial Illusions library. I designed this one as an evolved Dark Magician with the power to call for reinforcements. By detaching one Xyz material, I summon the third Dark Magician (7/-1250/-1050) from my deck." Standing side-by-side, the two spellcasters appeared like siblings. "The only way to overcome fear is to confront it head-on, as a team! Dark Magician attacks Blizzard Dragon (900)." The green staff of the Dark Magician formed a spell, ready and aimed straight for the blue dragon.

But something else happened first. Ebon Illusion Magician's white staff began to shine brighter than the Swords of Revealing Light. A ring of light formed beneath The Wicked Dreadroot. Runes formed within the ring as Ebon Illusion chanted the words to his spell. When the symbols filled the circle, its surface expanded to the girth of the divine fiend, and it rose from the ground. As it moved past Dreadroot, it consumed the god card's body. The field remained empty in the wake of the ring. Within seconds, all the fear and Shadows of The Wicked Dreadroot disappeared—banished from the field and from the game.

"Get it now? I did." Lucy said. The Dark Magician (+2500) finished his attack on Blizzard Dragon (+1800) as soon as Dreadroot vanished. "I destroyed Dreadroot once but you pulled it out the grave and summoned it again. But that particular god can't be Special Summoned to the field. In order to make sure it doesn't return, I had to banish it. When a normal spellcaster declares an attack, Ebon Illusion Magician can do just that. Last and not least, he can also declare a direct attack." The older magician launched a spell of silvery magic that collided with Kasumi Life Points and made the first significant dent. "That ends my turn."

Lucy 5250: Kasumi 9700 + 1000 – 700 – 2500 = 7500.

Kasumi needed a moment to get over the shock of how easily Lucy recovered from Dreadroot's devastation. It wasn't easy to combat that level of fear. Not for mortals. But whether her strength was unfounded or legitimate, Lucy did not succumb. Quite the contrary: She twice found a way to remove the source. She was proving in this duel that she remained every bit the godslayer she was when she guarded Obelisk.

"It's your last turn with Swords," Kasumi said after she formulated a short-term plan. "I banish two dragons from my Graveyard to summon Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls (7/2600/2000) to the field once again." The eruption of this powerful hydro dragon onto the field created a wide splash zone that could have drenched the first few rows of the audience if not for its holographic nature. "That ends my turn. But during that End Phase, I'll banish my Red-Eyes Wyvern again to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000) in defense mode." The black dragon curled itself into a protective ball with both wings forming a massive shield.

Both players already knew how the next turn would play out, but Kasumi doubled down on her defense. "I activate Fiend Comedian again. Another coin is flipped, and if I call it right, all cards in your Graveyard are banished. I call tails." The holographic coin flipped and revealed a face-up "tails" logo. "At the very least, now you can't use the cards in your Graveyard. We're even for banishing Dreadroot."

Lucy nodded with a smile. "I understand. Dark Magician (2500) attacks Red-Eyes, and Ebon Illusion Magician uses his ability to banish Tidal," Lucy declared. While the Dark Magician reared up for an assault, the white, runic ring encircled Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls and banished it from the game.

"Banishing Tidal lets me move a water dragon to my hand," said Kasumi. She showed Lucy and the judge a Blizzard Dragon, complying with the rule.

"Dark Magician finishes his attack," Lucy said, watching the powerful swarm of black magic consume the dragon. "Now Ebon Illusion Magician (2500) can attack directly again." Seeing the contradiction of black magic taking on a white energy form didn't lessen the damage it dealt as Kasumi's Life Points took another big hit.

Lucy 5250: Kasumi 7500 – 2500 = 5000.

As Kasumi drew, she finally felt relief. "Remember how you cleared my field of Dreadroot the first time? Well now Dark Hole is how your two magicians will disappear." What started as a tiny spot of pitch-blackness on the field rapidly drew in everything surrounding it until all the monsters in sight vanished, compressed by the gravity of Dark Hole into nothingness. "Now your field is empty, and you can take a direct attack from Blizzard Dragon (4/1800/1000)."

Lucy 5250 – 1800 = 3450: Kasumi 5000.

With a sigh of relief, Lucy drew her final card. "I summon Card Trooper (3/400/400). It may look like a rust-bucket machine with cannons instead of hands doesn't belong in my deck, but its value doesn't come in the form of Spell Counters. Using its effect, I mill three cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard and raise Card Trooper's (+1900) points by 500 per card." She browsed the discarded cards. Elation filled her as she could not fight back against a smile. "You were right to clear my Graveyard last turn, but now I set it up again. I banish Effect Veiler and Skilled Dark Magician to summon my truly ultimate monster: Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (8/3000/2500)." This powerful warrior was peerless, standing tall and lean in armor that glimmered with the same lustrous shine as the gold that was forged into his armor. He carried in one hand a hefty shield capable of defending the fiercest blows and in the other a scimitar pulsating with the power of chaos.

"The duel ends now," Lucy said. Black Luster Soldier performed a powerful slash attack, unleashing a pillar of energy that spilled from his blade and carried across the field until it obliterated Blizzard Dragon (1800). And then Black Luster Solider cocked his sword for a follow-through. "When Envoy of the Beginning destroys a monster in battle, he attacks a second time." The second attack was more lethal than the first; Black Luster Soldier darted forward, weaving around the spires of the Dragon Shrine to find Kasumi and strike her directly.

"And because that's not quite enough," Lucy said, "I still have Card Trooper (1900)." With two successive volleys from the machine's cannons, Kasumi's Life Points sustained irreparable damage.

Lucy 3450: Kasumi 5000 – 1200 – 3000 – 1900 = 0.

"I know this just sounds like bragging," said Lucy, "but you truly have become strong since you left. It's no wonder Godwin chose you to represent them in this duel."

"I know this sounds like I'm being defensive," said Kasumi, "but I really wanted to win this. I would have given up Dreadroot either way. I know Matt's the one who is supposed to have it. Come to think of it, maybe you were supposed to have it after all."

Dr. West and Dr. Spengler stood side-stage, witnesses while Kasumi handed her shining god card over to Lucy Mercer, the winner of the School Duel ritual. In a way, Dr. Spengler was disappointed to see it go, and yet he had allowed the ritual to commence even without an equal payout if Kasumi had emerged the victor.

"You understand why I am giving you this card?" Dr. Spengler asked.

"Yes," said Dr. West. "Because Duel Academy won the bet. You bet on a bet, and when you lose, you lose the bet."

"Besides that drudgery," said Dr. Spengler with a distinct groan of distaste in his voice. "Those nine cards must be sealed once more if we wish to continue our longtime rivalry over their possession. A sealing ritual can only be completed if all the cards lie together."

"That is true." Dr. West pursed his lips and inhaled sharply, and act that altogether helped his bushy mustache spread and take over his face. "I'm afraid I have withheld information from you, old friend: valuable information that could have influenced your decision to bring the card here."

Dr. Spengler remained silent and braced himself.

"A sealing ritual is impossible. If the conflict in the spiritual world remained within the forces of the Shadow Realm, then the Egyptian Gods, the Sacred Beasts, and the Wicked Gods could be sealed in counterbalance to one another. But that balance was disrupted by the emergence of new creatures known as Earthbound Immortals."

"What, pray tell, is an Earthbound Immortal?" asked Dr. Spengler. "Have you seen one?"

"I possess one."

"You do?"

Dr. West gave a single nod. "I do not yet know its true nature."

Dr. Spengler's amazement waned rapidly. "Sincerely? You, the Ritual Master himself? I shudder to think of the entity that can hide from you."

"As far as I can glean," said Dr. West, "they are lost souls in defiance of the Shadow Realm. Through all I have seen, the Earthbound Immortals resist being held by ones who possess another god card. One of my students holds the other two Wicked Gods and all three Sacred Beasts. No matter how close he has come to an Earthbound Immortal, a barrier inevitably arises."

Dr. Spengler hummed softly to himself as he stroked the wispy, gray hair on his chin. "Is there reason to believe the existence of these Earthbound Immortals will interfere with the completion of the Ars Arcanum? Is there no way to repeat your earlier feat and seal the Shadow Realm from our world a second time?"

"I do not know what interference may occur. I cannot know without knowing what force bore them. All I can do is to complete the Ars Arcanum as planned and hope for the best. Though I yearn for a more certain option, the Ars Arcanum is the only ritual I know of that may bring us salvation."

"'May,' Corbin?" Nuance was what Dr. Spengler objected to. "You took Dreadroot from me, and yet you offer no guarantee that such a transaction was necessary?"

Dr. West chuckled and shook his head. "I never offered any guarantee of the sort. I withheld information during our negotiations in expectation that you would react just so."

"I quite rightly deserve my opinion," said Dr. Spengler. Suddenly his expression showed intense anger, although rather than fury his eyes showed disappointment. Much like an upset grandfather. "You gained that card under false pretenses. For all we know, the imbalance in spiritual energy may disrupt the ritual and prevent its completion." He harrumphed and folded his arms over his chest. "The gods have always drawn toward one another because together they increase the focus size of the Shadow Realm—they are strongest together. The best solution to delay Judgment Day may be to separate the cards as far as possible!"

"Apologies, Hamlin, but I'm afraid the card already belongs to Lucy." Dr. West motioned with his chin toward his school's newest champion. "Take heart. Successful or not, when the Ars Arcanum is complete, you shall finally have a selection of god cards at Godwin Academy."

Not twenty yards away, completely oblivious to the dealings between headmasters, Lucy and Bryan reveled in the acquisition of the third and final Wicked God.

"That's one more," Lucy said, gazing upon the intimidating figure of The Wicked Dreadroot. Its presence was heavy and dark. Even now, she could feel it pressuring her to give in to her base desires. Kasumi certainly had grown strong to withstand this kind of power. Lucy quickly slipped it into her deck box before anyone could get the sneaky idea of trying to steal it from her. "How many more do you need, sweetie?"

Bryan pursed his lips and shrugged. "That's the problem. You remember those Earthbound Immortal cards?" She did. "Who knows how many of them are out there? I mean, at this point we still don't even know anything about where they came from. Just some vague mumbo jumbo about rejecting the Collective Consciousness and causing some kind of rift. For all we know, we could have them all by now. Or there could another one watching us in this very stadium."

Funny that if Bryan had only considered that possibility minutes earlier, his gaze would have carried through the stadium seating while it was still mostly full of lingering spectators. And he might have caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd, shrouded though he was by Duel Academy paraphernalia, with a line of sight unendingly fixated on Lucy.

This update is a week late. I got way behind in my writing thanks to various other factors of life popping up sporadically. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the duel. We're wrapping up the arc quickly now-just five or six chapters remain. The next one will finally take us into greater detail for my version of the Earthbound Immortals' origin. Stay tuned!