NOTE: THIS IS THE FINAL UPDATE TO THIS AS I'M POSTING MORE ON AO3 AS THE MAIN PLATFORM NOW. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE READING, FIND ME THERE. USERNAMES IN MY PROFILE HERE, OR JUST PM ME IF ANYTHING ELSE.
After a several month wait, I'm back to this story now… all I can say is real life sucks. Solving all our problems with a children's card game would be a lot easier. Speaking of which; this chapter was supposed to come out sooner, but I had a Duel with Emblemfan1 and he smoked me with Purple Armageddon and I was left to wallow in shame… then again, I did play Mystic Mine…
I'll get you in our Rematch, Emblem! I swear it! In any case, let's get onto todays chapter. I also updated how Duels are formatted, so let me know what you think.
Finally, while I won't be able to cover every single monster in Yu-Gi-Oh, if you have a favorite monster or archetype or something and would like to know its ranking in the Rosario-verse if it did/does appear someday; list them in a review or something. A general rule I have is, usually Monsters with close to 2000 ATK could be considered or at least close to S-Class. In fact, I'll feed your curiosity a bit with a few archetypes:
Sky Striker - Aces: while their ATK and DEF is very standard, in the range of "A" and "B" Class monsters, their special Mech suits with the ability to switch at any time give them a variety of different effects. Combined with their support cards to evade attacks, destroy monsters and spells/traps, and even prevent being harmed and recovering resources; they have a well-deserved spot as being S-Class.
Cyber Dragons: while not as powerful as other S-Class monsters individually, when they fuse together or upgrade themselves is when even the toughest of monsters have trouble dealing with them. The ability to clear boards and attack multiple times gives them a huge advantage.
Vechicroids: while they do have variety and have some tricky abilities, they are not particularly powerful unless they perform fusions or use extra supporting cards. Even then, while they are strong in those fusion forms, they have drawbacks in a few of them, making them a B-Class species in base forms, and A-Class at most as the stronger variants/fusions. This does not apply to their Speedroid cousins however, with them falling into the "A" and "S" Class rankings.
Wind-Ups: While the abilities of them can be useful, a majority of them can only use their special abilities once, then they have to recharge them (aka: be re-summoned), giving them a "C" ranking at worst, and "B" Class ranking at best.
Celtic Guardians: Having low stats gives this species of monster B-Class; though it's retrains and evolutions that come with their own effects, such as battle-destruction immunity or higher ATK power, have increased its overall rating to A-Class.
Dinosaurs: While it's not exactly clear of how or why they spawned in the monster realm, some experts think that when the earth was undergoing volcanic activity millions of years ago, the seismic shockwaves that generated massive amounts of energy at the time may have opened tiny ripples that lead between dimensions, allowing small groups of dinosaurs to simply wander in whether it be looking for food or an escape. If true, this would effectively have allowed the species to continue to thrive, and perhaps evolved into Dragons; but there has been no official confirmation or any sort of evidence aside from the obvious evolution (though some argue "mutation") of Two-Headed King Rex... although no one denies the bone structure between both monster species is extremely similar.
Because of their resilience and strength that do rival monsters despite being from mortal realm, most of them have been given the S-Class ranking because of their sheer adaptability, including the fact they can utilize the Banishment/Remove from play zone to their advantage (which the irony of that is not lost on official sources).
Cubic: they have the unique ability to not only transform at will into various different shapes of monster, but also to combine to increase their power further, and quickly evolve if allowed to maintain pressure on an opponent. Not only that, but they can also completely prevent other monsters from attacking, weaken them, and lock them out of using they're special abilities; and can even force monsters to attack them to ensure this. They are also one of the few monster species that can hop between dimensions freely. Of course, they mostly rely heavily on a single monster in particular to grow and morph (Vijam the Cubic Seed), which makes them pretty fragile; but they are still considered S-Class monsters.
Now for some reviews to respond too, then back to the story:
From Chronos0305:
Glad to see this story again. I am no expert on Rosario vampire, but I did manage to find masked king. I can see what's going on. Great chapter BTW, nice to see things officially started. Hope to see a more proper duel in the future soon. Also a suggestion but you probably already thought of it. For combined lore regarding the more human like monsters, especially the warriors like Flame swordsman. Maybe they are similar to witches, that they are half human. But I am betting you already thought of that. Looking forward to the next chapter
Bakuganman: Yeah, Duels will get better, that I can promise. That small Duel with Yugi and unnamed one was simply to get the ball rolling. And yeah, the human-like monsters already have lore for the Rosario-verse. They are called: "Border Beings" or Half-Monsters (which the wiki hasn't made an article about). Think of it as a Harry Potter kind of deal, muggle-born thing to be precise.
Using Flame Swordman and Yukari Sendo as an example, they are human-like monsters that are close to human but have abilities that normal humans don't. For that reason, monsters that fit this category are labeled as Border Beings. Again, muggle-born aka mug-blood kind of deal, so they don't get much respect. Episode 3 of the RV anime dives into it a tiny bit, but not by much. Hopefully that clears it up a bit (also Flame Swordsman is an A-Class species, just like her, though it's modern 2024 support recently added would be considered S-Class. Not sure if I'll use the modern support for this story specifically).
From Emblemfan1:
First of all, thank you very much for the shout out, that's very kind of you.
As for the review, I did enjoy this chapter and like the set up you have done for future chapters. The action was good and duel dynamic nicely paced. If I had a criticism, it's that I wanted to know more about his opponent. I would have loved to see the lead up to that duel and more of Yugi's reaction to his vision, especially when there will be people out in the world with new cards in their decks. I'd also like to know where his opponent got Destiny Heroes considering their place in the Yugioh canon. Then again, I may be looking into things. Either way, I very much enjoyed this chapter and looking forward to the next one.
Bakuganman: Your welcome for the shout out. You polish my duel disk, I'll polish yours. As said above, the duel was only a starter, and the vision will be covered in a bit. There is a reason why many newer cards are in the OG series, which will also be covered later.
From Guest:
Hey same guest here. That gave those earlier reviews
Glad to see a new ch. It looks like uve givin up. I sure hope not.
This last chapter was flawless. And answered quite a few questions.
There are some things obviously that I'm wondering.
Like what mokas card powers are.
Sry I didn't review for so long. Got a new job so have less time
Bakuganman: New job? Congrats. Make them V-Bucks. No, I have not given up, just had less time myself to write. Speaking of Moka's powers, you've already seen one, where her second form can increase her ATK power. It's actually given more detail how it works during this Duel.
Chapter 2: A New Enemy - Part 1
We open up to Domino City High School, where the bell just ran for lunch. Many students were bustling around in the hallways or just stopping by to chat before heading to the lunch room. However, in a darkened cover, a human shape arose from the shadows themselves. This being wore a tattered cloak around its body, so not much of its body could be seen, nor any eyes in its darkened hood… until it faced the camera to show green eyes…
XXX
Upstairs on the roof, Yugi and his friends grabbed lunch together like they usually do, only this time no one else was up here except for them. Good thing too, for Yugi was just explaining what happened yesterday during his last Duel. The only one who wasn't here was Bakura… probably eating somewhere on his own.
"So, you're saying this girl you drew just popped out of nowhere?" Téa asked while looking at Moka's card, seeing if she understood the situation. She had to admit, the 'monster' was kinda cute. That long pink hair matched well with her green eyes and red rosary, though the artwork failed to show the alternative form she took during that Duel.
"Yeah. I'm still not sure where she came from." Yugi said, takin the card back from Téa. "She said this was a mistake and she shouldn't be here." His friends did a double-take on that.
"So, she talks to you?" Asked Tristan, not in a skeptical way, but more of a 'huh, really?' kind of way. He's seen too many weird things ever since Yugi solved that Puzzle, like seeing his name on a gravestone or being trapped in a robotic monkey suit (literally), so he had no reason to not believe him.
"Well, she's actually here right now." Yugi said and sure enough, a transparent and invisible form of Moka in her pink haired form was shown to us, which was the same idea as when the Pharaoh manifests. In addition, her alternate silver haired mode was also present next to herself, though her arms were folded.
Yugi's friends looked around, looking for the vampire in question, though Joey freaked out a few seconds in. "NEEEEEEEE! IS SHE A GHOST?!" He asked.
"No. Not exactly." Yugi explained. "We found out this morning that after I played her, she now apparently can move around a bit, just can't interact with us or anything. Before she felt like she was asleep before that."
"How did you find out?" Asked Téa. Yugi glanced away at that point. Even the pink-haired version of Moka reacted the same way, only she ended up blushing.
-FLASHBACK-
Yugi was sleeping in his bed, and it was the morning now, but he would probably get up very soon. Moka was shown in the same room as, but was transparent.
"I don't get it… what happened to us?" Moka asked no one in particular, but it was shown she wasn't alone either, her silver-haired counterpart next to her and also transparent. "Why are we like this?"
The silver-haired vampire tested a theory, and reached over towards a dresser to touch it… her hand went right through it. "Apparently becoming a Duel Monster keeps us from interacting with the real world… that, or that baka in a mask had something to do with it." Ura Moka said. "What I'm more curious about is why were Destiny Heroes out and about? They're supposed to be locked up in Clock Tower Prison for their crimes… unless Pegasus approved their creation already."
Yugi then began waking up from his sleep, sitting up and stretching while releasing a yawn. Yesterday sure was crazy, somehow drawing a vampire girl that wasn't in his deck before, along with how powerful she was. Not only that, for at least a week, powerful cards have been showing up in stores and whatnot. That's how Yugi got his hands on Drowning Mirror Force, a really useful card, and in some situations better than Mirror Force.
That's not even mentioning how the God Cards reacted to the aforementioned vampire, the 3 of them attacking her for seemingly no reason. They've never done something like that before…
As Yugi got out of his bed, wearing his pajamas, and got unchanged right there as he was alone in his room. As he put the Millennium Puzzle around his neck from his dresser, he then noticed he wasn't alone in his room, somebody that was not in his room a second ago.
He had a guest, and it was the vampire he met yesterday, except now she was back to her pink-haired green-eyed form. While she was transparent, he was able to see her, which even made her look confused but she was blushing at first.
Wait… if she was there the whole time…?
"… AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yugi himself felt mortally embarrassed.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't know you can see me…" Moka frantically apologized, then gasped as to how that sounded. "Wait! That came out wrong! I-I wasn't trying to peek but you started getting undressed but you didn't seem to hear me at first…"
"Yugi? Is everything alright?" His Grandpa then came in after hearing his grandson scream from his bedroom and wanted to see whats the matter. this only served to make Yugi even more embarrassed.
"Uh… g-grandpa! T-T-This is not what it looks like!" Yugi said, immediately wanting to clear any misunderstanding that his grandfather may have had based on the scene.
Much to his and Moka's surprise, Grandpa Muto looked just as confused as Moka did a moment ago. "What's what look like?"
"Wait, you can't see…?" Yugi was asking while looking back at Moka, who also happened to look at him. It became pretty obvious to Yugi after thinking about this carefully. Apparently, only Yugi was able to see Moka, but only after he put on his Millennium Puzzle, indicating there was some sort of ancient magic involved.
-END FLASHBACK-
Of course, the rest was history after that.
"Moka said she was from this school, that they fought this person in a mask, then the next thing she knew, she was on the playing field with me and the Pharaoh during our last Duel." Yugi said while looking as Moka's card.
"So… monsta's go to school too?" Joey asked.
"Yeah. And apparently they learn how to interact with humans while their there. Yokai Academy it's called, I think." Yugi said. "And once they graduate, they have the option to become monster cards in our game."
"Really?" Téa asked, interested in where the conversation was heading. So apparently Pegasus didn't just create the game, the monsters that inhabited the world this game was connected too also had some say in the matter.
"And she isn't the only one." Yugi revealed. "When she fought this masked person, he had apparently fought some of her friends before and turned them into cards once they lost."
Yugi's friends, despite only just a meeting Moka and not really knowing who she was as a person, couldn't help and feel sorry for her. They themselves have been trapped numerous ways when it came to this game.
"Well, wherever she came from," Joey said, gently taking Moka's card from Yugi. "She easily kicked dose antiheroes' cape crusading butts."
"Except 3 Gods who don't appear to like her much." Tristan said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Aw, day probably woke up on the wrong side of the card!" Joey countered. "Any good Duelist knows a card like dis is one of a kind. Gotta be handled with plenty of TLC." The Underdog continued, which Moka couldn't help but blush at from Joeys kind words… even if he somewhat insulted the Gods.
"Ani't dat right, Yuge?" Joey handed Moka's card back to its current owner.
"Yeah… and there's no telling what else she can do." Yugi said.
"And whoever her friends are, they must be feeling the same way she is. Lost and confused." Téa said, then smiled warmly at the card in Yugi's hands. "While I can't see you, Moka, do know we'll do everything in our power to help you out. Maybe even get you and friends back to normal."
Again, Moka felt very warm from the groups words despite having only just met them. It looked like that video she was shown in the school was very accurate, Yugi and his friends being very nice people, especially towards monsters like herself. Just like Tsukune.
CREAK!
Suddenly, the rooftop door opened, so it looked like someone was going to be joining Yugi's group… but color then surprised but all they saw was a person in a cloak. In fact, this was the same cloaked individual who spawned in from mere shadows in the beginning of the chapter.
"Pardon me for interrupting your lunch date…" said the cloaked person as he/she approached the ground, not too quickly to startle the group, but still kind of slow which gave them pause. He sounded male, but he had kind of a raspy voice. "But would one of you happen to be Yugi Muto?"
Before Yugi could respond, Joey was the one to answer first, getting defensive. "An' who's asking, cloaked crusader?"
"Just a Duelist like yourselves..." the cloaked person said. "My name is Arkham, and I'm here to help fix a terrible mistake."
"Mistake?" Yugi asked.
"Yes... you see, I've lost some very special cards that are extremely important to me. And one of them was rumored to have appeared in your last Duel." The Duelist, Arkham said. The group was a bit surprised this to be brought up, but considering the damage that Duel caused... "Oh no, I'm not accusing you or anything. But I would really love to have those cards back. She's very valuable to me."
"Oh... I see...?" Yugi asked, but his new vampire friend cowered behind him, even if no one could see her. Not only that, this was obviously suspicious. Sure, the game had ties to magic, but it's usually only when someone calls upon that magic is when things get crazy. So even if what he said was true, he expected them to believe Moka randomly appeared in his deck? "Listen, I'm not sure what you mean, you have the wrong guy." Yugi added, white lying.
The man was having none of this, so when the group went to leave and said their goodbyes, the doors to the roof were suddenly blocked off by a wall of darkness at the same time the eyes inside his hood glowed and he uttered that phrase, making the group reel back.
"... Perhaps you didn't understand me when I asked you very politely..." said Arkham, having turned to face them and his tone having gotten lower. "Give me. Moka Akashiya... that wasn't a request..." He then held his hand out. "Hand her over, and we'll pretend this never happened."
Clearly this not someone to mess around with, so this is where Yami Yugi finally took over.
"Moka's not going anywhere. Not at long as I hold her." Yami Yugi said, making it clear he will not give her up without a fight.
Arkham smiled under his hood. "That can very easily be arranged..." Upon saying that, a Duel Disk magically materialized on his arm. "Be warned. I won't be the last to come after you even if you somehow win... my organization doesn't take kindly to your kind."
"Your organization?" Yami Yugi asked.
"Perhaps if you manage to beat me, I'll explain..." Arkham said, his Duel Disk fully activating. In response to that, Yami Yugi did the same to his.
Duel:
Yami Yugi/Arkham: Let's Duel!
Arkham LP: 4000
Yami Yugi LP: 4000
Both the Mysterious Cloaked Person and the Pharaoh draw their starting hands.
Turn 1 - Arkham. Hand: 5. Field: Empty.
Arkham: I go first… (Draws card, looking at said card) I'll start with Infernalqueen Archfiend in Attack Mode.
The monster Arkham Summons gave a screech upon being called out, and was again, none of what the group had seen before. It had a skeletal-like appearance with a similar structure to Summoned Skull believe it or not, but had a long purple robe going around her body. She also had matching purple hair and had a red crown on top of her head, signifying some form of royalty.
Infernalqueen Archfiend - Class: A, Attribute: FIRE, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 900, DEF: 1500
Téa: (in shock) What is that?
Joey: I neva seen a monsta like dat before!
Arkham: I could make another move, (chuckles) but I think that might be too much for you, so I'll end my first turn here.
Turn 2 - Yami Yugi. Hand: 5. Field: Empty.
Tristan: That's it? Only one monster?
Joey: An' he played it in Attack Mode. With only 900 points, pretty much anything in Yugi's Deck could take dat thing out.
Yami Yugi heard his friends and they made a valid point… something wasn't right. It would have been a better play for Arkham play something else, which he claimed he could've done, to enhance his defenses. But he only played a single monster in its weakest position. That's like Mystical Elf in Attack Mode. It wasn't a good idea.
Yami Yugi: Very well, Arkham. My turn! (Draws his card, showing it to be Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress. A standard monster. He's also shown looking at his hand to see he has Moka in his starting hand as well, but the rest of his cards were obscured at this time). I Summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!
Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1 - Class: A, Attribute: WIND, Type: Dragon, Level: 4, ATK: 1400, DEF: 1200
Yugi's monster gave a roar upon being Summoned, and it was a monster that Moka recognized from the video. As mentioned back then, Winged Dragon was an A-Class monster… a weak one at that, but as its name implied, it was trained to guard bases and fortresses due to how abundant it is unlike most dragons which are actually quite rare. This factor alone is what bumped up its rating.
Yami Yugi: Fireball attack!
With the order given, Winged Dragon wasted no time and immediately shot a fireball out of its mouth towards Infernalqueen. The attack hit, causing an explosion and cloud of dust.
Tristan: Alright!
Joey: Nothing like a royal barbecue fit fer a Queen!
The camera now focuses on the destruction on Arkham's side and Arkham himself, his long coat flowing in the breeze generated by Winged Dragon's attack… only for the camera to then focus back on the spot Infernalqueen was, to see she was still standing after the cloud dissipated!
Téa: (shocked) Say what?
Tristan: No way, it's still alive?
Arkham: (chuckles) Hmhmhmhmhm.
Yami Yugi: What have you done, Arkham?
Arkham: Oh, nothing of consequence; just triggered the Special Ability of my Infernalqueen, known as Archfiend Promotion.
Yami Yugi: Archfiend Promotion?
Arkham: Correct. You see, while Infernalqueen might not be the strongest of the Archfiends, she can in fact increase the ATK power of 1 Archfiend monster during either players turn until the end of that turn… "promote" it so to speak. And since she herself is an Archfiend monster, she too benefits from her own power, allowing her enough ATK points to withstand your dragon's flimsy fireball.
Infernalqueen Archfiend - Class: A, Attribute: FIRE, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 900 - 1900, DEF: 1500
After giving the explanation as to what had happened, Infernalqueen's ATK stat rose accordingly at that point after an aura surrounded her, making her strong enough to withstand Wing Dragon's assault. Yami Yugi gritted his teeth… It was a trap! THAT'S why Arkham played his weak monster in Attack Mode, and Yugi walked right into it!
Arkham: Now, Infernalqueen Archfiend! Counterattack!
Taking a deep breath in, Infernalqueen Archfiend unleashed a loud screech with visible sound waves. Winged Dragon cried in pain as its ears were filled with the harsh sound, covering its ears as effectively as possible; including Yami Yugi, his transparent host, and their friends which also included Moka. Eventually, Winged Dragon could stand it no longer, and with a higher pitch of its pained cry, it shattered a second later. There was some minor blowback from this, dealing Yami Yugi a small bit of damage.
Arkham LP: 4000
Yami Yugi LP: 4000 - 3500
Arkham: (chuckles and speaks sarcastically) I'm quite disappointed. I would have thought the King of Games would have seen through such an obvious trap.
Yami Yugi: (recovers from the damage he took and takes a peek at his hand to see what other moves he can make. After seeing none, he ended his turn.) I end my turn.
At the end of his turn, Infernalqueen's points returned to their normal values.
Infernalqueen Archfiend - Class: A, Attribute: FIRE, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 1900 - 900, DEF: 1500
Turn 3 - Arkham. Hand: 5. Field: 1 Monster.
Arkham starts his turn by drawing his next card, but immediately after that, something strange happened. Infernalqueen's body began faintly glowing again, which also seemed to extend to her owners Duel Disk, and then…
Arkham LP: 4000 - 3500
Yami Yugi LP: 3500
Yugi and his group were very confused. Now Arkham lost the Life Points he should have lost if his Archfiend Queen had been destroyed last turn.
Téa: Now he lost Life Points.
Tristan: Nice job, Yugi!
Yami Yugi: (admits while confused) … I didn't do anything.
Arkham: Its a rather… minor drawback, all due to my Infernalqueen. You see, unlike other monsters like vampires, dragons, werewolfs and such; who can traverse the realms quite easily; Archfiends are a different story. While outside of their home world, some of them need a form of energy to sustain themselves, which comes in the form of the cardholders Life Points. So at the start of every turn of mine, a set amount of points will be drained from my life force to keep my Archfiends on the field… and this payment is not optional either.
The group was stunned. It would appear that while using Archfriends was powerful from what they witnessed thus far, it also appeared to be a double-edged sword. Arkham's queen can make herself and other monsters more powerful, but at the cost of draining his LP during every turn. With an Ability that powerful, it only made sense she came with a maintenance cost. And if that applied to all Archfiends, the Duelist in question may very well end up draining their LP just as quickly as damaging the opponent.
Then again, every card; even the strongest ones, had their weaknesses.
Arkham: Regardless, what's a queen without her significant other? I now Summon the king himself, Terrorking Archfiend, also known as Genocide!
Arkham does not play the card he just drew. Instead, he Summons another Archfiend monster. He was summoned in a similar fashion to Infernalqueen, though sparks danced around his person, implying he can attack with electricity like Summoned Skull, and he also bellowed a deep roar upon being called out. He also had an even closer striking resemblance to Summoned Skull; wings, skeletal body and all. He didn't wear any robes so you could see his big and red muscles, which matched his red cape.
Like his wife, he was an A-Class monster, though a stronger one.
Terrorking Archfiend- Class: A, Attribute: DARK, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 2000, DEF: 1500
Arkham: Now my queen, attack the Pharaoh's Life Points directly, with Archfiend Inferno!
In response to be ordered to attack, instead of screaming this time, Infernalqueen Archfiend held a hand up over herself, generating a ball of fire. With a laugh, she then threw the fireball at her target, which was Yami himself! It hit him dead center, making him grunt out in pain.
Arkham LP: 3500
Yami Yugi LP: 3500 - 2600
Arkham: I'm not through yet, Yugi! For now, my Queen will be promoting her husband up in the world of politics! Giving him 3000 points!
Infernalqueen's aura instead surrounded Terrorking this time, boosting his attacking power up. As Terrorking's power increases, he roared as his points grew.
Terrorking Archfiend - Class: A, Attribute: DARK, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 2000 - 3000, DEF: 1500
Téa: But Yugi doesn't have that many points.
Joey: An' he's got no monsters to protect him.
Tristan: And if his attack connects…
Yami's expression told all as well. It's only been 3 turns into the Duel! And he hasn't even taken his second turn yet! With only 2600 points left compared to a monster with 3000 ATK, he'll lose to Duel!
Arkham: I expected more… (points to Yami) Genocide! Dethrone the King of Games! Locust Swarm!
Arkham's Terrorking attacks by opening its muscled chest, unleashing a swarm of locusts that gave off a loud buzzing noise. Given the context of what it meant was about to happen, that buzzing sound gave off a terrifying meaning. The bugs just got closer and closer, Yami's eyes widening in terror!
Moka: *Yugi!*
Right when the bugs have gotten as close as possible just before striking, Yami Yugi quickly discarded a card.
Kuriboh: Wooo.
Yami had Summoned Kuriboh just in time, or more accurately, triggered its Special Ability. As the swarm of bugs closed in, Kuriboh "wooo"-ed some more times, and began to multiply itself each time it "woo"-ed. Each locust was forced to make contact with the Kuribohs, making each Kuriboh explode and effectively block the otherwise fatal attack. The dust cleared shortly after.
Despite a move like this would make most Duelists annoyed or feel their victory was robbed, Arkham did not appear aggravated in any capacity. In fact, his tone suggested he found it humorous.
Arkham: Of course… Kuriboh… you used its cockroach-like Ability to save yourself. But I wonder, was that the Heart of the Cards… or Luck of the Draw?
Arkham indirectly brought up a good point. Out of some of Yugi's cards, Kuriboh was the only one that could have saved him in this particular situation. Meaning if the little Fiend-Type was not in Yugi's starting hand…
Normally this would be the time Yugi's friends make a comment, but due to the overwhelming fact that this person almost obliterated Yugi on only his second turn was astonishing. Not even powerful Duelists like Pegasus, Yami Marik or Kaiba, a few of the only Duelists that can match Yugi's deck, were able to achieve such a feat (not to say that they couldn't, should the right cards be drawn).
Yami Yugi: It's not luck. It's Heart! And by the end of this Duel, you'll learn the difference!
Arkham: Hmhmhmhm… I look forward to that. (Looks at his hand) Seeing as I have no other way to damage you at the moment, I'll lay this face-down for later. (Sets a card)
Yami Yugi: Don't forget, now with 2 Archfiends on the field, your Life Points will be drained even faster.
Arkham: … (smiles) that's no longer an issue…
Yami Yugi: What?
Arkham: Remember: I said that Archfiends drain when in your world… (pulls a card out of his hand, slowly lifting up up) but... what if we were in their's?
The group couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Normally they would consider this a bluff, but after seeing this guy's skill level when it came to Dueling, he was not one to be underestimated.
Arkham: I warned you of opposing my organization… what power you will force us to unleash (flips the card over, revealing a Field Spell they did not recognize. It looked like a dark colosseum of sorts. After that, the Field Spell slot on his Duel Disk opened up) … welcome to the world; of Paaandemooonium!
After playing the field spell, Pandemonium as he called it, darkness surrounded the field much like Dark Sanctuary did back in Battle City. Additionally, electricity rumbled in the sky, and a few bolts struck as well though this appeared to be a visual aesthetic. They were also now in a Colosseum of sorts, with an alter of some sort right behind Arkham.
Joey: Aye got da feelin' we ani't in Domino anymore…
Téa: What is this place?
Arkham: This my friends, is the realm of the Archfiends. One of the most dangerous locations in the monster world. Where savage creatures lurk in the shadows, and a place where nightmares become reality. You have never experienced a field like this, Pharaoh; and I promise you, you'll never see another one like it again.
Turn 4 - Yami Yugi. Hand: 4. Field: Empty.
Yami Yugi took a look at this hand, trying to see what strategy he could came make of what he has. His hand consisted currently of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Card of Sanctity, Moka, Mystical Space Typhoon, and the draw he just drew, Mirror Force. Well, one option was to Summon either of the monsters in his hand but regardless of which he chose; they were both too weak to defeat Terrorking, and Infernalqueen can just boost their ATK even if they were. If he knew how to get Moka's other self out of her Rosario, then this would make the situation a little easier. Card of Sanctity was an option, but he should reduce his Hand size before playing it for the full benefit. And yes, his MST could be used to destroy the Field Spell, but it didn't appear to be a threat right now, so no need to rush things and waste it.
Yami Yugi: *... alright... I suppose Card of Sanctity is an option when I use up my Hand. And I could attack with Celtic Guardian or Moka, but as long as his Queen is on the field, Arkham will just increase his monster's strength... *
It was here though, his vision focused on his Mirror Force...
Yami Yugi: *... wait! I also have Mirror Force... maybe I don't have to attack...* Alright, Arkham. I'll defend with one monster face-down, and another card face-down. That ends my turn. (Sets Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Mirror Force)
He didn't think playing Moka was the best idea right now, but he figured one play he could try... his Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by monsters with 1900 or more ATK points, making him the perfect defense for strong monsters. And with Mirror Force on standby, he could wipe Arkham's entire board. And even if Mirror Force doesn't work, Celtic will defend him and shield him from damage while in Defense Position until Yugi can find another way out.
Turn 5 - Arkham. Hand: 3. Field: 2 monsters, 2 Spells/Traps.
Arkham: Hmmm... on the defensive, are we? (draws a card, and looks at it)
Yami Yugi: (smiles confidently) *That's it... try to attack... I've got a special surprise just for you...*
Arkham: First, I'll Summon a new Archfiend to join my ranks, Archfiend Soldier.
The monster he summons once again takes the same aesthetic as the Queen and King Archfiends before it. It had a green cape and purple armor, with a sword being held sideways until he was given the order to strike.
Archfiend Soldier - Class: A, Attribute: DARK, Type: Fiend, Level: 4, ATK: 1900, DEF: 1500
Arkham: And next, I think I'll activate this Trap Card... (he reveals a Trap, Defense Paralysis, which immediately gets a reaction from Yugi and the rest of the group of humans, having seen that card before) by the look on your face, I assume you already know what it does. As long as this card is in play, your monsters cannot be placed in Defense Mode. Now let's see what your hiding!
Sparks left the Defense Paralysis card, shocking Yugi's Set monster, forcing it to be flipped up in a semi-defensive stance as it was forcefully being switched to Attack Position instead, revealing it was Obnoxious Celtic Guardian who grunted upon the Trap forcing him to change his battle position.
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian - Class: A, Attribute: EARTH, Type: Warrior, Level: 4, ATK: 1400, DEF: 1200
Arkham: Ah, of course... Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. A monster whose magic makes him harder to take down by even S-Class monsters... so that was your plan, wasn't it? Tank my Archfiends attacks until you draw the out?... It was a good play... as long as he remained in Defense Mode...
Yami Yugi gritted his teeth. Arkham not only thwarted his initial strategy, but also completely figured it. But now with Celtic Guardian locked in Attack Position, Yugi is vulnerable to damage!
Arkham: Archfiend Solider! Attack that elf swordsman and cut it down like the trees they live in!
Upon the attack being ordered, Archfiend Solider did make a dash and leap for Yami Yugi's Celtic Guardian. Now even though one part of his strategy was thwarted, Yami still responded back triggering his Trap.
Yami Yugi: Your attack still activates my Trap! Mirror Force, which reflects your attack right back!
Once Mirror Force was activated, a light immediately shot out of the card and surrounded Celtic Guardian in a barrier. Once the Archfiend's blade struck it, the attack backfired and the Mirror Force Trap Card sent energy across Arkham's entire field, wiping out all 3 of his monsters.
Joey: Nice play, Yuge!
Téa: Great job, Yugi!
However, despite this, Arkham didn't appear the least bit concerned, or at the least annoyed his board was wiped. All he did was discard a single card, which was a squid-like monster, and that monster immediately showed up on the field... well, floated over it, as if it wasn't in a Monster Zone. This squid had a skull-like face with brown skin and red eyes, with horns in a circle on top of its head akin to a spire or tower of a castle. It also had only 5 tentacles oddly enough.
Tristan: What's that thing?
A few seconds after asking, the squid-like monster then dung all 5 of its tentacles deep into the ground; then it pulled up Terrorking while having it tentacles currently wrapped around the Archfiend's body, and both of its arms and legs before releasing it back to the field. This new creature somehow pulled Terrorking out from the Graveyard, then it's savior faded away.
Téa: It brought that Archfiend back!
Arkham: How observant of you... your sidekicks do state the obvious allot, don't they?
Joey: Hey, wait a second! You didn't even activate anything on the field! You cheated your monsta back out!
Arkham: On the contrary... it was my Desrook Archfiend's special effect. Ever play Chess? Lovely game, one of my favorites... Such a thing is something you'd call a Castling Maneuver. To put simply, if my King is destroyed, I can discard my Rook to revive him from the Graveyard. Normally this would only work once, but that's to your Mirror Force...
As Arkham was further explaining himself, the Colosseum of Pandemonium began to glow around them with dark aura. This same aura traveled over to Arkham.
Yugi (Yami Yugi): What's going on?
Arkham: The second effect of Pandemonium. It automatically activates when a turn players Archfiend monsters' are destroyed. It allows them to add a monster from their deck to their hand, however any cards added must be weaker in Level than the ones that were just destroyed. Since you destroyed 3 of my Archfiends courtesy of your Trap, I get to add 3 new Archfiends to my Hand. (adds 2 more copies of Desrook Archfiend and one unidentified Archfiend monster) Now let's try this again. Terrorking! Finish what Archfiend Solider started!
Since this was still Arkham's Battle Phase, he was still allowed to attack, summoning more locusts to attack Celtic Guardian, which also attacked and bit Yami. Thankfully because of Celtic's battle protection, he survived the battle, though Yami still took the damage whilst also trying to swat the bugs away. The attack of course, did eventually stop.
Arkham LP: 3500
Yami Yugi LP: 2600 - 2000
This wasn't looking too good. Arkham had already dwindled Yugi's LP down to half when he didn't take any damage yet (not counting his own monster drain his LP on his 2nd turn). Not only that, his Field Spell not only prevented his LP from being drained, but for every monster Yugi destroys, Arkham will just add another to his hand to replace it, giving him a decent Hand advantage and draw to his more powerful cards quicker.
Arkham: The end is near, Pharaoh. My deck is full of Archfiend cards, each one more terrifying than the last! And before long, they'll drag to a nightmare you'll never escape!
Yami Yugi gritted his teeth... it was his turn now, but his back was now against the wall. They still may not know the full story about Moka and why this person wants her so badly, but if he doesn't find a way to overcome this nightmare, he'll never get to find out!
To Be Continued...
So that's that for now. Super sorry for the super long wait, but as I said before, was in the moving process. And it's still gonna be a while. Now about Arkham, I hope you like him, for he's not the only character apart of RV's Fairy Tale organization. In fact, here's a list of a few antagonistic characters from RV that I managed to recover from my lost files... RIP the rest of them, so I'll go back to the drawing board for them. It's only 3 of them sadly, but you'll probably find their card powers interesting:
•Kokoa Shuzen:
Full Card Name: Kokoa Shuzen
Status: Limited (one copy allowed per Deck. Is also the only copy to exist.)
Archetype: Yokai/Rosario
Monster Class: S
Type: Zombie
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2200
DEF: 2100
Known Lore/Effect(s):
Is also treated as a "Vampire" monster (even in the hand, Deck, GY or while Banished). You can Normal Summon this card without Tributes if a Level 6 or higher "Vampire" monster, or a "Moka Akashiya" monster, is on the field. You can only control 1 "Kokoa Shuzen". When this card is Summoned: you can add 1 "Komori Nazo" from your Deck to your hand, OR Special Summon 1 "Komori Nazo" from your hand or GY (You can only gain this effect once per turn). Gains 300 ATK for each card Equipped to it. If "Umi" or "Umiruka" is on the field, this card loses ATK/DEF equal to what values are changed instead. Once per turn during either players Battle Phase, if no cards are Equipped to this card (Quick Effect): you can Equip 1 Equip Spell Card from your hand to this card, OR Equip 1 "Komori Nazo" from your hand or field to this card.
Special Notes:
Being the stepsister of Moka, she is nearly identical with her strengths and weaknesses (although still somewhat weaker in stats). Unlike her sister's secondary form, which has both a destruction effect and the ability to increase her stats when battling, Kokoa can make up for it with Komori Nazo, her pet bat thats able to transform into any Equip Spell she needs; and with each Equip Spell increasing her ATK power, she can also easily reach high levels of ATK just like her sister can in addition to any extra abilities her Equipped cards give her.
This is also one of her greatest weaknesses however, as the more Equip Spells she has, it takes up precious room on the Duelists board; and because she's so young, she lacks the ability to increase her stats on her own, making her somewhat over reliant on Equip Spells just to match up to higher ranking S-Class monsters.
•Kuyo:
Full Card Name: Kuyo - The Fox Demon
Status: Limited (one copy allowed per Deck. Is also the only copy to exist.)
Archetype: Yokai/Rosario
Monster Class: S
Type: Pyro
Attribute: Fire
Level: 7
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2400
Known Lore/Effect(s):
Can be Speical Summoned from your hand in Attack Position after your opponent declared an attack and you took damage from them this turn (this Speical Summon cannot be negated). You can only control 1 "Kuyo" monster. Cannot be destroyed by battle by monsters with a lower Level, and is unaffected by their effects. Once per turn during your Battle Phase (before you attack with this card): you can send 4 FIRE monsters from your hand and/or Deck to the GY, and if you do; this card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each, and its attack(s) cannot be negated by Spell/Trap Cards this turn. Up to twice per turn, when your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card that targets this card and/or would destroy it (even in the same Chain): you can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
Special Notes:
His kind were, and sometimes still are, worshiped as Gods because of their incredible power. While not as powerful as the Egyptian Gods, Kuyo is still a force to be reckoned with. His high attack and defense stats make him very difficult to beat in battle, and he is completely immune to monsters that don't exceed his Level. He can even blast all monsters that oppose him (his "Fire Wheel" attack), and this strike cannot be stopped by anything other than high class monsters. If that wasn't enough, what makes him even more dangerous is his Spell/Trap negate; even if multiple Spell and Traps affect him in the same chain, he can still shut them down before they have a chance to successfully resolve.
He is not completely invincible however, as he can still take battle damage and is still vulnerable to some mass board wipes. And his power to negate some cards effects, while powerful, is limited in his current form as he not a fully-fledged nine-tailed fox.
•Kuyo - Battle Form
Full Card Name: Kuyo - Battle Form
Status: Limited (one copy allowed per Deck. Is also the only copy to exist.)
Archetype: Yokai/Rosario
Monster Class: S (Fusion)
Type: Pyro
Attribute: Fire
Level: 8
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Known Lore/Effect(s):
Must be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck when you take 3000 or more total damage from your opponent's attacking monster(s) or card effect(s) while you control a "Kuyo" monster with a different name (even if that monster leaves the field), then send 1 "Kuyo" monster with a different name from the field to the GY (if possible), and this card cannot be Summoned by other ways (this Summon cannot be negated, nor can cards or effects be activated in response). When Summoned this way, you can destroy any number of monsters your opponent controls with lower levels than this card. You can only control 1 "Kuyo" monster. Cannot be destroyed by battle by monsters with a lower level, and is unaffected by their effects. When a card or effect targets and/or would destroy this card: you can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it (even in the same Chain). Once per turn (before you attack with this card), you can send 4 FIRE monsters from your hand and/or Deck to the GY, and if you do: this card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each, it's attack(s) cannot be negated by Spell/Trap Cards, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK or DEF (whichever is higher) of monsters destroyed by battle by this card this turn.
Special Notes:
Kuyo has the ability to change between his regular monster form, and this upgraded Ultimate Form as he dubs it. In this form, his stats and level are increased in addition to retaining all of his former powers. His spell/trap negate has also been upgraded to a pure Omni-negate, which can still respond to effects in the same chain and with no limit. He can also wipe the opponent's field upon his Summon, and his "Fire Wheel" Ability has been upgraded even further to "Vortex of Fire", which can cause high amounts of burn damage. Also, because his monster energy inverts itself when he takes this form, it's classified as a Fusion, making it slightly easier to bring out than other secondary forms in the Rosario/Yokai Archetype.
The one major weakness this form has is its very strict Summoning condition. He (or his Duelist) has to take a huge chunk of damage from the opponent before his monster energy can force his body to undergo the change, since this form cannot be cheesed out like some other Extra Deck monsters (meaning he can't force the Fusion to trigger by crashing into a stronger monster on purpose either). As well as being a Fusion monster technically, he also has their same weaknesses.
•Ginei Morioka
Full Card Name: Ginei Morioka - The Speedy Werewolf
Status: Limited (one copy allowed per Deck. Is also the only copy to exist.)
Archetype: Yokai/Rosario
Monster Class: S
Type: Beast
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2300
Known Lore/Effect(s):
Is also an EARTH Beast-Warrior monster (even in the hand, Deck, GY or while Banished). You can Special Summon this card from your hand if there is a face-up "Moon" Spell/Trap Card. You can Normal Summon this card by Tributing 1 "Wolf", "Werewolf", "Warwolf" or "Silver Fang" monster. During the Battle Phase, if an attack or Card Effect targets this card (Quick Effect): you can negate that attack or effect (you can only negate one of each per turn this way, once each). When this card attacks an opponent's monster successfully, it can make a second attack in a row. While a "Moon" Spell/Trap Card is on the field, this card gains these Effects:
•You can negate any attacks or Card Effects that target or select this card.
•This cards attacks cannot be negated by Card Effects that target or select it.
•During the Battle Phase (Quick Effect): this card can make an additional attack by sending 1 "Wolf", "Werewolf", "Warwolf" or "Silver Fang" monster from your Deck to the GY.
Special Notes:
Being a Werewolf, Ginei's monster species is well-known for his strength that rivals vampires; but mainly, his speed than even rivals the WIND Attribute. He can attack enemies in the blink of an eye, and multiple times. He can even evade attacks and card effects as well. But when boosted by the power of the moon, his monster energy and powers kick into overdrive; where he cannot be targeted or selected by anything, and can attack an absurd number of times in a single Battle Phase that can cause OTKs. Even vampires like Moka have struggled with him in the past not just because they're a rival species of monster, but because he can both evade attacks a deliver them with equal force as she can, being a fellow S-Class monster himself.
However, his greatest strength, is also his greatest weakness. He is a Battle Phase-focused monster, and relies on the Moon itself for the OTK power. If it's removed or blocked in any way, he loses a majority of his abilities that otherwise cannot be accessed without it. Plus, cards that do not target or select him specifically can still affect him, such as Swords of Revealing Light or its counterparts; and even he's not fast enough to avoid a Raigeiki, a well-timed Mirror Force, or cards of the like.