Hey everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!
(To anyone in the States, of course.)
Going to confess here, I've always been a much bigger fan of Thanksgiving than I am of Christmas. So much to do for Christmas, so much to prepare for, but on Thanksgiving all you really have to do is eat and watch football – more of an actual holiday if you ask me.
So, thought I'd post this for anyone who has time before dinner, or those who need a break while planning for some other holiday. I will say, this was a difficult chapter, due to a lot of the complicated cards used. All I will say it, thank goodness for databases and Wikis.
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Chapter Sixteen
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He Carefully Read the Original Draft
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Want to hear a funny anecdote? I read about this on a website for players in MMORPG games.
Way back in the mid-90s, there was such a game that included all sorts of fantasy. (Not going to name it here - probably discontinued by now.) It had "sword and sorcery" fantasy, "urban fantasy", "high fantasy" "science fantasy", "steampunk", "schizo tech", the sort of lighthearted game with a setting that did not even try to stay within one time period. The game had your standard RPG classes, like knights, wizards, rogues, and healers, and had loads of pop culture references - in short, a game world that would be a nerd's view of paradise.
In 2001, two major film adaptations were set for release in November, each within a week of each other, The Fellowship of the Rings and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Naturally, nerds were beside themselves with excitement, and it seemed there was one group of players in this game that took it above actual fandom. A full year before the release of both films, player who went by the name HermioneQuaid started a Guild named HogwartsGenNext (I assume it meant "Next generation of Hogwarts") and it became very popular almost overnight. Within a month it had become one of the top twenty guilds and became one of the top ten two months afterwards. The leaders pulled out all the stops, using cash shop purchases and to design "skins" that made their characters dress like Hogwarts students and design a guildhall with a heavy Hogwarts theme; each of the four "commanders" of this guild took one of the four Houses, and each new member was assigned one determined by character class.
It was all good fun until another player started to cause trouble. Calling himself B0lg57, this trollish player started stating publicly (both in-game and on forums) that Tolkien's work was superior to Rowling's. (Well, it started out as more like "Harry Potter sucks! LotR rules!" I'm sure you know the type.) HermioneQuaid at first tried to simply ignore this player, but sometimes ignoring a troll can be even worse than encouraging them.
B0lg57 started a guild called BodyguardOfBolg (many of his detractors claim he changed the name of an existing guild) and it also soared in popularity almost overnight. At first, this rivalry was of the organized sort, with challenges made for PVP guild battles, but then it became ugly. Members of HogwartsGenNext would post links on the forums to polls on websites with names like and spaznet that showed Harry Potter crushing Fellowship, while BodyguardOfBolg would "retaliate" by posting a similar poll in shonen_domain that put Harry Potter in third place. (I have no idea what came in second, given the name of the site, I assume it was Spirited Away. In fact, I'm pretty sure all these sites are also defunct.) Then some of them resorted to ganking, kill-stealing, and ninja looting, possibly with a few player bans.
So, who won this ugly war of fandom? To be honest, I'm not sure, because there wasn't much info about the two guilds dated after the two films' actual release. I like to think someone in the game made peace by asking the obvious question, "Why can't we just watch both?"
Still, the first time I read this, I couldn't help but think up a lot of "versus scenarios", like say, "Who would win a fight between Dumbledore and Gandalf?" or "Could any of the students at Hogwarts stand up to the Balrog?"
You may of course be asking why I'm even talking about this. Well… As you know, I'm a pro whose moniker is the Duelist of Hogwarts…
(Terone: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Burt: 3,000)
…and it seems we were about to find out.
"Behold!" shouted my - incredibly hammy - opponent. "Behold the might of Durin's Bane - Balrog of Moria!" (3,000 ATK)
Lucky me…
It did…. sort of look like Prophecy Destroyer, but much bigger and meaner. I'm not sure just how large a Barlog is supposed to be - given Peter Jackson's version, I'd assume about three meters, give or take. This version was "only" about half that, but still utterly terrifying. It had huge red forward-pointing horns, long claws, eyes with hellish pupils, and no mouth. Its torso was thick and muscular, as were its limbs, and it had huge, cloven hooves. Its wings were made of fire, like someone had taken an extra-large Wings of Wicked Flame and stuck it to this demon's back. Worst of all were the veins. Or maybe they were cracks in its skin, but whatever they were, it seemed its blood was glowing red, like… liquid fire.
I2 really broke the bank here on this one, I thought.
Barlog roared loudly, the intense heat from its jowls made worse by foul breath.
"Okay, I'll admit it, that monster is awesome."
"It is indeed. It is still your move, Mr. Brickman."
"Okay…" I took my remaining three cards and set them in my Disk, all three appearing face-down behind Link. "Turn end, and because I used Bandit Dragon to summon Link, I get to draw twice."
He still had Moon Mirror Shield, though I doubted it was going to be so simple. "Your draw… Burt."
"Very well." He made a draw, then considered his four cards, and then nodded. "Now that it is my Standby Phase, I can use the second effect of Axiomatic Retribution. By banishing it and Quintet Magician, I can take a certain Spell Card from my Graveyard or deck." He held up a Spell, using it at once. "Anarchic Inversion." This was seriously starting to weird me out, but it was about to get weirder still."First, you draw twice. That is the cost for this effect."
I wasn't going to complain, but I had a feeling a cost like that meant this second effect was pretty powerful. The cards I drew were Silver's Cry and Lady of Dragons, both useful, but not at the moment.
"I then get to take three special Continuous Traps from my deck and set two of them."
He held up his hand, and three cards appeared there. He wasn't concealing them, but I didn't recognize them at all. The words in the names were kind of… Well, the type you'd expect some total brain of an academic to use - I'll get to that in a minute. He set two of the cards, and they appeared facedown behind the huge Fiend.
"However, I get to activate one of them this turn - Celestial Dictum - Concordant."
The only part of that name I recognized was the "celestial" part, and it didn't seem at all heavenly. The third Trap Card appeared as a Spell would; Balrog growled menacingly, and its eyes - and veins - took on a strange silvery hue.
"Okay, what does that do?"
"This card's grants my monster an added effect, which it can use should one of your monsters be a Spellcaster, Zombie, Fiend, Illusion, Psychic, Fairy, Beast-Warrior, or Warrior - which your Guardian of Hyrule is - this Trap Card grants my monster an additional effect. By activating this card, I can name one Attribute, and the bestowed effect allows Balrog to destroy one monster of that Attribute per turn."
"You have got to be -" I started. Before I could say "kidding", Barlog let out an earsplitting bellow, or rather, a bellow that seemed as much fire as it was sound, turning the arena into an inferno. Poor Link didn't stand a chance, he was incinerated by the powerful blast, his sword and the Moon Mirror Shield falling to the ground with a loud clatter.
"I activate the effect of -" I started. Fortunately, I caught myself before I could finish - that would have been a very bad idea, seeing as that surge of power that destroyed Link was not Balrog's attack.
"Attack directly! Primordial Flame Eruption!"
That was an appropriate name. The Balrog's attack was an unholy cross between a dragon's breath and an erupting volcano, spitting lava and fiery rocks from its maw.
You know, I once remember an opponent who was something of a show off. At the time, I was running a deck with a Summoned Skull theme, while he used Satellite Cannon, a card that was easy to use but difficult to use right. Which he did. After he summoned it, I figured I was safe for a while with Archfiend's Awakening, Archfiend's Ascent, and one regular Summoned Skull defending. I was wrong. Once the Cannon hit 3,000 Attack Points, he used Charge, then Shooting Star Bow, and then Limiter Removal. That rather painful and humiliating loss is something I have yet to forget. But… somehow, taking an 8,000 point direct attack right in the kisser didn't seem as bad as one from Barlog was…
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,000)
Of course, it was a good thing I decided not to use Moon Mirror Shield's effect. For a cost of 500 Life Points I could have regained it on my next turn, but if I had done that, I wouldn't have gotten a next turn. Whether I would last long enough to have one, I wasn't certain. Through a daze and a splitting headache, I heard that strange woman again.
"Terone, please get up!" she cried.
"I'm trying…" I groaned. I sat up, holding my forehead. "Damn…" She might have started to say something else, but my opponent interrupted.
"Mr. Brickman, I seem to recall giving you an offer to leave here in peace. The offer still stands. I must ask, why? What reason do you have to put yourself through such punishment?"
Even as I stood up, I was trying to figure out how to answer that. Why was I killing myself dueling this lug? Was this an official tournament duel? Was I even being paid for this? Right now, it seemed like this whole duel had… just came out of nowhere.
I could have given the… "classic" answer, that there was some innocent woman who was desperate for rescue. I could have been more realistic and said I wasn't about to hand over a card that was worth a fortune or waste a chance to find out where it had come from, especially given how much it had helped my career in just a few days. I could have even given the most blatantly honest answer - that I was roped into it. But I had a much better way to answer:
"Let's just say I've gone through too much trouble to give up now, Burt," I said, emphasizing his name. "… and… well, you're really starting to piss me off."
"So be it. I use Barlog's effect and take one card from the top of my deck for every thousand points of damage it inflicted." He went to his deck, drawing three cards. "Of those, I must then discard a card from my hand. Finally, to conclude my turn, I will set one card facedown, and then activate the Continuous Spell Card, Vengeful Bog Spirit."
He set one card and then activated another, the second causing a mist to rise over the floor, bringing with it the unmistakable stench of swamp gas. Still, the smell was nothing I couldn't manage, more troubling was just why he had decided to use that card. Its effect prevented monsters from attacking on the turn they were summoned, not the most useful way to prevent attacks.
"It is your move."
I drew a card - and it seemed I might have a chance to turn this around. Putting it aside for the moment, I took Lady of D's card, using it, and bringing her to the field. (1,200 ATK)
"Ooh…" she said. She looked up at the huge demon. "That… could be a problem."
"Don't worry, I've got this - I hope. Spell Card, activate! Dragon Shrine!" One of the three cards I had set the previous turn lifted up - I had set this one in order to get more out of Bandit Dragon's effect, but it was very useful now. "Using this card, I can send a Dragon from my deck to the Graveyard." I took what I needed, then tossed it. "The card I just discarded was Divine Dragon Ragnarok, and because that was a Normal Monster, I can send an additional Dragon, like Alexandrite Dragon.
"Next, part two, the Spell Card, Dragon Revival Rhapsody." Another of my set cards lifted, and Lady of D produced a panpipe. She put it to her lips and started to play a calm, haunting melody. "Because she's a Spellcaster, I can summon not one, but two Dragons from my Graveyard, so long as at least one of them is a Normal Monster."
She switched to an offbeat, energizing, trumpeting sound, and then two Dragons, Ragnarok and again, Bandit Dragon appeared. (1,600 ATK x2)
"I will activate my second Trap Card," said Burt.
I liked the name of this Continuous Trap even less than I did the last one, nor did I like how Balrog changed again, its veins turning sickly green. I read, "Celestial Dictum… Apodictic? What does that mean?"
"It is an adjectival expression in philosophy that refers to a proposition that is demonstrably, necessarily or self-evidently true, which cannot be disputed in any reasonable way. You see, there are some -"
"Okay, okay sensei, I get it, I meant what does the card do?"
"This card's effect is only active when you have a Dinosaur, Beast, Winged Beast, Insect, Dragon, Wyrm, Reptile, Plant, Sea Serpent, or Fish monster. If so, Balrog gains an additional effect, its Attack Score increasing by 1,000 points during my Battle Phase."
"Well, guess we can't have that." I took the card I had drawn this turn and used it. "Mystical Space Typhoon! That Trap Card is history!"
The Quickplay Spell appeared, and a fierce funnel of wind shot out from it, blowing towards the Celestial Dictum - Apodictic card…
…but… nothing. The card didn't break, barely even swaying a little as the Typhoon hit it.
"Or… maybe not."
"Barlog's mere presence prevents Continuous Traps from destruction. Once per turn, of course."
Well, at least it didn't seem any more broken than Horus, but this did make it a lot more difficult.
"Terone?" It was Lady of D, and while she seemed as worried as I was, her voice had an encouraging tone. "Our foe is indeed clever and resourceful, but also overconfident. Perhaps he can be tricked."
I felt a strong compulsion to look down at my hand, and my eyes focused on one card. I looked at Balrog, then at the two Continuous Traps… Yeah, maybe she has something.
"Okay, Burt," I said, "first thing I'm going to do is Xyz Summon! I'll Overlay Divine Dragon Ragnarok and Lady of D…"
The Dragon and Spellcaster turned to me, nodded, and they turned to orbs of black and dun colors, which flew and then spun around each other, absorbed into the Overlay Network overhead. Queen Dragun Djinn flew out, landing gracefully with a spread of brilliant, fiery wings. (1,200 DEF) This was the first time I had ever summoned her in Defense Mode, but this was going to be a risky move if there ever was one.
"Why did you do that? If you had used Bandit Dragon to Xyz Summon, you could have used its effect again."
"Oh, I'll get to him in a minute. For now, I'm using my Queen's effect."
She started to strum her lyre and sing as I took Bandit Dragon from beneath her card. "By using her effect, I can summon yet another Dragon to the field. Alexandrite Dragon!"
By discarding the card, a shimmering portal appeared on the floor, and the beautiful Dragon with shimmering scales rose from out of it. It turned to Queen Dragun and the two nodded to each other. (2,000 ATK)
Then, it lifted its head up, making a proud, valiant call as I used a Quickplay Spell. "Now I'll use Silver's Cry, to summon a Normal Dragon Monster from the Graveyard."
"You're summoning Divine Dragon Ragnarok again?"
"You got it! Return!"
With Ragnarok back once again, I had Queen Dragun and three of her Level 4 subjects. Time to try out the new addition to my deck and hope for the best.
"I'm making a second Xyz Summon and using all three of my Level 4 Dragons!"
It had only been a couple of hours since I had seen Cindy summon this one, but it seemed much longer. Still, the flashing pink and purple lights, bubbles and streamers, and colorful pyrotechnics with a backdrop of idol music was just as thrilling as before. The three Dragons flew into the Network, and Duel Monster Stylin' Barbie rose from my side of the field this time, spinning with her arms raised upwards and striking a pose. (1,800 ATK)
However, her exuberance was short-lived. "EWW!" she shouted. "Terone, why'd you book me in this dump? It… it smells like rotten egg salad!"
Balrog roared at the sight of the new Xyz, and now half its veins were metallic blue, much like all of them had been before, the other half retaining the sickly green look.
"A foolish move, Mr. Brickman. By summoning a Fairy monster, my Barlog can use both its Concordant and Apodictic powers."
"Eww, gross, these guys are totally cramping my style."
"Calm down, we can beat this guy. Ready to strut your stuff here?"
"Oh, am I ever!"
She gave me a thumbs up, and now I took Bandit Dragon from under her card. "All right! By using Barbie's effect and ditching one of her Overlay Units, I can Equip a Normal Monster from my Graveyard to her, causing her Type and Attribute to change to that of the Equipped Monster, plus the monster's Attack Points added to hers. I'll use… This one!"
I held up Tri-Horned Dragon's card, and then threw it into my Disk's Spell Zone in the space behind Barbie. The results were quick and dramatic, as she held out her arms, floating off the floor and turning slowly as the change took place. Her ears grew into points, while her eyes turned reptilian, and her hair grew to near floor-length. Her pink dress turned black, changing in style to that of a Grecian toga. A golden girdle shaped like a snake appeared around her waist, and then a matching bejeweled crown with a golden winged dragon on the forehead. Finally, a gauntlet shaped like a dragon's head with ruby eyes fitted onto her right hand. (4,650 ATK)
Barbie beamed as she looked over her new ensemble. "Whoa! Neat!" she exclaimed. "Hey, Queenie, looks like we shop at the same place now!"
Queen Dragun nodded with a smirk. Of course, Barlog was not happy at all; the blue veins went away, leaving it with only the green ones.
"I admit, that was rather clever. As a Dragon, your monsters are not only safe from Balrog's Concordant powers, but she is stronger than mine even with the Apodictic boost."
"Yes, that was kind of the idea."
"However, you still cannot attack with her this turn, due to Vengeful Bog Spirit."
"True," I said. I set one more card in my Spell Zone. "So, I'll end here. Seeing as I did manage to use Bandit Dragon's effect, I'll draw one card and turn it over to you."
He drew a card, and then declared, "I activate Necro Sacrifice."
This was one of those cards that you don't recognize right away but remember about when you actually see it used. I stepped back in shock as familiar possessed Hiita and Homunculus the Alchemic Being appeared on my side of the field in Defense Mode.
Hiita looked up at Barbie. "Nice dress," she said, "all you need to go with it is some pre-recorded retro music and a pole."
"Excuse me?" started Barbie.
"Hiita, must you?" snapped Homunculus.
"Quiet down!" I shouted.
"Bitch," said Barbie, angrily giving Hiita an offside glance.
"Ahem, can we continue?" Bert chose another card from his hand and used it. "Because I summoned two monsters from my Graveyard to your field, they are considered the Tributes I need to summon a high-Level monster this turn, so I will summon… The Cataclysmic Crusted Calcifida!"
This guy sure loves to use big words.
Speaking of big, that certainly described the monster, although in this case, "fat" might have been better. After a throaty laugh, it appeared, doing a somersault and making a landing that caused the ground to shake, stumbling and almost falling over in the process. This large, rotund, jolly-looking humanoid hardly seemed threatening, but did seem bulky, solid and strong, wearing a purple sash, a garland of… plain rocks, and dirty blue pants. It had a staff that looked like it was made out of stone, topped with a large ruby, and there were purple gemstones growing out of the top of its cranium. (2,600 ATK)
"Finally, I activate my final Continuous Trap."
This new Trap caused another change in Balrog's already unpleasant appearance. Now the Veins in its head and legs were sickly green, the ones in its arms were metallic blue, and the veins in its torso were black.
"Gross, it just keeps getting uglier!" said Barbie.
Hiita rolled her eyes and said, "Try living in the same deck with it."
"Ugly perhaps, but more formidable than ever, as now that I have activated Celestial Dictum - Antipodean, Barlog reduces the Attack Score of all Extra Deck monsters to zero, so long as you control a Rock, Plant, Pyro, Machine, Aqua, Cyverse, and Thunder monster."
"Uh, i don't have any of -"
"Ahem," said Homunculus.
Of course, it was obvious now why he had used that card. Because Hiita was a Spellcaster and Homunculus was a Plant, Barlog gained the enhancements from all three of those Trap Cards, meaning an attack on Barbie would do a full 4,000 points damage, which was about eight times the amount I had left.
"Think cheap plastic is resilient to burning Hellfire?" asked Hiita, looking at Barbie with a cruel smile.
"I kind of doubt it," said Homunculus.
As Barlog burned with what seemed to be the raging fires of Hell itself, sending a searing, blazing bolt of flames at Barbie…
…but she was unimpressed. "Big creep!" she shouted, then leapt, spun, and kicked, her foot deflecting the blast back onto Balrog, hitting it with its own fiery breath. There was a low moan from the demon, and to the shock of Burt and his "donated" monsters, it was reduced to smoldering rocks and ash.
Barbie turned to Hiita with a dirty look and then proudly said, "For the record, I am not made of 'cheap plastic'." She closed her eyes and ran her fingers thought her hair. "This is all non-toxic, durable, non-flammable polyvinyl chloride."
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,750)
"What? Your Spell Card…"
I nodded, holding up the Quickplay I had just activated. "Yes… Forbidden Chalice. Those three Trap Cards don't cause any effects on their own, they bestow those effects on other monsters. With two effects of its own, Balrog had five different effects on it, but this card was all it took to negate them all." I discarded the card. "Ironic, isn't it?"
"It is indeed," replied Burt. Then, however, he used his facedown card. "I will first activate Option Hunter, which restores my Life Points by an amount equal to Balrog's Attack Score.
"But you were wrong on one assumption, Barlog has three effects of its own, and while your Spell nullified Barlog's effect on the field, it still retains its effects in the Graveyard, which I can thus use now. By sending one of my three Trap Cards there, well, see for yourself."
The Celestial Dictum - Antipodean did a 180 turn and fell flat on the floor with its face side up, and then turned into a flaming doorway. Balrog's claw reached out of it, and the Fiend started to pull its way up.
What in the world were they smoking when they thought this up? I thought. Even for a rare exclusive, this seemed way too powerful. Regardless, Balrog was back on the field, and now it was angry. (3,000 ATK)
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,750)
"To conclude my turn, I will activate the Equip Spell, Raregold Armor." As he used the card, Cataclysmic Crusted Calcifida flexed its muscles, and its stony, rocky hide turned to shiny gold. "So long as this card remains equipped, you cannot attack any monster except him."
"Ooh, you guys are in trouble!" said Hiita.
"Terone, can you please sacrifice her?" said Barbie.
"Hold on, I'm thinking," I replied.
"My turn is over, you have three minutes."
I doubt I would have needed that long, but this all seemed strange. Why equip that card to that monster? Why did he get rid of Antipodean to revive Balrog instead of Concordant? While Barbie would return to Light Attribute on my turn, I could change it again, and both she and Queen Dragun were Xyz, so even if I got rid of Homunculus, Antipodean was – potentially – his most potent weapon at the moment.
It all didn't make sense. First, he used Vengeful Bog Spirit, and then he -
…wait… My monsters were Xyz… Maybe it did make sense…
I drew a card - this was going to be something of a gamble, but I think the chances were slightly in my favor.
"Do not forget, Mr. Brickman, during your Standby Phase, the monster equipped to Barbie must go back to your deck."
"Actually, big guy, that's not going to happen, because I'm chaining this to my Draw Phase, the Quickplay Spell, Double Cyclone!" I threw it into my Disk and winds started to whip up around the arena. "By destroying one of my Spell or Trap Cards, which Tri-Horned Dragon is considered such now, I can destroy one of yours."
"Were you not listening a minute ago? Barlog's effect -"
"Yes, I know, you can use it to counter that effect if I try to wreck one of your Trap Cards, but I'm not aiming for either of those. I'm aiming for… that!"
I pointed to the Vengeful Bog Spirit card, and the winds started to rage furiously, shattering the card and blowing the foul mist away. While she lost her draconic outfit (lowering her Score back down to 1,800) Barbie seemed relieved.
"Thank the Maker!" she exclaimed, "that crud was doing a number on my hair!"
"That's a relief," said Hiita, rolling her eyes, "Slifer forbid you stop being the center of attention for more than ten seconds."
"Well then," I said, "maybe I'll just make the center smaller by getting rid of two uninvited guests - time I summoned my favorite monster!"
"Oh, nice going, Hiita," said Homunculus.
"Wait, you…" started the Charmer, "I didn't mean…" She was cut off as she and Homunculus disappeared; I'd heard enough out of them as it was.
"By sacrificing two monsters," I continued, "I'll bring out… Cosmo Queen!"
It had only been about a week since I had last used this one, during my duel with Monty, but even so, seeing her now, drifting ominously from out of the ether, her long, scarlet dress and decorated headdress giving off a sense of power, majesty, and malice all at once… it was like I was seeing an old friend for the first time in a while. The soft, pleasant smile she had as she turned to look at me seemed to show it was a mutual feeling. (2,900 ATK)
"AHH!" screamed Barbie in a cry of joy. "L-O-V-E the hat there!"
"I'll find one in your size later," replied Cosmo Queen, "for now, we must vanquish this miscreant."
"You heard the lady! Queen Dragun, move to Attack Mode!" The Djinn gave me a nod, standing up straight. (2,200 ATK) "Next, because I sent Tri-Horned Dragon to the Graveyard, I'll use another of Barbie's Overlay Units to equip it to her again!" Barbie smiled broadly, flexing her left arm as she was again adorned with her draconic dress, jewelry, and crown. (4,650 ATK)
Time to test this theory… "Queen Dragun… Attack the Cataclysmic Crusted Calcifida! Siren's Song!"
Queen Dragun turned to the huge rock Fairy and started to strum her lyre, singing a lovely melody. Calcifida looked at her, and hearts appeared in his eyes… Then Queen Dragun blinked, her eyes turning into reptilian pupils, and the song turned to a horrible wail, tearing towards the Fairy. As I had hoped, her Attack Score shot up to 3,200, with Calcifida's golden armor shattering to pieces and Calcifida itself blown to inert pebbles.
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,150)
"Ugh," groaned Burt.
"Seems I was right. Those Trap Cards give Balrog some potent effects, but it's not one-sided. During my turn, the benefits are reversed, meaning my monsters gain the bonus. Your whole strategy hinged on making them unable to make an attack on Barlog at all."
"Congratulations," said Burt with a growl.
"Y'know, I'm really not sure the Charmers were the right way to go here. I mean you could have used Swords of Revealing Light, Patrician of Darkness, Astral Barrier with Spirit Barrier…"
"Will you just finish it?"
I shrugged. "Barbie, if you would?"
"On it, chief!" she cheered. She made a leap, darting towards Balrog high-heel first, her Score rising all the way to 5,650 and delivering a fierce kick to the demon's teeth. The Fiend spit blood and a tooth as the blow hit, and then collapsed on its rump with a crash, then disappeared in a bust of flames, ash, and smoke.
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,500)
"Your move, Cosmo Queen! Finish him off! Lights of Orion!"
Closing her eyes, holding her palms out, and concentrating, a yellow orb appeared above her hands. Then a green one, and then a purple one. The three orbs started to turn clockwise, and then grew, spinning faster and faster, into a spinning multicolored ring of energy as the whole room darkened. Cosmo Queen's eyes opened, and she hurled the ring, hitting the huge duelist backwards, slamming against the door he had been guarding, cracking it and depositing him unceremoniously on the floor.
(T: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)
The defeated duelist groaned, reaching for the mask covering his face and removing it. I was a little surprised - it didn't seem to conceal anything unsightly. He was actually sort of handsome underneath.
"You may pass. But heed this warning… You might not like what you find within."
"I'll take my chances," I replied. I turned to my monsters and added, "Thanks everyone."
Their content smiles were all I needed as a "You're welcome" right before they faded away. I wiped the sweat from my brow with my sleeve, blocking my view of Burt and the door for a second or two… But when I looked again, he was gone.
Well, he was gone. His Duel Disk was on the floor, and the cards had all spilled out. "What? HEY! Come back, you left behind…" Where had he gone? Had he dropped it? If he had, I would have heard a clatter or something.
I bent down and saw the Balrog card. I assumed this one was mine, given the rules of the tournament (though I doubted I'd ever find a way to use it), so I took it, placing it in the pouch on my belt where my extra deck was. I wasn't going to leave the rest of his deck behind, nor was I about to steal it - one of many unwritten laws of pro dueling forbade such things. I would try to find him later. Not like someone that size wearing an iron mask and a three-piece suit would be hard to find, I thought.
For now, it was time to see what was down here…
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The open door led to a stairway going down. A very long way down, in fact. The stairs and walls were all made of mortared stone brick, and there were torches providing illumination - for some reason, I wondered what sort of fuel such old lighting used and who came down here to light them, something you never wondered when playing some old RPG video game. The stairway seemed cold and drafty, kind of reminding me of the path to some old castle's dungeon or wine cellar - or maybe both, if a keg of dry Spanish sherry were involved.
After what had to be a ten minute walk or so down these stairs (which had no handrails, I might add) it ended at a door, which there was clearly no welcome mat in front of. It was like the one in the room above, but smaller, there didn't seem to be any nob, and there was an ugly stone grotesque at the top of the frame, looking down. At least whoever built this place had style.
"So, how do I…" I started. Then, to my surprise, the door swung open on its own, revealing a dark room within. I shrugged, then entered - carefully. I was starting to wonder whether or not someone was playing some sort of nasty prank, or maybe even a surprise party, even though my birthday wasn't for another four months. As I stepped in, more torches lit, illuminating the small room.
Roughly half the 10 foot square room was made up by… a cell. Or maybe a cage, not sure if there was a difference. It was an enclosure that clearly had the purpose of holding a prisoner. Which it did. A female prisoner languished in the cell, sitting on a bench, with her arms shackled.
No way… I thought.
The prisoner lifted her head. "You… you came…" she said.
No… fucking way… Dark Magician Girl?
It was her. Every last detail confirmed it, the hat, the low cut dress with short skirt, pentagram pendant, boots, gloves, even the strange pink rectangles under her eyes. But how?
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How indeed?
Terone has gained yet another Blockbuster card, putting himself one more step up the ladder, but as even the King of Games can attest, no matter how strong you become, there's always going to be folks who want to prove they are stronger.
Stay tuned, more coming next chapter, and possibly more from a certain someone as Terone's journey - which he seems to have been inadvertently roped into - continues.
And of course, the fan made cards:
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Durin's Bane - Balrog of Moria (Effect Monster)
Fiend/Fire/Lvl8/3,000/2,500
Effect: You may Special Summon this card by banishing 2 monsters you control OR 1 Fusion or Synchro monster that is Level 8 or higher; only Warrior, Spellcaster, or Fiend monsters can be banished to Special Summon this card via its effect. Each of the following effects of "Durin's Bane - Balrog of Moria" can be used once per turn, depending on the number of Continuous Trap Cards you control:
1 or more: When this card inflicts battle Damage to your opponent, draw 1 card for every 1,000 points of damage inflicted. Then, discard 1 card from your hand.
2 or more: If a card effect is activated by your opponent that would destroy a face-up Continuous trap Card you control, you can use the effect of this card to negate that effect.
3 or more: If this card is destroyed by your opponent (by battle or card effect) you can send 1 Continuous Trap Card you control to the GY during your next Main Phase; if you do, special summon this card from the GY. If you do, "Durin's Bane - Balrog of Moria" cannot use any effects or attack for the remainder of the turn.
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Axiomatic Retribution (Normal Trap Card)
Image: Silent Magician Lvl8 on the ground, wounded, with Lunalight Cat Dancer about to pounce at her. Behind Cat Dancer is the void of the Dark Dimension, a portal opening with D.D. Esper Star Sparrow emerging with his sword drawn.
Effect: You may only activate 1 "Axiomatic Retribution" per turn. Activate when a Lvl 7 or higher Fiend, Warrior, or Spellcaster monster you control is destroyed by your opponent (via battle or card effect). Special Summon from your GY a Lvl 7 or higher Fiend, Warrior, or Spellcaster monster of a different Type than the destroyed monster. If this card is in your Graveyard as a result of being activated the previous turn, you may banish it and 1 Lvl 7 or higher monster from your GY. If you do, add 1 "Anarchic Inversion" to your hand from your GY or deck.
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Anarchic Inversion (Normal Spell Card)
Image: Warrior Dai Grepher standing in the hallway of a dark castle, with two windows behind him, each showing the void of the Different Dimension outside. D. D. Warrior Lady is standing on the ceiling looking down at him, upside down, giving him a smug look.
Effect: Activate only when you control a Lvl 7 or higher Fiend, Spellcaster, or Warrior monster. Your opponent draws 2 cards. Destroy all cards in your Spell/Trap Zone. Select up to 3 "Celestial Dictum" Trap Cards from your deck and set them.
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Celestial Dictum - Concordant (Continuous Trap Card)
Image: Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World on a street with the Skyscraper field looming overhead, lifting Swamp Battleguard by the neck, with a wounded Dunames Dark Witch in front of him trying to crawl away. Behind him, Marauding Captain is about to charge in with his sword drawn while Diagusta Falcos swoops in from above.
Effect: If this card is set via the effect of "Anarchic Inversion", you may activate it the turn it is set; only 1 "Celestial Dictum" Trap Card can be activated per turn. If your opponent controls at least 1 Warrior, Spellcaster, Illusion, Zombie, Fiend, Psychic, Fairy, or Beast-Warrior, declare 1 Attribute, and then apply the following effects to all Lvl 7 or higher Fiend, Warrior, or Spellcaster Type monsters you control:
Once per turn, you may select 1 face-up monster your opponent controls of the declared Attribute; destroy it
During your opponent's Battle Phase, if this card battles a monster of the declared Attribute, this card is destroyed at the start of the Damage Step.
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Celestial Dictum - Apodictic (Continuous Trap Card)
Image: Gate Guardian in the Jurassic World field, struggling with Dragonic Knight and Harpie Queen, as Black Tyranno behind it rushes to join the fray. Gogiga Gagagigo's body is sprawled in front of them.
Effect: If this card is set via the effect of "Axiomatic Retribution", you may activate it the turn it is set; only 1 "Celestial Dictum" Trap Card can be activated per turn. If your opponent controls at least 1 Dinosaur, Beast, Winged Beast, Insect, Dragon, Wyrm, Reptile, Plant, Sea Serpent, and/or Fish monster. This card gains the following effects:
This card gains 1,000 ATK during your Battle Phase
Your opponents' monsters gain 1,000 ATK during your opponent's battle Phase.
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Celestial Dictum - Antipodean (Continuous Trap Card)
Image: Chaos Allure Queen on the streets of Skyscraper 2 Hero City, smiling wickedly as she prepares to cast a spell. Darkfire Soldier is kneeling at her side, his head bowed, and the broken remains of a Pendulum Machine and Destroyer Golem in the foreground. Behind her, Jerry Beans Man and Denko Sekka are rushing to flank her.
Effect: If this card is set via the effect of "Axiomatic Retribution", you may activate it the turn it is set; only 1 "Celestial Dictum" Trap Card can be activated per turn. If your opponent controls at least 1 Rock, Plant, Pyro, Machine, Aqua, Cyverse, and/or Thunder monsters, apply the following effect to any Level 8 Fiend, Warrior, or Spellcaster monster you control:
When this card attacks an Extra Deck monster, the ATK of the target is reduced to zero during the Damage Step only.
During your opponent's battle phase, when your opponent declares an attack with an Extra Deck monster, the ATK of monsters you control