Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah

[Blademaster]

The negative:

1. Too many reused quotes from your older stories.
2. The Aussie-Beast Deck has lost its flair from many repeated uses.

The positive:

1. A new type of deck (The Monarchs rock!)
2. A new Monarch to join the deck.
3. Next is gonna be a big turning point in this story - I can feel it...

All in all, not a bad chapter - I was almost expecting that Demiurge (sp.?) that Shup told me about to appear, but it didn't...

(grabs idea)

Anywho, nice recollection of the Jaden VS. Jinzo fight, though I wonder how Fortunado changed it so much... from 1 Duel Spirit to another I can understand, but a Norse God? He must've been pretty crafty...

Well, I guess that's about all I can chip in for now - I'm looking forward to Cleo's deck theme (and Cassius' and Sebastian's, of course). So, until then...

Later!

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Let me address one of those points right now. When I saw the episode with Demiurge, I didn't understand how that card worked at all. It seemingly needed a whole deck built around it and depended on a dozen other cards... I assume. Even the description on Janime was hard to comprehend.

So rather than try to have Loki use it, I came up with something simpler.

Fair enough?

[Blademaster]

Really?

...Where can I find this Janime description, DS? I searched around and found something called 'Demiurge Ema.' Is that it?

...

What? I'm curious.

[Shuppet Master]

I was expecting Demiurge Ema too, but after hearing Brian's problem, I understand how he refused to use it. It's pretty obvious that such a card would be situational at best and impossible to use at worst.

Liked how a Norse god appeared, and I know how Fortunado screwed that up - Cassius used that rod to ruin the ritual.

I really liked how you emulated the episode with Jaden vs. Jinzo, Brian. I can't wait to see the first of the Swordsman(or a Swordswoman, in this case) tackle Jason. It'll be electric!

[FusionSonicX]

Hey... What it is, y'all...

I'm finally back! I got alot of reading to do... Whoo!

[jkBAKURA]

I figured out Ben's deck theme when I re-read the earlier chapter and noticed Australia. This duel didn't impress me actually.

The main reason for that was while the combos were definately strategic, they were also overused. Everyone uses the Oz/De-Fusion combo. To tell you the truth, it was way too reminicent of Chad and Chumley, making almost nothing I hadn't seen before.

Monarchs, while definately a good choice of deck theme for the opponent in question, was also rather lackluster. The cards that were not Monarchs seemed too random. (though I do appreciate the rejection of the Treeborn/Monarch combo) The new m onarch didn't help things either.

I'm sorry to say, I found this chapter as a low point, but it looks like the next few will start to pick up speed. I'll be there.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Loki wasn’t impressed.

“Oh, a giant teddy bear…” he laughed. “Whatever will I do…”

“You may be the God of Tricksters, Loki,” said Ben, “but you sure aren’t a zoologist. Koalas aren’t bears. And in case you didn’t notice, his Attack points are greater than Frosty’s there!

This is one of those times I praise the Animal Planet channel for most of my animal knowledge: Koalas are marsupials--like kangaroos, they have a pouch to carry their young.^_^

“This is my least favorite Monarch,” said Loki, with a frown. “He reminds me of my foster brother… But he’s useful, because now, one of your Monsters is destroyed.”

How ironic...Zaborg is the most used out of the four Monarchs.:p

“Apparently…” said Jason. “That’s a Monster you don’t see every day… They say he’s the most powerful Beast-Type Monster in the game.”

And the third most powerful Fusion Attack-wise, since the Ultimate Dragon is most likely locked in wth the other Blue Eyes White Dragons. Five God Dragon and Dragon Master Knight take the top spots.

“Let me tell you something… true courage isn’t not being afraid. That’s being foolhardy. True courage is when you’re scared, but you act anyway.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Ben has heard of Chumley and knows of his particular taste in dueling – the difference is, Ben has had a lot more success as an actual duelist.

LOL! That is very true, since Chumley had the worst record in GX. ...Though he got much better by his second(and final) duel.

[Shuppet Master]

This is one of those times I praise the Animal Planet channel for most of my animal knowledge

I'd like to quote that, except for the channel part - my love is Food Network, and I praise it for most of my culinary knowledge and the sassy way the chefs do their shows - Rachael Ray and Alton Brown are my patron saints(and you might see references to the Iron Chefs of America in my future fic, Paper Wishes).

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, I'm not sure. I liked the duel, especially the Monarch deck, but it's Loki that I have a problem with. He's appearance in the story just seems, well, a bit random to me. He just doesn't really fit in with the rest of the story.

[Dark Sage]

Okay, here is the process through which you summon "Demiurge Ema". She's a powerful Monster and you need to go through a long process.

First, you need four Monsters on your side of the field or in your hand, and each has to be of a different Attribute. They do NOT have to be the four Monarchs at all. They simply have to be four Monsters of four different attributes.

Once that is done, you must play a Spell Card called "Shadow Moon". This allows you to do two things: activate a second Spell called "Blue Moon - Bloodstained Moon" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, and then sacrifice the four Monsters to summon "Demiurge Ema". (This spell's name will likely be changed in the dub.)

"Blue Moon - Bloodstained Moon" lets you choose one Spell or Trap on your side of the field and one on your opponent's side. The Spells or Traps have their effects negated, and are treated as Monsters called "Homunculus Tokens" which are summoned in Defense Position. They have 800 DEF and their ATK is unclear. (They are treated as Fairies).

"Demiurge Ema" herself is a Light Fairy, eight stars, with a base stats of (3,300/2,000) and she gains 800 ATK for each Homunculus Token. If she is destroyed, so are each of the tokens.

I hope that is now clear.

[Dark Sage]

You've seen them loom in the background throughout this whole fanfic... Well now, they will loom no longer!

Hello folks, a new arc of this fanfic is starting, and while I hope you enjoy the next four chapters or so, I can't promise that everything will be peachy-keen. With something as sinister as the Orichalcos looming over their heads, the heroes should realize that this is a dangerous game...

Especially since now, the four elite guard of the conspirator are getting into it.

That's right... four.

Who's the fourth? Can't tell you right now. You may have seen his shadowy preasence a bit already. But for now, Cleo is set to go against Jason. And while Cleo is certainly the big story, Jason also has a few new tricks he wants to show off.

So get ready...

The Swordsmen are going to take Manhattan.

[B]Since Russell dueled Fang, all three of us have encountered three young folks who name themselves Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo. Up until this point, they’ve stayed on the sidelines of a few Orichalcos duels, supporting whoever opposed us, and not much else.

I often wondered why they didn’t get involved personally. Was it due to lack of courage? Lack of skill? Did they think dueling us was beneath them?

Well, right now, I can render those three theories obsolete.

One of them has challenged me right now. She’s not afraid to face me, is an incredibly[I] good duelist, and as for the possibility of dueling being beneath her, she actually seems to be having fun, despite the terrible stakes that she’s set.

For the first time in a long time, I’m in trouble…

And as Jaden Yuki was fond of saying, I’d better “get my game on”…

…or my game is going to be shut OFF, permanently…

[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Thursday, September 30th, 2106, 4:05 PM



The first thing that Jason always did when he got out of class was check the mail. He liked getting mail… Getting mail from another person was like an acknowledgement that other people knew you were alive.

He opened his mailbox, and found only one letter. He looked at it.

Interesting… he thought.

It was marked fragile, and clearly there was a card in a plastic protector inside. No return address, though. He carefully opened it.

He looked at the computer-printed letter.


Dear Jason,

You don’t know who I am, but I’m someone who wants to help you. I know much about the struggle you are facing – I dare not write the name of the threat on paper, lest this be traced back to me.

I want to help you…

Meet me by taking the Number Three train all the way to the Coney Island stop, and waiting while it prepares to switch directions at eleven o’clock tonight. Please bring your Disk and your deck – if your enemies find me… I might have to duel, and if that happens, I’ll be Sealed for sure. Only your special card can help.

As a token of my sincerity, take the rare card that I’ve enclosed as a gift.


Sincerely,


A Friend


Jason took the card out of the envelope.

Dark Magician Girl? he thought in surprise.

He looked at it for a minute.

Something wasn’t right.

He left, and headed for one of the exam rooms…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Sneaking past Old Ben wasn’t hard. Catching students who snuck out was, ironically, one thing he didn’t do well. And even if Ben found out about this, he was sure he would be forgiven – this was a war, after all.

As the Number Three rolled into the station, not many folks were on it. It was late, and not many folks wanted to go to Brooklyn that night…

Much fewer wanted to go to Coney Island in the off season.

As the train moved deeper into Brooklyn, the few people on the train got off, until halfway to Coney, only Jason and an old woman dressed in worn clothes – likely a vagrant – who was asleep several seats down were on the same car.

Eventually, the train came to a halt at the Coney Island stop, the last stop on the line. The doors swung open. Jason’s watch said eleven PM. In about five minutes, the train would go in the other direction, moving to Manhattan and then to the Bronx.

“All right, I’m here…” muttered Jason. “So where are you?”

The doors slammed shut.

“I’m already here, cutie…” said a voice.

Jason turned. It had come from the vagrant…

…who wasn’t a vagrant after all.

She stood up and threw off the dirty clothes, revealing a halter and a brief pair of shorts. The distinguishable hairstyle with her long bangs covering the right half of her face made her instantly recognizable.

“So, it’s you…” muttered Jason, not getting up. “I kinda figured…”

“It didn’t fool you?” asked Cleo.

Jason lifted the Dark Magician Girl card.

“How dumb did you think I was?” he asked. “I was suspicious when you included this as the gift… Dark Magician Girl is incredibly rare. Most of them are owned by rich collectors, and very few duelists have actually used one in duels – one of which was the King of Games himself.

“So I scanned this card in one of the devices that teachers use to check students’ decks before vital exams, to prevent cheating… This card is a fake, not worth the cardboard it’s printed on.”

He tossed it at Cleo.

“Not quite…” said Cleo, with a grin. “Truthfully, it was a booby trap. If you had used it in a duel, it would have blown up in your face, costing you half your Life Points. The real text is hidden behind a spell. But I can’t fool you, cutie!”

“That’s just sad…” said Jason. “First the Orichalcos, then trying to sabotage someone’s deck with a tempting card… You’re a sorry excuse for a duelist, Cleo, and that’s why I’ll always defeat your kind.”

“You’ve never met my kind, cutie,” she said with a smile. “All the other minions you’ve met were just thugs who didn’t know the half of it. Cassius, Sebastian, and I… We were hand-picked for special reasons. We’re not minions… We’re the Swordsmen of the Orichalcos!”

The train started to move…

“Catchy name,” answered Jason. “How come all the bad guys have the great titles?”

Cleo shrugged.

“Don’t think you can hop off this train at the next stop, Jason,” she added. “This train has been commandeered by someone working for my boss, and it won’t make any stops until we duel and someone is lying on the floor with his soul stripped from him. Emphasis on the word him.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed.

“What makes you tick, Cleo?” he asked. “Don’t you have any decency? Why are you doing this, anyway?”

“Thrills!” answered Cleo. “You see, about two years ago, I was so poor, I couldn’t afford to feed myself. But I lucked out. A billionaire tycoon named Lewis Dogsen thought I was beautiful – and I was, by the way – and he offered a deal. I’d marry him, and be set for life, and in return, I’d never leave him. See, he was old, had no family, and wanted a companion. I couldn’t agree fast enough.

“But going from rags to riches wasn’t all thrills. Sure, I was pampered and spoiled, but Lewis just didn’t have the excitement I needed. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise… I was seventeen, and he was seventy-nine…

“To look for excitement, I turned to Duel Monsters, and played with anybody who’d take me up on it. I taught Lewis’s personal servants the game… And then I started making wagers with them… Very tempting ones…

“I’d offer them something valuable if they could beat me; maybe the string of pearls I was wearing, or the mink sole. But if they lost, I got to hurt them physically, however I wanted…”

“That’s terrible…” muttered Jason. “Lewis approved of this?”

“He was even meaner to them than I was!” laughed Cleo. “Half the companies he owned, he acquired through hostile takeovers. And the wagers were too good for them to pass up. I didn’t win all the time, but I had so much jewelry, and so many toys, that losing never bothered me.

“As I got better, I decided I wanted more, and Lewis was in my way. After I cleverly bumped him off – and believe me, he died happy – I got all of his money, since he had no other heirs to challenge me.

“That’s when I finally got a Disk and started work as a Duelist Assassin. You know how it is in the movies when a rich person becomes a hired gun? They cater to people who have deep pockets and want someone important taken out. I handled ones who could duel. I attacked them and killed them by forcing them to duel, after giving them a… special Disk.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed.

He remembered the story of how the Trinity was formed… The Doom Disks that those terrorists had invented…

“And then, one year ago, someone introduced me to the ultimate thrill… the Orichalcos!”

She hugged herself.

“You should feel it Jason! How the magic just flows right through you… Ancient, raw energy, pure power… In fact, I’ll share it if you want…”

“Share it?” gasped Jason.

She reached into a pouch by her side. She took out the cursed card.

“Here Jason,” she said. “I’m only allowed to have one copy in my deck, but if you want, you can take my spare copy. Then the advantage will go to whoever draws it first, and…”

“ARE YOU NUTS?” shouted Jason. “Keep it away from me!”

“Can’t say I didn’t offer…” said Cleo, with a sigh. She replaced it.

“Look Cleo, I came here tonight expecting a duel…” he said.

He activated his Disk.

“So enough about your life story. If all you’ve said is true, I’m going to send your sorry ass to Hell where you belong!”

“Bring it!” laughed Cleo. “Next stop, Manhattan, the Bronx, and certain doom!”

Her Disk activated.

Jason noticed that it wasn’t a standard Orichalcos Disk. It was made of what looked like bronze, and the tray was curved, shaped somewhat like a kopesh sword.

The train moved faster, and rode up an incline as the scores set…

“Get your game on…” muttered Jason.

[B](Jason: 8,000) (Cleo: 8,000)

“You want to go first, or should I?” asked Cleo.

“By all means, go first…” said Jason.

With stakes this high, he thought, drawing five cards, I need the first attack, not the first move…

“In that case…” said Cleo, drawing a first card.

She looked at it.

“…I’ll summon a gal who you’re sure to love… Amazoness Swords Woman, in Attack Mode!”

She played the card, and a tall figure appeared. It was a female Warrior, dressed in a skimpy bikini, wearing jewelry made of teeth. Her hair was loose and wild. She carried a large sword in her hands. (1,500/1,600)

“Well…” she continued, “maybe she’ll love you even more.”

Swords Woman grinned at Jason evilly.

An Amazon? thought Jason. Lovely. I hope this isn’t a trend… Amazon Monsters can be incredibly tricky…

But I’ve got a pretty good hand right now…

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon… X-Head Cannon!” he shouted.

A Monster appeared in front of him like a computer image starting to form. It was a powerful-looking Machine with bulky arms, no legs, two dangerous-looking guns, and a head like a helmet, colored blue. The visor on its helmet glowed red as it stared blankly at Swords Woman. (1,800/1,500)

“Impressive, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Hunk of junk,” answered Cleo.

Jason frowned.

“I’ll teach you to insult my Monsters…” he growled. “X-Head Cannon, kill the Swords Woman!”

X-Head Cannon fired its blasters. Swords Woman screamed and was blown to particles.

“Heh, heh…” said Cleo. “Nice effort, Jason, but even when Swords Woman loses, she still wins, because my opponent takes all damage from a battle involving her!

“And there are two more living in my deck, so I’d be wary about summoning Monsters with a lot of Attack Points…”

Jason frowned.

[B](J: 7,700) (C: 8,000)

“My move…” said Cleo, drawing a card. “And I’ll summon another Amazon… Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode!”

Another female Warrior appeared. This one wasn’t dressed any more decently, but she was far more muscular, and her hair was tied in a long ponytail. She didn’t have a weapon, but from the look of her, she didn’t need one. (1,500/1,300)

“She’s not as lethal as Swords Woman,” said Cleo, “but I take no damage from a battle involving her.

“And I’ll place a card facedown.”

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Is that so?” asked Jason, drawing a card. “Well, do direct attacks still work on you? I summon Y-Dragon Head!”

Another Machine, resembling a thin Dragon colored red, armed with laser guns appeared. It flapped its metallic wings, and hovered in the air. (1,500/1,600)

“X-Head Cannon, put her with her sister!” shouted Jason.

X-Head Cannon fired again. Fighter screamed and was vaporized.

“Heh, heh…” said Cleo. “You activated my Trap, cutie…”

The facedown card lifted, showing a silhouette of Swords Woman on a hill in front of the full moon.

“It’s called Pride of the Tribe, and it lets me summon another Amazon from my deck when one is destroyed in battle…”

She took her deck.

“Only hard decision is, which one? I think Amazoness Spear Woman fits my needs…”

She placed a card on her Disk, and a new Amazon, appeared, again dressed in a bikini and teeth jewelry, also with a leather headband. This one was holding a nasty spear with a bone point. (1,500/1,200)

“You’re free to attack her with your other Monster if you want…” purred Cleo, as she shuffled her deck.

Jason looked at his hand.

“I decline that offer…” he muttered.

It may be risky… he thought, but I can’t purposely lose Y-Dragon Head right now…

“Then it’s my move…” said Cleo, drawing a card.

She looked at the card.

“I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and a younger Amazon dressed in skins with shorter hair, carrying a blowgun appeared. (800/1,500)

“Any jokes about her name, and this duel is going to get very painful for you,” warned Cleo. “I’ve heard too many of them.”

“Fine, I won’t,” said Jason, “but she’s hardly a threat…”

Blowpiper and Spear Woman looked at each other and nodded to each other…

“Well, let me explain to you Spear Woman’s special ability…” said Cleo with a grin. “She can attack you directly, so long as I sacrifice another Amazon first.”

Jason’s eyes opened…

“So say goodbye to Blowpiper…” continued Cleo.

Blowpiper vanished.

“And say helllloooo to Spear Woman!”

Spear Woman leapt up, landed right on Y-Dragon Head, then leapt again, driving her spear into Jason’s gut!

Jason staggered back almost ten feet and slammed into the subway pole.

Whose bright idea was to have this duel on a moving subway? he thought, getting up.

[B](J: 6,200) (C: 8,000)

“Come on, Jason, put up a little fight!” laughed Cleo. “This isn’t exciting at all!”

Jason drew a card.

“You want exciting?” he growled.

He threw a card on his Disk.

“I summon Z-Metal Tank…”

With a whir, a yellow robot on tank treads with one optic sensor rolled into view. (1,500/1,300)

“And the best thing about these three Monsters is…” he said. “They combine!”

Z-Metal Tank rolled into the center of Jason’s field. Y-Dragon Head retracted its wings and hovered over it. X-Head Cannon extended a device from its underside, and hovered over it…

And then the three Machines locked together, in a burst of steam and a blaze of energy, creating one huge, multicolored robotic creature!

“Meet Kaiba’s second-favorite merged Monster,” said Jason. “The XYZ-Dragon Cannon!”

(2,800/2,600)

“And now to activate its effect. See, by discarding one card from my hand, like Safecracker here…”

He discarded the Trap Card.

“…I can wipe out any card on the field. So Spear Woman dies!”

Spear Woman gulped as the massive Machine’s guns glowed…

It fired, and she was blown into her component atoms.

“And that was just its effect…” said Jason. “I still have its normal attack to use on you…”

XYZ-Dragon aimed its guns at Cleo.

“So…” asked Jason. “Exciting enough?”

“Uh, huh, huh…” chuckled Cleo, nervously.

“ATTACK!” shouted Jason. “De-fission blasters!”

A barrage of lasers blasted, and Cleo was thrown back, her cards scattering all over the floor of the car!

“Ugh…” she moaned.

[B](J: 6,200) (C: 5,200)

A whistle on the train blew, as it started to go down an incline…

“Why don’t you quit while you still can?” asked Jason. “Or do you want me to do that again?”

Cleo got up.

“Oh, yes, yes!” she moaned happily. “Bring it on!”

She picked up her cards.

“My move…” she said with a smile.

She drew and looked at the card.

“Now the real fun starts!” she laughed, opening her Field Slot.

The train shot into a tunnel, transforming from EL-Train to true subway. Darkness shrouded the car for a few seconds…

And then the glow from the Seal lit it up!

As the lights came back on, Cleo raised her arms, as the Seal branded to her forehead, and she glowed with energy.

“Yes, YES!” she cried in pure joy. “Give me the power!”

“You’re nuts…” said Jason.

“And you’re in big trouble…” said Cleo with a grin.

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon the general of the Amazon army… Amazoness Paladin!”

A new Amazon appeared, this one dressed in a halter and a brief loincloth, as well as a cowl and a short caplet. (1,700/300)

http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en114.jpg

“And in addition to the bonus from the Orichalcos,” said Cleo, “she gains 100 more Attack Points for every Amazon on my side of the field, including herself.”

The Paladin’s eyes glowed evilly, as the Seal branded to her forehead. (2,300/300)

“That’s not near enough…” said Jason.

“Not on her own,” said Cleo, “but I have another card…”

She played a card, showing the image of an aged, female witchdoctor.

“Amazoness Spellcaster,” she said. “It’s a Spell… which swaps the base Attack Score of an Amazon with that of one of your Monsters for the rest of the round.”

“Base Attack Score?” gasped Jason.

“Right…” said Cleo. “Before any other bonuses. So now, Paladin has 2,800 Attack Points, plus 500 from the Orichalcos, plus 100 from her own effect, for a grand total of 3,400!

“And your Cannon has her base Attack of 1,700, plus no bonuses…

“Paladin, attack!”

Amazoness Paladin made a pose, and then leapt forward…

She brought her sword down on XYZ-Dragon Cannon, blowing it to scrap!

[B](J: 4,500) (C: 5,200)

Terrific… thought Jason. XYZ-Dragon Cannon was a NOMI, and I had to remove the three component Monsters from play to create it! Even worse, she has a Monster out who’s stronger than anything that I can summon with no sacrifice…

He drew a card.

Time to stall…

“I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

He played a card, and the jerky jester appeared. He tipped his hat to Paladin and crouched in Defense. (500/1,200)

“Trying to stall, huh?” asked Cleo, drawing a card.

“I play… Pot of Greed.”

She played the card, and drew two cards.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“All right, Jason,” she said, playing a card. “I’m Equipping my Paladin with Sacred Sword of the Amazons.”

Paladin’s regular sword vanished, and a beautiful bronze scimitar decorated with runes appeared.

“It gives the Amazon who holds it an extra 300 Attack Points,” she said, as Paladin rose to an Attack of 2,600.

Only 300? thought Jason. There has to be something else to it, or it would be nothing more than a glorified Legendary Sword…

“Paladin, attack Peten!” ordered Cleo.

Paladin leapt forward, and cut the Dark Clown in half.

Jason went to his deck and got his second Dark Clown. He placed the card on his deck, and Peten appeared again.

“Well, in that case…” said Cleo, “I end my turn…”

Jason drew.

He smirked as he looked at the Spell Card.

“I play Polymerization!” he shouted. “And I’m fusing the two Cyber Dragons in my hand, forming the mighty Cyber Twin Dragon!”

The two Cyber Dragons appeared, and then swirled into a vortex of light, and the huge, two-headed mechanical Dragon appeared! (2,800/2,100)

“He’s just strong enough to take out your Paladin,” said Jason with a grin. “And once his left head is done with her, his right is going to take care of you!

“Go, strident blast!”

Cyber Twin Dragon’s left head blasted a stream of flame, and Amazoness Paladin was incinerated!

“And now… huh?”

The Sacred Sword of the Amazons was spiraling through the air…

It stabbed into Cyber Twin Dragon, and the Machine started to sizzle and smoke. It roared…

Then it exploded into pixels!

“What the…” gasped Jason.

Cleo grinned.

“When an Amazon Equipped with the Sacred Sword dies battle,” she said, “so does the Monster who killed her. So she got the last laugh, Jason…”

Jason was angry now.

“I’ll place down one facedown…” he muttered.

A facedown card appeared.

“I still have Peten!” he shouted. “Do your worst!”

[B](J: 4,500) (C: 5,000)

“My worst, eh?” said Cleo, drawing a card.

She looked at the intimidating Monster on the card.

“I play Monster Reborn, to bring back one Monster from my Graveyard, and I know just the one…”

Amazoness Swords Woman appeared again, and the Seal appeared on her forehead. (1,500/1,600) –> (2,000/1,600)

“And next…” she continued, “I’ll summon the Amazon tribe’s faithful companion and bodyguard… Amazoness Tiger!”

She played the card, and a ferocious-looking she-tiger appeared, with a spiked collar around her neck. (1,100/1,500)

“Now, Tiger just hates being alone,” explained Cleo, “because she gains an extra 400 Attack Points for every Amazon on my side of the field. Now combine that with the bonus from the Orichalcos…”

The Seal appeared on Tiger’s forehead, and her Attack rose to 2,400.

“And she has another ability,” continued Cleo. “So long as she’s on my side of the field, you aren’t allowed to attack any Amazon except her!”

“I see…” muttered Jason.

“Swords Woman,” said Cleo, “take out the second Peten!”

Swords Woman made a slash, and Peten was obliterated.

“Fine, but I have a third one!” replied Jason, as a third Peten appeared.

“Tiger, you know what to do…” said Cleo.

Amazoness Tiger pounced, and flattened the last Clown.

“Finally, I’ll place a card facedown,” she said.

A facedown card appeared.

“Your move, cutie…” she said.

Jason drew a card.

“I play my own Pot of Greed,” he said.

He drew two cards.

Oh yeah… he thought.

His Trap Card lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted,” he said, “to bring back the third Peten.”

Peten appeared, standing up. (500/1,200)

“And now…” he said. “I sacrifice Peten, to summon the mighty White Horn Dragon!”

Peten shattered, and a dark form arose…

It was a frightening Dragon, with rust-red scales, large wings, and most remarkably, a white horn like that of a unicorn on its forehead. (2,200/1,400)

“Well,” said Cleo, “I’ll admit I’ve never heard of him… But he’s weaker than my Tiger.”

“Is he?” asked Jason. “See that horn on his forehead? It lets him feed on residual magical energies.

“I’ll explain… I can now remove from play up to five Spell Cards from your Graveyard, and for each one, he gains 300 Attack Points, permanently.”

Cleo looked at her Disk as it started to shake…

Images of Amazoness Spellcaster, Pot of Greed, Sacred Sword of the Amazons, and Monster Reborn flew out, and were absorbed into the Dragon’s horn. His Attack rose to 3,400.

“Attack Amazoness Tiger!” shouted Jason.

“I activate Amazoness Archers!” shouted Cleo, as her Trap lifted.

A squad of scantily-dressed Amazons armed with bows appeared, and started firing at the Dragon. He roared.

“These poisoned arrows weaken all your Monsters, lowering their Attack Scores by 500 Points!”

“My Dragon is still stronger than your Tiger!” replied Jason.

White Horn Dragon blasted a gout of fire, and Amazoness Tiger was burned up!

[B](J: 4,500) (C: 4,500)

“Yeah, well don’t forget…” muttered Cleo. “if you attack Swords Woman, all the damage goes to you…”

“I didn’t forget…” said Jason. “Now move.”

Cleo drew a card.

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cleo.

“Your Dragon is going to get it now, cutie…”

She showed him a card… It looked like The Seal of Orichalcos, but without the star in the center.

“That’s… a Card of Sin, isn’t it?” asked Jason, in fear.

“Yes…” laughed Cleo. “It’s an Equip… called Orichalcos Soul Sacrifice!

“Let me explain… Just as the Seal itself will seal the soul of the duelist who is defeated in this battle, this card will seal the souls of any Monsters in my Graveyard who were blessed by the Seal. There were two so far – Paladin and Tiger…”

She played the card. It appeared, and the images of Amazoness Paladin and Amazoness Tiger appeared in it.

“And for each soul it contains, the Equipped Monster gains 800 Attack Points.”

Swords Woman glowed, and she rose to an Attack of 3,600.

“Attack his White Horn Dragon!” she shouted.

Swords Woman leapt up, and made a swipe with her sword, slashing the Dragon in half!

[B](J: 4,200) (C: 4,500)

“Your move, cutie…” she said with a sweet smile.

“Stop calling me ‘cutie’…” he said, drawing a card.

“I’ll play a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared.

Cleo drew.

Well, what do you know, she thought. I drew my… escape route. Not like I really need to use it. I fully intend to beat this guy.

She added it to her hand.

“Swords Woman, attack!”

Swords Woman leapt forward…

A small woman in a wizard’s outfit with a peaked hat and dragonfly wings appeared. She was cut down.

“Ha!” laughed Jason. “You just killed my Pixie Knight! So now, you have to choose one Spell Card from my Graveyard, and I put it on the top of my deck!

“And there are only two to choose from…”

Images of Pot of Greed and Polymerization appeared above him.

Cleo paused.

“Well?” asked Jason.

“Uh…” muttered Cleo.

If I choose Polymerization, he might well be able to summon Cyber End Dragon, and I’d never beat that… she thought.

“I choose Pot of Greed…” she said.

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on top of his deck.

“Anything else?” he said.

“No. Go on…” she said.

Jason drew.

“Well, I’ll play it again…” he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards.

“I summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode,” he said.

The small Dragon-man holding a sword appeared, kneeling in Defense. (700/800)

“Next I’ll play Monster Reborn, to summon back White Horn Dragon in Defense Mode.”

He played the card. The ankh appeared, and White Horn Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense. (2,200/1,400)

“Finally, I place down one facedown and end my turn.”

He played a card, and it appeared.

Cleo drew a card.

I see, she thought. He thinks I’m going to crash through four of his Monsters and a Trap Card before I can get to him. Well, this might take longer, but I can extend this duel a little…

This is just getting good, after all.

“First I summon another Fighter in Attack Mode,” she said.

A second Amazoness Fighter appeared, and fell under the spell of the Seal. (1,500/1,300) –> (2,000/1,300)

“Then I play one of the rarest Amazon accessories…” she said, playing a Spell Card. “Amazoness Kiss!”

A disturbing-looking card appeared. It showed Amazoness Swords Woman giving a passionate kiss to Marauding Captain – who was chained to a tree.

“When I play this card,” said Cleo, “every card on your side of the field is destroyed!”

Fighter and Swords Woman raised their hands, and Troop Dragon, White Horn Dragon, and Jason’s facedown Mirror Force were blasted to pieces.

“Oh, please…” said Jason. “A card that powerful has to have some sort of drawback…”

“It does,” assured Cleo. “I can’t attack this round, for one. Also…”

She grinned, as Swords Woman stashed her sword on her back.

“…you also get a kiss from Swords Woman.”

“Suppose I tell her to drop dead?” asked Jason, as Swords Woman walked up to him.

“Then you’d be an idiot,” said Cleo. “It gives you 3,000 Life Points. So pucker up.”

Jason sighed, and then closed his eyes. Swords Woman held his head, and then planted a wet one on his lips.

Mmm… this isn’t so bad… thought Jason, as she kissed him and energy flowed into him. But if she thinks this is going to change anything…

[B](J: 7,200) (C: 4,500)

“But she’s going to do her best to kill you next round,” said Cleo, “so enjoy it while you can.”

Swords Woman let go and smiled sweetly at Jason. Then she casually walked back to Cleo’s side.

Jason drew a card.

Oh, hello there… he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode,” he said.

The small, furry, winged Fairy appeared. (300/200)

“That will do…”

“You’re trying to stall…” said Cleo, drawing a card. “Well, fine – he’ll save you a lot of pain for one turn, nothing more.

“Fighter, destroy it!”

Amazoness Fighter strode up, and kicked Winged Kuriboh like a football. He sailed past Jason, disappearing in sparkles of light.

“Your move…” she said.

Jason drew a card.

“I play… Card of Demise!” he exclaimed, playing it.

“Now I get to draw five cards…”

He drew five.

“True…” said Cleo. “But in five rounds, you’ll have no cards.”

“I’d rather not think that far in advance,” said Jason. “I have six cards in my hand right now, and I’m going to use them!

“First, I’ll play Premature Burial, to bring back an old friend…”

He played the card, and Cyber Twin Dragon appeared in front of him.

“He can’t beat Swords Woman…” said Cleo, with a chuckle.

“I don’t intend him to,” said Jason. “Next, I’ll play De-Fusion, to take him apart…”

He played another card. Cyber Twin Dragon, glowed, and then split into two smaller Cyber Dragons. (2,100/1,600)

“Now my Cyber Twin is back in my Fusion Deck,” said Jason, “and since I have two Cyber Dragons, I can play this… Photon Generator Unit, sacrificing my two Dragons…”

The two Cyber Dragons faded…

“…to form Cyber Laser Dragon!”

The powerful upgraded Cyber Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,800)

“And now I can use his effect,” said Jason, “which I can use once per turn to destroy any Monster who’s stronger than he is!

“Swords Woman… Thanks for the kiss… But it never changed anything.

“Go! Blue lightning lash!”

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of energy from its tail. Amazoness Swords Woman screamed, and was atomized.

“Now for your Fighter,” he continued. “Blue lightning blast!”

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of lightning from its maw. Amazoness Fighter was thrown back, and shattered.

“Forget?” asked Cleo. “I don’t take any damage at all.

“And you might as well have destroyed Sword Woman… It’s not good to keep a Card of Sin active for very long…”

“It’s your move…” said Jason.

[B](J: 6,400) (C: 4,500)

Cleo drew a card, as the subway started to make an ascent again.

“I play… Scapegoat,” she said.

She played the card, and the four sheep tokens appeared. The Orichalcos even bonded to them, raising their Attack Score from zero to 500.

“Go ahead, cutie…” she said.

This sweet talk is driving me nuts, thought Jason, drawing a card.

He placed the card on his Disk.

“I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode,” he stated.

The gargoyle-like Fiend appeared, and scowled at Cleo. (1,600/1,200)

“Ryu-Kishin Powered, Cyber Laser Dragon, take out two of those tokens!” ordered Jason.

Ryu-Kishin Powered slashed with his claw, destroying one of the Scapegoats. Cyber Laser Dragon shot its lightning, destroying another one.

“Next round,” said Jason, “you won’t have anything to hide behind.”

Cleo drew a card.

“Want a bet?” she asked.

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon Amazon Archer,” she stated.

A younger Amazon than the others, wearing a halter, jacket, and a brief skirt appeared, holding a bow and a quiver of arrows. (1,400/1,000) –> (1,900/1,000)

“Attack his gargoyle!” shouted Cleo. “Savage arrow!”

Amazon Archer drew back her bow, and fired, striking the Fiend in the chest. He groaned, and shattered.

“Now I’ll activate Archer’s special ability,” said Cleo. “By sacrificing two Monsters, she can create a special arrow…”

The two remaining Scapegoats vanished, and a golden arrow appeared in Archer’s hand.

“And she can use this to fire a shot right past your Monsters and hit you for 1,200 points of damage!” she laughed.

The Archer fit the arrow into her bow and aimed at Jason… She fired…

He cried out in pain as it stabbed into him.

[B](J: 4,900) (C: 4,500)

“To end, I’ll place a card facedown…” she said.

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew a card.

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

Tyrant Dragon, Magical Mallet, and…

He looked at the other Spell Card.

Often he wondered why he kept this in his deck. Maybe it was because of the significance it had on his idol. But it was a risky card to use…

He considered using Magical Mallet to swap it for a new one…

“I play…” he said.

Jason, no! said a voice in his head.

Jason paused.

”Who?” he responded.

Don’t get rid of that card just yet… said the voice. Remember the story… Remember how it saved Kaiba from his most humiliating experience…

Jason paused.

”All right…” he said. ”If you say so… Who are you, anyway?”

Let’s just say… Trisha sent me, said the voice.

Jason paused again.

“Cyber Laser Dragon, attack Amazon Archer!” he shouted.

Blue flames appeared in the Dragon’s mouth.

“Not a very fast learner, are you?” asked Cleo.

Her Trap Card lifted…

It was a second Amazoness Archers.

“You remember how this works, right?” she said, as the squad of bow-women appeared. “The Attack Score of your Monster goes down by 500…”

Jason drew back as his Monster was pelted with arrows.

“Both our Monsters will destroy each other!” he shouted.

“Bingo…” said Cleo.

As Cyber Laser Dragon shot its blue lighting, Amazon Archer fired an arrow, and both of them shattered!

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cleo. “That was rich…”

The subway burst through a tunnel, turning into an EL-Train again.

“And you’re in big trouble, cutie…” she said. “All I need to do is draw a Monster, and you’ll get hit hard…”

She drew a card…

She frowned.

“Heh, heh…” said Jason. “Didn’t draw one, did you?”

“Actually, I did,” said Cleo, placing it on her Disk, “it’s just that she isn’t the attacking type. I summon Amazoness Girl in Defense Mode.”

A young teenager wearing a skimpy leather outfit, no shoes, and jewelry made from teeth (naturally) appeared and crouched in Defense. (300/300) –> (800/300)

“A girl?” asked Jason. “That was the best you could come up with?”

He drew a card.

“I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode.”

The Dark Beast-Warrior appeared, and scowled at Cleo. (1,900/1,200)

Amazoness Girl squeaked in fear…

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jason. “You’re breaking my heart…”

He pointed, and Vorse Raider stomped on the young Amazon, crushing her.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Nice try, Jason,” said Cleo, “but while Amazoness Girl is too young to put up a fight, she has an ability just like your Troop Dragon, except that I get to summon another one if she’s destroyed any way, not just through battle.”

A second Amazoness Girl appeared.

“Then it’s your move…” said Jason.

“I draw…” said Cleo.

She looked at the card.

Hmph, she thought. I drew my most powerful Monster. She could clean Jason’s clock in a hurry…

Unfortunately, summoning her is no simple matter…

“I pass for this turn,” she said, adding the card to her hand.

Jason drew.

“I place down three facedowns,” he said, placing three cards into slots.

Three facedown cards appeared.

“Then I attack with Vorse Raider!”

The gargoyle slashed at the second Amazoness Girl, and she shattered.

Cleo took another card from her deck, and a third Girl appeared.

“I end my turn…” he said.

“And your five turns are up!” laughed Cleo, evilly. “That means you have to discard your last card!”

“I know…” said Jason, discarding Tyrant Dragon. “Why do you think I put the other three facedown?”

Cleo drew a card.

She grinned.

“I summon my second Amazoness Paladin,” she said, playing the card.

Another Paladin appeared.

“And now that there are two Amazons on the field,” she added, “she’s even stronger than the first one was…”

(1,700/300) –> (2,400/300)

“Destroy his Vorse Raider!” she shouted.

With one swipe of her sword, Paladin sliced the Beast-Warrior in half.

[B](J: 4,400) (C: 4,500)

“Just a warning, Jason,” said Cleo. “Paladin is one of three cards I need to summon the most powerful Monster in my deck, and I have another of those three cards in my hand right now…

“It’s been a long duel… I don’t have much of a deck left… I’m certain to draw the last piece soon.

“And once I do, you’ll never defeat me…

“It’s your move…”

Jason drew.

“Want a bet?” he said.

He showed her the card.

It was the Eye of Timaeus.

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cleo. “Talk about bad luck! Timaeus is worthless without a Monster he can fuse with, and you’re fresh out, Jason!”

“That all depends on whether your luck is better than mine, Cleo,” said Jason. “We’re going to play a little game…”

He pointed to one of his facedown cards.

“But first, let me tell you the story of this card that I placed facedown…

“Six months after the epic battle in which the Trinity was formed, Kaiba held Battle City 3. Of course, he entered himself, and both Yugi and Joey promised they would meet him in the finals…

“And Yugi thought up a way for them to keep that promise. Each of them would donate a card to each of the others’ decks.

“Kaiba at first thought it was a dumb idea, but eventually they talked him into it. This card was the one that Joey gave him. At first Kaiba didn’t want to put it in his deck because, like a lot of Joey’s cards, it was a ‘gamble’ card, and such things just weren’t his style. But eventually, he said the heck with it and added it to his deck.

“On Kaiba’s very first challenge of the tournament, he faced a formidable opponent who used a hand destruction strategy. Kaiba was at the end of his rope, with no cards in his hand and 500 Life Points left. He made what would likely be his last draw…

“And this is what he drew. Joey’s card.

“He had a choice – use it and take a risk, or forfeit.

“Losing the first duel of his own tournament would have been the worst humiliation ever, and Kaiba would have rather died than forfeited. He used it.

“And I’m going to use it now…”

The card lifted.

“I play the Spell Card, Arduous Decision!”

“Never heard of it!” snapped Cleo.

“Then let me explain…” said Jason. “It lets me draw two cards…”

He made two draws.

He looked at them – Cost Down, and La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp.

“Okay, now you have to choose one of them without looking,” he continued. “If the card you choose is a Monster that can be Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon it…

“If it isn’t, I discard both of them, and my turn ends right now…

“So, it’s your choice, Cleo…”

“Uh…” muttered Cleo.

She stared at him hard.

“In case you’re wondering,” said Jason, “one of them is a Monster, I already know what Timaeus can do with it, and you aren’t gonna like it…”

Cleo started to sweat.

“What happened… when Kaiba used it?” she asked, nervously.

Jason grinned.

“The card his opponent chose was one of his Blue-Eyes,” answered Jason, “and it won him the duel.”

Cleo got very nervous…

“I choose… the le… no…”

She gulped.

“The right one!” she shouted.

“Pity,” said Jason. “You almost chose left…”

He flipped the right card around, revealing La Jinn.

The genie appeared on his side of the field. He growled, not at all resembling his jovial self. (1,800/1,000)

“And like before…” he continued, “I play The Eye of Timaeus!”

The subway started to rattle and shake…

Cleo gazed in fear out the windows, and saw that the colossal form of Timaeus was flying alongside them! The Dragon appeared next to La Jinn, and roared!

“Merge!” shouted Jason. “Form Sorcery Dragon!”

The two Monsters combined into a well of darkness, and then a huge Dragon with emerald-green, sparkling skin that glimmered in the light, with fan-like wings appeared! (2,400/1,700)

“And now,” said Jason, “to activate his effect. I can take any Spell Card from my deck or Graveyard and use it, once per round. After using the effect a third time, the Dragon itself is destroyed…

“But this duel will likely be over by then.

“And the card I choose is… Rush Recklessly!”

He took the card, and then played it. Sorcery Dragon rose to 3,100 Attack.

“Attack Amazoness Paladin!” she shouted. “Magical blast!”

Sorcery Dragon shot a blast of green energy from its jowls, and it consumed Amazoness Paladin. She was vaporized without even being able to scream.

Cleo looked at it in fear.

[B](J: 4,400) (C: 3,800)

He can use any Spell Card in his deck or Graveyard for the next two turns? she thought. That includes Monster Reborn! He could bring back his White Horn Dragon!

Cleo shook her hand nervously as she drew a card.

No! she thought in fear. I don’t have anything to summon! If he draws a Monster next turn…

I’d be finished…

She shakily reached for the card that had been in her hand for quite some time.

I have to use it, she thought. I have to use what I’m only allowed to use once…

“Sorry, Jason,” she said in a frightened whisper, “but my boss allowed Cassius, Sebastian, and I one special privilege…

“He let us each put in our decks a way out… An escape route of sorts… I’m only allowed to use it once… After this, I simply can’t end a duel this way… He’ll see to that.”

She played a card.

“I play Amazoness Final Charge!”

The card appeared, showing a troop of Amazons fighting Dark Ruler Ha Des (and clearly losing).

“What does that do?” asked Jason.

“It lets me summon three Amazons from my Graveyard,” she answered.

First, a Swords Woman appeared. (1,500/1,600) –> (2,000/1,600) Then, a Fighter. (1,500/1,300) –> (2,000/1,300) And finally, a Paladin. (1,700/300) –> (2,600/300)

“And then, they all attack you directly…” she continued.

“WHAT?” screamed Jason. “That has to be the most broken…”

“It’s a perfectly legal card, Jason,” she said, bowing her head, “because it comes with a very painful price. All the damage you take from the Final Charge, I have to take too, and there’s no way I can avoid it. I can’t beat you using this card…

“So, until next time then?

“Attack!”

Swords Woman leapt up and slashed at Jason with her Sword. He staggered backwards, and so did Cleo.

[B](J: 2,400) (C: 1,800)

Then, Paladin slammed her sword into him, and they both staggered backwards again.

[B](J: 0) (C: 0)

Fighter apparently didn’t know or didn’t care that it was over. She charged and gave a tremendous kick to Jason’s stomach, and both he and Cleo fell to the floor, wincing in pain.

Then all the Monsters vanished.

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Jason had been knocked out cold for a minute. He thought for a second that the Seal had gotten him…

Then he looked up, just in time to see Cleo fleeing out the subway door.

“Bitch…” he muttered. “This should serve as a lesson… Never get into a life-or-death game of Duel Monsters with a spoiled brat…”

He picked himself up.

“This is getting more and more dangerous…” he said.

He thought for a minute.

“Wait a minute… If Cleo decided to face me…”

He ran out the subway.

The trains would be too slow. This time, he would splurge on a taxi.


Friday, October 1st, 2106, 12:07 AM



PRIDE OF THE TRIBE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Amazoness Swords Woman holding her sword aloft on a hill, with the full moon in the background.

Card Description: You can activate this card when one of your Monsters with the word “Amazoness” in its name, or who is named “Amazon Archer”, is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon one Monster with the word “Amazoness” in its name, or who is named “Amazon Archer” from your deck.

Note: “Pride of the Tribe” was used by Taniya in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Duel Distractions (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SACRED SWORD OF THE AMAZONS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Amazoness Paladin holding a bronze scimitar, etched with runes.

Card Description: This card can be Equipped to any WARRIOR-Type Monster who has the word “Amazoness” in its name, or who is named “Amazon Archer”. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If a Monster Equipped with this card is destroyed in battle, destroy the Monster who destroyed it.



AMAZONESS GIRL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 2
ATK: 300
DEF: 300

Card Description: This young protégé of the Amazon tribe is still learning the ways of the Amazons. If this Monster is destroyed, you may Special Summon one “Amazoness Girl” from your hand or deck.



AMAZONESS SPEAR WOMAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: This female fighter rigorously trains in the use of the spear among other weapons. If you offer a Monster on your side of the field with the word “Amazoness” in its name (other than this Monster), or which is named “Amazon Archer” as a Tribute during your first Main Phase, this Monster can attack your opponent directly during the next Battle Phase.



AMAZONESS KISS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Amazoness Swords Woman giving a passionate kiss to Marauding Captain, who is chained to a tree.

Card Description: You can play this card when you have at least one Monster on your side of the field with the word “Amazoness” in its name, or who is named “Amazon Archer”. This card can only be used during your first Main Phase. Destroy all cards on your opponent’s side of the field. Your opponent gains 3,000 Life Points. Skip your Battle Phase after using this card.



AMAZONESS FINAL CHARGE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A troop of Amazons fighting Dark Ruler Ha Des and clearly losing.

Card Description: Special Summon from your Graveyard three Monsters with the word “Amazoness” in its name, and/or who is named “Amazon Archer”. The Monsters you Special Summon in this manner must attack, and attack your opponent directly. Inflict battle damage to your own Life Points equal to the amount inflicted on your opponent by these attacks. The damage to your own Life Points cannot be negated or redirected by card effects. Destroy the three Special Summoned Monsters at the End Phase of the turn.



ORICHALCOS SOUL SACRIFICE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip/Card of Sin
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Sin: Greed

Image: Like The Seal of Orichalcos, but with no star in the center.

Card Description: Remove from play from your Graveyard up to four Monsters who previously received the 500-point bonus from “The Seal of Orichalcos”. The Equipped Monster gains 800 ATK for each Monster removed from play. If this card is destroyed, destroy the Equipped Monster.



WHITE HORN DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: This creature is believed to have once been a peaceful unicorn who was cursed with the form of a dragon. When this Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select up to five Spell Cards in your opponent’s Graveyard and remove them from play. For each card removed from play by this effect, increase the ATK of this Monster by 300 for as long as it remains on the field.

Note: “White Horn Dragon” is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States.



ARDUOUS DECISION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A cherub flying between a split scene; on one side, an impoverished village, and on the other a beautiful meadow.

Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. Your opponent chooses one at random. If the card he chooses is a Monster Card that can be Normal Summoned, Special Summon it. If not, discard both cards and end your turn.

Note: “Arduous Decision” was used by Joey in the anime episode “Courtroom Chaos (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SORCERY DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: This Monster is descended by activating “The Eye of Timaeus” and offering one “La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp” as a Tribute. During your Main Phase, you can select one Spell Card from your deck or Graveyard and activate it. A Spell Card activated by this card's effect is removed from play after its resolution instead of being sent to the Graveyard. This Monster's effect can be activated three times while it remains face-up on your side of the field. After the third resolution of this Monster's effect, destroy this Monster.

Note: “Sorcery Dragon” was created by Starjake due to his winning the third contest. Creative credit goes to him.



Cleo’s Amazon Deck

When Lewis took Cleo as a wife, a lot of his colleagues (most of whom hated him – he had almost no friends, and didn’t want nor need any) saw it as another reason to hate him, calling him such things as a cradle robber and worse. But some verbally attacked Cleo as well, thinking her a gold-digger. The nastiest individual actually accused her of planning to murder Lewis, calling her a black widow and saying that she hated men.

It is worth noting that this man hated women himself, being a misogynist and a bigamist, and soon after, Cleo used her allowance to have him murdered.

Cleo remembered that lout, and decided if she was to be known as a black widow, she would use Monsters known for not getting along with men. The Amazons seemed like a natural.

Although technically Warriors, Cleo’s cards follow much different rules. She has a few standard Warrior accessories, but most of her cards work for Amazons alone. A few of her cards are standard – Amazoness Archers, Amazoness Spellcaster, and Dramatic Rescue. However, having a great deal of money from her inheritance, Cleo was able to splurge on the rarest cards, and has access to Amazon cards that most duelists have never even heard of.

The problem with Amazons is, most of them are not very strong, and you can only have so many copies of Amazoness Spellcaster. Most of her cards make up for their weakness with their effects, and of course, the Seal is a big help – it usually can make a four-star Monster able to defeat any other four-star with ease.

Although Cleo plays to win – the stakes are pretty high in this game – she can’t resist the thrill, which is one reason she joined the Orichalcos. Danger is a thrill to her. And she most certainly would have given Jason the spare Seal if he had wanted it – danger for the thrill of it might lead to her losing some day, especially since she is not allowed to use her “escape route” a second time…



[B][I]Coming up next…

The duel was a narrow escape, but this is far from over…

Sebastian confronts Trisha, and it’s a battle of Machines versus…

Well… wouldn’t you like to know?

Those of you who have been straining to figure out the strategies of these three villains, another question is answered next chapter, in…

Well, that would be giving it away.

Be there.

[Shuppet Master]

Wow, Cleo is like an evil doppleganger of Fran, with that Amazon deck!

Great chapter, Brian, and I believe that Cleo forced a draw similar to how Alister forced a draw with Kaiba, and she'll lose the next time she duels. I can't wait to see what Sebastian is going to come up with.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Not your standard Amazon Deck, I guess you wanted to improve the style of the Amazon Deck. It was a little weird to see another draw because I thought we woudl see the end of Cleo but I guess she might have bigger plans unless Fortunado gets to her first. So a mystery duel. I can't wait to see what Deck Sebastian uses. And Starjake's Legendary Dragon creation for this Duel was awesome.

Keep up the good work on this fanfic, Dark Sage.

[Shuppet Master]

For some reason, I'm glad I didn't win this contest - I would have been hard-pressed to make Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos creations for these decks. I probably would have broken out my broken Cyber Dragon Timaeus creation. Good work, Starjake.

[Blademaster]

I honestly don't have much to say this time...

It was essentially a repeat of Kaiba VS. Alister the first time around, only with Amazons instead of Fire Monsters...

Sorcery Dragon didn't leave much of an impression, either - no offense to starjake, but I read the image, and all I kept seeing when I tried to picture it in my mind was Luster Dragon...

I'm a bit distracted, actually; I'll see ya later... :-/

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

After reading Thousand Year Door, I'm very happy to see the Amazon's blown away.

Hmm, if all the swordsmen of Orichalchos are like this, well, it's going to turn me off this a bit. What made the original swordsmen so likable was that they weren't really evil. They felt that they were wronge dand that they were doing the right thing.

Then again, it is your fic.

[Dark Sage]

MC, that was one of the major problems with the whole anime.

It seemed that every single villain turned soft in the end and reformed. It got ridiculous. Pegasus, Marik, Noah, even Dartz. Only Bakura refused to reform. Few villains stayed evil, and Yugi and his friends were just too forgiving for my tastes.

This isn't how it is like at all. I want villains who are truly evil.

And mine will NOT turn soft.

[jkBAKURA]

I think you're forgetting a fair few DS.

Bakura, Marik's Dark Side, Gozuburo, the Big 5, and in my opinion, Dartz did no such thing as reform.

Most of the so called "reformers" were hired help to the big villain at the end, and thus were suckered in. Plus, I was never one for the whole "they do this because they're just evil" excuse. Everything a person does comes from some sort of root motivation. No one is born evil.

That was one of the reasons the Shadow Spawn suffered later in TYD.

If the reasoning behind your villains is, "they're just evil" then I can't say I support that decision. I will not however, try to influence what is obviously your own choice as far as creating characters..

All in all, this chapter made me as nervous as MC.

[Dark Sage]

Okay, I'll respond.

My villains are in no way evil for evil's sake. All three of the Swordsmen are not as redeemable as the original ones, but Cleo, Sebastian, and Cassius do indeed have motivations. They may not have honorable goals, but they do indeed have goals.

For instance, next chapter, you'll see one of Sebastian's motivations in a big way.

You must also realize that the mastermind behind this whole plot does not have the same goals that Dartz had, even though he/she/it is using the Orichalcos. The mastermind (and it may or may not be Fortunado - I'm not saying) has other goals. As the story progresses, you'll encounter bits and pieces as to what the motivations of this group are, and what they plan to do in the long run.

After all, you might remember that Fortunado once said he didn't even care if the Leviathan could ever come back to full life.

What are their motivations? You'll find out eventually.

[jkBAKURA]

I just realised I never gave this chapter a proper review, I just commented on MC's

I'll work backwords on this one.

I seriously hope all three of these duels don't end in a tie. While I'm sure you want to keep them around for a while, three ties in a row would be a little much.

I knew of the Amazons of course, but after an entire story featuring them, it was hard to see anything fresh. You obviously felt the same way, and created more support, but there was enough already in existance both in real life, and from previous creations, that this one seemed to be almost too far from the canon Amazons.

Granted, Fran wouldn't have the cash, or the desire to use some of this new support, but I still think you're adding a bit to much to a tribe you've already established.

Coincidently, La Jinn would have been my combo if I had won, and the effect worked out rather nicely. I didn't like the visual description, but hey, when I read I can make anything look how I want anyway.

Jason's deck is finally coming into a pattern for me, and is starting to find that nitche in my mind. I'm finally starting to get the character (took me long enough)

All in all, I'm still worried, but that won't stop me from reading.

[Silencer]

Granted, Fran wouldn't have the cash, or the desire to use some of this new support, but I still think you're adding a bit to much to a tribe you've already established.

Forget about that treasure they found that Merlee protected with Gate Guardian?

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]The war has entered a new stage. The cannon fodder has stopped bothering us, and now it seems three duelists who make up the elite guard of the one behind this force have decided to get involved.

I’m standing face to face with one, and it seems he came looking for me. Little did he know, I was secretly looking for him.

Now I have regrets. His strategy is powerful, and he came prepared. Even worse, he seems to have a crush on me.

He has a lot to learn – when you fall for a girl, using evil magic to win her over is never the brightest idea…

[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Friday, October 1st, 2106, 8:42 AM


Cleo sat at a table nursing a bad headache and sipping coffee. Her boss was standing over her.

“So you’re not mad?” she asked.

“Of course I’m mad!” he snapped. “What was meant to be an epic battle ended with a cop-out that could have come out of the notebook of the laziest Hollywood hack.

“However, seeing as I’m the one who unfortunately gave you the escape route privilege, I’ll spare you a punishment…

“But you know the rules. It was only allowed once, and you used it. So hand it over...”

Cleo sighed, and handed him the Amazoness Final Charge card.

“From this point on,” said Fortunado, “this is on the list of cards that you aren’t allowed to have. That means no avenue of escape should you get in trouble again…”

“Why don’t you let Cleo take it easy,” said Sebastian’s voice. “She had a rough night…”

Sebastian walked in.

“And I assure you, I can take down Trisha, Critias or no Critias. I’m prepared…”

He held up a Spell Card.

Fortunado chuckled.

“Incredibly diabolical, Sebastian,” he said. “You know what to do…”

“Uh, boss,” said Sebastian, “about what we discussed… Once I get Trisha, I want to make her that offer…”

Fortunado glared at him.

“On one condition,” he answered. “The offer will include her surrendering Critias.”

“Whatever,” said Sebastian, shuffling his deck, “so long as I get what I want…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Several hours later, once classes were over, Trisha was arguing with her two partners.

“Trisha, please!” begged Jason. “One of those lunatics is looking for you! If you’re gonna go out, just let me go with you.”

“No,” said Trisha, flatly.

“You’re telling us you actually want to get into an Orichalcos duel?” asked Russell. “Trisha, even great soldiers know that you shouldn’t go looking for a dangerous fight unless there’s a good reason. Or your CO tells you to.”

“Well, I have a good reason…” answered Trisha. “And my CO did tell me to, in a way…”

She looked at them.

“I don’t know what Timaeus and Hermos said to you two,” she said, “but I promised Critias that I would fight the Orichalcos. With great power comes great responsibility, guys, and if I have wager my soul to defeat these demons…

“I guess I’ll just have to…”

“I hate it when she’s right…” muttered Jason.

“I’m going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” said Trisha. “They’ll think I’m just there to look at the exhibits, but I’ll be waiting for them…”

She turned to leave.

“Uh, Jason?” asked Russell. “Normally, Trisha is interested in science and technology. Why the sudden interest in art?”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

What indeed?

At the grand structure known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a banner read, “The Majesty of Leonardo DaVinci”.

As she approached the exhibition chamber, Trisha felt goosebumbs. But who wouldn’t? How often could one say that they were in the presence of genius?

Not in dueling, and not even truly in art – but in science and invention.

In the chamber, kept behind bulletproof glass and bolted to the wall was a very old pencil sketch, one of a nude, muscular, male figure, perfectly proportioned, with four arms and four legs spread out in perfect symmetry.

The title below was Proportional Study of Man in the Manner of Vitruvius.

“Ah…” said Trisha, closing her eyes.

“You like DaVinci, do you, love?” said a voice.

Trisha turned and saw Sebastian out of the corner of her eye. She turned her back to him.

“Yes,” she growled. “I admire him… He was one of the greatest inventors who ever lived. In days before there were even steam engines, he drew blueprints for such things as the army tank, submarine, helicopter, and even the airplane. He never actually built them, but he was a pioneer in technology.”

“And biology, apparently,” said Sebastian, looking at the sketch. “Wonder how much that would be worth?”

Trisha turned to him in anger.

“You’d never get away with stealing it!” she shouted.

“True…” said Sebastian, “but I know some guys who I believe could sneak into Louve, filch the Mona Lisa, and be halfway to London before anyone even found out…”

“Liar…” she replied.

“But it’s true!” he answered.

He held up a deck of cards.

“See my deck, Trisha?” she asked. “Five cards in this deck… are alive…”

“What do you mean?” asked Trisha, nervously.

“You know Jaden Yuki, don’t you?” asked Sebastian. “He and six of his allies were tasked with protecting the seven Spirit Keys, and keeping them away from the Shadow Riders, duelists who wanted them so they could free the Sacred Beasts…

“One Shadow Rider was unique, because he was an actual Duel Spirit… And he had four companions who were Spirits as well. He challenged one of the Keykeepers, and the Spirit was defeated in a Shadow Game. As a punishment, he and his four partners were imprisoned in the five cards that represented them…

“The Keykeeper took the five cards into his custody, hoping to keep them from causing any more trouble. But long after the crisis with the Shadow Riders was over, someone stole the cards.

“The thief fled to the mainland, and hours after he arrived, he was killed by another thief, who took the cards. One year later, that thief’s lover killed him, and she took them.

“And on it went, and for ninety years since then, everyone who took those cards was murdered by a criminal. Most recently, I killed the one who had them last…

“The five Spirits are mine to command now…”

“It seems like those cards are dangerous to have, Sebastian,” said Trisha. “They seem to have a curse. Someone is sure to target you eventually…”

“Heh, heh,” said Sebastian. “Not while I serve the Orichalcos, love. It protects me from the curse, and once our plans are successful, I won’t even need it to be safe.”

“What are your plans?” asked Trisha.

“Once I defeat you, I’ll share that information with you,” said Sebastian. “But for now…”

He loaded the deck into his Disk, and his Disk activated.

Trisha noticed that it seemed to be custom made. It looked sort of like a Mach-Two model, but was colored a dull black. The deck was held in a holder that was surrounded by black claws…

No, not claws… pincers of some sort.

Like a lobster, thought Trisha. Or a…

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time…” said Sebastian.

“Oh, I’ll just bet you have,” said Trisha with a scowl. “Game… start!”

Her own Disk activated.

She stood with the Vitruvian Man behind her…

Grant me luck, Mr. DaVinci… she thought.

[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Sebastian: 8,000)

“Now, let’s duel!” said Trisha, drawing five cards. “You make the first move...”

Sebastian drew a sixth card.

He grinned.

“Well, what do you know?” he said. “On my first draw!”

“Oh no…” muttered Trisha.

Sebastian threw the card into his Field Slot…

Don’t panic… thought Trisha, as the Seal started to form.

Sebastian’s eyes glowed, and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

“Don’t be afraid, Trisha,” he said. “I fully intend to defeat you… But you won’t have to stay sealed for long…

“See, once you lose, I’ll let you go, if you accept my demands…”

“What demands?” asked Trisha.

Sebastian looked at her.

“You’ll have to wait until you’re in the prison of the Orichalcos,” he replied. “I’ll tell you when you’re there, when you’re sure to be more receptive.”

“I won’t be finding out,” said Trisha. “This isn’t my first Orichalcos duel, you know…”

“We’ll see…” said Sebastian, taking a card from his hand. “I summon a creature called Avatar of the Pot, in Attack Mode.”

With a laugh, a rocky green genie, whose head resembled the Pot of Greed appeared, and grinned wickedly. (1,200/1,300) –> (1,700/1,300)

“As you can see,” said Sebastian, “everyone’s favorite drawing tool is not only a Spell Card, but a Monster as well. And while he’s on the field, I can discard my actual Pot of Greed card to the Graveyard…”

He slipped the Spell Card into the discard slot of his Disk.

“…and then draw three cards instead of two.”

He made three draws, bringing his hand size back up to six.

“And I’ll end my turn on that note.”

“Indeed,” said Trisha.

She drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity!” she exclaimed.

She played the card, and drew three.

She went over her cards, and discarded Mighty Guard and Nutrient Z.

“I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode,” she continued.

In a flash of light, the coldly beautiful female android appeared. (1,600/1,800)

“Heh, I get it…” said Sebastian with a grin. “That’s supposed to be you, right? Well, she won’t help you…”

“Will she?” asked Trisha. “Nanobreaker, attack Avatar of the Pot with nano-blade!”

“What?” said Sebastian, in surprise.

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed at the Avatar with her sword. The genie groaned, and then shattered into shards.

“WHAT?” shouted Sebastian. “He had 100 more Attack Points!”

“It didn’t matter,” said Trisha. “Nanobreaker automatically wins when she attacks a Monster who has three stars or less. It’s all in her name – ‘nano’, which is Latin for very small, and ‘breaker’, meaning she… uhm… breaks them.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” she said.

A facedown card appeared.

“Good,” said Sebastian. “I draw one card…”

He drew.

“And now I have everything I need to bring out my best…

“Remember that story I told of the Duel Spirit and his team? Well, now I summon one… The Boss himself, the one and only Don Zaloog!”

He threw a card on his Disk, and the infamous King of Thieves appeared, dressed in leather, wearing an eyepatch, and holding twin rapiers. His one good eye glowed, as the Orichalcos bonded to him. (1,400/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500)

“That’s… trouble…” muttered Trisha.

“More than you know,” replied Sebastian. “Because Don Zaloog isn’t just one thief, he’s the leader of a gang of them… the criminal team known as the Dark Scorpions!

“And I’m going to bring them all out, by playing this…”

He played a Spell Card…

“Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!”

“This Spell can only be used when Don is on the field, and lets me summon every member of the team that I have in my hand…

“So… you met the Boss, so let’s bring out the Bronze… Gorg the Strong!”

In a flash, a hulking, bald muscleman, dressed like Don and holding a huge mace appeared. (1,800/1,500)

“Next, the Bandit… Chick the Yellow!”

In another flash, a young teenager with the same outfit, blonde hair, and holding a wooden mallet appeared. (1,000/1,000)

“Next… the Beauty… Meanae the Thorn!”

A raven-haired, young woman, dressed in a female version of the costume and holding a whip appeared. She grinned wickedly. (1,000/1,800)

“And finally, the Brains… Cliff the Trap Remover!”

In another flash, a man wearing the same costume with brown hair and spectacles gripping a long dagger appeared. (1,200/1,000)

“Of course, these guys are so dark, the word Dark is in their name, but the Orichalcos makes them darker still…”

The evil glow appeared in the eyes of the other Scorpions, and they each gained 500 Attack Points as the Seal bonded to them…

“Intimidating, isn’t it?” asked Sebastian.

Trisha got nervous. She looked at the four cards in her hand.

Five Monsters in one turn… she thought. I’ve got to hope he aims for the right card, or this is gonna be a very short duel…

“Don Zaloog…” ordered Sebastian, “attack Nanobreaker!”

Don Zaloog leapt up and made a slash with his sword, and Nanobreaker fell backwards. She exploded.

“Heh, not like it will matter…” said Sebastian, “but now his effect kicks in, forcing you to discard one card from your hand…”

One of the cards in Trisha’s hand burned with dark flames.

She smirked.

“Actually,” she said, holding it up, “it would be my pleasure…”

She discarded it.

Sebastian frowned.

“You’re pretty cheery for someone who’s about to lose… Get her, boys! And, uh, girl…”

The four other Dark Scorpions raised their weapons…

“I don’t think so…” said Trisha.

She held her hand out, and a wave of strange energy covered the field. The Scorpions stopped dead in their tracks.

“What happened?” asked Sebastian.

Trisha smiled.

“The card that Don’s effect made me discard was a useful Machine called Electromagnetic Turtle,” said Trisha. “On a round when this Machine is sent to the Graveyard, I can end the Battle Phase whenever I want, and I just did.”

Sebastian frowned.

“In that case,” he said, “I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn…”

He played his last card, and it appeared.

[B](T: 7,700) (S: 8,000)

Trisha suddenly noticed something about Sebastian…

Those strange tattoos on his arms… They were identical to the ones that the Scorpions had on theirs.

I heard of being attached to your Monsters, she thought, but that’s going a little overboard…

She drew a card.

“I activate Call of the Haunted…” she stated.

Her facedown card lifted, and Nanobreaker appeared again.

“And now…” she continued, “I sacrifice her, to summon the Machine King!”

Nanobreaker shattered, and the powerful robotic monarch appeared. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,300/2,000)

“Terrific…” said Sebastian, sarcastically.

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it…” said Trisha. “I’m Equipping him with this…”

She played a card.

“Cannon of the Machine King!”

A huge device resembling a futuristic bazooka fell from the ceiling, and Machine King caught it. He got down on one knee and pointed it at his foes…

“What does that do?” gasped Sebastian.

“This card can only be Equipped to Machines with the word ‘King’ in their names, and to Equip it, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points,” said Trisha. “But it’s worth the price, because it gives the Equipped Monster the same effect as Asura Priest.”

“I’m really hoping that means he returns to your hand when your turn is over…” gulped Sebastian.

“No such luck…” said Trisha with a smirk. “It means he can attack as many Monsters as I want him to in one turn.”

The five thieves trembled in fear…

“Of course,” said Trisha, “this means that Machine King himself will be destroyed when he attacks Gorg, but I can attack your Monsters in any order I choose, so I’ll simply take him out last…”

“Never!” screamed Sebastian. “I activate my Trap…”

His facedown card lifted, showing three police cars in a cloud of smoke…

“Retreat of the Dark Scorpions!”

The five Scorpions grinned, and then they vanished into motes of darkness.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Where’d they go?” asked Trisha.

Sebastian held up his hand, which had suddenly grown from no cards to five.

“Back here,” he said, “completely safe from your King…”

Trisha lifted an eyebrow.

“Whatever you say…” she said. “Machine King, attack him directly! Plasma blast!”

Machine King fired a beam of burning energy from the Cannon! Sebastian screamed, and was propelled backwards, slamming against the wall of the Seal.

Smoke poured from the barrel of the Cannon… And from Sebastian’s chest.

[B](T: 6,700) (S: 5,700)

“Are you really so attached to them that you’d take 2,300 points of damage to save them?” asked Trisha. “I guess so…”

Sebastian slowly got up… He stared at her.

“It’s true that I’ve grown somewhat attached to them, Trisha,” he growled. “But that isn’t why I used my Trap to save them… I would have let them die if that were the better option… But it wasn’t…

“You see, to succeed as a duelist, especially with stakes this high, you have consider all the options… You have to think ahead. That’s what separates a winner… And someone who the Seal has trapped.”

“What do you mean?” asked Trisha.

“Consider this, Trisha,” he answered. “If you had succeeded in your plan, I wouldn’t have lost 2,300 Life Points… I would have lost more, 3,100 in fact.

“Plus, five of my Monsters would have been destroyed, leaving me with no cards in my hand, and in a very bad situation.

“But since I used that Trap Card, I didn’t lose as many Life Points, and my Monsters weren’t destroyed, they’re right here…”

He held up his hand of cards.

“You tell me… did I make the better choice?”

Trisha looked at him. She had to admit, he was right…

“I’ll take your silence as an affirmative,” said Sebastian. “It’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“And it seems that the luck of thieves is with me,” he said. “I play Vase of Unholy Blight!”

He played the card, and the wicked version of Pot of Greed appeared on the field.

Crud, thought Trisha. Umbra used that thing…

Sebastian leafed through his deck and a Monster appeared on the field (it was unmistakably Sangan), and it was drawn into the vase, which shattered. Then he reshuffled, and drew three cards.

He looked them over.

“And now I’ll get rid of your King… I summon Chick the Yellow back to the field…”

Chick appeared again, holding his mallet aloft. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)

“Next, I play a Spell Card,” he said. “It’s called Sneak Attack of the Dark Scorpions.”

He played a card, showing the image of Chick and Meanae hiding behind the corner of a building, waiting to ambush Goblin of Greed.

“What does that do?” asked Trisha.

Chick drew a small dagger out of his belt…

“It’s a Spell that can be used with any of the Dark Scorpions except Don,” he replied. “It lets him attack you directly, so long as I cut his Attack Score in half.”

Chick’s Attack Score fell to 750, and then he vanished into the shadows…

And then Trisha screamed, as she felt a knife driven between her ribs!

Chick reappeared on Sebastian’s side of the field and grinned.

[B](T: 5,950) (S: 5,700)

“And Chick’s effect still applies,” said Sebastian, “which sends one card on your side of the field back to your hand, like Machine King.”

Machine King vanished, and Trisha retrieved the card.

“And my turn isn’t over yet, Trisha,” continued Sebastian. “I play a Spell Card… the dreaded D.D. Designator!”

He played the card.

“Here’s how it works… I name any card I can think of, and then I get to see your hand. If the card I named is there, it’s removed from play. If not, a card in my hand is.

“Now, let’s see…

“I name Machine King.”

“Brilliant…” said Trisha, sarcastically, showing him her hand.

She took Machine King and placed it in the Removed From Play slot.

Sebastian was a little confused, however…

Of the three other cards in her hand, he only recognized one. The other two were a Monster and a Trap he had never seen before.

“Go ahead, love,” he said.

Trisha drew a card.

“I don’t have any fancy drawing cards,” she said, “but Pot of Greed still works wonders!”

She played the card, and the grinning jar appeared. She drew two cards, and it shattered.

“All right Sebastian,” she said, “take this… Swords of Revealing Light!”

The card appeared, and the Swords shot forward, trapping Sebastian in a cage of glowing blades.

“Tricky,” he said. “But you know as well as I do that that’s only a temporary solution…”

“We’ll soon see…” said Trisha. “Next, I’ll place a card facedown…”

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

“…and then, I’ll summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode.”

She placed the card down, and a new Machine appeared. It was a cute robot, its torso shaped like a grenade, colored red and silver, with two long arms, two large, blocky feet and legs, and a small, dome-shaped head with two googly eyes. It had an enormous gear on its back. (1,300/1,500)

“What the…” said Sebastian, confused.

“And when Red Gadget is summoned,” continued Trisha, taking her deck, “I can search my deck for a Monster called Yellow Gadget.”

She found what she was looking for, and reshuffled.

“It’s your move,” she said.

“Fine…” said Sebastian, with a frown.

He drew a card.

“I summon Don Zaloog back to the field,” he said.

Don appeared again. (1,400/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500)

“Your move, love,” he said.

Trisha drew a card and looked at it.

“Stop calling me love,” she said. “I summon Yellow Gadget in Attack Mode.”

Another cute robot appeared. This one was – naturally – yellow, the gear on its back was split in half and moved to either side of its back so the two halves resembled wings, and another gear ran vertically through the middle of its torso. Its arms looked like metal pipe cleaners. Instead of a dome-shaped head, it had one central eye located closer to the center of its body. (1,200/1,200)

Trisha took her deck again.

“And when Yellow Gadget is summoned, I get to search for a guy called Green Gadget.”

“How many Gadgets are there?” asked Sebastian.

“You’ll see,” said Trisha, putting her deck back. “I end my turn.”

Sebastian drew.

“I summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode,” he said, playing a card.

The bespectacled bandit appeared, holding his knife. (1,200/1,000) –> (1,700/1,000)

“Two turns to go…” he said.

Trisha drew another card.

“I summon Green Gadget in Attack Mode,” she said.

A third robot appeared. It looked similar to the other two Gadgets, but it was – obviously – green, and its whole torso was a gear with a green center, and it had gears for shoulder pads as well. (1,400/600)

“Normally,” she said, “summoning this guy would let me search for a Red Gadget, but he’s already on the field, and I don’t have another one.”

“I can’t believe it,” said Sebastian, with a smirk. “You’re actually facing the Dark Scorpions with these three twerps? I’ve flushed scarier things down the toilet.”

“Well…” said Trisha. “Just wait until you see my facedown card! It’s both a Trap AND a Monster… The biggest Gadget of all…”

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Stronghold the Moving Fortress!”

With a rumble, an enormous mecha slowly rose out of the floor! It was colored gunmetal grey, and covered with gears, gaskets, pistons, and gewgaws. Steam shot out of its pipes and vents. It had a single glowing eye, shaped like a gear. Its chest had three circular cavities, and the whole thing stood about thirty feet tall!

It knelt on one knee, clearly in Defense Mode. (0/2,000)

“Well, uh…” muttered Sebastian. “It’s clearly… big, I’ll give you that. But I don’t see how it’s anything but a defensive wall.”

“On its own, yes,” said Trisha. “But watch…”

Red Gadget, Yellow Gadget, and Green Gadget leapt up, and their arms and legs folded into their bodies… Each of them embedded themselves in the three cavities on Stronghold’s chest…

Stronghold the Moving Fortress glowed with golden fire!

“When this Monster and all three Gadgets are on the field at the same time,” said Trisha, “its Attack Score becomes three thousand!”

(3,000/2,000)

“I’m ending my turn, and you’re still a prisoner of my Swords for one turn more…”

Sebastian shakily drew.

“I’ll move my three Scorpions to Defense Mode…” he said.

Don, Cliff, and Chick knelt in Defense.

“And then I’ll summon Meanae in Defense Mode too…” he said.

Meanae the Thorn appeared, and knelt in Defense. (1,000/1,800) –> (1,500/1,800)

“And I’ll place one card facedown.”

He played a card.

He waved his hand to end his turn, and the Swords vanished.

“Heh, heh…” said Trisha, drawing a card. “I was hoping you’d do that, Sebastian. You might have gained control of this duel if you kept them in Attack Mode…

“But you forgot one thing…

“This guy isn’t one Monster… It’s four!”

“I’ll move Stronghold the Moving Fortress to Attack Mode.”

The huge robot stood up, and its single eye glowed with fiery light.

“Red Gadget, attack Chick the Yellow!”

Red Gadget flew down, and socked the surprised bandit with his fist. The Dark Scorpion shattered.

“Yellow Gadget, attack Cliff the Trap Remover!” shouted Trisha.

Yellow Gadget leapt down, and punched Cliff. He shattered.

“And now…” she said. “Stronghold, obliterate Don Zaloog!”

The huge robot raised its fists, and its eye glowed. He burst into flames! A burning beam of energy blasted from Stronghold’s single eye, and Don Zaloog was incinerated in a fiery burst!

Only smoking ash remained where he stood.

“It’s your move, Sebastian…” said Trisha, with a grin.

[B](T: 5,950) (S: 5,700)

Sebastian drew a card.

“You’re tough, Trisha,” he said. “That’s just how I like my women…

“I activate my Trap… Dark Scorpion Pilfer!”

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Don Zaloog snatching a priceless gem from a safe.

Meanae the Thorn vanished into the shadows.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“The Dark Scorpions are thieves, love,” said Sebastian, “so they’re very good at stealing. This Trap will let Meanae sneak into your Graveyard and swipe a card from it.”

Meanae appeared again, holding an oversized card. It was Pot of Greed.

“Not a bad choice,” said Sebastian. “And now I’ll play it, to draw two more cards.”

He drew twice.

Then he played one of the cards.

“Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive,” he said. “Now I can transfer one Warrior-Type Monster from the Graveyard to my hand, and I choose Don Zaloog.”

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

“But he won’t stay in my hand, because I’m summoning him, in Attack Mode.”

Don appeared again. (1,400/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500)

“Now I’ll play a Spell Card,” he said. “It’s called… Dark Scorpion Tragedy of Love!”

As he played it, Meanae stood up and bowed her head… A tear appeared in Don’s eye…

“What does that do?” asked Trisha.

“It’s a rare card,” said Sebastian, “which I can only play when Don and Meanae are together on the field. Now I can sacrifice Meanae to wipe out all your Monsters!”

Meanae the Thorn leapt up with a scream, and lashed with her whip. It entangled around Stronghold’s neck…

She gave a yank, and an explosion erupted on Trisha’s side of the field! Metal scrap rained down upon the arena!

Meanae screamed, and then shattered into triangles.

When the flames died down, Don Zaloog was the only Monster left on the field. He looked at Trisha in rage…

“And now…” said Sebastian, “Don attacks you directly!”

Don Zaloog leapt forward and slashed at Trisha with his blade, and she winced.

“And don’t forget his effect…” added Sebastian.

A card in Trisha’s hand glowed. She discarded it.

[B](T: 4,050) (S: 5,700)

“My move…” said Trisha. “And I’m not finished yet!”

She drew a card.

“I’ll summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode.”

She played the card, and Prototype appeared, kneeling on one knee. (1,600/1,500)

“That will do for now…” she said.

Sebastian drew a card.

“Heh, heh…” he snickered. “HA, HA, HA, HA!”

He played a card.

“I play Orichalcos Enticement!” he exclaimed.

A sinister-looking card, bearing the image of an evil-looking and barely dressed temptress seducing a knight appeared.

“A Card of Sin!” gasped Trisha.

“That’s right…” said Sebastian.

Machine King Prototype glowed, and then it stood up.

“It moved into Attack Mode!” gasped Trisha.

“Yes,” said Sebastian, “and that’s not all. Until this card is destroyed, you can’t play Monsters in Defense Mode… at all!”

“What about you?” asked Trisha.

“I could if I wanted to…” said Sebastian.

“Oh, come on…” muttered Trisha. “A card that powerful must have some cost…”

“Yeah, it has a cost,” said Sebastian. “But I’m not going to tell you what it is…”

He smiled.

What Trisha doesn’t know is, thought Sebastian, the cost for using this card has no real effect on actual game play. It’s a… dark cost… Some might tremble in fear at the thought of paying it…

But me, on the other hand… if I must pay that cost, I would actually enjoy it.

“Now where were we?” said Sebastian. “Oh yes… Don, take out her Machine King Prototype!”

Don leapt up, and slashed at the Machine, blowing it into scrap.

Another card in Trisha’s hand glowed. She sighed, and she discarded it.

[B](T: 3,750) (S: 5,700)

“I’ll play two cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Sebastian.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Trisha drew a card. She looked at it and the other two cards in her hand.

Rare Metalmorph, she thought I can defeat his Scorpions with this combo…

“I place two cards facedown,” she said.

She fit two cards into slots. Two facedown cards appeared.

“Oh, will you?” asked Sebastian. “I activate… Xing Zhen Hu!”

One of his own Trap Cards lifted…

A series of ropes appeared, and tied Trisha’s two Trap Cards down!

“WHAT?” shouted Trisha.

“Xing Zhen Hu is a clever Continuous Trap,” replied Sebastian. “I choose two facedown cards, and for as long as Xing Zhen Hu is on the field, they can’t be activated.”

Trisha scowled, and played her last card.

“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode…” she said.

Mechanicalchaser appeared. (1,850/800)

“Clever,” said Sebastian, drawing a card. “You think that by summoning that, you’ll only lose fifty Life Points when Don attacks it. Well, you’re wrong.

“First, I’ll activate my other facedown card…”

Call of the Haunted lifted, and Meanae the Thorn appeared. (1,000/1,800) –> (1,500/1,800)

“And now,” he said, “remember that remark I said about always thinking ahead as a duelist? Well, I put a card in my deck just for you, Trisha…”

“What?” asked Trisha. “Well, if you want to waste an Acid Rain card on one Monster, be my guest…”

“Not Acid Rain, Trisha,” answered Sebastian. “Something much better…”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Trisha’s eyes opened in fear…

Sebastian played a Spell Card.

“I play… System Down!” shouted Sebastian. “This may cost me 1,000 Life Points, but now every Machine on your side of the field and in your Graveyard is taken out of play…”

Mechanicalchaser vanished, and cards fell out of Trisha’s discard slot.

She was horrified. In every nightmare she had had where she was dueling, whether her opponent was Bakura, Marik, or Darth Vader, that opponent was certain to have that Spell Card…

…the doom of all Machine duelists…

“And now,” said Sebastian. “Don, attack her directly! Double slash!”

Trisha screamed as the Scorpion struck her with his rapier and dagger.

“Meanae, attack with thorn whip!” shouted Sebastian.

Meanae leapt up and lashed at Trisha with her whip. She groaned.

She fell on her knees.

“Now, since you have no cards in your hand,” said Sebastian, “Don’s effect makes you discard the top two from your deck…”

Trisha caught her breath. She took the top two cards from her deck, glanced at them, and discarded them.

“And Meanae’s effect lets me retrieve any Dark Scorpion-related card from my Graveyard,” he continued.

A card fell out of his discard slot.

“…like Cliff the Trap Remover.

“See how I think ahead, love?” asked Sebastian, adding the card to his hand. “I always take my opponent into consideration. If I had been dueling your friend Russell, I would have packed three copies of Kinetic Soldier. If Dr. Artemis was dueling me, you would be sure I’d have three copies of Breath of Light. If I were to face a Fiend duelist, I’d have Exile of the Wicked…

“If it were Yugi himself, I would have three copies of Last Day of Witch. There’s no one I can’t beat so long as I think ahead.

“But face it, you’ve lost. No cards in your hand, your Graveyard is wiped out, you’re down to triple digits, you can’t defend, and your Traps are tied down.”

“We’ll soon see…” said Trisha.

[B](T: 350) (S: 4,700)

This had best be the best draw ever… she thought.

She drew.

She grinned.

She showed Sebastian the card.

Monster Reborn.

“What good will that do you?” he laughed. “I wiped out all the Monsters in your Graveyard!”

“Oh, did you?” asked Trisha with a grin. “Maybe you didn’t think ahead as well as you should have!”

“What?” asked Sebastian.

“You would have won on your next turn, Sebastian,” said Trisha, “but you screwed up royally…

“See, you used System Down first, and then attacked me directly with both your Monsters – causing me to discard two cards from my deck.

“What you should have done was attack Mechanicalchaser with Don, and used System Down at the end of your turn. Sure, I would have taken less damage…

“But then you would have made sure that I truly would have had no Monsters in my Graveyard. You see, one card that I discarded from Don’s effect, after you had played System Down, was a Monster!”

Sebastian stared at her.

“Big deal…” he said. “Need I remind you that due to my Orichalcos Enticement card, you can’t summon that Monster in Defense Mode?”

Trisha grinned.

She played the card.

“Did I say I even wanted to?” she asked.

The holy ankh appeared.

“If my defenses are shut down,” she said, “I’ll just move to offense!”

A large form appeared in front of her…

“Meet Cyber-Tech Alligator!” she shouted.

The creature that appeared was a ferocious, humanoid alligator in cybernetic armor, with metal claws and large metal wings! (2,500/1,600)

GAAH! thought Sebastian. She managed to summon a very powerful Monster!

“Sometimes…” said Trisha, “the Graveyard is simply a shortcut to getting into the game, as Seto Kaiba once said.

“Cyber Tech Alligator, take out Don Zaloog! Freezing stream!”

The cyborg breathed a blast of chilling vapor and frost, and Don cringed… He shattered.

[B](T: 350) (S: 4,100)

“Okay…” muttered Sebastian. “Nothing I can’t handle…”

He drew a card.

Bull, he thought. Even Gorg couldn’t defeat that Monster… Only one Monster in my deck can without help.

He turned the card on his Disk.

“I’ll switch Meanae to Defense Mode and summon Cliff in Defense Mode,” he said.

Meanae knelt, and Cliff appeared, also kneeling. (1,200/1,000) –> (1,700/1,000)

“And I’ll end my turn…”

“Then I’ll draw…” said Trisha.

She drew a card.

Mystical Space Typhoon… she thought.

She looked at Orichalcos Enticement.

The Seal of Orichalcos can’t be destroyed, but are Cards of Sin just as durable?

Let’s find out!

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” she shouted. “Let’s get rid of that Orichalcos Enticement now, shall we?”

She played the card, and the cyclone whipped across the field. The Card of Sin swayed and started to bend, as if it was trying to resist the wind…

…then it lost. It simply ripped in half, and the two pieces shattered into bits.

And then something happened that Trisha didn’t expect…

Sebastian screamed, and fell to his knees, clutching his head.

He moaned…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Inside his head, visions assaulted Sebastian’s mind…

They started with visions of a blonde, blue-eyed, and busty young woman…

They turned to him kissing said woman in a passionate embrace…

More thoughts of the lover followed. Laughs, giggles, smiles… More kisses, each more passionate than the last…

…thoughts that could only be called love…

But even as he thought these thoughts, they started to fade…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Sebastian slowly got up… He glared at Trisha.

“Too bad…” she said. “I was thinking you had a stroke and I might win by forfeit…”

“No such luck, Trisha…” he said, showing her the card that she had just destroyed. “Like I said, this card does have a cost… And since I won’t remember anything about the cost in about five minutes, I’ll tell you now…

“This card seems to give me an unfair advantage… But it has a dark cost, something that many Cards of Sin do. If it’s ever destroyed, the user loses all memories of the first person who ever loved him…”

He smiled.

“But Trisha, truthfully, I wanted you to destroy it, and do you know why? While I did truly love the girl who first loved me, that relationship ended in tragedy…”

“Let me guess,” said Trisha, with a sigh. “She fell for someone else, and dumped you.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

“Worse…” said Sebastian. “She fell for someone else who told her to kill me to prove she was done with me. And she did her best to try to obey him… She tried to stick a knife between my ribs when I held her in the most passionate embrace ever…

“But she failed. I didn’t hurt her… Instead I killed her new lover, and left her with nothing. Frankly Trisha, one reason I played that card was because I wanted to forget her…”

The card crumbled to dust.

“Of course, since that memory can only be lost once, I’ll never be able to use that card again. But thank you, Trisha, you’ve helped me put one of the worst parts of my life behind me… Now I can move on… I’m a new man.

“Want to know why I joined the Orichalcos in the first place? Hmm?

“I vowed that my next lover wouldn’t be able to betray me. I needed a way to make the next girl I fell for an offer she wouldn’t refuse. I would put her very soul at stake. It would be mine in every sense of the word.

“That’s the demand I intend to make, Trisha. Once you lose, your soul will go free, if you agree to commit it to me.”

“Eww!” shouted Trisha. “In other words, you wanted a love slave? You’re dreaming, you bastard!”

“Once I tell you what ultimately becomes of the ones who lose these duels, you might change your mind,” said Sebastian. “Remember Sersei? We would have made good on our threat if you had kept Patrick.”

Trisha thought back and remembered the ransom note that was found with Sersei…

[I][B]”One warning. At any time, Sersei’s soul can be sacrificed to dark forces. If we see anyone except them, or they refuse to come, she will be lost forever.”

“What…” started Trisha.

“Not telling just yet…” said Sebastian. “I’ll tell you when I make my offer, and we’ll see if you refuse then…”

Trisha’s eyes narrowed.

“Cyber Tech Alligator, attack Meanae!” she shouted.

The Machine shot forth its breath weapon, and Meanae was eradicated.

“Your move…” she growled.

Sebastian drew.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

“Destroy Cliff!” she shouted.

Cyber-Tech Alligator wiped out the Trap Remover.

“This could take a while…” she mumbled.

Sebastian drew.

“Oh, I pass this turn…” he said.

Trisha drew a card. She had two cards in her hand now, and she had almost what she needed for a combo…

“Attack his facedown Monster!” she shouted.

Cyber-Tech Alligator fired his breath weapon, and a Mystic Tomato appeared before being blown up.

“You know what that means,” said Sebastian. “Think I’ll summon another Mystic Tomato!”

A second Tomato appeared. (1,400/1,100) –> (1,900/1,100)

He’s stalling… thought Trisha.

“Just move…” she said.

Sebastian drew.

“I’ll move Mystic Tomato to Defense Mode,” he said, as the Tomato backed up, “And that will be my turn.”

Trisha growled as she drew.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode,” she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And now I’ll attack!”

Cyber-Tech Alligator destroyed the Tomato, and a third one appeared.

“So now what?” asked Trisha. “Do you even have a Monster that’s strong enough, or are you just going to stall until you’re decked out?”

Sebastian drew.

I have one that’s strong enough… he thought. And I’ll stall until I have what I need to draw it!

“Once again, I’ll move it to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” he said.

The Tomato moved to Defense.

Trisha drew another card.

“I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car, in Defense Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and Bokoichi appeared.

“Next, I’ll play Machine Duplication!”

She played the Spell Card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

“Now I’ll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”

With a flip, Dekoichi appeared. (1,400/1,000)

“And that means, I get to draw four times!”

She drew four cards.

She looked at them.

“And one,” she continued, “goes facedown…”

“Dekoichi, destroy the last Tomato!” she shouted. “Loco motion!”

Dekoichi charged forward, running the Tomato down.

“Not so fast!” shouted Sebastian. “I can still use its effect to summon… Familiar Knight!”

The knight in plate armor appeared. (1,200/1,400) –> (1,700/1,400)

“Cyber-Tech Alligator, take it down!” shouted Trisha.

Cyber-Tech Alligator shot forth its burst breath and the knight shattered.

[B](T: 350) (S: 3,300)

“Well…” muttered Sebastian. “Technically, we can both now summon a four-star Monster from our hands… But you have no room for one, and I don’t have one.”

“Then you have no Monsters left, pal…” said Trisha.

Sebastian angrily drew.

“I activate… Dust Tornado!” shouted Trisha.

The Trap she had just set lifted.

“And I’ll use it to destroy Xing Zen Hu!”

The tornado ripped across the field. Sebastian’s Trap card shattered, and the ropes holding Trisha’s Trap Cards snapped.

Sebastian looked at her…

He drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity!” he shouted.

He drew three cards.

He grinned.

He discarded Gorg the Strong and a second Mustering.

“First, I play two cards facedown,” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Next, I play… Spell Economics.”

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared in front of him.

“And finally,” he said, “I play Revival of the Dark Scorpions!”

He played a frightening looking Spell Card. It showed the five Scorpions running in fear from the gates of a cemetery at night.

“What does that do?” asked Trisha.

“Of all the rare Dark Scorpion cards,” said Sebastian, “this is the rarest. Less than ten copies exist. To play it, I have to have one copy, no more, of each of the Scorpions in my Graveyard.

“Then I pay 2,000 Life Points. Or rather, I would have had to, but Spell Economics negates that cost.

“And as a result…”

Five shadows appeared on his side of the field…

And then the five Dark Scorpions reappeared! Their eyes glowed, and the Seal branded to them!

No… thought Trisha, in fear. Dekoichi is in Attack Mode… I’ve lost…

“You haven’t lost yet love,” said Sebastian, as if he could read her mind. “I can’t attack on the round I use this card. So make your move.”

She’ll obviously attack Don Zaloog, he thought. He’s the most dangerous. Little does she know, one of my facedown cards is Rush Recklessly, which will make him 100 Attack Points stronger than that Alligator.

Then one powerful assault will finish her off…

Trisha drew a card.

“I play Thunder Crash!” she shouted, throwing a card into her Disk. “By destroying all my Monsters, I can blast away 300 of your Life Points for each!”

Her five Monsters shattered, and a bolt of lightning shot forward, striking Sebastian!

He groaned.

[B](T: 350) (S: 1,800)

“Why’d I do it?” asked Trisha. “To make room. First, I’ll summon my second Mechanicalchaser.”

She threw a card on her Disk.

“Now I play… The Fang of Critias!”

The whole museum grew dark…

…and then, the immense form of Critias appeared, looming over Trisha! He roared!

“Now…” said Trisha, as one of her facedown cards lifted, “I combine Critias… with Rare Metalmorph… to form…”

The Trap was absorbed into Critias, and he started to mutate…

“Mechanized Dragon!”

Critias glowed in silvery light. In a flash of light, a new Dragon appeared, this one with pure, silver skin, and a slim, streamlined face. His wings were thin and shone like mirrors. (2,500/2,500)

“Uh…” muttered Sebastian.

“Not only does he have a powerful Attack Score,” said Trisha, “but he increases the Attack of all Machines on the field by 300 Points.”

Mechanicalchaser rose to (2,150/800)

“Mechanicalchaser, take out Don!” she shouted.

“I activate Rush Recklessly!” shouted Sebastian, as his Quickplay lifted.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Will you?” continued Trisha. “I activate my other Trap… Spell Shield Type-8!”

Her other Trap lifted, and the Quickplay card shattered.

Mechanicalchaser rammed Don Zaloog with his rod. The bandit screamed and burst.

“Mechanized Dragon, destroy Meanae the Thorn!”

The huge Dragon breathed out a blast of ones and zeroes combined in an aura of blue energy, and Meanae staggered back. She was vaporized.

Trisha looked at him.

“Your move…” she dared.

[B](T: 350) (S: 550)

What do I do? thought Sebastian, almost in panic. If I don’t draw my secret weapon on this turn…

He drew a card.

This isn’t it… I only have one chance…

He played a card.

“I play Soul Release. I’ll use it to remove from play those five Monsters you destroyed with Thunder Crash…”

“Why did you do that?” asked Trisha.

“I have my reasons,” he said. “Now…”

He placed a card in his Disk – the one he had just drawn.

“I play… Evil Idol!” he said.

A spooky mist appeared in the center of the arena. A creepy looking idol appeared in the center, with three gems for eyes: red, blue, and yellow.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“Ever watch the old Indiana Jones movies, Trisha?” asked Sebastian. “This is one of those cursed idols you find in forbidden tombs…”

He walked up to it.

“The Dark Scorpions wouldn’t think twice about trying to snatch these gems, but most others would be wary. One is a treasure, and two are curses. And since I played that card, we both have to choose one.

“I’ll even let you have the first choice.”

Trisha got nervous.

She walked up to the idol and looked at it…

Which one? she thought.

She paused.

“What does each of them do?” she asked.

“One will destroy every Monster on your side of the field and in your hand,” said Sebastian. “One will remove every card in your Graveyard from play. The last will grant you 500 Life Points for each of your cards that have been removed from play.”

Trisha gave him a funny look.

She looked at the idol again.

Okay… she thought, nervously. Red, blue, and yellow…

Wait, how did this go in that old spy movie? The one where the hero had to disarm the bomb and there were three colors of wires?

Red, I’m dead… blue, I’m through…

Yellow… I’m mellow!

She grabbed the yellow gem!

And then she was startled, as golden fire appeared all over her!

All of a sudden, she felt like she had just drunk a gallon of Gatorade…

Her Life Points started to go up…

[B](T: 8,350) (S: 550)

“You choose wisely…” said Sebastian. “And it seems you discarded a couple Machines from Don’s effect. Just enough…”

“What are you planning?” shouted Trisha, as the gem crumbled. “Wait a second…

“You wouldn’t have benefited even if you had picked the treasure! None of your cards were removed from play… And you played Soul Release on my Graveyard… You made sure I’d benefit even more if I picked it!”

“Guess it’s my choice now…” he said with a sigh.

He reached for the red gem.

Then the remaining three Dark Scorpions on his side of the field screamed and fell to their knees. They shattered into shards.

Sebastian shook his head.

“It’s your move…” he finally said.

She paused.

“Fine…” she said with a shrug. “I would have preferred you to just surrender, but I guess you had to take a big chance and be humiliated…”

She drew a card.

“Trap activate…” muttered Sebastian.

His last Trap Card lifted…

Trisha looked up.

“Wait…” she said. “That’s…”

“Next time then, love?” said Sebastian.

And then Trisha was thrown off her feet, as it seemed the whole world was consumed in an explosion…

[B](T: 0) (S: 0)

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“Trisha!” shouted Jason’s voice. “Trisha, please!”

Trisha slowly opened her eyes.

She was on the floor of the exhibition hall, and her two friends were trying to shake her awake. Losing over 8,000 Life Points from only one card had knocked her completely out, it seemed.

“Oh, thank God, thank God!” gasped Jason, hugging her. “For a minute I thought…”

“I know what you thought…” said Trisha, sitting up. “For all his gusto, he could dish it out, but he couldn’t take it…”

“What happened?” asked Russell.

“He had an ace up his sleeve,” sighed Trisha. “I almost won. But he used a card that could raise my Life Points to over the maximum. Then he triggered a Trap called Self-Destruct Button…”

“Don’t think I’ve heard of that one…” said Russell, scratching his head.

“Well, to put it simply,” answered Trisha, “if you’re using it in your deck, you need a new deck. It can only be used when you’re losing by 7,000 Life Points or more – it reduces both duelists’ Life Points to zero.”

“His escape route…” muttered Jason. “All three of them have one, which they can use once…”

“Worst of all,” sighed Trisha, “that bastard has some sort of demented crush on me…”

She turned to Russell.

“That leaves Cassius…” she mumbled.

“Don’t worry…” said Russell. “These jerks have made it personal. Tomorrow, I’m not giving him a chance to find me, because I intend to find him first!”


Friday, October 1st, 2106, 6:37 PM



ELECTROMAGNETIC TURTLE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: This strange Machine dampens an area with electromagnetic energy. On the turn that this card is sent to the Graveyard from your side of the field, your hand, or your deck, you can forcefully end the Battle Phase at any time. You choose the timing at which to use this effect.

Note: “Electromagnetic Turtle” was first used by Yugi in the anime episode “Clash in the Coliseum (Part Three)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CANNON OF THE MACHINE KING (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Machine King hoisting a huge, space-age cannon on his shoulder.

Card Description: This card can be Equipped to any MACHINE-Type Monster with the word “King” in its name. Pay 1,000 Life Points to Equip this card to a Monster. A Monster Equipped with this card can attack all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field. You cannot attack your opponent directly with the Monster Equipped with this card if you attack any Monsters with it first.



RED GADGET (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one “Yellow Gadget” and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.



YELLOW GADGET (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one “Green Gadget” and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.



GREEN GADGET (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 600

Card Description: When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one “Red Gadget” and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.



STRONGHOLD THE MOVING FORTRESS (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A giant mecha covered with gears with the Red, Yellow, and Green Gadgets in three cavities in its chest.

Card Description: This Trap can only be activated during a Main Phase. When this card is activated, it is treated as a Monster Card, and is summoned to your side of the field in face-up Defense Position. (Machine/Earth/4 stars/0 ATK/2,000 DEF) If one “Red Gadget”, one “Yellow Gadget”, and one “Green Gadget” are face-up on your side of the field, increase this card’s ATK by 3,000.

Note: “Red Gadget”, “Yellow Gadget”, “Green Gadget”, and “Stronghold the Moving Fortress” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States (no matter how much folks want them…).They were used by Little Yugi during the Pharaoh’s Memory Arc in the anime.



CYBER-TECH ALLIGATOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine
Attribute: Wind
Level: 5
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: This winged dragon is strengthened with metal. This monster is the master of cyborgs from where dragons are destroyed.

Note: “Cyber-Tech Alligator” is a promotional Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used by Joey in the anime episode “Fighting For A Friend (Part 5)”.



RETREAT OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Three police cars in a cloud of smoke.

Card Description: You can use this card when you have “Don Zaloog”, “Cliff the Trap Remover”, “Dark Scorpion – Chick the Yellow”, “Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn”, and “Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong” face-up on your side of the field. Return all of the above named Monsters to your hand.



DARK SCORPION TRAGEDY OF LOVE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Meanae the Thorn’s portrait, tangled in thorny briars.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have at least one “Don Zaloog” and at least one “Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn” face up on your side of the field. Offer one “Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn” as a Tribute and destroy all opposing Monsters.

Note: “Retreat of the Dark Scorpions” and “Dark Scorpion Tragedy of Love” were used by the Spirit of Don Zaloog in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Dark Scorpions”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK SCORPION PILFER (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Don Zaloog snatching a priceless gem from a safe.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have at least one Monster with the words “Dark Scorpion” in its name, or who is named “Don Zaloog” or “Cliff the Trap Remover”, face-up on your side of the field. Take one Spell or Trap Card from your opponent’s Graveyard and add it to your hand.

Note: “Dark Scorpion Pilfer” first appeared in “City of Souls”



SNEAK ATTACK OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Chick the Yellow and Meanae the Thorn hiding behind the corner of a building with weapons drawn as Goblin of Greed strides towards them.

Card Description: Choose one Monster on your side of the field who has the words “Dark Scorpion” in its name, or who is named “Cliff the Trap Remover”. Reduce the ATK of the chosen Monster by half for the remainder of the round. The chosen Monster can attack your opponent directly during the round you use this card.



REVIVAL OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The five members of the Dark Scorpions, all of them frightened, fleeing through the gates of a cemetery at night.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field and one copy of each of the following Monster Cards in your Graveyard: “Don Zaloog”, “Cliff the Trap Remover”, “Dark Scorpion – Chick the Yellow”, “Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn”, and “Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong”. Pay 2,000 Life Points. Special Summon all of the above-named Monsters from your Graveyard. You cannot declare an attack or summon any other Monsters during the turn you use this card.



EVIL IDOL (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A sinister-looking idol with three gems for eyes: Red, blue, and yellow.

Card Description: Take one Monster Card, one Trap Card, and one Spell Card from your deck, and rearrange them facedown. Each player must choose one without looking at them. If a player chooses the Monster Card, all Monsters on his side of the field and in his hand are destroyed. If a player chooses the Trap Card, all cards in his Graveyard are removed from play. If a player chooses the Spell Card, he gains 500 Life Points for every one of his cards that has been removed from play. After the effects of this card have been resolved, discard the three cards.



ORICHALCOS ENTICEMENT (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Sin: Lust

Image: A demonic and barely-dressed temptress seducing a knight.

Card Description: When you activate this card, all opposing Monsters switch to Attack Position. Flip effects are not activated. While this card remains in play, your opponent cannot set or summon Monsters in Defense Position. If this card is destroyed, your memories of the first member of the opposite gender who loved you are forever erased from your mind. Also, if this card is destroyed, it is removed from play and you may never use it or another copy of this card again.



MECHANIZED DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This Monster is descended by activating “The Fang of Critias” and offering one “Rare Metalmorph” as a Tribute. Increase the ATK of all Machine-Type monsters on your side of the field by 300 points. Also, while this card remains face-up on the field, Machine-Type monsters on your side of the field cannot be targeted by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster effects.

Note: “Mechanized Dragon” was created by Starjake as a result of winning the third contest. Creative credit goes to him.



Sebastian’s Dark Scorpion Deck

A hardened killer who would do in anyone for a quarter, Sebastian is not one to be trusted – odds are, anything he says is a lie. However, the story of how he got the five stars in his deck is true; they are the cards that contain the Spirits of the real Dark Scorpions, whom Chazz Princeton defeated in a Shadow Game so many years ago. Thus, his key cards are truly alive, and work with him in many different ways. They don’t do so willingly, but the Orichalcos shields him from the curse they have put on everyone who has taken these cards (other than Chazz himself, who they were forced to accept as the rightful owner of the cards), so they have no choice but to serve the Orichalcos for now.

To many duelists, Don Zaloog is a useful card that works well in many ways, with his discarding ability. Only a few duelists can actually combine him with his four teammates to make a useful Dark Scorpion Deck. (It is difficult to do.) Since all of the Scorpions are very weak, they’d be wiped out fast in many cases. Thus, the Seal of Orichalcos is a great benefit in Sebastian’s case.

Sebastian has many ways to bring out his stars quickly. They include three copies of Mystic Tomato, Familiar Knight, Sangan, and other searchers. Although he doesn’t have access to the vast amounts of wealth that Cleo did, he was able to make bargains and do jobs for the underworld, and gain access to Dark Scorpion cards that most duelists have never even heard of.

Sebastian always makes a point to study his opponent beforehand, and prepare his deck in a way to give his opponent grief. He added System Down because he knew it would ruin Trisha’s deck. If he had targeted Russell, he might have added Kinetic Soldier. Every type of strategy has a card that can be used to counter it, and Sebastian is smart enough to find them.

Sebastian also has a secret weapon in his deck who is Dark, but is no Scorpion. This Monster is used when all other options fail. The identity of this powerful Monster will remain a mystery for now, as he likely will seek a rematch with Trisha in the future.



[B][I]Sebastian has fled to lick his wounds, but this arc is only half over.

Coming up next, Russell goes looking for Cassius, but the leader of the current Swordsmen has big plans for their confrontation. Very big plans.

You folks likely think by now that it will end the same way that the last two duels did…

Wrong.

This next duel will definitely have a clear winner.

“Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.”

What do I mean by that?

The chapter is called “A Deal With Dark Ruler”…

Figure it out.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting Duel. Even though I had no idea at the beginnning of this chapter what Sebastian's Deck was, the minute he mentioned the Shadow Riders duel with the five cards one that was a Duel Spirit, I knew Sebastian's deck had to be connected with the Dark Scorpions.

It was an interesting chapter. We know more about Sebastian, although this chapter kind of reminded me of a similiar chapter in Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand Year Door. And that Card of Sin also reminds me a bit of Mai's Duel against Yami Marik. You know when she lost life Points, she lost memories of those she loved.

But it was a pretty good Dark Scorpion Deck although I am interested in seeing Sebastian's powerful monster.

Well, at least the next duel won't be ended in a draw. And I wonder what deck Cassius will use.

Also, another good Legendary Dragon creation from Starjake.

Keep up the good work on this fanfic!

[Shuppet Master]

This was one awesome duel. You just couldn't resist using the Dark Scorpions, could you?

Anyways, that was a great chapter, Brian. Keep it up.

[Pokemasterkatie]

She was horrified. In every nightmare she had had where she was dueling, whether her opponent was Bakura, Marik, or Darth Vader, that opponent was certain to have that Spell Card…

…the doom of all Machine duelists…

LOL at the Darth Vader thing. Makes me wonder if she's a fan of the series(it'd make sense...).^_^

“He had an ace up his sleeve,” sighed Trisha. “I almost won. But he used a card that could raise my Life Points to over the maximum. Then he triggered a Trap called Self-Destruct Button…”

“Don’t think I’ve heard of that one…” said Russell, scratching his head.

“Well, to put it simply,” answered Trisha, “if you’re using it in your deck, you need a new deck. It can only be used when you’re losing by 7,000 Life Points or more – it reduces both duelists’ Life Points to zero.”

I figured the escape trap was Self-Destruct Button--this usually unusable card(Trisha is absolutely right when she said you'd need a new deck if you were using this thing. ) would be a natural for someone using the Seal, as it's one of the only cards that can force a draw.

“That’s the demand I intend to make, Trisha. Once you lose, your soul will go free, if you agree to commit it to me.”

“Eww!” shouted Trisha. “In other words, you wanted a love slave? You’re dreaming, you bastard!”

You tell him, Trisha! I hate people like that...

[Silencer]

Katie, you should picture this as in the series. It's the same world just a later period. We have had a couple of stuff about the Trinity and how in the past they stopped terrorists and all of that.

[Blademaster]

Self-Destruct Button? He actually used Self-Destruct Button? Sheesh...

I like the Dark Scorpions-Machines matchup - a battle between new-age technology and old-fashioned stealth is a pretty good concept.

And I was pleasantly surprised to see the Gadgets appear; I knew they'd show up eventually.

So, Cassius is the big boss of the 3 Swordsmen, eh? I can only imagine what deck he could be using...

-Blade

[envoy of time]

Cassius is the leader of the swordsmen this should be quite interesting.We saw one of his monsters attack already so that's something.

Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.

What is that supposed to mean for Russel?The suspense is terrible, I hope it lasts.

[Shuppet Master]

envoy, that statement Russell made is part of a popular prayer in Christianity called the Lord's Prayer, where the praying person asks God not to let them fall to evil temptations. I know because I'm Catholic and this prayer is recited during mass. As for why Russell said it, I have no idea.

[envoy of time]

Thanks Shuppet Master.

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone! It’s the Fourth of July!

And even though I disagree a great deal with the current government, this a day that makes me think of all the things that make me love America.

Things like the free press. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. And all the things that define America.

I love America.

And hey, if you’re someone reading this who isn’t American, like Mystic Clown, that’s fine… I’m sure you have many reasons to love whatever country you live in.

As a member of a family who has served the U.S. Armed Forces for a long as family history has recorded, I’m pretty sure that Russell feels the same way. So it’s fitting that this chapter should star him.

So will his clash with Cassius end in triumph or in tragedy?

Prepare to find out.


[B][I]Cleo and Sebastian have run back to their holes like dogs, unwilling to accept the punishment they were so intent on dishing out.

So now it’s me against Cassius… but this time, I’m more than prepared to stop his plan before it even starts. And I have the right tools to do so.

I just wish I was a bit more confident…

There’s something wrong about this whole plan… I don’t know what it is… It seems foolproof, but…

Ah well.

I’m still going through with it, because there’s no way I’m putting my soul on the line a third time…

[B][size=3]CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Friday, October 1st, 2106, 8:53 PM


Sebastian sat on a couch with an ice pack on his forehead. Cleo was sitting next to him.

Faustus stood above them and frowned.

“You two were warned,” he said. “Next time it will be different.

“The next time, you will either claim the soul of your opponent, or give up your own.”

Their faces sank.

Cassius walked up.

“Actually, boss,” he said, “I have an idea that might make for a ground-breaking scene.”

“Well,” said Fortunado, with a sigh, “it can’t be worse than what they pulled…”

“Listen…” said Cassius, putting his arm around him.

“Take it off, or I’ll break it off,” warned Fortunado.

“Uh, right…” said Cassius, nervously, retracting his arm. “Anyway, here’s what we do…

“You see, we’ve been going at this whole thing with the wrong angle the whole time. Maybe outright attacks using the Orichalcos aren’t a good idea…”

He grinned.

“Perhaps a duel of a… different flavor would whet the appetite of an audience more than what these two tried to do…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

Russell was lying on his bed, slowing shuffling his deck.

Then he noticed an envelope slide under his door…

He got up, ran up to the door, and threw it open.

No one was there.

He slowly picked up the envelope. He opened it.

It was a bomb…

Well, it probably wasn’t, but he was wary of unanimous gifts…

He held it up to a lamp, and saw that there were two cards inside it.

It seemed benign. Nonetheless, he held it far away from his face as he carefully opened it. Then he dumped the cards on the floor.

He looked at them.

They were two Spell Cards. They weren’t Cards of Sin, and didn’t seem to have any devices or strange substances on them.

Finally he decided they were all right. He picked them up and looked at them.

One was a pretty common card. He never really had a use for it, but some duelists did. The other…

Hmm… he thought, looking at both of them.

He paused.

Oh, I get it…

He removed two cards from his deck, and shuffled them into it.

“Whoever sent these,” he said, “thanks…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

One hour later…

Cassius was in his own quarters, going over his deck.

The three Swordsmen had been given some pretty good accommodations. There was a comfortable king-size bed, a nightstand, a television (it got cable, and the premiums), and even a small refrigerator.

One furnishing that he really didn’t like was the painting that was on the wall next to the door. He tried to get rid of it many times, but every time he tried, something just wouldn’t let him.

The painting was a portrait of a man who looked like him, but about ten years older, apparently, dressed in more formal clothes.

He put his deck in a holder and glared at the portrait for a few seconds.

”Stalking the big hunt again?” said a voice that seemed to come from it. ”You’re certainly dressed for it.”

“What do you want?” asked Cassius. “Go away.”

”Can’t a man have a heart-to-heart now and then with his first born?” was the response.

“I’m your only born,” answered Cassius, “and frankly, no. Like I just said, go away. I can do without your heart-to-hearts.”

”I’m just here for support, Cassius,” said the voice. ”This is a dangerous business.”

“I’m a big boy, dad,” he replied, angrily. “I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m undefeated.”

He took out his cards.

“I can use these better than you ever could.”

”I hope so,” said the voice. ”They have to be used right in this business.”

“Oh, shut up,” answered Cassius. “What do you know about using them right? You couldn’t use a starter deck right!”

”You’re exaggerating, Cassius,” said the voice. ”I was one of the best of my time. And I had high hopes.”

“For me?” asked Cassius. “Get real. You weren’t exactly father of the year…”

“I was an excellent parent!” said the voice. ”Listen… Did I ever tell you to eat your vegetables? Brush your teeth? Listen to decent music? No, I didn’t. I respected your independence. I wanted you to be like me when you were older.”

Cassius stared at the picture.

“Yeah…” he muttered. “Like you… A complete and utter failure!”

He glared at it angrily.

“Don’t think the boss didn’t tell me about the last attempt to revive the Orichalcos, dad,” he said. “You started an attempt ten years ago, when the Master started looking for recruits. But the first duel of the campaign was one you started… and lost.

“And once you did, everyone who you were with was so scared when they saw what happened to you, they threw the Orichalcos cards away in panic. Your campaign lasted one hour. And it’s only getting started again now, ten years later.

“You were a big humiliation. And if you were here right now I’d…”

He clenched his fist.

He paused.

“I’m talking to a painting…” he muttered. “I should see a shrink…”

He got up. He tore the portrait off the wall and slid it under his bed.

“Maybe that will keep you quiet,” he said. “You were a failure for the Master’s plans, dad, and to top it off, you were a lousy father. But I’m going to prove once and for all that I’m better than you…”

He looked at his deck.

“In every way…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

The next day, at noon, Russell strode into Central Park.

The trees were all an explosion of colors by now: red, yellow, orange, and brown, as Autumn was in full swing.

He went up to a vendor.

“Two dogs, with sauerkraut and mustard, and a Diet Coke,” he said.

He brought the two frankfurters to a park bench and sat down. Few things in this city were more satisfying than an old-fashioned New York hot dog.

But as he started on the second, he paused.

It didn’t taste as good as it had a second ago, and he knew why.

“You might as well come out,” he said between chews, “I know you’re there…”

Cassius stepped out of the brush, distinguishable by his outback-style jacket and hat decorated with teeth. The nasty-looking whip was coiled up by his side.

“I knew I couldn’t sneak up on you, pal,” said Cassius.

“I’d recognize your deodorant anywhere,” replied Russell. “Or should I say, your lack of it thereof.”

Cassius snarled.

“And I knew I’d come across you eventually,” continued Russell. “Your two friends gave mine a lot of trouble over the past two days…

“If you want to duel me, I’ll happily oblige… But let me finish my lunch first.”

“Certainly,” said Cassius, raising his deck. “But when you see what my deck holds, you’ll have to do your best not to lose it…”

“Would you mind not standing downwind?” asked Russell.

Insult me now, thought Cassius, now getting rather angry. It will change pretty soon…

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

The two of them stood facing each other.

“So,” said Russell, “what’s with the whole rural outback getup? I mean, who do you think you are, Crocodile Dundee?”

Cassius gave him a look.

“You know,” he said with a grin, “you might be the first opponent I’ve ever faced who compared me to the hero of those old films…

“And to be honest, yes, I saw those movies on the classic cinema station once, and I admired Dundee. He was a guy who was tough, brave, and not afraid to get a little dirty.”

“Well, you seem to be tough,” answered Russell, “and you certainly play dirty…

“But both Cleo and Sebastian weren’t very brave. They were cowards who could dish it out but not take it. They both had a way to escape when it was apparent that they would lose.”

“Can’t say that I blamed them,” said Cassius. “After all, the darkness of the Orichalcos isn’t a very pleasant place…”

He flicked his arm. A fan-like tray that was a silvery color protruded from the console on his arm, forming into an odd Disk.

He placed his deck into it.

“But you’ll find out firsthand,” he continued. “So far, my two partners have both failed, Russell. What’s that old saying? Third time’s the charm?”

“Don’t count on it,” replied Russell. “If all goes right, I’m going to take you AND the Seal out!”

“I’d like to see you try it!” laughed Cassius. “What part of ‘can’t be destroyed’ don’t you understand?”

We’ll soon see… thought Russell.

“Atten… shun!” shouted Russell.

[B](Russell: 8,000) (Cassius: 8,000)

“Feel free to make the first move,” said Cassius, drawing five cards. “It barely matters… I’ve never been bested. I have a perfect record.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” said Russell, drawing six.

I got the card I needed in my opening hand! thought Russell. Time to take away his edge…

“I’ll start by playing a Spell Card,” he said, playing a card. “A rare and powerful one, called Kozaky’s Kontraption.”

He played the card, and the fiendish scientist appeared in the center of the arena beside a weird contraption.

“When this card is played,” said Russell, taking his deck, “the user gains an advantage, but takes a great risk. You see, I can now add any card I please from my deck to my hand, but I have to let you do the same thing. Also, I must skip my Battle Phase on the turn I use this card, but since this is the first turn of the duel, that doesn’t matter at all.”

“Any card at all?” laughed Cassius, taking his deck. “That seems foolish…”

They both got what they wanted from their decks.

Kozaky and his machine vanished.

“We’ll soon see,” said Russell, reshuffling. “Next, I’ll play the card I just searched for… Exchange!”

The Spell Card appeared.

Cassius smirked.

“Clever…” he said.

He walked up to Russell.

“I guess you got me…” he sighed, showing him his hand.

Russell smiled. The Seal of Orichalcos was clearly there.

“I’ll just take this,” he said, taking it. “I knew you’d use my card’s effect to search for it. So much for you using it in this duel.

“Now you take one, so we can continue.”

Cassius took a card from his hand and walked back.

“Just because you took it from me doesn’t mean it won’t be played…” warned Cassius. “I swear it will be…”

“Don’t count on it,” said Russell.

Russell looked at the cursed card. It gave him chills.

At least I disarmed him of his most potent weapon, he thought. And all it cost me was my Reinforcement of the Army card. Now to just end this duel as quickly as possible…

“I’ll end my turn by placing a Monster in Defense Mode,” he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Cassius smirked again as he drew.

“That’s Big Shield Gardna, right?” he asked. “You forget, I saw your hand, Russell. Tell me, were you paying any attention to mine?

“Since I got your Reinforcement of the Army card, I’ll play it…”

He played the card.

“And I’ll use it to get a little guy named Mystic Swordsman LV 2…”

He held up the card.

“And next, I’ll summon him to the field…” he continued.

What looked like a child wearing a purple bodysuit and a silver robe and peaked hat appeared, holding a scimitar. (900/0)

“Attack!” shouted Cassius. “Severing slash!”

Mystic Swordsman LV 2 dashed up, and with one swipe of his sword, sliced Big Shield Gardna in two!

“What?” said Russell, surprised. “But… Gardna’s Defense was nearly three times too strong…”

“When Mystic Swordsman attacks a Monster in facedown Defense Mode, that Monster is automatically destroyed,” said Cassius with a grin. “It was his effect that did it, and Attack Points didn’t matter.

“And I’m hardly done. I now play the Spell Card, Level Up!”

He played the card.

“Level Up! lets me evolve a leveled Monster into his next evolutionary form instantly, regardless of the requirements.”

Leveled Monsters… thought Russell. This guy doesn’t fool around…

“So let’s welcome Mystic Swordsman LV 4!” exclaimed Cassius.

The child Warrior glowed, and then grew, transforming into a teenage version of himself with a gleaming, two-bladed sword, and a more elaborate robe. (1,900/1,600)

“That will be my turn,” said Cassius.

“All right…” said Russell, drawing a card.

“I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Defense Mode,” he said.

He played the card, and Grepher appeared, kneeling and shielding himself with his sword. (1,700/1,600)

“Go ahead…” he muttered.

Cassius drew a card.

“Mystic Swordsman, attack!” he shouted.

With one swipe of his sword, Mystic Swordsman cut Grepher down.

“That takes care of him,” said Cassius. “And on the end of a round where Mystic Swordsman LV 4 wins a fight, he can evolve further…”

The Swordsman started to glow…

“…into Mystic Swordsman LV 6!”

The new Warrior who appeared was an adult version, with two long daggers instead of a sword and a similar robe. (2,300/1,700)

“So what will you do, Russell?” asked Cassius. “My Swordsman is just as strong as Freed. You’d have to summon a pretty powerful Monster to defeat him.”

Russell drew a card.

“I agree…” he replied.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode.”

A squad of four goblins with shifty eyes carrying clubs appeared. They yawned, and then turned to face the opponent. (2,300/0)

“Get him!” shouted Russell. “Goblin rush!”

The squad charged forward… Mystic Swordsman stood his ground…

In a fierce burst, both Warriors were smashed to bits!

“That will be all for now,” said Russell. “So attack me if you want… I can take it.”

Cassius frowned.

He drew.

“First I’ll place one card facedown…” he said, fitting a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared.

“Next I’ll play… Giant Trunade!”

He played a Spell Card, and a wind whipped across the field. The facedown card vanished.

“Now, you may be asking,” he continued, “why did he do that? Because, the card I placed facedown was this special Trap…”

He held up the card. It was called Treasure Map.

“Treasure Map activates when it goes from the field to my hand. It lets me draw two cards, so long as I then discard one from my hand.

“So I’ll draw twice…”

He drew two cards.

“And since I no longer need it, I’ll discard Treasure Map.”

He discarded the card.

“Now I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“About time…” said Russell.

He drew a card.

“I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode,” he said.

Command Knight appeared on the field, holding her sword aloft. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

“Next,” he said, “I’ll play Premature Burial, to bring back Warrior Dai Grepher!”

He played the card, and Grepher appeared again. (1,700/1,600) –> (2,100/1,600)

“Grepher, attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Russell.

Grepher charged at the facedown Monster…

A Dragon with red and orange scales, metallic wings, and a steel mask over its face appeared on the card. Grepher slashed with his sword, and it shattered to pieces.

“That was a Masked Dragon, Russell,” said Cassius. “When it’s destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon another Dragon from my deck that has 1,500 Attack Points or less…

“Now, let’s see… I’ll summon another Masked Dragon!”

A second Masked Dragon appeared, in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100)

Russell raised an eyebrow.

“Command Knight, destroy it!” he shouted. “Blazing blade!”

Command Knight’s sword blazed with fire, and she slashed at the second Masked Dragon, wiping it out.

“Thank you…” said Cassius. “Now the real fun can begin! I’ll use his effect to summon Armed Dragon LV 3!”

A small Dragon with metallic parts colored orange and silver appeared. (1,200/900)

Russell looked at him hard.

“I end my turn…” he said.

[B](R: 7,200) (C: 8,000)

“Then mine can start,” said Cassius, drawing a card. “And during my Standby Phase, I can sacrifice his LV 3 form, to summon someone better…”

The Dragon started to glow…

“Armed Dragon LV 5!”

A bigger, meaner-looking Dragon appeared, with rust-red skin and spikes all over its body. (2,400/1,700)

“I… see…” muttered Russell.

“And now we get to the good part…” said Cassius, taking a card from his hand. “If I discard one Monster from my hand, this guy can destroy one Monster who has equal or less Attack Points that the one I’m discarding…”

He showed a card to Russell.

“So, if my second Mystic Swordsman LV 4 has 300 more Attack Points than your Command Knight…”

Command Knight slunk back in fear as Cassius discarded it.

“Now go!” he shouted. “Shrapnel blast!”

The spikes on Armed Dragon’s body shot up like rockets and honed in on Command Knight! She screamed and was blown to pieces!

Grepher’s ATK fell back to 1,700.

“And I still have his normal attack…” continued Cassius. “Attack Warrior Dai Grepher! Inferno roar!”

Armed Dragon blasted forth a wave of burning energy, and Grepher was blown away!

“Next, I’ll summon my third Masked Dragon in Defense Mode…” he continued.

He played a card, and another Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)

“And finally, since my Armed Dragon won a battle, we can take this to the next level, and evolve Armed Dragon LV 5, to Armed Dragon LV 7!”

Armed Dragon started to grow again, until it was a huge creature that seemed as much metal as it was flesh, with blades and sharp edges all over. It let out an unearthly roar… (2,800/1,000)

http://www.ideal808.com/images/dp2-en012.jpg

“Uh… That’s… Not good…” said Russell.

“No…” said Cassius. “It isn’t good. Frankly, I’d say it’s bloody awful. For you, anyway.”

[B](R: 6,500) (C: 8,000)

Russell drew a card.

I’ve got to do something… he thought, looking at his hand.

He paused.

[I]You can destroy him easily. It’s completely in your power…

“Huh?” said Russell. “Who said that?”

[I]Don’t fight it, Russell, said the voice. [I]Ultimate power is within your reach…

Russell shook his head, and the voice faded.

“Where was I…” he muttered. “I place a Monster in Defense Mode…”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Clever…” said Cassius, drawing a card. “You know that Armed Dragon’s effect doesn’t work on facedown Monsters. “So I’ll have to take care of you the old fashioned way…

“I sacrifice Masked Dragon…”

Masked Dragon vanished.

“To summon… Jinzo!”

The dreaded android, with his enlarged cranium, glaring optic sensors, a fanged grill for a mouth, and dressed in a dark robe appeared. (2,400/1,500)

http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en067.jpg

“Well, since I already took out your Big Shield Gardna,” he noted, “and I know you don’t have two in your deck, Jinzo, attack his facedown Monster! Cyber energy shock!”

Jinzo formed a ball of crackling black energy in its hands, and hurled it. Axe Raider appeared on the card, and was blown up.

“Armed Dragon…” continued Cassius.

Russell gulped.

“Attack directly! Dragon talon terror!”

The huge Dragon’s claw bore down on Russell…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



At this moment, Trisha and Jason were at a table on the Green, with their cards spread out. Timaeus and Critias were in the center.

Suddenly, both of them started to glow.

“I was afraid of this…” said Jason, in worry. “I think Russell just took a powerful hit…”

“Oh…” moaned Trisha, almost crying. “That lunatic probably has him trapped in that awful Seal… He might be losing… He might have…”

“No…” assured Jason. “If Russell had lost, I’d feel it in my gut… He isn’t finished yet.

“We have to have faith in his skill…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

[B](R: 3,700) (C: 8,000)

Russell sat on the ground, the pain from the Dragon’s powerful direct attack having made him dizzy…

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cassius. “Who needs the Seal? I’m having loads of fun just beating you black and blue!

“Heh, heh… It’s your move…”

This is nuts… thought Russell, as he tried hard to catch his breath. He still has all his Life Points, and I’ve lost more that half of mine…

Jinzo? How come the bad guys always have the good cards?

“Didn’t you hear me?” asked Cassius. “I said it’s your move…”

“I heard you…” said Russell. “Just give me a minute…”

He picked up his cards and got up.

He drew a card.

“I play… Pot of Greed…”

He drew two cards.

“And I got some good ones!” he said with a grin. “I summon Blue Flame Swordsman in Attack Mode!”

He played the card, and the blue Fire Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,600)

“And next…” he continued, “I Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!”

Blue Flame Swordsman’s normal sword vanished, and the magical katana appeared in his hand. His Attack rose to 2,600.

“Now…” he started.

[I]Now’s your chance, said the voice in his head. [I]Don’t let a great opportunity pass. Use what you have and obliterate him!

Russell paused.

“Get out of my head…” he snarled.

“Get out of my head!”

He shook his head again.

“Blue Flame Swordsman, attack Jinzo!”

The Warrior charged, and swiped at Jinzo with his blade. Sparks flew from the android’s body, and then it burst in an explosion.

[B](R: 3,700) (C: 7,800)

“Okay…” muttered Cassius. “Nothing I can’t handle…”

“Just move…” said Russell.

He drew a card.

“Okay, Russell,” he said. “I’m activating Armed Dragon’s ability, and this time I’m discarding this…”

He held a card up.

“The Masked Beast. I keep three of these guys in my deck just to use to activate Armed Dragon’s ability. Since it has 3,200 Attack Points, it lets Armed Dragon destroy almost anything…”

He discarded it.

“Destroy him! Serrated sonic disks!”

Armed Dragon growled… It raised its arms…

It shot three energy disks from its torso, and Blue Flame Swordsman was eradicated.

“Perhaps you don’t know about Blue Flame Swordsman’s special ability,” said Russell, with a grin. “If he’s destroyed, I get to summon the real Flame Swordsman! Defense Mode!”

Flame Swordsman appeared, and knelt in defense. (1,800/1,600)

Cassius frowned.

“Fine…” said Cassius. “I still have his normal attack. Armed Dragon, attack Flame Swordsman!”

Armed Dragon raised his claw and brought it down, crushing Flame Swordsman.

“Thanks, for taking the hit, pal…” said Russell, as he discarded the card. “Now let’s hope I get something good.

He drew a card.

“I place a Monster in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That will be all.”

Cassius drew a card.

“Armed Dragon, destroy his Monster!”

Armed Dragon’s claw thundered down…

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card, and was crushed.

“Huh?” asked Cassius.

“Yes…” said Russell with a smile. “And I’ll use her effect to summon… Hero Kid!”

A Hero Kid appeared on the field, did a somersault, and landed on his feet. (300/600)

“And since he was Special Summoned, I get to Special Summon his two brothers as well!” continued Russell.

Two more Hero Kids appeared and somersaulted into view.

“Heh, heh, heh,” laughed Cassius.

He showed Russell his hand, which had six cards in it.

“Don’t you know, Russell,” he said, “that all I have to do right now is discard a Monster no stronger than a Kuriboh, and my Dragon will wipe out all three of your Kids?”

Russell and the three Hero Kids stared at him…

“Now… uhm… uh… I’ll…” said Cassius, looking at his hand.

There was a long pause.

“Uh huh…” he muttered.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Russell. “You have no Monsters in your hand to discard, do you?”

“Yes I do, smart guy!” answered Cassius. “However, the one I have isn’t one I’m willing to discard right now, so you lucked out big time. I end my turn.”

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Russell. “That’s rich… Six cards and the one Monster you have is the one you can’t discard!”

He drew a card.

“You made a big mistake, Cassius,” he said. “Remember how I beat Fang?”

“Oh… no…” muttered Cassius.

“I sacrifice my three Hero Kids…” exclaimed Russell.

The three Kids shattered.

“To summon Gilford the Lightning!”

Thunder rolled in the sky, and with a flash of light, the mighty Gilford appeared! (2,800/1,400)

“All right, Gilford…” said Russell, “let’s show him how it’s done…”

Gilford slowly drew his sword…

Lightning struck the Armed Dragon, blowing it to atoms!

“And now… Get him!”

Gilford slashed at Cassius with his sword, and the Swordsman fell backwards.

“Ooh…” he moaned.

[B](R: 3,700) (C: 5,000)

“I end my turn, Cassius,” said Russell, “and the tide of this battle is turning…”

Cassius drew a card.

“Well, that will do,” he said. “I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode.”

He played a card, and a rocky, sleepy Dragon with no wings appeared, curled up in Defense. (1,300/2,000)

“Go ahead…” he said.

“One round too late, huh?” asked Russell.

He drew.

“I summon Exiled Force!” he said, playing a card.

The small band of disheveled Warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)

“And now, I’ll sacrifice them to destroy your Dragon!”

Exiled Force turned into a collection of ghostly shapes. They flew into The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and it roared before bursting into shards of rock.

“Gilford, attack him again!” shouted Russell.

Gilford slammed his sword into Cassius, and Cassius toppled over on his back.

[B](R: 3,700) (C: 2,200)

[I]You almost have him, said the voice. [I]Do what you have to do to finish him off… forever…

“Shut up…” muttered Russell. “Shut up! Who are you?”

Cassius got up, and his eyes reflected what must have been hate…

He drew a card.

“I play… Level Modulation!” he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card.

“This Spell is so powerful,” he explained, “that to play it, I have to allow you to draw two cards…”

Russell’s eyes narrowed. He drew twice.

“…and in return,” continued Cassius, “I get to bring back any leveled Monster from the grave, so you can guess who’s coming back.”

Armed Dragon LV 7 reappeared with a roar. (2,800/1,000)

“You forgot one thing,” said Russell. “A Monster can neither attack nor use its effect on the round it’s resurrected with Level Modulation. And although I hate to lose Gilford, I will attack that thing with him to prevent you from storming the field again.”

“Heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Cassius. “Remember that Monster I had in my hand that I wasn’t willing to discard? I simply brought this guy back to sacrifice him for that stronger one!”

“What?” asked Russell. “What on earth are you summoning?”

“Russell…” said Cassius, in a sinister voice, “when I was your age, I competed in many tournaments using leveled Monsters, and I used Armed Dragons many times. And I believed, like you do, and like my father did before me, that this LV 7 form, its third form, was as powerful as it could grow…

“But when I joined the Orichalcos, you could imagine my surprise when my boss informed me that it had a fourth form beyond it!”

“A fourth form?” gasped Russell. “What in the world…”

“So, I sacrifice Armed Dragon LV 7…” said Cassius.

The Dragon vanished.

“And feast your eyes on the final form of the Armed Dragon… The Master of Disaster…”

A large shadow started to appear.

“The one… the only…”

The shadow started to take shape. The winds around the park started to pick up…

”…the mighty Armed Dragon LV 10!”

The creature in front of Russell had to be the biggest Dragon he had ever seen. Of course, whether it was a Dragon or a Machine shaped like one was open to debate. Like the LV 7 version, it was covered with spikes and blades, and it seemed to be covered with solid, metal armor. (3,000/2,000)

“And now…” continued Cassius. “By discarding any card at all, he can wipe out all of your Monsters!”

He discarded card called Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension, and the Armed Dragon let out a blast of green energy, vaporizing Gilford!

“Now, attack Russell directly!” shouted Cassius. “Genocide beam!”

Russell gulped…

Armed Dragons eyes glowed, and rays of burning death blasted him, knocking him over.

[B](R: 700) (C: 2,200)

“And I’m not done with you…” said Cassius. “I play a Spell Card… One that Dartz himself used…”

“Who the heck is Dartz?” asked Russell, sitting up.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” replied Cassius. “Almost all the cards in his deck were Cards of Sin. This one was not, however. I play Impact Revive.”

He played the card. A rumbling noise sounded on Russell’s side of the field...

“This card revives the Monster that I most recently destroyed to your side of the field.”

Gilford the Lightning appeared again. (2,800/1,400) –> (3,300/1,400)

“Why?” asked Russell. “Why would you give me back my Monster?”

“Well, the second effect of this card lets me repeat my Battle Phase,” answered Cassius. “However, since it also grants Gilford 500 more Attack Points, I’m just going to have to forfeit it.

“But don’t get too comfy… That bonus goes away when you start your turn.”

“What’s the point?” asked Russell again.

“Because I want to kill him again!” laughed Cassius. “This is fun, after all.”

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“But face it, Russell, it’s over…” he said. “My Dragon is simply 200 Attack Points stronger than your Warrior…”

He grinned. He waved his hand, and Gilford’s Attack returned to 2,800.

Russell won’t have a choice now, he thought. Of course, it won’t make a difference… My facedown card is Rush Recklessly, which will win me this duel regardless…

My plan was perfect…

See dad? I’m gonna do more than you could ever have dreamed. I’m not only going to pave the way for victory, I’m going to defeat the Chosen of Hermos!

Russell paused.

[I]Do it… said the voice.

He looked at The Seal of Orichalcos in his hand…

I get it now… he thought.

[I]Do it… Do…

Russell drew a card.

“So sorry to disappoint you…” he whispered angrily.

“I play Graceful Charity!” he shouted, playing it. “Now I can draw three cards…”

He drew three cards.

“Of course, I also have to discard two, and we’ll start with this one!”

He held up The Seal of Orichalcos.

“What?” shouted Cassius. “NO! You can’t!”

“Oh? Just watch me…” said Russell, with a snarl, as he discarded it and another card.

“Silence at last,” he muttered, as the sinister voice went dead.

“See Cassius, I figured out your plan. You slipped that envelope under my door, the one with Kozaky’s Kontraption and Exchange. The whole point of this duel wasn’t for you to use the Seal…

“It was to tempt me into using it. You may be dressed like Crocodile Dundee, but this was all a classic Emperor Palpatine-inspired plot. You think I don’t watch movies?

“Well guess what, Cassius? No one tells Russell Majors what to do. Not my family, not my peers, and certainly not you! I took charge of my life when I decided to go to Duel Academy instead of West Point, and I do not take kindly to someone who tries to control me.

“And like the Bible says, ‘Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.’ Temptation is something I’m very good at avoiding, especially when the tempter is evil.”

He took three cards from his hand.

“I summon my second Command Knight!”

He played the card, and the determined female fighter appeared in a burst of flame. (1,200/1,900)

“Next,” he said, “I’ll use Monster Reborn, to bring back an old friend…”

He played another card, and the ankh shone with light. Flame Swordsman reappeared. (1,800/1,600)

“And now…” he said. “I play… The Claw of Hermos!”

Thunder rolled, and the immense form of Hermos flew down, alighting beside the three Warriors!

“Hermos, merge with Command Knight to form Blazing Command Saber!”

Command Knight stood in front of Hermos, and the huge Dragon turned into fiery energy. In surrounded Command Knight in a flaming aura…

And then she transformed into a blade made of pure fire. Gilford took hold of it, and his Attack score went up to 3,500.

“And it does more than just boost his Attack Score by 700 points,” added Russell. “It also protects all other Warriors on the field from death, so long as they have less stars than the one holding the Saber. And Gilford has eight stars.”

Cassius frowned.

“I activate Rush Recklessly!” he shouted.

His facedown card lifted, and Armed Dragon LV 10 rose to 3,700 Attack.

“I figured as much,” muttered Russell.

He played a card.

“I activate MY Rush Recklessly!” he said, as Gilford rose to at Attack of 4,200. “See, Cassius, I had one too.

“So right now you should be asking yourself… What would have happened to you if your plan had worked?”

Cassius gulped…

“Gilford…” ordered Russell, “Slay his Dragon!”

Gilford leapt up, and brought the burning sword down on the Dragon’s skull! Sparks flew, and the Dragon howled as Gilford cut down…

And then, Armed Dragon LV 10 exploded.

“Flame Swordsman, attack directly!” shouted Russell. “Flaming sword of battle!”

Flame Swordsman slashed at Cassius with his bronze sword, and Cassius fell over with a scream.

[B](R: 700) (C: 0)

“At ease…” said Russell.

“Humph…” he continued, taking the Seal out of his discard slot.

He took a lighter out of his pocket and set fire to it.

“So much for that…” he said, as it burned to ashes.

Cassius got to his feet.

“You’re gonna regret this, Russell…” he said, taking a card out of a pouch on his side. “Next time, you can be sure, it will end differently…”

He threw the card in his Disk, and his Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared…

The device drew him into it, and he was gone.

“Unbelievable…” muttered Russell. “I feel like I’m in the middle of some movie that isn’t following the script…”

“At least I learned a valuable lesson. The Orichalcos isn’t just a destructive force… It’s a seductive and persuading one that tries to corrupt. I’m going to have to spread a warning…

“No one can ever attempt this strategy again…”

[B]* * * * * * * * * *

“I hope our insurance covers collision, Cassius,” said Fortunado, sarcastically.

He stared at him, who was sitting on a couch between Cleo and Sebastian.

“My Corruption of the Chosen One scene would have been the highlight of the movie,” continued Fortunado, “but now, I can’t even use that scene… It was unexpected, sure, but audiences don’t like unexpected.”

“I should have put Hand Control in that deck…” muttered Cassius, “like I wanted to!”

Fortunado grabbed hold of his throat.

“Uh, boss, I can’t breathe…” he gasped.

“That’s because I’m choking you, you moron,” growled Fortunado. “When I said no, I meant no! The whole idea of that scene was for Russell’s fall from grace to be his fault. So he had to have used the Seal on his own.

“Had you used Hand Control, you would have forced him. It would have been your fault, not his.”

Then Fortunado groaned. He let go of Cassius and held his head.

“Boss?” said Cleo.

Don’t you dare blame Cassius! ordered a voice in Fortunado’s head. You were the biggest fool of all for agreeing to this plan! There were flaws in it from the start!

“I thought it would work…” whispered Fortunado. “If the Pharaoh couldn’t resist the Seal…”

Only those with darkness in their hearts can be convinced to use the Seal, fool, said the voice. The darkness inside Russell is less than one percent the amount that the Pharaoh had. Russell’s heart has the light of justice and morality inside it. He would have accepted defeat before he used it!

I agreed to let you film these scenes for your benefit, but the true plan is more important than the need to make it a box office draw! Any more ludicrous ideas…

…and to borrow a term from your film industry, you’ll never eat lunch in this town again.

“Yes master…” he whispered. “It won’t happen again…”

He took some deep breaths.

“I need a drink…” he said, going up to a cabinet.

“Perhaps it is time…” said a sinister voice, “to show these foolish children the true might of the Orichalcos…”

A shadowy form came into the room…

He was a tall man, in a bizarre costume. He wore a violet spandex bodysuit and a cape with a high collar. He wore a tall, pointy hat with a wide brim, and his mouth and nose were covered by a mask that had a picture of a hand with the index finger pointing upward. His grey eyes were topped by bushy eyebrows.

“In other words,” he said, “it’s time for the normal specters to be put aside, and the Master Specter to do his work.”

“You?” said Sebastian, nervously. “I dunno… I don’t like that Monster you have in your deck…”

“What, you mean this one?” asked the man, taking a card off of his deck.

The Swordsmen drew back in fear…

“Keep it away from me…” gulped Cleo.

“This is one duel I’m gonna be sitting out…” gulped Cassius.

“Well…” muttered Fortunado. “It can’t hurt, I guess… At least, I don’t think it can…

“Do it…

“But be careful. Even if our insurance does cover collision, I know for a fact it doesn’t cover acts of God…

“So it likely doesn’t cover acts of demons either.”


Saturday, October 2nd, 2106, 2:17 PM



KOZAKY’S KONTRAPTION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Kozaky in front of a large machine that is printing out Duel Monsters cards.

Card Description: Both you and your opponent take any card from your respective decks and add them to your hands. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn you use this card.



IMPACT REVIVE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A muscular giant bursting out of the ground.

Card Description: Special Summon the Monster from your opponent’s Graveyard that was most recently destroyed to his side of the field in Attack Position to his side of the field and increase its ATK by 500 until the End Phase of your current turn. You may repeat your Battle Phase if you have already ended it.

Note: “Impact Revive” was used by Dartz in the anime episode “A Duel With Dartz (Part Four)”. (This was the only card that he used that did not seem to have a particularly evil effect, so I do not consider it a Card of Sin, although it may have been a custom card.)



BLAZING COMMAND SABER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: This card is descended by activating “The Claw of Hermos” and offering one “Command Knight” as a Tribute. This card can only be equipped to a WARRIOR-Type monster. Increase the ATK of the equipped monster by 700 points. Monsters on your side of the field with fewer level stars than the equipped monster cannot be selected as attack targets.



Cassius’s Level Deck

Strictly speaking, there is no standard blueprint for Cassius’s deck, because it is rarely the same deck twice. He is a big fan of leveled Monsters, and he has many to choose from – often, his deck contains two evolutionary chains. Although one of them is usually one of the Dragon chains, the other might be Mystic Swordsman, Silent Swordsman, or Ultimate Insect. Rarely, he uses Silent Magician, but she is a difficult Monster to use, as she will be destroyed quickly unless he happens to have Level Up! handy.

Often he also has a few copies of the Dark Mimic Fiends to fill in the gaps. These are good for drawing power as well. Another Monster that is constant is Jinzo, one of his favorites. As stated, when using Armed Dragons, he also carries three copies of the Masked Beast to use for using its effect.

Since he uses Jinzo, he plays very few Traps; the Spells he uses depends on what Monsters he is using. A few remain constant, like Level Up!, Level Modulation, and The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension.

The Seal of Orichalcos makes a deadly combo with leveled Monsters. When one of these Monsters gets to its final form, it is often quite powerful. The Seal’s 500-point bonus to their Attack Score increases an Attack Score that is already incredibly powerful. (When packing Silent Swordsman, he is careful always to play the Seal before evolving it to its final form.)

Cassius’s most powerful Monster is one that he likes to use to deliver the final blow. However, the identity of this creature will remain a mystery for now.



[B][I]Next chapter:

We’ll see just who that weird guy is, as the next arc of this story begins. Things are going to get darker quickly, as Russell faces a force he’s wholly unprepared for. I’m not going to reveal the name of the chapter – that might give it away.

Be there… or be square.

[envoy of time]

Happy fourth of July.This was a really good chapter mainly because I love level monsters.Russell was pretty cool figuring out Cassius's plan like that.I eagerly await the next chapter.

[Mystic_clown]

Aww, I was kinda hoping for Russel to use it. Sure, it would have been copying the series, but it sure as hell would have been a lot more entertaining watching what happens next.

[Shuppet Master]

Russell gets two duels in a row? Amazing!

Anyways, this Master Specter seems like an interesting character. Can't wait to see him duel.

Nice duel thing, with Russell getting tempted to use the Orichalcos and all. Reminds me of the duel between Atem and Raphael the first time. Keep up the good work.