Chapter 94: Wicked Chaos.(2)

Chapter 94 “Wicked Chaos.(2)”

''“Yes, Marcy,” She nodded again and smiled with difficulty. “It is me, Merel.”''

Marcy tried to pull herself loose from the beam holding her up, coming from the Wicked Avatar. She wanted to know if it was real, whether Elm Re being her long lost sister was not just an illusion and Dragen was stunned on the sight of Elm Re being Merel. He too, like Kamon and Marcy and probably everyone knowing Merel or Kamon, thought she was dead.

“But how?” Dragen could say nothing but that. “Why? How could you live on? We buried you. Kamon, Marcy and I all have seen your body. There was no life inside left.”

“It is me, Dragen,” Merel spoke to her friends. “It was me all the time. Kamon might have been aware of it, the time I saved him from his dark side back in the duel with Gorron, who controlled Obelisk the Tormentor. He has seen it a few more times, when I came in when he dueled our father, controlled by Darkness.”

“Merel, why did you never let anything hear from you in all these years?” Marcy asked her big sister. She was still fighting both tears and the beam that was holding her up. Merel shakes her head and Marcy hangs still again.

“It is no use fighting that power, Marcy. You can’t stand it,” Merel tells her little sister. “Later, I will tell you everything, but now I have a fight for the Throne to finish. Yes, I died. But I was given a second chance. A second chance to protect the world, but most importantly the ones I love the most, my little sister and my brother. A chance given by none other than the Egyptian God Horakthy herself. To become a disciple of the gods and the Ruler of the Twilight Zone.”

“Which is why I challenged you for the throne,” Oracion cackled and he was impatient, that it was taking so long. “You will tell me the Second Prophecy. If you don’t, well, let`s say your sister and friend will fall at the hands of my monsters.”

“I am sorry, Marcy, Dragen,” Merel bowed her head, while throwing off her cape and revealing her complete armor. She was carrying a white sword at her hilt, pointing down along her leg. She held up her right arm and a mark appeared on her right arm. “I cannot allow you to perish through my deeds. This is something I have to do.” Around her a circle with symbols appeared. Eight swords appeared on it pointing to one center where Merel was standing.

“Mark of the Twilight,” Merel spoke and the mark around her glowed with bright white light. “Activate!”

The beam holding Marcy and Dragen was cut in half and they fell on the ground. Dragen`s deck glowed and so did his arm as a mark appeared on his right arm. Shehbezzar appeared in spirit-form. He smiled as Merel was engulfed by a bright column of white light and when the column disappeared, Merel was healed of all cuts and bruises as well as her armor was complete again.

“My Wicked Realm allows my opponent to play her own field spell,” Oracion growled and he looked as Merel was smiling and waiting for his move.

“Now shall we play?” Merel asked Oracion as she raised her dueldisk and Oracion backed down a little, with Genesis waiting helplessly on the side lines.

“What is the Second Prophecy?” Oracion continued to ask Merel as the three Wicked God monsters still were looming over Merel. “Tell me. Tell me what the Second Prophecy contains.”

“The Second Prophecy contains a chant over how the Leading AniSpirit Guardian will stand by the side of the Great Sage and his Sages and combined how they will defeat the Ultimate Darkness. It also speaks about how the Ancient Ones are the only ones that can actually stop the Sacred Guardians,” Merel exhaled deeply and then continued. “And how the Second Ancient War between the AniGuardians and the AniKings has to happen to defeat the Ultimate Darkness.”

“The Second Ancient War?” Dragen asked, not having heard any of the previous discussion between Oracion and Merel of course. “We need a war to defeat the Ultimate Darkness?”

“Yes,” Merel draws her sword and Genesis proceeds to try and get inside the barrier of the Mark of the Twilight. “I don’t think you can get in here, General Genesis. Not now.” She raised her sword in a straight line above her head and a bright light erupted from the top.”Shuen Shi!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">A bright light evaporated into thin air and mist started to surround Merel. Merel was still a clear character inside the mist and she smiled, before she opened her mouth and a younger version of herself appeared in front of her. The silence that had ruled the space for the past moment was broken by the calm voice of the younger Merel:

''With the descent of the Ultimate Darkness Two heroes have been born. One, the Dragon King and the Twilight, The other the wielder of the animal spirits. To fulfill their destiny, The War that once happened must happen again. Only with the Great Ancient War, the Ultimate Darkness will fall. When the time is there, Those who can oppose the Sacred Ones, will stand together and fight. And the union between the wielder of animal spirits and the Dragon King will be a savior for humanity. Once the Twilight is broken, The balance is restored and the war will be won''

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The younger version of Merel disappeared and Merel stands alone in the arena again. She put her sword back in her sheath and raises her dueldisk. “Are you happy now? Release my sister and friend and we will continue this struggle for the Throne.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Merel,” Dragen finally was able to say to Merel. “You should not have done this. You should not have revealed this Prophecy to him. We can handle more than you think.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Dragen, I have seen you struggle more than enough,” Merel spoke quietly to him. “I assigned you as the leader of the resistance in the Golden Palace. It was you, not another. I choose you because I think you are fit for the job. If Kamon is not there, someone has to step up. You were the best choise. And as Kamon was not with you, but at his own journey, you were the obvious choise.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Enough of this,” Oracion intervened. He locked his dueldisk in his place again and looked to Merel. “The Second Prophecy you have just revealed to me reveals the Ancient War had to happen again and I am about to evoke those steps. With Marek having cleared the way of any worthy opposition during that ritual which brought you all here and him locked in the Abyss of Darkness the Ancient War will clear the world of both the Divine Cult and the remains of Marek`s and Mutinus` followers. My Earthbound Guardians and AniKing followers will be the victorious side. And you are the innocent bystanders that cannot do a thing about it.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We’ll see about that,” Dragen said ferociously.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, we will see about that,” Oracion was glad Dragen had not attempted to break through. He wanted to toy with him later. “And if you have not realized it by now, your forces inside the Golden Palace have no commander anymore, now Dragen is here too. There is no-one left that can lead them against my Army of Darkness having overrun the Sacred Dimension.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Not by a long shot,” Merel answered. “If you defeat me, yes the keys and secrets to the Sacred Dimension are yours and the most sacred of dimensions has fallen. But that will not happen as you have to defeat me and my Mark of the Twilight.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Then let us proceed,” Oracion tells her. “It is my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 300 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

Turn 12 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I start my turn,” Oracion announced and picked a new card from his deck. “My Legendary Fiend gains 700 attack points (2900 -> 3600). Next I activate Scroll of Teleportation. When two Scroll cards are in my graveyard I can activate two more from my deck. With Scroll of Ancient Wisdom and Scroll of Empowerment in the graveyard, I can add Wicked Scroll of Chaos and Wicked Scroll of the Twilight to my hand.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“More Scrolls,” Merel saw the strategy of Oracion unfolding.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, and because they are drawn by another Scroll card, I can activate them now. Wicked Scroll of Chaos and Twilight appear!” Oracion chanted as he inserted them in his dueldisk and the two cards appeared, summoning forward two scrolls. They opened and Oracion placed another monster on the field. “Masked Chopper (100/100) appear!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">A tiny fiendish warrior appeared. He had two daggers. There were weird symbols running down his body and his daggers were massive. Its mask only revealed his eyes. “Now my Wicked Scroll of Chaos activates and when my Masked Chopper attacks a monster on your side of the field, it is destroyed instantly. Masked Chopper, attack her face down monster! Mad Chopping!” The face down monster was chopped in halve.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I activate Destiny Interference,” Merel intervened. “Yes I know about your monster`s special effect, it can deal 2000 lifepoints of damage to me. But Destiny Interference counters that, by discarding any amount of cards up to three from my hand to the graveyard. I send two cards to the graveyard, which are both Arcana Force monsters, which in time allows me to activate one of my Mark of the Twilight effects, gaining 1000 lifepoints per Arcana Force monster discarded, which means 2000 lifepoints (300 -> 2300).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I don’t care you survived this battle,” Oracion gloated and he smiled as he looked at the destroyed monster, it was a light angel. “I destroyed a Shining Angel. I don’t think you have another Light attribute angel monster in your deck so that effect is wasted.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“In fact I do have a fairy in my deck,” Merel tells him and she picks a card from her deck. “I summon Arcana Force Guardian (1400/800) in attack mode.” A golden-white armored monster appeared on her side of the field. He had drawn his big golden sword.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“As my final move for this turn, Lady Elm Re,” Oracion kept calling by her Lady name for some reason, while there was no reason for it, now she had revealed her true identity. “I bring back my Scroll of Empowerment and Scroll of Ancient Wisdom. I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 2300 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

Turn 13 – Merel

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“My turn,” Merel draws her new card. Her smile widened and even Dragen and Marcy could say that was a good thing. She inserted a new card in her deck. “I play Card of Sanctity, allowing us both to draw until we hold six cards.” She picked up new cards.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You have given me some good cards,” Oracion commented at seeing his own hand. “This will do for next turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We’ll see about that,” Merel tells Oracion and she points at her Mark of the Twilight. “This fieldspell card has one very interesting ability. And when I am ready for it, you’ll find out what it does. First I activate Mark of the Twilight`s third effect, allowing me to place my Light Barrier as a continuous spell card on the field.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Which means your Mark card is not destroyed.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Correct, this also alas does no longer allow me to activate another effect of Mark of the Twilight for this turn, but I can live with that,” Merel inserted another card in her dueldisk. “I activate Rainbow Veil and equip it with my Arcana Force Guardian, making it unable to be affected by monster effects during battle.” A rainbow-colored glow surrounded Arcana Force Guardian. “Next I summon Arcana Force IV – The Emperor (1400/1400) in attack mode and set a card face down. I flip a coin for its effect and call heads.” The coin landed on tails, decreasing The Emperor`s ATK by 500 (1400 -> 900).

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So that is all you can muster?” Oracion laughed. “That puny defense is no match for me.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We’ll see,” Merel says and a light appeared from the Mark and another Arcana Force Guardian appeared on the field. “When a coin effect is called wrong, I can summon another copy of Arcana Force Guardian (1400/800) to the field. Now I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 2300 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

Turn 14 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well,” Oracion picked up his next card from his deck. “It surely was a pleasant duel, but I am afraid this duel is going to end now.” A wind came running down the mark from the air and a cold chill overcame Merel as lightning started striking the ground around them.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Dragen, Marcy, hide!” Merel warned. “It is coming.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What is coming?” Dragen asked her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Wicked Chaos.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes,” Oracion chanted. “Wicked Gods, hear my call. Bestow upon me the greatest power in the universe. Wicked Chaos arise!” A portal opened above Wicked Avatar, Wicked Eraser and Wicked Dreadroot as the four scrolls on the back row glowed with black energy. “Thanks to Wicked Scroll of Chaos being activated first and the Wicked Scroll of Twilight being activated second, my ritual is complete and the components are there.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The three Wicked Gods disappeared in the portal, which fired out lightning. A giant tail appeared from the portal. Horns were all over it. The creature appearing had the head of Wicked Dreadroot and a combined body of both Eraser and Dreadroot, the armor parts were Eraser`s, the rest Dreadroot`s. The tail`s was from the Eraser. The multiple gems on the body of the Wicked Chaos was inherited from the Wicked Avatar.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“This is not the Wicked Chaos we have seen before, back in the night Kamon defeated his father, who used it too!” Dragen warned Merel and Merel nodded.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It was not summoned properly back then. Oracion did it in the only possible right way. Prepare and brace for impact. This duel is going to get a whole lot more ugly.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“First of all this card gains 500 ATK and DEF for every monster on your side of the field, which is three,” Oracion says and Wicked Chaos`s stats raise to 1500 attack and defense points. “Next I choose to halve your lifepoints (2300 -> 1150).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“That must not be all you have planned,” Merel said, while recovering from the impact of the lightning released from the gems on Wicked Chaos` body.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Next I summon Hell Necromancer,” Oracion commanded and a fiendish monster with a yellow face appeared on his side of the field. “And to conclude my turn, I attack your Emperor with Wicked Chaos!” The Emperor was destroyed, but Merel was surprised and shocked at the same time that her lifepoints had not dropped or Oracion`s.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Why?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You are lucky that battle damage is reduced to 0 when Wicked Chaos attacks,” Oracion smiles and Hell Necromancer starts to glow. “Hell Necromancer gains 400 attack points each time a monster is destroyed (0/0 -> 400/0). I set a card and end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1150 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

Turn 15 – Merel

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I go,” Merel picks a new card from her deck. “I summon Arcana Force II – The High Priestess to the field.” The in white robes dressed lady appeared on her side of the field. “I call tails for its effect!” The coin flipped and Oracion was actually surprised by her choise.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What are you up to?” Oracion questioned Merel`s move. ‘ Why would she choose for the for her negative effect?<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Due to the other effect of Arcana Force Guardian, when I call the coin toss wrong, I can Special Summon another Arcana Force Guardian to the field,” Merel was happy with her reinforced field and she was willing to take it to the next level. “Now I activate the sixth effect of Mark of the Twilight and fuse the three together!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“That is impossible,” Oracion protested, although he started to realize only now the power of the Mark. “No such card is present.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Are you Scroll cards present in the Duel Monster Database or Hell Necromancer?” Merel fires the answer back and the three Arcana Force Guardian disappear in a fusion gate. A new warrior appeared on the field. He was still white-golden armored and carried a large staff that was almost as big as his own size. Also he carried a blade on his belt and a few globes. His face was revealed with one large scar coming down from the top of his head to his left eye to his chin. His big spread hair was waving in the wind. “My savior! Arcana Mythic Guardian (2400/2600).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“And it is no match for me,” Oracion tells Merel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We’ll see,” Merel commanded as the Arcana Mythic Guardian descended on her field. “Arcana Mythic Guardian, Arcana Force Storm! For every monster on your field, you get dealt 400 lifepoints (4000 -> 3200).” The orb on the staff of Arcana Mythic Guardian flashed and hit Oracion, lowering his lifepoints. Oracion was not scared at all. “And my Arcana Mythic Guardian is powerfull enough to defeat your Hell Necromancer. But first I flip a coin to determine my Mythic Guardian`s effect. I call tails!” The coin landed on tails.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now my Arcana Mythic Guardian gains 200 attack points for every monster on the field (ATK: 2400 -> 3200)! Now destroy his Hell Necromancer!” Merel commanded as Arcana Mythic Guardian destroyed the Necromancer.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I reduce my total of 10 Wicked-Counters on my Wicked Realm by 8 to negate Battle Damage,” Oracion ordered as Hell Necromancer did disappear.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I set 1 card and end my turn. Next turn you feel the wrath of my Prophecy of the Fallen One,” Merel smiled and waited for Oracion`s next move.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1150 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 3200

Turn 16 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I draw,” Oracion picks a new card from his deck in a slow fashion. “And my face down card flips up, Call of the Haunted, bringing back Hell Necromancer (0/0).” As the fiend was standing next to the towering sight of Wicked Chaos, the fiend looked no more but a small mice. Oracion was not concerned at all about his puny monster next to his ace monster.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now,” Oracion commanded and he smiled. “I activate the effect of Wicked Chaos and increase his attack and defense power by 500 per monster on your side of the field (1500/1500 -> 2500/2500). Next I choose to make this card gains half of your strongest monster attack points (ATK: ? -> 1200) and play Mischief of the Chaos Goddess, ending my turn, but negating your turn and starting my next turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“He jumped ahead a turn from me!” Merel was angered by Oracion`s move.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Not only that,” Oracion gloated thriumphantically as his Wicked Chaos gained new attack strength. “When Wicked Chaos activates his fourth effect, it gains half of the increasing attack power as permanent attack power (ATK: 2500 -> (1200 / 2 = 600) 3100). Plus of course, I activate one of his permanent effects, but this time I choose to increase my lifepoints by 500 per monster on your field (3200 -> 4200). This is God! Wicked Chaos attack her Arcana Mythic Guardian! Destroy it! Wicked Devastation!” The giant fiend charged a blast sending it to Arcana Mythic Guardian, destroying it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Argh!” Merel felt her armor breaking it some places. The impact of the hit was huge. Merel was barely able to stand as Oracion was smiling and his Hell Necromancer gained 400 ATK (0/0 -> 400/0) due to his own effect.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It hurts does it not?” Oracion smiles. “The Mark cannot protect you from actual harm. I know what you feel. It is the same pain I felt when I gained possession of the Wicked Gods for the first time. The Mark only heals the wounds of you temporarily until the end of the duel. Yes, it allows you to regain energy while the duel is proceeding but in the end you fall to me. I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1150 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4200

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">--

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Once the Twilight is broken, the balance is restored and the war will be won,” Master Tigerra finished talking to Dustin. “That is the Second Prophecy and only a few people know about it. It is about you, there is no mistaken that and the Light and the Twilight and the Dragon King. The Twilight and the Dragon King are one and the same, but whether the Light and the Dragon King and the Twilight are one and the same, we don’t know.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So,” Dustin continued. “Is Kamon the Dragon King and the Twilight?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Maybe,” Master Tigerra answered and he grabbed his stick even harder. “It is hard to tell at the moment. The future is clouded, the veil of darkness has covered the eyes of the Ancient Ones. When the Sacred Guardians and the Ancient Ones are joined together we are able to stop this mad process of the Ultimate Darkness returning to the Human Realm. If it returns the Gates of Chaos are broken and unsealed and there is no way stopping the forces of Darkness invading our Realm then.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I remember back in the days when you showed us those transcriptions of the Ancient War. I also remember you at one day in the gardens telling us the tales of the Ancient Ones,” Dustin looks at his ring while the wind was blowing slightly and the people slowly started returning to the streets.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Dustin, Vaya, Austin, Sammuel, Dominic, Mickey and Gabriella were sitting in the huge flower garden of the AniGuardian Academy. It was near the end of their second year on their Academy. While Master Tigerra was speaking to Austin about some tactics with the Wolf, a butterfly came flying in along with a pigeon. The pigeon landed on Taylor`s shoulder while the Butterfly went down to the flowers and Seth came after it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You are all here again,” Master Tigerra smiled and he looked to each of his students individually. “Remember that last year we were sitting here as well, talking about the meaning of our animal friends in our life. About the relation we have with the AniGuardians we hold within out decks.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I told you before,” Seth intervened. “My only cause in this Academy here is to gain control over some powerfull spirits. I want to learn to communicate with them in order to more successfully defeat duellists in time.” He turned around and looked on while Master Tigerra shot a powerfull look his way, which he did not see.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There are however things you have not learned yet and are going to lean during the next year,” Master Tigerra continued and he pulled a book from under his robes. “The Legend of the Ancient Ones. The most powerfull and the first of the AniGuardian Spirits.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Most powerfull?” Seth and Taylor reacted at the same time. Dustin put a hand at her shoulder, before Taylor was too excited and would bump the book out of master Tigerra`s hands. “Sorry, my master.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It does not matter,” Master Tigerra smiled and pulled open the book. “I can understand your excitement. I was as excited when I heard about this book and the Ancient Ones. I wanted to find more about them. However the only detailed description about them was in this book. And this book is unique, one of a kind.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So what does it tell us?” Vaya asked the master patiently, while the others came sitting around the master.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, the Ancient Ones are nine animals with in the lead the King of all AniGuardians, the Black Lion. The Ancient Ones are the protectors of our sanctuary and our legacy. They were, when the big bang occurred the first spirits to be released from the AniGuardian Realm onto ours,” Master Tigerra tells the others. “Remember that we do not know whether the AniGuardian Realm was created at the same time as our Human Realm was. They are the protectors that can be called upon when the Ancient War reaches his highest point. When they appear on the battlefield all at once, the victory can surely be declared.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So whenever the Ancient War would occur, the only we would have to do is call upon them?” Dustin questions his favorite master.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes,” master Tigerra agrees and smiles. “But don’t be so sure that by calling out their names is enough. You need to be pure of heart and chosen by the Ancient Ones themselves to be able to call upon their spirits and powers once. You’ll need them when the Ancient War would occur. The Ancient Ones after the Ancient War in the past have sealed the Doors to the AniKing Gods, the greatest beasts on our nemesis` side and ended the Ancient War, leading the forces of Darkness and the AniKing students back into the abysses where they gathered first before entering the Ancient War.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Right,” Seth said and he turned around and proceeded back to the exit. “Well, good luck with those fairy tales, I don’t believe them.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It is true,” Master Tigerra spoke and Seth hesitated for a moment. “Before the Doors were locked by the Ancient Seals, the Ancient Ones declared there would be a time when 9 younglings would stand up and being able to wield their power. I believe this time has come now. I believe the time is here now that nine younglings will rise and become the new AniSpirit Guardians.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK ENDS –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“But we are no longer with 9, I am the only one left,” Dustin tells Master Tigerra. “Dominic and the other all have died when the Academy was enveloped by the explosion caused by the AniKing Academy. The time they tried to destroy us and break open the Gate of Chaos laying below the AniGuardian Academy.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“The same Gate of Chaos that was protected by one powerfull Artifact, one of the Forbidden Artifacts, the Book of Arcane. The book I used to tell you beforehand about the Ancient Ones. At the time I did not realize of course what course Taylor and Seth would go,” Master Tigerra continues to tell Dustin and Dustin looked for a brief moment on his watch. “You have anywhere to go?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, no. But I need to check the McFlinn Main Tower before dark. At night this city will be a lot more dangerous than at day,” Dustin sighed, it was march, in six months the Hisehade World Championships would begin. “I do remember that day when Sammuel left.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Where do you think you are going?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Sammuel, the brown haired boy, turned around to see Dustin and Dominic stand behind him. Sammuel was dressed in survival gear and his dueldisk was strapped on his back and his deck belt he already wore. Sammuel smiled and walked back.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There is no use for me staying here,” Sammuel explained. He picked up another small backpack and pulled it open, taking out a parcel. “I want to see the world, I want to be entertained and to find my luck elsewhere. Look, Dustin, Dominic, good luck with your training here, but this clearly is not my destiny.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Your destiny,” Dustin repeated the last words with force. “Your destiny is to join us when necessary. You have seen yours, right? You are a AniSpirit Guardian, the Guardian of the Ancient Condor, like the Black Lion is the one who I guard. Your destiny lies here.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“My destiny is out there. I am not like your brother, Dustin. I am not like Seth. I don’t seek power. I don’t seek a connection with the spirits in order to win a duel. I have lived with animal spirits for about 6 years now, it is time for something new. Grand Master Sellesh Rhu agrees with me. He said when the time is there you choose your own destiny. A destiny can’t be predetermined, Dustin,” Sammuel tells Dustin and Dustin came walking down to him.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Listen, I always treated you as my big brother,” Dustin tells him and Sammuel stops in his tracks. “You were there when I needed a good friend, besides Dominic, Taylor and Austin. You can’t leave.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am sorry, Dustin. But it is my choise,” Sammuel turned around and walked away, going to the docks and find a boat there to get him back to Miami. Sammuel turned around and handed the parcel to Dustin. “You know. Hang on to this. Then I have a reason to once come back here.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Sammuel….” Dustin tried to follow him, but Dominic put a hand on his shoulder. Dominic nodded up and Dustin saw Master Tigerra standing there. Master Tigerra shook his head and when Dustin turned around again, Sammuel was gone. All there was left, was the parcel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK ENDS –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I never tried to find out what Sammuel had put in that parcel. Never even dared to rip it open, see what he had hidden inside. It must have been very personal or very powerfull he wanted to protect from outsiders,” Dustin sighed and inhaled a deep breath of fresh air. “Or traitors, like Taylor. I never found out. Did she use me? Did she only like me because I was destined to become one of the AniSpirit Guardians?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We’ll know when we confront her,” Master Tigerra explains to Dustin. “But we have to find her first. Do you have any idea through your talks with Master Rilla and Mickey, where she might be?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No, no clue,” Dustin sighed again and stood up. “The day that we found her. When I and Dominic confronted her on the attack on the Grand Master, I was distraught. I never thought she was capable of doing such a thing. I never thought she would resort into such actions to gain what she wanted.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Dustin and Dominic were standing in a sealed dark room, facing a bloody Taylor bend above Grand Master Sellesh Rhu. Taylor had not noticed them coming in or Austin and Gabriella approaching from the other side or Mickey and Vaya outside of the room. She was too busy working through the clothes of Grand Master Rhu. Dominic moved his hands into a V-shape and then into a dagger-shape.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“AniGuardian Spirit, Rhino Unleashed!” Dominic commanded and from his position the huge shape of the Rampaging Rhino ran at Taylor, knocking her down. Dustin hurried over to her and pushed her against the ground. However Taylor`s with blood covered face showed a malicious laugh as Dustin heard a hissing sound near him and he rolled over as Rhino took care of a gigantic boa, nearly biting Dustin.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Get a load of this,” Taylor said and she sounded like a mad woman. “AniKing Spirit, Panther Unleashed!” A shadowy panther attacked Dustin, but Dustin was able to dodge, before the Wolf and the Owl came in, obviously Gabriella and Austin having called upon their spirits to help.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Taylor, why?” Dustin could bring out before the panther landed in front of him along with the boa constrictor. “Why do you do this?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Because I have learned the truth,” Taylor showed no hesitation in her words. “Don’t come any closer. I am doing the right thing. He has shown me the truth. The truth behind this Academy and the truth behind the Ancient War. The sides are different and I am joining the winning side.” She pulled out a dagger. “And as an act to commit my allegiance to my new master, I have to kill my old master.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No!” Dustin and Dominic shouted and rushed forward.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Don’t come any further,” Grand Master Rhu ordered and Dominic and Dustin stopped in their tracks. He looked up to Taylor. “Do it. If this is what you believe is good, then do it. My time has come anyway. My time to pass on the legacy is nearly at hand.” Dustin and Dominic were driven back by the boa constrictor and the panther anyway. “Do it!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am sorry,” Taylor raised her knife and lowered it in such a fast fashion no-one could have stopped her. Blood spat out of the body of the Grand Master and he did not move. She then turned to Dustin and Dominic. “Don’t try and stop me now.” A portal opened behind her and she disappeared through it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Dustin fell on his knees before Grand Master Rhu`s body and Dominic, Gabriella and Austin were unable to say a thing. A loud roar could be heard as the AniGuardian – Majestic Lion appeared next to them and then disappeared into a ball of light into Dustin`s deck.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-- FLASHBACK ENDS –

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">******

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It was the worst act Taylor could commit,” Master Tigerra agrees and he looks forward to the fountain near them. “She killed Grand Master Sellesh Rhu. Without any remorse. Without any second thought. She did not hesitate before attacking her helpless Grand Master. And you were right, she was a traitor.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“She betrayed all of us,” Dustin nods and looks around, noticing nothing out of the ordinary yet. “And most of all she betrayed me and my friends. We thought she was one of us. We thought she would be a honorary AniSpirit Guardian like us and later one of the masters on the Academy. But nothing was less true.” Master Tigerra looked around and saw it was 5 o’clock.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yeah well, you need to get going if you want to make it to the McFlinn Main Tower before dark,” Master Tigerra smiled and Dustin nodded standing up, pulling out his deck. “We’ll meet each other soon again.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know,” Dustin pulled out a card from his deck and gave it to Master Tigerra. “I believe this is yours, my master.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No,” Master Tigerra said and gave it back to Dustin. “You used it with honor. I am no longer able to defend myself as I used to do. I think the White Tiger will fit nicely at your side. Keep it for the upcoming battles.” He then turned around and disappeared in the distance.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Dustin shakes his head and goes back to the main street, where he notices it is not much further to the Main Tower here in Hisehade City.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">What he had failed to notice was there was a man in a black cloak and a hood watching him. The only visible thing of his head were his hazel brown eyes. He eyed Dustin as Dustin was searching for the fastest way to the Main Tower. The man raised his head and at the other side of the street another man was standing. He was wearing a jet black riding costume and his face was covered by a helmet, with ghostly purple flames on it. It was Phantom Rider. The Hooded Man and Phantom Rider eyed each other for a minute, before the Hooded Man started laughing like a mad man.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1150 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4200

Turn 17 – Merel

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I draw,” Merel said and she pulled a card from her deck. “Now my Prophecy of the Fallen One activates. After five turns I am allowed to summon the monster I removed from play due to Prophecy`s first effect, when I removed The Light Ruler from play. Now I am allowed to summon Arcana Force EX – The Dark Ruler (4000/4000).” The dark counterpart of the Light Ruler appeared on the field.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know about your deck,” Oracion pondered. ‘ ''But what is she actually planning? This Mark of the Twilight has powers that my Wicked Realm cannot match. Fuse any monster on the field with any other card on the field. That is impossible.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ He looked to Merel, waiting for her move.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I activate the spell card Twilight Ruler,” Merel held up the new spell card. “When the Dark Ruler is summoned to the field, I can Special Summon the Light Ruler from the removed from play pile.” The Light Ruler reappeared on the field. “And now for the grande finale, I activate Mark of the Twilight`s sixth effect again and fuse The Light Ruler and The Dark Ruler.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">From the fusion gate a mix between the Dark Ruler and Light Ruler appeared. The center body was the same, except the dragon`s heads were both out. The left dragon head was one from Dark Ruler and the right dragon head was from the Light Ruler. The colors of the Dark Ruler and the Light Ruler were mixed, now giving a dark blue, dark red color scheme to the new monster.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Meet my Arcana Force EX – The Chaos Ruler (4000/4000!” Merel introduced her new monster to Oracion. “Now for its effect I can flip a coin and call heads.” The coin landed on tails.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, what does it do?” Oracion asked Merel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Let`s say I can either draw 3 cards or gain 1000 lifepoints. Think I gain 3 cards,” she picked up three more cards from her deck. ‘ ''I could have chosen to regain some of my lifepoints, but I do not. I might need protection and these three cards can help me.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ Three vertical placed cards appeared in front of her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I place three cards face down and now Chaos Ruler, attack his Hell Necromancer! Chaos Extermination!” Merel ordered as the dragon heads pointed down to the fiend. The attacks hit, but a silver shield appeared in front of it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am afraid, I cannot allow you to do that so easily,” Oracion tells Merel. “This was my Negate Attack. A plain simple card, but it is good enough for me.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I end my turn by switching my Emperor to defense mode,” Merel sighs. ‘ ''Those three cards at least keeps him guessing for the moment. They might keep him two turns at bay, but Chaos Ruler, if Wicked Chaos is really more powerfull, needs to be ready for a full battle.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1150 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4200

Turn 18 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I start my turn,” Oracion picks up his next card. ‘ Oh good, this card helps.<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ He looks at his own Wicked Chaos and then at the Chaos Ruler, residing on Merel`s field. “First by activating Wicked Chaos` effect, it gains 500 ATK and DEF for every monster on your field (3100/3100 -> 4100/4100).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now it is stronger than my Chaos Ruler!” Merel was hit with amazement. She expected a move like that, but she hoped to have more time.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Next I play United We Stand on Hell Necromancer and make it gain 800 attack and defense points per monster on my side of the field (400/0 -> 2000/1600). Hell Necromancer, attack her Emperor!” The fiend fired on The Emperor and destroyed it. The ground below them, the ship started breaking open. Between all the mess and the wood and stuff lying around, Merel could see the depths of the Abyss of Darkness. Now she knew it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There is one more reason why you challenged me here did you not?” she asked Oracion. She pointed through the ground at the depths and the visible lava in the Abyss. “The loser dies inside the Abyss, isn’t it?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I thank you for telling me the obvious,” Oracion nodded. “Yes, in case your bystanders have not noticed it, we are indeed hovering above the Abyss of Darkness now. The one who loses this duel, does not survive and cannot live to tell the tale. Unfortunately for you, Lady Elm Re, your friends, a Sage and the Great Sage`s sister will fall too when you lose. But now to get back to the duel.” He looked at his hand.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Where was I? Oh yes, my Wicked Chaos can attack you!” Oracion pointed at Chaos Ruler. “Because Chaos Ruler has more than 2500 attack points, my Wicked Chaos can deal battle damage. Wicked Chaos, Wicked Devastation!” The gems glowed as thunder flashes hit the Chaos Ruler and lowered Merel`s lifepoints by 100 (1150 -> 1050). Merel bend over from the blast.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Merel are you okay?!” Marcy shouted as she tried to enter the Mark. “This stupid Mark won’t let me!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“This is not the Mark of the Savior,” Dragen noticed. “Not the card that I hold. Although it feels the same. The same mythic and powerfull energies come from it. Merel, what is going on?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I activate Pyro Purge,” a spell card flipped up in front of Oracion, “and that card allows me to destroy a trap card for every attack made by a Wicked type monster on the field. So two of your face down cards are gone.” Two of the three face down cards on Merel`s side of the field were destroyed. “Now I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1050 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4200

Turn 19 – Merel

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I draw,” Merel ordered and she picked up her next card. She sighed and shed a tear and turned to Marcy and Dragen. “I have a Mark of the Twilight because, at the time of the First War against Darkness, I used to be one of the Holders of the Sacred Guardians. Yes, Dragen. I was a Sage once too. I was the leader, although I was seven years old because I held the most powerfull of the Sacred Guardians, the Unforgiving Spellmaster. But when the war was over, I and the other seven returned the Sacred Guardians back to their resting places, hoping we would never have to make use of them again. Later, when I supposedly died, I became Lady of the Twilight Zone. All our Marks became a different mark, the Mark of the Twilight, which will always be with us. We are your predecessors.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You are kidding me,” Dragen found it hard to believe.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Listen to your heart, I know you know I am right.” Merel pulled the tear she had shed away and smiled at Marcy. “My little sister never expected to see me again and see where we are now. This duel will end one way or another and I am not sure whether I will survive. I will fight and I believe. I believe in what we did until now. And it is time for you to let me go.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I can’t,” Marcy wiped away some tears and ran through the protective barrier of the Mark and hugged Merel in the middle of the duel. “I cannot let you go. If you go down, I go down with you.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am sorry, girl.” Merel put her down on the ground and shakes her head. “You are needed for this world to survive. Promise me one thing only.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I will,” Marcy said.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“That whatever you do,” Merel exhaled deeply. “Do not tell Kamon my real identity unless you have too. It is vital you do not reveal my identity. You two are the only two who know who I am. Keep it that way.” She kissed Marcy on her forehead and then dragged her back to Dragen. She winked and returned back to the field.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I activate Monster Reborn,” Merel revealed her last card. “Let me bring back an old friend. Arcana Force EX – The Chaos Ruler (4000/4000). Next I summon Arcana Knight (1500/800) to the field.” The golden armored knight appeared on the field, in crouching position. “Next I set a card face down.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What are you planning?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Chaos Ruler attack his Hell Necromancer!” Merel commanded and the Chaos Ruler struck Hell Necromancer, lowering Oracion`s lifepoints to 3000. Merel smiled as she had lowered Oracion`s lifepoints to a lower point than last time. “I end my turn with this.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 1050 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 3000

Turn 20 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The ground started breaking open more and more and luckily the Mark was still stable, but parts of the boat of Oracion started falling into the Abyss along with some of the ghostly companions Oracion had. Genesis was safely hovering above the ship, a luxury Dragen and Marcy did not have.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Dragen, go find Zane and get him down here,” Merel ordered and Dragen nodded. Marcy decided to stay and watch her sister duel. “Marcy, go with Dragen, it is not safe out here.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Neither is it to find Zane,” Marcy tells her sister and Merel gives in. Dragen disappears into the melting structures of the boat, while Marcy grabbed hold of one of the poles of the ship.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now of course it is my turn,” Oracion draws his next card, paying no attention to Marcy or Dragen who had entered the ship and Marcy holding tide on a pole. “First I play out my Wicked Chaos` effect, gaining 500 lifepoints per monster on your field (3000 -> 3500).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ He is hiding an ability of Wicked Chaos for me, I can feel it,<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ Merel was sure of one thing. If she did not do a thing about that monstrous being, she knew she was doomed. She knew she was in a tight spot when she began this duel. But it is all worth it when her plan worked out. ‘ ''For the sake of our dimensions and the Human Realm, this duel does not matter. However how the future will look, this duel does matter.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Next, third ability of Wicked Chaos, halving your lifepoints (1050 -> 525),” Oracion smiled as Elm Re double bended again and blood gutted out of her mouth. She breathed heavily. “I can see you are weakening. I know there is not much you can do to stop me.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“More than enough.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, I am not done as I activate Cost Down by sending 1 card from my hand to the graveyard, reducing my monsters in my hand by 2 levelstars,” Oracion ordered as the infamous spell card appeared in front of him. “Now I can summon this card. Brain Golem (2500/1800).” A silver golem appeared, with on top of his head a brain. “As you might know, this card negates the effects of all Light attribute monsters on the field. And since most of your deck consists of Light attribute monsters, they are useless as long as Brain Golem is on the field.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Brain Golem, huh? That is a fairly new card.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“To make matters worse,” Marcy replied to her sister. “When it successfully attacks a Light attribute monster on the field, it can attack again.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Bad luck for you I don’t have any more Light attribute monsters.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Correct. Wicked Chaos, attack Chaos Ruler! Wicked Devastation!” Oracion ordered as the gems flashed and destroyed Chaos Ruler. “Now I know about your Chaos Ruler. It destroys all cards on the field and deals 300 points of damage to the owner for each card, but I plan on cancelling that with Black Sunlight, a card of my own, which negates your effect. Plus I gain 500 lifepoints (3500 -> 4000) and I can draw 2 cards next turn instead of one. I end my turn with a face down card.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel was even more bloodier than she was before after the devastating attack against Chaos Ruler and she had no idea what to do now, she had only one card that could help her now, but whether she could draw it next turn was unknown to her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 525 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Where am I?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Kaito opened his eyes slowly, discovering he was inside a temple and inside a hall filled with statues and floating torches as well as torches on the walls. There was a big fire being lit at an altar and Kaito could barely see a thing except a lot of light and a vague outline of a man floating in the air.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Welcome, Kaito.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The man had spoken, but not moved. Kaito wanted to stand up but then found himself face to face with a dark blue, purple sword-wielding fiend. You could see his rib cage pretty clearly. His blade was even more scary with a sharp edge and a silver handle.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Duos!” the man called and the fiendish sword-wielder retreated back into the shadows. Kaito slowly got up and walked towards the altar where the man was still floating. “Kaito, you are the one who searches for the Light, right?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, I am.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Good, for millennia I have been waiting for this moment. The moment someone would come looking for the Light. I know why you are here and who send you,” the man still had not turned around to Kaito and Kaito guessed it was impolite to walk around the Altar. “But you are also here because you know your destiny is with the Light.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“The only thing I care for is to save my sister.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know that,” the man spoke on the slow tone. “The barrier between Light and Darkness is slowly fading away. In a while you will no longer be able to distinguish the difference between light and dark and the barrier is gone.” In mid air he slowly turned around and revealed he was a young man around the same age as Kaito. “It is what you can stop when you find the Light in time. Yes, Kaito. My name is Seraph and yes, I am the Fallen Angel.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So why are you a Fallen Angel?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There is no time to explain that. The night is about to fall in Hisehade City and in these times the night is the most dangerous time. However it is also the only period in which we are able to resume searching for the Light,” Seraph confides in Kaito. “The reason why I let Damien and Maya knock you out cold and bring you here, was because I did not want the Temple to be found by the forces of Darkness. Damien and Maya are heading to the surface as we speak as we will continue your search under the ground. And prepare your dueldisk and deck, you may need it.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Kaito switched his dueldisk into sword mode and Seraph looked at it before nodding.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well if you feel most comfortable when it is in that mode, then so be it,” Seraph picked a pack of cards from a shrine at the left and inserted it in his belt. “I feel more comfortable the old way.” He picked a torch that was lined up on the wall and lead Kaito down a path away from the shrines and the altar.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, my day got a whole lot interesting suddenly,” Kaito murmured before following Seraph.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">---

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 525 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 4000

Turn 21 – Merel

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I draw,” Merel pulled a new card from her deck. Her hand was bleeding more and harder than before. Dragen was not back from getting Zane and Marcy could not do a thing. ‘ ''I have to hold on at least for another round to give Dragen time to get here with Zane. Only and only then I can teleport them to the Golden Palace.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ She looked at her hand and smiled. “I play Double Summon and summon Dark Elf (2000/800) to the field.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I guess you are ready for a high level summon,” Oracion taunted her and Merel had difficulty to stay balanced on both legs. “But what Arcana Force monster will you be able to bring forth now?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“This one,” Merel slapped a new card on her dueldisk. “I summon Arcana Force XI – Justice (2100/2100) to the field by tributing Double Coston.” A new monster appeared on the field. It had a silver-blue design and was in appearance looking like the Rulers. “Now I flip a coin and call heads!” The coin flipped and landed on tails. “Great, now my Justice monster loses 100 attack points per monster on the field (2100/2100 -> 1700/2100). However now I play a card face down and attack your Brain Golem!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Are you really willing to risk that?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes,” Merel tells Oracion and her face down card flips up. “I activate my face down card, Mistral Shield. The difference between the ATK of Justice and Brain Golem is doubled and added to my Justice monster (Brain Golem = 2500 / 2 = 1250 -> Arcana Force XI – Justice (ATK: 1700 -> 2950). Now destroy that thing!” Brain Golem was destroyed and Oracion`s lifepoints dropped to 3550. ‘ Thank god, that attack succeeded. Only need to damage him 3550 more times in order to destroy him and win this fight for the Throne.<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There is nothing I can do now,” Merel lowered her dueldisk. “Nothing at all. This is the end of my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 525 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 3550

Turn 22 – Oracion

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I draw,” Oracion says and smiles. “This is it. The final move. First I activate the effect of Wicked Chaos and gain 500 lifepoints per monster on the field. Then as a security measure I place two face down cards on the field.” His lifepoints raise to 4050 and two vertical cards appeared in front of him.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ I need this turn to allow Dragen to get out,<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ Merel pondered and she looked forward and then noticed Genesis was still hovering above the battlefield near Wicked Chaos. She looked at Marcy once more and smiled.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“This is over!” Oracion shouted and laughed like a mad man. “I activate the final effect of Wicked Chaos and pay 4000 lifepoints.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“This is why he was increasing lifepoints,” Merel realized and was afraid that she might not even get another turn.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I sacrifice the 4000 lifepoints,” Oracion stopped for a minute to let the impact come at Merel. “To attack you directly. There are 4100 attack points coming your way, Merel and there is nothing you can do about it. Wicked Chaos! Direct Wicked Devastation!” The gems flashed the mouth of the Wicked boss monster charged a blast and fired it at Merel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Merel!” Marcy shouted and the Mark of the Twilight started to tremble.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I remove Mistral Shield from play in order to negate that damage,” Merel pocketed Mistral Shield and her lifepoints seemed to not move. The blast impacted at her place, the Mark shuddering and disappearing. Merel felt a stitching pain at her side as blood gutted out of her mouth. Her lifepoints dropped to 0.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel – 0 <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Oracion – 50

DUEL ENDS

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The duel had ended and the Mark was only visible very faintly. Oracion kept hovering above the boat and then flipped on top of the still active Wicked Chaos. Oracion laughed like a mad man as he flashed the card he had face down before attacking. Merel`s eyes spread wide as she saw what the card was.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Merel!” Marcy shouted as the boat was about to drop into the Abyss. It started to break in two pieces and Marcy was able to get onto the Mark and ran down to Merel. Merel turned around with tears in her eyes. She hugged Marcy. “Merel, I cannot let you go. I just found you.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I will come back, Marcy,” Merel tells her little sister and smiles, before facing Oracion again.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“As you may have guessed,” Oracion tells Merel and Marcy, who was holding tight on Merel. “The card I activated was Ruin of Devastation. I can negate the effect of negating battle damage and the battle continues, which means your lifepoints were lowered to 0. Even if you were able to destroy the card, you would have lost 1000 lifepoints, which is more than enough to kill you. The Throne is mine!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No!” Merel used the last of her energy to fling Marcy back onto a stable piece of wood, before Wicked Chaos fired again onto Merel, outside the duel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You have lost Merel. Be gone for eternity!” Oracion nodded and the Wicked Chaos fired a devastating blast at Merel, who stood motionless and watching how the blast came at her. She did not even tempt to activate anything or use her powers to negate the attack. The ground broken open below them at all and the lava started streaming out of the Abyss of Darkness onto the lands of the Twilight Zone. Oracion laughed like a mad man.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The Mark of the Twilight disappeared completely and Merel had nothing to stand on and she fell down, down into the Abyss, to the lava far below her. Merel looked up as she saw Marcy crying on the stable wooden plate that was left and on the ground and untouched by the lava.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am so sorry, Marcy,” Merel spoke while she was falling fast. Then she suddenly made a move and draws a card from her graveyard, throwing it up back to the high ground. The card landed in front of Marcy, sticking in the wood. It was Prophecy of the Fallen One. Marcy turned to see where Merel was and then noticed two other figures having appeared falling down. Dragen and Zane.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Merel saw her brother`s best friend falling and with her last energy she pushed them back onto the wooden plate where Marcy was standing. Merel was out of sight now and the Abyss slowly started to close.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am so sorry Marcy,” Merel spoke as she focused on the plate where her friends were standing and on Prophecy of the Fallen One. She started speaking to no-one in particular. “It is up to you now. Lead them, guide them and protect them. You are the only hope now.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">With those last words she fell in the lava below in the Abyss. Marcy and Dragen were helpless as they saw the lava stopping streaming out of the Abyss and the Abyss closing completely. There was no way they could ever find out whether someone survived. Zane was safe.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am so sorry Marcy,” Dragen hugged Marcy and patted her on the back.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Then all of a sudden they hear a rumbling sound from under the ground. Even Oracion looked down to see what happened. The sea became white with light and a beam erupted from the sea. A reflection of a person was seen inside it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I, the Goddess of Light, command you! Begone Darkness!” The beam of light erupted and filled the whole space enveloping the Twilight Zone.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">---

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Drake with Cyber-Doomdozer, BES Tetran with Dyllan on top and Jen with Time-Hero Quantumuniborg were fighting off forces of darkness as they were outnumbered. They were unable to return to the Golden Palace, cut off from reinforcements that were already battling forces inside the Golden Castle. Suddenly the earth started rumbling as well and the beam of light erupted from the Golden Palace with the same human shape inside it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What is that?” Jen asked Dyllan and Drake.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No idea,” Drake answered with all honesty.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“The Goddess of Light commands you! Begone Darkness!” the same shape commanded in the booming voice and the bright white light enveloped the Golden City and the rest of the Sacred Dimension as well. Jen, Dyllan and Drake were unable to do anything but watch.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">---

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“ ''It is up to you now. Lead them, guide them and protect them. You are the only hope now.”''

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The globe that was held by a hand of a man, who was standing in the shadows of a hallway, near a horizontal placed hallway with a endless depth below it, glowed brightly before turning out. The man looked up and nodded and held his head down as he turned around the corner.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I will do so as you wish, milady.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">He ran towards the wall where he heard voices. He could clearly sense the presence of five Duel-Spirits. Three warriors and two dragons. He waited for a minute to hear the voices of both the Duel-Spirits and a young male`s voice. It was Kamon McFlinn`s voice.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It is a test, Kamon,” the man heard Silent Swordsman tells Kamon. “A test to see whether you are worthy enough to enter the inner sanctums of this Temple. This Temple has been protected from the beginning by a group called the Mythic Templars. They are extinct already, but word goes they have been the protectors of the Heart of Time, one of the Forbidden Artifacts you have been unable to acquire since it all started. The Heart of Time has been the only Artifact that was safe the entire time.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The man came closer to the voices as he saw how Kamon jumped onto the next rock, under the wall hanging above him. He also saw how unstable the rocks were and how Kamon tried to keep a balance. Kamon took another leap onto the next rock, and by spreading his arms he was able to stabilize it.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Why does stuff like this always have to happen to me and why is it always so damn hard?” the man heard Kamon speak, while he saw how Kamon prepared to jump to the next rock. He took a jump, leaped over it, but missed it. He was barely able to grab a piece of the rock and hung on for dare life. “Okay, now I have a problem.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The man shakes his head runs to the edge of the hallway which was divided by the wall in the middle hanging over the endless depth. He took a deep breath and took a leap of his own, jumping onto the rock and reached out to the hanging Kamon. He was able to grab the hand of Kamon just in time before he lost grip. Kamon looked up and the man saw his shocked face as Kamon discovered the true identity of his savior.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">It was Rontaro.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">TO BE CONTINUED……..

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">RANDOM DARK DUELLIST TRIVIA:

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">You may remember the last scene. It is in most of the aspects exactly the same scene as the scene in Chapter 92, but this time from another point of view. Rontaro`s point of view. Next chapter more is explained, but I think you yourself can draw conclusions out of this scene.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Also I forgot to mention in 92, The Hierophant and the High Priestess were created by DakotaX from Janime. He gains credit for them. Arcana Force XI – Justice is likewise from his hand. So thanks Dakota, for allowing me to use them. I do not know whether he remembers it, but I asked whether I could use them and he said yes.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">There is one more person that gains credit for a part of a card played in this chapter. The final effect of Mark of the Twilight was inspired by Heart Fusion, a spell card that could fuse any monster on the field, created by ShadowBlade and used in Battle Zone. The last effect is a combination of Heart Fusion and a part of his Tyrannic Fusion. So thank you Shadow.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The fact that the Sacred Guardians originally played a role in the First War against Darkness is something I incorporated on purpose. It would show one of the reasons why they are sealed again and why Merel had such a close bond with them.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">See you for 95!