Shadowchasers: Power Primordial

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-FOUR

Finding her quarry would prove far more difficult to Jinx than it would for Shichiro.

Gears’s equipment had put the Paragon she was looking for in the Tower of London. Had she opened a portal to that landmark twelve hours earlier, it would have been no problem. But it was nine hours earlier in London than it was in Japan, making it midnight there. The Tower was closed to tourists at this time, and seeing as the place was a museum (one where the British Crown Jewels were displayed, no less) it had tight security.

Still, Jinx knew how to adapt. Having parked her D-Wheel several blocks down the road after coming through the portal, she managed to sneak into the main promenade, wearing a black leather outfit for concealment.

“I’m in, Gears,” she said, into her headset mobile. “And I feel like a big thief...”

“Need I remind you that the guy you’re looking for is a real thief, among other things?” asked Gears. “The London Shadowchasers did get back to me, by the way, and said they’d help... The Tower’s security will be occupied for a while.

“I think the guy is on the Tower Green.”

“Anne Boleyn was beheaded there, right?” asked Jinx.

“Yes,” replied Gears. “And six other nobles. Most executions in those days were done in public, but the Tower Green was where it was done if you were politically important enough to deserve privacy, away from the jeering crowds… And where, not coincidentally, the monarch who convicted you could avoid bad publicity.

“You might find him there. A place where both royalty and death are combined might suit him.”

Jinx started to walk towards the site, a yard located south of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

“I heard that one noble was executed by being drowned in wine,” she said.

“You’re thinking of George, Duke of Clarence,” replied Gears. “He was executed, but not by beheading. No-one is absolutely sure how. The ‘wine method’ was how Shakespeare portrayed it. It was likely only a joke that referred to his life of heavy drinking.”

Jinx strode onto the Tower Green, a grassy yard with a cobblestone square in the center, where a small monument and plaque marked where the scaffold had been. There had once been a gatehouse on this spot, and the executions were done inside to further ensure privacy. It had been torn down in 1685.

Jinx’s eye twitched.

She spun around, and drew her sword, cutting the stone that was hurled at her clean in half.

“Good reflexes!” laughed a deep voice.

Jinx looked at the large humanoid that stood a full six feet tall. He was broad and muscular, and completely hairless. His skin seemed to be made of smooth obsidian, and his eyes glowed with golden light. His only article of clothing was a pair of grey trousers.

“The Paragon of Earth, I assume?” asked Jinx.

“You got it!” he chuckled. “You may call me Soth, the Black Stone Blight.”

“Well, you certainly seem to be made of black stone...” said Jinx. “Question is... Is that stone hard, like granite...

“Or soft, like pumice?”

Soth frowned. He lifted his left arm, and a Duel Disk of the same style of Rary’s appeared on.

“You’re lucky, babe...” he said. “Most folks who insult me... I grab them and twist them like pretzels...”

Jinx started to sweat a little.

“I could snap you like a twig and make it quick...” he continued. “Or slowly squeeze until one by one, every rib snapped, followed by every vertebrae...

“And believe me, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.”

“I believe you!” said Jinx, nervously.

“But...” he continued, “since I’m under specific orders not to kill you, I’m going to have to settle for Duel Monsters this time...”

“All right...” said Jinx. “I can live with that...”

The two Disks activated...

(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)

This shouldn’t be all TOO hard, thought Jinx, as she made her first draw.

She looked at her six cards.

I mean, sure, he’s big and strong... But I doubt a guy like that is very well-read...

Well, here goes...

She set two cards in her Disk, and two set cards, one in her Spell Zone, and one in her Monster Zone appeared.

“I’ll end there,” she said.

“Okay then...” said Soth.

He made a draw, and then chose a card.

“I summon Koa’ki Meiru Tornado!”

There was a blast of wind, and a weird Monster appeared. From the waist up, it was a humanoid with green skin and long, blue hair. From the waist down, it was a raging whirlwind. It held an inflated bag behind it, gripping the ends with both hands. (1,500 ATK)

“A Koa’ki Meiru Monster??” shouted Jinx.

“That’s right,” said Soth. “And this one is gonna blow your Monster away. Attack!”

A whirlwind mixed with glowing motes shot towards the reversed Monster. X-Saber Axel appeared on the card, and shattered.

“So much for him,” said Soth. “I’ll end my turn...”

Okay... thought Jinx, as she made a draw. Not only did he summon a Koa’ki Meiru Monster, it’s clearly not an Earth Monster...

“I set a card facedown,” she said, as another card appeared next to her other one, “and end my turn.”

“What’s the matter, no Monsters to summon?” asked Soth.

“Maybe, maybe not,” replied Jinx.

Soth lifted an eyebrow as he made a draw.

“I summon another Koa’ki Meiru,” he said. “The mighty Koa’ki Meiru Bergzak!”

In an aura of energy, a bizarre-looking Warrior appeared. It wore black armor that seemed to be made out of some sort of high-tech plastic formula rather than metal. Its face was covered by a mask that was white on one side and black on the other, with two red eyes. It held two swords of alien design. (2,000 ATK)

“Ho boy...” said Jinx.

“Attack...” started Soth.

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Jinx, as one of her cards lifted up. “Reinforce Truth!

“Now I can Special Summon X-Saber Passiul to the field in Defense Mode.”

Passiul appeared, crouching behind his sword. (0 DEF)

“And while he has zero Defense Points, he can’t be destroyed in battle.

“It’s gonna take more than some Dark Warrior, Soth.”

“Dark??” exclaimed Soth. “Bite your tongue! Bergzak is Earth, just like your Monsters.”

Bergzak seemed a little upset as well.

“The Koa’ki Meiru don’t have a single Dark or Light Monster among them,” continued Soth. “They’d never allow it. They despise Dark and Light Monsters for hogging all the glory in this game.

“As a result, a lot of them have effects that are detrimental to Light and Dark Monsters.

“Anyway... I’ll set this, and end my turn...”

A reversed card appeared behind his two Monsters.

“...which means that to keep Bergzak, I have to either discard one Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru, or reveal a Warrior in my hand...”

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was Marauding Captain.

Sure, Jinx, thought Jinx as she made her draw. Put your foot in your mouth, why don’t you...

Her other facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Limit Reverse!” she shouted.

X-Saber Axel reappeared. (400 ATK)

“Then, I summon X-Saber Urz.”

In a burst of energy, the fiendish-looking X-Saber clad in furs, holding two scimitars appeared. (1,600 ATK)

“Now, I Tune all three of them together...”

Passiul, Axel, and Urz turned into seven glowing stars...

“Synchro Summon... X-Saber Urbellum!”

Urbellum landed, holding his twin sabers aloft. (2,200 ATK)

“Go!” she shouted. “Strike down Koa’ki Meiru Bergzak!”

The X-Saber smote the strange Warrior with his blade. Bergzak’s chest exploded, and then he shattered into pixels.

“What, did his core rupture?” asked Jinx.

“Yeah...” muttered Soth.

“Well, seeing as you have four cards in your hand,” said Jinx, “Urbellum’s effect sends one to the top of your deck.”

Soth growled, as one of his cards vanished.

“No fair...” he muttered.

“It’s your move...” said Jinx.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)

Soth quickly drew the card again.

“Good thing I set this,” he said, as his facedown card lifted up. “Jar of Greed. Now I get one draw...”

He drew a card.

“When you use Koa’ki Meiru, you need all the draws you get.

“I’ll set this Monster, and then move Tornado to Defense Mode.”

A set Monster appeared, and then Koa’ki Meiru Tornado shielded itself with its arms. (1,200 DEF)

“And that will be all for now...”

Jinx drew a card.

“I summon X-Saber Anabelera!” she shouted.

The armored, whip-wielding, lady X-Saber leapt onto the field. She gave a dirty look towards Soth. (1,800 ATK)

“Anabelera, quell that Tornado!” shouted Jinx.

Anabelera lashed her whip at Koa’ki Meiru Tornado, and it dissolved into mist.

“Now, Urbellum attacks your other Monster...”

Urbellum made a rush at the card. An unhewn boulder with arms, legs, and a face appeared crouching on the card. With one swipe of a sword, it shattered into pebbles.

“You just destroyed Koa’ki Meiru Boulder,” chuckled Soth. “And when that happens, I get to take any low-Level Koa’ki Meiru from my deck.”

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

Jinx looked at her hand and considered for a minute.

“My turn is over,” she said.

Soth made a draw.

“First, I’ll summon the Monster I searched for,” he said. “You remember Bergzak, right?”

A second Koa’ki Meiru Bergzak materialized in front of him. (2,000 ATK)

“Urbellum will just get rid of this one too,” said Jinx.

“But I have something extra this time,” said Soth, as he played a card. “It’s an Equip Spell called Iron Core Armor!”

He played the card, and a gunmetal grey breastplate with the Koa’ki Meiru symbol on the chest and each shoulder appeared on Bergzak.

“When a Koa’ki Meiru wears this,” he explained, “all Monsters that it battles lose 100 Attack Points times their Level when doing so.”

“Wait...” said Jinx. “Urbellum is Level 7...”

“Not the best position to be in,” said Soth. “Bergzak, attack Urbellum! Energy blade!”

Bergzak’s twin blades glowed with purple energy, and it rushed at Urbellum, whose Attack Score fell to 1,500. With one slash, the X-Saber was cut in twain, and the pieces shattered.

“Now, I use Bergzak’s special effect,” continued Soth. “When it destroys a Monster, it gets to attack again!”

Bergzak rushed at Anabelera, and her Attack Score fell to 1,400. She screamed as it ran her through the chest.

She slumped to her knees, and then shattered.

(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)

“Don’t feel bad, Noriko,” said Soth, “you aren’t the first to make the mistake...”

“Mistake?” asked Jinx.

“All the members of my faction on my planet were rather big and strong...” he said. “In fact, many of them were even bigger than me.

“And it was a common stereotype that our brains were as weak as our bodies were strong.

“Well, it was the same deal as any stereotype... It was true for some of us, but not all. Many of us were quite intelligent, able to master elemental magic of earth incredibly well...

“But... I suppose no-one’s ever going to learn... Even Shannalla has never given me the respect I was due...”

“Are you sure that wasn’t because she’s disgusted by what you use your skills for?” asked Jinx.

“Huh?” said Soth.

“You yourself said you would kill without a second thought,” replied Jinx, “and not lose any sleep over it. I wouldn’t have any respect for a remorseless killer either.”

Soth glared at her.

“I end my turn,” he said. “And I reveal this to keep Bergzak.”

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

Jinx made a draw. She looked at the card.

Almost have all I need to pull off a big surprise... she thought.

She played a Spell Card.

“I play The Warrior Returning Alive,” she said.

Passiul slipped out of her discard slot.

She quickly set the card on her Disk, and it appeared reversed.

“I end my turn.”

“That’s Passiul, I suppose...” said Soth, making a draw.

He looked over his five cards.

“Well... I don’t have any way to get rid of a Monster without attacking right now... But let’s make sure anyway...”

Bergzak leapt at the Monster swords first, and sure enough, Passiul appeared, and fended off the blow. (0 ATK)

“Eh,” said Soth, as he fit a card into his Disk.

A reversed card appeared.

“Better safe than sorry...”

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

“I take it that means it’s my turn,” said Jinx.

She drew a card.

“I summon Rampaging Rhynos!” she shouted.

With a roar, the humanoid, armored rhinoceros holding a battle axe appeared on the field. (1,500 ATK)

“Then, I’ll Tune him and Passiul together...”

Rhynos and Passiul turned into five glowing stars, and flew up into the sky...

“Legend of the Old West, he rides from out of the wildness with determination on his face, courage and fortitude riding alongside him! Clustering stars form a path to victory in this wild land...

“Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!”

There was a galloping of hooves, and then the rugged cowboy leapt onto the field. He quickly drew his weapon, and twirled it dramatically. (2,100 ATK)

“Interesting...” said Soth. “Need I remind you that your gunslinger will lose 500 Attack Points if he tries to attack Bergzak?”

“But I’m not done,” said Jinx. “When Wayne is Synchro Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Warrior from my hand.

“Like XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!”

In a flourish, the young, caped, dagger-wielding Warrior appeared. (1,300 ATK)

“Next up,” said Jinx, “with two X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll.”

Faultroll leapt onto the field, holding his huge sword in front of him. (2,400 ATK)

“And that means I can make another Synchro Summon!”

Faultroll and Fulhelmknight transformed into nine glowing stars this time. Jinx chanted again:

“Barbarian king in a lawless land, mighty general of a great army! Name synonymous with strength, an avatar of primal power! Clustering stars form a path to lead your troops to victory! Fight on… XX-Saber Gatmuz!”

With a savage roar, Gatmuz appeared, holding his huge sword above his head. (3,100 ATK)

“Erk!” said Soth.

“Sure, Gatmuz’s Attack Score will take a hit when he attacks Bergzak,” said Jinx.

Gatmuz made a rush at the Koa’ki Meiru, and his Attack Score fell to 2,200.

“But it’s not gonna be enough to save your Monster.”

Bergzak, howled, and then exploded in a flaming blast of pure energy.

“Wayne, attack him directly with Saber six-shooter!” ordered Jinx.

Wayne aimed his weapon, and fired six rounds into the Paragon’s chest. He grunted and clutched his torso.

“Merely a flesh wound...” he muttered. “A guy like me who deals pain... Has to be used to taking it...”

Jinx looked at him.

“It’s your move...” she said.

(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500)

“Draw...” said Soth, drawing a card.

Then his facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Core Reinforcement,” he said.

In a flash of energy, Koa’ki Meiru Tornado reappeared. (1,500 ATK)

“This Trap works like Call of the Haunted for Koa’ki Meiru. The downside is, if the summoned Koa’ki Meiru is destroyed by its own effect, I lose Life Points equal to its Attack Score.

“But... Since Tornado isn’t destroyed by its own effect, that’s no problem.

“Now, I use its effect... I send this copy of Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru to the top of my deck...”

He placed the card on the top of his deck.

“...and all your Special Summoned Monsters are destroyed!”

A tornado of glowing, sparkling wind enveloped the field. Jinx’s two Synchros gasped, and then were eroded into sand.

“WHA!” shouted Jinx. “Wait... YOUR Monster was Special Summoned!”

“But my own Monsters are immune to its effect,” laughed Soth. “Meaning you’re wide open!

“Attack! Atomic hurricane!”

Jinx braced herself as she was buffeted by a stinging, burning wind from the creature.

She took some deep breaths.

(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,500)

“Draw...” she said.

She drew a card.

“I summon XX-Saber Boggart Knight,” she said.

With a roar, the caped twin of Vorse Raider leapt onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

“And by summoning him, I get to Special Summon another X-Saber, like X-Saber Galahad!”

In an aura of energy, the toad-like Warrior in bronze armor, holding his spear appeared. (1,800 ATK)

“Galahad, destroy Koa’ki Meiru Tornado!”

Galahad rushed at the Koa’ki Meiru, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He impaled it, and it dissolved into mist once again.

Soth grit his teeth in anger as Boggart Knight’s sword hit him in the chest.

(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)

“Make your move...” said Jinx.

“I’ll tell you right now,” said Soth, as he made a draw.

He looked at it. It was, naturally, Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru.

“I don’t like fast women!”

He set a card on his Disk, setting a Monster.

He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Jinx drew a card.

“Galahad, attack!” she shouted.

Galahad rushed at the reversed Monster, his Attack Score climbing to 2,100 again...

...but there was a sound like metal striking metal. A Machine that looked like an unmanned aircraft drone mounted on two large jet engines appeared on the card. (2,200 DEF)

“That’s Koa’ki Meiru Speeder,” said Soth, “and Galahad isn’t tough enough to crack it.”

Jinx looked at the two cards in her hand.

“I... end my turn...” she said.

Soth made a draw.

“I play Core Compression. First, I reveal one Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru in my hand...”

He flipped the card around.

“...then I toss one Koa’ki Meiru Monster.”

He discarded Koa’ki Meiru Powerhand.

“Then, I get to draw two cards.”

He made two draws.

Then he grinned.

“This Monster here is Level 7,” he said, “but I only need one sacrifice to summon it if I’m sacrificing another Koa’ki Meiru.”

Koa’ki Meiru Speeder vanished into an orb of light.

“So say hello to Koa’ki Meiru Rooklord!”

There was an explosion of raw energy as a ten-foot-tall robot appeared in front of Soth. It was made of blue and white metal, and had gear-like rings on its shoulders. Its arms ended in steel pounders rather than hands, on which the Koa’ki Meiru symbol was etched. (2,800 ATK)

“Ho boy...” said Jinx.

“Frightening, isn’t it?” asked Soth. “Now I use its effect. When summoned, I can remove one Koa’ki Meiru in my Graveyard from play...”

Koa’ki Meiru Tornado fell out of his discard slot.

“And in return,” he said, as he pocketed it, “I can destroy two cards!”

Jinx gasped as both Boggart Knight and Galahad exploded into pixilated remains.

“You’re defenseless!” shouted Soth. “Attack! Pummeling pound!”

Jinx tried hard to keep from screaming as Rooklord’s mighty fist slammed into her stomach. She succeeded, although she was knocked flat on her back, barely aware of what end was up.

“Here’s a Spell Card I believe our henchman Joaquin played when you dueled him,” said Soth, as a Spell Card appeared. “In fact, I’m the one who suggested he put it in his deck. Sebek’s Blessing.

“Which, as you know, grants me Life Points equal to the amount you lost.

“I’ll set a facedown card...”

A reversed card appeared.

“...then it’s your move. And the requirement to keep Rooklord is the same as Bergzak’s. If you recall, I have to send an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru to the Graveyard or reveal a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand...”

He flipped Marauding Captain around again.

(J: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,800)

Jinx groaned and got up.

She made a draw.

That Marauding Captain seems to be his way of keeping a lot of his Koa’ki Meiru, she thought. And the other card in his hand is an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru, another way.

But... With these cards, I might be able to get rid of both...

She set all three of her cards on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared with two set cards behind it.

“Take turn,” she said.

Soth laughed a deep laugh.

“That’s a Morphing Jar, right?” he asked.

He drew a card.

“Nice try...”

His facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Trap Stun,” he said. “This Trap renders all other Traps out of commission for the rest of the turn.

“Now... I’ll summon Marauding Captain...”

In a flash, the familiar armored, caped Warrior holding two swords appeared. (1,200 ATK)

“I don’t have another Monster to summon with his effect, but he’s enough. When he destroys your Morphing Jar, you may get five cards, but they won’t protect you from Rooklord’s direct attack.

“Captain... Attack!”

Marauding Captain rushed at the facedown Monster, which was indeed a Morphing Jar. With one swipe of his sword, it was slashed to ribbons.

“Well,” chuckled Soth.

He discarded his Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru and Urgent Synthesis.

“By all means, start drawing...”

They both made five draws.

“Now, Rooklord... Finish her off!”

Rooklord rushed at Jinx again.

“Sorry, Soth,” said Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up, “but not this time!”

“But my Trap Stun...” said Soth.

He stepped back in shock when he saw that it wasn’t a Trap at all. It was Enemy Controller.

Rooklord fell backwards and crouched in Defense Mode. (2,200 DEF)

“Very tricky!” he said, angrily. “Make your move.”

“Don’t forget,” said Jinx. “You have to either discard an Iron Core or reveal a Warrior in your hand to keep Rooklord.”

Soth flipped a card in his hand around. It was a Warrior called Koa’ki Meiru War Arms.

Crap, thought Jinx, as she made a draw.

“Go, Call of the Haunted!” she shouted, as her other facedown card lifted up.

XX-Saber Gatmuz leapt back onto the field with a roar. (3,100 ATK)

“Then, I summon XX-Saber Garsem!”

The caped gazelle X-Saber dashed onto the field next to Gatmuz. (1,400 ATK)

“And with two X-Sabers on the field, he gains a boost.”

(1,800 ATK)

“Attack Marauding Captain! Savanna Saber slash!”

Garsem sprinted at the Captain, and made two swipes with his blade. The Warrior shattered.

Gatmuz leapt at the defending Rooklord...

“Uh, Noriko?” said Soth. “I suggest you brace yourself... When cores this powerful go, they go big.”

“Huh?” said Jinx.

As Gatmuz’s sword hit Rooklord, the robotic Warrior exploded in a deafening blast that lit up the night sky. Jinx barely had time to brace herself, but she managed.

Lovely... she thought. Half of this city must have heard that... The London Shadowchasers had better know their business... The longer this lasts, the more likely someone is gonna investigate...

She threw two cards into her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared.

(J: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,200)

“My move...” said Soth.

He made a motion to draw.

Then he stopped.

“On second thought,” he said, “I’ll forfeit my draw this turn to instead recover Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru from my Graveyard...”

The card fell out of his discard slot, and he took it.

“You see...” he said, “the only way to summon the most powerful Koa’ki Meiru of all is to remove this card in my hand from play...”

The Iron Core card vanished.

“Wait...” said Jinx. “That’s now how you summon Valafar...”

“Who said I was summoning that guy?” asked Soth, as a large shape started to appear out of the darkness. “He’s not the most powerful Koa’ki Meiru...”

Before Jinx’s eyes, a huge Dragon appeared from behind the Paragon. It had a silvery, metallic hide, had joints that looked partially mechanical, and the Koa’ki Meiru symbol on its forehead.

Koa’ki Meiru Maximus let out a loud roar. (3,000 ATK)

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Soth. “Gatmuz is stronger, right? Well, Maximus can destroy one card every round. Guess which one?”

Maximus’s eyes fixated on Gatmuz...

“I activate Emergency Provisions!” screamed Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

“I’ll send Call of the Haunted and Limit Reverse to the Graveyard, to gain 2,000 Life Points.”

The two Trap Cards vanished, and Gatmuz shattered.

“So now, Maximus has no target...”

“But its regular attack will, and so will Koa’ki Meiru Powerhand,” said Soth.

He played another card, and a humanoid Machine, a robot that seemed to have drills for hands, shoulders, and cranium. (2,100 ATK)

“Powerhand, destroy XX-Saber Garsem!” shouted the Paragon.

The drill on the Machine’s right hand spun wildly, and it stabbed it forward, impaling the Beast. He collapsed and shattered.

“Maximus, attack directly!”

Koa’ki Meiru Maximus blasted a volley of glowing lightning bolts from its jaws, and this time, Jinx was not able to keep from screaming.

She fell to her knees, smoke rising from her shoulders.

(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,200)

“Anyway...” said Soth, “I don’t want to see that Gatmuz again...”

He discarded a card.

“And thanks to my D.D. Crow, I don’t have to.”

Gatmuz’s card fell out of Jinx’s discard slot.

“I end my turn, meaning I must now discard an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru or a Koa’ki Meiru Monster to keep Maximus...”

He discarded Koa’ki Meiru War Arms.

“...and reveal a Normal Trap Card to keep Powerhand.”

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was another Jar of Greed.

“Jinx, get up!” urged Shannalla’s voice.

“I don’t know if I can...” muttered Jinx.

“Don’t give up hope yet...” said Shannalla.

“No, I mean I really don’t know if I can,” replied Jinx. “My muscles are kinda locked up from that blast...”

“She’s talking to you, isn’t she?” asked Soth.

He chuckled softly.

“So many times we came to blows...” he said. “It always ended badly for me... I always had to retreat with bruises and black eyes from the pounding she gave me...

“Seems the roles are reversed, Shannalla! Your true body is gone, and you’re powerless to confront me without the help of this weakling!”

Jinx glared at him.

“Weakling...” she said.

She slowly got up.

“I’ll show you weakling...”

She drew a card.

“I Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!” she shouted.

With a howl, the wolf-like XX-Saber appeared, swinging his scimitar dramatically. (2,100 ATK)

“Then, I summon XX-Saber Reijigra.”

The small, humanoid gecko, holding twin daggers, appeared beside Gardestrike. (200 ATK)

“And by summoning it, I get to recover an X-Saber from my Graveyard.”

XX-Saber Faultroll slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it. Then she threw the card on her Disk, and he appeared. (2,400 ATK)

“Continuing,” she said, as her facedown card lifted up, “I play Gatmuz’s Urgent Orders.”

Urbellum appeared first (2,200 ATK) and then Fulhelmknight. (1,300 ATK)

“Then, I Tune Urbellum and Fulhelmknight together!”

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared.

“Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!”

Shannalla landed on the field, and leveled her sword at Soth. She frowned. (2,600 ATK)

“Next...” said Jinx, as she pocketed a card, “I remove Urbellum from play, to boost her Attack Score...”

(4,800 ATK)

“Eh??” said Soth.

“And then I Equip Faultroll with the Sword of Sparkles,” continued Jinx.

She played a card, and Faultroll normal sword was replaced by the legendary sword of the X-Sabers.

“Time to end this!” shouted Jinx. “Faultroll, destroy Koa’ki Meiru Powerhand!”

Faultroll made a quick cut with the Sword of Sparkles, cutting the drilling robot clean in half across its armored torso.

“And when an X-Saber destroys a Monster with the Sword of Sparkles,” continued Jinx, “I get to destroy another card.”

Maximus shattered into pixels.

“Now wait a minute...” said Soth.

Then he yelled out loud, as Gardestrike’s scimitar slammed into him.

“Shannalla, finish him off!” shouted Jinx. “Pouncing tiger rage!”

For the first time, Soth looked scared, but there was no escape. Shannalla’s sword slammed into him, and he was propelled backwards from the impact...

(J: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

...and then he burst, into a cloud of black smoke and ash.

Jinx collapsed on one knee, exhausted. All of her Monsters except Shannalla vanished.

“Is he... gone?” asked Jinx.

“For now,” sighed Shannalla. “We have to get out of here, now. The guards will be here any minute...”

“I don’t think I can scale the wall again...” said Jinx.

Without bothering to explain what she was doing, Shannalla put her arms around Jinx, and the two of them faded into the shadows, only seconds before the Tower security ran onto the Green.

* * * * * * * * * *

In her quarters on Snakeskin Island, Hebi-Na was trying to take a nap.

She’d likely be up all night tonight, the Festival of Fangs... Seeing as her family line was modeled after the pit viper, which was diurnal this time of the year, it wouldn’t be easy for her to stay up.

Halfway through Jinx’s duel with Soth, her eyes opened.

She got up, and looked at the chest containing the Dark Synchro cards on her bedside table.

“You guys are restless,” she said.

“Huh?”

She listened, as the message came through in bits and pieces. Hebi-Na rubbed her chin.

She knew Taramanda was very busy right now... But she figured she’d better go tell her about this...



Next:

You remember when you were a kid, when your mom or dad took you swimming, you were a little reluctant to go in the water, and they told you, “a little water won’t hurt you”?

As you probably know, that is one of the common lies that parents tell, along with several ones that start with “When I was your age...” These lies are meant to make children assume that parents are better informed than they are.

But the fact is, water can hurt you. It can hurt you a great deal. It’s clearly killed many folks who my opponent wanted dead. But I have to face her anyway.

“Aqua Chorus” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Koriand the Wanderer, Soul-Searcher

The goliaths, the northern-dwelling, tribal species of Shadowkind, are known for two things. The first is their great size and strength. A male goliath is typically a full seven feet tall, while a female is typically only slightly shorter. Both genders are muscular and strong, able to lift a human-sized creature over their heads with one hand with ease.

The other thing they are known for is their pessimistic outlook on life. They not only believe in Fate, they believe it has dealt them a bad hand. This makes them grim and morose, and they do their best to make their way through their lives, which they believe are predetermined.

Koriand is one of the few goliaths who has considered that his destiny may not be written in stone. At a young age, he was introduced to the worship of Melora, a Shadowkind deity of nature and the wilderness (one of the few not associated with the elven gods) and he quickly took to her words. Melora tells those who follow her to experience the world as much as they can, to see all that it has to offer. Her dogma not only made Koriand more optimistic, it made him decide to go on a soul-searching mission, one that he’s been on for the past ten years of his life. He firmly believes that he can find what so many of his kind are missing, if he only knows where to look.

After leaving his clan in Norway, Koriand started to wander Europe. Since then, he’s been seen everywhere on the continent, from Britain to Ukraine. At first, he supported himself by doing odd jobs and the like, but eventually, he made alliances with many Shadowkind clans, along with the Shadowchasers. He’s always willing to help out if they need a strong pair of arms when he’s around, and he can count on them for food and shelter when he needs it.

Koriand isn’t sure exactly what he is looking for that will define his searches, although he’s pretty sure he’ll know it when he finds it. He cannot use divine magic yet, and isn’t sure if he will ever understand his faith well enough to do so. He is considering expanding his travels, trekking into Africa or possibly the States. He’s still young for a goliath, and one good trait that his whole species has is patience.


Story Ideas: Koriand could show up anywhere in Europe as a supporting character in a story. He could be a source of information, having learned a great deal from his constant travels. He also could be an ally in any conflict where physical strength is requires.

Another Shadowkind who shares many opinions with Koriand is Red Feather. The two could well be allies should they ever meet (which hasn’t happened yet). A Shadowchasers story that focuses on nature and the environment should involve Koriand at least in part.


Deck Suggestions: Koriand plays an Elemental Hero Deck, focusing on the Nature Heroes used by Judai in the manga. He only uses four Fusion Monsters: Inferno, Gaia, Great Tornado, and Absolute Zero, the embodiments of Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water. It’s a limited selection, but it works if used efficiently.

[Lord Almaz]

Nice chapter. That was a really intense duel, and seeing the Koa'ki Mieru in action is pretty sweet. I can't wait to see the other paragons.

I am working on a Shadowchaser file and will send it to you this weekend, in Banjo and Kazooie do not take up too much of my time.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-FIVE

In her throne room, Taramanda was having an argument with the Supply Master.

“I don’t care how much over budget we’re going!” she shouted, grabbing the ophidia by the collar. “I want there to be enough foie gras for everyone at the banquet tonight!”

“We’ll be eating macaroni and cheese for a month afterwards!” protested the Supply Master.

Taramanda pulled him close to her. He shivered in fright.

“Tonight is the night of my greatest victory...” she whispered. “For this, no cost is too much...

“Now prepare the menu as I planned it, or I’ll do to you what I did to the last Supply Master...”

She released him.

“I’ll... get on it...” he said.

He rushed out of the room, almost running into Hebi-Na, who was entering, holding the chest containing the Dark Synchros.

“This better be important, Hebi-Na,” said Taramanda, as she looked at some papers.

“It is,” replied Hebi-Na.

She lifted up the chest.

“The Dark Synchros told me that some folks with the same type of power they have are making their presence known.”

“They talk to you?” asked Msskim.

“They aren’t incredibly easy to understand, but...” said Hebi-Na.

“Quiet,” said Taramanda. “Who are these people they’re talking about?”

“There was one in Tokyo and one in London,” replied Hebi-Na. “But they’ve vanished for now. Another one is in Paris, and another is in Rome.”

Taramanda scratched her chin.

“Uh...” said Csimith. “We have someone who works for us in Paris... An underworld snitch who’s likely awake right now... I can give him a call...”

“Well then do it!” shouted Taramanda.

Csimith took his mobile out of his toga.

“Tell him to find any unusual activity and report back to us,” said Taramanda. “If there are any threats we need to know about, let’s know about them.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Paris. The City of Lights.

It was two o’clock in the morning, Paris time, when Gears drove his D-Wheel out of the portal, but the city was still alive with life. Paris was a city that never really shut down, no matter what time it was.

Gears checked his equipment. The Paragon he had been tracking seemed to be very elusive.

“Any suggestions?” he asked.

Il Mathman appeared behind him.

“She draws her power from water, much like I do,” he replied. “But unlike myself, she rarely strays far from it. More often than not, I’ve confronted her on beaches and riverbanks, if not underwater.”

“Well, I couldn’t do that,” said Gears, looking down the street. “But... If she wants to stay close to water, the best place in Paris to do so would be the Canal Saint-Martin…”

He slowly started to drive towards that canal, a manmade body of water that had been built in 1802 under the order of Napoleon I to help provide the growing city with fresh water. The Canal connected the Canal de l'Ourcq to the River Seine, cutting a 4.5 kilometer path through Paris in the process. It was now a popular tourist attraction, with many restaurants and cafes built along the scenic canal.

Of course, 4.5 kilometers was a pretty good distance, and Gears was at a loss as to how he was going to search it... Until he saw a large spout of water shoot up in the direction where he was heading. He stepped on the gas and drove towards it.

In the middle of the Canal, right in front of a footpath, was a very large clamshell. Gears dismounted and disengaged his Duel Disk, even as a crowd started to gather.

The clamshell slowly started to open. Gears was a little nervous. If she was going to make an entrance imitating The Birth of Venus...

Fortunately, she was clothed... Rather bizarrely. The Paragon wore a very elaborate, and very revealing harem girl’s outfit, in blue hues, with a veil over the lower half of her face. Her long, black hair was tied in a ponytail that fell down to her waist.

She looked at Gears as a lot of catcalls came from the onlookers.

“Take a picture,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “it will last longer.”

She looked at Gears, and her voice took a far more seductive tone.

“Gears, was it?” she purred. “So nice to meet you. I am Menzoberra, the Waterveiled Slayer.”

“Huh...” said Gears. “I see the ‘veiled’ part, but...”

Then a blast of water shot in his face, forcing into his mouth. Gears sputtered and choked, and then gasped for breath when it stopped.

“Now, now...” said Menzoberra. “Don’t make me angry...”

A Duel Disk just like the one the previous Paragons used appeared on her left arm.

“After all, I flew from a distant galaxy to get here... I have the worst jet-lag...”

“Funny...” said Gears. “You gonna come ashore? This is kinda... awkward...”

“I’m perfectly fine right here,” she replied. “Now let’s duel... I’m sure that’s what you came here for...”

Gears frowned. He activated his Duel Disk, and the two Disks shuffled the decks.

(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)

“I’ll make the first move,” said Menzoberra, making her first draw.

“And I’ll throw out Poison Draw Frog in Attack Mode.”

The Monster that materialized... Well, it was a frog. That was the best way to describe it. It was bigger than most frogs, about the size of a hen, but it was nonetheless a frog. (100 ATK)

Gears lifted an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I know, it’s a weak card...” said Menzoberra.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“...but you don’t know what that is, so tread with caution.

“My turn is over.”

No, but I have a pretty good idea, thought Gears, as he made a draw.

Poison Draw Frog will let her draw a card if I destroy it, so she likely won’t prevent me from doing so.

Her facedown card will likely shift it to Defense Mode if I attack.

“I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!” he shouted.

In a digital aura, Blind Sucker appeared on the bank of the canal. (1,600 ATK)

“Attack!” he shouted. “Fricassee that Frog!”

Blind Sucker launched its photon torpedoes at the small Monster...

“You’re an even bigger sucker than that Monster is,” chuckled Menzoberra, as her facedown card shot up.

“Froggy Forcefield??” exclaimed Gears.

“A pretty dumb name for a Trap, considering what it does,” replied Menzoberra. “If you attack a Monster with the word ‘Frog’ in its name, this works just like Mirror Force!”

An aura of energy surrounded Poison Draw Frog, and Blind Sucker’s blasts fell back on itself, blowing it to atoms.

“Even better, unlike Mirror Force, I can have three copies in my deck.”

“Okay...” said Gears. “That could have gone better...”

He fit a card into his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“Your move...”

Menzoberra made a draw.

“I’ll move Poison Draw Frog to Defense Mode...” she said, and the small amphibian shielded itself with its flippers. (100 DEF)

“Then I’ll set a Monster.”

A hidden Monster appeared next to the Frog.

“Go ahead...”

“Hmm...” said Gears, making a draw.

He played one card, and Ally of Justice Garadholg appeared, holding its glowing energy blades. (1,600 ATK)

“Okay, we’re gonna try this again,” he said. “Get that Poison Draw Frog!”

The Machine flew at the small Frog, and cut it in half. Menzoberra’s Disk beeped, and she made a draw.

I know what she’s planning, thought Gears. She put it all out in front of me... Clearly, she’s using Frogs.

Her other Monster is clearly a T.A.D.P.O.L.E. When I destroy it next turn, she’ll be able to take two more from her deck. Then she’ll discard them somehow.

THAT will enable her to Special Summon two Des Frogs by Tribute Summoning one. And then she’ll use the kill-card – Des Croaking...

Or so she thinks...

He looked at his facedown card.

As soon as she tries to make the Tribute Summon, I’ll use The Transmigration Prophesy to send two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s back to her deck. She’ll only have two Des Frogs, and there’ll be no Des Croaking.

“I end my turn,” he said.

“I draw...” said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She set a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“That oughta do it...”

Figures... thought Gears. It’s obviously Limit Reverse, or something else that will let her get the sacrifice she needs to summon a Des Frog.

He drew a card.

Here goes...

“Garadholg, slice and dice her Monster!”

The Machine rushed at the hidden Monster...

But to Gears’s surprise, it was thrown backwards, as if it had struck a solid wall.

“HUH?” said Gears.

This was clearly not a T.A.D.P.O.L.E. In fact, the Monster crouching on the card looked like an adult frog. The right side of its body was pink, and the left side was black. It had small wings on its back, the right one feathered and the left one bat-like. (2,000 DEF)

“What the...?” said Gears.

“That’s my Substitoad,” said Menzoberra. “Hmm... From the look on your face, you were expecting something different... Maybe something with far fewer Defense Points?”

“I... end my turn?” said Gears.

“Not before this activates...” said Menzoberra, as her facedown Quickplay Spell flipped up.

Scapegoat? thought Gears. What on Earth...

Four fluffy Sheep Tokens appeared. (0 DEF x4)

(G: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)

Menzoberra made a draw.

“Time to show you what my Substitoad can do,” she said. “If I sacrifice a Monster, I can Special Summon a Monster from my deck with the word ‘Frog’ in its name.”

A Scapegoat vanished, and another large frog appeared, one just the size of Substitoad, but the typical color.

“A Des Frog!” gasped Gears.

“It sure is!” chuckled Menzoberra. “And I can use Substitoad’s effect as often as I like...”

Two more Scapegoats vanished, and two more Des Frogs appeared. (1,900 ATK x3)

Gears started to sweat.

She summoned all three of them without using any T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s at all! he thought.

“I know what you were thinking I was going to do Gears,” she said, as she took a card from her hand. “But there’s an old saying that has been said on every civilized planet in one way or another.”

She played the card, and Des Croaking appeared.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

The three Des Frogs let out a great bellow, and Garadholg and Gears’s Trap Card were blown to shards.

“Attack him directly my Frogs!” she shouted. “Death symphony!”

The three Des Frogs let out a bellow again, hitting Gears like a hammer and knocking him over.

“Ooh...” he said, holding his ribs.

(G: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)

“While you’re picking yourself up,” said Menzoberra, “I’ll use Substitoad’s effect one more time...”

The last Scapegoat vanished.

Another Frog? thought Gears.

“I summon Dupe Frog in Defense Mode,” she said.

The Frog that appeared wasn’t as big as the Des Frogs, had pale skin, a question mark on its forehead, and an academic mortarboard on its head. (2,000 DEF)

“Aren’t my Frogs just wonderful, Gears?” she asked.

“Wonderful…” muttered Gears. “About as wonderful as gingivitis… Do you know what we used to do to frogs in biology class?”

“Don’t say that, you’ll hurt their feelings!” exclaimed Menzoberra. “And besides, you aren’t exactly in a position to insult them.

“Let me explain this setup. So long as Dupe Frog is on the field, you aren’t allowed to attack any of my Monsters except him.”

“Its Defense may be considerable,” replied Gears, “but it isn’t unbeatable.”

“True…” replied Menzoberra, “but Substitoad has another effect. It may not be a Frog itself, but while it’s on the field, all actual Frogs can’t be destroyed by battle.

“Get the picture? Dupe Frog keeps you from attacking Substitoad. And Substitoad makes Dupe Frog impervious in battle. Not to mention that my three Des Frogs are untouchable. It’s a Frog Lock!

“And it’s your move…”

Gears made a draw.

“A lock, huh?” he said. “Well, here’s the key! I summon Shreddder!”

He played a card, and the industrial-size paper shredder with arms, legs, and a face appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)

“Shreddder has the ability to destroy a Monster, so long as I toss a Machine-Type Monster with an equal or lower Level. And since Substitoad is only Level 1...”

He discarded Ally Mind, and Shreddder shot three blades from its top. Substitoad was blown to pixels.

“I’m not impressed,” said Menzoberra, putting her hand on her hip. “You can only use that thing’s effect once per round, and it can’t overcome Dupe Frog’s Defense Score. So you only solved half of the problem.”

“Maybe, maybe not...” said Gears.

He threw two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

“Now it’s your turn to play ‘guess what I have set’,” he said. “It’s your move...”

Menzoberra made a draw.

“So tell me, Gears...” she said. “Does everyone on this planet have an attitude like yours?”

“Only the ones willing to stand up to folks like you,” replied Gears.

“Des Frog number one,” said Menzoberra, “wipe out Shreddder with broken note.”

One of the Des Frogs let out its awful rhapsody, and Shreddder was blown to pieces.

“I knew you were bluffing,” she said. “Des Frog number two...”

“Not so fast!” shouted Gears, as one of his Trap Cards lifted up.

“It’s called A Rival Appears, and it lets me Special Summon a Monster from my hand, one whose Level matches the Level of one of yours.

“Since your Des Frogs are Level 5, I can summon Ally of Justice Rudra.”

In another digital aura, Rudra appeared, ready to pounce. (1,900 ATK)

“Big deal!” replied Menzoberra. “I can still finish you, even if it costs me a Frog.

“Des Frog, attack Rudra!”

The second Des Frog started to croak again.

“Did you forget about my other Trap?” asked Gears, as his other facedown card lifted up. “DNA Transplant. I can change all Monsters on the field to Light-Attribute, which is bad news for your Frog, because Rudra gains 700 Attack Points when battling them.”

Rudra’s Attack Score shot up to 2,600, and it spouted a blast of blue flame from its jaws. The Des Frog that was attacking was burned to a cinder.

“Listen carefully, babe,” said Gears. “You come down here, dressed like some stripper, and draw me halfway around the globe to meet you... That I can handle...

“But there’s no way that my Allies of Justice are gonna lose to a bunch of amphibians! You know what amphibians are? They’re an evolutionary step downwards from reptiles. And seeing as the Allies have beaten some of the most ruthless and wicked reptilian beings in the cosmos, they aren’t gonna lose to any Frogs!”

Menzoberra’s eyes narrowed.

“Take... turn...” she growled.

(G: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,300)

Gears drew a card.

“I summon... Oilman!” he exclaimed.

Striking a heroic pose, a small robot appeared in mid-air. It looked like a can of motor oil (the brand name was “Hero’s Oil”) with thin arms, legs, a head, and a cape. (400 ATK)

“You gotta be kidding,” said Menzoberra.

“Oh, I’m not...” said Gears.

Oilman’s left arm changed shape, turning into a spout. It landed on Rudra, opened a hatch on the bigger Machine’s side, and started pouring oil into the hatch.

“Oilman is a Union Monster, that gives a Machine-Type Monster a lube job with something extra.

“I’ll show you... Rudra, annihilate Dupe Frog!”

Rudra blasted its scorching breath again, and Dupe Frog shattered into pixels.

“I activate Dupe Frog’s other effect!” shouted Menzoberra. “When it goes to the Graveyard, I get to take another Frog from my Graveyard...”

She took the Des Frog that Gears had destroyed last round from her discard slot.

“And thanks to Oilman, I get to draw one card whenever Rudra destroys a Monster,” said Gears.

He made a draw.

He quickly set it, and a facedown card appeared.

“My turn is over...”

Menzoberra drew a card quickly.

“Now then,” she said, as she played a Spell Card. “I play... Polymerization!”

The three Des Frogs leapt up, and turned into orbs of light.

“I’ll fuse all three of my Des Frogs to summon something better... D times three, D.3.S. Frog!”

Some of the onlookers turned and ran as the goliath of frogs appeared next to her. It was ten feet tall, just as much wide, and was incredibly ugly. (2,500 ATK)

“Now there’s a face that would make even a mother scream,” said Gears. “But 2,500 Attack Points still won’t take down Rudra.”

“Then I’ll just have to make it stronger,” said Menzoberra, as she played another Spell Card. “I play Foolish Burial.”

A card slipped out of her deck, and she discarded it.

“Let me guess,” said Gears, “Treeborn Frog?”

“That’s right,” said Menzoberra, “and while in my Graveyard, it gives D.3.S. Frog a boost.”

(3,000 ATK)

“Destroy Ally of Justice Rudra!” she shouted. “Death croak!”

D.3.S. Frog let out a croak that shook the very ground Gears was standing on...

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up. “Draining Shield!”

The sonic wave was absorbed by the invisible shield.

Menzoberra put her hand on her hip with a pout.

She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“I end my turn!” she said.

(G: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,300)

Gears made a draw.

It was Drillago.

“Let’s take care of the big problem, shall we?” said Menzoberra.

Her facedown card shot up, and a Dust Tornado tore across the field, blowing DNA Transplant to shards.

Gears looked at Drillago.

I could certainly use this now, he thought.

He looked at the other card in his hand.

But I have to get rid of D.3.S. Frog...

“I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter,” he said.

The small, unmanned done appeared next to Rudra. (600 ATK)

“Now, by sacrificing it,” he continued, as the small Machine vanished, “Rudra’s Attack Score doubles for one round.”

(3,800 ATK)

“Go! Destroy D.3.S Frog!”

Rudra blasted its energy breath, and D.3.S. Frog bust into pixels.

“Don’t forget,” he said, “I get to draw once due to Oilman.”

He made a draw.

It was Ally of Justice Thunder Armor.

Not bad... he thought. Next round, I can separate Oilman from Rudra, and then sacrifice both Monsters for this big guy...

(G: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)

Menzoberra looked at him hard.

Then she slowly took the veil down off her face, and grinned at him with a sinister smile.

“You intrigue me...” she said. “Usually, when I use the Frog Deck, the duel is over quickly... But you’re so... tenacious...”

She chuckled.

“Or maybe the correct word is stubborn... Either way, you have something to support that attitude besides words...”

She put the veil back over her face.

“It’s my move...”

She made a draw.

“First I set a Monster...” she said.

A set Monster appeared.

“Then, I discard one Water Monster from my hand...”

She discarded a T.A.D.P.O.L.E.

“...to Special Summon Swap Frog from my hand.”

An orange frog, covered with darker orange patterns and designs on its skin, materialized in front of her. (1,000 ATK)

“By doing that, I’m able to discard a Level 2 or lower Aqua-Type Monster from my deck.”

She discarded a second T.A.D.P.O.L.E.

“Now I’ll use Swap Frog’s other effect. I can send it back to my hand...”

Swap Frog vanished.

“...and in return, I get a second Normal Summon this turn, so long as I use it to summon a Frog.

“But before I do that, I’m discarding my Ronintoadin from my hand to Special Summon Swap Frog again!”

She discarded the card, and Swap Frog reappeared, this time in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

Then she took a third T.A.D.P.O.L.E. from her deck, and discarded it.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Now for my second Normal Summon...” she continued, playing her last card. “Meet Beelze Frog!”

Yet another Frog appeared. This one looked a lot like Swap Frog, but was red where Swap Frog was orange, and black where Swap Frog was dark orange. (1,200 ATK)

“It may not look like much, but it gains 300 more Attack Points for each T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my Graveyard.”

(2,100 ATK)

“Get that Machine! Stygian croak!”

Beelze Frog let out an awful harmony of its own. Rudra shuddered, and Oilman was blown to pieces, but the bigger Machine was unharmed.

“Rudra survived...” said Gears. “It used the Union Monster it was Equipped with as a shield.”

“In that case, Gears,” replied Menzoberra, “it’s your move...”

(G: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)

Gears drew a card.

He looked at his hand, which consisted of Ally of Justice Thunder Armor, Dark Mimic LV1, and Drillago.

Not much chance of summoning Thunder Armor now, he thought, but at least I can keep her from making a double sacrifice.

“I summon Drillago!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the Dark Machine covered with drills appeared. (1,600 ATK)

“I may not be able to use its effect,” he said, “but I can still use it to eviscerate your Swap Frog.

“Attack!”

Drillago’s drills spun rapidly, and it charged at Swap Frog, blasting the amphibian to pieces.

“Too bad we don’t have any hollandaise sauce or garlic butter... This is France, after all...”

The onlookers started to laugh. Menzoberra’s eyes narrowed.

“Rudra, destroy her mystery Monster!” commanded Gears.

Rudra breathed a blast of flames again, and a smaller Frog with a rough skin whose eyes seemed to be on the back of its head appeared on the card.

“Sorry Gears, but you activated Flip Flop Frog’s effect,” said Menzoberra. “Before it’s destroyed, the act of being flipped face up returns one Monster to your hand for each Frog I have.”

Gears gasped as both Rudra and Drillago vanished, their cards reappearing in his hand.

Flip Flop Frog shattered.

“It’s a dirty trick, I know,” continued Menzoberra, “but I never based my career on playing clean...

“It’s my move...”

She drew a card.

She pointed, and Beelze Frog launched its Stygian croak at Gears this time. He grunted, and held his stomach.

Menzoberra set the card she had drawn, and a set Monster appeared.

(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)

Okay... thought Gears, looking at his Disk. Need something good here...

He drew a card.

This will do it...

“Go, Nanobreaker!” he shouted.

In a flash, Jake appeared, holding the Nano-blade. (1,600 ATK)

“She may be weaker than your Beelze Frog,” said Gears, “but she automatically wins when she attacks a Monster that’s Level 3 or less. Like Beelze Frog.

“So... Destroy Beelze Frog!”

Nanobreaker slashed at the evil Frog with her sword, and it exploded into a cloud of ash.

“I end my turn...” he said.

Menzoberra made a draw.

“Okay, Gears...” she said. “The first thing I’m going to do is activate the effect of Treeborn Frog... And Special Summon it from my Graveyard.”

The small, winged Frog appeared, shielding itself with its flippers. (100 DEF)

“Then I set this, and end my turn.”

A reversed card appeared behind Treeborn Frog.

Gears made a draw.

Okay... he thought, the reversed Monster clearly isn’t another Flip Flop Frog, because she didn’t flip it herself...

But that doesn’t mean the other card isn’t another Froggy Forcefield...

He paused. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

Aw, heck...

He set the card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. Then he played another card, and a set Monster appeared.

“Nanobreaker, attack the hidden Monster!”

Nanobreaker charged at the card. Morphing Jar appeared on it, and she tore it to shreds.

Gears quickly discarded the three cards in his hand, and then they both made five draws.

“It’s your move...” he said.

Menzoberra lowered her veil again, the evil smile on her lips once again. She drew a card.

Her facedown card lifted up.

“First, I activate Symbol of Heritage,” she said. “Because I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this Equip Spell lets me Special Summon one of them.”

One Des Frog reappeared. (1,900 ATK)

“Next,” she said, “I remove one Monster in my Graveyard from play with the word ‘Frog’ in its name...”

She took Swap Frog from her discard slot, and placed it in a pouch on her belt.

“...in order to summon Ronintoadin from there.”

A new amphibian appeared, this one with green skin with red designs, standing upright on its hind legs, with definite Japanese features. It wore a belt that held a bamboo sheath (but no sword) wore a leaf on its head, and held a reed in its mouth. (100 ATK)

“Then...” she said. “I sacrifice all three of my Monsters...”

The Treeborn Frog, Des Frog, and Ronintoadin vanished into orbs of light...

A triple sacrifice?? thought Gears.

A new Frog appeared, one that had pebbly, orange skin, large sacks on its cheeks, and feathered wings on its back. (1,400 ATK)

“Meet Amphibian Angel,” said Menzoberra.

“Uh...” said Gears. “Not very strong for a Monster that needed three sacrifices...”

“It only needed one,” replied Menzoberra. “But for each one, it gained an effect. For one sacrifice, you can’t attack it if I have at least one other Monster.

“For two, all Spells and Traps on the field are now destroyed!”

Gears’s Half or Nothing was blown to shards.

“And for three...” she continued.

All three Des Frogs appeared again (1,900 x3) followed by Beelze Frog. (2,100 ATK)

Gears looked nervously at the horde of Frogs in front of him... He glanced at one of the cards in his hand...

“Hold it...” he said. “Why bring back Beelze Frog when you could have brought back D.3.S. Frog?”

“I have my reasons,” said Menzoberra. “Not that it’s likely to matter anyway...

“Beelze Frog, it’s payback time! Kill Nanobreaker!”

Nanobreaker braced herself under Beelze Frog’s terrible croak, but she shattered into pieces.

Then the first Des Frog let out a croak, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card. It shattered, and Gears made a draw.

(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,500)

“Attack him directly!” commanded Menzoberra.

The last two Frogs and Amphibian Angel prepared to attack...

“All right, enough!” shouted Gears.

He threw a card on his Disk. A strange object appeared. It looked like a pendulum mechanism shaped like a diabolic bat. (0 ATK)

“Huh?” said Menzoberra.

“Since you declared a direct attack,” said Gears, “my Battle Fader stops your Monster cold, and ends the Battle Phase.”

Menzoberra frowned. She replaced the veil on her face, and set a card in her Disk. A reversed card appeared.

“This is exactly why I didn’t summon D.3.S Frog...” she muttered. “You just don’t know when to quit... You’ll find out exactly why if I have to use that...

“In the meantime...”

She played a Spell Card.

“...I play A Feather of the Phoenix. So I ditch one card...”

She discarded Submarine Frog.

“And I get to take any card in my Graveyard, and place it on top of my deck...”

She took the card from her discard slot.

“Your Des Croaking, I assume?” asked Gears.

“Next round, there’ll be nothing in my Frogs’ way,” she replied. “It’s your move...”

Gears looked at his five cards. Then he quickly drew a sixth.

“I play Pot of Avarice,” he said, playing one of them.

Blind Sucker, Oilman, Garadholg, Nanobreaker, and Drillago fell out of his discard slot.

“After all,” he said, “it’s been a long duel...”

His Disk reshuffled the deck, and he made two draws.

“There we go...” he said. “I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!”

He played the card, and the robotic bird materialized. (1,400 ATK)

“Since that facedown card is clearly something to protect your Des Frogs,” he said, as he discarded a card, “I’m using Cyclone Creator’s effect to get rid of it.”

“Well then...” said Menzoberra, “I’d better activate it now...”

The Trap Card flipped up.

“It’s called Blessing of the Avatar,” she said, holding up the D.3.S. Frog card. “By removing this big guy from play, and paying 1,000 Life Points, all Monsters of the same Type and a lower Level can’t be destroyed this round.

“Too bad, Gears...”

Gears looked at the rest of his cards.

“Then I’ll have to improvise...” he said.

“Since I have a Tuner on the field, I can Special Summon the Monster I just tossed... Quillbolt Hedgehog!”

With a cry, the small groundhog with nuts and bolts in its back leapt onto the field. (800 ATK)

“Then,” he said, as he played a Spell Card, “I’ll play Double Summon, to make a second Normal Summon.

“I’ll sacrifice Battle Fader...”

The small Fiend vanished.

“...for Ally of Justice Lethal Weapon.”

An odd Machine appeared in front of him. It was cylindrical, with numerous small arms at its top, each of which either ended in a claw or a weapon, including a rotary saw, hammer, and a large drill. (2,200 ATK)

Then, the three Machines flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared overhead. They faded into ten stars...

“Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!”

Il Mathman landed gracefully in front of Gears. (2,700 ATK)

“And just how is he going to help?” asked Menzoberra. “What part of ‘can’t be destroyed’ don’t you understand?”

“Because you’ll still take damage if I attack,” replied Gears, as he played a Spell Card. “And by playing Battle-Tuned, I can remove Ally Mind from play, to give him 1,800 more Attack Points.”

(4,500 ATK)

“I have 5,500 Life Points left!” laughed Menzoberra. “Go ahead!”

“I’m not done!” said Gears. “I play the Equip Spell, Fighting Spirit. Now, Il Mathman gains 300 more Attack Points for each Monster you have.”

He played another Spell Card, and Il Mathman glowed with energy. (6,000 ATK)

“Still not enough...” chuckled Menzoberra.

“I have one more card to play,” said Gears, as he played his last card. “Enemy Controller! I’m moving one of your Des Frogs into Defense Mode.”

The central Des Frog shielded itself with its flippers. (0 DEF)

“Well that was stupid,” said Menzoberra. “If it’s in Defense Mode, I won’t take any damage at all if you attack it.

“You have no more cards to play... No Fairy’s Meteor Crush or Big Bang Shot...”

“But you’re overlooking the biggest factor,” replied Gears. “Il Mathman has an effect of his own...”

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“By removing a Machine in my Graveyard from play, Il Mathman assimilates its name and effects for the rest of the turn.

“So now, Il Mathman gains the name and effect of Ally of Justice Thunder Armor. And when it is on the field, and an Ally of Justice attacks a Monster in Defense Mode with less Defense Points than it has Attack Points...”

Menzoberra’s eyes opened wide.

“The difference is taken out of my Life Points!” she shouted.

“You got it!” replied Gears. “Il Mathman, attack the Des Frog in Defense Mode, with Primordial Pulse Blast!”

The Artificer formed a glowing orb in his hands, and hurled it at the defending Des Frog. Menzoberra screamed and was thrown backwards, falling against the back of her clamshell.

(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

Gears took a deep breath, as the Frogs vanished into mist.

Menzoberra sat up.

“Well, not the outcome I would have liked,” she said, “but it was fun, anyway...”

“Fun??” exclaimed Gears.

Menzoberra reclined seductively on the clamshell.

“I’ll bet that Iggwilv and Ember are having a great time right now...” she said.

“Iggwilv?” said Gears. “Is that the Fire Paragon?”

“Uh huh,” said Menzoberra. “And I want to tell you something...

“Rary, Soth, and I were given explicit orders not to kill you guys... But Iggwilv... She wasn’t given that order. She can do pretty much whatever the hell she wants to Ember.

“And right now, the two of them are likely in the middle of a Turbo Shadow Duel...”

“WHAT?” shouted Gears. “Why...”

“Beats me...” said Menzoberra, as the clamshell started to close. “For the amount of money we’re being paid, we don’t ask questions...”

Then it closed, and quickly submerged.

“Gears,” said Il Mathman’s voice, “I fear she wasn’t lying...

“The city you call Rome is now emitting a tremendous amount of negative energy, far too much to be generated by Iggwilv alone.”

“Then what...” said Gears, as he ran to his D-Wheel.

He turned on the scanner, and saw something strange. He expected to see one source of negative energy in Rome that matched the ones that the Paragons had exhibited.

But there wasn’t one source. There were two separate ones.

Two separate beings, each of them powerful sources of negative energy.

Gears started up his bike.

“Ember...” he said, “whatever you’ve gotten into... Let’s hope you aren’t in over your head...”

He didn’t realize that a hobgoblin wearing a trench coat had been watching the duel closer than most of the onlookers.



AMPHIBIAN ANGEL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Aqua/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 5
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 800

Card Description: This card can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing 1, 2, or 3 Monsters. This card gains the following effects depending on how many Monsters are Tributed to summon it:
1, 2, or 3: This card cannot be selected as an attack target so long as you control at least one other Monster.
2 or 3: When this card is Tribute Summoned, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
3: When this card is Tribute Summoned, Special Summon as many “Frog” Monsters as possible from your Graveyard (except for “Frog the Jam”).

Note: “Amphibian Angel” was first used by Princess Rose in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Happily Never After”. The effect given above is not 100% confirmed, but is an estimation based on how it was used. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BLESSING OF THE AVATAR (Trap Card)


Normal Trap

Image: Six Samurai Irou and Six Samurai Zanji charging towards an unseen enemy, as the phantom form of Determined Daredevil appears above them.

Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points and remove from play 1 Fusion or Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Until the End Phase of the turn, face-up Monsters of the same Type as the removed Monster that are a lower Level cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects.



Next:

Jetta: It took willpower and a great deal of patience to wait as long as I did. I was tempted so many times to break down the door of my cell and fly to freedom, not caring for the consequences.

But the thought of foul creatures like the one Ember and I are facing now getting what they wanted convinced me to wait. I’m free now, and though it’s been a while, this battle will restore my energy to what it was before. Jetta the Bronze-Hearted flies again!

“Savage Colosseum” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Olga, Harpy Visionary

Many Duel Monsters have more than a passing resemblance to certain Shadowkind. But three Duel Monsters who certainly do not are the three Harpie Lady Sisters. They have about as much resemblance to real harpies as the most handsome humans have to gorillas. Real harpies are not nearly as attractive as Mai Kujaku’s signature Monsters, resembling savage humans with vulture’s legs, tails, and wings. Also, there are male harpies, although mated pairs don’t stay together long. A mixed-gender pack is always a mother and her offspring, who stay together until they mature.

The only thing truly beautiful about a real harpy (note the spelling) is its song, which they use to mesmerize prey (anything weaker than themselves) and draw it close in order to rip apart with their claws.

One legend claims that the first harpy was a beautiful elven witch-queen, who often took the form of a golden eagle to spy on her subjects. She shared this power with her children, all of whom had been fathered by men whom she seduced and enslaved. The key to transforming was a magical tiara, which was also how they transformed back.

But the wicked queen was defeated by a great hero, who forced her into exile and took the tiara. She and her unsavory children were cursed with half-bird forms for the rest of their days, and they propagated a whole new race that became the harpies. The alluring song of the harpy is a legacy of the witch-queen’s sinister enchantment.

Is the story real? One who truly believes it is a harpy herself, and her name is Olga. Born in Canada, Olga captured a halfling who offered to tell her something interesting if his life was spared. She said she would think about it; but when she heard the legend of the witch-queen, she became so excited by the possibility, that she did indeed let him go, ignoring the rumblings in her stomach. Olga saw potential in the story... If her forbearers had once been beautiful elves who had been cursed with savage forms, could not the beauty be regained?

Olga has since devoted her life to finding out everything about this lost witch-queen, along with everything she can dig up about anti-curse magic. She realizes that the stolen tiara is likely still on the homeworld of Shadow, but she thinks there must be some way to duplicate its magic.

Most other Shadows think her quest misguided. Other harpies see her as an oddball (most of them have no problem with what they are) and anyone with intelligence who will speak to a harpy often tells her that even if the legend is true, she is clearly not cursed. She cannot be changed back into an elf because she simply never was one; the witch-queen and her offspring created a new race, and that race cannot change back to what sired it. Olga counters this argument by saying that if magic can permanently change someone like that, couldn’t it be done a second time?

Olga has not had much success in her quest. Finding a place that will let her in to do research is hard. The veil that conceals Shadowkind hides her true appearance from humans, but even they are put off by the stench that harpies often exude. She has even less luck getting into Shadow-run establishments, as most Shadows believe – without due cause – that harpies are uncivilized beasts. Olga has gradually been trying to adapt to civilization, but it’s hard. After so many years of eating raw meat, the roast beef offered by Mundanes isn’t very appetizing. But she feels the rewards will make up for it if she is successful. She dreams of a day when she casts her savage form aside and assumes the lovely body of an elf maiden...


Story Ideas: Olga’s dream is slowly becoming an obsession. In her search for anti-curse magic that could possibly devolve her to what her species previously was, she might do anything, or work for anyone.

Olga is still half-savage, and could be dangerous if made angry. She still keeps a nest in a mountain aerie in British Columbia, and considers the area in a three-mile radius to be her territory. In this place, she is the most dangerous to deal with, and will act like any other harpy here, using her enchanting song to lure prey near, and then tear them apart.

Away from home, she is more approachable. She is even willing to deal with the Shadowchasers in a civil manner if they help her find the piece of information she is currently looking for.

And one can’t forget, Olga has one advantage that most Shadowkind and Shadowchasers don’t have – she can fly. This advantage can come into play in many different ways.


Deck Suggestions: Olga only duels when she is away from her nest, and in a civilized mood. In those times, she doesn’t use a Harpie Deck (way too obvious). Instead, she uses a Cyber Girl Deck similar to the one used by Asuka, which uses Cyber Blader and the three Cyber Angels as the power players. The Cyber Girls represent the type of creature she wants to become – beautiful, but still powerful.

[mario72486]

Frogs...the bane of my existence over the weekend. Well, it was more along the lines of Frog Monarch, but the Swap/Ronintoad strategy was in full swing. You used the strategy nicely, though. The sounds of what Ember is facing makes me intrigued on what we'll see next chapter. A Turbo Shadow Duel? Yikes...

There's one thing that's been bugging me for a while. It would appear that everyone is packing Morphing Jar, and in every single chapter, about midway through every duel, that card is used. To be honest, It feels like a bit of a cop-out to keep using this method to replenish both players' hands. It'd be nice to see a duel at some point that doesn't utilize Morphing Jar at all.

But that's just me.

[Dark Sage]

It wasn't used in the duel with Rary. If I can avoid usng it, I will. But sometimes, I cannot.

And sometimes, one player simply needs more cards, or the outline grinds to a halt, and I simply cannot finish it. One or both players need more cards, or I must start the whole outline over. It's a choice between using Morphing Jar, which is a legitimate and real card, or the anime version of Card of Sanctity, which is the king of all cop-outs. I was downright sick of this broken card being used by everyone in every fanfic, so I chose the legitimate card.

[Lord Almaz]

Nothing wrong with that. I bet in real life, players of the card game have to use it because there is no legit drawing card that works like that and sticking to the banned list is very very hard. That's what's been giving my idea for a future Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic an obstacle - I know I can write duels half-decent, but using the Advanced format of today? Yuck, without any means of drawing cards beyond Jar of Greed or Morphing Jar, it's almost impossible. You are a much better duelist-writer than I.

Anyways, I've been busy with this new Sims 3 expansion and busting ghosts in Twinbrook bayou, so it's hard for me to multi-task and write. Still, I'm supporting your fanfics Brian, and if you decide to write other types of fanfics after you finish this - if you need any aid in ideas for Storming Heaven's Gate, ding me, I would love to help you brainstorm ideas! - I'll support you even if I don't know anything about the fandom.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-SIX

Rome.

A city built on seven hills, it was a proud metropolis, where the history of the once-great Roman Empire and the history of Italy were combined into one. The Vatican was nestled in the center of this city, and testaments to its ancient times still stood in the form of ruined buildings, now protected as national treasures.

Ember was exiting the portal at the same time Gears was emerging into Paris, and she was a little nervous. Frankly, she would have preferred to go to Paris. She was familiar with French (she had been a member of the French Club in high school) but Italian was pretty much unknown to her.

She looked around.

“Any idea where she is?” she asked.

Jetta materialized behind her.

“I think she’s waiting for us up ahead,” she said, pointing down the street.

Ember lifted an eyebrow. Jetta was pointing to the Roman Colosseum.

Likely the most well-known landmark in the city, the Colosseum was built in the 1st Century AD, used for gladiatorial contests, athletic events, dramas... Practically anything that could be shown in front of a large audience. Although it was now partially ruined due to earthquakes and stone-robbers, it still stood as the iconic symbol of Imperial Rome.

Ember slowly drove her D-Wheel up to the base of the huge structure. Not many tourists were around at this hour.

She wondered what she was going to do. It would be very hard to sneak in...

“Zeyeye must be slipping if she lost to you,” said a female voice.

Ember turned her head quickly. She had noticed the woman standing there, but had assumed she was a prostitute.

She was certainly dressed like a harlot, in a spandex mini-skirt, a halter, and stiletto heels. She had auburn hair, and the darkest eyebrows Ember had ever seen.

“You know Zeyeye?” she said, not in the friendliest tone.

“We met once or twice,” said the strange woman.

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Iggwilv, the Holocaust Assassin.”

“An assassin who dresses like a call girl?” asked Ember.

“You’d be surprised how many times the outfit let me get close to a victim,” said Iggwilv. “I might have even been able to sneak up to you if I hadn’t spoken up...”

Flames shrouded her two hands.

“But... I much prefer another way...”

Then everything went dark...

* * * * * * * * * *

When Ember opened her eyes, she appeared to be in the very center of the Colosseum.

The thing was, it wasn’t in ruins any more. It looked brand new.

She looked up, and saw rolling clouds in the dark sky.

There was a roar of a noisy motorcycle, and Iggwilv drove in front of her, riding a fiery D-Wheel, now wearing a leather riding suit and a helmet.

“Where... are... we?” demanded Ember.

“We’re in the Darkfell,” replied Iggwilv, with a sinister smile. “This is a realm that exists parallel to your world, much like the Feywild does.

“But rather than being ruled by fey lords, it’s inhabited by some of the foulest undead creatures imaginable. The souls of the worst murderers and sadists come here when they die, where they’re twisted into dark abominations.

“Rapists, pedophiles, TV reality show hosts...”

She grinned.

“Anyway... Darkfell has versions of many Earth cities in it, including Rome... But here there were no earthquakes or bandits to reduce the Colosseum to ruins.”

“Okay, that’s the where,” said Ember. “Now tell me why you’ve brought us here.”

Iggwilv grinned again.

“I needed someplace where we can duel safely,” she said. “The deck I’m going to be using for this particular duel uses some pretty serious firepower.

“And I don’t want any of the Italian Shadowchasers to interrupt our battle. So I have to avoid making any flashy explosions that they can see...

“Or burning the entire city of Rome to the ground!”

“WHAT?” shouted Ember. “Just how ‘serious’ is this firepower?”

“Serious enough that it’s impossible to use it without the duel turning into a Shadow Duel,” replied Iggwilv. “So you’d best be prepared for one.”

Ember looked at her.

“Did I mention you have no choice?” asked Iggwilv. “The portal won’t open again until the duel is finished.

“Of course, you could try to just leave out the front gate... But then you’d leave the protective aura of this Colosseum, and would have the natives of Darkfell to deal with. They don’t like visitors, and wouldn’t be the least bit impressed by that mark on your face.”

Ember started up her D-Wheel.

“That’s it,” said Iggwilv.

She hit a command on her dashboard.

“Naturally, we’ll still be using the Speed World Field Spell.”

The shimmering void of Speed World covered the whole arena.

“Now, get ready,” said the Paragon of Fire. “As they say on your world, it’s gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight!”

The two of them sped off from the starting point.

“Let’s make a deal!” laughed Iggwilv. “First one to get to the first turn makes the first draw!”

“You’re on!” replied Ember, as she stepped on the gas.

The two D-Wheels sped towards the far end of the Colosseum...

Then Iggwilv gave Ember’s D-Wheel a fierce kick. As Ember struggled to regain control, Iggwilv sped past her.

“Boy...” said Iggwilv. “Seems a lot of you good guys fall for that trick!

“So I go first...”

“Dirty, rotten...” said Ember.

(Ember: 8,000, 0 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (Iggwilv: 8,000, 0 SPC)

“I toss three cards facedown,” said Iggwilv, as three reversed cards appeared, “and then summon Blast Asmodian.”

A nasty little Fiend holding two grenades, with several more grenades on its belt, appeared flying in front of Iggwilv’s bike. (1,000 ATK)

“That should do it for now,” she said, as the three reversed cards faded from view.

“My move...” said Ember.

She drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 1.

“I summon Evocator Chevalier!” she shouted.

A flaming portal opened, and the fiery Warrior appeared. (1,900 ATK)

“Attack!” she shouted. “Destroy Blast Asmodian!”

Evocator Chevalier did a 180 and flew towards the Fiend.

“Did you think these were bluffs?” asked Iggwilv, as one of her facedown cards spun around. “I activate... Fairy Box!

“Now, a coin is gonna toss, and if I call it right, your Monster’s Attack Score falls all the way to zero.”

There was a burst of flame on her rear engine, and a gold coin shot up out of it. It started to spin around on the pavement.

“Heads!” she shouted.

The coin came to a stop. It was indeed heads.

Blast Asmodian cackled, and hurled one of its grenades, blowing Chevalier to particles.

Ember frowned, and set a card on her dashboard. A set card appeared, and then faded from view.

“Your move...” she said.

“I’d like to activate another Trap first...” replied Iggwilv.

Another of her set cards spun around.

“Solemn Wishes,” she said. “Now I’ll draw...”

She made a draw.

“And I gain 500 Life Points... But I have to pay them to keep Fairy Box.”

(E: 7,000, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 8,000, 2 SPC)

“Blast Asmodian... Direct attack!”

The nasty Fiend cackled as it hurled its grenades, and Ember’s bike shuddered as explosions erupted to either side of her.

“That will be all for now...”

Ember quickly drew a card.

Okay... she thought. Fifty-fifty chance...

(E: 6,000, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 8,000, 3 SPC)

“I summon the Blue Flame Swordsman!” she shouted.

With a battlecry, the fiery blue Warrior leapt out in front of her bike. (1,800 ATK)

“Now, let’s try this again...”

Blue Flame Swordsman rushed at Blast Asmodian...

“Go, Fairy Box!” laughed Iggwilv.

The energy coin tossed again.

“Heads!” she shouted.

The coin spun.

It was tails.

“You lost that toss,” said Ember. “And as a result, your Blast Asmodian is a loser as well...”

Blue Flame Swordsman made a slash with his blade, cutting the nasty imp in two.

“That’s okay!” laughed Iggwilv, as her last reversed card spun around. “I have one more Trap...

“Begone, Knave!”

Ember gasped as Blue Flame Swordsman vanished, its card reappearing on her gauntlet.

“Now, any Monster that does battle damage goes back to the owner’s hand!” laughed the Paragon.

“Make... your... move...” growled Ember

Iggwilv laughed again as she made her draw.

(E: 6,000, 2 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,200, 4 SPC)

“I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes,” she said, “then I pay 500 to keep Fairy Box...

“Then I summon Stray Asmodian!”

In a burst of fire, a weird-looking Fiend appeared. Its limbless body was covered with a dark robe, and its head had three faces (red, blue, and green), with a stone spout on top that was spewing out flames. (1,300 ATK)

“Attack her directly!” she cheered.

Stray Asmodian blew flames from its central mouth, and Ember grunted as they hit her.

“Hey!” shouted Ember. “The effect of Begone, Knave applies to all Monsters! That attack is going to leave you wide open!”

Stray Asmodian vanished, the card reappearing on Iggwilv’s gauntlet.

“I know that,” she replied. “But I’m not worried... After all, I have two layers of protection with my two Traps...

“So attack me if you dare... My turn is over.”

(E: 4,700, 1 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,200, 4 SPC)

Ember made a draw. Her Speed Counters went up a notch.

“Well, what do you know...” she muttered, looking at the card.

She tossed it on her dashboard.

“I summon Tenkabito Shien!” she shouted.

With a galloping of hooves and the whiney of a horse, Shien appeared next to Ember’s bike, keeping pace with his fiery steed. (1,500 ATK)

“Go ahead!” laughed Iggwilv. “Attack!”

“Oh, I sure will,” replied Ember. “You know about Shien’s effect? He’s immune to Traps!”

“Say what?” said Iggwilv, in shock.

“That means his Attack Score can’t be reduced to zero by Fairy Box,” continued Ember, “and he can’t be sent back to my hand by Begone, Knave!

“So good luck dodging this!”

Shien galloped up to the side of Iggwilv’s bike, and made a slash at her with his nodachi blade. Iggwilv let out a yelp of pain.

“All right, sister...” she growled. “You hurt me... And I don’t like being hurt...

“It’s my move...”

She drew a card.

(E: 4,700, 3 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 5,700, 4 SPC)

Her Life Point counter went up to 6,200 due to Solemn Wishes, then back down to 5,700 due to Fairy Box.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

“Mmm!” she said.

Ember made her draw.

“I summon Great Angus!” she shouted.

With a loud bellow, the humanoid, hornless bull flew out of the flaming portal. Fire blew from its jaws. (1,800 ATK)

“Shien, destroy her Monster!” commanded Ember.

Shien galloped out in front of Ember, towards Iggwilv’s bike, and Sangan appeared on the card. Shien made a cut with his blade, and it was blown to shards.

Iggwilv smiled evilly. A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

Then she looked at it, and her eyes glowed like burning hot coals...

“Great Angus, attack her directly!” ordered Ember.

The Beast blew flames from its maw. Fairy Box glowed, and the energy coin flipped again.

“Heads again!” laughed Iggwilv.

The coin spun, but it was tails this time too. However, Iggwilv barely flinched as Great Angus’s flames covered her.

Begone, Knave glowed, and Great Angus vanished, appearing back in Ember’s hand.

Ember paused.

“I... end my turn,” she said Ember.

Something’s wrong, she thought. Something changed when she pulled that card with Sangan...

“Hey, Michiko,” said Iggwilv, making a draw. “You know that ‘serious firepower’ I mentioned?”

(E: 4,700, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,900, 5 SPC)

“We’re going to see it now, right after I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and pay them for Fairy Box...

“You see, the card I mentioned is what I used Sangan to search for.”

“HUH?” said Ember. “But... Sangan can only search for weak Monsters...”

“This Monster’s Attack Score may be low to start off,” replied Iggwilv, “but it’s far from weak...

“I send Solemn Wishes, Begone, Knave, and Fairy Box to the Graveyard...”

The three Trap Cards erupted into three hellish bonfires. Lightning flashed...

Sending three Trap Cards to the Graveyard? thought Ember. What...

Then the realization of what her opponent was summoning came to her.

“No... No!” she gasped. “It couldn’t be!”

“Oh, but it is, Michiko!” laughed Iggwilv, as a colossal form started to appear behind her.

Ember looked behind her in fear as the whole creature came into view. The size of a building, it resembled Slifer the Sky Dragon at first glance, but when viewed for more than a glance, it was clearly a demon, not a god, an evil and twisted parody of the Egyptian God Entity.

“Behold the almighty power... Of Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!”

The Sacred Beast let out a great roar that shook the whole Colosseum. (0 ATK)

“HOW??” screamed Ember. “The Sacred Beasts were lost in another dimension after Judai confronted Yubel!”

“Nothing that is lost cannot be found,” replied Iggwilv. “You know how Uria’s Attack Score works, smarty pants? It only starts at zero. It gains 1,000 points for each Continuous Trap in my Graveyard!”

Solemn Wishes, Begone, Knave, and Fairy Box appeared behind her. They floated up to Uria’s maw, and it snapped them up like a snack. (3,000 ATK)

“Then there’s its other effect...” she continued. “The ability to destroy one set Spell or Trap per round.”

Uria roared, and Ember’s set Martyr’s Flame was reduced to particles.

“I’m not done yet,” continued Iggwilv. “Since I haven’t Normal Summoned yet, I’m going to summon Abaki.”

She played a card, and an ugly-looking ogre with red skin and horns holding a kanabo appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Abaki, teach that Shien a lesson, would you?” she said.

Abaki flew up to Tenkabito Shien, and with one mighty smash, reduced him to shards.

Ember was close to panic. She had absolutely nothing between her and one of the most ruthless demons ever summoned in this game...

“Michiko, hold on!” shouted Jetta’s voice.

Ember felt Jetta wrap her arms around her from behind. She quickly understood... She was going to help brace her.

She just hoped it worked...

“Uria...” commanded Iggwilv. “Attack directly with Hyper Blaze!”

Ember screamed as a blast of flame as intense as a forest wildfire surrounded her bike. As Jetta struggled to bear the brunt of it, Ember struggled to keep the D-Wheel from crashing.

“Heh, heh...” said Iggwilv, looking at the cloud of smoke. “If she’s even able to get up, she’ll likely start begging for mercy now...”

Then, to her shock, Ember drove out of the cloud of ash. Her outfit was burned and scorched, and her D-Wheel had seen better days, but she was still driving it.

(E: 1,500, 2 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,900, 5 SPC)

“You ruined the paint job, bitch,” she cursed. “Now I’m mad...”

“What the Hell are you made of??” gasped Iggwilv.

Ember didn’t respond.

“Just finish your turn,” she said.

I don’t know what I’m made of, she thought, but whoever made me sure didn’t skimp on the materials...

Still, I have to sound tougher than I really am to keep her off guard. I won’t survive another blast like that... Not duel-wise, or literally.

Iggwilv threw a card on her console, and a reversed card appeared.

“Your move...” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the dark cavern with the pool, the aboleth was half-submerged, watching the duel intently using one of its viewing portals.

A shadowy figure walked into the cavern.

“Master,” said the figure. “I’m concerned about this whole situation. Finding Uria was hard enough... I’m sure you know that demons this powerful are incredibly hard to control.

“Did you give the card to Iggwilv because you thought she could do so... Or because you thought she was stupid enough to try?”

“A little of both, actually,” replied the aboleth’s telepathic voice. “But we really didn’t have much choice.

“We have no idea at this point what Jetta’s abilities are as a Duel Spirit. So we had to push Michiko harder than she’s ever been pushed.

“We must give her no choice but to summon Jetta to combat Uria. Once she does, we can learn Jetta’s capabilities.”

“It’s entirely possible that Ember will be blown to Kingdom Come before she manages,” replied the minion.

“A valid concern,” replied the aboleth. “But that was a risk that we had to take. For now, let’s simply watch.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Don’t despair, Michiko!” urged Ember. “This could be a lot worse...”

“Worse??” replied Ember. “Explain to me how this could be worse! Even Judai had a hard time with the Sacred Beasts!”

“Well, uhm...” said Jetta. “Unlike him, you’re only facing one Sacred Beast.”

Ember sighed, and made a draw. She looked at her hand of six cards.

Hey... she thought. I just had the craziest idea...

She played a card, and Blue Flame Swordsman appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

“Slay her Abaki!” she shouted. “Flaming sword of battle!”

The Warrior roared, and brought his sword down on the ogre. Abaki exploded in a flaming blast.

“Not bad,” said Iggwilv, “but when Abaki bites the big one, both players take 500 points of damage.”

Ember groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her.

“I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn,” she said.

Two reversed cards appeared, and then faded from view.

Iggwilv couldn’t help but grin as she made a draw.

(E: 1,000, 4 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,300, 7 SPC)

Pathetic, she thought. Her plan is obvious... She knows that Uria can only use its effect to destroy a set card once per turn. One of her facedown cards is something potent, while the other is a decoy. She’s hoping that I aim for the decoy.

What she doesn’t know is, I’m prepared for just such an occasion...

She played a card, Stray Asmodian appeared again. (1,300 ATK) Then a Speed Spell appeared in front of her.

“With my Counters at least five, I can play Strobe Light!” she exclaimed. “It lets me select one of your set cards and take a look at it.

“So... Why don’t we see what the one on the right is?”

The image of a card appeared on her dashboard, and then turned around. It was Sakuretsu Armor.

She laughed out loud.

“Well, now that I know which card is the true Trap,” she said. “Uria, destroy that one!”

Uria roared, and Sakuretsu Armor was blown to shards.

“Time to fry...” she said. “Uria... Incinerate her Warrior!”

The Lord of Searing Flames roared again.

“Sucker...” said Ember.

“Huh?” said Ember.

“Whoever said one of my cards was a decoy?” said Ember, as her other set card spun around. “You only assumed that.”

“The Transmigration Prophesy?” asked Iggwilv. “I don’t get it...”

“This Trap lets me return two cards in either Graveyard to the owners’ decks,” replied Ember. “So... If I send Solemn Wishes and Begone, Knave back to your deck...”

Iggwilv gasped. Uria roared, but this time it was in anguish. (1,000 ATK)

“And it’s too late for you to call off your attack!” shouted Ember. “Blue Flame Swordsman... Destroy that abomination!”

Blue Flame Swordsman flew up to the titanic demon, and with one mighty swipe of his sword, struck its head off. Uria fell to the arena floor with a crash, and both D-Wheels sped away from the explosion and backdraft created by the impact.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“I’m not beaten yet, little girl...” cursed Iggwilv.

Her own set card lifted up.

“I activate the Trap Card, Great Fall! Since a Level 10 Monster was destroyed, I get to draw two cards...”

She made two draws.

“I think I’ll set one of them...”

A new reversed card appeared.

“...and I end my turn...”

Ember took a deep breath. She made a draw.

(E: 1,000, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 2,500, 8 SPC)

“I summon Flamvell Dragnov!” she shouted.

In a burning flare, the fiery Dragon appeared flying next to Blue Flame Swordsman. (1,100 ATK)

“Blue Flame Swordsman, destroy Stray Asmodian!”

The Warrior made a deep cut with his blade, and the weird Fiend burst into a cloud of ash.

“You triggered my Trap!” exclaimed Iggwilv, as her facedown card spun around. “Hallowed Life Barrier! Now, all damage to me this round is reduced to zero.

“I simply have to toss one of my cards...”

She discarded a card from her hand.

“And furthermore, thanks to Stray Asmodian’s effect, we both gain 800 Life Points.”

(E: 1,800, 5 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,300, 8 SPC)

“Then I end my turn...” said Ember.

Iggwilv made a draw, her Speed Counters rising to nine.

“I toss two more cards facedown,” she said, “and then summon Battle Footballer.”

Two reversed cards appeared, and then a hulking android wearing a football helmet and jersey appeared beside her bike. (1,000 ATK)

She summoned Battle Footballer in Attack Mode? thought Ember. Makes no sense... Everyone knows that Monster is better in Defense Mode...

This has trap written all over it...

“I end my turn,” said Iggwilv.

Ember made a draw. She looked at the card.

“Sorry, Iggwilv, but I’m not falling for it,” she said. “I’m going to pass this turn.”

“Suit yourself,” chuckled Iggwilv, making a draw.

(E: 1,800, 7 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 3,300, 10 SPC)

“Trap Card number one,” she said, as one of her facedown cards lifted. “Embodiment of Apophis!”

In a flash of light, the two-headed serpentine Trap-Monster made famous by Rishid Ishtar leapt out in front of Iggwilv’s D-Wheel, holding its scimitar menacingly. (1,600 ATK)

“Next...” she said, “Trap Card number two...”

Her second facedown card lifted up.

“Immortal Class! Now, I can sacrifice two Monsters...”

Battle Footballer and Embodiment of Apophis vanished into orbs of light.

“...in order to Special Summon a Level 7 or higher Monster from my Graveyard.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ember. “The only Level 7 or higher Monster in your Graveyard is...”

She stopped short.

“You don’t mean...”

“That’s right, Michiko!” laughed Iggwilv. “This Trap Card can disregard the summoning conditions of three specific NOMIs.”

Lightning flashed again.

“So, once again... Arise, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames!”

With a roar that was clearly angrier than before, Uria rose over the Colosseum, and glared menacingly at Ember and her two Monsters.

“Not again...” muttered Ember.

“And since the card I tossed to activate Hallowed Life Barrier was Skull Lair,” continued Iggwilv, “I have three Continuous Trap Cards in my Graveyard once again, making Uria just as powerful as it was before.”

(3,000 ATK)

“You’re through! Uria, wipe out Flamvell Dragnov with Hyper Blaze!”

Uria slowly opened its flaming jaws...

“I activate Blue Flame Swordsman’s effect!” shouted Ember. “I’ll reduce his Attack Score all the way to zero, and give the Attack Points to Flamvell Dragnov!”

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to zero Attack Points, while Dragnov shot up to 2,900. Uria blasted its bolt of burning hellfire, but the impact that would have likely knocked the life out of Ember was reduced to a mere quivering of her D-Wheel as Flamvell Dragnov shattered.

“And guess what?” said Ember. “When Flamvell Dragnov is destroyed by battle, you lose 500 Life Points.”

Iggwilv growled.

“I end my turn!” she shouted.

(E: 1,700, 7 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 2,800, 10 SPC)

Ember made a draw.

She groaned. Any other time she would have been delighted to draw her Draining Shield, but if she set it now, Uria would just destroy it.

She looked at her other cards. Slowly, a new plan was starting to form...

She stashed the Trap Card on her gauntlet and chose another card.

“I set a Monster,” she said, “and move Blue Flame Swordsman to Defense Mode.”

Blue Flame Swordsman sheathed his sword, and shielded himself. (1,600 DEF) Then a reversed Monster appeared.

“It’s your move...”

Iggwilv made a draw, as her Speed Counters hit the maximum. Flames shot out of her engines as they shifted into the highest gear.

She played a card, and Molten Zombie appeared in front of her D-Wheel. (1,600 ATK)

“Uria... Fry her Blue Flame Swordsman!” she ordered.

Uria blasted its blazing death, and Blue Flame Swordsman was no more...

Or was he? In an aura of red flames, the real Flame Swordsman appeared where his lesser incarnation had been. (1,800 ATK)

“This is getting annoying,” said Iggwilv. “Molten Zombie, the hidden Monster!”

The undead Pyro breathed a cloud of flame at the concealed card. UFO Turtle peeked out of its shell before the blast hit, and it was blown to shards.

Ember threw a card on her Disk, and Flamvell Archer appeared. (1,000 ATK)

Iggwilv looked at the last card in her hand, which was Staunch Defender.

She set it, and it appeared facedown.

“Make your move...” she said.

Ember drew a card, and her Speed Counters clicked up to 10.

“Ready?” she whispered.

“I’m more than ready,” replied Jetta. “It may have been awhile, but if I live a million years, I’ll never lose my touch. My race was always warriors. I could fight long before I became a Titan.”

“I sacrifice my Archer,” exclaimed Ember.

Flamvell Archer vanished into an orb of light.

“...for Flamvell Commando!”

In an aura of flames, the Pyro soldier, appeared, holding his heavy duty flamethrower. (2,200 ATK)

“Next, I play Speed Spell – Summon Speeder,” she said, as she played a Spell Card. “I can now Special Summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge from my hand.”

The portal opened, and the Warrior Tuner that looked just like her in black leather holding a dagger flew out onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

“Now I can Tune together her and Flamvell Commando to bring someone back who’s been gone a long time...”

The Warrior and the Pyro flew into the sky, and the three burning suns appeared, casting sunlight upon the Darkfell for what may have been the first time in centuries. The two Monsters faded into ten glowing stars.

Ember chanted.

“Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!”

In an aura of super-intense fire, Jetta appeared in all her glory. She held up her right hand, and a blade of flame shot from her arm. Then, in a flash, the blade of flame turned into a long, bronze kopesh.

(2,800 ATK)

“Oh, I’m so scared,” chuckled Iggwilv.

Or I would be, she thought, If I didn’t have Staunch Defender set. As soon as she attacks Molten Zombie, it will force that bimbo and her Flame Swordsman to attack Uria, and victory will be mine.

“Don’t count your chickens yet,” said Ember. “Jetta gains 200 Attack Points times the combined Levels of all Fire-Attribute Monsters on the field, other than herself. You do math.”

“Wait...” said Iggwilv.

She looked at Molten Zombie.

“Four...”

She looked at Flame Swordsman.

“Five...”

Then at Uria.

“TEN??”

“For a total of nineteen,” said Ember, “so take a look now.”

Jetta burned with an aura of fire fiercer than the light of the noon sun... (6,600 ATK)

“WAIT!” screamed Iggwilv.

“Attack!” shouted Ember. “Slay the Lord of Searing Flames with Nova Blade!”

The Titan flew towards the colossal Sacred Beast, and her sword cleaved the huge demon in twain with one mighty blow...

(E: 1,700, 10 SPC) - - - - - - - - - (I: 0, 0 SPC)

There was an explosion, and the whole Colosseum was awash with fire. Ember screamed as she and her D-Wheel were swept up and pulled through the air, though a portal that appeared overhead... She may well have crashed if Jetta had not helped cushion the impact on the way down.

Still, it was a rough landing.

Back on the streets of Rome, Ember staggered off her bike. She clutched her stomach.

She almost threw up again, but she managed to hold it in this time.

Her cell phone rang.

“Mmm...” she said, answering it.

“Ember!” shouted Gears. “You’re alive!”

“I’m not certain...” replied Ember.

She felt her chest. Her heart was still beating and she was still breathing.

“Yeah, I’m alive... Boy, have I got a story for you...”

“It seems we’re all safe for the moment,” said Gears. “But we’d best get back to Neo Domino to regroup.”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was noon Japan time when four exhausted Shadowchasers returned to their townhouse in the Tops.

Ember flopped down onto the couch.

“Was it really one of the Sacred Beasts?” asked Jinx.

“Unless Uria was hiding a just-as-evil twin,” replied Ember, “yeah.”

“These guys definitely don’t fool around,” said Shichiro.

Boris rushed into the lounge with a tray of lemonade.

“I’m glad you guys made it back,” he said. “Jalal called about half an hour ago. He said he was concerned. He was planning on calling back as soon as he changed clothes.”

“Changed clothes?” said Gears. “Into what?”

Then the fireplace burned fiercer, and Jalal’s hologram materialized. He had indeed changed clothes. He was wearing his armor.

“Uh, hi boss...” said Shichiro. “Uhm... Any reason why you’re wearing your good suit?”

“I’ll tell you all in a minute,” replied Jalal. “Reports are coming in from all over about the duels you all had in the past two hours.

“I had no idea that the Paragons would hit so hard.”

“Did they...” groaned Jinx. “I’m sore in places I didn’t know I had.”

“Frankly, boss,” said Gears, “we’re lucky to be in one piece. Three of them were under orders not to kill us, so they likely pulled their punches.”

“Ahem!” said Ember.

“And Ember’s opponent had one of the Sacred Beasts in her deck...”

“They’re tricky too,” added Jinx. “Soth claimed to be a master of the Earth Attribute, but not all his Monsters were Earth.”

“This is indeed troubling,” said Jalal. “Perhaps even more troubling is, their names. We don’t know, but there is definitely something strange about the Paragons. All four of them are named after figures mentioned in legends told by Shadowkind. And none of these legendary figures are folks you want to meet.”

“What do you mean?” asked Jinx.

“Well...” started Jalal. “Menzoberra is the one whom the least is known about. Dark elves say that she was the founder of the largest city of their people on the world of Shadow, and also say that her cruelty was unusual, even for a dark elf.

“Iggwilv’s exploits are much better known. Perhaps you’ve heard of the spell, Tasha’s Uncontrollable Hideous Laughter?”

“Yeah,” replied Shichiro. “A spell obviously created by someone with a sick sense of humor.”

“Well, ‘Tasha’ was a pseudonym used by the real Iggwilv,” continued Jalal. “She was a powerful conjurer, so skilled at summoning demons, that she was able to summon and bind Graz’zt himself. The two nonetheless became allies – and occasionally lovers – and caused a great deal of trouble before Graz’zt broke free from her bonds.

“Rary was an archmage, who was a member of a group of aristocrats, but he turned against them, trying to assassinate them to usurp their power. He failed, and formed a rebel kingdom. He was known as Rary the Traitor until his death.

“Soth was perhaps the worst... You may have heard of death knights?”

“We’ve heard stories about them,” said Jinx. “Dark undead lords who were once knights of the highest station, but cursed by the gods themselves for unforgivable crimes, like treason and cold-blooded murder. For their transgressions, they were turned into undead abominations.”

“Well, I don’t know if Soth was the most powerful,” said Jalal, “but he was supposed to be the first. The story of his life – and unlife – could likely fill a book, and some Shadowkind authors have indeed written books about him. Suffice to say he was one of the most despicable criminals that Shadowkind’s homeworld ever knew.”

“So the four Paragons named themselves after four incredibly bad people?” said Gears. “What does it mean?”

“It means, among other things, that these four individuals you fought have some connection to Shadowkind,” replied Jalal.

“It’s kind of weird, too,” said Ember. “I mean, think about it... The names ‘Adolf’ and ‘Benito’ aren’t all too common today, even among radical groups that admire them. Naming yourself after a truly infamous criminal is advertising that you like him, and that’s never wise.”

“These Paragons are clearly a problem,” said Jalal. “But now that the danger is passed, for the moment, I can’t locate them. They are hiding their auras very carefully.

“But anyway, we’ll have to concern ourselves with them later. You asked why I’m wearing my armor.

“Something bad has come up. I’m coming to Neo Domino personally. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

They all looked at him.

“Why?” asked Gears.

“I’ll explain when I get there,” said Jalal, as he vanished.

Boris headed for the kitchen.

“I’ll go warm up the leftover chicken,” he said. “Seems we’re having a fifth person for lunch...”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was now four AM in Paris. Very few folks were on the streets now.

Close to where Gears had dueled Menzoberra, a lone figure lurked.

She was tall, trim, and dressed in a black leather outfit. Her long, blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore dark sunglasses, despite the fact that the sun was not up yet.

Her name was Minerva. Her last name didn’t matter. She had severed ties with her past long ago, and had revoked her citizenship with her native country and all ties to political and ordinary religious groups.

She was loyal only to one being, and to others who had pledged loyalty to that being.

She looked down the street, and saw what she was looking for. She spoke into a special device in her wristwatch.

“Minerva here,” she said. “Target found. Male hobgoblin, about thirty.

“Proceeding alone.”

She started to walk towards the figure who was fifty feet down the street.



[b]SPEED SPELL – SUMMON SPEEDER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Dunames Dark Witch surrounded by the energy of Speed World.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from your hand. The Special Summoned Monster cannot declare an attack this turn.

Note: “Speed Spell – Summon Speeder” was first used by both Yusei and Mukuro in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Surprise, Surprise”. It was used in several episodes after that, by several characters.



IMMORTAL CLASS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Return Zombie and Lizard Soldier in the foreground, with Zoa lurking behind.

Card Description: Tribute two Monsters you control. Select one Level 7 or higher Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it. You can use this effect to Special Summon “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames”, “Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder”, or “Raviel, Lord of Phantasms”, in which case its summoning conditions are disregarded.

Note: “Immortal Class” was first used by Martin (possessed by Yubel) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Unleash the Dragon (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



GREAT FALL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Magician’s Valkyria knocking over the Gate Guardian with a mighty blast of magic.

Card Description: You may activate this card when a Level 10 or greater Monster that you control is destroyed. Draw two cards from your deck.

Note: “Great Fall” first appeared in “Soul of Silicon”. (In that fic, it was a Quickplay Spell Card. Here, I have made a Trap version.)



[b]SPEED SPELL – STROBE LIGHT (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A D-Wheel driving at night, using a high-powered headlight.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one Set Spell or Trap Card on your opponent’s side of the field. Pick up and look at the selected card, and then return it to its original position.



JETTA THE BRONZE-HEARTED (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Pyro/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 10
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: FIRE Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE Monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Increase the ATK of this card by 200 times the combined Levels of all face-up FIRE Monsters on the field, except this one.



Next:

[color=gold]Minerva: Long ago, I swore allegiance to one being. I owe this being everything, and my loyalty is complete and unwavering. Such is my loyalty, that if I was ordered to slay my own family by this being, I would do so. I might sob and cry while I did, and mourn for years afterwards, but I still would.

The orders I have received now are a deviation from the norm, and are somewhat strange... But it is not my place to question them. My mission is one of interrogation, and if a battle of Duel Monsters is necessary to complete it, then that’s what I must do.

Why do I do this? Because my life has no other purpose. When I said I would willingly slay my family, I was speaking hypothetically.

“Earth Chant” is coming soon.[/center]



Shadowchaser Files

Sol Cortyge, Conductor of the Phantom Train

Many people have different views on what happens to people when they die. Is there an afterlife? Or will they cross over the River Styx? While the debates in the Shadow community exist, there is a whisper that spread among the tribes about what would happen to the dead…

They say that when the body dies, the soul remains attached to this world… However, they do not linger for too long, for there is a being that collects these wandering souls – Sol Cortyge, the owner and conductor of the Phantom Train. Each soul collected remains a passenger on his mysterious train, acting as a purgatory until he delivers the souls to the heavens above or to the underworld below.

How he collects the souls is quite a variety, as many of the souls would not face their fate… In front of the train is a large, human-shaped skull that laughs loudly as it tries to devour the very souls and places them into its many cabins. It is rumored that Sol himself is a modern incarnation of Charon, the Ferryman of Hades, or even the Grim Reaper himself (although both are just rumors), due to the fact that any eye witness accounts peg him as a scrawny man (it’s unknown if he's a human or not) with long graying hair, a painfully thin body, dressed in formal attire that some people think is more appropriate for a bartender (save for his conductor hat). There is also a rumor that he keeps a rusty pocket watch that he constantly checks, signifying that he may be a victim of immortality insanity (its unknown what his age truly is).

No matter what, this train is never late to deliver its passengers.

There are even rumors on nights with full moons, when the clock hits a time where the hour, the minute and the second are the same number (example: 7:07:07 p.m.) the ghostly, skeletal train will roam the streets, searching for the souls of the recently departed. However, if a living being was to be in the path of the train at that very second… Well… There might just be an unauthorized passenger on the trip…

For a job like this, it is impossible for one man (if he is a man) like Sol to do it alone, so every once in a while, when either a very noble or very vile soul is on his train, he'll often make them a deal…

"Would you care to try your fate? Or work for me as a sure thing?"

There have been times when his deal has been accepted and times when this deal was declined. What the people don't realize is that when they accept the deal, they become different. Depending on the lives they lived, they either become monstrous parodies of themselves, representing the very sins they committed… Or emerge as beautiful beings in their prime. The only thing is, they become completely loyal to Sol, and almost forget their pasts and memories.

These souls often become guards on the Phantom Train to prevent the other souls from escaping, or as seekers who are sent out to find the wandering spirits. However, there never seem to be more than seven of these dominated spirits at a time. Some say they just faded away, others say Sol himself devoured them in order to continue to live, and some say that they simply bored Sol, and he delivered them to their final destination.

A thing about Sol Cortyge is that he hates wasting time… And often gets mad at those who try to take him off his schedule.


Story Ideas: It is unknown how long Sol has been the Conductor for the Phantom Train. However, during that time, he has become bored with his job and constant repetitiveness. So sometimes, to spice things up, Sol will send his seekers to gather the still living as passengers… Offering them a chance to return to their lives should they properly entertain him.

Even though its unconfirmed if Sol is a Shadowkind, a magical being, or a cursed human soul, the Treaty has recently listed him as an exception. Should he steal the souls of the still living, he will be considered as an outlaw. The problem with this is that he and his train are basically ghosts.

One thing that enrages Sol is the beings that are immortal. For so long has his time been wasted that he wishes he could get one of the living beings who has immortality, especially Jalal. For so long has he wished to offer Jalal his deal, just seeing what would happen to the Dragonborn.

However, there are even some places that the Phantom Train cannot pass through. Holy places, places filled to the brim with magic and some truly diabolical realms.

It goes without saying that Sol is a villain (or just a man who loves his job too much), and tries to get what he desires. He could be the main villain who's simply trying to get Jalal out of hiding by stealing the still living souls of Shadowchasers or he could be a step up villain who was promised many souls in a diabolic plan. Just because he's the conductor, that doesn't mean he's bound to the train (that also applies to his seven acquired servants too), there have been some reports of him in the streets at night.

Some Incantifers believe that even if Sol is not bound to the Phantom Train, it is his greatest weakness. Thy say that if it were destroyed, Sol would cease to exist. Of course, it is likely not easy to derail a ghost train...


Deck Suggestions: One of the few things that keeps Sol from going completely mad is the fact that he loves gambling. If he was ever a normal human, he was clearly a “high roller” back then. (Some even believe he got his current job due to a lost bet.) He considers Duel Monsters a form of gambling, and as such, he runs a pair of gamble decks, one mostly focusing with the Archfiends with their dice rolls (he often has a few copies of Graceful Dice and Skull Dice). He also has the Ritual Monster Dark Master Zorc hidden inside his deck somewhere. His other deck relies mostly on cards that use coin tosses, such as Fairy Box, Abare Ushioni, and Time Wizard, although it still has a few dice roll cards as well.

As for his seven followers, their decks are based on their past lives, so if they were duelists in their lives they use their own decks. If not, then Sol creates a random strategy for them. This can range from the Counter Fairies to Frogs to even Warriors. One thing to note is that Sol has all seven of them keep his two favorite cards in their decks at all times – Graceful Dice and Skull Dice – as a reminder that they serve him.

Sol Cortyge was a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-SEVEN

Oblivious to the fact that the strange woman was walking towards him, a hobgoblin in a trenchcoat and a battered old hat, with a Duel Disk on his arm, was standing on a corner, drinking from a flask of whiskey and talking on a mobile.

This hobgoblin – Burt was his name – was the same hobgoblin who had been watching the duel between Menzoberra and Gears, and he was now speaking to Csimith.

Of course, he didn’t know the name of his employer, or even that Csimith was an ophidia. The phone number he called was beyond his abilities to trace; Taramanda’s men used a very special private line that couldn’t be found even in the unlisted directories. The only one who might be able to trace the number was a shadowjack with more skill than the shadowjack who had programmed it.

Still, he was willing to be their eyes and ears in Paris, because the money deposited into his account every week was considerable. And the rare cards he got as bonus pay were nice too.

Thing was, Burt had been a snitch all his life, and he would likely have turned in his own mother if the pay was good enough. He had no loyalty to anyone, other than himself.

“Yeah, I saw it,” he said into the phone. “This lady was standing on a clamshell, and she was dressed like some erotic dancer.

“And I don’t mean like some college student who works bachelor parties to make money... I mean the kind of erotic dancer who works at the kind of place uptown where folks like me can’t even afford the entrance fee!

“Huh? I dunno... Maybe she was a wizard. I have yet to meet a wizard who wasn’t eccentric. Anyway, she used a Frog Deck.

“That’s right, Frogs.

“I dunno, I never tasted frog’s legs. Only very expensive restaurants serve them. I’m more of a fish ‘n chips kind of guy. But anyway...”

Then he was interrupted, as the phone flew from his hand. He looked up, to see Minerva pointing a glowing sword at him.

“Wha...” he said.

“Okay, talk...” she said. “I want information about the duel you witnessed.”

“Look, babe...” said Burt, nervously. “I don’t want no trouble from any Shadowchaser...”

“I said talk!” demanded Minerva.

“It isn’t illegal to watch a duel!” replied Burt.

Minerva grabbed him by the collar, and then slammed him against the wall.

“That hurt!” he shouted.

“It was supposed to,” she replied. “Who was that woman in the scant clothing?”

“I don’t know!” protested Burt.

Then Minerva threw him against the wall.

“I grow tired of asking,” she said. “You spill your guts, or I’ll spill them over the street...”

Burt nervously got up.

He activated his Duel Disk. Minerva put her left hand on her hip.

“Please...” she said, sounding more impatient.

Then there was a sound like a chiming of bells. Minerva paused.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing sapphire blue eyes. She turned around slightly.

Burt thought this might be a good opportunity to make a run for it. He tried to sneak away, but was stopped short when Minerva’s blade pressed against his neck.

Minerva was clearly listening to something. She turned towards Burt again.

“Very well...” she said.

She held the sword up in front of her, and it vanished.

“If you desire a battle of Duel Monsters,” she said, “then that is what I will use to extract the information I need from you...

“But... We duel in my arena...”

* * * * * * * * * *

Burt stepped back in shock.

He was in a clearing, in the middle of a dense forest. A warm, afternoon sun shone in the sky, along with large, fluffy clouds. Birds sang, crickets chirped, squirrels hopped among the trees.

“Where are we??” he asked.

“We are in the Wilderness of the Beastlands,” replied Minerva. “An unspoiled wilderness that pollution, deforestation, and industry can never ruin. Nature is the uncontested ruler here.

“Specifically, this is Krigala, a realm within the Beastlands where the sun never sets, and daytime creatures frolic and play whenever they choose.”

“Since when could Shadowchasers do this??” exclaimed Burt.

“Quiet,” replied Minerva. “You wanted a duel, you will get one.”

A silver Duel Disk appeared on her arm. It was sleek and streamlined, and printed on its upper chamber were four glyphs depicting the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations: The White Tiger, the Black Tortoise, the Azure Dragon, and the Vermillion Bird.

Both Disks activated.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Minerva: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Burt: 8,000)

“Go first if you so desire...” said Minerva.

Burt made his first draw.

He looked at it. He had drawn his strongest Monster, a Level 9 Dinosaur called Jurrac Titan.

Not bad, he thought. Once I summon this, the duel is mine...

Of course... I can’t summon it right now... So I’ll just have to wait until I can.

“I summon Jurrac Velo!” he exclaimed.

In an aura of flames, a small, fiery Dinosaur standing on its hind legs appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“And I will summon Naturia Cosmos Beet,” replied Minerva.

In a shower of sparkling dust, a Monster appeared on her side of the field. It was indeed, a beet, with a face and stubby limbs, and flowers growing out of the top. (1,000 ATK)

“How did you summon during my turn??” shouted Burt.

“This Monster’s effect let’s me Special Summon it from my hand when you make a Normal Summon,” replied Minerva, crossing her arms.

Curses, thought Burt. And I still can’t attack, because this is the first turn of the duel!

“I end my turn,” he said. “That beet is a weakling anyway...”

Minerva made a draw.

“This Monster may be weak,” she said, “but I can sacrifice it...”

Naturia Cosmos Beet vanished into an orb of light.

“...for the more powerful Naturia Bamboochute!”

A new Plant-Type Monster appeared, this one indeed looking like a bamboo chute, the edible portion of the bamboo plant that looked like an artichoke. Except this one had a face. (2,000 ATK)

“I’ve seen stronger Level 5s,” said Burt.

“It has a potent effect,” replied Minerva. “Because I used another Naturia Monster as a sacrifice to summon it, you can’t use any Spells or Traps while it’s on the field.”

“No... way...” said Burt.

Then Naturia Bamboochute shot a flurry of razor-sharp leaves at Jurrac Velo, blowing it to shards.

“I activate Jurrac Velo’s effect!” shouted Burt. “I can still use Monster effects, right?”

Minerva nodded.

“Yeah...” said Burt. “When Jurrac Velo is destroyed by battle, I get to bring out another Velo from my deck, so long as its Attack Score is 1,700 or less.”

He carefully removed his deck from the Disk, and looked through the cards.

Got to be careful, here, he thought. These Monsters she’s using are cute, but they seem to be trying to form a lock. I need something that will help defeat that Bamboochute.

Okay, I think this one might do it...

“I choose Jurrac Garim.”

In another burst of flame, a weird Dinosaur appeared. It looked like a cross between a lizard and a rooster, still with a fiery theme. (1,200 ATK)

“Anything else?”

“Your move...” said Minerva.

(M: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)

Burt made a draw.

“All right,” he said, “I’m summoning Gilasaurus.”

The more familiar Dinosaur appeared next to Garim. (1,400 ATK)

“I’m just Normal Summoning it, by the way, so don’t get any ideas.

“Now I’m going to cook that bamboo chute...”

“Oh? How?” asked Minerva. “It seems to have Attack Points greater than either of your Monsters...”

“I didn’t mention...” said Burt with a grin, “Jurrac Garim is a Tuner.

“So, I’ll Tune it and Gilasaurus together...”

The two Dinosaurs turned into five glowing stars that flew into the sky of Krigala...

“Synchro Summon... Jurrac Velphito!”

There was a roar, and a much larger carnivorous Dinosaur appeared. It looked like an oversized raptor with muscular legs that were shrouded in flames.

“Velhipto’s Attack Score is equal to the combined Attack Scores of the two Monsters I used to Synchro Summon it,” said Burt.

(2,600 ATK)

“So I don’t need Spells or Traps to destroy that thing. Velhipto, attack with flaming dash!”

Jurrac Velhipto charged at Bamboochute, blowing the Plant to ashes in a fiery burst.

“Now that it’s gone...” said Burt, “I play the Field Spell, Jurassic World.”

He fit the card into his Field Slot, and the forest around them faded away, replaced by a jungle. Flying dinosaurs flew past mountains in the distance, and a smoldering volcano loomed in the background.

“This Field increases both a Dinosaur’s scores by 300 points.”

(2,900 ATK)

“And it’s your move...”

(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)

“I draw one card...” said Minerva.

“I set a Monster, and a facedown card, and end my turn.”

The two set cards appeared.

Burt chuckled as he drew.

Jurrac Ptera, he thought, looking at it. Not an offensive Monster, but if I set it, I’d have what I needed to summon Jurrac Titan next turn!

“Forgot to mention one thing about Jurrac Velhipto!” he laughed. “When it attacks a set Monster, that Monster is destroyed immediately, without being flipped face-up!

“Attack!”

Velhipto charged again, and Minerva’s set Monster exploded.

“You’re a fool,” said Minerva.

“Say what?” said Burt.

“Your Velhipto’s effect is worthless,” she said. “The Monster you destroyed was Naturia Cliff, and its effect activates when it’s sent to the Graveyard via any means, flipped or otherwise.

“I can now Special Summon a low-Level Naturia from my deck... And I choose Naturia Ladybug.”

With a chirp, a little ladybug with a flower pattern on its back appeared. (100 ATK)

“That isn’t even remotely powerful enough to beat my Velhipto!” laughed Burt.

He set Jurrac Ptera, and it appeared reversed on his side of the field.

“Aw, it’s your move...”

Minerva drew.

“I summon Naturia Tulip,” she said.

In a flash, a big, red tulip with a smiling, feminine face appeared in front of her. (600 ATK)

Then her facedown card lifted up to reveal Call of the Haunted. Naturia Bamboochute appeared again. (2,000 ATK)

“Hold it...” said Burt. “You said its effect only works if you summon it by sacrificing a Naturia...”

“True...” said Minerva, “but it’s still Level 5.

“You see, you aren’t the only one around here who knows how to Synchro Summon...”

Naturia Tulip and Naturia Bamboochute faded into seven glowing stars that flew into the sky of Jurassic World. Minerva started to chant.

“Unyielding and stoic God of the North, avatar of winter! Genbu, appear before me and smite the wicked with your earth-shattering power!

“Synchro Summon... Naturia Landoise!”

There was a rumble, and the ground split...

In the next instant, a colossal form was standing over Minerva. It looked vaguely like a giant tortoise, made of rock, with plants, moss, and even trees growing on its back, with small animals scampering over it. Its face had a sleepy, bored expression. (2,350 ATK)

“Oh...kay...” said Burt, looking up at the huge Synchro. “It’s certainly... big. But my Monster is stronger...”

“That’s where the effect of my Naturia Ladybug comes in,” said Minerva, as the Insect vanished. “By sacrificing it, I can increase the Attack Points of a Naturia Monster by 1,000 points for one round.”

Naturia Landoise yawned loudly. (3,350 ATK)

“Destroy Jurrac Velhipto!” ordered Minerva. “Tremor smash!”

The huge tortoise rose up slightly, and slammed its forelegs down, causing all of Jurassic World to shake violently. The Dinosaur in front of it was shaken to bits.

“Ergh...” said Burt.

“I end my turn,” said Minerva.

(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,250)

Burt drew. He looked at the Trap Card.

He set it in his Disk, and it appeared set on the field.

He waved his hand, signaling the end of his turn.

Go ahead... he thought. Attack my Jurrac Ptera...

Minerva made a draw.

“I summon Naturia Butterfly,” she said.

With another shower of sparkling motes, an adorable pink butterfly with pink wings appeared, flying next to the much larger Landoise. (500 ATK)

“A butterfly??” asked Burt. “Somehow, I never took you Shadowchasers for being fans of rainbows, bunnies, and cute things like this...”

“Don’t underestimate my Monster because it’s cute or because it has low Attack Points,” said Minerva. “It has a potent effect. It can negate one attack you make every round in exchange for one card from my deck.

“Now, my Landoise attacks your Monster.”

Landoise stomped on the ground again, and the tremor shook Jurassic World again. A fiery pterodactyl appeared on the set card. (1,500 DEF) –> (1,800 DEF)

“HA!” laughed Burt. “That’s Jurrac Ptera! And when it’s attacked, it sends the attacking Monster back to your hand, and gains 100 Defense Points for each Level of that Monster!”

“Or it would,” replied Minerva. “If I didn’t do this...”

She discarded a card, Verdant Sanctuary, from her hand. Jurrac Ptera shattered, and Landoise showed no signs of leaving. It growled a little.

“What...” said Burt.

“If I discard a Spell Card, Landoise can negate a Monster effect,” said Minerva, “and destroy the Monster. So your Monster was the one who was banished.

“And now my Butterfly attacks you directly. Poison pollen.”

Burt grunted as Naturia Butterfly flapped its wings, covering him with pollen.

(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,750)

“It’s your move,” said Minerva. “Unless you want to start telling me who that woman was.”

“I’m not saying anything without a lawyer present, Shadowchaser,” said Burt, making a draw.

“I summon Babycerasaurus!”

He played the card, and the most unlikely Dinosaur appeared. It looked like a baby triceratops, wearing an eggshell the way any other baby would wear a diaper. (500 ATK) –> (800 ATK)

“Who’s going for cute now?” asked Minerva. “I know what that Monster can do. If it’s destroyed by an effect, you get to Special Summon a Dinosaur from your deck. Have you forgotten what my Landoise can do when you activate a Monster effect?”

“No, I haven’t, Shadowchaser,” replied Burt. “It’s true that I have to destroy this guy to use its effect... But when I do, your Monsters won’t survive either.

“I move all the way to my End Phase... And activate this!”

His facedown card lifted up.

“Volcanic Eruption!”

The volcano behind him blew its top. Lava cascaded down the mountains, and fiery rocks fell from the sky. Naturia Landoise, Naturia Butterfly, and Babycerasaurus all shattered into pixels. Then the Field Spell itself vanished, returning them to Krigala proper.

“Now to summon that Dinosaur...” he said. “I think Jurrac Protops will do.”

In another burst of flame, a Dinosaur that looked like an adult triceratops, with the same fiery theme as the other Jurracs, appeared in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

“Then it’s my move...” said Minerva, making a draw.

“I set a Monster,” she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

“Thank you,” said Burt. “For each Monster you control, Protops gains 100 Attack Points.”

(1,800 ATK)

“I end my turn,” said Minerva.

Burt chuckled as he made a draw.

“Here comes Jurrac Brachis!” he laughed.

In another flash of fire, another Jurrac, this one resembling a small brachiosaurus, appeared next to Protops. (1,000 ATK)

“Finally we get a Jurrac that is based on a dinosaur that actually lived during the Jurassic Period,” said Minerva. “Those Monsters of yours are quite misnamed.”

Burt looked at her, rather annoyed.

“Have it your way!” he shouted. “Protops, roast her Monster!”

Jurrac Protops shot a wave of flame from its jaws at the reversed Monster...

But when the smoke cleared, the Monster was still there. Or rather Monsters. It looked like two lima beans, with faces and small limbs. (1,200 DEF)

“Huh?” said Burt. “How did those little guys survive?”

“Naturia Beans has to be defeated twice in one round to be destroyed,” said Minerva.

“I can’t believe this!” screamed Burt. “My mighty Jurracs are being held at bay by a pair of beans??”

“Do you want a tranquilizer?” asked Minerva. “I can give you one...”

Burt took some deep breaths. He sipped from the flask of whiskey again.

“I’ll set a card, and end my turn,” he said, as a reversed card appeared. “By the way, I think it’s fair to warn you... So long as I have another Jurrac on the field, Brachis can’t be destroyed by battle.”

Minerva quickly made a draw.

“I summon Naturia Rose Whip,” she said.

In another sparkle and shower of dust, a rose appeared next to Naturia Beans, with a feminine face with a big smile. (400 ATK)

“What are these Monsters of yours so happy about?” asked Burt.

“They’re happy about the fact that they’re kicking your behind,” replied Minerva. “Now, I Tune it and Naturia Beans together...”

The two Plant Monsters faded into five glowing stars that flew into the sky of Krigala. Minerva chanted again:

“Primal and savage God of the West, avatar of autumn! Byakko, appear before me and punish the infidels with your powerful claws!

“Synchro Summon... Naturia Beast!”

There was a roar, and a large tiger bounded onto the field. It had green fur, and its powerful legs seemed to be made partially out of wood. (2,200 ATK)

“Terrific...” said Burt.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“And since I successful Synchro Summoned a Naturia Monster,” continued Minerva, “I can Special Summon Naturia Ladybug from my Graveyard.”

Naturia Ladybug appeared again next to Naturia Beast. (100 ATK)

“Then, I’m sure you remember its effect. I can sacrifice it to boost a Naturia’s Attack Score.”

Ladybug vanished, and the Beast growled. (3,200 ATK)

“In case that facedown card is a Quickplay Spell, I should warn you... If you try to play a Spell Card, I can discard two cards from my deck, and Naturia Beast can negate it.”

Burt looked at the card. It was actually a Trap, but it couldn’t help him now...

“Naturia Beast...” ordered Minerva. “Tear apart Jurrac Protops with primal pounce!”

The tiger roared, and leapt at the armored Dinosaur, blowing it to shards.

“And I end my turn...” she said.

(M: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)

Burt made a draw.

He smirked a little.

His Trap Card lifted up.

“I activate Fossil Excavation,” he said. “Now, I’ll discard one card...”

He discarded Jurrac Deino.

“...and summon Gilasaurus to the field.” (1,400 ATK)

He paused for a minute.

I could summon Jurrac Titan now... he thought. But... I have a much better idea...

“Next, I summon Jurrac Guivre!” he shouted.

In another burst of flame, a medium-sized Dinosaur walking on two legs with a long neck appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Now, I Tune all three of my Dinosaurs together...”

Gilasaurus, Brachis, and Guivre faded, and turned into ten glowing stars.

Minerva looked shocked for the first time.

“A Level 10 Synchro?” she asked.

“Yeah!” chuckled Burt. “A fringe benefit from my boss!

“This Jurrac wasn’t based on a dinosaur from the Jurassic Period either... It wasn’t based on any living dinosaur at all... Rather, it was based on something different pertaining to dinosaurs...

“Something that led to their doom!”

There was a long pause.

“So where is your Monster?” asked Minerva.

Burt pointed up.

Minerva looked up, and saw a burning meteor plummeting towards them from the heavens. (2,800 ATK)

“Behold,” said Burt, “the almighty power of... Jurrac Meteor!”

Minerva tried to brace herself, but it was no use. She was thrown off her feet as the Meteor struck, atomizing Naturia Beast and setting fire to the trees that bordered the clearing.

She got up, coughing as she did so. The fires quickly went out, and the healing properties of Krigala quickly repaired the damage.

“I’ll admit you had me worried for a minute...” she said. “But your Monster’s effect seems to have destroyed itself as well.”

“True,” replied Burt, “but once it does that, I’m able to Special Summon a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard.

“Like Jurrac Deino!”

Another fiery Dinosaur appeared. Although its name suggested a deinonychus, it looked more like a ceratosaurus in most respects. (1,700 ATK)

“Attack directly!” shouted Burt.

Jurrac Deino spouted a blast of flame at Minerva. She flinched a little bit, finally showing some signs of strain.

“No way some Shadowchaser is sending me to the cooler!” shouted Burt. “I’ll set this card, and end my turn.”

He set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. Then he looked at the last card in his hand, Jurrac Titan.

(M: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)

Minerva made a draw.

“I summon Naturia Cliff,” she said.

She played the card, and this time Burt saw the Monster clearly. It was a big stone shaped like a rectangle, with a face in the front, with arms and legs. (1,500 ATK)

“I’ll end there,” she said, quickly.

Burt grinned wickedly as he made a draw.

He looked at it. It was Shrink.

Not bad… he thought.

His reversed card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Jurrac Brachis appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

“I Special Summon Naturia Rock,” said Minerva.

“Huh?” said Burt.

In an aura of energy, a big, purple rock with a face in front and small, stubby limbs, appeared in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

“Okay…” said Burt. “I’m guessing that’s the same deal as your Beet…

“Well, it’s not gonna help… I sacrifice both my Monsters…”

The two Jurracs turned into orbs of light, and then a huge spout of flame erupted from the spot in front of him…

Standing thirty feet tall, the Dinosaur he had summoned was clearly based on the Tyrannotitan, a species of carnivore similar to the T-Rex, but bigger. Ironically, the real Tyrannotitan was supposed to be even bigger than this, but the card designer didn’t know that.

Jurrac Titan let out a roar… (3,000 ATK)

“Don’t try using Traps or Effect Monsters on this guy…” chuckled Burt. “He’s immune to them. In addition, I can remove one Jurrac Monster in my Graveyard from play each round…”

Jurrac Ptera fell out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

“…and the big guy gains 1,000 Attack Points!”

(4,000 ATK)

“Attack Naturia Cliff! Armageddon inferno!”

Minerva covered her face with her hand as a powerful blast of fire blew the Rock Monster to dust.

(M: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,350)

“I use Naturia Cliff’s effect!” shouted Minerva. “I summon Naturia Spiderfang to the field!”

With a springing noise, a cartoonish, yellow, spotted spider lowered itself on its webs. (2,100 ATK)

Burt set Shrink in his Disk, and it appeared reversed.

“It’s your move…” he said, as Jurrac Titan’s Attack Score returned to 3,000.

Minerva made a draw.

“I play… Miracle Fertilizer,” she said, as she played a Spell Card. “This lets me Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my Graveyard.”

Naturia Cosmos Beet reappeared. (1,000 ATK)

“A fat lot of good some vegetable will do you,” laughed Burt.

“A vegetable that happens to be a Tuner,” said Minerva.

Burt stopped short, as Cosmos Beet and Spiderfang turned into six glowing stars. They flew into the sky, and Minerva chanted for the third time:

“Wise and regal God of the East, avatar of spring! Seiryuu, appear before me and pass judgment with your divine flames!

“Synchro Summon... Naturia Balkion!”

With a roar, a large Dragon appeared above Minerva. However, unlike most Dragons in the game of Duel Monsters, this was clearly an oriental dragon, wingless, serpentine, with an exoskeleton on its long torso, and a face that echoed wisdom. (2,500 ATK)

“Let me guess...” sighed Burt. “Your big turtle could negate Monster effects... Your Beast could negate Spells... I’m guessing this guy can negate Traps, right?”

“Correct,” said Minerva. “And don’t forget, since I Synchro Summoned a Naturia Monster, I get to Special Summon Naturia Ladybug.”

The Ladybug appeared next to Balkion. (100 ATK)

She’s going to sacrifice that Ladybug to juice up that Dragon’s Attack Score to 3,500... thought Burt. Well, let her... What she doesn’t know is, Shrink is not a Trap...

“Now, I play this,” said Minerva, holding the last card in her hand forward. “Miracle Synchro Fusion!”

“HUH?” said Burt. “What the Hell is that?”

“A Fusion card that lets me fuse the Material Monsters together from the field and the Graveyard,” replied Minerva, “by removing them from play, of course.

“The catch is, at least one of them must by a Synchro Monster.

“But for this Fusion, both the required Monsters are Synchro Monsters.”

Naturia Beast appeared next to Naturia Balkion, and the two Synchros were drawn into a vortex.

“I summon the most powerful Naturia of all...” she continued. “Appear! Naturia Extrio!”

With a loud roar, a Beast that was just as big as Jurrac Titan bounded onto the field. It looked like a cross between Naturia Beast and Naturia Balkion. To be more specific, it looked like Naturia Beast wearing part of Naturia Balkion’s armor. (2,800 ATK)

“Now,” continued Minerva, “I sacrifice Naturia Ladybug to use its effect...”

Naturia Ladybug vanished, and Naturia Extrio rose to an Attack Score of 3,800.

Naturia Rock moved into Attack Mode. (1,200 ATK)

“Extrio... Maul Jurrac Titan!”

Extrio roared, and pounced at the huge Dinosaur.

“Not gonna happen!” screamed Burt, as his facedown card shot up. “I activate Shrink!”

“Do you actually think that will work?” asked Minerva.

She discarded a card from her deck, and then took a card from her discard slot.

“Extrio has the powers of Beast and Balkion. By sending one card from my deck to the Graveyard, and removing one card in my Graveyard from play, it can negate a Spell or a Trap.”

The Shrink card shattered. Burt watched in horror as his best Monster was torn in half.

Then Naturia Rock shot a stream of bubbles from its mouth, hitting him directly.
It was adding insult to injury.

(M: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,350)

“It’s your move…” said Minerva.

Burt’s hand shook as he drew a card.

He looked at it. It was Mirror Force.

It was no good. Any other time, Mirror Force could turn the duel around. But if that thing could negate Traps, it was worthless. He truly had nothing.

He dropped it on the floor and fell to his knees.

“Mercy, please!” he begged. “I give up! I’ll tell you anything you want! Just don’t hurt me!”

Minerva looked at him with a look of disgust.

She paused, as if she was waiting for something.

She deactivated her Duel Disk, and her two Monsters vanished.

“I doubt it,” she said. “I know now that you likely have nothing to tell me.”

“Huh?” asked Burt.

“My magic was prepared to prevent the ophidia from killing you right now when you said you’d tell me anything,” said Minerva, “as they always do when a minion is in danger of betraying them. But they didn’t even try. Obviously, you’re such a low man on the ophidia’s totem pole, you know nothing.”

“Ophidia?” said Burt, in shock. “That’s who I’ve been working for?”

“I was right,” said Minerva. “You didn’t even know you were working for them. You’re some common thug. You’re of no use to me…”

“What do you mean?” asked Burt. “I’m… I’m confused…”

Minerva looked at him. She put her sunglasses back on.

“You kept referring to me as a Shadowchaser,” she said. “I never denied it... But the truth is, I am not a member of that organization. The Knights of Domiel are far more reaching than they are.”

“Huh?” said Burt. “Who are they?”

“You will never know, I’m afraid,” replied Minerva. “Because a minute from now, you will awaken back on the street of Paris where I took you from, and will have forgotten every detail about me and this encounter.

“Consider yourself lucky that you were not someone I was actually looking for...”

“Wait...” said Burt.

Then everything went dark.

* * * * * * * * * *

Burt groaned as he came to.

He was sitting on the corner where he had first met Minerva, slouched against the side of a building, and his head was pounding.

He looked around. He saw the whisky bottle he had been drinking from, which was half empty.

“Bah!” he grunted, throwing it away.

He stood up, holding his head.

“One of these days...” he muttered, “I gotta get on the wagon and stay there...”

He shuffled off, as the sun started to rise over Paris.

* * * * * * * * * *

In a dark, spacious room, Minerva and two young men who were dressed similar to her were standing around a glowing orb of light.

“All dead ends, my lord,” she said. “We questioned every Shadow at the scene, but no-one seems to know anything.”

“Disappointing,” said a voice from the sphere. “But we must continue our fact-finding mission about these elemental creatures who call themselves Paragons. The orders have come from our liege himself.”

“Not to question,” said Minerva, “but why are we on this secondary mission? It doesn’t seem to fit the purpose of the Knights of Domiel.”

“True,” said the voice. “Our purpose is to eradicate assassins and hired killers, and these four warriors do not seem to fit that description at the present time.

“But it we have suspicion that their employer has a connection to a being that all seven of the Hebdomad consider a grave threat. The followers of our liege’s six colleges are also involved in this fact-finding mission.

“Until we are certain, we will investigate, and report on any information to that end.

“Now go, and continue as you were.”

The sphere started to dim. The three Knights raised their swords.

“Glory and honor to Domiel!” they exclaimed.

* * * * * * * * * *

At Neo Domino, where it was one in the afternoon, the four Shadowchasers nervously waited.

Jalal coming in person was never a good sign. He rarely did so. He didn’t want to do anything that might be perceived as favoritism, nor did he want to cause a ruckus in the Shadow community. So he only came to a local Shadowchaser base when there was the direst threat.

They watched as the portal opened, and he walked through, still in full armor, with a worried expression. Gabriel squawked nervously.

“Jalal, why would you leave now of all times?” asked Gears. “The Festival of Fangs is tonight, and from what that monitor said...”

“What the monitor told you was quite misleading,” replied Jalal. “The ophidia don’t plan on attacking Headquarters again.”

He held up a letter.

“This appeared in my mailbox, sent via a magical Stamp of Delivery. No return address, of course.”

He handed it to them. Shichiro read.

Dear Jalal,

Meet me in the center of Neo Domino Park at eleven PM Japan time for a rematch, or the next duelists to face the Dark Synchros will be the children at Kaibaland.

- Empress Taramanda

“She sent an ultimatum,” said Jalal. “One that is too dangerous to disregard.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to patrol Kaibaland?” asked Jinx.

“Which Kaibaland?” asked Shichiro. “The letter didn’t specify, Jinx. There are three locations in Japan, eighteen in the States, twelve in Europe, one in Rio de Janeiro, one in Sydney...”

“Why did Kaiba have to be so prolific?” asked Ember. “Sometimes I think he had too many good ideas...”

“Even if we had the time and the manpower to patrol every one,” said Jalal, “what would do if we caught them? Start a fight in a theme park? A place full of children? Children celebrating birthdays, graduations, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, and other events that are supposed to be happy...”

“Don’t forget,” said Gears, “most children that age haven’t lost the ability to see Shadows.”

“Taramanda is playing dirty,” replied Shichiro.

“So she’s getting what she wants...” said Jalal. “I’ll have to duel her... I’ll need you four to accompany me.”

“This is more than likely a trap...” said Ember.

Jalal sighed.

“I know...” he replied.



Next:

Jalal: No golems, no deception, no disguises, no remote control. I’m facing Taramanda directly, her against me, and I have a feeling she’ll be as lethal as a cobra.

No more needs to be said. If I’m successful, I’ll bring our feud with the ophidia to a close.

If I fail... Well, let’s just say I don’t intend to fail.

“Two-Pronged Attack” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Xander Xanala-Dorfisk, Hell on Wheels

The American Highway system is full of danger around every turn. But none is more dangerous then one who is on the road. That one is Xander Xanala-Dorfisk, a man who gives both local and federal law enforcement a run for its money. You name it, he's done it, smuggling, kidnapping, murder for hire, he does his work thoroughly and then vanishes into the night with his big black semi before anyone knows better. Those who have even beaten him in a duel for his arrest have stated that he vanishes in a fiery blazing flash right as the last move is made, leaving only his mark at the point of departure or the hit in the form of the letters H O and W, which is how he got dubbed Hell on Wheels.

The moniker is more appropriate than one might think. Xander is an incubus, a type of demon that is the male equivalent of the succubus. Incubi are supposed to be demons of passion, like the more well-known females, using seduction and pleasures of the flesh to enslave mortals. However, they aren’t nearly as successful at it as succubi are. Many demonologists believe, with good reason, that mortal females are not as susceptible to such things as males are, and as a result, succubi are able to lord over their male counterparts in status and power.

Xander gave up the usual MO for his kind years ago, and took a different approach. He is either incredibly skilled in dark magic, or works for a demonic benefactor who is. Before he does whatever the job he is asked to do is, he asks that he employer sign a little contract, showing that he was hired for this job for the reasons known by only himself and the employer, and will do it fully and thoroughly to the best of his ability. It all seems so simple, legal, and clear, until you reach the lines about payment, which states that the one whose name is signed at the bottom of the contract completely gives up the one thing that is most precious to him or her. Such things include the person's love life, their worldly possessions, their talent, or the like. The fact remains that through his power when payment is enacted, the flames of love die, the possessions vanish, and the talent fades until it's gone for good. What's even more evil is the clause that states that payment is enacted even if the job is done sloppily or is interrupted by any form of law enforcement.

Usually when he leaves, he leaves nothing but memories, expect for one time when it literally backfired. Ten years ago, he was hired by a wealthy lady in Toledo, Ohio to kill her husband so that she could get the inheritance; however, through the course of the job, he fell for her and had a simple midnight fling. It wasn't until the job and payment were done until he found out that he had conceived a child within her, and he couldn't get rid of it because it wasn't covered in the contract. That child, a baby girl whom her mother named Shania, ended up become one of his biggest mistakes he ended up ever making, as she shares some of his powers, and has the potential to bring her father down, should her powers ever mature to their fullest potential.

Xander pretends not to care (it will be a while before that happens), but the truth is, he’s more worried than he lets on. It’s actually a very short time in a demon’s lifespan, and he can never enter a second contract with Shania’s mother. He continues his work, traversing the highways of the United States in his fiendish semi, trying to think up a way to nullify the threat to him before she becomes an actual threat.


Story Ideas: Xander is a good villain to use in any setting that spans several states. He’s constantly on the move, driving his vehicle from New York to LA and back, making stops anywhere and everywhere in-between. He may have allies among the Sons of Tyranny or similar gangs that live on the road.

Perhaps after a particularly heinous crime, a group of Shadowchasers manages to keep track of Xander after he vanishes, which leads to a cross-country chase. Such a story could well turn into a “Cannonball Run” scenario, only a lot more serious and deadly.

Any story involving Xander should involve Shania in some way. She is the key to his utter destruction, one way or another. Many Shadowchasers would like to recruit her, but Jalal has steadfastly refused to allow a ten-year-old to join the organization. This is not to say she cannot be an important part of a story. Being half-demon, Shania is pretty much a Shadowkind herself, and will likely never lose her ability to see the Shadows for what they are, as most children do. Whether this will be a boon or a curse, none can say.


Deck Suggestions: Xander uses Archfiends most of the time, using the regular ones, as well as the Synchro Monsters Thought Ruler Archfiend and Chaos King Archfiend.

He still uses Archfiends in his Turbo Deck, but he had to be very creative when building it, seeing as he cannot use Pandemonium in such a duel. He deals with the loss of Life Points by using Life-Absorbing Machine and Solemn Wishes, and makes very good use of Battle-Scarred. Thought Ruler Archfiend is more important in this deck, because it can also increase his Life Points.

On the other side of the coin, Shania is learning how to duel as well. She seems attracted to Vairon Monsters for some reason, possibly because they’re Fairies and thus enemies of her father’s Fiends. This sort of deck would never work in a Turbo Duel, however, as it’s too dependent on Equip Spells, so her strategy will likely evolve in time.

Xander was a creation of fanfic author Rocket Knight 777.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-EIGHT

It was now three in the afternoon.

Boris nervously set some glasses of lemonade down.

“Uh, boss?” he said to Jalal. “You sure you don’t want to take off that armor? I’m thinking it must make you awfully hot...”

“Boris...” said Jalal. “There was a time when knighthood was an honored profession, and knights considered their armor to be the symbol of that profession. As such, they only removed it when they slept.”

“I’ll take that as a no...” said the skull.

Jinx walked in, carrying a letter.

“Another letter came, Jalal,” she said. “Stamp of Delivery again. Still no return address.”

“They must know I’m here...” he said.

She handed it to him, and he carefully opened it.

He quickly read.

“Dear Jalal,” he said, reading, “since you’re in Neo Domino, I take it you’ve agreed to my terms.

“To show you I’m sincere, I’ve taken the liberty of casting Dimensional Lock on the park. The only way to enter it and the area in a three-block radius will be the old-fashioned way, so neither of us will be able to ambush the other with teleported reinforcements.

“My entourage will be the same size as yours. I take it you want to bring the four you’re confiding in right now. We’ll be waiting at the fountain in the center.

“I’ll expect you there at eleven PM, sincerely, Taramanda...”

“She’s lying,” said Gears.

“Maybe,” said Jalal. “But I think she intends to duel me anyway...

“She has some reason to do so...”

* * * * * * * * * *

The hours past, and finally, the sun set over Snakeskin Island.

Taramanda stood at the head of the table in the banquet hall, where all her minions had gathered.

“My most loyal subjects,” she said. “For one thousand years, our people have been at war. For one thousand years, the organization started by a half-dragon has been a continual thorn in our side.

“This war has caused countless casualties, setbacks, and even defections, like my hated sister...

“But tonight, I have what I need for this war to end...”

She held up a deck of cards.

“It all comes down to this, my subjects. Forty-two cards, two of which containing dark power, and then further blessed by our goddess. This is the weapon that will bring us victory tonight. I will bear this weapon personally, and crush the leader of our foes in one swift stoke.”

She raised a glass of viperwine.

“Now, let us lift our glasses as the Festival of Fangs begins. Let us make a toast, towards a new future, one in which the ophidia will finally take their proper place as the masters of this world, and where Seghulerak can reign supreme!”

The ophidia cheered, and lifted their glasses.

* * * * * * * * * *

The full moon shone bright on Neo Domino as the clock moved towards eleven o’clock.

Jalal and the four Neo Domino Shadowchasers were walking towards the park. Taramanda had indeed cast a Dimensional Lock on the place, making teleportation and planar travel to it impossible until about eight o’clock the next morning.

Jalal had made preparations of his own. A call to Jeager had ended with a promise that Security would both stay out of the park and make sure that no civilians wandered in. Jalal just hoped that this promise would be kept. He didn’t expect this to be pretty.

Being careful and watching to each side, the small party walked through the pathways, arriving at the center of the park, near the large fountain, right at the stroke of eleven.

Taramanda was there, all right. She had even set up an ornate chair to serve as a makeshift throne. Two torches lit by violet flames were set up on either side. Hebi-Na was next to her, holding the box of Dark Synchro cards, and Csimith, Msskim, and Magdalene were standing behind.

“I knew you’d show up,” she said. “You just need to know what buttons to push to get someone to come running.”

“You’ve pushed a whole lot of buttons, your majesty,” said Jalal, in a sarcastic tone. “This is ending tonight, one way or another.”

“Oh, I fully intend it to,” said Taramanda.

She got off her throne, and held out her left arm. Msskim stepped up, and fitted a special Duel Dusk on her arm. It was made of black metal, had a flared tray with spokes in it, and a deck holder shaped like a cobra’s head.

She fit her deck into it, and an auto-shuffler shuffled the deck.

“I’ll tell you right now,” said Jalal, “I’m not afraid of you, or any Dark Synchros.”

He activated his Disk.

“Oh, you will be,” replied Taramanda. “Let the battle begin!”

(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Taramanda: 8,000)

“I’ll make the first move,” said Jalal, making a draw.

“I’ll set a Monster, and a facedown card,” he said, as two set cards appeared. “And I end my turn.”

“Then the turn comes to me...” said Taramanda.

“I will set a Monster, and two facedown cards,” she said as three set cards appeared. “And I end my turn.”

“Nothing much happening yet,” said Ember.

“Don’t worry,” replied Jinx. “There’s plenty of time...”

Jalal made a draw.

“I flip Masked Dragon into Attack Mode,” he said.

His reversed card flipped around, and the metallic, red Dragon wearing a mask appeared. (1,400 ATK)

“Then, I summon Axe Dragonute.”

There was an aura of darkness, and the black-scaled Dragon-man holding his axe appeared. (2,000 ATK)

“Masked Dragon, incinerate her Monster!”

Masked Dragon breathed a cloud of embers at the reversed Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

“Why thank you...” said Taramanda, as she made a draw.

“You’d best hope it can help you,” said Jalal, “because now, Axe Dragonute attacks directly!”

Axe Dragonute flew at the anathema and slammed its axe into her torso. Taramanda grunted a little, but stayed upright.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,000)

“Axe Dragonute now moves into Defense Mode,” said Jalal, as it knelt and held its weapon in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

“I’ll throw another card facedown,” he said, as a second reversed card appeared.

“And I end my turn...”

“But Axe Dragonute did help me Jalal!” said Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted up. “I activate Shock Draw. It lets me draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I took this round.”

She made two draws.

“Now, it’s my move...”

She made another draw.

“Because you control Monsters, and I don’t,” she continued, “I can Special Summon Oracle of the Sun.”

A beam of light was cast from the heavens, and a man dressed like a southern Native American shaman, holding a long staff with feathers on its end, wearing a medallion shaped like a solar disk, appeared in front of Taramanda. (1,000 ATK)

“Having done that,” she continued, “I’ll summon the Tuner Monster Fire Ant Ascator.”

The new Monster that appeared looked like a large, red army ant, with an oversized head. (700 ATK)

“Now, I’ll Tune together my Fire Ant Ascator with my Oracle of the Sun...”

The two Monsters turned into eight glowing stars. They flew into the night sky...

Then, a burst of radiance turned night into day. The four ophidia behind their empress cheered in excitement as a huge Monster started to appear. It looked like four serpentine Dragon heads, all connected symmetrically to a glowing disk shaped like a sun with a face at the center.

“Meet Sun Dragon Inti,” said Taramanda.

(3,000 ATK)

“Holy...” said Shichiro.

“I’m only half-done!” exclaimed Taramanda, as she took another card from her hand. “I give up 1,000 of my Life Points to Special Summon the Dark Tuner Monster, Black Goddess Witaka!”

In an aura of darkness, a demonic hag with large claws and the lower part of its body trailing into dark fog appeared next to the Sun Dragon. (0 ATK)

“A Dark Tuner...” said Gears.

“That’s right,” replied Taramanda. “And next, I use its special effect. I choose one Synchro Monster on the field, and Witaka’s Level becomes the same. Thus, since Sun Dragon Inti’s Level is 8, Witaka’s Level is now 8 as well.”

Her facedown card lifted up.

“Next, Limit Reverse, which I’ll use to summon Skelengel from the Graveyard.”

The cherub with its bow and arrow appeared. (900 ATK)

“Finally, I subtract my Black Goddess Witaka from Skelengel...”

The Dark Tuner tuned into eight glowing stars. Skelengel squeaked in terror as they burned into it...

Then it burst into six dark stars, which started circling the field.

“I summon Inti’s dark consort...” said Taramanda. “Moon Dragon Quilla!”

The Monster that appeared looked similar to Sun Dragon Inti, except that it was midnight blue in color, and the center was a disk shaped like a moon, again with a face. (2,500 ATK)

“I know these Monsters...” said Jalal. “Godwin himself used them...”

“Yes, and I did the research,” replied Taramanda. “I know that these two Dragons represent the Incan gods of the sun and the moon. Incan emperors believed that they were descended from Inti, and that Quilla was his queen. They had a son named Manco Capac…”

“Ccapac Apu was the son of these things?” exclaimed Jinx. “Quite a family…”

“No, not quite,” said Hebi-Na. “The Earthbound Gods were usurpers. They were demons, not true gods, and they took the names of the entities that were worshipped by the local humans to pave the way for their own worship. In a sense, they were like ur-priests.”

“But they were defeated by the Crimson Dragon,” replied Shichiro, “so that plan went out the window.”

“And long may they rot…” said Taramanda. “But their servants will now serve the ophidia. You may have defeated every Dark Synchro up to now, but I now command one of the most powerful…

“Sun Dragon Inti, obliterate Masked Dragon with solar blast!”

Inti’s ten eyes glowed with a fiery light, and a blast of flame shot from its center...

“I activate... Draining Shield!” shouted Jalal, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

The forcefield deflected the blast, causing energy to flow into Jalal.

“Nice...” said Taramanda. “But I still have Quilla. Attack! Lunar blast!”

Quilla’s multiple eyes glowed, this time with cold flames. A bolt of the same energy shot at Masked Dragon, blowing it to shards.

“I can still use Masked Dragon’s effect,” said Jalal. “To summon a second Masked Dragon.”

Another Masked Dragon appeared where the first had been. (1,400 ATK)

“Then, I set one card,” said Taramanda, as a new reversed card appeared, “and my turn is over.”

Then Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the earth, vanishing.

“Where’d it go?” asked Shichiro.

“Quilla goes to the Graveyard at the end of my turn,” replied Taramanda.

“Somehow, I think that’s a bad thing...” said Gears.

(J: 10,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,000)

“We’ll see...” said Jalal.

He made a draw.

“First thing I’m doing, is moving Axe Dragonute back to attack Mode...”

Axe Dragonute stood up, and lifted its axe. (2,000 ATK)

“Then, I’ll summon Chaos-End Master.”

There was a beam of light, and the angelic, winged Warrior Tuner appeared. (1,500 ATK)

“Then, I play the Double Summon Spell Card,” he said, as he played a Spell. “Now I can summon another Monster. Of course, ganging up is something you ophidia are quite used to, I believe...

“So I’ll sacrifice Masked Dragon...”

The small Dragon vanished into an orb of light.

“For Sphere of Chaos!”

With beeps and whirs, the floating, spherical Machine appeared in front of Jalal. (1,600 ATK)

“Now, I’ll Tune together Chaos-End Master and Sphere of Chaos...”

The two Monsters faded into eight glowing stars that flew into the night sky...

With a roar, Light End Dragon appeared to face Sun Dragon Inti. (2,600 ATK)

“Now, I’ll use my Dragon’s effect... By cutting 500 points off its score when it attacks, the attack target loses 1,500!

“Attack! Destroy Sun Dragon Inti! Shining Sublimation!”

Light End Dragon breathed a beam of pure light, its Attack Score falling to 2,100. Sun Dragon Inti’s Attack Score fell to 1,500 as the bolt hit it squarely in the solar disk, and it exploded into shards of golden light.

“Yeah!” cheered Ember. “That thing isn’t so tough!”

“You may have defeated Inti,” said Taramanda, with a wicked grin, “but when Inti loses, it still wins, because it destroys the Monster that defeated it, and deals damage to you equal to your Monster’s Attack Score!”

“Huh?” said Jalal.

Then Light End Dragon exploded into gibbets, and Jalal groaned in pain.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)

“At least I took out your Monster...” he said.

“True...” said Taramanda, “but when the sun sets, the day ends, and so the night begins, and with it comes the rising of the moon!”

As she said this, Moon Dragon Quilla loomed over the field. (2,500 ATK)

“In other words, if Inti is destroyed, I can immediately summon its Dark consort from the Graveyard.”

Jalal considered for a minute. He looked at his facedown card.

“I end my turn...” he said.

Taramanda made a draw.

“First of all,” she said, “from this point on, this Continual Spell will be in effect.”

She played the card, and with an earth-shaking rumble, a ziggurat with two rows of kneeling statues in front of it appeared behind her.

“Altar of the Sun. With this card in play, all Monsters that are Special Summoned from the Graveyard gain 300 Attack Points.

“Next... I play Double Attack!”

She played a Spell Card.

“It lets my Monster attack twice, so long as I first discard a Monster with a higher Level.

“And since Quilla is a negative Level, even discarding my Level 2 Weeping Idol will do the trick.”

She discarded the card.

“No fair!” shouted Gears.

“And what is fair, Gears?” asked Magdalene, speaking up for the first time. “The fact that your Sheddder can destroy a Dark Synchro no matter what Machine you discard?”

Gears stopped short.

“If you folks can find ways to take advantage of the negative Levels of the Dark Synchros,” added Magdalene, “then so can we.”

“Thank you Magdalene,” said Taramanda. “Quilla, destroy Axe Dragonute!”

Quilla fired its lunar blast, and the Dragon man was blown to shards.

“Now, attack directly.”

Jalal actually screamed as the powerful blast hit him.

Sweat poured down his brow. He started to turn pale.

(J: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,400)

“Guys, look at Jalal...” said Ember. “He looks sick...”

“That’s impossible...” said Shichiro. “Jalal can’t get sick...”

But Jalal knew that Shichiro was wrong. He realized what was happening... He wasn’t stupid.

There are many traps that one can fall into when one becomes immortal. One of them is called Baldur Complex. Baldur was the Norse god of love and beauty. (Why this designation had been given to a male god is odd, to say the least.) He’s most known for the story of his death, one of the key factors that was supposed to lead to Ragnarok. After both he and his mother had the same dream of his death, they saw it as a prophecy, and his mother made every substance in the world swear never to harm him. But overconfidence made her overlook the mistletoe, which she believed too harmless to pose a threat.

Confident that he could not be killed, the other gods amused themselves by hurling stones, spears, and even arrows at Baldur making a game out of it. But the trickster god Loki found out about his vulnerability to mistletoe, fashioned a spear out of it, and tricked Baldur’s brother, the blind god Hod, into killing Baldur with it.

Baldur’s Complex is developed by many immortal beings who also get careless, thinking themselves to be completely invulnerable, which often leads to doom. Jalal had been close to this syndrome six-hundred years ago, until a very close call with a lich who could control a Sphere of Annihilation (a dreaded magical artifact that could erase from existence any matter it touched).

Since that point, Jalal had made an effort to keep track of the things that could truly kill him. He knew about metatoxin... He had found out about it two-hundred years ago...

And he realized now that this duel had taken a deadly turn...

“I end my turn,” said Taramanda. “So night ends...”

Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the ground again.

“...and day begins, and with it comes the rising of the sun.”

Sun Dragon Inti appeared, casting its burning light over the field. (3,300 ATK)

My plan is working, she thought. Jalal is looking a little green at the gills... He’ll be able to resist the metatoxin for a while... But should I win this duel, nothing will be able to save him...

“My move...” muttered Jalal.

He made a draw.

His facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Immortal Dragon to bring Light End Dragon back to the field.”

Light End Dragon appeared again with a roar. (2,900 ATK)

“It will be so much fun to destroy it again,” said Taramanda.

“Not quite,” said Jalal. “I play De-Synchro!”

He played the Spell Card, and Light End Dragon vanished. In its place was Chaos-End Master (1,500 ATK) and Sphere of Chaos. (1,600 ATK)

“Then, I Tune them together again...”

The two Monsters turned into eight glowing stars again.

“You see, Empress... Your Sun Dragon isn’t the only Dragon around here that has a Dark counterpart...”

With a roar, Dark End Dragon rose up in front of Jalal. (2,600 ATK)

“All right!” shouted Jinx. “If Jalal uses Dark End Dragon’s effect, he’ll send Inti to the Graveyard without destroying it! That will mean no Quilla!”

“You heard her,” said Jalal. “So... I cut 500 points off of Dark End Dragon’s score...”

Dark End Dragon fell to 2,100 Attack Points.

“...and I’ll chain this Trap Card,” said Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted. “Destruct Potion!”

Sun Dragon Inti shattered into shards of golden light.

“This Trap destroys my Monster, causing Dark End Dragon to lose its target. And I gain Life Points equal to Inti’s Attack Score.

“Even better... Since Inti was destroyed...”

Moon Dragon Quilla rose in Inti’s place. (2,800 ATK)

“Too bad you can only use that effect once per turn...”

Jalal held his chest.

“I end my turn...” he said.

(J: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)

Taramanda made a draw.

“I set a facedown,” she said, as a reversed card appeared.

“And then I attack with Moon Dragon Quilla!”

Quilla fired its lunar blast, blowing Dark End Dragon to pixels.

(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)

Jalal held his head. He really was feeling sick now. He was dizzy, and breathing harder.

A lovely shade of chartreuse, thought Taramanda. It won’t be long now...

“I end my turn...” she said. “And once again...”

Moon Dragon Quilla sank into the ground, and Sun Dragon Inti appeared again. (3,300 ATK)

Jalal looked at the one card he had left.

He drew another one.

Pot of Avarice.

It’s all or nothing... he thought. Let’s hope she can’t counter it.

He quickly played it, and the goofy jug appeared. He took Dark End Dragon, both Masked Dragons, Chaos-End Master, and Sphere of Chaos from his discard slot. His Disk shuffled his deck, and he made two draws.

He lifted an eyebrow.

He quickly set both cards, and two reversed cards appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone.

“End,” he said.

“No Monsters??” shouted Ember. “Is Jalal crazy??”

“He’s just not thinking clearly,” chuckled Taramanda. “The metatoxin will do that...”

She drew a card.

“Metatoxin?” asked Shichiro.

“A rare type of venom...” groaned Jalal. “Possessed by some creatures native to the lower planes... It attacks the soul...

“Those two Dragons she’s using... Have been tainted with it...”

“It’s Seghulerak’s poison,” said Taramanda. “I’m not afraid to admit it now... After all, I don’t see how knowing it can save you...

“Attack him directly!”

Inti fired its solar blast...

“I’m not dead yet!” shouted Jalal. “Activate Sakuretsu Armor!”

One of his two reverse cards shot up, and Inti exploded into shards.

“Why thank you, Jalal!” laughed Taramanda. “Now, I’m not only allowed to summon Quilla...”

Moon Dragon Quilla appeared once again. (2,800 ATK)

“But because I Special Summoned from my Graveyard, I get to activate this...”

Her Trap Card lifted up.

“Call of the Reaper. Now I get to bring Fire Ant Ascator back from my Graveyard.”

The large Ant appeared again. (700 ATK)

“And don’t forget, all Monsters Special Summoned from the Graveyard receive a 300-point bonus from Altar of the Sun.”

(1,000 ATK)

“It’s pointless, Jalal. You can’t stop this cycle any more than you can stop the sun from rising!

“Quilla, attack!”

Jalal truly screamed as the Moon Dragon’s lunar blast struck him, with coldness so chilling it was almost hot.

Then Fire Ant Ascator scurried up, and bit him on the leg. He fell down on one knee.

(J: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,700)

“To be on the safe side,” she said, “I’ll set a card facedown...”

A reversed card appeared.

“And I’ll end my turn... And with it, night ends...”

Moon Dragon Quilla sank again.

“...and day begins...”

Sun Dragon Inti appeared. (3,300 ATK)

“Sorry, your highness,” said Jalal, “but that was just what I was waiting for...”

His other facedown card shot up.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“You say I can’t stop the sun from rising? Then I’ll just have to take it from you. I activate Tuner’s Scheme!”

A familiar classical melody started to play over the field, and a sinister-looking man wearing a dark cloak, top hat, and monocle, holding a tuning fork flew out of the Trap Card.

“What’s that music?” asked Csimith.

“Beethoven’s Fifth?” said Magdalene.

“Since a Synchro Monster was Special Summoned to your side of the field,” said Jalal, as he slowly got up, “Tuner’s Scheme lets me take control of it. So I’m taking Sun Dragon Inti!”

Inti’s ten eyes glazed over, and it was pulled over to Jalal’s side of the field.


A look of panic appeared on Taramanda’s face.

If he attacks with Inti, she thought, Seghulerak’s venom will infect me!

I’d never survive... I have no choice...

She looked at her facedown card.

When he attacks, I’ll activate Dimensional Prison... Then I’ll move to plan-B...

Jalal may live, but there’s an old saying... He who fails and gets away lives to win another day...

“My move...” said Jalal.

He drew a card.

“I have to thank you, Taramanda...” he said.

He played the card he had already had, and Magna Drago appeared. (1,400 ATK)

“I’ve been saving this next card for a special occasion... And I think now is the time...”

Magna Drago and Sun Dragon Inti faded into ten glowing stars. Jalal threw his arms to the heavens as he felt his strength returning.

“Mighty lord of Shadows who sired me... Great font of wisdom and avatar of might... Come forth from your palace in the great beyond to again walk the earth where poets once sang of your glory!

“Synchro Summon... Great Gold Wyrm!”

There was a roar, and a light brighter than even Inti’s radiance lit up the park as a Dragon twice as big as either of Taramanda’s Dragons descended from the sky. Its scales were brilliant gold, and its face reflected both wisdom and incredible power at the same time. It measured a hundred feet long from head to tail, with a wingspan twice as long. (3,000 ATK)

“I don’t like this any more!” shouted Msskim.

Jalal took a deep breath.

“That’s one way to cleanse your system of demonic poison...” he said.

“Jalal...” said Gears, in awe. “That Dragon...”

“Can it be...” said Jinx.

“I had to pull a lot of strings and grease a lot of palms to get I2 to make this card...” said Jalal. “But it is... A card in the image of my father... Perhaps he was the true reason for the Shadowchasers being founded, even if it wasn’t his intention...

“He gave me everything... His wealth, power, and advice were all what helped me start the Shadowchasers from scratch after his death... And even if my immortality causes me to lapse into madness someday, I’ll never forget that...”

“Touching...” growled Taramanda. “I suppose you’re going to accuse my father of being abusive, which is why I ended up ‘this way’.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” said Jalal. “It will be up to the prison psychologist to find out your motives.

“Until then...

“Attack Fire Ant Ascator! Radiant blaze!”

The Great Gold Wyrm fired a blast of blazing, violet energy from its jaws at the much smaller Insect...

“Trap activate!” shouted Taramanda.

Her facedown card started to lift.

Then it shuddered, and could not lift further.

“Huh?” she said.

Then she screamed and was thrown back ten feet as the Ant was incinerated.

“Couldn’t use your Trap Card?” asked Jalal. “Great Gold Wyrm’s powers are released when at least one of the non-Tuners used to summon it is a Light-Attribute Dragon, like your Inti, and its powers increase depending on the power of that Dragon.

“If said Dragon was Level 4 or more, Great Gold Wyrm is immune to Traps that target a specific Monster. Level 6 or more, and it also prevents you from activating Traps until the end of the Damage Step. Level 8 or more, and I also get to destroy one Spell or Trap each time it inflicts damage.

“So… If you would…”

Dimensional Prison shattered into pixels.

Jalal set his last card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“It’s your move...” he said.

(J: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,700)

Taramanda made a draw.

She fit a card in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell/Trap Zone.

“Make your move...” she said.

Jalal made a draw.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Taramanda, as her facedown card lifted up. “I bring Inti back from the Graveyard with Call of the Haunted!”

“Sorry, your highness,” said Jalal, “but after going through that cycle all duel, I’m not starting it again.”

His Trap Card lifted up.

“I activate Solemn Judgment!”

Lightning flashed, and a bearded man dressed in robes holding a cudgel, accompanied by two muses, appeared in the center of the field.

“It cost me half my Life Points,” said Jalal, “but it’s worth every one to make sure Inti doesn’t come back.”

Call of the Haunted shattered.

“Now, I play... Megamorph! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, this Equip Spell doubles my Monster’s Attack Points.”

Great Gold Wyrm let out a roar that shook the whole park. (6,000 ATK)

“Mercy... please...” said Taramanda.

“Mercy?!” replied Jalal. “After you attacked my men using dark magic, attacked my compound and caused me millions in property damage?

“When you start a war, Taramanda, don’t expect mercy when the tide turns against you…

“Attack directly!”

Taramanda screamed in agony as the final blow of the duel threw her against her throne, smashing it to bits.

(J: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)

Jalal walked forward. Taramanda’s crown had been knocked off her head. She was being helped up by her entourage.

He waited until he knew she was looking, and then stepped on it, crushing it.

“How dare you...” she said.

“It’s all over, ‘empress’,” said Jalal. “Your empire has fallen. You’re under arrest.”

“I think not...” said Taramanda, getting up. “I’m getting out of here... And if the five of you don’t like it, you can tell these gentlemen!”

The air behind her shimmered and warped, and twenty ophidia soldiers holding scimitars appeared.

“I thought this place was covered by a Dimensional Lock!” gasped Ember.

“It was,” said Gears. “Those ophidia were here the whole time. Mass Invisibility.”

Jalal shook his head.

“I expected a double cross,” he said. “But, you know... I guess it’s true what they say...

“Great minds thing alike...”

He waved his hand, and another Mass Invisibility was cast aside. Behind him was a Shadowchasers strike team consisting of twenty soldiers, three Incantifers, and two golems.

“Your highness?” said Csimith. “Uh... Maybe we should surrender...”

“Shut up, Csimith!” shouted Taramanda.

She turned to Jalal.

“If it ends in a fight, Jalal, then that’s fine with me... we’re more than ready to...”

And then there was an explosion that threw the two leaders in opposite directions, accompanied by a smell of brimstone. A cloud of putrid, black smoke appeared in the center where the duel had been held.

Everyone watched, as a large, muscular, masked creature stepped out of the smoke. The ophidia nobles recognized him... It was the demonic guardian who had given Hebi-Na the Dark Synchros.

“You!” said Taramanda.

“Lovely duel,” said the demon. “I couldn’t have asked for better entertainment...

“Nice Dimensional Lock you set... But with the Dark Synchros here, it was incredibly easy for me to pick.”

“What...” said Jalal. “Who...”

“What is this?” asked Taramanda.

“I see you’ve made good use of the Dark Synchros,” said the Guardian. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid that your use of them is ending now. I’m taking them back.”

The box vanished from Hebi-Na’s hands.

“WHAT?” shouted Taramanda. “But… You said… You said that with the authority bestowed upon you, the cards were bequeathed to Hebi-Na!”

“I neglected to mention that I actually had no authority in the matter,” said the Guardian. “The Shadow Duel was played for mere enjoyment. I gave them to her because their true owner told me to.

“That owner has now told me to take them back. It believes that you snakes have outlived your usefulness.”

Taramanda’s eyes glowed with anger.

“So we’ve been used this whole time?” she growled. “And they call me a monster…”

The Guardian chuckled.

“Your subject said that the Earthbound Gods were demons rather than true gods…” he said. “The same can be said of the so-called ‘goddess’ you have pledged yourself to. As the high priestess of a demon, you should have known firsthand never to have trusted one…

“And Seghulerak isn’t much of a demon either. She is what self-respecting demons like myself call a ‘parasite of power’. The race she has created is long past its prime, and she has entered a slothful state in which she exists only to be waited on hand and foot by them. Folks like you exist only to keep false hopes of your race’s future alive, and make the ophidia think that she is still worthy of being worshipped.”

“You lie!” screamed Taramanda.

“Taramanda, calm down,” said Jalal. “This creature is dangerous...”

“Do I now?” asked the Guardian. “Tell me… Did Seghulerak send you a vision, an omen, a portent… Did she send you any warning at all to tell you that you were being used by the true master of the Dark Synchros?

“She didn’t, did she? It could be she lacked the power to do so... It could be she was as clueless as you…

“Or it could be that she just didn’t care…”

That was too much. In pure rage, Taramanda changed into her hideous true form.

“Look out!” screamed Jalal, drawing his sword.

The anathema hissed, and lunged at the demon...

The demon’s axe appeared in his hands. He made one mighty swing, and Taramanda fell backwards...

...in two pieces.

Everyone stared in shock for a second. Jalal was the first to respond. He dropped his sword, held his hands in front of him, and a new weapon appeared in them: a glowing M16A2, covered with strange runes.

This came as a shock even to the gathered Shadowchasers. They had heard about Jalal’s enchanted assault rifle, but you could count on one hand the times he had actually been angry enough to summon it.

“Put your hands in the air!” he shouted, pointing it at the demon.

“I warned her...” said the demon.

“I said put your hands in the air!” demanded Jalal.

“You warned her,” said the demon. “And frankly, she had it coming...”

“Don’t force me to kill you...” growled Jalal.

“I won’t fight you, Jalal...” said the demon. “Taramanda had the same problem as all the folks who challenge you. She was stupid. Not smart, like me. I figure, you’ve been leading your group for a thousand years, so you must be doing something right...

“I’ll just say that the ophidia’s part in this whole deal may be over... But the deal itself isn’t over...”

He started to fade away.

“...not by a long shot.”

He was gone.

Jalal lowered the weapon.

The Shadowchasers looked at Taramanda’s lifeless body. They looked at the other ophidia.

Csimith, Msskim, and Magdalene dropped their weapons. Then the ophidia soldiers did the same, one by one.

Jalal turned on his mobile.

“Jalal here,” he said, somberly. “We need a large prisoner transport here... and a coroner...

“Oh yes, I’m absolutely certain that the victim is dead.

“And we’re going to need all the grief counselors we have...

“We won... But it was definitely not a happy ending tonight...”

* * * * * * * * * *

An hour later, Taramanda’s body had been transported to the morgue at HQ, and the last of the ophidia had been taken away.

Shichiro walked up to Jalal, who was drinking bottled water.

“What’s the tally?” asked Jalal.

“Twenty-six prisoners,” said Shichiro. “Most of them already confessing to a variety of charges...

“But... uhm... There is one bit of bad news...”

“What?” asked Jalal.

“Hebi-Na...” said Shichiro. “She’s missing... She must have slithered down a drain or something when that demon was making his speech...”

Jalal sighed.

“Figures...” he said.

He tossed the water bottle on the ground.

“Well, we’ll find her... I don’t know where she’ll go now...”

“So what now, boss?” asked Shichiro.

“All we can do now is wait,” said Jalal. “But I think a bit of a wait may be good... It’s been a horrible night, after all.

“Keep the alert levels where they are...

“Taramanda is gone... But she was a pawn the whole time...”

“The aboleth?” said Shichiro.

“More than likely,” replied Jalal. “The connection between the ophidia attacks and that thing’s activities is quite clear now.

“It’s not the beginning any more... Nor is it the end... We’re at a place somewhere in-between...”

Shichiro sighed.

“One question boss...” he said. “If that demon had attacked us... Just what would you have done?”

“Do you think I was bluffing with that weapon, Shichiro?” asked Jalal.

“It could have killed that thing?” asked Shichiro.

Jalal shrugged.

“I’m pretty sure it could have,” he replied. “It was what I used against Count Nyleth, after all...”

Shichiro gasped.

“That gun of yours killed the ruler of the Nightmare Court??” he shouted. “It’s that powerful??”

Jalal nodded.

“Dear lord, Jalal, why do you even bother with your sword?” asked Shichiro.

“Shichiro,” said Jalal, getting up, “when someone in a position similar to mine has a weapon of great power, but uses it too often, he becomes addicted to that power. He becomes drunk with the incredible might he wields, and starts to think he’s invincible.

“I’ll admit that I feel a rush whenever I pull out that thing... A rush of power... I almost feel like I should put a big ‘J’ on the front of this armor.

“But one of the reasons I didn’t panic tonight when I realized that I was poisoned by a venom that could have truly done me in was because I’ve known for a long time that I’m not invincible.

“So unless the situation truly warrants it, the gun stays locked in a vault, where I’m not tempted by its power.”

He got up, and strode towards some other officials, leaving Shichiro to ponder this.



SUN DRAGON INTI (Monster Card, anime version)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 2,800

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuner Monsters

Once per turn, you can reduce this card's ATK to 0 until the End Phase. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, destroy the monster that destroyed it, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK.



MOON DRAGON QUILLA (Monster Card, anime version)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: –6
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: 1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When a "Sun Dragon Inti" on your field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Sun Dragon Inti" from your Graveyard. During the End Phase of your turn, if this card is face-up on your side of the field, destroy it.



DARK TUNER BLACK GODDESS WITAKA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Dark Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: You may pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is Summoned, select one face-up Synchro Monster on the field. The Level of this card becomes equal to the Level of the selected Monster.

Note: “Dark Tuner Black Goddess Witaka” and the anime versions of the two Dragons were used by Godwin in the multi-part “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Signs of Doom”. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes.



GREAT GOLD WYRM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 10
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: Dragon-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. This card gains the following cumulative effects based on what non-Tuner Monsters are used for its Synchro Summoning:
* Level 4 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: This card is not affected by Trap Cards that target a specific Monster.
*Level 6 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.
*Level 8 or greater LIGHT Dragon-Type: If this card inflicts battle damage, destroy one Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls.



Next:

Ember: Two visitors come calling, both of which we’ve met before. The first has vital information that he’s willing to give for free. The second, however, seems to have darker motives, and demands that I duel him before giving us what we need.

I have to agree to his terms, because it may be the only way we can find the Paragons... But something seems wrong... He’s up to something... I just have to figure out what.

“Dark Designator” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

The Stork

Evil comes in many forms, some recognized at first glance for all to see, others hidden behind false appearances and deceptions.

One of the most horrific examples of the latter is the creature known among the Shadowchasers as The Stork.

The Stork is clearly some sort of Shadowkind, but its true species and even gender is unknown. The few times this creature has been heard speaking, its voice comes across as hoarse and rasping. Its name comes from its bizarre yet frightening apparel, dressed in a dark purple opera cloak with a wide brimmed hat and an iron mask resembling the long beaked bird of its nom de guerre.

The Stork is wanted for many different charges, from break-in to murder, but by and far its greatest crimes have been in kidnapping and human trafficking, primarily in children.

The methods are always the same: late at night when the parents are asleep the creature slips into the house and sedates the child with a potent toxin that, while non lethal, leaves its prey paralyzed and unable to communicate. Then to escape suspicion it leaves behind something that immediately resembles the stolen child.

This other creature seems to be the Stork's partner, whom some have speculated it to be some form of imp or changeling, while other believe its a parasite who works with the Stork in return for its gruesome payment. Some have speculated that the Stork and its partner might be fey creatures of some kind, as fey were once notorious for kidnapping children to get tissue to build their fairy homunculus. (This practice was ended, however, when they found out how easy it was to get children to give up their baby teeth.)

Children fetch a high price for a variety of illegal businesses and necessities amongst Mundane and Shadow alike. Children are used by some of the most immoral Shadowkind as soldiers, slaves, even material in occult sacrifices. Some believe that the Dread Emperor (detailed later) may be one of the Stork’s best customers. As long as the creature is paid top dollar for its 'merchandise' it cares not what horrible fate the children come to.

As time went on more gruesome details of this practice came to light from Shadowchasers able to piece together the clues. Apparently once the transaction is done, however long it takes, an unknown signal is given to the creature posing as the stolen child, who then sheds its disguise and murders all present members of the family and consumes their remains. Thus the child's former life is erased.

If something goes wrong and the partner’s deception is discovered early (which usually happens if a friend of the family is an Aware able to see such things) it flees right away, apparently more concerned about its own safety than any plan. This is, in fact, how the minute details of the Stork’s MO have been pieced together.

The Stork also seems to be some manner of carnivore, as authorities have at times come across one of its makeshift lairs and have found child size bones, leading one to speculate that the Stork is not above consuming its abductees if it feels they are too weak or simply worthless to its potential buyers.

The Stork isn’t stupid, of course. It isn’t likely to strike in a place like a rich neighborhood where discovery of its partner’s deception would cause a state-wide manhunt. It favors areas of high poverty in Europe; there amidst families struggling to feed themselves, it finds an abundance of children to abduct, both alone in the streets or living with vulnerable families. For now the Stork seems content with its gruesome personal agenda, but there is no telling if or when the Stork may grow more ambitious, and perhaps kidnap children of more powerful families.


Story Ideas: The Stork, though not as notorious as Darkness or Red Shroud, is one of the few Shadows to have earned a spot on the Shadowchaser's Most Wanted List.

Because of its notoriety, the Stork would prefer to continue its activities away from the eyes of any local or global authorities, and as such would not be considered a villain who would take an active role against the organization.

That is NOT to say though, that its presence in any location would be something to ignore. Any population currently being used by the Stork for abductions would be in very serious danger, and if Jalal were to have the chance to corner this elusive horror, he would likely send his best among the Shadowchasers.

To that end the Stork can fill the need for an intimidating antagonist for short stories, which could chronicle one or more Shadowchasers hunting the Stork across a city before confronting it in a makeshift lair.

Another possibility could be that, through sufficient payment (particularly rare and exotic Shadowkind youth who in certain practices would be worth their weight in gold) the Stork may act as an assassin, as its skill in infiltration makes it a terror to even the most well fortified of families among its prey. Be it a brief cameo, or a long running role, any battle involving the Stork would be likely among the more terrifying encounters of the story, if not for the inhuman nature of their quarry, then for the high stakes should they fail to stop this monster from continuing to prey upon the children of Europe and the rest of the world.


Deck Suggestions: The Stork's deck, for when it is either interested in or forced to use it, is unique in its focus on one particular low-Level Light monster, The Unhappy Girl. While most duelists simply see it as a decent stall card, the Stork prizes it as representation of its chosen prey, reveling in the idea of using a symbol of innocence and vulnerability for its own ends.

The Stork uses a variety of common cards that make The Unhappy Girl more useful (Spirit Barrier is one example). But due to its amassed fortunes in its business it has tracked down a series of previously unknown support cards for The Unhappy Girl that turn this card into the centerpiece of a lethal Burn/Lockdown deck, where the opponent receives damage every turn for every monster paralyzed by the Unhappy Girl's effect. Very few of these cards have ever been seen, so much of their nature remains unclear save a few ominous titles such as Miserable Company, Wail of Lament, and Reborn from Anguish

Note: The Stork is a creation of fanfic authors MichaelDj54 and MetalOverlord 2.0. They also made up the support cards for The Unhappy Girl, so any author wishing to use those cards should contact them.

[mario72486]

Wow...did I call Taramanda using the Sun and Moon Dragons or what? I had a feeling we were going to see them before this fic came to a close, and you certainly did not disappoint.

However, I was somehow disappointed with the overall result. While it is nice to see Taramanda lose and brought to a swift end by the real enemy - therefore bringing an end to the major role of the ophidia - it would have been a major twist to see Jalal lose the duel and succumb to the poison inflicted on him. Not only would this leave the Shadowchasers without a leader and cause a potential power struggle with their allies, it might have made for a nice backdrop for a far larger storyline.

Not to say that what we saw in this chapter brought everything down. I'm sure the Guardian would have come into play regardless of the outcome. With his entrance into the fray, and the Knights of Domiel waiting in the wings, I suspect the true story is about to begin...

[Lord Almaz]

Great epic battle, Brian, and you moved into phase two of the fanfic without missing a beat - the fate of Tarmanda is pretty horrifying as is what happens after the math.

I pity the snakes now, but their story is over and now we have worse enemies.

Anyways, I might try my hand at a Shadowchaser fic - I have this character in my head which is dying to be born, but I didn't want to do anything first because I wasn't really into Yu-Gi-Oh much anymore now that the anime is gone(CN dropped it for Beyblade, bleh!); anyways, this isn't the place for it, but that Stork character is an interesting springboard for my own character...

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FORTY-NINE

The next two days were busy ones in the Shadowkind community. The status of Outlaw Race on the ophidia was lifted quickly, but that wasn’t the primary concern. Whether it had been his intent or not, the demon guardian’s words exposed the secret that Taramanda had worked so hard so long to keep hidden. It spread quickly across the globe, and responses came from ophidia clans... Not all of them the type that the Shadowchasers had expected.

While many clan leaders decried the demon’s words as blasphemous lies, a surprising number said publicly that they had prayed to Seghulerak for years without a single response, and said that the demon’s claim might be true. Several ophidia commoners agreed, claiming that all the sacrifices they had made to their goddess, all the wealth and possessions donated to her clergy, had given them no rewards at all.

In Chicago, on the second day, a group of ophidia met in Grant Park, where they burned several of Seghulerak’s sacred tomes and scrolls on a bonfire, along with a deck of cards that included Vennominaga. The local Shadowchasers showed up, but the demonstration ended peacefully.

In Monaco, Tiffany Lords came out of hiding, claiming she had left to visit a sick relative. She and Prince Percival even posed for a photo op, proving that there was no marital discord.

Hope started to rise around the world in the hearts of other races... Hope that the ophidia might reject their wicked goddess entirely, and that peaceful coexistence with at least some of them might eventually be possible.

It all went almost unseen to the Neo Domino Shadowchasers. They were so exhausted, they spent almost all of the two days sleeping.

On the morning of the third day, they gathered around the breakfast table as Boris poured orange juice.

“Still no word from those four lunatics,” said Jinx.

“Well, no news is good news, I always say,” said Gears.

“I’m still a little confused,” said Ember. “Just what is the difference between a demon and an evil god anyway?”

“Well, Ember,” said Gears, “it’s kind of like the difference between a symbiotic entity and a parasite. When someone worships a true deity, even an evil one, the deity gains power from the worship, and gives something in return. It may be something as simple as enlightenment, or in the case of the best faith, divine magic.

“Demons are different. They’re parasites. Even if they’re worshipped, they can rarely give their worshippers anything. They’re selfish beings who just take all they can without giving anything in return.

“They might be able to grant a boon to some exceptional mortals, like Taramanda, but most get nothing.

“The Dark Signers certainly didn’t get much from serving the Earthbound Gods,” added Jinx. “At first, some of them thought they had been saved from dying, but it was only a grim parody of life. They were little more than slaves when you look at the whole situation.”

“The sad thing is,” continued Gears, “Seghulerak was likely a true god at some point in the past... But her power decayed, as did her sanity, and she degenerated into what she is now...”

Then the doorbell rang. They turned their heads.

“Now who could that be?” asked Shichiro.

He walked up to the door with the others following. He slowly opened it.

A tall man in a trenchcoat and fedora was standing at the door.

He took off his hat...

“Mal Ambrose?” exclaimed Ember.

It was indeed the duelist whom Ember had faced at the Harmonium’s facility. But now he looked tired and disheveled, not at all as happy as he was before.

“The guy with the Kozaky Deck?” asked Gears.

“Let me in,” said Mal. “I don’t think anyone has seen me yet...”

“Who’s at the door?” asked Gabriel, who was perched on the mantle.

Mal sat down on the couch.

“You?” said the phoenix. “You’re a long way from home, aren’t you?”

“And it wasn’t easy to get here,” he replied. “I violated enough dimensional travel laws to have my license suspended...

“Could I have a drink please?”

Boris poured some more orange juice into a glass. The lawyer took it and slowly drained it.

“But why?” said Ember. “You said you’d be rich once you collected your back pay...”

“The Psurlons claimed that they didn’t remember any contract promising me overtime pay,” he replied. “But they did remember the contract I had signed which requires me not to reveal any of their secrets to the law, which was signed using an enchanted clause. If I break it, I’ll be stricken with... the Bells of Baphomet.”

Everyone looked shocked, even Ember. They all knew what the Bells of Baphomet was. It was a demonic curse that had gained incredible notoriety. Only powerful demons and their allies could inflict it on mortals, and they reserved it for those who double crossed them, swindled them, or otherwise cheated them.

A mortal who was stricken with this curse would be immediately beset with the horrible din of fiendish bells that only he could hear. No known manner of protection would be able to silence them, and no matter where the victim ran, the horrible bells would torment him constantly, driving him to near-madness. There was no known cure. No form of anti-curse magic had ever been able to permanently silence the Bells of Baphomet. Magically-induced sleep seemed to protect a victim from them, but if this remedy was applied, the victim could never be allowed to wake up – the Bells would return as soon as he did.

And it got worse, because the Bells were actually a beacon for a shadowy assassin that most named the Demon of the Bells. No description existed of this beast; it always struck when the victim was alone, and no victim of the Bells had ever survived its attack. Unfortunate victims of the curse were always found torn to shreds, as if from some savage animal.

“So, the Psurlons are demon worshippers?” asked Shichiro.

“I don’t think they worship anything,” replied Mal, “but they have several powerful contacts, including many demon generals. But I wasn’t helpless. I found my own copy of that contract, and like any good lawyer, I found a loophole in it. I can’t tell the Harmonium anything, but the Bells won’t harm me if I tell a law enforcement agency that has no jurisdiction over the Psurlons. Like the Shadowchasers.”

The four Titans appeared, and started listening.

“Before I agree to tell you,” continued Mal, “can the Shadowchasers grant me asylum? Once the Psurlons find out I’m here, I won’t be able to go back home… They’ll probably kill someone and pin it on me. Or bribe some underage teenage girl into accusing me of rape. There’s nothing they won’t stoop to.”

“Calm down!” replied Shichiro. “We aren’t the Men in Black, but…”

“Who?” asked Mal.

“Never mind,” said Jinx. “I’m sure Jalal will think of something. Now start at the beginning.”

Mal took a deep breath.

“The charges against Jetta were a sham,” he said. “The ship that supposedly contained the thirty Psurlons who were killed was an unmanned droid ship. Her actions didn’t kill anyone.”

“And yet you prosecuted the case?” asked Ember. “You brought charges against her that you knew were lies?”

“The Psurlons told me to,” replied Mal. “I just worked for them.”

“You could have refused,” said Ember.

“Then they would have fired me and quickly found another high-priced lawyer that wouldn’t refuse,” said Mal. “With folks as rich as the Psurlons, you can’t say no to them. They’ll just get rid of you and find someone who’ll say yes.”

“Yeah, we have similar problems with some celebrities on this planet...” said Shichiro. “But... Why did they falsify the claim?”

“I’m not sure...” replied Mal. “For some reason, they were simply angry at her for saving that planet.”

“That doesn’t make sense!” said Jetta. “The population of that planet had never opposed the Psurlons.”

“Unless...” said Il Mathman. “Unless someone sent those comets on purpose...”

“No...” said Shannalla. “Those comets... They were so much like the ones that...”

The four Titans looked scared.

“Get ahold of yourselves!” said Gears.

He sighed.

“I think the key to learning the whole truth might lie with the Paragons... Unfortunately, they aren’t gonna send us an invitation...”

“Uh, guys...” said Gabriel.

They saw that he was looking out the window.

“I hate to interrupt, but...”

They all looked out the window, and saw someone standing in the street.

“Joaquin...” said Shichiro. “Mal, stay in the house... It looks like someone has come back for more trouble...”

The four Shadowchasers walked out of the house, where Joaquin was standing on the street.

“Okay, Joaquin,” said Shichiro. “What’s the deal this time?”

“You likely don’t think too highly of me, don’t you?” asked Joaquin. “Well, you have me all wrong. I never killed anyone. I never even robbed anyone. I just do the work they’re too proud to do. Wash their clothes, get their coffee, massage their feet…”

“And you have no problem with what they do?” asked Jinx.

“It’s none of my business,” replied Joaquin. “It’s not like I have anything else to do, you know…”

“Why are you here, Joaquin?” asked Gears.

“Delivery…” he replied.

He took four sealed envelopes out of his robe.

“I was wrong,” said Shichiro. “They did send us invitations.”

“But before I hand them over...” continued Joaquin.

He pushed back his sleeve, revealing his sinister-looking Duel Disk.

“...I want one more duel... With you, Ember.”

“What?” asked Ember. “Why?”

“Does everything need a reason?” asked Joaquin.

There was a long pause.

“Maybe he’s right…” said Gears. “Maybe he doesn’t need a reason… But you know... I tend to think there is a reason...”

Ember looked at him. She loaded her deck into her Duel Disk.

“I don’t know what your game is...” she said. “But I’ll duel you if that’s what you want... I’m not scared of those Aliens…”

The two Disks activated.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Joaquin: 8,000)

“I’ll go first...” said Joaquin, drawing a card.

He chose a card, and set it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

“That will be all for now.”

“Then it’s my move!” said Ember.

She made a draw.

All right! she thought.

“I summon Flamvell Firedog!” she shouted.

The burning hellhound appeared in a blaze of flames. (1,900 ATK)

“Typical...” said Joaquin.

“Roast his Monster!” she commanded.

Firedog spouted its flame at the facedown card. The Monster that appeared on the card was also a canine of sorts. It had the head of a demonic jackal, a muscular torso, batlike wings, and a lower body that trailed off into a smoky haze. (2,200 DEF)

“Emperor Sem??” exclaimed Gears. “Oh, that’s bad news...”

“I’ve heard of that card, but...” said Jinx.

“When Emperor Sem is on the field,” said Gears, “whenever a Monster is Tribute Summoned, each player can take a card from his Graveyard, and put it on the top of his deck. As you might expect, it works best in a Monarch Deck.”

Maybe, thought Joaquin, but it has other uses besides Monarchs... Like the Monsters I’m using... Creatures of nightmares more frightening than Monarchs could ever be.

“I set one card,” said Ember, as a facedown card appeared, “and I end my turn.”

(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 8,000)

Joaquin made a draw. He looked at it.

“I play my Foolish Burial,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared.

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

Probably Treeborn Frog, thought Ember.

“Then I’ll set a Monster,” continued Joaquin, as a reversed Monster appeared, “and end my turn.”

Okay... thought Ember. Maybe it wasn’t Treeborn Frog...

She made a draw.

“First, I summon Neo Flamvell Shaman,” she said.

The tribal drums started to play, and the fiery witch doctor leapt onto the field. (1,700 ATK)

Emperor Sem is too tough for Firedog to crack... she thought. Let’s see if his other Monster is...

Firedog blasted a stream of fire at the hidden Monster. A nasty little imp with large eyes appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“So much for that,” said Ember. “Now I Special Summon Flamvell Archer.”

Archer appeared, pointing his bow. (1,000 ATK)

“And now, I Tune both my Monsters together...”

The two Flamvells flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars...

Flamvell Enchantress alighted on the field. (2,900 ATK)

“Not bad...” said Joaquin.

“It’s your move...” said Ember.

“I draw!” said Joaquin, making a draw.

“And that Monster you destroyed last turn was a useful little guy called Scout of the Inverz. At the beginning of my first Main Phase, if I control no Spells or Traps, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard.”

The small imp appeared again. (200 ATK)

“So it IS like Treeborn Frog,” said Ember.

“Not quite,” said Joaquin. “I can only sacrifice Scout for the Tribute Summon of another Inverz Monster.”

“Inverz Monsters?” said Jinx.

“What the hell are those?” asked Gears.

“I’ll show you,” said Joaquin. “I sacrifice my Scout...”

Scout of the Inverz turned into a glowing orb of energy.

“...to summon Inverz Madith.”

In an aura of darkness, a tall, muscular, and incredibly ugly demon appeared. It was covered by a black exoskeleton similar to an insect’s, and had scythe-like claws similar to that of a praying mantis and a long, segmented tail. (2,200 ATK)

“Eww...” said Ember.

“First, Emperor Sem’s effect kicks in,” said Joaquin. “But I think I’ll forego it. You’re free to use it if you want...”

Ember considered. Then she took Flamvell Archer from her discard slot, and put it on top of her deck.

“Next, since I summoned Madith by sacrificing another Inverz,” continued Joaquin, “I can pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon another Inverz from my Graveyard. So I’ll summon the one I put there with Foolish Burial, Gatekeeper of the Inverz.”

A large, hulking creature, again with a black exoskeleton, on all fours, crouched next to the other two Fiends. (1,900 DEF)

Joaquin set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared behind the three Monsters.

“I end my turn.”

(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,000)

Something’s wrong here... thought Ember, as she made a draw. Madith is clearly weaker that Enchantress... But he still could have attacked Shaman...

She looked at the card she had drawn, which was Archer.

I could summon Jetta... she thought. But it may be too risky...

“Enchantress, attack...” she started.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Joaquin, as his facedown card shot up.

“Aggressive Wave! To activate this, I have to send one Inverz that I previously Tribute Summoned back to my hand...”

Inverse Madith disappeared.

“...and in return, I get to destroy one card.”

A blast of energy shot out of the card, striking Flamvell Enchantress and blowing her to shards.

“HEY!” shouted Ember.

She paused.

He’s going to summon Madith again next round... she thought.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared. Then Neo Flamvell Shaman crouched in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

“I end my turn!” she shouted.

Joaquin made a draw.

“Once again, I Special Summon Scout of the Inverz,” he said.

Scout appeared once again. (200 ATK)

“Then, once again, I sacrifice it...”

Scout of the Inverz vanished, and Madith appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

“Emperor Sem’s effect activates, and this time, I’m using it.”

Joaquin took a card from his Graveyard, and placed it on the top of his deck. Ember took Flamvell Enchantress’s card, and returned it to the Extra Deck.

It’s obviously Aggressive Wave... thought Ember.

“Next,” continued Joaquin, “because Gatekeeper is on the field, and I just summoned an Inverz, I’m allowed to make another Normal Summon.

“So... I’ll sacrifice Gatekeeper...”

Gatekeeper vanished into grains of light.

“...to summon Inverz Morth.”

Another ugly, bug-like demon appeared next to Madith. This one had large insectile wings, worn like a cape, a muscular torso, short antennae, and again, a segmented tail. (2,400 ATK)

“You’re free to use Sem’s effect...”

“I don’t think so...” said Ember.

“Then I’ll use Morth’s effect,” continued Joaquin. “When it’s Tribute Summoned, I can give up 1,000 Life Points to send two of your cards back to your hand.”

Ember gasped as Neo Flamvell Shaman and her Trap Card were blown off the field.

Joaquin turned a card on his Disk, and Emperor Sem moved to Attack Mode. (1,300 ATK)

This is gonna hurt... she thought.

“Emperor Sem,” ordered Joaquin, “attack her Monster! Focus blast!”

Sem formed a ball of glowing, crackling energy in its hands, and threw it at the reversed Flamvell Archer, blowing him to bits.

“Madith, attack directly with razor storm!”

Ember grunted in pain as the fiend gestured, and a volley of razor-sharp shards flew into her.

“Morth, sonic scream!”

The other Fiend let out an ear-splitting wave of sound, and Ember was knocked on her behind.

(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,000)

“Feeling hurt?” asked Joaquin, “well this will make you feel better...”

He played a Spell Card.

“Upstart Goblin. You gain 1,000 Life Points, but I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“In other words,” said Jinx, “he’s getting the card he recovered with Sem’s effect now.”

“That’s right,” said Joaquin, as he fit it into his Disk.

A reversed card appeared.

“And it’s your move...”

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,000)

Ember made a draw.

All right... she thought. He’s definitely serious about this...

But what’s with these Inverz? Do they have some sort of symbolic meaning like the Aliens did?

Hard for these... things to represent any sort of childhood memories...

“I’ll re-set this first...” she said, as her reversed card appeared again.

“Then I’ll summon Tenkabito Shien!”

There was the neigh of a horse, and Shien galloped onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

“Shien here is immune to Traps,” said Ember. “That means he can’t be destroyed by Aggressive Wave.”

“That may be true,” said Joaquin, “but I can stand to lose Sem...”

“You misunderstand,” said Ember.

She played a card.

“Once I play Battle-Tuned, and remove Flamvell Archer from play, Shien will be strong enough to take on your big boys.”

(2,500 ATK)

“Cut down Inverse Morth!” she shouted. “Sword of burning pride!”

Shien galloped towards the wicked Fiend, and made a slash with his nodachi, cutting it in twain.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 5,900)

She glared at Joaquin.

“I’m finished...” she said.

Joaquin frowned he made a draw.

“Madith and Morth may be ‘big boys’ among the Inverz,” he said, “but there are even bigger ones. This next Monster is Level 7...

“However, I can summon it with one sacrifice, so long as said sacrifice is an Inverz.

“So, goodbye Madith...”

Inverz Madith vanished into a globe of light.

“...hello Inverz Gilafer!”

The Fiend that appeared this time was far more hulking than the last two. Its exoskeleton was muscular like a bodybuilder, and covered completely with spikes and barbs. Its face was covered with horn-like protrusions, it had a longer tail than the others, and it had a prosthetic right hand that looked uncomfortably like a cannon muzzle. (2,600 ATK)

“Impressive, isn’t it?” asked Joaquin, “I think I’ll forego Sem’s effect again... But by summoning Gilafer, I can send one card on the field to the Graveyard.”

Ember stepped back in shock as Shien vanished.

“As you can see, I didn’t have to pay Life Points that time,” continued Joaquin. “In fact, as a side effect, I gain 1,000 Life Points.

“Now... Attack her directly!”

Gilafer aimed its cannon arm, and fired a blast of burning plasma...

“Did you forget about this?” asked Ember.

Her facedown card shot up, and Draining Shield appeared. The blast was absorbed by an invisible dome.

“Cute...” said Joaquin. “Sem... Your turn...”

Emperor Sem fired its focus blast, hitting Ember in the chest. She doubled over in pain.

Joaquin smirked.

“It’s your move...” he said.

(E: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)

Ember drew a card.

“Gilafer may be too tough for me to handle,” she said, “but you left Sem vulnerable!

“You remember Neo Flamvell Shaman, right?”

She played the card, and Shaman leapt onto the field again. (1,700 ATK)

C’mon, take the bait... she thought.

“Sorry...” said Joaquin.

His facedown card shot up, which was indeed Aggressive Wave. Gilafer vanished, and Shaman was blown to bits.

Ember smirked slightly. She took two cards from her hand, and set the in her Disk. Two reversed cards appeared in front of her.

“That’s all for me...” she said.

“Fine then...” said Joaquin. “I draw!”

He drew a card.

“And that’s what I’ve been waiting for!” exclaimed Ember, as one of her cards shot up.

“The Transmigration Prophecy! Now I can send two cards in either Graveyard back to the owners’ decks.

“And I choose Scout of the Inverse, and Aggressive Wave!”

Joaquin was so shocked, he nearly dropped his cards.

“All right!” exclaimed Gears. “Joaquin just lost his easy way to summon his Inverz, and he can’t get back that Trap using Sem’s effect!”

Joaquin growled as his deck was reshuffled. He looked at Gilafer’s card. Then he looked at the other three cards in his hand.

Emperor Sem isn’t an Inverz... he thought. So I can’t use him to summon Gilafer with one sacrifice...

Oh well...


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Emperor Sem,” he ordered, “attack her directly!”

Emperor Sem formed its focus blast again. Ember quickly considered whether or not to use her other Trap Card.

At the last minute, she decided against it, and the blast slammed into her.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)

“Continuing,” said Joaquin, as he placed a card in his Disk, “I’ll end my turn by playing Nightmare’s Steelcage!”

The ground erupted in flames around Ember, and a large, domed, iron cage studded with spikes formed around her.

“Now you can’t attack for two of your turns.”

“Yeah, well,” said Ember. “Neither can you...”

“It’s your move...” said Joaquin.

Ember made a draw.

She played a card, and Flamvell Gurnika appeared in front of her in an aura of flames. (1,700 ATK)

“That will be all for me,” she said.

Joaquin made a draw.

“I play my Akashic Record Spell Card,” he said, as he quickly played it. “I’m sure you know how this works... I get to make two draws, but if either card has already been used, I lose both of them...”

He made two draws. He looked at them. Then he turned them towards Ember to show that they had now, indeed, been used yet.

Ember shivered a little. One of them was Call of the Haunted, which was common enough... But the other was a Level 8 Monster, and she did not like the look of it at all.

Joaquin chuckled.

“I know what you’re worried about,” he said. “You’re worried that this Monster, like Gilafer, has an effect that lets it be summoned with one sacrifice.

“Well, worry no more. It doesn’t. In fact, to use its true effect, I must summon it by sacrificing two Inverz Monsters.

“I set a card facedown, and then move Emperor Sem to Defense Mode.”

A reversed card appeared, and then Sem shielded himself with his arms. (2,200 DEF)

“And I end my turn...”

Ember quickly made a draw.

“I set a Monster,” she said, as a reversed Monster appeared, “and move Gurnika to Defense Mode.”

Gurnika knelt, and crossed his arms. (200 ATK)

Even if he uses Call of the Haunted to summon one of his Inverz, she thought, I’m safe from that big Monster’s effect for at least a round...

“My turn is over,” she said, as the Nightmare’s Steelcage dissolved and turned to dust.

Joaquin drew a card.

He grinned.

“I think he has a good card...” chirped Gabriel.

“That I did,” chuckled Joaquin, as he played it. “I activate the Spell Card, Alter Ego! Now, I can remove a Monster on the field from play, and in exchange for that, summon one from the Graveyard...

“However, the one I summon has to be the same Type and Level as the one I remove.

“So... Since Emperor Sem is a Level 4 Fiend, I can get rid of it...”

Sem vanished into nothing.

“...and there’s only one Monster in my Graveyard that fits the bill, but it will do...”

Gatekeeper of the Inverz appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK)

“Next, Call of the Haunted!”

His facedown card lifted up, and Inverz Madith appeared next to the Gatekeeper. (2,200 ATK)

No... thought Ember.

“Now, begone!” exclaimed Joaquin, as the two Inverz turned into globes of energy.

The two combined into one large globe that turned into a glob of shadow... A loud snarl came from it...

Then it burst...

Standing in all its horrible glory was the biggest and nastiest Inverz of all. It had the basic gargoyle-shape of a typical demon, covered with an insectile exoskeleton, with beetle-like wings on its back, three horns on its head, a thick, segmented tail, and claws that looked like long barbs.

“I give you... Inverz Gasath!”

(2,800 ATK)

The Fiend growled as it stared hungrily at Ember. Saliva dripped from its pointed teeth.

“Gross...” said Ember. “I’m starting to think that Kaibacorp is making this a little too lifelike.”

“Need I remind you that since I sacrificed two Inverz to summon it,” said Joaquin, “I can use its effect?

“Actually, two effects. I get to choose which. I now get to either destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, or destroy all Monsters on the field except for this one.

“Seeing as that facedown card of yours was apparently of no use against my last attack... I think I’ll choose the latter option...”

Ember stepped back in shock as Inverz Gasath hurled a bolt of black, shadowy energy, blowing Gurnika and her concealed Neo Flamvell Origin to bits.

“Ember!” screamed Jinx.

“I’m fine!” shouted Ember.

She looked at the huge Fiend, who was preparing to fire another blast.

At least I hope I am... she thought.

“Attack directly!” shouted Joaquin. “Wave of destruction!”

The shadowy energy shot forward in a concentrated beam, and Ember let out a bloodcurdling scream...

(E: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,900)

When the smoke cleared, Ember was still standing, but she was limp, her head was bowed, and she was taking gasping breaths.

She slowly looked at Joaquin.

“I’m not done,” he said. “I play a facedown...”

A reversed card appeared.

“And then, the Equip Spell, Gauntlet of Supremacy.”

Inverz Gasath lifted its right arm, and an ugly iron glove studded with spikes around the wrist appeared on it.

“This Equip will last for two of your turns. During that time, Gasath cannot be beaten in battle by Monsters who are a lower Level than it is.”

“Say what?” said Ember.

“And I end my turn...” said Joaquin.

Ember paused before she drew.

She looked at the two cards in her hand, Spirit of Flames and Rekindling.

She looked at Gasath, then at the Equip Spell...

...then at the facedown card.

Then she looked to her side, and saw Jetta standing next to her.

I know what she’s thinking... she thought. It seems a little TOO obvious.

I could summon her... But I have a feeling it’s not a good idea...

She looked at her deck.

Here goes nothing...

She drew a card.

She lifted an eyebrow.

Tenkabito Shien slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

“I’m removing one Fire Monster from play,” she said, “to Special Summon Spirit of Flames.”

A bonfire appeared in front of her, and the demonic fire elemental appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Now, I play Rekindling!”

Four more bonfires appeared, and they turned into Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), Flamvell Gurnika (1,700 ATK), Neo Flamvell Shaman (1,700 ATK), and Neo Flamvell Origin. (500 ATK)

Joaquin smirked slightly...

“I sacrifice Spirit of Flames and Neo Flamvell Shaman...” said Ember.

“Huh?” said Joaquin.

The two Pyros turned into a ball of fire...

In an explosion of flames, Infernal Flame Emperor loomed over the field. (2,700 ATK)

“Hey, wait a minute...” said Joaquin.

Ember took the Spirit of Flames card from her discard slot.

“Let’s see just what the deal is...” she said. “Emperor... Destroy what he has hiding!”

Infernal Flame Emperor hurled a fireball at the card, and it lifted up before exploding into ash. Everyone was shocked when they saw what it was.

“Tuner’s Scheme?” gasped Jinx.

“He was going to pull the same trick that Jalal used on Taramanda?” added Gears.

“Well...” said Ember, with a chuckle. “Copycat, copycat, shame on me... To think... I thought these Inverz Monsters had some deeper meaning...

“They’re nothing but eye-candy, aren’t they? The plan was to capture Jetta the whole time.”

“Yeah, but don’t blame the Paragons for it,” replied Joaquin. “I was just supposed to give you the invitations and leave.

“But I figured I might be able to score some brownie points this way.”

“Why?” said Shichiro. “Why would you want to please them?”

“Do you know what it’s like working for them?” asked Joaquin. “Menzoberra complains for two hours minimum if I put regular cream cheese on her bagel instead of strawberry flavor.

“To them I’m little more than a gofer. It’s always ‘Joaquin, go for coffee!’ ‘Joaquin, go for sandwiches!’ And that’s the better part of my job.

“Any time I can do something to impress them, I do it...”

“So I suppose you were telling a boldfaced lie when you said you never hurt anyone?” asked Shichiro. “Or maybe you believed it... Maybe you thought that your attempts to impress them weren’t hurting anyone...

“Well, maybe you should go back and look into what happened in the aftermath of each time you did something like this. You might be very surprised!”

Joaquin looked at him.

“This duel isn’t over yet, Michiko!” he shouted. “Infernal Flame Emperor may be Level 9, which makes that Gauntlet useless, but Gasath is still 100 Attack Points stronger!”

“True,” said Ember, “but now that the coast is clear, I can Tune Origin, Firedog, and Gurnika...”

The three Flamvells soared into the sky above the Tops. They dissolved into ten glowing stars as the three blazing suns appeared.

“Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!”

Jetta alighted next to the other Pyro, and gave Joaquin a dirty look. (2,800 ATK)

“Uh... oh...” said Joaquin.

“Now, my Trap Card activates,” said Ember, as her reversed card finally revealed itself. “Call of the Haunted!”

With a howl, Flamvell Firedog bounded back onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

Jetta’s flaming sword formed in her hand.

“Now, let’s add ‘em up!” exclaimed Ember. “With a Level 9 Fire Monster and a Level 4 one on the field, Jetta gains a bonus of 2,600 points!”

(4,400 ATK)

“And since Jetta is Level 10, that Gauntlet can’t stop her from crushing your Monster either...”

Jetta leapt up over the field.

“But... I think you already knew that. Destroy Inverz Gasath! Nova blade!”

The demon let out an unholy scream as the Titan cut deeply with her fiery blade. An explosion rocked the street, and Inverz Gasath was no more.

“Infernal Flame Emperor... Attack him directly!”

The huge Pyro blew a blast of fire at Joaquin, and the henchman hollered.

“Argh!” he screamed. “It burns, it burns!”

“Too bad!” said Ember. “Firedog... Finish him off!”

Joaquin screamed again as Firedog’s flame hit him in the chest...

(E: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 0)

...but when the smoke cleared, he was gone. All that remained were four envelopes lying on the ground.

“Be careful, people...” said Shichiro.

He walked up to the four envelopes.

They were sealed with wax using old-fashioned signet rings, and their names were hand-written on the fronts with what looked like equally old-fashioned pen.

“Gears?” asked Shichiro.

Gears checked the device he had brought to detect magical auras. However, he was not getting so much as a flicker.

“They seem to be safe,” he said. “But let’s be careful anyway...”

Shichiro took the one with his name, and broke the seal.

“Yeah, it’s an invitation, all right,” he said, as he read it. “Even has a map drawn here. And a clock with the time he wants me there...”

Jinx, Gears, and Ember took theirs.

“Interesting...” said Gears, as they compared them.

“People...” said Jinx. “These locations... They’re pretty far apart from each other... You’d have to cross the city four times to go to each one.”

“Figures,” said Shichiro. “They aren’t dumb... They’re making sure each confrontation is on their turf, like last time...

“People, it may be difficult, but we have to meet them on their terms. This may be the only way to that aboleth, the one who’s causing all this mess.”

“Agreed...” said Gears. “Maybe we should head out now... If we get there early, we may foil any traps that they can set... And maybe set some of our own.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, four D-Wheels sped down the streets of the Tops.

None of them saw that Minerva was watching, as she had during the whole duel.

As soon as they were out of sight, she spoke into her communication device.

“The four Shadowchasers have gone to confront the Paragons,” she said. “I fear this may end badly.”

“There is very little we can do Minerva,” said the voice on the other end. “The terms of Domiel’s Benediction, which Jalal agreed to, are quite clear. We cannot interfere with their business except to do what we promised to do, and in return, Jalal’s men stay out of ours.

“If the Paragons agree to fight them via duel battle, it is out of our jurisdiction.

“For now... You may observe...”

Minerva turned off the device, and mounted a D-Wheel of her own. She sped off in the direction Shichiro had gone.

* * * * * * * * * *

The four Paragons were bored.

They were beings of Chaos, and as such, careful planning and adherence to rules, which the aboleth insisted on, made them sick. They really hated the times it or its allies called on them to do something.

But seeing as they had no choice, they did anyway.

Right now, the four of them were doing their best to stave off their boredom. In another cavern containing a large pool of water (an entrance to the seawater-flooded complex where the aboleth made its lair) they were seated around a table made from a sawed-off stalagmite, playing cards, using cookies and other snack foods for poker chips.

“I’ll see you and raise you an Oreo,” said Rary.

“Fine...” said Iggwilv. “I’ll see that, and raise you a Fig Newton.”

“I’ll see both of you and raise you two Chips Ahoy,” said Soth.

“You’re bluffing!” said Menzoberra.

“You’re right!” exclaimed Soth with a sigh. “I fold...”

“All right...” said Menzoberra. “All in, people...”

Iggwilv put her cards on the table.

“Three sevens!” she said. “Beat that.”

“Gladly,” said Rary, putting his hand down.

It was three twos and two aces.

“Full house! Read ‘em and weep!”

“Ugh...” said Iggwilv, throwing her cards down.

“Well, Menzoberra?” asked Rary.

“Aw, gee...” said Menzoberra. “All I got is two pairs...”

“Heh...” said Rary, as he started to reach for the pot.

Then Menzoberra grabbed his hand.

“As I was saying...” she said, as she turned her cards around. “I have two pairs... A pair of tens... And another pair of tens...”

Rary sighed as she took the winnings.

“There should be a rule against wearing veils at a card table,” he said. “It makes it easier to have a poker face.”

“Guys, this is stupid!” said Soth. “We’re playing cards for fudge bars and macaroons, while above us a whole planet ripe for the taking!

“Couldn’t you feel it when you were up there? The pulsating life energy just calling out to you?

“If I could go up there, I’d be like a kid in a candy store...”

“More like a bull in a china shop,” said the aboleth’s voice.

They stood up, and saw the creature surface out of the pool.

“While I despise the sentient races that populate this planet, Soth, it said, “I know from experience that by the time you four are done with a world, it is often unable to even support life.

“And this planet still has value for me in that regard. Thus, this world cannot turn into one of your typical binges.

“Anyway... I have good news and bad news... The bad news is, Joaquin will not be attending you for a while. He is being disciplined for defying orders.”

“I knew the little twerp would get in trouble one of these days...” sighed Rary.

“The good news is,” continued the aboleth, “it’s time...

“Go... I trust you know the plan that we’ve gone over so many times...”

The four Paragons lifted their left arms, and the evil-looking Duel Disks appeared on them.

The Rary turned into a cyclone of wind, and then dissipated. Soth melded into the ground with a rumble. Menzoberra melted into liquid and vanished. And Iggwilv vanished into an aura of fire.

The aboleth let out a long sigh...

It had worked with elemental beings for eons... Why couldn’t any of them simply use the door?



ALTER EGO (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A split scene with a jagged line down the middle. One the right, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is rushing towards the middle, and on the left, D.D. Warrior Lady is rushing away from it.

Card Description: Remove 1 Monster you control from play. Special Summon from your Graveyard a Monster of the same Type and Level as the removed Monster.



GAUNTLET OF SUPREMACY (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: Dark Ruler Ha Des wearing an iron, spiked gauntlet, glowing with magical power.

Card Description: The Equipped Monster cannot be destroyed by battle by Monsters that are a lower Level than the Equipped Monster. On your opponent’s second End Phase after this card is activated, destroy this card.


The Inverz cards will be released in “Duel Terminal 10: Raid of the Inverz!”.



Next:

Shichiro: Something weird is going on here... I expected to meet Rary...

But this place that the invitation has led me to doesn’t suggest the type of place that a master of Wind would want to use as a battleground. It just doesn’t seem right.

I may not get what I expect... And I may get more than I bargained for...

“Bone Temple Block” is coming soon...



Shadowchaser Files

The Dread Emperor, Enigma of Evil

Evil has some secrets that remain dark and mysterious. One mystery that the Shadowchasers have been investigating for the past few years is the Dread Emperor, an insane killer who has been encountered on almost every continent. His motivations and intentions remain a mystery, but he is clearly a sociopath.

It is not known if the Dread Emperor (who does not seem to rule any empire, despite his name) is human or Shadowkind. He always wears full plate armor, complete with a visored helmet. The armor is of the finest quality, of masterwork design. He carries no weapon, however. Most shocking, three or four children are always chained to his belt with collar chains. These children are clearly under some form of mind control, and never speak, simply plodding along with their captor.

The Dread Emperor is actually not one to start a fight via his own initiative. He usually shows up in places where the criminal element is powerful, like slums of cities and lawless nations where the government has little power. He meets with criminals and unsavory Shadowkind like ophidia and dark elves to sell potions, scrolls, and magic items. But even in these places, people often challenge him to rescue the children... And that’s when the bloodshed starts.

It’s quite rare for the Shadowchasers to actually confront the Dread Emperor; he’s usually long gone by the time they reach the site of one of his outbursts, leaving them to investigate the smoldering ruin he leaves in his wake. According to frightened survivors, when a fight breaks out, it becomes clear that, despite the armor, he is not a warrior at all, but a wizard with power on par with an archmage. His spells are not subtle – he decimates enemies with Fireballs and Lightning Bolts. One witness even described a spell that was probably Meteor Swarm, which is an epic-level spell.

Some Incantifers believe that the children he keeps with him must have some practical use connected to his magical ability. They have theorized that perhaps they act as familiars of some sort, enabling him to use magical energy that he would otherwise not have access to. The truth remains a secret known only to him.

The Dread Emperor seems to have few allies. He is always alone, aside from the children (and they are not the same children each time). Some believe that the Stork might provide the children, but even then, it is not known if they are allies. It is not known where the Dread Emperor’s base of operations is either.

The Dread Emperor’s ultimate goal is a mystery as well, but he is sometimes seen with a Duel Disk, hinting to others that he is close to finding “the Dark Ones”. Possibly, he is looking for some special cards. It may be that he is trying to find the Wicked Gods or Haou Judai’s Evil Heroes. How close he is to his goal, none can say, but one hopes that the answer is “not very”.


Story Ideas: A lot of the Dread Emperor’s slate has been left clean for others to fill in. Who is he? Anyone’s guess is as good as the next. He might be a knight who was cursed for some reason. Possibly, he is even a death knight, like Jalal mentioned, or Sir Belvedere himself, the first of the Lost Ones.

If any hero encounters this fiend, it is his or her top priority to try to take him down. Clearly, the children are slaves of some sort, and one cannot let this continue. Of course, defeating a wizard this powerful is tricky. It will take clever strategy and fast thinking.

A short story can be constructed around the Dread Emperor’s strange goals. Such a story might even cumulate in him completing these goals and finding the cards he is looking for. If this happens, he is likely to become even more powerful, becoming a mighty wizard and a mighty duelist. What he might do next is anybody’s guess.


Deck Suggestions: The Dread Emperor does duel when the situation warrants, and uses a simple, yet deadly strategy. He first summons Lava Golem or Grinder Golem (or both, if possible) to his opponent’s side of the field. Then he uses Owner’s Seal or Remove Brainwashing (depends on the situation) to move both to his side of the field. With the use of Equip Spells like United We Stand or Megamorph, this can often result in an OTK.

[Lord Almaz]

“More like a bull in a china shop,” said the aboleth’s voice.

The Mythbusters build team would like to have a word with you about that saying, Mr. Aboleth.

Anyways, great second round with Joq. I have never heard of this Inverz monsters before. Keep up the good work.

The ophidia rejecting her worship? Heh, they're evil and stubborn. But still, they'd probably gravitate to another evil demon lord like Orcus or tha 4th edition god of snakes and poison. (I had the books briefly.)

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY

Shichiro slowly drove his D-Wheel through the quiet rural areas just outside of Neo Domino.

He stopped for a minute, and paused. Here and there, by the sides of the road, were several small shrines.

They were common sites in the countryside. People used them to make offerings to the various spirits that were once more widely believed in; the creatures of Japanese folklore that represented the forces of nature.

Of course, Aware humans knew that these spirits were actually Shadowkind, as were most creatures of any myth.

He drove on, and eventually saw his goal. A Shinto shrine loomed in front of him at the end of a cul-de-sac. A sign that said “Under Renovation” was posted in front.

He eyed the place suspiciously for a minute. He had suspected somewhere at a higher altitude.

Nonetheless, he got off his bike, and walked in the front door.

He looked around. This didn’t seem to be under renovation... The stone lanterns were lit, the statues and screens were in good repair...

From the look of it, this was clearly a Tenjin shrine.

These shrines were dedicated to the 9th Century scholar Sugawara no Michizane. He had been unjustly exiled in life, and had originally been enshrined not to be worshipped, but to placate his spirit, whose anger was believed to be the cause of a plague and other disasters.

Odd... thought Shichiro. Why here?

“Rary?” he said out loud.

“Sorry, he couldn’t make it,” said a voice.

Shichiro turned his head, and saw Soth leaning against a statue, slowly shuffling a deck of cards.

“Rary had an appointment with his dentist...” he said, “so he asked me to fill in...”

Shichiro raised an eyebrow.

“Right...” he said. “You probably were going to be here all along...

“And I want answers... I’ve been finding out bits and pieces, but they’re starting to fit together. I’m starting to think that those comets that struck the Titans’ home planet were not an act of God.”

“Hmm...” said Soth.

He placed his deck into his Duel Disk.

“So you’re saying someone sent them on purpose?” he asked. “That would make someone responsible for multiple genocide... Quite a serious claim you’re making there...

“Of course... If it was true and I knew something about it, and that’s not an admission, it would probably be in my best interest to keep my mouth shut.”

As he said that, the door behind Shichiro slammed shut.

“You didn’t need to do that,” said Shichiro. “I have no intention of leaving without answers.”

“Then duel me,” replied Soth. “Maybe, just maybe, you’ll get some before it’s over.”

The two Disks activated, and the decks were shuffled.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)

“I’ll make the first move,” said Shichiro, as he made a draw.

“I play... the Continuous Spell Card, Gateway of the Six.”

He played the card, and the large wooden doorway with the glowing symbol of the Six Samurai appeared behind him.

“We’ll get to that later. For now, I’ll summon Six Samurai – Irou.”

In an aura of darkness, the blindfolded Samurai holding his long katana appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“And I’ll leave it at that.”

“Not bad...” said Soth, making a draw.

“I’ll defend with a Monster, then set one card, and I’ll end MY turn.”

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared in front of him.

Shichiro made his second draw.

“All right,” he said. “I summon Six Samurai – Kamon.”

In a burst of fire, the Samurai demolitions expert appeared, casually palming an explosive. (1,500 ATK)

“And since I have two Samurai on the field,” continued Shichiro, “Irou can automatically destroy any reversed Monster when he attacks.

“Go! Setting sun strike!”

Irou made a slash at the card, cutting it in half.

“Kamon, attack directly! Greek fire grenade!”

Kamon lit the explosive, and hurled it at Soth. The Paragon grunted as the explosion enveloped him.

(Sh: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 6,500)

Then he grinned.

“Not bad...” he said. “But I still have plenty of tricks waiting...”

He drew a card.

“Like this one! Come on out, Gozuki!”

With a growl, a hulking, muscular demon with a bull’s head, holding a huge hammer, appeared in front of Soth. (1,700 ATK)

“Gozuki??” gasped Shichiro.

“That’s right,” said Soth, as a card slipped out of his Disk. “And using its effect, I can send one Zombie from my deck to the Graveyard each round.”

He discarded the card.

“And now, my Trap Card...”

His facedown card lifted up.

“Night of One-Hundred Horrors! It lets me Special Summon from my Graveyard both of the Zombies that are there... Crow Tengu and Onmoraki!”

The two Monsters that appeared certainly didn’t look like Zombies. At first glance, they looked more like Winged Beasts. The first one was a humanoid crow, holding the Goblin Fan. (1,400 ATK) The other looked like a big, black crane. (1,200 ATK)

But they were indeed Zombies... They were special ones called Yokai, modeled after the demons of Japanese folklore. Shichiro knew of a Shadowchaser who worked in Vegas who used a deck like this.

What was his name again? he thought.

“Due to Onmoraki’s effect,” said Soth, “I get to draw one card...”

He made a draw.

“And thanks to Crow Tengu, I get to destroy one Monster. I think I’ll destroy Irou!”

Crow Tengu’s eyes glowed.

“You obviously don’t know much about the Six Samurai,” said Shichiro. “They’re so close as a team, that if one would ever fall, another can fall for him.

“So Crow Tengu’s effect will be affecting Kamon instead.”

Kamon shattered into pixels.

Darn... thought Soth. Not how I would have wanted it... but...

“Gozuki...” he said. “Attack Irou!”

The Yokai lifted its hammer, and Irou lifted his sword.

“They’ll kill each other!” shouted Shichiro.

“No skin off my nose...” said Soth.

The two Monsters leapt at each other, and were blown to pieces in an explosion.

“You’re wide open!” shouted Soth.

Shichiro staggered as the two feathered Zombies dug their talons into him.

(Sh: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 6,500)

Shichiro held his chest.

Hyde Vance... he thought. THAT was his name...

Soth set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“I end my turn...” he said. “And because I summoned them using that Trap Card, both my Monsters are destroyed...”

Onmoraki and Crow Tengu shattered into pixels.

“...but hey... Maybe we’ll see them again...”

He’s right... thought Shichiro. The whole point of a Yokai Deck is to summon from the Graveyard...

He drew.

But I can inflict some serious harm...

“I activate the effect of Gateway of the Six,” he said. “Each time I summoned a Samurai, it gained two Bushido Counters.

“Now that it has four, I can remove them to take a Samurai from my deck...”

A card slipped out of his deck.

“Now, I summon Samurai Yaichi!”

He played the card, and the archer of the Six Samurai appeared. (1,300 ATK)

“Next...” said Shichiro, “I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai.”

With a flash, the elderly sensei of the Six Samurai appeared next to Yaichi. (2,100 ATK)

“Then, with two Samurai on the field again, I can use Yaichi’s effect... By forfeiting his attack this round, I can destroy one set Spell or Trap.”

Yaichi fired an arrow from his bow, and Soth’s Dimensional Prison was blown to shards.

“Uh...” said Soth.

Then he was knocked over as the Grandmaster’s sword slammed into him.

(Sh: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)

“I end my turn...” said Shichiro.

“I’ll bet you think you’re pretty smart...” said Soth, making a draw.

“Well, I can be smart too. Case in point, I play Spellbook of the Pot. Now, we both draw three cards.”

He played the card, and made three draws. Shichiro shrugged, and also drew three.

“Next, I set a card...” continued Soth.

A new facedown card appeared.

“...and then play Card Destruction!”

He played a new Spell Card.

“We must each fold our hands and draw an equal number.”

He discarded his four cards, and then made four draws. Shichiro sighed. He discarded five cards, and drew five new ones.

Actually, somewhat of an improvement, he thought, looking at them.

“Continuing,” said Soth, “I summon Shutendouji.”

A new Yokai appeared in front of him. It was a horned, red-skinned ogre with long, unkempt hair, holding a Saki bottle. (1,500 ATK)

“You think some drunk demon scares me?” asked Shichiro.

“We’ll soon see,” replied Soth. “It has two effects, and this round, I’m going to use the effect that lets me remove two Zombies in my Graveyard from play to draw one card.”

He took Gozuki and Crow Tengu from his Graveyard and pocketed them. Then he made one draw.

He looked at it. Then he took another card from his hand, and set it in his Disk. A new facedown card appeared.

“All right! Shutendouji... Attack Samurai Yaichi!”

Shutendouji breathed a volatile cloud of fire at the archer, and he vanished in a shower of ash.

“Ergh...” said Shichiro.

(Sh: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)

“Heh, heh...” said Soth, crossing his arms. “Your move...”

Shichiro drew a card.

It was Junk Synchron.

Hmm... he thought.

“I summon Samurai Zanji!” he exclaimed.

In a golden aura, the armored Samurai holding his naginata appeared. (1,800 ATK)

One of Soth’s two facedown cards shot up.

“I activate Threatening Roar!” he exclaimed.

Shichiro sighed.

“Darn...” he said. “I can’t do anything else.”

“Then it’s my move...” said Soth, making a draw.

“I use Shutendouji’s other effect,” he said. “I can take one Zombie that’s been removed from play, and put it on the top of my deck.”

He placed a card on the top of his deck. Then his facedown card lifted up.

“Then, with Jar of Greed, I can get it right away.”

He quickly drew it.

“Now, I’ll summon it!”

Gozuki appeared once again. (1,700 ATK)

“Next, I’ll use Gozuki’s effect again...”

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

“Then, I’ll sacrifice my two Zombies...”

Gozuki and Shutendouji vanished into grains of light.

“...to Special Summon the Nine-Tailed Fox from my Graveyard!”

In an aura of fire, an evil-looking fox with nine long, sharp tails appeared in front of him. Its eyes glowed like smoldering coals. (2,200 ATK)

“Attack! Destroy his Grandmaster!”

Nine-Tailed Fox’s long tails shot at Grandmaster, piercing his chest and blowing him to shards.

(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 4,400)

Soth grinned.

“It’s your move...” he said.

Shichiro drew a card. He looked at it. It was Tuningware.

Hmm... he thought.

“I summon Junk Synchron,” he said, as the cute robot appeared in front of him. (1,300 ATK)

“Now, it can give Zanji a Tune-up...”

Junk Synchron gave its ripcord a yank, and both it and Samurai Zanji dissolved into seven glowing stars. Shichiro chanted:

“Clustering stars form an arrow shot from the heavens to strike like a bolt from the blue! Appear!

“Synchro Summon... Junk Archer!”

Junk Archer appeared, aiming its bow at the bestial Zombie. (2,300 ATK)

“I could just attack your Fox,” said Shichiro, “but I’d rather use Archer’s effect, which lets me remove it from play for the rest of the round.

“Go! Bull’s eye banishment!”

Junk Archer fired its bow, and Nine-Tailed Fox was sucked into a vortex.

“That means I can attack you directly!” shouted Shichiro.

Junk Archer fired its bow again, and Soth grit his teeth in pain as the arrow ripped though him.

“I end my turn,” said Shichiro. “And that means your Monster comes back.”

Nine-Tailed Fox appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 2,100)

Soth frowned as he made a draw.

“I move it to Defense Mode,” he said.

The Fox sat in a Defensive Position. (2,000 DEF)

“Then, I throw two cards facedown.”

Three reversed cards appeared behind it.

“...and I’m finished.”

Shichiro eyed the facedown cards as he made a draw.

They might be Traps... he thought. But if they’re bluffs, I could win the duel with this strike!

Junk Archer fired his bow again, and Nine-Tailed Fox vanished again.

“Junk Archer, attack...” he started.

“I activate Burial From a Different Dimension!” shouted Soth, as his Quickplay Spell flipped up. “I’ll send Nine-Tailed Fox and Crow Tengu to my Graveyard.”

He discarded the cards.

“Then, a Trap Card,” he said, as his other card lifted up. “Haunted Shrine! Because I have no Monsters on the field, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard.

“And I think I’ll summon one I just put in there...”

Crow Tengu appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK) Its eyes glowed with unholy light, and Junk Archer shattered into pixels.

Shichiro frowned. He took two cards from his hand and set them, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone. The two set cards appeared in front of him.

He looked at Gateway of the Six.

Six... he thought. I have just enough, but I’ll wait until next turn...

“It’s your move, Soth,” he said.

Soth drew a card.

“I set two more cards facedown,” he said, as two reversed cards appeared.

“Then I attack with Crow Tengu!”

The Yokai dive-bombed the hidden Monster. Tuningware appeared on the card, right before Crow Tengu cut it in half with one slash from the Goblin Fan.

“That’s all for me,” he chuckled.

Shichiro made a draw.

“I activate Double-Edged Sword Technique!” he exclaimed, as his Trap Card lifted up. “This powerful card lets me Special Summon not one, but two of the Six Samurai from my Graveyard.”

First, Irou appeared. (1,700 ATK) Then Zanji. (1,800 ATK)

“But,” added Soth, “when your turn ends, both of them will be destroyed, and you’ll take damage equal to their Attack Scores. Is it worth 3,500 Life Points?”

“Actually,” said Shichiro, “I don’t intend to keep them. I summon Nitro Synchron.”

He played a card, and the small, robotic propane tank appeared next to the two Samurai. (300 ATK)

Then the needle on its gauge moved into the red. It and the two Samurai flew upwards, and the three blazing suns appeared.

“Sorry about this...” said Soth. “I mean, as much as I’d just love to tussle with Trymus right now...”

One of his reversed cards lifted up.

“...I’m not going to. I activate Enma’s Judgment!”

A dark pall fell over the room, and a grim figure seated at a judge’s bench appeared behind Soth. He held up five cards: Shutendouji, Onmoraki, Nine-Tailed Fox, Nurikabe, and Onagakokuba.

“By removing five Zombies in my Graveyard from play, I can call upon the power of the dark judge Enma, to undo your Special Summoning...”

Enma rapped his gavel on his bench. The three Monsters shattered, and the three suns faded away.

“This card has another effect...” said Soth. “It lets me Special Summon Enma’s servant... The Red Ogre!”

There was a roar, and a large, hulking figure appeared out of the shadows. It was eight feet tall, muscular, covered with red fur, had diabolical horns over its bestial face, and carried a huge kanabo. (2,800 ATK)

“So...” said Soth with an evil smile. “What now, Osaka?”

Shichiro gave him an angry look.

“I’ll show you what now!” he said. “My Gateway of the Six has ten Bushido Counters on it. And by removing six of them, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien from my Graveyard!”

In an aura of flames, Shien appeared, holding his blazing katana. (2,500 ATK)

“No fair!” shouted Soth. “I never sent him to your Graveyard!”

“Yes you did,” replied Shichiro. “When you played Card Destruction, remember?

“And now, I remove two more Counters more to increase his Attack Points by 500 for the rest of the turn.”

(3,000 ATK)

“Destroy Red Ogre! Sword of Burning Pride!”

Great Shogun Shien leapt at the huge Yokai, and with one swipe, cleaved it in half down the middle.

(Sh: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 1,900)

“It’s your move, Soth,” said Shichiro. “Don’t forget, with Shien on the field, you can only use one Spell or Trap per turn.”

Shien returned to an Attack Score of 2,500.

Soth’s eyebrows narrowed. He drew one card.

“Very well...” he said. “I choose this one...”

His last facedown card lifted up.

“Ghostly Reinforcements. I give up 1,000 Life Points, and in return, I get to Special Summon two low-Level Zombies from my Graveyard.”

The first Yokai to appear was Gozuki. (1,700 ATK) The second was the most popular Yokai, a horse-headed, axe-wielding demon that was used in several other varieties of Zombie Decks. (1,700 ATK)

“WHAT?” shouted Shichiro. “You had Mezuki in your Graveyard this whole time, and never used its effect?”

“I believe it was someone on your world that said, ‘patience is a virtue’, Mr. Osaka,” said Soth.

He frowned.

“But as of last round, I’m all out of it...

“I sacrifice Mezuki and Crow Tengu...”

The two Yokai vanished into a glob of darkness...

With a roar, a Monster even bigger than Red Ogre appeared. Fully twelve feet tall, it had the body of a muscular bear wearing a kit, one glaring eye, and a lolling tongue. (2,900 ATK)

“What is THAT??” shouted Shichiro.

“That’s Daidarabotchi,” said Soth, with a grin. “Don’t let its good looks fool you...

“And since you seem to know about Mezuki’s effect, I’ll do that now, removing it from play to Special Summon a Zombie from the Graveyard...”

Red Ogre appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

“By the way...” he continued, “Daidarabotchi gains 200 Attack Points for every Zombie on the field, other than itself.”

(3,300 ATK)

“Red Ogre, take your revenge!” he shouted. “Slay that Shogun!”

The Oni leapt at Shien, and spouted a wave of flames from its maw. Shien grunted, and shattered into pixels.

“Now, Gozuki, attack him directly!”

Gozuki leapt at Shichiro, and smacked him upside the head with the huge mallet. Shichiro struggled to keep standing.

“Daidarabotchi, Earthshaker Crush!” shouted Soth.

Daidarabotchi roared, and slammed its fist down so hard, the whole shrine shook. This time, Shichiro could not keep standing. He collapsed.

(Sh: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (So: 900)

Shichiro hadn’t felt this bad in years... Not since he was fourteen and had tried to use his older brother Shiro’s abs cruncher. Blood dribbled from his nose, and his head was pounding.

“I might as well tell you, Shichiro...” said Soth. “Yeah... The comets that destroyed the Titans’ homeworld... They were sent on purpose. The boss told me it was part of some big plan.”

“Why...” moaned Shichiro.

“Not sure,” said Soth. “Apparently, that was on a need-to-know basis, and the boss didn’t think I needed to know.”

Then Soth grabbed him by the throat. Shichiro didn’t hear anything else. He fell unconscious.

* * * * * * * * * *

The aboleth was carefully watching through its portal viewing device.

“Hey boss!” said Soth. “Mission accomplished. That new deck you gave me worked great.”

“I’ll pass the compliment to the one who put it together,” said the aboleth.

The portal vanished.

“I trust you heard him?” it said, as a figure walked out of the shadows.

The figure walked into the light.

It was Trueman.

“Indeed I did,” replied the Messenger of Darkness.

“Seems you’re much better at building decks than you are at actually using them, Trueman,” said the aboleth.

“And so long as those Shadowchasers think I’m dead,” replied Trueman, “I’m free to work in the shadows without them suspecting. It’s given me access to some powerful cards. And powerful cards lead to powerful decks.”

“You should try deceit more often, Trueman...” said the aboleth. “You’ll find that it often has many advantages over always being truthful...”

* * * * * * * * * *

Back at the shrine, Minerva walked in. She had been hiding out of sight during the whole duel, unsure of what to do. She had wanted to help Shichiro, but didn’t want to disobey orders.

She spoke into her communication device.

“Bad news...” she sighed. “Mr. Osaka has been defeated.”

“Where is he now?” said the voice on the other end.

“He was taken by the victor,” replied Minerva. “He was alive when last I saw him... How long that may be, I have no idea...

“Is there nothing we can do? Nothing at all?”

There was a long pause.

“I will look over my copy of the Benediction,” said the voice. “It is a long and complex document, as such things often are. Perhaps we can find something.

“Continue as you were, and report back on any news.”

The transmission ended, leaving her alone.




CROW TENGU (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, destroy one Monster on the field.



ONMORAKI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: When this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard, draw one card from your deck.



NINE-TAILED FOX (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard, you may Tribute two Zombie-Type Monsters that you control to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned via this effect, it gains the following 2 effects: *When this card battles a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than this card’s ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points. * When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two “Fox Tokens” (Zombie/Fire/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 300) to your side of the field in Defense Position.



GOZUKI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 800

Card Description: Once per turn that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can send one Zombie-Type Monster from your deck to the Graveyard.



DAIDARABOTCHI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 10
ATK: 2,900
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card gains 200 Attack Points for each Zombie-Type Monster on the field, other than this card.



HAUNTED SHRINE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Two ghostly spirits flying out of a cavern.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you control no Monsters. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.



NIGHT OF ONE-HUNDRED HORRORS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A mob of ghoulish creatures in a dark wood.

Card Description: Special Summon as many Zombie-Type Monsters as possible from your Graveyard. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy all Monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.



ENMA’S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)

Counter Trap

Image: Enma, the King of the Underworld, seated at a judge’s bench, with a kneeling prisoner in front of him, with Red Ogre standing nearby.

Card Description: Activate when your opponent Special Summons a Monster. Remove from play five Zombie-Type Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the Special Summon of that Monster and destroy it. Then, you may Special Summon 1 “Red Ogre” from your hand or deck.



GHOSTLY REINFORCEMENTS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A warrior on a dark battlefield strewn with broken armor and weapons, with mysterious lights hovering behind the trees in the background.

Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower Zombie-Type Monsters from your Graveyard.

Note: The proceeding nine cards were all used by Misawa at various times in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



Next:

Jinx: I expected to meet with Soth... But now that this map has led me to the reservoir, it has become clear that Menzoberra has decided to meet with me. Even stranger, it seems that her deck has done a complete 180, and is not what one would expect from a master of Water at all.

It’s hard enough when you face the biggest and strongest Monsters in the game... It seems she’s decided on something significantly smaller...

“Pride of the Weak” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Riza, Divine Imposter


For a long time, Taramanda was the highest authority among the ophidia. Because her anathema form was proof that she had the blessing of Seghulerak herself, no ophidia dared to publicly question that authority. Now that she is dead, a power vacuum exists in their society that many would like to fill. One who might do so is not even an ophidia, but a demon who is posing as the aspect of Seghulerak, who heads a clan in Mumbai.

Three years ago, after the leader of that clan was arrested by the Shadowchasers for performing blood sacrifices, her apprentice decided to continue her work, and use a powerful incantation that she hoped would summon Seghulerak to the mortal world. On the night of a full moon that shone blood red, she cast the blasphemous rite... However, it didn’t go as she planned.

What she summoned was not Seghulerak, or any aspect of the goddess. It was a class of demon called a marilith. Marilith are powerful demons who act as generals and strategists of the Blood War (a daunting job, considering how chaotic demon armies are). They appear as human females with six arms from the waist up, and huge serpents from the waist down. Marilith are known for their incredible martial skill (able to adequately wield a sword in all six arms at once) and their cruel nature.

This marilith, whose name was Riza, appeared even more serpentine than the average marilith, having the same snake-like scales on her humanoid half that she had on her tail. Thus, although the ritual was a failure, the assembled ophidia saw the serpentine demon in front of them, and thought that it had been successful. At first, Riza was furious at being summoned (as demons usually are when summoned by mortals) but once she realized that these mortals were intent on worshipping her, she calmed down a great deal.

After a while, Riza (who was careful not to use that name) learned about the situation, and ideas started to form in her head. In the Abyss, she had been a general serving a demonic king... Here, she could be queen if things fell into place. Using her skills as a strategist, she directed her minions to gather power in secret, preparing for an ultimate confrontation where she would take Taramanda’s place as the ultimate authority of the species.

Recent events have complicated matters, and forced her to change her plans considerably. But soon, Riza will reveal herself to the rest of the world, and a new power player among Shadowkind might emerge as a result.


Story Ideas: Taramanda’s death and the revelation of her secret have worked to Riza’s advantage in many ways. There is no longer a need to overthrow Seghulerak’s true chosen, and if she can prove to others that she is truly the embodiment of the goddess, she may be able to rekindle the weakening faith in the ophidia’s worship.

Of course, Riza cares nothing for Seghulerak or any other god (the closest thing demons have to gods are the Abyssal Lords) and this may cause another problem; someone might find out that she is an imposter. Up to this point, she has quietly done away with any ophidia suspected of knowing the truth about what she is, but once she goes public, it is entirely possible that an expert on demons might recognize her for what she is.

An even bigger monkey wrench might be thrown in her plans if Seghulerak herself takes offense at what she does. The ophidia goddess may not take much interest in her followers, but all deities, as a rule, hate imposters. In the past, creatures who impersonate deities only last as long as doing so amuses the deity in question. Of course, Riza might try to contact her allies in the Abyss and try to make a bargain with the snake goddess... It could be worth a shot...


Deck Suggestions: Dispatching enemies via dueling, at least ones that pose an actual threat, isn’t Riza’s style. Like most marilith, she prefers to cut an enemy to pieces quickly and be done with it. Still, she can duel if the situation warrants it, and she knows that it might in the future.

Riza’s deck reflects her love of martial fighting, using a deck that focuses on Equip Spells. She doesn’t use Vairon Monsters (it would be unwise for a demon to use Fairies) but she uses many other useful cards, like Armed Samurai Ben Kei, Evocator Chevalier, and Seven Sword Warrior.

Recently, Riza has uncovered information about Power Tool Dragon, and unlike most of Rua’s opponents, realizes its great potential. She likely would have challenged him for it a long time ago, if not for the fact that the Crimson Dragon, an entity that she is justly afraid of, seems willing to protect him. She has time to wait, however, and will follow Rua’s exploits closely.

[Lord Almaz]

Wow, so Shichiro's defeated, huh? I have a feeling that he'll lose the Trymus card, which will be destroyed by the Paragons before he can save it. Of course, this is speculation.

I have a feeling that the others will be defeated and kidnapped, and this Minerva will have to rescue them before they're sacrificed or worse. That's a sneaky trick, forcing the Shadowchasers to fight decks they haven't witnessed before.

[mario72486]

Wow.

The duel was excellent, especially since you made a homage to Misawa with the Yokai deck. Would have been interesting if you used Kasha in this one, but I guess that can be saved for another time.

The Paragons scoring a victory is one thing, but a victory against Shichiro, a duelist who hardly ever loses? That's the real shocker. Seeing Trueman back in the picture is also a twist. It'll be interesting to see if he plays an even bigger role later on.

I will not be surprised if the same fate awaits the rest of our heroes, nor will I be if the Knights of Domiel step in afterward to make the save.

Keep the suspense building. I'm looking forward to see what awaits the others...

[Dark Sage]

Sorry if this chapter is a little short. It was hard to fit a lot into this particular theme.

DUEL FIFTY-ONE

“Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.”

So said the line in the old poem, and it was an ironic fact for any town situated on the coast. Although water dominated the landscape of Neo Domino, it was seawater, and wasn’t drinkable. Coastal towns needed to get their water supply from inland, more often than not.

As Jinx drove her D-Wheel to the concrete dike that surrounded the reservoir, located two miles out of town, she couldn’t help but think this was unusual.

She took off her helmet and looked at the large, manmade expanse of water.

Not exactly the place I’d expect to find Soth, she thought. Seems more like...

As if to answer her, a spout of water shot up in front of her...

Menzoberra stepped out of the lake, clearly not very happy. She brushed herself off, as if to get some grime off of herself.

“So...” she said. “You actually drink this stuff?”

Jinx glared at her.

“Well, we were toying with the idea of filling the reservoir with Aquafina,” she said, sarcastically, “but that idea was turned down in favor of putting sushi bars in the subway stations.”

She frowned.

“Where’s Soth?”

“Oh, come on Noriko,” said Menzoberra, as her Duel Disk appeared on her arm. “Do you really want to duel that big lug instead of me? I’d think you’d jump at the chance for a little ‘girl talk’...”

“More than likely,” said Jinx, “you guys just didn’t want to be trounced a second time, so you swapped targets.

“Well, I’m not afraid to face you or your Frogs. Bring it on...”

She stepped off her bike, and activated her Disk.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)

“I draw one card...” said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She took three cards from her hand, and set them in her Disk. Three reversed cards appeared.

“I end my turn.”

Jinx gave a funny look.

“What?” asked Menzoberra. “Something you didn’t understand?”

“No Monsters to summon?” asked Jinx.

“Maybe, maybe not,” replied Menzoberra. “You’re just going to have see for yourself.”

Jinx narrowed her eyes. She made a draw.

“You’re not going to fool me with mind games!” she exclaimed.

“I summon X-Saber Urz!”

With a bellow, the demonic-looking Warrior clad in furs appeared in front of her, holding his two scimitars. (1,600 ATK)

“Get her!” she shouted.

Urz leapt at Menzoberra. She blocked the blow from his sword with her bracelet, but still took three steps backwards.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)

“Seems you were bluffing,” said Jinx.

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and grinned wickedly at Jinx.

“No I wasn’t,” she chuckled, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. “It cost me 1,600 Life Points, but that direct attack enabled me to activate Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.

“The first thing I do is show you a Level 1 Monster in my hand...”

She flipped a card in her hand around.

“That’s a... Mokey Mokey?” said Jinx.

“It sure is!” laughed Menzoberra. “And now I get to summon it, along with another one from my deck.”

In two showers of pixie dust, two little creatures that looked like marshmallows with faces, stubby limbs, small wings, and question marks on top, appeared in front of Menzoberra.

“Mokey-Mokey!” they both squeaked. (300 ATK x2)

Ho boy... thought Jinx.

She looked at her hand.

“I... have to end my turn...”

Menzoberra replaced the veil, and drew a card.

“Ready, Noriko?” she asked. “Because Key Mace certainly is...”

She played a card, and a small Fairy wearing a blue and yellow harlequin outfit holding a staff shaped like a key appeared. (400 ATK)

“Then, I use my secret weapon...”

She fit a card into her Disk.

“The Continuous Spell Card, Mokey Mokey Smackdown.”

The Spell Card was both intimidating and funny at the same time. It showed a picture of an incredibly angry Mokey Mokey, its face red and its question mark changed to an exclamation point.

Jinx knew how this worked... If a Fairy was destroyed, the Attack Scores of all Mokey Mokeys controlled by Menzoberra would become 3,000 for the rest of the turn... It was a powerful and deadly strategy.

“Key Mace, attack X-Saber Urz!” shouted Menzoberra.

The small Fairy flew at the Beast-Warrior, but he simply swatted it aside with a backhand slap, smashing it to pixels.

Then the two Mokey Mokeys freaked out. They quickly morphed into the Mokey Mokey on the Spell Card. (3,000 ATK x2)

“Attack Urz!” shouted Menzoberra. “Infinite Anger Burst!”

The first Mokey Mokey let out a scream, and the Warrior exploded into shards.

Then the second Mokey Mokey let out another scream, and Jinx hollered as she was knocked over onto her back.

(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,200)

“Of course,” said Menzoberra, “the effects of the card only last until the end of the turn. So I’ll activate this now...”

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

“Destruct Potion. By destroying one of my Mokey Mokeys with this card when it has 3,000 Attack Points, I gain 3,000 Life Points. Seems I’m back up to full power.”

One of the Mokey Mokeys shattered. Jinx pulled herself up.

“And now, my last Trap...” said Menzoberra, as her final facedown card lifted up. “The dreaded Human-Wave Tactics!

“This Continuous Trap allows me to Special Summon one Monster at the end of each turn for each Level 2 or lower Normal Monster that was destroyed by battle that turn. Of course, the Monsters I summon also have to be Level 2 or lower Normal Monsters.

“So... I’ll end my turn, and summon my third Mokey Mokey.”

A third of the cubical Fairies materialized, as the first one calmed down. (100 DEF)

(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,200)

“I just gotta ask...” said Jinx. “Why the heck did you choose Mokey Mokeys as a weapon??”

“What?” said Menzoberra. “You were expecting some enormous sea monster? Sometimes you can do just as well with small Monsters as you can do with big ones.

“Besides, Fish, Aquas, and Sea Serpents aren’t my only passion, you know...

“You might say feel a bit of a rapport with Mokey Mokey...”

“How come?” asked Jinx.

Menzoberra tapped her Disk, and the cards in her Graveyard appeared in front of Jinx.

“Read what its flavor text says,” she said.

Jinx looked closely, and read the text:

“An outcast angel. Nobody knows what he is thinking at all. Sometimes he gets mad, and that is dreadful.”

“I don’t get it...” said Jinx.

“I have sympathy for outcasts,” said Menzoberra.

Jinx looked at her.

“You think you’re an outcast?” she asked, in an annoyed tone. “What makes you an outcast? You and the rest of the Paragons killed the whole population of your planet!”

“I’m an outcast due to an older event than that, little girl,” hissed Menzoberra, “an event that defined the whole history of my species!

“So even when we didn’t agree with them, my people had something in common with anyone who had been cast out of society...

“Perhaps I’ll tell you the specifics later... For now, it’s your move...”

Jinx made a draw.

Got to do something to take out those Mokey Mokeys, she thought. At least she’s limited to three.

“I summon X-Saber Galahad,” she said.

The toad-like Warrior in armor, holding a long spear appeared. (1,800 ATK)

“Attack the Mokey Mokey in Attack Mode!” she shouted.

Galahad rushed at the small Fairy, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He speared the little creature, and Menzoberra winced a little.

(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)

“I’ll throw these facedown, and end my turn,” she said, as two reversed cards appeared.

“And I activate the effect of Human-Wave Tactics,” said Menzoberra, as thunder rumbled in the distance. “I think I’ll bring out Happy Lover this time.”

With a happy cry, a spherical Fairy with a big smile, feathered wings, and a heart on its forehead appeared. (800 ATK)

“Now, I draw,” said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She played an odd Spell Card. It had an image of Goblin of Greed building Mokey Mokeys on an ominous-looking assembly line.

“Dark Factory of Mass Production?” asked Jinx.

“Not a very well-named card,” said Menzoberra. “Factories build things... This card recovers things. It recovers two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard.”

Two Mokey Mokeys slipped out of her discard slot. Menzoberra took them, and then played her last card.

“And now that I have them, I can play Polymerization!”

The three Mokey Mokeys turned into globes of light and swirled to together... A large shadow fell over Jinx...

She stepped back in fear as a colossal Mokey Mokey, the size of a large building, hovered in the air over her and Galahad!

“MOKEY-MOKEY!” boomed the Mokey Mokey King. (300 ATK)

“What does THAT thing do??” shouted Jinx.

“Well...” said Menzoberra. “What doesn’t it do?”

She pointed, and Mokey Mokey King floated towards Galahad. His Attack Score fell to 1,300...

“Fight it off, Galahad!” shouted Jinx.

Galahad leapt up, and made a mighty swing with his pike. Mokey Mokey King’s eyes bugged out, and the earth shook as the colossal Fairy exploded.

(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,400)

“Not bad,” said Menzoberra, “but when you deep-six Mokey Mokey King, I get to bring back the three regular Mokey Mokeys.”

Jinx looked nervously as the dust cleared. Indeed, three regular Mokey Mokeys were sitting in front of Menzoberra. (300 ATK x3)

“Mokey-Mokey!” they squeaked. “Mokey-Mokey, Mokey-Mokey...”

“This is bad...” said Jinx.

“Happy Lover, attack Galahad with Happy Burning!” ordered Menzoberra.

The smiling cherub flew at Galahad and shot a stream of sparkling lights from its mouth. Galahad knocked them away with the back of his hand, and the Fairy shattered.

The Mokey Mokey Smackdown card glowed, and the three Mokey Mokeys became enraged once again. (3,000 ATK x3)

“Attack number one!” shouted Menzoberra.

The first Mokey Mokey let out its scream.

Then both of Jinx’s facedown cards shot up. The first one was Draining Shield, and the Anger Burst was absorbed by the energy shield. The second was Emergency Provisions, which consumed Draining Shield immediately after.

“You’re more durable than a vending machine,” chuckled Menzoberra.

The second Mokey Mokey let out its scream, and Galahad shattered. Then the third hollered, and Jinx was knocked backwards.

(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,900)

“I end my turn...” said Menzoberra. “And once again, due to the effect of Human-Wave Tactics...”

A second Happy Lover appeared, this time in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

Jinx took some deep breaths.

She made a draw. Then she added it to her hand, and looked at her four cards: X-Saber Passiul, X-Saber Anabelera, Gatmuz’s Urgent Orders, XX-Saber Reijigra.

I could attack one of her Mokey Mokeys with Anabelera, she thought.

But... On her turn, she’d have more than enough Life Points left to attack Anabelera with Happy Lover, triggering the Smackdown, and...

...beating me to a bloody pulp...

I could attack Happy Lover with Anabelera... But that would trigger Human-Wave Tactics, letting her summon a third Happy Lover, and...

Okay, attacking with Anabelera is a bad idea. I’ll defend for now...

She took Passiul and set his card on her Disk. The reversed card appeared. Then she fit Gatmuz’s Urgent Orders into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Your move...” she said.

“I draw,” said Menzoberra.

She drew a card. She looked at it.

“Pass,” she said.

Jinx drew a card.

Got it! she thought, as the solution came to her.

“You like Level 1 Monsters?” she said, as she played a Spell Card. “Well, I like ‘em too! And by playing One For One, I discard one Monster from my hand...”

She discarded Reijigra.

“...to Special Summon a Level 1 Monster from my deck.”

X-Saber Axel appeared. (400 ATK)

“Next, I summon X-Saber Anabelera...”

The armored, female X-Saber appeared. (1,800 ATK)

“...and flip X-Saber Passiul into Attack Mode.”

Her set Monster flipped up, and Passiul appeared, holding his sword aloft. (100 ATK)

“Then, I Tune Passiul and Anabelera together...”

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and turned into six glowing stars...

XX-Saber Hyunlei landed in a flourish, leveling her katana at Menzoberra and the four small Fairies. (2,300 ATK)

“GAH!” shouted Menzoberra.

She shielded herself as Mokey Mokey Smackdown and Human-Wave Tactics were both blown to shards.

“Next,” said Jinx, “I activate Gatmuz’s Urgent Orders!”

Her facedown card lifted up and Reijigra appeared (200 ATK) followed by Passiul. (100 ATK)

“Due to Reijigra, I can recover Galahad from my Graveyard...”

She took the card from her discard slot.

“And now, I Tune together Passiul, Reijigra, Axel, AND Hyunlei...”

The four X-Sabers soared into the sky. The three blazing suns appeared.

“Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!”

Shannalla landed with a crash, holding her mighty sword. (2,600 ATK)

“Now...” said Jinx, taking a card from her discard slot, “I’ll remove Hyunlei from play, to boost Shannalla’s Attack Score...”

She pocketed the card, and Shannalla glowed with energy. (4,900 ATK)

“Attack one of the Mokey Mokeys!” shouted Ember. “Destroy it!”

Shannalla made a savage slash with her blade, and Menzoberra was thrown backwards as the Mokey Mokey was blown to bits.

(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 300)

“You’ve got only 300 Life Points left, and you’ve lost two key parts of your strategy,” said Jinx. “Care to give up?”

“Never!” shouted Menzoberra, making a draw.

She played a card.

“I play Supremacy Berry!” she shouted, as a Spell Card appeared. “Since my Life Points are less than yours, I gain 2,000!”

She fit the card she had just drawn in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

Then she moved the cards on her Disk, and both Mokey Mokeys moved to Defense Mode. (100 DEF x2)

“I’m done for now...” she said.

(J: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)

Jinx drew a card.

Hmm... she thought, looking at it. Klein’s Labyrinth... Might come in handy later...

“Okay, sister, I’m setting this card facedown,” she said, as she fit it into her Disk.

“Then I summon X-Saber Galahad again!”

Galahad appeared, looking somewhat pissed this time. (1,800 ATK)

“Galahad, Shannalla, take out those blasted Mokey Mokeys!”

The two Warriors charged at the two cubical Fairies, and with two slashes of blades, they were cut down.

“I end my turn, Menzoberra,” she said. “Want to keep going?”

“Yes,” said Menzoberra, making a draw.

She placed the card on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

She nodded.

“Lucky,” said Jinx. “Well, you aren’t the only one who can draw a Monster...”

She made a draw.

She frowned.

“Didn’t draw one, did you?” said Menzoberra, who looked almost ready to laugh.

Actually, Jinx had; she had drawn XX-Saber Faultroll. But in order to summon him, she needed two X-Sabers on the field.

At least I can finish her Monsters... she thought.

Galahad charged at Happy Lover, and drove his spear through it, blowing it to shards.

Then Shannalla rushed at the facedown card.

Skelengel appeared on the card before being blown to bits.

“Thank you...” said Menzoberra, making a draw.

“Just make your move...” said Jinx.

Menzoberra made another draw.

“Oh, I certainly will...” she said.

Her facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Graceful Revival to bring back one Mokey Mokey from my Graveyard.”

Mokey Mokey appeared again. (300 ATK)

“Then... I play Creature Seizure!”

“Creature Seizure?” said Jinx. “I’ve heard of Creature Swap, but...”

“Same idea,” said Menzoberra, “except that the Monster I give you has to be a Normal Monster.

“So make a choice.”

“I choose X-Saber Galahad!” said Jinx with a sneer.

The two Monsters vanished, and reappeared on the opposite sides of the field.

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and the evil smile was on her face again.

“Thanks...” she said. “I was kinda hoping you’d choose him...”

“Huh?” said Jinx.

Menzoberra played her last card, and Dark Tinker appeared next to Galahad. (1,000 ATK)

“A Tuner...” said Jinx. “You’re Synchro Summoning?”

“That’s right,” said Menzoberra, as the two Monsters faded into six glowing stars. “You see, Noriko, some people on your planet say that the meek will inherit the Earth, but in all honesty, the meek can’t do much unless they have a powerful and strong leader supporting them.

“That’s probably why Communism never worked out the way Karl Marx intended it to...

“But back to the matter at hand... I Tune my Dark Tinker and your X-Saber Galahad together to Synchro Summon the Monster Meister.”

With a hoarse roar, an eight-foot tall, hulking creature clothed in a wool jacket and a worn pair of trousers appeared in front of Menzoberra. The best thing to compare it to might have been the classic version of Frankenstein’s Monster, but it lacked the scars and neck-bolts that Universal Studios had used in their iconic version.

“Let me explain how this creature’s Attack Score is tallied,” continued Menzoberra. “We take the weakest Monster on the field, Mokey Mokey, and subtract its Level from the Level of the strongest, which would be Shannalla. Then we multiply by 500.

“You do the math.”

(4,500 ATK)

Good thing I still have Klein’s Labyrinth... thought Jinx.

“Also,” continued Menzoberra, “Monster Meister gains other powers depending on how much the difference is. Since it’s at least eight, he can remove one card from play per turn.”

Jinx almost laughed.

“You remove Shannalla from play,” she said, “Monster Meister’s Attack Score will fall to 2,500.”

“I said card, not Monster,” replied Menzoberra. “I’m going to use the effect on... that.”

Monster Meister pointed to Klein’s Labyrinth, and it vanished into nothing.

No... thought Jinx.

“Monster Meister...” ordered Menzoberra, “attack Mokey Mokey with burning blast!”

Monster Meister let out another hoarse roar, and blasted a bolt of burning lightning from its hand, blowing Mokey Mokey to pieces and knocking Jinx back five feet, not to mention on her back.

(J: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)

When Jinx looked up, Menzoberra was standing over her.

“So, Noriko...” said the Paragon. “You like oysters?”

“Oysters?” asked Jinx. “Why?”

Then she gasped as Menzoberra grabbed her by the throat.

“You’ll find out soon...” she replied.

Jinx quickly fell unconscious.

Menzoberra turned as a portal appeared in mid-air.

“Mission accomplished,” she said into it.

She started dragging Jinx towards something she had prepared ahead of time...

* * * * * * * * * *

Snakeskin Island.

At first, some would think that Hebi-Na would be stupid to come back here. After all, the Shadowchasers knew of this place’s existence now, and this would likely be the first place they would look for her.

But Hebi-Na knew she had time. After all, the Shadowchasers knew this was a dangerous place, and were likely debating the best way to approach this island and deal with the hazards. She estimated she had at least a week before even a team of golems was sent here to check things out.

Hebi-Na was not in the palace right now. She was wandering thought a cave not far from it, where she hoped to find information from the water weird that lived here.

Elemental weirds were oracles, fonts of knowledge, who were bound to a certain spot in the mortal world by a pool of elemental matter. They usually made pacts with whoever lived in the local area, trading their knowledge for one thing or another.

Hebi-Na slithered into a cavern lit by luminous crystals, with a pool of water in the center. She carried a large satchel.

“Fallala?” she shouted. “Come out, I need to talk to you!”

No answer.

“Come on, I don’t have all day!” she shouted.

She frowned.

She opened the satchel, and took out a can of motor oil.

“You want to play hardball, Fallala?” she asked.

She slithered up to the pool, and was about to pour the motor oil into it...

Then a watery hand shot out, and grabbed her hand.

The rest of the creature emerged. It looked like a shapely human female, made entirely of water.

“Just who do you think you are, Hebi-Na?” she asked. “You just violated our agreement. I could reduce your Empress’s whole palace to a pile of rubble for what you just tried to do...”

“Fine,” said Hebi-Na. “Taramanda is dead, and I’m sick of the place anyway.

“I just need information from you one more time, and then you’ll never see another ophidia again.”

Fallala put her hands on her hips.

“Well, being rid of you snakes would be a relief...” she said. “Fine... What do you need?”

Hebi-Na took out a slip of paper, on which she had drawn a picture of the demon guardian’s axe.

“This axe belonged to a demon of some sort,” she said. “He was big, muscular, and wore a metal mask over his face... Do you have any idea what he was?”

“Oh yeah...” said Fallala. “That would be a drekavac.”

“Huh?” said Hebi-Na.

“A demon that is often summoned in the Slavic regions,” replied Fallala. “Folklore there claims that they’re the spirits of children that died without being baptized, but that’s ridiculous... I mean, if that were the case, any of the historic plagues in that area of the world would have created armies of these things.

“They’re demons, just like any other residents of the Abyss. It’s as simple as that. Folks summon them to guard things. They’re known for having big egos.”

“That sounds like him,” said Hebi-Na. “So... How many of them are on Earth now?”

“Well, let’s see...” said Fallala.

A tome appeared in her hands.

“There’s a mercane in Moscow who has one guarding his estate... There’s a wizard in St. Petersburg who summoned one to guard the local bank at night... There’s a dark elf sorceress in Omsk who...”

“Look, just tell me the ones who aren’t in Russia,” said Hebi-Na.

“Well, only one...” replied Fallala. “Says here that after Zero Reverse, a particularly powerful one was summoned to guard the back door to the Underworld.”

“Back door?” asked Hebi-Na.

“Yes...” said Fallala. “Once with only a very small fraction of the power of the main entrance, that at the Old Momentum reactor. The King of the Underworld couldn’t channel his power at all through this back door, it was such a small opening...

“But one thing it could be used for was transporting physical objects from the mortal world to the Underworld, and vice-versa.”

“Paydirt...” said Hebi-Na, with a smile. “So who summoned this drekavac? Was it Rudger?”

“Well, let’s see...” said Fallala.

She turned the page.



MONSTER MEISTER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: ?
DEF: 0

Card Description: Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

If this card is the only face-up Monster on the field, destroy this card. This card’s ATK and DEF are 500x the difference of the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the highest Level and the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the lowest Level. This card gains the following effects based on the amount of the difference of the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the highest Level and the Level of the face-up Monster on the field with the lowest Level: 6 or more: This card is not affected by Spell Cards that target a specific Monster. 8 or more: Once per turn, you may remove one card on the field from play.



Next:

Gears: I come face-to-face with Rary at a spot where a Signer and a Dark Signer clashed, and in this cursed area, Rary combines Light and Darkness into a deck of Chaos! What is happening? The sky is darkening... Is a storm starting to form over this city?

“Chaos Burst” is coming soon.


Shadowchaser Files

The Purifiers, Enemies of Diversity

Who are the Purifiers? That is a question that has haunted those that have heard of them, an organization that travels the multiverse, seeking out only one thing, the proven superiority of the white race. More or less, they are white supremacists, but it would be wrong to call them Nazis or Neo-Nazis, as they predate the founding of the Third Reich, or even of any German government. They may have been around before civilization even existed on Earth. Truly, among such groups, they were the first.

A very long time ago – exactly how long ago no one is entirely sure, possibly thousands of years, or maybe even millions (such time does not matter to such groups) – Morgana's Kin was much more overt in their actions. Entire fleets of their ships could be seen traveling through the multiverse, spreading their knowledge to whoever was willing to listen. But then, their operations stopped unexpectedly, members where called back to the Origin Universe, and no one was sure why.

What had happened was that they had found a universe ruled by a race whose technology nearly rivaled their own. This race had succeeded where the Nazis would one day fail, having exterminated all races deemed “inferior” to their civilization. Morgana’s Kin had made the grave mistake of sharing their knowledge of the multiverse with these people, who would become known as the Purifiers, and the Purifiers would use that knowledge to spread their message of hate to other universes. It is entirely possible that they are connected to the Upholders (as seen in Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Dragon Lords) in some way, perhaps their military arm or something.

Morgana's Kin and the Purifiers have clashed on many occasions. They are sworn enemies, simply because of the all-female structure of Morgana's Kin. The Purifiers believe such a structure promotes homosexuality, which, like most similar groups, they believe to be a crime against nature.

While so far the Purifiers have never reached the Earth dimension, their principles have been a threat to Shadowkind in other universes. Out of possibly the strangest irony, their arrival in a Shadowkind-inhabited universe unites Shadows and humans more than anything else, to fight a common enemy.


Story Ideas: The Purifiers, while having the technology to move between universes, are a hate-group, plain and simple. They believe in the subjugation, if not eradication of all groups they believe to be inferior to them, and this includes Shadowkind. They are also likely to show up in any fanfic that involves Morgana's Kin.

Their arrival in the Shadowchasers universe would definitely merit attention from the Shadowchasers. While they have yet to encounter any other Shadowchaser organizations (there are likely many in the multiverse), they will most likely become their enemies as well because of the alliance with Morgana's Kin. It is possible that this was also the reason that Morgan made that alliance in the first place.

There are even rumors that they have some ties to a Shadowkind deity. The mad god of tyranny Cyric is the most likely suspect. Cyric was once a mortal king who hated all races other than humans (which was likely what he was) and his ego was legendary. When he ascended to godhood (after stealing divine power) he created a powerful magical book, which would cause anyone who read it to believe everything it said, compelling him to worship Cyric as the most supreme god in existence. His plan was to trick other gods into reading it; but he made the fatal mistake of reading it himself. Developing an unfathomable superiority complex and questionable sanity, and believing himself to be the only true god, he now directs his followers to stamp out all beings not worthy of being in his presence, which results in his dogma being one of hate.


Deck Ideas: The Purifiers don't normally duel, but if it ever does become necessary, because of their militaristic tendencies, they'd probably use Warriors or certain types of Machines. B.E.S. Monsters or Machiners are possible, and a few high-ranking members might even have a copy of Air Fortress Ziggurat.

The Purifiers are a creation of fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion.

[mario72486]

And another Shadowchaser bites the dust. I was expecting a Human Wave deck, but one focusing primarily on Mokey Mokey works just as well. I'm sure there are other cards out there that can be utilized with this deck, though.

Obviously the Paragons are far stronger than they originally let on, and with Trueman spicing up their 'true' decks, it will take a miracle to prevent all of our heroes from falling.

The next chapter intrigues me. Will we see a Twilight deck made notorious by the tail-end of the last format, or the deck even more notoriously used before the Banlist ever existed? However one slices it, I fear that even the Allies of Justice will not be enough to get Gears out of this one...

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-TWO

Satellite.

With the Daedalus Bridge nearly complete and renovations in full swing, the place was looking much better nowadays.

But some places were just as decrepit as always... Places that people were simply too frightened to go near.

The ruins of the old Domino City Amusement Park that Gears drove his D-Wheel into at this moment was one such place. Not only was this area close to the epicenter of Zero Reverse, it was where Aki and Misty had battled, where Black Rose Dragon had defeated Ccarayhua, and where Divine’s sadistic career had come to a lethal end. Almost everyone, Awares, Mundanes, Shadows, and even stray animals avoided this place, thinking it cursed.

Gears stopped his D-Wheel and nervously looked around.

“Step right up! Test your strength!” said a voice.

He looked towards a broken strength testing game booth, where a ghostly carnie was standing by. A ghostly man holding a mallet was about to try to ring the bell, while another ghost who looked like his girlfriend watched.

More ghosts appeared. Children started running around him, laughing. Broken vendors carts became occupied by ghosts selling hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy. Clowns, jugglers, and fire eaters appeared.

These ghostly creatures were apparently unaware of Gears’s existence, or uncaring.

“Phantoms...” he whispered.

Awares could sometimes see phantoms when they manifested. They weren’t undead creatures, at least not in the usual sense. They were more like images. Whenever some event happened that caused large-scale death in one area – in this case, Zero Reverse – these haunting spiritual images of the victims, doing what they were doing moments before their lives suddenly ended, could sometimes be seen.

But not always. It usually took a powerful influx of negative energy to create such a large manifestation of phantoms...

As Gears suddenly realized what this meant, he heard a loud motor, the phantoms vanished, and a black D-Wheel pulled up in front of him. Gears didn’t like the look of it at all. It brought to mind Kiryu’s Dark Signer D-Wheel.

The rider took off his helmet. It was Rary.

“Nothing like a day at the carnival, eh Gears?” asked the Paragon of Wind.

“I was expecting Menzoberra...” said Gears. “I think I get the idea...

“You folks decided to swap targets, to regain the advantage of surprise... I’d almost say I was impressed.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Rary. “You Shadowchasers surprised that you finally found some bad guys with a little common sense?”

He started up his D-Wheel.

“Just because I’m crazy, Gears, doesn’t mean I’m stupid...”

He lowered his helmet onto his head.

“Catch me if you can!”

Gears was more than prepared. The two D-Wheels sped down the midway as Speed World covered the whole carnival.

(Gears: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000 SPC: 0)

“Just try to keep up!” laughed Rary, as he made his first draw. “I’m the Paragon of Wind, after all... Feeling it rush past my face only invigorates me!”

He threw a card on his console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

“That will be all for now.”

“Then it’s my move!” said Gears.

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 1.

“I summon Robotic Knight,” he said.

A portal opened behind him, and the Machine sergeant emerged. (1,600 ATK)

Robotic Knight pointed its left arm at the reversed Monster. A small, female imp with pigtails and bat wings wearing a red mask appeared shielding herself with her arms.

Robotic Knight fired a round of bullets, and she was blown to pieces.

“What was THAT?” asked Gears.

“Fabled Topi,” replied Rary. “But don’t worry, you didn’t activate any effect.”

Fabled Monsters? asked Gears. Aren’t those supposed to be Light-Attribute Fiends?

He’s actually using Light Monsters against my deck?

He took two cards from his hand, and set them on his Disk. Two facedown cards appeared, and then faded from view.

He’s either just plain dumb, or he has some strategy that I should be wary of... Well, this should help...

“End!” he shouted.

Rary drew a card.

“I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World!” he exclaimed.

A flaming portal opened, and maddening laughter filled the air as a tall, lanky, and very ugly Fiend emerged. His skin was grey, and he had a skull like face with bony protrusions on top instead of hair; his other clothing was also bone-like, except for a long, blue, fur cape. His arms were secured to his torso with thick chains. (1,800 ATK)

“Ergh...” groaned Gears.

“I take it you know about this guy?” asked Rary.

“We’ve met...” said Gears.

And it wasn’t a pleasant experience... thought Gears. This is not the first time I’ve fought the army of Dark World...

“Now, your majesty...” said Rary.

Brron threw up his arms, shattering the chains.

“...rip that Robotic Knight to shreds with lunatic lunge!”

Brron laughed manically, and leapt at the Machine, making a swipe with his claw and tearing it in two.

(G: 7,800, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 8,000 SPC: 2)

“Next, I activate Brron’s effect,” continued Rary. “When he dishes out damage, I get to toss one of my cards...”

He discarded a card.

“The card I discarded was Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, and by doing that, he’s summoned to the field.”

In an aura of golden light, an atypical demon, complete with wings, horns, and a tail, clad in golden armor and holding an axe, appeared in front of Rary. (2,300 ATK)

“Attack him directly!” shouted Rary. “Dark gold rush!”

Goldd flew towards Gears...

“Surprise,” said Gears, as one of his cards spun around. “I have a Trap...”

“A Rival Appears?” gasped Rary.

“That’s right,” replied Gears. “Since Goldd is a Level 5 Monster, I can now Special Summon Ally of Justice Rudra from my hand.”

The portal opened behind Gears, and the large, metal wolf bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

“Big deal!” shouted Rary. “My Fiend will turn your Ally into tinfoil!”

Goldd flew at Rudra.

“But I have another Trap!” shouted Gears, as his other facedown card lifted up. “DNA Transplant!

“By turning your Fiend into a Light Monster, Rudra’s effect kicks in, and it gains 700 Attack Points while fighting it!”

Rudra growled and pounced. The Wu-Lord tried to fight it off, but he dropped his axe and shattered.

“All right, you win that round...” growled Rary. “I end my turn...”

Gears made a draw, and looked at the card.

At least he can’t use Dark World Lightning and Gateway to Dark World, he thought. And he won’t have many chances to use Dark Deal... But still...

Then a realization came to him.

No... he thought. Playing Fabled and Dark World... Fiend-Type Monsters that are easy to Special Summon?

If Iggwilv used Uria in her deck... Is it possible that Rary could be using Raviel in this one??

If he is, I’d better win the duel before he gets a chance to use it!

(G: 7,800, SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,700 SPC: 3)

“I summon Ally of Justice Researcher!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the robotic all-terrain buggy appeared, driving next to his bike. (1,400 ATK)

“Rudra, annihilate his Mad King!”

Rudra roared, and leapt at Brron, and its Attack Score rose to 2,600. The Mad King only cackled louder as it dug its claws into him, and the mad laughter echoed over Speed World as he shattered.

“Know why he was laughing, Gears?” asked Rary.

He threw a card on his console.

“Because you fell for my set-up completely! Since I took battle damage, I get to Special Summon Tragoedia!”

A plume of black smoke erupted in front of the two D-Wheels, and the horrible, demonic thing with black scales and multiple limbs rose with an unholy bellow.

“Good lord...” said Gears.

“Tragoedia’s Attack Score is 600 for each card in my hand,” explained Rary. “I have three at the moment...”

(1,800 ATK)

“...so it’s too much for your Researcher...”

But even once he has four cards, thought Gears, Rudra will be stronger.

He took a card from his hand and set it on his console. A facedown card appeared.

“I end my turn,” he said.

Rary drew a card. Tragoedia’s Attack Score rose to 2,400.

(G: 7,800, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,900 SPC: 4)

“You know, Gears,” he chuckled, “I’m glad you summoned that Researcher... You made things a lot easier...

“I’m activating one of Tragoedia’s effects. By sending a Level 3 Monster in my hand to the Graveyard, like Broww, Huntsman of Dark World...”

He tossed the card, and Tragoedia fell back to 1,800 Attack Points.

“...I can steal your Level 3 Monster!”

“HEY!” shouted Gears, as Researcher was pulled to the front of Rary’s bike.

“Now I’m using Tragoedia’s other effect,” continued Rary. “I choose one Monster in my Graveyard... And I think I’ll choose the guy I just discarded, Broww.

“For the rest of this turn, Tragoedia’s Level becomes the same as Broww’s.”

Changing Tragoedia’s Level? thought Gears, as he narrowed his eyes. That could only mean one thing...

“That’s right, Gears!” laughed Rary. “Next I summon the Tuner Monster, Fabled Raven!”

The portal opened again, and a sinister figure flew out. It was dressed in black leather with a cowl, with blade-like wings on its arms. Its eyes glowed red. (1,300 ATK)

“I Tune Raven, Researcher, and Tragoedia together...” said Rary, as the three Monsters dissolved into eight glowing stars.

He chanted.

“Celestial general banished for seeking perfection, lead the armies of the Netherworld in your quest for greatness! Fallen seraphim of war, crush all who oppose you...

“Synchro Summon... Fabled Valkyrus!”

In a flash of light, a large, hulking creature appeared flying in front of Rary’s bike. He had large, batlike wings, and a slim moustache on a face with oriental features. He wore full plate armor stained red, gold, and black that suggested the ceremonial attire of a shogun; but it was clearly of Fiend design, with numerous sharp edges and barbs. (2,900 ATK)

“So Gears, what do you think?” asked Rary.

“He looks like a big show-off,” replied Gears.

Rary frowned. He took a card from his hand.

“I’m using his effect,” continued Rary. “I just have to discard a Fiend-Type Monster from my hand, like Fabled Gallabas here...”

He discarded the card.

“...and in return, I get to draw one card...”

He made a draw.

“Now for your Rudra... It may gain 700 Attack Points when Valkyrus attacks, but with Valkyrus at 2,900, that’s not gonna be enough.

“Valkyrus, chaos bolt blast!”

Valkyrus turned around in mid-air, and formed a glowing bolt of lightning in his hand. He hurled it, and Rudra sparked and sputtered, then exploded.

Rary took one of his two remaining cards, and set it on his console. It appeared facedown, and then vanished from view.

“It’s your move, Gears,” he said. “Let’s see if you can summon something that can top my Valkyrus...”

“I can sure try,” said Gears.

He made a draw.

(G: 7,500, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,900 SPC: 5)

He looked at the card.

Ember... he thought.

Some cards you become attached to... But cards you receive as gifts always have a special purpose to a duelist. He remembered when Ember had given him this card, shortly after she had completed her final test as an apprentice.


“A toast,” said Jinx, raising a glass of V8. “To our newest member…

“She has passed all the tests, overcome every pitfall, and triumphed over every obstacle put in her path. Ember may now truly call her herself a Shadowchaser!”

“Here, here!” said Gears.

Ember blushed.

“Uh, Gears…” she said. “Now that we’re all friends and all… I want to give you something…”

She handed him an envelope.

“Uhm, thanks Ember,” said Gears. “But… My birthday isn’t until February.”

“No, no, you don’t understand,” said Ember. “I’ve had this card for a long time, but it’s always been a mystery to me… I never understood its effect.

“But… Now that I’ve seen you duel, it’s all clear to me. I think you can use it.”


“Are you gonna play that card, or are you just gonna look at it?” asked Rary.

“Oh, I’m going to play it,” said Gears, as he threw it on his console. “I summon Flamvell Magical!”

In a burst of flame, a fiery sorcerer, wearing a black pair of trousers, no shirt, and a bronze medallion, with a red goatee, and a topknot of hair, holding a staff shaped like a fire, appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

“Huh?” said Rary. “Why does a Machine Deck need some second-rate Spellcaster?”

“First of all, Flamvell Magical gains 400 Attack Points when an Ally of Justice is on the field,” said Gears. “Second, he’s a Level 4 Tuner.

“So... I activate Soul Resurrection!”

His facedown card spun around, and Robotic Knight flew onto the field. (1,800 DEF)

“So... I’ll Tune Flamvell Magical and Robotic Knight together...”

The two Monsters faded into eight glowing stars...

“Wanderer of the spaceways, traveler of the flow! Weapon of the Healing Darkness, seeking out the minions of the Light Ruin where their evil beacons shine in the universe!

“Synchro Summon, Ally of Justice Light Gazer!”

In an aura of energy, Light Gazer flew onto the field. (2,400 ATK)

“Light Gazer gains 200 Attack Points for each Light Monster in your Graveyard,” said Gears. “With those three Fabled Monsters there, that’s 600 more points.”

(3,000 ATK)

“Ah, big deal,” sneered Rary. “Like losing 100 little Life Points is going to set me back...”

“You’re about to lose much more...” said Gears.

He quickly played the last card in his hand, a Speed Spell.

“I play Cosmic Crusher. For this round only, when my Ally attacks a Light Monster with less Attack Points, damage calculation is ignored, that Monster is automatically destroyed, and you take damage equal to it’s Attack Score.”

“Hey, wait a minute...” said Rary.

“Attack Fabled Valkyrus!” shouted Gears. “Cosmic Cannon!”

Light Gazer fired a mighty blast, and Rary screamed as his Monster was blown to gibbets he struggled to maintain control of his D-Wheel.

(G: 7,500, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,000 SPC: 3)

Gears took a deep breath.

“I end my turn...” he said.

Rary made a draw.

Then his facedown card spun around.

“I use my Wicked Rebirth Trap Card,” he said. “I’ll drop 800 Life Points, and guess who’s back?”

Valkyrus flew onto the field again. (2,900 ATK)

“So he is,” said Gears. “But I don’t see what you can do with him... He’s Level 8 after all... Unless you have an even higher Level Synchro Monster that you can use him to summon...”

“Oh, but I do!” laughed Rary. “Level 10 Synchros may be rarer than roc’s teeth, but I have one...

“Of course, to summon it, the Tuner has to be a Fabled Monster. So I’m bringing out Fabled Miztoji.”

The Fiend that appeared next to Valkyrus looked like a bent, hunched old man, with small horns on his bald head, wearing a dark robe and thick spectacles, holding a knobbed cane. (400 ATK)

“Now, I Tune both together...” he said, as Valkyrus and Miztoji turned into ten glowing stars.

He chanted again.

“Cast out of the celestial realms for the sin of Pride, a powerful seraphim finds a realm in the Netherworld where he can rule as king! Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven....

“Synchro Summon... Fabled Leviathan!”

There was a flash of light so intense it hurt Gears’s eyes. When he could see again, an even more intimidating Fiend was flying in front of Rary’s bike. He resembled Valkyrus somewhat, but his armor was even more decorated and more form-fitting, with an overall design that resembled visual kei fashions. His wings were huge and leathery, and he wore a mask over his eyes. (3,000 ATK)

Leviathan? thought Gears. As in the demon mentioned in Hebrew folklore?

He paused.

I’ll worry about it later... But there’s definitely something weird about his choice of Monsters...

“You obviously can’t add too well, Rary,” he said. “With two more Light Monsters in your Graveyard, my Light Gazer is even stronger.”

(3,400 ATK)

“But because I have at least two Light Monsters and two Dark Monsters there,” said Rary, as he reached for his last card, “I can play this...”

He played a Speed Spell.

“Chaos Damper! For this round only, all Light and Dark Monsters lose their effects.

“Naturally, that means Leviathan can’t use his effect this round, but seeing as he can’t use it at all unless he croaks, it doesn’t matter. More importantly, it means Light Gazer’s Attack Score falls to its base Score.”

(2,400 ATK)

“Leviathan... Destroy that droid with chaos energy blade!”

Fabled Leviathan put his hands together, and a glowing sword of pure light appeared in his hands. He flew at Light Gazer, and with one slash, cut the Ally cleanly in half. The two pieces shattered into pixels.

(G: 6,900, SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 4)

“It’s your move,” laughed Rary.

Okay, let’s look at the pros and cons, thought Gears. Pro, you’ve got over twice as many Life Points as he does...

Con, you’ve got no cards in your hand, the only thing you have on the field is DNA Transplant, and you’ve got a 3k Attack Point Fiend staring you in the face...

He made a draw.

This might help...

He set it on his console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

“Go,” he said.

“Gladly!” laughed Rary.

He made a draw.

Hmm, a Trap Card, thought the Paragon. Not exactly the right time for this, but... Might be useful later...

He set it on his dashboard, and it appeared facedown.

Then Leviathan flew at Gears’s Monster, swinging his chaos blade. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

Gears made a draw. He looked at it.

“That’s all for me,” said Rary.

Gears drew a second card. His and Rary’s Counters went up to 8 and 6, respectively.

Gears said nothing. He simply set a card, and a facedown card appeared in his Spell Zone.

Rary laughed.

“No Monsters to summon Gears?” he laughed. “That’s the weakness of your deck, you know... Too many of the Allies of Justice are high Level...

“I’m guessing you’ve survived on luck so far... But sooner or later, everyone’s luck run’s out.”

“Are you going move, or are you going talk all day?” asked Gears.

Rary drew a card.

(G: 6,900, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 7)

“Not the best...” he said, “but this guy will do... I summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World!”

He played the card, and a tall, thin, incredibly ugly demon appeared next to Leviathan. It wore armor that was made of bone, had a skull-like face, rubbery limbs, and a metal band covering its eyes below its helmet. It held a long spear that was also made partially of bone. (1,600 ATK)

“This is just an observation on my part,” said Gears, “but the Fabled Monsters seem to be a lot handsomer than the Dark World ones.”

“The Fabled Monsters used to be fallen angels,” replied Rary. “Dark World Monsters were born Fiends.

“I suggest you brace yourself...”

Gears, of course, had been bracing himself. However, it didn’t stop him from nearly spinning out of control when the two Fiends’ weapons crashed into his bike.

The Shadowchaser struggled to regain control as a warning light on his dashboard flashed. He quickly changed gears, and within the space of fifteen seconds, was back in pursuit of his foe.

(G: 2,300, SPC: 5) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,200 SPC: 7)

“You are good...” chuckled Rary. “Well, I end my turn...”

“That means it’s time to activate this...” said Gears.

His facedown card shot up.

“Shock Draw! Now, for each multiple of 1,000 in Life Points that I lost that turn, I get to draw one card.”

He quickly made four draws.

“You son of a...” shouted Rary. “That other card in your hand... It’s a Monster, but you didn’t set it because you wanted to make the most of Shock Draw!”

“Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to win,” said Gears. “It’s my move!”

He made a draw.

He threw two cards facedown, and two set cards appeared in his Spell Zone.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


Rary laughed again.

“Guess I was wrong...” he said. “Even with five more cards, you have nothing to summon.”

“It’s your move...” said Gears.

Rary made a draw.

Then he laughed out loud.

“This duel is over, Gears!” he cackled.

He played the card, and a Speed Spell appeared.

“Speed Spell – Power Failure! I play this card, and for this round only, neither player can activate Spells or Traps during the Battle Phase!

“Seems I got you completely pinned down... Leviathan... Finish him off!”

Leviathan lifted his sword.

“He who counts his chickens before they hatch gets scrambled eggs,” said Gears, throwing down a card. “I don’t need Spells or Traps so long as I have Battle Fader.”

The demonic pendulum appeared in front of him, and Leviathan was stopped dead in his tracks. (0 ATK)

“As weak as it is,” said Gears, “it stops your direct attack, and ends the Battle Phase immediately.”

“Curse you!” shouted Rary. “Now you’re just making me angry!”

“It’s my move, windbag,” said Gears. “Time to show you what I was really planning...”

He made a draw.

“I sacrifice Battle Fader...”

The small Fiend vanished.

“To summon Ally Mind!”

With a series of whirs and beeps, the spherical computer board appeared in front of him. (1,800 ATK)

“Next, Call of the Haunted!” he exclaimed, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

Ally of Justice Rudra reappeared. (1,900 ATK)

Then, the Tuner and the Ally flew into the sky. The three burning suns appeared over the carnival...

“Whispered secrets from a race now extinct, trusted to hold the knowledge accumulated over millennia, given the raw power unleashed in the creation of the cosmos! Sage of the forgotten people… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Il Mathman the Artificer!”

Il Mathman flew down, flying next to Gears’s bike. (2,700 ATK)

“So what’s he gonna do?” asked Rary, angrily. “Leviathan is stronger...”

“But I can use his effect,” said Gears. “By removing Rudra in my Graveyard from play, Il Mathman can assimilate its effect until the End Phase of your next turn.”

Rudra fell out of the discard slot.

“And that means that Il Mathman now gains 700 Attack Points while battling a Light Monster.

“Attack! Annihilate Fabled Leviathan with primordial pulse blast!”

Il Mathman fired a beam of pure energy, and the demon king groaned as he was enveloped in light...

Then the fallen angel exploded in a burst of burning, radiant light, and Rary shielded himself.

“Ergh...” he grunted. “Ergh, ergh...

“You may have... destroyed him... But like I said, Leviathan’s effect is activated when he dies. I get to recover three Fabled Monsters from my Graveyard.”

Three cards slipped out of Rary’s discard slot: Topi, Miztoji, and Leviathan himself. He returned the last to the slot that contained his Extra Deck, and stashed the first two on his gauntlet.

“In that case,” said Gears, “I end my turn...”

(G: 2,300, SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,800 SPC: 10)

Rary drew a third card. He looked at it briefly, and put it with the others. Then he took Topi from his gauntlet.

He played the card, and the small, girlish imp with pigtails that he started the duel with appeared next to Beiige. (500 ATK)

“What are you doing?” asked Gears.

“I’m using Miztoji’s effect,” replied Rary, holding up Miztoji’s card. “By sending it from my hand to the Graveyard, I’m allowed to treat any Fabled Monster on the field as a Tuner Monster.”

He discarded the card.

“Naturally, that bonus is going to Topi. So, I Tune Topi and Beiige together...”

The two Fiends faded into five glowing stars...

“Uhm... I know you’re probably expecting some catchy Synchro Chant here... But the thing is, I so rarely use this guy I’m summoning, I never bothered to make one up!

“He’s not very useful compared to the other Fabled Synchros...”

“Watch it...” said Gears. “As Yusei Fudo would say, there’s no such thing as a useless card.”

“Well, maybe he’ll be of use now...” said Rary. “Meet Fabled Ragin.”

A new Fabled Monster appeared, this one also dressed completely in plate armor, colored bronze, with electricity coursing over it. His wings appeared metallic, and he had a sword slung to his side. (2,300 ATK)

“Now, let’s see if his effect does any good for a change...” said Rary. “When he’s summoned, and I have less than two cards in my hand, I get to rectify that situation.”

He made one draw.

Then he turned to Gears, and grinned.

His facedown card spun around.

“I activate Fine!” he laughed. “It’s a simple Trap that lets me discard two cards from my hand.”

He tossed both of his cards into his discard slot.

“One of the cards I just tossed was Gren, Tactician of Dark World, and by doing so, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card.”

An impossibly thin Fiend dressed in a green cape and spectacles, holding a large tome appeared in front of the two bikes. It fired a blast of energy, and Gears’s Half or Nothing was blown to pieces.

“The other card I discarded was Kahkki, Guerrilla of Dark World,” continued Rary. “By doing so, I can destroy one Monster.”

A short, stocky, egg-shaped Fiend appeared next to Il Mathman. It drew a dagger, and stabbed it between the Titan’s ribs. Il Mathman groaned.

“Sorry... Gears...” he managed to say, before shattering.

“Seems this guy was more useful than I thought!” laughed Rary.

Gears grit his teeth.

“Nothing to say?” asked Rary, as Fabled Ragin formed a ball of energy in his hands. “Well, I guess there really isn’t much to say now!”

Gears screamed in pain as the final bolt of energy hit him...

...and it was more than his D-Wheel could take this time. He crashed.

(G: 0, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 2,800 SPC: 11)

Rary walked up to Gears’s bike.

“Like I said...” said the Paragon. “Sooner or later, everyone’s luck runs out.”

Gears groaned.

* * * * * * * * * *

Five minutes later, Minerva drove onto the site on her own D-Wheel.

Both Gears and Rary were gone, but Gears’s badly battered D-Wheel remained, left by the entrance of what remained of the carousel, steam still pouring from its engine.

Minerva ran up to inspect it. The built in Duel Disk and Gears’s deck was missing, clearly taken by Rary when the Paragon had taken Gears. Exactly why, she had no idea.

She turned on her communication device.

“Things have gotten much worse,” she said. “Gears has lost as well... It is clear now that this was all a trap... He, Noriko, and Osaka are in grave danger, and Michiko is obviously next.”

“Calm down,” said the voice. “Do you believe they are in danger of torture or execution?”

“I would say it is a near-certainty,” replied Minerva.

“Then I may have found something,” said the voice. “Listen:

“Section 8, subsection 12, paragraph 4, subparagraph 3 of the Benediction states, quote: ‘If an individual or member of a group who has agreed to the terms of this document is in danger of experiencing a situation that is opposed to by the dogma of another member of the Hebdomad, a member of the Knights of Domiel may offer indirect aid.’ Unquote.

“If the Paragons plan to torture or execute prisoners, that is a violation of universally accepted rules of engagement, and thus would be opposed by Raziel. While his followers are under no obligation to help them, as they have no agreement with him, we can thus offer indirect help.”

“But...” said Minerva. “What constitutes ‘indirect help’?”

“The Benediction does not provide a definition...” replied the voice. “You must interpret it on your own... And you must hurry, as the lives of those four are in danger...

“Good luck, Knight of Domiel...”

* * * * * * * * * *

In the underground chamber, loud music played from a CD player, and Soth, Iggwilv, and Menzoberra danced to it.

The four Paragons were on cloud nine as Rary walked in. They barely noticed the aboleth watching them, half submerged, and Trueman standing by the pool in front of it.

“So, did you get it?” asked Menzoberra, as she turned off the music.

“Oh, I sure did!” laughed Rary.

He held up Il Mathman’s card.

The aboleth pulled itself more fully out of the water.

“Excellent work, Rary,” it said. “But don’t get too overconfident yet...

“All we need now is Jetta. With all the Titans together, I may be able to undo what made them, and dispose of them for good.”

“Yak, yak, yak...” said Soth.

He took Trymus’s card out of his pocket. Then he took a cigarette lighter out of the other pocket.

“Tell you what, boss,” he said. “I got a faster way...”

He flicked on the lighter.

“Gonna put Trymus out of his misery right now.”

He tried to set fire to the card. There was a long pause.

“Well?” asked Rary.

“Uh... it won’t burn...” said Soth.

“Here, I’ll burn it!” said Iggwilv, as she formed a ball of flame in her hand.

“Wait...” said Soth.

Iggwilv hurled the ball of flame at the card, and Soth roared in pain.

“MY HAND!” he shouted, holding his hand. “You burned my hand, you stupid...”

Menzoberra picked up Trymus’s card, which he had dropped.

“Uh, the card isn’t even singed, people...” she said.

Then she started trying to rip it. It wouldn’t rip. She struggled with it, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn’t tear.

After about three minutes of trying, she was out of breath, and the card wasn’t damaged in the least.

Meanwhile, the aboleth was watching, and looked rather annoyed.

“This could theoretically go on for hours...” said Trueman.

“Are you idiots done making fools of yourselves?” asked the aboleth. “That card wouldn’t burn if you threw it into a star. No matter what vessels the Titans inhabit, they are still infused with the Power Primordial. They are immortal and indestructible. Only by taking that power from them in some way can they be truly destroyed.

“And to do that, we need all four of them.

“Iggwilv, go wait for Ember, and remember the rules.

“And use your true deck this time... We are too close to victory to risk any screw-ups...”

Then it sank back under the water. Trueman turned, and vanished into the shadows.

Iggwilv turned to Rary.

“Rary, gimme Il Mathman’s card,” she said. “I want to try something.”

“Uh...” said Rary, looking at Il Mathman’s card.

“I dunno... The boss told us not to...”

“Are we going to keep listening to that tentacled frog?” asked Iggwilv.

“You have a problem with frogs?” asked Menzoberra. “But you have a point... I don’t like working for that slimy bottom-feeder. All it does is boss us around. And it seems to not think very highly of anything with a complete skeletal system.”

“Before I give this to you, I want collateral,” said Rary.

Iggwilv smiled.

She wrapped her arms around Rary, and kissed him deeply. Sweat formed on his brow.

After a one-minute kiss, she let him go. He gasped for breath.

“That enough collateral?” she said, sweetly.

Rary handed over the card.

He looked at her butt as she walked out...

“Heh...” he said. “Let’s see the Psurlon Trade Consortium offer a better one of those for sale.”

“Watch it...” said Menzoberra.

* * * * * * * * * *

At this moment, Ember was driving her D-Wheel down a forest path.

Then, she had to slam on the breaks to avoid running into a D-Wheel that was blocking her way.

At first she thought it was Iggwilv, but as the rider – who was Minerva – took off her helmet, she knew that this was different.

“You’re in trouble, Shadowchaser...” said Minerva. “This road leads to a dead end.”

“What do you mean?” asked Ember. “Do you want trouble?”

“I’m trying to spare you trouble,” said Minerva. “The invitations you all got were traps. It was too late to warn your friends... They lost to the other Paragons, and they’re prisoners now.”

Ember gave a look of shock.

“How... Beaten...” she said.

Jetta appeared next to her.

“Don’t panic, Ember...” said the Titan. “They aren’t dead. I share a bond with the other Titans, and through them, I feel their bond to your friends. I can tell that they’re alive...”

“But for how long?” said Ember softly.

“Go back,” said Minerva. “Don’t meet with Iggwilv. If you are captured as well, the fate of all four of you is sealed. But so long as you are safe, your friends might be spared.”

“Might!” said Ember, getting angry. “The key word is ‘might’! I can’t be certain!

“And I can’t abandon them!

“I owe them...”

She sighed.

“When Draco beat me, I was locked up in a genie’s lamp... It was cursed so I couldn’t disobey him... It was humiliating...

“But they rushed to my rescue, risked everything to get me out of there...

“It’s part of being on a team. You’d know that if you were part of a team. Who are you anyway?”

Minerva looked at her.

“I am part of a team...” she said. “It’s just that my team isn’t as close as yours...

“Catch.”

She threw something, and Ember caught it.

It was a card.

“A Trap Card?” asked Ember.

“If you insist on facing Iggwilv, I cannot stop you,” said Minerva. “But put that card in your deck. It may mean the difference between victory and defeat.”

She started up her D-Wheel.

“It’s all the help I can give you right now, except to say good luck...”

“Wait!” said Ember, as she started off. “You didn’t answer me! Who are you?”

“A friend,” replied Minerva, before she vanished down the path.

Ember sighed.

She looked at the card again. She read the description. It seemed very situational to say the least...

She looked at Jetta again.

“I... guess it couldn’t hurt...” she said.

She took the card, and shuffled it into her deck.

Then she got on her D-Wheel, and drove back in the direction she had been going.



SPEED SPELL – COSMIC CRUSHER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Worm Prince staggering under an assault from Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer.

Card Description: Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 “Ally of Justice” Monster you control. If the selected Monster attacks a LIGHT Monster with equal or less ATK than the selected Monster, destroy the Monster without applying Damage Calculation and inflict damage to the Monster’s controller equal to the destroyed Monster’s ATK.



SPEED SPELL – CHAOS DAMPER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: D.D. Warrior Lady holding a high-tech, science-fiction style blaster that’s half as big as herself, aiming it at an unseen target.

Card Description: Activate when you have 4 or more Speed Counters and have at least 2 LIGHT and 2 DARK Monsters in your Graveyard. All LIGHT and DARK Monsters on the field have their effects negated until the End Phase of the turn.



SPEED SPELL – POWER FAILURE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Ancient Gear Golem ripping up a power line as a D-Wheeler speeds towards it.

Card Description: Activate when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. During the turn you activate this card, neither player can activate Spell or Trap Cards during the Battle Phase.



Next:

Ember: I’m the only one left... The Paragons are clearly stronger than they first appeared. I don’t even know if I stand a chance against Iggwilv this time, as she uses her true deck with a deadly strategy that portrays Fire as a force of pure destruction.

But if I’m going to go down, I want answers first. Maybe I can find out just what makes these four beings tick. Some think they’re just sociopaths, but I think the motive runs deeper than simple insanity. There’s a deeper meaning to the Paragons madness, and I want to find it out.

“Tremendous Fire” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

The Gotthammers, Shadowchasers Special Forces

Say two of the Yokai Clans have joined forces, and are planning to invade Beijing. Or a pit fiend has taken over Fort Dix and is daring anyone to make it leave. Perhaps a verdant lord has turned a hundred acres of trees in Great Smoky Mountains National Park into dark briars and has claimed the state-owned land as his own property. What do the Shadowchasers do when faced with powerful Shadowkind who think that they can spit on the Great Treaty and all it stands for?

In times like this, Jalal sends the Gotthammers to solve the problem. If the Shadowkind in question survives, he’ll respect the Treaty a great deal more afterwards.

The Gotthammers (the name is taken from that of a mythical group of angels who combated demonic hordes when fighting between such groups was common in the mortal world) is a special team of five Shadowchasers put together by Jalal himself. Little is known about the origins of this team, but it is widely believed that they were all once Aware members of military special forces units from around the world. After they were discharged, Jalal recruited them, and formed them into his own special forces unit, one that would work for the Shadowchasers. Trained in modern warfare and tougher than most Shadowchasers, these five individuals are sent to deal with Shadowkind who think they are above the law, and who are too powerful to be dealt with by normal Shadowchasers.

The Gotthammers work globally, rejecting the idea of a central location. They are answerable to Jalal alone, and also have the power of authority over any local group of Shadowchasers. (They rarely use this authority, however.) Although Duel Disks and decks are still part of their equipment, most of the rest of their gear is typically what you’d find on a group of marines – heavy duty weaponry like assault rifles and grenades, and high-tech gear like surveillance drones and flack jackets. Because the Gotthammers are usually called in to handle Shadows who have already rejected the Treaty, they are under no obligation to follow it, which often comes as a surprise to those on the receiving end of their attacks.

The true names and backgrounds of the five members of the Gotthammers are heavily guarded secrets. All of them are multi-lingual, so only educated guesses can be made at their countries of origin from their slight accents. They have been seen dueling, and they use some very lethal strategies. In fact, it seems that since the team’s founding five years ago, the Gotthammers have not had a single casualty among their members. Indeed, the roster of the team has not yet needed a replacement. Perhaps this is because they know how to watch each others’ backs as any well-formed team does. Some say it’s just due to a combination of skill, planning, and anticipation.

The five members of the Gotthammers are as follows:


The Colonel: The tactician and planner of the group, and the unofficial leader (unless Jalal is leading the group personally), the Colonel is a man who seems to be in his fifties who appears to be American. Most believe that, as his nom de guerre implies, he was a high-ranking member of the U.S. military before joining the Shadowchasers. His attitude is certainly that of a veteran soldier – a tough as nails fighter who speaks in an intimidating tone that makes most people uneasy. Still, the Colonel has a powerful sense of responsibility for his new unit (the Gotthammers) and a great deal of respect for his new CO (Jalal) and when all if said and done, he is the best man to lead the team.

When he duels, the Colonel uses a deck full of very powerful two-Tribute Monsters, such as Ancient Gear Golem, Tyrant Dragon, and Archlord Kristya. He uses Monsters like Dandylion, Giant Germ, and Nimble Momonga to get the required Tributes fast, or Mausoleum of the Emperor to forgo them entirely.


Matt Black: The espionage and infiltration expert among the Gotthammers, Matt Black, as he’s called, is a man in his thirties who’s accent seems to suggest Great Britain. Its his job to make sure that the Gotthammers never go into enemy territory blind, and he is very good at making sure that they don’t. He has several ways of getting the information he needs; he knows who to talk to, what palms to grease, and who to make deals with. He’s also one of the best Shadowjacks in the world, and is able to hack into almost any system using the magical ability used by such hackers. Worse case scenario, he excels at slipping into places unnoticed and getting what he needs.

Subtle as he is, the deck he uses when he duels is not very subtle. He uses an Armed Dragon Deck. Eschewing the infamous Dark Armed Dragon, he uses the old fashioned Leveled Armed Dragons, along with a great deal of support. He even has a copy of the incredibly rare Armed Dragon LV10.


Savage Snow: The only female member of the group, Savage Snow is a woman in her thirties with long, raven-black hair and haunting beauty. Her accent suggests France more than anything else. She is the demolitions and explosives expert of the Gotthammers – a common joke among the Shadowchasers is, “they haven’t built anything yet that Savage Snow can’t tear down”. This may well be the truth, in fact. A common safety tip when she’s at work is to listen to what she says, and be prepared to run when she sets the timer – fast.

Many believe that she got her nickname from the deck she uses: It focuses almost entirely on Elemental Hero Absolute Zero. With three copies of this Fusion Monster, she has many creative ways to use its powerful effect, like summoning Catapult Turtle (easily done with A Legendry Ocean, which also benefits Absolute Zero) and launching Absolute Zero with it.


Eagle Eye: “If it’s got wings, I can fly it.” So says Eagle Eye, the vehicle expert of the team, the youngest member (he appears to be in his mid-twenties) who seems to be American. Not all places that the Gotthammers go to can be reached with a D-Wheel, so Eagle Eye is in charge of getting them there using aircraft or boat. In rare occasions, such as when an angry dragon threatens a city, Eagle Eye can even fly vehicles designed for combat. Exactly where Jalal procures such equipment as Apache helicopters and the like is not known, but most assume he makes deals with certain military officials that are too tempting for them to turn down. Rumor has it that some Incantifers are trying to build a fighter jet plane with magical engines and supernatural capabilities. If they ever succeed, Eagle Eye would likely be the first one to fly it.

When dueling, Eagle Eye uses Scrap Monsters, the powerful archetype of creatures that destroy themselves in order to activate powerful effects.


Dark Crystal: A man in his forties who is more than likely from Germany, Dark Crystal’s specialty is one that is not found in any Mundane special forces unit: magic and supernatural powers. He is himself a wizard, and a powerful one; though not on the same scale as the typical Incantifer, he can produce some very powerful incantations when ordinary firearms fail. As a member of the Gotthammers, he identifies enemy wizards and magical threats early, which are the greatest dangers in any battle, and then takes the forefront in confronting them. (It takes one to defeat one, in his opinion.)

Most expect Dark Crystal to use Spellcasters when he duels. He does... But with a twist. His Spellcaster Lock Deck uses Secret Village of the Spellcasters to prevent his opponent from using Spell Cards, and he combines it with Royal Decree if he is able to. (Needless to say, he does not Turbo Duel often.)


Story Ideas: Use of the Gotthammers is limited only by how far an author is willing to take a fic. They only show up to handle the most dire threats to the separation between humans and Shadows, and only to deal with powerful Shadows who follow no laws but their own (or none but Chaos). The appearance of these soldiers means that dire times are ahead, and Shadowchasers who know that they’re in town know to start preparing for war.

It may even be possible to write an entire fic centered on the Gotthammers. It could take work, but it certainly is doable.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-THREE

As Ember rode down the forest path, storm clouds started to rumble overhead. Fear started to creep into her bones.

The path terminated at a large, wooden building that seemed to be some type of shrine. The kanji symbol for Fire was on the door.

“This must be the place...” she muttered.

Her Duel Disk detached from her D-Wheel, and clamped to her gauntlet. She gave her deck a good shuffle, and walked up to the door, which opened on its own accord.

The door closed behind her, as she expected it to do. The shrine was dark inside.

Didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome... she thought. But still...

“No games, Iggwilv!” she shouted. “Come and get me!”

Torches on the walls lit with violet flames. She was in a stone-walled room, and Iggwilv was sitting on an ornate chair at the opposite end, drinking from a decorated goblet.

“Well...” said the Paragon. “And then there was one...”

“Where are Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears?” demanded Ember.

“Oh, don’t worry about them...” said Iggwilv, as she stood up. “They don’t have the best accommodations right now, but they’re perfectly safe... For the time being...”

Her infernal Duel Disk appeared in her arm.

“So... Time to complete the cycle... Time to finish this...”

“I want one thing from you first,” said Ember.

“Eh?” said Iggwilv.

“I want answers about something,” continued Ember.

“Now why should I tell you anything?” asked Iggwilv, rather annoyed.

“Answer this for me,” replied Ember, “and you can count it as my last request.”

Iggwilv looked at her with a frown.

“O-kay...” she said. “Sure... I guess that’s... fair... What do you want to know?”

“How?” asked Ember. “What happened to you… your people… your culture… What happened to you to make you so... evil?”

Iggwilv suddenly looked more serious gave her a long look. Then she sat back on her chair.

“Interesting question, Michiko...” she replied. “Very few have found out the secret of my people’s motivations... Even fewer have been allowed to live with that knowledge once they had it...

“Tell you what... I’ll answer that question with a question of my own... Have you ever read The Book of Vile Darkness?”

Ember gasped.

“That book is forbidden!” she exclaimed. “Anyone who reads its cursed pages without powerful protective magic risks losing his mind or being attacked by demons!”

“I see…” said Iggwilv. “Well, I’ve read it many times… So have Rary, Menzoberra, and Soth. It’s kind of required reading for my species.

“After all, a member of my species wrote it.

“You may know of a story written in those ‘cursed pages’ of a man who was created by the gods before all other mortals… Then rejected as a mistake… Then given his life back by a demon, who persuaded him to procreate…”

“The legend of the vashar…” whispered Ember. “The shame of the gods...”

She looked at Iggwilv, and Iggwilv smiled at her.

“Soth, Rary, Menzoberra, and myself are the sole survivors of that ancient race, Ember…” she said.

“We lived for millennia in that mountain where our race was born, on the homeworld of Shadow… We hated the gods who rejected us, dreaming of a day when we would make the streets of Heaven collapse under their feet. The vashar had ur-priests long before the Light of Ruin taught the art to Sezzik Tam, and they and other heretical sorcerers were our rulers.

“Then, one day, we discovered a way to truly gain our revenge. That mountain wasn’t just any mountain… It was a volcano. And deep under the magma lay a sleeping abomination, a beast that even the gods feared. It was imprisoned there when the abominations were defeated after their struggle with the first gods. They named it Ma Yuan, the Godslayer, for it was a being so powerful, it could truly kill divine beings with its deadly claws.

“Possibly, the demon that had brought our ancestor there had it in mind the whole time... He pointed us in the right direction of a weapon, and we simply had to find it.

“But it was trapped in eternal slumber, most of its power drained from the battle where it had been imprisoned.

“For years, we searched for a means to restore Ma Yuan to its full power and awaken it. Then four ur-priests, each one representing one of the four elements, found a way. They started construction of a device called an Infernal Wheel. Once the Infernal Wheel was complete, a ritual would start it turning. Its turning would feed Ma Yuan stolen divine power over three decades, increasing in speed and power as the years passed. After thirty years, the process would be complete, the volcano would erupt, and Ma Yuan would burst forth, its power fully restored, prepared to murder every divine being in existence.”

“Thirty years?” asked Ember.

“Things like this take time,” replied Iggwilv. “When you plan revenge against the gods themselves, it’s gonna be a long-term plan. We always knew it was never going to be easy.”

“I assume something went wrong with your plan,” said Ember.

Iggwilv sighed.

“Such a plan does not go unheard, Ember,” she replied, with a tone of bitterness in her voice. “And it seemed we were not as forgotten as we had thought. As soon as it was conceived, celestial alarms went off. The most powerful deities appointed four of their strongest champions, meddlers not unlike you Shadowchasers, who stormed our home to halt the ritual.

“A fight broke out, and the ur-priests managed to complete the ritual just before the four champions subdued them, and the Infernal Wheel began to turn. The ur-priests thought they had won. They gloated, telling the champions it could not be stopped, and even if they killed every vashar in existence, the Wheel would free Ma Yuan in thirty years, and the vashar’s revenge would be complete.

“The champions tried to stop the Wheel… They found that they truly couldn’t…

“But then one of those four meddlers got a good idea. They couldn’t stop it… But they could sure speed it up a little.

“All four of them channeled all the divine energy they had into the Infernal Wheel, giving it twice as much power as it would ever need in under a minute. Power flowed into the heart of the volcano way too fast. The surviving vashar had no choice but to flee, and watch as the volcano erupted, and their master plan was unleashed thirty years premature! Ma Yuan was killed as a result, not able to survive getting suddenly what it was supposed to get slowly.

“Our plan was ruined, and our home was destroyed. We were a ruined people. Our most powerful wizards opened portals, and we fled to the Astral Plane. From there, we eventually settled on a world in a new reality, where the four ur-priests, who had miraculously survived, formed four factions of vashar.”

“I suppose the four of you are each descended from one of the factions?” asked Ember.

“Yes…” replied Iggwilv. “The thing was, although we grew numerous again, each faction blamed the other three for the plan going sour. We no longer cooperated, and we fought often.”

“So when the four of you tried to duplicate what the Titans accomplished,” added Ember, “it went bad. And you solved the problem by putting the rest of your race out of its misery.

“I suppose that’s why the four of you seem to get along… You’ve finally found common ground!”

Iggwilv chuckled.

“Not really…” she replied. “None of us have any powers that can do lasting harm to the other three, so we cooperate for now… But as soon as one of us becomes more powerful than the other three, he or she is going to consume them. All four of us know it, and we’ve agreed not to dwell on it until it happens.”

“Of course,” said Ember. “The old ‘there can only be one’ scenario, huh?”

“More or less…” said Iggwilv. “But for now…”

She stood up and lifted her left arm, and her Duel Disk activated.

“...we’ll concentrate on more immediate enemies. You’re the last one left from your team… Time to duel…”

Ember activated her Disk.

(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (Iggwilv: 8,000)

This is it... thought Ember. It all comes down to me... Oh, I wish I could stop shaking!

“Well, what are you waiting for, Michiko??” asked Iggwilv, angrily. “An engraved invitation?”

Ember quickly made her first draw.

She set a Monster on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared in an aura of light.

“I’ll end with that,” she said.

“Running scared already?” asked Iggwilv, as she made a draw.

“I summon UFO Turtle.”

With an eerie hum, the turtle/flying saucer combination appeared, hovering over the field. (1,400 ATK)

“Since I know your Monsters tend to have low Defense Scores...”

UFO Turtle shot two missiles from under its shell. Flamvell Paun appeared on the card, and shattered.

A card slipped out of Ember’s deck, and she took it.

Okay... she thought. I’ve got Flamvell Firedog...

Iggwilv took a card from her hand, and set it on her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

“Take turn,” she demanded.

“Boy, you’re impatient,” said Ember, as she made a draw.

“I summon Flamvell Firedog!” she shouted.

With a howl, Firedog bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

Okay, I’ve got this planned, she thought. When I attack UFO Turtle, she’ll summon a second one, thinking I’ll Special Summon another Monster and attack the second one, allowing her to summon something important.

But I won’t attack the second one. I’ll just end my turn, and attack next turn, when I’m sure I have enough Monsters to destroy the second and third UFO Turtle and whatever she summons with the third.

“I’m tossing Flamvell Baby,” she said, as she discarded a card, “to boost Firedog’s burner!”

(2,300 ATK)

“Firedog, attack!”

Flamvell Firedog breathed flames, and Iggwilv braced herself as UFO Turtle exploded.

(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)

“I use UFO Turtle’s effect,” said Iggwilv, “to summon Solar Flare Dragon!”

A waft of intense heat covered the room, and a large, fiery serpent with a dragon’s head rose where UFO Turtle had been. (1,500 ATK)

“HUH?” said Ember.

“Uh...” she said. “I use Firedog’s effect to summon Flamvell Gurnika!”

In another aura of flames, Gurnika appeared, hovering in midair. (1,700 ATK)

“Gurnika, destroy Solar Flare Dragon!”

“Hold it right there, little girl,” said Iggwilv.

Her facedown card flipped up.

“Gravity Bind?” gasped Ember.

Gurnika was stopped dead in his tracks.

“Uh...” said Ember.

Sweat started to pour down her brow. Her hand shook harder as she took another card from her hand.

She slowly set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“I end my turn...”

“Feeling the heat yet, Michiko?” asked Iggwilv, as she made a draw. “Solar Flare Dragon is such a great card... Why stop at one...”

She played a card, and a second Solar Flare Dragon appeared. (1,500 ATK)

“...when two is much more fun?”

“A Solar Flare Lock!” exclaimed Ember.

“That’s right!” laughed Iggwilv. “I now have not one, but two layers of protection – Gravity Bind, and my two Solar Flare Dragons.

“And now... A coup de grace...”

Flamvell Firedog and Flamvell Gurnika screamed, as flames erupted around them.

“What are you doing??” screamed Ember.

The two Monsters vanished. Then an iron cage, studded with spikes formed around her...

“No...” she said.

The heat became unbearable, as a twenty-foot-tall humanoid formed completely out of boiling magma, the dreaded Lava Golem, rose behind her, the cage attached to a chain around its neck. (3,000 ATK)

Ember’s heart was beating hard. She was almost hyperventilating.

“I set two cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Iggwilv, as two reversed cards appeared. “And that means that my Solar Flare Dragons’ effect kicks in.”

The two Pyros breathed scorching hot fire, striking Ember. She screamed, and fell to her knees.

(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)

“Akira...” she moaned, with tears in her eyes. “Akira, where are you?”

“Akira?” asked Iggwilv. “Who’s that? Boyfriend? Well, sorry, he can’t help you now. In fact, I doubt you’re ever going to see him again.”

Iggwilv’s taunting was cruel, but it made Ember snap back to her senses.

Then she had a thought. Maybe Akira could help her in this situation... Or maybe he already had...

* * * * * * * * * *

It was a week after Ember’s twelfth birthday, a week after Akira had given her the Flamvell Urquizas card. He walked into her house, as she was going over some cards she had just gotten.

“Working on the deck, huh?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Ember. “Old Man McCreedy gave me a discount on some of these old cards.

“I got a lot of Fire Monsters here... Most of them aren’t too good... But you told me yourself that you never know when you’ll find a Secret Rare in a box of Commons.”

“Ain’t it the truth...” said Akira, sitting down beside her.

His brow furrowed as he picked up a card.

“Uh... Were you gonna use this one?”

She looked at it. It was Lava Golem.

“Well, I hadn’t planned on it yet,” said Ember.

“Take it from someone who’s seen this used several times,” said Akira. “It might seem harmless when dueling on a coffee table... But when you use a Disk, this thing is brutal.

“I don’t know what Pegasus was on when he greenlighted it. I can only hope that you never have to face it.”

Suddenly, Ember got scared.

“Well, what if I do?” she asked.

Akira sighed.

“Well, the only real way to prevent it from being summoned is Mask of Restrict,” he said. “Once it’s on the field, sacrificing it can get rid of it, but many folks who use it also use that Trap Card. Compulsory Evacuation Device is one way, but it might give your opponent a chance to use it again.

“And, needless to say, if you can tear down whatever wall your opponent uses to prevent you from attacking with it, he’s in trouble, because it has 3,000 Attack Points.

“But remember this among all else, Ember – if faced with a Lava Golem, do not panic. Most duelists who lost because of this card lost because they panicked, which isn’t good in any situation.

“That’s probably the best advice I can give you.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Don’t panic... thought Ember. Good advice, coz...

She stood up, and drew a card.

“Lava Golem’s effect activates,” said Iggwilv, “costing you 1,000 Life Points.”

Burning lava dripped into the cage, and Ember tried her hardest to keep from screaming.

(E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)

She looked at her hand of five cards.

I think I might actually be able to do this... she thought.

She looked at Iggwilv’s two facedown cards.

That is, if those two cards aren’t Counter Traps to stop me from doing it...

She set two cards, and a reversed card, and a reversed Monster appeared in front of her.

“I’m done,” she said. “Make your move...”

Iggwilv made a draw.

It was Pot of Avarice.

Hmm, she thought.

“I think I’ll boost my defenses even further,” she said.

She played a card, and Flame Ruler appeared next to the two Solar Flare Dragons. (1,500 ATK)

“Now, even if you destroy one of my Dragons,” she continued, “the other one is protected from attacks, unless you get rid of Flame Ruler first.

“I end my turn, and you know what that means...”

Ember struggled to keep from screaming as the Solar Flare Dragons roasted her again.

(E: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 7,100)

Ember held her chest, and took some deep breaths.

She made a draw.

She gave a look of surprise.

“I can tell from the look on your face that you drew a good card, Ember,” said Iggwilv.

It’s the card that strange woman gave me... thought Ember. How the heck is it supposed to help?

“Well, whatever it is, you’ll never get to use it unless you break my lock,” said Iggwilv. “Speaking of which, Lava Golem now burns 1,000 of your Life Points away.”

Ember wiggled and squirmed to avoid the dripping lava.

Sweat poured down her brow. She looked at her cards on the field.

It’s now or never, she thought.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

“I activate Trap Stun!” she shouted.

“Huh?” said Iggwilv.

“This Trap Card puts all other Traps out of commission this round,” said Ember. “Including THAT one!”

Gravity Bind froze over.

She didn’t counter it... thought Ember. I can do it!

“Big deal!” said Iggwilv. “You still can’t attack my Solar Flare Dragons due to their effects.”

Ember’s reversed Monster flipped face-up, and Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared. (500 ATK) She chanted a spell and her scepter glowed, and one of the two Solar Flare Dragons was pulled over to Ember’s side of the field.

“Ho boy...” said Iggwilv.

“Lava Golem,” ordered Ember, “destroy Flame Ruler!”

The whole room turned a hellish red, and the giant Fiend formed a ball of molten fire in its jowls. Iggwilv braced herself as it struck Flame Ruler, turning him to hot ash.

“Now, my Solar Flare Dragon attacks your Solar Flare Dragon!” shouted Ember.

The Pyro shot a stream of flames from its jaws, which was met by a stream from the opposing Pyro. Both Pyros exploded into plumes of fire and smoke.

“Hiita, your turn!”

Hiita aimed her staff at Iggwilv, and shot a small fireball at the Paragon. She winced a little.

(E: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 5,100)

“Now to get rid of this ugly thing...” said Ember, as she took a card from her hand. “I sacrifice Hiita and Lava Golem...”

The huge Fiend and the small Spellcaster vanished into grains of light...

With a loud screech, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared in the room. She spread her golden wings, and glared at Iggwilv with a look of anger. (2,400 ATK)

Ember looked at Iggwilv, and nodded.

“Seems you still have some fight left in you...” said Iggwilv.

She made a draw.

“Good... You may have beaten plan-A... But this deck has another strategy that’s almost as deadly...”

She played a Spell Card.

“I play Magic Planter. I’ll send Gravity Bind to the Graveyard to draw two cards.”

The Trap Card vanished, and she made two draws.

Then one of her facedown cards lifted up. It was Call of the Haunted.

Don’t tell me she’s setting up the lock again! thought Ember.

However, the Monster that appeared was actually Flame Ruler. (1,500 ATK)

“I don’t think I need to tell you about Flame Ruler’s effect,” said Iggwilv.

“When it’s sacrificed to summon a Fire Monster,” said Ember, “it can count as two sacrifices”

“Exactly,” said Iggwilv. “So, I sacrifice Flame Ruler...”

The Pyro turned into a glowing orb of fire.

“...for Flame Ogre!”

In an aura of flames, a ten-foot-tall, muscular giant with orange skin, dressed only in a pair of trousers, appeared in front of Iggwilv. (2,400 ATK)

“By summoning him, I get to draw one card,” she continued.

She made a draw.

“Well... What do you know... Seems I get to start plan-B now...”

Her other facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Necro Alchemy! By playing this Trap Card, I can turn all the Monsters in both Graveyards into any Attribute I choose, and I choose Dark.”

The two Solar Flare Dragons fell out of her discard slot.

“That means I can remove two of my Monsters from play, in order to discard this other one.”

She discarded one of her cards.

“We’ll get to that later. Now for your Phoenix...”

She played another Spell Card.

“I Equip Flame Ogre with Pyre Amulet!”

An amulet set with a fire opal carved in the shape of a flame appeared around Flame Ogre’s neck. It roared in rage. (2,700 ATK)

“Attack!” shouted the Paragon. “Eviscerate that bird!”

Flame Ogre grunted and lunged at Sacred Phoenix...

Ember’s other facedown card shot up, revealing Enemy Controller. Flame Ogre fell backwards, knelt, and crossed its arms over its chest. (1,700 DEF)

“Damn you,” said Iggwilv. “I end my turn!”

Ember drew a card.

She looked at the four cards in her hand: Double Spell, DNA Transplant, Fire Back... and the odd Trap that Minerva had given her.

Darn, she thought. I was hoping for a Monster...

She looked at the odd Trap.

Wish I knew how this was supposed to help me...

She almost considered setting it, but she had a pretty good idea what Iggwilv was going to do next turn. She had turned all the Monsters in the Graveyards Dark, and then removed two Monsters from play to send one there.

This was supposedly the first step in the summoning of something she had only heard rumors of, but if the rumors were true, setting Trap Cards right now wasn’t a good idea.

“Sacred Phoenix, attack Flame Ogre!” she shouted. “Sacred fire!”

Sacred Phoenix breathed a blast of violet flame at the crouching ogre. The Fiend groaned and shattered.

“Thank you,” said Iggwilv. “I activate another effect of Pyre Amulet. I can now remove both it and Flame Ogre from play to draw two cards.”

She pocketed the Monster and the Equip Spell, and made two draws.

“It’s your move...” said Ember, with a sigh.

Iggwilv made a draw.

“Then it’s time for my star to make her appearance!” exclaimed Iggwilv, as a dark, shadowy form started to rise behind her. “Behold the grim majesty of... Dark Nephthys!”

With a loud screech, a huge bird that was just as big as Sacred Phoenix loomed over Iggwilv’s side of the field. It looked like Sacred Phoenix, but it was black as midnight, and its eyes burned with an evil aura.

Sacred Phoenix glared at her Dark counterpart with a look of hate. Dark Nephthys glared back – the feeling was clearly mutual. (2,400 ATK)

“Now, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card,” said Iggwilv. “You don’t have any, so I’ll get rid of Necro Alchemy.”

The Trap Card shattered.

“Our Monsters have equal Attack Points,” said Ember. “Seems we have a standoff...”

“True...” said Iggwilv.

She fit two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

“...but you don’t know what these are, so I’d be careful if I were you. I’ll end my turn with that.”

“All right... draw...” said Ember.

She made a draw.

Hmm... she thought, looking at it.

She threw three cards on her Disk, and three set cards, one in her Monster Zone and two in her Spell Zone, appeared.

“That’ll do it,” she said.

“Then it’s my move...” said Iggwilv.

She made a draw.

“Yes...” she said. “This will do...”

One of her two facedown cards lifted up.

“Cursed Prison?” asked Ember. “What does that do?”

“It lets me Special Summon a Monster from my Extra Deck,” replied Iggwilv, “and disregard its summoning conditions...”

A large, golden cage shaped like a lamp appeared next to Dark Nephthys.

“Of course, it has to stay in Defense Mode, and its effect is negated...

“I think this particular Monster will look familiar to you...”

Ember stepped back in shock as a figure appeared inside the cage...

It was Il Mathman. As if the cage wasn’t bad enough, his wrists were chained by thick shackles. (2,000 DEF)

“You dirty, low-down, sadistic...” started Ember.

“Hold that thought,” said Iggwilv, as she played a Spell Card. “I play Portmanteau.

“In case you don’t know what a portmanteau is, it’s a word that is formed out of two words, just as this Spell Card has two effects in one.”

I knew what it meant... thought Ember, who was still very upset.

“I can use this card when I have one Monster in Attack Mode, and another in Defense Mode. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and then I can either increase the offensive Monster’s Attack Score by the defensive one’s Defense Score, or vice-versa.

“I think I’ll do the first effect.”

Il Mathman groaned, and Dark Nephthys glowed with a dark aura. (4,400 ATK)

“Dark Nephthys, attack your better half!” shouted Iggwilv. “Infernal darkfire!”

Dark Nephthys blasted a bolt of dark flames. Ember cringed as Sacred Phoenix was blown to shards.

(E: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 4,100)

“Now...” said Iggwilv. “Here’s a quick preview of what’s coming next...”

She flipped a card in her hand around.

“Linear Accelerator Cannon!!” gasped Ember.

“Oh, you’ve heard of it?” asked Iggwilv. “Then you probably know that it lets me sacrifice a Monster, and deal damage equal to that Monster’s Attack Points.

“Doesn’t really matter whether I sacrifice Il Mathman or Dark Nephthys... Both have high enough Attack Scores to finish this duel...

“Sadly, on the round I use this Spell Card, it must be the only Spell Card I use, so since I just used Portmanteau, I’ll have to wait until next turn.

“It’s your move... And it will be the last.”

She’s right... thought Ember. One way or another... This is gonna be my last move...

She made a draw.

She looked at it hard.

One of her two facedown cards lifted up.

“I activate DNA Transplant,” she said. “I change all Monsters on the field to Fire.

“Then, I Flip-Summon Neo Flamvell Shaman.”

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the fiery witch doctor appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Then... I play Rekindling!”

In four blasts of fire, Flamvell Paun (200 ATK), Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), Flamvell Gurnika (1,700 ATK) and Flamvell Baby (800 ATK) appeared in front of her.

Then the room darkened. Baby, Paun, Firedog, and Gurnika flew towards the ceiling, and the three burning suns appeared.

“Power of a supernova, energy of a solar wind, the souls of billions supporting her majestic flight! The raw power unleashed at the moment of Creation flowing through her veins… Heroine of a lost race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Jetta the Bronze-Hearted!”

Jetta landed on the field. Flames shot from her hand, and they formed into her burning sword. (2,800 ATK)

“Let’s count ‘em up!” exclaimed Ember. “With DNA Transplant, there are twenty-one Levels worth of Fire Monsters on the field! That gives Jetta a bonus of 4,200 points!”

(7,000 ATK)

“That’s enough to win this duel with one mighty swipe of her sword!”

“I still have one trick left!” cursed Iggwilv.

Her final facedown card lifted up.

“Five Alarm!” she shouted. “Since you haven’t entered your Battle Phase yet, I can sacrifice a Fire Monster and increase the Attack Score of another one by its Attack Score.”

Il Mathman vanished into an orb of energy. Dark Nephthys glowed with a dark aura again. (5,100 ATK)

“Heh...” laughed Iggwilv. “Look at that! Without him on the field, Jetta’s Attack Score just went down!”

(5,000 ATK)

“Face it, little girl... You lose!”

Ember bowed her head.

Then she grinned.

“No I don’t...” she said softly. “That was just what I wanted you to do... The hour of retribution has come, Iggwilv...”

Her last facedown card flipped up.

“Respect Synchron??” gasped Iggwilv.

“That’s right!” exclaimed Ember. “You sent Il Mathman to the Graveyard... But he’s not staying there! He’s coming over to my side of the field!”

In a burst of light, Il Mathman materialized next to Jetta. (2,700 ATK)

Jetta swung her sword, and the chains restraining his arms fell to the ground with a clatter.

“Thank you...” he said.

“Don’t forget,” said Ember, “with him back on the field, Jetta’s Attack Score is back to what it was before...”

(7,000 ATK)

“It’s not possible!” shouted Iggwilv.

Ember looked at her hard.

“What do you mean it’s not possible?” she asked. “Of course it is. You made one of the classic Dumb Mistakes Villains Make. The biggest is probably the one where the villain tells a captured hero all of his plans when there’s still a chance that the hero will escape. But another big one is the one where the villain uses one of the hero’s most important weapons against her. I guarantee, if a villain does that, the hero is going to take it back.

“Jetta... Slay that imposter, will you? Nova blade!”

Jetta leapt at the Dark thing with Sacred Phoenix’s face, and made a deep cut with her sword. Dark Nephthys let out an unholy scream, and shattered into black shards.

“Time to finish this...” she said. “Il Mathman... Attack Iggwilv directly! Primordial pulse blast!”

Incredible fear appeared in Iggwilv’s eyes as Il Mathman loomed over her and prepared to fire...

Not just because the horrible mistake had cost her the duel...

But because the mistake had been exactly what the boss had told her not to do.

Before she could comprehend the repercussions of losing the duel, losing Ember, losing Jetta, and on top of it, losing Il Mathman in the process, the blast struck her. She screamed.

(E: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - (I: 0)

Ember took some deep breaths.

Iggwilv was gone. Only her Duel Disk remained where she had been.

She took Respect Synchron out of her discard slot.

I may never know who you are, she thought, but thank you...

She opened the pouch on her belt that held her side deck, and put it there, along with Il Mathman’s card. She had no Machines in her deck, so she had no way of summoning him the normal way; she could only keep his card safe until she found Gears.

Then Il Mathman and Jetta appeared in front of her.

“Thanks again,” said Il Mathman. “But while you saved me, we have to go after your friends...

“Starting with Noriko... She’s in the most danger. Menzoberra has her, and Menzoberra’s victims who are taken alive soon wish they were dead.

“What?” shouted Ember. “What does she do to victims that she takes alive?”

“You know how when a grain of sand gets caught inside an oyster, it can turn into a pearl?” asked Il Mathman. “Well, Menzoberra has several mollusks called giant Carcerian oysters, that can turn anything that gets trapped inside them into very large gems called dark pearls. Even living beings.

“Of course, these oysters can’t move and chase anyone, so a living being would have to pretty dumb to get trapped inside one… But some creatures who have no regard for sentient life purposely feed victims to them. She does so, and uses them to make bargains with demons and other evil creatures that collect such things.”

Ember didn’t need any more persuasion. Three minutes later she was on her D-Wheel, and headed in the direction that Il Mathman had pointed.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the dark underground chamber, Trueman was standing next to the large pool.

Rary, Soth, and Menzoberra stormed in.

“You three were told not to come in here,” said Trueman.

“Who’s going to stop us?” asked Soth, who was very upset. “You?”

“Where’s the boss?” demanded Rary.

Then a wave of water cascaded out of the pool, soaking the three Paragons as the aboleth surfaced.

“Where’s Iggwilv?” demanded Menzoberra, who was the first to get up.

“She is being disciplined,” said the creature’s voice. “I specifically told Iggwilv and you three buffoons NOT to use the Titans in your decks. I did so because, like Ember said, I knew that doing that would have been pretty dumb. But Iggwilv was clearly incredibly dumb, because she disobeyed and did so anyway, and like any duelist who does something dumb, she lost. She is paying the price for her complete disregard for my orders.

“And for being dumb. Like the rest of you.”

“You can’t talk about us like that!” shouted Rary. “Let her go!”

The three of them rushed at the creature...

And then they were thrown backwards, propelled against the wall. They didn’t fall, but rather, were held against it.

“You will not make demands of me, Rary!” roared the aboleth, who was now clearly very angry.

“Hey, that hurt!” said Menzoberra.

“Yes, I pack quite a punch for a ‘slimy bottom-feeder’ don’t I?” it replied.

“We didn’t know you were listening…” muttered Soth.

“I’m telepathic…” said the aboleth. “Very little that is said escapes my notice. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t dispose of you three right now.”

“We’ll give you three good reasons,” said Rary. “Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx.”

“What about them?” asked the aboleth.

“Our magic is what’s keeping them locked up!” added Menzoberra. “You get rid of us, they’ll break free, and you’ll have to deal with them again!”

The aboleth stared at them.

“Well?” said Menzoberra.

“I’m thinking about it…” replied the aboleth. “So I either have to put up with your three’s rudeness, or I have to deal with those three Shadowchasers. That is indeed a tough choice…

“Very well… I’ll give you three a second chance for now.”

Then the three Paragons were unceremoniously dumped on the floor.

“But don’t you three forget...” it continued. “Your slipshod attempt to duplicate the Titans’ experiment may not have worked as you planned it, but without the intervention from my forces, it would have failed utterly and reduced you to cosmic sludge.

“You owe me. And until I decide you owe me no longer, you will do as I say.

“I won’t tolerate any more insults. Now go back and wait for Ember. She’s sure to try to rescue Jinx. No Mokey Mokeys this time, use your true deck.

“And keep Shannalla out of it!”

“I wouldn’t think of it!” gasped Menzoberra.

“Here…” said the aboleth. “I have something that may be just as good… Trueman, if you would...”

Trueman threw Menzoberra a card, and she caught it. She looked at it, and raised an eyebrow.

“So why are you being so nice all of a sudden?” she asked.

“Don’t misunderstand,” it replied. “I’m lending you this powerful card. You can pay me back by capturing Ember.

“Follow the rules this time, or you will find out firsthand what became of Iggwilv.”

Then it sank back under the surface of the pool.



RESPECT SYNCHRON (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier, crossing a boundary from a dark background to a light one.

Card Description: When a Synchro Monster your opponent controls is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card effect, Special Summon that Synchro Monster to your side of the field, disregarding its Summoning conditions. When the Synchro Monster is removed from the field, destroy this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the Synchro Monster.

Note: “Respect Synchron” was first used by Ruka (using Rua’s deck) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Mark of the Monkey (Part 4)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CURSED PRISON (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A sinister-looking glass lamp with Souls of the Forgotten trapped inside.

Card Description: Special Summon 1 Monster from your Extra Deck in face-up Defense Position, disregarding its summoning conditions. The Special Summoned Monster’s battle position cannot change, and its effect is negated. If this card leaves the field, destroy the Special Summoned Monster. If the Special Summoned Monster leaves the field, destroy this card.

Note: “Cursed Prison” was first used by Demak in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Mark of the Monkey (Part 4)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



NECRO ALCHEMY (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Elemental Mistress Doriado in a zombie-infested graveyard, striking down the zombies with bolts of burning lightning.

Card Description: Declare 1 Attribute when this card is activated. For as long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Monsters in both Graveyards are considered the declared Attribute.

Note: “Necro Alchemy” first appeared in the original “Shadowchasers”.



PYRE AMULET (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: Darkfire Soldier #1 wearing a golden amulet and screaming in pain as flames engulf his body.

Card Description: Equip only to a FIRE Monster that you control. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may remove this card and the Monster it was Equipped to from play to draw two cards.



PORTMANTEAU (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber in the foreground as the shadowy form of Blue-Eyes White Dragon lurks behind.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you control 1 Monster in Attack Position and 1 Monster in face-up Defense Position. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Choose 1 of the following 2 effects:
* Increase the ATK of the Attack Position Monster by the DEF of the Defense Position Monster and reduce the ATK of the Defense Position Monster to zero until the End Phase of the turn.
* Increase the DEF of the Defense Position Monster by the ATK of the Attack Position Monster and reduce the ATK of the Attack Position Monster to zero until the End Phase of the turn.



FIVE ALARM (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A house being consumed by a raging fire as two fire trucks attempt to put it out.

Card Description: Activate only during your opponent’s Main Phase 1. Tribute 1 face-up FIRE Monster you control. Increase the ATK of 1 other FIRE Monster you control by an amount equal to the base ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.




Next:

Ember: I come face-to-face with Menzoberra, but it seems that even if I’m victorious in this second duel, Jinx’s release is not guaranteed. To save Jinx, I have to agree to Menzoberra’s terms, and duel with one small condition.

I don’t expect this duel to be easy... But then, no-one ever said it would be.

“Water Hazard” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

The Herald of Kyuss


Most who know of the Sons of Kyuss think that they are too embroiled in rivalries to unite under one leader. That is true for the most part. But the organization does have very powerful members whom other members respect and grudgingly follow. The Shadow that calls itself the Herald of Kyuss (because its species does not use names) is one such member.

The Herald of Kyuss is an avolakia, a nonhumanoid Shadowkind that is supposedly rare even on the homeworld of Shadow. In its true form, an avolakia is a hideous thing, a six-foot-tall, multi-tentacled cross between a lamprey, insect, and octopus. This form is rarely seen, even by Awares, because avolakia can use illusion (often several layers of it) to disguise themselves.

The most curious thing about an avolakia is its diet. It can eat the flesh of dead or living creatures, but finds doing both disgusting. It much prefers the flesh of undead creatures, and uses its necromantic skills to raise zombie hordes both for use as soldiers and as food. No intelligent undead will willingly ally itself with an avolakia, but it surrounds itself with mindless legions of the walking dead.

As a race, avolakia worship Kyuss as if he were a god (although none have yet been able to gain any benefit from doing so), as they claim he had a hand in creating their species. The Herald has a very grandiose goal – believing that Kyuss is bound to some prison by other gods, it seeks to free him, so that he can bring about the mythical Age of Worms.

The Herald is older than one might think, and has been on Earth for a long time. It invested its resources wisely a long time ago, and has put together a rather large fortune. Its current identity is that of Maxwell Tolstoff, a wealthy Wall Street broker who conducts his business from Manhattan. His disguise isn’t perfect; when he has visitors in his penthouse apartment, they often claim later that his maid and butler (who were actually zombies disguised by illusion) made their skin crawl.

The Herald knows that its plans are long term at least. It has entertained the possibility that Kyuss’s prison might be on the homeworld of Shadow, which might make it much harder. Still, it works hard to spread its lord's influence as much as it can, creating the spawn of Kyuss and attempting the experiments detailed in the Tome of Kyuss, of which it has an original copy. It has alliances with at least two worms that walk, and many other powerful members of the Sons. All this goes towards trying to make its dream a reality.

Story Ideas: The Herald of Kyuss makes the perfect archvillain for a fic that centers on the Sons of Kyuss. Necromancers are bad enough, but one that is an inhuman abomination that might rip the arm off of one of its undead soldiers to snack on might give even the most dedicated hero pause.

In a fic that is so devoted to the Sons of Kyuss, there is no reason why Kyuss himself might not eventually show up at the grand finale. If this option is taken, a suitable foe should be prepared, certainly of no less power than an arch-lich. Note that there’s no guarantee he’d be the least bit grateful to the Herald of Kyuss, or anyone else who had a hand in freeing him.

Deck Suggestions: The Herald’s current deck is Zombie Synchro, a deck that uses Plaguespreader Zombie and Special Summoned Zombies to quickly summon the three Synchro Monsters it is needed for.

This may change in the near-future. It has recently learned that Edmund Mason’s Worm Deck has resurfaced, used by an ophidia noble who was defeated by the Shadowchasers. It has become determined to own this deck, and has offered a rich reward to whoever can deliver it. Of course, seeing as the deck is now in a Shadowchasers evidence locker, that’s much easier said than done...

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-FOUR

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the dark sky over Neo Domino.

Hang on Jinx, thought Ember, as she sped down the road.

Half an hour after her duel with Iggwilv, she arrived at the reservoir, at the site where Jinx had dueled Menzoberra. Amazingly, Jinx’s D-Wheel was still parked there.

“Be careful, Eiko,” said Jetta’s voice.

Ember slowly walked up to it...

Then, an aura of water surrounded it, and the next instant, Menzoberra was sitting sidesaddle on it.

The Paragon of Water said nothing. She just glared at Ember, looking angry and maybe a little pissed.

Ember took a deep breath.

“Where’s Jinx?” she demanded.

“Submerged,” replied Menzoberra. “Submerged five miles off the coast of Neo Domino, ten fathoms underwater.

“In case you don’t know, a fathom equals six feet. And when I say five miles, I mean nautical miles, which is more than regular miles.”

As Ember took this in, Menzoberra hopped off the bike.

“And you Shadowchasers will need a ship with sonar capabilities and a unit of frogmen to find her,” she continued, “because even if you defeat me here, I won’t release her.

“After all, this is a great opportunity. I’ve never had a chance to make dark pearls out of human base. Orcus himself might be interested this time...”

“Okay, Menzoberra,” said Ember. “What do you want?”

“Pardon?” asked Menzoberra.

“You want to make some sort of deal, right?” asked Ember.

Menzoberra gave a sly look.

“Well...” she said. “I might release her...

“IF you agree to duel me without Jetta.

“Leave Jetta out of your deck, and you can win your friend’s release.

“Provided you win the duel, of course. Should I win, you’ll be in the same situation she is.”

Ember gave her a look.

“Question...” she said.

“Shoot,” replied Menzoberra.

“Don’t tempt me...” muttered Ember. “Iggwilv told me of your ancestors’ plan… About Ma Yuan…”

“What about it?” asked Menzoberra.

“It seemed pretty dumb…” replied Ember. “Trying to resurrect an enemy of the gods. What would Zeus have done to a group of cultists who tried to free Typhoeus?”

“Likely condemn them to eternal torment in Carceri,” replied Menzoberra.

“And your ancestors weren’t afraid of that happening to them??” asked Ember.

“No!” exclaimed Menzoberra. “They expected it!

“You don’t understand the mind of an ur-priest, Ember… To an ur-priest, getting away with what you’re doing is never an option. To become one, you have accept damnation and like it.

“To understand the mind of an ur-priest, you have to hate the gods as much as they do… As much as my people did for being thrown away like common garbage.

“Now, are you going to agree to my terms or not?”

Ember paused.

She opened the chamber on her Disk that contained the Extra Deck, and took Jetta from it. She sighed, and put the card in the pouch that contained her Side Deck.

“I see you are...” said Menzoberra.

Her infernal Duel Disk appeared on her left arm.

“Good luck,” she said. “You’re gonna need it.”

Both Disks activated.

(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Menzoberra: 8,000)

“Go on,” said Menzoberra. “Make the first move if you’re not a coward.”

Ember drew a card. Then she set two cards on her Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

“What’s that?” asked Menzoberra. “Flamvell Paun?”

She made a draw.

“Well, I’m not afraid of your searcher. I summon Mother Grizzly.”

With a low growl, the large, female grizzly bear appeared before Ember. (1,400 ATK)

“Maul her Monster!” shouted the Paragon.

The bear roared, and lunged at the hidden Monster...

...but it wasn’t Flamvell Paun. Rather, it was Flamvell Dragnov. Mother Grizzly made a slash of its claw, and the small Dragon shattered.

“You’re gonna get it now!” exclaimed Ember. “When Dragnov is destroyed, you take 500 points of damage!”

“Huh?” said Iggwilv.

Then she grunted as an explosion of flames ripped through her.

(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,500)

“Ah-hem...” she said. “Very nice. I end my turn by playing the Field Spell, A Legendary Ocean.”

The Field slot on her Disk opened, and she fit a card into it. The whole field became flooded in knee-deep salt water, and the palace of Atlantis rose behind Menzoberra.

“As you know,” she continued, “in this terrain, all Water Monsters gain a small boost for both attacking and defending.”

Mother Grizzly’s Attack Score rose to 1,600.

Menzoberra looked at one of the cards in her hand.

She may have drawn first blood, she thought, but I’ll have a big surprise for her next round... Emphasis on “big”.

Ember made a draw.

“I summon Flamvell Firedog!” she shouted.

She played the card, and Firedog leapt onto the field. It looked a little nervous about being in the watery terrain. (1,900 ATK)

“Time to make some steam,” said Ember. “Attack Mother Grizzly!”

Firedog breathed flames at the watery Beast-Warrior. Mother Grizzly groaned, and shattered.

“I use Mother Grizzly’s effect,” said Menzoberra, “to summon a second one.”

A second of the Water-Attribute searchers appeared. (1,400 ATK) –> (1,600 ATK)

“And I use Firedog’s effect to search for Flamvell Gurnika,” said Ember.

Gurnika appeared, hovering over the water. (1,700 ATK)

“But... I’m not going to attack with him.”

She took a new card from her hand.

“I’ll set a new card facedown, and end my turn.”

A second reversed card appeared next to the first.

(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

Menzoberra made a draw.

“All right, Eiko...” she said. “Time to be buried at sea...

“As you no doubt know, this Field Spell also downgrades the Levels of all Water Monsters by one.

“Therefore, a Monster that is normally Level 7 can be summoned with one sacrifice.”

A look of fear appeared on Ember’s face.

“You’re summoning Daedalus!” she shouted.

“Daedalus?” said Menzoberra, almost laughing. “Why would I want to summon that upstart?

“He calls himself the King of the Sea, but he’s an usurper... The true king still lives, and he doesn’t have to wreck the whole Ocean to show his power...”

Mother Grizzly vanished, and a large shadow loomed over A Legendary Ocean. Ember stepped back in fright.

“I summon...” exclaimed Menzoberra, “Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth!”

Looming over Ember and looking like it was ready to swallow her whole was the biggest Duel Monster she had ever seen. Not even Sonja’s Sphinxes had been quite this big. It looked like a huge fish that was bigger than a whale, with skin the texture and consistency of unhewn rock. Its head had a huge mouth full of shark-like teeth, and its fins looked partially like claws. (2,800 ATK) –> (3,000 ATK)

Ember tried to say something, but she couldn’t.

“Speechless, huh?” said Menzoberra. “Well, let me explain this big fellah’s effect... As the king of all fish, once per turn I can discard one card, and Special Summon as many low-Level Fish-Type Monsters as I can from my deck.”

She discarded a copy of Salvage, and four Monsters appeared: Golden Flying Fish (1,700 ATK), Unshaven Angler (1,500 ATK) –> (1,700 ATK), Abyssal Kingshark (1,700/600) –> (1,900/600), and 7 Colored Fish (1,800/800) –> (2,000/1,000).

“Don’t panic yet...” continued Menzoberra. “There is a catch, of course... They can’t attack or use their effects.

“But the big guy can still attack!”

The Coelacanth set its eyes on Flamvell Firedog. It slowly started to move towards Ember and her two Monsters...

“GO!” shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards flipped up. “Draining Shield!”

“That won’t work!” laughed Ember. “His majesty can negate any Spell, Trap, or Monster effect that targets him!

“All that must be done, is a sacrifice of one of his loyal subjects...”

Golden Flying Fish vanished, and the Draining Shield Trap shattered. Coelacanth swallowed Firedog in one gulp.

(E: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

Man, I’m starting to see why she thinks this guy is better than Daedalus, thought Ember. It’s full of surprises...

And I know why she didn’t want Jetta in this duel... With a powerhouse like this, taking it down without a mega-strong Monster of my own is gonna be very hard...

She made a draw.

She looked at the four cards in her hand: Flamvell Paun, Flamvell Archer, Hiita the Fire Charmer, and Evocator Chevalier.

Then she looked at her facedown card.

She held up her hand, and it lifted up.

“Okay, Menzoberra,” she said. “I play Card of Sacrifice.

“I can only use this when the combined Attack Points of the Monsters I control are less than the combined Attack Points of yours. I don’t have a calculator handy, but I’m pretty sure that’s the case right now.

“Since it is, I get to draw two cards.

“The catch is, I’m not allowed to summon any Monsters this turn, or change the battle positions of the ones I have.”

“Seems like a pretty big risk,” said Menzoberra.

“Well, we’ll see if it pays off,” replied Ember.

She made two draws. She looked at them.

She fit both into her Disk, and both appeared facedown.

“I’m finished...” she said.

Menzoberra looked at her strangely. She made a draw.

Got to be careful here… she thought. Underestimating her is what made Iggwilv lose. She knows that she can’t target Coelacanth with card effects so long as I have three other Fish… But not all card effects target…

If one of those facedown cards is Mirror Force, and I attacked, I’d be in big trouble…

She took a card from her hand.

Fortunately, I don’t have to attack to finish her off…

“I summon Catapult Turtle!” she exclaimed.

In a flash of light, the infamous reptilian rocket launcher appeared in front of her. (1,000 ATK) –> (1,200 ATK)

“Catapult Turtles have been depressed since Magical Scientist, their best friend, was outlawed,” said Menzoberra, “but they eventually made new friends with Coelacanth.

“I’ll show you why...”

Unshaven Angler was loaded onto the Turtle’s launcher. With a loud explosion, it fired, striking Ember. She grunted, and took a step backwards.

Then Menzoberra repeated the trick with Abyssal Kingshark. Ember screamed and was knocked over.

Menzoberra waited for Ember to get up. Then she launched 7 Colored Fish, knocking Ember down again.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

Menzoberra lowered her veil, and smiled evilly at Ember.

“Feeling all black and blue?” she asked. “Good...”

She discarded a card.

“I’m activating the big guy’s effect, to summon three more Fish to use as ammunition!”

“And that’s just what I was waiting for!” shouted Ember.

One of her facedown cards shot up.

“I activate Divine Wrath!”

She stood up, and discarded Flamvell Paun.

“Since you sacrificed all your other Fish,” she said, “good luck negating this Trap!”

Lightning flashed, and the colossal Fish let out a agonizing moan...

Then Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth shattered into pixels.

“What have you done??” screamed Menzoberra.

She took a card from her hand.

“On second thought, don’t answer that.”

She played the card, and a Quickplay Spell appeared.

“I play Prize Catch. Since my Monster was originally Level 7, and it was destroyed by a card effect, I can pay 800 Life Points to draw two cards...”

She made two draws.

“...but I can’t use them this turn. So it’s your move...”

Menzoberra went to replace her veil...

Then she reconsidered. Ember deserved to face her without it. Not that she would show any mercy once she crushed her.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,400)

“Draw...” said Ember, drawing a card.

“Gurnika, turn that Turtle to soup!”

Flamvell Gurnika blasted a stream of flames, and Menzoberra shielded herself as Catapult Turtle exploded.

“And because Catapult Turtle is Level 5 in the Graveyard,” continued Ember, “you lose 1,000 additional Life Points.”

Menzoberra scowled, as a red aura surrounded her.

Ember set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

Hang on, Jinx, she thought. It won’t be long now...

“End!” she shouted.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,900)

Menzoberra made a draw.

“All right, Eiko,” she said, as she played it. “I’m playing Pot of Avarice.”

She took Mother Grizzly, Abyssal Kingshark, 7 Colored Fish, Unshaven Angler, and Golden Flying Fish from her discard slot. She added them to her deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

“In a deck like this, it’s sort of a necessity.”

She made two draws.

“Then I’ll set this...”

A reversed Monster appeared.

“...and I’ll end my turn...”

Ember made a draw.

“I flip Flamvell Archer into Attack Mode,” she said.

Her reversed Monster flipped up, and the fiery bowman appeared, pointing his weapon. (1,000 ATK)

“Then, I summon Neo Flamvell Origin.”

The cute-looking campfire with a face appeared next to the other two Monsters. (500 ATK)

Then, Origin and Gurnika flew into the sky above A Legendary Ocean, and faded into six glowing stars.

“Born in the fiery core, rage empowered by white hot flames, strength of an erupting volcano! Clustering stars form a spark to light a roaring fire!

“Ignite… Flamvell Urquizas!”

Urquizas landed with a roar, his fists burning with flame. (2,100 ATK)

“Now, I’ll sacrifice Flamvell Archer to give Urquizas a little boost...” continued Ember.

Archer vanished, and Urquizas burned with fury. (2,900 ATK)

“Go! Crush her Monster! Fist of flame!”

Urquizas flew at the Monster fist-first. Aqua Madoor appeared on the card, and with one sock, it shattered. Menzoberra groaned again.

(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)

“It’s your move...” said Ember.

Urquizas fell to a score of 2,400.

Menzoberra made a draw.

“Perfect,” she said.

“First, I set two cards...”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Then, I summon Ocean’s Keeper.”

The sea bubbled, and a small, somewhat humanoid Fish holding a trident in its fins appeared on the field. (1,500 ATK) –> (1,700 ATK)

“Then, I sacrifice it...”

Ocean’s Keeper vanished into a watery, green orb.

“...to Special Summon Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish in Defense Mode.”

The Monster that appeared could be described in one word: ugly. It looked like a sphere that was made of several pale, white eyeballs stuck together. Here and there a few fish-like fins stuck out of the sphere, but mostly, it was just a mass of eyes. (2,100 DEF) –> (2,300 DEF)

“Ugh!” said Ember.

“It may not be pretty,” said Menzoberra, “but its powerful effect lets me see all the cards in your hand.”

Ember gasped as the images of three cards appeared over her head: Magna Drago, Hiita the Fire Charmer, and Evocator Chevalier.

“Nice cards...” said Menzoberra. “I’ll end my turn there.”

Ember made a draw.

“Molten Zombie?” asked Menzoberra. “Not the luckiest draw...”

“You can’t do math very well...” said Ember. “Urquizas can smash your Jellyfish.

“Urquizas... Attack!”

Urquizas raised his fist.

“I activate a Trap!” shouted Menzoberra, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. “Tornado Wall! Now, so long as my Field Spell is in place, battle damage to me is reduced to zero.”

“You may be safe,” said Ember, “but your Monster isn’t...”

Urquizas flew towards the Jellyfish.

“Surprise,” said Menzoberra, as her other facedown card lifted up. “I also have... Astral Barrier! Now I can turn all your attacks into direct attacks.”

Urquizas turned away from the Jellyfish and tried to punch Menzoberra, but she caught his fist in mid-swing. She gave a shove, and he fell over.

“With Astral Barrier, my Monsters are untouchable... And with Tornado Wall, I’m untouchable!

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Uh...” said Ember. “I... I end my turn...”

Menzoberra made a draw.

She set a card on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

She nodded.

Ember drew the top card from her deck.

“I see you’ve drawn your Phoenix,” said Menzoberra. “Too bad she can’t help you...”

Ember ignored her. Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Flamvell Gurnika appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

“I sacrifice Urquizas and Gurnika...” exclaimed Ember.

Both Monsters turned into balls of fire.

With a loud screech, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys appeared over A Legendary Ocean. (2,400 ATK)

“Impressive...” said Menzoberra.

“I end my turn...” said Ember.

Menzoberra drew a card.

“I flip Dark Mimic LV1 into Attack Mode,” she said, as her facedown Monster flipped forward.

A fiendish treasure chest appeared where the concealed card had been. (100 ATK)

Menzoberra drew another card.

Say... she thought. It’s the new card that the boss gave me... With a little preparation, I can summon something even more powerful than Coelacanth...

She took another of her cards, and fit it into her Disk. A new reversed card appeared.

“It’s your move...” she said. “Better hurry... Jinx is probably getting awfully lonely down there...”

Ember growled, and made a draw.



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Neo Flamvell Garuda?? she thought. Of all the guys I didn’t need...

She played a card, and Evocator Chevalier appeared. (1,900 ATK)

“That’s all I can do,” she said.

Menzoberra smiled, and made a draw.

“For my move this turn...” she said. “I think I will simply send Dark Mimic to the Graveyard....”

Dark Mimic LV1 vanished.

“...to Special Summon Dark Mimic LV3.”

A larger, even more fiendish-looking treasure chest appeared where the first one had been. (1,000 DEF)

“And it’s your move...”

Ember drew a card. Menzoberra turned pale.

“You notice I drew the solution to the problem, didn’t you?” said Ember, with a grin. “Go, Mystical Space Typhoon!”

She threw the card into her Disk, and the palace behind Menzoberra was reduced to a pile of rubble, the sea water quickly receding. Tornado Wall went with it, shattering into pieces.

“Feel free to use Astral Barrier if you like,” said Ember. “Chevalier, destroy her Dark Mimic!”

Evocator Chevalier made a slash with his sword, cutting the evil chest in half.

“Fortunately, it was in Defense Mode,” said Menzoberra, “and I get to draw two cards.”

She made two draws.

“And now for your Jellyfish,” said Ember. “Phoenix... Attack with Sacred Fire!”

The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys launched its scorching, violet flame, and Menzoberra covered herself with her arms as her Monster exploded.

“Thank you!” she said with a laugh. “Now, I get to activate THIS!”

Her facedown card lifted up.

“The Grave of Enkindling. It lets both players Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards in Defense Mode.

“However, those Monsters must remain in Defense Mode.

“Guess which one I’m bringing back...”

With a roar, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth appeared once again. (2,200 DEF)

Flamvell Urquizas appeared on Ember’s side of the field, kneeling and crossing his arms. (400 DEF)

Okay... thought Ember. What is she up to?

“I end my turn...” she said.

Menzoberra made a draw.

“Okay, Ember...” she said. “The first thing I’m going to do, is play Tribute to the Doomed.

“Oh, don’t get excited... I know that if I use it on your Phoenix, she’ll be back next round. So I’m going to use it on your Chevalier.”

She played the card, and discarded a copy of Terraforming. Evocator Chevalier groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

“Next,” she continued, “I’m removing Ocean’s Keeper from play...”

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it in a pouch on her belt.

“...to Special Summon Aqua Spirit.”

In a vortex of water, a young, sylph-like girl in a blue dress, with fish-like fins on her neck, appeared next to the giant Fish. (1,600 ATK)

“Then, I play a second Legendary Ocean...”

She played the card, and the undersea palace rose again. Once again, the seawater flooded the field.

“Too bad Tornado Wall was destroyed,” said Ember.

“I don’t need it any more,” laughed Menzoberra. “Time to summon my best Monster!”

Coelacanth isn’t her best Monster?? thought Ember.

“I sacrifice Coelacanth and Aqua Spirit...” said Menzoberra.

The two Water Monsters vanished into grains of light.

The sea darkened. Two glowing eyes appeared below the surface in the darkness...

A sinister-looking, reptilian creature breeched the surface in front of Menzoberra. It looked like a humanoid lizard man wearing plate armor from the waist up, but from the waist down, it had the body of a large crocodile with four legs, which was also covered with armor. It held a huge scythe. (0 ATK)

“Meet The Tyrant Neptune,” said Menzoberra.

“That’s one of the Legendary Planets!” exclaimed Ember.

“It sure is!” replied Menzoberra. “Now, I know what you’re thinking… Has she gone insane? Sacrificing a Monster with 3,000 Attack Points along with another one for a Monster with zero Attack Points?”

“I’m certain that your Tyrant isn’t nearly as harmless as its Attack Score would suggest, Menzoberra,” said Ember.

“I can’t fool you...” chuckled Menzoberra. “First of all, as far as points go, Neptune gains the scores of the Monsters sacrificed to summon it – combined.”

(4,400 ATK) –> (4,600 ATK)

“Second, it gains the effects of one of those Monsters...”

“But that means...” said Ember.

“That’s right!” laughed Menzoberra. “This guy now has all the effects of Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth.

“After all... Coelacanth may have been powerful, but it was still a mortal king of the sea... Neptune is the god of the sea!

“I thought you folks didn’t like gods,” replied Ember.

“We don’t,” said Menzoberra. “But Neptune is one that we can at least relate to. He’s like the sea itself... Unpredictable... chaotic...

“...destructive...

“So now, I can ditch one card...”

She discarded the last card in her hand, Terrorking Salmon.

“...to call forth my school of Fish again!”

A Legendary Ocean boiled, and four Monsters appeared: Oyster Meister (1,600 ATK) –> (1,800 ATK), Golden Flying Fish (1,700 ATK), 7 Colored Fish (1,800 ATK) –> (2,000 ATK), and Abyssal Kingshark (1,700 ATK) –> (1,900 ATK).

“The time for stalling is over!” shouted the Paragon of Water. “Tyrant Neptune, destroy Sacred Phoenix with sword of the storm!”

The Tyrant Neptune lifted its scythe, and lightning flashed...

It leapt at the larger Monster, and Sacred Phoenix roared in pain as it made a savage cut with the weapon. Ember felt the strike too, a deep stab across her chest. She clutched herself in pain as Sacred Phoenix shattered.

(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)

Menzoberra crossed her arms.

“It’s your move,” she said.

Ember checked herself to make sure she wasn’t bleeding. Then she paused to look at the four cards in her hand.

Magna Drago, Hiita the Fire Charmer, Molten Zombie, and Neo Flamvell Garuda.

What do I do? she thought. Without Jetta, I don’t have much that can stand up to that thing...

Sweat started to pour down her face.

Even if I summoned Jalal, he’d be no help... If that thing has all of Coelacanth’s effects, Menzoberra can sacrifice one of those small Fish to protect it from a card effect...

Her hand shook as she drew a card.

She set it on her Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

Sorry, Urquizas, old pal, but I need to use you as a shield.

“Go ahead,” she said.

“I draw...” said Menzoberra.

She drew a card.

“Perfect,” she said. “I play the Equip Spell, Ring of Magnetism!

“Neptune may have to give up a few points...”

(4,100 ATK)

“...but he becomes the only target you’re able to attack.

“Now... Destroy Flamvell Urquizas!”

The Tyrant Neptune swung his scythe, cutting the Pyro Synchro in two.

“You’re lucky he was in Defense Mode,” chuckled Menzoberra. “I end my turn.”

Ember drew a card.

It was Neo Flamvell Saber.

“Time to go for broke,” she muttered.

Her facedown Monster flipped forward.

“I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!” she shouted.

The one-eyed thing in the jar appeared. (700 ATK)

Ember discarded the five cards in her hand, and made another five.

“Why, thank you!” laughed Menzoberra, making five draws.

“Save it,” said Ember, looking at the five cards. “I doubt you’ll ever be able to use those five cards...”

“Huh?” said Menzoberra.

“I sacrifice Morphing Jar,” continued Ember.

The Rock turned into an orb of light.

“...for Flamvell Devil!”

In a burst of fire, the flaming Fiend appeared in front of her. (2,100 ATK)

“Next, I play... Rekindling!

“I’ll summon an army of Fire Monsters to match your army of Fish.”

She played the card, and Flamvell Archer appeared (1,000 ATK) followed by Neo Flamvell Saber (1,500 ATK), Flamvell Firedog (1,900 ATK), and Flamvell Gurnika. (1,700 ATK)

“Hey!” snapped Menzoberra. “Remember the rules? No Jetta, or there’ll be no Jinx!”

“I’m not summoning Jetta,” said Ember. “I have someone who can do the job just as well...

“Saber... Archer... Why don’t you show her...”

The two Pyros nodded to each other. Then they flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars. Ember chanted again...

“Steel taken from the oldest mountain, pounded into shape by the god of the forge. Mighty creature of fire given life by divine spark! Clustering stars lead the path to the mortal world...

“Descend... Ancient God Flamvell!”

Lava erupted out of the sea, and the huge, faceless giant made of metal, with flames for joints and a flaming mane, loomed over the other Flamvells. (2,500 ATK)

Menzoberra’s eyes narrowed.

“So you managed to summon a divine being of your own,” she said. “Well, big deal. Your god of fire doesn’t even come close to being able to beat my god of the sea.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Ember. “Because now, for every card in your hand, I get to remove one from play from your Graveyard.”

Five cards, Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth, Catapult Turtle, Aqua Spirit, Thousand-Eyes Jellyfish, and Terrorking Salmon appeared above Menzoberra, and vanished into grains of light.

“And for each card I just banished, Ancient God Flamvell gains 200 Attack Points.”

(3,500 ATK)

“Still not strong enough!” laughed Menzoberra.

Ember played another Spell Card.

“I play Fire Back!” she shouted. “I’ll toss Neo Flamvell Shaman...”

She discarded the card.

“...and bring Flamvell Archer back to the field.”

Flamvell Archer appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

“You remember Archer’s effect right? I can sacrifice a Pyro-Type Monster, and all Flamvells gain 800 Attack Points for the round.

“So, since Archer itself is a Pyro-Type...”

Archer vanished, and the other four Flamvells glowed with hellish energy. Ancient God Flamvell rose to an Attack Score of 4,300; Firedog to 2,700; Gurnika to 2,500; and Devil to 2,900.

Menzoberra looked at the four angry Fire Monsters facing her.

She lifted her veil back over her face.

“Time for a fish-fry!” shouted Ember. “Ancient God Flamvell... Crush The Tyrant Neptune with molten fist of might!”

The giant lunged at the evil Reptile and socked it with a burning molten fist. It was propelled backwards, and shattered into green shards.

Then Firedog let out its blast of flame, incinerating Oyster Meister.

“Now I can use Firedog’s effect to Special Summon Blazing Inpachi!” exclaimed Ember.

The burning wicker man appeared on the last space in Ember’s Monster Zone. (1,850 ATK) It lunged at Golden Flying Fish, and socked it hard.

Then Flamvell Gurnika spouted flames, reducing 7 Colored Fish to ash.

“And because that was a Level 4 Monster,” said Ember, “you lose 800 more Life Points.”

Menzoberra groaned as a red aura surrounded her again.

(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,650)

“Once more with feeling!” shouted Ember. “Flamvell Devil, destroy the last one with blazing hellfire!”

Flamvell Devil breathed a gout of white-hot fire at Abyssal Kingshark, reducing it to a cloud of smoke.

“And due to Devil’s effect,” said Ember, “you now lose 200 Life Points for each Pyro-Type Monster in my Graveyard. I have seven there, which is more than enough.”

Menzoberra fell to her knees...

(E: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

The Paragon of Water said nothing. Before Ember could do anything, she just melted away, like mist in the morning sun. Only her Duel Disk remained.

Then, to Ember’s surprise, a huge oyster appeared where she had been.

“Jinx...” she said.

She ran up to it. Jetta and Il Mathman appeared next to her.

The three of them tried to pry the shell of the huge mollusk open, but it seemed to be stuck tight.

“Ugh...” said Ember. “This clam has clammed up...”

Then Menzoberra’s Disk glowed, and the Extra Deck chamber opened. A card fell out...

Shannalla appeared next to them.

She quickly joined them in trying to pry the huge oyster open, and slowly but surely, open it did.

Jinx was inside all right. She was wet and covered with slime, but she started to breathe heavily as soon as the oyster was open. Ember grabbed hold of her and pulled her out.

“Jinx!” she said, shaking her. “Say something!”

Jinx slowly opened her eyes.

“Ember...” she moaned. “Is that you, or am I hallucinating?”

“Don’t worry, Jinx, I’m here,” said Ember, as she hugged her. “The worst part is over...”

* * * * * * * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, Jinx was drinking from a bottle of water, while Ember was explaining what happened.

Jinx threw the empty bottle away, and Ember gave her another one.

“What a nightmare...” muttered Jinx. “I’ll never eat chowder again...

“Menzoberra spoke to me a few times... Once she told me that Soth and Rary had beaten Shichiro and Gears... And another time she told me that Iggwilv had beaten you. I wanted so much to believe she was lying, and that you guys were coming, but I was starting to have my doubts...”

“Well, she was lying about me,” replied Ember, “but I’m afraid that Shichiro and Gears really are in trouble.”

“Then let’s get going,” said Jinx.

She stood up.

“There’s no time to waste.”

‘You sure you don’t want to see a doctor?” asked Ember. “Or at least take a shower? No offense, Jinx, but you kinda smell like rotten fish right now...”

“Ember...” said Jinx. “You ever been stuffed into something the size of a coffin, where you couldn’t move, couldn’t see, and couldn’t hear anything but the sadistic gloating of the one who put you there, telling you how you were going to be made into jewelry and given to some demon lord?”

“Uh... no?” replied Ember.

“Well, I just was, and it wasn’t pleasant,” said Jinx. “If Rary and Soth are treating Gears and Shichiro like the way I was treated, they need to be rescued – quickly. We can’t let them suffer.”

The two of them ran to their D-Wheels.

“So how are we gonna find them?” asked Ember.

“Finding Gears should be easy if he’s anywhere near his D-Wheel,” replied Jinx, as she turned on her console. “He put enough anti-theft failsafe devices on that thing when he built it, we could find its remains if it were crushed in a compactor.

“Here we are... The old amusement park in Satellite...

“And Ember... You’re sitting this one out... You’ve done enough for one day...”

“But...” said Ember.

“No buts!” replied Jinx. “I have seniority, remember?”

The two Shadowchasers sped down the road. After about two hundred feet, the portal to Satellite opened, and they drove through.



CARD OF SACRIFICE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A Turbo Duelist driving out of an upper floor of a flaming building on his D-Wheel, carrying an unconscious person with him.

Card Description: You can activate this card when the combined total ATK of all face-up Monsters controlled by your opponent is greater than the combined total ATK of all face-up Monsters you control. Draw 2 cards from your deck. You cannot Summon or set a Monster or change a Monster’s battle position on the turn this card is activated.

Note: “Card of Sacrifice” was first used by Yusei in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “A Score to Settle (Part 1)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



PRIZE CATCH (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: The Legendary Fisherman about to hurl his harpoon at Levia-Dragon – Daedalus.

Card Description: Activate when you control a face-up “Umi” and a Fish or Sea Serpent-Type Monster whose original (printed) Level is 7 or more that you control is destroyed by your opponent’s card effect. Draw two cards from your deck.



Next:

Jinx: I’ve escaped from Menzoberra with Ember’s help, and now I must save Gears. But to do it, I must face Rary on a racetrack miles above the ground, facing a strategy that even professional duelists fear. Can my landbound X-Sabers survive this perilous Turbo Duel in the sky?

“Icarus Attack” is coming soon. X-Sabers! To arms!




Shadowchaser Files

Steelheart, Heir to a Legacy

Jalal has never married, as strange as it seems. He rarely even dates. He is sometimes seen escorting a young woman at some gala event held by the upper class of London, but usually this is only because he owes a favor to the girl’s parents. Jalal has known for years that he can’t risk falling in love, because he would outlive his wife, along with any children and grandchildren that resulted from the union.

How then, does one explain the fourteen-year-old girl that he is often seen with when the local boarding schools go on holidays? It seems that he does have an heir of some sort after all. The girl’s name is Judy LaBaron, whom Jalal affectionately calls Steelheart. Quite possibly, she will be the one who will lead the Shadowchasers someday if Jalal ever steps down.

The story behind Steelheart started only five years ago, when Jalal learned that two dragons, a green one and a steel one, had settled in Northumberland. Steel dragons are perhaps the most approachable of dragons, often willing to form alliances, and even friendships, with humans. Green dragons are another story. They can be just as cruel as red dragons, but rather than being greedy, they are known for being incredibly vain.

Regardless, Jalal knew from experience that two difference species of dragons within a hundred miles of each other was a war waiting to happen, so he went personally to Northumberland in hopes of acting as a mediator between the two.

Unfortunately, he came just as a fight had broken out between the two wyrms. To this day, he has no idea what the fight was about or who started it. Before he could do anything, the green dragon delivered a savage bite to the steel one’s neck, and the steel dragon plummeted to the ground.

Jalal leapt at the evil dragon with his sword drawn. He made short work of the green dragon... But sadly, it was too late for the steel one. As he caught his breath, he heard sobbing, and saw a nine-year-old girl kneeling over the steel dragon’s body, crying her eyes out.

Being a half-dragon himself, it wasn’t hard for Jalal to recognize another one, and the parallel between this tragedy and his own father’s death struck a cord with him. He took the poor girl in his arms, and offered to let her come with him. She said yes.

He first tried to find Judy’s mother, but she told him that she had never known her, and that her father had raised her alone. Digging deeper turned up more bad news: Judy’s mother had died due to complications giving birth to her. It seemed Judy was truly alone.

Since then, after becoming her legal guardian due to some quick deals with the British Department of Child Services, Jalal has been discreetly training Judy in just about anything she’s willing to learn: fencing, martial arts, history of Shadowkind, politics and business; she seems eager to learn everything. She’s eager to join the Shadowchasers, and Jalal has promised to let her once she graduates from secondary school. Jalal has become more than a little emotionally attached to Judy, but he has drawn the line at trying to formally adopt her (at least for now).

Secretly, Jalal hopes that Judy (whom has earned the nickname “Steelheart” somewhere in the past five years) can someday take over for him. He knows that he cannot hold off immortality insanity forever. Several years from now, if Judy will accept it, Jalal will pass the gift of immortality to her, just as his father did to him, and a new era of Shadowchasers will begin.

Story Ideas: Steelheart is an enigma among the Shadowchasers. Jalal tries hard to keep her a secret as much as possible. After all, she is his biggest weakness; he may be untouchable, but an enemy could try to get to him through her.

That doesn’t mean that Steelheart might not take initiative on her own. Boarding school can be boring, and she may not want to wait until she’s formally inducted into the Shadowchasers to go on a case. She is quite capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone who challenges her, both with a sword or with a Duel Disk, but she is still not as powerful as she perceives herself as being.

One thing Steelheart is trying hard to decide on is the right deck. She has about four different ones right now, and has yet to find the one that fits her the best. Finding the right cards could be the biggest part of her journey.

Deck Suggestions: As stated, Steelheart has four different decks at present, and all of them are unusual. One of them is an Exodia Deck, while another uses Karakuri Monsters. Her favorite deck, however, uses Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen to Special Summon powerful Fairies like Athena, Guardian Angel Joan, and Tethys, Goddess of Light. She even has a copy of Splendid Venus, which is a gift from Jalal.

Although too young to get her license yet, Lisa is skilled with a Duel Board, the skateboard-like device designed for younger duelists, and can Turbo Duel anyone who can also use one. That group tends to be limited, however.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-FIVE

Despite the fact that two of the Paragons had been defeated, the storm overhead with the flashing lightning and rumbling thunder was not easing up. If anything, it seemed to be intensifying.

As Jinx and Ember drove down the streets of Satellite towards the amusement park, Jetta, Shannalla, and Il Mathman appeared, flying over their bikes.

“What’s up guys?” asked Jinx.

“I think I should let you know that Menzoberra had no intention of keeping her word,” said Shannalla. “Someone else freed you after Ember won the duel.”

“Who?” said Ember. “The aboleth?”

“Possibly,” replied Il Mathman. “We’re starting to believe that we, you Shadowchasers, and the Paragons are all being played like chess pieces, and that thing is the only one who knows what is going on in this whole deal.

“I’m beginning to think that its true plan depends on making this conflict last as long as it can. Somehow, these battles are benefiting it.”

“Well, we can’t stop,” said Ember. “Not until Gears and Shichiro are safe.”

“We aren’t suggesting you do,” replied Jetta. “But at any rate, if Rary tries to force you to make a similar deal, refuse. The three of us can find Gears now that we have most of our power... All you have to do is defeat Rary.”

They vanished as the two Shadowchasers drove into the amusement park. As Jinx expected, Gears’s broken and battered D-Wheel was still there.

They pulled to a stop.

“Man, Gears is probably feeling even worse than I was,” said Jinx. “He worked on this ride for over a year...”

“Really?” said Rary’s voice. “If I’d known it would upset him that much, I would have set fire to it!”

There was a roar of a noisy engine, and Rary drove in front of them on his demonic D-Wheel.

“Come to challenge me, Jinx?” he asked.

He took a deck out of his belt, and inserted it into the deck holder on his console, where it latched into place.

“I should warn you... Among elements, Wind has dominance over Earth in the same way Water has dominance over Fire.”

“I’ll take you on,” said Jinx, as she narrowed her eyes. “The two of us aren’t leaving without Gears.”

“I’m afraid that the two of you aren’t leaving... period,” said Rary, with a scowl.

“And if you insist on Turbo Dueling...”

A cold mist started to rise.

“...we’re doing it in my domain...”

* * * * * * * * * *

The next thing Jinx felt was a cold rush of air... Thunder rolled.

She was surrounded by grey clouds... Then she looked down, and screamed.

She wasn’t surrounded by clouds... She was inside one. She was on a racetrack, shaped like a clover leaf road, made of pure energy, which was apparently situated miles above the ground, in the center of a storm cloud above Neo Domino. Here and there were a few floating stone islands in the center, and Ember was stranded on one of them.

In the exact center of the racetrack was the biggest stone island. It held what looked like a small altar holding a cube made of concrete brick, five feet by five feet by five feet.

Rary drove up next to Jinx and pointed to the cube.

“Gears is in there,” he said. “But unless you can fly, neither of you are even going to be able to reach him. We’re going to duel...”

Jinx looked around. She wasn’t all too sure about this...

“You’d best make up your mind,” said Rary. “All it would take is a single word, and I could send one or both of you falling to your deaths.”

Shannalla appeared behind Jinx and put her hand on Jinx’s shoulder.

“Okay, okay...” said Jinx. “I’m willing to try anything once...”

Rary donned his helmet, and both engines started.

“Now then...” he said. “Prepare to enter a new world of hurt...”

“Duel Mode engaged,” said Jinx’s computer.

“...as we duel in the skies of Speed World!” laughed the Paragon of Wind.

The silvery void of the Field Spell covered the strange racetrack, and the two D-Wheels took off from their starting point. A loud clap of thunder echoed through the cloud.

(Jinx: 8,000 SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Rary: 8,000 SPC: 0)

“I’ll go first, if you don’t mind,” said Rary, making his first draw.

“I’ll throw out Tornado Bird.”

He played the card, and a large, crimson eagle exited the glowing portal, flying over his bike. (1,100 ATK)

Tornado Bird? thought Ember. Why would he summon that in Attack Mode? Doesn’t he know that it’s a Flip-Effect Monster?

Rary threw a card on his console, and a reversed card appeared in front of him before fading from view.

“And I’ll turn it over to you.”

Jinx made a draw.

She shivered for a minute as the speed of their D-Wheels began to increase.

Just don’t look down... she thought.

“I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!” she exclaimed.

The portal behind her opened, and the teenage Warrior in the scarlet cape emerged, flashing her daggers. (1,300 ATK)

“Attack!” she shouted. “Destroy Tornado Bird!”

Fulhelmknight flew in front of the large bird of prey, and made double slashes with her daggers. The Winged Beast burst into an explosion of red feathers.

Jinx threw a card down, and a reversed card appeared in front of her.

“It’s your move...” she said.

(J: 8,000 SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,800 SPC: 1)

Rary drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to 2.

His facedown card spun around, revealing Call of the Haunted. Tornado Bird appeared again. (1,100 ATK)

“I summon Battlestorm!” he shouted.

The portal opened again, and a new Winged Beast appeared. At first glance, he looked like a Blackwing; a humanoid Winged Beast with black plumage. But he seemed much more human-like than that group, having an odd costume consisting of a helmet, breastplate, boots, and gloves, in grey, red, and gold colors. (1,700 ATK)

“And Battlestorm gains 100 Attack Points for each Winged Beast on the field,” continued Rary.

(1,900 ATK)

“Attack her X-Saber! Night talon!”

Battlestorm swooped at Fulhelmknight...

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. “Zero Gravity! Now, all Monsters on the field switch Modes.”

Battlestorm backed off, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF) Tornado Bird covered itself with its wings. (1,000 DEF) Fulhelmknight sheathed her daggers, and also defended. (1,000 ATK)

Rary smiled, slightly. He took a card from his hand, and set it on his console, and it appeared facedown. Then he waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Jinx quickly made a draw.

“I play Speed Spell – Angel Baton!” she exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared.

“So I draw two cards...”

She made two draws.

“...and discard one.”

She threw one card into her discard slot.

Fulhelmknight took a fighting stance again. (1,300 ATK)

“I summon X-Saber Anabelera!” shouted Jinx.

The portal opened, and the armored female X-Saber emerged, lashing her whip. (1,800 ATK)

“Go ahead,” said Rary. “You have two attackers, I have two defenders.”

“Oh?” asked Jinx.

“Anabelera, destroy Battlestorm!”

Anabelera lashed her whip, and the Dark Winged Beast shattered into pieces.

“Now, Fulhelmknight will destroy Tornado Bird again...”

Fulhelmknight stabbed her daggers into the large hawk, and it burst into pixels.

“And because Fulhelmknight destroyed a Monster that was in Defense Mode,” continued Jinx, “I get to Special Summon another X-Saber from my Graveyard.”

“You don’t have any...” started Rary.

Then he stopped short.

“You put one there with Angel Baton, right?”

“Exactly!” said Jinx. “So come on out, X-Saber Galahad!”

The portal opened, and the toad-like Warrior in plate armor appeared. (1,800 ATK)

“Attack directly!” she shouted. “Chivalrous blade!”

Running on mid-air, Galahad became a blur. Rary barely saw what hit him, and his D-Wheel shook when it did.

(J: 8,000 SPC: 3) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 1)

“That hurt...” he muttered.

“It’s your move, Rary,” said Jinx. “Unless you want to free Gears and return us to terra firma now.”

“Never...” said Rary.

He drew a card.

It was Nightmare Wheel.

Not bad... he thought.

“You did just what I wanted you to do, Noriko,” he replied. “It may have cost me, but now I have what I need to take you down once and for all...

“I remove one Wind Monster and one Dark Monster in my Graveyard from play...”

Tornado Bird and Battlestorm appeared behind him, and faded into nothing. A dark shape appeared behind him.

It couldn’t be... thought Ember.

“Arise...” said Rary. “Dark Simorgh!”

Lightning flashed. Ember and Jinx watched with a look of fear as a huge bird with a forty foot wingspan flew over Rary’s bike. It had the general shape of the regular Simorgh, Bird of Divinity, but it was pitch-black, and its eyes glowed with an evil light. (2,700 ATK)

“Let me explain how this charming creature works,” said Rary. “While it’s on the field, you aren’t allowed to set any cards... Spells, Traps, OR Monsters.”

Then his facedown card... thought Ember.

Rary’s facedown card spun around.

“And I also have this...” he said. “Anti-Spell Fragrance! This Continuous Trap prohibits the use of Spells unless they’re set on the field one round in advance!

“Long story short, that means you can’t use them at all.”

I know this strategy... thought Ember, nervously. Akira described it to me... The Dark Simorgh lock...

It cuts off an opponent’s defenses and prevents the use of Spells AND Traps... And in a Turbo Duel, where Traps are essential, it’s especially deadly.

“Now, the first thing I’m gonna do is get rid of your Tuner,” said Rary. “Dark Simorgh... Destroy Fulhelmknight! Dark hurricane!”

Dark Simorgh screeched, and a fierce hurricane started over the field.

“She still has one trick!” shouted Jinx. “Once, just once when she’s on the field, she can negate one attack against an X-Saber!”

The fierce winds died down.

“Then I set one card, and end my turn,” said Rary, as a facedown card appeared.

Nightmare Wheel will be useful if she does manage to Synchro Summon, he thought.

Jinx drew a card.

It was Speed Spell – Shift Down.

Just what I didn’t need... she thought.

She looked at the other four cards in her hand, which consisted of another Speed Spell, a Trap Card, and two Monsters that were of no use in this situation.

I could Synchro Summon Urbellum... she thought. But what good would he do me?

Fulhelmknight shielded herself in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF) Anabelera did the same. (1,100 DEF) and Galahad followed suit. (800 DEF)

“Just move...” she said.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh,” chuckled Rary, as he made a draw.

He played the card, and Cyber Harpie Lady appeared. (1,800 ATK)

She lashed her whip, and Fulhelmknight was ripped in half. Then Dark Simorgh’s hurricane started again, and Anabelera shattered.

“It’s your move...” he said.

“Come on, Jinx, do something!” shouted Ember.

Jinx drew.

“I summon Bronze Warrior!” she shouted.

The tribal shaman flew out of the portal, holding his daggers. (500 ATK)

“I think your little friend meant something better than that,” laughed Rary.

“You laugh,” said Jinx. “He may not be very strong, but once per turn, his effect lets me take one Beast-Warrior from my deck.”

She took a card from her deck, and stashed it on her gauntlet.

“And I end my turn...”

“Then it’s my move!” laughed Rary.

He made a draw. It was Sangan.

(J: 8,000 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 6)

I’ll save this critter for later... he thought.

“Dark Simorgh...” he commanded. “Crush Bronze Warrior!”

The dark hurricane started again, and Bronze Warrior exploded into shards.

“ERGH!” groaned Jinx, as the heavy blow hit her.

Then Cyber Harpie Lady dove at Galahad, and with one slash of her whip, he was gone.

“I think that’s enough for one turn...” said Rary.

Jinx caught her breath.

“Then watch out!” she said angrily, as she made her draw.

(J: 5,800 SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,000 SPC: 7)

“Since I now have at least two X-Sabers in my Graveyard and no Monsters on the field,” she continued, “I can Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike.”

The portal opened, and the caped, panther-headed Beast-Warrior holding a scimitar appeared. (2,100 ATK)

Rary went to activate Nightmare Wheel...

Hold it... he thought. She’s likely going to use that guy to make a Synchro Summon... Better wait...

“Next, I summon X-Saber Palomlo!” shouted Jinx.

She played the card, and the small lizard man holding a spear flew out of the portal. (200 ATK)

“Now, I Tune them together...”

Palomlo and Gardestrike flew into the sky above the racetrack, and faded into six glowing stars...

Then XX-Saber Hyunlei landed in front of Jinx, with an angry look on her face. (2,300 ATK)

“AAH!” screamed Rary. “Not her!”

He watched in horror as Anti-Spell Fragrance and Nightmare Wheel were blown to pieces.

“Now that I’ve gotten rid of your Traps,” said Jinx, as she threw a Spell Card on her console, “go, Speed Spell – Half Size!”

Dark Simorgh screamed, and shrank to half its size. (1,350 ATK)

“What have you done?” screamed Rary.

“Cut your big crow down to a manageable size,” said Jinx. “And not only did it lose 1,350 Attack Points, the points it lost are added to my Life Points!

“So now all that’s left to do is for Hyunlei to finish the job...”

Hyunlei leapt at the weakened Dark Simorgh with her katana drawn, and with one swipe, cut the evil imposter in half, lengthwise. Rary groaned.

“I’ll set this card facedown,” said Jinx, as a reversed card appeared in front of her, “and end my turn...”

Rary made a foul-looking face as he drew a card.

(J: 7,150 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,050 SPC: 7)

“I may not be able to stop you from playing Spell Cards any more,” said Rary, “but in a Turbo Duel, Spells are of limited use, and I doubt you have two copies of Half Size.”

“What do you mean?” said Jinx. “I destroyed your Dark Simorgh...”

“It may be in my Graveyard,” said Rary, “but it’s not staying there.”

“You’re lying!” shouted Ember. “Dark Simorgh is a NOMI!”

“Says who?” replied Rary. “Read the card text... It can be summoned from the Graveyard any way that an ordinary Monster can...

“As a matter a fact, it even has its own way of doing so! You see, just as I can remove a Dark and Wind Monster from play in the Graveyard to Special Summon it from my hand, I can remove them from my hand to Special Summon it from the Graveyard!”

He held up two cards in his hand. Then Dark Mimic LV1 and Harpie Girl appeared behind him, and vanished along with the two cards.

Then, with a screech, Dark Simorgh appeared again. (2,700 ATK)

“So you see...” said Rary, as the dark hurricane started again, “you’re back where you started...”

Hyunlei groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

Then Cyber Harpie Lady, whom Jinx had almost forgotten about, flew skyward and vanished.

Where’d she go? thought Jinx, looking from side to side.

Then Jinx saw her in her rearview mirror, with an evil smile on her face.

Jinx screamed as she felt the Harpie’s whip across her back.

“I’m not done with you,” said Rary, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of him. “I play Sonic Buster!

“This fires a ray of ear-splitting sound that does damage equal to half the Attack Points of my Monster.”

A beam of energy shot from Dark Simorgh, and Jinx let out another scream.

(J: 3,600 SPC: 8) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,050 SPC: 7)

“It’s your move, Noriko,” he said. “Let’s see if you can take down Dark Simorgh a second time.”

“I can sure try...” said Jinx, as she made a draw.

Her facedown card spun around.

“I activate Limit Reverse! I’ll bring back my pal Bronze Warrior.”

Bronze Warrior appeared in front of her again. (500 ATK)

“Next, I’ll use Bronze Warrior’s effect to take Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei from my deck.

“Then I’ll summon him...”

The portal opened, and the pug-faced Beast-Warrior with helmet and breastplate with the hindquarters of a horse emerged in front of her. (2,300 ATK)

“With Bronze Warrior on the field, all Beast-Warriors gain 400 Attack Points!”

(2,700 ATK)

“Our Monsters have equal scores,” said Rary. “You attack Simorgh with that guy, they’ll both be destroyed.”

“I know,” said Jinx. “But... To make a good omelet, you have to break a few eggs.

“Take it away, Lei Lei!”

Lei Lei leapt at Dark Simorgh with a savage roar. He tackled the huge bird, and both duelists shielded themselves as an explosion blew both Monsters to pieces.

“Curse you, Shadowchaser!” screamed Rary.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jinx, as she fit two cards onto her console.

Two facedown cards appeared in front of her.

“I’ve heard it all before.”

Rary angrily drew a card.

It was his second Battlestorm. The other card in his hand was Sangan.

Curses, he thought. Both these Monsters are Dark... I can’t bring back Simorgh this round...

But... Sangan can help me get a Wind Monster... And I have to get rid of Bronze Warrior before she uses its effect to search for something else...

“I summon Sangan!” he exclaimed.

The portal opened behind him, and the three-eyed, spherical Fiend hopped out, chittering excitedly. (1,000 ATK)

“Sangan, attack...” he started.

Then he stopped short.

“Weird...” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever attacked with Sangan... I have no idea what its attack name is supposed to be...

“Aw, hell, attack Bronze Warrior!”

Sangan flew at the shaman, still chittering.

“I’m gonna regret this...” muttered Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

“I activate Rising Energy. So, I toss one card...”

She discarded X-Saber Urz.

“And Bronze Warrior gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round.”

Bronze Warrior flexed his muscled, and his biceps bulged. (2,000 ATK) As Sangan leapt at him, he gave it a solid punch in the teeth. The small Fiend flew backwards, and dissolved into glowing dust.

“Ah, well...” said Rary. “Not the result I wanted... But I still get to use Sangan’s effect...”

He took a card from his deck, and looked at it.

“Now, I’ll remove these two Monsters from play...”

He held up the two cards in his hand, and Battlestorm and Lady Ninja Yae appeared behind him. Then they and the two cards vanished.

Dark Simorgh appeared over his bike once again. (2,700 ATK)

“And with that, Shadowchaser,” said Rary, “I end my turn...”

(J: 3,600 SPC: 10) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050 SPC: 7)

Jinx sighed. She had one card left in her hand, Speed Spell – Shift Down. Bronze Warrior’s effect could search for a Beast-Warrior, like Reijigra or Boggart Knight, but if the Beast-Warrior she searched for couldn’t help her this turn, she’d be facing an onslaught on Rary’s turn.

“Don’t give up, Jinx!” shouted Ember. “You destroyed Dark Simorgh twice already!

“A drowning man surfaces twice before dying... You beat Dark Simorgh again, it will go down for the third time!

“And I think it knows that.”

Jinx raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t thought of that.

She looked at Dark Simorgh.

To her utter disbelief, it seemed to be true. There was a look of fear in the huge Winged Beast’s eyes that hadn’t been there before...

She grinned. She made a draw.

That will do... she thought.

“I’m using Bronze Warrior’s effect,” she said. “This time, I’m taking Allsword Commander Gatmuz from my deck.”

A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.

“And just how will you summon him?” asked Rary. “You need a sacrifice to summon that guy.”

“Are you saying I don’t have one?” asked Jinx.

Then, to Rary’s unbelieving eyes, Bronze Warrior vanished into an orb of light. The orb burst, and the hulking Commander clad in plate armor appeared, holding his mighty greatsword. (2,100 ATK)

“You sacrificed your searcher-slash-booster to summon that guy??” shouted Rary.

“But I’m not done,” said Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. “With Call of the Haunted, I can bring back Galahad.”

In an aura of light, Galahad flew back onto the field. (1,800 ATK)

“And with Gatmuz on the field, all X-Sabers gain 400 Attack Points.”

(2,200 ATK)

“Big deal!” said Rary.

“It will be a big deal once Shannalla shows up,” replied Jinx.

“Shannalla??” gasped Rary.

“Then he calmed down.

“Right...” he said. “I don’t see any Tuner... Besides, the Levels of those two Monsters add up to ten. You summon a Tuner somehow, you’ll have too many Levels.”

“Whoever said that I was Tuning Gatmuz and Galahad together?” said Jinx.

She played a Speed Spell.

“The powerful Speed Spell – Dead Synchron!”

The phantoms of Palomlo, Gardestrike, and Urz appeared behind Jinx. Then, they flew to the top of the cloud, where the cloud parted, and the three blazing suns appeared.

“This Speed Spell lets me Tune together Monsters in my Graveyard by removing them from play,” continued Jinx.

There was a flash of light, and Shannalla landed beside Jinx’s two other Monsters, holding her scimitar up high. (2,400 ATK)

“Of course... She’ll have to leave at the end of the turn... But that’s longer than you have...”

Hyunlei’s card slipped out of her discard slot, and Shannalla glowed with energy. (4,700 ATK)

“Galahad, take out the smaller one first.”

Galahad leapt at Cyber Harpie Lady, his Attack Score rising to 2,600. He stabbed her in the belly with his lance, and she spun backwards, out of control, and then shattered into a million pieces. Rary snarled.

“Shannalla, ground that big bird!” shouted Jinx.

Shannalla leapt at Dark Simorgh, and with one slash of her mighty sword, it exploded into black feathers. A violent bolt of lightning crashed through the arena.

“Trying to scare me, Rary?” asked Jinx. “Well sorry...”

Gatmuz leapt at the Paragon of Wind.

“...cause this time, you’re going down in flames. Gatmuz, attack him directly!”

Gatmuz stuck Rary’s D-Wheel so hard, the front tire blew out and the headlight shattered. Rary half stopped – half crashed in the middle of the clover leaf. Smoke – not steam – poured from his engine.

(J: 3,600 SPC: 11) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0 SPC: 0)

“It’s all over, Rary,” said Jinx, pulling to a stop.

“Only for you two and Gears, Shadowchaser...” said Rary, as he started to be consumed by a shadow.

He punched his dashboard.

“Auto-destruct sequence engaged,” said an evil-sounding computer voice.

“Unless you can grow wings in about a minute... That’s when this D-Wheel is going to explode, and take this whole racetrack down with it...”

He laughed wickedly as the shadow consumed him entirely.

The three Titans appeared, Shannalla rushing for where Gears was being held, and Jetta flying towards Ember. Il Mathman hovered over Jinx’s bike.

“He’s deadly serious!” said Shannalla. “We have to work quickly...”

She stuck the stone cell with her sword, and it shattered into pieces of rock. Gears lay in the middle of them, holding his head.

“Gears!” said Ember, as Jetta lifted her off the platform.

“I’m fine...” moaned Gears. “Aside from a bit of a headache... A leg cramp...”

Il Mathman touched Jinx’s dashboard, and the pan-dimensional system came on.

“If I combine your technology with my magic,” he said, “I should be able to open a portal back to where we started in time...”

Shannalla and Jetta flew to the spot, carrying Gears and Ember.

“But then what?” asked Jinx. “The three of us can’t fit on one D-Wheel!”

“Well, that’s where it gets tricky,” said Il Mathman.

A shimmering light appeared in the air. He looked at Rary’s D-Wheel.

“You see, this cloud we’re in is actually an airtight construct created by magic. Rary’s ‘bomb’ will punch some holes in it, of course, and at this altitude, that would cause it to depressurize...”

“Huh?” said Ember.

“Ever see an old movie called Goldfinger?” asked Gears.

“I just have to open the portal at exactly the right instant, right when his D-Wheel goes off...” said Rary. “With the portal opening, and us guiding you, the three of you will be blown out the portal an instant before decompression occurs. We kind of use the explosion as a push, for lack of a better term.”

“Gears, hold onto me...” said Ember.

Il Mathman’s hand hovered over the controls.

“It won’t be a soft landing, I’ll admit...” he said, “but it will be better than a crash...”

Jinx, Ember and Gears looked at Rary’s bike, which was down to fifteen second.

Then ten...

Then five...

They stopped looking. They closed their eyes tight.

* * * * * * * * * *

The three Shadowchasers mentally checked every part of their bodies for broken bones. Not finding any, they slowly stood up.

They were back in the amusement park, and the sky was still angry. Their clothes were torn, and covered with soot.

“Anyone see where my D-Wheel went?” asked Jinx.

“Uh, Jinx...” said Ember, pointing up.

Jinx’s D-Wheel was on the roof of the fun house, about twenty feet up.

“At least it’s in better shape than mine...” sighed Gears, looking at his wrecked ride. “I might have to get a whole new frame to fix it...”

He looked closer.

“Probably a new engine too... And a new CPU...”

He kicked it.

“Aw, heck, it’ll be easier to just build a new one...”

Then Ember handed him a card.

Gears looked at it. It was Il Mathman.

“Uh... Thanks...” he said. “Guys, I guess we have to find Soth first. We find him, we find Shichiro...”

“So, you want to find Soth, do you?” said the aboleth’s voice. “Well, as a member of your species once said, be careful what you wish for...”

Then the three of them were startled as a puddle of silvery liquid formed under their feet.

They were even more startled as it started to pull them under.

“Hey, wait a minute...” said Jinx.

“If you want to deal with Soth so much, I’ll take you to him,” said the aboleth. “But there’ll be a double-edged sword in the matter...

“If he should fail too, I might decide to deal with you vermin myself...

“I’m well aware of the mark that some curse put on my face the first time I personally killed a member of your organization... Seeing as I can’t get rid of it, no matter how hard I try, maybe I should try to get a matching one on the other side.

“Deep breaths now...”

The three of them barely had time to actually do that before they were completely drawn under. Then the pool of silvery liquid shank, and vanished.



SPEED SPELL – SONIC BUSTER

Normal Spell

Image: A figure bursting with energy in the background, blasting the energy towards a figure in the foreground.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half that Monster’s ATK. You cannot activate this card if your opponent’s Life Points would be reduced to zero by this effect.

Note: “Speed Spell – Sonic Buster” was first used by Ushio in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D” episode “Pipe Dreams”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – HALF SIZE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A glowing, pulsating orb of energy.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up opposing Monster. Halve the selected Monster’s ATK, and increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the amount of Attack Points reduced by this effect.

Note: “Speed Spell – Half Size” was first used by Jack in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Shadows of Doubt (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – DEAD SYNCHRON (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Fabled Valkyrus rising out of the ground with eight gold stars flying in a circular pattern above.

Card Description: Activate when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one Synchro Monster in your Extra Deck. Remove from play from your Graveyard the Monsters necessary to Synchro Summon the selected Monster, and Special Summon the selected Monster (this summoning is considered a Synchro Summon). At the End Phase of the turn, remove the selected Monster from play.

Note: “Speed Spell – Dead Synchron” was first used by Yusei in “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” Episode 90. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Next:

Gears: My head hurts, my joints ache, and I could probably use a sport’s drink about now. Still, Ember and Jinx are more tired than I am, and we aren’t about to stop until this nightmare is over. Soth is the only Paragon left, and if I have to crash through him to get Shichiro out of here, then that’s what I’m gonna do.

“Call of the Earthbound” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Grigwartha, Predator of the Clans


As previously stated, the Four Yokai Clans have recently had trouble dealing with the fifth, the House of the Creeping Night. And as if that weren’t enough, another threat may well bring the Lords back to the negotiating tables. Recently, an infestation of boneclaws has been encountered roaming Yokai territory, and this has the Lords and the Brides alarmed.

Boneclaws are horrid necromantic constructs, zombie-like creatures the size of ogres. (In fact, they are made from pieces of the bodies of common ogres.) They are muscular with long arms, but their most distinguishing feature is their claws, which are each the size of swords. This gives a boneclaw excellent reach in a fight, added to the fact that they are incredibly strong and cunning.

Of course, necromancy can produce worse creatures than boneclaws, and some Yokai are much stronger than they are. But here’s why the Yokai are concerned about them: To create a boneclaw, the body is made from pieces of dead ogres, and then the captured soul of a Yokai, the stronger the better, is bound to the body.

The most mysterious part is, only one necromancer ever knew how to make boneclaws. She was a night hag named Grigwartha who perfected the ritual two-hundred years ago. She would sell the completed creations to anyone willing to pay, but never the means to create them. Ironically, it was the Shadowchasers who defeated her back then, banishing her to a prison dimension.

So why have boneclaws reappeared? Has Grigwartha escaped? Did some apprentice finally manage to interpret her spellbooks and figure out the formula? The boneclaws don’t speak, and they give no answers.

Each Yokai clan has offered a rich reward for the one who brings them Grigwartha’s corpse. The Shadowchasers are investigating too, but having little luck, as the Yokai clans still will not cooperate. This is a problem, because as the situation continues, boneclaws start to appear that are even stronger, and attacks start to begin on groups of Yokai. If Grigwartha is indeed behind this, her plans this time may be more far-reaching than they were before...


Story Ideas: There may be many reasons for the return of these undead horrors. Grigwartha may owe her escape to Orcus, Vecna, or even Tharizdun. If she now works for the cult of a god, her motivations may be more than money. She could easily be inserted into any story where the cults of those entities play a major role. Just remember, the Yokai clans are going to be involved; they make unlikely allies, but better to have them as friends than enemies.

Boneclaws are too dumb to duel (the imprisoned Yokai soul is driven mad when bonded to the thing), so Shadowchasers can expect a fight of a different type when encountering them. Boneclaws are born in a rite of blood, so they are evil by nature. They grow stronger in places where evil energy is stronger. Thus, as a story progresses, stronger and stronger ones may be encountered.


Deck Suggestions: Grigwartha was banished long before Duel Monsters was created, so she’s likely just learning the game. She’d likely use whatever deck is the norm for whatever group she is associated with. Thus, if working with the Deathpriests of Orcus, she’d use a deck that focused on Zombie World, and if working with the Doomdreamers, she’d use their usual deck that is designed to inflict as much pain as possible. It might be a while before she decides on a deck of her own.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-SIX

The three Shadowchasers were in total darkness.

“Where are we?” said Ember’s voice.

“Nobody panic!” replied Gears. “I always keep a flashlight on my belt...”

After a few tense seconds, the flashlight came on, dimly illuminating the large cavern they were in.

“Whoa...” said Jinx.

“Okay...” said Ember. “Can we panic now?”

“I’ve heard old stories about the cave systems under Neo Domino...” said Gears. “Some Shadowkind clans like dwarves and svirfneblin used to make their homes down here, but they stopped for some reason...

“Exactly what that reason was, only they knew...”

Then there was a sound of a match striking, and a torch on the wall lit.

A torch next to that one lit, followed by another, then another. After a minute, they could see that they were in a large grotto, with a still pool taking up much of the far end.

“Can you hear it,” said Soth, who had, naturally, been the one who had lit the torches.

He was sitting on a bench-like rock formation by the side of the pool.

“Can you hear the sounds of the tectonic plates slowly moving as they shape the very landscape? Down here, you can almost hear the subtle rumblings of the landmasses moving...”

The three Shadowchasers glared at him.

“We’re in no mood for games, Soth!” shouted Gears. “Where’s Shichiro?”

“He’s a little buried in his work right now,” mumbled Soth, as he stood up.

“You fiend...” said Ember.

“You don’t know the half of it, Eiko,” replied Soth. “This whole thing was fun for a while, but now...”

“Give us back Shichiro,” demanded Gears. “You’ll never beat the three of us.”

Soth clenched his fist, and the whole cavern started to shake and rumble.

Then he unclenched it, and it stopped.

“Want to test that theory?” he asked.

He got up, and slipped a Duel Disk on his arm.

“As you can see, the way out is hidden,” he said. “The boss made me an offer before you three got here... All I have to do is defeat one of you... Then it’ll forgive Iggwilv, Rary, and Menzoberra and release them...”

“And we’d be back where we started...” moaned Ember.

“Soth, don’t you realize that it’s playing us like game pieces for some greater purpose?” asked Jinx. “It wants this fighting to continue... It’s benefiting it for some big plan of some sort.

“I know you have free will... You aren’t some puppet... Why don’t you simply say NO to that jerk and help us?”

“Because I’ll spend the rest of my existence in prison if I do!” replied Soth.

“And spending it as some creature’s slave is better?” asked Ember.

“You have no idea what it can do to folks who turn against it,” replied Soth. “The Bells of Baphomet are only one punishment it can inflict on a betrayer.

“I trust I need go no further than that...

“Besides, who said I don’t like working for it? Like I said, this was all fun until we had this bad luck streak. And once this duel is over, it’s gonna be fun again!”

Gears stepped forward.

“Since trying to talk sense into you is definitely not gonna work,” he said, “fine, I’ll duel you.

“I might even enjoy this...”

He activated his Disk.

“DUEL!” they both shouted.

(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)

“Let’s see what we have here...” said Soth, making a draw.

“I summon Mine Golem to the field.”

As he played the card, the ground rumbled, and an eight-foot-tall statue emerged from it. It was carved in the shape of a soldier, with flack jacket, field pack, and gas mask. (1,000 ATK)

“I’ll end it there,” he said.

Gears looked hard at Mine Golem.

If I attack it, I’ll take 500 points of damage... he thought. But... Letting him sacrifice it for something stronger might be worse...

He made his first draw.

Hey... This should be useful...

He quickly played it.

“I play the Continuous Spell Card, Machine Assembly Line.”

With a rumble, a large apparatus rose up behind him. It had a crane, next to a hopper, connected to a conveyor belt, connected to a large metal chamber.

“With this on the field, all Machines gain 200 Attack Points.

“Next, I set a card, and summon Robotic Knight.”

A reversed card appeared, and then the Machine sergeant materialized. (1,600 ATK) –> (1,800 ATK)

“Tear down his Mine Golem!” he commanded. “Gatling shot!”

Robotic Knight aimed its weapon, and machine gun shells peppered Mine Golem’s chest. Then it exploded in a fiery blast, and Gears braced himself.

(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)

“Not bad...” said Rary.

He drew a card.

“But I’ve got much harder stones in my deck...”

He set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

“That ought to do it...”

Gears made a draw.

“I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Ally soldier appeared, brandishing its energy swords. (1,600 ATK) –> (1,800 ATK)

He pointed.

“Get it...”

Garadholg flew at the Monster...

Then, Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared on the card. Garadholg was thrown backwards. (2,000 DEF)

“Lovely...” said Ember. “Now the damage Gears takes is doubled...”

(G: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,200)

“I end my turn!” shouted Gears.

Soth made a draw.

He set two cards in his Spell Zone, and they appeared facedown.

“Mmm!” he said.

No Monsters? thought Gears. Well... This should be easy...

He drew a card.

“Time to introduce you to my secret weapon...” he said, as his facedown card lifted up. “It’s both a Trap AND a Monster... Machine King – 3,000 BC!”

A tall robot stepped out of the Trap Card. It was covered with wires, lenses, and strange devices, far more bells and whistles than the streamlined robots Gears usually summoned. Most remarkably, it wore a metal crown that somewhat resembled a Mayan headdress. (1,000 ATK) –> (1,200 ATK)

“You’re telling me that rusty old robot is over five-thousand years old?” asked Soth.

“That’s right,” said Gears. “But the guy who built this Machine built it to last! It has a powerful effect…”

Robotic Knight vanished into grains of light.

“By sacrificing one other Machine, it gains Attack Points equal to that Machine’s Attack Score for the round.”

(2,800 ATK)

“Next, I’ll give it the Equip Spell, Break! Draw!”

He played a card, and Machine King – 3,000 BC glowed with golden energy.

“For the next three turns, I get to draw one card whenever this guy destroys a Monster.

“So... Smash that Stone Statue! Ancient Machinations!”

Machine King – 3,000 B.C. formed two golden energy disks in its hands. It threw them, and they turned into spinning gears. They cut right through Stone Statue of the Aztecs, slicing it into three pieces.

Gears drew a card.

“Don’t forget Garadholg...” he said.

Soth grunted as the Ally took a swipe with him with its blades.

“My turn is over,” said Gears, as Machine King’s Attack Score returned to 1,200.

(G: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,600)

Soth growled a little.

“Okay, Gears...” he said, rather annoyed. “You burned me...”

He drew a card.

“Prepare to be burned back...”

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

“I activate Limit Reverse! I’ll bring back my Mine Golem!”

Mine Golem reappeared. (1,000 ATK)

“Then,” he said, as he played a card from his hand, “I’ll play Inferno Reckless Summon!”

Two more Mine Golems appeared.

“Three Mine Golems?” said Ember.

“Oh no... No! Don’t tell me his other facedown card is...”

“But it is!” laughed Soth, as his other facedown card lifted up. “Minefield Eruption! It deals out 1,000 points of damage per Mine Golem!”

Gears tried to brace himself as a series of large explosions erupted around him. He didn’t succeed, and was thrown off his feet.

“Of course...” continued Soth, “after that, I lose my Mine Golems...”

The three Mine Golems shattered into pixels.

“...but I’m far from done... Next, I play... Symbol of Heritage. Since I have three of the same Monster in my Graveyard, this lets me Special Summon one of them, so long as I Equip it with the card.”

A Mine Golem appeared again, kneeling and crossing its arms. (1,900 DEF)

“And then, I’ll sacrifice it...”

The Mine Golem vanished.

“...for Granmarg the Rock Monarch!”

The ground rumbled and spilt, and the huge, fifteen-foot-tall infamous Monarch of the Earth Attribute towered over the field. (2,400 ATK)

“Terrific...” said Ember.

“Well, at least there are no cards for it to use its effect on...” said Jinx.

“Granmarg, destroy Ally Garadholg!” shouted Soth. “Imperial pound!”

The Rock Monarch lunged forward, and socked Garadholg in the snout, crumpling it like tinfoil.

This seemed to get the Machine Assembly Line started. The crane picked up a load of scrap metal, and deposited it into the hopper. The conveyor belt started to move.

Odd... thought Gears. Why didn’t he attack Machine King?

“I think that’s enough for one turn...” said Soth.

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,600)

Gears drew a card.

“I play Silent Doom!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and Robotic Knight appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

“Now, I sacrifice it...”

Robotic Knight turned into an orb of energy.

“For Ally of Justice Clausolas!”

The large, robotic condor appeared, hovering over the field. (2,300 ATK) –> (2,500 ATK)

“Now, I sacrifice it to boost my Machine King again!”

Clausolas vanished, and Machine King – 3,000 B.C. glowed with energy again. (3,500 ATK)

“Attack! Show Granmarg who the better Monarch is!”

This time, Machine King only threw one spinning gear, but it was bigger than before, and cut the Rock Monarch cleanly in half.

“I draw one card due to Break! Draw!” said Gears, making a draw.

He looked at it. It was Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator.

He put that one aside, and took another card from his hand. He set it in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“Your move,” he said.

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)

Soth frowned as he drew.

He didn’t saw a word. He simply set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

“Uh, Jinx...” said Ember. “Are there a lot of Flip-Effect Rock Monsters? Other than Morphing Jar, I mean.”

“Not many...” said Jinx. “But I think I might see Soth’s strategy here... He’s trying to use as many Rock Monsters as possible to power up...”

“Megarock Dragon?” asked Soth, almost laughing. “That’s what everyone thinks.

“No... I have something far more unique... You’ll see it soon...”

Gears looked at him with a puzzled look. He drew a card.

“I, uh...” he said. “I summon Nanobreaker...”

Jake appeared, holding the Nano-blade. (1,600 ATK) –> (1,800 ATK)

If I used Machine King’s effect this turn, he thought, it wouldn’t do any damage to Soth, and I’d be short a Monster... Think I’ll take a risk...

“Attack!” he shouted.

Nanobreaker charged at the facedown card...

Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo appeared on the card, and was blasted into shards of rock.

“You activated its effect!” laughed Soth. “When flipped face-up, it destroys all Special Summoned Monsters!”

Machine King – 3,000 B.C. shattered into pixels.

Machine Assembly Line started to work harder. More scrap metal was loaded into the hopper. The metal chamber started to hum.

“It’s your move, Soth...” said Gears.

Soth made a draw.

He smirked slightly.

“I remove Stone Statue of the Aztecs from play to summon The Rock Spirit,” he said.

Another creature emerged from the ground. It was a man with earthen grey skin, dressed in Spartan-style armor and a helmet, holding a ruby-tipped scepter. (1,700 ATK)

“And in case you aren’t familiar with its effect, it gains 300 Attack Points during your Battle Phase.

“Next, I set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A hidden Monster appeared next to The Rock Spirit.

Gears snapped the top card off his deck.

“Come on out, Flamvell Magical!” he shouted.

The fiery Spellcaster Tuner appeared next to Nanobreaker. (1,400 ATK)

Then, his eyes burned with flames, and he and Nanobreaker flew to the top of the cavern. They turned into eight glowing stars.

With beeps and clicks, Ally of Justice Light Gazer landed in front of Gears. (2,400 ATK) –> (2,600 ATK)

“You just don’t get it, do you?” said Gears, as Light Gazer aimed its cannon. “Stone may be hard, but steel is harder still.

“Attack! Cosmic cannons!”

Light Gazer fired a mighty blast, and in an explosion that lit up the dim cavern, The Rock Spirit was obliterated.

“Ergh...” said Soth.

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)

Gears set a card on his Disk, and a new facedown card appeared.

“Make your move...” he said.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh...” chuckled Soth.

“What’s so funny?” asked Gears.

Soth made a draw.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” he replied. “First, I’ll play Miracle Rupture...”

He played a Spell Card.

“I take one Rock-Type Monster from my deck, and send it to my Graveyard...”

He discarded a second Stone Statue of the Aztecs.

“Then, I reshuffle my deck...”

His Disk gave the deck a shuffle.

“...and make one draw...”

He drew a card. He grinned slightly when he saw what it was.

“As for what was so funny... You took the bait! The Rock Spirit was a decoy to draw your attention away from THIS little guy!”

His reversed Monster flipped face up. It was a small stone golem that was short and squat. (800 ATK)

“NO!” shouted Ember. “That’s Dummy Golem!”

“Which forces Gears to trade me his Monster for it!” laughed Soth.

Dummy Golem and Light Gazer vanished, and then reappeared on the opposite sides of the field.

“You crummy...” said Gears.

“What are you complaining about?” asked Soth. “It’s an even trade. In fact, I’d say you got the better Monster. This piece of junk is barely worth the amount I’d make selling it for scrap.

“But I’ll still attack with it… Light Gazer, destroy Dummy Golem!”

Light Gazer aimed its cannon...

“Go, Spell Card!” shouted Gears, as one of his two facedown card lifted up. “Enemy Controller!”

Light Gazer backed up, and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,600 ATK)

Soth growled a little.

“You escaped that one by the seat of your pants...” he said. “I end my turn...”

“I have to thank you, Soth,” said Gears, as he made a draw, “you actually helped me a great deal...”

His other facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Nanobreaker appeared back on the field. (1,600 ATK) –> (1,800 ATK)

Then he played another card, and Cyclone Creator appeared. (1,400 ATK) –> (1,600 ATK)

“Now I get to summon someone even better...”

Cyclone Creator, Nanobreaker, and Dummy Golem all flew to the top of the cavern, and faded into nine glowing stars...

“An imposing form leads the Ally army on the battlefield. Rally your troops to victory against the cruel hordes of the Light of Ruin!

“Onward to glory... Ally of Justice Field Marshal!”

In a flash of light, the towering form of Field Marshal loomed over Gears’s side. (2,900 ATK) –> (3,100 ATK)

“Okay!” ordered Gears. “Full assault mode!”

“Roger, roger,” said the Machine.

Field Marshal lifted its arms, and guns, lasers, and cannons sprouted from them, its chest, its shoulders, and other parts of its body.

“Attack! Ballistic barrage!”

All of Field Marshal’s weapons fired, and Light Gazer was atomized.

“Ergh...” said Soth. “Good thing it was in Defense Mode...”

The Machine Assembly Line started to work even harder. Steam started to come from the metal chamber.

“That thing is going ka-ka-kooky,” said Ember, looking at it. “Does it have some sort of secondary effect?”

“I dunno,” said Jinx. “I’ve never seen Gears use it before...”

Soth let out a loud sigh.

He drew a card.

It was Pot of Avarice.

“Well, Gears...” he said. “It’s all a matter of luck now... If mine’s better than yours, there’s no telling what may happen...”

He played the card, and took all three Mine Golems, The Rock Spirit, and Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo from his Graveyard. His Disk shuffled them into his deck, and he made two draws.

He grinned an evil grin.

“Okay, Gears...” he said. “I’m sending my Medusa Worm to the Graveyard...”

He discarded the card.

“...in order to Special Summon my Power Giant!”

Another Monster of stone loomed over the field. “Giant” was a good name for it, and it seemed to be made entirely out of blocky gemstones. (2,200 ATK)

“Now, since I Special Summoned it that way, its Level is reduced by Medusa Worm’s Level. Thus, Power Giant is now Level 4.

“Next, I summon Grandfather Plaque.”

The Monster that appeared was more accurately described as a sculpture than a statue. It looked like a stone plaque of a bearded, old man’s face. (1,000 ATK)



Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Before you ask, yes, it’s a Level 4 Tuner, and yes, it does have a condition. I can only use it to Synchro Summon a Rock-Type Monster.”

“Rock-Type Synchro Monsters?” said Ember. “Other than Naturia Landoise... What others are there?”

“Hank has one called Talos the Iron Titan...” replied Jinx. “But other than that... None.”

“You’ll soon learn differently,” laughed Soth.

Power Giant and Grandfather Plaque turned into eight glowing stars.

“This Monster isn’t exactly common... But it will do the job...

“I Synchro Summon... Stone Giant Skoraeus!”

The cave floor shook, as the huge Monster stepped forward. The three Shadowchasers had never actually seen a stone giant – dealing with giants was too dangerous for typical Shadowchasers to attempt – but they had seen pictures of ones like this... A fifteen-foot-tall humanoid, completely hairless, with skin the texture and consistency of granite, dressed in furs. (2,500 ATK)

“And due to Grandfather Plaque’s effect,” continued Soth, “I gain 1,000 Life Points.”

“Okay...” said Gears. “He may be big... But he can’t beat Field Marshal...”

“Maybe not yet...” said Soth. “But he’s gonna attack anyway!”

Before Gears’s unbelieving eyes, the huge giant lunged at Field Marshal.

“Fight it off!” shouted Gears.

Field Marshal fired its weapons, and Stone Giant Skoraeus staggered backwards.

He held his chest, where smoke was coming from where several missiles had hit him...

“Uh, Jinx?” said Ember. “Why is Soth’s Monster still there?”

“Because,” said Soth, “he has the ability to survive one battle per round. You have to defeat him twice in one round to kill him.

“Plus, you ever hear the expression, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger? It couldn’t be truer for Skoraeus. Whenever he loses a battle and survives, he gains 400 Attack Points.”

(2,900 ATK)

“Before I end my turn, I’d like to do one more thing...

“I remove Dummy Golem from play to Special Summon Gigantes in Attack Mode.”

The Monster that appeared looked more like a Fiend than a Rock. It had red skin, fangs, pointed ears, a horn on its head, and wore armor of demonic design. It held a large tree trunk. (1,900 ATK)

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,200)

“Damn...” said Jinx. “Talk about the rock and the hard place...”

Ember looked at the field and saw what Jinx meant. Gears was in a tough situation.

If he left Field Marshal in Attack Mode, Soth would attack it with Skoraeus again, causing Skoraeus to become even stronger.

But if he moved it to Defense Mode, Soth would destroy Field Marshal with Gigantes, and Gears would be open for a direct attack from Skoraeus.

And if Gears attacked Gigantes, its effect would destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, including Machine Assembly Line.

Gears drew a card, and looked at it.

He shook his head.

“I pass this turn...” he said.

“All right... Draw!” said Soth.

He drew a card.

Hmm... he thought.

“Stone Giant Skoraeus,” he ordered, “attack his Field Marshal again!”

The giant rushed at the Ally general a second time. Once again, it fired a barrage of artillery, pushing the brute backwards...

But once again, the giant withstood it, and his muscles grew bigger... (3,300 ATK)

“Now what??” shouted Ember. “Field Marshal isn’t going to last another round against that thing!”

“That’s right!” laughed Soth.

He set the card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind Skoraeus.

“Just try to take him down!”

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,000)

“Well...” said Gears. “I can try...”

He drew a card.

He lifted an eyebrow. He had only recently added this Spell Card to his deck, and he had never used it before.

He looked at the field. He could try to use it now... But if Soth’s reversed card countered it or stopped an attack, he didn’t know what he would do.

He took another card from his hand.

If Soth uses it to counter this, he thought, I’ll be in the clear. If he doesn’t use it to counter this, I’ll know that it isn’t a Counter.

He set the card, and it appeared facedown.

He nodded.

Soth laughed as he drew a card.

“You think one little Trap can stop my Stone Giant?” he asked.

The Trap Card flipped up.

“I activate Trap Stun! Guess again!

“Ready or not, here comes Skoraeus!”

Stone Giant Skoraeus made his third rush at Field Marshal.

“Sorry, Soth,” said Gears, as his card flipped up, “but I was ready.”

“Limiter Removal??” gasped Soth.

He screamed as Field Marshal’s Attack Score shot up to 6,200, and a doubly-intense blast from the Machine’s guns sent Skoraeus propelled across the room.

Both Soth and his Monster had fallen over, and both were clutching their heads.

“Get up, stupid!” yelled Soth.

Skoraeus stood up. (3,700 ATK)

“Fine, fine...” he said, as he got up. “Maybe that wasn’t the smartest move... But now Skoraeus is even stronger...

“And your Monster still won’t last past the end of this turn, due to Limiter Removal’s side effect.

“I move Gigantes to Defense Mode, just in case...”

Gigantes knelt, and held its log in its lap. (1,300 DEF)

“And I end my turn...”

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,100)

Field Marshal shattered into metal shards. The Machine Assembly Line started to shake and work faster than ever.

“My draw!” said Gears, drawing a card.

“Well, it’s about that time... Here goes...

“I’m sending Machine Assembly Line to the Graveyard.”

“Huh?” said Jinx.

“Huh?” said Soth.

To everyone’s surprise, the Spell Card vanished, followed, by the crane, hopper, and conveyor belt. Only the chamber remained.

“You didn’t really think that the 200-point boost was the only thing that card did?” asked Gears. “Every time a Machine was destroyed, it gained two Junk Counters. Four Machines were destroyed since I played it.

“And by sending it to the Graveyard, I can summon a Machine from my Graveyard, so long as its Level is equal to or less than the number of Counters.”

The chamber opened.

“Level 8?” said Soth. “But that means...”

A large robot slowly moved out of the chamber.

“Your Light Gazer!” exclaimed Soth.

(2,400 ATK)

“Yeah,” said Gears, with a hint of annoyance, “and it’s not very happy with you for comparing its worth to that stupid Dummy Golem.”

“Oh, did I hurt its feelings?” asked Soth, sarcastically. “In case you couldn’t do math, my Monster is much stronger than it is.”

“Maybe by itself,” said Gears.

He played the special Spell Card.

“But I have this!”

“Battle Waltz?” asked Soth. “What does that do?”

“This,” said Gears.

Light Gazer turned into a static-like blur, and then seemingly pulled itself apart. Before Soth’s eyes, it turned into two identical Monsters. (2,400 ATK x2)

“You made a duplicate of Light Gazer??” exclaimed Soth.

“No,” said Gears. “I created a Waltz Token.

“And now it’s gonna waltz over and attack your Stone Giant.”

The Waltz Token flew at Stone Giant Skoraeus, aiming its cannon arm.

“Fine by me, fool!” laughed Soth. “Your dumb token isn’t even one point stronger than the real Light Gazer!”

Skoraeus punched the Waltz Token, and it exploded into a flaming blast. Debris rained all over the cave.

“Heh, heh...” said Soth. “Well, that was pointless... Huh?”

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 1,100)

“As you can see, I took no damage,” said Gears. “But your Stone Giant...”

Soth looked at Skoraeus, and this time, the giant seemed to really be in pain. It was groaning, and clutching its chest like it was holding a horrible wound. (1,300 ATK)

“HOW??” shouted Soth.

“When a Waltz Token is destroyed in battle,” said Gears, “the Monster that destroyed it loses Attack Points equal to the Token’s Attack Points.

“And that makes your Stone Giant an easy target for the real Light Gazer...”

Light Gazer aimed its cannon.

“His effect will let him survive this blast... But you sure won’t...”

“Wait...” said Soth, with a terrified expression.

“Light Gazer...” ordered Gears, “attack with cosmic cannon!”

In the next instant there were two screams... One coming from Soth, and the other coming from his Monster. Both collapsed, and as Stone Giant Skoraeus vanished, Soth seemingly eroded, like sand blowing away in the wind.

(G: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

Like the other Paragons, only his Duel Disk remained.

“Come on,” said Gears. “Let’s find Shichiro and get out of here ASA-now!”

Ember ran up to Soth’s Disk, while Gears and Jinx surveyed the chamber.

“Soth said that Shichiro was buried...” said Jinx.

She looked around.

“How could you bury someone in a place where the surface is solid stone?”

“Jinx!” said Gears.

They looked over to the bench-like formation that Soth had been sitting on when he first appeared. Something they would have had to get past him to even look at.

They ran up to it, and sure enough, it was actually a stone casket.

Gears and Jinx each grabbed hold of one end of it.

“On three,” said Gears. “One, two...

“Three...”

They lifted, and after about a minute of strain, shoved the heavy lid off.

Shichiro was inside all right, tied up, gagged, and blindfolded.

“Hold on, Shichiro!” said Gears, reaching for his belt. “I never go anywhere without my Swiss army knife...”

Shichiro seemed to object to this, but after about two minutes of cutting Gears cut through the bonds restraining his hands.

He removed the gag, and stuck out his tongue in disgust.

“Are you hurt?” asked Jinx.

“Only my pride,” sighed Shichiro, as he sat up. “Man, I can deal with being tied up, but the worst part was having to listen to those four egomaniacs!

“Where are they, anyway?”

“Gone, for now,” said Gears.

“Shichiro!” said Ember. “Look who I found!”

She ran up, holding Trymus the Conqueror.

“Thanks,” said Shichiro, stepping out of the coffin.

“So you were listening to them?” asked Gears.

“Yeah, and I heard a few things about these caves,” replied Shichiro. “The aboleth makes it lair in some deep cavern that’s completely flooded with seawater. These large grottos with pools connect to its main lair via flooded tunnels. It uses them as audience chambers when it wants to speak to other races.

“See, it has trouble moving about on dry land, so most of its minions have to come to it.”

“Great,” said Ember. “We just have to find an exit before it shows up. It won’t be able to chase us!”

“Don’t be so sure,” said the aboleth’s voice. “If you want to flee, you’d best find the exit and start running now...

“But as you’ll see in a minute... I do indeed have a way to chase you...”

Shichiro grabbed his sword, which was under the coffin. The other three Shadowchasers grabbed theirs.

The pool started to bubble and churn.

“Be brave people...” said Shichiro. “We may be making our last stand here... But no matter how powerful this thing is, it’s not going to make us run like a bunch of cowards...”

They all knew that the odds were against them as they waited for the ancient being to surface, the being whose memory stretched back to the very dawn of time. It was unlikely that they could outfight it... It was even less likely that they could outsmart it... Did they stand a chance at all?

In the next minute or so, they would find out...



GRANDFATHER PLAQUE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card cannot be used for a Synchro Summon except for the summoning of a Rock-Type Synchro Monster. When this card is used for a Synchro Summon and sent to the Graveyard, increase your Life Points by 1,000.



STONE GIANT SKORAEUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,100

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, this card is not destroyed by battle. If this card battles a Monster with higher ATK, increase this card’s ATK by 400 after damage calculation.



MIRACLE RUPTURE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Giant Soldier of Stone facing a shining, glowing light.

Card Description: Select one Rock-Type Monster from your deck and send it to the Graveyard. Reshuffle your deck, and draw one card.

Note: “Miracle Rupture” was first used by Jim in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “A Sight Unseen (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BATTLE WALTZ (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: The Hindu god of war Chi You in a typical pose.

Card Description: Select one Synchro Monster you control. Special Summon one “Waltz Token” (A “Waltz Token” has the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF as the selected Monster.) A “Waltz Token” cannot be Tributed and cannot be used for a Synchro Summon. Any Battle Damage taken as a result of a “Waltz Token” battling is reduced to zero. If a “Waltz Token” is destroyed by battle, the Monster that destroyed it loses Attack Points equal to the “Waltz Token’s” Attack Points until the End Phase. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy the “Waltz Token”.

Note: “Battle Waltz” was first used by Yusei in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Destiny’s Will (Part 2)”. It’s been changed slightly from the official text to make it more balanced. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Next:

Shichiro: We finally get some answers from this dark being who has pulled all the strings up to now. But it doesn’t intend to let us freely use that knowledge. We have only one thing that is keeping it from crushing us like the bugs it perceives us as, and in order to preserve that protection, I have to duel it.

I’ve never had to duel a creature that was more horrible than its Monsters! Can I possibly win? What will be the outcome?

“Dweller in the Depths” is coming soon. May the powers of Good walk with me in this duel!



Shadowchaser Files

Cattivo Fanciullo, Criminal Mastermind of Shadow

Italy is known for a lot of things. For its history, for its cuisine, and for its culture...

Few bring up the negative things that originated in Italy, such as its fascist government during World War II. Or the fact that the Mafia was founded there, the biggest organization in organized crime, which is still in “business” today. But don’t overuse the term... Not every criminal group is part of Cosa Nostra. Cattivo Fanciullo’s organization certainly isn’t, even though he seems to have adapted their values.

No-one knows just how long Fanciullo has been on Earth, or even exactly what kind of Shadowkind he is. He has some sort of shapeshifting ability, and always appears as a young child with pure white hair and purple eyes. He wears an enchanted white tuxedo in this form; the tuxedo’s enchantments include keeping a constant 70 degree temperature around the wearer no matter what the weather conditions, and remaining spotlessly clean no matter how dirty his activities.

And Fanciullo is clearly not to afraid to get dirty, or even get blood on his hands. He is a major player in the underworld of Italy, with incredible influence in the rest of Europe. He typically restricts his activities to dealing with Shadowkind, and most members of his organization are such; most of them are outcasts who have been expelled from their clans for one reason or another. Only a few Aware humans make up the ranks.

Cattivo himself is a person who will do almost anything to succeed at his goal. What exactly his goal is however, is a mystery. Some think he doesn't even have a goal, and that the only thing that motivates him is greed, but whether this is true is unknown.

Fanciullo has one vital rule for anyone who would join his group – children are never to be harmed. He goes so far as to put strict limits on how his organization handles dealing controlled substances to make sure children never get involved with it. He claims that he admires their innocence, and that may very well be true, but even those who've known him for years are unsure if that is his true reason.

It seems that Fanciullo is at least serious about this rule, as he seems to regard anyone who would hurt children as an enemy. He has offered an incredibly rich bounty for anyone who brings him the Stork’s head on a platter. The Stork likely knows about this – whether he cares is not known.

A lot of bounties have been offered for Fanciullo’s head as well, mostly by other crime bosses who have lost business because of him. Still, it’s hard to find a Mundane assassin who will try to collect that bounty. Even if they find Fanciullo, they can see nothing more than a child, and they simply cannot accept that this child is the ruthless crime boss that their employer wants dead. The world of Shadow hides many strange secrets, and that works to Shadowkind’s advantage sometimes.


Story Ideas: Fanciullo could easily be inserted into any fic set in Italy, or in a neighboring country. The most likely role would be as an enemy in a plotline where the mob plays a role, but that is not the only possibility. Fanciullo might use intermediaries to cut a deal with the Shadowchasers if they are looking for the Stork or the Dread Emperor, or anyone else heartless enough to hurt children.

He might appear anywhere if he caught wind of a plot to harm them on a large scale. Organizations like the Doomdreamers (described later) might suddenly decide they have reason to set a horde of demons on Kaibaland for some insane goal, and if some crime boss is your only source of warning, it’s much better than nothing.


Deck Suggestion: Unlike many powerful Shadows, Fanciullo does not mind in the least that a “children’s card game” has become the accepted form of resolving disputes among Shadowkind, and takes to the game with relish. The peons in his gang tend to use decks that focus on swarming, while higher-ups use unique decks.

As for Fanciullo himself, his deck is odd and symbolic. He uses a lot of Monsters that resemble toys, like Toy Soldier and Blockman. Others include Silent Swordsman and two copies of Gilford the Lightning, which supposedly represent the heroes of children’s bedtime stories. Even stranger, his deck includes three copies of Bolt Escargot (which he summons with Ancient Rules, followed by Inferno Reckless Summon) which are supposed to represent the childhood of Duel Monsters itself.

Fanciullo has long pined for a deck that represents childhood even more: the one which once belonged to Leon von Schroeder. However, this deck is not only in the hands Schroeder’s heir, that heir is now a Shadowchaser. He has tried to contact Rebecca Schafer to request a fair challenge with a fair ante, but his letters have since met with no reply. He doubts that she will ever accept such a challenge, and the fact that such cards remain out of reach gnaw at him constantly.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-SEVEN

Half an hour earlier, Minerva and two other Knights of Domiel walked into the deserted amusement park, where the three D-Wheels had been haphazardly tossed. One of them, who was wearing a tool belt, looked at the remains of Gears’s bike.

“Can you fix it, Milt?” asked Minerva.

“Please,” said Milt. “You’re talking to someone who was allowed to use the Celestial Forge.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Minerva. “But hurry... They’re going to need their bikes to get out of there...

“I just hope the big guy isn’t mad at us after this whole mess is over... We may be pushing the limits of what constitutes ‘indirect help’...”

Milt bent over the D-Wheel.

“If it makes him feel better...” he said, “I’ll send them a bill later and ‘forget’ to include a SASE... Now let’s see...”

* * * * * * * * * *

The four Shadowchasers watched as the aboleth broke surface. The four Titans appeared behind them.

It was mounted on a large mechanical device, best described as a floating platform with a control panel on the front. A hovercraft of sorts. They quickly guessed that this was some convenience that it used to move on land easier. Its lower tentacles were wrapped around two glowing, blue bars, which they guessed were how it controlled the thing.

“Welcome to my abode, Shadowchasers,” it said, as it piloted the hovercraft out of the water. “Sorry I’m not the best host...”

With a whir, the device came to a rest on the cavern floor.

The four Shadowchasers tensed, but the thing didn’t attack right away. Eventually, Shichiro spoke up.

“Look, Mr. Unpronounceable,” he said, “we want answers. What is the point of this whole little game of yours?”

The aboleth let out a brief chuckle.

“You expect me to tell you all my plans?” it said. “Oh, that would be something... The old ‘trick the villain into telling you all his plans’ routine.”

“So do you work for the Psurlons?” asked Jinx.

“Work for them, Ms. Noriko?” asked the aboleth. “You’re looking at their company’s president, CEO, and major stockholder.

“Telling you what I intend to do would be folly... But I suppose telling you some history might be okay... After all, you have no way of changing what has already been done...

“You see, humans, for thousands of years, I’ve desired to rule over all of existence, but you vertebrates have forced my kind to live in hiding, unable to take back what was once ours. I long ago decided that I needed the Power Primordial to gain the energy I needed. So I joined forces with the Psurlacs, one of the few races that didn’t sicken me.

“Once the Psurlacs realized that they could use the Power Primordial to craft the Philosopher’s Stone, and reap the profits that would come with it, they were more than willing to enter a partnership.

“Three-thousand years ago, we hired the Primals to create the Elemental Nodes, sources of both elemental energy and negative energy. We hoped to summon Pandorym.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding!” shouted Trymus.

“Pandorym must never be freed!” exclaimed Il Mathman. “Don’t you know what he did??”

“I know he was the only being without divine powers to truly master the Power Primordial and efficiently harness it,” replied the aboleth. “And if he obtained it once, he could do it again. We sought to find his imprisoned essence, free him, and gain an ally for our own quest to harness it ourselves. But sadly, we failed, and the Primals perished in the attempt.

“We couldn’t find any others on Earth able to make the attempt, so while I stayed here to maintain the Nodes, in case they ever became useful again, the Psurlacs left to start their intergalactic trade consortium, where they called themselves the Psurlons and started working towards finding other ways to harness the Power Primordial.”

It glared at the Titans.

“You four wretched mistakes ruined what was to be our greatest plan. Your planet would have given us enough energy to summon Pandorym three times over.”

“Then you did send that plague on purpose!” shouted Jetta.

“When a planet we want to possess is inhabited by vermin,” said the aboleth, “we exterminate the vermin.”

Shannalla and Jetta started to cry. Trymus and Il Mathman tried to comfort them.

“That’s it...” growled Gears, lifting his sword.

“Wait...” said Shichiro, holding up his hand, “we may learn more...”

“When we learned about the plan to give all the energy to you, we tried to stop it,” continued the aboleth. “We bribed a scientist, and gave him a program with a computer virus, telling him to sabotage the equipment. If it had worked, the experiment would have failed, and you would have perished.

“But the weakling was struck by self-guilt. He couldn’t make himself do it. But he knew that if he simply threw the program away, we would know about it, and send a saboteur with fewer morals.

“So he deliberately sabotaged the wrong file. The experiment worked, and all the virus did was make the four of you sterile.”

Shannalla and Jetta started to sob harder.

“Now can I kill it?” asked Gears.

“And you framed Jetta for murder too, I suppose?” asked Ember.

“The planet she saved had almost as much energy as her home world,” replied the aboleth. “We knew that if this attempt failed as well, we’d never get away with doing it again. But she stopped the attempt. We couldn’t have such meddling any longer. Fortunately, a droid ship that we owned was nearby, so it was easy to falsify documents and claim that what she did had caused several deaths. But we didn’t expect public outcry, or threats of investigation, or one of those accursed Divinic being assigned to the case.

“But while that was happening, I continued to watch over the Nodes. An opportunity came in recent years when I made a deal with the King of the Underworld. All I had to do was grant him access to the Nodes in order for his servants to craft the Dark Synchros.”

“That explains why those cards are turning up now,” said Jinx.

“But what would you get out of it?” asked Jinx.

“I think it’s already answered that question,” replied Shichiro. “It had everything to gain if the Dark Signers’ plan had succeeded. Humanity would have been wiped out, and its… kind would have been able to become the dominant species again. Free to do all it wanted with the planets resources, while the King of the Underworld collected the souls of its inhabitants.”

“Of course, I didn’t expect much from the Earthbound Gods,” said the aboleth. “They were a long shot at best. Gods of all sorts are worshipped by the same beings I despise, so I don’t trust them. Still, dealing with the King of the Underworld gave me some powerful weapons.”

“Now?” asked Gears.

“Now,” replied Shichiro.

Gears leapt at the fiend with his sword held high...

Then he was thrown backwards by a powerful blast of energy, and fell prone.

“Gears!” shouted Jinx.

“Ooh, my head...” groaned Gears.

“That was... That was psionic energy! I haven’t taken a blow like that since DaPen zapped me!”

“I’ve learned a few things in the eons in which I’ve lived,” said the aboleth. I could crush you like insignificant worms if the Titans hadn’t been protecting you since they first met you...

“But I’ll find a way around that protection soon... I’ve tried to study you and your link to the Titans as much as possible through all these battles... It has already helped immensely. And when you get to be as old as I am, you learn to be very patient...”

Shichiro stepped forward.

“Want to try to make it faster, pal?” he asked.

He held up his Duel Disk.

“How about a duel with a wager?”

“I’m listening,” said the aboleth.

“I win, you let us out of this place,” he said. “You win... I give you my life...”

The aboleth chuckled again.

“You are either very brave or very foolhardy, Mr. Osaka...” it said. “Very well... I accept those terms...”

The glowing bars it was holding changed color to red, and the whole apparatus glowed. Holographic images of five cards, the backs to Shichiro, appeared in front of it. Shichiro activated his Disk, and drew his own opening hand.

“Duel!” they both said.

(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Aboleth: 8,000)

“I’ve fought a lot of spineless opponents in my time…” said Shichiro. “I never thought I’d be taking that phrase literally…”

“Again with the jokes,” said the aboleth, in an annoyed tone. “I’ve been studying your species since you learned to make fire, and one thing I’ve never understood is your idiotic sense of humor. It gets annoying.”

“I just made a pretty heavy wager,” replied Shichiro. “Please excuse me if I keep my sanity in my own way.”

“I draw...” said the aboleth.

A sixth card appeared next to the other five.

“And I summon Jade Knight.”

One of its cards vanished, and a large, green-tinted fighter jet appeared inn front of it. (1,000 ATK)

“I end my turn.”

Shichiro made a draw.

“I play the Continuous Spell, Six Samurai United,” he said, as the Spell Card appeared. “Then, I summon Six Samurai – Kamon.”

In an aura of flame, the Samurai armed to the teeth with explosives appeared. (1,500 ATK)

“Ground his Jade Knight!” he shouted. “Greek fire grenade!”

Kamon lit the fuse of one of his weapons, and hurled it at Jade Knight. The craft’s engine exploded, and then the whole jet shattered into pixels.

“I activate Jade Knight’s effect,” said the aboleth. When it is destroyed by battle, I get to take a Level 4 Light Machine-Type Monster from my deck.

A new card appeared with its other five.

“Then it’s your move...” said Shichiro.

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,500)

The aboleth drew a new card.

“I summon Helping Robo for Combat,” it said.

In a burst of light, a new Machine appeared. It was a rickety, semi-humanoid droid with tank treads in place of legs, with a hammer in place of its right hand, and a thing that resembled a frying pan more than anything else in place of its left. (1,600 ATK)

“Attack,” it said.

The Helping Robo rushed up to Kamon, and clobbered him with its hammer, blowing him to shards.

“Now I activate my Robo’s effect,” it continued. “Because it destroyed a Monster, I draw one card...”

It made one draw.

“...and then place one card I don’t need at the bottom of my deck.”

One of its cards vanished.

“I set two cards...”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“...and it’s your move...”

(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,500)

Shichiro made a draw. He quickly played it.

“I play The Warrior Returning Alive!” he exclaimed, as the Spell Card appeared.

Kamon slipped out of his discard slot. Then he played the card, and Kamon appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

“That means I can send Six Samurai United to the Graveyard to make two draws.”

The Spell Card in front of him vanished, and he drew twice.

“I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!”

He played the card, and Grandmaster appeared, holding down his broadsword. (2,100 ATK)

“All right, Grandmaster...” continued Shichiro. “Take apart that Robo!”

Grandmaster leapt at the Helping Robo for Combat, and made a downward slice. The Machine sparked and sputtered, and then exploded.

“Kamon, attack that abomination directly!”

Kamon threw another grenade. The aboleth barely moved as an explosion burst around its craft.

“Your move, pal,” said Shichiro.

(S: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)

A new card appeared in front of the aboleth.

“I call forth Cyber Dragon Zwei,” it said.

The Monster that appeared was a Light Machine, like a Cyber Dragon, but this looked more like a robotic snake than any sort of Dragon. If anything, it wasn’t as bulky as a true Cyber Dragon. (1,500 ATK)

“Now my Zwei attacks Kamon again,” said the aboleth. “And when it attacks a Monster, it gains 300 Attack Points.”

Cyber Dragon Zwei breathed a cone of scorching flame at Kamon, its Attack Score rising to 1,800. Kamon was reduced to ashes.

“That’s all for my turn...”

(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)

Shichiro made a draw.

So, this guy is using Machines? he thought, looking at it. Makes sense... It doesn’t seem to have a very high opinion of any living creature that can stand upright...

He quickly played the card, and Junk Synchron appeared next to Grandmaster. (1,300 ATK) It pulled the ripcord on its waist, and both it and Grandmaster dissolved into eight glowing stars.

“Flesh and machinery combined, cybernetically enhanced muscles create the ultimate super soldier! Clustering stars, combine to form one who is more than a man… One who can truly be called a giant!

“Synchro Summon... Colossal Fighter!”

His three supporters cheered as the huge Warrior landed with a roar. (2,800 ATK) –> (3,000 ATK)

“Attack!” shouted Shichiro. “Crush his fake Cyber Dragon!”

Colossal Fighter threw a punch, hitting the Machine on the nose. It exploded into scrap.

“I’ll set two cards facedown,” he said, as two reversed cards appeared, “and end my turn.”

“Hmm...” said the aboleth.

(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,000)

“To think we were afraid of this guy...” said Ember to Jinx. “It’s a pushover...”

The aboleth stopped short. It turned slightly.

“Pushover?” it said.

There was a long pause.

“PUSHOVER?” it repeated, now clearly angry.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have said that...” said Gears.

“I’ll show you just what a pushover I am...” it said. “My draw...”

It drew a new card.

“I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back Cyber Dragon Zwei,” it said.

One of its facedown cards lifted up, and the small version of the Cyber Dragon returned. (1,500 ATK)

“Then,” it said, as a Spell Card appeared, “I play Inferno Reckless Summon to call out two more...”

Two more Zwei appeared next to the other one. (1,500 x3)

“Now I use Cyber Dragon Zwei’s effect. By revealing a Spell Card in my hand, I can treat it as a true Cyber Dragon for the remainder of the turn.”

One of the cards in front of it flipped around.

“That’s Power Bond!” shouted Shichiro.

“Indeed it is,” said the aboleth, as the card concealed itself again. “And I’ll reveal it twice more so that I can treat all three of my Zwei as true Cyber Dragons.”

The Spell Card made two full rotations, showing its front twice.

“This isn’t good...” said Gears.

“Now that my Zwei are considered actual Cyber Dragons for all intents and purposes,” said the aboleth, “I’ll play Power Bond to fuse the three of them together...”

The Spell Card appeared again, and the three Machines were drawn into a vortex of light...

Shichiro stepped back in fear, as the gargantuan form of Cyber End Dragon loomed over him. (4,000 ATK)

“And because I used Power Bond,” continued the aboleth, “its Attack Score is doubled.”

(8,000 ATK)

“Attack his Colossal Fighter,” said the aboleth. “Ultimate evolution burst.”

Shichiro was next to panic as the giant Machine prepared to fire.

My Trap Card! he thought, suddenly remembering.

“I activate Draining Shield!” he screamed, as one of his facedown cards shot up.

“Sorry,” said the aboleth, “Malfunction.”

Its other facedown card lifted up, which was indeed, Malfunction.

“I pay 500 Life Points to negate your Trap, and set it back on the field.”

Shichiro watched in horror as his Draining Shield slammed back down.

Cyber End Dragon’s burst tore through his side of the field, atomizing Colossal Fighter, and throwing Shichiro ten feet backwards.

(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,500)

“Hmm...” said the creature. “You should have lost 5,000 Life Points...”

Shichiro got up, gasping for breath and holding his chest.

“I did...” he gasped. “But I chained Emergency Provisions at the last second, sending Draining Shield to the Graveyard and gaining 1,000 points.

“I use Colossal Fighter’s effect to Special Summon a Warrior from my Graveyard...”

Colossal Fighter appeared again. (3,000 ATK)

“And by the way, you lose. When your turn ends, you’ll take 4,000 points of damage from Power Bond’s side effect, and that’s more than what you have left.”

“No I won’t...” said the aboleth. “I haven’t Normal Summoned yet.”

Another of its cards vanished, and a small, mechanical dog-like creature appeared next to Cyber End Dragon. (300 ATK)

“By sacrificing Cyber Kirin, the damage to me is reduced to zero.”

The small Machine vanished.

“I set one card, and end my turn,” it said, as a reversed card appeared behind its Monster. “Cyber End Dragon will still be here next turn, still with 8,000 Attack Points.”

“Talk about a smart play...” said Gears.

“Huh?” said Jinx. “How so?”

“Well, despite what Kaiser Ryo might have suggested, summoning Cyber Twin Dragon with Power Bond is usually better than summoning Cyber End Dragon.

“I mean, do the math... What does more damage, a Monster with 8,000 Attack Points, or one with 5,600 Attack Points that can attack twice?”

“I see...” said Jinx.

“But that thing was smart enough to know that Cyber End was better in this case,” continued Gears, “because if he destroyed Colossal Fighter, Shichiro could Special Summon it back to defend himself.”

Shichiro held his ribs.

Man, this guy doesn’t fool around! he thought. I’d better get rid of that big thing before it gets off another shot...

He drew a card.

Then again...

“Hey, mucous-brain!” he said, holding the Spell Card in front of him. “Looks like luck turned in my favor!

“First, I summon Six Samurai Nisashi.”

In a gust of Wind, the Daisho-wielding Samurai appeared. (1,400 ATK)

“And just how is he supposed to harm my Monster?” asked the aboleth.

“Not gonna harm it,” said Shichiro, playing a Spell Card. “Gonna take it. I’ll sacrifice Nisashi to use Enemy Controller.”

Nisashi vanished, and the large video game control pad appeared.

“Pathetic...” said the aboleth.

Its facedown card lifted up.

“I activate De-Fusion. Your Spell Card is deprived of its target.”

Cyber End Dragon vanished.

“Even better, because Cyber Dragon Zwei are considered to be true Cyber Dragons while in the Graveyard, I can now summon all three of them to the field.”

The three Cyber Dragon Zwei appeared, curled up in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF x3)

“These things make Proto-Cyber Dragons look pathetic,” said Jinx.

“Well, in that case,” said Shichiro, as he played another card, “I’ll match you Spell-for-Spell.”

“De-Synchro?” asked the aboleth, as it appeared.

Colossal Fighter turned into a glowing orb of light, and then turned into Junk Synchron (1,300 ATK) and Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. (2,100 ATK)

“But don’t get too comfortable,” continued Shichiro. “I’m going to Tune them again... To summon a Synchro of a different type...”

Junk Synchron yanked its ripcord again, and once again, its motor hummed. It and Grandmaster turned into eight glowing stars again. Shichiro chanted again.

“Created from the souls of the broken, an unstoppable juggernaut strides forth from the depths of the scrap yard! Mighty avenger of all that is neglected and lost...

“Synchro Summon... Junk Destroyer!”

With a roar, a Monster that was just as big as Colossal Fighter loomed over the field. Like the other Junk Synchros, it looked more like a robot than a Warrior, this time with four arms, heavy armor, bladed wing-like extensions on its back, spiked knee-guards, and iron gauntlets. (2,600 ATK)

“Now I’ll use its effect,” said Shichiro. “I can destroy one card for each non-Tuner Monster I used to summon it.”

A series of razor-sharp blades flew at one of the Zwei, slicing it into four sections.

“And I still have its main attack! Destroy! Tidal energy!”

A blast of intense blue flame shot from Junk Destroyer, vaporizing the second Cyber Dragon Zwei. The aboleth flinched a little.

“Very well, Mr. Osaka,” it said, in an annoyed tone. “Seems I’ll have to devote more to this duel than I planned...”

It drew a card.

“I summon Cyber Valley.”

A Monster that seemed like an even smaller version of Cyber Dragon appeared. (0 ATK)

Its last card spun around.

“Then Machine Duplication, to summon two more of them.”

Two more Cyber Valleys appeared.

“Cyber Valley has three effects,” it continued. “I’ll use the second effect of one of them. By removing it and another Monster from play, I get to draw two cards.”

Two of the Cyber Valleys vanished into nothing, and two more cards appeared in front of the aboleth.

“With that, my turn is over for now.”

Shichiro drew one card. He looked at the two cards he had.

He set one of them in Spell Zone, and it appeared reversed.

“Junk Destroyer,” he ordered, “crush the last Cyber Valley!”

Junk Destroyer blasted its fiery energy at the small robot.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“I activate Cyber Valley’s first effect!” exclaimed the aboleth. “Because you attacked it, I can remove it from play to halt your attack and end the Battle Phase.

“In addition, I draw one more card...”

It made a draw.

“Then it’s your move...” said Shichiro.

The aboleth made a fourth draw. It considered for a minute.

“I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon,” it said.

In another flash of light, a Monster appeared next to Cyber Dragon Zwei that looked similar to it; the older version of the same card, more or less. (1,100 ATK)

“Now, as you remember, by revealing a Spell Card in my hand, I can treat Cyber Dragon Zwei as a true Cyber Dragon this turn.”

A card in front of it flipped around.

“Oh, this isn’t good either...” said Gears, when he saw what it was.

“Then, I play it,” continued the aboleth, as it appeared in full view. “Photon Generator Unit.

“I sacrifice two Cyber Dragons...”

The two Machines vanished.

“...to Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon.”

A new Machine appeared, one that was the size of a real Cyber Dragon. The biggest difference was the nasty-looking laser blaster on its tail. (2,400 ATK)

“This Monster can do just as much damage as your Destroyer,” it continued. “Once per round, it can destroy a Monster that has more Attack Points than it has.

“So... Wipe out Junk Destroyer! Blue lightning lash!”

Shichiro covered his face with his arm as the Machine shot a blast of burning lightning from its tail, blowing Junk Destroyer to gibbets.

Cyber Laser Dragon looked at Shichiro. Blue flames started to ignite in its jaws. Shichiro looked at his facedown card, then at the last card in his hand.

All right, decision time... he thought. Block this direct attack and go on a slim chance, or save this Trap and go on a better chance?

He sighed.

I wish someone could make these decisions for me... Kind like how mom did so long ago...

The Machine let out its attack, and Shichiro screamed as the burning electric energy struck him.

(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,500)

“If you can get up, it’s your move...” said the creature.

“Shichiro!” shouted Jinx.

“I’m fine...” said Shichiro, as he slowly got up.

He fumbled a bit as he drew the top card off his deck.

Tuningware... he thought. Might be useful later...

His facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Call of the Haunted!” he exclaimed. “Return!”

Grandmaster of the Six Samurai reappeared. (2,100 ATK)

“And you fools think you’re the dominant species on this planet?” said the aboleth in disgust. “You make such idiotic mistakes, I wonder why you haven’t died out by now...”

“I know,” said Shichiro. “I could have sprung this Trap to Special Summon Junk Destroyer right after you used Cyber Laser Dragon’s effect on it, avoided a direct attack, and then destroyed your Monster on my turn with it.

“But I thought of a better way. I summon Spirit of the Six Samurai.”

He played the card, and the haunted suit of armor appeared next to Grandmaster. (500 ATK)

“Now, let’s Equip the Spirit to Grandmaster!”

There was a flash of lightning, and the ghostly armor flew apart. The gauntlets, armbands, leg guards, kilt, breastplate, and finally, the helmet fitted over Grandmaster. Finally, a glowing naginata appeared in his hands. (2,600 ATK)

“With the power of this ancestral armor fueling him, Grandmaster can easily destroy your Machine...”

Grandmaster flew at Cyber Laser Dragon, and with one swipe of his blade, cut it cleanly in half.

“Why is this better than Junk Destroyer, you ask?” continued Shichiro. “Because now, I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“And it’s your move...”

(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 3,300)

The aboleth said nothing as it made a draw.

It played a card, and a Cyber Dragon – not a Zwei or a Prototype, this time a real Cyber Dragon – appeared in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

“Heh,” said Ember. “So it did have a real one...”

“I’m allowed to have one real one, if you don’t mind,” replied the creature. “And I’m not done...

“I play Different Dimension Capsule.”

It played a Spell Card, and a glowing sarcophagus appeared in front of it.

“With this card, I can take any card from my deck, and seal it within the capsule...”

The capsule opened, and a card appeared over it. The card lowered into the capsule, and the capsule shut, and vanished.

“In two short turns, I’ll be able to recover that card. It is your move.”

“Oh, do you think that card is Overload Fusion?” asked Jinx, getting nervous. “How many Machines has it played so far?”

Gears did a quick count.

“Not including the three it already removed from play...” he said. “And Cyber End Dragon, which was returned to its Extra Deck... Nine, I think...”

“So if it summoned Chimeratech, its Attack Score would be...” said Jinx.

“...off the charts...” said Ember.

So I’d better beat him before he does so, thought Shichiro.

He drew a card.

It was Quickdraw Synchron.

This guy’s not gonna do it...

He put that card aside and chose another one.

“I set a Monster,” he said, as a reversed card appeared.

“Then I attack with Grandmaster!”

Grandmaster made a rush at Cyber Dragon, and cut the Machine in two.

“I get to draw once due to Spirit’s effect,” said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

“...and it’s your move.”

The aboleth made a draw.

“I summon Cyber Larva.” it said.

The Monster that appeared next was one that Shichiro didn’t recognize. It looked more or less like a grub or worm made of metal, with a stinger on its end. (400 ATK)

“What is that?” asked Jinx.

“Uh...” said Gears. “I think it’s supposed to be an immature Cyber Dragon... But... uh... Cyber Dragons can’t have young... Cause they’re Machines...”

I’ll figure it out later, thought Shichiro, as he made a draw.

He almost fell over from excitement when he saw what it was, but he managed to keep a poker face.

Dark Bribe! he thought. I drew Dark Bribe!

All I have to do is set this, and when it tries to play Overload Fusion... It will blow up in its face...

He threw it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Grandmaster, destroy Cyber Larva!”

Grandmaster made a slash with his weapon, and the small robot was smashed to bits.

“Not bad,” said the aboleth, “but when Cyber Larva is attacked, all battle damage I take for the turn is reduced to zero.

“And when it’s destroyed by battle, I get a bonus... Another Cyber Larva.”

A second of the robotic grubs appeared. (400 ATK)

“Yeah, well...” said Shichiro. “I still get to draw a card.”

He made a draw.

“It’s your move...”

“I’m getting tired of your Grandmaster,” said the aboleth, as it made a draw, “and while by nature I have patience, I must admit, it is running very thin at the moment.

“I recover the card I put in the Different Dimension Capsule.”

The glowing sarcophagus appeared again, and opened. The card flew out, and appeared beside the creature’s two others.

“Then I’ll summon another Proto-Cyber Dragon,” it said.

A second of the Cyber Dragon prototypes appeared. (1,100 ATK)

“Judging by the expression on your face when you set that facedown card,” it said, “I’m guessing it’s a Counter Trap that will negate a Spell Card.”

Shichiro was shocked. He thought he had kept a poker face...

“Well, it won’t work...” continued the aboleth. “The card I put in that capsule wasn’t a Spell that I intended to use to summon a Monster...

“It was the Monster itself. No Spell is needed to summon it.

“But what is needed is for me to remove from play every last Light-Attribute Machine-Type Monster on my field and Graveyard...”

The two Monsters on the field vanished.

“Uh, aren’t you going to say this isn’t good, Gears?” asked Jinx.

“I dunno...” said Gears. “I have no idea what it’s summoning...”

Then a huge Monster appeared on the field. It was just as big as Cyber End Dragon, with eight ferocious-looking Cyber Dragon heads placed around a large, bulky, metal torso. The torso was a ninth head, far bigger than the others, with a demon’s face and glowing red eyes.

“Okay, YES this isn’t good!” shouted Gears.

“Behold, Cyber Eltanin...” said the aboleth. The epitome of Cyber technology... It has a powerful effect... When summoned, all face-up Monsters except itself are sent to the Graveyard. Your Spirit can’t protect your Grandmaster from this, Mr. Osaka!”

Shichiro gasped, as Grandmaster dissolved into pixels, taking the Spirit with him.

“And as for its scores... It has 500 points for each Monster I removed from play to summon it.”

(6,000 ATK)

“Do you see who the superior being is now, humans?”

“Well, it sure isn’t you,” said Shichiro.

The aboleth just looked at him.

“I have a reversed Monster, genius,” continued Shichiro. “It avoided your Monster’s effect because it wasn’t face-up, and it’s defending me.

“Ironically, if Grandmaster hadn’t been sent to the Graveyard just now, you would have won. But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that Cyber Eltanin’s effect isn’t optional.”

The four Shadowchasers sensed incredible rage building in the room.

“Cyber Eltanin,” ordered the aboleth, “obliterate his Monster! Descent of Draconis!”

Nine beams of pure energy coalesced into one powerful beam, eradicating Shichiro’s facedown Monster. He was knocked off his feet.

“I activate the effect of Shien’s Footsoldier!” he shouted. “I get to Special Summon a Six Samurai Monster that’s Level 3 or less...

“I summon Hand of the Six Samurai!”

In an aura of flames, the woman dressed in a robe and shawl, holding a dagger, appeared. (1,600 ATK)

“Guess what, slime face?” asked Shichiro. “The Hand has the ability to destroy a Monster, if I sacrifice a Samurai.”

“But only if another Samurai is present,” added the creature. “Do you have one?”

Shichiro sighed, and looked at his hand, which consisted of Tuningware, Quickdraw Synchron, Double Summon, and Level Eater. Clearly, he didn’t.

“I’ll end with this,” said the aboleth.

It played its last card, and a reversed card appeared in its Spell Zone.

Okay... thought Shichiro. If I draw a Samurai, I can blow that thing to scrap...

He drew a card. It was Turbo Synchron.

Not what I need... he thought. I’ll have to make due...

“I discard one card...” he said.

He discarded Level Eater.

“...to Special Summon Quickdraw Synchron.”

In a flash of light, the cute robotic cowboy appeared. (700 ATK)

The lights on Quickdraw Synchron’s chest flashed, and the shooting gallery appeared. It drew its gun, and fired, putting a bullet through Drill Synchron’s card.

“Nice shooting,” said Shichiro. “Next, I summon Tuningware.”

The small robot with the scarf and frying pan for a hat appeared. (100 ATK)

Then the two Monsters faded into six glowing stars, and they flew upwards. Shichiro chanted again.

“Searcher of treasures hidden by the Earth, excavator of jewels forgotten in hidden vaults! Rise to the surface and show your power!

“Break it apart... Synchro Summon, Drill Warrior!”

The floor shook, and then literally split open, as a drill bored from below. The creature it was attached to rose upwards – a robotic Warrior in iron armor with the drill serving as its right hand.

It made a stance, and turned to face the aboleth. (2,400 ATK)

“I get to draw a card due to Tuningware...” said Shichiro.

He made a draw.

It was Cunning of the Six Samurai.

Damn! he thought.

“That thing doesn’t come close to being able to defeat my Eltanin,” said the aboleth.

“It isn’t the target,” said Shichiro. “By cutting its Attack Score in half, I can use it to attack you directly.”

(1,200 ATK)

Drill Warrior flew at the creature, its drill spinning.

“And you’ll pay the price for having such nerve, Mr. Osaka!” cursed the aboleth, as its facedown card shot up. “I activate Magic Cylinder!”

“NO!” screamed Jinx.

“Shichiro!” screamed Ember.

“I’ll be fine!” replied Shichiro. “I still have this!”

His Dark Bribe card shot up.

“Now you draw a card, but your Magic Cylinder is destroyed!”

The aboleth was truly shocked. A new card appeared in front of it, right before Drill Warrior’s weapon rammed into it. For the first time, it made a sound that might have been interpreted as pain.

“I’m far from done,” said Shichiro. “First, I reduce Drill Warrior’s Level from 6 to 5 to Special Summon Level Eater to defend me.”

Level Eater hopped onto the field. (0 DEF)

“Then, I discard one card in my hand to activate another of Drill Warrior’s effects, and remove it from play until my next turn.”

He discarded Turbo Synchron, and Drill Warrior vanished.

“Then I move The Hand to Defense Mode...”

The Hand knelt, and crossed her arms over her chest. (1,000 DEF)

“...and I end my turn...”

(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,100)

The creature drew its next card and looked at it.

“Bah,” it said.

“Cyber Eltanin, wipe out Hand of the Six Samurai!”

Once again, Cyber Eltanin let loose Descent of Draconis, and the Hand was vaporized.

The aboleth set a card on its Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“It’s your move...” it said.

“I draw,” said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

“Due to its effect, Drill Warrior returns.”

The Warrior Synchro reappeared. (2,400 ATK)

“And due to its final effect, when it does, I get a Monster back from my Graveyard.”

Hand of the Six Samurai slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

“But it won’t be attacking me directly again,” said the aboleth.

Its Trap Card shot up.

“I use Fiendish Chain!”

A mass of iron chains shot out of the ground, grabbing hold of Drill Warrior and tying it up.

“Fiendish Chain prevents your Monster from attacking or using its effect,” said the aboleth.

Shichiro looked at the card he had drawn this turn.

Then it all comes down to this, he thought.

“I play...” he started.

Then he was startled by a loud beeping noise.

He looked up, and saw that the aboleth was looking at a flashing light on its hovercraft.

“What?” it said, as if in panic. “Five percent power remaining? But how.... It shouldn’t have...

“The duel! Curses, I didn’t allot a separate power source for the duel system! It drained too much power!”

The rods it was clutching turned blue again, and the holograms vanished.

“Sorry, Shadowchasers,” it said, “we’ll have to settle this at another time...”

“Say what?” said Shichiro in disbelief.

The aboleth turned its craft, and headed towards the pool.

“Come back here!” shouted Shichiro. “If you think you can walk away from this...”

Shichiro leapt at the creature with his sword drawn. However, when he tried to swing at it, he hit part of the hovercraft. The device broke, and half of it fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Curse, you, Osaka...” it said.

Then it made a swing with its tentacle, hitting Shichiro and knocking him down. Then it decided to abandon the craft, and slithered for the pool.

“I think we’d better let it go...” said Gears. “Something’s not right here...”

“You want a conclusive duel?” shouted the aboleth.

It leapt into the pool.

“Go to where Yusei Fudo defeated Ccapac Apu at midnight tonight!”

Then it sank under the surface.

“Perfect...” said Shichiro. “We’ll never catch it now...”

“What would you have done if you had caught it?” asked Jinx. “We’d better find our way out of this cave... Maybe we’ll be able to leave now that it’s gone...”

Then they turned around to see a surprise. Their four D-Wheels were parked in front of them. All four had been repaired, even Gears’s.

“How...” said Gears, running up to his.

Then he saw that there was a note on his dashboard.

He unfolded it and read.


Dear Shadowchasers,

I’m afraid this is the last time we can help you beyond the terms in the agreement we made with your employer so long ago. Should we do any more, we risk breaking our code of conduct.

As for who we are and what our motivations are, suffice to say this: There are many groups in this world and others who seek justice and order in one way or another... Our methods are different than yours, but we are similar in many ways.

Good luck, and know from this point that you are not alone in your quest for a peaceful world.

- A friend


There was a long pause.

“A friend...” said Ember.

Jinx mounted her bike, and turned on the pan-dimensional system.

“We’ll figure it out later,” she said. “I need a shower before I do anything else.”

Shichiro looked at the pool before he mounted his bike.

They had learned much... But it hadn’t been good news. He didn’t know how they were going to stop this new threat...

At least they had survived this whole mess. But he was sure that a new mess would come... Starting at midnight.



Next:

Jinx: Jalal has a plan to make a final assault against our enemy, but before we do so, I decide to take it up on its invitation. At the B.A.D. Area where Yusei’s battle with Kiryu met its fateful end, I face a Shadow Turbo Duel with a demonic creature, using cards I’ve never seen before. Can my X-Sabers overcome this terrible darkness?

“Chthonian Alliance” is coming soon.



Shadowchaser Files

Champion of Equality, the Wrath of Terra Ironhoof

Sometimes the second half of the Shadowchaser creed “Knowledge is not power” seems like a bad joke. It’s supposed to mean that having knowledge, especially being Aware, does not make you better than others who don’t have it. But ask any scholar, mage, or any being whose dedicated to the pursuit of information in all its forms, and he will tell you that there is indeed tremendous power born from knowledge. To understand is to influence, to control and to manipulate, and for Shadowchasers there are rarely ever situations where it does not pay to be forewarned of the threats they may face on the job. But never has the folly of Jalal's creed blown up in his face so spectacularly as it did during what is now infamously referred to as 'The Ironhoof Incident.'

The incident took place a few months after the resolving of the Great Delude. Jalal had been in one of the rare cases where he took to the field personally, leading a vanguard of reinforced stone golems they commenced a raid on a bar in Chicago that was rumored to be a front for a massive smuggling operation for pleasure crystals. Unfortunately the tip-off had proven to be false, and as the golems single mindedly tore the bar apart in search of a nonexistent hidden door, a recently graduated college girl who had been celebrating with her friends was nearly trampled to death.

Before Jalal could give the order for the golems to cease, a previously unnoticed patron responded by tearing a bar stool from its moorings and, to everyone's disbelief caved the golem's head in. As the girls helped their injured friend to safety, the patron, who turned out to be a minotaur dressed in a long cloak, stormed up to Jalal in a drunken rage and chewed him out for, as the patron called it 'Disgracing his father's honor by using the power he had given Jalal in such a reckless manner.'

What lead up to the following melee is not clear, but patrons familiar with the minotaur had abruptly fled as if for their very lives after an irritated Jalal had addressed the minotaur as 'sir' and threatened to arrest him for obstruction of justice. The patron minotaur had calmly finished its beer, before pulling out a pair of custom brass knuckles.

The following morning Jalal awoke to find himself stuffed into a trash can in an alleyway surrounded by the broken remains of his entire team of golems and, to his embarrassment, had the word 'SEXIST' seemingly pounded into his forehead. Quickly located by native Shadowchasers, Jalal remained oddly close mouthed as to the nature of what had happened the night before. The only clue for a while was that, upon returning to base he immediately requested that all known information on minotaurs be revised to acknowledge the existence of females of the species, something that pretty much everyone had believed, up to now, did not exist. Such was the legend of Terra Ironhoof, the first she-minotaur to be encountered in the organization's history.

Later information leaked in amidst a jumble of second hand accounts and (hopefully) overly exaggerated stories. Sketches, witness accounts and the occasional photographs suggest Terra to be a giant of a woman, over six feet tall and covered in dark brown fur with a figure that some say would put an Amazoness to shame, boasting muscles equaled only in size by her formidably large bust (the latter of which lead to the brief circulation of jokes directed at Jalal referring to him as “Jalal the DragonBlind”). Her horns are not as large as males of her species but her appearance is made no less fearsome for it thanks to her numerous piercings.

A ferocious defender of women's rights Terra claims that her rampages are done in order to bring justice to a world where her 'sisters' are still left to the discretion of males who would bring them harm. Her weapons of choice seems to be custom built knuckle dusters upon which she bears the legend “SEXIST” on each one, seeming to serve as her trademark by pounding the word into the faces of those who are unfortunate enough to earn her wrath.

Of course, several Incantifers are researching just how female minotaurs can exist at all. As far as anyone knows, minotaurs are created via the will of Baphomet, a demon lord who’s reputation as a chauvinist is legendary. Is someone with a dislike for him moving in on his turf? Some Incantifers point to Gwynharwyf as the most likely suspect. A member of the Court of Stars, Gwynharwyf is known as the Whirling Fury, and has been revered not only by fey, but by virtuous barbarian tribes over the centuries. Her battles against demons have been the stuff of legend. Although no specific story exists of her opposing Baphomet, the idea of her interfering with his “work” is not much of a stretch.


Story Ideas: Jalal has yet to actively press charges against Terra despite the money and resources lost in the destruction of his golems and his own personal humiliation. Seeing as he is immortal he has stated that since he was never in any true danger, Terra's rampage was mainly out of the need to prevent the accidental deaths of civilians in the area, something he had admitted to be entirely his error for having nearly caused in the first place. Nonetheless if Terra does come to town, Shadowchasers may be inclined to do their best to either stay out of her way or see that she doesn’t cause another ruckus. (Terra is more benign than most minotaurs, but she is still a minotaur.)

Save her assault on Jalal, Terra has yet to pick any more fights with the Shadowchasers, and on occasion has actually been found in direct confrontation with several powerful criminals. Stories persist of her battling it out with incubuses, vampyres, and other Shadowkind who prey upon women. One of the most fantastic rumors is that she dared to attack the Dread Emperor to free the children bound to him, and fought the fiend to a standstill before the arrival of Shadowchaser reinforcements forced him to flee. Terra might not seem like the first person you want to see taking to the streets when she feels the need to heed the call of her “sisters in need”. But when their interests coincide few can think of a more intimidating presence on the battlefield.


Deck Suggestions: Despite her nature Terra uses neither Beasts nor, as some might speculate, Amazons. Instead when Terra feels the need to hold her own in Duel Monsters (which is something she is always eager to engage in seeing it as a male dominated game to begin with) she uses X-Sabers. The most widely believed reason for this is said to be that Terra has developed an admiration of Jinx of the Neo Domino branch, attracted by her strong will and no-nonsense attitude. In fact Terra's feelings may stem deeper then simple admiration, as she is reportedly a lesbian, but for now has made no effort to contact Jinx.

Her feelings notwithstanding, it is interesting to note that Terra's variant of the X-Sabers is considered far and wide to be more efficient then Jinx's version. Avoiding more generic X-Sabers like Galahad, Wayne, and Anabelera Terra favors multiple copies of recent additions to the archetype such as Boggart Knight, Reijigra, and Emmersblade in order to produce a steady stream of Synchros to dominate the field. Terra also uses three copies of the field spell Saber Vault, giving her monsters an incredible boost in the right circumstances, particularly when she manages to get out Gatmuz.

Terra was a creation of fanfic author Metal Overlord 2.0.

[mario72486]

Been a while since we've seen the Cyber series in action. While it's unusual that the aboleth would be using that sort of deck, but Shichiro's assumption on why it does makes sense. I'm glad the duel was cut short, since if the aboleth lost now, who else would there be for our heroes to face in this arc? And correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that the aboleth has a different, more devastating deck to use for the most dire of situations...

Well, there are the Knights of Domiel. The groups have their own definitions of jurisdiction and justices, and I can imagine something cataclysmic forcing them to butt heads somewhere down the road.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-EIGHT

Jinx walked into the lounge, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair with a towel.

“I’ve taken four showers and I still smell like fish,” she said. “I hope Boris isn’t making seafood in there.”

“I think he’s making his special two-triple lasagna,” replied Shichiro. “He said we needed something good after all that happened.”

The lounge was rather crowded now. Gears was at the computer. Ember was sitting, stroking Gabriel. The four Titans were standing nearby, quite over their grief by now, and pining for revenge. And Mal Ambrose, whom they had almost forgotten about, was sitting on an easy chair, nervously smoking a pipe.

“You shouldn’t smoke, Mal,” said Shichiro.

“Please, Mr. Osaka...” said the attorney. “The dangers of smoking are the least of my worries at this point.”

“Well, apparently, Cyber Eltanin is a legit card,” said Gears. “And according to Google, ‘Eltanin’ is the name of a star, a star in the constellation Draco.”

“So then…” said Jinx. “Would a ‘Cyber Eltanin’ be an… artificial star?”

“It doesn’t matter,” replied Trymus. “This fiend must be stopped. Under no condition must Pandorym be freed. He was just so…”

“…evil…” added Shannalla.

“He was more evil than that thing?” asked Ember.

“Wait a second…” said Shichiro. “Jalal mentioned a doomsday scenario he had heard about called The Calamity of Pandorym… He claimed it was a false alarm, like the Y2K Bug…”

“Trust me, this was no false alarm,” said Jetta. “At least not when it actually happened, several millennia before your founder’s time. Pandorym was the only mortal being who ever truly managed to harness the Power Primordial and understand its powers. It made him think he had the power of a god…”

“Well, technically, he did…” replied Il Mathman.

“Maybe I can explain it,” sighed Mal. “I wrote my thesis on it, after all...”

Everyone listened as he put down the pipe, and started to talk.

“Okay... I’ll start at the beginning... When the Big Bang created the universe, several powerful godlike entities were born. Most of these entities represented the destructive side of the elemental forces.

“They weren’t gods. Gods gain power from mortal worshippers. Beings like this are opposed to living things by their nature. Where a benign god of fire like Hephaestus represents fire in its ability to shape metal and aid crafts, one of these entities that represented fire would only be able to create wildfires that raged out of control, destroying everything in their paths.

“These entities ranged in size and power from the size of a man to those that were worlds onto themselves. They were too chaotic to ever name themselves, so they’re called the Old Ones.

“Despite being the antithesis of life, they created many servitor races, some of which are still known today. The giants are a good example.”

“Like the Jotuns, the enemies of the Norse Gods?” said Gears.

“Now you’re getting the picture,” replied Mal. “Other destructive and primitive humanoids like bullywugs and trolls were also originally created by the Old Ones, but such races have likely been forgotten by their creators by now. The creations of the Old Ones were just as destructive as they were. If left unchecked, the Old Ones and their servants would likely have destroyed everything that the later gods created... But they were opposed by their opposites, the Hebdomad.

“Some people say that the Hebdomad are the generals of the armies of Heaven and leave it at that, but they’re much more. There are only seven Hebdomad, far less than the Old Ones, but these beings, which were also born in the moment of creation, have power stemming from celestial sources. While the Old Ones represent destruction, the Hebdomad represent creation. They supposedly serve the Demiurge...”

“Demiurge?” asked Jinx. “Isn’t that supposed to be some sort of Creator?”

“It’s an intermediary between other beings and the Ruler of Heaven,” replied Mal. “The mere names of the Hebdomad strike fear into the hearts of evil beings... Barachiel, Domiel, Erathaol, Pistis Sophia, Raziel, Sealtiel, and the mysterious Zaphkiel. All of them except probably Zaphkiel, who is never seen by mortals, sponsor groups of mortal followers. Some, like Raziel, sponsor militant groups of crusaders, while others, like Pistis Sophia, sponsor pacifistic monastic orders. They all have their own ways of striving towards peace and justice.

“Anyway, there was a big conflict, and the Hebdomad defeated the Old Ones. But they couldn’t kill them. It may not have even been possible for the Old Ones to die.

“So they were imprisoned in various ways that nullified their powers. If they represented Wind, they were chained on remote, airless worlds. Those that represented Fire were submerged in the seas of watery planets that orbited cold stars. Some of the strongest ones were sealed in pocket dimensions. The Hebdomad took no chances.

“But the Old Ones’ servants and servitor races remained. One that was more ambitious than any others was the sorcerer Pandorym.

“He laid low in secret for millennia, searching for a weapon to gain his revenge... And he found one. He mastered the deadliest form of elementalist magic... Void Magic.”

“Wait...” said Gears. “I heard an Incantifer mention that once... Some theoretical form of magic about using the ‘space between the spaces’?”

“Void Magic is a rare school of wizardry that draws power from the four elements, turning the user into a parasite,” said Trymus.

“Like the Paragons,” said Jinx.

“Like the Dark Synchros…” said Ember.

“Exactly,” said Mal. “Void disciples are very rare, thankfully. But once Pandorym mastered the Power Primordial, he evolved himself into a being called the Heart of the Void.

“Only one Heart of the Void can exist at one time, and there have been spans of centuries where there has been none. A void disciple who achieves this would be able to use his personal power to absorb the elemental energy of whole planets, maybe even stars, converting it into energy for Heavens knows what…

“He was thus able to harness the Power Primordial better than any other non-divine being had ever or would ever be able to. And then he challenged the Hebdomad for their power. Had he succeeded, what he would have done next is anyone’s guess... He might have freed his former masters, or he might have challenged the Demiurge itself.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” said Jinx.

“Don’t worry, he failed,” said Mal. “The Hebdomad destroyed his physical body, and imprisoned his essence somewhere. Just where is a big secret.”

“I’m assuming the Hebdomad didn’t truly kill him because they didn’t want another void disciple to obtain such power?” asked Jinx.

Mal nodded.

“Yes,” he said. “Pandorym is powerless, wherever his essence is, but he is still the Heart of the Void. Until he truly dies, no-other void disciple can gain the position and the power that would come with it.”

At that moment, the flames in the fireplace leapt up, and Jalal’s holographic image appeared.

“I got here as soon as I heard,” he said. “Are you folks all right?”

“We’ll live,” said Ember.

“You dueled it?” he asked.

“Yeah, but it ditched us at the last moment,” replied Shichiro. “Its hovercraft was beeping, and it was babbling something about ‘five percent remaining’.”

Jalal rubbed his chin.

“I think I know why it retreated,” he said.

“Aboleth are aquatic beings. But they don’t truly have gills. They breathe by absorbing oxygen through their skin, and to do that, they secrete a type of mucous. But this mucous loses its potency when exposed to air, and it dries out quickly while out of water.

“A aboleth who can’t breathe won’t die, but it enters a state of suspended animation called long dreaming which they consider far worse than death. It is said that an aboleth in long dreaming experiences nightmares about the ancient fiends who ruled Hell before the fall of Lucifer. And the only way an aboleth can recover from long dreaming is with the help of another aboleth.

“If another aboleth gets to it in time, that is. An aboleth in long dreaming is a sitting duck, completely helpless to defend itself.”

“Its hovercraft must have contained a sort of artificial breathing device…” said Gears. “And clearly, its battery was almost drained.”

“No wonder it was in such a hurry to leave,” said Jinx. “But Shichiro... you could have won, right?”

Shichiro sighed.

“I’m not going to lie to you people...” he said. “I recovered Hand of the Six Samurai with Drill Warrior’s effect... I had Double Summon... And the card I was about to play was Pot of Avarice.

“If I had used it and had drawn another Samurai, I could have destroyed Cyber Eltanin... Otherwise... With my Drill Warrior tied down and in Attack Mode...”

He shivered.

“That thing is no pushover,” said Ember. “We need a plan…”

“First thing’s first,” said Jalal. “The Paragons are vashar?”

“That’s what they told Ember, yes,” said Jinx.

Jalal paused. He looked indifferent.

“Should we be concerned?” asked Gears.

“Actually, I’m relieved,” replied Jalal. “That story always worried me… I worried that vashar might have been on Earth, posing as humans, and that there might have been hundreds, plotting diabolical schemes.

“Those four are pretty bad, but now that we’ve learned that they’re the only four left… It’s rather a relief.”

“Jalal...” said Ember. “I know this sounds crazy… I know that the vashar did some pretty terrible things… But if the gods really cast the forerunner of their race aside like he was garbage…”

“Stop right there,” said Jalal. “Michiko, did Iggwilv tell you who wrote that story?”

Ember stopped short.

“Uh...” she said.

“She said that The Book of Vile Darkness was written by…”

It slowly sunk in.

“Because the legend was written by them, Michiko, it was interpreted by them,” said Jalal. “And if an evil race blames someone for a sorrowful past, the interpretation is subject to their biased view of the facts. There might have been far more that the story didn’t tell. And I trust I need not say more.”

“So what are we going to do about the aboleth?” asked Shichiro.

“Well, that’s a sticky wicket, as we Brits are fond of saying,” replied Jalal, rubbing his chin again. “But I have a plan that I think can weaken its influence on this world.

“Its power on Earth is tied to the four Elemental Nodes that the Primals built so long ago. If we were to locate those Nodes and destroy their power sources, the aboleth might be rendered helpless.

“Of course, that’s likely easier said than done, and I expect fierce resistance when you make the attempt. I contacted a specialist who agreed to act as a guide. He will be here in the morning.”

“It’s expecting one of us to meet with it at midnight…” said Jinx. “Tell you what, I’ll go this time.”

“Dinner is served!” shouted Boris from the kitchen. “Lasagna up! And wait until you see this garlic bread... I used twice the normal garlic!”

“You guys do have enough toothpaste in this place, right?” asked Gabriel.

“Let’s eat for now...” said Jinx. “Midnight will come when it comes...”

* * * * * * * * * *

But come it did...

Dinner went by without incident, and they all took a nap afterwards. They all wished Jinx good luck. Gabriel offered to come, but Shichiro would not hear of it.

It was now ten minutes to midnight.

Jinx drove her D-Wheel across the ash-strewn wasteland that surrounded the center of the B.A.D. She was closing in on the place... The place where Yusei Fudo’s Savior Star Dragon had struck down Earthbound God Ccapac Apu in one mighty blow.

“I’m almost at the spot, people,” she said into her radio. “The control tower was somewhere around here.”

“Just be careful, Jinx,” said Shichiro. “You’ve got no idea what that thing is planning this time.”

Then Jinx heard a sound like an incredibly noisy motorcycle. She swerved to avoid a rider trying to sideswipe her from behind.

Then she saw that the rider was driving a D-Wheel that seemed to be made of fire, and that he wore leather pants and no shirt on his hulking, muscular body, and an iron mask instead of a helmet. It was the drekavac demon who had murdered Taramanda.

The creature pulled to a stop.

“You!” said Jinx.

“Why yes, it is me,” said the demon. “Uh, who am I?”

“Don’t get smart...” said Jinx. “Taramanda was hardly an innocent, but she didn’t deserve what you did to her.”

“Ah, yes... Taramanda...” said the demon, with a chuckle. “I wonder what her fate will be now...

“She didn’t live up to her end of the bargain she made when Seghulerak turned her into an anathema... So now she has to be Seghulerak’s slave forever...

“Ironic... She was an empress in life, but now...”

“You know, pal,” said Jinx, “I don’t find you the least bit funny...”

“You’ll find this even less funny,” said the demon.

He waved his hand, and a dark mist covered the field.

“What’s this?” asked Jinx.

“We’re going to Turbo Duel,” said the demon, “and it’s going to be a ride that you’ll never forget. Lose, and find out firsthand what Taramanda is experiencing.”

A Turbo Shadow Duel... thought Jinx.

“Any time you’re ready,” said the demon.

Jinx hit a command on her console, and the Speed World card flashed onto her screen.

“Duel Mode engaged,” said the computer.

The silvery void of Speed World covered the dark wasteland.

(Jinx: 8,000, SPC: 0) - - - - - - - - - (Demon Guardian: 8,000, SPC: 0)

“Hang on,” said the demon. “Things are gonna get kinda bumpy!”

The two D-Wheels sped off from the starting point, the fiend’s demonic bike leaving a trail of flames in its wake.

Jinx made her opening draw, and looked at the six cards on her gauntlet.

She chose two of them, and threw them on her console. Two reversed cards appeared, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

“That will be all for now,” she said, as they faded from view.

“You think you’re safe defending?” said the demon, as he made a draw.

Both Speed Counters clicked up to 1.

“Well, think again. Since you control a Monster and I don’t, I can Normal Summon this creature with no sacrifice.”

He said Normal Summon... thought Jinx. It isn’t Cyber Dragon or Vice Dragon...

“I summon Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer!” exclaimed the demon.

In an aura of black flames, a phantom Monster appeared. It looked like an aborigine tribesman wearing skins and war paint, holding a long spear. (2,000 ATK)

“And this guy doesn’t really care what Mode your Monster is in,” continued the demon, “because he inflicts damage either way.

“Attack her Monster!”

The Ghost Lancer did a 180 and lunged at Jinx’s hidden Monster. XX-Saber Emmersblade appeared, and pain ripped through Jinx’s chest as he was skewered.

“I use Emmersblade’s effect,” said Jinx, “to Special Summon X-Saber Palomlo!”

In a flash of light, the small lizard-man holding a spear appeared. (200 ATK)

“I’ll set this, and end my turn,” said the demon, as a facedown card appeared behind the Zombie.

Jinx caught her breath, and made a draw.

(J: 6,800, SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 8,000, SPC: 2)

“I summon X-Saber Anabelera!” she shouted.

In a flash of light, the female, armored X-Saber appeared, holding her whip aloft. (1,800 ATK)

“Then, I Tune them both together...”

The two X-Sabers leapt into the air, and turned into five glowing stars...

“Legend of the Old West, he rides from out of the wildness with determination on his face, courage and fortitude riding alongside him! Clustering stars form a path to victory in this wild land...

“Synchro Summon... X-Saber Wayne!”

As she spoke these words, there was a galloping of hooves, and a rider on a horse appeared next to Jinx’s bike...

The horse vanished, and X-Saber Wayne appeared flying in front of her D-Wheel. He drew his weapon, and gave it a twirl. (2,100 ATK)

“Now, I use his effect,” continued Jinx. “I can Special Summon a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand. Like X-Saber Galahad.”

The portal opened again, and the toad-like Warrior in armor holding his lance flew out next to Wayne. (1,800 ATK)

“And they call my kind ugly,” grumbled the demon.

“Beauty is only skin-deep,” said Jinx, “and so is ugliness. Galahad, crush that Zombie! Chivalrous blade!”

Galahad made a rush at the phantom, and his Attack Score went up to 2,100. He stabbed at the Ghost Lancer with his own lance, and it burst with a chilling moan.

Wayne flew out far in front of both bikes.

“Wayne, attack that demon directly!” shouted Jinx. “Saber six-shooter!”

Wayne aimed at the front of the demonic motorcycle, and fired six rounds. The demon barely flinched as the bullets riddled his bare skin.

“Uh... doesn’t that hurt?” asked Jinx.

“Fool...” chuckled the demon. “The pain of a Shadow Duel means nothing to my kind. In the depths of the Abyss, pain is a part of life. Folks like me have to adapt to it, or we don’t survive.

“Pain only makes us stronger... And this duel, it only helps me!”

His facedown card spun around.

“I activate Damage Condenser! I toss one card...”

He threw a card into his discard slot.

“...and in return, I can Special Summon a Monster from my deck, so long as its Attack Score isn’t greater than the amount of damage I just took.

“I choose to summon Hellfire Sleeping Princess – Ghost Sleeper.”

In another aura of dark flames, a new Zombie appeared. It looked like a skeleton dressed in a rotting, torn, bridal dress. (1,300 ATK)

“If you think for a minute I’m scared of Miss Havisham there…” said Jinx.

“Eh?” said the demon. “I don’t get the reference...”

“Figures...” said Jinx. “I didn’t think you were much of a ‘reader’. I end my turn.”

The demon made a draw.

(J: 6,800, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 1)

“You may not be afraid of Sleeping Princess,” he said, “but I assure you, what I can summon using it may be a different story.

“I play Speed Spell – Overboost, which increases my Speed Counters by 4.”

The Spell Card appeared, and his D-Wheel suddenly shifted in speed, pulling ahead of Jinx.

“They’ll fall to 1 at the end of the turn, but since that’s the amount I had before I played the Spell, it doesn’t matter.

“And now that I have 5 Speed Counters, I have enough to play this...”

He played another Speed Spell.

“Speed Spell – Speed Fusion! I’ll use it to fuse together my Ghost Sleeper with Hellfire Winged Lizard – Ghost Wyvern.”

A decayed, winged dragon-man appeared next to the other Zombie. Then, a dark portal appeared, and swallowed both of them up.

Lightning flashed in the sky, and thunder rolled. A large portal started to form.

What is he summoning? thought Jinx.

There was a terrible roar, and a huge creature emerged from the portal in front of Jinx. It looked a huge, rotting, undead dragon, with flaming, glowing eyes. It reeked of death. (3,000 ATK)

“I give you Underworld Dragon Draconecro!” exclaimed the demon. “Don’t let its good looks fool you...”

The huge Zombie roared at Jinx.

“Attack X-Saber Wayne!” shouted the demon.

Jinx braced herself as a mighty wave of negative energy blasted from Draconecro’s jowls, seemingly consuming Wayne...

(J: 5,900, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 5)

But when she looked, she saw that Wayne was still there. He seemed to be in incredible pain, but he had somehow survived the attack.

“How?” she asked.

She looked at her foe, and saw that a blob of darkness was starting to form next to his bike.

“Confused?” asked the demon. “Draconecro doesn’t kill Monsters that it attacks. What is does do is steal their souls. And as you can see from looking at Wayne, it has a debilitating effect.”

Jinx looked at Wayne. It was true. His Attack Score had been reduced to zero.

“As for what Draconecro does with the souls it steals,” continued the demon, “it makes good use of them...”

The blob of darkness then formed into a shadowy copy of Wayne, a duplicate all in black. (2,100 ATK)

“Meet Wayne Dark Soul,” laughed the demon. “And my Battle Phase continues...

“Wayne Dark Soul, attack your better half!”

The dark version of Wayne aimed a duplicate of Wayne’s gun, and pulled the trigger. With a ghostly howl, a blast of screaming phantoms shot from it, hitting Wayne. He didn’t shatter, but groaned even more. Jinx felt the pain in her chest again.

“Now that you’ve sampled Draconecro’s power, Miss Noriko,” said the demon, “I’ll end my turn and turn it over to you.”

His Speed Counters fell down to 1, and his D-Wheel slowed down considerably.

Jinx couldn’t help but shiver as she made a draw.

(J: 3,800, SPC: 1) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 2)

Her other facedown card spun around.

“I activate Altar for Tribute,” she said. “This lets me sacrifice a Monster, and gain Life Points equal to that Monster’s base Attack Points.”

Galahad vanished, and both Jinx and her bike glowed with golden light.

“Why did you do that?” asked the demon. “If you had any sense you would have gotten rid of that soulless shell in front of you. He’s useless right now.”

“Not exactly,” said Jinx. “I summon X-Saber Passiul.”

The portal opened again, and the X-Saber in blue with the large sword appeared next to Wayne. (100 ATK)

“Another Tuner?” asked the demon.

“You got it!” said Jinx. “I Tune Wayne and Passiul together...”

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and turned into seven glowing stars.

“Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield!

“Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!”

With a flash of light, Urbellum landed, and drew his twin swords. (2,200 ATK)

“Urbellum, destroy that imposter!” shouted Jinx. “Take down Wayne Dark Soul!”

Urbellum flew at Wayne’s shadow-self, and with one slash of his blade, ripped it to shreds.

“Not bad,” said the demon. “but you’ll find Draconecro much harder to defeat.”

Jinx took her last card and set it on her Disk.

“We’ll see,” she said. “It’s your move...”

“Fool...” said the demon, making a draw.

(J: 5,600, SPC: 2) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 3)

“Draconecro, time to gain a new soul,” he said.

The undead dragon roared, and loomed over Urbellum.

“I don’t think so...” said Jinx.

“Eh?” said the demon. “A Trap? What is it?”

“One Seriousness,” said Jinx, as her facedown card spun around. “It Equips to Urbellum, and raises his Attack Score by 800 points.”

(3,000 ATK)

“Their scores are equal!” shouted the demon. “They’ll kill each other!”

“No they won’t,” said Jinx. “Your Monster can’t destroy Monsters that it battles, remember?”

The demon realized that it was only too true. Urbellum made a slash with his even bigger sword, cutting Underworld Dragon Draconecro in half down the middle.

Curses, he thought. Draconecro has to do damage to take a soul...

“And since Urbellum destroyed a Monster while using One Seriousness,” said Jinx. “I get to draw one card.”

She made a draw.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


The demon set a card on his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

“This duel isn’t over yet,” he said. “It’s your move.”

Jinx made another draw.

This guy will be good later, she thought.

“Urbellum, attack him directly!” she shouted.

Urbellum rushed at the demon’s bike.

“Not so fast!” shouted the fiend. “I have a Trap too...”

His facedown card spun around.

“Zero Gravity! It forces all Monsters on the field to switch Modes.”

Urbellum backed off, and shielded himself in Defense Mode. (1,300 DEF)

Jinx sighed.

“That’s all I can do,” she said.

“Then it’s my move...” said the demon, as he made a draw.

His bike accelerated a little more as he looked at the card. Thunder rumbled overhead a little more.

(J: 5,600, SPC: 4) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 5)

“I summon Hellfire Pirate – Jolly Roger,” he said.

Jinx watched as a hideous Zombie appeared next to the demon’s bike. It looked like the corpse of a drowned man that had been submerged for some time, bloated and waterlogged, dripping with foul liquid. It wore a rotting pirate outfit, and carried a cutlass. (2,000 ATK)

“So this guy has the same summoning effect as your Ghost Lancer?” asked Jinx.

“No,” replied the demon. “Remember when I discarded a card to play Damage Condenser? The card I discarded was a Zombie called Sleepy Beauty.

“When it’s in my Graveyard, all of my Zombies have their Levels downgraded by 1.

“Anyway... Jolly Roger, keelhaul her X-Saber!”

The Hellfire Pirate moaned, and slashed at Urbellum with its cutlass, blowing him to pixels.

“Heh, heh...” said the demon. “It’s your move...”

Jinx quickly made a draw.

“I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!” she exclaimed.

Fulhelmknight leapt onto the field, her daggers flashing. (1,300 ATK)

Then she looked a little scared at the eerie atmosphere surrounding the two D-Wheels.

“Calm down...” said Jinx. “I have it all under control...”

I hope...

“It’s your move...”

The demon made a draw.

“Jolly Roger, eviscerate that X-Saber!” he commanded.

The Zombie rushed at Fulhelmknight...

“I activate Fulhelmknight’s effect!” shouted Jinx. “Just once, she can block one of your attacks!”

Fulhelmknight raised her hand, and the Jolly Roger bounced off an invisible shield.

The demon growled a little.

“I end my turn!” he shouted.

This is getting annoying, he thought. That aboleth had better be prepared to pay me when I get back. I wonder what it’s doing now, anyway?

* * * * * * * * * *

Down under the city, in another of the aboleth’s dark audience chambers, Hebi-Na slithered in. She had a Duel Disk on her left arm, and held a flashlight with her right.

She shone it on the pool.

“I know you’re here...” she said, angrily. “Come out and face me.”

A low chuckle echoed through the chamber.

“I’m curious, Hebi-Na...” said the aboleth’s voice. “How did you find me?”

“I did some research, you lunatic!” she shouted back. “I found out that it was an aboleth that summoned that drekavac demon, and after that, finding out the rest was easy.

“Now show yourself!”

The pool started to churn and bubble, and after about a minute, the creature rode out on its now-repaired hovercraft. It had quickly fixed the problem that had forced it to flee before, and wasn’t worried about the same thing happening this time.

It looked at Hebi-Na. It admired her attitude. Not that it would convince it to spare her life.

“I have to admit, snake, I’m impressed...” it said. “So, now you’re here for revenge? I thought you didn’t like humans.”

“We ophidia may hate humans,” replied Hebi-Na, “but if you things count all vertebrates as your enemies, I got news for you... Reptiles are vertebrates. It seems that ophidia and humans have a common enemy now. It may be the only thing so far that the two races would agree on.”

“Don’t make me laugh...” said the aboleth. “You snakes are nothing but an evolutionary dead end. Your race had its chance, and failed, just as the dinosaurs did.”

“And is your race any different?” asked Hebi-Na. “You seem to be hiding in the shadows as much as we are.”

“At least we never tried to destroy a world in order to prosper,” it replied.

“Liar...” said Hebi-Na. “I know all about Nal Xem, the world that the Psurlons claimed as the headquarters of their trade consortium. I did research, remember?

“Nal Xem was once a paradise world, with lush forests, lolling hills, and sparkling lakes. Its wilderness was teeming with life, and poets would come from hundreds of worlds to be inspired by the songbirds who sang like the choirs of angels...

“But the Psurlons bought land there until they owned the whole planet. They built their factories, and mined the place for its resources. The tore the forests down, and ripped up the landscapes.

“Today, Nal Xem is nothing but a wasteland of dead tree stumps and strip mines under a smog-filled sky. All of the wildlife has long become extinct. Members of other races need breathing aids to spend time there without getting sick. It’s no wonder you choose to direct the Psurlons’ activities from Earth. You’re an aquatic Shadowkind, and there’s no water there that can sustain life!”

“Yes there is...” replied the aboleth. “We just keep it to ourselves...”

“Know what the irony is?” asked Hebi-Na. “The Power Primordial is the power that was unleashed in the moment of Creation. And in your mad quest to harness it, you do the opposite of creating. You only destroy!”

“So what are you going to do about it?” asked the aboleth. “I could turn you into a snakeskin purse right now if I wanted to.”

Hebi-Na held up her Disk.

“I challenge you to a battle of Duel Monsters...” said Hebi-Na. “If you win, you are free to do with me as you please... But if I win, I leave you where the Shadowchasers can find you.”

“Interesting...” said the aboleth. “Tell me, if by some chance you actually win, what will you do then?”

Hebi-Na sighed she bowed her head.

“I... I don’t know, honestly...” she said. “Right now, I’ll most likely hole up in some place in Satellite, and purposely let the Shadowchasers know I’m there... Then, when they send a squad to surround the place and tell me to give myself up, I’ll rush out at the nearest one holding a knife...”

The aboleth chuckled.

“The old ‘suicide by cop’ maneuver, huh?” it said. “Well, how can I refuse?

“This might even be fun...”

Hebi-Na activated her Disk...

* * * * * * * * * *

(J: 5,600, SPC: 6) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,800, SPC: 7)

Jinx drew a card.

“I sacrifice Fulhelmknight...” she said.

The young X-Saber turned into an orb of light.

“...to summon Allsword Commander Gatmuz!”

The portal opened, and the hulking Beast-Warrior in full plate, holding his mighty sword, emerged. (2,100 ATK)

“Make that pirate walk the plank!” she shouted. “Severing slash!”

Gatmuz roared, and flew at Hellfire Pirate. With one swing of his weapon, the Zombie was cut in half.

“Nice...” said the demon, “but when Hellfire Pirate is destroyed by battle, and I have no other Monsters, I can remove it and a second Zombie in my Graveyard from play..."

Jolly Roger and Ghost Sleeper slipped out of his discard slot.

"...and then I get to draw two cards.”

He made two draws.

“And I believe it’s my move...”

He made a third draw.

(J: 5,600, SPC: 7) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 5,700, SPC: 8)

He set two cards on his Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Your move,” he said, as they faded.

Jinx made a draw.

X-Saber Axel?? she thought. Not exactly the guy I was hoping for...

She put it with her other two cards.

“Commander...” she said. “Get ‘im...”

Gatmuz lifted his sword again.

“I activate a Trap,” said the demon, as his facedown card spun around. “It’s called Dark Dowry.

“This is a little confusing, so listen closely. I select one Monster on the field. It can’t be a reversed Monster, so I can only choose Allsword Commander Gatmuz.

“Then, the Monster I select gains the effect of one Monster in my Graveyard for the rest of the turn. But here’s where it gets interesting... YOU get to choose which one!”

Jinx gave him a strange look.

“Fine!” she said. “Since it only lasts a turn, I choose Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer, so he can gain its trampling effect!”

“Thanks...” chuckled the demon. “I was kinda hoping you’d choose that one...”

Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and Gatmuz sliced it in half. The demon’s bike shook a little.

“Due to Dark Mimic’s effect, I get one draw,” he said, making a draw. “And since I took damage, due to your choice, I get to summon... THIS!

“Tragoedia, arise!”

With a roar and a plume of black smoke, the horrible demon appeared in front of both their bikes. It looked at Jinx with a smile... Not a very pleasant smile, one that all teeth and very little actual smile.

“Its bark is worse than his bite now,” said Jinx. “With only two cards in your hand, its Attack Score isn’t that impressive.”

(1,200 ATK)

“We’ll soon see...” said the demon. “It’s my move...”

He made a draw.

(J: 5,800, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 4,600, SPC: 9)

“I activate Tragoedia’s effect,” he continued. “I choose one Monster in my Graveyard, and its Level becomes equal to that Monsters Level.

“So I’ll choose Hellfire Spearman – Ghost Lancer, which means Tragoedia’s Level becomes 5.

“Then I’ll summon Dark Resonator.”

The small Fiend Tuner wearing a foolscap, holding a tuning fork and mallet appeared. (1,300 ATK)

A Synchro Summon? thought Jinx. But to summon what?

Dark Resonator and Tragoedia turned into eight glowing stars, which flew into the sky. The demon raised his hands, and chanted.

“The first heretic, who dared to question the wisdom of the Demiurge... The only member of the seraphim hosts to rebel against the Hebdomad... Crawl forth from the depths of the Abyss where you fell to show you’re your true might...

“Synchro Summon... Iblis the Dark One!”

There was an aura of black flames again, and a frightening creature flew out of the sky. Although this creature was clearly a Fiend, he had obviously once been a fallen angel. His muscular frame was now coal-black, he had horns on his brow, and his wings were now molted and composed of black feathers. His hands were clawed, and his feet were taloned. He wore only a breechcloth made of fine silk. His eyes glowed with hellish fire. (2,700 ATK)

“Ho boy...” said Jinx.

“Let me explain this Monster’s effect,” continued the demon. “It cannot be simpler. I get to name one Attribute now, and when Iblis here attacks Monsters of that Attribute, he gains 1,000 Attack Points.

“But... When he’s being attacked by Monsters of that Attribute, he loses 1,000 Attack Points.

“Simple? Good. Iblis, wipe out Allsword Commander Gatmuz with primordial hellfire!”

The fallen angel formed a ball of black flame in his hand, and his Attack Score rose to 3,700. He hurled it, reducing Gatmuz to ashes in an instant. Jinx groaned, and struggled to keep her bike upright.

The demon set a card in on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

“Make your move,” he said.

Jinx quickly whipped the top card off her deck.

(J: 4,000, SPC: 9) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 4,600, SPC: 10)

“I Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!” she shouted.

The portal opened behind her, and Gardestrike leapt out, holding his scimitar up high. (2,100 ATK)

“So, your Monster loses 1,000 Attack Points when an Earth Monster attacks it?” she asked.

“Gardestrike... Attack!”

The Beast-Warrior leapt at Iblis...

“I activate Proof of Powerlessness!” shouted the demon, as his facedown card spun around. “Because I have a Monster that's at least Level 7, I can destroy all Level 5 or lower Monsters!”

Gardestrike shattered into pixels.

“The downside is, I can’t attack this turn... But because it isn’t my turn, that doesn’t really matter.”

Jinx took X-Saber Axel from her gauntlet.

I was wrong... she thought. This guy is useful after all.

She set the card on her console, and it appeared reversed in front of her. Then she set another card, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell Zone.

“I end my turn,” she said. “It’s your move...”

The demon drew a card. It considered for a minute.

Flames shot from the back of its bike as it hit the maximum number of Speed Counters. He did a wheelie, and pulled ahead of Jinx.

He pointed and Iblis threw his ball of flame, incinerating Axel.

"I use X-Saber Palomlo's effect!" shouted Jinx. "I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon him from my Graveyard!"

In a flash, Palomlo appeared in front of her bike. (300 DEF)

"Make your move," said the demon.

Jinx drew a card. As she did, her D-Wheel shifted into the highest gear as well. Shannalla appeared behind her.

"You sure you ready for this?" she asked.

"Oh yeah..." said Shannalla, with a hint of anger in her voice. "Let me at him..."

"Okay then..." said Jinx.

Her facedown card spun around, revealing Gatmuz's Urgent Orders. Axel appeared first (400 ATK), then Fulhelmknight. (1,300 ATK)

"With three X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!"

Faultroll flew onto the field, holding aloft his mighty greatsword. (2,400 ATK)

"I Tune together Axel, Faultroll, and Fulhelmknight..."

The three X-Sabers flew into the sky, and the three blazing suns appeared over the ash-strewn wasteland.

"Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

"Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"

Shannalla descended from the heavens, looking at the demon and his Monster with a scowl on her face. (2,600 ATK)

"Shannalla is an Earth Monster," she said, "so she could take down tall, dark, and gruesome on her own..."

A card slipped out of her discard slot.

"But why not go for the gusto? I remove X-Saber Urbellum from play to make her even stronger."

Shannalla flexed her muscles. (4,800 ATK)

"Accursed wench..." growled the demon.

"Shannalla, attack!" shouted Jinx. "Send Iblis the Dark One back where he belongs! Pouncing tiger rage!"

Shannalla leapt at Iblis the Dark One, and the Fiend's Attack Score fell to 1,700. The drekavac demon truly screamed this time as her sword hit home and Iblis was blasted out of existence.

(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 1,500, SPC: 9)

"That hurt..." he muttered.

He growled.

"THAT HURT!"

Jinx set another card on her console, and a reversed card appeared in her Spell Zone before fading from view.

"Make your move..." she said.

The demon snarled as he drew a card.

He threw all three of his cards onto his console, and three reversed cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

"I'm done..." he said.

Jinx nervously made a draw.

Got to be careful here... she thought.

"I know that your chick has an Ancient Gear effect," said the demon, as one of his cards spun around, "so I'm activating this now... The Spellbinding Circle!"

Shannalla gasped as a glowing pentagram appeared around her, trapping her inside.

"No..." gasped Jinx. "I'll show you...

"Come out, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"

Lei Lei jumped out of the portal with a snarl. (2,300 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" she shouted.

Lei Lei pounced at the demon's bike.

"Temper, temper, Miss Noriko..." said the demon.

Another Trap Card spun around.

"Activate Draining Shield!"

Lei Lei bounced off an invisible shield, and fell backwards.

Then he slumped down into Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

Jinx looked at the last card in her hand. She set it on her console, and it appeared facedown.

"End!" she said.

The demon chuckled as he made a draw.

(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 3,800, SPC: 11)

"First, I summon Mezuki to the field," he said, playing the card.

The horse-headed, axe-wielding Yokai emerged from the portal. (1,700 ATK)

"Then, I activate Call of the Haunted!"

His last Trap Card spun around. A look of fear appeared on Shannalla's face as Underworld Dragon Draconecro appeared again. (3,000 ATK)

Shannalla tried to struggle, but the Trap was holding her too tight.

"Draconecro..." said the demon. "You know what to do..."

Shannalla closed her eyes tight as the huge Zombie prepared to attack.

"You're gonna be fine!" shouted Jinx, as her Trap Card spun around. "I activate... Baton of the Hero!

"Now, I can choose the target of Draconecro's attack... And I choose Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!"

Draconecro's blast of negative energy shot at the defending Beast-Warrior. He made no reaction whatsoever.

"Since your Zombie can't destroy Monsters by battle, the attack became pointless," said Jinx. "And it's ironic that I use Baton of the Hero against you here... This same Trap was used by Yusei when he confronted Kiryu at this very site.

"And just like now, it made a big difference."

"Mezuki, destroy her Indomitable Fighter," growled the demon.

Mezuki flew up to Lei Lei and made a slash with his axe, cutting him in twain.

Ironies are lost on some people... thought Jinx.

"It's my move..." she said.

She made a draw.

"And it's time to end this once and for all!" she shouted.

Her facedown card flipped up. It was Limit Reverse.

X-Saber Passiul appeared on the field again. (100 ATK)

"Huh?" said the demon. "Him again?"

"Then I summon X-Saber Urz," continued Jinx.

With a flash, the X-Saber with the demonic face, holding twin scimitars, appeared next to Passiul. (1,600 ATK)

"Time for one final Synchro Summon," she said, as the two Monsters turned into six glowing stars.

She chanted one last time.

"The Code of the Samurai reborn in the body of a powerful warrior! Spirits of the land endowing strength to her mighty blade! Clustering stars bring tradition to the modern era…

"Synchro Summon… XX-Saber Hyunlei!"

Hyunlei landed in front of Jinx's bike, and drew her katana with a flourish. (2,300 ATK)

"Now, I can use her effect to destroy up to three Spell or Trap Cards," continued Jinx.

Spellbinding Circle and Call of the Haunted shattered. Shannalla burst free in rage.

"No..." gasped the demon. "If Call of the Haunted is destroyed..."

"Draconecro goes with it," added Jinx.

The huge Zombie roared, and burst into a cloud of black dust.

"Now, I remove XX-Saber Faultroll from play to activate Shannalla's effect again..."

(5,000 ATK)

"Ladies... Let's finish this..."

Hyunlei leapt at Mezuki, and with one swipe of her katana, cut the Zombie in half down the middle.

Then Shannalla flew at the guardian demon.

"Enough of this..." he said. "That aboleth doesn't pay me enough..."

He shifted gears, and turned off the track. But Shannalla gave chase. As he tried to get away, she threw her sword, impaling his D-Wheel.

The demon lost control... He was thrown from his ride just as it exploded into a blast of hellfire...

(J: 3,700, SPC: 12) - - - - - - - - - (DG: 0, SPC: 0)

Jinx got off her bike. She took her helmet off, and looked at the fire.

Some people never learn... she thought.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the aboleth’s lair, the demon was suspended in a globe of blue energy.

“That was the shoddiest job I have ever seen,” said the aboleth. “I told you to scare the living daylights out of whoever came, who ended up trying to flee like a coward? You did.”

“I’ll live with your disappointment,” said the demon. “It’s not like you can kill me. You’d be violating the contract you made with my master.”

“That may be true,” said the aboleth. “But I can enact the escape clause that lets me sell your contract to another party, or trade it for another item or service of value.”

“What?” said the aboleth. “Then... Who am I going to be working for?”

“The Doomdreamers,” replied the aboleth. “I think your services should be enough to pay them back for a deal I made with them last year.”

“Oh, come ON!” shouted the demon. “Those lunatics?? You can’t expect me to...”

“What are you upset about?” asked the aboleth. “I figured working for them will remind you of home.”

“It WILL!” cried the demon, who was now very upset. “Why do you think I was so anxious to leave??”

He was about to say something else, but the aboleth gestured, and he vanished.

“Let’s see...” it said. “I think it’s been about an hour since I dealt with Hebi-Na... Better go check on her...”

* * * * * * * * * *

One would think that a Turbo Shadow Duel would make it hard to sleep. But Jinx slept like a log after getting back. Everyone did.

At eight the next morning, everyone was up with the sun. They had been told that this specialist would be here soon. Boris was making pancakes and sausage.

“So who is this guy?” asked Ember, as she reached for the orange juice.

“I assume one of the Incantifers that the Shadowchasers are allied with,” replied Gears. “They’re usually the ones that Jalal calls in when he needs a specialist.”

Then the doorbell rang.

“That must be him now,” said Shichiro.

He went to the door and looked out the window.

“Well I’ll be...” he said.

A minute later, he walked into the kitchen, with someone following him. Everyone was shocked when they saw that it was actually Wilhelm. He wasn’t alone either. He was carrying Sorsha.

“Wilhelm?” said Gears. “How was Mumbai?”

“Hot,” said the hellfire warlock, as he sat down. “I was in the Abyss for so long, I kind of forgot how unpleasant hot weather was in the mortal world. But I managed to do my business and deal with some trouble that the Dual-Sided Cult was getting into.

“Anyway, Jalal briefed me. We need to get to these Elemental Nodes, right?”

“Yeah,” said Jinx. “Where are they?”

“Well, an Elemental Node has to be built where the elemental aspect it is to be dedicated to is strong.”

He gestured, and an illusory map of the world appeared over the table.

“They’re in remote areas, very far apart from each other. My Staff of Portals can take us to the general areas...”

Four lights lit up on the map, two in North America, one in Europe, and one in Asia.

“Once we get to these places, of course, taking care of whatever is guarding them and dealing with any hazards is going to be your job. The aboleth hasn’t survived from the beginning of time by being stupid.”

“So where do we start?” asked Shichiro.

Boris slid a plate of pancakes in front of Wilhelm.

“Thanks...” he said. “We have any coffee?”

“Yep,” said Boris. “And I think I might have some tuna for Sorsha.”

“That would be nice,” said Sorsha. “They don’t sell all-too decent cat food in India.”

“As for where we should start,” said Wilhelm, “the Earth Node is the least powerful, and thus might be easiest to handle. But the Fire Node is the most powerful, and destroying it would inflict the most damage on that aboleth.

“But... In theory, destroying one Node starts a process that weakens the other Nodes. By taking them down from least to most powerful, our job might be easier.”

“Okay... Earth Node it is...” said Shichiro.

The map zoomed up to one of the lighted areas, which was focused on California.

“Then as soon as everyone is ready we will head for our goal...” he said. “Yosemite National Park...

“Let’s just hope our friend isn’t expecting us...”



SPEED SPELL – OVERBOOST (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Four golden stars flying through the energy of Speed World.

Card Description: Increase your Speed Counters by 4. At the End Phase of the turn, reduce your Speed Counters to 1.

Note: “Speed Spell – Overboost” was first used by Jack in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Fortune Cup Finale (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HELLFIRE SPEARMAN – GHOST LANCER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 0

Card Description: If your opponent controls a Monster and you control no Monsters, you can Normal Summon this card from with no Tribute. When this card battles a Defense Position Monster with an Attack Score greater than the attack target’s Defense Score, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points.



HELLFIRE SLEEPING PRINCESS – GHOST SLEEPER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: When a man of noble birth mourned too long for his deceased sweetheart, she returned, but as a soulless, hideous thing. Sometimes, the dead are best left to rest in peace…



HELLFIRE WINGED LIZARD – GHOST WYVERN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: An undead dragon, animated from the rage felt at the time of death when it was slain by a heroic knight. It wanders the world seeking revenge, even though its slayer perished years ago.



UNDERWORLD DRAGON DRACONECRO (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 0

Card Description: “Hellfire Sleeping Princess – Ghost Sleeper” + “Hellfire Winged Lizard – Ghost Wyvern”

This card cannot destroy Monsters by battle. When this card battles a Monster and inflicts damage, after damage calculation, reduce the ATK of the attacked Monster to zero and Special Summon an “Underworld Token” (Zombie/Dark/Lv4/ATK?/DEF0). The ATK of an “Underworld Token” is equal to the base ATK of the attacked Monster, and cannot destroy Monsters by battle.

Note: The proceeding four cards were first used by Skeleton Knight in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



SLEEPY BEAUTY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard, decrease the Level of all Zombie-Type Monsters in your hand by 1.

Note: “Sleepy Beauty” was first used by Michal in “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode 070. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HELLFIRE PIRATE – JOLLY ROGER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 0

Card Description: When this card is destroyed by battle and you control no other Monsters, you can remove this card and another Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play to draw two cards from your deck.



IBLIS THE DARK ONE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,200

Card Description: Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. When this card is Synchro Summoned, declare one Attribute. This card gains 1,000 Attack Points during the Damage Step only when attacking Monsters of the declared Attribute, and loses 1,000 Attack Points during the Damage Step only when it is the target of an attack by Monsters of that Attribute.



DARK DOWRY (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A frightened woman in a bridal dress running through a derelict cemetery.

Card Description: Select one face-up Monster. Your opponent selects one DARK Monster in your Graveyard. The Monster you selected gains the effect of the Monster your opponent selected until the End Phase of the current turn.



Next:

Hebi-Na: I’ve been a part of this whole deal since the beginning... Sadly, I don’t think I’ll see the end.

My decision to face that thing was a mistake, one I won’t get a chance to repeat. Now, one last time, I’ll be facing the Shadowchasers, and dueling with tremendous stakes.

At least the deck I have might let me gain something from them that will make this more bearable... A little compassion. One way or another, this is my last stand... But maybe someone will at least feel a little sorry for me when I’m gone. It’s more than any ophidia can hope for, but at this point, it’s truly ALL I can hope for.

“Tragedy” is coming soon.



Shadowchasers Files

The Deathpriests of Orcus; Thralls to Demon

Demogorgon is called the Prince of Demons, but that means that he commands the most authority among other demons (more or less). If you’re looking for the demon who has the most mortal worshippers, that would have to be his hated rival, and biggest current contender for his title, Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undead.

Legends say that Orcus was a mortal man countless millennia ago, a villain of great evil. His soul descended into the Abyss when he died, where he became a minor demon. He evolved over centuries, becoming stronger and stronger, eventually becoming one of the most powerful players in the insane politics of the Abyss. With domination over undead and leagues of mortal followers, many of them necromancers and other evil magicians, Orcus may be the demon who is closest to achieving true godhood.

Some people think that liches and other walking dead would be prime candidates for leading the evil cults of this being. However, few liches willing serve Orcus. They much prefer Vecna and Wee Jas. More often than not, the leaders of his cult are true ghouls, a type of undead that he created though his servant, the Ghoul King Doresain.

Unlike common ghouls, who look like decayed and rotting corpses, true ghouls are almost indistinguishable from living humans. Some are even quite attractive. Sunlight doesn’t bother them, they have no problem crossing running water, and are not repelled by holy objects, unless such objects are strongly enchanted. Many legends exist of individuals who had trusted friends, lovers, or even spouses, who were later horrified to learn that the confidant was actually an undead creature who belonged to a demonic cult. A human that actually finds himself in such a relationship had best get out of it quickly. True ghouls can turn humans into creatures like themselves via an unholy ritual, and if they truly want to continue a romantic relationship with someone, this must eventually happen.

The Deathpriests of Orcus are divided into several cells. They keep a low profile. True ghouls might pose as common citizens during the day, holding down various jobs and being active (perhaps even productive) members of the community, only meeting at night in their hidden temples for meetings and rituals. Large temples have included one in Boston, one in Madrid, one in Beijing, and one in Rio de Janeiro. All of these large temples were raided and closed down by Shadowchasers, but Jalal is certain that more remain.

The current leader of the cult is Skull Lady Shakara, also known by some as her alter ego, Sylvia Daren. A stunningly beautiful woman, it’s hard to believe she is actually the undead creature she is, at least until she is seen wearing her ceremonial garb. Describing it as “evil sorceress attire” is more accurate than one might think – she is a powerful wizard. The peculiar thing is, she was originally an unwilling recruit; the former leader of the cult turned her into a true ghoul against her will. Normally, this would have made her his slave, but she found a way to indirectly get rid of him, by tipping off the Shadowchasers while he went to a meeting with other temple leaders. Apparently, Orcus was impressed by her manipulative ability, because only she was able to pick up the scepter that bestowed leadership.

What makes Shakara especially creepy is her deck. She is capable of magically changing it whenever she wants, but the Monster Cards are special. Whenever she defeats an enemy in a Shadow Duel, she imprisons him in a special card. She can then turn that card into any Monster Card she desires, so long as it matches the victim’s gender and at least vaguely resembles his species. When she duels, her former enemies are forced to fight for her as the spirits of the cards. She does her best to try to use someone her opponent might recognize, in hopes of demoralizing him.

In theory, the Deathpriests have one major goal – recruiting more worshipers to their cause, thus gaining more power for Orcus. Orcus is incredibly power-hungry, and seeks domination of the entire Abyss, along with Demogorgon’s title. Eventually, he intends to gain the status of a true god, something that no demon lord has actually done before. This makes them a serious thorn in the Shadowchaser’s side, because the cult gets bigger by the day, and their methods of recruitment aren’t exactly honest...

Story Ideas: True ghouls are like something out of a horror movie. Once the Shadowchasers learn that some of them are in town, they may be afraid to trust anyone. The smiling waitress at a café... The friendly chef at the pizza place... Even the young woman that you’re going out with who you shared a passionate kiss with... Are they human, or are they the walking dead?

Once this fear wears off, the tone will quickly change. Where Orcus is involved, the tone turns into horror of a different type. Exactly which type might vary depending on the location. Gothic horror and supernatural horror are both possible, but it should involve undead Monsters of some sort. Shadowchasers will encounter skeletons, zombies, and strange necromantic constructs when going up against the minions of Orcus.

Shakara might work behind the scenes of any endeavor of the Deathpriests. Dueling her is incredibly dangerous, as the penalty losing means becoming her slave and a part of her deck.

Deck Suggestions: Thinking that all the Deathpriests use Zombies is a sure way to lose. They can, and do, use many different kinds of decks, depending on their individual tastes. The leadership of the cult does use Zombies, however – with a twist. Their decks utilize the Field Spell Zombie World, and focus mostly on using Monsters like Il Blud, Paladin of the Cursed Dragon, and Red Eyes Zombie Dragon to steal opposing Monsters and use them against their owner.

Shakara has this deck too, but only uses it when she is feeling merciful towards her prisoners (which is rare). She can transform the enchanted cards to create several types of decks, but is limited to archetypes that, for the most part, resemble humans. Warriors, Fairies, Spellcasters, Lightsworn, Elemental Heroes, and similar Monsters are common. It is rumored that she has had enough victories over female duelists to use only them, making decks of Harpies, Amazons, and Cyber Girls. This reveals a frightening truth... Shakara must be an excellent duelist to have fought so many Shadow Duels and won them all, because she apparently has never had to pay the price for losing one.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL FIFTY-NINE

Yosemite National Park.

Spanning three counties in southern California, it was a wilderness paradise known for its granite cliffs, clear streams, gushing waterfalls, and lush sequoia forests.

Due to the time difference, it was four-thirty in the afternoon (on the previous day) when the four Shadowchasers hiked up a steep hill with Wilhelm leading the way. Both Sorsha and Gabriel were in tow, and the hot summer sun was making it a rather tiring trek.

“So, Wilhelm...” said Jinx. “The Primals were founded in ancient Egypt... You’re saying that they not only knew about North America two and a half millennia before Columbus, they made bases here?”

“Why, yes,” said Wilhelm. “Most Shadowkind and Aware who had magical talent knew about the ‘New World’ long before anyone else did.”

“Why the secrecy?” asked Shichiro.

“They wanted to keep it for themselves,” said Wilhelm. “Folks like Magellan died trying to find the westward passage, the route to riches... Sorcerers like the Primals who knew the true layout of the world could get to the East easily, and didn’t have to share the wealth they got from it with any greedy monarchs. So for a long time, the existence of the Americas was something known only to a privileged few.”

“So...” said Ember. “Who really discovered America?”

Wilhelm chuckled.

“The elves claim that they did,” he replied. “So do the gnomes, the dwarves, and about eight other Shadowkind races. As the case is with Mundane explorers, America was ‘discovered’ several times over the ages by several different factions... And we may never know who was truly the first...”

He pointed to a cliffside up ahead.

“Our goal should be there... The Earth Node is supposed to be in a cave in that big rock formation.”

“Let’s hope you’re right...” said Gears.

Then they heard a loud hissing noise.

“Good lord!” said Ember, as they all looked at the ground. “It sounds like a nest of angry snakes!”

“No,” said a familiar voice that sounded pissed-off. “Just one big snake. But she’s still rather angry.”

They all looked in the direction of the voice. They were rather annoyed now themselves.

Hebi-Na slithered out from behind a tree. She was wearing a Duel Disk, and had a sword by her side.

“So why are you here now, Hebi-Na?” asked Shichiro. “If you were smart, you would have tried to go to Somalia, or Côte d'Ivoire, or some other place where the Shadowchasers would have to fight to even go to.”

“If I was smart, I would have hanged myself in my cell before this whole mess started,” hissed Hebi-Na. “I tried to end it on a high-note, but only made it worse... Now there’s only one thing left for me to do...”

She lifted her left arm.

“And why should we duel you?” asked Jinx. “There are five of us and only one of you.”

“Did you bring dynamite?” asked Hebi-Na. “That’s the only way you’re getting into any of the Nodes without something I can provide. If you don’t believe me, go to the entrance to the Earth Node and go in. About twenty feet into the entrance, you’ll find the tunnel blocked with bricks and mortar. The aboleth gets in by teleporting inside.

“But... It gave me something that will get you by the barriers blocking all four Nodes. You just have to beat me to get it.”

“Why are you working for the aboleth?” asked Shichiro.

“Long story,” said Hebi-Na. “One which doesn’t have a happy ending.”

“Fine,” he replied.

He stepped forward, and activated his Duel Disk.

“No thank you,” said Hebi-Na. “I want to duel him.”

She pointed to Wilhelm.

“Eh?” said Wilhelm.

“The aboleth is being smart,” said Gears. “It’s trying to do away with our guide.”

“Wilhelm...” said Jinx. “You don’t have to...”

“Horseradish!” exclaimed Wilhelm, stepping forward.

He placed his own Duel Disk on his arm, and activated it.

“I graduated from the Academy of Modern Wizardry in Vienna, second in my class. I mastered the art of the hellfire warlock. I’ve battled demon princes, infernal generals, yugoloth vassals, and various other Lower Planer riff-raff, both in spell battles and Shadow Duels. The day I can’t handle something like this is the day I turn in my wizard’s hat.”

Hebi-Na sighed.

So now it ends... she thought, looking at her deck. Let’s hope now I can truly go out with a bang, rather than a whimper.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Wilhelm: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)

“Ladies first,” said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

She almost expected some dumb joke to be made in response to that comment, but there was none, so she took three cards from her hand.

She set all three on her Disk, and three set cards appeared, one a Monster, and two Spells or Traps.

“I’ll end my turn there.”

Wilhelm drew a card, and looked at it.

This Monster would be useful, but it’s Level 5... he thought.

He looked at another Monster.

This one’s Attack Score is low, but I can defend with it.

He took that card and set it on his Disk. A set Monster appeared.

“Bad hand, Will?” asked Hebi-Na. “Well, maybe this will help...”

One of her two facedown cards lifted up. The Trap Card was a cartoonish picture of Magical Scientist being given a physical by the doctors from DNA Surgery.

“DNA Checkup, and it works as follows: You try to guess what Attribute my set Monster is.

“To make it fair, you even get two guesses.

“Guess right, and you get draw two cards. Guess wrong, and I get to draw two cards. You got that?”

“Yes, I got that...” said Wilhelm.

“Talk about clever,” said Jinx. “Wilhelm has absolutely no idea what kind of deck she’s running... This is a shot in the dark.”

“Well...” said Shichiro. “In this case, making two wild guesses with only six possibilities, he’s got a one-in-three chance.”

“I don’t often take the path of least resistance,” said Wilhelm, “but it appears now I must. I choose Light and Dark.”

Hebi-Na grinned. The set Monster lifted up slightly, and the symbol for Earth was visible. Wilhelm sighed.

“Sorry,” said Hebi-Na, “but this Monster is neither Light nor Dark.”

She made two draws.

“In that case, madam,” said Wilhelm, “my turn is over.”

“There’s really no need for formalities here, Will,” said Hebi-Na, as she drew a card.

“Like I said, people... The reason I’m here is a long story that doesn’t have a happy ending...

“And maybe once I take you through it, you’ll feel a little pity for me, rather than the hatred I see in you now...”

“Pity??” shouted Ember. “After you stuffed me into that cocoon and sent me to that snake infested jungle?”

“Taramanda did that!” shouted Hebi-Na. “I was just a tool that she cast the spell through!

“In fact, Taramanda is the key part of the first chapter of my story...”

She fit a card into her Disk, and a Continuous Spell appeared.

“You think she busted me out of jail because she liked me? Watch...”

Then the whole landscape went dark. As everyone watched, they were transported to Taramanda’s throne room. Hebi-Na was kneeling before the anathema, having just been brought there by the golem.

“Hello, Hebi-Na,” purred Taramanda. “Were you happy in prison, child?”

She spoke in a very soft, gentle tone, almost as if Hebi-Na was a child.

“Hebi-Na, you know that what you did was a big no-no,” continued the Empress. “I gave you Seghulerak’s card, and what happened?”

Hebi-Na didn’t dare answer.

Taramanda got a little angrier.

“You lost…” she said, getting off her throne. “You let our goddess be struck down… by a Shadowchaser apprentice!”

Hebi-Na wanted to run, but she knew she’d never make it to the door. No regular ophidia could outrun this creature, even if there weren’t a small squad of guards and that golem standing by.

“But all that aside, I would have been content to simply let you rot in jail,” continued the Empress. “But despite your failure, you simply know too much. I couldn’t leave you in the hands of the Shadowchasers. The curse I put on you may have kept your mouth shut for a while, but curses can be detected and lifted, and sooner or later, they were going to wonder why you would prefer the Coffin of Stone to turning informant...

“When Saramanda turned informant, dozens of ophidia projects were set back years, and dozens more were completely ruined… I could not risk the possibility that you’d do the same thing…”

Taramanda seized Hebi-Na by the throat…

Then a transformation started to occur. Every other ophidia in the room, Hssimim and Csimith included, started to get nervous. Taramanda was starting to assume her true form.

It was a horrifying sight to behold. Her face changed shape to that of a king cobra, and two smaller cobras sprouted from her shoulders. Her human half became covered with snake-like scales.

“Time for your punishment, Hebi-Na,” hissed the anathema.

Then the vision stopped. They were back at the duel.

“She only broke you out of jail so she could kill you?” asked Jinx, softly.

“Yes...” replied Hebi-Na. “I was only spared because someone, who I would later learn was the aboleth, gave me the knowledge of the Dark Synchros. It was also the one who let Taramanda find that golem in the first place.

“But anyway, back to the duel. Because I played Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories, if either of us draws a Monster during our Draw Phases, it goes back to the deck, and then the deck is reshuffled.

“Now, I flip my Monster into Attack Mode...”

Her facedown Monster flipped up.

“Dweller in the Depths!”

A Dragon with jet black scales, dark wings, and glowing eyes appeared where the card had been. It growled at Wilhelm. (1,500 ATK)

“And because I have a Continuous Spell on the field,” continued Hebi-Na, “it gains a little bonus.”

(1,800 ATK)

“Attack his Monster!”

Dweller in the Depths breathed a card of corrosive gas at the reversed card...

Then, when the cloud dissipated, a simple-looking bed with a sleeper in it appeared on the card.

“Huh?” said Hebi-Na.

There was a spooky moan, and a ghostly phantom holding a shield and sword floated out of the bed. (1,800 DEF)

“That’s The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams,” said Wilhelm. “And it seems that the battle was a draw.”

Hebi-Na put her hand on her hip.

“Just move...” she said.

Wilhelm made a draw.

He turned it around, showing that it wasn’t a Monster.

“Seems luck is with me so far,” he said, as he added it to his hand.

“I sacrifice my Ghost...”

The Gross Ghost and its bed turned into a dark orb of energy.

“...to summon the Poet of Hell... Helpoemer!”

In a fiery burst of hellfire, a hideous Fiend appeared. It was a humanoid with leathery, black, skin, fanged mouths all over its torso, propped up against a stone slab. It wore only a tattered kilt. (2,000 ATK)

“Wilhelm uses Fiends?” asked Ember. “I thought he spent his time fighting demons...”

“Of course I use Fiends,” chuckled Wilhelm. “It takes one to defeat one, you know...

“Anyway... Helpoemer, destroy Dweller in the Depths with Chthonian chatter!”

The Fiend’s multiple mouths let out a horrible gibbering noise, and the shadowy Dragon shattered into pieces.

“My Dragon’s not going alone!” cursed Hebi-Na, as her other facedown card shot up. “I activate Michizure!”

Helpoemer shattered into pieces.

Wilhelm looked where his Monster had been.

“I end my turn,” he said.

(W: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)

Hebi-Na made a draw.

She turned the card around, showing that it was a Spell.

Corridor of Agony? thought Wilhelm. Why would she need that?

“Time to continue my story,” said Hebi-Na, as she played another Continuous Spell Card. “In fact, just like last time, I’m going to show you, using Sad Story – Unwavering Truth.”

Darkness descended on the field again.

“I wasn’t well-liked by the other ophidia even after I became the holder of the Dark Synchros. Remember Hssimim? That loudmouth with the Worm Deck? Here’s how he reacted after one of the Dark Synchros was defeated.”

They were in Taramanda’s throne room again. Two cards appeared in Hebi-Na’s hands.

“Seems Rhys was a big loser,” she said.

Hssimim growled.

“Your majesty,” he snarled, turning to Taramanda, “I renew my objection to this stupid plan! We should throw these idiotic Dark Synchros in the trash can before we have a major crisis...”

He looked at Hebi-Na.

“Along with the moron who’s been in charge of giving them out...”

“HEY!” shouted Hebi-Na. “I prepared a decent deck for Rhys to use that would have made excellent use of Typhoeus... But she chose to steal one instead! Blame her!”

“Maybe she did it because she saw that the deck you gave her was crap,” said Hssimim, getting in her face.

“SHUT UP!” shouted Taramanda. “Both of you! I’m tired of your incessant arguing!

“I want you both out of my site until you agree not to squabble like children! Begone!”

Hssimim and Hebi-Na gulped. They bowed, and quickly left the room.

Hebi-Na sighed again.

“As much as I hated Hssimim...” she said. “As much as I still hate him... It seems he was right all along... If we had thrown those accursed cards away when we had the chance, all of this trouble may not have happened...”

“Hebi-Na...” said Ember.

“Leave me alone!” said Hebi-Na. “I have Sad Story – Unwavering Truth on the field now, and it does for Spell Cards what Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories does for Monster Cards!”

“Gott in Himmel...” muttered Wilhelm.

“I end my turn!” said Hebi-Na.

Wilhelm made a draw.

He let a sigh of relief out. It was a Trap Card.

I don’t know what this ophidia plans to do, he thought, but maybe she can help me when she does it.

He set three cards on his Disk, and three cards appeared in his Spell/Trap Zone.

“That will be all,”

“Then I draw,” said Hebi-Na.

She drew a card.

“But, because this is a Monster,” she said, showing him the card, which was Sangan, “Sorrowful Memories sends it back to my deck...”

She put the card back in her deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

“Now it’s time for the gut-wrenching conclusion to my story...” she said, as yet another Continuous Spell appeared.

“Another Sad Story card?” asked Jinx.

“That’s right,” said Hebi-Na. “Sad Story – Dreadful Day, and oh what a dreadful day it was, only yesterday...”

The field went dark for the third time.

“I had nothing... No home, nowhere to go... My clan was disbanded, and I was wanted by the authorities... I was ready to go to the Daedalus Bridge and jump off...”

They saw another vision... Of her confronting the aboleth.

“But I wanted to do one thing first... I wanted to get revenge against the thing that had caused all my misery...

“I can’t begin to tell you how big a mistake that was...”

They all watched in horror as Cyber Eltanin loomed over Hebi-Na. (10,000 ATK)

“Attack directly,” commanded the aboleth. “Descent of Draconis.”

They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was clearly overkill. Hebi-Na’s scream lasted only a couple of seconds, and then she was knocked out cold.

“Show’s over!” said Hebi-Na, as the vision faded. “I thought it would kill me, but the fate it chose for me was far worse... He subjected me to a small sample of the Bells of Baphomet... A hideous, horrible din that left me begging for death. It silenced them after an hour, but told me that if I didn’t serve as its slave, it would bring them back permanently.”

“Hebi-Na, wait...” said Shichiro.

“So here’s the climax of my Sad Story...” snarled Hebi-Na, grabbing a card from her hand.

An explosion of energy shot up from the spot in front of her.

“I Special Summon the dreaded Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings!”

A large and incredibly ugly Dragon appeared out of the smoke. It was gaunt and emancipated, and it had horns that looked like the branches of a dead tree. Its wings looked like wax paper on a crooked framework. (1,900 ATK)

“Hebi-Na, stop this!” shouted Shichiro. “Don’t you realize that it won’t keep its word?”

“Of course it won’t!” replied Hebi-Na. “It will likely kill me even if I win this duel.

“But dying quickly is better than spending heavens knows how long being tortured by those bells before their demon comes to finish the job.

“Attack him directly!”

The Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings roared, and shot a blast of filth and venom at Wilhelm.

When it passed, he had an annoyed look on his face.

“He barely moved!” said Jinx.

“Oh, please...” said Sorsha. “I’ve seen him fight dragons twice this size...”

“Trap Card, activate...” said Wilhelm.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

“Damage Condenser. I toss one card...”

He discarded a card.

“And in return, I get to Special Summon Headless Knight from my deck.”

A phantom knight in armor carrying a sword and shield with – naturally – no head appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,700 ATK)

“Headless Knight?” chuckled Hebi-Na. “You couldn’t do better than that?

“And now the effect of my Dragon Queen activates... You must discard a card from your hand.”

Wilhelm looked at the two cards in his hand. He took one of them, Sinister Sprocket, and discarded it.

“Then, I get to draw a card,” said Hebi-Na, making a draw.

“And it’s your move. By the way, now that Sorrowful Memories, Unwavering Truth, and Dreadful Day are all in place, any card at all that is drawn during the Draw Phases, Monster, Spell, or Trap, is sent back to the deck.”

(W: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,800)

“Then I make one draw,” said Wilhelm.

He drew a card.

“Of course, it doesn’t matter what card this is, because of your combo...”

He put it back in his deck, and the Disk reshuffled it.

“So what will you do?” asked Hebi-Na. “All you have left is one card...”

“But it’s the important one, madam,” said Wilhelm, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. “With Call of the Haunted, I can bring The Earl of Demise back from the Graveyard. Which, naturally, I discarded when I played Damage Condenser.”

A tall, ugly ghoul, dressed in a rotting nobleman’s outfit, holding a rapier appeared. (2,000 ATK)

“And now, this one card...” he said, turning it around.

“Polymerization?” gasped Hebi-Na.

“That’s right!” said Wilhelm, as a dark vortex appeared behind the two Fiends. “I fuse my two Monsters together...”

Headless Knight and The Earl of Demise were sucked through the vortex...

There was a haunting moan, and another ghost floated into view. It also wore rotting clothes that seemed to have once belonged to nobility, held a rapier, and its head was hairless, gaunt, and sunken, with flesh clinging tightly to the skull. (2,000 ATK)

“Attack her Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings my Duke of Demise!” ordered Wilhelm. “Phantom sword!”

The Duke of Demise moaned, and flew at the much larger Monster. With one slash of its blade, it cut the huge Dragon down the middle.

“Yeah...” said Ember.

(W: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)

Wilhelm crossed his arms.

“It’s your move, madam...” he said.

Hebi-Na drew a card. Without even looking at it, she returned it to her deck, and it was shuffled.

“You may have defeated my Dragon,” she said, “but during my Standby Phase, I can send a Continuous Spell to the Graveyard, and it comes right back.”

Sad Story – Sorrowful Memories vanished, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again.

“At least part of her lock is gone,” said Jinx.

“That Duke of Demise is a pretty scary Monster,” said Hebi-Na, fitting a card into her Disk. “But my Dragon won’t be afraid of any ghosts once I play Banner of Courage!”

Once again, a Continuous Spell Card appeared.

“With this card, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain 200 Attack Points.

“So... Attack the Duke of Demise! Sorrowful stream!”

The Dragon Queen’s Attack Score rose to 2,100, it shot its acidic blast again, and the Fiend burst into a cloud of ectoplasm.

“Aw, man...” said Ember. “Wilhelm’s Monster just got clobbered...”

“Don’t be so sure,” said Sorsha, who was grinning.

The cloud of ectoplasm reformed, turning into the Duke of Demise again.

“It really doesn’t care if your Dragon is scared of it or not,” said Wilhelm. “The fact remains, it can’t be killed that way.”

Hebi-Na looked at him.

“Okay, fine, so it can’t be destroyed in battle,” she said. “But you still took damage, so now you have to toss a card from your hand.”

Wilhelm laughed, and lifted up his hands.

“I’d love to oblige, madam,” he said, “but I have no cards to discard!”

Damn... thought Hebi-Na. That means I can’t draw any...

She took a card from her hand, and set it on her Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

“Make your move...” she said.

(W: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)

“I draw...” said Wilhelm.

He drew a card.

“And this is a Monster, so it seems I get to keep it. Now, I pay 500 Life Points to keep Duke of Demise for now...

“Then I summon Necro Soldier.”

A weird Monster appeared next to the Duke of Demise. It looked like a Zombie dressed as a toy tin soldier. (0 ATK)

“It’s powerless...” said Jinx.

“Again, don’t be so sure,” said Sorsha.

Duke of Demise flew up to Dragon Queen, and with one swipe, beheaded the creature.

“I end my turn,” said Wilhelm.

(W: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)

Hebi-Na growled as she drew a card.

“Seems I drew a Monster too,” she said, turning it around. “And now that it’s my Standby Phase, I’ll send Unwavering Truth to the Graveyard to bring my Dragon back again.”

Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

“Also, because it’s your Standby Phase,” said Wilhelm, “the effect of Necro Soldier activates, and I get to summon a second one from my deck.”

A second Necro Soldier appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

“AND, I can use the effect of that Soldier to summon a third one.”

A third Necro Soldier appeared. (0 DEF)

“Moving right along...” said Hebi-Na. “I flip Dark Mimic into Attack Mode...”

The demonic treasure chest appeared where the reversed card had been. (100 ATK) She drew another card.

“Seems I need to use something else to get rid of that ghost... I sacrifice Dark Mimic...”

The chest dissolved into grains of light.

“...for Gravi-Crush Dragon!”

In another burst of energy, a large, hulking humanoid with grey skin, the head of a Dragon, and a long, thick tail appeared next to the Dragon Queen. (2,400 ATK)

“Now, by sending another Continuous Spell to the Graveyard,” she said, “I can destroy one Monster.”

Sad Story – Dreadful Day vanished, and Duke of Demise shattered into black shards.

“Gravi-Crush Dragon, attack the Necro-Soldier in Attack Mode!”

Gravi-Crush Dragon bellowed, and rushed towards the small Zombie. Its Attack Score rose to 2,600.

“Not going to work,” said Wilhelm, as his last facedown card lifted up. “Activate... Spirit Shield!

“Now, by removing one Fiend or Zombie in my Graveyard from play, your attack is halted, and your Battle Phase is over.”

Helpoemer slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket.

“And I can do that any time I want to, because it’s a Continuous Trap.

“You mean you could have done that to block any of my attacks up to now??” gasped Hebi-Na.

“Ja,” said Wilhelm. “But by making you think I couldn’t, I was able to fight your Monster, forcing you to use its revival effect, and forcing you to summon that other Dragon to destroy my Monster. In the end, you destroyed your own lock.”

Hebi-Na looked at him.

She sighed.

“Not surprising...” she said. “I was outsmarted again. It’s happened so often you’d think I’d be used to it by now...

“I wouldn’t have been surprised if that aboleth had taken a branding iron and stamped the word ‘loser’ on my forehead.”

“Hebi-Na, that’s not true...” said Ember. “You beat me, remember?”

“Yeah, when I was Taramanda’s proxy, remember?” replied Hebi-Na. “For all intents and purposes, I had help in that duel. Seems I’m nothing more than a big joke on my own.

“Oh, I end my turn...”

Hebi-Na’s deck seems to rely a lot on Continuous Spells, thought Ember. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear...

She opened her eyes wide.

No... It wouldn’t... It couldn’t...

“Who am I kidding?” she said out loud. “It would, it could, and it probably did!”

“Huh?” said Shichiro. “What?”

“Wilhelm!” shouted Ember. “I have to tell you something!”

“Don’t worry, Miss Eiko,” said Wilhelm, “I have everything under control.”

“But...” said Ember.

“Besides, you can’t accept outside help in a duel,” said Wilhelm.

Ember gave a nervous sigh.

“It’s not too late to end this peacefully, madam,” said Wilhelm to Hebi-Na, as he made a draw.

“While you’re thinking about that, I’ll play Akashic Record. I get to make two draws...”

He drew two cards.

Then he turned both forward.

“Since neither has been used yet, I get to keep them.

“And I’ll use one... I sacrifice two Necro Soldiers...”

Two of the Zombie toys vanished.

“...for Belial, Marquis of Darkness!”

A tall intimidating Fiend appeared on the field. It was a fallen angel, complete with black, feathered wings, and a dark halo. He wore armor and a toga, had long, tangled, white hair, and carried a jet-black claymore. (2,800 ATK)

Hebi-Na flinched nervously.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Attack Gravi-Crush Dragon!” ordered Wilhelm. “Flaming sword of Phlegethos!”

Belial made a rush at the humanoid Dragon, and with one swipe, cut it in twain.

“Ergh...” said Hebi-Na.

(W: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

“I end my turn...” he said. “But keep this in mind... With Belial on the field, he’s the only Monster that can be targeted for an attack or a card effect.”

Hebi-Na nervously drew a card.

“I play The Dark Door,” she said, as once again, a Continuous Spell appeared. “Now, both players can only attack with one Monster per turn.

“I’ll move my Dragon to Defense Mode...”

Dragon Queen shielded itself with its arms and folded its wings. (2,600 ATK)

“...and end my turn.”

Wilhelm drew a card.

“I sacrifice my last Soldier...” he said.

The third Necro Soldier vanished.

“...to summon Puppet Master.”

With a haunting laughter, a desiccated corpse dressed like a jester with strange strings on each finger appeared hovering over Wilhelm’s side of the field. (0 ATK)

“Now, I use its effect... I give up 2,000 Life Points, and Special Summon not one, but two Fiends from my Graveyard.”

Puppet Master cackled, and Headless Knight (1,450 ATK) and The Earl of Demise (2,000 ATK) appeared on Wilhelm’s side of the field.

“They can’t attack this turn... But Belial can.”

Belial made a slash with his blade, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings was cut in half again.

“And with that, madam, I end my turn.”

(W: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

Hebi-Na drew a card. She looked at it.

Banner of Courage vanished, and Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings appeared again. (2,600 ATK)

“This is ridiculous,” said Gears. “Sorsha, does Wilhelm have D.D. Crow in that deck?”

“No...” said Sorsha, “but I think he has something to solve this problem.”

“I pass this turn,” said Hebi-Na.

Wilhelm made a draw.

“Problem solved...” he said. “I sacrifice Puppet Master...”

Puppet Master turned into a glob of shadow energy...

Then a plume of dark smoke erupted from where it had been, followed by the smell of brimstone. Slowly, the smoke began to clear, and a hulking figure became visible in it...

It was Dark Ruler Ha Des, the King of the Underworld. (2,450 ATK)

“Problem definitely solved,” said Gears. “With Ha Des on the field, all of Wilhelm’s Fiends negate the effects of all Monsters they destroy. So once Belial takes it down this time, it’s not coming back again.”

“You heard him,” said Wilhelm. “Belial, finish it off!”

Belial made one final swipe at the Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings with his claymore. It gave one final scream, and then shattered into pixels.

“To complete my turn,” said Wilhelm, as he played the other card in his hand, “I play The Beginning of the End. Because I now have seven Dark-Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard, I can remove five of them from play...”

Sinister Sprocket, The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, and all three Necro Soldiers slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them inside his jacket.

“...and then make three draws.”

He drew three cards.

“And it’s your move...”

Hebi-Na drew a card.

When she saw what it was, she broke down into sobs.

“Huh?” said Wilhelm. “Bad draw?”

“No...” said Hebi-Na, through tears. “This is the most powerful card in this deck... And I really don’t want to use it...

“But not doing so would be disobeying a direct order...”

She put that card aside, and played a Spell Card.

“I play Soul Release... I’m removing Duke of Demise and Puppet Master from play.”

“Why is she doing that?” asked Gabriel.

“Because with no Fiends or Zombies in his Graveyard...” said Sorsha.

Spirit Shield shattered into pieces.

Hebi-Na sobbed as she played two more cards – Corridor of Agony and Dark Room of Nightmare.

Then, the area clouded over, and lightning flashed. All three of her Continuous Spells turned to ice and shattered.

A huge, monstrous behemoth descended from the storm clouds. At first, it looked like the Winged Dragon of Ra, but at second glance, it was actually an evil parody of that being, gaunt, skeletal, and demonic. Its wings were bat-like, it had wicked claws and talons, and its hide was the color of tarnished gold, if it were possible for gold to tarnish.

It let out a roar that made the mountains shake. (4,000 ATK)

“This was what I was afraid of!” shouted Hebi-Na. “If that aboleth could get ahold of Uria... Why couldn’t it do the same with Hamon?”

“Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder...” said Hebi-Na.

The Sacred Beast roared again.

“...attack Belial with Cerulean Skyfire!”

Lightning flashed, and a volley of sapphire-blue lightning bolts shot at Belial. Wilhelm was actually knocked down as his Monster was blown to pieces.

“And... due to Hamon’s effect...” said Hebi-Na. “You lose an additional 1,000 Life Points.”

Wilhelm grit his teeth.

(W: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

“People...” said Gears. “Aside from all the bargains she’s made... Hebi-Na is just a normal ophidia, right?”

“Uh, I think so...” said Shichiro. “Why?”

“Ordinary mortals can’t control the Sacred Beasts!” said Gears. “These are demon emperors with incredible powers! She’s likely to die from the strain of trying!

“Just look at her!”

It was true. Sweat was pouring from Hebi-Na’s brow, and she was holding her chest.

“You have to stop this, Hebi-Na!” shouted Wilhelm. “You can’t command this creature!”

“I can’t end the duel!” cried Hebi-Na. “It thrives on bloodlust...

“You think I’m controlling this card? I’m not! It’s controlling me!

“The aboleth put Hamon in the deck to make sure I’d follow orders. It’s been supervising me the whole time, telling me in no uncertain terms what it would do if I dared disobey...

“I was lucky it let me tell you that story with the Sad Story cards... The aboleth thought it would be ‘amusing’.”

Wilhelm looked at her. His eyebrows narrowed.

“Then I know what I must do...” he said.

He looked up at Hamon.

“I’ve never faced a Duel Monster as dangerous as you... But you’re no different than a lot of the foul lords of the Abyss I’ve vanquished... Just as they fell before my powers, I’ll find a way to defeat you...”

He drew a card.

“I throw two cards facedown and move everyone to Defense Mode,” he said.

Two reverse cards appeared. Then Earl of Demise sheathed its rapier and knelt. (700 DEF) Headless Knight knelt and held its shield up. (1,700 DEF) And Dark Ruler Ha Des knelt and crossed his arms. (1,600 DEF)

“I draw...” muttered Hebi-Na.

She drew a card.

Her hand shook as she played it.

“Lightning Vortex!” she exclaimed.

She discarded the other card in her hand, Spell Reproduction, and lightning flashed.

“Chain!” shouted Wilhelm, as a facedown card shot up. “Gift of the Mystical Elf!

“With this, I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field!”

He glowed with golden energy as lightning crashed down, and his three Monsters were vaporized.

“As if will matter!” shouted Hebi-Na. “Hamon, attack directly!”

Hamon roared, and its Cerulean Skyfire flashed...

Then, a swarm of little, furry, brown things surrounded Wilhelm. They exploded as the bolts of lightning hit them, but they shielded Wilhelm from the attack.

“Yeah!” shouted Ember.

“Never underestimate the power of a little Kuriboh,” said Shichiro.

(W: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

“People, be serious!” said Gears. “Hebi-Na’s heart is pounding so hard, I can hear it from here! It might explode if this duel lasts much longer!”

Wilhelm drew a card. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

And ending it is all going to depend on a lot of luck, he thought.

“I remove three more Fiends from play,” he said.

He took Belial, Ha Des, and Earl of Demise and put them inside his jacket.

“...to summon Dark Necrofear!”

With a flourish, the dreaded Dark Lady used by the Evil Spirit of the Ring appeared over the field.

She knelt in a defensive position. (2,800 DEF)

“Trying to... Take Hamon from me?” asked Hebi-Na.

“I’m not done...” said Wilhelm. “Since that was a Special Summon, I can still set this Monster.”

He set his last card, and another Monster appeared reversed.

“It’s your move... Both of you.”

Hebi-Na drew a card.

“End of the line,” she said. “I Equip Hamon with Fairy Meteor Crush!”

She played the card, and a red aura surrounded the Sacred Beast.

“Hamon, destroy that hidden Monster!”

Everyone watched in horror as Hamon prepared to attack. The Monster, a nasty-looking imp, appeared a second before it was incinerated.

Hebi-Na took some deep breaths.

“Well?” she shouted to the sky. “I’ve completed my mission! Are you happy?”

“Uh, Hebi-Na?” said Sorsha. “Check the score...”

“Huh?” said Hebi-Na.

(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

“HOW?” shouted Hebi-Na.

“Simple,” said Wilhelm, as he got up. “The Monster you attacked had a very high Defense Score.”

“HOW high??” gasped Hebi-Na.

“I believe, 3,300,” said Wilhelm.

“But... But you set it with no sacrifice...” said Hebi-Na, in disbelief.

“It was a Doomsday Horror,” said Wilhelm. “Its Attack and Defense Scores are each equal to 300 times the number of Dark-Attribute Monsters that have been removed from play thus far. Up to this point, eleven Dark Monsters have been eradicated.

“And that’s not its only effect. When it’s destroyed, like you just did, all Dark Monsters that have been removed from play are returned to the Graveyards.”

He took all eleven Monsters from his jacket, and fed them all into his discard slot.

Hebi-Na hung her head.

“Is there some higher force at work?” she asked. “Was I doomed since the day I was hatched? Did someone wager my soul on some celestial game of craps and lose?”

Wilhelm looked at her.

“Gott würfelt nicht,” he said.

“Huh?” she replied.

“It’s an old German phrase,” he said, “attributed to Albert Einstein. Translated, it means ‘God does not roll dice’.

“It’s open to interpretation, like a lot of things he said. What I think it means is, nothing happens by chance, and there are causes for everything. No, Hebi-Na. Your soul was not wagered in a craps game. If you look hard, you can find reasons for everything bad that happened to you.”

That’s it, Wilhelm, thought Gears. Confuse that big monstrosity that’s doing this to her.

“Just off the top of my head, some reasons I can name include your oppressive culture and society, the tyrannical rule of your empress, and that accursed aboleth’s desire to use you as a pawn.

“Maybe you and several other ophidia are victims in many ways. And it may not be too late...

“We can help you... You just have to accept it...”

Hebi-Na looked at him. She stopped crying.

Then Hamon let out the most ear-splitting roar yet. Clearly, it had been sickened by Wilhelm’s speech.

“But there are some creatures that are just unreasonable...” said Wilhelm.

He quickly drew a card.

“Perfect... Time to end this... Dark Necrofear... Move to Attack Mode!”

Dark Necrofear stood up. (2,200 ATK)

“Now, I summon Prometheus, King of the Shadows!”

He played the card, and a muscular, humanoid Fiend, wearing a cape with his face hidden under a hood, appeared. (1,200 ATK)

Visions of the cards depicting all the Dark Monsters Wilhelm had used started to appear behind him: The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams, Helpoemer, The Earl of Demise, Duke of Demise, the Necro Soldiers, Sinister Sprocket, Puppet Master, Belial Marquis of Darkness, Dark Ruler Ha Des, Kuriboh, and Doomsday Horror.

“I’ll remove all these Monsters from play again...” he said, “and for each one, Prometheus gains 400 Attack Points.”

All the cards vanished into nothing. (6,400 ATK)

“Attack!” he shouted. “Destroy Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!”

Prometheus shot a burning blast of dark fire from his palm. Hamon roared again. Cracks formed on its hide...

Then it exploded into pieces of tarnished gold metal.

“Dark Necrofear,” he continued, “attack directly with Doom Murder Gaze!”

Dark Necrofear opened her eyes wide, and fired a blast of dark energy. Hebi-Na barely reacted as it struck her.

(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,600)

“Now, my final Trap,” he said, as his facedown card lifted up. “Escape From the Dark Dimension. I can now Special Summon one Dark Monster that has been removed from play.”

Belial, Marquis of Darkness leapt out of the card, holding his rapier up high. (2,800 ATK)

He leapt at Hebi-Na, and made a slash at her with his weapon.

(W: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)

Hebi-Na fell down like an empty bag.

There was a long, tense pause.

Ember was the first one to do anything. She walked up to the ophidia. Hebi-Na took some deep, gasping breaths as she sat up.

“Going to gloat?” she asked.

“I’m above that, Hebi-Na,” said Ember. “Look, just turn yourself in. With all you’ve been through, I’m sure they’d be willing to accept a plea bargain this time.”

“You... you think so?” asked Hebi-Na.

“Positive,” said Ember. “Now hand over your sword and that key you were talking about, okay?”

Hebi-Na paused.

Then she reached to undo the buckle that held the sword’s sheath in place...

Then something happened. She screamed, collapsed, and held her hands over her ears.

“NOOOO!” she pleaded. “You promised! PLEASE!”

“What’s happening??” shouted Jinx.

“The Bells of Baphomet!” exclaimed Wilhelm. “That foul thing inflicted them upon her again! But how...”

Then he hit himself.

“Wilhelm, you idiot!” he said. “They never left! She said that it subjected her to them for an hour and then silenced them... It couldn’t silence them, the curse is irreversible!

“It must have just turned on some magical damper that prevented her from hearing them!”

“And now it’s turned the damper off...” said Gears.

“What can we do??” said Ember. “Hebi-Na?? Can you hear me?”

Hebi-Na slowly got up. She looked at Ember.

“Ember...” she said weakly. “It’s all over... You can’t cure the Bells... I only have one way out now...

“You have to do it...”

“How??” said Ember. “What do I do??”

“You’re armed, aren’t you??” asked Hebi-Na.

Then exactly what Hebi-Na was asking her to do sank into Ember.

“Ergh...” said Hebi-Na, clutching her head.

“Here, I’ll make it easier for you...”

She drew her sword, clumsily.

“You’ll be able to call it self-defense...”

“Ember, wait!” said Wilhelm.

Everyone turned to Wilhelm. His eyes were glowing, and magical energy surrounded his hands.

“Wilhelm, you can silence the Bells?” asked Gears.

“No...” said Wilhelm, “but I’m not bad at bestowing curses either...”

He chanted an eldritch incantation in a language that they didn’t understand. A wave of energy struck Hebi-Na, and she let out a gasp...

Then she dropped her sword, and fell on her stomach.

She was asleep. In a very deep sleep.

“What...” said Ember.

Wilhelm took a deep breath.

“A variation of the curse that the Old Fairy cast on Sleeping Beauty,” he replied. “No spinning wheel or forest of thorns, but the same effect.”

“You put her to sleep for a thousand years?” asked Jinx.

“I did what I had to,” said Wilhelm. “While she’s asleep, she can’t hear the Bells, and she won’t be found by their merciless demon.

“Let’s hope that in her dreams she might find a small measure of peace...”

Shichiro hit a button on his mobile.

“Jalal?” he said. “I’m sending a prisoner to the infirmary...

“It’s a very long story... And I’m afraid that the ending isn’t a happy one...”

* * * * * * * * * *

After a long explanation and a transfer, Shichiro hung up. Wilhelm was holding a star-shaped ornament that had appeared on the ground when his curse took effect. They assumed it was the key.

“So she can never wake up?” asked Ember.

“Not until someone finds a way to permanently silence the Bells of Baphomet,” said Wilhelm.

“You don’t seem optimistic,” said Shichiro.

“I’m not,” replied Wilhelm. “Since that terrible curse was first used on this world during the reign of Henry VIII, wizards and sages have been searching for a cure. They’re no closer now than they were way back then.”

“Poor Hebi-Na...” said Ember. “Funny... As bad as the ophidia can be... That aboleth is a much, much worse evil.”

“At least the ophidia have an evil goddess directing them as an excuse,” said Gears. “I don’t even think the aboleth have a god.”

“Most of them don’t worship any gods,” replied Wilhelm. “Their memories stretch back further than the days before most gods came into being, and they can remember the events that gave rise to most of them, so they don’t respect them. A few outcasts might revere Tharizdun, but...”

He stopped short. Everyone was looking at him with a look of horror.

“Oh yes...” he said with a chuckle. “You all think that name is bad luck... Ah, well... I’ve never been the superstitious sort...”

“People, lets stop mourning Hebi-Na and concentrate back on the job at hand...” said Shichiro. “We still don’t know what’s actually in the Earth Node...

“I think Hebi-Na may have been the prelude to an even darker story. We can only hope its outcome doesn’t turn out how hers did...”



SAD STORY – SORROWFUL MEMORIES (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: The petrified wing and tail of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings in a dry desert.

Card Description: You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Monster Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.



SAD STORY – UNWAVERING TRUTH (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: The petrified corpse of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings in a ruined city at night.

Card Description: You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Spell Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.



SAD STORY – DREADFUL DAY (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: The petrified wing of Dragon Queen of Tragic Endings near a mountain lake.

Card Description: You cannot activate any other Spell Cards during the turn you activate this card. If either player draws a Trap Card during his or her Draw Phase, that card is sent back to the deck. The deck is then reshuffled.

Note: The Sad Story cards were used by Misty in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s episode “Truth and Consequences (Part 1)”. Creative Credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DUKE OF DEMISE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: Headless Knight + The Earl of Demise

This card cannot be destroyed by battle. During each of your Standby Phases, pay 500 Life Points. If you do not, destroy this card.



NECRO SOLDIER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: If you control this face-up card during your opponent’s Standby Phase, you may Special Summon 1 “Necro Soldier” from your hand or deck.



SPIRIT SHIELD (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: An aura of ectoplasmic energy deflecting a blast of light.

Card Description: If you have no Fiend or Zombie-Type Monsters in your Graveyard, destroy this card. When your opponent declares an attack, you may remove one Fiend or Zombie-Type Monster in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

Note: “Duke of Demise”, “Necro Soldier”, and “Spirit Shield” were used by Bakura at various times during the original anime’s “Dawn of the Duel” arc. Creative credit goes to the writers.


Next:

Jinx: The Earth Node is truly a den of Evil. After avoiding the Primals’ traps and hazards and making our way to the central chamber, who do we find guarding the main altar? Soth, but he’s changed, and not for the better. I have to take him on in one more duel, but not only has his deck been improved, but it hides a powerful new addition, one strangely linked to the Signers’ victory over the Earthbound Gods!

“Shifting Shadows” is coming soon.


And now, the final Shadowchasers Files...


Shadowchasers Files

The Doomdreamers: Servants of the Mad God

Who is the worst enemy that the Shadowchasers must face? That’s a matter of opinion, and many options much be considered. Atropus the World Born Dead was probably more powerful than any other foe they ever faced, and could have destroyed the world, but they’re reasonably sure that it will never come back.

One menace that threatens the world which the Shadowchasers must face again and again are the Doomdreamers, the cult of the Mad God, Tharizdun.

The name Tharizdun is rarely spoken. Most call him the Dark God, the Dark One, the Chained God, and occasionally by his pseudonym the Elder Elemental Eye. (But only a few know that that’s a pseudonym. Most believe that the Elder Elemental Eye is a separate entity.) Tharizdun’s goal was to destroy all of existence. He was insane, of course, and because absolutely no other god would benefit from his plan, all of them, even the most evil ones, formed an alliance, defeated him, and sealed him away in a prison demiplane. He remains there to this day, but his worshippers remain, and their goal is to break him out.

It would be wrong to call the entire cult of Tharizdun Doomdreamers. Actually, only the elite members of the cult, the leadership, have the right to call themselves by that title. Most of the cult is full of humans and Shadowkind who join such groups for the typical reasons – a rebellious attitude, a spoiled nature, or a grudge against society. The cult never brainwashes anyone into joining. The cult learned from the Society of Light that a brainwashed cultist might come to his senses, and then become a terrible enemy.

Of course, these rank and file cult members rarely ever know much about the cult’s true plans or activities. They just do what superiors tell them to, and these superiors pass down orders from their superiors. Only the actual Doomdreamers are truly privy to the plans of the cult, and how they go about them.

Becoming a Doomdreamer has nothing to do with merit or experience. Tharizdun himself chooses the members of this elite group. If a member of the cult expresses interest in actually freeing Tharizdun and is not scared away by some of the most gruesome rituals, the god may think he or she has what it takes. It all starts with a nightmare in which the candidate is contacted by the dark god himself. (This is where the name ‘Doomdreamer’ comes from, in fact. The name is actually an informal version of a much longer title.) If certain tests are then passed, the candidate becomes a Doomdreamer, and his communing with his god becomes more frequent.

Some would say that you’d have to be insane to want to go far in this cult (Tharizdun will obviously try to destroy all of existence again if he is freed) but the truth is, that’s the whole point. Every high-ranking member of the cult is insane to a certain degree. Some are archetypal mad cultists. Others are the type who you’d never know are crazy until they were caught up in a fight. Some are sadistic, and even more are masochistic. Those who equate pain with pleasure are powerful foes, because hurting them only makes them tougher.

The current leaders of the Doomdreamers are the Triad, the cult’s three most powerful members. They’ve held this position for as long as anyone can remember, and no-one expects them to be replaced any time soon. Exactly where their base of operations is isn’t known. They are very rarely seen in person, most often using technology and magic to project their images to the other Doomdreamers from this location. Often they are seen in a dark room where they each have their own throne.

The First is an exiled Incantifer, who is said have power in sorcery that is second only to Maskent. He has been with the cult longer than any other living member; he claims that he can remember a time when Tharizdun was freed, but this is a lie.

The Second is an aboleth, also an exile. Although it has not been a member of the cult for as long as the First, it is far older than him, and it actually can remember the days when Tharizdun was free. Curiously, the Second has made more personal appearances than the other two members of the Triad, although no-one ever wants it to visit – it almost always kills at least one cult member for some reason before it leaves.

The Third, the youngest member of the Triad, is only twenty-five years old, but those who underestimate her magic are blown away by her mastery of Wind Magic. It is said that not even the Bride and Lord of the House of the Howling Gale working together were able to defeat her in a wizards’ battle (they currently have a rich bounty on her head for the humiliation, but she could care less). She is actually a wind genasi (a type of Shadow-touched whose Shadowkind parent was an elemental spirit) who was raised in the court of Yan-C-Bin, the Wind Elemental Lord of Evil.

Story Ideas: Authors are encouraged to plan long and plan well before using the Doomdreamers. They are madmen who worship one of the darkest forces in the cosmos. The Doomdreamers know that their plans might not come to fruition in their lifetimes, but they don’t care. They also know that if Tharizdun’s goals succeed, not even they will survive. They don’t care. Why do they do what they do? Doomdreamers are not only mad, they are chosen ones of a god that is also mad. It is a special madness.

Doomdreamer schemes rarely make sense, and could involve almost any endeavor. They might be looking for some artifact that was lost ages ago, or be trying to summon some demon that knows something they could benefit from. Not all their plans work (madness has its downside) but sometimes they have explosive results.

The Shadowchasers might find allies when opposing the Doomdreamers that would otherwise be enemies. Followers of virtuous gods like St. Cuthbert’s house are sure to want to help, but so will the cults of more sinister gods, like the Beloved and even the Sons of Tyranny. No god, not even the most evil, wants the followers of Tharizdun to succeed. They can remember what Tharizdun did when he was free, and know that he would see them all dead in an instant.

It’s rumored that the Dread Emperor may be an ally of the Doomdreamers. This may just be a rumor, however.

Deck Suggestions: Lower-ranking members of the cult tend to use decks that pay homage to Tharizdun’s identity as the Elder Elemental Eye. They use themes that focus on Earth, Water, Wind, or Fire. This opens a lot of possibilities, but most have at least a slightly sinister theme. A cultist using a Fire Deck might use Volcanics and concentrate on getting Volcanic Doomfire out quickly, while one using an Earth theme might use defensive Rock Monsters and the Acidic Downpour Field Spell.

True Doomdreamers have different tastes. They are more likely to use cards that are designed to inflict the most pain possible. They use a lot of Marik’s cards, including Nightmare Wheel, Lava Golem, Plasma Eel, Drillago, and Viser Des. In addition, some of the more experienced Doomdreamers (mostly the ones that are most insane) are able to create Shadow Duels, making them terrible opponents in this regard.

The gods alone know what kind of decks the Triad use.

[Dark Sage]

DUEL SIXTY

As Hebi-Na had warned, twenty feet into the cavern entrance they found the tunnel bricked up with stone and mortar. However, shining their flashlights on the wall revealed an indentation that matched the shape of the amulet that Heb-Na had dropped.

Wilhelm touched the amulet to the indentation, and the wall became transparent, and then simply faded away. They walked through, into a dark cavern. The wall reappeared behind them.

“No keyhole on this side,” muttered Jinx, shining her flashlight behind them.

“Then we’d best succeed and destroy the Node’s power source,” replied Gears.

Wilhelm gestured, and a flame appeared in his hand. He turned to the wall, and saw a torch in a holder.

Lighting it caused a reaction that lit every torch in the room, and several more down a hallway in front of them.

They all gave a cry of surprise. Surrounding them were alcoves, each one containing an ancient skeleton, some wearing armor, others were wearing jewelry.

“These corpses...” said Ember. “Are they the Primals... Or their victims?”

“Impossible to say...” said Gears.

He took out a small device and turned it on. Shichiro turned on a similar device. Both of them started to beep, and a light on both flashed.

“Seems we’re in the right place,” said Gears. “This place is the Earth Magic mother lode.”

“This sensor is burying the needle too,” added Shichiro. “The negative energy here is overwhelming... This place is a virtual chill grill.”

“So, forward?” asked Jinx, looking down the corridor.

“I don’t trust that corridor...” said Wilhelm.

He dug into his pocket and took out a coin. Then he tossed it into the corridor.

SMASH! A stone column came crashing down in the center of the corridor where he had tossed the coin.

“Booby trap,” said Wilhelm. “Figures...”

“So how do we get by?” asked Ember.

Wilhelm shone his flashlight on the runes above the door.

“Well, there must be some way to shut it off,” he said. “The Primals wouldn’t have built a place that even they couldn’t traverse safely...

“A simple Legend Lore divination on these runes...”

He chanted something in the Gaelic tongue, closed his eyes, and held his forehead.

“Ah, I’ve got it!” he said.

Then he started saying something. It sounded sort of like dwarven, but rougher and deeper. The corridor glowed with a green light.

“Trap deactivated,” he said.

He walked forward, and sure enough, the trap didn’t react.

“What was that thing you said?” asked Shichiro, as the followed him.

“A universal planar greeting spoken in Terran,” replied Wilhelm. “The language of Elemental Earth. Some say that the dwarven tongue was derived from it, but if so, that was many eons ago.”

They exited the corridor into another room, where the floor was apparently bare soil.

“Hold it,” said Shichiro. “I’ve got bad vibes coming from this...”

As soon as he said this, five lumps of soil rose from the floor, growing until they were man-sized... The Shadowchasers drew their swords.

The lumps quickly grew arms, legs, and a head each, and they all made horse roars.

“What are they?” shouted Jinx.

“Earth elementals!” answered Sorsha.

“And given the negative properties of this place,” said Gabriel, “they likely have an evil nature.”

“I don’t think we’ll be able to duel our way past these guys...” said Wilhelm, as his hands started to glow.

He threw up his hands, and two bolts of burning lightning flashed from them...

But to his surprise, they didn’t seem to even dent the elementals.

“More bad news,” said Wilhelm. “The Node seems to give these creatures a powerful resistance to magic. And I’ll wager it makes them pretty strong too.”

“Well, ain’t that peachy...” said Gears.

He confronted one of them, and made a cut with his sword. He lopped off the creature’s arm.

The elemental paused. Then a new arm quickly grew from where the severed one had been. It glared at Gears.

“Uh...” said Gears.

He was thrown backwards as the creature slugged him.

“We need a different approach people!” he groaned, as he got up. “Swords aren’t gonna cut it against things made of dirt!”

Then Shichiro’s Duel Disk started to glow.

In a flash of light, Trymus appeared in front of him. The elementals howled, as if his mere presence pained them.

“All things have their opposites,” said the Titan. “And Wind opposes Earth, eroding it and tearing it down.”

He gestured, and a windstorm erupted in the room. The five elementals moaned, and as Trymus said, were blown apart, scattered like sand castles on a windy day.

“How’d we ever manage without you guys?” asked Shichiro.

They looked around. The room had three exits. One to the left, one to the right, and one ahead.

Wilhelm concentrated.

“That way,” he said, pointing right.

“You sure?” asked Ember.

“It seems both the source of the Earth Magic and negative energy is coming from that direction,” said Wilhelm. “Odds are, it’s the power source of the Node.

“Let’s be careful. I’d wager that the guardian this time is something capable of coherent thought.”

They slowly walked down the corridor. As they did, their flashlights cast creepy shadows on the walls. Odd roots protruded from the walls and ceiling.

“Anyone want to make some root beer?” asked Jinx.

“Be serious, Jinx,” said Shichiro, as they walked into another dark chamber.

Then they were startled as the chamber lit up, illuminated by hundreds upon hundreds of candles. More alcoves holding skeletons were in the walls, and these seemed to be better dressed than the ones in the entrance hall. An ominous altar of black stone was in front of them, and behind it was a large crystal, about six feet in height and three in width, that was the color of a bruise. A slight violet glow came from the crystal’s core.

Standing on the altar was someone they recognized only too well...

“Soth!” exclaimed Jinx.

“Yes, Miss Noriko, it is I,” said Soth, sarcastically. “How awfully perceptive of you...”

He clearly wasn’t in a very good mood. He seemed genuinely upset for some reason.

“Why are you here, Soth?” asked Shichiro.

“Because of the nature of my punishment for losing last time,” replied Soth. “My powers, my ability to tap the Power Primordial, is now all dependent on the Earth Node. If I leave the Node, I become powerless.”

“Uh...” said Gears. “Did the aboleth do this to the other Paragons?”

“How should I know?” asked Soth. “We haven’t been allowed to speak to each other.”

“People...” whispered Shichiro. “This is our big chance... If we wreck the Earth Node’s power source, Soth will be helpless. We’ll be able to take him into custody like a penny-ante pickpocket!”

“I heard that, and it’s not gonna happen!” shouted Soth.

He gestured, and his evil-looking Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

“I intend to hold onto my power for as long as possible,” he said. “It’s all I have left. And being bound to this Node and being forced to guard it may be boring, but it has its upside.

“I can now create even deadlier Shadow Duels than before. Plus, my deck contains a beast so wicked, I would never have been able to command it without the power from the Node.

“And it’s not like destroying the power source will be easy anyway... That big gemstone behind me is the generator. Not only do you have to get by me to get to it, it’s as hard as diamond, and it regenerates any damage done to it.”

This last comment went unheard by everyone except Wilhelm. Everyone else was trying hard to think of what kind of Monster could possibly be lurking in Soth’s deck. When you tallied up all the infamous demons and other horrible Monsters that had appeared in the history of the game, the Earth Attribute kind of came up short.

“So...” said Soth. “You can duel me... Or you can just turn around and go home. I won’t stop you.”

Jinx stepped forward.

“I’ll duel you, Soth,” she said. “Let’s see once and for all who can truly harness the power of Earth better.”

Soth chuckled.

“Then don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said.

The two Duel Disks activated. As they did so, Wilhelm gestured, and a leather-bound book appeared in his hand. He opened it and skimmed the pages.

“Duel!” they both shouted.

(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Soth: 8,000)

“Here’s a preview,” said Soth, making his first draw.

“I summon Mezuki!”

The ground in front of him churned, and the horse-headed, axe-wielding demon crawled out of the ground. It shook the dirt from its shoulders, and let out a roar. (1,700 ATK)

“Lovely,” said Shichiro, nervously.

He clearly remembered the Yokai Deck.

“I end my turn,” said Soth.

Jinx drew her sixth card, and looked over her hand.

“Come out, X-Saber Anabelera!” she shouted.

Anabelera leapt onto the field with a flip. She glared at Soth and his Monster. (1,800 ATK)

She lashed her whip, and Mezuki was blown to pieces.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)

Soth felt his cheek, where a small scratch had appeared.

“Not bad,” he said. “But the real challenge has yet to start... Anything else?”

“No,” said Jinx.

Soth made a draw.

“I summon Onagakokuba,” he said.

There was a sound like the neighing of some demonic horse, and another demon burst out of the ground. Apparently, it was a demonic horse, with sharp teeth and glowing eyes. (1,400 ATK)

“Now I use its effect,” he said. “Once per round, I can toss a Zombie from my hand...”

He took Gozuki from his hand, and discarded it.

“...and this guy permanently gains 500 Attack Points.”

(1,900 ATK)

“Attack! Flatten her X-Saber!”

Onagakokuba whinnied and bucked, and pummeled Anabelera with its front hooves. She fell over and shattered.

Jinx winced. She felt her own cheek, where a scratch had formed on it, just as one had appeared on Soth’s following her attack. She kind of got the idea how this Shadow Duel was going to work...

“I’ll throw a card facedown,” said Soth, as he fit a card into his Disk, “and it’s your move.”

(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)

Jinx made a draw.

She opened the Field slot of her Disk.

“Okay, Soth,” she said, “I’m activating a Field Spell...”

“What, Gaia Power?” laughed Soth. “Don’t you realize that my Monsters are as much Earth as yours?”

“This isn’t Gaia Power,” said Jinx, as she placed the card in the slot. “This is a card from my Side Deck that I put there specifically for duels like this...”

The dark altar faded away, and was replaced by a much more benign altar. The room they were in now looked like a grand cathedral made of a silvery, metallic substance. Behind Jinx was an altar with the X-Saber insignia on the bottom, with a large sword mounted above.

“Welcome to Saber Vault,” she said. “Here, all X-Sabers gain 100 Attack Points times their Level, but lose the same amount from their Defense Scores. Now, granted, there are only four X-Sabers who benefit from this more than they do from Gaia Power, but it’s a good card to have in case your opponent uses Earth Monsters.

“Anyway... I summon X-Saber Galahad!”

In a flash, the toad Warrior in plate armor leapt onto the field, brandishing his spear. (1,800 ATK) –> (2,200 ATK)

“And don’t forget, Galahad gains an additional 300 Attack Points whenever he attacks a Monster.

“So... Attack Onagakokuba! Chivalrous blade!”

Galahad leapt at the Zombie horse, and his Attack Score rose to 2,500. He stabbed it with his weapon, and it burst into black shards of darkness.

“Ergh...” said Soth.

(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,300)

“Okay, Miss Noriko...” he growled. “Now’s where I get nasty...”

He drew a card. Then his facedown card lifted up.

“I pay 1,000 Life Points to activate Ghostly Reinforcements, and Special Summon two low-Level Zombies from my Graveyard.”

Onagakokuba appeared first. (1,400 ATK) Then Gozuki also appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Next, I use Gozuki’s effect, to send Onmoraki to my Graveyard.”

He took a card from his deck, and discarded it.

“Then, with two Zombies on the field, I can Special Summon THIS!”

There was an explosion of flames from the spot in-between the two Zombies, and a huge creature started to form...

“Kasha, the Fire Wagon!”

Jinx stepped back in fright. She remembered this creature from a previous duel a couple of months back. It looked like an old-fashioned gypsy wagon, with a demon’s face on the front, and burning wheels.

Kasha’s front window slowly started to open...

“When Kasha is summoned,” said Soth, “all other Monsters are sent back to the owners’ decks...

“Black Gate!”

There was a powerful suction, and Onagakokuba, Gozuki, and Galahad were drawn through the Fire Wagon’s front window.

“Jinx...” gasped Ember.

“That’s not all,” said Soth. “Its Attack Score is 1,000 for every Zombie that I sent back to the decks.”

(2,000 ATK)

“Like I said, now’s where I get nasty... Attack directly! Inferno wheel!”

Jinx braced herself as Kasha’s two wheels were propelled at her like flying rotary saws. Despite her best efforts to stay standing, she fell over.

Jinx took a deep breath. She felt her torso... Her shirt had been torn, and two nasty scars were on her abdomen.

She slowly got up, sweat pouring from her brow.

(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,300)

She drew a card.

She looked at her hand, which consisted of X-Saber Axel, X-Saber Passiul, Shrink, Morphing Jar, and Wild Nature’s Release.

Crap... she thought. I have nothing that can defeat Kasha, even with Saber Vault and Shrink combined!

She took Morphing Jar and the two Spell Cards, and set them on her Disk. The three cards appeared in front of her, all reversed.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t summon another Monster, she thought.

Meanwhile, Sorsha was talking to Wilhelm.

“Any luck finding a way to smash that crystal?” asked the familiar. “Jinx isn’t doing too hot over there...”

“Well...” said Wilhelm, not looking up from the book, “normally if I wanted to destroy a big, magical gemstone that had the hardness of diamond, I’d cast Transmute Rock to Mud, which would melt it into a big pile of inert ooze.”

“So then do it already!” said Sorsha.

“Have you forgotten where we are?” asked Wilhelm. “Transmute Rock to Mud is an Earth Elementalist spell. In this place, all such spells that are cast without protection are likely to become corrupted and cause some bad effect.

“It might cause a lethal wild surge... Or summon even stronger elementals, or even one of the dreaded Dark Stone Acolytes... Or if we’re really unlucky, it will attract the attention of Ogremoch himself.

“The only way to safely cast an Earth Elementalist spell here is to set up a ward of positive energy that can counter this place’s aura of negative energy. Finding a way to do it might take some time...”

“My move...” said Soth, making a draw.

“I play my Foolish Burial Spell Card,” he said, playing a card.

He took another card from his deck, and discarded it.

“Next, I set a facedown card...”

A reversed card appeared behind Kasha.

“...and then summon Karakasa.”

As he played the card, the most unlikely Monster of all appeared in mid-air. It at first looked like nothing more than an old umbrella. Then it opened, and sported eyes and a long tongue. (800 ATK)

“An umbrella??” said Jinx.

“It will get the job done,” said Soth. “I’m sending it and Kasha to the Graveyard...”

The two Zombies vanished.

“...to Special Summon Nine-Tailed Fox from my Graveyard.”

In another burst of fire, the beautiful but sinister-looking kitsune appeared in front of him. (2,200 ATK)

“And when it’s summoned this way, it gains a trampling effect.”

Ho boy... thought Jinx.

Nine-Tailed Fox’s tails darted forward like spears, impaling the grinning Morphing Jar. Jinx tumbled backwards, falling on her behind.

(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,300)

Soth laughed as he discarded his one card.

“The hardest part of the duel,” he chuckled. “Good thing for you, you landed on your softest...”

Jinx scowled. She discarded her two remaining cards, and they both made five draws.

Soth made a slight smirk.

“I’ll set another card facedown,” he said, “and end my turn.”

Another set card appeared next to the first one.

Jinx quickly drew a sixth card.

“I summon XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!” she shouted.

With a flash of energy, the young, dagger-wielding X-Saber leapt from the altar of Saber Vault. (1,300 ATK) –> (1,600 ATK)

“Trap Card, activate,” said Soth, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

“Huh?” said Jinx, looking at it. “Cloning?”

“That’s right,” said Soth. “This Trap conjures up a Clone Token, a duplicate of the Monster you just summoned.”

A doppelganger of Fulhelmknight appeared next to Nine-Tailed Fox. (1,300 ATK)

“Of course,” continued Soth, “the Clone Token can only exist so long as the real Fulhelmknight stays around…”

Jinx’s eyes narrowed.

I don’t know what he plans to do with that phony Fulhelmknight, she thought, but I have to get rid of Nine-Tailed Fox now.

One of her set cards lifted up.

“I activate Shrink!” she shouted.

Nine-Tailed Fox shrank to half its size. (1,100 ATK)

“Fulhelmknight, destroy it!” shouted Jinx. “Flashing daggers!”

Fulhelmknight leapt at the Zombie fox, hurling a volley of glimmering shards. The Yokai shattered into pixels.

“I activate Nine-Tailed Fox’s other effect,” said Soth. “I Special Summon two Fox Tokens in Defense Mode.”

Two small foxes appeared where the big one had been. (300 DEF)

Jinx sighed. She fit a card into her Disk, and a new reversed card appeared.

“I end my turn,” she said.

(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,800)

Soth grinned evilly as he made a draw.

“Time to bring out my secret weapon,” he said. “First, I activate Call of the Haunted.”

His other facedown card lifted up, and Onmoraki appeared. (1,200 ATK)

“Due to its effect, I get to make one draw.”

He drew a card.

“Then, I sacrifice my Clone Token and one Fox Token...”

The two Tokens turned into a glob of dark shadow.

“...to summon Emissary from Pandemonium!”

The Monster that appeared was a hideous-looking Fiend. It looked like a demonic dog, with large horns growing out of its neck, a ridge of knife-like blades down its back, and piercings with chains attached to them. (2,600 ATK)

“Oh no, not another Dark Tuner!” cried Ember.

“Calm down, Ember,” said Gears. “That thing may look nasty, but I happen to know that it’s just a regular Tuner. It isn’t even a Dark Monster.

“Still… It is Level 7, which means it can only be used to summon very powerful Synchro Monsters…”

“There are always ways of working things out, Gears,” said Soth.

He played another card.

“I play the Equip Spell, Dark Desire! By Equipping it to Emissary from Pandemonium, I can raise its Level as much as want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points per Level I increase it.

“So I’ll pay 500 Life Points to bring it up to Level 8.

“Dark Desire also lets me use it as either a true Tuner or a Dark Tuner, whichever I desire.

“So... By subtracting my Level 1 Fox Token from my Level 8 Emissary, I can bring out my secret weapon...”

Emissary from Pandemonium turned into eight glowing stars, which circled around the Fox Token...

Then, the Token burst, and the stars turned into seven dark stars, which started to circle around Soth...

“When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!”

A very large shape started to take form, and all the humans in the room were shocked when they saw what it looked like. They didn’t think this was possible...

It looked almost exactly like the Ancient Fairy Dragon, the Signer Dragon belonging to Ruka, at least in body shape. But rather than being rainbow colored and radiating an aura of light and warmth, it was colored by hues of black and grey, and was surrounded by an aura of shadow and chilling cold.


Continued...

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“I give you...” said Soth, “Dark Fairy Dragon”!

(2,100 ATK)

“Uh, since when did Ancient Fairy Dragon have an evil sister?” asked Ember.

“She didn’t!” exclaimed Shichiro. “I mean...

“Where did this thing come from?”

“That’s what I want to know, Soth!” demanded Gears. “Where did this abomination come from? Did the Dark Signers create it as part of some plan they would implement after Ruka was done away with?”

“You presume too much!” laughed Soth. “The Dark Signers had nothing to do with this Dark Synchro. It’s a little something the boss was saving for a special occasion.

“But anyway...

“Dark Fairy Dragon... Attack Fulhelmknight! Eternal night!”

The dark imposter let out a scream, and shot a blast of pure darkness at the young X-Saber...

“I activate Fulhelmknight’s effect!” shouted Jinx. “Just once, she can deflect one attack!”

Fulhelmknight lifted her hand, and the darkness was halted by an invisible shield.

“Ah, well...” said Soth. “Maybe next round... I end my turn...”

(J: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,300)

“How’s it going, Wilhelm??” said Shichiro. “Not to rush you, y’know, but...”

“I’m trying, Mr. Osaka,” replied Wilhelm, “but it’s difficult. Every time I try to erect an aura of positive energy, the negative energy of this place extinguishes it!

“The Primals were all better wizards than I was... And even though they’re dead, trying to overcome their magic is daunting...”

“My draw!” said Jinx, drawing a card.

She quickly played a card, and X-Saber Urz appeared next to Fulhelmknight. (1,600 ATK) –> (2,000 ATK)

Then the two X-Sabers turned into seven glowing stars that flew towards the ceiling of Saber Vault.

“Power gained from primal rage, nature spirits bestow your gifts on your chosen ones! Clustering stars light the way to victory on the battlefield!

“Fight on… X-Saber Urbellum!”

Urbellum leapt from the altar with a roar. (2,200 ATK) –> (2,900 ATK)

“Urbellum, destroy that abomination!” she ordered. “Saber sword-slash!”

Urbellum drew his blades, and made a rush at the fake Fairy Dragon. He hit it dead in the center with one blade...

“I activate its effect!” laughed Soth. “By sacrificing another Monster, I can not only protect Dark Fairy Dragon, but I can cut your Life Points in half!”

Onmoraki vanished, and Jinx screamed as she was hit by a tremendous backlash of energy. She was thrown backwards, her clothes even more torn, and scorch marks on her skin.

“Jinx!” shouted Gabriel.

“Gabriel, no!” shouted Jinx. “If you heal me and I lose anyway, it will have been a waste... I’ll be fine...”

“That didn’t make sense!” exclaimed Shichiro. “That effect was even remotely similar to the real Ancient Fairy Dragon’s effect!”

“Maybe that’s the whole point…” said Gears. “I don’t know how that thing created this evil imposter, but maybe when it did, it just said, ‘the Hell with it, it doesn’t have to make sense’.”

(J: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)

Jinx slowly got up.

“I set one more card facedown, and end my turn,” she said, as a third reversed card appeared. “Do your worst.”

Soth made a draw.

“My worst, huh?” he said. “Okay...

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon. I’m getting sick of this blasted Field Spell, so goodbye!”

He played the card, and a tornado erupted in Saber Vault. The whole cathedral cracked and then shattered like glass. Urbellum’s Attack Score fell to 2,200.

“Next, I remove Mezuki from play to Special Summon Onmoraki from my Graveyard.”

Onmoraki appeared once again. (1,200 ATK)

“I get to draw one more card...”

He made a draw.

“...and it seems I can use it right away!” he said, taking it and another card. “I first play Fiend’s Sanctuary.”

He played the Spell Card, and a Metal Fiend Token appeared next to Onmoraki. (0 ATK)

“Then, I sacrifice my Token and Onmoraki...”

The two Monsters turned into a ball of glowing light.

“For the mighty Daidarabotchi!”

With an earsplitting roar, the huge, hulking, giant Yokai appeared in front of him. (2,900 ATK)

“This is bad…” said Shichiro. “That walking landmass is the same card he beat me with…”

“Well, forget about doing the same thing this time,” said Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. “I activate Threatening Roar!”

“You’re no fun...” muttered Soth. “I end my turn...”

Jinx drew a card.

Seems that in order to defeat that that thing, I have to attack it when he has no other Monsters, she thought. And I think I have a way to do it...

One of her remaining two facedown cards lifted up.

“I activate Limit Reverse,” she said. “I’ll bring X-Saber Axel back from my Graveyard.”

Axel appeared in front of her. (400 ATK)

“Then, I’ll sacrifice him...”

Axel vanished into grains of light.

“...for XX-Saber Gardestrike.”

The panther-like Beast-Warrior holding his long scimitar appeared. He looked at the two behemoths, and made a scowl. (2,100 ATK)

Then Jinx’s last facedown card, the one she had set when she set Morphing Jar, lifted up.

“I activate Wild Nature’s Release!” she shouted. “Now, Gardestrike’s Attack Score is boosted by his Defense Score!”

Gardestrike let out a mighty roar. (3,500 ATK)

“Gardestrike, slay his Daidarabotchi!” she shouted.

The X-Saber flew at the giant, and hit it with his scimitar so hard that the whole room shook. Daidarabotchi just stared at the Beast-Warrior with a dumb expression for a moment...

Then it teetered, and then fell with a crash, shaking the room again.

“Heh...” said Gears. “Like a dinosaur... Took a few seconds to reach its brain...”

“All right!” shouted Jinx. “Urbellum, let’s try this again! Attack Dark Fairy Dragon! Take it down!”

Urbellum made a leap at the Dark counterpart. The evil imposter let out a panicked shriek...

Urbellum’s sword made a savage cut down the middle, slicing the Dark Synchro clean in half. The remains exploded in a blast of flames and darkness.

“Curse you, Noriko!” shouted Soth.

He held his chest, where two large scratches had appeared on his stony skin.

(J: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)

“I set two cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Jinx, as two reversed cards appeared in front of her. “Unfortunately, that means, because I used Wild Nature’s Release, Gardestrike has to leave.”

Gardestrike shattered into pixels.

“This duel isn’t over yet, Noriko,” said Soth, as he made a draw. “I still have more Life Points than you...”

A Spell Card appeared.

“I play Burial from a Different Dimension. I can now return Mezuki to my Graveyard.

“But, I’m removing it from play again, to Special Summon Karakasa to the field.”

The haunted umbrella appeared again, and folded itself. (0 ATK)

“Why that one?” asked Jinx.

“You’ll see,” said Soth. “I set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A reversed Monster appeared next to the possessed bumbershoot.

Jinx drew a card.

“XX-Saber Emmersblade, come on out!” she said.

In another aura of energy, the large, caped praying mantis appeared. (1,300 ATK)

“Urbellum, you first,” she said. “Take out that mystery Monster.”

Urbellum made a rush for the card. Crow Tengu appeared on the card, and with one swipe of the X-Saber’s blade, was cut down.

Emmersblade leapt at Karakasa, and tore the haunted umbrella to pieces with one wipe of his claw.

“Thank you...” said Soth. “When Karakasa is destroyed by battle, I can take two more, and set them on the field.”

He threw two cards on his Disk, and two set Monsters appeared in front of him.

Jinx sighed.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Soth made a draw. He smirked slightly as he looked at it.

Did he get a good draw? thought Jinx.

Soth put that card aside, and took his other two cards.

“I play Monster Reincarnation!” he said, playing one of them. “I’ll ditch this other card...”

He discarded the other card, a second Emissary from Pandemonium.

“...and get Daidarabotchi back.”

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now, I’ll sacrifice my two Karakasa to summon it!”

The two reversed Monsters vanished. Jinx went to activate her facedown card.

Then she stopped.

Think I’ll wait, she thought.

The giant Yokai appeared again. (2,900 ATK)

“Daidarabotchi, flatten X-Saber Urbellum!” commanded Soth. “Earth-shattering strike!”

Daidarabotchi roared, and charged at Urbellum, making the ground tremble.

“I activate Staunch Defender!” shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted up. “Now, Daidarabotchi will attack Emmersblade instead!”

Daidarabotchi’s fist slammed into the Insect, blowing it into nothing. Jinx screamed and was propelled back ten feet.

(J: 550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,800)

“Are you out of your mind?” said Soth. “Do you want to lose? That move cost you 1,600 Life Points when you could have lost only 700!”

Jinx slowly got up, holding her ribs. Her stomach was bruised and battered, and bruises were also on her arms and face.

“I know...” she groaned. “But the pain is worth it... To beat you...

“Emmersblade’s effect activates... I can now Special Summon X-Saber Airbellum from my deck...”

The savage, bestial X-Saber appeared on the field. (1,600 ATK)

Soth frowned. He took his last card, the one he had drawn this turn, and set it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

“It’s your move,” he said.

Jinx quickly whipped the top card off her deck. She quickly played it.

“I Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!” she shouted.

Faultroll appeared, holding his broadsword up high. (2,400 ATK)

“Now, I Tune Urbellum and Airbellum together…”

Then two X-Sabers leapt towards the ceiling, and the room went dark. The three blazing suns appeared…

“Not so fast!” shouted Soth.

His facedown card lifted up.

“I activate Enma’s Judgment!”

The dark ruler of the Underworld appeared behind him, and he held up five cards, Crow Tengu, Gozuki, and all three Karakasa.

“NO!” screamed Shichiro. “Jinx!”

“That’s right…” said Soth, with a sinister smile. “I just remove these five Monsters from play, and…”

“And nothing,” said Jinx, as her own facedown card shot up.

“Solemn Judgment!”

Lightning flashed, and the old man with a cudgel followed by two muses appeared.

“Sorry, pal… Enma only rules the Underworld. As such, his judgment can be appealed by the King of Heaven. I have to pay half my Life Points, but it’s worth it.”

Lightning flashed again, and Enma shattered into black shards.

“No…” said Soth. “You can’t…”

Jinx ignored him as Urbellum and Airbellum turned into ten glowing stars.

“Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force…

“Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!”

Shannalla landed, and looked Soth in the eye. (2,600 ATK)

Jinx took Urbellum from her discard slot, and Shannalla’s Attack Score rose to 4,800.

“Attack Daidarabotchi!” she shouted. “Pouncing tiger rage!”

Shannalla leapt at the giant, and there was no delay this time. With one mighty smash, the huge Yokai was blasted into shards. Soth let out a scream.

“Faultroll, finish him off!” ordered Jinx. “Attack directly!”

Soth screamed again, as Faultroll’s blade carved a huge scar across his torso. He fell over.

(J: 275) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

Jinx held her chest. Mercifully, her scars and bruises started to fade, and her wounds started to heal.

“Damn you...” said Soth.

He started to glow with a red aura. The whole Node started to shake.

“I’ll kill you all! Even if I take myself out with you!”

“Any time now, Wilhelm!” shouted Gears.

“I’m trying!” said Wilhelm. “But the Node has doused every aura I’ve tried to erect...”

Then the four Titans appeared around Wilhelm, Jetta and Il Mathman to his right side, and Shannalla and Trymus to his left.

“Of course!” he exclaimed. “I’ll cast it under your positive energy aura! Let’s see this place try to extinguish that!”

As the Node continued to shake, Wilhelm started to quickly cast the Transmute Rock to Mud spell. The evil crystal shivered, and glowed more intensely...

Then, finally, its glow went out, and it collapsed, turning into a morass of mud and ooze. The candles all went out, and the shaking stopped.

Soth groaned, and fell on his face.

Shichiro shined his light on the fallen Paragon.

“Soth,” he said, “it’s the end of the line. You’re under arrest.”

He lifted his own, much smaller gemstone and it glowed...

* * * * * * * * * *

“So Jinx...” said Shichiro, as they walked out into open air. “Since when did you start using Solemn Judgment?”

“Oh, for about one day now...” said Jinx. “I figure with the odds getting bigger, I needed a few more powerful cards.

“So... one down, three to go... Uh, we did bring changes of clothes, right?”

“How did they make a Dark Synchro version of Ancient Fairy Dragon?” asked Ember. “And why wasn’t its effect even close to the real thing?”

“Know what its effect reminded me of?” said Gears. “Cusillu, Demak’s Earthbound God.”

“That’s because it was Cusillu,” said Wilhelm.

“HUH?” said everyone else.

“Well, let me explain,” said Wilhelm. “What that thing was, more than likely, was a vestige. You see, whenever a powerful entity is vanquished or dies, its spirit is somehow able to manifest itself as a vestige, a projection of itself. I believe that card was Cusillu’s vestige. Somehow, the aboleth was able to capture it inside a card.”

“So why did it take the form of an evil Ancient Fairy Dragon?” asked Ember.

“Who killed it in the battle with Demak?” asked Wilhelm.

“Uh... Ruka... Using Ancient Fairy Dragon...” replied Ember.

“Exactly,” said Wilhelm. “It is said that when one sentient being is slain by another, the image of the killer is forever marked upon the victim’s soul, like a still photograph. Ancient Fairy Dragon is at the front of Cusillu’s mind, so its vestige takes a form similar to hers.”

“Do you think the rest of the Paragons have these vestiges?” asked Jinx.

“Possibly,” said Wilhelm. “But... At least they lack the more dangerous powers of the Earthbound Gods... The ability to attack directly, and avoid attacks.”

“Still doesn’t explain what Ancient Fairy Dragon has to do with the Earth Attribute,” said Gears.

“Maybe it has something to do with her real effect,” said Shichiro. “Something about Field Spells representing the land, which represent the Earth and... Oh, I dunno...

“But I do know that Stardust Dragon is Wind Monster, so if Rary is guarding the Wind Node and he has an evil version, we should go there next so I can take him on. I think I can handle any deck that tries to copy one of Yusei’s cards.”

“You sure?” asked Gears.

“Positive,” said Shichiro. “Where’s the Wind Node?”

Wilhelm gestured, and the map appeared again. A marker appeared in the middle of Asia.

“In Nepal,” he said. “At the base of Mt. Manaslu.”

“Mt. Manaslu?” asked Ember. “What’s that?”

“Nepal has more mountains in it than Everest, Miss Eiko,” replied Wilhelm. “Manaslu is the eighth tallest mountain in the world.”

“Good thing we have to go to its base, and not its peak!” said Gears. “What are we waiting for?”



ONAGAKOKUBA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 800

Card Description: You can send one Zombie-Type Monster from your hand to the Graveyard to increase the ATK of this card by 500. This effect may be used once per round.

Note: “Onagakokuba” was used by Misawa in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



KARAKASA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 3
ATK: 800
DEF: 0

Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon up to 2 “Karakasa”s from your hand or deck in facedown Defense Position.

Note: “Karakasa” was a creation of fanfic author Lux-Nero. Used with permission.



DARK DESIRE (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A handsome, young man kneeling in front of a sinister-looking temptress who is beckoning him to rise. (When examined closely, the man looks very similar to Jack Atlas, while the temptress looks similar to Carly as she was when she was a Dark Signer.)

Card Description: Equip only to a Tuner Monster. Pay any number of Life Points when this card is activated, in increments of 500. For every 500 Life Points paid, the Equipped Monster’s Level is increased by 1. The Equipped Monster may be treated as a Dark Tuner Monster.



DARK FAIRY DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: –7
ATK: 2,100
DEF: 3,000

Card Description: 1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster

To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the combined Levels of the non-Tuner Monster(s) used. The value must equal the Level of this card. This card’s name is treated as “Ancient Fairy Dragon”. If this face-up card you control would be destroyed by battle, you can Tribute 1 other monster you control to prevent it from being destroyed, and halve your opponent's Life Points.



Next:

Shichiro: The Wind Node is just as dangerous as the Earth Node, and Rary is here, as we expected. But something happens in the duel that unfold that I clearly did not expect. Demons usually don’t follow any rules… Were the rules regarding these Dark Synchro strategies totally without any rules whatsoever? There may be a method to this madness, and I have to get through this Shadow Duel to find it.

“Earthbound Whirlwind” is coming soon.