CHAPTER SIXTY
Now, as Shichiro hinted at when we first met, the Shadowchasers must be very cautious in any criminal case where the death penalty is warranted. Each race of Shadowkind has different views on capital punishment, and with some of them, it can be a delicate situation. Orcs traditionally demand that a member of another race be beheaded for any at all crime against an orc, but they can’t enforce this tradition on others, and other races aren’t as lax.
The Shadowchaser courts have provisions for handing down death sentences, but such sentences are rarely given, and even more rarely carried out. When two Shadowkind Nazis were executed following the defeat of Germany after World War II, it had been the first time the Shadowchasers had used capital punishment in six-hundred years. Since that time, you could pretty much count on one hand the number of Shadowkind criminals who had actually been executed.
But now and then, a criminal was sentenced to die, and like all cases where the death penalty was involved, it led to a long process of appeals and reviews. Like I said, it was not a matter to be taken lightly.
And in recent years, the long process had caused the unthinkable to happen. Shichiro was about to come face-to-face with a criminal who had actually escaped from death row, something almost unheard of in most justice systems.
Of course, the way he had escaped was pretty much unheard of in any justice system…
Shichiro drove his D-Wheel through the portal, with Jalal holding on behind. He pulled to a stop.
“Uh… Jalal?” said Shichiro.
They looked around. They were in the middle of dark, dank cavern, lit by several torches set in the walls.
“You think we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?”
Jalal dismounted the bike.
“Unlikely…” he said, not getting the reference. “I think we’re in a small, pocket demiplane, somewhere in the Deep Ethereal…”
Then an evil laugh echoed through the cavern.
“I know that laugh…” said Shichiro, ominously.
He got off the bike.
“Lord Porpen!” he shouted. “Show yourself!”
Two glowing, catlike eyes appeared in the darkness.
“Is that supposed to scare me?” asked Shichiro. “Get out here…”
The figure chuckled, and walked into the light. He was a tall figure, with a head and claws like a black panther, dressed in expensive-looking clothing that suggested Indian origins.
“Got rid of the prison-issue clothes, I see,” said Shichiro.
The creature frowned.
“Yes,” he replied, “I had time to go shopping before you started your manhunt… But not much else…”
Lord Porpen (the “lord” in his name was self-appointed) was a rakshasa, a demon that was legendary in Indian myth (for some reason, almost all of them arrived in India and neighboring countries after coming from the homeworld of Shadow). Myths gave them a variety of roles, from being common thieves and tricksters to powerful entities who could match the gods themselves in sheer power. The truth was, they were a race of Shadowkind, much like any other.
Porpen had once been the heir of a rich family, and had behaved himself surprising well for a rakshasa (a race that legends say were man-eaters, grave robbers, and evil magicians), but when his parents were arrested due to their ties to a smuggling ring that was run out of Mumbai, he became angered at “the system”, as he called it, and became more true to his nature.
Determined to gain revenge on society, he gathered together a group of Mundane outcasts, and started a modernized Thagna cult. Supposedly done out of homage to the goddess Kali (although Jalal suspected that Porpen only wanted the money, and cared little for any goddess) the cult used the same traditional means of robbery as the original Thagna. They traveled in packs in out-of-the-way areas, looking for groups of travelers, and then murdered them using knotted cords. After looting the bodies, they dismembered and mutilated the corpses (supposedly to appease Kali) and buried them to conceal the deed.
However, Porpen didn’t realize that this bloody activity could not be easily concealed in modern-day India. People eventually took notice of the people who were going missing. Eventually, members of the cult were discovered, a few were caught in the act, and very soon, the Shadowchasers discovered that a Shadowkind was leading the cult. Shichiro investigated the case, as he had handled rakshasa before, and arrested Porpen just last year.
But then it turned strange. After being found guilty of ordering over seventy murders and personally committing a dozen (and those were only the ones they found evidence of), none of which he showed any remorse for, Porpen was sentenced to death. But after only two months on death row, Porpen apparently cheated the executioner, killing himself by taking cyanide. No one knew how he got it. And then came the clincher – right before the coroner was to perform the autopsy, his body disappeared from the morgue.
The Shadowchasers suspected it was an elaborate escape plan, and that Porpen was actually alive, so a global manhunt started, but he was never found.
“I should have known you were out there somewhere,” said Shichiro. “I thought you said at your trial that you weren’t afraid to die.”
“I wasn’t,” said Porpen with a scowl. “I planned to go to the death chamber and curse you and that half-breed out when I was asked if I had anything to say before I got the lethal injection.”
He pointed to Jalal.
“But then I got to death row,” he continued, “where there were two other inmates. Want to know how long they had been there?”
“A long time?” asked Shichiro.
“More than ten years!” shouted Porpen. “More than ten years in a cramped, five-by-ten cell, due to mandatory appeals and red tape brought up by idiotic lawyers!
“There was once a time when a condemned prisoner was put out his misery quickly and that was the end of it. The Nazi war criminals that were tried at Nuremberg who were given the death penalty were hanged less than a year after being convicted!”
“And it was a far more merciful fate than the thousands of innocents who were tortured to death in Nazi death camps,” added Jalal. “The fact that you even got a trial proves that more mercy was shown to you than you ever gave your victims, Porpen.”
“Regardless,” said Porpen. “I was not going to spend years in that cramped cell while a stupid lawyer made my decisions for me.
“So I decided to use the money that I intended to pay that lawyer with for more practical purposes. I listened to the guards talk amongst themselves, and eventually found out that one of them had parents who were in the midst of a financial crisis. Then I spoke to him, and bribed him into supplying me with cyanide, and a special chemical that only rakshasa knew how to make.
“He thought I would kill myself with them, and he saw nothing wrong with helping a serial killer end his own life, and making a great deal of money from it. It would help his parents pay the bills, after all. Little did he know, the second chemical was my ticket to freedom.
“You see, by ingesting it before I took the cyanide, the poison affected me in a different way, placing me in a comatose state that couldn’t be distinguished from actual death by a casual viewer. As I had hoped, I was taken to the morgue, where the security was much more lax than death row. I made my escape, and fled to this pocket dimension.”
“And you’ve been holed up here all this time?” asked Shichiro. “What were you planning to eventually do?”
“To be honest, I had no idea at first,” replied Porpen. “But then an entity contacted me. It said I merely had to do its bidding, and if its plans worked, I could return to an Earth where there would be no Shadowchasers. I wouldn’t have to worry about having a status as a fugitive any longer.
“And besides… I want revenge on the one who arrested me.”
He placed a Duel Disk on his right arm. He was left handed, as all rakshasa were. Actually, rakshasa had a disturbing physical characteristic: their palms were where the backs of the hands would be on humans. That meant that their right hand was where their left hand would normally be, and vice-versa. This odd feature didn’t affect their manual dexterity, but it was quite disturbing for most folks to watch when they did anything that involved using their hands.
Anyway, the Disk was custom-made for southpaws, and was likely quite expensive.
Shichiro sighed.
“Fine…” he said. “I guess it’s the only way out of here anyway.”
He hit the command on his D-Wheel, and the Duel Disk disengaged, clamping to his gauntlet.
“Careful, Shichiro,” said Jalal. “This is one guy I really don’t trust.”
“Don’t concern yourself, boss,” said Shichiro. “I beat him once… I can do it again…”
He turned to Porpen.
“So… Still using the same deck?”
“Heh, heh…” chuckled Porpen. “No… I have something much more… disturbing. The judge may have been a little hasty when she rejected my insanity plea…”
“Duel!” they both shouted.
(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Porpen: 8,000)
“My draw…” said Porpen.
Shichiro winced a little, as he watched Porpen make a draw. As previously said, a rakshasa using his hands was a disturbing sight.
“I summon the Malice Doll of Demise in Attack Mode,” he said.
With a hideous cackle, an evil-looking wooden puppet appeared, carrying a nasty axe. (1,600 ATK)
“Then, I play the Continuous Spell Card, Ectoplasmer,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “This requires each player to sacrifice a Monster at the end of their turns. The soul of that Monster is then transformed into a destructive energy called ectoplasm, which deals damage to the opponent equal to half of the Monster’s Attack Points.”
Lovely… thought Jalal, nervously. I’ve seen this combo before…
“Okay, Shichiro…” said Porpen. “I’m ending my turn now.”
Malice Doll of Demise slumped over, and a ghostly phantom flew out of it. It flew at Shichiro with a screech, hitting him in the chest with a slam.
“ERGH!” he grunted.
(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 8,000)
Man, that really hurt… he thought. This isn’t like the last time I dueled him… Something is different…
He drew a card.
“I summon Hayabusa Knight!” he shouted.
In a burst of energy, the armored fencer with a falcon’s head appeared. (1,000 ATK)
“Attack him directly!” shouted Shichiro. “Peregrine saber slash!”
Hayabusa Knight flew at the rakshasa and made a swipe at him with its blade. Porpen grunted and took a step backwards.
“And guess what, Porpen?” asked Shichiro. “Hayabusa Knight gets to attack twice!”
Porpen grunted again, as the Warrior made another slash at him.
“I set one card facedown,” said Shichiro. “Then I end my turn, and use the effect of your Ectoplasmer.”
Hayabusa Knight fell to his knees. Then its spirit rose from its body, and made a savage slash at Porpen a third time. The demon fell over on his behind.
(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,500)
“So, what do you think?” asked Shichiro.
Porpen chuckled, and got up.
“I think you’re in for a rude awakening…” he said.
He drew a card.
A dark burst of energy appeared on his side of the field, and Malice Doll of Demise appeared again. (1,600 ATK)
Shichiro’s smile vanished.
This was what I was afraid of, thought Jalal.
“You really didn’t think I’d play Ectoplasmer without a Monster that I could combo with it, did you?” said Porpen. “I can Special Summon this guy on the turn after it’s sent to the Graveyard by a Continuous Spell Card’s effect. It and Ectoplasmer make the perfect team.
“And now I summon Brave Scizzar.”
A weird-looking Machine appeared, with a conical body, one glaring eye, eight spindly legs, and two arms, each ending in a pair of shears. (1,300 ATK)
“Kinda reminds me…” muttered Shichiro, nervously. “I’m overdue for a haircut…”
“Brave Scizzar, give him a little off the top!” ordered Porpen.
The Machine rushed at Shichiro, its shears clipping. Shichiro screamed as they stabbed into him.
“Now, my Malice Doll of Demise,” continued the demon, “cleaver heaver!”
The Fiend cackled, and hurled its axe.
“I activate… Defense Draw!” shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card shot up.
The axe glanced off an invisible shield.
Shichiro breathed a sigh of relief, and then drew one card.
“Ah, well…” said Porpen. “I end my turn… And that means I can once again use the effect of Ectoplasmer…”
Once again, the ghostly spirit flew out of Malice Doll of Demise, and slammed into Shichiro’s chest.
“ERGH!” he grunted.
(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,500)
Okay, that confirms it… he thought, holding his chest. This is not the typical duel…
He’s learned how to create a Shadow Duel…
He slowly drew a card.
He must have gotten some pointers from that entity he mentioned. Maybe he means Draco…
Well, this will solve part of the problem.
“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted, throwing a card into his Disk.
The cyclone tore across the field, and blasted the Ectoplasmer card to pieces.
“Next, I summon Axe Raider!”
Axe Raider appeared in front of him, and grunted at the sight of the demon. (1,700 ATK)
“Destroy Brave Scizzar!” shouted Shichiro. “Axe crash!”
Axe Raider slashed downward with his axe, cutting the Machine cleanly in half. The pieces dissolved into light.
“It’s your move…” he said. “Seems the score is tied…”
(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,100)
Porpen made a draw. In a burst of energy, Malice Doll of Demise returned, this time crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700 DEF)
“I set two cards facedown,” said Porpen, “and then summon Bowganian.”
Two facedown cards flashed into existence, and then a new Machine appeared. It looked like a large eye with spikes on its lid, with two small mechanical arms, one of which held a metal crossbow. (1,300 ATK)
Odd… thought Jalal. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but… There’s something very familiar about the cards in Porpen’s deck…
Have I seen these used in the same deck before?
“My turn is over,” said Porpen.
“Draw…” said Shichiro, making a draw.
He looked at the card.
“Come on out, Gearfried the Iron Knight!” he shouted.
In another burst of energy, Gearfried leapt onto the field. (1,800 ATK)
“Destroy his Bowganian!” he shouted.
Gearfried flew at the small Machine.
“I activate… Staunch Defender!” exclaimed Porpen, as his facedown card shot up. “Now, all your attacks must be directed towards my Malice Doll of Demise!”
Gearfried turned, and brought his blade down on the Doll, blowing it to shards.
“Ah, well…” said Porpen. “Never liked that guy much anyway…”
“You don’t like your own cards?” asked Shichiro. “You have serious issues, Porpen.”
“And I suppose you’re gonna give me the tired old good guys’ speech about cards having to be respected, huh?” asked Porpen. “Save it, Shichiro.
“I don’t doubt that the card creatures are living things… I’ve seen stranger things in my life. But caring about them is only going to distract me.
“I learned a long time ago, you have to look out for number one in this crazy world. Looking out for anyone else just gets you in trouble.”
“Seems pretty selfish, if you ask me,” replied Shichiro.
“Self-preservation is how I think of it,” replied Porpen. “If it’s selfish to put your own needs before those of others, I’m hardly the only one who can be called selfish.
“I believe it’s my move…”
He made a draw.
“And whenever I start my turn, Bowganian’s effect activates, costing you 600 Life Points.”
Bowganian aimed its crossbow at Shichiro, and fired. Shichiro’s eyes nearly bugged out as it hit him.
“Next, I summon Drillago,” continued Porpen.
He played the card, and another Dark Machine appeared. It looked like a mass of drills and screws on two legs. (1,600 ATK)
“And since you have nothing on your side of the field except for Monsters with 1,600 Attack Points or more, it gets to attack directly.
“Attack! Drilling drill!”
Drillago rushed at Shichiro, its drills spinning wildly. Shichiro screamed in pain as the weapons stabbed into him. He fell over.
(S: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,100)
“I move Bowganian to Defense Mode…” said Porpen, “and end my turn.”
Bowganian pointed its crossbow up, and shielded itself with its other hand. (1,000 DEF)
Shichiro got up, and took some deep breaths.
He slowly drew a card.
He looked at Jalal. Jalal nodded, and he nodded back.
“I set one Monster,” he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.
“Then I attack with Gearfried and Axe Raider!”
Axe Raider made a chop, blowing Bowganian to pieces. Then Gearfried made a slash with his blade, and Drillago exploded into a blast of flames.
“That’s all for me…”
(S: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 4,900)
“Seems you still have some fight in you…” said Porpen, making a draw.
He looked at the card.
“Good… Didn’t want this to be too easy, after all…”
A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
“I play Instant Fusion. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and in return, I get to Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck.
“And I choose to summon… Musician King!”
In a blast of energy and sound, a new Monster appeared. It was a 70’s style guitarist, wearing battered jeans, no shirt, and a red bandana that held back his bushy, blonde hair. He carried a red electric guitar. (1,750 ATK)
“Of course, since he was summoned with Instant Fusion,” continued Porpen, “he can’t attack, and will have to leave when I end my turn…
“Unless I give him a little upgrade. I activate Metalmorph.”
His other Trap Card lifted up.
“And I’ll Equip it to Musician King.”
Musician King’s skin turned grey and metallic.
“This let’s me sacrifice him…”
Musician King vanished.
“…for something better… The powerful Heavy Metal King!”
In a burst of even more intense energy and even louder noise, a new Monster appeared. It looked like Musician King with a new costume and makeup, the type that had been favored by Gene Simmons and artists of the same genre. His guitar had been replaced by a bass version. (2,050 ATK)
“Interesting…” said Shichiro.
“I’ll tell you something else that’s interesting,” said Porpen. “Heavy Metal King retains the effect of Metalmorph. That means, when he attacks, he gains Attack Points equal to half the target’s Attack Score.
“So attack his Iron Knight! Requiem blast!”
Heavy Metal King strummed his bass, and a blast of incredibly earsplitting sound shot towards Gearfried. His Attack Score increased to 2,950. The Iron Knight staggered backwards, and then shattered into pixels.
“Ergh…” groaned Shichiro.
(S: 1,750) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,900)
“You were right…” he muttered. “These cards you’re using… The unifying theme is madness!”
“That’s the idea,” said Porpen. “This deck I’m using is derived from the Psycho Style of dueling.”
“That’s where I’ve seen these combos before!” exclaimed Jalal.
Porpen chuckled.
“Makes sense, Jalal,” he said. “You’ve been around long enough to have heard about it, and your memory is long. Not many duelists today remember it, because it’s mostly defunct.
“It used to be a school of dueling that was the arch rival of the Cyber Style of dueling. But eventually, it produced the most arrogant practitioner in its history. He challenged the representative of the Cyber Style to a duel for dominance.”
“And I suppose that would have been Ryu Marufuji?” asked Shichiro. “Let me guess… Ryu defeated him, and the Psycho Style had to close its doors?”
Porpen started to chuckle harder.
“What?” asked Shichiro.
“Actually, it turned out very differently,” said Jalal. “Ryu tried, but his poor health at the time caused him to collapse in the middle of the duel. He was about to forfeit, when his little brother said that he would take over for him.”
“And that’s funny because?” asked Shichiro.
“Because Sho defeated him!” laughed Porpen. “It was a complete humiliation for the Psycho Style! After that, no-one who used this strategy could show his face in public.
“Well, until Sho became more respected in the Pro League, that is…”
“I didn’t actually see the duel,” said Jalal, “but supposedly, that’s what happened.”
“So why are you using these cards?” asked Shichiro. “Do you get your jollies from using the cards of a once-respected style that fell from grace because of one practitioner’s foolish arrogance?”
“Why, yes,” said Porpen.
Shichiro looked at Porpen. He was about to say something.
Then he stopped and shook his head.
Why bother? he thought.
He drew a card.
“I set one card facedown, and move Axe Raider to Defense Mode.”
A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider knelt and held his weapon in his lap. (1,150 DEF)
“It’s your move.”
Porpen made a draw. He looked at it and the two cards already in his hand.
Almost… he thought. I almost have what I need to pull off the combo that defines the Psycho Style… I just need one more card…
“Heavy Metal King…” he ordered, “destroy Axe Raider!”
Heavy Metal King played his terrible song, and the sonic waves shot towards Axe Raider…
“I activate… Draining Shield!” shouted Shichiro.
His Trap Card shot up, and a dome of energy appeared around him and his Monsters, deflecting the blast.
(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,900)
“Ah, well…” said Porpen. “I’ll set this then, for later.”
A facedown card appeared in a flash.
Jalal raised an eyebrow.
I don’t like the look in Porpen’s eye, he thought. If that facedown card is what I think it is, Shichiro might be in big trouble…
Shichiro drew a card.
“I summon Nitro Synchron!” he shouted.
He threw the card on his Disk, and the robotic propane tank appeared next to Axe Raider. (300 ATK)
“Next, I Equip Axe Raider with Synchro Boost,” he said, as he played a Spell Card. “This gives him 500 more Attack Points, and raises his Level by one.
“And now… Nitro Synchron will give him a Tune-up!”
Nitro Synchron’s eyes glowed, and the needle on its gauge moved into the red. Then it and Axe Raider flew to the ceiling, where they faded into seven glowing stars.
“Synchro Summon…” said Shichiro, “Nitro Warrior!”
The fiendish, flaming Warrior flew from the ceiling with a roar, leaving a trail of flames in its wake. (2,800 ATK)
“Now, thanks to Nitro Synchron’s effect,” continued Shichiro, “I get to make one draw.”
He drew a card. He looked at it, and added it to his hand.
“Nitro Warrior…” he said, “silence Heavy Metal King with dynamite knuckle!”
Nitro Warrior roared again, and flew at the mad musician, hitting him hard with two flaming fists. Heavy Metal King fell backwards, and shattered into silvery shards.
(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,150)
Shichiro glared at Porpen as Nitro Warrior landed back on his side.
“What next, Porpen?” he asked. “What nightmare are you going to pull out of that deck next?”
Porpen chuckled.
“You’ll see soon enough,” he replied. “After all… I’m a rakshasa… I’m the embodiment of nightmares!”
“No you aren’t,” snapped Jalal. “That’s just a label given to your people by superstitious humans who credit you with more powers than you actually have.”
“Eh… Look who knows so much…” growled Porpen, drawing a card.
“I like superstitious folk more than smart ones… People who aren’t smart tend to respect us. Hindu myth tells of a rakshasa named Raktabija who was so powerful, Durga herself couldn’t defeat him. Every time a drop of his blood was spilled, it turned into a clone of himself, and Durga found herself facing an army.”
“But the same story says that Durga found a solution,” added Jalal. “She created a new aspect of herself… another goddess who was just as savage as Raktabija in order to fight him.
“Know who that goddess was? Kali, the same goddess you told your Thagna cult you were making your offerings to.
“Seems a little hypocritical, doesn’t it?”
Porpen looked a little nervous. Yes, it was hypocritical. The cult he had started had professed to worship a goddess whom his race should have considered an enemy. Of course, he really hadn’t cared about Kali or any other deity. So long as he could make a profit from his band of highwaymen, he was satisfied.
He quickly played the card he had just drawn.
“I play Pot of Avarice!” he shouted.
The card appeared, and he took Musician King, Malice Doll of Demise, Brave Scizzar, Drillago, and Bowganian from his discard slot. He shuffled his deck, and made two draws.
“Time to show you what the Psycho Style can truly do,” he said. “I summon Jinzo-Returner!”
He played the card, and a small Monster appeared, no more than four feet tall. The infamous Jinzo was a Machine, and as such, it couldn’t possibly sire children. But if it could, they might have looked like this. It was basically a pint-size version of Jinzo. (600 ATK)
“Eh?” said Shichiro.
“Now, I play a Spell Card,” said Porpen, as a card appeared in front of him. “Psycho Wave.
“To play this, I have to send a specific Monster from my deck to the Graveyard…”
He held up a card. It was a real Jinzo. Then he discarded it.
“…and in return, Jinzo-Returner gets to inflict damage equal to its Attack Score.”
Jinzo-Returner produced a ball of dark energy, and threw it at Shichiro. He grunted a little.
“You threw away a Jinzo to inflict only 600 points of damage?” asked Shichiro. “Seems like an uneven trade-off.”
“I’m just getting started,” continued Porpen. “Jinzo-Returner also has the ability to attack directly!”
Jinzo-Returner fired another blast, and Shichiro groaned again.
“Now, my Trap Card,” said Porpen, as his facedown card lifted.
“WHA?!” shouted Shichiro. “That’s a Crush Card Virus!”
“It sure is!” laughed Porpen.
Jinzo-Returner vanished into an aura of dark energy. Then Nitro Warrior shattered into shards.
Shichiro gasped as two cards in his hand, Warrior Dai Grepher and Rose, Warrior of Revenge, also shattered.
“I’m not done!” laughed Porpen. “Jinzo-Returner has another effect. When it’s sent to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon a specific Monster from my Graveyard!”
With a roar, the real Jinzo appeared in front of him. (2,400 ATK)
“This is bad…” said Shichiro.
“Hang on, Shichiro!” urged Jalal. “He left out one thing… When Jinzo is summoned this way, it only stays on the field until his End Phase!”
“Well…” chuckled Porpen. “Seems there are a few things that even the great Jalal Stormbringer doesn’t know…
“But I digress… Let’s continue…
“Jinzo, wipe out his last Monster! Cyber energy shock!”
Jinzo formed an even more intense ball of dark energy, and hurled it at the facedown Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.
“Now I get to draw one card,” said Shichiro.
“Don’t forget…” said Porpen, “any card you draw falls under the spell of my Virus…”
Shichiro made a draw.
He turned it around. It was Tuningware.
“Seems this guy is immune to your Virus, Porpen,” he said.
“Ah, well, that’s worthless anyway…” said Porpen.
“And now for my big surprise… True, the effect would destroy Jinzo when I ended my turn.
“So I’ll sacrifice it…”
Jinzo vanished into another dark aura.
“…to Special Summon something better…”
A larger, dark form loomed over the field…
“I give you… Jinzo-Lord!”
The creature that appeared looked like Jinzo at first glance. However, it was not only taller, it had combat armor in place of the familiar robes, it had three optic sensors, and it had six odd straps attached to its back tipped with strange objects that might pass for buckles. (2,600 ATK)
“What in blazes…” said Shichiro, taking a step backwards.
He turned towards Jalal.
“I’m just as surprised as you are,” said Jalal. “I’ve never seen this before!”
“You would have if you had actually seen the duel where the Psycho Style was humiliated,” chuckled Porpen. “Only the top practitioners of the school were given this card.
“It enabled them to perform the combo you just saw… The ultimate combo of the Psycho Style!”
“And how, may I ask, did you get it?” asked Shichiro.
“From the entity I cut a deal with,” replied Porpen. “There are ways of getting anything…
“I’d love to strike you down with this now, Shichiro… But since my Battle Phase is past, I have to end my turn…”
(S: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,150)
Shichiro looked at his hand, which now consisted of Tuningware, Big Shield Gardna, and Silent Doom.
Got to be careful, he thought. Until his Virus is expired, it’s not going to be easy to take that thing down…
And if it’s anything like the true Jinzo, Traps aren’t gonna work while it’s on the field.
He looked at Jinzo-Lord.
Ultimate combo of the Psycho Style? he thought. Humph… In that case, the Psycho Style must have been full of poor sports. I mean really, Crush Card Virus is the cheapest card in existence. I’m glad that the Cyber Style was proven superior…
Then he paused.
Aw, who am I kidding? The Cyber Style was full of a lot of poor sports too. Does anyone actually believe that it was luck that let Kaiser pull all three Cyber Dragons and Power Bond in his opening hand in every single duel?
The only reason no-one ever accused him of deck-stacking is because no-one ever had the nerve to do so…
He drew a card. He looked at it.
“Come on, Shichiro,” said Porpen, motioning with his hand. “Don’t keep me waiting…”
Shichiro frowned, and turned the card around. It was De-Synchro. Porpen chuckled again.
“Not much help there, huh?” he said.
“Oh, shut up,” said Shichiro, placing a card on his Disk.
A reversed Monster appeared.
I don’t like this, thought Jalal. This sadist is making Shichiro angrier than usual. And losing your temper in a Shadow Duel can easily cause you to lose it…
Porpen is a supernatural being, so he can handle a Shadow Duel far easier than any human can. For a mortal like Shichiro, the key to surviving is simply to keep calm, concentrate, and keep focused.
Because losing focus can lead to disaster…
Continued…