Yu-Gi-Oh: The Link of Destinies

[mario72486]

Right on the heels of Dark Sage’s latest chapter of “Power Primordial” is my latest project. I was inspired to write it after a combination of positive feedback and the desire to continue a story I thought was finished.

For those who need a refresher, check out “Yu-Gi-Oh, the Pit of 100 Trials.”

For those who remember the major characters involved, I hope you enjoy…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yu-Gi-Oh: The Link of Destinies

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prologue: Return of the Doomed

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He could not believe it had been a few years ago.

Back then, his life had been in a rut. Having lost his parents, he had gone down a suicidal path in an attempt to bring them back. It wasn’t until he faced a near-death experience - in a competition against the most despicable of opponents with the most horrendous of stakes - that he realized that his goal was unattainable. He needed to forge a path to the future on his own, not with a legendary treasure. He came to his senses just in time to prevent a great cataclysm from happening. Not only did he save the world, he was able to obtain a sense of closure.

In the end, he did gain treasure: not just of monetary value – which supported him on his way to achieving a baccalaureate in medicine - but also in knowledge of the fact that he could face anything that came his way.

Uriel had graduated from grad school a few months before. Wanting to continue the legacy left by his parents, he had chosen to become a doctor, aiming towards working closely with medical facilities associated with the army. He knew he could apply whenever he wanted, so there plenty of free time for his other love: Duel Monsters.

He had only recently arrived in Neo Domino city. He had heard about the new tournament coming soon, the World Grand Prix. He came not just for information on how to enter, but also due to the events that had transpired months earlier. The world had been saved in a matter far greater than the way he had saved it. The tournament would mean not just aiming to win, but also to meet the Signers - if possible.

He had earned a license for using a D-Wheel the year before, and he was comfortable with driving the D-Wheel he owned, but somehow the dueling style still didn’t seem to click with him. He was too used to dueling on solid ground, not to mention the fact he had to build a secondary deck to accommodate for the rules of Turbo Dueling. If he wanted to be a threat during the Grand Prix, he needed to obtain new cards and learn some new tricks first.

The former wasn’t a problem, since there was more than enough in his trust fund to pay for cards that could be integrated into both of his decks. As for the latter, he found there were certain individuals within Neo-Domino willing to pass on the tricks of the trade.

It was getting late. He had enjoyed taking in the sights and sounds of the city. These were things he wasn’t used to, but was glad to experience. But even those looking for some excitement needed to get some rest. He was walking through a dark alley away from a Pro shop, having obtained an appointment with a renowned D-Wheel user for first thing the next morning, so sleep was a necessity right now.

He was just about to return to the city street, where his D-Wheel was currently parked, and head back to his hotel. Suddenly, a strange feeling hit him. The air became cooler, and a brisk wind blew in his face. He could clearly feel something coming from behind…something really bad.

He turned around, expecting a common thug preparing to jump him. Instead, he saw a cloaked figure about fifty feet away, slowly but surely walking towards him. It wasn’t until the range became closer that he noticed a foul stench hanging in the air.

“Hello there…we meet again…fleshling…”

The voice was deep, but with a certain level of rasp to it. And it had been a while since someone had used that term to refer to him.

Not since…

“Who are you?” Uriel yelled, taking a defensive stance.

“You disappoint me,” the figure said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I thought for sure you would have recognized me by now.”

“Answer my question, damn it!” The Israeli snapped. “I want to see if you’re who I think you are!”

“As you wish,” the figure replied, removing his cloak.

Uriel nearly threw up in his mouth when he saw what was before him. He couldn’t tell if he was once human, considering how decomposed the body was. The clothes he wore, something that resembled what was once an expensive business suit, looked like they were part of the man’s funeral.

What really struck him was the fact that the head was replaced with the skull of an alligator-like creature. There was still red and black muscle hanging from it, and the eyes were still in place, staring out like blank saucers. The jaw hung open in what could have been considered a grin. A custom-made duel-disk hung loosely on his arm.

“My god…it can’t be…”

“Oh, but it is,” the corpse responded. “Bonetail is back with a vengeance, baby!”

“But…that’s impossible! I beat you down in the Pit of 100 Trials! I saw you combust into a pile of ash! You were banished into whatever form of Hell you dragon-things have!”

“Wrong on all counts,” Bonetail replied. He held up a bony finger. “First, the only reason you’re still alive is because I wasn’t able to reach you and suck out your soul, something I needed to complete my set of 1000!

“Second, I didn’t spontaneously combust. What you did see was my body disintegrating as a result of me losing my focus and powers. Third, there is no Hell for ‘Dragon-things.’

“…Well, then again I’m not quite sure if there is one just yet, since I ended up in my own form of Limbo. My soul circled this dimension for years. I had no idea where I was going to end up, nor did I know how long I’d remain in that state. At first I tried to fight it, but eventually I chose to accept it until a way out presented itself.”

“Looks like that happened to be the case,” Uriel said bluntly.

“More or less,” the demon replied. “I have the Dark Signers to thank for that. During one of their duels against the original Signers, a certain monster was brought forth. I believe it was called One-Hundred Eyes Dragon. Of course it was a Dragon, but its power was pure evil, something that I found most appetizing when I felt it. Its summoning created a backlash of dark power, and it allowed me and other tainted souls to regain their energy and footing.”

“Congratulations,” the Israeli said sarcastically. “But…what’s with the corpse?”

Bonetail looked down at the body he was occupying. “Oh, you mean this? Well, I didn’t have much choice. The ashes that remained from my body had long since been banished to another plain thanks to the Shadow Spawn, so there was no way I’d be able to return to solid form by myself. My only alternative was to find a body that didn’t have a soul of its own.

“Luckily I had regained my energy near an old cemetery, and thankfully it was one that doesn’t use concrete while burying caskets. This was actually the best body out of the lot. You wouldn’t believe how old and decayed the rest of them were.”

“And…where did you get that new head of yours?” This was asked with discretion, as this was the part of the revived demon he found the most revolting.

“Do you actually expect me to walk around using a corpse for a body, much less a human’s? I had to add my own touch, so an alligator had to do. Sure, the local zoo is still investigating how one of their prized attractions could have been decapitated, but it certainly suits me just fine. Besides, this form is only temporary.”

Uriel did not like the sound of that. “Why? You’re going to die, anyway……again?”

“Oh, you are a comedian,” Bonetail laughed, nearly losing one of his eyeballs. “No, it’s because, while my powers are severely limited thanks to what transpired years ago, I still have some magic left in me. And I’ve been learning some new tricks, like how to transfer one’s essence from one thing to another – or should I say, from one body to another.

“Let me tell you, the results I’ve had with some of my test subjects have been hilarious. But now I’m confident that I’ll be able to use it on myself and my intended target.

“Guess who I plan on taking over – and your first two guesses don’t count!”

The Israeli at first shuddered at the thought of such atrocities, but his anger quickly overpowered this.

The demon didn’t seem to care. “But that’s enough with the humor. It’s time to get serious.”

“No…it’s time for you to pay for your crimes,” Uriel snapped.

“I’m not paying a cent,” Bonetail responded. “If anyone’s going to be paying out of their pocket for things they’ve done, it’s you. You’re the one who cost me everything I had worked so hard to obtain! You’re the one who banished me from this plain of reality! You’re going to pay the ultimate price, courtesy of a Shadow Duel!”

He raised his left arm, and the duel disk on it activated. Lightning struck all around as the darkness began to surround them.

“You’re out of your mind!” the Israeli said. “I’m not going to duel you! There’s no point, especially considering how I beat you last time.”

“But there is a point, fleshling. If I win, you’ll die, your soul whisked away to the same form of purgatory I had to suffer through. Your body will be well taken care of, though. I’ll finally be able to wipe my slate clean and get a fresh start in whatever life I see fit.”

Uriel’s eyes narrowed. “And if I refuse?”

“There is no refusal. I won’t allow it. I’ve been waiting for you to come all this time, and I’m not about to let you slip out of my cold dead fingers. I’ll hunt you down until you’re forced to duel me.”

“What happens if I win?”

“My power is running low as it is. I have enough spiritual energy to conjure up this Shadow Duel while leaving a fraction around to complete the soul transfer. If you somehow pull out a win, which I seriously doubt, well…we’ll let the fates decide what happens to me. No matter how you look at it, our fates are intertwined, our confrontation inevitable!”

The barrier of dark energy finally surrounded both combatants as the Shadow Duel commenced.

“This is it, fleshling! Only one of us is going to leave this place alive!”

“It sure as hell isn’t going to be you!” Uriel yelled, activating his duel disk.

“Let’s duel!”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next time:

Uriel: The last time my life was on the line in a simple game, it was against a demon who did not want to die quietly. I don’t know if this story or his is true or not, but one thing’s for sure: I can’t allow it to happen again.

Bonetail: Don’t be so sure…what you saw before only scratched the surface of my real power. I have far more tricks up my sleeve, and I’ll be using every single one to put you away for good!

“Berserk Dragon” is on the way…

[Dark Sage]

Well, I'm a little too close to this fic to be surprised at this point, but I'm glad to see it up. I look forward to actually reading the rest of the final draft.

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Berserk Dragon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Uriel: (8000)………………..Bonetail: (8000)

“I’ve been hungering for this moment for years. It’s about time I finally claim it!” Bonetail made a draw, starting the duel. “And it wasn’t easy finding all the cards for this deck, so I’ve had to improvise here and there, not to mention kill several dozen duelists to steal what they had. What you see now may appear to be what you’ve faced before, but I’ve been able to add a few surprises.”

“Is that so?” Uriel asked. “Like what?”

“You’ll see,” the demon replied, taking three cards from his hand. “But for now, I set two cards face-down, and a monster in Defense Mode.” A trio of face-down cards emerged on the field. “With that, I’m turning it over to you, fleshling.”

Uriel drew for his turn and went through the options his first hand presented.

Knowing that no-good bag of bones, he thought to himself, that’s most likely a Pyramid Turtle. Risking an attack just so he can bring out a stronger Zombie is bad enough, but tripping those face-downs may not be the best idea right now. I better be conservative for the time being…

“Not to be a copycat, but I’ll be doing the same thing,” the Israeli announced, as he set a monster and two face-down cards of his own. “That’s all for now.”

Bonetail seemed to smirk as he drew a card. “Thank you for not attacking. By playing it safe, you’ve allowed me to activate the ability of the monster I have face-down!” He flipped it up to reveal a decayed camel wrapped in bandages like a mummy. (500/600)

“This is called Des Lacooda. When I am able to flip it up, I’m free to draw another card.” He made a second draw.

“But that’s not all. I can use its other ability to flip it back face-down.” The camel vanished, replaced by the original face-down card. “So, provided I can protect it, I can use its ability every turn!”

“Good for you,” Uriel replied, sarcastically clapping his hands. “Now can you get on with it? If you have something planned, there’s no need to keep it a secret for much longer.”

“Now, now, there’s no need to spoil the surprises of my deck just yet. They will reveal themselves in time. For now, I think I’ll set another monster, just to keep you guessing.” Another face-down card appeared next to his current ‘hidden’ monster. “Your move…” He said his last line in a taunting manner.

He’s trying to get me more worked up than I already am, Uriel thought, drawing a new card. Sure, the stakes are the same, but there’s no way this can be the exact same deck. First things first, though, I need to get rid of that camel before he can draw any more cards…

“I reveal a newcomer to this deck: Bountiful Artemis!” He flipped his hidden monster face-up, and a faceless, yet unique-looking angel emerged, with a crystalline body with emerald trimming, large hollow wings, and a purple cloak. (1600/1700)

Uriel pointed at the face-down card representing Des Lacooda. “Move in to attack!”

One of Bonetail’s face-down cards lifted. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t have some kind of defense against this? I activate Negate Attack!” A violet-colored swirling vortex appeared in front of the charging Fairy. It was sucked in, then promptly spat out, ultimately canceling its attack run.

“Crap,” the Israeli said out loud. “You might have stopped my monster’s attack, but you activated his special ability. Whenever a Counter Trap activates, I can draw a new card.”

He picked up another card from his deck, smirking when he saw what it was. “Looks like you’re not the only one with a little draw power on his side.”

“Maybe,” Bonetail retorted, “but I still have the upper hand.”

“How can you say that when nothing game-changing has happened yet?” Uriel asked. He set another monster and waved a hand, signaling the end of his turn.

“You’re about to find out,” the demon replied as he picked up a new card. “I flip Des Lacooda face-up once again.” As the mummified camel reappeared, he drew a second card.

“And while I’m at it, I might as well reveal my other hidden monster!” He laughed as a second Des Lacooda appeared. “Now I can draw a third card this turn!”

Wow…what a move, Uriel thought. Never thought a demon that barely plays the game could pull it off…

“Now, both of you conceal yourselves!” Bonetail ordered. The Des Lacoodas flipped face-down again. “I set another monster and a face-down card to end my turn.”

As two more face-downs emerged, Uriel was clearly getting steamed. He drew for his turn. “Alright, I’m getting sick of this. Asura Priest, you’re on deck!” The Hindu god-esque Fairy emerged, brandishing daggers in each of its six hands. (1700/1200)

“It’s time to take out those annoyances in one swift stroke! Attack all of his monsters!” Asura Priest tossed its blades one by one, two impaling each of the three face-down cards. The two Des Lacoodas and a new Zombie – one he didn’t recognize - appeared briefly before groaning in pain and shattering.

“Bountiful Artemis, direct attack!” The crystalline fairy charged up electric energy in a ball, then fired it at Bonetail. He didn’t even flinch as the attack hit him.

U: (8000)………………..B: (6400)

“Once again, I draw first blood,” Uriel announced.

“You’re so proud of yourself, aren’t you?” Bonetail asked mockingly. “As you said, this duel has only just begun.”

Uriel set another face-down card. “Just move,” he snapped. Because it was a Spirit monster, Asura Priest vanished, forced to return to its master’s hand.

Bonetail would have been surprised by this snide remark, but he remembered how ambitious his opponent was from his previous encounter. Deep down, he was glad the human’s temper was rising. It would make his eventual defeat all the more satisfying.

“As you wish,” he replied, drawing for his turn. He immediately played the card. “This current hand simply won’t do, so I’ll remedy that by playing Card Destruction!” He discarded the cards in his hand.

Uriel inwardly groaned as he looked at the Magic card in his hand: Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. It had helped him win his first duel against this demon, but now it was worthless. Two other personal favorite cards of his that he had drawn earlier were also gone, but hopefully not forgotten.

With a heavy sigh, he discarded his hand. He drew four new cards, while Bonetail drew five.

“Ah, much better,” the demon mused. “Let’s turn this duel back in my favor by first activating Everliving Underworld Cannon!”

A large artillery emplacement appeared, one seemingly made of flesh and bone. It hummed ominously as blood and steam spewed out of its many crevices.

“Here’s the deal. Once per turn, when I Special Summon a Zombie monster, I can use this cannon to deal 800 points of damage. Got it?”

Uriel was stone-faced.

“Good. Then let’s begin with the effect of a monster I drew through Card Destruction.” He flipped it around, revealing a zombie conducting an orchestra of ghouls.

“By discarding my Skull Conductor, I can Special Summon two Zombies from the Graveyard, so long as their total attack powers equal 2000.” He slipped it into his discard slot as the ground in front of him opened up.

“With that in mind, I call forth Bone Crusher and Plaguespreader Zombie!”

Two new monsters emerged from the crumbling pavement. One was the skeleton of a barbarian, complete with helmet, fur and a stone club. The skeleton of a guard dog was next to it, growling. (1600/200)

The other monster was the one Uriel had destroyed on his previous turn along with the Des Lacoodas. This one could have been considered a hodgepodge; it was certainly brought back from the dead, but it was like Frankenstein’s monster, as its body was composed of the parts of various animals sewn together. It gave a stereotypical moan as it slid into place. (400/200)

“Take aim and fire!” The Underworld Cannon shot a blast of ectoplasm at Uriel. He grunted as it struck him, and then he began to shiver as his body temperature seemed to drop.

U: (7200)………………..B: (6400)

“Oh, don’t mind the after-effects,” Bonetail chuckled. “The human body cools down after death, but it looks like it’s happening beforehand.”

“Shut up,” Uriel snapped.

“I can’t, since the special ability of Bone Crusher now activates.” The skeletal barbarian swung its club. “When it is Special Summoned by the effect of another Zombie, I can destroy a Magic or Trap card on your field.”

The club struck the ground, and a crack cut the pavement in two as it went forward. It went underneath one of Uriel’s set cards, which was revealed as a Mirror Force, and shattered it.

“Bone Crusher will be destroyed at the end of my turn since I used this ability, but I’m not concerned, not with the move I have in mind.”

The Field slot of his disk opened up as he added a card to it. “Now, the Sanctuary of the Sky you used before was a bit too heavenly for my liking. I’m going to conjure up a different Field, one that better suits my tastes. I bring forth the perilous Zombie World!”

The eerie blackness that ruled the field before was now replaced with a truly horrific landscape of death. The ground became littered with bones, full skeletons or otherwise. Several dead trees dotted the area, their bark rotting to the point where the main bodies could collapse at any time. A river of blood ran in-between the combatants.

“What the hell is this place?” Uriel asked with a look of disgust.

“Just that, Hell…well, perhaps in a Zombie’s perspective. Speaking of which…”

Bountiful Artemis began to react strangely. Energy began to dissipate from its body as it slowly morphed from a relatively alive and vibrant angel to a dead and unresponsive corpse.

“What have you done?” Uriel exclaimed.

“It’s not what I have done,” Bonetail replied, “but what Zombie World has done. As long as it remains in play, all monsters on the field and in our Graveyards are considered Zombies. In addition, neither of us can Tribute Summon monsters with the exception of Zombies. It gives me quite the advantage, wouldn’t you agree?”

The Israeli was dumbfounded, but refused to give in to the demon’s mind games.

“What, no witty reply this time? That’s fine, since I’m about to take this duel to another level. You see, you’re no longer the only duelist here who can utilize Synchro Monsters. I have a few at my disposal, and all of them require a specific Tuner Monster. Which one, you ask yourself? You’re looking at it.”

Plaguespreader Zombie turned into a golden ring with two glowing stars orbiting it. It quickly scanned Bone Crusher as it itself turned into four stars. The six combined as a dark portal opened in the middle of the playing field.

“Arise, Doomkaiser Dragon!”

The monster that emerged from the portal was enormous. It was a dragon, but only in name. Its skin and wings were in the process of decay, and cobwebs covered nearly every inch of its body. It gave a hollow roar as it stepped forward. (2400/1500)

“When this monster is Special Summoned, its ability activates, which lets me choose a Zombie from your Graveyard and bring it out to my field, and thanks to Zombie World, this is truly possible!”

Uriel gasped as the monsters in his Graveyard appeared behind him in card form.

“Hmm…this is quite the selection. I recognize the monster that sealed my fate last time…I could bring her out, but her ability would hinder me more than help. This one, on the other hand…”

In a flash, one of Uriel’s other key cards appeared before Bonetail. It was Tualatin, the monster that had first tilted the odds in his favor during their first encounter, but in a different form. Her armor was now black and rusted over, her eyes glowing in a different shade of red than normal. (2800/2500)

Uriel gasped. “No! This can’t be!”

“Oh yes it can, and now I can activate my face-down card - Trap of the Imperial Tomb!” A large stone sarcophagus of sorts appeared on the field next to Tualatin, its lid forced open by some unseen entity.

“Since I brought a Zombie back from your Graveyard, this Trap can destroy two cards on the field! Guess which two I have in mind!”

The entity began to suck in everything around it. Bountiful Artemis was sucked into the sarcophagus, while Uriel’s face-down monster, one that resembled Injection Fairy Lily in a way, quickly shattered and followed suit.

“Damn you! What have you done?!”

“I’ve cleared a path to your Life Points, that’s what!” Bonetail cackled. “But first, I’m going to ensure that I wipe you out in one all-out assault!”

Another phantasm appeared behind him. Like Bone Crusher, this one was also skeletal, but it was feminine, wrapped in a black cloak, and was holding a china doll in its arms. Apparently it had been discarded when Card Destruction was used.

“Meet Sleepy Beauty. Apparently her sleep was truly eternal, as she never woke up. But her effect lives on while she exists in my Graveyard, reducing the levels of the monsters in my hand by 1. This means my next monster, normally Level 5, can be summoned without a sacrifice! Behold, Vampire Lord!”

A column of black light ripped its way out of the pavement, but quickly exploded into a cloud of bats. They merged together to form the famed lord of the zombies. (2000/1500)

“What better way to begin your end than by leading the charge with your own monster! Tualatin, attack your former master directly!” The once-proud angel gave a moan as it fired off blasts of dark energy from the orbs on its arms.

“You almost had me, but ‘almost’ won’t cut it!” Uriel snapped. “I chain Holy Revelation!” The Trap card lifted, its effect emanating a soft glow.

“When you try to attack me directly, I can stop you by sending two low-level Fairy monsters from my deck to the Graveyard!” Herald of Purple Light and Shining Angel were spat out of his disk, and a clear barrier appeared in front of him, deflecting the attack.

Bonetail was surprised. “Unbelievable…you always seem to have a way to protect yourself, don’t you?”

“Perhaps God is looking out for me tonight,” the Israeli replied.

“You had better start praying to him,” the demon hissed. “Your luck is bound to run out sooner or later. I end my turn.”

The Israeli growled as he drew a card. He chose another and played it.

“I activate Trade-In. By dumping an 8-Star monster from my hand, I can draw two new cards.”

He quickly discarded a Level 8 monster that didn’t look like it belonged in the deck at all, and then drew his cards.

He then wordlessly set a monster. He ended his turn with a simple nod.

“My, aren’t we calm?” The demon mused as he drew. “Doomkaiser Dragon, attack the fleshling’s newly-set monster!” The behemoth breathed out another blast of flame. An angel resembling a gold wreath wrapped in green ribbon appeared briefly, right before the flames incinerated it.

“Nova Summoner’s effect kicks in,” Uriel explained. “I can bring out another Light Fairy-type with 1500 Attack points or less from my deck, a place not affected by this god-forsaken Field of yours.”

A second Nova Summoner appeared in defense mode, but this one’s wings had wilted, the gold in its body replaced with a sickly gray. (1400/800)

Bonetail growled. “Tualatin, wipe it out!” The former angel fired off another burst of energy, vaporizing the second defending monster.

“I’ll use this one’s effect to bring out someone new. Meet Shatiel!” The monster that appeared at first resembled an angelic knight, with gold armor, a round shield, and large wings. His form quickly shifted, his armor rusting over and his skin rotting, all the way to the bone in most places. (500/2000)

“He’d give Fairy-types a 400-point boost in both stats for every Fairy on the field…but unfortunately that isn’t the case right now with this damn Field of yours in play. Regardless, his defense is too much for your Vampire Lord to crack.”

“What a shame.” Bonetail said mockingly. “I end my turn with a face-down card.” As a new card appeared on his field, his zombies snarled as they eyed the new creature hungrily.

“Draw,” Uriel said, taking out a new card from his deck. “It hasn’t been out for very long, but I have HAD IT with this field of yours. Go, HEAVY STORM!”

A strong gust of wind blew over the battlefield, and all non-monster cards were feeling its effects.

“I also chain Emergency Provisions, offering up Heavy Storm as its effect goes off!”

As Uriel’s final face-down activated, his Life Points increasing by 1000, Bonetail’s face-down Tutan Mask shattered, the Everliving Underworld Cannon collapsed, and Zombie World appeared to be blown away as easily as a piece of paper. The scenery shifted back to the original blackness of the demon’s spiritual energies.

U: (8200)………………..B: (6400)

With the Field Magic card gone, Shatiel and Tualatin seemed to come back to life, and the former’s ability kicked in. (500/2000 > 1300/2800) (2800/2500 > 3600/3300)

“You fool!” Bonetail laughed. “That means the strongest monster on my field is now even stronger!”

“Not for long,” Uriel snapped, as he summoned another monster. “You did say earlier that you have a handle on Tuner and Synchro monsters, right? Well I guess this means you recall this little guy!”

Herald of Orange Light appeared in its former glory. (300/500)

Bonetail laughed at first, but then came to a stark realization. “Wait…Shatiel…is it…”

“…a Level 5 monster?” Uriel finished. “You bet your ass it is!”

Herald of Orange Light burst into two rings of energy before scanning Shatiel. He became transparent, then five glowing stars. They joined the two from the Tuner Monster as another pillar or light appeared.

“Ancient Sacred Wyvern, let’s show him what you’ve got!” The white serpentine dragon with black body tattoos and golden mane gave a screech as it appeared on the field. (2100/2000)

With Shatiel gone, Tualatin’s stats returned to normal. (2800/2500)

“Damn it, not this thing again…”

“Since my Life Points are higher than yours,” Uriel continued, “his Attack power increases by the difference!” The beast’s body grew in size slightly as its attack rose. (3900/2000)

“Ancient Sacred Wyvern, take out his Doomkaiser Dragon!” The beast fired a blast of white energy from its mouth. Doomkaiser Dragon shrieked in agony before shattering. Suddenly, Tualatin cried out, and both combatants looked up to see what was happening. The Angel sneered at Bonetail, and then looked to Uriel with a content look in its eyes before shattering.

U: (8200)………………..B: (4900)

“Damn you!” Bonetail growled. “When Doomkaiser Dragon falls, the monster summoned through its ability is destroyed, too!”

“I knew that,” Uriel replied. “This means Tualatin doesn’t have to suffer under your control anymore. And since your Life Points took another dip, my Wyvern’s attack goes up once more.” (5400/2000)

The demon snarled. “You may have the advantage now, but that will change soon enough!”

“Prove it, then,” the Israeli stated, setting a new face-down card. “I end my turn.”

Bonetail drew a card, but went to another that was already in his hand. “I activate Allure of Darkness. This allows me to draw two more cards.” He did so, eyeing them carefully.

“Of course, there’s a catch. Now I have to remove a Dark monster in my hand from the game. If I am unable to, I am forced to discard my entire hand, but this time that won’t be an issue.” He revealed his in-hand Goblin Zombie before promptly putting it in a suit pocket.

“Next I activate Book of Life!” The Egyptian tome appeared in the middle of the battlefield. “And I’ll use it to revive my Doomkaiser Dragon!”

“Think again,” Uriel replied, activating his face-down card. “I chain Hero’s Rule 2! Since you activated an effect that targets a card in the Graveyard, I can use this Counter Trap to negate that effect and destroy the offending card!” Lightning struck the Book of Life, burning it to cinders.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be prepared for something like this?”

The demon growled in frustration. “Fine, then. To be on the safe side, I switch Vampire Lord to Defense Mode, and I’ll set another monster on the defensive as well.” The vampire hid behind his cloak as a face-down monster appeared next to him. “That’s all I can do at the moment.”

[mario72486]

(continued from last post...)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Then here I go again!” Uriel announced, drawing for his turn. “I summon Harvest Angel of Wisdom!” An angel in orange metallic armor appeared. Its wings were part of the armor on its legs, and it held a Horn of Heaven in its hands. (1800/1000)

“Harvest Angel, attack Vampire Lord!” The Angel blew into its horn, and a blast of energy shot out of it along with the music. It struck the vampire as it exploded into thousands of little bats.

“Ancient Sacred Wyvern, attack his set monster!” The dragon belched out another blast of energy, which hurdled towards the set card. A purple-cloaked skeleton brandishing a scythe took its place. (300/200) However, it used its weapon to deflect the attack.

“What the heck?”

“Meet my Spirit Reaper. Not the strongest of monsters, but its special ability prevents it from being destroyed as a result of battle. It doesn’t care if your Wyvern has an infinite number of attack points!”

“Since I can’t get through your defense right now, I end my turn.”

Bonetail drew again, but immediately played the card. “This card put me at such a disadvantage last time, but perhaps the situation will be different this time around. I play Card of Demise!” A guillotine appeared to the side, a deck of cards positioned in place of the usual victim. Five ropes held the killing blade in place.

“As you recall, this lets me draw until I am holding five cards. Five turns from now I’ll be forced to discard my hand, so hopefully I can put these to good use. My very existence here depends on it, after all.

“But for now, I set another defensive monster.” A face-down card appeared next to Spirit Reaper.

“I also activate a second Everliving Underworld Cannon!” A duplicate of the weapon used earlier appeared on the field. “Go ahead.”

“You actually think I’m going to fall for that?” Uriel asked as he drew another card.

Even though Bonetail’s eyes were deathly blank, he seemed to roll them. “Aw, what’s the matter? Are you afraid?”

“More like cautious,” the Israeli replied. “You fooled me last time with those sad excuses for camels, but the duel has gone on to the point where that hidden monster could be what I think it is. I am not going to let you get a free summon or a free shot at my Life Points with that cannon of yours. Instead, I’m simply setting a card and calling it a turn.” A face-down card appeared behind Ancient Sacred Wyvern and Harvest Angel of Wisdom.

“What a shame,” the demon stated. As he drew for his turn, the first rope holding the guillotine’s blade snapped. “Well, if you don’t want to attack my hidden monster, I guess I’ll have to reveal it on my own.” He flipped it over, revealing a large turtle with a pyramid on its back instead of a shell. (1200/1400)

“I was wondering when you were going to break one of those out,” Uriel said.

“Not only have I broken it out, I’m also attacking with it! Pyramid Turtle, slam into his Harvest Angel!” The turtle retracted its head and limbs into its shell and began to spin rapidly. It raced towards the weaker Fairy Monster, who used its ‘Horn Attack’ to blow the aggressor away.

U: (8200)………………..B: (4300)

“You just made my Wyvern even stronger, you idiot,” Uriel said, as the dragon’s attack rose to 6000.

“Not for long,” Bonetail snapped in reply, “not while Pyramid Turtle’s effect allows me to Special Summon another Zombie from my deck. Come forth, Shadow Ghoul!” The new beast to emerge was green and gangly, with two clawed arms and a dozen red, lifeless eyes. (1600/1300)

“What the…” Before Uriel could say anything else, the Underworld Cannon fired another round of ectoplasm at him. Once again he felt his body temperature drop.

U: (7400)………………..B: (4300)

The massive Synchro monster looked to its master as its attack power dropped slightly, to 5200.

“Do not underestimate any of my monsters, especially this one. Sure, he isn’t much of a threat at first, but his special ability grants him 100 attack points for every monster in my Graveyard. Have you been keeping track?”

Shadow Ghoul took in the power transferred to it from the ten monsters in its master’s Graveyard, and it gave a snarl as it clanged its claws together in a threatening matter. (2600/1300)

“Now then, let’s try this again - attack Harvest Angel of Wisdom!” The green ghoul pounced on the Angel, utterly ripping its armor apart. Surprisingly, armor was all there was; it quickly disappeared.

U: (6600)………………..B: (4300)

“With these decreases to your Life Points, your Wyvern grows ever weaker.” He was right, as the beast’s attack made a dramatic drop. (4400/2000)

“Maybe, but by destroying my Harvest Angel as a result of battle, you activated its special ability. Now I can retrieve a Counter Trap from my Graveyard.” Hero’s Rule 2 slipped out of his discard slot, and he added it to his hand.

“You’ll need all the help you can get,” Bonetail said. “I’ll set a card face-down and end my turn at that.” Shadow Ghoul retracted its claws as a face-down appeared behind it.

“Draw!” Uriel declared. “My Wyvern may be a little weaker, but it has more than enough power to take out your Shadow Ghoul! Attack!” The Synchro Monster began charging up energy.

“I don’t think so,” Bonetail replied. “I activate Book of Moon!” A blue and green-colored tome appeared, a dark energy emitting from its pages.

“This allows me to select a monster on the field and flip it face-down. It looks like your monster’s attack is about to fizzle.” The Book shot out a wave of magic, and neither Ancient Sacred Wyvern nor its master could do anything about it. The behemoth was quickly replaced by a face-down monster.

Now it was Uriel’s turn to search for options. His favorite Synchro monster’s power was gone thanks to Bonetail’s Book. It wouldn’t stand a chance against Bonetail’s new creature. He also did not have anything that could get rid of the opposing Spirit Reaper, and the card he had drawn this turn wouldn’t help, either.

He had no choice but to go on the defensive.

“I place a card face-down. That’s all.”

As Bonetail drew for his turn, the second rope on Card of Demise snapped.

“I summon Zombie Master!” The child zombie wearing tattered robes appeared, purple lightning crackling all around it. (1800/0) “I activate his special ability while I’m at it. I’ll discard this…” He sent the last monster in his hand, another copy of Pyramid Turtle, to the Graveyard. “…and revive my Plaguespreader Zombie!”

Uriel considered chaining his face-down card in response, but he felt that now was not the right moment. He allowed the patchwork Zombie to return to the field.

“Everliving Underworld Cannon, open fire!” The skeletal artillery unit fired again, striking Uriel in the center of his chest. He held it as he grunted in pain, a little blood pooling in his mouth.

U: (5800)………………..B: (4300)

“Now my Plaguespreader will give Zombie Master a little tune-up!” Like last time, Plaguespreader became a ring surrounded by a pair of glowing stars. It scanned Zombie Master, who in turn became four stars that combined with the other two. Another dark portal opened, and a duplicate of the Doomkaiser Dragon he faced earlier made its presence known.

“It’s really a shame that I can’t use the effect of my Cannon more than once per turn. Your Life Points probably would have been depleted a long time ago.”

Uriel spat the blood out of his mouth. “Just……move,” he said, still clutching his chest from the pain he was going through.

“Very well, it’s your funeral. Unfortunately I can’t use this Doomkaiser’s ability since Zombie World isn’t in play, but I doubt I’ll need to this time around. Besides, it is more than strong enough to handle your now pathetic defender. And with the Graveyard count now at twelve, Shadow Ghoul becomes even more powerful.” Shadow Ghoul extended its claws, looking ready to strike again. (2800/1300)

“Go, attack his precious Synchro monster!” Doomkaiser Dragon unleashed a barrage of black fire at the face-down monster. Ancient Sacred Wyvern reappeared. As the flames seared its skin giving a screech of defiance before it was incinerated.

“I activate my Wyvern’s special ability! For the price of 1000 Life Points, I can Special Summon it back to the field!” A column of light appeared on the field, and when it vanished, the Synchro monster had returned in less glory than before. (2300/2000)

U: (4800)………………..B: (4300)

“This is too easy. Shadow Ghoul, your target is the same!” Shadow Ghoul slashed with its claws, ripping into the Wyvern’s body. It quickly shattered.

Uriel waved a hand, and Ancient Sacred Wyvern came back a second time, but far more sickly. (1500/2000)

U: (3800)………………..B: (4300)

“You’re utterly pathetic,” Bonetail declared. “There is no point in continuously reviving a monster that can’t even protect itself.” He set a face-down card, and then waved a hand to signal the end of his turn. “What exactly are you waiting for?”

“To be honest,” Uriel replied as he drew for his turn, his entire body shivering from the effects of losing so many Life Points in one turn, “a miracle.”

His expression quickly changed to one of surprise when he saw what the new card was. “Hello there…”

“I summon Hanewata!” In a flash, a tiny peach-colored ball of fluff with big brown eyes appeared. It had short wings and antennae with what looked like cotton balls on the ends. Its level of cuteness, as some people would call it, would have been of epic proportions. (200/300)

Bonetail, at first, had a look of amusement on his face, but it quickly changed to one of suspicion. “What exactly do you have planned?”

Uriel smirked as he snapped his fingers. Hanewata burst into shards, a single ring rising up and scanning Ancient Sacred Wyvern. He became seven glowing stars, joining with the one from the puff ball.

“Damn it…I should have known that thing was a Tuner monster…”

The Israeli nodded. “And here’s what it’s helping me call upon!”

The new beast that emerged from the latest column of light was a centaur, with blue and gold armor, large wings, and an elaborate sword. Bonetail could have sworn it was Airknight Parshath, but this monster was larger and looked far more powerful. “Avenging Knight Parshath, let’s bring it to him!” (2600/2100)

“I activate his special ability. Once per turn, I can change the mode of one face-up monster on the field. Guess which one I have in mind.”

The Avenging Knight pointed its sword, and Shadow Ghoul began to glow gold. It strained against the power that was acting upon it, but it was no use. It was forced onto its knees, signifying it was now in Defense mode.

“This will make destroying that thing easier for my Knight. Not only that, but it also has a trample effect, something I’m sure you weren’t counting on. Avenging Knight, wipe out that no-good troublemaker once and for all!” The new Synchro charged in and cut Shadow Ghoul - clean in half - with its sword.

U: (3800)………………..B: (3000)

“Over to you,” Uriel simply said.

The third rope snapped as Bonetail drew his next card. What he had drawn wasn’t useful at the moment, but it could be later on. “I’ll set this face-down and end my turn.” He didn’t bother switching the mode of his Doomkaiser Dragon, because he was sure his opponent would take care of that on his turn.

“Draw!” Uriel shouted, his confidence slightly renewed from his recent success. “Avenging Knight, switch his Doomkaiser Dragon into Defense!” His Synchro repeated the same procedure as before, and the larger Zombie monster was forced onto its knees.

“Now attack it!” The Avenging Knight charged, decapitating the zombie dragon with a clean cut. As the head and section of neck hit the ground, it and the rest of the body shattered.

U: (3800)………………..B: (1900)

Bonetail was seething with anger. Uriel was regaining momentum, but he had lost a great deal of energy, and he certainly wasn’t going to get any of it back any time soon. It was an effort just to stay on his feet.

“Your Reaper is all that’s left,” he stated, not willing to show any signs of further weakness, “and next turn I’ll be able to take it out like all your other monsters.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Bonetail replied. “Are you finished?”

“Not just yet,” Uriel stated. “First I’m going to use Pot of Avarice.” Tualatin, Bountiful Artemis, Hanewata, and both copies of Nova Summoner slipped out of his discard slot and were added to his deck. He shuffled, stuck the deck back into its counter, and drew two more cards.

For some reason, he had drawn Tualatin again, and he had another card in hand he could use with it.

“While I’m at it, I think I’ll play my second copy of Trade-In.” He discarded Tualatin and made another two draws. He then selected three cards in his hand and added them to his disk. Three face-down cards appeared behind his Synchro monster.

“Alright, let’s see you come back from this latest development.”

Bonetail drew, wary of the fourth rope snapping. He played his new card automatically.

“This card’s name fits the situation perfectly. I activate The Beginning of the End!” Spectral images of all of his monsters appeared behind him.

“I can only activate it when I have at least seven Dark-type Monsters in my Graveyard. By removing five of them from the game, I can draw three new cards.”

Zombie Master, Skull Conductor, Vampire Lord, Shadow Ghoul, and a monster Uriel recognized as Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower disappeared from the line-up, and Bonetail made his three draws.

The demon beamed as he saw what the cards were. He assessed the field and recalled the cards in his Graveyard. He did so because one of the cards drawn was his trump card. Had it not been for one particular Trap card, he would have won their first encounter thanks to this monster’s ability. He would gladly use it again, but the latest move cut down the number of specific monsters in his Graveyard to a significant degree. He thought of how he could meet his monster’s special-summoning requirements.

Then, an idea hit him.

“You know,” he began, “you really should have focused your attention on Spirit Reaper, first. Sure, he’s indestructible in battle, but the very moment he is targeted by a card effect, he is automatically destroyed. Had you used your Knight’s effect on it instead of my Doomkaiser, I would have been left at a greater disadvantage than I am now. That little mistake is going to cost you dearly.”

“Do you actually think I’d believe that for an instant?” Uriel asked. “You’re trying to psyche me out, just like you did last time. I’m not falling for any more of your tricks.”

“What a pity,” Bonetail said as he lifted one of his face-down cards. “I activate my Call of the Haunted, and I’ll use it to bring back one of my Doomkaiser Dragons!”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Uriel snapped, revealing his Hero’s Rule 2. “Did you forget that I retrieved this a while back? You’ve been foiled again.”

He felt good about this, but that changed when Bonetail began to laugh.

“Foiled, you say? You fleshlings are far more imbecilic than I gave you credit for. I knew you had it set all this time. I merely had to bait it out so I could put my true plan into motion!” He played a card from his hand.

“I play Burial from a Different Dimension! I can use this to take up to three cards that are removed from play and send to back to their respective Graveyards. However, I think I’ll only send one.” He took Zombie Master out of his suit pocket and put it back into his discard slot.”

“Now then, let’s have some fun!” He revealed his other set card, laughing all the while. “I activate Night Parade of One Hundred Demons!”

The pavement between them collapsed completely, and a multitude of specters spewed out of the chasm.

“This allows me to Special Summon as many Zombie monsters from my Graveyard as possible. They will all be destroyed at the end of my turn, but that will not be a problem.” In a flash, Zombie Master, Pyramid Turtle, Sleepy Beauty, and Plaguespreader Zombie all appeared on either side of Spirit Reaper, crouching in Defense mode.

“Okay…why would you bring back your weakest monsters?” The Underworld Cannon shot him once again, although his body had become numb enough to not feel the hit.

U: (3000)………………..B: (1900)

“Why do you think I brought back my Plaguespreader? I plan on bringing out more Synchro Monsters!”

The same Synchro Summoning process happened again, but this time both Spirit Reaper and Sleepy Beauty were scanned by the gold ring. The portal opened for a third time, but there was something else on the other side besides a Doomkaiser Dragon.

“This next monster is finicky, since it requires two extra Zombie monsters in order for it to be summoned. Meet Archfiend Zombie Skull!”

The energy dissipated, and a new, hideous creature made itself known. At first glance one would have mistaken it for Summoned Skull, one of Yugi Motou’s signature monsters. It certainly had similar characteristics, but it was vastly different. Its bones were black, while its exposed muscles were a deep purple, shredded and sticking out in most places. It stretched out its rotted wings and gave a hollow screech as lightning crackled around it. (2500/1200)

“Wow, I thought the Zombies you used last time were ugly, but this one takes the cake.”

“You have seen nothing yet. Now I activate the special ability of Plaguespreader Zombie!” The monster appeared behind him in spectral form.

“By taking a card from my hand and returning it to the top of my deck, I can special-summon it from the Graveyard. The catch is, next time he leaves, he’s removed from the game, which is exactly what I want. So I’ll put this on top…” He put a card on top of his deck. “…Plaguespreader, good to have you back.” The specter took physical form as it moaned again.

“Now I tune it with Pyramid Turtle to bring out the final Synchro monster in my arsenal!”

Plaguespreader’s tuning ring scanned the Egyptian-motif reptile, and the combined six stars were absorbed by yet another dark portal. “Revived King Ha Des, come forth!”

An undead version of the once proud Dark Ruler emerged. His robes were faded and torn, while his skin was rotting away. His skull tilted as he gave a laugh. (2450/0)

“Not bad, but neither of your monsters can take out my Avenging Knight.”

“True,” Bonetail replied, “but neither will be doing the deed. I have something nastier in mind for you.”

“Hang on…why would you be altering your field and Graveyard? Unless…” The Israeli’s eyes widened. “….Oh no…”

“That’s right! The conditions are once again perfect! I’m not the only one who’s been waiting to seek revenge against you!” Black lightning struck the ground, and an all-too-familiar monster forced its way into existence. It was the one, the only…

“DARK ARMED DRAGON, ARISE!”

The dark version of Armed Dragon LV7 came back with a vengeance after all this time. The drills on its body whirred to life as it announced its appearance with a roar. (2800/1000)

“I honestly hope you have Divine Wrath set,” Bonetail laughed. “Feel free to activate it when I use the effect of my Instrument of Destruction. I have this ready just in case.” He flipped around one of the other cards in his hand: My Body as a Shield. “Just TRY and stop me now!”

The behemoth absorbed the essence of Spirit Reaper as it targeted Avenging Knight Parshath…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

At this point of time, a modified D-Wheel was racing through the empty streets of the night. The vehicle eventually came to a stop at the mouth of the alley where the Shadow Duel was happening. The user stepped off his mount and removed his helmet, eyeing the barrier of dark magic with caution. Looking away for a moment, he pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed-dial button.

“Jeager, it’s me,” the user stated. “I’ve found the source of the disturbance. Looks like the same kind of Shadow Duels we’ve encountered previously. Not sure who else is involved, but this could turn ugly if the creator is what I think it is…”

Before he could say anything else, the signal turned to loud static, and he had to pull the phone away from his ear as a result.

“Damn it, this thing’s magic must be greater than I thought.” His eyes went back to the dome of blackness, his thoughts on his quarry’s victim. “I don’t know who you are, but for your sake…I hope you make it out of there alive…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next time:

Bonetail: This is it! There is nothing that can save you now!

Uriel: You’re not the only one who has plenty of other tricks up his sleeve. I’ll find a way to stop you – just you wait!

“Prepare to Strike Back!” Don’t miss it!

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Prepare to Strike Back

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the look on Uriel's face at that moment, one would have expected he had no response to this stunning shift in events. Considering that a similar move involving Dark Armed Dragon was the reason his opponent nearly won last time, one would have thought his reaction was obvious.

But deep down, he had been expecting this all along.

"I may not be able to stop your monster's ability, but I can still handle it!" One of Uriel's face-down cards opened up. "I activate Karma Cut!"

Just as Dark Armed Dragon belched out a blast of black hellfire, a large vortex of sorts appeared in the sky above the battlefield

"I discard one card from my hand, and then select a monster on your field…"

Avenging Knight Parshath tried to cut through the fireball with its sword, but it exploded on impact, taking the Synchro monster with it.

"…then that monster is dealt away with - permanently."

Before it could celebrate its accomplishment, Dark Armed Dragon was lifted into the air towards the swirling vortex. It shrieked in utter surprise as it tried to fight the effects of zero-gravity, but there was nothing it could do. Moments later, it was sucked in.

"What…? Impossible…"

"Nothing could have helped you in this situation. Your My Body as a Shield only protects monsters from being destroyed by card effects. Karma Cut, on the other hand, removes its target from play."

Bonetail was clearly upset. Not only was his plan foiled, but his best weapon was taken out before he could even make effective use of it.

But all was not lost…

"So, now what are you going to do?"

"I'll tell you EXACTLY what I'm going to do. I have an extra layer of protection beyond My Body as a Shield, thanks to my Archfiend Zombie Skull's ability. He prevents all Zombie-type monsters from being destroyed by card effects. Either way, you're still going to lose this duel! Both of you, attack him directly!"

Revived King Ha Des moved in first, charging up an orb of black magic between its hands. It hurled it towards Uriel with a low grunt.

"Activate Nurtient Z!" Uriel activated one of his set cards right before the orb hit him square in the chest. The explosion sent him flying, crashing into the edge of the Shadow Duel's barrier.

Bonetail was irate. This was exactly the Trap that had saved his victim before. It was déjà vu all over again for him…

"Archfiend Zombie Skull, MAKE HIM SUFFER!" The Summoned Skull doppelganger shot a large blast of electricity at the Israeli. He cried out in anguish as the effects of this electrocution took their toll.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The figure outside looked on as the barrier regained power, energy crackling at an alarming rate.

"That's not good. This thing's victim must have taken a heavy hit…they may not last much longer…"

He reached down to an elaborate scabbard strapped to his waist. He drew a sword and held it to the side, taking a stance as if preparing to strike.

"Whatever happens, I have to be ready to move in…"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel's groaned and writhed in pain as a result of the assault. His Life Points had increased by 4000 thanks to Nutrient Z, but it could not stop either of Bonetail's attacks. The changes in Life Points were quickly calculated.

U: (2050)………………..B: (1900)

"I'll end my turn by setting these face-down." He set his My Body as a Shield along with the other card in his hand. He knew Card of Demise's negative effect would kick in at the start of his next turn, so leaving either card in his hand would be pointless. In the meantime, Zombie Master shattered as a result of the secondary effect of Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

"You may have taken out my ultimate weapon, but the advantage is still mine!" He watched as his victim slowly but surely rose to his feet. "I don't know how you manage to avoid your demise with each attempt I make, but your luck will run out very soon..."

Uriel drew for his turn, every part of his body screaming through the agony. Somehow he became relieved when he saw what the card was. He had been in contact with the Shadow Spawn ever since he had conquered the Pit of 100 Trials. Lady Melissa, the Spawn of Light, had provided him with several of the new cards currently in his deck. The one he had drawn was added barely a month before.

"Thank you again, my lady. Let's give this new card its first roll of the dice."

"You wanted to show me The Beginning of the End so badly? Well, I'm going to show you The Light at the End of the Tunnel!" Herald of Orange Light, Herald of Purple Light, Shatiel, Ancient Sacred Wyvern, and Tualatin appeared on the field in spectral form behind him.

"This works similarly to your card, except this one is built for Fairy monsters. I have to remove five of them from play, but if it means drawing three cards afterward, it's worth it." All five monsters vanished as he made his three draws.

"Well…looks like I will be able to prove you wrong."

"You're bluffing." Bonetail growled.

"I'll show you who's bluffing," the Israeli replied. "Here's a card I'm sure you're familiar with, seeing as how you used it on your last turn." He revealed one of his set cards - Call of the Haunted.

"You little copycat…" Bonetail growled.

"Enough out of you," Uriel snapped. "I'll use it to bring back someone you took out earlier this duel: Counselor Lily!"

A new Fairy emerged before him. It looked like Injection Fairy Lily at first glance, but she had lost her gigantic hypodermic needle in favor of a therapist's clipboard and pen. She took off her glasses and gave a vengeful glare at Bonetail. (400/1500)

"Uh…do you two have a history or something?"

Bonetail eventually recognized the creature, or at least its counterpart. "Let's just say one of the duelists I dealt with personally during my time in the Pit of 100 Trials used the other monster bearing its name."

"I see. In that case, I suppose it's only fitting that she gets a certain measure of revenge."

"And how does she plan on doing that?"

"You'll see," Uriel replied, activating a card in his hand. "I play Autonomous Action Unit. It works much like Premature Burial, but with key differences. First, I have to pay 1500 Life Points."

U: (550)………………..B: (1900)

His temperature reached a critical low, but he didn't care at that moment. "Second, I get to revive a monster from your Graveyard."

"What?" Bonetail exclaimed, as Zombie Master appeared on Uriel's side of the field.

"Now I can use his ability to my advantage. I discard my Asura Priest, and then revive a low-level Zombie from the Graveyard…specifically, yours."

"What could you possibly want to revive?" Bonetail asked.

The demon's eyes bugged out even further when he saw Sleepy Beauty appear next to Zombie Master. The creature tilted its skull as if it was in a daze. (0/0)

"Why did I choose this one, you're wondering? It's a 1-Star monster, which is exactly what I need for my next summoning. This monster is really tricky to bring out, as it requires a Light Tuner and two non-Tuner Dark-types. You're looking at the trio right now."

The Israeli snapped his fingers one more time, and Counselor Lily became a ring with three glowing stars. It scanned Zombie Master and Sleepy Beauty, and the eight combined stars were absorbed by a new pillar of light.

"Let's give a warm welcome to her majesty, Chaos Goddess!"

A female figure stepped out of the pillar, and she was truly a sight to behold, a temptress in her own right. She wore a black and white gown lined with gold trimming and several large rubies. She had wings on her back – one white, the other black. Golden bracelets adorned her wrists, and a scepter with a crest of a skull and devil wings was in her left hand. Her silver hair was long and wavy, and she wore an elaborate black crown on her head. She took a sultry pose as she struck the end of her scepter on the ground. (2500/1800)

"Let's not waste any of her time and let her activate her special ability. By giving up a Light-type monster from my hand…" He quickly discarded his trusty Gellenduo. "…she can revive a Level 5 or higher Dark-type monster from my Graveyard."

"Wait…you don't have any Dark-types in your Graveyard…"

"Don't I?" Uriel snapped. Chaos Goddess waved her scepter, and another column of energy appeared on his side of the field, but this one was black.

"What is this?!" Bonetail exclaimed.

The monster that emerged was indeed a Fairy monster, but it was far more fiendish than anything Uriel had used previously. It looked like a large vase or sorts, with crooked arms and large crow-like wings.

"I didn't want to use this, but you've left me no choice. Meet Fallen Angel Superbia!" (2900/2400)

The demon was in shock as he eyed this rare breed of Fairy monster. "Wait…a Fallen Angel? How did something like that get in your Graveyard?"

"Think back," the Israeli said. "This was what I discarded for my first Trade-In."

"Oh, I forgot about that….wait, what am I saying? It makes no difference! What does matter is how cards like these are nearly impossible to obtain legally!"

"Not if you acquire them through certain tournaments," Uriel replied, "or from certain sources…"

"Of course…the Shadow Spawn…" The demon's anger was surging. "…those miserable…meaningless little bastards…once I've taken care of you, I'm going straight to their kingdom and annihilate them from the face of this dimension!"

"You won't get the chance, not while I'm standing in your way. And the situation is about to get worse for you, much worse. Fallen Angel Superbia's effect kicks in as soon as it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, allowing me to call forth another Fairy from the same place!"

Superbia's eyes glowed as it waved its arms, and another pillar of light erupted on the field. This time, however, it was white. The light became more intense as Uriel's Ace monster revealed herself.

"What's happening?"

"You may have forced me to discard her through Card Destruction, and you may have put me through Hell a second time, but it's about time we finish you off for good. Rise up, SPLENDID VENUS!"

She was truly a goddess, with gold armor and robes. A white mask covered her face, but she appeared to be frowning as she realized what her master was facing. Four wings opened up elegantly as she waved her scepter threateningly. (2800/2400)

"I'm sure you remember her, so I'm also sure you remember her special ability. Any monster that isn't a Fairy-type loses 500 Attack and Defense points."

Splendid Venus's light shined even brighter than when she was used in their first encounter. Her ability had absolutely no effect on any of Uriel's other monsters, but the same could not be said for either of Bonetail's. The Zombies' stats dropped like a stone as energy dissipated from their bodies like steam. (2000/700) / (1950/0)

"It's time to take out the trash. Superbia, attack Revived King Ha Des!" The Fallen Angel unleashed a blast of black lightning at the Dark Ruler wannabe.

"Not yet!" Bonetail declared, activating his face-down card. "I activate Spirit Shield!" A clear barrier appeared in front of the assaulted Zombie monster.

"By removing a Zombie-type monster from my Graveyard, not only is your attack negated, the Battle Phase ends immediately!"

One of his Des Lacoodas was spat out of his discard slot as Superbia's attack was deflected by the barrier. The Dark Ruler seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"And considering my Graveyard is still full of fuel for this card, you won't be reaching my Life Points again any time soon."

Uriel growled, so sure that he had the duel won. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

Bonetail drew the card he had placed on top of his deck for Plaguespreader Zombie's effect, but as he did the fifth rope on Card of Demise snapped, and the guillotine cut the deck in half. He had no choice but to discard it.

The current situation seemed dire, but then he remembered that his Everliving Underworld Cannon was still in play…

How could he have been so forgetful?

Even better - what he just discarded gave him the means to use it.

"I activate the ability of Mezuki!" The horse-headed demon brandishing a double-bladed axe appeared behind him. "By removing it from play, I can bring back any Zombie I choose from the Graveyard, and I choose my Doomkaiser Dragon!"

The horse demon disappeared, as another crack in the pavement opened up…

For a split second, Uriel pondered why Bonetail would do this. Then the stark realization sank in just as it had for his adversary. "Hold on!"

He quickly activated the card he had set last round, Mystical Space Typhoon. The howling winds returned, and they were used to destroy the demon's Everliving Underworld Cannon. This occurred right before Bonetail's first Doomkaiser Dragon reemerged. (2400/2000 > 1900/1500)

"That was too close for comfort," the Israeli stated, color slowly returning to his face.

Bonetail gave a snarl. Again this fleshling had avoided disaster. "I end my turn."

Uriel picked up another card, beaming when he saw what it was. "You may have been able to stop me from attacking you last turn, but I can limit how long you can keep using that card's ability. I activate Soul Release!" The twilight-skinned goddess appeared in the air, waving a hand over Bonetail's field. "I'll use it to remove five monsters from your Graveyard!"

Within moments, Bone Crusher, Sleepy Beauty, Des Lacooda, Zombie Master, and the other copy of Doomkaiser Dragon were taken out of the Graveyard, their spirits incinerated.

"Splendid Venus, move in to attack!" Before the goddess could even begin, Bonetail removed one of his Pyramid Turtles from play to activate Spirit Shield. Venus slammed the end of her staff into the ground in frustration.

"Not much longer," Uriel said, as he set a new card face-down. "That's all for now."

Bonetail drew another card – one that had to be set in order to be used. "One card face-down," he simply said, motioning with his hand that his turn was over.

"Draw!" Uriel's call was considerably weaker than it was earlier, but that didn't stop him from attempting to attack. "Chaos Goddess, you're on!" The goddess waved her scepter, firing a ball of energy at Revived King Ha Des.

"Spirit Shield activates!" Bonetail removed his final Pyramid Turtle, and the barrier negated the attack. This move used up the last Zombie in the demon's Graveyard. Without fuel for the proverbial fire, Spirit Shield promptly shattered.

"Well, that's all she wrote," Uriel said. "Next turn, I'll be free to mow your zombies down."

The demon was growing tired of this Shadow Duel, both figuratively and literally. His intended victim was putting up a much greater fight than he had anticipated, and his spiritual and physical strengths were running dangerously low. He doubted he would be able to last much longer under these conditions. Something had to give, and it certainly couldn't be his powers. Slowly, he drew for his turn…

"I activate Reckless Greed!" He announced, lifting one of his two face-down cards. "This lets me draw two additional cards, but I must skip my next two Draw Phases…" He picked up two more cards from his increasingly smaller deck. He was running low as it was, so this would help slightly.

He eyed the new additions to his hand. His laugh began softly due to fatigue, but he couldn't help himself, and started laughing even more heartily.

Uriel could grossly remember the last time Bonetail laughed like this. It was back when he had drawn Dark Armed Dragon during their duel in the Pit of 100 Trials. But with that behemoth gone, what did it mean now?

"What are you laughing about?" Uriel asked cautiously.

"Do you know how long I've waited for this moment?" Bonetail asked in reply. "I've been in a miserable state of punishment for close to nine-hundred years! The curse has been set in stone, and I was so close to breaking it…and then YOU came along. Thanks to you, I lost more than the one-thousandth soul I needed. I lost the other 999 I had been able to claim previously. I've had to start from scratch, taking out as many meaningless humans and Shadows as I can lay my cold, bony fingers around…"

"Shadows?" Uriel asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You may not be the last soul I need, but utterly crushing you under my feet will most certainly lift this horrible weight off of my shoulders. You are my greatest opponent. It truly was destiny – inevitable – that our paths crossed like they did. Once I have disposed of your sad excuse for a soul, getting my total back up to 1000 will be a piece of cake!"

"And how do imagine that's going to happen?" The Israeli questioned.

"Like THIS!"

Bonetail slammed a card onto his disk, and black lightning from the dark barrier struck the ground once again. This time, however, something far more grotesque than any of his previous monsters emerged.

It was a disembodied china doll's head, sickly ash-gray in color. Almost the entire left side of its face was gone. Its right eye looked out aimlessly as red and purple tentacle-like abominations forced their way out of the many cracks and seams, dripping in blood and guts.

"Behold…NECROFACE!" (1200/1800 > 700/1300)

"Holy…" Before Uriel could finish this explicatory remark, the doll's remaining eye glowed blood-red as its ability instantly activated.

"As soon as it hits the field, Necroface takes every card that has been removed from play over the course of this duel and shuffles them back into their respective decks!"

Uriel gasped as the five monsters he had removed flew out of his pocket. Four of them returned to his deck, while the other, his Ancient Sacred Wyvern, dove into the Extra Deck clipped to his belt. He watched in amazement as sixteen cards did the same thing for Bonetail.

"…And for each card returned this way, my newest monstrosity gains 100 attack points. Quite the buildup, isn't it?" A child's screaming seemed to emanate from Necroface as it more than tripled in size, taking its place above the rest of Bonetail's monsters. (2800/1300)

The Israeli's level of fear multiplied as quickly as Necroface's size. It was strong enough to contend with Splendid Venus even while it was weakened. His attention switched to Chaos Goddess; despite her status, she was still the weakest monster on his field. While his Life Points wouldn't be completely depleted if she was attacked, there was still the potential for even greater disaster.

"Don't worry, fleshling, your Chaos Goddess is not my intended target. My doll has its eye set on your avatar!"

"Splendid Venus? But their attack scores are equal!"

"Not for long," Bonetail retaliated, as he activated one of the other cards in his hand. "I activate Gift of the Martyr!" Revived King Ha Des exploded, its essence quickly absorbed by Necroface.

"This allows me to offer up a monster on my field, and then transfer its attack power to any monster I choose for the duration of this turn. Guess which one I have in mind…" The china doll increased in size yet again as its attack rose. (5250/1300)

"Good god…" Uriel exclaimed.

"Necroface, FINISH HIM!" The doll head fired a beam of light from its eye.

"I'm not finished yet!" Uriel cried, activating his face-down card. "I chain Synchro Barrier!"

Without hesitation, Chaos Goddess moved in front of Splendid Venus in an attempt to defend her. Unfortunately, the beam went right through her. The attack continued, striking Venus through her heart. Both goddesses were dead before they hit the ground. Fallen Angel Superbia looked on in muted horror as the two Fairies dissolved into nothing. Uriel took all of this in, anger boiling in his blood.

Before Bonetail could begin celebrating, he noticed that Uriel's Life Points remained untouched. "What the hell is going on here?"

"You may have killed Venus, but with Synchro Barrier, and by sacrificing Chaos Goddess as its cost, all damage that I would have taken was reduced to zero. And this effect remains in play until the end of my next turn. Maybe should have focused your attention on Chaos Goddess, after all."

"DAMN YOU, FLESHLING!" Bonetail howled. "YOU DARE TO DEFY ME?!"

"YOU'RE the one who is damned!" The Israeli snapped. "You've caused so much misery, it is only right that I defy your every move! Hell, I despise everything you are and everything you've done. I took an oath to stop you, and I fully intend to finish what I started!"

"I doubt that's ever going to happen, now," the demon replied. "With your avatar out of the picture, the stats of my monsters return to their original states, including those of my new Instrument of Destruction!" Necroface's attack returned to 2800 with Gift of the Martyr wearing off, but it and the other Synchro monsters felt the effects of Venus's ability slowly disappear. (3300/1800) / (2500/1200) / (2400/1500)

"Since none of my other monsters can defeat your remaining creature, I'll end my turn."

Uriel was beginning to lose confidence and consciousness. Bonetail was losing energy from maintaining this Shadow Duel, while he was losing it by the strains of the match itself. Attacking would be suicidal, since Superbia could not match the power of Necroface.

After drawing a card, he switched Fallen Angel Superbia to Defense mode. He then set the monster he had drawn. "That's it," he said.

Bonetail tapped his deck to remind himself he couldn't draw this turn. He instead moved to attack. "So…two little monsters…all in a row…let's kill them all…their master in tow… Archfiend Zombie Skull, attack Fallen Angel Superbia!" The skeletal zombie called forth a burst of black lightning, which struck the Fallen Angel. It screeched as the electrocution shattered it.

"Doomkaiser Dragon, attack his face-down monster!" The beast exhaled its flames once again, spewing over the face-down card. The resulting explosion kicked up a cloud of dust.

Bonetail was preparing to finish the job with Necroface, but as the dust settled, he noticed that there was a small barrier put up in front of him. Within this barrier were two brightly-colored twin fairies with halos around their tiny waists. (1700/0)

The demon's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What…but…but…"

"I still have Gellenduo. Did you forget that I run two copies of these little guys? And did you forget that they can't be destroyed in battle?" The twins mockingly shook their rear ends at their opponent.

Bonetail let out a high-pitched roar that shook the ground they stood upon, and they could hear the windows of the nearby buildings shattering.

After venting his frustrations, he clamped the decaying alligator jaw back into place. "Those freaking pieces of confetti…you just HAD to draw it on your last turn, didn't you?!"

"And you just had to delay your defeat with that freaking trap of yours!" Uriel retaliated.

The demon snarled. "I end my turn!" He shouted.

The danger alleviated temporarily, Uriel looked to his deck for options. The card he had drawn was useless right now.

"I have to pass," he said. He was beginning to lose hope, and rightly so: if Bonetail could take advantage of Gellenduo's other effect, he was finished.

But…Bonetail was unable to draw again, since this was the second turn after activating Reckless Greed. The other card he had drawn thanks to his Trap was worthless. "I pass, as well," he declared.

Uriel picked up another card, his mind racing. "I set this in Defense, and then take a break." A face-down monster appeared next to Gellenduo. The twins eyed it questioningly.

Bonetail drew, ironically into Dark Armed Dragon. But thanks to Necroface sending all of his monsters back into his deck, there was no way he would be able to summon it right now. Since Uriel had no face-down cards, he figured attacking the hidden monster wouldn't harm him too bad. Besides, he still had the abilities of My Body as a Shield and Archfiend Zombie Skull to protect him…

"Doomkaiser Dragon, attack his hidden monster!" Another blast of fire was unleashed from the zombie dragon, and it struck the face-down card, which was revealed as one of Uriel's Nova Summoners. It quickly shattered.

"I use Nova Summoner's ability to Special Summon another!" A fairy identical to the previous emerged in Defense mode.

"Exterminate!" Archfiend Zombie Skull sent another barrage of lightning. The fairy was electrocuted before exploding into particles.

"I bring forth my third!" Uriel declared. His final copy appeared on the field.

Bonetail's temper was rising. "Annihilate!" Necroface fired off another laser beam. Instead of piecing its body, the attack was used to cut Nova Summoner in half. The two halves disintegrated.

"Finally, let's give another round of applause for Hanewata!" The peach-colored fluff ball reappeared, giggling all the while.

"You continue to send your monsters to the slaughter, fleshling!" The demon roared, waving a hand to signify his turn had ended. "Why do you continue to persist? Are you afraid of what I'm going to do to you when you lose?!"

"I…REFUSE TO LOSE!" Uriel yelled as he drew a new card. He eyed it, and assessed the situation. Because of Bonetail's constant worrying, he had revealed the card that was face-down. However, he didn't know what the last card on his hand was. If it could be discarded to negate an effect, it'd be all over…

"Do you want to know why I brought out Hanewata through the effect of my last Nova Summoner?" Uriel began. "Here's why!" He played a card from his hand, and a projection of a large golden fortress appeared above the battlefield.

"What is that supposed to be?" Bonetail asked.

"It's called Court of Justice. If there is a heavenly body that judges sons-of-bitches like you, this is most likely where you'll go first before being sent to whatever Hell you dragons have.

"Now, its effect only works when I have a Level 1 Fairy on the field, like my Hanewata. Once per turn, I can Special Summon any Fairy I desire from my hand. With that, I call upon someone else you may remember from our last encounter – Athena!"

A large beam of light shot out of the Court of Justice, which struck the ground. Another feminine figure stepped out of it, this one resembling the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, her robes and helmet were shining silver, while she wielded an elaborate shield and pike. (2600/800)

"I remember her going up in flames as my King of the Skull Servants utterly destroyed her. She's not strong enough to deal with Necroface," Bonetail declared.

"She doesn't have to be," Uriel replied. "I activate her special ability. Once per turn, I can offer up a Fairy-type on my field. Hanewata, thanks for the help." The fluff ball gave a final squeak before turning into bright particles.

"Then, I'm able to Special Summon any other Fairy I choose from the Graveyard…so guess who's about to make a comeback!"

In an instant, Splendid Venus returned to the field, shouting out her triumphant return. She eyed the other goddess, and they gave each other nods before refocusing their attention on the demon in front of them.

"Since I brought out another Fairy, Athena's other ability activates, reducing your Life Points by 600!" Athena tossed her pike, and it struck Bonetail in what was left of his chest. He grunted as he pulled it out.

U: (550)………………..B: (1300)

"Not only that, but your My Body as a Shield is now useless."

"Cute…" He growled as he tossed the weapon aside. "However, little tricks like this won't stop me!"

"Then maybe Venus's effect kicking in again will!" Venus raised her staff, and the wave of light filled the entire battlefield. Once again the Zombies in play felt themselves growing weaker. (2800/1300) / (2000/700) / (1900/0)

"Finally, there's the last card in my hand to consider. It is powerful, but it can't be Special Summoned. Instead, it can be Tribute Summoned by offering up a Fairy-type monster on my field. Gellenduo, thanks for getting me out of this predicament." The twin fairies took a bow as they too became bright particles.

"You thought Superbia was bad? Here's something else for you to worry about – Fallen Angel Desire!"

A new monster took center-stage, this one the strongest in Uriel's deck in terms of raw power. Its blue armor with gold trimming was slightly reminiscent of Black Luster Soldier, but this was definitely another Fairy, for it bore large wings with red feathers. It gave a battle cry as it opened its wings to their full length. (3000/2800)

"Athena's ability activates yet again!" The Goddess, now pike-less, resorted to charging in and kicking Bonetail in the groin. Clearly the corpse's nether regions were hardwired to the remains of the alligator head's brain, as the demon fell to his knees in pain.

U: (550)………………..B: (700)

"Still…not…enough…" He stammered.

"Then there's the ability of my Fallen Angel!" Uriel yelled. "I decrease his attack power by 1000!"

Desire's attack dropped to 2000.

"What?"

"Desire, take it away!"

The Fallen Angel made a slashing movement with his arms, the limbs crossing over. An x-shaped bolt of energy shot towards Necroface.

"You fool!" Bonetail roared. "My Body as a Shield may not work, but Archfiend Zombie Skull's effect will protect Necroface!"

Unfortunately for him, the Synchro monster did absolutely nothing to defend its undead counterpart. The energy cut Necroface into four pieces, and they soon disintegrated into tiny bits.

"What…what just happened…"

"Desire's effect sends the target monster to the Graveyard, not destroys it outright. You said my luck was going to run out soon? It looks like yours is gone completely."

"No….this isn't fair…" Bonetail stammered. He had been waiting for this opportunity for years, waiting to seek revenge on the one who had banished him, waiting to consume this fleshling's rebellious soul and start his domination campaign anew.

But once again he had underestimated the power and determination of his opponent, and one mistake had cost him everything.

"How couldn't I have anticipated this? Why…why must the fates deny me of my destiny?"

Uriel didn't respond to this. "Athena, attack Doomkaiser Dragon!"

The Greek goddess rematerialized her pike, and used it to impale the behemoth through what was left of its heart. It cried out in agony as it exploded into dust.

"Stop it! STOP IT! I cannot allow this blasphemy! I WON'T ALLOW IT!"

"Splendid Venus, END THIS!"

Venus fired off a blast of energy from her scepter. Archfiend Zombie Skull was vaporized before the attack even connected, and it kept right on going.

Much like the last time she dealt the final blow to Bonetail, her attack hit the demon in the head, or what would have been considered his head given the current situation. The blast split the alligator skull apart, blood and guts spilling everywhere. The rest of the corpse fell to the ground in a heap.

U: (550)………………..B: (0)

The effects of the Shadow Duel began to wear off, the orb of dark energy surrounding them fading away.

"Game…over," Uriel declared, giving Bonetail a thumbs-down gesture.

The demon's growls became deeper and deeper as the remaining monsters in play vanished.

"No…this isn't over…" He hissed. There was hardly anything left of the destroyed mess that was the decomposed alligator head. He was now speaking telepathically through his phylactery, the vessel that contained his soul.

"I cannot afford to let you get away....I haven't exacted my ultimate revenge against you…" The now headless corpse slowly rose, but didn't get farther than one knee. His energy was clearly diminished as a result of the strains from the Shadow Duel.

"You simply don't know when or how to quit, do you? Face it, Bonetail, you're finished."

"The only one finished here…" the demon removed a hidden dagger from his suit pocket, "…is YOU!" Without any warning, he lunged for the Israeli…

…But the dagger was blocked by a much larger weapon.

Uriel looked on in wonder as the demon's sneak attack was held back by a unique-looking sword. Its wielder was the mysterious figure that had been monitoring the Shadow Duel from the outside.

"Bonetail…" he began. "…I was wondering when you would crawl out of the woodwork…"

"Shadowchaser…" the demon snarled as he strained as best he could against the man's defense.

What happened next was an astonishing set of three movements. The man forced the demon away, whirled his sword around to cut off the decayed hand that held the dagger, and gave the rest of the corpse a sharp kick in the chest. There was little Bonetail could do, and he fell to the ground on his back. He struggled to get away, but was stopped by the side of one of the buildings.

"This can't be!" He howled. "Why must the fates frown upon me?"

"Maybe it's because you're a no good son-of-a-gun who can't contribute anything good to this world," the man replied, "but I'm sure the fates will reward you for your acts with a one-way ticket to oblivion once all is said and done." He took off a gemstone from around his neck. It glowed with a bright light as the vessel that held Bonetail's soul was ripped out of the corpse.

"NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! I WON'T BE DENIED OF MY DESTINY!" The energy that emanated from his soul suddenly gained another boost, and the magic that was pulling him in was suddenly broken, sending its user to the ground.

Now free of its clutches, the phylactery floated to the same level as the rooftops.

"You may have won this round, fleshling, but I'll be back!" Without another word, the demon sped off into the night.

"Son of a…" The figure quickly got up, clearly frustrated. He considered chasing after Bonetail, but at this point it would probably be…well, pointless.

But that didn't mean he couldn't be tracked…

He sheathed his sword before pulling out his cell phone. He dialed the same number from earlier, finding that – thankfully – the signal was up and running again.

"Jeager, it's me again," he said, being sure to keep it down so no one would hear him. "Sorry about cutting out earlier. The signal broke off because of the anomaly…. Yeah, I was right about who was causing it, but the bastard got away before I could make the arrest. It looked like he was heading in the direction of Satellite, so see if you can get a read on him before he escapes completely. Let the family of the deceased and the local authorities know that we found the missing body…and tell the animal sanctuary that we found what's left of the croc. Alright, you take care of things on your end. I have other problems to deal with right now..." He sighed as he ended the call.

Uriel was on the verge of collapse, both from the lack of energy and the fact that his life was almost taken…again. He found support in the form of the brick building to his side. He looked up as the figure stepped towards him. "Who are you?" He asked.

"The name's Shichiro," the figure replied. "You can relax. What you saw tonight was merely a figment of your imagination."

Uriel could not believe what he was hearing. "…just what the hell are you on?"

"Uh…nothing? I told you, you're been imagining things."

"That's a load of bull! I know what that thing was! I could see it with my own two eyes!"

Shichiro sighed. "Look, the stress of what happened has probably scrambled your mind. A good night's sleep will make all of this go away. Speaking of which, that's exactly what I need now…" He slowly turned to walk away.

"Hold on," the Israeli snapped as he forced himself away from the wall, nearly falling over in the process. "You can't just leave me here like this!"

Shichiro grumbled. Protocol told him not to provide special intervention in a situation like this…but his conscience was enough to make him choose otherwise.

"Fine," he said, pulling a vial out of his coat pocket and tossing it in Uriel's direction. He caught it, eyeing the liquid that was inside. "Drink that, and then get going. Trust me on this one." Without another word, he made his exit.

Uriel was left with far more questions than before, and just as few solutions that weren't going to reveal themselves if he did nothing. In a fit, he popped the cork off the vial and downed its contents in one gulp.

Instantly he felt his strength returning. It was as if he had swallowed the entire contents of a sugar bowl. This was like an energy drink on steroids; the feeling of rejuvenation was incredible.

But the feeling of getting everything else he needed was even stronger. He rushed out of the alley, just in time to see Shichiro get on his D-Wheel and speed off.

It wasn't about to end like this. He ran over to his own D-Wheel, hastily put on a custom helmet – one with angel wings painted on the sides – and revved up the engine before taking off in hot pursuit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next time:

Uriel: I don't know who the hell this guy is, but he's not getting away until he gives me a straight answer. I don't care what it will take, but I refuse to be left in the dark again!

Shichiro: You need to realize that you're way out of your league, but if painful instruction is required, then I guess I'll have to oblige…

It's time for "Solemn Judgment," coming soon…

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Solemn Judgment

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

12:30 a.m.

The one named Shichiro eyed the time on his D-Wheel’s display with close to bloodshot eyes. He had been awake for close to 20 hours, and the events that had transpired within this span of time had not been overly grateful to him.

Considering that he was one of the top Shadowchasers charged with watching over Neo Domino, that wasn’t much of a surprise.

The fact that he couldn’t sleep earlier was one thing. Having to stay up even later to check out a disturbance deep in the city really put a damper on his internal clock. He’d be lucky if he could get a few hours of sleep in tonight.

“HEY!”

The shouting over his helmet’s intercom really shook him up, to the point where he almost lost control of his D-Wheel. He looked back to see a streamlined D-Wheel with white paint and gold trimming catching up to him. It wasn’t until it pulled alongside that he could see who gave him a rude awakening.

“You again?” Shichiro asked. “I thought I told you to drop it.”

“You can’t get rid of someone like me that easily,” Uriel replied, his eyes figuratively burning through his helmet’s visor. “You left without telling me what I need to know.”

The Shadowchaser’s eyes narrowed. “You have no idea who you’re talking to, punk. I don’t have the time or the patience to worry about the problems of a Mundane.”

“Mundane? What the hell are you talking about?”

Shichiro groaned. “I’ve probably said too much already. It’s nothing you need to worry about. Go home, leave me alone, and we can both go about our days as normal.”

“Shut up!” The Israeli yelled. “I want answers, and I’m not going to stop until I get them out of you…one way or another!” He activated a certain function on his D-Wheel.

Shichiro noticed that Speed World was being activated, and that his pursuer has trying to initiate a Turbo Duel. “You’re out of your mind! Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?”

“At this point I don’t give a damn about who you are,” Uriel replied. “What I do care about is getting a straight answer from you. Duel me, and if I win, you tell me everything I need to know.”

Shichiro’s patience had run thin as it was. He was both exhausted and frustrated, so it was only right in his mind to take it out on someone he considered a virtual nobody. “Game on, punk.”

Speed World fully activated, and the holographic projectors initiated between the two D-Wheels.

“Duel Start!” Both players shouted.

(Uriel: 8000)………………..(Shichiro: 8000)

“I’ll start things off,” Uriel said, picking up six cards and looking at them carefully. This first hand showed possibilities, as well as a certain card he had not been able to use often, even during casual play. Tonight it would get a rare opportunity to show its stuff.

“I set a monster and a card face-down,” he called, as two face-down cards appeared on his left-hand side. “That’s all for now.”

“Fine,” Shichiro said as he drew for his turn. Both players’ Speed Counters rose to 1. “The sooner I take you down, the sooner I can sleep.”

He chose a card and played it immediately. “I summon Twin-Sword Marauder!” A warrior bearing a pair of scissor-like blades leapt into existence. (1600/1000)

“Attack his face-down monster!” Shichiro ordered. The Marauder literally cut through the hidden creature with his swords. It revealed itself as a transparent cherub wielding a bow and arrow. (900/400) It squeaked as it shattered.

Uriel grunted as some of the shards struck his D-Wheel. He lost the Speed Counter he had moments before, as well as the momentum he had gained at the start of his pursuit

(U: 6800)………………..(S: 8000)

“Twin-Sword Marauder has a trample effect, just so you know.”

“I kinda figured,” the Israeli replied. “But by attacking my Skelengel, you’ve let me draw another card.” He picked up another card from his deck.

“Doesn’t matter, since my monster has another ability you won’t like. Since he attacked a defense-position monster, he can attack a second time!” The Marauder knifed in against his opponent.

“You like dealing damage? Hope you like receiving interest!” Uriel activated his other set card. “I chain Return Postage!” He did so right before Twin-Sword Marauder’s weapons collided with his D-Wheel.

“One step closer,” Shichiro mused. He was surprised as his opponent’s Trap fired a blast of energy right at him, to the point where he almost lost control. “What the hell?”

“The effect of Return Postage activates when I take damage of any kind, and deals half that amount to my opponent’s Life Points. This can only be used once per turn, but I’ll find ways to put it to good use.”

(U: 5200)………………..(S: 7200)

“There’s no way that’s a legal card!” Shichiro called out. “I’ve never even heard of it!”

“Just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean it’s illegal!” Uriel spat out in response. “Maybe you should have done some more research!”

The Shadowchaser growled. “Fine, I’ll let it slide for now…

“…but if I find that you’ve been using made-up cards, I might end up arresting you!” He set a face-down card to conclude his turn.

Uriel drew a new card. He regained the Speed Counter he had lost, while Shichiro’s Counters increased to 2. There was little he could do stop the Marauder at the moment. He had to remain on the defensive until an opportunity to strike presented itself.

With that in mind, he set another monster. He waved a hand to signal the end of his turn.

Shichiro drew, his Speed Counters rising to 3, while Uriel’s went to 2.

“Twin-Sword Marauder, move in to attack!” The warrior cut through Uriel’s new monster, and the orange wreath with wings appeared right before shattering.

Uriel felt more shards his hit D-Wheel, but he had other priorities. “The effect of Return Postage activates!” The Trap blasted Shichiro with another round of energy.

“Then, Nova Summoner’s kicks in!” With a wave of his hand, a second Nova Summoner appeared, this time in attack mode. (1400/800)

“Attack again!” Shichiro ordered. The warrior jumped in a second time, slicing the angel in half.

(U: 4400)………………..(S: 6800)

“I use this one’s effect to bring out Shatiel!” An angel with shining skin and traditional knight weaponry emerged, crouching in defense mode. (500/2000)

“For each Fairy in play, Shatiel raises the attack and defense of all Fairies by 400!” The angel glowed slightly as its stats increased. (900/2400)

“Alright, that’s all I can do for the moment.” Shichiro was disappointed, as he wanted to finish this duel as quickly as possible.

Uriel drew for his turn, his Speed Counters increasing to 3. His opponent’s went up to 4.

He simply set what he had drawn, the face-down card appearing behind Shatiel. He gave a nod, signifying the end of his turn.

“What’s the matter? Are you at a loss for words?” Shichiro asked, drawing a new card. His Speed Counters went up to 5, while Uriel’s hit 4.

“I activate the Speed Spell Summon Speeder!” His D-Wheel seemed to accelerate as a new portal opened. “With it, I can special-summon a monster from my hand, like my Goblin Attack Force!” A trio of the ever-classic goblins made itself known, brandishing their clubs and other assorted weapons. (2300/0)

“Not exactly what I had in mind…” Uriel commented. “You do realize those guys can’t attack during this round, right?”

“Which is exactly why I’m trading them in,” Shichiro replied, as Goblin Attack Force vanished. “I offer them up to special-summon Turret Warrior!” A new beast emerged, this one resembling a walking castle wall with gun emplacements everywhere. (1200/2000)

“He may not look like much now, but he gains the attack power of the monster used for its summoning.” The beast’s cannons began to charge up as its attack rose. (3500/2000)

Uriel’s eyes nearly bugged out at this development. “Uh oh…”

“Your monster’s defense score is impressive right now, but it isn’t enough to stop this!” The behemoth fired all of its cannons.

“Maybe not, but this will be!” Uriel activated his other set card. “Go, Draining Shield!” A clear barrier appeared in front of him, deflecting the attack and raising his Life Points by an amount equal to Turret Warrior’s attack.

(U: 7900)………………..(S: 6800)

Shichiro sighed. “Alright, so you replenished some of your Life Points. Let’s see you make good use out of them. I end my turn.”

The D-Wheels finally made it through the quiet traffic of the early morning hours. They entered an area of the city where there was little – if any – activity to be seen, so they could duel with no distractions.

And with his Speed Counters up to 5, and his opponent’s up to 6, Uriel was finally ready to make his move.

“I activate the Speed Spell Angel Baton! This lets me draw 2 cards from my deck, provided I discard one from my hand afterwards.” He drew his two, his eyes beaming when he saw one of them. He made his discard, but not before putting one of the cards on his disk. “Come on out, Watapon!” A big purple ball of fluff with huge blue eyes appeared. (200/300)

“You just drew that card with your Angel Baton, didn’t you?” Shichiro asked.

“Sure did, and that allowed me to special-summon it, meaning my normal summon for the turn is freed up for his little guy - Hanewata!” Another fluff ball appeared, but this one was peach-colored, and its eyes were brown. (200/300)

“Do people actually take you seriously with cards like that?”

Uriel frowned. “Do people take you seriously? With that attitude of yours, and the way you discard people when they aren’t important to you, I doubt you even have friends.”

Shichiro growled, the comment having struck a nerve. “How dare you say that to me? You don’t even know me!”

“And you don’t know me, either!” Uriel yelled in reply. “And I’m guessing you don’t know that Hanewata is a Tuner!” The pink Fairy became a glowing ring, scanning both Watapon and Shatiel. The combined seven stars unleashed a new portal.

“You’re really starting to piss me off, and I’m going to vent my frustrations the hard way!” His Ancient Sacred Wyvern flew out of the portal, snarling as it eyed his master’s offender. (2100/2000)

“Damn it, not this thing again…” Shichiro groaned.

“You’ve seen this monster before, then? Good, then there’s no need to explain his ability.” Because he had an 1100 Life Point advantage, the dragon’s attack power increased by that amount. (3200/2000)

“Attack-”

“Not so fast!” Shichiro cut in, chaining his face-down Threatening Roar, ending the Battle Phase.

“Now who’s the one running away?” Uriel asked before setting two cards face-down. “Your move.”

“Oh I will,” Shichiro said, as his Speed Counters rose to 7. “You Wyvern may be powerful, but my Turret Warrior is stronger! Blast him!” The castle wall on legs charged up energy.

“Before you do that, what level is that thing?” Uriel asked.

“Uh…it’s level 5. Why?”

“I just needed that information - since I chain Heaven’s Judgment to your attack!” The Israeli activated the Trap just as Turret Warrior opened fire.

“By sending a monster of equal level from my deck to the Graveyard, yours is automatically taken out!” The ghostly form of Airknight Parshath appeared, blocking the incoming attack and sending it right back to its source. Turret Warrior groaned as its own energy collided with it, reducing it to rubble.

“Crud…” Shichiro went through his options, which weren’t many at the moment. “I switch Twin-Sword Marauder to defense mode.” The warrior knelt down, holding his swords crossed in front of him. “I set these face-down, as well.” Two face-down cards appeared behind the Marauder. “End turn.”

“Then let’s try this again!” Uriel drew, his Speed Counters rising to 7. “Ancient Sacred Wyvern, get rid of that Marauder for good!” The beast finally got its chance to breathe out a blast of pure light. Twin-Sword Marauder stood no chance, its being incinerated in an instant.

“I’ll set a monster and call it a turn.” A face-down monster appeared beside the Wyvern.

Shichiro picked up a new card, but played it immediately. “You’re not the only one who has Speed Spell – Angel Baton at their disposal!” The card appeared on the field as he drew two more. The new hand provided him the opportunities he didn’t have earlier. He quickly discarded Nitro Synchron.

“I remove Summon Speeder from the game to Special-Summon this little guy!” In a flash, a cartoonish-looking warrior appeared. It was decked out in Viking-style armor, and carried a bizarre staff. (600/200)

“Spell Striker?” Uriel exclaimed.

“Got it in one. Guess you know that it can attack you directly! Move in to engage!” Spell Striker gave a high-pitched battle cry as it swung its staff. The cast spell struck Uriel’s D-Wheel.

“Return Postage activates again!” Shichiro was blasted for 300 Points of damage.

(U: 7300)………………..(S: 6500)

“It’s a small price to pay, since this cuts your Wyvern’s strength down.” He was right, as the behemoth’s attack dropped to 2900.

“I set this and end my turn.” A face-down card appeared behind Spell Striker.

Uriel drew another card, his Counters increasing to 9. Shichiro’s rose to 10.

“I summon Seraphim Saber!” A typical angel with large wings and a broadsword appeared on his field. (1600/1500)

“For every Fairy-type monster on my field when this one is Normal-Summoned, I can increase either its Attack or Defense by 300. Guess which one I have in mind.” Both of his face-up monsters glowed with energy, the essence transferred into the broadsword. (2200/1500)

“First up, Ancient Sacred Wyvern, attack Spell Striker!” The Wyvern charged up energy and fired it.

“I don’t think so,” Shichiro interrupted, activating the card he set the previous turn. “Go, Attack Guidance Armor!” A black, demonic-looking breastplate flashed into existence, and then latched itself onto Seraphim Saber. “This Trap redirects the attack from my monster to another of my choosing. The beam of energy looped around, striking the angel. It cried out before shattering.

(U: 6600)………………..(S: 6150)

Shichiro felt the effects of Return Postage, but he didn’t focus on it. “It looks like your Saber has bit the dust before he even started!”

Both Uriel and his Wyvern growled in frustration, the latter’s attack power dropping to 2450.

“Alright, you bastard, let’s see if you can take advantage of this. I end my turn.”

“Quit with the name calling and accusations!” Shichiro ordered, drawing for his turn. His Speed Counters went up to 11, while Uriel’s went to 10.

“I activate a second Speed Spell – Angel Baton!” The Shadowchaser drew two more cards.

He eyed one of the cards he had drawn with a smirk. It was not often he saw it during any of his duels, so this would be a rare treat. He discarded Tuningware to fulfill the effect of his Angel Baton.

“I summon Drill Synchron!” In a flash, a treaded, sphere-shaped machine bearing drills on its head and arms appeared. (800/300)

“It’s time to give Spell Striker a tune-up!” The machine became a glowing ring, scanning the little warrior. The six combined stars created another portal.

“Drill Warrior, you’re up!” A large warrior clad in rust-colored armor appeared. It held two massive drill-like weapons in its hands. (2400/2000)

“I’ve seen plenty of Synchro Monsters,” the Israeli commented, “but nothing like this before…”

“There’s a first time for everything, I guess. Allow me to get you acquainted by activating his special ability. By cutting his attack power in half, he can attack you directly!”

Drill Warrior’s attack dropped to 1200, and it moved in immediately after, the drill weapon on its left arm spinning wildly. It struck Uriel’s D-Wheel as he lost a Speed Counter. Shichiro was hit by Return Postage yet again.

(U: 5400)………………..(S: 5550)

Ancient Sacred Wyvern’s attack dropped to a mere 1950.

“Over to you,” Shichiro declared.

“And your Warrior is going down!” Uriel replied, drawing a card. His Speed Counters went back up to 10, while Shichiro’s maxed out at 12. “Wyvern, get rid of him!” The Wyvern unleashed another blast of white light.

“Not this time,” Shichiro retorted. “I chain Synchro Deflector!” A barrier appeared in front of Drill Warrior, much like Heaven’s Judgment had. “This Trap only works when you attack a Synchro monster. Not only is the attack negated…”

The blast was sent in the opposite direction, incinerating its host.

“…that monster is destroyed.”

Uriel was at a near loss for words. He snarled as he set a new monster. “Just go,” he said.

“Oh I will,” Shichiro replied, drawing another card. Uriel’s Speed Counters went to 11.

“Drill Warrior, attack the monster that’s been sitting out there all this time!” The warrior stabbed the face-down card with its massive drill, and another Skelengel appeared before promptly shattering.

“Another card for me,” Uriel said sarcastically, picking up a card from his deck.

“You’ll need it. In the meantime I’m activating Drill Warrior’s other ability. By discarding a card from my hand, he can remove himself from the field until my next Standby Phase.” He ditched the last card he had, and the warrior vanished.

“Why did you do that?” Uriel asked. “You’ve left yourself wide open!”

“You let me worry about that,” the Shadowchaser replied. “Just make your move.”

“Alright, have it your way.” As Uriel drew, his Speed Counters rose to 11. He flipped up the monster he had set previously. “Bountiful Artemis, come forth!” The odd-looking fairy with metallic wings and crooked arms emerged. (1600/1700)

“Why did you set it in the first place?” Shichiro asked. “It could have easily run over my Drill Warrior.”

“Because I was afraid it had another effect to save itself,” Uriel replied. “But since you have nothing protecting you right now, I’m moving in!” Bountiful Artemis fired an orb of light at Shichiro’s D-Wheel. It exploded on contact, and the Shadowchaser’s Speed Counters dropped to 11.

(U: 5400)………………..(S: 3950)

“I set this and end my turn.” A face-down card appeared behind the unusual Fairy.

Shichiro’s Speed Counters once again maxed out as he drew for his turn. Uriel’s Speed Counters also maxed out at 12.

“Drill Warrior returns to the field!” He announced, as the rusty-looking monster reappeared.

“And in the process, I can retrieve a monster from my Graveyard!” The monster he had discarded earlier in the duel was spat out of his discard slot and returned to his hand.

“And since it has come back, its attack power is back to normal.” Drill Warrior held out its weapons as its stats were restored. (2400/2000)

“Alright, attack Bountiful Artemis!” The warrior charged in yet again.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Uriel countered, activating his face-down Negate Attack. The drill weapon was drawn into the purple vortex in front of it.

“Since a Counter Trap activated, Bountiful Artemis grants me another draw.” Uriel picked up a card.

“Persistent little pest, aren’t you?” Shichiro set the Trap he had drawn. “End turn.”

Uriel drew another card, but played it at that very moment. “I activate the Speed Spell – Vision Wind! This lets me revive a low-level monster from my Graveyard, provided it gets sent back there at the end of my turn.” Skelengel appeared beside Bountiful Artemis.

“Any particular reason why?” Shichiro asked.

“He’ll be going there much sooner, with the help of Herald of Orange Light!” He played the monster, and a large piece of topaz wrapped in armor and feathers appeared on Bountiful Artemis’s other side. (300/500) “Let’s turn things up a notch!” The new monster became a gold ring, scanning the remaining Fairies in play.

“Ah crap, it’s another Tuner?!” Shichiro exclaimed.

“Yep, and let’s give a big hand for Avenging Knight Parshath!” Another portal opened up, and Uriel’s strongest Synchro monster in terms of attack emerged. (2600/2100)

“I activate his effect, which lets me switch the mode of your monster!” The Fairy’s sword was aimed at Drill Warrior, and the beast glowed gold as it was forced onto its knees.

“Attack it!” The Avenging Knight swooped in.

“I chain Invincible Hero!” Shichiro declared, just before the Fairy stabbed its sword into Drill Warrior. “This prevents my monster from being destroyed by battle this turn!”

“But you still take damage through my Knight’s trample effect!” Uriel replied. As the Avenging Knight pulled away, Drill Warrior gasped as oil and shards of metal spewed out of its gaping wound.

(U: 5400)………………..(S: 3350)

“Is that all you’ve got?” Shichiro asked.

“You mean besides another face-down card? No.” The Israeli set a new card, ending his turn.

“Then it’s time to get back on track!” Shichiro declared. “I summon Nitro Synchron!” A monster closely resembling a propane tank appeared. (300/100)

“Tune up!” The little monster became a gold ring, scanning Drill Warrior. A new portal opened up, and a much larger warrior came out of it.

“Synchro Summon - Colossal Fighter!” The monster was light-green in color, adorned with blue gemstones all over its body. Its neon-green visor seemed to glow as it slammed a fist into the ground. (2800/1000)

“He’s stronger than your Knight, but he’s about to gain another boost – 100 attack points for every Warrior in both Graveyards!” Five of Shichiro’s monsters appeared behind him, their essences focused into the Synchro monster. (3300/1000)

“Clip that thing’s wings!” Colossal Fighter swung a mighty arm, knocking Avenging Knight Parshath to the ground, where it shattered. Return Postage blasted another chunk out of Shichiro’s Life Points.

(U: 4700)………………..(S: 3000)

“I’ve had just about enough of that illegal Trap of yours…” The Shadowchaser sighed.

“I figured you’d be used to it by now,” the Israeli retorted. “And I told you, it’s not illegal! It just happens to be unique!”

“Keep telling that to yourself. Anyway, I set this face-down.” The card was set behind Colossal Fighter. “That’s all for now.”

Uriel drew for his turn. The circumstances were just right for a ground-breaking move.

“Trap Card, activate!” Shichiro said suddenly, flipping up the card he had just set. It was Dust Tornado, and its winds blew away Uriel’s Return Postage. “I told you I had enough…”

“Enough of that, maybe, but I still have a few surprises left.” Uriel inserted the card he had drawn into his disk. “I activate the Speed Spell – Summon Close!” A card depicting something trapped within a blue crystal came up.

“By discarding a card from my hand, I can draw another.” He discarded Angel Fallen into Darkness, and then picked up a new card from the deck.

The Israeli grinned as one of his face-down cards lifted up.

“Next, I reveal Angel’s Tear!” The monsters he had lost or discarded over the course of the duel appeared behind him. “This works by removing four Fairy monsters from the game.” Both copies of Skelengel, Seraphim Saber, and Shatiel vanished from the group.

“In exchange, I can now Special Summon a Fairy from the Graveyard!” A great pillar of light erupted from the pavement between the two duelists.

“What the hell?” Shichiro exclaimed.

“Rise up, SPLENDID VENUS!”

The deity emerged from the pillar, bearing far more authority than she ever had before. Despite the black of night, the armor and wings of Uriel’s Ace card still glowed brightly. (2800/2400)

“Where did that come from?” The Shadowchaser asked. For some reason, he was getting a different vibe from this monster than the others he had seen up to this point.

“She was what I discarded for my first Angel Baton,” Uriel replied, “and she’s ready to bring you down another notch, courtesy of her special ability!” The energy emanating from Venus became even stronger, while Colossal Fighter suddenly became weaker. (2900/500)

“Any non-Fairy monster loses 500 attack and defense points,” the Israeli explained.

“Maybe, but my Fighter is still stronger.”

“Not for long.” Uriel revealed his other face-down card, which depicted Layard the Liberator ascending to Heaven. “I activate Miraculous Descent!” Moments later, Shatiel was back on the field, kneeling in defense mode.

“I thought you removed that card from play!”

“I did,” Uriel said. “This card brings back a Fairy monster that has been removed from the game. It works like Call of the Haunted, where if this Trap leaves the field, the equipped monster is destroyed. But in the meantime, with Shatiel in play…”

“…All of your Fairies get boosted up…” Shichiro’s eyes widened as a result of shock.

“You got it, this time by 800 points!” Shatiel glowed, and it and Splendid Venus had their attack and defense bolstered up. (3600/3200) / (1300/2800)

“Your Fighter isn’t so strong now, is he? Venus, bring him down!” The goddess swung her scepter, unleashing a ball of energy at the weakened Colossal Fighter. Despite a powerful punch at the oncoming attack, the ball exploded, taking the Fighter with it.

(U: 4700)………………..(S: 2300)

“Colossal Fighter’s ability activates when it’s destroyed as a result of battle!” Shichiro announced. “Return to the field!”

…but nothing happened.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t it working?”

“I forgot to mention that Summon Close has another effect,” Uriel replied. “As its name suggests, it prevents you from Special-Summoning during this turn. That means your Fighter’s revival effect is worthless right now.”

“You son of a-”

“Can it. You’re running low on tricks, and the advantage is mine again. While you get ready to tell me everything I need to know, I’ll set this, just in case.” A face-down card appeared behind Splendid Venus. She had crossed her arms, her eyes seemingly burning right through Shichiro’s soul.

That was something the Shadowchaser didn’t understand. It wasn’t often he saw Duel Monsters behave in such a manner. What made his opponent so special?

He pondered this question as he drew for his turn, a plan formulating through his mind.

“I may be low on tricks, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely out of them!” He activated the card he had face-down all this time. “I activate Synchro Spirits!” A spectral image of Colossal Fighter appeared behind him, but it quickly vanished.

“By removing a Synchro monster in my Graveyard from play, I can bring back the monsters I used for its Synchro summoning.” In a flash, Drill Warrior and Nitro Synchron reappeared. Both monsters felt the effects of Splendid Venus. (2400/2000......1900/1500) / (300/100......0/0)

“Even if you have another copy of Colossal Fighter,” Uriel began, “it won’t be able to stop Venus.”

“I had something else in mind,” Shichiro replied. “Remember the card I discarded for Drill Warrior’s special ability?” A spectral image of a beetle with a red shell and yellow design on top appeared behind him. “It’s called Level Eater. I’m able to special summon it from the Graveyard by reducing the level of a Level 5 or higher monster on my field by 1. I choose Drill Warrior, naturally.” As Level Eater took physical form, the Synchro monster’s level dropped from 6 to 5.

“Now watch and be amazed! I tune Nitro Synchron with Drill Warrior once again, but with a new warrior entering the fray!”

The little propane tank became a gold ring once again, scanning the larger monster. The combined seven stars opened a new portal, and a fiendish monster with green and blue skin emerged. A gigantic pod of sorts stuck out of its back like a tail.

“Nitro Warrior, let’s turn up the heat!” The beast roared as it beat its chest. (2800/1800......2300/1300)

“That’s your plan?” Uriel asked. “I’ve seen far worse.”

“That’s where Nitro Synchron’s ability kicks in,” Shichiro replied. “When it’s used for the Synchro summoning of a monster with ‘Nitro’ in its name, I can draw another card.” The Shadowchaser shut his eyes as he picked up a new card from his deck.

When he opened them and eyed the latest arrival, a grin crossed his face. “Game over, punk.”

“Hey, that’s my line!” Uriel snapped.

“Shut up. I play the Speed Spell – Final Attack!” Flames erupted from and around Nitro Warrior as it received a boost in power.

“Since I have more than eight Speed Counters, Final Attack doubles the attack power of Nitro Warrior. It can’t attack directly, and it’ll be destroyed at the end of my turn, but something tells me that won’t be much of an issue.” The flames subsided, but the Warrior’s eyes were glowing with a hellish light. (4600/1300)

“Ok…that changes things.” The Israeli was now worried.

“It gets worse for you, much worse. Since I played a Spell card, Nitro Warrior’s attack gets boosted by another 1000 points!”

“What the-” Nitro Warrior laughed as its attack increased yet again. (5600/1300)

“Let’s finish this. Attack his Splendid Venus!” The pod on the monster’s back kicked in like a jet engine, and it charged in. The goddess attempted to fire off another blast of energy from her staff, but she wasn’t fast enough. The brute gave her a swift uppercut, and she slammed into the side of a building before shattering.

“No…” Uriel was truly shaken – not just from the loss in Life Points and Speed Counters (reduced to 10), but by the fact that this was one of the few times his prized monster was killed in battle with dire consequences.

(U: 1900)………………..(S: 2300)

But still he remained defiant. “It’s not over yet!”

“Oh yes, it is. Nitro Warrior has another effect. Since it destroyed your so-called goddess, it can change the position of another monster in play, and then attack it!” The warrior launched a fireball, intent on forcing Shatiel to stand up in attack mode.

“I knew setting this was a good idea!” Uriel revealed his Trap just in time. “I activate Pure Pupil!” The fireball was stopped in its tracks, then suddenly started to grow bigger.

“What’s going on, now?” Shichiro asked.

“This Trap works when you activate a monster’s effect, and while I control one with 1000 or less Attack points. Thanks to you destroying Venus, that is the case right now. Not only is that effect negated…”

Shatiel pointed at the opposing monster, and the fireball was sent careening towards it. Nitro Warrior was taken aback as its own ability turned against it. The fireball collided with it, blowing it to bits.

“…that monster is destroyed.”

“DAMN IT!” Shichiro exclaimed. “No choice but to end the Battle Phase. I can set up an offensive wall, at the very least.” His played the card he had drawn. “Junk Synchron, get out there!” A strange machine-like monster emerged, with orange and brown armor and a large pair of goggles on its face. (1300/500)

“When Junk Synchron is normal summoned, I can bring back a level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard. I choose the monster I discarded for my second Angel Baton – Tuningware!” A strange figured popped in next to the Tuner, wearing a yellow scarf and a black helmet in the shape of a pot. (100/300)

“Junk Synchron, tune yourself with Tuningware and Level Eater!” Junk Synchron pulled the cord of the engine on its back, starting it up. It became a glowing ring, quickly scanning the little Machine-type and the beetle. The five combined stars brought forth a monster that Uriel recognized immediately.

“Junk Warrior, let’s rev it up!” The first of Yusei Fudo’s star monsters emerged. (2300/1300)

“A little on the weak side, I know, but he has gotten me out of far more jams than I can count.”

“But will it help you this time? Something tells me it won’t.”

Shichiro shook his head as he sighed. “Just go,” he said simply. He was now sick and tired of this duel, though mostly it was the latter.

Uriel was growing weary, as well. Even after taking the elixir he was given, his strength was fading fast.

Something had to give, or there could be disastrous results awaiting the both of them.

“Alright, my move…” As his Speed Counters rose to 11, he drew a card to go with the only one in his hand. This card was played immediately after drawing it.

“Speed Spell – Shift Down,” Uriel announced, his D-Wheel suddenly reducing speed. “By giving up 6 Speed Counters, I can draw two more cards.” As his Counters plummeted to 5, he drew two cards from his increasingly thinner deck. He ended up setting both of them, a monster and a face-down card. He waved a hand to show the end of his turn.

As Shichiro started his turn, he knew he had to be cautious. He couldn’t attack through Shatiel just yet, but it was possible he could break through the one the Israeli had set. If it meant limiting his options, he himself had no choice. It was now or never.

“Junk Warrior, attack his face-down monster!” Junk Warrior’s thrusters kicked in, and it gave the hidden monster a boosted punch with its larger fist. A Shining Angel appeared on the card before it shattered.

“I use my Shining Angel’s effect to summon this,” Uriel proclaimed. In an instant, a duplicate of Shatiel appeared next to the first.

“That means the attack-boosting ability is increased two-fold!” Both Shatiels glowed, sharing energies as they grew stronger. (2100/3600 x2)

“Junk Warrior is still the strongest monster in play.”

“Right now, maybe,” Uriel retorted, “but once I get another Fairy in play, things will be a little different.”

“I doubt it,” Shichiro replied, setting the card in his hand. It appeared behind Junk Warrior as he signaled the end of his turn. “What are the odds of you drawing another monster, anyway?”

As Uriel drew a card, his Speed Counters rising to 7, his grin became even bigger. “Who said anything about drawing one?” His face-down card lifted.

“Limit Reverse?!” Shichiro exclaimed.

“I may not be able to bring back much, but it’s going to make a big difference!” Herald of Orange Light made its reappearance.

“With another Fairy in play, the effects of both Shatiels increase the stats of all Fairies by 1200!” The glow of the armor-clad angels became even stronger as they and the Herald received their respective boosts in power. (2900/4400 x2 / 2700/3000)

“I’m far from finished,” Uriel continued, summoning a monster from his hand. “Seraphim Gunner, you’re on deck!” A new fairy with large wings emerged, garbed in a pure-white cloak while wielding a large rifle of sorts. (1800/1200)

“Both Shatiels now grant 1600 extra attack and defense points to each Fairy in play!” All of Uriel’s monsters glowed with greater intensity. (3700/5200 x2 / 3500/3700 / 5000/4400)

“Not only that, but Seraphim Gunner’s ability activates the same way as Seraphim Saber’s, granting him a boost of 400 attack or defense points for each Fairy I have. You can do the combined math, can you?” The Gunner charged up its rifle, aiming right at the Shadowchaser. (6600/4400)

“Holy crap…” Shichiro gasped.

“That’s one way to put it. Another way of putting it is…you’re finished. Seraphim Gunner, attack Junk Warrior and END THIS!” The Gunner opened fire, a blast of energy aiming at the Synchro monster.

“Fat chance of that! I chain Synchro Barrier!” Junk Warrior vanished in a shower of sparkles just before the energy connected.

“Whoa…”

“What’s the matter? Surprised that I won’t be taking any damage at all this turn?”

“No…just the fact that that was the card that saved my ass a little while ago.”

“Oh. Quite the coincidence, I guess.”

The Israeli was getting off-topic. “Anyway, that’s all I can do for now…but it looks like you won’t be able to do anything on your next turn.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Shichiro replied. “I’ve been known to pull victories out of thin air when all seemed completely hopeless.”

“Prove it,” Uriel stated, setting the card he had drawn this turn. Even if you can bring out something stronger and attack with it, he thought to himself, this will stop you in your tracks.

“Here goes…EVERYTHING!” Shichiro drew a card and eyed it questioningly. He had used up virtually every trick in his disposal.

But that didn’t mean he had used them all…

“You’re in luck, my friend. I recently acquired a new card a short time ago, and it’s about time I give it its field test.”

Uriel’s eyes widened. He did not like the sound of this.

“Let’s get the show on the road. I activate the Speed Spell – Dead Synchron!” A new portal opened up between the two D-Wheels. This one was far larger and of a different color than all the others.

“Here’s the deal: I can only use it when I have 5 or more Speed Counters. It allows me to perform a Synchro summon by removing the necessary monsters in my Graveyard from the game. The resulting monster itself is removed at the end of the turn, but it doesn’t matter now.” Four spectral monsters appeared behind him, and they slowly took shape.

“I remove Junk Synchron, Tuningware, Level Eater, and Spell Striker from play to bring forth the newest weapon in my arsenal! Junk Synchron burst into a gold ring for the last time, scanning the three remaining monsters. The eight combined stars were sucked into the portal, and a blast of energy spewed out of it.

“You pushed me to the limit, and now you’re going to pay for it. I bring forth Junk Destroyer!”

A gigantic monster appeared, looking like a giant robot from a popular anime series. Its armor was jet-black, with gold and red highlights to add to its appearance. It had four arms, and just as many jagged white wings on its back. It crushed its fists together as it roared a battle cry. (2600/2500)

“What the…”

“The effect of Junk Destroyer activates,” Shichiro announced. “For each non-Tuner monster used in its Synchro summoning, as its name suggests, it can destroy a card on the field.”

Uriel could only look on as Junk Destroyer punched forward with three of its arms, balls of energy careening towards him. Both Shatiels and his face-down card, Mirror Force, were promptly eviscerated. Without the support of the stat-boosters, the attacks and defenses of Seraphim Gunner and Herald of Orange Light returned to normal levels. (2600/1200 / 300/200)

“…ah crap…” Uriel muttered.

“It’s about freaking time. Junk Destroyer, wipe him out!” The Synchro monster lunged forward, ramming an arm down on Herald of Orange Light. As it was crushed, Uriel’s D-Wheel began venting steam before coming to a halt in the breakdown lane.

(U: 0)………………..(S: 2300)

Uriel slammed a fist on his console. “Damn it! I almost had him!” He looked up with narrowed eyes as Shichiro pulled up beside him. The Shadowchaser dismounted from his D-Wheel.

“Hand it over.”

“What?”

“Enough games!” Shichiro yelled, forcibly pulling the Israeli off of his D-Wheel. “That illegal trap of yours, hand it over – NOW!”

“Hey, let go of me! And for the last damn time, it’s not illegal”

“I’ll be the judge of that! Show it to me right now, or I’ll have you arrested for contempt!”

The Israeli gave a snarl as he ejected the cards from his discard slot. He searched through them before retrieving Return Postage and holding it out to his opponent. Shichiro snatched it up quickly while pulling out something resembling a PDA from his pocket. He held the card underneath small machine and gave it a brief scan. A holographic image of the card appeared before them.

“Let’s see…” Shichiro commented. “What the…there aren’t any signs of counterfeit, telltale or otherwise…It checks out like any normal card…”

“I told you,” Uriel replied, taking his card back from the Shadowchaser. “You’ve probably never heard of it since I’ve never had the chance to use it in a duel like this before. It’s one of a kind, a treasure without monetary value. It was a gift from Lady Melissa, along with some of the other cards you’ve seen. There is nothing wrong with anything I have.”

“Lady Melissa…it couldn’t be…”

Now it was Uriel’s turn to be surprised. “I take it the name rings a bell?”

“She is quite an eccentric, along with the rest of her siblings. So how would someone like you know someone like her?” He thought about it for a moment; then the pieces seemed to come together.

Uriel sighed. “Let’s just say I brought an end to what could have been a tragedy, and she was the one who helped make that happen.”

“Wait a minute…I remember reading about something like this…it was an incident that happened on Monster Island years back. The one you saw earlier was imprisoned there, and he almost escaped.”

“That’s right,” the Israeli interjected, “and I was the one who defeated him, using a deck close to what I have with me right now. I could have sworn he was gone for good, but somehow he managed to come back with a vengeance.”

“That much I do know,” Shichiro said. He was finally making the connections. “Look, I apologize for mistaking you for a Mundane. It’s not often I come across people who can see things the way I do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Uriel asked.

“Sorry, I need to watch what I say. But, you wanted an explanation, right?”

The Israeli nodded. “And I still do.”

“I really need to get going, but I’m not going to leave you empty-handed.” Shichiro reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card, giving it to Uriel. He looked at it, noticing an odd name, address, and methods of contact. “Get a hold of him, but wait until after tomorrow so I can inform him of the situation at hand. He’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

“Fine,” Uriel said, extending a hand. “Thanks for the help.”

Shichiro shook it. “No problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a soft bed.” He slowly mounted his D-Wheel and drove off into the distance.

The Israeli watched as the former adversary disappeared against the backdrop of the city. As he climbed back onto his D-Wheel, he knew was still confused about everything. However, he also knew that this wouldn’t be the case for much longer.

The Turbo Duel had taken him quite a ways away from his hotel. It was already 1 a.m., and two seemingly life-and-death matches had wiped him out.

One thing was for sure - it was going to be one hell of a morning…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: Damn it all! Another opportunity wasted! What does it take to get rid of that fleshling?!

?: Relax, my decaying comrade. You’ll get another chance…if you can prove yourself…

Bonetail:Who the hell are you?

?: You’ll find out soon enough…

Next time: “Faustian Bargain”

[Dark Sage]

Well, now you all know why Shichiro was so grouchy when he woke up right before Trueman appeared.

I liked this. (And yes, Shichiro will use Drill Warrior and Junk Destroyer in my fanfic - eventually.) It's interesting to see how this idea has evolved greatly since the first time it was presented.

Keep going. I can't wait to see what comes next.

[mario72486]

Within this chapter is a card based off of one used in the original series. It was developed by Dark Sage to work in the same manner, so credit goes to him. What card we’re talking about will be revealed. If you want to try using it yourself, please seek permission from him first.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Faustian Bargain

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“How the hell did this all happen?”

Such was what Bonetail was asking himself at this very moment. He thought he had everything planned out this time around, but once again unforeseen circumstances ruined his chances.

He never intended on honoring his promise to Uriel. He knew that he didn’t have to beat the Israeli in a duel in order to obtain his soul. The boost he received when his soul was renewed essentially lifted the clause that forced him to win souls through a ‘fair’ competition. He could have killed Uriel on the spot, but his ego got in the way.

Who could blame him? Uriel had beaten him in a most humiliating way the first time. It was only natural that he wanted to beat the mortal at his own game; it would have made his soul all the juicier when he claimed it. Because of his arrogance, perhaps his biggest flaw, he did not take into account the fact that the Israeli was known for pulling victories out of nowhere.

He lost not only the duel, but also the corpse he was using temporarily. In addition, his little actions captured the attention of the authorities – and not just the police. A Shadowchaser had interfered, and most likely the higher-ups within that organization were on to him, now.

He had barely escaped the agent, and was currently taking refuge in one of the many sewers that populated Satellite. With the corpse gone, he relied on his phylactery to get away. He was without a body and without the necessary energy to go any further. He had no choice but to rest and recuperate before trying anything else.

“Greetings…you’re looking as decrepit as ever.”

Bonetail heard the voice, and he tried to feel the voice’s owner’s presence. Finally, he saw a figure wearing a black trench coat and fedora leaning against the wall. How he got there without the demon noticing was unknown, but now he had his full attention.

“Identify yourself,” Bonetail growled.

“No need for hostilities,” the figure began. “I’m here to…help you.”

“I don’t need any help,” the demon hissed.

“…Says the one who just got his rear end handed to him by a mere human. Their race is unpredictable, and you should never take them lightly. You learned that the hard way…twice.”

“You still haven’t told me who the hell you are!” Bonetail interrupted. “Answer me!”

“You may call me Agent D,” the figure replied. “I was hoping you would remember me. After all, it was my deck that you copied back on Monster Island…”

The realization began to sink in for the demon. “You worked for the Shadow Queen?”

“And finally he figures it out. Yes, I was indeed in her employ. I was mostly an advisor when it came to certain…magical abilities. The guarding was more of a part-time affair whenever I needed a break from it all. But since she’s been gone from this world for decades on end, I needed to find something else that would take advantage of my talents…ones I’m sure you’re familiar with.”

“You’re a necromancer, aren’t you?”

Agent D raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?”

“The stench is what would give it away for the common folk…but the power that’s emanating from you is what I noticed first.”

Agent D laughed. “Excellent. You’re aware that I am an expert at bringing the dead back to life, so there is no need to explain it in detail. However, I’m sure you’re not aware of what I am a part of nowadays.”

“To be honest,” Bonetail replied, “I don’t really care right now.”

“A pity, since I don’t care that you don’t care. You’d know the society better as the Sons of Kyuss. If you’ve never heard of them, it’s made up of necromancers like me who aim to rediscover the techniques of creating the ultimate undead. We’re always looking for new members, which is one reason why I’ve been looking for you.”

“You want me to join a group of nutcases with an unreachable goal?”

“…asks the demon who aims to conquer the world.”

“ENOUGH!” Bonetail’s phylactery expelled a wave of energy in frustration. “At least my goal has some sense to it! I refuse to take part in a maniacal cult!”

Agent D raised an eyebrow. “Maniacal? That’s what you think of us? Well, believe what you want. I’m guessing this means you won’t be interested in what I was going to offer you…”

He reached around the corner and wheeled out a gurney of some kind. Whatever was on it was covered by a white sheet soaked in blood.

“Is that…”

“Yes, it’s a body – but not an ordinary one by any means...” The figure pulled off the sheet to reveal a Shadow. It appeared to be a red dragonspawn with humanoid features, crested head and tail, and ash-gray body armor. An elaborate duel disk made of a silver-like metal was strapped to its left arm. There was a huge hole in the armor’s breastplate, right where the creature’s heart would have been.

“This used to be a Redspawn Arcaniss. The goddess Tiamat created this breed to serve as her mages. They use magic of all kinds, but specialize mostly in those involving fire. This one tried to infiltrate one of our meeting places, but we promptly took care of it. Its wand was destroyed, but I figure that since you’re able to cast magic without one, that won’t be too big of a problem.”

The thought of finally inhabiting the body of a dragon again enticed the demon, but he was still wary. “What’s the catch? I won’t be taking any offering without seeing the fine print.”

Agent D smiled. “You have a right to be suspicious. Yes, there is a condition that must be met before you can walk away with this morsel. Here’s the deal: we are going to have ourselves a duel. You’ll be playing against me while inhabiting that body and using a deck specially prepared for it.

“If you manage to pull off a win, you’ll be free to start with a clean slate, a new body, and perhaps a new lease on life.

“And if I lose?”

“Then the incantation we had placed on it will activate. You will be bound to the Sons of Kyuss as our servant, and you will take part in whatever experiments we see fit.”

“You’re a regular Himmler, aren’t you?”

D laughed again. “That Nazi blowhard? He wanted to find a way of producing the ultimate living being, while we aim for the undead. But I am merely a recruiter…you’ll meet my master soon enough.”

Bonetail would have narrowed his eyes…if he had any at this moment.

“So, what do you think? An opportunity like this won’t spring up every day, you know. I doubt you have enough energy to kill a human, let alone a Shadow, and take over their body. This could be your chance of a lifetime…your last chance…”

Bonetail pondered. As much as he did not want to admit it, D was right. The chances of him finding and gaining a new body without being detected were equal to the odds of him growing a conscience. However, taking the Agent up on his offer was risking not just his goal…but his freedom.

The demon gave no verbal response. Instead, his phylactery took spiritual form and dove into the dragonoid body laying on the gurney. Moments later, the body sat up, stretching its limbs with sickening pops and snaps. It leapt off the cart and landed about ten feet away from the Agent, activating the duel disk on its arm. Then it spoke in the demon’s voice.

“Let’s get this over with…”

Agent D grinned, activating his own disk. “I knew you would come to your senses.” The dimly-lit corridor seemed to get a little darker…

Bonetail: (8000)....................Agent D: (8000)

“…and to show that I’m such a noble gentleman, I’ll even let you make the first move.”

Bonetail drew his opening hand and nearly grimaced – all of them were Magic and Trap cards, and seemingly random ones at that. There was no way he could defend himself for long, let alone mount an offensive. “What kind of a joke is this?” He asked furiously.

“I told you the deck was specifically prepared,” Agent D replied with a grin, “that is, specifically prepared to guarantee the user loses! There are only five monsters in that deck, and none of them have any attack points! Perhaps you should have reconsidered taking me up on my offer, because no matter what you draw, you’re going to become our slave.”

The demon tried to tone this out as he set three cards from his hand. “Just go.”

“Gladly,” the Son stated, drawing for his turn, but he immediately played a card. “I activate this card right away, Hand Destruction!” A Quickplay Magic card depicting Sasuke Samurai cleaving several cards appeared on the field. “This requires both players to discard two cards, and then draw two more to take their place.”

Bonetail discarded Gather Your Mind and Branch, while Agent D discarded two monsters. The demon saw that both were Normal monsters. Both drew two new cards.

“Continuing, I activate Foolish Burial, and I’ll send another monster to the Graveyard.” He fanned out his deck and selected one to be discarded.

“But I’m leaving the deck out, since I’ll be searching it once more, thanks to Gold Sarcophagus!” He played the Magic card, and the mausoleum of solid gold appeared in the center of the field. “Now I can remove any card of my choice from play, and I’ll be able to retrieve it in two turns.” After selecting the card he wanted, he replaced the deck into his disk, the auto-shuffler going to work.

“Since I won’t have to concern myself with direct attacks, I’ll end my turn at that.”

Bonetail drew a new card…but this one was useless. “I pass,” he said.

Agent D started his turn, the Sarcophagus glowing with a brighter light than earlier. “I simply set this and end my turn.” A face-down card emerged in front of him.

The demon drew another card, which, again, was useless. He waved a hand as a sign of passing his turn. “Alright, what exactly are you planning?”

The Son smiled as he drew for his turn and the Sarcophagus opened up. A Magic card flew out of it and into his hand. “Let me show you. Behold, CALL OF THE HAUNTED!” He played it, and the ground in-between them opened up, a revolting odor emanating from the crevice.

“What? Call of the Haunted is a Trap card!”

“In most cases, yes, but another version was made in a severely limited quantity. Only a handful of playable examples exist now, and you’re looking at one of them. This card works with a specific trio of monsters, a trio made famous by a certain individual during Maximilian Pegasus’s Duelist Kingdom Tournament ages ago...” The shadowy figures of these three monsters appeared behind him.

“I remove Zanki, Crawling Dragon, and Crass Clown from the game…”

The monsters gave shrieks of death as their lives were extinguished, their souls serving as fuel for a hellish fire.

“...in order to special summon Armored Zombie, Dragon Zombie, and Clown Zombie!”

Three undead creatures emerged from the crevice. The first was the remains of a samurai warrior, with rotting green skin and arrows piercing its body. (1500/0) The second was what was left of a purple dragon, and it reminded Bonetail of what he became during his imprisonment in the Pit of 100 Trials. (1600/0) The third was a horrific exaggeration of a clown, with a large girth and a scythe to match. (1350/0)

“Yes, these are the three beasts Bones called upon in the Arena of Lost Souls. Their power resides within Call of the Haunted, making them virtually indestructible in battle. Then again, none of the monsters in your deck are capable of attacking, so why am I worried?” Agent D laughed. His three zombies seemed to laugh along with him.

Bonetail was growing more and more infuriated. “Are you going to make your move or not?”

“But of course,” Agent D replied. “Dragon Zombie, attack him directly!” The dragon exhaled a noxious blast from its mouth.

“I chain Negate Attack!” Bonetail called, revealing one of his traps. A purple vortex began to appear…

“I don’t think so,” Agent D retorted. “I counter your Trap with Trap Stun!” The vortex vanished as the attack washed over Bonetail. His body was dead, no longer capable of feeling pain, but he certainly felt the vibrations.

“Trap Stun not only stops the Trap is counters, but prevents other Traps from being activated this round. So none of your other face-downs will be of any help! Armored Zombie, Clown Zombie, FULL ASSAULT!” The two remaining Zombies slashed into Bonetail’s armor with their weapons. The demon cringed as he fell to one knee.

Bonetail: (3550)....................Agent D: (8000)

“Admit defeat,” Agent D ordered, “or I will have no choice but to forcefully make you our servant…” His zombies growled with anticipation.

“…Never…” Bonetail snarled, slowly regaining his footing.

The Son shook his head. “You millennia-old demons are so difficult, it’s maddening. Oh well, I guess I won’t be able to deliver a truly fresh victim this time around.” He set a card on the field. “Take your last turn so I can end this quickly.”

Bonetail drew a card, and his glassy eyes seemed to widen when he saw what it was. On a hunch, he opened the compartment on his disk that would normally contain the Extra Deck. Agent D eyed this with a hint of suspicion.

Sure enough, there were two cards in the Extra Deck, and they went along with the card he just drew.

…so it’s that kind of deck, is it? He thought to himself. Very well, then…

“Your luck has run out,” the demon announced. “I’ve just drawn my way around your little scheme.”

Agent D was puzzled. What the heck could he be talking about? That deck is practically useless. Best not take any chances…

“Then I’ll just have to send you back down the dark path! I activate Multiple Destruction!” A fierce wind hit the field, blowing the cards in both combatants’ hands away. “This forces both players to discard their hands and draw a hand of five new cards. It may cost me 100 Life Points for each card I discarded, but it is well worth the price.”

Bonetail: (3550)....................Agent D: (7700)

Bonetail was silent for a moment as he picked up his five cards, but he soon began to laugh. “You just fell into my trap, fleshling…”

Agent D was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“The card I was talking about could only work if it’s sent to the Graveyard from the field…or in this case, from my hand.” The card revealed itself as he pulled his deck out of his disk. The card depicted three specific creatures popping out of baskets over a stage.

“…Ojamagic?” Agent D exclaimed.

“Correct. And this means I can add one copy of three unique individuals from my deck to my hand in addition to the five cards you’ve so graciously offered me.” He revealed these cards: Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black.

Agent D snarled. “Fine, so you’ve drawn out the only three monsters within your main deck. What good will come of it?

“Plenty of good,” Bonetail replied. “I summon Ojama Yellow!” As its name suggested, a yellow creature with eyes on the ends of antennae and a polka-dotted speedo appeared. (0/1000)

“Next I activate Ultimate Offering,” he announced, one of his remaining face-down cards lifting. “By paying 500 Life Points, I can summon another monster, like Ojama Green!” A green creature similar to the first appeared. It too wore a speedo, but this one had a single, gigantic eye. (0/1000)

“I pay another 500 Life Points to summon Ojama Black!” The third of the trio emerged, this one pretending to flex its pecs like a body builder. (0/1000)

Bonetail: (2550)....................Agent D: (7700)

Agent D’s eyes widened. For the first time tonight, he was afraid. “No…you couldn’t possibly have…”

Bonetail gave a devilish smile. “Indeed I do…” He played a Magic Card from his hand, and the three Ojama monsters grasped hands as they danced around. They quickly leapt into the air and aimed their bodies like the barrel of a gun.

“OJAMA DELTA HURRICANE!” The three announced, and a tremendous blast of energy was unleashed towards the Son’s field. The zombies strained against the assault, but they and Call of the Haunted were quickly obliterated. Nothing but ashes remained.

“Damn you…”

“Be thankful my monsters don’t have any attack points,” Bonetail murmured. He set two cards from his hand onto the field. “Take your last turn…”

Agent D drew, and immediately went to work. “I activate Burial from a Different Dimension, sending three of my removed from play monsters back to the Graveyard. I’m pretty sure you can guess which three I have in mind.” He added Zanki, Crawling Dragon, and Crass Clown back to the Graveyard before adding a new card to his disk.

“Next is Magical Stone Excavation, which lets me discard two cards in order to retrieve a Magic card from my hand.” He laughed as he got Call of the Haunted back.

“Now the fun can begin all over again!” Agent D replayed Call of the Haunted.

“…I’m afraid that won’t be happening this time,” Bonetail retorted, activating one of the cards he had set during his previous turn. “I chain Ojama Trio!” Before Agent D’s trump card could come into play, three token monsters resembling the original Ojamas appeared, laughing all the while. (0/1000 x3)

“Your precious card has one fatal flaw. It requires you to bring forth all three of those Zombie monsters at the same time. If you do not have the available space, it becomes virtually worthless.”

“…but…but…”

“Any other moves you’d like to make, or shall I take my turn?”

Agent D’s anger was growing. How could he have let himself take this demon so lightly? “I set this and end my turn!” A face-down card appeared next to an effectively dead Call of the Haunted.

Bonetail played his newest card as soon as he drew it. “…A card that has been my bane over these last few years, but let us give it one more chance – Card of Demise!” He drew three more cards, and grinned when he saw what one of them was. He played said card.

“I activate Polymerization, fusing the three monsters on my field!” The three Ojama monsters were sucked in by the Magic card.

“Come forth, Ojama King!” An enormous creature appeared, with white skin, red eyes at the end of antennae, and two speedos – one worn normally, the other on his head. (0/3000)

“With him in play, your remaining monster card zones are effectively locked up thanks to his ability, but that is the least of your concerns.”

“Enough games!” Agent D snarled.

“Who said I was playing games?” Bonetail asked, playing another card. “Fusion Recovery allows me to retrieve a Polymerization card and a monster used for a fusion summon.” He added Polymerization and Ojama Yellow to his hand.

Another card was played. “Dark Factory of Mass Production lets me add two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard to my hand.” He took back Ojama Black and Ojama Green.

“Let’s bring the trio back out to the field!” He summoned Ojama Yellow first, and then paid 500 Life Points to summon both Ojama Green and Ojama Black. (0/1000 x3)

Bonetail: (1550)....................Agent D: (7700)

“Next on the agenda is Instant Fusion!” A large cup of ramen with the label “Fusion” appeared on the field. “By paying 1000 Life Points, I can special summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster, provided that it cannot attack or be used for a sacrifice. With that, I call upon Ojama Knight!”

Another Ojama monster appeared, but this one was wearing armor – although it still had a speedo on. (0/2500)

Bonetail: (550)....................Agent D: (7700)

“What is the point of all this?!” Agent D asked almost hysterically.

“You’re about to find out,” Bonetail replied, playing another card. “I activate Ojamuscle!”

Ojama King took a deep breath with an open mouth, the ‘gravitational force’ sucking in all of the Ojama monsters and Ojama tokens. The beast gave a loud burp afterwards.

“Ojamuscle destroys all other Ojama monsters on the field. For each one destroyed, Ojama King gains 1000 attack points.” Ojama King’s muscles tripled in size as he flexed them. (7000/3000)

“No…”

“It gets worse for you. Since the Ojama tokens were destroyed, you lose 500 Life Points for each one!” Three small explosions wracked Agent D as his points dropped.

Bonetail: (550)....................Agent D: (6200)

“It’s over. Ojama King, direct attack!” The fat Ojama jumped into the air, as if performing a dive.

Agent D laughed maniacally. “All of that hard work was for NOTHING! I reveal my Magic Cylinder!” His face-down card began to lift…

“Counter-Trap, activate!” Bonetail interrupted, activating his remaining face-down card.

The Son’s eyes bugged out. “…Trap Stun…”

“…which means your last attempt to evade your fate is futile. FINISH HIM!” The Magic Cylinder shattered as Ojama King crashed on top of a helpless Agent D in a belly flop.

Bonetail: (550)....................Agent D: (0)

“Impossible…” Agent D cried, gasping for breath from underneath Ojama King. “…it was supposed to end differently…” The Son was nearly being crushed; it was a wonder he was still alive.

“Perhaps that is what you thought,” Bonetail replied as he walked towards his fallen opponent. Ojama King vanished, but the darkness that surrounded them remained. “Unfortunately, I have far bigger plans in mind than the Sons of Kyuss. I’m afraid I cannot and will not allow such a meaningless organization stand in the way between me and making this world my own.”

“You’ll…never succeed…”

“Didn’t you know that any duel I take part in is a Shadow Game? I wagered my freedom…”

“…you wagered your soul…”

There was no way Agent D could resist. His soul was pulled out of his body without a struggle, and it was absorbed into Bonetail’s being. The Son’s body now lay lifeless.

Bonetail chuckled. “One soul down, 999 to go,” he said to himself, ripping the duel disk off of the Shadow’s arm. He pulled Call of the Haunted out of the discard slot and looked at it carefully.

“Hmm…such a powerful card…it could be useful, but there are far too many requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to pull off the strategy. I cannot waste time and resources on something that is as easily destroyed as any other card.” He replaced the card and tossed the disk over his shoulder, eyeing the prone figure that lay before him.

“This world will be mine…too bad you are no longer alive to witness it…” With one stomp of a foot, he crushed the Shadow’s head, ensuring nothing would be able to use this other body. Without a backwards glance, Bonetail exited the sewer, entering the outside world with a new body and sense of purpose.

Unbeknownst to anyone, another figure stepped out of the shadows. Unlike the being that had just left, this one was highly interested in the discarded deck. He fanned through the cards with a smirk on his face, eyeing Call of the Haunted most of all.

“Those Shadowchasers won’t know what hit them…” He chuckled…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALL OF THE HAUNTED (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: The same as the Trap version.

Card Description: Activate when you have 1 “Crass Clown”, 1 “Crawling Dragon”, and 1 “Zanki” in your Graveyard. Remove those three Monsters in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon 1 “Clown Zombie”, 1 “Dragon Zombie”, and 1 “Armored Zombie” from your hand or deck. If a Monster Special Summoned by this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it from your Graveyard during your next Standby Phase and increase its ATK by the amount gained by previous uses of this effect and then by 10%. If this card leaves the field, destroy the Monsters Special Summoned by its effect.

Note: Because this card’s name is the same as a card that is Limited, you cannot have both it and the Trap version of “Call of the Haunted” in the same deck.

Remember: please contact Dark Sage before even considering using this version of the card in your work.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel: I guess Shichiro isn’t as much of a bastard as I gave him credit for. He’s given me the contact information of someone who may be able to help me find the answers I need. But before I can get anything out of him, he wants to test me to see if I’m truly capable of handling the truth.

Fine with me…

Next time: “Royal Magic Library.”

[Dark Sage]

Well, I don't have much to say, seeing as I beta-read this chapter. I will say that duels between two bad guys are often the hardest to write, as you never know how to handle the conclusion. Some might say that Bonetail was the greater evil in this case, but Agent D had tried to rig the duel. (Ojamas... Incredibly deadly if used the right way, as many of Manjyome's opponents can attest.)

Anyway, I hope to see more soon.

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Royal Magic Library

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As expected, Uriel’s first training session with the world-renowned D-Wheel instructor did not go very well.

While he would have cited the events that had transpired the night before, he knew deep down he had no one to blame but himself. There was far too much on his mind, preventing him from putting all of his focus on improving both riding and dueling techniques. He had expected the instructor to belittle him the whole way, but apparently the man could see something was troubling the Israeli, and was kind enough to cut him some slack. He did expect him to try harder during the next session.

But this wouldn’t be until the following week, which gave him plenty of time to look into the information he received from that Shadowchaser. He had contacted this other person suggested to him, a man who called himself Kesto. He agreed to offer his help, and asked him to be at a specific place and call him back at a specific time -

…11pm.

Uriel thought the time was unusual, but didn’t question it during that phone call. He arrived where he was instructed, an alleyway between two apartment complexes – very similar to the one where he had his second encounter with Bonetail. He shuddered at the thought, but waited until the time on his cell phone hit 11pm before hitting the speed dial.

A few rings later, the man he called before picked up.

“Hello, you’ve reached The Parted Veil, your stop for all the information you will ever need. How can I help you?”

“Hey Kesto, this is Uriel again.”

“…oh yes, Uriel, good to hear from you. How are things?”

“Well, I’m where you asked me to be…”

“Do you have your duel disk with you?” The man asked.

“Yeah, I do,” Uriel replied as he looked down at the disk strapped to his arm.

“And are you right between the two silver garbage cans?”

“Uh…” The Israeli looked around the alley, and sure enough, there were two silver garbage cans set up next to one of the buildings, about four feet apart. He walked over and positioned himself between them. “Ok…now I am, but…”

“Hold on tight, then.”

Before Uriel could respond, he felt the ground underneath him disappear, and he fell through the hole in the stone walkway with a yelp….

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

…and landed with a ‘thud’ on mahogany flooring.

“…ooh…that smarts…”

Uriel got up, rubbing his rear end all the while. As he looked up, he was amazed by what he saw. He was literally surrounded by aisles upon aisles of books. A majority of these were not just old and coated in a layer of dust, but their titles appeared to be of bizarre languages. He could only assume he wound up in a library of sorts, and by looking out a nearby window, discovered he was in a different part of the world.

“Where the heck am I?”

“You’re in my store, of course.”

Uriel gave another yelp as a familiar voice spoke behind him. He quickly turned around to find the source of the voice…then had to look down. Below and in front of him was a short man, roughly three feet tall. His hair and long beard were pure white, while a pair of bright blue eyes stared up at him through a pair of bifocals. He poked a hand out of his brown robe and waved at the Israeli.

“Hello. Welcome to the Parted Veil. In case this getup isn’t obvious enough, I am Kesto, the proprietor.”

“Uh…nice to meet you,” Uriel said, reaching down to shake the owner’s hand. He would have made a Star Wars quip, but such things were best left unsaid. “So…this is your store, eh? Quite a collection you have here.”

“Thank you,” Kesto replied, “You can find information on pretty much anything you want within the pages of these books, even some you’re not supposed to know. I am quite pleased with the knowledge I am able to share…even though some of my critics will say otherwise.”

The Israeli was puzzled. “Why do you say that?”

Kesto readjusted his bifocals, muttering. “That’s not entirely important at the moment. What is important is the reason why you chose to come here.”

“Speaking of coming here,” Uriel interrupted, “how did I come here? Teleportation devices don’t exactly exist yet.”

The short man chuckled. “Of course they don’t…not in the technological sense, at least. My kind is quite proficient at generating portals when they are needed.”

Uriel’s eyes widened. “…Your kind?”

Kesto’s smiled. “Do you recall when Shichiro referred to you as Mundane?”

The Israeli grimaced. “How could I forget?”

“That’s a term we folk use for those who neither perceive nor believe that we exist.”

“You ‘folk?’ There is more of Bonetail’s lot out there?”

“Don’t misunderstand, my boy. Yes, there are nasty Shadows like the infernal demon you’ve crossed paths with, but there are other, more benevolent Shadows who want to make a positive difference in the lives of Mundanes and Awares. I happen to be a gnome, and a more pleasant one at that.”

Uriel sighed, rubbing his temples. “Alright, this is a bit much to take in all at once…”

“Try not to rush into things,” Kesto urged. “It will make the exposure to this knowledge easier to handle. Methinks the best way to take it in can be found all around you. You might even be able to find information on Bonetail’s species here. But first…”

“First…”

“I’d like to look deeper…to see for myself where your intentions lie. Perhaps a game of Duel Monsters would suffice, if you’re willing to accept my challenge.”

Uriel raised an eyebrow. “I’d never expect a bookkeeper to have a grasp on the game.”

“Not too many customers frequent my store,” Kesto replied. “I need a few hobbies to help pass the time.”

The Israeli smirked. “Alright, I’ll take you up on the challenge.”

The gnome’s smile grew wider. “Splendid. Follow me, then.”

Kesto led Uriel to a more open space in the store. The stacks of books in the corners made for makeshift posts for an arena setting. The gnome had picked up a custom-fit duel disk and attached it to his arm, activating it.

“I’ll warn you right now,” Kesto began, “I do not intend to go easy on you just because you are new to this world of ours.”

Uriel grinned, activating his own disk. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he replied.

Uriel: (8000)………………..Kesto: (8000)

“As they say, age before beauty.”

Kesto drew his first card. “Much obliged,” he replied. “I’ll start off with these…” He set two face-down cards and a monster. “…and turn it over to you.”

Uriel drew for his turn. His hand wasn’t that impressive, but it would have to do. “I’ll set these, to begin.” As his opponent, he set two face-down cards.

“Next…Shining Angel, front and center!” With a flash, a seraphim with four wings appeared on his field. (1400/1000)

“Attack his hidden monster!” The seraphim unleashed a blast of white energy from its right hand. Kesto’s hidden monster – ironically, another Shining Angel – was vaporized.

“Thank you,” the gnome said. “With your Shining Angel destroying mine, I’m free to bring forth this.” In a flash, a child warrior wielding a buster sword appeared. (1000/1000) “Meet the quiet one, Silent Swordsman LV3.”

“I’ve heard of this guy,” Uriel commented, waving a hand to signal the end of his turn, “but I’ve never seen them in action.”

Kesto smiled as he drew for his turn. “Then you’re in for a few surprises, starting with this…” He played a Magic card from his hand. “Level Up!” The Swordsman was enveloped in a golden glow.

“With this, I can trade in my Level 3 monster for one of a higher rank - Silent Swordsman LV5!”

The glow faded, and a taller, older version of the warrior struck a pose. The buster sword was twice as long as before. (2300/1000)

“Not only does he become stronger, but he retains the ability of his younger self, which prevents you from using Magic cards on him.”

“Crap…I know someone who pulls off the same trick with Horus…”

“Horus – that no-good, sad excuse for a man-made god…” Kesto quipped. “The Egyptians were certainly fools, depending on an imaginary figure to provide them with the sun they needed…”

This comment was surprising coming from the gnome, but Uriel kept quiet about it.

“…but on to more pressing matters. Silent Swordsman, eradicate his Shining Angel!” The warrior lifted his sword and charged in.

“Hate to break it to you,” Uriel interrupted, “but that’s not going to happen!” He revealed one of his set cards, Heaven’s Judgment. “I send Shatiel from my deck to the Graveyard to destroy your monster!”

“Or so you think,” Kesto countered, revealing one of his own set cards. “I chain Trap Stun!” Uriel’s Trap was covered in static electricity before shattering. “This not only negates the trap that symbolizes a false sense of an afterlife, but it also prevents other traps from being activated during this turn. Now, where were we?”

With nothing holding him back, Silent Swordsman easily cleaved through the Shining Angel.

U: (7100)………………..K: (8000)

At this point, Uriel couldn’t hold himself back. “Alright, what’s with the way you’re talking? You act as if you don’t believe in any kind of religion.”

“Not exactly,” the gnome replied. “I accept the fact that religions exist, and that people and Shadows alike follow them. However, as an Athar, I feel that we’re better off without them.”

“Athar?” The Israeli asked.

“We’re a group who feels that gods and other divine beings are frauds, using their so-called powers to con mortals into worshipping them. Most Athars are not well-liked, but I don’t follow the norm. Unlike the rest, I don’t go about using forceful tactics to make others agree with us.”
“So you choose words over action.”

The gnome nodded in reply. “So with that in mind, excuse me if my words offend you. I do not intend to turn this little game of ours into a sermon.”

“Alright,” Uriel said. “Now let’s get back to the task at hand. I may not be able to use my other set card, but I can still use my Shining Angel’s effect to bring out Nova Summoner!” The emerald and gold wreath with wings appeared. (1400/800)

“Very well,” Kesto stated, setting another face-down card. “Over to you.”

Uriel was used to starting off slow, but he knew things would pick up as he drew a new card. He shifted Nova Summoner to defense, following up with a new face-down card.

“Hmm…” Kesto mused. “You were aggressive at first, but suddenly you’ve become submissive. Quite unusual for a son of Israel…”

“While I’d love to discuss philosophies,” Uriel said, “I’d much rather focus on the here and now, if you don’t mind.”

The gnome readjusted his glasses. “Forgive me. I told you my words may offend you…” He drew for his turn, selecting a new monster. “I summon Silent Magician LV4.” A female spellcaster in blue and white garb emerged next to the Silent Swordsman. (1000/1000)

“Next I reveal one of my face-down cards, Pitch Black Powerstone.” A large round stone with yellow triangular runes appeared behind him. “When this comes into play, it has three spell counters. Once per turn, I’m able to transfer one counter to another card on the field that can utilize them, like my Silent Magician.” One of the runes fell off the stone, and was quickly absorbed by the magician’s wand.

“And for each spell counter she has, she gains an additional 500 attack points.” The orb on the spellcaster’s staff began to glow slightly.

“Now then, bring down his defender, would you?” The magician fired off a blast from her staff, obliterating the Fairy.

“I activate Nova Summoner’s effect!” Uriel announced, as the silhouette of his monster appeared.

“No you don’t,” Kesto interrupted, revealing another face-down card. “I chain Divine Wrath!” Lightning struck between the combatants, and the silhouette was shattered.

“At the cost of one card from my hand,” Kesto explained, discarding another Shining Angel, “I can negate the effect of one monster, whether is activates on the field or in the Graveyard.”

Uriel groaned. “For someone who doesn’t feel religions matter, that’s an unusual card choice.”

“Perhaps, but I use whatever is effective. Now that your field is clear, my Silent Swordsman can attack you uninhibited!” The warrior gave a mighty heave of his sword, striking Uriel hard. He fell backwards into a stack of books.

U: (4800)………………..K: (8000)

“Since my Swordsman was able to attack you directly, he’ll be able to progress through the ranks during my next Standby Phase. Until then, I’ll put this out, just in case.” A face-down card appeared behind his two monsters.

The Israeli felt another book hit his head as he rose to his feet. “Alright…this…is getting annoying…” He drew a card, but as he did, the glow of the Silent Magician’s staff became brighter. (2000/1000) “Wait, what the?”

“Oh, I forgot to mention. Silent Magician gains a spell counter every time you draw a card.”

“Try this on for size, then,” Uriel replied, playing a new card. “I activate Trade-In.” He discarded an appropriate monster.

“Stop right there,” Kesto snapped, revealing his remaining face-down. “I chain Magic Drain. Now, you have a choice: you can either discard another Magic card from your hand, or you can let the effect of your card go away.”

Uriel was truly crossed. “I don’t have any others,” he said bluntly.

“Then the effect of your Trade-In fizzles.” The card’s color became a more sickly green before vanishing into nothing.

“Do you see the beauty of this deck?” Kesto asked. “My strongest monsters are completely protected from the effects of your Magic cards, while my Traps can negate anything else you may attempt to use against me. You can try all you like, but it will be of no use.”

“You’re not as benevolent as you portray yourself to be,” Uriel replied, setting a monster. “Try getting past this.”

“I doubt it will be much of a problem,” Kesto said, drawing for his turn. “Now, my Silent Swordsman evolves once again, to Level 7!” The swordsman was enveloped in another glow. When it was gone, he had reached the pinnacle of power. The buster sword now towered over his impressive build. (2800/1000)

“As long as he’s in play, the effects of all Magic cards are negated. In the meantime, I’ll transfer another spell counter from my Powerstone to Silent Magician.” The second rune was absorbed by the spellcaster’s staff. (2500/1000)

“Silent Magician, attack his face-down monster!” The spellcaster fired off another magical blast, blowing away the hidden monster.

However, as the smoke cleared, a familiar pair of pixies emerged, protected by their own aura. (1700/0)

“Ooh, a Gellenduo,” Kesto mused. “…most impressive…”

“Not an easy nut to crack, are they?” Uriel asked. The pixies shook their rears in the gnome’s direction.

“Maybe not, but neither are either of my monsters.” Kesto set the card he had drawn. “Your move...”

Uriel drew, and immediately the Silent Magician became even stronger. (3000/1000)

“I’ll just set this for now,” he said, a face-down card appearing behind Gellenduo. “That’s all I can do.”

“Then I draw,” Kesto announced, “and I’ll add the final spell counter from my Stone to my Magician.” As the Silent Magician gained another counter (3500/1000), the Powerstone shattered. “Since it has no counters left, it has served its purpose, and during my next turn, my mage will be able to evolve just like my Swordsman. I’ll leave things at that.”

Uriel picked up another card, low on options. He set another monster, and then waved a hand.

“Not so talkative now, are you?” Kesto drew for his turn. “Neither are my monsters. Then again, unlike my situation, sometimes actions can speak louder than words, like our next evolution!” Silent Magician LV4 was enveloped in a similar glow as the Swordsman, and she became older, more elegant and defined. (3500/1000)

“Meet Silent Magician LV8. She is completely immune to your Magic cards. Then again, with my fully-evolved Silent Swordsman in play, that is not much of an issue. Smite his hidden monster!” The full-grown spellcaster unleashed her magical attack as a Skelengel emerged. It was destroyed with ease.

“A new card for me,” Uriel said, drawing from his deck.

“You’ll need all the help you can get,” Kesto said. “There’s hardly anything you can do…”

“Wanna bet?” Uriel snapped, drawing another card. He eyed it, then the gnome’s face-down card.

“I utilize Gellenduo’s ability,” he announced. “He can serve as two sacrifices for high-level Fairy-types. So I offer them up…” The twin pixies blew loud raspberries before vanishing.

“…in order to summon Splendid Venus! Rise up!”

A portal opened up from the floor, and the goddess appeared in all her glory. (2800/2400)

“She’s about to take a fall!” Kesto interrupted. “I chain one of the oldest Traps in the game, Trap Hole!” The portal quickly changed to a pit, sucking up the goddess with ease.

The gnome laughed. “You’ve worked hard to get to this point, but it looks like it all has been for nothing. I’ve stopped everything you’ve thrown at me, child!”

Uriel’s face looked glum, but this was quickly replaced with a grin. “That’s what you think,” he replied. “With your backfield depleted, you can’t stop me now.”

Kesto looked back with a confused expression. “How so?”

“Watch and learn,” the Israeli replied, activating his remaining face-down card. “I activate Angel Tear. By removing four Fairy-types from my Graveyard, a fifth can be revived!” Phantasmal images of Shining Angel, Nova Summoner, Skelengel, and Gellenduo appeared, but soon vanished as the bright portal opened up for a second time.

“Splendid Venus, rise up once again!” The goddess reappeared, clearly not pleased with what happened to her.

“Oh…oh dear,” Kesto quipped.

“That’s an understatement, since my monster’s ability weakens both of your monsters!” Venus waved her staff, and both Silent Magician LV8 and Silent Swordsman LV7 felt the negative effects. (3500/1000 > 3000/500, 2800/1000 > 2300/500)

“If your monster is so silent, will he remain quiet during this? Venus, take out his Swordsman!” The goddess swung a ball of energy from the staff. The Silent Swordsman attempted to cut through the attack, but its power was too great for him to handle. He was blown to pixels, his sword clattering to the ground before it, too, dissolved.

U: (4800)………………..K: (7500)

“I’ll end my turn.” Venus crossed her arms in anticipation.

“Bravo,” Kesto praised, drawing for his turn. “You’re one of the few who have been able to knock out my Swordsman. Unfortunately, he isn’t gone for good. I play Level Modulation.” A Magic card depicting several different-colored die was activated.

“Now you can draw two cards,” the gnome continued. “As for me, I can revive any monster with “LV” in its name, ignoring its summoning requirements.” In a flash, Silent Swordsman LV7 reemerged. (2800/1000 > 2300/500)

“Thanks for the extra cards,” Uriel said, drawing two more. “You know your Swordsman can’t attack or use its ability this turn, right?”

“He may not be able to, but my Silent Magician certainly can!” Silent Magician fired off another burst of magical energy.

“I’m going to have to stop you right there. I use a second Negate Attack!” The purple vortex appeared in front of Splendid Venus, absorbing the attack sent at her.

Kesto was amazed at his opponent’s resilience. He set a face-down card before passing his turn.

Uriel drew again, beaming at what it was. Perfect, he thought to himself.

“I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!” The Israeli announced.

“How soon you forget,” Kesto snapped. “My Silent Swordsman negates all Magic cards, remember?”

“In most cases, yes,” Uriel replied, “but not right now. Venus has another ability, which ensures that any Magic or Trap Card I play cannot be negated. Her power far exceeds that of your Swordsman’s, so your face-down card is history.” The winds of the Typhoon blew away Kesto’s hidden card, which was ironically his own Negate Attack.

“Next on the agenda is this!” He revealed the card he had set several turns ago. “Mind Control! Silent Swordsman, come to me!” The warrior was completely taken over by the spell, and he walked over to Uriel’s field.

“Well then…” Kesto stated.

“I’m far from done,” Uriel said. “I summon Hanewata!” The peach-colored fluff ball appeared in-between the two monsters on his field. (200/300)

“It’s time to give your Swordsman a tune-up!” Hanewata became a single gold ring, which promptly scanned the warrior. The eight combined stars opened a portal, and a certain centaur-based monster emerged from it.

“Avenging Knight Parshath, you’re on!” The warrior reared up, brandishing his sword. (2600/2100)

“I’ll use his ability to switch your Silent Magician to defense mode!” The Knight waved his weapon, and the spellcaster, despite her best efforts, was forced to crouch down.”

“Time to cut you down to size…pardon the expression. Avenging Knight, attack his Silent Magician!” The centaur stabbed his sword through the mage’s chest. She shattered as Kesto felt the effects of the Knight’s trample effect.

“Venus, direct attack!” The goddess pointed a staff, and Kesto felt like he was on fire for a moment.

U: (4800)………………..K: (2900)

“That’s all for now,” Uriel said.

Kesto began to cool down as he drew for his turn. Now it was his turn to go on the defensive. He set two cards, a monster and one face-down, before concluding his turn. “You know,” he stated, “it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun. I knew I was onto something when I asked you to duel me.”

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” Uriel replied, drawing a card. “It’s a shame that things will have to be cut short.”

“Just like your turn,” Kesto snapped, revealing his Threatening Roar. “This will slow you down.”

Uriel grinned, setting a card. “…for now.”

The gnome drew for his turn, and then revealed his face-down monster, a Morphing Jar. “You know what this means, don’t you?” He asked, discarding his hand. Uriel did the same, and both players picked up 5 new cards.

“Next I play Pot of Avarice.” He added Silent Magician LV4, all three Silent Swordsman, and Shining Angel to his deck, shuffled, and then drew two more cards.

“Let the fun begin again,” he mused, summoning Silent Magician LV4 again. (1000/1000 > 500/500)

“You remember this trick, don’t you?” He asked, playing a second Level Up! The Silent Magician evolved into her LV8 form, apparently Kesto’s second copy. (3500/1000 > 3000/500)

“How could I not…” Uriel said.

“You won’t forget this one, either. I activate Diffusion Wave-Motion!” The orb on the Magician’s staff changed color, from blue to midnight-black.

“This allows my mage to attack all of your monsters at once. It may cost me 1000 Life Points, but it will cost you even more. Move in to attack his false idol first!”

Silent Magician unleashed another volley of magic. This time it came out in an expanding ring pattern. The ring cleaved through the goddess with no difficulty. As she exploded, the mage’s stats returned to normal (3000/500 > 3500/1000), and she used every point to fire off a second attack. This one cut Avenging Knight Parshath to ribbons.

U: (3700)………………..K: (1900)

“No way…” Uriel exclaimed.

“As I’ve told you, I am prepared for anything and everything you throw at me.” Kesto set two cards face-down. “I end my turn.”

Uriel drew a card to max out his hand. The advantage he had before was long gone, and once again he was staring down one of the strongest monsters he had ever come across. He wordlessly set four cards to go with the one on his field. A nod signaled the end of his turn.

“Again you have become silent,” Kesto mused. “Have you run out of options so soon? Such a pity…”
He switched Morphing Jar to defense, and then activated one of his set cards – Call of the Haunted.

“Welcome back, my quiet one…” Silent Swordsman LV5 reappeared. (2300/1000)

“…I take it he was the only card in your hand when you flipped Morphing Jar,” Uriel guessed.

“You would be correct in assuming so. Let’s put an end to this game.” He pointed an arm, commanding his Silent Magician to attack directly.

Uriel didn’t think this would work, but he gave it a shot, anyway. “I chain Holy Revelation in response to your attack!”

Kesto considered countering this, but decided against it. He figured victory was close at hand, anyway. His mage’s attack was deflected by a clear barrier.

“With the attack negated, I now have to send two low-level Fairy-types from my deck to the Graveyard.” Herald of Orange Light and a second copy of Shining Angel were spat out of his disk.

“You’re only delaying the inevitable,” the gnome said, as his Silent Swordsman attacked directly. Uriel was unable to use any of his other face-down cards, so he had no choice but to take the attack…

…and take it, he did. Thankfully he landed in the same pile of books as before. At least nothing fell on his head this time.

U: (1400)………………..K: (1900)

“That means my Swordsman will be able to evolve again next turn.” He set the two cards in his hand face-down. “Let’s see what you can do with the turn you have left.”

Uriel picked up another card. He eyed Kesto’s trio of face-downs. Based on what he had seen during this duel, they could be virtually anything. But he had always been a fighter. One way or another, he was going to bring this game to and end.

“First, from my hand I play Burial from a Different Dimension.” The Quickplay revealed itself. “This allows me to choose up to three monsters that have been removed from play and put them back in my Graveyard.”

Kesto made no move to counter this, so Uriel added Skelengel, Shining Angel and Nova Summoner to his discard slot.

“Next I activate Trap of Darkness,” he announced, flipping one of his face-downs. “At the cost of 1000 Life Points, this Trap can copy the effect of any other Trap I have used previously, provided that card is removed from play. My choice is Angel Tear!” The Trap’s graphic quickly changed to the revival card.

U: (400)………………..K: (1900)

“I remove Skelengel, Shining Angel, Nova Summoner and…Splendid Venus from the game...” The four monsters appeared in front of him this time. Uriel looked up to the card that had saved him countless times in the past, while Venus looked back somberly. She and the other Fairy-types vanished into pixels.

“…in order to revive Avenging Knight Parshath!” In an instant, the winged centaur reemerged, waving his blade.

“Do you plan on switching the mode of one of my Silent monsters?” Kesto asked.

“No,” Uriel replied, staring at his opponent’s field. “There’s no need to…”

Kesto followed the Israeli’s glance – all the way to his defense-mode Morphing Jar. The gnome’s eyes widened when he realized what was planned.

“Very clever,” he noted, “but it is all for naught. I chain Compulsory Evacuation Device!” A large cannon of sorts appeared on the field, and it absorbed the Synchro monster. Moments later, its unwilling ammunition was shot out like a cannonball.

“My countermeasure has bounced your monster back to your Extra Deck. There will be no victory for you today.”

“I beg to differ,” Uriel replied. “I have everything I need to get him back out. I play Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!” The towers of books in the corners were replaced by columns lined with vines. The majestic throne appeared behind the card’s user.

With this in play, should I have no monsters on the field, I’m free to special summon any Fairy-type I desire from my hand. I choose a second copy of Shatiel!” The golden-skinned angel appeared, brandishing his large shield. (500/2000 > 900/2400)

“My normal summon, is reserved for Counselor Lily!” In a flash, the angelic psychiatrist emerged, adjusting her glasses. (400/1500 > 800/1900)

“Lily, let’s give Shatiel an upgrade!” The Counselor turned into three glowing rings, which scanned the golden angel. The eight combined stars opened a familiar portal.

“Avenging Knight Parshath, welcome back!” The winged centaur gave a battle cry as he came back onto the field.

“Now, where were we? Oh yeah…I was about to have my monster tear into your Morphing Jar!” The Avenging Knight galloped into battle.

“I’m going to have to end this nonsense right now,” Kesto stated. “I reveal Magic Cylinder!” A pair of cylinders appeared, and one of them was ready to swallow up the attacking centaur. “This will not only negate your monster’s assault, but will deal damage to your Life Points equal to its attack power!”

“Nice try,” Uriel replied, “but I have a counter of my own – Trap Jammer!” A magical hexagram pattern appeared, moving in to engulf the cylinders. “Since you activated your Trap during the battle phase, I can use this to negate it!”

“NO!” Kesto exclaimed. “Reveal Solemn Judgment!” A god-like figure appeared, pointing a finger at Uriel’s Trap Jammer. “It may cost me half of my Life Points, but it’ll negate your Trap and allow Magic Cylinder to run its course!”

The adrenaline was pumping through the Israeli’s veins. It was now or never.

“I counter your Solemn Judgment with one of my own!” A duplicate of the god appeared on Uriel’s field, pointing at Kesto’s. “I pay half of MY Life Points to negate your Counter-Trap and complete this chain of events!”

With nothing blocking its way, Trap Jammer surrounded the Magic Cylinder and shattered it. Now that the pathway was clear, Avenging Knight Parshath followed through with his assault, cleaving the helpless Morphing Jar in half.

“Oh no…” Kesto whispered in disbelief as the wave of energy that was the Knight’s piercing effect came over him. He was thrown backwards, rolling into a tower of books like a bowling ball, toppling the whole thing over.

U: (200)………………..K: (0)

Uriel, himself, was burned out by the duel. He fell to his knees with a sigh of relief. He looked up to see the gnome laughing from underneath the pile of books.

“That…was…INCREDIBLE!” Kesto seemed to leap out of the pile in pure joy. “I’ve never been so overwhelmed with this much excitement in 50 years!”

“Uh…you’re welcome?” Uriel said in confusion.

“You showed me an amazing array of cards…as well as your willingness to use every ounce of strength and positive mind to reach your goals. Only one with a purified soul can achieve this.”

The Israeli seemed to understand what the gnome meant. “This was your way of testing me?”

Kesto adjusted his glasses with a smile. “You might say that. But rest assured that you have more than met my expectations. You are free to use my bookstore as you please.”

Uriel returned the smile with one of his own. “I can’t thank you enough. You have no idea how much this is going to help me in the long run. Now then…where can I read up on Bonetail’s species?”

The gnome pointed a finger. “Aisle 2, Bookcase 7, on the shelf marked “Dragons…”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: Finally, I have a real body again. But this is no time to celebrate. If I’m going to get back on the fast track of soul-hunting, I need a better deck…or at least cards to supplement this pathetic excuse for the one I have…but where to look…

?: One of our own has been murdered…and the culprit has been identified…it is time to bring him to justice…

Up next: Emissary of the Afterlife

[Dark Sage]

Not bad. Kesto turned out almost like I envisioned him. (His last name is Brighteyes, by the way.)

The duel was okay. You seem to use Negate Attack a lot, a Trap that isn't used much these days except in Counter Fairy Decks. There are a lot more ways to stop an attack, and you don't need to resort to this old thing every time.

All in all, not bad, and I hope to see more from you in the future.

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Emissary of the Afterlife

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sector Black.

This district was famous in Satellite as a dumping ground, mostly for the physical garbage that would later be collected for the working class to sift through. It was also an area to throw away Duel Monsters cards deemed completely useless by duelists. Over the years the cards had piled up, and it became an ideal place for those with little or no income to either build their first deck or to supplement what they already had.

Bonetail had been directed to this area, although he kept his motives and identity a secret. While he possessed the body of a Redspawn, he had yet to fully regain his physical and magical strengths. To make matters worse, the body was still technically dead. Thankfully, he was still capable of using a charm to disguise his appearance from both the peering eye and the unsuspecting passerby; this enchantment made him look like a humanoid lizard.

Not very subtle, but it would be enough to visually pass himself off as a Shadow.

The demon dug through the pile of cards vigorously, trying to find what he needed; if he couldn’t find a more effective tribe to work with, he would have to settle with cards to compliment his current deck. The least he could do was find more suitable replacements for the useless cards Agent D had stuffed in as a means of rigging his chances of winning. He added the meaningless ones to a section of the pile he had searched through, while sorting those he deemed useful into separate piles.

“’Scuse me, mister…”

Bonetail turned to see another Shadow, with the appearance of a humanoid toad. He was most likely a Halfling, and based on his size and manner of speaking, he had to be fairly young.

“What do you want?” The demon asked.

“Are you looking for cards, too?” The Shadow asked in reply. “Are you a duelist?”

“You…might say that,” Bonetail said. “My normal deck was…stolen from me a short time ago, and I’ve been trying to rebuild. But this pile of junk isn’t exactly helping matters.”

“It has for me,” the Shadow replied innocently. “Mommy doesn’t make much money, so I’ve gone through this area many times to make fun little decks. I like how you never find the same cards twice.”

“Is that why you are here now?”

The Shadow nodded. “I’ve had a lot of fun with this deck, but it’s time I give something else a try. I like leaving my old decks in one place so someone else might have the chance to play with it.”

Bonetail was curious. “Is that so? Let me see what you have.” The Shadow reached into a pouch kept around his waist and pulled out a deck of beaten up cards. He handed them up to the demon as he fanned through them.

Immediately he was astounded. “Well, little one…you may not have to discard these, after all. I might have use for them…”

The child’s eyes brightened at this statement. “You really mean it?”

Bonetail grinned, although he tried to make it as benevolent as a malevolent being could manage. “Now you’re sure you’re through with this?” When the young Shadow nodded, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. “You may not realize it, but this will save me far more time than I could ever imagine. It’s a start, but it will hold me over for the time being.”

The Shadow giggled. “Glad I could help.”

As Bonetail added cards from his other deck to his new one, another figure was watching things unfold from a distance. He wore garb similar to the agent who had pursued the demon before, but the hat was more along the lines of a fedora. He pulled out a phone and dialed a number.

“Reporting in,” he said. “There’s no mistaking the negative energy I’m getting from that thing. It’s definitely the corpse of the Redspawn we recently killed. It looks like something – or someone – took it over. And if I’m not mistaken, it is also the one who killed D. Permission to perform the exorcism…”

“Granted,” said the voice on the line. “Get rid of that demon. We cannot afford any liabilities to become a threat to our organization.”

“Acknowledged,” the figure replied. After hanging up, he made his move.

Bonetail felt the aura around him change. Something was up. “It’d be best if you run along, little one. Bad things are bound to happen at this hour…”

“What do you mean?” The Shadow asked. Bonetail gave him an icy stare, and he got the message. “Okay,” he said. Without another word, he left in the direction of home.

When the Shadow was out of earshot, the demon dropped his camouflage. He then called “I know you’re out there. You might as well come out.”

He was answered by a primal yell, and Bonetail reacted just in time to raise a gauntlet and block a sword-like weapon, wielded by the figure who had been spying on him.

“The Power of Kyuss compels you!” He yelled.

“Like hell it does!” Bonetail responded, forcing the figure back. “You’re another one of those Sons, aren’t you?”

“Agent E, if you’d be so kind,” the figure responded. “We received word of Agent D’s demise, and we have been hunting you down these last few days. It was only a matter of time before your essence led us right to you.”

The demon chuckled. “Impressive. Even with my aura-masking abilities, you buffoons were still able to track me. I apparently didn’t give you much credit. But what do you want with me? I thought my business with your group was complete.”

“That corpse you’ve possessed is property of our organization,” Agent E replied. “We need it in order to better understand how the Spawns of Tiamat operate. With that kind of knowledge in our grasp, we might be able to bring the fight to the goddess herself and bring all of her followers under our control. And I wouldn’t make any snide remarks about that, if I were you. We do have the capabilities of waging war with heavenly bodies if we absolutely have to.”

“Oh, I wasn’t going to make any remarks about that,” Bonetail commented. “I am, however, going to say I’m insulted. Considering how ‘vital' my new body is to your studies, I was expecting someone more important to come after me.”

Agent E scowled. “Be sure to say that again once I’ve ripped your soul out of that corpse!” He prepared to charge yet again.

“You know,” the demon interrupted, “coming after me with such violent intentions will get you nowhere. I may not be familiar with this body just yet, but I am more than capable of killing anyone that threatens my goals. But I have an alternative if you're willing to listen.”

Agent E lowered his weapon. “What do you have in mind?”

“Why don't we make a wager on a duel? If you win, I won't put up any further struggle, and you’re free to do what you will with me. If I win, however, well...we’ll get to that when I win...”

The Agent pulled back, considering the option. “Well...I suppose it’d make things go easier for me...and who's to say you'll walk away victorious...” He then fastened his weapon onto his right gauntlet, and it made for an improvised duel disk, complete with Monster, Spell and Trap zones.

Bonetail grinned as he activated his own disk. “You’ll come to regret this decision…”

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (8000)

“Since I'm the aggressor, I'll be making the first move," the Agent stated, drawing a card. He set two cards, a Monster and a face-down card. “That will do for the time being.”

Bonetail took his turn. Immediately he saw a vast improvement over the deck he had before. Instead of a hand of just Magic and Trap cards, he had two monsters to work with, and both significant ones for pulling off the deck's strategy. “I'll be matching you move for move at this point,” he replied, setting one card into each specific zone. “Go on...”

“Before you end your turn, I'll activate this." Agent E revealed his face-down card. "Solemn Wishes. Now every time I draw a card, either at the start of my turn or through effects, my Life Points will increase by 500, starting now.”

He drew for his turn, and he could feel the effects of the Trap kicking in.

“Next I reveal my hidden monster: Des Lacooda!” The mummified camel appeared. (500/600)

“And when it’s flipped up, I can draw another card." He drew again, and Solemn Wishes went off again.

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (9000)

Interesting, Bonetail thought to himself. Perhaps I should have used that strategy against the fleshling...

“Of course, I can flip Des Lacooda face-down anytime I want.” The camel vanished, replaced by a face-down card. “I’ll set another monster and call it a turn.” A second face-down monster appeared next to the first.

“Draw!” Bonetail picked up another card, and then focused on what he had on the field. “I reveal my hidden monster – Super-Nimble Mega Hamster!” An oversized rodent with black fur and a lightning bolt etched onto its chest appeared, bearing its teeth. (1100/1800)

“Wait…that isn’t a part of the deck we concocted!”

“Oh, so you and that other slab of rotting meat collaborated on that rigged deck?” Bonetail asked.

Agent E gulped. “Ah crap…alright, alright, I slipped up. Not that it will matter. You may have found some new cards, but I’m still going to put an end to you!”

The demon shook his head. “You keep thinking that. Now then, when this rejected pet is revealed,” he explained, removing his deck from the disk, “I can search for a low-level Beast-type monster and set it face-down on my field.” After finding the one he wanted, he set it next to his Hamster, and then replaced the deck into his disk’s tray, letting the auto-shuffling mechanic go to work.

“I’m not about to let you gain more Life Points from your Lacooda, so my Hamster will make quick work of it!” The beast gave a screech as it leapt at the card symbolizing the camel monster. Agent E watched as his monster was torn to pieces.

“I’ll set this and end my turn.” A face-down card appeared behind the Mega Hamster.

“Then it’s my move,” the Agent stated, drawing a card. “And it’s time to put that rabid rodent to sleep.” He flipped his hidden monster, and a grotesque-looking worm appeared. (500/600)

“Meet Medusa Worm. When I flip it face-up, one monster on your field is destroyed.” A beam of green energy shot out of the worm’s mouth, striking the Mega Hamster. It gave a squeak before turning to stone. The statue fell over and shattered.

“My Worm has served its purpose, so I’ll sacrifice it for something stronger.” The worm vanished, replaced by a staff-wielding magician in elaborate silver armor and robes. (1900/2300)

“Great Dezard, attack his hidden monster!” The Spellcaster fired off a wave of magic from his staff, and it sliced through the face-down card. A monster resembling one of the three Ojamas appeared, except this one was blue. (0/1000) It promptly exploded.

“That was foolish of you,” Bonetail said. “You should have used your Worm’s effect on my hidden monster, and then attacked my Hamster with your Spellcaster. Not only would I not have gained the ability of my other creature, I would have taken damage.”

“You let me worry about how I conduct my moves,” Agent E snapped.

“If that is what you wish. Now then, let’s move on to more pressing matters. Since you destroyed my Ojama Blue through battle, I can add two cards with ‘Ojama’ in their names from my deck to my hand.” He grinned as he found what he was looking for, replacing his deck back into the disk. “Is there anything else you’d like to do this turn?”

“As a matter of fact, there is. I play Prohibition!” A Magic card appeared on the field. “As long as this remains in play, you are forbidden from playing the card I am about to call – Ojama Delta Hurricane!”

Bonetail raised a brow. This was one of the cards he had just searched out. “Very well…”

“That’s all for now,” the Agent announced. “And there’s something you need to know about my monster. Depending on the number of opposing creatures he destroys, he gains extra abilities. Since he just killed one, he can negate the abilities of Magic and Trap cards that designate him as a target. When he kills another, well…you’ll find out soon enough.”

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (9500)

Bonetail considered his options – which, at the moment, were limited. His next draw changed things.

“Since I can’t use Ojama Delta Hurricane, I may as well dispose of it, as well as the rest of my hand.” He proceeded to activate what he had drawn – Card Destruction.

Agent E sighed, discarding his hand. He drew five cards, while Bonetail drew six. As Solemn Wishes kicked in, the demon pulled his deck out again.

“I also happened to discard Ojamagic, which means I can search out the original Ojama trio from my deck.” He revealed Ojamas Green, Yellow and Black before adding them to his ever-expanding hand.

“I’ll set a monster, and one other face-down card to conclude my turn.” The demon now had three mystery cards on the field. He discarded Ojamuscle, seeing no purpose in using it at the moment.

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (10000)

This troubled Agent E. He knew Bonetail had acquired new cards, he didn’t know how many. He did know, however, that he had to end the duel as quickly as he could. He drew for his turn, taking in the effects of Solemn Wishes.

“Great Dezard, attack his hidden monster!” The spellcaster fired off another spell.

“Not this time,” Bonetail interrupted, revealing one of his set cards. “Go, Mirror Force!” The violet barrier appeared before him and absorbed the magical attack. “And since this doesn’t target, your monster’s ability becomes a liability!”

“Or so you think,” Agent E replied, chaining a card from his hand. “Since you’ve played a card that destroys one or more cards, I can use My Body as a Shield to negate it! It may cost me 1500 Life Points, but considering I still have Solemn Wishes, I can easily pay the price.” The barrier shattered, allowing the attack to continue uninhibited. It destroyed the face-down monster, another rodent, but a more traditional one.

“With Giant Rat destroyed, I can special-summon another Earth-type monster, so long as it has 1500 attack points or less.” A second Super-Nimble Mega Hamster appeared, drool and all. (1100/1800)

Agent E shuddered. “I’ll deal with that monstrosity next turn. In the meantime, Great Dezard’s other ability kicks in. Since he has successfully destroyed two of your monsters, I can sacrifice him to summon something even better!” The spellcaster’s armor, skin and muscle tissue seemed to melt away, while his robes turned red from the spilling blood. When the outer layers were completely gone, the skeleton that remained gave a vicious cackle. (2600/2900)

“Meet Fushioh Richie, and he’s as nasty as they come. Like his former self, he can negate the effects of Magic and Trap cards that target him. Also, like most of my other monsters, I can flip him face-down at during either of my Main Phases.” The zombie vanished, replaced by a face-down card.

“I’ll set a new monster to conclude my turn.” A second hidden creature appeared next to what was Fushioh Richie.

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (8500)

Where’s Nobleman of Crossout when you need it? Bonetail thought to himself as he drew for his turn. Ah well, I suppose I’ll have to make due…

“I’ll just set another monster and end my turn,” he declared, not having much to go on at the moment.

“That’s right…taste your defeat slowly…” Agent E drew a new card, Solemn Wishes kicking in.

“First I reveal the monster I set last turn.” A giant blue condor-like creature appeared. (700/1700)

“Behold my Stealth Bird. When it is flip-summoned, it can deal 1000 Points of damage to you!” The bird flapped its wings, sending dozens of razor-sharp feathers at Bonetail. Some of them bounced off his armor, while others hit exposed areas of scales. He grunted at the insult, but it didn’t matter to him; he felt the impacts, but not the pain – and besides, he wouldn’t be bleeding again any time soon.

Bonetail: (7000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (9000)

“Next I flip Fushioh Richie face-up.” The zombie reappeared, brandishing his staff.

“When he reveals himself, I can special-summon a Zombie from the Graveyard. I could draw this duel out by reviving Des Lacooda, thus drawing more cards and boosting my Life Points even higher, but that’s not what I came out here for. Instead, I’m going to bring out something you made me discard a few turns ago…” In a flash, an overly-obese mummy with an equally-enormous axe appeared. (1700/2000)

“Giant Axe Mummy, attack his face-down monster!” The mummy gave a mighty swing of his axe, and it easily broke through the mystery card. Something resembling a flying squirrel appeared, and it shattered.

“Nimble Momonga?” Agent E asked.

“Very good,” Bonetail said. “That means you know that when it is destroyed, I gain back the 1000 Life Points I just lost.” He felt the boost of energy immediately.

“In addition, I can special-summon any other copies of Nimble Momonga I have in my deck.” Two face-down monsters appeared on either side of the Mega Hamster.

Agent E was beginning to lose his cool. “Fushioh Richie, attack that pest!” The zombie laughed as it cast its spell, aiming for the Mega Hamster.

“Reveal face-down card, Book of Moon!” The blue and green tome appeared over the field.

“You idiot, my monster is unaffected by such cards!”

“Oh, I’m not using it on your monster. I’m using it on mine.” The tome’s light hit the Mega Hamster, and it was replaced by a face-down card, right before the magic attack struck and destroyed it.

“That means its flip effect kicks in, letting me set another Beast-type from the deck.” Yet another face-down monster appeared on the field.

The Agent was now getting angry. “You can’t keep dodging my attacks forever!” He set a Magic or Trap card, and then waved a hand. All three of his monsters flipped face-down. “Make your move!”

Bonetail: (8000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (9000)

A part of Bonetail did not like the fact he was on the defensive. Another part enjoyed it, so long as his opponent’s temper continued to boil over. He knew that, sooner or later, this infidel would make a critical mistake. He drew for his turn, and a plan began to take shape.

“One card face-down,” he simply said, a Magic or Trap card appearing with the other one he had in play. “Not much else I can do right now.”

“- except lose!” Agent E yelled, activating one his set card. “I chain Needle Wall before the start of my turn!” The holographic images of two walls appeared on either side of the two combatants. Thousands of spikes protruded from every inch of them.

Agent E drew another card, and Solemn Wishes worked its magic.

“The effect of Needle Wall activates!” An old-looking dice appeared just above the battlefield spinning around erratically. “During my standby phase, this dice will roll. If it lands on numbers 1 through 5, my trap claims the corresponding monster zone, killing whatever is there. If I roll a 6, it rolls again until I get a more satisfactory result.”

The dice dropped to the floor. After a few moments, it landed on a 1.

Agent E grumbled. “Unfortunately that zone of yours is empty. But I have alternative methods of dealing damage.” He flipped two of his three monsters face-up.

“First, Stealth Bird deals 1000 Points of damage!” Bonetail was again bombarded with a feather storm.

“Next, I’ll use Fushioh Richie’s effect to revive another monster you made me discard - Royal Keeper!” A mummy dressed in the garb of an Ancient Egyptian warrior appeared. (1600/1700)

“Richie, attack the mystery monster!” The zombie fired off another magic attack, and another Ojama Blue appeared. It was zapped by the attack and blew to bits.

“Another two Ojama cards for me,” Bonetail stated, searching his deck for two other cards.

“Since attacking your Momongas would help you more than hurt you, I’ll flip my monsters face-down and end my turn.” Stealth Bird and Fushioh Richie were promptly replaced by face-down cards.

Bonetail: (7000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (9500)

Bonetail drew another card. He had a copy of Lightning Vortex in hand, but it was useless against face-down monsters. However, he did have everything else he needed to bring this duel to a close. He just needed to push one more of his opponent’s buttons. The card he had drawn would certainly help.

“Two more hidden cards,” he said, setting a card in each zone. “That’s all for now.”

Agent E was growing restless. “It’s my move!” He drew for his turn, and his Solemn Wishes went off yet again. Then the effect of Needle Wall worked its magic. The dice rolled, and it landed on a 3.

“That means the monster you just set is history!” The card was revealed, an idol statue resembling a cat. An invisible force raised it into the air, and then impaled it against one of the walls. The statue gave a screech before shattering.

“My Neko Mane King’s ability activates,” Bonetail stated. “That means your turn ends immediately.”

The Agent gave a roar of frustration. “Damn you demon!”

Bonetail: (7000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (10000)

“And to add further insult to injury,” Bonetail interrupted as he drew for his turn, “I chain Light of Intervention. This prevents you from setting any further monsters…or flipping them face-down. I’d choose carefully when you reveal your monsters next.”

“That’s it…I was planning on bringing that body back intact, but now I’m planning to rip it to shreds once your soul is extinguished!”

“If you say so,” the demon said, unimpressed. “But before you do that, I have one more card to set.” He set it alongside Light of Intervention. “It’s your move.”

“Damn right it is!” Agent E snarled. He grinned as Solemn Wishes ran its course yet again. The die of Needle Ceiling rolled, and it landed on another 3.

“That doesn’t matter now, since I have the means of turning this duel further in my favor. But first thing’s first.”

He flipped Stealth Bird, and the condor flapped its wings a third time. Bonetail simply raised a gauntlet to block the barrage of feathers.

Bonetail: (5000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (10500)

“Next, I flip my other three monsters!” Fushioh Richie, Giant Axe Mummy, and Royal Keeper all appeared, laughing all the while.

“However, I choose not to activate Richie’s ability.”

Bonetail was puzzled. “Why not? You clearly have the advantage in terms of monster.”

“Because my field would be full, and I wouldn’t be able to bring out my secret weapon!” He slammed a card onto his disk, and a pyre of flames appeared in the middle of the field. It quickly turned into what would be considered a ceremonial shrine on steroids. Two demonic hands held up a pair of lanterns, while a gargoyle-like gave a deep laugh from underneath. A pair of flaming wheels was on either side. (?/1000)

“What the hell is that supposed to be?”

“Kasha is its name, and torment is its game. I can only special-summon it when I control two or more Zombie-types, which I clearly do. As soon as it hits the field, its effect activates, sending all other monsters back to their owners’ decks.” Bonetail gasped as his hidden Nimble Momongas were bounced.

Agent E didn’t seem to mind one bit that all four of his monsters were affected the same way. “…and for each Zombie returned this way, Kasha gains 1000 attack points.” The flames surrounding the shrine seemed to burn even more fiercely. (3000/1000)

“You have nothing to protect you now, especially since I have this in my hand!” He revealed another copy of My Body as a Shield, something Bonetail had done in his last duel against Uriel.

“Kasha, attack him directly!” The gargoyle spewed out a stream of fire. If Bonetail could feel pain, he probably would have been screaming at the top of his lungs as his body was being roasted like a marshmallow.

Bonetail: (2000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (10500)

Instead, Bonetail was laughing maniacally. “You’ve just made your last mistake! I activate a Trap card - Life Equalizer!”

Agent E was enveloped in a green glow. He suddenly felt the energy he had gained through Siolemn Wishes being sucked out of him. “What’s…happening to me…”

“Our Life Point totals are changing, of course,” Bonetail replied. “I can only activate this when the difference between our Life Points is 8000 or more. It takes those totals and makes it a little more even – giving each of us a count of 3000.”

Bonetail: (3000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (3000)

The energy vanished, and Agent E had finally boiled over. “I set this and end my turn!” He set a Magic or Trap Card.

All the pieces were in place. Bonetail just had to check to see what his opponent had set, but he had a good idea of what if was. He drew a card, but immediately played another one.

“I destroy your monster with my Lightning Vortex!” He played the Magic Card, discarding the one he had drawn. A dark cloud appeared above them, and a bolt of lightning shot out of it.

“Fool!” Agent E snapped, chaining his My Body as a Shield. The lightning bolt was quickly stopped.

“You’re done,” the demon chuckled. “I summon one of the cards I had picked up earlier – Ojama Red!” A red creature wearing a yellow scarf and a familiar speedo appeared, striking a pose. (0/1000)

“When Ojama Red is normal summoned, I can special-summon up to 4 other Ojama creatures. But I say 3 will suffice…” He brought out the three cards searched out through Ojamagic.

“Hello!” Ojama Yellow cried, making a ‘Y’ with his arms.

“Hello!” Ojama Green called in a lower tone, making a ‘G’ with his.

“Hello!” Ojama Black bellowed in a deeper voice, simply putting his arms on his waist. (0/1000 x3)

“What good will these fools do you?” Agent E asked, still gasping for breath.

“Plenty of good,” Bonetail replied, as his Field slot opened, “after I activate Ojama Country!” The Needle Walls seemed to vanish, replaced by several small huts.

“This Field benefits the Ojamas specifically. So long as I control at least one of them, the stats of every monster on the field are swapped.” The four Ojamas laughed as their attacks went up. (1000/0 x4)

“But…that means…” Agent E gasped, as Kasha grew weaker. (1000/3000)

“It’s over,” Bonetail finished. “Ojama Red, attack Kasha!” The red beast charged, colliding with the monstrous shrine. Both monsters exploded.

“The rest of you,” the demon ordered, “…………..sic ‘em.”

The three remaining Ojamas gave their battle cries as they pummeled Agent E until he collapsed.

Bonetail: (3000) ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~Agent E: (0)

“Impossible…” Agent E stuttered as he slowly rose to his feet. Unbeknownst to him, the cloud above them hadn’t disappeared yet.

“Hardly,” Bonetail replied. “You lose, and you know what that means.”

“Yes…” The Agent whispered. “It means you are MINE!” He lunged towards the demon, sword ready to strike.

Unfortunately for him, the weapon was blocked, and he ran right into a fist of razor-sharp claws, which were embedded into his torso.

“Wrong…” Bonetail replied, lifting the Agent into the air.

“It means your soul is MINE.” He performed his evil ritual, absorbing Agent E’s soul in a matter of seconds. He dropped the lifeless body of his victim and licked the blood off of his claws as the cloud finally vanished.

“No way…”

Bonetail quickly shifted his focus. The young Shadow had appeared nearby. “I thought I told you to run on home!”

“I couldn’t. I had to see what that bad man wanted.”

The two were interrupted by the sound of a cell phone going off. After rummaging through the dead Agent’s pocket, Bonetail he found it. Curious, he turned it on.

“Agent E, we’ve detected a disturbance at your location. Have you eliminated the target?”

Bonetail chuckled. “Quite the opposite,” he replied, ending the call. He checked the last few numbers called with this phone, figuring they’d be useful later on. After a quick memorization, he crushed the device on his hand.

“This ‘bad man’ and the group he’s a part of are after me because I took something valuable away from them, and I doubt they’ll stop after this setback.”

“Who are you…” the Shadow asked. “…no, what are you?”

The demon growled. “You don’t have to concern yourself with that. Let’s just say I have bigger plans than those of my pursuers. But I’m going to warn you right now – do you see the body of this infidel?”

The Shadow nervously nodded, his little knees quaking.

“If you tell anyone about what transpired here tonight, or if you choose get in my way, I won’t hesitate to treat you to the same fate.” The young toad gulped as Bonetail turned his back on him, intent on leaving the area.

This little one may have helped with the cards he gave me, the demon thought, but once I gain control of everything he’ll meet the same fate as everyone else. However, this deck needs serious work. I’ll have to look elsewhere…

As Bonetail disappeared into the mist, the Shadow dropped to the ground. “Yikes…what am I supposed to do now?”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel: All of this information at my fingertips, and so far I haven’t found anything that points me in the right direction. I don’t doubt I won’t find it, but Kesto hasn’t helped matters, either. Wait…who are those two in the window…

?: That gnome has crossed one too many lines. It’s time we teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget…

Next time: “Eliminating the League”

[Dark Sage]

Again, I can't say much, as I beta-read the chapter.

I will ask a question: What made you think halflings resembled toads? They're supposed to be, more or less, based of Tolkien's hobbits. He even used the word "halfling" to describe them on more than one occasion in his books. Of course, we may just be seeing the guy from Bonetail's point of view.

From the look of things, next chapter, someone is going to take offense at Kesto's incredibly controversial views. Be careful how this is set up. Kesto knows that people take offense at his views, he's far from helpless, and it isn't like he isn't prepared for people who come to his store looking for trouble.

Still, I'm looking forward to it.

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7: Eliminating the League

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours upon hours of searching shelves…

Piles upon piles of books…

Encyclopedias…clippings from Shadow newspapers…even forgotten lore…

Yet none of these had the information he was looking for.

“Damn it all…” Uriel spat as he slammed shut the cover of the latest book he skimmed through.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use such language in my shop,” Kesto scolded. “And please put those back when you’re finished.”

“Sorry,” the Israeli said, stacking some of the books back onto the shelf he had found them on. “But the search hasn’t exactly been going well. Nothing I’ve looked at has pointed me in the right direction.”

“Perhaps you are using the wrong searching techniques,” the gnome replied. “There’s more to research than simply looking things up. You need to compare sources to ensure the information you need is accurate.”

“It’s kind of hard to compare sources when I’m not sure where to find them. There must be at least a thousand books in this section alone.”

“856 books to be exact,” Kesto stated. “Finding what you need isn’t something you should expect to happen overnight.” He checked his watch. “Speaking of which, it’s near closing time, and mid-morning over in Japan. You’ve pulled an all-nighter.”

“Not exactly,” Uriel said. “I’m from Israel. For me, it’s close to 1 in the morning.”

“I see. In any case, I suggest you return to wherever you’re staying and get some rest. I’ll be here tomorrow at the same time.”

The Israeli stretched his arms as he yawned. “Alright, sounds like a plan…”

Before anything else could be said, the front door opened, the silver bell hanging above chiming in response.

Two individuals donning heavy black trench coats walked in. The hats they wore were reminiscent of the era of Chicago’s mafia. These hid their eyes, but Uriel could plainly see that they could not conceal their elongated snouts or dental features. Both of them had canines hanging at least half an inch below their upper lips. Around their necks were silver amulets with an unusual symbol in the center. They approached Kesto with an uneasy essence about them.

“I’m terribly sorry,” the gnome began, “but I’m preparing to close for the evening. If you wish to reserve something for tomorrow…”

“Can it, non-believer,” one of the individuals growled with a stomp of one of his feet.

“Cool it, Harald,” the other snapped, stopping his apparent comrade back.

“What’s going on here?” Uriel asked, arriving on the scene.

“Relax,” Kesto replied. “There’s no need to be concerned, at least not yet…”

“My apologies, sir,” the second individual said, “but my associate isn’t one for small talk. Allow us to introduce ourselves.”

The strangers removed their hats, revealing faces of beastly proportions.

“Whoa!” Uriel gasped, taking a step back. “What are they?”

“They are known as Lycanthrope,” Kesto replied, “but your kind prefers to call them by a more common term - werewolves.”

“I am Niceros, and this is Harald.” He reached into his coat and pulled out a shining silver dollar, and proceeded to flip it into the air and catch it. “It has come to our attention that you have gotten yourself involved with our congregation, and not in a positive way.” He continued to flip the coin.

“Would you mind going into more detail?” Kesto asked. “There are plenty of congregations in this city, after all.”

“…but only one that reveres…The Original.”

Uriel was confused. “Wait…The Original? What kind of title is that?”

“HOW DARE YOU!” Harald snarled. Once again Niceros had to stretch out an arm and hold him back.

“Enough,” the more level-headed of the two Lycanthrope warned. “You must expect this kind of questioning from a non-believer, and a human one at that.”

Harald regained his composure, but kept a murderous eye on the one who had insulted his belief. Niceros began flipping the coin again.

“To answer your question, though, it is our belief that all of our kind had descended from one individual, whom our scribes have called The Original. Some think his form was a gift, while others say it was a curse, but that origin is of no consequence. Yes, he had to, how shall we say, ‘have his way,’ with females of other races, but all of his offspring and their descendents share his blood. Without his actions, our clans would have died off before they even began.”

“That doesn’t make sense…” Uriel pondered. “I thought they were cursed humans who were bitten by other werewolves…”

“Depends on who is telling the tale,” Niceros answered. “I will admit, some of our more violent clan members have attacked other races in the past and even today. We condone such activity because, even though these individuals receive the gift of the Original through…unfortunate circumstances, they can never be considered true Lycanthrope. It is simply…unnatural.”

“You still haven’t explained what you’re doing here,” the Israeli interjected.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Harald replied, pointing at the bookkeeper. “That non-believer has spread blasphemy about our beliefs!”

Uriel looked to Kesto. “Is that true?” He asked.

The gnome bowed his head. “Well, you recall how I explained my position on religions to you. Unlike most members of my group, I choose a more peaceful approach to spread my message.”

“Giving speeches and passing out flyers…defiling our very way of life!” Harald growled.

“It is within the contents of the First Amendment, you realize,” Kesto replied. “I have the right to freely express my views and beliefs, just as you do. And those who hear my message have the right to choose whether to accept the message or reject it. There is absolutely nothing illegal or immoral with what I do.”

“Our leader disagrees,” Niceros stated, catching his coin. “Your ‘message’ has driven followers away from our congregation. We are running low on members and donations to keep things running, and we cannot allow this to continue.”

“You have two options,” Harald continued, stepping towards a nearby bookshelf. “One: you keep that dirty mouth of yours shut and never speak out against any religious group within the city limits.”

“And number two?” Kesto inquired, still acting calm and collected.

The Lycanthrope grinned, putting a hand to the edge of the shelf. With little effort, he threw it down, toppling all of its contents everywhere.

“Two: we make your life a living hell.” He leaned heavily and purposefully on the next bookshelf, sending it and the two behind it to the ground in a domino effect.

“What the hell!” Uriel exclaimed, appalled by what he was seeing. He looked to Kesto, who didn’t seem to react at all to any of this. “You’re actually going to take this from these flea-ridden scumbags?”

“They’re not the first to threaten me this way,” the gnome replied, “and they certainly won’t be the last.”

“Perhaps this will give some extra incentive,” Niceros said, pulling out a large cigarette lighter and clicking it to life. “With one flick of my wrist, this pathetic excuse for a document collection will go up in smoke. Your very livelihood will be extinguished.”

Uriel had had enough. “Alright, that’s it!” He stepped forward, staring straight into the eyes of the far larger being. “He may stand by and take this BS, but I’m certainly not going to!”

Niceros chuckled. “You’re a bold one, aren’t you?”

“Damn right I am!” The Israeli replied. “You two better clear out, or you’re going to regret it.”

Harald laughed as he picked up an old book and tore it to shreds. “What could you possibly do? You’re just a sad excuse for a human!”

That last insult struck a nerve, but Uriel somehow kept his cool. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

“Let’s just say I have…connections.” He flipped it open and brought up a unique number.

“Boy, what are you doing?” Kesto inquired. “Stay out of this!”

Even from five feet away, Niceros’s eyes could see what the contact information was for. “How do you know about the Shadowchasers?”

“I met one of its members over in Japan, and I was given this number in case of an emergency. One press of a button can have the nearest available team respond and show up within minutes, and I happen to know one of them is based here in St. Louis.”

“He’s bluffing,” Harald said, rejoining his comrade in arms.

“Care to try and call me on that?” Uriel asked. “What you’re doing right now can be seen as a hate crime in their eyes. I doubt they’ll show the same level of restraint as I am.”

“Please, don’t get yourself involved,” Kesto stated. “I can handle myself.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’m not about to sit back and watch someone else get pushed around without fighting back.”

“Why are you defending him?” Harald asked. “He speaks out against all forms of religion, including whatever you practice!”

Uriel eyed the Lycanthrope. “You’re right,” he admitted. “I may not totally agree with what he has to say, but…I respect his freedom to express it. That’s something I doubt any of your kind has, or ever will for that matter.”

“Damn you!” Harald was really worked up now, but a back-handed slap from Niceros prevented him from acting on his anger.

“Perhaps we can handle things some other way,” he said. “I notice that you’re a duelist.” He lifted up the right arm of his trench coat to reveal a modified duel disk, apparently silver-plated. “So are we.”

“Best in our branch,” Harald added, showing off a disk of the same design.

“You want to settle this over a duel?” Uriel asked.

“If you feel up to the challenge,” Niceros responded. “Should you win, we will leave this establishment and the gnome alone. But if you lose, you’re to butt out and let us continue our…negotiations.”

The Israeli crossed his arms. “Two on one hardly seems fair.”

“Perhaps,” Niceros said, “but we are more than capable of competing in a tag duel environment. In fact, it’s what we specialize in. However, if you prefer, you may have a choice of who you want to duel.”

As Uriel thought about it, Kesto tugged on his pants to get his attention. “You don’t have to do this,” he whispered into the Israeli’s ear. “I don’t want you risking your life for my sake.”

Uriel dropped to one knee. “I’m preparing to take on a career of tending to the need of others unable to defend themselves,” he whispered back. “If I don’t take care of these wolves now, there’s no telling what will happen to you.”

Kesto’s eyes seemed to beam with a light not seen in ages. “If that is what you wish…”

The gnome reached into his cloak and pulled out a card. “Take this with you in the meantime. I’m sure it will come in handy against whoever you duel against.”

Uriel looked at the card and was astonished. “Are you sure you want me to have this? This isn’t the kind of card you come across that often.”

Kesto nodded. “You also don’t often come across someone like yourself who is willing to stand up for someone like me.”

The Israeli bowed his head. “Thank you,” he said. “I won’t let you down.” He added the card to his deck, shuffled, and inserted it back into his disk.

He rose to his feet and pointed at Niceros. “I’ll take you on. Just keep our agreement in mind.”

The Lycanthrope grinned as he activated his disk. “But of course. You just make sure to leave this place once I’m through with you.”

Uriel brought his own disk to life. “Shut up and duel.”

Uriel: (8000)…………….Niceros: (8000)

“I’ll take that as the signal to start things off.” Niceros drew a card for his turn, but immediately inserted it in his disk. “First I activate Second Coin Toss.” The Magic card appeared in play. “Once per turn, should an effect involving a coin flip fails, I can use this card as a do-over. Here’s an example…”

He summoned his first monster. It was supposed to be a knight of sorts, but its torso looked like a large blue number 3. (300/300)

“Meet Clock Knight 3. As soon as it’s summoned, I need to flip a coin, and what happens to it depends on the result of that flip.

He took the silver dollar he had been using and flipped it into the air like. He caught it, and then slapped it onto his other hand. He revealed the result as ‘Heads.’

“That means my Knight gains 1200 attack points until the end of the turn.” A glow enveloped the unusual monster as its stats shot up. (1500/300)

“That kind of a waste, isn’t it?” Uriel asked. “He’s going to be vulnerable on my turn.”

“You let me worry about that,” Niceros stated. “That’s all for now,”

“Alright,” the Israeli said as he took his first draw. His hand wasn’t exactly promising, but he’d have to manage.

“Seraphim Gunner, you’re on deck!” The angel wielding a long-barreled blaster appeared. (1800/1200)

“Say night-night to that knight!” The Gunner took aim and opened fire, obliterating the Clock Knight with little problem.

U: (8000)…………….N: (6500)

“I set two cards face-down and call it a turn.” Two cards appeared behind the Gunner.

“Then it’s my move.” Niceros drew a card, but played it immediately. A mechanical dinosaur-like creature appeared. It had two blaster-like protrusions taking up the entirety of its head. (1700/200)

“Meet Twin-Barrel Dragon. As soon as it is summoned, I choose a card on your field.” He pointed at the face-down card to his right. “Then I flip a coin twice. If both results are Heads, the card I chose is destroyed.”

He flipped the coin and caught it like before. He lifted his hand to reveal the result as Heads. “One...”

He flipped it again, revealing another Heads. “That’s two, and you know what that means…”

Twin-Barrel Dragon’s cannons lit up and opened fire, obliterating Uriel’s Draining Shield.

“I set two cards of my own and end my turn.” The face-down cards appeared on either side of his monster.

“Then here I go,” Uriel said, drawing for the turn. “Meet Gunner’s brother, Seraphim Saber!” The angel swinging a broadsword appeared. (1600/1500)

“When he hits the field, his effect activates, increasing either his Attack or Defense by 300 for every other Fairy I control. I choose his Attack.” Both angels glowed, and the power was transferred to the broadsword. (1900/1500)

“Saber, slice through that hunk of junk!” The angel flew into the air before diving towards the opposing monster.

“As you declare your attack,” Niceros countered, “I chain Fairy Box!” A purple box resembling a Whack-a-Mole game appeared on the field. “Now I flip a coin and call it.” As he flipped it, he shouted “Heads!” He caught it, slapped it on his wrist, and revealed it. It was Heads.

“Called it correctly, which means your monster’s attack power takes a plunge.” Seraphim Saber’s attack dropped to 0.

“…and it’s too late to call off your attack.” Twin-Barrel Dragon fired its blasters again, incinerating the angel.

U: (6300)…………….N: (6500)

“Damn it,” Uriel muttered. “I just haven’t had any luck with him lately…”

“What a pity,” the Lycanthrope said, pocketing his coin. “Care to try again? I must warn you, I can use Fairy Box whenever any of your monsters attack.”

“As much as I’d like to take out my frustrations,” the Israeli replied, “I’d rather wait until the path is clear. It’s your move.”

“Very well, but before you end your turn, I activate Solemn Wishes.” The Trap card flipped up. “I draw for my turn, raising my Life Points by 500.” As the glow enveloped him, another glow emanated from his other Trap. “Then I have to pay 500 to keep my Fairy Box in play.”

“Nice way of dodging payments,” Uriel commented. “I bet you two do that all the time at this ‘congregation’ of yours.”

“Watch your mouth, non-believer!” Harald growed.

“Cool it,” Niceros warned his partner. “I’ll let my next assault serve as our retaliation…”

Twin-Barrel Dragon vanished as it was offered as tribute. In its place came a machine-type of similar design. This one was larger, its head was designed after some kind of handgun, and it had a rusted, hinged jaw. (2300/1200)

“This is Blowback Dragon, Twin-Barrel’s ‘big brother,’ so to speak, in the fact that it can target any one card in play. I choose your other hidden card.” He pulled out the coin again. “This time I have to flip it three times, and at least two of the results have to be Heads.”

He flipped it once, revealing the result as Heads. A second flip revealed the same result.

“No need to flip it a third time,” the Lycanthrope stated, pocketing the coin. “Your face-down is history regardless.” Blowback Dragon fired off a massive shell from its snout.

“And so is your Battle Phase,” Uriel replied, chaining the card before the shell connected. “Waboku will prevent any and all battle damage this turn.”

Niceros gave a huff. “Oh well, there’s always next turn.” He set a back-row card and waved a hand to signal the end of his turn.

He’s gotten nothing but Heads so far, Uriel thought. Either he’s really lucky, or something screwy is going on…

You have the right to feel suspicious, Kesto thought, but you need to figure it out on your own. I’d be stopping the game in his favor if I say anything…

Uriel drew, and immediately he saw the doorway to possibilities open. “I activate Trade-In.” After discarding an appropriate monster, he drew two new cards.

“No choice but to switch Gunner to defense mode.” His angel dropped to one knee and held its rifle in a defensive manner. “I set another monster in defense, and a new card face-down.” Two hidden cards appeared on his field. “Over to you, Fido.”

Niceros chuckled. “I’ll be sure to remember that once I’m through with the gnome.” He drew another card, but simply added it to his hand. “I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and then pay 500 to keep my Fairy Box in play.

“Next I activate Blowback Dragon’s effect, and I’m targeting the back-row card you just set.” Two flips of his coin were all it took to reveal two more Heads.

“Open fire!” Blowback Dragon shot another shell, piercing and destroying the face-down Heaven’s Judgment.

“Next on the agenda is Jirai Gumo!” An enormous spider with a black and brown exoskeleton appeared, its fangs dripping menacingly with saliva. (2200/100)

“Before it can attack, I must flip my coin. If I’m right, he can proceed uninhibited. If I’m wrong, my Life Points get cut in half before he can move.” He flipped it, calling “Heads.”

…Once again, he called it right.

“Attack his Gunner!” The spider leapt into the fight, grabbing the angel with four of its legs. One squeeze was all it took to blow it apart.

“Blowback, destroy his hidden creature!” Another shell was fired from the machine, and it destroyed the monster easily. It revealed itself to be a Skelengel.

“An extra draw for me…” He drew for the effect of his monster.

“…and as for you!” He slammed the other card from his hand onto his disk, and Tualatin made her appearance in all her glory. (2800/2500)

“Since two of my Fairies were killed in battle, Tualatin hits the field automatically, and she can destroy all monsters of one attribute. I call Dark!”

The orbs on the fairy’s armor glowed, and they fired gold beams of energy at Blowback Dragon. The mechanical monstrosity gave a screech, shattering as the energy connected with it.

“Looks like your plans have been scrapped,” Uriel stated.

“Only temporarily,” Niceros replied. “You have a ways to go before catching up.” He waved his hand again to end his turn. “And I still have the advantage.”

“For now,” Uriel retorted, drawing a card. “No attack this turn, for obvious reasons. I’ll just set another defensive monster for the time being.” A face-down monster appeared next to Tualatin.

“Then it’s my move,” the Lycanthrope stated as he drew for his turn. “I gain 500 more Life Points from Solemn Wishes, which go towards paying for Fairy Box. At this rate you’re going to lose by decking out.”

Uriel narrowed his eyes. “Just make a move.”

“…as you wish. My monster will strike what you have hidden!” As Jirai Gumo attacked, he flipped his coin, calling “Heads.” Naturally, it he called it right.

Two twin pixies appeared where the face-down monster used to be (1700/0), and a barrier came up around them just before the hug of death enveloped them. The barrier held strong, and the spider was forced to back off.

“Too bad for you, since Gellenduo can’t be destroyed by battle.”

Niceros gave a slight growl. “You win this round. I’ll match your defense with one of my own.” The face-down card appeared next to Jirai Gumo. “End turn.”

Uriel drew a card. Again, it wasn’t something that could be used at this time, but at least it could serve as a possible deterrent. “I’ll throw this face-down and end my turn.” The card appeared behind Gellenduo.

“He’s running scared!” Harald laughed. “He doesn’t dare attack without Fairy Box biting him in the ass again!”

Niceros shared in the laugh as he drew for his turn. Perfect, he thought to himself. He gained 500 Life Points from his Solemn Wishes, and then spent it to pay for Fairy Box.

“I sacrifice both of my monsters!” Jirai Gumo and his face-down monster, a Kryuel, shattered in an instant. In their place rolled yet another mechanical monster. This one was gunmetal black, with three enormous cannons in the shapes of pistols – two on either side, and one on its head. The cylinders span wildly as it gave a roar of malice. (2600/2200)

“Barrel Dragon…” Uriel gasped.

“Then you know its ability is very similar to its weaker brethren. He may only be able to target monsters, but that doesn’t matter…”

He flipped his coin three times. All three results turned out to be ‘Heads.’

“Your attribute-killer is history.” Barrel Dragon fired three shells, shattering Tualatin’s armor before she exploded into dust.

“And I have the means of getting rid of your Gellenduo, as well!” Niceros laughed, activating the Trap he had set a few turns before. “I activate The Paths of Destiny! Now we must each flip a coin. I hope you have one at your disposal.”

Uriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter. “You go first.”

“Fine.” The Lycanthrope flipped his silver dollar. The result was ‘Heads.’

“That means I gain 2000 Life Points!” He felt another glow overtake him, and it felt good. “You’re up.”

Uriel flipped his coin. His result was ‘Tails.’ He cringed as a wave of pain hit him. Gellenduo tried to reach their master, but they exploded before they could.

“Tails means you lose 2000 Life Points!” Niceros declared. “And your monster is destroyed as soon as you take any kind of damage! And with nothing defending you, my Barrel Dragon can hit you directly!”

Barrel Dragon fired another round of shells. They exploded around the Israeli, and he cried out as he was hit with shrapnel. He was forced down to one knee as he held a hand over his chest, struggling for breath.

U: (1700)…………….N: (8500)

Niceros laughed. “It’s hopeless! You’re finished! You haven’t got a prayer! You may as well surrender now and let us torch this place in peace.”

“Finish him!” Harald called out. “I haven’t had human in quite a while. Let’s burn him along with the gnome and this hellhole. It’ll make for a nice crispy meal…”

Kesto watched Uriel get back to his feet. Don’t give up, he urged mentally. I may not be able to give you guidance, but you need to guide yourself to victory. You cannot let these hairy hooligans prevail…especially since their hands have been dirty from the beginning. You worry about that…

He went to one of the bookshelves that had been knocked over and pulled out one of the texts. He started fanning through the pages. …and I’ll worry about what happens afterwards…

Uriel drew a card. “You’re really starting to piss me off,” he said. “A true Israeli never gives in no matter what happens.” He played a second copy of Trade-In, discarding the card he had drawn in exchange for drawing two more. He set the both of them and waved a hand.

“Then let’s finish this!” Niceros drew for his turn. “I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, which go to pay for Fairy Box.

“Then my monster puts an end to you!” Barrel Dragon’s cannons once again began to charge up.

“Hold that thought,” Uriel said, chaining a Trap card. “I activate Angel’s Tear, removing four Fairies from my graveyard to summon another!”

Seraphim Gunner, Seraphim Saber, Tualatin and Gellenduo appeared behind him before vanishing into vapor. A pillar of black light shot out of the ground, and an urn adorned with crow-like wings emerged. (2900/2400)

“When Fallen Angel Superbia is special summoned, it can revive another of my Fairies!” Another pillar of light erupted, but this was gold.

“Splendid Venus, RISE UP!” The goddess appeared, waving her staff in anger. (2800/2400)

“Where did that come from?” Niceros exclaimed.

“Discarded her for my first Trade-In,” Uriel replied. “With Venus in play, all non-Fairy monsters lose 500 attack and defense points!” Venus’s light showered the field, and Nicero’s creature coughed up exhaust as it grew weaker. (2100/1700)

“It doesn’t matter!” Niceros proclaimed. “I can still destroy your precious monsters! I activate the ability of Barrel Dragon!” He flipped his coin.

“Or so you think!” Uriel snapped as he activated the other Trap he had set last turn. “I chain Divine Wrath!” He discarded his Herald of Orange Light as a menacing dark cloud appeared over the field. “Your monster is destroyed, its effect negated!”

A lightning bolt streaked out of the cloud, hitting Barrel Dragon before it could get off a shot. The force of the impact caused Niceros to drop his silver dollar. Meanwhile, as circuitry sizzled and fuses blew apart, his beast gave a hollow screech before it exploded.

Bravo, Kesto thought to himself, looking up from the text he was looking through. I knew you could get back into this duel…

Meanwhile, Niceros’s coin somehow managed to roll all the way over to Uriel’s side of the field, and immediately upon picking it up he realized what had been going on.

“…A double-headed coin. I should’ve known you sons of bitches were cheating all along.”

“Hey, I take that personally!” Harald roared.

“You weren’t supposed to know!” Niceros added. “You were supposed to lose at my hands. That atheist bastard of a gnome was supposed to go up in flames along with this Original-forsaken establishment!”

“Guess it’s too late now, isn’t it?” Uriel asked, pulling out his cell phone again. “Since you’ve been manipulating the odds this entire time, I could call this duel invalid, and I could call for help from the Shadowchasers after your latest remarks.”

The Lycanthrope snarled. “Then what’s stopping you?”

“…the fact that we still have a score to settle, and the fact that this duel isn’t over yet.” He tossed his phone to Kesto. “Hang onto that, would you?” He asked. The gnome gave a nod.

“I’ll let this current crap slide, provided you keep your filthy claws clean the rest of the way.” Uriel pulled out his quarter and threw it at the Shadow. “Use that for any other coin flips you plan to make,” he said as Niceros caught it.

“You just had to drop your silver dollar,” Harald mocked.

“Shut up!” Niceros growled. “How was I supposed to know he was going to counter me?”

“Hey, you’re the brains of this outfit,” the other Shadow replied. “I’m just here to help cause mayhem and destruction.”

The dueling werewolf turned his attention back on the human. “You’re making a grave mistake by continuing this match,” he said in a low growl.

“You made an even graver one by threatening us the way you have,” Uriel replied, drawing for his turn. “Superbia, direct attack!” The dark Fairy charged up a ball of energy and launched it.

“I activate my Fairy Box!” Niceros countered, flipping Uriel’s quarter. “Heads!” He caught it and slammed it onto his other palm. He gasped when he saw the results…

…Tails.

“I chain the ability of Second Coin Toss!” The Lycanthrope declared.

“What Second Coin Toss?” Uriel asked, chaining his Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Magic card.

Without a backup means of ensuring his odds, the ball of energy his Niceros square in the chest. He fell over with a yelp.

“Venus, you’re up next!” The goddess hurled her own ball of energy from her staff as Niceros got back up. He flipped the quarter for Fairy Box again, calling “Heads!”

…it was Tails.

The attack knocked him onto his back again.

U: (1700)…………….N: (2800)

“Curse this American currency!” Niceros yelled.

“Back to you,” Uriel said, crossing his arms. Splendid Venus seemed to follow suit.

The Lycanthrope’s growls of rage began sounding feral. “You filthy…disgusting…sad excuse for a HUMAN!” He drew a card, gained 500 Life Points, and then used it to pay for Fairy Box.

“You’ll PAY for making a mockery of us!” He played the card he had just drawn. “I activate Overload Fusion!” Phantasmal images of Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon appeared right behind him.

“With this, I can remove fusion material machine-type monsters from my graveyard to create the strongest creature this deck can produce!” The two machine-types broke apart into thousands of pieces, and all of it seemed to crash and meld together into one freak of artificial nature.

“Be born, GATLING DRAGON!” The end result of this madness had design elements of its fusion components, but it rolled into position on two giant spike-treaded wheels, and had a trio of Gatling guns in its arsenal. (2600/1200) > (2100/700)

Niceros laughed hysterically. “During either of my Main Phases I can flip a coin three times! For each Heads I get, a monster on the field is destroyed!”

Uriel, while intimidated, was skeptical. “We’ll see about that. You’d be dooming your own monster if you somehow manage to get Heads all three times.”

“That’s exactly why I’m summoning my Abare Ushioni!” A large bull covered with red and white tattoos appeared next the Gatling Dragon. (1200/1200) > (700/700)

“Now I have tribute fodder in case something goes wrong. And while we’re at it, I’ll use this red bull’s exhilarating effect, which, like all the other cards in my deck, involves flipping a coin. If I call it right, you lose 1000 Life Points. If I’m wrong, I’m the one who takes damage!”

He flipped the coin, calling “Heads!” He caught it and slammed it onto his palm.

Unfortunately for Uriel, it was Heads once again.

The bull gave a loud ‘moo’ and charged, colliding with the Israeli. He was sent back into the shelf he was searching through earlier. As he was about to get up, an old text hit him in the head.

U: (700)…………….N: (2800)

“Apparently it doesn’t matter what coin I use,” the Lycanthrope said out loud as Uriel returned to his feet. “But now it’s time for the main event!” Gatling Dragon’s guns charged up as the coin was flipped once more.

The first result……

……Heads.

The second result……

……Tails.

The third result……
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………Heads

…Apparently Niceros’s luck had changed for the better.

Gatling Dragon’s guns roared to life, filling both Fallen Angel Superbia and Splendid Venus with white-hot lead. The fairies called out as they were destroyed.

Niceros waited for the Israeli to return to his feet as the stats of his monsters returned to normal. (2600/1200). (1200/1200)

“You’re finished. DIRECT ATTACK!” The black machine fired another burst.

“I chain Miraculous Descent!” Uriel declared, activating the Trap Card he was waiting to use all this time. “Now a Fairy I’ve removed from play makes a comeback!”

Gellenduo reappeared in defense mode. (1700/0)

“Damn you…” Niceros snarled, realizing he couldn’t end the duel right as he planned. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

“Not really,” Uriel replied. “I told you, a true Israeli never gives up.”

“I’ll wipe out those little sprinkles next round,” the Lycanthrope declared, signaling the end of his turn.

Uriel drew a card, and grinned at what it was – the card that Kesto had given him earlier.

“There’s no next round for you, fuzz ball. At this time I have four Fairy-types in my Graveyard. The conditions are just right for the newest weapon of my arsenal…”

Niceros backed up slightly. He did not like the sound of this.

“Come forth, Archlord Kristya!”

In a flash of light, an angelic warrior of a different sort made her appearance known. Her skin was a metallic white, while parts of her body were covered in bone-gray armor. Her wings and robes were a fiery red. Her eyes were of the same color, and they looked back at the opposing force with no expression. (2800/2300)

“When Kristya is special summoned, I can retrieve a Fairy-type from the Graveyard. I think you know which one I have in mind.” He took back Splendid Venus.

“Then I offer up Gellenduo as the sacrifice to allow for Venus’s triumphant return!” The twin fairies vanished into sparkles, and the goddess took their spot on the field. (2800/2400)

“That means your monsters get weakened once again.” The two coin-flip-dependant creatures groaned as their stats dropped. (2100/700), (700/700)

“Alright you two, get ready to attack!” Uriel’s monsters began charging up power.

“You fool!” Niceros yelled. “I still have Fairy Box in play! If I am successful on either flip, you lose!”

“That’s not going to happen,” Uriel replied. “I’m fighting for a far better reason that you are. You may have been able to tip the odds in your favor, but I’ll always find a way to beat them! Kristya, attack Abare Ushioni!” The angelic warrior swooped down.

Niceros flipped the coin to activate Fairy Box. “Heads!” It landed……

……
……
……
……On Tails.

Kristya slashed through the red bull like the side of beef it was. It groaned before shattering.

“Venus, END THIS!” The goddess fired another blast from her staff.

“No!” Niceros yelled, flipping the coin one more time. “Tails!” He called, in the hopes that the bad luck would shift his opponent’s way.

It landed on…
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………
…………Heads.

Gating Dragon fired off its guns, but the bullets bounced off the ball of energy. The attack collided with the machine and exploded on impact, taking the monstrosity with it.

U: (700)…………….N: (0)

“Game over,” Uriel stated as he gave a thumbs down.

The hair on both Lycanthropes seemed to stand on end in shock. How could they have lost in such a humiliating manner?

“You think this is over?” Niceros asked as he flicked the lighter to life. “Far from it, you filthy human! We’re torching this place anyway!”

“I beg to differ,” Kesto stated. Because of the duel, no one had noticed the incantation circle underneath him. He pointed two fingers at the werewolves, and a circle appeared beneath the both of them. They wave yelps as they were sucked in.

Uriel was astonished. “What happened to them?”

“They got transported away, of course,” the gnome replied. I knew that weren’t going to keep their word when you won, so I needed a way to alleviate the situation. Thankfully you gave me enough time to complete the spell.”

“So…where did you send them?” The Israeli asked.

“Oh, someplace where their filth thrives,” Kesto chuckled. He handed back Uriel’s phone, indicating that a call was just recently placed. “And I have doubts we’ll be seeing them again any time soon…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside the city limits, two incantation circles appeared in the air. The two Lycanthropes were unceremoniously dropped out of them.

Fortunately they had a relatively soft landing.

Unfortunately, it was on a pile of rotting garbage.

“That little bastard,” Harald roared. “When I get my hands on him, I’ll rip him limb from limb!”

“Patience,” Niceros urged. “We’ll strike again when that human isn’t around to protect him. He hasn’t seen the last of us.”

“Actually, he has.”

The voice caused the werewolves to jump. They were suddenly blinded by a bright light, and they were absorbed into a pair of gems.

The sword-wielding man pulled out a phone and hit the speed dial. “Suspects are in custody,” he said to whoever was on the other line. “It’s a wonder how someone knew where to find them…” He hung up, mounted his D-Wheel, and sped off back into the city. It was going to be another eventful night for him…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took a while, but Uriel was able to help get the fallen bookshelves standing upright again.

“What a day,” he groaned. “I’m glad we were able to get rid of those two, but the day doesn’t seem complete.”

“You’ll feel better once you’re able to find the information you need,” Kesto replied.

“Maybe, but there’s no telling how much longer that’s going to take…” He reached down and picked up the book that had hit him in the head earlier. Curious, he fanned through the pages and was astounded by what he saw.

“Holy crap, this is it…”

“Oh?” Kesto asked. “What did you find?”

“This is about a species called the Dracolith. It’s in the subtypes as dragons, but they’re far much more than that. They’re necromancers, and that’s exactly what Bonetail had done…both to save his soul before I met him, and when he came back to challenge me the other night…”

“Hmm…then you have what you’ve been looking for all this time. I’m glad I was able to provide some level of assistance.”

Uriel nodded. “Now I just have to see if there’s a way to put an end to that monster…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: If these accursed Sons of Kyuss keep coming after me like this, I’ll need a stronger deck to defend myself with. Perhaps I can trade up for something better, and I think I know just the place to do that…

Next time: “Exchange of the Spirit”

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8: Exchange of the Spirit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ojama King, finish him!”

Bonetail watched in amusement as his Fusion Monster, powered up by the Ojama Trio tokens destroyed by Ojamuscle, squashed his latest opponent flat, depleting the rest of their Life Points.

The opponent, an ogre, gasped for breath as his soul was lifted out of his body. Bonetail extended an arm, savoring the essence as he absorbed it. The demon sighed with satisfaction as the darkness of the Shadow Game began to dissipate.

This was the 7th Shadow in the last few days he had the chance to ambush in this desolate section of Satellite and defeat in a duel. This time, however, the ogre had possibly the worst luck in utilizing what he called his ‘key creature.’ It ended up using up his entire hand, and everything he drew after that was of no help in saving his existence. Bonetail found this disappointing.

After all, the more rebellious the individual, the juicier their soul would be.

The demon was disappointed for another reason – none of the opponents he had faced thus far possessed decks that were of use to him. But that didn’t stop him from looking over what his latest victim had.

Bonetail picked out the card his opponent has failed to utilize successfully. Even though the ogre couldn’t get use out of it, it didn’t mean the same could be said in his own case.

He fanned through the rest of the cards, trying to figure out what the strategy was supposed to be.

“No…no…no…wait, this is interesting…oh, and this, too…I wonder…”

He reached down and ripped away the deck pouch from the lifeless ogre’s makeshift pants. A quick scan of the Extra Deck confirmed his suspicions.

“So that was you plan, huh? A clever one, but it was poorly executed. I’m sure some of what you possessed will make this deck even stronger, if only for a little while…”

Bonetail took his deck and removed some of the cards from it, quickly replacing them with what he picked out from the ogre’s. He also took the monsters from his victim’s Extra Deck and added them to his own. He stood over the Shadow, glaring at his blank eyes.

“I deeply thank you for your sacrifice,” he said. “I’ll remember it once I’ve gotten back up to 1000…”

One firm stomp crushed the ogre’s skull, and the demon continued on, leaving a trail of blood and brain matter in his wake.

“Now, let’s try this deck on for size…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having reassumed his magic-cloaked form, Bonetail returned to a more populated area of the Satellite. He scanned the civilians walking around him, trying to pick out his next victim. The fact that Shadows were mingling among the humans without the latter even realizing it made him laugh internally.

He spied one human, a male teen with dark hair and dirty clothes; an old duel disk was on his arm…

…a perfect target.

“Excuse me,” Bonetail asked as politely as his normally malefic voice could allow. “I couldn’t help but notice that you’re a duelist.”

“What’s it to you, ugly creep?” The teen replied.

Part of the demon was offended by the remark, but he pushed those feelings aside. He lifted his arm to show off his own disk. “Care to make a wager?”

“Ah man, not that line again!” The teen groaned.

Bonetail was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“This other ugly creep has been issuing challenges to anyone interested. I don’t know how he did it, but when I thought I had him on the ropes, he bounced back and beat me! Not only that, I was forced to ante up my deck! There’s no way that could have happened on its own. That bastard had to have rigged it.”

“I see…that’s rather unfortunate. It sounds like there’s something…fishy in the works. Tell me, where can I find this…other ugly creep?”

“You’re not planning on challenging him, are you?” The teen asked.

“Perhaps I am. If he truly has cheated you, his wrongs need to be righted.”

The teen thought it over for a moment. “Well, if you say so.” He pointed off into the distance. “He’s down several blocks away. If you hear an obnoxious voice trying to gather people around, he’s close by.”

“Very well,” Bonetail said, proceeding in the direction given to him. “If you want your deck back, you might want to accompany me.”

“Do you honestly think you can win?”

“I don’t think – I know. And besides, I still want to see what that deck of yours is truly capable of.”

The teen was apprehensive at first, but then gave a nod. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. The name’s Ichiro, by the way.”

Bonetail didn’t reply. Instead, he proceeded to walk the way he was directed to go. Ichiro, not wanting to get left behind, was quick to follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hurry, hurry, hurry, step right up and try your luck in a duel for the ages!”

The individual shouting this high-pitched challenge was standing on a soapbox made of rotting wood. He was a relatively short person wearing what looked like a loose-fitting dark blue Zoot suit, complete with a large hat that had a large white feather sticking out of it. The duel disk on his arm, unlike most seen in Satellite, was covered with rubies and sapphires.

While his appearance was a bit outlandish, a Mundane would have seen just another human. Any Aware, however, would have a completely different picture in front of them.

It was all a ruse, cast by a spriggan. Spriggans were once gnomes, but they had long since been corrupted by evil magic. This one in particular, who went by the pseudonym ‘Al Harrington,’ had black hair, yellow eyes, and a long nose that would have made Jimmy Durante’s miniscule by comparison. His suit concealed the elaborate tattoos on both of his arms, one set glowing profusely.

‘Al’ was nasty, even by spriggan standards. He had built up his reputation as both a duelist and a gambler. He’d ante up his deck in every duel, forcing his opponents to do the same.

The fact that he had never lost was a testament to what many considered his ‘abilities.’

After taking the decks of his opponents, he would break them down. He sold the cards he knew he could make money off of, kept the ones he knew could further increase his odds of obtaining more decks, and discarded the rest.

He had finished looking over the deck he had won earlier, and had a good idea of what he was going to do with what cards. Sensing that he would not be getting any more attention in this area, he prepared to pack up and move on. That’s when he looked up to see Bonetail and Ichiro coming towards him.

He reacted more to the teen. “Oh man, not you, again! I thought I told you to beat it after I beat you fair and square!”

“Fair and square, my ass,” Ichiro retorted. “I still say you cheated somehow. I had you right where I wanted you, yet you somehow managed to pull off a fluke win out of that stupid-looking hat of yours!”

“Waa waa, someone call the Waambulance! Face it, punk, you lost, and you’re never getting this deck of yours back. In fact, I might be able to make 10,000 yen off of you!”

“Why you little…”

“That’s enough,” Bonetail interrupted, stepping forward. He saw right through the illusion, and knew full well the reputation of this particular Shadowkind. “So you’re the one who has been issuing the ante challenges to duelists?”

“That’s right, stranger. Al’s the name, and winning other suckers’ decks is my game. I’m the best at what I do, and no one can say otherwise.”

“If you mean having your rear handed to you, then I’ll be more than happy to arrange that.” The demon raised his duel disk in challenge.

“Sheesh, aren’t you a comedian,” Al quipped. “But if you honestly think you can win, you need to ante up that deck of yours in a duel.”

“Only if you put your own deck on the line, as well,” Bonetail replied. “And while we’re at it, if you lose, you’ll return the one you just stole.”

Al chuckled. “But of course. Let’s head someplace where there won’t be any prying eyes.”

The spriggan led his two visitors into the nearby alley. When they reached the end, Bonetail activated his duel disk. “Are you ready for the end of your streak?”

Al activated his own disk. “Like you’ll actually tarnish my perfect record…” Unbeknownst to him, the sky above them grew a bit darker…

Bonetail: (8000)…………….Al: (8000)

“If you’re so certain that I’m a cheater, by all means, make the first move.”

“Gladly,” Bonetail replied, drawing for his first turn. He set two of his cards on the field, a monster and a face-down. “Over to you.”

“Funny, I was expecting more of a challenge,” Al stated. “Ah well, I guess that means I can immediately go on the offensive…”

Unbeknownst to Bonetail, when Al went to start his turn, a device on his wrist – and concealed under his suit – dropped a certain card on top of his deck. He drew said card and played it.

“I activate Nobleman of Crossout!” A blond-haired knight in silver armor appeared, slashing through Bonetail’s set monster. It turned out to be a Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, and it vanished immediately.

“Not only is that monster removed, but since it was a Flip-effect creature, you need to remove all other copies from your deck!”

Bonetail frowned, but complied, removing the second Hamster.

“Next on the agenda is Archfiend Soldier!” A dark portal appeared, and a demon clad in purple armor emerged from it. Its pale green cloak flapped in a sudden gust of wind as it brandished its scimitar. (1900/1500)

“Go, my beast! Attack him directly!” The Archfiend slashed with its blade. Bonetail did not feel the physical pain, but grunted from the pressure it placed on his corpse of a body.

B: (6100)…………….A: (8000)

“I’ll set a card face-down and call it a turn.” Al grinned as he waited for Bonetail to make his move.

So what if I bend the rules here and there with a few mechanized card holders, Al thought to himself. If it means I can make more money off of suckers like this, I couldn’t care less…

Bonetail drew for his turn and chuckled at what the card was – the one his last opponent failed to utilize.

Well then, let’s see how the dice rolls on this one…

“Snipe Hunter, arise!” A demon about the size of Al appeared, wielding a bizarre-looking ray gun. There was a gaming wheel of sorts on the side, divided into six different-colored sections. (1500/600)

“What…a Snipe Hunter?” Al asked. “I figured you were running a Beast deck of sorts.”

“Depends on how you look at it,” Bonetail replied. “Moving on to my monster’s special ability; first I discard a card from my hand…” He quickly ditched what he wanted to get rid of.

“…then I target a card you control. Snipe Hunter then spins the wheel of his weapon. If it lands on anything but a 1 or a 6, the chosen card is destroyed.” He pointed to Archfiend Soldier. “Your creature is first on my list.”

Snipe Hunter spun the wheel, laughing all the while. Both duelists eyed it as it began to slow down. It finally stopped…on 6. The little fiend groaned its discontent.

Al laughed. “Talk about tough luck!”

“Not necessarily,” the demon replied. “The card I discarded was Ojamagic, which means I can add Ojamas Yellow, Green and Black from my deck to my hand.” He fanned out his deck and picked out the three monsters. “More ammo to work with, wouldn’t you agree?”

The spriggan didn’t look too concerned.

“Now let’s try this again.” Bonetail discarded Ojama Yellow as Snipe Hunter spun the wheel.

After a moment, it stopped on 6 again. The monster was now clearly frustrated, stomping his feet.

“Again!” Bonetail instructed, discarding Ojama Black. Snipe Hunter gave it another try…

…this time, it landed on 4.

“There we go!” Third time certainly was the charm, as Snipe Hunter charged up his weapon and fired. The blast struck Archfiend Soldier right between the eyes. The demon collapsed before shattering.

“Now, about your set card…” Bonetail discarded Ojama Green. The wheel of the gun spun for a fourth time, coming to a stop on 2. Snipe Hunter blasted the card, which turned out to be Sakuretsu Armor.

“You wasted four of your cards just to get rid of two of mine!” Al exclaimed. “How can you even consider that productive?”

“It’s left you wide-open, hasn’t it?” Bonetail asked. “Direct attack!” Snipe Hunter fired another shot, this one striking Al in the chest. His breathing became labored as a result.

B: (6100)…………….A: (6500)

“What…the hell…was that…” He said in-between breaths, unaware of the Shadow Game’s effects.

“No matter! Since you attacked me while I controlled no cards, you triggered the effect of a monster in my hand!”

He slammed a card onto his disk, and a far more powerful demon appeared in a blaze of glory. It wore black armor and leather, with twin blades on its arms. A large silver visor covered its eyes, while its long red hair seemed to flow like fire. (2700/2500)

“Gorz…” Bonetail growled.

“Correct! And since you dealt damage to my Life Points through a direct attack, I can summon an Emissary of Darkness token to the field, its attack and defense equaling the amount of damage I took!”

A female figure, also clad in armor, appeared next to Gorz. (1500/1500)

Bonetail considered trying to destroy Gorz with Snipe Hunter’s effect, but he needed the cards in his hand far more. “I set one card face-down, ending my turn.”

Al didn’t have many options in his hand for getting rid of Bonetail’s face-downs, but that was where his hidden device came in handy. He pulled the same trick as last time, dropping a card onto the top of his deck, drawing it to start his turn.

“You think I’m concerned about your set cards? Well, I’m not! Activate Giant Trunade!” He played the card, and the wind began to pick up.

“I chain one of them – Ojama Trio!” While his other face-down card was returned to his hand, three tokens resembling the original Ojamas appeared on Al’s field in defense mode. (0/1000 x3)

“Not a problem. That just gives me more monsters to work with! Gorz, destroy that six-shooter before he gets off another shot!”

Gorz charged in, slashing with his twin blades. Snipe Hunter screeched as it was quartered to pieces.

“Now my Emissary Token will strike you head-on!” The female warrior swung her sword, and Bonetail snarled as it connected.

B: (3400)…………….A: (6500)

“Had enough, or are you thirsty for more?” Al asked, mockingly.

Bonetail chuckled a little. “Actually, duels like this invigorate me. Your soul is obviously a strong one to have such ferocity and command over your deck. It will make utterly crushing you all the sweeter.”

“You make it sound like you’ll turn this duel around.” Al set a card on his field. “Sorry, but that’s not going to happen.”

“We’ll see,” Bonetail replied, drawing for his turn. But before he could make a move, Al activated his set card.

“I chain Success Probability 0% to your draw phase! This allows me to send two Fusion monsters at random from your Extra deck and send them to the Graveyard!”

Bonetail growled, but took out his Extra deck, separated the three Fusion Monsters that he had, and fanned them out face-down. Al hmm’d and haw’d for a few seconds before choosing two of them. Ojama Knight and Ojama King were revealed.

“I knew you’d be running those! No chance for a game-winning play after this!”

“Will you shut up?” Bonetail asked, his tone changing by the minute. He discarded the Fusions, and then set a monster, signaling the end of his turn with the wave of a hand.

A shame I don’t pack a pair of Noblemans in my secret stash, Al thought to himself. It’s not a big deal, though. I’ve got this duel in the bag regardless…

Yet another card was slipped on top of his deck. He drew it, and then placed it on his disk. “I sacrifice my Emissary of Darkness token to summon the next piece of my perfect puzzle!”

The female warrior vanished, replaced by a large fiend draped in a blue cloak with gold trimming. He laughed maliciously as he waved a glass of wine in one hand. “Meet Dark Ruler Ha Des!” (2450/1600)

“If you think you can benefit from your face-down monster’s effect, forget it! Thanks to my Ruler, any monster my Fiends destroy by battle has their effect negated!”

Bonetail narrowed his eyes. He had sensed something was wrong earlier, but it was only now that the reek made itself known.

“Ha Des, attack his useless hidden monster!” The Dark Ruler unleashed a stream of dark lightning bolts. Ojama Blue appeared on the card before it was incinerated.

“Gorz, lay the smackdown on him!” The Emisarry of Darkness attacked Bonetail with its blades, the demon roaring his frustrations.

B: (700)…………….A: (6500)

Even though his body’s heart wasn’t pumping, blood was seeping through Bonetail’s disguise and dripping to the ground.

Ichiro noticed this with great concern. “Ah man, what’s going on here?” He asked. “A hologram shouldn’t be able draw blood like that…”

“This is embarrassing,” Al said, crossing his arms. “Where is this so-called challenge you were supposed to give me?”

“I’d be able to give it to you…” Bonetail began, reaching into his armor, pulling out the same dagger he tried to attack Uriel with before. In one motion, he flung it at Al.

The spriggan raised his right arm instinctively in defense. The dagger didn’t cut skin at all; rather, it wrecked the sleeve of his suit. But that’s not all it did…

“…if you weren’t defiling this duel with your ANTICS!”

Al’s mechanical card holder wasn’t just exposed; it was also damaged by the strike.

Ichiro could see the device as clear as day now. “I KNEW IT! You’ve been cheating all this time, even when I was dueling against you!”

Al was really ticked. “Do you know how many cards I had to hock to pay for this suit, you son of a bitch?”

“Quite a few, I’m sure. I bet you had to squander a lot of your stolen supplies to pay for your means of twisting the rules in your favor…”

Al’s eyes narrowed as he took the now useless device off. “Alright, alright, so you exposed me. I doubt I’ll need any more of the cards from there, anyway, not while I’m one turn away from utterly crushing you.”

“I’ve heard many a duelist make that claim, and each one met their makers soon after. If I were you, I’d drop the charades and continue with this duel.”

“Fine, it’s your funeral. Make your move.”

Bonetail drew his next card. He was now thankful he had set Ojama Blue during his previous turn and not another beast in hand. He set said monster and the card he had drawn, which appeared in his Spell zone. “That’s all for now.”

“Oh, ‘That’s all’ is right on the money,” Al replied, actually drawing a card from his deck.

“Ha Des, attack his last defender!” The Dark Ruler unleashed another lightning strike.

“If you think you’re going to get away with this,” Bonetail exclaimed in retaliation, chaining his face-down card, “you think wrong! I activate Forbidden Chalice!”

Al was dumbstruck. “But…why? You can only use that on one of my monsters!”

“Exactly,” Bonetail replied, “more specifically, on your Dark Ruler.” Ha Des’s attack rose to 2850 as the bolts arced towards the set monster. Nimble Momonga appeared on the set card before exploding.

“While Ha Des grew stronger thanks to my Chalice, his effect was negated, which means the effect of mine goes off without a hitch.”

His Life Points rose by 1000, and he took the other Nimble Momonga from his deck, setting them face-down on the field.

“Quit delaying the inevitable! Gorz, move in to attack!” The Emissary of Darkness ripped through one of the two remaining flying squirrels, destroying it with ease.

“Another 1000 Life Points for me,” Bonetail commented. “Looks like I’m back in the game.”

“It’s not going to matter,” Al replied. “Your Chalice expires at the end of my turn, meaning I’ll have a clear shot at your Life Points on my next one.” He waved a hand to end his turn.

B: (2700)…………….A: (6500)

Bonetail drew a card, and automatically activated it. “I play Pot of Avarice.”

He took Ojama King, Ojama Knight, Snipe Hunter, and the two destroyed Nimble Momonga, adding the effect monsters to his deck, while placing the Fusions back in the Extra deck. “Looks like your Trap from earlier ended up being a waste of time.”

“Shut up and move!” Al yelled.

“No need to rush your demise,” Bonetail replied, drawing two new cards, one of them being another monster acquired earlier in the day.

“I activate Ojamandala. It may cost me 1000 Life Points, but it allows me to revive a trio that hates to say goodbye.”

In a flash, the three Ojamas appeared on the demon’s field in defense mode. (0/1000 x3)

B: (1700)…………….A: (6500)

“Next, I flip-summon my remaining Nimble Momonga!” The flying squirrel appeared. (1000/100)

“After that…” Bonetail’s Field slot opened, and he inserted Ojama Country. The miniature huts of the Ojamas’ village appeared all around the field.

“With this in play, and since I control at least one Ojama monster, the stats of every monster on the field are swapped.” All creatures in play began to feel a little queasy as the spell took effect. All the Ojama monsters received a boost (1000/0), while Nimble Momonga, Gorz and Ha Des felt their attacks drop. (100/1000, 2500/2700, 1600/2450)

Now I summon yet another new weapon in my arsenal – Junk Synchron!” A portly mechanical warrior with gleaming orange armor appeared, revving the motor engine strapped to its back. (1300/500 > 500/1300)

“While I can’t use his ability since my field is full, I’m far more interested in the Synchro summon.”

Junk Synchron became three gleaming rings, which quickly surrounded Nimble Momonga. The flying squirrel turned into two stars, which merged with the three rings.

“Junk Warrior, it’s your moment of glory!” Another robotic entity appeared, and this one was larger and more defined than the previous. It had purple armor, and one of its arms was bulkier, as if it was used more often than the other. (2300/1300 > 1300/2300)

“You’re such an idiot,” Al commented. You may have gotten out a Synchro monster, but its stats are pathetic thanks to this freaking village of yours.”

“Not necessarily,” Bonetail replied. “When it’s Synchro-summoned, it gains a boost equal to the total attack points of all level 2 or lower monsters I control.”

Al gasped. “Wait a second…thanks to your Field Spell…”

“Each of my Ojamas has 1000 attack points,” Bonetail continued. “You can do the math, can’t you?” Junk Warrior raised its larger arm, taking in the extra points. (4300/2300)

“Junk Warrior, attack his Dark Ruler, now!” Junk Warrior’s back-mounted engines ignited, and it flew in for its assault. It gave Ha Des a tremendous uppercut, and he dropped his wine glass. As it shattered, the once proud demon exploded.

B: (1700)…………….A: (3900)

“So much for him,” the demon commented. “End turn.”

“This is far from over!” Al replied, drawing for his turn. He had nothing in hand that could destroy Junk Warrior, while Gorz wasn’t strong enough to face him. There was no choice but to switch the Emissary of Darkness to defense mode. He waved a hand to end his turn, a scowl on his face.

Bonetail drew again. The card would be useful, but not at the moment.

“Junk Warrior, get rid of Gorz!” The Synchro charged in again, delivering another devastating uppercut. Everyone present could hear Gorz’s neck snapping from the impact. He collapsed before shattering.

“That’s the way!” Ichiro cheered. “Show that little cheater how it’s supposed to be done!”

“Who’s on the run, now?” Bonetail asked, laughing.

“You will be, once I’m through with you…” Al drew a card, and grinned when he saw what it was. While he was unable to access the cards from his secret weapons, that didn’t mean he didn’t have copies of said cards in his actual deck…

“You’re not leaving me with many options. Since I can’t use my hidden cards, I’ll just have to settle with using yours…”

Ghostly apparitions of the three Fiends destroyed during the duel appeared behind him. They cried out as their souls were sucked out of their bodies. As the ghosts vanished, the energy collected combined into a single entity.

“I remove three Fiend-types from my Graveyard to bring forth my Ace in the hole - Dark Necrofear!”

The entity exploded into a ball of black energy, and a new figure emerged from it. She was like a demonic mannequin, with blue skin, jagged armor plating, and a deformed doll in her clutches. (2200/2800 > 2800/2200)

“Ew…” Ichiro shuddered. “She’s never a pretty sight.” He freaked out a little when the Fiend stared right at him.

“Your Field Spell actually benefits my living doll,” Al commented, “which means I’ll have a bigger cushion after she attacks!”

Dark Necrofear diverted her gaze to Junk Warrior before laser-like energy fired from her eyes. Junk Warrior was barely able to dodge the attack before charging in with his own. His punch gored the female Fiend, and she gave a shrill scream before shattering.

B: (1700)…………….A: (2400)

“When she is destroyed by a card you control, she equips herself to one of your monsters!” The shattered remains turned into black tendrils of energy, and they quickly overtook Junk Warrior. The Synchro monster gagged and held its throat, eventually going limp.

“At the end my turn, the monster you deem as your secret weapon becomes mine!” With a wave of his hand, Junk Warrior floated over to his side of the field. “Your pathetic Ojamas are next.”

“I don’t think so,” Bonetail replied, drawing for his turn. “While losing my Junk Warrior may be seen as a setback, I already had a backup plan.”

Al narrowed his eyes, gritting his yellowed teeth. “Don’t kid around with me! You can’t possibly bring out something stronger than this!”

“You don’t think so?” The demon asked, playing Polymerization. The three Ojamas were sucked up into a vortex, and Ojama King flew out of it. (0/3000 > 3000/0)

“If you honestly believe that big lummox can save you, you need to have your head examined! My Junk Warrior is still stronger!”

Bonetail ignored this comment. “I activate the other effect of Ojama Country. By discarding an Ojama card from my hand, I can special-summon an Ojama monster from the Graveyard.”

He ditched Ojama Red, and Ojama Black reappeared on his side of the field. (0/1000 > 1000/0)

“Bringing out another monster for the slaughter?” Al laughed.

“You said I ‘couldn’t possibly get out another monster that was stronger than Junk Warrior?’”

The demon flipped around one of the remaining cards in hand – Ojamuscle.

Al’s eyes contracted as his skin paled. “Oh no…”

Bonetail played the card, and Ojama Black and the Ojama tokens blew up. Their essences were absorbed by Ojama King.

“Four Ojama monsters destroyed means my King gains 4000 attack points…” Ojama King flexed his muscles threateningly. (7000/0)

“…and you lose 300 Life Points for each Ojama token that was destroyed.”

Al felt three pops around him, but he was focused on the demon in front of him. “It can’t be…”

“But it is. Ojama King, FINISH HIM!” The overly-obese Ojama leapt into the air, crashing down on top of the Synchro monster and utterly crushing it.

B: (1700)…………….A: (0)

Ichiro pumped up his fist. “Alright, you got him!”

Al dropped the cards in his hand as he fell to his knees. “Impossible…I had this duel in the bag…and you had to come back from behind and ruin everything…”

“It’s only fitting,” Bonetail began, walking towards his opponent, “that a cheat like you gets cheated out of what you considered yet another victory.” He yanked Al’s duel disk from his arm, removing the deck. “I’ll be taking this, as well as the one you took from him.”

The spriggan snarled before reaching into his suit, producing Ichiro’s deck. Bonetail took it before handing it off to the teen.

“You go on ahead,” the demon said. “I’ll meet you back where I saw you before. I have one more piece of business to take care of.”

“You got it,” Ichiro replied. As he took off, he didn’t notice the clouds above them growing darker.

“I’m not through with this!” Al stated. “I’ll put together another deck, fix up my mechanical helper, and continue on with my trade. This defeat means nothing! You hear me, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!”

Before the spriggan could say anything else, he was lifted into the air by an unseen force. He waved his limbs frantically, but to no avail.

“The only thing here that means nothing is your pathetic existence. It’ll be a joy to remove your stench from this already wretched plane!” Bonetail’s curse went to work, sucking the life out of its latest victim. The demon absorbed his soul like all the others, breathing a sigh of relief as the darkness vanished.

The ceremony complete, Bonetail proceeded to look through Al’s deck. “Well, it’s not exactly what I envisioned, but this is definitely an improvement. I can finally discard these gods-forsaken Ojamas and start fresh.”

He made a mental note to return to Sector Black before returning his attention to the soulless spriggan. “While your contribution will help complete my quest in a more timely fashion, your overall involvement will not be that memorable…”

One crushed skull later, the demon exited the alley, new deck in tow.

“Now, about my original target…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel: So I have a better idea of what Bonetail used to be. I just need to figure out what he is and where he is now. Thankfully, I got a call from Lady Melissa. One of her brothers is coming to Neo Domino on some embassy visit, and promised to spare some time afterward to have a little chat with me. But he won’t divulge crucial information without making me prove myself…

I’ll be more than happy to oblige…

Next time: “Dark Crusader”

[mario72486]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9: Dark Crusader

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dracoliches are created from evil dragons through powerful necromantic magics. Essentially, it involves the dragon dying and then taking over its own corpse. It also gains a vessel called a phylactery, or soul jar, in which its spirit is stored. The soul continues to exist even after the destruction of the body, and can only be killed by the destruction of the phylactery itself…”

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about it,” Uriel said to himself, reading the book he had borrowed from Kesto’s store. “That’s what I saw Shichiro force out of corpse Bonetail stole…”

It was a gorgeous day in Neo Domino, and the Israeli had taken the chance to enjoy the sites. He was in one of the city’s many parks. He was sitting as at one of the many benches dotted across the area. This one was next to a fountain, with a statue of Water Omotics as the centerpiece.

But this wasn’t merely a random stop to relax and read. A few days after the lycanthrope incident at Kesto’s, Uriel had received a call from Lady Melissa of the Shadow Spawn. The two had kept in touch since his venture into the Pit of 100 Trials, and he made sure to let her know that Bonetail was still alive and kicking, in a manner of speaking.

This most recent chat revealed that one of her three brothers was currently in Neo Domino for a special meeting. She didn’t get specific on who else was involved, but what mattered was the fact that he promised to take the time and see him. He was advised to meet this brother over by the fountain around 1pm.

The time came by, and Uriel noticed a tall man in a black suit with a suitcase coming his way. He had jet-black hair, and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes.

“Are you Uriel?” He asked.

The Israeli stood up. “Yes I am. And you must be Lady Melissa’s brother.”

The man nodded. “My name is Vladimir. I am the oldest of the Shadow Spawn.”

Uriel gave a bow of respect. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

Vladimir grinned. “The honor is mine. I wish I had the chance to properly introduce myself those years ago, but I think this more than makes up for it.” He set his suitcase next to the bench before sitting down. “So, Bonetail is back in business.”

“Unfortunately,” Uriel replied. “He caught me by surprise a few weeks ago, but I don’t think he was at full strength. I was able to beat him again, but he still tried to take my soul.”

“That bastard has always been a nasty piece of work,” Vladimir mused. “I doubt taking your soul that way would have added to his new total, so that attack was probably out of spite more than anything else.”

The Israeli put a hand to his heart. “Tell me about it. If it wasn’t for the Shadowchasers, I’d be dead right now.”

“I actually met with him and the other Shadowchasers based here,” Vladimir said. “My siblings and I have already pledged our support for the organization, and we’re contributing what we can into this investigation.”

“Wouldn’t it have made more sense to meet with the group’s leader?” Uriel asked.

“I would have, but he’s been busy with other problems as of late. However, with Bonetail in such a weakened state, I’m guessing he’s still in Satellite trying to regain his strength and magic. It’s probably best if the investigation was kept at a local level before people begin to panic.”

“I’ve been able to dig up a little information on what he was originally,” Uriel stated, “but when he escaped the second time, he left that corpse behind. I’m sure Shichiro put out a bulletin to prevent future thefts, but that can only do so much.”

“Yes,” the Shadow Spawn said. “That only safeguards those beings properly buried. With the shape Satellite is in right now, even after the merging, there’s a good chance he has already found another body to inhabit.”

Uriel sighed. “That’s just terrific. He could be anywhere…and anything. I bet he’s working to get his soul count up to 1000 right now. I have to find him…and stop him before his powers are back to normal…”

The Shadow Spawn crossed his arms and took on a more serious demeanor. “I know you’re determined to hunt for him, but I’m afraid I personally won’t be of much assistance. However…I know of someone who just might be…”

“And who would that be?” Uriel asked.

“Look, simply giving you the information is dangerous enough. You were lucky to survive your first confrontation with Bonetail. If you go out there looking for him, and he finds out, your luck may just run out. I don’t want to be signing your potential death certificate.”

The Israeli looked even more determined than before. “I appreciate the concern, and I know the risks involved, but if I don’t take the initiative, who will?

Vladimir sighed. “If you really want this information…you’re going to have to duel me for it.”

Uriel never had the chance to duel Melissa all those years ago, due to his injuries after his Pit expedition, but going up against her eldest brother?

He was invigorated.

“You’re on,” he replied.

The Shadow Spawn nodded. “Very well, then.” He opened his suitcase and pulled out a duel disk made of black metal with gold trim. A somewhat faded deck was already loaded in it.

“I’m going to warn you,” Vladimir began, as he strapped the disk to his arm, “this deck was originally constructed by my mother. It wasn’t the one she used against the Three Heroes, but it was formidable enough for her personal use.”

“The Shadow Queen used it?” Uriel asked, stepping back to make room for the coming duel. “Isn’t that a little dangerous, carrying around something that belonged to her?”

“There’s no need to worry as far as that is concerned,” the Shadow Spawn replied as he activated his disk. “It has long since been purified of all her negative energies. It has been heavily rebuilt, as well, and honed into something far more impressive than I doubt even she could have imagined.”

Uriel felt a little better, but not by much. “…if you say so.” He activated his own disk, intent on giving a good showing. “You can go first. Bring it on.”

Uriel: (8000)…………….Vladimir: (8000)

“I fully intend to,” Vladimir stated, drawing a sixth card. He looked over his options, and then activated a Magic card.

“I’ll start with a little something called Dark Dragon Ritual.” A black vortex appeared above the field, purple lightning shooting out of it.

“For this to work, I must offer up 4 stars or more worth of monsters from my hand. With a deck like this, however, I only need one card.”

He quickly discarded said card, and a shadowy figure dropped out of the vortex. It was a warrior of sorts, wearing black armor with a dark blue cape. It looked back to Uriel with bright red eyes. (1900/1200)

“Meet Knight of Dark Dragons, but he won’t be staying for long.”

Before Uriel could even say anything, the Knight exploded in a ball of black fire.

“During my Main Phase, I can sacrifice my Knight to bring out a specific monster.”

The fire grew to enormous proportions, and a sinister-looking dragon emerged from it. Its black skeletal body and blood-red eyes made it clear what it was. (2400/2000)

“Red Eyes Black Dragon…” Uriel stated in awe.

He had read about the escapades of Joey Wheeler and the Red-Eyes he packed within his unique deck, but he had never actually seen one in person. The card itself was extraordinarily rare; nowadays one could consider himself lucky to own even a single copy.

“I can see you’re impressed,” Vladimir said. “Since it was brought out through the effect of my Knight, he’s unable to attack. But thanks to this card, I can still knock you down a peg.”

He played the card, and Uriel’s eyes widened as the Red-Eyes charged up a large ball of fire in its mouth.

“Go, Inferno Fire Blast!”

The dragon unleashed the namesake attack, and it exploded just in front of the Israeli. He cried out as the wave of heat hit him hard.

“This card deals damage equal to the original attack power of my Red-Eyes.”

U: (5600)…………….V: (8000)

“Damn it…” Uriel muttered. “What a way to start off a duel…”

“I try my best,” Vladimir replied, setting his remaining card. It appeared on the field as a face-down monster. “I’ve exhausted my resources, so let’s see what you can do.”

“Let’s see, indeed…” Uriel drew his sixth card and checked his full hand. It wasn’t overly impressive, but he knew he would have to manage.

He set a monster and two face-down cards before waving a hand.

“Disappointing,” Vladimir mused, drawing a card. “Red-Eyes, attempt to take out his monster, would you?” The dragon roared its response, unleashing its true attack.

The face-down card exploded, but revealed itself to be one of Uriel’s two copies of Gellenduo. (1700/0)

“Heh, this is the same monster you started off with when you faced Bonetail.”

Uriel nodded. “They’ve never let me down before, and they haven’t this time. Unless you drew another copy of Inferno Fire Blast, you won’t be getting rid of them.”

The Shadow Spawn grinned. “Luckily for you, I didn’t. I will be placing what I drew face-down, though.” He set it behind his dragon before passing his turn.

Uriel drew his next card, and grinned at what it was. “So you read up on my duel in the Pit, eh? Then I guess you’ll remember me playing this guy next!” Asura Priest appeared, holding a trio of daggers in each of his six arms. (1700/1200)

“Go after the face-down monster first!” The Spirit monster flung his daggers, cutting through the face-down card with little effort. Morphing Jar appeared briefly before disintegrating.

“No wonder you didn’t care about using up your opening hand,” Uriel muttered. He discarded his three cards before drawing another five.

“I work with whatever the deck provides me,” Vladimir replied, as he drew his five.

“Did it provide you with something to protect your Red-Eyes? My monster can attack every monster on your field once, you know.” Asura Priest materialized another set of daggers and hurled them.

“That’s suicide…unless…”

“That’s right - I have something to cut your dragon down to size!” One of his two face-down cards lifted. “Go, Shrink!”

The Red-Eyes was surrounded by black energy as its attack power dropped (1200/2000), right before it was skewered by the flying daggers. The many dismembered pieces shattered as they hit the ground.

U: (5600)…………….V: (7500)

“At least that big bugger is gone,” the Israeli sighed. His Gellenduo appeared to create a pair of pompoms and started waving them around like cheerleaders.

“Gone, but not forgotten,” Vladimir replied, activating his set card. “I play Red-Eyes Spirit!”

In a flash, his dragon reappeared out of the Trap card, clearly ticked off about what had happened to it.

“Ah…crap…” Uriel stammered. His twin pixies dropped their pompoms and grabbed each other in utter terror.

“My Trap let me revive one ‘Red-Eyes’ monster from my graveyard after it has been destroyed, ignoring any special-summoning requirements. It seems you’ve wasted a number of your resources for no reason at all.”

“Maybe, but your Morphing Jar gave me another hand to work with.” Uriel set one more card. “I end my turn.” Asura Priest returned to his hand.

“You’re not the only one with a fresh bag of tricks.” Vladimir added a sixth card to his hand, and then fit one of them into his disk. “I activate Future Fusion, sending fusion-material monsters to my graveyard.”

Uriel was shocked. “You’re not thinking about bringing out…”

“…F.G.D.?” The Shadow Spawn finished. “While it represents the same element as I, I would have to be crazy to. It is not a dragon for the faintest of heart, or for the weak in spirit. It will literally tear your soul apart if you’re unable to control its power. That is why you see so few duelists with it these days.”

The Israeli breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, since that’s not what you have in mind, what is?”

“You’ll find out in a couple of turns,” Vladimir replied. “I will say this, though – the fusion requires two monsters.” He searched his deck for the two in question and discarded them.

“I can’t get past your Gellenduo just yet, so I’ll set these on the field for now…” Three face-down cards appeared.

“…and while I’m at it, I’ll activate the ability of another of my dragons.”

Uriel was confused. “Wait…what do you…”

It was then that he realized what Vladimir meant. “You’re talking about what you discarded to summon your Knight, aren’t you?”

“You catch on quick,” the Shadow Spawn replied. A phantasmal image of a dragon reminiscent of his Red-Eyes, albeit smaller, appeared behind him.

“This is Red-Eyes Wyvern. During the end phase of a turn when I didn’t normal summon a monster, I can remove it from play to special-summon, guess who?”

In an instant, a second Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared next to the first. Both of them licked their chops, eyeing Gellenduo as a kid would eye an ice cream sundae.

“Double the fun…” the Israeli murmured. “But I think you revealed your hand a bit too early.”

Vladimir raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“There’s only one reason why another Red-Eyes was in your graveyard – it’s one of the material monsters for the Fusion you plan to bring out. There is only one creature I can think of that specifically calls for it…”

“…and you can be sure that I can take care of it.”

“A bold claim,” Vladimir said, “considering I have you on the defensive right now.” He waved a hand to end his turn.

“You’d be surprised how quickly I can bounce back in a critical situation,” Uriel replied, drawing for his turn. “Here’s an example!”

His twin pixies vanished into pixels, offered up for Darklord Desire. (3000/2800)

“I activate Desire’s special ability,” the Israeli declared, dropping his monster’s attack power down to 2000, “sending one of your dragons packing!”

Desire slashed with his sword, and a blade of energy cut through the Red-Eyes most-recently summoned to the field. It gave a shrill shriek before dissipating.

“You may have gotten rid of one,” Vladimir stated, “but Desire is now too weak to do battle with the other.”

“Then someone else will have to pick up the slack!” Uriel activated one of his face-downs – Call of the Haunted.

“Here’s the first monster you made me discard for Morphing Jar. Athena, arise!” The goddess emerged, brandishing her pike. (2600/800)

“I’m far from finished. I activate her own special ability, offering up Desire as the sacrifice.” Desire vanished, and a vortex of energy appeared on the ground.

“Now I can special summon another Fairy from the graveyard.” Uriel’s ornate Fairy, with crescent-shaped arms and silver armor, appeared in all her splendor.

“Welcome back, Tualatin.” (2800/2500)

“Very impressive,” Vladimir mused.

“Thanks. I think you’ll be more impressed by their battling skills. Athena, you’re up first!”

The goddess hurled her pike at Vladimir’s dragon.

“And it’ll be for naught!” The Shadow Spawn sprung his Trap - Mirror Force. A reflective barrier appeared before his Red-Eyes to protect it.

“Or so you think!” Uriel chained his other face-down. “I activate Trap Jammer in response!”

The Counter-Trap went to work, nullifying the barrier just enough for the pike to fly through it. The Red-Eyes was impaled, and went into its death throes before shattering.

“You’ve done it, now!” Vladimir yelled, activating his second face-down. “I chain Red-Eyes Burn to my monster’s destruction!” A far larger dragon made of fire appeared behind him, unleashing a literal firestorm onto the battlefield.

“With my Red-Eyes destroyed, this Trap inflicts damage equal to its original attack power to both players…or in this case, JUST YOU!”

He chained his remaining face-down, Barrel Behind the Door.

“Ah sh…” Uriel was cut off by the sheer force of the effect damage. He cried out in agony, as it felt like he was being roasted alive.

U: (800)…………….V: (7300)

“I was hoping to wait until you had taken a little more damage,” Vladimir said, “but you left me with no other choice.”

Uriel could remember the last time he had felt so much pain. It was against Bonetail, himself. He knew the Shadow Spawn was not pulling any punches, even in a duel where there was nothing truly serious on the line.

“I’m…not done yet…” The Israeli growled in retaliation. “Tualatin, sic ‘im!” The other Fairy monster fired a ball of energy, hitting Vladimir with impressive force of its own. It was enough to knock him to the ground.

U: (800)…………….V: (4500)

Vladimir laughed as he got back to his feet. “That’s what I want to see from you. That’s the driving force that allowed you to beat Bonetail in the first place. Push a little more, and you may just pull off that upset you mentioned.”

Uriel set two cards on his field. “Just…move…”

The Shadow Spawn gave a cough as regained his serious composure. He drew a card and considered his options.

“Future Fusion still has a turn to go…but why wait that long? I activate Dragon’s Mirror!”

He played the Magic card, and two transparent dragons appeared - his Red-Eyes, and another with a purple head, wings and limbs, and what appeared to be the body of a meteorite.

Uriel gasped. “Hold on…that’s not Summoned Skull!”

“By removing my material monsters from play, I can fusion summon my beast right away!”

The two dragons merged together, and the end result was truly grotesque. If Red-Eyes was the skeleton, the other monster, Meteor Dragon, provided the rest of the body. It was pure muscle, with purple skin and throbbing red arteries. Red runes covered its neck and stomach, and seemed to glow with an eerie resonance. As it roared, steam poured out of its mouth.

“Meet the embodiment of hellfire, Meteor Black Dragon!” (3500/2000)

Uriel was dumbstruck. He now felt like sticking his foot in his mouth for the comment he had made earlier. He was expecting Black Skull Dragon, but this alternate fusion was even more powerful and menacing.

He now wished he was facing down Black Skull Dragon, instead…

“Meteor Black Dragon, attack Athena with your Armageddon Blast!” The behemoth coughed up a monstrous flaming meteorite, and it was sent straight at the goddess.

“Not gonna happen!” Uriel called out, activating a Trap - Heaven’s Judgment - and searching his deck. “I send Darklord Superbia to the graveyard to destroy your dragon!”

“In response, I chain My Body as a Shield from my hand!” Vladimir played the Quick-Play Magic card. “I spend 1500 Life Points to negate your Trap!”

Uriel growled, chaining his other face-down. Then I have no choice but to play Mystic Wok!” Athena vanished right before the meteorite struck her.

“By sacrificing Athena, my Life Points go up equivalent to her attack power.” He felt slightly revitalized, but he knew what was coming next.

“Since one of my targets left play,” Vladimir stated, “the battle restarts. Take out Tualatin!” Meteor Black Dragon unleashed a second meteorite. This one struck home, obliterating Uriel’s other Fairy.

U: (2700)…………….V: (3000)

“This is turning out to be a closer match than I anticipated,” the Shadow Spawn mused. “I end my turn.”

Uriel was quickly running out of options. He didn’t have anything in his hand to take care of the Meteor Black Dragon, and what he drew wasn’t of much help, either.

He set a monster and a face-down card before passing his turn.

Vladimir drew for his turn. “Two turns have elapsed since Future Fusion was played. Now I can bring out my other Meteor Black Dragon!”

The ground seemed to erupt, and a second behemoth, just as big and hideous as the first, emerged with a roar. (3500/2000)

I’ll have my first dragon attack your face-down monster!” Dragon number one fired off its attack, and Nova Summoner appeared briefly before it was incinerated.

“Since it was killed by battle, I can special summon another Light-type Fairy monster with 1500 attack points or less.” Uriel searched his deck and brought out a second Nova Summoner in defense mode.

“Number two, take it out!” The second dragon blew away this fairy as quickly as its counterpart.

“Now I can get something started…” Uriel said to himself, summoning a bronze-skinned angel from his deck. “I summon Shatiel!” (500/2000)

“For each Fairy I have, he boosts the attack and defense of all Fairies on my field by 400 points.” Shatiel glowed brightly. (900/2400)

“A solid wall, but it will not be solid enough.” Vladimir ended his turn without playing any other cards.

“He doesn’t have to be,” Uriel replied, drawing for his turn. “He’s merely here for the kind of summoning not even Bonetail expected when I first faced him.”

He played another card from his hand, and a pink-haired fairy dressed as a psychiatrist appeared. The stats of both monsters increased. (400/1500 > 1200/2300, 900/2400 > 1300/2800)

“I tune Counselor Lily with Shatiel!” Lily turned into three gold rings, which quickly scanned the bronze angel. Shatiel turned into five stars, and the elements merged into one entity.

“A Synchro Summon…” Vladimir gasped.

“Avenging Knight Parshath, you’re up!” The white centaur in blue and gold armor made his appearance known, rearing up on his hind legs. (2600/2100)

“I activate his special ability, switching one of your monsters to defense mode!” Parshath pointed his sword, and the original Meteor Black Dragon was forced to its knees.

“Not only does my Knight cause trample damage, I’m going to boost him up even further!” Counselor Lily appeared behind him.

“Since Lily was used in this Synchro Summon, I can pay 500 Life Points to raise my Knight’s attack power by 1000 until the end of the turn.” Parshath roared its approval as it felt the new wave of energy course through its body. (3600/2100)

“Parshath, unleash your fury and slay the defending dragon!” The Avenging Knight charged in, slashing with his sword. The Meteor Black Dragon shuddered, screeched violently, and finally exploded in a ball of black fire.

U: (2200)…………….V: (1400)

“Just a little more…” Vladimir said to himself as the smoke cleared.

“I set a card and end my turn.” As Uriel placed one of his two cards into his disk, Parshath’s attack power returned to normal.

The Shadow Spawn drew for his turn. “Meteor Black Dragon, attack! Take revenge for your fallen brethren!” The behemoth unleashed another Armageddon Blast.

“I’m ready for you this time,” the Israeli replied, activating his face-down. “Negate Attack!” The purple vortex appeared in front of his Knight, and it easily absorbed the meteorite.

Vladimir adjusted his shades before setting a card behind his monster. “Make your move.”

“Gladly,” Uriel said as drew his next card. “Parshath, switch his dragon to defense!” The Avenging Knight pointed his sword again, and Meteor Black Dragon dropped to its knees.

“Now, attack!” The Fairy took a far different approach this time, cutting the dragon right down the middle. The behemoth screeched briefly before the two bloody slabs fell over to either side. They shattered as they hit the ground.

U: (2200)…………….V: (600)

“I set this face-down and end my turn.” Both monster and duelist were looking a bit more confident than before. They now had their opponent on the ropes.

…Or so he thought, as Vladimir grinned at the sight of what he had just drawn.

“Time to wrap this up,” he said, revealing his face-down card. “First I activate Burial from a Different Dimension, and I’ll use it to return the three dragons I’ve removed during this duel back to my Graveyard.”

He pulled Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Meteor Dragon, and Red-Eyes Wyvern from his pocket and deposited them into his discard slot.

“Now the fun can really begin. I summon Red-Eyes Black Chick.” A red egg appeared on the Shadow Spawn’s field. It quickly hatched, revealing a baby Red-Eyes. It gave a cough as smoke came out of its mouth. (800/500)

“Meet the juvenile form of this deck’s star monster. But it won’t be staying for long. By sacrificing it, I can special summon the original Red-Eyes from my hand!”

The Chick glowed red before growing rapidly in size. By the time the glow dissipated, the Chick had grown up into a full fledged adult. (2400/2000)

“Not bad,” Uriel said, “but it’s still not enough.”

“True,” Vladimir replied. “That’s why I’m sacrificing it so it can evolve to an even more powerful form!” His Red-Eyes began to glow red again, growing even larger.

“I remember all those years ago, when one of the Three Heroes attempted to use this combo in his duel against me. He wasn’t able to complete that final evolution, but perhaps his spirit will allow me to…”

The end result was a far greater behemoth than even Meteor Black Dragon. It had grown more spikes on its body, while its arms were replaced by gigantic scaly wings. Its trademark red eyes were a darker shade than its predecessor. It gave a screech as it extended its wings to their impressive full length.

“Behold, Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!” (2400/2000)

“Wow…” Uriel gaped. “How often does a duelist manage to have all three component cards in their hand at the same time?”

“It’s been done before, and apparently it has, now. By your expression, I’m sure you’re aware of my dragon’s ability. For every dragon in my Graveyard, Red-Eyes gains 300 attack points.”

Phantasmal dragons appeared behind him; all three original Red-Eyes, Red-Eyes Black Chick, Red-Eyes Wyvern, Meteor Dragon, and both Meteor Black Dragons. They turned to pure energy, which was quickly absorbed by the Darkness Dragon. It received this extra power with a great deal of enthusiasm. (4800/2000)

“Red-Eyes, finish the game!” The Darkness Dragon exhaled a large stream of black fire.

“I’m not through yet!” Uriel shouted, activating his face-down. “I play Battle Tuned!” Counselor Lily appeared behind him.

“By removing a Tuner monster from the game, I can transfer her attack power to my Knight!” Lily vanished, and Parshath gained a boost. (3000/2100)

“It’s not enough to save it!” Vladimir retaliated. He was right, as the Avenging Knight was finally defeated, vaporized by the black fire.

U: (400)…………….V: (800)

“Once again, I’ve exhausted my resources,” the Shadow Spawn stated. “And you’re down to your last draw. Unless you get a defending monster, you’re going down next turn.”

“We’ll see about that.” Uriel drew a card, but played it immediately. “It’s not a monster, but it’ll lend me a hand. I activate Pot of Avarice.”

He chose the two Nova Summoners, Avenging Knight Parshath, Shatiel, and Gellenduo, shuffled them back into his deck.

“Come on…I need something to turn this back around…”

“Come on…” Vladimir said to himself. “Show me that inner spirit that brought you this far…”

After hesitating for a brief moment, Uriel drew two cards.

“Why hello there,” he said to one of them.

“With four Fairies in the Graveyard, I can special summon this!” A column of white light erupted from the ground, and Archlord Kristya emerged from it. (2800/2300)

“Very nice,” Vladimir said, “but she pales in comparison to my Darkness Dragon.” His beast seemed to laugh as smoke and fire bellowed from its jaws.

“Maybe not, but thanks to her special ability, I can retrieve someone who can take care of it.”

A certain Fairy slipped out of his discard slot, and Uriel added it to his hand.

“What are you-” The Shadow Spawn’s eyes widened. “Oh no…”

“…and I can sacrifice Kristya to bring it out!”

The Archlord vanished, and Darklord Desire instantly took her place. (3000/2800)

“Like before, I lower his attack by 1000 to send your monster to the graveyard!”

As Desire’s attack dropped to 2000, he fired off his ability. Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon was immediately eradicated.

“That’s the way…” the Shadow Spawn said softly. While he was proud of what had transpired, he was not looking forward to what was about to happen…

“You have nothing left. Desire, END THIS!” The Darklord slashed with his sword, and this time Vladimir felt the full impact. Unlike last time, he was knocked onto his back.

U: (400)…………….V: (0)

“Ouch…” Vladimir muttered, sitting up and holding his back.

As the holograms vanished, Uriel walked over. “Are you alright?” He asked, offering a hand.

“I’ve felt better,” the Shadow Spawn replied, taking the hand and helped to his feet. “But I have to admit, this duel went far better than I expected. You took everything I threw at you and tossed it right back. It’s that kind of resolve I was looking for.”

The Israeli smiled. “I’m glad I was able to meet your expectations.”

“In any case, you’ve more than proven yourself.” Vladimir reached into his suit and pulled out an envelope.

Uriel received it and opened it. Inside were two items – a business card of sorts, and a Duel Monsters card.

He eyed the Duel Monsters card first. “Hey, where did this come from?”

“Consider it another gift from Melissa to help you on your way,” Vladimir replied.

The Israeli read the effect, but the card still sent shivers down his spine. “I’ve heard of this card, but…something doesn’t feel right about it …”

“That’s understandable. When my siblings and I were still under our mother’s influence, she had an alternate deck that utilized this and other creatures of the type. When deciding between this deck and another for her final confrontation with the Three Heroes, she went with the latter.

“While the rogue deck was far more powerful, she was unable to control the key creatures. She had since broken it apart, and the cards were purified after we had regained our freedom. She wanted to pass this along to you; seeing as how you use monsters of the same clan, you should be able to make use of it.”

Uriel thought about it for a moment. “Well, every little bit helps, I guess. I’m going to have to rework what I have, though. Perhaps it’s time I give the Seraphims a break…”

After adding the card to his disk, he looked at the business card next. The e-mail address didn’t look out of the ordinary, but the name was written in an unusual language.

“It’s written in Elven,” Vladimir said, “and Ancient Elven at that. It’s his way of ensuring that only trustworthy individuals contact him.”

“He sounds a bit paranoid, if you ask me,” Uriel stated.

“Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t exactly right in the head, and you need to catch him on one of his better days, but his sleuthing abilities are second-to-none.”

The Israeli was still a little skeptical. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it.”

“Let me get a hold of him first. I have good relations with him, and his information-gathering has benefited my siblings and I on many an occasion. Once he has a better idea of who you are and what you’re looking for, I’ll give you the go-ahead to make an appointment.

Uriel gave a bow. “Thank you, again. The more I have to go on, the better my chances of finding that bastard and putting an end to him.”

“I know you’re trying to make this a personal quest,” Vladimir said, “but remember, you are not alone here. We’re all trying our best to aid in the search. Being independent is good to some extent, but depending on those around you is far more beneficial.”

Uriel nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: It would seem that the Sons of Kyuss are stubborn to the core. Another of their agents has made his presence known, and he is not hesitant in initiating a Shadow Game. My new deck has already been proven, but will it stand a chance against the strategy he possesses?

Next Time: “Sinister Serpent”

[Dark Sage]

Uhm, you are aware that Meteor B. Dragon is not a Dark Monster, right? It's a Fire-Attribute Monster. In fact, it's in a three-way tie with Ultimate Obediant Fiend and Evil Hero Malicious Fiend for strongest Fire Monster in the game. It seems a little odd that Vladimir would use it.

Still, Vladimir didn't disappoint. He clearly hasn't lost his touch since "Thousand Year Door". (Red Eyes Burn plus Barrel Behind the Door? Nasty...)

Anyway, keep writing.

[mario72486]

I'm aware that Meteor Black Dragon isn't Dark-type, but that was the point. With Uriel expecting Black Skull Dragon, I wanted Vlad to psyche him out. Besides, MBD is stronger, and I thought it would have a more menacing appearance and impact.

And remember, the deck was originally the Shadow Queen's. Perhaps there were aspects that Vlad chose not to change.

[mario72486]

Thanks to Sage for pointing out some critical errors in the duel. It took a bit of thinking, but I was able to rework it. Perhaps now this chapter will appear to be passable by normal standards...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10: Sinister Serpent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail stepped out of an alleyway, having dumped the body of his latest victim. Ichiro was certainly grateful for having his deck returned to him, but that gratefulness was short-lived, as was what was left of his life. Bonetail was able to overpower him with little effort.

The soul was good enough; but Bonetail was delighted by the fact that the ‘fleshling’ ran cards that could benefit his deck even further. He chose the cards from Ichiro’s deck that he wanted and, like Al had done many times before his own demise, discarded the rest.

Cleaning the blood and brain matter from the bottom of his foot, the demon was getting tired. Obtaining two souls in one day was impressive even by his standards. At the rate things were going, he’d be back up to 1000 in no time.

Then he felt it...

…a sharp pain in his neck…

But he was dead. How could he feel anything?

He reached to his neck and felt some kind of dart embedded in it. He pulled it out, but the damage had already been done. His currently cold body was beginning to warm up.

…not a good thing when one inhabits a corpse.

“How do you like it?” A voice asked.

Bonetail looked up and saw a figure standing on the roof of the building next to him, a blowgun in his hands. This figure wore the same kind of trench coat as the Agents of Kyuss he had come across before, but the hat was different. This one appeared to be made from some kind of gray reptile skin. The Agent leapt off the roof and landed several feet away from the demon.

“Agent S,” he said in introduction. “It’s an honor to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Spare me the pleasantries,” Bonetail replied, his body getting warmer. “What did you hit me with just now?”

“Oh, you mean the specialized botulism toxin I’ve developed?” The Agent asked. “Well, let’s just say that within the hour, that body will be of little use to you. Not only will its muscles completely freeze up, it will begin to decompose at a faster rate than you can control.”

“Bastard…” Bonetail began to say, but the toxin began to take effect, forcing him to catch his proverbial breath.

“You have two options, my friend. You can sit there and rot, forced to leave that body and have your soul captured, or…”

He reached into his coat and pulled out a vial of purple liquid.

“…you can surrender yourself to the Sons willingly, in which case I shall give you the antidote.”

Bonetail chuckled. “You drive a hard bargain, but I don’t like either option. I’m not one who likes to give up without a fighting chance.”

Agent S narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”

“You Sons people are treating this like some kind of hunt. I am no prize to be mounted on someone’s wall, nor am I planning on being a test subject for a mad scientist’s experiments. If you want me to cooperate, you’re going to have to cooperate with me and face me on a level playing field.” He held up his duel disk.

The Agent looked down at the compact disk on his own arm. “You’re suggesting a duel?”

“Yes, provided you’re capable of it. If I win, you fork over that antidote and I go on my way without you bothering me again. If you win, I’ll take you up on that second option of yours.”

S thought for a moment, but quickly activated his disk. “So be it. But I warn you, this will be the last duel you partake in!”

“We’ll see about that,” Bonetail said, his disk coming to life. Above them, the dark skies became darker than before…

Bonetail: (8000)…………….Agent S: (8000)

“The first move is mine,” the Agent hissed, drawing a sixth card. He played it immediately, and a green, two-headed snake emerged, sticking out its twin tongues. (1000/800)

Bonetail was surprised. He was expecting yet another batch of Zombies.

“Meet Venom Serpent. Not much you need to know about this one…at least not yet.” He set two other cards behind his monster. “Over to you.”

Bonetail drew for his turn. The hand wasn’t much, but he already had a way to thin out his deck and increase his chances of drawing into what he needed.

“I bring forth Giant Germ!” What appeared at that moment was, well, essentially what it was called – a giant blob of festering bacteria. (1000/100)

“Skin that serpent!” The Germ raced towards the Agent’s monster, and he made no attempt to stop this attack. The two monsters brawled briefly before they both exploded.

“When my Giant Germ is destroyed as a result of battle, you lose 500 Life Points.”

The Agent grunted as he was enveloped by a cloud of poison.

“In addition, if I have any other copies of the card in my deck, I can special summon them.”

He fetched the cards, and twin bacterial spheres appeared. (1000/100 x2)

“And my battle phase isn’t over…” The two germs charged, and their combined assaults knocked the Agent on his back.

B: (8000)…………….A.S.: (5500)

“You’re not exactly putting up much of a fight,” the demon stated, as he set two face-down cards of his own before passing the turn. His temperature was still rising. If he wanted to retain this body, he had to win as quickly as he could.

“Enjoy this lead while you can,” S responded, drawing for his turn. His Field slot opened, and he added his drawn card to it.

“I activate Venom Swamp!” The scenery around the combatants changed to a murky bog, pools of poisonous liquid quietly bubbling, vapors rising into the air.

“Here’s how it works: at the end of each turn, monsters without ‘Venom’ in their names gain a Venom Counter. They’ll lose 500 attack points for each one they have, and if their attack happens to drop to zero because of this, it’s automatically destroyed. Sound simple enough?”

Bonetail didn’t much like the sound of this, but he nodded.

“Good. With that in mind, I summon Venom Snake.” Another serpent slithered onto the battlefield, with orange and brown stripes – not to mention spikes – running down its back. (1200/600)

“I activate my Snake’s ability. By giving up its ability to attack this turn, I can add a Venom Counter to one of your monsters.”

One of Bonetail’s Giant Germs received this Counter, and although it was already an infectious abomination, it began to look sickly. (500/100)

“I end my turn, which means both of your creatures gain Venom Counters.” At this statement, both Germs were struck by the poison. The Germ that had received one a moment ago exploded.

“Clever,” Bonetail said, drawing a card. “However, without your Field, this pathetic strategy will fall to pieces!” He played Mystical Space Typhoon, obviously targeting the Swamp.

“Not if you can’t destroy it!” S countered, activating one of his face-downs. “I chain Snake Deity’s Command! By revealing a Venom monster in my hand, I can negate your Magic card!” He flipped around a card called Venom Cobra, and the harsh winds of the Typhoon dissipated.

The demon growled. “If I can’t destroy your Swamp, I can at least take out your Snake!” He played a monster, and Archfiend Soldier emerged. (1900/1500)

“Go, my Archfiend, slay his serpent!” The Fiend slashed with his scimitar, and the serpent’s head was lobbed off. The rest of the body shattered.

B: (8000)…………….A.S.: (4800)

“I was hoping you’d do that,” Agent S laughed, revealing his other face-down. “I activate Damage = Reptile! Since I took damage from a battle involving a Reptile monster, I’m able to special summon another Reptile from my deck, provided its attack power is equal to or less than that amount.”

“That’s a fairly small list,” Bonetail commented.

“Perhaps, but what I have in mind doesn’t have attack points at all…at least not right away!”

After searching his deck, he slammed the fetched card onto his disk. A behemoth emerged from the poisonous bog, a Naga-like creature, much similar to the Ophidia. It wore purple robes and a gold Egyptian-style headdress shaped like a cobra.

“Behold, Vennominion the King of Poisonous Snakes!” (0/0)

“Impressive, but even my weakened Giant Germ can defeat it.”

“Didn’t you hear me a second ago? I said he doesn’t have attack points right away, but he gains 500 of them for each Reptile I have in the Graveyard.” Phantasmal images of Venom Serpent and Venom Snake appeared behind the King as his attack strength increased. (1000/0)

“And what’s better, my King is immune to the power of Venom Swamp.”

Bonetail narrowed his eyes. “Since I’m going to lose my Giant Germ this turn, anyway, I may as well get some use out of it!” He waved a hand to signal his creature to attack. Vennominion raised its hand - which in fact was a swirling tendril of snakes - and shot a blast of energy, instantly vaporizing the Germ.

“I may lose 500 Life Points from that stunt, but thanks to my Germ’s effect, so do you.”

Agent S snarled as another cloud of poison covered him. “Thankfully that’s the last time that will happen,” he commented.

B: (7500)…………….A.S.: (4300)

The demon remained stone-faced, despite the fact his arms were becoming difficult to hold up. “I’ll leave things at that.”

Archfiend Soldier became infected by a Venom Counter, and had to use his sword to prop himself up. (1400/1500)

“My King may not be that imposing at the moment,” S said, drawing for his turn, “but that’s about to change…” He played a Magic card. “Go, Snake Rain!”

Thunder struck, but instead of rain, poison fell from the darkened clouds above. It had little effect on either combatant besides drenching them.

“By discarding a Reptile from my hand,” he explained, ditching the Venom Cobra he had revealed earlier, “I can send four other Reptiles from my deck to the Graveyard!”

He fanned out his deck, choosing a Venom Serpent, Venom Snake, and two Gagagigo, and dropped them into his discard slot.

“With five more Reptiles added to the Graveyard total, my King gains an even bigger boost!” Vennominion snarled as his body reacted to the new stimulants. (3500/0)

For the first time this duel, Bonetail looked concerned.

“My King is hungry. Guess who’s going to be the appetizer?” Vennominion lunged towards the Archfiend Soldier.

“Your King will have to starve for now,” Bonetail retaliated, finally activating one of his face-down cards. “I chain Spirit Shield!” The Trap lifted, and the King of Poisonous Snakes was repelled by a purple barrier.

“By removing a Fiend or Zombie-type in my Graveyard from play,” he explained, removing one of his Giant Germs, “your Battle Phase ends immediately.”

S growled. “Fine, your Archfiend survives another round.” He set his last card and ended his turn. The Swamp gave Bonetail’s Soldier another Venom Token, and it grew weaker and weaker. (900/1500)

Bonetail drew a card for his turn, scowling at what it was. He currently didn’t have anything that could come close to beating the Agent’s behemoth.

He set a monster, then switched his Archfiend to defense mode.

“End turn.” Archfiend Soldier gained a third Counter, and he looked just about ready to keel over and die. (400/1500)

“Now who’s the one not putting up much a fight?” S chuckled, drawing a card. “Your poor Archfiend is in so much pain. Allow me to put him out of his misery.” He played a Magic card.

“I activate Venom Shot. First I send another Reptile from my deck to the Graveyard.” He fanned out his deck and ditched a card called Venom Boa.

“Then, a monster on your field gains not one, but two Venom Counters.” The counters were added to Bonetail’s Archfiend, and the withered husk finally disintegrated.

In the meantime, Vennominion grew ever stronger. (4000/0)

“Go, my King! Attack his face-down monster!”

Vennominion fired off a blast of energy, but it was deflected by the Spirit Shield. Bonetail removed his second Giant Germ for the effect.

“You can’t keep dodging my monster forever,” S said. “End turn.”

Bonetail drew for his turn, and flipped the monster he had set previously. “I reveal my Dark Mimic LV1!” An odd-looking beast in the shape of a treasure chest appeared. (100/1000)

“By flipping this face-up, I can draw another card.” He did so, but immediately played it.

“Next I activate Allure of Darkness, drawing two more cards, and then removing one Dark monster in my hand from play.”

He drew the two cards and looked at his hand carefully. He finally decided on one of his monsters and pocketed it.

“I play Monster Reborn, and I’ll use it to revive my Archfiend Soldier.” The Fiend returned, clearly not happy with being poisoned so much.

“Unfortunately, he won’t be sticking around for long. I sacrifice him to bring out something even better.” The Archfiend vanished, and another beast emerged. It had blue skin so dark a shade it could have been mistaken for a shade of black. It wore a sickly purple-colored armor reminiscent of bone, while long gray hair flowed out of the back of a horned helmet.

“I call upon Great Maju Garzett!” (0/0)

“You call that something better?” S asked. “He doesn’t have any attack points.”

“To borrow a phrase you used earlier, ‘not right away.’ He does gain power – in fact, his attack equals twice that of the monster used as a sacrifice.” The Fiend roared as it received its substantial amount of energy. (3800/0)

“Garzett, dethrone his King!” The monster charged.

“You fool, he isn’t strong enough!”

“That’s where my other face-down card comes in,” Bonetail replied, activating the Trap. “I play Bark of Dark Ruler!” The darkness behind him took the shape of Ha Des’s head, and he let out a deep roar of malice.

“When a Fiend-type I control battles, I can pay Life Points in increments of 100 to decrease the attack power of the monster it’s battling. 300 will be just enough.”

Vennominion grew slightly weaker (3700/0). This allowed Great Maju Garzett to connect with a deadly tackle. The King of Poisonous Snakes shattered.

B: (7200)…………….A.S.: (4200)

“Your Ace is gone…” Bonetail murmured.

“But not forgotten!” S retaliated. He waved a hand, and Vennominion reappeared on the field, raging mad. (3500/0)

“What? But…how?”

“As long as there are servants in the Graveyard, their King will survive. Should you manage to destroy him by battle, I can remove a Reptile from play to revive him.” He removed one of his Gagagigos from his duel disk and pocketed it.

“Sure, he comes back slightly weaker, but that will hardly matter in a couple of turns.”

“Damn it all…” The demon growled. “I end my turn.” Dark Mimic LV1 and Great Maju Garzett both gained Venom Counters. The smaller monster shattered, while Garzett took ill. (3300/0)

“I’ve had enough of your evasive tricks,” S said, drawing for his turn. “It’s high-time I put an end to them.” He summoned another copy of Venom Serpent. (1000/800)

“Now you can see his effect, which is just like Venom Snake. Once per turn, I can add a Venom Counter to a monster you control.” Garzett took on a second Counter, and began to cough up a bit of blood. (2800/0)

“Next I reveal my face-down card,” he activated the Trap, “Offering to the Snake Deity!” Venom Serpent shattered.

“By destroying a Reptile I control, two other cards are wiped out!” Bonetail grimaced as his Spirit Shield and Bark of Dark Ruler were obliterated.

“With the Graveyard replenished, my King can provide a different ending to his encounter with your monster!” Vennominion hissed as his attack power returned to its original level (4000/0), and he fired a blast of energy that vaporized Great Maju Garzett.

B: (6000)…………….A.S.: (4200)

Bonetail grunted. He had enough trouble holding up his arms – now there was the problem of trying to move his legs properly.

“You may still have the lead in terms of Life Points, but that won’t last for much longer.” The Agent waved a hand to signal the end of his turn.

The demon drew for his turn, his aggression beginning to get the better of him. He hated being on the defensive, and he had had to be in that position too often lately. Garzett may have been his only out as far as offense went, but he had drawn into something that could deal with Vennominion another way.

He wordlessly set two cards, one in each zone, before waving a hand.

“Oh, so you’re giving me the silent treatment?” S asked, drawing for his turn. “As you wish – Vennominion, attack his defender!”

The King of Poisonous Snakes shot off another blast of energy, destroying the hidden monster.

“Gotcha,” Bonetail said. “You just took out a monster called Newdoria. When it’s destroyed as a result of battle, it takes another creature to the Graveyard with it!” A phantasm of a pink-skinned beast with gangly limbs and spiked armor appeared behind the demon, and it quickly rushed over towards Vennominion.

“Not a chance,” Agent S responded, activating the card in his hand. “My Body as a Shield will prevent your monster’s effect from working!” A barrier appeared in front of his monster, and the phantasm slammed into it, dissipating.

B: (6000)…………….A.S.: (2700)

“Son of a bitch…what is it with most of my opponents running that card?”

“I guess we all use whatever is effective,” the Agent replied. “That’s all for now.”

The demon drew for his turn. He was on the ropes, but knew he’d be able to turn the tide sooner or later.

He set another monster before ending his turn.

“You’re beginning to bore me,” Agent S yawned, drawing a card. “Lay waste to his new defender, will you?” Vennominion responded by incinerating the face-down monster, which was revealed to be a Morphing Jar.

Both combatants discarded the single card in their hands, while drawing five more. Vennominion’s attack power didn’t increase, so Bonetail deduced the Agent’s only card was not a monster.

“With a new hand, there are bold new possibilities…”

“Yes indeed,” Bonetail replied, as a large crimson demon with devilish armor and wings appeared behind him.

“Meet Archfiend of Gilfer. Because he was sent to the Graveyard, I can activate his special ability, equipping him to your serpent.” The winged demon turned transparent and flew right into Vennominion.

“While equipped, your monster loses 500 attack points.” The King looked weakened, but far from defeated. (3500/0)

“This little stunt will get you nowhere,” the Agent said, setting two cards behind his King and ended his turn.

Bonetail drew a card, grinning at what it was. Before he made use of it, he went to the card he had set a few turns ago.

“I activate my face-down.” Bonetail revealed it to be Escape from the Dark Dimension.

“Are you bringing back one of your Giant Germs? What’s the point of that?”

“Not a Giant Germ, but the monster I removed for Allure of Darkness.” In a flash, Dark Ruler Ha Des emerged, laughing maniacally. (2450/1600)

Agent S was taken aback. “I thought you couldn’t special summon that creature!”

“Not from the Graveyard, but since he was removed from play, that little detail means nothing.”

“Maybe not, but your ruler pales in comparison to mine!”

“Not for long,” Bonetail replied, as his Field spell slot opened. “Say sayonara to your Swamp, and hello to Yami!”

“NO!” Agent S growled. His face-down card was of no help in this particular situation, and he watched helplessly as the Swamp vanished, replaced by never-ending darkness.

“An age-old card, but it’s still effective in the right decks. My Fiends benefit with an extra 200 attack points.” Ha Des laughed again as he felt extra power flowing through his veins. (2650/1600)

“Better still, since your Swamp is gone, the negative effects of your precious Venom Counters, if there were any of the field to begin with, are cancelled out.”

“That still isn’t enough!”

“How about now?” Bonetail asked, activating another card. “Shrink will cut your snake’s strength in twain!”

Vennominion groaned as he was surrounded by black energy and his attack power dropped. (1750/0)

“Ha Des, slay his snake for good!” The Dark Ruler launched an orb of black energy.

“Oh no, you don’t!” S yelled, activating another copy of Offering to the Snake Deity. Vennominion was destroyed, as was Ha Des and Escape from the Dark Dimension.

“You destroyed your own monster to take out mine? Are you that afraid of losing more Life Points?”

“Hardly. I have something far bigger in mind!” Agent S revealed his other face-down. “I activate Rise of the Snake Deity!” A purple vortex appeared on the ground between the combatants.

“What the hell is this?!” Bonetail exclaimed.

“Since Vennominion was destroyed, this allows me to special summon someone who more than surpasses him! Arise, ARISE, VENNOMINAGA!”

Out of the vortex came a being much larger and more imposing than Vennominion. Some say this creature represented the goddess the Ophidia worshipped, while others think it embodies their very nightmares. Her body was thirty feet long, with blue and orange scales. Her arms were live snakes - perhaps mambas – as was her hair. Her crimson eyes showed no emotion – the arms provided that, and they were hissing wildly. (0/0)

“My Deity of Poisonous Snakes shares the same ability as Vennominion, gaining 500 attack points for every Reptile I possess in the Graveyard. Because you killed my King, the total is now nine.” Purple energy encircled Vennominaga as her arms seemed to snarl. (4500/0)

Bonetail was intimidated, for sure, but he wasn’t about to show it. He set a card and ended his turn.

Agent S drew a card for his turn, and activated it. “I play Gold Sarcophagus.” The golden casket appeared next to him.

“I’m sure you’re familiar with this card, and how it lets me take any card I want and remove it from play. I’ll be able to retrieve it in two turns.” He searched through his deck and pulled out what he wanted. “I think another Snake Rain will do the trick.” The card was added to the Sarcophagus, and it vanished.

“It will hardly matter, since my Deity is more than strong enough to deal with whatever other monsters you possess.

"But first thing’s first – attack him directly!” The Deity coiled up, then sprang out, her arms ready to deal heavy damage.

“Go, Mirror Force!” Bonetail called, activating his Trap card. A barrier appeared before him to try and stop the assault…

…but Vennominaga didn’t seem to care.

She shattered the barrier with little effort and ensnared Bonetail with her coils. She would’ve squeezed the life out of him – if he was alive. When she was through, she unceremoniously dropped him on his back.

B: (1500)…………….A.S.: (2700)

“How could she have survived that?” Bonetail asked in disbelief, which was a miracle considering how numb his body was feeling.

“Did you honestly think that your pathetic little Trap could harm a goddess?” Agent S laughed. “Her power is so immense, she is immune to any and all card effects, whether they target or not.

Bonetail slowly returned to his feet, despite the toxin reaching a critical point. “Maybe, but I doubt her power is enough to stop me from playing THIS!”

He played one of the cards in his hand, and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness made his presence known. (2700/2500 > 2900/2500)

“What’s more, I bring forth an Emissary of Darkness token, whose power equals that of your so-called Deity!” The female warrior emerged, brandishing her blade. (4500/4500 > 4700/4500)

“It makes little difference,” Agent S said. “And besides, your thinking is flawed. Your token’s strength may beat Vennominaga’s thanks to your Field Spell, but it won’t cause enough damage to win the duel. And besides, she can revive herself by removing one of her servants from the Graveyard, just like Vennominion can.

“And better still…” Vennominaga glowed, and an emblem appeared on her chest.

“When she deals damage, she gains a Hyper-Venom Counter. When she possesses three of these, the duel is mine.”

“That’s not going to happen…” Bonetail snarled.

“Oh, it will, whether you like it or not. Once I retrieve Snake Rain from my Gold Sarcophagus, your soul will belong to the Sons. Just surrender now, and allow me to bring both your soul and stolen body back intact.”

“Never,” Bonetail growled.

“Very well, suit yourself,” the Agent sighed. “Since there’s nothing that can kill my Deity, I don’t even have to play any of my other cards. I’ll let you decide your own fate.”

Bonetail drew a card. It was now or never.

“I play the Beginning of the End!” All of the monsters that had fallen in battle appeared in droves behind him.

“Since I have at least seven Dark-types in my Graveyard, I can remove five of them to draw three new cards.”

He removed his remaining Giant Germ, Archfiend Soldier, Great Maju Garzett, Newdoria, and Dark Mimic LV1, and then drew said three cards. He sneered at the sight of them.

“Game over,” he said evilly, as the darkness around them became even darker.

“Oh really?” Agent S asked. “Prove it.”

“As you wish…” Bonetail activated the first card he drew. “I play Soul Release.”

“Oh…no…” The Agent’s skin grew pale as the blue-skinned goddess appeared.

“I’ll use it to remove five cards from your Graveyard…five Reptiles, that is…”

S was dumbfounded as all three copies of Venom Serpent and both copies of Venom Snake were removed. Vennominaga shared a similar expression as her attack power dropped. (2000/0)

“Next I play Magical Stone Excavation…” He discarded second copies of Bark of Dark Ruler and Yami.

“…and retrieve Soul Release, which I play a second time…”

This time Venom Boa, Venom Cobra, Gagagigo, and finally Vennominion were banished. The Deity of Poisonous Snakes gave a bellow as what was left of her strength dissipated. (0/0)

Bonetail chuckled. “So, what was that you were saying about your Deity being unstoppable? Emissary, FINISH HER!” The female warrior charged, slashing with her sword and slicing the Deity of Poisonous Snakes in two. Both huge slabs spewed blood and venom before finally exploding to bits.

B: (150)…………….A.S.: (0)

“Impossible….” Agent S muttered, dropping to his knees. Before he could say or do anything else, he was lifted into the air by Bonetail’s magic.

“Yet another Son of Kyuss falls. You were a worthy adversary, but in the end, you turned out just like the others who tried to put an end to me…”

S choked for life as his soul was ripped out of him, absorbed by the demon. He dropped the lifeless body and, like his previous victims, crushed its skull.

He knelt down, reached into the Agent’s coat, and grabbed the vial he had shown him earlier. Popping off the cork, he swallowed its contents in a monstrous gulp. Immediately he felt the burning sensations dissipate.

Not wanting to remain exposed for much longer, the demon removed a nearby manhole cover from the street, and climbed his way back down into the sewers to rest.

“That took a bit more out of me than I expected,” he groaned to himself. “But a victory is a victory, no matter the path towards it…”

“These Sons of Kyuss are becoming quite bothersome. If I have to put up with any more of their so-called ‘Agents,’ heads are going to roll…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Half a world away, in a New York City penthouse, a man sat at an elaborate dinner table, enjoying a meal of swordfish and red wine. As he took a sip, he heard a knocking at the door.

“Enter,” the man said in a deep voice.

The door opened, and a figure dressed in similar garb as other Agents of the Sons of Kyuss walked in, bowing.

“Sir, we’ve received confirmation from our life readers. Agent S has fallen.”

The man gave a gruff sigh as he set his glass down. “Unfortunate. That’s the third Agent we’ve lost in less than a month.”

“…And all of them at the hands of that single demon,” the Agent said. “Forgive me for asking this, but why did you decide to let D hand over that Redspawn body to him?”

“Bonetail is an elusive creature,” the man replied. “The fact that he himself is an undead is the reason why I am interested in him. If we can unlock the secrets within his very soul, it will further empower our organization’s abilities to leave a mark on all dimensions. We may have lost some of our own, but they are expendable and easily replaced.”

He reached into his suit and pulled out what looked like a transmitter. On the screen was a bright yellow dot. Widening out the view revealed the target was somewhere in Satellite.

“Besides, it’s not like we don’t know where he is. The beacon we implanted into that body was D’s version of insurance. He may have failed in his mission, but it wasn’t a total loss.”

The Agent gave a cough. “How do you want us to proceed? It’s obvious that demon will continue putting up a fight no matter who we send after him.”

The man thought for a moment. “Perhaps we would have more satisfying results if we…gave him what he wants.”

The Agent raised an eyebrow. “Sir?”

“Get a hold of T and have him sent to me. I’ll discuss the details with him…”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel: Lord Vladimir really delivered for me this time. I’m meeting up with someone he claims is second-to-none when it comes to tracking. At first glance he seems normal, but something tells me there’s more to him than he appears…

Next time: “Combination Attack”

[mario72486]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 11: Combination Attack

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was setting on another eventful day in Neo Domino. Uriel had finished a round of Duel Runner lessons hours before. He was beginning to get a better grasp of the intricacies of turbo duels, but he still had a lot to learn. He was easily trounced by his instructor within twenty laps. While he was told not to be discouraged, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

But this was the least of his concerns at the moment. Lord Vladimir had given him the go-ahead to contact the informant recommended to him. Using the e-mail address on the business card he received, Uriel sent a message regarding his…unique situation. No sooner did he send it did he get a reply with a list of instructions, along with a time and place to meet.

The time: sunset. The place: a restaurant called Scipio’s, located in one of the more ritzy parts of the city. In a twist of irony, the original owner had claimed his ancestry line dated all the way back to Ancient Carthage.

Whether this was true or not remained a mystery.

Humans and Shadows alike frequented the place, enjoying its old-country Italian fare and warm, cozy atmosphere. With business booming, the current owners had been making plans to expand.

As Uriel entered the restaurant, he could instantly see why. Virtually every table and booth was filled to capacity, and there were at least a dozen servers darting back and forth to meet the needs of every customer. With such hustle and bustle, he didn’t know where to start.

“May I help you?” An employee, perhaps the hostess, asked as she approached the Israeli.

Uriel nodded, not sure how to give his question. “You wouldn’t happen to have a…Blue Plate Special, would you?”

The hostess expression changed, becoming more serious. “Come with me.”

Uriel was led away from the busy public restaurant area, through a red curtain-draped doorway. This opened up to a far more private section, with just a handful of tables lit by small candles. These tables surrounded a small dancing area.

Only one of the tables was occupied, by an individual dressed in a dark blue cloak. Before him was a large bowl of gazpacho and a glass of ice water.

“If you need anything, I’ll be out front,” the hostess said, bowing before taking her leave.

Uriel focused his attention on the cloaked figure. “Mr. Nakamura?” He asked.

The figure lifted the hood off his cloak, revealing a light green-skinned being with pointed ears and a head of short black hair. He was a shadow elf, a branch of the Elven race so rare, many believe them to be merely works of fiction. His ice-blue eyes stared back at Uriel like daggers.

“Please, call me Frost,” the elf replied, taking a sip from his soup. “Have a seat.” Uriel sat down, feeling far more uncomfortable than he anticipated. “So, my sources tell me you have a demon problem.”

“It’s not just me,” the Israeli replied. “It could be the entire city, if not more.”

Frost raised an eyebrow. “It can’t be that serious if you’re a new customer. I’ve had other clients come to me with far worse situations on their hands.”

“You don’t understand. This guy could cause a catastrophe if he isn’t caught.”

“Yeah, like I haven’t heard that a thousand times over.” Frost finished the last of his water with a single gulp. “Listen, the only reason I decided to come out of seclusion to meet with you was because I owed Vlad a favor. You have to do better to impress me than to call this ‘problem’ of yours a catastrophe.”

Uriel couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you that dense? I can’t do this alone. If Bonetail isn’t stopped now…”

“…Bonetail?” Frost’s demeanor quickly changed. “But…that’s impossible. I heard his soul was extinguished years ago.”

“I was the one who almost made that happen, but he managed to survive. Are you saying that Lord Vladimir didn’t tell you he’s still out and about?”

“He asked me to hear it straight from you.” Frost carefully moved the half-full soup bowl aside. “Now that you’ve actually gotten to the point, we can get straight to business.” He reached into his cloak and pulled out a notepad. “What do we know about this currently?”

“I do know that he’s back with a vengeance,” Uriel began, “I’m guessing the curse that’s been on him reset itself when I beat him the first time. He tried to kill me…again…but he was stopped by one of the Domino Shadowchasers.”

Frost wrote diligently on the pad. “What happened after that?”

“Well, he got away. That’s the last time I encountered him. I was put in touch with Jaegar from Satellite Security a few days afterward, saying that all cemeteries in the area had been safeguarded with incantations to keep demons from getting in and possessing corpses. If he managed to find another body, it’d have to be someone who met…an unfortunate fate within Satellite, itself.”

“So…he could be anyone…or anything,” Frost stated.

“Unfortunately,” Uriel sighed. “I’ve done a little research on his species, and the only way to truly kill him is to destroy his phylactery, which has also taken on a spiritual form. I’m sure he’s out trying to get his soul count back up to 1000 again. As far as where he is, I haven’t a clue.”

“And this is where you’re asking me to come in,” the shadow elf said. “You want to find out where he is…what kind of body he has possessed, and a surefire way of tracking him down so he can be taken out once and for all.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Uriel nodded.

Frost leaned back in his chair. “Well, I can at least help in some of that regard, but it’s going to cost something extra.”

The Israeli waited for a number.

“800,000 yen, all of it in advance, if you please.”

“Eight hundred…thousand?” Uriel asked, dumbstruck.

“You need to look at it from my perspective,” Frost replied. “I’m putting my career – possibly my life on the line to try and track this psychopath down. I need all the incentive I can get to fund a successful investigation – or a funeral where I can get laid to rest with maximum honors.”

Uriel could see his point, but he was not happy with the price. “Couldn’t you come down a bit? I’m not exactly the kind of person who walks around with that kind of cash on me.”

Frost sighed, thinking it over for a moment. “Well,” he finally said, “Vlad did say this case means a lot to you. And I guess you’d be taking the brunt of the punishment should you ever face Bonetail again. But don’t think this means I’m automatically going to give you a discount.”

“So what do I have to do?” Uriel asked.

The shadow elf reached down and pulled out a duel gauntlet, which he attached to his arm. “Defeat me in a game of Duel Monsters, your weapon of choice against this demon. Prove to me that you’re as serious as you say you are. Show me the determination you will need should that confrontation ever happen…

“…ensure that you are truly worth my time.”

“If that’s what I need to do,” the Israeli replied, activating his disk, “then let’s get started.”

The two rose from the table and stepped out onto the open dance floor.

“I have built quite a reputation with this deck,” Frost said as his gauntlet came to life. “If you think I will be an easy mark, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Prove it,” Uriel said, pronouncing it as a burn aimed at previous comments.

Uriel: (8000)…………….Frost: (8000)

“That I shall,” Frost replied, taking the first turn. “We’ll start with Foolish Burial, sending a monster from my deck to the Graveyard.” He fanned out his deck and chose the card he wanted. It was quickly deposited in the discard slot along with the Magic card.

“That’s all for the time being. Show me what you’ve got.”

“With pleasure,” Uriel said, drawing from his deck. The drawn card was played immediately.

“I activate Trade-In.” He discarded one of his Level 8 monsters before drawing two more cards.

“Shining Angel, arise!” The angel appeared, flapping its wings furiously. (1400/800)

“Attack him directly!” Shining Angel’s wings beat even faster, creating powerful wind gusts. Frost shielded his face with his cloak, but otherwise stayed in one place.

U: (8000)…………….F: (6600)

He set two face-down cards in the back row. “Your move.”

Frost drew for his turn. “Since I control no back row cards, the special ability of the monster I sent to my graveyard activates!”

In a flash, a small brown frog with black spots and feathered wings appeared. (100/100)

Uriel grimaced. “Ah crap…Treeborn Frog…” He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, for he had a feeling what kind of deck he was facing.

“But this little amphibian won’t be around for very long.” Frost removed the card from his disk. “I sacrifice Treeborn Frog…”

The frog was suddenly encased in a pillar of ice.

“…in order to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!”

The pillar shattered into fragments, and a hulking brute in blue armor made his presence known. (2400/1000)

“When tribute summoned, Mobius can blow away up to two Magic or Trap cards on the field.” He pointed at Uriel’s two face-down cards. “Take them out!” He ordered.

Mobius formed two spears of ice in his hands and hurled them at Uriel’s face-down cards. Heaven’s Judgment and Mirror Force were revealed before they were destroyed.

“Go, my Frost Monarch, eliminate his monster!” Mobius created another spear and threw it, impaling Shining Angel. The fairy fell to its knees before shattering.

U: (7000)…………….F: (6600)

“I’ll use the effect of my monster to special summon another copy from my deck,” Uriel declared, and a second Shining Angel appeared. (1400/800)

“Moving to Main Phase 2, I activate Fragment of Greed.” A Magic card appeared, depicting a broken piece of Pot of Greed.

“We’ll get to what that does later. But for now, you’re on deck.”

Uriel drew a card, but unfortunately he did not have a lot of options. Losing two of his key destruction cards early on didn’t help, either.

He switched his Shining Angel to defense mode, followed by a new back row card. He wordlessly ended his turn.

“I told you to make this worth my time,” Frost stated, drawing a card. “You’re starting to disappoint me.”

“Who’s to say I’ve barely begun to fight?” Uriel asked.

“You keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile, Fragment of Greed activates.” The image started to change, as several pieces of the Pot appeared and reformed with the original fragment.

“Each time I draw to start my turn,” Frost explained, “it gains a Greed counter. If it has two or more, I can send it to the Graveyard to draw two additional cards.”

“So it’s a delayed Pot of Greed,” Uriel mused.

“Yes, more or less. Next on the agenda is Ice Knight!” Another warrior with garb similar to Mobius appeared. This one, however, was far smaller in comparison to the Frost Monarch, and it brandished a double-ended spear. (1300/1200)

“Ice Knight grants all Aqua-type monsters in play 400 attack points for each Aqua-type in play. Because he is also of the same type, that’s an 800 point boost for both of my creatures.”

The two creatures felt their stats shoot up. (2100/1200), (3200/1000)

“Ice Knight, eliminate his defender!” The smaller creature obliged, impaling Shining Angel and shattering it.

“I activate this one’s ability!” In a flash, one of his Nova Summoners appeared. (1400/1000)

“Mobius, clip its wings!” The Frost Monarch hurled a freshly-created spear, nailing the Fairy as if it was a fish. Uriel had to duck as the spear, with Nova Summoner still attached, embed itself in the wall behind him. Both monster and weapon exploded.

U: (5000)…………….F: (6600)

“Nova Summoner’s ability kicks in!” Uriel special summoned one of his trusty copies of Shatiel. (500/2000)

“With Shatiel in play, all Fairy-types gain 400 extra attack and defense points for each Fairy I control.” (500/2000 > 900/2400)

“Adequate enough to defend against my Ice Knight, but Mobius is another story.” Frost set a card before ending his turn.

“Who says I’m defending with him?” Uriel asked, drawing for his turn. He summoned another creature, the more refined version of Injection Fairy Lily with clipboard and glasses. (400/1500 > 1200/2300)

“I tune my level 3 Counselor Lily with my Level 5 Shatiel!” The smaller angel turned into three rings of energy, which scanned Shatiel and transformed him.

“Synchro Summon – Avenging Knight Parshath!”

Within moments, Shatiel had evolved into the angelic centaur with blue and gold armor. (2600/2100)

“Not bad,” Frost commented.

“It gets better. Since I used Counselor Lily for this synchro summon, I can pay 500 Life Points to increase Parshath’s attack by 1000 for one round.”

As his Life Points dropped, his Avenging Knight took in the extra power. (3600/2100)

“Next, I use my monster’s ability to switch Mobius to defense mode!” Parshath waved his glowing sword, and the Frost Monarch was forced down on one knee.

“And to add a bigger bang for my buck, my monster has a trample effect, which will put his power boost to good use. Parshath, put that monarch on thin ice!”

The centaur stabbed Mobius with his sword, and the Monarch gave out one last icy gasp before keeling over and shattering.

U: (4500)…………….F: (3000)

Uriel ended his turn by setting a card face-down. “Your move,” he announced.

Frost drew a card, and his Fragment of Greed gained a second counter.

“You may have taken out my Monarch, but my Ice Knight remains…or should I say – Knights.”

He summoned a second copy of Ice Knight, and this one looked just as fierce as the other.

“Remember, both of my creatures grant themselves - and each other - 400 attack bonus for each Aqua monster in play.”

“That means…” Uriel gasped, as he watched the essences of both Knights skyrocketed. (2900/1200 x2)

“That means your Avenging Knight won’t be avenging anyone anymore. Ice Knight number one, move in to attack!” The warrior charged, goring the much larger Synchro monster. Parshath finally collapsed in a bloody heap, disintegrating moments later.

U: (4200)…………….F: (3000)

“Number two, direct attack!” The second knight started his own charge.

“I chain Holy Revelation!” Uriel announced, activating his set card. The Ice Knight’s spear was deflected by a clear barrier that materialized in front of it.

“By sending two level 4 or lower Fairies from my deck to the graveyard, I can stop your direct attack in its tracks.” Uriel fanned through his deck, choosing Herald of Orange Light and his second Nova Summoner and discarding them.

Frost didn’t seem fazed by this. “So you spare yourself the extra damage. I’ll add to it soon enough. For now, I activate the effect of Fragment of Greed.”

The now fully-complete pot shattered once again, and he drew two cards from his deck. He gasped at what was drawn.

“I…end my turn…” He said, holding his head.

“Are you alright?” Uriel asked. “You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine…” Frost replied. “Just make your move…”

Uriel gave a shrug before drawing for his turn. He played the card instinctively. “Pot of Avarice,” he announced.

After shuffling the two Nova Summoners, Herald of Orange Light, and Counselor Lily into his deck, while adding Avenging Knight Parshath back to his Extra deck, he drew two cards.

Jackpot, Uriel thought, as he looked at what he had drawn.

“I play Monster Reborn, and I’ll use it to bring back the monster I discarded for Trade-In!”

A pillar of black light erupted, and Darklord Superbia emerged from it. (2900/2400)

“When Superbia is special summoned from the graveyard, I can bring back another Fairy monster of my choosing.”

Shatiel reemerged, his skin and armor glistening with far more intensity than earlier. (500/2000)

With two Fairies in play, his ability boosted both of their stats by 800 points each. (1300/2800), (3700/3200)

“And now here’s a newer addition to my deck – Command Angel!”

A blond-haired angel wearing a midriff-less shirt, army-green pants, a green beret, and silver gauntlets appeared, balling her hands into fists. (1600/1900)

“Not only does Shatiel grant a power boost to all my Fairies, but so does Command Angel – 400 attack points to each one!”

With the effects of said monsters active, that meant an extra 1600 attack points.” (4500/2400), (2100/3200), (3200/3100)

“It’s time to clean up. Superbia, attack one of his Ice Knights!” The black urn-like creature launched a barrage of feathers from its wings.

“I won’t be going down that easily,” Frost responded, activating his Trap card. “By discarding a card from my hand, Hallowed Life Barrier will prevent any and all damage I may take this turn.” He discarded an odd-looking monster that looked to have no place in his deck, and a barrier appeared before him.

“It won’t save your monsters!” Uriel retorted, as the feather barrage sliced through the first Ice Knight, cutting it to ribbons. He followed up with his Command Angel, whose mighty kick shattered the remaining Ice Knight to bits.

“It’s your move,” the Israeli said.

Frost acknowledged this by drawing for his turn.

What happened next was stunning.

“No…not that…anything but that…” Frost held his head as his body shuddered violently.

“What’s going on?” Uriel asked.

Before anything else could be said, Frost let out a scream that could be heard outside in the main restaurant.

Frost’s arms went limp, but suddenly regained life as he stood to attention. He opened his eyes, and everything about him had seemed to change. His eyes were now a fiery red, and the way he held his body was far more loose and animated than before.

“Much better,” he said in an entirely different voice. It was slightly higher in pitch and livelier than previously heard. “First and foremost, since I control no magic or trap cards, that accursed Frog comes back.”

Treeborn Frog made its reappearance. (100/100)

“…but that’s enough about him. It’s time to turn up the heat…”

He played the card he had drawn. “I activate Blaze Accelerator!” A strange contraption with the look of a futuristic cannon appeared.

“What the hell?” Uriel exclaimed. This was not what he was expecting.

“Let’s not waste any time and load this thing up. By discarding a Pyro-type monster with 500 attack points or less, like my Volcanic Scattorshot, I can turn it into ammunition.”

He discarded the card, and a strange beast with spindly limbs and three large maws appeared. (500/0) Its essence was quickly absorbed by the cannon

“Now I can send your Superbia packing! Open fire!” Blaze Accelerator fired its single round, and it struck the Darklord with such force that it was blown away instantly.

“When Volcanic Scattershot is sent to the graveyard, he deals you 500 points of damage!”

Uriel grunted as the air around him turned hot.

“And we’re not done yet!”

The shadow elf fanned through his deck and grabbed two more copies of the card.

“Because my first Scattershot was used as ammo for my Blaze Accelerator, I can ditch the two copies in my deck to take care of the rest of your monsters!”

The two fiery creatures appeared and flew towards their targets like heat-seeking missiles. They collided with Shatiel and Command Angel, blowing them apart.

U: (2700)…………….F (?): (3000)

Uriel was dumbstruck. He thought he was up against some form of Monarch deck based around Mobius, but this play went far beyond his predictions.

“Sure, I can’t attack during the turn I use Blaze Accelerator, but I can still dish out the pain.” Treeborn Frog was swallowed by a pillar of fire.

“I’ll get rid of that damn amphibian to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!”

The pillar grew larger and larger, until finally a being bathed in fire emerged. His armor was a rusty red, and his helmet was far different than what was seen on Mobius. (2400/1000)

“When Thestalos is tribute-summoned, he can blast away a card from your hand. Take it away!”

The Monarch pointed a finger, and one of Uriel’s cards was lit up. He gasped as Splendid Venus appeared on the field. This was brief, as she was enveloped by flames as she was sent to the graveyard.

“Alright, hit the bulls-eye! Since it was a monster, you get burned for 100 points of damage times its level!”

Thestalos hurled a fireball, which exploded in front of Uriel. He grunted as he struggled against the sudden wave of heat.

U: (1900)…………….F (?): (3000)

“Frost, what’s going on?” Uriel asked.

“You’ve got the wrong guy,” the shadow elf replied. “The name’s Blaze, and you’re about to go down in flames.”

“Ok…besides the bad puns…what’s gotten into you? You’re not acting like yourself.”

“Huh? Of course I’m acting like myself. This is how I always act!”

The Israeli mentally restrained himself from making a certain circling gesture by his head with his finger.

“That’s all for the time being,” Blaze declared. “Let’s see you try and come back after my little chaotic bonfire.”

Uriel drew a card. His back was against the wall once again, but perhaps the card he drew could help turn the tide.

He set the other card from his hand in his spell and trap zone before passing.

Blaze shook his head as he drew for his turn. “What a shame. Thestalos, put an end to him, will you?” The Firestorm Monarch concocted another Fireball and prepared to throw it.

“Not so fast!” Uriel exclaimed, activating his face-down card. “I chain Angel Tear! By removing four Fairies in my graveyard from play, I can special summon another!”

He pocketed both Shining Angels, Command Angel, and Shatiel. The black pillar of light erupted again, and Darklord Superbia shot out. (2900/2400)

“And with Superbia revived from the graveyard, he can revive another Fairy!” A second pillar erupted, but this one was white.

“Rise up, SPLENDID VENUS!”

The goddess with gold armor and scepter made her presence known. (2800/2400)

“With Venus in play, all non-Fairies lose 500 attack and defense points!”

Thestalos groaned as energy began to evaporate off his body. (1900/500)

“Damn it…” Blaze grunted. He waved off the battle, activating his own Pot of Avarice to start his Main Phase 2. He shuffled all three copies of Volcanic Scattershot and – reluctantly – both copies of Ice Knight into his deck to draw two new cards of his own.

“Alright, alright, so you’ve got field presence, but you’re not out of the woods, yet.” He removed Blaze Accelerator from his disk, adding a similar card in its place.

“I send my Blaze Accelerator to the graveyard to activate Tri-Blaze Accelerator!”

The single-barreled cannon exploded, replaced by one with three barrels, making this one far more imposing.

“I can’t use this card’s effect because I tried to attack, but I still plenty of options!”

He set a card face-down and ended his turn. “Bring it on!”

“I plan to,” Uriel replied, drawing a new card. “But not just yet…” He set the drawn card into his spell/trap zone. He waved a hand, signaling the end of his turn.

Crap, he didn’t take the bait, Blaze thought. He drew for his turn, and suddenly grabbed his head, crying out in agony.

“Now what…” Uriel exclaimed.

When the screaming stopped, Blaze’s eye color had changed back to ice-blue.

“About time,” he said in Frost’s voice. He checked his field and the card that was set last turn, groaning in disgust. “Ugh, why oh why would he set up the field like this?”

“Alright, now you’re starting to creep me out,” Uriel said.

“Never mind that,” Frost replied. “I may as well take advantage of this while I can.” He removed his deck and fanned it out. “The card I discarded for Hallowed Life Barrier is called Volcanic Shell. When it’s in the graveyard, I can choose to add another copy of it to my hand, provided I pay 500 Life Points.”

As his points dropped, he found what he needed, returning the deck back into its holder.

“As much as I hate this triple-barreled contraption, it’s just what I need to deal with your Splendid Venus.”

He discarded Volcanic Shell, and a smaller fiery monster with spindly limbs appeared. (100/0) It was quickly swallowed up by Tri-Blaze Accelerator.

“Open fire!” He ordered, and the cannon shot off its single round.

“I was counting on something like this,” Uriel announced, activating his face-down card. “I chain My Body as a Shield! I pay 1500 Life Points to not only negate your card’s effect, but to destroy it as well!”

U: (400)…………….F: (2500)

A barrier appeared in front of Venus, and the Volcanic Shell bounced off of it, ricocheting around the room before heading straight back to its source.

Frost cried out in pain, and his eyes changed color again. “Screw that!” He called in Blaze’s voice, as he activated one of his set cards. “I chain Volcanic Force in response!”

The Tri-Blaze accelerator exploded just before Volcanic Shell could collide with it.

“By sending my cannon to the graveyard, I can special summon a particular beast from my deck, ignoring its summoning requirements!”

The middle ground erupted in a gigantic plume of flame, and a truly terrifying creature stepped out of it. Most of its body was a charcoal black, while its arms were a hellish red. Its essence was pure fire, while lava seemed to pump through its veins. Its green eyes looked back with malice as it roared. (3000/1800 > 2500/1300)

“Meet Volcanic Doomfire, my ultimate monster!”

Uriel was taken aback by this new beast, but tried his best not to show it.

“Just so you know, Doomfire is the only monster you can attack during your turn.”

“Considering Venus has powered him down,” Uriel replied, “that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“You keep thinking that to yourself,” Blaze said, setting a new face-down card. “In the meantime, take your turn.”

If this duel was taking place a few years earlier, the Israeli would have gladly leapt at the chance of destroying one of his opponent’s key monsters. However –

This has booby trap written all over it, he thought to himself. Does he honestly expect me to fall for it? His face-down card could boost up that thing’s attack power – or destroy my monsters. I wasted My Body as a Shield, so I can’t afford to charge in blindly…

He drew for his turn, and was pleasantly surprised at what it was.

“I sacrifice Darklord Superbia…” The raven-winged urn vanished into particles.

“…in order to summon Darklord Desire!”

Within moments, the strongest Darklord monster emerged, stretching his red wings to their maximum length. (3000/2800)

“Uh oh…” Blaze stuttered.

“I activate his ability. By dropping 1000 attack points, he can send any monster I choose to the graveyard. My choice, obviously, is your Doomfire.”

Desire slashed with his sword, and the blade of energy produced easily sliced through Volcanic Doomfire. It screeched before both halves exploded.

“Now Venus, attack Thestalos!” Venus fired a bolt of energy at the Firestorm Monarch.

“Son of a…” Blaze quickly activated the card he had set last turn – Rush Recklessly. It boosted the attack of Thestalos by 700 points (2600/500), but it wasn’t enough to spare it from destruction. The energy bolt destroyed him instantly.

“So that was your plan,” Uriel thought. “A shame it didn’t work. Desire, attack him directly!”

The Darklord flew in, slashing at Blaze with his sword. The shadow elf fell to his knees.

U: (400)…………….F: (300)

Blaze held his head again. “No…no…no…no…NO! STOP IT! GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

His eyes opened, becoming Frost’s. “Never! YOU’RE the one who messed everything up! I had everything under control until YOU butted in!”

The eyes became red again. “HA! THAT’S a laugh! You couldn’t duel your way out of a plastic bag, you cold-hearted bastard!”

Back to blue. “Better a cold-hearted bastard than a son of a bitch with a fire lit under his ass!”

“You’re nothing but an ice cream headache waiting to happen!”

“YOU’RE the reason my acid reflux is such a calamity!”

“DUMBASS!”

“INGRATE!”

“GLORFIED DOUCHEBAG!”

“IMBECILE!”

Finally, a new voice intervened.

“Both of you KNOCK IT OFF!”

The shadow elf collapsed. Before Uriel could rush over to help, he slowly got back up. His eyes opened once more, but they were completely different, a deep shade of purple. Unlike the other sets the Israeli had seen, this one had a far calmer and peaceful appeal to them.

“Damn it, I hate it when those two go back and forth…” The voice shared the same appeals as the eyes, with a more fluid tone to it.

If Uriel wasn’t confused before, he certainly was now. “Uh…Blaze…Frost…whoever the hell you are…”

“My real name is Daisuke,” the shadow elf replied. “I really must apologize, but what you’ve witnessed is a regular occurrence for me.”

“So…who have I been dueling?” Uriel asked.

“My other selves,” Daisuke replied. “You see, before I became a freelance investigator, I served under a ruthless succubus who calls herself Red Shroud. It was my job to keep tabs on both her allies and enemies, and part of that job involved assuming different personas to better adapt to the situation at hand.

“One such assignment was to work with a clan of goliaths, a group of shadowkind found mostly in the arctic regions of this world. I used the persona of Frost in this case. At the same time, I worked with a clan of azers, shadowkind who live in volcanic regions. I created Blaze as my means of communing with them.

“Having to go back and forth between these personas, as well as the stress involved in working in two extreme and opposite environments, caused me to lose my mind, in more ways than one.”

“So…these personas you created…became real?” Uriel asked.

Daisuke nodded. “Ever heard of a human by the name Shirley Ardell Mason?”

“Yeah, I remember her from one of my psychology classes. She had Dissociative Identity Disorder, where there are multiple personalities enclosed within a single mind vying for control over the body.”

“Very good. Her personas came as a result of circumstances similar to my own, although I never had a mother to instigate the stress even further. I was like her in the beginning, where Frost and Blaze could take over for days, even weeks at a time, until either myself or the other personality could break through. I’ve been doing my best to control them, but it seems they get stronger as the days progress. I may never be able to fully piece together my shattered mind, but I’m making the best of it.”

“I noticed those two kept switching back and forth during the duel,” Uriel said. “Is there a reason behind that?”

“It’s pretty simple,” Daisuke replied. “Those two used to have separate decks. Frost’s was ice-based, with Mobius as the front-runner. Blaze loves using fire-types, especially the Volcanics, but he’s always included Thestalos. The deck I have right now is a compromise, trying to blend both strategies as a way of surprising the opponent.”

“Well you certainly did a good job with that,” the Israeli chuckled.

“Thank you. Whoever is in control depends on the cards drawn during a duel. Since I kept drawing into Frost’s cards early on, naturally he had heavier influence. But once I drew Thestalos, Blaze saw his chance to come out and play. But now that I’ve shut them back inside my mind for now, I think I’ll finish this duel myself.”

“Glad to hear it,” Uriel commented. “With that said, I end my turn.”

Uriel: (400)…………….Daisuke: (300)

Daisuke took his first turn of the entire game, drawing a card. “Get ready for the reason why I was able to combine those two decks together.”

Mobius, Thestalos, and Treeborn Frog appeared behind him, and the three quickly dissolved.

“By removing two Water monsters and one Fire monster from my graveyard, I can special summon THIS!”

Steam poured out onto the battlefield, and a bizarre dragon-like creature appeared. Its main body was serpentine in shape, but it was its two heads that made it unique. One was like a raging inferno, covered in flames. The other was a more solid, ice-like structure. The heads hissed their malcontent, for each other and for their opponent.

“Meet Frost and Flame Dragon!” (2300/2000 > 1800/1500)

“And here comes its special ability. By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy one monster you control.”

He discarded what turned out to be his third Volcanic Shell, and the two-headed monstrosity fired off two streams – one of fire, one of frost. The elements melded together into one unified blast, and it obliterated Splendid Venus.

With the goddess gone, the beast’s stats returned to normal. (2300/2000)

“With her out of the way, I’m free to hit you hard. Attack his Darklord Desire!”

Frost and Flame Dragon fired off another blast, which took out Uriel’s remaining monster.

U: (100)…………….D: (300)

“Let’s see what you can do against this true combo attack,” Daisuke said, ending his turn.

“Come on…let this be something that can turn this around…” Uriel drew a card, and was dumbstruck at what it was.

Lady Melissa, you pull through once again…

“I activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!” The dance floor vanished, replaced by the elaborate throne room draped with red banners.

“With my monster zone empty, I’m free to special summon a Fairy from my hand. Lord Vladimir’s sister provided me with this guy, and it’s high time I put him to the test!”

Uriel added the monster to his disk, and another pillar of black light broke out. What emerged could have easily been mistaken for Archlord Zerato, were it not for the fact that his skin was black as night, his armor was and wings (which were devilish) were red, and his scimitar was dripping with blood.

“Meet Darklord Zerato!” (2800/2300)

Daisuke was shocked at the sight of this unholy creature.

“I don’t have a hand – let alone an appropriate card – to activate his effect, but considering the difference in attack power between him and your monster, that’s of little consequence.

“Darklord Zerato, END THIS!” The fallen angel flew in, carving Frost and Flame Dragon in two with his scimitar. The two halves fell to the ground – the icy half shattered, while the other flamed out.

U: (100)…………….D: (0)

Valhalla vanished as the hologram generators deactivated. Both duelists were exhausted from the match.

“Well,” Daisuke began, “I must say, I am impressed. You’ve definitely proven yourself to be worth my time.”

“Wait a minute,” Uriel interrupted, “…I thought only Frost knew that.”

“That’s the part I forgot to mention,” the shadow elf explained. “While I fight the two personalities for control, the ones who aren’t in possession of the body are aware of what the other says and does. There just isn’t anything we can do about it until someone else is able to wrench control away.”

“So…since I won…”

“You’ll be getting a discount, I assure you,” Daisuke replied. “And unlike Frost told you, I’m not going to ask for it all in advance. As long as you can keep making payments in assigned intervals, I’ll be satisfied.”

Uriel breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I really appreciate what you’re doing for me.”

“It’s no problem at all. It’s what I do.”

“Speaking of which…I’ve been meaning to ask, how does an investigator like you conduct such operations?”

Daisuke raised an eyebrow. “You’re interested in detective work?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Uriel replied. “However, ever since my eyes have been opened to this world of Shadows, I want to learn as much about it as possible so I can better interact with those I come across. Considering Bonetail himself is a shadowkind, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to gather what knowledge I can so I can more easily combat him when the time comes.”

The shadow elf thought for a moment. “Well…I can’t exactly help you out there, since – no offense – you’d be getting in the way, and I doubt Bonetail will take kindly to the fact that you’re trying to track him down.”

Uriel lowered his head as he sighed.

“But,” Daisuke continued, “…my sister might be able to help you.”

The Israeli looked up in surprise. “You have a sister?”

“…and she just so happens to work in a similar field as I do. She’s mentioned taking on an apprentice to help out part-time. Not sure if that would be something you’d be interested in.”

Uriel took a moment to think it over. “You know what, let’s give it a shot.”

“Alright then, I’ll get a hold of her later and see if she’s up for it. I’ll send you an e-mail once I find out, along with info on how you can forward payments for this job.”

“You’ve got a deal,” the Israeli said, extending a hand. The two shook on it, both sides confident that this arrangement would benefit them in the long run, and in more ways than one…

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: It takes me hours of meditation to recover just a sliver of my magic. After my encounter with that Agent of Kyuss, I can only imagine how long it’s going to take me this time around…

?: Help! Save me from this accursed dimension!

Bonetail: Who is that…wait a minute…why does that voice sound…familiar?

Next time: “Call of the Haunted”

[Gavin Luper]

Hey Mario.

Have just been looking over this latest chapter and although I don't understand/read YGO fics as such, I can see that you've really grown as a writer over the last few years, so I just wanted to say well done in that regard. Your dedication to your fic really impresses me - that's why I voted for you for the Trooper Award - so, I just thought I'd post and let you know that.

Do you only write YGO fics or other fandoms/original fiction, too?

Cheers dude,

Gavin.

[mario72486]

A appreciate these kind words, Gavin. This chapter was extremely difficult to write, not because of the strategies and new character involved, but because I had so little spare time to actually put it all together. With any luck, the next chapter should be easier to write.

As far as other writings go, I've been involved in projects that go beyond Yu-Gi-Oh. I've done a couple works in Pokémon, Digimon (my first real project before going on hiatus), and some independent works, as well. Most of these can be found on this site if you do an isolated search.

[Gavin Luper]

A appreciate these kind words, Gavin. This chapter was extremely difficult to write, not because of the strategies and new character involved, but because I had so little spare time to actually put it all together. With any luck, the next chapter should be easier to write.

As far as other writings go, I've been involved in projects that go beyond Yu-Gi-Oh. I've done a couple works in Pokémon, Digimon (my first real project before going on hiatus), and some independent works, as well. Most of these can be found on this site if you do an isolated search.

No worries, mate. Yeah, I can totally appreciate the lack of time in being able to sit down and actually commit to a chapter, especially when it has a lot of rules and codes like I believe YGO does. And yes, now that you mention it, I do recall at least one of your Digimon fics from the past (Frontier Legacy?).

Good luck with the next chapter then.

Hopefully see you around in Smiley Town or something!

Cheers!

[mario72486]

Nine months, man. Nine months!

I'll be honest, I was not anticipating this chapter taking so long to finish. Writer's block be damned, as well as a ridiculous work schedule that leaves little time to focus or generate ideas.

But fear not, for I have no intentions on giving up on this fic unless something drastic changes in the near future. If it's any consolation, the next few chapters are up in my mind, just waiting to be written out. How long each of them will take to get up here is still up in the air.

But I digress, let's get this latest one out of the way...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12: Call of the Haunted

----------------------------------------------------------------------

There is nothing like meditation to help calm the nerves and revitalize the body after any physical or mental excursion.

Even for a soul-thirsty demon like Bonetail, this is no exception.

The darkness…

The emptiness…

The silence…

The solitude…

It made him feel at peace…

…at least, as peaceful as a cursed being with goals of global conquest can be…

Ever since obtaining his Redspawn body, Bonetail had made it a habit to perform meditations whenever the opportunity allowed it. With both the Shadowchasers and the Sons of Kyuss on his tail, he needed to stay in as top of form as possible, both physically and magically.

Agent S had certainly done a number on him. It was three days after their encounter, and his body still felt fairly stiff - even with all of the toxins flushed out. As a result, his ‘soul searching’ had to be put on hold until he could use the corpse to its fullest again.

In came the meditation.

Bonetail’s method mirrored that more commonly used by most humans, but with one large otherworldly difference. He had long ago learned how to enter a special trance, allowing his mind to wander while his body recovered. All he needed to accomplish this was a safe and secluded place, and the right amount of concentration.

And where does his mind wander?

Hell, of course. Where else?

It was common for those familiar in the arts to garner dark magic from various planes - including Hell and Purgatory - for their own purposes, taking into account the dangers of doing so. The risk of losing one’s soul to the darkness deters many, but others seeking greater power – and actually know what they’re doing – will throw caution into the wind.

But such individuals would never DARE enter Hell itself to acquire their magic.

Bonetail did so…routinely.

It wasn’t exactly freeing himself from the binds of the curse placed on him, but since his spectral form was that of his original body, it was the closest he would ever be to feeling whole again…

…and he found observing lost souls as his mind whizzed past them in spectral form to be a gratifying experience.

He counted well over two dozen ‘poor, unfortunate souls’ in this evening’s travels. If his salivary glands were working, they’d be watering at that moment. He had learned a special method of extracting souls from Hell so he could take them for himself, but such a process could only work on those either freshly caught or resilient to the effects of their fate.

He could never even get a reaction from any of the lost individuals he had ever encountered. They were too far gone, any traces of hope long since sucked away. Once this point has been reached, the devils under Lucifer’s command can truly claim them.

But not all souls trapped here were so quick to lose such hope.

“Somebody help me!”

Bonetail was surprised when he heard the voice; not because it was rare for a soul to cry out for assistance after getting trapped in the Realm, but because he recognized it. He flew in the direction of the voice, and came upon an astounding sight.

It was a dragon - at least, this was the spiritual representation of one. It had black and purple skin, tiny wings, and massive jaws. It was being held down by chains glowing with negative energy, and a few devil-like creatures danced around it, getting ready to suck out whatever hope it had left in its body.

One of these creatures saw Bonetail approach, but before it could even give off a sound of warning, it and the rest of the group was barraged with black fire. The demon was more than capable of using his earthly abilities here, and they were enough to send the creatures scurrying away in fright.

The dragon was relieved, yet puzzled as its shackles were blown to bits. “As much as I appreciate the aid, who the devil are you?”

Bonetail chuckled. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognize my aura, Gloomtail.”

The dragon almost gasped. “Brother?” When he received a nod as a reply, he roared at the top of his lungs with near delight.

“I heard you were defeated by the Three Heroes, and that was decades ago. I’m surprised you haven’t been burnt to a crisp down here, yet.”

“When your life centered on having very little hope to begin with,” Gloomtail replied, “it becomes difficult for those little devils to find it. But I’ll be honest, it’s been far too long since I saw you last.”

“Centuries, I’m sure,” Bonetail said. “I gave up on keeping track of time after that bitch we called a master locked me up.”

Gloomtail’s eyes narrowed. “What happened to her? I’ve been stuck down here long enough to be out of the loop.”

“Rest assured, brother, the wretched Three Heroes took care of business. Wherever she is now, it certainly isn’t here.”

“Wait a minute…if she’s gone, what about your curse?”

“It’s still in place, unfortunately. That’s the bad news. The good news is my soul escaped the Pit of 100 Trials. But it came through defeat at the hands of a lowly human, as well as the loss of my original remains. I’ve acquired a temporary body to use as I work to obtain the souls needed to break the curse.”

“Then…what are you doing here? I thought you could only get placed here after death.”

“You never reached the pinnacle of perfection for our species,” Bonetail explained. “If you had been able to live a few more centuries, you might have been able to learn the techniques required to go between realms as you please.”

“Wait a moment…” Gloomtail’s eyes widened. “If you can move freely through this place whenever you want, you also know how to get out!”

Bonetail took a step back, sensing anxiousness from his sibling. “Understand, brother…”

He wasn’t able to finish his statement. Gloomtail had assaulted him with his trademark Megabreath attack. The bright green flames forced him back.

“GET ME OUT OF THIS PLACE,” the dragon snarled, “OR I WILL SMITE YOU WHERE YOU STAND!”

“Threatening your own flesh and blood?” Bonetail asked as the flames dissipated. “I never imagined you would be so desperate.”

“You DARE mock me, brother?” Gloomtail yelled.

“Why would I do such a thing?” The demon replied. “We may be brethren, but you need to be careful. You’re starting to sound hopeful, and you know those devils may come back at even the slightest whiff of it.”

The dragon growled, but then bowed his head. “Forgive me. But you must understand, I have unfinished business, just as much as you do! That damned harlot must PAY for what she did to me…to Hooktail…to our species!”

Bonetail’s eyes became slits as the mention of their younger sister. While she was family, her death was not exactly a sad moment of his life. If anything, it meant one less competitor.

“What do you expect me to do? Even if I got you out, I don’t possess the knowledge of any spells to transfer your soul into another body. Even if I did, I’m sure the Shadowchasers have secured every cemetery and morgue within the city limits, if not further out. They aren’t the only ones hunting me down, either. Having a traveling companion would only slow me down.”

“So you’re just going to leave me here,” Gloomtail said. “I can’t accept that.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Bonetail asked. “You’re not exactly in a position to make demands to anyone.”

“But I am in a position to make an offer,” the dragon replied. “I have enough magic left to conjure up a deck similar to the one I used in the mortal world. We have a duel right now. If I win, you get me out.”

“And if you lose?” The demon asked.

Gloomtail narrowed his eyes. “…then you can add my soul to your collection.”

Bonetail was surprised by this admission. “You’re willing to put yourself on the line like this?”

Gloomtail nodded. “Consider it a brotherly sacrifice if I don’t win this.”

The demon thought for a moment, but eventually produced a spectral version of his deck.

“Very well, I accept your challenge.”

The dragon chuckled as dark flames erupted around him, forming up into five card-shaped entities. “I knew you wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity.”

Bonetail: (8000) - - - - - - - - - Gloomtail: (8000)

A sixth flame erupted at the end of the dragon’s line, indicating he was taking the initiative. It quickly vanished, reappearing in front of him. “I’ll start with Axe Dragonute!”

A mutant dragon with black armor appeared, brandishing a large double-bladed axe. (2000/800)

“I’ll set these for later…” Two more of the flames struck the field, taking the form of a pair of face-down cards.

“You were always the least subtle of us,” Bonetail commented, drawing a card. His hand signaled a slow start, like many of his duels as of late. He had little choice but to play it safe for the time being.

He set a monster, and two face-down cards of his own. He waved a hand, passing his turn.

“Playing conservatively, brother?” Gloomtail asked. “Now there’s something I’ve never heard of before.”

“Hurry up and take your turn,” the dracolith snapped back.

“As you wish,” the dragon replied, drawing for his turn. “I call upon Lord of Dragons!”

A humanoid wearing gray skeletal armor and black cape emerged. (1200/1100)

“With him in play, you cannot target my Dragons with card effects of any kind.”

“He’s still an easy target,” Bonetail mused.

“Not for long. I’ll equip him with Bound Wand, which increases his attack power by 100 points times his level.” The spellcaster took hold of an ornate wand crowned with a red gemstone. (1900 ATK)

“I move to my Battle phase, and my Lord will attack first!” The warlock began casting an incantation.

“…and in doing so, I activate Magician’s Circle!” The Trap card lifted.

“Now, if possible, the both of us are free to special summon a Spellcaster with 2000 attack points of less from our decks.”

Bonetail growled. “I don’t possess any.”

“A shame, because I do!” In a flash, a blond-haired woman with black and gold armor appeared on the other side of Axe Dragonute.

“Behold, Lady of Dragons!” (1500/1100)

Bonetail looked in wonder. He was familiar with the Lord, but not with the Lady.

“Go, my Lord, destroy his hidden creature!” The incantation took the form of a black phantasmal dragon, and it utterly crushed Bonetail’s hidden monster. It turned out to be a Giant Germ, which promptly shattered.

“That means you take 500 points of damage,” the demon stated. Gloomtail groaned as he felt the effects hit him.

“It also means I can bring out my other copies.” Bonetail quickly searched out his two remaining Giant Germs and special summoned them. (1000/100 x2)

“They’re of little defense!” Axe Dragonute sliced through the first germ, while Lady of Dragons fired off a blast of yellow energy, obliterating the second.

“That’s another 1000 points of damage dealt to you,” Bonetail said, “and after all that, the score is still tied.”

B: (6500) - - - - - - - - - G: (6500)

“That will soon change,” Gloomtail replied. “Because it attacked, my Axe Dragonute is forced to switch to defense mode.” The dragonoid knelt out of exhaustion, using its axe as a prop.

“I end my turn.”

“About time,” Bonetail said, drawing a card. He immediately played it. “Allure of Darkness grants me two draws, provided I banish a Dark monster from my hand.”

He drew two cards, looked them over, and pocketed a designated creature.

“Since I have three Fiend-types in my Graveyard, I can remove them from play to special summon THIS!”

His three Giant Germs materialized briefly before being enveloped in a pillar of black fire. Within moments, Dark Necrofear emerged, her stare as blank as ever. (2200/2800)

“I also call upon Archfiend Soldier!” The purple-armored demon appeared, swinging his scimitar. (1900/1200)

“Before you start attacking,” Gloomtail interrupted, “be advised that as long as my Lady of Dragons is in play, you can’t attack any of my Dragon-types.”

“Then I’ll just have to take her out, first,” Bonetail replied. “Archfiend, kill his Lady!” The demon roared acknowledgement as it charged.

“I don’t think so,” the dragon said, discarding a card. The scimitar struck the female spellcaster, but she held fast.

“What? How did she survive?”

“If she is about to be destroyed by a card you control, I can protect her by ditching a Dragon from my hand. I may take battle damage, but she’ll survive another turn.”

Bonetail growled. “Necrofear, give his Lord your glare of death!” The female demon narrowed her eyes before firing beams of light from them. Lord of Dragons was incinerated.

B: (6500) - - - - - - - - - G: (5800)

“Bound Wand’s effect activates,” Gloomtail exclaimed. “Since it was sent to the grave after my Lord was killed, I can revive him as if it never happened!” Lord of Dragons reappeared with his arms crossed, clearly upset. (1200 ATK)

The undead demon snarled, having gained little ground. “End turn.”

Gloomtail drew for his turn, grinning at the card.

“It’s time I put my plan into motion. Lady of Dragons has served her purpose, so I shall Overlay her with Axe Dragonute!”

The two monsters turned into orbs of fire, red and black respectively. The orbs danced around each other before colliding. The orbs exploded, and through the raging inferno came a chimera of sorts. The upper body was that of a blond-haired female demon, with black armor and a curved staff. The lower body, on the other hand, was that of a fiery dragon. (2200/1200)

“What the hell did you just do?” Bonetail asked. “And what the hell is that supposed to be?”

“That was a Xyz Summoning,” Gloomtail replied. “It’s similar to Synchro summoning, but instead of using a Tuner and non-Tuners, you need a certain number of monsters of the same level. As for whom this is to be, meet Queen Dragun Djinn.” The chimera shrieked her arrival, her flapping wings adding extra fire to the already burning landscape.

“Xyz monsters have special abilities that require removing its overlay units, those being the monsters used in the summoning. In my Queen’s case, by removing one, I can revive a Level 5 or higher Dragon from the graveyard, provided it can’t attack that turn and it loses its effects.”

“But you don’t have any…” Bonetail stopped himself, quickly realizing his brother’s plan.

“Oh yes, I do. Recall the card I discarded for my Lady’s effect?” Gloomtail detached Axe Dragonute from his Dragun, and a large, bronze-skinned behemoth appeared. It looked more like a falcon than a dragon. (2300/1600)

“Horus the Black Flame Dragon…” Gloomtail snarled.

“Correct. I may not be able to attack with its Level 6 form, but that’s exactly why I have THIS! Go, Level Up!”

Gloomtail played the Spell card, and Horus grew larger, the dark flames dancing around it becoming even darker. (3000/1800)

“Behold its Level 8 form, and prepare to get me out of this place! Horus, attack and annihilate Dark Necrofear!” The dragon belched out a steam of black fire.

“You may be able to negate any Magic cards I try to use with Horus, but the same can’t be said for Traps!” Bonetail activated Dimensional Prison.

“I’m well aware, which is why I have this ready and waiting!” Gloomtail chained Royal Decree.

The Dimensional Prison shattered, and Dark Necrofear seemed to welcome the flames that instantly vaporized her.

“Why let the boys have all the fun? Go, my Queen, and attack Archfiend Soldier!” The chimera fired a blast from her staff, which blew Bonetail’s remaining Fiend to bits.

“Lord of Dragons, you’re up next! Direct attack!”

“Where is Gorz when you need him?” Bonetail groaned to himself, as the spellcaster fired off another bolt of energy that struck him over the head. Even though he was in spiritual form, the attack had enough of an effect to hurt him.

B: (4500) - - - - - - - - - G: (5800)

“Well done, brother,” he said as he recovered from the assault. “You’ve established quite the lock on me.”

“That was the plan,” Gloomtail replied. “I have no intentions of suffering for the rest of eternity in this literal hellhole. One way or another, you’re getting me out, although currently it appears it will be as an equal. With that, I end my turn.”

“You have a ways to go before even thinking about beating me,” the dracolith stated. “Besides, there is one slight problem with your current setup.”

Gloomtail tilted his head in confusion. “What would that be?”

“I may not be able to use Magic or Traps on either of your Dragons, but the effect of Dark Necrofear still applies.”

“Didn’t you hear me earlier? My Lord prevents you from targeting them!”

Bonetail chuckled, as a spectral form of Necrofear appeared behind him. “Who said I was targeting your Dragons?” The specter dove into Lord of Dragon’s body.

“NO!” Gloomtail exclaimed, watching helplessly as his spellcaster floated over to his opponent’s side of the field.

“Looks like your monsters aren’t as vulnerable anymore,” Bonetail said, drawing for his turn.

“Damn you, brother!” The dragon roared, cursing inwardly for making such a colossal and amateur mistake. “This changes nothing! Horus will burn you alive for this atrocity!” Horus seemed to screech in agreement.

“You keep telling yourself that.” Bonetail shifted Lord of Dragons to defense mode, following up by setting another defensive monster. He waved a hand to end his turn.

Gloomtail drew a card and considered his options. “Go, Queen Dragun! Put an end to that traitor!” The draconian beast fired off her staff, and Lord of Dragons was obliterated.

“Horus, take care of his hidden monster!” Horus belched out its stream of black fire, and Newdoria was revealed. It quickly disintegrated.

“When Newdoria goes ashes to ashes, he takes a monster on the field with it!” Newdoria appeared in spectral form, gave a screech, and quickly latched onto Queen Dragun Djinn.

“What?” Gloomtail stated, watching as his Xyz monster shattered. “But why target her? Horus was by far the more threatening target.”

“You can’t fool me,” Bonetail replied. “I knew that if I destroyed Horus, you would have used your Queen’s ability to revive it or its lesser form for later use. It would have been a waste.”

Gloomtail huffed, knowing that his brother was not so easy to deceive. “It’s your move.”

Bonetail, while regaining ground, was still not in the best situation.

The card he drew, however, would most certainly change that.

“Watch and be amazed as your so-called strategy comes tumbling down!”

“What did you draw? Heavy Storm? Mystical Space Typhoon? I thought you knew by now that Horus won’t allow any of your Magic cards to work unless I want him to!”

“It’s no Magic card, brother,” Bonetail chuckled, as Royal Decree began to disappear, one bite at a time.

Gloomtail was at a loss. “What? How are you doing this?” He gasped as a small purple demon with large eyes – and a big mouth to match – materialized where Royal Decree used to be. It hopped over to Bonetail’s side of the field. (1900/1600)

“This big glutton is called a Trap Eater,” Bonetail explained. “As its name implies, it loves to chow down on any Continuous Traps you may have in play.” Trap Eater gave a loud burp to further prove this.

“Next on the list is a little monster we all know and love.” He played another card from his hand, and Sangan appeared. (1000/600)

“And just so you know, Trap Eater also happens to be a Tuner monster.” The purple fiend turned into 4 rings that scanned Sangan. The Critter turned into 3 stars as a portal spewing with dark energy appeared.

“The gates of the underworld have opened, and its almighty ruler makes his presence known!”

(4* + 3* = 7*)

A large demon emerged from the portal. It had the form of a humanoid bat, with red wings that connected its arms to its back. Its hair was literally on fire. It appeared to be wearing spandex a few sizes too tight, as well as a gold mask that covered its face. Gloomtail could still see glowing red eyes staring back with pure malice. (2600/2600)

“I present his majesty - Chaos King Archfiend!” Bonetail searched out a monster from his deck with Sangan’s effect.

“Big deal,” Gloomtail replied. “You monster’s attack power pales in comparison to Horus.” The Black Flame Dragon screeched in agreement.

“That’s a moot point, as my Archfiend attacks your deity!” The Chaos King charged forward.

“You see, whenever he goes into battle, his ability allows him to swap the attack and defense points of your creatures!”

“What?” Horus groaned as its stats were switched (1800/3000), and one slash from the Archfiend’s claws was more than enough to send if crashing down in flames.

“And with your lock completely gone, my other face-down card can finally be put to use.” The card lifted up, revealing itself to be Escape from the Dark Dimension. In a flash, Dark Ruler Ha Des emerged. (2450/1600) The two fiends seemed to look at each other disapprovingly.

“Go, Ha Des, Direct attack!” The Dark Ruler fired a bolt of dark energy, striking Gloomtail in the snout. He roared in anguish.

B: (4500) - - - - - - - - - G: (2550)

“The tide has turned in my favor, brother,” Bonetail said, setting a card face-down and waving a hand to end his turn.

Gloomtail drew a card, replying with “not for long. I play Pot of Avarice.” He shuffled Lady of Dragons, Axe Dragonute, Queen Dragun Djinn, Horus LV6 and LV8 back into his deck, drawing two cards afterward.

He played one of the cards he had drawn off of Avarice, Monster Reborn. Lord of Dragons reappeared, kneeling in defense mode. (1200/1100)

“Next I play his accessory card, Flute of Summoning Dragon!” An ornate, dragon-shaped instrument appeared. Lord of Dragons caught it and promptly blew into it, producing a deep moaning note.

“I never understood why they call it a flute when it looks more like a horn, but I digress. Now I can special summon up to two Dragon-types from my hand, and thankfully for me, both of my remaining cards fit the bill nicely!”

The first dragon to emerge had a skeletal body, much like Red-Eyes Black Dragon. However, it was a deep crimson, had larger wings, and a large horn sticking out of its forehead. Bonetail recognized it as a White-Horned Dragon. (2200/1400)

The second was far more traditional-looking, and its wingspan was far more impressive than its smaller kin. It gave a roar to signal its arrival. Bonetail knew it clear as day as a Tyrant Dragon. (2900/2500)

“When my White-Horned Dragon hits the field, I can remove up to five Spell cards from your graveyard. But since you only have one, it will have to do.”

The dracolith narrowed his eyes as Allure of Darkness was spat out of his discard slot.

“For each Spell card removed, my Dragon gains 300 attack points.” (2500 ATK)

“You said your Fiend’s ability may trigger if he attacks. Can the same be said for when he’s being attacked? Tyrant Dragon, prove me right!” The behemoth belched out a stream of fire.

Bonetail would have loved to activate his face-down card, but now was not the right moment. He could only watch as the attack incinerated Chaos King Archfiend.

Dark Ruler Ha Des chuckled clapped in approval, his rival for power having been eliminated.

“Since you have another monster in play after his first strike, Tyrant Dragon is free to unleash hell once again!”

Ha Des stopped clapping, realizing what was about to happen. There was little he could do, and he too was vaporized by the dragon’s second blast of fire.

“White-Horned Dragon, direct attack!” The dragon charged up electricity within its horn before unleashing it. Bonetail was promptly electrocuted, and he collapsed as a result.

B: (1250) - - - - - - - - - G: (2550)

The dracolith struggled to return to his feet, the air still crisp from the attack on him. “You’re not making this easy for me,” he managed to say.

“Of course not,” Gloomtail replied. “I have far more at stake than you do.”

“Perhaps, but you’ve used every card in your hand with that last move. All I have to do is draw into an answer, and you’re as good as added to my soul count.”

“By all means try. It will make little difference anyhow.”

“We shall see...” Bonetail drew and played his next card, which happened to be his own copy of Pot of Avarice. Dark Ruler Ha Des, Sangan, Trap Eater, Newdoria, and Dark Necrofear were added to his deck before he drew two more.

“You’re not going to enjoy this,” the demon stated, “but I already have the answer I need.”

Gloomtail did not like the sound of that, as he seemed to take a step back.

“First, I summon Sinister Sprocket.” A strange creature made almost entirely of gears and mechanisms appeared, sporting a pair of bright blue eyes. (400/0)

“Then, I use Monster Reborn.” In a flash, Archfiend Soldier appeared. (1900/1200)

“What? You fool! You could have used that to revive Horus!”

“I refuse to make use of other’s cards if I can avoid it,” Bonetail replied. “Besides, I have something different planned.” Sinister Sprocket quickly turned into a single ring, scanning Archfiend Soldier.

“Another Tuner…” Gloomtail muttered.

“The road to Hell is paved with blood. They strike fear as they ride through the night!”

(1* + 4* = 5*)

“Synchro Summon – Stygian Sergeants!”

Moments later, a two-headed demon with large red wings drove in on one of the most bizarre motorcycles imaginable. The heads laughed as they revved their engine. (2100/1800)

“That is your plan?” Gloomtail asked. “He hardly looks like a threat.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Bonetail replied. “Sergeants, move in to attack! Your target is Lord of Dragons!”

The motorcycle roared to life, and the demon plowed right into the spellcaster, shattering him.

“Here’s where it gets interesting. Since they just destroyed a monster in battle and sent it to the graveyard, they’re able to attack again!”

“Hey, he ripped off that ability from Tyrant Dragon!” Gloomtail exclaimed.

“He does one better,” the older dracolith said, “because on their second attack, they gain 800 attack points!” The demons laughed as their strength increased. (2900 ATK)

“And speaking of your Tyrant Dragon…” Bonetail pointed, and the Sergeants pressed a button on their gauge system, and a blast of energy shot out of the cycle.

“That still isn’t enough!” Gloomtail stated.

“It will be, for since Lord of Dragons is gone, I’m now able to target your beast with my Forbidden Lance!”

He played the Spell card from his hand, and an ornate spear appeared before launching itself into Tyrant Dragon’s stomach. Its attack power dropped (2100 ATK), and it screeched as the attack connected with its head. It crashed to the ground before exploding.

B: (1250) - - - - - - - - - G: (1750)

“It’s your move, brother,” Bonetail said.

Gloomtail drew for his turn, but wasted little time looking at it. “White-Horned Dragon, avenge your brethren!” The red dragon fired another volley of electricity.

“Your rush to take the initiative has left you blind to my face-down card!” He activated it, revealing it as Sakuretsu Armor. The black suit of armor appeared in front of Stygian Sergeants, absorbing the electrical attack before shooting it right back at its source. White-Horned Dragon roared in pain as it succumbed to its own power.

Gloomtail was dumbstruck as he looked down at the card in his hand. It was completely useless to him in his current situation. He knew setting it face-down would not deter his brother from finishing the job.

It was over…

…or so he thought…

They couldn’t hear them until now, but the devils that were chased away before had come back with reinforcements. The energy that made up the Darkness Game was being absorbed by the hundreds of little creatures, and it was beginning to dissipate before the eyes of both dracoliths.

“Damn it…” Bonetail sputtered. “Why now, when I’m on the verge of winning?”

“We’re out of time!” Gloomtail said. “We have to get out of here!”

“We have to? In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the one in control right now. I should leave you here to suffer for the rest of eternity!”

“If you did that, you would never be able to learn that special technique I mastered…”

Bonetail stared back at his younger brother as the darkness continued to disappear. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been cooped up in isolation for eons, and we’ve haven’t had the chance to set eyes on each other until now. Surely this technique is something I exclusively know. Get me out of here, and I will teach you at the first opportunity.”

There was little time to think, but the thought of learning something he never came across before was highly enticing. The dracolith ended the duel and moved towards his brother. “Do not make me regret this,” he stated, putting a claw on Gloomtail's snout.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Gloomtail replied, as his essence was absorbed into Bonetail’s body. His soul was not incorporated into the collection; rather, it was put in a pocket dimension, away from the influence of the darker magic.

With Gloomtail secured, Bonetail unleashed another blast of dark fire at the ground. The resulting shockwave shattered what remained of the darkness game, sending the surrounding devils tumbling backward in its wake. Before any of them could recover, Bonetail had taken off, escaping Hell as he had done many times before.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail awoke from his meditation, but not as refreshed as he normally would be afterward. The Darkness Game took more out of him than he anticipated.

Still, it wasn’t a total loss.

“I’m free…finally free…” Gloomtail said from within the pocket dimension.

“You’re not out of the woods yet,” Bonetail replied. “We still need to find a soulless body for you to inhabit, and once we do, you’re going to keep your end of the deal.”

“All in good time, brother,” the dragon said.

Neither could feel it, but they were once again being watched. The one spying on them from a nearby drainpipe wore garb similar to other Agents of Kyuss Bonetail had met before. While the others attacked him outright, this one was instructed merely to observe his quarry.

However, even though Gloomtail was not physically present, the essence his soul gave off most certainly was. Somehow, the Agent felt like it was familiar, and pulled out a special scanner to be absolutely sure. Moments later, the results confirmed his suspicions.

Without missing a beat, he made his way back in the direction he came from. When he believed he was out of detection range, he hit the speed dial on his phone.

“Report,” said the voice on the other line.

“I have found the target,” the Agent stated, “but there might be a change in plans. I’ve detected the energy that still lingers from Project Delta.”

A long period of silence came from the other line. “This indeed changes things, and it just might work to our advantage.”

“How do you wish me to proceed?” The Agent asked.

“Listen carefully,” said the voice. “What I want you to do next, and should you succeed, may very well help change the very landscape of our planned revolution…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Uriel: “While Daisuke starts his investigation into Bonetail’s whereabouts, I’m off in search of his sister, who’s also in the P.I. field. She told me she’d meet me here tonight, but so far she’s been a no-show.”

???: “EEK! Get away! Stay back!”

Uriel: “Whoever that is, it sounds like they’re in trouble. I better see if I can help…”

Next time: The Inexperienced Spy

[Dark Sage]

No problem, Mario, I've been slacking on "Storming Heaven's Gates", but I have no intention of giving up on that either. Keep up the good work.

[mario72486]

GASP! I didn't beat my record for time gaps between chapters! It still has been too long, though. The main reason was due to the fact a friend of mine was supposed to help out with a character that is being introduced in this chapter. After months of stalling as I wrote around this issue, I figured 'screw it' and finish it on my own. While it isn't exactly what I had in mind, I'm still satisfied with how it came out this time around.

Without further ado, let's get back to it...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 13: The Inexperienced Spy

----------------------------------------------------------------------

She was late.

'She' referred to Daisuke Nakamura's sister. Uriel had gotten a hold of her after Daisuke had given him her contact information. She sounded a bit older and even more serious than one of Daisuke's alternate personas, Frost. She had told him where and when to meet her, but she never gave him her name.

The place – White Lotus Way - near one of the city's many farmers markets. Uriel could see many vendors selling all sorts of items, from fruits and vegetables to rare collectibles. Most people couldn't see it, but almost half of the sellers doing business here were Shadows of varying types. These Shadows were most certainly peaceful by nature, and there had rarely been an altercation that led to violence.

The meeting time…5:30.

Uriel checked the time on his cell phone for the third time in a matter of minutes.

5:45 pm.

Uriel always felt uneasy in these situations. He had described his appearance and what he'd be wearing, so it wasn't like she'd be looking for a needle in a haystack. He was also certain this was the right place for the meeting.

Either he was being stood up, or something was keeping her.

Uriel hoped for the latter, since he couldn't waste more time than necessary. He had another appointment later on in the evening – a lesson with his Duel Runner instructor. With that in mind, he decided to give her another 15 minutes before leaving.

Suddenly, there appeared to be a commotion further up the street. A cloaked figure was running as fast as they could, pushing their way through the fairly busy crowd.

"EEK! Get away! Stay back!" They yelled in a feminine voice. Uriel turned to look in the direction of the voice.

Apparently the figure wasn't looking where she was going. She ran right into him, knocking the both of them over.

Uriel was disoriented, but not enough to see the individual on top of him, and in a…compromising position. "Gah! What the hell?"

The figure gasped as she scrambled off of him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you like that, it's so clumsy of me, I should never have-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy," Uriel interrupted, helping her up.

The figure lifted off the hood of her cloak, revealing a Shadow Elf. She gave a small smile, but it was more out of embarrassment than anything else.

Uriel's eyes widened. The voice had sounded familiar, but seeing her face – and Shadow race - all but capped it. "Wait a minute...are you Mitsuko Nakamura?"

The elf tilted her head in confusion, but her memory finally kicked in. "Oh! Yes, yes I am. And you must be Uriel, the one I was supposed to meet today." She quickly bowed. "I apologize for being so late. I had other business to take care of...well...actually I technically still do..."

To Uriel, this didn't sound good. "So...why were you running, anyway?"

"Let's just say I'm being followed...well, more like chased..."

That was when the one chasing her arrived on the scene.

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU SNEAKY LITTLE BITCH!"

People within the crowded street screamed and began to disperse at the sound of his voice. Uriel's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the hulking brute. The Mundane would have considered him as merely an overly-zealous bodybuilder. Anyone Aware saw what appeared to be a Minotaur, a half man, half bull creature found in Greek mythology. In actuality, he was a bit closer to being a type of Ushi-Oni, a demon of Japanese folklore. While the creature combinations vary, they all share one thing in common – the head of a bull.

This Ushi-Oni was certainly more man than bull, but he still had the trademark horns, and he was wearing specially-made shoes to cope with the fact he had hooves instead of feet. He wore all black, from wife-beater to jeans, while a gold chain hung around his neck. His left shoulder was bandaged, but whatever injury he had wasn't hindering its movement. On that arm was a unique duel disk; it was an older model, but it was solid black, accented with rubies. Steam seemed to come out of his larger nostrils in a fit of pure rage.

"Uh…Toro?" Uriel asked, unsure of what else to say in this situation.

"Danzo, if you'd be so kind," the Shadow snarled. "And as for you, you little good-for-nothing sad excuse for a snooper…"

Mitsuko gave a squeak, hiding behind Uriel.

"…you have serious explaining to do for why you were snapping photos of me!"

Uriel turned his head to face the elf. "He saw you doing that?" He asked her. "I thought someone like you would be more careful. How did he know you were around?"

"I...forgot that I left the flash on..." She groaned.

Uriel came close to smacking his forehead. When he had first spoken with her over the phone, he had heard someone with confidence brimming in her voice. He was expecting someone of her profession to be...well, more professional. Was this a minor flub, or was she always this big a klutz?

"A mistake on my part," Mitsuko explained, "but this is important! He's been involved in illegal activity, and I had to get proof somehow!"

"Be thankful a camera's flash is white and not red," Danzo said. "Otherwise my inner nature would have taken over, and I'd have gored you in an instant!"

"Now that's going a bit too far!" Uriel interjected.

"You dare take sides, human?" The Ushi-Oni asked. "This is a matter that has absolutely nothing to do with you!"

The Israeli groaned. "God, why do I keep getting myself in these situations…" he muttered.

Danzo stared down the two who dared to interfere in his business. "If I were any other Ushi-Oni, I'd kill the both of you on the spot." The elf gave an 'eep' before ducking away as Uriel took a defensive stance.

"However, I am not any other Ushi-Oni, and I'm a sport." The Ushi-Oni flexed his duel disk arm menacingly.

"You duel?" Uriel asked.

"Doesn't most people nowadays? Since I'm sure the Shadowchasers have a hand in this little…investigation, I may as well abide by their system. If I win, the bitch hands over her camera, I crush it in my hand, and we part ways as if nothing ever happened."

"And if you lose?" The Israeli inquired.

"Then I'd be more than happy to turn myself in," Danzo replied, in a tone that sounded far from being honest.

Uriel seriously doubted the claim, but prepared to activate his duel disk. "Fine, I'll take you on."

"Oh, I didn't mean you." He pointed at the elf. "I'm challenging her."

"You can't be serious..." Before Uriel could say anything else, Mitsuko stepped out from behind him.

"It's okay," she said. "I got myself into this mess, and I'll be more than happy to clean up."

The Israeli didn't feel comfortable for some reason, but he relented. "Alright. Just be careful and stay on your toes. Wouldn't be surprised if he decided to charge us the first chance he had."

"I HEARD THAT!" Danzo yelled. "Is she ready to duel or not?"

"Hold your horses!" Uriel yelled back. "Or, in this case, would that be 'hold your oxen?'"

"You're pressing your luck, little man," the Ushi-Oni growled.

Uriel shook his head, turning back to see Mitsuko fumbling through her cloak. "What's wrong?"

"Uh...I think I left my duel disk in my other cloak...mind if I borrow yours?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Uriel unstrapped his duel disk and handed it to her. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Mitsuko fastened the disk onto her arm, taking a deck out of her cloak and adding it to the tray. "I'll be fine...I think..."

"Enough talk," Danzo interrupted. "Let's get this over with so I can get the hell out of here!"

"If you mean being carted out by the Shadowchasers," the shadow elf replied, activating Uriel's disk, "I couldn't agree more."

Mitsuko: (8000) - - - - - - - - - Danzo: (8000)

Danzo took the lead, drawing a card.

"Hold on, whatever happened to 'ladies first?" Mitsuko asked.

"Strange, I don't see myself dueling against a lady right now."

This crack got quite the reaction from some of the vendors and people who stuck around. Mitsuko, on the other hand, was fuming.

"I'll just set these for the time being," the Ushi-Oni stated, setting a monster and a face-down card behind it. "Over to you."

Mitsuko drew a sixth card and considered her options. "I summon The Fabled Kokkator!"

A strange bird-like creature with a blue beak and wings and green feathers appeared. (1700/1500)

"Fabled?" Uriel asked himself. He had heard of the archetype, but had never seen them in action, before.

"Take out his set monster!" Mitsuko commanded. Kokkator waddled towards the hidden creature as it emerged. It was a humanoid with the head of a rhinoceros, gold armor, and dozens of hexagonal plates rotating around it. (700/2100) Kokkator was unable to break through this strange barrier.

"A Glad Beast..." Uriel groaned. Now this was a deck he had experiences with, and they were hardly good ones. "God I hate Glad Beasts..."

"That's Gladiator Beasts to you," Danzo stated. "With the Battle Phase over, Hoplomus here can return to the deck, tagging in another Gladiator Beast!"

Hoplomus turned bright white before vanishing. It was quickly replaced by a humanoid fish with green and blue scales. (800/400)

"And when Murmillo here is tagged in, he can destroy any monster on the field I choose." He pointed at Kokkator, and Murmillo shot a blast of water from its mouth. The bird creature cawed in fright before shattering from the blast.

"Uh...a minor setback," Mitsuko stated, setting two cards face-down. "Over to you."

M: (7600) - - - - - - - - - D: (8000)

Danzo drew a card, grinning at the sight of it. "I activate Gladiator Proving Ground. This allows me to search out any Gladiator Beast I choose, provided it's level four or lower." Fanning out his deck, he grabbed the card he wanted.

"I'm going with Gladiator Beast Bestiari!" He summoned the monster, and an avian in silver armor appeared. (1500/800)

Wonderful, here it comes, Uriel thought to himself.

"Next, I send both Bestiari and Murmillo back to my deck!" The two creatures were tagged out.

"That way I can contact fuse THIS from my Extra deck!" He slammed the card onto his disk, and another avian emerged, this one larger and more aggressive than Bestiari. (2400/1500)

"Behold, Gladiator Beast Gyzarus! And when special-summoned this way, he obliterates two cards on the field! Say goodbye to your defenses!" Gyzarus began to flap its wings violently, sending heavy gusts of wind across the field.

"I chain both of my face-downs!" Mitsuko declared, activating them. "First, Threatening Roar, which calls off your Battle Phase this turn." The spectral image of Manticore of Darkness appeared behind her, roaring at the top of its lungs. Gyzarus was taken aback.

"Also, Reckless Greed grants me two draws, provided I skip my next two draw phases." She quickly drew her two.

"Hardly a problem," Danzo commented. "End turn."

Mitsuko tapped her deck, perhaps as a reminder to skip her draw phase. "I play Dark World Dealings. This lets us both draw a card, discarding one afterward."

"Thank you for the gift," Danzo stated. He drew a card, then discarded a Magic card.

Mitsuko drew one, then flipped it around. "I'm discarding The Fabled Catsith, which allows me to choose a face-up card on the field and take it out!" She made the discard, and a small cat with ornate jewelry appeared. It gave a hiss as it leaped towards Gyzarus.

"Fat chance of that," Danzo replied, chaining his face-down card. "Gladiator Beast War Chariot can negate any monster effect, provided I control a face-up Gladiator Beast." Gyzarus jumped onto the oriental transport before swatting the cat creature away.

"Thank you for wasting your Trap," the shadow elf complimented. "Now I'm free to take you down a peg."

Danzo raised an eyebrow.

"I summon Fabled Gallabas!" A demon with green skin and silver armor appeared. (1500/800)

"He may not look like much, but by discarding a card, he's free to destroy a monster whose defense is equal to or lower than his attack. Guess who I have in mind?"

As she made the discard, Gallabas produced a chain with a spike on the end of it. He threw the spiked end with deadly accuracy, piecing Gyzarus's skull. The Gladiator Beast screeched before it shattered.

"Well, that's one way to take a Glad down," Uriel said to himself.

"The card I ditched was The Fabled Ganashia," the elf explained, "and when it's discarded, it can be special-summoned to the field!" A humanoid elephant with large tusks appeared, trumpeting its arrival. (1600/1000)

"And when brought out this way, it gains 200 extra attack points. It'll be removed from the game if it leaves play, but I think that's a fair trade-off." (1800/1000)

"Alright you two, sic' em!" Gallabas lashed out with his chain again, aiming for Danzo's right arm. The Ushi-Oni reacted instinctively, dodging just enough where the chain tore off part of his bandages. He had little time to recover, as he was shoulder-blocked by Ganashia.

M: (7600) - - - - - - - - - D: (4700)

"Hey, this is going better than I expected!" Mitsuko exclaimed.

"Keep your guard up!" Uriel snapped. "Don't forget what you're dealing with!"

The shadow elf nodded, setting a card face-down. "Your move."

Danzo snorted as he got back up. "Hang on, I need a little pick-me-up." He pulled out a switchblade, shearing away the rest of his bandages before cutting open the wound underneath.

"What the hell is he doing?" Uriel asked.

"What I was afraid he would do," Mitsuko replied.

Danzo reached into his back pocket, pulling out a bag with a white powder. He sprinkled some of the contents onto his newly self-inflicted wound, rubbing it in and letting it mix with his blood. He quickly wrapped it up with a fresh strand of bandage.

"There we go..." He started grunting and breathing, his body wrenching in pain. He gave a roar as the remaining bystanders cautiously backed away. Soon he was chuckling as the full effects of whatever he took kicked in. "Yeah...much better..."

This took Uriel back to his younger years, when his uncle had been a cocaine user. The highs he'd get as a result of the drug led to plenty of damage – both property and physical. He came close to losing everything, including what was left of his income as well as the family around him. It wasn't until he broke Uriel's father's jaw in a drug-driven fistfight that he realized how badly the stuff had taken over his life. He cleaned himself up after months of rehab, but the memories would live on for quite some time.

"...there's no way in hell that cocaine has that quick of an effect," the Israeli said.

"It's not cocaine," Mitsuko corrected. "or any earthly drug for that matter. It's Luhix, made from a plant only found in the lower layers of Hell. Similar M.O., but far more dangerous and expensive to produce. Generally only devil-worshiping cults have access to it, but this guy's been double-dealing."

"That's why you were tailing him?" Uriel asked.

The elf nodded. "The Shadowchasers have been trying to nab as many dealers off the streets of Neo Domino as possible. Danzo's been on their radar for months, but they have enough on their plate right now as it is. They needed someone outside their organization, like me, to get proof that he's been selling it. It's illegal to distribute, like any drug your kind would be familiar with, but it carries the highest penalty of any illegal substance. Not only can one you hooked on the first go, it can be lethal if you don't have the right incantations or tight bindings to keep it in, as he apparently does."

"Damn right," Danzo said. "I know it's a cardinal rule for a dealer to never get high on their own supply, but considering this stuff makes me feel invincible, I'm more than willing to."

"You're making a huge mistake," Mitsuko stated. "There's no telling how much damage your body has taken. You need to stop now before it gets even more out of hand."

"You're fricking kidding me, right?" The Ushi-Oni laughed. "I've never felt better! I'll feel even better once I destroy your evidence, as well as kill the two of you!"

Uriel was even more worried than before. He was bad enough without taking that drug; how much worse was he going to get?

Everyone was about to find out, as Danzo drew for his turn. "I play Foolish Burial, sending Bestiari to my graveyard." He took the monster he had played earlier from his deck and added it to his discard slot.

"Next, I summon Gladiator Beast Secutor." A small reptilian creature brandishing a cannon of sorts appeared. (400/300)

"But he won't be staying for long, for now I special-summon Test Tiger!" A large tiger wearing orange and blue battle armor made its presence known. (600/300)

"My Tiger can be brought out this way since I control a Gladiator Beast, and by sacrificing it, I can send Secutor back to the deck..." Test Tiger dematerialized as Secutor vanished.

"...to bring out another Gladiator Beast as if it were tagged in!" In a flash, another tiger-like creature emerged. It wore red armor, and six odd-looking contraptions circled around it. (1800/400)

"Meet Gladiator Beast Laquari. When brought tagged in, its attack becomes 2100! And it'll be using all of it against that chain gang member!" The pods around Laquari charged up, firing red lasers as Gallabas. They effectively sliced him to bits before he shattered.

M: (7000) - - - - - - - - - D: (4700)

"Another battle complete, another tag made!" Laquari disappeared, replaced by a humanoid equine wielding a whip. (1700/300)

"When Gladiator Beast Darius is tagged in, I can revive any Gladiator Beast I want from the graveyard, though its effect is negated. And since I only have one..." Darius cracked its whip, and Bestiari reappeared. (1500/800)

"Now let's try this again!" Bestiari and Darius both tagged out, and a second copy of Gyzarus appeared. (2400/1500) Like last time, it sent gusts of wind at Mitsuko's other cards.

"I chain Jar of Greed!" Mistuko declared, activating her Trap before it and Ganashia shattered. She drew one card for the Jar's effect.

"Not like it's going to make a difference," Danzo commented. "It's your move."

Mitsuko again tapped her deck. She wasn't in the best situation, but the card she drew from Jar of Greed would certainly help. She set it in her monster zone, then waved a hand to end her turn.

Danzo drew a card. "Gyzarus, take out her defender!" The Gladiator Beast flew in, slashing with its talons. The set monster turned out to be a Morphing Jar. It laughed before exploding.

Mitsuko discarded her only card, while Danzo discarded two. Both drew five new ones.

"Time to tag in two Gladiator Beasts!" Gyzarus vanished, replaced by Laquari (2100/400) and a new beast, this one a humanoid crocodile brandishing a trident. (1200/800)

"When Retiari is tagged in, I'm free to banish any monster I choose from your graveyard. I think I'll go with..."

Mitsuko shut her eyes, knowing that the card she had discarded for Morphing Jar's effect was needed for later.

"...your chain gang member."

Normally the elf would have gasped, but somehow her professional side kept her excitement in-check. She nodded, removing Gallabas from her graveyard.

"I'll set this and call it a turn." Danzo set a card behind Retiari.

Mitsuko drew a card, giving her a full and fresh hand to work with.

"First off, I'll discard a card to add the monster I ditched on the previous turn, Fabled Kushano, back to my hand." She made her discard and retrieved Kushano.

"Next, I summon Fabled Ashenveil!" Another pale-skinned demon appeared, this one with two sets of wings – bat-like ones on its back, and feathered ones on its forearms. (1600/1200)

"Ashenveil, attack Laquari!" The demon stretched out all four of its wings and charged.

"Idiot!" Danzo laughed. "Laquari's stronger!"

"Not for long," Mitsuko replied. "During battle, I can discard a card from my hand to give Ashenveil a boost – 600 attack points, to be precise." As she made her discard, Ashenveil's attack power grew to 2200, just enough to slice through Laquari. The beast grunted before shattering.

M: (7000) - - - - - - - - - D: (4600)

"Damn you..." The Ushi-Oni growled.

"The card I discarded for this effect was The Fabled Chawa," Mitsuko explained, "and just like Ganashia, when discarded, I can special-summon it to the field!" A small chihuahua wearing a silver helmet appeared and sat down in defense mode, panting excitedly. (200/100)

"I set three cards face-down, then tune my monsters together!" As three set cards appeared on the field, Chawa became a gold ring, quickly scanning Ashenveil . Five stars ushered in a portal of light.

(1* + 4* = 5*)

"Synchro Summon! Fabled Ragin!" A taller demon wearing blue and gold armor emerged from the portal. He chuckled as he crossed his arms. (2300/1800)

"Since I only have one card in hand, Ragin allows me to draw until I'm holding two." She drew a second card. "With that, my turn is over."

"About time," Danzo said, drawing for his turn. "I activate the ability of the spell I discarded a few turns ago. If I have at least two Gladiator Beasts in my graveyard, I can return two of them to my deck, and the spell to my hand."

Laquari returned to his main deck, while his first Gyzarus returned to the Extra deck. The spell was spat out of his discard slot last, and he retrieved it.

"Now I sacrifice Retiari..." The crocodile creature vanished into particles.

"...in order to summon Gladiator Beast Spartacus!"

A carnivorous dinosaur-like creature emerged with bronze armor and a huge ax. (2200/1600)

"Attack her Ragin, now!" Spartacus roared as he charged in, bringing his ax back for a strike.

"And before damage calculation, I play the spell I retrieved! Indomitable Gladiator Beast, raising its attack power by 500 points for the rest of the turn!" Spartacus's strength grew to 2700 as a swing of the ax decapitated Fabled Ragin. The body shattered first as the head rolled right underneath Mitsuko. She freaked out before the head disintegrated.

M: (6600) - - - - - - - - - D: (4600)

"Focus!" Uriel yelled.

"Honestly, I'm trying," Mitsuko responded.

"Spartcaus tags out," Danzo announced, "and I'm tagging in Gladiator Beast Dimacari!" A beast that looked very similar to the Ushi-Oni appeared, although this one had purple skin and futuristic silver armor. (1600/1200)

"I set a card face down, and then equip Dimacari with Gladiator Beast's Battle Gladius, which increases his attack power by 300 points." A short sword materialized in front of the bull demon, and it gladly took hold of it. (1900/1200)

"That's it for now."

Mitsuko drew her next card, but played it immediately. "I play Pot of Avarice!"

"Like hell you will!" Danzo interrupted, chaining one of his set cards. "I chain Disarm! By sending a Gladiator Beast from my hand back to the deck, your spell card is negated!" He returned a high-level monster to the deck as the effect of Pot of Avarice sizzled.

"Crap," the elf said to herself. "Fine. I summon The Fabled Rubyruda and call it a turn." A strange yokai appeared, its large eyes looking around with wonder. (1100/800)

Danzo drew for his turn, but Uriel noticed it was a tad slower than before. Perhaps the Luhix was starting to wear off and take its toll.

"Dimacari, attack her Rubyruda!" The bull demon drove its hooves into the pavement before charging.

"I activate Rubyruda's effect! If he should be attacked, I can discard a Fabled monster to negate the assault!" She discarded the last card in her hand, Fabled Kushano, and a barrier appeared around Rubyruda. The gladius bounced off of it, and the yokai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good for you," Danzo said sarcastically. "You may have stopped this attack, but Dimacari's tag-in ability allows him to attack twice during the same battle phase!" Rubyruda's eyes bugged out when it heard this.

"Now let's try this again. ATTACK!" Dimacari again slashed with the Battle Gladius, and this time the yokai was sliced in two. The halves exploded.

M: (5800) - - - - - - - - - D: (4600)

"Dimacari tags out, and in comes one of my stronger creatures, Gladiator Beast Alexander!"

As the bull demon disappeared, it was replaced by a humanoid lion with gold armor. It gave a roar that shook some of the vendor carts close by. (2400/600)

"And when the monster equipped with my Battle Gladius leaves the field, I'm able to add it to my hand." He fished out the equip card and returned it to his hand.

"Don't even think about using spells on Alexander. His tag-in ability protects him from them. Sure, he can't use my Gladius, but since I have the advantage right now, I'm not that concerned." He set two cards and waved a hand to end his turn.

Mitsuko was nervous. She had Call of the Haunted set, but nothing in her graveyard would be strong enough to beat Alexander.

Closing her eyes, she made her draw. She was naturally excited when she saw what it was.

"I play Card of Demise! This lets me draw until I'm holding five cards!" She promptly drew her five as a guillotine appeared behind her. With this new hand she now had plenty of options.

"You remember using this card, right?" She played her copy of Foolish Burial, sending a high-level monster to the graveyard.

"Next, I reveal Call of the Haunted to revive the monster I just ditched!" In a flash, a purple-skinned, bat-winged demon wearing a gold and red mask appeared with a sinister grin on its face. (2800/100)

"Meet Fabled Dianaira, and he's ready to meet Alexander head-on!" Dianaira laughed as he moved in to attack.

"I'm sure he does, but it's not going to end up like you think it will! I chain Defensive Tactics!" Danzo's set card revealed itself, and a spherical barrier appeared around Alexander. The barrier easily repelled the attack, and Dianaira fell over.

"For the remainder of this turn, my Gladiator Beast can't be destroyed by battle, and I take no damage from any battles involving it! And since I'm sure you won't be attacking with that Pegasus knock-off, I'll be tagging Alexander out."

Alexander vanished, and a centaur creature appeared. (1600/1200)

"When Gladiator Beast Equeste is tagged in, I can retrieve any Gladiator Beast card I want from my graveyard. And I know just which one to grab..." He took out his War Chariot, eager to make use of it later.

Mitsuko was disappointed, but tried not to show it. "Alright, I'm summoning Fabled Miztoji." A short bat-winged demon appeared holding a cane, chuckling all the while. (400/200)

"And I tune my monsters together..." Miztoji became a pair of ring, and it scanned Dianaira. Another white portal appeared.

(2* + 8* = 10*)

"...to Synchro summon Fabled Leviathan."

A smaller demon compared to Dianaira appeared. He wore elaborate clothes made from blue, red and gold fabric, with emeralds sewn in various areas. His crimson hair and wings were both long and impressionable. A mask with red-tinted lenses covered his eyes. (3000/2000)

"That's all I can do for now."

"How sad," Danzo said, drawing another card. He grinned at the sight of it. Before doing anything else, he held his head, rubbing his temple. "Damn, I need another pick-me-up..."

He took off the bandages on his arm and pulled out the bag of Luhix. He added much more of the drug to the wound than last time.

"The more you take, you worse off you're going to be," Mitsuko commented.

"That's a load of BS," Danzo replied as he re-bandaged himself and the effects kicked in, "just like your line of work!"

"Hey!" The elf snapped. "It may not pay as much as I'd like, but I take great pride in my work! Someone like you would never appreciate that!"

"That's right, try your best to make me madder...I could use the added rage for when I finally bring you down..." He revealed his remaining set card.

"I activate Trojan Gladiator Beast. This lets me draw a card, provided I special-summon a Gladiator Beast from my hand...

"...to your side of the field."

Mistuko gasped as Bestiari appeared next to Fabled Leviathan.

"What? Why would you give him to me?"

"It's called preparing for my next turn," Danzo replied as he drew another card. "But you're not keeping him for long..." He played the spell he had just drawn.

"Next I play Gladiator Taming, which, like most of my support cards, require a Gladiator Beast on the field in order to work. Now, this card has one of two effects: I can either change the battle position of one of your creatures, or...

"...I can take control of a Gladiator Beast on your side of the field until the end of the turn!"

The sound of a whip cracking caused Mistuko to flinch, and Bestiari flew over to Danzo's side.

"You know what's coming next, don't you?" The Ushi-Oni laughed, as Bestiari and Equeste tagged out. Once again, Gyzarus made its presence known. It created another gust storm, which blew away Fabled Leviathan and one of Mitsuko's two set cards, which turned out to be Draining Shield.

"Crap, crap, crap..." The elf muttered. "Leviathan's effect activates when he's destroyed and sent to the graveyard. I can retrieve up to three Fabled monsters thanks to him." She grabbed Fabled Grimro, Chawa and Ashenveil.

"Take all of them back for all I care," Danzo laughed. "While you do that, I equip Gyzarus with my Battle Gladius!" The avian took hold of the short sword as its attack power rose. (2700/1500)

"Now attack her directly!" Gyzarus flew in, slashing with the gladius. Mitsuko cried out as she fell over.

M: (3100) - - - - - - - - - D: (4600)

"You alright?!" Uriel asked. If he wasn't concerned before, he certainly was, now.

"Does it look like I'm alright?" The shadow elf grunted as she tried to recover.

Meanwhile, Gyzarus tagged out. In its place, Laquari and Darius appeared. With a crack of Darius' whip, Retiari was revived from the graveyard.

"And now, the stage is set for my ultimate beast!" All three of his monsters tagged out, and from his Extra deck came the strongest Gladiator Beast the deck as a whole could produce. It resembled Laquari somewhat, but was far beefier and had far more humanoid qualities. It had long hair and ornate battle armor. It wielded a huge shield as well as a halberd. (3000/2800)

"Feast your eyes on Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!" The beast roared as it struck the halberd down with a thunderous crash.

"I set this face-down." He set a card, which could only be his War Chariot. "And while I'd love to equip my Gladius to Heraklinos, he doesn't need it, not while he has his ability. End turn." 1

Mitsuko finally got to her feet. As she drew for her turn, one of the ropes holding up the guillotine broke. Even though she had more than a full hand, there was nothing available to her that could bring down Danzo's Gladiator Beast. Her last face-down card wouldn't help much in this current situation, either.

She had little choice but to set one of her monsters and pass.

Danzo laughed as he drew another card. "That's right, cower in fear of my power! Heraklinos, wipe out her defender!" The Beast slashed with its halberb, revealing and killing Ashenveil.

"You won't be able to keep this up," he said. "End turn."

"Neither will you," Mitsuko replied, drawing for her turn. The second guillotine rope snapped. She set another of her monsters and a face-down card behind it before ending her turn.

Danzo started to become more woozy as he drew at the start of his turn. "Ugh, I need to get this duel over with, and the card I just drew will help with that!" He played the Equipment spell. "Go, Fairy Meteor Crush!"

"No..." Uriel gasped. Mitsuko, on the other hand, was wide-eyed and speechless.

"Go, my Gladiator Beast, crush her pathetic excuse for a monster!" Heraklinos charged in with far more ferocity than before.

Mitsuko activated the card she had set previously. "I chain Karma Cut! This lets me banish a monster at the price of a card from my hand!" She made the discard.

"Yeah, right!" Danzo replied. "I use the effect of Heraklinos, negating your spell by discarding a card from MY hand!" He discarded his Battle Gladius as the effect of Karma Cut fizzled.

The monster turned out to be Fabled Chawa, whose defense was of little help against Heraklinos's newly-acquired piercing ability. As the chihuahua shattered, Mitsuko was thrown back a good ten feet.

M: (200) - - - - - - - - - D: (4600)

Danzo's laugh came close to a cackle at this point. "You should see the look on your face, elf! Absolutely priceless! It'll make crushing your evidence all the more gratifying!"

Uriel didn't like the Ushi-Oni at first glance, but now it was utter loathing. "God, the more he runs his mouth, the more I want to fire up a barbeque..."

As he went to help Mitsuko up, but she swatted his hand away. "Hey, what's your problem?"

"My problem?" The elf asked as she got to her feet. "My problem is that I just might lose to this sad excuse for a heifer!"

"I resent that!" Danzo yelled.

The Israeli sighed, holding out his hand again. "I've been in tough situations like this, and I'm sure you've been in worse ones. I sure as hell have been scared out of my wits, but worrying about what may or may not happen isn't going to get you anywhere. Focus on the moment. Remember – what you're doing is for the right reasons. We've got your back."

The remaining vendors then seemed to clap and chant in motivation and unison. Mitsuko took all of this in, finally accepting Uriel's hand. As she was helped back to her feet, she brushed herself off after her recent fall.

"Now let's say we fire up the barbeque and put a stop to this guy once and for all."

The elf nodded with a smile, but deep down she was still a little concerned.

"I'm waiting!" Danzo yelled, his breathing getting more and more labored. The Luhix was starting to wear off again.

"You want some of this?" Mistuko asked, drawing for her turn. The third guillotine rope broke, but she knew she wouldn't have to worry about its side effect.

"You know, you could have won on your last turn. Had you equipped your Beast with your Gladius, the piercing damage would have been more than enough to wipe out my remaining Life Points. I wonder if the Luhix has affected more than just your body..."

"Doesn't matter!" Danzo retorted. "You've got nothing to stop me, not while I'm able to negate two separate card effects!"

"Then I better make sure you waste those abilities right now!" She played the spell she had just drawn.

"I activate Dark Core! By discarding a card from my hand, I can banish a monster on the field!"

Danzo panicked, discarding the last card in his hand to negate Dark Core's effect.

Mitsuko maintained her demeanor, luring him into her trap. "Then there's the effect of the monster I discarded – The Fabled Cerburrel. Just like Ganashia and Chawa, I can special-summon him to the field when he's ditched from my hand!"

"Oh no you don't!" Danzo chained his face-down, which of course was his War Chariot. "So much for that!"

"Indeed. Now that you can't stop me from using the abilities of any of my cards, I'm free to use Soul Release! I'll be using it to remove a few cards from the graveyard. Specifically, mine."

Fabled Ashenveil, The Fabled Cerburrel, Fabled Ragin, Fabled Dianaira, and Fabled Leviathan were all removed from her discard slot.

"And now, the stage is set!" Her last face-down card lifted up, causing Danzo's eyes to bug out. "Return from the Different Dimension! At the cost of half my Life Points, I can bring back up to five creatures that I have previously banished. They'll leave play if they're still around at the end of the turn, but that's not going to be a problem."

In a flash, Ganashia (1600/1000), Gallabas (1500/800), Ashenveil (1600/1200), Ragin (2300/1800), Dianaira (2800/100), and Leviathan (3000/2000) all appeared on her field.

"Yeah, you really should have equipped Herk with that Gladius. Then Leviathan wouldn't be able to take it down with him!" Her stronger Synchro monster charged, spearing Heraklinos. The Gladiator Beast retaliated by stabbing with its halberd. Both monsters shattered.

"No..." Danzo muttered.

"As for you...you're through..." Mistuko pointed, and her remaining monsters attacked, pummeling the Ushi-Oni until he was on the ground.

M: (100) - - - - - - - - - D: (0)

"Yeah, you did it!" Uriel shouted. The vendors clapped and cheered.

Mistuko held the back of her held sheepishly. "Hey, the cards just happened to be there when I needed them, that's all."

She turned her attention to Danzo, who was trying to get back up. "Alright, a deal's a deal. You're turning yourself in!"

"Turn myself in?" The Ushi-Oni laughed as he reached into his back pocket and produced a handgun, pointing it towards Mitsuko and Uriel. "Like hell I'll do that!" The vendors that remained cried out as they either ran or took cover.

"Don't make it any worse than it already is!" The elf warned. "You're already facing Shadow drug trafficking and usage charges. You really want to include murder, as well?"

Danzo laughed. "All depends on who I plan to kill. If I killed everyone around here, I wouldn't even have to worry! Although..."

He quickly turned the gun on himself. "...I'd rather skip the legal mumbo-jumbo and the life-sentence and go straight to where I'm destined to be!"

Mitsuko reacted quickly, pulling an odd-looking weapon out of her cloak and firing it. Two miniature harpoons on wires embedded themselves in Danzo's chest. An instant later, the Ushi-Oni was crying out in pain as his muscles seized up. The gun dropped out of his hand before he too dropped to the ground.

"Yikes..." Uriel exclaimed.

"That's what happens when a man-bull is hit with 100,000 volts of electricity," Mistuko replied.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty minutes later, an unfamiliar face arrived on the scene. Uriel had chosen to stay in the background and watch the arrest from afar. He could only assume this was another Shadowchaser, and after his latest run-in with Shichiro, he didn't want to complicate things further.

"I got your call," the man said to Mitsuko. He approached the unconscious Ushi-Oni and pulled out a gem that looked familiar to Uriel. It glowed brightly as Danzo was quickly absorbed.

"So that's what Shichiro he tried to do to Bonetail before..." Uriel murmured.

"I'm surprised you were able to apprehend this guy." the Shadowchaser commented.

The elf sighed. "He came close to killing himself, but I think the Luhix did a number to both his mind and motor skills."

The Shadowchaser picked up Danzo's 'pick-me-up' supply, knowing that at least part of the illegal drug supply would soon be destroyed "Well, that's going to be the least of his worries, now. He has a lot to answer for." He returned to his D-Wheel and started it up.

"Excellent job. We couldn't have done it without you. We'll be in touch in regards to payment." Without another word, he took off.

Once he was gone, Uriel returned to the scene as Mistuko was squeeing with joy. "I can't believe it, my first successful investigation in months! I'll finally be able to pay off some of my outstanding debts!"

The Israeli was dumbfounded. "You've been lying all this time? I thought you were better at your job than this!"

The elf chuckled as she returned Uriel's duel disk to him. "Well, I did kind of distort some of the facts so I could land this assignment..."

"Unbelievable..." Uriel groaned.

"I was at the end of my rope," Mistuko explained, "and I knew a high-profile case like this was what I needed to get back on my feet financially. It didn't go quite as planned, but now I'm sure I'll be assigned on future raids."

"...while still lying through your teeth," Uriel muttered.

"I prefer to call it speaking half-truths, thank you very much," the elf retorted. "If you were in my line of work, you'd find that it's one of the greatest assets when speaking with anyone, be it ally or enemy.

Uriel sighed. While he wasn't exactly thrilled that he was led into believing in a higher level of standards, he was relieved that things turned out for the best this time around.

"So, with that out of the way, let's say we get down to our business."

Uriel nodded. He checked his cell phone and gasped at the time. "Ah crap, I'm going to be late for my other appointment!"

The elf gasped, her professionalism vanishing. "Oh dear, I didn't mean to hold you up like this! I'm sorry! This is all my fault!"

"Hey, calm down, it's not that big a deal. The D-Wheel instructor is understanding at the very least, provided he's given a viable excuse..."

Mitsuko sighed, "Well, I'd best not keep you any longer. Would you be able to meet up some other time? I still need to make this up to you..."

Uriel thought for a moment. "Tell you what," he said. "Next time you go on one of these, er, 'investigations,' count me in. You did promise to show some of the ropes, and someone's gotta be there to make sure things go as planned."

The elf chuckled. "You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll get a hold of you when the time comes."

"Great," the Isreali said. "Now if you excuse me, I've got a lesson to get to."

"Be seeing you!" Mitsuko shouted as she took off.

As Uriel dashed in the opposite direction, he was left with several thoughts. First, how to explain to his instructor how he came figuratively close to being gored by an Ushi-Oni.

Second, the fact that this unorthodox meeting could very well be the start of something big...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonetail: It won't be long now, brother. Soon we'll find the suitable body we need, and you'll keep your end of the bargain.

Gloomtail: For the thousandth time, I'm well aware. There's no need to repeat yourself.

?: There he is. It's time I help bring a boost to my master's greatest endeavor...

Next time: Dark World Dealings.