Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Shadowchasers

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note: Credit for the creation of the antagonist in this chapter goes to fellow fanfic author SeekerD. Thanks for the help, pal.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

As I learned more about the new world I was a part of, I studied the Shadows in great detail. Shadowkind are more than just monsters. They are complex creatures with societies and traditions. One point of interest is lycanthropes. There are not only several subspecies, but two general classes: infected, and true.

An infected lycanthrope is the type that most Mundanes are familiar with, the type that Hollywood has glamorized since the days of the Universal Studios monsters. If a human is injured by a lycanthrope (and survives, naturally) he stands a chance of contracting a curse which can transform him into an infected lycanthrope. This curse causes him to transform into a beast involuntarily, and the chances of it happening each night depend on the phases of the moon (not much chance under a new moon, a very strong chance under a full moon). Also, there are spells and rituals that some evil wizards use to inflict this curse on others, or even inflict it on themselves (although they’d have to be pretty insane to do so). The Shadowchasers have a simple protocol for dealing with infected lycanthropes: capture alive so that a cure can be administered using magic (and fortunately, doing so is far easier than popular culture would suggest). There are even vaccines against lycanthropy, but they are so hard to make, that only the Shadowchasers themselves get them. (I didn’t get mine until after my initiation, and it was much like getting any other shot.)

Now, true lycanthropes are very different. They are not cursed; they are part of an actual race, born as lycanthropes. Either one or both of their parents was a true lycanthrope, and they gain the ability to transform into beast form at puberty. (You think growing pains are bad for the typical teenager? Try dealing with it when you start sprouting claws and fangs.) Once they get past this point, true lycanthropes can control their changes, and aren’t bound by the phases of the moon, but their attitudes tend to reflect their beast side. Wererats thus tend to be sneaky and stealthy, while werewolves can be aggressive and domineering. Whether or not a true lycanthrope can control his beast side depends on his personal self-control and background.

Anyway, most true lycanthropes have a hard time dealing with humans (partially because they can spread the curse) and those that turn really bad are hard to deal with…



While Jinx was dealing with the Golem, Gears was riding his D-Wheel through the Daimon Area, on patrol.

This part of town wasn’t as interesting since the Black Rose Witch came out of the closet, but it was still a hotbed for violence. Gangs of kobolds fought over turf at times, orcs hung out up to no good, and if a troll was pulled over from Shadow into this city, it usually showed up either in Satellite, or around here.

It seemed rather slow today, but Gears didn’t know that more than one person had his eye on him as he crossed an area that was about ten blocks from Bootleg…

* * * * * * * * * *

DaPen was sitting in his office, thinking hard.

His head turned as his mobile rang. He picked it up.

“Speak,” he said into it.

He listened.

“I see… Hmm… Yes… Okay, keep him in sight…”

He hung up. Then he started to dial another number. He looked at the clock.

“It’s only nine AM,” he muttered. “Lukas is likely sober enough to handle this… At least, I hope…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Indeed, at the popular criminal watering hole of Bootleg, Lukas Wolf was indeed still sober. It was a little early for hard liquor, and he could hold it more than most folks could. Nonetheless, he had finished one beer, and the serving maid was bringing him another.

“Anything else?” she said, trying hard not to be rude.

“Naw,” said Lukas. “I’ll call you when I need you…”

Then he slapped her on the behind with a laugh. She was angry, of course, but she was too afraid of him to raise a hand. She just muttered a curse word as she went back to the bar.

Anyone could clearly see that Lukas didn’t care much about his appearance. He had long, grey hair that was ruffled and uncombed, leaving split ends and bangs that almost completely covered his eyes. He wore a dusty gray T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a torn up black trench coat. He was barefoot (not many shoes could survive being put on his feet anyway, which had long, uncut toenails). Both the barmaid and the bartender wondered just why he spent more money on the D-Wheel parked outside than he did on himself.

If they were Aware, they might have known the truth. Buying new clothes was pretty pointless for a werewolf, as his transformations tended to rip them.

Lukas’s early life hadn’t been too out of the ordinary, even if it wasn’t perfect. When he was young, he grew up only with his mother to care for him, not knowing who his father was or whether that man was alive or not. Neither he nor his mother knew that his father had been a true werewolf, and that the genes had been passed onto him. He was teased by the kids for his gray hair, but aside from that he would've had a typical childhood.

But it was on his thirteenth birthday that he experienced his first lycanthrope transformation, and he didn’t take it well. In his beastly rampage, he killed his mother; fearing persecution, he ran away and lived in the streets of Neo Domino, hiding out in the more rural areas.

Constantly he was pursued by Security and the Shadowchasers alike, and had more than one run-in with a novice (at the time) who called himself Gears. Then, one day about five years ago fate brought him into contact with Louis DaPen. From then on, he worked for DaPen, believing he would not have survived otherwise.

He had half-finished the drink when his own mobile rang.

“Eh,” he muttered, answering it. “What?”

Then a look of shock crossed his face.

“Mr. DaPen!” he gasped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Quiet, Lukas, or I’ll turn you into a rug,” replied DaPen. “Do you still have those new cards I gave you, or did you already hawk them?”

“Calm down, I’ve still got ‘em,” replied Lukas. “And I’m itchin’ to use ‘em…”

“Well, you’ll get your chance,” replied DaPen. “Your old ‘friend’ is heading towards Bootleg, so all you have to do is attract him there.”

“Right!” said Lukas. “Uh… How do I do that?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” said DaPen. “Cause a scene or something…

“And for heaven’s sake, don’t end the duel too fast. Make it last a while this time.”

Lukas hung up.

He looked around. Not too many more people were in the bar. There was the bartender, the barmaid, and six customers besides himself, each of them tough guys with criminal marks.

He looked over at the barmaid. He thought for a minute…

Naw, I’d better not, he thought. That would be TOO much of a scene.

He strode up to a customer that wasn’t with any of the others.

“Hey, fellah,” he said, tapping him on the shoulder.

The patron looked at him.

“I don’t like your face,” said Lukas.

“Eh?” said the man.

Before he could do anything, Lukas had socked him in the jaw.

* * * * * * * * * *

At that moment, Gears, was only two blocks from Bootleg. He looked down at his screen as a message flashed on it.

“Go ahead, Shichiro,” he said.

“Guess what, Gears?” replied Shichiro. “The docket just bleeped. Your least favorite shapeshifter is at Bootleg, tearing up the place.”

“Good lord, again??” shouted Gears. “The last time this happened, we had to de-curse ten people and give one of them a booster shot!

“Don’t worry, I’m on it… And I’m bringing him in this time…”

He shifted gears on his bike.

* * * * * * * * * *

Lukas was disappointed. Very disappointed.

He had taken down all six of them without even assuming his bestial form. The barmaid was cowering behind the counter, while the bartender was reaching for something.

“Man, what do they feed you guys in jail?” asked Lukas. “Baby food?”

Then he heard the cocking of a gun behind him.

“Put ‘em in the air, pal!” shouted the bartender.

Lukas turned, and saw the bartender pointing a hunting rifle at him.

He chuckled. The odds that it was loaded with silver bullets were incredibly slim. Still, this gave him an excuse to let out his frustration even more, and maybe get out of paying his bar tab.

He looked at the bartender and growled a little.

“You know, Lukas,” said Gears’s voice. “I would think that seven people wouldn’t meet the requirements for a barroom brawl.”

Lukas spun around to face the Shadowchaser. Gears saw that he came just in time. The transformation had started. Lukas’s eyes were glowing, and his canine teeth had grown into fangs.

The bartender pointed the gun.

“Put it down!” shouted Gears. “You’ll only make him angry, and you do NOT want him angry!”

“To late for that, Gears,” snarled Lukas.

Only Gears could see it happening, but the transformation was starting in earnest. Lukas’s face was becoming far more feral, and his hair was becoming fuller and growing all over his body.

“Is he having a stroke?” asked the bartender.

“Get on the floor and stay there!” ordered Gears.

Then Lukas threw back his head and let out a howl. The bartender dropped his gun and did what he was told.

Lukas snarled and leapt at Gears, but Gears was ready. He clocked the werewolf on the chin. Normally, using your fists on a lycanthrope was suicide, but Gears knew ways to do it that you could only learn in the Shadowchasers.

Still, Lukas was only stunned a little by the blow. Now that the transformation was complete, he made a leap, jumping right over Gears and rushing out the door.

“Want to take it outside, do you?” asked Gears. “Fine.”

Truthfully, that’s what he wanted. A true werewolf in this form kept his human intelligence, but it was dominated by a bestial rage.

Still, he wasn’t expecting what happened when he ran outside. As he did so, he heard the roar of a noisy engine. He dodged aside, just in time to avoid being run over by the D-Wheel with Lukas at the controls.

Lukas swerved as Gears got a good look at the D-Wheel. It was similar to Mukuro Enjo’s Wheel, a similar chopper design, with flames painted on the chassis, and rat skulls decorating the handlebars.

Lukas took off his helmet and smiled at Gears. It was a very unpleasant smile – all fangs and very little actual smile.

“What do you think, Gears?” he asked. “Is it me?”

“Actually,” replied Gears. “Yes.”

Lukas chuckled, and started up the engine again. Gears leapt onto his own Wheel, and it started up.

“So, you’ve upgraded yourself?” said Gears. “Fine… I just had the engine overhauled, and I’m eager to see how well it does!”

“Eat my dust!” laughed Lukas.

He howled again, and sped off down the street with Gears in pursuit. Both of them hit a command on their dashboards, and the Speed World card appeared on them.

Gears knew he had to be careful. As crude as Lukas was, he was friends with many Card Ghouls, thieves who stole Duel Monsters cards and sold them on the black market. He had often worked for them as an enforcer and a legbreaker. As a result, he had access to a great deal of rare cards, and had put together one of the most lethal deck themes in existence.

To make matters worse, the rage that dominated him in beast form did not seem to impair his ability to duel. In fact, it seemed to improve it. This was one reason why Lukas had not been caught up to now. No-one had been able to beat him.

And Gears really had NO idea how this theme could be applied to a Turbo Duel. He’d just have to play it by ear.

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

Gears made his first draw, and looked at the six cards on his gauntlet.

Okay… he thought. I’m off to a good start…

“Okay, hairy,” he said. “I’ll set one card, and then summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker.”

A set card appeared, and then the glowing portal opened. Blind Sucker flew out on rocket jets. (1,600 ATK)

“It’s your move.”

Lukas snarled, and made his first draw. Both Speed Counters rose to one.

“I’ll see your Machine,” he snarled. “I summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari.”

The portal opened behind him, and a humanoid Beast leapt out. It looked like a warrior with indigo fur and the head of a bull, wearing a kilt and metal gauntlets. (1,600 ATK)

“Heh, heh,” he said. “Your move…”

Gears drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

I’ve got just what I need to spring a big surprise on this guy, he thought.

“I set one more card, and then set a Monster,” he said.

A new facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared before both vanished.

“And I end my turn.”

Lukas laughed as he made a draw. Both Speed Counters went up a notch, to three apiece.

“I’m bringing out Gladiator Beast Bestiari!” he exclaimed.

The portal opened again, and this time a Winged Beast flew out. It had green feathers, a head shaped like that of a sparrow, wore a kilt and armor covering its wings, and wore gauntlets equipped with blasters. (1,500 ATK)

“And the best thing about Gladiator Beasts is… They combine!”

Bestiari and Dimacari lifted their arms, and clashed their gauntlets together. Both of them flew into the sky, and burst into a flash of light.

“Fusion Summon… Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!”

Another Winged Beast flew out of the sky. It looked like Bestiari at first glance, but had much heavier, bulkier, darker armor. (2,400 ATK)

“Now I can use his effect to wipe out both your Monsters!”

Gyzarus started to glow with a radiant light…

“On the contrary, Lukas,” answered Gears, as one of his facedown cards spun around, “he’ll do know such thing! I play Destruction Jammer! Now, I just toss one card…”

He quickly discarded Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais.

“And it’s bye-bye birdie.”

Gyzarus screeched and exploded into black pixels.

“Why, you!” snarled Lucas. “Now I’m really mad!”

He took a card from his gauntlet, and a Speed Spell appeared in front of his D-Wheel.

“But I can improvise… I play Speed Spell – Zero Rebirth. Now I can bring back Gyzarus in Attack Mode… But his Attack Score becomes zero.”

Gyzarus appeared again, flying in front of Lukas’s D-Wheel. (0 ATK)

“I throw a card facedown,” he said. “And I end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared next to his D-Wheel, and then faded from view.

Okay, this is weird, thought Gears. Gyzarus can use its effect when it’s Special Summoned in any way, not just Fusion Summoned. Lukas could have done so when he brought it back with Zero Rebirth.

But for some reason, he chose not to… Why?

He made a draw. Both Speed Counters rose to four.

“I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!” he exclaimed.

Dekoichi appeared next to his bike, chugging alongside him. (1,400 ATK)

Gears drew a card.

“Blind Sucker, attack Gyzarus!”

Blind Sucker’s jetpack ignited. It flew in front of the Gladiator Beast, and fired its missile…

“I activate… Defensive Tactics!” exclaimed Lukas, as his facedown card spun around. “Now, the damage to me is reduced to zero, and my Monster isn’t destroyed.”

The missile exploded against Gyzarus’s armor, but didn’t leave a dent.

“And even better,” he continued, holding up the Trap Card, “Defensive Tactics doesn’t go to the Graveyard, it goes to the bottom of my deck.”

He slid the card on the bottom of his deck.

“Now then…” he said. “I use his effect… He goes back to my deck…”

Gyzarus vanished.

“And in his place, two Gladiator Beasts come out! So, let’s hear it for Hoplomus and Laquari!”

Two separate portals opened, and two creatures emerged. The first was a hulking, humanoid rhinoceros clad in plate armor. (2,100 DEF) The second was a humanoid tiger in a breastplate, surrounded by a ring of flames. (1,800 ATK)

“And due to their effects, Hoplomus gains a boost to his Defense…”

Hoplomus growled a little. (2,400 DEF)

“…while Laquari’s Attack Score rises!”

Laquari roared. (2,100 ATK)

“I know what you’re trying to do, Lukas, and I won’t let it happen,” said Gears.

His other facedown card spun around.

“I activate Overworked! This destroys all Monsters on the field with Attack Scores higher than their base scores.”

Laquari burst into flaming pixels.

“You’re going to have to work harder than that to bring out the big guy this time, pal,” said Gears. “I set a Monster, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared in front of him, and then faded from sight.

Gears seriously juiced up that deck of his, thought Lukas. What he doesn’t know is, I’ve done the same with mine.

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to five. He looked at the Speed Spell.

This’ll be good for later, he thought.

“Come on out, Test Tiger!” he laughed, as he played a card.

The portal opened again, and a large tiger leapt out, one wearing a colorful costume. It started to run beside his D-Wheel. (600 ATK)

“Now, I sacrifice it, to use its effect, and bring out another Gladiator Beast.”

Test Tiger vanished into an orb of energy…

“Gladiator Beast Darius!”

The orb burst, transforming into a tall, humanoid horse, wearing a loincloth and shoulder guards, and holding a metal whip. (1,700 ATK)

“And since he was summoned using Test Tiger’s effect, he gets to use his own effect, as if he were summoned by another Gladiator Beast.”

“You mean?” asked Gears.

“That’s right,” replied Lukas. “I get to bring back a Gladiator Beast from my Graveyard. So welcome back, Gladiator Beast Laquari!”

In an aura of flames, Laquari appeared again with a roar. (1,800 ATK)

“All right!” laughed Lukas. “Laquari… Hoplomus… Darius… Let’s bring ‘em all together!”

The three Gladiator Beasts flew into the sky, and burst into an explosion of light, which turned into a sphere of fire. It fell back to Earth like a falling meteor…

“Fusion Summon… Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!”

With a savage roar, an eight-foot-tall, fiery Beast-Warrior appeared from the orb. He seemed to combine the features of a wolf and lion at first glance, but then again, might have had the features of several animals in him in one way or another. He carried an axe, shield, and wore armor. (3,000 ATK)

“Terrific…” said Gears.

“That’s an understatement,” chuckled Lucas. “You’re dead meat.”

Heraklinos slashed with his weapon, and Blind Sucker exploded. Gears struggled as his D-Wheel shook, and his Counters fell to four.

“I set two cards facedown,” said Lukas, “and end my turn…”

Two facedown cards flashed into existence in front of his bike, and faded from view.

(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,000)

Gears’s eyes narrowed. He drew a card.

His own Speed Counters clicked up to five, while Lukas’s went up to six.

He looked at the cards in his hand.

Two facedown cards… he thought. Heraklinos can negate any Spell or Trap I try to play, so long as Lukas can discard a card… But Monster effects are its weakness…

Normally, a duelist who uses Gladiator Beasts uses a Trap called Gladiator Beast War Chariot to handle that…

So… Either one of those facedown cards is War Chariot, or Lukas is bluffing…

Fortunately, I have something that can help me… And with Lukas, it will be pretty easy to tell whether he’s bluffing or not…

“I Flip-Summon Mecha Bunny,” he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and a large, metal bunny appeared, hopping in front of his D-Wheel. It had the words “Love It” on its forehead. (800 ATK)

“Heh, heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Lukas. “Sending a rabbit out against a wolf… Whatever will I do?”

“Yeah, you laugh,” said Gears. “When Mecha Bunny is flipped, I choose one card on the field, and that card’s controller takes 500 points of damage. So, I think I’ll choose your Gladiator Beast Heraklinos.”

“Erk!” said Lukas. “Is that the best you can do?”

“No, THIS is!” replied Gears. “I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!”

The dark portal opened, and the robotic bluejay flew out. (1,400 ATK)

“Now, I Tune together Cyclone Creator and Mecha Bunny!”

The two Machines flew into the sky, and dissolved into five glowing stars…

Ally of Justice Catastor flew down, and glared at Heraklinos. (2,200 ATK)

“Eh?” said Lukas.

“Catastor automatically destroys any Monster it battles that isn’t a Dark Monster,” said Gears. “And gee… Isn’t Heraklinos a Fire Monster?”

Then Lukas bore his fangs and let out an angry snarl…

“You should take anger management classes, Lukas!” laughed Gears. “Your own attitude gives you away! Now I know that neither of those facedown cards is War Chariot!

“Catastor, destroy Heraklinos!”

“You’re right, congratulations,” snarled Lukas. “But I’ll use one of them anyway…”

One of the two facedown cards spun around.

“It’s called Alter for Tribute. Since Heraklinos has had it anyway, I’ll sacrifice him, and gain Life Points equal to half his Attack Score.”

Heraklinos vanished into granules of light, and Lukas glowed with energy.

“Fine!” shouted Gears. “Catastor… Attack him directly!”

Catastor prepared to fire its beam again.

“Forget about my other Trap Card?” asked Lukas, as his second facedown card spun around. “It’s something no Gladiator Beast should be without… It’s called Waboku.”

Three blue-robed, hooded priestesses appeared in the air in front of Lukas, blocking Catastor’s blast with a dome of energy.

“It reduces the battle damage I would take this round to zero. It wouldn’t have protected Heraklinos from Catastor, but it would have done wonders against a stronger Monster.

“I may get mad every now and then, Gears… But that doesn’t mean I’m dumb, y’know…”

“At least Heraklinos is gone,” replied Gears. “It’s your move.”

(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)

“Enjoy it while you can, Gears,” replied Lukas. “I’m far from beaten…”

“Give it up,” said Gears. “I just took out your best Monster. Everyone knows that Heraklinos is the strongest Gladiator Beast.”

Under his helmet, Lukas smiled evilly…

How little he knows… he thought.

* * * * * * * * * *

In his headquarters, DaPen walked down a hallway.

He came to a door, where a sign on the front said, “Do not disturb”. He knocked on it.

No answer.

That meant to come in. If the person inside didn’t want him to come in, then he would have said something.

DaPen opened the door, into a room of complete darkness. The only light came from the open door behind him.

“Hello?” said DaPen. “Uh, you are in here, right? It’s kind of hard to tell with no lights…”

“I like the dark,” said a soft, soothing voice in the center of the room. “Dark for dark business, I always say…

“You know, an old English proverb says, it is better to light a single candle than to curse darkness… Some, like me, choose to embrace the darkness itself. When you don’t use your eyes, you open your mind to things it otherwise wouldn’t see…”

“Yes, yes, quite,” said DaPen. “Well, I’m sorry to interrupt your meditations, but we have business to attend to. Ready to do that favor you owe me?”

“Of course,” said the voice. “I’m a man of my word… And I always pay back my debts…

“Besides… I might even enjoy it…”

In the darkness, the man smiled, ever so slightly…

* * * * * * * * * *

Lukas made a draw, and his Speed Counter rose to seven, while Gears’s rose to six.

Thanks for the card, DaPen, he thought, as he looked at it.

“I play this,” he said. “Speed Spell – Summon Aura!”

“HUH?” said Gears, looking at it. “A Continuous Speed Spell?”

“That’s right!” laughed Lukas. “And so long as my Counters stay at four or more, I’m allowed to keep it.

“And as for what it does, it deals 500 points of damage to you whenever I Special Summon a Monster.”

“Say WHAT?” shouted Gears.

“I didn’t design the card,” chuckled Lukas. “Now then… I summon Gladiator Beast Secutor.”

The portal opened again, and a smaller Gladiator Beast leapt out. This one was a lizard man of some sort, wearing a toga, with two odd blaster mechanisms on his back. (400 ATK)

“Yeah, I know that guy’s effect,” replied Gears. “You can send him back to your deck to summon two Gladiator Beasts. But only if he survives a battle, which seems unlikely.”

“More likely than you think,” replied Lukas, as a new Speed Spell appeared. “See, since my Speed Counters are at least as high as his Level, I can use him in a Death Battle!”

Gears looked at the Speed Spell. He had never seen this one either, but since Gladiator Beast Andal was on the art, it seemed to have been designed specifically for Gladiator Beasts.

“Alright, Secutor,” said Lukas, “attack Dekoichi!”

Secutor flew in front of the Battlechanted Locomotive, and aimed his blasters. He fired a blast of plasma…

Then, to his surprise, Gears felt an impact of energy. He groaned as his Counters slipped one notch, to five.

“Death Battle not only protects my Monster from being destroyed in the battle,” explained Lukas, “but the battle damage is transferred to you. The catch is, Secutor would die at the end of my turn.”

“But since he’s a Gladiator Beast,” added Gears, “he goes back to your deck via his effect before that happens, right?”

“You got it!” laughed Lukas, as Secutor vanished.

He held up two cards.

“Now, by using his effect, I can Special Summon two Gladiator Beasts… Meet Theseus and Flamma!”

The portal opened again, and this time, two Beasts flew out. The first one, the one that Lukas had named after the legendary king of Athens, seemed to be a relative of Panther Warrior. He had the same cat-like features and scimitar, although his armor was more like the other Gladiator Beasts. (2,300 ATK)

The other one seemed to have based its animal side on a hawk. It had golden feathers and larger, fuller wings than Bestiari, and wore a white toga. It carried a long halberd in its upper talons. (1,500 ATK)

“I’ve never seen these guys before!” gasped Gears.

Then he screamed as two blasts of energy shot out of the Summon Aura card, and struck him.

“They aren’t exactly common,” chuckled Lukas. “Theseus never saw much use because he can only be summoned by Secutor, and folks didn’t use Secutor all that much.

“And Flamma is incredibly rare, because he’s a Level 4 Tuner.”

“A Gladiator Beast Tuner??” gasped Gears.

“That’s right!” laughed Lukas. “And I’m gonna use both my Monsters to summon a Gladiator Beast Synchro!”

Flamma spread its wings, and its eyes shone with pure light. Then, it and Theseus flew into the sky, and split into nine glowing stars…

A bolt of light shot down from the heavens…

“Synchro Summon…” laughed Lukas, “Gladiator Beast Julius!”

Flying out of the ether of Speed World was a Winged Beast who resembled Gyzarus at first glance, but with armor of bronze, and a head resembling that of a bald eagle. He had a twenty-foot wingspan, and held twin swords in both of his upper talons. (3,300 ATK)

“Good lord…” said Gears.

Then he screamed again as he was blasted by the Summon Aura again.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“You know, Gears,” said Lukas, “according to legend, Romulus and Remus, the two founders of Rome, were raised by a she-wolf after their father, the god Mars, abandoned them.”

“I know,” replied Gears. “And after they built their city, they fought each other over who had the right to rule, and Romulus killed his brother. That’s why the city is called Rome and not Rem. It just goes to show you what influence wolves can have on young people.”

“Well, my influence over this guy,” replied Lukas, “who was named after one of the greatest military minds in Roman history, will certainly leave a mark. And by the way, Julius here is a Dark Monster, so your tin can’s effect won’t work on him.

“But I’m not gonna take any chances. Since I used Flamma in a Synchro Summon, its effect activates, and I get to bring out yet another Gladiator Beast. I think I’ll bring out Gladiator Beast Murmillo.”

The portal opened again, and a small, aquatic fish-man with blasters on its back similar to Secutor’s appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

The Summon Aura blasted at Gears again, and he grunted.

“And due to Murmillo’s effect,” continued Lukas, “I can destroy one Monster.”

Catastor exploded into shards.

Lukas chuckled.

“It’s your move… And you’re going down…”

(G: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)

He’s not too far off, thought Gears. My Life Points are way down. And with that huge eagle on the field, and me not even knowing what it can do, I’m not in the best shape…

He made a draw. His Counters went up to six, while Lukas’s went up to eight.

“I move Dekoichi to Defense Mode, and then set a Monster,” he said.

Dekoichi slowed down a little. (1,000 DEF) Then a set Monster appeared.

“That’s all I can do.”

Lukas chuckled as he drew. Both Speed Counters went up by one.

“Murmillo moves to Attack Mode,” he said.

Murmillo stood up into a fighting stance. (800 ATK)

“Julius, attack Dekoichi with pride of Rome!”

The Winged Beast slashed with his two blades, and the Battlechanted Locomotive was blown to scrap.

“And when Julius destroys one of your Monsters, he takes out all your others as well.”

Gears gasped as his reversed Monster shattered.

“Now, Murmillo, attack directly!”

Murmillo fired its blaster at Gears, and he groaned a little.

“Next, I send Murmillo back to my deck…”

Murmillo vanished.

“…to bring out Gladiator Beast Retiari.”

The portal of energy opened, and a new Beast flew out. It was another lizard man, who seemed to have a passing relation to Gagagigo in some way. He was dressed in a loincloth and cape, and carried a trident. (1,200 ATK)

Summon Aura glowed, and blasted Gears again.

“By summoning him,” said Lukas, “I can banish one Monster in your Graveyard from the game. So I’m getting rid of Catastor so I don’t have to worry about it again.”

Gears growled a little.

“It’s your move…”

(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)

Gears punched his dashboard. He was angry now.

This walking carpet isn’t better than me… he thought.

He drew a card. His own Speed Counters rose to eight, while Lucas’s rose to ten.

He looked at the four cards on his gauntlet.

Well, here goes nothing, he thought.

He took all four, and threw them all on his console. A reversed Monster, and four reversed cards appeared.

“Your move,” he said.

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Lukas. “Trying to bluff your way out of this, huh?

“Retiari, get his Monster!”

Retiari charged, and thrust with his trident. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

“Now we have to toss our hands and draw five more,” said Gears.

Lukas chuckled, and discarded the one card in his hand. Both of them made five draws.

“As if it will matter,” he said. “Julius, attack him directly!”

Julius swooped down on Gears.

“Sorry, wolf-boy,” said Gears, “you thought I was bluffing, and you’re gonna regret it. Go, Dimension Wall!”

A portal of light appeared in front of Julius, and the Gladiator Beast stared at it.

Then he lifted his swords, and slashed at it. Lukas howled in pain.

“All the damage I would have taken from that attack is now taken by you instead,” said Gears.

“You miserable…” snarled Lukas.

His Speed Counters fell three places, down to eight.

He looked at the five cards in his hand.

“I send Retiari back to my deck…”

Retiari vanished.

“…to summon Gladiator Beast Auctorati.”

A new Gladiator Beast flew out of the portal, this one had the head of a savage greyhound, was dressed in a toga, and carried a steel mace. (950 ATK)

The Summon Aura glowed, and blasted Gears again.

“With Auctorati’s arrival, I get to draw one card,” he continued.

He made a draw.

He looked at it. It was Bestiari again.

I’ll save him for later, he thought, stowing it on his gauntlet.

He threw a card on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

“Make your move…”

(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,400)

Gears made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to ten.

“Come on out, Mechanicalchaser!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Machine hunter materialized. (1,850 ATK)

Now… thought Gears. I have to hope that he does what I need him to do…

“I end my turn…”

Lukas drew, and his Counters also rose to ten.

He looked at Bestiari.

Control yourself, Lukas… he thought. Sure, you want to beat him bad… Tear him apart… Suck the marrow from his bones, eat his liver…

Where was I?

But you can’t get carried away. Besides, DaPen said he wants this duel to last a while.

“I sacrifice Auctorati…” he said.

Auctorati transformed into a globe of light.

“…to summon Gladiator Beast Alexander!”

With a roar, another Gladiator Beast burst out the orb. He was a lion-like humanoid, in golden armor, with large, golden wings. (2,400 ATK)

“Destroy his Mechanicalchaser!”

Alexander roared, and flew at the Machine.

“I activate… Half or Nothing!” shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around.

“Now, you can either end your Battle Phase, or keep going… But if you keep going, the Attack Scores of your Monsters are halved.”

“Then I end it!” shouted Lukas, now even more enraged.

He placed a card on his Disk, and another facedown card materialized.

“But your Traps aren’t gonna last you forever, y’know!”

They don’t have to, pal, said Gears. You did just what I wanted you to do…

He drew a card, and his Speed Counters hit twelve. He was now at his limit.

“I summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer!”

A strange Machine rose into the air behind his bike. This Ally of Justice didn’t resemble a creature in the slightest. It looked like a large computer cabinet on rocket engines, with a glowing portal in its center, full of scintillating colors. (2,400 ATK)

“How did you summon THAT without a sacrifice?” shouted Lukas.

“I had help,” replied Gears. “From you. You see, Cosmic Closer may be Level 8, but I can Special Summon it if my opponent has more than one Monster and one of them, no more than one, is a Light Monster.

“You have two Monsters right now, a Light one, and a Dark one.”

Lukas growled.

“And I’m far from done,” continued Gears. “I activate another Trap Card…”

His last facedown card spun around.

“Birthright. Now, I can bring back the Monster that Julius destroyed earlier.”

Robotic Knight appeared in a flash of light. (1,600 ATK)

“I’m still not done,” said Gears, as a Speed Spell appeared. “I play Speed Spell – Synchro Return. Guess who’s back?”

A pitch-black portal opened, and Catastor flew out. (2,200 ATK)

“No way!” shouted Lukas. “I removed that thing from play!”

“And that’s exactly why I was able to bring it back using Synchro Return,” replied Gears. “And I’m still not done…”

He played a second Speed Spell.

“I plat Speed Spell – Platinum Echoes. Now I can Special Summon an Ally of Justice from my Graveyard, so long as it has a lower Level than one on the field. So, since Cosmic Closer is Level 8, I can bring Claíomh Solais back from the Graveyard.”

Another glowing portal opened, and Claíomh Solais flew out. (2,300 ATK)

“Five Monsters, and not one of them can beat Julius,” sneered Lukas. “Pathetic…

“And I think I’ll activate this…”

One of his Trap Cards lifted up.

“Gift of the Mystical Elf! A pansy name, yes, but now I get 300 Life Points restored for each Monster on the field.”

“Lovely,” said Gears. “Thing is, can you count?”

“Oh, you are SO dead…” snarled Lukas. “There are seven, smart-ass, and that means I get 2,100 Life Points!”

“And there’s one more coming up,” said Gears. “I haven’t made a Normal Summon yet. I sacrifice Catastor and Robotic Knight…”

The two Machines turned into an orb of pure energy…

“To bring out Perfect Machine King!”

In an explosion of flames, Perfect Machine King flew onto the field, flying on a heavy-duty jetpack. (2,700 ATK)

“With three other Machines on the field,” continued Gears, “its Attack Score rises by 1,500 points!”

(4,200 ATK)

“HEY!” shouted Lukas. “Wait a minute…”

“Obliterate Gladiator Beast Julius!” shouted Gears. “Mega missile assault!”

Two hatches opened on Perfect Machine King’s shoulders, and it launched a volley of missiles at the Winged Beast. Julius let out a screech, and then went down on a stream of flames. Lukas’s anger briefly turned to fear.

“Cosmic Closer,” ordered Gears, “attack Alexander!”

Cosmic Closer’s portal glowed even more intensely. Alexander roared, and flew towards the Machine.

Both duelists braced themselves, as both Monsters were blown to bits.

“All right!” shouted Gears. “Mechanicalchaser, Claíomh Solais… Attack him directly!”

Claíomh Solais blew flames from its beak, and Mechanicalchaser made a slash with one of its knives. Lukas howled savagely as his Life Points took a dive, and his Speed Counters fell to eight.

(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,450)

Gears placed his last two cards on his console, and two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move,” said Gears.

There was silence for a few seconds. Lukas didn’t respond.

“Lukas?” said Gears.

He slowed down his bike a little to make sure that Lukas was still keeping up with him.

Then he saw something he didn’t like. Lukas’s eyes were now completely inhuman, and he was drooling. Clearly, his bestial side had now completely taken over.

The question is, thought Gears, can he even finish this duel?

Lukas growled in a primal tone, and drew a card off his deck. Clearly, he still could, even if he had to do so purely by instinct at this point.

Gears had to stay with his plan. He hit a command on his dashboard, and one of his Trap Cards activated.

“Dust Tornado!” he shouted. “I’ve had about enough of that Summon Aura!”

The windstorm blew across the field, and the Summon Aura card was blown to pieces.

Then his second facedown card lifted up, and DNA Transplant appeared.

“Now, all Monsters on the field are changed to Light Monsters,” he said.

Lukas didn’t seem to care. He hit a command on his own console.

“Limit Reverse,” he snarled, in a voice that had no humanity in it.

His facedown card spun around, and Gladiator Beast Auctorati reappeared. (950 ATK)

Lukas growled, and played another card. Gladiator Beast Bestiari appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

“Now, Monsters go bye-bye,” he snarled.

Auctorati and Bestiari flew into the sky, and vanished into a flash of light again…

Gyzarus was back. (2,400 ATK)

No… thought Gears. I don’t have a Destruction Jammer set this time…

Gyzarus’s eyes glowed, and both Perfect Machine King and Claíomh Solais shattered into pixels.

Gyzarus screeched, and dive-bombed at Mechanicalchaser. It made a slash, ripping it in half.

“ERGH!” groaned Gears.

(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,450)

Then Gyzarus vanished, and Laquari (1,800 ATK) and Darius (1,700 ATK) both appeared. Darius glowed with energy, and Flamma appeared as well. (1,500 ATK)

Then all three of the Gladiator Beasts flew into the sky, and exploded into a ball of fire once more. Gladiator Beast Heraklinos alighted in front of Lukas’s bike again. (3,000 ATK)

“Are you done?” he muttered Gears.

Lukas barked at him.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” replied Gears.

Okay… thought Gears. Now is not the time for a bad draw…

Gears drew a card, and looked at the field.

He quickly set it on his console, and a set Monster appeared before it faded.

He nodded.

Lukas grinned, and drooled, and made a draw. He barked a command, and Heraklinos charged.

He made a swipe with his blade, and Unknown Crusher appeared on the card. It was blown to pieces.

“Gotcha!” laughed Gears. “Any Light Monster that battles Unknown Crusher is removed from play. And since you don’t even have any facedown cards this time…”

Lukas let out a cry as Heraklinos vanished.

“It’s my move…” said Gears.

He made a draw.

Not the best, he thought, but I’ll take it…

“I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!”

The robotic, four-legged fox leapt out of the portal, and dashed beside Gears’s bike. (1,600 ATK)

“Attack!” he shouted.

Garadholg leapt up, and clawed Lukas in the face. Lukas roared, and tried to claw the hologram, not fully aware of what it was.

“Your move now, Lukas,” said Gears. “Time to end this battle…”

(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 850)

Lukas growled, and made a draw.

He chuckled, and set a card on his console. A facedown Monster appeared.

He grunted at Gears, and nodded.

Gears looked at his screen, and considered.

It’s likely another Hoplomus, he thought. If I attacked that and didn’t destroy it, he’d be able to Special Summon Spartacus, and I’d be in trouble again. And it has a Defense Score of 2,100.

He made a draw.

He grinned.

And to think I was thinking of taking this guy out of my deck… he thought.

“I summon Ally of Justice Reverse Break!” he exclaimed.

The portal opened, and a large, armored vehicle drove out, driving beside his bike. It looked like a drilling machine, with a four-eyed face under the drill, and two metal tendrils above, each one tipped with a spinning rotary saw. (1,200 ATK)

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Lukas, as he looked at the weak Monster.

“Laugh while you can,” said Gears. “Its name is ‘Reverse Break’. Get it? ‘Reverse’, as in reversed Monsters, and ‘Break’, as in, it breaks them. When Reverse Break attacks a set Monster, that Monster is automatically destroyed, battle damage is reduced to zero, and Flip-Effects are negated.”

“Err?!” said Lukas.

“Go!” shouted Gears. “Get that Monster!”

Reverse Break sped towards the facedown Monster, its drill and blades spinning. It hit the card, and the facedown Gladiator Beast exploded.

“It’s time I end this!” shouted Gears. “Garadholg, attack directly!”

Garadholg pounced on the werewolf, and Lukas screamed. He lost control of his D-Wheel, and went spinning out of control, eventually coming to a stop in a pile of garbage.

(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)

Lukas was on the ground, panting heavily, gasping with grunts of rage, his human side not yet emerged. Gears ran up behind him, holding a vial of liquid with a special stopper on the end.

Before Lukas could do anything, Gears jabbed the end of the stopper into his arm. Lukas roared, but then felt incredibly tired. The tranquilizer worked fast, and he fell asleep in ten seconds.

Man… thought Gears. Should I get him to a doctor… Or a vet?

He looked at the deck on Lukas’s D-Wheel. He took the cards from it.

I really lucked out, he thought. I mean, he never once drew even one copy of his War Chariots?

He thumbed through the cards. He looked through all of them.

To his surprise, the deck didn’t even have any War Chariots.

Why? thought Gears. Why would he take out such a powerful card?

Then he took Gladiator Beast Julius out of the discard slot…

Then he looked at the three other Gladiator Beasts he had never seen before: Theseus, Flamma, and Auctorati. Then he looked at the Summon Aura and Death Battle Speed Spells.

If you want to put new cards in a deck, you have to take some out. Clearly, Lukas had figured that the new strategies that DaPen had given him were worth the risks posed by Effect Monsters…

Gears sighed. The double-edged sword of deck construction.

“Lucky me…” he said.

He looked at Lukas, who was snoring like a baby. He reached into his pocket, and sure enough, a card was there.

Cloudian – Turbulence.

I’ll file this with the others, he thought, as he took the gemstone out his pocket. Right now, I’d best get back to Bootleg and make sure that none of the folks that he beat up need to be de-cursed…


My cousin had often told me about Gladiator Beasts. He had encountered them a lot on the pro circuit. They were tough… More than a match for his Lightsworns. Gears was incredibly lucky that his opponent wasn’t as good at using them as most pros.

The day wasn’t half-over, and DaPen wasn’t half done. He hadn’t really expected Lukas to make any headway. Lukas’s true purpose was to remind Gears that he was still there.

DaPen had another plan of that nature aimed at Shichiro, which would be going down very soon…



SPEED SPELL – SYNCHRO RETURN (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Junk Warrior glowing with soft light, with Speed World’s energy in the background.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon one of your Synchro Monsters that has been removed from play. At the End Phase of the turn, remove the Special Summoned Monster from play.



SPEED SPELL – ZERO REBIRTH (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A young boy in a boxer’s outfit surrounded by a flaming aura, standing over an adult in a boxing outfit who has been knocked out.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon 1 Monster from your Graveyard that was destroyed by a card effect this round in Attack Position. The ATK of the Special Summoned Monster becomes zero.

Note: “Speed Spell – Synchro Return” and “Speed Spell – Zero Rebirth” were first used by Yusei in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “Second Round Showdown (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ALLY OF JUSTICE COSMIC CLOSER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: If your opponent controls 2 or more Monsters, 1 of them being a LIGHT Monster, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

Note: “Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer” was released in Japan for the “Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!” set. It has not yet been released in the United States.



ALLY OF JUSTICE REVERSE BREAK (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: If there is a face-up LIGHT Monster on the field, destroy this card. If this card attacks a facedown Defense Position Monster, destroy that Monster without flipping it face-up or applying damage calculation.

Note: “Ally of Justice Reverse Break” was released in Japan for the “Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!” set. It has not yet been released in the United States.



SPEED SPELL – PLATINUM ECHOES (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Allies of Justice Garadholg and Catastor flying through the energy of Speed World.

Card Description: You may only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one “Ally of Justice” Monster you control. Special Summon an “Ally of Justice” Monster from your Graveyard that is a lower Level than the selected Monster. The effect of the Special Summoned Monster is negated.



GLADIATOR BEAST JULIUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Winged Beast/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 9
ATK: 3,300
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner “Gladiator Beast” Monsters

If this card destroys an opponent’s Monster by battle, destroy all other Monsters your opponent controls with this card’s effect. If this card battles, by returning a “Gladiator-Beast” monster to the deck at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon 1 “Gladiator-Beast” monster from your deck except one with the same name as the Monster that was returned to your deck. This effect can only be used once per turn. If you use this effect to return this card to your Extra Deck, Special Summon 2 “Gladiator Beast” Monsters from your deck instead.



GLADIATOR BEAST THESEUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 5
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of “Gladiator Beast Secutor”. When this card is Special Summoned, it is unaffected by Trap cards. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the deck to Special Summon 1 “Gladiator Beast” Monster from your deck.



GLADIATOR BEAST AUCTORATI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 2
ATK: 950
DEF: 900

Card Description: If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a “Gladiator Beast” Monster, draw 1 card from your deck. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the deck to Special Summon 1 “Gladiator Beast” Monster from your deck except “Gladiator-Beast Auctorati”.



GLADIATOR BEAST FLAMMA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: If this card is used to Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, Special Summon 1 “Gladiator-Beast” Monster from your deck.



SPEED SPELL – SUMMON AURA (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: Doom Shaman conjuring up a portal, through which a Diskblade Rider is emerging.

Card Description: Activate only while you control “Speed World” with 4 or more Speed Counters. If your Speed Counters fall below 4, destroy this card. Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent each time you Special Summon a Monster.



SPEED SPELL – DEATH BATTLE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Gladiator Beast Andal charging through the aura of Speed World.

Card Description: To activate this card, you must control “Speed World” with at least as many Speed Counters as the Level of the intended target for this card. Target one Monster you control in Attack Position. The targeted Monster cannot be destroyed by battle during this turn. If the targeted Monster attacks a Monster with greater ATK or DEF than the selected Monster’s ATK, inflict the Battle Damage to your opponent. At the end of the Battle Phase, destroy the targeted Monster.

The proceeding six cards were created by fanfic author SeekerD. Special thanks to him.



Coming up next:

Who was that creepy guy in that dark room? Well, you might have seen him before, actually. And next chapter, he goes to meet with Shichiro, as DaPen’s plans for today are not yet complete.

“Mind Crush” is coming up next.


Shadowchaser Files

Chicken Bone, the Hermit of the Bayou

There are many enigmas in the world of Shadow, and Chicken Bone, a strange old recluse who lives in the Louisiana bayou a few miles outside of New Orleans, is one of the biggest.

Some folks think that Chicken Bone is a practitioner of Voodoo, but this is not the case. Chicken Bone, who appears to be human, at least on the surface, is a member of a very rare and secretive Shadowkind religion called Voodan. It may or may not be related to Voodoo in some way; the few known practitioners will not confirm nor deny.

Those who have met Chicken Bone have his image forever etched in their heads. He seems like a wrinkled, old man, of clearly African origins. His hair is cropped close to his head, and he wears long robes colored in a mishmash of hues that some would call gaudy. He seems to be frail with age, and leans on a wooden staff, from which dangle dozens of bones. Despite his name, these bones come from many small animals, including frogs, squirrels, mice, fish, and rats, as well as chickens. He may or may not be typical of the Voodan – so few have been seen, it is impossible to say.

Visiting Chicken Bone’s wooden shack can give people quite a scare. Zombies prowl the outside perimeter, but they don’t harm anyone unless Chicken Bone is threatened. Some Shadowchasers who know about undead have recognized them as juju zombies, more powerful versions of standard zombies. Chicken Bone does not claim to have created them, nor does he claim to be their master.

Chicken Bone is sought out occasionally for the wisdom he possesses, but also for a darker purpose: he has the ability to bestow curses on humans or Shadows alike if he has a sample of the intended victim’s tissue. A hair sample is enough, and Chicken Bone will do so for a price. However, Chicken Bone has no use for simple money, and he does not reveal what the price is until he has done the job (he claims that the cost comes to him in the ritual he must cast) and always requires a tissue sample from his customer first, in case payment is not made.

Casting such a curse requires a ritual that takes several hours. (The more potent the curse, the longer it takes.) During the ritual, Chicken Bone enters a trance where he lights several candles, chants in an incomprehensible language, burns incense, and offers the life of one of more small animals (to what, he will not say). Once the ritual is done, the curse takes effect, and Chicken Bone reveals the payment to his customer.

The curse, regardless of potency, is very hard to remove. The only known way to do so is to visit Chicken Bone and convince him to reverse it. Fortunately, this seems easy to do. Chicken Bone seems to have little loyalty to past customers, and is willing to cancel one of his curses for discount costs.

One could simply try to force Chicken Bone to remove a curse, but this may be unwise, because in addition to the zombies that protect his home, several other spirits have been known to come to his aid. Anyone who challenges him to a duel must take incredible caution; it is rumored that he is able to create Shadow Games as well.


Story Ideas: Casting curses on your enemies is not a morally sound thing to do, so the Shadowchasers are unlikely to see Chicken Bone as any sort of ally. His being hired by an unscrupulous Shadow to harm them is more likely, but one must take into account just how powerful he can be. Just how far can his spells reach? Can they affect any victim on any location on the globe? If they can, he could be a force to be reckoned with. Keep in mind, an enemy would have to get close enough to one of the main characters to get part of her tissue. Getting a hair sample is never easy.

If a successful curse is cast, dealing with Chicken Bone might make up a key part of the story. Although Chicken Bone is not truly a practitioner of Voodoo, he is similar. It’s up to you whether you want his powers to be based on true Voodoo (in which case you can research the history of Haiti for more information) or whether you want to go with the image that is presented in popular culture. (Such as that presented in the James Bond film Live and Let Die.)


Deck Suggestions: Most likely, a Zombie Deck. In a duel, Chicken Bone may not use a Disk, dueling in a fashion similar to the way that Saiou dueled Manjoume in the second season of GX.