Yu-Gi-Oh: Tilting the Balance

[Pokemasterkatie]

-Something interesting with the Ojama bros.--they called Gerald their boss(or 'aniki'). Either this is mandatory for them, or that card once belonged to Manjoume!

-Jacob was pretty ruthless...I mean TWO Cards of Night?! Scary... I'm still shivering from this chapter.>_<

-Normally, I'd have no problem with Raging Flame Sprite; but considering what I picked to be Ami Yoshihiro's signature Monster...(it's kinda what was setting apart Ami from Gerald, even though I had no knowledge of this story when I sent her profile in.:/)

[Dark Sage]

Katie -

Ojama Yellow calls Manjome "anaki" in Japan, which doesn't mean "boss"; it's an effectionate term for "big brother". Sho (Syrus) calls Judai (Jaden) the same thing. (He calls Zane by a more formal term.)

[jkBAKURA]

Interesting thast the Ojamas referenced Manjyome, even though he doesn't show up for years. And while we're bashing rulings, where on earth did the Archer come from?

Nice use of Tutu. I get the feeling Chad is going to be eyeing her just like Sho eyes the Dark Magician Girl. katie, while the Flame Sprite did make an appearance, Ami used more card effect burn then monsters attacking, so they still are worlds apart. At least Ami stays awake.

Definately a dark tone to that one. I'm glad that this isn't an anime arc, it's hard enough to imagine without having to see it. As far as I know, Minneapolis went through 2005 thankfully meteor free. Some authors would try to win back points by having a massive restoration at the end, but I'm getting the feeling that those victims are gone for good

Gerald even in his rage, still has yet to use an exclimation point, although we now know you can shake the guy up.

Nice use of a 'Peanuts' reference as well, as Charls Shultz himlelf lived in Minneapolis. Not to mentious it was funny to the point of lunacy.

Manardi herself dueling next eh? It looks like she would lean twards machines, but like Viper, I think it won't be as easy as all that. I'm looking forward to seeing the Image system used again, and suprisingly, I'm more interested in the plot development next chapter then the duel itself.

Take your time Paradox, a chapter like this can hold us over for a while.

P.S. What could Lucifer possibly be looking for that's more important then the madness that Gerald and the others are going through?

[Blademaster]

Whoa... just whoa... I dunno what else to say...

Deepest Impact? That was... scary... reminded me of the beginning of Armageddon. Great movie...

If I know anything about anything, I know what Menardi's theme is; I won't dare reveal it, but I know it'll be good...

At any rate, I'm running a mental blank, so I'm outta here - new chapter soon, yes?

See ya later!

-Blade

[Pokemasterkatie]

DS, I know the other meaning too(and I think it's quite adorable)...but I was thinking more along the lines of Digimon Savers, where Masaru Daimon(our newest Goggle Head...but he doesn't wear goggles! WTF?!) is called that by his Agumon. It can go both ways(Agu is practically a little brother in personality--he really looks up to his partner); but since Masaru REALLY likes to fight(and when they first met, they actually FOUGHT!), the boss term is more appropriate(I believe that's what 4Kids went with in GX when they got around to one of my favorite episodes...it'd be kinda weird with the big brother thing.).

I need to check the Wikipedia to make sure I'm right...it takes a lot to build up an explanation like this.@_@

[Shuppet Master]

A very good chapter, Paradox. And you are right, it was dark. I feel pity for all those innocents killed by that card.

I hope Menardi gets her butt handed to her!

Anyways, keep up the good work.

[Master of Paradox]

So this is a Pillar of Darkness...I guess the Darkness are equal-opportunity employers.

I don't scare easily, even if you call yourself "the Pillar of Terror" and look like you walked out of a bad sci-fi film. Enough has happened to me that I don't bother getting scared anymore. This is a duel - all cards and holograms; nothing to compare with getting a gun the size of a compact car shoved in your face.

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. But this woman knows what she's doing. I can feel it in the back of my mind, like a constant little itch at my subconscious. She's geting to me... scaring me.

She's going to pay. Nobody scares me and gets away with it!

Chapter Fifteen: System Interrupted

The security guard at the Minneapolis Hilton had counted himself lucky – he had avoided St. Paul on the day the Darkness Infection swept it, and somehow he had dodged the disease again when it struck in Minneapolis. He was still on the job even though only one of the rooms was currently occupied.

That afternoon, the door opened, and he looked up from a newspaper he was perusing. Four people walked in, three of whom he recognized on sight and the fourth of whom didn’t seem a threat.

The strange thing was that one of the four, the brown-haired guy who was the group’s apparent leader, was currently leaning on the redheaded girl who’d shown up the day before. His clothes were an absolute wreck – the shirt was half-incinerated, one and a half of his pants legs were gone, and he didn’t seem to have socks. In addition, there were several healing puncture wounds on his waist.

The guy looked at the guard, and the guard looked back. The group then moved on, stepping into an elevator.

“I’m not paid enough to ask questions,” the guard muttered to himself, returning to his newspaper.

0000000

Half an hour later, Gerald had changed out of the wrecked clothing he’d worn after the duel with Jacob, and was in what was, for all intents and purposes, an exact copy of the same outfit he’d had before.

He sighed. “One of my shirts has a burn hole through the front thanks to Jean-Vic Viper; my second shirt is half-gone… I’m running out of my gray outfits.”

“There are other colors in the spectrum, Gerald,” Chad said, sitting on one of the beds and flipping through the TV. “Try some of those. I think you’d look decent in purple…”

“He’s an autumn,” Lucifer said from the couch. “Zere would be a terrible clash.”

“What do you think, Laura?”

Laura, stretched out across the other bed, glared at Chad and asked, “Why do you think I would know? I’m less fashion-conscious than you are.”

“And yet you dress better than we do,” Gerald replied, lying on the foot of Laura’s bed. “Although some of Chad’s outfits can get fairly interesting.”

“Hmmm?”

“You should have seen the week he was a Roaring Twenties criminal.”

Lucifer sighed, adjusting the rings on his right hand, and said, “Zis is all very interesting, but we have more important business at hand. Where is ze Guthrie?”

“Downtown Minneapolis, not that far from where Jacob tore the city up,” Chad answered. “I’m pretty sure it got through unscathed.”

“Something tells me the Darkness would have made sure of that,” Laura added. “After all, one of the Pillars is in it.”

“So that’s where Menardi is,” Gerald said in summation. “We’ll have to be ready for a Dark Duel…” He sighed. “But there’s no way I can face her. The duel with Jacob took what energy I have out of me… I haven’t felt this tired in my life.”

Laura shrugged. “One of us will do it, then. We can’t let you have all the fun.”

“‘Fun’ in this situation is defined as risking your life. That’s an odd definition.”

Cutting into the discussion, Lucifer asked, “When shall we go?”

“You’re coming with?” Chad asked.

The Beloved of Fire raised his hands in resignation. “I saw ze first Pillar duel; I don’t feel like missing ze second one.”

Gerald sighed. “You can’t duel her yourself, but having you as moral support couldn’t hurt.”

0000000

Somewhere in St. Paul, Degas and Alexander sat at a table, a sheet of paper between them and the phone on the edge. Both of them reviewed it.

“It’s time to call back the Darkness Infected,” Degas said. “They’re simply not capable of defeating Gerald or his allies. We can’t hope to be victorious if we continue to rely on them.”

“So it’s time to call on our specialists,” Alexander replied. “Amazing, isn’t it, how the right motivation can get so many reasonable people working for the devil?”

Pushing his shades up, Degas frowned. “We aren’t the devil, Alexander. But I do get the picture. You call Fuu; I’ll take care of the others.”

Alexander nodded and picked up the receiver. He hit the speed dial, waited, and then spoke in a vaguely sage-like voice. “Are you there, Fuu? Ah, good. The time has come. The great evil we discussed earlier has reared its head, and only you can stop it. Once I have located it, I will tell you where to strike. Be ready, my friend – this will not be an easy task.” He hung up and couldn’t resist a snicker. “I still can’t believe she buys into that.”

After laughing himself, Degas picked up the receiver and hit a different button. As the phone rang, he muttered, “I hate trying to have a phone call with a mute…” There was a click, and he said, “Sentinel? Are you there? Press one if you’re there… Good. We need you to do a job for us. Press one if you’re willing… Ah, very good. When the time comes, I’ll tell you where to go. Be ready.” He hung up.

A second later, Degas picked up the receiver again and hit the third button on the speed dial. He waited, and then said, “Mi’hen? Ah, glad I could catch you. Listen, the time’s come for you to make good on our deal from before. The money will be transferred to your account the instant the duel is over, win or lose. What’s that? Yes, the sum we discussed earlier. Thanks.” He hung up once again.

Alexander twitched one of the muscles in his face and then asked, “Are we going to contact… him, as well?”

“Let’s hold off on that,” Degas replied. “Let the specialists have their turns, and if they’re not enough, well…”

The Dark Conduit let out a sigh. “Thank everything for that. The longer before we have to call in that contract the better.”

“Indeed. I know you still don’t think it was a wise idea, but we both serve the Darkness. We needed the extra power.”

“And damning ourselves is worth that?” Alexander replied.

Degas pushed his sunglasses up again, saying, “It’s not damnation as such. I’ll admit we’re dancing on the borderline…”

Setting his head on the table, Alexander groaned, thinking, Father Young would never stand for this.

0000000

The Corolla made its way through the deserted streets of Minneapolis, passing the shattered frames of many of the city’s larger buildings. Jacob’s Deepest Impact had reached farther than they’d thought.

“Zis… by ze Divine, I knew ze Dark Duel had torn zis city apart, but…” Lucifer collapsed back in his seat, holding his hand to his face – and then pulling it away with a sharp hiss as the Ring of Alarms singed him.

“Just more reasons to get to the men in charge before they can do even more damage,” Laura said from the seat next to him, leaning back and taking in the early evening sky. Even destroyed, the skyline of Minneapolis was quite a sight.

Gerald slumped over in the passenger seat (Chad was driving, again), eyes half-shut and taking deep breaths. He could feel his pulse through his neck, and it was disturbingly high still – even though the battle with Jacob was long over.

The car soon stopped in front of the Guthrie, and instantly everyone could feel that unnatural sense of sheer wrongness that clung to the Pillars. Laura shrank back in her seat, which acted as a cue to Lucifer – he held up his ring hand and whispered, “Ring of Purity, guard us from zis dark and evil presence.”

The pink bubble of the Ring of Purity surrounded the group, and they took a few breaths to recover. With that, all four moved out of the car, Gerald slower than usual.

Nothing stopped the group from entering the Guthrie, but once they were in, the world began to shift and melt around them. Gerald raised an eyebrow…

…and then they were in a dark room, the only lights a series of fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling. There was a glass box office in front of them, manned by a gray-skinned individual with a bleeding hole in his chest where a man’s heart would sit. Behind that man sat two doors.

“Next…” the man said.

Moving ahead of the group, Gerald set his hand on the counter and said, “We’re here to see Menardi.”

The man looked Gerald in the eye and said, “There are no seats left… standing room only…”

“I’m not taking standing room. Menardi expects us to be here. Let us through.”

“No seats… no exceptions…” The man stared straight ahead with blank eyes. “Only the opponent…”

“Enough of zis…” Lucifer stepped forward, placed his right hand on the glass, and said, “Ring of Clarity, pierce zis illusion and open the way to the dreamer.”

The man and his box office vanished in a cloud of smoke, and they were in the Guthrie proper. The unusual arrangement of the seats was the same as ever, as was the odd design of the stage…

…but every seat was filled by a Darkness Infected. They were eagerly chatting among each other and apparently anxious for something. The ones that noticed Gerald’s group entering began to boo.

“This is not particularly good for my ego,” Gerald noted as they made their way towards the stage.

Chad looked to him and said, “Since when have you had an ego?”

Before the four could reach the stage, the air blurred, and Hanzaki stepped out. The Lycra-clad man had added a top hat to his outfit, and there was another new mark on the bizarre design on his chest. The Darkness Infected applauded.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Hanzaki began. “You wanted the best and you’re going to get the best! Here she is, the one you’ve waited for… the true proof that machines beat flesh any day… the Pillar of Terror… MENARDI!”

The curtains parted, and the Darkness Infected went wild with their applause as Menardi herself strolled out.

All four of the “normal” onlookers were stunned. Menardi was about Laura’s height, with half her hair black and half blonde, and she wore a strapless black dress with a slit up one side. But this wasn’t what was stunning (although she struck quite a figure).

No, what were stunning were the metal parts of her body. Menardi was a cyborg, plain and simple. Her left eye was a glowing red cybernetic replacement, most of her right arm was exposed machinery, her left leg was much the same way, and she had a slight corona of electricity around her. Her fingernails had metal edges to them, and were far longer than they had a right to be.

Menardi bowed to her audience, and then smiled at Gerald’s group.

For the briefest of instances, the four saw the world in the darkest possible light, as though their truest fears were right there in front of them. All of them collapsed on the spot, twitching helplessly. Every Darkness Infected in the theater laughed.

After a few seconds, the effect wore off, and the four climbed to their feet, Gerald holding onto his head.

“Welcome to the Guthrie Theater,” Menardi said, the computerized edge to her voice now making far more sense. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“And I’m out of here,” Hanzaki said, the air blurring as he jumped off of the stage and disappeared.

Menardi smiled a moment before continuing, “As he said before he ran for it, I am the Pillar of Terror, Menardi. Before you ask, no, I wasn’t always half-metal. It’s a long story… but hey, that’s not the point. The point is that one of you gets to duel me!”

Before anyone could say anything, Laura got up, dusted off, and forced her way up to the stage, growling, “I call it. I’m going to tear that bitch apart for that little stunt of hers!”

“Wow, she’s angry,” Chad muttered, dusting his pants off. “Even by her standards. Anyone willing to tell her about that whole Image thing?”

Gerald caught Laura’s arm, leaned in, and whispered into her ear at a very fast clip. There was a moment’s pause as she took it in, and then she smiled, said, “Thanks for the warning”, and climbed onto the stage.

“What did you say?” Lucifer said as they headed towards three seats that quickly vacated themselves.

“Just a quick lesson as to how Images work,” Gerald replied.

Chad narrowed his eyes, asking, “Are you sure we can trust her with this?”

“We have no choice. Lucifer can’t duel the Pillars and I’m in no state for another Dark Duel. We’ll have to hope she can withstand it.”

As Laura moved into place, activating her Duel Disk, she asked, “You said you weren’t always a cyborg. Explain that.”

“Do you know how Degas and Alexander create a Pillar?” Menardi began. “You take a human, infect them with the Darkness Infection, and then surround them in dark energy. When that energy solidifies, it creates a black obelisk – a pillar. That’s where we got our names from. There are four of us, and each of us volunteered. As part of the Pillar process, our appearances altered – in my case, that’s part of why I signed up.

“You may wonder why we volunteered. I can’t speak for the Pillars of Chaos and Death, but I know about Jean-Vic – he was just a weedy little kid with a dumb name before he became the Pillar of Destruction. He always wanted to be a mighty force, like the ships in his games, and that’s what he became.

“Me? I was the most average girl in the secretary pool. I always wanted to be striking, to be noticed. When Degas and Alexander showed up at the company – I’ve never figured out why – I jumped at the offer. They told me I would be a stunning beauty that could strike terror in the hearts of those I disliked, and they followed through on that offer.

“Okay, they never told me about the whole cyborg thing, but I think that’s because of my deck.” She smiled. “I think it makes me more attractive, myself. Now do you have any more questions, or can we get this Dark Duel underway? I can’t spend all night on you – I want to drive all three of you mad with terror before the night’s through.”

Laura spat on the stage. “Shut up and duel.”

In reply, Menardi raised her left arm and clawed into the side of it with her fingernails. No blood spilled; instead, a flat metal tray sprang out of her arm as if it were spring-loaded. She tore open the top of her arm, and her deck sprang out, loaded into a tray itself; the Life Point counter was on top of that.

“Impressive,” Laura replied.

“It’ll just get more so.” Menardi raised her hand, whereupon the seal of the Dark Duel appeared around the two of them. “Now… let’s get this show started!”

The Darkness Infected applauded, Gerald and company settled into their seats, and the Life Point counters set themselves at 8,000. The duel was underway.

With a slight chuckle, the cyborg extended a hand to Laura. “I’ll let you begin this show, my dear…”

“Sure, as if you weren’t creepy enough…” Laura drew her opening hand, picked out a card, and said, “I’ll start by summoning Blade Knight in Attack Mode.”

The blue-armored knight dropped into place on Laura’s field, brandishing his sword and raising his shield. (1,600/1,000)

“Now I’ll set a card facedown,” Laura continued, “and that will end my turn.”

Two of those long fingers slid another card off of Menardi’s disk, and she gave it a moment’s notice. After winking to the spectators, she said, “I’ll set one monster in Defense Mode, and give it the reassurance of two cards facedown.” The cards appeared on her field, and she smirked, which was not a good look on that face. “Your move.”

Eyeing those facedown cards, Laura drew her next card and then said, “I’ll go right into the attack. Blade Knight, attack her facedown monster with Shining Blade!”

The knight swung his sword around in one hand, drew it back, and charged across the field.

“Time to show off why I’m the Pillar of Terror… Activate Curse of Aging!” Menardi declared.

A small gold box, similar to the Pandora’s Black Wisdom Jacob had used (Gerald winced at the thought), appeared in front of the Blade Knight, and he stopped his charge in confusion.

“What the…” Chad said.

Gerald, meanwhile, shut his eyes and sank into thought. “They say this game originated in Japan. There’s a tale from there of a fisherman who spent what he thought was a few days with a princess of the sea. At the end of that time, she gave him a box as a souvenir, telling him not to open it. When the fisherman returned to his home, it was a hundred years later. So when he opened the box…”

“Exactly,” Menardi interrupted. “All I have to do is discard one card, and for one turn the Blade Knight fills in for that fisherman – losing 500 Attack and Defense points.” She took a card from her hand and discarded it.

By this point, the Blade Knight’s curiosity was overwhelming. He opened the box… and a massive gush of purple vapors surrounded him. When they dissipated, the knight was leaning on his sword, breathing heavily and shaking with arthritic pain. His armor hung loosely on his body. (1,600/1,000 – 1,100/500)

The knight continued to stagger forward, finally reaching his target. He brought his sword down… and it merely bounced off of the opposing monster, which was revealed to be a young woman with blue skin and red dress, one eye concealed by a red band. (1,200/1,600)

“That would be my Etoile Cyber,” Menardi said, chuckling. “Once, your Blade Knight might have proven a match for it, but now he can barely scratch its protective coating. Of course, since it’s in Defense Mode, the knight will survive, but…”

With a giggle, the Etoile Cyber kicked the Blade Knight in the gut. The knight rolled backwards, slamming into Laura’s feet. Her Life Points dropped to 7,500.

All around Gerald and Chad, the Darkness Infected cheered.

“All right…” Laura said, staring at her hand. “I’ll summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in Attack Mode…”

The shadows blurred slightly, and then the ninja stepped out, adjusting the white bandage-like wrappings on his arms as his green tunic shifted. Once he was done, he drew out two kunai. (1,800/1,000)

“I’ll set another card facedown, and end my turn,” Laura finished. As she did so, the Curse of Aging wore off, returning the Blade Knight to his former level of strength. The armor fit him normally again, and he groaned with relief at that. (1,100/500 – 1,600/1,000)

“All right, then.” Menardi drew another card, grinning evilly. “I summon Cyber Soldier of Dark World to the field in Attack Mode.”

A shambling machine in the shape of a man stumbled onto Menardi’s field, blue smoke pouring from one of its joints. It was mostly purple and blue, with tubes attached to key places to keep whatever fuel it was running on from pouring out. (1,400/1,200)

“That machine looks more like a prototype than my Jinzo #7s,” Gerald noted.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes, muttering, “She must have a trick in mind…”

Taking another card from her hand, Menardi slid it into her Duel Disk, adding, “Now I’ll enhance my soldier with the power of 7 Completed. I choose whether to raise its Attack Points by 700, or its Defense by the same amount… I’ll choose Attack.”

A laser beam shot onto the Cyber Soldier from off-stage, carving a large image of the number seven on its chest. Steam poured from the robot, and it slammed its fists together. (1,400/1,200 – 2,100/1,200)

“As poor as she was, Nina did show me what traps you have,” Menardi said, chuckling slightly. “So I know you have nothing I can be really frightened of. Cyber Soldier of Dark World, attack the Blade Knight with Dark World Plasma!”

The air around the robot’s fist began to grow hazy, as heat built up around it. Soon, the air began to turn red, then blue, and then white, and then suddenly burst into a nearly liquid form. The metal soldier drew its fist back…

“She didn’t run into this trap!” Laura declared. “I activate Magic Cylinder!”

Gerald and Chad looked at each other. “She has that?” Chad asked.

In reply, Gerald merely shrugged.

The soldier punched out, hurling the ball of plasma at Laura’s Blade Knight. The knight merely snickered, watching as a large metal tube hovered in front of him. The tube caught the plasma, and then flipped over, revealing a targeting reticule.

Sweat poured down the cyborg woman’s face as a crosshair focused on her stomach…

The plasma came hurtling out and slammed into Menardi’s stomach, knocking her to the floor with a cry of pain. There was a loud clank as she hit the ground, and her Life Points dropped to 5,900.

The Darkness Infected in the crowd began to boo, yelling the random catcall at Laura.

After a moment, Menardi got back to her feet, the light in her left eye flickering. A single whack to the side of her head returned her eye to normal. “All right, so you can still surprise me,” she muttered. “I’ll set a card facedown and end my turn.”

Laura drew, and then flipped her other facedown card. “This one was just a bluff, but it’s still fairly useful,” she said. “I activate Fissure!”

A massive crack tore itself into the stage under the duelists’s feet, directly under the Etoile Cyber. In shock, the woman began to fall, and before she could grab hold of one of the crack’s edges, the fissure closed, crushing her.

Gerald groaned, holding onto his head. “Bad memory,” he said.

“Too bad Fissure only dealt with the weaker of my monsters,” Menardi said to Laura, adjusting one of the bolts on her forearm.

“Yeah,” Laura replied, “which is why I have Goblin Attack Force to deal with the stronger one. Come out in Attack Mode, guys!”

A bunch of club-wielding, hard-hatted goblins strode out onto Laura’s field, muttering amongst themselves. (2,300/0)

“And in response to that,” Menardi said, “I’ll trigger my Threatening Roar, driving your monsters mad with fear and canceling your Battle Phase!”

A loud, echoing roar filled the theater, causing the Blade Knight to cower behind Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, who in turn cowered behind the Goblin Attack Force, which in turn cowered behind Laura. She didn’t make the best hiding spot, however, being a good foot shorter than the goblins.

With a deep breath, Laura twitched one eyebrow and said, “I’ll set a card facedown and end my turn.”

Drawing her next card – the only card in her hand at this point – Menardi set it onto her field. “I’ll just put this in Defense Mode, and that will be it.” She batted her sole eyelid. “Don’t want to risk hitting something like that Magic Cylinder again, hmm?”

“Zat was slightly unnerving…” Lucifer said. “Let us hope she does not bat her eye again.”

Laura drew, looking over her hand. Man, where’s the first Sasuke Samurai when you need him? “I summon Sasuke Samurai #4 to the field in Attack Mode,” she said.

The little man with the fussy mustache and samurai armor took his place next to the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke. The two exchanged a glare, whereupon the Sasuke Samurai adjusted his kabuto and retrieved his naginata. (1,200/1,200)

“Goblin Attack Force,” Laura then ordered, “attack the Cyber Soldier of Dark World with Press Gang!”

The goblins grinned to each other and charged at the robot, bringing their clubs down hard. Sparks flew everywhere as they smashed it to pieces, at one point grabbing a severed arm and hammering away at the machine with it.

Menardi merely smiled as her Life Points rolled down to 5,700. Mmmm… I’ve placed the rug directly under her feet. Soon I can pull it out.

Their job completed, the Goblin Attack Force plopped down on Laura’s field, switching to Defense Mode almost by default as they took out a deck of playing cards.

Ignoring the in-progress game of poker, Laura then ordered, “Sasuke Samurai #4, attack her facedown monster with Daimyo’s Blade!”

With a nod, the little warrior spun the bladed staff around his torso and charged Menardi’s facedown monster, yelling a battle cry.

A coin appeared in Laura’s hand as she explained, “When my monster attacks, I get to flip this coin. If I call it correctly, your monster will be destroyed by the effect and any flip effect will fail. I call heads!” She threw the coin in the air…

It spun three times, and landed tails-side-up.

“Doesn’t stop the attack,” Laura said, shrugging.

The Sasuke Samurai #4 jabbed his naginata into the facedown monster… which revealed itself as a Cyber Jar.

Gerald, Chad, Lucifer, and Laura all simultaneously slapped themselves on the forehead. The sounds were impressive.

Menardi laughed, clicking her fingernails against her Duel Disk. “You know what happens next. All of our monsters are destroyed, and we pick up the top five cards of our decks, summoning anything we can…”

The Jar opened up, revealing a vortex within itself. The Goblins were the first to go, rolling along the ground and into the jar before they could resist. The Ninja Grandmaster tried to cartwheel away, but the suction force of the jar drew him in before he could escape its range. Finally, the Blade Knight jammed his sword into the ground, trying to fight the force. All this achieved was that his sword stayed behind as he was sucked into the jar.

After the field was clear, the Cyber Jar flashed once, and then exploded in a giant fireball.

At that point, both Laura and Menardi took the top five cards off of their decks. “I’ll reveal first,” Laura said. “After all, it’s still my turn.”

“Go right ahead,” Menardi replied.

Laura slid her cards over her Monster Zones, revealing their faces – Gearfried the Iron Knight, The Warrior Returning Alive, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and an Equip Magic Card none of the spectators could recognize. “I summon both of my monsters in Attack Mode,” she declared.

The mighty warrior in iron armor was the first to appear, the blades on his arms shining. (1,800/1,600) Joining him on Laura’s field was the armored swordsman elf, rolling the edge of his blade across his fingertips. (1,400/1,200)

Taking her own cards, Menardi slid them into place. The first looked like a metal version of Summoned Skull; the second was a tall man in light violet armor modeled after a magician’s robes, carrying a staff. The third card Gerald recognized as the Trap Card Mind Crush; the fourth was the Magic Card Smashing Ground. The fifth was another odd monster, this one a gigantic mechanical bird bearing a slight resemblance to the Cyber Falcon.

“Just like you did, I got two monsters I could summon,” Menardi said. “Unlike you, however, I think I’ll set both of mine facedown in Defense Mode.”

Both of her cards shimmered into view, and she smiled gently. “It’s still your Battle Phase, so… care to take a shot?”

I saw the scores on those monsters for a minute, Laura thought. I can kill the bird, but the metal fiend is too powerful for me to deal with. But I’m not sure which one of those is which… Hell with it. I can spare the Life Points if I mess up! “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian,” she declared, “attack her right monster!”

The swordsman elf ran up to it and let out a mighty swing… which caught on the wings of the metal bird. It was an impressive sight, Laura had to admit – easily taller than she was, and its four wings possessed a span of over ten feet. (1,200/1,600)

“Bad luck, my dear,” the cyborg said. “You attacked my Cyber Phoenix, which is just too much for your Guardian to handle.”

Laura’s Life Points moved down to 7,300, and she hissed. “But Gearfried is more than powerful enough! Attack it with Iron Edge!”

The iron knight slid up to the metal bird and slashed its head off, causing the body to explode in a spectacular display.

Menardi smiled. “Thank you. When it’s destroyed in battle while face-up, my Cyber Phoenix gives me a card.” She drew. “Anything else?”

Laura narrowed her eyes, saying, “I end my turn.”

The Pillar of Terror drew her next card, fanning out her hand. “Ah… now I can begin my true plan. First of all, I set this facedown…” Her facedown card appeared in front of her. “And then I call on the Magic Card Smashing Ground, which lets me dispose of your highest-Defense monster. That would be Gearfried.”

A gigantic fist came down from the sky, crushing Gearfried between its inhuman knuckles. All that was left was a mass of pressed metal resembling a flattened soda can, which soon shattered.

“With that taken care of, I’ll summon a monster I just drew – a little someone I call the Cybernetic Cyclopean,” Menardi continued.

At first glance, the monster she summoned was a very close facsimile to the Hitotsu-Me Giant. However, this one was covered in a shiny silver armor, its single eye burning angrily. It flexed one metal-covered hand and grinned in dark joy. (1,400/200)

“And with that, I’ll end my turn,” Menardi concluded.

Well, switching the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Defense would just cost me a monster… Laura thought as she drew.

Menardi’s facedown card lifted, and the cyborg woman said, “I activate my Trap, Mind Crush. I simply declare one card that I believe is in your hand, and if it’s present, you empty your hand of it. If I name a card you don’t have, well, worst of luck to me. So…” She mock-pondered for a second. “I name Fusion Sword Murasame Blade.”

“Oh, sure,” Laura muttered. “Name a card you saw with the Cyber Jar…” She tossed the card in question to her Graveyard. “Okay, then…” Yeesh, how can I have this many cards in my hand and no monsters except this guy? Switching the OCG to Defense Mode will just cost me another one, so… “I activate The Warrior Returning Alive, bringing Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke back to my hand!”

The ninja in question appeared in prone position on Laura’s field. He stood up, dusting off and trying to get his bearings. After a moment, he started to walk back to Laura’s hand.

“Stay where you are, Sasuke, because I’m just going to summon you now,” Laura told him.

The ninja gave a barely perceptible shrug, flicked out his twin kunai, and spun in place, now glaring at Menardi. (1,800/1,000)

“I can deal with your Cyclopean whenever I feel like it,” the girl said, “so I’ll send Sasuke after your facedown monster. Too bad it’s not face-up, or it would have died immediately, but… Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, attack with Shadow Clone Jutsu!”

In the audience, Gerald shook his head. “Overconfidence is lethal,” he muttered.

The ninja’s hands were a blur in front of him as he performed the art. When it was over, there was a cloud of smoke, and then ten of him came into being. All ten sprang into the air, coming down hard on Menardi’s monster… which backhanded the entire group away. (1,000/2,000)

“Foolish girl,” Menardi said, one hand concealing her smile. “You forgot that my Cyber Archfiend was just too hard for Sasuke to take down.”

Laura’s Life Points hit 7,100, and she scowled. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll set this card facedown and end my turn.”

All around her, the Darkness Infected watching them let out a series of loud, jeering laughs.

As Menardi drew, she let out a soft cackle. “The final step of my true plan has just come to me. I start by employing the fear of loss of control – with this, Brain Control. For 800 Life Points, that ninja is mine until the end of the turn.”

A pair of hands sculpted from lightning grabbed Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke’s head, and he staggered onto Menardi’s field. The Pillar’s Life Points sank to 4,900, but she seemed nonchalant.

“Next,” she continued, “I offer Sasuke as a Tribute to call down my Cybernetic Magician in Attack Mode!”

This monster was one Laura recognized – it was one Menardi had added to her hand during Cyber Jar’s aftermath. He was taller than Laura was (to Laura’s annoyance, that was the case with most Duel Monsters), and dressed in metal robes colored a light violet. One hand held a short metal staff. (2,400/1,000)

“I set this last card facedown, and… well, look at my Cybernetic Cyclopean,” Menardi finished.

As she said it, the beast-warrior’s muscles bulged hard, and he exhaled a hot burst of steam, clenching his fists. (1,400/200 – 2,400/200)

“Zat’s right,” Lucifer said, one eyebrow raising. “When ze Pillar’s hand is empty, zat monster gains 1,000 Attack Points.”

“Now, I know none of my monsters can harm the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian,” Menardi concluded, “so I’ll just end my turn on that.”

I’ve heard of this one, Laura thought. Cyber Archfiend, Cybernetic Cyclopean and Cybernetic Magician… but what was their trick again? She drew her next card.

“I activate Dust Tornado!” Menardi declared. “The older of your two facedown cards is history!”

Laura grunted as her Negate Attack blew apart. “I’ll just set this guy in Defense Mode, switch the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Defense Mode, and call that my turn,” she said, a facedown monster coming into being as her elf swordsman knelt.

Before Menardi could draw, the Cyber Archfiend glowed with black energy. “As I have no cards in my hand,” she explained, “my Cyber Archfiend allows me to draw two cards during my Draw Phase.” She drew twice, and then said, “Now I’ll switch it to Attack Mode…”

The metallic fiend rose to its feet, electricity crackling around it.

“Now I’ll equip it with this,” Menardi said, turning a card in her hand around. “It’s called Cyber Disruptor. I can only equip it to monsters with ‘Cyber’ or ‘Cybernetic’ in their names, but the equipped monster gets 500 extra Attack Points and negates the effects of monsters it attacks.”

A large blue box appeared on the Cyber Archfiend’s chest, weaving wires throughout its body. There was a sizzling noise as the fiend’s electrical field increased in strength. (1,000/2,000 – 1,500/2,000)

Goodbye, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Laura thought.

Menardi then said, “Just to up the ante, I’ll invoke the effect of my Cybernetic Magician. I just discard one card, and I can make the Attack Points of any monster in play 2,000. Since your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian is doomed anyway, I’ll give the Cyber Archfiend a boost.”

As she discarded a card, the Cybernetic Magician held his staff in front of him and began to chant. A circle of runes surrounded the Cyber Archfiend, and it clenched its fists as the runes appeared on its chest. (1,500/2,000 – 2,000/2,000)

With Menardi’s hand empty, the Cybernetic Cyclopean let out a roar, restored once again to its full power.

“This is going to suck,” Chad muttered. All around him, the Darkness Infected began to applaud.

“Cyber Archfiend,” Menardi ordered, “attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with Virtual Lightning Strike!”

Electricity hummed on the metallic fiend’s claws, and he extended them to the sky, launching a giant bolt of lightning into the sky. It came down on the elf swordsman, blowing him to his component atoms.

“Continue the assault, Cybernetic Cyclopean – attack her facedown monster with Virtual Eye Cannon!” Menardi continued.

The one-eyed armored monster tilted his head back, drawing a massive amount of power into his single eye. Thrusting his head forward, he unleashed a massive surge of energy, obliterating Laura’s Sasuke Samurai #3.

“I activate Call of the Haunted, bringing back my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” Laura said as her monster burned away.

The Guardian rose onto her field in a cloud of smoke, brandishing his sword. (1,400/1,200)

Menardi frowned, but then gave a slight shrug. “He can’t die, yes, but the trap brought him back in Attack Mode. Cybernetic Magician, attack with Virtual Sorcery Blast!”

Drawing his staff back, the Cybernetic Magician began to chant in what sounded like binary. Four circles of runes rotated around his body as he continued the chant, before flashing and disappearing. With that, the Cybernetic Magician fired a beam of pure light through the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian’s body and into Laura’s, causing her to cry out as her Life Points sank to 6,100.

“That will end it for me,” Menardi concluded, watching as the Cyber Archfiend’s attack returned to its original score.

Laura drew, biting her lip. No matter what I do, I can’t strike back just yet. She glanced at her card and smirked. Won’t this surprise Gerald? “I set a card facedown, switch my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” Laura announced. Once again, the elf swordsman knelt before her.

The Cyber Archfiend glowed again, and Menardi drew her two cards. “Hmmm… I set this card facedown and this monster in Defense Mode…” Both card silhouettes came into being before her. “Now, Cybernetic Archfiend, do away with the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian – Virtual Lightning Strike!”

Once again, the metallic fiend charged up its fists and fired electricity into the sky. It came down in a crackling bolt, blowing the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian away.

“I activate Scapegoat!” Laura declared, turning over her facedown card. Four tiny goat tokens bobbed into being in front of her. (0/0 x4)

Gerald and Chad looked at each other. “Didn’t see that coming,” Gerald said.

The cyborg merely shrugged, saying, “Cybernetic Cyclopean, Cybernetic Magician, tear them apart.”

The one-eyed monster tore one of the Scapegoats to shreds with a beam from his eye, and the Cybernetic Magician burned another one to ashes with his magic.

“I’ll end my turn on that,” Menardi said.

Chad was deep in thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. “I read about this a few months ago,” he said. “Menardi’s strategy… it’s called the ‘Cyber Lock’, although it’s not really a lock. The key is to get the three Cybernetic monsters – Cyber Archfiend, Cybernetic Magician, and Cybernetic Cyclopean – out at the same time. I think you can work out the details…”

“Ah, yes,” Gerald replied. “The Archfiend lets you draw two cards when your hand’s empty in the Draw Phase, but dies if you hold any cards in the End Phase. The Cyclopean gains power from an empty hand and the Magician gives you another way to empty your hand before the turn ends.”

“Is zere a weakness to zis strategy?” Lucifer asked.

“A few. You can only give one card to the Magician’s effect each turn, so if you can’t play your other card, the strategy collapses. And, of course, there’s the traditional discarding weakness – you could lose something you can’t afford to lose.” Gerald paused. “With Menardi, however, I don’t think that’s as much of a worry.”

Laura drew a card, and then her lip quivered slightly. This is going to hurt. “I have no choice but to pass,” she said.

The Darkness Infected began to cheer at this, although their cries had yet to reach fever pitch.

Gerald, meanwhile, slid his arm before his eyes. Chad kept watching, but he shared Gerald’s sentiments.

While the Cyber Archfiend gave off its black glow, Menardi drew her two cards… and then began to laugh. “I finally drew it! Now… now you’re going to feel the true agony of fear…”

“Oh, don’t tell me…” Lucifer began.

“I activate True Face of Terror!” Menardi declared, slapping the card onto her disk.

The theater suddenly began to grow dark, a cold chill following as the lights came down. Out of the corner of their eyes, the spectators could see terrible… things flitting about to either side. The stage looked decrepit now, as if one wrong step would send the duelists plummeting.

“Allow me to explain its effect,” the Pillar of Terror said. “It’s not quite as powerful as the wimp’s True Face of Destruction, but I don’t suffer any game drawbacks either. If one of your monsters attacks me, that monster can’t attack again or switch its mode for a number of turns equal to half its Level Stars. And if it tries to attack me directly…” She grinned. “It dies. Pure and simple.”

“And the Card of Night drawback?” Chad said from the audience.

“If I take any amount of Battle Damage…” Menardi shrugged. “…one of my bones will break. But that’s not really an issue.”

How can she be so nonchalant about instant fractures? Lucifer wondered.

“I’ll discard my other card to power the Cybernetic Magician’s effect – just for fun; I’ll enhance one of your Scapegoats.” Menardi snickered behind her hand.

The Cybernetic Magician looked at Menardi, a look of confusion on his face, and then turned and began to chant. The Scapegoat grew to four times its usual size, and glanced about itself, disoriented. (0/0 – 2,000/0)

“Now, Cyber Archfiend and Cybernetic Cyclopean, dispose of her Scapegoats,” Menardi continued.

It took only seconds for the lightning and eyebeam to destroy Laura’s last defenses, leaving her wide open.

As the Darkness Infected cheered louder, all three of the “normal” spectators looked away.

Menardi waved towards her opponent, saying, “Cybernetic Magician, direct attack! Virtual Sorcery Blast!”

The Magician pointed his staff towards Laura, chanting the same chant as before. The girl took a step back, but there was nowhere to go. The circles of runes surrounded the spellcaster, vanished… and then he let loose that beam of magic, tearing into Laura’s very essence with one massive burst of power.

The redhead hadn’t braced herself, and so the blast threw her across the stage, slamming her into the outer edge of the Dark Duel’s seal. Her Life Points dove down to 3,700 as she hit the ground.

Every Darkness Infected in the theater cheered, some of them jumping to their feet and applauding. One of them was right next to Lucifer; after a moment’s blank staring, the Beloved of Fire turned and punched him out.

There was silence for a moment, as Laura lay on the floor in shock and Menardi just watched. Finally, the cyborg asked, “That will end my turn… do you have anything you’d like to say?”

“Four words,” Laura replied. “I… call… my… Image!”

The Pillar of Terror blinked, and then said, “Oh.”

A white mist emerged from Laura’s back as she climbed back to her feet. This mist slowly took form, turning into a human figure. After a moment, the mist condensed into a tall woman with brown hair and an icy expression, clad in green armor and carrying a longsword and shield.

Even my Image is taller than I am! Laura thought.

“Kanan the Swordmistress,” Gerald said once he resumed watching the duel. “That makes an almost ridiculous amount of sense.”

Menardi placed one of her fingers to her lip, and then shook her head. “I don’t know what it does, and I don’t care,” she said. “Your turn.”

Laura dusted herself off, drawing her next card. As she did so, there was a rush of images in her head, like memories she had forgotten up to that moment. Instinct kicked in, and she understood what her Image could do. “I play the Magic Card Reinforcement of the Army,” she began, “letting me bring any Level Four or less warrior to my hand. I’ll take Zombyra the Dark!”

Behind her, Kanan whistled, and the zombie-vampire superhero landed next to her. He bowed briefly to Kanan, and then jumped into Laura’s hand.

“Next,” Laura continued, “I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode!”

A spotlight traveled up the stage curtain and into the rafters, silhouetting the noble warrior as he posed up there. He sprang down from the heights and landed in front of Laura, posing as a gust of wind blew his cape aside. (2,100/500)

Laura’s Image raised her sword, and Zombyra placed his hands on his hips, staring down the Pillar of Terror as an aura surrounded him. (2,100/500 – 2,300/500)

“Your Image effect?” Menardi asked.

“Exactly,” Laura replied. “It’s called Rally, and it's like a permanent, indestructible The A. Forces. For every warrior or spellcaster I control, my warriors gain 200 Attack Points. And it’ll just get stronger with this card…” She held up the odd Equip she’d gained from Cyber Jar, which had a picture of Zombyra holding up his fist, surrounded by blue lightning. “It’s called Pure Might, and to activate it, I have to discard a card from my hand. So I’ll do so and equip it to Zombyra!”

Discarding her other Gearfried, Laura slid the Magic Card into place. A spark of blue energy emerged from Zombyra the Dark’s stomach, covering his body as he convulsed. A moment later, however, the hero threw his head back and let out a loud battle cry. (2,300/500 – 3,100/500)

“Pure Might raises a monster’s Attack Points by 800,” Laura said, “and erases all of its effects. In short, it’s the perfect card for Zombyra! Zombyra, attack the Cybernetic Magician with Noble Fist!”

The hero threw himself forward and drove his fist into the armored magician’s stomach. A wave of energy blew outwards from the point of impact, tearing the magician apart and sending Menardi’s Life Points to 4,200.

“And that scuttles the lock,” Chad noted. “Without the Magician, keeping her hand empty will be a chore at best.”

But the instant the attack faded, a truly horrible face flashed into being for the briefest of instances. Zombyra the Dark stumbled back, holding onto his head in shock.

“True Face of Terror, right,” Laura said. “But why didn’t I hear a bone snap when your Life Points took the hit? Isn’t that the card’s kicker?”

“I’m a cyborg, Laura,” Menardi replied. “My bones are mostly made of metal. They can’t break, try as the Darkness might. The true wielder of a Card of Night knows how to work around its punishment. Oh, by the way…” Her facedown card lifted. “Now is a good time to set off Magical Explosion. I can only do so when my hand’s empty, and it will knock off 200 Life Points for each of your Magic Cards in the Graveyard. That makes 1,000 points, I believe.”

The stage under Laura exploded, throwing bits of wood everywhere and leaving a disturbing, green cloud of smoke behind. Her Life Points dropped to 2,700.

“In that case…” Laura coughed as the smoke dissipated. “I’ll end my turn on that.”

For what was likely the last time, the Cyber Archfiend glowed, and Menardi drew her two cards. She growled, saying, “Farewell, Cyber Archfiend… I set a card facedown, switch the Cybernetic Cyclopean into Defense Mode, and end my turn.” The large, armored cyclops knelt. “There’s a card in my hand, so the Cyber Archfiend dies.” As she said it, the metallic fiend faded away into nothingness.

That being said, Laura drew, and then smiled as she recognized what she’d drawn. “I’ll play Pot of Avarice,” she announced, “shuffling five monsters in my Graveyard back to my deck and drawing twice.” Taking both Sasuke Samurais, the Goblin Attack Force, Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, and the Blade Knight from her Graveyard, she shuffled them into her deck and drew two cards. “Next, I summon the Marauding Captain I just drew!”

The old, scarred soldier emerged, hefting his two swords. He sighed as he realized what he was up against. (1,200/400) After a moment, he whistled, calling out the Sasuke Samurai #3; the little ronin adjusted his coat and drew both swords. (1,000/1,000)

Kanan hefted her blade and called out a war cry, and both warriors felt a little better. (1,200/400 – 1,800/400; 1,000/1,000 – 1,600/1,000; 3,100/500 – 3,500/500)

“Out of curiosity,” Laura asked, “does the True Face of Terror round up or down?”

“Up, of course,” Menardi replied. “It’s a Card of Night, remember?”

Laura nodded. “I see… Marauding Captain, attack her facedown monster, and Sasuke Samurai #3, attack the Cybernetic Cyclopean!”

The old soldier charged, slashing through the facedown monster with both swords. A Cyber Commander flew out, slashed to pieces, and his head rolled past Menardi’s feet. (700/500) As that happened, the little ronin drew out two blades and carved the cyclops into three separate parts, which fell like a banana peel.

Two truly horrible images flashed, and the two warriors staggered back, falling to their knees. Even with this happening, however, the Darkness Infected still booed and jeered, all of them on their feet now… excepting the one Lucifer had punched out.

“Ah, well,” Laura said. “I’ll set this facedown and call that my turn.”

Continued in the next post...

[Master of Paradox]

Continued from the last post:

Drawing but a single card this time, Menardi slapped it onto the field. “Pot of Greed!” She ignored the hologram, her fingernails nicking the cards she’d drawn. She then smiled, and said, “You have a monster and I don’t, so…”

Gerald sat upright in his chair, groaned, and said, “Please don’t let it be that monster.”

“Come on out, Cyber Dragon!” Menardi declared as she played the monster.

A beam of light shone on the field, bending and warping itself into a long, worm-like configuration. The light faded, revealing a gigantic metal creature that more closely resembled a snake than a dragon. (2,100/1,600)

“Cyber Dragons… I hate Cyber Dragons,” Gerald muttered.

Chad’s eyebrow went up. “Outside of Jacob, I didn’t think you could hate anything.”

“I hate many things. I hate ricotta cheese, I hate American Idol, and I hate Cyber Dragons. Every fool in Augusta used them, proclaiming them ‘mighty’ or ‘unstoppable’. They never beat me with them, but…”

“Ricotta cheese?” Lucifer asked.

“A little too bitter in my opinion,” Gerald said.

On the stage, Laura stared at the Cyber Dragon, beginning to sweat. The last time I ran into one of those metal freaks, the deck took me apart! Zombyra could dismantle it without breaking a sweat, but he can’t attack again for another turn – and my other warriors are sitting ducks!

“I also activate my facedown, Cybernetic Emergence,” Menardi continued. “When I summon a monster with Cyber or Cybernetic in its name, I can Special Summon all other monsters of the same name from my hand, deck, or Graveyard in Attack Mode – just by paying 500 Life Points. In exchange, however, I have to let you do the same thing with one of your monsters. Once there was one Cyber Dragon, and now there’ll be three!”

Two more of the mechanical snake-like creatures appeared on Menardi’s field, exhaling steam. (2,100/1,600 x3) Menardi’s Life Points sank to 3,700 in the meanwhile.

Okay, that was just dumb, Laura thought. “I’ll bring out my other two Marauding Captains, then.”

Two more of the battle-scarred veterans strolled out of Laura’s deck, glaring at the cyborg woman who’d scared their counterpart. (1,200/400)

With five warriors on the field, Kanan shouted her loudest, most powerful battle cry, and all five of Laura’s warriors shared in the call. (1,200/400 – 2,200/400 x3; 1,600/1,000 – 2,000/1,000; 3,500/500 – 3,900/500)

“You know what you just triggered, right?” Laura asked Menardi.

“The Captain’s Lock, yes. When there are multiple Marauding Captains, I can’t attack any of your monsters, because the Marauding Captains draw all attacks on warriors to themselves.” The cyborg shrugged. “But then again, you can only attack with two of your monsters next turn, so why should I be afraid? I’ll summon Cyber Raider in the interim.”

A muscled man in blue and yellow armor dropped onto Menardi’s field, face hidden under a large helmet. (1,400/1,000)

“His effect lets me steal or destroy an Equip Magic Card on one of your monsters, so…” Menardi thought for a moment. “Cyber Raider, destroy her Pure Might.”

Lucifer looked to Gerald, confusion on his brow. “Why didn’t she steal zat card? Her Cyber Raider would have had enough Attack Points to scare off anyzing less zan Zombyra.”

“I think I understand,” Gerald replied. “She wants her Image.”

The Beloved of Fire paused, and then said, “You must be right…”

On the stage, the Cyber Raider sidled up to Zombyra and punched him in the chest. There was a flash of blue energy, and the Pure Might drained away from Zombyra, leaving him staggering and breathing hard. (3,900/500 – 3,100/500)

“I’ll set this facedown,” Menardi said, “and end my turn there.” A facedown card glowed next to True Face of Terror.

Laura drew, noting her full field of monsters, and let out a sigh. “All right, then. Marauding Captain, attack her Cyber Raider.”

The old soldier charged ahead, spinning and bringing both swords to bear on the armored man. In seconds, he’d chopped the warrior into three pieces, throwing them everywhere. Menardi’s Life Points lowered to 2,900.

“Thanks, my dear,” Menardi said, laughing as soon as the words were out of her mouth. “Come out and play, my Image!"

The black fog of a Pillar’s Image emerged from her body and began to take shape behind her, solidifying slowly. In a few moments, its true form was revealed: an exceptionally tall woman with light skin and long white hair, clad in a gray body stocking with several golden hoops around her shoulders, wrists and waist. Her face was hidden behind a heart-shaped mask.

“Cyber Prima?” Laura said. “I can’t say it doesn’t fit you – she’s just as much of an attention whore.”

“Oh, I’d say it’s a little late to suck up, little one,” Menardi said. “By the way, I activate my Michizure. I hope your other Marauding Captain doesn’t have a fear of heights…”

As another flash of that hideous face drove the attacking Marauding Captain into hysterics, the ground fell away under the feet of his partner, and he plunged into a bottomless void. All of Laura’s monsters lost the requisite amount of Attack Points as Kanan shed a tear. (3,100/500 – 2,900/500; 2,200/400 – 2,000/400 x2; 2,000/1,000 – 1,800/1,000)

“I’ll end my turn on that note, then.” Laura sighed.

Menardi drew, and then smirked, saying, “Time to show you the wonders of Cyber Prima’s Image Effect. It’s called Spotlight, and I can invoke it during my Standby Phase.”

The Cyber Prima raised one hand and pointed to one of Laura’s Marauding Captains. A spotlight focused on him, and he gulped, sweating nervously. All around him, Laura’s other monsters seemed to weaken as the darkness outside the spotlight grew blacker.

“Until my next turn, only the monster Spotlight is focused on can attack…” The Pillar of Terror grinned then, a vicious look. “And all your other monsters lose their effects while they’re not in the Spotlight.”

“What?” Laura shouted. “That’s not fair!”

“I’m a Pillar – it’s not supposed to be!” Menardi held up another card. “And to deal with Zombyra, I’ll play this – Chthonian Alliance – on one of my Cyber Dragons…”

The equipped Cyber Dragon convulsed for a moment as green and black fire spiraled up its body. Soon, however, it had recovered, and it stared greedily at Laura as its body leached power from its brothers. (2,100/1,600 – 3,700/1,600)

“For every other Cyber Dragon, my first Cyber Dragon gains 800 Attack Points, as you see. Now…” The Pillar of Terror gestured to one of her unequipped Cyber Dragons. “Take down the Marauding Captain with Strident Blast!”

The Cyber Dragon charged up its jaws, blue light escaping from them. There was a whip crack, and it let loose a burst of energy, frying the Marauding Captain. The spotlight vanished with the monster’s death, returning the other monsters to the light even as they weakened.

Laura glanced to her Life Points, now reading 2,600, and groaned. This isn’t good. She saw through my facedown card – if only I had Draining Shield instead of Greed…

“Second Cyber Dragon,” Menardi continued, “take down the other Marauding Captain! Strident Blast!”

As she’d ordered, the Cyber Dragon reduced the weakened soldier (1,800/400) to ashes with a bolt of blue lightning. Laura’s Life Points hit 2,300, and Kanan was openly weeping behind her.

The Pillar of Terror let out a laugh, announcing, “My equipped Cyber Dragon, get rid of the monster hero! Attack with Chthonian Strident Blast!”

This time, as the giant metal worm charged up its attack, green and black fire danced on its jaws. It let loose a massive burst of hellish energies, leaving nothing behind where Zombyra (2,500/500) had stood a second before.

Laura stared ahead, her Life Points at 1,100 and her Image on her hands and knees, weeping in sorrow.

All around Gerald and company, the Darkness Infected were giving Menardi a standing ovation, cheering at the tops of their lungs. In their enthusiasm, some of them outright fainted.

“Don’t worry too much – when the monster Spotlight was focused on dies, its effect comes to a halt. If you find a worthwhile monster, you can attack with it – but I doubt it. My turn’s over.” Menardi winked her one flesh-and-blood eye. “Your move, my dear.”

“But what can she do?” Chad asked. “Menardi’s Cyber Dragons have her pinned, and most of the good monsters in her deck have already come and gone!”

“I feel sorry for our little Laura,” Lucifer said. “She has come a long way for nozing, it seems…”

Between them, however, Gerald had fallen asleep… and within his deck, the Heaven’s Sphere glowed…

0000000

Laura stared into space, not actually looking at anything – her opponent, her cards, anything. She couldn’t figure a way out of this; her favorite monster was dead and her only other monster couldn’t even switch to Defense Mode for another turn. All she held in her hand was Heavy Storm (which wouldn’t help much – could Cards of Night even be destroyed?) and another monster that wouldn’t survive a single turn.

It’s over, she thought. Her hand inched to her deck…

“I advise against that, Miss Vesnic,” a familiar, bored voice said.

Laura looked up and saw Gerald next to her. His body was indistinct and hazy, as it was when he’d appeared in the cage during her duel with Ogre. Glancing into the audience, she saw him asleep.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked him.

Gerald said in response, “I think I’m here to give an encouraging speech.”

“I’d rather shoot myself, thank you very much.”

“I thought you might, but I’m going to do it anyway. If you feel encouraged enough at any point, just tell me to go away. Do you really think Jessica would want to see you give up like that?”

Laura shrugged. “At the moment, I don’t care what my sister thinks. I’m screwed royally no matter what I do…”

For a moment, Gerald didn’t reply, although she could hear him muttering “Encouragement won’t work on this one” under his breath. He then said, “It only looks that way… Just a moment.” He reached down, tugged Laura’s deck out of its slot, and began to look through it.

The girl blinked and then said, “What do you think you’re doing? I’m in the middle of a duel!”

“This isn’t your real deck I’m working with – it’s the astral embodiment of your deck. I’m still manipulating the cards, but nobody can see it. Or hear us talking, which should cut down on any humiliation.” He found one card in particular and whistled. “This should help you a great deal…” Taking it and two other cards, he placed them on the top of her deck.

“Isn’t that cheating?” Laura asked.

“When Yugi Motoh does it, we call it ‘the Heart of the Cards’,” Gerald replied. “Now go win.” He vanished.

0000000

Gerald woke up and smiled slightly, making Chad and Lucifer tilt their heads.

Laura drew, and let out a little gasp. So that’s what he put there. “I’ll start with Heavy Storm!” she said, adding mentally, Hope this works…

A hurricane struck the field, obliterating all of the Magic and Trap cards it touched. Laura’s own Greed card disappeared in the windstorm, as did the Chthonian Alliance on Menardi’s side. The flames left her Cyber Dragon, reducing its power to normal.

The true damage, however, was when True Face of Terror began to shake and quiver under the strain of the wind. Suddenly, the top half of the card broke off, as if the card were too deeply rooted into the field just to let go. A second later, the bottom half shattered into a thousand pieces.

Menardi grabbed her head and screamed, a thousand hideous images surrounding her as the True Face of Terror fell into her Graveyard. The Card of Night pried at her for a second more before the images vanished and she calmed down.

“I wonder what would have happened to Jean-Vic if I had destroyed the True Face of Destruction,” Gerald said.

Chad replied, “I doubt he would have survived.”

“Now that that’s taken care of,” Laura continued, “I can switch my Sasuke Samurai #3 to Defense Mode, and I will.” The samurai knelt. “Next, I play Pot of Greed.” She drew two cards, and then smiled at them. The last of my cards from Ulysses and… him. She concluded, “I’ll set a monster in Defense Mode and end my turn.”

Catching her breath, the furious Pillar of Terror drew a card, hissing. “You… you’ll pay in blood for that! Cyber Dragon, dispose of the Sasuke Samurai #3!”

A quick Strident Blast reduced the little samurai to a puff of smoke.

“My second Cyber Dragon,” Menardi continued, “take out her facedown monster!”

The second Cyber Dragon charged up its Strident Blast and let loose with a bolt of blue lightning. For a moment, the image of a heavily armored knight appeared, and then it vanished in a cloud of ash.

“That was my Familiar Knight,” Laura explained. “We can both Special Summon a monster of Level Four from our hand when it dies in battle. And I’ll bring out a monster I’ve never managed to summon before…”

The spectators and Menardi all leaned forward on that. In the back of her mind, Menardi thought, I can’t use that effect…

“So let me present the Master of Chains!” Laura declared, setting the card into place on her Duel Disk.

For a moment, the air in front of Laura warped. From this warp leapt a very… odd individual. He had long blonde hair, and wore a red bandana on top of that. His clothes consisted of a long-sleeved shirt with what seemed to be the Union Jack on the front, old jeans, and a denim vest. In either hand he held a sharp sickle, and his weapons were joined by a long chain. He tossed one sickle to the other hand and rubbed the back of his head. (1,600/1,300)

Kanan brightened up at his presence and brandished her sword. In response, the Master of Chains waved to her. (1,600/1,300 – 1,800/1,300)

Menardi smirked at that point, her red eye glowing brightly. “That was a lot of buildup for such a weakling.”

“He’s not a weakling,” Laura interrupted. “He’s actually sort of the warrior’s Shadow Ghoul – he gains 100 Attack Points for each warrior in my Graveyard; I have nine monsters in there, so it’s 900 points. Since he only gains that bonus from warriors, he’s a Level Four. Now do you get the picture?”

Tossing his sickle back to his other hand, the Master of Chains united them over his head. A red light surrounded him, and he shut his eyes, glowing brightly. (1,800/1,300 – 2,700/1,300)

Menardi gaped, thinking, Spotlight means nothing – my Image only helps if they have multiple monsters! She then stammered, “I end my turn…”

Laura drew, smiled, and said, “I’ll set a card facedown. Now, Master of Chains, attack one of the Cyber Dragons with Chain Bomber!”

The Master of Chains sprang forward, driving his chain up through the Cyber Dragon’s skin and leaving a long chain of fire in its wake. He dropped to the ground just as the monster exploded, sending Menardi’s Life Points to 2,300.

Lucifer couldn’t resist a yell of, “C’est magnifique!” at that point, clichéd as it was.

“Your turn,” she told Menardi.

Drawing a card, Menardi hurled it onto her Duel Disk. “I activate Limiter Removal!” she yelled. “This doubles my Cyber Dragon’s Attack Points!”

Steam shot out of the joints of both Cyber Dragons as this took place, their bodies rushed with energy. (2,100/1,600 – 4,200/1,600)

Gerald shook his head. “She’s acting on pure fear,” he observed. “This duel is done.” He then yawned.

“Crush the Master of Chains! Dual Strident Blast!” Menardi screamed.

Laura flipped over her facedown card. “Does Negate Attack mean anything to you, Menardi?”

The Pillar of Terror grabbed at her hair and yelled, “I destroyed that card already! You can’t use it again!”

“Where does it say I can only have one?”

The invisible wall came into being between Menardi and Laura, cutting off the Strident Blasts before they ever touched Laura. In the audience, the Darkness Infected went insane, booing louder than they ever had before.

Tears streamed from Menardi’s one good eye as she set a card onto her disk. “I’ll set this… and end my turn. Limiter Removal destroys my Cyber Dragons…” And so they exploded in twin balls of fire.

Laura drew, and then played her monster. “Meet the last member of the Sasuke Samurai clan. His name is Sasuke Samurai #2, and I’ll summon him in Attack Mode.”

One more miniature swordsman appeared; this one had a red topknot, leather armor, and a very large sword. On his back was a large basket. He glared at the weeping Pillar of Terror with a furious gaze. (200/300) Kanan sighed in relief, and the Master of Chains waved to the little samurai, who nodded his recognition. (2,700/1,300 – 2,900/1,300; 200/300 – 600/300)

“What good is he?” Menardi asked.

“By paying 800 Life Points, I can prevent either of us from activating Magic or Trap cards until the end of my turn. I’ll do so,” Laura said. Her Life Points dropped to 300 at that point.

The Sasuke Samurai took a knife from the basket on his back and threw it into Menardi’s facedown card. The Pillar just wept all the harder.

“Master of Chains, finish her with Midare Gami,” Laura said with a tone of finality.

The Master of Chains threw his chain out, watching it wrap around Menardi’s body. Other chains came from nowhere, drawing the defeated Pillar of Terror into the air as they wrapped around her. She was almost unconscious by the time the chains stopped appearing.

Crossing his arms in front of himself, the Master of Chains yelled, “Have a nice day!”

There was a tremendous explosion as all of the chains detonated at once, and Menardi’s Life Points shot to zero.

The Darkness Infected began to boo, rising as if they were going to storm the stage and tear Laura apart… but then they stopped, standing like terracotta soldiers.

On the stage, the smoke cleared, revealing Menardi still suspended by the chains. Said holograms vanished, and she fell to the ground. As she hit the stage, the metal parts of her body shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving her as nothing but an ordinary woman.

Every one of the Darkness Infected convulsed, the infection vanishing from them, and collapsed into their seats, unconscious. For a moment, Chad couldn’t help but notice a resemblance between them and Gerald, who was once more asleep.

Eventually, the lazy young man awoke, stretched out, and slid out of his chair. “So it worked, then…”

Jumping off the stage, Laura strolled through the aisles until she got to Gerald. She then embraced him, sighing gently. Despite his confusion, the young man returned the embrace.

“What’s zis about?” Lucifer asked, giving a wry smile.

Laura shot him a glare, but then worked her way through her deck until the Master of Chains came up. “I still can’t believe I finally managed to play this card… I was about to take it out of the deck.”

“If you never managed to play it, why was it in your deck?” Chad asked.

“Jessica asked me to keep it in there…” Blushing, Laura added, “You see, Walter Kanlon – her fiancé – looks just like him. The card works great in this deck, but I could never get him into play until now.”

Gerald nodded in understanding, and then placed one hand to his head as a massive headache struck him.

“Back away, vision incoming!” Chad yelled. The group left Gerald with plenty of room to collapse as the vision struck him…

0000000

This time, the vision started with something Gerald recognized – the Thousand-Year Door. It was a year since the last time he’d seen it, but you tend not to forget something that big.

However, he then moved beyond it – something he’d never done before – and found himself making his way through the endless depths until he reached the end, whereupon he saw the final battle with the Shadow Queen. (He just knew who she was – it came with the vision, it seemed.)

The vision, however, only gave him a highlight reel… and it wasn’t what he was here to see, anyway. The crux of the vision was a series of black lines, leading from the Shadow Queen throughout the lair. Nobody else could see them, it seemed – all the onlookers seemed not to notice.

And then Gerald realized it: as far as everyone else was concerned, those lines didn’t exist. He gave it some thought, and then noticed that some of the lines were more of a dark gray than black. The conclusion was that they were her connections to the Darkness and the Shadow.

The vision skipped ahead to the final blow, when the Shadow Queen’s life came to a crashing end. As she died, the lines snapped…

…and the vision pulled him skyward, as the lines fled from the dying queen. The air rippled around him, as the Darkness made a silent call to all other dark beings.

Something answered the call. As the Shadow lines went elsewhere, Gerald found himself traveling along with the Darkness lines, heading somewhere in the world…

…and as he’d thought, the lines of Darkness hooked themselves to Degas.

And the vision ended there.

0000000

Gerald awoke on the floor of the Guthrie to find that, once again, Lucifer’s jacket was under his head. But this time, his head was in Laura’s lap as well. He looked up, and Laura blushed.

“I thank you,” he said simply, sitting up. As he did so, the girl took Lucifer’s jacket off of her lap and shook it out.

Chad and Lucifer themselves emerged from the backstage area of the Guthrie, shaking their heads. Seeing that Gerald was awake, Chad called, “Menardi’s gone. She vanished while we were all watching you collapse with the vision, and she’s nowhere around here. What happens to these Pillars after we beat them, anyway?”

“I can’t say I’m particularly curious.” Gerald stood up at that point, dusting off his pants.

The Beloved of Fire moved up to Laura, who handed him his jacket. He slid it on, saying, “Allow me to go on record as feeling glad zat zat’s over. I do not appreciate having my worst fears used against me. Zank you for dealing with zat woman, Madame Vesnic.”

“Not a problem,” Laura said, getting up as well. “I wasn’t about to let her get away with it, either. Some things shouldn’t be relived.”

“I’m not going to ask.”

0000000

Somewhere in St. Paul, Menardi woke up, facedown on a filthy bed. She was on one side of a dark room, with a bizarre chalk outline on the floor. Just looking at it made her head hurt.

The former Pillar of Terror sat up and ran her fingers over her arms. All the mechanical parts were gone, but from the looks of her limbs, she still looked about the same otherwise. After a brief wave of relief at keeping her looks, Menardi began to worry about her immediate future.

A door suddenly opened along one of the walls, and Degas and Alexander entered. The man in green stayed back, while the man in black moved up to her.

Light streamed into the room from the open door, giving Menardi her first good look at Degas. He was rather thin, and as a result, his head seemed somewhat too large for his torso. It didn’t help matters that he was totally bald. He wore sunglasses, and every few seconds he pushed them back up on his nose. His skin had the color and the apparent texture of fine china.

“Good morning, Miss Abernathy,” Degas said. “Well, perhaps ‘good’ is the wrong word.”

Sitting up, she asked, “When are you going to get it over with?”

“What do you mean, Miss Abernathy?”

“I lost the duel,” she replied. “You said that if I lost I would find out what happened to Jean-Vic. So just do it already.”

Degas glanced to Alexander, who was silhouetted by the door and thus impossible for Menardi to make out. “She doesn’t believe in dragging it out, my friend.”

“That’s unexpected,” Alexander replied. “After all, she played her little game of cat-and-mouse to the hilt…”

One bony shoulder rolled about in a shrug, and Degas took Menardi’s hand, pulling her to her feet. The ex-Pillar noted that she was in the dead center of the chalk circle. “Do you want to see Jean-Vic before we begin?”

“All right…”

Degas snapped his finger. “Hanzaki!”

The air blurred, and the Lycra-clad individual stepped into place. “Yes?”

“Get the jar,” the man in black ordered him.

There was a blur in the air as Hanzaki disappeared, and then reappeared clutching a large glass jar; the outside was etched with multiple otherworldly symbols and markings. Inside it was a bizarre black gas, whirling and pulsing as if driven by unearthly anger.

“He’s gone all cloudy again,” Degas said, clenching one fist. “Give the jar a good shake, Hanzaki.”

Hanzaki gave the jar a furious shake, and the gas settled, turning into a black ball of light. He stared at it with his red eyes, and the ball flattened itself on the bottom of the jar.

Menardi felt her stomach sink as she asked, “Is that…”

“Jean-Vic’s soul,” Degas said. “We have more use for it than he ever would. Look at it – it’s black, through and through. He would be destined for a most unfortunate afterlife…” He then pushed his shades back up. “Hanzaki? Get the other jar.”

Once again, the air blurred twice as Hanzaki disappeared and returned, this time holding an empty jar with the same markings.

Before Menardi could even move, one of Degas’s feet came down hard on her own foot, snapping her ankle from the force (she’d lost the metal on her bones along with the metal parts). She collapsed, twitching.

Alexander moved up to the chalk circle, and Menardi saw his face. She was about to gasp when he took a wad of cotton from his pocket and shoved it into her mouth.

The man in green groaned. “This is wrong even by our standards,” he muttered.

“Suck it up. We need these to pay the price to have him on our side.”

“That doesn’t help matters.”

Hanzaki opened the jar and the chalk circle began to glow. Even though the wad of cotton, Menardi’s scream echoed through the room.

0000000

In the Guthrie, Gerald, Chad, Laura, and Lucifer had all settled into place on the stage, and Gerald was finishing his recitation of his vision.

“So tell me this,” Chad said when Gerald was done. “Did the Light have anything it could do not to give Degas and Alexander a leg-up?”

Lucifer shook his head. “Non,” he said. “Ze Shadow Queen had to die – zat is a given. Ze world is much better off with her death. But it is a rule of ze Balance zat when one force of Darkness is destroyed, another is empowered. Otherwise ze Light is too powerful.”

“Tell me why that’s a bad thing?” Laura asked.

With a chuckle, the Beloved of Fire explained, “It may seem odd, but if ze Light were dominating, ze world would be fairly boring. Ze Light is too sterile, too straightforward – it does not allow ze shades of gray zat make ze world interesting. Zat is why ze Balance exists in the first place.”

“So…” Gerald thought for a moment. “The Three Heroes killed the Shadow Queen, and that caused this mess. Why would my dealing with Degas and Alexander be any different?”

“You could call ze Balance’s current state an overbalance,” Lucifer said. “Ze Darkness gained too much power when ze Balance adjusted for ze death of ze Shadow Queen. When Degas and Alexander are defeated, zat will restore zings to zeir proper places… for now.”

Gerald sighed. “For now… we can never win, can we?”

“An unfortunate fact of life, Monsieur Laxina.”

CYBER DISRUPTOR
Type: Equip Magic Card
Image: A small blue box with wires trailing from it.
Effect: You may only equip this card to a monster with “Cyber” or “Cybernetic” in its name. The equipped monster’s ATK increases by 500 points. When the equipped monster battles an opponent’s monster, negate all effects on the opponent’s monster.

PURE MIGHT
Type: Equip Magic Card
Image: Zombyra the Dark thrusting his fist skyward and letting out a battle cry. The air around him is filled with blue electricity.
Effect: You must discard one card from your hand in order to play this card. A monster equipped with this card gains 800 Attack Points. Negate all effects of a monster equipped with this card.

TRUE FACE OF TERROR
Type: Continuous Magic Card/Card of Night
Image: A man in gold armor, wielding a spear, standing in the midst of a crowd of panicking, fleeing people.
Effect: When one of your opponent’s monsters attacks a monster you control, that monster cannot attack again for a number of turns equal to half its Level Stars (rounded up). If an opponent’s monster would attack you directly, destroy it. Each time you take damage to your Life Points, one bone in your body breaks.

CYBERNETIC EMERGENCE
Type: Quick-Play Magic Card
Image: A Cybernetic Cyclopean punching its way out of a glass tube.
Effect: You may only activate this card when you summon a monster with “Cyber” or “Cybernetic” in its name. Special Summon as many monsters with the same name as you can from your hand, deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack Position. Your opponent must then choose one face-up monster on his or her field and Special Summon as many monsters with the same name as he or she can from the hand, deck, or Graveyard.

MASTER OF CHAINS
Type: Effect Monster Card
Statistics: FIRE/Warrior/Effect/Lv. 4/1600/1300
Image: A man with long blonde hair and a red bandana, clad in a t-shirt/jean vest combo and blue jeans, holding two sickles connected by a chain.
Effect: You cannot Normal Summon this monster from your hand unless you discard one card from your hand. This monster gains 100 Attack Points for each Warrior-type monster in your Graveyard.

KANAN THE SWORDMISTRESS
Image Effect: “Rally” – For each Warrior or Spellcaster-type monster you control, all face-up Warrior-type monsters you control gain 200 ATK points.

CYBER PRIMA
Image Effect: “Spotlight” – During your Standby Phase, you may select one monster your opponent controls. During your opponent’s turn, they may only attack or activate the effects of that monster. All other Monster Effects except of that monster are negated.

Coming next chapter: A new phase of Degas and Alexander’s plans has begun, and the first step is rather unorthodox. Chad must battle against a duelist who shouldn’t be there – and the reason why is something of a kicker. Even less pleasant, this duelist uses cards Chad has no way of knowing about. Will this battle end with Chad giving a stiff shoulder to his opponent, or is this the end of Mr. Montemelier? Find out in Chapter Sixteen, “Fatal Fury”!

[Dark Sage]

Gerald isn't the only one who hates Cyber Dragons. I'm not too fond of them either. The reason I have a main character in my fic use them is because they were the best replacements I could find for Blue-Eyes.

Anyway, Menardi was a pretty interesting villain, but I liked Vic better. I guessed that her image was either Cyber Prima or Cyber Blader. As for Laura, Kanan the Swordmistress? Fitting.

I have a pretty good idea what Gerald's image is, but I'm not sure about Chad's.

I know exactly what Chad is up against next chapter, and it's a chapter I'm looking forward to greatly. And no, I am not telling. I will not betray MoP's secrets.

But I will encourage him to keep it up. This is getting better all the time.

By the way, why on earth did Menardi have a Cyber Commander in her deck? That Monster isn't even useful to combo with Machine Duplication.

[jkBAKURA]

What can I say, I wasn't expecting this chapter up for quite some time.

My favorite part of the chapter was unquestionably Lucifer. For the guy with the most serious job, he does some of the funniest things.

The duel was great, and I know some of us were convinced we were seeing an Asuka style from Etoile's first appearance, but it branched into a quite diverse Cyber theme. I guess I was right about there being 4 "True Face" Cards of Night. I'm not a huge fan of Cyber Dragons, and to my utter astonishment, you kept from using any of their enhancement combos. Gerald's reaction quote is yet another priceless line in a story full of gems.

This seemed like it was Laura's first true duel in the story, and some new card premieres worked quite well. Pure Might has it's uses later, and even if the drawback isn't a boon, it still gives a considerable stat boost.

Not to mention the Images were perfectly chosen.

I too have an idea about what's next, but Duel info is secondary to how the plot is going to advance, especially since there is now another pillar to introduce. I wish you luck in finding ways to continue, as I know it's been a challenge.

[Shuppet Master]

Great duel, and great debut of the images. They sort of remind me of Noah's deckmasters. Keep up the good work, Paradox.

[Blademaster]

Dark Sage, I believe that Cyber Commander was in Menardi's deck simply as a sort od mascot - a half-human and half-machine who never got much recognition as a human, like Menardi herself... Or perhaps he simply was another member of the whole 'Cyber-theme' - Cyber Commander + Cybernetic Emergence + Chthonian Alliance = 3150 attack points that can pass Gravity Bind and Level Limit. Add Cyber Dispuptor and you've got an effect-negating low-level beatstick that can wipe out anything short of a Gate Guardian...

But that's just my opinion.

BTW, Paradox, Cyber Commander's stats are 750/700, not 700/500.

At any rate, though, I wasn't bored at all with this chapter - a deck of cyborgs is definitely a new theme, and the constant actions of the Monsters is a welcome touch, too.

Has anyone else noticed that 'Lucifer' is another name for Satan, yet in this fic, Lucifer is one of the good guys? Very odd... But, then again, Lucifer isn't really an evil-sounding name - it's actually pretty classy...

Anyways, not much to say about the upcoming chapter; I'm definitely looking forward to the other 2 Pillars, I'll tell you that right now.

Well, until the next chapter is up, ciao!

-Blade

[starjake]

Actually, Blademaster, the term 'Lucifer' did not originally mean Satan. Lucifer was Satan's name before he was cast into hell; it means something along the lines of Morning Star (in several of the Romantic languages, the prefix lu- often means light - think of the Spanish luz, the French lumiere, and the English illuminate). Also, a lucifer (yes; it is a regular noun as well), can refer to a friction-lit match.

So, even though it has a rather negative connotation, 'Lucifer' is actually a good name for a creature of goodness that deals with fire.

[jkBAKURA]

I'll second the motion.

Lucifer in this story is not a Biblical reference (and if you know your backround, Lucifer, Satan, Beezebub ect. are demons representing the seven deadly sins, not alternate names for you know who, but I'm stopping that arguement before it starts right now) And the translation to "lit-match" is perfect considering the character we are dealing with.

Coincidentally, Allumete is also a French word meaning match. (whether that means pairing, or the kind used to start a fire, I have no idea.)

[Master of Paradox]

A few words before this next chapter goes up:

First of all, while Yu-Gi-Oh and everything connected to it is the property of Konami, the opponent in this chapter is from a different company and requires a different disclaimer. All rights to him belong to SNK.

Secondly, this chapter uses several cards from the Power of the Duelist expansion that either recently came out or is soon coming out in Japan (not sure which). This includes several Destiny Heroes that do not yet have American names. For purposes of uniformity, I have chosen to call all the Destiny Hereos by their original Japanese names. The following are the American names of the Enemy of Justice Destiny Heroes and their Japanese equivalents:

Dreadmaster = Dreadguy
Doom Lord = Devilguy
Diamond Dude = Diamondguy
Captain Tenacious = Diehardguy (Even if I were using the American names I'd use the Japanese name for this one. I cannot accept it.)

All Magic and Trap cards use their American names, if any exist.

Now, then... FIGHT!

[Shuppet Master]

O-kay...so where's the chapter?

[Pokemasterkatie]

Things like long posts take time, SM. I mean, it takes me a few minutes to think out a well meaning post, and I can't touch type.:p

BTW, kudos on using the original names, MoP--they've completely flushed down Edo(or Aster in the dub) Phoenix's legacy.;_;

[Master of Paradox]

Ever since I was tall enough to reach the joysticks on an arcade cabinet, I’ve loved video games. To be honest, I only know a few people who don’t. (Gerald isn’t their biggest fan, but he plays against me every now and again.) Being a duelist as well, I couldn’t resist asking myself the question: what decks would video game characters use?

Let’s use an example most people would know: Mario, Nintendo’s famous heroic plumber. I’ve seen other people try this one, and they usually try to build a joke deck that matches Duel Monster cards to elements from the games. But in my opinion, Mario is a hero who came from humble roots (after all, he is a plumber) – I honestly think he would use the Level monsters.

I used to think this would simply be a mental exercise, since I’d never have any proof. But now I’m battling one of the characters I’ve played that game with…

…and boy was I ever wrong!

Chapter Sixteen: Fatal Fury

As the sun set on the Twin Cities, an overhead view would show the streets flowing like a river. This was just an illusion, but one with its origins in a truth, a fairly unpleasant and terrifying truth.

The Darkness Infected, every last one of them, were on the move. They streamed towards several different destinations, although there was a fair amount of grumbling as they moved. They moved, regardless, as they didn’t really have a choice.

As they moved, Hanzaki moved among them, blurring as he teleported from spot to spot. He held a megaphone in one hand, and was yelling orders every time he emerged from the blurs in the air. “Step lively, everyone! We all have our orders, and yours are to go into hiding! Como Zoo for some of you, the Ordway for the rest! Come along, now!”

Ducking a rock thrown at him, Hanzaki continued to shout through the megaphone, driving the mass of humanity along. However, this was only for the time being – once he was certain they could keep going without him, he blurred and vanished.

In front of the University of St. Thomas, the air blurred and Hanzaki stepped out again, looking for something. What he was looking for, he found under the arched entryway.

Ever since the loss of his mind, Caiside Bahn had not done well. He sat against the entryway, his pants ragged and his skin covered in various scrapes. He hadn’t bathed in the past two days, and thus Hanzaki kept his distance. The strangest aspect of the situation was his endless babbling.

“Ten five fifteen… he controls this world… ten five fifteen… how could I not see it before?” The lunatic giggled to himself, sounding almost feminine. “Ten and five and fifteen… why do you make me hurt so?”

Rolling his eyes back in his head, Hanzaki approached Caiside, wondering why on earth his employers wanted to take him into custody. Thank the Darkness I don’t need to touch the fool, he thought.

Caiside turned his head to Hanzaki and said, “Did he ever answer the problem of the fourteenth?”

“Whatever,” Hanzaki replied as both men blurred and vanished.

0000000

Somewhere else in St. Paul, within the lair of Degas and Alexander, the latter of the two was in the pillar chamber, standing before the third pillar (the northernmost). He ran his hands along the surface, looking quietly at it.

“Must we risk you?” he asked it, his hand tracing over where its face would be. “Of all the things we have amassed, must you, too, be gambled away?” He sighed, pressing his forehead to the pillar’s front.

A low sound like someone clearing their throat caught Alexander’s attention, and he pulled away from the pillar just in time to see Degas tapping his foot. The man in black adjusted his sunglasses, and then said, “For your sake, we’ll hold off on using that one until we’re low on options. For now, I need your assistance.”

“Of what sort?”

“I have a trick I want to try on the Chosen of the Light and his companions before we call in a specialist, but… I need dark energy.”

Alexander sighed, opening his shirt as the two men stepped through a series of doorways and emerged in a dimly-lit room. Throughout the room sat a series of tables and chairs, every one of which had a variety of books and scrolls scattered about. There was a shelf near the door, currently holding three jars with black balls of light trapped inside them.

Moving to the center of the room, Degas swept the table clean of everything except a black leather CD wallet. He then unzipped it and flipped it open, revealing a variety of video game CDs.

“Where did you get those?” Alexander asked.

“These, my friend, were among the possessions of the late Thomas ‘Ogre’ Grunn,” Degas explained. “I don’t have any of the requisite systems, but I do have a little trick I stole from the late Shadow Queen…”

The man in green sighed. “Does that spell even work on video games? It was designed to summon Duel Monsters spirits, after all.”

“It took some modification,” Degas replied. “In addition to switching it from Shadow Magic to operating off of dark energy, I had to switch its target to a video game, create a corporeal form for the summoned figure, grant it intelligence and sentience, provide it with a fitting deck and the knowledge to run it…”

“Then why did you even use that spell?” Alexander asked. “It sounds like you could create a spell from scratch with less effort than it took to alter that one.”

“There you would be wrong. For all the work it took to make this spell work, it was still far easier than building a new summoning spell from the ground up would be. Better to build a car around the wheel than to reinvent it.”

Accepting this answer, the man in green picked up the CD wallet and flipped through it, saying, “We have quite a few options here… what do you plan on calling up?”

“I have just the one,” Degas said, stopping Alexander’s hand on a specific page. He then hooked a finger through one of the CDs and lifted it out, holding onto it with care.

Alexander leaned forward, examining the CD. “Capcom vs. SNK 2…” He then took several steps back, asking, “You’re not going to summon Rugal, are you?”

“The first rule of summoning is never to call forth anything that could be more powerful than you are,” Degas replied. “I have a more… appropriate spirit in mind. Come here for a moment…”

With a sigh, Alexander stepped forward, holding his shirt open. One of Degas’s hands pressed against his chest, and black energy crackled around it, making the Dark Conduit wince and stagger. A moment later, he fell back as Degas’s hand withdrew, leaving a light black palm print.

Thus charged, Degas set the CD in the air, where it hovered as per his mental instructions. He crouched, setting one hand to the floor and drawing an arcane symbol with black lines of light.

With that done, he rose to his feet and extended his arms out at his sides, intoning, “Omnu omni hasak tor…”

He then drew his arms over his head, and with each word he spoke, a black rune burst into view on the edges of the symbol. “Tier – Antorbok – Aretak – Pargon – Nocturne…”

Alexander raised an arm in front of his eyes as the black lights grew blinding.

Black lightning danced on the edges of the symbol, a hazy outline of a man forming overhead. With one last inhalation, Degas shouted, “Ah quan lahts reh tap soo! Ah quan lahts reh tap soo!”

Five bolts of black lightning, one from each rune, struck the outline, and it became solid – a strong, unpleasant figure, hovering in the air over the CD. A smirk crossed its face, and it stared down at its summoner.

Degas stared back, and then lowered his sunglasses enough to make eye contact…

The figure shrank back, kneeling in midair.

I don’t ever want to know what that thing saw, Alexander thought to himself.

After a moment, Degas held up the CD. “Return to this disk until I call on you again.”

The figure faded away, whereupon a black aura surrounded the CD. Taking a plastic slip from his pocket, Degas slid the game into it.

Alexander looked down at his chest, and sighed as the palm print faded away. “So when are we sending it after them?”

“I’ll give them a good night’s sleep first,” Degas replied.

0000000

As it happened, although it was nearing 11:00 P.M., none of the three young people in question were asleep. Lucifer had left the group after they left the Guthrie, claiming he had to resume his search; Chad and Gerald had set out to retrieve some dry goods for breakfast (there were several mini-marts and bodegas that the Darkness Infection had missed, so they could get food); and Laura was flipping through the TV channels. Nothing good was ever on anymore, but she kept looking.

In the middle of an advertisement for Aquacure (“a new product from Umbrella”, according to the ad copy), she slid off the bed and moved up to where Gerald had left his deck case. To her surprise, it was unlocked and open.

Despite every moral sense that told her she shouldn’t be going through someone else’s possessions, Laura opened the case and took out Gerald’s deck. It only took a moment before she found the card she was looking for, sitting in the center of the deck.

“Heaven’s Sphere,” she whispered. “I wonder…” And she tried to pick it up.

She nearly dropped the rest of his cards when she succeeded. Despite Gerald’s claims that nobody else could touch it, she was holding Heaven’s Sphere.

And then the picture and the text on the card disappeared, leaving only its white border.

Crap! Laura thought. What did I just do?

In seconds, a new picture began to form, and new text began to write itself…

But before the Heaven’s Gift could finish the process, Laura heard footsteps in the hallway. Quickly, she slid the card back into the deck and the deck back into the case, dropping it where it had sat previously.

The door creaked open, and Gerald and Chad slid into the room, both carrying large grocery bags. “I think it’s an allegory,” Gerald was saying. “Maxwell is lashing out against relationships, represented by his girlfriend; education, represented by his teacher; and authority, represented by the judge.”

“Believe what you want, Gerald,” Chad replied, “but I still believe ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ is just about a serial killer with a really big hammer.” He set his bag on the counter by the door.

0000000

Night rolled onward, and sleep came to those involved in the Twin Cities events.

Laura and Chad were fast asleep in their hotel room, curled up in their beds, while Gerald lay on the couch and stared up at the ceiling cracks. Giving up, he took his deck case, slid his deck out… and raised an eyebrow. Some of these cards are upside down… who was looking at my deck? He glanced at Laura, and then shuffled through his deck, letting out a sigh of relief once it was clear all the cards were still there.

Elsewhere in Minneapolis, in an abandoned, cheap motel, Sol Kilkarn turned in for the night, wondering how Gerald and company were faring and whether he’d ever run into them.

In his home, Ulysses Cartnell couldn’t sleep; even his mediation tricks didn’t work. He poured himself a glass of scotch and sipped it, looking up at the moon. In the name of the Light, he thought, I regret I couldn’t help the latest Chosen more than that. For now, all I can do is wishing him well.

0000000

Dawn came in due time, the sun’s light reaching throughout the city of Minneapolis and its neighbor, the city of St. Paul. But the sun’s light cannot reach some places, and one such place was the lair of Degas and Alexander.

The two men were currently seated in the viewing room, both in their proper chairs. Degas had his pretreated CD out, and the mirrors were focused on Gerald and party.

Which spirit did we get? Alexander wondered. Aloud, he said, “Now?”

“Give the Chosen and his friends a few moments to adjust to the situation,” Degas said.

0000000

It was about 9 A.M. that morning when Laura asked the question on the minds of all three young people: “Where did everyone go?”

This was a fair question, as while they hadn’t expected crowds of random people in a city with the Darkness Infection, they’d expected at least a handful of Infected. But there was nobody here. The city was deserted; to make sure of it, they’d driven to the edge of the ruined area and checked one of the still-standing buildings. Nobody was in it.

“This makes little sense,” Gerald said, leaning against the Corolla. He was in his typical gray shirt and gray jacket, but he’d run out of solid gray pants, and thus his current pair had blue stripes on the sides. “If they want to cut off my visions, removing my primary sources of Darkness works, but then how will they attack me?”

Laura placed her chin in her hand and said, “Something tells me they aren’t going to use Darkness Infected anymore. After all, Jacob didn’t have the Darkness Infection.” She was back in the outfit she’d worn when they first met (having hit a Laundromat the previous night).

Adjusting his cuffs, Chad noted, “And Father Young wasn’t an Infected either. We can assume they have a fair supply of ‘normal’ servants.” Chad’s outfit was one that made Gerald ask why he’d brought it. He was wearing a long-sleeved, button-up white shirt, a dark jacket (which cut off halfway down his abdomen) over that, and a pair of red leather pants that were connected by a belt at the knees. Dark dress shoes finished the ensemble.

“So we should be watching for an ambush.” Tapping his foot, Gerald looked around. “This is not a good situation for my nerves.”

“You don’t have nerves,” Laura pointed out.

With a sigh, Gerald replied, “Okay, you have a point…”

0000000

Lifting the CD, Degas passed his hand over it, calling, “Come forward, spirit of the game, and take down the servants of Light.”

The figure from the night before emerged, bowed to Degas, and then dove into the mirror array, vanishing from sight.

“So who did we summon?” Alexander asked, rubbing his chest with the heel of his palm.

Degas smiled. “There are two mid-bosses in that game, both of whom are powerful without being too powerful. One of them is too crazy to duel well, but the other…”

0000000

Gerald was glancing into the ruined area when it happened. He lifted his head, blinked, and then asked, “Do you hear music?”

Laura looked up and said, “Yeah… where is it coming from?” She gestured to the car’s radio, which was decidedly off.

There was a moment’s pause, during which Chad shut his eyes and listened, before Gerald answered, “Nowhere.”

Chad’s eyes snapped open suddenly, and he declared, “I know that song… No way.” He took a deep breath, and then continued, “That song… it’s ‘Geese ni Katakori’. I’d know it anywhere.”

“Geese nee wha?” Laura asked.

Gerald replied, “‘Geese ni Katakori’, the theme song of the character Geese Howard from the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters fighting game series – the title means ‘A Stiff Shoulder for Geese’. Chad is devoted to those games.” He then paused before adding, “But where is it coming from?”

The answer came into view as an outline formed before them. The outline solidified, and then flashed into a human figure. It was a man in his late thirties, dressed in a white-and-red hakama, with slicked-back blonde hair, piercing eyes, and impressive muscles. He was wearing a luxury-model Duel Disk on one arm; there was already a deck in the deck slot.

After a moment to catch his breath, the newcomer looked over Gerald and his party. His gaze fell on Chad, and he pointed to him with a shout of, “You! Why are you dressed like Iori Yagami?”

“Such a good question,” Gerald muttered.

After a moment to rearrange his own blonde hair into something less resembling a pompadour, Chad said, “I can’t resist.” He then stepped forward, shook his fist, and hissed, “Geese!”

The other man laughed, saying, “You need a sleeveless, fringed orange jacket for that to work, I’m afraid.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “You seem to know me already, but I will still introduce myself. I am Geese Howard, crime lord of Southtown.”

“This isn’t Southtown, it’s Minneapolis,” Laura countered. “As such, I’m not impressed.”

Lifting his hand, Geese cupped it and concentrated. A ball of violet energy appeared in it, and he whipped it at Laura, shouting, “Reppuken!”

With a yelp, Laura ducked, and the energy ball took out a window behind her.

Geese laughed again, saying, “I suppose you’re impressed now… either way, I’m currently on duty for Degas and Alexander, so I’ll have to save my other activities for later.” He then turned serious, pointed to Chad again, and said, “I was sent here to duel one of you, and since you look like that fool Iori Yagami, I’ll go against you.”

“Fine,” Chad said. “I’ve never lost to you in any of the King of Fighters games, and I don’t think it’ll change now.” He activated his Duel Disk, striding into the center of the street.

With a growl, Geese activated his own Duel Disk. “I’ll stain my hands… with your blood.”

Both Life Point counters rose to 8,000, both duelists drew their opening hands, and the spectators moved to the side of the car, Gerald sitting on the hood.

Excellent opening hand, Geese thought. But then, why wouldn’t it be? After all, who are we talking about here? “I begin by summoning Destiny Hero Devilguy in Attack Mode!” he announced.

The skies briefly turned dark, and a truly unpleasant man floated down from them. He wore thick black armor, with a tattered red cape fluttering about his shoulders, and his face was concealed by a white mask. Long claws jutted off of his hands. (600/800)

“There’s a set I’ve never heard of,” Gerald said. “There were rumors that one of the designers at Industrial Illusions developed a dark version of the Elemental Heroes, but I thought they were canceled…”

Laura tilted her head. “Given that Geese isn’t even human, who knows how that’s supposed to work?”

0000000

“Here’s a question I have,” Alexander said to Degas as they watched the duel. “Why is Geese Howard, boss character and all-around rich, egotistical bastard, using a group of superheroes?”

Degas chuckled. “He sees himself as a master warrior, and the Destiny Heroes are a group of excellent fighters. In addition, they are a twisted, dark reflection of the Elemental Heroes – Geese was always the dark counterpart to Terry Bogard throughout the Fatal Fury series, making it fitting in that regard as well.”

“But Gerald was right about those cards not existing that we know of… Where’d he get them?”

“Those rules don’t apply to spirits,” Degas replied. “They come with the decks most suited to them. If Kaibaman dueled, he’d probably have the Blue Eyes White Dragons, even though there are only three ‘real’ ones. When you deal with magic, the rules change significantly.”

0000000

“Next,” the brawler continued, “I set two cards facedown and end my turn.”

Man, such a weak monster in Attack Mode? This has to be a trick, Chad thought. Sorry, but I’m not blind to the obvious, Mr. Howard. “I set a monster in Defense Mode,” Chad said, “set a card facedown, and call that my own turn.”

Cracking his knuckles, Geese said, “It’s time to get down to business, then. I summon Destiny Hero Diamondguy in Attack Mode!”

Once again, the skies turned dark, this time heralding the arrival of a man in black clothing. He was blonde, and wore a blue mask over his eyes. What truly made him stand out, however, were the diamond shards sticking out all over his body. (1,400/1,600)

“And now,” Geese continued, “I invoke the effect of Destiny Hero Devilguy. Watch closely…”

The heavily armored hero raised his hands and shut his eyes. The air bent and warped around Chad’s facedown monster, and then it vanished into nothingness.

“What did you just do?” Chad demanded.

The video game character laughed, placing one hand on his hip. “I sent your facedown monster two turns into the future,” he replied. “It’ll come back on my second Standby Phase after this one, but until then, it’s removed from the game. Of course, doing that means I can’t attack you until my next turn.”

Diamondguy’s shards began to light up, and the top card of Geese’s deck slid out a ways.

“I hate not knowing how a set works,” Gerald muttered. “What is that card up to?”

“Diamondguy’s effect is at work,” Geese replied. “I take the top card off of my deck, and if it’s a Normal Magic Card, I discard it. Its effect then activates on my next turn.”

“Meaning it can’t be countered, because the card’s not there,” Laura said.

Looking at his card, Geese revealed it to Chad. “Hammer Shot,” he said, sliding it into his Graveyard. “Be wary what you summon, because it won’t last past your next turn! Now that I’m done with that, I will end my turn.”

Whatever I summon will be destroyed on Geese’s next turn… or so he thinks, Chad thought. He drew, looked to his card, and said, “I’ll set a card facedown and summon Chiron the Mage in Attack Mode.”

The armored, blonde centaur trotted into his proper place, orb-tipped staff at the ready. (1,800/1,000)

“Next,” Chad continued, “I’ll discard a Magic Card from my hand to invoke Chiron’s effect, destroying one Magic or Trap Card on your field.” Discarding his Invigoration, he called to the centaur, “Take out the left one!”

The Invigoration resonated within Chiron’s staff, and he struck the tip against the ground. A wave of magical energy crackled around Geese’s facedown card, shattering it…

…and then a small button appeared on the field and pressed itself. The street around Chad exploded, pelting him with debris and concealing him in a cloud of smoke. He coughed as his Life Points moved to 7,000.

Geese laughed, crossing his arms. “Only scum like you would fall for that! You destroyed a card called Kozaky’s Self-Destruct Button, which takes off 1,000 of your Life Points if you destroy it. Care to make any more mistakes?”

Once the smoke cleared, Chad shook the dust out of his hair, dusting off his shirttails as well. “No… I think I’ll just take your heroes apart. Chiron, attack Destiny Hero Devilguy.”

The head of the staff glowed with energy, and Chiron concentrated. After a moment, as the staff’s head crackled with force, he threw it at the Destiny Hero.

Suddenly, the street around Devilguy exploded, and the hero dropped to one knee, catching the attack on the floating rubble. The force dissipated harmlessly on contact with the concrete, which continued to hover around him.

“Ummm… what just happened?” Gerald asked.

In reply, Geese gestured to his activated trap. “My trap card, D-Shield, is what happened. I can trigger it when a Destiny Hero is under attack – in exchange, my monster switches to Defense Mode and becomes impossible to destroy n battle. What’s more, the trap becomes an equipping card on him, so you can’t dispose of Devilguy that easily.”

“If that’s so, then I’ll end my turn,” Chad continued, shaking his head.

Geese drew, and then pointed at Chiron the Mage. “Now my Hammer Shot’s effect activates, as per the powers of Destiny Hero Diamondguy! Crush the centaur, Hammer Shot!”

There was a whistling noise as a giant hammer fell from above, heading towards Chiron at an ever-increasing speed until it hit terminal velocity…

“Activate Beast Soul Swap!” Chad declared. “I’ll return Chiron the Mage to my hand and Special Summon the Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode, making your Hammer Shot useless!”

The hammer struck nothing but air on impact, as Chiron vanished just before it hit the ground. As the hammer disappeared, the raging gorilla appeared on Chad’s field, beating its chest and snorting fire. (2,000/1,000)

A vein throbbed in Geese’s forehead. “You little… In that case, I’ll set one monster in Defense Mode, and then activate the effect of Diamondguy again.”

The top card of Geese’s deck slid out, and he glanced at it. “A trap? Damn it!” He slid the card onto the bottom of his deck and clenched his fist. “I’m running out of options, so I’ll activate the effect of my Destiny Hero Daggerguy.”

“What Daggerguy?” Laura asked. “You don’t have any monsters like that in play.”

In reply, Geese turned around one of the cards in his hand, showing a blindfolded man in gray armor with sharp blades on the ends of his arms. “This is Daggerguy; his effect works when I discard him from my hand. He can boost any other Destiny Hero’s Attack Points by 800 until the turn ends, so… Daggerguy, I’ll give you up to empower Diamondguy!”

The blindfolded warrior appeared alongside Diamondguy, and both heroes posed for a moment, an aura surrounding them. (1,400/1,600 – 2,200/1,600)

Come and get me… Chad thought.

“Destiny Hero Diamondguy,” Geese ordered, “dispose of the Berserk Gorilla with Destiny Diamond Slash!”

A long, thin shard of diamond appeared in the Destiny Hero’s hand, and he began to spin, shining dust following his cape as it swept along the ground. Soon, this dust gathered around his weapon hand, which shone quite brightly in the sunlight. With one lunge, Diamondguy buried the diamond shard in the Berserk Gorilla’s chest, and it collapsed to the ground before him.

Chad’s Life Points dipped to 6,800, but he didn’t seem to notice as he set off his facedown card. “Activate Animal Trail,” he said, “which lets me search my deck for another Beast-type monster and add it to my hand when one is destroyed. Let’s see…” He picked one out and slid it into his hand. “That should do it.”

“You are truly beginning to irritate me,” Geese growled. “And I’m not the sort of person you want to irritate! I’ll end my turn with one card facedown.” Diamondguy’s Attack Points went back to normal as the facedown card appeared.

As Chad drew, he thought, On Geese’s next Standby Phase, I’ll get back the monster that Devilguy sent away. When that’s done, I’ll be able to make good use of that Beast Trail, and then he’s done for. “I summon Chiron the Mage again,” Chad began.

Once again, the armored centaur appeared, spinning his staff around his body and posing. (1,800/1,000)

“Next,” Chad continued, “I’ll do away with the D-Shield by discarding my Poison Fangs. Chiron, make Devilguy vulnerable!”

The Poison Fangs resonated in the head of Chiron’s staff, and he tapped the point against the ground. A wave of energy hopped from rubble to rubble, destroying Devilguy’s shield.

Chad gestured towards Devilguy. “Chiron, attack Destiny Hero Devilguy again and finish the job!”

This time, nothing interrupted the process as Chiron charged up his magic and launched it at Devilguy. There was an explosion as the magic and the evil-tainted superhero collided, and the Destiny Hero Devilguy was wiped out when the magic won.

Geese, however, merely pressed a button on his Duel Disk. “I activate Destiny Signal!” he announced. “When one of the Destiny Heroes is destroyed in battle, this trap lets me call another one of Level Four or less from my hand or deck.”

Gerald tilted his head, noting, “So it’s the Destiny Hero version of Hero Signal.”

“Basically,” Laura replied.

“Silence, bacteria!” Geese hissed at them. “As I was about to say, I’ll Special Summon Destiny Hero Defendguy in Defense Mode!”

A man made entirely from very blocky sections of stone appeared on Geese’s field, the only signs of any life being some purple bands on its limbs and a yellow grate on its face. It knelt, covering its torso with its arms. (100/2,700)

“I’ll set a card facedown and end my turn on that,” Chad said.

After studying Defendguy for a moment, Gerald said, “I wonder what that thing’s drawback is. It has to have one with Defense Points like that.”

“I think we’ll see,” Laura said. “Unless it’s just broken.”

Geese drew, noting as he did so, “The effect of my late Devilguy triggers now – your monster I sent away earlier returns to the game.”

The air warped around Chad, and his facedown monster came back into being. Now I can make good use of it, he thought.

“Now,” Geese continued, holding up his latest draw, “I play the Magic Card known as Vase of Unholy Blight. By removing a Dark-attributed monster in my deck from the game, I may draw three cards. So I’ll just ditch my Mystic Tomato…” An ugly tomato appeared briefly behind him and then vanished. “…and draw my three cards!”

A black, twisted vase appeared in front of Geese. He held one hand in front of him and concentrated. A purple ball of aura appeared for just a moment before he threw it, shouting, “Reppuken!” His attack shattered the vase, and three cards leapt into his hand.

Chad, Gerald, and Laura all raised an eyebrow. “Impressive,” Chad said.

“And if you were really Iori Yagami instead of just dressing like it, you could do the same thing,” Geese replied. He studied his cards for a moment, and then said, “Now, this arena is boring me, so we’re going to pay a visit to the Clocktower Prison!”

Most of the field cards Gerald and company knew about simply rose from the ground. This one, however, worked differently.

As Geese played it, a dense fog surrounded them all, causing Laura to shiver (in the back of Gerald’s head, he noted that this was why he always wore a jacket). Parts of the fog were thin, allowing those inside to glimpse parts of a large structure. In due time, the fog faded away, revealing that they were now in a courtyard in the center of a large building complex. Behind Geese rose a tremendous clocktower, both hands on the face currently pointing at 12.

“So… what does it do?” Chad asked.

“You’ll find out in four turns,” Geese replied. “Now, as for the rest of my turn… I activate the effect of Destiny Hero Diamondguy. Let’s see what’s on top of my deck, shall we?”

Taking the top card of his deck, Geese looked at it and then smiled. “D-Spirits! Just what I was hoping to see…” He slid the card into his Graveyard before continuing, “With that done, I’ll sacrifice my facedown Sangan to summon Destiny Hero Doubleguy in Attack Mode!”

The ugly three-eyed furball exploded in a cloud of hair, replaced by a credible impersonator of Claude Rains circa The Invisible Man. He wore a black hat, black coat, black pants, black shoes, and a black scarf. There was not a visible piece of skin on his entire body. (1,000/1,000)

“Is there a person in that outfit?” Laura asked.

Geese shrugged. “Of sorts. Before I forget…” He took his deck from his Duel Disk and searched through it, claiming one specific monster. “Sangan’s effect lets me pick up a monster with less than 1,500 Attack Points.”

“And that’s most of the Destiny Hero gang, isn’t it?” Chad replied.

The video game character merely nodded, continuing, “Now, I know Doubleguy can’t actually harm your monsters, but I have a way around that. It’s called Secret Path to the Treasures!” He played the card in question, and a white door opened in the air in front of Doubleguy.

With a groan, Gerald said, “That lets any one monster he wants that has 1,000 or fewer Attack Points attack directly this turn.”

“And because of Doubleguy’s special ability, he can do that twice!” Geese added. “Doubleguy, get him with Destiny Double Blade!”

Two thin knives popped out of Doubleguy’s sleeves, and the heavily-clothed man sprang over Chad’s monsters…

…only to compress against an invisible wall as Chad declared, “I activate my Negate Attack!” The hero fell to the ground, limping back to Geese’s field.

Distinctly unimpressed, Geese said, “I’ll end my turn on that, then.”

Chad drew, whereupon the hands of the Clocktower Prison spun and settled at 3 o’clock.

“During each of your Standby Phases, Clocktower Prison moves three hours forward. Don’t ask what happens at midnight,” Geese said. “And while we’re on the subject of your Standby Phase, you now get a card from my Defendguy’s effect.”

The kneeling Destiny Hero glowed, and Chad drew a card.

The artist merely grinned, saying, “It’s time to give your Destiny Heroes a bitter fate. I tribute my Chiron the Mage and facedown Mad Dog of Darkness to summon Behemoth the King of All Animals in Attack Mode!”

Chiron bowed, the Mad Dog of Darkness howled to the skies, and both monsters disappeared. In their place emerged the gigantic lord of beasts, his pinkish hide and purple fur darkened by the shadow of the clocktower. (2,700/1,500)

“As per his effect,” Chad continued, “I’ll return two Beast-type monsters to my hand.” He took back Berserk Gorilla and the Mad Dog of Darkness. “And now, Behemoth, dispose of Doubleguy!”

With a mighty roar, unlike any the world had known, the king of all animals slammed one paw hard on the Destiny Hero Doubleguy, crushing him underfoot. The vibrations knocked Geese down, and he held onto his head, his Life Points kicked to 6,300.

As Behemoth’s foot lifted off of what was left of Doubleguy, a pile of clothes were revealed as all that was left.

Chad put a card into his disk. “I’ll set one card facedown and end my turn, then,” he said.

To be continued next post...

[Master of Paradox]

Continued from the last post:

The video game character drew, tucking the card into his hand.

The pile of clothes steamed for a moment, and then they exploded, becoming two monstrous men with green skin and wild blue hair, clad in prisoner’s outfits. (1,000/1,000)

“Doubleguy is something of a Jekyll and Hyde,” Geese explained. “By killing him, you’ve unleashed his alternate selves – these two Doubleguy tokens, in Attack Mode.”

Chad rolled his eyes. “I knew it…”

“My D-Spirits Magic Card activates now, as per Diamondguy’s effect. It lets me Special Summon a Destiny Hero if I have one in play, and I have plenty. So come forth from my hand, Destiny Hero Diehardguy!”

An angry, redheaded man with massive black shells on his forearms burned onto Geese’s field, thumping his chest. (800/800)

“Speaking of Diamondguy…” Geese took the top card of his deck, glanced at it, and laughed, holding it up. “I’m the luckiest bastard alive – Pot of Greed!” He slid it into his Graveyard.

Of course. Chad’s screwed, Laura thought.

“Scum like you should know your place, and I’m about to teach it to you!” Geese declared. “I offer one of the Doubleguy tokens as a tribute to summon Destiny Hero Dashguy!”

One of the tokens vanished, and a figure ran along the top of the clocktower, leaping skyward. It landed hard in front of Geese, revealing itself as a black metal robot, with a teardrop-shaped head and two shining headlights on its shoulders. There were wheels on its ankles. (2,100/1,000)

“They just keep getting weirder,” Laura noted. “Why is a fighting game boss playing these guys, anyway?”

“Two words: sheer power!” Geese replied. “Now I’ll invoke Dashguy’s effect – by giving up one of my other monsters on the field, I can increase his Attack Points by 1,000 until my turn ends. So I’ll give up my other Doubleguy token!”

Dashguy suddenly turned and cranked up its headlights to a level of brightness so high that Chad, Gerald, and Laura all looked away. Once the light faded, the other Doubleguy token was a pile of ash, and the Destiny Hero revved up, its power heightened. (2,100/1,000 – 3,100/1,000)

“Dashguy,” Geese ordered, “bring Behemoth’s reign to an end with Destiny Dash Overdrive!”

After revving a moment more, the robot burned forward and leapt into the air, executing a spiraling kick before coming down for a soft landing. Nothing seemed to happen at first… and then Behemoth’s head slid off of his neck and struck the ground with a thud.

Laura retched, causing Gerald to turn and check on her even as he flinched. Chad’s jaw dropped, and his Life Points sank to 6,400.

In the center of the carnage, Geese seemed unmoved. “You should see what Rugal Bernstein does to people,” he said. “It makes this seem like a kid’s parade.”

Shaking his head, Chad activated his trap, declaring, “Since I took damage to my Life Points, I activate Numinous Healer, raising my Life Points by 1,000.”

The angelic nurse appeared before him, giving a little gasp at Behemoth’s shattering corpse, before stroking his cheek in an attempt to comfort him. “Thanks,” the artist said as his Life Points rose to 7,400.

“That comfort only extends so far,” Geese pointed out. “You have nothing, and I have two monsters in Attack Mode. Destiny Hero Diamondguy, attack directly with Destiny Diamond Slash!”

Once again, the diamond dust gathered around Diamondguy’s shard, but this time he lunged forward and buried it in Chad’s stomach, causing him to groan as his Life Points descended to 6,400.

“And now, Diehardguy,” the video game character continued, “bring him down with Destiny Diehard Crash!”

With a cry of rage, Diehardguy rolled forward and sprang over Chad’s head, knocking him to the ground with both of the shells on his arms. His Life Points clicked down to 5,600.

“One card facedown will conclude this turn,” Geese noted, “and as per its effect, Dashguy switches into Defense Mode.” The robot powered down and knelt alongside Defendguy.

Thank Heaven for small favors, Chad thought. He drew, and then Defendguy glowed, giving him another card. He studied his hand, even as the clocktower’s hands spun, settling on 6 o’clock.

Destroy anything you like, Chad, Geese thought. It won’t help. You’re just like the Bogard boys – even when nothing works, you’ll still keep trying. Some call that persistence; that’s a fancy name for stubbornness.

“I summon Berserk Gorilla again,” Chad said.

Once again, the enraged gorilla emerged on the field, pounding his chest. (2,000/1,000)

“Berserk Gorilla,” the artist ordered, “bring down Destiny Hero Diamondguy!”

The gorilla charged forward and grabbed Diamondguy’s shirt front, hefting him into the air. He slammed the diamond-studded hero against the ground repeatedly, shaking him like a rag doll until he finally shattered.

Geese merely smirked, arms crossed, as his Life Points dropped to 4,700.

“I set a card facedown,” Chad concluded, “and end my turn.”

With a nod, Geese drew. A gear suddenly appeared on his field, rotating rapidly, as Diehardguy concentrated.

“What the hell?” Laura asked.

“That would be a gear of destiny,” Geese explained. “During my Standby Phase, Diehardguy can bring back any one monster that was destroyed in battle on the previous turn. So Diamondguy will now return!”

The gear flashed, and suddenly the diamond-studded superhero resumed his place on Geese’s field. (1,400/1,600)

“Speaking of Diamondguy…” The Pot of Greed appeared on his field, and the boss drew two cards. “Now I’ll set a card facedown and play the Magic Card Raregold Armor on Defendguy.”

The oversized stone hero shimmered, and then a thin layer of gold leaf covered his body.

Holding his head in one hand, Gerald muttered, “Now it’s the only monster Chad can attack. And thanks to Berserk Gorilla, he’s going to get hurt next turn…”

“Indeed,” Geese continued. “Now, I’ll invoke Diamondguy’s power…” He took the top card of his deck, frowned, and showed it to Chad. It was a monster, but Chad didn’t recognize it. “Not what I was hoping for.” He slid it back under his deck, finishing, “I’ll set one card facedown and end my turn on that.”

Chad drew, the Defendguy once again handing him another card. I could deck out at this rate, he thought.

The Clocktower Prison’s hands moved ever closer to the top, stopping at 9 o’clock.

As he looked at his cards, Chad smiled, thinking, Time to bring an end to this set-up. “I start by summoning the Enraged Battle Ox in Attack Mode!” he declared.

A minotaur in helmet and breastplate emerged, swinging an axe around and snorting. He glared at the Berserk Gorilla. (1,700/1,000)

“In response to that,” Geese replied, “I activate my trap, Pyro Clock of Destiny! This advances the turn count on any card that cares by one turn… and adds that last time counter to Clocktower Prison, as well…”

A sundial appeared before Geese, the shadow on it moving as if the sun were passing overhead (there was no way to tell if it was, as Clocktower Prison’s hologram blocked out the sunlight). The hands on the clock face reached 12 o’clock, and a bell rang twelve times, the massive sound briefly drowning out any chance to converse.

“It’s the hour of midnight,” Geese said when the sound died. “The witching hour… the hour of dread. You’ll see what I mean in due time. Continue your move.”

After a quick gulp, Chad shook his head and continued, “Now I’ll play the Magic Card known as Wild Nature’s Release. This lets me add the Defense Points of a Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged-Beast monster to its Attack Points at the cost of its demise when the turn ends. I’ll do that to my Berserk Gorilla!”

The Berserk Gorilla grew even angrier than usual, thrashing his chest with his fists hard enough to bleed. (2,000/1,000 – 3,000/1,000)

“Berserk Gorilla, attack Destiny Hero Defendguy!” Chad ordered. “Due to my Enraged Battle Ox, you’ll still take damage even through Defense Mode!”

Geese merely smirked.

The primate sprang forward, picking up the Defendguy as if he were made of paper and throwing him into the front of the Clocktower Prison. The hero shattered into a thousand pieces on impact, the stone fragments raining down on Geese…

…and never actually touching him, instead suspending themselves in midair. He charged up a Reppuken, threw it over his head, and reduced them to a rain of pebbles.

Chad stammered for a moment before saying, “Why didn’t you take any damage?”

“There are four time counters on the Clocktower Prison,” Geese replied. “As long as that’s true, I don’t take any battle damage. At all. So keep attacking me if it makes you feel better, but it won’t work.”

Argh! Even as a DUELIST he has SNK Boss Syndrome! Chad thought. “Fine, then. I’ll just kill your recursion – Enraged Battle Ox, take out Diehardguy.”

The minotaur charged into the fray, slashing the Destiny Hero into two parts with one sweep of his axe. As before, Geese didn’t even flinch.

“I’ll set this facedown,” Chad continued, “and end my turn.” As he said it, the Berserk Gorilla exploded in a ball of flames from Wild Nature’s Release.

As Geese drew, he arched an eyebrow. “The Clocktower Prison has another secret, Chad,” he began, “but it requires me to destroy the building to activate it. I have my ways, however.”

“Emergency Provisions?” Gerald wondered.

“Nothing so generic. To put it another way…” The boss grinned. “My Power Gauge is at max.”

Chad’s eyes went wide. “Gerald, Laura, brace yourself!” he ordered. The two swiftly moved behind the nearest immovable object.

“Wise.” Geese set his card on the Duel Disk, raised his arms, and yelled, “RAGING STORM!”

He slammed his hands into the ground before him, and blue tongues of energy sprang up all around. The energy began to spin, forming what could be considered an energy hurricane; the sheer force threw Chad several feet away, although he managed to hold onto his cards. The street churned and buckled about them.

Most important, however, was what happened to the clocktower. The Raging Storm quite simply shattered the building, from base to roof, shattering the clock face as it did so. The rest of the building exploded, piece by piece, laying waste to the Clocktower Prison. At the same time, Destiny Hero Diamondguy, unable to move fast enough, burned to ashes as the Raging Storm consumed him.

Finally, several tongues of energy shot up around Chad, slamming into him repeatedly and charring him as he yelled. His Life Points plunged to 3,600.

When the attack finally came to a halt, there was so much dust and smoke that none of the onlookers could see Geese’s field. They could, however, hear him as he said, “In card form, Raging Storm requires me to destroy a Field Magic card I control and tribute a monster on my field. In exchange, you take damage equal to 500 points times the monster’s Level Stars.”

“You could have dealt me even more damage if you’d tributed Dashguy,” Chad noted. “Why did you get rid of Diamondguy instead?”

“Because I don’t want this duel to end just yet,” the boss replied. He could now be seen as a dark form in the smoke, and an even larger form was behind him. “You see, we all know this field was called Clocktower Prison. Care to meet the inmate?”

“Not as such, no.”

Geese shrugged and said, “Too bad.” A gust of wind cleared out the obscuring smoke…

Standing behind Geese was a gigantic mountain of a man, looking scarily like Ogre Grunn. He wore a mask that looked less like it was made that way and more like he’d bent steel bars into place around his head; in addition, there were manacles with broken chains hanging from them on his wrists. He flexed, and it was like mountains shattering when he did so. (?/?)

“This,” Geese said, “is Destiny Hero Dreadguy. And he’s going to make what’s left of your life very miserable. You see, when the Clocktower Prison is destroyed, I can Special Summon him from my hand or deck – the latter in this case. What’s more, when I spring him from the Prison, I can Special Summon two Destiny Heroes from my Graveyard.”

Dreadguy thrust his arms into the air and called out in a loud, clear voice. Two chains sprang up, wrapped around Destiny Hero Diamondguy and Destiny Hero Devilguy. Said chains shattered, releasing both heroes, and they stretched out on returning to life. (1,400/1,600) (600/800)

“As for his statistics,” Geese carried on, interrupting Chad before he could ask the same question, “he has Attack and Defense points equal to the combined original Attack Points of all my Destiny Heroes. That’s 4,100!”

Dashguy, Diamondguy, and Devilguy all bowed to Dreadguy, who cracked his knuckles and emitted a hollow laugh. (?/? – 4,100/4,100)

Gerald blinked, whispering, “They’re more deadly than the Elemental Heroes…”

“And a lot simpler,” Laura noted. “They don’t have all the fusions to worry about that the Elemental Heroes do.”

“Now I’ll use Diamondguy’s effect…” Geese looked at the top card of his deck and smirked. “Well, well – Graceful Charity!” He slid it into his Graveyard and concluded, “I’m not going to risk that stupid trap of yours, so I’ll end my turn with a card facedown.”

Even with an extra turn, I’m still in trouble! Chad thought. He drew a card (missing the freebies Defendguy had used to cough up) and looked his options over. “I play my own Pot of Greed,” he began.

“So how does it feel to be ruled by overwhelming power?” Geese asked as Chad drew.

“Don’t know – never felt it.” The artist looked at his choices, and then said, “I’ll set a monster in Defense Mode, switch my Enraged Battle Ox to Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

Geese drew, and then the angel of Graceful Charity descended as Diamondguy’s effect resolved. He drew three more cards before quickly selecting two and tossing them to the angel.

“That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen anyone pick their discard,” Gerald noted. “He must have a plan.”

The video game boss nodded to Gerald, saying, “You’re correct on that note. You see, the Destiny Heroes have two legends in their ranks. One is Dreadguy and the other… I just drew him.”

“I don’t think I want to watch this,” Laura muttered.

“To summon this monster, I must offer three Destiny Heroes,” Geese continued. “Dashguy! Diamondguy! Devilguy! I send you all to the Graveyard in order to call forth Destiny Hero Dogmaguy!”

Three beams of light emerged from the destroyed street, engulfing the three targeted Destiny Heroes. They each shattered into a thousand pieces, the pieces drawing together and forming the outline of another creature. This outline soon filled, becoming an almost devilish figure – clad in black and brown armor, it possessed gigantic leathery wings. (3,400/2,400)

As it settled on the field next to Dreadguy, the two Destiny Heroes acknowledged each other, and there was a passing of auras to adjust for the loss of the other Destiny Heroes. (?/? – 3,400/3,400)

“Destiny Hero Dogmaguy,” Geese declared, “attack the Enraged Battle Ox with Destiny Dogma Cleaver!”

The diabolic Destiny Hero rose overhead, raising a massive blade to slice through the minotaur.

“I activate Sakuretsu Armor,” Chad replied, “letting me destroy your Destiny Hero Dogmaguy…”

“Unless I do this!” Geese interrupted, activating his facedown card. “My Trap Card, Trap Jammer, negates and destroys your armor!”

A shining armor briefly appeared around the Enraged Battle Ox… but only for a moment before it turned black and shattered to pieces. Seconds later, Dogmaguy’s blade slashed through the minotaur, dividing it cleanly in half. The halves fell away and shattered independently.

“Now, Dreadguy,” Geese ordered, “attack his facedown monster with Destiny Dread Crush!”

Leaping through the air, Dreadguy landed directly in front of Chad’s facedown monster and brought one fist down hard, smashing his Soul Tiger (0/2,100) to pieces before storming back to Geese’s field.

“This card facedown will be the end of my turn,” the boss said, the card appearing as he said it.

Taking a deep breath, Chad drew…

…whereupon Dogmaguy charged forward and slashed him through the waist. For a brief, terrifying moment, Chad couldn’t feel his legs, and then they came back to him.

“What was that about?” Laura asked.

“Dogmaguy’s special ability,” Geese answered. “On the opponent’s Standby Phase after it’s summoned, they lose half their Life Points.”

Chad’s brow beaded with sweat as he glanced to his Life Points, which had ticked down to 1,800. Last chance, he thought, wiping the sweat off of his brow and wringing out his collar. “I play Card of Sanctity, letting us both draw our hands up to six cards!”

Both men drew, Chad noting how thin his deck was getting. Between Defendguy and my other drawing engines, this might be the first time I risk getting decked out… of course, at this rate, that’s the least of my concerns. He fanned out his cards and instantly had a solution. “All right, Geese… I play Polymerization, fusing together Big Koala and The Earth – Hex-Sealed Fusion to create the Master of Oz!”

The two monsters briefly appeared on Chad’s field, the Hex-Sealed Fusion morphing into a credible impersonation of Des Kangaroo, before mixing together into one monster. The result was the giant koala/kangaroo half-breed with purple vest and boxing gloves. It took a few practice jabs, the rush of air around its gloves blowing Geese’s hakama around. (4,200/3,700)

“Impressive,” Geese said. “Perhaps I misjudged you when I compared you to those fool Bogards.”

Chad blinked, thinking, Did he just compliment me? “It’s not done, Geese,” he continued. “Since that was a Special Summon, I summon Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode.”

The blind, snarling dog appeared on Chad’s field, jaws snapping as it searched for prey. (1,900/1,400)

“And finally,” the artist concluded, “I’ll use a second Wild Nature’s Release, this time on my Master of Oz!”

As its muscles bulged, the massive boxing creature slammed its fist into the street, leaving yet another crater in its wake. (4,200/3,700 – 7,900/3,700)

“If he does this right,” Gerald noted, “the duel’s over.”

Laura paused, and then asked, “Do you feel like yawning?”

The lazy man’s eyes narrowed. “Oddly enough, no.”

Chad took a breath, and then ordered, “Master of Oz, attack Destiny Hero Dogmaguy with Ayer’s Rock Haymaker!”

The boxing beast dove forward and delivered one massive right hook to Dogmaguy. Try as it might, the hero went flying off into the distance, to never be seen again. Geese’s Life Points dove down to 200.

“Without any other Destiny Heroes,” the video game boss noted, “my Dreadguy’s Attack Points are nothing.” And so Dreadguy slouched, muscles shriveling. (? – 0/0)

“Mad Dog of Darkness, finish him!” Chad ordered.

The dog dove forward… and chipped all of its teeth on a piece of rubble. The shattered pieces of the street pulled in around the kneeling Dreadguy, forming a shield.

“You tripped my D-Shield trap, I’m afraid,” Geese explained. “You remember it, so I won’t bother going into details.”

Ah, crap, Chad thought. “I’ll end my turn.” The Master of Oz raised his fists in victory and disappeared.

Geese drew, studying his seven-card hand, and then said, “Unfortunately, I don’t have the cards to bring this duel to a conclusion on this turn, but I do have enough to make you suffer. I’ll set two cards facedown and sacrifice Dreadguy to bring out another Dashguy.”

The muscled hero vanished, replaced by another of the swift, sharp-edged robots. (2,100/1,000)

“Dashguy,” Geese ordered, “Destiny Dash Overdrive that mutt!”

For a moment, Dashguy was a blur, moving at the speed of sound and cleaving the Mad Dog of Darkness in half with one sweeping kick. Chad moaned as his Life Points reached 1,600.

As his monster switched to Defense Mode, Geese concluded, “That’s my turn.”

He’ll destroy Dashguy on this turn, Geese thought, which isn’t going to be a problem. My Destiny Signal will bring out another Diamondguy, and then I’ll use Call of the Haunted to restore my Dashguy. After that, I’ll find a way to bring back Dreadguy, and he’ll have 3,500 Attack Points – nothing Chad can summon without a tribute can withstand that, and then the duel will be mine!

Chad drew, and Gerald suddenly yawned off on the sidelines. Glancing to his friend, Chad looked at his card before asking Geese, “I have to know – are you okay?”

“Hmmm?”

“Let me repeat that… are you okay?” The artist smirked, thinking, I’m not dressed right for this, but I can’t resist.

There was a pause, and then Geese took a step back. “That can’t be…”

Chad tossed the card onto his disk, jumped forward, and jammed his feet into the ground with a cry of, “Buster Wolf!”

A tremendous wave of energy burst from Chad’s outstretched fist, blasting a stunned Geese to the ground. He bounced twice, his Duel Disk’s straps snapping and the disk rolling away even as his Life Points sank to zero. Chad’s own Life Points were down to 700, but that was moot.

“How… you’re not Bogard. How did you do that?” Geese moaned.

“I’m curious about that myself,” Laura asked, even as Gerald was asleep next to her.

Chad took his card off the Duel Disk and held it up, showing its artwork – a shimmering blue wolf. “This is the Buster Wolf, a Level Four Beast with 1,800 Attack Points and no Defense Points,” he explained. “I can tribute it to deal its Attack Points as Direct Damage to my opponent, but I’ll take half that amount myself. Kind of like the Exiled Force.”

Geese tried to get up, but he was already beginning to turn transparent. “Well… can’t say I expected this…” With a groan, he collapsed and turned into darkness, which dissipated into the air like a thin gas.

From the sidelines, Laura thought, I always preferred Tekken, myself, but that was still an impressive fight.

0000000

“What was the difficulty setting on that game?” Alexander asked as they saw the duel’s conclusion. “I think you should have upped it by a couple of stars.”

“Maybe we should have sent M. Bison after all,” Degas replied. “Either way, we now have proof that the spell works and that it creates worthwhile duelists. We may have to go back to that later… but for now, it’s time to call in the specialists.”

Both men rose from their chairs, walked around them, and headed back to the phone. Picking up the receiver, Alexander hit one of the buttons on the speed dial and handed it to Degas.

The man in black muttered, “I really hate giving orders to a mute by phone…” After a moment, he said, “Sentinel, press one if you’re there.” He paused. “Good. Now, listen carefully. I want you to go to… just a second…” He covered the mouthpiece, saying, “They’re probably going to move…”

But Alexander wasn’t paying attention. He stiffened, staring straight ahead, and then said, “Send them to Saint Anthony Park.”

“Is this what your insane prophet told you?” Degas said, a hint of disgust in his voice. “I still can’t believe we’re keeping him.”

“I just know that Gerald will be there. If he’s anything like I know he is, he will be in Saint Anthony Park.”

After a moment, Degas said, “I’m holding you to that.” He then said into the phone, “Press one if you’re still there… All right. Sentinel, you are to go to Saint Anthony Park and engage Gerald in a duel. Trust us, he will be there. Press three if you have no objections… Very good. Get to it.” He hung up, telling Alexander, “You had better be right.”

“I know I am,” the man in green said.

0000000

After Geese’s defeat, the three were seated on the ground next to the Corolla, contemplating the situation (Gerald having woken up).

“So they aren’t limited to real people anymore,” Chad noted. “That means the pool of servants to the Darkness is larger than we calculated. We’d be in trouble if they sent, say, Sephiroth after us.”

“The Light help us if we get to that,” Gerald said. He then thought, Wait, did I just say “the Light” as an oath?

Tapping her fingers on the wrecked street, Laura said, “That’s all well and good, but what do we do now? We need those visions to get us anywhere, and we can’t just sit here and wait for the Darkness to send its assassins after us…”

There was a pause, and then Gerald raised his head with a start, as if hearing a noise no one else could. He then stood up, saying, “We must go to Saint Anthony Park.”

“Hmmm?” Chad asked as he and Laura stood up, dusting off.

“Do not ask me why, but it is imperative we go to Saint Anthony Park.”

Chad and Laura looked to each other, and she said, “It’s a start, if nothing else.”

The group climbed into the Corolla, and it drove off towards St. Paul again.

0000000

In the Saint Anthony Park district of St. Paul, a man wandered through the streets, merely admiring his surroundings. “Such a beautiful day,” he said to himself. “After what happened at 3M, I needed a beautiful sight…”

Lucifer Allumette happened to be passing the man on the other side of the street. He paused, looked to him, and then said, “Monsieur, would you happen to know Gerald Laxina?”

The other man blinked and replied, “Yes, I do. Why do you ask?”

“Just a moment…” Turning his back, Lucifer raised his left hand and whispered, “Ring of Identities, tell me who zis man is…” He waited for the information, and then jumped slightly, taken aback.

Turning back to the man, Lucifer bowed, saying, “My apologies. I did not know who you were.”

“And you do now?” the man said. “What’s going on around here, anyway?”

“I will explain, but first…” Lucifer took a photograph from his pocket. “Have you seen ze subject of zis picture?”

The man took the picture, studied it for a moment, and answered, “I’m afraid not.”

“Ah, rien!”

ANIMAL TRAIL
Type: Normal Trap Card
Image: A trail of animal footprints leading into tall grass on a forest’s edge.
Effect: You may activate this card when a monster you control is destroyed in battle. Search your deck for a Beast-type monster and add it to your hand.

Note: This card was used by Chumley in the GX episode “Magna Chum Laude”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

VASE OF UNHOLY BLIGHT
Type: Normal Magic Card
Image: A wicked-looking version of the Pot of Greed.
Effect: Remove one DARK-type monster in your deck from the game. Draw three cards.

Note: This card first appeared in Shuppet Master's “Yu-Gi-Oh Jr.: Sister of Anansi”. All creative credit goes to him.

RAGING STORM
Type: Normal Magic Card
Image: Multiple tongues of blue energy devastating a forest.
Effect: You must destroy a Field Magic Card you control and offer one monster on your field as a Tribute when you play this card. Your opponent loses 500 Life Points for each Level Star of the Tributed monster.

BUSTER WOLF
Type: Effect Monster Card
Statistics: WIND/Beast/Effect/Lv. 4/1800/0
Image: A shimmering blue wolf, stalking a panicking Prevent Rat.
Effect: You may Tribute this monster during your Main Phase to deal Direct Damage equal to its ATK to your opponent’s Life Points. If you do, you lose Life Points equal to half its ATK.

All of the Destiny Heroes have been released in Japan; those not in "Enemy of Justice" are in the set named "Power of the Duelist".

Coming next chapter: The first specialist arrives, but there’s something strange about him. Gerald can’t work it out, but something about him seems familiar. He can’t waste time working this out, however, as his opponent’s strategy is one he’s not familiar with… and one that’s likely to flatten him if he doesn’t counter it. Stay ready for Chapter Seventeen, “Barrage Tactics”!

[Dark Sage]

First, let me say that I am 100% behind Master of Paradox on this one. The English names of the Destiny Heroes were abominations (Captain Tenatious? He sounds like he should be fighting Captain Planet!), and I am nervous of what will happen when PotD comes out and they have to rename the new ones. When the Destiny Heroes appear in my fic (and they eventually will) I plan to do the same thing.

Anyway, this was a pretty good duel. I saw Master of Oz comming - that was pretty much the only thing in Chad's deck that could beat Dogmaguy. My favorite quote was when Alexander asked what the difficulty setting on the game was, and Degas said that maybe they should have used M. Bison.

Sephiroth... That would be something...

Ah, well...

Glad to see this fic on track. I await the next chapter!

[Shuppet Master]

First, an apology to Paradox. I know how it is to get fanfiction up on this board(especially with my laptop, that always seems to shut the Net at the worst possible moment), so my apologies.

Second, I'm afraid we must agree to disagree, Paradox - I don't mind the names of the Destiny Heroes in America myself, but then that's because I never really got interested in the original names for the cards.

I really liked this whole "video game character as duelist" thing. I have a story in the works crossing-over Kingdom Hearts characters with Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm hoping for Yuffie Kisaragi dueling them, but that's just me.

[Blademaster]

Interesting, very interesting...

A video game I've never played or even heard of, but still interesting to see a new deck theme. Dogmaman? Sounds... nice...

Anyway, sorry I can't stay long, but I have important things to do. Later.

-Blade

[jkBAKURA]

Well, I had to look up the game in order to give an informed review (not that I found much as far as what Geese's personality is) but it was a decent chapter nonetheless.

Several small details in this chapter, that may be part of the larger plot. Fist of all, the third Pillar has not yet been released, apparently due to Alexander. It appears our Walking Duracell has a soft spot. But I wonder why they didn't use the other one instead.

Second, the new use of Video games gives us nearly limitless choices as far as opponents, although they seem to be put on hold for the time being.

Caiside apparently has more to do (unless that was just a filler) and Gerald's Heaven's Gift seems to respond to Laura.

Most mysterious however, was the ending. How did Gerald know where to go?

On the duel, very pophisticated use of the D-Hero combos, and I personally have no grudge about the names. With only half of them named in English, it was nice for te sake of continuity.

Also, for those of you keeping track, the cards obtained by Ulysses were:

Chad: Exherion Universe, Animal Trail, Buster Wolf

Laura: Sasuke Samurai #3, Greed, Familiar Knight

Gerald: Raging Flame Sprite, Cyber Tutu, ...

Which still leaves one unaccounted for. It'll probably show up next chapter.

[Master of Paradox]

Something’s strange about this opponent. And I’m not referring to the mask, the utter lack of speech, or the outfit that makes him look like he broke into the wardrobe department of a film noir parody. I’m talking about the feel of this duel.

There’s a theory, advanced by the same people who can talk about the Heart of the Cards and successfully pronounce the capital letters, that all duels have a pattern to them. They say that duels have their own feels, their own rhythms… I’ve never understood what they’re getting at, but the point is that all duels feel different depending on the circumstance.

I think I finally understand what they meant. This duel doesn’t feel right. My opponent is supposed to be one of the specialists sent by the Darkness, but something makes me doubt that. And there’s another nagging thought in my head…

…I know this man.

Chapter Seventeen: Barrage Tactics

The ’86 Corolla GTS made its way through the streets of Minneapolis, with Gerald and Laura in the back and Chad driving, as usual. “What’s so important in Saint Anthony Park?” Chad asked.

Gerald shook his head. “I have no idea. I just know it’s something important… something I know very well.”

“The Light works in odd ways,” Laura muttered.

Suddenly, one of the Corolla’s tires hit a pothole, and everyone in the car jumped a bit. Gerald’s deck fell out of his Duel Disk, as did Chad’s, and the two sets of cards collided, scattering on the floor of the car.

“Oh, I hate driving in this city!” Chad exclaimed as he pulled the car to a stop (there wasn’t any other traffic, for obvious reasons). He then turned, Gerald bent down, and the two retrieved their cards.

0000000

In the Saint Anthony Park district of St. Paul, two men conversed. How much time had passed, neither of the men involved in the discussion could be sure; neither of them had looked at their watch. But it was a fairly long while, they could both be sure.

“I see,” one of the men said. “So that is what happened here… that is what Gerald’s going through…”

“Exactly,” the other man, Lucifer Allumette, replied. “I would not stay in ze open for too long; given ze nature of zis city now, zat is like a lightning rod to ze less pleasant element. In fact, if at all possible, I strongly suggest getting out of zis city.”

The other man shook his head. “I need to see Gerald before I can do that.”

“Ah.” Lucifer shrugged. “I suppose zat would be a good idea, but how will you find him? I have ze forces of Dreams behind me for zat purpose. You… have a good pair of shoes.”

“I suppose I’ll have to trust the Light on this one, won’t I?”

“To each his own.” Exhaling, the Beloved of Fire turned to leave. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Monsieur.”

“Indeed.”

With that, Lucifer turned into a ball of fire and launched himself into the sky, leaving the other man only mildly bemused. Once he was alone, the man wondered, He had a point. How on Earth am I going to find Gerald, anyway?

A sound caught the man’s ears at that point: the sound of a motorcycle engine. He turned to look in its direction.

The motorcycle pulled to a halt, and its rider slid off. And, for lack of a better word, the motorcycle’s rider was weird. He (the observing man assumed it was a he) wore a long brown coat, belted shut. A fedora sat partway forward on his head, and he wore gloves that went a long way into his sleeves. The real attention-grabber, however, was his mask – it was gray, with two yellow eyeholes and a mesh grate over the mouth. There was a fairly old and battered Duel Disk on his arm.

“Who are you?” the other man asked.

The masked man took a small spiral notebook and pen out of his pocket, opened the book, and wrote something in it. He then held it up, revealing the words, “I am called Sentinel. I do not speak. What are you doing here?”

“I’m just here. What about you?”

After a moment, Sentinel wrote, “I am seeking out Gerald Laxina; I was told he would be here. What do you know of him?”

The other man narrowed his eyes, answering, “I’m looking for Gerald myself, actually. Why are you after him?”

“I must duel and defeat him and his allies,” the masked man wrote in response. “My employers will have it no other way.”

Taking a small metal rectangle from his pocket, the other man said, “How about we make a little deal… We’ll duel right now, and the winner gets to stay here and wait for Gerald to show up. The loser takes that motorcycle and gets out of Saint Anthony Park. Sound good?”

Sentinel placed one hand to his mask’s chin, and then wrote, “I do not lose to the foolish and pride-stricken. The challenge is accepted.” He raised his Duel Disk and activated it.

The other man pressed a button on the rectangle, and it unfolded into a Pocket Disk, which he strapped to his arm. He flicked his deck into the proper space and said, “Begin.”

Both Life Point counters set at 8,000.

0000000

As it happened, Degas and Alexander weren’t watching Saint Anthony Park at the time.

In fact, they were watching Gerald and company making their way to the district in question.

“So…” Alexander rubbed at his temples, still feeling the sensation from earlier. “Where did we even get Sentinel from in the first place?”

Degas smirked. “Back in the days of the Duelist Kingdom tournament, Maximillion Pegasus employed a fairly large stock of Eliminators, duelists of exceptional skill who were designed to weed out the weaker, more foolish duelists from the island. The most famous one was Panik, the sadistic brute who preferred to attack at night.

“He wasn’t the only one, though; Sentinel was one of the others. He never speaks, and no one has seen his face under the mask. He would emerge from nowhere and lead the unwary duelist to a duel platform, whereupon he’d defeat them and claim their Star Chips. Thanks largely to never running afoul of Yugi Motoh, Sentinel completed the Duelist Kingdom tournament unscathed, and with an undefeated record.

“After Duelist Kingdom, Sentinel traveled the world, hiring himself out as a ringer at various tournaments and competitions. He would join at the first level of a tournament and be paired against any entrant the organizers felt was too powerful or too weak for the intended skill level; after removing the chosen player, Sentinel would drop out of the tournament and collect his fee.”

“Interesting,” Alexander said. “How did we get him?”

Degas replied, “It’s a natural progression from tournament ringer to dueling assassin. I promised him double his standard fee if he could take out one of Gerald’s friends, and triple that sum if he brought down Gerald himself. Once the target is defeated, it will be a simple matter to send them a dose of the Darkness Infection through these mirrors…”

“And if Sentinel loses?” Alexander asked.

“He doesn’t get paid. That simple. That and we add his soul to the jars.”

The man in green frowned, drumming his fingers on the armrest.

In response, the man in black ran his hand over his bare scalp and muttered, “He’d better be good. Giving instructions to a mute over the phone for three months was an utter chore…”

0000000

The Corolla pulled to a halt once it entered Saint Anthony Park, and the three young people jumped out (or, in Gerald’s case, slid out). All three had their Duel Disks at the ready, but that was standard procedure by this point.

After a few minutes, they looked around, wondering why Gerald’s senses had brought them there. Finally, Gerald said, “I still feel that odd sense… but now I can’t understand what it means.”

“Are you sure it’s not just aftershocks from your last vision?” Laura asked, arms crossed and Duel Disk tucked under her salient features. “I mean, the one you had before it was powerful enough to give you a nosebleed. Who knows what those are doing to you?”

“Yeah,” Chad added. “Do you feel any signs of a brain tumor, by any chance?”

Gerald sighed. “That’s a low blow, Chad. And no, I don’t think my visions have anything to do with this, although I’m less sure about whether being a Chosen of the Light is part of it.”

The discussion came to a sudden halt as someone arrived on the scene from apparently nowhere. The newcomer turned to them, and his coat spun around his ankles. He wore a long brown coat, belted shut, and long gloves; on top of his head was a fedora. The most interesting feature on the newcomer, however, was his gray mask, with glowing yellow eyeholes and a mesh circle over the mouth.

Both parties stared at each other for a moment, and then the masked man threw a business card to Gerald, who stumbled as he caught it. Looking over the card, Gerald read it aloud: “‘I am called Sentinel. I do not speak. I serve Degas and Alexander, and have come to duel Gerald Laxina.’ Straightforward challenge, I suppose.”

“Gerald, be wary… who knows what deck a masked man uses?” Chad said.

Laura thought for a moment before adding, “Well, aside from a Mask Deck, that is…”

The lazy young man sighed. “A Mask Deck knocked me out of the Monster Island tournament… but I don’t think he’s using one.” Gerald’s eyes then went wide. “Hold on… that sensation… it’s you.” He paused. “How do I know you?”

Sentinel shrugged, activating the beaten-up Duel Disk on his arm.

“I know you from somewhere,” Gerald said as he activated his own disk. “I don’t know where, but if I win, I’m taking the mask off. Then I can know how.”

Again, Sentinel shrugged. Both Life Point counters went to 8,000, and the duel was on.

0000000

“He knows him?” Degas said. “How on Earth does he know Sentinel?” He turned to Alexander, asking, “Does this have something to do with whatever made you send him to Saint Anthony Park?”

The man in green tapped his fingers together, saying, “This is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. I can tell you this… the urge that drove Gerald to Saint Anthony Park was not Sentinel at first.”

Degas sat back in his chair, growling, “This makes no sense…”

0000000

Gerald drew his opening hand, and then said, “I won’t discriminate against the disabled, so I’ll let you have the opening move, Sentinel.”

The masked man drew his opening hand, took a card from his hand, and dropped it onto a Magic and Trap zone. The card showed a rough-looking young man shielding himself from a blow.

“Heart of the Underdog,” Chad noted. “Now Sentinel can draw an additional card during his Draw Phase if he draws a Normal Monster; all he has to do is show the card to Gerald.”

“What if the card he gets that way is a Normal Monster?” Laura asked.

The artist frowned. “He can get another draw just by showing that one. The card keeps working until he hits a card that doesn’t fit.”

Setting a card facedown, Sentinel then set a monster in Defense Mode and waved to Gerald.

With a sigh, Gerald said, “Why do they insist on setting monsters in Defense Mode against me? Ah, well… I summon Jinzo #7 in Attack Mode.”

The prototype robot clanked into place, flexing its metal limbs and emitting steam from its vents. (500/400)

“Jinzo #7,” Gerald ordered, “attack him directly with Cyber Glitch.”

Holding up one hand, the robot charged a small ball of dark energy inside of its palm, and then flung it straight at Sentinel. The ball exploded against him, but the masked man showed no reaction, even though his Life Points were now at 7,500.

“Now,” Gerald continued, “I set two cards facedown and end my turn.” The cards appeared before him.

Sentinel drew his card…

“Activate Gravity Bind, preventing monsters of Level Four or higher from attacking,” Gerald said. The quicksilver orb appeared next to him, bobbing and sending out waves of energy.

With a shrug, Sentinel revealed his draw. It was a rotting dragon, its wings eaten away by time.

“Dragon Zombie?” Chad muttered. “That’s a Level Three!”

Putting the card into his hand, Sentinel drew again and revealed his card – a monster that looked like a large jelly bean with limbs, holding a sword and shield. The three recognized it as Jerry Beans Man.

Sentinel drew once more, and then stopped, merely adding this card to his hand. Must not have drawn a monster, Gerald thought.

After setting a card facedown, Sentinel placed a card on one of his Monster zones. It was the large, rotting dragon he’d drawn earlier, exhaling a noxious breath with each gasp it took. (1,600/0)

“Crap,” Laura muttered. “Gravity Bind means nothing to that thing when it’s a Level Three.”

Sentinel pointed to Gerald’s Jinzo #7, and his zombified dragon turned to face it. With one massive inhalation, the zombie fired off a massive burst of corrosive breath, eating away at the machine’s metallic skin and leaving only the most distorted, half-melted dregs of a monster in its wake.

Gerald blinked, and then shook a bit as his Life Points sank to 6,900. Did he build that deck to counter mine? he wondered. “Activate Attack and Receive,” he then said, “striking you for 700 points of damage because I lost Life Points this turn.”

The armored swordsman sprang from Gerald’s trap, flipped his sword in the air, and caught it before slashing across Sentinel’s body. Again, however, the masked man took it in stride, not caring as his Life Points dropped to 6,800.

It was impossible to tell, given the mask, but it seemed Sentinel was contemplating his moves. He finally waved for Gerald to go.

Okay, change of plans, Gerald thought as he drew. There isn’t any Level Three that exceeds 2,000 Defense Points, so… “I set one monster in Defense Mode,” he said, “set another card facedown, and end my turn.”

Sentinel drew, and once again showed off the card he’d drawn. This one was a green-feathered duck moving at incredible speed.

Sonic Duck? Gerald thought. That’s another Level Three. Two of my anti-attack defenses are worthless against this deck, and I only have three of them all told.

Drawing another card, Sentinel shook his head. He slid that card into his Duel Disk, and then activated one of his set cards.

As the card flipped, a massive gust of wind destroyed Gerald’s facedown Trap Hole. “Dust Tornado?” he asked. “Not surprised.”

The masked man shrugged, and then placed another monster on his disk. With the usual flash of light, the Jerry Beans Man they’d seen him draw earlier appeared, waving his sword about. (1,750/0)

After a moment’s thought, Sentinel waved for Gerald to go.

“Okay, so you didn’t fall for it,” Gerald said as he drew. Well, here’s a way to get the offense back on track… “I summon Inaba White Rabbit in Attack Mode.”

The small white rabbit and its teleporter came into being, and the rabbit seemed unusually optimistic. (700/500)

“It’s not Oolong the Balancing Rabbit,” Gerald continued, “but it’ll do. Inaba, attack Sentinel directly.”

The rabbit disappeared as its teleporter sparked up, and a white ball of light floated up to Sentinel. The ball reformed into the Inaba White Rabbit, and it kicked at him…

…but the masked man activated one of his facedown cards. A shining armor appeared around him, and it detonated, destroying the rabbit.

Of course he had Sakuretsu Armor, Chad thought.

With a sigh, Gerald said, “I set a card facedown and end my turn.”

Laura looked back and forth between them and said, “It seems the Darkness has figured out just how to strike back at Gerald’s deck. You know… I never thought they’d be that competent.”

0000000

“Hey!” Degas yelled at the mirror array, even as Alexander chuckled.

0000000

Sentinel drew, and then shook his head, merely adding this card to his hand. He then slid another card into his Magic and Trap zones before placing a monster from his hand onto the Duel Disk.

A blur made its way from the area behind them onto the field, moving faster than the eye could follow until finally standing stock-still in front of them. It was a green-feathered duck, wearing a red scarf on its neck and a bucket on its head. (1,700/700)

“That would be the Sonic Duck,” Chad noted.

Lowering his head, Sentinel took his chin in one hand, apparently deep in thought, before waving for Gerald to move.

What is he waiting for? Gerald thought. He drew, and then smirked. This should help, if nothing else. “I set another card facedown,” he began, “and end my turn with that.”

With his next draw, Sentinel showed it to the three watching him. It was a skull-headed giant lobster, which Gerald recognized as Mad Lobster. He added it to his hand, drew again, and then stopped with that one. Taking another card from his hand, he set it into his disk.

The Nobleman of Crossout appeared over Gerald’s facedown monster, spinning his sword over his hands and ramming it into the hidden card. An Island Turtle briefly appeared before disappearing into nothingness.

“In response to that, I’ll activate Scapegoats,” Gerald replied. The four little goats popped into being, floating in front of him. (0/0 x4)

With a shrug, Sentinel flipped his defensive monster face-up. A mechanical monkey backflipped into view, scratching its head as its tail waved about. Its eyes flashed twin question marks. (1,000/1,800)

“The Acrobat Monkey,” Laura noted. “He’s all over the board, isn’t he?”

After a moment’s pause, Sentinel gestured to the Acrobat Monkey and then to one of Gerald’s Scapegoats. The robot got the idea and somersaulted towards Gerald’s monster…

“I activate Magic Cylinder,” Gerald said, “negating the attack and striking you for the resulting damage.”

The twin cylinders came into being, one sliding into place directly under the somersaulting monkey. It couldn’t stop, and thus slid right into the weapon. The cylinders spun, and the other one launched the monkey at Sentinel, causing him to stagger as it crashed into his stomach. His Life Points now read 5,800, but more importantly, he’d reacted.

“That’s the first time he’s felt anything this entire duel,” Laura said. “At least he’s not made of cast-iron like Jacob was…”

Chad shivered. “Don’t mention him.”

After catching his breath, Sentinel waved to his other monsters, and they charged into the fray. The Dragon Zombie unleashed a wave of toxic breath, melting away one Scapegoat. The Jerry Beans Man charged forth, slicing another goat into two pieces, and the Sonic Duck moved so fast that its wake sucked the air from a third Scapegoat, popping it like a party balloon as it collapsed on itself.

With that done, Sentinel waved to Gerald, ending his turn.

Laura’s eyes narrowed. “Say,” she muttered. “If he’d summoned the Mad Lobster, he could have attacked Gerald’s last Scapegoat again and destroyed it. That would have gotten him in a position to mob him on the next turn. Why didn’t he summon this turn?”

“He’s probably waiting for something else,” Chad suggested. “He’d need an open Monster zone, since I don’t think he’s big on Tribute monsters.”

Drawing his next card, Gerald played it, declaring, “Pot of Greed.” As usual, he ignored the hologram entirely, drawing twice and adding those two cards to his hand. He then played one of them, saying, “Emergency Provisions will destroy my meaningless Gravity Bind and give me 1,000 Life Points in return.”

As usual, a hideous mouth sprang up and consumed the Gravity Bind orb whole, raising Gerald’s Life Points to 7,900.

“Next,” Gerald continued, “I’ll play my Messenger of Peace, preventing your monsters of better than 1,500 Attack Points from so much as touching me.”

A missionary stepped out of Gerald’s card, raising a hand to Sentinel’s monsters. The Acrobat Monkey didn’t seem to care, but the Dragon Zombie, Jerry Beans Man, and Sonic Duck all stepped back as if ashamed of themselves.

“Finally,” the lazy duelist concluded, “I’ll summon my Raging Flame Sprite in Attack Mode.”

A tiny spark floated from Gerald’s card and formed into a floppy-eared, torch-wielding sprite in red clothing. (100/200)

I wonder if it will work for me, Gerald thought. He gestured to the Raging Flame Sprite and then to Sentinel.

Taking a small breath, the fire spirit blew on her torch, sending a small fireball into Sentinel’s chest. He ignored it as usual, even as his Life Points sank to 5,700.

Gerald raised an eyebrow. “So it does work both ways… I’ll end my turn on that, and as per her effect, the Raging Flame Sprite gains 1,000 Attack Points for damaging you.” The sprite began to pant, her torch heating up. (100/200 – 1,100/200)

Taking a moment, Sentinel adjusted the position of his Duel Disk, and then drew. He shook his head, simply adding the card to his hand, and then set a monster onto his field.

A severely obese creature waddled into view, his body jiggling as he moved into place. Flexing his large hands, he looked greedily at the other monsters on Sentinel’s field, all of which took a step back… as did the Messenger of Peace. (1,000/1,000)

“What’s that thing?” Laura asked.

“You’d laugh if I told you,” Chad replied.

“Try me.”

With a deep breath, Chad said, “It’s called the Man-Thro’ Tro’.”

After a moment’s pause, Laura said, “Now tell me its real name.”

“That is the monster’s real name. It’s really called Man-Thro’ Tro’.”

Laura blinked, and then began to giggle. She held onto her sides, laughing harder, and then sank to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground as she laughed. After a moment, she rolled onto her back, kicking her feet as she couldn’t stop laughing.

Chad, Gerald, and Sentinel all just stared. Finally, the masked man just shrugged, gesturing to the troll and then to the last Scapegoat. The troll stormed past the Messenger of Peace, picked up the tiny goat, and crushed it in his bare hands.

Well, that’s it for his attacks… Gerald braced himself. Now the effect.

Sentinel now gestured to his Dragon Zombie. The Man-Thro’ Tro’ stomped over to it, grabbed hold of its spine, and began to spin. The zombie roared in confusion, right until the troll jumped up and threw it at Gerald.

The giant zombie dragon smashed into Gerald, flooring the lazy young man and knocking his Life Points to 6,100. He didn’t bother to get up, saying instead, “Will you be doing that with the rest of them, as well?”

Sentinel nodded, now gesturing to the Jerry Beans Man. The troll grabbed it by the top, spun it over his head, and flung it directly at Gerald, causing his legs to kick as it made contact and sent his Life Points to 5,300.

“So it’s like an upgraded Cannon Soldier?” Laura asked.

Chad replied, “Kind of. It does 800 points as opposed to 500, but you can’t sacrifice tokens to it – only cards.” He then sighed and added, “Of course, Sentinel’s deck is just the sort to get around that.”

Sentinel gestured to the Sonic Duck now, and the waterfowl began to quack as the Man-Thro’ Tro’ picked it up, right until he bent its body into a javelin. He threw the result, knocking the wind out of the prone Gerald and sending his Life Points to 4,500.

That done, Sentinel added a facedown card to his field and then waved for Gerald to move.

To be continued next post...

[Master of Paradox]

Continued from the last post:

Slowly, Gerald rose to his feet, drawing a card. He then paused and said, “Ow. Ow, ow, ow, itai.” He stretched, and then added, “Ow.”

Chad and Laura glanced to each other.

Shaking his head, Gerald began, “I pay 100 Life Points for the Messenger of Peace.” His Life Points lowered to 4,400. “Next, I’ll attack with my Raging Flame Sprite again. Attack directly with Fire’s Kiss.”

The sprite took a deeper breath and blew on her torch, whereupon a wave of flame washed over Sentinel. The masked man covered his face with one arm as the fire struck him, his Life Points down to 4,600.

“I’ll end on that,” Gerald concluded. The Raging Flame Sprite’s torch grew hotter, and she began to sweat. (1,100/200 – 2,100/200)

Chad snapped his fingers, saying, “I’ve seen Sentinel’s deck before…” He paused, and then added, “But I can’t remember where. I know I didn’t see it played, but I’ve seen it before.”

“Don’t strain yourself,” Laura replied.

Dusting off the front of his coat, Sentinel drew his next card, and then showed it to Gerald – it was another Dragon Zombie. He drew again, and then shook his head, tucking the card into his hand.

He could deck himself at this rate, Gerald thought. He then sighed. But I’m never that lucky, even with the Light behind me.

With a moment’s consideration, Sentinel placed a Monster Card onto his field. The Dragon Zombie he’d just drawn rose into view, snorting noxious gases. (1,600/0)

Suddenly, the masked man gestured to one of his facedown cards, which activated as he did so. From the card emerged a massive tidal wave, rushing across the field. The Man-Thro’ Tro’ struggled against the waves as he sailed off into the unknown, the Raging Flame Sprite disappeared as the water struck her, and the Dragon Zombie dissolved into a purple goop.

As the water receded, Sentinel’s Acrobat Monkey looked untouched… until it shorted out and exploded.

“He set off his own Torrential Tribute?” Laura asked. “Why would he do that?”

Good question, Chad thought.

Once the effect of his first trap was over, Sentinel gestured to another card. This one was Call of the Haunted, and a cloud of smoke emerged from the ground before the Man-Thro’ Tro’ returned, shivering as if he’d seen some bad things in the Graveyard. (1,000/1,000)

Taking another card from his hand, Sentinel set it on the Duel Disk. As it came into being, all three of the duelists recognized it.

“Enchanted Fitting Room?” Chad said. “Now it makes sense! That card lets him look at the top four cards of his deck and Special Summon all monsters of less than Level Four… and that’s half his deck. And he just took out Gerald’s defenses!”

“If this works, he’ll overrun Gerald entirely!” Laura added. “And all it will cost him is 800 Life Points!”

Gerald gulped.

As his Life Points sank to 3,800, Sentinel took four cards from the top of his deck and slid them over the open spaces on his Duel Disk, revealing their faces. They were cards Gerald recognized: Enemy Controller, Sakuretsu Armor, Swords of Revealing Light, and a monster he knew as Mechanical Devil. He exhaled, took the non-Monster Cards from his disk, and shuffled them into his deck.

There was a flash of light, and a curtain hanging from a white rod appeared. The curtain dropped, whereupon a robotic fiend emerged. It had four arms, two of which held long-bladed daggers and two of which held scimitars. The Mechanical Devil spun its weapons, steam shooting from a vent where a living creature would have a mouth. (1,750/0)

Finally, Sentinel gestured to his last facedown card. It lifted, revealing a second Dust Tornado. The wind picked up, and Gerald’s Messenger of Peace went flying out into space; he never came back down.

Once again, Gerald braced himself, shutting his eyes.

Sentinel gestured, and the Man-Thro’ Tro’ stomped across the field. He grabbed Gerald’s shirt, and then ran the young man’s head into his kneecap. Gerald stumbled back and shook his head, muttering incoherently from the impact as his Life Points reached 3,400.

With another gesture, Sentinel gave a silent order to the Mechanical Devil. All of its blades spun as the metal fiend threw itself onto Gerald, slashing and cutting away with all four arms at once. The usually lazy duelists mustered the energy to scream before falling backwards, catching himself on one arm. His Life Points dropped to 1,650.

Just to add to the pain, Sentinel signaled to Man-Thro’ Tro. The troll grabbed the Mechanical Devil, crumbling the metallic fiend into a ball. He then threw it at Gerald, knocking him flat and plunging his Life Points to 850.

That done, the masked man gave his cards one last look and waved for Gerald’s turn.

Climbing slowly to his feet, Gerald rubbed his nose, muttering, “Ow…” He then patted himself down, looking for broken bones, and exhaled. “Remind me never to get into a bar fight. Either way…” He drew.

Behind the mask, Sentinel’s mind churned. One thought was uppermost: What will you do to escape this?

“I play Swords of Revealing Light,” Gerald declared.

That works.

The gleaming swords fell from the sky, pinning Sentinel down and trapping the Man-Thro’ Tro’. The troll struggled in his shining prison, but nothing could get him out of it.

“Now,” Gerald continued, “I summon Amazon Archer in Attack Mode.”

The teenage archer loaded an arrow into her bow as she appeared, glaring at the troll. He grinned sheepishly. (1,400/1,000)

“As much as I hate attacking monsters…” Gerald sighed. “Amazon Archer, attack Man-Thro’ Tro’ with Savage Arrow.”

The archer sighted down her bow, tensing the bowstring. As much as the troll tried to flee, he couldn’t escape the glowing cage of swords, and thus the arrow slammed through his torso without any difficulty.

As his key monster shattered, Sentinel nodded, his Life Points now 3,400.

“That’s my turn,” Gerald concluded.

Sentinel drew, stamping his foot as he did so – apparently, it wasn’t a card he could use with Heart of the Underdog. He set a monster in Defense Mode and waved for Gerald to take his turn.

Gerald drew, and then stopped, eyes wide. The card in his hand glowed.

Chad and Laura noticed this as well, and they went into a hushed silence.

“I’ll now tribute my Amazon Archer…” Gerald began.

His opponent was clearly taken aback, and the lazy man noticed this. He must not have expected a Tribute Monster, Gerald thought. Not surprisingly, given my theme – I wouldn’t have expected one myself until a couple days ago.

Clearing his throat, Gerald continued, “As I was saying, I tribute my Amazon Archer for Heaven’s Sphere. In Attack Mode, needless to say.”

The Amazon Archer turned to Gerald and knelt, a smile on her face, before she glowed a bright white. Her form disappeared, expanding and warping into the perfect orb of Heaven’s Sphere. Light surrounded Gerald as the Heaven’s Gift shone upon him. (2,000/1,000)

“Heaven’s Sphere,” Gerald ordered, “destroy Sentinel’s facedown monster with Light of Justice.”

A pinpoint of light shone on the surface of Heaven’s Sphere. It grew and expanded, until finally it unleashed a beam of pure light upon the masked man’s defending monster. It was revealed to be a Mad Lobster, which swiftly boiled until it turned a bright red, and then shattered to a thousand pieces. (1,700/1,000)

Shrugging, Sentinel looked to his Life Points… and then let out a surprised cry as they clicked down to 2,400.

The lazy man chuckled, which turned into a yawn, before explaining, “I forgot to mention… Heaven’s Sphere doesn’t care about Attack or Defense Mode. It just does damage.” He shrugged. “Your move.”

The masked man’s clothing shook as he trembled, drawing another card. He quickly showed it off – it was another Sonic Duck – and then drew again. Sentinel now shook his head, took three cards (including the one he’d just drawn) and slid them into his Duel Disk’s Magic and Trap zones. He then set one monster in Defense Mode and waved to Gerald.

Gerald snapped a card off of his deck, using it to hide his yawn, and tossed it onto the Duel Disk. “Activate Giant Trunade,” he said, “returning all of our Magic and Trap Cards to our hands.”

For once, the gust of wind that picked up around them didn’t start on Sentinel’s side. This time, it emerged from Gerald’s side, blowing the cage of Swords of Revealing Light off of his field… and sending all three of Sentinel’s facedown cards back to his hand. The masked man seemed to merely take this in stride.

“Heaven’s Sphere,” Gerald continued, “purge the field of his facedown monster with Light of Justice.”

The sphere charged up another burst of light, blowing away the Sonic Duck. Sentinel’s Life Points sank to 1,100.

“Finally,” Gerald concluded, “I’ll replay Swords of Revealing Light.” Even as the swords crashed down, he waved for Sentinel to move.

Sentinel drew, and then showed off his draw – another Jerry Beans Man. He drew again, shook his head, and set four cards into his Duel Disk before setting a monster in Defense Mode. He then waved for Gerald to go.

Gerald drew, and then yawned one last time. “I play a gift from a friend… Cold Wave,” he said. “It freezes all Magic and Trap cards for the next two turns.”

Taking his deck out of his pocket, Chad rifled through it, and then stopped. So that’s where it wound up? The potholes in this city are hideous!

Ice formed on all of Sentinel’s facedown cards, and the masked man knelt, accepting his impending defeat.

“Heaven’s Sphere,” Gerald ordered, “end this duel – destroy his facedown monster with Light of Justice.”

After drawing energy into itself one last time, the Heaven’s Gift fired a beam of scorching light through Sentinel’s facedown Jerry Beans Man. His Life Points clanged to zero, and that was that.

The holograms faded, the Heaven’s Sphere leaving an echo of its light for a moment, and Gerald shut off his Duel Disk. “That is it,” he said. “Now to see your true face…”

Before the young man could move, Sentinel chuckled, rising to his feet and shutting down his Duel Disk. Then, to everyone’s shock, he spoke. “You did very good, Gerald. Better than I thought your deck would do. I’m proud of you…”

Gerald nearly fell over in shock, and would have had Laura and Chad not caught him. All he could say was, “It can’t be… it can’t…”

The man calling himself Sentinel took off his hat, dropping it to the ground and exposing messy brown hair. He then clicked open a pair of catches and took off the mask, tossing it aside and revealing a weathered, kindly face. In fact, he looked like an older version of Gerald.

A moment passed, and then Gerald walked up to the older man and hugged him, eyes shut. The older man just returned the embrace, smiling softly.

Chad and Laura glanced to each other, slightly wigged out, before Chad finally asked, “Umm… Gerald, what are you doing?”

Releasing the embrace, Gerald turned to his friends and asked, “So when did they pass a law making it off-limits for me to give my father a hug?”

Both of his friends gaped, jaws dropped, until Laura finally recovered enough to say, “That’s your dad?”

“My friends, I’d like you to meet my father, Oliver Laxina,” Gerald said, gesturing to the older man.

Thus named, Oliver smiled and rubbed the back of his head. “Well-met.”

0000000

There was a pause of a few seconds before Degas stood up, knocked over his chair and shouted, “WHAT?” He kicked the chair away, yelling, “There is no way in any of the realms of Darkness that Sentinel was always Gerald’s father! We would have known about it!”

Still in his own chair, Alexander mused, “So that was what I sensed… and what he sensed…” He then turned to Degas and said, “Calm down, Degas. You may recall there was a fairly long period of time we didn’t bother checking on Saint Anthony Park. The best guess is that Mr. Laxina fought Sentinel, beat him, and stole his clothes.”

The man in black shut his eyes, took several deep breaths, and ran a hand over his head. “That would make a great deal of sense. In which case, I must ask where Sentinel went to…”

There was a flash, and a door briefly appeared in the viewing room. A man stepped out of it, his head wrapped in bandages except for his eyes and nose. The man wore a thin black shirt and pants, and he was carrying a small notebook and pen.

The man in black and the man in green stared at him. “Sentinel, we presume?” Alexander asked.

All the thus-identified Sentinel could do was nod.

0000000

The group in Saint Anthony Park sat on the ground, Gerald next to his father and his friends a short distance away.

“What are you doing in Minnesota, father?” Gerald asked.

Oliver cleared his throat and said, “It was a sort of scouting trip. Your mother and I are moving up here next month, what with 3M hiring me…”

“What’s your job, anyway?” Chad asked the older man.

“I’m a research scientist – I guess you could consider me freelance, in a way, since I’ve spent much of my career bouncing around companies. It’s why my family moved so much when Gerald was younger…”

Laura blinked, thinking, So that’s why he’s so… well, him. She then looked to him with a slight blush.

Trying to ignore Laura’s expression, Gerald said, “You were saying, father?”

“Ah, yes,” Oliver replied. “I was touring the facilities at 3M when the Darkness Infection struck Minneapolis. One of the other employees had just mentioned seeing someone with your description running around town. I was just about to ask for details when everyone in the building collapsed.

“Somehow, though, it missed me. I got out of the building, only to discover how it had struck almost everyone else in Minneapolis. As you might expect, knowing that you were in the area, I worried greatly about you and began searching the town.

“My search got nowhere until today, when I encountered a man named Lucifer Allumette. He explained the situation…”

“You met Lucifer?” Gerald asked.

Oliver nodded. “He seemed like a nice enough person, if a little self-centered.”

“Now that we’ve covered how you got here,” Chad said, “tell us why you went through that ‘Sentinel’ business.”

“That wasn’t my idea, initially. I encountered a mute man calling himself Sentinel – in writing – who was waiting to attack Gerald. I challenged him to a duel, and won in about six turns.” He chuckled. “After I defeated him, the man didn’t even try to fight back when I took his mask, hat, gloves, and coat. He just ran to his motorcycle and headed deeper into town.”

Laura then asked, “While we’re still running the Q and A session, where’d you get that deck from, anyway?”

Oliver smiled. “It was the featured ‘spec deck’ in last month’s National Duelist Monthly. I decided to see if it would actually work.”

Snapping his fingers, Chad muttered, “That’s where I saw it before.”

Something suddenly occurred to Gerald. In a bit of panic, he retrieved his deck, flipped through the cards, and took out Heaven’s Sphere. “Why… why did this card attack you?” he asked, his bored tone now holding an edge of panic. “This is a Heaven’s Gift, a card of Light. Why did it attack my father?”

“You didn’t know it was me,” Oliver said, placing a hand on Gerald’s shoulder. “As far as you were concerned, I was a servant of the Darkness. It was not deliberate.”

Although he relaxed at that point, the tense expression on Gerald’s face refused to fade. This… this is a moral question I never thought the Light would make me ask. What could this card have done had I attacked him directly?

0000000

“I’ve seen enough,” Degas said, snapping his fingers. The mirror array shut down for a moment, and the man in black turned to Sentinel. “How will you justify that?”

There was no response at first, but then Sentinel bowed. He then reached into his pants pocket and took out a small handgun.

Like bullets will hurt us, Alexander thought.

Sentinel then placed the gun to his temple.

“Hanzaki, the jar, now!” Degas yelled.

Just as the air blurred and Hanzaki emerged with a marked jar, the mute man pulled the trigger.

The shot echoed through the room. Shortly afterward, the body hit the ground with a thud.

Hanzaki opened the jar, and a ball of light emerged from Sentinel’s body. It hovered in the air, and then floated inexorably into the jar, settling between the lines. Hanzaki then sealed the jar.

“That idiot,” Degas said, hand to his forehead. “What did he think we were going to do to him?” He sighed, and turned to Alexander. “I’m going to place his soul with the others. Call Mi’Hen and send him after them.”

“All right,” Alexander replied, edging his chair back a fair distance from Sentinel’s cooling remains.

With another sigh, Degas and Hanzaki left the room. Once they were gone, Alexander snapped his fingers with a spark of black energy, turning the mirror array back on.

0000000

The four people had stood up again, dusting off. “I’d suggest getting out of town if possible and camping in your hotel room if not,” Gerald told his father. “I don’t want to encounter you as a Darkness Infected.”

“I can understand that,” Oliver replied. The two hugged each other again. “Allow me to wish you the best of luck, my son.”

“Thanks, father.”

As the two headed their separate ways – Gerald back to the car (where Chad and Laura were waiting) and Oliver deeper into town – the older man turned and added, “Don’t forget two days from now.”

Gerald visibly winced, but replied, “I won’t.”

As the lazy young man climbed into the car, Chad asked, “What’s two days from now?”

“Someone’s birthday,” came the response.

Even as the car headed out of Saint Anthony Park and towards the Midway, Gerald’s friends couldn’t get a more precise answer out of him.

0000000

Alexander snapped his fingers again, shutting off the mirror array, and then moved to the phone. He snatched up the receiver and hit a button on the speed dial.

“Mi’Hen?” he said on receiving an answer. “Gerald and company are currently heading towards the Midway district, in the approximate direction of Thomas-Dale. Intercept and duel them before they get there. The money should be in your account by now. We’ll be watching.” He then hung up.

After that, Alexander passed through a door and emerged in another room – his own room. He opened his nightstand and retrieved a small, thin plastic card from a bank – one with a calendar on it.

I haven’t kept track of time in a while, but he was right, the Dark Conduit thought. It is two days from now.

MECHANICAL DEVIL
Type: Normal Monster Card
Statistics: DARK/Machine/Lv. 3/1750/0
Image: A four-armed, metal demon, snorting steam out of a vent on its “face”.
Flavor Text: Built by forgotten demons, this creature runs on a core of pure darkness, hunting down whatever it wishes.

Coming next chapter: The next of Degas and Alexander's specialists arrives, and his target is Laura. Her deck seems ready, but the opponent is a man of means, and he's got his hands on some of the rarest cards she could ever imagine facing... and one that she didn't see coming in her wildest dreams! Can Laura survive against one of the rarest, most deadly forces Duel Monsters ever produced? Find out in Chapter Eighteen, "Avarice"!

[Dark Sage]

WHAT?

You tricky, plot-twisting sonuva...

*Ahem*

It was Gerald's dad the whole time? Heh... If it were my dad, I'd have recognized him no matter what he had been wearing, but still...

MoP, this was clearly the biggest thunder crash at the end that I have ever seen. But I have to wonder... What sort of deck did the real Sentinel use? And I have to agree with Gerald - why would the Light have let Gerald use Heaven's Sphere against his father?

Anyway, MoP, let's hope that next chapter can compare with this one.

[Blademaster]

...Whoa...

Gerald's dad? Talk about unexpected... and someone's birthday... is that why Gerald clams up whenever he hears Alexander's name?

This is getting pretty intense... though, I wish I could identify all these references you add. I'm still hung up on Hanzaki's impersonation in chapter 5, and now this 'ow-ow-itai' stuff? What the heck is that?

(sigh)

Anyway, I'm curious about Sentinel's deck, too...

I love how Degas got so mad when Laura called him incompetent... lol, funny...

Well, anything else... no, I guess not. Until next time...

-Blade

[Shuppet Master]

Yep, I agree, this was one of the "WTF?!?" chapters.

I was expecting to see Gerald's dad playing a Human-Wave Tactics deck. Like father, like son, in a way. Great work, Paradox, and keep it up.

[jkBAKURA]

So, this is the place you found to include Mechanical Devil...

All in all, this chapter seemed like even more of a filler then the others. Maybe because it wasn't someone working for D&A... and maybe because the duel seemed so short. It definately had Gerald over a barel though, since all of his protections were useless.

We know a little more about Gerald's history, but mostly this chapter... I don't know it just seemed like not enough happened.

The revelation about Gerald's father had been commented on already, so I'll spare the board another exclimation point.

One of the rarest and most powerful beast against a deck of low-level warriors? Laura is in for a challange. The first things tha come to mind are the Sacred Beasts, or the Egyptian God Cards (though if this is the show universe, Toon World and the Golden Castle are also a possibilities) although something tells me I'm shooting only slightly too high.

I'll have to think about it.

[Master of Paradox]

And I catch the topic just as it slides onto Page 2...

Everyone knows the answer to this question: what's the rarest playable card in Duel Monsters? (Note the "playable" - this leaves out trophy cards like Yugi Motoh's Ties of Friendship and illegal cards like the Golden Castle of Stromberg; it also leaves out the God Cards, but I personally hope they're gone now anyway...)

The answer is the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. Nobody knows how Seto Kaiba got Pegasus to create it, short of outright blackmail, but he's got the one copy in the world. Then again, he's the one guy who can use it on a regular basis.

The question of the second-rarest playable card is even easier - there are three Blue Eyes White Dragons, and Seto Kaiba has all three. He certainly flaunts them enough for it to be an easy question.

In this day and age, the rarity question that stumps people is this: what's the third-rarest card in the world? I've heard answers ranging from Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning (ten copies) to its opposite, Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End (eight confirmed copies).

I never cared too much about the answer, since my own deck doesn't use much in the way of rare cards. It's a budget decision as well as a conscious choice. But I think I just ran into the answer.

There are only five copies of this card still in existence. And the fifth is staring me in the face, ready to attack...

Chapter Eighteen: Avarice

Somewhere in St. Paul, in the laboratory room, Degas and Alexander set the last jar in a line on the table. In all, there were four jars in the line, each of which held a blackened ball of light.

"Thomas 'Ogre' Grunn," Degas said, looking to the first. He turned his head as he continued, "Jean-Vic Viper. Menardi, formerly Donna Abernathie. And now the man only known as Sentinel. That makes four, and we need six."

Alexander had trouble keeping his distaste under control, but somehow achieved it as he said, "Who will be the other two?"

The man in black ran one hand over his head, answering, "That question will have to stay unanswered for now. Part of it depends on the performance of our other two specialists..." He then turned to Alexander and added, "Or we could always use one of your fortune-tellers."

"Keep your opinions on my oracles to yourself," the man in green replied, eyes narrowed. "The Light is doing better than we'd planned; I personally think any aid we can garner is to our advantage. Do you disagree?"

Degas shook his head, one hand pushing his sunglasses back up. "Not fully. The first one you found has worked quite well. But..." He then spoke with a spike of cynicism in his voice. "I still can't fathom why you had Hanzaki retrieve that mad prophet of yours."

"Throughout history, the best oracles have had some degree of insanity..."

"I think you've confused cause and effect there," Degas interrupted. "Being able to see the future may imply insanity, but being insane does not therefore imply an ability to see the future."

Turning on one heel, Alexander headed for the door, saying, "As long as we're on that subject, I was going to check on the... 'mad prophet', I believe your words were. Care to join me?"

The man in black shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

The two stepped into the hallway, moving through another door as it appeared. They emerged into a small black room, the only feature of any sort being Caiside Bahn.

Although not as filthy as when Hanzaki first brought him in, Caiside still didn't look very good. He stared at the ground, babbling to himself, and he hung from two chains set hard into the wall. (The chains were made from dark energy - Degas had insisted on restraining the madman, and Alexander had no choice but to comply.) When the door opened, he looked at his captors and merely smirked.

"Caiside?" Alexander asked, the room brightening slightly as he spoke.

Pulling himself to a standing position, the man thus addressed stared at - and then through - Alexander, a lopsided grin on his face. "Confusion of nineteen..." he muttered. "Has he settled it?"

Degas shook his head. "The maniac's not even here. He's entirely in his own little world."

The man in green stepped forward, taking hold of Caiside's chin. "Listen," he said. "I need information on what's going to happen in the near future..."

As if he hadn't heard it, Caiside instead said, "Never sure, ten five fifteen, what would go down in nineteen... I have a song. Would you like to hear it? 'Boys and girls come out to play, on the busy motorway..."

There was a moment's pause, as Alexander and Degas looked to each other, and then the two sighed and turned to leave.

But before they could get to the door, Caiside raised his head and said, in a far deeper and more serious tone than before, "Shadows lengthen..."

Degas reached out, stopping Alexander in his tracks, and the two moved back to Caiside, standing before him. "Continue that train of thought," he said, much more interested than before. "What do you mean by it?"

"The shadows lengthen," Caiside continued, his eyes hollow of all but their colors. "The loss of their monarch struck into them. Torn and bloodied, the shadows lengthen and seek to rise. Stolen magic is their tool, and a stolen facade their weapon. For their enemy walks, an agent in a war that means nothing to the enemy's masters. 'Light and Darkness, Dreams and Shadows, all things are in the Balance'... All facets of the Balance are off, and the obscurer of light and concealer of darkness turn to each other. Shadows seek to quench the fire... seek to extinguish the flames..." His voice began to trail off, but he managed to add, "Like nothing on this earth..."

With that, the madman passed out, slumping in his chains.

Degas took a step back, putting a hand to his chin. "Perhaps I should eat my earlier words," he said. "Your mad prophet is worth more than I figured."

"Come to think of it, when the Shadow Queen died, it threw Dreams and Shadows out of balance as well," Alexander replied. "It wasn't quite as bad as the balance of Light and Darkness, but bad enough. It seems we'll have to be on guard for a move by the Shadows, as well." He then raised an eyebrow and asked, "But why here and why now? This isn't their place."

"They must be getting desperate. After all, the Dreams sent someone here, and we still don't know why."

"That's only a half-truth."

Caught in the statement, Degas frowned and said, "I'll give you that one. We think we know why... but I'd still like confirmation."

0000000

A helicopter entered the airspace over the city of Minneapolis, coming in low as it passed over the destroyed area. In the back of the aircraft, a man in ridiculously expensive clothing flipped through a copy of the current USA Today.

"'Scientists currently have no explanation for what witnesses say was a massive, unprecendented meteor shower that struck downtown Minneapolis yesterday,'" the man read to himself. "'According to multiple accounts, the meteorites struck and destroyed multiple buildings in the area around the Wells Fargo building, including the building itself. The meteors continued to fall for three minutes... Although it is certain that hundreds were killed, the exact death toll is unknown at this time, as rescue workers and medical personnel are still unable to enter the city due to the mysterious "invisible wall" surrounding it. There are still no accepted theories as to the wall's nature.'"

Folding the paper, the man smirked. "I could tell them, but business is business." He then looked to the pilot. "Have we found them yet?"

"We're almost at their last reported location, Mr. O'Connell," the pilot replied.

"Good." The man picked up a deck of Duel Monsters cards and ran his fingers over their protectors. "The faster I can get this deal over with, the better. I hate working for someone else." He chuckled. "Just the self-employed streak in my nature, I suppose."

0000000

At the moment, the Corolla GTS was parked among a deserted street in the Thomas-Dale neighborhood; of course, all the streets were quiet in the city, given the circumstances. After two duels and extended time in the car, it was time for a break.

Chad leaned against the side of the car, sipping from a bottle of flavored water. In an attempt to live up to his fairly elaborate outfit, he was slouching. The attempt was not a very good one, making him look more like a praying mantis with good taste.

Off to one side, Laura was going through her workout. Gerald had witnessed it the night before, and after whimpering refused to ever watch it again. The young woman's martial arts style blended elements various self-defense forms with a primary focus on kickboxing, and as she practiced, she went through the motions with a grace that spoke of long hours of training. Chad glanced at her from time to time, and then glanced over to Gerald.

As per his refusal to watch Laura at work, the lazy young man was stretched out on the street, head pointed in her direction to prevent even an accidental look at her. He was snoring - of course; if Gerald went immobile, he was either asleep or someone had punched him out. Besides, he hadn't fallen asleep after his last duel, so he had to make up for it.

As the early summer sun shone on him, he shifted in his jacket and muttered. Finally, a beam of sunlight landed on his eyes and didn't move. He sat up, rubbing his eyelids, and looked over to a boarded-up storefront.

With a mutter of "What the...?", Gerald rose to his feet, dusted off his pants, and moved up to the boards, double-checking what was on them. He then said, "Look at this."

Chad stepped away from the car, and Laura brought her practice to a halt, both of Gerald's companions moving alongside him. "What's so important that it can interrupt my exercise?" the young woman asked, hands behind her head and under her hair.

Stepping back from the storefront, Gerald gestured to a large piece of graffiti, painted on the boards with spray paint. It was in the shape of a diamond, with four circles where the lines met. In each circle someone had spray-painted a letter: an L in the left one, a D in the top one, an S in the bottom one, and a DA in the right one. There was a circle in the center, with the letters C and DI sprayed side-by-side within it.

"Well, it's elaborate, but..." Suddenly Chad's eyes went wide, and he said, "Hold it. That's how you described the Balance!"

Laura tilted her head, studying the design. "Light, Dreams, Shadows, and Darkness... they're in the same place you described them being, but what's with the letters in the center?"

Gerald shook his head. "I don't know. When the Balance is out of alignment, according to my first vision, the center circle is Chaos. But I'm still not sure what it is when the Balance is aligned... What's more important is that there's someone in this city who knows what the Balance is." He sighed. "The Darkness Infection probably caught them already, so the odds of peacefully learning where they learned it are nil."

"Assuming we can even find them," Laura said, adding a sigh of her own. She spread her hands, fluffing out her hair.

Chad sipped his water again and then asked, "I know Lucifer can only tell us so much, but do you think he knows what DI could mean?"

The lazy one shook his head, and then put his hand to his temple, rubbing it. "I think he knows, but since he's Dreams and not Light, I'm fairly certain the rules say he can't tell us about it." He paused, and added, "However, I have a fairly good idea..."

The dust on the street began to swirl around the feet of the three duelists, and Chad looked up, saying, "Heads up, my friends. I think another employee of Degas and Alexander just arrived."

Just after he said that, the downdraft picked up, and all three of the duelists turned away. A helicopter descended into view, the side door sliding open and a ladder falling into view. A man climbed partway down and then jumped, landing cleanly on his feet. The helicopter ascended away, and as the draft ended those around the man could resume their normal stances.

Everything about the newcomer screamed his wealth. He wore a bowler hat on top of his head, and his suit was of a make and cut that was both elegant and ungodly expensive. He wore dress shoes that shone like pure obsidian, and he wore a large gold wristwatch that, if not a Rolex, was a brand so costly that the middle class had never heard of it. His eyes were hidden behind gold-frame shades, but his hands were free of the Darkness Infection. He was thin, but wiry, as if he did little hard work but kept himself in shape.

On his hip he had a locked deck case, and on his arm he wore a Duel Disk. But, of course, this was no ordinary Mark 2. The body of it was shaped like a golden diamond, the deck slot in the center, and the arm folded down against his sleeve. The edge of the disk was lined in platinum, and the deck slot was lined with sapphire. Other gems studded the outside of the body and the spaces between monster zones.

"That's a Kaibacorp Executive Luxury Disk, Royal model," Chad said, his eyes glued to it. "The down payment on my car was less than that thing!"

The man chuckled and said, "From your height, you're likely driving a minivan, so I take it as a compliment." His voice was rather reedy, but there was an evident Yale accent behind it. "I will introduce myself, since unless you read the business pages you're unlikely to know my name. I am Mi'Hen Andrew Galloway O'Connell - please call me Mi'Hen."

The name meant nothing to Gerald or Laura, as proven by their blank stares, but Chad gaped. Seeing their lack of knowledge, he turned to his friends and said, "If he's telling the truth, this is one of the richest men in the United States! Mi'Hen A.G. O'Connell is an importer/exporter who's one of the majority stockholders in seven of the Fortune 500's top twenty-five companies! He makes more when he blinks than most people make their entire lives!"

"How do you know about this?" Gerald asked.

"I read Fortune now and then," Chad replied. "He's mentioned pretty much every month."

With a self-effacing chuckle, Mi'Hen said, "You flatter me, but it's more like every other month. But yes, I have more money than the three of you put together and raised to the tenth power. And in my spare time, I duel. Speaking of which..." He held out a hand. "One of you must now duel me. My contractors insist."

Laura said, "You mean Degas and Alexander, I take it." Once again, however, she noticed Gerald wincing at the latter name and wondered what his problem was. He didn't react that way to Degas's name...

"Indeed," Mi'Hen said, sighing. "Today, it seems, I have gone from capitalist to hired gun. At least I'm getting paid for this. Richly."

"Why do you need the money?" Chad asked. "Anyone else on the Forbes list, I can understand, but you?"

The rich man sighed again. "My last major investment went under at an inconvenient moment. I was the last one to bail out, and much of what I'd put in disappeared with it. Compared to some of my actions it was minor, but I'm still a bit stretched until the month's out. I could, of course, remake the money with one low-risk low-yield, but it's just easier to do this job for Degas and Alexander. The fee will precisely cover what I need."

"Dare I ask what it was?" Gerald said.

Mi'Hen replied, "I assure you it was clean money. Clean money going in, clean money coming out. I'm not that greedy."

0000000

"I doubt it," Degas said as the two men tuned the mirrors towards the scene. "How much is his fee, again?"

Alexander quoted a number that made Degas turn even paler than usual. "My thoughts exactly," the man in green said. "He'd better be worth it."

Regaining his composure, Degas said, "He is. After all, when he went into dueling, he did it exactly the same way he does business - costly, but well worth the investment. And his primary investment... well, you will see, my friend."

0000000

Gerald and his allies had moved to the steps in front of a low-rent apartment building (Thomas-Dale, despite much civic improvement, was still the red-light district of St. Paul in spirit if not function). After brief negotiations, Gerald asked Mi'Hen, "Shall we choose your opponent, or do you already have someone in mind?"

"I've already made my choice." The rich man smirked. "I do love redheads. Miss... Laura Vesnic, I believe your name is... I challenge you to a duel."

Despite the situation, Chad couldn't help a laugh, noting to Gerald, "Did he have to specify by name? She's the only redhead in the group. I'm blonde and you've got hair like tree bark."

At first, Laura didn't get up. In response, Mi'Hen tapped his knuckles on his Duel Disk, saying in a sing-song fashion, "Twice knocks for red locks..."

"I hate that line," Laura groaned, getting to her feet and flicking on her Duel Disk. "Let's get this over with before I vomit on your shoes."

Mi'Hen winced, saying, "Please don't joke like that. My shoes are worth more than every piece of clothing you've worn since your birth." He then took a small key from his pocket, unlocked his deck case, and carefully slid his cards from it. Gently, he set them in the deck slot, and pressed a small button. A plastic shield slid over the deck, locking firmly into place. He used the key to unlock the top of the shield, pushing it away from his deck.

"What's with the security?" Chad asked as Laura loaded her deck into her disk.

"Most of my cards are rare and hard to find," the rich man replied. "In total, my deck is worth more than all of the houses the three of you grew up in. And that's including all your different homes as you moved, Mister Laxina."

Gerald let out a low whistle.

Mi'Hen tapped one last button on the arm of his Duel Disk, watching it flip into place and lock, and then said, "I'll begin our battle if you don't mind, Miss Vesnic."

"Take your best shot," Laura replied, snarling. "I won't lose to a rich bastard like you!"

"Such language," the rich man said as both Life Point counters set themselves at 8,000 and the duel began.

0000000

In another room in the lair of Degas and Alexander, a one-eyed man bent over his Tarot cards, flipping up the top card. "Laura Vesnic," he whispered.

Looking at the card thus drawn, he raised an eyebrow. "The eight of swords... the woman blindfolded and trapped by swords. She is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't, trapped by a secret she never wants to say. She will have to move eventually, though."

Now the one-eyed man said, "Mi'Hen O'Connell," drawing again. This time he smirked, saying, "The four of pentacles. The miser who cannot let go of one thing for another no matter the cost. Tell me something I don't know."

He set these cards by the Hanged Man and the nine of swords, briefly musing, "How odd, I must say, that the Hanged Man is flanked by swords. He will change because he must; they must change or die. Which will give first?"

The one-eyed man asked now, "And the outcome?" He drew the next card, sighing as he saw it. "The Wheel of Fortune. Yes, I know, but for whom?"

0000000

Mi’Hen flicked his fingers over the top card of his deck, lightly adding it to his hand, and then flipped three of his cards into his Duel Disk. “One monster facedown,” he said, “and two cards down as well.” The holograms glowed into being, and he smirked behind his hand, saying, “Your move, Miss Vesnic.”

At least he’s formal about it, Laura thought. She drew a card and studied her opening hand, thinking, Of course I don’t have Sasuke Samurai… “I’ll start with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode,” she said.

The elfin swordsman stepped into view, drawing his sword and giving it a few test swings. (1,400/1,200)

“I’ll set a card facedown,” Laura continued, “and now… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack his facedown monster with Silver Blade Slash!”

With a cry of enthusiasm, the elf charged forth, bringing his blade around in a low arc. Mi’Hen’s facedown monster briefly appeared; it was a small flying squirrel. There was a squeak as it shattered into a hundred pieces. (1,000/100)

The rich man shook his head, saying, “You’ve just struck down a Nimble Momonga. When it dies, I gain 1,000 Life Points, and I can Special Summon two more from my deck in face-down Defense Mode.”

“That old trick?” Chad said, sighing afterward. “It gives beasts a bad name…”

Even as Mi’Hen shrugged, two more facedown monsters appeared before him, and his Life Points rose to 9,000.

And of course it’s one situation where I needed Sasuke Samurai… Laura thought. “If that’s the case, I’ll end my turn,” she said.

Mi’Hen drew, sorting through his cards. “I know the weakness of the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian,” he said. “Who doesn’t? And one of my treasures is just powerful enough to deal with him - I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode!”

A bulbous robot body hovered off the guard, sprouting a thin stem and multiple cutting implements like a deadly flower. (1,850/800)

Gerald tilted his head. “That card is a Tournament Pack special,” he said. “The cheapest I’ve seen it is fifteen dollars, and that was in a discount sale. I actually have one…”

“Where’d you win it?” Chad asked.

”First place, 2003 Michigan Regionals.”

Ignoring the sideline conversation, Mi’Hen declared, “Mechanicalchaser, attack the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! Rampant Circuit!”

The bladed implements began rotating, and the machine hurled itself at Laura’s guardian like a food processor gone awry. He tried to defend himself, but the sword went hurtling across the arena, and a blade slit his throat, causing him to collapse.

As her monster shattered, Laura twitched an eyebrow, her Life Points at 7,550.

“I’ll end my turn with that,” Mi’Hen concluded.

Drawing her next card, Laura looked at it and thought, Where were you two minutes ago? “I’ll start,” she began, “by summoning Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in Attack Mode.”

The green-clad ninja appeared in a cloud of smoke, silk sashes blowing in the breeze. He lowered his hand from in front of his face and drew two kunai, spinning them on his fingers. (1,800/1,000)

“Not enough,” Mi’Hen said, pointing to his Mechanicalchaser. “Not enough by fifty points. Your bad luck it wasn’t in Defense Mode, hmmm?”

Taking another card from her hand, Laura showed it off, saying, “That’s why I carry some of these. This Equip Magic Card, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, will increase Sasuke’s Attack Points by 800!”

The sword fell into Sasuke’s hands, and he waved it about, smiling as he got into it. He tossed both kunai into one hand and pocketed them, wielding the blade as a katana. (1,800/1,000 - 2,600/1,000)

“Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke,” the young woman ordered, “attack Mechanicalchaser with Lotus Petal Shadow Slash!”

The ninja took a step back, setting the blade low, and then ran forward. Before he reached Mechanicalchaser, however, he disappeared. The robot buzzed, “DOES NOT COMPUTE” flashing on its face, and began to look around…

…whereupon four copies of Sasuke flashed past it, each striking once with their swords. There was a pause, and then the robot fell apart, slashed into five pieces.

Even as Mi’Hen’s Life Points dropped to 8,350, however, he activated one of his facedown cards. “Activate Option Hunter!” he announced. “When one of my monsters is destroyed in battle, I can use this trap to gain Life Points equal to its Attack Points!”

A red glow shone over the rich man as his Life Points rose to 10,200.

“Good lord, how many Life Points does a man need?” Chad asked, holding up his hands in confusion.

Though she was kicking herself over it, Laura had nothing she could do. “I’ll end my turn there.”

Drawing his next card, Mi'Hen slid his thumb along its face, smiling. "Another of my rarities," he said. "This one cost me fifty dollars in an online auction. I just have to sacrifice one of my Nimble Momongas... which, sadly, doesn't trigger its effect... and then I may summon the Archfiend of Gilfer!"

One of his facedown monsters vanished, and it was replaced by a hideous, snarling demon, tail whipping about behind it as it drew its wings close. Long, wicked claws scraped along the ground, and it stared at Laura with vicious, dead eyes. (2,200/1,500)

"Now..." Mi'Hen took two cards out of his hand and slid them into his Duel Disk. "I'll set these two little lovelies facedown and end my turn."

If he doesn't shut up, I'll forfeit this duel just so I can beat him into a pulp! Laura thought. She drew and then said, "I summon Sasuke Samurai in Attack Mode."

The super-deformed swordsman moved up along the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, and the two shared a look of mutual distrust before they settled down. The shorter of the pair drew his sword, testing its edge on the sunlight. (500/800)

"In response," the rich man interrupted, "I'll activate my trap, the Continuous Trap known as Astral Barrier!"

Circles of light surrounded both of Mi'Hen's monsters, and they became faintly translucent as the trap settled into its upright position.

Gerald raised an eyebrow. "There are only two uses to that card," he said. "One is to protect your monsters at expense to yourself, and the other is in combination with other cards. But what combo could he be trying to set off?"

"It's not Inferno Tempest," Chad added. "None of Laura's monsters are strong enough yet, and he doesn't have anything in play that would let him benefit..."

Taking a moment to work out the details, Laura began, "Sasuke Samurai, dispose of his facedown Nimble Momonga with High-Velocity Wakazashi!"

The little samurai disappeared for a moment, and then reappeared on the other side of the facedown monster. A second later, the bisected flying squirrel appeared and shattered.

Mi'Hen shrugged, saying, "And as per your little samurai's effect, I don't gain a benefit from its death. Ah, well."

With a nod, Laura continued, "And, even though I know its effect, I'm not going to let the Archfiend of Gilfer just sit there. Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, bring it down!"

The ninja began its charge, and then Mi'Hen made a very obscure (and possibly obscene) gesture with his left hand. The Archfiend disappeared, and Sasuke continued to charge directly at the rich man.

"He's activated Astral Barrier," Gerald said. "Now what?"

As if answering the question, Mi'Hen triggered both of his facedown cards. "Activate Draining Shield and Nutrient Z, in that order!" he declared. "Due to the rules of chaining, Nutrient Z goes first; when I'm about to take 2,500 or more points of damage, I gain 4,000 Life Points!"

A mysterious, skull-topped canister with an IV drip on the side appeared next to Mi'Hen. He took the IV and inserted it into his veins, whereupon a black liquid pumped into him. He let out a satisfied sigh as his Life Points rose to 14,200.

Laura's eyes went wide as she stated, "And because of your Draining Shield, Sasuke's attack is negated and you gain his Attack Points in Life Points... That's 2,600 more!"

On cue, a shield of energy surrounded Mi'Hen, with a metal circle on its front. The ninja tried to get around it, but his sword was drawn to the circle with an electric jolt. Even as the ninja fought to free himself, a green light shone on Mi'Hen, raising his Life Points now to 16,800.

Both of the spectators just stared, unblinking, as their brains tried to confirm that impossibly high Life Point total. Finally, Chad said, "He has double Laura's Life Points! What in God's name is he going to do with them?"

Even as she fought the urge to shout every obscenity she knew, Laura watched her ninja stumble away, drained, from Mi'Hen's field. Finally, she slid a card into her Duel Disk, announcing, "I'll set this facedown and end my turn."

Mi'Hen drew his next card, smiling widely. "Ah, another of my rare beauties," he said. "I'll play a Magic Card that cost me ten thousand dollars - a special promo known as Glory of the King's Hand!"

He held up the card, with its picture of an endless treasure hoard, and then set it gently onto his Duel Disk. It rained diamonds, as well as pearls, emeralds, and sapphires... but most of all, it rained gold coins. Treasure fell from the skies, piling up at his feet, and the luster of the gold lit him from below in the world's most expensive lighting.

"But that's not even a real card!" Chad shouted. "That was one of the entry cards for the Duelist Kingdom tournament! You can't play that in a duel!"

"Dead wrong!" Mi'Hen retorted. "Industrial Illusions marketed a special promotional version of Glory of the King's Hand last year; however, due to the cost, very few duelists got the chance to find out about it. I just had to pay the price - in cash, mind you - and I became one of twenty-five duelists to own it!"

Gerald sighed. "What does it do, then?"

Reaching to his deck, Mi'Hen started drawing cards, explaining, "When I play this card, I may draw my hand up to six cards. In addition, for each card I draw, I gain 1,000 Life Points." He then raised his hand, adding, "Before you start screaming that it's broken, I can only play this card if it's the first card I play this turn, and my turn ends after the effect resolves. In addition, the card removes itself from the game, and even if I get it back, the card cannot be played again. If Miss Vesnic had countered it, my turn would go down the toilet."

Chad and Gerald growled, but there was nothing they could do about it.

The rich man drew five cards in all, fanning his hand to make sure he had the right amount. Once his hand was full, Mi'Hen spread his arms, letting the golden light shine upon him. His Life Point counter rolled up to 21,800. He then waved for her to move.

Fair it might be, Laura thought with a frown, but how the hell am I going to knock 20,000 Life Points off of him? She drew her next card and thought, The answer: one at a time. "I summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode!" she then said, setting the card onto her disk.

A gang of hardhat-wearing goblins in clubs strolled out, batting their weapons against their palms. (2,300/0)

"I know Gilfer's penalty, but it won't really matter in this case!" she continued. "Attack the Archfiend of Gilfer with Press Gang!"

As one, the goblins charged across the field, pummeling and bashing into the fiend with their metal clubs. Soon enough, they had it on the ground, but their attacks didn't let up until the monster shattered into a thousand pieces.

Soon enough, a burning red circle appeared on the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke's chest, and he staggered, lowering his sword. (2,600/1,000 - 2,100/1,000)

"I don't think I need to say it," Mi'Hen said as his Life Points clicked down to 21,700, "but the effect of my Archfiend turns it into an Equip Magic Card on any one monster. The monster it's equipped to loses 500 Attack Points... and I chose your ninja."

With a roll of her eyes, Laura muttered, "Thank you, Captain Obvious. Now, Sasuke, weakened or not, attack him directly! Lotus Petal Shadow Slash!"

Struggling, the ninja raised his blade and disappeared. Four of him charged down and sliced across the rich man, causing him to convulse for a moment as his Life Points dropped to 19,600.

Well, it's a start, Laura thought. "Sasuke Samurai, you attack too."

There was a moment of silence as the little swordsman took a solid grip on his blade, and then he lashed out, appearing behind Mi'Hen. A second later, the attack took effect, and the opponent dropped to one knee, his Life Points at 19,100.

"That will be it for me," the young woman said to end the turn.

Chad shook his head, noting, "She might as well have not attacked for all the good that did. He's still got almost 20,000 Life Points to get through!"

"But I still can't fathom why he needs all those," Gerald said. He paused, and then added, "Except for one strategy, and he would have the money to build it..."

To be continued next post...

[Master of Paradox]

Continued from the last post:

It was the easiest thing in the world for the rich man to shrug off Laura's attacks. He drew another card, making his hand seven cards, and then promptly began playing them. "I start this turn," Mi'Hen said, "by setting two cards facedown. Next, I'll play yet another of my prized possessions - it had a price tag of seven hundred euros, but it's worth every one of them. Meet my Cyber-Stein! Attack Mode!"

Ever since Boris Karloff, credited only as "Karloff", had played the role, the public image of Frankenstein's monster expected certain features on it. This one did not disappoint. It had the squarish head, the bolts in the neck, the odd stitching patterns... The only part that was out of place were the large gunbarrels on its back. (700/500)

"What does that do?" Laura asked. "I've never seen it in my life..."

"Come to think of it," Chad added, his head tilted, "neither have I. This is a new one to me..."

Gerald sighed. "I read about it in National Duelist two months ago. It's a rare and valuable card, more common in Europe than here - which is why he paid euros for it. By paying 5,000 Life Points, Mi'Hen can summon any Fusion Monster he wishes to the field. Unlike Magical Scientist or Summoner of Illusions, it has no restrictions on attacking and sticks around until it's dealt with..."

The rich man couldn't suppress an evil grin as he said, "This is the heart of my deck. It lets me summon the most powerful monster you'll ever see, just by paying slightly over a fourth of my Life Points. Cyber-Stein..." He extended a hand to the machine. "Let's do it!"

Steam poured from the Cyber-Stein's neck as it banged its chest with its hands. The two gunbarrels fired beams of brightly colored energy into the air as Mi'Hen's Life Points rolled down to 14,100. The energy twisted and warped, forming a portal over the head of both duelists.

As Laura braced herself, Gerald asked Chad, "What monster do you think he's retrieving?"

"If he wants raw Attack Points," the artist replied, "he'll go with a Master of Oz, like the one I use. If he needs a good effect, his best choice is the Cyber End Dragon. Most of the other really useful or powerful Fusion Monsters can't be summoned through effects like Cyber-Stein." He then chuckled. "There's one more powerful than either that can be summoned that way, but there's no way he could have it..."

A very familiar head stuck out of the portal and roared. The head had blue eyes and white scales.

"Holy Zen, he DOES!" Chad yelled.

Laura let out a cry of shock, stumbling backwards as her holograms recoiled; both swordsmen raised their blades in self-defense, and the Goblin Attack Force spilled their beers in a rush to back away.

Gerald just stared, muttering, "It's not possible. Only one exists. He can't have it."

But despite their shock and disbelief, the monster emerged into the world, the portal closing behind it. Its body was enormous, blocking out the sun behind it. Tremendous wings further shadowed them, and its entire body was covered in shiny white scales. The presence of forelegs and back legs proved it was a true dragon, not a wyvern. Three heads glared down at them, blue eyes locked upon its pathetic opponents. The three heads roared their unearthly triumph. (4,500/3,800)

From beneath it, Mi'Hen spread out his gloved hands, laughing in uncontrollable glee. "Look at it!" he called. "Behold the most powerful, most expensive, and rarest card I'll ever play! Can you feel the adrenline in your blood just as you look at it? You don't stand a prayer, Miss Vesnic! Nothing ever does! Feel the power of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"How?" was all Laura could ask. "How did you get your hands on it? There's only one in the world!"

Mi'Hen shook his head. "Common misconception. The Blue Eyes White Dragon was so rare that those who got their hands on the fusion never played it. Because of this, slightly more survived - there are five Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragons in the world, as opposed to three Blue Eyes White Dragons.

"Currently, one of the five remaining Ultimate Dragons belongs to Seto Kaiba. Three are owned by private collectors around the world; I've met one, in Kinderdjik. And right now, you're looking at the fifth."

"Now that we know how you could get one, where'd you get it?" Gerald asked.

"Sotherbie's," came the answer. "A collector ran into tax problems, and had to liquidate all of his assets. This was one of them. I was so fortunate to be there that day... I narrowly outbid Ziegfried Von Schroder of Schroder Corp. for this beauty. It cost me five million dollars... But it was well worth it." The rich man looked down to his Duel Disk, a thin smile on his lips. "I spent a month trying to find a way to play this card instead of just sticking it in a safe somewhere. Finally I heard of the Cyber-Stein. Once I found one for sale, I snatched it up without even arguing over the price. This deck contains many rare and valuable cards, but the Ultimate Dragon is the showpiece."

Chad couldn't say anything; he was visibly moved by the story. Gerald, of course, didn't seem to care. And Laura thought, I'd be more touched if that thing weren't trying to wipe me off the face of the planet...

"But enough of my prattling," Mi'Hen said now. "My dragon must lay you to waste! To start with, Cyber-Stein, dispose of the Goblin Attack Force!"

Training its guns on the still-shocked goblins, the machine fired off two rounds. Two explosions followed, and the resulting cloud of smoke showed nothing left behind. Laura was still unable to concentrate.

"Now..." The rich man pointed to Laura, chuckling as he said, "I love saying this. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, take out the Sasuke Samurai with Neutron Blast!"

All three of the gigantic white heads whipped backwards, jaws wide open. A glimmering blue energy shot between the fangs, building up with a low whistle. The pitch of this whistle increased, eventually causing the onlookers to cover their ears. There was a snap as the three heads whipped forward, unleashing a combined beam of sheer energy...

Laura snapped out of her shock and yelled, "Activate Negate Attack!" As her trap flipped, the beam of energy simply dissipated before it could even touch her little samurai.

With a "hmph" noise, Mi'Hen crossed his arms, saying, "That will be my turn, then."

Taking a few deep breaths, Laura thought, My deck was never built to deal with anything like that! As far as I know, Yugi Motoh's the only duelist who's ever overcome the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon - every other duelist that's faced it has fallen! She began to sweat, drawing her next card...

One of Mi'Hen's fingers hit a button on his Duel Disk. "I activate my trap, Idle Rich!" he declared. One of his facedown cards flipped, revealing a picture of the Goblin of Greed lounging in front of a pile of money. "I can only use this card if I have more than 10,000 Life Points, and only on your Standby Phase. Now you can't play, set, or activate any cards for the rest of your turn!"

A vein began to throb in Laura's forehead as she sweated even more. "I'll switch my monsters to Defense Mode and end my turn, then..." Both warriors knelt, quivering in fear as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon glared upon them.

Snapping up his next card, Mi'Hen looked at it, snickering. "I'll sacrifice Cyber-Stein to summon yet another rarity, thought not nearly as rare as my centerpiece. Meet the Airknight Parshath, in Attack Mode..."

The Frankenstein's monster knelt and shattered, and the clouds parted overhead. A winged centaur flew down from the sky, his human half clad in blue armor and a priest's miter. He held a shining sword in one hand and a large steel shield in the other. The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon glared down at him, but he felt no fear. (1,900/1,400)

Chad tilted his head, thinking, It's like the Light gave my Chiron a makeover...

"A monster with those Attack Points can't be worth a tribute unless he has an effect," Gerald noted. "What's his?"

The rich man pushed his sunglasses back up. "Very simple - he inflicts damage through Defense Mode. Parshath! Attack the Sasuke Samurai with Caladbolg!"

Clashing his sword against his shield, the Airknight Parshath gallopped forward, all of his wings spreading. He cleaved through Laura's monster, and the sword bit into her in the process, making her gasp. For only the second time in the duel, her Life Points clicked down, stopping at 6,450.

"The other effect of Airknight Parshath allows me to draw a card," Mi'Hen noted. "Now, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon..." He grinned like the devil himself. "Take out the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke! Neutron Blast!"

Again, the dragon drew back its three heads, energy dancing within its jaws. This time, however, as the heads snapped forward and unleashed their nuclear-force blasts upon the ninja, nothing stopped it. The world turned white, and when the light faded, nothing was left.

"For my last move," Mi'Hen said, "I'll set one more card facedown. Your turn, Miss Vesnic."

Gerald raised an eyebrow, noting, "If that card is another Idle Rich, Laura's done for."

"Okay, with Airknight Parshath, anything in Defense Mode with less than 1,900 points is just damage in the making," Laura whispered to herself as she drew her next card. "But then again, anything with less than 4,500 Defense Points is dead anyway." She looked at her hand, and then smiled. "I'll set this card facedown and this monster in Defense Mode." The holograms came into being, and she said, "Now come at me, white-collar criminal!"

One of the rich duelist's fists clenched, and he shouted, "White-collar criminal?!? I'll have you know I make all of my money through legal means!" He drew a card, glaring at Laura, and then activated one of his facedown cards with a yell of, "I activate Meteorain!"

The trap flipped up, showing a picture of the Enraged Battle Ox in front of a meteor shower, and Gerald groaned. "There are so many cards I can never look at the same way again..."

"I know that one's effect," Laura said. "Ogre used it. For the rest of the turn, all of your monsters will have the same effect as the Airknight Parshath..."

Mi'Hen nodded, taking a card from his hand. "I set one monster in Defense Mode, and now... It's overkill, but attack that facedown monster with Neutron Blast, my mighty dragon!"

The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon charged up another burst of power. The heads snapped forward, pouring it at her...

"Activate Magic Cylinder!" Laura said in response, staring head-on into the beam of energy.

The mysterious cylinder floated in front of her, catching the blast. It then rotated, pointing its other end at Mi'Hen even as it shuddered from the contained power. After a moment, it fired, funneling the raw might of the Neutron Blast back towards its erstwhile controller. The force of the impact lifted Mi'Hen off his feet, sending him a good five feet through the air and into the street facefirst. His Life Points dropped down to 9,600.

"He's still over his orginal total," Gerald noted, "but now he can't use another Idle Rich."

Pulling himself to his feet, Mi'Hen looked down and saw a rent in his jacket. He cursed in language foul enough to knock low-flying planes from the sky. "Do you have any idea how much this suit cost?" he yelled at Laura. "Airknight Parshath, you hit her!"

Once again, the sword-wielding centaur galloped forward, slamming his sword down on Laura's monster... but this one, a woman in red armor, countered with her own blade. They fought for a moment, and then both stepped back, glancing to each other with mutual respect. (1,200/1,900)

"It's a tie," the young woman noted. "My Command Knight is an even match for your knight, so this fight's pretty much a wash."

Mi'Hen had developed an odd facial tic, but he was able to place a card into his Duel Disk. "I'll set this facedown and end my turn."

Although she'd landed a hit, Laura knew she was still in danger. She drew her next card, shook her head, and said, "I set another monster in Defense Mode, place another card facedown, and call that my turn."

There was a long pause, during which Mi'Hen took several deep breaths. Gerald and Chad wondered what was happening until the rich man dusted off the nonripped side of his jacket, drew a card, and then smiled. "I can't see a use for any of these cards," he said, "so I'll flip my Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

Laura groaned as the wicked, one-eyed jar floated up, grinning like it had just heard a filthy joke. Both duelists discarded their hands and drew five cards, whereupon she thought, I've got a perfect plan now!

"Next," Mi'Hen said, gently pressing a button on his Duel Disk, "I'll activate my Trap Card, Unspeakable Cruelty." The card lifted up, revealing a picture of Ruin the Queen of Oblivion and Demise the King of Armageddon crushing the world between them. "For this card to work, I need a monster of over 3,000 Attack Points on the field, and I also need to tribute two other monsters."

There was a pause as Laura and her friends tried to work out what such a card could do, before Chad finally asked, "And?"

"And then one monster with over 3,000 Attack Points on my field may immediately make a direct attack."

There was another pause, this one shock, before Laura yelled, "Oh, God!"

Mi'Hen's facade of calm control evaporated, and he snarled as he declared, "So I'll give up the Airknight Parshath and Morphing Jar, and now... Disappear, trash! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, bring her down with Neutron Blast!"

The centaur and the jar turned into black smoke, which the three-headed dragon inhaled. Its muscles bulged, and it clawed at the air for a moment before settling down. All three heads pulled back, and it took a long breath, sparks of white lightning gathering around its mouths. The beams charged up, energy crackling between its teeth, and then it fired, all three heads snapping forward and burning at him.

Laura tried to run, but there was no point. The blast of power slammed her into the street, pushing her on her back for several yards before leaving her in a small pile when it faded.

Gerald almost jumped out of his seat, but something inside of him remembered that, despite how it looked, all this was hologrammatic. He slowly sat down, unable to hide his despair.

Mi'Hen, on the other hand, had given up any trace of dignity. "You're gutter trash!" he screamed. "You always were and always will be! Learn to serve your superiors or just die!"

It was a long minute before Laura rose to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Her hand lay around her, and so she knelt to retrieve her cards, never looking at her Life Points, now down to 1,950. The back of her sweater had nearly torn off from her trip back-down along the street, and there was a rip in one pantsleg.

Back to his old self, Mi'Hen gave his opponent a condescending smile, holding up another card. "Due to the drawback of Unspeakable Cruelty, I have no Battle Phase this turn. But that won't stop me from playing Offerings to the Doomed, disposing of your Command Knight!"

Hundreds of bandages burst out from the street, grabbing hold of the Command Knight's limbs. She struggled for a moment, but then the ground fell away beneath her, and she sank out of sight. Laura didn't seem to notice.

"I'll end my turn with one monster in Defense Mode, as if I need it," the rich man concluded. "Whatever you think you can do about this, Miss Vesnic, you're wrong. This duel is done with."

Deep inside Laura's head, she was trying her hardest to convince herself Mi'Hen was wrong. She was failing. Her enthuasiasm before the blast hadn't survived the brief sojourn she'd taken down the road. Her hand hovered over her deck...

...and then she looked to Gerald, who looked back at her in concern. He still sat there, hands over his knees, in his gray shirt and jacket and gray-with-blue pants. Even with his worry, he still looked like he could fall asleep any minute.

Something about that made her current situation seem far less dangerous, and so Laura smiled and drew her next card. Once it was in her hand, her plan came back to her, and she thought, If he has a Judgment of Anubis, I'm doomed, but otherwise I can solve my problems right now! "I play The Warrior Returning Alive," she began, "returning Sasuke Samurai to my hand."

The superdeformed swordsman appeared on her field, shaking his head. He then walked up to Laura and disappeared as he returned to her hand.

"Next," she continued, "I play Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your Astral Barrier!" She crossed her fingers.

The wind picked up, blowing the cuffs of Mi'Hen's pants and the other three duelists's hair every which way, and then a sharp gust struck Mi'Hen's trap, breaking it apart. The rich man stamped his foot, thinking, If I'd hit that "buy it now" button last month I'd have had a Judgment of Anubis to deal with this!

Chad thought for a second, and then shook his head and asked, "Why'd she do that?"

"I think she has a way to deal with the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon," Gerald replied, "but if that trap was still around, Mi'Hen could save it just by directing all attacks on it to himself. And he has the Life Points to survive it."

Letting out a relieved sigh, Laura went on, "Now I play Book of Moon, turning your Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to facedown Defense Mode."

The dragon let out a confused roar right before it disappeared, replaced by a facedown hologram. Mi'Hen, knowing full well what Laura had in her hand, began to sweat.

"Now I'll summon Sasuke Samurai again," Laura added, "and activate my trap, Call of the Haunted, bringing back my Command Knight in Attack Mode."

Once again, the warrior with the oversized head walked out, blade at the ready. (500/800 - 900/800) Meanwhile, the dust stirred up beside him, and the red-clad female knight rose from the ground, stumbling as a nasty case of rigor mortis wore off. The Sasuke Samurai caught her, and she smiled at him. (1,200/1,900 - 1,600/1,900)

"Finally," the young woman concluded, "I'll switch Sasuke Samurai #3 into Attack Mode. Now all three of my monsters benefit from Command Knight's effect, granting them 400 Attack Points!"

Another member of the Sasuke family appeared next to the first, this one wielding twin knives and wearing a green fringed jacket. He waved to the Command Knight, who blushed in response. (1,000/1,000 - 1,400/1,000)

"Let's start the stampede," Laura said now. "Sasuke Samurai, dispatch the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon with Hyper-Velocity Wakazashi!"

Drawing his blade, the samurai took a step back. He then blurred forward, appearing on the other side of the facedown monster with his sword extended. The monster revealed itself as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and a long line appeared down its central head. The side heads roared in agony as it split down the middle, shattering into ten thousand pieces.

Mi'Hen let out a cry of shock, sinking to one knee as tears rolled from under his sunglasses. "This... can't... happen..." he groaned.

"It just did. Now, Command Knight, attack his facedown monster!"

The red-armored knight leapt forward, her sword a streak of fire as she slashed through the facedown monster. A tiny snake hissed and exploded. (300/250)

"A Sinister Serpent?" Chad said, amused. "Everyone and his brother has one of those!"

Still weeping over the loss of his dragon, Mi'Hen managed to say, "Some cards in this deck are just good..."

All Laura could do at that point was shrug. "Now, Sasuke Samurai #3, attack him directly with Ronin's Tanto!"

Taking a moment to tug up his jacket, the ronin jumped forward, blades flashing as he repeatedly stabbed Mi'Hen in the gut. The rich man fell over, the shock of impact causing him to stop crying even as his Life Points hit 7,200.

"Now, due to his effect," she noted, "you draw your hand up to seven cards."

As Mi'Hen did it, he glared at her through his sunglasses, tripping his facedown card. "Reckless Greed makes that nine," he said, "and its drawback doesn't mean much, since Offerings to the Doomed keeps me from drawing next turn anyway." He drew two extra cards and tucked them into his hand.

"After this momentous turn," Laura said, now smirking, "I'll end with a card facedown. Your move."

Mi'Hen took a moment to get back onto his feet, muttering, "I skip the Draw Phase..."

"...and in your Standby Phase, I activate Heavy Slump!" Laura shouted. "Because you have more than eight cards in your hand, I can force you to shuffle your hand back into your deck and draw two cards!"

"Ouch," Chad noted. "That's probably his biggest fear outside Duel Monsters..."

The rich man's arms fell by his sides, and his cards scattered from his hand. (Gerald winced at that - most of those cards were probably worth more than the contents of his deck, excluding Heaven's Sphere.) He gathered them up, slid them into his deck, and drew twice, lip quivering. However, there was a flicker of light as his Sinister Serpent returned to his hand.

With a glance to his hand, he cursed and said, "I pass; nothing I do could save me."

Laura drew and smiled, declaring, "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!"

The heavily armored warrior emerged, the blades on his arms shining as he moved into place. Command Knight raised her sword to him, and he saluted her as he took the position. (1,800/1,600 - 2,200/1,600)

"Now," Laura continued, "I'll play Pure Might on Gearfried. At the cost of one card from my hand, in this case Sasuke Samurai #2, the card grants him 800 Attack Points and erases his effects!"

Blue lightning crackled along the Iron Knight's armor, and he let out a triumphant battlecry. (2,200/1,600 - 3,000/1,600)

"Hold it," Mi'Hen noted. "The Iron Knight's effect should have destroyed that card before it could negate his effect..."

Laura shook her head. "The effects of Equip Magic cards take effect before he destroys them; it's just that, in most cases, he destroys them before it matters. Not this one."

Gerald yawned, and Chad leaned foward in his seat.

"Finally," she concluded, "I'll play the last card in my hand - Axe of Despair, on Gearfried!"

A hideous axe appeared in Gearfried's hand, and he spun it around himself, the air whistling around the blade. (3,000/1,600 - 4,000/1,600)

The rich man backed away, and then took off running, only to run into a blur in the air and have a gun shoved in his face.

"Take this one like a man," Hanzaki said, "or you'll be the richest cadaver in the world."

Turning around, Mi'Hen shivered as he returned to the duel. He shut his eyes and spread his arms.

"Okay, guys... Sasuke Samurai, you go first. Then Command Knight, Sasuke Samurai #3 after her, and Gearfried the Iron Knight lands the killing blow." Laura paused, and shouted, "Charge!"

The superdeformed swordsman drew his blade, stepped forward, and slashed along Mi'Hen's stomach, causing him to let out a whoosh of air as his Life Points hit 6,300. Next, the Command Knight sprang forward and slashed him with her burning sword, making him yell as his Life Points hit 4,700. The Sasuke Samurai #3 stabbed him several times, making him shout, "Ow, ow, GAH!" as his Life Points landed at 3,300.

Finally, Gearfried walked forward, the Axe of Despair over one shoulder. Mi'Hen would have fled, but he could sense Hanzaki's gun still pointed at the back of his head. The two stared at each other, and then Gearfried shook his head and walked away. Even as his Life Points hit zero (a refused attack still being an attack), the rich man couldn't help but feel insulted.

Tapping his gun against his palm, Hanzaki turned Mi'Hen to face him and said, "The bosses would like a word with you."

The rich man could merely sigh as the Lycra-clad man made an obscure gesture with one hand, and then the air blurred and they disappeared.

Once the two were gone, Chad nudged Gerald's ribs, waking the sleeping young man from his doze. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, looking to where Laura stood, the back of her sweater hanging from the armpits, revealing the back of her bra and a number of deep scars around her spine. Both men frowned.

Laura shut down her Duel Disk, and only then realized the state of her clothing. She blushed a deep red, reaching behind herself and lifting the torn segment of her top to its rent remainder, as if hoping to will her sweater back together.

As she did this, though, Gerald rose to his feet, dusting off the legs of his pants. He slid his jacket off, moved up to Laura, and slid it onto her. It was a size or two too large, but the garment accomplished its purpose. All the girl could do was pull it tight and smile.

Watching from his seat on the steps, Chad smiled as well, thinking, It looks like Gerald's clothing isn't the only set at risk in this city. He then frowned, thinking, It's not really fair. I've gone through this entire ordeal untouched. It makes a man feel rather unnecessary. Damn it, what's my purpose? Will I ever get an answer to that question?

He shook himself out of his naval-gazing for the time being, hearing Laura ask Gerald, "Can I resume my workout now?"

The lazy young man went pale, and then replied, "All right... but I'm still not up to watching it."

0000000

As if he hadn't suffered enough indignities, Mi'Hen found himself flung facefirst onto a large chalk circle, getting some of its dust on his jacket and scuffing his shoes. He struggled to his feet, retrieving his hat and putting it back on.

"Mi'Hen Andrew Galloway O'Connell," a cold voice said. The rich man looked around himself, and saw Degas and Alexander step from the darkness outside of the circle. "I'm afraid you haven't filled your end of the contract," Degas continued.

Shaking his head, Mi'Hen looked at his employers, muttering, "I still get the money, right? You said you'd pay me, win or lose. I might have lost, but breach of contract is a serious crime..."

"Like we care?" Alexander replied. "We have, in fact, transferred the money into your account. However, nothing says you get to use it."

The rich man froze, and then began to chuckle. "I'm too famous," he said. "You can't just dispose of me. I'll be missed..."

The next words out of Degas's mouth brought the rich man's laughter to a dead halt: "Hanzaki? Get the jar."

Around Mi'Hen's feet, the chalk circle began to glow, dark energy crackling from it. He looked to Alexander, and saw not only that one of the man's bare feet was on the edge of the circle, but he didn't look very happy as the energy flowed.

Hanzaki arrived, opening the jar, and Mi'Hen realized money was the least of his concerns. Then the pain kicked in, and his shades hit the ground and shattered as he screamed.

0000000

With the completion of Laura's workout, the three duelists gathered in front of their car, discussing their next destination.

"I say we go Downtown," Gerald said. "It's just on the other end of this neighborhood."

"Any specific reason?" Laura asked, doing her cooldown stretches as she spoke.

"If the majority of this city's population is Darkness Infected, they need to be hidden somewhere. There aren't that many places to hide a mass of humanity in the Twin Cities, so we only have a few places to check. The Xcel Energy Center is downtown; it's a fairly large place, and would be one of my first choices if I needed to hide a major city's worth of people."

Chad nodded. "You've got a good point. Get in."

As the three climbed back into their car, Gerald spared the graffiti of the Balance one last look, thinking, DI... The opposite of chaos is order. But if the Balance is the heart of everything... DI... If I'm right, what does that mean for everything?

A moment later, the Corolla GTS drove out of the neighborhood, leaving only a few scorchmarks and several scattered threads as evidence they were ever there.

0000000

It so happened that Lucifer wasn't in the Downtown area before Gerald's party was. In fact, he was in the West Side (which was on the east side of town - its name referred to its position on the Mississippi River), sipping some very poor wine and looking out over the water.

This is why I'm so grateful that I came from France, the Beloved of Fire thought (in French) as he took another sip. The entire country has an attitude problem, but at least they don't try to pass off swill as vintage. It almost spoils the beauty of the view.

Before he could take another sip, a sensation shot through his frame, and he dropped the glass. "Is zat..." He paused, taking a deep breath, and then the sensation hit him again. "It is! What I have searched for... zere it is!"

Lucifer rose from the ground, fire dancing around the base of his feet. How could it hide from me for so long? he thought. I've looked long and hard for it, and it was never there... but now it's in the open. Did it hide from me? How? He then shook his head. It doesn't matter. I've found it! Now to reclaim it!

He flew off towards the downtown, a streak of fire in the sky.

GLORY OF THE KING'S HAND
Type: Normal Magic Card
Image: A massive, wondrous pile of gold, jewelry, and gems.
Effect: You may only activate this card during your Main Phase 1. Draw cards from your deck until you have six cards in your hand. For each card drawn, you gain 1,000 Life Points. After this effect resolves, end your turn. This card may only be activated once per duel, whether or not the effect successfully resolves.

IDLE RICH
Type: Normal Trap Card
Image: The Goblin of Greed, lounging around in front of a giant pile of dollar bills and money bags.
Effect: You may only activate this card if you have 10,000 or more Life Points, and only during your opponent's Standby Phase. Until the end of their turn, your opponent may not play, Set, or activate any cards.

UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY
Type: Normal Trap Card
Image: Ruin the Queen of Oblivion and Demise the King of Armageddon, crushing the Earth between their hands.
Effect: Select a monster you control with 3000 or more ATK points. Tribute two monsters you control other than the selected monster. The selected monster may attack your opponent's Life Points directly. No other monster you control may attack on the turn this card is activated.

Coming next chapter: The Darkness gives Gerald and his allies a break for now, and they take advantage of it to rest. Chad, however, soon finds himself in battle once again. This time, his opponent is a girl who can't quite let go of her childhood - not that she would ever want to. Which is stronger, the beasts of the wild or the power of youth? Find out in Chapter Nineteen, "Dangerous Attraction"...

[Dark Sage]

It seems that Mi'hen made the sad mistake that Manjyome's two rotten brothers will make ten years after this story - that a deck made from the most expensive and rare cards he could find, rarther than one made from any amount of soul or Heart will help you win in a duel. I have a feeling that Mi'hen never had any real skill as a duelist at all - he just relied on the strength of his overwhelmingly poweful cards.

The new cards in this chapter are interesting. I may want to use some of them in Dark Messiah when the more important villains start to appear.

But anyway, a good chapter, more or less.

I know the basic details of next chapter. You may have seen cards like the ones in this chapter before if you've seen the second season of GX. Otherwise, well, you'll just have to wing it.

[Shuppet Master]

I agree, this was one of the most interesting chapters. And why the heck would Pegasus make five copies of BEUD when they require the three Blue Eyes to fuse them together? Only one BEUD could be fused at one time, so the others were just nothing more than collector's items. I assume you wanted to show off the infamous Cyber-Stein combo, though. Great job, Paradox.

I'm curious as to who this girl who duels Chad next chapter is. Seems she has the same problem I have.

[Blademaster]

The famous Cyber-Stein combo... You have good taste, Paradox. I never would've imagined BEUD would appear, but I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? Kudos to you for finding a truly unique way to use such a popular real-life theme.

I've never seen the second season of GX, but i have an idea of what's coming... Maybe.

Anyway, it looks like Degas and Alexander are getting close to finishing their plans... Not good...

And I've played the old YGO video games for the Game Boy and GBA; I think I know what 'DI' stands for...

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Actually, BM, this is the most useful way to use Cyber Stein:

Step One: Use Toon Table of Contents to search for and summon Toon Cannon Soldier.

Step Two: Use Giant Trunade so the attack is unopposed.

Step Three: Summon Cyber Stein use its effect to summon Cyber End Dragon

Step Four: Use Megamorph to double its Attack.

Step Five: Use Toon Cannon Soldier's effect and then attack with CED.

I actually defeated this combo once. The overconfident jerk didn't know that the monster I had in Defense Mode was Amazoness Swords Woman. Instead of me losing 6,400 Life Points, he lost them, and he lost the duel.

[Blademaster]

Heh, sucker... I bet that guy doesn't duel against you anymore.

[Pokemasterkatie]

The infamous Cyber-stein/Ultimate Dragon combo(I can just imagine the rush that was made to the Shonen Jumps in January...shockingly, I didn't bother to get one). I admit that I expected this from the moment Cyber-stein was summoned, and even from the lead-in--Blue Eyes Ultimate was suspiciously absent. It's one of my favorite Monsters, so one point goes to MoP...and two more points for the good timing of the chapter.

Laura let out a cry of shock, stumbling backwards as her holograms recoiled; both swordsmen raised their blades in self-defense, and the Goblin Attack Force spilled their beers in a rush to back away.

Those goblins sure have personality.XD

[Shuppet Master]

BEUD is one of my favorite monsters too, and I have all the cards to summon him normally(three BEWD, Polymerization, and I even shelled out cash for the boring Shonen Jump to get a copy of BEUD), but I liked Dark Sage's combo. Nice way to counter that combo, Brian. I'd better be careful if I ever duel you. (Which I won't, since I'm not into the card game anymore.)

[jkBAKURA]

Personality? Oh boy, if Paradox ever writes a Toon duel...

The story portion of this chapter was just as interesting as the duel, and you made some very nice choises when it came to choosing rare cards. Nice moves on Laura's part too, I personally never expected to see Heavy Slump actually played again.

Mi'Hen, while interesting when introduced, fell flat after a few exaggerated (or not) references to his wealth. He was all but 2-D. If you excuse the comparison, it almost felt like a character Dark Sage would have created in his earlier days. (no offense meant to either of you)

Nice portrayal of the Dragon though. The heartfelt reaction to its destruction was a nice touch.

Next, a message from Paradox himself. Unfortunately, among his many computer issues, he now has a burnt out moniter to add to the list. I personally would lone him my Laptop, but that still leaves a few chapters on a disk, that my computer just isn't built to accept.

Just goes with the territory of fanfiction writing I guess.

[Master of Paradox]

Rumors of my monitor... well, why rip off Mark Twain?

For the time being, I'm using a monitor my godmother happened to have. It has a very irritating wavy line down the center, though, so I definitely need a new monitor.

But until I get a new one, this will suffice... I hope.