Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Shadowchasers

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone, and happy 2009. Welcome to my newest Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, and my foray into the Fifth Dimension of dueling. By that, I mean Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s.

Before I start, a few explanations.

This fic centers on dueling, like most of my fics. And the duels will follow the rules of the OCG and TCG to the letter.

In addition, I am going to attempt a feat that not many fanfic authors have. The duelists in this fic will obey the Forbidden/Limited List as it has stood as of September 2008. Let me tell you, having to outline a duel without using Pot of Greed and Call of the Haunted has been difficult, but the anime has managed to do it, most of the time (and not use Monster Reborn on top of it), so I’m willing to try. If the March 2009 List has any major changes, this fic will not change. I’ll stay with the September 2008 version.

Now a word on the setting. This story takes place in the futuristic city of Neo Domino. We don’t know yet exactly how far in the future this is. According to Godwin, the old Domino City was destroyed, thus creating Satellite, in an accident that happened seventeen years before the show’s timeline started. Also, according to Jack, Yusei was born in the Tops, suggesting that Neo Domino has existed in its current state for at least eighteen years. We can thus likely assume that 5D’s takes place more-or-less twenty-five to thirty years after the events of GX.

We will assume that the duels in this version of Neo Domino use real-life rules, and always have. In relation to the anime, this story begins about two days after the end of the Fortune Cup. For those who don’t know what that means, it means that Yusei has defeated his rival Jack Atlas publicly, gaining a reluctant celebrity status, and Jack has lost his title in the eyes of a very unforgiving media. The Dark Signers have yet to become a major threat, and their group currently only consists of three members. In other words, this story begins in the transition between Season One and Season Two. As this story progresses, the storyline of the anime will progress in juxtaposition. In cases where the anime’s storyline influences the events of this story, I’ll make small notes at the beginning of the chapter.

One thing I can’t help but stress. This fic is completely independent of any of my previous fics. As much as I loved Yumi and her friends, they do not belong in this world. This is a different world entirely. This also means that the restrictions I put on certain cards in Yumi’s world do not apply in this one. (For example, the cards that were referred to as the Dread Council in Soul of Silicon are normal cards in this fic.) This fic still, however, obeys the continuity of the anime regarding cards that are unique in that setting. (For example, only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons exist, and even though Kaiba’s current status is not yet revealed in the time period of 5D’s, those cards are unavailable to anyone but him.)

A note on names: For cards that exist in the TCG, I’ll use the American names, unless I have a good reason not to. For cards that exist only in the OCG, I’ll use the most agreed-upon translation. For anime-only cards, I’ll use either the original name or the dub name, depending on which makes more sense. (Sometimes the dub can, in fact, do better, believe it or not, mostly because something is lost in the translation.) For the names of anime characters, however, when they are mentioned or appear in this fic, I’ll use original names, because that is one area where the dub almost always screws up. When I reference the names of episodes, I’ll use English names, as they are simpler, and the translations of the Japanese names can often be interpreted differently by different American viewers.

As usual, when I use an OCG-only card, anime-only card, or card of my own design (or a card of another fanfic writer’s design), information about it will appear at the end of the chapter. Keep in mind, this is YGO 5D’s, and thus focuses a great deal on the “third generation” of the game. Thus, there will be a lot of attention on Synchro Monsters, and a great deal of cards that American players have never used. (It is up to Konami when, if ever, we get to use them.)

Of special note is the card I will detail here, which is essential to Turbo Duels, a factor that plays an important part of 5D’s. This card is used in every Turbo Duel, without exception:


SPEED WORLD (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: An explosion of energy.

Card Description: Each player can have a copy of this card on the field simultaneously. This card is automatically activated at the start of the duel. If you play a Spell Card that does not have the words “Speed Spell” in its name, take 2,000 points of damage. During each player’s Standby Phase, starting on the second turn, place 1 Speed Counter on this card (max. 12 for each player). Reduce your number of Speed Counters by one for each increment of 1,000 Life Points of damage you lose from a single source.


Speed World can even be activated against a player’s will, such as in the case of a criminal being chased by someone using a Special Pursuit Deck. As such, it does not appear to be a true card per se, but rather a virtual card that appears on each D-Wheel whenever a Turbo Duel starts. Other abilities are not mentioned on the card. It apparently cannot be destroyed, displaced, or “bounced” by any action the duelists can make, seeing as it was unharmed by Yusei’s “Speed Spell – Gap Storm”, the effect of which was similar to “Heavy Storm”. However, Speed World still qualifies as a Field Spell for all intents and purposes. (If it didn’t, then Kiryu’s “Earthbound God – Ccapac Apu” would have been powerless when he summoned it, even by anime rules.)

Speed Spells are important factors in all Turbo Duels. To use one, you require a specific amount of Speed Counters, depending on the Spell in question. The more powerful the Speed Spell, the more Counters you require. As a result of this, a deck used in a Turbo Duel tends to have more Trap Cards than usual, to compensate for the inability to use many Spell Cards.

One final thing. I absolutely refuse to use the terms “Release” and “Advance Summon”. The old terms were good enough for me for so long, and I see no reason why I should change them.

Enough with the boring stuff. I’m as eager to turn the page as you are…

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s



Shadowchasers

A fanfic by Brian “Dark Sage” Corvello

What is this strange thing they call life? Philosophers have been trying to figure that out since the days of Socrates, and they’re no closer to finding the answer now than they were then.

I’m not a philosopher by any means. But I have learned one thing about life in the past few weeks: There are things in it that you can’t take for granted. I mean, you can travel the world, and see the beautiful things it has to offer… The Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in Arizona… You could spend years touring the world’s wonders and mysteries, and you still never see it all. The world hides its greatest secrets.

Who am I? You probably started to read this story hoping to read about some heroic duelist… One with a colorful history, and an equally colorful future… Perhaps one with a destiny that was foretold by some arcane prophesy, or some great power that he holds inside him.

Well, I can’t give you that… All I can give you is myself. My name is Eiko Michiko, and I’m nineteen years old. My friends call me Ember. You might say I was a reluctant hero, but that’s about it. I didn’t start out as a hero… I only started out with potential. But that was okay – it is said that most of the folks in my current situation only started out with potential.

I wish I was more like Yugi Mouto… A human who held the soul of a three-thousand year-old Pharaoh inside him. Or I would gladly take Seto Kaiba’s past as well. Having gone from a poor childhood to being the most powerful man in the gaming industry is pretty exhilarating.

Heck, I would even take Katsuya Jonouchi’s story if he offered to give it to me. Being a kid from the wrong side of the tracks until he was pulled over them to become a duelist with a lucky streak that was hard to break… It sounds kind of romantic when you think about it.

Me? I won’t pretend my life was as interesting as any of them until a few weeks ago. I grew up with happily married parents in a middle class neighborhood, in Neo Domino City, a place that Godwin professes to be the greatest utopia in the world. I was nurtured, educated, and got a decent-paying white-collar job right out of high school.

And dueling? Well, it was nothing more than a hobby, one that I happened to like. D-Wheels? Sure, they looked thrilling, but they also looked too dangerous for me to ever go near.

Life was good, and I had no complaints. Even if my life was a tad routine…

So what happened?

A couple of weeks ago, I started seeing things I had never seen before. I thought I was crazy…

And then someone told me that I wasn’t crazy…

What I was… Was a Shadowchaser…

CHAPTER ONE

Where to begin? Well, I guess I’d best begin at the beginning, as my father always said I should. It was four o’clock, the second day after the big event had ended.

By that, I meant the Fortune Cup, naturally. I had seen it on TV, the big dueling competition that had ended in a big surprise, with Jack Atlas being knocked off his throne by Yusei Fudo, a Turbo Duelist whom the media had dubbed “The Shooting Star of Satellite”. My reactions to it were a bit mixed. The new guy wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic as Jack was, but at the same time, I always thought that Jack had been getting a little too big for his britches. As my dad always said, “Pride goeth before the fall”. I think that quote came from the Hebrew Bible.

Anyway, just because the Fortune Cup had ended, didn’t mean that the Pro Dueling circuit had shut down. One duel was happening in a stadium not far from the one where the Fortune Cup was held, and one of the duelists was someone who I would get to know very soon.

I wasn’t watching the duel, however. I heard about it later. It was a work day for me, and I was busy.


At the arena known to dueling fans as Nirvana, the crowd, most of them teenagers, was getting restless. It was five minutes to showtime, and they had been promised the debut of a new contender for the first event.

The new contender was waiting to make his entrance, having just mounted his D-Wheel, and was not happy. He leaned his head on his hand, wishing he was anywhere but here. How did Julius talk him into this?

As he donned his helmet, he looked around, and wondered if there might be any way for him to slip away unnoticed…

“Ladies and gentlemen,” started the announcer. “Dueling fans! Amateurs and professionals alike! Welcome one and all!”

The crowd cheered.

Guess not, thought Shichiro, as the music started.

“And now,” said the announcer, as an engine started, “here trying to make it three in a row, the Flaming Scourge… Misuga Yoichi!”

Shichiro watched as his opponent drove his D-Wheel into the arena. The Wheel had a motorbike design that reminded him of Mukuro Enjo’s, right down to the flame designs.

Copycat players are starting early this year, thought Shichiro.

“Let’s fire this duel up!” called Yoichi to the crowd.

“And now,” said the announcer, “a newcomer, but someone whom we expect big things from… Osaka Shichiro!”

That’s my cue… thought Shichiro. Let’s get this over with…

His D-Wheel started, and he drove into the arena. He didn’t get as many cheers as his opponent did, but it was clear that his D-Wheel was better built. Its black chrome plating and high-tech design made it look like it had been built for more practical uses than dueling for sport (and truthfully, it had).

Shichiro and Yoichi looked at each other. Then their dashboards flashed on.

“Duel mode engaged,” said a computerized female voice. “Autopilot standing by.”

The Speed World card appeared on both of their screens. Then the whole arena changed as it took effect, turning the racetrack into an arena of pulsating energy.

“Countdown initiated,” said the voice.

“Ready… Set… Duel!”

With a roar of engines, the two D-Wheels sped off from the starting point.

“And they’re off!” called the announcer.

That’s what you say at a horse race, thought Shichiro. Can’t this guy get it right?

(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Yoichi: 8,000)

“Time to fry,” chuckled Yoichi, as he made his first draw.

“I summon Sangan!”

As he played the card, a portal opened behind him, and a familiar Monster flew out of it – the spherical, three-eyed Fiend with a toothy mouth. (1,000 ATK)

“Your move, rookie,” he said.

“If I must,” said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He watched his screen, as the Speed Counter for both him and Yoichi rose to one apiece. The speed of his bike picked up slightly, but so did Yoichi’s.

He looked over the hand of cards stowed on the gauntlet on his left arm. Then he chose one.

“I summon Queen’s Knight!” he exclaimed, throwing it on his dashboard.

A glowing portal opened behind him, and a tall, armored figure flew out of it. It was a lady knight dressed in crimson armor, with playing card symbols decorating her armor and shield, her flowing blonde hair reaching to her waist. (1,500 ATK)

Several boys in the audience started to make whistles and catcalls.

“Shichiro has started off strong,” said the announcer. “Anyone who has studied the history of dueling knows where this Warrior can lead.”

“Queen’s Knight, smite his Sangan!” shouted Shichiro.

“YA!” shouted Queen’s Knight, as she made a swipe at the Fiend with her sword. She effortlessly cleaved it in half.

“Why thank you,” chuckled Yoichi. “Now…”

“I know what Sangan does, pal,” said Shichiro. “You get to pull a Monster with a low Attack Score from your deck. I don’t need everything explained to me.”

“Hey, lighten up,” muttered Yoichi, adding a card to his hand.

“Don’t feel like it,” said Shichiro, “but I’ll end my turn anyway…”

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)

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

“Think I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card on his dashboard.

Briefly, a card appeared in front of his bike, and then faded from sight. Shichiro could still see it on his screen, however.

“Your move again, rookie.”

Shichiro drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to three.

If he keeps calling me a rookie, he thought, I’m not just gonna beat him, I’m gonna hurt him.

“I’d like to remind our viewers that both our duelists have three Speed Counters right now,” declared the announcer. “This is the point where several low-powered Speed Spells could conceivably be played with ease.”

“I summon King’s Knight!” shouted Shichiro.

He threw the card on his controls, and another portal opened. A new knight appeared, this one in golden armor, again with playing card symbols covering it. He had a full beard, and wore a helmet shaped like a crown. (1,600 ATK)

“And when King’s Knight is summoned while Queen’s Knight is on the field, I get to bring out their brother… Come out, Jack’s Knight!”

A third knight flew out of the portal. This one was a young man with long, blonde locks, dressed in sapphire-blue armor, again with playing card symbols adorning his raiment. (1,900 ATK)

“Shichiro has drawn the whole royal flush of Warriors!” exclaimed the announcer. “Yoichi had better hope that his one Monster is a good one!”

Shichiro sped up a ramp, and turned around, and sped towards Yoichi with his Knights following alongside.

“Jack’s Knight, take out his Monster!” he commanded.

Jack’s Knight flew ahead, and raised his sword…

But when he swung, there was a sound of metal striking metal. Shielding itself in front of Yoichi was an android in a football jersey and helmet, crouching as if to receive a blitz. (2,100 DEF)

“Guess my Battle Footballer was too much for him, eh?” asked Yoichi.

Shichiro didn’t answer as he sped past Yoichi. Then he turned around again, and started to follow him.

“Guess so,” he said. “I have to end my turn…”

(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)

“Then you’re mine!” laughed Yoichi, drawing a card.

Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, going to four apiece.

Yoichi placed a card on his Disk, and a portal of flame appeared in mid-air.

What the heck? thought Shichiro.

A huge, demonic creature flew out of the portal. It was a gargoyle-like Fiend, with a mane of fire and flaming wings, holding a burning sword. (1,000 ATK)

“Meet Sangan’s contribution,” laughed Yoichi. “The dreaded Gorlag! This charming creature gains 500 extra Attack Points for each Fire Monster I’ve got, including itself. With Battle Footballer, that’s an extra G added to its score!”

(2,000 ATK)

Okay, so maybe this guy’s a little better than I gave him credit for… thought Shichiro.

“Gorlag, slap his Jack’s Knight!” ordered Yoichi.

Gorlag turned and made a rush at Jack’s Knight, striking him with its burning sword. Jack’s Knight groaned, and shattered.

“Slap his…” replied Shichiro. “Oh, as in slapjack… If you’re trying to be funny, it isn’t working.”

“Here’s something that’s much funnier,” said Yoichi. “Now I get to Special Summon a Monster, and I think he’ll look familiar to you…”

The flaming portal opened on his side of the field again, and another Monster emerged. It was Jack’s Knight. (1,900 ATK)

“I not only get to take any Monsters my Gorlag destroys,” said Yoichi, “I get to change their Attributes to Fire. That means Gorlag itself gets even stronger!”

Gorlag burned even fiercer. (2,500 ATK)

“We’ve seen Yoichi use this strategy in his last two matches,” said the announcer. “The more his Monster battles, the stronger it gets. Does Shichiro stand a chance?”

“Frankly, I’d say no,” replied Yoichi. “And I’m setting two cards facedown to make sure.”

Two set cards briefly appeared behind his Monsters, and then faded from sight.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)

Shichiro quickly made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose up to five. The speed of his D-Wheel had tripled since he had started, but he didn’t mind. His mind tended to function better the faster he went.

Can’t use this guy now, he thought, adding it to his hand.

“First, I move Queen’s Knight and King’s Knight to Defense Mode,” he said.

Queen’s Knight sheathed her sword and lifted her shield. (1,600 DEF) King’s Knight followed suit. (1,500 DEF)

“Next, I summon Marauding Captain!”

In a flash of energy, a new Warrior flew through the portal: a battle-worn veteran in fancy armor and a cape, holding a sword in each hand. (1,200 ATK)

“By summoning him, I get to Special Summon another Monster from my hand. So I’ll summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode.”

Another Warrior appeared, this one a muscular barbarian. He had no weapon, but true to his name, he had a huge shield, which he crouched behind. (2,600 DEF)

“Finally,” continued Shichiro, “I’ll set one card facedown, and that will be all.”

A facedown card flashed into existence on his side of the field, and then faded.

Yoichi laughed, as he drew a card. Both Speed Counters went up to six.

“Your deck is nothing but Toolbox Warrior!” he laughed. “If I had known you would be so easy, I wouldn’t have stayed sober!

“Just joking, people! I never drink and drive!

“But you’re gonna look pretty punch drunk pretty soon… Now watch my fire!”

He shifted gears, and flames shot out of his exhaust pipes. He swerved to the side, and ahead of Shichiro.

“Jack’s Knight, attack his Marauding Captain!”

Jack’s Knight leapt at the Captain, and swung his sword. The Captain was blasted into pieces.

“Now, my Gorlag attacks your King’s Knight!”

Gorlag swooped at King’s Knight, and made a slash with its burning blade. King’s Knight shattered as well.

Yoichi chuckled, as King’s Knight appeared on his side of the field. (1,600 ATK) Gorlag burned with fury. (3,000 ATK)

“Next round,” he said, “I’m gonna have the whole set. You know what they say… You gotta know when to fold ‘em!

“And I’m still not done with you…”

He took a card from his hand.

“With my Speed Counters this high, I can play Speed Spell – Sonic Buster. This lets me fire a blast with damage equal to half my Gorlag’s Attack Score behind it!”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, and a bolt of pure energy shot at Shichiro. He groaned a little, as his Life Points went down, and his own Speed Counter went down by one.

(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)

“My move!” said Shichiro, angrily.

He drew a card. His Counter went up to six, while Yoichi’s went up to seven.

That’s the ticket, he thought.

“And I just drew my Noisy Gnat! But it isn’t a Monster that you summon…”

He tossed it into the discard slot on his dashboard. Behind him, a phantom Insect appeared, holding a boom box that was blasting loud music. Queen’s Knight started to glow with silvery energy.

“By sending Noisy Gnat from my hand to the Graveyard, I can really make some noise, by boosting Queen Knight’s Level from 4 to 5.”

“Big deal!” replied Yoichi. “She can’t beat any of my Monsters no matter what Level she is.”

“Yoichi…” said Shichiro, as the Gnat faded away. “I’m guessing that you have a crackerjack agent who arranged your first two matches with two amateurs in order to make you look good. How much of the purse is he getting? Sixty percent? Seventy?

“If you can’t figure out why I changed her Level, you’re clearly an amateur yourself…”

He played a card from his hand.

“I summon Nitro Synchron!”

In a burst of fire, a small Monster flew onto the field. It was a cute robot, who looked like a propane tank with arms, legs, and a face. (300 ATK)

“Unprecedented!” exclaimed the announcer. “Shichiro just pulled out a Tuner Monster!”

“Tuner?!” exclaimed Yoichi.

“You got it!” replied Yoichi. “Now give Queen’s Knight a tune-up!”

The needle on Nitro Synchron’s gauge moved into the red, and steam blew from its nostrils. It and Queen’s Knight flew to the top of the arena, and turned into seven glowing stars.

“You want fire, Yoichi?” asked Shichiro. “I’ll give you fire! I Tune Queen’s Knight and Nitro Synchron… Synchro Summon… Nitro Warrior!”

A far more intimidating Monster flew down, trailing a wake of flames. It was a demonic-looking Warrior, with green, scaly skin and horns, with a rocket engine on its back. (2,800 ATK)

“Still think I’m running a Toolbox deck?” asked Shichiro. “And since I used Nitro Synchron to summon this guy, I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“Maybe not,” replied Yoichi. “But you still can’t beat me… That guy may be hot, but Gorlag is still hotter.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Shichiro, as a Speed Spell of his own appeared on his side of the field. “I play Dual Vortex!”

“Eh?” asked Shichiro. “What does that do?”

“Works just like Creature Swap,” replied Shichiro. “We both trade a Monster. I’m giving you Big Shield Gardna.”

“Fine!” replied Yoichi. “You can have Battle Footballer!”

The two Monsters vanished, and reappeared on opposite sides of the field.

“You think you could weaken Gorlag by doing that? Nice try!”

One of his Trap Cards lifted up, and spun around.

“I activate DNA Transplant! Now, the Attribute of all Monsters on the field become any I want, and I want Fire. That means Big Shield Gardna is a Fire Monster now, and Gorlag doesn’t lose any points at all.

“And you made a big mistake. What you should have done was switch Gardna to Attack Mode before you played that Spell! Talk about dumb!”

“No Yoichi, my move was very smart,” replied Shichiro. “You see, since I played a Spell Card, Nitro Warrior’s effect activates, and while Gorlag may not lose any points, my Monster gains a few!”

Nitro Warrior glowed with fiery energy. (3,800 ATK)

“Oh… crap…” muttered Yoichi.

“Nitro Warrior…” commanded Shichiro. “Crush his Gorlag with Dynamite Knuckle!”

Nitro Warrior roared, and flew at the Fiend. It slammed both of its fists into Gorlag, and the Fiend groaned before exploding into a burst of smoke.

“You destroyed it!” shouted Yoichi.

“That’s not all,” replied Shichiro. “When Gorlag bites the dust, so do the Monsters you stole with it!”

Jack’s Knight and King’s Knight shattered.

“I’m not done!” continued Shichiro, as Nitro Warrior fell back to an Attack Score of 2,800. “When Nitro Warrior destroys one Monster, and you have a Monster in Defense Mode, he can switch that Monster to Attack Mode and attack a second time!”

Big Shield Gardna put his shield aside, and stood up. (100 ATK)

“NOW do you see why I left him in Defense Mode?”

Nitro Warrior slammed his fists into Big Shield Gardna, and the barbarian shattered. Yoichi groaned in pain and his D-Wheel shook, as his Speed Counter was cut down two points.

“Now, my Trap Card activates!” shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card spun around. “Birthright! This lets me bring a Monster back from my Graveyard, so long as it’s a Normal Monster.”

The portal opened again, and Jack’s Knight flew out. (1,900 ATK)

“And he’s got a score to settle with you, Yoichi! Direct attack!”

Jack’s Knight flew at Yoichi, and slammed his sword down on the front of his bike.

“ERGH!” grunted Yoichi, as his D-Wheel trembled and slowed down even more.

“I’ll set another card facedown,” said Shichiro, as a new facedown card appeared, “and that’s all…”

He shifted gears, and pulled ahead of his opponent, with Nitro Warrior and Jack’s Knight flying to either side, and Battle Footballer bringing up the rear. The crowd was cheering his name at the top of their lungs.

(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 2,100)

Yoichi fumed as he drew a card, his own Counter rising to five while Shichiro’s rose to seven.

Then he chuckled as he saw what the card was.

“I’m removing Gorlag from play,” he said. “In order to summon my Spirit of Flames!”

A fireball shot onto the field, and a fiery, fiendish creature surrounded by an aura of fire appeared. (1,700 ATK)

Then his other facedown card spun around.

“Then, I activate my Reinforcements Trap Card, to give him a boost.”

(2,200 ATK)

“Is that supposed to scare me?” asked Shichiro.

“No, THIS is!” replied Yoichi. “I sacrifice it, along with all the cards in my hand…”

Spirit of Flames turned into a globe of light…

Then a much bigger portal appeared, and a huge, hulking beast emerged. It looked like a cross between a demon and a fiery, bloated reptile, standing on six legs, with a thick tail, a toothy mouth, spikes on its back, and no eyes. (2,800 ATK)

“My Infernal Incinerator! And guess what? He gains 200 more Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field!”

(3,400 ATK)

“Go! Barbecue his Nitro Warrior! Majin Hell Burner!”

The huge Fiend opened its jaws… Flames appeared in them…

“As much as I like a good barbecue,” replied Shichiro, “I have to interrupt…”

His facedown card shot up.

“I activate Synchro Back! Nitro Warrior, see you later!”

Nitro Warrior vanished into grains of light. Infernal Incinerator fell to an Attack Score of 3,200.

“Huh?” asked Yoichi. “Where’d he go?”

“Back to my Extra Deck,” replied Shichiro, “where your Monster can’t reach him. So your Infernal Incinerator is going to have to pick a fight with someone else.”

“Fine with me,” chuckled Yoichi. “Attack his Jack’s Knight!”

Infernal Incinerator shot a blast of flames that looked like a furnace exploding. Jack’s Knight was incinerated instantly. Shichiro sweat as his Life Points went down, and his Counter fell to six.

(S: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 2,100)

“Shichiro is in a tight spot,” said the announcer, getting excited. “Will he come back? Will he pull through? Will he put out this fire?”

“Will our annoying announcer ever shut his yap?” snapped Shichiro, as he drew a card.

His Speed Counter went up to seven and his opponent’s went up to six. He looked at the card.

“I didn’t tell you about the other effect of Synchro Back, by the way,” he continued. “On my Standby Phase after I use it, the Synchro Monster… Comes back.”

In a burst of flame, Nitro Warrior appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

“Big deal!” laughed Yoichi. “That only makes my Monster stronger!”

“And with my Speed Counters at seven,” continued Shichiro, “I can play Speed Spell – Shift Down!”

The Spell appeared on his side of the field, and his D-Wheel switched gears.

“By purposely reducing my Speed Counters by six, I get to draw two cards.”

He made two draws as his Counter started to plunge, falling all the way to one. The crowd gasped as he quickly started to lose ground.

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!” laughed Yoichi, looking at Shichiro, who was now behind him. “I’ll run circles around you!”

“Oh, really?” asked Shichiro. “Do I need to remind you what Spell Cards do to Nitro Warrior?”

Yoichi stopped short, as he came to the realization…

“And to finish this,” continued Shichiro, “I’ll summon Axe Raider!”

The portal opened again, and a new Monster leapt out. It was another barbarian, but he was armored, and carried a nasty battle axe. (1,700 ATK)

“Nitro Warrior…” ordered Shichiro, “attack Infernal Incinerator with Dynamite Knuckle!”

Nitro Warrior flew at the huge beast, and his Attack Score rose to 3,800 again. He punched it on the snout, and the Fiend roared before exploding into a burst of flames.

“Here’s some words to live by, Yoichi,” said Shichiro. “You play with fire… You get burned!

“Axe Raider, attack with Axe Crash!”

Axe Raider hollered a battlecry, as he flew at Yoichi’s bike holding his axe with both hands. He slammed the weapon into Yoichi’s dashboard, and Yoichi screamed.

(S: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 0)

Yoichi skidded to a halt, with steam pouring from his engine. He uttered a curse as he threw his helmet to the ground in disgust.

Shichiro rode to the center of the arena as the crowd cheered his name. He sighed.

This is embarrassing… he thought.

* * * * * * * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, after being congratulated and unwillingly basking in the admiration of the crowd, Shichiro sat in the green room of the arena, drinking from a bottle of mineral water.

He got up, and looked in the large mirror.

He was quite young, only nineteen, one year younger than the former champion, but a year older than the current one. But he looked somewhat older. He face looked weather-beaten and rough, and his hair had a natural “rolled out of bed look”. Some people asked him how he got his hair like that, but in truth, he didn’t do anything more than roll out of bed. His clothing was equally rugged, with a leather jacket (he had gotten it off the rack) and a pair of jeans (these were a little more expensive, but not by much).

In truth, Shichiro spent more money on necessities other than himself. He had to take care of the important things first. Such as cards. To him, a bad draw could be his last.

He casually opened the pouch on his belt where his side deck was kept, and took out a card. He often checked it to make sure it was still there, as it was his most valuable card. Atlas may have had that Dragon of his, a card that no other duelist could get, but there was no way he could ever get a copy of this. Even if he had stolen it, he wouldn’t be able to keep it; it would refuse to stay with him.

It was a Synchro Monster; most folks would find it odd that he would keep a Synchro Monster in his side deck, seeing as there was still room for it in his Extra Deck. Usually it was there… But he simply could not have kept it there for this farce…

He turned the card around. On the back was writing that only he could see:

“The card you hold is your bond to the path you walk, and the cause you have pledged to. Use it for no purpose except in the service of that cause. Ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power.”

“Hey, Shichiro!” said a voice behind him.

Shichiro grit his teeth in anger.

“Julius…” he growled.

He looked around, and saw a short, balding man wearing a white business suit (which he knew was bought off the rack).

“Shichiro, you’re a hit!” chuckled Julius. “The fans love you!”

“Good for them,” replied Shichiro.

“Look, Shichiro,” said Julius. “I was thinking…”

He took a cigar out of his shirt pocket.

“You light that thing, Julius,” growled Shichiro, “I’ll make you eat it.”

Julius laughed nervously, and put it back in his pocket.

“Look, Shichiro, I’ve been thinking about your future in the Pro League,” he said.

“I already have plans,” replied Shichiro. “Early retirement.”

He put the card back in the pouch.

“Oh, c’mon!” said Julius. “I saw that Synchro Monster you were just looking at… That alien warrior… It…”

“He’s not an alien!” shouted Shichiro.

“Whatever,” replied Julius. “I’ve certainly never seen it before. Why didn’t you use it against Yoichi? The fans like seeing new things, Shichiro. They would have gone nuts!”

“My cards are my business, Julius,” said Shichiro.

“Look, Shichiro,” said Julius. “You stick with me, I’ll bring you to the top. Atlas has been kicked off his throne, and the public hasn’t warmed up to this new kid yet…

“A void has been left in the business… You have potential, kid… Think of yourself, filling that void… Becoming the new champion… Now, if you just showed up here on Saturday to…”

“NO!” shouted Shichiro, with such force that Julius fell over.

Actually, he almost fell over. Shichiro grabbed him by the shirt collar before he hit the floor.

“Oh, I want to be like Jack Atlas!” said Shichiro, sarcastically. “I want to have an inflated head, put out a line of action figures, and call myself stupid nicknames like ‘The Master of Faster’.

“If I had been in charge of Security, I would have had him arrested just for wearing that ridiculous outfit. It’s the only thing he has that’s louder than he is. Face it, Julius, Jack may have been King, but he was a foolish king who built his castle upon a foundation of sand.

“I mean, he was supposed to be the star of the Fortune Cup. What did he do for ninety percent of it? He sat on his duff and watched. And then he dueled the winner and lost. You think I want a career that ends with such humiliation?

“I swallowed my pride and lowered myself to doing this duel for you because I owed you a favor, a favor I never would have owed if I’d have known you’d have asked me to do this. Listen well… I have no desire to fill the void that Atlas left, or start a legacy of my own. To me, the fame and money would be a poor substitute for the loss of my self-respect.

“Nothing you can say or offer will make me show up on Saturday. Tell whoever you promised that I would to find someone else.”

Then he dropped him. He walked out to the garage where his D-Wheel was parked.

He mounted his bike, and strapped on his helmet. He started up the engine.

“Shichiro!” called Julius from behind. “You’re making a mistake!”

Shichiro frowned. He turned the gear shift, and exhaust blasted out of his rear engine, all over Julius.

“Hey!” screamed Julius. “I just had this suit dry cleaned!”

“Then you should have known better than to stand that close to the back of a D-Wheel!” said Shichiro. “Call me… We’ll do lunch!”

The garage door opened, and Shichiro sped out, onto the streets of Neo Domino. He was glad to get out of there.

As Shichiro passed by the business district, the news was being broadcast on several public televisions.

“Concern grows in Sector Security,” said the female news anchor, “as another high-ranking executive linked to the new agricultural project that Godwin announced last month was found strangled to death after apparently working a night shift in his office. Other officials do not know the motive yet for the four murders, nor do they have any suspects. Godwin released a statement saying that he has no idea who would hate these officials so much to resort to murder.”

I gotta hand it to you, Godwin, thought Shichiro, who was listening. When you lie to the press, you can sure keep a straight face. Most folks don’t know it, but the truth is, the list starts with me and goes all the way around the block… Twice.

I really shouldn’t help you find this murderer… But if the boss’s hunch is correct, I just might have to…

In the grand scheme of things… Folks like you are the lesser evils…



Shichiro’s career in the Pro League lasted one day, and ended with a perfect record: one win, no losses, no draws. He never looked back, and never regretted his decision. I’m not sure what ultimately became of Julius, but he likely got in big trouble with some people. I do know he had signed several contracts promising that Shichiro would not only appear Saturday, but several more times for the next four months. Shichiro figured he likely would have, and was smart enough never to sign anything himself, nor did he give anyone his real address, phone number, or any vital information. He never saw Julius again, and if Julius ever tried to reach him, he didn’t succeed.

I didn’t see this duel until I saw a recording that a friend of Shichiro’s made of it when it shown on television. As I said before, I was working that day. Shichiro was working too – technically, he had done the duel on his lunch break.

At the time, I worked for Draco Industries, an international technology company that had its hand in practically everything. The company owned facilities around the globe that manufactured everything from baby food to aircraft parts, and everything in-between. The CEO, my boss at the time, was Anthony Draco, a billionaire tycoon who held power in Neo Domino that may well have been second to Godwin. If anything, more people were on his payroll than were on Godwin’s.

Not that Mr. Draco was a rival of Godwin by any means. He had recently entered a joint endeavor with Godwin – that agricultural project that you heard mentioned, which I think was being started in China.

What did this have to do with me? Well, I didn’t know it… But it seemed I was working too hard, and I was due for a vacation…



GORLAG (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: Increase this card’s ATK by 500 for each FIRE Monster you control. When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, Special Summon that Monster to your side of the field at the end of the Battle Phase. Monsters Special Summoned in this manner have their Attribute changed to FIRE and their effects are negated. If this card is removed from the field, destroy all Monsters that were Special Summoned by its effect.

Note: “Gorlag” was first used by Amelda in the original anime episode “Déjà Duel! (Part 2)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SYNCHRO BACK (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Mist Wurm glowing with green energy as a bolt of orange energy shoots towards it.

Card Description: Return 1 Synchro Monster you control to your Extra Deck. During your next Standby Phase, Special Summon that Monster from your Extra Deck.

Note: “Synchro Back” was first used by Aki in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – SONIC BUSTER

Normal Spell

Image: A figure bursting with energy in the background, blasting the energy towards a figure in the foreground.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half that Monster’s ATK. You cannot activate this card if your opponent’s Life Points would be reduced to zero by this effect.

Note: “Speed Spell – Sonic Buster” was first used by Ushio in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D” episode “Pipe Dreams”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – SHIFT DOWN (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: The image on this card was not shown.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. Remove 6 of your Speed Counters and draw two cards.

Note: “Speed Spell – Shift Down” was first used by Yusei in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – DUAL VORTEX (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Similar to “Creature Swap”, with Speed Warrior in place of the warrior, and the energy of “Speed World” in the background.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Each player selects 1 Monster they control and switches control of those Monsters with each other. Those Monsters cannot change their battle positions for the rest of this turn except with a card effect.



Coming up next:

We shed a little light on just who Shichiro is, and just what his purpose is. Plus, we’ll get our first look at our narrator as well. We had a Turbo Duel this time, but next time, Shichiro takes on an opponent on his feet, dueling not to please a crowd, but for the true reason he duels. What might that be? If Shichiro believes the corrupted leadership of the city to be a “lesser evil”, what is the greater?

More will be revealed, in time… Shichiro and those like him are best described as “Hidden Soldiers”, and that’s exactly the name of the next chapter, coming soon.

[jkBAKURA]

Oh the irony of a first reply from me. Well, I guess a new year means letting go of old feelings.

I made no small stink about the weaker points of your past couple stories, but I must say you're off to a good start.

The Turbo Duel was presented well, and you have a refreshing cast of characters that so far look like they could be right out of a YGO anime themselves. Even the new Sp Spell I would have thought was real had I not noticed the lack of disclaimer at the end.

Story-wise, this seems to be a great setup, and I have to wonder if the cataclismic events of the Earthbound Gods will overlap at any time.

In fact, as a reverse of my normal observations, the low point of the intro was the duel.

Why? well, a couple reasons, and not all of them are your responsibility.

I've been reading WAY too many Warrior decks in fics. My problem I know, but if the new guy is a combination of Russel and Yusei... well, let's just say I may be more focused on the opponent.

Speaking of opponents, the ONLY thing that irked me in this chapter was Tyson's second match all the way back in TYD. Not that it's easy to top, it may have been the best duel in the story, but both Gorlag and the Incinirator were used there as well.

It seems you've been getting creative in your diolouge too. The performances aren't as wooden, and seem to be coming more from the characters then the script. This is especially evident in the discussion of Jack, one of the best diolouge exchanges you've ever written.

Oh, and MAJOR points for keeping the Ban List, though to be perfectly honest, I have the feeling you'll have to give up on that little restriction part way through. From a writer's standpoint I know I couldn't keep up.

Anyhow, looking forward to the next piece, and I wish you luck in keeping the quality this high throughout the entire story.

Happy New Year,

JKB

[Shuppet Master]

Excellent beginning to the new story, Brian, and happy New Year's to you! ^_^

This was a great first chapter to your fic. I don't mind if you go all Japanese on us with the names, the names are pretty cool regardless. I can dub the names in my head.

So we meet our first duelist, Shichiro, who uses a Warrior deck, but not toolbox. Love how he has the Royal Knight trio in his deck.

And nice going showing that fat cat who's the boss! Most duelists would be eager to be superstars, but Shichiro knows that ego is nothing more than a facade.

Love the introduction too. "Oh, I'm not special, just a normal person who was raised well and got a job after high school in some big company... and then THIS happens and rips me from my happy life." WIN.

I can't wait to see who Eiko is and what that Synchro Monster which is reserved for a cause is too. See ya!

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER TWO

Like I said, I was still working, even though the shadows were lengthening. And Shichiro was too. He wasn’t ready to go home – home to him was also the place where he worked from – so he was doing a requirement of his job called “patrol”.

And no, he wasn’t a member of Sector Security, as you likely have guessed by now. The criminals he looked out for were ones that Security didn’t know existed. But, they tended to lurk in the same places.

You see, Godwin would have liked everyone in Neo Domino to believe that their city was safe, and that his Security forces had the criminal element under control. But there were still parts of Neo Domino where unsavory folk gathered, who weren’t as bad off as the people in Satellite, but who were still pretty bad off. Neo Domino had plenty of backwater bars, risqué clubs, and houses of ill-repute. To give one example, gangs often met for brutal Duel Monster competitions at a place called the Daimon Area, where the Black Rose Witch was known to lurk after hours. And in places where these people hung out, Shichiro piloted his D-Wheel, looking for the quarry that few suspected was there…



Shichiro drove his D-Wheel down a dark street, casually glancing from side to side as he did. As he turned a corner, a flashing light came on his dashboard.

He hit a control.

“Go ahead,” he said, as a shadowy face appeared on it.

“Shichiro, finish up what you’re doing,” said a voice. “I just got a lead. We’ve gotten a species ID on the killer who’s interested in Godwin’s accountants.”

“About time,” said Shichiro. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes…”

Then he heard a scream coming from a nearby alley.

“Check that, boss,” he said. “Give me an hour.”

He pulled the bike to a stop. He punched a command on his dashboard.

“Disengaging Duel Disk,” said a computerized voice.

The console quickly transformed into a normal Duel Disk, separated from the D-Wheel, and clamped onto Shichiro’s gauntlet. He watched as a light flashed on the console, indicating that the security system had turned on.

He quickly walked into the alley, where he saw two figures, each of them with Duel Disks of their own. A duel had apparently been fought, that was the normal part.

The not-so-normal part was that the apparent loser, a guy wearing gang colors and a bandana, was on the ground, while the apparent winner, a bigger, burly thug with no apparent colors, was standing above him, threatening him with a baseball bat.

“I said hand it over!” snarled the thug.

“I didn’t make any bet!” screamed the victim.

“I don’t care!” ordered the thug. “You lost, and I want that card! Now hand it over, or you’re gonna get a big headache!”

“He said there was no bet,” said Shichiro, as he walked up, “and I’m willing to bet myself that there wasn’t one. So back away from him right now.”

The thug turned to look at Shichiro.

“And just who are you?” he asked.

“I’m a guy who really doesn’t like thugs who threaten people with baseball bats,” said Shichiro. “Now drop it.”

“Or you’ll do what, tough guy?” asked the thug.

Without waiting for an answer, the thug swung the bat at Shichiro…

Shichiro didn’t flinch. He caught the bat in mid-swing, and wrenched it away from him.

“Tell me something, pal,” asked Shichiro, as the thug looked at him in surprise, “do you have a Boar Soldier in your deck? I’m pretty sure whoever made that card liked people like you.”

Then the thug looked at Shichiro, and noticed something. The look on his face turned to one of fear.

Shichiro turned to the victim.

“Amscray, buddy,” he said, “I’ll handle him.”

The victim didn’t need to be told twice. He leapt up, and ran away quickly.

Shichiro looked at the thug, and tapped the bat against his hand.

“Now listen, pal,” he said, “take it from someone who’s a duelist himself… If you want to get good cards, the proper way to do it is not to threaten people with baseball bats!”

All this looked very strange yes, and it would have been even stranger if the thug’s victim could have seen what Shichiro could see. The victim had seen a large, muscular thug who meant him no good, but he had no reason to believe that the thug was anything but human.

Shichiro, however, saw that the thug was clearly not human.

When Shichiro looked in the thug’s face, he saw a face with porcine features similar to that of a boar, with a sloping, primitive-looking forehead, watery eyes, and sharp teeth that included prominent lower canines that looked like small tusks.

“Look…” protested the creature. “I was only kidding around…”

“Can the BS, pal,” said Shichiro, “because you’re only fooling yourself. You were about to assault and rob a human. As it stands, you’re already committed four minor violations of Section Five of Article Three of the Treaty, and if I hadn’t stopped you, you would have racked up a major one and several in the next Section.”

Then incredible anger appeared in the creature’s eyes.

“You can take your damn Treaty and shove it!” he shouted. “Because I’m gonna…”

And then he stopped short. A piercing glare from Shichiro told him that that had been the wrong thing to say. Big time.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh,” chuckled Shichiro, holding the bat in both hands. “That’s really funny, pal…”

The thug grinned nervously.

Then Shichiro slammed the bat over his knee, breaking it in half.

“What would your chieftain do if I told him you felt that way?” he asked. “He wouldn’t like it, because he knows that if too many members of his clan start thinking they can ‘take the Treaty and shove it’, his life is going to be very unpleasant!

“I know what he’d do… He’d get mad. And when orc chieftains get mad, someone suffers for it. Guess who?

“Maybe I should get on the phone and give him a call… You’re a member of the Horned Skull Clan, right? I can tell from that.”

He pointed to an insignia on the thug’s coat.

“Man, what is it with you guys and skulls?” he asked. “Know what a skull’s purpose is? It’s supposed to protect the brain, something most of you apparently don’t do, seeing as you keep getting in trouble…”

“Please don’t call him!” begged the creature. “I’ve had a bad day, really… I lost a lot playing cards… Regular cards, you know, not Duel Monsters, and I had a little too much to drink, and…”

“Look, pal,” said Shichiro, tossing the broken bat aside. “I know that orcs are warlike by nature. Violence runs in your blood. But let’s face it, in this day and culture, society frowns on that sort of thing…”

He removed his Turbo Duel Deck from his Disk, and placed it in his belt. Then he took a second deck out of his belt (one used for normal duels) and placed it in his Disk.

“But since you seem to be a duelist, we’ll handle this as the Treaty specifies, regardless of your opinion of it.”

“You want to duel me?” asked the orc.

“You got a name?” asked Shichiro.

“Hisao,” replied the orc.

“Well then, Hisao,” replied Shichiro, “if you accept and win, I’ll just walk away and pretend this little incident never happened.”

“And if I don’t?” asked Hisao.

“I’ll decide when that happens,” replied Shichiro.

Hisao sighed.

“Guess I don’t have much of a choice…” he muttered.

He grinned.

“But then again… Maybe this is my chance to royally embarrass a Shadowchaser!”

“True,” replied Shichiro. “That might make you pretty popular in your clan, now wouldn’t it?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Draco Tower, the headquarters of Draco Industries, was a landmark of Neo Domino City. The skyscraper towered over the other buildings of the business district, testament to the power held by the company itself.

In one floor near the apex, a secretary was busy outside the doors to the office of the founder, president, major stockholder, and CEO of the company, Anthony Draco. The secretary was noticeably stressed, as calls had been coming in more and more as the day wore on.

She was dressed rather casual, as her boss didn’t enforce much of a dress code. She simply wore a sweatshirt and a pair of slacks. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, and was a rich auburn. She had green eyes – her most remarkable feature. If she wasn’t so stressed right now, she might have been considered attractive.

“Mr. Draco’s office,” she said, “please hold. Mr. Draco’s office, please hold. No, sorry, Mr. Draco had to cancel… Please hold…

“I know you’re holding, Mr. Godwin, please hold a little longer…”

Briefly, the calls stopped coming, and she took a deep breath…

Then she looked up. A woman had walked into the entrance hall.

She was a tall woman, with long, raven-black hair in a ponytail that was far longer than Ember’s, reaching past her waist. She wore dark sunglasses, a strapless halter top that resembled a corset, and a very long skirt that reached down to the floor. She didn’t look very happy.

The secretary grinned a very nervous grin…

Inside the office she was holding post by, her boss was pretty stressed himself. He was on the phone in a heated discussion.

He was a man who looked about fifty, trim, with a full head of salt-and-pepper grey hair, and a neatly-trimmed beard and moustache, with slate-grey eyes. He wore a grey, expensive-looking suit (custom tailored, of course) and matching shoes. He may not have set a strict dress code for his employees, but he knew it was important to always look sharp himself.

Most folks would call him handsome, but not when he was angry, like he was now.

“You’re my lawyer, Phil!” he demanded. “You graduated from the Harvard School of Law! Now you do what I’m paying you to do, and figure out a way to get those space cadets to leave me alone. Sue them for bothering me if you have to. I’m losing money every day that I have to delay the project because of them!”

He hung up and held his forehead. Then the pager on his desk beeped.

“Mr. Draco?” said the secretary. “Ms. Hebi-Na is here to see you.”

“ERGH!” growled Draco.

He hit the button.

“You tell Ms. Hebi-Na that I’m not here!” he shouted.

He crossed his arms.

“The last thing I need is to speak to that bitch…”

The pager beeped again.

“Mr. Draco?” said the secretary. “She says she knows you’re here, and she’s not going away until you talk to her.”

Draco sighed. He hit the button again.

“Send her in, Ember…” he said. “And bring a bottle of aspirin in while you’re at it…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Well,” said Shichiro, staring down his opponent, “I see you’ve decided to face me…”

(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hisao: 8,000)

“Oh, I sure have,” growled the orc, making his first draw, “and this is gonna be a pleasure…

“I’ll have this defend me…”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Then I’ll also set a facedown card…”

A reversed card appeared.

“…and I’ll leave it at that…”

Shichiro made his first draw.

“I summon my Warrior Dai Grepher!” he exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, a muscular, armored Warrior, holding a two-handed sword appeared. (1,700 ATK)

“Get his Monster!” shouted Shichiro.

Grepher charged at the facedown card. An odd creature appeared on it, sitting in the lotus position. It looked like some Hindu deity, with six arms and three faces. Grepher slashed with his blade, and it shattered.

“So much for your Asura Priest,” said Shichiro.

“And you took the bait,” chuckled Hisao. “Trap activate…”

His facedown card lifted.

“Vessel of Illusions. Since my Spirit Monster was destroyed, it conjures up a Spirit Token.”

An exact duplicate of Asura Priest materialized, still in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

“I end my turn,” muttered Shichiro.

Hisao laughed loudly, as he made a draw.

“I activate Fiend’s Sanctuary!” he shouted, as a Spell Card appeared. “Now, I get a Metal Fiend Token!”

A small stickman that seemed to be made out of metal beads appeared on his side of the field. (0 ATK)

“Now, I sacrifice both my Tokens…”

The Spirit Token and the Metal Fiend Token both vanished into grains of light…

“To call forth Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi!”

A pit of fire appeared where the two Monsters had been, and slowly, a giant form rose out of it. It was a huge, humanoid figure, wearing a kilt and no shirt, with odd tattoos on its arms. Its scalp was a mass of flames instead of hair. (2,800 ATK)

“Well, that certainly is a powerful Monster,” said Shichiro. “But you do realize, because it’s a Spirit, it will leave when you end your turn.”

Hisao chuckled.

“Not it won’t,” he replied. “Because I’m also summoning a friend of his…”

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was Maharaghi.

“And to do so, I have to remove from play one Spirit in my hand. This one will do.”

He quickly placed the Maharaghi inside his jacket.

“So… I Special Summon Izanagi!”

In a blast of wind, a new Monster appeared. It was a very formal looking man, dressed in a stuffy, white noble’s outfit. He had pure white hair that reached down to his waist, had a sword strapped to his side, and carried a fancy spear. (2,200 ATK)

“With this guy around, Spirits don’t have to leave at the end of the turn where they show up,” laughed Hisao. “And he’s no slouch in a fight himself. So why dontcha show him, Izanagi?”

Izanagi rushed at Grepher, and jabbed at him with his spear. Grepher burst.

“Now that I’ve taken care ‘a him, Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi is gonna take care ‘a you! Attack directly! Hellish flame fist!”

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi cackled, and aimed a punch, hitting Shichiro squarely. Shichiro maintained his footing, but he did cringe a little.

(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)

“I and end my turn,” chuckled Hisao. “And you gotta toss your whole hand before you draw because of my Monster’s effect. So dump ‘em!”

Shichiro frowned, and discarded the five cards in his hand – Hayabusa Knight, Command Knight, Jack’s Knight, Synchro Boost, and Freed the Brave Wanderer.

Then he drew a card. He looked at it.

“I set this Monster,” he said, placing it on his Disk, “and that will be all.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Hisao laughed as he drew a card.

“What more could ya do?” he asked. “Look like I’ll be done with this in time to get to the watering hole in time for happy hour!

“I summon Susa Soldier!”

In a burst of lightning, a man in oriental plate armor, holding a fancy sword with tattoos on his face appeared. (2,000 ATK)

“Time to finish you off! Crush his Monster!”

Susa Soldier slammed his sword down, and a shockwave ripped towards the facedown card…

Then, an elf in green and brown armor and a helmet holding a longsword appeared on the card. He blocked the energy blast with his blade, and knocked it aside. (1,200 DEF)

“HUH?” gasped Hisao. “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian??”

“Oh, that’s right…” said Shichiro. “Orcs don’t like elves that much, right? Well, you’re not gonna like this guy that much. He can’t be destroyed by Monsters that have 1,900 Attack Points or more. And look at that… All three of your Monsters have more than 1,900 Attack Points.”

“How could anyone have been so lucky?!” screamed Hisao.

“In my business, there’s no such thing as luck, Hisao,” said Shichiro. “Are you through with your move?”

Hisao growled, and took a card from his hand. He placed it on his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“NOW I am. Don’t forget, so long as Izanagi is here, my Spirits don’t have to leave at the end of the turn where they’re summoned.

“And I’ll tear down that barrier soon enough…”

“There’s only one Spirit that I know of who’s both strong enough to beat my Monster’s Defense, and weak enough to destroy him,” replied Shichiro. “Asura Priest. I realize it’s a powerful card, and you likely have three copies, but one of them is already gone, and Spirits can’t be Special Summoned.

“I draw…”

He drew a card.

“And it goes facedown…”

A facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

“Your move…”

Hisao growled as he drew a card.

Then he chuckled as he saw what it was.

“I play an Equip Spell!” he exclaimed. “The mighty Sword of Kusanagi!”

“And if you can tell me the significance of that name,” replied Shichiro, “I will eat my Duel Disk.”

Hisao paused, as a large sword appeared in Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi’s hand.

“Ah, who cares?” he said. “All I know is, it gives the Spirit Monster who has it a trampling effect. So who cares if your elf can’t be destroyed?

“Attack!”

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi flew at the Guardian, sword-first.

“I activate… Defense Draw!” shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card flipped up. “This reduces the damage I would have taken to zero, and lets me draw one card.”

As Obnoxious Celtic Guardian fended off the blow, Shichiro made a draw.

Hisao growled again.

“I end my turn!” he scowled.

Shichiro made a second draw.

“I set one Monster, and one facedown card,” he said.

A concealed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“Your move…”

Hisao glared at him as he drew a card.

“There is no way in Hell that your facedown card could be another Defense Draw!” he shouted. “Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, attack his elf again!”

The huge Spirit slammed his sword into the Guardian, and Shichiro grunted a little.

“Izanagi, attack the other Monster!”

Izanagi flew at the facedown Monster. Queen’s Knight appeared on the card, and screamed before she shattered.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)

“So what are you gonna do now?” asked Hisao.

“Are you quite through?” asked Shichiro.

“Make your move,” replied Hisao.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ember was more nervous than she had been in a long time. This wasn’t the first time that this Hebi-Na woman had come in to see her boss, and every time she appeared, she made her flesh crawl. Of course, she had been within her rights to see him this time – she had made an appointment.

Right now, Ember heard the sounds of a heated argument inside the office. She could only hear bits and pieces, but it was clear that her employer was angry.

Then he stuck his head out the door.

“Ember, make a fresh pot of coffee, please,” he said with a sigh. “We’re going to be here a while…”

He went back in, where the strange woman was waiting.

“You really picked a bad time to come,” he said, sitting down. “I’m up to my neck in problems with this new project that Godwin and I are working on, which incidentally, he’s only financing. I’m doing all the real work.”

“So, what’s the problem?” asked Hebi-Na.

“Lunatics,” replied Draco. “A group of environmentalists who would try even PETA’s patience are objecting to me clearing the land in that Chinese province so I can even begin construction. Three times now, they’ve dug up some archaic law that they claim states I’m not allowed to do it, and each time I have to wait for the court to rule in my favor before I can start, only for them to present a new one!

“What these tree-huggers don’t realize is, I’m doing it all for the benefit of people like them… My soybean plantations alone are going to give them all the tofu they can eat.”

“I prefer food that’s more solid,” said Hebi-Na.

“Yeah, I know about your… tastes…” muttered Draco.

Ember came in with the coffee pot. She set it on the desk, and went to get a set of cups.

“The one thing I just can’t fathom is…” started Draco.

Then Ember got so nervous, she tripped and fell. One of the coffee cups smashed to pieces.

“Ember?” said Draco. “Are you all right?”

Ember took some deep breaths.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Draco…” she stammered, as he bent over her.

She looked at Hebi-Na.

“Forgive me, but… Lately, some people who come in here… They give me cold chills…”

Draco gave a strange look at Ember, then gave an even stranger look at Hebi-Na.

“You know,” said Hebi-Na with a frown, “I think I’ll leave…

“Don’t bother, I’ll show myself out…”

Ember and Draco watched as she left, closing the door behind her. Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Ember,” he said, “you kept my headache from turning into a migraine…”

He helped her up.

“Now, Ember…” he said, “I’d say that you’ve been working too hard, and the stress is getting to you… I’d tell you to go home early tonight, but unfortunately, I simply can’t… I have to be back here at eleven o’clock to make a conference call to some people on the other side of the world, and I need you to finish my presentation.”

“I’ll be staying late to work on it Mr. Draco,” replied Ember. “I just needed to catch my breath…”

Draco watched as Ember left the room and then picked up the phone.

“Custodian’s office?” he said into it. “Send someone up here with a dustpan and broom…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Shichiro made a draw. He looked at it.

“Trap Card, activate,” he said, as his facedown card lifted. “Birthright. Now, I get to bring Jack’s Knight back from the Graveyard.”

In a flash, Jack’s Knight appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,900 ATK)

“Big deal,” replied Hisao. “He only has 1,900 Attack Points.”

“That’s why I’m going to sacrifice him,” replied Shichiro, as Jack’s Knight vanished. “To Special Summon… Turret Warrior!”

A much bigger Monster rose in Jack’s Knight’s place. It looked more like a Rock than a Warrior, with thick limbs made of brick. (1,200 ATK)

“Ha!” laughed Hisao. “That’s even worse.”

“Oh, really?” asked Shichiro. “When Turret Warrior is summoned like this, it gains Attack Points equal to the amount that the Warrior I sacrificed had. You can add, can’t you?”

(3,100 ATK)

“Erk!” gulped Hisao.

“Turret Warrior… Clobber his Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi!”

Turret Warrior made a powerful punch with its mighty fist, and the huge Spirit groaned in agony. It exploded in a flaming burst.

“Ergh…” muttered Hisao.

“I didn’t mention…” he said. “When a Monster gets trashed when it has the Sword of Kusanagi, the Sword goes back to my hand!”

Sword of Kusanagi slipped out of his discard slot, and he added it to his hand.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)

“Mind if I ask a question?” asked Shichiro.

Hisao looked at him.

“Why Spirit Monsters?” asked Shichiro. “Aren’t they a little… formal, for someone like you?

Hisao gave him a dirty look.

“Why?” he asked. “Because a ‘savage humanoid’ can’t have a deck that isn’t full of crude and bestial brutes?

“Look pal, in ancient times, everyone thought that folks like us weren’t capable of any strategy more advanced than ‘Scream and charge’. Well, it was a bad stereotype then, and it is now. We’re smarter than everyone thinks, and we’re more than capable of complex strategies.”

“Sorry…” muttered Shichiro. “Maybe I was fooled a little by the fact that you were about to cave that guy’s head in with a baseball bat.”

“My move…” muttered Hisao, drawing a card. “I’m still way ahead of you.”

He looked at the card he had drawn.

“I play Akashic Record,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. “You aren’t the only one who can draw extra cards. Now, I get to draw two of them. The catch is, if either of them has been used before now, I don’t get to keep them.”

He made two draws.

He held them forward, revealing them to be Mirror of Yata and Yamato no Kami.

“Seems I get to keep them,” he said. “Next, I move Susa Soldier and Izanagi to Defense Mode.”

Susa Soldier sheathed his sword, and then knelt in a defensive position. (1,600 DEF) Izanagi knelt and held his spear to his side. (1,000 DEF)

“Next, I play Shien’s Spy.”

He played a Spell Card, and a mysterious looking woman appeared, dressed in Japanese peasant’s clothes, a straw hat, and carrying a bundle on her back.

“This moves my Monster to your side of the field for one round.”

Susa Soldier vanished, and reappeared on Shichiro’s side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

“What’s the point?” asked Shichiro.

“I’ll show you,” said Hisao, as his facedown card lifted. “The Trap Card, Legacy of Yata-Garasu. Normally, this lets me draw one card. But, if my opponent has a Spirit Monster on his side of the field, I get to draw two cards.”

He made two draws, and looked at them.

“I’m ending my turn, so that means I get my Monster back…”

Susa Soldier reappeared on Hisao’s side of the field.

Shichiro drew a card.

I’ll save this, he thought.

“My Guardian moves to Attack Mode,” he said, as Obnoxious Celtic Guardian stood up. (1,400 ATK)

“Destroy his Izanagi!” he shouted. “Silver blade slash!”

Celtic Guardian leapt up, and slammed his sword into the Fairy. Izanagi was blown apart in a blast of pixels.

“Turret Warrior, destroy Susa Soldier!”

Turret Warrior punched the Spirit, and Susa Soldier burst in an explosion of sparks.

“I end my turn…”

“My move…” growled Hisao.

He drew a card.

He quickly played it, setting it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He nodded.

Shichiro made a draw.

“I activate the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. “Now, I can take a Warrior from my deck up to Level 4.”

He looked through his deck, and chose a card.

“And here she is… Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.”

In a burst of energy, a female Warrior appeared, one with a strange sense of fashion. She wore a halter top, short skirt, leather boots, a tattered black cape, and a wide-brimmed hat with a feather stuck in it. A longsword was strapped to her back. (1,100 ATK)

“Heh, heh, heh,” chuckled Hisao. “Quite the fashion statement…”

“This from a race that’s fond of ritual scarring,” replied Shichiro. “Turret Warrior, destroy his facedown Monster.”

Turret Warrior rushed at the facedown card. A beautiful woman appeared on the card, one who wore a flimsy skirt and halter, velvet gloves, and had long hair tied in braids. She shrieked as Turret Warrior’s fist hit her and she shattered.

“You just activated Otohime’s special effect,” said Hisao. “I can move one of your Monsters to Defense Mode.”

Turret Warrior knelt down, and then crossed its arms over its chest. (2,000 DEF)

“But not all of them…” said Shichiro.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian hit Hisao with his weapon, and he grunted.

Then Warrior Lady of the Wasteland drew her sword, and flew at Hisao. She shouted a cry as she made a slash at him. He screamed in pain.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,200)

“Gee, Hisao,” said Shichiro, “I thought orcs prided themselves on being tough. You’re saying you can’t take the phantom pain that a Duel Disk causes? How do you expect to take the real pain that your race is so used to?”

“Maybe the blasted Treaty that we all had to agree to has made us all soft,” growled Hisao.

“That’s nonsense,” replied Shichiro. “I never stray from the Treaty, and everyone who knows me says I’m tougher than steel!”

“My move…” grunted Hisao, drawing a card.

He smirked as he looked at it.

“You know, it isn’t entirely true that Spirits can’t be Special Summoned,” he said. “One very powerful Spirit can only be Special Summoned. And to do it, I gotta remove one Spirit in my Graveyard from play…”

Asura Priest slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket.

“So, I Special Summon Yamato-no-Kami!”

In a fiery burst of dark flames, a wild-looking man appeared in front of Hisao. He wore only a pair of white trousers, and his muscular torso was covered with ugly tattoos and strange jewelry. In addition to his human arms, six crustacean limbs protruded from his back. (2,200 ATK)

“I’ll also Normal Summon Izanami,” he continued.

He played the card, and a wave of soft, blue energy appeared on the field. A woman who seemed to be dressed in a feminine version of Izanagi’s royal raiment appeared, looking at Shichiro with a serene smile. (1,100 ATK)

“Next, I activate her effect,” said Hisao, “I toss one card…”

He discarded Sword of Kusanagi.

“…and I get a Spirit Monster back from my Graveyard.”

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

“Next, I give Yamato here a new Equip Spell – the Mirror of Yata. By giving it to him, he doesn’t leave the field when this turn ends.”

Yamato-no-Kami glowed with eldritch energy.

“All right… Yamato, attack Turret Warrior with dark crushing grip!”

The spires on Yamato-no-Kami’s back transformed into tentacles, and lashed forward, grabbing Turret Warrior, and squeezing it until it shattered into bits.

“Izanami, attack his Warrior Lady!”

Izanami flew at Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. Warrior Lady frowned. She drew her sword, and rushed to meet the attack…

Both duelists braced themselves, as both Monsters exploded.

“You activated Warrior Lady’s effect!” exclaimed Shichiro. “I get to Special Summon an Earth-Attribute Warrior from my deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less.

“So let’s see… Think I’ll summon Big Shield Gardna…”

In a burst of light, the burly Warrior in hide armor, holding a huge shield appeared in front of Shichiro. (100 ATK)

“Eh…” sighed Hisao. “I end my turn…”

Shichiro drew a card.

Sweet, he thought.

“I summon… Rose, Warrior of Revenge!” he shouted.

A burst of flames shot out of the ground, and a fierce-looking woman leapt out of it. She was dressed in a tight, black leather combat outfit with a white scarf around her neck, had green eyes and red hair tied in a long ponytail, and carried a long saber. (1,600 ATK)

“Hold on!” gasped Hisao. “That’s a Tuner Monster!”

“She sure it!” replied Shichiro. “That means I can use her to summon something better.

“GO!”

Rose closed her eyes… And then she opened them, and they burned like flames. She and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian leapt into the sky, trailing wakes of fire. Both Monsters dissolved into grains of light, and turned into eight shimmering stars.

“I Tune Rose and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” exclaimed Shichiro. “Synchro Summon… Colossal Fighter!”

A huge Monster leapt down on Shichiro’s side of the field with a roar. It was a giant Warrior, covered with cybernetic armor, his eyes covered with a green visor. (2,800 ATK)

“And Colossal Fighter has a powerful ability,” continued Shichiro. “For each Warrior in both Graveyards, he gains 100 more Attack Points.”

Warrior Dai Grepher, Rose, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, Turret Warrior, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Hayabusa Knight, Jack’s Knight, Command Knight, Queen’s Knight, and Freed the Brave Wanderer appeared behind Colossal Fighter. He glowed with energy as they vanished again… (3,800 ATK)

“Flatten Yamato-no-Kami!” shouted Shichiro. “Mega-knuckle!”

Colossal Fighter lunged at the evil Spirit, and slugged at him with his fist. Yamato-no-Kami screamed, and staggered back a few steps, but it didn’t shatter.

“Forgot to mention,” said Hisao. “When a Spirit is attacked when it has Mirror of Yata, it doesn’t bite the dust… The Mirror does!”

“But you still take damage,” replied Shichiro.

“Ergh…” muttered Hisao.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,600)

“I move Gardna to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Shichiro.

Big Shield Gardna knelt, and crouched behind his shield. (2,600 DEF)

Hisao was sweating heavily. He drew a card.

Then he laughed.

“I summon my second Otohime!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and another Otohime appeared. (0 ATK)

Colossal Fighter struggled, and then knelt in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

“Next,” he said, “I play my Double Summon Spell Card. This lets me make a second Normal Summon this turn.

“So, I sacrifice Otohime and Yamato-no-Kami…”

The two Spirits disappeared into orbs of energy.

“…and guess who’s back…”

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi reappeared. (2,800 ATK)

“And to make sure he sticks around… I’m Equipping him with a second Mirror of Yata! You can never have too many…”

The huge Spirit glowed with energy.

“Now, destroy his Colossal Fighter! Hellish flame fist!”

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi lunged forward, and struck Colossal Fighter. The giant shattered.

“Your shield-boy is next!” laughed Hisao.

Shichiro closed his eyes.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I didn’t mention that Colossal Fighter has another effect. When he’s destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon any Warrior from either Graveyard.

“And, since Colossal Fighter himself is a Warrior…”

Colossal Fighter appeared again on Shichiro’s side of the field, and this time, he looked angry. (3,800 ATK)

Hisao gulped.

“You’ve got no more cards to play, so it’s my turn,” said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He looked at the two cards in his hand. He took the one that he had been saving.

“I play The Warrior Returning Alive,” he said, playing it. “Now, I get to recover one Warrior from my Graveyard.”

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and Colossal Fighter fell to an Attack Score of 3,700.

“Now I summon him… Freed the Brave Wanderer!”

In an aura of pure light, a soldier in shimmering armor appeared. He resembled the famous Freed the Matchless General, but somewhat younger, and more radiant. (1,700 ATK)

Then, both Queen’s Knight and Jack’s Knight appeared behind Shichiro in phantom form.

“Freed has a powerful ability,” he said. “I simply have to remove from play two Light Monsters in my Graveyard, and he can destroy any Monster who’s stronger than he is. And if my math is right, 2,800 is greater than 1,700.”

The two phantoms behind him vanished, as Freed glowed with blinding light. Hisao slunk back in fear. Colossal Fighter fell to an Attack Score of 3,500, while Freed made a slash with his blade. Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi groaned, and then burst into an explosion of pixels.

“Freed, attack directly with brave sword attack!”

Freed rushed at the orc, and made a deep cut down the torso with his broadsword. Hisao screamed again.

“Colossal Fighter… Finish this. Direct attack!”

Colossal Fighter roared, and slugged the orc in stomach, and Hisao fell backwards from the impact. He was knocked back ten feet, and fell prone.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)

The Monsters vanished. Shichiro walked up to Hisao, who was crying.

“Please…” he sobbed. “Please don’t tell my chieftain… I’ll do anything… Anything you say… I’ll…”

“Pathetic…” muttered Shichiro. “And you call yourself an orc…”

He turned around.

“Seems that you were nothing more than a coward. Letting you live as one is punishment enough.

“But know this, Hisao… I’ll have my eye on you… So think twice before you decide to try to mug another human… You never know when a Shadowchaser will be watching.”

He walked away, as Hisao grit his teeth and glared after him.

“Ooh, this isn’t over pal…” he grumbled.

“I heard that,” said Shichiro’s voice from the darkness, startling him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Hebi-Na stood in a dark room. In front of her was a screen, with a shadowy face on it.

“This isn’t good, and you know it, Hebi-Na,” said the image on the screen. “You know how it goes…

“First they get cold chills and strange feelings. Then they start seeing things. And before long, their eyes open to the truth.

“We simply cannot have someone like that in the position she is in. We must do away with her before Jalal finds her.”

“This isn’t some corporate tycoon you’re talking about, pal,” said Hebi-Na, as she took out a nail file. “If I’m going to use my talents to target some secretary, I want triple the regular fee.”

The face on the screen stared at her.

“Hebi-Na, you’re only using that as an excuse to get more money,” it said. “What do you care about the status of a target?”

“I don’t have to answer that, and I’m not gonna,” replied Hebi-Na, as she filed her nails.
“Triple the regular fee, or get someone else. Can you find someone who’s as skilled as I am and as… discreet?”

“Fine!” growled the figure. “But use a gun this time. Too many of Godwin’s men have been strangled… The last thing we need is Sector Security thinking the same killer is after Draco’s employees too.”

“Humph…” said Hebi-Na. “Much as I hate resorting to such… crude methods, I suppose I could do that…

“It will be done tonight by the time the moon sets…”

She turned and left the room.



I had no idea that Hebi-Na was an assassin, even if she was creeping me out. And the reason she was making me uneasy wasn’t the fact that she simply looked bizarre, with her dark glasses and strange sense of fashion. You see, I could swear I saw or heard strange things when I was around her. When I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, I saw her differently for a brief instant. There were times when I heard her talk when she seemed to roll her S’s more than she should have. And sometimes she didn’t seem to walk so much as she seemed to slither.

I had thought I was going nuts, and had been for weeks now. I saw things like this frequently. I tried to tell myself it was due to the late hours I was putting in at work, which I was doing frequently because I wanted more overtime pay to save up for my vacation, which was long overdue.

But soon, very soon, I would get an explanation from somebody… And all it would take was for him to save my life…



VESSEL OF ILLUSIONS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A golden water basin overflowing with water.

Card Description: Activate this card when a Spirit Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon one “Spirit Token” in Attack or Defense Position. A “Spirit Token” has the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF of the destroyed Monster.

Note: “Vessel of Illusions” was first used by Noah in the original anime episode “Noah’s Final Threat (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A dinosaur skull lying with a few bones.

Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. If a copy of either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both from play.

Note: “Akashic Record” was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Ultimate Face-Off (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Coming up next:

Shichiro may not seem like the typical knight in shining armor, but next chapter, he still has to save a maiden from danger, as Hebi-Na’s identity is revealed. And she’s far more dangerous than Hisao was. More introductions will be made along the way, and in case you were wondering about that special Synchro Monster that Shichiro has, he may get a chance to use it next chapter. Be here next for “Shadowslayer”.

[jkBAKURA]

You know, it's not often that one of your minor opponents becomes memorable enough that I want them to become a major character, but if you don't have plans for Hisao to duel again, I wouldn't complain if you made them. (if for nothing else then to use the final Royal Treasure)

The fight at the beginning was a bit of a... standard confrontation, and the diolouge in spots was corny, but the charcters themselves and the rest of the story portion (which I'm actually reading) filled in quite well.

Even minor things like Hebi-Na's discription made a fun and dangerous sounding character to watch, but I can't help but think that you may have tipped your hand too soon. It might have been funner to keep us wondering about her for a few more chapters.

The tortured uninterested rougue is a far cry from your standard "let's do it!" style of main character, but saddly, this chapter didn't give him much to do.

Hopefully Hisao, or some other supporting characters, will give Shichiro something to play off of.

On a final note, I thought for sure that Colossal Fighter WAS the "alien" Synchro. Guess I'll have to keep trying. It's not a custom card is it?

[Dark Sage]

Uhm, yes it is, actually. The "alien" warrior (who is not an alien at all) is the signature card of the group Shichiro belongs to, and is unique to them. It is a card I created myself. You'll see him use it next chapter.

And don't worry, Hisao will return. I already made plans for that. But not for a little while. There's a lot to do before he shows up again. I liked him a lot myself, and I don't want to see him swept under the rug.

And Shichiro will have a lot to do in upcoming chapters. This chapter was just meant to be a small look at the world through his eyes, and a hint at what he can see.

[Shuppet Master]

And it looks like Ember might end up as one of those Shadowchasers, which is why Hebi-Na(who is obviously a monster too) tries to kill her. This is going to be an interesting story, Brian. Keep it up.

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER THREE

The role of a secretary is one that most people overlook. I’ve heard that, in the States, they have a National Secretary’s Day in April, which is something I would have loved to have. Let me tell you, as someone who used to be one, the job requires you to do more than just type and answer the phone.

Not that I ever had a real reason to complain about my job. It paid well, I was on the company medical and dental plans, and Mr. Draco wasn’t the worst person to work for. But maybe I just wanted more recognition. I wrote most of the presentations he made from data that people had collected, I arranged his schedule, I handled his finances, and I kept the solicitors away from his office. Some would even say that I was in charge of covering up any mistakes that he made, although I’d have never said that to his face.

A secretary is a vital part of any office, so my position on Mr. Draco’s staff was a vital one. And maybe I held a bit of resentment that it was a position that was often taken for granted.

And that resentment started to rise, as I worked into the evening alone, in the computer lab twenty floors below his office…



Shichiro drove into the garage of a townhouse – a rather upscale one that looked like it wouldn’t have come cheap, as was the case with most of the surrounding buildings.

As he parked his D-Wheel, someone came out to meet him. It was a muscular man wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with short, black hair. He had a tattoo of the goddess of justice (a winged, robed, blindfolded woman holding a sword in one hand and a balance in the other) on his right bicep.

“Shichiro…” he said, in a worried tone. “It’s about time you got here… You know it isn’t smart to keep the boss waiting…”

“C’mon, Gears, he’s been in this business a long time,” replied Shichiro. “I don’t think he’s gonna fire me…”

The two of them walked into a comfy-looking lounge, full of expensive furniture, with a fire burning in the fireplace. The fire never went out, and never needed tending or fuel. They didn’t know exactly how it worked, only that the boss needed it here for some reason.

As they sat down on the couch, a tall figure materialized in front of the fire. He looked transparent, which made sense, seeing as he was a holographic projection. (He was actually in a different part of the world right now, where he directed a global organization that Shichiro was only a part of. The hologram was his way of being in multiple places at once.) The figure was well-dressed, although his clothing was very outdated, and he had sharp, very feral features, and long, pointed ears. His skin was richly tanned, and his hair was a rich blonde, almost to the point of being gold.

“What’s up, Jalal?” asked Shichiro.

“Cordial as ever,” said the figure, in an accent that was clearly British. “I’m glad you finally got back, because we may not have much time.”

“You IDed this killer?” asked Shichiro.

“Its race, as least,” replied the figure. “It’s clearly an ophidia.”

“Makes sense,” replied Shichiro. “Strangles with its tail, right?”

“More than likely,” replied the figure. “I have no idea what interest it has in Godwin however, but we intend to find out.

“And the same tipster that gave me this information has told me that it has a new target.”

“Then why am I sitting here talking shop?” asked Shichiro, getting up.

He started to head back for the garage.

“Wire the info to my bike,” he called over his shoulder. “I’ll bring this guy in…”

“Be careful, Shichiro!” called Jalal. “Do this by the book for a change! You know how dangerous these things can be!”

He sighed.

“He’s so impulsive…”

“Better impulsive than careless,” sighed Gears.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Ugh…” muttered Ember. “This coffee is terrible…”

She sighed as she sipped it.

“…but at least it has caffeine…”

She turned back to the computer screen.

“Let’s see…” she said. “Second quarter profit earnings… Gross average of forty-four million yen…”

Then she stopped short. She realized that this was going to be given on a conference call to some group in London.

“Better find the exchange rate for the British pound…” she muttered, as she typed onto a website. “Give a comparison…”

She sighed as she inputted the data.

Five minutes later, she hit the save button, and then hit the print command.

As the printer churned out the document, she leaned back in her chair and held her head.

Then, she took something off of the desk. It was a deck case. She took out the deck and looked at the cards. She sighed.

Why can’t work be more like dueling? she thought. I just wish I had a little variation… A little extra spice to my life… It would help so much…

She didn’t see Hebi-Na silently creep up behind her. The assassin pulled a revolver out of a shoulder holster, and quietly placed a silencer on the muzzle of the weapon…

Ember was lucky that she had chosen that exact moment to look back at the screen. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have seen Hebi-Na in the reflective surface, pointing the weapon at her.

Her next move was directed mostly by panic-fueled adrenaline. She dropped to the floor, just as the shot fired.

Hebi-Na pointed the gun for a second shot as Ember scurried under the desk.

“Omigod, Omigod, Omigod…” muttered Ember.

“Oh, please, He can’t help you now,” said Hebi-Na. “Now come out from under there and face me standing up.”

“Really easy for someone holding a gun to say, huh?” said a voice.

Hebi-Na turned around in surprise, and saw Shichiro standing there.

She frowned. And then she smiled.

“Heh, heh…” she chuckled. “So… One of you finally found me, huh?”

“I don’t think it’s very funny,” said Shichiro. “So, whoever is behind this is using a female assassin?”

“Is that a problem?” asked Hebi-Na, smiling broadly.

Ember was shocked as she watched, and saw Hebi-Na’s smile…

She had fangs…

“Not really,” replied Shichiro. “I’ve always been equal opportunity.

“And you can shed your skin, by the way. You don’t fool me.”

Hebi-Na shrugged. Ember watched as she took off her sunglasses. That was when the next shock came. Her eyes were green and reptilian.

Then the biggest shock came when she undid a cord that held her skirt up, and let it fall to the floor. She had no legs. Her entire body below her waist was a long serpent’s tail. She seemed to be some combination of woman and snake. Ember was now starting to wonder if she was truly insane.

The oddest part was, this stranger who was confronting this creature was taking this bizarre situation as if it happened every day.

“So,” said Shichiro. “You’re an assassin… May I ask who you’re working for?”

“An exceptional person,” replied Hebi-Na.

“Right,” said Shichiro. “You have a choice then…”

He held his Duel Disk out in front of him.

“You can surrender and make it easy, or you can duel…”

Hebi-Na chuckled. She put the gun in the holster, and then produced a Duel Disk of her own.

“Where’s the fun in easy?” she asked.

What the? thought Ember. She had a gun… Why did she put it away?

“Truthfully, I’ve been hoping one of you would show up,” said Hebi-Na. “The money I’ll get for this hit is nothing once the other ophidia find out I took one of you down… I’ll be treated like a queen.”

Shichiro looked over at Ember.

“Just stay there, miss,” he said. “I’ll handle her… And don’t try calling anyone for help. The signal on this floor is probably jammed anyway.”

“Less talk,” said Hebi-Na. “I’m eager to duel now, and then have dinner after…”

She smiled again, again showing those fangs. Shichiro flinched a little. That comment could have had several possible meanings when coming from an ophidia…

(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)

“You certainly aren’t a lady,” said Shichiro, “but I’ll still let you go first…”

Hebi-Na made her first draw.

“Well, look at that,” she said, looking at it. “I summon Lamia in Attack Mode.”

She played a card, and a creature materialized in front of her. It looked like a reptilian woman, with long, blonde hair, scaly skin, and the lower body of a snake, similar to Hebi-Na. (1,300 ATK)

“She kind of looks like me,” she said. “But I’m much cuter.”

“Oh, please,” said Shichiro. “If some lame Reptile is the best you’ve got, this is going to be over quickly.”

“I’m not done,” continued Hebi-Na. “Next, I’ll throw down two facedown cards.”

She fit two cards into her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared behind Lamia in two flashes of light.

“Then, a Continuous Spell…”

A Spell Card flashed into existence, showing the picture of a glowing serpent rising out of a swamp.

“It’s called Swamp of the Dragon Snake, and it lets me Special Summon a low-Level Reptile from my deck at every one of my End Phases. But there’s a little catch… I have to Special Summon it to your side of the field.

“Okay… I’m ending my turn… And I think I’ll give you my Poisonous Viper!”

In a burst of energy, a small, green, venomous snake appeared on Shichiro’s side of the field. (100 ATK)

“Thanks…” muttered Shichiro, sarcastically. “You’re too kind…”

He drew a card and looked at it.

“Forgot to mention,” said Hebi-Na, “as its name suggests, that Viper is incredibly poisonous. Each time you start your turn with it on your side of the field, you lose 500 Life Points.”

Shichiro winced, and held his throat, as an aura of sickening green energy surrounded him.

“I figured it was something like that,” he said. “First, I’ll move it to Defense Mode…”

Poisonous Viper curled up in its coils. (200 DEF)

“Then, I’ll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

He played a new card, and the elven Warrior appeared, flashing his sword. (1,400 ATK)

“I don’t have much in my hand to help him,” he continued, “but I’ll change that… I play the Spell Card, Card Destruction.”

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Now, we must each fold our hands, and draw an equal number.

“Fine with me,” replied Hebi-Na.

She discarded her Heavy Storm and Shield Crush, and made two draws. Shichiro discarded Millennium Shield, Micro Ray, Warrior Dai Grepher, and Jutte Fighter, and made four draws.

“Much better,” he said.

He fit a card into his Disk.

“I Equip him with Jeweled Sword!”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian’s sword vanished, and a new, fancier one appeared in his hand. (1,700 ATK)

“Combined with his effect, only a select few Monsters can defeat him in battle now.

“Attack her Lamia!”

The Guardian made a slash with his blade. Lamia screamed, and then shattered into triangles.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Hebi-Na. “I can’t believe you took the bait!”

“Huh?” said Shichiro.

Then he noticed that Hebi-Na had activated one of her facedown cards.

“I used Lamia as a sacrificial lamb to use my Trap Cards,” she said. “First, Damage = Reptile. Now, when I take damage from a battle involving a Reptile, I get to summon a new one, so long as its Attack Score isn’t more than the damage I took. So, I’ll summon Venom Cobra to defend me.”

In a burst of energy, a rocky, earthen-brown cobra appeared on her side of the field, sitting on its coils. (2,000 DEF)

Then her second facedown card lifted.

“I also activate… Snake Whistle! Now, I get to Special Summon another Reptile, so long as it’s Level 4 or less. So I’ll summon my Black Mamba.”

In another burst of energy, a large, venomous snake appeared, with olive-green scales and a hood. (1,300 ATK)

“A bit of trivia,” she said. “The black mamba is the second largest venomous snake in the world, second only to the king cobra. But while it’s second in terms of size, it’s first in terms of speed. Some have clocked specimens at speeds of twelve miles per hour. Don’t think you can outrun this guy.

“But records aside, it is feared widely, as it has one of the deadliest venoms of all snakes.

“And by summoning Black Mamba, I get to change the battle position of one of your Monsters, so I think I’ll move your Poisonous Viper to Attack Mode.”

The Viper sprang up into an attack stance. (100 ATK)

Shichiro grunted. He looked at his hand.

“I’ll toss this facedown,” he said, “and that will be all.”

A facedown card flashed into existence.

(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)

Hebi-Na quickly made a draw.

Ember, meanwhile, looked at Shichiro. She noticed something – a sword was strapped to a sheath on his back.

Still, that really didn’t explain why Hebi-Na had put the gun away…

Kind of like taking a knife to a gunfight, she thought.

“I summon Gagagigo!” shouted Hebi-Na.

She played a card, and a tall lizard man with sharp claws and a long tail appeared. (1,850 ATK)

“You said that only a select few Monsters can defeat your elf now,” chuckled Hebi-Na. “Fortunately, Gagagigo fits the criteria.

“Gagagigo, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

The lizard man leapt at the Warrior, and made two slashes with his talons. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gasped, and shattered.

“You may have defeated him,” replied Shichiro, “but since he was armed with my Jeweled Sword, I now get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“Good for you,” replied Hebi-Na. “Black Mamba, attack his Viper!”

Black Mamba hissed, and slithered across the field, striking the smaller snake and swallowing it whole. Shichiro cringed in pain.

“I move to my End Phase,” continued Hebi-Na, “and use my Swamp of the Dragon Snake. So you get another Poisonous Viper.”

Another of the small Snakes appeared on Shichiro’s side of the field. (100 ATK)

“I just love to share…”

(S: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)

Shichiro drew a card. Then he winced as the poisonous aura surrounded him again.

“I move this snake to Defense Mode…” he muttered.

Poisonous Viper curled up, just like the last one did. (200 DEF)

“Then, I set a Monster, and one facedown card.”

A hidden Monster appeared. Then, a facedown card appeared next to the other one.

“Then, I activate Birthright!”

His first facedown card lifted, and Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, holding his sword in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

“Let me tell you a little story,” he continued.

“Does it look like my bedtime?” asked Hebi-Na.

“You know, snake,” continued Shichiro, “there was a legend among Samurai warriors… The legend stated that the first Samurai were actually trained swordsmanship by goblins. Even the great Minamoto Yoshitsune made this claim.

“This may have only been a legend, but then, how do you explain one ancient katana blade that adorned the halls of one feudal lord’s castle? It was known as the Goblin Sword… The Sword of Tengu!”

He played a card from his hand, and another Equip Spell appeared. Grepher’s sword vanished, and was Equipped with a glowing katana. (2,000 ATK)

“Destroy her Black Mamba!” shouted Shichiro.

Grepher charged at the large snake, and with one swipe, cleaved it in half.

“Ergh…” muttered Hebi-Na.

(S: 5,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)

At this moment, Ember noticed something else about Shichiro. A small mark was on his right cheek, that looked like a jagged line.

A criminal mark? she thought.

“I activate the effect of Damage = Reptile!” shouted Hebi-Na. “I summon a second Venom Cobra!”

Another of the defensive Reptiles appeared. (2,000 DEF)

“Then it’s your move, snake,” said Shichiro.

Hebi-Na hissed, and drew a card.

“I move Gagagigo to Defense Mode…” she said.

Gagagigo knelt, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF)

“Then, I sacrifice one Cobra…”

One Venom Cobra vanished…

“To bring out Giga Gagagigo!”

With a roar, a much bigger Reptile appeared. It looked like a hulking, more muscular version of Gagagigo, garbed in metal armor. (2,450 ATK)

“I end my turn,” she said. “And I use my Swamp to give you my third Poisonous Viper!”

Yet another Viper appeared on Shichiro’s side of the field. (100 ATK)

That’s odd, thought Shichiro. She didn’t attack, even though Giga Gagagigo is clearly stronger than Grepher…

He drew a card.

But I’ve got a bit of leeway…

“And now you lose 500 Life Points twice!” laughed Hebi-Na.

Shichiro groaned as an even more intense aura of poison surrounded him.

He gestured, and the second Viper curled up in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

“Grepher, destroy Gagagigo!” he shouted.

Grepher made a swipe with his blade, and the Reptile exploded.

“That’s all for my turn,” he said. “At least you’re out of Vipers…”

(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)

“Indeed,” chuckled Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

“I summon Skreech,” she said.

She played the card, and an odd-looking Reptile appeared. It had only two limbs connected to its lizard-like torso, and its head, if you could call it that, was little more than a tube-like mouth with teeth. (1,500 ATK)

“And what’s that going to do?” asked Shichiro.

“It’s going to attack Grepher,” replied Hebi-Na.

“HUH?” said Shichiro.

Skreech shot a blast of water from its mouth. Grepher swatted it aside, and Skreech exploded.

“You’re probably wondering why I purposely destroyed my Monster,” said Hebi-Na, taking her deck from her Disk. “Well, when Skreech is destroyed by battle, I get to send two Water Monsters from my deck to my Graveyard.

“So, I’ll discard two more Skreech.”

She selected the two cards, and then discarded them.

What sort of odd strategy is this? thought Shichiro, as she reshuffled.

“Now then…” replied Hebi-Na. “Giga Gagagigo, attack Grepher!”

The huge Reptile roared, and leveled a punch at the Warrior. He groaned, and shattered.

(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)

“Huh?” said Hebi-Na. “You didn’t lose any Life Points…”

“You think that the Sword of Tengu was just a glorified Legendary Sword?” asked Shichiro. “It has another effect – it reduced the damage I took to zero.”

“Then make your move…” muttered Hebi-Na.

Shichiro drew.

He groaned as the Vipers burned him again.

“Actually,” he said, adding it to his hand, “I choose to end my turn without making any move…”

(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)

Hebi-Na laughed, and made a draw.

“Well I’m certainly not gonna pass!” she laughed. “I sacrifice my other Cobra…”

The second Cobra vanished.

“…to summon Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice!”

A very large snake with black scales, and horns on its forehead appeared where the Cobra had been. (2,000 ATK)

“Urubonus here has a special effect,” she said. “When it attacks, the target loses 300 points from both its scores.

“So, Urubonus, attack his facedown Monster! Malicious strike!”

Urubonus hissed, and lunged at the facedown Monster. Then, Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card. (2,600 DEF)

Gardna’s Defense Score fell to 2,300, but it was still to much for Urubonus. Its fangs bit into his shield, and then it slunk away, shaking in pain.

Then Gardna stood up, holding his shield aside. (100 ATK) Hebi-Na laughed.

“Your Gardna moved to Attack Mode!” she laughed. “That means he’s easy prey for my other Monster!”

Giga Gagagigo rushed at the barbarian.

“Guess again,” said Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. “I activate Ready For Intercepting. This moves Gardna right back to facedown Defense Mode, just in time to take the hit.”

Gardna vanished, and was replaced by a facedown Monster. As Giga Gagagigo swung his fist, Gardna reappeared in Defense Mode again. The Reptile’s fist struck the shield. The Reptile cried out in pain and shook his sore fist.

Gardna stood up into Attack Mode again.

Hebi-Na fumed.

“I end my turn!” she pouted.

(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,950)

Shichiro drew a card. Then he groaned as the two snakes burned him again.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

That’s the sweet spot… he thought.

“I sacrifice both Poisonous Vipers…” he said.

The two snakes dissolved into mist…

“To summon Gilford the Legend!”

With a roar, a huge, hulking Warrior appeared. He was dressed in black, decorated armor, and a long, flowing, red cape, with a mask over his eyes with two forward-pointing horns. Rich, red hair cascaded down his back. He held a mighty sword that was almost as big as he was, and two more swords were slung to his back. Hebi-Na slunk back in surprise. (2,600 ATK)

All right! thought Ember. He not only got rid of those nasty Vipers, he summoned a powerful Monster!

“And due to his effect,” continued Shichiro, “He has access to all Equip Spells in my Graveyard. That means both Jeweled Sword and Sword of Tengu are Equipped to him.”

The two Equip Spells appeared behind Gilford. (3,200 ATK)

“And to clinch the deal,” he continued, playing another card, “I’m giving him another one. Synchro Boost. This raises his Attack Score by 500, and his Level by 1.”

(3,700 ATK)

“Destroy her Avatar of Malice!” commanded Shichiro. “Legendary blade!”

Gilford made a mighty cut, and the snake was cleaved in half. Hebi-Na groaned in pain.

All right! thought Ember. He’s gonna win! I guess I’m not doomed!

“Once again!” shouted Hebi-Na, “I use the effect of Damage = Reptile!”

She gestured, and a third Venom Cobra appeared on her side of the field. (2,000 DEF)

“I move Gardna back to Defense Mode,” said Shichiro, as Gardna crouched behind his shield again. (2,600 DEF)

“It’s your move, snake.”

(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)

Hebi-Na made a draw. She looked at it. It was Nobleman of Crossout. She looked at the other two cards in her hand, which were a second Damage = Reptile and Destruction Jammer.

“I’ll just move my Monster to Defense Mode, and that will be all,” she said.

Giga Gagagigo moved into a kneeling position, and crossed his arms. (1,500 DEF)

“You’re up to something,” said Shichiro, as he drew a card.

He looked at the Trap Card and added it to his hand.

“And I don’t like it…”

He pointed, and Gilford cleaved Giga Gagagigo in half.

“Make your move…”

Hebi-Na drew a card.

Then she smiled an evil smile, showing those fangs again.

“Enough play time,” she said. “Time to die…

“I just drew the queen of my deck… But to summon her, I have to remove from play every last Reptile in my Graveyard and on the field from play…”


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


Cards started spilling out of her discard slot. Then the Venom Cobra in front of her vanished.

“Having done that,” she said, placing them all in a pouch by her side, “I can summon… Evil Dragon Ananta!”

Then, an explosion blasted on her side of the field. From out of it, a titanic form rose. It looked like the classic Grecian Hydra, although that myth most often described it as a giant snake with nine heads. This one had only seven, and one of them seemed dominant. The dominant head on this Monster had fin-like gills on the sides and wore a golden tiara.

“Ananta’s Attack and Defense Scores are equal to 600 for each Monster I just removed from play to summon her,” continued Hebi-Na. “And in case you haven’t been keeping track, I had one Venom Cobra on the field, while my Graveyard had three Poisonous Vipers, three Skreech, two other Venom Cobras, Lamia, Gagagigo, Giga Gagagigo, Black Mamba, and Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice, for a total of fourteen.

“Multiply it. That equals a big number!”

“Quite…” muttered Shichiro, looking up at the huge serpent…

(8,400 ATK)

Eighty-four hundred Attack Points? thought Ember. That thing could defeat the God Cards! It could even beat Slifer after it was subjected to Slifer’s effect…

“Ananta,” said Hebi-Na, with a serene smile. “Attack Gilford, will you? Infernal venom blast!”

Ananta blasted a bolt of glowing, green energy at Gilford the Legend, and Shichiro shielded himself as his Monster was blown to atoms.

“Well?” shouted Hebi-Na. “Fall down! You should have no more Life Points!”

Shichiro glared at her.

“Take another look…” he said.

(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)

“How…” started Hebi-Na.

“You forgot that Gilford had the Sword of Tengu,” replied Shichiro. “It reduces the battle damage to zero, remember? It doesn’t matter how many Attack Points your Monster has.”

Hebi-Na glared back at him.

“He also had Jeweled Sword,” said Shichiro, “which means I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“I set one card facedown!” shouted Hebi-Na, as she threw a card into her Disk.

“Then I move to my End Phase, which means I can activate Ananta’s other effect, and destroy any card on the field. That means your Big Shield Gardna is history!”

Ananta breathed her venom blast again, and Gardna exploded.

Just try to beat me, she thought. You can’t possibly defeat Ananta in battle… And if you try to destroy her with a card effect, my Destruction Jammer will foil your plans.

Shichiro drew another card.

“I play Nightmare’s Steelcage!” he shouted.

In a burst of energy, a large, iron, domed cage appeared around Hebi-Na and her Monster.

“Get used to the bars,” he said.

“It’s pointless,” said Hebi-Na. “You forget that Ananta’s effect can tear this cage down.”

“No, I didn’t forget,” replied Shichiro. “But you can only do that during your End Phase, making me safe from her attack for one whole round.

“In the meantime, I’ll summon Queen’s Knight!”

He played a card, and the lovely female Warrior appeared, looking sternly at Hebi-Na. (1,500 ATK)

“I’ll also set a card facedown, and that will be all.”

A reversed card appeared behind Queen’s Knight.

“My move!” shouted Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

She looked at the card. It was her Creature Swap.

Definitely not, she thought, adding it to her hand.

“I move right to my End Phase,” she said, “and use Ananta’s effect to destroy your cage!”

The Steelcage shattered into shards of metal.

“My move…” said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

“I summon King’s Knight!” he shouted.

In a burst of radiant energy, King’s Knight appeared. (1,600 ATK)

“And that lets me summon… Jack’s Knight!”

In another burst, Jack’s Knight appeared next to his siblings. (1,900 ATK)

“And I end my turn.”

Hebi-Na grinned as she drew.

She looked at the card. It was Dust Tornado.

She smirked slightly.

So what’s the facedown card? she chuckled. Mirror Force? Sakuretsu Armor?

Boy, is he gonna be surprised…

“Ananta, attack his Queen’s Knight!” she shouted. “Infernal venom blast!”

Ananta breathed her vile attack. Shichiro shielded himself as Queen’s Knight was vaporized.

“You triggered my Trap!” shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. “Spirit Force!”

“Huh?” said Hebi-Na. “Spirit Force? What does that do?”

“The first thing it does is reduce the damage I would have taken from that attack to zero,” said Shichiro. “Then, I get to recover a Monster from my Graveyard. Of course, it has to be a specific kind of Monster… A Warrior who’s also a Tuner, who has 1,500 Defense Points or less.”

“Hold up,” said Hebi-Na. “You haven’t got any Tuners in your Graveyard…”

“Oh no?” asked Shichiro. “You clearly forgot that I played Card Destruction at the start of this duel…”

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

“Fine!” shouted Hebi-Na.

She fit the card she had just drawn into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“I move to my End Phase, and use Ananta’s effect. Let’s see… Eenie, meenie, minie, moe… Destroy Jack’s Knight!”

Ananta blasted her breath again, and Jack’s Knight was blown to bits.

With Dust Tornado set, she thought, I can destroy his next Trap Card as soon as he sets it. I can’t lose.

“I hope you enjoyed that…” growled Shichiro. “That was your last move…”

Ember felt a surge of energy coming from Shichiro as he made his draw.

“I play Pot of Avarice!” he shouted, playing the card.

The goofy jar appeared, and five cards – Queen’s Knight, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Warrior Dai Grepher, Big Shield Gardna, and Gilford the Legend slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

He looked at the two cards.

“All right, snake,” he said. “This is the round you go down.”

“Just try it,” said Hebi-Na, with an evil grin.

Shichiro sighed, and looked at her.

“You’re planning to protect Ananta with Destruction Jammer, right?” he asked. “Or My Body as a Shield? Well sorry, but neither one can protect her from what I’m about to do.”

“HA!” laughed Hebi-Na. “I’d like to see you try to defeat Ananta in battle right now!”

“Be careful what you wish for,” replied Shichiro. “First, I play Monster Reborn!”

The holy ankh appeared, and Jack’s Knight reappeared on his side of the field. (1,900 ATK)

“Then,” he continued. “I play Silent Doom, to bring back something else I tossed with Card Destruction…”

He played the card, and the legendary Millennium Shield appeared next to Jack’s Knight. (3,000 DEF)

“Now, I toss Noisy Gnat from my hand, which boosts Millennium Shield’s Level from 5 to 6.”

He discarded the card, and the Insect with the boom box appeared behind him. The Shield glowed with energy.

“Now then, I summon the Tuner Monster… Jutte Fighter!”

As he played his last card, a small Monster leapt onto the field. It was a short, funny-looking man, wearing a plain kimono and thick eyeglasses, his hair tied back in a topknot, carrying what looked like a water cooler on his back. True to his name, he was armed with a jutte (a blunt dagger with a single prong). (700 ATK)

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Hebi-Na. “Cute!”

“Cute and dangerous,” replied Shichiro. “Once per turn, Jutte Fighter here can move one of your Monsters to Defense Mode.”

Jutte Fighter jabbed with his weapon, and Ananta curled up in a Defensive Position. (8,400 DEF)

“Big deal!” shouted Hebi-Na. “Her Defense Score is the same as her Attack Score – unbeatable!”

“We’ll see…” replied Shichiro. “Jutte Fighter is also a Tuner Monster, in case you forgot.

“So let’s go…”

The card slipped out of his Extra Deck. The card. Shichiro’s heart always skipped a beat as he was about to play this card, and he was sure that the feeling was the same for everyone else in his position. This card was what made him what he was… It was what defined the path his life had taken…

Millennium Shield lay flat, and Jutte Fighter hopped onto it. Then he rode it towards the ceiling like a flying carpet. Ember opened her eyes wide…

Both Monsters dissolved into eight shimmering stars. The stars started to form into a tall shape…

The Monster that appeared had the same facial features and hair as the odd person who had debriefed Shichiro at the townhouse. But he was now wearing the armor of a heroic knight, with a shield with a golden dragon painted on it in his left hand, and a gleaming longsword in his right.

“Behold…” said Shichiro. “The Synchro Monster… Jalal the Dragonborn!”

(2,600 ATK)

“Humph…” muttered Hebi-Na. “He may be powerful, but he’s not even close to being strong enough to take down my Monster…”

“Jalal has a special effect,” replied Shichiro, “which I can use once per round, by paying half my Life Points. Having done so, I can remove from play a Spell or Trap from either Graveyard…”

A red aura surrounded him, as his Life Point counter fell. His own discard slot glowed, and a card slipped out of it.

“Once I do that, Jalal gains something called a Rune Counter…”

Jalal’s sword glowed with golden energy, and a strange sigil appeared on it.

“Then, by expending the Rune Counter, Jalal can use the effect of the Spell or Trap I removed from play, as if it was his own effect.

“The card I removed from play was this one…”

He held a Trap Card up.

“Micro Ray!”

Hebi-Na gasped.

“But that means…” she said.

Jalal became shrouded with magical energy.

“It means your Monster’s Defense Score is about to go from unbeatable, to pathetic,” said Shichiro.

Ananta roared in rage. (0 DEF)

“King’s Knight!” shouted Shichiro. “Slay her Dragon!”

King’s Knight let out a war-cry, and leapt at the huge Reptile. He smote off her central head with one swipe. The rest of Ananta shuddered, and then crashed, exploding into pixels.

“No…” said Hebi-Na, in fear.

“Jack’s Knight, direct attack!” ordered Shichiro.

Jack’s Knight made a slash at the ophidia with his sword, and she hissed in fear and rage.

(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,350)

“Jalal, finish her off!” shouted Shichiro. “Sword of the ancients!”

Hebi-Na screamed as the mighty blade cut her down the middle.

She collapsed.

(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)

“No…” she cried. “I… I can’t lose…”

She looked up, and saw that Shichiro was walking up to her, holding something that looked like a large, glowing sapphire.

“Look, can’t we work something out?” she pleaded. “I know people!”

“Tell it to the judge,” said Shichiro. “For now, you’re under arrest for the premeditated, first-degree murders of four humans, and the attempted murder of a fifth.

“My advice to you is, when you get there, start spilling your guts as to who hired you.”

The gem started to glow with far more intensity, and Hebi-Na screamed…

Then, she simply vanished.

Shichiro sighed, and put it away.

“Omigod, Omigod…” shouted Ember, running up to him.

“It’s okay,” said Shichiro. “You’re safe… She…”

“She was a snake!” screamed Ember. “What was she?”

Shichiro looked shocked. He looked at Ember.

“You… You saw what she really was?” he asked.

“Yes…” said Ember. “She… she was a snake… She looked like something her Disk would have summoned…”

Shichiro looked at her.

“Ho… boy…” he said.

He reached into his pocket.

“Oh no…” said Ember. “Did I see something I shouldn’t have? Are you going to put on a pair of sunglasses and then flash a light in my eyes that’s going to make me forget this whole thing happened?”

Then she saw that what Shichiro was taking out of his pocket was only a cell phone. He hit a speed dial number on it.

“Gears?” he said. “Yeah, it’s me. Yeah, I took care of it, but we have a problem…

“Yeah, her victim survived, she’s unhurt, and it seems she’s an Aware. A really potent one.”

“Aware?” said Ember. “What’s going on?”

“Yeah, I’ll be a while,” said Shichiro, into the phone. “Heck, this might benefit us in the long run.”

He looked at Ember for a few seconds.

Then he drew the next card off his deck.

It was Rose, Warrior of Revenge.

He looked at Ember again. He started to rebuild his deck.

“How did I see her for what she was if I wasn’t supposed to?” asked Ember. “How could you?”

“I could see her true form because I’m a Shadowchaser,” replied Shichiro.

“And apparently… So are you.

“Have you eaten dinner tonight yet?”

“Are you asking me out?” asked Ember, almost laughing.

Shichiro held her by the shoulders, gently.

“Not technically,” he said. “You see… uhm, may I ask your name?”

“Ember…” said Ember, nervously.

“Ember then…” continued Shichiro. “You deserve an explanation, and it will take too long for me to do it here… I can’t simply leave you without one…

“Your eyes have opened to the truth… And no matter what you do… They will never close again…”

Ember looked at him with a nervous glance.

“I’ll… get my coat…” she said.


You might find this hard to believe, but my initial meeting with Shichiro wasn’t the worst first date I had ever been on. The one that was… Well, it may not have started with someone trying to kill me, but it did end with me sneaking out of the restaurant out the lady’s room window. A story for another time.

Anyway, my “first date” with Shichiro, if you can call it that, included up to this point me getting my first full look at a Shadowkind, and him saving my life. I was glad that he had saved my life, but after what he had said to me before we left, I wondered what sort of life I would be going back to. How had my eyes opened? What was the truth? Was the world under the control of some evil entity like in The Matrix? Did aliens live among us like they did in Men in Black? And just what was a Shadowchaser? I certainly never remembered joining any group with that name…

I wanted to find out… If Shichiro hadn’t asked me out, I would have likely followed him. Fortunately, he had every intention of telling me…



URUBONUS, THE AVATAR OF MALICE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 5
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 800

Card Description: When this card declares an attack, the ATK and DEF of the attack target are decreased by 300 during the damage step only.



BLACK MAMBA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, switch the battle position of 1 face-up opposing Monster.



POISONOUS VIPER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 100
DEF: 200

Card Description: During the Standby Phase of this card’s controller, the controller of this card takes 500 points of damage.



LAMIA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500

Flavor Text: A demon that combines the features of a snake and a woman. Countless men have been lured to their dooms by its deceptive face.



SWAMP OF THE DRAGON SNAKE (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A swamp with a glowing serpent rising out of its waters.

Card Description: During each of your End Phases, you may Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Reptile-Type Monster from your deck to your opponent’s side of the field.

Note: The proceeding five cards were all used by Seika Kohinata in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



JEWELED SWORD (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: An armored glove holding a sword point-down, glowing with golden energy.

Card Description: Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, draw one card.

Note: “Jeweled Sword” was first used by Gokaido in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Champion or Chazz-Been”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SWORD OF TENGU (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A katana sword with the hilt shaped like a fanged face.

Card Description: Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. Battle damage you take from a battle involving the Equipped Monster is reduced to zero.



JALAL THE DRAGONBORN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 2,400

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can pay half your Life Points to remove from play 1 Normal or Quickplay Spell or 1 Normal or Counter Trap from either Graveyard to place 1 Rune Counter on this card (max. 1). At any time during your or your opponent’s turn, you may remove a Rune Counter on this card to duplicate the effect of the card that was removed from play as this card’s effect.

Note regarding this card:

I am usually quite willing to let other fanfic authors use custom cards that I have created. With this one, however, I must add a condition.

“Jalal the Dragonborn” is a card that was designed specifically for this fanfic. Shichiro’s card is not unique, but it is a special card whose use is limited to the members of one organization. In future chapters, its significance and history will become clearer. Therefore, I will only permit its use in fanfics that are part of the same mythos. If anyone ever wants to do a spin-off of this fanfic and I approve of it, this card may be used. In any other fanfic, its use is not permitted.



Coming up next:

What are the Shadowchasers? What is their purpose? Explanations are coming next chapter, as Shichiro gives Ember the whole picture, and sheds some light on the dark of the world that is known only to a few. Be here, because you won’t want to miss it any more than Ember does. “The Eye of Truth” is next.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, I have to admit I'm disappointed, but only because my expectations were completely off.

I was expecting Hebi-Na to be a villain lurking in the shadows for most of the story, like Kadabra or Persephone Amore. Now I see why you brushed over her in the last chapter, making an earlier criticism misinformed.

Shame, the physical description you gave was very cool.

I hope you revert to one of your older mechanisms, and make the main villain part of the story rather then just sitting in a lair watching the action. There's a reason we remember Gestalt you know.

And I'm afraid I'm still having a tough time pinning down Shichiro's deck theme. It seems to be Warrior Beatdown with the Syncho on display only when it's convenient. If Synchros are the true goal, the deck seems sloppily built.

Another trap is taking deck themes wholesale. While I DO acknowledge that you expanded, taking every card from a duelist in the anime/manga is simply repeating a performance. (for me at least, for many who are less of a nerd then I am, it's probably introducing a whole new theme.)

One suggestion could be using some of the cards from the source, and filling in the rest yourself. Giant Spitting Cobra would have been a treat.

Now that the ugly stuff is out of the way, I congratulate you for planting the hook early. Getting the ugly back story out of the way that you have a tendency to shove to the last act makes the story more about the journey then the mystery.

Shichiro is experienced, something you haven't really done before to my knowledge. This can make the story a journey of accomplishing a goal instead of discovering a goal to accomplish.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Mythical species in a "real" anime setting. Curious. Looks like a futuristic Van Helsing substituting holographic card games for stakes.

Said like that it sounds weird, but the fun of a story is making the ludicrous reasonable through the journey, and a very good writer can do that without the audience asking questions.

And so far, there aren't any questions raised that I have doubts about.

Well, enough long wind for now, but rest assured I'll be paying VERY close attention to the next installment.

[Dark Sage]

I'll reply to these concerns, as I should.

Yeah, Hebi-Na was only a henchman. (I had totally forgotten about Giant Spitting Cobra... In hindsight, that would have indeed been good.) Anyway, when my true villains show up (and yes, there will be a couple) they will indeed be more social and not just wait for the heroes to reach them. They went through some complex designs, and I'm pleased with the results.

Also, Shichiro is only one main character. Another has only made a cameo (that other guy who was with him at the townhouse) another has not yet been introduced, and another is Ember. These characters will use lots of cards that have not been seen in the anime, and I'll try to make all of their decks balanced. I'm not trying to make Shichiro into another Yusei, but the Warrior theme is one that fits him for several reasons that I can't get into right now. (At this point, Shichiro's deck does not have Junk Warrior, although he may obtain one eventually.)

Yeah, Shichiro is experienced. He's been doing this for a while, and the other main characters except Ember are a little more experienced than he is. I'm breaking new ground in this fic, and I'm having a good time doing it.

Anyway, keep reading. Next chapter there will be no duel, as it is the obligatory backstory/explanation chapter. I may post it early because of this.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Well I read the first two chapters, then found YGO 5D episodes, watched them, re-read the chapters here including this one and it all makes more sense to me now.

I like the way you're fusioning 5D battling, with normal battling AND the shadowchasers subplot. The villians look mediocre for now, but that's because their henchmen. I'm intrigued about the plot and wonder what kind of the decks the other shadowchasers play.

Shichiro is kind of cliché to me, being a more stubborn, talkative Yusei (but I have only read three chapters, so this is a temporary observation). Without the heart of the cards bullshit that is. His deck seems ok, if somewhat standard, although uncertain to pinpoint for now. I'm expecting something fresh.

Sorry if this seemed a bit harsh, but I really like the way the fic is going and I wouldn't want to see it get repetative or cliché (eventhough I like happy endings). Keep up the good work and I'll be sure to read the next chapter.

[Shuppet Master]

Yay! I happened to read this just as I was coming down from the recent episode of 5Ds. (Poor Luna, being tormented with hypnosis like that!)

I hope there will be other people dueling. I can't wait to see Ember's deck!

Also, I do tend to see Yusei in Shichiro, but I know you are trying desperately to avoid copying known characters, something I can't do very well. If I ever did a spin-off or any 5Ds fic, I would tend to get cliched and try to make twins like Leo and Luna. I love twins! But anyways...

And nice how you mentioned the conditions of using Jalal. I would never steal such a very sacred Synchro monster like that. I'm impressed - I'm still getting into this whole Synchro Monster thing(using special types of monsters and special summoning them by sacrificing monsters on the field only) and you're just making an awesome fan Synchro! This might bring me back into doing a Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic... MIGHT. <_<

If not, I'd gladly try to win a contest where the winner got to create a Synchro Monster.

EDIT: I apologize for using the twins's dub names, but I live off of dubs, which is why I don't think I'll do a spin-off of Shadowchasers. You'd hate me forever because I'd use the dub names.

Just keep chugging along, Brian, I'm 150% behind you!

[Dark Sage]

Let me say this right now...

I am using the Japanese names, but I will not force this on anybody else. Anyone who wants to do a spin-off of my fic eventually who would rather use the dub names is free to do so.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

[Dark Sage]

Since this next chapter is the obligatory exhibition chapter, I felt I’d best debut it a little early. Enjoy.

CHAPTER FOUR

After what had happened, I sort of expected Shichiro to take me somewhere special and exotic. Somewhere very unusual.

But he didn’t take me to see some mysterious wise man, like Morpheus, nor did he take me to any secret base where aliens hung around a lounge with a coffee pot smoking cigarettes.

Instead, he took me to a quaint Italian restaurant, run by a guy whom he seemed to know, who appeared to fit the stereotype of a friendly, old, Italian chef. Shichiro told me right away that Giorgio, as he called him, was a retired member of their group, and that our conversation would be held in peace, without any disturbance from anyone who might want to interrupt, including Security. When I asked why Security would want to interrupt, he said, “You never know…”


Shichiro hadn’t made much small talk since they had gotten into the restaurant. After ordering drinks and an appetizer, he looked closely at the Rose, Warrior of Revenge card.

“So what exactly is this all about?” asked Ember.

“It’s… very complicated…” said Shichiro.

Shichiro had not exactly kept track of where he had gotten every single card he used, but this one was special. For one thing, it was a Level 4 Tuner – that was pretty rare. He believed that of all the Tuners in circulation, only five of them were Level 4, and all five weren’t exactly common. And some of them had some sort condition attached to them when you used them. This one had no condition. It was simply a Level 4 Tuner, which was searchable in his deck, and had an effect that was somewhat useful.

But regardless, the circumstances in which he had gotten it had been very strange, even as far as rare cards were concerned…

* * * * * * * * * *

The mysterious woman in miko regalia grinned as she handed Shichiro a card.

“The most I can do for the help you’ve given me,” she said.

“Rose, Warrior of Revenge?” asked Shichiro, looking at it.

“Uh, uh, uh!” replied the woman. “Don’t get excited… I’m lending you this card. You can use it until its true owner is ready to use it.”

“Its true owner?” asked Shichiro.

“A warrior of fire, just like the Monster on the card,” replied the woman. “And just like a Tuner, this warrior has great potential…

“Be careful, now… Don’t give it away on a whim. It would be a tragedy if this wound up in the wrong hands.

“Even if you find this warrior, do not give this card away until the warrior recognizes its purpose. Until then, you can always use a good Tuner.”

“But what IS its purpose?” asked Shichiro. “Is it more than just a Tuner?”

“Indeed…” said the woman, walking away. “The warrior will realize its true purpose, if not immediately, then in time. When that happens, that is the time to give him or her the card…”

And then she faded into the darkness…

* * * * * * * * * *

“You seem glued to that card,” said Ember.

“Ah, yeah,” said Shichiro, putting it on the top of his deck. “I, uhm, I noticed you were a duelist too… Mind if I see your deck?”

Ember carefully handed him the deck. Shichiro slowly looked through the cards.

Okay, he thought. Now I know I’ve found something…

“You have a few Tuners, I see…” he said.

“Uhm, yeah,” said Ember. “I only have one Synchro though. Well, it is my favorite card, sure…”

“Yeah…” said Shichiro, looking through the deck. “It’s a pretty good deck, to tell the truth… Does dueling run in your family?”

“Well…” said Ember, blushing a little. “I have a cousin who’s a minor contender in the pro circuit… Not a Turbo Duelist, he stays on his feet. Maybe you’ve heard of Eiko Akira?”

“I don’t pay much attention to the pros,” replied Shichiro.

“He has a Lightsworn Deck, and he’s pretty good…” replied Ember. “And yeah, he helped me with mine, a little…”

“Look…” said Shichiro.

He handed the deck back, and took the Rose card again.

“I want to try something… When I show you this card… What… purpose do you see that it has?”

Ember looked at it and shrugged.

“It’s a Level 4 Tuner,” she said. “Not without its charm…”

“Uhm, yeah…” said Shichiro.

He shuffled it back into his deck.

It may take some time, he thought.

“Well, Ember, I promised you an explanation… So let’s start…”

He cleared his throat, and folded his hands.

“Monsters are real,” he said. “It’s been that way for a long time.

“Creatures of legend walk the street in disguise – elves, werewolves, pixies, gnomes, and dozens of other creatures of myth. Folks who know about them call them Shadows or Shadowkind.

“All Shadows have the ability to mask their presence. Some appear human to those who can’t see what they really are. Some can’t be seen at all.”

“But why can’t people see them?” asked Ember. “Is it some sort of conspiracy?”

“Not quite,” replied Shichiro. “It’s more like a veil. The simple fact is, most humans simply don’t notice them. It has more to do with the nature of the human mind than the nature of the universe. People generally walk around in a state that can best be described as ‘autopilot’. They don’t pay attention to the people around them. Why should they? Fashion is ubiquitous, opinions are guided by the mass media, people are people. It’s perfectly natural.

“If you had lunch in a restaurant today, you can probably remember what you ate. But can you describe your server? If you parked your car this morning, you remember where you parked. But can you describe the car next to yours?

“Unless something odd happens, most people interpret the world as a series of ordinary, explainable events, and pay no attention to details. But what happens when they see Shadows? If a person saw a gang of orcs on a rampage or a fire drake torching a building…”

“Oh, he’d certainly notice that!” replied Ember.

“No,” replied Shichiro. “Most people wouldn’t. The minute something like that happens, human nature takes over. We are assured early in our lives that such things don’t exist. So, when someone sees a monster, his mind creates an illusion, telling him that he’s seeing something else. The gang of orcs becomes a gang of street toughs, while the fire drake becomes a gas main exploding. The easy answer completely obscures the truth, and people continue on in their lives, blissfully unaware of the reality.

“But Ember… Some people are not like this. Some people can see the Shadows for what they truly are. And to protect those who might be endangered by them, and to protect the Shadows themselves if they are in danger, this has given rise to the Shadowchasers.

“Humans come in three varieties. The most common type are called Mundanes by Shadows who are nice, and Clueless by ones who aren’t. They can’t see through the veil at all. Even if they look a Shadow directly in the face, they’d never suspect it was anything but human. Some Shadows have been known to fall in love with Mundanes, they are loved back, and they get married, and sometimes even have children… But even if the marriage is one made in Heaven, the human never realizes the true nature of his or her spouse. The Shadow can’t go right out and say it, lest he sound insane, or even worse, no longer be trusted.

“Then there are humans that are called Sensitives. They aren’t as in the dark as the Mundanes. They know that something odd is going on when Shadows are around, and they might be able to see a Shadow for what it is when they view it out of the corners of their eyes. But they still can’t see the whole truth.

“Then there are the Awares, the rarest type. That’s what the two of us are. These humans can usually see the Shadows just as plainly as an actual Shadow can. The veil can’t hide anything from an Aware. It is from these people that the Shadowchasers come from, because they are the best at dealing with Shadows.”

“Do Shadows ever… marry these types of humans?” asked Ember.

“Uh huh,” replied Shichiro, “and such Shadows are often better off than ones who fall in love with Mundanes, because far more trust is involved. A marriage needs trust, after all.

“Of course, that isn’t common. Some Shadows find humans physically unattractive, and some simply can’t mate with humans due to biological differences, if you know what I mean. Not all Shadows are mammals, although that doesn’t always make a difference. Shadows are magical creatures, and the laws of science don’t always apply to them.

“But, when a child is born from such a union, the heritage of the Shadows is passed on. Take ophidia like Hebi-Na. There are numerous humans alive who can trace their lineage back to them. They’re called snakeblooded. Folks like this are called Shadow-Touched.

“But I seem to have strayed a little…”

“But how does one become… Aware?” asked Ember. “How does one get these powers?”

Shichiro chuckled.

“Well, Shadows themselves are automatically Aware,” he said. “Shadows have no trouble seeing other Shadows. And as for humans who are, it’s really not a question of how they gain such ‘powers’, but more a question of how they lose them.”

“Pardon?” asked Ember.

“Humans are usually born at least Sensitive and sometimes Aware as well,” replied Shichiro. “You know how children are often said to have overactive imaginations, and see monsters in the night that adults never see?”

“It isn’t their imagination?” asked Ember, getting nervous.

Shichiro shook his head.

“Most children can see glimpses of Shadows, and some can see them quite clearly,” he said. “Children look at the world through different eyes than adults do. They have an understanding of things that adults find hard to comprehend.

“You ever read a short story called Mimsy Were the Borogoves?”

“Isn’t that a line from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky?” asked Ember.

“Yes,” replied Shichiro, “and Mimsy Were the Borogoves was a short science fiction story written in 1942 by an author named Lewis Padgett. That was a pseudonym for two authors who collaborated, I believe. In it, it is revealed that the words in Jabberwocky are part of the language of a future civilization. However, due to their peculiar complexity, only children can understand their true meaning. In the story, young Alice Liddell learns them, and recites them to her ‘Uncle Charles’. He thinks them nothing more than fanciful words, because he’s an adult, but says he’ll put them in one of his stories.

“Shadows are sort of like that. Because children view the world in a different way, they see things that adults can’t.

“Some imaginary friends that children have are very real friends, who are actually Shadows who don’t bother with disguises, choosing not to be seen at all by humans who can’t see the truth. I know this doesn’t make much sense…”

“No… No!” shouted Ember. “My kindergarten teacher… She was so sweet, but we all knew she wasn’t human… We could all swear that she had pointed ears and that her eyes were almost hypnotic… And she brought these gingerbread cookies on Fridays that were so good, the parents kept begging her for the recipe…”

Shichiro shrugged.

“She might have been an elf,” he replied. “She wouldn’t have been the first such Shadow who took a job that involved taking care of children. And if she was, the cookies likely had fey cinnamon in them. That stuff is indeed the envy of human bakers. But before you jump to conclusions and go look her up, keep in mind that they might have simply been very good human-made cookies. The Shadowchasers have mistaken certain humans for Shadows more than once.

“But anyway, adults assure children that it’s their imagination, and since children are taught to obey their elders, this usually goes unnoticed. And by puberty, children quickly lose their ability to see the Shadows, and they convince themselves that their childhood visions were all only fantasies.

“Whether they ever gain their sight back again… Well, there’s no known way to purposely gain it. No-one ever does anything to himself to make himself Aware. It depends on a lot of different factors and a good deal of random chance. Take me for instance. You notice my name…”

Ember did. “Shichiro” meant “seventh son”.

“I have six brothers,” continued Shichiro. “All six are older than me.”

“You must have gotten a lot of hand-me-downs,” replied Ember.

“Tell me about it,” said Shichiro. “My father also has six brothers, and they are all older than him.

“You can imagine what Christmases are like for our family. My three oldest brothers are married, the oldest one has two children already, the second-oldest has one, and one on the way.”

“Quite a family,” replied Ember.

“My grandpa was a very old-fashioned guy,” said Shichiro. “He was of a type who believed that a man’s status was dependent on the size of his family, something that is still true in some cultures.

“But getting back to me, some people say that a seventh son of a seventh son will grow to possess odd powers. That’s the only explanation I can think of as to why I became Aware… Four years ago…

“Aware humans are rare, of course. It isn’t always like that. There have been times in the past when Awares were far more common. In ancient Greece, for instance, far more folks could see the Shadows, and stories told by Awares gave rise to all the popular mythology of that culture… Such as stories of the Gorgon and the Minotaur, and all the monsters fought by Heracles…”

“So then, were folks like him and Theseus and all the other heroes… Shadowchasers?” asked Ember.

“Well, technically, the Shadowchasers don’t go that far back,” replied Shichiro. “But if the heroes of myth truly existed, they were certainly Aware.

“Changing the subject, Shadows do come from somewhere… They aren’t truly native to Earth.

“Shadows originally come from another world that exists beyond our reach. Some alternate world in another dimension, where the physical laws are different. We figure it’s likely the sort of place that J.R.R. Tolkien might have dreamed up. Some powerful force takes them – kidnaps them, some would say – and transports them to our world, dumping them here unceremoniously, usually in a populated area. A Shadow never comes to our world willingly or purposely. Some Shadows are born in our world, as most of them are living creatures, and like most, are able to reproduce, as I’ve already said.

“When Shadows come to our world, their memories of their past lives quickly fade. But they keep their instincts, and most are able to adapt. When a Shadow finds a newly arrived Shadow, most are compassionate enough to give him or her directions to the nearest member of its species, or an ally who can reach one. Neo Domino alone has several clans, each one made up of one species, and all of them will gladly take in a fellow member who’s made the transition. If no-one helps one, the Shadowchasers find it soon, and they do the job.

“Most Shadows simply want what humans want. They want to live normal lives and make the most out of what they have. They quickly realize that they can’t go home, so they adjust. Some Shadows have become very powerful in society. In some countries, Shadows hold high positions on the boards of large corporations, and even governments. If there’s a politician in the States who everyone loves and respects, yet who refuses to ever try to run for President, it might be because he knows he’s ineligible, as he’s not a natural-born citizen… And not even human.

“However, when a Shadow wants more than it is entitled to, it becomes dangerous. Shadows often have powers that make them stronger, smarter, or more charismatic than the average human.

“And sometimes, humans that are Aware want to exploit, or even enslave Shadows. Bigotry is a problem in all walks of life.

“That’s where we come in.

“The Shadowchasers were formed roughly a thousand years ago, with the intention to keep Shadow activities stable. Their goals are both to fight Shadows who are a threat to humans, and protect law-abiding ones who are threatened by other forces, human and Shadow alike. Shadowchasers are selected mostly from humans who are able to perceive Shadowkind for what they are, but rarely, Shadows themselves join.”

“There’s one thing I don’t get,” said Ember. “Hebi-Na had a gun. Why did she put it away and agree to duel you?”

“First of all, she wouldn’t really have needed the gun to kill you,” replied Shichiro. “Most ophidia can kill their victims – who are usually far weaker than they are – with their bare hands, or tails as the case often is. If met with actual resistance, they use their fangs, which contain deadly poison.

“Second, she realized that a handgun is worthless against a Shadowchaser. I know a few tricks myself that make me more than a match for anyone with a firearm. Shadowchasers have learned this stuff over the centuries, mostly from friendlier Shadows. We know martial arts styles that Bruce Lee would have had difficulty learning. Well, maybe a guy like him could have managed them eventually…

“You see, that’s the very reason for using Duel Monsters: Shadows tend to be stronger than most humans, and Shadowchasers tend to have supernatural powers as well. Several centuries ago, the boundary between Shadowkind and humankind was not very well defined, and the two groups threatened to collapse into all-out war. Thus, the leader of the Shadowchasers, a powerful warrior named Jalal, and the most powerful representative of Shadowkind, a wizard of the Incantifer species named Maskent, met and drafted the Great Treaty.

“The Treaty outlines a set of laws that Shadows must follow for dealing with humans, and puts the Shadowchasers in charge of enforcing them. In return, the Shadows are left in peace, and get several benefits that humans would find impossible to obtain, so long as they don’t break the Treaty.

“But both Jalal and Maskent knew that conflicts would arise between Shadows and Shadowchasers. The most important part of the Treaty stated that any time a Shadow and a Shadowchaser had a disagreement, the resulting conflict had to be fair.

“Of course, ensuring that the conflict is indeed fair has been the hardest part over the years. For the longest time, the best way that a Shadowkind criminal who was on trial could seek acquittal was to argue that he was arrested via a means that was not fair. This led to incredibly bothersome legal procedures over the years…

“But the invention of Duel Monsters was a godsend to both sides. Neither side can truly predict what the other is capable of in such a contest, and thus the fight is fair. It was proposed as the fairest way of settling any conflict, and eventually, it was agreed to. And once it spread, legal challenges to that issue were pretty much done away with.

“Now, should a Shadowkind break such a vital part of the Treaty and go rogue, it’s in big trouble, because at that point, it loses every benefit it gets from the Treaty. That’s when Duel Disks are put away and true weapons are used. Every Shadowchaser in its geographic location and every bordering one would hone in on it, and it would have nowhere to run. Plus, if too many members of a Shadow’s clan break any part of the Treaty, the whole clan is penalized for raising its members as hoodlums. The clan leaders will think twice next time about how they discipline their members.

“That’s why almost all Shadows learn how to duel. It has become how almost all civilized disputes are settled in modern times. And it’s far better than the conflicts that occurred in the past.”

“Are… Jalal and Maskent still alive?” asked Ember.

Shichiro nodded.

“Most Shadows aren’t immortal, but they are,” he said. “You’ll meet Jalal soon. The Incantifers are a race of incredibly powerful sorcerers who learned the secret of immortality a long time ago, but fortunately, almost all of them are pacifists. They’re mostly scholars and philosophers who spend time trying to figure out great secrets of the universe. Such as how to find a way back to the homeworld of Shadow. That project is tops on their list.

“Of course, in a survey we recently conducted, only about twenty percent of Shadows that were surveyed said they would ever want to go back. They were pretty sure that stuff like the internet and digital TV didn’t exist on their home world.”

He chuckled.

“Anyway,” he continued, “Jalal and Maskent are still in charge of keeping the original copies of the Treaty. They keep them under incredible security, and they also are in charge of all legal matters that come up. The Shadowchasers’ courts and other legal facilities are located in a hidden location with our central headquarters in Great Britain. It’s a complex that The Hague would envy. When I arrested Hebi-Na, I sent her to a holding cell there where she can be processed.”

“And Sector Security lets you do this?” asked Ember. “Why can’t they catch these criminals? Why can’t they mark them, and…”

Shichiro laughed.

“Ember, Ember, Ember…” he said. “Godwin makes you believe that once a marker is on a criminal’s face, he has nowhere to hide, and Security can swoop down on him at any time. Let me tell you the hard, cold facts: It’s a fiction designed to make the population of Neo Domino think that they’re safe. The truth is, those markers are far from foolproof. They’re incredibly easy to jam and fool. Anyone with a computer and some hacking skills can do it.

“And Shadows have another thing on their side: magic. If a Shadow ever found himself marked, all he’d have to do is go to his clan’s shaman, medicine man, or witch doctor, depending on the species, and that individual would use a simple spell that took five minutes to cast that would wipe the mark right off his face as if it were never there. Also good for removing tattoos.”

“A cosmetic surgeon could lose his license for doing that!” gasped Ember. “You let these shamans do this?”

Shichiro reached into his pocket and took out an iPod.

“Yes we do,” he said, as he looked something up on it. “Because, according to Section Four of Article Eight of the Treaty, and I quote…”

He read off the screen:

“A Shadowchaser will never: A. Turn a Shadow over to a member of a human law-enforcement agency; B. Aid a human law-enforcement agency in the apprehension or investigation of a criminal who is known to be a Shadow, unless he or she intends to apprehend the Shadow for the cause of the Shadowchasers, or; C. Hinder a Shadow in evading a member of a human law-enforcement agency. In a case where a Shadow has committed a crime where a human law-enforcement agency and the Shadowchasers are both involved, the Shadowchaser must make sure that the Shadow is processed by the Shadowchasers’ justice system, regardless of what aid he or she gives or what aid is given to him or her by the human law-enforcement agency in question. End quote.

“In other words, Shadows are granted immunity to any justice system but ours, and if Sector Security doesn’t like it, tough. It’s necessary to prevent humans and Shadows from hating each other, and some clans of Shadowkind would be furious if one of their members was subjected to some of the penalties for crimes that human criminals have to deal with.

“To make a comparison, in the States, there are several communities of Native Americans who hold treaties with the American government that make their communities independent states that are not answerable to American law. Shadowkind is kind of like that, only on a global scale. Shadows are fickle creatures, and when dealing with criminals among them, one has to be very careful.

“For example, you think some humans simply oppose the death penalty? Some clans of Shadow consider it the vilest blasphemy and an insult to the gods, worse than any crime that a criminal could commit. If a member of their clan was sentenced to it, they’d demand that everyone involved in the criminal’s trial and conviction, the judge, jury, prosecutor, arresting officers, and every witness, be tried for the abominable act, and nothing else would placate them. Any human who came across that clan would be in serious trouble until they got what they wanted, which, of course, we couldn’t give them.”

Ember looked at him.

“I… understand…” she said, nervously. “I assume the Treaty is pretty long?”

“Very,” replied Shichiro.

Ember was quiet for a few minutes.

“Is Godwin a Shadow?” she asked.

Shichiro chuckled again.

“We suspected him of being one for a long time,” he replied. “Seems he’s only a very unusual human…”

The waiter brought a plate of fried calamari to their table.

“Godwin is either very eccentric, or he’s one of the smartest geniuses in the world,” he continued. “Just which, we aren’t sure. From what we’ve managed to learn, and don’t go spreading this around, by the way… He’s part of some… sect or something that believes some Star Dragon King imprisoned an army of demons and a Demon Lord underneath the Nazca Lines in Peru several millennia ago. The Shadowchasers are trying to figure out whether this Dragon King or these demons, if they even exist, have anything to do with Shadowkind, but we’ve come up empty so far. There’s certainly no record of them in any histories of any clans that we monitor.

“Anyway, Godwin can’t see the Shadows, doesn’t believe in them, and thinks the Shadowchasers are nothing more than a dueling club, so the Shadowchasers plan to leave him alone until such time as he becomes a threat to us, which we aren’t ruling out.”

“Why does he let you do as you please?” asked Ember.

“Well, he doesn’t, personally,” replied Shichiro. “But, we made a little… deal with a high-ranking member of Security, and as a result, they leave the Shadowchasers alone. If a Shadowchaser gets in trouble with Security, all it takes is a quick phone call to get him out of trouble.”

“You mean you have an official ‘in your pocket’?” asked Ember. “That sounds a little corrupt…”

“Well, so are a lot of the things that Godwin does,” replied Shichiro. “Just ask Bommer…”

“The guy who was arrested at the Fortune Cup for trying to kill Godwin?” asked Ember.

“Did you actually listen to what he said before he did so?” asked Shichiro. “If you didn’t, you should have. He wasn’t lying.

“It’s like that all around the world, truthfully, Ember. Every government has one or two influential members who are Aware, who realize that Shadow can be dangerous, and realize that the Shadowchasers are the only force that can control it. Thus, these people must make deals with the Shadowchasers to keep their countries safe. Of course, since the Shadowchasers will never pledge allegiance to any government agency, sometimes these officials get angry. They consider ending the deal and forming agencies of their own to deal with Shadow…”

“But then…” replied Ember, “they realize that to do so, they’d have to propose the idea to the rest of the governing body, and suggest that government money, most likely taxpayer money, go towards keeping elves and goblins in check.”

“You catch on fast,” said Shichiro. “Governments have been known to start questionable programs… The United States once had a national council that researched individuals with psychic powers… The KGB had a program which looked into theories of mind control during the Cold War… Then there was the U.S. Air Force’s now-famous Project Blue Book, which studied UFO sightings. But in all these cases, there was visible proof that these agencies would not be a total waste of time and money. With one or two Awares in a government body that consists of hundreds of Mundanes, there is no proof of Shadowkind. No technological devices can be made to see them. There would only be the word of the Awares. So proposing such an outlandish idea is not smart.

“Even if the head of state is Aware, he usually wants to keep his position. Such ideas never get past the planning stage, and they grudgingly keep the deals that they made with the Shadowchasers. And the end result is, the Shadowchasers are given more leeway than usual, and can do their business without being molested by Mundane officials.”

Ember paused again.

“But why all the secrecy?” she asked. “Why can’t humans all handle the truth? I’m sure humans and Shadows could get along. It’s not like people couldn’t handle it…”

“Try telling that to the vampires,” replied Shichiro, as he chewed on a piece of calamari.

“Vampires?” asked Ember.

“A tragic tale,” sighed Shichiro, shaking his head. “Centuries ago, the vampires were a numerous race. And a lot of them had that thought. Then, around the beginning of the Victorian era, the most influential vampire decided that his people could indeed live peacefully among humans, and they didn’t need to hide any more. Most vampires agreed, and they lifted the veil surrounding themselves.

“For a few years, it worked. Humans and vampires lived in harmony… But then… Something happened that made them hate each other.

“No-one knows how it started… No-one knows who threw the first blow. But the two races collapsed into a war that the Shadowchasers were powerless to stop. The vampires were the clear losers. When the dust cleared, almost none of them had survived.

“Today, vampires are all but extinct on Earth… Whatever force brings the Shadows here stopped bringing them here, possibly wanting to prevent another war. And it’s really a shame. The media portrays vampires as bloodsucking demons, but in reality, it was only true with some of them. If you listened to some of the music that the great vampire composers created before that time, you’d know that they weren’t all bad…”

“They were musicians?” asked Ember.

“Quite…” replied Shichiro. “Mozart was Aware, and he was close friends with a vampire who shared his passion and talent for music.

“A far more subtle problem arose when another race of Shadow decided to reveal themselves to certain humans… Gremlins.”

“Gremlins?” asked Ember, raising an eyebrow.

“Stephen Spielberg’s portrayal was very inaccurate,” continued Shichiro, “and they don’t like it very much. Gremlins are actually fey creatures. Nature spirits like brownies and pixies. Unlike most of their kind, they’re fond of machines and technology. Several centuries ago, gremlins revealed themselves to humans who shared this interest.

“Gremlins assisted Benjamin Franklin in his electricity experiments… They helped Thomas Edison develop several of his most well-known designs… Virtually every great inventor and engineer before the Twentieth Century owed something to these Shadows.

“The problem was, these scientists took all the credit for themselves, and gave none to the gremlins. And for good reason. What was Edison supposed to do, tell people that little men with pointy ears helped him invent the light bulb and the phonograph?”

“People would think he was nuts,” replied Ember.

“Exactly,” said Shichiro. “But the gremlins didn’t understand this. And eventually, they got mad. They started to resent humanity, and turned malicious. They started using their knowledge of technology to sabotage it, rather than improve it.

“During World War II, they were notorious for attacking military aircrafts. After their sabotages started to become lethal, the Shadowchasers labeled them an outlaw race, and started a serious campaign aimed at rooting them out. It was hard work, but most of them were found and disciplined. Most clans of gremlins behave themselves nowadays, out of fear of more punishment, but they refuse to ever help humans like they used to. They’re discouraged from doing so.

“Since those times, other races of Shadow learned from the vampires’ sad fate and the gremlins’ mistake, and know enough to keep themselves hidden from humanity. The Shadowchasers know it too, and they work hard to keep the secret from those who can’t see…

“We consider creatures with the power to lift the veil among the most dangerous threats. Perhaps you’ve…”

He looked around. His voice sank to a low whisper.

“Maybe you’ve heard of Darkness? As in proper name?”

“Darkness?” asked Ember. “I thought he was a myth… Jack Atlas has a card with his picture on it… A powerful one called The End of Storm… I think Mukuro Enjo has one too…”

“And that’s one card that Shadowchasers are absolutely forbidden to use,” replied Shichiro. “Whoever the foolish card designer was who thought up that card didn’t realize the risk of displaying that madman’s ugly face.

“We don’t know much about… him, only that he was a powerful demon who could have caused every dimension in existence to spill into each other, merging all consciousnesses together, in his twisted vision of universal peace. Humans losing their individuality would have been bad enough, but if it had happened to humans and Shadows at the same time, peace wouldn’t have been the result. It would have caused insanity.

“Anyway, a great hero defeated him. Not a Shadowchaser, but he was a good kid. Heh… He took care of Darkness while the Shadowchasers were protecting themselves from his spell and trying to figure out what to do!

“Darkness has since been on the Shadowchasers’ ‘Ten Most Wanted List’, to compare his status to another system. He hasn’t been seen since his defeat, but Jalal and Maskent have powerful wards encircling the globe that would set off a series of alarms if Darkness or any being we know of that posed a similar threat ever came back.

“But Ember… It’s a big world, and the threats get more dangerous as the world gets bigger. We need all the help we can get…

“And we need your help too, Ember. You’re an Aware… You’re also a Shadowchaser.”

“Why?” said Ember. “Why me? I didn’t sign up for this…”

Shichiro sighed.

“Ember, let me give it to you straight…” he said.

“You can never go back to what you once were. If there was a way for an Aware to become Mundane, I’d offer it to you. But no-one has ever found a way to do that. And not for lack of trying either. The Incantifers are working on it, but all they’ve ever hit are dead ends. They say that finding the cure for cancer might be easier, and they’re no closer to solving that than they were twenty years ago.

“And the Shadows don’t like being spied on. Now they’ve identified you. Hebi-Na was only the first. Without protection, there will be others.

“Awares rarely ever last long if they try to take their chances alone. Sooner or later, if they try, an evil Shadow sees her as a threat, and wants to get rid of her. I saved you from that snake, but sooner or later, an assassin is going to come who won’t miss.

“The only way you’ll become safe is if you become stronger. And to do that, you need to join us…

“The motto of the Shadowchasers is, ‘Ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power’.”

“I don’t follow…” replied Ember.

“It means that being ignorant to the truth doesn’t assure that you’ll be happy or safe,” replied Shichiro. “If the Shadowchasers weren’t around, the Shadows likely would have taken over the world by now. Can you imagine the advantage that such powerful beings who couldn’t be seen by most humans would have if they weren’t kept in check?

“But knowing the truth puts you in a much different situation. Some Awares think they have power because of what they see, but if they use their perceived power wrong, they can be just as dangerous as the most evil of Shadows.

“An Aware has to learn to temper his gift with the responsibility to use it, and the Shadowchasers are the only true way that can happen. We’re the only thing that keeps the majority of Shadows and humans living in peace, more or less.

“If our cause failed, pretty soon, half the population of Earth would be at war with the other half… That would have apocalyptic repercussions!”

Ember looked down.

“How much does it pay?” she asked. “Are there benefits?”

“All needs are taken care of,” replied Shichiro. “We can even offer you a place to sleep that’s better than whatever apartment you have now. There’s no real salary, but we all have access to a very generous trust fund that should take care of anything you need. We take care of our own.”

“Am I going to have to change my diet?” asked Ember.

“We’re talking this over in an Italian restaurant, Ember,” chuckled Shichiro. “Most of us aren’t on any special diet. We burn off whatever we eat rather quickly.”

“I don’t know the first thing about driving a D-Wheel,” added Ember.

“It’s easier to learn than you think,” replied Shichiro, “and you won’t use one until you’re well-established anyway. As for eventually getting one, I’m close friends with a mechanic who has built no less than five, including mine.”

Ember sighed.

“I’ll… need to think it over…” she muttered.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ember had to admit, she had never had a date like Shichiro. He was a real gentleman, he paid the bill entirely, and kept his hands to himself.

“That was pretty good fettuccini alfredo,” she said, as they left the restaurant.

“Come back here when you can and try the pasta fazool,” replied Shichiro. “It’s even better.”

As they walked up to Shichiro’s bike, a limo pulled up in front of them. Ember stepped back in surprise, clearly recognizing it.

The chauffer quickly got out, and opened the back door.

Mr. Draco stepped out, pushing the chauffer aside. He was wearing a black overcoat and sunglasses.

“Next time I say hurry, I mean it!” he scolded.

He sighed, and looked at Ember.

“Ember, I am so, SO sorry,” he said, holding her by the arms. “I came as soon as I heard… The idiots in charge of security on that floor will never work for me again…”

“I should hope so,” replied Ember.

“Ember, look, I’m going to make this up to you,” continued Draco. “A big bonus will be in your account tomorrow morning. And I know I owe you a lot of vacation time. I insist you take it now. You’re overworked enough as it is…”

“Actually,” said Ember, “a good vacation was on my mind…”

She looked at Shichiro.

“Ah, yes, Mr. Osaka,” said Draco. “A word…”

He went aside, taking his sunglasses off.

“Mr. Osaka,” he said, “I can’t thank you enough for saving my secretary’s life… I heard you belong to some sort of non-profit organization… As my way of saying thanks, perhaps I can make a donation…”

He took a checkbook out of his coat.

“If you’ll just tell me who to make it out to…”

“That’s very nice of you, Mr. Draco,” replied Shichiro, “but we don’t accept private donations.”

“Oh?” asked Draco. “And from where do you get your funding?”

“I’m not at liberty to say,” replied Shichiro.

“I see,” replied Draco, as he put it back inside his coat. “Well… perhaps I can help you another way… I may well know who hired that Hebi-Na woman… I’d tell Security, but let’s face it, Godwin’s troops may be able to arrest a shoplifter or a purse snatcher, but they aren’t as reliable with matters this big…”

“Matters this big?” asked Shichiro. “How big?”

“Well,” said Draco, “as you know, she was associating with me – reluctantly, on my part, I might add…”

“In what regards?” asked Shichiro.

“Well, she claimed to be the go-between for a rich private investor in Germany who was interested in a microchip project I was working on. She gave me the name Fynn Herrscher and gave me a phone number that she claimed was for an office in Hamburg. But after calling a few times, I did some checking, and found out that the number actually was for some place in Rotterdam, and there was no such person as Fynn Herrscher. I think the person who I was speaking to was actually an associate of Hebi-Na’s true employer…

“I believe it was… Louis DaPen…”

“Louis DaPen?” said Shichiro, somewhat surprised.

“Yeah, and you didn’t hear that from me,” replied Draco. “You realize now why it would be a bad idea to report this to Security…”

Shichiro nodded. He knew that people like DaPen often owned members of Security.

“Anyway,” said Draco, “good luck with whatever it is you’re doing.”

He sat back in the back seat of the limo.

“Ember… Have a good vacation, and try to relax, please!”

The door closed, and they watched as the limo drove off.

“Louis DaPen?” asked Ember. “I’ve… sort of heard of him…”

“He’s Godwin’s biggest embarrassment,” sighed Shichiro.

“Louis DaPen is the godfather of Neo Domino. He first appeared in organized crime circles about ten years ago, and somehow made his way to the top rather quickly. He may well be the most powerful crook in town.

“Godwin wants the good people of Neo Domino to think that the mob doesn’t exist in his precious utopia, but it’s another lie. Organized crime is as much a threat here as it is anywhere, and he’s struggling to control it.

“We’ve suspected for a long time that DaPen might be a Shadow, but we can’t make any definite conclusions. Not many people ever actually see him. Godwin thinks he conducts his ‘business’ from somewhere in Satellite, but Security has yet to make any headway in rooting him out.”

“So where do we go from here, Shichiro?” asked Ember. “If I agree to this… And I haven’t yet… Am I going to be your apprentice?”

“Ah, heh, heh, heh,” chuckled Shichiro, nervously. “No, not mine… I can’t do that…”

“Why not?” asked Ember.

“Well, I’ll tell you one of my dirty little secrets,” said Shichiro. “About two years ago, I pursued an unauthorized project. I thought that, with training, a Sensitive could be made into an Aware. So, I found an incredibly powerful Sensitive, and took him under my wing.

“But like I said before, no-one can purposely become Aware. It didn’t work out. We had a falling out, and he left. The fact of the matter is, I’m a good duelist, I’m a good fighter, but I’m a lousy teacher.

“But don’t worry, I have someone else in mind, and I’m sure she’ll be happy to do it.

“Now, if you decide to take me up on it, meet me here at seven tomorrow morning.”

He handed her a card.

“If you get in trouble before then, that’s my cell, and that’s my pager. Don’t call after midnight unless it’s an emergency, because I have to sleep sometime…”

Shichiro watched as Ember got into a cab (and paid the cabbie himself) and then watched it drive off.

Then he dialed his cell phone.

“Gears?” he said. “I’m coming back. I think we’ll see this one again. In the meantime, is Jinx there?”

“Not right now,” replied Gears. “She just called, said she was chasing some dark elf who had lifted some green ice.”

“Green ice?” asked Shichiro. “Uh, that’s gangster slang for stolen emeralds, right?”

“You got it,” replied Gears. “I don’t need to tell you what gemstones mean to magic-sensitive races…”



My dad said a lot of smart things, as I already told you. One smart thing he often said was that a good way to make a decision was to sleep on it. And I was tired enough right now to sleep thought Armageddon.

As I lay in bed in my modest apartment, I wondered what was going on in the city… I wondered how many of these Shadowchasers there were, and if there were battles going on between them and creatures that I had only seen before in fairy tales.

I thought of many things, such as my kindergarten teacher, who had read to me and my class such children’s classics as Green Eggs and Ham and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Had she been a supernatural being all along? I thought of all the other fantasies I remembered from my childhood that I had assumed were just dreams…

Around midnight, something woke up in me… A small nudge that turned the doubt I was experiencing into excitement…

And something occurred to me…

I had made a wish right before Hebi-Na had attacked me… It seemed that my wish had come true.



Coming up next:

We move away from Shichiro, and into the mean streets of Neo Domino, as a friend of his, that Shadowchaser whom he named Jinx a minute ago, pursues her target to the best of her ability. A Turbo Duel where every move is decided by whim starts, as she tries to bring bad luck to her foe. Be here next time for “Lucky Chance”, or you’re out of luck.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Very interesting chapter. I loved how you explained everything. Neo domino like in the animé made way for a whole new, harry-potter-like world. It's cool how you seemed to combine MIB, Harry Potter and YGO features all in one fic.

The new fantasy world looks promising, and although I'm still not convinced of Shichiro's character, I'm looking forward into seeing the rest, including Ember.

Good going.

[jkBAKURA]

Now THIS is a story! This is turning out to be the most mature and well thought out fic I've ever seen from you DS. You've obviously spent time working out the logic and answered many of the questions and possible plot holes in a very natural sounding way.

Heck, with a premise like this, you may want to consider several smaller story arcs instead of one big one.

It combines the best elements of Van Helsing and Yu Yu Hakusho and even manages to throw in dueling all WITHOUT taking it too far from the world of the anime.

The couple months of waiting were well spent indeed.

Here's hoping the quality doesn't go down, and I don't want to jinx it (pun intended by the way) but you have me hooked in a way that makes this look like more then just another one of your fanfic projects.

*sigh* if Paradox was still in the game, I bet even he would give this one a look.

I hope you have plans to keep the effort up, (which is a tall order to ask, good writing is exhausting), but you've always been dedicated, and this proves you have what it takes to go one step further.

Congratulations

[Shuppet Master]

Wow, I'm having recollections of "Men In Black", when the main character was invited to join the Men In Black and had to change his lifestyle so he basically lived his life at work and was "erased" from society.

This is a great story, Brian. I'm definitely thinking of writing a new Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic now!

EDIT: I'm still seeing a clone of Yusei in Shichiro, but it's not as bad now. We really need to do fanart here!

Jinx is that character you narrated in the second trailer, wasn't it? The one with the gamble deck? I can't wait to see her!

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER FIVE

Now, you’re all probably wondering, just what DO gemstones mean to magic-sensitive races? As I found out later, Mundanes really have no idea.

Humans value gems because of their beauty, and their rarity. Not to mention for their durability. Men give their sweethearts diamond-studded engagement rings, not only because of the beauty, but because they are symbolic. A marriage is supposed to last forever, and even if it doesn’t, the diamond will. In the case of diamonds that aren’t so pretty, they are valued for their hardness. Diamond-tipped drills and saws are among the sharpest cutting instruments made by man.

Shadowkind value gems for all these purposes as well. But only Shadows realize that gems have yet another value. The Earth is a living creature, and she’s a source of great magical power. Traces of her power are found in the treasures dug up from her deepest parts, the precious stones that the rich covet. In other words, there’s magic in gems. Thus, wizards can use precious stones as components in the most powerful of spells, or as parts of powerful magical items.

And diamonds are not the most precious of gems as far as magic is concerned. That distinction goes to a gem called adamantine. Mundane humans don’t know about this gem, because only certain Shadowkind can find them, let alone mine them, and they’d never sell them to Mundanes. The power they hold is incredible. Second in power is diamonds… And then comes emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, the three of which are about equal. Most of the time, the more valuable a gem is as far as its monetary value, the more magical power it has.

And that’s the catch… Whether you want a gem because of its beauty or because of its magical power, such objects are always incredibly expensive… And they are targets for Shadows who are thieves just as much as humans who are.



As Shichiro was driving home, a chase was happening on the other side of town, close to the financial district.

A dark elf thief named Malken had recently lifted what looked like the score of his life. A case of fine, cut emeralds, just arrived from Colombia, and on its way to the Neo Domino Reserve. They were just precious stones to him, since he wasn’t a wizard, but he knew of several who would pay through the nose for them. And once he sold them, he would be eating steak and drinking champagne for a year. A thief by trade, he knew that the transition period had the lowest security for an item of value, so he had swooped into the much smaller bank where they had been stored and gotten them. Even better, he had gotten away long before Sector Security had arrived. As he drove away with his prize, he had chuckled as he envisioned the foolish humans wondering how he had cracked that holding safe so easily.

In fact, he thought he could probably make the most money selling them to his clan leader, doing away with most of the fuss in the process. Normally, the leader of a Shadowkind clan would get in trouble for letting its members steal, let alone encouraging it. But dark elf matrons were far cleverer than any orc chieftain. She would simply not ask him where the gems had come from, so if anyone questioned her, she could honestly say that she had no knowledge of them being stolen. (This trick was nothing new – human fences have used it for years, and Shadows had learned a great deal from humans.)

But as of five minutes ago, his plans had fallen apart. While he had evaded Security, he had not evaded the Shadowchaser who had come to investigate. And as he drove his jet-black D-Wheel at high speed down the street, she was in hot pursuit.

Her D-Wheel was a similar design to Shichiro’s (it had been built by the same person – Gears) and her outfit was similar too; not shabby, but not too much money spent on needless frivolities. She was two years older than Shichiro; her long, blonde hair trailed from beneath her helmet, flying in the wind as she chased after the thief.

Her friends called her Jinx, for a good reason that anyone who knew her quickly understood. Only Jalal and her parents ever used her real name anymore.

Malken looked at his console, saw the rear view, and saw that she was gaining. Her D-Wheel was much better well-built than his.

“No way some Shadowchaser is gonna throw me in the cooler!” he shouted.

He hung on tight to his prize as he turned a corner, running a red light. Jinx continued to pursue. She smirked as she saw him turn into a large parking garage.

“Big mistake, pal,” she said with a smirk. “Now you have nowhere to go but up… And once you get to the top, you’re going down…”

She drove in, and saw Malken waiting for her in the middle of the first floor. She slowed to a halt.

“I believe you have something that doesn’t belong to you, hot-shot,” she said.

“And what would the humans do with this ice?” asked Malken. “Turn it into necklaces and bracelets? Never realize what it can actually do? Stuff like this is wasted on the Clueless.”

“They’re the ones who bought it, and they can do with it as they please,” replied Jinx. “It’s not your job to judge. Now, are you going to give it back quietly, or do we have to this the hard way?”

Malken sneered.

He took a deck out of his belt, and plugged it into his gauntlet.

Jinx sighed.

“They always want to do it the hard way,” she said.

She placed her own deck into her own gauntlet.

“You’re not taking me without a fight!” replied Malken. “The ice is my way to easy street, and you’re gonna have to make me give it back!”

“Fine…” said Jinx. “Then I’ll just have to. And to think, I thought this was gonna be a dull night…”

The Field Spell flashed into existence on the dashboards of both their D-Wheels. Quickly, the parking garage was transformed into the pulsating realm of Speed World.

“Catch me if you can!” shouted the elf.

He started his D-Wheel, and it drove down the corridor, with Jinx in pursuit.

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

“I’m gonna put you on ice, fast!” shouted Malken, drawing his first card. “I summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode!”

He threw a card on his controls, and a Machine appeared in a burst of digital ones and zeroes. It was a cute robot, with red plating, googly eyes on its face, and a large gear on its back. (1,300 ATK)

“Your Monster looks like it came from a toy store!” laughed Jinx.

“It may be a toy, but it’s not playing around,” replied Malken. “By summoning it…”

“I know, I know…” replied Jinx. “You get to take a Yellow Gadget from your deck. Well, I’m not scared of him, either.”

A card slipped out of Malken’s deck, and he stowed it on his gauntlet. Then he chose another one.

“I’ll throw two cards facedown, for later,” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared, and then faded from sight.

Probably Trap Cards to protect that Gadget, thought Jinx, as she made her first draw. Well, I won’t bite yet…

Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, going up to one apiece.

“I summon Abare Ushioni!” she shouted.

A portal opened beside her bike, and with a loud bellow, a bulky creature charged out of it. It was bull-like in shape, with red skin, three eyes, and odd tattoos all over. It started to run next to Jinx’s bike. (1,200 ATK)

“HA!” laughed Malken. “That guy can’t beat my Gadget!”

“He doesn’t have to attack to hurt you,” replied Jinx. “When I give the command, a coin is gonna toss. If I call it right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call it wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.

“Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Then a blast of golden energy shot out from the rear of her Runner, forming into a spinning coin.

“Heads!” she shouted.

The coin landed between the two D-Wheels, and spun rapidly…

Then it slowly came to a stop. It was heads.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and a blast of energy shot from its three eyes, striking Malken’s bike. He grunted, as his Speed Counters dropped back to zero.

“Lucky…” he muttered.

“I’ll set a facedown card of my own,” said Jinx as a facedown card flashed into existence on the other side of her bike. “And with that, I end my turn.”

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,000)

Malken quickly drew a card. His Speed Counter rose back up to one, while Jinx’s rose to two.

“I summon Yellow Gadget!” he shouted.

In another digital flash, another toy robot appeared. This one was yellow, naturally, with a single eye on its headless torso, a gear in running lengthwise through the center of its body, the two halves of a gear on either side of its back, and arms that looked like pipe cleaners. (1,200 ATK)

“By doing that, I get to pull Green Gadget from my deck…”

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

“Red Gadget!” he shouted. “Turn her Abare Ushioni into hamburger! Attack!”

Red Gadget rushed at the large bull.

“Not so fast!” shouted Jinx, as her facedown card lifted up and spun around. “I activate… Fairy Box!”

The image of a colorful whack-a-mole appeared behind her, and loony music started to play.

“Now I get to toss a coin each time you attack, and if I guess the toss right, your Monster’s Attack Score falls all the way to zero!”

Once again, a blast of energy shot out of the rear of her bike, and turned into a spinning coin.

“Heads again!” she shouted.

The coin slowly stopped spinning… It was indeed heads.

“Aw, man!” shouted Malken, as Red Gadget’s Attack Score plummeted.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and rammed the Machine, blowing it to pieces. Malken grunted as his Speed Counter fell to zero again.

“I end my turn!” he shouted.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,800)

He swerved around a corner, and up the ramp to the second floor of the parking garage. Jinx had him treed, it seemed, but she still had to win this duel. She quickly followed him.

She drew a card. Her own Speed Counters went up to three, while his went up to one again. She knew she simply had to keep pounding away at him. If she kept his Speed Counter down, the moves he could make would be limited.

“I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box,” she said.

She looked at the card she had just drawn, and added it to the hand of cards on her gauntlet.

“Then I use Abare Ushioni’s effect again!” she shouted, as the coin shot out of her bike. “Tails this time!”

The coin started to spin once more. It stopped.

It was tails.

“I’m having the worst luck…” muttered Malken.

“They don’t call me Jinx for nothing,” replied Jinx.

Ushioni’s eyes started to glow.

“But my luck is about to get better!” shouted Malken, as he discarded a card.

The blast fired, and was halted by a dome of pure light.

“Huh?” said Jinx.

“I just discarded a Hanewata,” replied Malken. “It shields me from all effect damage this turn.”

“I see,” added Jinx. “Well, it’s time to say goodbye to Abare Ushioni anyway…

“I sacrifice him…”

Abare Ushioni turned into an orb of light…

“…to bring out Maximum Six!”

The orb exploded, and in its place was a huge, hulking ogre, with purple skin and six arms. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. (1,900 ATK)

“Here’s the deal,” continued Jinx, as the huge creature followed her. “I’m gonna roll a die this time. Then, I multiply the result by 200, and add it to this big guy’s Attack Score.

“So…”

Then a different blast of energy shot out of the rear of her bike. It turned into a die and bounced on the floor between the two runners.

It came up five.

Maximum Six roared, and flexed its muscles. (2,900 ATK)

“Not bad,” said Jinx. “Maximum Six, smash his Yellow Gadget!”

The ogre flew at the robot. With one punch, the Gadget was squashed flat, and Malken’s bike wobbled, as his Speed Counter fell to zero again.

“Trap activate!” shouted Malken, as one of his facedown cards spun around. “The Grave of Enkindling!”

“Eh?” said Jinx.

“Now, we each Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in Defense Mode,” replied Malken. “So, I’m bringing Red Gadget back.”

Red Gadget appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,500 DEF)

Jinx gestured, and Abare Ushioni appeared in front of her, sitting in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

(J: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,100)

Hanewata is still protecting him from effect damage, thought Jinx. Using Ushioni’s effect again would only be a risk to me.

“Your move, hotshot,” she said. “Unless you want to give up right now.”

“NEVER!” shouted Malken, as he swerved up the ramp to the third floor.

He drew a card.

He smirked.

His Speed Counters went up to one once again, while Jinx’s went up to four.

“First, I summon my Sinister Sprocket!”

A small but odd Monster appeared next to Red Gadget. It looked like a dark spool with eyes, trailing a long length of chain. (400 ATK)

A Tuner Monster? thought Jinx. But that means he’s going to summon a… Humph, he stole it, most likely…

“Next,” continued Malken, as his other facedown card lifted, “I activate Give and Take. Now, I can summon Hanewata to your side of the field.”

Jinx looked surprised as a small Watapon with wings appeared in front of her. (300 DEF)

“It also means that my Monster goes up in Levels equal to Hanewata’s Level,” continued Malken. “So Red Gadget is Level 5 now.

“Time to put the chill on you and your gamble cards!”

Sinister Sprocket wrapped its chain around Green Gadget. The two Monsters flew towards the ceiling, and burst into six stars. A large shape started to rise behind Malken.

“I Synchro Summon… Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary!”

A cold wind blew through the whole parking garage, as the huge Monster appeared. It was a huge, winged, crystalline serpent, with a chilling glare that radiated pure cold. (2,300 ATK)

“Ho boy…” muttered Jinx.

“Now I activate Brionac’s effect,” chuckled Malken. “By sending a card in my hand to the Graveyard, I can send one card on the field back to its owner’s hand! So I’ll be taking back Hanewata.”

He discarded a card, and a cold wind blew in Jinx’s direction. Hanewata vanished, appearing in Malken’s hand.

“By the way,” continued Malken, “that card I discarded was a special card called Ojamagic. That means I get to take my three Ojama cards from my deck.”

Three more cards slipped out of his deck.

“Giving you three more cards to discard, right?” growled Jinx.

“You’d better believe it,” said Malken, as he discarded the three cards.

The cold wind blew again, and Jinx’s Fairy Box, Abare Ushioni, and Maximum Six vanished, appearing in Jinx’s hand.

“Seems your lucky streak is ending right now!” he laughed. “Attack directly! Chilling blight!”

Brionac breathed a stream of pure cold, slamming into Jinx’s D-Wheel and causing it to shake. She shivered as her Speed Counters were knocked down to two.

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Malken. “Your move…”

(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,100)

Jinx quickly drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to three, while his rose to two.

He has Hanewata in his hand again, she thought. He’d just use it again if I tried to use Abare Ushioni, and then he’d attack and wipe it out. Better just stall…

Malken was surprised when Jinx simply set a reversed card, and signaled the end of her turn.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” he laughed. “Did you forget about Brionac’s effect already? He can blow that Trap Card right off the field!”

“Just move,” replied Jinx.

“I will,” laughed Malken, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to three, while Jinx’s rose to four.

“And here goes my Trap Card!” shouted Jinx, as the card she had just set spun around. “Threatening Roar! Now, you can’t attack me this turn!”

A loud roar ripped through the garage, and Brionac recoiled.

“You’re just stalling,” growled Malken. “I’ll summon Green Gadget anyway.”

In another digital blast, the third of the Gadgets appeared. True to its name, it was green, and seemed to have one big gear for a torso. (1,400 ATK)

“Now I get to search for a second Red Gadget,” he said, as a new card slipped out of his deck.

He sped up ahead of her, speeding up the ramp, and up to the fourth floor.

I have to beat that huge Sea Serpent this round, thought Jinx. If I don’t, he’ll just use its effect again…

She drew again. Her Speed Counters rose to five, while his rose to four.

“I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!” she shouted, as a Speed Spell appeared on her side of the field. “Now, I get to draw two cards…”

She made two draws.

“…so long as I then discard one from my hand.”

She quickly discarded Abare Ushioni. She looked over her hand.

“And now, with my Speed Counters holding on at more than four, I can play this! Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!”

She shifted gears, as a more powerful Speed Spell appeared.

“I’ll fuse together Alligator’s Sword and Baby Dragon…” she said.

Two of Katsuya Jonouchi’s signature Monsters appeared in front of her. They swirled together like two colors of light.

Then they combined in a burst, resembling Alligator’s Sword riding a larger version of Baby Dragon as a mount. (1,700 ATK)

“What did you do, copy Jonouchi’s deck card for card?” laughed Malken. “Imitating him doesn’t give you his luck. And just how is that guy going to beat Brionac?”

“HE isn’t,” replied Jinx. “You saw one side of my deck… Now see the other. I summon… X-Saber Palomlo!”

The portal behind her opened again, and a new Monster emerged. It was a lizard man of some sort, but far more serious-looking than Alligator’s Sword. He was garbed in barbarian armor, holding a battle-axe with an X-shaped insignia on the hilt. (200 ATK)

“An X-Saber Monster?” asked Malken. “I’ve… I’ve heard of them.”

“Good,” said Jinx. “They’re quite fond of their reputation. And this one happens to be a Tuner. So let’s go, people!”

Palomlo held his weapon in front of him, and it shone with energy. He and Alligator’s Sword Dragon flew towards the ceiling, and turned into six shimmering stars.

“I Synchro Summon… Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!”

With a loud whiny, a rider galloped onto the field. He at first suggested Gaia the Fierce Knight, but with updated armor. He still held his trademark lances, as he galloped alongside Jinx’s bike. (2,600 ATK)

“Oh, man…” muttered Malken.

“Gaia, attack his Dragon!” shouted Jinx. “Spiral Spear Strike!”

Gaia charged, and stabbed his spear into the great beast’s gizzard. Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary let out a roar, and then shattered into shards of ice.

“I’m not finished yet!” shouted Malken.

“We’ll see,” said Jinx.

A facedown card appeared on her side of the field before fading.

“It’s your move.”

(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,800)

Malken made a draw, as his Speed Counters went up to five, while Jinx’s went up to six.

He frowned. Green Gadget crouched in Defense Mode. (600 DEF)

“That’s all,” he said.

Jinx drew a card. Both Speed Counters went up a notch again.

“I set one Monster in Defense Mode,” she said.

A hidden Monster appeared, and then faded from sight.

“Then I attack!”

Gaia charged, and skewered Green Gadget. It burst into pixels.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Malken quickly drew. His Counters went up again, to six.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown,” he said, as a reversed card and a hidden Monster appeared. “And that will be all.”

The facedown cards faded.

Jinx shifted gears and sped alongside of him, with Gaia riding alongside, as she made a draw. Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, hers going up to eight, and his going up to seven.

Hmm, Lost Star Descent, she thought, looking at the card she had drawn.

“I set a card facedown,” she said, setting it.

“Then I attack with Gaia!”

Gaia charged once again. As he did, a ceramic jar appeared on the card. A shadowy, one-eyed creature with a toothy mouth emerged from it, and let out a loud cackle before it shattered.

“That was my Morphing Jar!” laughed Malken. “Now we have to ditch all the cards in our hands, and draw five replacements!”

They both quickly discarded their hands, and made five draws each. Jinx placed them on her gauntlet, and looked them over.

“It’s your move…” she said.

The two D-Wheels turned, riding up the incline to the next floor. Malken drew a card. His Speed Counter clicked up to eight, while hers rose to nine.

“I summon… My third Red Gadget!” he shouted.

Red Gadget appeared once again. (1,300 ATK)

A second Yellow Gadget slipped out of his deck.

“Now, a Trap Card,” he said, as his facedown card spun around. “The powerful Ultimate Offering. This let’s make as many Normal Summons as I want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points for each additional one.

“So I’ll pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget.”

Yellow appeared next to Red. (1,200 ATK) Another Green Gadget slipped out of his deck.

“And I’ll do it again to summon Green.”

His Life Points went down by 500 again, and Green Gadget appeared. (1,400 ATK)

“And finally…” he said. “I’ll use Ultimate Offering one more time… And sacrifice Green and Yellow…”

The two Gadgets vanished into orbs of light.

A double sacrifice? thought Jinx. What the heck is he…

“I summon…” shouted Malken, “the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!”

With a roar, a giant Machine appeared behind Malken. It was a Dragon only in basic outline, apparently cobbled together from scrap metal and junk, put together in a haphazard way. But even though it was made from spare parts, it seemed to form a terrifying gestalt that exuded raw strength. (3,000 ATK)

Good lord… thought Jinx. This is not your average jewel thief…

“Attack!” shouted Malken. “Ice her Knight!”

Flames appeared in the huge Machine’s mouth…

“Not so fast!” shouted Jinx. “I activate…”

Oh no! she thought. Since that’s an Ancient Gear Machine, my Traps are useless during the Battle Phase! I can’t use my Fairy Box!

Balls of molten flame shot from Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon’s maw, and Gaia Knight, Force of the Earth was blown to bits.

“And since I sacrificed Yellow to summon him,” continued Malken, “you lose an additional 600 Life Points.

“Now, Red Gadget… Attack her other Monster!”

Red Gadget flew at the facedown Monster…

Where the card had been, a new Warrior appeared. He was clothed in blue barbarian armor, with a mask covering the right side of his face, and the X insignia on his knee guards. He held a large sword, with the same X design on the blade. He blocked the blow with his blade, and Red Gadget bounced off. (0 DEF)

“Huh?” said Malken. “Zero Defense Points?”

“That’s right,” said Jinx. “But X-Saber Passiul can’t be destroyed in battle. In exchange for that, I lose 1,000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases.”

“Ha!” laughed Malken. “My Dragon also has a trampling effect! I’ll be able to take you out in two turns at most!

“I end my turn.”

(J: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)

They both sped up the last ramp, and unto the roof of the parking garage. The night sky was overhead, and the full moon loomed above.

Jinx drew a card. Her Speed Counter rose to ten.

Time to put the chill on this guy, she thought.

“I activate… Lost Star Descent!” she shouted, as one of her facedown cards lifted. “This lets me bring a Synchro Monster back in Defense Mode! Guess who it is…”

In a flash of light, Gaia reappeared, again riding next to Jinx, but his lances were put away, and he was holding on tight to the reigns of his horse. (0 DEF)

“Swell,” laughed Malken. “Now you have two Monsters with zero Defense!”

“Gaia’s Defense is reduced to zero by my Trap,” replied Jinx, “AND his Level is reduced by one.”

“Huh?” replied Malken.

“And guess what…” continued Jinx. “Passiul is also a Tuner Monster. But unlike his friend Palomlo, he’s Level 2.

“Now, I Tune my two Monsters together, to Synchro Summon my favorite Monster! Go!”

Passiul held up his weapon, and it shimmered in the dim light. He and Gaia flew into the sky, and formed into seven stars…

“Meet the lord of X-Saber!” exclaimed Jinx. “The mighty… X-Saber Urbellum!”

With a roar, a much more powerful Warrior descended. He was again dressed in barbarian armor, but was far more muscular, wearing a helmet made from the skull of a steer. The X insignia was on his belt, and two long swords were strapped to his back. (2,200 ATK)

“Mighty, my foot,” laughed Malken. “He may be impressive, but he doesn’t come close to being able to take down my Dragon.”

“Oh really?” said Jinx, as a Speed Spell appeared on her side of the field. “With my Speed Counter this high, I can play Speed Spell – Speed Energy! Now, for every Speed Counter I have, Urbellum here gains 200 more Attack Points! That’s 2,000 added to his score!”

X-Saber Urbellum glowed with a powerful aura of energy. (4,200 ATK)

“Oh…” said Malken, starting to freak. “My Dragon is a goner!”

“No it isn’t…” said Jinx with a grin. “Why bother with your Dragon when I can end this duel by attacking your other Monster?”

Malken looked at his controls with a start. He had almost forgotten about Red Gadget.

“Urbellum…” shouted Jinx. “Attack Red Gadget with mystical rage!”

X-Saber Urbellum drew one of his blades, and leapt into the air, forming a silhouette against the moon. With a roar, he brought it down on Red Gadget, blowing it to pieces. Malken screamed and skidded to a halt.

(J: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

Steam poured out of the engine of Malken’s bike. He held his head in a daze.

Then he noticed that the case of emeralds had fallen on the floor next to him.

He scrambled to get it…

And then Jinx’s foot fell on it.

“Uh, uh…” she said, shaking her finger.

As Jinx lifted her own gemstone to make the arrest, Malken started punching his console and spouting obscenities in elven.

* * * * * * * * * *

Malken had been taken care of, and Jinx was about to head back. As she got back on her bike, her cell phone rang.

“Yeah?” she said, answering it. “Shichiro? Yeah, I’m almost done here. I just have to wait for Security to get here, and then leave once I put these emeralds somewhere where they’re certain to find them.

“Really? You don’t say…

“Mmm. Well, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting…

“Okay, I’ll be heading back… Not like I want to talk about it over the phone…”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was now nine o’clock.

Back at the townhouse, Shichiro and Jinx were looking up all the information they could on Ember using their laptop and their computer-hacking skills.

“Straight-A student, member of the French club, girl’s lacrosse team,” muttered Jinx. “Seems like the girl next door. And I don’t mean the type who would appear in anything that Hugh Hefner thought up.”

“Let’s just say I have a hunch about this one, Jinx,” said Shichiro.

“And your hunches are notorious for always being right,” sighed Jinx, sarcastically.

“Maybe not,” said Shichiro. “But this isn’t the same.”

“Looks like she got the job as Draco’s secretary by pure luck,” continued Jinx. “There were over five-hundred applicants…”

“You’ll note that her employee record is almost spotless,” replied Shichiro. “If anything, I don’t think Ember is someone who would ever be a risk of turning rogue.”

“Possibly, Shichiro,” said Jinx, “but you know I can’t take an apprentice without Jalal’s approval.”

“And you have that approval,” said a voice.

Everyone turned around, and saw the holographic projection of Jalal, that had just appeared.

“I’ve seen mice that made more noise than you,” said Jinx. “You sure, boss?”

“Let’s just say I have the same hunch as Shichiro,” replied Jalal. “I’d recommend you accept young Michiko as your apprentice. If she succeeds, and I have a feeling she will, it may benefit you in the long run.”

Jinx sighed.

“Well, how can I say no?” she replied. “Bring her here tomorrow! We can get started…”

Then they all saw that Gears was putting his coat on. It was a black overcoat, though a rather plain one.

“Where are you off to, Gears?” asked Shichiro.

“I’m going out to a movie,” replied Gears, as he picked up his helmet. “Don’t wait up…”

He headed out for the garage.



One thing you gotta love about Neo Domino City – it never closed. Even more so than New York, it was a city that never slept.

If you wanted to go grocery shopping, or go get a burger and fries, or go out to see a movie, like Gears wanted to do, or do almost anything, you could do it at any time. Almost every place in the city was open twenty-four hours. And no matter what time it was, there was always a place where you could find something to do, be it a concert, play, or other activity.

Of course, Gears was soon going to get a little more than he had bargained for, and it would soon lead to the formal beginning of my start in this new world that I would wake up to…



X-SABER URBELLUM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,300

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

When your opponent has 4 or more cards in his hand, and this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, your opponent selects 1 random card in his hand and places it on the top of his/her deck.



BRIONAC, DRAGON OF THE ICE BOUNDARY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Sea Serpent/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

Discard any number of cards from your hand. Return a number of cards from the field to the respective owners’ hands equal to the number of cards discarded.

Note: “X-Saber Urbellum” and “Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary” were released in Japan for the original “Duel Terminal” system. They have not yet been released in the United States.



X-SABER PALOMLO (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 200
DEF: 300

Card Description: When an “X-Saber” Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle, you may pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.



X-SABER PASSIUL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 2
ATK: 100
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed by battle. While this card is face-up on the field, you take 1,000 points of damage during each of your opponent’s Standby Phases.

Note: “X-Saber Palomlo” and “X-Saber Passiul” were released in Japan for the “Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!” system. They have not yet been released in the United States.



GIVE AND TAKE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A duelist in the background behind Junk Synchron, facing Junk Warrior in the foreground.

Card Description: Select one Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to your opponent’s side of the field in face-up Defense Position. Increase the Level of one face-up Monster you control by the Level of the Special Summoned Monster until the End Phase of the current turn.

Note: “Give and Take” was released in Japan in the “Duelist Pack 8: Yusei Fudo” set. (American release date not yet known.)



SPEED SPELL – SPEED FUSION (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman standing in Speed World’s energy field, with the shadowy form of Dark Flare Knight behind them.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Send Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Fusion Monster Card from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon the appropriate Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.)

Note: “Speed Spell – Speed Fusion” was first used by Jack in the “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s” episode “A Blast From The Past (Part 1)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – SPEED ENERGY (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Two eagles flying through the energy of Speed World.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster you control. Until the End Phase of the turn, increase the ATK of the selected Monster by the number of Speed Counters you have x200. The selected Monster cannot attack your opponent directly this turn.



SPEED SPELL – ANGEL BATON (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: The angel from “Graceful Charity” holding a glowing bead between her hands.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw two cards. Then, discard one card from your hand.

Note: “Speed Spell – Speed Energy” and “Speed Spell – Angel Baton” were both first used by Yusei in the Anime Tour special episode. (“Speed Spell – Angel Baton” was previously seen in Crow’s deck, but not used.) Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



You people are all likely wondering by now what kind of deck Gears has. Well, next chapter, you’ll wonder no more. But the Turbo Duel that he gets into is unlike any duel so far, as it is an unexpected ambush from a suspicious source. Be here, as the story starts to take shape, in earnest. “Light-Imprisoning Mirror” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry I didn't reply as soon as the update came, the stupid forums decided to log me off and I had forgotten my password and had to reset it.

Anyways, this was an excellent chapter, but I am repeating myself. The game deck is sort of interesting, but it's nice to see she doesn't rely TOTALLY on gamble, she has those strange X-Saber barbarians too.

And it seems you're going to have any duel with another character. I think that is what the Yu-Gi-Oh series so great - they didn't waste their time with too much "life story"(the characters piddling around and doing mundane stuff), and when they did, they usually found a way to throw a duel in there to keep it exciting.

I can't wait to see what deck Gears has.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I don't really like Jinx's deck, and the battle was so-so, but I really do like the plotline. And to agree with Shuppetmaster, I'm very curious on Gears.

Keep it up.

[jkBAKURA]

As an experienced reader, I have to take this chapter with a grain of salt and recognize it for what it is, a chapter solely to introduce the character of Jinx.

You haven't given us much yet, but she has potential. (I kind of see her as a blond Rei with a hint of Asuka)

Gamble deck for a main character is a bold choice indeed, and the X-Sabers give you one major advantage. Many people here in the states don't follow the Duel Terminal releases, so if this becomes a trend you have the advantage of not only educating the readers, but using themes that haven't been used in fiction much, therefore not becoming cliche or redundant.

As for the opponent's deck, well, it was kind of all over the map. If it was a Gadget deck I was expecting a bit more support, but if it was a Synchro deck that could have been made a little clearer.

Then again the point may have been that this guy was small potatoes to Jinx, therefore she stomped him in a few turns, (indeed re-reading she never lost control for an instant) but that could have been made a little clearer as well.

In a nutshell, it would have been nice to actually learn something about her instead of just watch her in action for the first time.

Anyway, looks like we're clearing the first hurtle of the introduction phase, and I'm drooling to see where all of this is going.

[Dark Sage]

Hello folks. Today is the day we celebrate Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday. His real birthday was last week, of course, but people like having Mondays off in this country. Ah, well. I’m sure Rev. King wouldn’t have minded. He was a pretty easy-going guy.

If you have the day off, have a good one. And take time to read my new installment.

CHAPTER SIX

Now, if you’re like I was at the time, you’re likely wondering what the deal is with Gears, the third member of this ‘team’ that Shichiro was a part of. Up to now, I had only heard him mentioned when Shichiro spoke to him over the phone, but I was curious.

Gears had been a Shadowchaser for longer than either Shichiro or Jinx. As you’ve already heard, he built and did maintenance for their D-Wheels. In addition, he was the resident engineer, gearhead, and computer hacker for the group in Neo Domino. Shichiro once told me that they have yet to build a device that he can’t figure out.

You might have surmised by now that he plays a Machine Deck. He does, but not for the reasons you may think. He originally played a deck much like Shichiro’s. But an incident about a year before Shichiro came along caused him to adapt a new deck, one that included some special Machines.

How special? Well, they’re odd, to say the least.



It was close to midnight.

Gears was exiting a movie theater (the movie that was highlighted on the marquee was a sci-fi flick called Grey Matter, Dark Matter) and he was trying very hard to convince himself that the bomb he had just seen was in some way worth the one-thousand yen he had spent to see it.

Ultimately, he failed to do so.

“Man, who writes this stuff?” he thought, as he mounted his D-Wheel.

He had a scary thought. If the producers in Hollywood gave the greenlight to films this bad, what were the screenplays that they rejected like?

His D-Wheel was a bit more high-tech than either Shichiro’s or Jinx’s, seeing as he had built it for his own personal use. The security system on it alone was worth the sticker price of most standard D-Wheels. He always reminded himself of how much of his blood, sweat, and tears had gone into it before he started it up, as he was about to do now.

He donned his helmet and looked down the road with a sigh.

It’s late… he thought. Best be getting back…

Then his stomach started to rumble. He had never been one to pay for overpriced popcorn at a movie.

Maybe I’ll get drive-through first, he thought. No need to bother Boris when I get back.

He didn’t know that another D-Wheel was following him as he drove away from the bright lights of the entertainment district towards the local burger place.

And he didn’t know it… Until the rider nearly sideswiped him.

“Hey!” shouted Gears.

He watched as the Wheel drove past him. The driver lifted his visor, and grinned at Gears, showing a face with a criminal marker and a very obvious five o’clock shadow.

He was human, but a guy whom Gears really didn’t like. And Gears wasn’t about to let this go unchallenged.

He shifted gears on his bike, and pulled up beside the careless driver.

“Scully?” he shouted. “When did they let you out of jail? And how the Hell did you get Security to give you your Wheel back?”

“I got out last week, pal!” laughed Scully. “Thought I’d look you up… And they didn’t give it back. I got a new one as part of the fringe benefits of my new job. I’m working for someone new now. I think you’ve heard of him… Name’s DaPen.”

“DaPen?” shouted Gears.

“Oh, yeah,” replied Scully. “He has big plans… Wanna know what they are?”

“You’d better start talking,” said Gears, “or I’ll…”

“Duel me!” shouted Scully. “You beat me this time, I’ll sing my head off!”

Gears growled as he pulled ahead. Scully was likely just mad because he had taken such a beating the last time.

He watched as Scully pulled onto the back roads of the rural area.

“All right, fine!” called Gears. “You’re on, Scully! I’ll beat you just like I did before!”

Only this time, he thought, my deck has changed for the better…

He hit a command on his console, and the Speed World card flashed into existence on his console. Scully quickly did the same, and the dark streets transformed into the shimmering lanes of Speed World.

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

“I’m taking you down for good this time!” shouted Gears, as he made his first draw.

He stashed the card on his gauntlet, and chose another one.

“And I’m calling out Ally of Justice Garadholg to make sure that happens!”

In a flash of eerie energy, a Monster bounded to the front of him. It was a Machine of some sort, roughly in the shape of a large dog or fox, with bronze armor. (1,600 ATK)

“A new one, Gears?” laughed Scully. “Sure doesn’t look like much…”

“Looks can deceive,” said Gears, taking another card. “I’ll set a reversed card, and call it a turn.”

A facedown card flashed into existence before fading.

“My move!” laughed Scully, whipping a card off of his deck.

Both Speed Counters rose to one.

“I Special Summon Gilasaurus in Attack Mode!” he laughed.

A portal behind him opened, and a vicious-looking raptor Dinosaur leapt out. It dashed beside his bike. (1,400 ATK)

“Normally, you’d be allowed to Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard. But you don’t have one.”

“Still using Dinosaurs, Scully?” asked Gears. “Some things never change…”

“Oh, they don’t, do they?” asked Scully. “Well, since that was a Special Summon, I’m also bringing out Kabazauls.”

He played another card, and another, much bulkier Dinosaur flew out of the portal. It had red skin, a head like a hippopotamus, and seemed to have a bad case of hay fever. (1,700 ATK)

“This guy may have the sniffles,” said Scully, “but his sneeze is going to blow that Machine of yours away!

“Kabazauls, attack his… Uh, how do you pronounce that thing? Aw heck, just attack!”

Kabazauls looked ready to let loose a very big sneeze.

“Ah…” it said. “Ah… ah…”

“Something you should know about Garadholg,” said Gears. “It gains 200 Attack Points when it battles a Light Monster.”

“News flash!” laughed Scully. “Kabazauls is NOT a Light Monster!”

Then Gears’s facedown card lifted up.

“I activate DNA Transplant!” he shouted. “Now ALL Monsters on the field are Light Monsters!”

“Ah-CHOO!” sneezed Kabazauls, blowing a savage wind towards Garadholg. However, Garadholg pounced, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800. It slashed at the Dinosaur with its claws, and Kabazauls’s eyes bugged out before it shattered into pieces.

“All I have to say to your Kabazauls is,” said Gears, “gesundheit!”

“Okay, so you got lucky…” growled Scully. “I end my turn…”

(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)

Gears drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to two.

“First, I set a Monster,” he said, as a Defensive Monster appeared briefly.

“Then Garadholg attacks your Gilasaurus!”

Garadholg pounced at the dino, its Attack Score rising to 1,800 again. Gilasaurus screeched, and was blown to pieces.

“It’s your move…”

(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)

Scully drew a card, as both Speed Counters rose to three. He turned a corner, down an alleyway, knocking over two trash cans as he did so. The trash cans few towards Gears’s D-Wheel, but he easily avoided them.

“I summon my Black Stego!” he shouted.

The portal opened again, and a large Dinosaur lumbered out of it. It was more or less a stegosaurus, with a grey hide and sharp teeth (an incorrect portrayal of an herbivore, of course). (1,200 ATK)

“I’ll throw a card facedown, and end my turn.”

A card appeared behind Black Stego, and faded.

“I know your Stego’s effect,” replied Gears. “It will move into Defense Mode as soon as I attack.”

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to four.

“I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”

His facedown Monster flipped, and in an explosion of energy, a locomotive made of black steel with a fiendish face on the front appeared, chugging along next to his bike. Black smoke poured from its stack. (1,400 ATK)

“Now I get to draw one card,” said Gears, making a draw.

“And now I sacrifice Dekoichi…”

The locomotive vanished into an orb of energy…

“…to summon Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!”

A new Machine swooped onto the field. This one appeared to have been built in the shape of a large condor or other bird of prey, again with bronze armor, with large wings and razor-sharp talons. (2,300 ATK)

“Jerks like you can’t escape Justice forever, Scully,” shouted Gears, “just like your Monsters can’t escape the Allies of Justice!”

“How corny can you get?” laughed Scully.

“I dunno,” said Gears, “I just thought it sounded ‘cool’.

“Claíomh Solais, attack his Black Stego!”

Claíomh Solais swooped down on the Dinosaur. Black Stego quickly curled up in a defensive position. (2,000 DEF) Claíomh Solais barely seemed to care, and made a slash with its talons, tearing it in half.

“Garadholg, attack that punk directly!” ordered Gears.

Scully braced himself as Garadholg pounced, and slammed into his bike. His Speed Counters were cut down a notch, down to three.

“Your move, pal,” said Gears. “How about trying something new for a change?”

(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)

Scully growled as he drew a card. His own Counter rose to four again, while Gears’s rose to five.

“All right, Gears,” he said. “I don’t know what the deal is with these weird Machines I can’t pronounce, and frankly, I don’t wanna know. Trap Card activate…”

His facedown card flipped up.

“Fossil Excavation. So, I toss one card…”

He threw his Mad Sword Beast into the discard slot on his console.

“…and I get to bring back one dino from my Graveyard.”

Gilasaurus appeared again, dashing beside his bike. (1,400 ATK)

“Now, I sacrifice it…”

Gilasaurus vanished into an orb of light…

“…to summon my Dark Driceratops!”

A larger Dinosaur appeared, flying over Scully’s D-Wheel. Whoever had designed this Monster clearly took inspiration from the theory that modern birds had evolved from dinosaurs. It was a winged cross between bird and reptile, with both scales and feathers, with a beak-like mouth. (2,400 ATK)

“Even with 200 more Attack Points, your little fox can’t beat this guy! Dark Driceratops, attack… Oh, attack the smaller one!”

Dark Driceratops roared, and swooped on Garadholg. The Machine’s Attack Score rose to 1,800, but like Scully said, it wasn’t enough to prevent it from being smashed to pieces.

“Ergh…” muttered Gears.

(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)

“That’s half of my problem down,” laughed Scully, as he swerved to turn a corner again.

Gears quickly followed him, with Claíomh Solais in hot pursuit.

“There’s far more where he came from!” replied Gears, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters clicked up to six, while Scully’s rose to five.

“I sacrifice Claíomh Solais…” he said.

Claíomh Solais vanished into an orb of light.

“…to summon Ally of Justice Rudra!”

A new four-legged beast bounded onto the field. While Garadholg looked like a mechanical dog, this one more resembled a mechanical wolf. It had silver plating instead of bronze, and sharp edges all over. (1,900 ATK)

“Talk about dumb,” said Scully. “You sacrificed a Monster to summon a weaker one?”

“No, a stronger one,” replied Gears. “At least it is with my DNA Transplant still on the field. While Garadholg gains only 200 Attack Points while battling Light Monsters, Rudra gains a full 700 while doing so.”

“What do these Allies of Justice have against Light Monsters?!” shouted Scully.

“It’s a long story,” replied Gears. “I’ll write you a letter about it after Security arrests you.

“Rudra, flatten his Dark Driceratops!”

Rudra growled as it ran, and then pounced, jumping on the flying Dinosaur. Its Attack Score rose to 2,600, and Dark Driceratops burst.

“It’s your move, buster,” said Gears.

(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,700)

Scully turned, and started to drive down a long stretch of road. Some people saw the two duelists coming, and ran for cover. Scully started to get worried. DaPen said he would delay Security, but he could only do so much…

He drew a card. His Counter went up to six, while Gears’s rose to seven.

He hit a button on his console.

“Autopilot on,” said a computerized voice.

“What are you doing?” asked Gears.

“Playing this,” replied Scully, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of him. “Speed Spell – Rage Recharge.”

Four cards appeared in front of him: Mad Sword Beast, Gilasaurus, Dark Driceratops, and Black Stego.

“Now, by paying only 800 Life Points,” he continued, “I get to take four Monsters from my Graveyard and return them to my deck.”

His console quickly shuffled his deck.

“They have to be one of a few certain Types of Monsters of course, but Dinosaurs fit the bill.

“Then I draw twice…”

He put his deck back in his gauntlet and made two draws.

Then he laughed out loud.

“You wanted to see something new, Gears?” he laughed. “Fine. I’m gonna bring out something else that DaPen gave me!

“First, since you have a Monster and I don’t, I can Special Summon Vice Dragon!”

The portal opened, and a large, incredibly ugly Dragon flew out of it. It had grey, pebbly skin, a face with a rounded snout and sharp teeth, disproportionately large claws, and large wings. (2,000 ATK)

“So now we’re switching to Dragons, huh?” asked Gears. “Well, I happen to know that since you Special Summoned it that way, you have to cut its Attack and Defense Scores in half.”

Vice Dragon’s head drooped a little. (1,000 ATK)

“I know that,” replied Scully. “That’s exactly why I’m gonna sacrifice it…”

Vice Dragon vanished into an orb of darkness.

“This next card is pretty rare… Jack Atlas has one, and I don’t know who else does… But DaPen was nice enough to give it to me!

“I summon Strong Wing Dragon!”

In a blast of gale-force wind, a new Dragon appeared where Vice Dragon had been. It looked humanoid in shape, with a rocky, grey hide, a fierce Dragon’s head with two horns, and very large wings. (2,400 ATK)

Whoa, thought Gears. Never saw THAT guy before… Atlas used this? I should watch more TV…

“Guess what Gears?” said Scully. “This guy has an effect you should know about. Since I sacrificed a Dragon to summon him, he gains half of that Dragon’s base Attack Points.

“Vice Dragon’s base Attack Score was 2,000, so…”

“I know how to add, pal,” snapped Gears.

(3,400 ATK)

What a beast… thought Gears, getting a little nervous. He got this from DaPen? Whoever said ‘Crime doesn’t pay’ was full of it…

“Attack his Machine!” ordered Scully. “Strong Hurricane!”

The wind picked up, and Strong Wind Dragon breathed a virtual storm at Rudra.

Rudra’s Attack Score rose to 2,600, but it still burst under the onslaught. Gears did his best to keep balance as his Life Points fell.

“My move is over,” laughed Scully. “Make your move… That is, if you even have a Monster that can take down this one…”

(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,900)

I have a few, thought Gears. Only problem is, none of them are in my hand right now…

He drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to eight, while Scully’s rose to seven.

“I toss one card facedown,” he said, as a facedown card flashed into existence. “And then set a Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared, and then faded from sight.

“That’s all for me,” he said.

Scully drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to eight, while Gears’s rose to nine.

“Oh, by the way,” he said. “I should have mentioned… Strong Wind Dragon also has a trampling effect.”

Gears frowned.

Yup, he thought. This is exactly the type of Monster that Atlas would use…

“Attack!” shouted Scully.

The powerful wind started again…

“Okay, time to make a choice!” shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around. “I activate… Half or Stop!”

As Strong Wind Dragon loomed over the facedown card, the intimidating form of Judge Man appeared to block its way. He held a plain woodsman’s axe in his left hand, and a golden battle axe inlaid with gems in his right.

“Half or Stop?” asked Scully.

“Now you gotta make a decision,” replied Gears. “First choice, you can end your Battle Phase right now. Second choice, you can continue your attack. But if you choose the second choice, all of your Monsters’ Attack Scores will be cut in half.

“And in case you can’t do the math, half of 3,400 is…”

“I get it!” shouted Scully.

He paused.

I could hurt myself if that facedown Monster has a high Defense, he thought. Ah, well… I doubt he could beat Strong Wind Dragon with any one-Tribute Monster anyway…

“I choose to end my Battle Phase…” he said.

Strong Wind Dragon backed off, and Judge Man vanished.

“And I’ll end my turn too…”

Gears drew a card. Both Speed Counters clicked up another notch, his to ten and Scully’s to nine.

He set two cards on his console, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

He waved to Scully, and then switched gears, pulling ahead of him.

He’s toying with me… thought Scully, angrily, as he drew another card.

Both Speed Counters rose by one.

“Enough with Dragons,” he said. “Let’s get back to Dinosaurs. I summon Sabersaurus.”

The portal opened behind him, and a large triceratops with red scales, and blades all over its body charged out. (1,900 ATK)

“Strong Wind Dragon, attack the Monster on the left!” he shouted.

The savage hurricane blew again. Mechanicalchaser appeared crouching on the card. Gears cringed a little as it exploded into shards, and his Speed Counters fell to nine.

“Finally, something normal,” laughed Scully. “But I expected better. Face it, Gears, without being able to play Limiter Removal, Machines just can’t cut it in Turbo Duels.”

“That’s your opinion,” replied Gears.

Scully pointed, and Sabersaurus charged at the other facedown Monster. A small, furry, mole-like creature with metal bolts on its back appeared on the card. Sabersaurus stomped on it and flattened it.

“It’s your move,” laughed Scully. “I’m taking you out next turn.”

(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,900)

Gears drew a card. His Speed Counters went up to ten, while Scully’s went up to eleven.

“That’s what you think pal,” he said. “I activate my Trap…”

His facedown card flipped up.

“Birthright. Now I can bring one Normal Monster back from my Graveyard. So Claíomh Solais is coming back again.”

Claíomh Solais appeared again, flying beside his D-Wheel. (2,300 ATK)

“Next,” he said, playing a card, “you aren’t the only one who took inspiration from Jack Atlas. I summon Dark Resonator.”

He played another card, and the portal opened again. Flying out was a small imp, dressed in dark robes, a frilled collar, and a grey foolscap, holding a tuning fork and a small mallet. It had a big grin. (1,300 ATK)

“HEY!” shouted Scully. “That’s no Machine!”

“Correct,” replied Gears. “It’s a Fiend. And remember that small creature you destroyed last turn? It was my Quillbolt Hedgehog. And when it’s in my Graveyard, and I have a Tuner Monster on the field, like right now, I get to summon it back to the field.”

Quillbolt Hedgehog appeared again, in a shimmering burst of energy. (800 ATK)

“All right… Quillbolt… Resonator… Let’s give this duel a Tune-up!”

Dark Resonator grinned even wider, and then struck its fork with its mallet, causing a low-toned pitch to emit from it. It flew into the sky, with Quillbolt Hedgehog following, and they both dissolved into five shimmering stars.

“Synchro Summon…” exclaimed Gears, “Ally of Justice Catastor!”

Flying down was a Machine that was both intimidating and beautiful. It had platinum and gold plating, and was shaped like a horse with six spindly legs, with a faceless head shaped like an inverted teardrop with a diamond in the center. (2,200 ATK)

“Oh…” groaned Scully. “And how many Attack Points does this one gain when battling a Light Monster?”

“Zero,” replied Gears. “Catastor has a far more powerful effect.

“You see, whenever Catastor battles a Monster that isn’t Dark, it automatically wins, and damage calculation is skipped.”

“You gotta be kidding!” shouted Scully.

“I’m not,” replied Gears. “Catastor, destroy Strong Wind Dragon! Platinum prism blast!”

Catastor fired a beam of multicolored light from the gem on its face. Strong Wind Dragon roared, right before it was vaporized.

“Damn!” shouted Scully.

“Claíomh Solais!” shouted Gears. “Destroy Sabersaurus!”

Claíomh Solais swooped down on the Dinosaur, and dug its talons into it. The dino roared, and then shattered.

(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)

“Your move, Scully,” said Gears. “Don’t forget, Catastor simply can’t lose a battle with any Monster that isn’t Dark. And so long as DNA Transplant is on the field, you’ll never be able to attack with a Dark Monster.

“And by the way, Vice Dragon may be Dark, but it’s weaker than this Monster.

“Come to think of it, are there any Dinosaurs that are Dark?”

“I’m drawing!” shouted Scully, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters went up to twelve, while Gears’s rose to eleven.

Gears knew that Scully had now reached his limit. There was nothing beyond twelve Speed Counters.

And that, unfortunately, meant that Scully had access to the most powerful of Speed Spells, if he had any in his deck. Gears would have to win quickly.

He swerved down another alley again. Gears looked around. They were in the most rural areas of Neo Domino now, close to the more dangerous parts. DaPen’s henchmen would be right at home here.

“All I have to do,” said Scully, “is set two cards facedown.”

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him, and quickly faded.

“That’s all?” asked Gears.

He made a draw. His own Speed Counters went up to twelve. He was at his limit himself now.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

“Catastor, attack…” he started.

“I activate…” said Scully, “another Fossil Excavation!”

One of his facedown cards spun around, and he quickly discarded a card. Dark Driceratops reappeared. (2,400 ATK)

“Sure, he loses his effect,” said Scully, “but I get him back.”

“You never learn, do you?” asked Gears. “Did you forget about Catastor’s effect?

“Catastor, attack Dark Driceratops!”

Catastor prepared to fire its blast again…

“No, I didn’t,” replied Scully. “That’s why I have this other Trap Card!”

His other facedown lifted.

“Amber Pitfall!”

A stream of orange goo squirted out of the card, and splashed on Catastor. It retreated into Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

“And that’s not all,” replied Scully. “It can’t move back to Attack Mode until you get rid of my Amber Pitfall Trap.”

Gears glared at him.

“Then I move Claíomh Solais to Defense Mode as well,” he said.

Claíomh Solais landed, and folded its wings. (1,200 DEF)

“Then I set a Monster,” he continued, as a facedown Monster appeared. “And I end my turn.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“By the way, Catastor’s effect applies even when it’s in Defense Mode. You attack it with a Monster that isn’t Dark, and that Monster will be destroyed.”

Scully growled, and drew a card. They were now moving faster than they usually were down the dark streets. A casual glance at the speedometer clocked them at about 120 MPH. Fortunately, D-Wheels were designed and built specifically to maneuver at such great speeds. Nonetheless, Gears would likely have to make himself scarce when Security finally caught up to them. (He knew that DaPen had likely sent Scully for some reason, and his other men were working to delay them, but they couldn’t do it forever.)

Scully chuckled evilly as he saw what card he had drawn. He quickly set it facedown, and it appeared on his field.

A facedown card… thought Gears. That’s bad news… I just know it…

Dark Driceratops charged forward, and its claws came down on Claíomh Solais, smashing it to pieces.

“Your move,” he snickered.

Gears drew a card. As he knew, neither Speed Counter could go any higher at this point.

“Activate Trap!” shouted Scully. “Dust Tornado!”

His facedown card flipped up, and a savage tornado blew across Speed World. Gears’s DNA Transplant card was swept up into the air, and never came down.

“Looks like your Allies of Justice just lost their edge!” he laughed.

“Not all of them,” replied Gears. “I’m about to summon one who doesn’t need it. Funny that you just used Dust Tornado…

“I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator.”

He played a card, and a new Machine flew out of the portal. It had bronze plating, and resembled, if anything, a large, mechanical robin or bluejay. (1,400 ATK)

“I’ll explain this Monster’s effect as simple as I can. Once per round, I can toss one card. Then, I can send one Spell or Trap Card back to its owners’ hands for each Tuner on the field.

“And, Cyclone Creator itself is a Tuner, so…”

“You’re going to bounce my Amber Pitfall!” screamed Scully.

“Yes, but why stop there?” asked Gears. “I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode.”

His facedown card flipped up. The Monster that appeared was a Fiend that was vaguely shaped like a huge spider, with a fiendish old woman’s face, holding sharp knives and small mallets in four of its eight arms. (1,000 ATK)

“UGH!” exclaimed Scully. “A spider! I hate spiders!”

“You’ll hate this one even more,” said Gears, “because Dark Repairer is also a Tuner. So with two Tuners on the field, I can toss one card to send two of your Trap Cards packing. Like your Amber Pitfall, and your Fossil Excavation.”

He threw a card into his discard slot, and Cyclone Creator’s eyes glowed. A powerful wind blew across the field, and both Trap Cards were blown away.

“And when Fossil Excavation goes, so does the Monster you summoned with it.”

Dark Driceratops let out a roar, and then shattered into pieces.

“Eep!” gasped Scully.

Gears gestured, and Catastor moved back into Attack Mode. (2,200 ATK)

“Time to finish you off!” shouted Gears.

His three Monsters charged. Catastor blasted its beam of energy. Cyclone Creator blew a more powerful gust of wind. And Dark Repairer shot a blast of venomous silk from its jaws. Scully screamed as all three attacks hit him…

(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)

Scully skidded to a halt, and tumbled off his bike. He was very lucky he had been wearing his helmet. Thick steam poured from his engine.

He started to get up, only to be grabbed by the collar.

“Buddy,” growled Gears, “I think we both just committed more traffic violations than a New York cabbie behind quota.

“Talk! What’s DaPen planning?”

“Heh, heh,” chuckled Scully. “I had my fingers crossed!

“Get serious, Gears! Do you really think I’m gonna double-cross someone as dangerous as DaPen? Even if I’m in jail, he can still get me.”

“Worry more about what I’ll do to you now,” said Gears, raising his fist. “Keep in mind, you can’t sue me for police brutality!”

And then Scully moaned, and slumped over.

Huh? thought Gears. I didn’t even hit him yet…

He set Scully down, and then reached into the crook’s pocket, taking out a wallet. He looked through it.

Not much. A couple of five-hundred yen notes, a D-Wheel license that was clearly a fake (Gears knew that the name on it wasn’t Scully’s, nor was he an immigrant from Canada), a business card from a nightclub called The Bottom’s Up Club (“Figures,” said Gears), a credit card that looked legit…

Then there was something that was odd. It was another business card, but not one that he’d ever think a guy like Scully would have:

It read:

Dr. Martin Fogg, MD

Psychiatry

Private Practice

An address and phone number were also on the card.

Well, Scully certainly needed to see a shrink, thought Gears, but I doubt he could ever afford one…

As Gears pocketed it, he heard sirens coming.

Uh oh, he thought, the boys in blue…

As a Shadowchaser, he wasn’t authorized to arrest humans who hadn’t committed any crimes against Shadows, and he had no proof that Scully had done anything of the sort. The most he could do now was leave Scully for Security. They’d be confused when they found him here, but Gears had a feeling that Scully would take full advantage of his right to remain silent.

He was long gone by the time the squad cards showed up.

* * * * * * * * * *

Morning came, and the sun rose, burning away the darkness of the night.

Ember stood outside the now-closed Italian restaurant at seven in the morning. She had woken up wondering if all that happened the night before had all been just some crazy dream, until she had called the bank and found that a bonus had indeed been deposited into her account. A generous one at that.

She was nervous. But she was more than willing.

She heard the D-Wheel coming long before she saw it. Shichiro pulled up in front of her.

“I knew you’d come,” she said, as he lifted his visor.

“I knew you knew I’d come,” replied Shichiro. “Hop on… It isn’t that long a ride…

“And be sure to put that helmet on… The last thing I need is a ticket.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Last night aside, Ember had never even come close to a D-Wheel before, and even riding shotgun on one was a new experience. She held on tight to Shichiro, nervously looking ahead.

She got even more nervous when she saw where they were headed.

“Are you nuts?” she shouted. “We aren’t allowed to go to the Tops without authorization!”

“We’ve got it,” replied Shichiro. “Our headquarters is in the Tops.”

Ember was speechless. The Tops was where the elite of Neo Domino lived. Only the richest members of the upper class ever went there. Just how much influence did the Shadowchasers have?

They seemed to have a lot, because Shichiro simply waved to the security guard at the entrance, and was let in with no problem. They drove past a series of luxurious mansions and tall residential buildings, before pulling up to the large townhouse nestled between two other buildings.

Ember took a long look at the townhouse. Something was odd about it. It was as if you would miss the place if you were not looking specifically for it. It was a well-built townhouse, for sure, but something about it made it unremarkable, seemingly making the other buildings around it stand out in contrast.

Ember didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the whole point. Enchantments woven into the bricks and mortar made the townhouse easy to miss if you weren’t Aware. It kept the occupants from being bothered by anyone who might accidentally discover the secrets hidden within.

The garage door opened, and Shichiro drove in.

“This way, Ember,” he said.

“Lead the way…” she said, almost in a trance from the excitement.

They walked into the lounge, where a television was turned to the all-news channel. Gears and Jinx were watching, but Jinx quickly stood up.

Ember quickly noticed that both Jinx and Gears had the same mark on their right cheeks that Shichiro had.

Now this is odd… she thought.

“Hello!” said Jinx, in a cheery voice. “Ember, right?”

“Uh huh…” said Ember, slowly.

“Well, Ember…” said Jinx, taking her hand. “Can I get you anything? Have you had breakfast yet?”

“Uhm, actually, no…” replied Ember. “I…”

Then she stopped short. Jalal appeared in holographic form, and looked at her. He rubbed his chin.

“Uhm, go into the kitchen and wait for me,” replied Jinx. “I need to talk to the boss for a minute…”

Ember laughed nervously, and went in the direction she had pointed.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ember looked around. The kitchen seemed to be fairly normal at first.

Stove, refrigerator, microwave…

She looked towards the sink…

“Now there’s something you don’t normally see in a kitchen,” she said.

By the sink was a human skull, surrounded by several gloves.

Ember looked at it for about a minute. The sight of a skull wasn’t enough to unnerve her, although it was odd…

Curiosity got the better of her. She reached over to pick it up…

“Hey, hey, hey!” shouted the skull, turning towards her. “You want me to make something, just ask, but hands off!”

Ember almost screamed. Fortunately, Jinx came in at that moment.

“Calm down, Ember,” she said. “In here, a surprise lurks around every corner, but everything is completely harmless.

“I see you’ve met Boris…”

“Boris?” asked Ember in a frightened squeak.

“He’s our chef,” replied Jinx. “He’ll make you anything you want.”

“I know over three-hundred recipes,” replied the skull.

“Boris, why don’t you make Ember some pancakes while we talk,” said Jinx.

Ember was still a little afraid of this taking skull. Still, the thought of homemade pancakes was rather tempting, when she would have been happy with a bowl of Cap’n Crunch.

Ember watched as several of the gloves levitated off the counter, forming hands. They floated to the refrigerator and cupboards, and started to take out ingredients and cooking utensils.

As Boris turned on the stove, Jinx and Ember sat down at the kitchen table.

“Don’t let Jalal spook you either,” said Jinx. “He’d give you the shirt off his back.”

“That’s Jalal?” asked Ember. “He… isn’t human, is he?”

“He’s half-human,” replied Ember. “Shadow-Touched. His father was a dragon who’s arrival on Earth predated the Shadowchasers by about six-hundred years.”

“Half-dragon?” exclaimed Ember.

“Dragons are among the most powerful of Shadows,” explained Jinx, “but also among the rarest. Dragons are driven to mate, like most living creatures, but dragons living on Earth rarely find another dragon of the opposite gender and with the same moral outlook. The one that does is incredibly lucky. Thus, powerful male dragons often use magic to assume human form, and take human lovers.

“Anyway, when Jalal’s father died, roughly one-thousand years ago, Jalal inherited his sizable wealth, making him rich enough to found the Shadowchasers and keep it going strong for a very long time.”

“He’s that rich?” asked Ember.

“Wealth beyond compare,” replied Jinx. “Dragons are legendary for collecting treasure, as you no doubt have read stories of, and his father had one of the largest of hordes. Jalal’s money could likely pay off the national debt of certain countries, if it were all together in one place. After his father’s death, he had more money than he ever knew what to do with… But unlike most actual dragons, he invested it wisely.”

Boris slid a plate of pancakes on the table.

“Uh, thank you…” said Ember. “Uhm… Got any syrup?”

“So…” said Jinx. “Can I see your deck? If I’m going to show you the ropes, I’d best see how it works…”

Ember pushed her deck case across the table as Boris set a syrup bottle next to Ember.

Interesting… thought Jinx, looking at the cards. Not exactly what I’m used to, but well-balanced…

This might be worth my time…

Ember heard a soft meow by her feet. She looked down as a large, black cat started rubbing against her legs. Jinx smiled.

“Sorsha seems to like you,” she said.

“Is she yours?” asked Ember, reaching down to pet the cat.

“No,” replied Jinx. “Sorsha is a familiar. You know, a witch’s cat?”

“Her owner is a witch?” asked Ember, nervously.

Jinx nodded.

“A very powerful sorcerer who helps us on occasion,” she replied. “He’s a hellfire warlock. Hellfire is a very powerful, but very dangerous form of magic. Incredibly destructive if used the wrong way, because it channels the powers of the infernal regions.

“Anyway, a year ago, he told us he was going away to do some research on an important project, and he asked us to take care of his cat. He hasn’t come back yet, and until he does…”

“How do you know he’s still alive?” asked Ember. “If his magic is as dangerous as you say…”

“That’s why he left his cat behind,” replied Jinx. “If he died, his familiar wouldn’t survive. And if he were in trouble, he’d send a message that his familiar could give us, one way or another. We’re pretty sure he’ll come back eventually.”

Ember pet the cat, still a little nervous.

This was a lot to take in for one day…

* * * * * * * * * *

As Jinx and Ember walked back into the lounge, Jalal was still there, and Gears was at his laptop.

“Okay, people,” said Gears, “I looked up this Fogg person. Seems he’s not the average shrink. He runs a private practice, and most of his patients tend to be folks who have a lot of money. At least the ones I recognize.

“This list doesn’t have Louis DaPen on it specifically, but he might have used an alias.”

“I called the phone number on the card,” said Shichiro. “I got some ‘assistant’ who refused to answer any questions. I have a feeling we won’t get anything from that angle.”

“If DaPen is truly a Shadowkind,” replied Jalal, “he may be a dangerous one and this doctor may be a lead to finding out more…”

He turned to Jinx.

“Kaede, I want you to investigate this doctor,” he said. “And take Michiko with you.”

“Already?” asked Jinx. “But… She just started.”

“True,” said Jalal, “but I think she can handle observing you.”

Jinx sighed, and looked at Ember.

She picked up a Duel Disk, and tossed to her.

“Just in case…” she said. “I take it you know how it works?”

Ember nodded.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ember and Jinx walked to the door to the garage. One the way out, Jinx took her own sword off a hook on the wall and slung it over her back.

“So what’s the deal with the swords?” asked Ember. “I thought we had to take care of Shadows by dueling them.”

“Not all Shadows are smart enough to duel, Ember,” said Jinx. “There are Shadowkind that lurk in the dark areas with no more smarts than beasts. Take trolls, for instance…”

“Trolls?” asked Ember, somewhat frightened.

“Large, very aggressive carnivores,” replied Jinx. “And they have incredible regenerative properties that make them hard to kill. You cut off a troll’s head, it will put it back on its shoulders and keep fighting.

“But dumb as a brick. They could never figure out how a Disk worked, much less understand any written language like the text on the cards. And some Shadows, much like animals, have nothing more than instinct to drive them.”

She smirked at Ember.

“Best way to deal with trolls is with fire. They can’t heal if you burn them, and they know it… Just ask Gears. He dealt with a really big one by cutting it apart, and throwing all the pieces into a bonfire.”

Ember paused and looked at Jinx.

“Anyway,” continued Jinx, “the Treaty only applies to sentient races. If a monster that isn’t smart enough to understand becomes a problem, you have to take care of them the old-fashioned way.”

“So am I gonna get a sword?” asked Ember.

“Oh yeah,” replied Jinx, “once you learn how to use one.”

They walked out to Jinx’s bike.

“I dunno Jinx,” said Ember. “What if I can’t cut it? What if I turn out to be just a loser?”

“Loser?” asked Jinx. “A loser, Ember? You know what the definition of a loser is?

“Let me tell you about a guy who lived in the States a long time back…

“This was a guy who was born into a poor family. He only had about eighteen months of formal schooling, becoming what he was almost entirely by self-education. His mother died when he was young, and he was never close to his father.

“When he grew up, he tried to run for state assembly. He lost.

“He later opened a store with a partner. It failed, and went bankrupt.

“He became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was considered a failure as a member of that group, and didn’t try to run for a second term.

“He tried to run for vice president. He lost the nomination to someone else.

“But this guy was smart, Ember. He knew something very important. He knew that he would never truly be a loser until he stopped trying.

“I wouldn’t call Abraham Lincoln a loser, would you?”

Ember looked at Jinx.

“I understand…” she said. “But just one thing… You call me ‘Padawan’, and I’m gonna get violent.”

Jinx smirked.

“Get on,” she said, as she mounted her bike. “We might be going to take down a rogue Shadow… I hope you’re ready to make that step…”



I had jumped in feet first, and there was no turning back. It was not even ten AM yet, and already I had seen a townhouse with enchanted properties, a talking skull who could cook, a witch’s cat, and the one who was behind it all, someone whose dad was a monster who, just days earlier, I had believed only existed in fairy tales. And Duel Monsters, of course.

It was a strange and exotic world I had been thrust into, full of wonders. But I would soon learn that it also held great perils, and I was about to run headlong into them. My true tests were about to start…



ALLY OF JUSTICE CATASTOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

When this card battles a Monster that is not a DARK Monster, destroy the opposing Monster without performing damage calculation.



ALLY OF JUSTICE CLAÍOMH SOLAIS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,200

Flavor Text: A Monster that inhabits the Valley of the Mist and an anti-outside invader melee weapon developed using Claíomh Solais as the motif. It trifles with the enemy by using surprise attacks from above.



ALLY OF JUSTICE GARADHOLG (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 400

Card Description: If this card battles a LIGHT Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 200 during the Damage Step only.



ALLY OF JUSTICE RUDRA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: If this card battles a LIGHT Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 700 during the Damage Step only.

Note: The proceeding “Ally of Justice” cards were released in Japan for the original “Duel Terminal” system. They have not yet been released in the United States.



ALLY OF JUSTICE CYCLONE CREATOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: Discard 1 card from your hand. Send 1 Spell or Trap Card back to your opponent’s hand for each face-up Tuner Monster on the field. This effect can only be used once per turn.

Note: “Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator” was released in Japan for the “Duel Terminal 2” limited edition pack. It has not yet been released in the United States.



STRONG WIND DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 6
ATK: 2,400
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a Dragon-Type Monster, add half of the base ATK of the Tributed Monster to the ATK of this card. This card is not destroyed in battle with a Monster with equal ATK. When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points.

Note: “Strong Wind Dragon” will be released in the “Raging Battle” set, due out for the OCG in February. (Slated for American release in June).



AMBER PITFALL (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: A hand reaching out of a pit full of liquid amber.

Card Description: Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Negate the attack and move the attacking Monster to face-up Defense Position. That Monster cannot change its battle position while this card remains face-up on the field.

Note: “Amber Pitfall” was first used by Kenzan in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “A Hassleberry Hounding”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SPEED SPELL – RAGE RECHARGE

Normal Spell

Image: The Goblin of Greed holding a Pot of Avarice and fleeing from a very angry Mad Sword Beast.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Pay 800 Life Points. Select four Beast, Beast-Warrior, and/or Dinosaur-Type Monsters in your Graveyard and return them to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck and draw two cards. If this card is the only card in your hand and you have no cards on the field, draw an additional card.



Coming up next:

Jinx is lucky that Ember is tagging along, because at the office she goes to investigate, she finds not one, but two enemies, and she can’t handle them both. Ember finally gets a chance to duel as her new mentor chases after the more dangerous foe, and starts on her path into the Shadowchasers in earnest. Can she make the grade? And what kind of deck does she have, anyway? Giving the name of the chapter would give it away, so you’ll just have to stay tuned.

[Shuppet Master]

Yet anoter interesting duel. These new machines, the Allies of Justice, sound interesting. Oh, and I'm curious too - what DO they have against Light monsters?

So we're going to see Ember duel next time, are we? This is pretty nifty. I like the talking skull chef and the familiar. This story is your best Yu-Gi-Oh fic yet, and I don't mind if it's your last huzzah, you saved the best for last.

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, what to say about this chapter...

Well, I know it was basically a way to introduce Gears to the story, but I really couldn't help but feel it was a bit forced just so we can see what kind of deck he uses. The fact that Scully simply comes out of nowhere, tells him he's working for who we believe is the big bad and than challanges him to a duel in what seems to be about seven lines seems a bit quick.

“Jerks like you can’t escape Justice forever, Scully,” shouted Gears, “just like your Monsters can’t escape the Allies of Justice!”

“How corny can you get?” laughed Scully.

“I dunno,” said Gears, “I just thought it sounded ‘cool’.

Why did that line remind me of Russel? o.O

For me, the real highlight was Boris. He reminds me of Murray from the Monkey Island series. ^_^

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Yeah Gears seems Russel-ish to me, but his deck was original. I never heard of them, so I'm interested to see more of it. It was kinda forced like MC said, but the duel was good, although I get a feeling that these villans have strange, unfinished, smacked together decks with no real clear strategy.

The house, Boris, the cat, the whole place seemed cool when you described it. It was great getting to know something about Jalal and just some background in general. I like that.

I'm VERY curious to know what Embers deck is.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, another introductory chapter, but even the Anime had those, and as it has been stated, the story portion was more then entertaining enough to keep, me at least, patient a little while longer.

In fact, most of what I was going to bring up has already been stated. Guess I should have gotten up here faster.

Considering the name, and the sources you've used so far, I feel I have a likely hunch for Ember's deck, but I won't spoil it if I happen to be right.

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER SEVEN

I’d like to make a little confession, just between the two of us. Now, I wasn’t truly lying when I had told Jinx back then that I knew how to use a Disk… But knowing how to use one and knowing how to do so well, well, that was another story.

Yeah, I could use one. My cousin Akira, who I believe has already been mentioned, used to lend me his extra one when he came to visit, and let me use it. He was pretty much my only opponent for serious duels using holographic technology. Since he was a pro, and I wasn’t, I almost always lost those matches.

I had never dreamed I would be using one against someone who played for keeps, as seemed to be the case in this new group I had reluctantly joined. I was certainly no expert at serious dueling.

And despite the fact that I was technically coming with Jinx to “observe”, a small voice inside me told me that, inexperienced as I was, I had better become experienced… fast.



In a quiet residential area of Neo Domino, far from downtown, was an unassuming, one-story office building. It didn’t have much to distinguish itself from the other similar buildings in the quiet neighborhood, and the only clue to its purpose was a plaque on the front door that said “Dr. Martin Fogg, MD”.

Jinx slowly drove her D-Wheel up to the front, with Ember holding on.

“This is the address,” said Jinx, as she parked the bike.

She got off, and hit the command on the dashboard. The Duel Disk disengaged from the console, latching onto her gauntlet.

“Uh, Jinx?” asked Ember. “Would you mind if I asked a question that may be personal?”

“I have nothing to hide,” replied Jinx.

“Uhm…” said Ember. “Do all of you guys have… marks?”

Jinx looked strangely at Ember for a minute.

Then she laughed out loud.

“You afraid of this?” she laughed, pointing at the scar on her cheek.

She laughed softly for a minute.

“Forgot to explain that Ember…” she said. “It’s no criminal mark… That’s the Badge of the Shadowchasers. It’s what tells a Shadow that we have authority.

“Normally, it’s invisible to anyone but Awares and Shadows. Unless we want to show it to Mundanes. And let me tell you, the fact that it looks like a mark can be quite useful when dealing with Mundanes.”

“How so?” asked Ember. “Because it makes you more intimidating?”

Jinx smiled and nodded.

“Someone sees a mark,” she said, “he wonders what the person did to get it, and he wonders if he’ll ever do it again.”

“So, this Badge…” muttered Ember. “Am… I gonna get one?”

Jinx nodded again.

“And once you do, Ember,” she said. “You’ll realize that it’s a badge of pride…

“Now, onto the business at hand… We gotta get in somehow, and the front door is likely locked.”

They walked up to one of the windows.

To their surprise, there were bars on the inside.

“Very unusual for a psychiatrist,” said Ember.

“Not gonna get in that way,” replied Jinx. “Not without a hacksaw.”

She took a cell phone headset out of her jacket pocket.

“Let’s try the front door anyway…”

They turned around towards the front, and got another surprise. The front door was not only locked, apparently, but locked with a digital combination.

“Hmm…” said Jynx.

“Bars on the windows, digital locks on the doors,” said Ember. “I get the feeling that there’s something very important in there…”

“More than you know,” replied Jinx, holding up her cell phone and dialing. “I’ve seen this before, it’s a common trick used by technology-savvy Shadowkind. The digital lock is a ruse. If any combination were entered, it would likely set off a nasty booby trap. Forcing it open would likely be worse. The real way to get in is most likely a verbal code, or something even more complex.”

She turned on the headset.

“I suppose knocking is out of the question?” asked Ember.

“Not wise,” said Jinx. “With a setup like this, I don’t think he’d cooperate, and he’d know we were here too.

“Gears, are you there? Yeah, we’re at the place, but it’s pretty well-fortified. How long will it take you to hack into the grid?

“Okay, I’ll keep track…”

She looked at her watch.

“What’s Gears gonna do?” asked Ember.

“Hack into the power grid for this part of town and shut down the power for this block,” replied Ember. “No power, no security system, and no lock. He says it will take him two minutes… Then we’ll have at most ten minutes before an override system turns it back on.

“Now, once we get in there, be alert. The downside of getting in this way is, if someone’s in there, we lose the element of surprise.”

She looked at her watch as the seconds ticked away…

Then there was a loud hum, as the numbers on the lock faded away. Jinx grabbed hold of the door and pulled it open.

“Piece of cake!” she whispered.

Jinx and Ember walked in. Ember’s first reaction was to look for a light switch, before she remembered.

They were in a long hallway, in what looked like a typical doctor’s office. Jinx’s attention turned to a door that had another digital lock on it, which was also dead due to the loss of power.

She opened it, and both of them looked in with surprise.

It clearly wasn’t what you’d find in a psychiatrist’s office. More like a pharmacy.

“Gears, are you still there?” whispered Jinx into the speaker.

“Yeah, I’m here, Jinx,” came the reply. “You in trouble?”

“Are you sure this guy’s a psychiatrist?” asked Jinx. “This place looks more like a chemistry lab.”

“I did some checking on Fogg,” replied Gears. “He’s a real MD and he graduated from the Neo Domino University School of Psychology. Second in his class, in fact.”

“He’s got enough manaranil here for a hospital,” replied Jinx, picking up a large container.

“Manaranil?” asked Gears.

“And a lot of zolomoloft,” continued Jinx, looking at the containers. “Purmisic RD… Strynaztalan… And that’s just the stuff I recognize. Aren’t these all very powerful stimulants of some kind?

“Plus he’s got a bunch of equipment here that I’m sure isn’t psychiatric-issue. Flasks, Bunsen burners, measuring cups… There’s a small refrigerator over there, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have soda in it…”

She looked at an odd machine on a table.

“I think this may be a medical incubator, in fact. Isn’t that used for growing bacteria cultures? We’re talking biochemistry here…”

“Yeah, and I can’t explain that,” replied Gears, “but you were right about those chemicals being stimulants. They’re very powerful ones, and they haven’t been approved for use as psychiatric medications yet.”

“They’re that powerful?” asked Jinx.

“They’d likely make The Unhappy Maiden stop crying,” replied Gears. “As of right now, they can only be used for special experimental use. The average doctor can’t legally prescribe them.”

“Then what the heck is some private practitioner doing with them?” asked Jinx. “And all this other equipment?”

“Making breakthroughs in psychiatric science,” said a voice from the other side of the room.

Ember and Jinx spun around. Standing at the door that they had entered were two people. One – the one who had just spoken – was a tall man with very dark skin, and no hair, wearing a white leisure suit. What got their attention was the fact that he was pointing a gun at them.

Behind him was a young woman about Ember’s age, dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, with long, strawberry blonde hair.

“Dr. Martin Fogg, I presume,” said Jinx, looking up from the incubator.

“Yes,” said the man. “And I’ll have you know that this is a device that doesn’t need to be plugged in.”

“Put that away before you hurt someone,” replied Jinx.

“That’s the idea,” said Fogg, aiming it at her.

“Jinx…” said Ember, nervously.

Then, as Fogg pulled the trigger, there was a loud snap, and he cringed a little.

“What happened?” shouted the woman behind him.

“It jammed!” shouted Fogg. “How could it have…”

Jinx laughed.

“I guess it was just bad luck!” she laughed.

Fogg turned to his assistant.

“Debbie…” he said.

Then the two of them turned and ran the way they came.

“After them!” shouted Jinx.

She followed them down the hallway, with Ember following. At the end of the hallway, their quarry fled in opposite directions, Fogg going right, and Debbie going left.

“Whoa…” said Jinx, motioning for Ember to stop.

She paused.

“Ember…” she said. “If that assistant gets away, we could be in trouble… There’s no way I can chase after both of them.

“Let me ask you something…

“How committed are you?”

Ember looked at Jinx.

“I’ve come this far…” she said.

Jinx patted her on the shoulder.

“You handle her,” she said. “I’ll go get Fogg…”

Then she ran down after Fogg.

Nervously, Ember ran at a brisk pace down the hallway where Debbie had gone. The lights came back on as she did; clearly, that override system had kicked in.

She saw an open door.

She took off her Duel Disk, and poked it inside the entrance, waving it about.

“Oh, just come in!” snapped Debbie. “Even if I did have a gun, I wouldn’t ambush you…”

Ember walked into a large, comfortable-looking office, and saw Debbie, holding a Disk of her own. She could see that Debbie didn’t look as human as she did before, either. She had small horns on her forehead, and her eyes were an unnatural violet.

“You can see it, right?” asked Debbie. “Yeah, we learn early on to deal with the stares…”

“Pardon me?” asked Ember.

“What, are you new?” asked Debbie. “Never met a tiefling before? Well, now you have.”

“You seem to have a lot of anger,” replied Ember.

“You would too if you had the blood of fiends,” replied Debbie. “How would you like growing up with evil in your genes? With everyone expecting that you’d turn out bad? Some people have relatives who were Italian, or Latino, or German… Mine? Mine were demons.”

“That…” muttered Ember. “That’s awful…”

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” replied Debbie, as her Disk activated. “You know the old saying… You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your relatives.

“The way I see it, I’ll either vent my frustration by beating you to a pulp, or you’ll put me out of my misery. To me, that’s a win-win situation.”

Ember took a deep breath.

Okay, Ember, deep breaths… she thought. Deep, cleansing breaths…

She activated her own Disk.

“Let’s do this,” she said.

(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Debbie: 8,000)

“As you might expect, sister,” said Debbie, making a draw, “I have a lot of pent-up aggression. And the gals in my deck don’t play very nice either.

“I summon Amazoness Fighter!”

In a blast of energy, a feminine – sort of – Monster appeared in front of Debbie. She was a female Warrior that seemed far more muscular than most women should be, dressed in a blue bikini top and loincloth, two leather belts around her waist, and a lot of primitive jewelry. A headband held her bushy hair back, which was tied in a ponytail, and she didn’t seem to have any weapon except her fists. (1,500 ATK)

Ho boy… thought Ember, as she started to sweat.

She really wasn’t used to her opponent using a Disk to summon a Monster that wasn’t a Lightsworn…

“I’ll throw these facedown for later,” continued Debbie, as two facedown cards appeared behind the Amazon. “And that’s all.”

Ember hesitated. She froze for a second.

“Are you gonna move or what?” asked Debbie.

Ember quickly snapped out of it. She drew a card.

She looked over the six cards in her hand.

What am I worried about? she told herself. I’ve got someone here who’s stronger than her Monster…

“I summon… Molten Zombie!” she shouted.

A blast of flames shot up from the space in front of her, and a hunched over figure rose out of them. It was a humanoid made entirely of magma, with a zombie-like face, and flames leaking from its pores. (1,600 ATK)

“Attack!” shouted Ember.

Molten Zombie belched a cloud of flaming gas at Amazoness Fighter. She cringed, and then shattered into pixels.

“Not bad,” replied Debbie. “But due to Fighter’s effect, I don’t lose any Life Points.

“And I also get to activate this…”

Her facedown card shot up.

“Pride of Tribe. Since one of my Amazons fell, I get to summon another one from my deck.

“So I summon Amazoness Swords Woman!”

In another burst of energy, another female warrior appeared. She wore a skimpy, blue bikini, and jewelry made of teeth. Her hair was fiery red, and worn long. She held a very large sword in her right hand. (1,500 ATK)

Ember looked at Swords Woman and put her hand on her hip. She was starting to get more confidence…

“You know,” she said, “I’m no expert in Greek mythology, but I think that the Amazons had as much access to armor as male warriors.”

“They weren’t the smartest fighters in the world,” replied Debbie. “After all, Hercules defeated their whole army by himself.”

Ember sighed, and looked at her hand.

“I’ll set a facedown card of my own,” she said, “and I’ll call it a turn.”

A facedown card flashed into existence in front of her.

Calm down, Ember… she thought. Just pretend that Amazon is one big Barbie Doll…

She looked closely at Swords Woman. Swords Woman glared back at her and grinned.

Oh brother! she thought. Why do I think of things like that?!

Debbie made a draw.

“I summon… Amazoness Tiger!” she exclaimed.

With a roar, a savage-looking she-tiger appeared on the field next to Swords Woman. She wore golden bracelets on all four legs, and a golden collar with a chain leash. (1,100 ATK)

“Tiger is the Amazons’ loyal pet and bodyguard,” said Debbie. “While she’s on the field, you can’t attack any Amazon except her. And if you think that will be easy, she also gains 400 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field.

“She just loves having friends around.”

(1,900 ATK)

“Attack her Molten Zombie!” she shouted.

Amazoness Tiger pounced. Ember froze for a second.

Then she remembered her facedown card.

“Chew on this!” she replied, as it lifted up. “I activate… Backfire! This Trap Card will hit you for 500 points of damage whenever one of my Fire Monsters is destroyed!”

Tiger made a swipe with her claws, and Molten Zombie groaned before being blasted into embers. Then, a blast of flames shot out of the Backfire card, striking Debbie.

“Okay, sister,” replied Debbie. “You burned me… But now, Swords Woman wants a word with you…

“Direct attack! Savage sword!”

Swords Woman leapt at Ember, holding her sword aloft.

Ember cringed as the sword made a slash across her torso, and she fell on her behind.

(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)

“Aw, did that hurt?” asked Debbie.

Ember slowly got up.

Truthfully, the actual attack didn’t hurt as much as falling on her behind did. But she wasn’t going to tell her that.

“Your move,” said Debbie.

I’m off to a really bad start, thought Ember. I gotta get rid of that Tiger before she brings out another Amazon.

She looked at her hand of cards.

I got someone here who can do the job, but he’s Level 6…

She drew a card.

It was Monster Reborn.

Ember couldn’t believe her luck. She had never gotten a draw that good exactly when she needed it.

She quickly played it.

“Go, Monster Reborn!” she shouted.

As she played it, the golden ankh appeared in mid-air.

“That’s a pretty powerful Spell Card to be playing so early in the duel,” said Debbie. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Molten Zombie appeared in front of Ember again. (1,600 ATK)

“I sure do,” replied Ember. “Because, when Molten Zombie is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card.”

She made a draw.

All right! she thought, looking at it. I drew Infernal Flame Emperor!

Unfortunately, I’d need to swap two Monsters for it, and I don’t have them… Best save it for later…

“I sacrifice Molten Zombie…” she exclaimed.

Molten Zombie vanished.

“…to call forth Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!”

A bonfire erupted in front of Ember, and a ten-foot-tall giant rose out of the flames. He was clad head to toe in iron plate armor, and his hands burned with fire. (2,400 ATK)

“Now I activate his effect…” continued Ember.

The three cards in Debbie’s hand glowed, and then three large cards appeared on the field, their backs to Ember.

Thestalos formed a fireball in his hands, and hurled it at the middle card. It turned around right before it hit, revealing itself to be a second Swords Woman. The card was burned to ashes.

“You not only lose that card,” continued Ember, “but since that was a Level 4 Monster, you lose 400 Life Points.”

Debbie groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her body.

“All right, Thestalos!” shouted Ember. “Attack her Tiger! Royal flames!”

Thestalos threw a second, more intense ball of fire. The Tiger roared before exploding in a flaming burst.

Debbie scowled at Ember…

(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)

“My move…” she growled.

She drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

“Turn end,” she said.

“Ah, ha!” laughed Ember. “Look at you! I made you so mad, you forgot to move Swords Woman to Defense Mode!”

Debbie looked at Swords Woman.

“Oh…” she said. “Well, well, well… So I did… How careless of me…”

Ember quickly drew a card.

“First I set a Monster!” she said eagerly, as a concealed Monster appeared.

“Thestalos, roast her Swords Woman!”

Thestalos hurled his ball of flame again. Swords Woman screamed before she went up in flames.

“Hey, sunshine!” said Debbie. “Look up…”

“Huh?” said Ember, looking up.

Then she saw that Sword Woman had apparently thrown her sword at her right before she was hit, because it was flying towards her…

Ember shrieked as it hit her.

“You’re obviously a rookie,” replied Debbie. “You clearly don’t know that when Swords Woman loses a battle, she still wins, because my opponent takes the battle damage. Maybe you should have done research before becoming a duelist, let alone a Shadowchaser.”

Ember sighed.

That’s what I get for being cocky, she thought. I can’t be careless… Letting my guard down at this point might spell disaster…

“I end my turn…” she muttered.

(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)

Debbie drew a card.

“I’m taking that big lug down,” she said, playing a card, “and my Amazoness Blowpiper is gonna do it.”

Another Amazon appeared, this one wearing a green bikini top and loincloth, fur boots with knee guards made from skulls, and more of the same primitive jewelry, with black hair tied in a ponytail. She carried a long blowgun with a snake’s skull mounted on the end. (800 ATK)

“How is she gonna beat Thestalos?” asked Ember. “He’s three times stronger.”

“I’ll show you as soon as Flip-Summon my other Monster,” replied Debbie. “Amazoness Chain Master.”

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and yet another female Warrior appeared, cut from the same cloth as the others. This one had white, platinum blonde hair, worn loose, wore a blue bikini top and loincloth, and carried a long chain with a grapple. (1,500 ATK)

“Now then…” continued Debbie, as a Spell Card appeared on the field. “I play Amazoness Spellcaster! This causes my Amazon and your Monarch to swap Attack Scores.”

“HUH?” gasped Ember.

Seeing was believing. Thestalos fell to an Attack Score of only 800, while Blowpiper rose to 2,400.

“Seems that the tables are turned,” said Debbie, as Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips.

Blowpiper took a breath, and blew into her pipe, shooting a dart right at the much larger Monster. Thestalos groaned, and keeled over… And then burst into an explosion of soot and smoke.

“Did you forget about my Backfire?” asked Ember.

Another blast of flames shot out of the Trap Card, hitting Debbie. She growled.

“Chain Master, attack her facedown Monster!”

Chain Master twirled her grapple above her head, and hurled it. On the card, a large turtle with a shell resembling a flying saucer appeared, right before the chain hit it, and it exploded into slag.

Backfire shot another wave of flames, hitting Debbie again.

“You destroyed my UFO Turtle,” said Ember. “And when it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a low-powered Fire Monster from my deck. Like another UFO Turtle.”

Another of the odd Machines appeared in front of Ember. (1,400 ATK)

“Then that’s all,” replied Debbie, as Blowpiper’s Attack Score fell back to 800.

(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,600)

Ember drew a card quickly. She looked at it closely. It was Sakuretsu Armor.

Starting to get the hang of this… she thought. Maybe it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be…

She placed it in her Disk.

“I set a facedown…” she said.

She took another card.

“Then I summon Tenkabito Shien!”

In another burst of fire, and the loud whiny of a horse, a mounted figure rose onto the field. He was dressed in the clothing of Japanese nobility, holding a long nodachi and riding a coal-black steed. (1,500 ATK)

“Attack her Blowpiper!” shouted Ember.

Shien galloped forward on his mount. Blowpiper screamed before she was cut down. Debbie cringed.

“I’ll move UFO Turtle to Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Ember.

UFO Turtle retracted its limbs and head into its shell. (1,200 DEF)

(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,900)

“My move…” said Debbie.

She drew a card.

“And I play Pot of Avarice!” she shouted, playing it.

The nutty-looking jar appeared in front of her, and both Swords Women, Tiger, Fighter, and Blowpiper slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and then drew twice.

“I summon Amazoness Paladin!” she shouted.

In another flash of energy, yet another of the savage women appeared. She was dressed in a white bikini top and loincloth, and also a hood and tattered cape. Her long, blonde hair fell down to her waist from under it. She held a sword that wasn’t as big as Swords Woman’s, but looked more finely made. (1,700 ATK)

“And she gains 100 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field,” continued Debbie.

(1,900 ATK)

“Destroy Tenkabito Shien!”

Paladin made a graceful pose, and then leapt at Shien, sword first…

“I activate, Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up.

“Paladin!” shouted Debbie. “Escape!”

Paladin vanished.

“HUH?” said Ember. “Where did she go?”

Then she noticed that Debbie had triggered the Trap Card that she had set on her first turn, which she had almost forgotten about.

“It’s called Dramatic Rescue,” replied Debbie, holding up Paladin’s card. “It saves my Amazon by sending her back to my hand.

“And it also lets me summon another Monster from my hand to take her place.

“Like another Swords Woman!”

In another burst of energy, Swords Woman appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

“Chain Master, move to Defense Mode,” she continued.

Chain Master knelt, and shielded herself with her arms. (1,300 DEF)

“It’s your move…” she said.

Ember drew, and looked at her hand.

I have two Monsters on the field, she thought. That’s enough to summon my Infernal Flame Emperor…

But with her Swords Woman there, having a Monster that powerful on my side may well be too dangerous…

I’d better wait…

“Shien, attack Chain Master!” she commanded.

Tenkabito Shien charged forward on his mount, cutting down Chain Master with one swipe.

Then Debbie laughed out loud.

“You fell right into my trap,” she said. “It seems you really are a newbie.

“When Chain Master falls in battle, a powerful effect is activated… The Brink of Death Chain Dance!”

“I have a feeling I’m not gonna like this…” said Ember.

“I have to pay 1,500 Life Points,” continued Debbie, “and then…”

A ghostly phantom that resembled Chain Master appeared next to Debbie. Her eyes glowed with eerie light, and then the cards in Ember’s hand glowed with the same light…

Then, the images of the four cards in Ember’s hand appeared in front of her.

“That one,” said Debbie, pointing.

The ghostly Amazon threw her grapple, and it snagged the Infernal Flame Emperor card.

“HEY!” shouted Ember.

Debbie grinned as the card appeared in her hand and the phantom vanished.

“Nice,” she said, looking at it. “This your best card?”

Ember frowned.

“You need two Monsters to summon it,” she said with a scowl.

“I’m well aware of that,” replied Debbie. “Any other moves you’d like to make?”

“Just move…” growled Ember.

(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,400)

Debbie drew a card.

“I summon another Fighter,” she said, playing a card.

The incredibly muscular Amazon appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

“Then I throw a card facedown,” she continued, “and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared with a flash.

“My move!” shouted Ember.

She drew a card.

Oh, that does it… she thought. I gotta get rid of that annoying Swords Woman, even if I have to take out Shien in the process…

“Shien, attack her Swords Woman!” she shouted.

Shien galloped towards Swords Woman…

“Facedown card activate…” exclaimed Debbie.

“Hold up!” laughed Ember. “Shien is immune to Trap Cards!”

“Who said it was a Trap Card?” asked Debbie.

The Quickplay Spell revealed itself, showing itself to be Shrink. Ember’s eyes opened wide.

Tenkabito Shien fell to an Attack Score of 750. Swords Woman made a swipe with her blade, and he burst into an explosion of flames.

“I activate the effect of Backfire!” shouted Ember.

The flaming blast shot towards Debbie, and she grunted again.

(E: 2,950) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)

“So what are you gonna do now?” asked Debbie.

“It’s still my turn!” shouted Ember. “I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode…”

A defensive Monster appeared.

“Then, I’ll remove one Fire Monster from play…”

Molten Zombie slipped out of her discard slot. Ember pocketed it.

“…to also summon Inferno in Defense Mode.”

Another fiery Monster appeared in front of her. It looked basically like a small bonfire with two glowing eyes. (1,900 DEF)

“And now I end my turn…”

Debbie drew a card.

“You remember Paladin, don’t you?” she asked, as Amazoness Paladin appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

“And guess what? I have three Amazons on the field now…”

(2,000 ATK)

“Paladin, destroy Inferno!”

Paladin slashed with her sword, and Inferno vanished in a burst of smoke.

The Backfire card blasted flames at Debbie again.

“Curse that infernal card…” growled Debbie. “Fighter, attack her mystery Monster!”

Fighter leapt at the facedown Monster…

A large, blocky construct that seemed to be made of burnt-out wood appeared on the card. Fighter struck it with her fist, but it only shivered a little. (2,100 DEF)

“Charcoal Inpachi is too tough for her to crack,” replied Ember.

“True,” said Debbie. “But due to her effect, I take no damage. But due to Swords Woman’s effect, you’ll sure take some…”

Swords Woman leapt at Charcoal Inpachi and struck it with her sword. Ember groaned as the force of the impact ripped through her.

(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,400)

“It’s your move,” said Debbie, with a grin. “And I must thank you… It really feels good to just let it out…”

Ember sighed, and drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That all?” asked Debbie, drawing a card.

“Well, it’s about time… I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

The cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Backfire card to pieces.

“Boy, that was therapeutic,” she said. “Now, let’s see… I could just keep attacking your Inpachi with Swords Woman, and deplete your Life Points 600 at a time…

“But I think I’ll go for the gusto…

“I sacrifice Fighter and Swords Woman…”

The two Amazons vanished into grains of light…

“I summon Infernal Flame Emperor!”

With a roar, a huge Pyro rose onto Debbie’s side of the field. It was just as big as Thestalos, and resembled a flaming centaur, with wings and a head shaped like a hawk. It burned with a fiery aura. (2,700 ATK)

“Bet you never expected I’d use your best card against you huh?” she asked. “But that’s how it is, you know. When you grow up like I did, you learn early on that life can be so cruel…”

Ember just glared at Debbie.

“Attack Charcoal Inpachi!” shouted Debbie.

Infernal Flame Emperor threw a searing ball of flames, and Ember braced herself as her Monster was blown to shards.

“Now, Paladin attacks your facedown Monster!”

Paladin flew at the facedown Monster…

A third UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and she cleaved it in a half.

“A third one?” shouted Debbie.

“Yes, I had a third one,” replied Ember. “And you’re going to see just how cruel life can be. I use its effect to summon…

“…Ultimate Baseball Kid!”

In a blast of fire, a very unlikely Monster leapt onto Ember’s side of the field. He looked like a ten-year-old, dressed in a red little league uniform, holding a metal bat covered with spikes. His eyes burned with fire, and the Kanji symbol for Fire was printed on his batting helmet. (500 ATK)

“Mmmph!” said Debbie, trying to hold back laughter. “You’re kidding right?”

“Seems you’re the one who didn’t do any research now,” said Ember. “Ultimate Baseball Kid is incredibly powerful when you use him right. He gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Fire Monster on the field, other than himself. I see two right now, UFO Turtle, and Infernal Flame Emperor.”

Ultimate Baseball Kid took a few warm-up swings with his bat… (2,500 ATK)

“Uh…” said Debbie.

“And it’s my move…” said Ember, drawing a card.

“I play MY Pot of Avarice,” she said.

The jar appeared, and she took Tenkabito Shien, Thestalos, both UFO Turtles, and Inferno from her Graveyard. She shuffled them back into her deck, and made two draws.

“Next, I remove Charcoal Inpachi from play, to Special Summon Spirit of Flames!”

In another burst of fire, a muscular, fiendish-looking creature, with horns and flames in place of legs, appeared on the field. (1,700 ATK)

“Then, I Normal Summon Magna Drago!”

She played the card, and a small but vicious-looking Dragon with red scales appeared on her side of the field. (1,400 ATK)

“That’s a Tuner Monster!” shouted Debbie.

“Exactly,” replied Ember, with a smile. “You thought that Infernal Flame Emperor was my best card, but you were wrong… Allow me to introduce you to my best card…”

Magna Dragon breathed flames from its jaws. Then it and UFO Turtle flew to the ceiling, and split into six shimmering stars.

Then, a flaming meteor fell to Ember’s side of the field.

“I Tune UFO Turtle and Magna Drago,” she said, “to Synchro Summon… Flamvell Urquizas!”

The fireball burst, and a tall, intimidating Monster was standing there. He looked like a man in armor that suggested volcanic stone, decorated with fire-red crystal, with flames shrouding his hands. (2,100 ATK)

“Flamvell… Urquizas?” asked Debbie. “Uhm… How do you spell that?”

Ember sighed.

“Why do they always ask that?” she muttered. “For you, he spells trouble, because with three other Fire Monsters on the field, Ultimate Baseball Kid gets even stronger!”

Ultimate Baseball Kid burned with fire. (3,500 ATK)

“Sorry about this, pal,” said Ember, looking at Infernal Flame Emperor. “Ultimate Baseball Kid, attack with home run slammer!”

Ultimate Baseball Kid formed a fireball in his hand, then threw it up, and walloped it with his bat, hitting a line drive that blew Infernal Flame Emperor to shards.

“Now my Spirit of Flame attacks your Paladin,” continued Ember. “And during my Battle Phase, it gains 300 extra Attack Points!”

Spirit of Flames rose to an Attack Score of 2,000. It breathed a blast of fire, and Amazoness Paladin screamed before she was incinerated.

“All right, Urquizas!” said Ember. “Let’s take this duel home! Attack directly with fist of flame!”

Flamvell Urquizas burned like a blazing beacon. He flew at Debbie, and socked her in the stomach with his molten fist. Debbie screamed, and fell over.

(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)

Ember watched as Debbie slowly got up.

So now what? thought Ember. Jinx hasn’t finished with Fogg yet… And I never got that thing I need to make an arrest… I don’t even think I’m authorized to do so yet…

Debbie chuckled as she looked at Ember. She slowly got up.

“So you beat me,” she said, reaching into her pocket. “Ah, well…”

Ember almost jumped when she saw that she was taking a switchblade out of her pocket.

“Seems I’m gonna have to deal with you another way…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Five minutes later, Ember could hardly believe what had happened.

Right now, she was holding Debbie down by sitting on her, although Debbie was not fighting back. She was holding her eyes in incredible pain. Ember didn’t know how to use a sword, but the pepper spray that she had carried long before she had ever met Shichiro had proven useful.

“I swear, bitch,” cursed Debbie, “as soon as I manage to see you…”

“Yeah, yeah,” muttered Ember. “By the way, gimme back my card…”

She reached down and took the card off Debbie’s Disk.

Hurry up, Jinx, she thought. I’m really not sure how long I can hold her…

* * * * * * * * * *

Satellite…

It was a place that could be summed up very simply: If you didn’t live there, you hoped you’d never go there. And if you did, you dreamed of finding a way to leave.

Crumbling buildings stood astride ruined streets… Smoke and soot filled the air… Dirty water and other unidentifiable residue collected in ditches… If you only spent an hour here, the aura of despair would cling to you like an unpleasant rash.

Situated on a large island about eight miles from the mainland, Satellite was once the original Domino City, before a careless accident turned it into a ruin. Now, it was a run-down, crumbling berg, suffering from terrible urban decay, a slum where the lower class and the fallen-from-grace lived, and could only look up upon the utopia that was far out of reach.

Satellite was not without its uses. Neo Domino, like most large cities, generated a great deal of refuse, and the garbage was sent to factories in Satellite for recycling and processing. The residents of Satellite were in charge of this dubious task; to quote an old saying, it was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. They didn’t do it willingly, but what choice did they have? They knew of no other existence. Even if they could somehow leave, they wouldn’t be welcome in Neo Domino. The folk there tended to regard them as objects of pity at best, and as unclean lepers at worst. The term “Satellite scum” was a common phrase used to reference them.

Very few residents had actually escaped and managed to achieve a better life. Among the well-known residents who had were Jack Atlas and Yusei Fudo. One claim that only certain people made – in secret – was that Godwin himself was a native of Satellite. Supposedly, this secret was one that the Arcadia Movement knew, and was the reason Godwin’s men didn’t interfere with them. Of course, they were likely smart enough to know when to draw the line; if they used this knowledge to make an attempt at blackmail, they would likely be silenced.

Only a very small minority actually lived in Satellite by choice. You’d need a very good reason to. Satellite simply wasn’t a very nice place…

…if you were human, that is. To some Shadows, Satellite suited them just fine.

As the morning sun tried to burn through the smog in a remote area of Satellite, three urchins in worn clothing – two boys and one girl, the boys ages twelve and fourteen, the girl only ten – ran through the streets, the girl trying to keep up.

“Stop!” she shouted. “Wes! Stop!”

Wes laughed, and then did stop.

“What’s the matter, Mira?” he asked. “Can’t keep up?”

“Wes…” said Mira, nervously, looking ahead. “Dad told us never to come here…”

The three of them looked at a large building in front of them. It may have once been a factory at one time, but exactly what it had once manufactured could not be determined.

“Scared of an old, abandoned factory?” asked Wes, grinning from ear to ear.

“I’m with Mira,” said the other boy. “Dad said…”

“Wait!” said Wes. “I know why dad doesn’t want us near here…

“I heard that Louis DaPen lives here…”

Mira shivered a little.

“Isn’t that something?” said Wes, still grinning. “Know what I heard? I heard that if he doesn’t like someone, he throws them in the bay wearing cement shoes!”

Mira cowered in fear.

“Wes…” said the other boy.

“I also heard,” continued Wes, “that one time he locked a guy in his car, and then crushed the car in a compactor with the guy still in it!”

“I wanna go home!” squeaked Mira.

“Wes, that’s a lot of bull!” snapped the other boy. “You’ve been using dad’s laptop to download old gangster movies, haven’t you? He told you not to waste download time doing that!”

Wes looked, and saw a door, an apparent entrance to the factory.

“You two scared?” he asked. “Heck, I’m not scared… Why don’t we see if he’s home?”

“WES!” shouted Mira.

“No, really,” replied Wes, as he started to walk up to the door. “You two may be fraidy-cats, but I feel like meeting the old guy. I’m sure he’s a nice guy when you get to know…”

Before he could finish the sentence, the door opened. They all turned to it.

Standing there was a huge, unsmiling man. He stood at least seven feet tall, and was hulking, with dark hair and skin, as well as piercing, suspicious-looking eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a red tie.

He looked at them and frowned.

Three screams echoed from that part of the block as the three kids ran for their lives.

The thug watched until they were out of sight.

“Kids…” he said with a shrug.

He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and transferred one directly from the pack to his mouth. He made sure they were gone, and then turned back inside, lighting it in the process.

Wes was a rotten kid who had been trying to scare his sister, but he had inadvertently been right; this was DaPen’s home and office. The thug was one of his two most trusted bodyguards.

The door led to a long hallway, and once inside, you would see the difference immediately. The inside of this building was in much better shape than the outside. Everything was clean, and it had luxuries that most residents of Satellite only dreamed of.

The hallway led to a large, comfortable looking waiting room. This was where you went if you had business with DaPen and were considered a guest. However, there was no guarantee that this status would not change. Guests who annoyed DaPen or made him angry didn’t last long. DaPen never actually drowned anyone by giving him cement shoes (too cliché) but he had other methods.

Opposite the door where the thug went in was another door, guarded by another thug who looked just like him. (They were brothers, actually.) The first thug went by, and opened the door, into the room that was the limit of what most guests saw:

DaPen’s office.

The office was comparable to Draco’s in terms of comfort. It had a large mahogany desk with a padded swivel chair, a television with a digital receiver (which was also equipped with receivers for viewing areas in Neo Domino that he had an interest in), a laptop computer, a fully stocked wet bar, and bookshelves, with some of the books held in place by locked chains (the contents of these books were a mystery to most). Doors in the back of the office led to the interior of the building, where only a select few were allowed to go.

DaPen was not what you would call handsome. To most viewers, he looked like a corpulent, unpleasant man who seemed to be in his mid-forties, dressed in a grey business suit, with incredibly pale skin that suggested he had not gotten any sun in months. He was bald on the top of his head, but he had a full, white beard. His beard seemed to constantly flow as if blown in the wind, even when there was no wind. He was fond of cigars, and was rarely seen without one in hand (Cuban, of course).

Even if you were an Aware, you’d likely never see any more than this. DaPen hid his true form behind multiple layers of disguise, keeping most from discovering what lay hidden underneath the veil. Only certain Shadowkind could see what he truly was, and even they kept mum about it.

It wasn’t often that DaPen was seen by anyone whom he wasn’t well-acquainted with. Those who saw him would say that, despite his lack of morals, he was never rude, and tended to be formal in most matters. After all, his profession was just another business in his eyes…

The only difference was, when your business of choice is organized crime, there are ways of dealing with issues that aren’t used in most other businesses…

“Did you scare away those kids?” he asked, as the henchman entered the room.

DaPen had one of those odd accents that made it impossible for a listener to tell exactly where he was from. Clearly, anyone he spoke to would realize he was not a native of this part of the world.

“Yeah, I got rid of them,” replied the thug.

“Good,” said DaPen. “Make sure they don’t come back. There’s going to be trouble in a few minutes, and I want to make sure I know all the details…”

He hit a remote, and the television came on. He took a drag on his cigar before leaning on his chin.

“So, they want to know me, huh?” he muttered. “Well… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more… social…”


Now, technically, Debbie was not a true Shadowkind. As a tiefling, she was Shadow-Touched. Since she had no idea what member of her family had actually been a Shadow, and how far in the past it had occurred, she was far more human than Shadow, even though she apparently had more loyalty to them.

Still, I didn’t expect my first victory as a Shadowchaser to have a great amount of grandeur. Almost everyone starts small. Debbie mentioned Hercules, and his first Labor, the slaying of the Nemean Lion, paled in comparison with what came later. I mean, what’s more heroic, slaying an overly vicious and hard-to-kill lion, or making a trip into the Underworld and subduing Cerberus himself?

Still, my first victory is one I remember better than others. The fact that I had done it alone, and with no help, doing something important for this new task that had been set before me… well, it gave me inspiration that I didn’t have before. And it had helped give me the sea legs I needed to use the Disk better than I had in the past.

As I held Debbie down, waiting for Jinx to come, the thought that was at the forefront of my mind was, “What comes next?”



PRIDE OF TRIBE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Amazoness Swords Woman striking a pose on a hill against the full moon.

Card Description: You can activate this card when an “Amazoness” Monster you control, or 1 that is named “Amazon Archer”, is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 “Amazoness” Monster or an “Amazon Archer” from your deck.

Note: “Pride of Tribe” was first used by Tanya in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Duel Distractions (Part 1)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



FLAMVELL URQUIZAS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Pyro/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 6
ATK: 2,100
DEF: 400

Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points. When this card inflicts battle damage, increase its ATK by 300.

Note: “Flamvell Urquizas” was released in Japan for the original “Duel Terminal” system. It has not yet been released in the United States.



Coming up next:

Ember took down the assistant – now Jinx has to deal with her boss. As she confronts the mysterious Dr. Fogg, she learns clues as to the bigger threat they are facing. Meanwhile, DaPen continues to plot and scheme, and it likely won’t be good.

“Science Soldier” is next.

[Shuppet Master]

So, Ember isn't just a nickname, is it? She runs a typical fire deck? This sounds pretty interesting. I hope you can mix it up a bit, though.

Tiefling, eh? First all that demonology in Soul of Silicon, then this. Gary Gygax, anyone?

Great duel, though.

[Dark Sage]

No, Chris, Ember's deck is not typical. You won't see her use Solar Flare Dragons, for instance, and no Lava Golem either. Ember doesn't concentrate on Burn tactics, even though she uses Backfire. Also, there are other Flamvell Monsters besides Urquizas, and she has most of them too. She'll be revealing them and other new cards as the fic progresses.

I didn't want to make Ember's deck just another Fire Deck, but this was good to start.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Eventhough it's kinda an introduction for Embers deck, I liked it. The deck was ok, but seeing that there are going to be some changes, that should be interesteting.

The fact that the plot went on aswell, was great. I'm looking forward to the battle with Fogg.

[Dark Sage]

CHAPTER EIGHT

Now, you may be wondering, like I was at the time, what interest DaPen had with some psychiatrist, and what the deal was with all the experimental stimulants. I later did some research on those chemicals. Taking one milligram of some of that stuff would likely keep you alert longer than a whole six-pack of Red Bull.

You might be thinking of an American movie that I once heard of starring Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro that was called Analyze This. In the movie, a psychiatrist (Crystal’s character) is having a lot of problems with his life. At the same time, a notorious mob boss (played by De Niro, who was no stranger to playing mobsters) was suffering from stress and anxiety attacks. After Crystal accidentally encounters one of De Niro’s henchmen and business cards are exchanged, De Niro persuades (or rather forces) Crystal to take him as a patient, which leads to a lot of problems; most notably, how does a doctor treat a patient who usually solves problems with a gun?

The film was incredibly funny, and was a success at the box office, and traces of this plotline were seen in the HBO series The Sopranos, which debuted later the same year.

I only wish that this were the same situation we were encountering now. A much darker secret lay in that office than a mobster who had stress, and the key to discovering it rested in a doctor who was clearly not as innocent as the doctor in that movie…



DaPen was on the phone. His brow furrowed.

“Yes, yes,” he muttered. “Uh huh… Well, keep watching…”

He hung up.

“Bad news, boss?” asked the bodyguard.

“Quite,” replied DaPen. “We’re more than likely going to lose that office…”

He pondered for a minute.

“Send him in, Albert,” he said.

The bodyguard opened the door to the waiting room.

“Tell him he can come in, Vince,” said Albert.

After a few seconds, a dark elf that seemed far better off than Malken entered the room. He was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, both of which seemed a far better quality than Shichiro’s. His long hair was platinum blond, which was typical for dark elves.

“Mr. DaPen,” he said, “this is an honor. I…”

“Listen, Mr… Ka’duren,” replied DaPen, looking at a sheet of paper he had in front of him. “I’ll tell you this once: I’m not overly fond of dark elves. You claim you can defeat the best Shadowchaser in Neo Domino, meaning you can defeat Shichiro. You have five minutes to get my attention and tell me how you intend to do that.”

“Simple,” said the dark elf, with a grin. “I specialize on defeating duelists whose strategy depends on Synchro Summoning. The best way to stop a Synchro Monster is to prevent it from ever showing up.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” asked DaPen.

He leaned back in his chair.

“Royal Oppression? Vanity’s Fiend? Both are dead-end strategies in Turbo Duels.

“Both cards stop both players from Special Summoning, meaning your own deck must avoid doing so. And such a deck could never succeed in a Turbo Duel. In a Turbo Duel, your opponent is armed to the teeth with Trap Cards, and one Sakuretsu Armor, one Dust Tornado, any Trap at all that can destroy the key card will lead to you being overwhelmed, and lead you to defeat.”

The dark elf chuckled. He took a deck out of a case.

“I don’t use either,” he said. “I have a far more efficient method…”

He took a card from it, and showed it to DaPen.

DaPen carefully read the text on the card…

“Well…” he said. “I must say, you’ve successfully gotten my attention…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Jinx ran down the hallway, after her target, hoping that there wasn’t a back door that he could escape out of. She started to gain, and then saw him duck into a room at the end, leaving the door halfway ajar.

Jinx carefully opened the door, and saw him looking at her in the dim light.

As she slowly walked in, he hit a light switch, revealing the room to be what looked like a psychiatric examination room. He had gotten a Disk from somewhere (most likely the shelf behind him) and was placing it on his arm.

“So, do you even have a permit for that gun you tried to use?” asked Jinx.

“May I see your search warrant?” asked Fogg. “Or do you folks think you’re above such…”

Jinx quickly reached into her vest pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. She held it up.

“Even the Shadowchasers have procedures to follow, Fogg,” she said. “I’ve got the warrant I needed to search this place right here. It wasn’t hard to get, seeing as your business card was found on someone who made an unprovoked assault on a Shadowchaser and admitted to being the henchman of a wanted criminal.”

Fogg chuckled.

“I guess you got me…” he said, with a shrug.

Jinx looked at him carefully.

“You’re snakeblooded, aren’t you?” she asked.

Fogg frowned.

“Yes,” he said. “So nice of you to notice. I’m snakeblooded. So were my father, and my grandfather. I have no idea how far back in my family I’d have to go back before I reached someone who was a true ophidia.

“I have no loyalty to them at all. In fact, I rather despise them.”

“You realize that the ophidia will think differently,” replied Jinx. “With their twisted view of the world, they expect all creatures with their blood to serve them eventually, whether they want to or not.”

“I’m quite aware of that,” replied Fogg. “They believe for some reason that loyalty is owed to them by anyone with their heritage. And that is exactly the reason why I work for DaPen.

“It’s common sense. A certain book written a long time ago said it all. The title was, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by a guy named Robert Fulghum. It was interesting reading. One thing you learn in kindergarten is, when you know that a bully is going to come after you, your only recourse is to make friends with a stronger bully. The ophidia are afraid of DaPen, so as long as I work for DaPen, they’ll leave me alone. Some ophidia even get smart and work for DaPen, thinking they can become powerful faster.”

“Yeah, we already kind of know that,” replied Jinx.

“I’ve heard the goals of the more traditional ophidia, Jinx…” continued Fogg. “The ones who would refuse to work for anyone but their own kind. How they dream of ushering in the fabled Age of Serpents, how they will cover the Earth with their brood, and become the masters of the world, growing fat upon the flesh of humanity. Insane ramblings that make Nazi propaganda seem lucid. If they ever tried to make their dream a reality, working for them would likely be slavery. At least working for DaPen, I get a decent salary and the right to do as I please.”

“Okay, that’s the why,” replied Jinx. “Now tell me the what. What do you plan to do with the chemistry set?”

“I was planning to perfect a formula that will enhance the powers of paranatural beings,” replied Fogg.

Jinx glared at him.

“That’s it?” she exclaimed. “You’re not even gonna try to lie to me?”

“What good would lying do?” asked Fogg, as he placed a deck into his Disk. “Common sense, remember? I know that this confrontation can only end one of two ways. The first way is, you’ll defeat me, I’ll be arrested, and everything in this building will be confiscated.

“The other way is, I’ll defeat you. But even if you don’t survive, your allies know you came here, and I’ll be forced to abandon this building anyway. I can only take so much with me. For all I know, your partner already subdued my assistant and is calling them. Whatever I was doing here was ruined as soon as you discovered it, so there’s no sense in not telling you.

“See, that’s the problem with the ophidia. The fact that they actually believe that this Age of Serpents can ever actually happen proves that they’re stupid. Not smart, like me.”

“You’re that smart, are you?” asked Jinx.

“Well, my IQ was last measured at 150,” replied Fogg. “And if you doubt my mental prowess, duel me, and you’ll see firsthand.”

He activated his Disk. Jinx followed suit, and activated hers.

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

“I’ll start this off,” said Fogg, drawing a card.

“And I summon… Magnet Warrior Omega Minus!”

The floor seemed to crack open, and what looked like a large robot rose out of it. It clearly was not any Magnet Warrior that the great Yugi Mouto had ever used. It was blocky, colored purple, and its parts were shaped with a magnet theme. It held a shield on its left arm shaped like a magnet, and a sword in its right hand. (1,900 ATK)

“Heh…” chuckled Jinx. “Interesting…”

“That’s enough to start,” said Fogg.

Jinx quickly whipped a card off her deck.

“I summon, my Abare Ushioni!” she shouted.

In a blast of energy, the large, red, three-eyed, tattooed bull appeared. It bellowed, and steam blew out of its nostrils. (1,200/1,200)

“Now I get to toss a coin and call it,” she continued. “I guess right, then you lose 1,000 Life Points. I guess wrong, then I lose 1,000 Life Points.

“So, what do you think my chances are?”

“Don’t you know anything about statistics?” asked Fogg. “The chance of calling a coin toss right is always a flat fifty percent.”

“We’ll see,” replied Jinx, as a gold coin appeared in her hand.

She tossed it up.

“Heads!”

The coin spun in the air, and hit the ground. It was indeed heads.

A blast of energy shot out of Abare Ushioni’s eyes, hitting Fogg. He grunted.

Two facedown cards flashed into existence behind Abare Ushioni.

“I’ll set these,” said Jinx, “and I’ll end my turn.”

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 7,000)

“My draw…” said Fogg, drawing a card.

“And I summon Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus!”

Another large robot rose out of the ground. It looked similar to the first one, but it was colored orange, and held a long spear for a weapon. (1,800 ATK)

“So I’m assuming that Yugi’s three Magnet Warriors were only the first three of a set of twenty-four?” asked Jinx. “All of them named after the letters of the Greek alphabet?”

“There’s far more to these creatures than that,” replied Fogg. “Omega Minus, attack her Abare Ushioni!”

Omega Minus lifted its sword, and flew towards the Beast-Warrior…

“I activate, Skull Dice!” shouted Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted, revealing a Trap. A small, grinning, winged imp flew out of it, holding a red die.

“Now, this die is gonna roll,” she continued, “and the result is gonna multiply by 100. Then, both of your Monsters are gonna lose that many Attack Points.”

The imp laughed, and then tossed the die. It bounced on the floor, and came to a rest on the four. Omega Minus fell to an Attack Score of 1,500, while Sigma Plus fell to 1,400.

“My Monster can still defeat yours,” replied Fogg, as Omega Minus lifted its sword again.

“Well, I also have a Spell Card,” replied Jinx, as her other facedown card lifted. “Graceful Dice!”

Then, a teddy bear with a red suit and a winged hat flew out, holding a blue die.

“Now, this guy is gonna roll another die, and once again, the result is gonna multiply by 100. That amount is gonna be added to the Attack Score of my Abare Ushioni.

“Go!”

The teddy bear tossed the die, and it skipped and bounced. It landed on the six.

“Bingo!” shouted Jinx, as Abare Ushioni’s Attack Score shot up to 1,800.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and rammed into Magnet Warrior Omega Minus, smashing it to bits.

“Ergh…” muttered Fogg.

He took a card from his hand.

“I’ll set a card of my own facedown, and that will end my turn…” he muttered.

A facedown card appeared in front of him. Sigma Plus returned to an Attack Score of 1,800, while Abare Ushioni returned to 1,200.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)

Jinx quickly drew a card.

“I activate the effect of Abare Ushioni again!” she shouted.

She tossed the coin.

“Heads again!”

The coin spun in the air, and fell to the floor.

Then Jinx gasped as it came up tails. She groaned as Abare Ushioni glowed with a sickening green aura, which quickly spread to her.

Fogg simply smirked.

“You pride yourself on your luck, Jinx,” he said, “but what would you do if it failed you at a crucial time? How would you survive?”

“By wit and skill,” muttered Jinx. “I don’t depend on luck alone…

“I sacrifice Abare Ushioni…”

The Beast-Warrior vanished.

“…to summon Maximum Six!”

With a roar, the blue-skinned, six-armed ogre appeared. (1,900 ATK)

“Let’s see if my luck is better this time, eh?” she asked.

Another die appeared, and skipped and bounced…

It came up a six.

“All right!” shouted Jinx.

Maximum Six let out a loud roar… (3,100 ATK)

“Go!” shouted Jinx. “Attack his Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus!”

Maximum Six charged at the droid.

“I activate a Trap!” shouted Fogg, as his facedown card shot up. “Magnet Force Plus!”

Then, a wave of energy emitted from the center of the field, and Maximum Six was thrown backwards, falling on his behind.

“What happened?” asked Jinx.

“Simple,” replied Fogg. “My Trap Card reconfigured the molecular structure of your Maximum Six, giving it a positive charge. Just like my Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus. And two positively charged Monsters cannot battle each other. Their similar charges repel each other.”

Jinx just looked at him.

“Now,” said Fogg, “if your Monster had a negative charge, it would have no choice but to battle my Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus…”

“Because their dissimilar charges would attract each other,” replied Jinx.

“Isn’t science interesting?” asked Fogg.

“I have to end my turn,” replied Jinx.

(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)

Fogg drew a card, and looked at it.

“I play Monster Reborn,” he said, as the holy ankh appeared on his side of the field. “Now, I’m bringing back Omega Minus.”

Magnet Warrior Omega Minus appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

“I seem to remember you saying that negatively charged Monsters have no choice but to attack positively charged ones,” said Jinx. “That one has a negative charge!”

“I know how my own Monsters work,” replied Fogg. “This Monster won’t be staying for long. I send one Plus Monster and one Minus Monster to the Graveyard…”

Both Sigma Plus and Omega Minus dissolved into grains of light.

“…to special summon something much stronger…”

A blast of energy erupted on his side of the field.

“…my Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus!”

The Monster that appeared looked like a battle mecha of some sort, much bigger than the previous two Monsters, colored in gold and purple hues. It had armor plating, and two huge, high-tech cannons mounted on its shoulders. (2,700 ATK)

“Heh…” said Jinx, nervously. “That’s gotta be the longest name for a Monster I’ve ever heard…”

“It is a mouthful,” replied Fogg, “and a handful, because my Monster has a powerful effect. First, I can choose whether its charge is positive or negative, and I choose negative.

“In addition, it can absorb half the Attack Score of any positively or negatively charged Monster on the field. Since Maximum Six has a positive charge, and has 3,100 Attack Points, my Monster gains 1,550 more Attack Points.”

Super Conductive Warrior glowed with energy… (4,250 ATK)

“Attack her Maximum Six!” ordered Fogg. “Pulverizing plasma blast!”

The huge robot fired twin beams of burning death from its cannons. Jinx shielded herself as Maximum Six was blown to atoms.

(J: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)

Fogg took the last two cards from his hand as his Monster’s Attack Score returned to 2,700.

“I’ll end by setting a Monster, and then a facedown card,” he said.

A concealed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“My move…” muttered Jinx, drawing a card.

“I summon Twin-Barrel Dragon!”

She played a card, and in a small aura of energy, a small Monster appeared that looked like a robotic dog with two legs, and a double-barreled laser cannon for a head. (1,700 ATK)

“Here’s how this one works,” she said. “First, I choose one card on the field, and I think I’ll choose your Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus.

“Didn’t think I could say it, did you?

“Then, I toss two coins. If both coins come up heads, then I send that card packing.”

Two coins appeared in her hand.

She tossed one coin. It spun, and fell to the ground.

Heads.

She tossed the other one. Once again, it spun.

Heads again.

Jinx grinned, as Twin-Barrel Dragon glowed, and aimed at the larger robot.

“I activate… Power Off!” shouted Fogg, as his facedown card lifted up. “Now, I get to sacrifice my Monster before your blast hits it…”

Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus vanished into grains of light.

“And since your Twin-Barrel Dragon’s target is no longer here, its effect is ruined. And what’s more, I now get to summon both of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon my Super Conductive Warrior.”

Sigma Plus (1,800 ATK) and Omega Minus (1,900 ATK) both appeared on Fogg’s side of the field.

“Well, so much for that…” muttered Jinx, looking at her hand.

She took a card from it, and set it in her Disk. A set card appeared.

“It’s your move…”

“I draw one card…” said Fogg, making a draw.

“Perfect…” he said, playing it. “I activate Golden Sarcophagus.”

With an eerie, glowing, magical aura, a golden chest with the Eye of Wdjat on it appeared in front of him. Fogg took his deck out of the holder and looked through it.

“Now, I get to take any card from my deck I desire, and seal it in the Sarcophagus…”

He chose a card, and it lowered into the golden chest. The chest vanished, as Fogg shuffled his deck.

“In just two turns, I’ll be able to recover that card.

“For now, I flip my Morphing Jar into Attack Mode.”

His facedown Monster flipped, revealing the ceramic jar with the one-eyed creature inside it. It let out a nasty laugh. (700 ATK)

Jinx frowned. She discarded the two cards in her hand, and made five draws. Fogg simply made five draws.

“Now, I attack your Twin-Barrel Dragon with Omega Minus!” shouted Fogg.

Omega Minus charged at the small Machine.

“Activate… Fairy Box!” shouted Jinx, as her facedown card lifted.

The whack-a-mole appeared, and loony music started to play.

“Another gamble card?” gasped Fogg.

“That’s right!” said Jinx, as another coin appeared in her hand.

She quickly tossed it.

“Let’s go for tails this time!”

The coin spun in the air once again.

It landed again, and was indeed tails.

Omega Minus’s Attack Score fell to zero. Twin-Barrel Dragon blasted a bolt of energy, and it was blown to pieces.

“Ergh…” grunted Fogg.

He glared at Jinx. He took a card from his hand.

“I set a card facedown,” he said, as a reversed card appeared, “and I end my turn.”

(J: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)

Jinx drew a card, and looked at the cards in her hand.

“I pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box,” she said, “then I set a Monster…”

A set Monster appeared.

“Then my Twin-Barrel Dragon attacks your Morphing Jar!”

The Machine fired a blast of pure energy from its barrel, and the Jar was blown to dust.

“I end my turn.”

(J: 5,350) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,000)

Fogg drew a card.

“First, I summon Magnet Warrior Sigma Minus,” he said.

He played the card, and a new Magnet Warrior rose out of the ground. This one was even bulkier, colored blue and green, and held a steel, spiked club. (1,500 ATK)

“Now, I activate 100,000 Gauss!” he shouted as his facedown card shot up. “This reduces your Monster’s Attack Score by 800.”

Twin-Barrel Dragon glowed with a red aura of energy. (900 ATK)

“Oh… Crud…” said Jinx.

“Then, I play Monster Reincarnation,” continued Fogg, as a Spell Card appeared. “So I toss one card…”

He discarded a card, Final Attack Orders.

“And I get my Super Conductive Warrior back.

“Now, I send both my Monsters to the Graveyard again, to summon it!”

Sigma Plus and Sigma Minus vanished, and the much more powerful droid appeared once again. (2,700 ATK)

“Attack her Twin-Barrel Dragon!” he shouted.

Super Conductive Warrior’s cannons glowed.

“I activate the effect of Fairy Box!” shouted Jinx.

She tossed the coin.

“Heads!” she shouted.

The coin landed.

She gasped as it came up tails.

“Looks like your luck just ran out,” said Fogg, with a grin.

Jinx cringed in pain as Twin-Barrel Dragon was blown to bits.

(J: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,000)

“My turn is over.”

Jinx paused. She drew a card.

“I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box,” she said, “just in case.”

She looked at the card she had drawn.

“Check this out!” she laughed, as she threw a card on her Disk. “I summon… Time Wizard!”

In a puff of colored smoke, the famous Spellcaster that symbolized the bond between Yugi Mouto and Katsuya Jounouchi appeared in front of her. (500 ATK)

“Time Wizard?!” shouted Fogg. “That’s one of the riskiest gambles in the game!”

“And let’s see if it pans out!” laughed Jinx. “Just watch the spinning arrow! Time Roulette now!”

Time Wizard gestured with his staff, and the arrow on the tip started to spin. Fogg started to sweat…

The arrow started to slow…

Then it stopped, directly on the crown on top.

“Seems my luck hasn’t run out yet,” said Jinx with a smile.

“Time Magic!” chanted Time Wizard, as a portal opened, and the whole room became a maelstrom of energy.

“What have you done?” shouted Fogg.

“Torn a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum,” replied Jinx. “Causing everything on your side of the field to age millions of years within seconds. And in that time, even magnets lose their potency.”

Fogg watched in horror as Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus started to rust, rot, and decay, and then fall into a pile of dust.

“You haven’t beaten me yet!” he shouted. “Next round, I’ll get my ultimate Monster from that chest, and it will destroy you!”

“Next round…” chuckled Jinx. “Afraid there is no next round, Fogg…

“I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode… X-Saber Urz!”

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and a savage looking humanoid appeared, dressed in barbarian armor, with red skin, and a tusked mouth, holding two large scimitars. (1,600 ATK)

“Now I play… Polymerization!” she continued, as a Spell Card appeared. “I’ll fuse Time Wizard with Baby Dragon in my hand…”

Baby Dragon appeared next to Time Wizard, and the two Monsters combined into two swirls of colors…

“…and summon Thousand Dragon!”

The swirl burst, and sitting there was a much bigger, elderly Dragon, with a serene smile on its face. (2,400 ATK)

“Uh…” said Fogg.

“Urz,” said Jinx, “you first.”

Urz lifted one of his swords, and flew at Fogg, slashing across his chest. Fogg gasped and took a step back.

“Thousand Dragon, finish him off! Noxious nostril gust!”

The Dragon roared, and blasted a stream of toxic gas from its nostrils. Fogg screamed, and collapsed to the ground.

(J: 3,150) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)

Jinx sighed as she took the sapphire out of her pouch.

She had won, and she had managed to do so before he had summoned his ace Monster.

But at the same time, she couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. She was curious as to what it actually was.

She guessed she might never know. She had no time to search Fogg right now. She had to make the arrest, and get back to Ember.

Then she noticed a card lying on the floor. Apparently, Fogg had dropped it.

She picked it up. She looked at it and frowned. Clearly, it was not the card he had put in that Sarcophagus.

She’d figure it out later.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Ember was struggling to hold Debbie down, and not doing too well a job. Having fiendish blood in her veins made tieflings somewhat stronger than humans, it seemed.

Finally, Debbie threw Ember off of her with a snarl, and got up. She lifted her Duel Disk, as if to dash Ember’s brains out with it.

“I’m gonna kill you, bitch!” she shouted.

And then she froze solid. A sword had just been placed against her throat.

Debbie slowly turned her head, and saw Jinx.

“A good general knows when she’s outgunned,” said Jinx. “I’m guessing you’re not a good anything, but you’d better drop it.”

Debbie dropped the Disk, and lifted her hands.

“You did good, kid,” said Jinx. “Sorry I took so long.”

Ember smiled nervously.

* * * * * * * * * *

Later, at the townhouse, it had just turned one o’clock. Jinx and Ember were speaking with Shichiro and Gears, as Jalal silently stood in the background.

“Working on serums for ‘paranatural beings’?” asked Shichiro. “You got me… Is that any different than supernatural beings?”

“Indeed it is,” replied Jalal, walking up. “It’s difficult to explain.

“As you know, most Shadowkind possess extraordinary abilities, be it strength, speed, long life, the ability to breathe fire, or dozens of other possibilities. Most of their abilities are magical in nature. This sort of Shadow is supernatural.

“But there also exist rare Shadows whose extraordinary abilities aren’t magical, but are derived from scientific sources. These rare Shadows are called paranatural.

“Now, from what little information we can gather, the world where Shadows come from is a world that is dominated by magic. As a result, paranatural beings are not only rare, but very limited in power there.

“However, when they come to Earth…”

“Then paranatural beings would be in Heaven,” added Ember, “because here, science is dominant.”

“This girl is a natural!” laughed Jinx.

“Paranatural beings tend to fit certain themes,” continued Jalal. “Most of them focus on mental energy. There are Shadows who are telepathic, telekinetic, clairvoyant, pyrokinetic…”

“Psychic, in other words?” asked Shichiro, raising an eyebrow.

Jalal nodded.

“Masters of the mind,” replied Jalal. “But finding these rare Shadows is hard, because humans tend to have these powers as well.”

“There are certainly no Shadows in the Arcadia Movement…” muttered Shichiro.

It was no secret to them that the Arcadia Movement harbored psychics and individuals with similar powers. The Shadowchasers of Neo Domino had an uneasy agreement with them.

“Interesting card, Jinx?” asked Shichiro.

He noticed that Jinx had been looking at a card.

“Oh, Fogg dropped this,” she said. “I don’t know why the heck he had it… It clearly didn’t fit his deck…”

She flipped it around. It was the card she picked up after she had arrested Fogg. It was Cloudian – Smoke Ball. A somewhat useful Monster in a deck that used Cloudians, but clearly not in one that used the Monsters he was using.

“I don’t even think it was in his deck. I mean, what use would it have for a Magnet Deck?”

“You got me,” replied Shichiro.

“Eh, maybe it was a keepsake of his…” replied Jinx.

She tossed it on a table.

Gears got up.

“Well, I don’t know about any actual psychiatric medications…” he said. “But I do know someone who knows a good deal about herbal remedies that are good for mental energy. She knows some stuff that helps the memory better than ginko biloba. I’ll go ask her if she knows anything about Shadows who use it.”

“Oh, come on, Gears,” replied Shichiro. “This is just another excuse to go see your girlfriend again…”

Gears stopped short. He blushed.

“Mistle is not my girlfriend!” he shouted. “She’s just an… acquaintance.”

He left the room.

“Denial is such a sad thing…” sighed Jalal, shaking his head.

* * * * * * * * * *

On the edge of Neo Domino, near the suburbs, was a large greenhouse. The sign out front said, “Evermeet Exotic Plants”.

Inside the greenhouse, classical music was played on a sound system and a constant, warm temperature was maintained. Most of the workers in this greenhouse were not living beings. Around the whole large garden, watering cans, spades, trimmers, and other tools worked on the plants, directed by invisible hands. This was the work of Unseen Servants, magical constructs created by the spell of the same name. They would quickly make themselves scarce if a Mundane customer ever came in, but they were quite useful. The one living worker in the greenhouse could leave the place totally unattended, and they’d continue to work nonstop.

That one living worker, who was also the owner, was working right now. An incredibly beautiful woman, blonde, green-eyed, and busty, dressed in overalls and work clothes, tended the beautiful flowers and plants, specimens that were not found in this part of the world, and very hard to grow here. She was a Shadow herself – she was a nymph, an embodiment of the beauty of nature. An Aware who came here for flowers knew that the merchandise was raised with the loving touch of a nature spirit, which was better than any human horticulturist could do.

Several of the flowers she had raised decorated the townhouse, because she had known Gears for a long time. And she smiled broadly as she sensed his presence again.

“Mistle?” said Gears, walking in.

Mistle smiled, and turned to greet him.

“Hi,” she said. “I don’t think I can touch you now…”

She held up her hands, which were covered with work gloves that were caked with potting soil.

“That’s okay, Mistle,” replied Gears. “I was wondering, you know all those herbal remedies you have?”

“Why?” chuckled Mistle. “You need one?”

“No, no,” replied Gears. “I was wondering if you knew of any that enhanced paranatural beings, and whether anyone had come in looking for any.”

Mistle giggled a little.

“Nope,” she said. “Can’t say that I have… But I’ll keep my eye out, in case I see any.”

Gears sighed. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“You do that,” he said. “We still on for Sunday?”

Mistle nodded, and then Gears turned and left.

Mistle bent over a large potted plant.

Then she looked up with a start. She smelled something.

Cigar smoke? she thought. What…

She turned around, and saw three figures who had come in the other entrance. It was DaPen, and his two bodyguards.

And since Mistle was herself a Shadow, and one who was not easily deceived, she could see DaPen’s true form quite plainly. It paralyzed her with fear.

“Your friend is on the right track,” said DaPen. “And now it’s time to knock him off it…”



Gears didn’t know it, but his trip had not yet ended. It had taken a turn for the worst, and the ball had gotten rolling, seriously. DaPen had made his move.

I’ll leave out the exact details of DaPen’s encounter with Mistle, because it wasn’t very pleasant, especially not for Mistle. Suffice to say, DaPen came, did what he had to do in about two minutes, and then he and his bodyguards left.

Mistle remained behind, but she was not the same. Whether she ever would be again was dependent on many issues, the first of which would be settled sooner than anyone thought…



X-SABER URZ (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can Tribute this card to send the destroyed Monster to the top of your opponent’s deck.

Note: “X-Saber Urz” was released in Japan for the original “Duel Terminal” system. It has not yet been released in the United States.



MAGNET WARRIOR SIGMA PLUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: If this card battles a “Plus” Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one “Minus” Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.



MAGNET WARRIOR SIGMA MINUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: If this card battles a “Minus” Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one “Plus” Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.



MAGNET WARRIOR OMEGA MINUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 600

Card Description: If this card battles a “Minus” Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one “Plus” Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.



SUPER CONDUCTIVE WARRIOR LINEAR MAGNUM PLUS-MINUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 1,300

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by sending 1 “Plus” Monster and 1 “Minus” Monster from your hand and/or field to the Graveyard. Select 1 face-up “Plus” or 1 face-up “Minus” Monster on the field (other than this card) and increase the ATK of this card by half the selected Monster’s ATK for as long as the selected Monster remains on the field. You can activate this effect again if a new “Plus” or “Minus” Monster becomes available after the first selected Monster leaves the field. When this card is Summoned, designate it as a “Plus” Monster or a “Minus” Monster. You can change this designation during any of your Standby Phases. If this card battles a Monster whose name contains the same word as its designation, that battle is negated. If there is at least one Monster on the opposing side of the field whose name contains the same word as the designation that this card is not designated to, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.



100,000 GAUSS! (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A machine on tank treads with a giant magnet on top.

Card Description: You may only activate this card when you have at least one “Plus” Monster and at least one “Minus” Monster face-up on your side of the field. Target one opposing Monster. Switch the targeted Monster to Attack Position (unless it already is in that position), and decrease its ATK by 800.



POWER OFF (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: A large mechanical generator, connected to wires, but shut off.

Card Description: Send 1 “Plus-Minus” Monster that you control to the Graveyard. Special Summon from your Graveyard the Monsters that you sent to the Graveyard to Special Summon the “Plus-Minus” Monster.

Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Bastion in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Duel Distractions (Part 1)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MAGNET FORCE PLUS (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus in a fighting stance.

Card Description: Upon activation, this card is treated as an Equip Spell that is Equipped to a face-up opposing Monster. The Equipped Monster is treated as if it had the word “Plus” in its name. If the Equipped Monster battles a “Plus” Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one “Minus” Monster on the Equipped Monster’s opposing side of the field, the Equipped Monster must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

Note: “Magnet Force Plus” was first used by Bastion in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Magnetic Personality”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Coming up next:

Gears is forced into a peculiar match, one that he truly didn’t expect. His opponent’s deck hides creatures of an unusual nature, and he’s completely unprepared. “Botanical Girl” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, DaPen clearly is evil because anyone who attacks a nymph and does evil things to her is pure wicked. Gears will not like this.

I loved this duel, though, it used Bastion's monsters.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I actually thought of rape at first.

The theme was cool, I liked Jinx' battle here, honestly. Don't know why, just because.

DaPen is starting to look cool, very interresting. I wonder what kind of deck he'll use, eventually.

If this next chapter is going to do a plant-deck, I'll kiss you.

Just hoping it's not all Black Rose Garden related.

[Shuppet Master]

I don't think Brian would ever write a rape scene - not only is it banned4lyfe, but rape is really considered one of the no-nos of fanfiction because it involves a lot of painful assault on an innocent. He would probably lose a lot of fans if he wrote a rape scene.

I wrote one once(not in a published fanfic of course) and hated myself for it. We shouldn't even be TALKING about rape or else the mods might ban us. This is partly a children's forum.

[Dark Sage]

Okay, I'll say it so long as the issue has been brought up.

This fic is rated PG-13. As such, rape is a little too intense, and will not be an issue. And I would not write a story that made light of such a terrible crime anyway.

Therefore, there was no rape involved in DaPen's confrontation with Mistle. What actually happened? You'll see next chapter.

[Shuppet Master]

I'm glad you sorted it all out, Brian. I will say no more about the R-word after this. As for me, I would write it on the side(off-screen) if it was to intensify hatred towards an enemy, but I'd never write explicit rape for the same reason I'd never write an explicit sex scene - they are disgusting and would make me a hentai writer, which I do not want.

Keep up the good work, Brian.

[Dark Sage]

I’d like to thank fellow TPM author Mystic Clown for the inspiration for an important part of this chapter. He designed the unique Monsters used here, and gave me the okay to use them.

CHAPTER NINE

Now, I never came right out and asked Gears about him and Mistle. I mean, it was his business, and I had no right to pry. But I learned a few things here and there.

From what I found out, Gears and Mistle met about six years ago when a night hag tried to burn her greenhouse down. Night hags are incredibly ugly creatures, and they despise all forms of beauty – they hate most plant life, and they hate nymphs even worse. Some say that it’s due to sheer jealousy, but there may be a deeper reason. Anyway, Gears saved the day, and I suppose that was when the mutual affection started. Although Gears repeatedly denied that she was a girlfriend, there was a great deal of chemistry between the two.

I don’t know why Gears had not yet tried to take it to the next level. Maybe he was, like many men, afraid of commitment. I’d say that he was luckier than most men. Mistle was a nymph, after all, an embodiment of beauty, and like most nymphs, she didn’t flaunt it, and never used it for personal gain. Any nymph could likely make a fortune as a model or any other professional who profited from her looks, but none ever did. Such things were simply not done. A man who was loved by a nymph had her all to himself.

So what DaPen did next probably hurt Gears more than anything that was yet to come…



Gears walked out to his bike, slowly. He had an uneasy feeling.

He’d been a Shadowchaser for almost a decade, and seen many strange things. He could tell when there was a bad feeling in the air.

As he reached for his helmet, his cell phone rang. He answered it.

“Gears?” said Mistle’s voice. “You haven’t left yet, have you?”

“No,” replied Gears. “Is there a problem?”

“I need to see you again,” replied Mistle, in an odd tone. “I found something that you were looking for… Come quick…”

Gears frowned as she hung up. He didn’t like this…

He hit a command on the console of his D-Wheel.

“Disengaging Duel Disk,” said the computerized voice.

The Disk separated, and clamped to his gauntlet.

Thunder rolled in the distance. A few drops of rain started to fall. Gears frowned. He didn’t even bring a raincoat.

He slowly walked back towards the greenhouse, and saw that the lights had been turned off.

Funny, he thought, opening the door.

He walked in, past the Unseen Servants who were still watering the plants and trimming dead leaves. The rain started to fall harder, falling against the glass walls of the greenhouse.

“Mistle?” he called.

“Behind you, lover,” said a voice that sounded like Mistle’s, but far more sinister.

Gears spun around, and saw Mistle standing there with an evil grin on her face. Her eyes were different – cold and inhuman. Thunder rumbled again.

“So nice of you to come back, lover,” she said, in that same, sinister voice.

She lifted a Duel Disk of her own.

“In regards to paranatural, I did find out something… People with such powers can be quite strong… Stronger than anyone we know…”

“Mistle!” shouted Gears. “You’re being controlled! Snap out of it!”

“Oh, I’ve never felt better!” said Mistle.

Her facial features twisted into an evil smile.

“So, what say we shuffle and then throw down? Unless you want everyone to know that you couldn’t beat your girlfriend?”

Her Disk activated.

“DaPen is doing this, right?” asked Gears.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” said Mistle.

What do I do? thought Gears. Someone is clearly pulling her strings… And if I just leave, I’ll leave her at this ‘someone’s’ mercy…

He activated his own Disk.

I’ll… I’ll try to end this quick… After all, how hard can it be?

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

“Ladies first,” said Mistle, drawing a card.

“I’ll have this defend me,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared. “Then I’ll set a reversed card, for later.”

A facedown card appeared.

“And it’s your move, lover…”

She looked at Gears with a come-hither look that Gears did not like. Gears drew a card.

“All right…” he said. “If that’s how it’s gonna go down…

“I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg.”

In a dark aura, Garadholg appeared, ready to pounce. (1,600 ATK)

“Attack her Monster!” he shouted.

Garadholg growled, and then pounced. A large seed with a face, and a small sprout on the top appeared on the card, and was shredded to pieces.

“You just destroyed my Seed Pod,” said Mistle with a chuckle.

She took her deck from the holder.

“And when that happens, I get to Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my deck, so long as it’s Level 4 or less. So… I summon Floral Knight Lily!”

In a burst of green energy, a young woman appeared in front of her, dressed in green armor that seemed to have a floral pattern. She had long, brunette hair, and carried a longbow made of mahogany. (1,800 ATK)

Gears sighed, and took a card from his hand.

“I’ll throw a card of my own facedown,” he said, as a reversed card appeared, “and I end my turn…”

Her Monster’s Attack Score is 1,800, he thought, and mine is only 1,600…

But, if I trigger my DNA Transplant right when she attacks, and turn every Monster on the field to Light-Attribute, Garadholg’s effect will activate, and the battle will be a draw. I might be able to gain the advantage…

“My draw…” chuckled Mistle, drawing a card.

She looked at it and added it to her hand.

“I set a new reversed card,” she said, as another facedown card appeared.

“Then I attack with Lily!”

Lily fitted an arrow into her bow, and drew back the string…

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Gears.

“Actually, you don’t,” replied Mistle.

“Huh?” asked Gears.

“Trap Cards can’t be activated in response to Lily’s attack,” said Mistle, “as you’re about to find out the hard way…”

Lily’s arrow fired, and it impaled Garadholg. Gears shielded himself as his Monster was blown to scrap.

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Mistle. “Your move…”

(G: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)

“Mistle, please,” said Gears. “This isn’t like you… You can beat this… Look at me. Don’t you know who I am?”

“You’re my opponent,” replied Mistle, “and I’ve been told to crush you. Now, are you gonna make a move, or are you going to leave yourself wide open to Lily?”

Gears sighed, and drew a card.

“I activate my own Trap Card!” shouted Mistle. “Dust Tornado!”

Her facedown card lifted, and a tornado tore across the field. Gears’ DNA Transplant card was blown to pieces.

Gears frowned. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

I can use this one… he thought.

“I summon Mechanicalchaser!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and a new robot appeared, levitating in the air. It was roughly spherical in shape, with a skull-like face in front, with several spindly limbs, each one ending in a sharp blade. (1,850 ATK)

“Attack her Floral Knight!” he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser’s blades started to spin like a large weed whacker, and it flew at Lily. Lily screamed as the blades cut into her, and she shattered into bits.

“I activate… Floral Arrangement!” exclaimed Mistle, as her other facedown card lifted. “Since one of my Plants was destroyed, I get to Special Summon as many of them from my hand as I want, so long as I pay 100 Life Points times their Levels.

“So, I pay 400 Life Points to bring out Floral Knight Tulip.”

In another verdant burst, another armored figure appeared. It was a teenage girl with white hair, wearing pink armor of floral design, and a pink helmet. She had a pouch on her hip, and a sword of the same floral design. (1,600 ATK)

“I end my turn…” muttered Gears.

(G: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,550)

Mistle grinned as she drew a card.

“I activate Tulip’s effect,” she said. “During my Standby Phase, she sows a seed, and I get a Seed Token.”

Tulip reached into her bag, and dropped a seed on the ground. (0 DEF)

“Now, I sacrifice my Token…”

The Seed Token vanished.

“…to summon Floral Knight Petunia!”

Another feminine figure in armor appeared. This one was an older woman with blonde hair, purple floral armor, and a sword in each hand. (2,300 ATK)

“Petunia, attack his Mechanicalchaser!” she shouted.

Petunia flew at the Machine hunter, and made a swipe with her left blade, cleaving it cleanly in half. The two pieces shattered.

“Of course, no damage calculation is done when Petunia attacks a Monster in Attack Mode. That means you take no damage right now… But it also means that Petunia can defeat anything in Attack Mode, so long as she attacks first.

“Tulip, give Gears a kiss for me… Direct attack!”

Tulip leapt into the air, and slashed at Gears with her sword. Gears clutched his side, and fell down.

Mistle laughed again.

“Make your move, lover…” she said, now in an even more sinister voice.

(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,550)

Gears slowly got up. He drew a card.

“You think I didn’t know what your pathetic Allies of Justice could do?” asked Mistle. “I watched you duel so many times… I know all of your moves.”

This isn’t fair… thought Gears. I’ve never seen her duel… I’ve never even heard of these… Floral Knights. I really don’t know what to do…

He looked at the Equip Spell he had just drawn.

But this should help…

“I summon Robotic Knight!” he exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, the android soldier appeared. (1,600 ATK)

“Petunia is stronger than that hunk of tin,” replied Mistle.

“Not if I help it,” replied Gears. “I toss two cards facedown…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Then, I play the Equip Spell, Mage Power! This gives Robotic Knight 500 more Attack Points for each Spell and Trap I have. That’s an extra 1,500.”

Robotic Knight glowed with eldritch energy… (3,100 ATK)

“Attack Petunia!” he shouted. “Gatling blast!”

Robotic Knight pointed with its left arm, and fired a round of bullets with the speed of a machine gun. Petunia screamed, and exploded into shards.

“Ergh…” muttered Mistle.

(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,750)

“I end my turn…” said Gears.

Mistle frowned, and made a draw.

“Your toy soldier is about to be disarmed,” she said, holding a card up. “I play Heavy Storm!”

A fierce wind started to tear through the greenhouse. The Mage Power card shattered, and so did the facedown Half or Stop and Rare Metalmorph. Robotic Knight fell back down to an Attack Score of 1,600.

“Ain’t it a shame,” replied Mistle, taking a card from her hand. “I summon Floral Knight Sunflower!”

She played another card, and yet another Floral Knight appeared. Unlike the previous ones, this one was male, although he looked very effeminate, with armor resembling a dress. He had shaggy, blonde hair, and odd symbols painted on his dark face. He carried a nasty-looking weapon – a large, circular blade that he held with both hands. (2,000 ATK)

“Ho boy…” said Gears.

“Get ‘im,” said Mistle.

Sunflower rushed at Robotic Knight, and with one slash, cut it in two.

“Don’t feel too bad,” said Mistle. “Whenever Sunflower attacks, you gain 500 Life Points afterwards.”

Sunflower blew a small cloud of pollen on Gears, and he winced as he started to glow with energy.

“But I still have Tulip!” continued Mistle.

Tulip leapt at Gears, and slashed at him with her blade again. Gears held his chest.

(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,750)

“Kind of powerful for a bunch of pretty flowers,” asked Mistle, “wouldn’t you say, Maurice?”

Gears glared at Mistle, and looked her in the eyes. The cold, cruel eyes that had replaced Mistle’s soft, gentle ones.

He quickly drew the top card off of his deck.

“I don’t know who you are, demon,” he snarled, “but now I know that you’re controlling Mistle! There’s no way she’d ever call me that! Even in our worst arguments, she never called me by my real name…

“I play the Spell Card, Silent Doom! Now, I get to bring Robotic Knight back from the Graveyard in Defense Mode!”

Robotic Knight appeared again, kneeling and shielding itself. (1,800 DEF)

“And now…” he said, taking the last card in his hand, “I sacrifice it…”

Robotic Knight vanished.

“…to summon Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!”

In a blast of dark energy, the robotic condor appeared, hovering over Gears’s side of the field. (2,300 ATK)

“Mistle!” shouted Gears. “I know you’re in there somewhere, and I’m going to drive this demon out if it kills me!

“Attack Floral Knight Tulip!”

Claíomh Solais breathed a blast of dark flames from its beak. Tulip groaned, and then burst into pixilated remains.

(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)

Mistle chuckled evilly.

“Want to play rough, do you?” she asked. “I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing…”

She drew a card.

“I set one Monster, and then move Sunflower to Defense Mode.”

A set Monster appeared. Then Sunflower knelt, holding his large blade in front of him. (1,200 DEF)

“And I end my turn…”

Okay, deck, thought Gears, looking at his deck. All I have right now is Claíomh Solais… You gotta give me a good card here…

He made a draw. He looked at it.

Machine Duplication.

CRUD! I was hoping for something better than THAT!

“Claíomh Solais, attack Sunflower!” he shouted.

Claíomh Solais spewed flames again, and Sunflower was burned to ashes.

“That’s all I can do…” he muttered.

“Got a bad draw?” asked Mistle, drawing a card. “And I thought you Shadowchasers prided yourselves on your drawing skills…”

She looked at the card, and the other two in her hand.

“Tell you what, I’m going to pass this turn… Maybe you’ll be luckier now…”

Gears snarled, and made a draw.

Well, that isn’t a Monster, he thought, but it is something…

“I set this facedown,” he said, placing it in his Disk.

“Then I attack with Claíomh Solais!”

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame again, and Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, right before it was blown to paste.

“I activate Mystic Tomato’s effect!” laughed Mistle, taking her deck from its holder again. “Someone who likes Dark Monsters as much as you certainly won’t need me to explain it…

“I Special Summon Regenerating Rose!”

In a burst of shadowy energy, a small creature appeared, that looked like a rose with a thick, thorny stem, and four thorny branches that suggested arms. (0 ATK)

“I have to end my turn…” muttered Gears.

Mistle grinned again, as she drew a card.

Regenerating Rose shielded itself with its branches. (1,500 DEF) Then a defensive Monster appeared next to it.

“Go ahead, Gears,” said Mistle.

All right, let’s go! thought Gears, looking at his deck.

He drew a card.

That’ll do!

“I summon Nanobreaker!” he exclaimed.

In a flash of light, a coldly beautiful woman with long, dark hair, dressed in cybernetic armor, holding a sword with a wavy blade appeared next to Claíomh Solais. (1,600 ATK)

“Claíomh Solais, destroy the facedown Monster first!” he ordered.

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame again. An incredibly ugly creature that seemed to be made out of algae appeared on the card, and exploded into flaming pieces.

“You just destroyed my Lord Poison!” laughed Mistle. “And when it loses a battle, I get to Special Summon any Plant from the Graveyard. Except for Lord Poison itself.

“You remember Tulip, right?”

Floral Knight Tulip appeared again, kneeling and shielding herself in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

Gears frowned.

“Nanobreaker, destroy her Rose!” he shouted. “Nano-blade!”

Nanobreaker flew at the blossom, and beheaded it with one stroke. The remains shattered.

“Thank you!” laughed Mistle. “When Regenerating Rose is destroyed, I get a bonus… Two Regenerating Rose Tokens!”

Two roses sprouted out of the ground in front of her. (1,200 DEF x2)

“Don’t you see, Gears?” she said. “Attack my Monsters all you like… My plants will grow back, growing stronger and fuller, until your Allies of Justice are overgrown and broken.

“Technology comes and goes, and while it may cut down the shrubs and flowers that stand in their way, nature grows back, long after Machines are rusted and falling apart.”

“Most Machines,” replied Gears. “The Allies of Justice were built in divine forges to repel a deadly threat from beyond the stars, and the beings who built them, built them to last!”

Mistle chuckled again.

“Then I’ll make sure they last longer than you do!” she cackled. “I draw!”

She drew a card.

“I sacrifice my two Tokens…” she exclaimed.

Both Rose Tokens vanished.

“…to summon Floral Knight Rose!”

In an explosion of verdant energy, a new Floral Knight appeared. It was a woman with long black hair, brown eyes, dressed in crimson floral armor, carrying both a sword and a shield. (2,500 ATK)

“Attack Nanobreaker!” commanded Mistle.

Floral Knight Rose charged at Nanobreaker, and with one swipe of her sword, cleaved her in twain.

“Activate… Defense Draw!” shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up. “Now, the damage from your attack is reduced to zero, and I get to draw one card!”

He made a draw. He looked at it.

“Then it’s your move…” chuckled Mistle.

Gears made another draw, and added it to his hand.

Claíomh Solais is clearly her next target… he thought, but I have to get rid of Tulip before she manages to summon something worse…

“Claíomh Solais, attack Floral Knight Tulip!” he ordered.

Claíomh Solais screeched. It turned its weapon towards Tulip.

“Nice try, lover!” laughed Mistle, “but you didn’t take Rose into account. Whenever you make an attack against one of my Floral Knights, Rose draws the attack to her!”

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame at Tulip, but Rose stepped in front of her, and swatted the blast aside. The flames fell back on Claíomh Solais, and it screeched again before it exploded.

“Ergh…” muttered Gears.

(G: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)

He took two cards from his hand.

“I’ll set a Monster, and one facedown card,” he said.

A set Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“…and I end my turn.”

Mistle quickly drew a card.

“I activate my Trap!” exclaimed Gears.

His facedown card lifted up.

“Soul Resurrection. This lets me bring a Normal Monster back from the Graveyard in Defense Mode.”

Robotic Knight appeared again, crouching and shielding himself. (1,800 DEF)

“HIM again?” laughed Mistle. “Well, he’s a lightweight compared to who I’m bringing out next…

“I use Tulip’s effect to get a Seed Token…”

Tulip took a seed out of her pouch, and dropped it on the ground. (0 DEF)

“…then, I sacrifice Tulip and my Token…”

Tulip and the Seed Token vanished into light particles.

“…to summon the Templar Knight of the Floral Knights! I summon… Floral Knight Chrysanthemum!”

Lightning flashed, and a tall, intimidating figure appeared on Mistle’s side of the field. This Knight was definitely male, handsome with long, white hair. Like the others, he wore armor with a floral design, and it was pure white. He carried a long, gleaming Zweihänder in both hands. (2,500 ATK)

“Destroy that rust-bucket!” shouted Mistle.

Chrysanthemum leapt at Robotic Knight, and cleaved it right down the middle with his blade. The android sparked violently, and then exploded.

“And Chrysanthemum has a powerful effect,” continued Mistle. “Whenever he destroys a Monster, my other Floral Knights get to attack directly, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half.”

Rose lifted her blade, and leapt at Gears. Her Attack Score fell to 1,250…

Gears grunted in pain as the sword slashed across his chest.

(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)

“Well…” said Mistle. “That’s enough for one turn…

“So then, Gears… I’ve got two strong Monsters on my side of the field, and all you have is one card in your hand and a set Monster… It’s Dekoichi, right?”

Gears looked at her.

“Even if it is,” she said. “I doubt it would get you anything that could beat both my Floral Knights. Why don’t you just put the Disk away, and come up here and give me a little kiss?”

Gears wasn’t going to fall for that. He knew that if he did, whatever happened to Mistle would likely happen to him.

He looked at the one card in his hand, which was Machine Duplication.

He closed his eyes, and reached for his deck…

He grunted, as he drew a card.

He slowly looked at it.

“Heh, heh, heh…” he chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” asked Mistle.

“You are, Mr. Mind Control,” said Gears. “You were exactly right about this facedown Monster…

“And I just drew the perfect card…

“I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car!”

He threw the card on his Disk, and a large freight car with a fiendish face on the front appeared in front of him. (500 ATK)

“Lucky…” said Mistle. “Ah, well… That only means Dekoichi will let you draw two cards instead of one…”

“Want a bet?” asked Gears, taking the last card in his hand. “I play Machine Duplication! Since Bokoichi only has 500 Attack Points, I get to summon two more of them!”

Two more Freightening Cars appeared. (500 DEF x2)

“But that means…” gasped Mistle.

“It means I’m back in this!” exclaimed Gears. “I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



His facedown Monster flipped up, and the diabolical steam engine appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

“With three Bokoichis on the field when Dekoichi is flipped, I now get to draw four times!”

He made four draws. He quickly looked at them.

“And I’ll just keep on going!” he continued. “By playing Double Summon! This Spell Card allows me a second Normal Summon this turn.

“So I’ll sacrifice Dekoichi and one Bokoichi…”

Dekoichi and the Bokoichi in Attack Mode vanished into grains of light…

“…to summon the Monarch of Machine Life… The Perfect Machine King!”

In an explosion of flames and energy, a fifteen-foot-tall robot loomed over Gears’s side of the field, crackling with electricity, covered with armored, seamless plating. (2,700 ATK)

“And for each Machine on the field, other than himself, Perfect Machine King gains 500 more Attack Points. I count two others.”

(3,700 ATK)

“ATTACK!” shouted Gears. “Annihilate Floral Knight Rose with mega missile assault!”

Twin hatches on Perfect Machine King’s shoulders opened, and a barrage of missiles blasted at Rose. She screamed and was blown to atoms. Mistle shielded herself from the impact.

(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,850)

“Feel better?” asked Mistle, with a frown.

“A little…” said Gears. “I’ll end by setting this.”

A facedown card appeared behind Perfect Machine King.

Mistle quickly drew a card.

“I move Chrysanthemum to Defense Mode…” she said.

Chrysanthemum knelt, and held his sword in his lap. (2,000 DEF)

“Then, I summon Arcane Archer of the Forest.”

In another burst of verdant energy, a young man with blonde hair, dressed in leather armor, holding a shimmering, silver bow, appeared. (900 ATK)

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “You’re thinking, what is she, nuts, summoning a weak Monster in Attack Mode when there’s a giant goliath to deal with?

“Well, you can’t attack my Archer so long as I have at least one Plant on my side of the field. But he can still attack your Bokoichis…”

Arcane Archer drew back his bow, and fired a burning arrow at the Bokoichi on the left. The Freightening Car’s eyes bugged out, and it exploded into shards.

Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack Score of 3,200.

Mistle took another card from her hand, and set it in her Disk. It appeared facedown.

A Trap Card… thought Gears. I have to be careful here…

He drew a card.

“Perfect Machine King,” he said, “attack Chrysanthemum!”

The huge Machine aimed its missiles again…

Then a mass of thorny vines sprung out of the ground, seizing it and wrapping around its limbs.

“What’s happening?” shouted Gears.

“I just activated my Trap Card!” laughed Mistle. “Thorn Wall! You try to attack one of my Plants when I have this, and it wipes out all of your Monsters in Attack Mode!”

The vines constricted, and Perfect Machine King exploded into slag.

Gears chuckled a little.

“What?” asked Mistle.

“I kind of figured that your facedown card was something like that,” he said. “That’s why I waited to summon this…”

He played a card.

“Machine King Prototype.”

A man-sized, much less advanced version of the previous Machine appeared in front of Gears. (1,600 ATK)

“And it gains 100 more Attack Points for every other Machine on the field,” he continued.

(1,700 ATK)

“I’ll throw this facedown, and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

Mistle drew a card.

“I forgot to tell you about my Archer’s other effect,” she said. “He can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards if I simply sacrifice a Plant Monster.”

“But the only Plant you have right now is Chrysanthemum,” replied Gears, “and I’m willing to bet that he’s the strongest Monster in that deck. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?”

“Oh, I sure am,” replied Mistle.

She’s nuts! thought Gears.

“I sacrifice Chrysanthemum,” continued Mistle, as the Floral Knight vanished. “Archer, destroy the facedown card on the left!”

Arcane Archer of the Forest drew back his bow, and fired a bolt of energy at the facedown card…

“I chain it!” shouted Gears. “Threatening Roar!”

A loud bellow echoed over the field.

“I see,” said Mistle. “Well, I can still play this…”

A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

“Miracle Fertilizer. Since I haven’t Normal Summoned this turn, I can Special Summon a Plant Monster from my Graveyard. Guess who it is…”

Chrysanthemum appeared again, holding his Zweihänder aloft. (2,500 ATK)

“No wonder you were willing to sacrifice him,” said Gears. “Wait… That card is a Continuous Spell…”

“That’s right, Gears,” replied Mistle. “I can continue to use the effect of Miracle Fertilizer, turn after turn, and continue to bring my Floral Knights back from the Graveyard, so long as I don’t make any Normal Summons and none of the Monsters I summon with it leave the field. In a few turns, Chrysanthemum is going to be leading an army against your Machines. Assuming you last that long.

“Make your move…”

Gears drew one card.

He looked at it. It was Pot of Avarice.

It all comes down to this… he thought.

“I activate Pot of Avarice!” he shouted, playing it.

Garadholg, Claíomh Solais, Dekoichi, Nanobreaker, and Robotic Knight fell out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and shuffled. Then he drew twice.

Nice… he thought.

His last facedown card lifted.

“I activate Birthright!” he shouted. “I’ll use it to bring one of my Bokoichis back from the Graveyard.”

Another Bokoichi appeared beside the other one. (500 ATK)

“Next, I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!”

A windstorm erupted on the field, as the large, brass, robotic bird appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

“Now, I Tune it and Bokoichi together! Go!”

Cyclone Creator and the Freightening Car flew towards the ceiling. The two Machines split into five shimmering stars.

“Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!”

Catastor landed on Gears’s side of the field, glowing with shimmering energy. (2,200 ATK)

“I’m not done…” continued Gears, taking the last card in his hand. “I play… Monster Reborn! Now, I can bring back Perfect Machine King!”

The glowing ankh appeared on his side of the field, and the huge robot appeared once again. (2,700 ATK)

“Now, let’s add them up!” he continued. “I have a total of four Machines on the field. That means Perfect Machine King gains 1,500 more Attack Points, while Machine King Prototype gains 300.”

Perfect Machine King rose to an Attack Score of 4,200, while Machine King Prototype rose to 1,900.

“And that’s not all,” said Gears. “Since I’m guessing that Floral Knight Chrysanthemum is certainly not a Dark Monster, that means that Catastor can defeat him in battle, even though its Attack Score is lower.

“So it’s time to end this! Catastor, eradicate Floral Knight Chrysanthemum with platinum prism blast!”

Catastor blasted its beam of energy at the Floral Knight, and Chrysanthemum screamed, right before he was vaporized. Then the Miracle Fertilizer card shattered.

“Machine King Prototype, attack her Arcane Archer with plasma blast!”

The Prototype’s eyes glowed. It blasted a beam of energy from them, and Arcane Archer of the Forest exploded in a fiery blast.

“Argh!” cried Mistle, reeling in pain.

(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,850)

“Perfect Machine King…” said Gears.

The hatches on the huge robot’s shoulders opened.

“Gears, stop!” screamed Mistle.

Gears paused. That was Mistle’s normal voice.

He looked at her.

“Please…” she begged.

She held out her hand.

Gears looked at her. He looked in her eyes.

For a brief moment, he saw the eyes he was familiar with, the soft, gentle ones that truly belonged to Mistle…

Then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room, and he saw those cold, inhuman eyes once again.

His own eyes narrowed…

“You almost fooled me…” he growled.

“Attack directly!”

Perfect Machine King blasted its rockets, and the thing with Mistle’s face laughed evilly as they honed in on her, striking her, and finally causing her to collapse.

(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

Gears breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked up to Mistle, who was out cold.

He bent down, and felt her pulse. Fortunately, it was strong.

He noticed the card she had dropped, the last card she had in her hand.

Lightning Vortex! he thought. She didn’t use it on her last turn because it would have meant tossing her Miracle Fertilizer…

If her ruse had worked, she would have wiped out my whole side on her next turn…

When I catch whoever did this to her, he’s gonna be very, very sorry…

“Hang in, there, Mistle,” he said, as he hit a number on his cell phone. “I’m calling for help…

“Shichiro? It’s me… You’d better come with the station wagon… And tell Jinx to ready the infirmary.

“Yeah, it’s kinda an emergency… Come quick… I’ll explain on the way…”

* * * * * * * * * *

The rain continued to pour, and not even the luxury of the Tops could shield its residents from the downpour. Somewhere behind the clouds, the sun must have gone down, because night started to creep over the city.

The infirmary of the townhouse was rather small. It only had one bed, as the residents didn’t expect to treat more than one injured member of their own at once. Usually when a Shadow was injured, a normal hospital would suffice. Not even a doctor could see through the veil unless he was Aware, and if a Shadow needed special help that human medicine couldn’t provide, the Shadowchasers were allied with several doctors who were indeed Aware.

But right now, Mistle was clearly a special case.

Gears was beside himself with worry as Jinx mopped Mistle’s brow. She was lying on the infirmary’s bed, securely strapped down.

Shichiro checked a readout on a screen.

“Her blood pressure is fine,” he said. “In fact, it’s better than mine.”

“Very funny!” shouted Gears, angrily. “Do we HAVE to restrain her?”

“Gears, we know you’re upset,” replied Shichiro. “But she attacked you… She’s dangerous.

“And if DaPen is truly controlling her, do you realize the risk we’re taking by even letting her into the townhouse?”

“A risk that must be taken if there is any hope of saving her,” said Jalal’s voice, as he appeared in holographic form.

“Can she be cured, boss?” asked Gears.

“There’s no sign in her system of demonic possession,” replied Jalal, “or spiritual malevolence, or enchantment magic.”

“So what does that leave us with?” asked Jinx.

“Psionic enslavement,” replied Jalal. “Clearly, our hunch about paranatural beings was correct. We’re opposing someone with mental powers who can not only read minds, but control them. This is similar to how Marik enslaved humans using the Millennium Rod, only it is using psychic abilities rather than sorcery.”

“Man…” muttered Shichiro. “If the Arcadia Movement ever found someone this powerful, they’d likely be running the city…”

“The Arcadia Movement?” said a voice they hadn’t heard before. “Pardon me for being blunt, but I’ve seen circus carnies with better mental abilities.”

They all turned to Mistle. Her eyes had opened, and were cold and inhuman again.

“Louis DaPen, I presume?” asked Shichiro, angrily.

“So pleased to make your acquaintance,” replied DaPen, through Mistle’s mouth. “Nice townhouse you have… Could use a few things… Maybe some new wallpaper. I know someone who’s in the interior decorating business. I’d give you his card, if I were here in person.”

“I demand that you release Mistle!” ordered Jalal.

“And what will you do if I don’t?” asked DaPen. “My true body is in Satellite, in a heavily fortified compound, protected by psionic wards, and dozens of armed guards. And by the way, in regards to those guards, I didn’t do to them what I did to Mistle. They work for me entirely by free will.

“It is incredibly easy recruiting henchmen from the residents of Satellite. I mean, almost none of them when would prefer to work as slave labor in the recycling plants when I offer them far better food, medicine, and clothing than Godwin ever does.”

“So what are you planning to do?” asked Jinx. “Form the population of Satellite into an army to overthrow Godwin?”

DaPen chuckled.

“If I am,” he replied, “that would certainly be a long-term plan.”

“Listen, DaPen,” said Gears, “Mistle is worthless to you as a slave now. She’s strapped down to that bed, and she isn’t nearly strong enough to break free. And I’m pretty sure that controlling her is costing you energy that you’d rather be using elsewhere.”

“Hmm… A valid point,” replied DaPen. “But I still could benefit from her in other ways… After all, you folks owe me, I would think. Security impounded Scully’s D-Wheel when they arrested him. Those things aren’t cheap, you know. Not to mention all the money I spent on those expensive chemicals and medical supplies in Fogg’s office.”

“You seem more concerned over the loss of money than the loss of henchmen,” replied Shichiro.

“Henchmen are easily replaced, as I’ve already noted,” said DaPen. “Things like D-Wheels are harder.

“Still, I’m not heartless… Since you Shadowchasers handle everything by dueling, I’ll wager Mistle in a duel…

“Against you, Mr. Osaka.”

“Just tell me when and where!” answered Shichiro.

“Midnight,” replied DaPen. “At the Pandemonium Arena. Bring your D-Wheel. My representative will be waiting.

“And one more thing, Mr. Osaka… If you want me to ante up the mind of this nymph, you’re going to have to wager your own…”

Then Mistle fell unconscious again.

Shichiro reached for his coat.

“The Pandemonium Arena,” said Jinx. “I heard about that place… It was one of Godwin’s… Business failures.”

“What do you mean?” asked Gears.

“Some architect who worked for him figured that fans would pay more to see Turbo Duels where the arena was rigged with hazards,” replied Jinx, “making the track harder to circumnavigate. So Pandemonium was built, a Turbo Duel track full of dangerous booby traps.

“But soon after opening, something went terribly wrong. The hazards were too dangerous. A duelist crashed because of one, and he lost a leg because of it.

“An editorial in the Daily Duel called it ‘the biggest mistake in dueling since the Monster Con Invitational’…”

“What was that?” asked Ember.

“Oh, I remember that,” said Gears. “It was a charity event that a club called the White Blades held five years ago. Eight winners of major tournaments were invited to compete in a tournament where a special house rule was in play – their decks could contain only Monsters.”

“That… sounds interesting…” said Ember.

“Yeah,” said Gears. “Interesting until every one of them decided to use Monarchs. With eight contestants using the same basic strategy, the tournament became as interesting as watching paint dry.”

“Anyway,” said Jinx, “getting back to the main topic… Godwin ended up paying a great deal of money in compensation, and after that, no duelist would go near Pandemonium.

“He closed the place down, intending to renovate it into a safer arena, but work hasn’t started yet.”

“Shichiro, be on your guard,” said Jalal. “Most likely, DaPen has stacked the odds in his favor for this duel, if he intends to play fair at all.”

“Don’t worry,” said Gears. “All it will take is a little hacking, and we’ll be able to keep tabs on the duel from here.”

“But the hard part falls on me…” said Shichiro.

He put his hand on Mistle’s forehead.

“Rest easy, Mistle,” he said.


If you want to know exactly what I was doing during this whole conversation, I was just making myself scarce, sitting in a corner and listening. I didn’t feel it was my place to voice my opinion. But if I had made it, I would have said that I thought this was a fool’s gambit. DaPen was likely leading Shichiro into a trap, and a duel that he had total control over. And I also realized that even if Shichiro won, there was no guarantee that DaPen would keep his word.

Shichiro likely realized it too, but he knew that it was likely the only way they could possibly save Mistle from the grim hold that DaPen had on her. As the rain continued to pour down on Neo Domino as midnight approached, Shichiro felt only one thing: determination…



SEED POD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 2
ATK: 500
DEF: 500

Card Description: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type Monster from your hand or deck.



FLORAL KNIGHT LILY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: Trap Cards cannot be activated in response to this card’s attack.



FLORAL KNIGHT TULIP (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: During your Standby Phase that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may Special Summon 1 “Seed Token” (Plant/Earth/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position. “Seed Tokens” cannot be used as a Tribute except for a Tribute Summon of a Plant-Type Monster.



FLORAL KNIGHT PETUNIA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card attacks a Monster in Attack Position, destroy that Monster without applying damage calculation. When this card is attacked while in Defense Position, it is destroyed without applying damage calculation.



FLORAL KNIGHT SUNFLOWER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card attacks, after damage calculation, increase your opponent’s Life Points by 500.



FLORAL KNIGHT ROSE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 1,700

Card Description: If a “Floral Knight” Monster you control is selected as an attack target when this card is face up on your side of the field, you may switch the target to this card.



FLORAL KNIGHT CHRYSANTHEMUM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Plant/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, all other “Floral Knight” Monsters you control may attack directly for the remainder of the Battle Phase with their Attack Scores halved.



FLORAL ARRANGEMENT (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: An extravagant bouquet of exotic flowers.

Card Description: You may activate this card when a Plant-Type Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon any number of Plant-Type Monsters from your hand. Pay Life Points equal to 100 x the combined Levels of the Special Summoned Monsters.

Note: The proceeding eight cards were created by Mystic Clown for his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh! The Six Avatars”. Creative credit goes to him.



Coming up next:

In the condemned, but still working arena, Shichiro is forced into a dangerous Turbo Duel against the dark elf Kor’mal, with poor Mistle on the line. And Kor’mal is not going to give him an easy time, using a deck that he believes can destroy the strategy of any duelist who depends on Synchro Monsters, while preserving his own power. Can Shichiro possibly defeat this powerful lock? “Flame Dancer” is coming up next.