Shadowchasers: Colors of Madness

by Scarlet Weather

Set ten years before Zero Reverse overloaded the Momentum engine. A strange spike in Shadow emigrations to the human realm prompts Jalal Dragonborn to dispatch the famed "Color Guard" as an information-gathering team to the vacation island of "Pleasureland". What they find there will challenge everything they know. What does it mean to be a hero in a world gone mad?

2. Chapter 2

Have you been paying attention? The Shout Out Drinking Game's first results!

"Sword of the Lord"- Gideon's nickname is a Biblical reference. The battle cry of the soldiers of the Jewish hero, Gideon, is sometimes rendered as "The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" in contemporary translations of the Book of Judges.

Ellen's Dress and Stuffed Unicorn- I'm sure there's nothing significant at all about the magical researcher's dress being purple and black and her carrying around a stuffed unicorn, is there? In unrelated news, Twilight Sparkle is best pony.

The Wilderness Bunch- For a group of Oni, it's odd that their name is technically a reference to a Western (The Wild Bunch, itself inspired by a samurai film).

"This is your Earth..."-Apparently, Ellen is inordinately fond of anti-drug PSA commercials from the late eighties and early nineties. Too much television, perhaps?

"Geppetto"/ "Pleasureland"- The Disney film may have named its land of hedonism "Pleasure Island", but the use of the Italian toy maker's name should be enough to link things back to Pinocchio.

Harley's Barehanded Sword Counter- While the scenes play out differently and this was included for a different purpose, this move was inspired by the character Eugenides as he appears in the book The King of Attolia. Read it if you want to understand how or why. The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, the two previous novels in the series, aren't necessary to understand this book- but they are highly recommended.

Harley managed three shots of pure Wilderness Bunch moonshine this time. How many did you earn the right to drink?

Minor Corrections-

Corrections from the last chapter I haven't bothered to edit:

-The story states that the group is meeting in the Shadowchasers HQ in "Germany", not Britain, where it is actually located.

-Ellen is mistakenly referred to as "Eliza" after the fight scene. Dammit Skullgirls. You drive me to forget my original character names.

-Harley's entry in the Personnel Profile lists his active period as beginning "15 years Pre-Momentum". This was a mistake- his active period begins five years before Colors of Madness takes place, or fifteen years pre-Zero Reverse, not the development of Momentum energy.

Misc. Notes- Thaddeus Kleig donated by 7th Librarian (his first appearance is in Shadowchasers: Twice Told Tales during the fourth chapter). Mind, I also donated a few things to that chapter, so we'll call it even~

Shadowchasers- Colors of Madness

Chapter 1: Colors of Rage

"The ancient Micmacs knew what it was... something that had been touched by the Wendigo."

-Jud Crandall, Pet Sematary

Nicholas decided that he hated boats almost as soon as H.M.S. Titan left the harbor.

No. He did more than hate boats. He loathed them with every fiber of his being. He felt nothing but rage at their existence. If every square micrometer of the trillions of cells in his body were engraved with a treatise explaining how much he loathed boats, it would not express one one-trillionth of the sheer amount of hatred he felt for boats within any given second.

Hate.

Hate.

The Titan, contrary to its name, was little more than a patrol boat kept on call for official Shadowchaser use, should they acquire a naval transport for a small team. It barely had the fuel required to make the trip into Pleasureland, barely had proper accommodations for five passengers even if they didn't hate each other, and had no magical defenses to speak of. After his years working on translating Infernal, Nicholas didn't feel truly safe unless he was surrounded by at least three wards and a circle of protection, and had sacraments on standby.

In addition, Nicholas discovered that he was prone to seasickness less than three knots from the harbor.

To make matters worse, Harley seemed to be enjoying himself. Despite his behavior at the briefing and during the fight afterward, the burly Chaser seemed to have settled back into a relaxed state, and had begun mingling with the ship's regular crew and exchanging stories with some of the sailors. Sylvia had joined him, and together the two were laughing up a storm as they passed a bottle of smuggled-aboard rum back and forth while Gideon and Ellen weren't looking. Even if he hadn't been in danger of releasing the contents of his stomach onto the ship's deck, Nicholas would have been annoyed by this particular development- in his personal opinion, the only berth Harley deserved on board the ship was located on its bottom, where he would make an excellent barnacle-scraper.

Normally in this kind of a situation, he would turn to Gideon for comfort. As much as Nicholas would never admit it in front of Harley, right now a hug or back rub from the tiefling would be absolutely heavenly. The problem was-

"I respect your right to a differing opinion, Miss Roman. However, while I may respect your right to hold it, it is my solemn duty to inform you that Edo Phoenix is in fact the greatest professional duelist of all time, and your far more base appreciation for his competitor is simply baffling to me."

"And I respect your right to an opinion as well, Gideon, but it just so happens that you're talking out of your anal passage when you say that Phoenix had anything resembling the greatest record in professional dueling. Edo was in pro dueling for an excess of twenty years, and Sho Marufuji retired after ten with a comparable record. Less than half the time, more than equal skill- I'd say he surpassed the Phoenix." Ellen nodded decisively.

When Gideon got into an argument about pro duelists, nobody won.

Nicholas staggered to the side of the vessel. His heart was filled with regret- breakfast had been rather delicious that morning, and it pained him that he would be seeing most of it again in a less-pleasant capacity.

Mostly though, his heart was filled with hate.

Hate.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Nicholas awoke with a sense of wrongness that pervaded every fiber of his being, scouring every trace of nausea from his system.

The passengers of the Titan had been informed that they would be making land that evening, so he had gone to the berth provided for him to sleep off the seasickness. The others had still been on deck, bantering and swapping stories well into the evening. He didn't know if they sensed it, but he could.

The air was wrong. Everything tasted foul.

Nicholas took only a moment to grab his coat and wrap it around himself, checking that his swords were prepared for use and that his own defensive amulets were charged and prepared for use. He burst onto deck in time to see it.

There, only meters away, was Pleasureland- the island illuminated by the light of a gorgeous sunset, painting the sky red. The instant he saw the shore, Nicholas felt his heart wrench. The source of the wrongness was this place. He could feel it.

The other Chasers moved towards Nicholas, Gideon placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, old friend? We were just about to inform you that the ship was ready to make land."

Nicholas shrugged off the hand, ignoring Gideon's hurt expression. Any other time the attention would have been welcome, but not now. "Everything's wrong," he gasped, suddenly aware of the clenching feeling in his chest. "Something's gone wrong here. I can taste it. This place is-"

It was at that moment that a purple flare of light burst from the center of the island and exploded in mid-air, expanding into a shimmering barrier of violet flames which encircled the island.

Harley was the first to react. "We've got company."

"Magical barrier, sealing spell, type unknown." Ellen stood on the ship's prow, adjusting an ear-mounted scanning lens she had removed from somewhere within her dress. "It extends to about five kilometers in every direction outside the island. Contact unlikely to be effective through conventional or magical means, due to what appears to be a self-feedback loop which rebounds any attempts to leave the barrier back towards the center. We're trapped."

Sylvia groaned. "Brilliant. Just once, I was hoping we could have a mission where everything is sweetness and laughter for a change."

Gideon said nothing, drawing his sword. "Nicholas-"

Nicholas grabbed the tiefling by the shoulder and pulled him to the side, motioning to the others. "All of you. Around me. Now."

The group nodded, doing as he said- even Harley. Nicholas reached into the pocket of his coat and tossed a cloud of silver powder into the air before closing his eyes. "Oh blessed remains, guided by my hand, encircle me now."

The powder settled onto the ground and reshaped itself, transforming into a double-layered magic circle inscribed in silver around the five Chasers. Nicholas continued chanting. "Let all who would harm us mind or body be repelled! Release and uphold your contract, Silver Storm!"

The moment the incantation was complete, a cyclone of silver energy rose from the edges of the circle and surrounded the trio. Harley turned to Nicholas, who was breathing easier. "Interesting magic you got there, Nicky. Where'd you learn this one, the first circle of hell?"

"Hardly," Nicholas replied, checking the spell to ensure his defense had no blind spots. "It's basic contract magic. You don't get far in the study of Infernal law without some form of defense. In my case, it was learning how to create certain protective circles. The incantations are simply my 'passwords' for spell activation, they let me bypass the ten-line Celestial chants I had to learn in order to use these-"

The winds died down, revealing the status of the world outside.

Harley cracked a lopsided grin. "I think things just officially got interesting."

Sylvia breathed in sharply. "What the hell just happened here?"

Smoke rose from what, before Nicholas's spell had been invoked, had been a perfectly tranquil looking island. What had once been quaint beach homes were reduced to charred scrap and kindling, or stained with blood. Corpses of beachgoers were strewn across the ground, bloody hand prints painting them. The sound of a scream pierced the air and was silenced. The once-beautiful forests seemed sinister, and in the distance the smoke of a fire rose into the air.

"I don't know," Nicholas frowned.

Gideon looked up. "The sun has changed positions."

When Nicholas had cast the spell, it had been sunset. The position now indicated that it was already high noon.

Nicholas shook his head. "That isn't in itself unusual. That barrier spell is meant to defend against any active attempts to cause the caster physical or mental harm. It has enough energy to maintain itself for seventy-two hours, and will only end its protective effects when all within the boundaries are safe from any immediate magical danger. It has a side effect of decelerating time within its boundaries, keeping the caster and targets frozen in the moment."

"So three days could have passed already before whatever was about to hit the island moved out of the range of us." Ellen nodded slowly. "Good work, Nicholas."

"Good work?" Gideon's voice was tinged with a hard edge. "Nicholas, why would you do this? And Miss Roman, why would you commend him?"

Nicholas stepped back in surprise. "Gideon?"

"Our duty as Shadowchasers was to safeguard everyone on this island," Gideon growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "If we had predicted an attack on this place, our first priority should have been the safety of the people, not the safety of ourselves. To irresponsibly use a defense which would render us unable to fulfill our obligations as guardians is not only cowardly, it is an offense to everything we are and which we stand for." He turned his eyes to Nicholas, his expression conveying an equal mixture of anger and sadness. "Why would you betray us like this? I thought you better than such, Nicholas."

Nicholas. Not "old friend". Nicholas. The impact of that alone was like a punch in the gut. Nicholas flinched back from his friend, wrapping his hand around the hilt of one of his own blades for comfort.

Harley began to growl. "Gideon, you little-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sylvia had moved up to Gideon and slapped him.

Harley stood slack-jawed for a moment before grinning at the sylvan Shadow. "Sylvie, if we ever make it out of this, the two of us should bang."

"I don't sleep with yokai." Sylvia pursed her lips. "Anymore, anyway. And Gideon, you should be ashamed of yourself."

"You are taking the side of cowardice as well? I though you better than-" Gideon began.

"Can it." Ellen pursed her lips, still studying the island. "First, it's barely been a night since Nicholas activated the barrier spell. We haven't lost much time on the whole. Second, I'm detecting traces of a large-scale pervasive enchantment. I haven't analyzed its character yet but I believe the only reason we aren't affected by it is because of Nicholas's action there."

Harley nodded. "Ladies have it right, Gideon. We're not much good to anyone if whatever wrecked the island wrecks us too."

Gideon's anger faded, and the tiefling released his sword's hilt. "I... I apologize." He looked at the surface of the island. "Nicholas, I'm sorry. When I saw what had happened I lost my temper and-"

"It's fine." Nicholas's words were a bit more curt than he had intended them to be, but he made no effort to repeat himself. "I never intended that spell to be more than a temporary defense. The longest it's ever maintained itself for was an hour. Until now, that is."

Another scream split the air.

"We should go." Gideon roused himself, walking towards the edge of the boat's deck and the docks. "There are survivors to find."

"Hold up." Ellen raised a hand. "I'm technically still field commander. We're not going in there blind." She stepped forward, motioning for the rest of the group to listen. "Our original field positions were intended to serve our goal of gathering information. They're no good to us now. As of right now, we're breaking up into the following groups- Harley, you're not going to be much for search and rescue. I want you to find whoever was responsible for setting up this barrier and releasing whatever trapped us in Nicholas's spell earlier and deal with them."

Harley grinned. "You're not half-bad, Roman."

"I assure you, I'm pure evil." Ellen watched as Harley leaped over the prow of the ship, landing on the docks and racing towards the center of the island. "Gideon, Sylvia- you two should follow him at a distance. Search and rescue is your number one priority, but make sure that Harley doesn't get over-enthusiastic and beat a potential source of information into a bloody pulp before we can get him to talk."

"While I would have preferred you phrase the second part of this assignment a bit less dubiously, I accept and understand... and apologize once again for my earlier behavior." Gideon leaped from the ship as well, his landing more graceful if less dynamic than Harley's, and began running after the other Chaser.

Sylvia cracked her knuckles. "Going to be interesting, going on an assignment where my job isn't to play Spook," she mused before vaulting after Gideon. As she landed, her skin and body went through a few subtle changes- her muscle mass rippling to adjust itself to what would be required to keep pace with Gideon and Harley, and her skin tones changing to a mottled brown and green which would camouflage her when she grew near the forest.

Nicholas raised an eyebrow. "Am I to join them?"

"You're with me." Ellen walked to the edge of the boat. "We may be in an emergency situation, but our mission's core goal hasn't changed- it's possible that there's nothing we can do about whatever just happened here, so we should make it our goal to find a way to deactivate the barrier and alert Shadowchasers HQ as soon as possible. With any luck we'll have help from the outside the moment they notice we aren't checking in with routine communications. We're also going to be searching for whatever caused the spike which got us assigned to visit here in the first place, and what its connections to the incident are. I would do it myself but..." she gestured to her dress. "Quite frankly, I'm no combat expert, and I could use a defense specialist."

Nicholas frowned. "I don't like it."

Ellen sighed, exasperated. "Gideon can take care of himself. You don't have to follow him everywhere, you know."

"I-I assure you, that's not what I was thinking!" Even as he spoke, Nicholas felt his cheeks flush. "It's just that field assignments where Gideon and I are both assigned, we generally work as a team, and I want to ensure total efficiency-"

"Nicholas, you're protesting too much. We're in a danger zone here, and you need to keep on your guard." Ellen tapped her scanner and looked to the left and right, more readings blinking past. "I noticed something while I was conducting an analysis of the barrier spell around the island's perimeter. It appears to have multiple points of origin."

"So more than one accomplished caster," Nicholas mused as he placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "But what about that makes our situation more dangerous?"

"I believe one of those points of origin is nearby."

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

"You catch on quickly, Chaser."

Nicholas whirled, bringing out one of his short-swords in a quick, horizontal slash. His blow was intercepted by a much longer blade- this one curved, and wider at the top. Biting his lip, he shifted his footing and pushed forward, forcing his opponent back a step, and unsheathed his second blade. In the next instant he stepped between the attacker and Ellen, intercepting yet another deathblow. "Who on earth are you?"

The attacker leaped back, allowing Nicholas time to take in his appearance for a few more moments-

No. Her appearance. Their attacker was a woman with short, red hair, about Ellen's age, dressed in loose, white robes and a white hood. Her scimitar shone with unearthly energy as she lunged again, Nicholas barely catching the attack. With a grunt of exertion, he pushed upward with his swords, causing her to stumble, and kicked out into her stomach, only for her to dance out of the way. "I'm impressed. Your swordplay is commendable," the woman said, her voice void of any trace of malice.

"Tch," Ellen muttered, reading the feed-out from her scanner. "Nicholas, she's not one of the barrier sources. She's probably just someone who got left behind by whoever did this, to report on our movements. We need to get rid of her and move on."

Twirling her scimitar, the woman gave Ellen a coy grin. "Such confidence! But I assure you, I won't be removed so easily, even by such a powerful bodyguard." The woman sighed. "We had not expected a barrier capable of withstanding our enchantment so perfectly. I'm afraid you and your friends will simply have to die- if you had allowed the magic through, you could have shared in the fate of the islanders."

"In the fate of-" the words clicked suddenly. Nicholas raised his blades, still on the defensive, as he positioned himself between Ellen and their attacker. "What did you do to them?"

"Opened them. Made them part of a higher purpose." The woman's smile seemed predatory, and Nicholas inadvertently retreated a step. "They are the cup of destruction from which the Glorious One drinks, the meal which provides him with sustenance, the healing balm which soothes his pain and shall guide him back to the cosmos!"

"Nicholas. She's a cultist. We're not going to get any reason from her." Ellen stepped forward. "Do whatever you need to go get her out of the way. This is officially a life or death situation, not just for us but for everyone here."

"You'll find it's far too late for 'everyone'," The woman taunted, raising her blade. "And poor, misguided fools- did you really think I would be here alone? Have you not wondered what happened to your crew?"

"The crew-" Nicholas attempted to turn his body, but his attempts to glance toward the ship's berth were interrupted by the woman's next attack, her blade once again clashing with his. A bead of sweat ran down his brow as he raised his voice. "Blessed remains, heed my words and bind the lawless!"

The magic circle he had laid before stirred, returning to the cloud of silver powder it had once been, and snaked itself around the feet of the cultist before returning to its previous shape. Nicholas shouted again, giving one last push back against his attacker for good measure. "Silver Coffin!"

A wall of holy light sprang up, and the woman gave a cry of alarm as it encircled her, trapping her within Nicholas's circle. Wiping a hand across his brow, Nicholas turned back to Ellen. "That should hold her for-"

The words died away on his mouth as he saw the crew. Or what was left of them at any rate.

He hadn't had much time to get to know the crew, but he had a rough estimate of the number of trained sailors who had joined them. He was rather glad that this was only about half of them, because he didn't think he wanted to see what was left of the others.

They were horrifying. He would have compared them to zombies, but the zombies he had met, rotting skin aside, had been a rather pitiful bunch as opposed to disgusting. The crew were revolting. The light of life was still in their eyes, but their faces were twisted into hideous expressions and grimaces, and the wounds- dear God, the wounds- bite marks, marks where they had been scratched and torn and mangled by someone or something until skin had broken and blood streamed through freely. They were barely recognizable as human.

It fell into place at that moment. Nicholas took a step back, his swords still at the ready. "She didn't do this to them- the enchantment- they-"

"They did it to themselves," Ellen nodded, moving away from the steadily advancing crew herself. "I'm guessing some kind of indiscriminate enchantment or curse, which causes the affected to attack everyone and everything around them. Our little 'guest' must have used some kind of command switch to get them to target us."

"I don't have enough celestial silver on me for a second barrier," Nicholas warned as an old man who he assumed was the captain lunged at him. He sidestepped, delivering a punishing slash to the man through pure fighting instinct and sending him to the ground. In the same moment, he made a small correction to his assessment.

Not "was". "Had Been". That man "had been" the captain. Aside from the woman who had attacked them, there were only two humans left on this boat.

Everyone else had been transformed into a brute animal.

It wasn't completely accurate, he was sure. But it was the only way he was going to be able to stomach what he was about to do next.

There was a cracking sound behind him in that instant. Nicholas looked back in horror as the barrier he had erected fell to pieces, revealing a very upset assassin- whose scimitar shone with an unearthly light. "May your despair and rage feed the Glorious One! May the Light purge your unworthy forms from this planet!" she hissed, swinging her blade. "Purgepurgepurge-"

There was a flash of light, and the remains of the crew and the assassin both let up an animal howl as Ellen chose that moment to detonate a small flashbang.

Nicholas groaned as she pulled him aside. "Listen to me," Ellen murmured. "Do not worry about the crew. I am going to take care of them. Focus on holding our would-be killer over there. Do whatever you can to immobilize her for a period of... let's say, at least twenty-minutes or so. I'm going to see if there's a way to turn the spell off."

Nicholas gave a mute nod, pain still lancing through his skull as he recovered from the effects of the flashbang. His only solace was that it would take the other affected parties at least as long to recover their vision. Maybe longer for the crew, as divorced from rational thought as they were. "Give me one moment." Grabbing a gem from the inside of his coat, he gripped it, praying that a communication sent to someone within the barrier wouldn't be blocked. "I'm warning Gideon."

Ellen shook her head. "I think he already knows."

-TTTTTTTTTT-

"I don't believe it," Gideon muttered as he evaded the wild clutches of a half-elf.

No.

What had once been a half-elf. She might have been quite beautiful in life, too. Now her body was covered in wounds, missing flesh, missing teeth- he could sense vitality still, but her mind had fled long ago and her body was moving on pure, base instinct.

There was only one choice.

The tiefling drew his blade and in three fluid motions struck. The half-elf collapsed to the ground, three red lines traced across her body.

Gideon whirled on his heels as he heard a cracking sound from behind him, only to relax as he saw Sylvia drop what had once been a human to the ground, its neck at a crazy angle. "You didn't kill her," she noted, pointing to the once-elf. "If you don't finish them off, they just get up and start attacking again in a few hours. Spark of life or not, these guys are no better than zombies."

"Zombies can't be easily raised," Gideon replied, shaking his head. "These people are still alive. I believe it is my duty as a Shadowchaser to keep them as such if there is even a remote possibility of disenchanting them. Under the circumstances I will not act to stay your hand, however."

"Appreciated," Sylvia noted as she looked toward the horizon. "Harley couldn't have predicted this, could he?"

Gideon whirled, his blade flashing once. Sylvia blinked as the elf who had risen up behind her collapsed, a spurt of blood flying from his body as he writhed in pain. "Thanks."

"Think nothing of it." Gideon cleaned his blade on the hem of his armored uniform's cape before sheathing it. "I severed a few tendons with that strike. He won't be able to stand again for a while. We should go now, to where Harley Rowan is. I have some things I wish to ask him."

Sylvia lunged forward, knocking Gideon to the ground. The tiefling coughed as wind escaped his lungs.

The elf behind the two had managed to pull himself to his knees when three blades of light pierced his body, slicing him into three pieces.

"Pity. I missed." The speaker clicked his tongue in disappointment. Gideon wheezed, staggering upright along with Sylvia. As his vision cleared he managed to get a decent look at their attacker. The man was rather diminutive, dressed in white robes, and holding a book aloft. His graying hair and spectacles would have left most with the impression that he was little more than some old preacher, lost on his way to a revival, particularly given the book he held in his hand. Gideon looked at him and sized up his build, and knew better.

The man lifted his hand, and the book began to shine. "Light, pierce the darkness!"

The book gleamed with white, blinding energy. In the next instant, Gideon had thrown himself to the ground. He didn't have time to look behind him and confirm Sylvia was alright. The spears of white light came within a hair's breadth of slicing through him, reducing a tree behind the tiefling to so much kindling.

The man licked his lips. "Light be praised."

Sylvia grimaced, biting her thumb hard enough to draw blood. Reaching out, she grasped the stem of a nearby flower. "I offer this unto you," she grunted. "Grant me your boon... blood-stained petals."

The code word triggered the magic which flowed through every drop of Sylvia's shadow-touched blood, trickling through her bloody thumb into the black-petaled flower she had smeared it over. The ground rumbled with power, and the attacker, about to launch another assault, was taken aback as his book was torn to pieces by a thorn-covered vine which leaped from the ground. "Gideon, now!" Sylvia shouted, her grip on the flower firm as she directed the movements of the vine. "Go on ahead!"

The man scowled, leaping back. "...I had hoped to give you a swift end." Blades materialized in his hands- twin swords, every inch of them burning with a light that hurt to look at. "Why do you refuse my gift?"

Gideon drew his blade. "Sylvia... the one to go ahead should be you," he announced, stepping between her and their attacker. "He is a swordsman. There's no enemy better suited for me. Run ahead and rendezvous with Harley."

Sylvia bit her lip. "Dammit, Gideon! You can't expect a normal fight from this-"

She twisted her body just in time to avoid a blow which shook the ground underneath her. There was a small explosion as a patch of soil disappeared in a bubble of heat and light, leaving only a bare crater in its place, large enough that it would have reached Sylvia's knees had she jumped in. Their new attacker, a gigantic, hooded figure wearing the same robes as the first, held up two hands- revealing no weapon within them. "Tch..." she muttered, pulling back on her vine whip and retracting it into her hands as she pulled it out of the way of the oncoming blade-wielder's attack, focusing on the opponent in front of her instead.

The figure's hood fell back, revealing the scarred and weather-beaten face of an old man. "Light, cover the world," he intoned, his hands crackling with the same energy which had vaporized the ground before.

Sylvia moved back-to-back with Gideon. "Any ideas?"

Gideon nodded, his expression grim. "Survive."

"I like that one."

The acolytes of the light charged.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Pfeh."

Harley spat blood.

The arms which had been wrapped around him finally went limp, as the screaming remains of what had been a human male before let go of his body. The chunk of flesh missing from his upper shoulder had apparently been enough to nearly sever the limb. With a single strike, Harley broke the man's neck and allowed him to tumble to the ground. The Shadowchaser took a moment to kneel down and look the man over.

"...Family man probably. Kids. Wife. Had 'em at any rate."

He glanced over at the bungalow a few yards away, and the child-sized hand he had seen through the door's frame, lying prone on the ground before he had been attacked. "Pfeh."

Harley spat again to get the rest of the blood out of his mouth, flexed his arms to make sure he hadn't sustained any injuries, and took a bracing shot of the alcohol in his hip flask. Drinking on the job wasn't strictly allowed by Shadowchasers code, but this was not an occasion he intended to face without a little southern comfort.

"Ah. One of the ones who made it through our net."

Harley was about to turn to face the source of the voice when he staggered, a sharp pain cutting through his abdomen. He knew the blade of the knife was unusually wide and tapered to a sharp point without looking, it was probably shaped more like a bayonet than a standard blade. How it had ended up jutting through his stomach like that he had no idea.

"Don't bother turning. The Light is already victorious here, Shadowchaser. Simply stay put, and allow it to finish its work. It will hurt less."

The voice was coming closer, and by now Harley's fighting instincts were engaged again. Engaged enough that he could tell that he had moments, seconds, to react to the next strike. He clenched his teeth and grabbed the handle of the knife that had pierced him, wrenching it out of his body with a grunt, and whirled to intercept the next strike. The blood-soaked blade in his hands struck a fresh one, knocking it out of the air before it could skewer him through the back of the neck. Harley exhaled, doing his best to ignore the pain and the blood leaking from his freshly-minted abdominal wound.

His attacker, now that he had a decent look at him, took Harley by surprise. The man was relatively young- perhaps in his early twenties- and his tousled blond hair and face looked remarkably innocent in comparison to Harley's own. If it weren't for the cassock robe and the blades he carried, Harley would have assumed he was the dead man's son. Certainly young enough.

Harley took a moment to curse the hole in his stomach as his enemy advanced.

"I did not intend to dispatch you today, Shadowchaser- in truth, your presence on this island matters very little when the Glorious One is so close to his awakening." The fervor in the young man's voice was unmistakable and chilling. "The weak feed on the weak and become food for the strong, the false shapes of the world fall into ruin and in the destruction of this place of emptiness the all-encompassing light is revealed unto us, amen and amen, may the Light Shine Down!"

Harley shielded his eyes as a column of light erupted around his assailant. He couldn't tell if the light had burst from the ground and was climbing into the sky or the other way round, but his instincts told him everything he might need to know about it for the foreseeable future. Danger. Get away.

Harley took a quick swig from his hip flask, feeling the sacred drink inside wash through his body and the fighting spirit it awakened in him spurring his regeneration. With a roar he charged straight towards the column of light, bayonet in his hand.

It hurt. More than he had imagined it would. The light seared his flesh, his nerves screamed in agony, his thoughts were nothing but a massive chain of reactions to pain. Then he felt the blade in his hand bite through flesh and bone, and it gave him the impetus he needed to push forward. Harley gasped as he and the young man tumbled out of the opposite side of the column of light, which faded behind them. Harley made a point of twisting the bayonet as deeply as he could as he bore the man to the ground- he hurt too much to tell where the strike had actually hit. May as well make it count.

He stumbled to his feet, unceremoniously ripping the bayonet from the man's body in the process. Now that his vision was clearing and the burn marks along his skin were healing, his drink still doing its work, he could see that he had managed- through sheer luck- to spear the priest through the heart. Harley tossed his weapon aside, breathing heavily. He gave the corpse a vicious kick to the ribs, sending it rolling several feet away. "Bastard."

The corpse's lips, improbably, moved. "Light-"

Harley snarled and lunged forward.

A moment too late.

"-Shine Down!"

Harley leaped back, screaming in frustration as another column of light burst into existence around his enemy's form. When it cleared, the priest was standing again, dusting his body off. The only evidence of the fatal wound Harley had inflicted was a ragged hole in the priest's robes. "Commendable, Shadowchaser. I had thought you worth nothing but destruction, but it is possible you will one day make an excellent servant for the Glorious One," the man said, his voice all smiles and sunshine.

Harley, still too enraged to form a coherent sentence, responded by flipping the man the bird.

"Of course, that does not preclude punishments for insolence," the man said slowly, producing two more bayonet knives from his sleeves. "In the name of the Light and its Servant, the Glorious One, I, Thaddeus Kleig, will be more than happy to-"

The animal howl that split the air interrupted Thaddeus and caused Harley to turn in shock.

"...Hmph. I'm afraid I will have to attend to you later." Thaddeus sneered as he returned his blades to his sleeves. "The Light has delivered a far more promising being to me." With an astounding agility, he leaped away from Harley, away from the more settled portion of Pleasureland and into the forest ahead.

Harley howled in frustration before staggering to his knee, the pain of what he had just endured catching up with him again.

Not that. He couldn't let those bastards anywhere near that if they were who he thought they were.

Pulling himself to his feet again, Harley gave chase.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Nicholas brought up his blades, blocking yet another strike from the assassin who had been left on board. He decided to review the pros and cons of the situation in his mind as he did his best to hold her blades back.

The good news was that his training with Gideon had paid off considerably. So far neither he nor Ellen was sliced into pieces. And damned if Ellen's collection of noisemakers and flashbangs was doing a fine job of distracting what was left of the crew, even if she seemed more concerned with trying to hug her stuffed unicorn.

The bad news was that he was still losing.

Of all the magical abilities for an enemy to possess, it had to be the ability to break his barriers. He cursed the fact that the silver storm required the caster to remain in the circle. If it weren't for that, he could have bound her and-

The scimitar came out of nowhere, and Nicholas barely rolled out of the way of the blow. There. Dodged. Now counter and-

She wasn't in front of him anymore.

The assassin had a madwoman's grin as she lunged towards Ellen's unprotected back, her scimitar pulled back and ready to slash.

Time stood still.

For Nicholas, the next moment was a blur. He dropped his blades, allowing them to clatter to the ground, and reached into his coat, grabbing his last talisman.

"I invoke the ancient rite! Duel!"

The silver circle Nicholas had traced on the floor earlier flowed again, reshaping its boundaries so that it included Nicholas himself and the blade-wielding cultist. A wall of light burst from its edges, intercepting her blade's swing.

Ellen turned as her attacker cursed, beating against the walls Nicholas had created again and again. "Why didn't you do this before?"

Nicholas raised his arm, silver particles shimmering as they reshaped themselves into a gauntlet for his left arm- a gauntlet which sprouted five, long wings and produced a space for a deck. With his right hand, he removed the talisman he had used to cast the spell.

The duel monsters cards resting in his hands glowed with a faint energy as he inserted them into the duel disk's deck slot.

"I didn't do this earlier because I was hoping to avoid it. This barrier is different than my normal ones."

The cultist whirled, wild-eyed, and slashed at Nicholas- only to be repulsed by an invisible barrier. "PURGE PURGE PURGE!" she screamed, her blade tracing paths of light through the air only to rebound away from its intended target.

"You won't be able to undo the barrier that way, so you had best give it up," Nicholas warned, raising his duel disk. "This barrier is hardly standard Shadowchasers procedure. I had to go outside of the normal curriculum to learn it... it binds both the caster and target into a closed space. Only one is allowed to leave unscathed."

"...A game of darkness." A smile spread across the girl's lips as she tossed her scimitar into the air. The blade turned end over end before transforming itself into a gold and silver duel disk, shaped not unlike Nicholas's own. Deftly catching the device on her right arm, the woman waved her hand producing a deck in a flourish of light, and inserted it. "The Glorious One is also capable of such. And as his emissary I, Tara Rae, will gladly accept your challenge."

Nicholas's deck whirred as the automatic shuffler within his duel disk randomized it. Drawing five cards, he looked his opponent in the eye. "You have no choice."

Ellen nodded with approval at the goings-on behind her. "Interesting spell there, Nicholas. I'll have to figure out how to play with that one myself. In the meantime..."

The crew had finally recovered from her latest assault, and were lurching towards Ellen. She searched about the folds of her skirt, disappointed. "Pfeh. There's my last flashbang." With a sigh, she held up her stuffed unicorn and looked it in its adorable, button-black eyes. "Princess, I know you're not fully recharged yet, but I think we're officially out of options."

One of the crew members charged. Ellen's palm strike caught him in his solar plexus and sent him staggering backwards. Raising her unicorn toward the sky, Ellen closed her eyes and spoke.

"Star Driver... set up."

The black button eyes of the unicorn lit up with an unearthly blue light. Nicholas's jaw dropped. "What-"

In the next instant, a wave of violet light had covered Ellen's body, obscuring her from Nicholas's view. To his surprise, angelic music seemed to emanate from the center of the light for a few minutes before finally fading along with the light itself and revealing-

Ellen's dress had completely transformed. Her chest and shoulders were now protected by a magical breastplate, while her hands were encased in gauntlets rather than gloves. Her shoes had transitioned into armored greaves. Rather than a stuffed unicorn, she now carried a long, metal staff tipped with a magical crystal encased within a spiraling structure meant to resemble her stuffed animal's horn. The folds of the dress themselves seemed more resilient, more powerful.

Ellen slammed the end of her staff against the boards of the ship, holding out her hand towards the now-cowed crew. "Scanner, log data. First field test of anti-supernatural weapons system, Star Driver- Princess Model, initiate," she intoned, leveling her staff so that its crystal pointed towards her attackers. "Begin test... now."

The staff spoke. [Struggle Capture]

A net of violet light expanded from its surface, capturing the entire crew at once. With a grunt, Ellen heaved the group into the air, wielding them at the end of her staff like a massive flail, spun them over her head several times, and released the net- launching them straight into the ocean, several hundred feet away. Satisfied, she turned back toward Nicholas, who was watching her with rapt amazement. "Nicholas. Eyes on the duel."

"Indeed." Tara Rae pursed her lips, drawing. "Since you seem to be so distracted, the first turn belongs to me."

DUEL!

Tara Rae-

Hand- 6

Monsters: (None)

S/T: (None)

Life Points: 8000

The cultist lifted a green-bordered card into the air. "Let the blessings of the Glorious One shine upon us! The spell card, Charge of the Light Brigade, allows me to search my deck for any level four or lower 'Lightsworn' monster and add it to my hand!" As she spoke, a white wolf pup with an ornate, gold headpiece leaped into the air, howling. "Come to my side, Jain, Lightsworn Paladin!"

A young, fair-haired knight dressed in silver armor with a red cape briefly appeared before both his image and the wolf's dissolved, transforming into a single card in Tara's hand.

Nicholas curled his lips into a frown. "Charge of the Light Brigade requires you to send three cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard after its resolution as a cost."

"A cost I welcome. It is only right that the chosen should give of themselves for the sake of the Light." Tara slipped the top three cards of her deck into her graveyard slot, her eyes lighting up with excitement as one of them entered. "And now, warrior of light, make your entrance! I normal summon the Jain I called from the deck!"

A bright yellow summoning circle opened in front of Tara, and the fair-haired knight rose up from it, drawing a silver blade. The knight slashed the air several times with it, weaving an ornate pattern of bladework, before posing. (1800/1200)

A single, holographic card back appeared behind the summoned Jain as Tara slipped a card into her duel disk. "After setting this, my turn ends- and at this time, the glorious light's tithe is due. Due to Jain's effect, the top two cards of my deck are sent to the graveyard!" Tara held the two cards up, revealing one with an orange border, and one with a green one, before sliding both into her graveyard slot. "But the Glorious One sees the struggles of those who wish to follow the light, and it does not forsake them. When the equip spell card Lightsworn Sabre is sent to the graveyard, I can equip it to any face-up 'Lightsworn' monster I control. Jain, take hold of the power granted to you by the light!"

The spell card ejected itself from Tara's graveyard, automatically equipping itself to the target she had indicated. Jain's blade began to gleam with an inner light before transforming into a thinner, more pointed blade of blue light with an ornate cross-guard. "The equipped monster will have its attack points raised by seven hundred!" (2500/1200)

Nicholas sized up the situation and took a deep breath. He was certain he had seen Judgment Dragon go to the graveyard along with Lightsworn Sabre- so why was this 'Tara' so unbothered by it? Normally placing one's ace monster in a place where it can't be easily reached is a bad idea.

He shook his head. Now was not the time for doubt.

"My turn. Draw!"

Nicholas-

Hand- 6

Monsters- (None)

S/T- (None)

Life Points- 8000

Nicholas selected one of his cards and held it over his head momentarily, before placing it on his duel disk. "I summon the fairy-type monster Bountiful Artemis in attack position!" In front of him, shards of light coalesced into a strange form- a white and green synthetic being which seemed more machine than angel, whose wings unfolded from its body like a shell and whose lower body tapered to a point instead of resolving into legs. (1600/1700)

"Bountiful Artemis is a light-attribute fairy, and since it is weaker than the least powerful monster you control, the summoning conditions of my next card are met." Nicholas snapped his fingers as a dark summoning circle opened beside Artemis and a new creature burst out- a giggling, impish figure with bright purple skin dressed in a harlequin's uniform and fool's cap, complete with fake angel wings. "I special summon Fool of the Fae Courts, Goodfellow!" (800/1600)

Tara sneered. "Struggle all you wish. Your monsters are useless before the majesty of the Glorious One!" As if answering her words, Jain raised his blade to challenge both enemies. Goodfellow took the opportunity to blow him a raspberry.

Nicholas steeled himself. "I have no doubt that if whatever force you serve is familiar with this ritual, you possess powerful monsters. But I'm afraid that under the circumstances, I can't simply hand this duel over to you. Goodfellow, activate your monster effect! Crowning of Fools!"

Goodfellow leaped into the air, excited, and clapped his stubby little hands together as he swooped down towards Jain. The paladin attempted to slice the fairy in two with his blade, only for the sprite to zip behind him- and, quite suddenly, produce a massive fake donkey's head and jam it over Jain's. The paladin tottered back and forth, blinded by the mask, as Nicholas's monster returned to his side. "When Goodfellow is special summoned successfully, I can target one monster you control. From now on, when I attack with a Fairy-type monster, I can change that monster's battle position!"

Tara snarled. "What?"

"Bountiful Artemis, attack Jain! Shining Sublimation!" Nicholas stretched out his arm as his monster began to rise into the air, an aura of light gathering around its body. "And by the effect of Goodfellow, I change Jain to defense position!"

The Paladin staggered about as he tried desperately to remove the donkey's head from his own, only to fall to his knees and drop his sword. At the same time, Artemis unleashed a massive burst of energy which swept toward the enemy monster. (1600 Atk. vs. 1200 Def)

Tara Rae's arm swept up at the same time as the set card on her field a glyph of energy bursting into the air and intercepting Artemis's attack. "Those who walk in the Light are protected by it. Lightsworn Barrier sends the top two cards of my deck to the graveyard, defending a face-up Lightsworn monster from your attack." As she spoke, the burst of energy Artemis had unleashed scattered and dissipated into the air, leaving Jain unscathed as he finally succeeded in removing his headgear.

"Tch." Nicholas placed a final card in his duel disk. "I'll set this, and my turn ends."

Tara Rae's eyes lit up with anticipation. "In that case, allow me to continue. My turn, draw!"

Tara Rae-

Hand- 5

Monsters- Jain, Lightsworn Paladin (2500 (w/equip)/1200)

S/T- Lightsworn Barrier, Lightsworn Sabre (equipped to Jain)

Life Points- 8000

"Jain returns to attack position," Tara Rae declared as she stared at Nicholas's monsters hungrily. "And I activate the spell card, Solar Recharge! By offering Wulf, Lightsworn Beast from my hand I draw two cards from my deck, then send the top two cards of my deck to the graveyard." As she slipped the cards into the graveyard, her face lit up. "And now, you will know the pain of those who follow the light! I activate the effect of Lightsworn Sabre- when sent from the deck to the graveyard, I can immediately equip it to a Lightsworn monster. I equip Jain with a second Lightsworn Sabre!"

Tara's warrior tossed his shield into the air, letting it unceremoniously fall to the ground behind him and dissolve. A second thin blade of light formed itself in his left hand, and he crossed the two, preparing for combat in earnest. (3200/1200)

"I'm not done! Heed my command and come forth- Garroth, Lightsworn Warrior!" The air rippled as a new warrior appeared next to Jain- a far bulkier fighter dressed in the same white and gold which Jain wore- though he lacked any armor to cover his abdomen. Hefting his halberd, the blue-haired fighter roared out a challenge towards Nicholas's monsters, causing Goodfellow to squeak in horror and dive behind Artemis. (1850/1300)

"Are you prepared, Shadowchaser? I will show you how a true warrior of the Glorious One conducts battle! Jain, attack his Fool of the Fae Court! Purging Blade!"

As Jain leaped into the air, twin blades held high, Goodfellow continued to cower behind Artemis. Tara's voice rang out. "When Jain attacks, he immediately gains three hundred attack points for that battle!" (3500/1200)

Nicholas snapped his fingers just as the blade was about to slice through his unfortunate fairy. "Counter Trap card, activate. Negate Attack!" In an instant a burst of force erupted between the two monsters and separated them. "This card negates an enemy's attack and immediately ends the battle phase."

Tara Rae snarled as her monsters were both forced backward, winded. "You will be purged!"

Nicholas smirked, adjusting his glasses. "I believe that is to be your fate, Tara Rae."

"You dare?"

"The effect of Bountiful Artemis allows me to immediately draw a card as part of the chain when my counter trap resolves," Nicholas continued, ignoring his opponent's glare. As soon as he saw its identity, a grin split his face. "And now, I activate the effect of a monster in my hand. When one of my counter traps resolves, I can summon this monster by offering every face-up monster I control as a tribute. I release Bountiful Artemis and Goodfellow!"

Goodfellow took the opportunity to blow one last raspberry from atop the ever-stoic Bountiful Artemis's shoulders as both monsters transformed into spheres of light which rippled with the colors of the aurora. The twin spheres launched themselves into the air with a spiral of light tracing their paths before they sank into the ground and released a blinding surge of light. Nicholas raised one of his hands into the air as a massive shadow began to appear in the light behind him. "The decree of the law is absolute! By your hand, enforce judgment upon the wicked! Stand forward!"

The light faded and the shadow behind Nicholas resolved itself into a definite shape- a massive, purple-armored synthetic angel, infinitely more majestic than Artemis, crystals jutting from its lower body and a green staff clutched in its hands. "Voltanis the Adjudicator!" (2800/1400)

Tara Rae flinched backward, her expression for the first time uncertain.

Nicholas snapped once more as Voltanis slowly began to raise his staff into the air. "When Voltanis the Adjudicator is special summoned by his own effect, I can destroy a number of cards you control equal to the number of fairy-type monsters used to summon him. Since I used two, I can destroy two of your cards." Translucent images of Goodfellow and Artemis appeared to either side of Nicholas, the former laughing uproariously, before vanishing. "I can think of no better targets than your monsters. Voltanis, exact judgment on Jain, Lightsworn Paladin and Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior! Celestial Conviction!"

Voltanis lowered his staff to the ground, releasing a shockwave of light which tore across the battlefield. Nicholas and Tara Rae both lifted their arms to shield themselves from the force of the blow as Jain and Garoth dropped to their knees and were consumed in a wave of holy light. Tara staggered backward, dazed from the impact. "Y-you- the Glorious One's servants- to presume to convict them..." her face was a mask of rage. "I will purge you personally."

"I'll take that as a declaration of end of turn," Nicholas responded, his expression calm as he drew for his own.

Nicholas-

Hand- 4

Monsters- Voltanis the Adjudicator (2800/1400)

S/T- (None)

Life Points- 8000

Nicholas made a show of perusing the contents of his hand, looking for his next card. "Tara Rae. Let me ask you, do you know what you have done?"

Tara Rae's only reaction was to grit her teeth and glare at Nicholas.

"I thought not." Nicholas's expression darkened as he held up his next card. "Let me explain things for you. In the service of whatever force you worship you have become complicit in the murder of an unknown number of persons, potentially representing the entire civilian population of this island, criminal or innocent. In fact you have done worse, by directly assisting in the use of an unknown enchantment which is causing them to attack and devour each other indiscriminately. You have personally attacked two Shadowchasers sent to this island, with the intent of murdering them as well. And worse than that? You and your fellow worshipers of this 'Glorious One' have put my oldest and closest friend in danger."

Tara Rae opened her mouth to retort, and closed it just as suddenly, staring at Nicholas. "What..."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Outside the barrier created by Nicholas's duel, Ellen frowned as she examined the two through her scanner's lens. "Nicholas," she muttered, "what on earth have you been experimenting with?"

Even as she spoke the formerly-transparent barrier began to darken, cloaking everything inside its boundary in shadow.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Nicholas seemed oblivious to the changes surrounding him- in his barrier or himself. "That last one is important, Tara Rae. You see, I don't have many friends at all. The cost of genius. I would give anything to protect this friend of mine. And I will also do anything I deem necessary." He placed his next card on the duel disk with a flourish. "Even if it means taking your life. I summon Unseelie Shaper!"

Nicholas's monster was rather hard to discern the shape of- its body was concealed by a bulky, black cloak and its face was hidden by a grinning, white mask. Two black wings poked through the back of its cloak and two slender, dark arms slipped through, but there was a sense of dishonesty about both features- a nagging sensation that they were false. (0/0)

"When Unseelie Shaper is summoned successfully, I can tribute it to special summon a level four Fairy-type monster from my hand or graveyard." Nicholas dismissed his monster with a flourish. "I release Unseelie Shaper! Return to my side, Bountiful Artemis!" The shape-shifter reached up with one arm to remove its mask, while the other grasped its cape. In one, fluid motion the creature pulled off both, revealing the familiar form of Artemis beneath. (1600/1700)

Nicholas smirked. "Lightsworn Barrier can't activate its effect if you have no Lightsworn monsters to defend, correct? If that is the case, I believe you're wide open. Artemis! Voltanis! Show no mercy- attack her life points directly with Shining Sublimation!"

Tara Rae lifted up her hands to defend herself as both of Nicholas's monsters charged and released a blinding ray of energy. The force of the attack drove her against the wall of the barrier, and she slumped to the ground like a rag doll. (8000- 2800 – 1600 = 3600)

"I set one card. My turn ends." Nicholas coldly regarded the injured cultist. "If you surrender now, the penalty will be relatively painless."

Tara Rae stood up slowly, her body trembling. "Heh..."

Nicholas stepped backward in shock as an aura of white light gathered around her. "What-"

"Eheheh. Ehehehhehehehahaheheheheheaheieeahahheheheahahahah ahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAeEHEHEHAHAHAE-"

The wild laughter caused Nicholas to clap his hands to his ears as he winced.

"The Glorious One warned us about those like you- those whose hearts are dyed by the darkness and shadows of this world! Once that darkness is purged, you will become a worthy servant of the Glorious One, and honor will fall upon my head for being the one to claim you for his name! My turn, draw!"

Tara Rae-

Hand- 5

Monsters (None)

S/T- Lightsworn Barrier

Life Points- 3600

Tara Rae selected one of the cards in her hand. "During our battle so far, I have sent nine cards to the graveyard through the effects of Lightsworn cards. Together with the fallen Jain and Garoth, those nine cards contained five unique Light attribute monsters. Now, fallen servants of the Light, offer yourselves up!"

Translucent images of each monster appeared behind Tara Rae as she named them, one by one. "Jain, Lightsworn Paladin! Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior! Wulf, Lightsworn Beast! Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner! Judgment Dragon! Your spirits will gather now and create a gate to the world of Glory!" The five images transformed into spheres of light which launched themselves into the air, tracing a glowing pentagram. "Come forth from within, great Servant of the Light! Purge all which hides itself from the world!"

The murky darkness which had surrounded the inside of Nicholas's barrier shattered as if it were a pane of glass, revealing the outside world one more. No sooner had this happened than the barrier began to fill with a gleaming light which obscured all else.

A blue and white dragon's head emerged from the pentagram, four golden horns gleaming as it roared in challenge. Its claws slowly emerged, then its chest, belly, and tail. At last, the creature was revealed.

Nicholas's breath caught in his throat as he looked from the monster to its summoner. Tara Rae's eyes had completely whited out, along with her previously-red hair. "Bring this sinner to the Light with your strength! Lightray Diabolos!"

The dragon's cry split the air. (2800/1000)

To Be Continued

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Shadowchasers Personnel Profile-

Nicholas Mumford, "Nicholas Silvertongue"

Active Period- 20 years Pre-Zero Reverse- ?

Specialties- Infernal Law, Barrier Magic, Proficient with Blades, Archive Diving

History With the Force- Nicholas joined the Shadowchasers roughly ten years before the Pleasure Island incident. The circumstances of his recruitment were less-than-ideal, as the aware seventh son of a seventh son had just become an only child after witnessing his brothers being brutally slaughtered by a demon. The incident left Nicholas bitter and rather unwilling to completely trust the organization he pledged himself to, since they had utterly failed to respond to the incident due to a legal hang-up.

Nicholas, a legal student before entering the Shadowchasers, decided it would be pragmatic for him to study the unique laws governing the organization- particularly the Great Treaty. Upon examining it, he found several provisions which he interpreted as being too broad in their scope, and when he formally requested a council be called to amend them he was respectfully denied. Concluding, in part correctly, that this denial was due to his lack of prestige within the organization, Nicholas made the decision to aim for the highest possible seat- leader.

Nicholas's association with Gideon began when the two were both assigned to the Shadowchasers team of the city of Seattle. Nicholas has not explained why he trusts Gideon in particular, and the tiefling feels no need to elaborate further. The rumors of their sexual escapades are, however, greatly exaggerated and completely false given that the two have never been intimate. Whether Nicholas would welcome such a relationship is, of course, another story.

Keywords- Barrier User, Celestial Silver, Infernal Law, Darkness of the Heart

Nicholas is a combat pragmatist of sorts. His chosen branch of Shadow-combat martial arts mostly resembles Gideon's, but given the choice he rarely engages an opponent in hand-to-hand combat any longer than necessary. Instead he has focused on mastering the art of creating protective circles using celestial silver, a magical substance developed by the Shadowchasers which has a fluid form, memorizes any spell stored within it, and can instantly be used to construct complicated barriers and bindings simply by repeating a predetermined 'code phrase' or 'command word' rather than repeating the entire required incantation. In addition to this Nicholas also carries twin swords forged from holy silver rather than dwarven steel, which retain their shape and cutting power via enchantments, as well as carrying multiple smaller charms and defenses.

Nicholas's darkest secret as a member of the Shadowchasers is his study of Games of Darkness, which he is able to construct. While his are not nearly as cruel as some created in the past- and in keeping with Shadowchasers ethos, they are always fair- they are a weapon he hesitates to use in the presence of others simply because of the very high risk not only to himself, but also to the target. In addition, if his abilities became known, many questions would be asked regarding his apparent affinity with this branch of magic- questions Nicholas is not eager to divulge the answers to.

Nicholas's greatest accomplishments as a Shadowchaser are in the field of translating and codifying Infernal Law, the so-called 'legal codes' of the Devils and their courts. While such translations are mostly interesting for academic purposes, they have been of help to the Shadowchasers in the rare cases when the group is forced to assist a being trapped in a contract with a devil. Nicholas, personally, also finds the structure of the curses and binding enchantments which often accompany such contracts interesting, and has made a study of them as well- though most have limited application for a human with no Infernal blood or abilities.

Fake Card Report!

Nicholas-

Fool of the Fae Courts, Goodfellow

Monster/DARK/Fairy/4*

Atk 800/Def 1600

If you control a face-up LIGHT Fairy-type monster and no other monsters, and that card has less Atk than the lowest Atk monster your opponent controls: You can special summon this card (from your hand). When this card is special summoned successfully: Target one of your opponent's monsters; when the targeted monster is attacked by a Fairy-type monster you can switch its battle position.

Unseelie Shaper

Monster/DARK/Fairy/4*

Atk 0/Def 0

Cannot be special summoned by the effects of other cards. When this card is summoned: You can tribute it; target one level four Fairy-type monster in your graveyard and special summon that target. If this card is in your graveyard and you control no monsters: You can skip your draw phase to special summon this card from your graveyard. If you do: When this card is sent to the graveyard, banish it.