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CHAPTER TWO

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Hidden Soldiers

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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?"

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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…"

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"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.

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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…"

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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.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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…

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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".