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CHAPTER THREE
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Shadowslayer
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The role of a secretary is one that most people overlook. I've heard that, in the States, they have a National Secretary's Day in April, which is something I would have loved to have. Let me tell you, as someone who used to be one, the job requires you to do more than just type and answer the phone.
Not that I ever had a real reason to complain about my job. It paid well, I was on the company medical and dental plans, and Mr. Draco wasn't the worst person to work for. But maybe I just wanted more recognition. I wrote most of the presentations he made from data that people had collected, I arranged his schedule, I handled his finances, and I kept the solicitors away from his office. Some would even say that I was in charge of covering up any mistakes that he made, although I'd have never said that to his face.
A secretary is a vital part of any office, so my position on Mr. Draco's staff was a vital one. And maybe I held a bit of resentment that it was a position that was often taken for granted.
And that resentment started to rise, as I worked into the evening alone, in the computer lab twenty floors below his office…
Shichiro drove into the garage of a townhouse – a rather upscale one that looked like it wouldn't have come cheap, as was the case with most of the surrounding buildings.
As he parked his D-Wheel, someone came out to meet him. It was a muscular man wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with short, black hair. He had a tattoo of the goddess of justice (a winged, robed, blindfolded woman holding a sword in one hand and a balance in the other) on his right bicep.
"Shichiro…" he said, in a worried tone. "It's about time you got here… You know it isn't smart to keep the boss waiting…"
"C'mon, Gears, he's been in this business a long time," replied Shichiro. "I don't think he's gonna fire me…"
The two of them walked into a comfy-looking lounge, full of expensive furniture, with a fire burning in the fireplace. The fire never went out, and never needed tending or fuel. They didn't know exactly how it worked, only that the boss needed it here for some reason.
As they sat down on the couch, a tall figure materialized in front of the fire. He looked transparent, which made sense, seeing as he was a holographic projection. (He was actually in a different part of the world right now, where he directed a global organization that Shichiro was only a part of. The hologram was his way of being in multiple places at once.) The figure was well-dressed, although his clothing was very outdated, and he had sharp, very feral features, and long, pointed ears. His skin was richly tanned, and his hair was a rich blonde, almost to the point of being gold.
"What's up, Jalal?" asked Shichiro.
"Cordial as ever," said the figure, in an accent that was clearly British. "I'm glad you finally got back, because we may not have much time."
"You IDed this killer?" asked Shichiro.
"Its race, as least," replied the figure. "It's clearly an ophidia."
"Makes sense," replied Shichiro. "Strangles with its tail, right?"
"More than likely," replied the figure. "I have no idea what interest it has in Godwin however, but we intend to find out.
"And the same tipster that gave me this information has told me that it has a new target."
"Then why am I sitting here talking shop?" asked Shichiro, getting up.
He started to head back for the garage.
"Wire the info to my bike," he called over his shoulder. "I'll bring this guy in…"
"Be careful, Shichiro!" called Jalal. "Do this by the book for a change! You know how dangerous these things can be!"
He sighed.
"He's so impulsive…"
"Better impulsive than careless," sighed Gears.
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"Ugh…" muttered Ember. "This coffee is terrible…"
She sighed as she sipped it.
"…but at least it has caffeine…"
She turned back to the computer screen.
"Let's see…" she said. "Second quarter profit earnings… Gross average of forty-four million yen…"
Then she stopped short. She realized that this was going to be given on a conference call to some group in London.
"Better find the exchange rate for the British pound…" she muttered, as she typed onto a website. "Give a comparison…"
She sighed as she inputted the data.
Five minutes later, she hit the save button, and then hit the print command.
As the printer churned out the document, she leaned back in her chair and held her head.
Then, she took something off of the desk. It was a deck case. She took out the deck and looked at the cards. She sighed.
Why can't work be more like dueling? she thought. I just wish I had a little variation… A little extra spice to my life… It would help so much…
She didn't see Hebi-Na silently creep up behind her. The assassin pulled a revolver out of a shoulder holster, and quietly placed a silencer on the muzzle of the weapon…
Ember was lucky that she had chosen that exact moment to look back at the screen. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have seen Hebi-Na in the reflective surface, pointing the weapon at her.
Her next move was directed mostly by panic-fueled adrenaline. She dropped to the floor, just as the shot fired.
Hebi-Na pointed the gun for a second shot as Ember scurried under the desk.
"Omigod, Omigod, Omigod…" muttered Ember.
"Oh, please, He can't help you now," said Hebi-Na. "Now come out from under there and face me standing up."
"Really easy for someone holding a gun to say, huh?" said a voice.
Hebi-Na turned around in surprise, and saw Shichiro standing there.
She frowned. And then she smiled.
"Heh, heh…" she chuckled. "So… One of you finally found me, huh?"
"I don't think it's very funny," said Shichiro. "So, whoever is behind this is using a female assassin?"
"Is that a problem?" asked Hebi-Na, smiling broadly.
Ember was shocked as she watched, and saw Hebi-Na's smile…
She had fangs…
"Not really," replied Shichiro. "I've always been equal opportunity.
"And you can shed your skin, by the way. You don't fool me."
Hebi-Na shrugged. Ember watched as she took off her sunglasses. That was when the next shock came. Her eyes were green and reptilian.
Then the biggest shock came when she undid a cord that held her skirt up, and let it fall to the floor. She had no legs. Her entire body below her waist was a long serpent's tail. She seemed to be some combination of woman and snake. Ember was now starting to wonder if she was truly insane.
The oddest part was, this stranger who was confronting this creature was taking this bizarre situation as if it happened every day.
"So," said Shichiro. "You're an assassin… May I ask who you're working for?"
"An exceptional person," replied Hebi-Na.
"Right," said Shichiro. "You have a choice then…"
He held his Duel Disk out in front of him.
"You can surrender and make it easy, or you can duel…"
Hebi-Na chuckled. She put the gun in the holster, and then produced a Duel Disk of her own.
"Where's the fun in easy?" she asked.
What the? thought Ember. She had a gun… Why did she put it away?
"Truthfully, I've been hoping one of you would show up," said Hebi-Na. "The money I'll get for this hit is nothing once the other ophidia find out I took one of you down… I'll be treated like a queen."
Shichiro looked over at Ember.
"Just stay there, miss," he said. "I'll handle her… And don't try calling anyone for help. The signal on this floor is probably jammed anyway."
"Less talk," said Hebi-Na. "I'm eager to duel now, and then have dinner after…"
She smiled again, again showing those fangs. Shichiro flinched a little. That comment could have had several possible meanings when coming from an ophidia…
(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)
"You certainly aren't a lady," said Shichiro, "but I'll still let you go first…"
Hebi-Na made her first draw.
"Well, look at that," she said, looking at it. "I summon Lamia in Attack Mode."
She played a card, and a creature materialized in front of her. It looked like a reptilian woman, with long, blonde hair, scaly skin, and the lower body of a snake, similar to Hebi-Na. (1,300 ATK)
"She kind of looks like me," she said. "But I'm much cuter."
"Oh, please," said Shichiro. "If some lame Reptile is the best you've got, this is going to be over quickly."
"I'm not done," continued Hebi-Na. "Next, I'll throw down two facedown cards."
She fit two cards into her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared behind Lamia in two flashes of light.
"Then, a Continuous Spell…"
A Spell Card flashed into existence, showing the picture of a glowing serpent rising out of a swamp.
"It's called Swamp of the Dragon Snake, and it lets me Special Summon a low-Level Reptile from my deck at every one of my End Phases. But there's a little catch… I have to Special Summon it to your side of the field.
"Okay… I'm ending my turn… And I think I'll give you my Poisonous Viper!"
In a burst of energy, a small, green, venomous snake appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)
"Thanks…" muttered Shichiro, sarcastically. "You're too kind…"
He drew a card and looked at it.
"Forgot to mention," said Hebi-Na, "as its name suggests, that Viper is incredibly poisonous. Each time you start your turn with it on your side of the field, you lose 500 Life Points."
Shichiro winced, and held his throat, as an aura of sickening green energy surrounded him.
"I figured it was something like that," he said. "First, I'll move it to Defense Mode…"
Poisonous Viper curled up in its coils. (200 DEF)
"Then, I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"
He played a new card, and the elven Warrior appeared, flashing his sword. (1,400 ATK)
"I don't have much in my hand to help him," he continued, "but I'll change that… I play the Spell Card, Card Destruction."
A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.
"Now, we must each fold our hands, and draw an equal number.
"Fine with me," replied Hebi-Na.
She discarded her Heavy Storm and Shield Crush, and made two draws. Shichiro discarded Millennium Shield, Micro Ray, Warrior Dai Grepher, and Jutte Fighter, and made four draws.
"Much better," he said.
He fit a card into his Disk.
"I Equip him with Jeweled Sword!"
Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's sword vanished, and a new, fancier one appeared in his hand. (1,700 ATK)
"Combined with his effect, only a select few Monsters can defeat him in battle now.
"Attack her Lamia!"
The Guardian made a slash with his blade. Lamia screamed, and then shattered into triangles.
"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "I can't believe you took the bait!"
"Huh?" said Shichiro.
Then he noticed that Hebi-Na had activated one of her facedown cards.
"I used Lamia as a sacrificial lamb to use my Trap Cards," she said. "First, Damage = Reptile. Now, when I take damage from a battle involving a Reptile, I get to summon a new one, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than the damage I took. So, I'll summon Venom Cobra to defend me."
In a burst of energy, a rocky, earthen-brown cobra appeared on her side of the field, sitting on its coils. (2,000 DEF)
Then her second facedown card lifted.
"I also activate… Snake Whistle! Now, I get to Special Summon another Reptile, so long as it's Level 4 or less. So I'll summon my Black Mamba."
In another burst of energy, a large, venomous snake appeared, with olive-green scales and a hood. (1,300 ATK)
"A bit of trivia," she said. "The black mamba is the second largest venomous snake in the world, second only to the king cobra. But while it's second in terms of size, it's first in terms of speed. Some have clocked specimens at speeds of twelve miles per hour. Don't think you can outrun this guy.
"But records aside, it is feared widely, as it has one of the deadliest venoms of all snakes.
"And by summoning Black Mamba, I get to change the battle position of one of your Monsters, so I think I'll move your Poisonous Viper to Attack Mode."
The Viper sprang up into an attack stance. (100 ATK)
Shichiro grunted. He looked at his hand.
"I'll toss this facedown," he said, "and that will be all."
A facedown card flashed into existence.
(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)
Hebi-Na quickly made a draw.
Ember, meanwhile, looked at Shichiro. She noticed something – a sword was strapped to a sheath on his back.
Still, that really didn't explain why Hebi-Na had put the gun away…
Kind of like taking a knife to a gunfight, she thought.
"I summon Gagagigo!" shouted Hebi-Na.
She played a card, and a tall lizard man with sharp claws and a long tail appeared. (1,850 ATK)
"You said that only a select few Monsters can defeat your elf now," chuckled Hebi-Na. "Fortunately, Gagagigo fits the criteria.
"Gagagigo, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"
The lizard man leapt at the Warrior, and made two slashes with his talons. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gasped, and shattered.
"You may have defeated him," replied Shichiro, "but since he was armed with my Jeweled Sword, I now get to draw one card."
He made a draw.
"Good for you," replied Hebi-Na. "Black Mamba, attack his Viper!"
Black Mamba hissed, and slithered across the field, striking the smaller snake and swallowing it whole. Shichiro cringed in pain.
"I move to my End Phase," continued Hebi-Na, "and use my Swamp of the Dragon Snake. So you get another Poisonous Viper."
Another of the small Snakes appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)
"I just love to share…"
(S: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)
Shichiro drew a card. Then he winced as the poisonous aura surrounded him again.
"I move this snake to Defense Mode…" he muttered.
Poisonous Viper curled up, just like the last one did. (200 DEF)
"Then, I set a Monster, and one facedown card."
A hidden Monster appeared. Then, a facedown card appeared next to the other one.
"Then, I activate Birthright!"
His first facedown card lifted, and Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, holding his sword in front of him. (1,700 ATK)
"Let me tell you a little story," he continued.
"Does it look like my bedtime?" asked Hebi-Na.
"You know, snake," continued Shichiro, "there was a legend among Samurai warriors… The legend stated that the first Samurai were actually trained swordsmanship by goblins. Even the great Minamoto Yoshitsune made this claim.
"This may have only been a legend, but then, how do you explain one ancient katana blade that adorned the halls of one feudal lord's castle? It was known as the Goblin Sword… The Sword of Tengu!"
He played a card from his hand, and another Equip Spell appeared. Grepher's sword vanished, and was Equipped with a glowing katana. (2,000 ATK)
"Destroy her Black Mamba!" shouted Shichiro.
Grepher charged at the large snake, and with one swipe, cleaved it in half.
"Ergh…" muttered Hebi-Na.
(S: 5,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)
At this moment, Ember noticed something else about Shichiro. A small mark was on his right cheek, that looked like a jagged line.
A criminal mark? she thought.
"I activate the effect of Damage = Reptile!" shouted Hebi-Na. "I summon a second Venom Cobra!"
Another of the defensive Reptiles appeared. (2,000 DEF)
"Then it's your move, snake," said Shichiro.
Hebi-Na hissed, and drew a card.
"I move Gagagigo to Defense Mode…" she said.
Gagagigo knelt, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF)
"Then, I sacrifice one Cobra…"
One Venom Cobra vanished…
"To bring out Giga Gagagigo!"
With a roar, a much bigger Reptile appeared. It looked like a hulking, more muscular version of Gagagigo, garbed in metal armor. (2,450 ATK)
"I end my turn," she said. "And I use my Swamp to give you my third Poisonous Viper!"
Yet another Viper appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)
That's odd, thought Shichiro. She didn't attack, even though Giga Gagagigo is clearly stronger than Grepher…
He drew a card.
But I've got a bit of leeway…
"And now you lose 500 Life Points twice!" laughed Hebi-Na.
Shichiro groaned as an even more intense aura of poison surrounded him.
He gestured, and the second Viper curled up in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)
"Grepher, destroy Gagagigo!" he shouted.
Grepher made a swipe with his blade, and the Reptile exploded.
"That's all for my turn," he said. "At least you're out of Vipers…"
(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)
"Indeed," chuckled Hebi-Na, drawing a card.
"I summon Skreech," she said.
She played the card, and an odd-looking Reptile appeared. It had only two limbs connected to its lizard-like torso, and its head, if you could call it that, was little more than a tube-like mouth with teeth. (1,500 ATK)
"And what's that going to do?" asked Shichiro.
"It's going to attack Grepher," replied Hebi-Na.
"HUH?" said Shichiro.
Skreech shot a blast of water from its mouth. Grepher swatted it aside, and Skreech exploded.
"You're probably wondering why I purposely destroyed my Monster," said Hebi-Na, taking her deck from her Disk. "Well, when Skreech is destroyed by battle, I get to send two Water Monsters from my deck to my Graveyard.
"So, I'll discard two more Skreech."
She selected the two cards, and then discarded them.
What sort of odd strategy is this? thought Shichiro, as she reshuffled.
"Now then…" replied Hebi-Na. "Giga Gagagigo, attack Grepher!"
The huge Reptile roared, and leveled a punch at the Warrior. He groaned, and shattered.
(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)
"Huh?" said Hebi-Na. "You didn't lose any Life Points…"
"You think that the Sword of Tengu was just a glorified Legendary Sword?" asked Shichiro. "It has another effect – it reduced the damage I took to zero."
"Then make your move…" muttered Hebi-Na.
Shichiro drew.
He groaned as the Vipers burned him again.
"Actually," he said, adding it to his hand, "I choose to end my turn without making any move…"
(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)
Hebi-Na laughed, and made a draw.
"Well I'm certainly not gonna pass!" she laughed. "I sacrifice my other Cobra…"
The second Cobra vanished.
"…to summon Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice!"
A very large snake with black scales, and horns on its forehead appeared where the Cobra had been. (2,000 ATK)
"Urubonus here has a special effect," she said. "When it attacks, the target loses 300 points from both its scores.
"So, Urubonus, attack his facedown Monster! Malicious strike!"
Urubonus hissed, and lunged at the facedown Monster. Then, Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card. (2,600 DEF)
Gardna's Defense Score fell to 2,300, but it was still to much for Urubonus. Its fangs bit into his shield, and then it slunk away, shaking in pain.
Then Gardna stood up, holding his shield aside. (100 ATK) Hebi-Na laughed.
"Your Gardna moved to Attack Mode!" she laughed. "That means he's easy prey for my other Monster!"
Giga Gagagigo rushed at the barbarian.
"Guess again," said Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Ready For Intercepting. This moves Gardna right back to facedown Defense Mode, just in time to take the hit."
Gardna vanished, and was replaced by a facedown Monster. As Giga Gagagigo swung his fist, Gardna reappeared in Defense Mode again. The Reptile's fist struck the shield. The Reptile cried out in pain and shook his sore fist.
Gardna stood up into Attack Mode again.
Hebi-Na fumed.
"I end my turn!" she pouted.
(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,950)
Shichiro drew a card. Then he groaned as the two snakes burned him again.
He looked at the card he had drawn.
That's the sweet spot… he thought.
"I sacrifice both Poisonous Vipers…" he said.
The two snakes dissolved into mist…
"To summon Gilford the Legend!"
With a roar, a huge, hulking Warrior appeared. He was dressed in black, decorated armor, and a long, flowing, red cape, with a mask over his eyes with two forward-pointing horns. Rich, red hair cascaded down his back. He held a mighty sword that was almost as big as he was, and two more swords were slung to his back. Hebi-Na slunk back in surprise. (2,600 ATK)
All right! thought Ember. He not only got rid of those nasty Vipers, he summoned a powerful Monster!
"And due to his effect," continued Shichiro, "He has access to all Equip Spells in my Graveyard. That means both Jeweled Sword and Sword of Tengu are Equipped to him."
The two Equip Spells appeared behind Gilford. (3,200 ATK)
"And to clinch the deal," he continued, playing another card, "I'm giving him another one. Synchro Boost. This raises his Attack Score by 500, and his Level by 1."
(3,700 ATK)
"Destroy her Avatar of Malice!" commanded Shichiro. "Legendary blade!"
Gilford made a mighty cut, and the snake was cleaved in half. Hebi-Na groaned in pain.
All right! thought Ember. He's gonna win! I guess I'm not doomed!
"Once again!" shouted Hebi-Na, "I use the effect of Damage = Reptile!"
She gestured, and a third Venom Cobra appeared on her side of the field. (2,000 DEF)
"I move Gardna back to Defense Mode," said Shichiro, as Gardna crouched behind his shield again. (2,600 DEF)
"It's your move, snake."
(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)
Hebi-Na made a draw. She looked at it. It was Nobleman of Crossout. She looked at the other two cards in her hand, which were a second Damage = Reptile and Destruction Jammer.
"I'll just move my Monster to Defense Mode, and that will be all," she said.
Giga Gagagigo moved into a kneeling position, and crossed his arms. (1,500 DEF)
"You're up to something," said Shichiro, as he drew a card.
He looked at the Trap Card and added it to his hand.
"And I don't like it…"
He pointed, and Gilford cleaved Giga Gagagigo in half.
"Make your move…"
Hebi-Na drew a card.
Then she smiled an evil smile, showing those fangs again.
"Enough play time," she said. "Time to die…
"I just drew the queen of my deck… But to summon her, I have to remove from play every last Reptile in my Graveyard and on the field from play…"
Cards started spilling out of her discard slot. Then the Venom Cobra in front of her vanished.
"Having done that," she said, placing them all in a pouch by her side, "I can summon… Evil Dragon Ananta!"
Then, an explosion blasted on her side of the field. From out of it, a titanic form rose. It looked like the classic Grecian Hydra, although that myth most often described it as a giant snake with nine heads. This one had only seven, and one of them seemed dominant. The dominant head on this Monster had fin-like gills on the sides and wore a golden tiara.
"Ananta's Attack and Defense Scores are equal to 600 for each Monster I just removed from play to summon her," continued Hebi-Na. "And in case you haven't been keeping track, I had one Venom Cobra on the field, while my Graveyard had three Poisonous Vipers, three Skreech, two other Venom Cobras, Lamia, Gagagigo, Giga Gagagigo, Black Mamba, and Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice, for a total of fourteen.
"Multiply it. That equals a big number!"
"Quite…" muttered Shichiro, looking up at the huge serpent…
(8,400 ATK)
Eighty-four hundred Attack Points? thought Ember. That thing could defeat the God Cards! It could even beat Slifer after it was subjected to Slifer's effect…
"Ananta," said Hebi-Na, with a serene smile. "Attack Gilford, will you? Infernal venom blast!"
Ananta blasted a bolt of glowing, green energy at Gilford the Legend, and Shichiro shielded himself as his Monster was blown to atoms.
"Well?" shouted Hebi-Na. "Fall down! You should have no more Life Points!"
Shichiro glared at her.
"Take another look…" he said.
(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)
"How…" started Hebi-Na.
"You forgot that Gilford had the Sword of Tengu," replied Shichiro. "It reduces the battle damage to zero, remember? It doesn't matter how many Attack Points your Monster has."
Hebi-Na glared back at him.
"He also had Jeweled Sword," said Shichiro, "which means I get to draw one card."
He made a draw.
"I set one card facedown!" shouted Hebi-Na, as she threw a card into her Disk.
"Then I move to my End Phase, which means I can activate Ananta's other effect, and destroy any card on the field. That means your Big Shield Gardna is history!"
Ananta breathed her venom blast again, and Gardna exploded.
Just try to beat me, she thought. You can't possibly defeat Ananta in battle… And if you try to destroy her with a card effect, my Destruction Jammer will foil your plans.
Shichiro drew another card.
"I play Nightmare's Steelcage!" he shouted.
In a burst of energy, a large, iron, domed cage appeared around Hebi-Na and her Monster.
"Get used to the bars," he said.
"It's pointless," said Hebi-Na. "You forget that Ananta's effect can tear this cage down."
"No, I didn't forget," replied Shichiro. "But you can only do that during your End Phase, making me safe from her attack for one whole round.
"In the meantime, I'll summon Queen's Knight!"
He played a card, and the lovely female Warrior appeared, looking sternly at Hebi-Na. (1,500 ATK)
"I'll also set a card facedown, and that will be all."
A reversed card appeared behind Queen's Knight.
"My move!" shouted Hebi-Na, drawing a card.
She looked at the card. It was her Creature Swap.
Definitely not, she thought, adding it to her hand.
"I move right to my End Phase," she said, "and use Ananta's effect to destroy your cage!"
The Steelcage shattered into shards of metal.
"My move…" said Shichiro.
He drew a card.
"I summon King's Knight!" he shouted.
In a burst of radiant energy, King's Knight appeared. (1,600 ATK)
"And that lets me summon… Jack's Knight!"
In another burst, Jack's Knight appeared next to his siblings. (1,900 ATK)
"And I end my turn."
Hebi-Na grinned as she drew.
She looked at the card. It was Dust Tornado.
She smirked slightly.
So what's the facedown card? she chuckled. Mirror Force? Sakuretsu Armor?
Boy, is he gonna be surprised…
"Ananta, attack his Queen's Knight!" she shouted. "Infernal venom blast!"
Ananta breathed her vile attack. Shichiro shielded himself as Queen's Knight was vaporized.
"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. "Spirit Force!"
"Huh?" said Hebi-Na. "Spirit Force? What does that do?"
"The first thing it does is reduce the damage I would have taken from that attack to zero," said Shichiro. "Then, I get to recover a Monster from my Graveyard. Of course, it has to be a specific kind of Monster… A Warrior who's also a Tuner, who has 1,500 Defense Points or less."
"Hold up," said Hebi-Na. "You haven't got any Tuners in your Graveyard…"
"Oh no?" asked Shichiro. "You clearly forgot that I played Card Destruction at the start of this duel…"
A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.
"Fine!" shouted Hebi-Na.
She fit the card she had just drawn into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"I move to my End Phase, and use Ananta's effect. Let's see… Eenie, meenie, minie, moe… Destroy Jack's Knight!"
Ananta blasted her breath again, and Jack's Knight was blown to bits.
With Dust Tornado set, she thought, I can destroy his next Trap Card as soon as he sets it. I can't lose.
"I hope you enjoyed that…" growled Shichiro. "That was your last move…"
Ember felt a surge of energy coming from Shichiro as he made his draw.
"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing the card.
The goofy jar appeared, and five cards – Queen's Knight, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Warrior Dai Grepher, Big Shield Gardna, and Gilford the Legend slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.
He looked at the two cards.
"All right, snake," he said. "This is the round you go down."
"Just try it," said Hebi-Na, with an evil grin.
Shichiro sighed, and looked at her.
"You're planning to protect Ananta with Destruction Jammer, right?" he asked. "Or My Body as a Shield? Well sorry, but neither one can protect her from what I'm about to do."
"HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "I'd like to see you try to defeat Ananta in battle right now!"
"Be careful what you wish for," replied Shichiro. "First, I play Monster Reborn!"
The holy ankh appeared, and Jack's Knight reappeared on his side of the field. (1,900 ATK)
"Then," he continued. "I play Silent Doom, to bring back something else I tossed with Card Destruction…"
He played the card, and the legendary Millennium Shield appeared next to Jack's Knight. (3,000 DEF)
"Now, I toss Noisy Gnat from my hand, which boosts Millennium Shield's Level from 5 to 6."
He discarded the card, and the Insect with the boom box appeared behind him. The Shield glowed with energy.
"Now then, I summon the Tuner Monster… Jutte Fighter!"
As he played his last card, a small Monster leapt onto the field. It was a short, funny-looking man, wearing a plain kimono and thick eyeglasses, his hair tied back in a topknot, carrying what looked like a water cooler on his back. True to his name, he was armed with a jutte (a blunt dagger with a single prong). (700 ATK)
"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "Cute!"
"Cute and dangerous," replied Shichiro. "Once per turn, Jutte Fighter here can move one of your Monsters to Defense Mode."
Jutte Fighter jabbed with his weapon, and Ananta curled up in a Defensive Position. (8,400 DEF)
"Big deal!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Her Defense Score is the same as her Attack Score – unbeatable!"
"We'll see…" replied Shichiro. "Jutte Fighter is also a Tuner Monster, in case you forgot.
"So let's go…"
The card slipped out of his Extra Deck. The card. Shichiro's heart always skipped a beat as he was about to play this card, and he was sure that the feeling was the same for everyone else in his position. This card was what made him what he was… It was what defined the path his life had taken…
Millennium Shield lay flat, and Jutte Fighter hopped onto it. Then he rode it towards the ceiling like a flying carpet. Ember opened her eyes wide…
Both Monsters dissolved into eight shimmering stars. The stars started to form into a tall shape…
The Monster that appeared had the same facial features and hair as the odd person who had debriefed Shichiro at the townhouse. But he was now wearing the armor of a heroic knight, with a shield with a golden dragon painted on it in his left hand, and a gleaming longsword in his right.
"Behold…" said Shichiro. "The Synchro Monster… Jalal the Dragonborn!"
(2,600 ATK)
"Humph…" muttered Hebi-Na. "He may be powerful, but he's not even close to being strong enough to take down my Monster…"
"Jalal has a special effect," replied Shichiro, "which I can use once per round, by paying half my Life Points. Having done so, I can remove from play a Spell or Trap from either Graveyard…"
A red aura surrounded him, as his Life Point counter fell. His own discard slot glowed, and a card slipped out of it.
"Once I do that, Jalal gains something called a Rune Counter…"
Jalal's sword glowed with golden energy, and a strange sigil appeared on it.
"Then, by expending the Rune Counter, Jalal can use the effect of the Spell or Trap I removed from play, as if it was his own effect.
"The card I removed from play was this one…"
He held a Trap Card up.
"Micro Ray!"
Hebi-Na gasped.
"But that means…" she said.
Jalal became shrouded with magical energy.
"It means your Monster's Defense Score is about to go from unbeatable, to pathetic," said Shichiro.
Ananta roared in rage. (0 DEF)
"King's Knight!" shouted Shichiro. "Slay her Dragon!"
King's Knight let out a war-cry, and leapt at the huge Reptile. He smote off her central head with one swipe. The rest of Ananta shuddered, and then crashed, exploding into pixels.
"No…" said Hebi-Na, in fear.
"Jack's Knight, direct attack!" ordered Shichiro.
Jack's Knight made a slash at the ophidia with his sword, and she hissed in fear and rage.
(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,350)
"Jalal, finish her off!" shouted Shichiro. "Sword of the ancients!"
Hebi-Na screamed as the mighty blade cut her down the middle.
She collapsed.
(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)
"No…" she cried. "I… I can't lose…"
She looked up, and saw that Shichiro was walking up to her, holding something that looked like a large, glowing sapphire.
"Look, can't we work something out?" she pleaded. "I know people!"
"Tell it to the judge," said Shichiro. "For now, you're under arrest for the premeditated, first-degree murders of four humans, and the attempted murder of a fifth.
"My advice to you is, when you get there, start spilling your guts as to who hired you."
The gem started to glow with far more intensity, and Hebi-Na screamed…
Then, she simply vanished.
Shichiro sighed, and put it away.
"Omigod, Omigod…" shouted Ember, running up to him.
"It's okay," said Shichiro. "You're safe… She…"
"She was a snake!" screamed Ember. "What was she?"
Shichiro looked shocked. He looked at Ember.
"You… You saw what she really was?" he asked.
"Yes…" said Ember. "She… she was a snake… She looked like something her Disk would have summoned…"
Shichiro looked at her.
"Ho… boy…" he said.
He reached into his pocket.
"Oh no…" said Ember. "Did I see something I shouldn't have? Are you going to put on a pair of sunglasses and then flash a light in my eyes that's going to make me forget this whole thing happened?"
Then she saw that what Shichiro was taking out of his pocket was only a cell phone. He hit a speed dial number on it.
"Gears?" he said. "Yeah, it's me. Yeah, I took care of it, but we have a problem…
"Yeah, her victim survived, she's unhurt, and it seems she's an Aware. A really potent one."
"Aware?" said Ember. "What's going on?"
"Yeah, I'll be a while," said Shichiro, into the phone. "Heck, this might benefit us in the long run."
He looked at Ember for a few seconds.
Then he drew the next card off his deck.
It was Rose, Warrior of Revenge.
He looked at Ember again. He started to rebuild his deck.
"How did I see her for what she was if I wasn't supposed to?" asked Ember. "How could you?"
"I could see her true form because I'm a Shadowchaser," replied Shichiro.
"And apparently… So are you.
"Have you eaten dinner tonight yet?"
"Are you asking me out?" asked Ember, almost laughing.
Shichiro held her by the shoulders, gently.
"Not technically," he said. "You see… uhm, may I ask your name?"
"Ember…" said Ember, nervously.
"Ember then…" continued Shichiro. "You deserve an explanation, and it will take too long for me to do it here… I can't simply leave you without one…
"Your eyes have opened to the truth… And no matter what you do… They will never close again…"
Ember looked at him with a nervous glance.
"I'll… get my coat…" she said.
You might find this hard to believe, but my initial meeting with Shichiro wasn't the worst first date I had ever been on. The one that was… Well, it may not have started with someone trying to kill me, but it did end with me sneaking out of the restaurant out the lady's room window. A story for another time.
Anyway, my "first date" with Shichiro, if you can call it that, included up to this point me getting my first full look at a Shadowkind, and him saving my life. I was glad that he had saved my life, but after what he had said to me before we left, I wondered what sort of life I would be going back to. How had my eyes opened? What was the truth? Was the world under the control of some evil entity like in The Matrix? Did aliens live among us like they did in Men in Black? And just what was a Shadowchaser? I certainly never remembered joining any group with that name…
I wanted to find out… If Shichiro hadn't asked me out, I would have likely followed him. Fortunately, he had every intention of telling me…
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URUBONUS, THE AVATAR OF MALICE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 5
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 800
Card Description: When this card declares an attack, the ATK and DEF of the attack target are decreased by 300 during the damage step only.
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BLACK MAMBA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, switch the battle position of 1 face-up opposing Monster.
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POISONOUS VIPER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 100
DEF: 200
Card Description: During the Standby Phase of this card's controller, the controller of this card takes 500 points of damage.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LAMIA (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500
Flavor Text: A demon that combines the features of a snake and a woman. Countless men have been lured to their dooms by its deceptive face.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SWAMP OF THE DRAGON SNAKE (Spell Card)
Continuous Spell
Image: A swamp with a glowing serpent rising out of its waters.
Card Description: During each of your End Phases, you may Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Reptile-Type Monster from your deck to your opponent's side of the field.
Note: The proceeding five cards were all used by Seika Kohinata in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.
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JEWELED SWORD (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: An armored glove holding a sword point-down, glowing with golden energy.
Card Description: Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, draw one card.
Note: "Jeweled Sword" was first used by Gokaido in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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SWORD OF TENGU (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A katana sword with the hilt shaped like a fanged face.
Card Description: Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. Battle damage you take from a battle involving the Equipped Monster is reduced to zero.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JALAL THE DRAGONBORN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 2,400
Card Description: Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters
This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can pay half your Life Points to remove from play 1 Normal or Quickplay Spell or 1 Normal or Counter Trap from either Graveyard to place 1 Rune Counter on this card (max. 1). At any time during your or your opponent's turn, you may remove a Rune Counter on this card to duplicate the effect of the card that was removed from play as this card's effect.
Note regarding this card:
I am usually quite willing to let other fanfic authors use custom cards that I have created. With this one, however, I must add a condition.
"Jalal the Dragonborn" is a card that was designed specifically for this fanfic. Shichiro's card is not unique, but it is a special card whose use is limited to the members of one organization. In future chapters, its significance and history will become clearer. Therefore, I will only permit its use in fanfics that are part of the same mythos. If anyone ever wants to do a spin-off of this fanfic and I approve of it, this card may be used. In any other fanfic, its use is not permitted.
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Coming up next:
What are the Shadowchasers? What is their purpose? Explanations are coming next chapter, as Shichiro gives Ember the whole picture, and sheds some light on the dark of the world that is known only to a few. Be here, because you won't want to miss it any more than Ember does. "The Eye of Truth" is next.