Teknisk Wereld: Judgment

by Celtic Guardian 7

Seven years later, everyone from the group has finally returned. But just as they do so, problems with the world itself arrive. Who is behind all of this? COMPLETE

4. Deletion

Writing rolls! I love writing rolls!

Chapter Four: Deletion

It was a sudden thing. The day had seemed normal enough previously. There were a few maintenance problems here and there, but nothing major, all small things that could be fixed swiftly. Captain Lapis Roman had been confident enough that it would go by as smoothly as most days, despite what she said to Helmer earlier that morning.

That all ended when the alarm was activated.

Lapis had been in her office, looking over some documents on her desk, when the alarm suddenly blared through the building. She was up at once, running to the door and throwing it open before going to the stairs; there wasn't enough time to take the elevator.

Of course she knew all about what the alarm was for; everyone did. It only went off when Teknisk Wereld was in serious danger of deletion. She was also aware that it had never gone off… until now. But one of the first things she had been trained in was what it sounded like and how to react to it; it was that serious.

She swiftly went down a floor and went in at once. There were several computer terminals in this section, all ones that maintained Teknisk Wereld and kept it running. At this moment, all of the technicians were busy frantically typing at their keyboards and talking to each other anxiously.

"I want a report at once!" Lapis shouted over the noise. "Helmer, where are you?"

"Captain!" Helmer ran up to her, looking disheveled. "It's as bad as she thought. A section of Teknisk Wereld is being deleted!"

"Damn!" Lapis went to the nearest terminal, which currently had a map of Teknisk Wereld's mainframe up. The plains section was blinking rapidly, from its normal green colors to white and back again.

"That's the only part so far, Captain!" the man at the terminal said, entering a few new commands. "But we can't override it!"

"You try to trace the one who is behind this! Do so at once!" Lapis went to the next terminal, where a woman was seated. "You, tell everyone else to try to get the part that is being deleted stabilized! It has to remain intact long enough for anyone there to evacuate!" Before the woman could respond, Lapis went running to a terminal at the very end. "Keith! Tell everyone in Teknisk Wereld to leave at ONCE! Don't give them any room for argument!"

"Right away!" Keith said, hurriedly closing out some programs to open a new one.

As Lapis moved on, she noticed an empty terminal. "Who are we missing?"

"Zack, Captain. He wanted the day off, remember?" the man next to that one said. "Something about meeting some old friends of his."

"Argh! Of all days, it had to be this one!" Lapis exclaimed before going back to Helmer. "What's the situation now?"

"Nothing we are doing is working! At this rate, the targeted area will be completely deleted, and then the other parts as well!" Helmer said.

"Not good at all… that means we have to fall back onto the Guardian," Lapis stated, running towards the stairs.

Helmer followed her. "The Guardian? Will she be able to stop this?"

Lapis began to go up, with Helmer right behind her. "Theoretically, yes. But she has never had to, so we don't know for sure."

"If she can, then that will be a tremendous help," Helmer said. "But I am more concerned about the people in Teknisk Wereld…"

"We have no idea what will happen to them if they are in those areas when they are deleted," Lapis said grimly. "With all of Teknisk Wereld's security, it seemed impossible that something like this would happen. Even when forewarned about it, we've been unable to do anything!"

"All we can do is hope that the Guardian will stop this before it gets out of hand," Helmer said. "After that, maybe we can fix the damage."

"I pray that it will be that simple," Lapis said as she went into her room again and sat down at the computer. "I'm going to help as best as I can. You should do so as well."

"Right." Helmer ran towards his own room, leaving Lapis to pull up the necessary programs.

…

The Elemental Spring was as peaceful as ever and certainly looked as though it were in no danger of being deleted. One looking at it would not even think it had anything to do with it. Yet it was the complete opposite; it had everything to do with it.

There was a part of the wall inside the spring that was actually clear crystal, with a woman preserved in it. That woman had remained concealed to that day, with the hopes of those behind her that she would never have to be released.

Those hopes had certainly been shot to hell.

The woman's eyes suddenly opened. Upon this cue, the crystal began to crack, and then shattered completely. The woman sprang out, using the wall as leverage to go rocketing up through the water. She went flying out of it, landing on the ground. It was a feat no human could accomplish on their own.

The woman began to look around, eyeing the sky intently. Then her eyes became glazed as she began to speak out loud. "Location confirmed: starting point at Sector 3001, spreading rapidly. All of Teknisk Wereld will be deleted in exactly fourteen minutes, thirty seconds if not stopped. Activating immediate safety measures."

She bent down, pulling a hair from her head without any sign of pain. She placed it on the ground, one end first, and it dived into the ground as though it were water. The woman stood up again. "Anchor employment complete. The entire structure of Teknisk Wereld will be secured in one minute. This will save all but the Plains Sector."

After a minute had passed, the woman said, "Immediate safety measures complete. Teknisk Wereld deletion has been halted. Awaiting further instructions."

She paused, as though expecting someone to speak. When nothing happened, she said, "Connection with the Creator has failed. Switching to substitute." She paused again, and then said, "Substitute identified. Name: Larka Luna. Location: Sector 1337. Departing immediately for further orders. Until contact with substitute is done, following default orders." The woman then began to run, jumping into the hole that led out of the Elemental Spring's location.

…

"What is taking her so long?" Claire said, looking around the plains. Nobody had appeared though.

"You know Amy. She is always talking about how often her family is late, including her," Perseus reminded her.

"That's true," Claire admitted. "But that doesn't stop me from being impatient."

"Claire!" Amy ran up to her, halting and then panting as she said, "Sorry I'm late…"

"We both are," Sakura gasped, leaning on her staff as she tried to catch her breath.

Claire shrugged. "It's all right. But you really should work on that."

"I'm trying…" Amy said.

"We both are…" Sakura groaned.

"Hey guys, what's going on in this area?" Chasity said, popping up behind them.

"ACK!" Claire, Amy, and Sakura all leapt back, while Perseus just gazed at her without reacting.

"Don't startle me like that!" Claire said, getting over her shock.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Chasity said with a grin as Petra shook her head. "Anyway, Max made me go and do my homework, but I didn't have much, so I'm already back. Are you going to meet up with him and everyone else?"

"That's the plan," Amy said, finally getting over her mad dash.

"Then I'll stick with you guys!" Chasity decided. "That'll make things easier for us."

"Sure, that's fine… Perseus? What is wrong?" Claire asked, noticing that her Soul Monster seemed frozen.

"…Claire… you have to get away from here. Now," Perseus said, his eyes filled with worry.

"What? Why?" Claire asked.

"Don't question me, please! Just go!" Perseus vanished, presumably into his Soul Card.

"…What was that about?" Amy wondered.

"Amy! Do as he says! Do it at once!" Sakura disappeared as well.

"Chasity, I agree with them. Leave Teknisk Wereld immediately!" Petra was then gone.

"…Petra would never act like that unless there was a good reason for it," Chasity said. "We should do as they said."

"I agree. Sakura wasn't joking, and Perseus is usually serious anyway," Amy concurred, looking concerned. "Let's get out of here."

Before they could even reach to their Duel Disks though, the whole area flickered, becoming completely white. Then it became normal again.

"What was that?" Claire exclaimed.

"That was our cue to get out of here," Amy said.

They never had the chance to do that though. The area went white again, and then all was black.

…

Hime was not particularly busy, as was normal nowadays. Once Chasity had grown up somewhat, her only major duty for her was helping to cook, cleaning around the house, and making sure she did her homework. Not much, in other words, especially when compared to what her duties had been before. Having Randall alive again helped too.

She had been sitting in the living room, thinking over the chores that needed to be taken care of, when she noticed that something seemed wrong with Chasity. It took a few moments for realization to settle in; she was not breathing.

…

Darkness. Complete darkness. That was all she knew. All she was aware of. All she thought of.

Mana had no idea how long she had been amongst this darkness, this world she now lived in. The world of death. It had to be. She had died, hadn't she?

She never considered that though. There was not much she considered now. Having her soul practically lost in the abyss affected her pretty noticeably.

Darkness… darkness… darkness…

"Mana!"

Mana's eyes flew open. She found herself staring at a girl who was practically transparent. At first, Mana could not respond, amazed that there was something other than herself and the void here. Then she managed to say, "Who…?"

"It's me, Chasity! Please Mana, you have to help!" she said, her voice echoing eerily.

"Chasity? Who…" Mana's eyes lit up. "Chasity! It really is you! I… I remember now! Chasity, how are you here?"

"Teknisk Wereld… something has happened in it… it's really bad… you have to go there!" Chasity said. "If you don't, Brandi will end up like me!"

"What? Brandi's in trouble?" Mana said in alarm.

"Yes! I'm beyond the point of help right now, but if you are quick, you can save Brandi! Hurry!" Then Chasity vanished.

I can't stay here, I have to help! Mana thought. She closed her eyes again. I have to… have to…

A few seconds later, she felt… heavy. That was the only way she could explain it. She opened her eyes, and found herself in a new area. It was endless white, a complete contradiction of where she had been before.

…Did I just… die? For real this time? Mana concentrated for a moment, and then realized that couldn't be the case. She could feel something underneath her: marble. Probably a slab of marble, but nevertheless, it was cold. And she actually felt as though she was in a real body. That discounted her dead theory.

So I wasn't dead… I was… in a coma? But… I can't move… Mana realized. My body… it won't respond… but I have to help Brandi! There has to be a way! Please… I need the power to do this! Please!

Nothing happened for a moment. Then Mana slowly felt herself being engulfed in light.

…

Brandi had gone all the way to the plains before stopping, using a few support cards to make her trip faster. Now she leaned against the rocky walls of one of the mountains, trying to stop herself from crying. She had been afraid that she might break down, so she had wanted to be alone. It was better than doing so in front of the entire group.

Lost in her sorrow, Brandi nearly missed the flicker of the world becoming white. But she did see it, and looked up in puzzlement.

"W…what was that?" Brandi whispered, staring in shock at the white space stretching out in front of her. It was approaching her, but Brandi was paralyzed.

Just as the white reached her, she heard a familiar voice cry, "Brandi!" Then she felt someone grab her before she was whisked away.

Brandi was being pulled along at a very fast speed, but whoever was bringing her halted quickly, landing in the forest and letting go of her. Brandi turned to see who it was.

For a moment, she thought she was staring at a Black Magician Girl. But she realized that that wasn't right. For one thing, this monster's armor was a different shade, now looking far more blue. Her skirt was a light violet, and her staff was different as well, with three jewels implanted in it. The jewels on her helmet and staff were green, and she had high-heel boots. Her blond hair also had a slightly red tint to it. Despite those differences, however, Brandi was almost positive of who it was.

The Soul Monster's voice confirmed it. "Brandi? Are you all right?"

Brandi couldn't respond. Instead, she fell to the ground in a dead faint.

…

As everyone in the group was silent, they suddenly heard a voice from their Duel Disks. "Attention, all duelists! This is Keith giving you an urgent update! All of you are to log out of Teknisk Wereld immediately! I repeat, attention all duelists! This is…"

"What is going on?" Hope said in bewilderment as Keith continued to talk.

"Do you think it's another group, like the Generals of Hell?" Neo wondered.

"It's better not be," Draken said grimly. "I've had enough of people like that."

"…immediately! Teknisk Wereld is under deletion! It will be stabilized shortly, but for your safety, please leave at once! It may be from an internal source! I repeat, Teknisk Wereld is…"

"What the hell?" Max said.

"That's crazy!" Rue exclaimed. "We can't just leave after hearing that!"

"…I agree," Max stated. "Despite the risks."

Zack nodded. "I wish to investigate this."

"Me too," Larka concurred.

"But what about this deletion thing? That sounds pretty dangerous," Gaston pointed out.

"We will probably be able to teleport out before getting caught in it if we see it coming, thanks to the warning Keith just gave," Will said. "I think it is worth the risk."

"Then let us go," Kazel said, stepping forward. "The anomaly seems to be coming from… the direction of the mountains."

"The mountains? That's the direction Brandi went!" Larka exclaimed.

"And that's also where Claire and Amy were supposed to meet… damn!" Rue said, paling. "Let's get moving, quickly!"

They went up the slope at once, but halted at the top, staring in shock at what lay before them. Behind the mountains, the sky did not exist anymore. Instead, it was an endless space of white.

As Rue swore several times, Larka said, "That was what was deleted?"

"Yes… but it seems to have stopped there," Kazel said, gazing at the spot. "Darche, you should get some Blue Eyes White Dragons. We can fly to the location."

"Good idea." Darche held his sword aloft, and it began to glow blue. Three Blue Eyes soon arrived, descending in front of them.

"I'll take one with Rue, and Ruecian!" Draken said. "Zack, Larka, Malon, and Darche, ride another! Max, recall Tenma and take the last one with Hope and Gaston! Kisara, you've got Kazel, so have Will and Neo ride on her as well. That should take care of everyone!"

They all mounted their respective dragons, along with Max after he had Tenma return to his Soul Card. Then they took off, flying for the mountains.

The trip was swift, and they soon arrived, landing on one of the mountains. After dismounting, the Blue Eyes flew away, clearly not wanting to be around the deleted area.

"I don't blame them one bit," Draken said, gazing at the white space nervously. "They were pretty cooperative though; not one complaint about coming here."

"So what are we looking for?" Hope said as Max brought out Tenma.

"The one who was responsible for this, I guess," Neo said.

"Then look over here," they heard a man's voice say.

They spun around, and upon a taller mountain right next to theirs, they saw two figures. One was standing in shadow, but the other was in full view. He wore a green sleeveless shirt that had a high collar, concealing part of his face. With that went blue pants and black boots. His spiky black hair was done back in a ponytail, and his brown eyes glinted maliciously as he looked down upon them.

"Ok, he's suspicious," Draken said at once.

"…How did he get so tall?" Rue said in wonder.

"I'm on a mountain, dumbass," the man said.

"My turn to smack the idiot!" Draken proceeded to do so.

"Hey! Save your insults for later!" Rue snapped, rubbing his head as he turned back to the man. "Seriously, who the hell are you?"

"Who am I? Technically, I am the one who is helping destroy all of Teknisk Wereld, and 'silencing' anyone who finds out about it," the man said with an arrogant smirk. "If it is a name you want, Kai."

Upon hearing that, Max gave Larka and Zack a knowing look that they returned before facing Kai again.

"And your friend?" Will inquired.

The other man stepped out from where he had been concealed. That did not help much though, for the black cloak he wore still kept him hidden.

"My name… do I have one? Or many?" the man said, laughing. "Does a name for me exist? Or am I everyone, without need for a name? What are names, labels? I bear no name, for I have no personality to speak of!"

"…How DID I get stuck with this nutcase?" Kai said with a sigh. "We call him Lunacy, because that's precisely what he is-insane." Kai brought out a card. "But he does do one thing well: killing. So I will let him take care of all of you. That way, I win no matter what the outcome is; either you all die, which was what I was ordered to do anyway, or I am permanently relieved of that idiot, which will save me from many more headaches. See you all later… if you live." Then Kai inserted the card, vanishing.

"…I hate that guy already," Rue declared.

"I think we all do," Draken said, his eye twitching.

"Hate, love, what words are these you speak of?" Lunacy leapt from the mountain, falling onto the mountain they were on. They all winced as they heard his leg bones snap upon the impact. But Lunacy began to laugh crazily before bringing out a card. This caused them all to flinch again; his laugh was truly one of an insane man. "Pain, joy, despair, delight, mourning, rejoicing, it's all useless!" A light surrounded him, and he stood again, his legs healed. "They all pale in comparison to reality!"

"…I am NOT dueling this guy," Rue stated. "Anyone else volunteer?"

"Don't look at me," Draken said.

"I haven't dueled seriously in a while… I do not think it would be wise to try now," Hope said nervously.

"To save any further debate, I choose to go," Will said, stepping forward and turning on his Duel Disk.

"Us? Against HIM? Will, why must you always get us into things like this?" Neo whined as he went next to him.

"Because I want to know what is wrong with this man," Will said, staring at Lunacy. "Something tells me that he is not acting this way by choice. By dueling him, maybe I can find out more."

"If you insist," Neo sighed.

"Tired of life? Wish to see the ultimate truth? Look to me to be the knowledge bearer!" Lunacy brought out a Soul Card. A monster sprang out, and was about as fitting as could be gotten for Lunacy. It was a humanoid figure, wearing a pink shirt with yellow stars on it and yellow pants with a matching ribbon going over his shoulder. He had a pink cap that had the same design as his shirt, and a blue scarf of sorts around his neck. His short purple hair fell into his eyes, concealing them, and he had a large, green, rubber nose. He may have looked ridiculous in many circumstances, but with the wicked smirk he had now, it made him look down-right scary.

"Insanity, a Dream Clown!" Lunacy said. "He and I are the ones who know of the path to it! Heaven and Hell? Such children's tales! What really exists? You shall soon find out!"

"We already know, stupid! We've been to Hell before!" Rue said. "Well… some of us have been, anyway."

"In what dream? Or should I say… nightmare? What word do you ignorant beings have for those illusions now?" Lunacy laughed madly again.

"This guy is beyond reasoning…" Gaston said as he shook his head.

"Something else puzzles me," Zack remarked. "Why has he not shown us his face?"

"At this point, I don't even want to see it," Larka said with a shiver.

Lunacy had apparently overheard them. "What? You require faces to make judgments? Then behold mine!" He whipped off his cloak hood. "Pass your verdict on me, beings that call yourselves gods!"

Everyone except Max, Tenma, Will, and Ruecian gasped upon seeing him-or, in Malon's case, yelped. His grey hair was very unkempt, as though never taken care of, but what shocked them were his facial features. His eyes were completely white, showing no signs of irises or pupils. His mouth was permanently twisted in an insane grin, giving him the look of a completely demented man-which was precisely what he was.

Lunacy broke the silence. "Different, am I? For once, you think truthfully, for I am far beyond any of you that know so little!"

"I am really glad I avoided dueling him," Rue said, still shaken.

"What happened to his eyes?" Larka said nervously, holding onto Zack's arm for support.

"Eyes? The devices that show you what you think is reality? Such liars, eyes are!" Lunacy laughed once more, sending another chill down everyone's spine.

"It seems my theory was right," Will stated. "This is not a natural cause… either way, let us begin. The truth will be revealed soon enough."

…

Brandi finally came around, blinking a few times as she sat up. At first, she could not remember why she had been unconscious. Upon catching sight of Mana, who was sitting nearby, memories came flooding back to her.

"…Mana?" Brandi sat up, still disbelieving what she was seeing. "Are you really… Mana?"

"Oh, you're awake!" Mana said with a smile. "About time."

"Mana!" Brandi flung herself onto Mana, embracing her fiercely as her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, it's all right now…" Mana said, returning it. "I'm back, and for good this time."
After a few moments, Brandi let go of her. "But how can this be? I thought you were dead…"

"So did I," Mana confessed. "But apparently, I was in a coma. Chasity contacted me and told me you were in danger."

Brandi frowned. "Chasity? How did she manage to do that?"

"I have no idea," Mana said. "But she did. Tell me… how long have I been gone?"

Brandi winced. "Seven years…"

"WHAT!" Mana exclaimed. "SEVEN? NO WONDER YOU LOOKED SO DIFFERENT!"

At that, Brandi couldn't help but laugh, the first truly happy laugh she had given in a long time. "Yes, that would be why. You look pretty different yourself!"

Mana nodded. "I could not help you in my old form; I was too weak. So I became a new monster. I'm no longer a Black Magician Girl, but a Magician's Valkyria."

"Wow… that explains. A lot has happened... but not only with that. To all of us as well. I can catch you up on it later." Brandi stood up. "But first, we have to meet up with everyone else. They'll be thrilled to see that you're alive!"

"Where are they?" Mana asked as she did the same.

"Well, they were by the lake…" Brandi trailed off as she saw Mana's expression. "What is it?"

"I doubt they would stay there," Mana said. "Come with me."

Mana led her out of the trees; they had been right on the edge of the forest. She indicated to the whiteness behind the mountains, causing Brandi to gasp. "I forgot about that! It nearly consumed me… so that's what you were saving me from! What is it?"

"Teknisk Wereld is being deleted," Mana said grimly. "I heard an announcement come from your Duel Disk while you were unconscious."

"Deleted? But where are…" Brandi turned to the lake, and sighed in relief. "It's still there…"

"They were probably not caught in it," Mana assured. "But I'm betting they went to investigate it."

"Then we should look for them," Brandi stated. "Let's go."

"Right away!" Mana agreed.

…

Will: 8000

Lunacy: 8000

"Who is to go first?" Will asked.

"First, last, it is all the same in the end, for all perish!" Lunacy laughed. "Take either, I care not!"

"I'll go first then," Will said. "I lay a monster in defense mode."

"I bring out Blade Rabbit (400/300)!" Lunacy said.

"Look Draken! It's your best friend!" Gaston joked as the Blade Rabbit appeared, innocently nibbling on a carrot.

"GAH! EVIL!" Rue and Draken chorused. Then they turned to each other, saying, "Quit copying me!" at the same time.

"Three cards, and then the cycle restarts!" Lunacy ended.

Will looked over his hand for a long moment before moving. "I summon Magic Warrior Breaker. (1900/1000) By removing his counter, the card to your left is destroyed." (1600/1000)

"It matters not, for now I activate it!" Lunacy said. "It is a trap card, Curse of Anubis! All face-up effect monsters on the field are switched to defense mode, and their defenses go to zero for the same turn! (400/0) (1600/0) Also, Insanity's Deck Master ability comes into play! When I force your monsters to change modes, their stats are cut in half! (800/0) Not that it matters, since my Blade Rabbit's effect is activated!"

"What does it do?" Will asked.

In response to his question, the Blade Rabbit sprung forward, biting into Breaker several times. Armor torn in several places, Breaker vanished.

"I TOLD YOU IT WAS EVIL!" Rue and Draken said. Then they said, "And I told you to stop that!"

"When Blade Rabbit is switched to defense mode, I choose one monster on your field and destroy it!" Lunacy explained, his grin growing even wider. "Then I activate Labyrinth of Nightmare! This permanent trap forces the player's face-up monsters to switch their modes at the end of their turn!"

"Despite that… I can only end," Will stated.

"I activate a trap card, Gravity Release! This changes all face-up monsters' modes!" Lunacy declared. "My Blade Rabbit is switched to attack, and I switch him to defense mode!" The Blade Rabbit lunged forward, shredding apart Will's defense mode Apprentice Magician. (400/800)

"SEE? THIS PROVES MY POINT!" Rue and Draken glared at each other. "COME ON, KNOCK IT OFF!"

Ruecian took his staff up and smacked them both over the head.

"Thank you," Kazel said, looking relieved.

"Then out comes Goblin Strike Team! (2300/0) They attack directly!" Lunacy said with another laugh.

Will braced himself against the assault, but each club that smashed into him was remarkably painful.

Will: 5700

Lunacy: 8000

"Doing all right, Will?" Neo asked.

"I'll manage," Will assured.

"Will you? Or will those precious safeguards you rely on so much fall?" Lunacy inquired. "How can you be so sure of your own survival? What if you end up like me?"

"Huh? Like you?" Neo said. "Will was pretty sane, the last time I checked."

"Sane? What a delightful word!" Lunacy said, laughing once more. "Such a pleasant word, sane is, for those who believe themselves to be so! We are all insane! Mine just happens to show, thanks to a mistake!"

Larka looked at him nervously. "A mistake? What do you mean?"

"One of the few memories of my previous life that I kept," Lunacy said fondly. "I volunteered to be a test subject for the safeguards, after being assured it was perfectly safe. Perfectly safe, they said!" Another crazy laugh. "Those fools! Nothing is perfectly safe! Nothing! One card broke through their pathetic security, a trap known as Mind Crush!"

"Mind Crush!" Hope exclaimed. "Don't tell me…"

"It was irreversible, they said, yet did I mind? Of course not! It had given me freedom from the shackles of human ignorance!" Lunacy exclaimed excitedly. "Reverse it? Why would I?"

"So that is why he is insane…" Zack said, shaking his head.

"There's nothing we can do then," Will said. "Except kill him to put him out of his misery."

"Misery, you say? I find this life quite enjoyable! I shall take my pleasures before meeting the end!" Lunacy told them. He laid a card down. "My turn is over. Take yours!" His Goblins switched to attack mode, and his Blade Rabbit went to defense.

"Fine… I lay one card face down," Will said.

"My monsters return to attack mode! They attack directly!"

This time, the wounds accumulated, causing Will to stagger a bit before straightening again.

Will: 3400

Lunacy: 8000

"One monster in defense mode, and that is it!" Lunacy said. The Goblins went to attack mode, and the Blade Rabbit to defense.

"I summon Blood Magician. (1400/1700) Then I play Clarity of Mind, to get another from my deck." Will did so, shuffling it afterwards. "This gives my Blood Magician a magic counter. I can remove it to destroy a monster with 700 attack or less. I do so to get rid of Blade Rabbit. That is it. My Blood Magician switches to defense mode."

Lunacy flipped over his face-down monster. "I reveal my Medusa Worm!" (500/600)

A huge worm came out of the ground and grabbed Blood Magician, dragging him underground.

"When flip summoned, it destroys a monster on your field!" Lunacy said. "My Medusa Worm attacks you directly!"

The worm returned to the surface, slamming into Will harshly before retreating.

Will: 2900

Lunacy: 8000

"I sacrifice my Goblin Strike Team for a monster in defense mode! Then I flip Medusa Worm back down! Go ahead!" Lunacy said.

"What kind of deck is this?" Darche asked. "One dependant on changing modes, from what I can tell, but… are there enough cards to make a deck type of that?"

"I would say so," Max said. "A Mode Changing deck… they have an element of surprise that duelists often can't counter. This is a pretty good one."

"Will seems to be in pretty bad shape…" Gaston said worriedly.

"So what? He'll do fine," Rue said confidently.

"You seem pretty sure," Draken commented.

"Will's got this guy's pattern down now," Rue said. "He'll be able to outsmart him."

"It's funny… dueling seems to be the only thing he is level-headed about," Hope remarked.

"I summon Hannibal Necromancer. (1400/1800) He gets a magic counter when I summon him, and I can remove it to destroy a face-up trap card on the field," Will explained. "So your Labyrinth of Nightmare is now gone. I'll attack your Medusa Worm to destroy it and lay one card down. That's it."

"I flip over my monster, Guardian Sphinx!" (1700/2400) Lunacy announced. "When flip summoned, he sends all of your monsters back to your hand! Then he attacks directly!" The Guardian Sphinx shot out two red beams, one from each eye.

"I'll block that with my trap card, Magic Cylinder!" Will said. The beams went into one cylinder and came out the other, tearing into Lunacy.

Will: 2900

Lunacy: 6300

His reaction to the pain was to laugh madly again. "What pathetic resistance! My Guardian Sphinx goes back into face-down defense mode due to his effect, and that is all!"

"I lay one card face down and end my turn," Will said.

"Where are your walls now?" Lunacy taunted. "I summon Giant Orc!" (2200/0)

"I do not need walls. Instead, I get to activate my trap card, Tidal Wave!" Will said. "All monsters on the field are destroyed!"

"Isn't that a wall of water, technically?" Neo commented as Lunacy's monsters were washed away.

Will shrugged. "I guess."

"No matter, no matter! I lay one card down!" Lunacy said.

"I'll play Angel's Gift, to draw three and discard two," Will stated. "I discard Clarity of Mind and Trial By Fire. Then I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"My trap card is triggered, Seductive Shadow!" Lunacy said. "It reveals your face-down defense mode monster, switching it to attack mode without activating reverse effects."

"You hit my Saint Magician…" (150/200)

"How willingly you walk into my strategies!" Lunacy laughed. "I summon Locust Soldiers! (1000/500) They attack Saint Magician!"

The Locusts covered Saint Magician, giving her barely enough time to cry out once before shattering.

Will: 2050

Lunacy: 6300

"They go face-down, and my turn is over!" Lunacy said.

"All I am going to do is lay one monster in defense mode," Will said.

"I flip summon my Locusts, activating their effect! They destroy one magic or trap card!" Lunacy declared.

"That was my Antagonizing Spell…" Will said.

"Wonderful! They swarm your monster!"

"You've attacked my Tenacious Old Magician. (450/600) His reverse effect destroys one monster on the field," Will said. "So your Locusts are gone too."

Lunacy's grin widened as the Locusts were blasted away. "And once more, you fight back, clinging onto a life of ignorance! Show me what desperation can do!"

"Let us see, shall we?" Will said. "I summon my Hannibal Necromancer again, and attack you directly."

Will: 2050

Lunacy: 4900

Lunacy snickered as the magic attack's remains faded. "That is all? Pathetic! I lay a monster, along with two cards!"

Will looked at his next card thoughtfully. "I lay two cards face down and summon Silent Magician Lv 4!" (1000/1000)

"That's a new card," Hope said as the Magic-User appeared.

"She is pretty good," Max commented. "Just wait and see."

"I flip over my two face-down cards! Both are Guard Penalty, instant magic cards!" Lunacy said. "I select a monster, and if that monster goes to defense mode this turn, I get to draw a card for each Guard Penalty! I choose my own monster and flip summon him, Royal Bodyguard! When summoned in this manner, his stats increase by 300! (1900/2000) I lay one card down and attack with Royal Bodyguards, killing your Hannibal Necromancer!"

Will winced as the Royal Bodyguard pierced through his monster, sending a flare of pain through him.

Will: 1550

Lunacy: 4900

"Then I flip them back down with their effect, to draw two cards!" Lunacy said.

"Not a bad idea, but you forgot my Silent Magician," Will stated. "She gets a magic counter each time the opponent draws. Now she has three; one from the card you drew at the start of your turn, and two more from the Guard Penalties. Each counter raises her attack by 500 as well." (2500/1000)

"A back-up plan! What a twist!" Lunacy exclaimed. "Nothing to do for it! Go on, take your turn!"

Will thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Now is the time to have Neo use his Deck Master ability."

"I'm on it!" Neo said. Fire shot out of his staff, surrounding Silent Magician.

"Neo can give one of my cards that uses magic counters one counter on each of my standby phases," Will explained. (3000/1000) "Then I'll summon Magical Armor Exe." (2400/1400)

"Now, now, I can't just let you do that!" Lunacy said with flourish. "I activate a trap card, Gravity Release! This switches the modes of every face-up monster on the field, so both your monsters go to defense mode!" (1500/500) (1200/700)

Will nodded. "I thought you would have something like that. I switch Silent Magician back to attack mode. You see, Magical Armor Exe can't even attack the turn he is summoned."

"Clever, or so you think!" Lunacy said. "But is it really? Did you accomplish what you truly wanted?"

"I believe so," Will said. "I also flip over Black Power Stone before ending."

As Lunacy drew, Will said, "My Silent Magician Lv 4 now has five magic counters, and her stats are normal again. (3500/1000) I also remove a counter from Black Power Stone for Magical Armor Exe; he requires that I remove one magic counter on the field during every standby phase."

"That is of no importance!" Lunacy said dismissingly. "I lay one monster in defense mode and one card down!"

"Actually, it makes all the difference," Will said. "Since my Silent Magician Lv 4 has five magic counters, her effect activates! I can sacrifice her to special summon Silent Magician Lv 8 from my hand!" (3500/1000)

"Sacrificing one monster for one that is no different? How illogical! I activate an instant magic card, Book of the Moon!" Lunacy cried. "It flips her to face down defense mode!"

The Silent Magician lifted her staff, sending out a wave of magic that tore apart the Book of the Moon.

"Silent Magician Lv 8 cannot be affected by your magic cards," Will informed him. "That is why I wanted her. My Magical Armor Exe required me to remove another counter. I switch him to attack mode. Then I bring forth Neo!"

"All right!" Neo leapt onto the field. (2400/2000)

"Magical Armor Exe attacks your defense monster!" Will said. He recognized the monster as Swarm of Scarab Beetles. (500/1000) "Then Neo attacks, destroying your Royal Bodyguards!" Neo obliged, roasting the monster. "And upon his attack, I activate my trap card, Magician's Circle! When a Magic-User Subtype attacks, it is activated. We each special summon a Magic-User with 2000 or less attack. I'll take another Blood Magician!"

"I have none!" Lunacy said, laughing.

"Why is he so confident?" Draken said.

"He has lost his mind," Zack stated. "He has nothing to fear now."

Larka looked up at Zack worriedly, and then turned to her Duel Disk, quietly inserting a card.

"My Blood Magician attacks directly! Then Silent Magician Lv 8 finishes you off!" Will said.

The two monsters moved in unison, each blasting Lunacy harshly.

Will: 1550

Lunacy: 0

Lunacy remained kneeling for a moment, but then began to chuckle softly, and then outright laughed as he leapt up. "Is that all? Is that the only thing you are capable of? Winning a GAME? Life itself is a game; can you win that as well? No! It is the one game that only has losers!" Lunacy suddenly slammed a card into his Duel Disk. A Chained Boomerang appeared in his hand. Before anyone could react, he threw it at Will.

Yet instead of hitting Will, it ran into a rainbow-colored barrier. Everyone looked to see Larka's hand on her Duel Disk, where she had activated the card Holy Life Barrier.

"So, you wish to play too? Be my guest!" Lunacy inserted another card swiftly. A harsh gust of wind slammed into them all, sending them to the ground with gasps. "Itaqua's Gale should prevent outer interference, wouldn't you agree?" He flung the Chained Boomerang again. This time, it wrapped around Larka's arm and pulled her over to him with a yelp.

"Larka!" Zack shouted, trying to rise. But the wind was still in effect, and he was sent to the ground again.

"That sore loser!" Draken growled, trying to grab a card. The wind made it nearly impossible to even move though, let alone get what he needed.

"No… this can't happen!" Hope protested as Malon whined frantically.

Lunacy took a firm grip on Larka's arm and held up the bladed section of the Chained Boomerang. "How interesting to see one like yourself volunteer! So young, yet so prepared to face reality…" He brought back his hand, ready to strike. Larka could only watch in frozen horror.

That was when spears of purple slammed into Lunacy from every angle, sending him reeling away with a high-pitched scream, instantly letting go of Larka. She stumbled back, unable to turn away from the gruesome scene. The purple spears became fluid and whip-like, throwing both Lunacy and Insanity's bleeding corpses into the white abyss, where they disappeared without a sound.

To be continued…