0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DUEL TEN
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Semblance of Life
The Clockwork Dolls
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
Ben looked at the sign over the storefront:
Willy's Widgets
Hand-Crafted Toys
On the right side of the sign was a painting of an old-fashioned toy tin soldier and on the left was a painting of a pretty female fairy with a wand.
Ben looked at the merchandise on display in the windows. Clearly, these were not the type of toys that factories in Hong Kong churned out by the thousands. There were hand-painted dolls shaped like Dutch clog dancers, marionettes shaped like French clowns, dolls shaped like princesses dancing on jeweled orbs, and a huge dollhouse that Barbie would likely have envied. Ben was fixated on it for a few minutes… So much care had gone into its construction, right down to the vines painted on its walls.
It all seemed innocent enough, so he went inside. A small bell rang as opened the door.
Inside were more toys, mostly wind-ups, occupying shelves and display tables. He was very surprised by a sign that said "Feel free to touch anything!" Clearly, as detailed as these toys were, they were not fragile.
His eyes fell on a display of four wind-ups, depicting the four characters from The Wizard of Oz, set against a diorama depicting the Emerald City. He picked up the Tin Man wind-up and examined it carefully.
On a whim, he wound the key in the doll's back, and then set it back down. As he did, the doll began to dance. Music came from it, along with a familiar song:
When a man's an empty kettle, he should be worth his mettle,
And yet I'm torn apart...
Though I might be assumin' that I might be kinda human
If I only had a heart...
"Amazing..." whispered Ben.
"I see that one got your attention," said a cheery voice.
Ben turned around, and saw a small man, not quite as small as Bartholomew, but still small, with grey hair and a full beard, wearing old fashioned glasses and a pair of overalls. The overalls contained pouches that held small tools.
"Hey…" said Ben. "Did you build all of these toys?"
"Oh yeah," said the small man. "Willy Sourdough's the name, of the honorable Sourdough clan."
"You're a gnome, right?" asked Ben.
Willy nodded.
"So what can I do for you today, my good sir?" asked the gnome. "Looking for a gift for a daughter? Niece? Child friend?
"Here… Let me show you something new I just came up with…"
He took something down off of a shelf. It looked like a Christmas nutcracker.
"This is going to be big come the holidays," he said with a chuckle. "It's a music box shaped like a nutcracker. You wind it up, and it plays all twenty minutes of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite!"
Ben sighed.
"I wish I knew if I had a daughter to give it to…" he muttered.
"Uh… I don't follow…" said Willy.
"Look…" said Ben. "A brownie named Bartholomew sent me… He said you knew a little about combining magic with technology?"
A serious look crossed Willy's face. He put the nutcracker back on the shelf.
"Have a seat, have a seat my friend," he said, as he reached for two folding chairs. "Indeed I do…"
Ben sat down.
"See, I'm technically retired now…" said Willy. "But I used to be a great gnome engineer…
"I used to know more about machines than most humans, or even most gnomes. Tell me, friend, you ever hear of something called an autognome?"
"Uh, no..." replied Ben. "Should I have?"
"It's an automaton," explained Willy. "A robotic gnome made of clockworks and powered by magic... Only the best gnome engineers know how to build them.
"They're built for protection, exploration, defense, and prospecting. They're smarter than golems, and can do more things. They all follow three directives: Defend gnomes from danger, defend themselves from danger, and defend babies and children from harm."
"Seems innocent enough," said Ben.
"Mmm…" said Willy. "The third directive was designed with only good intentions, but it never specified the species of the young ones the autognomes are supposed to protect, which is the biggest problem when using them.
"Another problem is, they sometimes malfunction. But I seemed to solve that problem when I built one several years ago. He was really friendly, and he never malfunctioned. He seemed perfect."
"It would take exceptional skill to build something like that..." said Ben.
Willy shrugged.
"I'm an exceptional builder," he said.
"So what happened to him?" asked Ben.
Willy sighed.
"A delightful individual insulted him," he replied, "calling him a, if I remember correctly, 'soulless semblance of life with no more heart than a player piano'. Trouble is, he realized it was true. He started to get depressed by it. And I couldn't exactly find a psychiatrist who could help.
"Eventually, he just stopped working. Nothing I could do would get him started again.
"But that's all water under the bridge. Since then, I just make toys. So, what brings you here?"
"Well…" said Ben, looking at the Duel Disk on his arm.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lorelei led Hape into a large room. It looked like a gymnasium at first glance, and the usual accoutrements were there – mats, towels racks, and a water cooler. However, the walls were decorated with items that were clearly made for a different purpose.
"Nice décor," said Hape. "I'm guessing 16th Century Spain?"
Lorelei chuckled.
"They belong to Uly," she said. "Some people collect stamps, some people collect coins, he collects old instruments of interrogation.
"But don't worry, he doesn't actually use these… Far too antiquated. Doomdreamers have their own methods…"
"I'll bet…" said Hape. "So…"
"Now, let's see how good you are at sparring," said Lorelei, as she took two swords off the wall.
She tossed one to Hape, and he caught it.
"Shouldn't we be wearing fencing gear and…" said Hape.
Then he stopped short.
"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed, looking at the sword. "These are real!"
Lorelei grinned. She made a stance with hers.
"Fool…" she said. "You spar with a Doomdreamer… You play for keeps…"
Hape barely managed to parry the blow that was aimed at him. Lorelei quickly followed up with another, and he grunted as he defended again.
"You're insane…" he growled, as she tried to push him down with her blade against his.
"Duh…" she said.
Then he lifted his foot, and kicked her off.
"Seems you have some fight in you," she chuckled.
Then he went on the offensive. He thrust, and then cut. Lorelei blocked both moves, but she took a step backwards.
There was a pause.
Hape made a thrust, and unfortunately for Lorelei, she didn't know it was a feint. Lorelei fell for it, and as she tried to make a counter-attack, Hape responded with a move that she recognized… But it came from a style she thought was no longer practiced.
She teetered, made dizzy from the move, and that's when Hape made his true move. He made a mighty thrust that drove home, impaling her through the chest. Lorelei fell to the floor, the sword driven cleanly through her torso.
Hape took a minute to catch his breath. He looked at her.
"Eh, serves her right…" he said.
As he turned around, he heard her say "Ow…"
Hape slowly looked back, and saw her get up, with a painful grimace on her face. Slowly, she grabbed hold of the hilt of the sword, and carefully pulled it from her chest.
"Ow, ow, ow…" she grunted, as she slowly pulled it out.
Finally, she dropped the bloodstained weapon on the ground. Her shirt was stained by blood, but the wound had apparently closed.
She looked at Hape, who was looking at her like he was watching a UFO land.
"Uh…" he said. "How…"
"What?" asked Lorelei. "You never heard of regeneration before?"
"Only on trolls, wendigos, and other ugly creatures..." said Hape.
Lorelei laughed.
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said. "The Dark God has very few loyal followers... He treats them well... And you're pretty good, buster… Play your cards right, and he just might smile on you too…"
"Lorelei!" shouted Tiberius's voice.
Then his face appeared on a screen behind them.
"What is it, Uly?" sighed Lorelei, turning around.
"Stop fooling around and come to the communications room," he replied. "The Triad wants to speak to both of us."
Lorelei's cheerful expression turned serious.
"Go back to that lounge," she said to Hape. "Feel free to use the TV and the snack bar. I have to speak to some important people…
"I have no idea how long it will take."
"Have to talk to the bigwigs that run this place?" asked Hape.
"Uh… more or less, yeah…" replied Lorelei.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
After a lengthy explanation, Willy had swapped his regular glasses for one that had a jeweler's lens for the left eye, and was studying the Duel Disk.
"You say that it changes the deck each time you duel?" he asked.
"Well, it has once," replied Ben. "First it was a Psychic Deck… Then it was Vision Heroes."
"What deck is it now?" asked Willy, as he handed it back. "Take a look."
Ben took the deck from the holder, and looked through it.
"Still Vision Heroes, I'm afraid," he said.
"Hmm…" said Willy.
He rubbed his beard and looked at it.
"It's clearly giving me a strange feeling," he said. "If I was an honest to goodness wizard, I might be able to expand on that feeling… But unfortunately, I am not…
"Still, maybe I could try something… Ben… Seeing as it's time for me to close shop anyway, what would you say to a duel right now?"
"With you?" asked Ben.
"Why yes," said Willy. "We can see for sure if this Duel Disk changes the deck every time you duel.
"And hey, it may even be fun! I haven't dueled in ages!"
"Well… If you say so…" said Ben.
He put the Disk back on as Willy put the "Closed" sign on the storefront door, and then produced a Duel Disk of his own from a chest.
"In fact," said Willy, "maybe if I actually see this thing work, I can tell you more. We'll just have to see."
"All right…" said Ben.
The Duel Disk flicked open, and the Life Point counters set.
(Ben: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Willy: 8,000)
Ben quickly drew five cards. He looked at them, and raised an eyebrow.
"Did the deck change again?" asked Willy.
"Uh huh…" said Ben.
And apparently, he thought, this time, whatever cosmic force sent me this thing is playing some sort of joke that I'm the butt of…
All right… This is difficult, but not impossible…
"Why don't you go first?" asked Willy.
Ben drew a sixth card.
"I'll set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.
"…and I'll end there."
"All right, my move," said Willy. "Draw…"
He drew a card, and then looked over his hand.
"I call to the field, Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 'Inashichi'!"
With a whir and a clank, a figure that was man-sized and man-shaped, but clearly not a man, strode onto the field in front of Willy. It looked like a mechanical man made of wood and twine. Its head was expressionless, having only two glowing eyes, one on top of the other. It was dressed in clothing resembling that of a peasant from feudal Japan, with a coolie hat (made of wood rather than straw) and it held a yoke on its shoulders, from which a parcel hung from either end. (500 ATK)
"Kara-what?" said Ben, in surprise.
"Karakuri!" said Willy. "They were automations that were built in Japan from the 17th to 19th Centuries, man-sized puppets made from clockworks. They weren't true robots… Like the wind-up toys I make, the real karakuri dolls could only move in predetermined patterns.
"This is reflected by some effects that the Monsters I use share. Most Karakuri Monsters must attack if they are able to, and if they are attacked, they automatically switch to Defense Mode.
"However… First I get to use this one's effect… By Normal Summoning it, I get to take any card from my deck with the word 'Karakuri' in its name."
A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it. Then he played a Spell Card.
"And they're still Machines, so since this one has only 500 Attack Points, I can play Machine Duplication to summon two more Karakuri Merchants."
Two twins of the first Karakuri Merchant appeared to either side of it. (500 ATK x2)
"Now, like I said," continued Willy, "these constructs have no choice but to attack. And since your Monster most likely has more than 500 Defense Points, I'm Equipping one of them with the Ballista of Rampart Smashing."
He played the Equip Spell, and a long spear with a bladed head appeared in the hands of the center Karakuri.
"With this Equip, it will gain 1,500 Attack Points whenever it attacks a set Monster. And I think it will do just that…"
The Equipped Karakuri lurched forward, clanking and clattering with an uneven gait. Its Attack Score rose to 2,000. The defensive Monster appeared on the card… It was a small, blue gremlin with an oval head, big eyes, and thin limbs. The spear struck, and it shattered.
"That was Ojama Blue," said Ben. "And when it's destroyed by battle, I get to take two cards from my deck with the word 'Ojama' in them."
He took two cards from his deck, looked at them, and added them to his others.
"Hmm…" said Willy. "Ojamas, huh?"
"You know about them?" asked Ben.
"Of course," replied Willy. "Manjyome Jun caused a big sensation when he used them during his Pro League career."
Ben looked at him funny.
"Just how old are you?" he asked.
Willy rubbed his beard again.
"Not sure..." he replied. "Gnomes don't celebrate birthdays... Let's see… Given the current year, I'd say I'm around three-hundred and forty, give or take. But anyway…"
The other two Karakuri lunged at Ben, and slugged him in the face.
"Don't let your guard down now!" laughed Willy. "To end my turn, I'll play Karakuri Anatomy."
He fit a card into his Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.
(B: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 8,000)
"Draw…" said Ben, drawing a card.
"I play Monster Reincarnation," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "So, I toss one card…"
He discarded a card from his hand.
"…and I get my Ojama Blue back…"
He took Ojama Blue from his discard slot.
"Let me guess," said Willy, "the card you tossed was Ojamagic."
"That's right," said Ben. "Which means I get to take Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black from my deck."
Three cards appeared in his free hand.
"Then, I summon Ojama Red!"
In a small burst of light, another Ojama appeared, this one – obviously – red, with a bulb-shaped head, and a yellow scarf around its neck. (0 ATK)
"When Ojama Red is Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon all the Ojamas I can from my hand in Attack Mode. So everyone come on out!"
He threw four more cards on his Disk. First Ojama Blue appeared. Then came the three original Ojamas: a yellow one with eyes on stalks, a green one with one eye and a lolling tongue, and a black, chubby one with a big nose and a big grin. (0 ATK x4)
"So I guess now you're going to use that Hurricane Spell…" said Willy, nervously.
"Not exactly…" said Ben.
He opened the Field Slot on his Disk.
"I play the Field Spell, Ojama Country!"
He played the card, and a bright light enveloped the room. As the light subsided, the scenery had changed, and they were surrounded by a village full of the type of houses that cartoons depicted teddy bears and flower fairies living in. An odd smell, sort of like cheap cologne, filled the air.
"Where's this?" asked Willy. "Is this where Ojamas are from?"
"Possibly," replied Ben. "All I know is, they gain a few benefits here. The first one is, if I control at least one Ojama, the Attack and Defense Scores of all Monsters on the field switch."
The Attack Scores of the five Ojamas all became 1,000, while the Attack Scores of the three Karakuri Merchants became 1,500.
"For any Ojama, that's a benefit. It seems to have benefitted your Karakuri too… Or has it? I seem to remember you saying that they'll switch to Defense Mode if I attack them, and their Defense Scores are now only 500.
"Green! Black! Yellow! Wreck those three Karakuri Merchants!"
The three Ojamas flew at the three automations, and as Ben expected, they crouched in Defense Mode. (500 DEF x3) Ojama Green punched one of them, Ojama Black head-butted another, and Ojama Yellow kicked the third with both feet. The three Karakuri shattered into pixels.
"Red, Blue," ordered Ben, "attack Willy directly!"
The two remaining Ojamas charged at the gnome, and gave him two punches, knocking him down.
"Oh my…" said Willy, getting up.
"You all right?" said Ben, somewhat worried.
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Willy. "Never better. This is fun! I feel a hundred years younger!"
Ben raised an eyebrow again.
"Uh…" he said. "I think I'm gonna end my turn…"
(B: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,000)
"Okay then…" said Willy. "I draw one card…"
He drew a card, and looked at it.
"Then I use the effect of Karakuri Anatomy. See, each time one of my Karakuri changed its battle position, this card gained a Karakuri Counter, although it could only hold two. And by sending it to the Graveyard now, I can draw one card per Counter."
The Spell Card vanished, and Willy made two draws.
Let's see now… he thought. This Field Spell is pretty tricky… Got to summon the right Monster here…
He looked at the Monster he had searched for with the Merchant's effect. It was a useful one called Karakuri Bushi mdl 6318 'Muzanichiha'. It had 1,800 Attack Points, but the Field Spell would make its Attack Points only 600, its usual Defense Score.
Best save that one for later, he thought, as he looked at the other cards in his hand. Ah, this one will do…
"I call to the field Karakuri Ninja mdl 339 'Sanzank'!" he said.
Another clockwork automaton stepped onto the field. This one appeared to be made as much of metal as it was of wood. It wore a black cloak around its shoulders, held a long knife in its left hand, and a telescope in its right. (1,200 ATK)
"Don't forget," said Ben, "due to my Field Spell, your Karakuri's Attack and Defense Scores are switched."
"I know," said Willy, "but this Monster's Attack Score is exactly the same as its Defense Score, so your Field Spell has no discernable effect on it.
"So now I'll have it attack Ojama Green! Go! Shinobi strike!"
The Karakuri Ninja dashed forward, not as graceful as the typical Ninja was known for, but it still was able to strike hard with its weapon, blowing Ojama Green to pieces.
He needs all three of the original Ojamas to use the Hurricane Spell Card, thought Willy. I'd best prevent him from having them.
"I'll set one card," said Willy, as a facedown card appeared, "and my turn is over."
(B: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 6,000)
Ben made a draw.
"First I play… Polymerization," he said.
He played the Spell Card, and both Ojama Red and Ojama Blue were drawn into a vortex.
"I Fusion Summon… Ojama Knight!"
In a flash of energy, an Ojama dressed in the shining armor of a knight appeared, still wearing the same red shorts that all Ojamas wore over them, with Ojama Yellow's eyestalks protruding from its helmet. It held a sword and a shield. (0 ATK)
"Next, I use its effect, which renders two spaces in your Monster Zone unusable."
Willy looked at his Duel Disk, and saw a tiny Ojama Knight appear there, holding a marker as big as itself. It drew an X on two of the spaces in the Monster Zone, and then vanished.
"Don't forget…" continued Ben, "as long as I control an Ojama, the Field Spell swaps the Attack and Defense of all my Monsters…"
Ojama Knight doubled in size, now towering over the Karakuri Ninja. (2,500 ATK)
"Quite impressive," said Willy.
"I'm only half done," said Ben. "I'm using the second effect of my Field Spell. By discarding one card with the word 'Ojama' in its name, I can Special Summon an Ojama from my Graveyard."
He discarded a copy of Ojama Trio, and Ojama Green reappeared. (0 ATK) –) (1,000 ATK)
"Now, let's battle!" shouted Ben. "Ojama Knight, strike down his Karakuri Ninja!"
Ojama Knight lifted its sword.
"My Karakuri moves to Defense Mode…" said Willy.
The Karakuri Ninja crouched and shielded itself. (1,200 DEF)
"And since it changed its battle position, I can activate THIS!"
His facedown card flipped up.
"It's called Karakuri Trick House. I can now destroy any card on the field. I could destroy your Knight…
"But, seeing as you could revive it by using your Field Spell, that's what I'm going to get rid of."
The village around them crumbled into dust, and the toy store around them reappeared. Ojama Knight fell back to zero Attack Points, and when it swung its sword against the Karakuri, the weapon snapped, and it tumbled backwards. The three normal Ojamas also fell to zero Attack Points.
"Yeah, well…" said Ben, "I still have someone who can dish out some damage. I move to my second Main Phase, and summon the Man-Thro' Tro."
As he played the card, a big, fat ogre with floppy folds of skin lumbered onto the field. (1,000 ATK)
"Eh?" said Willy.
"This big guy's effect is kind of like Cannon Soldier," said Ben, "but he does 800 points of damage per Monster sacrificed.
"However, I can only sacrifice Normal Monsters… And I can't use tokens."
Man-Thro' Tro grabbed Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow, and Ojama Black.
"As you might expect, Ojamas make excellent ammunition!"
The ogre hurled the three Ojamas, one by one, and Willy, was knocked over as he was hit by them.
"Ooh…" he said. "I never liked dodge ball…"
"Okay…" said Ben. "I'll set one card…"
A reversed card appeared.
"And I'll end my turn."
(B: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,600)
Willy quickly made a draw.
"I call to the field Karakuri Soldier mdl 236 'Nisamu'," he said.
Another Karakuri appeared, this one made mostly of wood with a few metal gears in its joints. It had a barrel-like apparatus on its back, one red eye on its otherwise featureless face, a rope tied around its waist like a belt, and carried a spear made of bamboo. (1,400 ATK)
"Next, I move my Ninja to Attack Mode," he continued.
The Karakuri Ninja stood up. (1,200 ATK)
"And it will attack your Man-Thro Tro!"
Sanzank leapt at the huge ogre, and stabbed its dagger into the huge Beast-Warrior's gut. Man-Thro Tro's eyes bugged out, and then it shattered.
"Next, my Soldier attacks your Knight!" exclaimed Willy.
Nisamu rushed at Ojama Knight, spear first…
"I activate… Book of Moon!" shouted Ben, as his set Spell Card lifted up. "I'll use it to flip my Monster into set position!"
Ojama Knight vanished, and was replaced by a set Monster.
Willy frowned, and threw a card into his Disk.
"I have a Quickplay Spell too," he said. "Golden Gearbox! It boosts my Karakuri's Attack Score by 500 and its Defense Score by 1,500."
(1,900 ATK)
"So with 500 more Attack Points, it will cushion the blow."
Ojama Knight appeared on the card, shielding itself. (2,500 DEF) The Karakuri Solider tried to stab with its spear, only for the weapon to snap, and for it to fall on its back.
Willy looked at his Duel Disk. At least Ojama Knight was no longer sealing two spaces in his Monster Zone, because it had been flipped facedown.
"I end my turn," he said.
(B: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,000)
"I draw one card…" said Ben.
He drew a card.
"I set a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, as a set Monster appeared, "and then move Ojama Knight to Attack Mode."
Ojama Knight stood up. (0 ATK)
"Huh?" said Willy.
"I play an Equip Spell," said Ben, as he played his last card. "Shield Attack! By playing this, the Equipped Monster's Attack and Defense switch. So once again, my Ojama goes from pathetic to powerful."
Ojama Knight grew to twice its size again, and a new sword appeared in its hand. (2,500 ATK)
"Now, let's try this again… Attack his Karakuri Ninja!"
Ojama Knight flew at the mechanized assassin. Sanzank crouched in Defense Mode, and the Knight's sword fell, smashing it to pieces.
"I'll end my turn there."
Willy made a draw.
It was the Trap Card, Bottomless Trap Hole.
Heh, he thought. A fat lot of good this will do me against a bunch of Ojamas… The only Monster he might have that it would work on would be Snipe Hunter.
He looked at the facedown Monster.
I have a pretty good idea what that is… I don't think I want to attack it just yet…
He turned the card on his Disk, and Nisamu knelt in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)
"That will be all for this turn," he said.
"I thought you said that your Monsters had to attack," said Ben.
"I said that they had to attack if able," replied Willy. "It can't attack if it's in Defense Mode, now can it?"
"I… guess not…" said Ben, as he made a draw.
A Trap Card… he thought.
"All right, Willy, I'm setting this card facedown," he said, as he fit it into his Disk.
"Then my Knight is going to smash your Soldier!"
Ojama Knight brought its sword down on the Karakuri Soldier, blowing it to shards.
"Thank you!" said Willy. "Now I can activate its effect.
"See, when Nisamu is destroyed, I get to Special Summon a low-Level Karakuri from my deck in Attack Position.
"I choose Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 'Nishipachi'."
A new Karakuri appeared. This one was also made of wood, but was also well-dressed, in what appeared to be an old-fashioned Japanese military officer's formal wear. (500 ATK)
"By summoning it, I can change the Battle Position of any Monster on the field. So I choose to change Ojama Knight to Defense Mode."
The armored Ojama knelt and sheathed its sword. (0 DEF)
"Okay…" said Ben, slowly. "I end my turn…"
"My move!" exclaimed Willy.
He drew a card.
"I summon Karakuri Bushi mdl 6318 'Muzanichiha'!" he said.
A new Karakuri appeared. This one was, like the Ninja, made of both wood and metal. It wore a very large coolie hat (which was made of straw, unlike the Merchant's) and held a weapon that looked like a katana, but made of wood. (1,800 ATK)
"I almost forgot to mention…" said Willy. "My Karakuri Strategist is a Tuner Monster…"
The two Karakuri flew towards the ceiling. Nishipachi faded into three glowing stars, while Muzanichiha faded into four.
"Behold as the clockwork machinations contained within these constructs combine to form an automaton of incredible power!"
(*3 + *4 = *7)
"Synchro Summon… Karakuri Shogun mdl 00 'Burei'!"
The largest Karakuri yet walked onto the field. Unlike the others, this one was all-metal, and designed to resemble a suit of Japanese plate armor. Ben also noticed that it was moving far more smoothly that the other Karakuri he had seen – unlike the other ones, this was a very well-built Machine. Oddly, it had no weapon, only a fan-like device in its right hand. (2,600 ATK)
"You notice a difference already?" asked Willy. "This Karakuri is a superior design. It doesn't have to attack every round, and it won't be forced into Defense Mode if you attack it.
"And it has two powerful effects. First, by Synchro Summoning it, I'm able to summon another Karakuri from my deck. So, I'll summon Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 'Kuikku'."
Another of the wooden clockworks appeared, this one holding twin daggers. Despite the lack of features on its face, the long hair going down the back of its head and the style of its clothing gave the impression that this was a female Karakuri. (1,700 ATK)
"Also," continued Willy, "once per turn, I'm able to switch the Battle Position of any Monster on the field. And I choose your set Monster."
The Shogun started waving its fan. Ben's facedown Monster flipped into Attack Mode. As Willy had expected, Morphing Jar appeared, and let out a cackle. (700 ATK)
Willy grinned. He discarded the four cards in his hand, and made five draws. Ben simply made five draws.
"All right!" said Willy. "Time to show you what these Karakuri are capable of… Kuikku, slay his Ojama Knight!"
With the same uneven gait, the Karakuri Ninja charged at Ojama Knight. With two slashes of daggers, the armored Ojama was blown to bits.
"Since it destroyed a Monster, I get to use its effect, and Special Summon a low-Level Karakuri from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."
Karakuri Bushi appeared again, kneeling and holding its sword in its lap. (600 DEF)
"Shogun, blow that Morphing Jar away!" continued Willy. "Storm of the Shogun!"
The Shogun started beating its fan again, causing a virtual hurricane. Ben braced himself as the grinning Jar was eroded into sand.
"I set one facedown card, and end my turn," said Willy, as a set card appeared. "It's your move."
My Karakuri Klock should prevent any attempt to attack, he thought, so long as I have a Karakuri.
(B: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,000)
Ben paused for a minute. Then he made a draw.
"I play… Ojamandala," he said, as he played a Spell Card.
"Eh?" said Willy. "That… Sounds familiar, but…"
"I give up 1,000 Life Points," said Ben, "and Yellow, Black, and Green return to the field."
The three original Ojamas leapt onto the field, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF x3)
Then he fit two cards into his Disk, and two more set cards appeared in his Spell Zone.
"It's your move…" he said.
(B: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,000)
Willy chuckled as he made a draw.
"You must have forgotten," he said. "Once per round, my Shogun can change the Battle Position of any Monster on the field…"
The mechanical Shogun beat its fan again, and Ojama Yellow leapt into Attack Mode. (0 ATK) Then Willy played a Spell Card.
The Karakuri Bushi moved into Attack Mode as well. (1,800 ATK)
"Shogun… Attack Ojama Yellow!"
Burei started beating its fan again. Ojama Yellow struggled, but exploded into shards.
"Kuikku, you next!"
The Ninja leapt at Ojama Black, and made a stab with its daggers, blowing it out of existence.
Willy lifted his hand, and Karakuri Strategist mdl 248 'Nishipachi' appeared again. (1,600 DEF)
"You remember what Nishipachi can do, right?" he asked.
Ojama Green moved into Attack Mode. (0 ATK)
Muzanichiha made a cut with his sword, slicing it in half.
"Well, that was…" started Willy.
Then he noticed the score. Ben's Life Points were untouched.
Then he noticed that Ben had activated a Trap Card.
"I see…" he said. "Hallowed Life Barrier…"
"I simply had to toss a card," said Ben, "and I take no damage this round."
Then another of his facedown cards shot up.
"Now I activate another Trap Card!" he exclaimed. "Over Limit!
"By paying only 500 Life Points, all Normal Monsters with 1,000 or less Attack Points that were destroyed this turn by battle are Special Summoned to my side of the field."
The three Ojamas appeared once again. (0 ATK x3)
"Heh, heh…" chuckled Willy. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!
"Heh… I guess it's the Ojamas' nature... Just when you think they're gone, they turn up again... Kind of like the bloating you get after eating sauerkraut."
He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Your move... I can hardly wait to see what comes next."
My Interdimensional Matter Transporter is set, he thought, so even if he uses Hurricane, my Shogun will survive.
(B: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 3,000)
Ben drew a card.
Then he grinned.
"Oh no…" said Willy. "Don't tell me…"
"No, it's not Hurricane," said Ben, showing him the card.
It was a second Polymerization card.
"Time to bring all three of these little guys together into one big guy…"
The three Ojamas turned into swirls of yellow, green, and black energy, and then that energy burst into an explosion of colorful stars…
The biggest Ojama of them all appeared in front of Ben. When you studied it closely, it became clear that it was an amalgamation of the three Monsters that were fused to summon it. It had Ojama Yellow's eye-stalks, Ojama Green's mouth, and Ojama Black's basic body shape, colored pale white. It wore the same shorts as the other Ojamas, a green cape, and a crown-shaped beanie on top.
Ojama King gave out a loud, throaty laugh. (0 ATK)
"I don't get it…" said Willy. "I don't have enough empty spaces for you to use Ojama Trio… Unless you have a second Ojamandala, I don't see how you could be planning to use Ojamuscle…"
A card slipped out of Ben's deck, and he took it.
"Ojama King has another use," he said. "Since you seem to like Machines so much, I'm going to summon one… I play the Spell Card, Mecha Ojama King Transformation!"
As the Spell Card appeared, Ojama King levitated into the air, and magical energy surrounded it. Its skin became metallic, and its joints became mechanical. The regular Ojama King had been replaced by Mecha Ojama King. (0 ATK)
"As you can see," said Ben, "Mecha Ojama King has as many Attack Points as any other Ojama – zero. But it can also summon an Ojamachine once per turn."
There was an aura of light, and a small, grinning robot version of Ojama Yellow appeared in front of Mecha Ojama King. (0 ATK)
"And this little guy has an effect too…"
Ojamachine Yellow blurred, like a static image on a screen. Then the image spread, and the one Ojamachine Yellow turned into four. (0 ATK x4)
Willy's hand tensed. He knew this strategy. He had seen several duelists lose after Manjyome had used it.
Oh, what am I worried about? he thought. When he tries to attack my Shogun, I'll trigger my Karakuri Klock, and then…
Then Ben's last facedown card lifted up, the one he had set before Morphing Jar was flipped.
"Solar Ray?" shouted Willy.
"That's right," said Ben. "It inflicts 600 points of damage for every Light-Attribute Monster I have.
"And since I have five, well… You seem pretty smart… You do the math."
I just remembered something… thought Willy. When I was a hundred years younger, things weren't all that pleasant…
Then he screamed as a super-intense beam of light shot down, striking him.
(B: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (W: 0)
"Whoa…" he said, as he held his head.
He got up. He took a deep breath.
"One thing's for sure, Ben…" he said. "You're a powerful duelist… I haven't seen anyone since Manjyome himself use Ojamas with such skill… And even he rarely used only Ojamas… He usually combined them with either Armed Dragons or Union Machines.
"I wish I could tell you more about that Duel Disk but…"
He stopped short.
"Hey, wait just a minute…"
He took a wallet out of his overalls, and started looking through it.
"I may not be able to analyze that thing… But I know someone who should be able to as easy as going from point A to point B…"
"Really?" asked Ben.
Willy took a business card out of the wallet and handed it to Ben.
"There you go, Ben," he said. "The store mentioned on that card belongs to an associate of mine. If he can't explain that Duel Disk, I dare say nobody can."
Ben looked at the card.
The Parted Veil
Rare Books
"The greatest knowledge lies within."
The card also had a street address and a phone number.
"Where is this place?" asked Ben.
"St. Louis," said Willy. "It belongs to a gnome named Kesto Brighteyes. Unlike me, Kesto is a true wizard, and he's a wealth of information on all things supernatural. He's a little eccentric, but he's got a lot up here…"
He pointed to his head.
"Now, I believe Kesto is lecturing at the Academy of Modern Wizardry in Vienna right now, but he should be back the day after tomorrow."
"But how will I get to St. Louis?" asked Ben.
"Just call the phone number on that card," said Willy. "Kesto will tell you what to do."
Ben looked at the card for a long time.
"Thank you…" he said.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Meanwhile, Tiberius and Lorelei were in the middle of a room, with Graves standing in the background. They were talking to three beings on a holographic screen – the same three who had scolded the Dread Emperor after his duel with Ben.
They were, in fact, the Triad, Doomdreamers who could communicate better with the Dark God than any other. They were the most powerful followers of the Dark God currently alive, and were the uncontested leaders of the cult. They were so terrible, in fact, that even other Doomdreamers were frightened of them. Tiberius and Lorelei hated to admit it, but they were scared every time they had to speak to these three… And Graves? He wasn't even a Doomdreamer, and was downright petrified to be here, but he had made a career out of not losing his nerve, and figured that as long as he simply didn't look at them, he wouldn't panic.
Again, the Triad were seated on thrones, and no other features could be seen in the dark room they were in.
The old man on the highest throne was the First. An exiled Incantifer, he had been with the cult longer than any other member. No-one knew his age (Incantifers could theoretically live forever unless they were killed), although he claimed to be old enough to remember the days when the Dark God was not imprisoned. This was a lie, but there could be no questioning the incredible dark powers he could harness.
The aboleth next to him was the Second. Most likely the most powerful member of its species known on Earth, it was nonetheless an exile among them. (As egotistical as they were, an aboleth who chose to even acknowledge a power higher than its species, let alone serve one, were thought of with disdain.) It had not been with the cult as long as the First had, but it was older than he was in terms of age, and it actually could remember the time when the Dark God was free, albeit only through the assimilated racial memory common to all aboleth.
The female member, the Third, was the newest and youngest member of the Triad. She was a genasi, a very rare type of Shadow-Touched. A genasi's Shadowkind parent is an elemental being of some type, and more often than not, magic is involved in their births. In the Third's case, she was born on the Elemental Plane of Wind and raised in the court of Yan-C-Bin, the Evil Elemental Lord of Wind. She was later given to the cult as a gift (the Evil Elemental Lords claim that the Dark God spawned them, so they are allies with his priesthoods) and she quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Doomdreamer and recently becoming the Third when that position opened.
No-one knew exactly where the Triad made their home base. Most likely, it was in some pocket dimension or Lower Plane. They rarely left it, wherever it was, rarely visiting any lesser temples. They weren't welcome visitors. Having one of them visit you was never a good sign, and usually resulted in someone dying, or at least being taken away and never seen again.
Tiberius had just finished explaining the strange Equip Spells that Hape had shown him, which seemed to represent the artifacts of the Dark Forge.
"Interesting…" said the First.
"So, you think these cards will work towards our goals?" asked Tiberius.
"I didn't say that," replied the First. "I said they were interesting."
"Well, uhm…" said Tiberius, nervously. "He also said that someone is helping the local Shadowchasers who may be a threat…"
The Triad looked at each other.
"That's interesting too," said the Third. "The Dread Emperor said the same thing…"
"Normally we'd be wary of taking anything he says at face value," said the Second's telepathic voice, "but if this Hape fellow has also said it…
"Does this Hape show any special skills?"
"His fighting technique is reminiscent of the ancient Suloise Knights," replied Lorelei.
The Triad looked at each other again.
"Perhaps these new cards are indeed worthy of our attention," said the First. "Find two expendable minions and have them test two of these cards out by making a distraction. We'll monitor their work from here."
The holographic screen vanished.
"Graves, go get Gripilus," said Tiberius, turning around. "Lorelei, go check on our other recent recruit. In the meantime, I'll dig something up that might give us a further advantage while they're making this distraction..."
Tiberius walked out of the room via one exit as Graves and Lorelei walked out of two others.
Sending an assassin after a Shadowchaser directly is pointless, he thought, due to the bargain that Jalal made centuries ago with... uhm, that other group. However, never let it be said that I didn't know how to exploit loopholes. If this nameless threat to our temple is staying with them as a guest, he's not included in the agreement, and I'm free to send a professional to at least go for a look.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
OJAMANDALA (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The three original Ojamas as figures on a Buddhist painted mandala.
Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon 1 "Ojama Yellow", 1 "Ojama Green", and 1 "Ojama Black" from your Graveyard.
Note: "Ojamandala" was first used by Manjyome in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-been", and became a staple of his deck after that. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MECHA OJAMA KING TRANSFORMATION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: The image on this card was not shown.
Card Description: Tribute 1 "Ojama King" you control. Special Summon 1 "Mecha Ojama King" from your hand or deck. If you control a face-up "Ojama King", you can add this card from your deck to your hand.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MECHA OJAMA KING (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 3,000
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Mecha Ojama King Transformation". Once per turn, you may Special Summon 1 "Ojamachine Yellow", 1 "Ojamachine Green" or 1 "Ojamachine Black" from your hand or deck.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
OJAMACHINE YELLOW (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 3
ATK: 0
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: When this card is Summoned, Special Summon as many "Ojamachine Yellow Tokens" as possible, with the same ATK, DEF, Level, Type, Attribute, and effects as this card. You take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. When this card is destroyed by battle, inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent.
Note: The preceding three cards were first used by Manjyome in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-been". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHIELD ATTACK (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A cartoonish picture of an old man hitting an oriental soldier on the head in a bar with a beer keg.
Card Description: Switch the ATK and DEF of the Monster Equipped with this card.
Note: "Shield Attack" was first used by Judai in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Nichole: I've always hated the underground dueling arena near Hyde Park. Like most such places, it turns the game of Duel Monsters into a brutal cockfight. But as much as I'd like to step in and close it down, Dugan has kept saying that until Shadows are involved, it's not our problem.
My chance to handle this eyesore has finally come, because now the place has someone fighting there who is specifically requesting Shadowkind as opponents. Taking him down and taking the place down in the process will be a pleasure…
There's just one problem…
I recognize this guy's name… And he's supposed to be dead.
"A Vestige From the Past; The Predator" is next.