I'd like to make a few things clear, due to the promptings of a reader.
As you know, a lot of this fic takes elements from the Dungeons & Dragons RPG. I never brought this up, but another RPG that it is based on is Urban Arcana, a lesser known game, also created by Wizards of the Coast. (Which is basically the same game in a modern setting.)
Now, I am doing nothing wrong by using this material. I am still working within the guidelines set forth by Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License. But for sake of completeness, I thought I'd give everything its due credit.
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DUEL TWENTY-ONE
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Dragon's Rage
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One hour later, Hebi-Na sulked as she sat on the front of the altar, leaning her head on her hand.
"Guard her?" she grumbled. "I don't even like her... And I'm bored!
"She could have at least put a TV in this temple or something..."
She looked at Taramanda, who was still in her trance. She had to admit, she was tempted...
But Taramanda had a valid point. Where would she go if her empress died? She could run, but not forever. The Shadowchasers would likely offer a big reward for anyone who turned her in, and she was just starting to realize that this might be the way to avoid the grim fate that was waiting for her if she had been convicted.
Besides, what was she going to do? Taramanda was immune to the poison of other ophidia... The only thing Hebi-Na might be able to try right now was try to strangle her... But Taramanda was incredibly strong. She could well snap out of the trance before the job was done, and she would stop her. Hebi-Na had narrowly escaped being devoured that first time, and she didn't want to tempt fate again.
She sighed...
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Once again, we must take into account the nine-hour time difference between Great Britain and Japan. Where it was six PM in Neo Domino, it was 9 AM in London.
Jalal was sitting in his dining room, a half-eaten breakfast of bagels and cream cheese to his side. He was less interested in that than he was in the old books he was looking through. The recent developments had required him to do quite a bit of research... First the Dark Synchros, and now this new development with the card Shichiro had received...
With the latter, he was having very little luck. He had studied magic for over a millennium, had studied the runic magic of Celtic tribes, the enchantments of the fey world, had read arcane works in Gaelic, Welsh, Old English, Latin, and dozens of other dead languages...
But while he was so learned in magic, the details of cosmic power left him drawing a blank. He knew as little about it as Dr. Who likely knew about magic.
"Grand convergence of 1748..." he muttered, reading. "Founding of the Star Seeds... Sighting of..."
He sighed, and closed the book.
"No, that doesn't fit," he said.
"The biggest hole here... The Titans seem to be attracted to Earth somehow by the Dark Synchros, and maybe by the Earthbound Gods...
"But how in the world could they have ever come into conflict with the Earthbound Gods? Those demons were imprisoned in the great battle with the Crimson Dragon five-thousand years ago, before these four individuals were even born!"
He sighed.
"As much as I don't like it..." he said, "I may have to go to the Black Library again and deal with Xvartnar... That is, if he still has his job... That's always a bloody pain..."
Then he was startled as an alarm went off.
He quickly got up, and moved to a speaker phone.
"McEwen, report!" he shouted.
"I'm here, boss," said a voice, over the speaker. "Guess who's back?"
"Figures," said Jalal. "I knew it would come back... You're sticking with the plan, right?"
"Yeah, boss," said the voice, "but something is different this time... It's not smashing through our defenses like it did before... It seems to be carefully avoiding them. It seems more focused than last time, like it had a more specific goal...
"And, it's not going anywhere near the legal sector this time. It's... uhm..."
There was a long pause.
"McEwen?" asked Jalal.
"Boss, get out of that manor house!" screamed McEwen. "Get out of there, now!"
Jalal didn't wait for an explanation. He ran over to a cabinet, and tapped a drawer twice. It slid open.
He took out a short, wooden rod, and tucked it in the back of his belt.
Then he turned around, just as the wall to his dining room was torn down, and the bloodsilver golem stormed in.
Jalal glared at it, and the golem glared back.
"Hello, Jalal," it said, in Taramanda's voice. "I've wanted to meet you for quite some time..."
"So, you can talk now, huh?" asked Jalal.
He looked, and saw that several of his troops were surrounding the place with heavy-duty weaponry.
"I'm guessing that not even the Primals could have given a golem sentience... Clearly, I'm speaking to someone who's controlling it by remote control."
"You may call me Empress," said Taramanda.
"Empress?" asked Jalal, in a sarcastic tone. "If I had known I would be entertaining royalty, I would have dressed appropriately."
His eyes narrowed.
"You realize then, that by attacking my compound, twice now, whatever empire you rule has now committed terrorist acts."
"Well..." said Taramanda. "I'm not about to tell you where my center of government is."
"You come here by remote control," said Jalal, "not willing to face me directly, not willing to show your face, not willing to give your name... Seems like the mark of a coward."
"You dare insult me when I control a golem this powerful?" asked Taramanda.
Jalal sighed.
"Look," he said, "threatening me is not going to do anything. If the idea was to break into here to kill me, take a number. You may be the first one who's broken into this house, but regardless, if a week doesn't go by without at least one attempt on my life, I think something is seriously wrong."
Taramanda stopped short.
"It happens that often?" she asked.
"I just don't understand why they never learn," asked Jalal. "I ask, why can't they see the fates of their numerous predecessors, who failed miserably and are either dead or in jail?"
"I know that you can't be killed, Jalal," she replied. "You're immortal, and have a supernatural healing factor. If I broke every bone in your body with this thing, you'd be back on your feet in a day.
"But the same can't be said for any of your men who are now surrounding this house. I wouldn't lose any sleep if I broke some of their necks before you enacted whatever plan you have to destroy this golem."
Jalal grit his teeth.
"However…" she continued, "I'm willing to fight you as your Treaty outlines if you tell your men to keep their distance…"
"Why?" asked Jalal.
"Why do you think?" asked Taramanda, with a hint of bile in her voice. "To humiliate you! To beat you at your own game! It will be the first step towards dealing you a more permanent defeat."
"Well…" said Jalal. "Since that's the best deal you'll give me…"
He clicked on a communication device.
"Everyone, fall back," he said.
"You sure boss?" asked McEwen's voice.
"Positive," said Jalal. "I'll handle this on my own..."
He held up his arm, and his own special Duel Disk appeared on it. It was gold plated, the tray shaped like a dragon's wing, and the deck holder shaped like the head of a gold wyrm, holding the deck in its mouth.
The golem's chest cavity opened, and it took the Duel Disk from there. It used a special attachment to plug it into a port in its left arm.
"I've been waiting a long time for this..." said Taramanda.
(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Taramanda: 8,000)
"I make one draw," said Jalal, drawing a card.
He looked over his six cards.
"I set two cards, and then summon Mirage Dragon."
Two facedown cards appeared on the field, and then a small, wingless, oriental-style Dragon appeared in front of them. It was translucent, and seemed to be sculpted out of pure light. (1,600 ATK)
"And I conclude my turn."
"Then, I draw," said Taramanda, making a draw.
"I play a Spell Card called Dark Shuffle," she said, as a Spell appeared in front of the golem. "This lets me take five Dark-Attribute Monsters from my deck, and put them on top in any order."
"That may be true," said Jalal, closing his eyes, "but when you actually draw them, you aren't allowed to use them."
"You'll see the point soon," said Taramanda, as she placed five cards on the top of her deck. "Moving on, I set three cards facedown, and then defend with a Monster."
Three reversed cards and a reversed Monster appeared in five flashes of light.
"I end MY turn," she said.
"Then I draw!" said Jalal, making a draw.
"I sacrifice Mirage Dragon..."
Mirage Dragon turned into a globe of light.
"...to summon Des Volstgalph!"
With a loud roar, a much bigger, winged Dragon appeared. It was covered by an armored, serrated carapace, the edges accented by sharp horns. (2,200 ATK)
"Next," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Mirage Dragon."
Mirage Dragon appeared in another blast of light. (1,600 ATK)
"If you're thinking of springing those Traps on me, forget it. Mirage Dragon prevents you from using them during the Battle Phase.
"Des Volstgalph, destroy her Monster!"
The huge Dragon blasted a beam of intense energy from its jaws, incinerating the hidden Monster in a loud blast.
"And when Des Volstgalph destroys a Monster, you lose 500 Life Points."
"Maybe so..." said Taramanda, "but the Monster you just destroyed was my Morphing Jar, so now we must discard our hands and make five draws."
Jalal raised an eyebrow. He discarded his three cards, Sangan, Luster Dragon #2, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok, and made five draws. Taramanda discarded one card, Mystic Tomato, and drew five.
"I hope you realize..." said Jalal, looking at his cards, "those five cards you have count as drawn... So you now have a hand of five cards that you aren't allowed to use due to your Dark Shuffle...
"But anyway... Mirage Dragon, attack directly with spectrum blast!"
Mirage Dragon blasted a stream of multicolored light at the golem's metal torso, and it glanced off.
"Doesn't hurt," said Taramanda. "My real body is a world away, after all, and this one is made of metal. Your attacks can't hurt me in the least...
"But I know that pain is one thing you aren't immune to."
"If you're quite done telling me things I already know," said Jalal, "it's your move..."
(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,900)
"I make one draw," said Taramanda.
She looked at the card she had drawn.
"Then, I activate this..."
One of her facedown cards lifted.
"The Spell Card, Card Destruction! Now we must both fold all our cards, and draw an equal number."
Jalal frowned. They both discarded their hands. Jalal made five draws, and Taramanda made six.
"Next, part two," said Taramanda, as another facedown card lifted. "The Trap Card, Disgraceful Charity!"
A winged female form flew out of the card and over the room. Jalal recognized her as Marie the Fallen One, a fiendish woman with black feathered wings and golden crosses branded on the backs of her hands. She gestured, and both Duel Disks glowed.
"This Trap Card lets us recover all the cards we discarded this round," continued Taramanda.
Jalal's eyes opened wide as the five cards he had just discarded slipped out of his discard slot. He took them...
Then he looked, as his opponent took the six cards she discarded.
"You sent them to the Graveyard and then recovered them from it..." he said softly.
"Which means I'm free to use them!" laughed Taramanda. "And I'm going to summon one of them right now...
"Meet the one and only Don Zaloog."
She played the card, and in an aura of dark energy, a familiar Warrior appeared. A tall bandit wearing an eyepatch, dressed in leather armor and an ammunition belt bandoleer. He carried two old-fashioned pistols. (1,400 ATK)
"I'm not scared of him," said Jalal.
"Then maybe you'll be scared of this," said Taramanda, as she played a Spell Card.
Jalal stepped back in surprise. His opponent's strategy now became perfectly clear...
"I play Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!" shouted Taramanda. "With Don Zaloog on the field, I can Special Summon all four members of his team from my hand.
"First, I'll summon the team's intellectual, the dashing and always reliable Cliff the Trap Remover."
In another aura of dark energy, another Warrior appeared, dressed in armor similar to Don's, wearing spectacles, and holding a long knife. (1,200 ATK)
"Then there's the strong arm of the group, the strong and usually silent Gorg the Strong..."
A much more muscular and taller Warrior appeared, this one completely bald with a pug nose. He held an iron mace. (1,800 ATK)
"Then there's the group's obligatory female, the lovely yet lethal Meanae the Thorn..."
A female Warrior appeared, dressed in a feminine version of the same outfit, holding a barbed whip. (1,000 ATK)
"And finally, the guy who's likely there to come up with bad ideas so that others can come up with good ones... Chick the Yellow."
The final member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, a young teenager with a mop of blonde hair, holding a wooden hammer. (1,000 ATK)
The five Dark Scorpions looked at Jalal and grinned...
He really hadn't needed an introduction. There was a member of his organization's group in Rome who used these Warriors... But he never dreamed he'd be facing them.
He took a deep breath. He knew right away what the next move was going to be...
Taramanda's final facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Dark Scorpion Combination!" she exclaimed.
Jalal sighed. He was right.
"Now all five Scorpions can attack directly," she said, "but only doing 400 points of damage per strike.
"GO!"
The five bandits leapt at Jalal. Cliff made a slash with his knife, Chick jammed him with his hammer, Gorg clubbed with his mace, Meanae cracked her whip, and Don fired four rounds with his pistols.
Jalal managed to maintain his footing, but he held his side and sweat poured down his face.
(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,900)
"I rarely say this about humans, Jalal," said Taramanda, "but the Dark Scorpions are my kind of crooks. They fight really dirty."
"You don't say," grumbled Jalal.
"Yes," continued Taramanda, "especially since each one has two effects, and I can activate one of them each time one of them inflicts damage.
"Let's start with Chick. His effect returns one of your Monsters back to your hand."
Mirage Dragon vanished, its card appearing back in Jalal's hand.
"Then there's Gorg. He sends one of your Monsters back to the top of your deck."
Des Volstgalph vanished, appearing on top of Jalal's deck.
"Next, let's use Cliff's effect. I think I'll use the one that lets me destroy one Spell or Trap Card."
Jalal's facedown My Body as a Shield shattered.
"Then we move to Don. He sends one card in your hand to the Graveyard."
The Sphere of Chaos in Jalal's hand vanished.
"Finally," said Taramanda, "Meanae's effect lets me take any card with the words 'Dark Scorpion' in its name from my deck or Graveyard..."
Dark Scorpion Combination slipped out of the Disk's discard slot, and the golem took it.
"Heh, heh..." she said. "I'll end my turn with two facedown cards..."
Two reversed cards appeared.
"...and it's your move..."
Jalal frowned and made a draw. Naturally, it was Des Volstgalph.
"I take it you intend to activate Dark Scorpion Combination next round too..." he said. "Trust me, that's a pipe dream..."
"What do you..." asked Taramanda.
Then she stopped short. She realized now that there was a major flaw in her initial plan. Sure, it had let her summon all five of the Dark Scorpions at once with relative ease, but both Card Destruction and Disgraceful Charity had applied to Jalal as well. This now gave him access to a hand of eleven cards.
To make things worse, she knew that almost all of his Monsters were stronger than hers. That was the major weakness of the Dark Scorpions. Her two set cards were Dark Scorpion Combination and a Trap that was no good at stopping an attack – she had set it for another purpose...
Still... Jalal didn't know that the Dark Scorpions were only a prelude to something much bigger...
"I summon the Lord of Dragons!" exclaimed Jalal.
He played the card, and a Spellcaster wearing a dark robe, a cape with a high collar, and a helmet shaped like a dragon's jaw appeared. (1,200 ATK)
"Next," he said, playing a Spell Card, "I play Dragon's Mirror."
"Dragon's Mirror?" said Taramanda. "That means that one of the cards you tossed when my Morphing Jar was flipped..."
"Was Divine Dragon Ragnarok..." said Jalal, closing his eyes.
Then wispy, cloudy Dragon appeared next to Lord of Dragons.
"So I can fuse both of them together..." he continued.
Both Monsters swirled into an orb of multicolored light.
"...to summon King Dragun!"
In an explosion of flames, a new Dragon appeared. From the waist up, it was Lord of Dragons, holding a staff that looked like the Flute of Summoning Dragon. From the waist down, he was a golden, serpentine Dragon. (2,400 ATK)
"So long as King Dragun is on the field," said Jalal, "all my Dragons cannot be targeted by any card effects.
"I'm also allowed to Special Summon a Dragon from my hand every round. So I summon the mighty Tyrant Dragon!"
In another explosion of flames, a much larger, even meaner-looking Dragon appeared. It resembled a classic Dragon, and was twice as tall as King Dragun.
It looked at the golem and the five now-terrified Dark Scorpions, and growled, smoke seeping from its tooth-filled maw... (2,900 ATK)
"Well..." said Taramanda, "before it's too late..."
Her facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Gift of the Mystical Elf! Now, I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field. I count seven."
The golem glowed with energy.
(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 8,000)
"Time to pay your Scorpions back with interest," said Jalal. "King Dragun, attack Don Zaloog with Twilight Burn!"
King Dragun blasted flames from his staff, and the bandit leader went up in smoke.
"Tyrant Dragon, attack Chick the Yellow with Imperial Inferno!"
The huge Dragon belched a super-hot stream of flames, and the golem shielded itself as Chick was obliterated.
"Now I use Tyrant Dragon's effect," said Jalal, "to attack a second Monster!"
Tyrant Dragon breathed again, eradicating Meanae, and knocking the golem on its seat.
Cliff the Trap Remover and Gorg the Strong were holding each other and shivering...
"Oh, cut it out, you two!" demanded Taramanda, getting up.
"All right, whoever you are," said Jalal. "I'm ending my turn... And since I'm doing so with a hand of eight cards, I have to discard two of them..."
He discarded Des Volstgalph and Super Rejuvenation.
(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)
"Heh, heh, heh..." said Taramanda, as the golem got up.
"I knew the stories about you weren't exaggerations…"
"Really?" asked Jalal. "Most folks think they are."
"I have more sense," said Taramanda.
She made a draw.
"I figure, this guy has been leading the Shadowchasers for one-thousand years, he must be doing something right...
"Still... I brought a little surprise...
"I sacrifice both Cliff and Gorg..."
The two Dark Scorpions breathed a sigh of relief just before they vanished.
"...in order to summon Dark Tuner Nightmare Hand!"
The creature that appeared was hard to describe. It looked like a vaguely humanoid statue made of black and purple plastic, with blocky features, oversized hands and feet, and a head shaped like an inverted triangle with a concave top. Where the face would be was instead a symbol that looked like three circles inside each other, surrounded by a fourth circle made of a jagged line. (0 ATK)
"A Dark Tuner??" exclaimed Jalal. "So... You're the one behind these Dark Synchros?"
"That's right, Jalal..." said Taramanda. "But as one human once said, you ain't seen nothing yet. The three that appeared in Neo Domino were trial runs. I saved a good one for this duel.
"Nightmare Hand's effect now lets me Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from my hand or Graveyard. So I'll summon The Bewitching Phantom Thief."
A new Monster appeared next to the Dark Tuner. It was a gentleman burglar, dressed in a tuxedo, cloak, and top hat, holding a long cane. (700 ATK)
Then he suddenly looked nervous as Nightmare Hand glowed with eerie energy.
The Dark Tuner turned into a dark cloud, with ten glowing stars around it. The Phantom Thief started to panic as he was engulfed by the cloud, and the ten stars turned into eight black stars.
Taramanda laughed...
"When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain is pulled back to reveal… a world without light!"
Even Jalal was nervous as the dark cloud started to glow.
Level –8? he thought. Oh no... It couldn't be...
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Outside the manor house, the heavily-armed squad of Shadowchasers was still ready to move in when Jalal gave the word.
One member was paying close attention to a series of monitors.
"Commander!" he shouted.
Another member of the squad ran up to him.
"Commander McEwen," he repeated. "Something's happening in there... Something is generating an intense aura of dark magic!"
"How intense?" asked McEwen.
"I don't know!" replied the first soldier. "It's higher than this instrument is capable of reading!"
"Sanders!" shouted McEwen to a female soldier. "I want a visual of what's happening in that manor house."
"Sir," said the female officer, "Jalal told us that we were to access the security cameras in his private quarters only if he was in danger."
"I have the authority to discern if he is in danger," replied McEwen, "and I believe that he is..."
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At first, Jalal only saw the dark cloud.
Then he saw eyes. He saw dozens of glaring, glowing, demon eyes, peering out of the cloud.
The cloud quickly formed into a more coherent shape, that of a Dragon just as big as Tyrant Dragon. It had skin the color of a bruise, and was covered from head to toe with those eyes, horrid, glowing eyes that were all looking at him.
"Meet One-Hundred Eyes Dragon," said Taramanda.
(3,000 ATK)
"That's not a Dragon..." growled Jalal. "That's more like something out of a dragon's nightmare..."
"Say what you will," said Taramanda. "One-Hundred Eyes Dragon, attack King Dragun with Infernal Sight-Stream!"
The Dark Synchro roared, and blasted a bolt of pure, black energy at the Fusion Monster. King Dragun screamed as he erupted into dark flames, and then he burst into an explosion of pixels.
"ERGH!" gasped Jalal, clutching his chest.
Felt that one... he thought.
(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)
"With King Dragun gone," said Taramanda, "your Tyrant Dragon is fully vulnerable to my Dragon's effect.
"Or should I say effects, plural? You see, One-Hundred Eyes Dragon can assimilate the powers of all Dark-Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard.
"All five of the Dark Scorpions are in my Graveyard... All five of them are Dark... My Dragon is a one-Monster army!"
The eye on the evil Dragon's chest closed, and then opened. Chick the Yellow appeared in it.
"So, let's start with Chick's effect, shall we?"
Tyrant Dragon vanished, it's card appearing back in Jalal's hand.
The eye closed again, and then opened again. Cliff appeared in it.
"You have no Spells or Traps on the field, so I'll use his other effect, sending two cards from your deck to the Graveyard."
Two cards flew off of Jalal's deck, and vanished.
The eye closed, and then opened, revealing Gorg.
"And now you lose another one, thanks to this effect!"
A third card vanished from his deck.
The eye opened again, and Don appeared in the pupil.
The Tyrant Dragon in Jalal's hand vanished.
The eye closed and opened one more time, and Meanae's image appeared in it. A card slipped out of the golem's deck, and it took it.
My second copy of Cliff might come in handy later, thought Taramanda.
"So..." said Taramanda. "How do you like that, wyrm-waste?"
Jalal looked at her, and his eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me..." he said. "Did you just call me 'wyrm-waste'?"
"Oh, I'm sorry..." said Taramanda, sarcastically. "Did I offend you?"
Jalal put his hand on his hip.
"No..." he said. "Frankly you didn't. I've been called that name several times, and so was my father...
"Thing is, every single time, it was by the same species of Shadowkind. It seems to be a derogatory term used only by them when referring to dragons and their kin.
"Isn't that right, snake?"
Taramanda was startled, not just by the fact that she had been discovered, but by the fact that she had let such a mistake slip.
"The ophidia are behind the Dark Synchros..." muttered Jalal. "Now isn't that a surprise...
"So tell me... Empress... Am I facing an ophidia abomination? Or one of their legendary anathema? Or perhaps I'm speaking to none other than 'Tiffany Lords', the pseudonym of the female ophidia who seduced and married Prince Percival, the third in line to the throne of Monaco? If that is indeed who I'm speaking to you, I'll remind you that we are vigilantly protecting his parents and brothers."
"She's a spoiled brat who we disowned years ago!" shouted Taramanda.
"I see," said Jalal, crossing his arms. "So, just how far does your empire reach, one continent or several?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out," said Taramanda. "It's still my move..."
A facedown card appeared behind the demon.
"I'll end with that..."
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McEwen was watching the duel closely on a monitor.
"See if you can find a file on that Dragon his opponent is using," he said to someone at a console. "Cross-reference 'Dragon' with 'Dark' and '3,000 ATK'."
"I'm on it," said the technician. "You certain that thing is Dark?"
"I'd count on it..." replied McEwen.
The computer did a quick scan.
"We got four matches here..." he said. "The first is Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End..."
"No, that's not it," said McEwen.
"The second is Dark Horus," continued the technician.
"The third?" asked McEwen.
"Red Dragon Archfiend..." continued the technician.
"Definitely not..." said McEwen.
"Wait..." said the technician.
He moved to the last match, which was clearly One-Hundred Eyes Dragon.
"That's the one..." said McEwen.
He read the card text.
"Good lord!" he shouted. "I've seen broken cards before, but this one takes the cake!"
He read the file.
"This was used by one of the Dark Signers? What the..."
He turned on his communicator.
"Boss, are you certain you don't need assistance?" he said into it.
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"I'm more that certain," replied Jalal, as he made a draw. "You stay where you are until I say otherwise.
"Okay, snake, I'm Special Summoning Vice Dragon in Attack Mode..."
A large, ugly Dragon standing on its hind legs appeared in front of him. (2,000 ATK)
"But because you Special Summoned it," said Taramanda, "its scores are cut in half."
(1,000 ATK)
"That's why I'm going to sacrifice it..." continued Jalal.
Vice Dragon turned into a globe of light.
"...to summon Strong Wind Dragon!"
A fierce wind erupted in the room, and a large, humanoid, muscular Dragon with green scales and leathery wings appeared. (2,400 ATK)
"Since I summoned Strong Wind Dragon by sacrificing another Dragon, it gains Attack Points equal to half of that Dragon's Attack Points."
(3,400 ATK)
"Attack that abomination!" he shouted. "Strong hurricane!"
Strong Wind Dragon took a deep breath...
"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Taramanda.
Her facedown card shot up.
"Hallowed Life Barrier! I toss one card, and Battle Damage to me this round is reduced to zero."
The golem quickly discarded a card. Strong Wind Dragon unleashed a blast of wind at the demon, but it glanced off its chest.
"What?" said Jalal. "Hallowed Life Barrier shouldn't have protected your Monster..."
"But the card I discarded did," replied Taramanda.
One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's central eye closed, and then opened. Dark Resonator appeared inside it.
"Since I discarded Dark Resonator, my Dragon is now able to assimilate its effect as well, and resist being destroyed by battle once per turn.
"So tell me, Jalal... Can you launch a successful attack against it twice?"
Jalal frowned. He set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.
"Make your move..." he said.
The golem made a draw, and then played a card.
"I summon my Des Feral Imp..." said Taramanda.
In a surge of energy, an ugly, fiendish-looking gremlin appeared next to the Dragon. (1,600 ATK)
"Next," she said, as a Spell Card appeared, "my Gift of the Martyr. By sacrificing my Imp, my Dragon gains Attack Points equal to its Attack Points..."
Des Feral Imp vanished, and the Dark Synchro roared... (4,600 ATK)
"Annihilate his Strong Wind Dragon!" shouted Taramanda.
"I activate... Forbidden Chalice!" shouted Jalal, as the demon prepared to attack.
His facedown Quickplay Spell flipped up.
"This Spell increases the Attack Score of one Monster on the field by 400..."
"Pathetic!" laughed Taramanda. "That won't make your Dragon even close to being able to defeat mine."
"I'm not using it on my Monster," replied Jalal. "I'm using it on yours."
"Wha?" said Taramanda.
One-Hundred Eyes Dragon glowed even more intently... (5,000 ATK)
It blasted its Infernal Sight-Stream, and Strong Wind Dragon was blown to pieces. Jalal held his chest.
(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,200)
"I have no idea why you did that, Jalal..." said Taramanda, "but..."
"Take a look at your Dragon," said Jalal.
The golem turned its head towards the Dragon. Its hundred eyes were closed.
"Forbidden Chalice also prevents your Monster from using its effect," he said. "So I'm safe from the all the effects you would have activated by inflicting Battle Damage. I'd say that was worth an extra 400 Life Points."
Taramanda glared at him.
She fit a card into her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.
"I end my turn!" she shouted.
"Then I draw!" exclaimed Jalal.
He made a draw.
"I play... Cards of Consonance!" he shouted, as he played a Spell Card. "To play this card, I first have to discard a Dragon-Type Tuner Monster with 1,000 Attack Points or less...
"So I'll get rid of Debris Dragon..."
He discarded the card.
"...then I get two draws..."
He drew two cards.
"I'll set a Monster and one more card facedown, and end my turn!"
Two more reversed cards, a Monster and a Spell or Trap, appeared in front of him.
"My move..." said Taramanda.
She made a draw.
Her facedown card lifted up, revealing Call of the Haunted. Des Feral Imp appeared in an aura of energy. (1,600 ATK)
"Now, I sacrifice it once again..."
The Imp disappeared into a globe of light...
"...to summon Mefist the Infernal General!"
With the whiney of a horse, a demonic rider rode onto the field. Both he and his horse were dressed in blackened armor, and he held a large pole-axe. (1,800 ATK)
"Defending is worthless against Mefist, due to his trampling effect," said Taramanda. "Combined with my Dragon, this is gonna take you down!
"Mefist, attack!"
The Infernal General charged...
But his horse was spooked, as a huge Dragon made of rock appeared to block its path. (2,000 DEF)
"My Golem Dragon says otherwise, snake," said Jalal.
"You are starting to try my patience, you half-breed!" said Taramanda with a scowl.
Jalal shielded himself as Golem Dragon was blown to shards by One-Hundred Eyes Dragon's blast.
"Just move already..."
(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 3,000)
Jalal made a draw.
"I summon Masked Dragon!" he shouted.
He played the card, and the metallic Dragon wearing a mask appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)
"Then," he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "the Trap Card, Immortal Dragon, which I'll use to summon Debris Dragon back from the Graveyard."
In a flash of light, another small Dragon appeared, one with silvery scales, wings, and a long proboscis. If Yusei Fudo's Stardust Dragon ever had a son, this might be what it would look like. (1,000 ATK)
"Now... I Tune Debris Dragon with Masked Dragon..."
The two Monsters dissolved into seven glowing stars, and flew towards the ceiling... Jalal chanted:
"Pure force strikes like a hammer on the anvil of victory! A mighty blow devastating all who dares stand in its way! Appear before me...
"Exploder Dragonwing!"
With a mighty roar, a bulky, humanoid Dragon with a hunched back and mottled, black scales, with large wings materialized in front of Jalal.
It looked at the evil Dragon, and growled... (2,400 ATK)
"When Exploder Dragonwing attacks a Monster with less Attack Points, damage calculation is ignored, the Monster is destroyed automatically, and you lose Life Points equal to that Monster's Attack Points."
"Then attack Mefist," replied Taramanda. "Next round, my Dragon will be able to use his effect too."
"Mefist?" asked Jalal. "You think he's the one I'm aiming for?"
His last facedown card lifted up.
"I activate Synchro Strike!" he shouted. "This boosts my Synchro Monster's Attack Score by 500 for each Monster I Tuned to summon it!"
(3,400 ATK)
"But that means..." said Taramanda.
"It's all over..." said Jalal. "Exploder Dragonwing, destroy One-Hundred Eyes Dragon with max blast!"
Exploder Dragonwing shot a beam of pure force at the horrid thing, and it screamed. The golem toppled over, as the Dark Synchro exploded into chunks of dark residue.
(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)
Jalal glared at the golem.
"It's all over, your highness," he said, sarcastically. "I'll use every clause afforded to me in the Treaty to make certain that every ophidia in the world is held responsible for these attacks, until one of them decides to tell us who you are and where you are hiding."
"And what makes you think they even know?" asked Taramanda, as the golem got up. "Human rulers are egomaniacs who never leave the public eye for a second... I stay in the shadows. My subjects receive their orders through multiple layers of intermediaries.
"You'll never find me...
"As for you, I'm retreating to my real body right now, but not before I initiate one final feature of this golem that the Primals installed... One that allows it to release all its energy in a retributive strike if it's ever in danger of being subdued."
"WHAT?" shouted Jalal.
"You'd better tell your men to start running, and tell them to run fast," said Taramanda, "because in thirty seconds, everything within a thousand-foot radius of this spot is going to be reduced to a smoldering crater."
The golem's eyes faded, and it started to glow with an aura of fiery energy.
Not if I can help it, you sore loser, thought Jalal.
He rushed up to the construct, and pulled the rod out of the back of his belt. It didn't react, so he jammed it into the center of its torso.
A loud groan came from the golem, as the fiery aura merged with a cold blue aura, and the metal automaton shivered...
Then, both auras faded, and steam poured from the metal husk. Its left arm fell off, then its right, then its head. What remained collapsed in a heap.
Jalal took a deep breath.
As he looked at the now-inert wreck, a squad of soldiers rushed into the room.
"At ease..." he said. "Everything's secured..."
"Sir..." said McEwen. "That's a Rod of Cancellation..."
Jalal looked at the now burned-out rod in his hand. A Rod of Cancellation was a powerful and rare device, able to drain even the most powerful magical items of their enchantments, rendering them inert with a single touch... But it could only be used once.
"Yeah..." he said. "It's something I took out of cold storage after the first golem attack."
He tossed it on the floor.
"So you could have destroyed that golem any time you wanted to?" asked McEwen.
"I could have," replied Jalal, "but by waiting, I gained something very valuable...
"Knowledge..."
He looked at the smoldering heap again.
"The second thing I want you to do at this point is take this wreck to forensics. Bring in a forklift or something. We probably won't find any fingerprints or fibers, but we should still check."
"And the first thing?" asked McEwen.
"Inform every head of every facility we are in charge of," said Jalal. "Any ophidia on the premises are to be detained immediately. If they are there on diplomatic business, inform them that their business has been cancelled."
"Uh, on what charge?" asked McEwen.
"Charges are pending for now," said Jalal. "I'm calling an emergency session of the courts. Given what has happened here, I believe I will only need two hours to put the ophidia on Section 11 status."
"Section 11..." said McEwen. "But that's..."
"...the status of outlaw race," replied Jalal. "They seem to be united under one leader, and have declared war...
"But it may well be more far-reaching this time than it was with Saramanda..."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Ergh..." grunted Taramanda, as she slowly sat up on the altar. "My head..."
"So..." said Hebi-Na. "How'd it go?"
"We'll see soon..." grumbled Taramanda, getting off the altar.
"All we have to do is find a British news channel on the satellite television. If there are any reports of mysterious explosions in Yorkshire, I was able to accomplish something...
"Otherwise... I'm just going to write this day off as a big flop, take an aspirin, and go to bed."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neo Domino City was quiet. A crescent moon rose in a sky full of twinkling stars.
As it did, a falling star shot across the sky. A second one, similar to the first that had fallen last night.
And no sooner had it vanished, a third one streaked across the sky, seemingly on a different path.
But after the third one had faded, all was silent. If there was a fourth one, it was unable to come...
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ONE-HUNDRED EYES DRAGON (Monster Card, anime version)
Card Specs
Type: Dragon/Dark Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: -8
ATK: 3,000
DEF: 2,500
Card Description: 1 non-Tuner Monster – 1 Dark Tuner Monster
To Special Summon this card, subtract the Level of the Dark Tuner Monster used as Synchro Material from the Level of the non-Tuner Monster used. The value must equal the Level of this card. When this card is face-up on the field, it gains the effects of every DARK Monster in your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed, select one card from your deck and add it to your hand.
Note: This is the Dark Synchro version of "One-Hundred Eyes Dragon" which was used by Kiryu in the anime. The card has been released as a true Synchro Monster for the OCG and TCG with a less powerful effect.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK TUNER NIGHTMARE HAND (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fiend/Dark Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from your hand or Graveyard.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
IMMORTAL DRAGON (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: A dark, shadowy dragon rising out of the ground.
Card Description: Select and activate one of the following effects:
* Special Summon 1 Dragon-Type Monster from your Graveyard.
* Special Summon 1 of your Dragon-Type Monsters that has been removed from play.
Note: "Immortal Dragon" was first used by Manjyome in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DISGRACEFUL CHARITY (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Marie the Fallen One holding a glowing card between her hands.
Card Description: Both players add to their hands all cards that they discarded to the Graveyard this round by card effects.
Note: "Disgraceful Charity" was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DARK SHUFFLE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Similar to "Card Shuffle", but with a winged demon as the shuffler.
Card Description: Select five DARK Monsters from your deck, shuffle your deck, and place the selected Monsters on the top of your deck in any order. When these cards are drawn, they cannot be Summoned or set.
Note: "Dark Shuffle" was created by fanfic author Ruin, Queen of Oblivion. Used with permission.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Shichiro: This strange Warrior on this card... What are you trying to tell me? I hear your faint whispers, but I can't form them into clear words...
If we are to oppose the ophidia in this manner, I'll need all the help I can get... And when an innocent Shadow is robbed of a precious possession, an opportunity comes that may add a piece to this puzzle...
"Hero Signal" is coming soon.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shadowchaser Files
Albert Hoon, Cosmetic Surgeon of Shadow
While normally, illithids do not possess talents in magic, every once in a while an illithid is born with the power to wield the arcane arts. Such individuals are often frowned upon in illithid society and are usually shunned. Most illithids who go down the path of wizardry often become alhoons, a type of illithid lich, to cement their power and existence. By doing so, they buy themselves an eternity to study and grow more powerful. Alhoons are hated by their former fellows, mostly because of illithids' hatred of undead beings (one of the few types of creatures that psionic powers cannot harm) and illithid hunting parties are often formed to destroy them. Illithids who take the step to become alhoons become much more powerful and much more dangerous. They combine powerful magic with powerful psionic abilities to defeat their foes. The Shadow who now calls himself Albert Hoon was one such illithid who took the steps to become a lich.
Albert did not arrive on Earth via the usual method that Shadows come to this world, which is the likely reason why he retains his memories of his previous life. Before he came to Earth, he was already an alhoon and he had already made several enemies. On his home world he had conspired to destroy both a duergar and dark elf city by pitting the two against each other. With the fall of one, or both, his undead army could sweep in and make him master of both cities and the treasures left behind. Unfortunately, he was discovered, his physical body was destroyed, and both factions sent hunting parties after him. To make matters worse, his former fellow illithids had also caught wind of him. Thus, after a quick reconstitution, he set about moving his lair and his phylactery just as his pursuers began their attack. Besieged on three sides he was forced take what he could carry (which was significant, considering how many Bags of Holding he had) and activate his Cubic Gate to flee to another dimension. But his haste caused it to malfunction, and it shunted him to a completely random location.
Upon arriving upon Earth, and unable to go back (not that he planned to) he found that he was no longer in the same dimension and that wherever he was had been dominated by humans. After adjusting himself and doing some research he found out about the veil, the technology of Earth, and the fact that most Shadows had completely forgotten their lives on the other world. With this knowledge and the items he brought with him, he quickly set up a new lair where he hides his phylactery. From there he traveled to Los Angeles, used mind control and trickery to forge a medical license, and set himself as the premier cosmetic surgeon in the city, taking the name Albert Hoon as a play on the fact that he is an alhoon.
Using magic and mundane surgery techniques, he is able to perform all manner of procedures. He caters to all kinds, from celebrities to crime lords and convicts to average Joes; provided they can pay for his services. Thanks to his magic he is able to keep his identity a secret and he always makes sure to never let anyone with the ability to see the truth close.
While his services may seem relatively benign at first, Albert uses the time that they are sedated to apply his special psionic cocktail, a type of implanted psionic spell that, when applied in conjunction with a second spell he can cast later, will give the alhoon the power to not only read the victim's mind at any time but force him into a trance-like state that leaves him open to any of his suggestions. The trance can be activated at any time so long as the target is within telepathic range and modifies the target's body, enhancing the victim beyond the normal limits of his abilities. Over time, Albert has implanted the cocktail in many powerful and influential personalities, and has gained a great deal of information from the process.
Story Ideas: Albert only values two things, knowledge and power. He knows that his chances of raising an undead army or amassing legions of slaves is unlikely now, but he is very good at taking advantage of any situation that he can. With the secrets he can learn from his patients, his plans may include blackmailing members of government, espionage, or simply schemes to cheat powerful individuals on a large scale. He is unlikely to make any alliances, although the Sons of Kyuss might appeal to him, and he'll try his best to avoid any living illithids he finds out about. He could probably dispose of them without any problem (no large communities of illithids exist in this world, as they did in his previous homeworld) but he does not wish to draw undo attention to himself; after all, he is both an illithid and a lich, and neither creature has many admirers.
Deck Suggestions: Although he doesn't like the game of Duel Monsters all that much, since he believes it distracts him from his goals, he understands the practicality of having a deck in a world that places so much emphasis on such it. Albert's decks generally don't follow the themes that most in his position would. He uses neither Psychics nor Zombies. Instead, he prefers straightforward decks with a lot of power to stomp his opponents quickly and efficiently, but will occasionally try something different. Thus he might use an Ancient Gears (with the focus on Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem), Beast Decks, Lightsworns, or even a deck that focuses on The Sanctuary in the Sky.
Albert Hoon was a creation of fanfic author Xoroth.