Greetings true believers!
I had very little to do with this chapter, other than a few suggestions, most of the credit going to MP for the main plot and 7th Librarian for the subplot, so I'll just clam up here. Enjoy!
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"Come, hearken, then, ere voice of dread,
With bitter tidings laden,
Shall summon to unwelcome bed
A melancholy maiden!
We are but older children, dear,
Who fret to find our bedtime near."
-Lewis Carroll
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DRAW TWENTY-FIVE
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Dark-Piercing Light
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As much as he idolized Lewis Carroll, other writers of fantasy intrigued Bruno, not the least of which was J.R.R. Tolkien. He remembered how, in The Hobbit, how Bilbo was trapped in the Elf King's castle, unseen and unknown by the owners, but still a prisoner in all but name. "I am like a burglar who can't get away and must go on, miserably burgling the same house day after day!" he had lamented.
The complete inversion of that situation was now not lost on Bruno.
A man should not have to lurk like a thief through a castle where he's an invited guest, he thought as he once again darted down the castle halls, ducking out of sight whenever he heard someone approach.
And I suppose you want Jean-Claude's full attention? Alice hissed.
This wouldn't be an issue if you could just stay in the room! Bruno shot back.
I'm already a prisoner in a card! She replied. I won't be confined to that room, as well! Now get me to the main arena!
Bruno sighed and continued walking. Alice's guidance had become annoying, but necessary. The layout of the castle would've made sneaking like this impossible otherwise.
Alice had stopped radiating anguish by this point, which would have been a relief, except that she had replaced it with sheer smugness. The emotions of man and spirit were becoming intertwined, building off one another.
Within minutes, Bruno emerged into the main duel arena, a massive room occupied mainly by a pair of balconies and a deep pit. The twin balconies were connected by a narrow path, leading up to an old-fashioned dueling arena.
The arena itself was like something out of a museum, a relic from archaic times, preserved in mint condition with constant maintenance. A throne with expensive-looking tapestries on each side was at one end, fit for a monarch - or a man with an incredible ego. A massive square laced in all places with holographic projectors, with platforms at either end for duelists to stand and place their cards, the system had long ago been replaced with the far superior and infinitely more portable Duel Disk. Still, there was something to be said for this method, a dramatic combination of ancient and modern. Bruno could definitely see himself facing challengers in such style.
Well, we're here, Bruno thought. What now?
Alice rolled her massive eyes and left Bruno's side, her Victorian gown trailing in the air as she floated over to the other end of the arena. With a conceited grin, she closed her eyes and slowly crossed her legs and lowered into a sitting position into the challenger's platform.
Then she opened them.
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
Bruno frowned. He knew the quote and its response just as much. That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.
I don't care much where-
Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
-so long as I get somewhere. Alice rounded off her interruption with a smirk.
Oh, you're sure to do that. If only you walk long enough. Bruno felt a chill creep over him at Alice's placid, empty smile. The room seemed to get darker. "This is a somewhere, I suppose…"
It took him a moment to realize that the last part was said with actual speech, rather than their usual telepathy.
"Do you know what I remember, Bruno?"Her voice was that of a young British child, much like the voice of young Alice Liddell herself, he had assumed. It was light, formal, elegant...serious.
"A leading question. You're about to tell me." The feeling of the chills got worse, like the cold was draping itself around him like a shawl.
"There was a quote I heard Pegasus use often, usually in business dealings." Alice had somehow produced a deck of cards from the ether and shuffling them together as she spoke, almost as if she needed it to keep her hands busy. "Judge a quality of a man by his enemies, not his friends."
Despite the darkness gathering and the chill increasing, Bruno wasn't afraid. He'd dueled like this dozens of times. What was one more? "Does this mean you're my enemy now?" He was already reaching for his deck. To his surprise, it wasn't there.
"Real cards are of little use here," Alice told him, enjoying his look of confusion. "To see who truly deserves to lead, we'll measure the power of our minds. Think, and a deck will appear."
Bruno raised an eyebrow, but he concentrated hard, and a deck formed in his hand. Simultaneously, Alice conjured one of her own.
"Be careful, though," Alice warned him. "A Shadow Game brings out the players' true natures. The deck you just conjured is your true self, the very expression of your emotional state."
Bruno stared at the cards he'd conjured. Out of curiosity, he flipped over the top card. It was Alice, the Warden of Wonderland. "Seems normal to me," he said, replacing it.
"You'll see," Alice told him. "I know you pretty well, Bruno, and what you see isn't always what you get. That deck is sure to have a few surprises."
For a moment, the only noise was the two shuffling their decks, until Alice spoke up.
"Pegasus is here, on this island. And I am going to help him."
"We can't leave the castle or run the risk of Jalal being alone with the Blue Knights. There's no wiggle room here." Bruno already knew his argument was going to fall flat. Alice was determined- how it showed on her face was far more telling than the darkness game she summoned around them.
"You can't leave the castle. I can."
"In my body?"
"In my body. If I win this darkness game, I'll simply swap us around." Alice finished shuffling her deck and placed it on the platform. It activated at the presence of Duel Monsters card, but eerily, there was no noise. "You'll be the spirit in a card and I'll be flesh and blood. They saw you enter, but don't know who I am."
"That's...actually really clever." Bruno admitted and placed his deck down as well. "But I've grown rather fond of my body, you see."
"Yes, I've seen your memories of high school," Alice said with a wave of her hand. "Don't be such a baby. I'll give it back when I'm done."
"If you don't beat the hell out of me in a darkness game." Bruno huffed.
"I need you to take this seriously, Bruno." Alice seemed almost hurt. "This is important to me!"
"Of course it is. Of course I do. It's my job to take thing seriously. Duels, life, my enemies - all of it has equal importance." Bruno's words were heated with frustrated anger and he drew his opening hand roughly. "I don't seem to do anything else, so why should this be any different?"
"And that...is why you're going to lose." Alice just smiled confidently.
TTTTT
"Geezus, what is that?" Hakata's exclamation caused the rest of their little party to stop.
He was indicating something that was rather hard to describe: a sphere of inky blackness that was apparently hanging in the middle of nowhere.
"Whatever it is, it's not a Solid Vision hologram." Serket murmured, eyeing it warily. From their perch on the balcony overlooking the arena, the sphere seemed to be...alive. Little arcs of purple would zip over itself surface and the masses of shadow seemed to be moving.
"That would be what is called a Darkness Game. or a Shadow Game. Or a Dark Duel. Or what have you." Persona peered over their shoulders with mild curiosity. "Dark magic, you see. Makes everything very real and in many instances, the winner can inflict a Penalty Game on the loser."
"Penalty Game?"
"Take their soul, make them your slave, have them kill themselves and so on. Possibly even send them to Hell. Absolute command." Persona was unaffected by the wide-eyed looks the Pros were giving him. "My employer can give you this power, if you desire it."
Hakata grunted, eyeing the sphere again carefully. Serket actually seemed to be considering it and Junlong was just quiet, trying to process everything.
McGuinness was simply waiting patiently at Persona's side. Out of seeing Persona hypnotize guards and the fact there was dark magic nearby, seeing the hardcore partier simply being quiet and smiling politely was by far the most unsettling thing of the evening.
"Though I can't tell you why there'd be one here right now or who's dueling. Perhaps there are more factions in play here than I thought. "Persona shrugged and gestured. "But it'll make a nice distraction. We need to keep moving. Time is of the essence."
The little group picked up the pace once more, though the Pros threw backwards glances at the magic in the arena and then Hakata picked up a couple of paces to catch up to Serket.
"You heard the rumors, right?"
"They were just supposed to be rumors," she hissed back. "I've heard of psychos and nutjobs dueling with magic and everything, but they never lasted long in the Underground."
"Yeah, well, this might be why." Hakata muttered. "If you win a duel and you can tell somebody to go jump off a cliff, then there aren't going to be many people who can tell others about you."
"Explains why I never heard of Persona until the tournament." Serket watched the man with a touch of fear. "I guess when he eliminates players, he eliminates them…"
"Only the ones who talk too much." Both Pros jumped at Persona's words as he led them through a series of rooms at apparent random before they were suddenly in a large hallway with a pair of large double-doors down at the end. "Ah, I knew I'd memorized the layout correctly. Leave it to Pegasus to have castle that doubles as a maze…"
"Stay right where you are!" Two guards at the two produced handguns and trained them on the duelists.
"Mmm. Oh, I'm scared stiff. I certainly will." Persona put his hands up. "But McGuinness here…"
"Not a chance!" The two guards gawked as McGuinness shot forwards like he been launched from a catapult. Before the guns could begin to track him, he'd already slammed into the first guard bodily and smashed him into the wall. The second was smarter, diving out other way while at the same time taking a couple of shots. They went wide, McGuinness not even flinching, and then his foot came down. The gun barrel bent and then guard was left staring in shock as that same foot smashed his face in.
"Holy…." Hakata gaped in disbelief even as the double doors burst open and two more guards came charging out. But McGuinness just jumped, catching the ceiling and slamming double-kick that sent them flying back into the room. "The frat boy can move!"
"He's not a human, that's why." Persona said as he headed towards the room. "McGuinness is a satyr. Those legs of his can, as you've seen, dent steel. Ordinarily, he's too plastered to be much of a threat, but with a little tough love…"
"Uh huh, a satyr," added Serket. "And you're a centaur, I suppose."
"Watch it," sneered McGuinness, "some of my best friends are centaurs." He cricked his neck. "Still, I can take them all on, no sweat." He flexed his fists triumphantly and smirked. "Now come on, my new friends! Let's take out the big cheese!"
"I don't know what's more amusing- that you have friends, Leslie, or you think some weak mice like you are a threat to me."
They all recognized the voice, of course. It was that of a man whose name was on a check they cashed every two weeks. Jean-Claude was now looking at them with the unfriendliest of expressions, still seated at his table, his remaining guards having taken up a protective ring in front of it. "Still, free entertainment with my meal is always a plus."
"Oh, well, I suppose this is where I say something sinister and melodramatic," Persona snarked as he made his to the front of his group, "like warning you that the plate you're eating is going to be your last meal on earth." He didn't flinch as the guards trained their weapons on him. "Just a word of warning. There's not enough of you to stop me."
Jean-Claude just casually speared a piece of his dessert with his fork. "Prove it."
"Alright." Persona flicked out his pocket watch and held it up. "Watch closely now…" Its ticking noise increased and he dramatically swept his hand over it, the golden face of the watch changing into a cackling skull. The ticking became dark laughter and the guards all folded to the floors in heaps. "See? If you had had more guards, I couldn't have done that."
Jean-Claude stared at the unconscious guards and then at Persona. And took another bite of cake. "So, you stopped their hearts for a second. Good for you."
"He did what…?" Serket stared at the guards.
"His watch is magical and enhances his hypnosis. He just used it to tell the guards' brains to pause their hearts for a second. The loss of blood flow knocked them all out." Seated across from Jean-Claude was a blonde man with a strong British accent. "And it doesn't work on large groups of people because Persona has to be able to make eye contact with his targets. It's actually a remedial trick of enchantment magic."
McGuinness stared and then smiled broadly in eagerness. "What do you know- it's Jalal Stormbringer! Your Shadowchasers have caused my frat a lot of grief, goldilocks. And that's not even counting the trouble this tournament has caused me! So how about a little compensation?"
"There isn't enough wealth in the word to compensate for your stupidity, McGuinness. But I can offer you some advice." Jalal, unlike Jean-Claude, was speaking with deadly seriousness. "Get out of here. Run, don't look back. You are dealing with forces you can't possibly comprehend and your lives are in danger."
"Oh, we've come this far, we're going all the way, Stormbringer!" McGuinness flexed his arms and held up his Duel Disk. "You guys can take Frenchie, I want this one."
Jalal scowled. "You're really going to go through with this?"
"Why shouldn't we?" Hakata was readying his own Duel Disk. "We've done some bad things already, what's a few more?"
Serket nodded in agreement. "It doesn't matter if you guys have this crazy voodoo or not, the game is still Duel Monsters and we're still professionals. You're just a couple of suits!"
Jean-Claude polished off his cake and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Tossing it onto his plate, he pushed his chair away and stood. "I'm not a foolish man, so I'll just ask. Persona gave you all an 'edge' to fight us, didn't he? After all, we have 'crazy voodoo' and you don't."
"I'm not fighting you - I'm taking on Jalal and I'm going to-" McGuinness was cut off as Persona hauled him by his unbroken horn into the group with the other Pros. "Hey!"
"I told you. Your target is Jean-Claude. Stormbringer is mine." Persona said the command bluntly and pointed at the CEO. "As for an edge, I think you'll find it quite surprising."
Jean-Claude produced a Duel Disk from a shelf. "Well then, time to see if you all are more than just talk. I've been sitting around doing all the watching for the tournament, I could use a chance to participate."
"Jean-Claude, don't. They aren't part of this!" Jalal protested and was silenced as Jean-Claude threw him a Duel Disk as well.
"They are now, Stormbringer." Jean-Claude slid the device onto his arm and walked to the far end of the room. "You four better come at all at once. Your mere existence is already trying what little patience I have today."
The four Pros glanced at one another, then spread out in a semicircle in front of him. Hakata sneered. "Once we beat you, we'll have it all. Wealth, power and magic. The odds are too good for this!"
"Oh, magic?" Jean-Claude lifted an eyebrow. "If that's what you want, then allow me to give you a demonstration!" His shadow exploded out from behind him, morphing into a dome of blackness that concealed all of them from view.
Jalal watched it happen, his fists clenched tightly.
"You look so serious, Jalal," noted Persona, "and I can't imagine why. If those four manage to defeat him, then the threat he poses is eliminated, the tournament is over and all your little minions are safe from the big, scary darkness."
"I'm not in the habit of sacrificing innocent lives or duping others to do my dirty work, Persona." Jalal informed him curtly.
"Ah, but when evil fights evil, good wins. Isn't that the whole reason the Upper Planes like having folks like Levistus around?"
"And people die in the crossfire. That's the whole reason I didn't tell my men to leave en masse."
"As you like. I honestly couldn't care less." Persona shrugged and held up his Duel Disk. "My employer wants you eliminated, so we should get down to it."
"You can't kill me." Jalal pointed out. The Duel Disk he'd been thrown clicked to the active position.
"Oh, but that's the beauty of it, I don't have to. Just defeat you. My employer finds both you and Jean-Claude to be rather challenging opponents, and he'd really only prefer to deal with one of you at time. So if I defeat you or they defeat Jean-Claude, then the whole basis for this tournament falls apart and my employer can pick up the pieces."
"What are you on about?" Jalal narrowed his eyes.
Persona just chuckled. "Right, right. You don't know, do you? Been cooped up in here too long. How's that for incentive, then? Beat me in this duel and you can use the Penalty Game to make me tell you everything about what's been going on!"
He activated his Duel Disk and smirked coldly. "But when I win, your defeat will set off a chain-reaction of events that will probably...mmm...cause the death of everyone not on Jean-Claude's side that is on the island!"
"You'd go that far, just to earn a paycheck?"
"No, I'd go that far to see some people in agonizing pain. I told your little redhead, I'm a sadist. I like seeing other people suffer." Persona drew his opening hand and the cold shadows of a darkness game pooled around them and swallowed up the light. "Next person to do that is you, Jalal."
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(Alice in Despairland: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Bruno: 8,000)
"Ladies first," Alice sneered as they drew their opening hands. Bruno didn't object, so she drew a sixth card and smiled. "Ah, the perfect start. I'll begin by setting a card-"
She placed one of her cards on the screen in front of her, and a much larger lookalike materialized on the dueling arena.
"-and then activate One for One, discarding a card to Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my deck!"
"Oh, wonderful," Bruno said, rolling his eyes. "You're summoning yourself, I assume?"
Alice laughed and shook her head. "Hardly. You may not recognize this one, but you'll never forget it. I Special Summon Consecrated Light, in Defense Mode!"
Bright light pierced the surrounding darkness, and a tiny monster appeared on her field. The light dimmed, but only slightly, revealing the monster as a shining orb of pink light, a simpering face on its front. It appeared completely helpless, with no limbs, no torso - no anything. (0 DEF)
"You're kidding," Bruno jeered as he stared at the tiny Fairy. "That thing makes Watapon look intimidating!"
"This coming from a man with the Mock Turtle and Sleepy Dormouse in his deck?" Alice retorted. "Besides, looks can be deceiving, as you well know. You see, Consecrated Light adds many restrictions to the game. This little angel is impervious to attacks by Dark monsters, and I'm impervious to damage from such a battle. Not that you could even summon them, anyway, thanks to yet another of its effects. It prevents either player from doing so.
"So, Bruno, I think in your case its potency is clear. You yourself said that your deck appears the same, so that means you cannot summon any of your monsters. And your deck isn't built to win without them. Trust me, I've been around you long enough to know what all the cards in it are. What will you do?"
"I'll draw!" Bruno snapped, seizing a card from his deck. He eyed the cards in his hand and sighed. It was hard to rebuke a gloating opponent whose gloat had hit the nail on the head; all his monsters were Dark-Attribute. She's bought herself a turn or two, he thought. But I can still set and Flip Summon.
"Oh, let me guess!" Alice chirped, her wry grin growing wider. "You're thinking that you can still set and Flip Summon, right? Well, wrong again! Activate Trap! Light of Intervention!"
Alice's set card lifted, and another bright light flashed over the field, shining down over the Monster Zones.
"I'm sure you know what this one does. So long as it's active, neither of us can set monsters, instead summoning them in face-up Defense Mode. So no, I haven't just bought myself time! We're one turn in, and I've already won!"
This would usually be the time Bruno came up with some comeback to express disbelief in such a boast, but again, it was very hard to argue with it. "I - I set a card and end," he sighed.
"I figured as much," Alice sneered as she picked up another card. "This will all be over soon. For my next move, I'll summon Hayabusa Knight."
With a screech, a falcon-headed Warrior sprung up next to the sphere of light. He was dressed in gleaming silver armor, and wielded a saber. (1,000 ATK)
"As I'm sure you know, Hayabusa Knight can attack twice per Battle Phase, making for double the fun! Go, Hayabusa Knight, attack directly! Double saber slash!"
The Warrior leapt as Bruno watched, a rather heroic pose against the dark backdrop of the arena. Ironically, the impact he felt when the double blows landed was a lot less breathtaking.
(AiD: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,000)
"Assuming you don't want that again next turn," she added, "just holler and we'll end now."
Bruno stayed silent, but glared and shook his head.
"Fine," Alice sighed. "I'll just set this and end my turn."
Bruno said nothing at all as he drew a card. He simply looked at it for a brief moment, then set it with the other one, then nodded.
"Ugh, you sure you're even into this?" Alice asked. "There was once a time you never shut up. Now this. Whatever. For my next move, I summon Chain Thrasher."
Another Warrior sprung up next to Hayabusa Knight, this one a young blonde street tough with a boyish face and a leather codpiece, spinning a chain with a spike on the end. Bandages completely covered his right arm and leg. (1,000 ATK)
"You might've heard of this young man, too. He gets an extra attack for every copy of himself in my Graveyard. I already discarded one when I activated One for One, and now I'll discard another with this! Activate Trap! Next to Be Lost!"
Alice raised her hand, and her set card lifted. It bore the image of a hand seizing a cute angel behind an identical angel's back.
"This lets me discard a copy of a monster on my field from my deck! It sure isn't Hayabusa Knight, by the way."
As she discarded the card, the blade on Thrasher's chain became sharper and nastier, and he began twirling it even faster.
"What a bargain! Five attacks for the price of two! Hayabusa Knight, attack directly!"
Once again, the falcon-headed Warrior raked his saber twice against Bruno's abundant belly.
(AiD: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,000)
"And Chain Thrasher, give him a triple dose! Chain-link charge!"
Chain Thrasher grunted and leapt into the air, twirling his weapon and lashing it out at Bruno. This attack was surprisingly more painful than the last, the blade striking Bruno right in the heart, then doing it twice more before he could recover.
(AiD: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
"Honestly, Bruno," Alice said, shaking her head. "If it were me, this would be embarrassing. Your Life Points are hanging by a thread, mine are untouched, and you can't so much as defend yourself."
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"You can curse in quite a few languages." Borgman's comment was delivered without glancing back over his shoulder at Voltaire. The Shadowchaser was still pinned in place by the Swords of Revealing Light, but found only that his voice was working and he had, at length, delivered a swearing of vengeances and deadly promises to Borgman over the last several minutes. "That is very impressive."
"It will be the least of with which I will impress you, monster." Voltaire said darkly, eyes narrowing behind his glasses.
"Yes. Bold words. Grammatically correct, too, if a bit confusing." Borgman was unbothered, sightless gaze still focused on Kenshin. The spirit, bits of her body phasing in and out to be overwritten by flowing lines of coding was standing in front of the vault. A hand was extended over the lock and it was beeping and chirping every few seconds as numbers and letters flashed by at impossible to read paces. "Pity you won't get to act on them."
"I'm still alive, so you clearly want me to do something."
"It's a game. Can you stop me before Kenshin hacks the lock and I order her to kill you?"
"I'd rather play Chutes and Ladders, thank you."
"Pity." Borgman tilted his head to focus on the holographic Pegasus, who was still staring up at an apparently random corner of the room. "What are you doing?"
"I felt a presence just now…. a presence I haven't felt in... many, many years." Pegasus murmured distractedly. "I wasn't even aware I felt it originally. I just thought it was too many white wine spritzers one night…"
"You are a spirit and a hologram now. You are more attuned to the world of magic." Borgman held up the Duel Disk with Pegasus' card on it for emphasis. "And more subject to its rules."
"Yes…yes...I am." Pegasus seemed to come back to the conversation and nodded absently. "It's funny how things interact when I'm like this. I knew this island had magic on it, but now I can practically taste it…"
"For all the good it does you."
"Oh, it does me little good. But…" Pegasus grinned quietly. "I've always preferred to share the wealth, as it were."
Borgman stood up and turned to look at him fully. "What are you up to?"
"Just ruminating over the fact that while I can't hurt you…" Pegasus phased a fist through Borgman to prove the point. "I can do other things."
That's when Borgman noticed Pegasus' other hand was out of his immediate line of sight and turned just in time to see the holographic man rip a Sword of Revealing Light out of the ground and bash him around the head with it. "Voltaire!"
"Moving!" Freed, Voltaire lunged and spun, landing a powerful spin kick to Borgman's head that sent the robotic duelist skidding into the wall. Without waiting, he lunged for Kenshin...only to be backhanded away in a heap. "Oh...ow…"
"Clever…" Borgman hadn't been affected by either blow at all as he just straightened away from the wall, even as Pegasus and Voltaire squared off against him. "But futile. I told you, this is my game and my rules. Neither of you can hurt this body and if I wanted, all I'd have to do is order Kenshin to turn into something with a sword and she will cut you in half."
He lifted a finger to point at Pegasus. "And your soul is mine as well. You will kill Voltaire if I switch you into attack position." He reached to do just that, but for the first time, surprise rang through his metallic voice as he noticed his Duel Disk was empty. "What?"
"Over here." Voltaire held up the Pegasus card and waggled it tauntingly. "I didn't nearly break my foot on you just for kicks, you know."
"So, you think this somehow evens the odds against me?" Borgman shook his head. "It does nothing, Shadowchaser. This is my game and I control it!"
Darkness erupted from the shadows of the chamber and encased them in a dome. "And now this is a Shadow Game! If you defeat me, you may reclaim Kenshin. Lose and I will have you and Pegasus!" (BLP: 8000)
Voltaire felt a Duel Disk appear on his arm and held it up without skipping a beat, the device clicking into active mode. "Prepare to be hoist by your own petard, Borgman!" (VLP: 8000)
Outside the dome, Kenshin blinked once. Once blue eyes were now nothing but scrolling lines of coding and she turned to look back at the surging darkness. Then twisted back to resume hacking the lock.
And let a few tears roll down her face.
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Bruno still couldn't bring himself to form words, so Alice went on.
"Do you understand now what I said about how our decks are representations of ourselves? They are a way to communicate our hopes, our feelings, our experiences. This helplessness you feel? This dread and despair? This is nothing - nothing! - compared to what I endured while trapped in that box for nine years! Trapped in darkness, with only my own mind for company, which turned on me more often than not, and for what? For existing? For being true to my nature? I didn't ask to be the way I am.
"By the way -" She stopped briefly to take a deep breath before continuing. "I'm aware of the irony of bright lights representing the darkness, so there's no need to point that out. Anyway, draw your last card so I can end this!"
Alice's speech, however, had the opposite of the intended effect on the portly Shadowchaser. He straightened up and his eyes snapped open, as if he had been shocked awake. He looked her straight in the eye, glaring intensely, and said sternly, "If what you say is true, Alice, and this deck does indeed represent me, then I have nothing to fear!"
"Oh, really?" Alice replied with a roll of her massive dark eyes.
"Yes, really! You know me, Alice. Have I ever given up when things got tough? Did I ever allow myself to sink into the mire of anguish?
"So you lost Pegasus. Welcome to humanity. Everyone loses loved ones. He had parents, and I'm sure they did too. He lost his wife too, someone I think you know about, but as tragic as that was, it didn't break him, it inspired him!"
He went on as Alice stewed in her seat. Her normally pale face was growing pink, then red.
"You think he acted this way? No! He pulled himself up and made a goal for himself! It's something everyone goes through. Sometimes you need help, sure, but even alone they can persevere! If this deck is as you said, if it truly is me, then this next card will change everything! Draw!"
Like King Arthur drawing Excalibur, Bruno yanked the next card out of his deck, and held it to his face.
"Oo-kay…" he said, trailing off. "That's kind of...anticlimactic…"
"Dead draw?" Alice jeered. "Big shock. This is what I'm talking about. You keep reassuring yourself that the worst is over, that things will change, that your optimism will see you through. But it won't! Hope is what we cling to when reality leaves us with nothing else! Pegasus didn't 'pull himself up'! He despaired and searched desperately for a way to bring back his wife! And when that didn't work, he…"
Alice bit her lip. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes. An unattractive line of snot was running down her nose. "I can't even talk about it! Now just end your turn and let me win this!"
"I said 'anticlimactic' Alice," Bruno said with a frown, "I didn't say 'worthless'. I admit, it's not my most exciting draw, but I'll survive another turn. I activate Stray Lambs!"
He slapped down the card, and two adorable spherical lamb-like creatures, one white and one pink, appeared before him, each bearing an expression not unlike Consecrated Light's. They seemed to be fast asleep. (0 DEF x2)
"That's the whole point," he continued. "Pegasus didn't give up, he improvised. As you can see, my Lamb Tokens are Earth monsters, so your Consecrated Light doesn't stop me."
Alice laughed out loud at this. "So what?" she demanded. "There are only two of them, I have five attacks, and they don't have any Defense Points! Do the math! Chain Thrasher alone could finish you!"
"He could if I didn't activate this! Go, Lost Time!"
As he used the card, large, old-fashioned timepieces appeared floating in the void, and started to melt into viscous liquid. "Remember this card? It was the one we won after making a bet with Juarez Oscuro, the one you threw that stupid hissy fit over."
"And I stand by said hissy fit!" the Duel Spirit snapped. "I trusted you and you betrayed that!"
"And you forgave me!" Bruno shot back. "You understood that people make mistakes, and that we are stronger together! But now who's the one trying to take advantage?
"But in case you need reminding, this card lets me sacrifice a monster, like one of these lambs, and name one Phase of the turn. Then that Phase is skipped on your next turn. I'm naming Battle Phase." The white lamb dissolved into mist. "So now that I've done that, it's my End Phase, so it's your turn."
Alice glared and drew a card. "I don't want to do anything now," she said as she examined her cards. "So, I'll pass this turn. Don't get cocky, though. All you've done was buy yourself time. We both know there's absolutely nothing in your deck that can save you now! Victory is impossible!"
"I daresay you haven't had much practice!" Bruno retaliated, his knack for his favorite work of literature slowly returning. "Sometimes, I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast! On a slow day, that is, given my line of work can be even crazier than the White Queen's sometimes. Besides, you said yourself that this isn't quite my real deck - that it contained some surprises. Let's see what it holds! I'm putting all my faith into this next card!"
Once again, he drew his card with as dramatic a flourish as possible. He held it out beside him, afraid to look at it, before turning it to his eyes. A smile slowly crept its way across his face, growing larger and larger.
"What?" Alice shrieked. "What is it? Quit smiling and make your move!"
"But Alice," Bruno laughed. "A smile is my move!"
Alice's face twisted, her eyes growing bloodshot. "What do you mean?" she demanded.
"First things first. I switch my Lamb Token into Attack Mode."
The Token moved forward slightly, but otherwise showed no change. (0 ATK)
"And now, an all-new card! One that proves that nothing is impossible with the right attitude: Smile World!"
Playing the Spell Card caused a cacophony of giggles, chuckles, and guffawing as multicolored lights spewed from the card, quickly producing cute laughing faces on circles, stars, moons, and daisies, every bright color of the spectrum, all of them seemingly drawn in crayon.
"I'm gonna be sick here," said Alice, the anguish in her voice switching to an annoyed tone. "Honestly, you disparaged Consecrated Light?"
Bruno rolled his eyes, but kept smiling. "It may seem childish, but what's wrong with that. When speaking of Alice in Wonderland, C.S. Lewis himself once said that 'a children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest'. The truth is, if it is of true quality, age doesn't matter. As for Smile World's effect, it grants each monster a hundred Attack Points per face-up monster on the field!"
Consecrated Light, Hayabusa Knight, Chain Thrasher, and the Lamb Token's faces all morphed, turning into cartoonish smiley faces as their Attack Scores swelled. (Consecrated Light: 400 ATK, Hayabusa Knight: 1,400 ATK, Chain Thrasher: 1,400 ATK, Lamb Token: 400 ATK.)
"Now this may not seem like an awful lot, but -" He pointed to Consecrated Light, "it does nothing for Defense Scores! Lamb Token, attack with..." He paused for a moment. "Actually, I've never attacked with a Lamb Token. What should I call it? Hm... oh, I know! Feather! Feather, I say!"
It was an obscure reference, but the little lamb didn't seem to mind. It jumped forward and landed on all fours atop the shimmering ball of light, which exploded into a miniature starburst.
"And now, without that little Fairy holding me back, I tribute my Lamb Token to summon one of the Royal Bodyguard of the Queen of Wonderland, Heart Guard!"
The small Token vanished, causing one of Bruno's far-more familiar monsters to emerge from the darkness, the rectangular-shaped soldier of the Two of Hearts, brandishing a long spear with a heart-shaped tip. (1000 ATK)
"The tables are turning, Alice," the portly Shadowchaser bragged. "Without your little angel to help you, I'll sweep this duel yet!"
As he spoke, the saccharine imagery vanished and Alice's monsters' Attack Scores returned to their original values. (Hayabusa Knight: 1,000 ATK, Chain Thrasher: 1,000 ATK)
"Please!" Alice sneered, picking up another card. "You had one successful turn and suddenly you think you've got me beat? You have a lot to learn! I sacrifice Hayabusa Knight to bring forth the Twinheaded Beast!"
With one last screech, the avian knight vanished, to be replaced by a far more intimidating creature. The monster that emerged was more than a little centaur-like, with the lower body of a large horse and a man's muscular torso (both of which were strangely dressed in leather straps resembling restraints), but there was no neck atop it. Instead, twin lions' heads with manes of fire sprouted from its shoulders. With twin roars, the Beast reared back and stomped the ground, shaking the Duel Field. (1,700 ATK)
"And, like my Hayabusa Knight, this creature can attack twice," Alice bragged. "So, all four of your soldiers are, as another Alice once claimed, 'nothing but a pack of cards'!"
"You'll find out otherwise, as she did," Bruno replied calmly. "And I'll prove it with this combo! First, Caucus-Race!"
Bruno's first set card flipped up, bearing his Trap with the iconic image of the Dodo presenting Alice with a thimble.
"This turn, all of your monsters must attack, and I choose the order!"
Alice shook her head and smiled. "Oh, I get it," she said. "You're going to force me to suicide my Chain Thrasher first so you can avoid any Life Point loss this turn, as well as keep a card soldier. Whatever. That isn't much of a loss for me, so go ahead."
"Oh, I beg to differ," he laughed, "I want your Twinheaded Beast to attack first! So, come and get me, you big head case!"
The Twinheaded Beast roared again, and charged the trembling two of hearts.
"And now for my next trick!" Bruno announced. "Out Like a Candle!"
His other set card lifted, this one displaying Alice examining a bottle labeled "DRINK ME". The card quickly vanished, and a set of white kid gloves materialized over his hands. He held out one hand, and a white fan appeared within. He began to wave the fan, and Heart Guard leapt at the Twinheaded Beast, grabbing it by the neck in mid-leap and gripping in a tight headlock with the shaft of its spear. Both monsters were held in place as they caught the gust from Bruno's fan, and both began to shrink, growing smaller and smaller, until Heart Guard disappeared altogether. The two-headed abomination remained, its power more than halved. (1,700 ATK) -) (700 ATK)
"As you know, Out Like a Candle! destroys a monster on my field to weaken one of your monsters' ATK by that of mine. And, as you also know, when Heart Guard is discarded, I can deal out Diamond Guard, Club Guard, and Spade Guard!"
He produced three more cards from his deck and slapped them onto the field. The three of clubs, four of spades, and five of diamonds appeared, standing straight and firm, each grasping a spear tipped by the symbol of the corresponding suit. (1000 ATKx3)
"But your Battle Phase rages on, and so does my Caucus-Race, which means it isn't over until all of your monsters make their attacks! So, go ahead, Alice, choose which soldier will double-decapitate your Beast!"
Alice glowered at him. "You're having way too much fun with this, Bruno," she said dryly, before pointing to the three of clubs. The tiny Twinheaded Beast stampeded toward it, only for the Club Guard to make a mighty swing with its weapon, cleaving both its necks.
(AiD: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
"One-two, one-two, and through and through, the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!" said Bruno, pausing briefly as the Beast's body crashed to the floor. "He left it dead and with its, ahem, heads, he went galumphing back!"
Alice rolled her eyes. "You already used that one on McGuinness," she complained.
"Well, I'm sorry a work of classic literature doesn't have more lines about beheading!"
"It has tons of them! It was most of the Queen of Heart's dialogue!"
Bruno couldn't help but chuckle a little. "See? Helps to lighten up, doesn't it?"
Alice very nearly cracked a smile, but shook her head and growled. "I won't be distracted from my goal!" she insisted. "Chain Thrasher, attack Diamond Guard!"
The two Warriors eyed each other sternly, the Diamond Guard charging spear first as Thrasher charged too, twirling his weapon. An explosion of pixels covered the arena with sparks as both were obliterated.
"So, you see," Bruno bragged. "Now I have two to use."
"Then I'll set this and end!" Alice snapped, slamming a card onto her control panel and emphasizing it with her fist. A facedown card was now all that stood between her and Bruno's card soldiers.
Bruno sighed as he made his draw. "Hopefully, this will knock some sense into you," he remarked. "I summon the Mad Hatter!"
With a flick of his wrist, he slapped one of his cards onto the panel, and his familiar haberdasher leapt out of nowhere, pulling the teapot and cup from under his hat and pouring himself a cup of steaming English breakfast. (1,800 ATK)
"And he'll attack you directly with mad dash!"
The Mad Hatter charged forward, but Alice had other plans.
"He'll have to make it through these!" she cried. "You aren't the only one who can use Tokens! Activate Shield Wall!"
She flipped over the card on her panel, and four stone soldiers erupted in front of her, each holding a large rectangular shield. (1,000 DEFx4)
"I should've known you'd put up more walls," Bruno said, disappointed. "It's all you ever do, isn't it? Cowering behind every barrier you can find, blocking out everyone else. But you know, the more you wall yourself off, the worse off you become. Just once, can't you lower your defenses and let me in?"
"It's so easy to talk like that, isn't it?" Alice shot back, her eyes bloodshot. "I know you, Bruno. You've never experienced real loss, never been truly disappointed or heartbroken. And do you know why? Because you're like me. I wall myself off with solitude. You use your sense of humor. But the result is the same. Meaningful connections pass us by. And now we have only each other."
"You and I may have similarities, but we're not the same," Bruno replied, raising an eyebrow. "I have others. I have family, friends, a girlfriend…"
"Please! When's the last time you and Rebecca even talked!" Alice's gaze became more intense, and Bruno started to crumble. "She's furious with you, and you're avoiding her! You've been pushing her off for months now. What is it that you're afraid of, hmm?"
For once, Bruno was at a loss for words. Sweat dripped down his brow as he tried to make his voice return. "This…" he struggled. "This isn't about me. This is about you."
"This is about us," Alice corrected. "And you should practice what you preach."
Bruno frowned, but said nothing. He merely pointed at one of the Shield Tokens, and the Mad Hatter resumed his charged shattering it.
"No matter how many walls you break down, I'll put up more," Alice bragged.
Bruno ignored her. "I'll move my card soldiers into Defense Mode," he said, turning the two cards on his panel. They crouched down on their bellies, becoming indistinguishable aside from their spears (500 DEFx2). "And then, I activate my copy of One for One, discarding a card to summon Sleepy Dormouse in Defense Mode."
He slipped a card into his Graveyard, and the little narcoleptic mouse appeared next to the card soldiers, snoring lightly. (100 DEF)
"Then I'll set this and turn it over to you," he finished, setting down his last remaining card.
Alice gaped at the new additions to his field. "You brought out a Tuner and didn't bother to Synchro Summon?" she asked, puzzled. "What's the point of that? You could've brought out your Mock Turtle, even recovered some Life Points!"
"And cower behind a weeping wall of defense like you?" Bruno retaliated. "I told you, I'm not like you. I've got other ideas, beyond delusion and despair."
"You're delusional if you think that's true! You and I are more alike than I can imagine. I see so much of Pegasus in you - the irreverent humor, the fluid strategies, the love of cartoons, and all the sadness just below the surface. Why do you think I took to you so well?" She sniffled and broke out in tears again.
"It was almost like reuniting with him."
Once again, Bruno was shocked into silence. He stared at Alice in Despairland in silence as she continued to bawl. An idea once again entered his mind, one he'd been entertaining for a while now.
"You're Cyndia, aren't you?"
Alice sniffled again and calmed slightly, though tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "Not exactly," she choked.
"What do you mean?" Bruno asked, raising an eyebrow.
The Duel Spirit ignored him. She wiped away her tears and made her draw. "I activate Trade-In," she announced, placing a card on her console. "This lets me discard a Level 8 monster - like The Creator - to draw two more."
With the skilled hands of a blackjack dealer, she discarded one card and replenished her hand. "Oh, this'll do," she hiccupped. "I activate Wave-Motion Cannon."
As she played the card, a steampunk-style cannon popped up behind her Shield Tokens, covered in gauges and tubes.
"Oh, no," Bruno groaned, causing Alice to chuckle.
"Oh, yes! As you well know, during my Main Phase, I can send my Cannon to the Graveyard to inflict a thousand points of damage to you for each of my Standby Phases that have passed since its activation - and you only have a thousand left! Next turn, I'll finish you!"
"I know how to subtract, Alice."
"Well then, to increase the tension, I'll also add a monster. I'm sure you'll recognize this one."
With a flash, a tiny orb of pink light with a sweet, simpering face emerged next to the Tokens, emitting its gentle light across the field. (0 DEF)
"Consecrated Light won't make him go away," she said, indicating the Hatter, "but it will make him keep his distance."
"Yes, it certainly is a pickle," Bruno agreed, casting an ugly look at Consecrated Light. "So, is this the part where you make a dramatic speech that I should abandon all hope, accept my fate, et cetera? In case you forgot, you assumed the duel was over four turns ago."
Alice's frown grew even larger at this. "Honestly, you really take the fun out of it…"
"Would you really expect a big reaction, anyway?"
"Well, no, but waving it off beforehand is just rude! Oh, whatever, the moment is ruined. Just take your turn so I can end this and find Pegasus."
Bruno shook his head and stared at his deck. I hate to admit it, but she's right, he thought. Now that Consecrated Light is on the field, there's next to nothing I can do. I can still use Hatter's effect… If I'm lucky, he can destroy her Wave-Motion Cannon, but then what? Her deck is all about harsh sneak attacks that are hard to block. And she's cutting off all my summons and attacks!
Well, if this deck truly is me, it'll find a way! But maybe I can help it…
Just like he was reaching out to Alice in his previous duels, Bruno concentrated, closing his eyes and focusing hard on good vibes as he reached for his deck. His thoughts flashed back to all those joystealers he'd defeated, his many visits to the children's hospital, his dates with Rebecca. And even the day he found Alice.
It all sounded cute and sappy to the point of cloying, but still rather inspiring. He drew his card and held it to his face.
Fairy Meteor Crush?
Not what he had been expected or hoping for. In fact, it seemed to have come out of nowhere.
"A dead draw?" Alice asked. Her voice dripped with...wait, was that sincere sympathy? "I know that sort of disappointment. I'm sorry it had to come to this, Bruno. But I must take what I need."
This has got to mean something…
Were his hopes being crushed by a bolt from the blue by this dark spirit? It certainly seemed to be the case. He held nothing else in his hand. The monsters on his field couldn't attack. He couldn't Synchro Summon any new ones. And his set card probably wouldn't help, either. What else was there?
As he pondered, the Mad Hatter removed his chapeau and reached inside. With a loud "POP!", it transformed into a familiar tall furry cap, the type worn by beefeater guards at Buckingham Palace, with a large "1" stitched onto the front. (1,800 ATK) -) (2,600 ATK)
Great, Bruno thought, shaking his head at this development. What good is more ATK if he can't use it?
He pounded his console in frustration, and as he did, his fist slammed onto his Extra Deck. Instantly, a warm feeling spread through him. He broke out in a grin.
Could it be…?
Bruno's frowned turned upside-down. He bared his teeth in the friendliest way possible, and let it spread cheek to cheek.
"What?" Alice demanded. "What do you have to be so happy about?"
"Because, Alice," Bruno responded, drawing himself to his full, unimpressive height. "There's more to me that you knew about, but it seems this deck knew a great deal more."
"What are you getting at?" Alice demanded. Her face was turning crimson.
"Seems there was something in the back of my mind trying to get to the forefront, and I think it just came through. But first things first. Remember that card I discarded to use One for One? Well, I'm using it now. I banish Whispering Gnat to increase the Levels of all of my Dark monsters by one."
A dark aura erupted around all four of Bruno's monsters, then quickly faded in the radiance from Light of Intervention and Consecrated Light.
"And now, it's time for a tune-up! I tune my Level Four Spade Guard with my Level Two Sleepy Dormouse!"
With a wheeze, the little rodent jumped into the air, fading into two glowing green rings. At the same time, Spade Guard dropped his spear and faded into four glowing stars. The stars flew upward, lining up within the two rings.
"Impossible!" Alice shrieked. "You can't summon! My Consecrated Light won't let you!"
"We've been over this before," Bruno corrected. "Your Consecrated Light stops me from summoning Dark monsters. But that's not all I have to offer!" He turned his eyes upwards and began to chant.
"As one story ends, another begins! Let the pages turn in an endless book of tales!"
(*2 + *4 = *6)
"Synchro Summon...The Beasts of Bremen!"
A ball of light descended onto the field, taking shape. First came a donkey, grizzled and grey, with knobby knees and yellow teeth. Then, atop its back, came an old hound. Patches of its fur were missing, and its tongue hung out one side of its mouth. On top of the dog's back was an old tabby cat, a scar running over one of its yellow eyes, now blind. One of its ears had a bite out of it. Finally, atop the cat was a gangly rooster, numerous feathers missing and its tail a mess. All four creatures looked old and broken, but they stood firm, an image of stoic immobility and strength. (2,400 ATK)
Alice gaped at this new creature. Despite its shabby appearance, she'd seen it before through Bruno's eyes, and knew how dangerous it could be. "But-but how?" she stammered. "That card is-"
"Rebecca's favorite? Yes, I know. That thing in the back of my head was the feelings I had for her that I had pushed there and forgotten about. For all your needling, all your negativity, it lived on. She's here with me now, and I will win!"
Alice balled her fists. "You still can't beat me before my next turn!" she screamed. "You don't have that kind of power!"
"I might. First, I equip the Beasts of Bremen with Fairy Meteor Crush, giving it a piercing effect."
A faint white aura surrounded the four barn animals, and they lifted their heads in confidence.
"And now, for my final move! A leap of faith to bet it all! Frankly, this is something you should try some time. Take One Chance!"
Bruno's Trap flew up, displaying a cartoony image of a young middle eastern man staring at three identical treasure chests. People behind him were cheering him on.
"Now, I select a card from my Graveyard at random and immediately activate it! You know which one I want!"
"I certainly do," Alice agreed. "But the odds are against you!"
The portly Shadowchaser shrugged and picked up his Graveyard, shuffling it. "Actually, seeing as I haven't been able to use many cards in this duel, it's a ten percent chance, and that's not bad. Still, you're right. It's not in my favor. But here goes!"
He pulled a random card from the pile and, without even looking, slapped it onto his console. Alice gasped as crudely drawn suns, stars, flowers, and smiley faces popped up around the arena and the air filled with childish laughter.
"Not this again…" she groaned.
"Actually, it's worse this time," he said, "for you, because there are seven monsters this time. Smile World increases each monster's Attack Score by 700 points, but that's not much of a benefit for yours."
(Mad Hatter: 3,300 ATK, Club Guard: 1,700 ATK, Consecrated Light: 700 ATK, Shield Tokens: 700 ATKx3)
"In case you noticed, my Beasts of Bremen's Attack Score is staying the same. For the moment. Their Scores can't be raised or lowered by other cards' effects. Their own effect, however, well, suffice to say there's a reason there's four of them."
The rooster, cat, and dog leapt off their higher seats, one at a time, and the donkey who had provided the base, galloped towards Alice's side by himself. It made a powerful kick to one of the Shield Tokens, smashing it into pebbles. Alice grunted.
"Don't forget, Fairy Meteor Crush's effect does damage even with them in Defense Mode."
(AiD: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
"But my Beasts aren't done, because each of them has an attack! Sure, the dog isn't quite as strong as the donkey is, but he'll manage."
The hound stepped out from the shadows, backing as it rushed towards the second statue. (1,800 ATK) It pounced, crushing it, and Alice groaned again.
(AiD: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
Then the cat hissed, leaping at the third Shield Token. (1,200 ATK) One swipe of its claws sliced it into three pieces.
(AiD: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
Finally, the rooster crowed, then swooped at Consecrated Light, jabbing it with its beak. (600 ATK)
(AiD: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
Exhausted, the four animals collapsed on the ground, their breathing rapid. (0 ATK)
"And now that Consecrated Light is gone, my other monsters are free to attack! Mad Hatter, Club Guard, finish her off!"
The Mad Hatter nodded and Club Guard hefted his spear. Moving in perfect sync, the two charged forward and struck Alice in Despairland from either side, her scream echoing through the dark dimension.
(AiD: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,000)
Both decks transformed into wisps of smoke and wafted away as the holograms went blurry, then faded into nothingness. Alice collapsed onto her console, weeping once more. Bruno shook his head and lowered his platform, walking over to the other side of the arena to comfort her.
"The Beasts of Bremen have the right idea, Alice," he said, patting her shoulder. "We're stronger together than we are apart. You and I make an effective team when we try, and if you help me, I'll help you."
Alice sniffled and looked down at him. "This sort of thing never gets any easier, does it?"
Bruno shrugged. "A little. But not much. Communication is the key. It would help a lot of you'd explain yourself sometime."
"I can't explain myself, sir," Alice replied with a chuckle. "Because I'm not myself, you see."
"I don't see," Bruno replied, laughing with her. "But you can take your time. Now, will you help me help Jalal?"
Rubbing her eyes, Alice cracked a smile and nodded. The darkness around them started to lift. Bruno could see the castle interior reappearing.
"Good. Pegasus can wait. I mean, he's already dead. What more could happen?"
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Shield Wall (Quick-Play Spell Card)
Image: A statue of a kneeling man with a rectangular kite-shield but no weapon.
Effect: Special Summon 4 "Shield Tokens" (Rock-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK0/DEF 1000) in Defense Position. These tokens cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. If a "Shield Token" is switched to Attack Position, it is destroyed.
This card first appeared in the original series episode "A New Evil - Part 2".
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Beasts of Bremen (Synchro Monster)
Tuner plus 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Beast/Earth/Lvl6/2,400 ATK/2,400 DEF
Effect: This card's ATK cannot be altered by other card effects. This card attack once again in a row if it battled a monster, but if you do, reduce its ATK by 600. During the turn you use this effect, this card cannot attack directly. During the End Phase, if this card's ATK is less than 2400, it becomes 2400.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Jalal: I've had enough of sitting on the sidelines. I'm going to put a stop this tournament and the forces behind it! And my first step is taking you down, Persona! DUEL! Voltaire: You are a twisted, sad and evil individual, Borgman and on my honor as a Shadowchaser and a gentleman, I won't let you escape justice! Or my wrath! DUEL!
Jean-Claude: You four have some tenacity challenging me like you have. I respect that. I'll destroy it, but I respect it. But this is my world in here. In the dark...and the cold… I will freeze your very souls! DUEL! Darkness hangs over Duelist Kingdom and across this island of fate, competitors brace against a worrying chill and the question crosses their minds- is dawn going to come? Next Chapter: Exchange of Night and Day