Yu Gi Oh: Tilting the Balance

by Man Called True

Sequel to Cyber Commander's Yu Gi Oh: The Thousand Year Door. One year later, Darkness threatens all that is. This time, however, the hero is a little... unusual. DISCONTINUED DUE TO UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTIES

25. In the Name

The name is Sol Kilkarn. Yes, it's short for Solomon. I can't help but find my full name overblown, which is why I cut it short. Until recently, I was just a minor duelist on the Minnesota circuit...

...and then the city was hit by the Darkness Infection, and I became a monster. This didn't last long, but it was long enough. I still can't believe what I could have done if Chad Montmelier hadn't stopped me.

Now I'm wandering the Twin Cities, hunting Darkness Infected and freeing them from their condition by defeating them in duels. Of course, that was before they all disappeared... Yesterday it seemed I was out of a job.

This morning, however, someone far more important crossed my radar. By all rights he should be helping the Light, but he serves the Darkness instead. It seems I caught Degas and Alexander's attention after all, because this man seeks my defeat.

I have to take him down. The path to atonement begins here...

Chapter Twenty-Four: In the Name

For the first time in many days, the Twin Cities were finally quiet. With the defeat and sealing of the Demon Prince Graz'zt, the Darkness had faded into the background for the time being. No Darkness Infected stalked the streets of St. Paul or Minneapolis, no Pillar wandered the roads seeking victims, and the two men responsible for all of the madness were within their lairs and out of reach. And so, with a quiet that the area had not known since before the area was Pig's Eye, a silent night passed.

In the lair of the Darkness, Degas slept on a long, immaculately white bed, arms crossed over his chest. Elsewhere, Alexander slept with Bethany in the crook of his arm, the covers pulled tight around both of them. Caiside slept in his cell while still hanging in his chains, not free from his madness even in repose; in his sleep he babbled, "Let the world bleed... the hand of Death caresses it..."

In his family's mansion, Ulysses Cantrell slept dreamlessly next to his bed, a pool of sweat surrounding him. He tossed and turned, dreams of the Darkness flitting across his mind.

The Beloved of Fire had retreated to a chair after Merlee's call, and so he slept leaning against the upholstery, arms dangling over the sides, his dreams carrying him back into his past, as always. (Of course he dreamed; what good would a servant of Dreams who could not experience them be?) Elsewhere in the house, Vivienne slept curled into her covers, smiling in her sleep.

Demetrius Lark, having gotten a room in a hotel on the other side of Minneapolis from the Hilton, slept in full attire on top of his sheets, cane and Duel Disk close at hand in case any enemies tried to break in. In case of attack by the Darkness in the night, he planned to go down dueling and/or thrashing people over the upper body with a stout length of oak.

Hidden from as many prying eyes as they could, in separate parts of the city, Jean-Vic Viper and Donna Abernathy (formerly Menardi) cowered in fear, ready to awaken and flee on a moment's notice.

In the Minneapolis Hilton, Chad was on his bed and snoring slightly, folded in on himself. Battling a Dark Duel, after all, leaves one drained. He hadn't even had enough time to register Laura (in her underwear) and Gerald sleeping in each other's arms before collapsing onto the mattress.

And in the other bed, Gerald and Laura still held each other, both sleeping soundly. Gerald's sleep was soon marred, however, as a headache rushed over him. Before it could awake him, the vision unfolded as a dream...

0000000

The Balance, great and glorious, hung overhead, the Darkness prominent and the Light diminished. Within the center lay ever-swirling, ever-mutating Chaos, the result of the Balance's disorder.

But then the Darkness retreated, and the lines surrounding the Balance fell back into place. The Chaos faded away, and at its center lay something Gerald couldn't see. Just being in its presence was enough to drive away all of his fears and worries, however.

And then... he began to see the past. Images, stretching back across millennia...

On a 19th-century merchant ship, a man in monk's robes stepped out on the bow, hefting a massive spear in his hands. Rising from the sea was an abomination, a horrid creature standing forty feet tall and with the scales of a fish. There was a flash of the Balance's center, and the monk cried, "Back to the depths, damned Tha'hon!" as he drove the spear into the abomination's chest...

In a massive castle, around the time of the Renaissance, a man in an elegant purple suit stepped into the dungeons. Around him swarmed vaguely human creatures, fanged maws dripping saliva, and a tall, pale figure stepped out among them (a vampire, something told Gerald). The man in purple smiled and began to mutter something. Another flash of the Balance, and a circle of light surrounded him, driving off the vampire's minions and sending the undead to his knees as the man took out a stake...

Within another castle, further back in the past (the turn of the 12th century, Gerald sensed), a knight in brilliant armor fought off a hideous pig/ape monstrosity, a demon if ever there was one. "Lord, grant me strength," the knight prayed, desperately blocking the demon's swipe on his blade. There was a flash of the Balance, and white fire suffused his sword, causing the demon to recoil. It was the opening the knight needed, and he struck the weapon home...

Amid cherry trees, a Japanese woman in the robes of a shrine priestess, a mikado, knelt over a dying man. The man raised a hand to the sky, uttering words Gerald couldn't understand but that he knew were a plea for mercy. Stroking his face, the mikado slid an ofuda over his face and pulled a silver knife from inside her robe. Once again the Balance flashed, and the knife slid into the man's heart, driving a black presence - a demon - from his body...

And among the ruins of a massive crystal prison, a dark-skinned man in linen robes (a sorcerer, the vision indicated) and a Roman centurion battled a wizened, corpselike man in the remnants of a toga, a lich. The lich, cackling, hurled a ball of black fire at the duo, but the robed man caught it on the head of his staff. As the fire faded, the sorcerer chanted in a language long since dead and drew on all his powers. A final time the Balance flashed, and the sorcerer let out a blast of arcane power. It struck the lich and smashed through him, blowing away his unnatural life...

These visions and a thousand others danced about on the edge of Gerald's thoughts, and at their center was the Balance in alignment...

0000000

Half-turning in his sleep, Gerald blinked into a fuzzy wakefulness. He groped for a pen, clicked it on, and scribbled a few words on a pad before succumbing to his sleep once again.

0000000

Only a handful of people stayed awake on this night. One of them was a young man with dark, curly hair, standing just over five and a half feet and clad in a light brown ensemble, a chain around his neck and leading under his shirt. A Duel Disk was affixed to one arm, and he currently leaned against a wall, going through a deck of Duel Monsters cards.

This young man was Sol Kilkarn, and he glanced up at the stars, marveling at how much brighter they were this night. His wandering had led him to upper Minneapolis, near the ruins. For some reason, he couldn't sleep.

Actually, he knew the reason - a voice had told him not to. He'd heard the voice just before he would have gone to bed, and so he had spent much of the evening making his way here.

What's the saying? Sol thought as he flipped through his deck. It's all right to hear voices as long as you don't do what they ask you? Well, I broke that rule...

He loaded the deck into his Duel Disk again, satisified with it. Earlier in the day, he'd given it a drastic redesign, and now he was content with how he had reshaped it. Taking a deep breath, he stepped off the wall and entered the ruins.

Even though he had seen the meteors come crashing down into the city two days before, Sol still gasped on seeing the results up close. None of the buildings were intact for a solid mile in every direction. Smoke still rose from parts of the rubble, although nothing was left to burn. As the stars were bright, Sol could see, but other than that nothing lit the ruins - all the streetlights were melted or crumbled.

The young man picked his way through the streets, swerving around larger pieces of debris as he worked his way towards the center. He couldn't think of a good reason to be here, but the voice had told him there was something in the ruins, and so he followed that advice.

It turned out to be good advice, as he walked across a shattered piece of road and saw someone else, a man kneeling next to a Coleman lantern. He hurried his pace...

...and then stopped as a wave of realization coursed through him.

The man knelt in front of the remains of the Wells Fargo Building, although someone who hadn't known the building's identity would not have identified it. From behind, all that could be seen was a black jacket, black dress pants, and a reversed collar. Hearing Sol's approach, the man stood up and turned around, revealing he wore a white shirt and a cross around his neck. He had graying hair, and regarded the younger man through a pair of bifocals. The man - the priest - had lines on his face belying a long, bitter experience with the world.

Even though his time as a Darkness Infected was relatively short, Sol knew the man's identity on description alone. "Father Young," he said, eyes narrowing.

"And you would be Sol Kilkarn," the priest replied, nodding his head, "the Darkness Infected turned free agent. I am indeed Father Emil Young, formerly of the Church of the Wondrous Assumption, now unassigned. What brings you to the heart of such a desolate place, my child?" His voice had a tinge of a southern accent to it, but Sol couldn't place the region.

"I could ask you the same question. What would the Darkness want with this dead zone?"

Father Young chuckled, although the gesture had no humor in it. "Absolutely nothing, my child. Nothing at all. I came here myself, to pray for the souls of those killed by the Dark Servant's foul magic. Is that what brought you?"

Sol shook his head. "I don't remember the prayer. Nor do I really believe you, either." His curiosity reached the breaking point, and he finally asked it. "Why would you even bother? You're not a real priest."

"I am," the accused man replied, glaring through his glasses at Sol. "This isn't a costume, Sol. Since 1977 I am an ordained priest, a servant of the Lord Almighty, and I do not take kindly to such accusations. Even if I no longer serve a parish, that doesn't excommunicate me." He then paused, the glare fading, and said, "But you're wondering why I serve the Darkness. Sit down, this will take a while."

Still doubting Father Young's words, Sol sat on what used to be the steps of the Foshay Building (thrown by a meteor) and faced the older man.

0000000

A few other people were awake, but they were not in the Twin Cities. Nor, for that matter, did one of them truly qualify as a "person".

The air blurred outside the limits of the city of Shakopee, and Hanzaki emerged, leading a small band of Darkness Infected. Unlike the usual type, however, these Infected had pure black eyes, and the marks on the backs of their hands wrapped up and around their arms. The Lycra-clad man thought of them as the "packages".

"Okay, Number 53," he said, checking a clipboard in one hand, "you're up. Make your way towards the center of town and then just stand there - the rest will take care of itself."

The person addressed, a thin, sweaty man in yellow clothing, nodded a few times and staggered into the city, body shaking with every step.

Taking a pen from the pouch hidden behind his symbol, Hanzaki checked off the first item on his clipboard. His eyes went down the list, and he pondered the next destinations - Glendale, Apple Valley, Farmington, Eden Prarie, Albert Lea... Choosing one of them, he made a gesture with one hand, and he and the other "packages" disappeared as the air bent around them.

As they vanished, the man he'd sent out haltingly walked on, beginning to babble in the most incomprehensible way. After a few more steps, however, he stood rigid, arms at his sides. He'd reached the center of town.

The man then looked up and screamed as a wave of darkness burst out from his body, washing through the city and everyone in it. Two more waves followed, digging into every building and blacking out the lights.

Once it was over, the man appeared once again as a normal Darkness Infected. His eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed, going still. The only time he moved was when the shield of force passed over him.

0000000

Father Young cleared his throat and began, "My family has always spread the Lord's word. My grandfather was a chaplain in World War I, and my father preached in the Church of the Wondrous Assumption before I took his place. My older brother, Marcello, is a priest as well, and my younger sister married a reverand. I grew up with no greater desire than to serve the Lord by preaching his Gospels. And so I entered seminary almost the moment I finished high school..."

"Pardon my interruption," Sol asked, "but where exactly are you from?"

"Florida. The panhandle, to be more exact."

"Wouldn't have guessed that..."

The priest shrugged, adjusting his glasses. "Most people guess Lousiana. I think it's the accent. As I was saying... I went through seminary and was ordained as a priest on June 21st, 1977. Shortly thereafter, I stepped into my father's place as the pastor of the Church of the Wondrous Assumption. For the next twenty-three years, I could think of no better way to spend the balance of my threescore and ten..." He sighed.

There was a long moment's silence before Sol asked, "What happened?"

"I will admit it was foolish of me to think the Lord would pay the turning of the Millennium any special attention - God is not bound by the calendar of Man - but it was still kind of a sting. But more importantly, around that time I'd begun to see a look on the faces of my congregation that didn't seem right. It was a look of utter disinterest, like the last thing they wanted to hear was the word of the Lord. I'd used to teach Sunday school, so I was familiar with it..."

Father Young paused, clearing his throat.

"A short while later," he continued, "I began to test them. I would announce the topic of my sermons before giving them, and then stand by the door after Mass and quiz them as to what topic I'd preached. Without fail, they would always parrot back the topic I'd given, usually repeating my exact words. It was a sign they hadn't listened to a word of it. So I moved on to the ultimate test...

"One warm April Sunday, we went through the Mass as normal, and after the Gospel reading I stood before them and announced that my topic was 'Lying and the human heart'. And then I began to speak complete and utter gibberish. I made sure not to say a single word that would make any sense whatsoever; everything I said consisted of random syllables, thrown together. For ten minutes, I said the most random babble I could, and after Mass I stood at the door, asking them what my sermon was about." He paused again, hanging his head.

Sol thought for a second, and then frowned, saying, "Let me guess. They all said, 'Lying and the human heart'."

"Every last one of them. Nobody had even noticed I'd said anything out of the ordinary... that would have required them to listen to me. As the last of them left, it hit me that these people were supposed to be God's chosen ones, his children on Earth, created in his image. How could the Lord allow such faithless, empty souls to be his people? I left the church the next day, leaving them to their lack of faith and their wasteland of the spirit. As far as I was concerned, that church was dead."

"And this is why you serve the Darkness?" Sol asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because of one group of people?"

The priest laughed at that point, shaking his head. "I'm not that petty, my child," he replied. "But it isn't just that group, either. They were just a symptom. The world has forgotten there's anything greater that what it can see. The last time this happened, God flooded the world and wiped the slate clean, except for Noah... but then God tied His hands by promising Noah he'd never repeat the process, sealing the pact with the rainbow. The Darkness has no such binding agreements." Father Young pushed his glasses back up from where they'd slid and smiled. "When the Darkness has scoured the world, humanity will once again see that something greater exists. Their faith will be renewed, and those who had the strength to survive will once again follow the ways of the Lord..."

Before Father Young could even finish his sentence, Sol sprang to his feet, eyes wide. "So that's it?" he said, disbelief running through his words. "You think you're a new Noah? How the hell can you believe that's what God wants?"

"It's not," the preacher said, lowering his head again. Overhead, false dawn had come upon the city. "This must be done, but it is not the Lord's will. By doing this, I have damned my soul forever. But I accept this... What price is one soul for the world?"

Sol moved up to Father Young's face, glaring into his eyes. "You do realize I can't let you get away now, right?"

"Away!" the priest yelled, and a burst of force pushed Sol back, nearly knocking him down. "In truth, I told you all of this because I rather wanted you to react like that. Degas and Alexander wanted us to duel - they wanted me to deal with you before you could further aid Gerald and his allies. Are you ready?"

Rather than answer with additional words, Sol raised his Duel Disk and activated it. It hummed, searching for an opponent, and he thought, When I was still a Darkness Infected, one of the others told me about Father Young and how powerful he was. If I can defeat him, I can strike the Darkness a hard blow...

Behind both duelists, the sun slowly began to rise. Father Young raised his arms and looked to the sky...

A black circle, the mark of the Dark Duel, drew itself around both men, and then the ground shook. The circle fractured, the center laying between the duelists and a ten-foot radius stretching from it. Dust rose from the street, and this newly-created platform rose up, rising ten feet off of the ground.

That done, the priest raised one arm, which glowed with white energy. When the energy faded away, he was wearing a dark red Duel Disk,an inlaid-gold cross beside the deck slot. A deck was already loaded into it.

As Father Young activated the Duel Disk, he thought, My words did what they were supposed to do - they goaded you into battle - but there's another reason I want to duel you. This will be a trial, my child - prove your strength.

"I cannot show you mercy, my child," Father Young said audibly. "Come forth with all your might!"

"I didn't plan on doing anything less!" Sol replied. "Let's go!"

Both Life Point counters went to 8,000 and the battle began.

As Sol finished drawing his opening hand, he thought to himself, I need to be on my guard. This isn't the first time I've run the deck as it is now, but it's still rough on the edges.

Father Young, meanwhile, tucked his last card into his hand and said, "I think I would prefer to let my opponent take the opening turn."

"All right, then," Sol replied as he drew another card. He looked at his hand and thought, It's not much, but a classical opening will do. "I set one monster in Defense Mode and two cards facedown." The holograms flashed into place at the center of the Dark Duel's circle. "That will settle my turn."

The preacher nodded, drawing his own opening card, and pushed his glasses back up. "I begin by calling down the Shining Angel in Attack Mode," he said.

A ray of light from the rising sun shone on the platform, and a winged man in a toga descended onto the rocks. He had the bearing of a Spartan athlete, and his demeanor as he stared at Sol was not a friendly one. (1,400/800)

"Now I'll set a card facedown," Young said as he did so, "and let you take over."

Sol drew, smiled, and declared, "I play the Continuous Magic Card called Ancient Gear Castle!"

The street below the duelists shook, and a large building rose from the ground. It resembled a medieval fortress, studded with torches and bearing what looked like a sharpened battering ram within the doorway. Dust rose from its foundations.

"Now," Sol continued, "I summon one of the creations put together within it - the Ancient Gear Soldier! And due to the effect of the Castle, it gains 300 Attack Points!"

A hatch opened on the top of the castle, and a column with a large block-and-tackle on the end rose up. At the end of it was a crude mechanical soldier, multiple gears showing; one of its arms was a machine gun. The primitive crane lowered it to Sol's field, and it brandished its gun at Father Young. (1,300/1,300) Several chains launched from the castle and hooked into it, tightening its gears, even as one of the torches on the building's front lit. (1,300/1,300 - 1,600/1,600)

With a sigh, Father Young said, "I'm familiar with how the Ancient Gear monsters operate, so I know you can attack without worrying about my facedown card..." At the same time, he thought, This trap isn't that sort, Mr. Kilkarn, but I'd have to offer a monster to make it work, and I don't feel like wasting it on something that's not a threat.

"Glad to hear you know them," the young man said. "Ancient Gear Soldier, take out the Shining Angel!"

Raising its gun, the Soldier took aim and opened fire, the bullets slamming into the Shining Angel. His wings were obliterated, and he staggered a moment before he fell, shattering. Father Young's Life Point dipped to 7,800.

"When the Shining Angel is destroyed, I can bring out any Light monster with less than 1,500 Attack Points," Father Young noted. "And I pick one that doesn't have any at all! I Special Summon the Angel of Wisdom - Mercury!"

One feather from the slain Shining Angel settled on the platform, and a pillar of light shone down on it. The feather glowed and vanished, and soon a new being stood in its place. It looked like a young woman, but she was completely bald and had emerald-colored skin, clad in a leather dress. Large wings sprouted from her back, and she carried a book under one arm. (0/1,700)

Sol raised an eyebrow and asked, "Shouldn't that be 'Agent of Wisdom'?"

The priest's eyes narrowed. "Do not insult my angels by calling them that silly title. It was invented to keep overreactive parents from complaining. And don't call them 'fairies' either. Do they look like the fae?" Shaking his head, he continued, "They are angels, my child. Plain and simple. Every one of my monsters is an angel in some way, and so I will call them as such. Just keep that in mind and you won't get confused."

"All right, then..." He was confused already, but Sol managed to keep from showing it. "I'l end my turn here."

Father Young drew, and then took another card from his hand. "As I am not satisfied with my holdings, I play Reload, letting me shuffle my hand back into my deck and draw that many cards." He did so in short order. "Then I will switch Mercury into Defense Mode..." The angel knelt, folding her wings in front of her. "...and summon a being created by the forces of Heaven to punish those who defy celestial law! I call forth the Majestic Mech Ohka!"

Fire fell from the sky in a single, massive ball. This fire began to take shape, soon taking on a form similar to a winged, shining lion with red lines of force drawn along its frame. A bright red jewel shone on its chest, and it exhaled red energy. (2,400/1,400)

Another torch on the Ancient Gear Castle lit, and Sol thought, The Majestic Mechs... I'm not too familiar with them, but I believe this one normally needs a Tribute. Summoning it without one kills it at the turn's end.

"You who have created a machine in mockery of the human form and given it life," Father Young said, "now you will see it rent asunder! Majestic Mech Ohka, attack the Ancient Gear Soldier with Righteous Flame!"

The heavenly being rose high above the platform, gathering together incredible amounts of power. It aimed its head at the Ancient Gear Soldier, and a single wave of glowing red power arced down at it...

Sol tapped a button on his Duel Disk and announced, "Activate Sakuretsu Armor, which destroys your monster and saves mine!"

There was a brief flash as the glowing armor surrounded the mechanical creation, and then the energy hit it. The armor shattered, but the force of the impact sent the energy back at its source. In seconds, the Mechanical Mech Ohka convulsed under the force of its own energies, and then vanished, consumed utterly.

The priest shrugged, saying, "Not that it mattered. Either way Ohka would have gone to my Graveyard. I'll just set a card facedown and end my turn on that."

Drawing, Sol thought, I don't have anything that can defeat Mercury just yet, and I still don't know what he has facedown. This will do for now.

Before he could play the card in question, however, Father Young waved to his activating facedown and declared, "I open my facedown card, Solemn Wishes, which will give me back 500 Life Points every time I draw. Now, back to your turn..."

"Right," Sol agreed. "I set a monster facedown..." As the monster appeared, a third torch lit on the Ancient Gear Castle, one more than he'd have any need to sacrifice. "And I'll call that the end of my turn."

"You could call it many things, but most of them would be unbecoming to a servant of the Lord," the preacher muttered. He drew, and a rain of light fell upon him, raising his Life Points to 8,300. "Now I'll summon an angel unlike most of Heaven's servants - one whose primary occupation is study and research, not war or guarding humanity. I call forth the Hysteric Angel!"

More light shone upon the platform, the sun rising in the sky behind the duelists. In that light, a very fussy angel appeared, adjusting a pair of glasses. The angel's gender could only be described as ambiguous - it was hard to tell whether it was a feminine man or a woman. Then again, everything Sol had read indicated angels had no need for genders. (1,800/1,000) Yet another torch lit on the Ancient Gear Castle.

After a moment's consideration, during which Father Young's eyes flicked between the facedown monster and the Ancient Gear Soldier, he came to a decision and ordered, "Hysteric Angel, undo the sin that is the Ancient Gear Soldier with Holy Ray!"

Taking hold of his/her/its glasses, the Hysteric Angel adjusted them for a moment, and then the angel's eyes glowed white. A beam of pure light fired out of the Hysteric Angel's eyes, focused by the glasses until it was sharpened into a single point. This carved through the mechanical man, and it fell apart into a hundred pieces, leaving Sol's Life Points at 7,800.

"In my second Main Phase," Father Young continued, "I play Terraforming, letting me search my deck for a Field Magic card and put it into my hand." A beam of blue light shot up next to him, and several images flicked across it. After a moment, he touched one of them, and the card solidified. As he took it, he tipped it to Sol.

Sanctuary in the Sky, the young man thought. It was that or Luminous Spark, and given his attitude there was no contest.

"I won't play it just yet, however," the priest concluded. "Instead, I'll end my turn."

Drawing his next card, Sol held it up and said, "How appropriate. I play Graceful Charity!"

The angel descended from the sky above them, pointedly ignoring Father Young (who merely adjusted his collar). She gestured to Sol, and three cards from his deck rose into his hand. Taking the Ancient Gear and Mine Golem from his hand, he handed them to her, and she disappeared.

Of course she ignored me, Father Young thought as Sol studied his cards. She wasn't called down for my benefit, after all. Still... He frowned at the idea now in mind.

Taking another card from his hand, Sol continued, "There are three more counters than I need, so now I'll give up the Ancient Gear Castle for its second most powerful creation. Meet the Ancient Gear Beast!"

Dust began to rise from the Ancient Gear Castle as it shook, bricks falling out of the structure as all four lit torches went out. Parts of the wall cracked and fell apart, and then a massive metal paw smashed through the battering ram at the castle's front. The entire castle fell in, and the Ancient Gear Beast, as always resembling a giant metal dog, rose to its feet. (2,000/2,000)

"Another mockery of life," the priest said, observing the machine's entrance. "This always was your style..."

Reaching for his facedown monster, Sol continued, "And it's not the last one this turn. I'm going to do your Hysteric Angel a favor and banish him... er..." He paused, blinked, and asked with a slight blush, "What pronoun should I use?"

After a long, heavy moment, Father Young adjusted his cross and said, "To be perfectly honest, my child, I don't know either."

"Well, I'm sending the angel back to Heaven, anyway. I flip my Golem Sentry into Attack Mode, which sends the Hysteric Angel back to your hand!"

Part of the platform turned malleable, raising up into an arch with a door at its center. Soon it developed a head, arms, and legs; the door-creature wore a red loincloth and carried a staff. (800/1,800) Reaching into itself, the Golem Sentry opened its door, and a glowing hand reached out, grabbing the Hysteric Angel. Fight as the angel would, the hand drew the diving being into itself and slammed the door shut.

The priest tucked his card back into his hand and asked, "I have to ask. Ancient Gear monsters are their own group, but you're also playing Rock monsters... where is the logic?"

"There are two reasons," Sol said, his eyes closing. "One is that you can't really build a deck with nothing but Ancient Gears... and the other is a family reason. All my Rocks are Golems. My grandmother once told me that my family's lineage goes back to Judah Lowe..."

"I know that name," Father Young said, eyes widening. "He was the rabbi who created the Prague Golem. But if I recall the story, his golem turned against him."

Nodding, the young man added, "It was because he tried to create life, going against the law of Heaven. But the Ancient Gears aren't an attempt to create life - they merely imitate it. Same with my golem monsters. I need never fear my ancestor's misfortune. As I was saying..." Turning to his Ancient Gear Beast, Sol ordered, "Attack Mercury with your Gear Fang!"

The giant mechancial dog sprang forward, jaws opening wide, and caught the emerald-skinned angel in its fangs. Its head shook, and it thrashed about, slamming the unfortunate Mercury against the ground, before she finally shattered.

"Now," Sol continued, "Golem Sentry..." He paused, tensing up as he thought, Even if he serves the Darkness, what am I going to bring down on myself by attacking a priest directly?

Seeing this, Father Young spread his arms and said, "God's favor never stopped anyone from beating a clergyman at chess. You cannot afford to hold back in this duel, my child."

Relief spread through Sol's body as he ordered, "Golem Sentry, attack directly!" He then turned away.

Raising its staff, the Golem Sentry stamped one foot on the platform. A large rock hand grabbed Father Young and squeezed until a bone cracked. He cried out and dropped to one knee, groaning as his Life Points lowered to 7,500.

"As per its effect, I turn Golem Sentry facedown," Sol concluded. The monster disappeared. "One card facedown and this turn is done."

It was a moment before Father Young pushed himself back onto his feet, his glasses askew. He moved them back up on his nose, took hold of his next card, and muttered, "Despite my comment, I don't think chess games usually get that violent..." He drew, and Solemn Wishes flashed, a rain of light covering him as his Life Points went back to 8,000.

And we're back where we started, Sol thought.

As if he'd read Sol's mind, the preacher declared, "I play Pot of Greed, which raises my Life Points past the starting point with Solemn Wishes... a pity I only gain the Life Points once." There was another rain of light as Father Young's Life Points went up to 8,500, and he ignored the hologram while drawing. "And now..." He held up a card Sol had expected.

"You realize how hypocritical your playing that card is, right?" the younger man muttered.

"How can a card be hypocritical?" His Field Slot opened, and Father Young slid the card into place. "I play the Field Magic Card called The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

Under the feet of the duelists, the platform slowly transformed. It ceased to be tar, and instead slowly turned to gold, the light of the rising sun shining painfully bright off of it. And then that light ceased to matter - the entire sky lit up, and Sol was temporarily blinded.

Once his vision cleared, their platform was fully golden, and clouds had replaced the ground beneath it. Behind the preacher, a massive, beautiful castle (the Sanctuary itself) sprouted from this insubstantial "landscape", the top marked with a column that ended in a crescent and orb.

"Welcome, Sol," Father Young said, "to the kingdom of Heaven. In this sacred place, when an angel falls in battle, I am spared any damage from its defeat." He sighed, looking around. "How sad that this is about as close as I'll ever get. Either way..."

He took two cards from his hand, setting one facedown in a Monster Zone and one in his Magic/Trap zones, before waving to Sol and looking around again.

Hmmm? Sol drew his next card, distracted by Father Young's actions, and then shook his head. Focus, Sol! He smiled at his draw, turned back to his Duel Disk and declared, "I sacrifice my facedown Gear Golem the Moving Fortress for Steel Ogre Grotto #2!"

For a brief moment, a squat metal creature appeared on the field, looking like someone had haphazardly welded it together. But then it melted, the liquid metal flowing upwards into another form. It looked like a massive, barrel-chested, thick-limbed robot with a single glowing eye. (1,900/2,200)

"In the days of Judah Lowe," Sol noted, "they made golems out of clay. Now they make them out of metal..." He then shut his eyes for a second, thinking, There aren't many Fairy-type flip-effect monsters in this game other than Skelengel, and I can afford to give him a card; beside, I doubt he's playing it. It's only 100 extra points of damage, but with Solemn Wishes on the field, any extra damage is good! "Steel Ogre Grotto #2, attack his facedown monster with Overdrive Fist!"

The robot pounded its chest, and then stomped forward, pulling one steel arm back to crush the facedown monster.

"Activate Draining Shield, turning the attack and the damage into healing!" the preacher countered as his facedown card flipped.

A shield of force covered the facedown monster, a metal circle at its center. Trapped by its programming, the Steel Ogre Grotto slammed its fist into the circle. Arcs of electricity danced over it as a beam of green light fell on Father Young, his Life Points rising to 10,400, and the priest gave a thin smile.

The robot staggered back to Sol's field, throwing off sparks, and he frowned. Now why would he protect that? If it had an effect, the Steel Ogre Grotto would have set it off, but the Ancient Gear Beast wouldn't have... unless it's too strong for me to destroy with it. Argh, I'm confused... "I end my Battle Phase," he finally decided, "and flip my facedown Ancient Gear Drill. By discarding the last card in my hand, I can set any Magic Card from my deck on my field, although I can't activate it yet. So I discard my Trap Hole to make it work!"

Sol slid his last card into his Duel Disk, and the drill rose on his field, the bit rotating rapidly. It dug into his deck until a loud clank sounded, and then the claws surrounding the bit came down and latched with another loud clank. The drill rose, bearing a single card, and set it on Sol's field before vanishing.

"That's it for me," the young man concluded.

"In more ways than you know," Father Young replied as he drew his next card. A rain of light covered him from Solemn Wishes, and his Life Points reached 10,900. He then grinned and shouted, "Now that we're in the Sanctuary, my child, the forces of the Lord can inflict their wrath directly upon you! I flip my facedown monster into Attack Mode... Angel of Force - Mars!"

Sol gulped.

The sky turned dark, and a roll of thunder issued, even though there was no sign of storms. A winged figure appeared on the top of the Sanctuary, and this time Sol could fully understand the priest's insistance on calling his monsters angels instead of fairies. Fairies had mercy, and nothing in this monster's bearing indicated he knew that word existed. He had reddish-brown skin, marked with battle scars (who knew angels could scar?), and a face hardened by ages of combat. He wore a red-and-gold headdress and a dark red wrap around his waist, and carried a mighty spear in one hand.

Spreading his purple-feathered wings, the Angel of Force ascended from the Sanctuary and came down to land in front of Father Young, pointing his spear at Sol. His expression said simply, "You are nothing before the Lord." (0/0)

Before Sol could comment on the contrast in the monster's attitude and its statistics, Father Young explained, "In this most sacred of places, Mars draws power from my victories over you. His Attack and Defense Points are equal to how many more Life Points I have than you do, and right now, that's 3,100."

Raising his spear, the angel shouted a mighty battle cry, light issuing up from his feet. (0/0 - 3,100/3,100)

Taking another card from his hand, Father Young said, "I next summon my Mystical Shine Ball in Attack Mode."

The clouds beneath them parted, and a glowing white ball popped up, humming slightly. (100/100)

"But I will not keep it for long," the preacher continued, "because now is the time to use the Trap Card I set at this duel's beginning. It's called Light of Judgment, and by sending one of my Light monsters to the grave, I can destroy any card on your field or force you to discard a card from your hand. I give up my Mystical Shine Ball to destroy your Golem Sentry!"

The trap flipped up, and the Mystical Shine Ball vanished. Energy danced between the points of the crescent topping the Sanctuary, a white aura soon surrounding it. Seconds later, a beam of burning light fired down from the symbol and seared through Sol's facedown Golem Sentry, leaving nothing but a scorchmark in its place.

Wise move, Sol thought. Otherwise I could have kept sending his monsters back to his hand...

For a long moment, the priest did not say a word, instead watching Sol with grave intent. He then ordered, "Mars, attack the Steel Ogre Grotto #2 with Fury of the Highest!"

Those mighty wings spread, and the Angel of Force rose over Sol's field, his spear in hand. Soon the weapon began to glow, burning energy covering it, and the angel smiled in grim satisfaction. The energy became overwhelmingly bright, and Mars drew it back before throwing it down at the robot...

"Activate Negate Attack!" Sol declared. An invisible wall blocked the spear, which exploded on contact. The angel grunted and came down to land on the platform, his spear back in his hand.

Without any traces of disappointment, Father Young said, "I set a card facedown..." He did so. "And end my turn."

Sol drew and immediately played the draw. "Pot of Greed!" He took up two more cards, smiling, and said, "I set a monster in Defense Mode and activate my facedown card, Limiter Removal, which doubles the Attack Points of my Machine-type monsters! And that includes all Ancient Gear monsters!"

The facedown monster appeared, and Sol's card lifted up...

Tapping a button on his Duel Disk, Father Young interrupted, "I counter that with my Magic Drain. Can you discard a Magic Card from your hand?"

The young man's face fell, and he looked at his hand. "No, I can't," he replied.

"Then Limiter Removal is negated and destroyed."

All the color drained from the Limiter Removal card hologram, and it collapsed in several pieces.

"In that case," Sol said, hand twitching, "I switch both my monsters to Defense Mode and end my turn." The Ancient Gear Beast laid down like the dog it resembled, and the Steel Ogre Grotto #2 drew its arms across its broad chest, squatting down.

As Father Young drew, yet more shining rain fell on him, and his Life Points escalated to 11,400; in the process, a burning aura surrounded Mars, increasing his power. (3,100/3,100 - 3,600/3,600) "I set a card facedown," the preacher began, "and summon the Hysteric Angel to my field once more."

Unfortunately, as the Hysteric Angel settled on Father Young's field again, this second summoning didn't answer the question of the angel's gender. (1,800/1,000)

"Now, Mars," Father Young ordered, a certain amount of wrath evident in his voice, "destroy the Steel Ogre Grotto #2! Fury of the Highest!"

Again the Angel of Force ascended over the Sanctuary, spear in hand and glowing with his divine rage. He hurled the spear down, and this time nothing impeded its flight. The weapon struck the machine like a comet, hurling gears and scraps of the frame every which way; smoke rose from the ruins.

Sol could only shudder, remembering that this was a Dark Duel. What would a direct attack do to me? he thought.

"I end my turn," the priest concluded, holding out his empty hand.

With a moment's pause, Sol drew and shook his head. "I pass."

As Father Young drew, Solemn Wishes went to work again, the light raising his Life Points to 11,900. By now Mars was shaking, his power almost to a point where he couldn't contain it. (3,600/3,600 - 4,100/4,100)

Looking to his Duel Disk, the preacher pressed a button, declaring, "I activate Beckoning Light, which returns two Light monsters from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose Majestic Mech Ohka and Shining Angel!"

The clouds on either side of the platform parted, and two bubbles of light rose up, bearing the leonine angel/robot and the winged man in a toga. The bubbles popped and they disappeared, two cards appearing in Father Young's hand.

"Next," he said, "I play a Magic Card called Stray Lambs, summoning two Sheep Tokens to my field in Defense Mode..."

Two little sheep appeared next to Mars, who regarded them with annoyance. They looked like Scapegoats, and seemed to be sleeping. (0/0)

Sol braced himself, and rightfully so, for the priest's next words were, "Mars, Fury of the Highest! Destroy the Ancient Gear Beast!"

Once more the angel flew into the sky, once more he hurled the burning spear... and this time gears flew in all directions as the Ancient Gear Beast blew apart.

Narrowing his eyes, Father Young looked to Sol and said, "If the Light truly counts on you, now is about the time it would matter. Because so far, I don't see any evidence it actually cares. But either way, my turn ends now."

He's got a very good point, Sol thought as he drew. He then paused, smiled, and tossed the card on his Duel Disk. "I activate the Magic Card Ancient Gear Garage, returning an Ancient Gear Monster from my Graveyard to my hand!"

Beneath the platform, the clouds began to roil and spin, becoming a tornado of white, fluffy material. Gears and bolts rose from within the funnel, assembling piece by piece into the Ancient Gear Beast, now the worse for wear. It disappeared, but the card shone in Sol's hand.

"Next," Sol continued, "I set a card facedown and play another Ancient Gear Castle!"

The facedown card flashed into being, and then the clouds parted as the age-worn, torch-studded castle rose up from the street below.

Scowling, the priest muttered, "You profane this sacred ground with that blasphemous place..."

"I thought all acts of creation were holy?" the young man queried. "You keep calling my monsters unholy and blasphemous..."

"There is a difference between creating and playing God, and your Ancient Gear monsters cross that line."

"Whichever... I sacrifice my Mine Golem to bring out the Ancient Gear Beast again."

As Sol said it, it happened - the facedown Mine Golem vanished, and the top of his Ancient Gear Castle opened, emerging the primitive crane again. This time, the newly-repaired Ancient Gear Beast hung from it, swaying slightly in the early morning breeze. With immense care, the crane set its load on the field, and the clockwork monster glared at Father Young as a torch lit on the castle. (2,000/2,000) Several chains fired from the castle and hooked to the Ancient Gear Beast as they had to the Soldier previously. (2,000/2,000 - 2,300/2,300)

Father Young's scowl only deepened as he thought, There's one turn-around... He then sighed.

"Ancient Gear Beast," Sol ordered, "attack the Hysteric Angel with Gear Fangs!"

In response, the mechanical creature hurled itself across the field, biting into the Hysteric Angel and thrashing about. And then the issue of the angel's gender was finally settled - she let out a remarkably feminine scream before she shattered.

The Sanctuary glowed, and a shield of holy light shot up into place around Father Young, the force of the energy causing his jacket to ripple. "Did you forget?" he said. "As long as I stand before the Sanctuary in the Sky, the defeat of my angels cannot harm my Life Points!" The shield soon faded, and the priest adjusted his glasses.

"I didn't forget," Sol replied, adjusting his hand. "I end my turn with that."

Father Young drew his next card, his scowl fading slightly as yet another rain of light covered him, raising his Life Points to 12,400. In front of him, the Angel of Force growled, his muscles bulging as his power increased further. (3,600/3,600 - 4,100/4,100)

Wow... Sol thought as he looked at Mars. It could almost crush the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon under its heel now. He then looked to his facedown card and thought, That won't last.

"You know the difference between Stray Lambs and Scapegoat, my child?" Father Young said. "You can't use a Scapegoat as a tribute for summoning monsters, but Stray Lambs work just fine. So now I call back my angelic creation - I sacrifice a Stray Lamb token to summon the Majestic Mech Ohka!"

One of the two little sheep disappeared in a puff of tiny lights. Those lights flew into the Sanctuary's door, and the symbol on its top glowed with a holy light. Soon the points of the crescent shot out blue electricity, forming it into the outline of the artificial winged lion. This outline turned red, and then it was there, roaring as it came to life. (2,400/1,400)

Behind Sol, another torch burst to life.

After a quick smile of satisfaction, the preacher shouted, "Ohka, strike down the Ancient Gear Beast now! Righteous Flame!"

The Majestic Mech threw back its head, drawing in a long, steady breath, and then fired a wave of red energy at the Ancient Gear Beast...

...and it hit an upraised cannon, which flipped around and pointed at Father Young. Sol merely held up the Magic Cylinder card, and a second later the blast hit the priest, throwing him to the ground as his Life Points dropped to 10,000.

As the Life Point counter went down, Mars staggered, feathers flying from his wings. He then sank to one knee, eyes half-shut as his power drained. (4,100/4,100 - 2,200/2,200)

My Angel of Force isn't powerful enough now, Father Young thought in irritation. But as long as the Sanctuary still stands I am in no danger. "I set a card facedown and finish my turn," he said.

Sol drew and glanced at his Graveyard, counting cards in his head. He then nodded to himself and said, "I play Pot of Avarice." The unusual jar appeared, and the Steel Ogre Grotto #2, Golem Sentry, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, and two Mine Golems appeared for a second before funneling into it. The jar vanished and Sol drew twice before his eyes went wide. "And now I play Mystical Space Typhoon on the Sanctuary in the Sky!"

All the priest could do was cry out.

A mighty wind picked up, and the clouds beneath Sol and his opponent were torn asunder by the gale. They vanished into the aether, revealing the street and the foundations of the Ancient Gear Castle. While the clouds vanished, the Sanctuary itself began to shake, its towers and the symbol atop it all toppling into the building itself. Stone rained from the sky, and the grand edifice shattered, crashing to the ground below.

Silence ruled, and then Father Young looked at the younger man, hatred in his eyes. "You have brought about the fall of Heaven, child," he said, slow and with a heavy anger on his words. "Rest assured you will pay in blood for your misdeeds."

"Any Heaven where you stand on the clouds is Hell disguised," Sol replied, glaring at his enemy. "Let me point out that without the Sanctuary to power him, your Angel of Force - Mars has no power."

Indeed, the fall of the Sanctuary in the Sky had hit Mars hard. His feathers molted off his wings, and he sank to his hands and knees under the weight of his spear. Finally, he let it fall from his hands, panting in agony. (2,200/2,200 - 0/0)

Blast! Father Young thought as he saw this. Why didn't I switch him to Defense Mode?

Looking at the other card he'd drawn, Sol let out a slight laugh and said, "Now allow me to show you my most powerful creation... the Ancient Gear Castle has two counters on it, and so I can sacrifice it for the Ancient Gear Golem!"

Again, the castle began to shake, but this time a triumphant theme began to play from within it. Both torches went out, and the building's foundations cracked straight up the middle. The chains attached to the Ancient Gear Beast shattered as part of the wall fell in. (2,300/2,300 - 2,000/2,000) More of the foundation pulled apart, stone and mortar falling inwards, and something rose from the street.

The castle finally fell apart, and the monster summoned stood amidst its ruins. It was a giant, clockwork-powered robot in the shape of a man, one arm thin and spindly and the other arm immense. Its head looked as though it wore a finned helmet, and its eyes glowed a bright yellow. Taking a step forward, the Ancient Gear Golem leapt onto the platform, shaking it as it landed. (3,000/3,000)

"I haven't done anything Heaven can punish me for," Sol said, arms crossing. "For that reason, Heaven's 'avengers' should go back where they came from! Ancient Gear Golem..." He raised an arm over his head. "Prove you're the stronger artificial being! Bring down Majestic Mech - Ohka with Ultimate Pound!"

On being ordered to do so, the Ancient Gear Golem drew one of its fists back, energy charging inside of its frame. It swung the powerful fist around, crushing the leonine being under the force of the blow and cracking the platform on impact. Father Young threw up his arms and struggled to stay upright as his Life Points dropped to 9,400.

As soon as he'd caught his own balance, Sol ordered, "Ancient Gear Beast, attack the Angel of Force with Gear Fangs!"

The giant clockwork dog sprang out, jaws locking around the once-mighty angel, and began to thrash its head about. Mars was too weak to even protest, and fell limp inside the metal monster's teeth, soon vanishing in a burst of light. His master sank to one knee, Life Points now reading 7,400.

Having expected more of a reaction, the young man merely shrugged, ran his fingers through his hair, and said, "That'll be all for me."

Father Young drew another card, but he did so numbly. His Life Points went up to 7,900 as light rained onto him, and then he stood back up, swaying for a brief moment as he caught his footing. He then examined his draw and slid it into his Duel Disk, announcing, "I'm getting a little tired of Solemn Wishes, so I'll dispose of it with Emergency Provisions and regain 1,000 Life Points. Think of it as one last donation in the collection plate..."

He must be rattled if he's making such an obvious joke, Sol thought.

The unearthly mouth stretched out, bit the Solemn Wishes card in half, and retreated as the preacher's Life Points rose further, to 8,900. Without missing a beat, Father Young took another card from his hand and declared, "I now activate Swords of Revealing Light! If I can't kill your abominations, I can at least hold them still!"

Holes opened in the sky, and it rained swords composed entirely of light, their blades piercing through the platform as they struck it. The Ancient Gear Beast and Ancient Gear Golem froze to a halt, their gears locking up.

His composure regained, Father Young pushed his glasses back up and said, "That concludes my turn."

"And I draw..." Sol looked at the card in his hand and frowned, thinking, That won't help for the next three turns. "I pass." Around him, the swords began to dim.

Drawing his next card, Father Young slid it into his Duel Disk, announcing, "One card facedown and I end my turn."

Now Sol drew again, but as he did so, the priest activated a facedown card, declaring, "I activate my Trap, Jar of Greed! Greed may be a sin, but drawing another card is worth the cost." Taking another card from his deck, Father Young tucked it into his hand.

The younger duelist decided not to acknowledge that act, instead frowning as he looked at his cards. "I pass again." As Sol's turn ended, the Swords of Revealing Light turned translucent around him, and his monsters began to move again, albeit with great difficulty.

Father Young drew another card, and then sighed. "I play the Magic Card Pot of Charity, which allows me to draw three cards, but requires a Light monster in my Graveyard to leave the game altogether. It seems the Angel of Wisdom will let me draw more cards after all... even if the price to her is a little steep." The beautiful jar hovered in front of him, and there was a moment's cry as Mercury was sucked into it. The jar then vanished, and the priest drew three cards. "Now I play Terraforming..."

Oh, not this again... Sol thought.

The blue beam of light appeared before Father Young, and again he stopped it after a few seconds, taking the card that appeared. But this time, he immediately opened his Field slot and inserted it. "I play a second Sanctuary in the Sky!" he declared.

Again, the clouds gathered underneath the platform, and the grand building of the Sanctuary rose up behind its controller. Despite its earlier total destruction, the building seemed none the worse for wear. As a matter of fact, it was actually gleaming. Sol then remembered this was a different Sanctuary in the Sky, not the one he'd destroyed.

"I summon Shining Angel and end my turn," the preacher finished. Again, the toga-clad angel landed in front of him, arms crossed. (1,400/800)

If it weren't for those swords, I could knock the Shining Angel down, but what good would that do with the Sanctuary out? Sol thought. He drew, paused for a moment, and then said, "I summon the Ancient Gear Cannon in Attack Mode."

The platform shook for a second as a large, primitive cannon rose from it, gears flanking the barrel. (500/400)

"Now," Sol continued, "I activate its special ability - by sacrificing it, I can deal 500 points of damage to your Life Points. To put it another way..." He swung his hand down. "Fire!"

A burst of smoke came from the cannon's muzzle as it exploded, and a cluster of gears struck the priest, knocking him onto his knee again. He coughed briefly as his Life Points lowered to 8,400.

Giving a glare at one of the swords around him, Sol muttered, "That's it for now." The swords vanished, and his monsters moved freely once more.

After drawing his next card, Father Young paused for a moment, dusting off his clothing. He then held his cards at arm's length and crossed them with his other hand, whispering, "Lord, defend the poor child's soul as I lay waste to his body..." Looking at his opponent again, he took a card from his hand, saying aloud, "I offer two monsters as a Tribute for my next monster - my Shining Angel and the surviving Stray Lamb. You seem to be familiar with the Majestic Mechs..."

"Yeah," Sol replied. "As I recall, there's Senku..."

"The Messenger, whom I haven't drawn..."

"Ohka..."

"The Protector, which you destroyed..."

"And..." Sol paused, and then his eyes went wide.

Father Young nodded. "The Destroyer, which I am about to bring forth. I tried to go easy on you, my child, but now Heaven demands your defeat! I summon the most powerful of Heaven's creations, the Majestic Mech - Goryu!"

Both the long-forgotten sheep and the Shining Angel looked to the sky, and then they vanished in twin flashes of light. Overhead, the early morning sky parted, and... something emerged. It slowly flew down from the heavens above, looking like a gold-and-white serpent for most of its considerable length. Its body was topped by a vaguely triangular chest, with massive white wings stretching from its back and a featureless head looking upon Sol. (2,900/1,800)

It's not as strong as my Ancent Gear Golem, but there must be something in Father Young's hand to power it or he wouldn't have made two sacrifices for it when one would have brought it out for the turn... Sol prepared himself.

"'In my father's house there are many mansions...'" Father Young taunted, holding up another card. "This card is one of them. It's an Equip Magic Card called Shine Palace, and it grants a Light monster 700 Attack Points - and Goryu, as a creation of Heaven, qualifies!"

The clouds of the Sanctuary in the Sky parted, and a glowing castle rose from them next to the Sanctuary in the Sky itself. Its light flowed over Goryu, which trilled in appreciation. (2,900/1,800 - 3,600/1,800)

"Now, Goryu..." Father Young bowed his head. "In the name of God, we shall strike down the damned abomination called the Ancient Gear Golem with the eternal Radiant Eruption. Amen."

Goryu rose over the heads of the duelists, pinpoints of light covering its body. Those wings stretched out, and then it was as a rain of needles falling onto the Ancient Gear Golem, burning a thousand holes through the machine's surface. Its clockwork came to a halt, and it slowly toppled over with a sound like an ironworks collapsing before shattering. Sol couldn't help thinking it was somewhat overblown, as his Life Points only dropped to 7,200.

The Majestic Mech descended again, and Father Young smiled. "End turn."

Sol drew, thinking, Well, hello... He then glanced to the Ancient Gear Beast, which was rusting slightly from nonuse. Sorry in advance. "I set a card facedown and a monster in Defense Mode," he said now. "That's it."

"In that case, I draw," Father Young said, doing so. He looked at it, and then smiled. "You have slain six of my angels thus far. Most demons could not claim to be as hostile to the forces of Heaven as you are... Now I call upon the might of a mortal who has vowed to avenge my slain angels! Come forth, Mudora!"

A hot wind blew, and a tornado of sand whirled over the field, before releasing a large man in a bronze mask. He had tanned skin, wore a loincloth, and bore a sharp knife in one hand. Clenching a fist, he turned the knife over in his hand. (1,500/1,800)

"And for each angel in my Graveyard," the priest noted, "Mudora gains 200 Attack Points. Because I removed Mercury for Pot of Charity, there are five in there." In front of him, Mudora's fist tightened, and he growled under his breath. (1,500/1,800 - 2,500/1,800) "Now, Mudora, attack the Ancient Gear Beast!"

Pulling his knife back, the Egyptian man dashed across the platform, head down and other arm at his side...

"I activate Draining Shield!" Sol countered, watching the card rise in front of him.

Before it even rose all the way, Father Young replied, "This is why I have Trap Jammer, my child. You won't stop Mudora's vengence!"

The preacher's facedown card lifted, and the Draining Shield never even formed - the card merely shattered. Mudora reached the Ancient Gear Beast and swung his knife around, a glowing arc of light tearing through the clockwork dog. It exploded, hurling gears and framework to the ground, and Sol winced as his Life Points dropped to 6,700.

One gear landed next to Father Young, and he kicked it off of the platform as he ordered, "Goryu, strike down his facedown monster with Radiant Eruption!"

Again the Majestic Mech rose over their heads, spreading its wings and generating its pinpoints of light. They rained down from its body, tearing through the now-revealed Gear Golem the Moving Fortress. Smoke rose from the destroyed machine's casing, and it detonated, flooring Sol in the explosion and leaving him with 5,300 Life Points.

"That's all I can do for now," Father Young concluded.

Staggering to his feet, Sol wondered, That hurt a great deal... I know this is a Dark Duel, but it definitely doesn't feel like any of the ones Gerald ever fought in. Am I just buying into Father Young's delusions, or does Heaven really have a hand in all this? He then shook his head, thinking, This duel is getting to me! He drew a card, blanched at his limited options, and thought, I am in serious trouble. "I set a card facedown and a monster in Defense Mode. End turn..."

The priest drew another card, thinking, Now he shall experience a trial of the flesh. And none too soon - I think I'm running low on cards. "Remember when I mentioned the Messenger of the Majestic Mechs?" he said aloud. "He comes now. I call down Majestic Mech - Senku in Attack Mode."

There was nothing of the fanfare that accompanied Goryu's summoning. Instead, a being made of the same substance as the other Majestic Mechs floated down from the sky. It looked something like the Shining Angel as modeled in that way. (1,000/500)

Both of Sol's feet dug into the platform, and he crossed his arms in front of his face.

"Bracing yourself won't help, my child," Father Young said, shaking his head. "Goryu, unleash a Radiant Eruption upon his facedown monster."

The wings spread, the Majestic Mech raised its body, and the light rained down once again. A crude clay being, its body assembled from small cylinders, appeared for a moment to be full of holes, and then it collapsed. (1,000/1,900) Sol quivered slightly as his Life Points hit 3,600.

As the monster died, a mine landed at Father Young's feet. It beeped twice, and before the priest could react it exploded, knocking him to the ground. His Life Points dropped to 7,900, and as he pulled himself to his feet he muttered, "Ah, yes... that was a Mine Golem. I should have guessed you would play those."

Sol ignored this, as he was busy being pessimistic. My trap won't save me - it does nothing by itself to prevent attacks! I'm wide open... He then saw the black lines of the Dark Duel at his feet, looked to his Life Points, and remembered something.

Taking a deep breath, Sol called out, "I bring forth my Image!"

What lies in your soul, my child? Father Young thought.

A white fog emerged from Sol's palms, much to his confusion - he had expected it to come from his back - and gathered in the air around him. Lines of pure light began to form in the fog, slowly drawing themselves in midair. They looped, curved, and arced about him, and soon the creation was complete - a gigantic man-like being composed of the light lines, hunched over Sol's field and glaring at Father Young.

"Protector of the Sanctuary," the preacher noted. "Judah Lowe, the story says, created a golem to protect the Jews of Prague from those who would harm them. You seek to protect the world, with your deck containing the golems you use for that purpose. I guess it works. But unless its effect prevents direct attacks, you won't be protecting anything today."

There was a rush of information into Sol's mind, he instinctively knew the powers of his Image... and his heart sank. It was useless at the moment. "...it can't..."

"In that case, Senku, attack him directly with Bright Arrow!" Father Young shouted.

Hoverign in front of Sol, Senku placed all six of its legs in front of itself, charging up a ball of light. This it hurled into Sol's face, and the young man cried out as the light burned into him, his Life Points now at 2,600.

The priest drew a card, noting, "On a direct attack from Senku, I get a card from my deck. Now, Mudora..." He sighed. "Had I not played Pot of Charity, this duel would be over. As it is, Mudora, smite him!"

Even as he shut his eyes, Sol could hear a cry of assent from Mudora. He could hear the thud of sandaled feet striking the pavement that composed the platform on which they fought.

And he could feel Mudora's knife sinking into his stomach, reaching his spine before it came to a stop. The monster's hand pressed against his chest, and Sol fell back, pushed off of the blade. He hit the ground wordlessly, hearing a whirr as his Life Point counter moved to 100.

"My turn ends," the priest said, "and Senku goes to the Graveyard as per its effect." The smaller Majestic Mech faded away, and Mudora punched his free hand into the palm of his knife-hand. (2,500/1,800 - 2,700/1,800)

Behind his glasses, Father Young looked at Sol with a worried expression, watching the downed young man stir. Get back on your feet, my child, he thought. Do not tell me the Light allows those who are willing to give up to seek it.

A long moment passed, during which Sol turned his thoughts inward...

0000000

Gerald was asleep, and thus the Heaven's Sphere did not actually exist at the moment. It never did when he was unconscious, even in such a benign way.

But there was a glimmer of light over his sleeping frame, one in a somewhat spherical shape. He stirred, tugging Laura a little closer to him, and had one of the more unusual dreams he would ever have.

0000000

"Get up, Sol."

On hearing his name, Sol Kilkarn pushed himself to his feet, dusting off. He was surprised to see a distinct lack of knife wounds, but then remembered he was dealing with holograms, not actual divine avengers with sharp objects. And standing next to him... "Gerald?"

Indeed, the Chosen of the Light was standing next to him, or at least a transparent facsimile of the same. His hair was tussled, and he looked half-asleep - even more so than usual. "The last time I checked that was still my name. Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Sol sighed, looking to his opponent. "Father Young has me on the ropes. I brought my Image out, but without monsters even that can't protect me. Even if I had monsters I would still be in trouble..."

"Yes, I know the feeling. The Darkness is exceptional at backing people into corners. Ever hear of Jacob Waterknot?"

"No..."

Gerald shuddered and said, "Then you have more luck than you think. Either way... As far as my senses for this sort of thing go, the Light tapped out its resources earlier today, so don't hold your breath on being helped directly. Indirectly, on the other hand..." He smiled. "Get up and draw your next card. You still have to make up for your misdeeds, but you'll do so in person, understand?"

Nodding, Sol smiled back. He got the picture. "I understand. We'll meet again, I suppose?"

"And sooner than you think." And Gerald vanished with that.

0000000

When the dream ended, Sol was standing up again, although he had no memory of actually rising, and he was holding his draw for the turn. And it was just the card he needed. "I play Card of Sanctity!" he announced. "Now let's both refill our hands!"

After he and Father Young had both drawn their hands up to six cards, he activated his facedown card, continuing, "Now I activate Trap Trip, returning a Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand, and I pick Negate Attack!" He retrieved it and slid two cards into his Duel Disk, concluding, "I set a card facedown and a monster in Defense Mode, and turn the game over to you."

He has confidence again, Father Young thought as he drew his hand to seven cards. I wonder what he saw while he was down... He paused. Attacking will trigger his trap, but it won't hurt me, and I have no way to take it out. "Goryu," he said to his monster, "attack his facedown monster!"

The pattern repeated itself - Goryu rose up, drew forth its lights, and fired them into the air. This time, however, they struck against an invisible barrier. Sol did not name the card, but his Negate Attack was face-up for both to see.

Briefly nodding, Father Young said, "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."

This time, Sol didn't even look at the card he'd drawn. It wasn't part of his plans for the turn. "I flip my Dummy Golem into Attack Mode!" he declared.

The resulting monster was another crude replicia of a human being, but much shorter and carved from stone instead of the Mine Golem's clay body. Whoever had carved it had decided that a "I'm better than you" sneer was an appropriate facial expression, and thus had likely deserved a sound thrashing. (800/800)

Just seeing the monster threw Father Young into a brief moment of panic, but then he recovered and interrupted, "I activate my Trap, Divine Wrath! By simply discarding my Chosen One from my hand, I can negate and destroy that blasphemy and its effect!"

Clouds formed above the Sanctuary in the Sky, and lightning danced on their edges. Soon, a single crackling bolt shot down from the sky, aimed directly at the Dummy Golem...

But then Sol slid a card into his Graveyard slot, and the Protector of the Sanctuary turned solid, its body a bright blue. It lifted a hand, and the lightning bolt fizzled out harmlessly against its palm.

From within the Protector, Sol explained, "My Image effect has quite a lot of usefulness. By discarding one card from my hand, once per turn, I can negate and destroy any one effect that would destroy a monster I control. So my Dummy Golem survives, and all it cost me was an Ancient Gear." His Image turned clear again, and he smiled. "And as you seem to know, that means I can trade Dummy Golem for one of your monsters. You get to pick which one."

The priest laughed for a moment, thinking, There aren't any angels in his Graveyard, so Mudora's Attack Points will drop right back to their starting amount. So all I have to say is... "I choose Majestic Mech - Goryu." He then clapped a hand over his mouth and thought, Why did I say that?!?

Blinking, Sol muttered, "All right... Didn't expect that, but the trade is confirmed."

In front of him, the Dummy Golem began to spin rapidly, a cloud of dust developing around it. A similar cloud developed around the Majestic Mech, which twitched and rotated nervously. Soon neither monster could be seen behind their dustclouds... and then the clouds cleared, and the Dummy Golem was on Father Young's field, while Sol controlled Goryu.

And then something strange happened. It was hard to tell with a featureless creature like Goryu, but the angelic creation seemed to relax once it was on Sol's field. Its wings lowered, and its body went slack.

Raising an eyebrow, Sol ignored this, instead continuing his turn. "I now play my final Ancient Gear Castle..." For a third time, the proud fortress penetrated the clouds, all its torches cold. "...and summon another Ancient Gear Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Once more, the primitive crane swung out from the castle's top, depositing a metal soldier on Sol's field next to Goryu. (1,300/1,300) Several chains fired into its body as a torch lit on the Castle, and the gears tightened. (1,300/1,300 - 1,600/1,600)

"Thanks for teaching me the monster's attack name, by the way," Sol went on. "Now, Goryu, attack Mudora with Radiant Eruption!"

The attack was different this time, and Sol couldn't understand why. As before, the Majestic Mech flew high into the sky, its wings spread... but this time, the wings folded in on either side of the head, and a bizarre configuration of lines formed at its base. Those lines ran up Goryu's body, and a powerful blast of blinding light shot from its face. The blast hit Mudora, and when the smoke cleared, only his knife was left behind.

As before, the Sanctuary's power engulfed Father Young, surrounding him in a shield of light, but he still flinched as his monster died.

Sol paused, thinking, If I attacked with the Ancient Gear Soldier, I could destroy the Dummy Golem... but it's not a Fairy - or an angel, as Father Young keeps calling it. That facedown card's not an anti-monster trap, so I could do more damage by waiting until my next turn and destroying it with Goryu. "I set a card facedown and end my turn," he said.

Sweat rolled down Father Young's forehead as he drew. He then went to his Duel Disk, saying, "I activate Beckoning Light, returning Ohka and Mars to my hand!" The two monsters appeared for a moment and returned to his hand. He went on, "I set a card facedown, switch Dummy Golem to Defense Mode, and summon the Angel of Force - Mars once again!"

The golem crouched, and overhead, the sky parted as the mighty purple-winged angel flew down from Heaven once again. He still bore all the scars from his previous battles, and a new line of teethmarks on his waist. Landing atop the Sanctuary, he glared at Sol. (0/0) Extending his hand, he drew forth power from the building, his eyes shut. (0/0 - 7,800/7,800)

Two torches now burned on the Ancient Gear Castle.

He has only 100 Life Points, Father Young thought. I can't lose! I cannot possibly lose! In the rush, he yelled, "Angel of Force - Mars, Fury of the Highest! Strike down the apostate Goryu!"

Flying off of the Sanctuary in the Sky, Mars took aim with his spear and hurled it at the Majestic Mech, watching it burn towards its target... and then it hit a octagonal barrier, and began to fly back towards him...

"Mirror Force," the priest whispered as he saw the facedown card on Sol's field lift. "Damn my pride. Damn me."

The spear struck Mars, and the angel quite simply exploded, balls of burning fire striking the field around his master. One hit the Sanctuary in the Sky, which began to smolder.

Blinking, Father Young muttered, "All I can do is end my turn."

Drawing another card, Sol nodded at that. "I play Monster Reincarnation," he began, "discarding my Brain Control to return a monster to my hand. Guess which one."

"Your Ancient Gear Golem."

"Right." The stylized holy symbol, which resembled but did not match the Monster Reborn ankh, briefly glowed on the field before a single card appeared in Sol's hand. The young man then said, "I sacrifice the Ancient Gear Castle and its two counters to summon the Golem itself!"

As before, the castle fell in on itself, and the Ancient Gear Golem itself rose up in glory, even as the castle's chains snapped off of the Soldier. (3,000/3,000) (1,600/1,600 - 1,300/1,300)

All Father Young could do was watch, as behind him, the Sanctuary in the Sky fully caught fire. The clouds, being mostly water vapor, were unaffected, but embers were flying over the Shine Palace attached to Goryu.

"I switch the Ancient Gear Soldier to Defense," Sol continued, "and now, Goryu, strike down the Dummy Golem!"

Rising over both players, the Majestic Mech called forth another burst of light. Not even dust was left when the attack concluded, although one of the Dummy Golem's fists did survive. It shattered a second later, and Father Young's Life Points stopped at 5,100.

Before Sol could keep going, he shut his eyes and covered his face with his free hand. He then ordered, "Ancient Gear Golem... direct attack. Ultimate Pound."

The imposing clockwork titan took a few steps forward, the clouds and the platform both quaking with each step. It looked at Father Young as if it were a waste to expend energy on him, and then drew its fist back. The resulting impact cracked the platform, left a hole in the clouds, and stunned the preacher, leaving him with 2,100 Life Points.

"That ends my turn," Sol then said.

Several minutes passed before Father Young got his composure back together, readjusting his glasses. One lens had a hairline crack inching across it. He straighened his jacket, and then shouted, "Emerge, my Image!"

Unlike Sol, the fog did not rise from the priest's hands - instead, the black cloud rose from his mouth, as if he were exhaling his soul. It gathered over his head and became solid, eventually turning into a blue-skinned demoness with small horns and red hair. She wore the remnants of a white robe, and gently fluttered her wings, blushing a little at her lack of more suitable attire.

"Marie the Fallen One?" Sol said, looking at his opponent's Image as his own shifted its weight. "Well... I guess it's the only suitable Image for a hypocrite."

"Silence, my child, I must concentrate," Father Young replied as he studied his hand. Inside his head, he thought, I'm holding Ohka, Graceful Charity, Mirror Force, Senku, and the Angel of Judgment - Saturn I just drew. Graceful Charity might well deck me if I play it... I don't need it, anyway. Marie's Image Effect lets me use her as an Ultimate Offering for Light monsters by paying 1,000 Life Points, so I can summon Senku or Ohka, and then use her effect to summon Saturn and finish him off. He only has 100 Life Points, so any advantage will be enough! I can win this right now... I can win... I can...

The priest's hands dropped. Oh, who am I trying to fool? he thought. I could have won with Mars. I could have won with Goryu and Mudora. But both times that boy drew just what he needed to get out of the hole. Every time he nears defeat he escapes it. I should have seen it several turns ago... I was never meant to win this duel. A part of me knows that, even - that's why I gave him Goryu instead of Mudora.

He managed a laugh at this point. The Light wants that boy to keep going. It wants him to win. It does not want a self-righteous hypocrite like me - face it, Emil, you are hypocritical as they come - to bring him down. If I want to even pass for having an iota of faith I have to accept it.

"I pass this turn," Father Young said aloud. "Do what needs to be done." He bowed his head and stepped to the platform's edge.

Sol drew, giving Father Young an expression of pity. "I understand... I play Ancient Gear Tank on my Ancient Gear Golem, giving him 600 more Attack Points."

The Ancient Gear Golem raised its arm, and what looked like a motorcycle with a cannon on the front welded to the appendage. Steam rose from its gears. (3,000/3,000 - 3,600/3,000)

"I'll spare you an attack from your own monster," the young man concluded. "Ancient Gear Golem, end this duel with Diesel-Powered Ultimate Pound."

For the last time, the Ancient Gear Golem raised its fist, the one with the Tank hooked to it. It brought the arm down with enough force to blow away the burning Sanctuary, shatter the platform into ten thousand fragments, and throw the priest facedown. Father Young's Life Points hit zero, and the Dark Duel circle disappeared.

Enough of the platform remained for the two duelists not to plummet, but the Ancient Gear Golem's attack also shattered the seal of the Dark Duel, and so the holograms and their Images faded. Sol shut off his Duel Disk, breathing heavily as he did so. Slowly, the ruined portion of the street settled back to the ground.

It was several minutes before Father Young stirred, his Duel Disk vanishing in a cloud of darkness as he rose to one knee. He dropped his head and murmured, "I yield. You stand victorious, my child..."

What do I do now? Sol thought. He crossed his arms in front of him, watching his defeated opponent with a wary look in his eyes.

The priest laughed, shaking his head and picking up his glasses. "You don't trust me, do you?" he said. "I can't blame you... After all, my words were picked in order to goad you into the Dark Duel. But while you may not believe it, most of them were a lie."

"What?" Sol yelled. "What do you mean you were lying? That was a Dark Duel, you just said so yourself!"

"Allow me to explain," Father Young said, raising his hand. "Those words were true before last night. But last night the Darkness committed a sin I cannot allow, a sin that made me rethink all that I had thought..." He paused, fists clenching. "They summoned a demon to this world."

The thought of it made Sol shiver. "Degas and Alexander did what?"

"That was my reaction when I sensed it. I was willing to damn my own soul to see the plan through, but when they called on the demon, I could no longer lie to myself - the Darkness isn't going to scour the world, it's going to tear it apart! There was no way I could continue telling myself I was doing what the Lord needed done after that!" Father Young then sighed. "But once I knew that, I needed to see if the Light had enough power to truly challenge the Darkness."

A lightbulb went on in the young man's head, and he said, "So you challenged me to test the Light's strength."

The preacher nodded, continuing, "Do not take this the wrong way, but you are the weakest of those battling Degas and Alexander. If I defeated you, then my orders would be fulfilled. But every time I came close to victory, you overcame it and struck back. The Light truly stands powerful enough to challenge the Darkness, and I know it for certain. Thus I shall refute it." He held out his open hands, and dark smoke began to rise from them.

Now that the battle was over and the adrenline wearing off, Sol yawned wide, turning towards the outskirts of the ruins. "I think I'll leave you to whatever you're going to do next," he said, eyes already starting to close.

"Wait, my child..." Father Young said. "Before you go, allow me to give you my blessing."

Sol blinked, turned back towards the preacher, and muttered, "I would, but I happen to be Jewish." He pulled up on the chain around his neck, revealing what was on the end of it - a silver Star of David.

"You're still my child - we are all children of the Lord - and we follow the same god, despite calling him different names." Father Young held out one hand, two fingers extended, and crossed the air in front of him. "May the Lord be with you, the saints preserve you, the angels watch over you, and Heaven help you..."

Nodding, the young man yawned again and walked out of the ruins, head drooped.

Father Young watched him go, thinking, So that's one of those who serve the Light. If Gerald is stronger than he is, they may stand a chance... He frowned. But they're still fighting a losing battle. The Darkness has no boundries anymore. They've already summoned a demon to their side... I don't even want to think about what they'll do to top that.

He picked up his Bible from the ground, holding it under one arm, and thought on. The only thing I can do is challenge them directly. Degas, Alexander... I believe, cliche as it is, that I must bring the wrath of God upon you.

There was a burst of darkness, and the priest disappeared.

0000000

Within the lair of Degas and Alexander, the rising sun had no power. There, the only way to tell if it was day or night was to trust one's watch.

Degas awoke, his senses filtering through various layers as he sat up on his bed. "Father Young's betrayed us," he said to himself as he picked up an image of the duel. "Ah, well. We still have use for hm..."

Sensing something else, the Hand of Darkness smiled, putting his sunglasses back on. "It will be moot anyway. The Pillar of Death is free."

TRAP TRIP
Type: Normal Trap Card
Image: A hand reaching for a mousetrap baited with a candy.
Effect: Return one Trap Card from your Graveyard to your hand.
Note: This card was used by Mad Dog in the GX episode "No Pain, No Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

SHINE PALACE
Type: Equip Magic Card
Image: A glowing fairytale castle rising from a green book.
Effect: Increase the ATK of a LIGHT-type monster equipped with this card by 700 points.
Note: This is an actual card in Japan, but has not yet come out in America.

PROTECTOR OF THE SANCTUARY
Image Effect: "Guarding the Populace" - Once per turn, you may discard one card from your hand in order to negate and destroy an opponent's card effect that would destroy a monster or monsters you control.

MARIE THE FALLEN ONE
Image Effect: "Sophistry" - You may Normal Summon an additional LIGHT-type monster during your turn by paying 1,000 Life Points.

Coming next chapter: With the last of the Pillars awake, Gerald and his allies could use all the information they could get. As it happens, one last Darkness Infected walks the streets of St. Paul, but the circumstances are a little odd. If they're going to get the knowledge they need, the Chosen of the Light and friends will have to put their trust in someone else... and hope things don't turn too weird to handle. What am I talking about? You'll see in Chapter Twenty-Five, "Catfight", which might be misnamed...