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DUEL TWENTY-SIX
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Chaos Greed
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Hebi-Na carried the cocoon into Taramanda's throne room, and set it down before Taramanda. As she did so, Csimith walked in behind her.
"There!" said Hebi-Na. "One Shadowchaser, gift wrapped."
"Whoa..." said one of Taramanda's bodyguards. "Does this mean she's gonna turn into a butterfly?"
"No, stupid!" said the bodyguard next to him, knocking him on the head. "The cocoon keeps her asleep while her mind is trapped in the Venomous Tarns."
"Indeed," said Taramanda, getting off her throne. "Let's see how Ember is progressing..."
She prodded the cocoon and concentrated.
"Hmm..." she said. "Seems her resistance is rather high..."
"Should we be worried about that?" asked Csimith.
"Hardly," said Taramanda. "No-one can escape from this without the aid of a third party."
She sat back down.
"And that's not going to happen. No-one's getting in on our end...
"And I doubt that the Venomous Tarns will be getting any unexpected visitors. The Ship of Chaos is due to reappear any day now, which means the armies of Demogorgon, Orcus, and Graz'zt will be patrolling every nexus in the Abyss. Only the suicidal would travel there, and all demons not allied with one of them know enough to stay at home.
"As for Ember, no-one's resistance can hold out forever. The record is five hours.
"Just to be safe... Msskim, take it to the Temple, and have someone watch it."
"Yes, my queen," said Msskim.
He lifted up the cocoon.
"Just to be extra safe," continued Taramanda. "Csimith, give someone else one of my special crossbows and tell him to guard the entrance chamber. Tell him to shoot anyone who comes in without my express permission."
"I'm on it," said the chamberlain.
"Be sure that you are," said Taramanda. "I don't want any screw-ups this time..."
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Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears walked down the street in Satellite towards the Bar With No Name, with Gabriel following close behind.
"What was this Lime Juice Louie arrested for to earn him those marks anyway?" asked Jinx.
"Possession of a controlled substance," replied Gears. "He was also arrested once for dealing the stuff, which could have gotten him put away for a long time... But the charges were dropped for lack of evidence."
"Be on your toes, people," said Shichiro. "We don't know what to expect."
The bar was even more crowded than last time, seeing as it was now six o'clock. Louie was sitting at a table, with his arm around a woman with blue hair in a revealing outfit (who didn't seem very happy to be with him, actually) drinking from a mug. He wasn't drunk, yet, but would likely be so soon.
Jinx slammed her hand down on the table.
"Excuse me," said Louie, "this is a private gathering..."
"We're inviting ourselves to it," said Jinx. "We're looking for someone named Eiko Michiko, a tall, red-haired young woman, nineteen years old. We know she was looking for you."
"Sorry..." said Louie. "Haven't seen her..."
"What are you talking about, Louie?" said the half-orc bartender. "She was the one who you were with two hours ago... The one you led out of here, remember?"
"Hey..." said Louie.
Before he could do anything else, Jinx grabbed him by the collar.
"You damn snitch, Fred!" shouted Louie.
"I warned you that there'd be consequences for not paying your bar tab and then getting your pals to threaten to burn this place down if I stopped serving you," said the bartender.
"Pals?" shouted Jinx. "Who are these pals?"
"The ophidia," said an orc at the next table. "This lowlife owes me three million yen, but a gang of them told me to 'forget' about it if I didn't want to end up like my idiot brother. He lost an arm dealing with them."
"Yeah, and they have pictures of me that they threatened to post on the internet," said the woman, standing up. "I only hang out with this cockroach because it's the only way I'll ever get the negatives."
"This is probably why the drug dealing charges against him were dropped," said Gears. "The judge was likely bought... Or even more likely, blackmailed..."
"Louie," said the woman, "when they let you make your one phone call, don't call me."
She got up and walked out.
"Looks like you don't have many friends here, Louie..." said Jinx. "Of course, if you really are working for the ophidia, that isn't surprising.
"Now tell us where Ember is or I'll rip your lungs out."
"You rip my lungs out," said Louie, "Ember is as good as dead.
"Still... There is one way you might loosen my lips..."
He tapped the Duel Disk on his left arm.
"Jinx..." said Gears. "Every minute counts..."
"Tough crumbs," said Louie. "I'm not talking unless we duel, fair and square. You win, I'll sing.
"I win, I want a half-hour head start."
"You drive a hard bargain..." said Jinx.
She let him go.
"Clear the floor!" shouted the bartender.
Everyone moved the tables aside, forming a wide, open space.
"Two-thousand yen says the Shadowchaser cleans his clock," said another orc to a bugbear.
"You certain?" asked the bugbear. "Louie's been bragging that he has a better deck now…"
"That's right…" said Louie, with a sinister expression. "You're gonna regret coming here. I may be the kind of guy that rich folks in the city call Satellite Scum...
"But this new deck I have... It's one that used to belong to one of those rich folks who called me a Satellite Scum! I'll wipe the floor with you."
"We'll soon see..." said Jinx.
Both Disks activated.
(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Louie: 8,000)
"I'll make the first move..." said Louie, making a draw.
He looked at the card.
He set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.
"I'll leave it at that," he said.
"Then it's my move..." said Jinx, making a draw.
"I play Gaia Power!"
She fit the card into her Field Slot, and the bar quickly turned into a lush, green forest.
"Next, I'll summon X-Saber Galahad."
In a flash of light, the toad-like Warrior in bronze armor appeared. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)
"Attack his Monster!" she shouted.
Galahad charged at the Monster, his Attack Score rising to 2,600. A weird Monster appeared on the card. It looked like a nutty professor with a big head, dressed in a lab coat and a helmet covered with light bulbs.
Galahad stabbed it, and it shattered.
"You just destroyed Doctor Cranium," said Louie, with a grin. "And when that happens, I can drop 800 Life Points to take any Psychic Monster I want from my deck."
A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.
"Psychic Monsters?" said Gears.
"Not exactly what I was expecting either..." said Shichiro.
(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,200)
"My move..." said Louie.
He drew a card.
"I summon Krebons."
There was a burst of digital ones and zeroes, and a new Monster started to take form. It looked like a harlequin in basic shape, its clothing covered with circuitry, and the symbols for "greater than/less than or equal to" instead of eyes. Its limbs were not actually connected to its torso. (1,200 ATK)
"It's your move..."
Jinx drew a card.
"I set a Monster and two facedown cards," she said.
Two reversed cards and a reversed Monster appeared.
"...and then I attack with Galahad!"
Galahad lunged at Krebons...
"Not so fast!" shouted Louie. "When Krebons is attacked, I can spend 800 Life Points to stop the attack cold!"
Krebons cackled, and a dome of energy blocked Galahad's advance.
(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,400)
"Oh, this is rich!" laughed Gabriel. "At this rate, Jinx won't even need to inflict damage... Louie will do himself in with his Monster's effects!"
"Psychic Monsters have incredibly powerful effects," said Gears. "But the thing is, most of them require Life Point payments to use. These cards are not for beginners."
"Maybe so..." said Louie.
He made a draw.
"But now it's time to show you how an expert uses them..."
He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in it.
"I play Brain Research Lab."
The thick forest melted away, and a vastly different backdrop surrounded the duelists. They were now in a dark, ominous laboratory, surrounded by computers and scientific paraphernalia. Most shocking was the cylindrical tank of liquid behind Louie, which held a human brain floating inside it, hooked up to electrodes.
Jinx nervously looked at the brain. She could tell it was not only alive, but sentient. It seemed to be looking at her...
"I'm not exactly sure who's brain that is," said Louie, "but this Field Spell has two benefits for anyone who uses Psychic Monsters.
"First, each duelist can put a Counter on the card to make a second Normal Summon each turn, so long as he uses the second one to summon a Psychic Monster.
"Second, if I ever have to pay Life Points to use the effect of a Psychic Monster, I just put a Counter on the card, and I don't have to pay it!"
"Oh, come on!" said Jinx. "A Field Spell that powerful has to have a catch of some sort..."
"Well, yes... It has a catch..." said Louie. "If the Field Spell itself is ever destroyed, bounced, spun, displaced, or otherwise done away with, I take 1,000 points of damage per Counter.
"So, to be on the safe side..."
He fit a Spell Card into his Disk.
"I play Field Barrier! Now you can't destroy my Lab unless you destroy this Spell Card first!
"Now, let's continue... I summon Psychic Snail!"
In an aura of eerie energy, a weird-looking humanoid mollusk with arms and a snail's shell on its back, with horns on its head appeared. (1,900 ATK)
"Then, I'll put one Counter on my Field Spell to also summon Psychic Commander."
Another bizarre creature appeared. From the waist up, it was a robot dressed in a military uniform, with a metal grill for a face. From the waist down, it was a cross between a tank and a hovercraft. (1,400 ATK)
"Next, I use Psychic Snail's effect..." said Louie. "It can give any other Psychic I control the ability to attack twice for this round.
"Usually, that costs 800 Life Points per use, but with my Lab footing the bill, I'll use the effect twice!"
Both Krebons and Psychic Commander glowed with powerful energy.
"Commander, you're up first!" he shouted.
The Psychic fired a blast from its cannon at Galahad, and his Attack Score fell to 1,300. Galahad groaned before exploding into shards.
Then the Commander fired again, blowing X-Saber Palomlo to bits.
"Krebons, attack directly!" shouted Louie.
Krebons laughed, and prepared to fire a bolt of energy.
"Go, Dimensional Prison!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up.
"Eh?" said Louie.
He gasped as Krebons was vaporized.
"Oh, very tricky..." growled Louie.
"I realized that Krebons was an invincible wall with your Lab," said Jinx. "And I also knew that your Snail can't attack because it used its effect."
Louie set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Then it's your move..." he said.
(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 6,400)
Jinx made a draw.
"Because I have two X-Sabers in my Graveyard…" she said, "I can Special Summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!"
With a fierce howl, the scarlet-caped Beast-Warrior appeared. (2,100 ATK)
"Next, Call of the Haunted!" she shouted, as her other facedown card shot up.
In a flash of light, Galahad appeared again. (1,800 ATK)
"Next, I'll summon X-Saber Airbellum."
In another flash, the wild X-Saber appeared, baring his claws.
"Now, I Tune together Galahad and Airbellum…"
The two X-Sabers faded into seven glowing stars…
"…to Synchro Summon X-Saber Urbellum!"
With a roar, the barbarian lord appeared, drawing his two longswords. (2,200 ATK)
She stopped to think for a minute.
When I attack his Psychics, she thought, he can use his Commander's effect, and pay up to 500 Life Points to weaken the attacking Monster by the same amount.
So I'd best deal with that first…
"Urbellum, destroy Psychic Commander!"
Urbellum made a slash at the android with one blade. The Commander grunted, and then exploded into shards of metal.
"Gardestrike, smash that Snail! Scimitar slash!"
Gardestrike made a charge, rushing past Psychic Snail on his follow-through. The mollusk held its stomach, and then shattered.
"Ergh…" said Louie.
(J: 7,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,400)
Jinx fit a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Your move, Louie," she said.
"Tell me, Shadowchaser…" said Louie, cheerfully, as he made a draw. "You're likely wondering where this deck of mine came from."
"No!" shouted Jinx. "I'm not! Just move!"
"Oh?" replied Louie. "It belonged to Divine."
"Divine??" gasped Shichiro.
"The guy was swallowed by Ccarayhua," said Gears, "and his deck survived??
Louie nodded.
"As you know..." he said, "when Aki dueled Misty in their final battle, Divine started messing with Aki's mind, and did all he could to keep Yusei away. But Yusei outsmarted him, and got him to confess that he was the true person responsible for the death of Misty's brother, making sure Misty could hear.
"Then Divine did something really dumb. He insulted Misty's brother, calling him weak. He apparently forgot about his last encounter with an Earthbound God. For some unknown reason, Ccarayhua chose to physically devour him, rather than absorb his essence the way Earthbound Gods did with most mortals.
"Misty was about to surrender the duel, but Ccarayhua didn't allow it, and forced her to continue. But Aki won in the end...
"But anyway, no-one, not Aki, not Yusei, not Divine, not even Misty knew about the additional spectators to whole encounter. Five ophidia were watching, from safely outside the edge of the Lizard Geoglyph. They didn't have anything sinister in mind... To reptilian Shadowkind, seeing the ancient Lizard God was like seeing a celebrity arrive in town.
"Anyway, when Aki defeated her Dark Signer counterpart, and everyone had left, the ophidia looked around, hoping to find a souvenir. What they found was a deck case with this deck. Maybe Divine had dropped it right before Ccarayhua grabbed him. Who knows?
"The ophidia had no use for it... But they agreed to give it to me as payment if I ever helped them do something truly important. Seems delivering Ember to them fit the bill..."
Jinx glared at him.
"Make... your... move..." she snarled.
"Gladly," said Louie.
"I summon Power Injector!"
The Monster that appeared looked like Frankenstein's Monster in a blue jacket, with two tanks full of red liquid covering its arms. (1,300 ATK)
"Next, I'll place a Counter on my Field Spell to make a second Normal Summon… This Monster is Level 6, but seeing as I already have a Psychic on the field, I'm allowed to summon it without a sacrifice.
"Meet Armored Axon Kicker!"
There was a burbling, bubbling sound, and a weird creature dressed in what appeared to be a cross between the trappings of an astronaut and those of a deep sea diver, colored green, with tubes all over, materialized next to Power Injector. (2,200 ATK)
"Next, I'll place another Counter on the Field Spell to use Power Injector's effect, and raise the Attack Scores of all my Psychics by 500 points for this round."
Power Injector rose to a score of 1,800, while Armored Axon Kicker rose to 2,700.
"This guy sure is being careless with that Field Spell," said Gabriel. "One Giant Trunade, and he is dead meat."
"I don't recall Jinx ever using Giant Trunade…" said Gears, nervously.
"Ain't that a shame," said Louie,
Armored Axon Kicker formed a ball of energy in its hand, and hurled it at Urbellum. He groaned, and exploded into shards of light.
"Of course, Armored Axon Kicker has a side effect that my Field Spell can't absorb," continued Louie. "When it destroys a Monster, I take damage equal to half that Monster's Attack Points.
"BUT… I'm also allowed to summon a Psychic from my Graveyard with an Attack Score equal to or less than the damage I took. There's only one that fits the bill…"
Doctor Cranium appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (100 DEF)
"Yeah?" said Jinx. "Well, I'm paying 500 Life Points to summon X-Saber Palomlo to the field."
Palomlo appeared, kneeling and crouching behind his spear. (300 DEF)
"Now, I use my Trap Card," said Louie, as his facedown card lifted up. "Psychic Rejuvenation. I now gain 1,000 Life Points for each Psychic I have."
He glowed with energy as his Life Points went up.
"And that's all for now…"
(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 7,300)
Jinx quickly made a draw.
"I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders!" she shouted, as her facedown card lifted up.
In twin auras of light Urbellum. (2,200 ATK) and Galahad (1,800 ATK) reappeared in front of her.
"Next, I'll Tune together Galahad and Palomlo…"
The two X-Sabers faded into five glowing stars.
"To Synchro Summon X-Saber Wayne!"
There was a galloping of hooves, and the rugged cowboy leapt onto the field. He and Urbellum glanced at each other, and the two X-Sabers nodded before turning to Louie and his mob of Psychics. (2,100 ATK)
"Next, the Equip Spell, Sword of Sparkles," said Jinx.
Urbellum stashed his two blades on his back. Then the legendary blade of the X-Sabers appeared in his hand.
"Urbellum, destroy Power Injector!"
The barbarian grunted, and lunged at the foul thing, swinging the sacred blade. Power Injector's eyes bugged out, and then exploded into a blast of foul slime and fluid.
"Now, I use the effect of Sword of Sparkles," said Jinx, "to also destroy Armored Axon Kicker."
Urbellum made another slash, and the Psychic in the weird suit shuddered for a second before shattering into pieces.
"Wayne, the last one! Saber Six-Shooter!"
Wayne fired his weapon, blowing Doctor Cranium to pieces.
"You remember Doctor Cranium's effect, right?" asked Louie. "I now get to take any Psychic I want from my deck… Only this time, I can place a Counter on my Lab to avoid paying the cost."
"Enough with the Field Spell, we get it!" shouted Gears.
A card slipped out of Louie's deck, and he took it.
Next round… he thought, this duel begins in earnest…
"Gardestrike, attack him directly!" shouted Jinx.
The Beast-Warrior leapt at Louie, and hit him hard with his scimitar. Louie screamed and fell over. The bar patrons cheered and threw coins.
"Not bad," said Jinx. "Maybe I'll have him do an encore later… I end my turn…"
(J: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,400)
Louie got up, with a foul look on his face. His snakeblooded heritage was starting to show through more prominently now… His canine teeth were now clearly fangs.
"I've got a question for you, Shadowchaser…" he hissed.
He made a draw.
"A few rounds ago, I had Psychic Commander, who was a Level 3 Tuner, plus Psychic Snail, a Level 4 non-Tuner… Did you ever wonder why I didn't summon Psychic Lifetrancer when I had the chance?"
"No, I…" started Jinx.
She stopped short.
"Come to think of it, that was kinda dumb…"
"Well, the thing is, this deck didn't come with any Synchros," replied Louie. "I'd love to summon Magical Android, or Thought Ruler Archfiend…
"But the ophidia who found this deck didn't find Divine's Synchros. As you know, Synchros are kept in the part of the Duel Disk that contains the Extra Deck, and that was never recovered.
"But… If wishes were fishes, as they say… Divine still had some powerful cards that weren't Synchros. Take the Level 8 Monster I'm about to summon."
"Level 8?" said Shichiro. "Even with the Field Spell, you'd need to swap two Monsters to summon it."
"Not if I use this Spell Card," said Louie.
He played a card, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.
"It's called Teleport. With this card on the field, if you have Monsters and I don't, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.
"And the Monster I'm about to summon is the second-most powerful Psychic that you'd ever see in the Main Deck. The only Psychic that's stronger which isn't a Synchro or a Fusion is the incredibly rare Hyper Psychic Blaster/Assault Mode."
He quickly played a card.
"Come forth… Master Gig!"
In an aura of eerie energy, a large, frightening-looking creature appeared in the center of the lab. It looked like a huge egg made of black metal, with upward-pointing horns surrounding the circumference, and a small head on top. (2,600 ATK)
"Uh…" said Jinx.
"Now I use its effect!" shouted Louie. "By paying 1,000 Life Points, which I can get around by placing a Counter on my Lab, I can destroy one Monster for each Psychic I have."
The air started to ripple, and Urbellum screamed. He exploded into shards.
"Just wait until you see his regular attack," continued Louie. "Attack X-Saber Wayne with psionic storm!"
The name of the attack fit it completely. A storm of psychic energy ripped through the whole Lab, forming a virtual hurricane. Wayne let out a holler, and then exploded.
Jinx looked dumbfounded, and Wayne's hat fluttered to the ground, and then disintegrated.
"I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon Palomlo!" she shouted.
Palomlo appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)
Louie set his last card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn…" he said.
(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)
Jinx slowly drew a card.
One Seriousness… she thought.
She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
He'll probably destroy Palomlo with Master Gig's effect, she thought. If he were to choose to destroy Gardestrike, he wouldn't do any damage when he attacked, because Palomlo is in Defense Mode. If he does, I can activate One Seriousness, and defeat Master Gig. It's my only chance… And since Louie has no cards in his hand, it just might work.
Louie made a draw.
"How fortunate..." he said. "I summon Destructotron!"
In a burst of energy, another mechanical Psychic appeared. It looked more like a Machine than any other Type of Monster, with four spindly legs, robotic arms, and a computer screen for a head, with a sinister face on it. (1,600 ATK)
"And wait until you see what he can do," said Louie. "By paying 1,000 Life Points, he can destroy one facedown Spell or Trap Card.
"Man, I love this Field Spell!"
Destructotron fired a beam of energy from its screen, and blew One Seriousness to particles.
"Plus, since I now have two Psychics, Master Gig's effect works on two Monsters!"
The air started to warp and bend again, and XX-Saber Gardestrike and X-Saber Palomlo shattered into particles.
"Jinx, no!" screamed Gabriel.
"Now I've got something for you..." said Louie.
Destructotron's screen flashed, and lightning bolts shot from it. Jinx screamed as electricity coursed through her.
Then she screamed even louder as Master Gig's psionic storm struck, with her at the center, lifting her off her feet and buffeting her with its savage winds.
Then she was dumped on the floor, hardly knowing which end was up, and feeling like her internal organs had been rearranged somehow.
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,600)
Then she felt something strange. Drops of water were splashing on her face…
She looked up, and saw that Gabriel was perched over her, and was crying. The tears that were falling on her were causing energy to flow though her…
"Get that bird out of there!" shouted Louie.
Jinx stood up and took a deep breath. Gabriel flew back to Gears and Shichiro.
"Too late, Louie," she said, "I'm back in this… And I'm gonna clean your clock…"
She looked at her deck.
I just wish I knew how… she thought. Divine was scum, but his deck was clearly one of the most powerful in the city! I have no cards in my hand, none on the field… If my next draw isn't a miracle…
She drew a card.
It was Bronze Warrior.
No… This guy isn't gonna do it…
She set it on her Disk, and it appeared reversed. She closed her eyes, and a tear fell down her face.
I'm sorry Ember…she thought. I tried…
"My move…" said Louie.
He drew a card.
"Destructotron, wipe out her Monster!"
"HUH?" said Jinx, opening her eyes wide.
Destructotron blasted its lightning, but it merely glanced off of Bronze Warrior. (1,800 DEF)
"Eighteen-hundred Defense Points??" shouted Louie.
"Why didn't you use Master Gig's effect?" asked Jinx.
"Didn't want to…" muttered Louie.
The psionic storm blew again, and Bronze Warrior was blown to pieces.
"Didn't want to?" said Jinx.
"Wait… wait!" said Gears. "Master Gig has a weakness, and I think I figured it out. It can destroy a number of Monsters equal to the number of Psychic Monsters you have. No more, and no less either. Since Louie had two Psychic Monsters, it could only destroy two. It couldn't destroy one. And it can only destroy opposing Monsters, not your own."
"Yeah, you hit the nail on the head," said Louie. "But just try to defeat it anyway."
"My draw!" said Jinx, drawing a card.
She quickly played it, and a reversed card appeared.
"You think that scares me?" said Louie, as he made a draw. "Did you forget what Destructotron can do to Spells and Traps?
"Destructotron, wipe out that card!"
"Not if I activate it before it can do so!" shouted Jinx, as it shot up. "The Trap Card, Reinforce Truth!
"I have to skip my Battle Phase to activate this card, but since it's your turn, that doesn't matter. I now get to Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Warrior from my deck.
"X-Saber Passiul, appear!"
Passiul materialized, crouching behind his sword. (0 DEF)
"And he can't be destroyed by battle. Since your Master Gig can't destroy it with its effect, he'll make an effective shield."
Louie growled.
"I'll just augment my forces, then..." he said. "I summon Pandaborg..."
He played a card, and a large panda covered with cybernetics materialized next to the other two Psychics. (1,700 ATK)
"...and I end my turn."
Jinx paused.
Passiul will only protect me for one more turn, she thought. Due to his effect, if two of his Standby Phases go by, I lose...
She drew a card.
She smiled slightly.
"Summoning Pandaborg was a mistake," she said.
"That's your opinion," said Louie.
"No, I mean it," said Jinx.
She played the Spell Card she had just drawn.
"I can only play Urbellum's Urgent Request when I control an X-Saber, and he's outnumbered by at least three to one. I now get to make two draws.
"The catch is, I have to discard any Monsters that I draw."
She drew two cards.
"Look at that!" she said, turning them forward. "Two Spell Cards!
"First I'll play one... The Warrior Returning Alive."
She played the card, and Bronze Warrior slipped out of her discard slot.
"Now, I'll summon him."
Bronze Warrior appeared again. (500 ATK)
"Next, I'll use his effect, to add a Beast-Warrior to my hand."
A card slipped out of her deck, and she took it.
"But I'll save him for later..."
She quickly played the other Spell Card.
"Now, I play Level Mirroring! It works as follows. I choose one of your Monsters, and I think I'll choose... Let's see... Master Gig!
"Then, the Level of one of my Monsters, like Bronze Warrior, becomes the Level of your Monster."
"I know what you're trying to do," sneered Louie. "You're trying to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Gatmuz. Well, you failed! You made the mistake of thinking that Master Gig is Level 7. Well guess what? It's Level 8! So your two Monsters now overshoot the Level requirements by one!"
"I was well-aware that Master Gig was Level 8," said Jinx. "Gatmuz is not the Synchro Monster I intend to summon."
"Wait…" said Louie. "That means you're going to Synchro Summon a… Level 10 Monster??"
Then the computers and the sinister brain vanished. The sky turned dark, and the three blazing suns that had appeared when Shichiro summoned Trymus appeared again.
Passiul and Bronze Warrior nodded to each other, and flew into the sky... Jinx started to chant...
"Strength of legend, beauty beyond compare, entrusted by billions to carry their heritage, given the power unleashed at the moment of Creation! Mighty champion of a deceased race… Three suns aligned call forth an ancient force… Synchro Summon, Shannalla the Fierce!"
The two Monsters dissolved into ten stars, and as the three suns vanished, a female Warrior leapt down onto the floor of the lab. She was dressed like an Amazoness, in a scanty fur bikini top, loincloth, and cloak, with long, chestnut hair down to her waist. She had richly tanned skin, and war paint on her torso and limbs that looked like the stripes of a tiger. She carried a nasty-looking scimitar. (2,600 ATK)
A lot of catcalls came from the spectators, and she seemed a little annoyed.
"A fat lot of good that bimbo will do you," said Louie. "Her Attack Score is the same as Master Gig's."
"Not for long," said Jinx.
X-Saber Urbellum's card slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.
"By removing from play a Warrior or Beast-Warrior in my Graveyard, Shannalla's Attack Score increases by the Attack Score of the removed Monster."
(4,800 ATK)
The catcalls suddenly stopped.
"Attack Master Gig!" shouted Jinx. "Pouncing tiger rage!"
Shannalla made a great leap across the room, bringing her blade down on the huge Psychic, and smashing it to pieces with a blow so solid that Louie was knocked off his feet. He screamed.
"My Master Gig!" he wailed. "Blown to bits..."
"I end my turn..." said Jinx. "And by the way... That bonus to Shannalla's score won't wear off until the end of your next turn."
The three suns faded, and the creepy laboratory returned to view.
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 1,400)
Louie snarled, and made a draw. He looked at it and the other card in his hand.
Pandaborg knelt, and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,400 DEF) Destructotron crouched down, and its screen shut off. (400 DEF)
"It's your move..." he said, as Shanalla's Attack Score fell back down to 2,600.
Jinx drew a card.
She looked at the two cards in her hand. One of them was the Monster she had searched for with Bronze Warrior's effect.
She was about to summon it, but then she changed her mind. She didn't know what Pandaborg could do yet, and Louie still had his facedown card.
"I hate to do this to an endangered species..." she said, "but... Shannalla, destroy Pandaborg!"
Shannalla made a slash with her blade, and the cyborg panda burst into shards.
"I activate Pandaborg's effect!" shouted Louie. "When it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a low-Level Psychic from my deck.
"So, I'll summon Telekinetic Shocker in Defense Mode."
In a burst of lightning, a new Psychic appeared. It looked like a man in a red spandex shirt and black pants, with a lightning bolt symbol on the front. A helmet shaped like a silver sphere covered its head completely.
It knelt, and shielded itself. (700 DEF)
"I end my turn," said Jinx.
"Then I draw..." said Louie.
He made a draw.
"Aw, I pass, I can't do anything!" he shouted.
"Then I'll move!" said Jinx, drawing a card.
A Trap Card... she thought, looking at it.
She looked at the Monster in her hand.
Now's the time, fellah...
"I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!" she shouted.
With a growl, the hulking Beast-Warrior with the upper body of a muscular man, and the lower body of a bull appeared in front of her. (2,300 ATK)
"Feelin' frisky, Lei Lei?" she asked.
Lei Lei growled its approval.
"Then take out that Destructotron!" she shouted.
The Indomitable Fighter dropped to all fours, and pounced on the robotic Psychic, blowing it into a mass of scrap metal.
"Now, Shannalla will finish your last one!" shouted Jinx.
The Titan made a swipe with her sword, and Telekinetic Shocker burst into an explosion of sparks.
Lei Lei slumped down, moving into Defense Mode. (0 DEF)
"I set a card facedown," said Jinx, as a reversed card appeared, "and that will be all."
Louie frowned, and made a draw.
He grinned an evil grin.
"I use the effect of Teleport again," he said. "I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Psychic Emperor!"
In an eerie aura of purple energy, a strange old man with a great, white beard appeared. He wore an orange toga, and a cybernetic helmet with wires and tubes connected to it. (2,400 ATK)
"Psychic Emperor's effect doesn't make me lose Life Points," said Louie. "It lets me gain them. When he's summoned, I gain 500 Life Points for every Psychic in my Graveyard."
The ghostly images of Doctor Cranium, Psychic Commander, Psychic Snail, Armored Axon Kicker, Power Injector, Master Gig, Destructotron, Pandaborg, and Telekinetic Shocker appeared behind Louie, and he glowed with the same eerie energy.
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,100)
"Now, my Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card finally lifted. "Psychic Overload. I take three Psychic Monsters from my Graveyard..."
Master Gig, Psychic Commander, and Power Injector slipped out of his discard slot.
"...then shuffle them into my deck..."
He shuffled his deck.
"...and then make two draws..."
He drew two cards.
"Now to take care of that whore," he said.
Both Jinx and Shannalla gave him a dirty look.
"Oh, sure," he said, "we'll see how defiant you both are once I play Solidarity!"
He played a Continuous Spell card, and Psychic Emperor suddenly started to burn with rage.
"Solidarity lets my Monsters gain power from their fallen comrades, so long as they only consist of one Type of Monster," explained Louie. "In other words, since my Graveyard only contains Psychics, the ones on the field all gain 800 Attack Points."
(3,200 ATK)
"Psychic Emperor, attack Shannalla the Fierce with brain wave!"
The Emperor's helmet glowed with mental energy...
"Not so fast, Louie!" shouted Jinx. "I have a Trap..."
Her facedown card shot up.
"Baton of the Hero! Now, I can choose the target of your Emperor's attack! So instead of attacking Shannalla..."
The Emperor's bolt blasted forth, hitting Lei Lei and vaporizing him.
"Thank you, Lei Lei..." said Jinx.
She turned to Louie.
"Your Emperor is dead meat on my turn," she said. "When I use Shannalla's effect..."
"Not if she can't attack," replied Louie. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet.
"I'll move to my second Main Phase, and summon Grapple Blocker."
A new Psychic appeared. This one looked like a professional wrestler with a purple jersey and mask, with four octopus tentacles on its back. (1,200 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)
Shannalla looked stunned as it glowed with green energy, and the glow covered her.
"I have to pay 500 Life Points per round to keep this guy," said Louie, "but so long as I do, one Monster I choose can't attack. And I choose her.
"And it's still my turn..."
He took another card.
"You see, Shadowchaser," he said, "since I played my Brain Research Lab, is has accumulated… Let's see… uhm… Well, it has accumulated a lot of Counters. I'm pretty certain I would lose if I got rid of it no matter how many Life Points I could gain.
"So, I'll drop 500 Life Points to pay Counter Cleaner."
He played the card, and a large industrial size vacuum cleaner shaped like the Pot of Greed appeared. It turned on, and started sucking dust and grime though its nose.
"Now, all Counters are removed from the Field Spell."
The appliance vanished.
"I end my turn, and pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,100)
Jinx made a draw.
I could trick him with this... she thought. But what if he manages to bring back Destructotron? I'd be risking Shannalla!
Shannalla turned to Jinx. She nodded slightly.
Okay... said Jinx, if you say so...
She fit the card in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.
"Your move..." she said.
Louie chuckled as he made a draw.
"You aren't gonna fool me," he said. "That card is nothing but a big bluff..."
He paused.
"Still... uh... I'll move Grapple Blocker to Defense Mode... Just in case..."
Grapple Blocker knelt, and covered itself with its tentacles. (2,000 DEF)
"Then I think I'll set a Monster..."
A reversed Monster appeared.
"Then I attack with Psychic Emperor!"
Psychic Emperor's brain wave started again...
"Sorry, Louie," said Jinx, "you thought I was bluffing, and that's gonna cost you!"
Her facedown card shot up.
"I activate Klein's Labyrinth! It causes your Emperor's Attack Score and Defense Score to switch!
"Sure, he'll gain some more Attack Points due to Solidarity..."
(1,000 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)
"...but it won't be enough..."
Shannalla swung her sword, and Psychic Emperor groaned, before exploding into particles.
"Looks like your Emperor just blew a gasket," said Jinx.
"I end my turn!" shouted Louie. "And I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker again..."
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 3,000)
He looked at the last card in his hand, and at his reversed Monster.
All I need to do, he thought, is wait for her to attack my second Doctor Cranium. Then I can search for Master Gig again. Then, I can use this card, Psi-Impulse. It will let her exchange the one card in her hand for three, but it will get rid of Grapple Blocker, and I'll be able to use Teleport to bring back Master Gig, this time with 800 more Attack Points.
Jinx made a draw.
She quickly set it in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.
"Mmm!" she said.
Damn, thought Louie, as he made a draw.
"I think I'll pad my points even more," he said. "I play Emergency Provisions."
He played the card, and Field Barrier and the entire Field Spell vanished into nothing.
Jinx sighed in relief. She was very glad to see that creepy brain leave.
"That's all for now..." said Louie. "I'll end my turn, and once again, I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 4,500)
"My move..." said Jinx.
She drew a card.
"Now, it's time to end this, Louie," she said. "I'm activating Shannalla's effect again, and this time, I'm removing Lei Lei from play."
Lei Lei's card slipped out of her discard slot, and she placed it with Urbellum. Shannalla glowed with a second aura. (4,900 ATK)
"Big deal," said Louie. "My Grapple Blocker still has her in a grapple, remember?"
"We'll see about that," said Jinx. "I activate Limit Reverse."
Her facedown card lifted up, and Bronze Warrior appeared again. (500 ATK)
"You see, Louie," said Jinx, "I have a pretty good idea what the facedown Monster is, seeing as you didn't get rid of Teleport when you used Emergency Provisions. If I'm right, its Defense is so weak, even Bronze Warrior can defeat it.
"But first, I'm using Bronze Warrior's effect to bring out someone who'll get rid of Grapple Blocker..."
A card slipped out of her discard slot. She played it quickly.
"I summon Rampaging Rhynos!"
With a snort and a bellow, a new Beast-Warrior appeared. This one looked like a humanoid rhinoceros, wearing armor and holding a battleaxe. (1,500 ATK)
"What are you talking about?" said Louie. "That thing is too weak to beat Grapple Blocker's Defense."
"But Bronze Warrior's effect gives it 400 more Attack Points," replied Jinx.
(1,900 ATK)
"Still not strong enough!" laughed Louie.
"But it has an effect of its own," said Jinx. "See, when a Monster is in the space in your Monster Zone that's exactly in front of the space in my Monster Zone that Rampaging Rhynos is in, which Grapple Blocker is, Rampaging Rhynos gains 500 more Attack Points when attacking it."
"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Louie.
"CHARGE!" shouted Jinx.
Rampaging Rhynos ran at full speed towards the Psychic, and its Attack Score rose to 2,400. Grapple Blocker was blown to bits. Shannalla lifted her arms as the sickly aura around her vanished.
"Now, let's see if I was right," continued Jinx. "Bronze Warrior, attack!"
Bronze Warrior charged at the reversed Monster, daggers flashing. Doctor Cranium appeared on the card, and shattered into bits.
Louie turned and tried to run. However, the half-orc bartender, two orcs, and a bugbear were waiting behind him in case he tried to do so. The bugbear grabbed him and shoved him back towards Jinx.
"You finish this duel," growled the bartender, "or we'll tell whoever they report to that you threatened them with a gun."
"Thanks for the support, people," said Jinx. "Shannalla... End this!"
Louie let out an unearthly scream as Shannalla the Fierce struck him hard with her sword, knocking him over.
(J: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)
Jinx grabbed Louie by the collar, lifting him up.
"On your feet!" she ordered.
"I surrender!" shouted Louie.
"Where's Ember?" demanded Jinx.
"I said I surrender!" repeated Louie. "Arrest me!"
Jinx slapped him, hard.
"Not interested!" she said. "Where's Ember?"
"But I surrendered!" gasped Louie. "This isn't right!"
"What is right, Louie?" shouted Jinx. "Selling poison to kids? Luring Ember into a trap so you could get this... this deck of cards?"
She ripped the deck out of his Duel Disk, and threw the cards away.
"HEY!" screamed Louie.
"I know why you wanted those cards, Louie," said Shichiro. "You thought they'd make you a successful criminal like Divine was.
"Well, let me tell you something... Divine was no more successful than you are. Sure, he had more money. He had influence. He had a whole organization at his beck and call...
"But the instant a criminal is caught and has to pay for everything he's done, he's no longer successful. Divine was caught, and he paid dearly for all his crimes."
"Now tell me where Ember is," said Jinx, "or so help me, I'm sending you to Hell to meet him..."
"All right! All right!" screamed Louie. "I'll sing! Taramanda's palace..."
Then he gagged. He clutched his throat.
He heard Taramanda's voice in his head.
Foolish human... she said. I told you when you swore loyalty to me that I wouldn't tolerate betrayal. You've outlived your usefulness, Louie...
Then he went limp.
Gears ran up and felt his pulse.
"He's dead, people..." he said.
He lifted up Louie's hand. His fingernails were discolored.
"Some sort of poison... It seems that the Empress is pretty adamant about keeping the location of her palace a secret..."
They didn't say anything for a minute.
"Now what??" shouted Jinx. "He was our only lead!
"For all we know, Ember may be dying... Maybe..."
"Don't give up hope yet," said a deep voice.
Everyone turned, and saw Trymus, more in focus than he was last time, not struggling as much as he was when he delivered the last message.
"Trymus?" exclaimed Shichiro. "You can speak clearly now!"
"For a few minutes at least," replied Trymus. "My power has grown now that Shannalla is here. Jetta has gotten a message to me. Ember's situation is dire, but hope still remains."
"Jetta?" said Gears. "She would be..."
"The Titan who is trying to bond to Ember," said Trymus. "She is in prison, so she cannot leave physically, but sometimes, when her jailers let their guard down, she can send her consciousness via the Astral Plane."
"So what do we do?" asked Jinx.
"Jetta wants to try something..." said Trymus. "All that the rest of us can do while she does is hope...
"...and pray..."
None of them knew that Trueman was hiding in the shadows outside, waiting for the right moment to strike...
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The Temple, as it was called, was another shrine in Taramanda's palace. It was where she held more social rituals. It was much larger, and not as decorated as her private one.
The cocoon that held Ember prisoner was on the altar. Taramanda had chosen to put it here, hoping that this site would further enhance the divine magic of the spell.
Sitting in the front pew, holding his sword down and leaning his head on his hand was the soldier whom Msskim had told to watch it, a young, low-ranking name Gsmith. As a new recruit to Taramanda's staff, he tended to get guard duty more often. He was getting awfully bored.
Good grief... he thought. I always get the worst jobs... If this thing is really escape-proof, why bother guarding it?
He sighed. He hoped this thing did its job soon...
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEVEL MIRRORING (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: Five golden stars on a sky-blue background above five dark stars on a black background.
Card Description: Select one face-up Monster you control, and one face-up Monster your opponent controls. The Monster you control becomes the Level of the Monster your opponent controls until the End Phase of the turn.
Note: "Level Mirroring" was first used by Rua in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Mark of the Monkey (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BATON OF THE HERO (Trap Card)
Normal Trap
Image: Freed the Brave Wanderer at the forefront a battalion of soldiers, who include Marauding Captain, Gaia the Fierce Knight, and Warrior Lady of the Wasteland.
Card Description: Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase when your opponent declares an attack. Select one Monster you control. The selected Monster becomes the target of that attack.
Note: "Baton of the Hero" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Score to Settle (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
URBELLUM'S URGENT REQUEST (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: X-Saber Urbellum handing a sealed scroll to XX-Saber Fulhelmknight, who is astride a white horse. Both are on a battlefield under a cloudy sky.
Card Description: You can activate this card when you control at least one "X-Saber" Monster and your opponent controls at least two more Monsters than you do. Draw two cards from your deck. Discard any Monsters drawn via this effect to the Graveyard.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SHANNALLA THE FIERCE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Warrior/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 10
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: EARTH Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Warrior-Type or Beast-Warrior-Type Monsters
This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, you may remove from play one Warrior or Beast-Warrior-Type Monster in your Graveyard. Increase the ATK of this card by the base ATK of the removed Monster. This increase lasts until your opponent's next End Phase. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate set Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Ember: The snakes... Thousands of them! I can't get away!
Help! Someone, please!
Hebi-Na: No-one can help you now, little girl. Your fate is in our hands... You...
Voice: Don't listen to her, Michiko! Someone can help, there is someone who can get to you!
In this deepest darkness, there is a light that can defeat the demons... But I can't do it alone... Reach to me, and I'll help...
"Vanquishing Light" is coming soon. I hope it's very soon, for Michiko's sake...
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shadowchaser Files
Mulgo, Hobgoblin Visionary
Okay, now here's a stretch. Everyone knows that hobgoblins and bugbears are related to goblins in some way. Most people think of hobgoblins as simply bigger, smarter versions of regular goblins, and bugbears as even bigger versions with a lot more hair.
But there is a legend that some hobgoblin shamans and witch doctors sometimes speak of that seems kind of farfetched. They say that countless ages ago, on the homeworld of Shadow, hobgoblins were the only goblins, and they had a grand empire. The story said that they were much smarter too, and had mighty sorcerers. These sorcerers experimented on their race, eventually creating two servitor races – the ones that would become common goblins, who were created to act as foot soldiers, and the ones that would become bugbears, who were created to be elite shock troops and bodyguards.
But something happened, and this great empire collapsed. Maybe it was due to internal strife or interference from an otherworldly source (probably the fey, a group that goblins are known to despise.) The hobgoblins lost their powerful magic, and the three races grew apart.
This story isn't often believed, not even by most hobgoblins, because it seems so fanciful. But one hobgoblin on Earth named Mulgo is convinced that it is true, and seeks a way to become as powerful as the fabled hobgoblin wizards of old.
Born on Earth and growing up in Chicago, Mulgo has done what most hobgoblins end up doing for a living – working as hired muscle. But the shaman in his clan told the aforementioned legend so many times when he was young, he started to believe it, and thought it possible to achieve such greatness. He has spent a great deal of time trying to find a way to learn actual wizardry. After all, he had heard of Rhul, the orcish battle mage; how hard could it be?
Incredibly hard, in fact. Magic usually has to be learned from an experienced wizard, and very few of them believe that a hobgoblin is worth the time to attempt to teach it. He has yet to find a wizard who doesn't believe that the legend is nonsense, or one who doesn't think that teaching him would be a waste of time.
Mulgo's attempts to learn magic on his own as Rhul did have been laughable at best. He has tried stealing spellbooks, only to find that they are never written in English, or any other language he can translate. He still wonders how Rhul managed. (Rhul's original spellbook came with a talisman that let him read the ancient script. Mulgo doesn't even know how to identify such things.)
Despite this, Mulgo won't give up, and his attempts may pay off sooner than one may think. He has stopped searching among respectable wizards, and started looking among more shady ones. It may well be that a darker wizard might find enough use for him to find it worthwhile.
Story Ideas: Mulgo is not main character material, but his quest to learn magic makes him ideal as a henchman for many characters mentioned in previous files. He could work for members of The Beloved, The Rat Lord, or The Sons of Kyuss. He might be convinced to work for Xideous or even Red Shroud, his desire to practice magic is so great.
Of course, Mulgo has no idea what he will do if he ever fulfills his dream of becoming a sorcerer on par with the ones mentioned in the legend. His plans haven't gotten that far yet. Most think that the empire mentioned in the legend is chimerical, and that anyone who actually tries to find any remnants of it is chasing rainbows.
Deck Suggestions: It should come as no surprise that Mulgo uses Spellcasters. His particular strategy is a Spellcaster Lock Deck, which uses Secret Village of the Spellcasters along with Royal Decree to create a powerful lock. He dreams of someday owning a copy of Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, but those incredibly rare cards seem out of his reach.