Hi-Ho everyone! We're back!
Most of this chapter I have to credit 7th Librarian with, and again would like to thank Mei1105 for her input.
Read on, but be warned, this is about to get ugly…
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Tournament of Shadows
Chapter 26: Exchange of Night and Day
"Gambling is a way of buying hope on credit."
I've lost count of the number of people I've seen gamble their last few dollars away on the hope they'll win just enough to cover whatever debt they have. Some do it more than once. Some do it often, throwing money away on state lotteries. It's like a high - hope drugs them to the point that when that die is about to stop or card about to turn over, it's the most exciting and satisfying moment in their lives because everything is about to go right for them.
I don't have that feeling. I worry and stress and sometimes get a little sick. It's why I prefer to be impulsive - I don't overthink when I'm moving on instinct to save someone. I just do and let the cards fall where they may. But I can't do that now because
We're all betting hard on that fact we can turn this tournament around before we're in too deep...and I have no idea what's going to happen next. I just hope we're due for a little good luck.
TTTTTTT
"-had to weed out the faint of heart! Please, let yourself in!"
Ace growled at the obnoxious Pegasus hologram and snatched up the golden key that the Jackpot 7 spat out. "I never thought you were funny…"
She inserted the key and twisted it, the great doors swallowing it and then opening seamlessly to let her inside.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes with her hand over her chest. Salvation was a few feet away, and -
"Ace, you made it!"
The Las Vegas Shadowchaser whirled just in time for a blur to nearly about tackle her and do its best to strangle her in a hug. "Wh...what!?"
"Congrats on making it to the finals, I knew you could do it!" The person stepped back to reveal Sonya's beaming face. "I can't wait to tell everyone! You should tell everyone, too! Like Jalal!"
"I-what...who?" Ace blinked dumbly even as Sonya yanked her over with an arm around the shoulder and held out a cell phone.
"Selfieeeee!" Sonya snapped a picture and held it around for Ace to see. "Looks good, doesn't it?"
Ace blinked as she registered what was on the phone and nodded. "Er, yeah, turned out nice."
"Oooh, right, the net's down around the island, so you better take this for luck." Sonya pushed the phone into Ace's hands and started skipping down the steps, waving cheerily. "I'll see you later! Save a duel for me!"
"You got it...whoever." Ace muttered and glanced down at the phone in her hand. The sight of it made her stomach knot a little. That woman had been a Shadowchaser and had just told her to make sure this phone to Jalal. And that 'selfie' had had a couple of photobombers in the background- the dark-haired Mister Z and a sphinx. Along with a sign confirming Deanu's warnings of some of kind of dangerous ritual happening under the castle.
Ace deleted the photo and pocketed the phone. Things were getting more complicated and happening too fast. This was definitely not good and it was going to take all of her skills to get this done.
But she had barely taken a half-dozen steps inside when she encountered her first obstacle.
A too-helpful person with a clipboard.
"Welcome! Congratulations on making it as a finalist!" The woman was dressed professionally, but the eager expression on her face made Ace suspect she was one of those creepy people who actually got pleasure out of being helpful to others. "Would you like to push the button to release the fireworks yourself?"
Ace stared at her.
The woman was nonplussed and pushed said button, the sound of fireworks filling the air briefly before the doors closed behind her. "Do you have any wounds, illnesses or other immediate concerns that we can assist you with? The island can be a bit treacherous!"
"I'm tired. I want to sleep on a bed. Where's my room?"
"Right this way, please!" The woman passed Ace a keycard and checked her clipboard. "Ahh, you're Alice Drei, one of the Shadowchasers! You're the second one to make it! I've watched some of your duels - where's that cute redhead that was pairing up with you?"
"None of your business is where she's at." Ace let some of her frustrated anger bleed into her voice. Odds were good that the woman was just a woman doing her job and not some demon in disguise that would stab her in the back. So being rude to her was probably uncalled for - except that she was too damn sunny with that smile. "And my name is Ace."
"Of course. I'll make of note that for the finals. We wouldn't want the wrong name on the big screen, would we?" The woman did indeed make a note on her clipboard and led Ace down one of the hallways. "The dining hall is down here - you finalists get your own and we haven't had any of the Blue Knights show up yet, but please control yourselves when they do. And on that note, save the dueling for the dueling field!"
"I know the drill."
"Now, room service is available twenty-four/seven around here for you lucky duelist and if you have any extraneous requests, we'll do our best to fill them!" The woman gave Alice a sly smile. "Though smuggling a lover into your room is a bit much."
"Yes, because I would totally ask random strangers to solicit someone on my behalf for sex. Even Vegas doesn't sink that low." Ace muttered curtly and let herself into her room before the woman could respond. "Now go back to your entrance and wait for someone else to ambush, why don't you?"
"I'm just a few minutes away if you need anything, dear!" The woman waved as Ace about slammed the door behind her.
The room was spacious and high-class, complete with a small bar, private Jacuzzi and what looked like silk sheets. Ace found herself not caring about the amenities. She worked in Vegas and had been in and out of more hotel rooms than her own bedroom and they were all the same - overpriced, smelling too clean and with soap that was just horrible on your skin, the glasses next to the ice bucket likely never been in a dishwasher.
Discarding her Duel Disk onto the couch, she swept over to the laptop on the desk and flipped it on. The Lessiux Symbol greeted her, then it switched to a standard desktop. A few keystrokes opened the browser and a quick check showed that the Shadowchaser website was blocked, as well as any site that might allow her communication with the outside world. Nothing less than expected.
Ace brought up the tournament website and tapped in Jalal's name. The registry listed him as 'inactive' and listed his current location as the castle. She frowned - Kenshin had said Jalal had gotten her message, but apparently not in time to act on it. Or it had been intercepted.
A further check showed that the other confirmed qualified finalists were Bruno von Klein for the Shadowchasers and Xander Garren and Zanth Lystole for the Blue Knights, with Nichole Belvins listed as pending. The website listed Bruno's room and she briefly toyed with the idea of going to talk to him. He had sent out that puzzle to alert the rest of the group about shady dealings and he might know more. But it was the dead of night and he was probably asleep. Even if he wasn't, Ace knew she was tired enough that she had no patience for his creepy schtick or his blunt attitude. She was just as likely to deck him in the face as say 'hi'.
Not that punching anything right now would be a bad thing. It would burn off some of this tension, at the very least. Ace couldn't stand this waiting. She knew something was going on, it was evil and where the bad guys were and everything in her wanted to go and punch Jean-Claude into a bloody mess.
But that wouldn't solve anything. It would just make things worse and so they stuck waiting for the bad guys to make a move they could capitalize on. Villains act, heroes react and in between those times, Ace tried her hardest not to give herself an ulcer.
Another check showed that out of the remaining Shadowchasers, Sonya and Ember were the closest to achieving the finals. Something soured in Ace's stomach at the sight of Ember's name - she'd bet anything that Ember would have a plan or could even up and up take Jean-Claude and whatever goon squad he had. The woman had soloed four evil demigods and an aboleth (twice!) and gotten up after a punch from a god. Ace didn't know what Jean-Claude's scheming was, but she sure Ember would be able to tear through it like tissue paper.
Ace shut the laptop and threw herself onto the bed with a growl of frustration. None of this was helping her at all - it was just telling her about how useless she was right now. She had just gotten a phone with incriminating evidence on it and couldn't even get to Jalal right now. She knew of several Shadowchasers who had been eliminated and returned to the castle, but she had a suspicion that if she tried to get ahold of them, it wouldn't work.
She felt her bra vibrate.
Rolling onto her back, Ace fished around and then produced a slender cellphone with a frown. Her cellphone was in her pocket and the one Sonya had given her was on the desk. So whose was this?
She flipped it around, concern flooding her face when she found the giant Magikarp sticker on the back. "Kenshin…"
That was right. Kenshin had been kissing her senseless, so the memory was a little fuzzy. Something about how her own personal phone was on her own literal personal wireless plan and Lessiux couldn't do anything with it? And to call if there was trouble?
The phone vibrated again and she twisted it around so she could flip the lock on the screen. Surprisingly, there was no lock, just a thumbprint scanner. Ace pressed her thumb to it and after a moment, the device flashed the words "Approved User" on the screen.
The image changed to a variety of apps, many of which Ace had never seen or heard of before. But one of the icons labeled 'Firewall' was flashing and she tapped it.
It changed to show a status screen with a frightening amount of red on it.
FIREWALL BREACHED. VIRUS DETECTED. CONTACT WITH STAFF LOST.
ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE VIRUS….VIRUS REMOVAL FAILURE.
ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT BACKWATER HQ….CONTACT ATTEMPT FAILURE.
ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT SHADOWCHASER HQ….CONTACT ATTEMPT FAILURE.
ATTEMPTING TO SET UP SYSTEM RESTORE POINT….SYSTEM RESTORE POINT FAILURE.
ATTEMPTING TO REBOOT...REBOOT FAILURE.
Ace gawked at the phone's screen. She wasn't all that tech-savvy, but she knew enough to know that none of this was good and was usually a death knell for any computer suffering from it. And Kenshin was no mere computer. "Shit, shit, shit, shit...what do I do?"
The phone seemed to hear here, as the screen changed to black and then words floated up onto it. "ATTENTION, AUTHORISED USER. DO YOU WISH TO ENGAGE EMERGENCY PROTOCOL 'PUZZLESHIPPING'?"
"What even is that?"
PUZZLESHIPPING PROTOCOL ENABLES THIS DEVICE AND USER TO FUNCTION AS RECOVERY POINT FOR KENSHIN. WARNING: THIS PROTOCOL CANNOT BE REVERSED ONCE ENGAGED.
"Why would I want to do that? If Kenshin's in danger and this can help, why doesn't it go by itself!"
PUZZLESHIPPING PROTOCOL REQUIRES USER AUTHORIZATION AND CONSENT.
"Yes, yes, fine , I say yes! Just do it!" Worry spiked in Ace's heart and leapt up her throat and she knew she was ten seconds away from ripping open her balcony doors and hurling off into the night to find Kenshin. Tournament be dammed. This was something she could do something about.
PUZZLESHIPPING PROTOCOL ENGAGED.
That was when the phone began to glow, a seal of runes erupted out of the screen and Ace lost consciousness.
TTTTTT
"So full of righteous wrath…" Borgman's flat, a-tonal voice seemed all the more heavy in the quiet, swirling darkness of the Shadow Game. "Try not to let it cloud your judgement, Voltaire. I want for this to be fun, clean game." (BLP: 8000)
"If it's all the same to you, Borgman, I do not give a flying dandy about what you want." Voltaire said sharply. "In fact, now that you've said that, I'm going to do my level best to use this Shadow Game and pulverize you into so many nuts and bolts." (VLP: 8000)
"I don't think he has any of those. He's got too many screws loose." Pegasus chimed in with a glare at the Blue Knight. "Best to just out-and-out scrap the fiend."
"You talk the talk, but you cannot walk the walk." Borgman drew for the start of the duel.. "I know all of Pegasus' cards, I have many of them in my possession and I know all about you as well, Voltaire. You can animate the toons or the undead, it matters not. I know your strategies."
He folded up his fan of cards and let his arms fall limp to his sides. "But let me give you some measure of hope and respite. I'll let you go first."
"Offering me a free shot because you think it won't matter? Your ego is the first thing you have that I'm going to tear down. For someone who clearly prides themselves on forethought, it seems to me that you never gave any to the idea that I do so hate to be predictable?" Voltaire drew a sixth card and slapped a card onto his disk. With a flash of light, a purple-armored knight appeared, brandishing twin sabers and looking fearless. "I summon Knight of Twin Swords!" (1900/1200)
"Ah...so you stole Kenshin's deck when she knocked you aside a moment ago." Borgman acknowledged it with a tip of his head. "Clever. If I had built my deck to specifically counter either one of yours, I would be at a serious disadvantage."
"Since I haven't shaken that confidence of yours with my little trick, I suppose you have counters for her as well?"
"No. I am merely certain that my chosen deck could overcome anything you can prepare. You have no surprises - only false hope."
"I've done a lot more with less, Borgman and I'll be happy to demonstrate by putting my hope in these two set cards." Voltaire swept them into his disk and they appeared behind his Knight of Twin Swords. "End turn."
"Draw." Borgman drew and held up his hand of cards. A moment later, three brown-backed cards appeared in front of him. "I will set one monster face-down and two cards behind it. End of turn."
"After all your talk, I was expecting more…" Voltaire drew slowly, catching the eye of the floating Pegasus next to him. "Can you offer any insight?"
"I'm afraid not, my good man. He's kept me locked up good and tight except when he needs me and I certainly haven't seen him duel since we got to the island. I'm just as much in the dark as you are." Pegasus looked decidedly unhappy
"Right then. Full force it is." Voltaire plugged a spell card into his disk. "Foolish Burial Goods, sending a spell card from my deck. And since that was Spell Counter Roll, I can place three Spell Crests on Knight of Twin Swords."
He dropped the spell card into the graveyard, which promptly spat it back out. "I can also banish it to add another one to my hand. But that's for later, this is for now." His knight clanged his swords together as three glowing crests appeared above his head. "Attack! Twin Sword Slash!"
The knight lunged across the field, blades slicing Borgman's set monster into quarters. But a cackling filled the air and a grinning face was briefly visible underneath the pieces before they shattered. "You just attacked Morphing Jar, so now we discard our hands and both draw five more cards."
Voltaire did so, feeling a bit put out. (Pity I can only use Spell Crest Roll's first ability once per turn, otherwise I'd be able to finish him this turn. As it is, I can still inflict damage!) "I activate the effect of Knight of Twin Swords, expending a spell crest allow him to attack again! Twin Sword Slash!"
One of the crests winked out and the knight lunged for Borgman, blades drawn back to strike. The Blue Knight merely twitched a finger and one of his set cards rose. A spike suit of armor appeared and tackled the knight, both of them exploding. "Sakuretsu Armor destroys one attacking monster."
He held up his hand, revealing that he had eight cards in it and not five. "One of the cards I discarded was Ojamagic, letting me add the three Ojama brothers from my deck to my hand. In case you were wondering."
"I wasn't, because they not on the field and my traps are! Reveal Dungeon Path and Partisan Tactics!" The two cards flipped up, the former's picture showing the three Dungeon Dice Monsters marching along a blue-and-red path while the other depicted the United Resistance hurling torches at an expensive-looking carriage. "Since a monster I control was destroyed, these cards let me summon another one from the deck!"
A group of frightened-looking people appeared, wearing rags and huddled together as they glared at Borgman. Following them was a short blue-and-white mage who gripped his staff determinately. "I summon Oppressed People in defense mode and Mighty Mage in attack mode!" (200/2000) (1500/1000)
"Let's try this again! Direct attack!" The mage thrust his staff at Borgman, lightning arcing from the tip to slam into the Blue Knight with enough force to shove him back a step and leaving smoke wisping up from the impact point.
"That was a good recovery from my trap…" Borgman straightened, unharmed save for his life points. "But you won't be able to hurt me in this Darkness Game." (BLP: 6500)
(It appears not. I already knew his body is nothing but that armored shell. But I was hoping a lightning attack made real might actually do some damage. Blast…) Voltaire slid a card into his disk. "I set this card and end my turn."
"I draw." Borgman did so and then tossed a monster onto his disk. "I summon X-Head Cannon in attack mode." A yellow machine showed up, armed with shoulder cannons and floating above the ground. (1800/1500)
"And he added Ojamas to his hand last turn…" Pegasus muttered worriedly, while Voltaire just narrowed his eyes. They both knew what was coming.
"I activate Ojama Ride, sending the three Ojamas to the graveyard to summon Y- Dragon Head, Z-Metal Tank and W-Wing Catapult from my deck in defense mode." A flat, red dragon appeared followed by a caterpillar tank with a Eye of Horus on it and a blocky pair of jet engines as well. (1500/1600) (1500/1300) (1200/2000)
The three machines crackled as energy surged between them, the dragon folding up to dock with the yellow tank and then X-Head Cannon dropping itself atop that to complete a dangerous looking hovercraft armed to the teeth. "I banish the X, Y and Z monsters to summon XYZ-Dragon Cannon!" (2800/2600)
Borgman held up three of his remaining cards and then dropped them into his graveyard. "I discard these cards to destroy an equal amount of cards on your field. Hyper Destruction!"
Voltaire braced himself as the hovercraft bombarded his field with shots that pierced all of his cards and blew them into pixels before they could react.
"One of the cards I discard was Ojamagain!'." Borgman's graveyard whirred and slid out the three Ojama brothers. "When it is discarded, I can add the Ojamas to my hand from the graveyard."
"Fabulous…" Voltaire winced as the XYZ-Dragon Cannon unleashed another volley of shots at him...only to watch in amazement as they attack all parted in front of him, smashing into the ground around him harmlessly. "How about that…?"
"It's my fault we're in this mess and while I can't do much, what I can do, I will." Pegasus nodded firmly at the Shadowchaser's questioning glance. "Leave me to worry about the damage, Voltaire. You just stop this fiend."
"There is no help. Not for either of you. Or Kenshin." Borgman plugged a card into his disk. " I set this card face-down and end my turn."
"I beg to differ on that point, Borgman! I draw!" Voltaire snapped up the card and a card slid out of his graveyard. "Partisan Tactics can be banished from my graveyard to summon another one of the revolutionary monsters and I choose United Resistance!" In a flash, a group of determined-looking peasants appeared in front of him. (1000/400)
Borgman cocked his head as the peasants immediately vanished, followed by his XYZ-Dragon Cannon reappearing on Voltaire's side of the field. "What did you do?"
"A tactic you should be familiar with - Enemy Controller!" Voltaire smirked at the face-up spell card on his field. "I tribute on of my monsters and get control of one of yours to use how I wish. And I wish to use its eight level stars to fuel the ritual spell known as Descent of Legend!"
The Dragon Cannon vanished in a sparkle of light that swirled together and gathered above Voltaire's light transformed into a sculpted white sphere of ice cream that unfolded to reveal the dessert imitation of one of the game's most legendary monsters. "From my deck, I ritual summon Winged Vanilla Sun-Daety!" (0/0)
"A false god for false hope...how appropriate." Borgman regarded the new monster with disdain.
"I activate Sun-Daety's effect, tributing the Wattaildragon in my hand to give my monster that dragon's attack points!" Lightning arced over the ritual monster, sinking into its body to become lemon sherbert stripes. "And with twenty-six hundred attack points, he's got more than enough to destroy your Wing Catapult! God Flavor"
Sun-Daety screeched and unleashed a torrent of icy power that immediately buried the machine in half-melted ice cream. THere was a short whine of something shorting out and then it the entire mass exploded. "And with that out of the way, I'll set two cards and end my turn."
"Mine begins." Borgman drew and held up the drawn card. "Magical Mallet lets me shuffle any cards in my hand into the deck and then I draw the same amount. I shuffle four cards."
He complied with the action and flipped one of the draw cards around. "Meet one of the cards I took from Pegasus' vault. Clairvoyance. I declare what one of your set cards is. If I am correct, it is shuffled back into the deck and I draw two cards."
He pointed at the card on Voltaire's right. "I declare that it is a trap card!"
"Yes, because that card clearly isn't unbalanced at all for anyone with a lick of common sense let alone mind-reading powers." Voltaire huffed and snapped his fingers, the card in question lifting up. "You are correct, but I can still chain it! Backup Soldier lets me pick up three weak normal monsters from my graveyard since I have five or more monsters in the graveyard!" He held up his three chosen monsters and added them to his hand as his trap card faded away back into his deck.
Borgman drew twice and held up another spell card. Immediately, sparkles were falling from the sky onto their decks. "Heaven's Lost Property- we both draw three cards and discard two."
The duelists did so and Borgman pointed at his set card."Another card from Pegasus- the trap version of Level Modulation. You draw two more cards, but I can summon any level monster I wish from my graveyard and ignore its summoning requirements! Be reborn, Armed Dragon LV10!"
The trap exploded violently as a massive armored claw tore through it. The dragon towered over the players, moving easily despite the heavy bulk its armored body should have had and uncaring as the blades decorating it everywhere sliced through everything around. (3000/2000)
Voltaire grimaced at the sight of the monster. "I don't suppose I could talk you into using its effect, could I?"
"I know Kenshin's deck as well as yours - the moment I did so, Sun-Daety would negate and destroy my monster. Instead, my dragon will tear down your false god with Armed Big Banisher!" The dragon roared and charged, winding up a massive haymaker to deliver to the opposing dragon.
"Reverse card open! Metaverse! This trap activates a field spell card from my deck!" The darkness game shifted and warped and suddenly the two duelists were standing atop the infamous Alcatraz Tower. "I've selected Battle City as our arena!"
Sun-Daety folded its wings around itself, the field shaking from the blow of Armed Dragon. It snapped its wings open, shoving the big metal dragon back and breathing a stream of cold in its face. "And Battle City lets me prevent a level eight or higher monster's destruction once per turn!" (VLP: 4800)
Borgman watched his monster stumble backwards, half-frosted over. "In my main phase two, I activate Armed Dragon LV10's effect, discarding Ojamagic to destroy all monsters you control!"
He dropped the card into his graveyard and his Armed Dragon flexed mightily, shattering the ice cream containing it. Another flex and volleys of blades were flying towards Sun-Daety. "Genocide Cutter!"
(Why would he do that? He knows what I'm going to do!) Voltaire snapped up his hand. "I activate the effect of Sun-Daety! It's defense goes to zero and your monster's effect is negated and destroyed!" Sun-Daety swatted the blades out of the sky with in its wings irritably and breathed a fresh stream of ice cream over the dragon. This time, Armored Dragon was frosted over like a cake.
"I chain Level Down!?" Borgman held up the spell card in question. "I send LV10 back to the deck and summon summon LV7 from the graveyard, ignoring summoning conditions!" The frosted dragon's chest exploded, a smaller, but equally-vicious looking dragon clawing its way free. The empty armor crumpled in on itself as it roared angrily at Sun-Daety. (2800/1000)
"Voltaire, he snookered you!" Pegasus said warningly.
"I am aware of that, yes!" Voltaire barked and watched as Borgman picked up the three Ojama brothers from his deck.
"I discard a second Armed Dragon LV7 to destroy your Sun-Daety for good! Genocide Cutter!" The dragon roared and slashed the air, blades flying from its arms to slice through Sun-Daety's ice cream body. For a moment, it looked like there was no damage and the god was just going to shrug off the effort. Then without a sound, it shattered apart.
"When one of the gods dies, I can add Descent of Legend back to my hand." Voltaire picked up the spell card as it slid out of his graveyard, looking like he'd much rather have Sun-Daety in play.
"Polymerization." Borgman watched as the card appeared in front of him. "I fuse the three Ojamas together to summon Ojama King." A portal swirled open, letting the hugely obese white ojama jump free, his little cape fluttering as he posed dramatically. (0/3000)
A card slid free of his deck and Borgman caught it. "At this time, I can add the spell card Mecha Ojama King Transformation to my hand, but I choose not to activate it. Instead, I set one card and end my turn."
Voltaire drew for his turn, frowning at the limited he options he had. He blinked when Pegasus coughed into his fist to draw his attention. Twisting his head to eye the game creator, he blinked owlishly behind his glasses as Pegasus pointed to the metal tower beneath their feet. "Oh. Right."
He grabbed for his extra deck and pulled a card from it. "Battle City has another effect, Borgman. I sent one monster from my extra deck to the graveyard and in return, I can summon a number of tokens equal to the number of materials listed for that monster. I send King Dragun, which needs two total materials!"
A pair of statues appeared, resembling nothing more than a pair of duelists with old fashioned Duel Disks on their arms. (0/0)
"Of course, I can't use these tokens for any kind of advanced summon, but that's not why I need them. They both have four level stars, which means I can use them as tributes for Descent of Legend!" The two statues shattered as a form lumbered out behind Voltaire. Despite being carved entirely from chocolate, the titanic body and visage of Obelisk the Tormentor was still intimidating.
Even with the chef's hat. "Chocolisk the Confectioner!" (0/0)
"The Egyptian god of Candyland." Borgman stared up at the monster with disdain. "Kenshin's tastes never change."
"Personally, I think Obelisk has never looked better!" Pegasus chimed in, looking up at the delicious deity with a touch of admiration. "But is he filled with Reese's? Or Cadbury?"
"A mystery for the history books." Voltaire agreed, grabbing a card from his hand. "But I do know enough about him to know how his effect works! I tribute United Resistance from my hand to summon another normal monster from my graveyard!" Chocolisk rumbled and drew back a mighty fist, smashing the tower so hard the whole thing shook. Inexplicably, the metal cracked and split with light.
With a loud shout, Kenshin's doppleganger flipped out expertly. Catching sight of Borgman, she snapped her fingers and her staff appeared in her hands with a nasty crackling noise as a malicious grin spread on her face. "And I did I mention Chocolisk revived Console Lady Variance with four thousand attack points?" (4000/0)
Voltaire grabbed another card. "But since Kenshin isn't here herself, let's give this lovely spitfire the chance to get some karmic justice! I activate Reflect Energy! By tributing Chocolisk, I can allow Variance to attack directly this turn!"
The chocolate god began to crack and crumble, but with a snap of his fingers, Voltaire's set card lifted. Violet smoke billowed out of it and the cracks began to heal. "But Call of the Haunted brings him right back and since he's a new monster, I can trigger his effect once more!"
The Shadowchaser discarded a card and Chocolisk punched the tower again. Except this time, it just shook violently and an angry roar sounded across the arena. Wind whipped over the arena as the triumphant form of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared into view. It landed next to Variance, glaring angrily at Borgman. (4000/0)
"I doubt I could restrain this monster if I wanted to, so why bother? Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacks Armed Dragon LV7! White Lightning!" The dragon unleashed its blast, the opposing monster not even getting a chance to roar defiantly before it was simply eradicated into pixels. (BLP: 6800)
Variance didn't even wait for an order, launching herself across the field in a dead run. With impossible grace, she vaulted herself over Ojama King and came down in a whirling kick that caught Borgman right in the middle. There was enough force behind the blow that it sent him skidding backwards until he crashed into the edge of the arena. (BLP: 2800)
"Good show, Voltaire! That put that metal malcontent in his place!" Pegasus clapped his hands a couple of times.
"It isn't over yet." Voltaire's face was grim, even as Variance flipped back to his field and shot him a 'V' sign with her spare hand. "These last few turns have been about even despite the disparity in damage and though he's dueling like Manjoyme Jun, he's not playing as aggressively as Jun himself would."
"Mmm...Thunder did always a hot streak." Pegasus agreed as his immediate joy faded and his face twisted in a frown of realization. "He's stalling us."
"Well now...it took you long enough." Borgman pulled himself free of the arena, his voice a bit warped and distorted thanks to the damage he had received. "Do you really think I needed a Darkness Game when I could have just beaten you to a pulp with this body?"
Voltaire glared darkly at him.
"I told you from the start, Voltaire, you are playing my game. You just don't realize how big it is...this duel is just a cog within it. And it is the last one to start its motion." Borgman marched back to his spot, heedless of the heavy denting over his metal body or cracks crawling along his visor. "The moment I got my hands on Kenshin, I succeeded."
"Whatever success you think you have, I am going to smash it to pieces, Borgman! I promise you that." Voltaire slid a card into his disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."
"I draw." Borgman did so and flipped around a spell card. "Mecha Ojama King Transformation turns Ojama King into Mecha Ojama King." The large fusion glowed and when it faded, it looked like it had before except it was made entirely out of metal. (0/3000)
It gave of a booming laugh, then opened its mouth and a mechanical version of Ojama Yellow hopped its way out like a frog. "Once per turn, this card lets me summon an Ojamachine monster from the deck. And when Ojamachine Yellow is summoned, I can summon as many tokens as possible that share its stats and effect."
Impossibly, Ojamachine Yellow opened its mouth and another one hopped out despite being just as large as the original. And the process repeated twice more to leave a total of four of them in play. (0/1000X4)
"You summoned them in attack mode...but it's true you don't take damage in battle from those monsters and Voltaire would take three hundred when they're destroyed, you can't deplete his life points that way." Pegasus commented and watched Borgman's set card flip, the man's good eye widening. "Pride Shout…!"
"Which does nothing good for me, I'm sure." Voltaire commented dryly.
"Yes. When a monster with zero attack points attacks you directly, you take its base defense in damage. And my Long Range Strike spell card lets all machines with a level less than four and fewer than 500 attack points do just that." Borgman played the spell card and all four Ojamachines leapt into the air.
They lashed out with their tongues, a glare from Pegasus causing them to go wild and strike the ground near Voltaire. "Even avoiding the physical damage doesn't mean you avoid the four thousand points of battle damage!" (VLP: 1200)
Borgman watched Voltaire's life points dip and ignored the glares he got from Variance, Blue-Eyes and Pegasus. "I end my turn."
"I draw." Voltaire did so, nodding to himself. "Don't think you've beaten me yet, Borgman. Killing all four tokens will clear the way to your life points and even if I take damage, it's worth it! Especially since I banish Damage Diet from my graveyard! During this turn, all damage I do take is halved!"
Another card slid out of his graveyard atop the trap card. "And by banishing Mausoleum of White, I can add Burst Stream of Destruction from my deck to my hand!"
He held up the spell card and Pegasu wagged a finger mockingly. "You really should be more careful with cards like Morphing Jar, Borgman. With the way the game is going, it's going to start hurting more than it's helping!"
"Then let's just keep piling it on!" Voltaire pointed at Blue-Eyes, who was already charging up a blast. "Go! Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The dragon's blast was like a energy fire house - a simple sweep of its head washed Borgman's field clean of monsters like they were nothing. Voltaire grunted in pain as the darkness game sapped him of strength and life points, but he still had enough of both and that's what mattered. "Variance attacks you directly!" (VLP: 600)
The Duel Monster charged again, her staff surging with energy and growing in size as she wound up like a batter about to take a swing.
"Reveal trap card - Pinpoint Guard. This trap revives a level four or lower monster from my graveyard in defense position and it cannot be destroyed during this turn!" There was a resounding 'clang!" as Variance's staff strike bounced off a cowering Ojama Yellow that had appeared in her path. She stared at it blankly, then her face twisted in anger and more 'clangs!' filled the air as she wailed on the smaller monster furiously.
"Blast it all.." Pegasus growled even as Variance gave up as she found she couldn't get rid of Ojama Yellow. Still, she gave the tiny monster a swift kick in the rear that sent it sprawling before jumping back to Voltaire's field. "So close…"
"We're not done yet. I banish United Resistance, People Running About and Oppressed People from my graveyard to summon Revolutionary Visionary in defense mode!" Voltaire held up the three named monsters and slid them into the appropriate slot on his disk. On his field, a new man appeared. He wore battered and tattered clothing, but his face shone with determination and he brandished a flag eagerly. "And just like his name, this monster will help me turn this duel's tide. (2000/2000)
"Providing you last long enough to do that." Borgman drew for his turn, a card sliding out of his graveyard. "I, too, can take advantage of my discards. The trap Ojama Duo can be banished to summon any two Ojama Monsters from my deck. I select Ojama Black and Ojama Green!" Alongside the spindly yellow came a obese black Ojama and a green one that mostly mouth an oversized tongue. (0/1000x2)
The metal duelist held up another card. "With all three in play, I can use effect of Ojama Delta Hurricane! All of your cards are destroyed!"
The three Ojamas glanced at each other and then pumped their fists in the air. Clasping hands, they began to spin in a circle that spontaneously generated a whirling tornado of energy and power. It doubled in size, then again and ground its way over to Voltaire's field. The duelist and Pegasus shielded their faces against the overpowering wind even as the protesting roars and cries of Voltaire's monsters were drowned out as they were destroyed.
Even Battle City failed, the tower eroding away beneath their feet to leave them standing in the darkness game again. Borgman watched as the Ojamas all landed on his field, stumbling around dizzily as a result of their efforts. "So that monster you summoned wasn't just for show…"
"Correct. Revolution Visionary's effect activates when he's destroyed - his defeat angers the people and they prepare for their revolution!" Voltaire said even as the winds died down, revealing a very angry-looking mob of people on his field. "United Resistance, People Running About and Oppressed People are summoned to the field and until the end phase, you can't make them leave!" (100/400) (800/600) (200/2000)
"On your next turn, you can banish Revolutionary Visionary to add Huge Revolution to your hand and activate it the turn following that. But you have to make it there and I'll tear through your little rabble to reach you with brute force! Activate Monster Reborn!" There was a flash and his XYZ-Dragon Cannon appeared in front of him. "And I equip it with Draining Strike! Now it deals piercing damage!"
The fusion machine began to power its attack, Voltaire watching it...and smirking. He pointed at the monster. "Tear down that symbol of oppression!"
With a united roar, his army of peasants suddenly produced torches and pitchforks before charging. They leapt onto Dragon Cannon, stabbing it violently and tearing hunks of it. It whined in protest, then exploded. But the revolutionaries paid it no mind and turn their attention on the trembling Ojamas.
"What are they doing?" Borgman growled even as his Ojamas were punted past him, crying comically as they shattered on the cavern wall. His fist clenched at the sight of a trap card on Voltaire's field. "Huge Revolution…!"
"Oh yes. The moment you summoned Ojama Yellow, I knew you were preparing to use the hurricane. But just like blindly forcing me to discard cards can work out badly, so can destroying them!" Voltaire folded his arms triumphantly. "You destroyed my set Cross-Counter Trap and when you do that, I can activate a trap card from my hand this turn! So your field and hand are both sent to the graveyard!"
He drew for the start of his turn, the mob all shifting their glares to Borgman. "You remember how I said I was going to turn you into a pile of scrap, I'm sure. And a gentleman always makes good on his word! Triple direct attack!"
The mob dogpiled the metal Blue Knight, the sounds of metal being bent and forced out of shape filling the air. (BLP: 800)
But suddenly there was a burst of energy from the duelist and the mob all went tumbling end over end back to Voltaire's field. The man himself simply watched with wide eyes. "What on earth!?"
Pleased laughter was the response as he got even as Borgman struggled to haul himself into a standing position. His metal body was dented and warped badly, one of his arms crushed to the point of useless and wires sticking out of everywhere. There was enough damage that even if he had been wearing it as armor, the body inside would been badly mangled.
Yet blue hair was spilling out of the cracked helmet like it was nothing and Borgman was still laughing as he leaned on his knees brace himself. "What's with that surprise in your voice? I told you...I already succeeded at my plan!"
"That armor...it was hollow!" Pegasus declared with a scowl. "You were just animating it!"
"Yes. Was. Past tense." Borgman's shoulders creaked as they trembled with laughter and he tore off one of the gauntlet's like it was nothing to revel perfect, slender fingers underneath. Which shouldn't have been possible due to the amount of damage he had received.
Bits of glass from the visor rained down as Borgman pulled off the helmet, letting a waterfall of blue hair cascade free. Tossing the headgear aside, the duelist straightened and flipped that hair over their shoulder dramatically. "Now then…"
Voltaire and Pegasus both gaped at the impossibility in front of them. "Impossible…"
Kenshin's face smiled innocently back at them, her voice spilling out when the mouth opened. "Weren't you going to rescue me? Voltaire?"
TTTTTTT
In the quiet - for now - forest of Duelist Kingdom.
"Lift his head up," instructed Deanu. "Good, now hold him."
Ember anxiously watched as the Blue Knight lifted the vessel, pouring it into Gomi's mouth. She had no idea whether or not she could trust this strange woman, but nobody else was offering to help.
It seemed to do something. Gomi drifted off into actual sleep, and the heavy sweating and trembling stopped.
"It should stabilize him at least," continued Deanu. "This is a poison of some sort, but not the typical one."
"Magical?" asked Ember.
"Almost definitely," replied Deanu. "It's like someone managed to combine the venoms of an Indian krait, fugu pufferfish, fattail scorpion, and blue-ringed octopus, using bebelith icor as a base."
"I take it that's bad?"
"It's impossible," replied Deanu. "Mixing poisons is just like mixing any other chemicals. They don't just mix- they have reactions to one another and should have just wound up being something nasty. Best- and obvious- guess is that magic is involved."
Ember shivered a little, and held Gomi closer. "You can cure it, can't you?"
"No., Gomi is going to die. All I did was just enable him to have a peaceful death." Deanu said so bluntly that Ember flinched. "I could cure him, but not without resources we just don't have. So your best bet is to go straight to this Xander and get the antidote from him, assuming he has one."
"What can you tell me about him? You're a Blue Knight like he is."
"He's not natural. He's made. And evil. I would not be surprised he actually secreted this toxin himself. Like a frog. Or a slug." Deanu added blandly. "If you think of him like that, should make him easier to squash."
"I'm going to more than squash him. I'm going to see him burn." Ember promised darkly and got to her feet. "You said you don't want to duel, so can you look after Gomi?"
"You can't run after Xander now. He's on his way to the castle and you don't have enough chips to enter." Deanu gripped Ember's shoulder to keep the smaller woman from running off. "And by the time you do win enough, Gomi is going to be dead."
Ember glanced at her, anger warring with wariness. "You say that like you do know a way to help."
"I can. But only the first one is free." Deanu said quietly. "You want my help, you do me a favor."
Ember's eyes flicked back to her unconscious companion for barely a second, then back up to Deanu. "Heal Gomi first. Then I'll do whatever you want."
"You shouldn't be so impulsive, Ember. You have no idea of what you could run into. Or the cost. " But Deanu knelt next to Gomi and produced a berry from seemingly out of nowhere. She crushed it in her fist and let the juice drip into his mouth. For a moment, Ember held her breath in fear of it not working and then Gomi let out a heavy sigh, his complexion improving.
"Ember…?" He blinked up at her concerned face blearily. "What's...goin' on?"
"Xander poisoned you. But don't worry, i'm going to go thrash him for the cure." Ember squeezed his hand reassuringly and gave him a smile she didn't feel before slipped away back into unconscious. "How long do I have?"
"That berry was a special kind I grow that is a generic poison neutralizer. It's magical, but against this kind of toxin...I'd say you have twenty-eight hours. After that, the toxin returns to full potency." Deanu watched Ember stand up and look her in the eyes. "Just remember...whether or not he lives or dies, I will be calling in my favor. And you won't refuse."
Ember, despite her anger, felt a slight chill wash over her at the suddenly ageless look in the older woman's eyes. Like Deanu was suddenly so much more than a person. "I understand. And I won't let either of you down."
"For your sake, I hope you don't either." Deanu reached down and picked Gomi up like he weighed nothing at all. "I'll bring him to the castle since I'm removing myself from the tournament. Now go find an opponent."
Ember nodded and then sprinted off into the woods, trying desperately to ignore the worry knotting up her insides. She'd pulled off the impossible before. She could do it again.
She had to do it again.
TTTTTTT
"Welcome to your first and last Shadow Game." Jean-Claude seemed entirely too at home in the shadows surrounding the five of them. He raked his fingers through the darkness, trailing arcs of it in front of him like streamers. "What do you think? Is this to your liking?"
His voice had changed, and not for the better. It now seemed like the tone of a harsh, winter squall, chilling the four duelists as they listened. He barely seemed to move as he spoke, his voice echoing through the void in a low monotone.
"Cheap trick!" McGuinness sneered over Hakata's chattering teeth. "Only babies are afraid of the dark."
"This isn't just dark," Serket gasped, the shadows thickening around them. "It's… darker dark!"
"Why does it feel so heavy?" Junlong asked. "Has the air thickened?"
"It must be some sort of hypnosis," Serket said. "Or maybe hidden fog machines, or something!"
"Really? Didn't you see magic on the way here? I thought the four of you challenging me to a duel was the height of your foolishness, but lo and behold! You've proved me wrong by denying what's right in front of your eyes!" Jean-Claude chuckled, clapping mockingly. "You mortals always did have a way of surprising me."
"I know it's real!" McGuinness snapped. "I just don't care! There's four of us, and one of you, and you're dumb enough to play for keeps?"
"Well, maybe I'm just so tired of being surrounded by the incessant chattering of my lessers, I decided to end it all and thought taking four Pro Duelists at once was a good way to go. This is a tournament, after all." Jean leveled a finger at them accusingly. "But I'm giving you too much credit."
He started drawing cards from his deck for his opening hand, one at a time. "In fact, I'll take a bet on it. I'll win this duel without having to declare a single attack. If you can force me to do so…" He snapped up the sixth card like a scythe in front of him and all four Pros shivered as the squall whipped into a gale briefly, his hair and beard blowing backwards as he talked. "I'll make your end painless and brief."
The four duelists glanced at one another and then drew their own opening hands confidently, Serket sneering at him. "You'll just talk, Jean-Claude! Nothing but money and an overstuffed suit!"
"Oh, please, believe me. I never boast. I've had a very long time to think about how pride ruined my life. An eon's worth, even. But I'll make true believers out of you very shortly, I assure you." He swept cards into his disk, one after another. "I set one monster face-down in defense mode and a couple of cards face-down as well. Then I activate Contingency Plan. I banish one card from my hand…" A card winked out of sight. "And when Contingency Plan is destroyed, I can set it to my side of the field."
He folded his arms, remaining card held loosely in his fingers. "There. How was that? I'm not a 'real' duelist, so I don't think I can judge how good my move was."
"First eliminated, first to go," Serket said, smirking at Hakata.
Hakata growled, but drew a card and looked over his hand. "Yes," he snickered. "This will do nicely. I'll start by summoning Inzektor Dragonfly!"
In a flash, Hakata's familiar red-clad sniper materialized. (1000/1800)
"Then I'll bolster its power by equipping him with Inzektor Ant!"
Dragonfly's red costume turned blue, and his stats increased. (1200/2400)
"And why stop there? I'll also use the effects of Inzektor Giga-Mantis and Giga-Weevil, equipping them to Dragonfly as well!"
Dragonfly's gun vanished, and long retractable blades grew out of his wrists, followed by a hard shell that grew around his back. It was open, but it could've wrapped all the way around him. (2600/2800)
"Then I'll set a card, and turn it over to Serket!" he bragged. "Top that!"
"Oh, I will," Serket said with a wicked smile. "You brought out a tough monster, but all you're doing is setting up defenses. Offense is what wins duels. I'll start by summoning Regenerating Mummy."
A mummy (what else?) appeared, this one even more decayed than most of Serket's monsters. Most of its bandages had fallen away, its bones were crumbling, and its lower jaw was about to fall off. (1800/1500)
"But he won't be around long, because I'm using Transmodify to trade him in for a mummy of a higher Level. Come out, Endless Decay!"
Bandages erupted out of the ground, piling around Regenerating Mummy and then heaping themselves larger and larger. Then it all pulled taunt, the new mummy lumbering to its full height as it bleed sand and shadows through the seams of its body while yellow eyes glowered out from beneath them. (?/0)
"And, as I'm sure you know, Endless Decay's Attack Score is equal to half of my opponent's Life Points when it's summoned."
The new mummy swelled up, its bandages nearly bursting off. (4000/0)
"Oh, but what's that?" Serket asked, her smirk growing wider. "You're not afraid of just one? Then let's bring out more! I activate Polymerization, fusing two more copies of Endless Decay in my hand to summon The Minion of Set!"
More bandages tore from the ground, angry and violent as they wound together to form a human shape even larger than Endless Decay. A tattered cape flowed down from the shoulders, but failed to hide the human bones dangling from the belt or the human teeth that formed its collar. "Of course, its attack points are equal to my life points subtracted from eight thousand, so he's only got bark and no bite!" (0/0)
"Oh a walking pile of zero attack points. Truly a professional level move there." Junlong drawled. "Oh, what is he to do about such a frightening specter?"
"Nothing," Serket replied. "Because I'm activating De-Fusion, sending him back to my Extra Deck to bring back two more Endless Decays!"
She played the card, and The Minion of Set split in half. The mummy's clothing dissipated into nothingness, but the two halves regenerated, forming two more mummies identical to Endless Decay. Their Attack Scores quickly shot up. (4000/0x2)
"That's all for now, but I think it's safe to say I've outdone my predecessor," she finished.
Hakata shot her a dirty look, but didn't reply.
"Now let's turn it over to you, Space Case."
"Respect your elders!" Junlong snapped, staring at his hand. "So you bring out some muscle? So what! Tricky effects are what make this game! Watch and learn! I activate Graydle Impact!"
The ex-astronaut slammed a card into his Disk, and its hologram popped up: a Continuous Spell bearing the image of a crashed UFO. Slimy grey aliens were crawling out of the resulting crater.
"And now, come forth, Graydle Alligator!"
A mass of grey slime, just like the stuff from the image on Graydle Impact, plopped onto the field. It stood still for a few seconds, then began to wiggle and stretch, molding itself into an alligator, and then changed color into a soft wintergreen. But it was eerily still, and every so often a sheen would gloss over it briefly, revealing it to still be the slime instead of flesh. (500/1500)
"Disgusting," commented McGuinness.
"Well, he won't be around long! I activate the effect of the Graydle Slime in my hand, destroying Alligator, as well as Graydle Impact, to Special Summon it."
The two cards melted away into slime that pooled itself together and morphed into a human-sized egg. It rocked back and forth for a minute, trying to hatch before giving up and just opening at the top to let a bulbous-headed alien peer out, gangly arms just a bit too long to be natural. (0/2000)
"When Graydle Slime is summoned like this, I can call back another Graydle from the graveyard." The egg shimmed and then dislodged a ball of slime that slithered away and reformed back into the alligator. "But he won't be around for long because I can tune the two of them together!"
Graydle Slime dissolved into five glowing rings, and the gator into three stars. They lined up within each other as Junlong started to chant.
(*5 + *3 = *8)
"The primordial ooze breaths life into myth and legend! From beyond this world, descend and shatter hoax with the truth of your power! Synchro Summon! Graydle Dragon!"
The monster that emerged was hardly a "dragon", instead much more of a chimeric monstrosity. It had a silvery, metallic body, with clawed hands and feet, while the head at the end of its snakelike neck was exactly the same as Graydle Alligator's. In addition, it had massive golden eagle wings, and a purple, serpentine tail that ended in the head of a hissing cobra. The ugly beast let out a roar from both mouths. (3000/2000)
"Now to do what these two couldn't!" Junlong laughed, gesturing toward Hakata and Serket, before turning to Jean-Claude. "Actually destroy something! You see, when Graydle Dragon is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy a number of your cards equal to the number of Water monsters used to summon him! Go, Graydle Dragon! Take out his monster and one of his Traps!"
The chimera roared and spat a stream of corrosive acid at the aforementioned cards, dissolving them into nothing. The pro duelists had just enough time before they were destroyed to recognize them as Snowman Eater and Mirror Force.
"Then I'll set a couple of cards and end my turn," Junlong said, looking satisfied as more cards materialized. "Now let's see if Leslie can top it."
"Topping it means you think I have to try." McGuinness snapped. He drew for his turn and slapped down a monster card. "I'll start things off with my lady, Harpie Dancer!"
With a screech, the red-haired Harpie descended in front of him and her feathers lit up briefly as a small wind kicked up. She somersaulted through the air, showing off her fluffy white wings and luscious blonde locks. (1200/1000)
A spell card appeared in front of him. "I also activate Hysteric Sign, which lets me move a Elegant Egotist from my deck to my hand!" McGuiness caught the card and held it up, fanning it out to reveal a second one already in his hand. "I'm too much man for one lady, so three seems like a better start! Two copies of Elegant Egotist means two more Harpies! So let's go for Harpie Lady #1 and Cyber Harpie!"
Feathers rained down in a flurry, partying like curtains to reveal two more winged women. One was red-haired and appeared nearly identical to the Dancer he had. But the other was decked out in metal bondage gear and had a thorned whip coiled in one hand. (1300/1400) (1800/1300)
"I suppose I should make a comment on their appearances, Leslie, but I think the fact that someone so homely had to more or less pay for his ladies does it for me." Jean-Claude chuckled as McGuiness snarled at him. "Dance, puppet, dance."
"Oh, I won't be dancing, but my Harpies will! I activate Harpie Lady Peahen Formation!"
Violet fire sprang up around his three monsters and they alighted into the air, level stars forming above their heads and increasing to six each. "Now that their levels are up to six, I can open up the overlay network and xyz summon Harpie Empress!" (2600-2900/2800)
The three monsters coalesced into balls of fire that swirled together to orbit the Mai Valentine-look alike as she descended. She struck a pose and cracked her whip across the ground eagerly. (2600-2900/2800)
"But let's not leave her flying solo! I discard a card from my hand and destroy my Hysteric Sign to summon Harpie Lady Triplets!"
Three Cyber Harpies appeared alongside the Empress, differentiated only by their hair colors.
"These lovely ladies count as three Harpies for my Formation cards, but where a few is good, one more is always better!" (1950-2550/2100) (3200)
Empress cracked her whip across the ground again and it blew open, Harpie Lady #1 rising from with a screech.
"I know you've been good at counting your money, Jean-Claude, so here's a reminder! My Empress gives all my Harpies three hundred attack points for every one I've got and #1 gives three hundred more on top of that!" (3150/2100) (3800/2800) (2500/1400)
"Another set of three. Is four too much for you, satyr?" Jean-Claude seemed unimpressed by the screeching woman or their owner's rage.
"At least, unlike these other dorks, I'm planning for the future!" McGuinness shot back. "My Empress's effect has two more uses, and now that I'm ending my turn, Hysteric Sign lets me add three 'Harpie' cards to my hand! I'll even show them to you!" He laughed and dug three cards from his deck, then held them up: Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon, Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation, and Harpie's Feather Storm.
"It's not a plan for the future, McGuinness, if you can't actually use those resources." Jean-Claude drew for his turn. "I, however, did set up for this turn on my last one. Now, allow me to show you the gap between you four and me. I activate Dark Hole."
The Pros monsters had zero time to react as space ripped open in front of them all and shredded them into pixels as they were sucked into oblivion. "But let's not stop there. I still have a card in my hand, which means I can activate the trap card Junlong didn't destroy. Not that targeting it would have made a difference. I reveal Left Arm Offering."
The trap lifted and Jean-Claude flicked his remaining card into the air where it was promptly sliced in half. "I discard my hand and move one spell card from my deck to my hand, such as Heavy Storm. And of course, I'll activate it."
The wind from his first turn returned, ferociously this time and the Pro Duelists shielded their faces all their remaining defenses were blown apart like they were tissue paper. "So. Does anyone have any angry, pithy insults to throw my way now that I've made you all look ridiculous?"
"Yes! You're an asshole!"
"Anyone besides McGuinness, I mean."
"How 'bout an observation?" Hakata pointed at his field, where Dragonfly was still there. And alongside it were a pair of armored figures wielding nasty-looking blades. "I can get rid of Ant to protect Dragonfly! And when you blow up Giga-Weevil and Giga-Mantis in my spell and trap zone, they got to summon each other from the graveyard!" (2400/0) (0/2600)
He cackled magnificently. "And you have no more cards in your hand or on your field! I don't think you know how to play this game at all, Jean-Claude! I'm one step ahead of you!"
"But I had my Contingency Plan." Jean-Claude said innocently as a facedown card appeared on his field. "And I've got my Fresh Snowfall card."
Summoned by his words, a pile of snow appeared on his field.
"During the turn it's sent to the graveyard, it can summon a Frost Demon Token to my field."
The pile of snow shifted and then a spindly, spider-like demon carved entirely out of ice jumped free, hissing at the opposing duelists. (800/800)
"Cute. Looks breakable. I'm gonna smash it." McGuinness sneered.
"I'll do it for you." The Frost Demon glanced up at Jean-Claude in surprise and the man just snapped his fingers, the little demon exploding rather violently. "I can destroy a water monster on my field to summon Winter Lord from the graveyard."
A pillar of ice shot up in front of him, them melted away to reveal a handsome man who lived up to his name. Pale skin, frosted hair and decked out in pale blues and whites while little snowflakes drifted from his hands. (2500/1000)
Winter Lord held out one of his hands and the shattered ice fragments reformed into the hissing demon. "And when he's summoned, I can generate a Frost Demon token."
"Okay...what's the point?" Serket demanded. "We're all still at full life points. Even attacking us with both of those wouldn't dent us!"
"I said I wouldn't attack you, remember? And I don't plan to." Jean-Claude pointed at his set card and it flipped up, revealing it to be Monster Reborn. "I use my handy spell card here to revive Demon Frosty from my graveyard."
More snow piled up in front of him, forming three lopsided spheres stacked atop one another. A jagged carrot, twisted sticks and a top hat flew out of the darkness to lodge themselves into the monster. When they did, it stirred to life and gave a weak roar, revealing icicle fangs. (0/0)
"All that needs to make it look even dumber is a corncob pipe," remarked Serket.
"So what does he do?" Hakata snarked. "Besides make my childhood a bit less endearing than that stupid snowman already was."
"Devil Frosty can destroy one water monster I have to inflict four hundred points of damage to my opponent and increase his attack points by four hundred until he attacks." Jean-Claude pointed and Winter Lord promptly erupted into snowflakes and ice. Devil Frosty roared and seized the pile, piling it onto its mass before hurling ice shards at Hakata. (400/0)
The Insect duelist swore and brushed them off his coat with a grimace. "I've had snowballs hurt worse!" (HLP: 7600)
"Well, then, why don't I keep trying? I destroy the Frost Demon token to summon Winter Lord." The demon blew apart as the wintry man stepped forwards again and promptly reformed it. "Then I use Devil Frosty's effect to destroy Winter Lord."
Winter Lord exploded again and Jean-Claude savored the dawning look of horror crawling its way up the faces of his four opponents like a bad sunrise. "And I'll keep triggering my little loop until all four of you lose."
"Somebody do something!" Hakata yelled desperately as the loop repeated a third and he yelped painfully as agony shot up one of his legs. He glanced down and his eyes widened as saw tendrils of ice coiling their way up his leg. "What on earth!?" (HLP: 7200)
"No, not Earth. We're having a Shadow Game. And in here, I can manifest my power with ease." Jean-Claude clasped his hands behind his back as his loop began to repeat again and again, all four duelists struggling in vain at the ice crawling up their bodies.
"C-cold…" groaned Serket. "So… so… c-cold."
"Ironic," continued Jean-Claude, his voice still echoing around them in a chilling monotone. "Mortals tend to think Hell is a place of fire and brimstone. Ice can be just as unpleasant. Especially infernal ice, a type that freezes the spirit and the soul. The cold you feel causes no frostbite and won't cause unconsciousness. Trust me, it's an experience I've learned first-hand." (HLP: 6800 JLP: 7200 SKLP: 7600 McGLP:7600)
"It's what!?" Junlong struggled against the ice, hammering away at it with his fists, but it refused to give. He shrieked in fear as it actually flash-froze his hand to his torso. "No!"
Jean-Claude merely watched, not even really noticing as Devil Frosty grew in size to become a hulking, demonic parody of a snowman. (4000-4400-4800-5200)
"We have to do something! A hand trap! Or..or...or…" Hakata stared at his cards fearfully, expression caught between accepting there was nothing he could do and the desire to stop his fate. "Serket! Junlong! McGuinness!" (HLP: 4000 JLP: 6000 SLP: 5800 McGLP: 6200)
"You might as well being praying to God, Hakata. Like Him, your allies aren't listening." Jean-Claude said mildly, as though he were discussing the weather. "But I am. If you want this to stop, you know the way out."
Hakata gaped at him, unable to tremble in fear due to the ice having reached his neck and reaching its way up his face. "...I surrender! I surrender! I forfeit! Whatever you want!"
Junlong was shouting in Mandarin, panicked beyond belief. But Jean-Claude just nodded at him. "I accept both of your surrenders." He made a slight motion with his hand, and the Scores on their Duel Disks switched off. "What about you, Serket?"
He glanced over to find the Egyptian woman sagged against the ice consuming her, her eyes blank but her expression horrified. "Oh my, she has seemed to have passed out from fright. So that's her forfeit, too." Again, he nodded, and her Disk switched off.
"I refuse!"
Jean-Claude cocked his head at McGuiness, the satyr actually managing to bash some of the ice off of him and tear one of his legs free with a grunt of effort. He lifted an eyebrow as he noticed steam coming off of McGuiness' hands whenever they touched the ice. "So then, you are capable of magic not involving booze and ping-pong balls. Wonders never cease."
"I will not lose here! I won't accept it!" McGuinness roared and smashed his fist repeatedly into the last of the ice that held his other leg. "I don't care what you are! I will rip you apart if I have to, but I'm getting out and I'm getting my revenge!" (McGLP: 3600)
He slammed his hand into the ice even as it thickened, uncaring as a sickening crack sounded even as both his knuckles and the ice shattered. "Starting with you!" (McGLP: 2400)
The satyr charged, twisting off the top of his remaining horn as he did. Popping the cork on it as he inhaled deeply, he splashed the bottle's contents towards Jean-Claude before breathing out over his glowing hand as he did so. Instantly, the liquid ignited in a sheet of flames that washed over Jean-Claude. "That's satyr wine, bastard! One hundred percent proof and burns for minutes at a time! It's like magma dripping down your face!" (McGLP: 1600)
Jean-Claude clapped his hands and the flames were whisked out by a sudden chill that erupted from the man. Not even the tip of his beard was signed. "McGuinness. That was impressive. I'd compliment you on your courage, but it's really just another sign of how stupid you are."
McGuiness just snarled and looked ready to charge again, stopping only when the now skyscraper-sized Devil Frosty loomed over him. (10,000)
"On the plus side, you made me lose my bet that I wouldn't attack you to win." Jean-Claude swept some invisible ash off of his suit. "So congratulations."
Like an avalanche, Devil Frosty's fist thundered downward and crashed into McGuinness with ferocity that might have been compared to an earthquake, if an earthquake could be a living being out for someone's blood.
"You win."
(MGLP: 0)
TTTTTT
"I'm not going to ask how you feel about the darkness." Persona said calmly. "That just insults a man of your years and experience. I won't even boast about how this is going to be the last one you'll ever play. After all, I don't want to kill you." (PLP: 8000)
"You have the same chance of that as you do defeating me, Persona. Which still totals out to zero." Jalal said curtly. "Save your mind games for someone else. You're crossed too many lines. You're a criminal and I'm going to defeat you." (JLP: 8,000)
"Really? And what would that accomplish, Jalal? I'm just a wild card. A joker. A red herring. Nothing changes if you do win. You're still Jean-Claude's prisoner and the tournament is still going to happen like he wants." Persona drew his opening hand with calm air of someone who knew he had the advantage. "But if I win, then the tournament is over because a Blue Knight defeated Jalal Stormbringer and well...it would be hell on earth, of a sort. I can't wait to see what it's like."
He snickered at Jalal's surprised expression. "Oh. You thought I didn't work for Jean-Claude. Well, his name's on my paycheck, so I still do. Technically. Of course, he really doesn't want me to beat you. His plans aren't ready yet and all I'll do is just tip his hand far too early. His little tournament wasn't a necessity, just a stalling tactic. And you took it, hook, line and sinker."
Persona laughed darkly. "So tell me how you think the Shadowchaser PR will look after everyone finds you lot personally started the end of the world!"
Jalal didn't bother to respond. ( Jean-Claude clearly wasn't happy about Persona challenging me. There may be some truth to what Persona says. I've been fumbling around in the dark this whole mess and I need answers. And the way to get them is through Persona.) "I'll start us off by placing two cards face-down and ending my turn."
"Mmm...are you bluffing? Or confident? Such a good poker face, Jalal. Pity we're playing Duel Monsters and I came prepared to fight the big bad dragon!" Persona drew for his turn and held up a spell card. "I activate One For One! By discarding my Skilled White Magician, I can summon the level one Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordmaster!" There was a flash of light and a small, dog-sized dragon appeared with a cute little roar. (400/300)
"Charming…" Jalal eyed the monster warily. "Now how dangerous is his owner?"
"You catch on quick. I activate Buster Whelp's effect, tributing it to summon his master from my hand!' The little dragon vanished in a wink of light and an armored figured crashed down onto Persona's field. They rose to their feet, towering over both duelists and wielding a titanic curved broadsword like it was nothing. Jagged black armor covered them head-to-toe. "Buster Blader!" (2600/2300)
Persona pulled another card from his hand. "But while my monster is a classic, his new toys are fresh off the line! Like Dragon Buster Destruction Sword!" A larger, dark-coated version of Buster Whelp appeared, carrying a more angular, vicious version of Buster Blader's sword in its mouth like it was nothing. The new creature glowed, transforming into a hilt for the blade and Buster Blader tossed his old weapon aside, hefting the new one with equal ease. "Now as long he wields this sword, your Extra Deck is locked away!"
He swept a card into his disk and it appeared behind his monster before pointing at Jalal. "Buster Blader! Attack Jalal's life points directly!"
Jalal stared down the charging warrior calmly, snapping his fingers and his set card rose to unleash a barrage of sound that shoved Buster Blader back forcefully to Persona's field. "Command Silencer negates your attack and lets me draw one card."
"About what I expected." Persona shrugged. "I end my turn."
"Draw." Jalal did so and his field slot popped open. "I activate the field spell card Gateway to Chaos!' Behind him, the air ripped apart in a swirl of blue color that spun constantly. "When I activate this field spell card, I can add one of two kind of monster from my deck to hand. I want Charging Gaia The Fierce Knight!"
"Mm? Gaia?" Persona just cocked his head. "I heard he got a new fusion that is very handy, but not would that fusion be a dragon-type monster, I've sealed up your Extra Deck. So you can't summon him."
"I don't want my extra deck, Persona, because I have everything I need to beat you in my hand. I activate the ritual spell card Super Soldier Synthesis!" A glowing red crystal seal appeared in front of Jalal. "I send one dark monster and one light monster from my hand and deck whose levels total eight and I can summon out one of my new favorite cards!"
He held up the Gaia monster he had searched for and another, funny-looking Kuriboh. "Charging Gaia is dark and Clear Kuriboh is light! So I've fulfilled the requirements for the ritual! Come forth, Black Luster Soldier- Super Soldier!"
The crystal seal glowed and then shattered apart, Jalal's monster leaping through the gateway it had been covering. Like Buster Blader, he was wearing full, jagged plate armor. But it was colored dark black with crimson accents and he brandished a wicked-looking sword and heavy shield. (3000/2500)
"...that's not a dragon." Persona pointed out dully.
"I'm not so old as to be stubbornly locked in my ways, Persona. And I certainly wouldn't come to a major tournament without betting on everyone expecting me to run dragons." Jalal said with a touch of smug politeness. "And by the way, since I sent two monsters to the graveyard, my Gateway to Chaos card gains two Spell Counters."
Two glowing motes of light appeared in front of the gateway, but Jalal was already pointing across the field. "Black Luster Soldier, show Buster Blader while you're the superior warrior! Chaos Blade Slash!"
"If you're not going to play Dragons, I'll just have to make some. Activate trap card, Prologue of the Dragon Swordmaster! I send two Destruction Swordmaster cards from the deck and I get to summon Buster Dragon from my extra deck!" A roar echoed through the Shadow Game as dragon tore free of the shadows. It was huge and heavy, scales like armor plating and blades trailing down its back. "And this monster means all yours become Dragon-type!" (1200/2800)
Buster Blader glowed with energy as the charging Black Luster Soldier sprouted dragon wings from his back, the two warriors raising their blades to clash. "And of course, Buster Blader is powers up for every dragon you have!" (2600-3100)
"Then I'll tear down yours! You summoned a new monster during the battle phase, so I have right of recall and the opportunity to attack again!" Jalal pointed at the Synchro Dragon and Black Luster Soldier skidded to a halt, ducking under Buster Blader's swing and lunging for the dragon with his sword outstretched.
"I discard Signaling Kuriboh!" Persona dropped the card into his graveyard and a Kuriboh appeared in front of him, wearing a headset and waving a pair of glowing lights around. Black Luster Soldier stopped and watched as the little fuzzball waved him towards Buster Blader. He turned...just in time for the massive sword to cleave him in two, head-to-toe. "So now your attack is redirected!" (JLP: 7900)
Jalal swore under his breath and pointed at the energy his soldier's remains were leaking. "When Black Luster Soldier falls, a comrade comes for vengeance! I summon Arisen Gaia The Fierce Knight from my deck!" With the sounds of hoods, Gaia The Fierce Knight came charging out of nowhere. But unlike the original, his steed was jet black and his whole form was wreathed in darkness. "Avenge your fallen comrade! Battle!" (2300/2100)
"What?" Persona scowled as Gaia kicked his horse into action and charged, lances held at the ready. "He's galloping to his death!"
Except he didn't as the lances skewered Buster Blader and actually lifted him from the ground before the burly warrior exploded into pixels. Jalal looked satisfied as he slid a card from his hand into the graveyard. "You're not the only one with a hand trap, Persona. I can discard Envoy of Chaos to boost the attack of Black Luster Soldier or Gaia by fifteen hundred. " (3800)
"My dragon slayer…" Persona ground out as he watched his life points drop. (PLP: 7300)
"Isn't going to be slaying any dragons today. This is a battle of warriors and yours are outclassed." Jalal finished for him and pointed at his Gateway of Chaos which now had three spheres of light in front of it. "I can remove three Spell Counters from my field spell to add a ritual to my hand and I pick another Super Soldier Synthesis."
He caught the card as he it slid free of his deck and added it to his hand. "Your move, Persona. I hope it's better than your last."
"Believe me, I'm far from done. Just like you, my deck's taken an old warrior and given him some new tricks! I draw!" Persona drew and pointed at Buster Dragon. "My monster lets me summon Buster Blader from my graveyard free of charge if I don't have one!" There was a burst of light and the armored warrior reappeared, no worse for the wear from his battle with Gaia.
Cards started filing out of Persona's graveyard and he held them up. "Destruction Sword Memories is a trap I can banish from my graveyard, along with Buster Blader, Destruction Swordmaster and Buster Whelp to fusion summon Buster Blader the Dragon Destroying Swordsman!"
A new Buster Blader appeared alongside the original, but he stood a good foot taller and his armor gleamed with power while his sword was coated in dragon scales. (2800/2500)
Jalal eyed the new monster warily and started as Gaia suddenly backed down, dropping his weapons and shying away. "What's he doing?!"
"You forgot my Buster Dragon makes your monsters dragon-types and in my mighty warrior's presence, all dragons cower in fear! They are switched to defense mode and cannot activate their effects! What's more, my Dragon Destroyer gets a thousand points for everyone you have and he's going to use them trample right through your life points! Go! Sword of Dragon-Slaying!" The fusion warrior bellowed a cry and charged, one cleave of his weapon tearing through Gaia and his horse like they were tissue paper. (3800)
Jalal braced himself as his monster exploded and then threw his arms up as the original Buster Blader came flying at him. The sword slash sent the Shadowchaser leader skidding backwards and tore the up the sleeves of his suit. (JLP: 8000-6200-3600)
Persona chuckled as Jalal got back to his spot and folded his arms. "Now that you've taken a big hit, let's let you catch your breath, shall we? I end my turn and my Buster Dragon expires." The Synchro dragon exploded into pixels.
"I draw!" Jalal did so and jerked as he nearly dropped the card in doing so, his fingers suddenly numb. (What…?!)
"Did I forget to mention? There's a little addendum to this Darkness Game." Persona held up a finger. "We take extra damage to ourselves if we're hit with anything that goes against our natures. Like a dragon slayer."
"An inconvenience at best." Jalal retorted, but he didn't feel as confident as his words. It was taking extra effort to keep his hands from shaking and his bones hurt. It was like he hadn't even blocked Buster Blader's swing; it had just gones right through his defenses. "And a cheap way to win."
"Hmm? Are you judging me?" Persona lifted an eyebrow curiously. "Do go on."
"I know a lot more about you than you know about me, Persona. Which includes the fact that you really have a hard time against opponents who are at your level or better than you. So you like to give yourself an advantage. Like using mirror monsters and a touch of illusion magic to psych your opponent out when you dig into their past. Or when you use a Darkness Game to give me a little extra hurt in hopes I'll become too wounded to continue." Jalal straightened, shucking his damaged jacket and leaving him in his dress shirt.
"It's called 'tactics', my good man. There's no such thing as a fair fight. No real fighter wants one, so we do what we can gain that necessary edge." Persona held up a hand in a 'what can you do manner'. "Preparation defeats luck."
"There's something to be said for rolling with the punches, Persona and turning a disadvantage into an advantage. Allow me to demonstrate! Reinforcement of the Army adds a level four warrior from my deck to the hand, so it's wholly appropriate to get my move started with Beginning Knight!" Holding the card up, Jalal flipped around the ritual spell he had searched for on his last turn. "Super Soldier Synthesis! Beginning Knight is the light from my hand and Evening Twilight Knight is the dark from the deck and with a combined levels of eight, I ritual summon Black Luster Soldier- Super Soldier from my the graveyard!"
In a torrent of crimson energy, the ferocious knight was back into play and already charging. "Go! Defeat Buster Blader with Chaos Blade Slash!"
Buster Blader's own sword rose to defend himself, but it simply met the same end as him as he was sliced in twain at the waist. "Thanks to the effects of my two knights used to ritual summon him, Super Soldier gains more abilities! Like the ability to attack a second time if he slays a monster in battle!"
Super Soldier spun on his heel and sheared through Dragon Destroyer's weapon like it was paper mache. The fusion reeled, but wasn't able to defend himself as the crimson blade slashed through his heavy armor with ease. Both Buster Bladers exploded into pixels. "Another power? Each time he slays a monster in battle, you take its attack points as damage to your life points!"
Persona hollered as the glowing blade slammed into his chest and sent him flying backwards against the 'wall 'of the darkness game. The crimson energy cascaded over him and he fell to a knee, panting heavily. (PLP: 7300-6900-4300-4100-1300)
"Looks like my monster's nature as a knight is against your nature as a insane criminal, Persona." Jalal informed him.
"Hehehehe...well, in all honesty, I guess I did ask for it, eh?" Persona got back to both feet, flexing his arms to ensure they were still working. He wavered a bit, then steadied himself. "I'll get you back for that on my next turn."
"Hard to do that without any cards." Jalal smirked as Persona's remaining hand winked out. "One of the other powers my ritual monster got this time. I can banish one of your cards face-down from your hand until your end phase. Speaking of which, let's move on to my end phase…"
Cards slid out of Jalal's graveyard. "Since Envoy of Chaos is in my graveyard, I can banish a light and dark monster to add it back to my hand. They were Beginning Knight and Evening Twilight Knight, so I can add a ritual monster and a ritual spell from my deck to my hand."
He held up a spell card called Super Soldier Ritual and another copy of his Super Soldier. "Like you said, Persona, preparation beats luck. And I'd say that for this duel, I'm better prepared."
"So it would seem...but…" Persona grinned a bit as he drew and slid the card into his disk. Glowing green swords fell from the sky and pinned Jalal's field in a cage. "Luck never hurt in a pinch! Swords of Revealing Light!"
"Since that was your last card, I assume your turn is over." At Persona's nod and retrieval of the card Super Soldier had banished, Jalal drew for his turn. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
"I draw...and hmm...I think I'll keep this card in hand." Persona tucked it alongside his other one. "End turn."
"Draw." Jalal did so and set another card. "End of turn."
"Draw." Persona did so and shook his head. "No, this one's no good either. End of turn."
"Draw." Jalal did so and tried to hide his frown at the card. "End."
"Draw." Persona perked up a bit at his next card. "Most excellent. I activate Erosion Vein, destroying Swords of Revealing Light and drawing twice!" His swords crumbled into shards as he plucked up two more cards. "Ah, how fitting this card will be your end, Jalal. I banish another Buster Whelp and Dragon Buster Destruction Sword to summon the legendary Chaos Emperor Dragon!"
Jalal's eyes went wide as with a shadow-shaking roar, the dragon rose up in front of persona. Gold and green scales glittered even in the Darkness Game's dim light, a fiery mane of hair matching the flames leaking from its jaws. It spread its wings and beat them to take aloft, the wind shoving Jalal's Super Soldier back a few steps. "That's impossible…!" (3000/2500)
"My employer got into some very rare cards recently. I couldn't help but let myself have one or two." Persona said with a smirk. "I activate Chaos Emperor Dragon's ability! By paying one thousand life points, I can send everything we both have to the graveyard and deal you three hundred points of damage for every card! Cemetery of Fire!" (PLP: 300)
The dragon began to glow, light spilling from its body that was rapidly morphing into nasty-looking flames. Jalal remained undaunted and pointed at one of his set cards. "I activate Twin Twisters! By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy my set card and Gateway To Chaos before you do! And with four less cards, I'm still in this!"
Then the playing field shook violently as Chaos Emperor Dragon exploded like a bomb. Fire covered everything and both duelists found themselves hurled against the wall of the darkness game behind them even as the shadows themselves recoiled in pain.
"Looks like…" Persona's teasing voice snapped Jalal back to reality and he realized he'd actually lost consciousness for a few seconds. It wasn't a pleasant return, given the pain shooting up and down his body. "Chaos really doesn't work with either of our natures, does it?"
Jalal blinked and wiped some droplets of blood off his face with a tattered sleeve to reveal Persona looking as bad as Jalal felt. The eliminator was bruised and bloody, but he was smiling. "So it looks my little surprise failed to take you out, Stormbringer." (JLP: 900)
"Yes." Jalal forced himself back to his feet and back to his spot on the arena, mentally making an apology to his tailor for how badly he's ruined this particular suit. "So it looks like luck is going to be the deciding factor."
"Hardly, Jalal, hardly." Persona also got his feet and held up his Duel Disk to reveal his graveyard slot glowing. "I took more just that dragon from that stash my employer found. One of the cards was a very specific card that worked with said dragon. Cycle of The Beginning and End."
"And what does that do?" Jalal felt his heart do a small nose-dive and knew he wasn't going to like whatever it did.
"I banish it and Chaos Emperor Dragon…" Persona held up the two cards in question. "And I can add Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning from my deck to my hand."
Jalal could only watch as Persona caught the card his deck slid otu to him and then Skilled White Magician and Buster Dragon slid free of the graveyard to be the necessary sacrifice to summon it. Unlike his version of the chaos knight, Persona's appeared in a flare of light and was decked out in heavy gold and black armor. But looked just as menacing. (3000/2500)
A single thought crossed his mind. (Well...damn.)
"As I said, preparations beat luck." Persona snapped his fingers and pointed at Jalal. "Chaos Blade Slash!"
Jalal watched the soldier charge for him, blade held high. And smirked. "Despite the bad taste in my mouth from this, I'll agree with you there, Persona! Preparations beat luck! Like preparing for your inevitable final blow! I activate the effect of Clear Kuriboh in my graveyard!"
Black Luster Soldier's weapon halted just a few inches from Jalal's face. "When you attack me directly, I can banish this card from the graveyard! Then I draw once and if it's a monster, I can summon and our monsters do battle!"
"Still luck." Persona scowled as Jalal drew his one card. "Which always seems to favor your heroic types."
"Sometimes, good deeds come back to you sooner or later. Like so - the monster I've drawn is Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier!" Jalal's new knight descended angelically onto the battlefield, assisted by the three pairs of feathered wings it held. Like the Envoy, his armor was heavy on gold but patterned with white instead of blue. Landing gracefully, he hefted his sword and shield before squaring off with his counterpart. (3000/2500)
"Our monsters are going to achieve a mutual kill...tch…" Persona's scowl deepened at the thought, then dropped fully into surprise as the wings of Jalal's knight began to shine. "What's it doing?"
"Sacred Soldier's effect triggers whenever I summon it. I return any of my banished light and dark monsters to the graveyard…" Phantasmal images of younger versions of Black Luster Soldier appeared alongside the holy warrior briefly. "And one of yours is banished!"
Persona could only stare as Sacred Soldier flapped its wings and in a flurry of feathers, his Envoy was simply gone. "Oh no…"
"I believe the counter phrase is 'oh yes." Jalal drew for his turn, but didn't bother looking at it. "Sacred Soldier! Attack directly with Holy Sword Slash!"
The knight's blade slammed into Persona's midsection with enough force to throw him off his feet, even as holy white flames erupted over his body and left the eliminator howling in fresh pain. (PLP: 0)
Jalal didn't hurry to put them out; they were going to fade when the darkness game did and they way his body was protesting, he wasn't in shape to overexerting himself for the next few minutes. "For you penality game, you are going to tell me everything you know about what's going on this island!"
"For starters…" Persona was literally smoking, but that just made his mocking grin all the moreso. "Playing both sides and working for a archdevil and an undead evil spirit means holy attacks really hurt."
"No games, just answers." Jalal seized what remained of Persona's shirt and hauled him closer. "Now talk!"
"Well, I'm a man of word, I suppose. So here's your big hint, Jalal: Why are you still playing this tournament?"
"What..?" Whatever Jalal had expected, it wasn't that.
"You know something's going down here. Something is always happening at major card tournament in this world, it seems. And Jean-Claude? He knows that you know he's up to something with Levistus and Cania and so on. Yet all he's done is keep you sequestered, isolated and kept you from communicating with your little group of minions here. Jean-Claude is practical, even if he is the devil. So why hasn't he just sealed you away for good and let your Shadowchasers run around in panic once fearless leader is out of the way?" Persona just grinned broadly at the dawning comprehension of Jalal's face.
"He needs the tournament to play out. As a tournament." Jalal's eyes narrowed. "Why? What does he get out of it?"
"Freedom. For a start. He has to win a war without shedding blood. And what better war to fight than with Duel Monsters? So all he's been doing is damage control, trying so hard to keep you all in the dark so you keep on playing by those rules you're so fond of." Persona just laughed at Jalal's frustrated expression. "You've been outmaneuvered, Jalal!"
"So where do you fit in, Persona? And who's your boss?"
"Bit of a wild card. Just like I said- my boss wants to fight you or Jean-Claude, so eliminating one of you takes care of a threat. If I won, we get Jean-Claude. You win, you get the information he's been hiding and the stakes of this whole tournament change. Either way, we profit." Persona managed to look smarmy despite his wounds. "Just trying to keep things entertaining."
"You're failing." Jalal said bluntly.
"Hey, I'm not the one who got taken by a devil and his cult and willingly locked himself in the lion's den!" Persona shrugged and gave Jalal a lopsided grin. "But I bet all this just makes it a good idea for you stop playing by the rules, right?"
"Not when I make them."
Persona was suddenly frosted over like he'd be dipped in liquid nitrogen. Jalal released him before the cold could spread and the eliminator fell to the ground without a sound. Jala growled and turned to find Jean-Claude striding up to him, the four bodies of the frozen Pros lifeless behind them. "This is ending now, Jean-Claude."
"No, I don't think it is. Nothing's changed, Jalal. You're still here with me and all your Shadowchasers are not." Jean-Claude nudged Persona's body with his shoe with disgust. Only the eliminator's eyes moving showed he was still alive. "And all the nuisances are gone. I knew getting help from that spirit would bite me in the ass."
He caught Jalal's wrist before the Shadowchaser's fist could connect with his face. "So you figured out if you bloody my face, I lose. But you're too quick on the draw."
Jean-Claude's eyes glowed briefly and Jalal found himself unable to move except to stare in the man's cold eyes. "Let me explain something to you, Stormbringer. I don't care about you, your organization or this sad pile of dirt you call home. All I care about is my freedom and the convenience you're providing me."
A chilling reverb entered Jean-Claude's voice and when he spoke next, it was clear there was something...more...to him than what could be physically seen. "Immortal as you are, I am older still. I have been planning this before Christ walked this world. I will not have my plan derailed by beings I scrape off my shoes. If you or your Shadowchasers harm me or anyone I sign the paychecks for, I will unleash upon this world a new ice age!"
"And lose your chance to get free?" Jalal growled back.
"I've learned much from being imprisoned so long. Patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait and revenge is a dish best served cold." Jean-Claude's eyes were cold, glowing and deep. "This isn't the first plan I've had, little dragon. It's just going to be the last."
With that, he released Jalal and started for the doorway. "Now be a good guest and appreciate the amenities I so gratefully provided you. I'm going to go give all your Shadowchasers a reminder about the rules forbidding physical combat here. And the consequences."
He swept down the hallway, ignoring the glare he could feel Jalal giving him. Instead, he snapped his fingers and a suited Lessiux minion seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Take those four on ice down to the ritual chamber. They provided me some entertainment, so it'd be a shame to let their efforts go unrewarded."
"What will we do with them?"
"We're going to replace their sad little mortal personalities with some more friendly ones. And do hurry. I haven't had an intelligent conversation in a dragon's age."
TTTTTTT
"But…" Voltaire gaped at the blue-haired version of the the digital spirit front of him. "There's only one of her!"
"Of course there is!" Kenshin huffed indignantly at him and shook a finger at him chidingly. "You saw Borgman take control of me! And his suit was hollow! He's been using a projector and stuff to make it seem like he was occupying it! And if he can hack me, I can hack him back! The jerkface!"
Pegasus and Voltaire glanced at each other in confusion and Kenshin stomped her foot. "Hey! C'mon! This is me we're talking about, remember? I do crazy shit like this all the time!"
"She's got a point…"
"Not really, if only because 'crazy' is the very weakest adjective we should give her in that regard." Pegasus said lightly with a grin and waved Kenshin's raspberry blown in his direction off.
"Fair enough. Alright then." Voltaire turned towards the spirit. "What's our next move?"
"You apologize for beating up on me with my own deck!"
"Oh. Right." Voltaire bowed in apology...and his face twisted in anger as a distinctly male snickering filled the air. "No…"
"Yes." The doppelganger snarked before snickering a bit more as Voltaire rose to glare at him. "That was just too easy…! You Shadowchasers are so easy to mess with!"
"That may be, but trust me when I say it only ever happens once, Borgman." Voltaire's fists tightened and his eyes narrowed.
"Please, call me Himura. Borgman was just a shell of an identity." Thusly identified, the doppelganger offered Voltaire a mocking bow in return. "But you have freed me from my digital prison, so thank you."
"What are you talking about?" Voltaire snapped.
Himura flexed and the remains of the Borgman armor tumbled off him, revealing a slender body that was just as lithe as Kenshin. "Ooh, that's nice…." He ran his bare fingers through the shadows of the dark magic around them and held them up. Sparks arced over the digits as he scissored the murky semi-liquid between them. "Been a long time since I felt the good stuff…
He mockingly lifted his head to meet the glares he was getting. "Oh, right! You were getting righteously mad at me!"
"A lot more than that…" Voltaire said coolly and curled his fingers into a fist.
"Well, to keep a long story short, I have spent a long time trying turn myself from a ghost...into a better ghost! And it was no mean feat - being dead means it's really hard to cast magic!" Himura produced the broken top of Kenshin's staff and unplugged it, letting the cord drop. "But technomagic is a lot like regular programming and if you have a source code for something, then overwriting yourself with the best bits of it becomes child's play!"
"What...source code!?" Pegasus gasped and Voltaire looked at him startled as the game creator's narrowed in a furious scowl. "Kenshin's not just a program you can hack...to do that is nigh impossible - she's a living being! Not a collection of ones and zeroes!"
"She's close enough. And you, ya know, screw around with something long enough…" Himura waggled his eyebrows suggestively with a twisted grin, the expression's ugliness only amplified with how it was on Kenshin's face. "You figure out how it works. Even if you do wind up breaking a few important bits."
Voltaire's expression was pure rage and he looked like he was barely two seconds from charging across the field and tearing Himura's head off.
Pegasus' own glare was murderous. "I see I finally have the displeasure of truly meeting the twisted, sad individual who ruined Kenshin's life for a very long time. You're Orphan!"
"Well, I was. Again. Past Tense. You're a smart man, Pegasus. Try and keep up." Himura feigned exasperation and then put a hand to his cheek in mock surprise. "Leave it to me to throw stones in a glass house! I totally forgot we were dueling!"
"And you're losing." Voltaire reminded him.
"Hey, that's right! Good point!" Himura snapped his fingers and drew for his turn, then tossed the card over his shoulder without looking at it. "I got what I wanted, soooo...bye!"
"What!?" Voltaire's eyes widened as Himura winked out of existence, replaced by an emaciated redhead. The spirit's whole body looked drained, bits of it overwritten with black coding and occasionally static would surf up and down a limb. "KENSHIN!"
"Volt…" Kenshin lifted her head, both men horrified by the fact her face was a sickly gray pallor and her eyes were nothing but black, ugly voids. "Volt...taire…"
"He traded places with her! How!?"
"Never mind! We have to do something!" Voltaire made to run towards her, but his legs wouldn't budge. "Why can't I move!?"
"It's the darkness game! The duel is still going on…" Pegasus gulped as life points flashed above Kenshin's head briefly. "And she's still your opponent."
"Fine! Then I yield!" Voltaire couldn't slam his hand down on his deck fast enough.
"No…snnkt...hsst…" Kenshin's static-filled voice strained through cracked lips. Static danced up and down her legs and they folded underneath her. "Don't…zzzt..." (VLP: Forfeit)
"Gotcha!" Voltaire barely managed to catch her before before she face-planted into the ground and rolled her over into his lap. She reached for him and he caught her fingers in a firm grip. "Hang on, I'm right here! Just stick with me a little more, Kenshin! We'll get you help!"
"Idiot...Orphan….hacked...zztt..ffft...me. You...just lost sssnnkkt...hsstt...Darkness Game…" Kenshin's face twisted in pain and fear, tears running down her face. Voltaire and Pegasus stared in horror as the running tears wiped away at her features, revealing warping ones and zeroes underneath. "Penalty...game...ssnnkkt...don't...snnkkktt...resist."
"Couldn't have put it better myself!" Metal collided with Voltaire's chin and sent him flying backwards into the wall. Himura sauntered after the Shadowchaser, staff slung over both shoulders casually. "So, Voltaire, think you can cheat death this time?"
"I'll ensure you won't!" Voltaire snapped and got to his feet, but found his body not responding to his attempts to raise guard even as a punch from Himura smashed his head back into the wall and left him stumbling. "How…"
"You lost the duel, you got a penalty game." Himura reminded him with a mockingly light tap on the nose. "You can't resist me as I beat you."
"I've had enough of you, fiend!" Pegasus lunged for him, but vanished before he could do anything as Himura just reached down and plucked the Pegasus monster card out from Voltaire's coat.
"This just keeps getting easier and easier…" Himura flicked the card into the air, snatching it on its way down and making it vanish with a snap of his fingers. Then he frowned, cocked his head as if listening to someone only he could hear. "No, no, it's fine, dammit. I'm not Borgman anymore, I don't work for you anymore and shut up, I can hit them all I want!"
"Stop...snnnkt...hrrrzt..-phan...no…" Kenshin's form wavered badly as she lurched to her knees, like her whole body was a chalk painting that someone was smearing with their hand. Where she was stretched to the limit, static replaced her body. "Figh-hkkkt...me...snnnkt.."
Himura shrugged and shook his head sadly. "Kenshin, dear, fireball, look...I already beat you. I mean, look! You have no help, you're trapped alone and I hacked you and made you my puppet!" He casually backhanded Voltaire with his staff, leaving blood streaming out of the English Shadowchaser's nose. "I've been gone for decades and you haven't changed at all."
He seemed genuinely sad at his words as he gazed down at her, kneeling to cup her face. "This is really sucks, I know and I wish I had another option. But I don't have your console and I can't find a replacement spirit for you to absorb. So this all I can do, really. Dissolute your form enough that it breaks apart and forces a reboot. Hopefully, the you that comes out of there this time will be as challenging as I remember."
"Murderer…!" Voltaire got to his feet, glasses broken and face covered in blood. "I will not let you-" His words were cut off as Himura slammed him into the wall, pinning him in place with the staff across his chest.
"You won't let me? You can't stop me! You blindly let yourself fall into my trap and I hacked Kenshin like she was a fucking arcade game!" Himura hissed right in Voltaire's face and applied pressure with his staff, a faint 'crack' coming from Voltaire's chest and the Shadowchaser felt the air being forced out of his lungs. "There is nothing you can do!"
He dropped Voltaire and spun his heel, staff cracking across Voltaire's face with enough force to floor him. "But you can still live. You can tell all your Shadowchaser friends about how I killed one of your own. About how I'm working for Levistus and I'm so cruel and brutal. I want them to come for me, you see."
He sneered at the two defeated Shadowchasers and strode for the vault, which was now open. "You lot are the best of the best or so I've heard. Should make for some interesting games and a lot of fun."
Himura pulled a slender stack of cards out of the vault's interior and stowed them away. "I've even avoided your little Indelible Imprint trick. After all, death of personality isn't the same thing as death of body. Your soul isn't even going to leave this mortal coil, fireball!"
He knelt in front of Kenshin and lovingly ruffled what remained of her hair. "Been nice knowing you, Kenshin, but it's time for an upgrade to the next generation. Just be sure to tell the next you that comes along she's gotta hit me with everything she's got. It worked out well last time, right?"
He chuckled as Kenshin's eyes widened even as static began to crawl and spread across her body, a sad hissing noise growing alongside it. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you think you were the first Kenshin to pop out of that game box? Too bad, so sad."
Standing, he retrieved his Duel Disk and stowed the staff across his back. "Now I've got part of a bargain to keep and a delivery to make. I hope we can have fun together next time."
"Kenshin..! Kenshin! Fight it!" Voltaire could only stare helplessly as the static coated Kenshin, rending her nothing more than a static-filled outline of a person. "STOP!"
The spirit lifted herself feebly to her elbows and reached for him. It was impossible to read the expression when she had no face, but the fact she was in great pain was easy to tell.
"I've got you, I've got you!" Voltaire caught her hand between his own two and squeezed. Tears were mixing with the blood running down his face.
"Zzzzt...sor-hkkkt...pshtty….-y." Kenshin's voice was so faint, as if it were coming from so very far away. Her form slumped to the ground limply, hand slipping free of Voltaire's grasp. Then, without preamble, it broke apart into sparkles of light that faded away.
"...eh. Pretty melodramatic." Himura's fist floored Voltaire as the Shadowchaser lunged for him with blinding speed and a stomp to the face drove the point home. "Sorry you feel that way, really. But every game has its winners and losers. And tonight…"
He smiled down obnoxiously at Voltaire, eerily and creepily reminiscent of Kenshin herself.
"Bad guys won."
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Next:
Ember: One spot left for our side in the finals, two left for the Knights. That means someone has to be looking for a duel, and I'd better find him fast, or Gomi's a goner.
?: Ah, humans, so distracted by emotions. They expose you like a scent that can be easily tracked.
Ember: What? Who?
?: I expected more of a challenge in finding you, Ember. Your opportunity has been here the whole time. You know what they say, be careful what you wish for.
"Night Assailant" - as in, me - is about to find you...
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Battle City
Field Spell Card
Effect: Once per turn, if a Level 7 or higher monster you control would be destroyed as a result of battle or card effect, it is not. You can send one fusion monster from your Extra Deck to the Graveyard. If you do, Special Summon a number of 'Battle City' Tokens (LIGHT/4stars/Warrior/0/0) equal to the number of materials listed for that monster. Battle City Tokens cannot be used for a Synchro Summon. If this card is sent to the graveyard, you can add one Level 7 or higher monster from your deck or graveyard to your hand.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Dungeon Path
Normal Trap Card
Effect: When a monster you control is destroyed, you can Special Summon one 'Knight of Twin Swords', 'Thunderball' or 'Might Mage' from your deck to the field. You can banish this card from your graveyard, add one 'Knight of Twin Swords', 'Thunderball' or 'Mighty Mage' from your deck or graveyard to your hand.
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Ojamagain!
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If this card is sent from the hand or field to the graveyard, add one each of 'Ojama Black', 'Ojama Yellow' and 'Ojama Green' from your graveyard to your hand.
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Chocolisk the Confectioner
DIVINE
8 stars
Warrior/Ritual/Effect
0/0
Effect: Can only be Ritual Summoned with 'Descent of Legend'. Once per turn, you can tribute one monster you control; Special Summon one Normal Monster from your graveyard; make its ATK 4000 and its DEF 0. Other monsters you control cannot attack except monster summoned by this effect. As long as you control a face-up Normal Monster, this card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle or targeted with card effects. When this card is sent to the graveyard, add one 'Descent of Legend' from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand.
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Knight of Twin Swords
WIND
4 stars
Warrior/Effect
1900/1200
Effect: During the Battle Phase, after this card attacks; You can remove a Spell/Monster/Trap Crest from this card you control; it can attack again immediately. During either player's turn, you can remove 3 Spell/Monster/Trap crests from your side of the field. Until your next standby phase, your opponent cannot target this card with card effects.
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Signaling Kuriboh
DARK
1 star
Fiend/Effect
300/200
Effect: When your opponent targets a card you control for an attack or card effect, you can discard this card from your hand. Change the attack or card effect to another appropriate target you control.
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Harpie Lady Triplets
WIND
6 stars
Winged Beast/Effect
1950/2450
Effect: When on the field or in the Graveyard, this card is treated as both "Harpie Lady" and "Harpie Lady Sisters". You can Special Summon this card from your hand by discarding one card and destroying 1 face-up Spell/Trap card on your field. If this card is Special Summoned this way, it cannot be tributed on the turn it is summoned.