I don't get sick easily. It's a little blessing I've had since I was a child. Oh, I got chickenpox like every other kid, but that was about it. I think I've had one cold in my entire life, I've never had the flu, and most of the other seasonal diseases pass by me.
You think I'd make a segue into the Darkness Infection from here, wouldn't you? But that isn't the important factor at the moment. You see, there are two diseases of note in this city right now. One is the aforementioned Darkness Infection, and the other is the Dark Snake Syndrome. I have no idea why Industrial Illusions printed that card - it may be the most disturbing burn card in the game.
I can see why Laura lost. Dealing with this card could break anyone, especially used by someone like this. How Degas and Alexander can stay sane working with him I will never know.
But like I said, I don't get sick easily. If I lose to him, not only will I have succumbed to the Darkness Infection, but I will have let Laura and Gerald both down. This I will not allow!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Contamination
An hour after Gerald Laxina's party had entered the Mall of America, Chad Montmelier collapsed onto a hard plastic bench, feet aching. He doubted that he had missed a single spot in Camp Snoopy, and yet he had not seen any signs of the Pillar of Darkness, aside from the large number of Darkness Infected slumped about the place.
Glancing over to his left, he could see a line of unconscious people stretched out in front of the entrance to the Ghost Blasters ride. A small, square wall in front of the ride usually played a video explaining the ride's premise on a continuous loop, but when Lucifer had turned the power on it had failed to turn on the video as well.
Chad then wondered where Lucifer had gone after the lights had turned on - the Beloved of Fire had not returned from wherever he had gone to turn on the lights. Thinking of Lucifer caused Chad's mind to segue to Vivienne, and the artist smiled, leaning back against the bench as he thought about the girl.
After all this is done, he thought, I wonder if she'll go back to France. Maybe she can stay a while if I ask... assuming Lucifer doesn't immolate me just for asking. He briefly shuddered before thinking, She does seem to like me. That may just be me reading too much into her enthusiasm - she seems to feel that way about everything. However... we only met the other day, so I need to give it some time...
The chain of thought broke off as Chad heard three low booms, off towards the southern entrance to the park. He pushed himself to his feet, expression grim, and adjusted his Duel Disk. "I know that sound," he muttered, heading towards the source.
0000000
The man in green and the man in black walked back into the mirror room, the former carrying a thin notebook. He finished making notes before handing it to the other man.
"At this rate, the other projects will be complete by tomorrow night," Degas noted as he studied the notebook. "Adjusting the growth rate was a wise idea, as it prevents them from burning out their dark energy supplies. However, we'll still need more in order to finish the maturation of the later three..."
Alexander wrote down his partner's words as they moved to their chairs. "It would also come in handy to complete our... other plan. After all, I only have so much energy at any given time." He then scowled. "Not to mention it would hurt much less coming from a source that isn't my body."
Shaking his head, Degas flipped through his notes, musing aloud, "There are several ways we could harvest enough energy to perform the necessary actions. Most of the major sources are already being tapped by particularly powerful beings, though..."
"Such as?" the Dark Conduit asked.
"The contact points between our world and the Abyss, for example, are under the control of the Maeljin Thuriforge. Do you want to be the one to chase him off?"
Involuntarily, Alexander shivered.
"Exactly," the Hand of Darkness said. "Let us consider ourselves lucky he rarely deigns to leave the Shadow Realm. However, there is one way for us to gather the necessary energy to finish the projects. Do you recognize this man?" He handed his notebook to Alexander.
Taking it, the man in green studied the pages for a second before his eyes widened. "Are you serious about this, Degas?"
The man in black simply said, "Yes. This morning I cast a spell to pin down his location. Once we know where he went after the Monster Island incident, we will send Hanzaki to... recruit him."
One of Alexander's hands moved to hide his frown as the other snapped its fingers, turning on the mirrors. One showed Mako Tsunami's unconscious form, while another showed Chad Montmelier wandering through Camp Snoopy. A third showed Sol Kilkarn laying comatose in the food court, and a fourth revealed Gerald Laxina on patrol.
"It appears Demetrius Lark remains undefeated," Alexander noted as he saw the image of the defeated Mako.
With a sigh, Degas replied, "As expected. Remind me to have Hanzaki drop him off on Okinawa later. Speaking of which, where is our Lycra-clad manservant, anyway?" He then paused and added, "And where has your girlfriend gone off to, while we're on the subject of mysterious disappearances?"
"Bethany said she needed something from the Twin Cities, so I had Hanzaki take her out there," Alexander said. "It shouldn't take her long."
Degas scowled. "Just make sure she doesn't seriously interfere with our plans." He then glanced to Sol's form and commented, "Reston has done well - that makes one free radical and one of Gerald's party he has brought down so far. And from the looks of things, it will be two of Gerald's party shortly."
The interest drained from Alexander's face, and he laid back in his chair, sighing.
0000000
As Chad approached the Tree Swing, near the south entrance to Camp Snoopy, he broke out into an uncontrollable cold sweat. Massive shivers ran unbidden down his spine, and he felt like he was going to explode if he didn't scream. Pillar, he thought, and swallowed hard.
Despite every instinct that told him to do otherwise, he stepped forward... and the feelings evaporated. With a sigh of relief, he moved closer to the Tree Swing.
The Pillar of Death was standing in front of the entrance queue, arms crossed. He had already put on his oxygen mask, and his coat was pulled tighter around his body as he stood there, occasionally twitching. His eyes glanced into Chad's, and the artist recoiled slightly.
And then Chad thought back to a news article he had read several months before, and he frowned. "Paul Arthur Eckhart, the Wandering Hospital Reaper," he said, hand to his chin. "So that explains where you went after the transport crashed."
"Now going by Reston," the sick man said before breaking into a vicious cough. The inside of his oxygen mask spattered with blood before he pulled a syringe out of his pocket and jabbed it into his neck, hand slamming down on the plunger. Once the coughing stopped, he pulled the needle out, wiped it on a piece of tissue, and tucked it back into his pocket before removing his mask, shutting off the flow, and wiping it out.
"You still have the Feinglory's?" Chad asked, head tilting. "I would think becoming a Pillar would cure that."
Shaking his head, Reston replied, "Just suspended it. Cure not forthcoming until after job complete. You part of job." He then put the oxygen mask back on, adjusting the straps. "Hope you prove greater challenge than Laura. Girl fell too quickly. Did not get to test true combo."
The mention of Laura made Chad wince, his mind flashing back to her appearance after the duel. He then lifted his Duel Disk and activated it, loading his deck. "Allow me to assure you - I won't disappoint you. But you are not going to win."
"Test hypothesis?" Reston replied, holding up his arms. Black lightning danced around them, gathering on his right arm. Soon the lightning became a sheath of unearthly light, which faded to reveal a pale Duel Disk. He lowered his arms, and then waved his left hand towards Chad.
The mall began to blur and transform around them, and the tall man asked, "What are you up to?"
"Changing to more appropriate battlefield."
0000000
A feeling of sheer wrongness struck all three of the other non-Infected in the Mall of America.
In contrast to Chad's worries, Lucifer had not actually left the power room once the lights came on. Instead, he had spent some time turning on the other switches, restoring full power to the building. Working out the panels had taken a good hour, and as soon as the job was finished, he could feel it within himself. "Ze Pillar has found Monsieur Montmelier," he whispered. "Ze Divine help you... and don't you dare break my Vivienne's heart..."
Demetrius Lark was on the third floor when he felt it. He dropped his cane as the feeling struck him, muttering, "Oh, bother..." Retrieving it, he headed back to the first floor, saying, "Nothing I can do but wish him good luck."
And as Gerald rounded the Macy's corner, he tripped when the feeling erupted in him. With a gasp of "Chad...", he took off running toward the southern entrance to Camp Snoopy. By the time he got there, however, the two duelists were gone, replaced with an orb of darkness...
0000000
Once the world stopped going crazy, Chad stood up, head aching slightly. He then assessed the current location, confused.
The Mall of America was gone, and now he was standing in the middle of a dried, desiccated field. The grass was dead all around him, and the sky was a sickly gray. Reston stood across from him, still standing before the Tree Swing - but the tree was now real, its leaves blood-red, and the swings...
The tall man could not resist gagging. Every one of the swings had vanished, replaced by a corpse swaying from a noose. None of the corpses looked particularly fresh, either.
"Nice touch," Chad murmured as his stomach turned over, "but did you have to be so dramatic?"
Reston shrugged, holding up his Duel Disk. "Begin game."
Glaring at his opponent, Chad nodded, and both Life Point counters shot up to 8,000. The duel was underway.
"I begin," Reston said, drawing his six cards. He fanned them out, those inhuman eyes flicking over them. "Set one monster in Defense Mode," he then said, the hologram appearing before him, "and card facedown. Play Dark Room of Nightmare."
As the Continuous Magic Card appeared, the field began to break up around Chad. Four pillars slowly rose from the ground, locking into place in the four corners around the young man. Fields of darkness came into being between them, but Chad could still see his opponent, who calmly looked back.
"End turn," the Pillar of Death concluded.
Dark Room of Nightmare... that adds 300 points to any Effect Damage I take, Chad thought as he drew his opening hand. It only works if you play a lot of Effect Damage, so he's either using monster effects or a Burn Deck. Either way, he won't attack much. "I summon Exarion Universe!" he shouted as he played his first card.
For a moment, the dismal skies overhead turned into a starry night, and in a blur, the green-skinned centaur appeared, upper body concealed in thin blue armor and face masked. He held up his hand, and a beam of starlight fell on it, transforming into a javelin. Spinning this weapon, the Exarion Universe stamped his forefeet. (1,800/1,900)
"I set one card facedown," Chad said, thinking, Even if he doesn't attack very often, every deck takes a shot when it can. He then paused, doing some mental math, before declaring, "I activate Exarion Universe's effect, lowering its Attack Points by 400 to give it a trampling effect until the end of the turn! Attack his monster with Stardust Javelin!"
Green energy crackled out from the centaur's arm, covering his javelin. (1,800/1,900 - 1,400/1,900) He sprang backwards into the air, arm whipping about and throwing the weapon down at Reston's monster. It made impact, striking home... but then a linen-wrapped hand grabbed it out of the sky. The monster was revealed as two mummies in decaying purple wrappings, exhaling noxious fumes. (1,000/1,800)
"Ah... Poison Mummy," Chad noted, right before they threw the javelin back at him. It struck him through the stomach, causing him to shout in pain as the energy discharged throughout his body. His limbs twitched, and he staggered on his feet as his Life Points dropped to 7,600.
To add to the pain, Reston noted, "Effect. When turned face-up, 500 Life Points lost." He went silent, whereupon one of the mummies tore open its stomach. A cloud of purple smoke rolled out from the opening and covered Chad, causing him to break into a fit of coughing. He hacked for several moments, sinking to one knee and resting one hand on the ground as his Life Points went down to 7,100.
And then energy shot between the columns of the Dark Room of Nightmare, and dark lightning struck into his body from all four. Chad convulsed as it ran through his system, and he fell to the ground, breathing hard as his Life Points finally set at 6,800.
He pushed himself back onto his knees, coughing again before saying, "That... will do it for my turn." In front of him, Exarion Universe snapped his fingers, causing another javelin to appear in his hand.
Drawing his next card, Reston slid his finger over the tops of his hand before picking a card out and playing it. "Summon Exiled Force."
A small army of men in armor appeared on the field, carrying various weapons and gear. They looked haggard, as if their time traveling had left them worn out and beaten. Several of them had glazed eyes, and all of them wore bandages.
Blinking, Chad wondered around, "I've never understood why exactly they were exiled."
"Plague dogs," Reston replied. "Banished to avoid infecting rest of army. By sacrificing them, can destroy one monster on your field. Will do so to destroy Exarion Universe."
The soldiers suddenly turned much more menacing. Every one of them adopted a foul grin, and the bandages fell away to reveal open sores and draining wounds. They marched across the field, their bodies melting until finally all that was left was a rolling black cloud. This fell over the Exarion Universe, which suddenly grabbed at his throat as if he couldn't breathe.
In front of Chad's eyes, as he stared in shock, the Beast-Warrior melted where he stood, his green flesh rolling away as the skin and muscle fell away from the bone. Nothing was left after thirty seconds.
Reston watched the scene without any real interest. Instead, he slid a card into his Duel Disk and announced, "One card facedown. End turn."
Once his hands stopped shaking, Chad drew his next card, adding it to his hand. He sorted his cards and then declared, "I set one card facedown, and summon the Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode!"
This time, as the eyeless, yellow-furred dog trotted onto Chad's field, it wasn't snarling or growling. In matter of fact, it did nothing to live up to its "mad dog" title. Instead, it seemed scared, whimpering as it stepped onto the dead grass. (1,900/1,400)
It was an unnerving sight, and so Chad took a deep breath before playing his next card. "I really think you've picked a bad battleground," he said, his voice on the verge of shouting, "so I'm going to change the scenery! I play my Forest Magic Card, giving all Beasts and Beast-Warriors 200 extra Attack and Defense Points!"
But as the ground shook and a multitude of trees pushed their way out from underground, it was clear that whatever power Reston had invoked to create this desolate arena would not be denied. For the trees were not the healthy deciduous trees that Forest usually created, the lush oaks and cedars of the deep woods.
These trees were skeletal, leafless elms and willows, branches brittle and reaching out as if trying to skin both duelists. They struggled to force their way into view, and even as they rose up the hanging tree behind Reston glowed black, its presence sucking even more life from the plants so that their trunks were warped and gnarled.
But as dead as the forest was, it still had power, and its presence calmed the Mad Dog of Darkness. (1,900/1,400 - 2,100/1,600)
No need to risk that trap yet, Chad thought. "I end my turn."
"Yes," Reston replied as he drew a card. He then shook his head and slid a card into his disk. "Play Magical Mallet to shuffle hand into deck and draw new cards." Taking his two remaining cards, he slid them back into the deck and drew anew. He only gave them a moment's glance before taking one and saying, "Set one monster in Defense Mode. End turn."
A chill wind crossed the field as Chad drew, and he shuddered, thinking, I can't allow this duel to get to me or I've lost already... He then held out one of his cards before playing it with a shout of, "I summon my Enraged Battle Ox in Attack Mode!"
Just leaving Chad's hand seemed to have sapped most of the Battle Ox's rage from it. The armored minotaur had a very tight grip on its ax as it emerged, muscles tense and weapon held close. Its boots scuffed along the ground as it moved through the dead trees. (1,700/1,000) Soon, however, it adjusted to the environment, baring its teeth. (1,700/1,000 - 1,900/1,200)
Taking a deep breath, Chad let out a yell of, "Enraged Battle Ox, attack the Poison Mummy!"
One of Reston's hands went to his ear as he said, "Why yelling? Standing right here."
"Sorry," the tall man replied, suddenly sheepish. "Trying to ease my nerves..." He then frowned, thinking, Yeah, TELL the Pillar you're scared. Brilliant, Montmelier.
Regardless of its master's faux pas, the minotaur charged through the dead woods, hefting its axe. It brought the weapon around in a furious arc, the blade cleaving through the purple-wrapped mummies. Both exploded into a cloud of toxic dust, but before it could even reach him the Enraged Battle Ox had leapt back.
To its misfortune, the Enraged Battle Ox landed directly on a crack in the earth. The crack widened in seconds, becoming a gaping wound in the landscape, and the minotaur plunged to its death, axe hanging in the air for a moment before it followed him.
"Michizure," Reston explained as the activated trap faded away. "Destroy one of your monsters when one on this side destroyed in battle."
Chad narrowed his eyes, a growl leaving him as he turned to the Mad Dog of Darkness. "Destroy his facedown monster, Mad Dog of Darkness."
The eyeless canine ran through the dead forest, heading for Reston's monster. It jaws opened wide, and it clamped them shut on the targeted foe, which was revealed as a large mass of blue gelatin in a rough X shape. (800/1,000) Pieces of it flew everywhere, and the dog let out a yelp of pain, spitting a piece of it out.
Part of the slain monster flew through the air and hit Chad's cheek. He raised an eyebrow, and then let out a scream as it burned into his skin before falling away, leaving a large red mark. After a moment, he tentatively raised a hand to it and then winced as he pulled his hand away, Life Points left at 6,000. Around him, the Dark Room of Nightmare ran electricity through his body again, sending him to 5,700 Life Points.
As before, Reston explained: "Acid Slime. Deals 800 Life Points of damage when destroyed."
Taking a few breaths between clenched teeth, Chad said, "I end my turn."
Reston took the top card off of his deck, turned it over, and gave it a long look before slipping it into the Duel Disk. "Vase of Unholy Blight. Remove Mystic Tomato from deck to draw thrice."
The even more evil cousin of the Pot of Greed flashed into being, and a horrible-looking tomato appeared atop it before turning red and "liquefying" down into it.
The vase shattered, and Reston took three cards off the top of his deck with one pull, fanning them out before playing two, announcing, "One card facedown. And..." He held up the other card before playing it. "Dark Snake Syndrome."
A sudden rush of weakness overcame Chad, and the tall man's knees buckled before he sank to one knee. He wiped off his forehead, which was suddenly dotted with sweat, before realizing his skin was warm to the touch. Glancing to his hand, he could see a snakelike mark on the back, and frowned.
Already colored with the same markings, Reston ignored them, placing a card on a Monster Zone. "One monster in Defense Mode. End turn."
Shutting his eyes, Chad forced himself to concentrate, trying to shake the worry that was running through him. And then he paused, as his mind stumbled on something far more frightening.
He could hear a quiet snarl inside of his head, still soft and easy to ignore under the constant turmoil and high volume of the average human mind. It was part of his consciousness, but it had no civility, no sentience, only the most primitive and basic drives. And as he listened to it, he could hear it drawing strength from the darkness surrounding him.
How long has that sat there? Chad wondered as he pushed back onto his feet. I know it could not have come into being too long ago, because I think I would notice if part of my mind went feral on me... Maybe this is what was left after the duel with Klaus?
"Make move," the Pillar of Death said, eyes narrowed.
Snapping back to attention, Chad drew his next card, hearing the snarling increase inside his head. "I play Pot of Greed!" he began, throwing the card down and drawing two more. He then added, "Now I'll summon my Pitch-Black Warwolf in Attack Mode!"
The dead forest began to shake as something large and powerful made its way through the trees. Over the heads of both duelists, a shadow blurred past, before coming down for a landing on Chad's field. It was a large, muscular wolf-headed man, a black pelt covering its body and a sharp blade in one hand. (1,600/600) Dead or not, this forest was its home, and so it howled in fury. (1,600/600 - 1,800/800)
Even as he felt one hand curling into a claw, Chad fought it off, ordering, "Pitch-Black Warwolf, attack his facedown monster with Lupine Blade..."
Growling its consent, the Beast-Warrior sprang across, raising its sword. It swept the blade across, cleaving the card in half. A tiny hamster briefly came into being, squeaking before its body slid into two halves. (900/400)
"Bubonic Vermin," Reston said as a card jutted out of his deck. "When flipped, as when destroyed, may set another facedown." He took the jutting card and set it on his Duel Disk.
"And it won't stick around for long - Mad Dog of Darkness, rend it," Chad replied.
The dog did as ordered, leaping across the forest with one bound of its powerful legs and biting into the facedown card. Its jaws closed on the little creature and pulled it apart.
Without further words, Reston took the third one and set it on his Duel Disk.
As the Mad Dog of Darkness returned to his field, Chad took a deep breath, shocked to hear a guttural hiss emerging as he exhaled. What is wrong with me? he wondered. "I set one card facedown," he said to distract himself, "and end my turn."
Reston drew his next card, noting, "Dark Snake Syndrome activates."
At first nothing seemed to happen, and then a shock of pain ran up Chad's spine and spread through the rest of his body, tearing through him. He doubled over, gasping as his cells seemed to fall in on themselves, and bit at his lip as he staggered. The pain faded eventually, and he looked up to see Reston merely look back at him with those dead eyes, their Duel Disks registering 5,500 Life Points for Chad and 7,700 for Reston. And then the Dark Room of Nightmare charged up and struck Chad with electricity, sending his Life Points to 5,200.
"Advantage in not feeling pain," Reston noted.
In response, Chad jabbed a button on his Duel Disk, feral noises emerging from his lips as he did. The Numinous Healer on his field lifted up, and the sky directly over his fiend changed from gray to blue. A single beam of sunlight fell on him, and the angelic nurse stood behind him, brushing the acid burn on his cheek.
The tall man's Life Points rose to 6,200, and the burn vanished before the angel disappeared.
The Pillar of Death merely blinked as he pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "Activate Dust Tornado to destroy Forest."
The corpses hanging from the tree behind him began to sway, a breeze picking up behind the Pillar of Death. It increased in ferocity, the hanging bodies rocking on their branches and then veering sharply to one side as the hanging tree withstood this storm. The dead trees of Chad's Forest, however, unrooted in due time and flew off into the distance, shattering over their heads.
"Set one monster in Defense Mode," Reston then said, "and end turn."
Once the Numinous Healer had activated, Chad could feel his mind repairing itself, but a shudder still clung to him. That... that savage part of my mind gains power every time I lose Life Points... Come to think of it, in the last two duels I was in, I snarled and growled after taking large hits. What will happen to me if I lose? He shook his head, drawing a card as he declared, "Pitch-Black Warwolf, attack his first facedown monster!"
With a low bark, the Warwolf ran forward and brought his sword down hard on Reston's monster, revealed as the last Bubonic Vermin. It let out a squeal before falling into two pieces, shattering a moment later.
"And now, Mad Dog of Darkness, attack his other monster!" Chad continued.
The eyeless canine leapt across the dead field, its claws and jaws tearing into the facedown card. It came into view a second later, a wall made of human muscle and tissue, rudely stitched into a bone frame and with a purple face at its center. The face was disturbingly feminine, staring back at Chad. (1,000/1,850) The dog paid it no mind, however, being blind, and merely locked its jaws on the face, tearing it cleanly off of the rest of the structure, which then shattered.
And then, a hideous scream broke the still air, and the Mad Dog of Darkness vanished, the card returning automatically to Chad's hand.
"Wall of Illusion," Reston noted. "Returns attacking monster to owner's hand."
Nodding his acknowledgement, Chad adjusted his hand, offhandedly replying, "I'll end my turn."
The Pillar of Death drew his next card, now holding two cards in his hand, and then said, "Dark Snake Syndrome activates."
The simplicity of those words belied their actual effect, as the world around Chad turned a deep red and his veins bulged, the pain twice what it was before. He fought to stay on his feet, his stomach churning as his body tortured him. Eventually, he bit hard into his own cheek, blood trickling out of his mouth as his Life Points droped to 5,800. And then the Dark Room of Nightmare charged up, but as its lightning bolts hit him and sent his Life Points to 5,500, it seemed only a minor concern.
Reston's own Life Points were now at 7,300, but he paid no attention to it, instead playing one of his cards. "No wish to be attacked. Activate Nightmare's Steelcage to prevent such assault for two turns."
Around the duelists, the soil of the dead field fell away as something new pushed itself to the surface. It was a large steel ring, small amounts of rust on its exterior, and it settled atop the land. Thin ribbons of spiked steel threw themselves over the heads of Chad and Reston, locking into place on all sides of the men, and a crisscrossed metal wall dropped into the center, cutting both sides off from each other.
"Hate repeating moves, but no choice," the Pillar of Death mused. "End turn."
After wiping the blood off of his mouth, Chad spat on the Nightmare's Steelcage, drawing his next card. He then glanced to the Dark Snake Syndrome card on Reston's field, looked back to his card, and nodded. Playing it, he announced, "I summon Chiron the Mage in Attack Mode!"
Even as the card left his hand, Chad could feel the growling presence in his mind fading to a lesser pitch. Such a civilized monster must weaken its hold, he thought.
A circle of red light drew itself on the ground, multiple strange symbols drawing themselves within its boundries. A beam of light came from the circle's center, and soon the staff-wielding centaur appeared within it. He dismissed the circle with a wave of the staff, and then set the weapon over his shoulder, glaring at the Pillar. (1,800/1,000)
"Chiron's speciality is altering magical energy for other uses," Chad explained, takng another card from his hand. "By giving up one Magic Card from my hand, I can take out one of your Magic or Trap Cards. So I give up my Snatch Steal..." Which would be worthless anyway, given that you can't play it on set monsters, he thought as he put the card in his Graveyard. "...to destroy the Dark Snake Syndrome!"
This statement caused Reston to blink. It was the second time that duel.
For a moment, the image of the Snatch Steal card reflected in the orb atop Chiron's staff, and then he slammed the point into the ground. A reverberation spread out from the point of impact, causing an answering reverberation under the Dark Snake Syndrome. It accordingly shattered.
The markings of the disease left Chad, and he exhaled, sighing deeply with the last twinges of pain. "That will be all," he concluded.
Black vapor left Reston's hands as the Dark Snake Syndrome faded, and he drew his next card, showing no reaction to the destruction of the Syndrome. He put his new draw in his hand, took the other card there, and played it as he said, "Card of Demise. Draw five cards, discard hand in five turns."
Five candles appeared at the Pillar of Death's feet, and each lit itself in turn. Over Reston's head, however, the Nightmare's Steelcage was beginning to rust, flecks of it floating down overhead.
Pulling exactly five cards from the top of his deck, Reston spread them out, looking at them before taking two. "Set card facedown, play Dark Snake Syndrome."
Another wave of dizziness passed over Chad, and the markings came back to life as he muttered, "Oh, not again..."
"Really thought only played one? Foolish." The sick man took one last card from his hand and put it on the Duel Disk. "Monster in Defense Mode. End turn." One candle went out.
He has a point, Chad thought as he drew his next card. Overhead, one of the beams of the Nightmare's Steelcage let out a loud crack as it rusted through. Any strategy relying on the Dark Snake Syndrome would play multiples, just in case someone blew one up like I did. But still... He glnaced at his hand and then declared, "I summon my Mad Dog of Darkness again."
Even though it couldn't see where it was, the eyeless dog still looked unhappy to be on the dead field. It whined and pulled back onto its haunches. (1,900/1,400)
"Now I set this facedown..." The tall man did so. "And end my turn."
A screw fell from the cage overhead, and then the entire Nightmare's Steelcage collapsed in on itself, sending up a massive cloud of dust as it fell apart.
Deep inside his chest, Chad could feel something twitch as Reston drew his next card. The Pillar of Death then paused, and a wave of pain shot through Chad's body, the Dark Snake Syndrome at work. His body had adjusted, however, and so he just let this lesser pain work through him.
The Dark Room of Nightmare then charged up and sent electricity through his body, but Chad merely gave Reston a look as his Life Points went to 5,000 and Reston's went to 7,000.
The Pillar of Death did not even notice the look, instead taking a card and saying, "Summon Tribe-Infecting Virus in Attack Mode."
A blue-skinned, vaguely reptilian humanoid staggered into view, breathing heavily as it did so. It then let out a sob and collapsed, rotting away on the spot. In its place hovered a brown cloud, whisps reaching around Reston's body. (1,600/1,000)
For a moment, the Pillar of Death seemed confused. His eyes moved from Chad's Pitch-Black Warwolf to his Chiron the Mage, and then over to the Mad Dog of Darkness. Finally, Reston sighed, saying, "Not as effective as against Laura. Multiple types in play. Can only destroy one type per turn."
"So that's how you beat Laura?" Chad asked, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that this deck takes a different tack from hers. You can't use the same tricks against me."
"Know that. Still, have other ways to deal with it. For now..." Reston took one of his other cards and slid it in his Graveyard. "Discard Sinister Serpent to destroy Beast-Warriors."
The brown cloud flared up and flew out, forcing itself into the mouths of the Warwolf and Chiron. As the Mad Dog of Darkness turned its head from one to the other, confused, both of the other monsters began to cough. And then fur fell from the Warwolf's sides, large sores beginning to appear, and Chiron dropped his staff in order to grab his chest...
Soon the sores grew in size, covering most of the Warwolf's body, and it stuck out its swollen tongue, whimpering in pain. The sores oozed a thick pus, and it fell to the ground, helpless. Chiron's legs gave out, and the centaur collapsed, his body withering away...
By the time Chad thought he couldn't take anymore, both monsters shattered, and he fought a sudden wave of nausea. Reston, meanwhile, merely shook his head and said, "Set card facedown. End turn." A second candle blew out on his field.
For a few moments, the only sounds in the artist's mind were animalistic whimpers and whines, until he shook his head and focused his will. The sounds silenced, and he frowned, drawing his next card. He then declared, "I activate my Call of the Haunted, raising my Enraged Battle Ox from the dead."
Fog gathered on the dead field, and then the ground in front of Chad split open, a muscled arm bearing an axe forcing its way out. Another powerful arm grabbed hold of the surface, and soon the minotaur pulled itself from beneath the soil, one of its horns cracked but otherwise in good shape. It shook the dirt off of its axe and snorted. (1,700/1,000)
All the Pillar of Death did in reply was tap a button on the pale Duel Disk he wore, revealing his facedown card. "Nightmare Wheel seals Mad Dog of Darkness in response."
The skies flashed red, and the terrible Catherine wheel appeared in a burst of fire. Gore-stained chains whipped from its surface and caught Chad's monster, pulling the canine onto its front. Those chains sealed it in place, and it began to whine in fear as the wheel slowly began to turn.
Fighting the urge to snarl, Chad gestured to the cloud on Reston's field, saying, "Enraged Battle Ox, rid this place of the Tribe-Infecting Virus."
The minotaur raised its axe high over its head, tensed its muscles, and then brought the weapon down hard. A gust of wind flew out from where it stood and struck the brown cloud of viruses, breaking it apart. Wisps of disease flew every which way, scattering on the breeze.
One such wisp hit Reston, slipping under his oxygen mask. He burst into a fit of coughing, sinking to one knee and spattering his mask with blood as his Life Points lowered to 6,900. After a moment's searching of his pockets, the sick man retrieved his syringe, filled it, and jabbed the needle into his neck.
"What is that stuff, anyway?" Chad asked, blinking.
"Steroid mixture designed by staff at Johns Hopkins. Stabilizes circulatory system and promotes clotting. When taken during coughing fit, ends it." The Pillar of Death shut off the oxygen tank and removed his mask, taking a napkin from his pocket.
"I see..." Chad shook his head. "Your move."
Once he was done cleaning out his oxygen mask, Reston put it back on and drew a card. "Dark Snake Syndrome..."
And the red haze filled their vision again as the disease went to work. Chad bit his lip, but he had felt this level of pain as well, so he was able to tolerate it. I wonder if Laura had trouble at this level, he wondered. They say women have better pain tolerance than men, and she's a martial artist... but until Reston falls and I can ask her personally, I have no way to know.
Reston, meanwhile, merely thought, Still looking for key combination. His Life Points had lowered to 6,500, and Chad had fallen to 4,600. The Dark Room of Nightmare then pitched in, shocking him and leaving Chad with 4,300 Life Points as he groaned.
After checking to make sure he still had blood flow, the Pillar of Death held up one hand. A card appeared in it as he said, "Sinister Serpent back in hand by own effect." He set it on one Monster Zone and slid a card into his Duel Disk, noting, "One monster in Defense Mode and one card facedown. Take turn." The third candle blew out.
The moment Chad drew his next card, there was a clicking noise, and the Nightmare Wheel holding onto his Mad Dog of Darkness began to turn. Its spikes tore into the dog's flesh, blood dripping from them as it let out a tortured baying.
And then Chad's vision turned red as a red light from the wheel hit him. Each spike cutting into the Mad Dog of Darkness caused him to feel the same pain, and he yelled at the top of his lungs, his Life Points dropping to 3,800. And the Dark Room of Nightmare only increased the agony as it shocked him, his Life Points now 3,500.
Deep within his mind, the snarls and growls escalated, their noise now at a fever pitch. He briefly wondered if summoning his Image for the first time had given it life, had allowed this most primitive part of himself to come to the fore. He wondered if it was feeding on his pain.
And then he ceased to ask questions. He could feel a strength within that bestial part of his mind. He let it loose.
Taking a deep breath, Chad roared, his body shaking as he let out that rumbling sound. Reston flinched away, and the hanging tree behind him quivered.
White smoke rose from Chad's body as he roared, slowly taking on the shape of a leonine creature with a thick mane and a horn on the center of its head. His Image, Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts, now stood over him, unperturbed by the dead field around him.
The roar faded, and Chad looked into Reston's eyes. Whereas the sick man had inhuman eyes, void of any compassion or sympathy, the artist's eyes flickered from those of a cat to those of a wolf, and then to those of a hawk. They went from one animal to another with each blink.
"Ahhh, I see now," Chad said, his voice now a much deeper pitch than before. "I wonder why I resisted. I summon the Gyaku-Gire Panda in Attack Mode!"
He threw the card down, and the large, angry panda stepped forward, a stalk of bamboo in one hand. It swung its makeshift weapon around itself, barking in anger. (800/1,800)
"Each monster you have in play gives it 500 more Attack Points," he continued. As he said it, the panda growled and snapped its jaws, pounding its bamboo stalk against the ground as its rage grew. (800/1,800 - 1,800/1,800) "Gyaku-Gire Panda, kill the newest facedown monster!"
The order seemed rather unnecessary, given how enthusiastically the panda threw itself at Reston's monster. It raised the bamboo stalk overhead and swung it down, over and over again, hammering away at the targeted monster. As it was a Sinister Serpent, this was rather overkill. Green blood splashed at Reston's feet before the serpent shattered.
And then, as per its effect and that of the Enraged Battle Ox, the Gyaku-Gire Panda walked up and struck Reston across the chest with its bamboo. Bones cracked as the Pillar of Death spun to the ground, his Life Points knocked down to 5,100. He laid there for a moment, and then forced himself back onto his knees, breathing hard through the oxygen mask.
Chad's hands began to tense, and a vicious grin crossed his face as the snarling in his mind grew louder. "Enraged Battle Ox," he said, his volume increasing, "destroy his other monster with Minotaur's Ax!"
Much like with the panda, Chad almost did not need to give the order, as the minotaur charged across the field with its weapon in hand. It swung it down, smashing through the facedown monster. A blue slime appeared, splattering into a thousand pieces from the hit. (800/1,000)
Pieces of the slain monster, an Acid Slime, flew across the field. Some of its substance struck Reston, crossing him to shut his eyes as it burned into him, lowering his Life Points now to 4,400. Part of it struck Chad's stomach at the same time, burning through his shirt and causing him to howl as it sent his own Life Points to 2,700.
The pain, however, also cleared Chad's mind for a moment, and he shook his head, his eyes back to normal. "Ow..." he muttered, his head throbbing as he took another card from his hand. "I set one card facedown and end my turn." With Reston's field cleared, the Gyaku-Gire Panda returned to its original stats.
For a moment, the Pillar of Death hesitated, his fingers twitching over his deck slot. He then shut his eyes and drew the top card, causing the Dark Snake Syndrome to spring to life.
The pain this time dug deeper than ever before, causing Chad's mind to evaporate in a rush of blood and anger. His eyes squeezed shut as he sank to his knees, his body quaking as the black markings tightened against him, and then he rose to his feet again as his eyes opened. This time they were the hungry, contemplating eyes of a snake, black and slitted. His Life Points lowered to 1,900, and a trace of blood leaked out of his mouth. The Dark Room of Nightmare shocked him, but he never even noticed as his Life Points went to 1,600.
But the same pain ran over Reston, and for the first time in a long while, he could feel it through the pain of Feinglory's Systemic Circulatory Deterioration. Bruises covered his body as several of his veins tore, and he coughed up deep, red blood - arterial blood. The ill man sank into a crouch, fingers digging into his arms at the burning, unfamiliar agony. Blood dripped from within the mask as he straightened out, still shaking, and his Life Points locked at 3,600.
He looked into Chad's eyes, and the taller duelist gestured to his facedown card, saying in the deeper pitch, "I activate Numinous Healer."
The facedown card lifted, and this time there was no angelic nursemaid. Instead, Chad shut his eyes and clenched his fists, raising them over his head. He then thrust them down, and a burst of red energy flowed over him, causing him to trill in relief. His Life Points rose back up to 3,100.
All Reston did in response was shut off the oxygen tank, spit blood on the floor, and groan for a moment before saying, "Image awaken."
Black smoke rose from Reston's body, slowly gathering behind him and taking form. He held up his palms, smoke rolling off of them, and in time a creature stepped out of the smoke. It was a thin, hunched figure with orange skin, wearing a black leather tunic and pants, with a metal blindfold over its eyes. It had two shocks of green hair on either side of its head, and held its long-fingered hands out in front of it, giggling on occasion.
"Newdoria," Reston said as he pointed at it. "Make sense?"
What little rational thought Chad had in this state mused over it, and then he shook his head. "Not really."
Shrugging, Reston played a card from his hand, announcing, "Graceful Charity."
The angel that normally appeared for that card did not even dare enter the dead field. Instead, a hand reached out from the clouds and frantically gestured at the Pillar of Death's deck. He drew three cards and took two more, throwing them skyward. The hand caught them and retreated.
"Now play Ekibyo Drakmord on Gyaku-Gire Panda," he continued.
The panda in question suddenly stiffened up, dropping its bamboo stalk. Large parts of its fur fell out, revealing an ugly green rash, and its mouth locked in a pained grin. Foam began to roll over its lips as the panda fell onto all fours, clawing at the ground as unearthly growls left it.
Chad frowned, knowing that card. "It dies in two turns, correct?"
"Two of your turns, yes. Play Monster Reborn for Wall of Illusion in Attack Mode."
The symbol of resurrection glowed on the field, and the wall of flesh and muscles rose up from the ground, dirt covering its bone frame. Its face was back on, but very loose and badly stitched. (1,000/1,800)
"One card facedown," Reston concluded as he set his last card, "and end turn." The fourth candle from the Card of Demise went out, leaving one and only one burning.
With a glance to the Nightmare Wheel, on which the Mad Dog of Darkness was still strapped, Chad sank deeper into the bestial part of his mind and drew his next card. As before, the wheel turned, slicing through the beast's body, but this time Chad took the resulting pain with nothing more than a growl. His Life Points sank to 2,600, and then the Dark Room of Nightmare blasted him with electricity and made that total 2,300.
"Activate Crush Card," the Pillar of Death then said, gesturing to his facedown card, which lifted up. "Sacrifice Wall of Illusion to destroy monsters of 1,500 Attack or greater."
Hearing that drew Chad back to his senses, and he shook his head, gulping.
The Wall of Illusion turned a deep red, and its face began to panic, lips quivering as it shook and swelled. A leak sprang in one muscle, spewing red fog, and then the entire creature exploded in a mass of rotten, bloody meat and putrid bone. Clouds of red smoke passed over the dead field.
Soon the virus-laden smoke covered Chad's field, passing over the Gyaku-Gire Panda (which had its own problems) and engulfing the Enraged Battle Ox and Mad Dog of Darkness. The two began to choke, the Nightmare Wheel dropping the dog back onto Chad's field before shattering. Soon the Enraged Battle Ox rolled its eyes back into its head and bellowed before its body collapsed on itself, and the Mad Dog of Darkness howled before falling dead. They both shattered, leaving Chad without an offense.
At the moment, however, the artist's thoughts were elsewhere. What happened to me? he wondered, beginning to sweat. Every time I tap into that part of my mind, the pain goes away... but I can't think! It's like my body goes on autopilot! He bit his lip, and then turned his hand towards Reston. "None of the cards in my hand are affected," he said, knowing the Crush Card's altered effect.
And then Gazelle gave a short roar, and Chad recalled that part, smirking. "Now I use Gazelle's Image Effect," he continued. "During my Standby Phase, I gain 100 Life Points for each Beast, Beast-Warrior and Winged Beast in my Graveyard, and that's six." A circle of energy surrounded his body, and he bathed in it, his Life Points up to 2,900. He then took a card from his hand, put it on the Duel Disk, and concluded, "I set this monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."
For the first time since the duel had begun, Reston hesitated before taking hold of his next card, pulling it from the deck. Once again, the world turned a burning red as the Dark Snake Syndrome awoke. This time, however, it was through with the slow damage.
To Chad, it felt like an army's worth of knives were pushing themselves out from the pit of his stomach and exiting via his mouth. He convulsed, limbs thrashing about, and then dropped to his hands and knees, blood oozing out from his nose and eardrums. Brusing spread out from the markings on his arms, and he tore at his chest before the pain faded, leaving his Life Points at 1,300. As before, the Dark Room of Nightmare charged up and shocked him, sending his Life Points to 1,000, but he couldn't feel it.
But the Pillar of Death did not go unscathed. His pain just came across in a quieter manner: on drawing the card, he blinked and keeled over, body twitching as he hit the ground and shook. His limbs thrashed for a moment, and then he went still, eyes shut. His Life Points stopped at 2,000.
On rising to his feet, Chad wiped the blood from his face and ears. His eyes had turned into a jackal's, and he stared at Reston as he would wounded prey. "Are you still alive?" he asked.
It was a long pause before Reston moved again. He then pushed himself onto his hands, his eyes clouded with blood. Reaching out, he took his Image's hand and pulled himself back onto his feet, the inside of his oxygen mask coated with red film. In a slow, deliberate movement, he shut off the tank, removed the mask, and threw the rig to one side, leaving it among the dried grass. "Will not need it," he said.
Shaking his head, Chad let out a rumble before saying, "Just get your turn over with, old man."
"Insult? Not like you." The Pillar of Death held up his one card before sliding it into his Magic/Trap Zones. "Set this facedown. End turn. Card of Demise effect meaningless, as hand empty." The last candle blew out, and then all five candles just disappeared.
The tall man snorted, drawing his next card. He showed it to the purple clouds of the Crush Card; it was Blessings of the Hunted, and so they moved away. He then pointed to his Gyaku-Gire Panda, saying, "Your Ekibyo Drakmord will now kill my panda. Good riddance; it wasn't much help by now."
Fighting its convulsions, the rabid panda slowly turned its head, looking back at Chad in disbelief. It then seized up, its head jerked to one side, and it fell onto its side, its body bloating as the disease overwhelmed it. One last breath left its lungs, and it shattered.
One of Reston's arms came up, wiped the blood off of his lips, and stretched out to his side. A card appeared in his hand, and he explained, "Ekibyo Drakmord returned to hand by own effect. Now chain to it with facedown card." He swept the card out, pointing at his Trap, which flipped up to reveal a frightened woman on its artwork. "Activate Sixth Sense. Name two numbers and roll die. If named number rolled, draw cards equal to number. If not, lose cards equal to roll. Name four and six."
"I know how the card works, you old bastard," Chad said with a scowl. "I saw one of the Darkness Infected use it."
"Oh. Did not know."
The air between them turned purple, and a single die fell from within it. The die bounced one, twice, thrice... and landed with the four showing. Reston's hand moved in a smooth glide over his deck, and he pulled four cards, fanning his hand.
All Chad could do was groan, "Lucky son of a bitch." Behind him, Gazelle growled, and he smiled, raising his head as the red energy surrounded him. His Life Points moved back up to 1,600, and he wasted no time in flipping his facedown monster over. "I switch Magician of Faith into Attack Mode, and use her effect to retrieve Pot of Greed from my Graveyard."
A young woman in a purple tunic appeared on Chad's field, dusting off the knees of her red stockings as she stood up. She had light violet hair in a long ponytail, tied with a black ribbon, and was carrying a crescent-headed staff in one hand. (300/400) Raising the staff, she yelled a single word of power.
The field shook, and several small fissures opened up, spitting out pieces of a smashed green pot. These pieces flew together, fusing into a single large pot with an all-too-familiar grin. It winked out of existence, and then appeared in Chad's hand as its card self.
"I'll hold onto this for now," Chad said, his voice seeming to lighten in pitch as he took out another card. "Instead, I'll play Blessings of the Hunted - since I have more than five Beasts and Beast-Warriors in my Graveyard, I can gain 2,500 Life Points!"
A number of bandaged Scapegoats appeared around him, and they all nuzzled against his legs. Whether it was that feeling or the effect of his Life Points rising to 4,100 that did it, something caused his expression to crack, and he staggered for a moment. A few blinks later, his eyes were back to normal.
When injured, turns into savage, Reston noted. When healed or damaged as savage, turns normal. Same man or different mind?
Shaking his head, Chad muttered, "Ugh... Magician of Faith, direct attack with Holy Crescent..."
The mage spun her staff in her hand, took a fancy pose, and whipped it out before herself. A wave of energy burned across the field and slammed into the Pillar of Death, causing him to rock on his heels, although he did not show pain. His Life Points now sat at 1,700.
As Chad waved for Reston to take his turn, he noted, "It just hit me - this turn, Dark Snake Syndrome will deal 3,600 points of damage. I'll survive, but you won't. What do you say to that?"
"Emergency Provisions," Reston replied as he drew his card. The facedown card next to his Dark Snake Syndrome flipped up, revealing it was indeed Emergency Provisions. The bizarre mouth turned, bit through the Dark Snake Syndrome, and vanished as Reston's Life Points became 2,700.
Since the first time he had stepped into the bestial part of his mind, Chad had found himself unable to silence it. But now, as the Dark Snake Syndrome's marks left his body, he gave a sigh of relief; the growls and snarls had quieted.
One of Reston's eyes twitched as he played another card from his hand, announcing, "Ekibyo Drakmord highly contagious. Spreads to Magician of Faith."
This time, the young spellcaster dropped her staff and grabbed her shoulders, shivering as the green rash broke out over her face and hands.
"Set monster in Defense Mode and card facedown," the Pillar of Death concluded, "and end turn there."
As Chad drew, the clouds of the Crush Card gathered tightly around him. To his frustration, he declared, "I drew Berserk Gorilla." The Crush Card burned at his hand like acid, and he winced, sliding the card into his Graveyard. And then Gazelle growled behind him, and the energy washed over him, raising his Life Points to 4,800.
While this went on, Reston just switched his cards around, waiting.
"I know one of the Crush Card's weaknesses," Chad continued once the energy faded. "It has no power over cards that I draw outside of my Draw Phase. So now I'll play Pot of Greed!"
The hologram appeared and chuckled. Chad paid it no mind as he drew his two cards, and then shouted, "And now you won't have the chance to make me watch the Magician of Faith die - I use the effect of Behemoth, King of All Animals, and bring it out for one sacrifice!"
The Pillar of Death seethed. Ekibyo Drakmord only returns to hand by own effect, he thought. Lost if equipped monster leaves field other ways.
The rashes on the Magician of Faith's hands and face disappeared in a fog of green fumes, and she stood up, smiling. She then shattered into a thousand pieces, and a large pink foot slammed into the ground. This foot was connected to a massive, horned beast, its body rippling with muscles and a purple mane running down its back. It roared, shaking the corrupted Tree Swing. (2,700/1,500 - 2,000/1,500)
"By its effect," Chad went on, "I return one Beast from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose Berserk Gorilla..." He took the card and tucked it into his hand. "And now, Behemoth, attack his facedown monster with Wild Monarch's Crash!"
Stomping forward, each footstep shaking the dead ground, the King of All Animals raised its foot. It paused a second, and then brought it down hard, crushing a pair of purple-linened mummies underfoot. (1,000/1,800) A cloud of purple smoke floated across the field and down Chad's lungs, and he burst into a loud, hacking cough, his ribs shaking as his Life Points fell to 4,300. And then the Dark Room of Nightmare zapped him, and the total became 4,000.
"Poison Mummy again," Reston said. His Image, Newdoria, then raised its hands and covered him in black, crackling energy. "Newdoria Image effect," he continued, "called Gift of Death. When monster on this field destroyed without Battle Damage, gain 500 Life Points." His Life Points rose to 3,200.
Catching his breath, Chad felt the bestial noises grow louder in his mind, and thought, No... How much of myself will I lose if I give into them again? "I end my turn."
The Pillar of Death drew, and then paused. After a moment, he noted, "Right. Dark Snake Syndrome gone." He then took a card from his hand and played it, saying, "Poison of the Old Man."
A table rose from the floor next to him, two vials on it. One was short and wide, and held a purple liquid; the other was tall and thin, and held a green chemical. Both were smoking.
"Must choose," Reston explained as he studied the bottles. "May either gain 1,200 Life Points, or do 800 damage to yours. Choose latter." He took the smaller bottle off the table, which then vanished, and whipped the bottle at Chad.
It shattered against the tall man's chest, and then he began to choke, the purple fumes closing his throat for a moment. His Life Points sank to 3,200 as he retched, fighting to get his breath back. And then the Dark Room of Nightmare hit him once again, leaving burn marks on his arms, and he went to 2,900 Life Points.
"Set monster in Defense Mode," Reston concluded, "and turn ends."
For the third and last time, the clouds of the Crush Card gathered around Chad. He raised his head, and for a moment his eyes flickered to that of a snake before he shut them and shook it off. He then stood up, spitting, and drew a card, declaring, "I drew Monster Reborn!" The Crush Card's clouds vanished into wisps of smoke.
Waving his hand, Reston announced, "Activate Life Shaver. For each turn facedown, cuts one card from your hand. Set it six turns ago, so will destroy all cards."
Chad turned pale, watching as a small, sharp razor blade fell from the sky. It cut into his hand, causing him to shout in pain, but more importantly it cleaved all his cards in half. This was just an illusion, but he still had to fold and discard his hand. As always, though, Gazelle then growled, and energy covered him, healing the cut on his hand as he went up to 3,600 Life Points.
I only have one option, the artist thought. "Behemoth, attack his facedown monster!"
"Activate Widespread Ruin," Reston countered. "Destroys monster with highest Attack Points you control. Only one choice."
The King of All Animals stopped, its pink skin beginning to ripple. It then let out a tiny whimper... and exploded, throwing chunks of bone and muscle all over the field. A moment later, it began to rain blood, splattering both Chad and Reston with sticky, salty liquids.
Frowning, Chad muttered, "End turn, then."
Drawing once more, Reston slid the card into his Duel Disk and announced, "Pot of Greed." He ignored the hologram, drawing twice, and then said, "Now may perform deck's key combo. Summon Giant Germ in Attack Mode."
The name was an apt description of the monster. It floated in front of its player, a large, purple spore surrounding several pockets of purple ooze. (1,000/100)
"Now play Lytic Cycle," Reston continued, sliding the card into a Magic/Trap zone. It appeared on his field, showing the picture of a Giant Germ exploding.
A forgotten fact triggered in Chad's mind, and he muttered, "Lytic... Lyse... I know that from high-school biology. When viruses invade a cell, they sometimes reproduce until it can't hold them anymore. And then the cell 'lyses', or bursts, sending more viruses out to continue the process..."
"Lytic Cycle reflection of the process," the Pillar of Death replied. "Pay 500 Life Points to destroy monster on field. In exchange, draw card. May do this until turn ends. Most important part - monsters destroyed count as dying in battle." He let that sink in for a moment.
Chad's eyes widened, and he thought, That means he can hit me with Giant Germ's effect without any risk - his Image effect will make up the cost every time he uses it, and on top of that he draws a card each time he takes away 800 of my Life Points!
Reston paused a moment, feeling his Image set its hands on his shoulders, and then said, "Begin process. Lytic Cycle on Giant Germ." His Life Points lowered to 2,700, and then black energy spread from Newdoria's hands and brought it back up to 3,200.
The germ quivered, stress fractures appearing on its front and sides. Soon the spore cracked open, and then the germ itself exploded, sending out a cloud of purple disease-laden smoke. This drifted over Chad, and he gagged as it choked him, his skin tightening as his Life Points became 3,100. The Dark Room of Nightmare chipped in with its lightning, leaving him at 2,800 Life Points.
"Giant Germ first effect deals 500 Life Points," the Pillar of Death said - without much need, as both knew that. "Second effect Special Summons other two from deck in Attack Mode."
Two more spores floated next to the shattering remains of the first, bobbing in the air before Reston. (1,000/100 x2)
Drawing a card as per Lytic Cycle's effect, Reston continued, "Now sacrifice both Giant Germs to effect of Lytic Cycle."
Both of the spores began to shake, the cracks and fractures covering their surfaces. They then burst open, a double dose of the fog covering Chad. His hair stood on end as his entire body tightened, blood dripping from his nose as his lips pulled back in a rictus grin. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a living corpse for a moment as the germs ran through his system. Between their combined effects and two blasts from the Dark Room of Nightmare, his Life Points plunged to 1,200.
After adding another two cards to his hand, Reston played another, saying, "Play Symbol of Heritage. If three monsters of same name in Graveyard, may pay 800 Life Points to summon one to field. Bring back Giant Germ."
Reston's Life Points settled down to 2,400, and a strange variant on the "stylized ankh" of Monster Reborn appeared on the field, three gems in its centerpiece. It shone for a moment, and then another Giant Germ rose into being, hovering in front of the Pillar of Death. (1,000/100)
Chad frowned at seeing that last Giant Germ, thinking, If he has any more ways to damage me in his hand, this duel will end on this turn. He could hear the roaring and howling in his mind, beckoning him to abandon himself to it, and threw his willpower against it, trying to pen it back.
"Lytic Cycle effect once more," the Pillar of Death said, his Life Points falling to 1,900... until Newdoria covered his body with the black energy yet again, keeping his Life Points at 2,400.
Again the Giant Germ shook and convulsed, and then exploded into a cloud of plague and germs. It flew over Chad, and this time he was beyond the pain, even as his body adopted the corpse's shriveling yet again. Blood dripped from his mouth as his Life Points bottomed to 700, and then to 400 when the Dark Room of Nightmare gave him one final blast.
"Set card facedown," Reston said, "and end turn. Draw."
The artist swayed where he stood for a moment, his body replenishing itself and shaking off the enforced rigor mortis. He then raised his head, and his eyes briefly set Reston on edge - they were now the dead, empty black eyes of a shark. He wiped the blood from his mouth and drew a card, Gazelle roaring behind him...
Reston merely waved to his activating trap. "Bad Reaction to Simotchi," he explained. "Turns healing into Life Point loss. Even applies to Image effects. Duel over."
Chad's eyes turned human as it sunk in, and he dropped his card, watching it flutter to the ground. It landed face-up, a Wild Nature's Release.
And then Gazelle bit into his shoulder, the energy turned blood-red, and it was as though his soul were infected. The artist cried out in pure agony, Gazelle's effect causing his body to jerk and spasm as it ripped through his cells. His eyes themselves began to bleed, dripping like red tears on his clothing, and he arched backwards as his Life Points struck zero.
The Tree Swing and its hanging corpses vanished, and the field beneath the feet of both duelists faded away. Reston shook his arm, his Duel Disk turning to smoke, and strode up to Chad with his hands behind him. "Gave into the beast," he said. "First mistake."
Even as the Darkness Infection rose through him, Chad could hear the words. He swallowed, grunting, "You knew?"
"Could sense it in your actions. Its power great, but not enough. Foolish enough to succumb to it. Not enough to win."
The tall man felt his legs buckle, and dropped onto his hands and knees, breathing hard. I... I have no idea how much of myself I may have lost... and it still wasn't enough...
The Pillar of Death laid his hand on Chad's head. "You go bye-bye."
In a rush of pure torture, the Darkness Infection burst through Chad Montmelier, and the entire world became a single pinpoint... which blinked out.
0000000
"Laura fell," Degas noted as the duel ended. "Sol fell. Now Chad is down. That leaves just Gerald to finish out the set. Perhaps we were being overcautious when we chose to hold the Pillar of Death in reserve... had we sent him out first, we could have wiped out Gerald and his friends without any trouble."
Alexander narrowed his eyes, a look of utter concern on his face. "We had good reasons for worrying. And lest we forget, he still has to duel Gerald before we can declare victory. That will be the determining factor."
"You have a point, Alexander... Still, two out of three is two better than any of the other Pillars can claim."
The man in green sighed, leaning against his armrest as the mirrors changed their picture. He then asked, "When will we send Hanzaki to take care of our... errand?"
"Once he returns with your girlfriend," Degas replied. "By the way, why is she taking so long?"
"I haven't a clue... and I would not not to spoil her fun by spying on her," Alexander said.
The man in black rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "This is part of why I keep to myself."
0000000
Gerald watched as the orb of darkness swirled into nothing but a black fog. This soon cleared, revealing the Pillar of Death and Chad. As Gerald had both feared and expected, his friend was unconscious on the ground, his body marked with the Darkness Infection.
Reston bent over Chad, adjusting his body into the recovery position, and then straightened up. He blinked, and then knelt beside the defeated young man, retrieving a discarded oxygen tank and hooking it to his waist before standing again.
The Chosen of the Light and the Pillar of Death stared at each other for a long, silent moment. Both looked directly into each other's eyes, but neither looked away or flinched. In the end, Gerald raised his arm, reached up, and activated his Duel Disk. The tray swung out and locked into position.
With a hiss of breath, Reston shook his head. "Not here," he said. "Great Lakes Ballroom. Go there when ready." Three booming sounds and three rings of black energy spread out from his feet, and he vanished.
After uttering a curse under his breath, Gerald took a few deep breaths, shut off his Duel Disk, and headed into Camp Snoopy, briefly nodding to his comatose friend. His footsteps led him to the west.
0000000
Elsewhere in the Twin Cities, in front of a small antique shop, a man clad from head to toe in Lycra sat on the ground, drumming his fingers. Hanzaki had arrived here an hour ago, and somehow his passenger had yet to emerge. And this was after spending a half-hour at Midway Books, from which she had emerged empty-handed.
The clerks are all down and out, Hanzaki thought, what could take you so long? Oh, this was most definitely not in my job description...
As he thought that, the most beautiful sound in the world came to his ear: the sound of the bell over the shop's door ringing. Bethany stepped out next to him, wearing a modest blue dress, and he pushed himself back to his feet. "Find anything?" he said in a voice that mostly concealed his boredom.
The girl nodded, carefully holding up her find. It was a statue, carved from gray stone, that showed three frogs gathered in a half-circle around a larger frog. "Do you think he'll like it?" she asked.
"I just work for him," the messenger replied. "I'm not his art critic."
Opening the bag she was carrying, Bethany set the statue back into it and frowned. "I hope he does... after all, last year I didn't get him anything."
"You two had yet to meet last year..."
"That's not the point!" the former Pillar of Chaos snapped.
LIFE SHAVER
Type: Normal Trap Card
Image: An hourglass in midair, its bottom broken and the sand spilling into a waiting hand.
Effect: For each Standby Phase that this card was facedown on your field before activation, your opponent discards one card from their hand.
Note: This card was used by Kaiba in the original series episode "Clash in the Coliseum, Part Three". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
LYTIC CYCLE
Type: Normal Magic Card
Image: A Giant Germ bursting apart from within.
Effect: You may only play this card during your Main Phase 1. For the rest of this turn, you may destrpy monsters on your side of the field by paying 500 Life Points. Monsters destroyed this way are considered destroyed in battle. Each time you destroy a monster, you may draw a card. During your End Phase, remove this card from play.
NEWDORIA
Image Effect: "Gift of Death" - If a monster you control is destroyed, and you do not receive Battle Damage from its destruction, you gain 500 Life Points.
Coming next chapter: The Pillar of Death has overcome every opponent he has faced thus far. Now the only one left to confront him is Gerald Laxina himself. Without any knowledge of his opponent's strategy, armed only with the deck he has wielded against all comers, the Chosen of the Light must face the Darkness's champion... a man who has defeated both of his allies. Can Gerald overcome Reston's viral might? Find out in Chapter Twenty-Nine, "Epidemic".
