I rarely have to cite sources in my fanfics for anything except the cards, but I have to do so in this chapter. The source I used for Jalal's analysis of the riddle in this chapter came from, in part, The Annotated Mother Goose, by William S. Baring-Gould and Ceil Baring-Gould. Credit goes to them.
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DUEL THIRTY-SEVEN
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Silver Wing
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Jalal stepped out of the portal, into the alternate dimension. Unlike Jinx, he suffered no queasiness from doing so. He had been using supernatural forms of travel for far too long for any of them to give him motion sickness.
The only reason he had never joined Morgana's Kin was because he didn't meet the biggest requisite – he wasn't female. For some reason, only a female body could transverse the dimensions the way they could. He wouldn't need to bother breaking into the Black Library if he was a member. They had easier access to much better stores of knowledge, the least of which was the Origin Universe, probably the biggest vault of information in the cosmos.
But the Kin's current Shadowchasers representative was away at the moment, and Jalal needed answers now.
As he expected, the portal had taken him to a subterranean location; it was a cave system where the ruler of this dimension held his most valuable things.
But the actual place the portal had taken him was a surprise. He was in the center of a large room shaped like a hexagon, similar to an arena. There was a door on each wall.
Jalal tensed. He drew his sword.
"Gee, Jalal," said a voice, "you are so uptight. You think someone's gonna charge in there claws first?"
Jalal frowned. He knew that voice. So incredibly annoying...
"I'm in no mood for games, Xvartnar," he said.
The door in front of him opened, and Xvartnar walked in. The guardian oni was seven feet tall, with blue skin, pointed ears, and long, pale white hair. To most mortals, he would be very intimidating. Jalal was not like most.
Xvartnar hadn't changed his wardrobe since their last encounter, still wearing the leather shirt and pants, black sneakers, and sunglasses. Of course, Jalal hadn't torn his clothes to shreds the last time, so Xvartnar had no reason to change it.
"So, your boss seems to have finally beefed up security here," said Jalal.
"Yup," said Xvartnar. "You should have seen him after you came last time... Boy, was he angry..."
"So I suppose that even if I take you down," said Jalal, "I'd have to fight my way past a horde of booby traps to get to the Black Library...
"Xvartnar... Have you ever seen me angry? I mean really angry?"
"Well, uhm?" said Xvartnar.
"I want this to end, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "If I have to truly kill you to get your selfish, spoiled brat of a boss to leave his endless parties and come to a proper negotiating table, then that's what I'll do..."
For the first time since Jalal had known him, Xvartnar looked scared. He gulped.
Then he smiled again.
"Tell you what, Jalal..." he said. "No need to fight... I'll turn off the system if...
"Uh... If you can answer a riddle."
"A riddle??" said Jalal, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah," said Xvartnar. "Yah like riddles?"
"Frankly, no…" replied Jalal. "But I'll hear it if it will get me past you without a fight."
"Kay…" said the oni. "Listen closely… Ahem…
As I was going to St Ives,
I met a man with seven wives;
Each wife had seven sacks;
Each sack had seven cats;
Each cat had seven kits;
Kits, cats, sacks, wives;
How many were going to St Ives?"
Jalal sighed.
"What?" asked Xvartnar. "Too hard for you?"
"No," replied Jalal, "I'm just upset that you think I'm dumb."
"Dumb?" said Xvartnar.
"Xvartnar, I know that little nursery rhyme," said Jalal. "I'm British, remember? Britain is where that little ditty originated. There are several towns in Britain and other parts of Europe named St. Ives.
"And that isn't a true riddle. It can't be answered, because it simply doesn't give enough information. In any assumptions that someone answering it must make, the rhyme only tells us that the second party has been 'met', and gives no further information about the intentions of the group, only that of the narrator."
"Say what?" said Xvartnar, making a dumb look.
"Look…" explained Jalal. "If we assume that the narrator has overtaken the man and his party, and both are going to St. Ives, then it's a simple mathematical problem. The answer in this case is 2,802, consisting of the narrator, the man, seven wives, forty-nine sacks, 343 adult cats, and 2,401 kittens."
"So is that your answer?" asked Xvartnar, with a grin.
"NO!" shouted Jalal, with such force that the oni stepped backwards. "I'm not done. You see, Xvartnar, that is only one possibility based on one assumption. Another assumption is that the narrator met this party coming from the opposite direction, coming from St. Ives. In that case, the answer to the supposed riddle would be one, only the narrator."
"Well, uhm…" said Xvartnar.
"Alternatively," continued Jalal, "based on that same assumption, another answer to the riddle, based on pure logic, is zero. The question specifically asked is how many kits, cats, sacks, and wives were going to St. Ives. That would exclude even the narrator, and none of the four stated categories are going, so the answer would be zero.
"Alternatively, one could even assume that when the narrator 'met' this party, they were not traveling at all. They could have been met while at their house or at a public place. Again, depending on which logic you used, the answer would be one or zero."
"All right! All right already!" shouted Xvartnar, throwing up his arms. "Good grief, I thought the answer was one! I saw it in an old movie…"
Jalal put his hand on his hip.
"Die Hard With a Vengeance, right?" he asked. "Not exactly the cutting edge of culture, even for its time…"
"Damn it, Jalal, do you always have to be so serious?" growled Xvartnar. "You don't have a funny bone in your whole body!"
Jalal stared at him. Then he closed his eyes, and recited the same rhyme, only somewhat different.
While I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives.
Of course, the seven wives weren't his,
But then, sometimes, that's how it is.
Xvartnar looked at him, flabbergasted.
"Hey..." said the oni. "You told a joke... YOU told a joke! Jalal actually told a joke!"
"Yes, I did..." muttered Jalal, under his breath. "Unfortunately, my doing so is one of the impending signs of the apocalypse."
"What did you say?" asked Xvartnar.
"Nothing," said Jalal. "I'll tell you later..."
Xvartnar sighed.
He took a Duel Disk off his back, and slipped it on his arm.
"Alright then..." he said. "Since the riddle idea bombed, I'll make a deal with you...
"We settle this the same way we did last time... I win, you leave for now, and I'll give your message to my boss...
"You win, I'll turn off the security system, let you into the Black Library, and when you're done with it, I'll still give your message to my boss.
"At least this way I'll have a chance of lessening some of the anger he's going to have when he finds out that the money he spent to keep you out isn't gonna do so for very long."
For a minute, Jalal considered refusing, and just forcing his way past.
But if he got rid of Xvartnar, a new guardian oni would take his place, and the whole thing would start all over again. This had to end...
"Fine..." said Jalal. "I accept!"
His sword vanished, and his custom Duel Disk appeared on his arm.
Xvartnar smirked a little.
I still have one advantage, he thought, looking at his deck. The boss also splurged on a new deck, one with several cards that are particularly effective against Jalal's strategy.
I may have to give the boss the message, but if I can at least beat him this time, it won't look as bad when I do...
The half-dragon and the guardian oni looked at each other.
"Let's do this!" they both shouted.
They both drew five cards off their decks.
(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Xvartnar: 8,000)
"Since you challenged me, I'll make the first move," said Jalal.
He made his first move.
"I summon my Axe Dragonute to the field."
In an aura of darkness a Dragon that looked similar to Ember's Flamvell Gurnika, only with pitch-black scales, materialized. It carried a nasty, two-bladed battle axe. (2,000 ATK)
"I'll set a facedown card for later," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and end my turn."
"My move..." said Xvartnar.
He made a draw.
"I summon Dunames Dark Witch," he said.
He played the card, and a pretty female Fairy in a red dress with metallic wings appeared on his side of the field. (1,800 ATK)
"I see you've traded in your Fallen Angels for more respectable ones," said Jalal.
Jalal, old buddy, thought Xvartnar, you don't know the half of it...
"I give her an Equip Spell," he continued, "the Cestus of Dagla!"
Two sharp blades appeared in Dunames's hands. (2,300 ATK)
"And I activate Threatening Roar!" shouted Jalal, as his facedown card shot up.
A bellow sounded over the field, stopping Dunames cold.
"Eh..." said Xvartnar, as he threw a card into his Disk. "I'll set this... For later..."
"My move..." said Jalal.
He drew a card, and then quickly played a Spell Card.
"I play Dragon Heart," he said. "I'm not allowed to summon a Monster on the turn I use this Spell...
"But I am allowed to select three Dragons from my deck, and send them to the Graveyard..."
He discarded three cards.
"...and in return, one Dragon on the field gains a boost."
Axe Dragonute roared. (3,000 ATK)
"Attack Dunames Dark Witch!" he shouted.
The Fairy wailed as the savage dragon-man struck with its axe, blowing her to pixels.
"Axe Dragonute now moves to Defense Mode," said Jalal.
The axe-wielding Dragon knelt, and held its axe in its lap. (1,200 DEF)
"I think I'll activate this," said Xvartnar.
His facedown card lifted up.
"Jar of Greed. Now I get one draw."
Jalal looked at him strangely.
"I end my turn..." he said.
(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)
Xvartnar made a draw.
"I'll set one Monster, and one facedown card, and that'll be all," he said, as two cards appeared in front of him.
Jalal quickly made a draw.
"I sacrifice Axe Dragonute…" he said.
The axe-wielder vanished into a globe of light.
"…to summon Divine Dragon Excelion!"
The Dragon that appeared looked different than most Dragons in the game. Rather than the Western dragons that dominated the Type, this one looked like an oriental dragon, with a serpentine body, silvery scales, and a mane of long, wispy hair. (1,500 ATK)
"Uh…" said Xvartnar. "A little weak for a Level 5, wouldn't you say?"
"On its own, yes," replied Jalal. "But Excelion has three effects. And I can choose one for each additional Excelion in my Graveyard."
"But…" said Xvartnar.
Then he stopped short.
"Oh…" he said. "You put two of them there when you played Dragon Heart, right?"
"That's right," said Jalal. "So first, I'll choose the effect that gives it 1,000 more Attack Points.
"And then I'll choose the effect that lets it attack a second time after destroying a Monster!"
Excelion roared. (2,500 ATK)
"Doesn't seem so weak now, does it?" asked Jalal. "Excelion, incinerate his Monster with celestial blast!"
The Divine Dragon blasted a bolt of pure light at the reversed Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card briefly before shattering.
"I get to draw one card," said Xvartnar, making a draw.
"Well I'm not done," said Jalal. "It gets to attack twice, remember?
"Attack him directly!"
Excelion breathed its mighty blast again.
"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Xvartnar.
His facedown card shot up.
"Defense Draw. Now, I take no damage, and I get to draw another card..."
The bolt of energy dissipated into sparkles of light. He made another draw.
Quite a lot of draw power in this deck of his, thought Jalal. He's setting up for something...
"I end my turn..." he said.
Xvartnar made a draw.
Sweet... he thought.
He quickly played a Spell Card, and some very distinctive music started to echo through the chamber.
Jalal recognized the tune. Being a member of the upper class, he had attended opera enough times to recognize the famous melody from Wagner's Die Walküre...
And he knew well the effect of Ride of the Valkyries in a game of Duel Monsters.
Three Valkyries, women in golden armor on white horses, holding shields and swords, appeared in front of Xvartnar. The only noticeable difference between them was the color of their hair. One's was red (1,000 ATK), another's was green (1,600 ATK), and the last one's was pink. (1,600 ATK)
"Impressive, ain't it?" said Xvartnar. "And what's more, each of these Valkyries has a special effect. Let's start with Valkyrie Zweite."
The pink-haired Valkyrie pointed her spear at Divine Dragon Excelion, and it shattered into pixels.
"Next," said Xvartnar, "Valkyrie Erste removes a Monster in your Graveyard from play, and assumes its Attack Score. Like your Axe Dragonute."
The card slipped out of Jalal's discard slot, and the green-haired Valkyrie glowed with golden energy. (2,000 ATK)
"Finally, Valkyrie Dritte gains 100 Attack Points for each of your cards that have been removed from play."
(1,100 ATK)
"Okay ladies... Sick 'em!"
The three Valkyries galloped towards Jalal, swords first. He staged backwards as the points stabbed into him, and then fell on one knee.
(J: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)
"Hurts, doesn't it?" asked Xvartnar.
"Enjoy it while you can..." growled Jalal, getting up. "Since you summoned them with Ride of the Valkyries, they'll all go back to your deck when you end your turn."
"I know that," said Xvartnar. "So, since I haven't made a Normal Summon yet, I'm gonna set a Monster..."
A reversed Monster appeared.
"Then I'll set this..."
A reversed card appeared.
"And ladies, it's been a pleasure..."
The three Valkyries vanished.
"Oh, yeah," said Jalal, as he made a draw. "I'm sure you're a hit with all the lady demons…"
Xvartnar frowned.
"I play Cards of Consonance!" exclaimed Jalal, as he played a Spell Card. "I just have to toss one Dragon-Type Tuner with 1,000 Attack Points or less…"
He discarded Debris Dragon.
"…and I get to draw two cards."
He made two draws.
"I'll throw three cards facedown, and then summon Luster Dragon!"
Three reversed cards appeared, and then the beautiful, sapphire Dragon appeared in an aura of light. (1,900 ATK)
"Attack his Monster!" he shouted. "Sapphire spark!"
Luster Dragon blasted a beam of pure energy at the hidden Monster. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to dust.
"I figured as much," said Jalal, as he discarded the one card left in his hand.
They both made five draws. Jalal looked them over.
"It's your move, pal," he said.
Xvartnar chuckled, and made a sixth draw.
He fit two cards into his Disk, and two reversed cards appeared next to the one he already had.
"That'll do for now," he said.
Jalal lifted an eyebrow.
"No Monsters?" he said.
He drew a card.
This couldn't be as easy as it seems, he thought. I'd better wait before summoning a Monster…
"Luster Dragon," he said, "attack…"
"I activate… Wotan's Judgment!" exclaimed Xvartnar, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.
A bearded man in a green cloak appeared in front of him, and held a cudgel in front of himself menacingly.
"To play this card, I've got to swap a Spell Card from my hand with the top card from my deck…"
He took the top card off his deck, and placed a card on top.
"…then I shuffle my deck…"
His Disk reshuffled the deck.
"…and your Battle Phase ends right now."
"I'll set a Monster, and end my turn," said Jalal, setting a card.
A concealed Monster appeared next to Luster Dragon.
Didn't miss a beat, thought Xvartnar with a frown. Can anything at all unnerve this guy?
He made a draw.
"Just what I was looking for," he said.
"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!"
He played the card, and the arena became immersed in a golden light...
After a few seconds, it had been transformed into a vast hall, with red curtains and marble pillars, with a throne at the far end.
"Fitting I should use this card, Jalal," said Xvartnar. "The Valkyries were the Choosers of the Slain... They took the souls of warriors who died in battle to this grand hall, where Odin was their host..."
"Only half of them, actually," replied Jalal. "The other half went to a similar palace called Fólkvangr, where Freya was the ruler. Valhalla simply gets more attention because it's mentioned in more stories."
Xvartnar growled.
"You always have to one-up me, don't you?" he shouted.
"Well, I tend to read books, rather than horde them like your employer does," said Jalal.
"Uh... touché..." said Xvartnar.
He played a card.
"Well, fine by me, because this Spell lets me Special Summon a Fairy every round, so long as I have no Monsters on the field. So say hello to Valkyrie Brunhilde!"
Another Valkyrie materialized, one who looked much like the others, only with blue hair. (1,800 ATK)
"Brunhilde is known among the Valkyries as a dragon-slayer, Jalal, so much that she gains 300 Attack Points for each one on the field."
(2,100 ATK)
"I could attack your Luster Dragon... But... I got a better idea..."
One of his two facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Dunames Dark Witch."
Dunames reappeared in an aura of light. (1,800 ATK)
"And then, I sacrifice her..."
Dunames vanished into a globe of energy.
"...for Fortune's Chariot!"
In an explosion of radiance, a golden chariot, pulled by two horses, appeared next to Brunhilde.
Brunhilde quickly dismounted her horse, which faded into light, and mounted the chariot, taking the reigns.
"With my Valkyrie Union Equipped with Fortune Chariot," continued Xvartnar, she's able to attack directly, so long as I cut her Attack Score in half.
"Think I'll do just that...
"Attack directly! Pride of Asgard!"
Brunhilde urged the two horses forward, and the Chariot flew at Jalal. (1,050 ATK) Jalal grunted as she made a swipe at him with her blade.
(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 7,300)
"Who says opera is always boring?" said Xvartnar, as she landed back on his side of the field. "Next, I'll activate this..."
His last facedown card lifted up.
"Erda's Guidance. I toss one card..."
He discarded a Spell Card, Swan Maiden.
"And I get to take a Trap Card from my Graveyard and set it on the field."
A set card appeared.
"And I end my turn."
It's obviously Wotan's Judgment, thought Jalal. This guy is persistent, I'll give him that...
He drew a card. He looked at the Spell Card.
But that's all I'll give him...
"I play Stamping Destruction!" he shouted.
He played the Spell Card, and Luster Dragon slammed its foot down, sending a shockwave towards the facedown card, which was, as he expected, Wotan's Judgment. It shattered into pieces.
"Eh, no big deal..." said Xvartnar.
"You also lose 500 Life Points," said Jalal.
"Eh..." said Xvartnar.
"Next, I sacrifice this Monster..." said Jalal.
His hidden Monster vanished.
"...to summon White-Horned Dragon!"
With a loud screech, a new Dragon appeared. It had blood-red scales, an armored hide, large wings, and a horn like that of a unicorn growing from its forehead. (2,200 ATK)
"You big dummy!" laughed Xvartnar. "That just makes Brunhilde stronger!"
(2,400 ATK)
"But White-Horned Dragon has a special effect," said Jalal. "By summoning it, I can remove up to five Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play."
Cestus of Dagla, Ride of the Valkyries, Swan Maiden, and Erda's Guidance appeared above Xvartnar's head, and vanished into nothing.
"And then, its Attack Score is increased by 300 points per card!"
(3,400 ATK)
"Attack Valkyrie Brunhilde!" he shouted. "Horn Drive Buster!"
White-Horned Dragon dive-bombed the Valkyrie, using its horn like a lance. There was an explosion at the point of impact. Xvartnar shielded himself...
When the smoke cleared, the Fortune Chariot was gone, but Brunhilde was still there, once again on her regular mount.
"My Monster survived..." sneered Xvartnar. "She used the Chariot as a shield..."
"Then I'll move Luster Dragon to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Jalal.
Luster Dragon folded its wings, and curled up in a defensive position. (1,600 DEF)
(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,800)
"My draw…" said Xvartnar, drawing a card.
He looked at the Spell Card.
"I'll throw this facedown," he said, as it appeared behind Brunhilde.
"Then I'll attack with Brunhilde!"
Brunhilde charged at Luster Dragon, and with one swipe of her broadsword, cut it in half. Her Attack Score fell to 2,100.
"You're probably wondering why I did that," said Xvartnar. "Well…"
"What, kept her in Attack Mode?" asked Jalal. "I know about her other effect… She can survive a battle if you shave 1,000 points off her Defense Score. And with it at 2,000, it would take three attacks to defeat her."
Xvartnar grit his teeth.
"Then make your move and try it," he dared.
"I'll accept that challenge," said Jalal, making a draw.
One of his three facedown cards lifted up.
"I activate Immortal Dragon, to summon Debris Dragon back to the field."
The silvery-scaled Tuner Dragon appeared next to White-Horned Dragon. (1,000 ATK)
"Now, I'll Tune together Debris Dragon and White-Horned Dragon…"
Debris Dragon turned into four glowing stars. Then White-Horned Dragon turned into six. They started circling around the ceiling.
"Ten Levels??" gasped Xvartnar.
Then Valhalla itself started to shake. A wall of fire rose behind Jalal.
"What's going on??" shouted the guardian oni.
Jalal chanted.
"An inferno of burning fire rises from the flaming pits of Hell. Clustering stars call forth a draconian fury like none other! Rage times three!"
A huge creature started to rise behind him. Six glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, and then a roar sounded through the great hall that could best be described as three roars combined…
"Synchro Summon… Trident Dragion!"
The beast was bigger than any of his other Dragons, and looked far meaner. It had red scales, and no limbs except for the huge wings on its back. Most remarkable, it had three vicious Dragon heads on serpentine necks. (3,000 ATK)
"Heh…" said Xvartnar, nervously. "Okay, that's… impressive… but… Didn't your White-Horned Dragon have more Attack Points?"
"That it did," said Jalal, "but this big guy has a powerful effect. By Synchro Summoning it, I can destroy up to two of my cards, and for each one I destroy, it gets an extra attack."
Jalal's two facedown cards lifted up and shattered into pieces.
"Those were Statue of the Wicked Traps!" shouted Xvartnar.
"Indeed!" replied Jalal. "And that means I get two Wicked Tokens!"
Two ugly Fiends appeared, one to each side of Trident Dragion. They looked like large serpents with demonic faces, wearing Egyptian headdresses. (1,000 ATK x2)
"And because I destroyed those cards," said Jalal, "Trident Dragion can attack three times!
"Attack Valkyrie Brunhilde! Flame Fury!"
A super-hot blast of fire shot out of Trident Dragion's left head. Brunhilde screamed, and her Defense Score fell down to 1,000. Xvartnar struggled, and sweat appeared on his brow.
"Again!" shouted Jalal. "Second Flame Fury!"
Brunhilde screamed again as the fire from the beast's right head roasted her, and her Defense Score fell to zero.
"Finish her off! Final Flame Fury!"
Trident Dragion shot an even more intense blast from its central head, and Brunhilde didn't even get a chance to scream this time. She was incinerated in an instant.
(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,100)
"I'm not done with you!" shouted Jalal. "Wicked Tokens… Attack him directly!"
"Ergh…" growled Xvartnar. "I activate my Spell Card…"
His set Quickplay Spell lifted up.
"Celestial Transformation. Now I can Special Summon a Fairy from my hand to defend me.
"Her Attack Score will be cut in half, but I can summon her in Defense Mode!"
In an aura of light, Valkyrie Dritte appeared, holding her shield in front of her. (1,600 DEF)
"In that case," said Jalal, "I'll set this card facedown..."
A reversed card appeared.
"...and my turn is over. That means the Monster you summoned with Celestial Transformation is destroyed."
Dritte shattered into pixels.
"Yeah, yeah..." said Xvartnar, drawing a card.
He quickly played it.
"All right Jalal... I play the Spell Card, Card of Demise... I get to draw cards until I have five... The downside is, after five turns, I lose my whole hand."
"Not bad..." replied Jalal. "But using that card requires that you be actually able to count to five."
Xvartnar growled and held his forehead.
"You know," he shouted, "I think I liked you better when you had no sense of humor!
"Anyway..."
He made four draws. He looked over the four cards.
Well what do you know... he thought. This is just what I need to get rid of triple-ugly...
"I play Awakening from Beyond," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "You get to draw twice, but I get to recover a Monster from my Graveyard."
Jalal made two draws, and Xvartnar took Valkyrie Brunhilde from his discard slot.
"Since you seem to know so much about Norse mythology," he continued, "I'm sure you know that death is never permanent for a warrior who fights in Valhalla. Thanks to its effect, Brunhilde returns."
Brunhilde appeared once again, astride her mount. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)
"In case you didn't notice, her Defense Score is set back to its base. But that's not going to matter due to this Equip Spell..."
He played a card, and Brunhilde's normal sword was replaced by a glowing, silver one with a bejeweled hilt.
"Enchanted Sword Nothung!" exclaimed Jalal.
"That's right!" replied Xvartnar. "Simply by activating it, I can remove that three-headed eyesore from play..."
Trident Dragion vanished into ripples of light.
"...AND, the same thing will happen to any Dragon that comes near her!" he. "Plus, the Sword raises her Attack Score by 400!"
(2,200 ATK)
"Go!" he shouted. "Tear down that Wicked Token!"
Brunhilde charged at the Token on the right, and swung Nothung at the evil statue, smashing it to pieces.
(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,100)
Jalal frowned, and his facedown Trap Card lifted up.
"I activate... Damage Gate," he said. "It lets me Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard with equal or less Attack Points than the amount of damage I took."
Golem Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)
"Eh?" said Xvartnar. "Hold up... I thought you had Dark End Dragon in your deck..."
"I do..." said Jalal. "What's your point?"
"So... Why didn't you use Damage Gate to bring back Debris Dragon?" asked Xvartnar. "You could have used Dark End to get rid of my Monster, and..."
"You should study up on Tuners more, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "Level 4 Tuners usually come with strings attached. Debris Dragon can't be Tuned with another Level 4 Monster."
"In that case, Jalal, I end my turn..." said Xvartnar. "I don't see what you're gonna do with those two guys anyway...
"Unless you can attack my Valkyrie three times with something other than a Dragon, she's untouchable."
Jalal drew a card.
"Not quite," said Jalal. "Those two cards I drew thanks to your Awakening from Beyond gave me half of the solution...
"And the card I just drew gave me the other half.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
The cyclone blew towards Brunhilde, blowing Enchanted Sword Nothung out of her hand. It shattered against the wall of Valhalla.
"Now..." said Jalal. "I sacrifice both my Monsters..."
The Wicked Token and Golem Dragon vanished into orbs of light. Rays of white and black energy shot out from the spots where the two Monsters were.
"Oh... no..." said Xvartnar. "Not this guy again..."
A giant Dragon loomed over the field. It wasn't as big as Trident Dragion, but it was just as menacing. Its right side was pure white, and had a feathered wing. Its other side was pitch black, and had a bat wing. It had two tails, and radiated light one moment, and shadows the next.
(2,800 ATK)
"Ho boy..." said Xvartnar.
"Light and Darkness Dragon..." ordered Jalal, "attack Valkyrie Brunhilde with Dark Baptism!"
The mighty Dragon breathed a blast of pure darkness from its jaws, enveloping Brunhilde in utter darkness...
"I use Brunhilde's effect!" shouted Xvartnar.
"Not a chance," said Jalal.
Light and Darkness Dragon crackled with energy, and its Attack Score fell to 2,300. Brunhilde shattered into pixels.
"Your Valkyrie's effect failed, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "Just like the effect of any card you try to play, so long as my Dragon can deduct 500 points from both its Scores.
"I'll set one card facedown, and end my turn."
(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,400)
Xvartnar drew.
He looked at the facedown card Jalal had just set. Then he looked at the four cards in his hand.
Then he smiled.
You aren't gonna fool me this time, Jalal, he thought. You're pulling the exact same trick you did before!
The facedown card is a third Statue of the Wicked. When your Dragon runs out of juice and I destroy it, it will be destroyed too, you'll get another Token, and another Monster from your Graveyard from its effect. Then you'll retrieve that thing from your Graveyard and summon it again.
Well... This time, I'm ready for ya!
"I set a Monster, and two facedown cards!" he shouted.
Two vertical reversed cards appeared, and one horizontal.
"Your move..."
Jalal made a draw.
"Light and Darkness Dragon, attack!" he shouted. "Shining Breath!"
This time the Dragon blasted a beam of pure light. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.
"I activate the effect of Skelengel..." said Xvartnar.
"No you won't..." said Jalal.
Light and Darkness Dragon pulsated with energy again. (1,800 ATK)
"It's your move..." said Jalal.
Xvartnar chuckled as he made a draw.
He looked at it. It was Nobleman of Crossout.
"Hmm!" he said.
"I activate Reckless Greed..." he said, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.
The Dragon radiated its aura again, and the Trap Card shattered. (1,300 ATK)
"Next, I activate Shadow Spell," he said, as his other Trap Card lifted up.
Once again, Light and Darkness Dragon reacted, blowing the card to shards. (800 ATK)
"Heh, seems your big bad Dragon is all out of power, Jalal!" he laughed.
He took one of the two cards from his hand.
"I summon Banisher of the Radiance!"
In an aura of light, a faceless, legless figure wearing a cape, with a pulsating mass in its chest appeared. (1,600 ATK)
"When this guy is on the field," he said, "all cards that would normally go to the Graveyard are instead removed from play. So it seems your Dragon's effect ain't gonna work this time...
"Banisher of the Radiance... Attack!"
Jalal smirked as the weird Fairy prepared to fire a beam of light at the huge Dragon.
His facedown Spell Card, which was clearly not Statue of the Wicked, shot up.
"I activate Forbidden Chalice," he said.
"HUH?" said Xvartnar. "Forbidden Chalice?"
"It increases a Monster's Attack Score by 400," said Jalal, "and robs it of its effect until the End Phase."
"Wait..." said Xvartnar, as his eyes opened wide, "if that Dragon loses its effect..."
Light and Darkness Dragon roared... (3,200 ATK)
Xvartnar covered his head as the huge Dragon unleashed its counterattack, reducing Banisher of the Radiance to a pile of smoldering ashes.
(J: 1,050) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 800)
"Anything else?" asked Jalal.
Xvartnar hung his head. Light and Darkness Dragon would regain its effect when he ended his turn, which meant that Nobleman of Crossout wouldn't even be useful as a bluff.
"I give up..." he said, with a voice full of bile.
The Duel Disks deactivated, and the Dragon and Valhalla vanished.
"Lead the way, Xvartnar," said Jalal. "And it is in your best interest to keep your word and give your boss my message."
"Because if you have to force your way past me again, you're gonna kill me, right?" asked Xvartnar.
"Remember that joke I made?" asked Jalal. "I said something afterwards, I told you I'd tell you what it was later...
"What I said was, my making a joke is one of the impending signs of the apocalypse.
"Something is brewing in my neck of the woods that may threaten not only my world, but several others. So my having more use of the Black Library will be a benefit to your boss as well as to me..."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"Down the hall and up the stairs, it said..." said Ember. "It didn't say these stairs went up five floors. Would it kill them to have put an elevator in this place?"
She stopped. She squirmed a little.
Something was moving inside her sweater, on her back.
She reached under and felt... Feathers?
"Gabriel!" she shouted, pulling the young phoenix out.
"Heh..." chuckled Gabriel. "Spell wore off..."
"Spell?" asked Ember.
"I uh..." said Gabriel. "Used a little trick to take the form of a fire opal, and hide in the back of your sweater...
"I know you didn't want me to come, but hey... I felt left out!"
"Gabriel, I swear..." said Ember. "If you ruin this whole thing, you are gonna wish you were never hatched."
"Well... He doesn't seem to mind," said Gabriel.
"He?" said Ember.
Then she saw what he meant. The strange distance warping effect had happened again. She was one staircase up, facing another marut who was in front of a door.
The marut said nothing. It simply opened the door, and stood aside.
"Well..." said Ember. "I can't tell you to go home, since home is several million light years away...
"So just stay out of trouble, okay?"
She walked into the door.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ERDA'S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A woman in a white dress with green hair in a sitting position holding a staff.
Card Description: Discard one card from your hand. Select one Trap Card from your Graveyard and set it facedown on your side of the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A collection of ancient palaces amid the clouds.
Card Description: Special Summon any number of "Valkyrie" Monsters from your hand (except those named "Element Valkyrie" or "Cyber Valkyrie"). During the End Phase of the turn, return all Monsters Special Summoned with this card's effect back to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ENCHANTED SWORD NOTHUNG (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: A silvery, glowing sword against a starry, night sky.
Card Description: When this card is activated, select one Dragon-Type Monster on the field and remove it from play. The Equipped Monster gains 400 Attack Points. When the Equipped Monster battles a Dragon-Type Monster, destroy that Monster without applying damage calculation and remove it from play.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WOTAN'S JUDGMENT (Trap Card)
Counter Trap
Image: A man in a green cloak and a hood, pointing with a wooden staff.
Card Description: Activate when your opponent declares an attack. Draw one card from your deck, and place one Spell Card from your hand on the top of your deck. Then, shuffle your deck. End the current Battle Phase.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
SWAN MAIDEN (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A flying swan superimposed over a nymph with her eyes closed.
Card Description: Special Summon one "Valkyrie" Monster from your hand (except an "Element Valkyrie" or a "Cyber Valkyrie").
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VALKYRIE BRUNHILDE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: When this card is in Attack Position, increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each Warrior- and Dragon-Type Monster on the field. If this card is attacked, you can decrease the DEF of this card by 1000. If you do, this card is not destroyed as a result of battle.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VALKYRIE DRITTE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may increase the ATK of this card by an amount equal to the number of your opponent's Monsters that have been removed from play x100. The ATK increase lasts until the End Phase.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VALKYRIE ERSTE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,800
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may remove one Monster in your opponent's Graveyard from play. The ATK of this card becomes the ATK of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
VALKYRIE ZWEITE (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 5
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,600
Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FORTUNE CHARIOT (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Beast/Union/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Card Description: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, if you control this card on your side of the field, you may Equip it a "Valkyrie" Monster you control (except an "Element Valkyrie" or a "Cyber Valkyrie") as an Equip Spell Card OR change it back to a Monster in face-up Attack Position. A Monster Equipped with this card can attack your opponent directly; if it attacks directly using this effect, reduce its ATK by half for the damage step only. (One Monster can only be Equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the Monster that this card is Equipped to is destroyed in battle, this card is destroyed instead.)
Note: The proceeding ten cards were all used by Ziegfried at various times during the original anime's KC Grand Prix Arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DRAGON HEART (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image A classic-looking dragon, with a large ruby over it's heart.
Card Description: Select three Dragon-Type Monsters from your deck and send them to the Graveyard, and select one Dragon-Type Monster you control. The selected Monster gains 1,000 Attack Points until the End Phase of the turn. You cannot Normal Summon or set a Monster this turn.
Note: "Dragon Heart" was first used by Fubuki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Darkness Within". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.
Card Description: Draw cards from your deck until your hand consists of five cards. On your fifth Standby Phase after the activation of this card, send every card in your hand to the Graveyard.
Note: "Card of Demise" was used by Kaiba several times in the original anime, originally in "Clash in the Coliseum (Part 4)"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
AWAKENING FROM BEYOND (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A ghostly face superimposed over a group of coffins.
Card Description: Your opponent draws two cards. Add one Monster Card from your Graveyard to your hand.
Note: "Awakening From Beyond" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "The Final Duel (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writer of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Next:
Police never go on duty alone. An officer always has a partner with him – or her. The duelist I'm facing now was Zeyeye's partner, and was the other officer who arrested Jetta.
Thing is, he doesn't seem angry at all. He seems more depressed than anything else. Is he depressed for the same reasons Zeyeye was angry, or is there something deeper to it?
A duel can tell a lot about a person, and since I have to face him anyway, I might find out.
What's the name of the next chapter? Can't tell you. This time I have to keep it secret for now.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shadowchaser Files
Matthew Greenberg, Artifact Hunter
When Israel first gained its independence, many governments, mostly those who didn't recognize it, doubted it would last long. Despite this, the Jewish state has persevered to the present day. But so has the conflict it has had to maintain to do so. Anti-Semitism is one evil that has yet to leave the world, and Israel's struggle is far from over.
Matthew Greenberg is a member of the Israeli Parliament who happens to be Aware (in fact, he is the Shadowchasers' government contact in Israel). He has dedicated much time towards finding a weapon that only an Aware would believe exists... An artifact that was said to have defended Jews from anti-Semitism once before. He seeks to find the golem of Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel.
This Jewish legend is well known among scholars. In the 16th Century, the Jews of Prague were persecuted by the Holy Roman Empire, and were to be either expelled or killed. To protect the Jewish community, the rabbi created a golem out of clay.
Of course, clay golems are a dime a dozen to those who craft such constructs, but the legend hints at an exceptional one. It was intelligent, and far stronger than most clay golems. Some versions of the legend said it could see through walls, turn it self invisible, create fire from its hands, and even fly.
Rabbi Loew brought the construct to life via rituals and Jewish incantations. The final step was to inscribe the Hebrew word "emet" ("truth" or "reality") on its forehead. But the golem's construction was flawed. In one version, it became violent, killing gentiles and spreading fear. Some say the golem fell in love, but was rejected, and became a violent monster. In the most extreme version of the legend, it even turned its rage on Jews on occasion, endangering the very community it was supposed to protect.
The Emperor begged Loew to destroy the golem, promising to end the persecution. Loew deactivated it by simply erasing the first letter of "emet", leaving "met" (which meant "dead"). The Emperor realized that this would only render the golem comatose, and able to be revived if it was ever needed again.
Some say that the golem was stored in the attic genizah of the Old New Synagogue of Prague. One urban legend of the 20th Century even claims that during World War II, a Nazi soldier broke into the attic to try to stab the golem, and his broken and battered body was found on the street below the next morning. At any rate, the attic is not open to the public. Some say that the golem was moved from the attic and buried in the cemetery in Prague's Žižkov district, where the Žižkov Television Tower now stands.
Greenberg is certain the golem exists, but he does not believe it is hidden in either place. Wouldn't someone have stolen it and used its power if its location had been so obvious? Greenberg believes that the artifact is hidden in some other, more secure area of the Czech Republic, or perhaps one of its bordering countries, and has spent considerable resources to find it.
Of course, there are some that think his effort is foolish, and not just people who doubt that the golem exists. Some are certain it does, and point to the fact that it was an unstable creation that posed as much of a threat to the Jewish community as it did to those who threatened it. Greenberg is aware of this concern, but he knows that many advances have been made to how golems are handled since the 16th Century, and thinks that this exceptionally powerful golem may be controllable if the right persuasion is used.
Story Ideas: It is entirely possible that Rabbi Loew's golem exists, and what Greenberg doesn't realize is, he is walking a slippery slope by trying to unearth it. Artifacts like this one are objects of incredible, unfathomable power that are not meant to be used frivolously. When mortals play with the toys of the gods, bad things tends to happen. Loew likely shouldn't have built it in the first place, but he felt he had little choice.
If Greenberg does indeed find the golem and succeeds in controlling it, his control will likely not last long. Loew's golem is intelligent, and very much a living creature. To make things worse, artifacts are notoriously hard to destroy. It might take a lot of effort and research to find a weakness in this powerful engine of destruction.
Deck Suggestions: If he has to duel (which he does occasionally while seeking out information on his goal) Greenberg doesn't use Ancient Gears (as they are golems in name only, in his eyes) but rather Rock-Type Monsters with powerful effects. He doesn't use Exxod, but uses several powerful strategies, like using Inferno Reckless Summon to summon three Mine Golems, and then trigger Minefield Eruption. Another powerful maneuver is to use Stone Statue of the Aztecs combined with Fairy Box. He rarely even has to attack with the Monsters he uses, letting their effects and his Trap Cards do the work.