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CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
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Psi Station
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Article Two, Section Three of the Great Treaty begins with the following passage, and I quote:
"In any conflict between a Shadowchaser and a member of a race of Shadowkind, the Shadowchaser in question must make certain that neither he nor his opponent has a clear advantage over the other in terms of medium, resources, or nature of said conflict."
This is the infamous "fair fight clause" that caused Shadowchasers and Shadowkind alike to adopt Duel Monsters as their way of settling disputes.
Both Jinx and Gears, however, had learned that they were facing foes who thought they were above this law. DaPen was willing to use his psionic powers to try to demoralize Jinx by controlling a trusted friend, and then actually cheat in a second duel. Edmund was no better, giving a minion, whom he had deceived just as badly, a card that was clearly illegal, and also cursed.
At this point, even based on what he alone knew, Gears had every legal right to put away his Duel Disk and arrest DaPen forcibly. However, he wasn't certain he could successfully do that. DaPen was a master of psychic powers, after all. Gears had never actually met an illithid, but he had read enough stories about them to know that they were best handled with caution…
DaPen would now prove more dangerous than he ever had…
DaPen leaned back in his chair as the music on his laptop played.
He saw a light on his desk flash. His outer perimeter security system had been shut down, as he knew it would be. He was aware that Gears could likely bypass any system.
He didn't react. He simply waited. He watched as the shadow approached his office.
"Come in," he said. "Come in, Mr. Poston…"
"Don't call me that…" growled Gears, as he walked in.
DaPen turned off the music.
"Sorry…" he said. "I forgot how much you hated your name…"
"Would you?" growled Gears. "Would you like going through life with the name Maurice Poston?"
He sighed.
"How did you get such a name anyway?" asked DaPen.
"It's my grandfather's name!" answered Gears. "The Honorable Judge Maurice Poston… In his day, the name sounded formal and dignified. My parents thought it was a good idea at the time…"
"But when you grew into boyhood, it sounded like a name only a nerd would have, and the other kids made fun of you," replied DaPen. "Such a pity… My people never have that problem… We don't use proper names at all. We identify ourselves using psionic imprints.
"Even the word 'illithid' was originally a made-up word that someone thought up in order to help us deal with other races…"
"Where's Jinx?!" shouted Gears.
DaPen put his arms around his head.
"What if I told you she was dead?" he asked. "What if I told you I had ripped the grey matter out of her head and ate it, like illithids are wont to do to humans?"
Gears closed his eyes.
"Then I would likely forget all about the oath I took," he said, "and tie your tentacles in knots and cave your skull in against the wall until it was a bloody pulp."
DaPen suddenly looked a little nervous.
"I mean, would anyone convict me for it?" asked Gears. "Would I even be disciplined for it? I don't think so. Who would represent you if I killed you? No-one likes you folks, DaPen. No-one would even file a complaint at Shadowchaser Headquarters if I violated protocol when dealing with you. They'd say you got what you deserved, and sweep it under the carpet.
"I would never say anything about a race of Shadows like, 'the only good one was a dead one', but I have yet to even hear about an illithid who wasn't a scoundrel."
DaPen looked at him.
"You know…" he said, standing up. "I've made a point of not believing most of the threats that were thrown my way… Gears. But you know, I kind of believe yours…
"Well, I'll be honest with you… She isn't dead… Not yet, at least… She's just resting comfortably somewhere…"
"You'd better not be lying," said Gears. "And by the way, I heard that song you were listening to. Viva la Vida? Quite a selection. You ever listen to the lyrics? The narrator is suggesting that he knows that what he did was wrong.
"Is that the same case with you?"
DaPen sat back down.
"Well…" he said. "I've broken many laws of both Neo Domino and your organization during my rise to the top. I guess then, I can't deny that I am a criminal…
"I've also done several things that are perceived as immoral by most civilized races. If that means I am an immoral person, then maybe I am…
"But I have a question for you, Gears… How is morality determined? Does God decide what is moral and what is not? Or does he dictate what is moral because it is right to do so?"
Gears looked at him.
"I… I assume he dictates what is moral because it is right to do so…" he said.
DaPen nodded slightly.
"But that would suggest that there is a higher authority than God, wouldn't it?" he asked. "And if you believe the first option, it would suggest that God creates morals, which makes Him a being without them."
"Nice try, DaPen, but I've heard about that paradox before," said Gears, with a frown. "Plato posed it while quoting Socrates. I did go to school, you know.
"What do you care about what God intends, anyway? You illithids worship nothing but knowledge."
"Perhaps," replied DaPen. "But knowledge isn't a thing to us. It's a living being…"
His voice sank to a whisper.
"You humans often wonder about the Illsensine, that mysterious name that comes up in so many stories about my people… Well, let me share the secret with you… Illsensine is the embodiment of knowledge… A being of pure thought and godlike power. It is the source of our psionic abilities, it is what enables us to dominate others…"
"So it's your god?" asked Gears.
"More or less," replied DaPen, "although if it created the illithid race, we know of no stories of how it happened."
He paused.
"Some say that the first illithids actually created Illsensine…"
"Your race created your god??" gasped Gears.
DaPen chuckled.
"Not how it usually goes, is it?" he asked. "Some illithids believe that Illsensine is the collective knowledge of the forerunners of our race, given sentience and life! We created our own god through the power of thought!
"Now do you understand an inkling of how powerful we are, Gears?"
He placed his Duel Disk on his arm.
"Why don't you duel me, and I'll show you just how powerful thought can be when harnessed the right way…"
Gears looked at the monster in front of him.
What have I gotten into? he thought. This is gonna be seriously bad…
He activated his Disk.
But I've gotta try… This is my only way to get past him and save Jinx…
"Duel!" they both shouted.
(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DaPen: 8,000)
"The first move is yours," said DaPen.
Gears drew a card.
"I'll set this Monster," he said.
A reversed Monster appeared in front of him.
"…and I'll leave it at that."
DaPen made his first draw.
"I'll also set a Monster," he said. "And a facedown card."
He set two cards, and two facedown cards appeared, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone.
Gears drew a card again.
Whoa… he said. It couldn't be this easy…
Never look a gift horse in the mouth…
"I sacrifice my Monster…"
His facedown Monster vanished.
"…to summon Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher!"
In a flash, the huge, robotic squid appeared. (1,800 ATK)
"Now, I use its effect… Since you have a reversed Monster, I get to take it for one round!"
DaPen's eyes narrowed as Enemy Catcher fired a tractor beam, and pulled the Monster over to Gears's side.
"Now, let's see what this is…" said Gears.
The Monster flipped up. Gears was a little surprised at the sight of it. It looked like a nutty mad scientist wearing a lab coat, with an oversized head, wearing a helmet covered with light bulbs. (100 ATK)
"Sorry, Gears," said DaPen, "But Doctor Cranium has no Flip-Effect."
"Yeah, well…" said Gears. "Not like it matters… Enemy Catcher, attack him directly! Retro rockets!"
Enemy Catcher fired two blasts of flames from its rockets, and DaPen groaned as he was struck by them.
"Hmm…" said Gears, looking at Doctor Cranium. "Attacking with this guy would be pretty pointless… Ah, but every little bit helps…"
A small spark shot from Doctor Cranium's helmet, and struck DaPen.
"Are you quite done?" asked the illithid.
"Yeah," said Gears.
"Then your Enemy Catcher's effect on Doctor Cranium now expires," replied DaPen.
The weird scientist was pulled back to his side of the field.
(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,100)
DaPen made a draw.
"I summon Mind Master," he said.
In an aura of light, a small creature appeared. It looked like a brain in a metal container, with a face in front, and two long tubes with hands attached to them. (100 ATK)
"Tell me, are all your Monsters this weak?" asked Gears.
"Far from it," replied DaPen. "I now activate Mind Master's effect. By paying 800 Life Points, I can sacrifice a Psychic Monster, other than itself, to Special Summon another low-Level Psychic Monster from my deck."
Psychic Monsters? thought Gears.
"So, I'll pay 800 Life Points, and get rid of Doctor Cranium…" said DaPen.
Doctor Cranium shattered into shards.
"…to bring out Psychic Snail."
A far uglier creature appeared. As the name implied, it looked like a snail, with a humanoid upper body that glistened with slime. Its shell was carried on its lower body behind it. (1,900 ATK)
"And now…" said DaPen, "since Mind Master is also a Tuner, I'll Tune these two Monsters together…"
Mind Master and Psychic Snail faded away, turning into five glowing stars.
"Synchro Summon… Magical Android!"
In a burst of light, a far more beautiful and exotic-looking creature appeared in front of DaPen. She (it was clearly female) was dressed in a multicolored robe, which seemed to be covered with circuitry. The same circuitry was also on parts of her face. She carried an oddly-shaped staff and something that looked sort of like a shield; it was difficult to tell the purpose of either of these two items. (2,400 ATK)
"Destroy his Enemy Catcher," commander DaPen. "Pyrokinetic blast."
Moving only her arm and standing still as a statue otherwise, Magical Android aimed her staff and fired a volley of fireballs at the Machine. Gears shielded himself as it exploded into scrap.
"I set a card, and my turn is over," said DaPen, as another facedown card appeared. "That means Magical Android's effect kicks in, and I gain 600 Life Points for each Psychic Monster I have. I only have one, Magical Android herself, but hopefully, that will change soon."
Magical Android glowed with a pulsating light, and DaPen glowed with the same light.
(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,900)
"All right…" said Gears. "Here goes…"
He drew a card.
"I set a Monster, and throw two cards facedown," he said.
A reversed Monster and two facedown cards appeared.
"I end my turn," he said.
"But first I activate this," said DaPen, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.
"Life-Absorbing Machine. And now, it's my draw…"
He drew a card.
"Due to the Trap I just activated, I gain half of the Life Points back that I paid last turn…"
Fine… thought Gears. Summon another Monster… I dare you…
"Next, I activate another Trap Card," said DaPen, as his other facedown card lifted. "It's called Psychic Overload.
"Now, I get to take three Psychics from my Graveyard, and return them to my deck…"
He took Doctor Cranium, Psychic Snail, and Mind Master from his discard slot.
"Then I reshuffle…"
He shuffled them into his deck.
"…and then draw twice."
He made two draws.
"Next, I summon Krebons."
He played a card, and the same weird digital harlequin that he had used against Jinx appeared. (1,200 ATK)
"Magical Android, take out his Monster."
Magical Android shot her flames again. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and exploded.
Gears frowned, and drew a card.
"Humph," said DaPen. "Krebons, attack him directly."
Krebons cackled, and threw its arms forward, shooting a stream of binary symbols at Gears.
"ERGH!" he shouted as they his him.
He gasped for breath.
That… that really stung… he thought. This isn't your typical duel…
"I end my turn," said DaPen, "and once again, Magical Android's effect activates."
Magical Android and DaPen glowed once again.
(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)
Gears smirked a little.
"You did just what I wanted you to do, DaPen…" he said.
He quickly drew a card.
"Since you control two Monsters, and one of them is Light, I can Special Summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer!"
He played the card, and the odd mechanical device with the portal in the center appeared in front of him. (2,400 ATK)
"Is that a portal to another dimension," asked DaPen, "or an alien washing machine?"
"Har, har," said Gears. "Well, if it's a washing Machine, it's gonna clean your Monster's clock. But first, I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg."
He played another card, and the metal fox with the glowing mane appeared. (1,600 ATK)
"Now, my Trap Cards," he said. "First, Miniaturize."
One of his Trap Cards lifted up.
"It shrinks Magical Android down to size."
Magical Android shrank to half her size, and her Attack Score fell to 1,400.
"Next, DNA Transplant!" he shouted, as his second facedown card lifted. "It turns all your Monsters Light!
"Now, Cosmic Closer, annihilate Magical Android!"
A blast shot out of the portal, and the Psychic Synchro was obliterated.
"Ergh…" grumbled DaPen.
"Garadholg, take out Krebons!" ordered Gears.
The Ally of Justice leapt at the cyber jester, and its Attack Score went up to 1,800…
"Not so fast, Gears," said DaPen. "I activate Krebons' effect. When it's the target of an attack, I can pay 800 Life Points to negate that attack."
Garadholg bounced off an invisible shield.
"You don't say," said Gears. "Then I end my turn…"
(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,700)
DaPen made a draw. He looked at the card, and chose another one.
"I summon Grapple Blocker," he said.
He played a new card, and a new Monster materialized. It looked like a muscular man with yellow skin in a purple wrestling costume, complete with a mask, with four octopus-like tentacles on its back. (1,200 ATK)
"By Normal Summoning Grapple Blocker, I get to use its effect," continued DaPen. "I get to choose one Monster, and that Monster can neither attack or be used as a sacrifice until Grapple Blocker is gone.
"I choose Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer."
Gears gasped as his Monster was surrounded by a sickly, green aura.
"I set a facedown, and end my turn," said DaPen, as a facedown card appeared in front of him. "That means I have to pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."
(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,200)
"Seems a lot of your Monsters require you to pay Life Points, DaPen," said Gears.
"That's the nature of psionics," said DaPen. "It isn't like magic at all.
"You see, sorcery is used by harnessing outside forces. Elemental forces, natural forces, and extradimensional beings. A wizard does not use his own personal power to do works of magic, because magic cannot be generated inside a mortal body.
"For a psychic, it is very different. The energy to use psychic powers is indeed generated inside the psychic himself. A psychic learns how to do that, through inborn ability and training. Thus, when using psychic powers, he is actually using his own power. For this reason, it can be very exhausting to use psychic powers for a great length of time.
"In Duel Monsters, this is represented by the fact that Psychic Monsters require you to pay Life Points to use their effects. Most of the time, anyway."
"Yeah, well…" said Gears. "It's my move!"
He drew a card. It was Ally of Justice Cycle Leader, which was a Tuner.
I have a Tuner, he thought, but it's Level 3, and Cosmic Closer is Level 8. There's no such thing as a Level 11 Synchro. My Monster is dead weight until I can get rid of Grapple Blocker.
Oh, that facedown card worries me, but I gotta take a chance…
"I summon Machine King Prototype," he said.
He played the card, and the first series of the Machine Kings appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)
"And with two other Machines on the field, it gains 200 more Attack Points."
(1,800 ATK)
"Garadholg… Attack Grapple Blocker!"
Garadholg leapt at the Psychic. Its Attack Score increased to 1,800.
"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" exclaimed DaPen, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, Grapple Blocker gains 700 more Attack Points!"
Grapple Blocker shot up to 1,900 Attack Points. Its tentacles reached forward, and crushed Garadholg.
"Oh yeah?" asked Gears. "Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons!"
Prototype's eyes glowed.
"I pay 800 Life Points to use its effect again," said DaPen.
The invisible shield appeared again, and the blast bounced off.
"I end my turn," said Gears.
(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,400)
"I draw," said DaPen, making a draw. "And I gain 250 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine.
"Next, I summon Destructotron."
The creature that appeared next looked more like a Machine. It had four spindly, mechanical legs, a thin, metal torso, and a head that looked like a computer monitor. On the monitor's screen was a fiendish face. (1,600 DEF)
"With Destructotron on the field, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to destroy a facedown Spell or Trap Card."
"You're nuts," said Gears. "I don't have any facedown Spell or Trap Cards."
"Then let's fix that," replied DaPen. "I Equip Grapple Blocker with Eternal Reverse."
He played a card, and Grapple Blocker became shrouded with a dark aura.
"Eternal Reverse lets me revert one of your Spells of Traps to facedown position."
Gears's DNA Transplant vanished, and appeared facedown in front of him.
"So… I pay 1,000 Life Points so that Destructotron can live up to its name."
A blast of energy fired from Destructotron's screen, and DNA Transplant was incinerated.
"I move Grapple Blocker to Defense Mode…"
Grapple Blocker knelt, and shielded itself with its tentacles. (2,000 DEF)
"By the way, Gears," he continued, "Eternal Reverse has another effect. If Grapple Blocker would be destroyed by battle, it can survive by getting rid of the Equip Spell.
"So… I end my turn, and I pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."
(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,150)
Gears made a scowl. He drew a card.
Then he grinned.
"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car!" he shouted.
In a burst of shadow, Bokoichi appeared. (500 ATK)
"Then I play, Double Summon," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I also get to summon Ally of Justice Cycle Leader!"
The Monster that appeared looked like a mechanical spider, made of white, black, and red metal. (1,000 ATK)
"Now, I Tune it and Bokoichi together!"
Bokoichi and Cycle Leader faded, forming into five glowing stars.
"Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!"
Catastor appeared in a flash of light. (2,200 ATK)
"By the way, DaPen," he continued, "Grapple Blocker is an Earth Monster. And when Catastor destroys a Monster using its effect, that Monster is not considered destroyed by battle."
"But that means…" said DaPen.
His eyes widened.
"It means your Eternal Reverse can't protect it!" laughed Gears. "Catastor, wipe out that thing!"
Catastor fired its platinum prism blast, and Grapple Blocker groaned before being reduced to ash.
"And that means my Cosmic Closer is free!" laughed Gears. "Which means your Destructotron is in big trouble!"
Cosmic Closer blasted a bolt of energy from its portal, and Destructotron exploded into pieces of scrap metal.
"Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons again!"
The Prototype fired its beam.
"I pay 800 Life Points again!" shouted DaPen.
The beam bounced off once again.
"Well, fine and dandy," said Gears. "I end my turn…"
(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,550)
The time to play is past… thought DaPen.
He drew a card.
"I gain 750 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine…" he said.
"Then I move Krebons to Defense Mode…"
Krebons knelt, and covered itself with its arms. (400 DEF)
"And then I set two cards facedown."
Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.
"It's your move."
(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,300)
Gears made a draw.
He doesn't have enough Life Points to use Krebons' effect three times! he thought. Now I can finally destroy it… I might even be able to win the duel!
"Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons!"
The Machine fired its blast, and Krebons burst into an explosion of oddly-shaped blocks.
Huh? thought Gears. He didn't even try to use its effect once?
His problem…
"Catastor, attack him directly!"
Catastor's gemstone glowed. It fired its laser at DaPen.
"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted DaPen.
One of his facedown cards lifted, and a dome of energy halted the blast.
"Not the most modern Trap Card, but sometimes the simple ones can do the job better."
What? thought Gears. He could have used that to protect Krebons… But for some reason… He waited. What's his game?
"I end my turn…" he said.
DaPen drew a card.
His other facedown card lifted, which was a second Psychic Overload.
"I'm sure you remember how this works," he said.
He took Magical Android, Krebons, and Grapple Blocker from his Graveyard, shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.
"I play the Continuous Spell Card Teleport," he said. "Now, if I have no Monsters on my side of the field, and you have at least one, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic Monster from my hand."
THAT'S why he let Krebons be destroyed! thought Gears.
"I choose to summon Storm Caller," continued DaPen.
A tornado erupted on DaPen's side of the field, and another strange Monster appeared in the midst of it. It was a squat, muscular creature wearing a large, mechanical harness that had a satellite dish that extended over its head. (2,300 ATK)
"Nice try, DaPen," said Gears, "but that's a Wind Monster. It can't defeat Catastor."
"But I'll use it to summon something that can," replied DaPen, as he played a new Spell Card. "I play Emergency Teleport. Now I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Psychic from my deck. And since I used Psychic Overload to send Krebons back to my deck, I'll summon it again."
Krebons appeared again. (1,200 ATK)
"Did I mention that Krebons was a Tuner?"
Krebons and Storm Caller flew to the ceiling, and turned into eight glowing stars. The room went dark.
"Appear before me…" chanted DaPen, as his eyes started to glow. "Thought Ruler Archfiend!"
With a roar, the same Monster that had sealed Jinx's fate appeared in front of Gears and his three Monsters. Gears stepped back in fear. (2,700 ATK)
"By the way, Gears," he continued. "In case you didn't realize just by looking at it, my Thought Ruler is a Dark Monster. That means it's exactly the right type of Monster that can defeat Catastor.
"Attack! Psionic Crush!"
Gears screamed as Thought Ruler Archfiend blasted its bolt of destructive mental energy, and Catastor was blown to slag.
"Now my Thought Ruler's effect activates," continued DaPen. "I gain Life Points equal to your destroyed Monster's base Attack Score.
"Interesting enough, this is the only Archfiend that allows you to gain Life Points, rather than require you to pay them. Adding to the irony is the fact that it's a Psychic Monster, and most of them require you to pay Life Points to activate their effects.
"But it does have another effect that requires me to pay Life Points… If you use a Spell or Trap Card that targets any of my Psychics, I can pay 1,000 Life Points for it to negate it.
"And it's your move…"
(G: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,700)
Gears's hand trembled as he drew a card.
This must be what defeated Jinx… he thought. I'd bet my deck on it…
Okay… Can't panic…
He looked at the three cards in his hand, which were Ally of Justice Rudra, Kill-Switch, and the card he had just drawn, Flamvell Magical.
Somehow, drawing the card that Ember had given him was the only thing that gave him the courage to continue, even though it wasn't of any use right now.
He turned the cards on his Disk. Machine King Prototype crouched in Defense Mode. (1,500 DEF) The light in Cosmic Closer's portal dimmed. (1,200 DEF)
"Your move…"
DaPen made a draw.
"I gain 400 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.
"Next, I Equip my Monster with Junk Barrage."
He quickly played an Equip Spell.
"Now, whenever it crushes a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to half that Monster's Attack Score.
"And I'm going to deal with Cosmic Closer the way I should have in the first place…"
Thought Ruler Archfiend blasted its psionic crush, and Cosmic Closer exploded. Gears screamed in pain.
(G: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,500)
"Your move…" said DaPen.
Gears drew a card.
It was Ally of Justice Unlimiter.
Gears mouthed an obscenity as he cursed his luck. Why couldn't he have drawn this last turn?
"Pass…" he said.
"Your funeral," said DaPen, drawing a card.
"You remember Psychic Snail, right?"
He played another card, and Psychic Snail appeared again. (1,900 ATK)
"Now I activate my Snail's effect… If I pay 800 Life Points, another Psychic, like my Archfiend, gets to attack twice this round."
"You gotta be kidding…" said Gears.
"Oh, I never kid…" said DaPen.
The Archfiend blasted its bolt, and Machine King Prototype was incinerated. Gears screamed as the effect of Junk Barrage burned him.
Then he screamed at the top of his lungs as the Archfiend attacked again, hitting him directly and seemingly shocking every nerve ending in his body.
He fell to his knees.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,300)
No… he thought. I've lost… His Snail…
"There's a piece of fine print on Psychic Snail's effect," said DaPen. "If it uses its effect, it isn't allowed to attack in the same round. Thus, I'm ending my turn. Any time you would like to give up is fine with me."
Gears closed his eyes.
He drew a card.
He looked at it.
Heh, heh… he thought. Thanks for the card, Ross…
He threw a card on his Disk.
"I summon Flamvell Magical!" he shouted.
The fiery sorcerer appeared in a burst of flame. (1,400 ATK)
"So, that was the best you could do, huh?" asked DaPen.
"And then I play… Junk Dealer!" shouted Gears.
"Eh?" asked DaPen. "Junk Dealer?"
"Now, I can summon two Machines from my Graveyard," said Gears, "with their Attack Scores halved…"
Machine King Prototype appeared first. (1,600 ATK) –) (800 ATK) Then Bokoichi appeared. (500 ATK) –) (250 ATK)
"Now…" exclaimed Gears. "I Tune all three of my Monsters together!"
"Wait a minute!" gasped DaPen. "That means you're summoning a… Level 9 Synchro??"
The three Monsters formed into nine glowing stars.
"That's right!" said Gears, angrily. "I didn't want to do this, DaPen, but you've forced me to break out someone I was saving for a special occasion!
"Meet the commander of the Ally army! I Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Field Marshall!"
An explosion erupted behind him, and a twelve-foot tall robot loomed over him. It was a giant, shining droid, its flawless metal body shaped like a man in an officer's uniform with a helmet, made of silver, gold, and platinum. (2,900 ATK)
For the first time, a look of fear appeared on DaPen's face…
"Okay, Marshall," said Gears. "Full battle mode!"
"Roger, roger," said the Machine.
Field Marshall pointed its arms, and guns, missiles, and cannons sprouted from them, its chest, its waist, and other parts of its body.
"Ballistic barrage!" shouted Gears.
All of Field Marshall's weapons fired at once, and Thought Ruler Archfiend let out an unholy howl. DaPen was thrown backwards as his Monster was blown to smithereens.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)
Gears placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn…" snarled Gears.
DaPen paused. He drew a card.
"Once again, I gain 400 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.
Psychic Snail curled up in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)
"Just move…" he said.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)
Gears drew a card.
He smirked. This was more like it.
"I play Enemy Controller!" he shouted.
He played the Spell Card, and Psychic Snail moved back to Attack Mode. (1,900 ATK)
"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter."
He played the card, and the small drone appeared. (600 ATK)
"Now, I sacrifice it, to double Field Marshall's Attack Score!"
Unlimiter vanished. Field Marshall assumed full assault mode again. (5,800 ATK)
Once again, the huge Machine opened fire. Psychic Snail was burned to a cinder, and DaPen was thrown backwards again, this time slamming into his desk.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,600)
Gears looked at his facedown card, and at the one card in his hand, Ally of Justice Rudra.
DaPen is likely going to try to destroy Field Marshall with a card effect… he thought. Well, let him try… My Kill-Switch will make him sorry if he does.
He watched as DaPen slowly got up.
"It's your move, DaPen…" he said.
Field Marshall's Attack Score returned to 2,900.
DaPen took some deep breaths, and then drew a card.
"I use the effect of Teleport again," he said. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Telekinetic Shocker."
A weird creature appeared on the field. It looked like a guy wearing a red suit with lighting bolts on the chest, and a silver, spherical helmet. Bolts of energy surrounded him. (1,700 ATK)
"Next, I'll Normal Summon a new Tuner… Psychic Commander."
Another Psychic appeared. This one wore a military uniform, had a robotic, metal face with a strong jaw and a four-eyed visor, and in place of a lower body, had a saucer-shaped contraption with a cannon in front. (1,400 ATK)
"Now, I'll Tune my Monsters together one more time…"
Psychic Commander saluted, and both it and Telekinetic Shocker split into seven glowing stars.
Five Synchros in one duel? thought Gears. That has to be a record of some sort… But I don't see how a Level 7 Monster can beat my Level 9 one…
"Synchro Summon," said DaPen, "Psychic Lifetrancer!"
The stars coalesced into a female form. It looked like a young girl, far less exotic than Magical Android, but her left arm, leg, and left half of her face were cybernetic. She was dressed in a blue bodysuit. (2,400 ATK)
"And how is she supposed to beat Field Marshall?" asked Gears.
DaPen didn't say anything. He simply placed the last two cards in his hand in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.
He glared at Gears.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,800)
Gears drew a card.
"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing the card.
He played it, and reshuffled Catastor, Machine King Prototype, Cycle Leader, Cosmic Closer, and Flamvell Magical. He made two draws.
He looked at them. They were Limiter Removal and Robotic Knight. He looked at the other card in his hand, Rudra.
"You may have more Life Points, DaPen," he said, "but I have the better Monster.
"Field Marshall… Attack!"
Field Marshall aimed its weapons at Lifetrancer…
"Not so fast," said DaPen, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "I activate the Spell Card, Psychic Assimilation.
"Now, I just have to remove one Psychic in my Graveyard from play, and for this round only, Lifetrancer gains its effect."
A card fell out of his discard slot. He held it up.
"And since the Psychic I'm removing is Krebons, that means I can pay 800 Life Points to block your attack."
Field Marshall fired, but its artillery was halted by an invisible shield.
"Hmm…" said Gears.
Good thing I saved my Limiter Removal, he thought.
He set it and Robotic Knight, and the two cards appeared facedown.
"Your move…" he said.
(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)
Next round, he thought, I'll hit him with all I've got…
DaPen made a draw. He sighed. Life-Absorbing Machine glowed again, and his Life Points went up by 400.
"You're right, you know that, Gears?" asked DaPen. "You have the better Monster… I don't have a single Monster in my deck right now that can beat Field Marshall…
"And I'm pretty sure that one of your facedown cards is Limiter Removal. Even if I summoned a stronger Monster, you'd use that to defeat it…"
"Then do you yield?" asked Gears.
"No…" said DaPen. "Lifetrancer can still defeat you, thanks to this…"
His facedown card lifted up.
"It's called Battle Teleportation. Since Lifetrancer is the only Monster I have, and she's a Psychic, this lets her get right by your Monsters and attack directly."
"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears.
Lifetrancer lifted her hand, and an orb of dark, crackling energy formed in it.
"There is a downside to this Trap, of course," said DaPen. "Once she did that, Lifetrancer would shift to your control.
"But then… that doesn't really matter, does it?"
Gears screamed as Psychic Lifetrancer hurled the orb, and it struck him in the chest. He staggered back eight feet, and fell over.
(G: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,400)
Gears couldn't believe it… He had brought out the best Monster in his deck, and even it couldn't do the job…
Then he screamed as DaPen's Mind Blast ripped through his skull. He collapsed.
DaPen sat down at his desk. Once again, he opened his briefcase.
"I know you're watching, Edmund," he said. "Get your ass in here…"
Edmund walked in, casually reading his leather-bound journal. He sat on the couch.
"Oh, sorry," muttered DaPen. "You don't have an ass, right?"
"So, you beat him, huh?" asked Edmund, ignoring the wisecrack.
"Yes, I beat him," said DaPen. "No thanks to you. I wouldn't have had to duel him at all if weren't for your plan screwing up.
"My patience with you is running thin. First you attract a platonic to Earth with your careless summoning spell. Then that botched curse on Jill could have cost us more than it did. Shichiro is bound to be here soon. Albert is going to challenge him, and if he fails, you are going to duel him."
Edmund chuckled.
"And how are you going to make me?" he asked. "These things happen, Louis. You'll have to live with disappointments."
DaPen looked at Edmund with incredible anger.
"Edmund," he said. "You have long assumed that I cannot kill you… Well… Let's put that fiction to rest right now."
He took something out of the briefcase and pointed it at Edmund. The evil wizard got up in shock.
It was a simple wooden rod with a black gemstone on its tip. But Edmund knew its incredible power.
"A Rod of Cancellation!" he shouted.
"Oh, so you've heard of them," said DaPen. "Then you know that it's a one-use item, but it can cancel any magical enchantment, permanently. Even the one which sustains the necromantic spell that holds a worm that walks together.
"I've had it for some time, you fool. Do you really think I'd work with you if I didn't have a way of dealing with you? If I used this on you, Edmund, you'd collapse into a pile of inert and very dead worms."
"Listen, Louis…" said Edmund, nervously.
"You will not call me by my first name anymore, understood?!" shouted DaPen, pointing the Rod menacingly.
"Now, let's try this again… Shichiro will be coming soon. Albert is going to duel him. If he fails, you WILL handle him personally. Do I make myself clear?"
Edmund looked at him. Then he looked at the Rod.
"Yes…" he said, "Mr. DaPen…"
"Now go…" said DaPen.
Edmund stormed out of the room.
As he did, DaPen raised an eyebrow. He had left the book behind.
Edmund was always glued to that journal. It held some secret that he wasn't willing to share. It contained something important that he knew, that DaPen wanted to know.
DaPen slowly moved towards the couch where the book lay… He reached for it.
Then the book flew from his grasp. He turned, and saw Edmund standing in the door, holding it.
"Sorry, Mr. DaPen…" he said, sarcastically, with a hint of anger. "You can threaten me with that Rod all you like… You can threaten me with a Sphere of Annihilation, if you can find one… You could even obtain the Codex of Infinite Planes, risk using its terrible power, and threaten me with the forbidden spell that was used to dismember Tzunk…
"But no threat you make would ever convince me to let a member of your accursed race look upon the words in this journal…"
He turned and stormed out again.
DaPen sat back down at his desk.
Now he wanted to read what was in that journal even more.
He looked at Gears.
That was a closer call than I'd have liked, he thought. In case all else fails, I'd best improve my deck a little before Shichiro gets here… And I know just how to do it.
He opened the briefcase again.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back at the townhouse, Shichiro nervously watched the clock with Ember. Between them they had eaten three bags of potato chips and a whole bag of Oreos, they were so nervous.
Finally, the clock hit ten PM.
"Still no word from Gears," said Shichiro.
He stood up.
"Ember…" he said. "If I don't come back either, call Jalal… Tell him we failed, and he'll know what to do.
"And if that happens, it was nice knowing you…"
"No way!" said Ember. "I think the mistake that Jinx and Gears made in the first place was going alone.
"Shichiro… I'm going with you."
"What?" said Shichiro. "Ember… It… You can't…"
"Why not?" asked Ember. "Haven't I passed all the tests? Haven't I earned the title of Shadowchaser?
"Are you going to treat me like I'm still some student simply because I haven't gone through some dumb initiation ceremony?"
Shichiro sighed. Ember was right. She was a Shadowchaser now, in all but official name.
And maybe she had something. Maybe going alone was indeed a mistake.
"Okay, Ember, we'll both go," he said. "But promise me something…
"If it looks like I'm in big trouble, promise me you'll run the other way and not stop until you find a safe place."
"I promise…" she said.
Shichiro nodded.
They both ran out to the garage.
Jinx's luck didn't hold out. Gears summoned his ultimate Monster, and it didn't cut it. And little did we know, it was about to get even harder for us, because DaPen was saving his best for last.
This time, I was going too, putting faith in the theory that there was strength in numbers. But the welcoming committee this time wouldn't consist of rank and file hired help. DaPen was not going to take any chances with any flunkies this time. One way or another, this attempt on his headquarters was going to be the last attempt.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ETERNAL REVERSE (Spell Card)
Equip Spell
Image: Two rubbery, green hands hovering over a facedown Duel Monsters card, with strings connecting the fingers to the card.
Card Description: Once per turn, the controller of the Equipped Monster can place a face-up Spell or Trap Card in set position. The controller of the set Spell or Trap Card cannot activate it in the same turn. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, you can negate the destruction by destroying this card.
Note: "Eternal Reverse" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ALLY OF JUSTICE FIELD MARSHALL (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 9
ATK: 2,900
DEF: 2,600
Card Description: Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner Monsters
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. When this card destroys a facedown Defense Position Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, draw 1 card from your deck.
Note: "Ally of Justice Field Marshall" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ALLY OF JUSTICE CYCLE LEADER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000
Card Description: Activate by discarding this card from your hand. Remove from play up to 2 LIGHT Monsters in your opponent's Graveyard. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn.
Note: "Ally of Justice Cycle Leader" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 6: Dragunity of the Hurricane" system. It has not yet been released in the United States.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PSYCHIC ASSIMILATION (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: Psychic Snail hooked up to electrodes and suspended in a tank of liquid, as Doctor Cranium works the controls to a console in the foreground.
Card Description: Select one Psychic-Type Monster you control and remove from play one Psychic-Type Monster in your Graveyard. The selected Monster gains the effect(s) of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn. Any Life Point payments associated with the effect(s) of the removed Monster must also be paid when they are activated as the selected Monster's effect(s).
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
KILL-SWITCH (Trap Card)
Counter Trap
Image: Ally of Justice Catastor in the foreground facing Worm Queen, with a digital countdown in the forefront at 0:15.
Card Description: ??
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
Shichiro is challenged by Albert, who breaks out a deck full of Beasts of a different variety than his brother challenged Mistle with. A duel quickly turns into a strange trip to a distant shore, as Shichiro fights off some of the strangest members of the animal kingdom. "The Big March of Animals" is next, emphasis on big. Be there.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shadowchaser Files
Luto, Ogre Crusader
One type of Shadowkind that Shadowchasers dislike dealing with is ogres. Not because they are difficult to deal with, but because entering an ogre's lair is a disgusting experience, and usually requires them to get shots later because of the filth they are exposed to.
Ogres are smaller relatives of giants. Known for being dumb, crude, and simple-minded, they regard smaller races as having no use except as protein. Shadowchasers often say that if there's one thing dumber than an ogre, it's two of them together. This is often true, unfortunately. Many unscrupulous Shadowkind have discovered that recruiting groups of ogres as servants never works. They never cooperate, and never follow orders the way they're supposed to.
In order to be covered by the Great Treaty, a race of Shadowkind must be sentient, sapient, and civilized. Ogres fit the first two qualifications, but have never fit any definition of civilized. Thus, they are not included in the Treaty. Not that they care; most of them, anyway.
Enter one ogre named Luto. Originally from Germany, where ogres have always been a problem, Luto was born bigger and stronger than most ogres. Possibly, he has the blood of true giants in him somewhere in his family. He was recruited by a covey of three hags as a bodyguard. The hags' ultimate goal was to perfect an elixir which would make them beautiful, but in their spare time, they experimented on Luto as a strange hobby, thinking they might be able to make him smarter. They succeeded admirably. Luto secretly not only developed common sense and a few street smarts, he taught himself to read using their books, and learned things that most ogres don't care to learn.
Luto later participated in what was to be the final part of the hags' plan. To give themselves beauty, they had to offer as a sacrifice someone who had it. So they attempted to kidnap an elf princess who fit the bill; unfortunately for them, their plan was leaked, and a team of Shadowchasers was waiting for them. Luto tried to defend his employers, but a sock to the eye from one of the lawmen sent him to the floor. Since he now had more sense than most ogres, he knew enough to stay down. Unfortunately, the three hags were quickly defeated.
Becoming smarter had taught Luto something most ogres don't have: self-preservation. Knowing he was no match for the three humans, Luto surrendered, and the three Shadowchasers did not know what to do with him. They had never met an ogre who did not fight to the death. Since there was no point in arresting him (he couldn't be brought to trial, as ogres weren't part of the formal system) they simply told him to leave, saying that if he ever caused trouble again, they'd lock him up in the zoo.
Most Shadowkind would have been overjoyed to get a get out of jail free ticket, but Luto was downright insulted. Why should he have been excluded from their system? As of that night, he had a goal which he has not strayed from since: He would change the system, and prove that his people deserved to be covered by the Treaty.
Unfortunately, his attempts so far have been difficult to say the least. Convincing other ogres that they would benefit from it has been almost impossible. Luto has yet to meet another ogre that can even read the Treaty, and none of them have the patience to listen to him read it. Most other ogres think that Luto's obsession is a form of madness, but fortunately, he is still stronger than most of them, and if they ever get violent, he's still better with a club than any of them.
Learning how to duel has been the hardest part of Luto's crusade. Eventually, he was able to find a fire giant (the smartest type of evil giant who regularly works with ogres) who liked working with machines, and convinced him to build a Duel Disk made for his size. Luto has made a deck to his liking, and is waiting for a chance to use it against a Shadowchaser who will accept his challenge. Even if he loses, it might help his cause dramatically. It may be a hard sell, but he's determined not to give up.
Story Ideas: Luto might seem like the typical advocate for an oppressed race, if it weren't for the fact that the race in question was not deserving of sympathy. Ogres eat the flesh of sentient beings, and steal whatever they want as if it already belonged to them. They are also technophobic to the extreme, and destroy any technology they come across, as offerings to their bestial gods. These and many other reasons are why they are regarded as uncivilized, and the Shadowchasers do not even have plans to change that label in the immediate future.
Luto is hardly an angel himself. It is important to remember that he had every intention of helping his employers kidnap the princess. He has regulated himself to a diet of deer, sheep, and beef since becoming a Zionist for his cause, and his speech is incredibly articulate for an ogre, but he still comes across as gruff and unfriendly to anyone he talks to. Sometimes, he cannot hold back the true savagery of his kind, and he resorts to his club when someone makes him angry. He regrets doing so later, but there's no guarantee that it won't happen again.
In fact, Luto likely might try to do something illegal on purpose, simply to try to get a Shadowchaser to investigate, so that he can goad that Shadowchaser into dueling him. He knows that the Fair Fight Clause does not apply to him, but he hopes that some have enough honor as duelists to accept such a challenge. Even better, he hopes that he'll be arrested as a result of it. The idea of finally being able to argue his case in front a Shadowchaser court is one of the most vital parts of his plans.
Deck Suggestions: Luto's deck is unsubtle, much like ogres are. He uses cards like Giant Orc, Goblin Attack Force, and Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei to pound his opponent senseless with superior Attack Points. He's smart enough to include support cards such as Second Goblin and Final Attack Orders to give these Monsters an advantage. His rarest card at this point is the tricky Ogre of the Bloody Tears, a Monster also owned by Jack Atlas, that can provide a nasty surprise for anyone who attacks him directly.
