Shadowchasers: Conspiracy

by 0ccam's Razor

A fanfic of the Shadowchasers by Cyber Commander. Odd things are happening, and Shadowchasers all over the world are encountering criminals with strange and peculiar goals. Is a conspiracy afoot, or is some deeper plot in the works?

15. Shot in the Dark

Authors note: Many reading this may have heard of the murder case in Wisconsin, where two twelve-year-old girls lured their friend into the woods and stabbed, later claiming they did so in hopes of meeting the Slenderman and impress him.

Now, my heart and prayers go out to the young victim, and I wish her a speedy recovery. However, I do not plan on changing the plot of the story as is because of this tragedy. As someone who holds a degree in psychology, my belief is that the genre of Creepy Pasta is completely safe, so long as it is viewed by someone with conventional common sense. These two girls, in my honest opinion, were troubled and mentally unstable, and likely had neglectful – if not abusive – parents. (Until the case is updated, I cannot judge.)

Still, I will point out that pop culture has caused many other murderers throughout the years, including The Dark Knight Rises (which inspired James Holmes), Dexter (claimed to be the inspiration by a murderer in 2009), the video game Grand Theft Auto (claimed by a murderer as inspiration in 2014), and lest we forget the Beatles White Album, where a song called "Helter Skelter" (intended to be about a carnival ride) was seen by Charles Manson as a rallying cry for racial war.

If anything, I want to continue the fic as is, mainly because I feel the need to point out many absurdities that are commonly believed. A conservative group who blames the media – and not the perpetrators – for violent acts, yet refuse to blame the sale and passion of guns – only the perpetrators – for violent acts, is blatant hypocrisy.

Now, on with our story.

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Sometimes, conspiracy theories happen by pure coincidence. While we're on the subject of Shadow-exclusive theories, here's an old story you may find familiar.

It starts as a man is walking home down a dark street, and he's accosted by muggers. All of a sudden, a stone gargoyle on a nearby roof shaped like a demon transforms into a real demon. It flies down, and tears the thugs apart. The man is safe… For the moment. The creature turns to him, and demands he promise to NEVER breathe a word about what happened here. The frightened man promises, and the demon leaves.

Years pass, and he never tells a soul. One day, he meets a drop-dead gorgeous woman. They fall in love, they marry, and eventually have two children. After several more years, life seems perfect, and he thinks he's safe. He decides to tell his wife what happened with the demon.

BIG mistake. She IS the demon. In fact, that was why she had saved him in the first place, because she fell in love with him. (There had been no indication the first time that the demon was female.) Turning into her true form, she screams at him for breaking his promise, and in a fit of rage, tears him apart.

Then she cries for a minute, and then takes her two children – who have assumed demonic forms like herself – finds another roof, and reverts to a statue again, along with them.

If it sounds familiar then maybe you've seen the 1990 film version of Tales from the Darkside. That was the plot of one of the three stories. So how did this horror flick start a conspiracy theory? Because the monster, as described, is a lot like a Shadowkind called a banshrae.

Fully explaining these shapeshifting elemental spirits would take too long. Let's just say that quite a few banshrae heard about this movie, which led to a few seeing it, and the coincidence led a few to believe it was based on a true story. Many of them started thinking they knew someone related to the "demon" in the story and they and other Shadowkind wrote to Paramount inquiring about it (which were, naturally, never answered).

Of course, this led to them studying and analyzing a lot of science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies released by Paramount, making crazy notions that the studio was hiding something. Eventually, some dark elves who worked for Lessiux put the silly rumors to rest by publically saying they were making a bigger fuss over this than any humans who had believed a really dumb conspiracy theory that the Klingon language on Star Trek was the language of real aliens, a claim made by conspiracy theorist David Ike. (To give you an idea of how crazy Ike was, that was one of his milder claims.) With the revelation that they had actually been more gullible than humans who took fictional works seriously, the banshrae clammed up about it quickly.

If only it was that easy with humans….

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Chapter Fourteen

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Shot in the Dark

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Now we must go back about an hour, about two minutes since Ghislane's "warning". Karl was still holding onto her, and in that two minutes, she had not spoken again, but had groaned as a fever had started to grow and saliva mixed with blood dribbled from her mouth.

Karl, I realize I don't have the downloaded information or functioning limbs to make a proper medical diagnosis, said SAL, but by my personal opinion, she isn't in very good shape.

"I only wish I could disagree here…" muttered Karl, looking at her sadly.

"So why take the risk?" asked Oswald, looking at Jabels.

(Jabels: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Oswald: 8,000)

"Seriously, what do you care what happens to this woman?"

"My boy…" said Jabels, closing his eyes with a long sigh, "someone who has to ask that question will never understand…"

He waved his hand at the much younger man.

"Bah, make the first move if you must."

"Suit yourself, gramps," said Oswald, as he drew. "And I'll throw this babe out, Dark Valkyria!"

As he played the card, there was a dark, eerie shadow, and a female monster that looked like a pretty, young dark elf in metallic blue armor, long, silvery hair under a helmet, and large, silver wings. (1,800 ATK)

"Nice, isn't she?" he asked.

"I suppose," replied Jabels. "Anything else."

"Yes," replied Oswald. "Because I have a Dark monster I can also Special Summon Caligo Claw Crow in Defense Mode."

There was a squawk and a crow the size of a large hawk with one big oversized talon shaped like a hook on each foot fluttered down beside Valkyria, covering itself with its wings. (600 DEF)

I suppose it's obvious now what Attribute his deck uses, thought Karl.

"Then I'll throw down two face-downs," said Oswald with a chuckle, as two set cards appeared. "Heh, always wanted to say that… Your move, pops…"

"Mr. Oswald, there are many things that I've 'always wanted to say' as well," said Jabels. He made his first draw. "Sadly, society frowns on people who use such terms… However… You are pushing me perilously close to the precipice.

"Because you possess monsters and I do not, I can Special Summon the Oracle of the Sun to defend myself."

He fit the card on his Disk, and a sun ray fell from the sky. A man with dark skin, darker, long hair, leather clothing of aboriginal design with a solar disk on the front of the shirt, a hood-like hat with two feathers, and a long staff appeared from it with a yawn, then knelt on one knee. (2,000 DEF)

"Oh look, it's Geronimo," chuckled Oswald, "I'm so scared."

"This Spellcaster is based on an Incan shaman, Geronimo was an Apache chieftain," sighed Jabels. "But then, I figured you picked that name at random."

Two set cards appeared behind the shaman.

"Honestly… That's all for my move…"

Oswald chuckled again, and drew again.

"You're outmatched old man!" he laughed. "First I'm Gemini Summoning Valkyria, which gives her a Spell Counter. Then I'm using her Gemini Effect to destroy your Oracle of the Sun!"

Valkyria looked at the Oracle with a sinister smile as her eyes burned red. He blew into little golden shards.

"Though I wasn't expecting that?" asked Jabels. "I was counting on it. You see, when Oracle of the Sun is destroyed by a card effect, I can take Supay from my deck."

A card appeared in mid-air, slowly rotating. Jabels held out his hand and it lowered to him.

"Yeah?" said Oswald. "Well at least you're…"

"Defenseless?" asked Jabels, as one of his set cards opened. "No… You see, now that Valkyria has used her effect, it's safe for me to use to activate A Rival Appears. This Trap allows for the Special Summon of a monster from my hand that's the same Level as one of yours, so I'll summon Shining Angel in Defense Mode."

There was a far-more intense beam of light, and a radiant man wearing a toga with shining, golden wings flew onto the field, kneeling and covering himself with them, (800 DEF)

"So you did…" muttered Oswald. He held up a Spell Card. "I'm using Allure of Darkness… So I'll make two draws…"

He slid the top two cards off his deck.

"…but then I have to banish a Dark monster from my hand, so I think I'll get rid of this guy…"

He flipped a card in his hand around.

"Invader of Darkness?" shouted Karl. "Why…"

"Did I trash a monster so powerful?" asked Oswald.

His other Trap stood up and turned around.

"Here's why… Escape from the Dark Dimension!"

There was a ferocious tower of violent, black fire from the spot, and the infamous Fiend with golden skin in a cloak and hood appeared dramatically, his cold eyes focused on Jabels and his monsters. (2,900 ATK)

"Now I'll…" he continued. "Huh?"

Another monster had appeared next to Shining Angel, a matador holding a red cape and a foil. (200 DEF)

"Who's THAT?" shouted Oswald.

"Extra Veiler," replied Jabels. "I was able to summon him because you Special Summoned a monster."

"Okay…" replied the punk. "Might as well get this over with… Your Angel can eat this! Attack with Shrapmetal!"

Dark Valkyria held her palms out, and two razor-sharp rotary blades spun towards Shining Angel, slicing him clean in half. The two pieces turned into motes… Then the motes started to pull back together…

"I summon in Attack Mode…" exclaimed Jabels, "Shining Destroyer!"

There was a springing sound, and a little guy wearing a bulky, metal spacesuit (or something) holding onto a cartoonish-looking T-shaped plunger detonator appeared. It had a big smile as it looked at Oswald and Invader of Darkness through the round window in its outfit covering its face. (0 ATK)

"You gotta be kidding…" said Oswald.

Jabels just shook his head.

"Wipe that smile off its face!" ordered the thug, as Invader pointed at Shining Destroyer, his arm glowing with evil power.

"I use the Trap Card, Lumenize!" yelled Jabels. His second face-down Trap activated. "Because Shining Destroyer is a Light monster, this not only halts Invader's attack, it increases the Attack Score of one of my monsters by that of Invader, until the end of my next turn.

"Which means Shining Destroyer grows from a nonexistent offensive power to the same capability as your monster."

The odd little creature's muscles flexed as it grew to three times its size. (2,900 ATK)

Oswald hissed a little, then he set one more card into his Spell Zone. "I end my turn…" he growled.

"You know what worries me?" asked SAL. "That was only the third turn!"

"Don't worry, SAL," said Karl, as they watched Jabels draw, "I think we can count on Martin here… He's been with the Shadowchasers since, well, since the days of the iMac!"

"And believe me, I have plenty more where this came from," added Jabels. "I sacrifice Extra Veiler…"

The matador dramatically covered himself with the cape as he spoke, and it shook for a second.

"…to summon Luminous Soldier!"

The cape ripped apart into shreds as a much larger Warrior took Veiler's place, one with armor of gold, silver, and bronze, with a full-head helmet shaped like a sun. He held a golden, serrated sword. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I banish two Light monsters from my Graveyard…"

Two cards – Effect Veiler and Oracle of the Sun – appeared behind him and melted away like dew in the sunlight.

"…to summon the Soul of Purity and Light."

Slowly, a silent, beautiful woman in a long, shimmering robe with long hair and angelic wings, translucent and seemingly sculpted out of the light itself emerged, shifting in and out of full focus as Karl and Oswald watched, as if she were a mirage. (2,000 ATK)

"You wanted a fight, mister, well now you've got one!" shouted Jabels. "Shining Destroyer, do it!"

"He-he-he-he-he!" cackled the odd creature, as it pulled up its plunger. Then it slammed it down, and an explosion of thick smoke, and a LOT of noise blew both itself and Invader of Darkness to smithereens.

As the smoke cleared, a sour frown – and a great deal of soot – was on Oswald's face.

"Unfortunately, I had to destroy my own monster as well," continued Jabels, "which means, due to its effect, we both lose 600 Life Points. But at least I eliminated a rather big problem."

"Yeah, well you have another one," replied Oswald.

His Trap Card lifted, one that neither Jabels nor Karl had ever seen.

"Angels and Devils?" said Jabels, looking at it with an odd glance.

"It's new to me too," added Karl.

"Well… I certainly know what it does," said SAL. "BUT… Let's see if Oswald is smart enough to explain it."

"I hate machines…" growled Oswald. "Since one of my Fiends was destroyed by battle, I get to discard a Fairy that's a lower Level…"

He flipped a card in his hand around. Then he slipped it into the discard slot.

"Invader was Level 8, so I'll ditch the Level 7 Zeta Reticulant. Next I get to take another Fiend from my deck, but it has to be an even lower Level than the Fairy I discarded."

A card poked out of his deck, and he slid it out carefully, then went on. "Of course, if it had been a Fairy you had destroyed, I could have done it with the Types switched."

"Indeed," said Jabels. Luminous Soldier lifted its weapon. "Well I'm not done, and unfortunately for your Valkyria, my Soldier gains 500 Attack Points when fighting a Dark monster."

Dark Valkyria shrieked a little as the armored knight's weapon fell his Attack Score rising to 2,600 in the process. She fell backwards but evaporated into shadowy mist before she hit the ground.

Finally, Soul of Purity and Light's soft hands simply reached for Caligo Claw Crow. It cooed a little, then turned to dust.

"I end my turn, Mr. Oswald," said Jabels, "so what now?"

(J: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 6,600)

The man calling himself Lee Harvey Oswald didn't draw right away, nor did he answer for a minute or two. Then he said something, in a voice that, for the first time, almost sounded sane.

"You know, Mr. Jabels," he said, causing the veteran Shadowchaser to lift an eye at his sudden decision to be polite, "when I asked a few minutes ago why you cared, I think you misunderstood a little…

"I know what your job is… But… You do realize that when Ghislane recovers, if she does, you'll likely end up arresting her.

"What's the point?"

"Are you saying letting her die is a better option?" asked Jabels, his fist clenching again.

"Yeah, yeah," said Oswald, "I know all that junk about due process and all, but come on, consider the time and money you'd save. That whole deal in Philadelphia the other day…"

"How did you know…" demanded Jabels.

"I have connections," replied Oswald. "You think I'm crazy? That guy was a madman, and he was all-too willing to kill two Shadowchasers and anyone else who got in his way. Yet, they spared him, and so did you. Why? You're a Hand of Pelor, I thought they were supposed to, uh, 'smite evil', so to speak…"

"Things simply aren't done the way they were in the old days," replied Jabels.

"The man was evil wasn't he?" asked Oswald.

"It's not my place to judge," growled Jabels, "or to pass sentence."

"Why? Afraid to?" asked Oswald. "Don't like to kill? Believe in the corny old 'If you kill him you'll be just like him' stuff?"

"Now look here…" said Karl.

"Stay out of this Hudson," said Jabels, lifting his hand. "This cretin just got on my bad side and while it's likely pointless, I'll give him an honest answer…"

He crossed his arms and cleared his throat.

"I've killed a lot of people in my life, young man," he said, looking sternly at Oswald. "You're obviously too young to remember the War in Afghanistan, but Great Britain was one of many NATO belligerents, and I was but a soldier no older than you are.

"The first major goals were to oust the Taliban and their Islamic Emirate, and then defeat the al-Qaida, who the Taliban supported. Back then, most people viewed al-Qaida as a monolithic organization, almost an empire onto itself, dedicated to the destruction of America and Western capitalism. People believed they were soldiers waging a holy war against us, a jihad as the leaders called it…

"But the truth was, al-Qaida was hardly much of an army. It never had more than about a thousand members worldwide, with only forty guys involved in 9/11. That's not much when compared to the combined NATO forces. Most members were young kids like I was at the time, who had joined up because they had little better to do. Maybe they thought they needed a cause, or maybe they were persuaded by the words of a charismatic leader, as such groups are often formed…

"Were these young soldiers evil? By association, perhaps. I wasn't one to judge, as I said.

"Still I did what I was supposed to do as a soldier of the British Army, I fought. And back then, Duel Disks weren't used to fight, you fought with a rifle, and shot at enemy soldiers who were shooting at you.

"The question you obviously mean to ask me, Mr. Oswald, is 'would I ever find killing enjoyable', and I do NOT, because a lot of innocent civilians fell to gunfire in those days too! Nor did I find any pleasure in the deaths of those I was fighting… Especially in retrospect, when I realized few of them even knew just what the hell they were fighting for."

He stopped for a minute.

"Even to this day, there comes times when a criminal who refuses to surrender is taken down the hard way, or one who tries to fight his way out makes a fatal mistake. Sometimes they have families…

"Just last month, we had to handle a situation where a shootout ended in the deaths of four civilians and the gunman. Do you have any idea what it was like to tell his parents that he was killed by our operatives because he refused to drop his weapon?"

"Dunno," replied Oswald with a slight chuckle. "I've actually always wondered about that… Do you draw straws or something?"

Right now, not only was Jabels very angry, but both Luminous Soldier and Soul of Purity and Light looked rather pissed too.

"I was right," he growled, "It was pointless to try explaining. I believe I told you to move."

Oswald giggled a little as he drew a card. Then he played the monster he had used the Trap Card to search for.

"Much like your shaman-guy," he said, "Power Invader is also Level 5, but he can be summoned with no sacrifice if you have two monsters."

A hulking, muscular, hunched-over Fiend wearing purple with a bald-head and only two yellow eyes with no pupils rose in front of him. It cracked its knuckles. (2,200 ATK)

"Anyway, I know better than to attack either of your guys, so I'll play Goblin Negotiator."

He played the last card in his hand, and a Continuous Spell with a picture of a fat goblin wearing a black three-piece suit and a fedora, holding a briefcase rose into place in front of him.

"Done…" he said, evilly.

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In his study, Cattivo was half-way through a book that he had pulled down from the shelf at random to take his mind off what was happening. (The Mouse that Roared, by Irish-American author Leonard Wibberley.) Uccisore was standing by the door that was most often used as the way in, while Belsito was leaning against the wall by the other side of the room, sharpening his claws with a long metal file.

Then the door was thrown open, nearly knocking Uccisore over, and Tranello rushed through, holding the mysterious journal high above his head.

"In the words of Archimedes," the accountant shouted, "Eureka!"

"What?" shouted Cattivo. "What eureka?"

As Tranello walked up to the short mobster's couch, Tormento and Uomo followed from behind.

"Tranello, you don't look so good," said Cattivo, putting the book he was reading down. Then he made a face. "And you smell even worse!"

"I figured it out, boss!" exclaimed Tranello. "It was so simple… I simply had to think outside the box… See, the alphabet is Ignan, but in the Ignan language and any other language that uses the Ignan alphabet, the words are gibberish.

"Now, normally, a linguist would try to decipher a written code here. But… By simply speaking it out loud in base Ignan with the right tone, I found that the words did mean something… In orcish!"

"I don't get it…" muttered Drago.

"Well, see," said Tormento, "orcish doesn't use the Ignan alphabet… In fact, orcs have no written language at all. Traditionally, they weren't big on literacy, and most orc myths and legends were told via oral tradition."

"Exactly," said Tranello. "Most scribes either use the standard Roman alphabet when they want to translate orcish into written word, or dwarven…For some odd reason, dwarven and orcish sound remotely similar…"

"I heard of that somewhere," muttered Uomo. "It's not the only thing that's 'remotely similar' about dwarves and orcs, and it suggests they're closer related than either would like to admit."

"Yeah, but the thing is, you could technically use any alphabet that a humanoid being could speak to scribe orcish," said Tranello. "A verbal-only language actually makes scribing it easy, but recognizing it hard. Apparently, whoever did this figured someone would have to think to see the hidden message in plain sight."

"Right, so in other words, whoever owned this book keyed the opening code to something no-one would ever think of," replied Cattivo. "Whatever is in that book must be something someone wants kept out of the wrong hands. So what does it say, already?"

"Let's see here…" said Tranello. He scratched his head and then adjusted his glasses again. "The key to finding the goal sought by the true magical chemist… is at the place where the false magical chemist thinks it already is…"

"Lovely, riddles," muttered Drago.

"Well, I assume that 'magical chemist' means 'alchemist'," added Tranello. "Orcish doesn't have a word for 'alchemist'. Still, you got me…"

"No, no, I think I know this," said Nitro's voice.

Everyone turned and saw him leaning against the wall near the corner where Uccisore was watching.

"Anyone got anything made of gold?" asked the short mobster.

Cattivo quickly unfastened his watch as Drago scratched his head again.

"A 'fake alchemist' wants to turn lead into gold," said the short, squat man, as he strode to the couch. "That not the true goal at all."

"Right, right…" replied Tranello. "A true alchemist seeks to use his skill to find ultimate truth, divine powers… Even the ability to create life itself…"

"So in theory," said Nitro, "this book has information in it that a true alchemist seeks to find, the true alchemist's goals, so to open it, we need what they false alchemist's far-more shallow goal is – gold."

As Cattivo handed him the watch, it started to glow with a soft light.

"WAIT…" said Uccisore.

Everyone turned to the devil swine.

"Uh, boss, we sure we want to do this?" he asked. "Divine powers? Ultimate truth? Creation of life? Are we sure this book is safe?"

Cattivo looked at the strange book.

He hadn't exactly hired Uccisore for his intelligence, but the guy had a point…

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As Jabels drew a card, SAL spoke up again.

"Karl, I think I've pinpointed how this guy's powers work," she said. "And how he can use magic so easily. He's a warlock."

"Warlock?" asked Karl. "You mean a guy who gains magical powers from infernal realms, like Wilhelm?"

"No, that's only the most common type of warlock," replied SAL. "See, technically, a warlock is any type of wizard who gains his or her power by deals or contracts with powerful supernatural entities. Usually the contract is a formal agreement, but some brave and powerful warlocks are able to form Pacts without the entity's knowledge. That's very risky, seeing as it's the divine equivalent of forging a contract, but some are able to do it. Wilhelm is one of the biggest successes in this type of endeavor.

"The infernal warlocks and the dark warlocks, who do that by making deals with devils and demons, respectively, are the most well-known, and thus the most common.

"But there are others. For example, star warlocks make deals with evil cosmic entities from the Far Realms, while vestige warlocks draw power from the lingering essences of the dead gods in the Astral Plane…"

"Look, can you just tell me which one applies to this guy?" whispered Karl.

"I do believe he's a fey warlock," replied SAL. "A very rare type who gains magical powers from the most powerful rulers of the Feywild."

"Lovely…" muttered Karl. "A lot of those guys at least tolerable of humans, but not all of them…"

Meanwhile, both Jabels and Oswald were listening, Oswald chuckling softly as he did. The card Jabels had drawn was Sage of Stillness, which would be useful if he could get by Power Invader this turn… Which he could not. He also had Supay the card he had searched for using Oracle, but...

This fellow is rather clever, he thought. With that Spell Card there, this may take a while, but…

"Destroy his Power Invader, Luminous Soldier!" he shouted, as the shining knight lifted his sword.

"I use the effect of Goblin Negotiator!" exclaimed Oswald.

The Warrior's Score rose to 2,600, but when it tried to strike the Fiend, its weapon hit against a dome of force.

"Once per turn, I can block an attack you make against a monster."

"True, but whenever you use it, I get to draw one card," said Jabels, as he drew.

Mmm, not exactly what I needed… he thought.

"I know," said Oswald, as Jabels was in mid-thought.

His card that he had set the turn he summoned Invader of Darkness opened and revealed itself.

"Appropriate?" gasped Karl. "That's… bad…"

"An understatement…" replied SAL. "Oswald will be able to stop one attack every turn, and while letting Jabels draw once would be a risky cost is used too often, Oswald will be able to gain a dangerous advantage by drawing twice each time.

"We may have underestimated this man…"

"Listen to your little friend," said Oswald. "I mean, I can think of so many computers like that who were a big help, like the MCP…"

"Now wait a minute…" said SAL.

"Or maybe GLaDOS," he added. "In fact, the voice is kind of similar…"

"WAIT A MINUTE!" shouted SAL.

"Maybe H.A.R.D.A.C.," he added.

"Why don't you say that to my face, you little…" dared SAL.

"SAL, calm down!" shouted Karl. He gently started to stroke his forearm. "He obviously trying to troll you… Who's H.A.R.D.A.C., anyway?"

"Never mind…" hissed SAL. "This guy watches way too much television."

"Just pay attention!" snapped Jabels. A set monster appeared between the two he had. "I'll finish there."

"Then it's my draw…" said Oswald. He drew a card, his smile widening. "Tell ya what… I'm just going to set this card, and then end…"

With a flash, a face-down card appeared in his Spell Zone.

Jabels drew fast, eager to finish this as soon as possible. His hand now consisted of Sage of Stillness, Golden Bamboo Sword, and the Trap Card Unbreakable Will.

He played the Monster Card, and a man with a beard wearing deep blue with a white keffiyeh and cloak, holding a decorated metal scepter appeared in a ripple of light like the one Soul of Purity appeared in. (1,400 ATK) Then, he flipped his set monster, and a carved, horned, wooden Incan demon head appeared. (300 ATK)

"I Tune together my Level 1 Supay and my Level 4 Sage of Stillness!" he exclaimed, as the two monsters flew into the sky.

"When a crisis is dire, the light of purity in one's soul can become a burning focus of pure power!"

The Tuner and the Spellcaster flew through the rings, and burst into five stars.

(*1 + *4 = *5)

"I Synchro Summon Magical Android!"

Particles of light fell in a column, like a transporter beam falling to Earth. A young woman in a rainbow-colored, metallic robe with flowing, red hair held with a headdress the same style as the robe and odd tattoos on her face appeared in the column, holding a strange, crooked staff and a shield shaped like a swirl appeared. (2,400 ATK)

She smirked at Oswald, but he didn't seem to like it.

"Wow, déjà vu," he said, as the Psychic aimed her staff. "It's as if I knew her in a previous life… A bad one."

"Let's see if history repeats itself," said Jabels. "Attack Power Invader with pyrokinesis!"

Powerful balls of fire blasted from Magical Android's staff towards the Fiend, but Oswald held up his hand.

"I use the effect of Goblin Negotiator!"

The projectiles fizzled, and Jabels drew one card. Then a bag of money appeared next to Oswald, and coins flew out of it.

"My Appropriate lets me draw two cards now," he said, making two draws.

"Good for you," replied Jabels, "but you can only do that once per turn, so… Luminous Soldier, let's give it a second try!"

Again, the sword glowed with solar light as Luminous Soldier dashed, then swiped, and this time, connected. A burning scar appeared on Power Invader's chest, and it made a sound that was like "Urk…"

Then it burst into a pile of purple gravel as Luminous Soldier held his sword to the slowly-setting sun.

But Jabels wasn't done. Soul of Purity and Light flew towards the criminal with her arms outstretch, as if to give him a hug, and that seemed to be exactly what she did. But it wasn't the passionate embrace that usually came with hugs. Oswald felt a chill as she seemingly leeched the light from him…

Finally, with a "Humph!" she dropped him, and he fell to his knees.

"End…" he said, as Magical Android's eyes started to glow. "And that means, her healing effect occurs, and I gain 600 Life Points for every Psychic on the field."

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,200)

Oswald stood up, panting and puffing for breath.

"Kinda sorry I have to do this…" muttered Oswald, sadly, as he drew a card.

He hung his head for a minute.

"Heh, I'm just kidding! I just love doing this! I use Message in a Bottle!"

As he played the card, Invader of Darkness, Power Invader, and Dark Valkyria sprang out of the ground. (0 ATK x3)

"Three monster at once?" shouted Karl.

"Calm down, calm down!" barked Oswald. "There is a catch or two. First, as you can see, they lose all their Scores and their Effects. Also, I can't Special Summon any other monsters except via Xyz Summon, and if I don't use them to Xyz Summon, I lose 4,000 Life Points."

"Are you serious?" shouted Karl. "That's crazy! Do you have any idea how hard that will be? You do know those three monsters are all dissimilar Levels, right?"

"Let's not be so quick to judge, my friend," said Jabels, turning to Karl. "A risk that high is often accompanied by a rather clever second stage…"

"I activate the Trap Card, Big Win!" replied Oswald, as his Trap flipped up. "Now I choose a number between one and twelve, then we both a coin twice. If both are heads, all of my monsters become that Level. But if both are tails, I lose 1,000 Life Points times the number I choose. And I choose eight."

"That's the stupidest idea for a second stage of a plan I've ever heard of!" replied Jabels. "If you miss the toss, you'll lose… Well, let me put it this way, you'll lose!"

"I don't lose…" said Oswald.

A coin fell from the sky, and Jabels fumbled to catch it. He looked at it. The tournament-issue Duel Monsters coin, with the Eye of Wdjat on one side. Oswald looked at him as he held another with his thumb and forefinger.

"Just so we're sure on it," he said. "This is heads…" He showed the side with the Eye. "And this is tails…" He turned it around.

"Flip…"

The two duelists tossed the coins in the air, and Karl watched. Ghislane's eyes slowly opened. Then they both snatched the coins, and slapped them on their wrists… Slowly… They lifted their hands…

Jabels' coin had come up heads. He looked at his foe…

Judging from the smirk on his face and the fact that his Life Point counter hadn't changed, it was clear he had won the toss.

"Now, with the Overlay Network built…" said Oswald, "I can summon the big guy himself…"

First Invader of Darkness disappeared, then Power Invader, then Dark Valkyria… Then… Darkness crept onto the roof, like… Branches. Arm-like branches made of darkness, reaching onto the roof as dark clouds started to cover the sun. The cold chill turned colder.

"A three-Overlay Rank 8…" gasped Karl. "What could he be summoning…"

"The only one in my database that qualifies is Coach King Giantrainer," answered SAL. "But I kind of doubt it…"

"NO!" screamed Ghislane. "Don't!"

She struggled to get up, and Karl held her down tighter.

"Ghislane, please!" he said.

"Leave them out of it, please…" she sobbed.

"To late, Ghislane…" said Oswald, his voice sounding more inhuman now. His eyes turned coal red, as complete darkness covered the field. "Can't say I didn't warn them…"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Cattivo sighed.

"It's now or never, folks," he said. "I've dealt with diabolists, necromancers, battle mages, and every type of lich under the sun. I'm not scared of any book of alchemy…"

His henchmen stepped back slightly as he held the watch to the book. The soft glow covered the book and the watch.

Finally, the clasp opened with a snap.

The mobster slowly opened the journal as his enforcers gathered around, but their looks of curiosity turned to looks of puzzlement as he turned the pages.

They were blank. Every single one.

"Someone out there's got a really sick sense of humor…" muttered Drago.

"Honestly, Drago, there's got to be writing there," said Tormento. "I must be in some sort of… invisible ink."

"Yes, probably magical ink," said Cattivo, as he handed it to Tranello again, "like the type you can only read under some condition or with a special device…"

"Either that, or the book is under spell to make the script invisible…" muttered Tranello, as he skimmed through the pages. "There are lots of magics that can do that, like Secret Page, Illusory Script…

"Unfortunately, I've also heard of magical booby traps on writing like that, such as Explosive Runes, or even worse, the Sepia Snake Sigil… And some archmages have even been able to cast the dreaded Symbols on their spellbooks. Curses that can render whoever reads them insane, cause endless sleep, or even death…"

"Come on, what are the chances someone was able to cast a curse like that on this book?" asked Tormento.

"Hell, for all you know, this used to belong to Hornung himself," replied Uomo.

Tranello handed the book back to Cattivo, and sighed, mostly out of exhaustion.

"I'll not much of a magician, but I'll make some calls," he said, "see if someone knows someone who can figure this out…"

"Just shower and get some sleep, please?" muttered Cattivo.

He walked to the other side of the room, where a painting of René Descartes was hanging. He moved it aside, revealing a wall safe.

"You aren't any use to me if you're dead. And I want all of you to be careful…"

He opened the safe and put the tome inside.

"Let's not forget, for a blank journal, Disco Dan wanted this book pretty badly…"

Nitro followed Tranello as he left the room, and the accountant sighed.

"All right, thank you!" he exclaimed.

"I'll expect something nice for my birthday," snarked the shorter mobster. "By the way… Did you know that Isaac Newton was an alchemist?"

"Really?" asked Tranello. He looked oddly at Nitro. "Real or fake?"

"Both, actually," replied Nitro. He smirked, then walked down another hallway.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"What the bloody hell is going on?" demanded Jabels.

It was dark. He could barely see a foot in front of his face. He couldn't see his opponent at all, or anything on his side of the field.

He could see his three monsters; their Light Attribute may have been responsible for that, letting them glow in the dark. Still, all three seemed terrified, as if they could see more than he could.

"Were is your monster?" he ordered.

"Oh, he's here," said Oswald's voice from the darkness. "I'd be glad to make your acquaintance, but… He likes to make his own… Introductions…"

Then there was a sound like a rush of air, and some… thing came out of the darkness. But while it was close, Jabels still couldn't see it… Until two shadow tendrils reached for Soul of Purity and Light. She screamed… It was a horrid scream and a sound like crushing…

Then she was gone. Whether she had been dragged away or consumed by the… whatever it was, it was hard to tell.

(J: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,200)

Jabels couldn't speak for a minute. His heart was pounding… It was like a sneak attack from something that had been there the whole time.

Meanwhile, Karl was straining to see Oswald's monster, but having no better luck.

"Uh, SAL…" he said.

"I'm afraid I can't see it any better than you can, Karl," replied SAL. "And seeing as my 'vision' ranges from extreme ultraviolet to extreme infrared, this is serious."

Indeed it did. What that meant was, even though SAL had no eyes, her optical perception extended to wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum both far below and far above the small part that was considered visible light. Long story short, she could see in the dark, even most magical darkness. But now…

"He DOES have an Xyz monster in play," she added, "but now I'm sure it's not Coach King Giantrainer."

"No, no…" sobbed Ghislane. "It's him…"

"Ghislane…" said Karl, gently.

"That man…" cried Ghislane, softly. "Lee Harvey Oswald… I met him years ago… When I was still writing… Thought his name was a joke…"

She cried for a few seconds.

"Then he told me he was an agent for… For him… I thought he was lying…"

"Him?" asked Karl.

He looked into the darkness, towards where Oswald – and his monster, presumably – was.

"One day, he dueled me…" sniffed Ghislane.

She started crying harder.

"Ghislane?" said Karl. "GHISLANE!"

"I don't think she's going to answer, Karl," said SAL. "But she may be implying that the duel in question was the time where she believes her claimed encounter with the Slenderman occurred."

"Your move, old man," said Oswald. "Though I doubt it matters…"

Jabels had been listening to Karl and Ghislane, and was nervous now. He drew, then looked at his score on his Duel Disk. He was experienced enough to know that panicking was only going to make it worse.

Have to think this through, he thought. I lost 500 Life Points from that attack… Assuming his monster is Dark, and isn't immune to Soul of Purity and Light's effect, its Attack Score is most likely 2,800. Which means Luminous Soldier wouldn't be able to defeat it even with his bonus…

He fit a card into his Disk, and a wooden sword replaced the Warrior's real one.

"I use the Equip Spell, Broken Bamboo Sword," he said. "It doesn't do anything on its own, but it does let me use the Spell Card Golden Bamboo Sword, which lets me draw twice."

The wooden sword transformed into a golden katana as Jabels made two draws.

"Got any good ones?" said Oswald, obviously not caring.

"Oh, indeed," replied Jabels. "Because I have two Light monsters that are at least Level 5, I can use Bolstering Light!"

He flipped the card into his Disk, and both his monsters started to glow brighter.

"And because of it, the monster I attack with first this turn can't be destroyed by battle."

"What good will that do you?" asked Oswald.

Jabels didn't answer, and nonetheless, Luminous Solider charged into the uncanny darkness. Jabels could see him, but he still couldn't see any opponent… And neither could Luminous Soldier, apparently. He stopped, looked back and forth for a second or two…

There was a slight, unintelligible whisper, and a chill fell down Jabels' spine. Luminous Soldier swung his weapon, but only cut through some dark fog.

Then he backed back up to Jabels, slowly.

He… missed? thought Jabels.

"Seems your Warrior is blind as a bat now that the big guy is here," gloated Oswald. "You Shadowchasers can't defeat him… We're dealing with a whole new game now."

"A game has rules," said Jabels. "You seem to be making them up as you go along. How could my monster miss?"

"Okay, you want exact rules?" said Oswald, in the more lucid tone again. "I'll tell you exactly how Slenderman's card works then.

"You see, so long as he has all of his Overlay Units, all five of the spaces on my Monster Zone are concealed, and when one of your monsters attacks one of my monsters, it attacks one at random. Attacking an empty space means the attack doesn't do anything."

Then he switched to the insane tone again.

"Of course, I can summon other monsters, and most aren't as powerful as he is, which means a strong monster could aim for a weaker minion by mistake, while someone like Magical Android could aim for someone weaker, and find herself directly in the past of his claws…"

"Depends…" said Jabels. Magical Android aimed her staff again. "Because Bolstering Light also gives the second monster to attack a boost of 1,000 Attack Points!"

The Psychic's Score rose to 3,400 as she tried to look through the gloom. She moved her staff to the left, then to the right, then aimed carefully…

"Well, what do you know?" snarled Jabels. "She had pretty good aim…"

As the flames shot from the wand, Jabels could briefly see the outline of a tall, humanoid figure.

"Fortunately," yelled Oswald, "I can still use Goblin Negotiator!"

Jabels sighed a little as the flames sputtered and he lost sight of the monster. Again, he drew one card, but he could only assume his opponent was drawing two. He couldn't see a thing.

"Did you actually forget about that card?" asked Oswald.

No, thought Jabels. Truthfully, I had hoped YOU had forgotten about it.

"That may not have worked," he warned, "but I've never fled a fight just because it was a little hard."

"A little hard?" laughed Oswald. "Listen to that, the guy thinks this is 'a little hard'. You Shadowchasers think you're such a big deal because you can defeat dragons and nine-eyed monsters, but this one can't be beaten."

"He may be right, Karl," said SAL. "The closest anyone has ever gotten to 'defeating' the Slenderman in a story is by making him so bored with the chase that he goes away. Never an occasion where the protagonists actually defeated him by trying to fight. In fact, in most stories, if the protagonists hadn't been killed or vanished without a trace at the end, it was questioned whether the Slenderman had actually been there in the first place."

"Don't tell me you believe he's real?" asked Karl.

"Karl, if I may be blunt, sentient computers aren't supposed to be real," she replied.

"Well…" said Karl.

"Neither are eladrin, but you're holding a very sick one right now," she added.

"Oh, he's very real," replied Oswald. "And better men then you Shadowchasers have fallen before him. You hedge your careers on fighting things that lurk in the darkness?

"He IS the darkness!"

Jabels trembled a little. "I end my turn…" he said. Again, Magical Android's arm glowed.

(J: 8,100) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,200)

"And I see your Magical Android is losing that bonus," chuckled Oswald. "That's good because… She's next!"

Again, it came suddenly. Wispy, dark tendrils, coming out of the darkness towards Magical Android. She screamed even more violently… But this time, it was perfectly clear what was happening. She wasn't being crushed, she was being pulled, dragged into the abysmal darkness… Still Jabels could hear her screams, which weakened, then turned into a whine, then stopped.

(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,200)

As if to drive the point home, he felt a horrid chill as the same nightmarish tendrils from the shadowy dark seemed to caress him.

"NO!" he shouted, swatting them away.

He looked at where his opponent would have been. The fear started to subside… Not go away completely, but enough for him to think straight.

"Undefeatable, eh?" he said. "Balderdash. Everyone said Kaiba couldn't be defeated until Yugi came along. And then people said he was undefeatable. Guess no-one told Raphael that."

"Wait a minute…" said Oswald.

"Jabels has a point," added Karl. "I mean, seriously, claiming that you can't be defeated is practically an invitation for someone to do it. Ever watch Dragonball Z? Pretty much every villain on that show had a perfect record as a fighter until Goku came along. Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, Cell… Heck, I can't think of one that didn't qualify.

"At which point, Goku would be considered 'undefeatable', only to have his ass handed to him late in the franchise by a villain named Bills."

"Quit it…" growled Oswald.

"Can't forget the classics, either," added Jabels. "If I recall correctly, one important turning point in the legend of the Japanese hero Minamoto no Yoshitsune was his defeat of the warrior monk Musashibō Benkei, who was believed unbeatable."

"And as for Slendy, I'll tell you exactly why there's no story about him being beaten, Oswald," added Karl. "He was the star of the story. In fact, he was the star of a franchise of stories.

"You didn't see many episodes of the original Star Trek where Kirk died, did you? Or Picard after him, right? Lupin III stories where Lupin actually dies are kinda rare too, and so are stories in One Piece that end with Luffy's death.

"That's because if it ever happened, the series would be over. You can't kill the protagonist, even if he's a villain protagonist, without killing the series. And when the main character is a guy like that, he can't be beaten. It's just that simple."

"Words mean nothing!" shouted Oswald. "I'm summoning another monster… Of course, you're going to have to take my word for it, of course, but it's a Newdoria… Think you know what it can do.

"Next, I'm playing the Equip Spell Autonomous Action Unit. I simply have to give up 1,500 Life Points to summon a monster from your Graveyard…"

This time, Jabels could see the monster more clearly as she – because as he expected, it was Magical Android – appeared, with a sad look on her face. (2,400 ATK)

But even worse, the glow from her robes caused the shadows to part briefly, and he saw someone else… Slightly behind her was a tall, impossibly thin humanoid creature with even thinner limbs… It looked at him briefly with a face that had no eyes or any other features…

But even this eyeless glance which only lasted a second because it slipped into the shadows again made Jabels' insides cold, cold like a block of ice…

"I have another Equip Spell that I'm giving to the big guy," added Oswald, "and it's called Stockholm Hostage. See, since this Synchro was formerly yours, I can use its effect if you attack, and even if you luck out and manage to attack the big guy with someone stronger, this card lets me sacrifice her to give him half her Attack Points.."

"You know, Oswald," snapped Karl, "you claim your… 'master' is some unstoppable primal force who has never seen defeat, but you sure seem concerned about 'worst case scenarios'."

There was a very long pause. Oswald didn't answer.

Finally, he said quietly, "I end my turn… I suppose that means I gain the benefit from Magical Android…"

(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)

Jabels drew a card, and it was the Trap, Magic Cylinder. He looked closely at the other four cards he had, three other Traps and two monsters.

This just might work… he thought.

"I set one card," he said, as the reversed Trap materialized in front of him, "and then summon Shining Sly."

As he said it, a large, violet fabric was dramatically thrown in front of him, turning into a mysterious-looking figure draped in a robe with a high collar wearing a pointed foolscap. (1,200 ATK)

If he attacks – with any monster – Magic Cylinder can reflect the attack back at him as Effect Damage… thought Jabels. UNLESS Shining Sly can use its effect. It can nullify the damage done to Oswald, but in return, I can sacrifice one of Oswald's monsters, and he doesn't get to choose.

It's a simple solution… When you can't outfight an obviously stronger opponent, you have to outsmart him.

"Interesting…" said Oswald, again from the darkness. "First I draw… And then I attack Shining Sly with Newdoria!"

"Oh no…" said SAL. "Newdoria has 1,200 Attack Points… The battle will be a draw, but with Newdoria's effect, he'll destroy Luminous Soldier too!"

Jabels could see the familiar Fiend lunging out of the darkness, its rubbery arms stretched forward bearing claws towards Shining Sly…

"I activate… Magic Cylinder!" yelled Jabels.

But as his Trap Card lifted up, Newdoria halted. There was dead silence as it vanished back into the darkness.

"What… what happened?" gasped Jabels.

Then, all of a sudden, Luminous Soldier dropped his sword. He clutched his chest, as if ill…

"Luminous Soldier… What…" said Jabels.

Then the Warrior burst into shards.

"HEY!" shouted Jabels.

"I guess I had to reveal one of the big guy's secrets," chuckled Oswald. "See, if you try to use a Spell or Trap while one of my monsters attacks, I can use his effect. By getting rid of an Overlay Unit, I can call off my monster's attack and destroy one of your monsters."

The Magic Cylinder smashed apart too.

"Other than the one I was attacking, however. So your Shining Sly is safe… From Newdoria, that is! Attack it, slave!"

Magical Android bowed her head, then pointed her staff and blasted even stronger flames at the smaller monster, reducing it to ashes.

It didn't end there. Jabels could almost see the Xyz Monster clearly now. It had no face, but this close Jabels realized this... thing didn't need a face. The sheer overwhelming aura of dread and madness washed over him like a tide, a thousand unspoken horrors whispered into his ear, a thousand nightmares flashing before his eyes.

And this time, it wasn't tendrils. Dark spires like sharp branches closed in upon him from every side. His heart started to beat fast, pumping blood through it that had gone cold… Still, the monstrous, eyeless face kept staring at him…

Jabels was beside himself with panic… This thing wasn't only assaulting his body but…

Then he grit his teeth. He clenched his fist tighter. A rage started to form within him…

Finally, the mental block was smashed, and he aimed a punch at that face… And it connected…

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)

"Back off…" he demanded.

The face was gone.

"How… How dare you?" screamed Oswald.

"How dare I what?" asked Jabels. He rubbed his knuckles. "Defend myself from someone trying to kill me? Honestly, maybe your boss simply isn't used to people with the guts to stand up to him and fight back. Maybe all the Slenderman is... would be a bully who hunts people weaker than he is. Or people who are driven insane by these phantasms."

"That's a lie!" yelled Oswald. "He's perfectly capable of fighting!"

"Well, it seems he just did something that nobody in any Creepypasta ever managed to do," snapped Karl. "Actually hurt Slendy!"

"He's not hurt…" hissed Oswald.

"Well if he retreated to make Jabels think he was hurt, that's another first," replied SAL.

"Indeed," said Jabels. "You know, Mr. Oswald… Maybe SAL had a point. When I was a young man, I didn't think dragons or ogres or zombies existed until the Awareness opened my eyes… And even then, it took me a while before I discovered that the Shadows held things even more horrid than what Harry Potter or the Children of Narnia ever faced… Illithids and aboleth, vile creatures from the Far Realm, even hints that the Great Old Ones themselves were as real as I was. I learned that Frankenstein was based on a true story, and other stories that I believed had only been fiction or myth, that Dracula was not only a real vampire, he was a title held by several vampires…

"So I guess maybe the Slenderman might be real… I mean, it would be foolish of the Shadowchasers to take a chance and be skeptical…

"But… BUT…"

He pointed his finger with a gesture of accusation.

"Even if that card is tainted with dark magic, it is no more the Slenderman than you are the real Lee Harvey Oswald. The Slenderman wouldn't use man-made defenses or care about a mere punch. You, my friend, are a sick man, living a delusion, one which you've clearly spread to this poor woman, and it's going to end here."

"We'll see about that, fancy pants," came his opponent's voice, "It's still my move..."

He threw a card into his Disk.

"This Spell Card, Sebek's Blessing, means your loss is my gain.

"Now it's your move, by the way, which means… More Life Points, please!"

Magical Android hung her head again as she glowed softly.

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,700)

"You bet I'll move!" shouted Jabels, as he drew.

This will be a risk, he thought, but I hate this man enough to take it.

"I summon Counselor Lily!" he exclaimed.

As he played the card, a very odd Fairy appeared in front of him. She had the typical angelic wings, and also had long, red, waist-length hair, but she also had a white formal medical jacket, glasses, and held a clipboard. (400 ATK)

"Huh?" said Oswald. "Injection Fairy Lily?"

"When she was younger, that was what she was called, yes," replied Jabels, "back when she was a nurse. But people grow up… They get older and wiser… Just as Lily did, studying to gain her degree and becoming an administrative Counselor."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Oswald, "she doesn't look so tough without that big needle of hers…"

Jabels threw all three of his remaining cards into his Disk, and they all appeared behind Lily.

"You'd be surprised," he said. "Go…"

Ghislane groaned a little.

"Hush, hush," said Karl. "It will be fine…"

"Karl…" she moaned. "Whatever happens… I'm sorry…"

"Sorry?" he said. "It isn't your fault…"

"This is so touching it's disgusting…" said Oswald. "I draw… Then I use the Spell Card, Essence of Void. And to play it, I'll banish Newdoria and my Grim Herald."

"Oh no, that's a powerful combo," thought SAL. "Essence of Void lets him take a monster from his Graveyard with a Level exactly equal to the combined Levels of the Fiend and Fairy he banishes.

"And Grim Herald has an effect too that activates while banished…"

"Will you clam up already!" shouted Oswald. "Honestly, I used to think computers who didn't offer help when you couldn't figure something out were annoying!

"Anyway, indeed, when Grim Herald is banished along with a Fiend, I get to take any Dark Fairy I want from my deck."

A new card appeared in his hand, and he chuckled softly.

Is that Darklord Zerato? thought Jabels. Now he was really scared.

"Now then, like the GPS over there said, because the Levels of Grim Herald and Newdoria add up to 7, I can take Zeta Reticulant from my Graveyard. There is one catch, however… At the end of this turn, it goes to the Graveyard again, whether I summon it or not.

"Unless I get rid of it first… You aren't the only one who has fancy, expensive swords. I use the Spell Card, Sacred Sword of Seven Stars!"

Jabels could see his opponent clearer now, as Zeta's card appeared in larger size in mid-air, Oswald drew a gem encrusted sword from his hip that briefly lit up the darkness with scintillating, rainbow-colored light… To Jabels' shock, he brutally brought it down on the card, cutting it in half.

"Anyway," he continued, as the two pieces fluttered down and vanished, "because Zeta was Level 7, I get to draw twice…" He made two draws as the darkness covered the field again.

"Next, I summon Doomsday Horror," he said, as two small, beady eyes appeared in the darkness. "This little guy has 300 Attack Points for every Dark monster that's been banished thus far."

(900 ATK)

"Now attack his nurse!" he ordered.

There was a nasty snickering sound, and the imp dashed on all fours out of the darkness. Lily looked at it in disgust, but then one of Jabels' set cards lifted up. Lily hit the creature with a backhand slap as it leapt at her, and it squealed and fell backwards.

"What…" said Oswald.

"The Spell Card I just used is called Unbreakable Will," explained Jabels. "I only have one monster, and her Attack Score isn't even half as much as the weakest of your three monsters.

"This means, she can't be destroyed this turn, and the damage dealt to me is reduced by half."

"Okay, this is just getting plain annoying now…" growled Oswald.

Magical Android let out a cry of anguish, and aimed her staff again. Lily lifted her hands, and while Jabels sweat a little, they both held fast.

Then, the darkness seemed to radiate pure rage…

"Here he comes…" he whispered.

Lily stood firm as the horrid, ghostly tendrils, far stronger than last time, ripped through the dark fog, lashing like barbed whips. Her white jacket was ripped and cuts opened in the skin beneath. The same thing happened to Jabels, his suit torn by the lacerations that drew blood at the same time…

Still, somehow, the two of them held as second dragged onto minutes… Finally, the onslaught ended. Lily held her shoulder, falling on her knee as she dropped the clipboard.

Hated to do that… he thought, but hopefully this will pay off.

(J: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,700)

"Still think it's worth it, tough guy?" asked Oswald.

"Yes," replied Jabels. "Because now that you're done attacking, I get to draw once for every thousand points of damage I took…"

He made two draws.

Okay, I'm getting a little closer… he thought.

"Whatever…" growled Oswald. "I'll just take 600 more Life Points from this kid, and turn it over to you…"

(J: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,300)

Jabels gripped the top card of his deck, and drew hard. Then he played a card, and a new monster appeared, a rabbit standing upright, with a scarlet waistcoat and vest, pure white fur, and shining blue eyes. (800 ATK)

"Cute," said Oswald. "I read Alice and Wonderland once… Hated it…"

"Shut up," said Jabels. He played another of his cards. "Shining Rabbit may not be strong enough to defeat any of your monsters, but that's not who he's after. If I use Secret Pass to the Treasures, he can strike at you directly."

"Wait a minute!" shouted Oswald. "My… My…"

"Of course!" quipped SAL. "Neither Slenderman's effect or Goblin Negotiator can protect him from direct attacks!"

"But before I do," said Jabels, as one of his set cards lifted, "I use Shard of Hope. We'll use that soon, but for now… Attack with Tumble Punch!"

Shining Rabbit rushed through the dark fog, stumbled a bit, then tumbled over, but jumped back on its feet, and made a leap. They saw Oswald briefly as the small creature socked him in the jaw.

"You miserable…" he cursed.

"And when Shining Rabbit doles out Battle Damage, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card," interrupted Jabels, "so say adieu to your precious Goblin Negotiator!"

"Uh… oh…" said Oswald. Then the Spell shattered, and he trembled a little.

"Well now what?" he shouted.

"Now comes the effect of Shard of Hope," he announced. "Here's the deal… I draw once… If it isn't a Trap Card, it goes to the Graveyard. If it is, then I send Shard of Hope to the Graveyard to activate it right away."

"Jabels better draw like his life depended on it," said SAL, "because I'm starting to think it DOES."

Jabels drew, and the card he lifted up flashed in the pitch-black darkness.

"And it's Spiritual Light Art – Hijiri!" he said, strongly. He plugged it onto his Disk as the Shard of Hope vanished in a blast of sparkles.

"This card lets me sacrifice a Light monster to summon a banished Light monster," he continued. Shining Rabbit slowly faded away. "Unless you show me a Trap Card from your hand… If you're able to…"

He heard growling coming from Oswald, who likely knew he couldn't reveal a card from his hand in this darkness even if he had one.

"Once again, Oracle of the Sun!" shouted Jabels, as the shaman reappeared. (1,000 ATK) Then one more set card lifted up. "And my Urgent Tunng Trap lets me Tune Lily and Oracle…"

Lily lifted her wings, and held Oracle's hand. They both soared upward, into the darkness, through the Synchro rings…

"Memories of a thousand lifetimes take shape, combining in one powerful body dedicated to the Light of Justice!"

(*3 + *5 = *8)

"I Synchro Summon… Deva Knight-Errant!"

The Warrior that landed hardly looked like a knight. He wore golden robes with long, loose sleeves and matching greaves, a headdress covering brown hair that was shoulder-length, and a veil over the lower-part of his face. He had enchanting blue eyes, and the skin you could see was dark olive. (2,800 ATK)

"Wait a minute!" shouted Oswald. "If you try to attack the big guy they could both be destroyed!"

"And to think, a minute ago you seemed to think that was impossible," answered Jabels.

And they call ME crazy! thought Oswald, as the Knight-Errant rushed through the haze. Wait… It missed… But… It's heading straight for Doomsday Horror!

Indeed he was. And Oswald let out a scream of pain as a savage karate chop from the Synchro smashed the imp to little pieces.

"I hope it was worth it…" snarled the duelist. "I use my Trap, Purging Curse!"

"Wait, when did you set another card?" yelled Karl.

"Last turn," said Oswald, with another sinister chuckle. "This darkness has benefits… But if I discard a Level 8 Dark monster from my hand and pay 1,000 Life Points…"

Deva Knight-Errant screamed as a wave of dark energy hit him hard, and he was obliterated.

"…not only is your monster destroyed but if you Synchro Summon another Synchro Monster, I can send this Trap to the Graveyard to destroy it."

Jabels was chuckling softly.

"A Level 8 monster…" he said. "The one you searched for with Grim Herald's effect, I presume? Was it, by chance, Darklord Zerato?"

"And what if it was?" asked Oswald. "I couldn't have summoned it last turn…"

"Yes you could have," replied Jabels, "and if you did, you would have won. Darklord Zerato can be summoned with one sacrifice if the sacrifice is a Dark monster, and you had one… The 'big guy', as you call him. If you had, you could have discarded Doomsday Horror, destroyed Lily and all three of my set cards, and made two direct attacks for a total of 5,100 points of damage.

"My Life Points were at 3,700 then, do the math. But you refused to sacrifice your ace card for… Some reason."

"I… I couldn't have…" replied Oswald.

"You know, Oswald, this is why I'm doubting your story," continued Jabels. "Since when does the Slenderman depend of flunkies and henchmen to act as heralds and agents? Most of the stories aren't even clear on whether he cares about any of the humans who claim to work for him, or whether he's a sentient being at all. That card does seem to have some curse on it, but since when could he be summoned by evil artifacts? Somehow, this just doesn't match his MO.

"You're either lying, or deluded into thinking you work for him. That's what I think… I'll set my last card, and then you can go. I predict this will be over soon…"

(J: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,500)

"I draw…" said Oswald, in a bitter voice, "then you can feel his wrath again!"

Again, the branch-like limbs started to reach for Jabels….

"I'm ready this time!" he shouted, "I use the Trap, Oath of Companionship!"

As the card flipped up, Magical Android gasped and felt her heart.

"Because I control no monsters from the Extra Deck, this card lets my take one of your Extra Deck monsters, which means Magical Android is free!"

Indeed, the Psychic was pulled back to his side. Android looked furiously and defiantly at Oswald as the claws kept reaching, even as they grabbed her again. She didn't scream this time…

Oswald sadly closed his eyes as she shattered.

It was the best I could do… he thought.

(J: 850) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 1,700)

He opened them.

"So it's down to you," he said, "and it's down to me…"

"You, me, him, and this face-down card," replied Oswald, as he set the card he had just drawn.

Let's hope Jabels knows what he's doing, thought Karl. He talks tough, but he's gonna need a miracle…

Jabels drew… Then a Spell Card lit up the darkness. It was called Card of Reversal.

"Because I have no cards on the field and this is the only card in my hand, I can draw once for every face-up card you have. That means because of your monster, Appropriate, and Purging Curse cards, I get three draws."

He drew three times… Then stopped.

"So…" said Oswald, making a smarmy grin, "did you get the card you need?"

"Indeed," replied Jabels, "and because you destroyed Deva Knight-Errant last turn, it's true effect comes into play, letting me Special Summon a Light monster from my deck with 2,000 Attack Points or fewer, so long as I pay half my Life Points. And since Level doesn't matter, I choose Righteous Priestess Tamagushi."

There was a shower of blossoms, and a miko with a red dress in and white gown with long, black hair held back by a brain appeared, her hands clasped together. (1,000 ATK)

"Huh?" asked Oswald.

"And with her on the field, I can also Special Summon Honorable Scholar Sakaki," said Jabels.

He played one of the three cards, and a young boy appeared next to the miko, with blonde hair, a plain, white, cotton shirt and a green toga tied with a sash, along with a laurel crown and a spear with a ribbon tied to the point. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I build the Overlay Network…. To Xyz Summon Norito the Moral Leader!"

The portal opened, and the darkness seemed to recede for a bit as light poured from it. The Scholar and Priestess disappeared… Then a more imposing figure stepped out of the vortex. His robes and tall hat were drab grey, in contrast with his skin that was pure white and his bright red hair, along with the radiant, sun-shaped discus on his back.

He looked at Oswald with a very blank expression. (2,700 ATK)

"Moral leader?" laughed Oswald. "What's he gonna do, give me detention?"

"It might not be wise to tempt fate any more, my friend," said Jabels, as he picked another of his two cards, "I assure you, Norito is deadly serious. I play Shining Rebirth.

"By banishing Lily and Oracle, I can Synchro Summon Deva Knight-Errant once again… From my Graveyard, rather than my Extra Deck."

The Tuner and the Counselor appeared again, and once more, they flew into the sky…

(*3 + *5 = *8)

Again, the Knight-Errant appeared in all his glory. (2,800 ATK)

"Weren't you listening?" laughed Oswald. "I use my Purging Curse!"

The Trap shattered, and another wave of darkness bolted towards the Deva… But this time, he swatted it aside.

"WHAT?" he shouted.

"Haven't you heard?" asked SAL. "If a Synchro Monster is summoned with Shining Rebirth, it can't be destroyed by card effects for the turn."

"Err…" growled Oswald. "I have one Trap left… Activate Nightmare Wheel!" His final set card lifted up. "Fact it, it's over!"

"True… for you," replied Jabels.

Norito produced a steel fan, and hurled it with a lethal spin. To Oswald's horror, it sawed through the Trap Card before it was completely upright.

"Norito can negate one Spell or Trap per turn by getting rid of an Overlay Unit," said Jabels. "And now, let's bring this into the light!"

Ghislane started to groan and squirm as Jabels played the last card he had. Karl hugged her closely.

"I activate Blinding Light of Pelor!" shouted Jabels. "I pay half my Life Points, and for this turn only, all monsters of the Type I name lose their effects…

"I choose… Fairies…"

"NO!" screamed Oswald. "DON'T!"

It was too late. The light from the card became overwhelming, washing the darkness away from the roof like a fog in a morning light as the setting sun became visible again. The Slenderman – or rather the facsimile of him – was as plain as the day now. A seven-foot-tall, lanky creature with no face, dressed in a black suit…

But for some reason, he didn't seem as scary now as he did before. (2,800 ATK)

"How did you know?" cursed Oswald.

"What?" asked Jabels. "That he was a Fairy-Type monster? Well, I guess I could say that I did my homework, researched the Creepypasta culture and the older storylines that feature the character, and figured out that many of them portray him as one of 'the fair folk', a dark and evil type of fey being, combined with his ability to command and manipulate the forest to his whim…"

"Jabels…" sighed Karl.

Jabels cleared his throat.

"Or I could state the obvious," he said, in a more serious tone, "and say that it was an educated guess as a duelist, seeing as you seem to have several cards that benefit Fiends and Fairies at the same time. Not to mention SAL's previous statement that you were a fey warlock. Although whoever your contract is with… I doubt it's any sort of Creepypasta creature.

"Knight-Errant… Destroy it…"

"No… no… please…" begged Oswald.

The Synchro didn't listen. It rushed at the foul abomination, and struck hard with his first. Like black cloth ripping apart, the thing burst into black shreds.

It's not possible… thought Oswald. It's not possible…

"It's not possible!" he cried out loud.

"Oh, but it is," replied Jabels. "Finish him off, Norito!"

The spinning, bladed fan spun towards Oswald. Not that it was necessary. He fell to his knees before it even struck.

(J: 425) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)

"It's over, mister," said Jabels. "You're under arrest…"

"Mr. Jabels!" shouted Ghislane.

Jabels stopped. He turned.

"Ms. Fion?" he asked.

"You… You did it…" she sobbed. "I… I never dreamed it was possible…"

"Ms. Fion…" he said, walking up to her. "Please try to understand…"

She cried softly as he took her hand.

"If you can defeat him for real," she sobbed, "and my children are still alive… Tell them mommy still loves them…"

"Ms. Fion, we can try," said Karl. "We can…"

Then she slumped over in his arms.

"Ms. Fion?" he said. "Ghislane? GHISLANE?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SAL had been trying through the entire duel to break through the strange barrier that kept them from communicating or magically moving outside the building, hoping to contact the paramedics. But the solution to getting through the strange spell continued to elude her. It would be months – until it was torn down, in fact – before the odd dead zone on the building went away.

Jabels tried to administer his skills at CPR to resuscitate her, but he was hardly prepared to do so, and was exhausted from the duel with Oswald, who even worse, slipped away while he was trying.

Had this been Oswald's goal the whole time?

If so, maybe the Slenderman had, indeed claimed another victim, through a criminal's belief in him, and the encouragement of the belief that had driven a poor woman mad…

When they were finally able to call someone to transport Ghislane's body, all Jabels could do was say a prayer to Pelor which, fortunately, there were many for this occasion.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Front and center everyone!" shouted Addams.

Emily and Dunstan rushed into the office, followed by Ferdinand, who was half-dragging someone else – Oswald.

"He did it," said Emily, pointing to Oswald.

"Tattle-tale," said Oswald, in a sulk.

"SIT DOWN!" shouted Ferd, shoving him into a chair. "Are you trying to tell the entire Shadowchaser organization where we live?"

"And you're no better, Ferdinand!" snapped Addams. "First you make a ruckus in Green Bay and before you know it, all of Wisconsin is talking about 'the muscular guy with red hair'."

"Well sor-ry!" replied Ferd. "The big cheese wanted the Maagardium Pass, and last I heard, Clem had it!"

"Yeah, well making small talk with that Shadowchaser Wind duelist didn't help either!" shouted Addams. "I think the plan, as the 'big cheese' told us, was to keep under the radar, and keep out of the public eye, not be so flashy and exuberant like some 'ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world'.

"We still make computers and robotics, people, and we're still the third biggest company of this type in Europe… Places like this are springing up like wildfire. I heard one was opening in Denmark, another in South Korea, and yet another in Hong Kong. Unlike guys Bloodletter, we still have to maintain good PR, even if our principle… client has some… odd ideas."

"People, calm down," replied Dunstan. "We always knew we'd eventually be discovered. I'm kind of surprised it took this long for anyone to get suspicious."

"Yeah, well, if the big cheese does find out, he's going to blow a fuse," added Emily.

"Actually, Ms. Cynder," said a voice, "I found it all interesting…"

The jumped a little, but then realized it came from the speakerphone.

"Uh, Mr. Diogenes," said Addams, slowly.

"Mr. Addams," said the voice, which was stoic and emotionless, "how long before the expedition to Maagardium can be undertaken."

"Uh, actually, we're ahead of schedule," replied Addams. "I'd say a week."

"Then I have time to study this issue further," replied the voice.

As he said this, that eerie green mist appeared on the table in the middle of the room. A package appeared with it.

"Ms. Cynder a new deck and instructions for what to needs to be done are inside it," said the voice.

They waited to see if he would speak again, not that they expected him too. He rarely said much.

"Okay, let's take a look…" said Emily, reaching for it.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Into the night, at Shadowchaser Headquarters. Jalal, in his office with a single lamp turned on, spoke into a recording device.

"October 18th," he said. "At first I didn't give these odd incidents that seemed to be inspired by various conspiracy theories any real credence. But when a connecting source was found, leading to a dangerous undead spirit, it seemed it could not be ignored any longer.

"Now, a woman is dead, one whose death could have been avoided. Whatever is happening, it's not harmless.

"As of right now, the cause of this problem is designated a rank-three danger rating for the organization, and as such, merits attention by the Shadowchaser Council…

"Only problem is… I'm not certain at the moment what member has the portfolio this falls under…"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

CARD OF REVERSAL (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Vorse Raider, KA-2 Des Scissors, Half Goblin, and Crawling Dragon all behind a Duel Monsters card.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you control no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand. Draw 1 card for each face-up card your opponent controls.

Note: "Card of Reversal" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken by Storm (Part 2)".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

GOBLIN NEGOTIATOR (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A portly goblin wearing a black, three-piece business suit and a fedora, carrying a briefcase and holding a document.

Card Description: Once per turn, when your opponent declares an attack against a Monster you control, you may negate that attack. If you use this effect, your opponent draws 1 card.

Note: "Goblin Negotiator" was first used by Manjyome in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light (Part 2)".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SHINING REBIRTH (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Guardian Angel Joan holding a Hanewata in her hands, both of them slowly fading away, with Avenging Knight Parshath making a heroic pose in the background.

Card Description: Select one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Send the Monsters required for the Synchro Summon of the selected Monster from your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon the selected Monster from your Graveyard. (This Special Summon is considered a Synchro Summon.) The Special Summoned Monster cannot be destroyed by card effects during the turn it is Special Summoned by this effect.

Note: "Shining Rebirth" was first used by Aki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Truth and Consequences (Part 2)".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SHARD OF HOPE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Sabatiel - The Philosopher's Stone breaking into pieces.

Card Description: If a monster you control inflicts Battle Damage, draw 1 card. If the drawn card is not a Trap Card, send it to the Graveyard. If the drawn card is a Trap Card, send this card to the Graveyard, and activate the drawn card from your hand/ If the activation requirement(s) of a Trap Card activated this way are incorrect, destroy it and send it to the Graveyard.

Note: "Shining Rebirth" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Dark Signs (Part 4)".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SHINING DESTROYER (Monster Card)

Fiend/Light/Effect/Lvl3/0ATK/1,800DEF

Effect: When this card is destroyed by battle, inflict 600 points of damage to both players.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SHINING SLY (Monster Card)

Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl3/1,200ATK/800DEF

Effect: If either player controls a face-up Xyz Monster, this card cannot be targeted for an attack. If a player would take Effect Damage, you can Tribute a monster controlled by the player who would take the damage to reduce the damage to zero.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

SHINING RABBIT (Monster Card)

Beast/Light/Effect/Lvl3/800ATK/400DEF

Effect: When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent, select Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls and destroy it.

Note: The Shining monsters were used by Vector (in his Rei Shingetsu disguise) in the two-part "Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal" episode "Dual Duel".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

HONORABLE SCHOLAR SAKAKI (Monster Card)

Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl6/1,600/1,200

Effect: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) if you control a "Priestess" monster. This card cannot attack the turn it is summoned this way.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

RIGHTEOUS PRIESTESS TAMAGUSHI (Monster Card)

Spellcaster/Light/Effect/Lvl6/1,000/2,200

Effect: You may Normal Summon this card without Tribute. If you do, its ATK becomes zero.

Note: The preceding two monsters were used by Mamoru Jinguji in the "Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal" episode "Rule Duel".

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

DEVA KNIGHT-ERRANT (Monster Card)

Warrior/Light/Effect/Lvl8/2,800/1,700

Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner LIGHT Monsters

Effect: If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect, you may activate the following effect during your next Main Phase 1: Select a LIGHT monster from your deck with 2,000 or fewer ATK and Special Summon it. Destroy it during the next End Phase.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

BURNING ORB OF PELOR (Spell Card)

Continuous Spell

Image: A man in chain mail and a helmet lifting an amulet shaped like a golden sun with a stern face in front of a pack of ghouls in a dark temple, the amulet providing overwhelming illumination.

Effect: Activate only when you control 2 or more LIGHT Extra Deck monsters. Pay half your Life Points and name one Type of monster. Monsters of the declared Type currently face-up on the field cannot use their effects while face-up on the field.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

PURGING CURSE (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Gishki Psychelone grappling with Gem-Knight Aquamarine as an ominous, dark cloud appears above them.

Effect: Activate when a monster you control is destroyed by battle by a Fusion, Synchro, Ritual, or Xyz monster. Discard one Level 8 or higher DARK monster from your hand to destroy the monster that destroyed yours. If your opponent performs the type of summoning that matches the type of monster destroyed by this effect, you may send this card to the Graveyard to destroy the summoned monster.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

ANGELS AND DEVILS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A shadowy, vaguely female form kneeling over, with large, grey feathered wings, in a drab, dark room.

Card Description: Activate when a face-up Fiend or Fairy-Type Monster is destroyed by battle. Discard 1 Fiend-Type Monster (if the targeted Monster was a Fairy) or Fairy-Type Monster (if the targeted Monster was a Fiend) from your hand that is a lower Level than the destroyed monster. Then, add 1 Monster of the same Type as the destroyed monster with a lower Level than the discarded monster from your deck to your hand.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

STOCKHOLM HOSTAGE (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A shady man in a top hat and black cloak (who looks suspiciously like Mr. Shroud from Yu-Gi-Oh GX) in the foreground, watching a duel in the background; one duelist is wearing an Obelisk Blue jacket.

Card Description: Equip only to a monster you control that belonged to your opponent; once per turn, if you control a monster belonging to your opponent and the equipped monster is targeted by an attack, you may Tribute the monster you control belonging to your opponent; increase the ATK of the equipped monster by half the ATK of the Tributed monster until the End Phase of the turn.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

GRIM HERALD (Monster Card)

Dark/Fairy/Effect/Level3/0ATK/1,800DEF

Effect: When this card and 1 of your Fiend-Type monsters is banished, you may add 1 DARK Fairy-Type monster from your deck to your hand. (This effect is only applied if both this card and the banished Fiend were on the field or in your hand while banished.)

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

BOLSTERING LIGHT (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Dark Lucius LV 5 forcing D.D. Warrior Lady to the ground as the two lock swords on a broken wasteland. In the background, Different Dimension Dragon flies towards them in a blur or prismatic light.

Card Description: Activate when you control 2 LIGHT monsters that are Level 5 or higher. The first LIGHT monster you control to attack this turn cannot be destroyed by battle. If that monster does not destroy an opposing monster by battle or inflict Battle Damage, the second monster you control to declare an attack gains 1,000 Attack Points until the End Phase.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

UNBREAKABLE WILL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: The titanic form of Earthbound God Ccapac Apu looming over and reaching for a young man struggling to get up from a wrecked D-Wheel. (The man looks vaguely like Yusei Fudo.)

Card Description: Activate only in response to an attack during your opponent's Battle Phase when your opponent has three or more monsters, and you have one monster with an ATK that equals no more than half that of your opponent's monster with the lowest DEF. This turn, your monster cannot be destroyed by battle, and Battle Damage you take is halved. At the end of the Battle Phase, draw one card for every 1,000 points of Battle Damage you took.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

ESSENCE OF VOID (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Asura Priest meditating while floating in the lotus position amid a starry void.

Card Description: Select 1 Fiend-Type or Fairy-Type monster in your Graveyard. Banish 1 Fiend-Type and 1 Fairy-Type monster from your hand and/or field whose combined Levels equal the Level of the selected monster. Add the selected monster to your hand. During the End Phase of the turn, send the selected monster to the Graveyard.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

THE SLENDERMAN (Monster Card)

Dark/Fairy/Xyz/Effect/Rank8/2,600ATK/1,800DEF

3 Level 8 DARK Monsters

Effect: When this card is summoned, designate each space in your Monster Zone with a number from 1 to 5. When your opponent declares an attack, roll 1 die; the Monster in the space in your Monster Zone with the same designated number as the result of the roll becomes the target of the attack. (In the case of a 6, reroll.) If there is no Monster occupying that space, the attack is negated. This card must have at least one Xyz Material for this effect to be applied. If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap Card during either Battle Phase in response to an attack, you may detach one Xyz Material from this card to destroy one Monster your opponent controls other than the attack target.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Jemorille: The job that Jabels and Karl had believed would start as an easy approach, possibly with a suspect detained and able to be questioned, had instead started with a dangerous Shadow Duel followed by a second, even more dangerous one, and ended with a subject dying as a result. With Ghislane's death, Jalal knew that an enemy existed, one who was dangerous and could not be taken lightly.

But then, it seemed this enemy did too. This strange, stoic voice whom Addams identified with the name of a famous Grecian cynical philosopher seemed connected to him in some way… And as the night passed, into the day before the day Sofia's deadline to figure out the clue would be up, this strange enemy had something new planned.

And while the job had been given to Emily, she may have actually been looking forward to this one a little more than the last.

"Always on my Mind," is coming soon.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Shadowchaser Files: Beasts

Valpurgeist, Dark Justice

A revenant like Benjamin St. Croix, which is a murder victim who rises from the dead to seek revenge on his or her murderer, is rare phenomenon, but even rarer is the far more dangerous variant called the valpurgeist. When an innocent man is convicted and executed for a crime he didn't commit, this vengeful creature may be created. The spirit's futile and ignored pleas of innocence in life are twisted in undeath, turning it into a cruel and dark thing.

There's some confusion about what can spawn a valpurgeist. A legal execution of a guilty criminal can never do so, no matter how harsh this might seem. Dictatorships often pass unfair and immoral laws, but executions held for breaking them won't create this horror. Only when the condemned man is truly innocent of the crime he is accused of can this curse take hold.

A valpurgeist looks much like it did when alive; it appears solid, but is actually a spirit, having left its body – assuming it was intact – to rot. This makes a valpurgeist very hard to hurt, especially by its intended victims (most of the time). Like most ghosts, they can't be killed because they are dead already, and while they can be appeased and convinced to leave the mortal world, it's harder in this case than most.

Most assume that the valpurgeist would hunt down and slay the actual criminals, and initially, it does. Highly intelligent (but in a way few can understand), its usual MO is to lure its intended victim to a secluded place, using whatever means it feels would draw the victim there, then restrain the victim and kill him or her in a way recognized by the victim's species as a means of execution. (Usually, this means a makeshift gallows; they usually don't have the resources for anything better.) The victim's death isn't enough; a valpurgeist needs to see the fear in the victim's eyes as death approaches, the same fear it felt.

Indeed, more than a few serial killers whose victims were found hanged may have been valpurgeists. But a valpurgeist won't stop after the true criminal is dead. It then targets anyone who knew its innocence but didn't care to stop the injustice. Then it will hunt down anyone involved in its death who honestly believed its guilt. These creatures will even go so far as to hunt down and kill clergymen who condemned the crime, attacking them in churches during mass.

Not even the deaths of everyone involved in the valpurgeist's arrest, trial, and execution will appease the spirit. That will simply widen the scope of its evil. The only true way to release it from its curse is to locate evidence that clears it of its crime and for this evidence to be accepted as such by the same judicial body behind the conviction. Still, with a creature like this, a posthumous acquittal is difficult, seeing as many potential witnesses are often in grave danger, even the ones who argued for the defense. (Fortunately, there is time to save them, as they are usually saved for last; a valpurgeist goes for the ones it holds most responsible first.)

Indeed, whatever dark force creates these creatures, who believes cold-blooded murder is justified as a way to obtain justice, is only creating more injustice. Such a thing is not widely understood.

Story Ideas: Miscarriages of justice happen only too often, and if such a fraudulent act creates a valpurgeist, horrid deaths will soon occur. Those who believed the victim was innocent may not think much of it at first, thinking that the victims of its vengeance were cruel men who had it coming, only to rescind that opinion when people die who clearly tried to help fight the charges.

A valpurgeist can be fought, and even defeated, but trying to get rid of it that way is pointless; it will return at the next sundown. To handle a threat like this, the hero of a story has to use his head instead of his fists, and find the counter to the phony smoking gun that wrongly convicted the accused in the first place.

In all likelihood, the evidence is hidden by someone who doesn't want it found, someone involved in the crime that even the valpurgeist doesn't know about. Unfortunately, once such a person knows what is happening, it's hardly an incentive to come forward.

Fortunately, a valpurgeist is rare, and if one thing good ever comes out of its appearance, it's that serious thought is often given to corrections reform once the creature is finally stopped; should those in charge of making the decision survive.