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?

62. Eye of the Storm

Hello Fanfic!

I know it's been awhile, but there have been…. Quite a few important issues in my life as of late (including work, family, and a sudden addiction to Fortnite) and to my utter surprise, this fic has grown to much more than I have ever imagined. Fortunately, I am 100% certain that the incredibly long chapter you have now turned to is the second-to-last! Hopefully, the grand finale to Shadowchasers: Conspiracy will be posted in time for Christmas, but I hope to avoid the sad fate of the Atari 2600 by "Christmas rushing" a fic, so to speak. (For those too young to remember 1983, it wasn't pretty, and is also the biggest reason electronic companies view the once-renowned name "Atari" as a big joke,) So no promises.

Just a warning, this is a LONG chapter, but I hope it will be as pleasant to read as it was to write.

So, before I present the penultimate chapter, I'd like to thank my beta-readers Metal Overlord 2.0 and 7th Librarian, along with the added help from Mei1105 and MultiplePersonas for all their support.

So, without further ado...

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"The Temple", as it was now called, which Eden, Antisthenes, and the Determined had strived so long to find, was an odd structure that seemed located in its own pocket dimension, inaccessible by most standard planar travel. Everyone assumed it was built to hold an incredible power - possibly the embodiment of Truth itself - which if harnessed, could warp reality itself to the user's whim.

Now, a question that is possibly in the back of your minds is one that I have been avoiding intentionally. WHO built this structure, and WHY did they use it as a vault to hold such an incredible Power? Well, to be honest, at the time I first became aware of Eden's goal, I was stumped myself. I could find no rilmani library with records of this structure, or any rilmani sage with a memory old enough to recall it. Given the longevity of my people and their dedication to our mission, this was surprising. But the Temple did and does exist, and it had to have come from somewhere.

Eventually, I theorized that it was a structure built by the earliest Paragons of Law, back in ancient times when the concepts of Good and Evil had not been defined, and the primordial entities of Chaos challenged them for dominance. They built this vault to conceal and protect it from those who would misuse it. Eventually, when Lucifer's corruption and eventual fall proved that Law and Chaos were not the sole driving forces in the multiverse, they sealed the potent magic away and destroyed records of it, wisely deciding that no-one, not the gods, not mortals, and not even themselves should be allowed to harness this power.

Very simple was this theory, and I found it plausible and easy to comprehend…

...as most wrong theories are.

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Chapter 61

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Eye of the Storm

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"WAH-CHOO!"

As she woke up with a start, Eden sneezed. And for good reason. It was cold. When she passed out after ordering the final attack with Barbaroid, she was in a garden with perpetual spring. Now, the chill in the air seemed like a clear winter day, a morning after a snowstorm.

"Gesundheit!" said Francis.

She slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was wearing Francis' jacket. She was still on the odd pedestal she had dueled Beatrice on, but the garden was gone now.

"Why are we in a church?" Eden sat up quickly and rubbed her eyes.

Well, a better term may have been "cathedral", but even that kind of stretched a definition. The place they were in - clearly indoors - was beautiful, but in a much different way. It was hard to tell if this vast antichamber was a cavern or a manmade structure, as it seemed to straddle the border between the two. The only obvious thing was that it was made entirely out of a crystal that seemed to combine properties of rock and ice.

Fancy, carved pillars, supported buttresses that, in turn, supported the ceiling, from which hung sharp stalactites that looked like icicles. Many of the pillars had statues of slim humanoid figures within them. Between them were odd, fancy wide-brimmed vases that held decorative displays of smaller crystals, which seemed to be the light source of the odd place.

"Wow," she added.

"Not much for words, are you?" said a bitter voice.

Sofia's voice added, "Beatrice, you're in enough trouble."

Eden turned her head, and saw her foe held by both Sofia and Jennifer, with cuffs on her hands and wearing one of her own Elysium crystals. "Go on, gloat," said the clearly-defeated sorceress.

"I like to think I'm above that, Beatrice. Now, something about showing us the way?"

That did seem necessary. The soaring antichamber had two balcony layers, and they all had several doors leading out. Getting lost in this place could easily mean doom.

"This way." Beatrice sighed, then nodded to the left. "Antisthenes didn't tell me exactly how he planned to do this, but he and Belle mentioned a place called the Repository. My guess, it's where he can access whatever he needs to access."

"Like a control panel?" asked Prospero.

"Yeah, kinda like the one you guys were using in the TARMAC, just square its memory capacity about ten times. Supposedly, this place uses the same system that the Pan Dimensional Homing Device did, but expands its capabilities. The Repository is a place where you can observe any mortal world the way one would read books or watch movies, and browse its history, culture, and society. But, he could also edit and alter what he sees to his own liking. Like a director making changes to a screenplay."

"Or write entirely new ones," said Francis. "Like in that old game, what's it called?"

"Myst?" asked Jennifer.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jenn," said Sofia.

"No, it's exactly, like that," answered Beatrice. "Whoever controls this place could, say, write a description of a world where gorillas evolved into the dominant species, and live in skyscrapers made from forests of giant, still-living trees."

"With banana plantations the size of the Grain Belt, I suppose," said Sofia.

"Why not? If you can describe it well enough in writing, it could be there. And then you could actually go to that world and find it just like how you described. Or bring folks from it. "

A sudden revelation came to Sofia. "Just like how that guy 'found' the world where the Keepers came from?"

Beatrice nodded again. "Probably why the Keepers were so intent on finding the Device. But why create new worlds when he could just change existing ones? Make them all… his idea of perfect.

"Of course, this is all dependent on whether he's right or not. Stay close."

"No tricks, Beatrice," warned Sofia.

"Come on, not like I'm going anywhere!" protested the prisoner. "Where exactly would I go?"

It was a valid point, so Sofia nugged her and they went on.

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Back in Memory Lane, the place they had just left, the sky had turned grey, stormy, and unfriendly. Karl and Douglas pressed through it, the former trying to adjust SAL's reception.

"Jalal, can you hear me?"

"Karl, I think entering this place has put us another whole dimension removed from him," interrupted SAL. "I doubt it made our connection stronger."

"Ey, Karl, is that what you needed?" Douglas pointed to one of the fountains, a wide basin with a nymph-statue, right next to the paved path.

SAL hummed as they approached and started a brief analysis. "No need to worry whether it's pure or not, the whole demiplane seems to be sanctified ground. The fountain should be an ideal font."

"Then I hope whoever is in charge is willing to forgive a small act of vandalism." Karl squatted down while taking a black marker from his shirt pocket, and carefully started to draw a circle on the stone path next to the fountain. Then he drew a triangle within the circle, with the points slightly overlapping the border.

He stepped back, then visually measured it for a minute. He nodded, then opened the chamber on his Duel Disk where the extra deck was kept. The one on top - which he always made sure was there - was the special card all Shadowchasers carried.

Jalal the Dragonborn.

While the card was indeed powerful and a potent weapon of the organization, its true purpose had always been to establish a mystic psionic link between them and Jalal himself, a bond that symbolized the unity the Shadowchasers had as a team.

He flipped the card over, and placed it in the middle of the circle.

"The card you hold is your bond to the path you walk, and the cause you have pledged to. Use it for no purpose except in the service of that cause. Ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power."

Did that mean, in part, "some powers are too dangerous to know"? Possibly. But Karl always figured that Jalal had ways to use the card that he didn't openly share; some secrets were better kept as secret.

"Twenty seconds, SAL,"

"Roger." Her internal clock started the countdown.

"So, ya think this'll work?" asked Douglas.

"It's a simple trick of magic to cast a spell from a scroll scribed by another wizard," answered Karl. "Translating a spell from English so it can be cast in an appropriate language is also simple. And it's a common trick of the technomage to cast a spell via computerized outlet. Problem is… I'm doing all three at once."

"So cross your fingers."

The countdown ended, and he focused on the circle and the card, while SAL started to relay the spell Jalal had sent them, in the "dead" language of Gaelic.

The water in the font started to ripple and churn...

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As they marched Beatrice forward, Eden shook her head, then felt a pain in her side. The notebook she had shoved into her belt was the cause of the discomfort, the one she had taken from the room back on the TARDIS. She took it from her belt, opening it up and skimming to the part she had left off on as she followed from behind.

Valiance 19, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

A messenger finally arrived with a missive granting approval of my request, though with a cautionary note to remain at our current location while conducting the investigation. Having no other projects scheduled in the near future, we were able to begin immediately.

Eden stopped a minute to consider the date. Valiance 19? she thought. She skimmed back, noticing the entry for the previous entry was Serenity 10, nearly three-and-a-half months previous. Such a delay seemed odd for platonics. She continued to read.

As I had expected, the scrolls and sealed books contain are spellbooks holding a wide variety of learned magic. Roughly 40% of them are of the Divination and Abjuration schools, both common for wizards who follow Thoth's doctrine. One was also an unlabeled Vacuous Grimoire, placed as a trap to discourage thieves. Fortunately, my researchers were skilled enough to resist its curse; after purging the enchantment and incinerated the Grimoire, we continued the inquiry.

The locked strongboxes contained more spellbooks, the runes signifying advanced magical incantations. Unlike the others, they seemed exclusively Elementalist magics, many of them rare. It also contained a tome that seems to be an instruction manual in the excavation of precious metals and stones of unusual properties. The author, one Barlow Haln, is well known.

The reinforced metal chests contained uncut gemstones, which I presume were intended for use as spell components. One of them also included a ledger, directing their transport from Bytopia to a facility near Curst, under the supervision of someone named "Sig Morag". I believe that is an alias of a mercane wanted for smuggling charges in at least seven jurisdictions.

Most troubling were the magically reinforced chests, which were protected by several potent runes, including a summoning glyph that caused a vivilor to arrive. My assistant had to step in and personally dispatch it.

Once that was done, I was able to view the contents of one chest. It contained strange ore, the same general texture and color of iron, but undoubtedly magical in nature. The exact aura was difficult to determine, and our mortal hirelings claim to feel nauseous simply by looking at it.

If my hunch is right about this odd material, my task may be deeper than I had assumed.

"Heads up, everyone!" shouted Beatrice.

Eden started paying more attention as they entered a long hallway. More of the odd decorative vases were flanked by torches that burned blue fire, which didn't seem to give off any heat. It seemed a fight had taken place here. Broken pieces of what may have been suits of armor littered the floor; clearly, Antisthenes had passed this way..

'Doom guards?" asked Prospero. Viola nodded in reply.

"This place looks expensive," said Jennifer.

"Belle told me once that building a demi-plane often is," answered Viola. "Simply researching the spells required for a small one would be more than the GDP of France."

"I doubt most archmages ever think small," added Hank.

As they continued on, Eden opened the book again.

Bedlam 2, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

My spies have returned from their investigation at the frost giant enclave at Mt. Somee, and I can only deduce that the information is inconclusive. Frost giants keep scant records at best, as very few of them are literate enough to do so, and fewer have the motivation for such. Still, from what they could deduce, a giantess named Milly who practiced Hex magic did indeed live there at least 200 years ago. Given the frost giant's typical life expectancy of 500 years, it is feasible that this is the one who claimed to be a Proxy. While none recognized the surname "Niles" or refered to her as a Jarl, it is possibly a married name and a self-appointed title, which is the case with some Jarl.

Possibly further research is required.

Bedlam 3, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

Five would-be thieves broke into the storehouse where I ordered the goods kept. They were quickly caught by the guards, and two were dispatched before the others were apprehended. One of the two who were dispatched was an illithid, the other was human. The surviving three consist of two more humans and a dwarf. I believe this was a case of a psionic illithid using thralls.

It struck me as odd that anyone, much less an illithid, would attempt such a burglary; even stranger was this particular illithid's physical condition. It was gaunt and malnourished, its flesh covered with lesions and sores. Its clothing seemed to be the torn and dirty remains of the long robes favored by its species. The former thralls were in even worse condition.

Update: One of the human survivors has been euthanized, his condition incurable. The other has yet to regain consciousness. However, the dwarf, while clearly traumatized both mentally and physically, has been able to answer a few basic questions. Possibly I can get to the bottom of this debacle soon.

"Well, here we are!"

Beatrice's cheery voice was a contradiction of what Eden saw as she looked up from the book. She glanced at the deck in her Duel Disk, which had been considerably reduced by the duel with Beatrice. She drew the top card, then placed it in the journal as a bookmark.

They had entered a huge, circular room, where the floor was made of a crystal almost as clear as glass. The walls - most of them - were made of more translucent crystal, and soared thousands of feet above.

In front of them was a face. It was a huge, crystalline face carved into the surface of the wall. Its eyes were closed, but it did NOT seem friendly. Below it was a pedestal that seemed to be a console.

"There you go, knock yourselves out."

"Pardon?" asked Francis.

"The console will give you access to the entire compound," explained Beatrice. "Once you 'log in' to it, so to speak."

Dead silence. She was implying that they had to an access console for a magitech supercomputer of godlike intelligence and complexity. And Karl wasn't even here.

"I'd do it myself," she added, slyly, "but, well…"

"She means she needs to use her hands," sighed Eden. "You know, cause she needs them to type… Course, she also needs them to cast spells…"

"Nothing doing," said Prospero. "Here, let me have a crack at this." He walked to the console and looked over the odd sigils on the controls. "Maybe I'm not as good as Karl, but I've learned a few things. Let's see, here -"

The console lit up and hummed as he touched it. "Orientation process initiated," said a voice from the device.

"There we go, I think I can -"

"WARNING! Life form pattern not recognized. Orientation processing terminated. Continued interference will result in targeted response."

"Oh-kay, that doesn't sound good…"

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As Karl continued to concentrate and SAL read the final verses of the spell, the frothing, churning water turned in a fiery blue energy.

"It's workin'..." While Douglas certainly was no mage, he recognized the portal created by a Lloyd's Beacon, even if this one was brighter and rougher.

Then, a hand broke through the portal, clawing and groping, trying hard to grab hold of something to anchor itself. It was Jalal's gauntlet, something Karl seen many times before.

"Grab him!" yelled Karl, still doing his best to concentrate. The order wasn't needed, however, as Douglas recognized it as well as Karl could.

"I gotcha boss!" Truthfully, Douglas' his first attempt to grab the hand was more like a fumble and a slip. With both hands, he grabbed hold of the wrist, and started to pull…

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"Uh, Prospero?" said Philip.

He and the others started backing away from him as the eyes of the huge face opened, glowing green and looking angry.

"Just hang on, everyone," continued Prospero. "Might be a problem here or two…"

"Security breach detected! Analysis of historical archives transferred to lower-priority queue. Countermeasures have been engaged!"

"Okay, you want to play rough, huh?" Prospero cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on!"

"Is he always like this?" asked Sofia.

"Uh-huh." Viola rolled her eyes.

"Uh, guys?" said Jennifer.

She was indicating some activity in the hallway behind them. Swords were quickly drawn, as Beatrice simply smirked and leaned against the wall. Had she been able to actually cast a spell right now, she'd likely use the one that conjured up a bag of popcorn…

Good luck, twerps, you're gonna need it.

Prospero had been wrong. The creatures floating into the room were not doom guards. While they did resemble empty, mobile suits of armor, they had no limbs, instead hovering on a plume of green fire.

"Don't look so to-" Francis was quickly interrupted as a bolt of blue fire shot from the visor of one of them, hitting him in the stomach and knocking him over.

"Ow." He grunted, sitting up in time to see Jennifer deliver a kick to the construct that knocked it apart. Two more went for him, but he sprang up, drawing his sword and cutting them in twain.

"Yeah, they aren't so tough." Sofia swung her own weapon cleaving through another.

Keep it up, you idiots. Bernice smirked as she watched the fight. THESE Guardians are programmed to subdue with non-lethal force, but wreck enough of them and that will change…

"Just hold them off for a few more minutes," said Prospero, "think I have this now -"

Then the eyes of the giant face started to glow red. "Threat index threshold exceeded. Orientation process aborted. Security level heightened."

"Well, I had it…"

"Here, let me try to help," said Hank. Prospero moved over as Hank started to study the console. "I've dealt with a few stubborn artifacts in my day."

"Uh guys, you might want to move faster." Sofia lifted her weapon as more of the suits of armor started to approach, larger than the others, with blue plumes of fire.

Philip stood next to her, clenching and causing the Fist of Chaos to form around his hand…

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The leader of the Shadowchasers sat on the floor, his hair and the clothing other than his armor a torn and dishevals mess. He coughed for a minute before talking.

"Where's the platonic?"

"Uh, not sure," said Karl.

"We have to find them fast." He stood up, brushing himself off and coughing again. "I was able to learn a few things while figuring out how to set up that Beacon. This whole mess just got a great deal worse."

"Worse? How-"

"I'll tell you on the way, move!"

Not daring to question Jalal but wondering how this could possibly get worse, they started to run in the direction of the gazebo as the sky over Memory Lane started to rumble...

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Philip's hand seized the helmet of the closest drone, the magical fist crushing it like tinfoil. As the rest of it fell apart, he held his chest, then looked at the magical gauntlet..

Wells was right. Whatever possessed me to use this thing?

"Okay, think I see the problem," said Hank. "Just have to…"

"Critical threat index! Void analysis diverted! Initiating sanitization protocol!"

"Huh, might have made a mistake there."

"Oh, you think?" added Prospero.

"All drones proceed to level four to intercept intruders. Reactor is offline. Encryption integrity at 2.064%."

"Yeah, intercept THIS!" Philip swung the Fist again, a shockwave blowing the entire pack of the Guardians to little pieces.

Then he held his wrist, wondering if that blow had broken any , even larger ones started to approach, these with red plumes of fire and blackened armor.

"How many of these things are there?" shouted Jennifer.

Foolish girl, thought Beatrice, this complex can mass produce them endlessly. The system is programmed to purge a threat with proportionate force, and the more of its Guardians you destroy, the more seriously it views the threat.

"Hang on!" urged Prospero. "Nobody's gonna be sanitized if I have anything to say about it."

"Think we have it…" said Hank. "THERE!"

The doom guards all fell to the floor with a clatter, and the eyes on the face turned green again.

"You shut down the security system?" gasped Beatrice.

But then the voice came again, the sound calmer but still defiant. "Alert, security breach detected; preparing system for memory purge."

"Uh, what it meant was," said Eden, "with unauthorized intruders accessing its data, it has to destroy its data."

"That's not the only trouble," said Francis.

Now there was one Guardian approaching the entrance, but it was obviously the leader of the others. It was fully twenty feet tall,with a plume of black flames, with coal black armor covered with blood-red runes. Francis and the others readied their weapons.

"There!" Hank grabbed hold of a dial while Prospero slowly started to adjust another one, sweat pouring from his face as he did so. "Almost got it…"

Then the huge guardian stopped. Its visor was still open, cautiously ready to fire. The voice spoke again as the eyes of the face closed, now in a polite tone: "System online. Life forms recognized. Welcome, Shadowchasers."

Hank wiped his brow. "Phew!"

"Please state query."

"Uh… we need to reach the Requilary."

"Compliant."

Then the floor below them simply disappeared, the threat of being removed from the chamber by force quickly overshadowed by an all-too-familiar force - gravity.

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Later, they'd recount that it seemed like the fall lasted almost a minute, and they seemed to plummet down a dark, wide shaft made from odd mechanical devices, most of them brass or bronze. Still, despite a fall that must have been miles, they landed mostly unhurt, with a few bumps and a lot of colorful language.

"Hey! Nice of you folks to drop in!"

"Wells?" Francis obviously recognized his mentor's sense of humor right away.

It was Wells, all right, and again, the cheery disposition seemed odd, seeing as he was strapped to a chair that seemed to be built for that purpose. As they got up, they stopped to look around. They seemed to be in a vast, wide planetarium, a dome-like ceiling above them showing a view of the cosmos.

"What's going on?" asked Jennifer. She and Francis went for the shackles on the chair as everyone else got up and scanned the huge room for an exit.

"Uh, a little help here?" shouted Beatrice, who couldn't possibly stand up on her own with her hands bound behind her back.

"Uhm, Antisthenes," replied Wells. "He's using this room for… something. He sounded kind of frustrated about an hour ago."

"Frustrated?" asked Hank. He looked up and around. "I don't think this file will be as easy to hack. Even for him."

Sofia slowly helped Beatrice up. "I know this place," said the Damned Magician Girl. "It's no Requilary. This is like the gazebo, but it's a different border. We're standing on the Road of Regrets and the Path to Oblivion simultaneously."

"Antisthenes must be trying to keep us from getting to the Requilary," said Eden. Then it hit her. "OR, he can't get there himself!"

Or maybe this entire complex was built with a far different goal…

"Must be why he's frustrated," remarked Francis. "These shackles are kinda tight,"

"Step away," said Prospero. "I might be able to cast There/Not There on the whole chair."

"Not necessary, human."

The shackles clicked open, not that most of them noticed. Another podium was rising in the center of the room, one with a familiar, very intimidating mechanical being perched on it.

"Doesn't seem all-too frustrated now." Wells stood up and rubbed his wrists, then looked up at the platonic.

Multiple Chaos Bolts and Chaos Surges shot from Eden and the three members of the Determined. Antisthenes shook its head, the magic glancing off its chest."Tenacity, one trait I often admire in humans. To a point."

Bolts of concussive force shot from its eyes, and the four wild mages toppled over from the shots that - purposely - missed.

"VIOLA!" Jennifer rushed to help the old woman, who was holding her thigh and muttering, again, how she was getting too old for this.

"Mr. Addams, are you ready to start?"

They looked up and saw that a pair of booth-sized balconies had appeared with Antisthenes. Sylvester was in one, working with a laptop and streaming camera, while Ferdinand was in the other, with two other cameras. Both were, much like Dunstan, in bad shape, the terrible wounds they had taken untreated and unhealed, their lives - and probably sanity - maintained by the nano infections.

"As you claimed, accessing the Repository was more difficult than I had assumed; it is shielded by multiple layers of security, and its Architectural and Physical design is both complex and complicated, even by platonic standards."

"So, you actually found a computer that's smarter than you are, huh?" Eden giggled a little, but then shut up fast when the platonic looked at her with an eyeless glare that seemed to make her innards frost over.

"As I was saying, it could take weeks for the nano infestation to get through. However, Mr. Addams found a way to 'jump start' their attack patterns."

Four panels opened, revealing the faces of the four Memory Crystals on screens, then larger screens opened around the base of the dome.

"Quite a clever way, if I say so myself," said Sylvester. "We just have to use the nano-distribution procedure we used with the Creepypasta videos as an outlet for the adrenaline-siphoning procedure we used before! All via a livestream."

"You're going to spread your plague via a livestream?" Eden's tone was one that combined doubt and shock.

"Calm down, calm down," said Ferdinand. He coughed a little, blood trickling from his mouth as he spoke. "The door here swings both ways. If enough folks watch a livestream with enough interest, we could harness enough energy to power the whole East Coast. We just have to siphon that power into the nanos."

"Everyone loves seeing a good brawl, especially where Duel Monsters is concerned, and it should be sufficient to force our way into the Requilary with ease."

"You want us to duel?" Wells, didn't sound very enthusiastic. "Suppose we say no?"

Antisthenes looked at the veteran Shadowchaser closely. Then it turned its view towards Beatrice. Upon seeing its visor start to crackle with energy Beatrice sighed as if she knew what was about to happen.

"For the record rust bucket? You were a shitty boss..."

"NO!" screamed Eden.

She couldn't do anything. The beam that shot from the Platonic vaporized the Damned Magician Girl's flesh about a second before her skeleton collapsed into a pile of dust.

"You MONSTER!" screamed Eden.

"Such compassionate feelings for a woman who, barely an hour ago, all but admitted to being a thief who gained all her power by stealing that of your mentor. No matter. My offer to you is simple. My two associates and myself will duel three of you, and in return, you get to live."

"Fine," said Wells, "fine, just keep the visor shut, okay."

Antisthenes nodded, and the part of the floor Wells was on started to rise, moving him upward, along with both Hank and Prospero, the two of his group closest to him. Prospero had the bad luck of being on the edge, and nearly fell over, prevented from doing so by Hank, who pulled him back upward.

"Uh…" he mumbled. "Listen, I'd really rather not, see, my deck…"

"Can we stop tempting fate here?" whispered Hank.

Antisthenes lifted its left arm, and three platinum-colored gears unfolded upon it, which started to spin and grow larger. With a brilliant flash of light, the gears formed into a Disk made of platinum and bronze. Sylvester and Ferdinand, not bothering to leave their balconies, activated their conventional Disks as a dozen D-Gazers activated.

"And… Livestream up!" exclaimed Sylvester.

"Let the game commence."

(Shadowchaser Team: 16,000) - - - - - - - - (Platonic Team: 16,000)

"You will make the first move." Antisthenes pointed to Prospero, and not daring to object, he made his first draw.

"Okay, here goes." He drew, then shook his head slowly, and used a card, placing it lengthwise in his Monster Zone. "I'll Special Summon Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss."

The monster that appeared was a tall, sinister-looking Fiend, muscular but slender, bald, with ebon skin and large, bat like wings. It had curved horns, no mouth on its face, and long, white hair that trailed like a scarf. It knelt and covered itself with its wings. (1,900 DEF)

"Why is he so nervous?" asked Sofia. "That monster looks pretty decent."

"Trust me," said Philip, quietly, "Prospero is an excellent duelist, but this type of duel seriously cripples him."

"I'll end my turn there," said Prospero.

As the platonic drew its first card, the ceiling started to retract, showing a wide screen-like display, much like an Imax presentation. Stars and celestial phenomenon started to appear overhead.

"The ignorance humans show towards the Shadows is but a symptom of the true threat you choose to ignore. Perhaps if I showed you the fate of worlds who discovered their folly before they could even attempt to brace themselves."

The scene above turned much less pleasant, showing a view of a frozen, lifeless world, halfway above the "horizon" that the floor of the chamber provided an illusion of; cracks on the frozen world's surface showed a "leaking" sort of darkness underneath. Three other planets like this were in the background, and a cold aurora surrounded them all.

So how exactly would knowing about this have helped them? thought Jennifer.

Not bothering to explain itself, Antisthenes began its turn proper, displaying a Continuous Spell Card. "I activate the potent Qil paying 1,000 Life Points. Then I will call forth two Pendulum Monsters, Qliphort Scout and Qliphort Disk."

"Ugh, Pendulums again," groaned Francis.

"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet!" exclaimed Sylvester.

He wasn't lying. The two monsters that appeared were bizarre. The first looked vaguely teardrop-shaped, with four mechanical spider-like legs on one end and a glowing blue gemstone on the other. The innards of the device were visible due to a transparent exoskeleton, revealing shiny green clockwork parts. The second was disk-shaped with spiraling multi-colored rings on the top, the center-top transparent and revealing blue innards.

"This sets my Pendulum Scale from 1 to 9. Then, I use Qliphort Scout's effect and pay 800 more Life Points to gain Qliphort Carrier, which I then summon."

This new monster was just as weird. It looked like the hull of a frigate, turned upside-down, made of a material that shared the properties of metal and wood. The glass-like top revealed green clockwork innards. (2,400 ATK)

"What are these things?" asked Sofia

"Ancient super-weapons,"answered the platonic,"designed by primal deities of Law.Several platonics and modrons have attempted to find the lost Qil technology, but all have failed. Still, the potential for these lost super-weapons is considerable. As you can see, I was able to summon this Level 6 monster without a sacrifice. However, as a result, its Level becomes 4 and its Attack Score is reduced."(1,800 ATK)

"I set one facedown card and conclude my turn, which triggers the effect of Qli Cycle, destroying both monsters acting as Pendulums."

"He's destroying his own cards?" exclaimed Francis.

It seemed that was indeed the case, as both Qliphort Scout and Qliphort Carrier exploded into triangles.

(ST: 16,000) - - - - - - - - (PT: 14,200)

"All right," said Hank, "draw!"

"I activate the Trap Card, Extra Buck," interrupted Antisthenes. "This card generates power whenever a card is sent from the field to my Extra Deck."

Lord, he must be using a ton of Pendulums. Eden backed up behind the other Shadowchasers, pulling the journal from her belt and opening again to the bookmarked page. It started to dawn on her that if she ever wanted to find the information she longed for, she'd have to read fast…

Bedlam 4, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

After researching the names the dwarf mentioned, I believe he and his three human associates came from a labor camp several dozen miles outside the Gate Town of Curst. According to records I could obtain, this facility was, until five years ago, property of the Duchy of Larn, part of the kingdom of Samade, which was destroyed via internal strife and corruption four years ago.

Supposedly, this is a penal colony reserved for dangerous and brutal criminals whose crimes warrant the death penalty. I can only assume then, the nature of the labor performed is regarded as dangerous and/or secretive.

Update: More information has surfaced; this facility is a mining operation that was at least partially funded by "Sig Morag". Clearly this is not a coincidence.

As she read the words, Hank drew his first card. Bingo, Giant Soldier of Stone! he thought. He looked at Farfa, which shared the same Level as the famous Rock monster, 3. He quickly made the summon, bringing the huge construct to the field. (1,200 ATK)

Unfortunately, he was started as Farfa exploded into pixels.

"Huh? Why…"

"It's a drawback of Burning Abyss monsters," sighed Prospero. "Most of them don't work well with others, and self-destruct when there's a monster other than a Burning Abyss monster on our side of the field."

Ferdinand chuckled. "Wow, and I thought Archfiends had a nasty side effect. Your guys can barely function!"

"I'll show you one thing they can do. I can use Farfa's effect, wide guy! When he gets sent to the Graveyard, I get to banish another monster!" A spectral Farfa rose out of the ground and flew towards the giant Qliphort. "Get it!"

"My monster says otherwise."

The phantom Fiend flew into the craft, but dissipated harmlessly against the hull.

"Qliphorts are impervious to Effects monsters that are inferior to them in Level or Rank. As Qliphort Carrier is currently Level 4, your Level 3 monster's effect is rendered inert."

"Well, still my turn!" Hank set a card in his Spell Zone behind Giant Soldier. "All right, Sylvester, show me what you've got."

"My pleasure." The efreet drew, then stroked his beard as he considered the six cards. "My apologies if I'm a little rusty here, it's been a while… I sacrifice Qliphort Carrier for Spikebot!"

The Qlip vanished, replaced by a smaller Machine, a vaguely human-shaped droid with metallic armor, hunched over, with sharp spikes all over. Its lower arms were replaced by spiked mace-heads. (1,800 ATK)

Sofia stifled a laugh. "No kidding. That old thing hasn't been used for decades. And you sacrificed an Effect Monster for a Normal one with the same Score!"

"True, but while Spikebot has no Effect, Qliphort Carrier has one that activates when it is sacrificed, sending one monster to the field to its owner's hand. I use that Effect now on Giant Soldier of Stone."

"Rats." Hank hit the part of his Disk below the Trap Card, activating it. "Was kinda hoping to save this, but… I activate Sand Bulwark!"

As his Trap lifted, his monster crumbled into dust, and a new Rock Monster appeared, seemingly a slightly larger version of Giant Soldier made of sandstone. "This Trap Monster defends with 800 more Defense Points than the one I just sacrificed." (2,800 DEF)

"Difficult, but not impossible," continued Sylvester. "I'll use the Continuous Spell Card Machine Assembly Line, and then the Field Spell, Heavy Metal Raiders."

As he played the card, there was a clash of cymbals and a loud drum solo as the whole arena below the dome turned silvery and metallic, causing everyone except Eden to cover their ears. The Field Spell's effect overshadowed the other Spell, which boosted the Score of Spikebot. (2,000 ATK)

"Then I use the Spell Card, Evolution Mechanation."

"So that's where Beatrice got it from," said Sofia.

Spikebot melted away, and a larger, bulkier Machine stood up. "True, but MY deck uses it to fuller potential! I give you… Spiked Sentinel!"

The monster was clearly recognizable, as anyone who had been in the Copek showroom had seen a facsimile of it. Still, this version of the Dreadnaught looked bigger, meaner, and still had the spiked mace-heads in place of hands. (2,200 ATK)

"Again, my Machine gains 200 points from my Spell Card." (2,400 ATK) "It may not seem like much, but this upgrade packs an extra wallop when it actually attacks!"

The Spiked Sentinel lifted its fist and swung the mace-head at Sand Bulwark, and while it held, a large crack was made in the stone. (1,800 DEF)

"As you can see, that attack weakened your monster's defense while shielding my own Life Points; plus I get a second attack!"

Using its other fist, the Machine swung again, smashing the stone barrier to inert shards.

"And if you think I'm done, think again. I'll use one of my Field Spell's effects, and summon a second Dark Machine."

He played a new card, and an odd contraption rolled up next to the Sentinel, a metal silo with a thatched roof on wheels, with two thin mechanical arms, one of which held an axe, and another with a drill. (1,700 ATK - 1,900 ATK)

"Ancient Tool?" Hank laughed nervously. "This is like a nostalgia trip!"

Unfortunately, he stopped laughing quickly as the Machine's spinning drill thrust at him like a lance.

(ST: 14,100) - - - - - - - - (PT: 14,200)

"Uh guys, I hate to bring this up…".Everyone turned to Jennifer, and saw that she was using her Disk's holograph projector to view the net. Specifically, KaibaCorp's website, where the livestream was being broadcast. "Seems its working. This is a pretty popular duel."

As some of them looked over her shoulder and the others logged onto it with their own Disks, many of them getting a popup notification of this very event. It was only too true, the livestream well past the five million view mark and climbing quickly.

No way to stop it or to warn anyone viewing, thought Wells. Terrific. One thing is certain, Antisthenes is going to get more than enough power to break into the Requilary. So now, we have to finish this duel and then stop him from using it. Only thing is… He drew a card. That's much, much easier said than done.

Maybe this will help. He played a card, and then spoke out loud. "I'm using Take Over Five, and sending the top five cards from my deck to the Graveyard.

He picked up a full eighth of his deck, and looked them over. Aha! It's a beginning. He discarded them, one at a time, then took a card from his hand. "Come on out, Magical Musketeer Calamity!"

With a loud "YEE-HA!" a young girl sprang from behind him, doing a flip over the three duelists before landing on her feet. She had short red hair, and a fiery red cloak that spread behind her like the wings of a bat. The rest of her outfit - a leather halter, gloves, boots, headband, and belts crossing her midriff - were all black studded leather. Hoisted over her shoulder was a huge rocket launcher almost as big as herself. (1,500 ATK)

"Magical Musketeer?" said Sylvester. "That weapon is not a musket!"

"How many times do you see the Three Musketeers using them? And regardless, she can certainly dish out some damage once I use this, the Trap Card, Magical Musket Desperado!" He fit the Trap Card in his Spell Zone - right-side-up, oddly, and Calamity aimed at Spiked Sentinel. "Let him have it, Calamity! Mega Scud Strike!"

Missiles blasted from the weapon, over and over, exploding in bursts around the Sentinel and blowing it to little bits.

Sylvester grunted. "Argh, how the hell did you activate a Trap from your hand?"

"Magical Musketeers can do that; it has to be a specific type of Trap, of course. And by the way, that was the Trap's effect. Her effect activates when a Trap or Spell is used in her column, and since I used the one in my own Spell Zone behind her, I can summon Magical Musketeer Doc."

An older man appeared, wearing glasses, a white overcoat with scarlet lining, and a rifle about as long as himself. (1,200 DEF)

"Next I'll use Ties of the Brethren, and pay 2,000 points to also summon Magical Musketeer Kidbrave and Caspar."

His Life Points went down, and ropes were lowered from the ceiling, two more gunfighters grappling down with them. One was a young teenage boy appeared, with rough, mussed-up blonde hair and two revolvers. His outfit was a male equivalent of Calamity's, plus the same cape. He twirled the two revolvers. (1,200 ATK) The other was another youth with a cowboy hat, leather jeans, a leather buckskin with lightning designs on the chest, and scarlet, finned capelets on his wrists. His weapon was a cross between a Colt and a Flash Gordon ray-gun. (1,600 ATK)

"How long has Wells been using these guys?" asked Sofia.

"You're asking me?" asked Francis. "He keeps most of his new ideas to himself."

"There's a lot about me that my students don't know," said Wells, snidely. "Your turn, Ferdinand."

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

Eden continued to read:

Bedlam 10, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

When the orc and orog mercenaries I had hired - selected specifically for their amoral and war-hardened nature - sent back a messenger requesting aid, the nature of the request convinced me to intervene personally. While I had expected to find mistreated prisoners in an unsafe facility, what I found was far more unsettling.

The penal colony was in horrible shape, with the corpses of roughly 60% of the inmates and all but a handful of the staff dumped in a heap along with garbage and waste. A stench of decomposition had attracted many scavenger beasts and insects, many of them also dead from whatever caused this blight. Surviving inmates still toiled at the strip mines without supervision, all of them malnourished and sickly. Some of them mumbled in a language I could not comprehend. The unfortunate souls resisted all attempts to convince them to stop their labor; many expired our attempts to do so. As yet, none of the survivors are able to respond to questions.

A search of the camp found the warden had hanged himself in his office. Ledgers left showed orders that were meant to be filled months ago, but never completed. A search of the storehouses showed supplies left to rot; clearly, the victims did not starve simply from the neglect of the overseers.

The only organized items I found in this cursed place was the ore, which was neatly stacked upon carts waiting for shipping, although it is clear the beneficiaries never came.

I now believe my initial hunch was right, this ore is most likely tighmaevril. But what dark magic forced them to mine for it until they dropped?

Bedlam 19, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign.

My envoy has returned from Glorium, with news that has confirmed another of my hunches. The delivery of Baatoran Red Chablis addressed to "Sig Morag" was received not by a mercane, but by a female frost giant who identified herself by that name. One wearing priestly vestments.

It cannot be a coincidence, "Sig Morag" is an alias of "Milly Niles". The chances against it being someone else is astronomical. It is also obvious to me that she is the mastermind behind the tighmaevril excavating project.

My duty is thus clear. This frost giantess is guilty of divine grave-robbing. Her sentence, which I am to carry out as per my directives as a varakhut, is death.

May Heaven have mercy upon her soul.

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

"You think I'm scared of those guys?" asked the mul. "I have a few new tricks too. Draw! And this is a big one! I'm activating Advanced Ritual Art!"

"Ritual Monsters?" asked Prospero.

"A very potent one." Ferdinand discarded a card and a scary-looking Fiend with twin scimitars - Beast of Talwar - appeared briefly, and thunder rolled as slow, oozing shadows rose around and devoured him. Then, lightning flashed violently, as a muscular, dark version of Summoned Skull rose from the dark shadows. (2,500 ATK)

"The Advent Skull Archfiend!" (2,500 ATK) "Attack! Bury that cowgirl at Wounded Knee! Lightning Strike!"

Thunder cracked as the Fiend lifted its fist, crashing down from the heavens and striking Calamity. She strained and screamed, then shattered, her weapon hitting the floor, then also shattering.

(ST: 11,100) - - - - - - - - (PT: 14,200)

"Wait, wait… Or is that where you're not supposed to bury someone?" He shrugged. "Meh. I'll set one monster and one more card, then it's your move, fellah. Not that I expect it to last long."

Prospero made a draw, and then looked at the remaining three Magical Musketeers. "Wells, I may have an idea here, but I need to use them."

"Go on," said the Shadowchaser with a nod, "that's what they're for."

"Alright, first I'll banish the Take Over 5 card to draw once," continued Prospero. "Then I'll build the Overlay Network and use Magical Musketeer Doc and Magical Musketeer Kidbrave!"

The two gunslingers stood up as the vortex, now a flaming, hellish portal, opened behind them, and they were grabbed by fiery tendrils. Hardly flinching, they were yanked through, and it churned for a second or two. Then, a tall figure walked out from it. He was a young, handsome man with his black hair tied in a long ponytail, wearing a burnished maroon jerkin. He wore a satchel on his belt, and seemingly carried no weapon. (1,000 ATK)

"Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss. While the common demons refuse to associate with other races, Dante can, through sheer force of will, command them. And by detaching an Overlay Unit, he can send three of my cards from my deck to my Graveyard."

Like Wells did, he picked up the three cards, giving them an aside glance before tossing them. "And it just gets better, because I just discarded a Spell called Celestial Contract, which for this round only, prevents my Burning Abyss monsters from being destroyed by their own effects. But before we deal with that, Dante also gains 500 Attack Points for each card I just discarded."

(2,500 ATK)

"Yeah, bring it on," goaded Ferdinand.

"All in good time, my friend, for now, my monsters still have their other effects, meaning that with no Spell or Trap Cards on my field, I can Special Summon them with ease!" Flames started to erupt from both sides as he lifted two more cards. "I summon Cir and Rubric, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss! Appear!"

He tossed the two cards out in front of him, and two more demons formed from the flaming portal. The first was muscular Fiend with a blue, scaly hide, a tusk, pig-like face, and a torn pair of leather trousers. (1,600 ATK) The second looked less bestial, but far more diabolical, a tall devil with four horns on its bald head, a cape with a flared collar, a forked tail, wings, hooved feet, and violet skin. It held a gnarled staff in its left hand and an orb in the right one. (100 ATK)

"Now I can summon our next main attraction, once I use Rubric to give Cir a Tune-Up!"

Rubrik chanted as he tossed the orb overhead, and it split, changing into spiraling, flaming rings as he spread his dark wings and flew upward, the more brutish Malebranche loyally following. The flames started to eb as a spotlight of sorts fell from above, to the tune of… the strumming of a guitar.

"Guide from beyond the world, strum the last lullaby for the damned!"

(*3 + *3 = *6)

"Synchro Summon! Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss!"

The angle of the light shifted, and a tall figure appeared within. Stepping forward, he revealed himself to be a minstrel wearing a spotless, white jacket with a wide brown sash and red scarf; a long doublet and wide-brimmed hat completed the ensemble. He held a lute where blue fire burned at the headstock and bottom. (2,500 ATK)

He played a Spell Card as Virgil started to play a haunting repose on the instrument, and Prospero continued. "With him here, I can use the Spell Card, Synchro Gift, lower his Attack Score to zero and add it to Dante!" As the music played faster, Dante flexed and threw his head back, burning with the same blue fire. (5,000 ATK) "Who says Classical Literature is boring? Attack that Skull! Divine Requiem!"

Virgil's song turned to Latin chanting, and Dante unleashed a silent howl at the Fiend. Ferdinand grunted and nearly fell out of his chair from the impact…

(ST: 11,100) - - - - - - - - (PT: 11,700)

But, Advent Skull Archfiend was still there, unharmed, the mighty blast barely having made him blink.

"Say what?" shouted Prospero.

"Clever combo, there, brainiac, but it won't work with this guy. Only other Ritual Monsters can destroy him. That Xyz couldn't do it if he had ten-thousand Attack Points."

Prospero looked at his other cards while taking that in. Only Rituals? He though. I see…

"Because he attacked, Dante moves to Defense Mode." The Warrior knelt with a hand on one knee. (2,500 DEF) "I'll end there, which means the Scores of both my monsters return to normal." (Virgil: 2,500 ATK)

"Then the turn comes full circle." Antisthenes drew a card, and the ceiling closed quickly. "I draw and now use the true effect of Qil Cycle. With at least two Qliphort monsters in my Extra Deck, it places two others with different names in my Pendulum Zones. I bring forth Qliphort Monolith and Qliphort Shell, to set the Pendulum Scale from 1 to 9."

The monster that appeared in the left Pendulum Zone was well-named. It was a giant, rectangular slab of stone with an oval-shaped lens in the center, radiating crackling, pulsating light. The second was a conch-shaped object made of violet street with a winding purple stripe, hovering in mid-air.

"Qliphort Shell's effect causes all Special Summoned monsters to lose 300 Attack Points."

(Virgil: 2,200 ATK, Kidbrave:1,300 ATK)

"Then I Pendulum Summon Qliphort Scout and Qliphort Disk from my Extra Deck, along with Qliphort Stealth. Again, their Levels are reduced to 4, and their Attack Scores to 1,800."

The first two monsters were familiar enough, the third, however, looked like a cigar shaped craft made of crystal. The air around it rippled, creating a translucent field of force that vaguely resembled a stealth fighter. (1,800 ATK)

"Three Level 4s?" said Jennifer, nervously.

"That could make a lot of nasty Xyzs," added Francis. "I should know."

"Negative, human. While I have Qliphort Monsters in my Pendulum Zone, I am unable to Special Summon any monster other than Qliphorts.

"It is clear to me my previous demonstration was not enough. Must I show you the true horror of your reality? Very well... witness what I have seen, view the cruel, dark void that lurks beyond your world's skies."

The ceiling started to open again, showing a space scene with, again, one large world and smaller ones in the distance, but not frozen and dead. The sickly, green haze covering them and tainting the surrounding ether indicated decay and rot. Simply looking up at it made them feel nauseous. Whatever catastrophe had struck these worlds had turned their ecosystems into, at best, a corrupted mockery of life.

"You call that scary?" asked Sofia, trying to sound brave. "I've seen PG-rated science fiction that was worse."

Philip put his arm around her and tried best to hold her close, knowing she was looking back at that date they'd had so long ago, when he rented 2001: A Space Odyssey. And she had a point there, if Antisthenes was trying to scare them, it was doing a poor job.

Still disregarding the comment, it went on. "I sacrifice my three Qliphorts-" The three giant Machines disappeared, and a huge monster started to take shape. "I summon Apoqliphort Skybase."

Describing the Machine that appeared from out of the ether proved… difficult. Imagine a fancy crystal punch bowl that rich folks would use at a buffet. Then, put a bulky, sturdy stone fortress inside the bowl. Upgrade the style of the bowl to something an evil wizard might use and the style of the fortress to one you'd find in Mordor, then enlarge the whole thing to the size of Yankee Stadium, and you might get the basic outline of the enormous behemoth staring down the duelists. (2,900 ATK)

"That thing's even bigger than my Air Fortress!" gasped Philip.

"Yeah, well I'm not waiting to see what it can do!" Prospero shoved one of his cards into his discard slot, and Virgil started to play his lute vigorously. "By discarding another Burning Abyss monster, Virgil can blow your monster off the field! Requiem Purge!"

The poet hit a low bass note, sending a cone of sonics at the huge craft. Unfortunately, the glass shell was enveloped in prismatic light, and the wave glanced off without a scratch.

"Such wasted effort. This monster is impervious to the effects of monsters of a lower Level or Rank than itself. Your Level 6 Synchro cannot harm it. It is also impervious to Spell and Trap Cards; while that means it does not gain Points from Machine Assembly Line, it barely needs them."

"Well, it was worth a shot," said Prospero. "Still, the monster I just tossed was Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, so I get to summon another Burning Abyss Fiend."

A new demon appeared that looked much like Rubic, except younger, slightly fatter, and clean shaven. It slumped on the ground, dozing. (0 DEF) "And because Calcab appears without his effect, he gets to stick around."

"As I was about to say, Qliphort Monolith Pendulum Effect now allows me to draw once for each monster I just sacrificed." It made the draws, and colors started to scintillate on the shell of Apoqliphort Skybase again, but this time in dark purple and green. A light from the hull darted down and struck Dante, yanking him off his feet and over to the opposing side of the field.

"HEY!" shouted Prospero.

"Your Xyz is now under my power, and I will use its effect to send three cards to my Graveyard."

Dante stood up into Attack Mode as three cards - Summoner's Art, Forbidden Chalice, and a Trap they didn't recognize - were discarded, and his Attack Score again rose to 2,500. Then the platonic lifted his hand and the colors became brighter and more intense, and burning, thunderous bolts of eldritch power blasted from the craft, vaporizing Virgil.

Prospero trembled a little as the poet's singed hat fluttered downwards amid the flames caused by the impact, but his courage returned quickly. "I get to draw once via his effect!" he shouted.

"Dante, terminate the Magical Musketeer Caspar."

"Now that was a mistake, motor-mouth!" replied Wells. He placed another Trap on his Spell Zone - again, face-up - behind Caspar, and the gunfighter drew his magical revolvers, giving them a dramatic twirl.

"Not only can I activate these special Traps from my hand, I can do it during your turn. This one is called Magical Musket - Cross Domination, and its effect reduces a monster's Attack score to zero!"

Caspar fired four rounds, striking Dante as he prepared to strike. The Traveler winced and stumbled four times, then toppled over and shattered.

"Because I used that card in Caspar's column, I get to take another Magical Musket from my deck. Oh, and sorry about that, Prospero."

"That's okay," replied his partner, "I get to draw once for his effect too!"

(ST: 10,700) - - - - - - - - (PT: 10,500)

"Can we proceed?" interrupted the platonic. "I'll activate Pot of Riches, and send three Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck to my Main Deck."

A golden, bejeweled version of the Pot of Greed appeared, and three cards flew from the top of Antisthenes' Duel Disk into its mouth. "I reshuffle, and then draw twice. Then I set two cards, and my turn ends. Like before, both my Pendulum Monsters are destroyed by Qli Cycle."

It pointed upwards, and both Monolith and Shell shattered. Hank looked up at the huge Skybase.

"Level 9, I see." Hank mused as he drew a card. "Going to be a tough nut to crack."

"Immune to Spells and Traps too," added Sylvester, "which means -"

"I'll just have to take it out the old-fashioned way," interrupted Hank. "First I'll summon the Avatar of the Pot."

There was a thick, throaty laugh as a tall, green statue wearing a loincloth with the Pot of Greed for a head appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"He sounds happy," said Ferdinand.

"Pot of Greed may be gone, but he's happy because I have the Refurbished Pot of Greed, which shares that Spell Card's name, so I can discard it and draw three times."

He made the draws, then used another Spell. "Now I'll use Monster Slots!"

As he used the card, a slot machine with an ugly, green troll's face appeared on the field. Eden peaked over her reading, watching as Hank yanked the lever down.

She watched very closely, watching as Giant Soldier of Stone appeared in the first slot, and Avatar of the Pot in the second. Then she smirked, and her eyes shimmered as the third slowed to a halt.

"Bingo, Giant Sentry of Stone!" announced Hank. Another large statue with an armored carapace and two long, serrated swords appeared next to Avatar. (1,300 ATK)

Eden buried her nose in the book again nervously, as she felt the platonic looking at her with eyes that could burn through steel, something she knew was not hyperbole. Still, it turned its head away again quickly, towards Hank as the Overlay Network appeared again.

The two Rock monsters were turned to dust, and a giant metal version of the Giant Soldier of Stone lowered from the Network and kneeling in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

"Then I activate the Spell card, Miracle Rupture."

He took his deck and spread the cards out, choosing one and discarded it. Then he reshuffled them, replaced it, and drew once. "That card I discarded was a Geode Fossil, by the way, which is exactly what I need when I use THIS! Fossil Fusion!"

The card appeared above him, with the Level 1 Rock monster he'd just discarded to the right, and Beast of Talwar to the left, all three disappeared into a spiral of orange and purple. "I'll banish a Fiend from your Graveyard and Geode Fossil from mine to Fusion Summon the Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal!"

The floor in front of him cracked open, and then erupted, spewing lava and burning stones from the crater as a huge, hulking, vaguely humanoid creature rose out of it, lava sloughing off its rocky hide as it stood up. Like a golem that had been haphazardly put together using brimstone and granite boulders, flames burned in its torso and eyes with a stench of sulfur. (2,400 ATK)

"Yeah, yeah, it's big and scary we get it," said Ferdinand, snidely, "but I don't see what you're going to do with it, seeing as it's Level 8."

"Doesn't need its effect," answered Hank. "When Geode Fossil is used to Fusion Summon a monster, it loses its effect, but gains the Attack Points of the other monster."

"Me and my big mouth." Ferdinand, watched Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal as it started to grow even bigger. (4,900 ATK)

"Ground Apoqliphort Skybase with Cataclysmic Raze!" yelled Hank. The beast lifted both hands as a fiery meteor started to form between them; it hurled it upward, where it soared through the ether towards the giant craft. While the colors appeared on the hull again, the hull itself was smashed, and the central building crumbled into particles that dissipated like sand.

(ST: 10,700) - - - - - - - - (PT: 8,500)

"Weird. I'll set two cards, and then end my turn, and that means my monster loses its bonus, plus moves to Defense Mode." Skullfernal knelt, crossing its arms. (1,200 DEF) "Go on…"

Sylvester drew, then looked around. His eyes fell on Ferdinand's set card. "I'll sacrifice Ferd's set monster to summon Ally Mind." He switched cards, and the set one disappeared.

The Machine that appeared in its place this time was a vaguely sphere-shaped device covered with antennae, circuits, and metal tendrils. (1,800 ATK) There was a wet, squishing noise, and three globs of oily, tarry residue splattered on the floor. (300 DEF x3)

"The monster I just sacrificed was Metabo Globster, and by doing so, I gain these three Metabo Tokens. Then I Tune two of them and Ally Mind together -"

A hatch on the drone opened, drawing in two of the three globules, and then blasted upwards like a rocket, soaring through the Synchro rings.

(*1 + *1 + *5 = *7)

In a column of shimmering light, a robot appeared that seemed the same basic model as the dreadnaught, but more human-shaped with less emphasis on armor. It seemed to have a muscular and vaguely female torso and face, but while the face itself seemed less threatening, the rest was now. The spiked harness and multi-barreled cannons in place of hands suggested it was intended for offensive power. (2,000 ATK)

"Meet our final model, M.A.D.A.M.-Z7, the Mobile Android Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers. Patent pending. It can function in any terrain from arctic to desert and possibly even underwater. And don't forget, it gains a 200 point bonus from Machine Assembly Line." (2,200 ATK)

"Batteries not included, I assume?" snarked Wells.

"Not only does it include a battery, but said battery has a five-year lifespan, which is also covered in our lifetime warranty." He cleared his throat. "Or… would have. Sadly, given the… situation at hand, this card is the closest thing to a prototype we were able to produce." It aimed the cannons at the opposing side and they started to build energy as blue flames formed around the arms. "But this should be enough of a facsimile for now. I just have to banish a Normal Machine from my deck, like this one -" He flipped Pendulum Machine around and placed it in his shirt pocket. "And see for yourself."

Powerful plasma blasts fired from the cannons bursting around Hank in fiery explosions.

(ST: 8,950) - - - - - - - - (PT: 8,500)

"So I see," he grumbled.

"Well, at very least, you now get to draw once, and I can't actually attack. It has other features too, but I'll save those for later. I'll set two cards, move Ancient Tool to Defense Mode, and end there."

Ancient Tool whirred as it shielded with its twin weapons. (1,400 DEF)

That thing isn't very strong for a Level 7, thought Wells. I wouldn't be surprised if it had two other effects.

"I activate the Spell Card, Dual Gate. Since I discarded another Dual Gate last turn, I can banish both to draw twice." He made the draws, and looked over his hand of now four cards, only one of which was a monster.

"Hank, you need him for anything else?" He nodded to Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal.

Hank shook his head in response. "Go on, he's not going to be much in another round."

"All right then, for starters, I'll use Magical Musket - Dancing Needle. This Trap banishes three cards from my Graveyard." He chose the cards, then put them aside. "We'll get to those in a minute, but first, since I used that in Caspar's column, I again gain a Magical Musket from my deck.

"Then I can summon the head honcho of my group. He's Level 8, but I can summon him with one sacrifice if I use a Magical Musketeer. So let's all welcome the Master of Disaster…"

He played the card, and Caspar disappeared, as the lights in the huge auditorium flickered and went dark. There was a rolling of ominous thunder and two red eyes appeared in the dark.

"...Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!"

As the light slowly came back, a new Monster that stood apart from the ones he had previously summoned. While the other Musketeers were human-like with demonic features, this one was all demon. While his old-fashioned clothes consisted of a fancy waistcoat, cravat, cloak, and formal trousers, all had a vein-like red pattern, and he wore a red mask over his eyes that looked like it had been made from a skull. Four small horns poked out of his flowing white hair, and he had huge, demonic, bat-wings. He carried two odd-looking weapons that resembled bronze-plated handguns with two barrels apiece, one above the grip and another below. (2,500 ATK)

"Now I'll use Dimension Explosion to summon Magical Musketeers Doc and Starfire!"

The "explosion" caused by the card was more like a rupture, as a rift seemed to tear reality itself apart, sucking Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal into oblivion. Doc leapt from it first (1,400 ATK) and then a female Musketeer dressed as a showgirl with a veil and midriff-revealing green dress. She had several small handguns stored in holsters on her hips, ankles, shoulders, and back. The same spine covered wings as the others pointed backwards from her wrists. (1,300 ATK)

Clearly neither she nor Doc were happy to see Zakiel, trembling a little at the sight of him.

"My friend, you forget." Sylvester's grin revealed his efreet nature slightly. "I too am able to use that effect."

He pointed, and Beast of Talwar reappeared on his side of the field, roaring at the three Musketeers while brandishing its two scimitars. (2,400 ATK) Then Pendulum Machine appeared, crossing its arms in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

"I'll get to him in a minute. For now I use Magical Musket - Steady Hand!" As Wells played the card, Doc took aim at M.A.D.A.M.-Z7. (2,800 ATK)

"As you can see, it doubles his Score, but I won't be attacking with him just yet. First, seeing as I used that card in his column, I get another Magical Musket from my Graveyard." A Trap slid from the discard slot of his Disk and he picked it up. "Just what the Doctor ordered! Let 'im have it!"

Doc opened fire, blazing bolts of hellfire bursting from the barrels of his shotgun.

"You forget, at Copek, we stand behind all our products, and in this case, I'm standing behind this one with the Trap Card, Chaos Burst!" One of his set cards lifted, the last Token disappeared, and a barrier of flames started to appear between the two monsters. "I'll sacrifice my last Globster to blow your Doc to Kingdom Come!"

"Are you now?" Wells threw yet another card on his Spell Zone, this time behind Starfire. "I activate Magical Musket - Fiendish Deal."

Starfire started to dance, shimmying and twisting her hips. Three spinning, crystal prisms appeared in front of mastermind, and blinding flashes from them tore through the Chaos Burst, scattering it like smoke. "This Counter Trap renders all my Musket monsters impervious to your Trap. And because I activated that card in Starfire's column, I get to bring back someone you might remember."

Starfire continued her dance as Calamity appeared next to her. (1,500 ATK) Doc resumed his assault on the Machine, and the magical bullets from his shotgun burned through M.A.D.A.M's armor, leaving a few holes, but the droid still resisted. Doc lowered the still smoking weapons as it looked at him with soft, yet cold eyes.

"Then it's a good thing I still have my Field Spell. Once per turn, my Dark Machine Monster can survive an attack, and while it still hurts me, the Life Points I lost are added to its Attack Score!" (2,800 ATK)

"Well, since this one worked so well the first time…" Wells dropped Cross Domination on his Spell Zone, behind Calamity, and Starfire started to dance even faster, clapping castanets on her fingers. Her guns floated from their holsters as she danced, whirling around her, then firing at M.A.D.A.M., who staggered and fell on one knee. (0 ATK)

"Let me guess," said Sylvester, sounding more dejected, "you get to use another effect for activating that in her column."

"That's right, I summon Magical Musketeer Wild in Defense Mode!"

This time, the monster who appeared was impressive, a bare-chested man with red sigils tattooed over his torso and long, black, braided hair. What everyone noticed, however, was the small arsenal of guns he had. His gauntlets held six rifles on each hand with sharp bayonets the size of swords, two bandoleers of ammunition crossing his chest, and a rocket launcher mounted on each shoulder, one with four small missiles and the other with a single large one. Clearly, this guy came looking for a fight, even if he was summoned having to defend. (900 DEF)

"Now Mastermind can strut his stuff! Attack M.A.D.A.M.-Z7! Remember the Alamo!"

The Mastermind fired, all four barrels from his two guns blasting hot lead at the Machine. It was propelled backwards against the wall behind it and smashed to bits. Mastermind lowered its weapons with a grim look on his face, smoke rising from the magic firearms.

(ST: 8,950) - - - - - - - - (PT: 5,400)

"Finally, here's another card you might remember." He dropped Magical Musket Desperado behind Wild, and the muscleman roared, his chainguns and rockets starting to blaze, blowing Beast of Talwar into particles, both its swords falling to the floor with a clatter.

"Furthermore, Wild's effect lets me shuffle three Magical Musket cards into my deck, reshuffle, and make one draw. I'll end my turn there, which means Mastermind's true effect comes into play, and I draw one card for each Magical Musket Trap and Spell I used that turn while he was in play. In case you weren't keeping track, that's three.

"So it's your move, Ferdinand."

The mul was a little nervous at that prompting, and he started to sweat as he drew a card.

"WELL?"

Ferd was a big guy, and not the type who looked like he'd spook easily. However, the loud impatient tone Antisthenes had just used nearly made him drop his cards.

"HEY, hey, I'm trying to think, here!"

"You know, Ferdinand, I'd think you of all people would want out of this."

Everyone turned towards Sofia, who had made the remark. "All that stuff you told me before about doing all this because you were bored is starting to sound like a self-centered excuse to get sympathy. But this -"

"I don't need sympathy!" roared the mul. He played one of his three cards, Trade-In, and discarded a second, drawing two more to replace them. Then he played a card, causing his best card, Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror, to loom over the arena. (3,000 ATK)

"Don't worry, I've seen this before," said Sofia, unimpressed. "When he summons it that way, it's a lamb in lion's clothing." (1,500 ATK)

"Well here's a trick I didn't show you. First, I'll use his effect, and banish that monster I just discarded to destroy Magical Musket Mastermind!"

Dark smoke started to rise from underneath Zakiel, and as he looked down, the smoke shaped into huge claws, grabbing him, then dragging him into the abyss below.

"So much for him. Now I'll activate Escape from the Dark Dimension!"

His Trap opened, and another dark, swirling pit opened in the center of the arena. A giant - familiar - Fiend started to rise out of it… (3,000 ATK)

"Two of them?" exclaimed Hank.

"That's right, and this second one can use its effect too, once I banish Beast of Talwar!"

Again, the dark smoke wafted from the floor below, coiling around Giant Soldier of Steel and dragging it into the afterlife.

"Now for them…" he said, looking at the four Magical Musketeers as the larger Emperor lifted its mighty blade.

"Don't worry, Wells, I got this!" Hank lifted his hands, and both his Traps opened, Call of the Haunted and Staunch Defender. Giant Soldier of Stone appeared in Attack Mode, and Emperor turned, its sword crashing down and smashing it to little pieces.

"That was a waste of two perfectly good Traps," sighed Ferdinand. "Okay, okay, guess I'll set one more card facedown, and I'm done here for now."

As he waved his hand, the 1,500-point Emperor slowly slunk away into the same dark abyss. Hank held his ribs, having been hit hard from the powerful blow.

(ST: 7,250) - - - - - - - - (PT: 5,400)

"Uh, Hank, you…" Prospero had noticed that Hank was crutching his ribs after that powerful attack.

"I'll be fine," groaned the Shadowchaser, "I've been through worse. Just take those things down, okay?"

"Don't worry," said Prospero.

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

Eden nervously turned the page and read the next entry:

Dominance 7, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign. (Estimated.)

The past six months have been spent in a tiring process of rebuilding and upgrading my physical material form, a task that proved difficult, as my connection to Mechanus has been compromised. No matter. Using the makeshift materials I had and some unorthodox methods that I cannot disclose, this new version should suffice for the task at hand.

The necessity of this emergency transference also introduces a new factor in my directives, as it seemed the target's motives were wholly different than what I anticipated. While I surmised this frost giant sorceress - not the divine hexer I once assumed - would mount a defense, I walked into what was obviously a long-prepared ambush.

The frost giant employed a strike force of dozens of green, blue, and red slaadi, plus gith knights of the Anarch's Guild with extensive training in Wild Magic. The giant's bodyguard possessed anarchic weaponry, and the sorceress herself was prepared with the same. I was completely unprepared and overwhelmed.

It is clear to me that "Milly Niles" is an enemy of Mechanus, and the tighmaevril excavation is part of a greater plot towards that goal. I must prepare further.

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

Prospero drew, then looked over at Advent Skull Archfiend. "I plan to do just that, starting with him. Only Rituals, huh? In that case, I'll summon Crane-Crane."

Playing the card caused a large toy bird bobbing its head up and down like some novelty paperweight. (300 ATK) As it dipped downwards, a portal opened in the floor, and it pulled out yet another Burning Abyss Fiend. (1,600 ATK)

"Since I used Crane-Crane to summon Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, it loses its own effect and again, won't self-destruct. So I can use the Ritual Spell Card, Good and Evil of the Burning Abyss!"

Playing the card caused a flaming rift with two dark, sinister eyes to open behind him. Two clawed, fiery hands emerged, grabbing Crane-Crane and Doc, yanking both into the fiery hellscape beyond.

"I summon Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!"

Then, two actual claws reached out of the portal, spreading it further while forcing it open larger. Stepping through, the huge, muscular, flaming demon had all the usual features, wings, horns, a forked tail, cloven hooves, the whole ensemble, and was about ten feet tall. (2,700 ATK)

"Clever move there, but I have a backup plan, the Trap Card, Dark Obsession!" Ferdinand's Trap lifted, and Malacoda and Advent Skull locked eyes, both of them tensing, eager to, but for some reason unable to, charge each other.

"Yeah, it does kinda sound like a vampire's brand of perfume, but this Counter Trap places a powerful curse on both our monsters. If one of them kills the other, all other monsters on the winner's side of the field are destroyed, and you take 300 points damage for each."

"Well then," said Prospero. "I'll just have to get creative." He took another monster card from his hand, discarding it. "By sending a Burning Abyss monster from my hand to the Graveyard, Malacoda can reduce its Attack Score by that of the sent monster. And this one has 1,800 Attack Points."

"You decrease Skull's Score to zero for all I care, it's still - wait -"

To his surprise, Advent Skull didn't seem affected at all. Archfiend Emperor, on the other hand, groaned and stumbled, its exoskeleton starting to crack and flake. (1,200 ATK)

"Never said I was using Malacoda's effect on Skull. That honor goes to the monster I discarded, Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss."

To Ferdinand's continued shock, the dark portal opened on the floor behind Advent Skull, and a tall, spindly female demon slithered out. She had long limbs and long, pink hair, and a metal blindfold grafted over her eyes. Still, she knew where her foe was… even though he did not.

Then she had him, pinning his right arm while grappling with the other in a headlock.

"This trick causes him to lose his effect," continued Prospero, "meaning his resistance to destruction by all but Ritual Monsters is null and void, until the end of the turn."

"But the Trap Card's effect still stands until then," growled Ferd.

"Not if I use another monster to attack with, and I will, once I Overlay Calcab and Cir to bring a friend back."

The Overlay Network opened once more, consuming Cir and Calcab and causing Dante to rise again. (1,000 ATK) But this time, the Network wasn't finished. Motes of golden, radiant energy descended from the vortex, and the space backdrop above switched to a glorious, radiant city of gold perched among the clouds, with the Sanctuary in the Sky hovering at its apex. As Dante outstretched his hands and started to levitate upwards, choirs of the angelic beings of the Higher Plane started to resound in a melody of Creation and Power.

"CELESTIAL XYZ EVOLUTION! Descend, Savior of the Light and Exemplar of Purity! Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal!"

She floated from the Heavens above, a soft, graceful female form in a flowing white dress. Grace, purity… perfection. She embodied them all. A woman so lovely she was worth going through Hell for, as Dante claimed to have done. (2,500 ATK)

Beatrice opened her eyes, focusing them on her foe. She floated gracefully upwards, then darted towards Advent Skull Archfiend. It growled, and started to stir up one mighty lightning strike…

Then the Fiend and Fairy collided, Light and Dark cancelling each other out and eradicating both monsters.

Prospero bowed his head a little, but shook it off, then lifted a new card. "It won't be in vain, because when Beatrice leaves, a greater power comes! I give you Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss!"

The Heavenly choir became louder, and switched the tempo, the clouds of the Sanctuary rumbling and darkening. A new, more powerful presence bolted from above, landing in the middle of the arena with the marble floor cracking under the impact. It was Dante, but he had changed. His traveler's outfit traded for pure white priestly vestments, augmented with gold armor. He held a long magical staff with a sapphire tip that crackled with divine magic. (2,800 ATK)

"Yeah, well," muttered Ferdinand, choking back tears as he played a card. "Advent Skull Archfiend has an effect that lets me summon the regular Summoned Skull."

Yugi's trademark Fiend-Type monster appeared in place of the Ritual version, folding its wings over itself like a long, black cloak and kneeling. (1,200 DEF)

"So now that your Trap is no longer an issue," said Prospero. Dante lifted his staff, swirling power from Beyond flowing into the tip; he twirled it in his hands, then thrust it forward, creating a storm of glittering, razor-sharp shards of light. The Archfiend Emperor let out a low, despondent moan as the shards pierced its armor, and it dissipated into embers of hellfire that quickly burnt out.

(ST: 7,250) - - - - - - - - (PT: 3,800)

Then the Netherlord of the Burning Abyss followed up with its own assault, belching flames and toxic smoke from its jaws, hitting and incinerating the defending Pendulum Machine.

"I'll set one card and take a break. Seems my Burning Abyss crew is functioning rather well, wouldn't you say, Ferdinand?"

"Okay, okay, sorry I made fun of your cards!" shouted Ferdinand.

"Ferd, this may not be the best time to tell you this," said Sylvester, "but you're fired."

"Quiet." The platonic had been so silent for the past few turns, its voice serving as a sudden reminder that it was even there. "The tenacity you show has long been one trait I admire among mortal beings." It drew a card. "To a point. My patience is starting to wear thin."

The ceiling started to close, and the Extra Buck card disappeared. "I first activate this card's effect; as it has gained three Counters since its activation, I can send it to the Graveyard to draw twice. Then I activate the Spell Card, Double Cyclone."

It made the extra draws, then used another, causing the twin tornados to tear across the arena, shattering its own Qil Cycle and Prospero's facedown card.

"Why would he do that?" asked Philip. "Is he running out of Pendulum Monsters?"

"I have my reasons. Your folly and skewed view of your reality disregards the matter at hand that you know not an inkling of." The ceiling slammed shut again, then again, slowly started to open. "Avatars of non-existence... knowing nothing but hunger. Unseen and unknown, these are the beings who will devour the future you so futilely fight to protect."

If ever the Shadowchasers stopped, even briefly, to consider that their foe was making a valid point, it was now, as they looked at a scene that was truly horrific, even to those who had dedicated their lives to combating such terrors. The view was similar to the last, but the sickly green world had been replaced by a nauseating mauve world, with writhing tentacles clutching it.

It was impossible to see just what these tendrils were attached to, but it seemed the whole backdrop of stars was just… wrong. It was hard to focus on anything in the cosmic scene above, the other aspects in the view shifting from distant to close in the span of a few seconds. Malevolent eyes seemed to stare at them as other tendrils seemed to reach at them as they looked at the sky, always at the corners of their peripheral vision; trying to look at these… things fully caused them to fade.

They tried to look away, focusing on the duel, but they could hear this thing too, whispering terrible threats that they couldn't quite understand. Fortunately, the platonic's deep voice just barely drowned them out.

"I activate the second effect of M.A.D.A.M. Z7. By banishing it, I get to summon two Machine-Type Monsters from my deck, with no effects and zero Attack Points. I thus summon Qliphort Helix and Qliphort Cephalopod"

Had the terrible scene overhead not been such an assault on their perception of reality, the two new monsters would have been overwhelming and intimidating. The first was a tubular craft that seemed made of golden and violet ribbons wrapping around a rod-shaped core, with a lozenge-shaped metal prism on the top. (2,400 ATK) The second was an equally-large Machine with a slug-shaped body, long, trailing tail, and crest-shaped head, all of it made of ivory with ruby settings. Thick tubes were built into the sides and undersides, and a large, ruby orb was set in the front. (2,800 ATK)

The Scores of both monsters turned to zero, but Antisthenes continued, placing a new card in the Field Slot of his Disk. "I activate Laser Qlip," it metallic sheen on the walls broke apart as the ceiling closed again, plunging the entire chamber into a featureless, dark void.

"That's an odd name for a Field Spell," said Viola. "Sounds more like an Equip Spell."

"Negative, human, THIS is my Equip Spell, Saqlifice, which I shall Equip to Qliphort Helix."

As he used this new card, Helix sparked and shuddered. (300 ATK)

Okay, that can't be the only thing it does, thought Hank.

Another Trap Card in front of it activated; Hank noticed the name, and groaned a little, like someone who had heard a bad joke. "Qlimate Change? I don't know what's worse about these monsters, the effects or the puns."

"Qlimate Change grants me three Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck, and I can then discard one to use Monster Reincarnation."

It discarded one card - Qliphort Monolith - and took a familiar Level 9 monster in return.

"Calm down everyone, he needs three monsters to summon it, remember?"

"I next activate the Trap Card Qlife's End which summons it as a monster."

The card opened, and produced a much smaller Qliphort, seemingly one of the drone-like parts that the actual Qliphort monsters had. (1,800 ATK)

"Nice way to tempt fate there, Prospero," sighed Philip.

"Actually, Mr. Lupin, Qlife's End is all I require, as it counts as three sacrifices for the summon of a monster with the word 'Apoqliphort' in its name."

The drone disappeared, and everyone looked up. As they'd feared, Apoqliphort Skybase returned. (2,900 ATK)

"Everyone, I hate to state the obvious," added Wells, "but I think this just got worse."

They turned towards Helix and Celophapod, and saw his point. They had zero Attack Points and no effect, what wasAntisthenes planning on doing with them? To their regret, it answered their question quickly, taking another monster card.

"The Laser Qlip Field Spell grants me a second Normal Summon this turn, and equipping Helix with Saqlifice causes it to count as two monsters towards summoning a high-Level Qliphort. Thus, I sacrifice Helix and Cephalopod to summon a weapon of more power than your mortal minds could ever conceive…"

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

Fear was even starting to creep into Eden as a dark shadow started to move across the arena, but she kept reading as it did, turning to the next entry of the journal.

Conflict 15, 3rd Year of Factol Ylem's reign

I have returned to the sorceress' estate in Glorium; it had been evacuated, naturally, but interrogation of townsfolk and a painstakingly thorough search have given me the information I need. I have focused squarely on a vast construction project underway in the third Circle of the Outlands.

Eden nearly dropped the book in shock from this revelation, but continued to read.

The true scope of what the orchestrators of this project hope to accomplish is unnerving. I cannot simply strike haphazardly. With my connection to Mechanus still compromised and my resources nearly depleted, it seems I am on my own. Regardless, I must still pursue my objective.

I have sent my remaining subordinates to each corner of the Great Wheel with orders to recruit any mortal beings with strength enough to wield a sword and need enough not to question the reasons.

Whatever it takes, this potentially reality-changing scheme must be quashed...

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

As huge and imposing as the Skybase was, it seemed, true to the old proverb, that there was a bigger fish. The new monsterAntisthenes had summoned dwarfed the Skybase, a tower of alien design and otherworldly material floating overhead. It had two towers branching off a main tower that oddly extended downward from the main tower, and two enormous side panels, each larger than the central tower, shaped like wings. Unlike the other Qlips, which seemed to be rotting shells of older technology, this one was in perfect condition and rust-free. (3,000 ATK)

"Apoqliphort Towers shares the same immunity to Monster Effects as Apoqliphort Skybase, but in this case, it is Level 10. In addition, it is impervious to all Spell and Trap Cards, and its mere presence causes Special Summoned Monsters to lose 500 Attack and Defense Points."

(Ancient Tool: 1,400 ATK, Beast of Talwar: 1,900 ATK, Magical Musketeer Calamity: 1,000 ATK, Magical Musketeer Wild: 400 DEF, Magical Musketeer Starfire: 800 ATK, Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss: 2,300 ATK, Malacoda Netherlord of the Burning Abyss: 2,200 ATK)

"Look, big guy, just attack already then!" said Prospero, sounding impatient.

"I cannot. The effect of M.A.D.A.M. Z7 prevents me from doing so this turn. However, I can still use another effect of Towers."

A card appeared over Prospero's head, representing the one in his hand he had left. A fine volt of pure energy blasted from the peak of the central tower, vaporizing it.

"With that, my turn is concluded."

"Uh, guys, this duel is now officially the most-watched live stream this year." Jennifer was still doing her best to alternate between her iPad and the actual duel, even while telling them how popular it had become.

"Jennifer, please," said Viola. "Everyone is nervous enough."

Says the lady who isn't up here dueling, thought Hank, Okay, okay, if Special Summoned monsters are weakened by this thing, I'll just stick to Normal Summoning. For now. He made a draw. Well, this one can solve one problem.

"Weathering Soldier!" he shouted. Playing the card caused a huge, bulky, rocky golem with oversized arms and no head to appear. (2,000 ATK) "Much as I hate to destroy ancient artifacts, attack Ancient Tool with Wind Slash!"

With unusual speed and finesse for a monster made of rock, Weathering Soldier leapt at Ancient Tool and gave it a hard punch, crushing it.

(ST: 7,250) - - - - - - - - (PT: 3,200)

"So much for that. I'll end here."

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

Eden was aghast! The whole thing was laid out in front of her on the pages after the last entry, diagrams and rough blueprints written by the platonic's own hand. She traced her finger around a detailed illustration of a cube-shaped configuration, opposite a page detailing the pyramid…

She looked up at the dome around her…

So that's it… Like… Leomund's chest…

She stuck the bookmark in the journal again, then held it to her chest as she concentrated on the raging duel in front of her.

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

"So, you like old machines, huh?" asked Sylvester. "Well, I tend to research them too from time to time. First I'll use the second effect of Machine Assembly Line, sending it to the Graveyard to summon Ancient Tool again." He discarded the Spell Card, causing the device to rise from below. (1,700 ATK) "Then I'll summon the Lazarus Stone."

This new action caused a large, floating, violet gemstone to appear next to Ancient Tool. (0 ATK) Hank already didn't like it. He had never seen this card before, but he knew from experience that weapons with biblical names were bad news.

"I sacrifice both Ancient Tool and Lazarus Stone," continued Sylvester, the two monsters turning to purplish orbs, "to Special Summon the Primal Dreadnaught of Varn!"

The mechanical beast that loomed up above the Shadowchasers may have been even taller than Ancient Gear Golem if it stood up straight, but it was hunched over, possibly due to its oversized hands with razor-sharp metal claws. It was, however, bulkier than the Golem, and while it seemed just as strong and durable, whoever built it seemed to have used no aesthetics at all. Both materials and textures clashed next to each other, its limbs were uneven, and its head slanted slightly against one shoulder. Motors inside it sounded like an old lawn mower engine, with the occasional hiss of a jet of steam. (3,300 ATK)

"So that's it. Wells rubbed his chin as he looked up at the huge beast..

"You know this thing, Wells?" asked Jennifer.

"Well, yes and no. When Jalal built the warforged, he used schematics we had uncovered at the Mykenean archaeology dig in Greece, after modifying with some modern upgrades. But several of the designs were incomplete."

"Well, you just have to use your imagination to fill in the gaps!" Sylvester laughed, his giant robot lifted its arms, snapping the claws menacingly. "Course, it does lose 500 Attack Points from Towers, but I'm not letting that stop me." He pointed to Dante. "Attack fancy-pants over there with Vulcan Armageddon!"

The robot's chest plate opened, and triple cores started to pulsate with powerful energy, while its hands and eyes added even more power. Dante stood firm with his staff in front of him…

'From my Graveyard," announced Prospero, "I activate Terminus of the Burning Abyss!" A trap card appeared between him and the Fusion Monster, who absorbed it into his staff. (3,100 ATK)

"Wait, hold the phone!" shouted Sylvester. Too late. As the energy blasted from the robot, Dante parried with an even stronger counter-shield, sending the Machine's own blast ricocheting back upon it and blowing it to little pieces.

(ST: 7,250) - - - - - - - - (PT: 3,000)

Of course, as upset as Sylvester was, he howled in pain as the now-angry platonic turned to him and a shocking bolt of electricity seemed to scramble his whole nervous system. "Seemed to" because it had.

"HEY!" yelled Prospero. "THAT was uncalled for!"

"He should have been more careful," replied Antisthenes,"These mistakes are trying my patience."

"Mistakes?" asked Prospero. "If your Double Cyclone hadn't sent my Terminus of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard, he wouldn't have made that mistake. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it was more your mistake!"

"The Field Spell too," added Philip, "you displaced his Heavy Metal Raiders to use your Laser Qlip and left it vulnerable, so-"

"Silence." The platonic turned to them, and everyone else in the room was hit with the same shock.

It's official, thought Jennifer, gasping for breath, he's nuts!

"I will tolerate no more interruptions! Mr. Addams, finish your turn at once."

"Ah-huh, huh." Sylvester, held his lungs and tried not to pass out, the wounds from his earlier injuries now impossible to ignore. "I… I use the effect of Primal Dreadnaught of Varn. Because you destroyed it, it returns in Defense Mode, with its Scores swapped."

The huge robot reappeared, now with its armor dented and burnt, but still holding, kneeling and shielding with its long arms. (3,300 DEF) - (2,800 DEF)

"It has to stay in Defense Mode, of course, but you can only attack him. Then I use the second effect of the Lazarus Stone, and banish it to summon Ancient Tool again, also in Defense Mode."

The Fusion Material Machine appeared, again defending, but in even worse shape. (1,400 DEF, 900 DEF) "And I'll end there. Your move, Wells, end it fast."

Huh? Does that mean he wants me to hurry, or that he wants me to finish him off? Wells drew as he considered this. Hmm, either way, better comply with the first option here.

"I set two cards face-down, then move my Calamity and Starfire to Defense Mode." The two lady gunfighters knelt as the set cards appeared. (Calamity: 800 DEF, Starfire: 1,200 DEF) "Over to you, Ferd."

Ferd drew, then used a well-known Spell Card, Polymerization, cast both Ancient Tool and Summoned Skull into Graveyard through the vortex.

"Come on!" exclaimed Jennifer. "Skull and Ancient Tool?"

"All I need for this one is Skull and a Dark Monster. I summon Manifested Skull!"

The lightning storm surged again, and the Summoned Skull appeared, having undergone a slight change to its bony exoskeleton, the purple highlights being brighter and the edges sharper. Its wings were larger now, and it had an armored gauntlet with claws on its right arm. (2,500 ATK)

"Wow, Summoned Skull really gets around," said Sofia.

"This version raises the Attack Score of himself and those who share his name by 500 points. While it loses them due to the Towers, it barely matters. I play Makiu the Magical Mist!"

Skull bellowed, the potent mists rising from its wings, shaping into a rough skull-like design overhead as lightning struck the field multiple times. The three Magical Musketeers were hit first, and atomized, then Weathering Soldier, Finally, the mightiest bolt hit the field in front of Prospero, vaporizing Dante and Malacoda. Then it laughed evilly.

"Malacoda has one more trick up his sleeve!" shouted Prospero. He pointed to Manifested Skull, and darker, shadowy mist rose from the floor. "He drags one of your monsters down with him!"

The dark mists turned to hungry claws, seizing and grappling the Skull in mid-laugh, dragging it away into the afterlife. Still, Ferdinand seemed to find it a little funny.

"Well that was dumb," he said. "I can't attack this turn anyway cause of that Spell Card. But I can bring back the regular Skull, just like I could with Advent Skull."

He snapped his fingers, and again, the original Skull appeared, kneeling with its wings as a cover. (1,200 DEF) Then his Trap lifted up. "Just to be on the safe side here, I'll use my Graceful Tear Trap Card. It boosts my, uh, our Life Points by 2,000. In exchange for that…"

He hurled the Spikebot card down from the balcony to Wells, who clumsily caught it.

Lovely, he thought, not exactly a fair trade there...

"So…" added the mul, "guess it's your move now."

To say Prospero was nervous now as he drew would be a tremendous understatement. He looked up at the two massive floating fortresses as he did so.

The key to beating those things is to get rid of that Dreadnaught first, he thought, but I don't have anything here that even comes close to beating that Defense Score. Have to stall.

He took another Spell Card from his Graveyard and pocketed it. "By Banishing Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss, I can send this monster to the Graveyard." He discarded from his hand Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss. "Having done so, Cir's effect summons Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in Defense Mode."

The new Fiend was tall, gaunt, and almost skeletal, with withered wings, long claw-like nails, and long, tangled, white hair. (2,000 DEF - 1,500 ATK)

He next placed a new card on his Disk, Normal Summoning a new Fiend, a hunched, toadlike demon with curved horns and pebbly skin. (1,500 ATK)

Okay, if Cagna and Scarm can hold out for a turn, maybe Hank and Wells can think up an idea, cause I'm fresh out of them.

"I'm, uh, done."

"My draw,"said Antisthenes, doing so. "I activate the Equip Spell, Axe of Fools, and Equip it to Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss."

'Wait, you…" said Prospero. The demon lifted its claw, and a shiny one-handed axe with a goofy face in the center of the blade appeared in it. (2,500 ATK)

"But that -"

"Increases its Attack Score while nullifying its effect. Thus, MY monster can take control of it, and its own effect will not destroy it."

The entire scope of that Antisthenes planned became terribly clear as a tractor beam from Skybase pulled the Fiend over to its side. Then the hunched over Fiend pulled itself upright, and with a mighty smash, brought the Axe down on the defending Scarm.

Antisthenes,was about to give another order to the two giant castles when Ferdinand interrupted. "WAIT!" he shouted.

The platonic stopped and turned its head slightly. Ferdinand gulped. "Go on," it ordered.

"Uh, good news, chief, we're… we're through! We have access to the Requilary!"

The whole room tensed. Was Ferdinand right, or was he lying in an attempt to delay the platonic? Either possibility was bad news in some way…

Antisthenes adjusted its eyes, and a few brief beeping sounds led to a nod. "Affirmative. We will proceed momentarily. But first -" It turned back to Prospero, as cannons, ballista, and rocket launchers started to unfold from the turrets and buttresses of Apoqliphort Skybase and Apoqliphort Towers.

"Commence firing."

"PROSPERO!" screamed Viola, coughing from the exertion.

(ST: 1,350) - - - - - - - - (PT: 5,000)

"Easy, Viola, easy," Francis tried to hold the old woman up as she coughed violently.

Unfortunately, what they had just witnessed had been hard for any of them to take. The multitude of artillery blasts from the two behemoths seemed to have torn Prospero apart; the leader of the Determined was lying with his face on the floor.

"Is he -"

"He lives for now, humans. But only because I allow him to. If you recall, I promised you your lives in exchange for this duel and I always keep my word.

"But I also make it a point never to leave something unfinished." It turned to Hank. "Thus, it falls upon you to do so, Mr. Richards. I would advise you to make your turn quickly, lest you discover things more unpleasant than death."

Hank looked at their foe. Then at Prospero. Then at Antisthenes again.

This… thing had gotten what he'd wanted. Was that onslaught even necessary? And now it was threatening them?

He looked up at Sylvester and Ferdinand, who were both clearly in pain from wounds that by all rights, should have killed them hours ago. Ferd was struggling merely to stay conscious. Even so, at least they had tried to stop it, hoping it would view its obsessive goal as a higher priority than the duel. They had been wrong. Antisthenes' had always been as single-minded and aloof as any malfunctioning platonic, but now it had degenerated into a dark perversion of itself.

He drew a card, then looked at Wells. The same thought came to them both at the same instant: This duel was ending now, but not the way this malfunctioning, overconfident piece of junk had intended.

"Like before, I activate Fossil Fusion! I'll banish Weathering Soldier from my Graveyard and Archfiend Emperor from yours. Remember my Mesozoic Skullfernal?" The ground started to rumble again, as another rocky, fiery beast started to emerge from below. "Well time to bring out his big brother, with emphasis on BIG. I'll unearth the Paleozoic Fossil Fiend Skullmageddon!"

"Well, it… certainly is BIG," said Sofia, as she and everyone else looked up. Which it WAS the towering Rock-Fiend hybrid half-again the size of the previous one, and the flames inside it burning with much greater intensity and the stench of brimstone and Sulphur. (2,800 ATK)

"Your resistance is amusing. Large and powerful it may be, but the Apoqliphort bases are larger still. And your Fusion Monster still succumbs to Tower's effect."

"That it does," replied Hank. (2,300 ATK) "But I'm not done. I activate Serial Spell! I just have to fold the rest of my hand, and I can use Fossil Fusion a second time!"

He discarded his three cards, and then the Fusion Spell reappeared, in-between Giant Soldier of Steel and M.A.D.A.M.-Z7. "Using one Rock from my Graveyard and one Machine from yours, I can summon the Paleozoic Fossil Machine Skull Convoy!"

A roar of a motor and smell of diesel fuel preceded a huge vehicle unsubtly crashing through the wall behind the Shadowchasers, who scrambled to get out of its way as it skidded on its breaks to the center of the arena. It was a giant rig with a stone frame, vaguely shaped like a ceratopsian dinosaur. (2,100 ATK) - (1,600 ATK)

"That makes no sense," said Sylvester, "metal doesn't Fossilize."

"Pretty sure dinosaurs are extinct too, despite how the Solid Visions make them look real. Now, since Spells don't work on those things, my two Fossils are just going to have to take them down the old fashioned way."

"That makes even less sense, Apoqliphort Tower is stronger."

"Think he's right, Hank," added Wells, "so allow me." One of his set cards lifted, and he discarded the Spikebot card; six monsters, the low-Level Magical Musketeers, spilled out of it, ghostly and transparent, but still looking like they were itching for a fight.

"Midnight Showdown. This Quickplay Spell lets me discard a card, and in return, my Magical Musketeers can hitch a ride on Paleozoic Fossil Machine Skull Convoy, granting it 300 more points apiece!"

A hatch on the Fusion's top opened, Doc leaping into the driver's seat, Starfire in the seat beside him. Kidbrave, Calamity, Wild, and Caspar clung to the sides, two on each. (3,400 ATK)

Mow that Dreadnaught down!" he ordered. Doc nodded, then hit the gas hard, speeding towards the defending Primal Dreadnaught of Varn, plowing through it.

"Did I mention this monster can attack three monsters in one turn?"

To prove it, the fossilized truck swerved, then shifted into reverse, then accelerated again, slamming into Manifested Skull.

Finally, as Skull Convoy accelerated in reverse again, Calamity and Wild aimed their weapons upwards at Skybase as twin gatling gun turrets unfolded on the hood and top of Skull Convoy. Shotgun and machine gun shells came first, then missiles and rockets, peppering Skybase's outer shell as spent casing flew from the guns and littered the ground. The giant craft's shell cracked, then shattered, and finally, the entire Skybase started to plummet.

"Unbelievable…" muttered the platonic.

"Here's something you can believe," added Hank, "while Wells' Quickplay Spell prevents Skull Convoy from doing any Battle Damage, it has its own effect, causing you three take 1,000 damage for each monster I just smashed."

"Heads up, folks!" yelled Ferdinand. He and Sylvester covered their heads just in time to shield themselves from a rain of metal pieces of what once was Apoqliphort Skybase raining down on them.

(ST: 1,350) - - - - - - - - (PT: 2,000)

"Unpresidented…."

"Now, take a gander at my other Fusion Monster!"

As they did so, Paleozoic Fossil Fiend Skullmageddon made a bellow that seemed to shake the entire Temple, its flaming carapace white-hot with rage. (5,200 ATK)

"Skullmageddon gains 800 Attack Points whenever another Fusion Monster wins a battle, and Skull Convoy just did so three times!"

With another loud roar, Skullmageddon seemed to collapse into a plummeting meteor, except it didn't plummet; it soared upward, making a beeline for the gargantuan Towers.

"Impossible!"

In a final act of defiance, the Towers glowed and unleashed a gargantuan barrage of energy beams. Swerving to the side, rather than correct it's flight path Skullmagddon blew past it as it continued to track it with laser fire. The fusion streaked towards the dead world like a comet, slingshotting around the first small planet, then the second, and the hurtling back towards terra-firma, gaining speed enough to plow through a final blast and tore right through Apoqliphort Towers.

Antisthenes heard them, the cheers. Ironically, the livestream broadcast had been a smash hit; as the final blow obliterated Apoqliphort Towers, the multitude of cheers from viewers through the stream proved it.

(ST: 1,350) - - - - - - - - (PT: 0)

The platforms lowered, and Hank, Wells, and Philip ran over to help Prospero. Jalal, however, took his arcane assault rifle and pointed it at the now slumped over platonic.

"That's enough, Antisthenes."

The new voice came from Jalal; the leader of the Shadowchasers had landed behind the others from the room above, with Karl and Douglas beside him. While the Shadowchasers had certainly hoped to see him make an appearance at some point, they had not been expecting him to be carrying a ridiculously large ornate hammer slung over his shoulder.

"Stormbringer?" it said.

"What the hell is that?" Hank asked looking at their leaders' new weapon.

"Oh just a little souvenir from a place called Lordran, thought it would make a good addition to my collection. As for you Antisthenes, you're actually lucky I got here when I did, I found something out about your experiment…"

Antisthenes didn't answer. Not with words, anyway. It outstretched its arms and started to levitate from the spot where it stood, with both its eyes and the divine aura. Clearly, it wasn't interested in hearing Jalal's warning, not that Jalal was eager to explain it. With a heavy two handed swing, Jalal swatted at the platonic like it was a croquet ball, propelling it against the wall behind it with a violent slam, making a crack in it.

"Did you get him?" asked Wells.

A powerful wave of sonic energy from the android's wail hit everyone in the room, answering the question in the negative. It was a little dented, but still functioning.

Everyone except Jalal was stunned and unable to move at all, and even he struggled to do so. Unfortunately, mere seconds later, the platonic grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off his feet.

"I actually once felt you had promise, Stormbringer. You inherited your father's intelligence and vision, but you never used it to the fullest potential."

Its free hand shifted, the fingers sprouting long razors, burning with the same eldritch magic. "Immortal you may be, Stormbringer, there are certain things that have made even my own contemporaries pray for death…"

"Yo, gruesome!" shouted a voice.

Antisthenes turned its head. "Who dares?"

The Shadowchasers who could lift their heads were just as surprised to see a red crosshairs appear on Antisthenes' chest, courtesy of the handheld rocket launcher that Uomo was aiming. The platonic dropped Jalal, dumping him on the floor with an "OOF!" and turned to face Fanciullo and his men.

"FIRE!" ordered the mobster, and Uomo obeyed, pulling the trigger.

This time, the blow actually seemed to do visible damage, propelling it backwards and throwing it against the already-cracked wall, which now proved much less resilient than it was.

The stunning feeling went away, and Jalal's men started to get up. They looked at the now-prone platonic, who was now badly damaged, a sizzling sound accompanying an acidic smell and odd, foamy residue.

"Whoa…" said Karl. "Fanciullo, I'm impressed!"

"Ya actually got 'im!" said Douglas with a laugh.

"Well, shucks, I -" started Nitro. "You see -"

"Uh, everyone, hold that thought," said Jalal.

There was dead silence as he focused his cracked but still-functioning Google Glass on Antisthenes, zooming in for a closer look. As he feared, the platonic was down, but still not out. The potent solvent in the missile had dissolved its chest plate and done quite a bit of damage, but not enough. Antisthenes was enacting some self-repair system that was causing the interior damage to regenerate, and likely would rebuild the chest plate too. BUT…

He could see clearly the core that Maskent had told him about. A seamless, golden globe, throbbing with power. A tiny fragment of the Plane of Ultimate Law itself, the "heart" of the mad varakhut.

Exposed. And vulnerable.

I hoped it wouldn't come to this. He unfastened the pouch on his belt, withdrawing the altered Cursed Needle his closest ally had given him. "Listen close everyone, once this happens, Karl is in charge."

"Once what happens?" demanded Wells. "That staff…"

"Karl knows, he'll tell you later! Now…"

"JALAL!"

The voice came as his arm was grabbed.

"Give me that," said Eden.

"Eden, what…"

"It all makes sense now, like a Leomund's chest… He's here… He's trying to break free.

"Give me the Needle. I have to do this. You have to be here when he tries.

"Eden, are you feeling well?" asked Sofia.

"Give me the Needle, Jalal!" demanded Eden. "You have to be here to stop him!"

"Eden, I'm not going to," started Jalal.

He was cut off as Eden slugged him in the stomach, shouting, "I'm not asking permission!"

The blow came as a surprise to everyone, not just Jalal, even as she wrenched the artifact from him. For some reason, nobody had expected her to be very tough. She dropped the journal and her Duel Disk on the ground, then flipped the switch on the Needle.

"Sorry," she said sadly, "and thank you." Then she dashed towards the platonic, even as the Cursed Needle started to channel raw Chaos.

Jennifer and Francis were about to run to aid her, but Jalal yelled "STOP! DON'T! You'll just be drawn in…"

"What do we do?" shouted Sofia.

"The only thing we can do… pray…"

His eyes were on Eden, and so were the platonic's. As Antisthenes looked up, seeing Eden and the artifact, it took mere seconds to guess her intent, and its binary mind quickly processed a new feeling of a different type. Jalal saw it too… Panic.

Pulling itself up as much as it could, even as the Chaos Storm started, its blasted its disintegrator beam towards the gautiere, who sidestepped, avoiding it once, then tumbled forward, avoiding a second.

She leapt, holding the Cursed Needle above her head like a harpoon. As she jammed it hard into the platonic's chest, the two mighty forces of Order and Chaos combined as they were forcibly shoved together, and even while this blasphemous combination started to rend the fabric of reality itself around the two, Jalal could see Eden's face.

The gautiere was content and happy for the first time in centuries. She was smiling...

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

Qli Cycle (Continuous Spell Card)

Effect: Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. If you have "Qli" Pendulum Monsters in both your Pendulum Zones, destroy them during your End Phase. On your Standby Phase, if you have 2 or more "Qli" Pendulum Monsters with different names in your Extra Deck, you may select 2 "Qli" monsters from your deck whose names are not the same as any monsters in your Extra Deck; place the selected monsters in your Pendulum Zones.

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

Celestial Contract (Normal Spell Card)

Image: Dante in a hellish landscape looking skyward, towards two large feminine hands, a glowing scroll hovering between them.

Effect: The turn this card is sent to the GY, "Burning Abyss" monsters you control cannot be destroyed via your own card effects.

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

Geode Fossil (Effect Monster)

Rock/Earth/Lvl2/0ATK/300DEF

Effect: You can substitute this card for any 1 Fusion Material Monster, but the other Fusion Material Monster(s) must be correct. When this card is used for the Fusion Summon of a "Fossil" Fusion Monster, select 1 of the Fusion Material Monsters used in the Fusion Summon; then, increase the ATK of the Fusion Summoned Monster by half the ATK of the selected monster. During each of your End Phases, decrease the ATK of the Fusion Summoned monster by 1,000.

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

M.A.D.A.M.-Z7 (Effect Synchro Monster)

Machine/Dark/Lvl7/2,000/1,800

Effect: Once per turn, you may select 1 Normal Machine-Type monster from your deck and banish it; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the base ATK of that monster. If you do, skip your battle phase for that turn. If this card is in your GY and was sent from the field to the GY after being Synchro Summoned, you may banish this card, and then Special Summon 2 Normal Machine-Type Monsters from your hand or deck in Attack Position; their ATK becomes zero and you cannot Special Summon from your Extra Deck that turn.

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

Spiked Sentinel (Fusion Effect Monster)

Machine/Dark/Lvl7/2,200ATK/2,000DEF

Effect: This card's name is treated as "Spikebot". Can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Machination Evolution" and cannot be Summoned other ways. If this card attacks an opposing Defense Position monster but does not destroy it, reduce the DEF of the opposing monster by 1,000; "Spiked Sentinel" may then attack that monster a second time.

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

Sand Bulwark (Continuous Trap Card)

Image: Giant Soldier of Stone, made entirely of sandstone, in a desert standing up to Don Zaloog.

Effect: Activate this card by targeting 1 Level 4 or lower Rock-Type monster you control; Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Rock-Type/EARTH/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF1000), then equip that face-up monster to this card. (This card is also still a Trap Card.) If Summoned this way, this card's DEF becomes 800 plus the DEF of the monster equipped to it by this effect.

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

Lazarus Shard (Effect Monster)

Rock/Dark/Lvl1/0ATK/0DEF

Effect: Cannot be Special Summoned. This card's name is treated as "Machination Evolution". You may send this monster you control plus 1 Machine-Type monster you control to the GY to Special Summon a Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck with the same name as that Machine-Type monster. If this card is in your GY, you may banish it to select 1 Normal Machine-Type monster in your GY and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Mode.

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

Primal Dreadnaut of Varn (Effect Fusion Monster)

Machine/Dark/Lvl9/3,300ATK/2,000

This card's name is treated as "Ancient Tool". Can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Machination Evolution" or its own effect, and cannot be Summoned other this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot attack any monster except "Primal Dreadnaut of Varn". If this card is destroyed by your opponent (by Battle or by card effect) while in Attack Position, you may Special Summon it from your GY in face-up Defense Position. If you do, its DEF becomes 3,000 and it cannot change its Battle Position.

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

Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal (Effect Fusion Monster)

Rock/Earth/Lvl6/2,400ATK/700DEF

1 Rock-Type monster in your GY + 1 Level 5 or 6 Fiend-Type monster in your opponent's GY

Effect: Can only be summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion" and cannot be Summoned other ways. Once per turn, if a Fusion Monster other than "Mesozoic Fossil Fiend Skullfernal" destroys a monster by battle, increase the ATK of this card by 800 until the End Phase of the turn. Also, if this card attacks, shift it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. You cannot change this battle position until the end of your next turn.

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

Paleozoic Fossil Fiend Skullmaggedon (Effect Fusion Monster)

Rock/Earth/Lvl8/2,800ATK/1,000DEF

1 Rock-Type monster in your GY + 1 Level 7 or higher Fiend-Type monster in your opponent's GY

Effect: Can only be summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion" and cannot be Summoned other ways. Each time a Fusion Monster other than "Paleozoic Fossil Fiend Skullmaggedon" destroys a monster by battle, increase the ATK of this card by 800 until the End Phase of the turn. Also, if this card attacks, shift it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. You cannot change this battle position until the end of your next turn.

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

Dark Obsession (Counter Trap Card)

Image: Warrior Dai Grepher, his armor torn and visibly scarred, trudging down a pathway of light in the void of the Different Dimension. Above, D.D. Warrior Lady's face is faintly visible in the ether.

Effect: Activate when your opponent Special Summons a monster; select that monster and 1 face-up monster you control, and place an Obsession Counter on both monsters. If a player controls a monster with an Obsession Counter, that monster cannot attack any monster that does not have an Obsession Counter. If a monster with an Obsession Counter is destroyed by battle, all monsters controlled by the turn player are destroyed and that player takes 300 points of damage per monster destroyed.

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Midnight Showdown (Quickplay Spell)

Image: The six Magical Musketeers (minus Zakiel) facing an unseen enemy at night, with Xyz Dragon Cannon behind them, blasting its weapons at the same enemy.

Effect: Discard 1 card and select 1 Fusion Monster you control; banish any number of "Magical Musket" monsters from your GY with different names, and increase the selected monster's ATK by 300 per banished monster. At the End Phase of the turn, banish the selected Fusion Monster and deal damage to your Life Points equal to its base ATK.

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Jemorille: While only conjecture on my part - something I regret I use too often as it is - I doubt Eden had even accompanied the Shadowchasers with the intent to return with them. However, her reasonings here were simple. She had realized in the last few minutes before Jalal arrived that a threat was here that even Antisthenes had not counted on.

One that was far more dangerous…

While she realized the mad platonic had to be eliminated, and also realized that the emergency plan devised by Maskent was the only solution, she also knew the Shadowchasers would need Jalal there to properly face the unseen danger; while she didn't doubt Karl's skills, she doubted they'd be sufficient.

Sadly, it was the only way. All her life she had pined for purpose, but realized she had only sought it for her own self-serving (or even selfish) motives. When Eden's eyes met Antisthenes' in that final second, the platonic did not view its slayer as a gautiere… But as a true tiere.

And as for this greater threat?

To be continued - or rather, concluded - very soon.