What Monster had three evolutions and one heck of an identity crisis? If you said "Inpachi", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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Yumi's grandfather had a lot of good ideas. One of his philosophies regarding Duel Monsters was that no card was worthless.
However, with some cards, you have to wonder just how to use them with any effectiveness.
How does one make any use out of Djinn the Watcher of the Wind? It only has 700 Attack Points, and no effect. If it were Level Two, it might be used in a deck that used Thousand Energy, but it's Level Three.
No offense to his old friend Tristan, but I fail to find any use for Cyber Commander either. You might use Thousand Energy on that one, but there are much better Level Two Monsters to use that Spell Card with. And not only is it weak, it isn't weak enough to use with Machine Duplication.
And if anyone can find a practical use for the Trap Card, An Unfortunate Report, I'll give him half my savings. If you have another card that's triggered by your opponent making an attack, activating this one and giving him two Battle Phases is a sure way to tell him NOT to attack.
Maybe I'm being too hasty… There probably ARE good uses for these cards if you search long enough…
But I'm learning right now that, just because a Monster Card seems useless, that doesn't mean that no Duel Spirit version of it exists… I'm up against one whose face appears on the most useless card of all…
And I have a nagging feeling… This guy's deck might have cards in it that are far more potent than his own…
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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
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Perceptions
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"Strange," said Jesse. "We should have gotten there by now…"
"You sure?" asked Yumi.
Jesse took a pair of binoculars out of a pouch on his belt.
"I've seen the fortress from a distance," he said. "I never had to go this far before to do so…"
He lifted the binoculars to his eyes, and he started to scan the horizon with it.
"Huh?" he said.
"What?" said Sam.
"I don't see the fortress," said Jesse, "but I see something… There's some activity going on down there about half a mile…"
"Should we check it out?" asked Chelsea.
"Well…" said Jesse, "it is on our way…"
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A short walk later…
The team had reached what seemed to be a large, open quarry of some sort. Several Machine Duel Spirits were busy digging through the sand and the stone surrounding the open mine.
They could identify the Monsters, which seemed to consist of several members of four types: Shovel Crushers, Ancient Gear Engineers, one Labyrinth Tank, and a few Mighty Guards. The first three were all busy digging away with the tools built into their bodies. The Mighty Guards were watching them, possibly ready to do any job that required hands.
"What's going on here?" said Ren.
"Seems to be a rock quarry," said Sam.
"Or some sort of excavating project," said Yumi. "Jesse, are there any gems or precious metals in this Realm?"
"Maybe," said Jesse, with a shrug. "But you got me what they would do with any that they found. Gold, silver, and gems have no monetary value to Duel Spirits. Some use them as lucky charms though… Like a Lord of the Lamp I used to know… Boy, that guy really liked jewelry…"
Yumi looked down and rubbed her chin.
"Let's get down and get a closer look," she said.
"Uh, Yumi," said Erik. "In case you didn't notice, that place is full of Monsters."
"They aren't anything we can't outfight with our own Monsters," said Yumi. "The Tank is the biggest problem, but we can still handle it. Just be ready to summon something, just in case."
They walked down a pathway into the quarry. As they did, one of the Engineers noticed them. It stopped working, and tapped a Shovel Crusher next to it. The two Machines looked at the six humans.
Slowly, the other Machines took notice. One by one, they stopped, and looked at the intruders.
The duelists all activated their Disks.
"Something's wrong," said Sam. "They're just standing there instead of attacking…"
There was a long pause.
"They were making a lot of noise a minute ago," said Ren. "Whoever is in charge is gonna notice that they've stopped!"
Indeed someone did. A metallic voice shouted from the other side of the quarry:
"Why'd you guys stop!" it shouted. "Get back to work!"
They noticed a wooden shack at the other end, which appeared to be a foreman's shack. A door opened, and someone came out.
It was another Machine, but one that appeared more humanoid. It was bulky, squat, and blocky, made from chrome metal. Its head looked like a short, thick cylinder, with eyes on each side, and no other features. It had a wide-brimmed hat on top… And it had a bow tie underneath it.
"What are you guys…" it said.
Then it noticed the duelists.
"Oh…" it said.
"Who the heck is this?" asked Ren.
"You got me," said Chelsea.
Then Erik started to chuckle.
"I recognize it!" he said with a laugh. "It's a Shapesnatch, people!"
Chelsea snickered.
"Shapesnatch?" she laughed. "Heh, for a minute I thought we were in trouble…"
"Could have been worse," said Sam, with a laugh. "We could have had to deal with a Skull Servant!
"Oh wait, they're kinda useful… I once saw a guy use them in a Human Wave Deck once."
Everyone broke out laughing.
The Shapesnatch's eyes glowed red. It was clear that it was incredibly angry.
"ENOUGH!" it shouted. "That's it, laugh! Laugh at me!
"That's the whole problem! I've been made fun of my whole life! Folks point at me and say, 'Look at the most worthless Monster in the game'.
"A Level Five who's worse at attacking than a Celtic Guardian, and worse at defending than Magician's Valkyria. People call me pathetic.
"Some people say that a card designer at I2 designed my card as a joke. And you know what? Sometimes I believe that it's true!"
"Hey, easy!" said Erik.
"Uhm, you know…" said Yumi, "if it makes you feel better, I did once know a duelist who found a semi-useful way to use your card…"
Shapesnatch glared at her.
"Yeah…" said Yumi. "See, he used Mystic Tomato to Special Summon it… Then he used Metamorphosis to sacrifice it for Dark Balter the Terrible.
"That's something, isn't it? Of course, when Metamorphosis started to go on and off the Forbidden List with increasing frequency, he gave the strategy up…"
"You aren't making me feel better…" growled Shapesnatch. "His deck likely had all Dark Monsters. If his deck had enough Earth Monsters to make it feasible, he'd probably have done the same trick with Giant Rat and that guy."
He pointed to one of the Ancient Gear Engineers.
"At least he's somewhat useful on his own."
"Hey, buddy, it could be worse!" exclaimed Sam.
"Oh?" asked Shapesnatch. "How?"
"Well…"said Sam. "You could be a… Uhm… A Bolt Escargot. You could have the same problem AND be a big, ugly snail."
Shapesnatch glared at her.
"Bolt Escargots are pretty much mindless," it said. "So they really don't mind the cruel hand they've been dealt. Ignorance is bliss, as they say…
"I once knew another Shapesnatch… Know what happened to it? It couldn't take it anymore! It stole a Limiter Removal, used it on itself, and killed as many Spirits as it could before the Spell killed it.
"Now, Johnson finally gives me a decent job, making me foreman of this excavation. I can get a little respect from Monsters that are pretty dumb… But whenever anything smart comes to check up on the work, I still can't get any respect!"
There was a long pause.
"So you admit that the Realm Lord is Johnson?" asked Yumi.
Shapesnatch's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah…" it muttered. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you that. And Daala has us digging up places at several sites around Xanadu. At some places, rare cards can be mined like gems. We're looking for a specific one that Daala wants."
Everyone looked at each other. Then Erik stepped forward.
"If Daala wants something important dug up," he said, "then we want to stop her from getting it. We're shutting this mine down."
"By all means, try…" said Shapesnatch.
It held out its left arm, and a slot opened on it. A Duel Disk unfolded from out of its arm.
"When you're a guy like me," it said, "you've got a lot of pent-up aggression… And I'm just aching to take it out on someone."
And even if this quarry is destroyed, I don't care, it thought. Johnson treats me like dirt as much as anyone else. I deliberately let it slip that he was the Lord.
"Fine, Shapesnatch," said Erik, as his Disk activated. "You don't look so tough…"
"Well then, let's pull out all the stops," said the Machine. "Bring your Deck Lord out while you're at it.
"You think I'm worthless? Well, that's your perception."
Erik's deck glowed, and Blockman appeared behind him.
"We're all set, Erik," said Blockman. "My new ability is ready to go."
Erik gave it a thumb's up.
"And I'll be my own Deck Lord," said Shapesnatch.
"I know the drill," said Erik.
"Drill?" said Shapesnatch. "THAT'S the drill!"
He pointed to the Labyrinth Tank behind him.
"Game on!" they shouted.
(Erik: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Shapesnatch: 8,000)
"Let's go!" shouted Erik.
He drew a card, and looked over his hand. He chose a card.
"Thanks to Gadget Soldier," he said, "my Deck Lord now has two abilities, but one of them I must activate on my first turn. I toss one Spell or Trap Card…"
He threw his Tragedy card into his discard slot.
"…and in return, I can take Toy Town from my deck, and activate it."
In a flash of light, the quarry had been transformed into the fairy tale city, with its gingerbread houses and sugarplum trees.
"Now, I play a facedown, and summon Toy Soldier."
A facedown card appeared, and then the little wooden soldier appeared. (800/300) –) (1,100/300)
"That'll do for now…"
"Interesting…" said Shapesnatch, drawing a card.
It looked over its hand.
"I also play a facedown, and then summon Giant Rat."
A facedown card appeared, and then a huge rodent, holding a skull in its claw appeared. (1,400/1,450)
"And I end my turn."
Erik raised an eyebrow. He looked at his facedown card.
He didn't attack… he thought. Smarter than I thought…
Oh well…
He drew a card.
"My Toy Soldier's effect activates," he said, "so I get to summon two more…"
Two more of the mini-militants appeared.
"Then I summon… Toy Wind-Up."
The stronger, tin version of the Toy Soldier appeared, holding its blunderbuss. (1,000/700) –) (1,300/700)
"Now I activate, Shrink," he said. "So my Wind-Up can stomp your Rat!"
He played the card, and Giant Rat shrank to half its size, and an Attack Score of 700.
I don't know what he intends to summon with that Rat, he thought, but with my Mirror Force on the field, I think I can take my chances…
"Toy Wind-Up, attack with blunderbuss blast!"
The Wind-Up's gun blasted with a boom, and Giant Rat was blown to bits. Shapesnatch shielded itself as the pieces flew past it.
(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)
"I use Giant Rat's effect!" exclaimed Shapesnatch. "I can summon an Earth Monster with 1,500 or less Attack Points. So come on out, Sand Doodlebug!"
The ground started to rumble, and a huge creature burrowed up from underground. It sort of resembled a giant scorpion, with multiple legs and pincers. What really made it stand out was the fact that a huge claw was growing out of the back of its thorax, sticking upright. (1,200/800)
"What the?" said Sam. "An Insect? Mom never used this thing…"
"It doesn't exactly fit in with Insect Decks," said Shapesnatch.
"I'll stomp your scorpion!" shouted Erik. "Since my Wind-Up damaged your Life Points, I get to Special Summon another one…"
A second Toy Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700) –) (1,300/700)
"And that was just what I was waiting for…" said Shapesnatch.
His facedown card lifted, showing a Quickplay with the image of a broken wasteland.
"Demise of the Land," said Shapesnatch. "I can activate this when you Special Summon a Monster. It lets me take a Field Spell from my deck and activate it.
"The Field Spell I choose… Is Wasteland."
Toy Town crumbled into dust, and a desert even more parched and barren than the one they left appeared around the duelists.
"What the heck?" said Sam. "That makes no sense! Insects don't benefit from Wasteland…"
"Mine does," said Shapesnatch.
All five of Erik's Monsters lost 300 Attack Points. Erik frowned.
"I end my turn!" he shouted. "That's one ability wasted…"
"And that means I can do this…" said Shapesnatch.
The sand started to shift, and then, one of the three Toy Soldiers was pulled under. It sank under the sand, and disappeared.
"What gives?" shouted Erik.
"It's one of Sand Doodlebug's effects," said Shapesnatch. "During each End Phase, it can destroy a Monster that's Level Three or less.
"And it's my move…"
It drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed."
It drew two cards. It took one of them.
"Next, I don't like your facedown card. So I'm getting rid of it by playing Nobleman of Extermination."
It played the card, and a huge sword crashed down on Erik's Mirror Force, blowing it to splinters.
"If you have one, your Spell just took it out too!" shouted Erik.
Shapesnatch growled. He held up a copy of Mirror Force, and it burst into shards.
'Easy come, easy go," he said. "Next up, I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior."
He played the card, and one of Yugi Mouto's signature Monsters appeared. It was the pink, blocky robot, with oversized hands and feet, wings on its back, and a big S on its chest.
"Due to my Field Spell, it gets a little boost."
(1,500/1,800) –) (1,700/2,000)
"You know, I often wondered about that Monster," said Erik. "Why does it have a big S on its chest? I mean, that isn't the Greek symbol for Gamma."
"Don't know, don't care," said Shapesnatch. "Gamma, destroy one of those Toy Wind-Ups."
Gamma flew forward, and punched the tin soldier. It shattered into pieces.
Boy, this guy needs an attitude adjustment, thought Erik.
"Sand Doodlebug, attack the other Wind-Up!" shouted Shapesnatch.
The Doodlebug's big claw reached down, and grabbed a handful of sand. It launched the sand like a catapult, and the Wind-Up exploded.
"I end my turn… And again…"
The second Toy Soldier was pulled under the sand, and disappeared.
"Seems all you've got left is that last puny Soldier," said Shapesnatch. "And it'll be gone too once your next turn ends. Pathetic."
(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)
"Great…" muttered Chelsea. "He's already losing…"
"He can turn it around!" said Sam, nervously.
She watched as Erik drew a card.
"C'mon, baby, turn it around…"
Erik looked at the card in his hand.
Man, this is bad, he thought. I thought this guy was about as serious as canned pizza… But this duel is as serious as any other duel in Xanadu.
If he summoned Gamma, then logic states that his ultimate goal is to summon Valkyrion… And as any of Yumi's grandfather's opponents would tell you, that would be pretty bad…
He looked at the Trap Card in his hand.
I'll save this in case he manages to do so…
He took the card he had just drawn.
"I play my own Pot of Greed!" he shouted, as he played it.
He quickly drew two cards.
"All right!" he shouted. "My Soldier may be puny, but that doesn't mean I can't use him…
"I play Crowning of the Emperor! So I'll sacrifice my last Toy Soldier…"
Toy Soldier vanished.
"…to bring out Toy Emperor!"
With a whinny, Toy Emperor rode onto the field on his steed. (2,300/800)
"Attack his Magnet Warrior!" he shouted.
Toy Emperor charged towards Gamma…
And then a sandstorm started, forming a wall of wind between him and his target. The toy monarch was thrown backwards.
"What happened?" asked Erik.
"Sand Doodlebug has another effect," said Shapesnatch. "Once per round, when Wasteland is on the field, it can negate one attack."
Oh, come on… thought Erik.
"I throw a card facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared, "and that will be all. And my Emperor is much higher than Level Three, in case you didn't notice."
Shapesnatch drew a card.
"Indeed," said Shapesnatch.
It looked at the card it had drawn. It would have grinned if it had a mouth.
"I bring out Sangan," it said.
He played a new card, and the spherical, three-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,000/600)
"Sangan, attack the Toy Emperor," it said.
"Huh?" said Erik.
Sangan leapt at Toy Emperor. The monarch slashed with his sword, and it shattered. Shapesnatch cringed a little.
"Bad idea!" laughed Erik. "When Toy Emperor wins a battle, I get to take a Trap Card from my deck."
A card slipped out of his deck and he took it.
A card slipped out of Shapesnatch's deck as well.
"Maybe so," it said, "but Monsters are much more reliable than Traps.
"You know, that's one thing that guys like me never have to worry about… Bottomless Trap Holes. An advantage to having low Attack Points.
"Anyway, I'll end with these."
Two facedown cards appeared.
(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,100)
Erik drew a card.
He looked over his hand.
"I'll summon Toy Magician!" he shouted.
In a flash of light, the plastic, scepter-carrying Spellcaster appeared. (1,600/1,500)
"Attack Sand Doodlebug! Sparkle blast!"
Toy Magician aimed his staff at the huge Insect. Once again, the sandstorm rose, and Toy Magician was blown backwards.
"HA!" laughed Erik. "I got you now! You can only do that once per round!
"Toy Emperor, YOU attack Sand Doodlebug!"
Toy Emperor galloped towards the huge bug and stabbed it in the underbelly with his blade. Sand Doodlebug moaned, and then exploded into a burst of sand.
"Ergh…" muttered Shapesnatch.
"Once again," said Erik. "I get a Trap Card from my deck…"
A card slipped out of his Disk.
"I'll set two cards facedown, and that will be all."
Two facedown cards appeared.
(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,000)
"I don't get it," said Chelsea. "Why didn't Erik attack Gamma? If he doesn't get rid of it, Shapesnatch will be able to summon something much worse."
"Don't worry," said Sam. "I think Erik has a plan…"
"I draw…" said Shapesnatch, drawing a card.
"And here goes my Trap!" shouted Erik, as a facedown card lifted. "I play Dust Tornado! And I think I'll destroy your Field Spell!"
The Tornado tore across the field, causing a cloud of sand. After a few seconds, the barren desert vanished, returning them to the quarry.
"Is that so?" said Shapesnatch. "Well, it hardly matters…"
He showed Erik the three cards in his hand.
"…because I'm sacrificing Gamma along with Alpha and Beta in my hand to bring out the big guns!"
In a flash, two new Monsters appeared in front of him. One was a silvery droid, with a helmet shaped like a magnet, carrying a sword and shield. The other was a cute yellow droid with a magnet surrounding its head, and magnets for hands.
Then the three Magnet Warriors all split apart into pieces…
The pieces flew around, and then joined together, forming into a ten-foot-tall, faceless robot with wings, a sword, and magnets for joints. (3,500/3,850)
"That's just what I was waiting for, Shapesnatch," said Erik.
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"Go! Toy Cannon!"
The cannon appeared next to Toy Emperor, and the squad of Soldiers appeared and loaded it. They covered their ears as it went off with a boom, striking Valkyrion and sending it tumbling over. Shapesnatch was knocked over from the impact.
"And now that your Valkyrion has switched to Defense Mode," said Erik, as his other facedown card lifted, "I activate Gulliver Chain!"
A mass of chains shot out of the ground, latching onto the Magna Warrior and tying it down.
"Seems I rendered your best Monster helpless," said Erik, with a grin. "If you try to move it back to Attack Mode, those chains will rip it to pieces.
"Looks like your big plan was a big bust."
(E: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,600)
Shapesnatch got up.
"Then it seems I'll just have to improvise…" it muttered.
One of his two facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Coins From Heaven!" it shouted.
Gold coins started to rain from the sky. Erik frowned. He quickly drew four cards, while his opponent drew six.
Shapesnatch chuckled.
"Before I use any of these," it said. "I'm going to use my Deck Lord ability. Once per turn, I get to take any Dark Attribute Machine Type Monster from my deck that I want."
"HUH?" shouted Yumi. "That's pretty powerful!"
"It's a Greater Power, Yumi," said Shapesnatch, taking a card from its deck. "Make no mistake, I'm an excellent duelist. That's why Johnson gave me this job. Most of my opponents make the mistake of underestimating me.
"Of course, this ability does have one drawback… If I don't successfully summon the Monster by the end of my turn, it goes to the Graveyard.
"Anyway, the Monster I chose is one that has to be Special Summoned by sacrificing a Monster that's at least Level Seven. So goodbye Valkyrion…"
The Magna Warrior vanished, taking the Gulliver Chain with it.
"…and hello Plasma Warrior Eitom!"
A huge, intimidating robot appeared where Valkyrion had been. It had black armor, oversized hands and feet, a mirrored panel on its chest, and an expressionless face with only a single optic sensor. It was clear that this Machine was the type that was programmed to fight with no emotions to hinder it. (3,000/1,600)
"I'm far from done," said Shapesnatch, as his other facedown card lifted. "I activate Dark Factory of Mass Production. Now I get to take two Monsters from my Graveyard, so long as they're Normal Monsters."
Gama and Beta slipped out of his discard slot, and it took them.
"Next," it said, taking a card from its hand, "I play Monster Reincarnation. I'll toss this…"
It discarded a second Sand Doodlebug.
"…And I get Valkyrion back…"
He took the card from his discard slot.
"And since my Coins From Heaven let me draw my second Alpha, I can sacrifice the three Magnet Warriors in my hand to summon Valkyrion again!"
The three Magnet Warriors appeared on the field again. Once again, the broke into pieces, and once again, they pieced together into Valkyrion the Magna Warrior. (3,500/3,850)
"Not good…" muttered Erik.
"But wait, there's more!" laughed Shapesnatch. "I play a second Wasteland!"
He played another Field Spell, and the arid desert returned. Valkyrion rose to (3,700/4,050)
"Valkyrion… Attack his Toy Emperor!"
The Magna Warrior flew at Toy Emperor…
"I activate my other Deck Lord effect!" shouted Erik. "I can use this three times… You get to draw one card, but my Emperor isn't destroyed!"
Valkyrion's sword slammed into Toy Emperor, and Erik hollered in pain.
Shapesnatch drew a card.
"Well then," it said. "I guess I'll activate Eitom's effect then. If I cut its Attack Points in half, it can attack directly."
Eitom fell to 1,500 Attack Points. It blasted a ray of energy from the panel on its chest, striking Erik. Erik screamed and fell down.
(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,600)
"Erik!" shouted Sam. "Erik baby, please get up!"
"He doesn't have to get up right away," said Shapesnatch. "It's still my turn, thanks to the free card he gave me.
"I sacrifice Valkyrion to summon the three Magnet Warriors to the field.
Valkyrion split into pieces. The pieces formed together into three humanoid shapes, forming Alpha (1,400/1,700) –) (1,600/1,900), Beta (1,700/1,600) –) (1,900/1,800), and Gamma (1,500/1,800) –) (1,700/2,000)
"Now, I'll sacrifice them to summon a second Valkyrion."
The three Warriors split apart and fused together again, forming the giant Valkyrion once more. (3,500/3,850) –) (3,700/4,085)
"Confused?" asked Shapesnatch, taking one of the two remaining cards in his hand. "I play Monster Reborn!"
The golden ankh appeared in the air, and the first Valkyrion appeared next to the new one in a flash of light. (3,500/3,850) –) (3,700/4,085)
"Two of them?" shouted Ren.
"Aw, man…" muttered Chelsea. "Erik's in big trouble…"
"Heh, heh," said Shapesnatch. "I guess that's enough for one turn. It's your move…"
I guess this guy is much more serious than canned pizza, thought Erik, as he drew a card.
He looked at the seven cards in his hand.
Let's see here…
"Toy Emperor, Toy Magician, both of you take a breather and move to Defense Mode."
Toy Magician knelt and held his scepter in his lap. Toy Emperor sheathed his saber, and his horse crouched down.
"Now, said Erik, "I remove one Spell Card from play…"
Crowning of the Emperor slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.
"…in order to summon Spell Striker."
In a burst of light, the toy wizard in his cape and helmet appeared. (600/200)
"And now I'll summon a friend of his… Meet Armor Breaker!"
He played a card, and a new toy Warrior appeared. This one had a huge helmet shaped like the head of a hammer. (800/800)
"You think those little guys can stand up to my titans?" asked Shapesnatch.
"I do," said Erik. "Watch…"
Armor Breaker leapt up into the air and started spinning, changing shape. After a few seconds, he had turned into a big mallet. Spell Striker caught the mallet.
"By the way," said Erik. "Spell Striker has the ability to attack directly.
"Get him!"
Spell Striker flew at Shapesnatch and bonked it on the head with the mallet. Shapesnatch grunted.
"There's more," said Erik. "When a Monster deals damage when swinging Armor Breaker, he gets to destroy one card on the field."
Spell Striker slammed the hammer into the ground, and a shockwave shook the whole field. One of the two Valkyrion shattered into rocky pieces.
"You'll pay for that…" growled Shapesnatch.
"I play a facedown, and end my turn," said Erik.
A facedown card appeared.
(E: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,000)
Shapesnatch drew a card.
"I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior," it said.
He played the card, and the first of the Magnet Warriors appeared. (1,400/1,700) –) (1,600/1,900)
"Eitom, attack him directly again!" it shouted.
Erik screamed again as he was hit by the beam.
"Now let's see how dedicated you are to protecting your Monsters," said Shapesnatch. "Alpha, attack Toy Emperor!"
Alpha flew at the Emperor.
"I use my Deck Lord's effect again!" shouted Erik.
Alpha's sword glanced off the Emperor's wooden body. Shapesnatch grinned, and drew a card.
"Now Valkyrion attacks your Emperor," it said.
Valkyrion flew at Toy Emperor.
"I hate to do it…" said Erik. "But I'll use my last use…"
Valkyrion swung his sword, and the blow was deflected. Shapesnatch drew another card.
"That was three times," said Shapesnatch. "Your Deck Lord is utterly worthless now. Unlike me… My true strategy remains to be revealed.
"To end my turn, I'll set this."
A facedown card appeared.
(E: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,000)
Erik drew a card.
"Armor Breaker…" he said. "Separate from Spell Striker!"
The mallet flew from Spell Striker's hand, and it changed shape again, turning back into the Warrior with the huge helmet. (800/800)
"Now, my Trap Card activates… Curse of Anubis!"
His facedown card lifted, and the ghostly form of the jackal god appeared over the field. He howled, and Spell Striker, Armor Breaker, Plasma Warrior Eitom, and Valkyrion all shifted into Defense Mode.
"This Trap Card moves all Effect Monsters to Defense Mode, and reduces their Defense Scores to zero.
"Next I play… Heavy Storm!"
He played the card, and violent wind tore across the field. Shapesnatch's facedown Sakuretsu Armor card was blown to bits, and the Field Spell was swept up in a storm of dust.
"Now, I sacrifice Armor Breaker and Spell Striker…"
The two Warriors vanished into grains of light.
"To summon Puppet King!"
The hulking, royal puppet appeared, looming over Erik's side of the field, standing almost as big as Valkyrion. (2,800/2,600)
"All right!" shouted Erik. "Attack Plasma Warrior Eitom with Majestic Checker!"
Moving incredibly fast for someone his size, Puppet King charged at Eitom, and slugged it hard with his fist. The robot exploded into fiery debris.
"I throw three cards facedown…" he said.
He threw his last three cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.
"And with that… I end my turn…"
Shapesnatch quickly drew a card.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh," it chuckled. "I just drew the card that will spell your doom, Erik…It's time to initiate the true strategy behind my deck.
"Now observe…
"Once again, I sacrifice Valkyrion to summon its three component Monsters."
Valkyrion vanished, and once again Alpha (1,400/1,700), Beta (1,700/1,600), and Gamma (1,500/1,800) appeared.
"Next, I use my Deck Lord ability again. You remember how it works, right? I get to take any Dark Machine from my deck."
It took a card from its deck.
"And now… I sacrifice my two Alphas to summon it."
The two Alphas vanished into grains of light…
"Meet… The big SATURN!"
With a loud rumble, a huge Machine rose out of the ground. It was even bigger than Eitom, humanoid, but bulky, with seamless chrome armor, oversized limbs, and an energy aura around it. Clearly, it was a deadly machine. (2,800/2,200)
"What?" said Chelsea. "I don't… I don't get it… Why would he get rid of Valkyrion to summon a less powerful Monster?"
"Attack Points aren't everything," chuckled Shapesnatch. "When used right, this creature is far more powerful than Valkyrion.
"I'm activating its first effect right now. By discarding one card and paying 1,000 Life Points, I can increase its Attack Points by 1,000 for one round."
It discarded a copy of Silent Doom, and The big SATURN glowed with dark energy. (3,800/2,200)
"Attack his Puppet King!" it shouted. "Cosmic rings!"
The Machine shot a volley of energy rings at Puppet King, and the Warrior exploded into shards. Erik groaned.
"Gamma, Beta, destroy his last two Monsters!"
Beta fired a beam of energy from his hands, and Toy Magician was vaporized. Then Gamma punched Toy Emperor, blowing him to shards.
(E: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,000)
"Now, for the coup de grace," said Shapesnatch. "I play the Spell Card, Shien's Spy."
He played the card, which and in an aura of mystical energy, a mysterious woman wearing a kimono, a straw hat, a veil over her face, and carrying a pack over her back appeared.
"Shien's Spy's spell transfer's control of one of my Monster's to your side of the field until the End Phase of the turn," said Shapesnatch.
Erik looked shocked as The Big SATURN vanished and reappeared on his side of the field.
"What's the point?" he asked.
"Simple," said Shapesnatch, turning the last card in his hand around.
Erik's eyes bugged out.
"Acid Rain?" he shouted. "That will destroy your robot!"
"But it's considered yours right now," said Shapesnatch. "And The big SATURN has another effect. When it's destroyed by its opponent's card effect, both players take damage equal to its base Attack Score.
"No…" said Sam. "If that's true… Shapesnatch will still have 200 Life Points left… But…"
"But Erik won't have any…" said Chelsea.
Shapesnatch played the card, and the Acid Rain card appeared on the field.
Dark, red clouds appeared in the sky, and four, dirty rain started to pour. The big SATURN started to rust and corrode…
Then it exploded in a mighty blast, and the explosion seemingly consumed the whole field.
"ERIK!" screamed Sam.
She collapsed, and tears fell down her cheeks.
The smoke started to clear. Shapesnatch appeared first, chuckling.
"Well, I guess that's that…" it said.
Then Erik appeared out of the smoke. He was a little burned by the blast…
However…
(E: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 200)
"HOW?" screamed Shapesnatch.
"Remember those three facedown cards I set on my last turn?" asked Erik. "I set them as bluffs, but they turned out to be just what I needed.
"One of them was Emergency Provisions, pal. And when you used Acid Rain, I chained it, sending those two other cards to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 Life Points, just as the blast hit."
"Heh," chuckled Shapesnatch. "Big deal. You have no Monsters left, and I have two of them!
"It's your move… Just try to turn this around."
Erik quickly drew a card.
He played it immediately. It appeared on the field.
It was Premature Burial.
Shapesnatch's eyes widened.
Puppet King appeared again in an explosion of energy. (2,800/2,600)
"Crush his Gamma the Magnet Warrior," shouted Erik. "Majestic Checker!"
Puppet King walloped Gamma, and the rocky android shattered into bits.
(E: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)
The remaining Monsters disappeared.
"You lose, Shapesnatch," said Erik, as Blockman glowed with energy. "Now if you don't mind, we'll be shutting this mining operation down."
Shapesnatch chuckled.
"You folks are so naïve…" it said. "Did you really think that Daala would leave such an important project with no strong guards?"
Then it shattered into black pixels, that evaporated.
Erik turned to Blockman.
"What did it mean?" he asked.
Blockman shrugged.
Then the ground started shaking. The Machines that had been surrounding them ran to the edges of the quarry.
All six duelists quickly activated their Disks. Magician's Valkyria, Getsu Fuhma, Zombie Master, Opticlops, and Topaz Tiger all appeared in bursts of energy.
Then a titanic creature rose from out of the ground where it had been buried. They had seen this Machine before, when Ares had ambushed them. But this time, the Ancient Gear Golem seemed like it was more than willing to fight. (3,000/3,000)
"Oh, great!" shouted Ren. "Now what?"
The Golem threw a punch, flattening Getsu Fuhma. Ren fell backwards from the impact.
It didn't look good. The other Machines were forming a fighting stance behind the Golem, and were apparently ready to help as soon as it took care of their Monsters.
"Okay, Jesse…" muttered Yumi. "There better be some truth to that rumor you mentioned…"
Then her eyes glowed with golden light…
Then a roar echoed over the whole desert. The Golem paused…
The ground started shaking, like some huge creature was charging towards them…
A Monster just a big as Ancient Gear Golem leapt into the quarry. It looked like it was part Dinosaur and part Machine, with armor plating, surrounded by an electric aura. (3,300/1,400)
"Super Conductor Tyranno?" shouted Chelsea. "Where the heck did that come from?"
Ancient Gear Golem turned to face the Dinosaur, but it blasted a beam of electromagnetic energy from its jaws, and the Machine exploded into hot debris.
"I don't know," said Ren, drawing a card, "but I'm not complaining!"
Yumi played another card, and Magician's Valkyria and Zombie Master vanished. Dark Magician appeared in a flash of light. He cast his dark Spell, and the Labyrinth Tank exploded.
The other Machines tried to flee, but they didn't get far. Ren quickly summoned Dark Blade and Chelsea summoned Blood Sucker, and the huge Dinosaur and the six duelist's Monsters quickly devastated Shapesnatch's operation. In minutes, the quarry lay in burning ruins.
Super Conductor Tyranno didn't stay to chat. It climbed out of the quarry and let out another roar before retreating.
"Yumi…" said Erik. "Did you… Did you…"
Yumi nodded.
"I seem to be able to communicate with the Spirits, Erik," she said. "I just called it and asked for help, and it came. That must be what the Devil's Fruit gave me… The ability to be in touch with the world of Spirits, and request their aid.
"We'll just have to wait and see how we can use it to our advantage…"
She sighed.
"A strange world this is…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Daala frowned as she watched.
"I hope our insurance covers collision," she muttered.
She turned to Skull Knight.
"Make sure that Shapesnatch is punished," she muttered. "Telling them that Johnson was in charge was no slip of the tongue. I'm no idiot."
"I'll let them know," said Skull Knight. "Incidentally, milady, when they get to the fortress, I think I'll sit this one out… That Monster that Johnson uses…
"Well… It kinda gives me the creeps…"
"The Heralds tend to do that," said Daala.
"Pardon?" he asked.
"That Monster is one of three Heralds," said Daala. "Three beings who closely serve a greater cause that is the source of Xanadu's power.
"Heck, it's the source of your power.
"I'm not sure who at I2 thought them up… Only the bravest duelists use them… They, like you, get 'the creeps' from them. It's said that these beings can see through the eyes of the holograms that bear their images every time they're used.
"Freaky, huh?
"But not much scares Johnson, so he was willing to take three copies of one of them. And he's… Heh, heh, 'convicted' six of Joan's men using them.
"Anyway, you're excused if you want, but you're gonna miss the fun…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ren drank the last of the water from his canteen, and it wasn't enough to quench his thirst.
"That's it…" he muttered. "If we don't get there soon…"
Then a dust cloud started to rise, and the odd spatial effect of Xanadu warped the surroundings again.
Before and above them was their goal. It looked like an old frontier-style military fort, surrounded by a wall made out of logs.
"Well…" said Yumi. "We're here…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nicholas and Olga were sitting in Domino City Park. Nicholas had bought a bag of popcorn, but he was feeling so worried right now, he was throwing most of it to the pigeons.
His cell phone rang.
"Sheena?" he said, answering it.
"Listen up, Nicholas," said Sheena. "I found out where this Ting lives, and it wasn't easy. The reason I couldn't find a phone number was because he doesn't own a phone!"
"No phone?" exclaimed Nicholas.
"He apparently lives in one of Domino's quieter suburbs," said Sheena. "He conducts every interaction with others via a broadband internet line. He rarely even leaves his house. His servants run errands for him, and when he needs to see a doctor or similar professional, he knows ones that make house calls."
"This guy must be loaded," said Nicholas.
"Incredibly," said Sheena. "I was able to do some hacking, and he has several bank accounts, one of which has over ten billion yen. As for how he made his money, he holds a lot of patents on a lot of software that's used globally by powerful corporations, including several that KaibaCorp installed in its computers."
"So he's loaded and a genius," said Nicholas.
"Yes," said Sheena. "His IQ measured 170 when it was last tested."
Nicholas let out a low whistle. He had once read that Einstein's IQ was believed to be in that area.
"And he's also a genius in virtual reality technology, so we may have found our answer.
"Now Nicholas, I'll give you the means to get to his house, but be very careful. This is not some thug. This is a respected scientist who once worked for the government. If you accuse him of wrongdoing without proof, he may not stand for it."
"Okay, Sheena, okay…" said Nicholas. "We'll be careful…
"Very careful…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
GULLIVER CHAIN (Trap Card)
Continuous Trap
Image: A group of Toy Soldiers amid a tangle of chains.
Card Description: You can activate this card when the battle position of an opposing Monster switches. Place that Monster in Defense Position. If that Monster switches to Attack Position while this card is in play, destroy the Monster and this card.
Note: "Gulliver Chain" was first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
SAND DOODLEBUG (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Insect/Effect
Attribute:
Earth
Level:
4
ATK:
1,200
DEF:
800
Card Description: During each End Phase of each players' turn that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can destroy a face-up Monster that is Level Three or lower. If "Wasteland" is face-up on the field, you can negate one attack from your opponent per round.
Note: "Sand Doodlebug" was first used by The Rock Spirit in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Sub-Desert Duel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
PLASMA WARRIOR EITOM (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Machine/Effect
Attribute:
Dark
Level:
8
ATK:
3,000
DEF:
1,600
Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by offering a Monster that is Level Seven or higher on your side of the field as a Tribute. This card may attack your opponent directly. If this card attacks directly using its effect, reduce its ATK by half during damage calculation.
Note: "Plasma Warrior Eitom" was first used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magnetic Personality". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0
0
0
THE BIG SATURN (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type:
Machine/Effect
Attribute:
Dark
Level:
8
ATK:
2,800
DEF:
2,200
Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned from your hand or deck. Discard one card in your hand to the Graveyard and pay 1,000 Life Points to increase the ATK of this card by 1,000 until the End Phase of the turn. This effect can be used once per turn, during your Main Phase. If this card is destroyed by a card effect controlled by your opponent and is sent to the Graveyard, both players lose Life Points equal to this card's base ATK.
Note: "The big SATURN" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.
0
0
0
Erik's Deck Lord: "Blockman": "Toy Blocker": Three times per duel, you can negate a "Toy" Monster's destruction as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). If you use this effect, your opponent gets to draw one card. (Minor Power) "Realm of Toys": You must use this effect on your first turn. Discard one Spell or Trap Card in your hand in order to take one "Toy Town" from your deck and activate it. (Minor Power)
0
0
0
Shapesnatch's Deck Lord: "Infernal Machinery": Once per round, you may take a DARK Machine-Type Monster from your deck and add it to your hand. You must summon or set this Monster on the turn you search for it. If you do not, send it to the Graveyard. (Greater Power)
0
0
0
Coming up next:
As both Joan and Daala have said, the Burnt Paradise is a very valuable Realm. It stands to reason then, that the Realm Lord that Daala has assigned as its governor is a very powerful duelist.
Both Gansley and Krump got much better while they were in hiding, and as you just heard, Johnson did as well. As Ren soon discovers, the one-time legal advisor for KaibaCorp has a deadly strategy that will push him to his limits.
It's all coming up in a chapter that I just had to call "Chaos Theory", coming soon.
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Name that Card!
If I were Shapesnatch, I'd know that there was one other Monster I could find to commiserate with. This one that was never released for the TCG is also Level Five, with the same ATK and DEF as Shapesnatch… But it's a Spellcaster. Can you name it?