What Spellcaster-Type Monster has just as much reason as Shapesnatch to be upset? If you said "LaMoon", you were successfully able to Name that Card!
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Evil comes in many forms, and takes many shapes. It shows many faces, and wears many masks. Most would say that those who break the law, stealing from others or committing crimes of violence against them, are evil men.
But some would say that a worse evil exists than criminals. This evil lies in men who work within the laws of a society, and manipulate it for their own selfish and greedy reasons.
The member of the Big Five known as Johnson, KaibaCorp's legal advisor, was one such man. In every case he presided at, he really didn't care much about guilt or innocence. His job was to ensure that his side won. He knew where to find the loopholes in the law and the technicalities that would ensure that the case would go as he desired. If all else failed, he wasn't above perjury to win a case, and he knew how to avoid being caught.
Johnson thus believed that he was above the law, much like all of the Big Five did, so he challenged Joey Wheeler, knowing that he could use Noah's virtual technology to rig the results of any card that depended on randomness or chance. Ironically, in the one gamble that he couldn't rig, he was beaten at his own game, and defeated.
Not many of my cards depend on chance to function, but I have a feeling that Johnson is hiding a dark secret this time.
Can it be that he is attempting to decipher the law in a concept that defies Law itself?
Only time will tell…
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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Chaos Theory
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Everyone looked up at the very large, fenced-in, wooden structure.
"Hmm…" said Erik. "If I know my American history… It looks kinda like the type of fort used by the Confederate army in the American Civil War."
"Johnson built a fortress resembling those of a rebel nation in order to fight against Joan's rebellion," muttered Ren. "And I thought he was a hypocrite before…"
Chelsea looked up at the guard towers. They were empty.
"No guards?" she said.
Erik pushed at the front gate. It opened slightly.
"And the front gate is unlocked," he said.
"People I've seen landfills that smelled better than this," said Yumi.
"Well, we can't just stay out here," said Sam. "Even if this is… Obvious…"
Yumi nodded.
"We're gonna have to fight regardless," she said, opening the gate, "so everyone just stay close and watch your backs."
They walked inside, into a large parade ground. The main building was to their left…
…and to their right was a large, metal pen. They were surprised to see that it was holding prisoners inside.
"What the…?" said Yumi.
She motioned, and everyone ran up to the pen. Six haggard-looking prisoners – four boys and two girls – were inside, and they had clearly seen better days. They sat up when they saw Jesse.
"Jesse?" said one of them.
"I know these guys!" said Jesse. "Mark… Kammy… Did Johnson do this to you?"
The one who he addressed first sighed and nodded.
"He's gotten incredibly powerful," he said. "I barely even knew what hit me… Such power…"
"What?" said Ren. "What sort of deck is he using?"
"Behind you!" shouted another one of the prisoners.
They turned around.
"Yep," said Ren. "This was a trap all right."
Facing them were eight Duel Spirits. They recognized six of them right away – three Swamp Battleguards and three Lava Battleguards.
The last two seemed to be two creatures who had some authority. One was a sinister-looking figure in dark armor, a red cape, and a white fright mask covering his face, holding a scythe. The other was a woman wearing armor shaped like a dragon (wings included) holding two swords.
"Kamionwizard and Dragoness the Wicked Knight," muttered Yumi. "The two Fusion Monsters Johnson used against my grandfather."
"And we were happy to help when he set up shop in Xanadu," said the Kamionwizard. "Now, do you folks want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
"We can take these guys," said Sam.
"Uh, Sam?" said Ren. "The Battleguards are kinda old, but I think I remember how they work… The Swamp Battleguards gain 500 Attack Points for each Lava Battleguard, and vice versa. That would give the Swamp Battleguards each an Attack Score of… 3,300?"
The six Battleguards chuckled, and tapped their clubs against their palms.
Ren turned to the two Fusion Monsters.
"To answer your question," he said, "it depends. Will the 'easy way' involve being able to avoid dealing with you guys and getting straight to your boss?"
Kamionwizard nodded.
"He's very anxious to meet you all," he said.
"Then how can we say no?" said Ren.
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As this was happening, Noriko was driving a limousine through the more rural parts of Domino. Nicholas and Olga were riding in the back.
"So what's the plan this time Nicholas?" asked Olga.
Nicholas sighed.
"I'm not exactly sure," said Nicholas. "I'm leaning towards posing as encyclopedia salesmen."
"That's not gonna work, Nicholas," said Olga. "People this rich don't listen to salesmen. They throw catalogues away unless they're selling things that cost at least five-hundred thousand dollars. Maybe we should just… I dunno, be honest with him."
"And where will that get us?" asked Nicholas. "What if he's working for Daala? We won't get past the front door!"
"If he's working for Daala, he may let something slip," said Olga. "If we find out anything we can use at this point, it will be beneficial.
"And besides, this guy is a duelist… Maybe he'll agree to settle it with us that way…"
"That's likely the best we can hope for…" sighed Nicholas.
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Everyone in Yumi's party pretty much expected the place where the two Fusion Monsters led them two. The main chamber was set up like a courtroom, albeit a very old-fashioned one.
Yumi noticed the flagpole. The flag wasn't of any nationality she recognized. It had a black field, with an odd symbol – a white infinity sign with an arrow pointing downward through the middle.
"Be seated," said Dragoness, pointing to the spectators' seats.
The Battleguards stood over them as they sat down. Dragoness stepped to the spot where the bailiff usually stood in a court proceeding. She stashed her two weapons on her back.
"Hey, Chelsea," said Ren, "this reminds me of a funny one I heard the other day… A lawyer, a rabbi, and Elvis walk into a bar…"
"No lawyer jokes!!" shouted Kamionwizard.
"Well excuse me…" said Ren.
"All rise," said Dragoness.
The six duelists just looked at her. They didn't get up.
"So much for formalities," she muttered, as a door behind her opened. A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in it.
"This court is now in session, the honorable Judge Man presiding."
For a Monster who was very outdated, the one who entered was quite intimidating. He was eight feet tall, and incredibly muscular. His clothing suggested royal finery, with a cape and high collar, and a crown with a cross-like symbol in front. His face was brutish, however, with upward-pointing fangs and an ugly frown.
"Well, Johnson," said Ren, "I'm guessing this is why you chose Battleguards as henchmen. Hang around them, and they make you look less ugly in comparison. I'd say it didn't work."
Johnson frowned even more as he took a seat on the judge's bench.
"You aren't the first one to mock my looks, Reginald," he said. "I'll tell you the same thing I told those six duelists you met out in the courtyard…
"Be wary of having so sharp a tongue, lest you cut your own throat."
"Yeah," said Ren, standing up. "Well, I'm really sick of you guys and what you've been doing to these poor duelists. I'm guessing that since Xanadu is another dimension, you think you can completely disregard the Geneva Convention."
He got up, and walked to the witness stand.
"All Xanadu is under Daala's rule is a terrorist nation. You work for her, and that makes you guilty of being an accessory to everything she has done. You may be Judge Man on the outside, but on the inside you're an Archfiend to serving a pretty powerful Infernalqueen."
"You take that back!" shouted Johnson.
"No," said Ren. "I'm not afraid of you in the least, just because you're sitting at that judge's bench pretending it makes you all-powerful. I don't know what happened to you five after Noah's world blew up and where you've been all this time, and frankly, I don't care! I don't care if the five of you broke out of the fiery bowels of Hell itself, but we're gonna send you back there!"
"Uh, boss…" said Dragoness, looking a little nervous. "Can I go use the lady's room?"
"What's the matter, bailiff?" asked Johnson. "If a defendant intimidates you so much, perhaps I should get a new bailiff."
The Wicked Knight slunk back against the wall. Johnson turned to Ren.
"Such strong words," he said Johnson. "Very well, Reginald, if you think such things, I'll give you a chance to prove them.
"This duel will come to order. State of Xanadu versus Reginald Marris…"
He paused.
"Uhm, will the court reporter please start doing what he's supposed to be doing?"
Kamionwizard moaned, and then sat at a desk next to the bench where a high-tech typewriter was positioned.
"This… is… embarrassing…" he muttered.
Johnson reached down and grabbed him by the throat.
"You either do it," whispered Johnson, "or you can explain to Daala why it wasn't done…"
He released the Spellcaster. Kamionwizard gulped, and turned the typewriter on. Ren glared at him.
"Nice guy," whispered Sam. "It's a wonder why these Spirits even put up with this garbage."
"Don't worry," said Yumi. "They're afraid of Daala now. But once Joan gets even stronger, most of them will realize that they don't have to take it. Joan will offer them a much better option.
"And I think that speech that Ren gave might have given everyone here a little doubt. That may be what he intended to do. Causing discord among enemy troops is always a good strategy."
"How does the defendant plead?" asked Johnson.
"Guilty with an explanation," said Ren.
"And what explanation would that be?" asked Johnson.
"I'm not guilty," said Ren.
Ren's allies started to laugh. Then the six Battleguards started to laugh too. Johnson scowled.
"Heh, you gotta admit," said Kamionwizard, "that was kinda funny…"
"Who asked you?" shouted Johnson.
He turned to Ren.
"You think this is a joke?"
"No more of a joke than you thinking you're a judge," muttered Ren, leaning on the witness stand. "Or thinking that you even deserved to be a lawyer.
"Well, fine. If we're going to play by this farce, Johnson, I'd like to request a dismissal, on the grounds that the judge is corrupt."
"WHAT?" shouted Johnson.
"Let's face it, Johnson," said Ren, "you aren't exactly the most trustworthy opponent. I know all about what happened with you and Yumi's grandfather."
Johnson leaned his head on his hand and sighed.
"They always remind you of the dumb things you did in the past…" he muttered.
He lifted his head and cleared his throat.
"A valid concern, perhaps," he said. "However, you may remember, due to the alleged cheating…"
"Alleged?" shouted Yumi.
"Fine, due to the cheating, I was caught," continued Johnson. "You will notice from the evidence outside that I have won at least six duels since being appointed governor of the Burnt Paradise. Don't you think that if I was still cheating, I would have been caught again by now?"
"Dunno," said Ren, with a yawn. "Maybe Daala approves of cheating more than Noah did."
"I'll make you all a deal," said Johnson. "If your friends can find any proof of wrongdoing on my part during these proceedings, I'll rule in your favor, Iand/I reverse the sentences of the six duelists outside."
"Fine, Johnson," said Jesse.
He took his deck and started to shuffle it.
"It's a deal. And I have someone in my deck who will make sure you keep that promise."
Johnson looked a little nervous.
"Whatever," he said. "I can duel fair and square, after all…"
Especially with the power that Daala has given me, he thought, looking at his deck. If he knew what the three copies of the Monster I had could do, he'd change his plea to guilty.
"Is your lawyer ready to give testimony?" asked Johnson.
"If you mean my Deck Lord," said Ren, standing up straight, "she's right here."
Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared behind him in a dark aura.
"And as for me," said Johnson, "as you know doubt can see, I've taken the form of Judge Man."
Chelsea looked nervously at Johnson.
"He can beat this guy, Chelsea," said Sam.
"He has to be careful," said Chelsea. "I know the powers he had in Noah's world… They didn't exactly make the duel a fair fight…
'Not to mention that we're playing with rules that give each duelist an 8,000 Life Point total now. Having to pay 1,000 of them to use that effect isn't as expensive a cost as it was back then."
The two Disks activated. Ren noticed that Johnson's Disk was only slightly different – it looked like a standard Disk made of black metal.
"Game on," said Johnson.
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Johnson: 8,000)
"Since the prosecution makes its case before the defense," said Johnson, "it's my draw."
He drew a card.
"First up, I'll summon Hysteric Fairy," he said.
In a flash of light, the fussy-looking, bespectacled angel holding a tome appeared in front of him. (1,800/500)
Yumi lifted an eyebrow.
Odd, she thought. That's the exact same opening move he used last time…
"Next, a Spell Card," said Johnson, as a card appeared in front of him. "Double Summon. This gives me a second Normal Summon this turn.
"So I'll also summon Shadowslayer."
A creeping, dark shadow fell across his side of the field, and a fiendish figure emerged, in a crouching position. It was an assassin with a horse's skull for a head, in a leather guerilla outfit, holding a long blade. (1,400/200)
"Eh?" said Ren. "A Fairy AND a Fiend? Where's the common thread?"
"You'll see," said Johnson, taking two more cards. "I'll end with two facedown cards."
Two facedown cards materialized.
"Your witness."
"Uh, I take it that means it's my turn," muttered Ren, drawing a card.
"I summon Dark Blade!"
The knight in dark armor leapt up in front of him. (1,800/1,500)
"Now, with a little help from my Deck Lord, I can pay 800 Life Points to increase his Attack Score by the same amount for one round. So say goodbye to your Fairy!"
Penumbral Soldier Lady and Dark Blade glowed with shadowy energy, and Dark Blade rose to an Attack Score of 2,600. He thrust forward with his sword, and Hysteric Fairy screamed before falling backwards and shattering.
(R: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,200)
"I'll set this," said Ren, as a facedown card appeared, "and then you can go."
"Very well," said Johnson, drawing a card.
He smirked a little when he saw what it was. He added it to his hand and chose another one.
"I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and then move Shadowslayer to Defense Mode as well."
A facedown Monster appeared. Shadowslayer sheathed its sword and then knelt and crossed its arms.
"My move," said Ren, drawing a card.
He looked over his hand.
"I'll…" he said, reaching for a card.
Then he stopped short.
"Uh, then again… Check that…
"Dark Blade, attack Shadowslayer!"
Dark Blade made another swipe with his sword, and the Fiend assassin shattered.
"Think I'll set another card facedown, and that will be all for me…"
A second facedown card appeared.
Johnson chuckled as he drew a card.
"Tell me, Reginald," he said. "Have a bad hand? Shadowslayer has a weak Defense… You could have taken out both my Monsters if you had summoned a second one of yours…"
"None of your business," muttered Ren.
"Oh… wait…" said Johnson. "I think I see the problem… You're afraid of what I'm capable of, right? You remember how I was able to wipe out a whole opposing side way back when I dueled Yumi's grandfather.
"Well, let me come clean with you… I wouldn't want you to think I was some sort of liar…"
"Too late for that, Johnson," said Ren.
Johnson frowned again.
"The truth is," said Johnson, "I lost that power a long time ago. I gave it up for something far more useful."
Yumi raised her eyebrow again.
More useful than the ability to destroy all his opponent's Monsters, she thought, AND deal direct damage in the process?
His new Deck Lord ability must be pretty exceptional…
"It's my move," said Johnson, "and I'm activating my facedown cards.
"First, Call of the Haunted."
The floor in front of him burst open, and Shadowslayer rose to the surface.
"Next," he said, as his second facedown card lifted, "Inferno Reckless Summon."
In two bursts of dark energy, two more Shadowslayers appeared. (1,400/200 x3)
Two more Dark Blades appeared on Ren's side of the field. (1,800/1,500 x3)
"What is Johnson up to?" asked Chelsea.
"I dunno," said Sam. "If Ren's Monsters were in Defense Mode, those guys could attack him directly. But Ren's Monsters are clearly in Attack Mode."
"That will be all," said Johnson.
Ren quickly drew a card.
His eyes opened wide as he saw who it was.
I finally drew it! he thought. But… should I use this guy?
"Ren," said a voice.
It came so suddenly that Ren almost dropped his cards. It was a deep, commanding voice that seemed to come from the card itself.
"Did you talk?" he whispered.
"Indeed," said the voice. "Listen well, Ren…
"My name was once Burgundy… The General of Total Defense. When the armies of the Supreme King swept across the lands of my home dimension, subjugating and enslaving all in their path, I did my best to protect my small part of it…
"In this effort, I failed…
"I've been wandering the dimensions for some time, trying to regain physical form. It's harder than you might think…"
"I'll bet…" said Ren.
"But, when you added this card to your deck, your duel energy was like a beacon that drew me to it. I can't fight as a general any more, but if I can help you and your friends free Xanadu from its vile curse, perhaps my strength will return…"
Ren looked at the card.
"I understand…" he said.
"All right, Johnson!" he shouted, "I sacrifice one Dark Blade…"
The Warrior in the middle vanished.
"…for Total Defense Shogun!"
A much larger, much more hulking Warrior appeared. He was dressed in the armor of a barbarian, with large metal shoulder pads and a cape, holding a huge sword and an even larger shield. (1,550/2,500)
"He's not the strongest Level Six Monster for attacking, but when I summon him, he moves right into Defense Mode."
The Shogun knelt, and held up his shield.
"And guess what, Johnson? He can attack even when he's in Defense Mode!
"Attack his facedown Monster!"
Then Shogun slashed with his sword, sending a blade of energy towards the facedown card. A winged cherub appeared on the card, and shattered.
"You flipped my Skelengel," said Johnson. "Now I get to draw once."
He made a draw.
"Dark Blades," said Ren, "take out two of his Shadowslayers!"
The two Dark Blades charged at two of the Fiends, and they were cut down.
"Ugh…" muttered Johnson.
(R: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,400)
"Your move, Johnson," said Ren.
Johnson quickly made a draw.
"Mokey Mokey," said a voice.
"Huh?" said Johnson.
He looked up, and saw that a Mokey Mokey had flown into the chamber.
"Mokey Mokey," it said.
"Order!" shouted Johnson, slamming his gavel on his bench. "Bailiff, apprehend that creature!"
Dragoness made a rush for the little Fairy, but it turned tail and fled the way it came before she reached it.
"If we may continue without any further interruptions," muttered Johnson, taking the card he just drew, "I play Offerings to the Doomed."
Oh no! thought Ren. Now he can destroy one of my Monsters!
"Shadowslayer," said Johnson, "you are dismissed."
As he played the card, his last Shadowslayer burst in an explosion of dark shards.
Ren gave him a funny look.
"You destroyed your own Monster?" shouted Ren. "Why?"
"So I can summon my star witness," said Johnson. "A creature who represents the dark side of the force of Chaos… A force of incredible destruction…"
"Johnson!" shouted Yumi, standing up. "If you're planning to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon, that card is illegal!"
"Whoever said I was going to summon him?" asked Johnson. "I would never dream of it… That thing scares even me. The Monster I'm going to summon is perfectly legal.
"But before I summon him, I'm going to use my Deck Lord ability. It's called Evidence Locker, and I can use it three times per duel total. I get to take any card from my hand, deck, or Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck."
A card slipped out of his deck, and he placed it on top.
"Now…" said Johnson. "I remove one Light Fairy and three Dark Fiends in my Graveyard from play…"
Hysteric Fairy and the three Shadowslayers appeared behind him, and vanished into grains of light. The room darkened…
"…in order to summon… Sky Scourge Norleras!"
A cold chill wafted across the room as the new Monster appeared. The Fiend – of this there was no doubt – was muscular, and had black, scaly skin, a bare skull for a face with two diabolic horns, and wings that seemed to be made of tattered leather. It had no legs; below the waist was only a shadowy mist. It didn't make a sound – it simply glared at Ren in ominous silence. (2,400/1,500)
"What in the world?" said Yumi.
"Personally…" said Chelsea, "I would have preferred to see the Dragon."
"Sam…" said Erik. "What the heck is that?"
"I have no idea, Erik," said Sam. "And I thought I was an expert on Fiends…"
Ren looked nervously at the creature. He looked at his two facedown cards.
What am I worried about? he thought. Unless it's immune to Traps, my Sakuretsu Armor will handle it… And even if it is, my Rush Recklessly will destroy it… And even if that doesn't work, it can't beat my Shogun's Defense…
"Now…" said Johnson, "I activate Norleras's ability. By paying 1,000 Life Points, I can send every card on the field and in each player's hand to the Graveyard."
"Say WHAT?" shouted Ren.
Norleras's eyes glowed with fiery pinpoints, and it started to burn with a bonfire of black flames…
It burst in a shadowy explosion, and Ren shielded himself as his three Monsters and the cards in his hand were vaporized.
"Sorry, Burgundy…" he muttered.
And then he chuckled.
"Boy, Johnson…" he said, "I've seen some dumb moves before, but that one takes the cake! Norleras even took itself out! You're totally defenseless now!
"And it's my move…"
He reached for his deck.
Then Johnson slammed his gavel down.
"Objection!" shouted Johnson. "I did not end my turn."
"But…" said Ren. "You have no more cards to play…"
Johnson chuckled.
"Norleras's effect also allows me to make one draw," said Johnson.
Ren's eyes opened in horror.
"The card you put on top of your deck with your Deck Lord effect…" he whispered.
Johnson drew a card. He held it up.
"It's a very powerful Spell," said Johnson, "which works perfectly with Norleras… And I intend to use it…
"I play Dimension Fusion! It costs me 2,000 more Life Points, but now both players are able to readmit every witness that's been removed from play. You have none, but as you recall, I just removed four of my own to summon Norleras."
In four bright flashes of light, Hysteric Fairy (1,800/500) and all three Shadowslayers (1,400/200 x3) appeared in front of him.
"Still think it was a dumb move?" asked Johnson. "For someone who was so vocal a while ago, you don't seem to be saying much now."
Ren started to sweat…
"In most courts of law," said Johnson, "badgering a witness is generally frowned upon. However, in my court, it's encouraged.
"All of you, attack him directly."
Hysteric Fairy adjusted its glasses, and fired a beam of pure light from them, striking Ren in the chest. He screamed.
He barely had a chance to get up before the three Shadowslayers pounced and slashed at him with their swords.
Ren fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
"REN!" shouted Chelsea.
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 3,400)
"The prosecution rests," said Johnson. "Make your move, if you can."
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In a quiet suburb outside Domino, a large but modest manor house rested. Neighbors rarely saw the owner. The only human they regularly saw on the grounds was a professional gardener who came every two weeks to mow the lawn.
The limousine pulled up to the front gate.
"This is the address," said Noriko.
"We don't know how long we'll be," said Nicholas.
"It's okay," said Noriko. "I'm well occupied, thanks to a little thing called XM radio."
Nicholas and Olga went up to the well-secured front gate, which held a speaker box with a buzzer. A sign said: No solicitors. Visitors please ring bell.
Nicholas looked at the box, and then pushed the button.
After a few seconds, a gruff voice said, "May I help you?"
"Uh, we'd like to see Mr. Ting, if that's possible," said Nicholas.
"For what purpose?" asked the voice.
Nicholas cleared his throat.
"Xanadu…" he said.
There was a long pause.
"Wait one minute, and I'll ask him," said the voice.
They waited one minute, but there was no response. After five minutes, they started to wonder if there would be any.
Then, the gate unlatched, and swung open.
"Come in," said the voice.
Nicholas looked at Olga, and shrugged. They walked to the front door.
The front door opened, and the two teenagers stepped back in shock. The man who had opened it was huge. He was seven feet tall, and incredibly muscular. The top of his head was completely bald, but he had a neatly trimmed goatee. He had tanned skin and features that suggested the Middle East. He wore a black formal suit and tie (clearly, it had been custom tailored) and sunglasses.
The man looked at them for a few seconds.
"Follow me, please…" he said.
They followed him into the house.
Okay… thought Olga. We go looking for a reclusive millionaire genius, and we find out that he has a butler who can likely break a man in two with his bare hands… What have we gotten ourselves into?
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Ren slowly crawled to his feet.
"You know, Johnson…" he muttered. "There's something funny about this whole setup…"
"Funny?" asked Johnson.
"Well, not ha-ha funny," said Ren, "but more ironic funny. See, you may not have been the most moral lawyer, but you still studied in order to be one. You practiced law, Johnson. I'm guessing you must have at least gone to law school.
"I find it ironic that your strategy now is the exact opposite of Law… You're reduced to using Chaos."
"I admit it might seem a bit... odd," said Johnson. "But I like to think of Chaos as the ultimate challenge of Law. Some say that you can actually find laws that define how Chaos works, as much of a contradiction as that may seem.
"You ever hear of Chaos Theory?"
"Chaos Theory?" said Ren. "You mean… Like the Butterfly Effect?"
"No…" muttered Johnson. "The Butterfly Effect is stupid in practice when people take it literally. There's no way that a fly sneezing in Prague is going to make it rain in Guatemala. It's meant as a metaphor.
"However, there are several theories that are used to predict outcomes when something seems random or even chaotic. I personally believe that nothing occurs entirely by chance. Even the Abyss must have some sort of rules that govern it, and if we search hard enough, we may eventually find them.
"Once you know the laws, you know how things work. To know the laws is to know power."
"People like you only want to learn laws so you can learn how to break them…" said Ren.
"A common misconception," said Johnson. "When you know how laws work, you don't have to break them. You're able to use them, so they benefit you in all areas.
"Finding the laws in what seems to be the lawless part of the universe is the finals step. The last step in knowing how everything works. And it is my belief that once you know all the laws for how everything works, you'll… well, you'll know everything."
"And what will you do then, Johnson?" asked Ren. "Rule the world?"
"Give me time," said Johnson. "After all, I have the body of a Duel Spirit now… My lifespan is virtually without limit. I have years and years to study laws unlike any I ever had before.
"But that's to come, and this is now… It's still your move…
"Your friend Yumi is so fond of saying that one draw can change everything. Well, you only get one draw. We'll see if that philosophy comes through now…"
Ren started to sweat as he looked at his deck.
"This is bad people…" said Erik. "That move left him with nothing but his Deck Lord."
"Even worse," said Sam, "defending is no good against those Shadowslayers. This is one time when Ren's really gonna need a miracle…"
Ren closed his eyes and drew a card.
He looked at it.
It was La Sombra.
He sighed. He remembered how her effect had failed in his duel with Ares…
"Ren," said a voice.
"Burgundy?" whispered Ren.
He looked at his Disk.
"That you?"
"Indeed," said the Spirit. "You should know that cards are immortal in this game.
"You can't give up yet. La Sombra's effect is a matter of luck. If your luck is better than his, you can turn this around.
"Remember, when he couldn't cheat, Johnson's luck was terrible. He thinks nothing happens by chance, but he is fooling himself. Try as he might, he can't control probability. No-one can.
"In a way, the reason he wants to find laws in Chaos is because the concept scares him. Folks like him hate things that they can't control. Things that depend on chance drive them mad. They are only comfortable with things that have definite outcomes.
"That is the reason why he cheated in his duel with Yumi's grandfather. He could not abide the chaos of chance. He rigged Joey Wheeler's dice rolls and coin tosses because Wheeler's uncanny luck frightened him."
"But…" said Ren.
"What other choice do you have, Ren?" asked Burgundy. "Your Deck Lord is powerless to help you right now unless you want to risk summoning her. And Johnson may have other powers that would make that risk too great."
"Good point…" said Ren.
"Before you do…" said Burgundy, "a suggestion…"
Ren listened. Then he tapped a button on his Disk, and a card slipped out of his discard slot.
"I remove one Dark Warrior from play," he said, "to summon La Sombra!"
In a burst of darkness, the sexy, masked, female swashbuckler appeared. (1,800/1,000)
"Alright Johnson," said Ren. "Now you gotta draw a card. Let's see who's luckier…"
Johnson frowned. He made a draw. Everyone tensed.
Johnson scowled. He turned the card forward.
It was A Feather of the Phoenix.
"That's a Spell, Johnson!" shouted Ren. "So La Sombra gets to destroy one Monster!
"Go! Take out his Hysteric Fairy!"
La Sombra lashed her whip forward, and it coiled around Hysteric Fairy's waist. The Fairy screamed as it was yanked towards La Sombra, who delivered a kick that blew it to shards.
"I've still got her normal attack!" shouted Ren. "Attack one of the Shadowslayers!"
La Sombra leapt up, and slashed with her whip, blowing one of the Fiends to pieces.
"Ugh…" muttered Johnson.
"Well, that's all I can do," said Ren. "I end my turn…"
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 3,000)
"Uh, boss?" said Kamionwizard.
"Quiet!" shouted Johnson. "Just do your job!"
The Spellcaster sighed, and looked at the typewriter. Ren's eyes narrowed.
"My draw…" muttered Johnson.
"Hold it!" shouted Ren. "Objection."
"Huh?" said Johnson.
"You played Offerings to the Doomed last turn, Johnson, remember?" he said. "You can't draw this turn."
"Uh, he's right boss…" said Kamionwizard.
"Who's side are you on?" scowled Johnson.
Sweat ran down his brow. He was nervous now. He was tempted to overrule that objection, but he remembered the deal he had made before the duel… And the subtle threat that Jesse had made…
The only card I have is A Feather of the Phoenix… he thought. I can't use it without making a discard, and since he knows what it is, it's not even good for a bluff!
"Well?" asked Ren.
"Sustained…" growled Johnson. "Now give me a minute… I have one option, I'm just not sure whether or not I want to use it…"
Even if I used it on my next turn, he thought, I wouldn't get anything out of its effect until the turn after. And with only 3,000 Life Points left right now, I don't have enough to use the combo with Norleras and Dimension Fusion again unless I increase them…
No choice… I hate to do this, but…
"Okay, Reginald," he said, "you've forced me to use my other Deck Lord ability. I've never had to use it before, but there's a first time for everything.
"It's called Hostile Witness. I can only do this when I have two or less cards in my hand. Then, I have to remove a high-Level Monster in my Graveyard from play. So I'll remove Norleras."
The card slipped out of his discard slot.
"Then, both players get to draw once for each Level it has over four. Norleras is Level Eight, so we each draw four times."
Each of them made four draws. Johnson looked over the cards.
"Still my turn, I believe," he said. "I play Nightmare's Steelcage."
He fit a card into his Disk, and flames erupted around Ren in a wide circumference. An iron, domed mesh appeared around him and his Monsters.
"Now neither of us can attack for two full turns."
"Big deal," said Ren.
"Next, I'll move my two Shadowslayers to Defense Mode," said Johnson, "and then summon Spirit of the Breeze in Attack Mode."
The two Fiends sheathed their swords and knelt. Then a delicate, female Fairy in gossamer robes with blue hair and dragonfly wings appeared next to them. (0/1,800)
"She has zero Attack Points…" said Erik.
"Yes," said Sam, "but every round that she's in Attack Mode, Johnson gains 1,000 Life Points. Assuming Ren can't break free of that Cage, he's got two rounds of that effect."
I don't like this, thought Yumi. Clearly, Johnson has at least one more copy of Norleras in his deck… Heck, he probably has two more… And he still has two uses of his first Deck Lord ability. Clearly, he's planning to do the same thing again…
"I end my turn," said Johnson.
Ren drew a card.
"I throw this facedown, and end my turn with that," he said.
A facedown card appeared behind La Sombra.
The Steelcage began to rust over and chip.
Johnson drew a card. Spirit of the Breeze glowed with energy, and Johnson glowed with a golden light.
"I'll use my second use of my first Deck Lord ability," he said. "You remember my Evidence Locker ability, right?"
A card slipped out of his deck, and he placed it on top.
"I'll set one card facedown, and that's all."
A facedown card appeared in front of him.
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 4,000)
Ren drew a card.
"All right, your honor," he said, sarcastically, "defense Exhibit A… My Dark Eruption Spell Card."
He played a card.
"This lets me add a Dark Monster from the Graveyard to my hand, so long as its Attack Score is no higher than 1,500. And I have a good one there, thanks to Norleras."
He took a card from his discard slot.
"And now I'm summoning him… Mataza the Zapper."
He played the card, and in a burst of darkness, the dark ronin in green armor and a headband, holding a katana appeared. (1,300/800)
"I end my turn," said Ren, "which means your Cage goes away…"
"Not before I activate this," said Johnson.
His facedown card lifted.
"Emergency Provisions. Now I can sacrifice my Steelcage right before its effect expires, and gain 1,000 Life Points."
The Cage vanished into grains of light, and Johnson glowed with energy.
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 5,000)
"My draw now…" he said.
He drew a card and looked at it. It was the card he had put there, his second copy of Sky Scourge Norleras.
Spirit of the Breeze glowed again, and he glowed with energy.
"I move Spirit of the Breeze to Defense Mode," he said, as the Fairy knelt and crossed her arms. "Her effect is now invalid, but she has 1,800 Defense Points, more than any low-Level Monster in your deck has Attack Points.
"I end my turn."
(R: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 6,000)
"We'll see about that, Johnson!" shouted Ren.
He drew a card.
"Perfect!" he said. "I activate my second Deck Lord ability. By paying 800 Life Points and tossing a Spell Card…"
He discarded his Magical Mallet.
"I can summon one of those low-Level Dark Monsters from my Graveyard. Here comes Dark Blade!"
Dark Blade appeared, holding his swords aloft. (1,800/1,500)
"Now…" said Ren, "I play the Field Spell Mystic Plasma Zone!"
He fit the card into his Field Slot, and the whole courtroom became covered in an aura of darkness. Dark Blade went up to (2,300/1,100), La Sombra to (2,300/600) and Mataza to (1,800/400)
"Uh… oh…" said Johnson.
"By the way," said Ren, "Mataza gets to attack twice.
"Mataza, wipe out his Shadowslayers! Double zapping blade!"
Mataza rushed at the two Fiends, and with two swipes of his sword, they were blown to bits.
"Dark Blade, blow Spirit of the Breeze away!"
Dark Blade made a slash with his sword, and the Fairy dissipated into formless mist.
"La Sombra, attack his honor directly!"
The swashbuckler leapt towards Johnson, and made a savage slash with her whip. Johnson roared and clutched his chest.
(R: 400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 3,700)
"Reginald, I hold you and your Monsters in contempt!" shouted Johnson, standing up.
"Yeah?" said Ren. "Take your best shot, ugly…"
"What is Ren doing?" said Chelsea. "He's playing with fire here!"
"He's trying to make Johnson angry," said Yumi. "Angry and careless. Classic psyche-out warfare…"
Johnson growled as he drew a card.
"With three Dark Fiends and one Light Fairy in my Graveyard again," he said, "I can remove them from play to summon my second Norleras!
"And by the way, since it's a Dark Monster, it benefits from this Field Spell as well."
In a burst of shadowy energy, a twin of the first Sky Scourge appeared. (2,400/1,500) –) (2,900/1,100)
"No…" said Chelsea.
"Now, Reginald…" said Johnson, "I could use Norleras's effect… But I'm not going to…
"After all, Norleras has 2,900 Attack Points, and La Sombra has only 2,300. You have only 400 Life Points left… I can win this duel without the effect.
"Norleras, attack La Sombra! Chaos elemental blast!"
Norleras's eyes glowed, and a blast of pure darkness shot at La Sombra.
"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, I toss one card, and La Sombra gets a power surge!"
He discarded a card from his hand, and La Sombra rose to an Attack Score of 3,800. She leapt into the air over the blast, and lashed with her whip…
Then Norleras caught the whip, and gave a savage yank. La Sombra yelped, and then fell on her face.
"What?" said Ren. "How did he…"
Then he noticed that Johnson had activated a Quickplay Spell.
"It's a Spell called Class System, Reginald," he said. "Since La Sombra is a lower Level than Norleras, she couldn't harm it or my Life Points.
"And it seems I have to use Norleras's effect after all.
"But… I'm not going to make the same mistake I made last time…
"I already ended my Battle Phase, which means you'll get one turn before I can attack. So I'm going to make certain before I use it that using the effect now is a good idea. I don't want to be caught by surprise by any more miracle draws."
He took one of the last two cards in his hand.
"I play Ancient Telescope. Now I can see the top five cards on your deck."
He played the card, and five cards appeared next to Ren. Everyone gasped when they saw that the top card was Hidden Soldiers.
"Well," said Johnson. "Seems that using the effect now is a very good idea. I use the third and final use of my Deck Lord ability."
A card slipped out of his Graveyard, and he placed it on the top of his deck.
"I'd suggest making plea bargain, but I don't accept them. I pay 1,000 Life Points to activate Norleras's effect!"
Once again, Norleras burst in a dark explosion. Ren shielded himself, as his Field Spell was blown to pieces, and his three Monsters were vaporized.
"I draw one card," said Johnson, drawing, "and now I play it! Dimension Fusion!"
His Life Points went down, as Hysteric Fairy (1,800/500) and the three Shadowslayers (1,400/200 x3) appeared.
(R: 400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 700)
"Well," said Johnson. "It's your…"
Then he gasped and dropped his gavel.
"…move?!"
Standing in front of Ren was Crescent Moon Queen, looking incredibly angry. (2,600/1,700)
"Meet my own key witness," said Ren. "In courtroom slang, she's the smoking gun, in more ways than one."
"HOW?" shouted Johnson.
"Simple," said Ren. "She was in my hand the first time you activated Norleras's effect, so she was sent to the Graveyard. She was the Dark Warrior I removed from play to summon La Sombra.
"Seems you forgot that one has to be very careful when using Dimension Fusion… It lets both players use its effect, Johnson. Or maybe you forgot what I had to do to summon La Sombra."
"You…" said Johnson. "You removed your most powerful Monster instead of a weakling? WHY?"
"Because," said Ren, "your deck has only one strategy. I knew you'd try the same trick if it failed to finish me the first time.
"See, Johnson, I can manipulate the laws to my advantage too.
"And due to your own strategy, you have no more cards to play. It's my move…"
He quickly drew.
"Wait…" said Johnson, in terror.
"Crescent Moon Queen," ordered Ren, "attack the Shadowslayer!"
Johnson screamed as the monarch's mighty sword cleaved the Shadowslayer in two.
(R: 400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 0)
When he looked up, Ren was standing over the bench with Crescent Moon Queen, Penumbral Soldier Lady, and Total Defense Shogun behind him. Kamionwizard cowered behind his typewriter.
Ren lifted his fist, and it turned into solid rock.
"Case dismissed," he said.
Then he punched the "typewriter", crushing it.
"Spill it, Johnson!" shouted Ren. "I know that thing was scanning my mind! Just like Gansley and Krump were doing. And you're gonna tell me why, or I'm gonna do that to your ugly face next."
"Do what you want with me," said Johnson. "I'll never tell you…"
Ren raised his fist.
"REN!" shouted Yumi. "NO! It isn't worth it!"
Ren lowered his fist.
"Fine, Johnson…" he muttered. "But when Daala is finally overthrown, you're the one who's gonna have to face a judge for the crimes she, you, and the rest of the Big Five have committed against Duel Spirits… And Voltanis the Adjudicator is one judge who can't be bought and who won't dismiss a case on a technicality."
He motioned to Penumbral Soldier Lady.
She lifted her sword, and Johnson screamed in pain as his power was siphoned off. Then he shattered into black shards.
"What are we waiting for!" shouted one of the Swamp Battleguards. "We're stronger than they are!"
Ren played a Spell Card, and a Fusion Sword Murasame Blade appeared in Crescent Moon Queen's hand. (3,400/1,700)
She walked towards the Warriors, and they lost their courage very quickly. They dropped their clubs, and lifted their hands into the air.
Sam activated her Disk, and threw five cards on it. Opticlops, Gil Garth, Archfiend Solder, The Bistro Butcher, and La Jinn appeared. All of them looked very angry.
Dragoness and Kamionwizard looked at each other. They put their hands in the air.
"We give up!" shouted Dragoness.
"Just call them off, please!" shouted Kamionwizard.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Half an hour later, a snag in their plans had been realized. They didn't know how to free the prisoners from that awful pen. They couldn't find the key, and attempts to break it were so far unsuccessful.
As everyone was attempting both, Yumi walked up to Kamionwizard, who was being guarded by Sam's Fiends, along with his partner.
"Look, buddy," she said, "half of you is a Monster that my grandfather trusted a great deal. There must be enough of Mystical Elf left in you to consider cooperating."
"Look, I would, Yumi," said the Duel Spirit. "After all, I have no choice but to join with Joan now. Going back to Daala will mean going to prison. But the fact is, Johnson never told me where he kept the keys to that pen."
"He really never told us anything," muttered Dragoness. "Once he got Norleras, we weren't even welcome in his deck any more… We were his bailiffs, but just for show, really… A Level Six Monster doesn't need two low-Level Monsters to keep order in a courtroom."
Then they noticed someone walking towards them from out of the building.
"Huh?" said Yumi.
It was Vita.
Everyone turned towards the masked woman. They activated their Disks.
Vita didn't say anything. She held up an object. It was a key.
"Easy…" said Yumi to her allies.
Vita walked forward. Everyone tensed. The strange woman simply handed it to Yumi.
Then she turned around and started to walk in the other direction.
"Let's grab her," said Chelsea.
Fire started to form around her hands.
"Let her go," said Yumi.
"Huh?" said Chelsea.
Yumi tried the key in the lock to the pen, and it fit.
"Whatever secrets Vita is hiding," she said, "I have a feeling she'll reveal them in time. For now, if she wants to give us help, let's just accept it and not ask why…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
The flames surrounding Daala's head were burning fuller than normal. Two Giant Orcs were standing by as her attendants fanned her.
"Well, Johnson?" she said. "Was the duel a total bust?"
"No, milady," said Johnson. "Reginald destroyed the scanner that was inside the typewriter…
"But not the one in my Duel Disk! If the Key was in his head, we'll have the last laugh on that brat after all.
"Now, I just have to open the casing… Let's see, how does this mechanism work again?"
He started trying to unscrew a latch on the Disk, which was hard to do with his big, thick-fingered hands.
"Give me that!" shouted Daala, getting up.
She grabbed the Disk from him, and then tore it apart, causing all the cards to scatter.
"Hey!" shouted Johnson.
Daala took the miniature scanner, and plugged it into a device under the screen near her couch. Information started to come up. Johnson started to sweat, nervously…
Then Daala punched the screen, smashing it.
"You don't seem pleased…" said Johnson.
Daala picked up one of the Norleras cards, and held it up.
"Johnson..." she said, "this Monster is more than just a Duel Spirit. It is a sacred being who serves a higher power. By using this card, and failing miserably, you've more than likely made both the real Norleras and its master angry. And that's something we really don't need right now…"
"Milady," said Johnson, "let me state the reasons…"
Then the halo around Daala's head started to burn like an inferno. Then her eyes glowed with the same fire.
"Johnson," she said, in a far more demonic voice, "your legal jargon may once have impressed attorneys and judges, but Ren was right. It doesn't work with Voltanis. He is one judge who will not listen to it. And you can bet that he would just love to hear from Joan that the rulers of Xanadu are in custody. Each victory by those kids brings us closer to that danger.
"So I'm not going to listen to it either. Try it with me, and I'll rip your vocal cords out.
"So shut up!"
Johnson did shut up. In fact, he stumbled and fell backwards.
Daala whistled, and the two Orcs lumbered over.
"Get this disgrace to the legal profession out of my sight," she said, as the flames started to subside.
The two ogres grabbed him, and he was dragged away. Daala sat on her couch in a sulk as the flames returned to normal.
She collapsed on her back.
"So, Ren didn't have it either…" she mumbled. "Three of my governors, beaten, and we still don't have the Key… This is no longer amusing…
"Seems it's true what they say… If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself…"
She stared at the ceiling.
And then the frown slowly turned into a smile. She sat up.
"Do it yourself!" she exclaimed. "Now that's a novel idea!"
She picked up her own Duel Disk from a table next to the couch.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to be more… social… It's time to see who the better duelist is… The Queen of Games of Earth, or the Queen of Games of Xanadu!"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Right now, Nicholas and Olga were very nervous. Mostly, they were afraid of breaking something.
They were sitting in a lounge where everything looked antique, expensive, or both. Having lived with Rasputin, they had seen people who owned Picassos before, but never two in one room.
"This guy has more bread than Wonder," said Nicholas. "How does one become so rich?"
"It all starts with one idea," said a voice.
They looked up, and saw a man walk in. He looked about fifty, with receding, gray hair. He wore slacks, and a sweater that didn't look nearly as expensive as his other belongings. He was carrying a leather-bound briefcase.
"One good idea often leads to others," said the man. "And they start a chain reaction that blossoms into more and more ideas.
"And when one is wise enough to market those ideas and invest them wisely, profit can be made.
"Thomas Edison had hundreds of ideas… There are 1,093 patents in his name in the United States alone, more in Europe…"
"Dr. Edwin Ting, I presume?" asked Nicholas.
The man nodded, and then sat down.
"I hope that Ashraf didn't scare you too much," he said. "He tends to be intimidating…"
"Let me guess," said Olga, "his bark is worse than his bite."
"Oh no, no," said Ting. "He's quite dangerous. He was a member of a crack counter-terrorist team for the Saudi government during Al-Nasr's uprising ten years ago."
Nicholas and Olga looked at each other.
"Riyad Al-Nasr?" asked Olga. "The terrorist leader who… uhm…"
Ting shook his head sadly.
"…who was known for killing via incredibly sadistic methods," he said. "Such as having victims impaled. He was a madman with an evil mind and wicked plans. But Ashraf was part of the group responsible for hunting him down… And they succeeded.
"He retired soon after, and I needed a bodyguard. He fit the bill nicely…"
"Riyad Al-Nasr…" muttered Nicholas. "Wow, we have nightmares about that guy…"
"So…" muttered Ting, "you two came to me for information about Xanadu and Daala…
"Tell me…
"What took you so long to find me?"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CLASS SYSTEM (Spell Card)
Quickplay Spell
Image: A man in regal clothing walking down the steps of a palace as two servants bow before him.
Card Description: Activate this card when your Monster would be destroyed in battle or by an opposing Monster effect. If the opposing Monster's Level is equal to or less than that of your Monster, your Monster is not destroyed, and battle damage (if applicable) is reduced to zero.
Note: "Class System" was first used by Marik in "The Final Face-Off (Part Four)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Ren's Deck Lord: "Penumbral Soldier Lady": "Dark Rush": You may pay 800 Life Points to increase the ATK of one of your DARK Warrior-Type Monsters by the same amount during your own Battle Phase. If you use this effect, you may not use it again until three of your Standby Phases have passed. (Minor Power) "Dark Resurrection": By paying 800 Life Points and discarding a Spell Card to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon a DARK Warrior-Type Monster that is Level Four or less from your Graveyard. You may use this effect a total of three times. (Minor Power)
Johnson's Deck Lord: "Judge Man": "Evidence Locker": You may take any card from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, and place it on the top of your deck. This ability may be used a total of three times. (Greater Power) "Hostile Witness": You may only use this effect if you have two or less cards in your hand. Remove from play one Monster in your Graveyard that is Level Five or higher. For each Level of the removed Monster over four, both players draw one card. This effect may be used once per round. (Greater Power)
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Coming up next:
Daala finally gets off her couch and decides to challenge Yumi personally! And while that's happening, Nicholas and Olga learn the secret origin of both Daala and Xanadu! And there'll be another surprise that I'll never reveal until it happens. Be here for "Queen's Gambit".
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Name that Card!
Whoever designed "Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning" and "Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End" likely thought they were good ideas at the time. So much that this accessory card was designed especially for them. Can you name it?