"I'll go first," The mark on Ethan's forehead pulsed as he drew his card. "I play Preparations for the End! Now I pay half of my life points and remove from play all Fate cards from my hand, deck and graveyard!"

Ethan: 2000
Arlene: 4000

"Then I'll summon Genetic Warwolf (2000/0100) in attack mode and call it a turn!" Ethan frowned at the cards he had in his hand.

All of them are just monsters! No other magic or trap cards at all! I'll beat this girl without them but...this scenario seems familiar... On the other side of the field, Arlene was remembering something about the monster Ethan had just summoned.

Genetic Warwolf... Ethan's monster snarled at her, but she was too consumed with memories. Devin Pickett played that card. When did Ethan get one? Arlene focused on her cards as she made her move.

"I'll draw, and then I'll summon Balance Warrior Emri (1400/1600) to the field. Next I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master to raise my life points by 1000 and add a Light Aura to Emri!"

Ethan: 2000
Arlene: 5000

"I'll then activate Emri's effect, allowing me to remove a Light Aura from him to destroy one monster on the field and send it to the graveyard, so your monster is destroyed." Genetic Warwolf gave a piercing howl as a Light Aura encircled it. Ethan's monster struggled, before it glowed a ghostly white and shattered into pixels. "Now Emri will attack directly!"

Ethan: 0600
Arlene: 5000

"You're not evil, Ethan. I'm going to prove that." Ethan chuckled as he drew.

"What, you think that thanks to the green mark on my forehead I'm not myself? I'm in full control of my senses, and I'm finally able to see the world for what it is, and I'm going to change it."

"By killing people?"

"I'm suprised, Arlene. I didn't think you'd be as naive as this. The world is not a good place. There are selfish and twisted humans that need to be stopped."

"And you think Hamon isn't?"

"It's all about seeing things in a different way. Like your friends. You thought they were solely good, but now you're not sure. After all, they've killed."

"I DON'T believe that!" Arlene responded with a fierce tone. Ethan gave a small shrug at this.

"Ask them yourself. Should you get through this of course."

"You know you're really not giving Begia a good image by holding a gun to the back of my head," Michael noted. Donovan shot Michael a patronizing look.

"You actually think you're going to get through this to tell people? Give me a break! We're the ones in control of the situation, not you."

"Or so you think." There was a gunshot, and Michael heard Alvaro collapse to the floor.

"You son of a..." Donovan began before Michael heard another gunshot and felt something whistle past him before connecting with Donovan, killing him. Michael had barely begun to register what had happened when a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around to see Erick Guerra holding a gun.

"You're Erick Guerra." Erick gave a nod.

"If you were wanting to get the kids, they're already gone. Hamon took them to another facility."

"Where." Michael replied immediately.

"I'll show you. Follow me." Erick started running in the opposite direction to the door Michael had until only a few seconds ago longed to open. Now the door was meaningless and Michael followed Erick, his mind moving slowly as he registered what had just happened. In his haste, he had completely forgotten about Fay.

"You know, Arlene, I think you could have beaten me in that last turn." Arlene said nothing, focusing her attention on the cards in her hand. "Not doing so was a mistake. I..."

"Why are you doing this?"

"I've said before, I've seen the world in a whole new light. I hope you get The Infection of Fate so that you..."

"I don't WANT to see your twisted vision!"

"Arlene...what do you think of dictators?"

"What?"

"What do you think about them?"

"They...they..." Arlene struggled to put together her thoughts.

What's wrong with me? Hamon and Ethan are messing with my head!

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you think they're evil?"

"Yes." Ethan looked patronizingly at Arlene.

"Evil. You're still so naive-"

"Make your point or shut up." Arlene snapped. Ethan nodded.

"What do you think dictators think of themselves? Do you think they believe they are evil?"

"No, because they're too consumed in their thoughts to even think about it."

"Then it's a matter of perspective. How do you know that you're on the right side?" Arlene looked incredulous.

"You're KILLING people! You're choosing their fate! How is that right?"

"The Fate cards are choosing their fate, not Begia."

"You're the ones who are using them as a means to kill people! That's second degree murder!"

"And what would you say if the people whose fates we were deciding had committed wrongs?"

"There's prison for that. There's courts and-"

"They'll get put in for a few years for murder and get out to commit again. How is that right?"

"Look. I don't have the time for your discussion on what's right and wrong. Just get back to the duel." Ethan shrugged and carried on with his turn, but in Arlene's mind her thoughts were becoming confused.

"Alright then, I believe I was about to summon Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) who will destroy Emri." Ethan summoned a dog with demonic eyes that was foaming at the mouth, which ran directly for Emri and sunk its teeth into Arlene's monster causing it to shatter.

Ethan: 0600
Arlene: 4500

"I'll finish by setting a card."

"I draw..." Arlene stopped mid sentence at the sound of Ethan laughing. "Are you going to tell me what's funny?" Ethan revealed a face down card.

"I activate Shape Shifters, which I can only activate by increasing your life points until there is an 8000 point difference!"

Ethan: 0600
Arlene: 8600

"Is that it?"

"For now." Ethan smirked and his facial features became twisted as the green mark on his forehead pulsed.

"I'll discard a Balance Warrior from my hand to summon Balance Fighter (2100/0800) to the field, who will attack your monster!" Ethan laughed as the attack was carried out.

Ethan: 0400
Arlene: 8600

"Thank you, Arlene, because now my trap card activates! I can now summon a monster whose attack is - at the most - 300 points greater than the one you just destroyed from my deck, so I'll bring out Empress Mantis (2200/1400)! What do you think of my trap card, Arlene? Every time you destroy one of my monsters in battle I can bring out an even stronger one from my deck!"

"That might work in battle, but not through card effects. I play Aura Revenge, which can only be activated after the battle phase. For each card with Balance in its name in the graveyard and out of play zone, I can destroy one monster on the field. I have two, but I'll only use one for this card effect to destroy Empress Mantis!" A large number of Light Auras and Dark Auras swarmed the field, engulfing Empress Mantis and destroying it. Ethan gave a wide smile at her actions.

"Poor Arlene. I forgot to mention. If my monster is destroyed by a card effect, I get to special summon a monster with a level equal to the monster destroyed or one star higher from my deck, so come on out Wingweaver (2750/2400)!" A large fairy with six wings emerged on the field. "What are you going to do now, Arlene?"

I'll think of something. I can't lose to Ethan since he's played those Fate cards! And... Arlene suddenly recalled the conversation she had had with Erick Guerra. If Ethan loses and gets Reversal of Fate, then he'll finally come to his senses! I just wish I'd remembered that earlier...Ethan was right, I could have beaten him before.

Fay had been lying in the Begia corridor for a few minutes before she started stirring. She rolled to the side and snapped open her eyelids.

"What...?" She shakily got to her feet and looked at the familiar surroundings. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to collect her thoughts. As she did, an image of a young boy flashed through her mind before being forgotten. Fay began to slowly make her way through the Begia complex.

Before people start saying that Fay's supposed to be half-dead, I know I know. So how is she awake? Hee hee...

I've realised that the concept of Balance Warriors is a little tricky, so if anyone wants to PM me about it that's fine, but in the meantime, I'll be going over past chapters and adding card lists of all new cards I've created, starting with this one.

Balance Fighter
ATK: 2100 DEF: 0800
Attribute: Light
Level: 5
Type: Warrior / Effect
Image: A rugged looking female warrior with a scimtar.
Effect: You can special summon this card from your hand by discarding a card with "Balance Warrior" in its name from your hand.

Aura Revenge
Normal Magic
Image: A frightened Mataza the Zapper surrounded by Light and Dark Auras.
Effect: This card can only be activated if you have already conducted your battle phase this turn. For each card with "Balance Warrior" in its name in your graveyard and out of play zone, you may destroy one monster on the field.

Shape Shifters
Continuous Trap
Image: A Petit Moth with a shadowy version of Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth directly behind it.
Effect: Increase your opponent's life points until your opponent's life points exceeds your life points by 8000. This effect cannot be negated or reversed to inflict damage to your opponent. When a monster you control is destroyed by battle, you may summon a monster from your deck whose attack points are at most 300 points greater than the monster destroyed. If a monster you control is destroyed by a card effect while face up, you may summon a monster from your deck whose level is at most one star greater than the monster destroyed.