Shadowchasers: Miscellaneous Files

by MultiplePersonas

Just what the title says: Everyday busts of Shadow criminals. A collection of oneshots, featuring a different Shadowchaser almost every time. Chapter 6 is finally up! Bruno is back, and his match with Teodahr has hit him hard!

6. Dark Desires

(Woot! I'm back and better than ever! How long has it been—two and a half years? Sorry for the delay—inspiration was minimal, and I have the attention span of a pigeon. Nonetheless I throw myself entirely into my projects, as you'll soon see.

Before I begin, I'd like to thank a few people: Cyber Commander, for creating the Shadowchasers and the Wonderland deck and being my beta for this chapter; Rocket Knight 777 for always being there to talk and help me with ideas, and for coming up with this chapter's title; Lonely Ghost666 for supporting me and asking me to be his beta; Metal Overlord 2.0 for his kind feedback; you (whoever you are) for reading this; and, last but not most or least, myself. It may sound conceited, but you should always take a little time to congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Well, that's all for the thanks! Enjoy!)

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Shadowchasers: Miscellaneous Files

Dark Desires

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"Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." ("Or the one.")

Immortal lines from immortal characters (of whom I am a closet fan). These words were first used to refer to the former speaker's suicide mission to rescue the rest of his crew. Spock gave his life for the sake of logic (even if he did come back later). These words are to be taken seriously—it is a part of being human to compromise, to give up some of your own well-being and happiness for the sake of others, be it your family, your friends, or your country. I, however, by circumstances beyond my control, came to sacrifice of myself to protect the entire world from a wicked force. It isn't exactly a nuclear weapon, but instead spreads misery to anyone who holds it, and suicide if they keep it for too long. It also has a nasty habit of working its way from place to place. As it is, I am the perfect protector: I, too, have a history of triggering negative emotions and instincts, which have not only allowed me to somewhat resist its influence, but also to ward off all those dumb enough to take it.

You may ask yourself "why not just destroy it?", and the answer is, I don't know. I guess I just can't bring myself to do so. The vessel is something I consider precious, too valuable for a duelist to destroy. Sounds silly, I know, but I just can't do it.

For nine years I have been burdened by this responsibility, but I am bound by my own honor as a duelist to surrender it in a wager. Now, yet another cocky imbecile has come to me, seeking to gain what I am cursed to guard.

May God have mercy on his soul, because I certainly won't.

It was a quiet spring morning in Warsaw. The sun had risen a couple of hours ago, and light was shining through the windows of an opulent, beautifully-furnished penthouse apartment. The place smelled like fried sausages and fresh-baked bread, and wind chimes beat out their cheerful music in the breeze. The owner of said apartment was seated on a leather couch, watching a British morning talk show on his immense flat-screen TV.

"So, Teodahr," said the host, a dark-haired tiefling woman who, based on her smile, seemed to have confused her role with one for a toothpaste commercial. She was addressing a shadar-kai dressed entirely in black leather, with an X-shaped scar on his chin, at least twenty piercings on the right side of his face, and an elaborate tattoo of the night sky on the left. "You now hold the, shall we say, 'honor', of defeating a grand total of seventeen Shadowchasers—and on video, no less! You seem to be downright unstoppable. To what do you attribute this incredible streak? What's your secret?"

"No secret, Tawny," the shadar-kai replied in a handsome Liverpudlian accent, giving a shrug of his thin shoulders. "I just get ahold of good cards, practice hard, and do what I can to perfect any strategy. Of course, it's important to always keep them guessing, so I keep changing decks."

"Clearly!" the tiefling woman exclaimed. "We've seen you operate over a dozen, some of which are known by duelists as nearly impossible to use! Gaston," she called, looking off-screen, "can we roll those clips?"

Immediately the scene switched to Teodahr commanding a giant green moth to attack a stone-faced Vietnamese man in an elegant park at night. The Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth sent its poison tornado to wipe out the man's Naturia Beast. Then the scene shifted to Teodahr standing on a sidewalk, summoning a colossal mechanical Dragon that obliterated a smaller, much uglier Dragon as its owner, a short, chubby man with curly brown hair stared and smiled in wonder. After that, it showed Teodahr sending Valkyrion the Magna Warrior to destroy a middle-aged South American woman's Heroic Champion Kusanagi as they stood atop a building overlooking what had to have been Rio de Janeiro.

A studio audience applauded as the show cut back to Tawny and Teodahr in their armchairs.

"Simply amazing!" Tawny marveled. "And worthy of your online fame! In fact, at this point I'd say you're the second-most famous thing to ever come out of Liverpool!"

"And I'm not going to stop until I'm at first place!" the shadar-kai laughed. "Sorry, Paul! I love ya, but you're goin' down!"

The audience let out another laugh just as a knock sounded at the apartment door.

Right on time, the apartment's owner thought as he reached for the remote and turned off the television. With a sigh, he pulled himself up from the couch. He was a tall man with dark, well-combed wavy hair, high cheekbones, and very pale skin, and he was dressed in an immaculately tailored Italian suit and fine leather shoes, with a pair of wraparound shades blocking his eyes. He had no last name. He was known only as Vladimir, the Shadow Spawn of Darkness.

Moving at a leisurely pace, he made his way to the door, pulling it wide open. Before him was a short, plump man with curly brown hair held under a black bowler hat. He had wide brown eyes, a little upturned nose, and a sly, unfriendly grin. Like Vladimir he was wearing a dark suit, though not of such fine quality, and he carried a briefcase in one hand and a thin box under the other. He was, in fact, the same man whose monster Teodahr's Dragon had destroyed in one of Teodahr's clips.

"Hello, Mr. von Klein," Vladimir said curtly. His words were polite, but his tone was clipped. "Please, won't you come in?"

"Gladly," the guest replied in a mild German accent as he stepped through the doorway. His tone was nearly identical. "And please, call me 'Bruno'. Here," he said, holding out the box. "I've brought you a host gift."

"Very decent of you," Vladimir commented. "Do you mind if I ask what it is?"

Bruno stared right into the Shadow Spawn's sunglasses, still bearing his sly grin. "Bavarian chocolates," he answered. "Finest in the world. My girlfriend sends a box to her parents in America every month. I figured the Shadow Spawn of Darkness would appreciate only the darkest of chocolate."

Behind his shades, Vladimir rolled his eyes.

"Very witty. Now, I've been keeping breakfast warm for us. Please join me."

Bruno nodded and followed Vladimir into the apartment and through to the next room. Along the way he scanned the apartment. Most of the furniture was of the finest quality, and works of art were everywhere—sculptures, urns, and portraits dotted the entire penthouse. Most of them were replicas, but the ones that were real had to have been worth a small fortune.

The two journeyed through the apartment to the kitchen and dining room, which had a large table laid out with a white tablecloth and set with breakfast for two. There was a family portrait on the wall and a porcelain vase filled with fresh-cut violets in the center of the table. The table itself was set for two, with covers over the dishes keeping them warm, and bowls of fruit and pots of tea and coffee laid out by the sides. Best of all, there was a door to the deck on one side of the table that led out to an immense balcony with a spectacular view of Warsaw's Old Town Market Place.

Vladimir gestured for Bruno to be seated, then took the other seat for himself, setting the box of chocolates aside.

"This is a very fine apartment, Vladimir," Bruno complimented, lifting up his dish cover to find a plate of eggs, sausages, and croissants.

"Thank you," Vladimir replied, tucking into a sausage. "I knew buying the building was a wise investment. It makes a very nice escape from Arcadia now and then."

"I can tell," Bruno chuckled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "A man of your standing deserves a treat now and then."

Vladimir frowned. "I'm not sure I'd put it that way, but yes. How are you enjoying Warsaw?"

"I've just arrived, but what I've seen is nice. Now, I assume you know why I'm here?"

"Indeed," Vladimir said, his face neutral as he sipped his tea. "Melissa alerted me immediately after her duel. I must say, I'm impressed that you overcame her—and even more impressed that you defeated Leopold."

Bruno shook his head and took a bite of his croissant. "Leopold wasn't at his best," he said, chewing thoughtfully. "He wasn't expecting a duel any more than I was expecting him. Your sister has a cruel sense of humor, telling me 'her brother would be in Hamburg'."

Vladimir chuckled at this. "Yes, she's fooled us all with her loopholes. Still, you found me."

"Yes," the chubby German Shadowchaser agreed. "Now, do you have what I want, or was Melissa deceiving me about that, too?"

"I do. It's right here in this apartment. But I'm not about to simply hand it over, no matter how hard you've worked to find it."

Bruno stopped eating. Now he was staring Vladimir down, refusing to break eye contact with the Shadow Spawn's shades.

"I didn't expect this to be easy," Bruno said, his voice low. "But I am not about to return home empty-handed. If you're willing to trade—"

"Never," Vladimir said flatly. "I am the guardian of this accursed card, and I will not allow it to be bought. Those who would use it for wrongdoing usually have far more to offer than those whose intentions are pure."

Bruno nodded. "I figured as much. Then it seems that a duel is our only option."

"Indeed," Vladimir agreed, smiling slightly. "But I won't even honor the terms unless you have something to wager."

Bruno didn't speak, but, for the first time since his entry, he frowned. Reaching over for the briefcase, he hoisted it onto the table and opened it. Inside was a custom Duel Disk, a black model with a tray in the shape of a sharp crescent, loaded with a deck. Beside that was a single card in a plastic sleeve. Bruno picked up the card and held it high for Vladimir to see. It was a very infamous Spell Card, long since outlawed.

"That'll do," the Shadow Spawn admitted. "Out of curiosity, how did you come to possess such a card?"

Bruno shrugged and put the card back into the briefcase, his sly grin returning as he helped himself to more breakfast. "It was confiscated from a criminal in Neo Domino, and Jalal sent it to its last agreed-upon legal owner, who gave it to his granddaughter and told her to never let him see it again, who gave it to me and told me to never let her see it again. I take it that it'll be safe if I lose?"

"You have my promise," Vladimir assured him. "It wouldn't be the first card I've taken from a fool who sought after my so-called treasure. Your card will be as well-guarded as the others. But let me finish my breakfast first. I simply hate to duel on an empty stomach."

Bruno wrinkled his nose, but his smile stayed put, and the two tucked in. Obviously hoping to entertain himself, he cast his eye onto the family portrait on the wall. It had been painted a year or two ago, obviously, but it was a magnificent work. Seated in the center Bruno recognized Melissa, the porcelain-skinned Shadow Spawn of Light and the youngest of the siblings. Her platinum-blonde hair was curled into ringlets, and she was wearing a pale yellow evening gown with an opal brooch on her shoulder. She looked slightly peeved, her face in a frown and her hands on the seat of her chair.

Standing behind her must've been Kurtis, the Shadow Spawn of Wind and second-youngest of the brood. His snowy white hair matched his white suit perfectly, though the suit had a relaxed fit—he was developing a bit of a gut—and a gold earring hung from his left ear. He was staring down at Melissa, his angular face looking amused at her discomfort. His hands were lost behind Melissa's back, possibly on purpose—Bruno had heard he had talons for hands.

Next to Kurtis was obviously Maria, the Shadow Spawn of Water and second-oldest in the painting. Her shoulder-length hair was a startling azure, and her busty frame was contained in a low-cut teal dress. She was bent down, giving ample view of her cleavage as she held tight to Melissa's shoulders. Sapphire rings decorated her manicured fingers. Her azure eyes were casting Melissa a rather disapproving look.

Way off to the left had to be Tyson, a year older than Kurtis and Shadow Spawn of Fire. He was well-tanned and the most muscular of the bunch, wearing a loose-fitting ashy-grey tux that went surprisingly well with his gelled scarlet hair. There was a yellow rose worn as a boutonniere in his chest pocket, and his arms were crossed over his toned stomach as he howled with laughter at those in the center.

Next to Maria Bruno recognized the thick-featured, sandy-haired Leopold, Shadow Spawn of Earth, who was a year younger than his older sister. He seemed to be the shortest of the bunch (Bruno could only guess as two were sitting, but he knew Leopold was a fair amount shorter than Melissa), and was the only male not in a suit, instead wearing a beige tweed jacket and slacks. An expensive-looking silver watch glistened on his wrist, and behind his glasses he seemed to be rolling his eyes at his siblings' antics.

Finally, next to Leopold was Vladimir himself. His suit might've been the exact same one he was wearing now, and even in the painting he wore sunglasses. He seemed to be trying his hardest to keep his expression neutral, but Bruno could see the tiniest of smirks was working its way to the Shadow Spawn of Darkness's face.

"That's a nice portrait," Bruno complimented, gesturing to it with his fork.

Vladimir smiled and took a break from his eggs. "Thank you," he said. "It was based off of a family photo we took a couple of years ago. It took the combined efforts of Kurtis, Tyson, and Maria to force Melissa into that dress, and it was all I could do to keep her from tearing off somebody's face. We considered having the painter embellish it a bit, but decided against it—it was just too good as it was."

Bruno nodded. His smirk seemed less coy and more genuine now. "I'm no stranger to such things. I have five siblings of my own—all older, and all girls. Believe me, being the youngest is difficult enough, but still being the firstborn son can be beyond stressful."

"You seem to have turned out well, though," Vladimir commented.

"Indeed I have," Bruno agreed, perhaps with a little less modesty than was proper. "I've learned to move beyond such frustrations and keep my mind on better thoughts. It's somewhat of a gift of mine. I'll admit, though, father wasn't pleased when I decided to become a clown."

Vladimir's eyebrow could just be seen raising over the rim of his sunglasses. "You were a clown?" he inquired, not quite believing it.

Instead of speaking, Bruno surprised Vladimir by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a strip of rubber. With three big breaths, he inflated the balloon, then began twisting it this way and that. When he was done it had been made into a balloon giraffe, which he tossed across the table to his host.

Not sure what to say, Vladimir simply chuckled slightly and placed the balloon animal on the counter behind him and tucked back into his breakfast. Bruno seemed slightly upset that the conversation had stopped, but he decided to busy himself by eating.

Ten minutes later, the plates were clear, and Vladimir let out a sigh of contentment. Smiling, he reached under the table and pulled out a Duel Disk of his own, this one as black as Bruno's, with a tray shaped like a bat's wing. Like Bruno's it was already loaded with a deck. "All right," he said. "Follow me."

The Shadow Spawn of Darkness rose from his seat and walked over to the sliding door, opening it wide and beckoning Bruno onto the deck. Bruno nodded, seizing his own Disk, and walked outside.

Only when outside upon the balcony could the portly Shadowchaser truly appreciate its magnificence. It took up an entire side of the building's top floor, and the building's position provided the perfect amount of shade in the morning light. Far below, Bruno could see people milling about, starting their day.

"Are you ready to see Hell?" Vladimir asked, showing a sly grin of his own as he slipped his Disk onto his wrist.

"I was born ready," was Bruno's reply as he put on his own Disk.

Vladimir laughed in reply. "You were also born wet, screaming, and naked," he sneered. "That doesn't mean that you are now."

Bruno stayed silent as the two activated their Duel Disks.

(Vladimir: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Bruno: 8,000)

"Since you had the gall to come into my home and challenge me, I think I deserve the first turn," Vladimir said as the two duelists drew their opening hands. He snatched another card from his deck, then studied what he had.

Not too shabby, he thought. This should make for a good first turn.

"I'll start by activating Call of the Mummy."

He slipped the card into his Disk, and the image of the Continuous Spell materialized beside him. It bore the image of decaying mummies emerging from sarcophagi.

"As I'm sure you know, this allows me to Special Summon a Zombie-type monster from my hand each and every turn, provided that there are no monsters on my field. I'll begin by bringing forth my Vampire Duke."

He played the card and a monster materialized before him. It was a tall, pale man with dark hair and blood red eyes and lips, dressed in a white puffy shirt, dark red vest, black slacks, and an immense black cape that swayed in the wind. All in all, he looked exactly like many modern (cleaned-up) interpretations of Count Dracula. (2,000 ATK)

Upon seeing this, Bruno let out another chuckle. "You're using a Vampire deck?" he observed. "As in, aristocratic creatures of darkness? Don't you think that that's a little on the nose?"

Vladimir sneered back. He had heard this all before. "I use this deck as the guardian of that accursed card for more than one reason, Mr. von Klein, as you shall soon see. And are you honestly implying that you don't at all relate to your own cards?"

Bruno nodded, his grin growing broader. "I suppose you're right. But vampires don't traditionally end up victorious. And call me 'Bruno'."

"Perhaps you've merely been reading the wrong literature," Vladimir replied. "This deck has seen endless success."

"'Endless', eh?" Bruno said. "We'll have to see about that."

"We certainly shall. Now, back to my move. You should know that when Vampire Duke is Special Summoned, I can force you to discard a Spell, Trap, or monster from your deck. I think you should discard…a Spell Card."

The well-dressed Vampire smiled and raised his hand, blasting a wave of dark energy at Bruno's deck. Bruno raised an eyebrow, but his smile didn't change. He simply pulled out his deck and fanned it open. After a moment's consideration he removed Double Spell and slipped it into his Graveyard slot, then replaced the deck and let the Disk's auto-shuffler do its work.

"Very good," Vladimir said with a nod. "Now, for my next move I'll summon Vampire Sorcerer."

A new Vampire materialized, this one shorter than the Duke, dressed in a purple robe with red trim, studded with spikes around the hips. He carried a staff with a bat-shaped topper that was inlaid with a large ruby, as was his belt and pointed hat. His hair was a sickly green, and his skin was a decayed grey. (1,500 ATK)

"Oh, but it gets better," the Shadow Spawn of Darkness chortled. "By activating Transmodify, I can send my Sorcerer to the Graveyard to bring out another, stronger Zombie-Type from my deck—"

He played the card and the Vampire Sorcerer spun his staff and vanished, leaving a red glowing ring of light. A second later, crisscrossing beams of red light formed within the circle, forming a pentagram.

"—Like another Vampire Duke!"

The pentagram began to spin into a blur of red light, which soon became a cloud of darkness. When it dissipated, an exact twin of Vampire Duke was standing beside the first.

"And since he was Special Summoned, you now have to discard a Trap Card."

Once again, Bruno removed his deck, this time discarding Out Like a Candle!.

"And that's not even my entire turn! Next I'll use my two Level 5 Vampire Dukes to construct the Overlay Network!"

The two Vampire Dukes bowed low and transformed into columns of dark energy, which then rushed upward and swirled together, creating a vortex from which a dark shape descended. Rapidly it formed, taking a humanoid form, becoming a tall, skeletal man with long, stringy hair the exact color and thickness of cornsilk, and skin as pale as death itself. He was dressed in armor of the darkest purple tinged with red, and he wielded a serrated sword of the blackest iron with a bat-shaped hilt. His eyes were closed tight, but he was clearly wide awake.

"Behold, Crimson Knight Vampire Bram!"

The Crimson Knight's eyes flashed wide open. They were cherry-red and glowed with an eerie light, like an animal in a horror movie. He grunted and hefted his sword over his head. (2,500 ATK)

"Finally I'll set a card and end my turn." Vladimir said, slipping a card into his Duel Disk. A facedown card materialized behind Bram. "Now, come at me with everything you've got."

"Oh, I intend to," Bruno shot back, snatching a card from his deck. Immediately he slapped one down. "I summon Alice, the Warden of Wonderland!"

With a cry of "HYAH!", Bruno's signature monster sprung forth, wielding her hunting knife. (1,300 ATK)

"And I'll give her some extra power by equipping her with the Vorpal Blade!"

The overweight German slipped a Spell Card into his Disk and Alice's knife transformed into a gleaming two-handed sword. (1,300 ATK) - ) (2,100 ATK)

"That won't be enough to defeat my Knight!" Vladimir remarked.

"Who said that I was finished?" Bruno laughed. "I'm also activating Enchanted Mushroom!"

Bruno played the Spell and its hologram sprung up, bearing the classic black and white Tenniel illustration of Alice confronting the Caterpillar.

"Now I select a card in your hand and—"

"You guess whether it is a Spell, Trap, or monster." Vladimir interrupted. "If you're correct, Alice's Attack Score will double for the remainder of the turn, but if you're wrong it will be cut in half."

Seeing the look on Bruno's face, he added, "My siblings keep in touch. Plus I follow Teodahr."

Bruno's smile faltered for a moment, but he snapped right back. "Yes, so do I. I admit it: I'm hooked."

"He's not exactly a saint, but he's a great duelist," Vladimir agreed. "Now, on to your guess. I have only one card left in my hand. Is it a monster? Perhaps a Spell? Or is it a Trap?"

"I don't need to guess," Bruno said with a sarcastic laugh. "I already know that it's a Spell Card!"

Vladimir was taken aback by this abrupt guess, but turned his one remaining card around. It was indeed a Spell Card, specifically Overpowering Eye. Alice winked, then began to grow exponentially until her feet took up almost half of the balcony, and her sword was nearly penetrating the clouds. (2,100 ATK) - ) (4,200 ATK)

"All right, Alice," Bruno commanded. "Stomp his Vampire flat!"

Without missing a beat, Alice lifted her leg and then lowered it, crushing Crimson Knight Vampire Bram under her foot. When she stepped back, the Vampire was revealed to have been crushed flat before he shattered into pixels.

(V: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 8,000)

As intimidating as the Warden of Wonderland had become, Vladimir had something else on his mind. "How did you know it was a Spell?" he demanded.

Bruno let out another chuckle. "Normally I'd never say," he replied. "But you are an opponent that I'm trying very hard to respect. The answer is right in front of your eyes."

Puzzled, Vladimir put a hand to his head. Then he smiled. His fingers had just brushed against the answer: Bruno had seen the reflection of the card's green border in his sunglasses. With a snarl, Vladimir removed the glasses placed them in his pocket, then looked Bruno directly in the eye, displaying the coldest, iciest blue eyes that Bruno had ever seen. It would've easily sent a chill down a weaker man's spine, but Bruno held firm. For a second, Vladimir thought that Bruno might be able to handle the accursed card.

Don't be ridiculous!, he told himself, shaking his head. No man has that kind of strength, and I'm going to prove it!

"Will that be all for the turn, Mr. von Klein?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not quite." Bruno reported. "I'll also set a card. And please call me 'Bruno'."

A facedown card appeared behind Alice's left foot, and afterward the Warden of Wonderland shrunk down to her normal size, but was barely less intimidating with her sword and angry expression. (4,200 ATK) - ) (2,100 ATK)

"Now hit me with your best shot. Or did you already?"

Vladimir flared his nostrils. "Don't get a swelled head, Mr. von Klein," he warned. "I assure you, the duel will only get more difficult from here. Draw!"

Pulling another card from the top of his deck, Vladimir took one look at it and grinned.

"First of all, Mr. von Klein," he said. "You should know that my Crimson Knight Vampire Bram has a couple of special abilities."

"Oh, really?" Bruno replied, crossing his arms with smug satisfaction.

"Yes, really. And one of them is that whenever you destroy him, he comes back in Defense Mode. You know these Vampires—you think you've staked them in the heart and cut off their heads, but they always seem to come back, no matter how unlikely."

True to Vladimir's words, a red pentagram materialized on the balcony floor, and from it rose an ornate black coffin studded with rubies, floating horizontally and parallel to the floor. (0 DEF)

"For my next trick, I'll activate a Spell Card, Recurring Nightmare."

To Vladimir's surprise, as he said the name of the card, Bruno shuddered. It was slight, it only lasted a second, and Bruno was doing his best to pretend he hadn't, but it had definitely happened.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, Mr. von Klein?" the Shadow Spawn of Darkness inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Certainly not," Bruno replied, now trying to stand as rigid as possible. "And I believe I told you to call me 'Bruno'."

"Well, then, on to my card's effect. It allows me to take two DARK monsters with zero Defense Points from my Graveyard and add them to my hand. And I have two Vampire Dukes that fit the bill."

"Too bad that you can't use Call of the Mummy to bring them out," Bruno scoffed.

"Oh, can't I?" Vladimir retorted.

"No, you can't. It won't work if you have a monster on your field, and your Crimson Knight just revived."

"Well, then I'll just have to get rid of it. I activate my Trap Card, Deck Devastation Virus!"

Vladimir's facedown card lifted up, and the coffin was consumed by a dark purple aura before shattering, sending purple lights straight at Bruno.

"As I'm sure you know, Mr. von Klein, in exchange for the sacrifice of a DARK monster with two-thousand or more Attack Points, this card forces you to show me your hand and any cards you draw in your next three turns, and any of your monsters with fifteen-hundred Attack or less are destroyed on the spot. Now, show me your hand."

His smirk fading considerably, Bruno showed the two cards in his hand, which were revealed to be Morals from the Duchess and March Hare. Annoyed, Bruno shoved March Hare into his Graveyard.

"And now that my field is clear, I can use Call of the Mummy to Special Summon back one of my Vampire Dukes."

True to Vladimir's word, one of the well-dressed Vampires materialized on the field again.

"And you know what that means—time to discard a card. I think you should go with a Spell this time."

Bruno's smile slipped a little more as he discarded Stray Lambs.

"And, since he can't defeat your Warden, I'll use Overpowering Eye to allow him to attack you directly."

Vladimir played the card and Vampire Duke's eyes glowed, causing Alice to cower slightly.

"Now attack, my servant! Vampiric fangs!"

Baring his enlarged eyeteeth, Vampire Duke sprung forward, still leering. Alice, now quite frightened, leapt out of his way. With nothing to block his path, the Vampire noble struck Bruno full-on, sinking his teeth into the chubby Shadowchaser's neck. Surprisingly, Bruno didn't even flinch.

(V: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,000)

He's certainly a cocky one, Vladimir thought. I'll just have to prove to him that he can't handle that wicked card. It's time to do what I do best.

As anybody who had known Vladimir in his youth knew, as the Shadow Spawn of Darkness, Vladimir radiated an odd aura that generated fear in all around him, especially those that opposed him. This aura of fear exploited the primordial fear of darkness that exists in all rational creatures, making anybody scared of what they couldn't see. Vladimir's set cards, his hand, even his deck would begin to make opponents doubt their every move. Years ago, Vladimir had been unable to shut off this power, but with his mother's influence gone and plenty of practice, he'd learned to use it only when needed.

And protecting people from this card definitely counted.

"That ends my turn," Vladimir announced.

It might take a couple of turns to kick in, but when it happens he'll never stop defending!

His expression back to a sly smirk, Bruno drew a card and let out a smile, then turned it around for Vladimir to see. "My Jabberwock may be a monster," he reported, "but it's far too strong for your Virus to destroy!"

"That's true," Vladimir agreed. "But it also requires a double tribute to summon, and you don't have those kinds of resources available."

"Then I'll just destroy your Vampire Duke! Alice, Vorpal Blade attack!"

Alice nodded and leapt forward, swinging her sword and slashing the Duke in half.

(V: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,000)

"That'll do for now. I'm catching up to you, Vladimir."

The Shadow Spawn of Darkness shook his head as he drew. "You still don't get it, do you?" he jeered. "Life Points aren't the only thing that matters anymore."

It's working! He cleared my field for me to use Call of the Mummy again! My plan is in action and it only cost me a hundred Life Points! Now, to do what any good duelist does—push the envelope!

"It seems like we're both a little short on cards," he observed. "So I'll help us both out. I activate Spellbook Inside the Pot, allowing us both to draw three cards—but don't forget about my Virus!"

Without losing his smile, Bruno flared his nostrils Vladimir's way as they both took three cards from their decks, and Bruno showed his to his opponent. The cards were We're All Mad Here, Trials of the New Queen, and The Cheshire Cat. Two Traps and a weak monster, which was destroyed immediately.

Vladimir, on the other hand, had had much better luck. "Okay, things are about to pick up—well, for me, at least."

"What would you expect?" Bruno sneered. "Your, shall we say, special card is influencing your draws."

"Oh, you think so?" Vladimir scoffed. "Well, think again! That card isn't even in my deck! This 'luck', as you call it, is fueled by my insistence upon never letting this evil card fall into the wrong hands! Now, on with the duel! I'll use Call of the Mummy to Special Summon Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, in Defense Mode!"

There was a loud rumbling, and then an immense tower materialized beside the balcony, climbing high into the air. It was slightly bigger around than the balcony itself, and made out of bones from every creature imaginable. Funeral pyres were lit here and there, and translucent spirits circled it in midair. (1500 DEF)

"As I'm sure you know, my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower can't be attacked if I have another Zombie-Type on my field, and it forces you to discard two cards from the top of your deck every time a Zombie is Special Summoned. So, to take full advantage of this, I'll use my Book of Life to resurrect my Crimson Knight while banishing your March Hare!"

Vladimir activated his Spell Card, and a book of bound papyrus decorated with hieroglyphs rose into the air, then started flipping through the pages. Before it could settle on one, though, Bruno spoke up.

"Not so fast, Shadow Spawn," he taunted. "I activate Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell!"

Bruno hit a button on his Duel Disk and his facedown card lifted up. A golden seal appeared beneath the magical book, halting the flipping pages.

"I just discard a Spell from my hand and it not only negates yours, but keeps you from activating duplicates of it from this point on!"

He discarded Morals from the Duchess and the golden seal glowed brighter, sending out a purple mist. The book began to quiver, eventually exploding into triangles.

"Well," said Vladimir with a scowl. "That puts a damper in my plans, but it doesn't stop them entirely. I can still destroy Alice—by banishing my Vampire Sorcerer, I can summon a Vampire without a tribute."

Vladimir pocketed a card from his Graveyard, and a ghostly image of Vampire Sorcerer rose from the floor. It waved its wand and vanished.

"Now I summon my Vampire Duke!"

Once again the Vampire noble leapt onto the field.

"And you should know that when Vampire Duke is Normal Summoned, I can revive a Vampire from my Graveyard in Defense Mode—like my other Vampire Duke!"

Another coffin, black like Bram's but less ornate, rose out of the floor. (0 DEF)

"Plus, since he was Special Summoned, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower's effect activates."

The Tower's pyres glowed brighter, and its phantoms swarmed Bruno, sending two cards shooting from his Duel Disk. Peeved, Bruno slipped Mad Hatter and Waboku into his Graveyard.

"On top of that, you remember what happens when Vampire Duke is Special Summoned, right? Discard a Trap now, chop-chop!"

"All right, all right!" Bruno shot back, now twitching as he tried to maintain his grin. He violently pulled his deck from its slot and discarded Caucus-Race.

"Losing your patience, Mr. von Klein?" Vladimir taunted. "Well, prepare for more of the same, because I'm once again overlaying my two Vampire Dukes to Xyz Summon another Crimson Knight Vampire Bram!"

For the second time, the two Dukes converted into dark energy and swirled together, conjuring a red pentagram from which the armored Vampire emerged.

"And since Xyz Summoning is a type of Special Summoning, you lose two more cards!"

The phantoms swarmed Bruno again, forcing him to discard Whispering Gnat and Aggressive Reshuffle.

"Now, on to my Battle Phase!"

"Finally!" Bruno snapped.

"Tut-tut, Mr. von Klein," Vladimir lectured, now taking great pleasure in Bruno's distress—practically from the beginning, the overweight Shadowchaser had been impatient and rude under a thin veil of cordiality. "Complaining won't make me go faster, and if I'm cursed to protect this wicked card, I think I should get some enjoyment out of it.

"So, on to my attack. Crimson Knight Vampire Bram, attack Alice with dark vampiric sword!"

Bram nodded and dashed forward, swinging his sword. The Warden of Wonderland met him on the spot, fighting back with her Vorpal Blade. The Crimson Knight stabbed at her heart, but she knocked it away. She swung low, but he blocked and twisted his sword, knocking hers out of her hand. The Vorpal Blade flew off the balcony, leaving Alice fully vulnerable. Grinning in ecstasy, Bram slashed his sword and brutally decapitated the Warden.

(V: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,600)

"Now do you see why I use this deck as that evil card's guardian?" Vladimir asked. "It attacks everything: your hand, your deck, your field, and your Life Points, all at once! Try to protect one and the others will be wiped out! Now, show me what you've got!"

"With pleasure," Bruno said, forcefully drawing a new card. As soon as he looked at it, his smile tripled in size.

"Ohoho," he chuckled. "It seems your plan has backfired. Take a look at this!"

He turned the card around for Vladimir to see. It was Heart Guard, a monster with 1,000 ATK.

"Oh, damn," Vladimir cursed, but he didn't sound very rattled.

"Then I take it you understand your situation," Bruno bragged. "As you recall, monsters affected by Deck Devastation Virus aren't discarded—they're destroyed. And when Heart Guard is destroyed, its effect activates—"

His nasty smile now back to full size, he slammed Heart Guard into his Graveyard. A transparent monster appeared, a giant two of hearts playing card with a little head, spindly arms and legs, and a spear tipped with a red heart. It shattered into pixels in seconds.

"—and allows me to Special Summon Spade Guard, Club Guard, and Diamond Guard!"

Bruno fanned out his deck (which had now been reduced to just over half its original size) and selected three cards, placing each of them on his Disk. Three more playing card soldiers erupted: the three of clubs, the four of spades, and the five of diamonds, each holding a spear with their suit's symbol on the end. They dove to the ground and became indistinguishable from one another save for their weapons. (500 DEFx3)

"It gets better, Vladimir. Remember that Jabberwock I drew last turn? Well, now I have enough tributes to summon it!"

Spade Guard and Diamond Guard disappeared, and in their place rose the hideous Dragon-Type from Teodahr's clip. It was even uglier in person, with a fish-like face and overly long arms, and inexplicably wearing a vest. It spread its wings and let out a loud burble. (2,600 ATK)

"Wipe out his Knight! Merciless flame attack!"

The Jabberwock roared and sent a jet of flame from its mouth, incinerating Bram.

(V: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,600)

He's just digging himself deeper, Vladimir thought. He's so afraid that I'll power up my Vampires that he's throwing away his deck just to keep them at bay!

"And will there be anything else, Mr. von Klein?" he asked, with some false politeness of his own.

"As a matter of fact, there will," Bruno replied. "I'll set two cards. And call me 'Bruno'."

Vladimir shook his head and drew a card. Bram's coffin rose to the field again, and the Bone Tower's spirits assaulted Bruno again. With a grunt, the overweight German discarded Wasp in a Wig and Rising Energy from his deck.

"This is really starting to get to you, isn't it, Mr. von Klein?" Vladimir inquired. "Sinister and ever-repeating, driving you up the wall. Is there anything else like that in your life?"

"Aside from you?" Bruno shot back. "No, not really."

Vladimir rolled his icy blue eyes. "I don't believe you. I saw your reaction to my Recurring Nightmare card. I think it hit a little close to home."

"WELL YOU'RE WRONG!" Bruno cried, crossing his arms for emphasis. "MY DREAMS ARE JUST FINE!"

"I know why you're after my card," Vladimir went on, as if Bruno hadn't spoken. "I've seen it before: After that embarrassing loss to Teodahr the Ascending Star, you've been on a terrible losing streak. Your luck of the draw has been getting worse and worse. Then you heard about my card and its power to grant luck to its owner, and you became determined to have it, no matter the cost—before or after obtaining it! I'm guessing that you've been having a pretty nasty recurring dream about your defeat, too. How's that, am I on the right track?"

Bruno stared him down, his brow furrowed, but his sly grin fully intact. "You're only right on the last count," he said in a hushed tone. He didn't seem very happy to prove Vladimir wrong. Apparently whatever was going on was even worse. "I have been having recurring dreams about my loss to Teodahr, but in an entirely different light."

"Oh?" Vladimir replied, raising an eyebrow. His curiosity was officially piqued. "By all means, please elaborate."

Bruno hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and began.

"The dream starts with my loss to Teodahr, yes," he said, "but it goes very strangely from there."

"Most dreams do," Vladimir agreed with a nod.

"Yes, I suppose. But after he strikes the final blow and leaves, I chase after him. He's very fast, so fast that I eventually lose him and stop to catch my breath. When I do, I look around, and the color has drained from everything—it's all faded to a dull grey.

"Next I notice that my fellow Shadowchasers are there, but they turn grey, too, and then turn to stone. Jalal is there, too, and he suffers the same fate. Then, just as bad, I begin to turn to stone. It works its way up my legs, and I'm about to meet my end, but then…she appears."

"'She'?" Vladimir echoed, staring intently at his opponent. "You mean…?"

Bruno nodded. His grin had been slipping away throughout his description. "Yes. Her. She embraces me and reverses the process, restoring me entirely. But she doesn't free the others. They're stuck like that forever."

Both duelists were silent for a moment. For the first time, it seemed that Bruno was unwilling to look at Vladimir. Instead, he focused his attention on a crow that had landed on the roof. Finally, Vladimir broke the silence.

"So…how was my theory wrong? That dream seems to support it. I guess it also takes a step beyond—you think you need to obtain the card to protect those you care about."

Bruno sighed and shook his head. "It's not that simple. Let me make something clear: I am not ashamed of my loss to Teodahr. That duel was the best I've ever had, and I have no regrets about losing to a duelist of such skill. The problem is that that duel gave me the greatest rush I've ever had, and I've yet to match it. My win-loss ratio is the same as ever, if not better, but the duels have lost the excitement. Nothing seems challenging anymore, and dueling has been slowly losing its appeal. That's why I've sought out your card—not for its blessing, but for its curse. With that threat looming over me, I'll have to split my focus and accept further danger. I'll finally be able to feel that rush again!"

Vladimir stared at the portly Shadowchaser, eyes agape. The ability to speak had temporarily left him, but when he finally found his voice, it was coated with genuine compassion.

"You realize that that sounds disturbingly similar to a drug addiction, don't you?" he asked. As much as he had disliked Bruno before, he couldn't just let this information slip by. "And almost definitely a gateway to it!"

Bruno sent a glare Vladimir's way. "You don't have much respect for me, do you?" he inquired. "I've been through intense psychological training to ward off depression. I've cured three dozen joystealers and specialize in fighting off Shadow threats that focus on psychological warfare! How dare you confuse my quest with something so depraved! And how dare you suggest that I'd ever be so foolish as to seek excitement through illegal substances! I am a man of integrity and dedication to the law! Who are you, who has his own obvious psychological issues, to make such claims?"

As soon as he'd said it, Bruno seemed to regret it, his eyes going wide as he clapped his hand to his mouth. It was hard to tell, though, if he was sorry for what he'd said, or just that he'd lost his temper.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I just—"

"No, no," Vladimir said, shaking his head. "You've said it. You can't take it back now. So, which issues do you mean? Mommy issues? I'm well aware of those. Or are you referring to my relationship with my father? If so, you've clearly done your research, so kudos. Or are you making some outrageous assumption about my disinterest in dating? Go on, speak up. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

Bruno shrugged, his sly grin about half its normal size. "All right: You're determined to be a martyr. You grew up under the burden of acting as your mother's main enforcer and having to keep your siblings under control, and even when free of her influence you can't be happy. So, now that you live off her riches and have an enormous penthouse for a vacation home, you need an excuse not to enjoy it—or haven't you noticed that you've been bitching about the responsibility of protecting your card since I got here?"

Vladimir couldn't believe it, but he was stunned into silence. As much as he hated to admit it, Bruno was probably right—ever since his mother's death, he'd been burdening himself with his family, his country, and his card, and the first two had basically been caring for themselves for years.

Is that really why I'm doing this?, he asked himself. It'd certainly explain why I never just tore that card in half—and here I just thought that it was because I couldn't bring myself to destroy any card…well, I'll work on that later. Right now, I have a duel to win. It's time to take the fear factor up another level!

"You make some decent points, Mr. von Klein," Vladimir announced, wincing as he focused his power. It was a little uncomfortable to take it this far. "Perhaps we both have problems. But it seems the two are like apples and oranges, and yours is much more severe! Martyr or not, I need to win this duel not just to save you from my card, but to save you from yourself!

"Now, my Crimson Knight has revived, but it only gets more interesting from there!" Vladimir laughed. "I'm activating Foolish Burial to discard Vampire Grace from my deck!"

He played the card and slipped a card from his deck into his Graveyard.

"And next, I'll summon yet another Vampire by tributing my Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower! Arise, Vampire's Curse!"

The frightening Tower spun and vanished, and a new shape materialized on the field. Yet another Vampire had risen, this one skinny, but with muscular arms ending with bony hands and razor-sharp nails. His hair was bright turquoise, and his eyes and lips a deep scarlet. His fangs were a bit larger than the last few Vampires, and his face was sharp and angular. He was dressed in a dark blue suit and purple chestplate, and he wore a dark cape that, upon closer inspection, was actually a pair of bat wings folded behind his back. (2,000 ATK)

"Take out his Club Guard with nail fang blow!"

At its master's command, the Vampire's Curse spread his wings and leapt into the air, then swooped down on the card soldier and raked it with his fingernails, then bit down on its neck. Club Guard shattered into pixels on the spot.

"That's all for now," the Shadow Spawn reported, panting slightly. "But soon you'll be trembling in fear."

"Why?" Bruno asked with a sneer. "Because of that cheap trick of yours? Your aura of fear?"

Vladimir's eyes went wide. "You knew about that?!" he exclaimed.

"Of course I did," Bruno taunted. "I knew about that power beforehand, and I sensed it as soon as you started! I've been trained to detect and resist auras like this! Granted, they're usually auras of depression and/or sadness, not fear, but the training covers it. Why did you think I was unafraid of your card?"

Vladimir shrugged. "Because you're too much of a fool to realize how dangerous it truly is," he said matter-of-factly. "Just like everyone else who sought this card."

"Please," Bruno snorted. "Have you ever even used her?"

Vladimir scowled as he looked Bruno straight in the eye. "Once," he replied. "Never again."

Bruno rolled his eyes and drew his next card, then turned it around for Vladimir to see. It was Mad Hatter. "Looks like this one's strong enough to resist your Virus," he announced. "So I won't waste time in summoning it to the field!"

He slapped the card onto his Disk and the top-hatted madman leapt into being, his hat inexplicably staying on as he tilted his head at the sight of Vampire's Curse. (1,800 ATK)

"Now for the fun part: Mad Hatter, destroy Bram with mad dash!"

The Hatter laughed and ran forward, leaping up and delivering a flying kick to the casket, smashing it to smithereens.

"Jabberwock, wipe out his Vampire's Curse with merciless flame attack!"

The ugly amalgamation burbled and let loose another jet of flame, roasting the hunter Vampire.

(V: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,600)

As the Vampire burned, it hurried over to Vladimir's side and, casually, Vladimir held out his arm. Greedily, Vampire's Curse sunk his teeth into his master's flesh, biting straight through the clothes. As soon as he had sated his thirst, he shattered.

(V: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,600)

"In case you didn't know," Vladimir announced. "When my Vampire's Curse is destroyed in battle, I can pay five-hundred Life Points to revive him during the next turn's Standby Phase with an extra five-hundred Attack Points."

"That still won't be enough to destroy my Jabberwock!" Bruno pointed out, his cocky grin back to full size.

"Not on its own, no," Vladimir confessed. "But this game is all about combining cards to win."

"Whatever," Bruno grunted. "But remember: Now that my turn is officially over, your Deck Devastation Virus's effect ends."

"Noted and filed," the Shadow Spawn of Darkness replied as he drew his card. "And I'm sure you recall that my Vampires revive during my Standby Phase."

True to Vladimir's word, Bram's ornate coffin reappeared, alongside a coffin made of solid silver studded with sapphires which floated vertically. The silver coffin opened and Vampire's Curse emerged and flexed his muscles, looking stronger than ever as the coffin disappeared. (2,000 ATK) - ) (2,500 ATK)

"But it doesn't stop there! Because a high-Level Zombie-Type monster was Special Summoned by a Zombie's effect, I can pay two-thousand Life Points to revive Vampire Grace!"

(V: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,600)

Vladimir took a step back as his Life Points plummeted, but his sacrifice was apparently worth it as he was smiling wide. Another casket, this one solid gold and decorated with diamonds, rose vertically from the floor and flew open, exposing yet another Vampire, this one female. Judging by her grey hair she was older than the others, but she seemed no less powerful. She was dressed in regal attire: a dark blue dress decorated with spikes under the waist, a black fur cape with a dark blue trim held together around her neck by a ruby pin, a gold belt studded with rubies, and a golden crown with red velvet and rubies. Her eyes and lips were as red as all the other Vampires' eyes, and she carried a ruby scepter and a champagne flute filled with what was almost certainly blood. Slowly and confidently she emerged from her disappearing coffin. (2,000 ATK)

"And Vampire's Grace has her own ability! Once per turn, she can force you to discard a monster, Spell, or Trap from your deck! So say goodbye to another Spell!"

Vampire Grace waved her scepter and sent a blast of scarlet energy at Bruno's deck. Actually yawning this time, Bruno took out his deck and discarded Akhashic Record.

Not much of a reaction…Vladimir thought. I guess I'm going to have to give it everything I've got. After this he'll be afraid of black coffee!

Beads of sweat collecting on his forehead as he focused his power, Vladimir began to switch between panting and laughing. "It's time to take full control of this duel!" he announced as best he could. "I'm bringing out a card I packed especially for you!"

"And what would that be?" Bruno asked with a laugh.

"See for yourself! I overlay my two Level 6 monsters to Xyz Summon the specter of Death himself!"

Vampire's Curse and Vampire Grace dissolved into black light and flew into the air, opening another wormhole. From it, a new shape formed, this one incredibly skinny and hunched, with immensely broad shoulders and two purple spheres orbiting around it. As it formed more fully, Bruno could see that what he had thought were shoulders were actually feathered wings, one black and one white. The creature itself was quite literally skeletal, as it had no actual flesh, just bones. It was dressed in a black hooded robe, and it had long, stringy ashy grey hair and, though it had no eyes, its eye sockets glowed scarlet. In its hands it held an immense scythe topped with the skull of a ram, from the mouth of which extended a five-foot strip of double-edged steel, black as primordial darkness with a stripe of red. The creature let out a high-pitched laugh and hefted its scythe over its shoulder. (? ATK)

"Quiver in fear before my Pilgrim Reaper!"

For all of Vladimir's showboating, Bruno was unimpressed. "Haven't I gotten it through your head yet?" he scolded. "Your scare tactics are worthless! The more you try to intimidate me, the more adrenaline I receive! I'm brimming with strength and confidence, and you're not about to shake that!"

Vladimir smirked right back, mirroring Bruno's own expression. "Let me give it a shot anyway. And you should know, my Pilgrim Reaper's scores are two-hundred for each DARK monster in either Graveyard!"

The Pilgrim Reaper lifted its scythe high above its head and let out a shriek as fourteen waves of smoke flew out of the two players' Duel Disks and channeled into the Reaper's weapon. (2,800 ATK)

"Normally this card is mediocre when combined with a Vampire deck, but against you it becomes nearly unbeatable! And I intend to make it even stronger, by way of its special ability! I remove one Xyz Material from my Reaper to force us both to discard the top five cards from our decks!"

One of the Pilgrim Reaper's orbs flew into its scythe and, cackling hysterically, it flapped its wings and rose high into the air, then swept its weapon in a wide arc. A wave of darkness flew at both duelists and sent five cards flying from each of their decks. Bruno discarded White Rabbit, Monster Reborn, Lobster Quadrille, Behead the Bodiless?, and his second copy of Alice, the Warden of Wonderland. Vladimir discarded Vampire Bat, Vampire Lady, Tutan Mask, Shadow Vampire, and Goblin Zombie. Still laughing maniacally, the Reaper descended to the balcony floor as it gathered more power from the new additions to the players' Graveyards. (2,800 ATK) - ) (4,200 ATK)

"All those extra monsters give my Reaper more power than he ever would've achieved with my deck alone," Vladimir announced. "And I intend to use it all! Now, your Jabberwock may be the stronger monster, but I can't allow that Hatter to roll a three with its ability, so I bid it adieu. Pilgrim Reaper, destroy the Mad Hatter with reaper scythe of destiny!"

Letting out another of its gleeful shrieks, the Pilgrim Reaper flew into the air and zoomed forward, slashing its scythe straight through the Mad Hatter and gruesomely splitting him into four pieces. The Hatter gasped in pain and fell to the floor, his hat rolling off as he exploded into pixels. A second later, the hat exploded, too. Still laughing, the Reaper returned to its position in front of Vladimir, its power increasing from its recent kill. (4,200 ATK) - ) (4,400 ATK)

(V: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,200)

"I'll set a card and that'll be it for me," Vladimir announced as a facedown card materialized behind the Reaper. "So, Mr. von Klein, are you still pumped? Still not afraid? Your Life Points are at less than half, your deck is down to a measly nine cards, most of which are monsters, and I control a monster with over four-thousand Attack Points with the ability to send even more or your cards to the grave and grow stronger from it! I'd say I've just about won this duel, wouldn't you?"

"Certainly not," Bruno replied as he drew his card. "A duel isn't over until the last card is played. And I told you to call me 'Bruno'!"

"Really, then?" Vladimir shot back, once again ignoring Bruno's request. "Then you won't mind if I clear away yet another of your cards! I activate my Trap Card, Vampire Takeover!"

Vladimir's set card lifted up, displaying a Trap Card with the image of Vampire Sorcerer standing on a spire overlooking a dark city under a red moon.

"Since I have only Zombie-Types on my field, this Trap engages a two-step process! First, it allows me to activate the Field Spell Vampire Kingdom from my deck!"

Grinning in triumph, Vladimir fanned out his deck and selected a card, placing it in his Disk's Field Spell slot. As if by magic, a wave of darkness spread from the Disk and over not only the balcony, but the view of the city as well. The Old Town Market Place, normally brightly-colored and well-maintained, grew dull and dilapidated, and Vladimir's apartment building had become an opulent castle with five high turrets. Strangest of all, the sun had been replaced by a glowing red moon.

Out of nowhere, a voice cried out from beneath the two duelists.

"Co się dzieje?" shouted a woman's voice, sounding distressed and angry. "Dlaczego jest tak ciemno?"

"To tylko pojedynek, pani Burczyk!" Vladimir shouted back, rolling his eyes. "To będzie po wszystkim!"

"No pospiesz się!" the woman told him. "Nie płacić czynsz za takie rzeczy!"

Vladimir shook his head and turned his attention back to Bruno. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "My downstairs neighbor was surprised by the hologram. Anywho, the next effect of Vampire Takeover allows me to revive a DARK Vampire to the field in Defense Mode! Come on back, Vampire Duke!"

A hole opened up in the floor, and the Duke's coffin rose up again.

"And I'm sure you remember what happens when he's Special Summoned, so discard another Spell!"

Bruno sighed and discarded Mystical Space Typhoon from his deck.

"And it gets even better," Vladimir continued. "Because one of my Vampire Kingdom's effects is that, once per turn, when you discard a card from your deck, I can discard a DARK Vampire to destroy a card on your field! Rest in peace, Jabberwock!"

Without missing a beat, he took another copy of Shadow Vampire from his deck and slipped it into his Graveyard. The moon sent out a pulse, and the Jabberwock began to writhe in pain. With a pained cry, it exploded into triangles.

"And with even more DARK monsters in my Graveyard, my Pilgrim Reaper becomes even stronger!"

The Reaper swung its scythe in glee as more power flowed into it. (4,400 ATK) - ) (4,800 ATK)

Instead of showing any intimidation, Bruno smiled wider than ever. "Quite a mistake you made there, Vladimir," he chortled.

"What do you mean?" Vladimir demanded, his smile disappearing on the spot.

Bruno rolled his eyes. "My Jabberwock was no threat to you—your Pilgrim Reaper had it completely outclassed. Even if I had my Rising Energy it wouldn't be enough! The real threat was my set cards—you know, the ones I've had on the field for ages now? You even saw what they were when I drew them, and yet you went for the monster instead."

Vladimir took a step back, his eyes wide with shock. Bruno was right on all counts. He had seen those cards when he'd played Spellbook Inside the Pot!

How could I be so stupid?!, he thought, inadvertently lowering his aura of fear to its normal, medium level in the process. I haven't misplayed a card in fifteen years! If I were dueling on Mother's behalf, she'd have my head! I don't even know what those cards do, but they could cost me the duel!

"While you're panicking," Bruno reported, "I'll activate my first set card, Trials of the New Queen!"

One of Bruno's set cards lifted up, displaying yet another Tenniel illustration, this one of Alice, wearing a crown and scepter, sitting in between the White and Red Queens.

"Remember when I had to guess the type of card in your hand? Well, now it's time for you to do the same! If you guess right, you can Special Summon a monster from your Graveyard; if you're wrong, I can send one of your monsters there myself. So, what is it? Spell? Trap? A monster, perhaps?"

"Nice try, Mr. von Klein," Vladimir shot back. "But after all the Spells and Traps I've forced you to discard, the chances of it being either one are slim to nil. I'll guess that it's a monster!"

"Very good," Bruno nodded. He turned the one card in his hand around and showed that it was indeed a monster called Tweedledee. "But it doesn't matter, because now I'm activating my other Trap, We're All Mad Here!"

Bruno's other set card lifted, exposing another Trap Card with a Tenniel illustration, this one of the Cheshire Cat sitting on a tree branch, grinning as always.

"This card can be activated whenever you declare 'Spell', 'Trap', or 'monster', and it allows me to change your choice to whatever I like! I'll change your decision to 'Spell', and get rid of your Pilgrim Reaper once and for all!"

With that, a black hole opened beneath the Reaper and began to suck it in. The Reaper flapped its wings, shrieking and struggling, but it eventually succumbed to the black hole's power and fell to its doom.

"On top of that, We're All Mad Here! lets me draw a card!

"Now, Vladimir, all you have left are two monsters with zero Defense Points, which are easy pickings. Come forth, Tweedledee!"

With a giggle, Bruno's fat, strangely-dressed monster leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"And for the price of eight-hundred Life Points, I can summon his brother Tweedledum from my deck!"

Bruno's Life Points dropped, and a mirror-image twin of Tweedledee appeared next to his brother. (1,800 ATK)

(V: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 2,400)

"I can't believe you're actually reducing the size of your deck for me!" Vladimir taunted.

Bruno shrugged. "I'm turning into the skid," he said. "This duel will soon be over one way or another. Now, my twins, eliminate his Vampires!"

The twins nodded and leapt forward, bouncing on the balls of their feet. They landed on the coffins and stomped down with all of their might, shattering them.

"And my turn isn't over there. One of the monsters your Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower made me discard was Whispering Gnat, and by banishing it I can increase the Levels of all DARK monsters on my field by one!"

He pocketed one of the many cards in his Graveyard, and a tiny bug zoomed onto the field. It would be downright impossible to see if it wasn't emitting a bright purple glow. It flew in circles around Tweedledee and Tweedledum, then vanished.

"Now, I use my two Level 5 monsters to construct the Overlay Network!"

Like so many of Vladimir's Vampires, the fat twins dissolved into black light and swirled together, opening a vortex.

"Xyz Summon, the Lion and the Unicorn!"

A new monster burst forth from the vortex—or rather, two new monsters acting as one. One was a lion, standing upright, dressed in shining golden armor and wielding an immense broadsword. The other had the head of a unicorn and was dressed in gleaming silver armor and wielding an extra-sharp lance. The two of them turned to each other and nodded, looks of resolution on their faces. (2,700 ATK)

"That's all for now, Vladimir," Bruno reported. "But you should know that by expending an Xyz Material, my Lion and Unicorn can attack twice."

"Duly noted," Vladimir replied as he drew his card. He looked at it and nodded. "Hm. Not bad. First, my Crimson Knight Vampire Bram revives again."

True to Vladimir's word, Bram's decorated coffin rose out of the floor again.

"Next I'll use a Spell that is all too appropriate. I activate Beginning of the End, removing five DARK monsters from my Graveyard to draw three cards!"

The Shadow Spawn of Darkness pocketed Vampire's Curse, Vampire Bat, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, and both copies of Shadow Vampire, then snatched three cards off of the top of his deck. He smiled when he looked at them.

"Ooh, it's time for an old-fashioned move."

"What do you mean?" Bruno asked, raising an eyebrow. His grin was still fully intact.

"See for yourself, Mr. von Klein," Vladimir told him. "I sacrifice my Crimson Knight Vampire Bram to summon the original Vampire: Vampire Lord!"

The Crimson Knight's coffin disappeared, and in its place rose yet another Vampire. Like Vampire's Curse, this one was very pale with blue hair, but it didn't appear nearly as masculine. This one was downright effeminate-looking, with graceful bone structure and thinner arms. He was dressed in an elegant suit and a dark silk cape. He stood up straight and bared his fangs, hissing at Bruno. (2,000 ATK)

"And I'll immediately banish him to summon the king of Vampires, Vampire Genesis!"

Instead of disappearing, the Vampire Lord hunched over and winced in pain. His muscles bulged to extraordinary size and turned an ugly purple, like a bruise. He shot up in height until he was ten feet tall, ripping off most of his clothes in the process, and his face morphed into an ugly mug as his teeth grew sharp, two of them shooting out like tusks. He was now wearing a spiked harness and an immense cape, also studded with spikes. He let out a roar that seemed to shake the entire apartment building. (3,000 ATK)

"Not bad, right?" Vladimir laughed. "He's an oldie but a goodie, and he'll waste no time in wasting your knights, made even easier by Vampire Kingdom's other effect: Granting all Zombie monsters an extra five-hundred Attack Points during the Damage Step, no matter who's attacking! Crimson shroud!"

At its master's word, the gargantuan Vampire faded into a red mist and floated forward. In response, the red moon above the castle glowed brighter, and the mist responded in kind. (3,000 ATK) - ) (3,500 ATK) The Lion and the Unicorn gasped and convulsed as the fog enveloped them, writhing in pain as they suffocated before finally mercifully exploding into pixels. Once its enemies were dead, the scarlet fog floated back in front of Vladimir and reformed into Vampire Genesis. (3,500 ATK) - ) (3,000 ATK)

(V: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,600)

"That's it for me this turn," Vladimir announced. "But we both know this duel won't last much longer. Show me what you've got with your last five cards!"

Bruno nodded and drew his card, his smile a little forced, but nowhere near gone. His eyes went wide when he saw what he had drawn.

"I think I've just about won this duel, Vladimir," he announced. "But I'll let you decide. I activate Queen's Invitation, removing four card soldiers from my Graveyard to Special Summon the Queen of Hearts from my deck!"

The chubby Shadowchaser pocketed four of the many cards in his Graveyard, and a strange sight appeared on the field: a footman with the head of a fish, carrying an envelope as big as himself. It approached Bruno and, when he reached out and touched the envelope, the footman vanished. In its place rose a beautiful raven-haired woman with a splendid figure wearing a dress decorated with playing card symbols and holding a staff topped with an obsidian heart. (3,400 ATK)

Vladimir just shook his head at the sight of this. "Big deal," he jeered. "She may be your deck's strongest monster, but with my Vampire Kingdom active, Genesis is stronger in battle. All you've done is reduce the size of your deck even more."

Bruno's smile grew wider than ever. "What fool told you she was my most powerful card? I'm about to bring out a monster that represents the pinnacle of power!"

Vladimir stepped back. "You mean…"

"Yes," Bruno replied. "Teodahr never even saw my strongest, but you are about to have that privilege! Come forth, Sleepy Dormouse!"

A tiny brown mouse materialized next to the Queen, dozing away.

Vladimir stared at the creature, raising an eyebrow. "Let me guess," he said. "It's a Tuner?"

Bruno nodded. "That's right. And now I'll tune my Level 9 Queen of Hearts with my Level 1 Sleepy Dormouse to bring out the greatest power my deck can create!"

The Sleepy Dormouse dissolved into a blue ring, while the Queen of Hearts was converted into nine glowing stars. The stars lined up and flew through the ring, and stars and ring both disappeared as a bright red light began to glow, forming into a humanoid shape.

"Ever drifting down the stream, lingering in the golden gleam-Life, what is it but a dream?"

"Behold, one of the most powerful monsters you'll ever see! The Red King!"

With a loud "POP!", the red light faded, and Vladimir blinked in surprise. Bruno's new monster couldn't look less powerful! Far from the immense, regal figure that he had been expecting, the Red King was a small child who couldn't have been more than ten, with inky black hair, red silk pajamas, and a golden, bejeweled crown that was far too big for him. He was slumped against one of the beams holding up the balcony's railing, fast asleep and gently snoring. (4,000 ATK)

"I know he doesn't look like much," Bruno shrugged, reading Vladimir's expression. "But he's really quite omnipotent. You see, the entire field exists in this little fellow's dream, and since he's a lucid dreamer, he holds incredible power, as you can tell by his Attack Points."

"Yes," the Shadow Spawn of Darkness confessed. "He could easily defeat my Genesis."

"That's true," the German Shadowchaser told him. "But I have bigger plans. As I just said, everything on the field exists in my Red King's dream. What I didn't tell you is that I have the power to wake him. And if I do, everything on the field will go…poof."

"'Poof'?" Vladimir repeated.

"That's right. Poof. It'll all disappear. And I'm going to awaken my Red King right now. Wakey-wakey, my King!"

The little King yawned extra-wide and rubbed his eyes. Ever so slowly, ever so hesitantly, his eyes opened. Vladimir, shocked, averted his gaze to avoid going blind. People had always thought that the Shadow Spawn of Darkness's eyes were intimidating, but they had nothing on these. These eyes had no color, instead emitting a white light that was impossible to look at directly. Worse, it was growing in intensity by the second!

The balcony began to rumble as an immense shockwave went out from under the tiny royal. The light from his eyes was growing even brighter, now rivaling the sun in intensity. Vlad's skin began to burn—he'd never enjoyed bright lights, and this was one of the brightest he'd experienced. Vampire Genesis was faring about as well, trembling under the might of the Red King's grip on reality.

Soon the light began to fade, and Vampire Genesis began to blow away like a sand sculpture in a tornado. Call of the Mummy followed suit, and the entire Vampire Kingdom turned back into Warsaw as the sun came out again.

With a final yawn, the Red King disappeared, too.

Groaning in discomfort, Vladimir unshielded his eyes and turned back to the field. "Powerful indeed," he admitted. "But your King is gone, too, and you're left with nothing at all."

"Not quite," Bruno corrected, shaking his head. His grin was downright menacing now. "Haven't you read Through the Looking-Glass? There were two dreamers, each within the other's dream. In the game, this is translated into the Red King's effect: when he's destroyed in any way, even by his own power, I can Special Summon another dreamer from my Graveyard, and it can be any DARK Monster with two-thousand or less Attack Points!"

"So…what are you reviving?" Vladimir asked. His exhaustion and discomfort were becoming so great that his aura was dropping in power by the second.

"A monster that your Tower forced me to discard several turns ago," Bruno told him. "One that failed to make it into the book's final draft! Arise, Wasp in a Wig!"

A new monster rose out of the floor onto the field, looking even more bizarre than most of the portly German's cards. This one had the body of an old man dressed in a puffy white shirt and pleated slacks, but the head, wings, and stinger of an enormous wasp, and it was wearing an ugly, tangled yellow wig. It buzzed and clicked its mandibles as it lifted itself a few feet into the air. (2,000 ATK)

"Attack directly, my Wasp! Mandible mince!"

The Wasp in a Wig flew at the Shadow Spawn and bit down on him, hard. Vladimir winced in pain as his Life Points plummeted.

(V: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,600)

"That'll do it for me, and this duel's just about mine—you're likely all out of high-Level monsters by now, and even if you have them it'll be impossible to summon them without Call of the Mummy or Book of Life. Best of all, defending is worthless because my Wasp in a Wig can attack you directly if I cut the damage in half, which is still enough to finish you! Go ahead, make your move!"

Glaring at his opponent, Vladimir took another card from his deck. There were still a few cards in his deck that would allow him to regain control.

Cautiously, he turned the new card around and took a look. This wasn't one of them, but he refused to let Bruno see that.

I think I just lost.

"You're wrong about one thing, Mr. von Klein," he announced.

"It's 'Bruno'," the Shadowchaser replied irritably. "And what sort of error have I made?"

"I'm not without Call of the Mummy," he chuckled as he activated another copy of the card. "I drew another one last turn, and I'll use it to Special Summon a third Vampire Duke!"

Another copy of the first Vampire that Vladimir had played burst forth, his cape blowing in the wind.

"And this time I say you should discard a monster!"

Not even seeming to mind this time, Bruno took out his deck and discarded his final copy of Alice, the Warden of Wonderland.

"And, since I can't have your Wasp sticking around, I'll have to destroy him. Vampiric fangs!"

Vampire Duke lunged and bit down on the Wasp in a Wig's neck, and the Wasp retaliated by breaking free and jabbing him with his stinger. Both monsters exploded right then and there.

"Over to you, Mr. von Klein."

I guess I'll have to rely entirely on intimidation—make him think my Graveyard can protect me. I hate to win using tactics like this, but I can't let him get that card!

As Vladimir focused all the power that he had left, Bruno just smirked and drew his card—after this, his deck was down to only one. "When will you realize that your power is worthless against me?" he taunted. Then he looked at his card and frowned. "Unbelievable," he sighed. "I'll just set this and end my turn."

As a facedown card materialized on Bruno's field, Vladimir managed a smile.

Unbelievable!, he celebrated inside his mind. I actually missed a non-monster! This is the best mistake I've ever made!

"Don't congratulate yourself yet, Vladimir," his opponent warned. "And if that next card is Book of Life I'm going to bust a gut."

"We'll see about that!" Vladimir shot back as he examined his card.

Blood Sucker, he observed. I can use this card to attack him directly. It doesn't have quite enough Attack Points to finish him, but when it inflicts Battle Damage it forces him to discard the top card of his deck, and since he only has one, I can just end my turn and he'll lose!

Then an idea hit him. He hit a button on his Duel Disk and a hologram sprung up, this one of a monitor displaying a list of everything in Bruno's Graveyard from top to bottom. Scrolling through it, Vladimir memorized every card, and afterward risked a guess on what the last one in Bruno's deck was, based on Bruno's duel with Teodahr.

Okay, I'll bet anything that the last card is Humpty Dumpty, which has the highest Attack Score out of all of his low-Level monsters—and just enough to finish me if my Blood Sucker's attack is halted by that facedown of his!

On the other hand, if I defend instead, his Humpty Dumpty will destroy it, but he'll have no attacks left! Then I can just pass my turn and win!

"I'll set a monster and end my turn!" Vladimir declared, setting a card on his Disk. A horizontal facedown card emerged before him, and he waved his hand. "Let's see you overcome it."

"With pleasure," Bruno responded. He gritted his teeth and drew his very last card.

"I summon Humpty Dumpty!"

With a somersault, Bruno's oversized egg in nobleman's clothing jumped onto the balcony, landing on its spindly little legs. (2,300 ATK)

"I've come this far and it's time to take my prize! Humpty Dumpty, destroy his monster with spinning leap!"

The giant egg bowed and leapt high into the air, somersaulting over and over as he descended toward the set card, which flipped over and revealed an ugly Zombie: a bat-like creature with bright red skin and horns, with big talons and claws and wing-like protrusions on its arms (1,500 DEF). The creature hunkered down, trying to defend itself to no avail as Humpty Dumpty crashed into it, obliterating it completely as Humpty Dumpty, now riddled with cracks, limped back to its master's side.

Despite his exhaustion, Vladimir flashed his biggest smile yet. "Bravo, Mr. von Klein," he congratulated, his voice dripping with false politeness. "You took out my defenses—but it's all for naught, as I still have Life Points, and your deck has run dry. You're all out of cards. I've won."

"For the last time, it's 'Bruno'," Bruno told him. He was wearing an equally big smile. "And I'm not done yet! As you can clearly see, I have one last card! Go, Worthless Witness!"

Bruno's very last set card lifted, showing a Trap with Tenniel's illustration of the White Rabbit wearing garb decorated with hearts and holding a scroll as he blew a trumpet.

Vladimir cringed. He recognized that card from Bruno's duel with Teodahr.

I've lost.

"As you probably know," Bruno continued as he pocketed his Queen of Hearts, "in exchange for banishing a single DARK monster from my Graveyard, I can summon a Witness Token!"

The card glowed and vanished, and in its place rose a chibi version of the Queen of Hearts based much more on the character from the book. This one was a fat, frumpy little woman with a wide mouth. She was wearing an unflattering dress and holding a heart-shaped fan. (1,000 ATK)

"Finish him, Witness Token! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Vladimir gulped as the ugly little woman rushed him, closing his eyes as she jumped toward him. His aura of fear was completely shattered as she slashed at his neck with her fan. He collapsed from the shock of her attack.

(V: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 1,600)

"That's game, Vladimir," Bruno announced as the holograms faded. "I've won."

"So I can see," the Shadow Spawn said, climbing to his feet. He was more tired than he'd been in months, and he still had some work ahead of him. "And it is with great regret that I honor my wager. Come along."

Stumbling over to the door to the apartment, Vladimir opened it and led Bruno back into the dining room, walking toward the opposite wall. He stopped for a moment by the table and fished something out of the vase of flowers, then continued on to the family portrait. Grunting as he seized the frame, he lifted it up to reveal a high-tech wall save. Bruno whistled, impressed as the Shadow Spawn of Darkness placed the painting on the floor and held his finger to a scanner, then held his eye in front of another. A light glowed green and the safe opened. To Bruno's surprised, it held another, smaller safe, this one portable and with nothing but a keypad. His breathing heavy, Vladimir hefted it onto the table and entered a code. The door to the smaller safe opened, exposing a third, smaller safe with a dial. Vladimir turned it this way and that and it opened to reveal a metal box.

"How long is this going to take?" Bruno inquired, tapping his foot.

Vladimir chuckled at this. "You should see where I hide my valuables." He held up the key he'd taken from the vase and opened the box, revealing a wooden Chinese puzzle box. Carefully, Vladimir lifted it and began sliding the panels around. A moment later, he slid the top of the box off and held the open box up to Bruno. Inside it was a single card, an effect monster with downright weak stats. The image was of a girl in a black Victorian dress and hat, with flowing white hair, an opal necklace, and enormous blue eyes.

"You take it," Vladimir told the chubby Shadowchaser. "I refuse to touch it."

His eyes wide, Bruno von Klein reached out and wrapped his fingers around the card. Slowly, savoring every precious second, he lifted it from its prison. Then, he began to laugh. Hysterically. Not malevolently. Not even triumphantly. It was the gleeful, ecstatic laugh that you'd hear from someone who just heard an excellent joke. And it creeped Vladimir out.

"Congratulations on defeating me, Mr. von Klein," he told the Shadowchaser as the man continued laughing. "And I wish you luck in future endeavors, though I hope they don't end up destroying you."

When Bruno was finally finished laughing, he placed the card into his deck and pocketed the whole thing, then placed his Duel Disk back into his briefcase and closed it up. "Thank you for having me," he said genially as he lifted the case. "It's been quite a morning."

"Indeed it has," Vladimir agreed as he pulled himself away from the table and began limping down the hall. "Would you mind showing yourself out? After such excitement, I think I need some rest."

Bruno nodded and joined Vladimir in walking down the hall, soon overtaking him. "No problem," he said. "But would you mind giving me some advice on what to do here in Warsaw for the rest of the day? My train doesn't come until tonight."

Vladimir took another breath. Walking was becoming difficult for him. "You could just wander the Market Place you saw from the balcony," he suggested. "I'm sure you'll find a few things to entertain yourself. Just don't you dare use that card on any civilians!"

Bruno turned and sneered at the Shadow Spawn. "Of course not," he told him as he reached the door. "Just because I didn't pull any punches on you, it doesn't mean that I'll turn my power on civilians. Goodbye, and thanks again. I really do appreciate this visit."

Vladimir moved over to the couch and collapsed on it, giving Bruno a dirty look. "Goodbye, Mr. von Klein," he sighed. "And please, be careful."

Bruno nodded as he opened the door. "I will," he promised. "And call me 'Bruno'."

With that, he walked out and shut the door, leaving Vladimir all alone in his penthouse.

With a big sigh, the Shadow Spawn of Darkness kicked off his shoes and shifted into a new position, lying down on the sofa.

I'll give him a week before he cracks, he thought as he closed his eyes. Then a new thought crossed his mind: Now that that wretched card was out of his possession, it was no longer his job to protect it. He couldn't exactly rest his mind, knowing it was out there, but he could at least find something else to occupy himself. Bruno was right: he had to stop being a martyr.

Maybe I should start some charity work, he thought. Or go back to college. Eh, I'll figure it out later. One adventure at a time.

With that, the Shadow Spawn of Darkness drifted off to sleep, a broad, genuine smile on his face.

0

"The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many."

These were the words that Captain Kirk gave as his reason for why he and his crew had broken the law and gone on the run to rescue Spock. The logic of value isn't as simple as noticing quantity—there's quality as well. Spock was Kirk's friend, and that's why he was worth rescuing. Perhaps it is not only human nature, but a necessary function as well to place a high value on yourself. My responsibilities do not make my identity. I am free to choose my own path. In fact, I'm more free than ever before. What happens to Mr. von Klein may be a tragedy, but I can't simply blame myself. It's time to actually do good for the world, rather than just holding back the bad.

The future is a mystery, but it seems bright—and for once, I'm looking directly into the light.

0

SLEEPY DORMOUSE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Tuner/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 1

ATK: 100

DEF: 100

Card Description: You can discard this card from your hand to take 1 "Alice, the Warden of Wonderland", "Mad Hatter", or "March Hare" from your deck and add it to your hand. Afterward, shuffle your deck.

0

OUT LIKE A CANDLE! (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Tenniel's illustration of Alice standing in front of a table, examining a bottle that says "DRINK ME", in black and white.

Card Description: Destroy a monster you control. Reduce the ATK of a face-up monster your opponent controls by the original ATK of the destroyed monster. If the opponent's monster's ATK is reduced to 0 by this card's effect, destroy it.

0

WASP IN A WIG (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Insect/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 6

ATK: 2,000

DEF: 1,500

Card Description: This card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. If the opponent has one or more monsters on the field when this card attacks directly, Battle Damage is halved.

(Note: The preceding three cards first appeared in Shadowchasers: Tournament of Shadows)

0

THE CHESHIRE CAT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast

Attribute: DARK

Level: 4

ATK: 500

DEF: 1800

Card Description: When this card is face-up on your field, increase the ATK of all "Alice, the Warden of Wonderland" you control by 700.

(Note: This card was created by Cyber Commander and first used in his fic, Yugioh: Dark Messiah. Creative credit goes to him.)

0

WHISPERING GNAT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Insect/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 2

ATK: 700

DEF: 300

Card Description: During your Main Phase, you can banish this monster from your Graveyard. Increase the Levels of all face-up DARK monsters on your field by 1.

0

THE LION AND THE UNICORN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Xyz/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Rank: 5

ATK: 2,700

DEF: 2,400

Card Description: [2 Level 5 DARK monsters] Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: This card can attack twice this turn.

0

WHITE RABBIT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Tuner/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 3

ATK: 1,400

DEF: 900

Card Description: If this card is used to Synchro Summon a monster, the summoned monster's attacks cannot be negated.

0

TRIALS OF THE NEW QUEEN (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Tenniel's illustration of Alice with her new crown and scepter, sitting between the Red and White Queens, in black and white.

Card Description: Select a monster on your opponent's field, then select a card in your hand. The opponent must guess whether it is a Spell, Trap, or monster. If they guess correctly, they can Special Summon a monster from their hand or Graveyard. If they guess incorrectly, the selected monster is sent to the Graveyard.

0

WE'RE ALL MAD HERE (Trap Card)

Counter Trap

Image: Tenniel's illustration of the Cheshire Cat sitting on a tree branch, in black and white.

Card description: Activate when a card effect is activated where the effect requires a choice on your opponent's part between a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Monster Card. Disregard your opponent's choice, and then choose one of the options, applying that choice as the result for the effect of the card. Then draw 1 card.

0

THE RED KING (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 10

ATK: 4,000

DEF: 3,000

Card Description: [1 Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters] During your Main Phase, you can destroy all cards on the field. When this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon 1 DARK monster with 2,000 or less ATK from your Graveyard.

0

VAMPIRE BAT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect

Attribute: DARK

Level: 3

ATK: 800

DEF: 1,200

Card Description: All face-up Zombie-Type monsters you control gain 200 ATK. If this face-up card would be destroyed, you can send 1 "Vampire Bat" from your deck to the Graveyard instead.

(Note: This card was first used by Vampire Camilla in the GX episode, "Field of Screams, Part 1". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.)

0

(Pretty cool, right? I'm glad I finally worked through it. I had had this idea for over a year, and it took forever to come together, but I couldn't be happier about the result—well, okay, maybe a little happier if you gave a nice, long review. Go on, don't hold back on your thoughts! Thanks, and hopefully I'll see you again soon!)