And now, after a full month of work, the finale of Shadowchasers: Blue Bloods!

Seriously, this chapter was a killer to write. I had to redo the entire duel twice because of a dumb mistake that had messed up the whole thing. But hopefully, it will all be worth it.

Hope you all enjoy it. If you can, leave a reply, that helps a great deal.

So, without further ado:

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Shadowchasers

Blue Blood

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Chapter Thirteen

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Lesson Learned…

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Hank had not volunteered to duel Xokiek out of any desire to learn anything about the Suel Empire - even though any archaeologist who had even heard about the Suel would give his front teeth for such an opportunity. After all, he was supposed to be the hero here, and the Suel lich had stolen an innocent girl's body, holding her very soul hostage, and it was his duty as a Shadowchaser to apprehend this fiend and save her. Even though this would end badly for him no matter what the outcome - he had basically volunteered as bait for a plan where he had no idea of the details.

He was a bad liar - and Xokiek knew it. There were hundreds of questions he'd love to ask Xokiek about the Suel. It was fortunate then, that Xokiek did seem to enjoy talking about himself. Unfortunately, the one thing he had learned of the Suel Empire so far - if Xokiek's likely-biased interpretation of the facts was accurate - was that the atrocities committed by its rulers were so horrendous that even Xokiek disavowed them.

Of course, if he wanted to prove to Hank that he was the lesser evil, his taste in monsters wasn't helping his case. He had two on the field right now; one of them being a card Hank had never seen before, Crazed Prophet, an old man who, given the look of him, had been driven mad from horrible torture. (2,000 ATK) The second monster, however, was one he only wished he had never heard of - Dark Necrofear. (2,200 ATK)

Damn, what the devil was Pegasus smoking when he thought that one up?

The Suel lich was rather pragmatic too, using the rare Guarded Treasure, and had already proven himself resourceful by combining it with the Trap Card, Judgement of Balance.

As for Hank's side of the field, he only had one monster, Giant Soldier of Steel in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

(Hank: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (Xokiek: 5,800)

"The true test begins now, Mr. Richards."

The thing with Elizabeth's face pointed, and Dark Necrofear's evil, soulless eyes widened horrifically, a surge of foul magic coursing from them towards Giant Soldier of Steel. But Hank wouldn't let that unnerve him so easily.

"I use Soldier of Steel's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, its Defense Score increases by 1,000 points."

"Eh?" grunted Xokiek. The blast glanced off the golem's metal hide, causing Dark Necrofear to snarl and recoil,

(H: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,000)

"Meh, unfortunate. I'll set two cards, and my turn concludes there."

Hank made his draw - Stone Statue of the Aztecs, not the most useful monster there.

"So…" he asked Hank. "The Suel were that bad, were they?"

Xokiek nodded. "The crimes against humanity that I witnessed would take days to list, so I will simply share one of them now. The Suel was hardly the only independent state in those days; there were other empires of both humans and Shadowkind, and the Suel were at war with most of them."

"I can't imagine why…"

"Members of the labor caste were paid handsomely for having large families, so long as every other child they bore was given to the military."

"Child soldiers?" said Hank with a gasp.

"It was worse than you think, Mr. Richards. These children were not only trained from a very early age to function as elite shock troops, they were subjected to treatment via magic and alchemy that made them strong and durable, plus aged them at twice the usual rate."

"You mean?"

"Yes… They were 'able bodied' enough to fight when they were only ten years old." His eyes narrowed. "They did not keep this practice a secret, not from their own military, nor those who fought them. Even the most hardened of soldiers hesitated to slaughter children, and would often stall or delay their offensives, lowering their guard. A fatal mistake, as these children had been conditioned into cold, remorseless killers."

He smirked, and then said, "Just as you are obviously trying to 'stall and delay' right now out of fear of hurting Elizabeth, I might add. Well, we can't have that…" His facedown Trap Card lifted.

Hank almost laughed when he saw what it was. "Destiny Board? You're serious here?"

Three ghostly, moaning spirits flew out of the Trap Card, howling ominously and merging into a cloud of dark miasma. The cloud shifted, forming of all things, a Ouija board. A pair of pale, phantom hands reached from the darkness above the board, taking hold of the glass and moving it, as a "D" surrounded by ectoplasmic fire appeared on the far left above the board.

"Given your jovial attitude, I assume you know how this card works. With each End Phase of your turn, one letter will be added to the Spirit Message. When complete, it's over, goodbye, Hank Richards exits stage left."

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Okay, don't panic here Hank, thought Francis to himself. Destiny Board wasn't exactly the most reliable strategy, but he had seen a few duelists (mostly on the pro circuit) win a duel using it. Most of the time, it was because the opponent was stricken by fear - the duelist using the Destiny Board trying to psyche him out on purpose - and made a mistake.

Well, it's going to take more than that to scare Hank, he could -

His thoughts were interrupted by two strong arms grabbing him from behind, one of them covering his mouth before dragging him into the alley behind him.

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"So, Xokiek, if you don't mind me asking…" Hank took one of his cards and set it in his Spell Zone. "You say you don't, uhm, like the Suel much, even though you are one, so… What exactly are you here for?"

"Hmm-hmm-hmm," Xokiek chuckled. "Asking a wizard to reveal his secrets? You are pretty bold…'

The Suel lich seemed upset at first, his voice harsh, but then he resumed his regular voice and said, "I seek what all wizards do, Mr. Richards, knowledge, the knowledge needed to obtain complete mastery of the arcane forces. Tell me, how would you define 'archaeology'?"

As annoying as it was when someone changed the subject so quickly, this was an easy one to answer, as it was on the front page of every textbook on the subject. Almost on instinct, he answered, "Archaeology is the study of human activity through the observation, exploration, and analysis of material evidence. It means studying past civilizations and cultures through what they left behind."

"Human activity?" asked the lich.

This was a little embarrassing - it wasn't the first time Hank had made that mistake. Mundane archaeologists did indeed use that definition, but for him, it was broader.

"I meant of course, activity of sapient beings, humans and Shadowkind."

"Yes… You seek to study the remnants of past civilizations, compare them to those of the present, and unravel the mysteries they conceal within. Heh, I'd wager that's the reason you came to this island in the first place, am I warm?"

"You're volcanic."

"Well, that is why I came here too, why I have covertly been conducting research here for the better part of a century. More than one associate of mine has questioned how one can study history when one is literally older than Babylonia." He sighed. "A joke that was funny the first few times, maybe."

"Archaeology never ends," said Hank. "And it's your move, by the way."

"Spirit Message E, activate!" declared the lich. Hank was a little unnerved as the ghostly letter "E" appeared to the right of the "D", but as Francis had surmised,

Xokiek drew a card, continuing his odd inquiry. "True, and since my earliest centuries, Mr. Richards, I have sought knowledge deeper than most, I have sought to discover the very origins of Shadowkind. Let me ask, do you know where Shadowkind come from?

"While you are considering that, I will set one monster and one card in my Spell Zone, and my turn is complete. For now, you have three turns remaining."

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"Sorry about that, Francis," said Maddie.

"S'okay, I'm used to it." Francis looked at her oddly - for some reason, Maddie seemed more muscular than he had remembered. "Uhm, have you been working out?"

Before she could answer, his attention turned to the other members of the group. A campfire had hastily been set up where Red Feather was stirring a syrupy substance (the Hyancinth Nectar, mixed with the Toadshade and Mortflesh Powder) while Nichole was using a cheese grater to crumb the voidroot.

"Ugh, that stuff smells like burning dog poop."

"Good, good," replied Nichole, "that's how you know it's working." She deposited the voidroot into the jar, where she had already done the same to the fungus and other dry ingredients.

"Francis, you remember that altercation we had with those crabmen on the Isle of Wight?"

"Well, yes, I -"

'Good, here!" Nichole shoved a small slip of paper into his hands. "For this to work, the timing is going to have to be near perfect."

She went back and took the jar, screwed the lid on, and then started to shake it, combining the mixed ingredients the way a chef would with homemade breadcrumbs. Francis looked at the note, where two phrases had been written, one of them a common four-word phrase in plain English ("Bring it on, jerk"), and the other in a language he didn't recognize.

It didn't matter, the intention of what Nichole needed him to do was clear.

"So, Nichole, are you sure this will work?" asked Maddie.

"Vinegar," said Nichole. Sonya handed her the bottle of such, and Nichole unscrewed the jar again. "Well, let me put it this way. I only knew about this ritual after I got the grimoire, and never even assumed at the time I'd be conducting it using makeshift tools."

"In other words, you have no idea."

"Exactly. Flashlight here." As Sonya picked the light up, Nichole held a measuring cup up to it, and then carefully poured some of the vinegar into it. Then she put it down and said, "Red Feather give me your left hand."

"Certainly, I -" started Red, holding her hand forward, but this was followed by a shriek of pain. Nichole had grabbed her wrist with her right hand, and then made a slash across her wrist with a dagger that she had drawn from her belt.

"NICHOLE, you-" started Francis.

"Shh!" she cautioned. She dropped the dagger, then pulled Red's bleeding wrist over the jar. "The recipe calls for 'the blood of a pure and chaste hero'."

Francis' expression suddenly changed. "Guess you drew the short straw there, Red!"

Red Feather had been the intended victim of a virgin sacrifice once - it had taken all of a week for the whole organization to find out.

"You could have warned me first!" said Red in an angry whisper. "Damn, I swear, when this is over, I am going to start having lots of sex."

"Really?"

"Not with you, Francis."

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"I… draw!" exclaimed Hank.

It was relatively easy for him to multitask, but the question Xokiek had asked was both odd and familiar at the same time.

The answer was a simple one - Shadowkind came from the Homeworld of Shadow. But that was the limit to what most knew.

Assuming a Shadowkind wasn't born on Earth, the way they came here was via a strange phenomenon, they'd simply appear, usually in a populated area, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and only vague memories of where they had come from, memories that quickly faded. Nobody ever witnessed the transition. Other Shadowkind and Aware humans could easily spot these new arrivals, because almost without exception, they were terrified and despondent (wouldn't you be?) upon finding themselves suddenly brought to a world totally alien to them. Upon finding one, most adhered to an unspoken rule of common decency that required them to offer help. There were several organizations - the Shadowchasers and St. Cuthbert's House being only two - who had pledged to aid such unfortunates.

But just who or what abducted - or rather, kidnapped - Shadowkind and abandoned them here? Why did it do so? It seemed only the gods knew. But it was known to be a one-way trip. Xokiek seemed to imply that he wanted to find a way to go there, and he was hardly alone in that goal. Jalal's father was known to have searched for the answer, and over a thousand years later, Jalal himself was no closer to finding it out. Discovering what odd other world or alternate dimension Shadowkind called home, much less going there, seemed an impossible task.

But he would worry about it later. He looked at the card he had drawn, and thought, There we go…

"I'll banish one of my Earth monsters to summon this!"

He pocketed his Fossil Tusker and the ground around them started to shake and tremble, a small fissure opening and a hulking, muscular monster emerging. It was an ogre with rust-red skin, wearing a dull, iron chestplate and a kilt, a horn on its forehead, holding a huge tree-trunk. (1,900 ATK)

"Hmm, Gigantes," said Xovex, "a novel idea."

Gigantes destroys every Spell and Trap on the field when its destroyed, thought Hank. This will be risky, but if it works, I can destroy that Destiny Board with one attack.

"Attack his Crazed Prophet!" With a loud bellow the ogre charged forward, swinging the huge club.

"Meh," said the lich, "I use the Trap Card, Dimensional Snare."

The card was, as its name implied, a snare. As the Trap activated, the card's surface turned into a rectangular portal of multicolored light, and a lariat that seemed to be made of black energy grappled from it, snagging Gigantes. With a swift yank, the ogre was pulled through the portal, and the card shattered.

"What?"

"Fear not, your monster will be back at the end of your next turn - just enough time for you to make one more try, though he'll be cutting it much closer."

Of course… "Then I'll end now."

He looked up nervously at the Destiny Board as Spirit Message A formed…

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"I can't see him."

The four Last Laugh members were still watching the duel from inside the town hall, and Kraip was scanning the street from a window, trying to find where Francis had gone. "Think someone might have pulled him into that alley."

"Let me know if he shows up again." Helensla was justifiably worried, and would have gone out to find him had Rivaldi not specifically ordered them to stay in this room. "Those mainlanders are up to something." She heard a loud crunching noise, and noticed that Ulmo was eating a candy bar. "Will you start acting serious?" she scolded.

"What's the big deal?" asked the thoul. "They try somethin', Xokiek will smash 'em into roadkill."

"That…" started Helensla. She stopped mid-sentence. On one hand, that was a good point, but on the other, if they simply tried something, the ensuing fight might make things even worse. As it was, they were already getting quite a crowd of spectators and Xokiek was talking far too much.

"Just keep your eyes open."

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"I draw two cards," said Xokiek.

"So, uh, Xokiek," asked Hank. "You want to find the Homeworld of Shadow? Need I ask why?"

"My motives I will be keeping secret for now, Mr. Richards, but I will say that I am continuing the work of my original mentors. The Suel Empire claimed they had their roots there, that each and every Suel had some Shadowkind blood. Legends claimed their forebears had emigrated from the Homeworld of Shadow purposely, with the goal of conquest and colonization, the same legends hinting that the true Suel empire was far more powerful and vast."

""I'm assuming this supposed heritage made them think they were better than everyone else?" asked Hank. "Enough to attempt some sort of… interdimensional Manifest Destiny?"

"Exactly! Supposedly, these ancestors of the Suel were - much like their descendants - rich bastards who thought they were owed everything by birthright, with the right to rule all lands they set foot upon, but the universe played a cruel joke on them by making sure their mission brought them to a world completely cut off from theirs.

"I didn't fully believe those legends, but the aristocracy clearly did, and they believed they were obligated to complete the 'goal' of their ancestors. Maybe the most megalomaniacal of the Suel had dreams of the most powerful of eldritch magic turning their empire into one that spanned several worlds. But as impossible as their goal seemed, they were deadly serious about gaining whatever information they could on the Homeworld of Shadow. They gave strict orders to their troops never to harm the contents of any library or academy in any town or city they conquered until the contents could be reviewed. They formed squads among their constabulary with orders to watch for any new Shadowkind emigrants, with a list of questions to ask them, hoping to find information before their memories faded. Whole cabals were devoted to using mathematics to analyze the times and places where they had emerged, trying to gauge probabilities of when and where they were most likely to appear.

"Whether they made any progress at all, I have no clue. Obviously, all the information they gathered was lost, gone up in smoke in that cataclysm I showed you. To this day I have -" Then he cleared his throat, noticing the anxious look on Hank's face. "- well, as I have said, I have reasons. But for now… Dark Necrofear, attack the Giant Soldier of Steel!"

"Again, I use Giant Soldier's effect!" Hank gestured, causing the Xyz monster to use its second Overlay Unit to increase its Defense Score to 3,000. Again, Dark Necrofear's vile gaze glanced off it harmlessly, but this time, she and Xokiek were expecting it, and barely reacted.

(H: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,200)

"Yes, again, but not a third time. Crazed Profit, move to Defense Mode." The strange Spellcaster crouched in a defensive kneel. (2,000 DEF) "And it's your move, Mr. Richards."

"I'll activate this first, if I may." Hank's Trap Card lifted. "Umber Hulk Tunnel. When a dwarf says he's 'following an umber hulk', it means he's taking a big risk for a potentially big payout. So, if I manage to summon four or more monsters this turn, I'll get to draw twice, otherwise, I lose my whole hand. So, let's see if I can make it work, I draw…

"And then I activate… Fossil Fusion!"

'A Fusion monster?"

"Of a very special sort!" The ground rumbled and cracked again, and two monsters - Hank's Gorgonic Gargoyle and Xokiek's Zombyra the Dark - broke the surface. "By taking one Rock Type monster from my Graveyard and a Level 4 monster from yours, I can fuse them together -" The two monsters melted into blue and orange orbs, swirling together and forming the Fusion portal. "- to summon my Cenozoic fighter, Fossil Warrior Skull Bone!"

The name of the monster that emerged from the portal seemed fitting. It looked like a bulky dinosaur-man, hunched over and muscular, with taloned feet and a skull-like head, which had been turned to a stone statue covered with bony ridges, yet still fully mobile. It held a primitive-looking spear that oddly seemed to be made of metallic bone. (2,000 ATK)

"Humph," said Xokiek, "dramatic entrance, but rather lackluster for a Fusion monster."

"True, he's not strong enough to handle your monsters, but he will be once I devolve him using this!" He thrust a Spell Card forward, and declared, "Time Stream!" The air around him started to ripple as the Fossil Warrior started to mutate, pulling itself upright as it became bigger with a smoother shape. "With this card, I can create a temporal link from the Cenozoic period to the Mesozoic, aging my Skull Bone 200 million years, creating Fossil Warrior Skull Knight!"

Now the Fossil Warrior was half a head taller, wearing actual armor, a chestplate made from a ribcage, and a helmet from a skull, with bony plates on its shoulders, ankles, and forearms. It held both a shield and sword, also made of bone. (2,400 ATK)

"But I'm not done! First, I'll use Magical Stone Excavation, and fold two of my cards -" He discarded two monsters, one of which was Stone Statue of the Aztecs - "To gain back my Time Stream here."

"Again?" growled Xokiek.

"Yes, again! You of all people should know that some things grow stronger with age, so I'll use Time Stream again to age my monster 300 million years more, so I can further devolve it into Fossil Warrior Skull King!"

Now, the Fossil Warrior had reached the apex of its power, standing half-again as big as Skull Knight, its bone armor gold with a flared crown on its helmet, a flowing crimson cape, and a belt with a horned skull for a buckle. (2,800 ATK)

"Now let's put all that power to use! Skull King, put that Crazed Prophet out of his misery! Attack!"

The mighty Fossil made a primal roar and charged, bringing its weapon down hard with a blow that smashed the defending Crazed Prophet to bits.

"ARGH!" shouted Xokiek.

(H: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,400)

"I see you noticed my monster's piercing effect, didja?"

The Suel lich smiled evilly, rubbing the front of his - or rather, his current victim's torso. "Yes… Always takes a bit to… adjust to a new body. Kind of like how a pair of shoes are tight before you… break them in."

"I'll show you… I use Skull King's effect to attack a second time!"

Now, the Fossil King turned to Dark Necrofear, a bone chilling shriek from the demon evident that the blow had struck.

(H: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,800)

"A little hot under the collar there, aren't you, Mr. Richards?"

"I know all about that… thing's effect." He took the final card from his hand. "I'll activate The Shallow Grave, which allows both of us to summon a monster from our Graveyards in set Defense Mode."

"If you insist," said Xokiek. Two reversed monster's appeared, one on each side of the field.

"My turn is over, and because I summoned four monsters - or rather, five - I get to draw twice."

"That's not the only thing that happens, Mr. Richards. First, the monster I banished using Dimensional Snare returns." The same portal appeared on his side of the field again, and Gigantes was unceremoniously thrown out, as if it was kicked. (1,900 ATK) It clearly wasn't in a good mood, glaring angrily at Xokiek as it stood up.

"Then, the effect of my Dark Necrofear activates from beyond the grave, as it takes possession of your Fossil Warrior Skull Knight!"

This time, what happened was horrific enough to unnerve Hank, if only slightly. A phantasmal version of Dark Necrofear rose behind Xokiek, and then opened its mouth, opening far wider than its jaw suggested, showing rows of jagged sharp teeth. It howled, darting towards Fossil Warrior Skull King and dove into its torso. The Rock monster staggered and teetered slightly before stumbling over to Xokiek's side of the field. It turned to Hank, with the unmistakable evil eyes of Dark Necrofear looking at him.

Hank barely noticed the fourth Spirit Message activated, adding a "T" to the message, although he did when Xokiek added, "One turn left," before drawing twice again.

"First, I will flip summon the monster I brought back via your Spell Card. Behold… Swine Lord!"

There was a loud, snorting, wheezing sound as the card flipped up, revealing a monster that was… big. That was the first adjective that came to mind. The enormous Fiend stood eight feet tall and was morbidly obese, its huge, thick legs barely enough to support it. Its head looked like that of a razorback boar with huge, curved tusks and a mane of black, unkempt hair. It wore a long, leather kilt with a sporran in front, and its bloated torso was covered with elaborate scarification tattoos. (2,000 ATK)

"Ugh, that's worse than Necrofear."

"Yes, disgusting I know, but this beast suits my unique strategy in two ways. First, once per turn, any attempt to destroy my Destiny Board combo will be negated. Second, should I lack the space in my Spell Zone to complete the Spirit Message…"

"...like you are now?"

"Indeed, this monster's effect lets me use my Monster Zone in its place. With your Skull King, my side is almost impenetrable, but just in case… I will sacrifice my set monster…"

The card he had set two of his turns ago disappeared, and another dark, shadowy shape started to rise. The monster came into focus, just as large and hulking as Swine Lord, but much better dressed, much more… regal…

"Dark Ruler Ha Des!" gasped Hank.

It was indeed the infamous Duel Monsters Ruler of the Underworld, as there was no mistaking the violet and sapphire blue raiment with gold embroidery, very loose sleeves, and a midsection shaped like a skull, not to mention the horned, golden helmet. (2,450 ATK)

"With him in play, all my Fiends negate the effects of monsters they destroy. Allow me to demonstrate."

Swine Lord let loose a loud, rancid, foul-smelling belch, the vile cloud corroding Gigantes into a steaming pile of goo.

"Now for your flip-effect monster…"

Damn, thought Hank. He turned and looked towards Ha Des and then thought, Fine, bring it, you undead son of a bitch.

The Dark Ruler let out an unholy bellow, and with amazing speed and agility for someone that size, lunged and aimed a punch at the facedown monster…

A huge urn appeared on the card, a frighteningly dark version of a Morphing Jar. As large as a pipe barrel, the jar was made of steel, each of the four sides shaped like a grinning demon's head with sharp teeth and glowing, ruby gems for eyes. The monster lurking inside the jar had one eye, like the regular Morphing Jar, but that eye also glowed with even more intense fiery light, and it had longer, sharper teeth. (3,000 DEF)

Ha Des' fist slammed into the side of the monstrous Jar, unable to crack it. The Fiend lord howled and clutched his hand while the thing in the jar cackled with glee.

(H: 3,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,250)

"That's Pot of the Forbidden! Not only does it have 3,000 Defense Points, it has four flip effects! And seeing as Ha Des has to destroy a monster to negate its effect, I can use the first effect to wipe out your monsters!"

The shadowy thing in the jar snaked out, and with another horrible cackle, spewed a cloud of black fumes that engulfed Swine Lord, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and unfortunately, Fossil Warrior Skull King, causing them all to corrode and rot, collapsing into piles of ashes and dust.

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"WHO-HOO!" cheered Jil.

"Will you pipe down?"

"Live a little, Helensla." Ulmo had finished the candy - throwing the wrapper on the floor - and was starting on a bag of potato chips. "These are primo seats here, and Xokiek is getting clobbered!"

"We're working for him here, remember?" Helensla looked at him in disgust. Ulmo not only ate far too much of that junk, he was a noisy chewer. "Why did you even bring all that stuff?"

"He always has it," said Kraip. "You should have seen him at the Flood Festival - he bought out that vendor's entire stock of turkey legs."

"Hey, it's the only time of the year we can get those!" he protested. "Not like I didn't offer to share!"

Helensla shook her head. Sometimes her job seemed less like a guild leader and more like a babysitter.

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For the first time, Xokiek seemed annoyed. Not angry, yet, but very annoyed.

"Clever move, Mr. Richards, though pointless. My monsters are gone, but the Destiny Board still remains."

"But I managed to put it on pause, at least," replied Hank, "now that your Swine Lord is gone."

"Is it now? I activate the effect of my Crazed Prophet."

Oh damn, thought Hank, I forgot about him.

"Crazed Prophet's effect activates from my Graveyard when a Level 5 or higher Fiend is destroyed. By banishing one Fiend from my Graveyard of that Level, I can Special Summon another from there." He took Dark Ruler Ha Des' card and looked at it. "Seeing as Ha Des can't be Special Summoned anyway…"

The card dissolved into dark shadow and dissipated, and Swine Lord appeared once again in Attack Mode. (2,000 ATK)

"Having done that, I take Crazed Prophet's card, and then place it at the bottom of my deck. Are you starting to see the trend, Mr. Richards? My monsters are, much like myself, very hard to kill and far more dangerous when they are dead than alive.

"So, you have one more turn before my Spirit Message is finished, so if you have any more questions to ask, I suggest you do so now."

"Well, only one," said Hank. He drew one card, casually looked at it, and said, "Why bother with us?"

Hank, of course, had no doubt that whatever Xokiek's motives were for wanting to find the Homeworld of Shadow, or whatever his intentions were, they wouldn't be good. But in the long run, it didn't matter, as he was hardly one who could contribute to such a discussion.

"All this is interesting, pretty absurd, but interesting. Have to tell you though, seeking out other dimensions and weird worlds isn't what the Shadowchasers do, you'd have to ask -"

"I know about Morganna's Kin!" snapped Xokiek. The sudden shift of his tone was one of disdain and contempt. "Arrogant bunch of peons… Modrons are less of a hassle to deal with… I've tried to deal with that greedy bastard Estevan too, his replies to my inquiries always sarcastic letters saying he was too busy with 'actual customers' to deal with 'frivolous requests'.

"But… My own research pieced together over the centuries finally brought me to the focal point. I discovered the true reason Cauldron itself was founded."

"Founded? What do you -"

"Tell you what, Mr. Richards, I am finding all this somewhat amusing, so let's make it even more so - manage to survive to your next turn, and I will share the entire secret…"

Do tell… thought Hank.

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To be continued… In ten minutes! That's right, this chapter was so long, I broke it in half, but the second part is coming NOW!