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Shadowchasers
Blue Blood
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Chapter Fourteen
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…Too Well
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"Well, I never say no to a challenge," replied Hank. He played the card he had drawn. "So here goes, I activate Book of Moon!"
Using the well-known Quickplay Spell caused Pot of the Forbidden to flip back into set position - and consequently, caused Xokiek to gasp. "You're going to reuse that effect?"
"No, going to use a different effect. I summon Weathering Soldier!"
Using another card, a large, bulky, headless rock-man appeared next to the set monster. (2,000 ATK)
"So, it's time for him to rain on this parade! Attack Swine Lord again!"
The surprisingly fast golem made a rush at Swine Lord, throwing a punch at the Fiend; it was met by an equally strong punch from Swine Lord, and the entire street shook as both monsters were eradicated.
"GAH!" shouted Xokiek.
"Sure, I had to do that by mutual kill, but Weathering Soldier's death means I get to take another Fossil Fusion card from my deck. Now I can move to Main Phase 2, and flip summon Pot of the Forbidden to use its second effect! Say goodbye to your Destiny Board!"
Emerging from the card, the cackling monster again spewed its cloud of noxious vapor, this time at the back row that contained Destiny Board and four Continuous Spells, smashing all of them to little pieces and in the process, blowing the Ouija board overhead to shards.
"Very… resourceful there, Mr. Richards. However, when the Destiny Board is destroyed, I am able to summon Ruin Mage from my hand."
There was an eerie, ominous chanting as a ghostly figure rose out of the ground, like it was drifting upward from below. The Ruin Mage, as he called it, was a humanoid figure in a ragged, dirty, crimson robe, wearing a belt that held a pair of scrolls. It hovered slightly off the ground, and its hands (the only sign that there was a human under the robe) were wrapped with bandages. The strangest part was the hood that concealed its face, not in the way most such hoods would do so. The opening in the front was circular, the size of a dinner plate, and was bordered by a metal discus-like ring with four blades pointing outward on the sides. (0 ATK)
"It doesn't look like much, but it gains 700 Attack and Defense Points for each Spirit Message your card destroyed." (2,100 ATK) "Now, you draw once. Pray it's a useful card."
Hank made one draw - it was something of a relief, this duel was seriously starting to be a drain on him. "Well," he said, "end turn then. So… Are you going to spill the secret now?"
"Hmm-hmm," chuckled Xokiek. "In time, Mr. Richards, in time. For now -" He drew once. "- why spoil the mood?"
Figures, thought Hank.
"First, I will set one Monster. Then, as you recall, I used a Spell Card called Dark Spirit's Mastery to gain Destiny Board the first time. As it is now in my Graveyard, I can use its second effect, and banish it. By doing so, I can take the three Spirit Message cards you destroyed -" Spirit Message E, A, and T appeared in his free hand. "-and place them at the bottom of my deck. Then, I draw one card for each."
He made three draws, and then, he actually laughed. The evil laughing in Elizabeth's young, girlish voice only made it more demented.
But far worse was the monster he summoned….
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Red's wound had been healed with a quick application of potent divine magic; it was still a little sore, but at least Nichole had the foresight to ask for the left hand. After all, Nichole needed everybody to be at full strength for what they were about to pull off.
"Okay, gimme the glue."
Sonya handed her the rubber cement, and Nichole removed the pendant from around her neck, the chain holding the odd Celtic cross design that all of Cuthbert's faithful wore. She breathed hard and cried a little - Gregory had given this to her, the day she first spoke her vows as an initiate, but it was far more replaceable than Elizabeth was.
She stuffed the actual chain in her pocket - no sense in wasting that - and slathered the underside of the jar's lid with the glue, and then pressed the holy symbol there. She counted out the twenty seconds for it to bond, then shook the lid a few times, making sure it had done so.
Finally, she took the pan with the cooling liquid mixture, and slowly poured it into the jar.
Finally, she took the grimoire and opened it to the bookmarked page. "Everyone clear on what we all need to do?" she asked.
Everyone nodded - and with Sonya and Francis, gave a thumb's up. Nichole folded her legs into a lotus-style and started to recite the incantation carefully:
Zorge Bastet atraah ge ugear cam oi ors dosig
Ananael Nodens ge fafen i balit
Micalz Kthanid zacam ol ozien ar ol strike hits vaoan
Lonshi alca soy Cuthbert -
She closed her eyes tight, and the concoction in the jar churned, then bubbled softly, and turned blood red… and then, sapphire blue. Nichole's eyes tightened… And then they snapped open.
"Let's go."
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The monster seemed to be Dark Necrofear at first glance, same metal bondage gear, same exposed metal bones, and even the demonic infant. But…
"That… looks like Dark Necrofear, but… it ain't her…"
It seemed like this version wasn't solid, not made of flesh. It was more like a translucent phantom. (2,800 ATK)
"This version is called Curse Necrofear. Unlike the original, which is summoned by banishing three Fiends, this one is summoned by un-banishing them." He again held up three cards, Versago, Versago, Dark Ruler Ha Des, and Dark Mimic. "As in, return them to my deck. So now that I have, I can return the favor! Smash that oversized paperweight, Curse Necrofear!"
This time, the Pot of the Forbidden wasn't in Defense Mode, so the blast of powerful dark magic from Curse Necrofear tore through it, smashing it to bits like a common piece of pottery.
Of course, he wasn't done, seeing as Ruin Mage was powering up an evil spell of his own. "That Giant Soldier is next! "Attack with ruinous omen!"
It seemed more like a bolt of crimson lightning from Hank's point of view than any sort of "omen", but it still did the job, hitting his last defense and blowing it into shards.
"Mm-heh-heh." Elizabeth's eyes glowed with green fire as the thing who stole her body looked at Hank evilly. "I am ending my turn, and the true effect of Ruinous Mage activates. For every Spirit Message I sent back to my deck that turn, I gain 1,000 Life Points."
(H: 3,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,250)
"Your move…"
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Ulmo looked through his satchel. "Dang," he said, "that was the last bag of chips."
"Oh gee," said Kraip, "I can't imagine where the others went"
Helensla was doing her best to ignore them and focus on her job. But then she felt a horrible pressure on her head, like a vice applied to her skull - she recognized this painful sensation, Rivaldi was sending her a telepathic message, and it was something she could not ignore.
"Lady Rivaldi, what's wrong?" she said softly. "We…"
"You did nothing," came the reply. "Get out of there! Use the basement door."
"What, but why?"
"The mission has been compromised, get your men out of there now."
"But we -"
"Did I fucking stutter? Get your ass away from that building!"
The telepathic link ended, and the pressure lifted quickly, but Helensla knew that disobeying Rivaldi would be much worse.
"Everyone, OUT!" she shouted. "We're out of here!"
"What?" asked Jil. "Why -"
"Don't know, don't care, don't want to care! Out through the back door!"
"We still getting paid?" asked Ulmo.
"MOVE IT!"
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"I… draw!" exclaimed Hank. "And I activate Miracle Rupture! I send one Rock Type monster to my Graveyard from my deck, and then, because I have a Fossil Fusion there already, I can draw once."
He played the card with a certain monster in mind, a level 8 Light-Attribute Rock Type. He nodded, then discarded it. He proceeded to shuffle his deck and then draw once. Then…
"I activate the Field Spell, Twilight Sanctuary!"
Playing the Spell caused the streets around them to vanish as shadows rose around them, the night sky above them taking on the lighter, serene appearance of evening. Then, large stone monoliths rose from the ground around them, positioning the two duelists in the center of a concentric ring of standing stones.
"Stonehenge, eh? Haven't been to this place for a while… From my hand, I activate the effect of Dark Spirit of Malice!"
Hank nearly froze in fear - a hand-trap monster? Was this going to negate his Field Spell?
"Because you activated a Spell Card, I can use this card's effect to Special Summon a monster you might remember…"
Xokiek's explanation almost came as a relief - until he saw that the monster he was summoning was none other than Dark Necrofear. (2,800 DEF)
Undaunted, however, he continued his turn. "Well, let me show you some of the improvements they've made here. First, via the Field Spell's effect, I can Special Summon a Light or Dark Rock-Type monster from my Graveyard every turn. You may recall my Moai Idol of Bronze." In a flash of light, the huge Moai he had summoned several turns ago reappeared on his field. (200 ATK) "And now that I have it, I can Special Summon my Moai Idol of Silver!"
There was another flash of magical power, this time of shadow, and a duplicate of the Moai Idol of Bronze - which was coated in silver this time, naturally - appeared. (200 ATK)
"And then I banish both of them!" The two Moai turned into orbs of light and darkness and then burst into shards. "To summon the Moai Idol of Gold!"
Rising from the ground with a loud rumble was yet another Moai, fully three times as big as either of the previous two, and was either made of solid gold, or gilded to a radiant shine. (2,600 DEF)
"Then I'll use its effect and pay 1,000 Life Points to also summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs!"
This time, rather than rise up from the ground, the monster - a solid, blocky statue of the Aztec god Cōātlīcue - fell from above, landing with a loud slam. (2,000 DEF)
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,250)
"Are you quite done?"
"No." Hank set two cards in his Spell Zone, and then set a monster. "Now I am."
"Hmm-hmm-hmm," chuckled the Suel lich, making a draw. "Almost forgot how enthralling this sort of thing could be. Curse Necrofear, attack the Moai Idol of Gold!"
"Don't think so," replied Hank, "I activate the Trap Card, Ballista Squad!"
As he used the card, a giant crossbow device - a ballista, naturally - appeared behind him, as did a mob of goblins, the Goblin Attack Force and Goblin Elite Attack Force. The second group picked up the Stone Statue of the Aztecs, placing it on the ballista as the first group turned a large winch to lower it.
"FIRE!" One of the goblins made a slash with a sword to cut the rope, and the Stone Statue was launched, plowing into Curse Necrofear and flattening her.
"Huh, clever, and now I have no monster that can defeat yours." Of course, the sarcasm in his voice was obvious - Hank wondered if that attack wasn't a ruse to force him to use his Trap Card.
The presumption became all but certain when Xokiek's set monster flipped up, and it was just what Hank had feared it was - Mask of Darkness. (900 ATK) Naturally, Xokiek used it to regain his Destiny Board.
"Most of the time, I'd simply set this again to start the countdown on your next turn, Mr. Richards, but I have a faster way to do it, with the Spell Card, Trap Booster." He used that very Quickplay Spell, tossing one of his cards, and as a result, activated the Destiny Board right then and there. Like before, the cursed Ouija board appeared, the hand moving the glass to the "D".
"Now to bring out one of my favorite monsters. I sacrifice Mask of Darkness and Ruin Mage…" The two monsters shattered into dark, shadowy orbs, and a pit of utter darkness opened in the middle of the arena, a pit with dark, foul-smelling smoke pouring out of it and the smoke gave way to hellish fires.
A tall, intimidating Fiend rose out of the pit. Nine feet tall, it looked like a dark, sinister angel, a man with vast wings of black feathers. He wore black plate mail and a toga, both black, along with a white, flowing cape. His long tangled hair was also shock white. He wore a black mask over the lower part of his face and a black disk-like halo floated above his head. (2,800 ATK)
"Belial, Marquis of Darkness! And I'm still not finished."
Playing another card caused the golden ankh of Monster Reborn to appear, and Swine Lord stepped into the light. (2,000 ATK)
"Him again," growled Hank.
"Next, I'll set one card facedown, and then activate the Spell Card, sentence of Doom," continued Xokiek. "The first effect of this Continuous Spell Card is to let me recover one Fiend-Type monster in my Graveyard for every Destiny Board and Spirit Message I have."
He got what he needed, and added, "You'll see the other effect later, so as for now…" Then he stopped. "Hmm… Before I end this turn, Mr. Richards… Still interested in hearing the big secret?"
"You're actually going to tell me?"
"I said I would, didn't I? Most believe Spellmason was a typical greedy conquistador, and in many ways, he was. Tales of the vast wealth folks sought by finding the eastern passage certainly piqued his interest, but also made him see a larger picture. As I'm sure you have heard from the boastful snobs who rule this city, Spellmason was a wizard, much like myself, not a common profession for a dwarf, but he was more powerful at the arcane arts than most knew. As I said before, the true goal of every wizard is knowledge. With him, he sought knowledge as a means of obtaining profit.
"To give an analogy here, Mr. Richards, say you're in charge of a large agricultural company that deals in corn. Suppose you discover an isolated nation who can proportionately produce corn in an abundance three times as fast as you can. If you were an impulsive type, you could covertly hire a group of mercenaries who could raid such a nation and steal their supplies. But… If you were a far more pragmatic type, you could - through subterfuge or legit negotiations - discover just how they manage such a feat, discern just what agricultural methods they use to achieve such a bounty, and then apply it to your much larger facilities."
"You're saying Spellmason wanted to open trade with the Homeworld of Shadow?"
"Why not? Back then the Orient seemed just as remote to humans."
Hank was about to say something about how ludicrous that sounded, but then, he realized it did indeed make some sense. Most everyone back then who sought the passage was pursuing a near-impossible task, given how they had no idea just how far away the Orient was. Some, like Hudson and Magellan paid for their miscalculations with their lives, others like Cortez committed horrible atrocities via their selfish acts… But he could understand the allure of someone who might want to take the concept further.
Gold is one thing, he thought, mithril and bloodsilver are quite another. If they could somehow find a way to mass-transport Saronite, they could…
Then, it came to him.
"The same could be applied to magic, right? That's the whole reason, isn't it, Mr. Seeks Complete Mastery of Eldritch Power? Your goal is to meet the Suel Empire's goal, but on your terms."
The lich nodded. "Now you're seeing the picture. Magic did not originate in this world, Mr. Richards, the Shadows brought it with them.
"As for the Suel, I have quite a few grudges to settle with the true Suel Empire, and their near endless repository of magic would be envied by Mordenkainen himself. If both access and egress between the two worlds could be established…" He clenched his fist, and it burned with magical flames; the power he was exuding right now overwhelming. "...even such Shadows as Dracula and Rayearth would bow to me!"
"Hey, HEY, watch it there," said Hank. "Those two aren't the type you want to cross."
Of course, neither of them was the type that any sane Shadowkind wanted to cross, but he was quickly starting to think Xokiek was batshit crazy. Not that there wasn't ample of that to begin with. Unfortunately, he was starting to see the whole picture.
"When you said the Suel Empire would eradicate all of existence and leave nothing behind, it was because your entire goal from the start was to conquer and rob them, and the Rain of Colorless Fire left nothing for you to take. Am I right?"
"YES!" For the first time, the Suel lich seemed genuinely angry. Hank had touched a nerve. "I had ample justification to do so, but I won't get into that now. If Spellmason's notes were correct - and I have little reason to assume they aren't - Cauldron is an eldritch focus for 'apportation' magic unlike anywhere else, the cataclysm which created the Demonskarr the result of… something that weakened the boundaries between our world and the Homeworld of Shadowkind. He came here hoping to find out exactly what that was and use it to create a reliable and permanent way to travel from one realm to the other."
"Either that or blow all of Cauldron to Kingdom Come," said Nichole's voice.
The Suel lich turned to face the Shadowchaser, who was there - without her sword or Duel Disk, or anything else but the clothes on her back - with Maddie, Francis, Sonya, and Red Feather about twenty feet behind them. Maddie had the jar, with Red holding the lid.
They and Hank had one thought at the front of their minds right now, Okay, Nichole… this had better work.
"Well, so glad you could make it Ms. Belvins," said the lich.
"I assume I'm speaking to Darkness Neosphere?" she asked.
The lich chuckled. "Quite impressive, Mr. Richards, though to be honest, I am surprised you didn't figure that out sooner."
"Nichole…" said Maddie, "this is the jerk who's been giving you nightmares?"
Nichole nodded. "Took me a while. I guess the next time an evil spirit keeps snooping around in - or rather, trespassing in - my mind I should pay attention more. Just tell me this. Xokiek… Why me?"
"Mm-hmm-hmm," chuckled Xokiek. "Afraid I can't give reasons, but if it's any consolation, you weren't the real target. You might say we have a… friend in common."
"Ugh," said Nichole. She shook her head. "Hank, you think you can finish this duel fast? This is one nightmare in my life that I am really anxious to wake up from."
"Not just yet, Ms. Belvins, it is still my turn, I believe… So, I'll end it here and -"
He stabbed his thumb down, and Curse Necrofear rose up on his side of the field, her eyes burning with rage. (2,800 ATK)
"When this monster is destroyed outside of battle, not only does it return, it destroys one of your cards for each Continuous Spell and Trap I have."
Beams of powerful magic flashed from the Fiend's eyes, blowing both Moai Idol of Gold and the set monster - which was Hank's second Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo - to shards.
"Humph, a pity, that Flip Effect monster might have caused me a lot of trouble had you used it. So now what, Mr. Richards? Four monsters on my side, while you have one card in your hand and that Field Spell - and that card you didn't think… to, uhm… use that… turn…"
The confident look on Hank's face seemed to suggest that Xokiek realized his mistake. "Know what?" asked the Shadowchaser. "I like those odds."
"Bah," growled the lich, "so move already."
"I have a question of my own, Xokiek." Hank made his draw, taking a brief moment to look at the card. "You say you want to go to the Homeworld of Shadow to conquer the true Suel Empire…"
"That's right."
"Well… Suppose you do manage to find this… ancient hidden technique that lets you come to and from there frequently… What makes you so sure the Suel Empire will still be there?"
"Say what?"
"Let's be honest, Xokiek, you say you've been around as long as Babylonia? Well know what isn't around now? Babylonia. For all you know, the Suel might be long extinct by now."
"You underestimate the tenacity of the Suel," growled the lich.
"Tenacity? Babylonia survived longer than they did. If what you say about them is true, I'd wager any amount of money they had a lot of enemies there too. The ones you are familiar with did themselves in, who's to say they didn't make the same mistake there that they did here? Answer this, they sent an expedition who became stuck here and was never able to report back - why did they never send a second expedition?"
He waited for Xokiek to respond - Xokiek said nothing.
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,250)
"Never thought of that, huh? Well… Guess you never thought of this either, you aren't the only one with monsters who can be a problem after they're dead. These are fossils, remember? I banish Fossil Warrior Skull King to destroy the Marquis of Darkness!"
Pointing to the archdevil, a phantasmal version of Skull King appeared, brandishing a sword of pure light. Belial lifted his own blade in an attempt to parry, but with one mighty slash of Skull King's blade, the demon's sword fell to the floor in two pieces. The Fossil Warrior followed up with a powerful upward slash, cutting the demon in twain, the remains shattering.
"Now that he's in the Graveyard…" Hank took one of his two cards. "I activate Fossil Fusion!"
"This I cannot allow," snarled Xokiek. "Again, I discard Dark Spirit of Malice to revive Belial Marquis of Darkness!"
He discarded the card - the one he had gotten back via Sentence of Doom, but… Something wasn't right. When Belial rose back on the field, he didn't seem angry or upset - at least not towards Hank. He seemed more… annoyed, crossing his arms and giving Xokiek a dry, sideways glance.
"Uhm… What?"
"You thought I was going to use Fossil Fusion to banish him? Perish the thought." As Hank played the card, two monsters - his Moai Idol of Gold and Xokiek's Legendary Maju Garzett, which he had discarded when he used Guarded Treasure - appeared behind Hank as the Fusion Materials. "I don't mind if Belial is there, in fact, it actually makes my job here easier."
"You… You did that to force me to use Dark Spirit's effect?"
"Yep, because the monster I'm Fusion Summoning now is the King of the Road, Fossil Machine Skullconvoy!"
There was a roar of engines and rumbling tremor as a huge vehicle plowed into the Twilight Sanctuary, blowing exhaust from two sets of vertical stacks and smashing through the monoliths standing stones as it barreled its way in. Ostensibly shaped like a semi-trailer big rig, it was made of both bone and rock, had a huge dinosaur skull for a cab, and claws for fenders. (2,100 ATK)
"Seems that monster wasted everything on its entrance, Mr. Richards, its Score is… Wait, what…."
All four of his monsters were starting to cough and groan. They seemed… sick.
"True, its own Attack Score isn't too hot," explained Hank, "but by summoning it, your crew loses Attack Points equal to their Defense Points."
(Dark Necrofear: 0 ATK, Swine Lord: 1,800 ATK, Curse Necrofear: 600 ATK, Belial: 400 ATK)
"So, I can only attack Belial, right? Fine with me. Elizabeth, if you can hear me right now, apologies in advance. Now, let's see what chance the Lord of the Fourth has when he stands up to 2,800 lb-ft of torque and 900 horsepower of pure primal fury!"
"Heh, my guess," said Francis, "roughly squat."
And Francis was right, with the screech of wheels, Skullconvoy accelerated towards the Marquis of Darkness, running the Archdevil down and crushing him.
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 3,550)
"I activate the Trap Card, Option Hunter!" shouted Xokiek. "This Trap Card means I gain Life Points equal to the destroyed monsters Attack Score!"
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 6,350)
"Well, good for you. Too bad that's your last set card, and my monster can attack three times!"
Skullconvoy shifted gears again, thundering forward and smashing through Curse Necrofear, then one more time, running over Swine Lord and reducing the pig demon to roadkill.
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,550)
"You worthless piece of -" started Xokiek.
"It's not over yet, old man," Hank started to point upward. "Skullconvoy also deals 1,000 points of damage for each monster it crushes."
"Why are you -" started Xokiek. He looked up, and then metal junk that was once the three monsters' armor weapons, and possibly body parts rained down upon him, knocking him flat on his stomach.
(H: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 1,550)
The Suel lich was burning with anger - literally. A shroud of dark fire was surrounding Elizabeth's body as Xokiek jerkily pulled his host upward, his eyes blazing with pure evil as he looked at Hank with an expression of hate.
A horrible thought came to Hank's mind - no matter what the outcome of this duel, he intended to release Elizabeth when it was over, but… that never meant he wouldn't kill her first…
"You miserable, pathetic, disgusting… HUMAN!" cursed the monster.
"Whoa, that really hurt," said Hank, nervously.
"When my turn comes, I'm going to…'"
Emboldened, ironically, by the fiend's lame insult, Hank used his final Trap Card. "Afraid you won't be getting one, smartass."
"Eh? Fusion Duplication? What in the world is THAT?"
"Allow me to demonstrate. If I have a Normal or Quickplay Spell in my Graveyard with the word 'Fusion' or 'Polymerization' in its name, I can banish it, and this Trap Card's effect becomes the same as the banished card."
The image on the Trap - that of a happy-looking Magical Scientist next to a machine that was producing bags of Ready Fusion - changed to that of Fossil Fusion.
"So, just for the sake of novelty, this time, I will banish Belial along with Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo…" The two monsters rose out of the ground, both shattering into red and blue shards, which were drawn into the Trap Card. "...and summon my most powerful fused beast, the Fossil Dragon Skullgios!"
The Trap card started to swell, and then burst, two more of the standing stones toppling over as the biggest fossil yet burst from the ground below, roaring with full bloodlust. It was, despite being a Rock monster, a dinosaur skeleton, that of a mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, flawless and complete… and obviously, hungry. (3,500 ATK)
"Do your worst!" cursed the Suel lich. "Dark Necrofear is in Defense Mode, so even if that monstrosity can trample, it -"
"Not only can it trample, when it attacks, I can use its effect to swap the target's Attack and Defense Scores, and due to its friend Skullconvoy, Dark Necrofear has zero Attack Points."
Hank waited for a few seconds for his foe to respond. This time, however, Xokiek said nothing.
"Nothing left to say, huh? Well, consider this your just desserts! Fossil Dragon Skullgos…" Thunder and lightning flashed overhead as the giant fossil roared to the sky. "...attack Dark Necrofear!"
Skullgos lowered its head and charged at the defending - or rather, cowering - Dark Necrofear, the ground shaking with each step. Its teeth closed around the Fiend, crushing it, and one blood curdling scream from Xokiek was all they needed to hear to know… it was over.
Or rather… The duel was, at least.
Elizabeth collapsed in a way most would compare to fainting. She was still breathing, a good sign. Maddie and Sonya were about to run to her, but Nichole held up her right hand and muttered, "Wait…"
Then, Elizabeth's mouth opened, and a dark red mist started to flow out, and out of her nostrils. The mist turned darker as it took a semi-humanoid shape, with long arms and claws, with evil eyes.
"You -" started Hank, but then a powerful bolt of dark magic hit him in the stomach, knocking him down and knocking the wind out of him.
"I'll deal with YOU later," the demon hissed in a voice that was now not even remotely human. He - or rather it, a far-more appropriate pronoun now - turned towards Nichole. "This ordeal tonight was humiliating, but at least I will get some satisfaction."
There was no denying it now, gaining Nichole as a host had always been his true goal. Nichole's reply? Raising her fists in a fighting stance, she said, "Bring it on, jerk."
Of course, Xokiek was, at the moment, an incorporeal spirit, and trying to use her bare fists against such a foe would be suicide. It was fortunate then, that she had chosen "Bring it on jerk" as the passcode for Francis' role in her plan.
Okay, here goes, he thought. It was time to use a strategy that Dugan had used two years ago - on the Isle of Wight, naturally. The incantation Nichole had recited about thirty minutes ago had been incomplete, having written the final line on that slip of paper, and now that she had given him the password, he simply had to finish the spell by reading it.
"NIDALI NENNI MIR!"
The Suel lich dove at Nichole, its claws outstretched, as the spell took full effect. Powerful magic started to generate in the jar. Maddie pointed the open end at Nichole as a cyclone of pure, holy light burst from it. Nichole opened her mouth as if to scream, the same energy pouring out of her mouth and eyes.
As Xokiek attempted to grab Nichole, he realized what was happening… But it was too late. In his rage and overconfidence, he had fallen right into the hastily made trap. He instead went through her, through her torso and then out her back, drawn towards the jar and then into it.
The impact Maddie felt was like that of a baseball hitting her in the chest but cushioned slightly by the enchantment. "Red!" she shouted.
Their trap had caught the Suel lich, but could it hold? Even now, Maddie could feel him struggling, but they had expected it. Sonya wrapped her arms around Maddie from behind and grabbed hold of the jar, both of them holding it steady as the angry lich tried to break free, while Red hastily slammed the lid on the jar. After a few tense seconds of trying, she felt the lid fit into the screw thread, and turned it to the right, fastening it shut.
Finally, the struggling got weaker, and stopped. The intense light from divine magic dimmed to a steady, soft glow. With the holy symbol of Cuthbert on the underside of the lid, the seal was complete.
"We…" gasped Maddie. "We… got him?"
"Oh, you bet!" laughed Sonya. She grabbed the jar and held it high. "Bustin' makes me feel good!"
"Uhm, girls… girls!"
Francis' shout drew their attention to Nichole. She was lying on her stomach, the strain from acting as the living focus of the spell (and bait for her trap) taking every last iota of her energy. She had passed out from exhaustion.
As they ran to help her, Hank had already managed to do so for Elizabeth. She was conscious, but delirious, sobbing heavily and trembling in fear.
"It's alright," said Hank. He hugged her and held her close. "He's gone… It's over… It's over…"
The epilogue for "Blue Bloods" will be here in a few minutes, until then, here are the fanmade cards. And again, thanks for reading.
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Twilight Sanctuary (Field Spell Card)
Image: Stonehenge at night with a full moon overhead, Warrior Dai Grepher and D. D. Warrior Lady locked in a swordfight in the center of the stones.
Effect: Once per turn, either player can Special Summon a DARK or LIGHT Rock monster from their GY. A monster Special Summoned in this manner cannot use its effect.
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Dimensional Snare (Normal Trap Card)
Image: The interior of an abandoned temple where Warrior Dai Grepher is being pulled into a Karma Cut portal. Behind him, D.D. Warrior Lady is leaning against the wall, watching with a smug smile.
Effect: Activate when your opponent's monster declares an attack. Banish the attacking monster until your opponent's next End Phase. While the targeted monster is banished, the space in the Monster Zone it occupied cannot be used.
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Crazed Prophet (Effect Monster)
Spellcaster/Dark/Lvl6/2,000ATK/2,000DEF
Effect: If this card is in your GY and was sent there from the field, you may activate the following effect as a Quick Effect: banish a Level 5 or higher Fiend-Type monster from your GY, and if you do, select 1 Level 4 or lower Fiend-Type in your GY that was destroyed this turn and Special Summon it. Upon the resolution of this effect, place 1 "Crazed Prophet" from your GY at the bottom of your deck. The effect of "Crazed Prophet" can only be used once per turn.
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Swine Lord (Effect Monster)
Fiend/Earth/Lvl6/2,000ATK/200DEF
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned. Once per turn, if any "Destiny Board" or "Spirit Message" cards would be destroyed by card effects, you may use this card's effect to negate this effect. A "Spirit Message" card would be placed on your field with "Destiny Board", you can Special Summon it as a Normal Monster (Fiend/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) instead, and if you do, it is unaffected by card effects, except "Destiny Board", and cannot be targeted for attacks.
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Moai Idol of Silver (Effect Monster)
Rock/Dark/Lvl3/200ATK/2000DEF
Effect: You may Special Summon this card from your GY on a turn where you Summon a "Moai Idol of Bronze". If this card is used as Xyz Material for a Rock-Type Xyz Monster, then on the turn you do so you may pay 1,000 LP per Xyz Material of the Xyz Summoned monster. If you do, then draw 1 card for each 1,000 LP paid.
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Moai Idol of Gold (Effect Monster)
Rock/Earth/Lvl8/2,000/ATK/2,600DEF
Effect: You can Special Summon this card from your GY by banishing 1 "Moai Idol of Bronze" and 1 "Moai Idol of Silver" you control. Once per turn you may Special Summon a Level 6 or lower Rock-Type monster from your GY in face-up Defense Mode.
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Ruin Mage (Effect Monster)
Fiend/Dark/Lvl1/0/ATK/0DEF
Effect: You may Special Summon this card from your hand when a "Destiny Board" and or any number of "Spirit Message" cards you control are destroyed; if you do, this card gains 700 ATK and DEF for each such card destroyed. Only 1 "Ruin Mage" can be Special Summoned this way in one turn. If you do, at the end Phase of the turn, you may take any number of "Destiny Bord" and/or "Spirit Message" cards in your GY and place them at the bottom of your deck in any order. For each card returned to your deck this way, increase your Life Points by 1,000.
