XIX
Worlds away, in a peaceful dreamscape that felt all the more nightmarish for it, Akaba Leo sagged where he stood.
"Duel Hunters." The phrase slipped from his mouth like a disgusting curse. "Kagemaru, you utter bastard … you actually went and made the élite agents of Misgarth into your own personal army?!"
He had very good reason to be alarmed. What the Obelisk Force had been to Academia—if perhaps only in theory, as many who'd fought them later said—the Duel Hunters were to the governing body who had authorized that school's creation, and sanctioned all its actions thereafter. Their name was deceptive in its austerity: the official purpose of the Duel Hunters, as stated in their charter, was to seek out and engage any rogue entity thought to present a threat to the Kingdom of Misgarth's continued existence. As many such rogue entities often had Duel Monsters and knew how to use them, so too did the Duel Hunters—but the Duel Hunters were set apart from even these other Duelists in not only the strength of their cards, but the ways in which they used them. For they knew that threats to the Kingdom could come from both without and within, and in many shapes and sizes besides—from solitary fighters to tightly-knit families, organizations, or even corporations—and so different threats needed to be met with different shows of force in turn.
The chi-level Duelists that formed the Weitsicht division of the Duel Hunters were only a fraction of this powerful organization—and by far the most rarely seen among them all. Partly it was because of the unique combination of skills that they needed to possess. Partly it was the difficult integration of technology that was needed to make them excel in their field. In either case, the end result was a cabal of soldiers who took the phrase "see, don't be seen" so deeply to heart that it defined how they played Duel Monsters. By making use of the extensive satellite network that had put Misgarth on the map, they could zero in on virtually any device that could broadcast a Real Solid Vision signal, hijack it for their own ends, and use it to initiate a Duel of their own. All this could be done without needing to reveal their face—and it was for this reason that most denizens of the Fusion Dimension had come to call them "Sniper Duelists": a shadowy threat who could strike from just about anywhere, at any time … and at anyone they pleased.
To hear that even one of these Sniper Duelists had been tapped to aid the Ædonai in their so-called "war" scared Leo out of his wits. That this one person had been ordered to take out not only his wife, but perhaps even the adopted daughter she had raised in Ray's place, only made it more clear that they would go to any lengths to win this war—even down avenues once thought unnecessary.
He shook his head. "Even I never went that far—no," he amended, "would never dream of going that far … to call on that bunch to win my own war. How desperate has Kagemaru become, Wendy, that he would need them so soon?"
"Desperation had nothing to do with it," said Dr. Grimm quietly, still standing across from him. "Kagemaru saw the potential they carried before he even launched his raids on the Dimensions. Markus, as former Misgarth intelligence himself, provided the contact he needed to start laying the groundwork for the Ædonai. After that, he needed only to seize the Kingdom from Prince Ojin's hands before he could realize that potential at last."
Leo curled his lip. "So it's not that Kagemaru simply wants to win. That alone wouldn't satisfy him. He wants to make a statement as well—to show how much stronger his following is than mine ever was."
"He thinks you were a fool to not make use of them," the Psychic Duelist muttered. "Perhaps if you had, we would not be having this conversation. Academia might still be your seat of power—and Ray might be flesh and blood."
The former headmaster sighed. "Some men wish to know how to use a sword in battle. Some would rather know when to use it. All Kagemaru wanted was the sword. He believed he was strong enough that he didn't need the how and the when. But he fails to grasp—just as he did back then—that sometimes, what makes strength worth possessing isn't knowing how or when to use it … but how and when not to use it."
Dr. Grimm looked away. "He said the same thing about you and yours," she said sadly, her ruined eye smoldering with wispy black smoke. "And that your lack of it … is the reason why you and I are talking right now."
Leo—deep in his fury, disgust, and unease—found he had no real answer to this.
Chūō City
Within moments of commencing the Duel, Akaba Himika knew that this one was to be unlike any the Lancers had ever fought. The LID had tasted of Academia's élite Duelists in the past, and the terrain programs they carried with them, so she knew to expect this much from whatever her opponent had in store for her. And sure enough, by the time she'd drawn her five cards, a harsh grating noise reached her ears: some invisible hand was rearranging every single chair in the deserted restaurant, dragging them millimeter by millimeter towards the windows.
Nor did it stop there; the lights were flickering above her head, and one or two bulbs were heard to shatter in their sockets. The screen of her Duel Disk fuzzed and futzed at the edges, but whatever ailed it was corrected within seconds. Himika guessed at once that all this had to be caused by a remotely activated Field Spell, but what it did—to say nothing of where it had even come from, though at least that was much easier to guess—she could not yet say. Nor was she even sure where she ought to be facing during this Duel; for all she knew, her opponent could be in any one of twenty different directions from where she was now.
She took a glance at the cards in her hand—and an even longer one at Reira, silently asking for her daughter to give her the strength to survive the night—before she acted. "I begin," she said, sliding a card onto the Madame's blade, "with the Continuous Spell: Tris Magistus. Once each turn, this card's effect allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 Spellcaster-Type monster from my hand. I Summon Cendrillon, the Magistus Verre in Defense Position."
Arcane lights and symbols flared at her feet, and with a flash of light a slender figure took shape before her: a blue-haired girl resplendent in so much pale fur and silk that Himika couldn't help feeling envious of her ensemble (Level 4: ATK 800/DEF 1800). Even more elaborate, if that were possible, was the glittering staff she held in her hands: a glittering mass of glass spheres and trinkets that tinkled with every move she made.
"Cendrillon's effect activates if she is Special Summoned," Himika said to thin air, neither knowing nor caring in what direction her sniper might be, "and lets me add 1 Magistus Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand. Then," she added, swiping one card from her Deck and sliding two more onto her blade—and watching Cendrillon whirl her staff all the while, "I activate the effect of Crowley, the Magistus Grimoire—by sending 1 Spellcaster-Type monster from my hand or face-up field to the Graveyard, I may Special Summon him from my hand. Come forth!"
And at once, glowing pages from some unseen tome were gathered in a whirlwind, birthing a boy with green-and-silver hair and a monocle over one eye (Level 4: ATK 1800/DEF 1000). He too bore a staff in one hand, holding it at the ready as he settled next to Cendrillon; in his other hand might well have been the spell book that had made him manifest tonight.
"Next, I Summon the Tuner monster Zoroa, the Magistus Flame in Attack Position," continued Himika as a third figure exploded onto her field—quite literally, in this case; the red-haired and -tattooed man was a head taller than she, and so many whips of fire snaked from his fingertips that they melted the candles on her table (Level 4: ATK 1500/DEF 1500). "Zoroa's effect allows him to target 1 Magistus monster I control, and equip it with 1 Magistus monster from my Extra Deck! So I'll use his effect on himself, and equip him with Artemis, the Magistus Maiden!"
Zoroa brought his flaming arms to bear, fanning the flickering tongues that continued to pour from his person. As he did so, Himika could see the inferno actually taking shape behind him, slimming into a young girl reclining on a crescent moon of roughly her size. "Now for Zoroa's second effect," she went on. "If it becomes equipped with a Magistus Monster Card, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 Spellcaster-Type monster from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position, with its effects negated. From my Graveyard, I therefore Special Summon the Maha Vairo that I sent to Summon my Crowley! Come forth!"
More fires bloomed from Zoroa's hands, this time creating a blazing hole in the void. It flared and died in the time it took for Himika to draw breath—and in its place was a blue-robed whip of a woman in an elaborate headdress that might well have weighed more than she did (Level 4: ATK 1550/DEF 1300).
"Artemis' effect can be activated if she is equipped to a Magistus monster," she explained, gesturing to the flaming image of the woman behind Zoroa, "and lets me add 1 Magistus monster from my Deck to my hand." She did so. "And now, I'll play the very card that Cendrillon added to my hand—the Spell Card: Magistus Invocation!"
In the corner of her eye, Himika saw the Madame de Sorciere lean forward, intrigued, and she smirked in eagerness. "With this card," she said, "I can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, using monsters from my hand or field as the material, including a Spellcaster-Type monster. But"—and her smirk grew even wider—"if the monster I wish to conjure is a Magistus monster, I may also use monsters that are currently equipped to a Magistus monster I control! So I'll use Endymion, the Magistus Master as one material—and for the other, I use the Artemis equipped to my Zoroa!"
At once, moon and maiden alike dissipated, their last vestiges rising into the air—fanned all the while by yet another figure: a tall, severe man robed in blue, purple, and gold. Above them bloomed yet more arcane sigils, whirling about the portal that sucked them in, and a great wind blew within the restaurant as Himika began to chant:
"Founder of the clever craft! Virgin of the moon! With arcane voice, manifest your combined magic!
"Fusion Summon! Patron of the magic arts, I call thee forth: Aiwass, the Magistus Saint!"
She clasped her hands, held them aloft—and then, with a sonorous BANG that would have overturned any lesser tables than the ones in Bills, her Summoned monster appeared without warning: a golem of silver-blue metal that looked nothing more than an animated suit of armor. But for a vaporous æther, it had no central body; the armored claws, triangular head, and bladelike wings that sprouted from its tapered core seemed to hover there without any means of solid support (Level 8: ATK 2000/DEF 2800).
"Next! I Tune my Level 4 Zoroa with my Level 4 Maha Vairo!" More flames blossomed from her Tuner, coiling round both him and her blue-robed magician and sending them drifting upwards as well—they met in midair—
"Wielders of the clever craft. Let the arcane fires consume you, and make your bodies and minds as one!
"Synchro Summon! Patron of the sacred flame, I call thee forth: Vahram, the Magistus Dragon!"
Before Himika had even finished reciting her chant, the creature she'd Summoned was already showing itself bit by bit—as though it was chomping at the bit to finally assume a physical form. First were the wings—blue and orange plumage, each feather as long as a table in this restaurant. The twin tails came seconds later—twisting, sinuous, and as crimson as freshly flayed flesh—and then, on the last word, the flower of flame bloomed and died, revealing a scarlet-scaled wyvern that came very close to filling the restaurant with its bulk (Level 8: ATK 2500/DEF 2900).
"And lastly," cried the LDS head, "I'll use my Level 4 Crowley and Cendrillon to construct the Overlay Network!" She felt her heart sing with the thrill of what she'd done as golden energy encapsulated her chosen monsters. They writhed where they stood for a brief moment, then dived into the floor as if it wasn't even there:
"Artisans of the clever craft! With the guidance of the arcane, sculpt the earth and give it divine form!
"Xyz Summon! Patron of the finest art, I call thee forth: Ninaruru, the Magistus Goddess!"
No monster came forth from the portal at her feet—at least, not immediately. At first, what emerged was little more than a pool, not much wider than the very booth she'd been sitting at. But even as Himika looked on, the liquid inside twisted and churned, hissing with steam and intense heat. Then, without even a ripple, a graceful, slender woman, as transparent as the substance that gave her life, rose from the pool (Rank 4: ATK 1800/DEF 2400; ORU 2). Other forms took shape alongside her: birds, beasts, flowers; two at a time, each as see-through as glass … but they lived and died in heartbeats, melting into formless liquid as quickly as it took to name them.
Himika heard Reira babble excitedly, and spared a glimpse of her. The Madame de Sorciere had taken her from her high chair, bouncing her protectively against her lap—but making sure the baby had an unobstructed view of her mother. So enthralled were they that they seemed to have forgotten Mr. Parker still had his weapon trained on them.
"Ninaruru's effect." At length, Himika turned back to the Duel. "Once per turn, by detaching an Overlay Unit from her, I can target a Level 4 or higher Spellcaster-Type monster in my Graveyard, and return it to my hand." One of the transitory figures that continually appeared and disappeared at the living statue's side—a dove that had just now begun to take flight—now vitrified with a series of cracks, and shattered by some force from within. At the same time, Himika hovered a hand over her Graveyard slot, snapping up the monster she'd chosen to bring back.
She smiled. "Turn end."
Her triumphant smirk, unfortunately, hardly even lasted five seconds. Such was the oil that oozed from the sniper's voice that just listening to it made Himika feel unclean.
"You're definitely an Akaba, that's for sure," he chuckled. "Going that far with a Deck you've never seen before? I'd always been told Reiji got his talent from his father. Now I begin to wonder if he inherited more of it from you."
"Draw," he said, before she could make any retort about a compliment she didn't want to hear from the likes of him. "I Summon Electromagnet Warrior γ in Attack Position."
SMASH.
The window right in front of Himika chose that moment to simply explode. Tiny cubes of glass ripped in a hundred different directions, carried by the gusts of wind that had suddenly blown into Bills. She acted on instinct, ducking under the nearest table to protect her face and body from any scattered shards; a flurry of movement in the edge of her vision showed the Madame de Sorciere doing the same with Reira.
But she did not allow herself to feel even an ounce of relief. She suspected that the window had been shot through with a projectile of some kind—and the figure that had appeared out of thin air before her seemed to confirm her suspicions. Short and squat, it stood barely a head taller than Sawatari's father, and looked to be made of solid iron (Level 3: ATK 800/DEF 2000).
It didn't look particularly menacing, for being the Solid Vision payload of a sniper's bullet. But Himika had noticed the horseshoe magnet this monster wore over its neck like a heavy collar, the bar magnets built into each arm … and the copper coils on its arms and chest that sizzled with electricity. She had a suspicion that that wasn't any less of a simulation than whatever bullet this sniper had expended to Summon it.
Sure enough, the overhead lights were beginning to flicker again, thanks to all the electromagnetic activity inside the restaurant. "Since my Electromagnet Warrior γ was Normal Summoned, I'll activate its effect," the sniper went on, "and Special Summon another Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monster from my hand. I Summon Electromagnet Warrior β in Defense Position."
SHKK-CHKK.
Himika heard the rifle reloading—and dove for cover just in time for a second window to get blown to bits, barely a meter from where she stood. The shards bounced harmlessly off the back of her dress, but plenty still remained around her on the floor, where they could cut through the flesh of her exposed hands. She'd need to be careful.
"There's only so many windows in here," she said under her breath as she hauled herself to her feet, where a second monster had already emerged to greet her: another metal golem, crimson in color, with horseshoe magnets for claws and horns, and no visible eyes (Level 4: ATK 1500/DEF 1500). More copper wiring bound its limbs and torso, and the current that pulsed from it only intensified the disruptive effect its brother was wreaking on the lights.
Disruptive. Himika checked the Madame de Sorciere's Duel Disk, seized by a sudden thought. Seconds later, she felt her heart sink as her suspicion proved to be true; its own systems were being affected as well. Only the Dueling function seemed to still be running—but everything else, including communications, had been completely jammed. She suspected that was intentional—as was the fact that Parker's own Duel Disk seemed likely to be protected from all this electromagnetic interference, if he was still pointing it so smugly at his hostages.
She glanced back at the Madame de Sorciere. The EDS headmistress had the look of someone who'd just chanced to pull out her phone and found it completely useless. She grimaced. So we've got no way of calling for help, now. I wonder if we even did from the start, she added, remembering how the Ædonai had jammed all of Maiami City's communications before their attack, and wishing she'd thought to check her phone on the way over.
"When my Electromagnet Warrior β was Special Summoned," the sniper said coolly, "I activated its effect as well, to add 1 Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand. And, since I already control such a monster, I play the Spell Card: Magnet Induction, to not only Special Summon a different one from my Deck—but also render every Magnet Warrior on my field indestructible by battle and by card effects, for the rest of the turn."
SHKK-CHKK. Again Himika dived. "I Special Summon Electromagnet Warrior α in Attack Position—" If he'd said anything after that, the sound of a third shattering window drowned it out. Mercifully, the wind blew none of the shards in her direction—but the loud noises had finally become too much for Reira to take in. Himika felt something seize in her heart as she heard her daughter sniffle, and begin to cry.
The Madame de Sorciere was quick to soothe her, cooing softly under her breath. This proved the impetus Himika needed to get back to her feet—and just in time to see this next monster materialize on her field. By far the tallest and most well-built of the three (Level 3: ATK 1700/DEF 1100), it hefted a shield and a double-ended pike directly at her; the latter surged with yet more electromagnetic energy, and several more lights in the restaurant were heard to explode from the combined energies these three monsters emitted in unison.
"When Electromagnet Warrior α was Summoned, I activated its effect to add a very special monster from my Deck to my hand," explained the sniper-Duelist. "You'll see it before long. Until then … I Set two cards to end my turn."
A brace of cards flashed and faded from Himika's eyes—but she was too surprised to register them for a long while. I was expecting more from him on his first turn, she thought. The Ædonai, she'd been told, prided themselves on the strength of their Fusion Monsters, and went out of their way to Summon them at every turn. So why hadn't he?
She bit her lip, recalling how one of the monsters this sniper had added to his hand was "very special". It could be a hand-trap, she thought; something he could discard to protect himself—or perhaps even Fusion Summon during her own turn. But that wouldn't explain his Set cards, though. No—he's trying to goad me into attacking; he wouldn't have any other reason to leave that many weak monsters on his field with such stronger ones on mine.
It was then that a possible reason for the Ædonai sending this Duelist to hunt her sprang into her brain. Sometimes, Duelists would be able to see an enemy's cards for just long enough to read the text on them and exploit any effects they might possess. Sakaki Yūya himself had done this once, if she recalled correctly. But against someone that could Duel remotely—ergo, without needing to show his face or his cards at all—this removed the already slim risk of that happening from the equation. No one could fight such a force and hope to memorize their cards so quickly.
So I have to watch and listen for tells, she thought, if his monsters try anything nasty.
She swiped a card from her Deck—"My turn! DRAW!"—and saw her first tell much sooner than she had expected: before she'd even seen what she'd drawn, beyond the edge of a Monster Card, all three Electromagnet Warriors in front of her had collapsed to the floor, disintegrating into their component parts with one loud CLANG after another.
But even in her confusion, Himika did not believe for one second that this was by accident. And even as she looked on, her suspicion proved true: the pieces of the monsters had begun to float in midair, swirling in the air around three distinct points, faster and faster until each piece of metal was naught but a blur—
"My Electromagnetic Warriors each possess the same secondary effect," explained the sniper, his voice oilier than ever. "At any time during my opponent's turn—even when they draw to start that turn—I can trigger those effects immediately, and Release each one to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior from my Deck. So I'll Release my α, β, and γ—and Special Summon their bigger brothers in Defense Position."
Himika bit her lip as the disassembled monsters started to put themselves back together—almost as loudly as when they'd first fallen apart. But she need not have worried; none of the three Magnet Warriors looked much stronger than their predecessors as they finally took shape, and took to the field (Level 4: ATK 1400/DEF 1700; Level 4: ATK 1700/DEF 1600; Level 4: ATK 1500/DEF 1800) in the same spots as their companions. If anything, the lack of electricity sizzling along their bodies actually made them look weaker—and a quick check of the telemetry on her Duel Disk confirmed it: all three of these monsters were Normal Monsters, without a shred of an effect whatsoever.
What in the world is he planning? Himika wondered. This had to be a ruse of some kind, that much was clear—but if it was a ruse, this sniper hadn't bothered to disguise it very well. Keeping his monsters in Attack Position might have made her more inclined to deal some damage to his Life Points.
She spared a glance at his Set cards. Maybe I can force him to trigger one of them. And so: "I activate Ninaruru's effect," she began, watching another transient figurine birth and die in a burst of glass at her monster's side, "and detach its last Overlay Unit to put another Magistus monster in my Graveyard back in my hand."
But no sooner had she done this than—"Trap, activate: Magnet Conversion," said the calm voice of the sniper over the phone. "By activating this card, I can target up to 3 Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monsters in my Graveyard and add them all to my hand." The disassembled remains of the Electromagnet Warriors levitated above the floor once more, floating through the broken windows and out into the night. Himika wondered if they might be heading for the sniper, and kept an eye on their path—but the night sky made that impossible after only a few seconds.
Yet even as she cursed her eyes for failing her then, she'd already seized on another way she could possibly find out where this coward was hiding. "I Summon my Zoroa in Attack Position," she therefore said, watching her monster sear the very floor beneath his feet as he took to the field once more, wrapped in flames that seemed almost as alive as he did (Level 4: ATK 1500/DEF 1500), "and then I'll use my Tris Magistus' effect to Special Summon a Level 4 Spellcaster-Type from my hand! I Summon Endymion, the Magistus Master in Attack Position as well!"
The blue-robed mage from just a few minutes before now surfaced from a sigil-laced portal to Zoroa's right (Level 4: ATK 1300/DEF 1700). "Now," Himika said, grinning at the prospect of what was to come, "I'll switch the rest of my field to Attack Position as well—and enter my Battle Phase!"
She threw out her hand, watching her Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monster each change their stance and cast an eye on the monsters—the plain, unassuming Normal Monsters—that lay in their path. "Aiwass, Vahram, and Ninaruru—destroy every monster on his field! Attack!"
Her monsters hastened to obey. Whatever vaporous mass that animated Aiwass now bubbled and hissed, building up inside its gauntlets until it was blasted outwards in a scream of boiling wind. Vahram, as if it did not wish to be outdone, threw back its head and vomited a torrent of flames, bathing its chosen target in a matter of seconds and melting it in less. Ninaruru, meanwhile, waved her hands to and fro, directing the caustic liquid at her feet into an encasing bubble around her victim. She made a fist—and that bubble closed around the Magnet Warrior, crushing it beneath the sheer mass. It was a shame that all of these monsters had been in Defense Position, Himika thought; she'd hoped that such a diverse field as the one she'd made on her first turn could have proved more devastating—
She stiffened. The sniper was laughing—even while his monsters were being reduced to photonic dust. "It's about time someone attacked," he sniggered. "I've been waiting to use this from the moment we started our little game."
A pause. Himika held her breath. Then: "Terrain program—Field Spell: Magnet Field." The sniper's voice oozed with malice. "Once per turn, if an EARTH-Attribute, Rock-Type monster I control—which, if you didn't guess by now, all of my monsters are—battled an opponent's monster, but didn't destroy it, I can send it right back to your hand the instant it's done attacking. And since those monsters you chose to attack are all Extra Deck monsters … "
Himika swore as she realized her blunder. "You know, that Vahram looks a little too big to fit inside such a pricey place," chuckled the sniper. "I think everyone inside deserves a little more breathing room … "
Vahram roared, writhing in pain—and it was instantly obvious to the LDS head as to why: electricity was surging through its body, lifting it into the air in a way that even its wings couldn't manage. The arcs snapped and sizzled—and then, without warning, they flared in a flash that nearly left Himika blind. When next she chanced a look, the strongest monster on her field was simply gone—leaving nothing behind but an uncomfortable silence.
"Fun science fact," the sniper went on. "A strong enough magnet can levitate even non-magnetic objects. Back in the nineties, a team of scientists did just that to a frog with only a sixteen-tesla field. I hear seventy can do the same thing to a human being. The only problem is that a continuous field that strong doesn't exist on Earth. And even if it did—well, there's a non-zero chance the magnet would tear itself apart in generating it."
He laughed again. "Just goes to show what happens when you overextend yourself."
"Keep laughing," Himika said flatly. "I still have two more monsters that have yet to attack this turn. The sacrifice of one was worth making sure they both had a clear path to you." She decided not to mention that had Vahram been destroyed, instead of merely being sent back to her Extra Deck, it could have destroyed the sniper's entire field. She wondered if maybe he knew it, and had decided to opt for using his field's effect on Vahram for that very reason.
"Zoroa! Endymion!" she barked. "Attack the sniper directly!"
The two monsters acted in tandem: Endymion waved his staff through the air, creating a portal in front of Zoroa—who was already pouring more flames from his hands than ever before. One whip of fire, then two, snaked through the arcane ring, but did not come through the other side—
Himika heard a distant BOOM, but did not see any evidence of where it might have come from. She silently cursed; it seemed even the Duel itself did not want to betray her opponent's location so easily. But the 1200 LP she saw on the screen of her Duel Disk provided some measure of satisfaction all the same.
She crossed her arms. "Turn end."
As her monsters formed a protective wall in front of her, the sniper was heard to exhale. "Well … that wasn't very nice," he sighed. "I said before that you'd have to learn to obey me if you wanted to survive the night. But it seems as though my message hasn't quite sunk in. Draw."
SHKK-CHKK. He cocked his weapon, and Himika tensed. "Trap, activate: Magnet Force. For the rest of this turn, every Machine- and Rock-Type monster on the field becomes immune to enemy monster effects, save for its own."
Himika heard a faint sizzling noise—more electrical arcs, from where she did not know. It seemed as if they were coming from every direction. "Now … let's turn this up a notch," said the sniper. "Do you recall how I returned my three Electromagnet Warriors to my hand last turn? Well, it so happens that I can banish them all to Summon this from my hand—my Magnet Berserion the Electromagnetic Warrior."
More lights exploded from behind Himika. The electricity in the air was so strong that she could feel it crisping her hair. The source of it all was immediately evident: all three of the Electromagnet Warriors she'd seen earlier had reappeared outside her window. But moments later, they'd collapsed into their component parts, just like before—and as the LDS head looked on, they began to swirl around a single point—
Then, with one CLANG after another, they reconstructed themselves before Himika's eyes, forming something much bigger than anything she'd seen the sniper Summon thus far. It easily stood half as tall again as she was, and was at least four times as broad, filling the window completely (Level 8: ATK 3000/DEF 2800). An iron pike sizzled with the same electricity that coursed through its body, holding it together—and such was the intensity of the magnetic field it caused that the frames of the shattered windows actually bent outwards, groaning in protest under the strain.
Himika had a very strong suspicion that this was the "very special card" that the sniper's Electromagnet Warrior α had added to his hand. And she doubted it would end there.
Sure enough: "Next, I Summon Magnet Warrior δ in Attack Position," the sniper went on, waiting just long enough for his monster—a particularly spiky-looking conglomeration of animate iron (Level 4: ATK 1600/DEF 1400)—to join Berserion at its side. "Then, since my Magnet Warrior δ was Normal or Special Summoned, I can use its effect to send a Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monster right from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send a second Magnet Warrior δ—which activates its second effect: by banishing 3 other Level 4 or Magnet Warrior monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this from my hand or my Deck—bypassing its Summoning conditions as well."
SHKK-CHKK. The head of LDS bit her lip. "Enter … Magnet Valkyrion the Magnetic Warrior."
And as the last word left the sniper's lips, every light inside Bills that hadn't yet burst began to flicker. That was the first sign that whatever he'd Summoned was much stronger than Berserion, Himika knew—and even as she saw the disassembled remains of the Magnet Warriors she'd destroyed just last turn hover outside the restaurant as well, she knew what was going to happen before it did.
She barely blinked as the assault of clanging began anew in her ears, as arms and legs and even wings were clamped in place from the sheer magnetism that exuded from this newest entry to the Duel: ten feet tall, gold-helmed, silver-armored, and wielding a wide-bladed sword whose very existence seemed to warp and twist any metal around it that didn't belong to the monster itself (Level 8: ATK 3500/DEF 3850).
"I'll admit these don't have quite the gravitas of a true Fusion Summon," said the sniper-Duelist, "but they suit my needs just fine. All that Fusion energy they'd give off in a foreign dimension if they did—well, I'd stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. And as much as I enjoy my work, they don't pay me enough to travel on the clock."
"So that's all this is, then?" Himika sniffed. "I'm not someone to prove your worth against in a Duel. I'm just one more paycheck." She grit her teeth, eyeing the phone like it was a cockroach. "You're worse than a psychopath."
"Oh, lighten up," the gunman laughed. "I was doing this job long before there was ever an Academia or an Ædonai. I don't care what pencil pusher in Misgarth signs, seals, and delivers my pay stubs. Only that they are at all.
"Now—Magnet Berserion's effect. By banishing a Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monster from my Grave—"
"Don't even try it," Himika snarled. "I activate the effect of the Effect Veiler in my hand! By sending it to my Graveyard during your turn, I can target a monster you control and negate its effects for the rest of the turn!"
No sooner had she slid the card she'd drawn last turn into her Graveyard slot than something inside Berserion began to spark and smoke. It did not stumble, nor did it even explode—but it still sensed something had gone wrong, from the way it examined its limbs … and the suspicious lack of sizzling electrical arcs that had once snapped in the air.
"Ooh … you shouldn't have done that," breathed the sniper. "Magnet Field's second effect. Since I control a Level 4 or lower EARTH-Attribute, Rock-Type monster, I can target a Level 4 or lower Magnet Warrior monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it to my field. So I'll revive the same Magnet Warrior δ that I sent there with its twin brother—and which I could otherwise have banished with my Berserion."
And before Himika could curse her error, more lightning rippled from the iron golems in front of her. Seconds later, Valkyrion was flanked by a second golem of magnetically animated iron—inch for inch, pound for pound, and shade for shade the twin of its partner (Level 4: ATK 1600/DEF 1400).
"All right—since you decided to use your strongest monsters as your vanguard, and leave the lesser ones behind for cleanup, I think it's only fair I do the same to you," said the sniper—and he cocked his weapon once again, with the SHKK-CHKK that never ceased to make Himika's heart skip a beat.
"Battle Phase. Magnet Warrior δ—attack Endymion; Magnet Valkyrion—attack Ninaruru." The iron constructs tensed, and leapt to do their master's bidding with a crackle of magnetic energy.
Valkyrion reached its target first, hewing Ninaruru with its blade in a downward chop that sheared straight through her, shattering her into a billion shards of glass. The burst of electricity that followed knocked Himika off her feet, right into even more glass—the window shards that littered the floor. She ignored the cuts on her palms and arms, and ignored as well the sight of her Life Point gauge dropping to 2300—and then to 2000 after she heard the blast of Endymion being blown apart by whatever attack the sniper's Magnet Warrior had used. She could feel the bare skin on her back, though, where some of the glass must have ripped through her dress. Tailoring that wouldn't be easy.
SHKK-CHKK. "Magnet Berserion," whispered the sniper. "Attack Zoroa."
But Himika was already smirking. "Aiwass, the Magistus Saint's effect," she managed to grunt. "By targeting a monster on the field—yes, any field—I can turn Aiwass into an Equip Card and equip it to that target. Since your Magnet Force prevents me from equipping it to any of your monsters"—which was a pity, she thought, as Aiwass would have been able to gain control of them otherwise through its effect—"I target my Zoroa instead!"
The silver metal of her Fusion Monster suddenly vanished from view, a second before the pike of Berserion would have run it through—only to reform just as quickly around her Tuner monster as though it was indeed armor.
And perhaps it was more. "Aiwass' second effect grants 1000 ATK and DEF towards any monster it's equipped to," Himika went on, feeling a surge of anticipation at Zoroa's point gauge soaring to 2500/2500, his flames licking the inside of the Aiwass that protected him. "And don't forget about Zoroa's effect, either—when it's equipped with a Magistus Monster Card, I can target and Special Summon a Level 4 Magistus monster from my hand or Graveyard in Defense Position, with its effects negated! So I'll Summon the very Endymion you just sent to my Graveyard!"
With a loud BANG, a shower of arcane light, and a flutter of his ornate cloak, Endymion was back by Zoroa's side as though he'd never left at all. He instantly dropped to a knee and brought his blue-clad arms to his breast, chanting under his breath in what Himika could only guess was a shield spell of some kind (Level 4: ATK 1300/DEF 1700). It wasn't much of one—but it was enough that the bastard's other Magnet Warrior δ couldn't easily overcome it.
"You are a slippery one," the sniper said in a sibilant hiss. "What you just did there might well have saved your life. But I still have a stronger monster by far on your field—and because the monsters on yours aren't what they were at the start, that means I can replay its attack all over again. Berserion—destroy Zoroa, and Aiwass with it."
"That won't be enough!" Himika cried. "Tris Magistus' second effect—the first time each turn that any Magistus monster equipped with an Equip Card would be destroyed by battle, that Magistus monster isn't destroyed at all!"
"Clever," admitted the gunman. "But I'm not looking to destroy your monster in the first place. Magnet Field's effect—once per turn, any time my monster fails to destroy yours in battle, I can return your monster back to the hand. Which gets rid of your Aiwass for good—and still means you take damage from Berserion's attack."
Himika had been expecting that, and from the moment she saw Zoroa—Aiwass and all—lifted up by some unseen force and hurled right at her, she was already diving under a table. That ruined her dress even more, she thought regrettably—but it let her escape the worst of the impact. She'd still cut herself on more glass, but that didn't seem to bother her as much as it might have otherwise. The 1500 LP she'd been left with—not to mention the Endymion still on her field—might have had something to do with that.
"One card face-down. Turn end," finished the sniper as Himika gathered the card of Zoroa back into her hand. He didn't seem all that concerned that he'd failed to beat her this turn.
In hindsight, Himika later thought, she should have known then that something was very wrong.
"Draw!"
But again, scarcely had she seen what it was that she'd just drawn that the sniper's voice made her forget all about it. "Quick-Play Spell: Super Fusion."
Her heart skipped a beat. Oh, no. She'd heard plenty of this card from the Lancers—Yūri had used it, just before Z-ARC had returned, and that alone set her on edge tonight.
"Oh, good. You know what this card does," he said smoothly. "That'll make this much easier. From my field, I'll fuse my Magnet Berserion and Magnet Valkyrion—and Summon this."
Himika barely had any time to prepare herself before the Magnetic Warriors suddenly fell to pieces with a deafening CLANG. But no sooner had their components clattered to the floor that they were pulled outside the skyscraper by the wind that swirled around them—or perhaps by some other force as well. Higher and higher it carried them, faster and faster, drawing them closer and closer around a single point in the night sky:
"Soldiers of iron will and iron body. By the forces that animate you, combine into the ultimate warrior."
The sniper hardly raised his voice during his chant—but Himika had heard the coldness in his voice, the total lack of any sense of humor. Instantly she knew he was looking for a killing blow—and quite possibly a literal one—
"Fusion Summon. Strike—Imperion Magnum the Superconductive Battle Machine."
"Mon Dieu … "
Himika turned. The Madame de Sorciere had chanced to peer out from under her table; she was backing away, still cradling Reira in her arms. Both their eyes were glued to something just beyond the window, their pupils shrunken to mere pinpricks of fear.
The first Himika saw of it was the blade. It was almost as long as she was tall, and was inch for inch as wide as the span of her shoulders at its broadest. The arcs of energy that hissed along its length ran along the arm that carried it, snaking along the shoulders, before it was finally sucked into the enormous, shoulder-mounted cannon that seemed to be half the size of the winged, iron-bodied centaur that wielded it (Level 10: ATK 4000/DEF 4000).
Such was the Fusion Monster's size that it had been Summoned outside the restaurant itself—it hovered less than a meter away from the windows its master had shot to pieces. But the fields its iron body emanated felt stronger than ever before; Himika saw the lights behind her flicker feebly one final time before simply giving up the fight entirely, throwing the whole floor into darkness. Only the light of the Madame's Duel Disk, still on her wrist—and that of the skyline beyond—kept it from becoming totally pitch-black.
Long seconds passed before Himika realized it was still her turn, and her eyes focused on the cards in her hand with some difficulty—the darkened restaurant made them harder to read. But she saw the card she'd drawn just now at the forefront of her hand, and she plucked it out without any further hesitation.
"I activate the Spell Card: Vritra Magistus," she grunted, "which allows me to target and Special Summon 1 Level 4 Magistus monster from my Graveyard! I Special Summon my Cendrillon, Magistus of Verre in Defense Position!"
She averted her eyes just in time; the arcane portal that spat out her monster, still clad in all her fur and finery (Level 4: ATK 800/DEF 1800) wouldn't have been so bright under normal circumstances. But the flash, brief as it was, still felt like a sunburst in the darkened room where she Dueled.
"Cendrillon's effect—if she should be Special Summoned, I can add a Magistus Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand!" And Himika did just that. "Now for the Continuous Spell: Tris Magistus—"
"Absolutely not." The sniper's voice was calm, but dripping with venomous intent. "Imperion Magnum's effect. Once per turn, during anyone's turn, if anyone attempts to activate a card effect—Monster, Spell, or Trap—I can negate that effect, and destroy the card as well."
Himika heard the SHKK-CHKK of one bullet being ejected, another being loaded—and spoke just in time. "Vritra Magistus' second effect!" she howled, just as Imperion Magnum had brought its shoulder cannon to bear on her. "If a Magistus card in my Spell and Trap Zone would be destroyed, I can banish it from my Graveyard instead!"
She barely resisted the urge to jump as the blast hit the hologram of her Spell—small, but incredibly quick, like a bullet—but a spherical force field had bloomed at the point of impact, protecting it.
"A real sniper wouldn't have been so hasty," Himika managed to smirk. "I'd hoped to use my Normal Summon for later and have Tris do all the work for me—but I have no problem using it right now. So I'll re-Summon my Zoroa, Magistus of Flame in Attack Position"—she waited for her chosen magician to return to her field, his skin crackling with fires that gave off blessed light (Level 4: ATK 1500/DEF 1500)—and Tune him with my Level 4 Endymion!"
And as Zoroa's fires stretched into whip-like cords of flame, encircling both him and his companion monster, a hot wind blew inside the restaurant, forcing Himika to cover her eyes. But she did not cover them for long; she wanted to watch every second of what she was about to bring to the field:
"Great wielder of the clever craft. Take the arcane fire inside yourself, and be reborn within new flesh!
"Synchro Summon!" Himika howled. "Avatar of the flame, I call thee forth: Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon!"
WHOOSH.
When she dared to look again, Himika felt herself smirk. While Endymion was nowhere to be seen, the changes that had been wrought over Zoroa's body made up for this in spades. Crimson tattoos pulsed over his bare, dark-skinned chest, glowing more ominously than even the embers of the inferno that poured from his hands—even his hair. A golden halo framed his head from behind, crimson wings from his lower back carried him aloft, and all the while he stared down Imperion Magnum with what felt like an urge to turn it to molten slag (Level 8: ATK 2900/DEF 1500).
"Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon's effect." She crossed her arms. "The instant he's Synchro Summoned, I can equip him with a Magistus monster from my Extra Deck. And how fitting that your Magnet Field sent my Vahram there … because that's exactly the monster I intend to choose!"
Zoroa threw his head back and roared, but the sound was more beast than man—and indeed, as the fires that coursed through his veins intensified tenfold, Himika thought she could see an image of the very dragon that she'd possessed so briefly, silhouetted in the flames. "And speaking further of Vahram," she went on, "its second effect applies if it should ever be used as an Equip Card—whosoever is equipped with it cannot be destroyed by your Spells or Traps!
"And I'm not done yet!" She threw out her hand. "I activate the second effect of Crowley, the Magistus Grimoire! By banishing him from my Graveyard, I can target 1 Magistus monster I control, and equip it with any Magistus monster in my Graveyard that isn't a Level 4 monster! So I'll equip my Zoroa with Aiwass, the Magistus Saint!"
"Hm?" That was the only noise that the sniper made—but to Himika, it was the noise she had been hoping to hear from the moment this fight had started. Got him. "And you know what that means, right?"
She let the visuals speak for themselves: the silver-blue armor of Aiwass had appeared, layer by layer, upon Zoroa's smoldering skin, catapulting its point gauge to 3900/2500.
"It means this Duel is over! BATTLE PHASE!" Himika stabbed out with her finger as if doing so would cause the sniper a mortal wound. "Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon—attack Magnet Warrior δ!"
But the sudden silence that immediately followed this instantly set her on edge. Zoroa, for some odd reason, hadn't budged one inch—it hadn't even lifted a finger to obey her command. Why didn't it attack? Himika wondered.
The answer came startlingly quick: maybe it wouldn't attack. Or maybe it couldn't.
The sniper chose that moment to laugh, long but soft, and Himika wondered if he'd somehow seen her come to the answer just by the look on her face. "When I activated my Super Fusion to Summon Imperion Magnum," he said, his every word dripping with intent to gloat, "it required me to discard a card as its cost. That much you know—but the card I happened to discard was one Super-Electromagnetic Turtle. And once per Duel, if I banish that from my Graveyard during your Battle Phase, that Battle Phase ends. Just like that."
Damn! Himika wanted to kick something, and only that sense of survival every human being possessed was all that kept that something from being the smug face of Mr. Parker behind her. She had almost tasted freedom—almost tasted the satisfaction of beating this accursed gunman at his own game, only to be undone by one measly card. That he wouldn't be able to use that one measly card again tonight was of very little comfort to her.
"I end my turn." The faintest of growls laced every word she spoke. Barely had the words left her mouth when—
"Draw."
SHKK-CHKK. By now, Himika felt as if she could stand where she was even after hearing the sound—but it still made her flinch to high heaven. "First, I switch one of my Magnet Warrior δ to Defense Position—and then," the sniper added, after the monster to the left of his Imperion Magnum suddenly dropped to an iron knee, "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Magnet Reverse. By activating this card, I can target any Machine- or Rock-Type monster in my Graveyard that cannot be Normal Summoned or Set, and Special Summon it to my field—so I'll revive my Magnet Valkyrion." And with a bloom of light and a sizzle of electricity, the Magnetic Warrior had wholly filled a window, staring Himika's field down with sword in hand (Level 8: ATK 3500/DEF 3850).
"And now—Battle Phase." The sniper cocked his rifle once more. "Valkyrion—destroy her defending Cendrillon." The golem hurtled forward, and with one swing of its iron sword the maiden was cloven in two before Himika's eyes. She hoped the Madame de Sorciere had had the good sense to cover Reira's eyes first.
Fortunately, the attack had done no damage to her LP—but the danger on the sniper's field yet remained. "Next—Imperion Magnum. Destroy Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon."
Himika felt a surge of energy deep within her—this was it! "Vahram's second effect! If any monster equipped with it battles, I can immediately destroy that opponent's monster!" Meaning it would happen before any fighting would actually take place, she knew—and therefore that the sniper's Magnetic Field wouldn't affect her monster in time!
But—"Imperion Magnum's effect!" The sniper did not shout—he was too cold-hearted for such a wanton display of hotheadedness—but his voice was still a fraction louder than it had been all Duel. "If a monster effect is activated, I can negate its activation, and destroy that monster!" The iron centaur aimed its shoulder cannon again—
BOOM.
Zoroa had struck with such force that Himika wondered, for an awful moment, if the bomb in the building had gone off prematurely somehow. But she knew full well what had happened—and the sight of a burning hole being melted right through Imperion Magnum, from the flame-wreathed punch her monster had thrown, had swiftly replaced that feeling of horror with one of incipient joy.
"'Fun science fact.'" Himika couldn't resist throwing the sniper's own words back at him. "Even the strongest of magnets lose their charge when they're exposed to extreme heat." She narrowed her eyes. "Permanently."
The sniper, it seemed, had nothing to say to this. That only made her smirk that much wider—and wider still as she watched Imperion Magnum being reduced to naught but molten slag.
"Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon's second effect," Himika decided then to reveal. "If my opponent happens to control an Extra Deck monster of the same type as a Magistus monster in my Spell and Trap Zone, that monster's effects can't be activated. And since the Aiwass equipped to it is a Fusion Monster … "
Himika did not finish her sentence. Nor did she think it necessary; the final BOOM of a melted Magnet Valkyrion—as it collapsed to the floor of the restaurant before finally exploding into photonic dust—spoke volumes for itself.
"I think it would be best," she said, putting on as thin of a sneer to her words as she thought was socially acceptable, "if you just saved yourself the humiliation—and ended your turn now."
There was no reply but a long, faint hiss. Then, the Duel Disk on her wrist beeped. For her, that was enough.
"DRAW!" And with a flourish that almost moved the cubes of shattered glass at her feet, she drew what she already knew would be her last card of the night. She wasn't overly interested in which card it might have been—but the single glance she gave it offered a pleasant surprise anyway.
"First, I'll activate the second effect of Cendrillon, Magistus of Verre," Himika began. "By banishing her from my Graveyard, I can target a Magistus monster on my field, and equip it with a Magistus monster from my Graveyard, except a Level 4 monster. I equip my Ninaruru, the Magistus Goddess to my Zoroa!"
Zoroa flexed his hands slowly, perhaps sensing the shine that had just covered his bare, burning skin like so much molten glass. "Per Ninaruru's effect, any monster she's equipped to can make a second attack on monsters during each Battle Phase," Himika explained. "But I don't plan on stopping there. Not after the hell you put me through.
"First—I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Theologia Magistus!" she screamed, swiping the card she'd drawn last turn across her blade. "With this card, I can target a Magistus monster I control, and equip it with a Magistus monster from my Graveyard, my field, or even my Extra Deck, as long as it isn't a Level 4 monster! And I choose to equip my Artemis, the Magistus Maiden to my Zoroa as well!" She paused for just long enough to look at the glowing crescent behind her Synchro Monster, invigorating him further still—right before playing her last card.
"Second—I activate the Equip Spell: Mage Power!" The card she'd drawn this turn was slammed onto her Duel Disk hard enough to make her palm sting. "Any monster I equip this to gains 500 ATK and DEF for each card in my Spell and Trap Zone!" She smirked, wider than ever. "Regardless of whether they're Spells or Traps at all."
The silence from the drop phone on her table was telling. Not that Himika could have heard, or even wanted to hear, anything the sniper might have had to say regardless. The sound of Zoroa powering up to his fullest possible extent, until his gauge had reached an astounding 6400/5000, was already drowning out all manner of sound—and light, she soon saw. Such was the strength of the flames that rippled from her monster's hands that an outside observer might have believed they were witnessing the birth of a second sun.
She now picked up the phone, and spoke right into the receiver. "Overkill, isn't it?" she sneered, all sense of reserve and decorum now officially out the window. "I didn't have to go nearly this far. But for everything you did to me, my friends, even my own flesh and blood … this is still far less than what you deserve." She stole a glance at Reira … just long enough to feel the more maternal side of her rear its head and roar. "I don't care where you're hiding. I don't even care if you flee like the coward you are—I will stop at nothing to see you burn for crossing me!"
"BATTLE PHASE!" Zoroa flapped his wings once, and slowly rose into the air. "Zoroa, the Magistus Daimon! Destroy everything in your path! Every monster, every minion—every shield this damnable sniper would hide behind!" Spittle flew from Himika's lips. "Hunt him down! Do not stop until he is found!"
She let silence fall for precisely one second. Then: "Purifying Blaze: Nirang Barashnom Atash-Behram!"
To assign order to what happened next would imply it happened that slowly to normal human eyes. That didn't stop Himika from trying, of course.
With a single deft movement, Zoroa had fashioned one of the constant infernos pouring from his hands into a wide, flaming sword. The sheer force this generated created a shockwave that blew Mr. Parker off his feet and head-over-heels through the wall, where he crashed into the restaurant's adjoining bar and slumped to the floor. He never had time to fire a single round their way.
Scarcely had consciousness slipped beyond his reach when, with one beat of his wings, Himika's Synchro Monster had rocketed into the night of Chūō City, until he looked like just one more neon star in a skyline full of them. Her keen eyes saw him streak for a far-off skyscraper, leaving a trail of flames behind him like a meteor—
BOOM.
She did not recognize which skyscraper he'd attacked—some hotel, no doubt; she'd learned on the day she found Reira that those made perfect hiding places for snipers—but before long, a plume of flame from less than a mile away had brought a brief, false dawn to all of Tōkyō. Himika was rewarded seconds later with a notification from her Duel Disk—the sniper's LP gauge had been brought right to zero.
She slumped to the ground, exhausted. The Madame's Duel Disk suddenly felt ten times heavier on her wrist.
But she'd won—for the first time in her life, she'd Dueled … and she'd won.
"Incroyable." The Madame de Sorciere gingerly picked herself up from her undignified hiding place, avoiding as much of the shattered glass around her as she could. "I don't know how we got out of that alive."
Himika smiled as she finally deactivated the Duel Disk on her wrist. "O ye of little faith." She cast a long look at the phone on the table—and with a heave, flung out of the window, grimacing in disgust as though it had dirtied her.
"It appears so." The head of EDS brought up Reira in her arms, inspecting her. The toddler's lavender hair looked tousled, and her clothes were a bit scratched up, but otherwise she appeared unhurt.
"We should get her to the restroom," the Madame said to Himika. "Give me your bag—I think if I were little Reira, I'd need a changing right about now. I don't know how she's not bawling her lungs out this very moment."
She poked the baby on the nose, making her burble. "Such a brave little girl you are—ooh, yes you are!" she cooed. "And such a brave mommy around to protect you, too—"
ZAP. Every single light within the restaurant chose that moment to go out. There was no flicker—no other sign this would happen. And it wasn't just the lights, either—Himika had been forced to drop the Madame's Duel Disk as something sparked within its electronic innards, and it fell to the floor, sizzling ominously. The air conditioning had cut out—so the only noise they could hear now was the wind that continued to pour in from the shattered windows. And it was only by looking at these that Himika noticed that the buildings beyond had suddenly gone dark as well.
"Que diable?" The Madame de Sorciere turned round in a full circle. "Did the power go out?"
"I'm not sure … " Some sixth sense was tingling in the back of Himika's brain—some niggling notion that maybe, just maybe, they weren't out of this yet. "Your Duel Disk got affected, too … and I think our phones are … "
She swore. A single glance told all—her phone's screen was as black as could be; the device was little better than a paperweight now. But that wasn't right—her phone ran on batteries, not the power grid itself. Why would—
Wait. "I don't think this was a power bump," she said slowly. "I think we were hit by an EMP."
"What?"
"Electromagnetic pulse—affects anything in the blast radius with an electronic circuit." Himika was talking fast—whether from the adrenaline of the Duel, or the urgency of the situation, she could not say. "Power stations, phone lines, computers—depending on the power of the pulse, they can be knocked out for a short while, or permanently disabled. It's the ultimate in electronic warfare."
"Say that first bit again?"
"These pulses were meant to destroy the circuits in communications devices—"
"No—the very first bit. What kind of pulses did you say these were?"
Himika blinked. "Electro—" And then she understood. "Magnetic."
The two women traded glances of growing horror—and then a crunch of glass from somewhere behind them made them both spin round where they stood.
Exactly when Mr. Parker, the fake sommelier, had come to his senses, Himika wasn't sure. He was in a bad way: his slick hair was blackened and charred, and his vest was ripped and stained with something dark. Blood dripped from one side of his singed face, and he was walking towards with a pronounced limp.
None of that mattered to Himika. One glance told her something had snapped in him—he looked deranged, feral.
"The Madame … h-has it," he coughed, cradling his Duel Disk-turned-firearm as though it was his own child. "My partner … detonated an E-bomb—electromagnetic pulse … rigged to blow … like any other explosive. Used … his own cards … to increase its power … " He managed a laugh. "Should … have asked … what kind of bomb … "
"He said that bomb was only to go off when my Life gauge hit zero," Himika snarled at him.
That only made Mr. Parker smirk all the wider despite himself. "Exact words … 'Life Point gauge hits zero, that bomb goes off,'" he hissed through clenched teeth. "Never said … whose Life gauge it was … never mattered … "
He stopped, bare meters away from them. What little color remained in his face had left it completely.
Himika turned. The Madame de Sorciere had seized the same bottle of Mouton-Rothschild that they'd been tempted with earlier tonight, and held it her hand like a live grenade that just happened to cost a hundred thousand yen.
"One more word out of line," the old woman said through gritted teeth. "Just one more. It will be so worth it."
Himika, however, managed to wrest the bottle from her grip. "Settle down," she told her warningly, though gently. But she leveled her own ferocious glare at Mr. Parker, and did not desist in employing it even as she pulled out the same canister of mace in her bag that she'd tried to use on him less than an hour ago, and aimed it right at his face.
"She might miss from here. But I won't." The LDS head tensed her arm. "Now talk. Why did you target me? One word I don't like, and you'll be begging for that bottle upside your head."
Mr. Parker swallowed—but still seemed to have some ounce of bravado about him. "Not … just you," he laughed. "We're killing … a snake. Best way to do that—"
SMASH.
Himika wasn't aware of what she'd done until she felt the claret dripping down her bare arms from the remains of the bottle, and the smell of the wine. By then Mr. Parker had crumpled to the floor, unconscious once more—and bleeding from his scalp from where the LDS head had smashed him with the Mouton-Rothschild in her sudden fury.
Her fingers trembled, and the neck of the broken bottle clinked to the floor. But her mind was already light-years away. In that single moment of action, a terrible thought had taken hold of her.
"The restaurant manager is going to have some choice words for us." The Madame de Sorciere swayed where she stood. "And we can't pay for all these damages—not right now. That E-bomb will have erased our bank cards."
Himika was already composing a note to the manager with a pen and pad of paper she'd found. "We'll settle it later. We've got bigger problems than that now." She spoke in a bare whisper as she cast one final look upon Mr. Parker.
"Leave him," she finally decided. "The police will put two and two together. We need to get out of here."
"The elevators won't be working," the Madame said, her own voice shaky. "I don't know where the stairs are."
"We'll find them—we have to." The LDS head was trying her best to keep her words level. "The moment we're out of here, we find a working phone. I have some calls to make—I wasn't the only one the Ædonai were after."
"Not the only—" The Madame went white; Himika knew at once she'd come to the same conclusion.
The Ædonai had gone to the trouble of sending a trained sniper team after Himika—but not to immediately kill her. They'd bought out a Michelin-starred restaurant, turned it into a tailor-made trap, placed a gunman inside its staff, and even wired a bomb inside the building—but again, not to kill her then and there. The Madame de Sorciere did not have near the target on her back that she did, so none of this had been meant for her—and her daughter Reira, the only other person of importance to the Ædonai here tonight, was in no state to pose a threat to them now.
The answer, when it came, stunned her with its sheer simplicity. Himika had tried to approach this from the mindset of someone like Markus Streiter—someone with a fast-thinking, adaptable brain, and enough resources to create and execute a multi-tiered plan that had kept her, the Lancers, and the LID guessing until literally the last second.
First they had gone after Sakaki Yūya and Hīragi Yuzu, then they had switched their focus to the pieces of the ARC-V reactor that made stable interdimensional travel possible—only for Himika to find out that their primary objective had always been retrieving the psychic twins Angel-IQ had found first—all while attacking Maiami City as a feint—
Her heart pounded against her breast. If the Ædonai had been able to concoct such a plan in the space of months, then it stood to reason they could think up plenty more … even some that involved dealing with her directly.
And if they'd managed to do that … if everything that had happened in Chūō City tonight was the result of such a plan … then just as before, it might well be the beginning of something else. Something bigger.
Something worse.
Best way to kill a snake, Mr. Parker had said.
"Cut off its head."
Himika felt cold in a way that had nothing to do with the screaming wind outside. Speaking those words seemed to make the air colder still. The Ædonai weren't going after her.
They were going after her family.
A/N: I'd wanted to make a situation where Himika Dueled for some time, but I could never find a good Deck that would serve the purpose. Then the Magistus archetype was introduced, and it was practically love at first sight. That they're depicted as the precursors to just about every theme in the Endymion universe made it even better—since there's already a canonical Endymion Duel School in the world of ARC-V, all I needed to do was give it a principal. The Madame de Sorciere practically wrote herself in that regard.
(Although I'll feel very silly indeed if they roll out more cards after this chapter gets posted.)
And what's this? A Link Monster in a universe that isn't supposed to have them? Well, if you read through the Duel a second time, you might notice I never actually specified what type of Extra Deck monster Artemis, the Magistus Maiden actually was. And when I was writing the play-by-play, I deliberately made sure that she wouldn't ever be Summoned per se. Call it a little workaround.
You're going to love these next couple chapters, I think. Or cringe. A lot. I just know the Duel that features in them is my personal favorite to date.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! – K