Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds: Spiritual Ruin [PG-13]

[evilfusion]

I've never actually attempted a Yu-Gi-Oh fic before, so constructive criticism is encouraged. This takes place in the 5Ds age Yugioh World, but it is, for all intents and purposes, not related to the anime or manga canon.

This was based on the idea of Duel Spirits being antagonists, while maintaining the low number of people capable of seeing and interacting with them.

[spoiler=Chapter 1: Midnight Victims]
It was a night no different from any other. The streets of the city were quiet, lights glowing from atop the street poles that guided traffic along the roads. Cars and motorbikes traveled, their lights glazing the walls of the buildings they passed. Keeping watch from a level above the rest of the roads, sat Ian, dressed in the formal Security uniform he cherished so much.

The man sat on his bike, his eyes scanning the streets for signs of anything suspicious, a hot beverage clenched in one gloved hand, from which he sipped occasionally, hoping the caffeinated drink would keep him alert for tonight's shift. He had always loved this job, his silent guardian status during twilight hours. Often he had to do nothing but traffic violations during this time. Other nights, like tonight, it was peaceful.

The power and authority to protect citizens...the ultimate honor that few occupations could hope to match. Although his eyes and expression hid it well, tonight Ian had something pressing on his mind. For the past several nights, there had been a series of accidents. None had thus far occurred during his shift, or in his section of the city, but he knew that could just be a matter of time. Since the third accident a few days ago, security presence had been heightened, and all units were intent on locating clues, as so far they had absolutely nothing to go on. There were simply no clues and the victims had all been too injured to answer questions yet.

Ian exhaled and pitched his cup into a nearby trash basket, kicking his motorbike into motion and steering down the incline that had led him here. His was the standard Security model, with a monitor that could not only be used to have duels, but also had a few police-related functions. The clock on the display told him it was just after midnight; time to do a few laps to check on the rest of the city blocks. He chose this routine because it was the only time of the night the other security patrols were not close enough to overlap his route, and he didn't like leaving a section unwatched during a shift.

As he was rounding a corner, he heard a screeching sound almost immediately followed by a terrible crash. A small pillar of smoke rose up from the side road. Ian immediately jerked his cycle in that direction, flipping on the siren and corresponding light, just in case there were bystanders nearby, and he quickly accessed his emergency call-in controls to summon an ambulance to his coordinates. It didn't take him long to find the scene, thanks to the pillar of smoke, but when he did, what he found was almost exactly what he had expected.

A D-Wheel lay crashed against a steel wall, the rider lying crumpled on the road, shuddering and shaking, the visor of the rider's helmet cracked. Ian stopped his bike and leapt off to check if the rider needed CPR or any other emergency procedures before the ambulance would arrive. The rider, a young man about twenty years old, groaned loudly. "H-help..." he begged.

"It's all right, son...an ambulance is on its way," Ian assured him in a tough, authoritative voice he reserved for calming down victims and their families. The man shuddered violently. "What happened, son?"

"I...don't know..." the rider groaned, coughing. "I was riding and..." he coughed again, more violently. "My D-Wheel...went into autopilot. And...a duel started..."

"A duel?" Ian repeated, confused. It was possible for security D-Wheels to force a duel with other bikes, but that sort of technology was limited to Security officers, not the everyday citizens.

"By itself," the man mumbled. "There was...no one else."

"What?" Ian asked, but the man groaned and clutched his head in agony. "Lie down, don't move...you'll be all right," Ian assured him. This was the best lead anyone had gotten on the accidents yet, but he wasn't one to celebrate when there was someone so injured. Within minutes, an ambulance pulled up and medics hastened to collect the unconscious man. Ian watched, pondering the situation. He would have to make a report to headquarters and try to pursue this lead.

As he mounted his bike, he touched the radio controls, but received only static in reply. Well, that wasn't too unusual. HQ was always having some trouble with the radios on the D-Wheels, as they had been only recently added to the older models. He could make a quick drive down to the station and deliver the report in person. He accelerated away from the scene, turning in the direction of the Security HQ.

To his alarm, however, a light flashed on his monitor. "Hm?" Ian glanced at the monitor, but saw no one behind him or in front of him, but there was no denying the message from the monitor.

[i]Duel Mode Engaged.[/i]

"Uh-oh..." the officer muttered.

[i]Speed World 2 Engaged.[/i]

[b](Ian LP: 8000)[/b]

At that moment, the air around Ian's D-Wheel changed subtly, indicating the start of a Turbo Duel. His autopilot activated, and despite his attempts, refused to disengage, nor did his Duel Mode.

"Damn," Ian breathed, as his D-Wheel rode onto one of the Duel Highway ramps that led the way through the city. There would be very little traffic, thankfully, but no matter where he looked, he didn't see his opponent, or even another D-Wheel in the vicinity. He was dueling blind.

Gazing at the monitor in front of him, a light lit up, indicating his turn. He frowned, not sure what to make of this. Well, he might as well draw his cards for the hell of it. If he wasn't dueling anyone, then the Disk would go into standby again.

"My turn," he said, purely out of habit, and drew a sixth card. He looked at the cards and sighed. What he was about to do was incredibly stupid. He was going to act as if he had an opponent and play cards on the field.

Looking around as if to ensure no one would see his foolishness, he placed a card onto one of the monster zones on his D-Wheel's Duel Disk. "I summon Golden Flying Fish."

Forming in front of him was a large fish, swimming despite the lack of water. It had a golden aura around it but otherwise was a pale white. (1700/1000). Ian took two other cards from his hand and placed them face down in the slots of the disk.

"I end my turn," he said. The monitor on his D-Wheel shifted to 'End Phase', and ‘Opponent’s Turn’ flashed, the light moving from ‘Draw Phase’ to ‘Standby Phase’. To his surprise, his Speed Counters clicked to one, as if another player really was involved. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of another Duelist, but found none.

[b]SPC: 1[/b]

However, movement caught his eye and he looked back to see a monster now opposing his fish, a black dragon-like creature. (1800/1200)

As he watched, the other monster unleashed a wave of fire, shattering his fish monster as if it hadn't existed. Ian abruptly felt a flash of pain following the destruction of his monster. [b](Ian LP: 7900)[/b]

"What the hell is this?" he demanded. The light on his monitor lit up again, and he studied the screen. On the screens of most D-Wheels was a map of the field. Opposing his monster-barren field was a card, Red-Eyes Wyvern, and two set facedown cards. "So...I do have an opponent?" he muttered, drawing his card.

[b]SPC: 2[/b]

"I set a monster in defense position, ending my turn," he growled. He kept an eye on the monitor, for it seemed the only way to keep track of his unseen opponent's moves, with no voices to give him the cues he was so adjusted to. Even if he won, he'd probably never know who he facing!

[b]SPC: 3[/b]

A second monster appeared behind him, a green dragonfly. (1500/900)

Ian narrowed his eyes, as a level indicator appeared above both monsters. The dragonfly was three, but the Wyvern's clicked from four to five. He knew what was coming. Delta Fly, according to the monitor, was a Tuner monster, and now he was looking at an eight star Synchro monster coming his way.

Delta Fly broke into a trio of green rings, through which the Wyvern followed, dissolving into five glowing stars, each representing one monster level. The stars arranged themselves into a pillar, and a beam of light pierced through it.

In place of the two monsters, a large white dragon roared, wings flapping dramatically (2500/2000). Ian's jaw dropped. "St-stardust Dragon?" he whispered, glancing at the cards he had in his Spell and Trap card zone.

The image of a Trap flipped up, and Ian's eyes widened as he recognized the picture of a dragon shattering though rock. Stardust inhaled and launched a wave of white wind energy from its maw. Ian, not expecting the attack without a cue, frantically reached for a button on his Disk, tapping it just in time.

"Fish Depth Charge! I Tribute my facedown Nimble Sunfish, and destroy Dragon’s Rage!" he said, pointing at the Trap Card. Unsurprisingly, the dragon glowed with a white light and faded away, his Trap shattering apart as if it had never existed. Ian scowled. The opponent had preserved its card, at the cost of scoring some easy damage.

Just before the light indicating his turn lit up, the dragon reappeared, roaring defiantly. Ian felt a drop of sweat form on his brow (2500/2000). Through Stardust Dragon's effect, it would just come back if he tried to destroy cards with an effect. However, it bought him some time.

"My turn!" he announced, still knowing how stupid it was to announce his moves when there was no one to see or hear him. Still...somehow he was in a duel, and in range of a dueling system. Duel Disks didn't work from a long range, and the holograms formed as normal. There just was no opponent!

[b]SPC: 4[/b]

"I'm not safe even in defense mode," he muttered. "I summon Mother Grizzly!" A large bear with blue fur formed in front of him, growling. (1400/1000) He looked at the other three cards in his hand, searching desperately for a combo play, but nothing was apparent. "I'm done," he muttered.

[b]SPC: 5[/b]

Stardust Dragon was joined by another monster, this one a weak-looking dragon clutching a bomb. (1000/0) Ian's eyes widened in horror at this dragon launched itself at Mother Grizzly, which defiantly slashed it apart. The bomb the dragon was holding exploded, taking Mother Grizzly with it as a pile of pixels. The magnificent dragon launched a wave of wind at Ian, who took the blow and felt pain and agony surging through his entire body. Why did this hurt so much?! Duels never did this...

[b](Ian LP: 5400)[/b]

If it weren't for the autopilot, Ian was sure his D-Wheel would have been taken clear off the road. He gritted his teeth, tears forming in his eyes. And then he saw Stardust Dragon disappear and looked in fear at his monitor...his eyes widening in realization.

[i]Assault Mode Activate...[/i]

In place of the Stardust Dragon, a more formidable version of the monster appeared, growling. (3000/2500)

The dragon immediately launched into an attack, and nothing Ian did could prepare him for the countless waves of pain that crashed through his nerves. The pain was so intense...beyond most of his training to become an officer...and far beyond the limits of a duel.

[b](Ian LP: 2400)[/b]

A strange blast of white fire abruptly struck him in the back and he yelled in pain, squinting at the monitor in desperate confusion. He eventually noticed his opponent's Speed Counter count had fallen to one. The image of a green card appeared on his screen, confirming the reveal of a Speed Spell.

[b]Opponent SPC: 1
(Ian LP: 1600)[/b]

"I am so screwed," Ian panted, his muscles aching as he reached to draw his card. To face Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode, with only 1600 LP and all dragons having piercing...he needed a miracle card to win this duel, whereas his unseen opponent's LP was untouched.

"I draw!" he shouted.

[b]SPC: 6[/b]

He peered at the drawn card, the image swimming in and out of focus. He smiled for a moment.

"I summon..." his hand shook as he placed a card on the field. "Deep Sea Diva! This card..." he never finished his sentence. The Stardust Assault glowed and wrapped its claws around his monster, both creatures shattering. Just as expected.

"I activate Speed Spell- Angel Baton!" he whispered, sliding his newly drawn card into his Spell and Trap card zone. "When I have two or more Speed Counters…I draw two, and discard one." Panting a little, he drew two fresh cards and sent one card to his graveyard. There was hope for him yet.

"I set two cards and end my turn," he said.

The upgraded Stardust Dragon reappeared, roaring. (3000/2500) He clenched his jaw, and waited for the opponent's move.

[b]SPC: 7
Opp SPC: 3[/b]

Unsurprisingly, the large dragon was joined by another monster, and Ian's heart skipped a beat upon seeing an illusionary yellow dragon growling. (1600/600)

"I activate Torrential Tribute," he said, tapping the button on the far right, one of his newest drawn cards. The Trap flipped up, but the opponent's Stardust Assault Mode glowed and both cards exploded. "I activate Forgotten Temple of the Deep, and Tornado Wall!" he said, both cards flipping up, and he allowed himself a sigh of relief as a temple formed around his field, complete with a wall of wind. Mirage Dragon only prevented Traps during the Battle Phase.

"Forgotten Temple is treated as 'Umi' and Tornado Wall negates all Battle Damage as long as it and Umi are in play," Ian explained, although it was clearly unnecessary to explain. The Stardust Assault Mode reappeared, and Ian caught sight of a new Spell or Trap set on his opponent's field.

"My...turn!"

[b]SPC: 8[/b]

He looked at his new card and nodded. "I Summon Amphibious Bugroth MK-3!" An aquatic machine appeared. (1500/800) "If I have Umi, I can attack directly! Do so!"

The machine charged forward, passing the two monsters on the field, but not appearing to strike anything. On Ian's monitor, the opponent's LP changed.

[b](Enemy LP: 6500)[/b]

"That's all," he said, feeling a little better now.

[b]SPC: 9
Opponent SPC: 5[/b]

Another blast of white fire hit him and he gasped as the muscles in one arm went completely limp for a moment, the uniform singed from the hit.

[b]Opp SPC: 1
(Ian LP: 800)[/b]

Then the storm around him died down, and the Temple sank out of sight. "What? What's happening?" Ian demanded, looking at the monitor. His eyes widened.

[i]Trap Stun. That means...[/i]

"No way..." he whispered.

Mirage Dragon disappeared and reappeared behind Ian's monster, biting into the machine and cracking its metal. The card exploded and Ian felt a jolt of pain.

[b](Ian LP: 700)[/b]

Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode roared and unleashed a final blast of energy, catching Ian and his D-Wheel in the full attack. Pain compounded upon pain, and Ian cried out, not caring who heard anymore. [b](Ian LP: 0)[/b]

Ian heard a beeping sound from his monitor and squinted through the haze of pain to read: Autopilot disengaged.

Less than twenty feet ahead was the Duel Lane barrier, looking very solid. The screech of his tires, and a gut-wrenching crash echoed through the night.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 2: Predatory Spirit]
The night receded into dawn, and with it faded the sirens of Security vehicles and ambulances, becoming drowned out by the usual noises of early morning traffic and news reports. The crashed D-Wheels had their memory chips extracted, as Ian's lead about duels had not gone completely unreported. With any luck, the chips would provide some insight into the decks of the last duelist the system had connected with, and suspects could be found.

Little did the humans realize their efforts would all be in vain.

Perched high up on the roof of a building, overlooking the city streets, was a draconic shape. The rising sun reflected off its sparkling white scales, mingling with areas of blue. Its wings and much of its torso were covered with a sleek black armor that added an ominous sheen to its body. This same armor formed a strange mask-like helmet upon its face, covering the dragon's eyes. Its knees were jointed and covered with armored knee-plates and even the end of its tail carried a bladed armor piece. Even with the high concentration of black armor, the creature's resemblance to the Stardust Dragon Duel Monsters card was unmistakable.

The similarity was not merely uncanny, for this dragon was once a Stardust Dragon herself, as pure as the fabled dragon of legend. Yet as the centuries wore on, her take on humanity took a sharp dive. She had never respected the human population, and was content to live in the side dimension that was home to the other Duel Monsters card spirits, all of whom were reincarnated in their respective Duel Monsters cards, to serve their roles in the many card duels that humans amused themselves with. True, the game had not always been with cards, but the history lesson was irrelevant to the final fact: Duel Monsters was now a way of living to the human race, and so Malefis' hatred grew.

This morning was no different from every morning in the past month, as she brooded over the unfortunate fate that awaited the city's population. She had vowed to bring about the end of mankind's dominance with her own claws, if possible, and not a day went by that she didn't resent her decision to wait a little longer to annihilate this whole detestable civilization. To watch the children wandering unaccompanied was a severe test in willpower for Malefis, and temptation lurked around every corner. The silly little card games the children would play enraged her, a constant reminder of how arrogant those humans were to call upon card spirits for their own pleasure, without an ounce of gratitude towards the spirits.

But Raven had insisted she do nothing yet, and every day he felt inclined to reiterate that plan, as if she was too narrow-minded to accept that a full attack would not occur that day. She hated him for his submissive attitude towards the eventual holocaust of the city, and she was sure he was unaware that a dragoness was always dominant over a male dragon. Still, she agreed to wait, only targeting one random human a night under cover of darkness, and crashing their pathetic vehicles once victory was in her grasp. None of them had died yet, and their continuing pain filled her heart with subtle joy.

"Mistress Malefis?" a voice spoke from just behind her, and she spun, slashing her claws at the source of the speaker. The black bird with hints of red plumage flapped out of the way before she could make contact, and landed just out of her range, preening the feathers of his six wings importantly. "Raven wants to know-"

"He knows where I hunt," Malefis snarled.

"Not what he was asking," Ghibli countered smoothly, "although he does want a word with you about attacking two humans last night." The red-crested bird clicked his beak. "It was on the human news."

Malefis ignored him, returning her gaze to the streets, where a trio of youths was walking out from some sort of burger palace. She scoffed under her breath, observing each of them with a predatory leer. Such targets were almost too good to pass up. Two of them were wearing Duel Disks on their arms, just waiting for her to force them into battle. Ghibli made a loud 'ahem', as if to remind her of his presence.

"Be gone, you pretentious dodo," Malefis growled, her armored wings stretching. "I have prey to hunt."

"Again?" Ghibli groaned with sarcastic annoyance. "Your lust for blood is insatiable, isn't it?"

"I said 'be gone'!" Malefis snapped, and whirled around only to find Ghibli had vanished. She clenched her claws in cold anger. Stupid little bird, thinking he had a chance in hell of evading the vengeance owed to him for the new jab. Raven would only be able to protect him for so long.

Dismissing the thought of the Blackwing spirit for now, Malefis stretched her wings and launched herself off the rooftop, spiraling down towards the ground and leveling out a dozen feet above the concrete. Humans walked beneath her obliviously, and she smirked. They were such pathetic creatures, and a vast majority of them were purely incapable of spotting a spirit without some sort of magical artifact or ancient connection. Foolish beings that had oppressed the rest of the world for so long couldn't even sense the presence of beings more than capable of bringing their lives to an end.

However, if there was one thing Malefis enjoyed more than anything else, it was playing with her prey. She chose the human at the rear of the group of three, and in a swift motion, slammed an armored wing into the side of his body. The blow caught the boy off guard and he stumbled into the brick wall to his left, wincing in pain. True, an attack from a non-corporeal Duel Spirit was lessened due to some duel energy crap that Malefis never bothered to pay attention to, but it was enough to separate the worm from his herd. No need to break his body so soon into her game.

Slightly dazed, the boy started to call out to his friends to wait, but the dragoness was having none of that, delivering a second blow to the side of his head, silencing him. A look of fear crossed the youth's features, as he realized he was genuinely under attack from an entity he could not see. The worm raised his left arm defensively like a shield, the arm in question brandishing a Duel Disk. Malefis hovered a few inches to the boy's right and delivered a fierce kick to the youth's gut, causing him to hunch over in pain. A hiss of pleasure escaped the dragon's throat. It served the brat right for being a descendant of human filth.

Not wasting any more time with her play, Malefis activated the Duel feature of her Sin Armor. It was time to get to the main attraction of her morning. The boy's Duel Disk whirred into standby mode, the LP counter rising to 8000. The boy's eyes widened in confusion and he stared at the disk as if it were a foreign item he had never seen before. Malefis paused to relish his look of confusion.

"Ready to die, child?" she whispered, but paused, hearing the shouts of another boy. Hmph, she had expected to have more time alone with her victim, particularly a victim who had yet to realize the predator was there and would not permit him to flee. The Security officer the night before had caught on to the fearful fact much faster than the average human had.

"Hey, Adam! Where'd you go?" Within moments, one of the other two boys had returned, and suddenly stopped short, his eyes widening not only in shock, but in fear. Unlike the first victim's bewildered confusion at his surroundings, the second boy was staring directly at Malefis.

[i]Oh for the love of FGD...I would come across the minute percentage of scum that can see Spirits[/i], Malefis fumed silently.

"Adam..." the second boy said slowly, "Do you see a large dragon right in front of you?"

"A what?"

Malefis' temper broke and she opened her maw and launched a wave of black wind energy towards the second boy, who narrowly ducked behind a bush. "Do you have a death wish, vermin?!" she snarled. "Then get in line!"

"Luke, what's going on?" the first boy asked, rushing over to where his friend was cowering. Malefis changed her vantage point, growling. Of all the worms she had to hunt, she had to come across one capable of seeing Duel Spirits! Well, he wouldn't be around much longer.

"You, boy!" Malefis snapped, pointing a claw at the newcomer, the one who could see her. "Duel in that worm's stead...refuse and I'll rip your eyes out so you can't see me any longer! If you win, I'll spare you both, but should you lose..." she smirked maliciously, but didn't elaborate.

The second boy recoiled. "A-adam...give me your Duel Disk."

"What? Why do-"

"Just do it! Trust me!" Luke said, sliding the disk on as soon as it was passed to him. He then extracted a deck from a box at his hip and slipped it into the deck slot of the Disk. "I'm ready," he told Malefis.

"Duel!" Malefis sneered.

[b]Malefis LP: 8000
Luke LP: 8000[/b]

Adam stared in absolute confusion, even as Luke drew his cards. Luke's hands shook a little as he eyed the opposing dragon. Finally, he drew a sixth card, taking her lack of response as permission to start.

"I activate Terraforming, which lets me add one Field Spell from my deck to my hand!" Luke said, extracting a card from his deck. "I choose and activate the Field Spell, Necrovalley," he said, an addition slot opening up on his disk, and he slipped the card inside.

"Luke, what are you-?" Adam began, but Luke shook his head. The area around them shimmered, and a sunlit desert valley appeared. Malefis snorted contemptuously, but said nothing.

"Then I Summon Gravekeeper's Curse!" A magician appeared, grasping a crooked staff. (800/800) "When Curse is Summoned, my opponent takes 500 points of damage!"

The magician chanted quietly and a light green aura surrounded it, the same aura appearing around Malefis. A flash of pain wracked her nerves and she shivered, not from discomfort, but from glee. Another function of her Sin Armor was for lifepoint damage to trigger genuine pain, and even the consequences of this style were exhilarating for her. The ability to hurt her prey was a magnificent bonus, and her own pain was meaningless.

[b]Malefis LP: 7500[/b]

"Necrovalley gives all Gravekeeper's monsters 500 ATK and DEF. I set a card, and that ends my turn," Luke announced.

Malefis all but purred and waved a claw, triggering the next stage of her Sin Armor's Duel Mode. Five black rectangles formed in front of her, their faces blank to anyone who might be able to see them. However, the Sin Stardust Dragon's mask had eyepieces that allowed her to view the cards with no difficulty. The feature was solely to discourage friendly Duel Spirits from trying to cheat on a non-compliant Duel Spirit’s behalf.

"My turn," she breathed and extended a claw, another black rectangle forming within its confines. She did not place the card down, merely flicked it from her claw, and it disappeared as it never existed. "I Summon Koa'ki Meiru Drago!"

Before her, a small, but powerful dragon appeared, hissing. (1900/1600) Malefis snickered quietly. "Neither of us can Special Summon DARK or LIGHT monsters. Attack his Gravekeeper's Curse!"

The dragon exhaled, and launched a stream of fire, which engulfed Curse until it shattered into pixels. Luke gasped as pain undoubtedly struck his delicate body, and Malefis cackled softly.

[b]Luke LP: 7400[/b]

"I set two cards," she sneered, tossing two more black rectangles from her claws, holographic cards appearing on either side of her dragon. "I reveal Magna Drago in my hand for Drago's cost. Turn End."

Luke shivered and drew. "I Summon Gravekeeper's Assailant!" A new humanoid being appeared, dressed head to toe in an unrevealing black cloak. (1500/1500= 2000/2000)

"Attack his-" The rest of his command was interrupted by Malefis exhaling a blast of wind furiously from the side of her mouth, alarming the boy.

"I’m female, you insolent worm!” she raged. “You dare mock me by indicating otherwise?”

"...her Drago," Luke corrected weakly, earning a confused look from Adam, who was still oblivious to the situation. The Assailant darted forward and slammed a dagger into the dragon, shattering it apart. Malefis snickered.

[b]Malefis LP: 7400[/b]

"Trap activate! Rite of Spirit!" Luke said, his trap flipping up. "I Special Summon one Gravekeeper's monster from my Graveyard, and this effect is unaffected by Necrovalley! Return, Gravekeeper's Curse!"

The magician reappeared and twirled its staff, surrounding Malefis with the green aura again. (800/800=1300/1300)

[b]Malefis LP: 6900[/b]

"Now, I'll attack you directly!" Luke shouted. The sorcerer grinned and pointed its staff, sending a burst of energy towards the armored dragon.

Malefis did nothing to deflect the attack, taking the magical blow to the torso and hunching over as waves of pain cascaded over her. Yet she cackled in delight, her claws flexing eagerly.

[b]Malefis LP: 5600[/b]

Luke sighed and slipped a new card into a slot of his Disk. "I set a card to end my Turn!"

Malefis smirked and extended a claw, another black card appearing within it. "Then it's my turn!" Her smirk widened. "Since only my opponent controls monsters, I Special Summon Vice Dragon!" A gray dragon appeared, roaring at Luke. "However, its strength is halved," Malefis added smugly. (2000/2400=1000/1200)

"Now I Normal Summon Magna Drago!" A second dragon with fiery red scales materialized alongside the weakened dragon, glaring at Luke's field. (1400/600) Malefis cackled. "I tune my level five Vice Dragon with my level two Magna Drago!"

Magna Drago roared and disappeared into a pair of green rings, while fire consume\d Vice Dragon and split into five glowing stars, which formed a line between the rings. A beam of light pierced through the star line and a large dragon with purple-blue scales appeared, its neck hunched forward a little. A red crest on its head and the wings on its back both had a leathery texture, and a trickle of flame seemed to ooze from the beast's mouth. (2400/1600)

"Exploder Dragonwing, attack his Gravekeeper's Assailant!" Malefis sneered. "When Exploder Dragonwing attacks a monster in Attack Position whose ATK is less than its own, that monster is instantly destroyed," she said, grinning gleefully. "And you take damage equal to that monster's current ATK strength!"

"What?" Luke gasped. Malefis' Synchro launched a single fireball, which enveloped the Assailant and it shattered apart. Luke cried out in pain as the fireball surrounded him, a burning sensation flooding his body.

[b]Luke LP: 5400[/b]

Malefis cackled with cruel amusement. "Turn End."

Smoke was rising up from Luke's clothes, but he composed himself and drew his next card. "I Tribute Gravekeeper's Curse for my Gravekeeper's Visionary!" The first sorcerer vanished, to be replaced by a wise and powerful looking monster. (2000/1800)

"That's a level eight monster," Malefis snarled.

"Visionary can be Normal Summoned with one Gravekeeper's monster," Luke explained. "It also gets 200 extra ATK for every Gravekeeper's monster in my Graveyard, and I currently have two. Plus it gains 500 ATK and DEF from Necrovalley!" (2000/1800=2900/2300)

Malefis growled softly. "Trap activate! Burst Breath! This Trap will let me Tribute one Dragon monster, and destroy monsters on the field whose DEF is less than my Tributed Dragon's attack! Exploder Dragonwing has 2400, so your Visionary is destroyed!"

The large dragon exhaled a powerful flame from its mouth, eventually shattering apart once it had finished. When the flames subsided, Visionary was still standing. Luke chuckled. "By discarding one Gravekeeper's monster from my hand, Visionary is not destroyed. I discarded Gravekeeper's Descendant, and since there's another Gravekeeper's monster in my graveyard, Visionary gains 200 more ATK!" (3100/2300)

Malefis cursed under her breath, yet glared back defiantly. "Bring it on, human scum!"

"Visionary, direct attack!" This time, Malefis hunched over from the blow to the torso, wheezing with a mixture of laughter and pain. Luke looked vaguely disturbed by her reaction.

[b]Malefis LP: 2500[/b]

"During Main Phase 2, I'll activate Gravekeeper's Stele!" Luke stated. "This lets me add two Gravekeepers from my Graveyard to my hand, regardless of Necrovalley. I choose Assailant and Descendant!" Two cards were extracted from the boy's Graveyard slot, and he placed them into his hand before announcing, "Turn End." (3100/2300=2700/2300)

Malefis seethed. The smugness in her prey's voice grated on every nerve she had in her body, and she wanted nothing more than to crush his confidence. Necrovalley prevented her from using resources in the Graveyard, a handy strategy much of the time, and with two Gravekeeper's in his hand, the damn child could prevent his ace monster's destruction twice, each time making it stronger. Did the fool honestly think he could win, just because she had taken a lot of damage?

"My turn!" she snarled, a fresh card forming in her claws. "Excellent...I Summon Dread Dragon!" An orange-scaled dragon appeared, the oddest feature being purple hair that looked like a cross of a mop-head and a lampshade. (1100/400)

"Next, by removing one 'Stardust Dragon' from my Extra Deck...I Special Summon Sin Stardust Dragon!" Malefis jeered. The white-bordered Stardust Dragon appeared and was sucked into a black void. Then an orange-bordered card seemed to appear from the rift, and a new dragon appeared. Luke recoiled in alarm, seeing an almost exact replica of the dragon he was dueling. What was once clearly a Stardust Dragon was now covered in ominous black armor, and it seemed feral, much like the dragoness wielding it. (2500/2000)

"What the hell is that?" Luke gasped. Adam stared at the monster incredulously, but Luke could see from Malefis' face that this wasn't the end of her plays.

"I set a card," she breathed, and the last card in her hand disappeared, a new face down image appearing behind her dragons. "Now I tune my level two Dread Dragon with my level eight Sin Stardust Dragon!"

The corrupted dragon roared and faded away into a ring of eight stars that aligned within a pair of rings. The beam of light pierced the center, and in place of the two monsters was a massive, three-headed dragon, all six eyes glaring towards Luke and his Visionary. (3000/2800)

"Trident Dragion's effect! When it is Synchro Summoned, I choose two cards I control, and for every one destroyed, it gets one additional attack this turn!" Malefis cackled. "I choose my two facedown cards, but I chain my facedown A Deal with Dark Ruler!"

The oldest card on her field flipped up, revealing the image of a shady man making a proposition to a thoughtful Dark Ruler Ha Des. "When a level eight or higher monster on my field was sent to the Graveyard during this Turn, I summon one Berserk Dragon from my hand or deck!"

The Spell card glowed and from the ground burst a large, zombified dragon with long white hair that coiled around its chest. (3500/0)

Malefis cackled triumphantly. "Cards are not removed from the field until a chain has resolved, so Trident Dragion still destroys both cards!" The face up Spell and her facedown card exploded and the three headed dragon growled as a fiery aura surrounded the heads on the left and right.

"How's it feel, worm? To stare down two monsters, and know your end is here?" she sneered. "Trident Dragion, attack Gravekeeper's Visionary! First Attack!"

The head on the far left exhaled and launched an enormous beam of fire, striking Luke's monster. He cried out in pain as wisps of the flame surrounded him, but he discarded one of the cards in his hand. "I...discard Gravekeeper's Descendant...to prevent my monster's destruction," he whispered.

[b]Luke LP: 5300[/b]

Visionary's ATK rose back to 2900, but Malefis was undaunted. "Trident Dragion, attack his Visionary again! Second Attack!" The head on the far right was the one to attack this time, and another beam of fire struck the high priest. Luke discarded the last card in his hand.

"I prevent its destruction by discarding Assailant!" he yelled.

[b]Luke LP: 5200[/b]

Once again, Visionary's attack rose, this time up to 3100. Malefis snickered.

"Berserk Dragon, attack and wipe out his Visionary!" she commanded. The zombie dragon launched a fiery blast, and this time Luke's monster exploded into pixels.

[b]Luke LP: 4800[/b]

"Trident Dragion, your third attack is a direct attack!" Malefis crowed. The middle head leaned forward and exhaled a wave of fire over Luke, who screamed in agony before falling to his knees, all but writhing in pain. Adam rushed over to his friend once the flames had subsided, only to find Luke was gasping, barely conscious and scorched.

[b]Luke LP: 1800[/b]

Malefis smirked. "That's all. During my End Phase, Berserk Dragon loses 500 ATK. Turn End." (3500/0=3000/0)

"What will you do now, child?" she taunted. "No cards in your hand, no monsters on the field, and facing down two monsters with 3000 ATK. Give up now and your death will be painless...or fight on until your own oblivion!"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 3: Struggle to Survive]
The human boy was such a pathetic sight now. Where a confident adversary had stood moments before now knelt a battered and tired human fool. With every breath he took, Malefis' amusement only intensified. On her side of the field stood her Berserk Dragon at 3000 ATK, and alongside it was the tri-headed Trident Dragion also at 3000 ATK, all eyes fixed upon the human.

[b]Malefis LP: 2500
Luke LP: 1800[/b]

It would be far better for the human if he simply surrendered now. His field was bare, except for his Field Spell and an evidently useless facedown card. Yet Malefis did not offer him the option of surrender. She wanted him to suffer in this duel, until he learned his place in the world. Regardless of his ability to see her and other Duel Spirits, he was nowhere on her level, either of power or of dueling skill.

Stubborn creatures, humans. They never knew when to give up, and Luke was only too willing to demonstrate this as he reached to draw a card. Ordinarily, she would have been pleased by the determination of another to stand and fight in the face of adversity, but for a human to do it...ugh, it nauseated her. Such vermin scarcely deserved to exist, much less reign over the planet.

"My turn!" Luke stated, drawing his card and nodding. "I set a monster in defense and end my turn!"

"That's all you can do, child," Malefis taunted, extending her claws and observing the new card within it. "Berserk Dragon, attack his facedown monster!" she commanded. The zombie dragon stepped forward and spat a fireball towards the holographic image of a card, which shimmered before revealing a robed man crouching behind a wall. (1200/2000=1700/2500)

"I activate my Trap, D2 Shield!" Luke announced suddenly, his card flipping up. Malefis flinched and her eyes narrowed at the card picture. "This card doubles my Gravekeeper's Spy's original defense, and then my Necrovalley will give it the usual boost!"

"What?" Malefis demanded. (DEF: 4500) Berserk Dragon's fireball struck a barrier and rebounded upon the Sin Stardust, enveloping her in flames. She gasped as pain wracked her form, yet at the same time, she felt hysterically gleeful.

[b]Malefis LP: 1000[/b]

"Gravekeeper Spy's Flip effect!" Luke continued. "I Special Summon a Gravekeeper's monster with 1500 ATK or less from my deck, and I choose my Gravekeeper's Recruiter!" (1200/1500=1700/2000)

"Do you think me a fool, child? I set a card and end my turn!" she sneered. Luke frowned momentarily, but Malefis was undaunted. To give him the option to search almost any monster in his deck would be foolhardy at best. She had the advantage in power and she planned to exploit that soon.

"Berserk Dragon loses another 500 ATK," Luke reminded her, but she ignored him, even as the white-haired dragon's ATK dropped to 2500. "It my turn!" he announced and looked at his drawn card. "I set a card to end my turn!"

"My turn!" Malefis sneered, slashing her claws and snatching the black rectangle from the air. A cruel snicker escaped her throat and Luke narrowed his eyes warily. "I activate Synchro Change!" A spell card flipped around, showing a monster breaking into stars.

"Synchro Change?" the boy repeated, his obliviousness to his impending doom so pathetic she couldn't help but snicker again.

"Yes, child, Synchro Change. I remove from play one Synchro monster I control, and then Special Summon another Synchro monster from my Extra Deck with the same level as the removed monster," Malefis explained. "The only Synchro I control is Trident Dragion, and I'll remove it now."

As she spoke, the three-headed dragon began to drift into a rift behind it, roaring in protest. "Trident Dragion is level ten..." Luke said slowly.

"Very good," Malefis sneered. "Do you think you can guess which level ten Synchro I'll be Summoning?"

"I have no clue," Luke shrugged. Malefis cackled and a streak of light shot out of the rift created, moving at such a high speed it was difficult to discern precisely what the creature was. After several aerial corkscrews and dives, the monster came to a sudden halt, posing in place long enough to get a grasp of its biology.

It had a slender body that seemed vaguely serpentine, and its entire body was sparkling like a diamond, and trails of light drifted from its body like snowflakes. Its wings were razor-edged wings and reminiscent of a dragonfly. (3800/3000)

"Meet Savior Star Dragon," Malefis sneered, as Luke and Adam just gaped at the incredibly beautiful monster. "Now I activate my Trap, Dragon's Rage!" she continued, her facedown card flipping up to show a green dragon shattering through rock. "This Trap gives all my dragon monsters the ability to inflict piercing damage!" she cackled.

"Piercing...damage?" Luke repeated, the color draining from his face. Malefis could almost see the slow turning of the wheels in the boy's head. He had only 1800 LP, and his weakest defender had a mere 2000 DEF.

"When Savior Star Dragon attacks your Recruiter, you'll take exactly 1800 points of damage!" she sneered. "Battle! Savior Star Dragon, take out his Recruiter and the fool human standing before me!" Obediently, the sparkling dragon charged Luke's monster.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" Luke's facedown flipped up and a gale of wind surrounded Malefis' Trap, shattering it instantly. Savior Star Dragon broke through his monster, which burst apart similarly. "Now I activate its effect! When it's sent to the Graveyard, I add one Gravekeeper's monster from my deck with 1500 DEF or less, and I choose my Gravekeeper's Cannonholder!"

"You're getting on my nerves, human," Malefis snarled. "I end my turn! Because Savior Star Dragon's effect is negated, it doesn't return to the Extra Deck. Berserk Dragon loses 500 more ATK." (2500/0=2000/0)

Luke took a deep breath. "I draw! Then I'll set a card and end my turn!" A holographic image appeared behind his Spy and Malefis narrowed her eyes. Now he was just stalling, and with her life points trapped at a mere 1000, she couldn't afford taking more damage with a Gravekeeper's Cannonholder waiting in the wings. She needed a way to destroy Spy.

"My turn!" she snarled, seizing a card from the air. Upon seeing the card, she grinned. "I activate Advanced Draw! I Tribute my Berserk Dragon, a level 8 monster, and draw 2 cards!" Her zombie dragon disappeared, and two new black rectangles formed in her hand.

Luke tensed, seemingly aware that control was slipping away from him, even if the Sin Stardust hadn't done anything yet. Malefis snickered quietly. "I activate Stamping Destruction! When I control a Dragon monster, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on the field...and inflict 500 points of damage!"

"What?"

"I choose Necrovalley!" she hissed gleefully. The sunlit valley crumbled as Savior Star roared, the vibrations shattering the illusion around them.

[b]Luke LP: 1300[/b]

"Without your Valley...your monsters lose their boost," she hissed. (1200/4000)

"Gravekeeper's Spy is still holding strong at 4000 defense," Luke reminded her. "Your Savior Star only has an attack of 3800."

Malefis cackled. "Vermin like you always assume there's no danger at the brink of disaster. I activate Stardust's Sparkle!"

Luke looked at her blankly. "You activate what?"

"Stardust's Sparkle," the Sin Stardust snarled. "I select one Dragon Synchro monster from my Graveyard, and remove monsters from my Graveyard whose total levels equal the level of the chosen Synchro. Then I summon the Synchro monster!"

"So that's why you destroyed Necrovalley," Luke muttered.

"You're smarter than you look, human," Malefis taunted. "I remove the level two Magna Drago, and the level five Vice Dragon to resurrect Exploder Dragonwing!" In a rush of fire, the dragon Synchro returned to the field, roaring threateningly, fire dripping from its maw. (2400/1600)

Luke frowned. "That still doesn't have enough ATK to get over my..." he trailed off when Malefis cackled.

"Exploder Dragonwing, attack his Gravekeeper's Spy! And when Exploder Dragonwing battles a monster whose ATK is less than its own, I can destroy your monster without applying damage calculation," Malefis sneered. "In addition, your monster's ATK is dealt to you as damage!"

Exploder Dragonwing launched a burst of fire, which easily enveloped the Gravekeeper's Spy. Luke cried out in pain as the fire surged around his body. Adam gasped, but when the fire cleared, Luke was still standing.

[b]Luke LP: 100[/b]

"You...finished?" he whispered. Malefis snorted contemptuously.

"Savior Star Dragon, direct attack! This duel's done!"

"I activate my Trap...Call of the Haunted," Luke mumbled. "I Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard in ATK position."

Malefis blinked incredulously. "You run Call of the Haunted in a Gravekeeper's deck?" she sneered. Luke nodded. "Just goes to show how foolish you are. No matter what you Summon, it'll pale in the face of Savior Star Dragon!"

"Gravekeeper's Visionary!" (2000/1800) As the monster reappeared, it glowed with a golden aura. "It gets 200 ATK for every Gravekeeper in my Graveyard."

"It's not enough!" Malefis snorted. "You need nine monsters in your Graveyard to survive this attack, and at last count you only have five! Battle! Savior Star Dragon, attack Gravekeeper's Visionary!" (2000/1800=3000/1800)

Luke stood his ground, even as Malefis' monster collided with his, blowing it into pixels and emerging from the back of his monster. The pixels scattered around him and a gale of energy remaining from the attack knocked him onto his rear, and the duel holograms faded away.

[b]Luke LP: 0[/b]

"Are you all right, Luke?" Adam demanded, rushing over to support his friend. Luke just gave the other boy a weak smile.

"I lost..." he said quietly. Adam looked confused, but before Luke could explain, Malefis let out a roar of triumph that sent goose bumps up his arms. Slowly, the Sin Stardust approached him, much like a predator coming in for the kill. "Adam, get back to Jacob, okay?"

"But what about you? You're hurt!" Adam protested, but Luke shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here alone; I don't even get what's going on!"

"Just go!" Luke ordered. Adam hesitated, then took off down the street, looking back every few paces. Luke turned his gaze upon Malefis, fear etched upon his face, but at the same time, he had a fire in his eyes...a fire that send a cold hatred rushing through Malefis' veins. How dare he face death with such composure, and with such an iron will? Humans...they never knew when it was better to die at the feet of their superiors. No, all humans want to face the bullets with a proud smile and a straight back. It was what made their race even more infuriating. They didn't deserve the dominance they had held for centuries! They were physically weak, relying on things like technology and numbers than outright strength, yet dared to think they were infallible. Even worse was how many other species actually obeyed this status quo.

Malefis leaned in closer and exhaled her breath onto the boy's neck. He flinched, turning his eyes away at last. Malefis cackled, letting a drop of her saliva land on the boy's shoulder. She wanted to kill him now...to strike him with her claws and leave him a bleeding lump of flesh...but that wouldn't work as well as she'd like. In the human world, Duel Spirits had limited power without a special energy source, one her Sin Armor could only produce in limited quantities, and she hadn’t recharged since her duels the other night, and combined with her duel now, she was running low. She would have to return to the Spirit World to attend to the boy in the manner she pleased.

Or, she could just drop him off a building.

“Tell me, child…do you like flying?”
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 4: Intervention]
It had been a relatively good morning for Ghibli thus far. He had started his day off much like any other, with preening and antagonizing the local Sin Stardust Dragon, followed by leaving to report her activities to Raven. The Blackfeather Dragon was one of the very, very few capable of reining in Malefis, and her idea to attack humans in broad daylight was sure not to blow over well with Raven. It was almost shameful for Ghibli to admit he lived for times when he could tattle on Malefis and get Raven ticked off at her. Their arguments tended to follow a typical formula, and even the predictable nature of such squabbles did not hinder Ghibli's amusement during them.

Today, he found Raven on the roof of the largest skyscraper in the city, of which numerous buildings were contenders. When not in the Spirit World itself, Raven liked to watch the human sunrise. It was, as he put it, one of the better aspects of the human realm, and he would very much regret to see it stained in blood. Malefis, by contrast, delighted in the imagery.

Ghibli landed upon the black dragon's shoulder, stretching his six wings idly. Raven stared straight ahead, watching a sunrise that had long since passed. The white feathers of the dragon's wings were lined with black streaks, yet the lowest feathers were a deep black with a blood-red streak, the colors seeming to glow in sharp contrast to the white plumage. The dragon's muzzle was yellow and distinctly beak-shaped, like a bird's, and pale red eyes stared past a person's mind into their very soul. Long feather tassels fluttered behind the dragon, billowing in the non-existent wind.

"Sup, Raven?" Ghibli asked, chuckling. Raven did not reply, but the Blackwing hadn't expected him to. "I'm sorry to say that I'm tattling again."

"What's she doing this time?" Raven sighed, not even bothering to pretend he didn't know who the subject of the conversation was. Ghibli chuckled quietly.

"She's going after humans in broad daylight, as you can imagine," he said. Raven blinked and turned his head towards the perched avian on his shoulder. It had been trouble enough that Malefis had frequented the streets of the city after nightfall, and preyed upon the D-Wheelers there. At first, Raven had shrugged it off, knowing full well how restless and aggressive Malefis was, and how she loved a good duel with her prey. The crashes had all been written off as accidents, and the injuries were nothing to concern Raven over. Humans were brittle, even if unspeakably cruel.

However...even though only a tiny minority of humans were capable of seeing Duel Spirits without the aid of something or someone else, there still existed a number of paranormal researchers, possibly even within the city itself, and as Duel Spirits were well-known beings of legends and myth, Raven and Ghibli both knew that eventually, the attacks could be brought to those people's attentions, and the bringer would not only be believed, but the sources could be traced back to Duel Spirits, the Spirit World, and the power of the game itself. So many people believed still, despite history, that Duel Monsters was nothing more than a popular card game, and that what people called Duel Spirits were really just favored cards that paid off in a player's deck.

But if the attacks came back to them, they could fight back. Even without the military or government behind them, nobody humans could still present a threat to their plans. All they needed was a way to battle, and...

Raven would have to act immediately to halt Malefis' behavior before it compromised their secrecy. Ghibli had known it would come to that, and was already looking forward to the scolding the Sin Stardust would receive. The ironic part was that Malefis was technically the leader of their efforts, at least locally. The power Raven held over her was questionable, and the popular rumor was that one harbored a crush on the other. There was no way to verify without risking being brutally killed on the spot, so no one ever tried to figure out which.

"Where did she go?" Raven demanded.

"Towards the card shop, I think. There's supposed to be a local tournament there, so the kids she attacked were probably on their way there."

"She'll return to the Spirit World," Raven said suddenly. Ghibli blinked uncertainly. "She has to recharge her energy soon...and she'll want to kill a victim with her own claws. She can't do so in the human world, not with her armor drained so much."

"Ah..." Ghibli couldn't think of anything better to say. "So what do we do?"

"I will put an end to it there. You must go down to that card shop, and make sure the losses to our secrecy are minimal. If you see Malefis there...I want you to defeat her in a duel."

"I beg your pardon?" Ghibli said, stunned. Defeating Malefis...even dreaming of it...was next to impossible for most Duel Spirits. She was just too ruthless and he suspected her Sin Armor helped her somehow, but there was simply no way to prove it. She was either an expert duelist or she was cheating.

Raven fixed him with a stern glare, and Ghibli hastened to explain. "I don't have a dueling mechanism. I'd need to use a proxy! And I can't do that without revealing myself to a human."

"Then do it or find Francis," Raven said solemnly. "We cannot allow Malefis to go on a rampage and take lives in the open. It'll be too hard for even the human police to explain away the incident, and that'll be more evidence stacking against us that we don't want."

Ghibli nodded, "I understand. And if she is not there? What do I have to report to you?"

The Blackfeather Dragon considered in silence for several seconds. "Report any suspicions or concerns from the human end of the spectrum, particularly ones that may have been in the vicinity of the attack or duel if she had one. I'll see you later, Ghibli."

With that note of farewell, the dragon stretched its wings and focused. Ghibli kicked off its shoulder, glancing back as the dragon seemed to fade away until it was no longer visible. Ghibli chuckled and turned his beak downwards, diving towards the streets below, using his six wings to pull out of the dive and glide above the heads of the humans on their daily commute. As far as he could see, not a single one of them noticed him, and one would think a six-winged bird would stand out. Content with his imperceptibility, he picked up his flying speed. Too much time had already passed since Malefis had taken off, and while Raven was confident that Malefis would return to the Spirit World to complete her hunt, Ghibli was not as sure, and he had been tasked with ensuring the wellbeing of their secrecy.

It didn't take him long to find the local card shop. In a city dominated by the card game, the store was well-advertised, and there was plenty of excited chatter from the customers to lure him to the entrance. Just inside was a small crowd of duelists, watching a match unfold before them. Eager for a better view, Ghibli landed upon the shoulder of one of the humans, who was naturally oblivious to his presence. Two boys stood across from one another, their Duel Disks alight and each with a single monster on the field. One of them had no cards in hand, whereas the other had three.

Not especially interested in the duel itself, Ghibli scanned the room carefully, looking for a human who may be looking confused, concerned, or especially on-edge for something that had nothing to do with the duel at hand.

"Ghibli, good friend," chortled a vaguely familiar voice, subtly sinister, but without malice. Ghibli turned his head back towards the current duel, and saw a tall, slender fiend dressed in a flowing purple robe, with four red eyes spinning to look at everything around it. Ghibli tensed slightly, recognizing the Duel Spirit. Unlike most others that he associated with, the Infernity Archfiend was not one of the Duel Spirits that was aligned with the rest in their ultimate endeavors.

"Daemon," Ghibli responded, his tone flat and unwelcoming. Demon snickered.

"No need to be so cold, my dear Blackwing," Daemon said silkily. "You are not still bitter about how we, the mighty Infernities, chose not to join you. Just because your little spirit clan feels unwanted by humans does not mean the race has to be destroyed. As you know, my pet and Destroyer are still with us, and even Dwarf knows not to cross us for you."

"Oh please, that's just propaganda," Ghibli snorted. "Cards are treated as such by humans. Some will get used, others won't. It's the way of the world."

"Tell me, Ghibli," Daemon murmured. "Does the card Blackwing- Ghibli the Searing Wind see much play? No? Surely it must bother you, that most other Blackwings are widely played, yet your card sits in a trade binder, and is only used by players without the cash for a Battle Fader."

Ghibli twitched. Raven had often warned him not to get pulled into Daemon's mind games. The Infernity Archfiend was very good at such jabs, and knew just how to get under someone's skin. "And what are you doing here?" he demanded, more aggressively than he should have.

"Supporting my human ally. He cannot see me, but he trusts in my powers," Daemon answered. He suddenly focused on the duel in front of him. "It's my turn!" he announced, the human dueling saying the words at the exact same time. The human drew dramatically and glanced at the card. Ghibli easily could see it was Daemon's card.

"Since I have no cards in my hand when I draw it, I Special Summon Infernity Archfiend!" the human stated, slapping the card onto his disk. Daemon snickered, moving onto the field and becoming solid, powered by the Duel Disk's technology. (Lvl 4, 1800/1200)

Ghibli toned out the rest of the duel, finding the motions to be a drag when a human explained the effects, and there was only the one turn left in the game. He continued to scan the shop, until his eyes fell upon a human waiting by the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet as if waiting for something. Suddenly, a second boy burst into the shop, looking disoriented and breathing heavily. Immediately the two began to have an urgently whispered conversation, and Ghibli flew closer to overhear. From the snatches of words he overheard, it had something to do with a duel their friend 'Luke' had just been involved in...one without an opponent.

[i]Bingo, found the ones involved,[/i] Ghibli thought with a smirk. However, the first boy shook his head, saying something about his match coming up, which evidently prevented him from leaving the shop just then. The second boy seemed flustered about that, and made to leave the store, unnoticed by the first.

"Adam, wait!" a boy's voice called and someone raced past Ghibli. To his surprise, he saw that it was the duelist that Daemon claimed to be an ally. The Infernity Archfiend snickered and floated after them. Ghibli made a split-second decision. The duel involving Malefis had probably occurred a few blocks down at most, and the boy, Adam, may have witnessed something important. To let that witness leave without ensuring the information was minimal would cost Ghibli his job, and to let Daemon go after them was just too much of a risk for the Blackwing to take, so he flew after them.

He caught up to them only a street down, and saw the two boys were talking. Upon his approach, Daemon blocked his path. "And what do you think you're doing, Ghibli?" Daemon challenged softly. Ghibli squawked in protest and retreated a few inches, barely avoiding a direct collision with the Infernity Spirit.

"I need to know what they're talking about, for Raven, so back off!" Ghibli said firmly. Daemon chuckled.

"And I'd let an anti-human Duel Spirit approach my ally and his friend?" he mocked. "No can do, and if you persist, I heard my pet enjoys fried chicken wings. You happen to have six, making you an above average candidate. Now, if you don't mind, I'm asking you to leave us in peace."

There was a growl from Ghibli's left, and he saw a tan canine with fierce red eyes glaring at him. Daemon smirked at the Infernity Beast Spirit, then at Ghibli. The Blackwing frowned, forced to retreat a little further, yet straining to overhear the boys' conversation.

"A little further, Ghibli," Daemon said, well aware of Ghibli's attempts. His speaking mingled with that of the two boys', muffling their words. As if that was a signal, the two boys suddenly broke off their talking and jogged down the street. Daemon didn't notice immediately, until the Infernity Beast barked to get his attention. "I suggest you keep your delectable wings out of this matter, Ghibli. Else you will find yourself within the maws of Fido. Fido, heel."

Ghibli scowled as the Infernity Spirits turned and followed the humans, the canine eyeing Ghibli hungrily before doing so. However, he had the advantage of height, and so rose higher into the sky, soaring overhead at enough distance not to attract the attention of the hostile Duel Spirits, yet still keep up with them. It didn't take him long, with his vantage point, to spot the Sin Stardust Dragon, standing over her defeated human victim. He swooped down to their level, looking left and right for signs of the incoming humans he knew were coming.

"Malefis, what the hell are you doing?!" he demanded, seeing how hungrily she was eyeing the nervous boy in front of her. The boy's eyes flicked to Ghibli, and he realized with a jolt: [i]The boy could see them.[/i]

"Back off, Ghibli," Malefis snarled. "I defeated my prey and so can attend to him however I wish."

"Raven won't approve!" Ghibli retorted. Malefis snorted indifferently, extending her claws and seizing the human by the front of his shirt. The boy twitched, but didn't cry out, not showing any true fear about his impending fate. Ghibli knew that factor alone was one reason the boy had yet to be truly harmed. Malefis was a predator by nature, and she did not like to see her victims unafraid.

The sound of running feet drew the Sin Stardust's attention, as the two other teens raced over to the scene. Luke's shirt slipped from Malefis' grasp and he hit the ground on his rump, wincing at the impact. Malefis' attention, however, was not on the humans, but on Daemon.

"Well, well...I should have known it was you behind it all, Malefy," Daemon chuckled, all four eyes upon the dragon. "And you with her, Ghibli? Tsk, tsk...I guess it's because you're too lowly to do anything yourself."

Malefis snarled slightly, "What did you call me, Daemon?"

"Luke, are you okay?" the second boy asked, extending a hand to Luke. Malefis lashed out her claws and knocked the second boy's aside. Luke flinched, whereas the struck human just looked confused. "What was that for?"

"It wasn't me," Luke protested. Daemon, on the other hand, glared at Malefis with surprising intensity. Malefis returned the glare, unfazed.

"My prey, Daemon," she breathed.

"Says who?" Daemon challenged. "You challenged him for his life, yes? I challenge you to double or nothing. Lose and he's free, win and he and my ally are yours."

"Why Daemon," Malefis sneered, "this is a side to you I never knew. Human-loving, are you? Is that why the Infernity clan is so opposed to my objective?"

Daemon snorted. "Our business is not your concern, Malefis. Do you accept my challenge, are you just afraid, that after all these years, your brother is-"

"SHUT UP!" Malefis spat. Daemon smirked, crossing his arms confidently. Malefis seethed. "I'll accept your challenge, you worm."

Ghibli shuddered. It wasn't hard to get Malefis angry...but some things were better left not done. However, he had a very interesting predicament at hand. Daemon was opposed to Malefis' goals, yet he was a dissenter to the plan as a whole, and not just the Sin Stardust's more murderous intentions. To leave the humans in his hands, at such a critical time and involving a boy who could see Duel Spirits...Raven would not like either outcome.

Whether it was spite, or a desire to fulfill his duty, Ghibli did not know. But when he spoke, his certainty was unwavering. "I want in as well. Should I win, both boys are spared, but that one comes with me," he said, pointing one wing towards Luke.

"You can't even duel," Malefis countered. This was true, but Ghibli had already figured out a way around that.

"Boy, will you duel for me?" Ghibli asked Luke, who stared at him uncomprehendingly. "You will understand when we start. But I need you to accept my guidance. It's for your own safety."

"Now hang on, Malefis already accepted my challenge," Daemon protested. "Are you suggesting a Tag Duel or a Battle Royale?"

"The latter. Boy, stand up and inform your friend that there is a three-way duel about to start, and Daemon's human will be required to participate," Ghibli told Luke, who stood up, edging away from Malefis, and bluntly relating the message.

"Who's the third? Adam?" the other human wondered.

Luke shook his head. "It's...weird. Don't ask, I'll try to explain it later," he said, following Ghibli's suggestions.

"Not on the street," Daemon said, gesturing across the street to a small park. "More room and less weird looks from passerby." Luke related this as well, and the boys hurried across the street. Ghibli noticed Malefis was surprisingly quiet during this time, but he had no doubt about the simmering rage building up within her.

Once in the park, Ghibli directed Luke to stand in one corner of a makeshift triangle, with the other boy, revealed to be named Ryan, in a second corner, and Malefis at the third. Adam stood out of the triangle as an onlooker.

"The rules of a Battle Royale are simple. Each player has 8000 LP, and takes their turns. No player can attack on the first turn," Luke said, although all people present knew the rules. It was usually just a formality to remind players of that rule. Ghibli stood on Luke's shoulder, and for the briefest of moments, the deck in Luke's Duel Disk shimmered.

"Ready?" Ryan asked. Malefis ignored them, and her black armor shone for a moment. The Duel Disks in the vicinity whirred and activated in response to the signal she sent, both humans looking at their disks in surprise.

"Duel!" Malefis jeered.

[b]Malefis LP: 8000
Daemon LP: 8000
Ghibli LP: 8000[/b]

"I'll start," Malefis continued, six black rectangles materializing in front of her. One of them disappeared into the air, and a small summoning circle appeared. "Totem Dragon!" Malefis hissed, a small dragon materializing in front of her. (Lvl 2, 400/200)

Two more rectangles vanished, and card holograms appeared behind her monster. "Turn End," she breathed.

Ryan stared at the space where Malefis stood, squinting in confusion. Daemon chuckled. "It's our turn," he stated coolly. Ryan drew, as if bidden to by an unsaid command. "I Summon Infernity Necromancer, and it automatically goes into Defense," Daemon spoke, Ryan saying the words at the exact same time, but to Ghibli and likely Malefis, his words were heard, whereas Ryan's were not.

A robed, skeletal sorcerer appeared before Ryan, crouching defensively (Lvl 3, 0/2000). Like Malefis, Ryan then slipped two cards into his Spell and Trap card zone and ended his turn.

"Make the moves I instruct you to," Ghibli told Luke, who nodded. "Draw!" Luke flicked a card into his hand and flinched.

"What? These aren't my cards!" he gasped. Ryan looked confused, whereas Malefis cackled in amusement. Ghibli sighed.

"Obviously. I'm the one dueling, you're just my proxy. Set the monster on the far left. The card you drew goes facedown. End your turn."

Luke obeyed quickly, trying to cover up his embarrassment. A holographic card appeared horizontally before him, and a vertical card appeared behind it. Ghibli focused on Malefis. He knew only a little about her deck, due to her tendency to change strategies on a whim. She was confirmed to shift her cards around a lot, but the basic theme of Dragons always remained the same. [i]Which deck style was she using this time? Assault Mode? Beatdown?[/i] Only time would tell.

"My turn!" Malefis hissed, extending a claw and a new rectangle appearing within it. "I activate Mind Control!" she cackled, and pointed at Luke's field. "I choose to control your facedown monster for the turn, but it can't attack or be Tributed," she sneered. Ghibli frowned, but didn't protest. The facedown monster shimmered and then appeared on Malefis' field.

Daemon narrowed his eyes at the Sin Stardust. Slowly, a monster appeared from within the card picture, revealing itself to be a flaming insect of some kind. (Lvl 2, 500/0) Daemon stared at Ghibli. "Volcanic Scattershot?" he said incredulously.

"I Summon Delta Flyer!" Malefis crowed, a green dragonfly monster appearing in front of her (Lvl 3, 1500/900) "Delta Flyer's effect activates! I choose one monster on my field and raise its level by one, so now my Scattershot's level is three! Now I tune my level three Delta Flyer with my level three Volcanic Scattershot, and level two Totem Dragon! Synchro Summon, Stardust Dragon!"

Luke paled a little, as Delta Flyer broke into three green rings, and the remaining two monsters floated up, disappearing into stars that formed a pillar through the rings. In a burst of light, a white dragon appeared, sparkling as it descended in front of the Sin Stardust. (Lvl 8, 2500/2000)

"Not good," Ghibli muttered, so that only Luke could hear. "Malefis' deck type will always revolve around Stardust Dragon. Now that she has it out...it's only a matter of which evolution she goes for...and whether we can stop her."

Daemon snickered. "So you got out your 'prized' monster, Malefis. But I don't fear it."

"You think you can bait me into attacking into Infernity Reflector?" Malefis jeered. Daemon's smile vanished. "No, I have better plans for your deck, Daemon."

"Chew on this, first," Ghibli announced. "Volcanic Scattershot was sent to the Graveyard, so I inflict 500 damage to my opponent, and I choose you, Malefis!"

A burst of fire struck the dragon, but she brushed it off indifferently.

[b]Malefis LP: 7500[/b]

"Death wish, Ghibli?" she whispered. "I'll have Stardust Dragon attack you directly!"

"Activate the Trap!" Ghibli announced, and Luke hastened to do so, a purple card with the image of a Warrior Dai Grepher's blade passing through a rift that exited behind him. "Dimension Wall! Now for this attack, all Battle Damage is dealt to you, instead!"

"Activate my Trap!" Malefis countered. "Assault Mode Activate!"

"No!" Ghibli gasped. Malefis cackled in glee as Stardust vanished in a flash of light. His Trap vanished, as a new dragon rose into the air, looking like the original dragon, only more armored and powerful. (Lvl 10, 3000/2500)

"Dimension Wall only works on the attack that was declared when you activated it," Malefis sneered. "So my Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode will attack you directly! Feel pain, insolent fools!"

The large dragon launched a wave of white energy forward, engulfing Luke and Ghibli. Agony shot through Ghibli's weaker nerves and Luke clenched his teeth to keep from crying out.

[b]Ghibli LP: 5000[/b]

Malefis cackled gleefully. "And now you're wide open! Turn End!"

"My turn!" Daemon stated, alongside Ryan, who drew a new card. "I activate Book of Moon, targeting your Stardust/Assault!"

Malefis frowned at this, contemplating whether to negate it or not. After a while, she scowled and waved a claw, her monster disappearing into a horizontal card hologram.

"I activate Infernity Inferno," Daemon and Ryan continued, the human discarding two cards. "I discard up to two cards, and send the name number of Infernity monsters from my deck to the Graveyard," they said. "We send Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Avenger to the Graveyard. Now, there's only one card left in hand, and it's being Set. Now I activate Necromancer's effect! When my hand is at zero, I can Special Summon an Infernity from my Graveyard, such as my Infernity Archfiend!"

Malefis growled darkly, as the robed sorcerer chanted something, and Daemon moved onto the field, twirling arrogantly. (Lvl 4, 1800/1200)

"When my hand is at 0 and I Special Summon my Infernity Archfiend, I add one Infernity card from my deck to my hand. I choose my Infernity Launcher, and activate it!"

A cannon-like device materialized behind the two Infernity monsters, and Ryan grinned. Ghibli winced. "This is your friend?"

Luke just shrugged in response, and Ryan continued. "I can send Launcher to my Graveyard when my hand is at 0 and Special Summon up to two Infernity monsters from my Graveyard. I choose Infernity Avenger, and Infernity Guardian!"

In a glow of light, a gun-toting fiend appeared, cackling, and a shield monster with a flaming skull in the center did the same. (Lvl 1, 0/0) (Lvl 4, 1200/1700)

"I tune my level four Infernity Archfiend with my level one Infernity Avenger, and level three Infernity Necromancer!" Ryan announced. Daemon chuckled and reappeared beside Ryan, as the three monsters disappeared. "Synchro Summon! One Hundred Eye Dragon!" (Lvl 8, 3000/2500)

A large dragon appeared, its body pale in color with large blue eyes covering almost its entire body, from its neck and chest to even its sides. It roared defiantly at the sky, focusing on Malefis, who glared back hatefully.

"I activate the Effect of-"

"Is this turn going to end something soon?" Malefis interrupted dryly. Ryan, unable to hear her, continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"...Dragon, letting me remove one level six or below DARK monster from my Graveyard, and gain its name and Effect. I choose Infernity Necromancer, and activate its Effect. Since my hand is still at 0, I can Special Summon one Infernity monster from my Graveyard, such as Infernity Archfiend!"

Once again, the robed fiend appeared, and Ryan's grin widened. "I then get to search one 'Infernity' card from my deck. I choose Infernity Necromancer and Normal Summon it!" Another robed fiend appeared, shimmering. (Lvl 3, 0/2000)

"I activate Necromancer's Effect to Special Summon my Avenger," Ryan finished. (Lvl 1, 0/0) "And tune my level three Necromancer, level four Archfiend, and level one Avenger for Infernity Death Dragon!"

And yet another large dragon appeared, growling loudly. It was a rotting gray, with frayed wings and a powerful tail lashing behind it. Large claws flexed from its arms, and its head was covered in a bizarre type of hair that made the monster both really weird to look at, like a rotting corpse. (Lvl 8, 3000/2400)

Ghibli just stared at Daemon's field, alarmed by the ease in which he and Ryan had brought out two incredibly strong monsters, both with 3000 ATK. If Ryan wanted to beat Luke, those attacks would definitely be going their way, and they had nothing to deflect the attacks.

Ryan considered the situation, and then pointed at Malefis' facedown monster. "Infernity Death Dragon's effect! Once per turn when my hand is at zero, I can destroy one monster on the field, and inflict damage equal to half its ATK at the time of destruction. However, facedown monsters inflict 0 damage. In exchange for this effect, Death Dragon can't attack."

Malefis' facedown Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode shattered apart and she growled. "When Stardust Dragon/Assault Mode is destroyed, I Special Summon Stardust Dragon from my Graveyard!" In a flash of light, the legendary Synchro reappeared, its wings wrapped around it defensively.

"One Hundred Eyes Dragon, attack Stardust Dragon!" Ryan and Daemon ordered. The multi-eyed dragon launched a stream of blue fire, engulfing Malefis' dragon and shattering it apart into pixels, nevertheless leaving her LP untouched. "Infernity Guardian will stick around in defense. Turn End."

"Your friend is awesome," Ghibli said, chuckling. It was amazing, to see Malefis' ace taken down so easily. Luke merely nodded. "Well, now's our chance. It's our turn!"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler= Chapter 5: Branching Duel]
Luke took a breath, Ghibli's talons digging slightly into his shoulder as he prepared to make his move. To his left, Malefis waited sullenly, her field empty except for a facedown card. Across from him was Ryan, with the Infernity Archfiend spirit at his side, unseen by him. His field contained two facedown cards, and a trio of monsters, two being level eight Synchros with 3000 ATK, the last a large shield in defense.

His field was empty. Well, more accurate to say was that the Blackwing on his shoulder's field was empty, as he was the one making the strategical plays, and Luke's disk had a deck of completely different cards.

[b]Ghibli LP: 5000

Malefis LP: 7500

Daemon LP: 8000[/b]

"It's my turn! Draw!" Ghibli announced, Luke repeating it for Ryan's benefit before drawing the new card. This really was a duel between the three monster spirits, and Ryan and he were just puppets for them. He could only imagine how Adam was processing the duel.

Ghibli peered at the cards. "I Summon Volcanic Rocket!" Luke hastened to make the play, a fiery creature emerging. (Lvl 4, 1900/1400) "When Volcanic Rocket is Summoned, I add one 'Blaze Accelerator' card from my deck to my hand. I'll choose Blaze Accelerator!"

Luke reached for the deck and extracted the card, then activating it on Ghibli's command. A small cannon device appeared in front of him. Ghibli clicked his beak, and Luke discarded the newly activated Spell for the Tri-Blaze Accelerator in his hand. In place of the first machine came a second, three-barreled version.

"Tri-Blaze Accelerator's effect! In exchange for skipping my Battle Phase this turn, I can discard a Pyro type monster from my hand and destroy one monster on my opponent's field. In addition, they take 500 points of damage!"

Ryan and Daemon stared at Luke as he revealed a monster in his hand and sent it to the graveyard. "I discard Volcanic Shell and destroy One Hundred Eyes Dragon!" The tri-barreled cannon raised the barrels and launched an explosive bolt at the dragon, blowing it apart easily. Ryan braced himself against the blow, scowling.

[b]Daemon LP: 7500[/b]

"By paying 500 Lifepoints," Ghibli continued. "I can add one Volcanic Shell from my deck to my hand. And by discarding it for Tri-Blaze Accelerator, I can bid farewell to your Infernity Death Dragon!"

Once again, the cannon raised a barrel and launched a second blast, shattering the other Synchro monsters. Daemon glared daggers at Ghibli, who merely smirked.

[b]Daemon LP: 7000
Ghibli LP: 4500[/b]

"By paying another 500 Lifepoints for the effect of the new Volcanic Shell in my Graveyard, I add a Volcanic Shell from my deck to my hand. Then I place a card down...the one on the left, boy, I'll end our turn."

[b]Ghibli LP: 4000[/b]

Malefis cackled. "So that's how you like to play, Ghibli?" she taunted. "I'd have thought you'd target me with an attack, but no, you go after Daemon instead? Then it's my turn!"

A new black card appeared within her claw and she admired the new draw with a malicious snicker. Ghibli and Luke tensed, neither liking the expression she had.

"Since I control no monsters and have only Dragon-types in my Graveyard, I Special Summon the Totem Dragon from my Graveyard," she said softly, the small dragon reappearing. (Lvl 2, 400/200) "Now I can treat it as two Tributes for a Dragon monster, and will now Tribute it for my Light and Darkness Dragon!"

"What?" Ghibli and Daemon gasped simultaneously. In all the duels Ghibli had ever witnessed or heard about, he had never once seen her use Light and Darkness Dragon. A pale white glow surrounded the Sin Stardust's field as the smaller dragon was pulled into a dimensional rift, and a large dragon appeared. One half of its body was angelic white with a wing to match. The other half was demonic black, with a frayed leathery wing on that side. It roared triumphantly. (Lvl 8, 2800/2400)

[i]Damn...I should have realized she was using her control-based deck...now we're in trouble.[/i] Ghibli twitched, yet showed as little fear as possible. Malefis considered the field and then cackled.

"Infernity Guardian can't be destroyed in battle while that vermin's hand is empty, so I'll just have to attack your Volcanic Rocket, Ghibli! Take this!" she crowed. The monochromatic dragon exhaled and a stream of fire launched towards the fiery monster.

"I activate Infernity Break!" Daemon shouted, Ryan stating the words simultaneously. One of the cards on his field flipped up. "By removing one Infernity card from my Graveyard, I destroy one card on the field. I choose Light and Darkness Dragon by removing Infernity Launcher!"

"You fool!" Malefis cackled, the large dragon glowing brightly. "By reducing its ATK and DEF by 500, Light and Darkness Dragon negates any card's activation!"

"It's up to you, Luke!" Ryan said. "There's your chance!"

Ghibli chuckled. "Your friend is awesome, offering up one of his own cards for us to counter attack. I activate Magic Cylinder!" The trap on their field flipped up, showing the image of a pair of cylinders with an attack going in one end and out the other.

"How pointless," Malefis mocked. "Did you forget-?"

"Light and Darkness Dragon can only use its effect once per chain, so this card will not be negated," Ghibli explained. "Your attack is negated, and your monster's ATK will be dealt as damage. Furthermore, as this card resolves first, you take Light and Darkness' full attack as damage!"

The cylinders absorbed the breath attack and the second one launched it right back, engulfing Malefis. She made a pained gasp, yet cackled with absolute pleasure and delight.

[b]Malefis LP: 4700[/b]

The dragon's glowing intensified, and Ryan's card faded away uselessly. (2800/2400=2300/1900)

"Turn End," Malefis panted, not looking troubled in the slightest by the shift in control. She was now in second place behind Daemon.

"Our turn!" Daemon announced, and Ryan drew a card. He paused for a moment, as if considering the cards in play, and then simply said, "I end my turn."

Luke nodded and drew the next card, waiting for Ghibli's command. However, Ghibli seemed a little unsure as well. Any card he wanted to use would be negated by Light and Darkness Dragon, which would weaken it further to the point of being able to destroy it in battle, but there weren't too many cards he was willing to part with for that goal. Using Tri-Blaze would cost him a card from his hand, and while Shell was disposable, he wasn't so sure it would be worthwhile. But when considering the other cards at his disposal, he didn't have much better options.

"I activate the effect of Tri-Blaze Accelerator! By discarding Volcanic Shell, I target your Light and Darkness Dragon to destroy it."

Malefis scoffed. "Fine, Light and Darkness Dragon automatically negates the activation, but loses 500 ATK and DEF." The cannon made to fire, but a wave of light jammed the cannon from doing so. (2300/1900=1800/1400)

"Because the activation was negated, I can still perform my Battle Phase," Ghibli said. "Volcanic Rocket, attack Light and Darkness Dragon!"

The fiery creature charged forward and struck the large dragon, shattering it apart in an instant. Malefis hissed slightly as she took a tiny amount of damage.

[b]Malefis LP: 4600[/b]

"When Light and Darkness Dragon is destroyed," she said silkily. "It destroys every card on my field, and then Special Summons one monster from my Graveyard. I choose my Stardust Dragon!"

Malefis' field was suddenly swept up in a large gale and her facedown card dissolved meaninglessly, briefly turning over to show it had been a Starlight Road card, and in the next moment, the sparkling white scaled dragon reappeared on her field. (Lvl 8, 2500/2000)

Ghibli sighed, knowing such a thing would have happened. There was nothing he could do against Stardust Dragon just yet. "I Summon Volcanic Slicer!" Another flaming monster, similar to that of the Scattershot before, only larger and tan where the other had been red. (Lvl 4, 1800/1200) "In exchange for it not battling this turn, I deal 500 points of damage to you, Malefis."

The monster spat a ball of fire that hit the armored dragon, and she snickered, despite the flames rippling around her body.

[b]Malefis LP: 4100[/b]

"That's all for this turn," Ghibli admitted. He looked over at Daemon, who merely stared back at Malefis expectantly as she took her turn.

"Draw," she breathed, a new card appearing within her claw, bringing her hand total up to three, as opposed to both Ghibli and Daemon's hand size of one apiece. "I Summon Exploder Dragon!" A small, blue-black dragon appeared, its claws clutching a bomb beneath it. (Lvl 2, 1000/0)

Ghibli scowled. "Just great..."

"Stardust Dragon, attack Volcanic Slicer, and Exploder Dragon attacks Volcanic Rocket!" Malefis whispered. "When Exploder Dragon attacks, no battle damage is inflicted, and when Exploder Dragon is destroyed in battle, the monster responsible is also destroyed."

Stardust launched a stream of wind, striking the insect-like monster, and Exploder Dragon rammed into Rocket and the bomb it held detonated, leaving pixels to scatter in the wind. Ghibli and Luke winced as sparks of pain flared through their nerves.

[b]Ghibli LP: 3300[/b]

Malefis cackled and one of the remaining cards in her hand vanished, becoming a vertical card behind her monster. "Do your worst, Daemon," she taunted.

"My worst?" Daemon repeated. "Be careful, my dear Malefis, for you shall have it. It's my turn!" he stated alongside Ryan, who drew a new card. Daemon gave the cards a passing glance. "I'll set both cards in my hand, and activate one of them: Zero-Max!"

"Zero-Max?" Malefis repeated tauntingly.

Daemon chuckled. "Do you mean to say you're ignorant of its power? When my hand is zero, I Special Summon one 'Infernity' monster from my Graveyard, and then all monsters on the field whose ATK is less than that of the Special Summoned monster is destroyed. Since this is determined at resolution, Stardust Dragon is helpless against that effect."

Ghibli chuckled. Even though his duel state was not the greatest, it was Malefis who seemed to be receiving the worst of the blows exchanged. She was targeting him and Luke, but Daemon seemed intent on taking her down. Just as he had expected from him.

The spell card shimmered, releasing a small pink sphere of light. "Return now, Infernity Death Dragon!" The pink sphere expanded into the shape of the Death Dragon and with a roar, the fearsome monster snapped its wings, the pink glow shattering away like an egg shell. (Lvl 8, 3000/2400)

The remnants of the pink fragments struck the flaming shield on Daemon's field, and Stardust Dragon, but only Malefis' monster shattered. Malefis snarled.

"My hand is empty, so Infernity Guardian cannot be destroyed by effects or battle. The Turn I activate Zero-Max, I skip my Battle Phase. That's all for this turn," Daemon said.

"It's my turn!" Ghibli announced. Luke drew the next card and Ghibli nodded. "I summon Royal Firestorm Guards!" Emerging from the Summoning circle has a serpentine statue, red and pink in color with imposing wings. (Lvl 4, 1700/1200) "When this card is Normal Summoned, four Pyro monsters from my Graveyard are returned to the deck. Then the deck is shuffled, and I draw two cards! I return two Volcanic Shells, Volcanic Slicer, and Volcanic Scattershot to the deck..."

Ghibli waited for Luke to extract the four monsters from the graveyard slot, and the boy placed them on top of the deck, activating the automatic shuffler, and then seizing two fresh cards. Ghibli glanced at the cards and smirked.

"I first pay 500 Lifepoints to add a Volcanic Shell from my deck to my hand, thanks to the one still in the Graveyard," he said, Luke plucking the card from the deck.

[b]Ghibli LP: 2800[/b]

"I activate the effect of Tri-Blaze Accelerator! By discarding Shell, I destroy Infernity Death Dragon, and inflict 500 points of damage!"

The tri-barreled cannon cocked and pointed at the zombie-like dragon before launching a fiery projectile. The dragon roared and then shattered into pixels. Ryan gasped as a burst of flame struck his body. Ryan winced and gave Luke a 'what the hell?' look, whereas Daemon gave Ghibli a piercing look.

[b]Daemon LP: 6500[/b]

"Not wanting to leave Daemon out of the fun," Ghibli said. "We pay 500 Lifepoints to add the last Shell to our hand."

[b]Ghibli LP: 2300[/b]

Luke looked over at the Blackwing on his shoulder with evident apprehension. He just didn't understand the strategy Ghibli was going for. He didn't seem to care who got hit with his effects, instead dishing it out on both of the opponents. The only logic he could find for Ghibli's actions was some twisted desire not to let anyone have field advantage, even if he zeroed his own life points in the process.

"We set three cards. Turn End," Ghibli finished. Luke had no trouble with this action, and slid all the non-Monster cards from his hand into the Duel Disk slots.

Malefis smirked. "So good to see you've been enjoying yourself, Ghibli...for a moment, I thought you'd given up," she sneered, extending a claw. "It's my turn!"

"I activate Spiritual Fire Art- Kurenai!" Ghibli announced, Luke hastily activating the corresponding card. "By Tributing one FIRE monster on my field, its original attack points are dealt as damage to my opponent."

Malefis tensed, but Ghibli clicked his beak. "Don't flatter yourself. I target Daemon!"

"What?" Daemon demanded, as flames rose up around Ryan and he cried out in shock and pain. The Infernity Archfiend narrowed his eyes. "And what was that for, Ghibli?" he demanded. Ghibli ignored him.

[b]Daemon LP: 4800[/b]

"Continue your move, Malefis," he said. Yet Malefis seemed stunned as well. With her life points growing smaller, using a burn effect like the Spiritual Fire Art would have taken almost half her remaining points away in a single shot, yet Ghibli hadn't targeted her with it.

"I activate Stardust's Sparkle!" Malefis sneered, regaining her composure. "By removing my Light and Darkness Dragon from my Graveyard, I Special Summon a level eight Dragon Synchro monster from the Graveyard, like my Stardust Dragon!"

A dimensional rift opened and a card disappeared into it. Immediately afterwards, Stardust Dragon reappeared, roaring triumphantly as it appeared. (Lvl 8, 2500/2000)

"Infernity Guardian still can't be destroyed, and you no longer have a field, Ghibli. Stardust Dragon's 2500 ATK can wipe out the remnant of your life points," Malefis cackled, pointing her claw forward. "Stardust Dragon, direct attack!"

"You don't believe in mercy for a favor, do you?" Ghibli sighed, as the dragon inhaled and launched its attack forward. "I activate Firewall! By removing a Pyro type monster from my Graveyard, I negate a direct attack!"

A burst of flames rose up, cancelling out the dragon's breath attack. Malefis stared at Ghibli as Luke extracted Volcanic Shell from the Disk and put it in his shirt's breast pocket.

"Turn End," she grumbled at last.

Daemon chuckled a little. "My turn!" he announced. Ryan glanced at the card and nodded. "I Summon Infernity Beetle!" A large insect appeared, determinedly staring towards the opponents. (Lvl 2, 1200/0) "Now I activate Beetle's effect! When my hand is at zero, I Tribute it to Summon two more Beetles from my deck!"

The Beetle shattered and was promptly replaced by two identical Beetles. (Lvl 2, 1200/0) x2

"I tune my level two Infernity Beetle with my level four Infernity Guardian," Daemon said, the beetle becoming a pair of rings, and the shield disappearing into it. "Synchro Summon, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" An armored knight on horseback materialized from the pillar of light, brandishing a lance. (Lvl 6, 2600/800)

"Gaia Knight, lay Stardust Dragon to rest again," Ryan ordered. The horse whinnied and galloped forward, lance prepared to strike. Malefis watched the destruction of the monster with a gleeful expression, even as she twitched from the flicker of pain she undoubtedly experienced.

[b]Malefis LP: 4000[/b]

"Infernity Beetle, direct attack!" Daemon commanded, the beetle soaring forward and striking the armored dragon in the torso. Malefis grunted from the blow, yet cackled, her breathing becoming heavier and excited.

[b]Malefis LP: 2800[/b]

"That wraps this turn up," Daemon said, crossing his arms and turning his attention to Ghibli. "Don't forget to pay 500 life points to keep your Firewall in play," he noted coolly.

"Don't worry," Ghibli said, as Luke drew. Glancing at the card, Ghibli nodded. "I pay to maintain Firewall."

[b]Ghibli LP: 1800[/b]

"Next I summon Volcanic Blaster, and use it to attack Malefis directly!" (Lvl 3, 1200/600) His monster appeared as a miniature cannon and a burst of fire flew towards the Sin Stardust, striking her body and prompting her to step back a pace as she practically squealed in a disturbing mixture of pain and glee.

[b]Malefis LP: 1600[/b]

"Uh...Turn End," Ghibli said, unnerved. He still had a Volcanic Shell in his hand and a single facedown, but to have used Tri-Blaze to destroy Daemon's two monsters would have left him with very few options, and he'd have to skip the Battle Phase.

"It's my turn!" Malefis breathed, a card appearing in her claw. "I activate Trap Stun! For this turn, Traps are negated!" she cackled, her facedown flipping up. Daemon and Ghibli exchanged looks as she continued, "I remove one Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck!" she hissed, a duplicate of the Synchro monster card appearing and being drawn into a dimensional rift.

"You have more than one Stardust?" Daemon wondered nonchalantly. He wasn't worried, but Ghibli was. He knew what was coming, but surely Malefis couldn't be THAT stupid, could she?

"Three," Malefis snorted. "What do you think, a card like that is hard for me to get my claws on? I summon Sin Stardust Dragon!" A burst of black light emitted from the dimensional rift the Synchro had disappeared through, and an armored dragon, looking nearly identical to Malefis, appeared, roaring in obvious discomfort, or even pain. (Lvl 8, 2500/2000)

Malefis observed the dragon's agony with a pleased smirk, cackling when the monster shattered into pixels. Daemon blinked. "You do remember that a Sin monster cannot exist on the field if there is not a field spell, correct?"

"Of course I do, fool," Malefis snickered. "I wanted that to happen so I can activate A Deal With Dark Ruler! A level eight or higher monster on my field was sent to my Graveyard, so I Special Summon one Berserk Dragon!"

Luke tensed, his eyes widening in fear. Ghibli's beak fell open and he stammered slightly as a zombified dragon emerged from the ground, its long whip of shock-white hair thrashing like a second tail as it roared. (Lvl 8, 3500/0)

Malefis cackled, the sadism in the sound even more pronounced than normal. "Berserk Dragon can attack all opposing monsters! Attack Volcanic Blaster, my beautiful destroyer!"

"You are so not crushing after Berserk Dragon, I hope," Ghibli said, but his voice cracked even as he delivered the quip. Trap Stun was negating his Traps and his life points were dangerously low. Berserk Dragon opened its maw and delivered a powerful fireball directly into the Volcanic monster, which shattered apart without resistance, all the extra force behind the blast plowing into Luke and detonating. The shockwave threw Luke backwards, and Ghibli tumbled painfully off his shoulder. Both of them hit the ground in a small heap.

[b]Ghibli LP: 0[/b]

Malefis cackled gleefully. "Out of the game already, Ghibli?" she taunted. Slowly, she turned her focus on Ryan and Daemon. "And don't think you're out of danger, Daemon. I can attack your monsters as well. Berserk Dragon, attack Gaia!"

The zombified dragon growled and exhaled another fireball, this one catching the knight and sending it crashing off its horse, both creatures shattering into pixels. Ryan winced as the excess damage washed over him.

[b]Daemon LP: 3900[/b]

"Berserk Dragon, attack Infernity Beetle," Malefis continued. Obediently, the dragon launched a final fireball, obliterating the insect. Daemon shielded Ryan from the lingering flames, far more powerful than the former attack, the fiend gritting its teeth from the effort.

[b]Daemon LP: 1600[/b]

Malefis smirked coldly. "Looks like the score is tied. Turn End," she stated. Berserk Dragon settled down, its ATK dropping to 3000 as the Sin Stardust's turn concluded.

Ryan panted slightly, the effects of the duel clearly taking its toll on him. Daemon scowled. "It's my turn," he stated, and Ryan drew vigorously. "I activate my Set Monster Reincarnation. By discarding Infernity Force, I add one monster from my Graveyard to my hand, like Infernity Necromancer!"

Malefis made a sound oddly like a rasping choke and her scowl deepened as Ryan withdrew the card, and promptly placed it on his Disk. Daemon's look became rather smug as the skeletal sorcerer materialized, immediately taking a defensive stance. (Lvl 3, 0/2000)

"I activate Necromancer's effect," Daemon and Ryan stated together. "When my hand is empty, I can Special Summon one Infernity monster, and I choose my Infernity Death Dragon!" The sorcerer waved its hands, and the mutated dragon reappeared, roaring and eyeing Malefis with bloodlust. (Lvl 8, 3000/2400)

Malefis glared back hatefully, one clawed hand flexing in barely contained rage. Ghibli flapped into the air to watch the move play out, eager to see Malefis defeated and humiliated. Although Luke's entire body ached, he supported himself on his elbow to watch.

"Infernity Death Dragon's effect activates. If my hand is at zero, and in exchange for not attacking this round, I can destroy one monster on my opponent's field, and you'll take half that monster's current attack as damage!" Ryan and Daemon explained. Infernity Death Dragon exhaled a purple flame, and Malefis' monster shattered. She didn't even bother shielding her body from the waves of energy that engulfed her armored form.

[b]Malefis LP: 100[/b]

"Turn End," Daemon stated dismissively.

"You think you can talk down to me, you miserable little maggot?!" Malefis raged. "This duel isn't finished yet! I'll have you beaten in moments, and then you'll see the error of your human-loving ways!" All at once, her anger simmered away. "It's my turn," she sneered. A black rectangle appeared in her claws and she studied it with disturbing calmness.

Ghibli tensed. Something was wrong. No mad cackle of glee, no rage emanating from her, just a stony, dispassionate coldness. She didn't move, just considered the card. Finally, Daemon broke the silence. "Are you ending your turn?" he asked blandly. "Unwilling to accept you cannot win this duel?"

"In good time, Daemon," she hissed. "I'm about to win, so kiss your vermin good-bye. I activate-"

The holograms of the duel faded away abruptly, including the card Malefis was holding. Her eyes, hidden behind her armor mask, were unreadable, but both Daemon and Ryan looked confused. Malefis tapped her chest plate for a moment, and cursed with unconvincing frustration.

"My armor's sapped," she spat. "We can't finish the duel until I recharge," she hissed. Ghibli snorted skeptically, and she whirled on him. "Yes, Ghibli? You have something to say so I have an excuse to devour you?"

"Then I win by default," Daemon said, crossing his arms. "Convenient timing for your armor to short-out," he mused.

"My armor really is out of power!" Malefis snapped.

"Like I said...very convenient," Daemon said again. "Be on your way, Malefis. I'm sure you need to recharge now so you can resume your human-murdering activities later."

Malefis growled and kicked off the ground, her wings producing waves of wind as she flapped and gained height. Ghibli watched her ascend, and then flapped his own wings to follow. "A pleasure dueling with you, boy. You're free to go," he told Luke.

"Thank God," Luke groaned, rubbing his sore arm. Ghibli didn't linger long, intent on following Malefis and making sure she went back to the Spirit World. He knew Raven would be waiting for her, and that was one conversation he didn't want to miss.

He caught up to her within moments and chuckled. "You stalled so your armor would die, didn't you?" he challenged. For a fraction of a second, he thought he saw a genuine smirk on her face, but it was soon gone. She turned to face him with a cold expression.

"If that was the case, Ghibli, you're not likely to find out and live, now are you?" she sneered, gesturing a claw contemptuously. "And don't play the innocent fool, Ghibli...you didn't want Daemon to win, either. Sabotaging his plays even knowing you'd lose to me in the end...ironic," she mused.

Ghibli didn't answer. He didnt have much to say to that.

"Shall we return now?" Malefis mocked. "I'm sure you're just dying for Raven to chew me out for something...what'd you snitch about this time, I wonder?"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 6: Seeking Information]
Daemon crossed his arms and watched as Ghibli and Malefis took to the sky, soon disappearing from his line of sight, and probably soon to disappear from the human world entirely. Only once they were gone did he breathe a small sigh of relief. He could not be sure whether the Sin Stardust had been bluffing or not when she had claimed she was about to claim victory. It was possible, even if a bit unlikely. She had seemed far too accepting of the interruption for him to truly buy her impending victory, for she was a human-hating sadist, and to have human victims snatched from her claws on a technicality would be painful. The only thing of greater importance than her victims was her pride, that much Daemon could be certain.

Still, little sense in complaining. A mere loss would not deter Malefis and the others from their ambitions, and Daemon was sure that this would not be the end of the matter. If Malefis felt slighted, she would seek him out again, for not only was he intending to be an impediment to her schemes, but she would want a conclusion. To be more specific, she would want a conclusion that would favor her. If the boy, Luke, was indeed capable of seeing Duel Spirits as Ghibli had indicated, then the poor boy was not safe yet. A Spirit-seer was rare and undoubtedly was the cornerstone to any attempt to thwart the anti-human ambitions of the vengeful Duel Spirits.

Daemon turned his eyes to Luke. "You know this isn't the end of your struggles, right? This duel only meant so much in the long run, and you're far from safe."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked, his voice shaking ever so slightly. Daemon chuckled.

"Boy, the dragon you fought goes by the name of Malefis. Your dueling companion is Ghibli, both prominent Duel Spirits from the Spirit World. No, don't interrupt, for soon Ryan will be rushing back to the tournament he left, and I will be going with him," Daemon said, gesturing to Ryan, who was presently talking to Adam, who had watched the duel with confused interest for much of it.

"Okay," Luke said, closing his mouth quickly when Daemon shot him a look.

"I will not be the one to be marked for passing information of our world to you, a human, but what you must know is that Malefis is not someone you want as an enemy unless you possess the power to fight back. You, as a human, are an enemy by default, and as a Spirit-seer, you're in more danger from her and allies than you can probably imagine."

Luke paled a little. "What do I do?" he asked desperately, shooting a side glance towards Adam and Ryan, relieved they were focusing on one another rather than his conversation with himself.

Daemon considered. "You should be a smart lad," he said finally. "You and your friend should find James Barrow, a researcher in the city. Paranormal researchers are a bit eccentric, but he should be able to make things clearer. Do not mention me under any circumstances. This should never come back to me. Do you understand?"

"Where would I find him?"

"Ever hear of a phonebook?" Daemon retorted, turning and moving over to Ryan, who soon left Adam to jog back up the street, leaving Luke and Adam alone. [i]There, with the motive for him to hide from or fight Malefis instilled, those humans will do my work for me,[/i] he thought. [i]Raven, Malefis, Ghibli...you misguided fools. I hope the humans hit you hard.[/i]

[center]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

Raven had been waiting for Malefis when she and Ghibli returned to the Spirit World. The moment Ghibli spotted the Blackfeather Dragon, he flapped clear of what he was sure was about to become a heated argument well worth seeing. Raven's red eyes stared into Malefis as a silent glare, but she snorted and made to move past him, only to have a wing thrust into her path.

"What the hell did you think you were up to, Malefis?" Raven demanded, his voice calm, yet simmering subtly, as if he could lose his temper at any moment. Malefis retreated a quarter pace and her mouth twisted into a sneer.

"Does it matter, Raven? Let's not forget whose plan this is," she snorted. "I'm no child, and you're not my parent."

Raven ignored the response. "You were attacking humans in broad daylight, in a crowded city. You have already created a string of human victims over the past week, fortunately by the cover of night and all of the motorists, if my sources are accurate. I am aware of your bloodlust's requirement to cause a certain number of casualties, but I hardly think risking the exposure of our grand design for a few extra injuries to be a worthwhile risk."

Malefis scoffed. "You're so soft, it's pathetic," she hissed. "You bear the shame of humans reigning over their precious little world and threatening the stability of ours by their continued existence and obsession with their card games. They tamper with higher powers, power vermin like them should never have a right to, yet you stand idly by, watching them destroy both worlds and yet they still endure the hell they bring, so the chaos is ours alone in the very end. They're a plague upon the world, and I say the more of them that perish, the better."

Raven sighed. "Patience will bring forth the ultimate vengeance, Malefis. A bruise here or there makes little difference, but the pent of flames of destruction and pains repaid will cause a deeper scar."

"I've waited long enough!" Malefis snarled, clenching her claws into enraged fists. "For centuries, for millennia, I've watched those vermin live their pathetic existences, and what do I have to show for my time?! Nothing! I haven't even begun showering their world with the flames of my contempt! Those worthless parasites have done nothing but harness powers that aren't theirs to claim, and abuse the very world they live in, and what have we done to punish them?"

"You must remain patient," Raven interjected sharply. He nodded towards his lower wing, where the feathers were black with deep crimson streaks. "The time is coming, but your motivation is far too weak and temporary. You've claimed to endure hell, but your attacks are petty. The rage you feel is temporary."

"It's eternal," Malefis spat, her armored wings twitching. "The rage will never leave me, not until they're all dead!"

Raven sighed again. "What kept you?" he asked, turning to Ghibli this time.

"Daemon thought it'd be fun to harass us," Ghibli muttered defensively. "And then he, Malefis, and I had a three-way duel. Raven, one of the humans is a Spirit-seer."

"You don't say?" Raven said, blinking at the Blackwing. "What was the duel's outcome?"

"I was going to win, but my armor ran out of power," Malefis snapped, before Ghibli could reply. Ghibli quietly snickered, loud enough to receive a death glare from the Sin Stardust Dragon. Raven, however, acted like he did not notice.

"Daemon actively opposes our cleansing of the human world," he mused. "Malefis' antics will not go unnoticed for long. We must cover our tracks before the news reaches our 'friend', Mr. Barrow."

"Failing that, as your soft approach never works?" Malefis challenged. Raven considered and then fixed her with a stern look.

"Should a more diplomatic approach fail, and the risk factor escalate, then your approach will suit us just fine," he said smoothly. Ghibli's beak dropped open, and the Sin Stardust cackled.

[center]-------------------------------------------------------------[/center]

James Barrow lived in a poverty-stricken area of the city, an unusual choice as he was not lacking in funds as much of the other residents were. A kindly man, he was the one to go to if anyone was falling behind on their bills, but this was a service he kept under the table, on the grounds that he simply didn't want to be harassed for money when he had better things on his mind, such as the constellations of the sky that he observed nightly on his telescope. One reason for his living location was that this area of town received much less electrical support, so the night sky wasn't blocked out by the infernal street lamps that dotted every square foot of the metropolitan.

Barrow had had a fascination with the supernatural, aliens, and legends ever since he was a child. Even now, at the ripe age of fifty-seven, his hobbies had only expanded and flourished, and he was now what some would dub a 'paranormal researcher'. He preferred 'odd old man', but to each their own.

Like most citizens of the city, Barrow was a Duel Monsters player, but unlike most other citizens, he didn't just play the game, but researched every legend or myth that it had produced over the millennia that it had existed. Even the taller tales were fair game for his studies. He wasn't wealthy enough to make trips across the world, so he had to make do with the findings of those with similar pursuits, and sometimes even made phone calls to those who were still alive, to better understand their findings and theories. Duel Monsters was more than just a game to many people, and one such study had been to figure out why a simple card game had evolved into a spectator sport, sometimes played on a motorcycle.

The answer, it seemed, had to do with Duel Spirits. Originally debunked as a mere superstition, Duel Spirits were considered the spirits of the cards that surfaced during a duel to give the holder good fortune and fantastic luck. The Spirits bonded with their human 'master' and in exchange for being cherished, would support the human throughout their battles.

To some, the theory explained a lot, but to others it was utter nonsense and full of holes even if the theory could possibly hold water. For this reason, Barrow had devoted a sizeable amount of his research to understanding the nature of Duel Spirits. It was said that even a person unable to see Duel Spirits on a regular basis could come to have one, and even come in frequent contact with a spirit. Every so often, Duel Spirits could materialize in the real world as solid, corporeal beings that could freely touch or communicate with a human, or many humans. The phenomenon was rarely seen or documented, but Barrow believed that every rumor and myth had an element of truth to it, even if the exact origins had become twisted or exaggerated in time.

A knock at the door soon brought his attention back to his surroundings and he clunked over to his front door, setting his reading glasses down on the parchment he had been reading. Peering through the peephole, he found nothing standing there, but he still opened the door and was surprised to find a pair of teenagers. Momentarily perplexed, he studied the peephole uncertainly. Had he installed it backwards?

"May I help you?" he asked, addressing the two boys with genuine curiosity. Visitors were a rarity, and while one of them seemed uncertain about being there, the other seemed nervously determined.

"Are you Mr. James Barrow?" the boy asked.

Barrow chuckled. "It's pronounced Bar-row, not Bare-row, but yes I am," he said, opening the door wider. "Would you like to come in? It seems you have something to discuss, and I rather not keep you on the doorstep." It was clear to him that the two boys were not residents of the poorer area of the city, and so whatever it was they were looking for him about, it must be important.

One boy looked at the other unsurely, but the look was disregarded, as they both soon stepped into the house, looking around. Barrow closed the door and walked past the boys to the table where he had been reading, seating himself in the chair and swiveling to face them.

"Feel free to take a seat," he told them kindly. "And what are your names, if I may ask?"

"I'm Luke," the determined one stated.

"Adam," the second replied. Barrow nodded,

"You may call me James if you are comfortable with that, or Barrow, or Mr. Barrow," he said, chuckling as both boys took chairs. Adam seemed the least knowledgeable of their purpose, so Barrow focused on Luke. "So what are you looking to me regarding?"

Luke paused and swallowed before answering, "I uh, heard that you know things about 'Duel Spirits'," he said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Barrow's eyes lit up a little.

"Ah yes, a truly fascinating topic," he said. "But what's your interest?"

Luke glanced at Adam and took a breath. "I can see them?"

"Really?" Barrow asked, his look of intrigue intensifying. "I take it your friend does not, however?" At Luke's nod, Barrow turned to Adam. "An explanation seems to be in order, then. Duel Spirits, if you are not aware, are monster spirits associated with the Duel Monsters cards. When one plays that card, they call upon the strength of the card spirit, although the images are usually purely holographic. There are instances where the spirit itself will be present, which is why some prominent duelists urge those to respect their cards and the cards of their opponents. Not only can it appear unsportsmanlike to abuse cards, but card spirits are said to abandon a duelist without the proper respect for them, and those duelists tend to lose the games in the end. It is believed that without the support of Duel Spirits, a duelist will never win when it counts against a duelist with the aforementioned support. Do you follow?"

"I think so," Adam said.

"Exceptions apply constantly, but records in past duels have shown that friendship, loyalty, and respect tend to all be factors held by a duelist of great skill, whereas their opponents often lacked those. Coincidences are possible, but throughout history, it becomes harder to chalk it all the time to coincidence," Barrow explained, returning his gaze to Luke. "So you're a Spirit-seer?"

"I guess so."

"Very rare gift. Even I don't have it, but I am fascinated by those who do. How long ago did you notice you could see Spirits?"

"Uh...two hours ago?"

"Really?" Barrow asked, surprised. "Normally, it surfaces before that, at a much younger age. How did you discover it?"

"The Spirit or whatever attacked me," Luke muttered. "Not friendly, since it wanted to kill me. Well, it attacked Adam first."

Adam blinked. "So that's what hit me?" he wondered aloud. Luke sighed wearily, as if this information had been made apparent beforehand.

Barrow's brow furrowed. "Unusual. Very rarely has it been documented that Duel Spirits directly attack another individual. Was it controlled by someone else, or would you classify it as a rogue?"

"The second one," Luke said, sounding relieved that Barrow was taking him seriously. "It definitely wasn't being controlled. It could duel, too."

Barrow chuckled. "Yes, most spirits have as much affinity with the game as the humans that they associate with. There have been a number of cases of Duel Spirits dueling humans, usually while using some sort of device to manifest physically. Sadly, those cases tend to be high-stakes duels, with the Spirit being dark or malicious and seeking a more permanent corporeal form, such as a body, or it happens to be collecting souls."

Luke nodded. "My life was wagered," he admitted. Adam winced at the admission.

Barrow shuffled through a number of documents on his desk. "Could you describe this Duel Spirit? Would you happen to know what type of monster it was? Usually with recurring dark Spirits, it's known what entity it represents and what its motives are."

Luke nodded, and Barrow was pleased to note the certainty upon the boy's face. "Sin Stardust Dragon," he said. "She used that card and it looked just like her. And I got the name 'Malefis' as well."

Barrow froze in place for a moment, dropping the reading glasses he had just lifted. "You don't say..." he said faintly. "I've actually heard of that one...no, not from past records, but in passing from another Spirit-seer, who thankfully never had a run-in with her. It was a 'her', correct?"

"Uh, I think so," Luke answered with a shrug. Barrow pushed himself away from the desk and faced the two boys.

"The only things I know regarding that Duel Spirit are all third-hand sources, from a Spirit-seer who spoke to a Duel Spirit that knows her. Or, at least of her, I procured what I could about her, but have neglected to record it all."

"What do you know?" Adam wondered. "I mean, if this Spirit is going around attacking us..."

"You're hardly an unusual case, I'm sure," Barrow mused. He straightened up and studied the two boys. "You should be relatively safe here for the time being. I can arrange for you to meet with the other Spirit-seer. I can only do so much to help, being unable to see-"

"Why?" Adam wondered. "I can't see them, but I'd help if I can."

"Noble of you," Barrow admitted. "It's not just a question of a Spirit's visibility, but one's skill as a duelist and ability to gather allies. I am only so-so, due to my age and area of study. I can hardly rally Security officers, can I? I'd be locked up as an old coot."

"But you are a duelist?" Adam verified.

Barrow nodded. "Well, yes. Most people in the city are, you see."

Adam nodded in return. "Then how about this: we have a duel. If I win, you give us a more direct hand."

Barrow smiled a little. "And if I win, the matter is dropped and I stick to the sidelines? That is a suitable wager. However, I don't have a Duel Disk, so I will either need to borrow yours or use a table."

Luke shrugged and passed his Duel Disk over. "Good thing we stopped at home to check the phone book," he muttered, as Adam picked up his own disk from a backpack on his shoulder. The man and the teen stood up. "Seems cramped in here," Luke noted, gesturing to the cluster of furniture.

"Then we'll take the duel outdoors," Barrow said. "If you're the one being hunted, Luke, stay indoors and watch from the window. More likely the Spirits are looking for you and not your friend."

Luke nodded and moved his chair over to the dusty kitchen window, as Barrow and Adam stepped outside into the sunlight. Barrow carefully strapped the Duel Disk to his arm and inserted a deck into the main slot. He smiled at Adam.

"Shall we?"

"Definitely," Adam said, mirroring the older man's motions. Both Disks activated and their LP counters rose to 8000 apiece.

"Then let's duel," Barrow announced, flicking five cards from the top of his deck, followed immediately by a sixth, all before Adam even drew his starting cards. "Oh, my deck is too kind today," he noted. Adam raised an eyebrow, catching up to have acquired his starting hand. "I put one card facedown," he explained, a card image appearing in the Spell and Trap zone. "Then I activate Card Destruction. We now send our hands to the Graveyard, and then draw the same number of cards from our decks. Four for me, and five for you. Please show me the cards you discarded."

"Uh..." Adam winced, looking at the cards in his hand before turning them around. Barrow nodded and did the same for his own cards. Then both duelists drew their new hands.

"I activate my Set card: Hamburger Recipe," Barrow stated, smirking. "I can now perform a Ritual Summon if I hold a Ritual monster in my hand. I do, but I'll take the offerings from the Graveyard. Specifically, I'll remove the level three Djinn Releaser of Rituals and the level four Djinn Presider of Rituals, both of which can be used as offerings while in the Graveyard!"

A chef appeared before the duelists and the chosen monsters appeared, disappearing into a rift before the chef busied himself. Within moments, a well-stacked hamburger appeared. (Lvl 6, 2000/1850)

"Say hello to my Hungry Burger!" Barrow said, grinning now. "Looks tasty, but be wary, for it may bite you first," he warned. As if on cue, the burger growled, showing frighteningly large teeth hidden in the bun. Adam flinched, but regained his composure.

"Is that all?" he asked hopefully. Barrow chuckled.

"No, I now remove Destiny Hero Malicious from my Graveyard, and in its place, I summon another copy from my deck!" A fiendish warrior appeared beside the burger, as another copy vanished into the dimensional rift. (Lvl 6, 800/800) "Then, I summon my Torapart, which is a Tuner monster!"

A new monster appeared beside the others. (Lvl 2, 600/600) Adam winced, knowing what was coming. Barrow's grin only widened. "I tune my level two Torapart with my level six Malicious to Synchro Summon Colossal Fighter!"

The tuner broke into a pair of rings that surrounded the dark warrior. A beacon of light pierced the rings and a large warrior appeared, looking almost like it was made from stone. (Lvl 8, 2800/1000)

"Colossal Fighter gains 100 ATK for every Warrior in either player's graveyard," Barrow explained. "I have two, and I saw you have none, so Colossal Fighter gains 200 ATK!" (ATK: 2800->3000)

Two vertical cards appeared behind the two monsters, finishing off Barrow's hand.

"Turn End."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 7: Coaxing Duel]
Adam gritted his teeth. The duel had just started, and already his opponent had a major advantage. Two monsters stood across from him: the Synchro monster Colossal Fighter at 3000 ATK, and the Ritual monster Hungry Burger at 2000. Behind the monsters were two facedown Spells or Traps, but nothing in his opponent's hand. Meanwhile, he hadn't even taken his first move.

[b]Adam LP: 8000
Barrow LP: 8000[/b]

"It's my move!" he said, drawing from his deck and glancing at it. "I Summon Cyberdark Keel!"

A long, dark snake-like mechanical monster appeared, emitting a slight hiss upon its Summoning. Barrow blinked as Adam smirked. (Lvl 4, 800/800)

"When Cyberdark Keel is Normal Summoned, I choose a level three or below Dragon monster from my Graveyard, and equip it to my monster. Then, all that monster's ATK is added to my Cyberdark's ATK. So thank you for your Card Destruction, as I can choose the Twin-Headed Behemoth you sent to my Graveyard," Adam explained.

A double-headed dragon appeared on the field and the serpentine machine coiled its tail around it, wires and other devices attaching itself to the dragon. (800->2300)

"Cyberdark Keel, attack Hungry Burger!" Adam commanded. Keel lashed out its tail at the oversized burger, but one of Barrow's cards flipped up.

"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon! This lets me destroy your Twin-Headed Behemoth, since it's treated as an equip card," Barrow stated. A gale of wind hit the dragon and it shattered, lowering the Cyberdark's ATK back to 800. The Burger growled and sank its teeth into Keel, quickly devouring it. Adam winced.

[b]Adam LP: 6800[/b]

"When Hungry Burger destroys a monster in battle, I draw 1 card, courtesy of Djinn Presider of Rituals," Barrow explained. "And due to Djinn Releaser of Rituals, you cannot Special Summon monsters, so you cannot use your Twin-Headed Behemoth's effect at this time."

"I put two cards facedown, and end my turn," Adam muttered. So he had made a careless move, he could see that much, but the game wasn't over yet.

"It's my turn!" Barrow stated with a grin. "I activate Burial From a Different Dimension, and with this, I can choose up to three removed from play monsters and return them to their owner's Graveyard. I choose my Destiny Hero Malicious, and my two Djinns. As another warrior is back in the Graveyard, Colossal Fighter gains 100 ATK," he continued, as he took three cards from his pocket, and placed them into the Graveyard slot of the disk. (ATK: 3100)

Adam clenched his fist. This duel had been out of his control since the start, and it seemed to get worse with every move either of them made.

"Next I Summon Command Knight!" A red-armored warrior appeared, twirling a sword in its hand. (Lvl 4, 1200/1900) "As long as Command Knight is on the field, Warrior-type monsters gain 400 ATK, and Command Knight can't be attacked so long as I have monsters," Barrow explained. (ATK: 1600) (ATK: 2400) (ATK: 3500)

"I activate my Trap Hole!" Adam stated hastily, one card flipping up to show a monster that had fallen into a pit. "When a monster with 1000 or more ATK is Normal Summoned, it is destroyed!"

"I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit," Barrow countered. "For 1000 LP, I negate a Trap Card and destroy it!"

"What?" Adam gasped, the trap shattering into pixels.

[b]Barrow LP: 7000[/b]

"Colossal Fighter, direct attack! And because Colossal Fighter was Synchro Summoned using Torapart as Synchro Material, you cannot activate Traps when it attacks!"

"You're kidding!" Adam shouted, as the mammoth warrior drew back a fist and slammed it into the ground where Adam stood. The boy was knocked backwards by the hologram's forcefield, wincing as he hit the ground.

[b]Adam LP: 3200[/b]

"Command Knight, direct attack!" Barrow ordered. The red-armored warrior leapt forward and slashed Adam with its sword across the torso, leaving no physical mark, but Adam grunted from the blow regardless.

[b]Adam LP: 1600[/b]

"Hungry Burger will finish you with a direct attack!" Barrow announced, but this time Adam's remaining facedown flipped up, and a dimensional portal appeared, quickly pulling the burger within it.

"Dimensional Prison," Adam explained. "The attacking monster is removed from play. I would have used it on Colossal Fighter, but it didn't work, so I guess I'll take the next best thing."

Barrow chuckled, and forced a smile. "Turn End."

"It's my turn!" Adam announced, drawing vigorously. "I Summon Cyberdark Edge!" Another mechanical creature appeared, this one looking like bladed metal wings. (Lvl 4, 800/800) "Like Keel, I can choose a level three or below Dragon and equip it. I choose Twin-headed Behemoth again, and Edge gains 1500 ATK!"

The double-headed dragon reappeared and metal clamps trapped it to the machine. (800->2300)

"While I control another monster, Command Knight can't be attacked," Barrow pointed out. Adam just nodded.

"By halving the damage, Cyberdark Edge can attack you directly," he stated, pointing a finger foreward. "Edge, direct attack!" The mechanical creature flapped its wings, and a gale of air launched forward, striking the older man.

[b]Barrow LP: 5850[/b]

"I place one card facedown and end my Turn," Adam said, a facedown card appearing behind his monster.

"Very well, my turn!" Barrow said, looking at the card he drew. "Ah, Preparation of Rites! I choose one level 7 or below Ritual monster from my deck, and add it to my hand. Afterwards, I have the option of adding one Ritual Spell from my Graveyard to my hand. I choose a Hungry Burger from my deck, and return Hamburger Recipe from the Graveyard."

"Oh great," Adam muttered. Barrow smiled.

"I activate Hamburger Recipe, and once again employ the services of my Djinn Presider of Rituals and Djinn Releaser of Rituals to Summon another Hungry Burger, reapplying the effects of my Djinns!"

The two fiends vanished into a dimensional rift, and a new fanged hamburger appeared, growling. (Lvl 6, 2000/1850)

"Command Knight gives my Burger an extra 400 ATK, bringing it to 2400," Barrow said with a smile. "Now, Colossal Fighter will attack your Cyberdark Edge, disabling your use of Traps for this attack!"

Colossal Fighter drew back its fist and slammed it into the mechanical monster. However, electricity surged through the Cyberdark monster and its ATK changed. (2300->4600) Barrow blinked as the warrior groaned and was soon sliced apart by Edge.

[b]Barrow LP: 4750[/b]

"Your Fighter only stops Traps," Adam said, grinning. His facedown card had flipped up, displaying a speedometer at maximum. "Limiter Removal doubles the ATK of all my Machine type monsters for the turn, but will destroy it at the End Phase."

"A very clever move," Barrow conceded, but smiled. "Colossal Fighter's effect! When it is destroyed in Battle, I can Special Summon one Warrior monster from the Graveyard, even itself!" His graveyard slot glowed and the massive warrior reappeared. (Lvl 8, 2800/1000) "And with the warriors in my Graveyard, and Command Knight's effect, its ATK rises back to 3500!"

Adam winced, but nodded. Barrow chuckled.

"Turn End."

At those words, Cyberdark Edge shattered apart, the equipped dragon doing the same. Adam all but cringed. With only 1600 LP and his ability to Special Summon sealed again, he wasn't sure what he could do against Barrow's trio of monsters. He studied his hand, and then the card on top of his deck.

"It's my turn!" he stated, drawing smoothly. "I summon Cyberdark Horn!" A vaguely draconic machine appeared, growling fiercely. "Like the others, it takes a dragon from the Graveyard, and I'll pick my Twin-Headed Behemoth yet again!" (Lvl 4, 800/800->2300/800)

"Unlike Edge, Horn doesn't have the ability to attack directly," Barrow reminded him. "It is too weak to defeat Hungry Burger or Colossal Fighter, and Command Knight can't be attacked."

"We'll see," Adam said, smiling a little. "I activate Forbidden Chalice! I choose one monster on the field and give it 400 ATK. However, its effects are then negated."

Barrow squinted at him. "If you use it on your Horn, you realize it will lose the ability to equip Behemoth and will lose those ATK points?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah, made that mistake once. I'm choosing your Command Knight, meaning your Warriors will lose their boost, and it can be attacked." Command Knight was offered a goblet, which it drank from, suddenly gasping in agony and clutching its throat. (ATK: 1600) Colossal Fighter and Hungry Burger both lost their faint auras. (ATK: 3100) (ATK: 2000)

"I see...now what?" Barrow wondered.

"Cyberdark Horn will attack your Hungry Burger!" Adam said. The mechanical monster launched a spear of black lightning, shattering the hamburger easily. "Now I can Special Summon again," he explained.

[b]Barrow LP: 4350[/b]

"Well, I hope you have a plan, then," Barrow said kindly. "For I haven't forgotten your monster's effect to protect itself from destruction, so your Horn is providing easy trips to your dwindling life points. At the end of this turn, Forbidden Chalice will wear off, and my Colossal Fighter will be even stronger."

"I place one card facedown, and end my turn," Adam stated simply. Command Knight let out a breath of relief and stood tall again. (ATK: 1600) (ATK: 3600)

"It's my turn," Barrow said, drawing. "Colossal Fighter, attack Cyberdark Horn!" The warrior lashed out its powerful fist and slammed it into the machine.

"I activate my Trap," Adam said quickly, his card flipping up. "Half Counter! When an opponent's monster attacks, my monster gains ATK equal to half its original ATK. Colossal Fighter originally has 2800 ATK, so Horn gains 1400 ATK!" (2300->3700)

"I see...by destroying Colossal Fighter last turn, you removed its ability to prevent Traps from activating," Barrow noted. "However, don't be fooled. Colossal Fighter's effect will revive it from the Graveyard again!"

Black lightning coursed through Barrow's monster and it shattered. Soon after, the ground rumbled and the monster reappeared, its ATK value going back to 3600. Adam stared up at it silently, knowing it would still be a difficult opponent to beat. Half Counter only lasted until the End Phase.

"Turn End," Barrow stated with a chuckle.

[b]Barrow LP: 4250[/b]

Adam stared at the top of his deck. He had no cards in his hand, and only his Cyberdark Horn on the field. He had to find a way to get ahead in the duel. With only 1600 LP left, and no ways of fighting back...what could he do?

"It's my turn," he said, drawing his card. He could feel the man's eyes on him, maybe even reading his strategy and moves. Slowly, he turned the card in front of him and grinned widely. "I activate Overload Fusion!"

"What?"

"Overload Fusion lets me Fusion Summon a DARK Machine by removing from play the Material monsters on my field or Graveyard. I remove my Cyberdark Horn from my field, my Cyberdark Edge, and my Cyberdark Keel from my Graveyard!" Adam explained.

The three monsters appeared for a moment, before being drawn into a spiral of energy, condensing into a single unit, then exploding outwards. When the light dimmed, a large mechanical dragon stood. Its head was that of Cyberdark Horn, roaring fiercely. The wings were clearly those of Cyberdark Edge, and a long serpentine body and tail thrashed behind it, evidently from Cyberdark Keel.

"Say hello to Cyberdark Dragon!" Adam said, grinning. (Lvl 8, 1000/1000) "Now, let's get down to its effects. First, it absorbs ANY Dragon from my Graveyard and takes its ATK, and I think Dragunity Armed Leviathan and its 2600 ATK will do/"

Barrow winced. "Card Destruction," he muttered, as a large dragon was attached to Cyberdark Dragon. (1000->3600)

"Also, for every monster in my Graveyard, Cyberdark Dragon gains another 100 ATK. I have Twin-Headed Behemoth and Sangan in my graveyard, so it gains 200 ATK, making it stronger than Colossal Fighter!" (3600->3800)

Cyberdark Dragon roared, and waves of sound expanded outwards. Colossal Fighter groaned and disappeared.

[b]Barrow LP: 4050[/b]

"Don't forget, my Colossal Fighter will just revive itself every time it's destroyed in Battle," Barrow chuckled, the monster reappearing.

"During the End Phase, Twin-Headed Behemoth returns from the Graveyard with 1000 ATK and DEF, because it was considered to be destroyed," Adam said, placing the card from his graveyard in a horizontal position. (Lvl 3, 1000/1000) Cyberdark Dragon growled. (ATK: 3700)

"There's only so long you can hold on before I defeat your dragon and your remaining life points," the man continued, drawing a new card.

"Cyberdark Dragon never lets me down," Adam insisted. "Alone, each Cyberdark monster is powerful, but together, it's even stronger."

"Perhaps so," Barrow admitted. "But let me show you the power created by neverending determination. You could easily make a speech about the symbolism of a Fusion monster, representing the bonds of strong people coming together, and try to sway me to help you with such a metaphor, in that even those who gave up their lives and dreams contribute through Cyberdark Dragon's effect. Or individualism, in that you don't rely on Synchro monsters. But here I have my own metaphor. Colossal Fighter may be beaten infinite times, but it will always return to keep up the fight, until at last it can win."

"Uh...I wasn't going to say anything of the sort," Adam said awkwardly.

"Oh. In that case, never mind," Barrow said. "I Summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!" A female warrior appeared, brandishing a sword. (Lvl 4, 1600/600) "Rose, attack Cyberdark Dragon!" With the support of Command Knight, the warrior leapt towards the large monster, but was effortlessly torn to pixels with a single roar from the dragon.

[b]Barrow LP: 2350[/b]

"Why'd you do that?" Adam wondered. Barrow smiled.

"Rose was a Warrior monster, and with it in my Graveyard, Colossal Fighter gains 100 ATK, giving it a total of 3700. Colossal Fighter, attack Cyberdark Dragon!"

The larger warrior lashed out a fist, striking the machine dragon and grunted as the monster roared in its face. The dragon clamped to the machine roared and exploded, taking Colossal Fighter with it, but leaving the machine unscathed.

"Cyberdark Dragon isn't destroyed but loses its equipped monster," Adam said, realizing now what had happened. (3700->1200)

"Colossal Fighter revives itself from the Graveyard by its own effect," Barrow said, smiling a little. "It will attack Cyberdark Dragon again!" Once again, the warrior brought its fist down upon Adam's monster. Unlike Cyberdark Dragon, its ATK score was untouched, and this time, it easily ignored the retaliation and the machine was crushed in moments.

[b]Adam LP: 0[/b]

The card holograms vanished and Adam dropped to his knees, staring in shock at the ground in front of him. He had been so sure that he could have won that duel, and could have gotten more help for Luke, but in the end, he just hadn't been strong enough.

James Barrow walked over to where the boy knelt and offered a hand. Adam looked up, and after a pause, let the older man pull him to his feet. "Good duel, my boy," Barrow assured him, walking back towards the house. Adam stumbled after him, still too disappointed to speak. How could he or Luke fight these psychotic Duel Spirits if they couldn't even duel well?

Once inside, Luke patted Adam on the back. "You didn't do that bad, man," he said, trying and failing to reinstill his friend's confidence.

Barrow smiled and sat down. "It's been a long time since I've had a truly exciting duel. I'm sorry, but by the wager we had, I have the option of sticking to the sidelines, and I think that's what I'll be doing. However, I will give you the name and address of the other Spirit-seer in the city, and I'm sure she'd be happy to answer your questions and give you a better hand than an old man like I could."

"You're a great duelist," Adam said, breaking his dazed silence. "Couldn't you help?"

"I'm not as good as you think, I already told you that. Duel Spirits are powerful duelists with far greater skill and affinity with cards than I have," Barrow insisted. "Younger, more talented duelists are better chances. Duelists like the two of you. Even if you lost this duel, you have the potential."

Luke took the scrap of paper offered by the older man and silently read the information printed on it. "Thanks," he said quietly, and with a gesture to Adam, the two left the house.

Barrow watched them leave from the window, standing there for several minutes even after they had vanished from sight, before at last walking back to his desk and sitting down with a sigh. "I hope those two will be all right..."

"You have far greater things to worry about," a voice spoke from the kitchen. Barrow jerked his head up, in time to see the silhouette of a thin man blocking the light from the window.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The other man laughed quietly. "I come on behalf of another. And they want to speak with you...or have you killed. I daresay you'll come quietly, or must I bring you in by force?"

Half an hour later, Security investigated the strange sounds reported to have come from the home of a Mr. James Barrow. They found the house in great disarray and the old man was nowhere to be found.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 8: Learning More]"Is this what we're looking for?"

"I think so, hand me the address."

Voices outside alerted Jasmine to the presence of others. From the sound of it, two boys, probably teenagers at most. She got up from her kitchen table and opened the front door, relishing the shocked expressions of two teenage boys, one of their fists raised to rap on the door. She delivered a gentle smile and brushed her long raven hair out of her face.

"Can I help you two?" she asked pleasantly, genuinely curiously who would have given her address out, if the boys had indeed come to the right place. One of the boys, a little taller than the other, extended a hand with a slip of paper in it.

"Are we in the right place? I can't read his handwriting very well," he muttered. Jasmine accepted the slip of paper, and almost immediately recognized the handwriting of James Barrow, an older man, but nevertheless a pretty good friend of hers, having spoken to him on numerous instances involving Duel Spirits and myths.

"James Barrow?" she guessed. Both boys got relieved expressions on their faces and they nodded. "Yeah, you're in the right place. You looking for me, I expect?" she asked, chuckling a little. "Come in, we can talk in the kitchen."

She led the two boys inside and designated chairs, sitting down on the opposite end and stirring her tea, watching them with mildly curious expressions. The boys sat awkwardly, giving each other nervous glances.

"So, what can I help you with?" Jasmine asked. She held up a hand before they could answer. "Wait, maybe we should exchange names. I'm Jasmine."

"Luke," the taller boy said.

"Adam," the second answered, a second slower than the first. Jasmine nodded and sipped the tea. Hm, it could use a little sugar, she thought, getting up to locate the sugar bowl.

"Well," Luke began slowly. "We talked to Mr. Barrow and he said we should pay this address a visit, something about..." the boy hesitated, as if he was about to name a very stupid subject, but Jasmine beat him to the punch.

"Duel Spirits, right?" she asked, bringing the sugar back to the table. "It's okay, you can say it. If he told you to come to me, he probably told you I can see them and am an unofficial expert on the subject, right?"

Adam laughed. "Wow, you're quick."

"Thank you," Jasmine replied smoothly. "So what is it you're interested in?"

"We've had some...run-ins today...with Duel Spirits," Luke said, more confident than before, but evidently struggling with his wording. Jasmine nodded to him, but kept silent. "I can see them too, it seems."

"What Spirit is hovering by your left shoulder?" Jasmine asked abruptly. Luke looked to his left and his brow furrowed.

"There's nothing there," he said finally. Jasmine smirked in approval.

"Just testing you. Go on, what kind of run-ins?" she asked. Luke quickly explained about how Adam and he had been attacked and forced into a duel. Jasmine listened to the story, her eyebrows steadily rising as Luke explained the three-way Spirit duel, and how he had been told to visit Barrow.

Adam filled in with how he had dueled Barrow in the hopes of assistance, and sheepishly admitted he too had been defeated. Jasmine smiled and shook her head.

"James is a tough old man. But his interests are elsewhere, and I'm just pleased he thinks so highly of me that he'd send you to get some information. Now, you mentioned this Duel Spirit was...a Sin Stardust Dragon, later identified as Malefis, correct?"

Luke nodded. "Mr. Barrow said-"

"You can call him James. It's a lot easier," Jasmine interrupted gently. Luke flushed slightly.

"Okay, James said...that you know about her specifically. I'm a little worried...I think she actually wanted to kill me."

"Of course she does," Jasmine laughed, ignoring the uneasy looks the two boys gave her. "That's the way she is."

The boys wore nearly identical inquisitive expressions, Adam's a bit more puzzled, but Jasmine assumed that since he couldn't see Duel Spirits, he had no idea how Malefis behaved outside of whatever his friend had told him. True, Jasmine herself had never encountered the Sin Stardust, but the stories she had been told came from a reliable enough source that she was grateful for the lack of a meeting.

"How do you know?" Luke asked. "What do you know?"

Jasmine considered for a moment. "See, I've never met her. Alpha says I should be happy about that."

"Alpha?" Adam repeated. Jasmine chuckled.

"Alpha, one of the Duel Spirits I have close contact with," she explained. "He drops by now and then to give me an update on things that go on. The Duel Spirit World fascinates me, after all, almost as much as James is intrigued by the nature of Duel Spirits."

"But what do you know about this Malefis?" Luke pressed.

Jasmine hesitated. "Alpha usually tells it better than I can, but I suppose I can try to give you a small summary," she said, pausing to take another sip of her tea. Both boys watched her with surprisingly rapt attention and she smiled. "I suppose I can start with the very beginning of this. Malefis is not the only Duel Spirit in the world, nor is she supposed to be a particularly special one. She's not a ruler, she's not famous, and she is definitely not the Stardust Dragon of legend."

"She's a Sin Stardust," Luke said, his tone suggesting that he was correcting her.

"Common misconception," Jasmine said. "There are not only one Duel Spirit per species. There can be multiples, but due to many warped myths about Duel Monsters in general, it is typically assumed that each Duel Monster has only one entity to represent it. This can be true, but it's not always the case."

"I don't follow," Luke said blankly. Jasmine laughed, as Adam nudged his friend.

Jasmine took another sip of tea. "According to Alpha, Malefis was an unremarkable Stardust Dragon, one of several, in fact. Some went on to be unremarkable; some went on to be more legendary. There are myths involving Stardust Dragon leading a war against evil and so on. I'm warning you that Malefis is the same original species, but not the one credited in the mythology."

Luke nodded and settled down, and Adam leaned forward in interest. Jasmine was silent for several seconds, her eyes thoughtful.

"Alpha says that Malefis' exact age is unknown, and her most basic behaviors have an uncertain motive behind them. For whatever reason, she despises humans. Not just your average rivalry type of hatred, either," Jasmine said. "It is said that in her eyes, humans have no right to exist, and that our entire species is a blight upon the earth. She does not fear them, but every cell in her body despises humanity with great passion."

"Why?" Adam wondered.

Jasmine laughed. "I just said that it's not known why. One theory is she's so prideful that humanity being the dominating race in our world is personally insulting to her. Another known berserk button is dragon and human alliances."

"So what happened?" Luke wondered. "If she was once a regular Stardust, how or why did she get transformed into a Sin monster?"

Jasmine smiled, "Perceptive question. From what I understand, Sin monsters are actually not natural monsters. Alpha didn't know the answer and Malefis isn't telling. We may never know that one, not without finding a Sin monster willing to divulge the details of the transformation."

Luke tried to hide his look of disappointment, but Jasmine wasn't fooled. Before she could comment, Adam spoke up. "So why are we being attacked? What's going on?"

Jasmine tapped her spoon on her mug and took another sip. "Alpha doesn't want to divulge all the details on this one, due to the limited number of Spirits freely given this information. Malefis is part of, if not the leader, of an anti-human Duel Spirit group that intends to invade and ultimately destroy our world." She said it as casually as if she was discussing a walk in the park, and therefore she should have expected the horrified expressions the boys gave her. "What?" she asked.

"Is that all? Or is a nuclear war in the works, too?" Adam asked sarcastically.

Jasmine shrugged. "What can be done? You know the ways of the world and the city. Spirit seers are rare, and it's very unlikely we'll convince anyone of what's to happen, even if we knew enough to forewarn people."

"So...Malefis really hates humans that much?" Luke asked, looking a little pale. Jasmine smiled reassuringly.

"It's not just Malefis," she said. "There are plenty of Duel Spirits with grievances against humans. Throughout history, the fate of the world has been staked on the outcomes of human wars and battles, some involving supernatural elements or monsters, such as in myths. Sometimes, the monsters and their spirits side with us. Humans are only grateful for so long, before greedy or malicious individuals start to violate peace. It's happened for millennia."

"So...Duel Monsters may actually want to kill us?"

"In the name of well-deserved vengeance taken to the extreme, no doubt," Jasmine agreed. "Malefis is a sadist. She wants to hurt people. Some are just extremists, and some are downright petty. Just like any human country in times of war. Misunderstandings and conflicts, political or social, will happen to anyone. Some people have perfectly justified reasons for what they do, and others take their side for personal reasons. Eventually you have masses of violent individuals who hate another group or individual."

"But Malefis started it?" Luke gasped.

Jasmine finished her tea and set it down. "That, no one knows. Malefis is a very outspoken dragoness, with undeniable hate towards the human race. Even if she's just one of several, she's one of the most vocal supporters and has an active role towards the plan's progression. She may not be the mastermind. Alpha thinks there's one who outranks her."

"Someone outranks her? Who?"

"There are three Duel Spirits Alpha has confirmed, without question, to be on the top of the food chain. One is Malefis, the second is Ghibli, a-"

"Blackwing - Ghibli?" Luke gasped. Jasmine nodded before what she said clicked.

"Oh...the Spirit who supported you? Well, he's definitely not as violent an individual. I've heard he actually is quite civil with some humans. The third is called Raven, and while I didn't learn his species, I've gathered him to be the leader of the group, if not on par with Malefis."

"I have another question," Luke said slowly. "Ghibli and an Infernity Archfiend Spirit intercepted Malefis after she had beaten me, and that's when they got into the three-way duel. The thing is, the Infernity taunted her in a way that made her completely lose her cool. He said something about a brother..." he watched Jasmine's face as if searching for a hint of recognition. Jasmine looked blank.

"Alpha never mentioned Malefis' family, except to emphasis that Malefis was not a one-of-a-kind Spirit. I don't know anything on that subject. But it's not unusual for familial tensions, is it?" she said, shrugging it off. Luke visibly wasn't convinced, but he did not pursue the topic.

Adam looked up. "Changing the subject a little. What about the Spirit World itself? What role does that play?"

"The Spirit World is where a majority of Duel Spirits reside. From what I hear, it's a world not too much different than our world, but more pristine and not nearly as technology or civilization driven as the human world," Jasmine answered, sounding extremely knowledgeable on the subject. "There are numerous territories and environments, each with their own leaders and residents. Some are more territorial than others, and it's not entirely devoid of civilization. Some of the humanoid Spirits have built buildings and roads and such things, but the fact of the matter is the Spirit World is a very diverse place."

"Are humans able to go there?" Luke wondered. Jasmine shook her head.

"It's possible, but almost invariably the human has to be brought there specifically by a Duel Spirit. On that note, some sources indicate that Duel Spirits are able to influence objects or people in this world, even if they cannot be seen. So it's possible for you to be whisked away to the Spirit World by a hostile Spirit. Once there, you'd find yourself at a massive disadvantage, both in numbers and abilities," Jasmine explained. "Now, I'll admit that I may be drawing incorrect conclusions, but most of this is taken directly from what Spirits have told me."

"Is there anything we can do to stop them from destroying the city or world, even if authorities won't help?" Luke asked. Jasmine considered the question solemnly.

At last she sighed and said, "No."

"No?!" Adam gasped. "So we and the entire city are screwed?"

"While Duel Spirits are by nature competitive, and more than willing to accept and deliver challenges, there are only three of us, and at least dozens of them. Even if neutral or opposing Duel Spirits were willing to side with humans, the odds of completely repelling them are slim," Jasmine explained. "To acquire a force to combat so many Duel Spirits would require many more duelists than we have in this room."

Adam stood up suddenly. "Then we need to get our friends and other duelists to come with us!" he said, his voice carrying surprising passion.

Jasmine laughed quietly, while Luke raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how hard it'll be to convince anyone we're not pulling a prank?" he asked his friend seriously. Adam hesitated. "The only two we met who actually believes us are people who already are interested in this sort of thing."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Adam insisted. "Maybe we can make wagers with some of them to at least humor us."

Jasmine brushed her hair from her eyes. "Actually...you may be on to something there, Adam," she said after a few seconds, rising from the table. "It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"Are you serious?" Luke asked, gaping at them. "Even if they join us, we could be getting innocent people into danger."

"No more than they'd be in if Malefis and the other Spirits take violent steps in their goals," Jasmine pointed out. Luke sighed, but a bit of coaxing brought him to concede their point. It was better to have resistance in any form than allow a pure massacre.

As they stepped outside Jasmine's house, she turned to them. "So where should we go first?"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 9: Spiritual Duel]
James Barrow awoke with a splitting headache. He winced and slowly lifted his head, supporting it tenderly with one hand, flinching at the sensation of encrusted dirt upon his palm. As his vision cleared, he was alarmed to find himself not at home, but in the middle of a forested clearing. He stared at the dried mud on his hand, and then looked around warily. He appeared to be all alone, but his clothing was torn, as if he had been running through a rosebush.

He groaned as a particularly painful throb shot through his skull, but it receded in moments, certain to fire up again if he moved too much. Slowly, the older man sat up, grimacing when he saw the state of his clothing. This was not a load of laundry he was looking forward to. He furrowed his brow, trying to remember how he ended up in this outdoor area, but before an answer clicked, he experienced the sudden feeling that he was not alone. Looking up, he saw nothing, but the sensation wouldn't leave, uncertainty slowly giving way to fear.

"Behind you, Mr. Barrow," a voice spoke abruptly. James flinched and whirled around, gaping when he saw a majestic black dragon of sorts, with large, white-feathered wings, although the lower third of the wings were black with crimson stains. The muzzle was yellow and shaped distinctly like a beak. Piercing red eyes met Barrow's own and he shivered, both from unease and excitement. He knew what he was seeing was nothing less than a real Blackfeather Dragon Duel Spirit.

Naturally, his thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had with the two boys back at his house and he tensed instinctively, eyeing the dragon with solemn wariness. "Yes?" he said tentatively, repressing another wince as his head ached.

"I trust you know why you're here," the Blackfeather Dragon said solemnly. James furrowed his brow, correctly assuming he was forgetting some important detail from before, between the boys leaving and him waking up. The answer hit him like a thunderbolt. The mysterious man that had appeared in his home...

James flinched, but didn't answer. The Blackfeather Dragon observed him, until the awkward silence became too much to bear. "What's going on?" he asked finally.

The dragon chuckled. "I'll take that as a negative, then." The amusement faded quickly from its face. "I'm afraid you pose too great a hazard to us. Being a paranormal researcher specializing in Duel Spirits...tsk, it just won't do to let you run around unobserved. So we've taken you here, where you are certain not to throw a wrench into the works."

"What works?" Barrow demanded, feigning ignorance. The dragon didn't appear fooled.

"Just the works. The less you know, the less threat you pose, and that alone will hopefully spare you from Malefis' claws," he answered solemnly. James shivered at the dragoness' name. He knew very little about her, but what he had heard confirmed she was a being to fear.

A contemptuous snort drew Barrow's attention to his left and he recoiled upon seeing the armored dragoness glaring at him just a few feet. He was out of her immediate range, but he recognized her appearance as that of an armored Stardust Dragon, which was all he needed to identify her.

"You know, Raven, there's a more permanent way of ensuring he doesn't screw us over," Malefis hissed softly, flexing her claws to demonstrate. The Blackfeather Dragon shook his head. "Why not?!" Malefis snarled, her idle sneer transforming instantly to an ugly look of frustration.

"Petty, as I said before," Raven answered. Malefis scowled. "Surely you can find other entertainment while you recharge?" the Blackfeather Dragon mused.

"It won't put a dent in my energy level," Malefis seethed. Raven rolled his eyes and refocused on James.

"Fortunately, she's not going to be the one keeping an eye on you," he said in a flat, nevertheless reassuring tone. "I strongly advise not giving us any reason to neutralize you permanently."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Kill you, duh," Malefis snorted. James knew better than to clarify what he meant.

Raven seemed to guess, however. "There are only so many Duel Spirits we'd entrust you to. One is me, naturally. Some..." he gave Malefis a meaningful glare. "...seem to be opposed to that."

"He'd have to be near you and you're far too busy for that," she retorted. "And Ghibli's on a job, and I don't care what you say, the Magnet Warriors are too sympathetic."

"Hm, you say anyone without active bloodlust is too sympathetic," Raven said. "I don't have the time to put every Spirit through your application process."

Malefis cackled. "Then just eliminate him. He'll be no loss. Nothing for those humans to cling to for evidence, and if he's an active threat to our agenda, enough to drag him here, then we have no reason to let him live."

"You said the same about Francis," Raven remarked solemnly. James perked up at the sound of the name. Was Francis the man he had encountered before? Or was that someone else. Malefis' scowl deepened.

"There's an exception to every rule to you, isn't there?" she spat. Raven's eyes glinted in triumph.

"You hate him more than Mr. Barrow here, don't you?" he wondered. Malefis glared in silence, and James pounced upon the opportunity to inject his two cents.

"I have a proposition," he said, both dragons turning to glance (or glare, in the Sin Stardust's case) at him. He raised his Duel Monsters deck, silently noting that they had been transported with him, even though he had neither a Duel Disk nor a deck box.

"A duel?" Malefis cackled. "You lost a duel to get taken here, what good would another do you?"

"I want to know what's going on," James answered solemnly. "And if I'm forced to stay here, I want to pick who I'm sticking with."

"Two conditions?" Malefis taunted. "No way in hell will one duel be worth two conditions."

"Enough, Malefis," Raven interjected, silencing her through his firmness alone. "You bring up an enticing offer, Mr. Barrow. I see little harm in either condition, so I would agree to your terms. However..." he glanced towards Malefis. "She disagrees. I will make you a counter offer."

"And that offer is?" James asked, visibly relieved at not being outright denied. Raven glanced at Malefis again before answering.

"A two-on-one duel. Should you feel that unfair, a tag duel with a Spirit of your choice," he said. Malefis' jaw dropped.

"What?!" she demanded. Raven gave her a stern glare, which she promptly ignored. "Why should we even give him a chance to make demands?! He's scum, not even befitting of licking the dirt from our feet!"

"I don't know any other Spirits," Barrow said uncertainly. It bothered him to be in such an uncertain situation, and having so few contacts and allies. If Malefis and Raven were up to some specifically anti-human endeavor, he was unlikely to find too many friendly faces nearby.

Malefis cackled. "Two on one it is," she breathed, all but quivering with sadistic glee. "Human vermin will be crushed in seconds..."

"Ooh, can I join?"

"What?!" Malefis jerked her head up, staring at something beyond Barrow. When the older man turned, he found himself face to face with an orange imp of some sort. It seemed vaguely familiar, but at the same time unknown. It was bipedal in appearance, with a slightly jagged body.

"Can I join?" the imp repeated, grinning in a twisted fashion. "Me and the human against the two of you. Sounds fair, no?"

"Fusio," Raven said calmly. "Are you aware of the duel's conditions?"

"Of course," the imp answered, grinning more. "A two-on-two duel." It gestured to itself dramatically. "I, Fusio, will not let our team fall to you Synchro Dragons!"

"I'm not a Synchro," Malefis snarled. Fusio snickered.

"Let's enlighten our friend as to tag team rules," Fusio suggested gleefully. "Each team has 8000 Life Points, and team members switch off each turn. They share field card zones and the Graveyard, and can utilize all cards on the field at the current team player's discretion, no?"

"Correct," Raven replied. Fusio snickered and waved its claws dramatically.

"Then we're ready! Let's duel!"

[b]Malefis/Raven: 8000
James/Fusio: 8000[/b]
James shot a glance at the Duel Spirit beside him and whispered, "What if I wasn't ready?"

"Who cares? We get to knock Malefis down a peg," Fusio replied, not bothering to keep his voice down. "You take the first turn, human."

"I don't have a Duel Disk," James Barrow protested, stopping suddenly when a semi-transparent horizontal surface seemed to materialize in front of him, just above waist height. James hesitantly placed his deck down and was surprised to see the surface held its weight. He took five cards from his deck, following by a sixth, and looked over at the dragons in front of him. On the 'board', he could see a light indicating which player's turn it was, and the present scores.

"Go on," Malefis snapped. Five black rectangles had formed in her claws, but she seemed to have no Duel Disk or similar surface. Raven didn't seem to have any cards at all, and Fusio seemed to have cards most similar to his own, except colored orange.

"I summon Djinn, Presider of Rituals," Barrow stated, placing the card onto the dueling surface, where he assumed a monster card would be placed in relation to his deck. The card seemed to glow for a moment, and then a realistic hologram projection appeared in front of the field. (Lvl 4, 1800/1400)

Malefis snickered mockingly, but he ignored her, slapping a card from his hand facedown behind the monster card, causing a holographic version to appear behind his monster.

"Turn End," he said calmly.

"My turn," Malefis breathed, extending a claw, conjuring a sixth black card within it. "I Special Summon Vice Dragon!" A gray-scaled dragon materialized before her, roaring, even as its strength was halved. (Lvl 5, 2000/2400=1000/1200)

Fusio snickered this time, earning a glare from the Sin Stardust. "Carry on," the imp said, ignoring the glare.

"I Summon Magna Drago!" Malefis hissed, a red dragon appearing and growling threateningly. "Now I tune my level five Vice Dragon with my level two Magna Drago! Synchro Summon, Exploder Dragonwing!"

A burst of fire erupted from the center of the beam of light and an imposing dragon appeared, growling and hissing wisps of flame from its mouth. (Lvl 7, 2400/1600)

Malefis cackled and thrust her claws forward. "Exploder Dragonwing, attack his Djinn!" The dragon belched out a fireball and James tensed. "Exploder Dragonwing's effect destroys your monster and inflicts damage equal to your monster's ATK!"

The fireball expanded, enclosing the Djinn in a sphere of fire. When the fire dimmed, the monster was gone. Sudden bolts of agony shot through Barrow's chest and he gasped, falling to his knees and shaking like mad, even as the pain receded. Malefis' cackle echoed in his ears.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 6200[/b]
"I place one card face-down," Malefis sneered. "Turn End."

James grunted and climbed back to his feet, turning his gaze to Fusio, who was grinning wickedly. "My turn!" the imp stated and began rubbing his claws together eagerly. "Ooh, ooh! It's all here! I discard Synchro Fusionist to Special Summon The Tricky!" A clown-like spell caster appeared, its masked face bearing a question mark symbol. (Lvl 5, 2000/1200)

James blinked, slightly intrigued by the move. Fusio grinned and slapped a second card onto the surface, a card James recognized as a Tuner monster. "Junk Synchron?" he murmured.

"Don't spoil!" Fusio snickered. "I Summon Junk Synchron, which allows to Special Summon a level two or below monster from the Graveyard, like my Synchro Fusionist!" A small orange robotic creature appeared and with a gesture, an imp identical to Fusio appeared beside it.

Malefis wasn't amused by the appearance, but that didn't seem to bother Fusio at all. "I tune my level two Synchro Fusionist with my level three Junk Synchron!" Fusio announced, his monsters fading into green rings and glowing stars. "Synchro Summon, Tech Genus Hyper Librarian!"

"What?" Barrow asked instinctively, staring as a robed humanoid appeared, clutching an ancient tome. (Lvl 5, 2400/1800)

Fusio snickered. "When Synchro Fusionist is used for a Synchro Summon, I add one card from my deck with 'Fusion' or 'Polymerization' in its name, and I choose Super Polymerization!" He held up the card with one claw, wagging it tauntingly. "Fear this, Malefis! I place three cards down and end my turn!"

"It's my turn," Raven said solemnly. "I activate Malefis' Trap Stun," he stated, one of the cards flipping up. Fusio merely smirked, whereas Barrow hesitated. "Next, I Summon Blackwing - Kochi the Daybreak, and Special Summon Blackwing - Bora the Spear," Raven continued. Two avian monsters appeared, once clutching a massive lance. (Lvl 4, 700/1500) (Lvl 4, 1700/1000)

"Blackwings? Shocking," Fusio snickered, rubbing his claws together. Even Malefis seemed disgusted by Raven's deck choice.

"I tune my level four Kochi with my level four Bora," Raven continued, his monsters rising into the air. "Synchro Summon, Blackfeather Dragon!" From the pillar of light, Raven himself came onto the field, showing no emotion while doing so, a stat meter flashing above his head (Lvl 8, 2800/1600). James silently noticed that the crimson feathers at the base of the wings were unchanged, despite having zero counters.

"Ooh, how fun!" Fusio cackled, practically dancing with glee. "By the effect of Tech Genus Hyper Librarian, when a player Synchro Summons, I draw a card!" he drew eagerly.

"Exploder Dragonwing, attack Hyper Librarian," Raven stated calmly.

"I think not," Fusio laughed, flipping over a card with dramatic flourish. "Behold, Super Polymerization! By discarding a card, I fuse two monsters on the field. No card can counter this effect! I choose my The Tricky and my Hyper Librarian!"

"Predictable fool," Malefis sneered. A black vortex surrounded the two monsters on James and Fusio's field and they were sucked into the centered, disappearing entirely. Lightning crackled around the vortex and James felt wind tugging at his body, even though it should have been purely holographic.

[i]"The master of magicians ascends to a higher plane, exceeding his limits and becoming divine!"[/i] Fusio chanted, his eyes wide with glee. "Go! Synchro Fusion Summon! Show yourself, Supreme Arcanite Magician!"

From the vortex emerged a solemn sorcerer, its eyes cool and knowledgeable. (Lvl 10, 1400/2800)

"When Fusion Summoned, Supreme Arcanite gains 2 Spell Counters, and for each counter, it gains 1000 ATK!" Fusio laughed. (ATK: 3400)

Raven was undaunted by this move. "I place two cards facedown and end my turn. It's back to you, Mr. Barrow."

James drew a card, bringing his hand total up to five. "I activate Hamburger Recipe! By offering up the Djinn Presider of Rituals in my Graveyard and the Djinn Releaser of Rituals in my hand, I Ritual Summon Hungry Burger!" As he spoke, a fiendish chef was rapidly chopping and preparing something. When it was done, a massive burger remained, growling loudly, its bun covered in teeth. (Lvl 6, 2000/1850)

Malefis cackled. "Seriously? You think the likes of that will do anything?" she mocked.

"Due to using the Releaser of Rituals, my opponents cannot Special Summon," James said. "Next I activate Megamorph on my Hungry Burger. As my Life points are presently lower than my opponent's, its ATK is doubled, bringing it to 4000. Also, when Hungry Burger defeats a monster in battle, my Presider of Rituals will let me draw another card."

"It'll never work," Malefis sneered. "No matter how much a worm writhes, it'll still be crushed underfoot."

"Don't be so sure," Fusio warned, grinning. James glanced at him, then pointed a finger forward. "Supreme Arcanite Magician, attack Exploder Dragonwing!"

The mage twirled its staff expertly and conjured a sphere of magical energy at the end before batting the orb at the smaller of the dragons. Raven didn't bat an eye, one of his cards flipping up.

"I activate Synchro Deflector," he said. "An attack directed at a Synchro monster is negated, and one of your monsters is destroyed. I choose your Hungry Burger to be destroyed."

"Do it now!" Fusio shrieked, pointing a claw at one of the cards Set on the field.

"Do what-" James was about to say, but almost immediately realized what he had to do. He flipped the designated card and stared. "Another Super Polymerization?"

"Yes!" Fusio said. Barrow hesitated but discarded the card in his hand.

"I fuse Blackfeather Dragon with Hungry Burger!" Barrow stated. Malefis gave Fusio a death glare so strong James was impressed the imp didn't flinch. Raven retreated from the field as the black vortex surrounded the field, yet the fusion seemed to proceed unhindered.

[i]"A dragon steed, a lance in hand, the ultimate combination of man and dragon comes forth, and fights for a greater future!"[/i] Fusio chanted. "Go! Synchro Fusion Summon! Come forth, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!" (Lvl 10, 3200/2000)

"Filthy hybrid!" Malefis shrieked, clenching her claws in rage at the sight of the draconic warrior emerging from the fusion vortex. No one paid her outburst any attention.

"Draco-Equiste, attack Exploder Dragonwing!" James ordered, without missing a beat. The dragon charged forward, slashing Malefis' monster across the midsection, the monster shattering into pixels.

[b]Raven/Malefis LP: 7200[/b]
"Turn End," Barrow said, greatly disappointed that he had been forced to give up his Burger due to Raven's Trap, but confident that with the two Synchro Fusions on the field, he and Fusio had a good chance to win this duel.

Malefis snarled in rage, snatching a card from the air. "You think you've done anything in this duel, vermin?! You think you have a chance against me? You overestimate yourself, so typical of your kind's fragile mentality."

She cackled and a shimmering light covered the field. "Stardust Shimmer! I remove monsters in my Graveyard whose combined levels match a Dragon Synchro monster in the Graveyard! I remove Kochi and Bora to revive Blackfeather Dragon!"

Raven returned his presence to the field, shooting Malefis a curious glance, as if her move had been truly unexpected. (Lvl 8, 2800/1600)

Malefis grinned wickedly. "I activate Solidarity! So long as I only have monsters in my Graveyard of one Type, all monsters of that type on my field gain 800 ATK. I've removed those Winged Beasts, leaving only Dragon-Type monsters, so now all my Dragons gain 800!" (2800=3600)

"Not good," Fusio said, solemnly, then broke the mood to dance from leg to leg. "It's AWESOME!"

"Now, I activate Raven's Call of the Haunted, bringing back my Exploder Dragonwing!" Malefis continued with a sneer. "It gains 800 ATK as well!" The Sin Stardust cackled gleefully. "Watch now, and accept how worthless you truly are!" (Lvl 7, 2400/1600=3200/1600)

Barrow felt a trickle of sweat run down his forehead. Both his monsters were weaker than Malefis' dragons, and worse, Exploder Dragonwing could use its effect to beat Draco-equiste and inflict 3200 damage right to his LP.

"End of the line, human scum," Malefis sneered. “Despair as your end approaches. Soon you’ll beg for death’s sweet relief.”
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 10: Clashing Spirits]
It was not looking good.

James Barrow wiped his brow, staring defiantly at the opposing duelists. The armored Stardust Dragon stared back with a cruel sneer on her face, ignoring the stern look the Blackfeather Dragon was sending her way. With her cards in place, Barrow and Fusio were going from a tight spot to an even tougher fight.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 6200
Malefis/Raven LP: 7200[/b]

On his side of the field stood a solemn spellcaster with two glowing spheres ornating its staff (ATK: 3400) and a blue-armored draconic knight wielding an enormous lance. (ATK: 3200) Unfortunately, James held no cards in his hand, and his teammate held one. In contrast, Malefis and Raven were far better off, with Malefis' claw clutching two black cards, a number matched by Raven, if James' card count was accurate.

"Going to beg for mercy?" Malefis mocked, gesturing a claw at the two dragons hovering before her. Exploder Dragonwing drooled a wisp of flame, its ATK standing at 3200, and Blackfeather Dragon, indicated by Raven's physical presence of the field, stood at 3600. Both outmatched James' monsters.

"Not likely," Fusio snickered. "Go ahead and attack, see where it gets you." Barrow looked at Fusio incredulously, but did not comment. Between the two of them, they had two Set cards, but why was Fusio goading an attack.

Malefis cackled. "Exploder Dragonwing, attack his hybrid knight first!" Barrow and Fusio tensed as her dragon opened its maw and unleashed a spiral wave of fire, engulfing their knight. "Exploder Dragonwing's effect destroys a monster whose ATK is equal or lower than mine, and inflicts damage equal to your monster's ATK."

Draco-equiste shattered into bits and Barrow yelled out as flames surrounded him, the heat of the fire causing droplets of sweat to seep from his skin.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 4000[/b]

"Blackfeather Dragon, attack Supreme Arcanite Magician!" Malefis ordered, but James flipped over his face down card, shooting a defiant look at the Sin Stardust

"I activate Waboku! During this turn, Battle Damage is 0!" A group of women appeared before the magician and bowed their heads in prayer, a barrier of light surrounding them all and Raven's black fireball was deflected from it, blasting a small crater into the trunk of a tree.

"Wasted," Malefis jeered. "You saved your monster and a mere 200 Life Points. It won't be enough. I place a card facedown and end my turn!"

Fusio grinned wickedly. "Then it's my turn again!" With a dramatic wave of his hand, he drew a card. "I activate Supreme Arcanite Magician's effect! Once per turn, I can remove a Spell Counter, and in exchange, I can either draw 1 card or destroy one card on the field. I choose to destroy Solidarity!"

Malefis scowled, as the magician raised its staff, one glowing orb upon it blinking out and a burst of magic lanced out, blasting Malefis' Spell to bits. Blackfeather Dragon and Exploder Dragonwing's stats both decreased, but Supreme Arcanite's did as well. (3200->2400) (3600->2800) (3400->2400)

"Now, I activate De-Fusion!" Fusio continued, dancing back and forth with excitement. "By returning a Fusion monster to the Extra Deck, I Special Summon the Material Monsters from my Graveyard, so return! The Tricky and Tech Genus Hyper Librarian!"

The spellcaster with the question mark motif returned, as did the tome-carrying magician. (Lvl 5, 2000/1200) (Lvl 5, 2400/1800)

"So what?" Malefis jeered. Raven was silent, his red eyes contemplating the moves as Fusio performed them. James couldn't help but feel impressed by the way Fusio manipulated his Fusion monsters; it was almost dance-like the way he played the game.

"I activate Emergency Teleport!" Fusio said. "I Special Summon a level three or lower Psychic monster from my deck, and I choose Psychic Commander!" A uniformed humanoid in a tank materialized alongside his other monsters, and he grinned. (Lvl 3, 1400/1000) "Now, I tune my level three Psychic Commander with my level five The Tricky!"

James allowed himself a smile, watching as the soldier became a trio of rings that the spellcaster passed through. This was going to be the start of their comeback, he could feel it.

"Synchro Summon, Thought Ruler Archfiend!" Fusio said, snickering. A skeletal monster with green-edged wings appeared, crackling with green electricity. (Lvl 8, 2700/2300) "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian's effect! Whenever a player Synchro Summons, I draw a card!"

Malefis snorted contemptuously. "Why waste so much of our time-?"

"Be silent, Malefis," Raven ordered. "Continue, Fusio."

"Thank you, Raven," Fusio said snidely, and flicked a card into his hand. "Thought Ruler Archfiend, attack Exploder Dragonwing!" The main monster conjured a sphere of the same green electricity flowing around it and launched it towards Malefis' smaller monster, watching in satisfaction as it shattered without resistance.

[b]Malefis/Raven LP: 6900[/b]

"When Thought Ruler Archfiend destroys a monster in battle, we regain Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's ATK points," Fusio snickered, a comfortable aura forming around his orange imp body.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 6400[/b]

"That makes up for the damage you did last turn, doesn't it?" Fusio snickered. "Turn End."

"So be it," Raven said. "It's my turn." The red crested dragon paused. "I Summon Blackwing- Calm the Shimmer." A red, shimmering avian materialized, its yellow eyes staring at its opponents. (Lvl 4, 600/1800) "Now I Special Summon Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind!" (Lvl 3, 1300/400)

Fusio's grin faded. "Damn," he muttered.

"I activate Gale's effect. Once per turn, I halve the ATK of one monster on the field. I choose your Thought Ruler Archfiend!" The bird's eyes glowed and rippling waves fired towards the Synchro monster. (ATK: 1350)

"And now you'll Synchro Summon?" Fusio guessed. "Bring out Blackwing Armor Master? If you do that, you'll inflict more damage, but give me a card."

"I'm well aware of the situation," Raven said solemnly. "I tune my level four Calm with my level three Gale for Blackwing Armor Master!" An armored birdman appeared, twirling once and glaring at Fusio with its single eye. (Lvl 7, 2500/1500)

"Hyper Librarian lets me draw a card!" Fusio announced, a second card forming into his hand. James gritted his teeth. He could see what Raven's goal was. After removing his monsters, the next turn was his, and he'd have only the top card of his deck and Fusio's remaining facedown card to work with. By the time Fusio even got to use the new draw, Malefis would have taken a turn.

"Armor Master, destroy Hyper Librarian," Raven ordered. The birdman charged forward and punched the tome-wielding spellcaster in the gut, knocking it to the ground. "And I will attack your Thought Ruler Archfiend!"

A blazing black fireball engulfed the weakened psychic and Barrow winced, keeping a determined look on his face. Fusio's last move had given them plenty of LP to endure this turn.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 4750[/b]

"I place a card facedown. That ends this turn," Raven said, turning his gaze upon James. "It's your move, Mr. Barrow."

Barrow nodded and drew vigorously, feeling a nervous tightness in his gut. If he didn't find a way to defend himself, Malefis' next turn would inflict over 5000 points of damage, and they would lose. He looked at the card he drew and considered for a few moments.

"I set a monster in Defense. Turn End," he said finally.

Malefis cackled gleefully. "So be it, my turn!" she extended her claws, snatching a black rectangle from the air. "I activate my facedown Dragon's Rage! Now Dragon-Type monsters inflict piercing damage!"

Fusio shot James a glance, as the man's face had paled slightly. Even when he tried to defend, the Duel Spirits were a step ahead. He had never before felt so helpless in a duel, all of his cards only doing so much to help his team. The Sin Stardust grinned wickedly, staring into Barrow's face like a predator watching its prey paralyzed with fear.

"Blackfeather Dragon, attack the vermin's facedown monster!" The feathered dragon exhaled a crimson burst of flames, striking Barrow's monster and obliterating it in an instant, the monster momentarily appearing as a defending samurai. (Lvl 3, 1200/600) Even after the monster vanished, the remaining flames struck Barrow in the chest and he tripped backwards, wincing.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 2550[/b]

"Immortal Bushi?" Fusio mused, smiling mournfully. "Sorry, guess my deck kind of screwed that card over, huh?" Barrow grunted noncommittally as Malefis' eyes widened in glee.

"Blackwing Armor Master, direct-"

"I activate Scapegoat!" Barrow countered, Fusio's set card flipping up to reveal four multi-colored lambs. In a flash of light, the four monsters appeared, each with a stat of 0. (Lvl 1, 0/0) x4

Malefis gave Raven a glare, as if accusing him of messing up somehow. "Destroy a vermin token. I end my turn."

Neither of them had any cards remaining on the field aside from the tokens, and James felt a drop of perspiration running down his forehead. With barely over 2500 LP, and Malefis' Dragon's Rage Trap in play, it would require a miracle to come back. Scapegoat was useless against the Dragon Synchro on the opposing field.

"It's my turn!" Fusio cackled, drawing a card eagerly. "I play Miracle Synchro Fusion!" Both opposing dragons flinched. "Ooh, I take it you don't need an explanation? I fuse monsters listed on a Synchro Fusion monster, from my field or Graveyard!"

From the graveyard rose Thought Ruler Archfiend and the Psychic Commander. In a blur of motion, they both faded into a rift, merging into a single creature. [i]“The path of the mind stretches to infinity, taking on forms of greater power! Emerge now, and bring ultimate victory! Synchro Fusion Summon! Ultimate Axon Kicker!” [/i]
Green lightning crackled over the field, and a skeletal creature, similar looking to the Archfiend, yet so much more imposing, roared triumphantly. (Lvl 10, 2900/1700)

"Ultimate Axon Kicker requires a Psychic Synchro and another Psychic," Fusio explained casually. "It cannot be destroyed by card effects, inflicts piercing damage, and recovers LP equal to the ATK of the monsters it defeats."

"It makes no difference," Malefis sneered. "Armor Master cannot be destroyed in battle and we take no battle damage...what's funny?!" she snarled, noticing Fusio's silent snickering.

"Nothing, nothing," the imp said, grinning. "Ultimate Axon Kicker, clear away Blackfeather Dragon, if you please." The large monster raised its vicious-looking claws and brought it down upon Raven. The Blackfeather Dragon accepted the blow with dignity, retreating off the field with only a grimace. "Now we regain 2800 LP," Fusio noted with a wide grin.

[b]Malefis/Raven LP: 6800
James/Fusio LP: 5350[/b]

"Are you quite done?" Malefis snapped. Fusio slapped a card down behind his monster and nodded in reply.

"It's my turn," Raven stated solemnly. "I Summon Blackwing - Blizzard the Far North!" A small, eagle-like monster appeared with a soft caw. (Lvl 2, 1300/0) "When Blizzard is Normal Summoned, I Special Summon one level four or lower Blackwing monster from my Graveyard in defense. I choose Calm the Shimmer!"

The red mirage-like monster appeared (Lvl 4, 600/1800), but almost immediately broke into stars and passed through Blizzard's conjured rings. Barrow gritted his teeth. Fusio's grin faded, whereas Malefis was starting to look insanely smug.

"Synchro Summon, Blackwing Armed Wing!" Raven announced, a new birdman descended onto the field, wielding a sword-like gun. (Lvl 6, 2300/1000) "Armed Wing, attack a token. And when Armed Wing attacks a Defense Monster, not only does it inflict Piercing Damage, but it gains 500 ATK! So you'll retake 2800 points of damage!"

"Son of a-" Barrow muttered as the blade struck a token, shattering it effortlessly, and waves of energy cascaded over Fusio, who grunted a little, but otherwise glared back in determination.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 2550[/b]

"No matter how you try to hide behind life gain, we'll just inflict it back!" Malefis jeered.

"Blackwing Armor Master, attack Ultimate Axon Kicker," Raven commanded. The other birdman punched the monster that towered over it, and neither budged an inch against the counterattack. When Armor Master soared away, a strange wedge was lodged into Fusio's monster. "I end my turn," Raven stated.

"My turn!" James Barrow announced, drawing and nodding to himself. This could be the very card to make a massive comeback. "I Summon Jutte Fighter!" A small samurai warrior leapt onto the field, grinning childishly. (Lvl 2, 700/900) "Now I activate Jutte Fighter's effect! Once per turn, I can turn one Attack Position monster my opponent controls to Defense, and I choose Armed Wing!"

Raven's gun-wielding birdman took a knee, changing to its more vulnerable Defense Position.

"I tune my level two Jutte Warrior with my two remaining Scapegoat tokens!" James continued, the three monsters rising into the air. When the pillar of light subsided, a large mechanical arm appeared, flexing aggressively. (Lvl 4, 1800/1200) "Synchro Summon, Armory Arm! Now I activate my Arm's effect and equip it to one of my monsters. It then gives that monster 1000 ATK!"

The machine arm rose up and glowed, attaching neatly to the psychic monster, which glowed with a frightening aura. (ATK: 2900->3900)

"Now, my Axon Kicker attacks your Armed Wing, and due to its effect, inflicts piercing damage!" James explained. The skeletal creature raised its claw and slashed Raven's monster to ribbons with a single, destructive blow.

[b]Malefis/Raven LP: 3900[/b]

"Armory Arm inflicts damage equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster, and Ultimate Axon Kicker restores our LP by the same value!" James said, grinning. The shockwaves from the explosion struck Raven, who merely stared back, unworried.

[b]Malefis/Raven LP: 1600
James/Fusio LP: 4850[/b]

"My, how the tides have turned," Fusio cackled.

"Don't celebrate so soon," Malefis sneered, snatching a fresh card. Her smirk widened to sadistic levels. "Field Magic, Mystic Plasma Zone!" she breathed, the area around them becoming engulfed in a black and purple mist. "Dark Attribute monsters gain 500 ATK!" Raven glanced at her and nodded, his monster's ATK rising to 3000.

"Uh oh," Fusio muttered and Barrow's heart sank. Malefis' eyes widened in vicious glee.

"I remove Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck," she hissed, a white-bordered card vanishing into a rift. "I Special Summon Sin Stardust Dragon!" From out of the rift emerged a monster identical to its Summoner, its face, wings, and torso armored in sleek black metal. (Lvl 8, 2500/2000)

"Sin Stardust keeps other monsters from attacking," Fusio noted, shaking his head. "Too bad! Rejected!"

"Fool," Malefis taunted. "I Summon Dread Dragon!" Fusio cursed under his breath, and a final dragon monster appeared, its head like a lampshade. (Lvl 2, 1100/400) "I tune my level 8 Sin Stardust with my level two Dread Dragon!"

The Sin Stardust monster glowed with concentrated black light, fading into stars, each passing through Dread Dragon's green tuning rings. "Synchro Summon, Trident Dragion!" Malefis cackled. With a furious roar, a three-headed dragon emerged, flames dripping from its body like water droplets. (Lvl 10, 3000/2800) "Trident Dragion's effect! By destroying up to two cards on the field, it's allowed one more attack!"

She pointed her claws at the mist above them and then at Raven's facedown card. "I choose those cards!"

"What?!" Raven demanded, turning on the Sin Stardust. "What do you think you are doing? You don't need that much attack power to defeat them!"

"Your cards are my cards, Raven," Malefis scoffed, both selected cards exploding into pixels and becoming absorbed into Trident Dragion. "Now Trident Dragion can attack three times this turn!" Blackwing Armor Master's black aura, supplied by the mist, disappeared at the same time the mist itself did, and its ATK returned to 2500.

"Good riddance, human," Malefis hissed. "Armor Master's effect! By removing the counter, your monster's ATK and DEF becomes 0!"

The wedge in Axon Kicker's body shattered, and large cracks appeared in its chest. It roared piteously, but Malefis only seemed more pleased by this detail. (ATK: 3900->0)

Fusio stifled a snicker, earning an enraged glare from Malefis, but he promptly smiled and gestured for her to continue her move. The Sin Stardust eyed the imp coldly.

"Trident Dragion, attack Ultimate Axon Kicker, first attack!" The first head of the dragon launched a burst of flame towards the psychic monster. The flames of the attack were so intense that the monster dissolved easily and James was thrown to the ground painfully, his clothes singed from the attack.

[b]James/Fusio LP: 1850[/b]

Malefis cackled gleefully, but the laugh ended abruptly, a strange aura surrounding her and she gasped in pain, her body twitching briefly and her expression changing to one of confusion. Then she caught sight of the card on their field that James had just activated. Fusio's grin couldn't have gotten wider if he tried.

"Psi-Curse," the imp snickered. "When a Psychic monster is destroyed in battle, not only is the monster that attacked it destroyed, but my opponent takes 300 damage per level of our destroyed monster. Ultimate Axon Kicker's level was 10, so you take 3000 points of damage!"

"Wh-what?" Malefis protested, her dragon exploding apart. She braced herself against another wave of pain, her anger overriding her usual hiss of glee.

[b]Malefis/Raven LP: 0[/b]

"Well played, Mr. Barrow; Fusio," Raven said. It may have been James' imagination, but he could have sworn that the feathered dragon sounded more smug than irritated, in sharp contrast to Malefis' look of stunned fury. From the corner of his eye, he saw the white feathers on Raven's lower wing darken to match the rest, leaving only the upper wings with white feathers.

"My pleasure," Fusio cackled. Malefis seethed, her gaze fixed upon Barrow.

"You haven't won, human. Your pathetic race will never win. Against dragons, or against me. This game meant nothing, so gloat all you like while you still have the chance to draw breath," she spat. Her armored wings flapped, creating a current of wind around her, but within seconds she had risen to the air and disappeared from sight.

Raven shook his head slightly, heaving the faintest trace of a sigh. "Now, what exactly did you want to know, Mr. Barrow?"
[/spoiler]

[evilfusion]

Bump. Any comments at all?

[CrystalCyae]

[quote name='evilfusion' timestamp='1288802910' post='4759115']
It was a night no different from any other. The streets of the city were quiet, lights glowing from atop the street poles that guided traffic along the roads. Cars and motorbikes traveled, their lights glazing the walls of the buildings they passed. Keeping watch from a level above the rest of the roads, sat Ian, dressed in the formal Security uniform he cherished so much.

Interesting way to bring the main character into the fic.

The man sat on his bike, his eyes scanning the streets for signs of anything suspicious, a hot beverage clenched in one gloved hand, from which he sipped occasionally, hoping the caffeinated drink would keep him alert for tonight's shift. He had always loved this job, his silent guardian status during twilight hours. Often he had to do nothing but traffic violations during this time. Other nights, like tonight, it was peaceful.

Peaceful Night...... Always so misleading. Everytime everything is peaceful, something really bad happens.

The power and authority to protect citizens...the ultimate honor that few occupations could hope to match. Although his eyes and expression hid it well, tonight Ian had something pressing on his mind.

A lot of people do.

For the past several nights, there had been a series of accidents. None had thus far occurred during his shift, or in his section of the city, but he knew that could just be a matter of time. Since the third accident a few days ago, security presence had been heightened, and all units were intent on locating clues, as so far they had absolutely nothing to go on. There were simply no clues and the victims had all been too injured to answer questions yet.

Who'd have thought? Just for the sake of the rest of the story, everyone is virtually dead if they have information. Typical.

Ian exhaled and pitched his cup into a nearby trash basket, kicking his motorbike into motion and steering down the incline that had led him here.

By incline, are you telling me he was on a hill? Because you didn't make that clear.

His was the standard Security model, with a monitor that could not only be used to have duels, but also had a few police-related functions. The clock on the display told him it was just after midnight; time to do a few laps to check on the rest of the city blocks. He chose this routine because it was the only time of the night the other security patrols were not close enough to overlap his route, and he didn't like leaving a section unwatched during a shift.

And so goes the life of an ordinary Security guard, describing his bike to himself in second person, and doing what all Security guys do. Again, Typical.

As he was rounding a corner, he heard a screeching sound almost immediately followed by a terrible crash. A small pillar of smoke rose up from the side road.

And so the calamity begins.

Ian immediately jerked his cycle in that direction, flipping on the siren and corresponding light, just in case there were bystanders nearby, and he quickly accessed his emergency call-in controls to summon an ambulance to his coordinates. It didn't take him long to find the scene, thanks to the pillar of smoke, but when he did, what he found was almost exactly what he had expected.

And I thought he hardly knew anything? Or maybe that's just my way of viewing this stroy.

A D-Wheel lay crashed against a steel wall, the rider lying crumpled on the road, shuddering and shaking, the visor of the rider's helmet cracked. Ian stopped his bike and leapt off to check if the rider needed CPR or any other emergency procedures before the ambulance would arrive. The rider, a young man about twenty years old, groaned loudly. "H-help..." he begged.

Who WOULDN'T call for help at the scene of a crash? Especially if they were the victim.

"It's all right, son...an ambulance is on its way," Ian assured him in a tough, authoritative voice he reserved for calming down victims and their families. The man shuddered violently. "What happened, son?"

"I...don't know..." the rider groaned, coughing. "I was riding and..." he coughed again, more violently. "My D-Wheel...went into autopilot. And...a duel started..."

This is Yu-Gi-OH. A duel is normal. A crash after the duel ended: Not so much.

"A duel?" Ian repeated, confused. It was possible for security D-Wheels to force a duel with other bikes, but that sort of technology was limited to Security officers, not the everyday citizens.

Why do I think some Security guard started using invisibility?

"By itself," the man mumbled. "There was...no one else."

"What?" Ian asked, but the man groaned and clutched his head in agony. "Lie down, don't move...you'll be all right," Ian assured him. This was the best lead anyone had gotten on the accidents yet, but he wasn't one to celebrate when there was someone so injured.

Nobody would be celebrating if someone was injured.
[/quote]
I'll complete this review later.

[evilfusion]

Well, thank you so far for the comments/crit. Could I ask that if you quote the entire story and place your comments within the lines that you bold yours so I have an easier time finding/distinguishing your comments?

I'll respond to just a few of the remarks.

[b]By incline, are you telling me he was on a hill? Because you didn't make that clear.[/b]

I'll admit I was thinking of something similar to a parking garage, without the garage. I did say he was on a higher level. Description is my Achilles Heel.

[b]And so goes the life of an ordinary Security guard, describing his bike to himself in second person, and doing what all Security guys do. Again, Typical.[/b]

I...think it's still in third person. Second person is 'you'. But I gather the actual criticism is in the bike description or timing thereof.

[b]And I thought he hardly knew anything? Or maybe that's just my way of viewing this story.[/b]

If you hear a screech and crash, plus smoke indicating the location, what do you expect to see at the scene? That's what I meant.

[Dr. Cakey]

An excellent beginning - very promising.

One small recommendation on constructing anime decks. Red-Eyes Wyvern would obviously be indispensable in an actual Dragon for the purpose of resurrected REDMD. In an anime-style deck, you're mixing a basic Dragon backbone with a Red-Eyes subtheme. Which makes perfect sense...in a real deck. I'd say you could replace it with Luster Dragon or maybe Blizzard Dragon, off the top of my head.

P.S. Epic awesome Stardust/Assault!

[Barian Warlord]

man that was a mean duel, I don't normally read fan fics but PM when the next chapter comes out, and will a hero appear????

[evilfusion]

[quote name='Dr. Cakey' timestamp='1289182542' post='4770692']
An excellent beginning - very promising.

One small recommendation on constructing anime decks. Red-Eyes Wyvern would obviously be indispensable in an actual Dragon for the purpose of resurrected REDMD. In an anime-style deck, you're mixing a basic Dragon backbone with a Red-Eyes subtheme. Which makes perfect sense...in a real deck. I'd say you could replace it with Luster Dragon or maybe Blizzard Dragon, off the top of my head.

P.S. Epic awesome Stardust/Assault!
[/quote]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.


[quote name='Trimage' timestamp='1289789309' post='4786074']
man that was a mean duel, I don't normally read fan fics but PM when the next chapter comes out, and will a hero appear????
[/quote]

I will. I'm currently working on the second chapter.

[.Nu-13]

Pretty fun-to-read duel I can't wait to see more, looks promising

[Carlos1234]

for your first time you actually did pretty good you should keep up the writing i cant wait for the next chapter

[evilfusion]

[quote name='Chillaccino' timestamp='1290885069' post='4813789']
Pretty fun-to-read duel I can't wait to see more, looks promising
[/quote]

Thanks. Still working on it, not to worry.

[quote name='Carlos1234' timestamp='1290887708' post='4813933']
for your first time you actually did pretty good you should keep up the writing i cant wait for the next chapter
[/quote]

Well, it's far from my first writing attempt, but it's my first Yu-gi-oh fic that I actually let other people read.

[evilfusion]

Chapter 2 updated.

[Dr. Cakey]

Wow. Well. Stardust Dragon never seemed like the sort of monster to do this. Granted, that's why it's Sin Stardust, but...well, I can't read too much into it right now. Nicely done duel, too.

[.Nu-13]

You reffer to Stardust as [i]her[/i]? HOW DARE YOU!

Malefic Stardust? Cool.

This fic looks even better now Keep going

[evilfusion]

[quote name='Dr. Cakey' timestamp='1290998186' post='4817742']
Wow. Well. Stardust Dragon never seemed like the sort of monster to do this. Granted, that's why it's Sin Stardust, but...well, I can't read too much into it right now. Nicely done duel, too.
[/quote]

Thanks. Duels are rather fun to write, in my opinion, and I do what I can to make them good. I apologize if the cliffhanger annoyed anyone, but I always find it easier to get started if I have a point to work from, and it just seemed like a good place to stop with the chapter getting so long as it was.


[quote name='Chillaccino' timestamp='1291036437' post='4818218']
You refer to Stardust as [i]her[/i]? HOW DARE YOU!

Malefic Stardust? Cool.

This fic looks even better now Keep going
[/quote]

Malefis is female. If I were to give genders to the Signer Dragons, Yusei's Stardust is male, Aki's Black Rose is female, Ancient Fairy is obviously female, Red Dragon and Blackfeather are male. But I somehow managed to convey that Malefis and the Signer Dragon are the same monster. Then again, only a single line in the story implied the contrary: "this dragon was once a Stardust Dragon herself, as pure as the fabled dragon of legend"

It occurs to me that although Duel Spirits are almost never seen in duplicates, it's possible that alternate form Duel Spirits would still exist without explicitly being the same monster. In this case, a Malefic/Sin Stardust originated as [b]a[/b] Stardust Dragon, without being [b]the[/b] Stardust Dragon. I went the route of that theory, at least for Malefis.

Personally, I just liked the idea of a female Stardust/Sin Stardust because Stardust is ALWAYS, in fics and RPs, made a male. No surprise, really, but I like breaking a trend, and when I first developed Malefis, making her female worked far better for her personality and quirks than male.

In any case, thank you to everyone who comments, I'm working on chapter 3.

[.Nu-13]

[quote name='evilfusion' timestamp='1291047002' post='4818403']
Malefis is female. If I were to give genders to the Signer Dragons, Yusei's Stardust is male, Aki's Black Rose is female, Ancient Fairy is obviously female, Red Dragon and Blackfeather are male. But I somehow managed to convey that Malefis and the Signer Dragon are the same monster. Then again, only a single line in the story implied the contrary: "this dragon was once a Stardust Dragon herself, as pure as the fabled dragon of legend"

It occurs to me that although Duel Spirits are almost never seen in duplicates, it's possible that alternate form Duel Spirits would still exist without explicitly being the same monster. In this case, a Malefic/Sin Stardust originated as [b]a[/b] Stardust Dragon, without being [b]the[/b] Stardust Dragon. I went the route of that theory, at least for Malefis.

Personally, I just liked the idea of a female Stardust/Sin Stardust because Stardust is ALWAYS, in fics and RPs, made a male. No surprise, really, but I like breaking a trend, and when I first developed Malefis, making her female worked far better for her personality and quirks than male.
[/quote]

*facedesk*

I missed the part that Malefis was a Stardust once. Oh well, anyone can make mistakes

Are you going to include any custom cards here or not?

[evilfusion]

No big deal. Only one line in the chapter mentioned it. I think Dr. Cakey got the same impression, now that I think about it.

Besides, in the anime, the Signer Synchros are one-of-a-kind...somehow. Then again, in the anime, almost every card seems to be one-of-a-kind. Crow seems to break the trend by having two Bora the Spear in his deck.

Personally, I'm not fond of custom cards. I can make a lot of decks and strategies without including them, and too often I view them as deliberate Deus Ex Machinas, unless I design a whole deck theme, like I've done in my earliest Yugioh writings before finding this site. I haven't really decided yet whether or not I will, since there's so many archetypes in the actual game that are somewhat playable, and won't require me to tweak duel logic to make the custom cards not look BSed.

[.Nu-13]

[quote name='evilfusion' timestamp='1291047851' post='4818441']
Personally, I'm not fond of custom cards. I can make a lot of decks and strategies without including them, and too often I view them as deliberate Deus Ex Machinas, unless I design a whole deck theme, like I've done in my earliest Yugioh writings before finding this site. I haven't really decided yet whether or not I will, since there's so many archetypes in the actual game that are somewhat playable, and won't require me to tweak duel logic to make the custom cards not look BSed.
[/quote]

BSed?

[evilfusion]

BSed: Created solely to get Character X out of bind, otherwise serves no practical purpose to a strategy or deck without being absurdly conditional or overpowered. Uh..short hand for bulls**ted, or otherwise known as ass-pulled. The reason I hate almost all custom cards made by amateur writers/duelists. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're horrible.

It's mostly just my style of writing, both in the RP section and in fics. If you can literally create a card ideal for the situation, rather than rely on pre-existing cards that you choose, it's nearly impossible to make it not seem tacked on by virtue of the card being disturbingly conditional, or extremely powerful. Purely a stylistic choice. Haven't made a final decision.

[.Nu-13]

I know what you mean. I'm writing a fanfic too. I include some custom cards there, but none of them are single-use, like most of Yusei's cards.

[evilfusion]

I only tolerate Yusei doing it because the writers make awesomely cool comboes at least once a duel that make Yusei look smart and rather versatile, even if it doesn't hold up to serious inspection. Not like with Jaden whose deck should never have been able to function, much less win all the time. Or Yugi, who only won a lot of duels by literally drawing the ideal card that was never seen before.

Yusei is enjoyable to watch, even if his inability to ever lose is annoying at times. Yusei being in tight binds is thrilling purely because viewers wonder how he'll get out of it, less wondering IF he'll get out of it.

My style prefers making readers wonder who will win, and making it seem like it can go either way without relying on "reduce one player significantly, perform awesome comeback and win".

[.Nu-13]

I understnad.

Yeah, Yusei is fun to watch

[color="#FFFFFF"]Do you plan using Master Hyperion at any point?[/color]

[evilfusion]

In any case, I appreciate your interest, which helps me keep working. Is there anything in the chapter that could be improved, or anything you particularly liked?

[.Nu-13]

Everything seems fine so far, especially Malefic Stardust <3

[Barian Warlord]

I don't like the gravekeeper deck, i know somebody that plays 1 and they are easily a lot stronger than that, plus the card's that remove cards from the grave and add them to your hand don't seem to fit with the overall strategy they employ, so besides deck stuff that is supposed to have been made by a kid I'm really liking this.

[evilfusion]

[quote name='Trimage' timestamp='1291094003' post='4819957']
I don't like the gravekeeper deck, i know somebody that plays 1 and they are easily a lot stronger than that, plus the card's that remove cards from the grave and add them to your hand don't seem to fit with the overall strategy they employ, so besides deck stuff that is supposed to have been made by a kid I'm really liking this.
[/quote]

Eh, well. I didn't give Luke a meta-level Gravekeeper deck, instead opting for a weird variation of a Gravekeeper Burn deck that I always found rather fun. It seemed to fit the anime-style of a themed deck that tries to be efficient without actually using meta logic. If I really wanted a strong Gravekeeper's deck, I'd have used Commandant instead of Terraforming, Spear Soldier or something instead of Curse, and not even have used Visionary.

Gravekeeper's Stele is, in my opinion, an incredibly useful card, as you can return any two Gravekeepers from your Graveyard for reuse. Considering how the deck has so many different kinds of effects running around, I think it's a benefit towards encouraging versatility. His strategy was to have two good Gravekeepers in his hand for next turn, but also provide protection fodder to Visionary if needed. It turned out to be needed.