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DRAW EIGHT

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Final Mix

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In the town square in the middle of the Soulscape, a scaffold had been set up. A large crowd had gathered, and the bulezai were still in the process of escorting more of the townsfolk there, many of them at spearpoint.

Norg and Brittlebeak stood to one side, Brittlebeak holding a leather scourge which he was very anxious to use. Alzoozel was nearby on her knees, still securely chained and gagged, under heavy guard.

A bulezai came up to Norg.

"We've almost got everyone," he said. "We…"

"Almost?" interrupted Norg.

He slapped the bulezai.

"Did I hear 'almost'?" he asked. "Almost only counts in horseshoes and nuclear attacks! Don't report back to me until every single resident of this town is here!"

"We'll make another run-through…" said the frightened bulezai.

"Stupid…" growled Norg, as the bulezai went back to the others.

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"Vucarik of the Chains, huh?" said Jalal. "I've heard of Pale Night, I've certainly heard of Graz'zt… I've even heard of Lupercio, another demon who claims to be Pale Night's son…

"But you… You I've never heard of…"

Vucarik growled.

"Not many outside the Abyss have…" he said. "I might as well tell you… It's a long story…"

"They always like talking about themselves, don't they?" whispered Hebi-Na.

"Quiet," responded Jalal. "We might learn something…"

"I wasn't always the Demon of the Bells," said Vucarik, with a sigh. "I was once an Abyssal Lord who ruled the realm of Nethuria. I wasn't nearly as powerful as my brother Graz'zt, but I did have power…

"But I also had curiosity, something most demon lords didn't have. I spent most of my time exploring the other layers of the Abyss, learning the secrets of the nearly infinitely-large plane. As a result, I was rarely at home. My absence gave an ambitious balor general the opportunity it needed to usurp my seat of power and overthrow me.

"I tried many times to regain my throne, but failed each time. Eventually, I had two choices…

"The first choice was to pledge servitude to a stronger demon lord…

"As the son of Pale Night, the Mother of Demons, I would not do this! I had my pride. I refused to humiliate myself by becoming what demons call a 'Parasite of Power'!"

He paused for a minute, and then calmed down.

"My other option… Become a mercenary, and offer my services to all demon lords in exchange for power. By doing so, someday I could become powerful enough to wrest back control of my home.

"I decided that this was the best option, so I made a deal with Pale Night. She rarely associates with other demons, even her sons, but we reached an agreement. What I promised her, I won't say.

"So she, in turn, made a deal with Baphomet, whose realm is on the same layer of the Abyss as hers…

"I have no idea why she remains his ally, when she could obliterate him and take his lands. Baphomet is a barbaric cretin, crude even by demon standards…"

"So then, a violent coup is okay, so long as it doesn't happen to you?" asked Hebi-Na. "Kind of hypocritical…"

Vucarik glared at her.

"I never said it was wrong," he said, through his teeth. "It happens all the time in the Abyss… But I when I finally do retake my throne, that usurper will suffer for years before I allow him to die…"

He took some deep breaths.

"Now where was I?" he said. "Right… If there's one thing Baphomet's followers can do well, it's build things. So he provided the laborers who constructed this cathedral and forged the actual Bells. Due to the enormous ego in his thick skull, he insisted that they be named after him. In its true state, the stained glass window in the front has an image of him on it.

"But when it was completed, Pale Night imbued the Bells with her own power, which, in turn, is derived from the very core of the Abyss, and then bonded them to me… I was now the caretaker of one of the deadliest curses in existence, so long as I only used it in my new role as a mercenary.

"From that point on, the word spread. Abyssal Lords could grant their most favored mortal worshippers or allies uses of the Bells of Baphomet. When such a mortal wanted to use the curse on a mortal who had cheated or deeply offended him, I was notified, and I used my power over this structure to transport it to the victim's Soulscape."

"Where you used the Bells to drive the victim mad," said Jalal, in disgust. "And once he or she had suffered enough in your eyes, you manifested yourself in the Material Plane and tore him apart."

"That was what the deal entailed," said Vucarik. "Did you expect merciful deaths from those who had insulted the Abyssal Lords?

"When I was called to punish someone who had insulted an aboleth who was a close ally of the Blood Queen, I thought it would be routine… But that accursed hellfire warlock silenced the Bells by making her sleep.

"I figured that it wouldn't last long… Thus far, every victim who had somehow silenced the bells had been given euthanasia, and my job was ended by default. But you, Stormbringer! Trying to make you give up is like trying to make a stone bleed! You refused to believe that no cure existed. Hebi-Na lived, and I was trapped here!

"I couldn't finish my job… I can't manifest myself in the Material Plane unless the victim can actually hear the Bells…"

"So why have you been torturing her soul all this time?" asked Jalal, angrily. "For fun?"

"I won't deny that I have enjoyed it," said Vucarik, "but I am merely following the letter of my agreement with the Blood Queen. Because the aboleth requested my services, I must make certain that the chosen victim suffers until I can kill her. Because I couldn't do so with the Bells, I found other methods."

"You're insane…" said Jalal.

"Believe me, I tried to arrange for an 'accidental' death for this woman so that the bargain would be ended by default," said Vucarik, "but Shadowchaser Headquarters was too well-fortified. My last attempt was mere hours ago… The Bridge made it possible to send a servant right into the room where your physical bodies lay asleep. But that doctor defeated my servant before it could destroy the Bridge…"

Jalal drew his sword.

"Oh, please…" said Vucarik.

A chain shot from his arm, and it wrapped around the sword. Then he gave a yank, and the blade snapped in half.

"You forget, Stormbringer…" he said, his one visible eye glowing. "Unlike Norg and Maramanda and the others, I'm no dark emotion or painful memory… I'm a real creature from the dark depths of the Abyss."

He glowed, and grew to three times his size.

"And I have power unlike you could ever believe!"

"Jalal, draw a Monster!" shouted Hebi-Na.

"Which one?" gasped Jalal.

"A big one!" she replied.

Jalal drew the top card off his deck.

Tyrant Dragon.

Pretty big… he thought. But…

Then he was shocked to see Tyrant Dragon appear in front of him. Hebi-Na closed her eyes and concentrated, and it spread its wings, and flew towards the iron Bells.

"What are you doing?" shouted Vucarik. "Stay away from there!"

Then he screamed as Tyrant Dragon breathed fire, turning one of the Bells red hot.

"Well…" said Jalal. "It seems like curing the Bells of Baphomet is easier than everyone thought. One simply has to get in a position where he can launch an assault on them."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" asked Hebi-Na. "It didn't take me long to figure out that you require those Bells to survive… The spell that Pale Night cast… It created a sort of symbiosis between you and them."

"Get that Dragon away from them or I'll pound you into paste…" growled Vucarik.

"Can you manage to do that before it reduces them to molten metal?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Uh, Hebi-Na?" asked Jalal. "He just might…"

"I'm getting stronger, Vucarik," said Hebi-Na. "Jalal is slowly helping me regain control of this place. It's my Soulscape, after all. You and your thugs are trespassing on my property.

"But I'm willing to duel you… Winner takes all…"

Vucarik calmed down. He shrank to his normal size.

"I win, you take your goons, pack up your Bells, and leave this place forever," she said. "You win, Jalal leaves, and we go back to the way it was before."

"I have a better idea…" said Vucarik. "I duel both of you simultaneously… And if I win, he ends up with you."

Jalal looked at Hebi-Na. Tyrant Dragon vanished.

Then she looked at her deck.

She could duel with Jalal… In fact, Jalal's deck was one of the few that would work nicely with this new deck she had built.

"I'm game if you are, Vucarik," said Jalal.

The chains on the demon's left arm came alive, and then turned into liquid. Quickly, they formed into a Duel Disk of the same style of the ones used by the other demons.

"All right, here's how the rules are going to work," he said.

"You demons only want rules so you can break them," replied Jalal.

"Feh," said Vucarik. "Now, if I was a big jerk like that idiot Darkness, I'd make this a Triangle Duel and try to convince you two to fight each other…

"But unlike him, I'm realistic, not to mention much smarter. I know that a plan like that would never work because it never has. Some folks think that people like me who embrace Chaos are incapable of forming strategies at all… And while that is true for many demons, there are exceptions."

"Like you, I suppose?" asked Jalal.

"Exactly," said Vucarik. "Thus, you two will alternate turns… You'll share a Life Point pool of 8,'ll share one field and one Graveyard.

"AND, because it's two against one, I'm allowed to draw twice during each of my Draw Phases."

"Sounds fair," said Jalal.

He looked at Hebi-Na.

How far we've come… he thought. Hebi-Na was once a dangerous criminal that we were trying to bring to justice… Now I'm her partner…

Three Duel Disks activated.

(Jalal/Hebi-Na: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Vucarik: 8,000)

"The lady may have the first move…" said Vucarik.

Hebi-Na slowly moved her coils into position, and made her first draw. She looked over the six cards in her hand.

"I summon Serpent Knight Moccasin," she said.

She played the card, and a tall, bald ophidia wearing an Egyptian-style tunic, in shades of black and grey, wearing gold jewelry (also Egyptian-style) appeared. He held no weapons, but made a stance similar to that of a martial artist. (1,000 ATK)

A "Serpent Knight"? thought Jalal.

"I'll end my turn there," said Hebi-Na.

"Huh…" said Vucarik. "Talk about a dumb move…

He drew two cards.

"I summon Oshaleon to the field."

He played the card, and a large lizard with green scales, yellow in front, blue at the rear, and three white stars on its back, appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

He smirked a little, and Hebi-Na looked a little nervous.

"Attack her Monster!" he shouted.

Oshaleon blasted a bolt of energy from its eyes, and Serpent Knight Moccasin was blown to shards.

"You just activated his effect!" shouted Hebi-Na. "When Moccasin is destroyed by battle, I get to Special Summon another Serpent Knight from my deck that has 1,500 or less Attack Points.

"So… I'll bring out Serpent Knight Copperhead!"

Another male ophidia appeared, this one dressed in a blue tunic that included a keffiyeh held in place by a golden headband with a snake-like symbol on the front. He carried two curved kukri. (1,400 ATK)

"Humph…" said Vucarik. "I'll set two cards facedown…"

Two cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

"And my turn is over…"

(J/H: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 8,000)

Jalal stepped into position.

He drew a card. It was Dragon's Rage.

Well, here goes… he thought.

He was about to take Luster Dragon from his hand.

"Uh, Jalal?" said Hebi-Na.

Jalal paused. He noticed that Serpent Knight Copperhead was on his Duel Disk. He quickly read the card text.

Hey… he thought.

He took a different card from his hand.

"I'm sacrificing Hebi-Na's Monster…" he said.

Copperhead vanished.

"…to summon Des Volstgalph!"

With a roar, Des Volstgalph loomed over the field.

"And when Serpent Knight Copperhead is sacrificed for the summoning of a Reptile or Dragon, I get to Special Summon a Serpent Knight from my – or should I say our – Graveyard."

Serpent Knight Moccasin reappeared, kneeling and shielding himself in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"All right, Des Volstgalph!" he shouted. "Destroy Oshaleon!"

The Dragon blasted its beam of energy, and Vucarik grunted as the lizard exploded.

"I activate… Snake Whistle!" exclaimed the demon, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "I'll Special Summon another Oshaleon!"

A second of the colorful lizards appeared in the first one's place.

"And, Miracle's Wake!" he continued, as the second Trap Card activated.

The first Oshaleon appeared next to the second one. (1,400 ATK x2)

Jalal set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared behind Des Volstgalph.

(J/H: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,700)

"So, Hebi-Na…" said Jalal. "Exactly who are these Serpent Knights?"

"Long ago…" said Hebi-Na, "or so the legend goes, there was a secret sect of ophidia who turned away from Seghulerak and worshipped Osiris. They did their best to do good where the more traditional ophidia did only evil.

"They believed that if the served Osiris faithfully, they would be reborn in the next life as dragons! Heh… That's kind of why some of the cards have some synergy with Dragon-Type Monsters…

"It's kind of the ultimate dream for all ophidia… Most of them have a healthy respect for dragons… So do troglodytes, lizard men, and other reptilian Shadowkind… We all dream of having their great power… Some reptile Shadows even tried worshipping Tiamat, but the most she could ever promise a worshipper other than a true dragon is servitude in Hell as one of her diabolic soldiers… Not exactly appealing.

"Not all ophidia believe the legend of the Serpent Knights… But some do… Some who grow tired of the old traditions want so much to believe that there are other ways… The legend gave them hope…"

"Humph…" said Vucarik. "Your belief in fairy tales won't help you against this…

"It's my move…"

He made two draws.

"I play the Double Summon Spell Card," he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "I'm sure you know what that means."

Des Volstgalph growled a little. (2,400 ATK)

"So I'll use my ordinary Normal Summon, and sacrifice one Oshaleon…"

One of the lizards turned into a big watery blob.

"I summon the Giant Spitting Cobra!"

The blob burst, and a huge, evil-looking cobra appeared, hissing at Jalal and Hebi-Na. (2,000 ATK)

"Due to its effect," said Vucarik, "all opposing Monsters lose 400 Attack Points for as long as it's on the field…"

Des Volstgalph fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.

"Now, for my second Normal Summon," he continued, "I'll sacrifice my other Oshaleon…"

The second small lizard vanished.

"To summon its advanced form… Majioshaleon!"

An even larger, even more colorful lizard appeared in place of the smaller lizard. It was a rainbow of colors, with stars over its eyes, stars on its back, and what looked like a red bow tie on its collar. (2,000 ATK)

"Not only does this Reptile have a trampling effect…" said Vucarik.

"But when your opponent controls at least one Spell or Trap…" said Hebi-Na, "it can't be attacked…

"Jalal… I know this deck he's using… It's my original deck…"

"Huh?" asked Jalal.

"The deck I had when I dueled Shichiro!" she exclaimed. "The one I used right before he arrested me!

"He's using it to bring back the most painful memories of my life…"

Vucarik grinned.

"True, it's your old deck," he said. "Mostly… Of course, the deck wasn't too great back then… After all, you lost. But I've made some improvements. It should work this time."

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Shrink," he said.

Des Volstgalph rose to 2,200 Attack Points, but then fell to 1,100.

"Giant Spitting Cobra, attack that Dragon!" he ordered. "Venom Spit!"

The Cobra spat a stream of corrosive poison, and Des Volstgalph melted into a steaming puddle of ooze.

"Majioshaleon, wipe out that Serpent Knight! Spectrum Blast!"

The lizard blasted a multicolored stream from its eyes, blowing Moccasin to shards.

"And because I doubt Stormbringer has any Serpent Knights in his deck," he continued, "its effect can't be used…"

(J/H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,700)

"It's your move…"

Hebi-Na made a draw.

"I first activate Jalal's Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed.

The facedown card lifted up, and Des Volstgalph appeared once again. (2,200 ATK)

"It's pointless," said Vucarik. "The fear that my Cobra's gaze causes will still weaken it."

(1,800 ATK)

"Well, let's see what I can do about that," said Hebi-Na. "I summon Serpent Knight Sidewinder!"

Another ophidia appeared, this one dressed in armor, again of Egyptian style, made of bronze. He carried a long spear and a shield with a silhouette of a snake etched on it. (1,800 ATK)

"And?" asked Vucarik. "Even his Attack Score will be reduced by my Cobra."

(1,400 ATK)

"And I'll reduce it even further!" said Hebi-Na. "Remember the relation my Serpent Knights have with Dragons? Sidewinder can lend any amount of his Attack Points to a Dragon or another Reptile for one round."

Sidewinder's Attack Score fell to 1,000, and Des Volstgalph's rose to 2,200.

"And that means that Des Volstgalph can get just revenge against your Cobra!"

Des Volstgalph fired its bolt of energy, blasting Giant Spitting Cobra to shards.

"Ergh…" grunted Vucarik.

(J/H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,000)

"You may have defeated my Cobra," said the demon, "but don't forget, Majioshaleon can't be attacked so long as you have any Spell or Trap Cards…

"And by the way, if it's the only Monster I have, that means you can't attack at all…"

"I end my turn…" said Hebi-Na, slowly. "Which means the Attack Scores of my Monsters return to normal."

Sidewinder returned to an Attack Score of 1,800.

"I draw two cards," said Vucarik, drawing twice.

"And then I summon Gagagigo."

He played the card, and the tall, green-scaled lizard man appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Now, Majioshaleon, get that Serpent Knight out of my sight!"

Majioshaleon blasted its colored beam, and Sidewinder was obliterated.

"Now, the Spell Card, Rush Recklessly," continued the demon, as he threw a Quickplay into his Disk.

Gagagigo flexed his muscles. (2,550 ATK) Des Volstgalph rose to an Attack Score of 2,400.

"Humph," said Vucarik. "As if that will help…"

Gagagigo leapt at the large Dragon, and with a slash of his claw, blew it into shards.

(J/H: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 6,000)

"Once again, I have you outnumbered two Monsters to none," said Vucarik. "Make your move, Stormbringer… I have plenty more…"

Jalal made a draw, and looked at Vucarik angrily.

"I summon Luster Dragon…" he said.

The large sapphire appeared, and then it burst, releasing the Dragon from within. (1,900 ATK)

"You have a pretty big ego yourself, Vucarik," said Jalal. "It's time someone put you in your place…

"I play Dragon's Gunfire. And since Majioshaleon has only 800 Defense Points…"

Vucarik took a step backwards as the colorful lizard exploded.

"Now my Luster Dragon attacks your Gagagigo!" he shouted.

Luster Dragon blasted its Sapphire Flash, and Gagagigo exploded into little pieces.

Jalal glared at Vucarik. He took a card from his hand, and set it on his Disk. A new facedown card appeared in his Spell Zone.

"Make your move…" he said.

(J/H: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 5,950)

Vucarik glared back at him, and made two draws.

He set one of them on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

"That's all for now…" he said.

Hebi-Na made a draw.

Let's see here… she thought.

"I play Heaven's Lost Property," she said. "This card lets each player draw three cards… So long as they both then discard two."

Vucarik smirked and made three draws. He looked at them, and then discarded two Venom Cobras. Hebi-Na drew three, and then discarded Serpent Knight Adder and Serpent Knight Anaconda.

"I summon Serpent Knight Cottonmouth!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and a thin ophidia in a white toga and the crown of an Egyptian nobleman appeared. He had brown scales, and carried an Egyptian crook. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, uh…" she said.

"Think about it, Hebi-Na…" said Jalal. "He's using your old deck, remember? If you were using the deck, what would you set in Defense Mode?"

Hebi-Na looked at the card.

I'd probably set another Venom Cobra, or Serpentine Princess, she thought. And both are too strong for Luster Dragon…

"I set one card facedown, and end my turn…" she said, as another card appeared in her Spell Zone.

Vucarik chuckled as he made two draws.

"In play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he said, playing a card.

The concentrated windstorm blew across the field, blowing Dragon's Rage to pieces.

"Pathetic," he said, playing another Spell Card. "I play Gold Sarcophagus."

A large, gold chest with the Eye of Wdjat on it appeared in front of him. A card slipped out of his deck.

He looked at it. Mirror Force.

The card lowered into the Sarcophagus, and it sank into the ground.

"In just two of my Standby Phases, that card will be mine," he said. "In the meantime, I'll sacrifice my Monster…"

His facedown Monster vanished.

"…for Giga Gagagigo."

A large, hulking version of Gagagigo, covered with cybernetic implants, appeared in front of him. (2,450 ATK)

"Summon as many of these fake heroes as you want," said Vucarik. "I'm actually having fun crushing them."

Giga Gagagigo pounced at Cottonmouth, striking him down with its mighty claw.

"Ergh…" said Hebi-Na.

"You never learn, do you? My Serpent Knights know how to take one for the team!

"When Cottonmouth is destroyed, I get to Special Summon another Serpent Knight from my Graveyard! Like Serpent Knight Adder!"

In a flash, a very muscular Serpent Knight appeared. He was bald, with grey scales, and was wearing only a kilt. He knelt, and crossed his arms in Defense Mode. (2,200 DEF)

"I end my turn…" said Vucarik, through his teeth.

(J/H: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 5,950)

Jalal made a draw.

He quickly read the effect of Serpent Knight Adder on his Duel Disk.

He set a card, and a concealed Monster appeared. Then he turned Luster Dragon's card, and it crouched in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

Then he set another card, and another set card appeared in his Spell Zone.

"Done…" he said.

Vucarik made two draws.

"I activate Snake Rain!" he exclaimed.

He discarded a card, a second Snake Whistle, and then took four cards from his deck, and discarded them.

If he's using Hebi-Na's old deck, thought Jalal, this could only mean one thing… He's planning to summon Ananta…

"Giga Gagagigo," ordered Vucarik, "attack her Adder!"

"I don't think so!" shouted Jalal.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Staunch Defender! Now, your Monster can only attack Luster Dragon!"

The large Reptile lunged at the Dragon, and tore it in half with its mighty claw.

"You protected my Monster…" said Hebi-Na.

"I had a feeling you needed him…" said Jalal. "Now show this guy who's boss, eh?"

Hebi-Na grinned as she made a draw.

"I summon Serpent Knight Asp!" she shouted.

This time, Jalal was surprised by the Monster that appeared. The ophidia was clearly female… And it resembled Hebi-Na herself. The same body shape (human woman's torso and head with a snake's lower body), the same face, and the same hair style… Her bustier and jewelry were still Egyptian-style, and she carried a scimitar. (1,800 ATK)

Jalal got the idea… This wasn't an image of any Serpent Knight that Hebi-Na had read about… It reflected her dreams of becoming one…

Hebi-Na's facedown card that she had set her last turn lifted up.

"I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter," she said.

A weird machine appeared behind Serpent Knight Asp, and she vanished in a twinkling of light.

"Because Asp was removed from play by my own card effect," she continued, "I get to Special Summon a Serpent Knight from my Graveyard…

"So here comes Serpent Knight Anaconda!"

In a flourish, a new Serpent Knight leapt onto the field. He was just as muscular as Adder, but while Adder was defensive, it was clear that this guy was built for offense. He was wearing the finest armor that was available in the time of the Pharaoh, held a large shield and a very large khopesh. (2,500 ATK)

"Eh?" said Vucarik.

"Attack!" shouted Hebi-Na.

Anaconda grunted, and charged at Giga Gagagigo, cleaving the lizard man in two at the waist.

"No big deal…" said Vucarik.

"Well here's a big deal," said Hebi-Na. "Due to Anaconda's effect, you take 200 points of damage for every Level of your destroyed Monster. That's 1,000 extra points."

Vucarik grunted in pain.

"And by the way," said Hebi-Na, "so long as Adder is on the field, all of my Serpent Knights except Adder himself can't be destroyed by battle.

"I set three cards facedown, and end my turn," she said, as three set cards flashed into existence. "That means Asp comes back."

The machine reappeared, and Asp materialized. (1,800 ATK)

(J/H: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 4,900)

"I draw two cards…" said Vucarik, drawing twice.

He looked at the two Trap Cards.

"First thing's first…"

The Gold Sarcophagus rose out of the ground. The lid opened, and Mirror Force appeared in his hand.

"The time has arrived…" he said. "I remove every last Reptile in my Graveyard from play…"

Thirteen cards fell out of his discard slot.

I knew this was coming, thought Jalal. But if Hebi-Na uses my Trap Card, we should be all right for at least one round…

With a multitude of roars, the seven-headed form of Evil Dragon Ananta appeared looming above the field. It glared at Hebi-Na with its fourteen glowing eyes.

"And it's Attack Score is 600 times the number of Reptiles I removed," said Vucarik. "But I don't have to tell you that…"

(7,800 ATK)

"Brings back memories, doesn't it? Don't you remember how much you loved using this card, Hebi-Na?

"Don't you remember how that poor informant screamed when you attacked directly with it?"

"It's a part of my life that I buried a long time ago!" shouted Hebi-Na. "That thing…"

She looked away.

"I want no part of it anymore…"

That card… thought Jalal. Norg is the symbol of what she once was… But Ananta is the symbol of what she used to do… It's all in the name… "Evil" Dragon Ananta.

So this is the true test… What will be the victor? The evil that comes from her old deck… Or the good that the Serpent Knights represent?

"Like I said, Hebi-Na…" continued the demon, "I improved on this deck a little… And since I haven't Normal Summoned yet…"

He played another card, and there was another roar, accompanied by a bonfire. A hideous-looking demon crouched on all fours, with a crimson exoskeleton and large wings, appeared out of the blaze.

"Gren Maju Da Eiza!" screamed Hebi-Na.

"That's right," said Vucarik, "and its Attack Score is 400 times the number of cards I've removed from play."

(5,200 ATK)

"You may not want Ananta…" he said with a smile. "But she sure wants you!"

Ananta roared, and made a rush for Serpent Knight Asp…

"I activate… Half Unbreak!" screamed Hebi-Na.

Jalal's facedown card lifted up.

"Now, I choose one of my Monsters, and for the remainder of the turn, all damage I take from battles involving it are halved!"

Asp lifted her weapon, and blocked Ananta's vicious jaws as they came crashing down. Hebi-Na was still thrown backwards by the impact.

(J/H: 1,900) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 4,900)

"You're still about to lose!" shouted Vucarik. "All I have to do is attack your Anaconda with my Chaos Fiend!"

Hebi-Na grunted, and one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Destruct Potion!" she shouted.

Anaconda shattered.

"Now, Anaconda isn't an available target!" she shouted. "And I gain Life Points equal to his Attack Points!"

Vucarik's one visible eye glowed with anger.

"Gren Maju Da Eiza…" he cursed. "Attack Serpent Knight Asp with Chaos Flames!"

A super-intense stream of fire shot towards Asp… Once again, she resisted it, but Hebi-Na screamed in pain.

"Hebi-Na!" shouted Jalal.

Hebi-Na took some deep breaths.

"I'm fine…" she said.

(J/H: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 4,900)

Vucarik threw three cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn," he said, "and use the effect of Evil Dragon Ananta to destroy Serpent Knight Adder!"

Adder shattered into pixels.

"It's your move, Stormbringer," he said.

And it will be the last move… he thought. With Mirror Force, Trap Hole, and Magic Drain set, and him down to one card, I can't lose…

Jalal made a draw.

Mirage Dragon.

Okay… he thought. This guy is NOT gonna do it…

He looked at the two Trap Cards that Hebi-Na had set.

Hope this works… he thought. If it doesn't… She'll never forgive me…

One of them lifted up.

"I activate Reckless Greed!" he shouted.

He made two draws.

Then his eyes opened wide.

One of the two cards was the one Alzoozel had given him.

Then it slowly changed. The Level of the Monster appeared, then the Attribute, then the Attack, Defense, then text… Finally, the picture…

Jalal was shocked… With all his influence and money, this was one Dragon that he had never been able to obtain…

Hebi-Na's other facedown card lifted up.

"I use Hebi-Na's Call of the Haunted!" he shouted.

Luster Dragon appeared again with a roar. (1,900 ATK)

"And now, I sacrifice Luster Dragon and my facedown Golem Dragon…"

The two Monsters turned into a large, dark orb…

With a loud roar, the biggest Dragon yet appeared in the belfry. It had pitch-black scales, claws like swords, scythe-like blades on its wrists, a great amount of teeth, huge wings, blood-red orbs covering its armor, and stood upright. (0 ATK)

"WHAT?" said Vucarik. "Zero Attack Points…"

Then his one eye opened in horror when he realized what Jalal had summoned…

"I pay half my Life Points to use the effect of Gandora, Dragon of Destruction!" shouted Jalal. "Boundless Giga Rays!"

Vucarik screamed as an explosion shook the field, and both his Monsters, all three of his Trap Cards, as well as Hebi-Na's Serpent Knight Asp and Call of the Haunted were eradicated.

Vucarik looked up as he held his head.

"No…" he said.

The main bell of the Bells of Baphomet… It had taken damage from that explosion too… A large crack was in it.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Several of the buildings in town were burning, but the bulezai had managed to get everyone to the town square. Alzoozel was standing with her hands bound to the whipping post, her shirt and cloak removed. The gag was removed – Norg wanted her to be heard clearly if she decided to beg, after all – but she still had nothing to say.

Brittlebeak was behind her, and bulezai were surrounding the scaffold. The vrock pulled the scourge taunt, about to administer the sentence.

Then something happened. All the bulezai screamed and clutched their stomachs. Before anyone could react, they vanished into clouds of dust.

Then Brittlebeak screamed and dropped the weapon.

"What is the meaning of this?" shouted Norg.

Then Brittlebeak vanished into a cloud of dust too. Then Norg screamed too, and held his ample gut. After a second, he had met the same fate.

It took the crowd a minute to take this in. Then Guiseppe and Malore rushed up onto the scaffold.

"What's happening?" asked Alzoozel.

"I don't know," said Guiseppe, as he started to untie her. "Something good, I think…"

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

"Hurts?" said Jalal. "It's different when it's you, isn't it? And it's just starting, because for each card that Gandora just obliterated, it gains 300 Attack Points."

(2,100 ATK)

"And since Serpent Knight Asp was just removed from play by my own card effect… Well, you remember her effect, right?"

Serpent Knight Anaconda appeared next to Gandora. (2,500 ATK)

"Gandora, attack directly!" he shouted. "Destructive Scream!"

The Dragon of Destruction let loose a mighty howl, and Vucarik screamed in agony.

Anaconda wasted no time, and hit the evil mercenary hard with his blade.

(J/H: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 300)

"I end my turn…" said Jalal. "That means Gandora goes to the Graveyard…"

Gandora vanished.

"Make your move…"

Vucarik looked at the damaged Bells.

"I have to…" he said.

"You leave that spot, we'll consider it a forfeit," said Jalal.

Vucarik snarled at him.

He drew two cards. Then he played a Spell Card.

"I play Supremacy Berry," he said. "Now I gain 2,000 Life Points.

"Then I set a Monster."

A facedown card materialized in front of him.

"This duel is not over yet."

(J/H: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,300)

"Hebi-Na…" said Jalal. "Do the honors."

"You know Jalal…" she replied. "We should do this more often!"

"Please…" said Jalal. "Once we wake up, I just might take that vacation that Judy keeps telling me I should take."

"All right," said Hebi-Na. "I have to skip my Draw Phase because he played Reckless Greed…

"But… I can summon Serpent Knight Krait!"

She threw a card onto her Disk, and a short ophidia dressed in a dark cloak and hood, holding a dagger, appeared in front of her. (500 ATK)

"And in case you didn't realize it," she said, "Krait is a Tuner…

"So I'll Tune him and Anaconda together…"

Krait flew towards the ceiling, and turned into three golden rings. Anaconda followed, and turned into a cluster of stars.

"The legacy will combine, and the legend will come alive! Unite into a power of greater divinity!"

(*1 + *7 = *8)

"I Synchro Summon… Serpent Knight High Priest Serperior!"

In another explosion of energy, a powerful-looking ophidia appeared, wearing gold and purple Egyptian vestments, a cape, and a headdress shaped like a golden cobra. He wore golden bracelets, anklets, and a girdle, and held a long, two-bladed sword. (2,800 ATK)

"And when Serperior is Synchro Summoned," continued Hebi-Na, "I can Special Summon a Reptile or Dragon from either Graveyard!"

Des Volstgalph appeared with a roar. (2,200 ATK)

"Sure, its effect is negated," said Hebi-Na, "but in the end, it won't matter…"

Des Volstgalph blasted its energy beam, and Serpentine Princess appeared on the card before it was blown to atoms.

Then High Priest Serperior twirled his weapon above his head. He leapt at Vucarik of the Chains. The demon screamed as the blade slashed across his chest…

More cracks appeared in the Bells of Baphomet…

(J/H: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 0)

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In its cavern below, the wastrilith screamed. It melted into a large puddle of water.

In the chamber where Hebi-Na had been held hostage, Maramanda screamed too. Then she was reduced to dust, just as the other demons had been.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Vucarik sank to his knees as the whole cathedral trembled, and the Bells of Baphomet fell apart into pieces of broken metal.

"Curse you…" he groaned. "Curse your…"

He didn't get a chance to finish. He collapsed into a stinking pool of ichor and rusted chains.

"Hebi-Na…" said Jalal. "Brace yourself…"

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na.

She realized what he meant as the whole cathedral disintegrated around them. They fell…

But the fall was gentle, like two feathers falling in a soft breeze. They slowly drifted to the ground.

Hebi-Na looked at Jalal.

Then she hugged him.

"Man…" she said. "I never want to do that again…"

How long Jalal held her, he had no idea…

But eventually, Dr. Gelinas's voice called him to awareness.

"Mr. Stormbringer!" he said.

Jalal slowly woke up. He turned to Hebi-Na, who was waking up too.

She sat up, and looked at Jalal. Then she hugged him again.

"Dr. Gelinas…" said Jalal. "I'd say the experiment was a success…

"Jabels… Maybe you should get Hebi-Na something to eat? She's been fed intravenously for a year now, after all…"

"I'll get right on it sir…" said Jabels. "And I'll be sure to take her carnivorous diet into account…"

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

HEAVEN'S LOST PROPERTY (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Two men and one woman dressed like peasants catching white feathers falling from the sky.

Card Description: Both players draw 3 cards, and then discard 2 cards from their hands.

Note: "Heaven's Lost Property" was first used by Reggie in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

HALF UNBREAK (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A stream of bubbles shooting out from a central point.

Card Description: Select 1 face-up Monster you control. This turn, that Monster cannot be destroyed via battle, and damage you take from battles involving it are reduced by half.

Note: "Half Unbreak" was first used by Yuma in the "Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal" episode 006, and used frequently after that. Creative credit goes to the writers.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

GIANT SPITTING COBRA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 5
ATK: 2,000
DEF: 1,900

Card Description: Reduce the ATK of all face-up opposing Monsters by 400 for as long as this card remains face-up on the field.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT MOCCASIN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: When this card is destroyed by battle, you may Special Summon 1 "Serpent Knight" Monster with 1,500 ATK or less from your deck in Attack Position.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT COPPERHEAD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is Tributed for the Tribute Summon of a Reptile or Dragon-Type Monster, you may Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Serpent Knight" Monster from your Graveyard, except a "Serpent Knight Copperhead".

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT SIDEWINDER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: On the turn this card is summoned, you may select 1 face-up Dragon or Reptile-Type Monster. Reduce the ATK of this card by any amount, and increase the amount of the selected Monster by the same amount until the End Phase of the turn. You can only summon 1 "Serpent Knight Sidewinder" per turn.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT COTTONMOUTH (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 800

Card Description: When this card is destroyed by battle while in Attack Position, you may Special Summon 1 "Serpent Knight" Monster from your Graveyard, except for a "Serpent Knight Cottonmouth".

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT ADDER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 2,200

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned from your deck. "Serpent Knight" Monsters you control except for "Serpent Knight Adder" cannot be destroyed by battle.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT ASP (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this card is removed from play by the controller's card effect, you may Special Summon 1 "Serpent Knight" Monster from your Graveyard.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT ANACONDA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, the controller of the destroyed Monster takes 200 points of damage per Level of the destroyed Monster.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT KRAIT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Tuner/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 500
DEF: 200

Card Description: When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a "Serpent Knight" Synchro Monster, the Synchro Summoned Monster cannot be destroyed by card effects during the turn it is Synchro Summoned.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SERPENT KNIGHT HIGH PRIEST SERPERIOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Synchro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,300

Card Description: Reptile-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

When this card is Synchro Summoned, Special Summon 1 Reptile or Dragon-Type Monster from either Graveyard and Special Summon it. That Monster's effect is negated, and it is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn.

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PROLOGUE

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

End of Take

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

One month later…

In an office in Shadowchaser Headquarters, Jalal and Jabels were watching Hebi-Na. She was dressed in a custom tailored office dress and a pair of stylish sunglasses, gathering some papers and filing them into a briefcase.

"I wouldn't have believed this if I wasn't seeing it," said Jabels. "She's going to be the new negotiator for the ophidia?"

"Well…" said Jalal. "She certainly couldn't do a worse job than their last one did…"

"True," said Jabels.

"Besides," said Jalal, "she deserves most of the credit for all that happened when I was in her mind… She actually created Gandora out of her own thoughts… She created a weapon that not only won the duel, but managed to destroy the Bells forever…

"She's more powerful than we thought."

Hebi-Na fastened the briefcase closed.

"Well," she said. "I'm off… I have to take the portal to London and then catch a flight to Istanbul."

"Hebi-Na, wait…" said Jalal. "Before you officially start work… I have a surprise for you…"

He handed her an envelope.

"I had to pull a lot of strings and call in a lot of favors at I2, but…"

Hebi-Na slowly opened the envelope. She took out a set of cards.

She let out a small cry of surprise. It was the Serpent Knights.

"How…" she said.

"These are advance copies," said Jalal. "They should be available to the public in a few months."

"Gee…" she said. "I… I kinda feel sorry I can't give you a real copy of Gandora…"

"Please…" said Jalal. "With a card like that, once is quite is quite enough.

"Anyway Hebi-Na, we're counting on you… I don't know if the legend of the Serpent Knights is true or not, but it might give the ophidia something to believe in…

"And let me tell you something… If it is true, and Osiris did promise the original Serpent Knights that they would be reborn as dragons, he kept that promise. Osiris is well known as a power of Law. And while his clergy is nearly extinct on this world, he might welcome followers again.

"Mention the legend whenever you can… It might convince doubters that Good has more rewards than Evil. A wise man once said that if a sinner were to view the glories of Heaven for even a minute, it would put him on the path to redemption.

"Now, I think you have a plane to catch."

Hebi-Na smiled, and quickly slithered out the door.

"Well…" said Jabels. "You not only saved Hebi-Na, but you destroyed one of the most nefarious curses in existence! And got her a new job in the process. All's well that ends well, wouldn't you say, old man?"

Jalal held his chin.

"Maybe…" he said.

"Sir?" said Jabels.

"Yeah, Vucarik is dead," said Jalal. "The Bells of Baphomet are destroyed, and they'll never bother anyone again…

"All's well that ends well… I'd like to say that too… But Jabels, the thing is… I have a funny feeling that we missed something in this whole deal… Something that may well come back to haunt us…"

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Night fell over Vienna.

In his luxurious office in the University, Dr. Jonathan Gelinas sat at his desk, looking into the fire burning in the fireplace.

His phone rang. He picked it up.

"How is she?" he asked, gravely.

"She's wide awake, and eating," said the voice on the other end. "Her progress is amazing. She might just make a full recovery!"

"Keep me informed," he replied.

He hung up.

A shadowy shape appeared behind him. An annoyed look appeared on Gelinas's face.

"I trust you are satisfied, doctor?" said a sinister voice.

Gelinas scowled, and opened his desk drawer. He took out an object. A green gemstone.

"You came for this, I assume?" he said, handing it to the creature. "As I promised, it collected a sample of the Bells' power when they were destroyed… Pale Night's power… The power of the core of the Abyss…"

"Excellent," said the creature. "This will help our progress immensely…"

"Ask me if I care…" said the doctor.

"Now, now…" said the creature. "Your daughter was foolish to do what she did… You, on the other hand, were smart. You, we could deal with.

"So you got her back unharmed, and we got what we wanted.

"You know, doctor… Your machine is a quite a wondrous device… If you wanted anything else, we could…"

"I am not interested!" snapped Gelinas.

"Ah, well," said the creature. "You can't blame a guy for trying…"

It tossed an envelope on the desk.

"I think this completes the terms of the bargain we made. There's the contract we signed. Do with it whatever you desire.

"I bid you adieu, doctor… At least for now…"

Gelinas waited until it was gone. Then he put on a pair of special reading glasses, and took the paper out of the envelope. He carefully read and reread the document, making sure that it was, indeed, the contract he had signed. He couldn't be too careful.

After a full hour of checking every word, he was sure. He got up, took the document, and threw it into the fire. He waited until the flames had completely consumed it.

The he sighed, and walked over to a portrait of Sigmund Freud on the wall.

He had hated dealing with those creatures… But he'd had no choice. They had been holding his daughter's soul hostage. And was it really wrong to help one evil being defeat another? He had told himself that many times over the past three months.

He looked at the portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis, a man he admired greatly… but one he also disagreed with on many points.

"Genius that you were," he said, "you were still Mundane. There are more than the basic drives in a mortal mind that make us do evil…

"There are other things… More sinister things in the cosmos that tempt us, drive us, compel us to dark deeds…

"Demons try to destroy… But some creatures… They seek to do even worse things…"

– Finis –

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Thank you for reading "Shadowchasers: Soulscape". After all my monumental projects, this brief "mini-series" was quite refreshing to write.

Of special note… Any Shadowchasers author who wishes to use the Serpent Knights, I will gladly grant permission if asked. However, I would prefer to approve first any expansions of the archetype.

For those who still want more, fear not… On November 1st, "Shadowchasers: Ascension" will begin, as the scene shifts to Beantown with a new look, new characters, some familiar faces, and a few new surprises.

Be here.