Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 48 up! (2024)

Fangs of the Deep

Cody and the others were still roaming around Cyber City, looking for the remaining Psykinox Lords. Cody’s spirits were still quite high, thinking about Zweite, envisioning her in various ways, making him blush and grin gleefully.

Jack said, annoyed, “Is Cody ever gonna stop thinking about that Zweite chick? I mean, sure, she’s hot as can be, and she’s now a powerful ally to us, but can he focus on something else for a little bit? Like maybe help us find the last two Psykinox Lords?”

Chronos chuckled, “Cut him a little slack, Jack. Like I said before, Zweite isn’t easy to impress, so the fact that Cody could impress her, let alone win her affections, is an accomplishment on its own. At least we know that Django managed to win over Infernox. Now we just need to gain the last two Psykinox Lords, but seeing how much progress we’ve made so far gives me hope that we’ll succeed. So let him fantasize about Zweite, as she is a hot number herself, so it’s only natural.”

Leo shrugged, “I think Chronos is right, so let Cody have his daydreams. But given what has happened so far, I have a feeling that Fiona and I are the next ones to win over the last two Psykinox Lords. Django Dueled against Avalon and Infernox, Tempest against Claymore, and Cody against Zweite, so that pretty much leaves Fiona and me to Duel the last two. We’ll probably have to prove our ability to wield and control our Numbers, like how everyone else did, but I know we’ll manage. Right, sis?”

Fiona looked unsure, “I don’t really know, Leo. The Psykinox Lords are the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race. Even after all of Django’s training, I’m a bit unsure if the two of us can prove our skill to them in order to win them over. I mean, sure, we’ve gotten a lot stronger over the time we’ve been hanging out together, but these Psykinox Lords are in another league. I just hope we can keep up with them, otherwise they may not be impressed with us and it’ll jeopardize the mission.”

Cody turned around, “Relax, Fiona, it’ll be okay. We just gotta keep our spirits up and Duel like we always do. We’ll win them over. After all, they seem to hate Lucifer, and fer good reasons, so knowing that we’re allied with D-Man and have the skills needed to win will prove that we’re worthy allies to ‘em. Keep yer chin up, girl, we’ll succeed, as we’re the Team Supreme. So there’s nothin’ to worry ‘bout. We have what it takes to achieve our goal with no problem. So have a little faith, Fiona, as you have to realize how strong you are. Right, Leo?”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, you’ve got that right, Cody.” He wrapped an arm around his sister, “We’ll be okay, Fiona. Just do what we normally do and we’ll come out of this with new allies. Okay?”

Fiona looked at her brother before gaining a small smile, “Yeah, you’re right. I just have to be brave. This is for all of our futures. I guess I’m just a bit scared to challenge the strongest Psykinoxes in the race, as their power is unfathomable. But you’re right. I just have to be brave and confident and we’ll succeed. Thanks for the pep talk guys; that really helped.”

Meanwhile, not far away, one of the remaining Psykinox Lords was roaming around. Shadark had just finished eating what looked like a pepper and sausage sandwich with a large soda. He was tall and lean, with gold eyes that had almost slit-like pupils, spiny silver hair with black tips that swept across the right side of his face with additional locks shaped like fins behind his ears, tan skin, and a sharp canine tooth on his upper jaw that extended over his lips. He was garbed in a dark red short-sleeved tunic with aqua green gems around the collar and bottom, a leather strap studded with thin chains going across his chest from his left shoulder down to his right waist, silver bands on his upper arms with matching bracelets, dark blue pants with torn cuffs, a thick belt, brown boots, and pierced ears with red gem studs.

He muttered to himself, “I hope Avalon and the others are having better luck than I am. How will I know who this Spirit is, anyway? But Avalon seems pretty sure that this Spirit lives in this city. Even though I’m used to a city, I feel a bit turned around here. Probably because I haven’t been on the surface-world in more than 16 years, since I was a kid. Well, guess I just have to keep looking and hope I run into this Spirit.”

He finished off his soda and resumed looking. At that time, approaching from another street, Cody and the others were still looking, with the redhead still daydreaming about Zweite. When both Cody and Shadark turned the corner, they ran into each other, both tumbling down to the ground.

Fiona asked, concerned, “Are you okay, Cody?”

Cody snapped at Shadark, “Hey! Watch where ya goin’! This isn’t football ya know!”

Shadark countered, “You should watch where YOU’RE going, punk! I’m not to blame! So pay attention next time!”

Jack sighed, “He’s got a point, Cody, since you were daydreaming about Zweite.”

Cody snapped, “Whose side are ya on, Jack!? And can I help it if I think ‘bout that hot Zweite, especially after that kiss she gave me!?”

This caught Shadark’s attention, “Wait, you know Zweite? And she actually KISSED you!? Who the hell are you? Why would Zweite even consider kissing someone like you? She’s got high standards, you know.”

Chronos quickly put the pieces together, “If you know Zweite, then that means you must be one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. If so, we’ve been trying to find you.”

Shadark quirked an eyebrow, “How do you know I’m a Psykinox, let alone one of the Seven Psykinox Lords? Wait a minute…” he took a good look at Chronos before saying, “I sense Psykinox energy in you, but it’s not very strong. Are you a Psykinox?”

The teen nodded, “That’s right. I’m Chronos Goldwing, the youngest member of the Goldwing family. My father is Vylon Goldwing.”

“Goldwing, huh? You’re the family that has been labeled as traitors. But why? Why would Vylon be considered a traitor?”

Leo explained, “It’s all because of Lucifer’s lies. Chronos is helping us uproot Lucifer from power, as the true leader is our friend. His name is Django Spirit, the son of the late Astral and Elna Spirit. Vylon’s family has been trying to help us defeat and destroy Lucifer, so Lucifer labeled the Goldwing family as traitors in order to keep his agenda under wraps.”

Shadark gave Leo an odd look, “So you’re saying that you know the son of Astral and Elna Spirit? And you’re trying to get rid of Lucifer alongside him? You don’t look like you’d be much help. You and that young girl are just kids, after all, so you’d just be extra baggage.”

Cody snarled, “Watch it, pal! Leo and Fiona are quite tough. They’ve been a huge asset to the fight against Lucifer, so watch what you say to them! They may be young, but they’ve got spunk, courage and skill! They can fight on an equal footing with some of the best! And if that wasn’t enough, D-Man trained them, makin’ ‘em even more skilled! So don’t you dare insult them!”

Shadark merely dusted himself off, replying, “I’d like to see that. A human kid actually playing a vital role in such a feat seems like a farfetched story.”

Leo stated strongly, “Then why don’t we Duel? I’ll show you my skill! Unless you’re afraid of losing to a kid and his awesome WATER deck.”

“YOU run a WATER deck? I bet it’s inferior to my WATER deck. Fine, you’re on, kid. Might be amusing. And just so you know, I’m Shadark, one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. Let’s see how a kid fares against a pro like me.”

Leo growled, “Then it’s time for a feeding frenzy! Infinity Disk locked on target!” he then donned his Duel Gazer, “Duel Gazer, target acquired!”

Shadark’s Dueling equipment formed on his left arm, shaped like a large grey dorsal fin with a jaw-shaped front, while his left eye became more luminous. The others donned their Duel Gazers as well.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both Duelists drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Jack cheered, “Sink his battleship, Leo!”

Cody added, “Show him the terrors of deep that lurk in your deck!”

Fiona called out, “Show him how tough you are, big bro!”

Leo stated, “Age before beauty! I Draw! I summon Needle Sunfish to the field in Attack Mode!”

Needle Sunfish (1500/100) appeared on the field.

“Next, since I summoned a Fish monster, I can summon Shark Stickers to join it in Attack Mode!”

Shark Stickers (200/1000) splashed onto the field.

“Now I Overlay my Shark Stickers and Needle Sunfish! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Black Ray Lancer in Attack Mode!”

Both Shark Stickers and Needle Sunfish became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Black Ray Lancer (2100/600), giving its spear a spin before taking a battle pose.

“To wrap up my turn, I place one card face-down on the field. That’ll do for now.”

Shadark grinned, “Then let me show you how a grownup Duels, kid! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I activate the Spell: Foolish Burial! This card let’s me send one monster from my deck straight to the Graveyard! So I choose to send my Saber Shark from my deck to the Graveyard!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a glowing card to eject from Shadark’s deck and shoot straight down into it.

“But wait, there’s more. I summon Double Fin Shark to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Double Fin Shark was a purple, somewhat mechanical shark with a blue underbelly that looked like two sharks fused together side-to-side, with two dorsal fins, two tails, and several pectoral fins. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1000/1200.

“But there’s more. When Double Fin Shark is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Four or below WATER Attribute Fish monster from my Graveyard. While it may mean I cannot Special Summon any other monsters except WATER monsters this turn, that’s no big deal. So I revive the Saber Shark I sent to the Graveyard in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing another shark monster to emerge. Saber Shark was a dark blue shark with sharp, crescent-shaped fins, a tail with long, sharp top and short bottom, glowing eyes, and a large, broad sword-like structure attached to its face. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1200.

Fiona observed, “He’s got two Level Four monsters on the field. He’s gonna Xyz Summon, and I bet it’ll be his Number.”

Shadark grinned, “For a kid, you’re right, though I’m surprised you even know what a Number is. I Overlay my Level Four Saber Shark and Double Fin Shark! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 101: Silent Honor ARK in Attack Mode!”

Both Saber Shark and Double Fin Shark became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Number 101: Silent Honor ARK was a massive monster, appearing very similar to a spaceship mixed with a submarine. Its body was mostly white with purple accents, shaped with two large, sharp jutting sections in front with bulky semicircle sections, a curved protrusion underneath what looked like the central co*ckpit, spikes littering its body, and long protrusions jutting out the back. Written on its right side was the number “101” and orbiting it were two blue orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2100/1000.

Cody sputtered, “That’s one huge Number! But luckily, it has the same Attack Points as Black Ray Lancer, so even though it’ll win the confrontation between the two, Leo won’t take any damage.”

Shadark grinned, “Don’t be so sure about that. I’ll be ridding the field of Black Ray Lancer without even attacking. I activate Silent Honor ARK’s ability! By using two Overlay Units, I can turn a monster my opponent controls into an Overlay Unit for ARK! So say goodbye to Black Ray Lancer!”

Silent Honor ARK absorbed both Overlay Units before firing electrical tendrils at Black Ray Lancer. It ensnared the spear-wielding monster, transforming it into an Overlay Unit, which then started to orbit Silent Honor ARK.

Leo growled, “You may have captured my Black Ray Lancer, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Like this one! I activate Needle Sunfish’s ability from the Graveyard! Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can lower the Attack Points of one monster on the field by 500! So I’m about to cut your Number down to size!”

Inside the Graveyard, Needle Sunfish appeared, opened up its body, revealing several spikes, which it then fired. The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing those spikes to launch out of it, striking Silent Honor ARK. The massive ship-like monster seemed to shift slightly from the impact, but then returned upright, its power dropping by 500 to 1600.

Shadark gritted his teeth, “Not too shabby, but not good enough! Because now you have no monsters to protect you! Silent Honor ARK, attack the kid directly! Phantom Flood! And just to make this attack more potent, I activate the Spell: Ego Boost! When a monster declares an attack, I can have one monster gain 1000 Attack until the end of battle. So even though you weakened my monster, you’re still gonna take a heavy hit!”

Silent Honor ARK’s power jumped up by 1000 to 2600 before revealing several cannons hidden within the massive frontal spikes. It then fired several beam attacks that rained down upon Leo, blanketing him in smoke.

Fiona called out, “Big brother! Are you okay!?”

Chronos grimaced, “Shadark certainly isn’t pulling any punches, even against a young teenager. I hope Leo is okay.”

Shadark laughed, “See what happens when you play with the big kids?”

However, to his horror, when the smoke cleared, Leo was still standing, his Life Points still at 4000. The teen had a grin on his face.

“W-What!? How come your Life Points are still at 4000!? That attack should’ve wiped out more than half of them! How?”

Leo grinned, gesturing to his glowing card, “You didn’t take into account my face-down card, Shadark. It was a Trap, in this case Defense Draw. I can reduce the damage from one attack down to zero and draw an extra card in the process. So even though you juiced-up your Number, I came out unscathed regardless. So not only was your attack wasted, but I get to draw a card. Not the smartest move, considering that Psykinoxes are supposed to be the most intelligent race of all. Not to mention your Ego Boost Spell now wears off, returning Silent Honor ARK back down to 1600.”

The older twin smugly drew one card, looked at it, then added it to his hand. A nerve in Shadark’s temple twitched as Silent Honor ARK’s power dropped back down to 1600.

Shadark growled, “I’ll give you props on that maneuver, but it won’t save you forever. I place one card face-down to end my turn. Let’s see if you can back up your confidence with skill, kid.”

“Fine with me! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before stating, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode and three cards face-down to end my turn. Not the most exciting move, but it’ll pay off big time shortly. Your move.”

The confident Psykinox grinned, “Considering you talk such a big game, I’m surprised by such a weak move. But so be it. I’m gonna make things really interesting now. Let’s see you get out of this!” His hand started to glow as he touched his deck, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

Chronos choked, “Uh-oh, that’s not good. Looks like Shadark is really trying to stack the odds in his favor. Leo better be careful.”

Shadark revealed the card he drew, “I just drew the Spell known as Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One, which I activate right now! I can target a 10X Number on my field, Graveyard, or Extra Deck, and evolve into a Chaos Number! So I target my Rank Four Silent Honor ARK and rebuild the Overlay Network! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz Summon Number C101: Silent Honor DARK, in Attack Mode!”

Silent Honor ARK became a bolt of energy and entered the newly opened Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Out emerged a new monster.

Number C101: Silent Honor DARK looked very much like Black Ray Lancer. Its body was more humanoid than Black Ray Lancer, composed of black armor plates with the telltale pinkish chaos energy flowing through various parts of it. Its armor was bulky and constructed in a somewhat misshapen way, with a glowing face, with two large pillar-like structures jutting out from its shoulder blades, sharp spikes on its shoulders, sharp sleeve-shaped plates over its upper arms, broad legs and feet, and two large fan-shaped plates attached to its legs. In one hand it was holding a spear with a somewhat regal-looking top. Written on the right fin-shaped plate was the number “101” and sitting in front of it were two Chaos Overlay Units. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2800/1500.

Shadark grinned, “My Number is pretty impressive, don’t you think? But that’s not all, kid. Here’s something else to worry about. I summon Double Shark in Attack Mode!”

Double Shark (1200/1600) splashed onto the field, looking as mean as always.

“Now, Silent Honor DARK, attack the kid’s face-down monster! Rid the field of it!”

Silent Honor DARK spun its spear and charged in. The monster was revealed to be Jar Turtle (200/2100), but Leo wasn’t done.

The older twin stated, “You revealed my Jar Turtle, so before you can destroy it, I activate my Trap. Actually, I activate all three of them! And all three of them are Jars of Greed! Normally this would mean I can draw one card for each, totaling three, but since Jar Turtle is face-up on the field, I can draw a total of six cards! So thanks for the draw power, Shadark!”

Leo quickly drew six cards just moments before Silent Honor DARK destroyed Jar Turtle.

Shadark looked unfazed, “Big whoop, kid, because now you’re wide open to an attack. Double Shark, attack him directly! And in case you don’t know, Double Shark can attack twice during each of my turns. So you’re gonna get a double pounding!”

Double Shark charged in, biting down on Leo’s arm, his Life Points dropping by 1200 to 2800. It then swam back, turned around, and charged in again, this time biting Leo’s leg, his Life Points dropping by another 1200 to 1600.

Fiona called out in distress, “Leo! Are you okay!?”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, I’m okay, sis. None the worse for wear.”

Shadark huffed, “Considering you just lost more than half of your Life Points, I’m surprised you say you’re ‘okay’. But we’ll see just how long you’ll last, kid. I end my turn. Your move.

The older twin stated, “Fine with me! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I summon Wind-Up Shark in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Wind-Up Shark simply looked like a large blue and white wind-up toy shark with a gold wind-up key on its back. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/1300.

“Now I activate the Spell: Surface! This allows me to revive a Level Three or lower Fish, Aqua, or Sea Serpent monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. So I bring back my Needle Sunfish!”

Needle Sunfish (1500/100) emerged from the Graveyard Portal.

“Now I activate Wind-Up Shark’s ability! Once a turn, I can either raise its Level by one, or lower it by one. I think I’ll lower its Level by one, turning it into a Level Three monster!”

The wind-up key started to twist counterclockwise, causing the stars that represented Wind-Up Shark’s Level to change from four to three.

Leo grinned, “Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Level Three Wind-Up Shark and Needle Sunfish! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 47: Nightmare Shark in Attack Mode!”

Shadark sputtered, “YOU have a Number?! You’re just a kid! A human kid for that matter! How can you even control a Number!?”

Leo stated, “You’re about to find out! So come on out my good friend!”

Both Wind-Up Shark and Needle Sunfish became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form, which quickly unfolded into Number 47: Nightmare Shark (2000/2000).

“But I’m far from done, Shadark! Next I activate the Equip Spell: Xyz Unit! This card grants my Xyz Monster 200 extra Attack Points times its Rank. Plus it can double as an Overlay Unit if needed. So I equip it to my Nightmare Shark, giving it an extra 600 Attack Points!”

The Spell infused Nightmare Shark with more power, making it roar as its strength increased by 600 to 2600.

“Now I activate Nightmare Shark’s ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can target one WATER monster on my field and have it attack you directly this turn, though no other monsters I control can attack. However, as Nightmare Shark is my only monster, that point is rendered moot. So I target my Nightmare Shark itself!”

Nightmare Shark ate one of its Overlay Units, causing it to glow, making it roar.

Shadark growled, “Even if I take damage, my Silent Honor DARK is still more powerful.”

Leo grinned, “Oh, don’t worry, I have plans for it. But for now you have to deal with my Nightmare Shark! Nightmare Shark, attack Shadark directly with Fin Cutter!”

Nightmare Shark quickly slipped past Shadark’s other monsters, raised up one of its sharp pectoral fins, and gave the Psykinox a powerful slash. Shadark skidded back a bit as his Life Points dropped by 2600 to 1400.

Cody cheered, “Way to play, little buddy! That’ll show him that Psykinoxes aren’t the only ones who can use Numbers!”

The older twin grinned, “And I’m not done yet. I said I had plans for your Number, and I’m about to deliver! I activate the Spell: Enemy Controller! I can either change the Battle Mode of one of your monsters, or I can Tribute a monster to seize control of a monster you have. I’ll go with the first option and switch your Silent Honor DARK to Defense Mode!”

The large game controller appeared, and after a few button presses, it forced Silent Honor DARK to a defensive position.

Shadark huffed, “That won’t do you any good, kid, as on my next turn I can shift it back into Attack Mode.”

Leo grinned, “It won’t be around that long. I activate the Spell: Shield Crush! This Spell automatically destroys one monster on the field that’s in Defense Mode! So say goodbye to Silent Honor DARK!”

A beam was fired from Leo’s Spell, piercing through Silent Honor DARK, making it erupt in a fiery explosion. When the smoke cleared, Silent Honor DARK was gone.

Jack punched the air, “Way to go, Leo! That got rid of his Number! That’ll show him!”

However, Shadark started to chuckle, surprising everyone.

The confident Psykinox stated, “You honestly think that destroying my Number would be the end of it? Think again! My Number has quite the special ability, which I activate right now! When it’s sent to the Graveyard while it had a Chaos Overlay Unit, I can bring it back to the field! Furthermore, my Life Points are increased by its Original Attack! Also, Silent Honor ARK must be in my Graveyard in order to use this ability. So not only will my Life Points be higher than before, but my monster will return! So come back out, Silent Honor DARK! Return from Oblivion!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Silent Honor DARK (2800/1500) to reemerge from it. Several sparkles then rained down upon Shadark, causing his Life Points to increase by 2800 to 4200.

Fiona looked worried, “That Number is quite the tricky one. I hope Leo can find a way to stop it.”

Cody replied, “Don’t worry, Fiona. Remember, Silent Honor DARK can only use its ability if it has a Chaos Overlay Unit. Now that it’s back on the field, it has no Chaos Overlay Units. So if Leo destroys it again, it can’t come back a second time.”

Chronos said grimly, “I have a hunch that Silent Honor DARK has a way around that, Cody. After all, if it can revive itself like that, and it’s the evolved form of Silent Honor ARK, then it must have inherited some of its properties.”

Leo grimaced before saying, “Don’t count me out just yet, Shadark. I place two cards face-down to end my turn.”

Shadark grinned, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw! Your Goldwing friend was right, since my Silent Honor DARK is the evolved form of Silent Honor ARK, it has the same ability! I can target one Specially Summoned monster on your field and attach it to my Silent Honor DARK as a Chaos Overlay Unit! So I choose your Number! Say goodbye to Nightmare Shark, kid! I knew a kid like you couldn’t maximize the potential of a Number.”

Silent Honor DARK launched several electrical tendrils from its body, ensnaring Nightmare Shark. The Number tried to resist, but was overpowered and transformed into a Chaos Overlay Unit, which was positioned in front of Silent Honor DARK.

Leo grimaced, but stated, “You may have captured my Number, but I’ll still find a way to win! And I’ll start with this! Since Needle Sunfish was sent to the Graveyard, I can reduce the power of one of your monsters by 500 points! So I target YOUR Number! Now your so-called mighty Number is weaker!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing several more spikes to be launched out of it. They struck Silent Honor DARK, causing it to stumble, its power dropping by 500 to 2300. This annoyed Shadark.

He growled, “You’ll pay for messing with my Number. But even weakened it still has enough Attack Points to wipe out your Life Points! So do it, Silent Honor DARK! Attack the kid directly! End this Duel now!”

Silent Honor DARK gave its spear a spin, raised it up, and charged in, ready to strike down the young teen.

Cody sputtered, “If this attack lands, then it’s all over!”

Leo stated, “Then this is a good time to activate my Trap! Go, Negate Attack! And like its name states, it negates your attack and ends the Battle Phase! So I’m still in this!”

A spinning vortex formed in front of Leo, blocking Silent Honor DARK’s attack, forcing it to return to its original position.

Shadark huffed, “So you got luck this time. Your luck won’t hold out forever. So I end my turn there. Let’s see if you have any bite in your bark, kid.”

Leo said silently, “Okay, think Leo, you have to find a weakness in that Chaos Number. Silent Honor DARK can constantly revive itself if it has a Chaos Overlay Unit and if Silent Honor ARK is in the Graveyard. Plus Shadark will gain 2800 Life Points each time. There has to be a way to stop that ability cold.” He said aloud, “I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate Pot of Greed. This allows me to draw two more cards.” He drew two cards then activated one of them, “I’ll keep the draw power going by activating Pot of Avarice. By shuffling any five monsters back into my deck and/or Extra Deck, I can draw two more cards. So I’ll shuffle four monsters into my deck and my Black Ray Lancer back into my Extra Deck to draw two cards.” He shuffled the five cards back into their respective places, drew two cards, and noticed one of them, “Hmm… Soul Taker. Destroys one monster on the opponent’s field then the opponent gains 1000 Life Points.” It then dawned on him, making him chuckle, “Oh, man, I just got a killer idea. Shadark, prepare to say goodbye to your Silent Honor DARK, as I just found the chink in its armor!”

Shadark huffed, “Yeah, sure you did, kid. Like I’m gonna believe that. But go ahead; show me your ‘killer idea’, kid.”

The older twin grinned, “Oh, I will, but first things first. I have to take care of that face-down card. You haven’t activated it yet, but it may hamper my idea. So I’ll use the Spell: Night Beam to shatter it! And since you can’t activate the card in response to Night Beam, then I can get rid of it without a counterattack! So say goodbye to your face-down card!”

The Spell made a click like a camera shutter, causing the card to shatter, but not before it was revealed to be Forbidden Lance.

“Hmm… Forbidden Lance, huh? That would’ve been helpful in countering my next move. But with it gone, I’m free to wipe out you Number! So I activate the Spell: Soul Taker! This card destroys one monster on your field, then you gain 1000 Life Points in compensation. However, this means that you can’t revive Silent Honor DARK, as it’ll miss the timing, as the last thing that has to happen is Silent Honor DARK’s destruction. But in this case, the last thing that’ll happen is you gaining Life Points! So say goodbye to your Number!”

Shadark looked horrified, “No way! You really DID figure out the chink in Silent Honor DARK’s ability! How could a kid like you figure that out!? It’s not possible!”

Leo grinned, “Oh, it’s possible. I’m pretty sharp, if I do say so myself, and quite observant. But thanks to Django, I’m also calmer and can think more rationally even in a desperate situation. That allowed me to figure out the weakness of your Number! But enough of that, time to say goodbye to Silent Honor DARK!”

The Spell fired a beam at Silent Honor DARK, piercing right through it, causing it to explode and vanish. Shortly afterwards, Shadark’s Life Points increased by 1000 to 5200.

Leo grinned, “But don’t think I’m done yet, Shadark! I summon Deep Sea Diva to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Deep Sea Diva was a mermaid-like monster. Her upper body was slim yet curvy, garbed in a bodysuit-like armor, a smooth face, large sweeping fins attached to the sides of her head, a long column of “hair” made from the same material as her head fins, and an angler fish-like bobble on her forehead. Her lower body was fish-like, long and somewhat thick, mostly pink, with several fins and a broad tail. She was a Level Two monster with stats of 200/400.

“Now to activate my Diva’s ability. When she’s Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level Three or lower Sea Serpent monster from my deck. So I summon my Atlantean Heavy Infantry to the field in Attack Mode!”

His Infinity Disk ejected a card, which he played right away, allowing a new monster to appear. Atlantean Heavy Infantry was a humanoid fish creature with glowing eyes and green skin, wearing heavy-duty armor and holding half a fish-like shield in each hand. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1600.

Chronos observed, “Leo’s got a Tuner Monster on his field. Is he going to Synchro Summon?”

Fiona shook her head, “No, Leo doesn’t use Synchro Monsters. However, I do believe I know what he’s up to. Both monsters are Level Two, so he’s gonna use them for an Xyz Summon.”

Leo nodded, “That’s right, sis. I Overlay my Level Two Atlantean Heavy Infantry and Deep Sea Diva! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Cat Shark in Attack Mode!”

Both Deep Sea Diva and Atlantean Heavy Infantry became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Cat Shark was a small monster. It had the body, head, and hind legs of a cat, but the fins and tail of a shark. Orbiting it were two blue orbs of light. It was a Rank Two monster with stats of 500/500.

Jack asked, confused, “Why go through all that to summon this monster? Cat Shark looks harmless, almost cute, so why summon it, especially since it doesn’t have enough Attack Points to defeat Double Shark.”

Leo grinned, “You’ll see soon enough. Now for the second part of my plan. I activate the Trap: Xyz Reborn! This allows me to revive an Xyz Monster from my Graveyard. Plus the Trap becomes an Overlay Unit for it! So I revive my Nightmare Shark! Come on back out, my friend!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Nightmare Shark (2000/2000) to emerge. The Trap then transformed into a blue Overlay Unit, which started to orbit Nightmare Shark.

“Now I activate Cat Shark’s ability! Once a turn, I can use one Overlay Unit to target one Rank Four or below Xyz Monster I control. Its Original Attack and Defense Points double until the end of the turn. So I choose Nightmare Shark!”

Cat Shark absorbed an Overlay Unit, which then caused its body to release a large amount of energy, which was infused into Nightmare Shark. Nightmare Shark roared triumphantly as its power doubled to 4000/4000.

Shadark, although a bit nervous, stated strongly, “Even if you attack me directly with Nightmare Shark’s ability, I’ll still have plenty of Life Points left. And you still have to get through my Double Shark.”

Leo grinned, “Are you sure about that? Check the field.”

Much to Shadark’s shock, Double Shark suddenly exploded, vanishing from the field.

He sputtered, “W-What just happened?! Where did my Double Shark go?!”

The older twin grinned, “I activated Atlantean Heavy Infantry’s ability. When it’s sent to the Graveyard due to a WATER monster’s ability, I can target one card on the field and destroy it. So your Double Shark is fish food. That leaves you wide open to an attack. And I intend to deliver big time. And it’s all thanks to this next card. I activate the Spell: Oni-Gami Combo! I target one Xyz Monster I control. I send all of its Overlay Units to the Graveyard, but that monster can attack twice this turn. So I send Nightmare Shark’s Overlay Unit to the Graveyard to allow it to attack twice! So it’s game over for you, Shadark!”

Nightmare Shark’s Overlay Unit shot down into the newly-opened Graveyard Portal, but it started to glow, giving a ferocious roar. Shadark looked horrified at this.

The once-confident Psykinox choked, “This can’t be! I’m about to lose to a kid!? How can a kid outsmart a Psykinox Lord like me!?”

Leo grinned, “Because I didn’t get overconfident by underestimating my opponent, unlike you. So do it, Nightmare Shark! Attack Shadark directly with Fin Cutter! Then sweep around and strike him again to end this Duel!”

Nightmare Shark roared as it charged in, bladed fins held high. Shadark could only watch in horror as the shark Number gave him two powerful slashes with its fins, sending him flying. He landed on the ground with a thud, his Life Points first dropping down by 4000 to 1200, then down another 4000 to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Leo, before the Augmented Reality vanished. The gang cheered happily as Leo took a calming breath, but gave them a victory symbol with both of his hands.

Shadark sat up, completely stunned, “I lost to a kid. That’s a new one.” As Leo walked up to him, the Psykinox Lord said, “You… did surprisingly well, kid. Even in the bleakest of situations you managed to keep your head cool and level and managed to figure out the weakness of my monsters, overcoming them. I guess I was wrong about you. I can see now that you are contributing to the cause you have dedicated yourself to without weighing anyone down. And the fact you can control a Number without any ill effects is commendable, as Numbers have minds of their own, so earning one of their trust and loyalty isn’t easy. Now tell me, kid, why are you fighting Lucifer? I get that you’re helping this Django Spirit, but if a Spirit is still around, why is Lucifer in control of the race?”

Leo said, “It’s quite simple. Lucifer betrayed the race. He managed to murder most of the Spirit family behind everyone’s backs. Only four Spirits, including the race’s true leader, survived. Django is the son of Astral and Elna, who were the original leaders before Lucifer got into the mix. Django is also the Spirit that the prophecy speaks of, having been born on January 1st. Lucifer has been trying to kill Django in order to prove that the Spirit family is gone, lying through his teeth about everything that has transpired. We’re fighting alongside Django in order to remove Lucifer from power, and from existence, for good, in order to restore peace to everyone. It’s an uphill battle, but we’ve been managing so far. We could really use your help, however, as most Psykinoxes aren’t even aware that a Spirit is still alive or that Lucifer lied to all of you.”

Shadark looked enraged, “That bottom-feeding cretin! He killed off our most noble family AND had the guts to lie in our faces about the whole ordeal!? I’m gonna drag him down to a watery grave for his lies and treachery!”

Cody stated, “Shadark, keep your shirt on! We’re workin’ on a solution. Avalon is currently discussin’ a plan with Noble Spirit, a former leader of the race, to find a way to uproot Lucifer from the inside, allowin’ Django to finish the job once and for all. So we were instructed to tell ya to return to the underground city and wait for Avalon’s return. He’ll then discuss what he and Noble talked about in dealin’ with Lucifer. So, fer now, return to where you came from and lay low for a bit. Got that? No recklessness, as Lucifer isn’t one to mess with without a plan.”

Jack said slyly, “No recklessness, huh? That’s ironic coming from you, Cody.”

The redhead snapped, “What’d you say, Jack!? I’m not reckless!”

“Then explain your Number’s battling style, huh. Not to mention you always leap before you look.”

The two males locked eyes with each other, looking ready to brawl, until Fiona pushed them apart.

She stated, “Both of you, calm down. No fighting. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we find a way to defeat Lucifer before more lives are hurt by him.”

Shadark said, “While I don’t like playing the waiting game for any reason, if Avalon and Noble are coming up with a plan, then I’ll abide by it. Very well, I shall return home and await further instructions. But know that you have my support. Lucifer must be stopped, so count me in.” He turned to Leo, “Hey, kid, you did good, guess I was wrong about you. You know how dangerous this situation is, and yet it doesn’t stop you from wanting to help. That takes guts. And it’s not every day that a human kid outwits an adult Psykinox. You can definitely hold your own against some tough opponents; I’ll give you plenty of props there. And taming a Number isn’t a small feat, either. Just watch your back, kid, as there is plenty of danger still out there, and Bloodlusts reek of it.”

He then opened up a Warp Gate, gave the gang a nod, and entered it, the Warp Gate closing up behind him.

Chronos said, “And that makes five Psykinox Lords on our side. One more and we’ll have gathered some powerful allies. So let’s find the last one and recruit him to our cause.”

Nodding, the gang moved forward, but Fiona was worried.

She said silently, “Everyone is playing their part well. I’m next to prove my skill and ability to this cause. But can I really hold my own against one of the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race? I sure hope so, as these guys don’t pull any punches, even against kids. I just have to be brave and strong, for everyone’s sake, as our futures depend on it.”

Next Chapter: Cloak and Dagger