The walk back to the apartment was long and bleak. Misty had left Konami to his own devices after the Duel, but had assured him that she'd look into acquiring tickets for his use. It was a small comfort compared to the sting of loss he'd felt - even if it had been a scripted defeat.

So he took the long way home, hoping that the prolonged walk would give him time to think of what to do with his deck. Clearly, Starter Deck: Kaiba wasn't good enough.

'Hold on,' he thought while glancing at the moonlit sky. 'The opening scene's at night? Something's about to happen.'

He was right.

Konami hadn't even gotten halfway through his next step when a blinding light erupted from a nearby alley. Accompanied by a pained cry and the sound of a body hitting pavement, it burst from the alley's entrance, flooding even the street with its luminous glow. The light stayed for several moments, and Konami squinted through it, until finally, the shadows began to rise. The light dimmed, and the street was once again doused in darkness.

The sound of stalking footsteps soon followed.

Staying where he was, Konami prepared himself for a fight. He didn't know who or what was about to emerge from the alley, but he knew that they couldn't be good. It was nighttime after all, and that meant that he'd be facing a Rare Hunter, a Shadow Rider, or even worse... a Dark Signer!

'Well, maybe not that last one,' Konami amended. 'We're not that far into the plot yet.'

The one responsible for the footsteps appeared in the alley's entrance, and Konami's eyes widened.

It was the Witch.

"You!" gasped Konami.

The Witch's expression couldn't be seen. She was wearing a mask.

"You," she replied calmly.

"Me?" Konami asked, taking a surprised step back.

"You," the Witch confirmed with a nod. She began taking slow and meaningful steps toward him. "I've been looking for you. For an entire day now, I have scoured the city high and low in search of discerning your whereabouts. From the dirt of the Daimon Area to the tallest tower in Tops, I have endeavored to leave no stone unturned. I have suffered neither food nor drink, content in knowing that until my mission was complete, I would not be allowed to rest-"

When it became clear that the Witch was far from finished, Konami rolled his eyes and pulled out his PDA. The Witch seemed to take no note of it, as she was far too caught up in her own words.

'Oh, Slifes,' Konami thought as he glanced at the screen. 'Fifteen missed calls from Carly. She's gonna be pissed. Hey, wait a minute. How'd she get my number? I'm pretty sure I never told it to her - forget it. I've got more important things to do, like checking FaceSpace!'

He opened the app and gasped at what he saw. 'Oh, wow! A friend request?! From Misty?! AcceptAcceptAcceptAcceptAccept - and done! Hah, take that Chazz! Bet you don't have any supermodel friends. Wha-?' Time slowed, and he turned to you. "Oh, it's you. What? Are you pissed off that I'm not paying attention to your number one girl over there?" he asked, gesturing over his thumb to the approaching Akiza. "Well, can you blame me? I mean, she's rambling. Besides, I paid attention to her last time, and look how that turned out! A story with over a hundred chapters, numerous spin-offs (many of which have been deleted), a half-baked TVtropes page, and most importantly, Enzo!" Konami blinked. "But isn't this supposed to be a remake, you ask? Well, it was. But that was way back at the start of 2016 before the author said forget it. Now this is my remake, which means this is gonna go my way. And by my way, I mean BETTER. Now then, if you excuse me... I have a plot to get back to." He turned away from you, put up his PDA, and faced the Witch as time resumed.

"-but now, after all these hours of searching, I have found you. You, who has somehow managed to catch the eye of he whom I admire most. Why? Why is it that you, who would gather cards from the dirt, can garner his attention more than me, his most faithful?" the Witch stopped walking. "I wish to know these things. I wish to discover what it is you have that I do not... but for now, I must hold back. For he demands your presence."

Konami tensed. "Lady, no one can demand my anything," he said confidently. "But they can request it."

"The leader of the Arcadia Movement does not make requests," the Witch replied sternly. "When he wants something done, you do it. Whether you want to," she placed a card on the Duel Disk attached to her arm, "or not."

Numerous green tentacles lashed out from her Duel Disk then, and it was only when they neared that Konami realized they were accompanied by thick veiny thorns.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, deciding to do the smart thing and take evasive maneuvers. "But I'm allergic to tentacle porn."

"They're vines!" the Witch cursed angrily. Konami rolled his eyes, but amended his statement.

Several of the vines whipped the area where he stood but seconds ago, and Konami raised his brow at the Witch's viciousness. Perhaps the rumors about her being a sadist were true?

"Get back here!" the Witch howled angrily. She raised her right arm, prompting the greenery to rush after Konami once more. He ducked and dodged through them on his way to an escape route, but not even he, awesome though he was, could escape unscathed. As he attempted to duck beneath one vine while weaving through another, one of the lashing tendrils cut down across his back. It sliced through his rough red jacket with ease, leaving Konami to cry out in pain while enduring all the pain of a fully-cracked whip.

"Ah!"

"Like that?" the Witch asked, probably knowing that he didn't. "Here," she said anyway, taking advantage of his moment of weakness, "have another!"

With another jaunt of her hand, the Witch ordered the vines to hurt Konami again.

And again.

And again.

It wasn't long until he'd fallen to his knees in pain, but still they did not stop. One after another the violent foliage whipped and tore at Konami's body, fully intent on beating and breaking him until nothing remained but a husk for the Witch to show her master.

For obvious reasons, Konami didn't think it'd be a good idea to stick around long enough for that to become a reality. Digging deep within himself, he climbed back to one knee just as the vines began their next approach. Unlike before however, he made no move to dodge. Instead, he reached out, and grabbed one of the vines with his bare hands. He winced and hissed at the ensuing pain the motion caused.

Clearly, he hadn't thought his action through. Still, he had one now; a single wriggling, squirming thorn-covered vine to call his own. Even as the others lashed and wittled away at his body, Konami remained firm, and his grip - tight. He could not, would not, waste his chance.

He remembered seeing the vines protrude from the Witch's Duel Disk. Even then, they remained bound to the device, extending from the dark depths of what was supposed to be the Graveyard slot.

Konami grinned. If the Witch was truly a Psychic, and the vines really were coming from her Duel Disk and not just some trick; then surely...?

His thought trailed off, and he instead made to test his idea directly. Taking his vine by both hands, he climbed back to both feet, and pulled.

The Witch hadn't been expecting it. Caught in a sudden game of Tug-o-war, she could not have foreseen what would have happened. Though Konami's weight and muscle strained against the vine and its owner, in the end, the surprise gave him the edge he needed. With a mighty heave, he brought the Witch barreling forward, prompting her to stumble and trip over her own feet.

The crash removed her card from her Duel Disk, and as the vines faded from the material world, Konami struck. Racing forward, he neared the Witch's downed form, and swung his right leg upward as if punting a football.

Booted foot met masked face, and the Witch went out like a light.

"Haa... Haa... Ha..." breathed Konami while staggering away from the woman's unconscious form. He slumped against a wall moments later, but quickly glanced back at the Witch to ensure she didn't move.

She didn't.

"This was supposed to be the part where I say something dramatic," he told her dreaming body. "But I'm pretty sure you've already heard most my lines."

He turned his gaze back to the road ahead, and started slumping his way home.


Chapter Three - Into the Shadows


The roaring laugh of Chazz Princeton filled the air, even as the others glared at him through the computer screen.

"What happened?" Alexis asked. "Did you get in get in a fight?"

"Looks more like he fell into a meat grinder..." the blue-haired form of Syrus Truesdale muttered.

Konami waved them both off. "Nah. Just had a little incident while I was doing some weedeating."

"That looks like more than a little, Konami!" Alexis accused. "Have you even looked in the mirror? You're really beaten up."

"Nothing a quick lie in bed can't fix," Konami replied. "Really Alexis, it's fine. To be honest, I'm more worried about what you guys wanted to talk to me about."

It was something he'd seen while looking at his PDA. While glancing through the many reminders of Carly's missed messages (he still hadn't called her back BTW), he came across a single request from his old pals, asking him to get on chat. Ordinarily he'd wait until the morning to talk to them, but it sounded urgent, so there he was.

"Just me, really." Alexis explained, switching her conversation with him to private chat. "You'd say you're pretty acquainted with the area around New Domino City now, wouldn't you?"

"Well, as acquainted as I could be having lived here for just a few days." Konami grunted. "Why? What's up?"

"Are you aware of any Duel Academies nearby?" Alexis asked instead. "Downtown, perhaps? Or maybe up in-"

"-Tops? Yeah, I know of it." said Konami. "Pass by it everytime I go out for lunch. Why? What's going on?"

"I need some files dropped off by tomorrow morning." Alexis explained. "I'd fax them over, but apparently their printers have been having trouble receiving anything from overseas the past couple of days."

"Hm... is that so? It's almost like they shut down when I got here on purpose..." Konami drawled, glaring at the author. 'I'm on to you.'

"I hate to intrude upon you like this, but I'd really appreciate it if you could run them over for me first thing tomorrow." Alexis requested. "You should just be able to swing them by the Main Office. A Principal Heittman should be expecting them."

"Heittman, huh?" Konami asked, tasting the name on his lips. "I dunno, the name sounds kinda... Crowler-y. What kind of files are these, anyway?"

"Classified, that's what." Alexis replied. "Seriously, don't look at them! You'll get me in trouble."

With who, she didn't say.

Konami pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, this is sounding more and more plot-pushing by the second. Fine, whatever. I'll take the files. Just lemme turn my printer on right quick."

"Don't stare at it while it's printing," Alexis warned. "And to make sure you don't look, I'll be printing the cover page last, along with two extra pages to make sure you don't see anything. So unless you actually go looking, what's supposed to be classified will remain classified, got it?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Konami said while digging through his stuff. "Hang on a minute would you?"

Alexis nodded, and even had the decency to wait as he moved through his room to get everything set up.

"Okay," Konami said fifteen minutes later. He'd needed to dig the printer out of his moving box. "It's all hooked up and everything now. Send 'em when you're ready."

"Sending now," Alexis said. "Thanks for this. I really do appreciate it."

"Mmhm. Just make sure you remember this the next time I ask you to do me a solid." Konami replied.

Alexis smiled, "Sure thing. Now, I have one more class to help teach until I'm done for the day, so if you'll excuse me..." She logged off the chat a moment later, and Konami sighed as the unmistakable sound of printing filled the air.

"Figures," he muttered. "Sticks around long enough to ask something of me then kicks me to the curb." Time slowed, and Konami turned to you. "Seriously. It's always, "go get this!" or, "here, Duel them!" All these horrible, repetitive tasks... it's almost like I'm a game character or something!"

Time resumed.

"So?" Syrus asked, reminding Konami to the fact he was on the chat once it was no longer private. "What'd she ask you to do?"

"Sorry tumbleweed," Konami apologized, "it's classified. Queen's orders." He did a mock salute, and then glanced to his bed. "Besides, I've got more important things to do than talk to you. I've got about twelve hours until I need to get up again, and it'll take ten of them to sleep the whiplash off. So, if you'll excuse me..." he said, using Alexis' own words to mark his departure. He couldn't help it. They were good words!

He logged off without berating Chazz good night and then fell into his bed, exhausted. Ignorant to him however, was the fact that he was still supposed to be being watched. He wasn't, however, as the one who was supposed to be watching him was nearly thirty five miles away, explaining her most recent failure to Konami's future archnemesis.

Arcadia Movement Headquarters - Boss Man's Office

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I'm not quite sure I heard you correctly." Sayer said, drumming his fingers along his desk while staring at the wounded by submissive form of his strongest weapon. His fingers stopped drumming. "Because it sounds to me like you said that you failed to procure him after assaulting him with your Thorns of Malice!"

Though her focus was on the cracked mask cradled between her fingers, the Black Rose Witch still heard enough of Sayer's words to flinch. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I merely thought-"

"Ah," interrupted Sayer. "And therein lies the problem. You aren't supposed to think. You're supposed to do as you're told, exactly the way you're told to do it. Nowhere in my commands did I tell you to assail our young friend. All I asked was for you to bring him to me. I suppose I should have clarified that I wanted him alive, and more importantly... unharmed!"

The Witch bowed her head.

"It is for the good of the Arcadia Movement," Sayer reminded her. "There is something about our friend that demands researching. Surely you, having been in his presence, have felt it?"

"Yes," said the Witch. "There is a certain air about him. Something that makes you want to react to him in certain ways. Even shielded by the magic of the mask as I was, I could feel him calling to the wounded soul I carry within. It is much like your own charisma... but different. Alien, somehow. When I encountered him, I had a certain feeling. A feeling that if I left him be, Aki would overcome me. She would overcome me... and this boy would take you somewhere I cannot follow."

Sayer's brow raised. "You had a vision? You?"

"No," the Witch said. "A feeling. Just a feeling."

"Be it a feeling or a vision, it's clear that you saw something." Sayer said as he rose from his chair. He circled around his desk to stand before the Witch and then raised a hand to caress her face gently. "You saw something, and because of it, you fear him."

The Witch disagreed. "I fear losing you. You... and the Movement you've worked so hard to build."

"Then you understand how important it is that we bring him into the fold," Sayer replied. "His ability is not something we can allow ourselves to ignore. And... there is something more. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon of ages' past... He has one."

"What?" breathed the Witch.

"I know not how or why, but it is true." Sayer mused. He moved his hand from the Witch's cheek to instead fondle her hair. "So you see now, why we cannot leave him alone."

"If the Arcadia Movement was to wield such a card..." the Witch whispered, "not only as a monster, but as a symbol as well...!"

"...Much of our opposition would be brought to heel." Sayer finished the thought with a smile. "Now, Akiza. You must be tired, no? Come. Let us enjoy ourselves a little before putting you to rest."

"Yes," the Witch said, and she offered no resistance as Sayer pushed her against the desk.

Somewhere Important - Hero's Bedroom

Twelve hours later, Konami awoke. His wounds were gone and healed, leaving not a single reminder of the battle fought half a day ago. Yawning as he swung himself out from beneath the covers, Konami took in the sight of the universe, and shivered.

"Somehow, I can't help but feel like I've witnessed something dirty." he muttered.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before making to stand, and then sighed at the sight of the printer sitting in the corner. It's blinking green light indicated it was still using power. That only meant one thing: He'd forgotten to turn it off last night.

Darn it, his electric bill was gonna be so high...!

'Oh wait,' he thought suddenly. 'I don't have to pay utility bills. One of the perks to not being real.'

That didn't mean the blinking light didn't annoy him though.

"Okay, stop it already!" he told the device, tapping the power button before snatching the papers Alexis sent him last night. As promised, several empty pages were on top of them, keeping him from reading the information several sheets below.

The empty pages were tossed aside easily enough.

"Now then," he murmured to himself quietly. "Let's see what all this classified nonsense is about."

He skipped past the cover page, and read the first line.

"What the - Great mouths of Slifer! There's no way I'm letting this pass!"

A quick tap and a chairseat later, he was on private chat, glaring at Alexis.

She sighed at the sight of him. "You looked at the papers, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did." Konami said, waving the offending objects in front of the facecam as he spoke. "And you know what, I don't even know where to begin! I mean, what the actual Shadow Realm, Alexis?! There's no way I'm letting you transfer over here!"

Alexis folded her arms. "I'm not asking for your permission!"

Konami slammed his fist on the table. "Well, you should be! This is a story based on a game about me! There's no way I'm letting you and your little boytoy Jaden swoop in to steal the spotlight!"

"So you're a glory hog, is that what you're saying?" Alexis asked. She looked unimpressed. "It's not like I'm trying to bruise your ego here! You yourself said that you came to New Domino for a new start! Having moved to the States to live on my own after graduation, I know how hard that can be. I just wanted to help you settle in."

"Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary." replied Konami. "Besides, I didn't come to New Domino for a new start, but a REstart! There's a difference. Now, I'm gonna shred these transfer papers before someone important gets their hands on them. Then you and I are gonna have a nice long talk about the pros and cons of meddling. And believe me Alexis, it's a long list."

"Then it's a good thing I teach an early class." Alexis replied. "I won't have time to sit here and listen to a lecture. Especially since its coming from someone my own age! Later."

Without another word she disconnected, leaving Konami to stare at the black screen angrily. He clenched his fist, scrunching the transfer papers clutched in the same hand as a result.

"You see?! This is why I hate Overbearing Obelisks! Luckily, I have just the thing to keep her occupied and out of this city." He pulled out his PDA and dialed Bastion. "Yeah. It's me. Activate... Atticus."

He hung up, and slid the PDA back into his pocket.

'Heh,' he thought. 'That'll teach her.'

Closing his laptop and rising from his chair, Konami pulled on his signature red hat and left for the great outdoors. Unfortunately, it seemed as though nothing was meant to go his way. He had taken but a single step out of his apartment when he tumbled into a young woman. A young woman he knew, and to whom you've already been introduced.

"F-Found you!" shouted Carly Carmine, journalist extraordinaire.

"Tch," Konami grunted, glancing away from the woman whose calls he'd purposefully ignored.

"What's with that greeting?" Carly asked, reeling back in surprise. "Wait, don't tell me... your loss to Jack has turned you into a DARK-type?!

"W-What the-" Konami sputtered. "How do you know about my Duel with Jack? It was in a private area!"

Carly's surprise melted into a grin, and she signed two 'V for Victory' symbols with her fingers. "You didn't think I'd miss a Duel involving Jack Atlas, did you?! He may have lost to Yusei Fudo at the Fortune Cup, but as far as I'm concerned, Jack's still the true blue King of New Domino City. As for how I managed to watch it, well... that's a secret! One that definitely doesn't involve sneaking in during the big commotion Jack made, and certainly doesn't include hiding beneath the stands with a bunch of other super-fans!"

"I-I see..." Konami murmured, unsure of whether it'd be better to call Carly out or not.

"A-Anyway," Carly continued. "That's beside the point! Why haven't you picked up any of the times I called you?! It could've been really important, you know?!"

"To be honest, I didn't pick up because I was too busy wondering how you got my number in the first place." Konami drawled. "Let me guess, that's a secret too?"

"No, I just gave some shady guy in a back alley a little Depii to get info on you," Carly replied. "Wait, that was supposed to be a secret!"

"You know, in the real world this is the part where I'd get a restraining order on you." Konami told her. "Lucky for you, this is a videogame... fanfiction... thing. It gets a little confusing at times."

"Never mind all that!" Carly said, waving off Konami's strange words before taking his hand. "We've got to go!"

"What? Where? Why? I had stuff to do!" Konami shouted.

"Well it'll have to wait!" Carly told him. "Because if you'd have listened to any of the thousand messages I left you, you'd know that I got a lead!"

"A lead?" Konami inquired. "On what?"

"A Sacred Beast! What else?!"

Oh right. That was still a thing, wasn't it?

"Now come on," Carly said, dragging him toward the elevator. "Our next stop... is prison!"

Konami's eyes widened in surprise, and suddenly... timeskip.

"Prison? Really?" he asked. He was seated in the back of Carly's van, surrounded by all kinds of living equipment and other handy assortments. "What's a Sacred Beast doing there?"

"Exerting its dominance over the other inmates, apparently." Carly explained. She took a hard right turn, rocking the van as she swiveled into oncoming traffic. Konami was surprised she hadn't killed them both yet. "I was surprised," she continued. "I thought it'd be a lot harder to find than it was, but one search on any recent influxes in DSD told me all I needed to know!"

"DSD?" Konami asked.

"Damage Sustained by Dueling," clarified Carly. "You know, stuff like with what we saw during your Duel with Uria. Broken buildings, injured people. Obviously I had to differentiate between damages caused by Psychic Duels and potential Sacred Beast activity, but this time we got lucky! See, ever since Psychic Duelists became a thing, Goodwin's been keeping them separate from regular inmates. That's why this one called out to me! The location that's been suffering from recent DSD... it's an area that usually holds only normal humans!"

"In other words, unless there was an accident that brought a Psychic into a 'mundane' prison..." Konami realized. "It's likely a Sacred Beast causing trouble."

"That's right!" Carly agreed, and she suddenly slammed on her brakes. "We're here."

She unbuckled her seatback and stepped out of the car, opening the door for Konami to do the same a moment later. Though he was initially blinded by the sun, his eyes soon adjusted, and he stared at the large, stone building standing before him.

"Hey, I thought you said it was supposed to be a prison?" Konami asked.

"It is one," Carly grinned. "The largest and most fearsome prison Sector Security's ever produced! I give to you... the one, the only, NEW DOMINO FACILITY!"

Konami expected some sort of impressive background music to occur at that point, but he'd temporarily forgotten that he was in a story - not a TV show.

"Well," he sighed, "let's get this over with. Are they at least expecting us?"

"Of course!" Carly grinned. "I called ahead to make sure they knew we were coming. Actually, one of the people I spoke with seemed to know you!"

"Did they...?" Konami asked, wondering who in the world it could be. He certainly didn't remember talking with any security guards... and he definitely didn't make a habit of mingling with criminals.

He was a model citizen, after all.

Stopping in front of the Facility's large iron gate, he and Carly stared up at the numerous devices brimming with activity. Seconds later a green light washed over them, taking in everything about their appearance.

"Two human bodies identified," the machine chirped. "One Male detected. One Female detected. No contraband located. Alerting proper authorities..."

A large, blaring alarm followed the statement, and Konami glanced at Carly suspiciously.

"Erm... is that supposed to happen?" he asked, receiving a wary chuckle in response.

"Uh, I hope so?" Carly said.

Their answer came soon enough.

"That'll be all, Stanley." A young woman said, emerging from the large iron gate through the use of a much smaller iron door. "These two are guests."

The green light washed over the woman as well, and she sighed.

"One human body identified," the machine, Stanley, buzzed. "One Blueberry detected. No contraband located. Alerting proper authorities..."

The buzzing continued.

"Ignore it," the woman said. "We've been having problems with it for a while now. It's part of the reason Director Goodwin stationed me here with additional guards."

Konami snapped his fingers. "That's it! I remember now, you were the girl on Jack's team! What was your name again? Xena? Teena? No, that's not it..."

"It's Mina," the woman answered finally, frowning at Konami's lack of memory. "You've already forgotten? We Dueled just yesterday..."

"Eh, you're a side character. Can't blame me for forgetting you." Konami shrugged. "So, working at the prison now, huh? What happened to managing Jack Atlas?"

"It... didn't work out." Mina said softly.

What she didn't say was that Jack had ran out on her after the Duel, and that Goodwin had flipped upon realizing she'd lost him. Her transfer to the Facility was punishment for her failure to monitor Jack properly. But we'll get to that later.

"Too bad," Konami said. "You seemed like you'd be good at it."

Mina smiled softly. "Thank you, but... it seems like my boss doesn't feel the same."

"Okay, we feel bad for you and all, but what about the Sacred Beast card?" Carly asked, not feeling bad at all that a beautiful woman was no longer in contact with her secret crush. "It's here, right?!"

"Sacred Beast card?" Mina asked. "I don't know about anything like that, but our inmates have been acting rather strange lately. Ever since Armstrong was replaced after being beaten by Mr. Fudo we've been giving them more time to Duel, but recently they've somehow been injuring themselves as a result. I asked Officer Trudge to test the inmates to see if we have any latent Psychics, but all tests have turned up negative."

"So it really is something other than Psychic Duels causing the DSD!" Carly grinned. She adjusted her glasses hungrily. "In other words, a Sacred Beast! Scoop, here I come!"

"Hang on Carly," Konami interrupted. "I'm still not convinced. What about the inmates? Have you questioned those injured directly?"

"Of course," replied Mina, "but none of them seem to remember anything. Well, nothing about the actual Duel, anyway. As for their opponent, well..." she trailed off, leaving Konami to raise a brow at her silence.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's just... they all remember one thing," Mina explained. "And that's Devack."

"Devack?" Carly gasped. "Not the same Devack who was caught trying to sacrifice children?"

"Whoa, whoa, what?" Konami asked, shooting his head back and forth between Carly and Mina. "What's all this about sacrificing children? I thought this was a feel good fic! Who is this guy?"

Mina sighed. It seemed as though the cat was out of the bag. "Devack is - was - the leader of a dangerous cult a few years back. He and his allies sought to bring about the end days by summoning a real-life Exodia, a feat they thought possible only through the spilling of innocent blood."

"I remember this," Konami breathed. "It's the plot of the abandoned fic, Man Among Dogs!"

"On the day of their ceremony however, one of their members went renegade. He spilled their secrets to Sector Security, and as a result, we managed to catch them before anyone got hurt." Mina continued.

"I remember that," Carly said. "It was a big deal on the news because some of the kids taken belonged to some political big shot overseas. What were their names again? Dio and Tuna? Rua and Ruka?"

"Leo and Luna," Mina said. "Good kids. They still live in the city, but they've kept out of the public eye for a while now."

'Uh oh, exposition.' Konami thought. 'The readers hate that stuff.'

"Anyway, long story short. Most of the members wound up serving smaller time sentences in exchange for a testimony against their leader. Thanks to their help, Devack's serving multiple life sentences with no chance of parole."

"And yet, he's still allowed to Duel." Konami mumbled, folding his arms anxiously.

"It's a small price to pay, in order to keep him off the streets." Mina replied.

Carly gulped. "So uh, this Devack guy... you're thinking he's the one responsible for all this?"

"It's the only thing that fits." Mina said. "Of course, we haven't been able to prove anything since there's nothing on tape... but he must know at least something."

"Well then, you won't mind if we had a little chat with him then!" Carly chirped. "You know, as journalists? And by we, I of course mean you, Konami."

"As if I expected anything else," he muttered in response.

"I'll allow it, but anything said will have to be monitored," Mina replied. "And there'll be a security guard on standby, just in case anything happens. You're a civilian. We can't allow you to take any unnecessary risks."

"Wow, a Sector Security officer with some common sense." Konami said. He thumped his chest twice and used his hand to make a symbol. "Respect."

Mina looked at him strangely.

"Alright, are you ready for this Konami? It's time to tackle your second Sacred Beast and show the world that the first time wasn't a fluke!" Carly said.

Konami rolled his eyes at her and checked his Deck holster. Just as he'd expected, the fifty cards of Starter Deck: Kaiba stared back at him.

'Slifer help me,' he thought, clipping the holster back shut before following Mina down the hall. 'Against Hamon or Raviel... I'll sure as Shadow Realm need it.'

As they continued down the hall, Konami noted Mina's gaze on him. Being the type of person he was, he just couldn't take it lying down. "What is it?" he asked her, causing her to flinch at being called out. He smirked at her reaction.

"Nothing, it's just..." Mina trailed off for a moment before continuing. "This is twice now that we've encountered each other, and I find myself wondering who you are. Yesterday you were a famous supermodel's stand-in manager, and now, you're helping a journalist get a story. Just who are you?"

"A hero for fun," Konami said. "...Is what I want to say, but then everyone would get mad at me for ripping off Saitama."

Again, Mina looked at him strangely. Konami sighed.

"Look," he said, ruffling the back of his head with his free hand. "You better count yourself lucky, because I'm about to be serious with you, and I don't do that with just anybody. To be honest, I'm little more than a cameo character. I've got all these games about me, all these stories, and yet, when it comes to the actual show I've only appeared once - decked out in a color I don't even like! At least my game's side characters get to appear as themselves in Cardfight! Vanguard! The episode I showed up in wasn't even canon! It was just some promotional special for ZEXAL, a show that couldn't even come up with an original name for their protagonist!" he raised his fist to the sky. "We had a Yuma first, you hear me TV Tokyo?! We had Yuma first!"

"Are... Are you ranting?" Mina asked.

"What?" Konami gasped. "Of all the - I am not ranting!" he looked up at his paragraph. "Okay, maybe a little. But I earned this! Until they took away my game's 3D animations and voice acting, Tag Force was the stuff of legends!"

"I don't understand what you're saying, but we're here." Mina told him.

Konami turned away from her to stare at the small, worn-out cell door guarded by a single bulky looking figure. There was a lone man sitting on the iron bed inside.

He was bald.

"So this is him then?" asked Konami, staring at the man cautiously. "Devack."

The bald man raised his head and grinned.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" the man asked. "It isn't often I have a visitor."

"Yeesh," Carly whispered to Konami. "I just met him and I'm already creeped out! I think I really will leave this up to you."

Konami rolled his eyes at her, but glanced at Mina quietly. "So, how's this work? Do I go in? Does he come out?"

"Trudge!" Mina shouted in reply, prompting the bulky-looking guard to flinch.

"Y-Yes Mina?!" he asked hurriedly, snapping to attention with a blush on his face.

"Open the door. Our visitors are going inside."

"What?" Trudge said. "But they're civilians! It'll be dangerous-"

"It's just me." Konami interrupted. "Carly's made it clear that she has no intention of going inside."

"Y-Yeah!" Carly agreed. "I'll be cheering you on from out here, Konami!"

Trudge glowered at them both. "That still doesn't make it okay! Don't you know who this man is? I can't let two civvies be left alone with some no-good criminal-"

"Officer Trudge, this is an order from your superior." Mina told him. "Let him inside."

"Aw, don't beat him up too much for it Blueberry," Konami interrupted. "It's not his fault that he was born with common sense. Really, you should be praising him! His concern for the safety and wellbeing of New Domino's populace is... noteworthy."

"Well, if you say so..." Mina sighed. She turned to Trudge. "Officer, the door?"

"Ngh... well, if it's a direct order then I guess I can't refuse," Trudge muttered. He glanced between Devack and Konami warily. "Just, be careful in there, alright kid?"

He used his keys and pulled the cell gate open. Konami spared him a single glance before striding inside.

"I'll try pops," he said on the way in. "But I can't be held accountable for the other guy."

The gate slammed shut behind him, leaving him alone with the former cult leader. The two stared at each other quietly for several seconds.

"So... do I talk first? You talk first?" Konami asked. "I don't know how this is supposed to go. It's my first interrogation."

Devack's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Is that so? And what, pray tell, have the nice inspector and her hulking behemoth of a man sent you to uncover?"

"Well, between you and me, they haven't sent me to do anything." Konami whispered. "I'm just here on the behalf of a friend. See the swirly-eyed, fish-looking woman watching us through the bars? She's a journalist, and she's gotten it in her head that you're running around with a powerful card."

"Oh?" Devack inquired a raise of his brow. "And what kind of card does the kind journalist believe I have?"

"Well sunshine head, that's what I'm here to find out." Konami replied. He seated himself on the iron bed across from Devack's. "Now, you don't really strike me as the type who'd explain his evil plan in one go, so I'm gonna have to go about this differently. So, Devack... tell me. Which do you like more? Yellow, or blue?"

The random question threw even the burly Devack off-guard, for he blinked in surprise for several seconds before gathering his wits. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked, not quite sure he heard correctly.

"Yellow or blue?" Konami asked. "I'm more of a red kind of guy myself, but I have a feeling you already caught that."

"...Blue." Devack grunted finally. "Though I don't see what that has to do with anything-"

"-Spell cards or monsters?" interrupted Konami. "I'd ask about Traps, but I'm pretty sure you don't know how to use 'em."

Devack grinned. "Don't I though? You're here, after all."

Konami's eyes widened. "Oh, you! You knew I was coming, didn't you?"

"But of course. The new warden isn't as good as she thinks at keeping things secret. By the time her call with your journalist friend had concluded, the entire prison knew to expect... visitors."

"Then why the secrecy? You could have said as much before I came in here."

"Ah," Devack replied. "But then I'd have to explain myself to the warden and her bulldog, wouldn't I?"

"And what makes you think you won't have to now that they-" Konami trailed off, realizing that they hadn't done anything. In begged investigation, so he slowly turned around to face the bars... only to find nothing but black space behind him.

"Wha-?"

"I suppose your next question would have been... oh, I don't know, Lightning or Phantasms?" Devack asked. "I'll give you one guess."

"Oh, you did not just try to outplay the player...!" Konami breathed. "You wanna play this game, fine! Endless black, lots of space? We're not in space, are we? Because that'd be pretty stupid."

Devack smirked. "Still making jokes? I assure you that you won't be for long. You are in the Shadow Realm, a place where lost souls are left to dwell for eternity! You had better make yourself comfortable, because you're going to be here for a while!"

Konami repositioned himself so that he was lying down on the bed.

"W-What?!" Devack sputtered.

"What?" Konami asked. "You told me to make myself comfortable."

Devack grimaced in disgust. "You... You think this is a game?!"

Konami smirked. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

With an outraged growl, Devack swung his arm to the side and summoned a Duel Disk. "Enough of this! I'l deal with you like I dealt with the others!"

"With a Duel?" Konami guessed.

"With a Duel!" Devack shouted. He clenched his free hand and smirked. "Feel free to think of it as a parting gift from the world of the living. Because once we're done here, you won't be!"

He laughed maniacally, and Konami scowled.

"We'll see about that," he muttered in reply. He rose from the bed, and their Duel Disks sprung to life.

It seemed their conversation was over. It was time to Duel!

"DUEL!"

The two drew their starting hands and glared at each other fiercely. Konami knew he'd have to tread carefully. He had yet to identify which Sacred Beast Devack carried. There was only the knowledge that he had one, somehow. How else would the man invoke the power of a Shadow Game?

"My move," Devack said, returning Konami's focus to the matter at hand. "Draw!"

After pulling a card from the top of his deck, Devack looked at his hand and grinned.

TURN ONE - DEVACK - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"I'll begin our fateful Duel by activating the Spell Veil of Darkness," Devack began. "It won't have any effect this Turn, so I'll explain it on my next. Now that I've played however, I think it's time to breathe some life into the field. I'll do that by summoning this, my Archfiend Soldier in Attack Mode!"

Fire and smoke swept through room, and slowly, a dark and fearsome figure rose from the depths. Wrapped in a dark green and red cape, the figure glared at Konami and raised his blade.

Archfiend Soldier - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1900/1500)

'A Fiend and a Continuous Spell... he's not giving up anything!' Konami thought.

Devack seemed to realize this as well, because he smirked. "I'll set one card face-down... and end my Turn."

"Then it's my move," Konami countered. He reached for his deck and pulled out the card on top. "Draw!"

TURN TWO - KONAMI - SIX CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"I summon the Mystic Clown in Attack Position!" declared Konami, placing his drawn card onto his Duel Disk face-up. A large purple creature emerged from the darkness seconds later, and it stared at the Archfiend Soldier with a single, piercing eye.

Mystic Clown - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1500/1000)

"Ha!" Devack shouted. "A clown for a jester? How quaint! But that monster doesn't have the Attack Points needed to overcome my soldier!"

"With any luck, he won't need it! I'll lay a card face-down, and end my Turn." Konami replied.

Devack grinned. "My move then. Draw!"

TURN THREE - DEVACK - FOUR CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"And now, it's time I activated the effect of my Veil of Darkness!" Devack exclaimed. "Allow me to explain how it works. During my Draw Phase, if I happen to draw a DARK monster, I can reveal it and send it to the Graveyard to draw one more card." Chuckling, he revealed drawn card to be Phantom Skyblaster. It was a DARK-type.

Devack drew another card.

"Now then," he said. "Where was I? Oh yes, I believe I was attacking your clown with my Archfiend Soldier!"

The caped crusader's eyes gleamed in the dark, and it began charging the clownish figure under Konami's control. Before it could land a blow however, Konami shot back a response of his own.

"Not so fast, Devack!" he shouted. "I have a Trap! Ultimate Offering!"

The face-down card swiveled upward to reveal itself, and Konami clenched his fist eagerly. "With this card, I'm able to pay five hundred Life Points to Normal Summon or Set one extra monster! The best part is... I don't have to summon them on my Turn! So now, I'll pay my five hundred Life Points, and Tribute my Mystic Clown to summon... Swordstalker!"

Evil energy erupted from beneath the Mystic Clown's form, and the Archfiend Soldier reeled back as a far more powerful monster emerged. It held a curved gold blade between its bulking purple fists, and wore a tattered red cape that made the Archfiend Soldier's look meek.

Swordstalker - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2000/1600)

"Tch, then it seems I won't be attacking after all." Devack mused. "However... I will be summoning another monster! Behold, the mighty Doomcaliber Knight in Attack Mode!"

A horrendous neigh filled the air, and the sound of galloping echoed across the darkened plain. Seconds later, an undead knight rolled in atop an evil steed, wielding a silver blade and skull-faced shield.

Doomcaliber Knight - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1900/1800)

"And I'll follow that move... with the activation of another Spell!" he continued. "Stumbling! It'll keep any monsters you summon from being placed in Attack Position, at least during the Turn they're placed on the field."

"So in other words... you're adding the rule of summoning sickness!" breathed Konami.

"Whatever you say," Devack chuckled. "I... end my Turn."

"My Turn then. Draw!" Konami shouted, pulling a card from the top of his deck.

TURN FOUR - KONAMI - FIVE CARDS IN HAND - 3500 LP

"So any monster I summon will be changed to Defense Position, eh?" he inquired. "In that case... I'll summon Uraby!"

The small brown dinosaur answered his call, and it crouched down low to defend itself.

Uraby - (EARTH/Dinosaur) - LV4 - (1500/800)

"But don't think I've forgotten about my Trap either!" Konami shouted. "I'll pay another five hundred Life Points... and trade Uraby in for the defensive Gyakutenno Megami!"

A golden light flooded the Shadow Realm at his words, and the brown dinosaur in wake of a beautiful green-haired woman. She pressed her hands together softly, generating a golden shield that protected her from any and all harm.

So long as said harm didn't have more than two thousand Attack Points, at least.

Gyakuteno Megami - (LIGHT?Fairy) - LV6 - (1800/2000)

"And now," said Konami. "I'll attack your Doomcaliber Knight with my Swordstalker!"

The vengeful warrior howled and in doing so, imbued its golden sword with the power of darkness. It swung the powered blade down across the ground, and a fierce wave of energy released itself from the sword's tip.

Unfortunately, it didn't even travel an inch before Devack barked out a response.

"I activate my Trap card, Negate Attack!" he roared, revealing the face-down he'd placed during his first Turn. "It'll halt your Swordstalker's wave, and end the Battle Phase!"

"Tsk...! Guess I was wrong then, you really can use Traps!" Konami grunted.

"Yes," Devack chuckled, clenching his fist powerfully. "And that's not all I can do. You can see it, no? The status of my field. The time of darkness grows near. Soon, the great beast that saved me shall be reborn into this world - and it shall take you as a mortal sacrifice!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just take your Turn already, would you?" Konami asked.

Devack smirked. "Don't mind..." he muttered, reaching for a card. "...If I do!"

He drew.

TURN FIVE - DEVACK - THREE CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

"And look! I drew another DARK monster." He mused, revealing the Brain Crusher in his hand. "You know what that means. My Veil of Darkness will take it as sacrifice... and let me draw another card in its stead!"

He ripped another card from the top of his deck and grinned.

"Just the card I was hoping for. I sacrifice your Ultimate Offering Trap... to Special Summon Trap Eater!" Devack howled, catching Konami by surprise.

"What?!" Konami gasped, watching as his first defense vanished in the blink of an eye. "But how's that possible?!"

"It's in the name, is it not?" Devack grinned. "Trap Eater. By sending one face-up Trap my opponent controls to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it from my hand. Since your Ultimate Offering was a Trap card... well, you understand, don't you?"

A small monster whose mouth was filled with rows and rows of teeth drooled as it materialized from the darkness. Its wide and beady eyes swiveled about wildly as it took form beside Devack's other two monsters, but through it all - one fact remained.

It was a Fiend.

Trap Eater - (DARK/Fiend) - LV4 - (1900/1600)

'Darn, that's three!' Konami thought. 'So is it Raviel he has after all?!'

Devack seemed to notice Konami's anxiety, as his smile had grown to split his face. "Wondering if I'll summon up a monster from your nightmares, boy?" he asked. "Perhaps, but for now I have another surprise for you. Another Spell - Messenger of Peace! It'll stop any monster with more than fifteen hundred Attack Points from starting a fight!'

"What you mean to say is that it's another Continuous Spell card!" Konami grunted. 'Which isn't good,' he thought. 'Is he trying to throw me off? Is it Hamon instead of Raviel? No, it's a ploy! Or maybe... he has both of them? I can't figure it out, and it's driving me insane!'

"I think that'll do." Devack chukled. "I end my Turn."

'He didn't have either...? In that case, this is my chance!' Konami thought. He reeled back, and drew a card.

TURN SIX - KONAMI - FOUR CARDS IN HAND - 3000 LP

His eyes gleamed upon seeing his drawn card. "If it is Raviel you have in that deck of yours, you're about to be sent right back to the drawing board! I activate the Spell card Dark Hole! It'll destroy any and all monsters on the field, meaning that your Fiends are toast!"

"Yes," Devack agreed, watching as the swirling storm descended upon the field. "But don't forget that your monsters will be victims to its power as well! With this, we'll both be sent back to zero. The only difference... is that I still have my Spells!"

Konami narrowed his eyes, "Maybe so, but I have this - Monster Reborn! With it, I can revive my Swordstalker. And that's not all, I also have another I'm summoning! La Jinn, The Mystical Genie of the Lamp!"

Two lights burst from the depths of the Shadow Realm, announcing the arrival of Konami's trusted monsters.

La Jinn, The Mystical Genie of the Lamp - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1800/1000)

Swordstalker - (DARK/Warrior) - LV6 - (2000/1500)

"You may have two monsters, but you won't be able to attack with them!" Devack said. "Not only does my Messenger of Peace stop their attempts, but Stumbling ensures they will both fall ill with this 'summoning sickness' you spoke of!"

"Yes, it's a rather unfortunate illness. Common symptoms include nausea, inability to stand, the sensation of being tapped, and of course, a distaste for large, shiny objects. Like your head." Konami smirked.

"I've heard enough bald jokes, and many of them were far better than yours!" roared Devack. "It's my Turn! Draw!" He ripped a card from the top of his deck, and this time, it glowed.

TURN SEVEN - DEVACK - TWO CARDS IN HAND - 4000 LP

He grinned, and it wasn't his usual grin either. It was a fiendish grin, one that let Konami know what was coming.

'Hamon,' he thought. 'He just drew it.'

As the three Spells Devack placed over the course of the Duel vanished, Konami knew he was right. He was right, and the Duel was about to take a turn for the worst.