Heirs of Fate

by 7th Librarian

The son of Maximillion Pegasus. The daughter of Seto Kaiba. Their fortunes have been intertwined since before they were born by corporate dealings and the whims of past destinies. They have worked to escape the shadows of the two men who changed the world. But now, as a crimson star begins to shine amongst the sea of stars, their inheritance has come due. And that cost is heavy.

16. Duel Madness! Chaos Ensues!

Heirs of Fate
By 7th Librarian

A/N: If I had a dollar for every time I apologized for having a chapter come out so late, I'd be able to pay a ghostwriter…

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this during this world crisis!

Chapter 16: Duel Madness! Chaos Ensues!

Daniel was always amazed at how calm he found himself in these situations. Oh, initially, he'd had his own fair share of panic attacks, painful duels and memories that kept him up at night and experiences that were far too outside the norm to ever get any therapist to relate to, but he had been a teenager.

Now that he was an adult and these things kept happening, he just kept taking them in stride. Old enemies returning from the dead for revenge could be fit in between his morning run and a brunch smoothie. Magical duels were given the same amount of attention and thought as his grocery runs.

Even now, when he was literally walking upside down on a long set of windows that had become this hallway's new floor, picking his way like a tightrope walker along the frames, he only spared a few thoughts to the idea that if he fell 'through' the panes, he'd go hurtling down into the spike forest that surrounded the castle. And those were only spared out of curiosity.

I wonder what that says about me as a person. He thought back to Jessie's 'salt-and-salsa look' comment and grinned a bit. I suppose that just means I'm well-seasoned.

The camera drone ahead of him had no trouble navigating the twisted space of the castle and moved at a steady clip that eventually led him to the door that Sumire had said Jessiebelle was behind. He had to step 'up' relative to his glass floor onto the wall to get there and there was only a twinge in his stomach as the world inverted itself again.

There was more than a twinge of frustration in his head, though, as he regarded the wooden door in front of him. There wasn't a handle and squared in the center was a three-by-three grid. It was empty save for a single square in the center that had a triangle in it. "Sumire, can you hear me?"

"I can. And I see it as well. The others all report the same set-up at their doors, though their piece has a different symbol." The drone backed up and away from the door a bit, presumably to give her a better view of it.

Daniel reached out and touched the tile. Nothing happened, so he applied pressure but there was no give inwards. Instead, the tile slid to the left and hit the grid's edge. He quickly moved it through all nine slots, but nothing happened. "It's some kind of puzzle game, but I'm not sure how this is going to work."

"I believe that I do. The doors all have the same grid. What has to happen is that the six pieces must be put into their proper place. If you stacked all six doors together, that would result in a complete image."

"Like the Battle City locator cards…" Daniel stepped back and folded his arms. "But what the hell has a triangle as a symbol? Geometry? Algebra? Trig?"

"I do not know. I have uploaded the images to my computer and am running a search to find matches in any historial, modern or theoretical symbols."

"And how long will that take?"

A pause. "When I have the solution to the puzzle, you will know how long it took."

Daniel didn't have a response, so he remained silent. And wished quietly to himself that he wasn't so used to waiting for life and death situations to resolve themselves without him.

Oh well. He thought, getting comfortable on the floor. At least nothing is trying to eat me this time…

TTTTTTT

"Take...my Number? Take...my life points?" Panik stared at his hand, then clenched it into a defiant fist as he lifted his eyes to meet Kaede's cold look with a sneer. "I am Panik! You'll take nothing from me but pain and your own death!"

"Kill me? How?" Kaede barked a laugh and swept out her arm, the act generating a wave of embers and brimstone that billowed out her coat and left her violet eyes glimmering twistedly. "We're already in hell!"

Terrorking Archfiend rumbled an agreement, dragging his axe across the stone and generating a shower of sparks at Panik.

The big man held his ground. "I'll crush you and drive you so far into despair, you'll hang yourself from the tallest tree willingly! I draw!" He ripped the card free, darkness rippling around his form and his broad mouth split into a satisfied grin. "I activate the spell Glorious Numbers! This card revives my Shadow Lich and becomes an Overlay Unit for it!"

The fires of Imperial Pandemonium dimmed so that darkness swamped his field and Shadow Lich just appeared out of it like it had always been there. "And I'll expend that material to summon more Phantom Tokens! Shadows of Death!" Shadow Lich snuffed out the orb of light surrounding it and its shadow spread out like a fan, splitting off to spawn four identical copies of itself. His two Token Stampede cards glowed as they lent their power to the new monsters. (500-2500/0x4)

A card flashed into existence behind his monster. "Then I set this card and end my turn!"

"I draw." Kaede drew. "I think you're living up to your name, Panik. You just did the exact same move I've already beaten. I'd compliment you for sticking to your guns, but rewarding stupidity is how you got a job in the first place."

"Talk all you like, little Mouto, but I promise you, the real terror is yet to come!"

"Mmhmm, sure. And if you keep talking, I'll find your voice less stupid. Don't think either one is about to happen." Kaede snapped out a hand and another brazier around her lit up. "I pay eight hundred life points to keep Terrorking's effects in play, placing one counter on my field spell!" (KLP: 3600-2800)

A new brazier lit, but she wasn't paying attention to it. "Harpie's Feather Duster! All of your spell and traps are destroyed!"

A whirlwind of feather's gathered out of nowhere, tearing through Panik's Token Stampedes. As it went for the set card, though, it flipped up and Panik just sneered. "I activate my set card! The quick-play spell card from Master Nitemare! Rank-Up Magic - Nitemare Force!"

The card didn't lift, but shattered into fragments. Each one glimmered into blackness and Kaede started as they all pierced Shadow Lich like knives. The monster's tattered cloak body writhed in pain like it was actual flesh and out of the wounds poured a miasma. It layered itself over Shadow Lich like bandages, pulsating as if it were cocooning the monster inside a gigantic heart.

"The shadow colacese into a vessel of pain and rage! Evolve in the heart of darkness and become a terror beyond terror! Rank-Up Xyz Summon - Number C49: Fullshadow Lich!" Panik laughed as the heart of dark magic beat a few more times, went still and began to melt. The new monster was a skull with obsidian gemstone eyes and shadows dripping around it to facisimilate a body and cloak. Ethereal and ragged, Kaede had a hard time making out its exact features. (2300/0)

But her Terrorking didn't. He hefted his axe and she pointed. "Terrorking! Crush that lich again! Terror Slash!"

The Synchro lunged and his axe carved up the center lich. But the only real result was Panik's laugh and cackling from the other liches. "Fullsahdow Lich is an improvement on the original - you cannot attack it while I have Phantom Tokens! And as before, I take no damage from them! But you do!"

Kaede braced herself as a dark aura erupted around her, sapping her strength as Panik continued. "Each time a Phantom Token is destroyed, you take five hundred damage and Fullshadow Lich gains that much attack!" (2300-2800)

"Tch - more walling!" Kaede pointed at Terrorking, who was lifting up a hand himself. "I use the effect of Terrorking! I roll one die because he destroyed a monster as a result of battle! And by expending a counter from Imperial Pandemonium, I make the result six!" Terrorking crushed the die in his hand and smoke wafted out to form a translucent six. "Now I summon one Archfiend that is level six or lower from my deck!"

A short, bone-and-armor demon appeared on her field. "In my main phase two, I tune my Terrorking and my new Horrorpawn to summon out the very fires of hell itself! The roar of flames and the biting heat of the inferno gather together to boil the devil's blood! Ignite the world in a hellstorm of battle! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Hot Red Dragon Archfiend!"

Terrorking and Horrorpawn were swallowed by blazing flames that drowned out even Imperial Pandemonium's light. They twined and morphed into the red-scaled form of her dragon, his roar shaking the stonework. (3000/2000)

The liches across the field all backed up as the dragon's wings beat, sending waves of heat across the playing field. Kaede smirked at Panik's wide-eyed look. "That look - right there? That's fear, Panik - the kind that makes you feel cold even in the flames of the underworld! And I'll show you why that fear is justified right now!"

She grabbed two cards from her hand and the flames around her monster burned larger. "I equip Hot Red Dragon Archfiend with Blood of the Archfiends and Archfiend Sword - Frightlush!" A wickedly-carved sword appeared in her monster's claws, the hilt made of bone and the crossguard a still-beating heart that had a single eye on it. "Now Hot Red Dragon Archfiend! Crimson Tide!"

Hot Red roared and slammed his new sword into the ground. It kicked up a blazing wave of flames that crashed into Panik's field and blew the remaining three Phantom Tokens apart. Hot Red began to bleed, the blood fuel for new, hotter flames. "I may take fifteen hundred damage, but Blood of the Archfiend increases my monster's attack by eighteen hundred! Then Frightlush absorbs their souls and gives me six hundred life points for each one!" (KLP: 2300-800-3200) (3000-5400)

Panik stared in concern. "But Fullshadow's attack points…!" (2800-4300)

"Don't mean anything in the face of my power!" Kaede swept a card into her disk. "I set this face-down! End turn!"

"Draw!" Panik tore his card free and pointed at his monster. "Fullshadow does not have to expend a material to summon it's tokens!" The shadows around it twisted and erupted into clones of itself again. (500x4)

I can activate Fullshadow's effect on her turn, too. So if I can stop her from healing, her own dragon will finish her off! He held up a spell card. "Then I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Frightlush!"

"Reverse card open! The Emperor's Will! I destroy Call of the Archfiends-" The trap card shattered. "And now I can activate the effect of an Archfiend monster! Crimson Tide!"

Panik's eyes widened as Hot Red Dragon Archfiend slashed the demonic sword through the air, generating a wave of searing heat that burned away his tokens. The bleeding fires around the monster increased as Blood of the Archfiends activated. Kaede's form burned with damage from the token's death, only for the hellfire to warp around her. (KLP: 3200-1200-3400) (5400-7800)

Then Mystical Space Typhoon finished activating and blew the sword out of her dragon's hand. It went spiraling off into the woods around them. "That accomplished nothing! My Fullshadow gains more attack points and I can summon more tokens on your turn! You're just hurting yourself!" (4300-6300)

Red sprayed across his vision and the big man looked down in numb surprise to see Frightlush jutting out of his chest. The sword faded away, as did the wound but he still fell to his knees in pain. "But..!"

"Frightlush is a demon sword, Panik. It gains counters for each monster destroyed by the Archfiends. And when you destroy it, you take damage equal to those counters times six hundred!" Kaede drawled in satisfaction. "And it had eight!"

Panik gasped in agony, forcing himself to stand again. But his once intimidating bulk made it easier to see that every move was a struggle for him. "You - one shot won't be enough to defeat me!" (PLP: 8000-3600)

"Don't give yourself too much credit, Panik. I defeat duelists at the tournament level - you, I just put out of your misery!" Kaede snarked.

"I'll show you!" Panik held up another spell card. "Shrink! The attack points of your dragon are halved!" The flames around Hot Red dwindled and the dragon was forced to land instead of keep flying as its strength was sapped. "Fullshadow Lich! Destroy that dragon! Death Endless!" (7800-3900)

His monster shot forwards, its shadowy body expanding until it was able to envelope Hot Red completely. Something glimmered in the darkness, there was a roar and then Synchro came stumbling out of it. In pieces.

Those pieces all shattered and their force slammed into Kaede, hurling her off her feet until she crashed into one of the trees. She staggered on suddenly unsteady footing, the world swimming. Hot Red's defeat felt like her heart had just been squeezed in an ever-tightening vise. How...losing Hot Red has never hurt before…

Fullshadow Lich's skull watched her sway, cackling in a manner that was all too real and she could see something hungry in those empty socks. That Number...is alive. Like Hot Red is alive. I…

Then she pitched forwards, the world swallowed in darkness and cold as she crashed into the ground and didn't move.

TTTTTT

A plain triangle. An inverted triangle with a line through it near the base. A circle with two squiggly lines dividing it into quarters. An hourglass made of two triangles with a circle overlapping the connection. Two circles and a triangle in the shape of a Venn diagram. And a single, simple eye.

They were such simple designs. But they only made them harder to decipher. Sumire glowered at the holo screen her headset was projecting in mid-air in front of her. Her laptop was still cycling through the images and comparing the symbols to known historical records while the Pegasus' computer was a split-screen of the six drones. All of whom had the Pros waiting impatiently on it.

"Maybe they're some kind of number code?" Cathy suggested behind her. "Or a number cipher? Like one matches up to this letter of the alphabet and so on?"

"No, that's not consistent with the grid pattern they all go in." Annalissa was next to Sumire, her eyes focused on the screens. "And I swear I've seen them before...I know they symbolize something esoteric, not letters or numbers."

"There are too many choices." Sumire grunted in frustration. "They are so simple, variations of them occur across civilizations all over the globe. And we have no clues as to how they would relate to Duelist Kingdom and the force behind this game."

"I'd say this thing had to be on the island, though, right?" Cathy said slowly in realization. "Which means it might be connected to Pegasus and his doings. Wasn't he into a lot of magical things when he was younger? All that research he did for Duel Monsters - Egyptian hieroglyphs, Norse runes, cuniforms, alchemy -"

"That's it!" Annalissa slapped the desk in recognition. "Those are ancient alchemical symbols for the elements!"

Sumire looked at her. "The Lucindas are descended from a long-line of alchemists, are they not?" As Annalissa nodded, she continued. "Can you see some kind of pattern or connection to these symbols?"

"I think I can. They are really old and didn't exist for long or might have been unique to the alchemist using them. But...that one is fire…" The doctor pointed at the triangle with the wavy line. "And that one is water." She pointed at the circle and its squiggly lines.

"Given the grid, we have to arrange them in the right order. Is there some kind of significant set-up? Some kind of display about how all the elements of the word connect?"

"There is, but these symbols aren't public knowledge, so we can't google them. And I think I saw these only in a reference book." Annalissa frowned in concentration. "The Wald, I think it was called. The reference that the world was all elements and all elements were the world, humanity being one of the elements. That should be the eye…so put...fire in the top right and water in the bottom right."

Sumire nodded. "Toppa, move your piece to the top right corner. Reginald, yours must go into the bottom right corner."

The two Pros started at the sound of her voice, but sprang to move them. Plato's voice came back through the drones. "Have you a solution, then?"

"The beginnings of one, yes." Sumire didn't have to add that everyone was hoping by the time they got through the doors, it wasn't the end for their trapped friends.

TTTTTTT

Verthy stared at the Puppeteer, then her expression went hard. "I do not have to tell you anything!"

"You do not, but you will. Your stance, your voice, your expression…" The Puppeteer made the doll Verthy dance. "And of course, your memories…" An echoing breath from under his mask. "I wonder if the Pegasus boy will have anything to say once he learns of how he will die…"

"Silence! It's my turn!" Verthy drew and then her graveyard glowed. "The effect of Destiny Draw my Diamond Dude sent to the graveyard lets me draw two cards!" She drew twice more. "Now I activate D-Spirit! As I have no monsters, I can summon a D-Hero from my hand!"

In a flash of light, a burly warrior with dreadlocks appeared, his expression grim under his high-tech visor. "Destiny Hero-Dunker! And then I use his special ability! I discard a D-Hero and you take 500 damage!" (1200/1700)

She shoved a card into her graveyard and Dunker gathered energy in his hands, hurling it at her opponent and shoving him back a step. "But I'm not stopping there!" (PLP: 5900-5400)

"Oh, I know, Verthy…" The Puppeteer said, making the doll version of her dance as he chuckled. "Not until you've killed them all-"

"If you cannot be silent, then I will make you through force! I banish the Malicious I discarded to summon another one from my deck!" Verthy slapped down the card and the snarling hooved demon appeared. "Then I sacrifice them both! Come on, Dreadmaster!"

Her two monsters vanished and with growl, the hulking scared form of her monster burst out of the floorboards. His bellow was loud even through his mask. "And now that I've summoned him, I can call back Diamond Dude and Dunker from the graveyard!"

The two heroes reappeared in short bursts of light, then Verthy held up a third card as a new demon crawled out of the darkness. He too roared as he gained muscle, wings and grisly fangs. "By summoning and then banishing the third Malicious, I can bring out Malevolence from the Extra Deck! And Dreadmaster draws his power from all my heroes!" (1400/1700) (1200/1600) (2400/2400) (5000/5600)

"Malevolence! Destroy his Doll Chimera Remodeled!" Verthy snapped her fingers and her monster leapt to obey, tackling the broken doll fusion. Malevolence shrugged off the lashing tendrils from the ectoplasm inside and the room shook with its blows until in a spray of chaos stuff and plastic, the doll exploded.

"Such violence for one who wants me to believe she will not kill the one she will come to love…" Puppeteer shook his head mockingly as Verthy glared and pointed at his set card. It flipped up, revealing a continuous trap card whose image showed a toybox filled with Doll Parts, a faceless duelist in a redcap starting as Doll Chimera clambered out of the pile. "Doll Toybox activates! Because you destroyed a Doll Chimera, I can summon as many Doll Parts as I wish from my graveyard!" (PLP: 5400-5000)

Two doll heads, two sets of legs and a torso clattered out of the black void of the ceiling in front of him, (0/0x5)

"Dreadmaster! Dunker! Diamond Dude! Rid the field of those cast-offs!" Verthy barked, Dreadmaster easily smashing a doll head with a single bunch while Diamond Dude and Dunker's blasts just vaporized the two sets of legs. "I go to Main Phase 2 and use Diamond Dude's effect!"

She grabbed the top card of her deck and flipped it around. "Monster Reincarnation is a normal spell, so it goes to the graveyard." Sliding the card into her graveyard, she just nodded curtly at Puppeteer. "Now take your turn, you wastrel!"

"Heh...so it's not the fact I am speaking the truth that is bothering you, but the fact you see me as your inferior?" Puppeteer's eyes crinkled in amusement above his mask. "Tsk, tsk…"

"You are a murder and a grave robber, hounding your victims even beyond the grave. And see my personal torment as a weapon for your own use." The German woman said curtly. "I may have slipped up letting you provoke me, but I'll not let you do so again!"

"Fair enough, fair enough - then perhaps you'll believe the truth from someone of higher station...I activate the other effect of Doll Toybox!" The trap card glowed and the Puppeteer had the Verthy doll reach for the deck. "As I have at least two Doll Parts in play, I search a 'Doll' related card from my deck! And I pick another Doll Part Black!"

He tossed down the card and the pulsating black heart reappeared. "As before, when I summon this card, I summon as many Doll Parts as I wish from the graveyard!" A set of arms and a torso appeared on his field. "Then using Black, Red and Blue, I open the Overlay Network!"

The three named monsters were pulled into the floor and the room they were in fell silent. Verthy felt tension in the air thicken, as all the dolls seemed to grow eager and anticipatory.

"Your reign started with the explosion of creation and will end in the fires that consume all things! With power as infinite as the countless stars, consume all enemies in your glory! Xyz Summon! Rank 1! Number 83: Galaxy Queen!" The Puppeteer's eyes reflected the shimmerng swirl of the portal as his new monster rose out of it. Auburn hair, perfect purples trimmed in gold and a ruthless, haughty expression her face that could fell armies, his new monster fit her name. (500/500)

Verthy felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, the dolls surrounding her having gone from malicious giggles and mocking looks to a quiet respectfulness. And it was far more eerie than anything they'd before. This monster is something unnatural…

There was heat on her arm and she glanced down at her Duel Disk, almost swearing she could see her deck pulsing with anger. And whatever it is, the Ultimate D card does not like it at all.

"But what is a Queen without subjects? I activate Enchanting Fitting Room, paying eight hundred life points and revealing the top four cards of my deck." Puppeteer watched as a curtained red stage appeared on his field and spread itself, revealing Doll Parts, Blue and Yellow plus a copy of the spell Reload. "Ah, I only have space for two, but that is all I need." (PLP: 5000-4200)

A doll's head and a set of broken arms joined the damaged legs and torso he had floating on the field. "Then I activate another spell card - Chimera Spectre!"

Verthy jumped slightly as a wicked cackling echoed across the room, all the dolls along the wall jumping as well and huddling together. She watched the darkness behind the Puppeteer, heard the scuttling thumping of plastic on wood and something not quite human playing on the edges of the light. "What are you doing?"

"Chimera Spectre infuses ordinary Doll Parts with the same malevolence that brings the Doll Chimeras to life. This increases their attack by two thousand points!" The Puppeteer's clothing flapped as shadows leapt out of the darkness behind, plunging into the Doll Parts. Solid blackness oozed out of their cracks as the legs stood up, the head blinked to life, the arms clenched fists and the torso floated upwards. (2000x4)

Galaxy Queen lifted her staff, one of her three orbiting Xyz Material being pulled into it. The jewels atop it lit up, similar auras surrounding the Doll Parts and herself "My Queen now shields all my monsters from destruction by any means thanks to her effect! Now, we battle! Doll Part Blue attacks Dunker! Doll Part Red attacks Diamond Dude!"

The legs ran up to the diamond-studded hero, latching around his neck in a chokehold. The black ooze inside spilled out and oozed over his head. Then they leapt away and the hero's headless body thumped to the floor. Dunker fared little better, the doll's head's hair erupting like tentacles to lash around him and rip him to pieces. Only his head dropped to the floor. The both erupted into pixels and Verthy staggered from the backlash. (VLP: 5400-4000)

"Alas, my Doll Parts power isn't enough to beat over Malevolence or Dreadmaster and their battles would be futile despite my other successes…" The Puppeteer rasped dryly. "Like your own, Verthandi…"

He made her doll copy, now having gained some of her facial features, dance. "Do your visions show you when you'll accept that eventuality, of the impossibility of fighting against destiny? Or do they deny you even that peace, leaving to struggle in helplessness?"

Verthy straightened, her expression dark but she kept her lips shut.

"Hmph...so you figured out one of my weaknesses. I can't have a one-sided conversation. Then I'll just set this face-down and end my turn." The card appeared next to his Doll Toybox. "Now, Chimera Specter would destroy my Doll Parts - only a complete doll can contain the power safely. But my Queen's own power prevents that. So they remain."

"Not for long! I draw!" Verthy snapped up her card. "During my Standby Phase, Monster Reincarnation activates and lets me add Diamond Dude to my hand!" She plucked the card from her graveyard. "And now I'll summon him!"

With a battle cry, the hero reappeared in a flash of light and diamond. "Now I activate a spell! Tribute Advance! I rearrange the top five cards of my deck and then I can tribute summon again this turn!"

Puppeteer watched as Verthy pulled off a stack of cards and started to rearrange them. "A pity you cannot rearrange the future as easily, but that would be delaying inevitable...each action you take a draw from the deck of life." His mask made his knowing tone dark and harsh. "How many cards till you draw your destiny, I wonder?"

"You will not rattle me!" Verthy barked and then pointed at Diamond Dude. "I use my monster's effect!" She held up the top card of her deck. "Destiny Diamond is sent to the graveyard!"

The card slid into her graveyard and then Diamond Dude vanished. Replaced by a dynamite-strapped hero whose weapon of choice was already lit and dangerous. "Because I tribute summoned Dynamiteguy, I can send the top three cards of my deck to the graveyard! The monsters among my next three cards are Destiny Heroes Celestial and Dasher! So not only is your Doll Part Blue going to be destroyed, your Queen's reign is at an end!" (2000/100)

Dynamite's brace of larger-than-life sticks went off, the force crashing into the Puppeteer's field and shrouding it in smoke. Verthy's satisfied smile cleared when it did, revealing his monsters unharmed. "Your monster's effect lasts through my turn as well!?"

"Did I not mention?" The Puppeteer and his Verthy doll both adopted a startled pose. "Between the vision of you cradling a dead husband and one of you burying a dead wife, I'm afraid it must have slipped my mind...just how do you sleep at night, knowing these things?

"You're just telling me things I already know - what effect do you think that will have?!"

"Ah, I'm not too sure..." Puppeteer and the doll both scratched their chins and then pointed at Verthy. "Why don't you tell me when your hands stop shaking?"

Verthy didn't look at her hands - she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Or her fears that acknowledgement. But she did clench her fingers a bit tighter together. "Here's something I will tell you - thanks to having Dynamite Guy in play, Dreadmaster powers up! And he and Malevolence will attack your Doll Parts since your Queen cowers in defense mode!" (2400-4400)

The demon charged, slashing the doll head across the face but his claws left nothing. Dreadmaster followed up with a double-fisted sledgehammer blow that shook room...and didn't budge the head an inch. (PLP: 5000-4600-2200)

The Puppeteer staggered dramatically from the blow, the doll Verthy doing the same. "Your wrath stings...but its fuel is fear, girl...and that will consume you."

"If you are going to talk about everything but your moves, then surrender already!" Verthy watched as her two monsters returned to her field, their glares matching hers. "End turn!"

"As you like." The Puppeteer drew and his set car flipped up. "The trap card Backup Soldier. I add three normal monsters with less than fifteen hundred attack from my graveyard to my hand." He held up three of his Doll Parts and added them to his hand. "Then I play Doll Parts Shuffle, shuffling four Doll Parts into my deck and then drawing five new cards in total."

He drew again and then held up another spell card. "Dark Factory of Mass Production allows me to pick up two more Doll Parts. But I will be using Magical Stone Excavation to send them back to the graveyard so I may pick up Chimera Spectre again."

Verthy's expression didn't change, but her eyes flicked to her monsters worryingly.

"I activate Chimera Spectre, banshing the original Doll Chimera from my graveyard to increase the power of my Doll Parts again! And then Galaxy Queen's effect shall protect them once more!" The Doll Parts all somehow gained bulging veins, their plastic bodies cracking and chipping further as the things inside them gained mass. The Queen just smiled as she sucked another orb into her staff and a glow suffused all five monsters. (2000-4000x4)

"Now Doll Part Blue attacks Dynamite Guy!" The Doll Part floated forwards, spiked tendrils erupting out of its damage and ensnaring her hero.

"Reverse card open D - Soul! Since you're attacking my hero, this trap allows me to banish another hero in my graveyard and give their attack points to Dynamite Guy! I choose Dasher!" Verthy held the monster up as it slid free of her graveyard. "And his attack is twenty-one hundred!" (2000-4100)

Explosions ripped apart the lashing tendrils from the inside, revealing Dynamiteguy. He was scuffed up and damaged, missing one of his bandoliers. But alive. (PLP: 2100)

"And that attack increase means Dreadmaster is safe as well...but your fusion is not! Doll Part Red! Attack!" The Puppeteer gestured and the doll legs sprinted forward and jumped, landing a kick that punched through Malevolence like he was soft cheese. The fusion stared at the bleeding wound, then exploded into pixels in mid-roar of rage. Verthy staggered from the backlash, grabbing one of the counters for stability. (VLP: 4000-2400)

"Your doll is taking shape…" The Puppeteer held it up. The doll Verthy was looking more life-like now, replete with her features. "And your destiny becomes more clear...Belldandy…"

Verthy's blue eyes widened, then narrowed ruthlessly. "How dare you!"

"I dare because I am dead and have nothing else to do." The Puppeteer made a sweeping gesture. "You are free to expend your wrath upon me in exchange…" His eyes lit with a dark smile that his mask hid. "It may be the only choice you ever get to have…"

"Silence!" Verthy ripped her next draw from her deck. "It's my standby phase and now I use the effect of Destiny Diamond! Since Destiny Dude sent it to the graveyard, I can banish it and it copies the effect of any normal spell in my graveyard! I select Destiny Draw, so I draw twice more!"

Snapping up her new cards, her field slot popped open. "I activate the field spell Castle Terminus!" The dolls surrounding them all clattered and panicked, but were swept away as their surroundings changed. Now they were standing in a medieval-style castle, swathed in black and a giant clock tower face behind Verthandi. "Then I summon D-Hero Captain Tenacious!"

Her new hero was bare-chested, wielding armored shells on either hand and ragged red hair. "Now all three of my monsters become sacrifices to summon the greatest D-Hero!" Dreadmaster, Captain Tenacious and Dynamiteguy all sank into the floor and became a pool of blood. It erupted upwards, splashing back down to reveal an emaciated man with great leathery wings and a dragon's head on arm, the thing extending up over his shoulders and down the other as a tail blade. "Destiny Hero - Plasma!" (1900/600)

The Puppeteer's eyes widened at the sight of Plasma, while his Galaxy Queen just glared. Only to sag against her staff as her colors began to be sapped away. "What is that thing doing!?"

"In the face of Plasma, all of your monsters lose their powers! Their effects are useless! And if they weren't, I will be removing the threat of your Queen right now!" Verthy lifted a hand and Plasma spread his wings. "My monster's second power! It can absorb yours! Gravity Blood!"

Galaxy Queen shrieked in defiance as her form broke apart into motes of light. They became flecks of blood and were sucked into his wings. "And now, Plasma gains attack points equal to-"

Verthy broke off as Plasma suddenly began to thrash about. A ugly red glow surrounded him and began to spark violently, tearing at his body. The hero bellowed in pain and lashed out blindly, trying to hit an enemy that wasn't there. The Queen's spirit appeared in front of him, twisting and snarling and hugging herself in pain as well. Cracks began to spread over Plasma's body, spilling out ugly light.

With an inhumane roar, Plasma exploded. Verthy was thrown backwards, crashing into the clock face behind her, saw the Puppeteer go flying back himself and the world swam in front of her. How…?

TTTTTTT

"My move!" Jessie snapped up her next card. She glanced at her pile of nuts and washers, expression tight. "I bet I will deal you one thousand damage this turn!" She shoved a stack of her 'chips' forwards.

"Really? And here I thought you'd just wall up and try to think of a strategy, but you Wheelers have always been hot-heads." Keith folded his burly arms. "Run right into trouble headfirst."

"There's more to my name than my dad's - and we Valentines always have a plan!" Jessie caught the card that her deck spat out and slapped it into her field zone. "The field spell Altar of the Mind's Eye!"

The air around them warped and twisted, removing the gambling hall and leaving them surrounded by torches in a sandstone temple with an altar behind Jessie. "And since you gave me Jizukiru, it'd be a shame to waste him!"

"Is that right?" Keith watched as the kaiju mech began to surge with lightning, the energy gathering at the tips of its claws. "Well, his attack name is Thunder Roar."

"You brought out my 'all my care' face again, Keith! Jizukiru! Attack Dyson Sphere with Jessiebelle Roar!" Jessie grinned as the monster lifted his arms and opened fire, the lightning having become searing lasers that rocketed up into the 'sky'. On the screen above Keith, they became bright dots visible against the backdrop. "And with Altar of the Mind's Eye in play, any damage you take will become one thousand! So suck it!"

Her grin dropped with the blasts slammed into Dyson Sphere, expending themselves harmlessly a few yards away against a shimmering barrier. "Deflector shields!? Seriously!?"

Keith laughed. "Dyson Sphere's got top-notch technology! As long as it has Xyz Material, I can negate any attack against it!"

Conniving son of a bitch! You'd think with that big mouth of his, he'd have spilled the beans! Jessie glared at him, then saw her chips sliding across the table towards him. Oh no -! I didn't deal him any damage!

Her scream of pain echoed about the temple and blood spurted from a fresh wound on her arm, Keith's smile dark under his sunglasses. "Looks like you're all talk and no bark, girlie."

He drew for his turn. "But you scream pretty well, so let's make sure you can do the one thing you're good at! Hah! I bet I'm going to deal you twenty-eight hundred damage!" He shoved a massive stack of chips towards the center of the table. "I detach Dyson Sphere's last material, meaning Overlay Profit lets me draw again and my monster can attack you directly! Brilliant Bombardment!"

Dyson Sphere charged up all along its massive cannons and fired, the city-swallowing burst of power morphing in a pencil-thin beam that pierced through Jessiebelle's chest. Another screamed echoed across the temple and she fell to her knees, clutching at the smoking wound.

"Hah! That was even better than the last time! I-" Keith stopped as he saw her life points trickle down...and stop. "What gives!?" (JLP: 5200-4200)

"Altar of the Mind's Eye, ass. It works both ways." Jessie managed to grin despite her pain as Keith's expression dropped. "And since you didn't deal the damage you bet…"

Keith bellowed in anger, then in pain as his legs erupted in red and his stack of chips scooted itself over to Jessie's pile. She felt her skin itch, some of the bleeding stopping, but she still felt woozy. Damn. Doesn't look like winning chips fixes things. What a twisted game - we 're just racing to see who dies first!

"Tch...just got lucky…." Keith grunted through grit teeth. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Draw!" Jessie did so. Nothing she had in hand would help right now, but it didn't matter. Now's my chance - that thing is out of Xyz Material so its shields are down! "I bet you'll take one thousand damage this turn! Jizukizu! Blast that thing out of the atmosphere! Jessiebelle Roar!

"It ain't that simple! When Dyson Sphere is attacked and has no materials, I can give it two from my graveyard!" Keith sneered as his machine lit up with power agan and the laser blasts splashed against its restricted shields. "So you lose this round!"

Dammit! Jessie hugged her forearms, nails digging as wounds spurt open over her body - she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of screaming again. "End...end turn!"

"Draw!" Keith snapped up his card and grunted in annoyance as he pushed a small pile of chips forwards. "I bet you'll take one thousand damage! Dyson Sphere! Brilliant Bombardment!"

Light shot down and slammed through Jessiebelle a third time, dropping her to one knee. But her lips remained stubbornly closed. (JLP: 4200-3200)

"Tch, your pops was a stubborn ass, too - didn't know when to quit! I set one card face-down!" Keith watched it flash into existence before him. "End turn!"

"D-draw!" Jessie got back to her feet as she drew. She glanced at the card, staring at it for a long moment, then reached out and shoved about half of her remaining chips forwards. "I bet you'll take five thousand points of damage this turn!"

"Five-" Keith gawked, then laughed. "You must have snapped from the blood loss, chickie! You ain't got a chance in hell of doing that! The odds have to be worse than one in a million!"

"Don't ever tell me the odds! I activate Monster Recovery! I shuffle all monsters and cards in my hand back into my deck, then I draw five new cards!" Jessie smirked as Jizukiru winked out of existence, a card floating back to Keith's deck. She hit the auto-shuffler and then drew five new cards. "Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two!"

Doing so quickly, she held up a third spell card. "Monster Reborn! I revive Don Zaloog!" In a flash of light, the gun-toting bandit reappeared with a cocky smirk on his face. (1400/1500)

"And what's that piker going to do against Dyson Sphere, huh?" Keith demanded. "He's got half his attack points!"

"He's also got what you don't, Keith - friends! I activate the quick-play spell Gathering of the Dark Scorpions! Since I special summoned Don, I can add Gorg, Meanae, Chick and Cliff from anywhere to my hand!" The four named cards slid out of her deck and she added them to her hand. "Then another Terraforming nets me the field spell Cave of Wonders - Scorpion's Nest! And I'm activating it!"

The stone temple around them became a cave and treasure spilled out of everywhere. "This lets me add a Dark Scorpion card to my hand and I'll be nabbing Mustering of the Dark Scorpions! With Don in play, I can summon the rest of the gang!"

The burly strongman appeared, thumping his mace in one hand. "Gorg the Strong!" (1800/1500)

The lithe beauty followed, cracking her rose-thorn whip. "Meanae the Rose!" (1000/1800)

Next in lean was a reed of man, casually flipping a knife in one hand as he readjusted his glasses with the other. "Cliff the Trap Remover!" (1200/600)

Last was a short youth, gripping his mallet tight and bouncing from foot to foot with nervous anticipation. "And Chick the Yellow!" (1000/1000)

"Those pieces of cardboard couldn't sting a fly, let alone me!" Keith sneered at them. "I'll knock them down just by breathing too hard!"

"Don't bet on it! See, their field spell lets them attack you directly, though they can only do it for four hundred damage! So Chick, put his theory to the test! Hammer Blow!" Jessie pointed and the youth acted, running forwards and spinning on one heel to land a two-handed blow of his mallet to Keith's chest.

Keith just laughed as the blow bounced off his chest so had, Chick stumbled and about dropped his weapon. "I told ya! That tickled - almost!" (KLP: 8000-7600)

"Let's see you laugh this off! When Chick deals damage, I can bounce one card on the field! Like your Dyson Sphere!" Jessie watched in satisfaction as Keith's monster just vanished, leaving the Earth alone in space. "And since you've got jack all on your field now - my other Scorpions will attack you directly! Go!"

Don opened with his pistols, staggering Keith even as Meanae's whip lashed across his chest. Cliff's daggers lodged in one of his shoulders before fading away and then the big man was dropped to his knees as Gorg's mace smashed down on his head. (KLP: 7600- 6200-5000- 4000- 2200)

"Agk...you...hrrk…" Keith spluttered in pain, glaring at the floor as he tried to cope with the assault.

"Now their effects! Don forces you to discard a card, Cliff mills the top two cards of your deck, Gorg adds a third card to that stack and Meanae lets me search for another Dark Scorpion card!" Jessie fanned out her deck and made her choice. "And since I won my bet for the round, let's hear you scream!"

Keith hollered as blood erupted from his body, staining the surrounding treasures with red. He hacked up some more and slammed a defiant fist in the floor. "You...bitch…!"

"I set one card face-down." Jessie swept the card into her disk. "What's the matter, Keith? Weren't you all excited to bet your life on this game?"

Keith's shoulders shook and for a moment, she thought he was going to surge into a rage, but then she heard a new sound from him. "Are - are you laughing?!"

"Of course am, you stupid broad! How could I not when you're thinking being hurt like this means anything to me!?" Keith got to his feet, suddenly very uncaring of his wounds. "That look on your face - like you'd actually won something! Better than any jackpot!"

Jessie grit her teeth. "You can bark all you want, but why don't you take a look at the scoreboard before you start saying you were planning this!"

"Please, you think I'm dumb enough to rely on strategy? That the cards in my hand are for show?" Keith drew for his turn and flipped around a spell. "Another Interrupted Kaiju Slumber! Your Scorpions are extinct!"

Jessie braced herself as all five of her monsters exploded and the looming shadow of Jizukiru reappeared over her while the Super-Anti Kaiju Mech was again on Keith's field. "Don't tell me-!"

"Reverse card open! Call of the Haunted!" Keith laughed as a second copy of his monster appeared alongside the first. "Now I open the Overlay Network again!"

His two monsters twisted into spheres of light, shot skywards and the screen of deep space reopened as Dyson Sphere floated into view. And it was already charging up power to attack. "So...where's that cocky attitude now, Wheeler?"

TTTTTTT

Lero watched the Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon's attack barreled for him...and then smirked at Pegasus' surprised expression as the attack suddenly swerved to the left and crashed into his Cyber Dragon Alsafi, destroying it. "I know how Toons work. Summoning Alsafi wasn't a whim - it has an effect similar to Staunch Defender, meaning you have to attack it. And can't attack me when it's destroyed."

The burning scraps of his monster glowed and then a card slid out of his deck. "And since it was destroyed, I can summon a light machine from my deck that's level five or lower." A screen opened up behind him, displaying a satellite drifting along in space. "I choose Satellite Launcher." (500/500)

Then his set card lifted. "The trap Left Arm Offering means I discard my hand and add a spell of my choice to it." He shoved his remaining card into the graveyard and then caught the card his deck slid out. "You know, you did get one thing right about my dad - he always talks a big game, but unless he's serious, it just blows up in his face."

He smiled as his opponent growled, expression fierce. "For claiming to be Maximillion Pegasus 'dueling instincts', you're a pretty poor showing."

"Even a fool can be lucky, Lero-boy. Your little tricks just mean I have to start taking this duel more seriously. Now we can play for real instead of kicking around your sandbox." Pegasus said and swept a card into his disk. It materialized behind his Toons. "I end my turn with this face-down."

"My move." Lero drew and slid the card into his disk. "I set this face-down and then activate Card of Demise! I draw until I hold five cards!" Drawing his new hand, he pointed and the card he had just set flipped up. "I activate the continuous spell card Satellite Charging Station!"

A new screen opened behind him, displaying a space-station with a galore of solar panels and shuttles traveling to and fro. "And just to keep things up in the air, the field spell card World Satellite Array!"

The ceiling above them vanished, replaced by a starry sky with a small number moving, blinking dots through it. Lero glanced around at the sight of Castle Nightdread still around them and frowned. "Tch...someone's been reading the new rules."

"You mean the one where two field spells can exist at the same time?" Pegasus smiled in satisfaction. "Well, you do occasionally have a good idea...unlike the time you thought you could fly…"

"And here's a better idea - beating you in one turn! I activate Machine Duplication, targeting Satellite Launcher and summoning two more from my deck!" Two more screens opened, displaying the floating satellites. "And since my Launchers count as 'Satellite Cannon', my field spell lets me add 'Charge!' from my deck to my hand!"

Snapping up two copies of the spell, he flipped around Polymerization. "Now I fuse my three Cannons into Satellite Laser Balsam - X!" The launchers all projected holograms of Satellite Cannon around themselves, then jumped into hyperspace. Only one, much larger and more dangerous satellite reverted to realspace with its staggering amount of weapons already powering up. (0/0)

Lero snapped up a hand and more screens opened up. "Now that my Satellite Launchers have been sent to the graveyard, they launch their payloads and summon out my Satellite Cannons!" The three smaller satellites warped into existence around the larger Balsam-X. (0/0x3) "And so I search out the last copy of Charge!"

"Please tell me I'm going to get a 'Charge out of this' or some other pun - it's family tradition." Pegasus asked with a smile, which quickly fell into a sigh as he saw the weapons all of Lero's satellites start to power up. "Oh, I'm technically the dead one and yet you're still the stiff, Lero-boy."

"I'm also the one with all the firepower - since I used three copies of Charge, my Satellite Cannons all gain six thousand attack points!" Lero smirked as his monsters' scores shot up. Behind him, Satellite Charging Station unfolded more panels and shone with new energy. "Now Balsam-X attacks Toon Dark Magician!" (0-6000x4)

"Mmm - how about 'no'?" Pegasus shoved a card into his graveyard and a switch appeared next to Toon Dark Magician. He flicked it and deep in space, all of the lights went out around Lero's Satellites. There was a repeated dinging noise and then a 'bzzzt' noise. "Oooh, looks like without the lights on, your monster can't acquire a targeting lock on mine!"

"Cute." Lero's eyes narrowed. "This another effect of your field spell?"

Indeed it is, indeed it is." Pegasus nodded. "I can send 'Toon World' or 'Toon Kingdom' from my deck to the graveyard and then Nightdread ensures my Toons can't be harmed by your attacks or card effects at all." He raised a finger, as though a thought had occurred to him. "Oh - and this includes Castle Nightdread as well."

"Lord, you really are a knock-off of my father - you just fall into the whole 'evil has to be even cooler than good just to showcase how dangerous it is'." Lero rolled his eyes and scoffed. Not that I can do anything about that protection effect right now. "I end my turn and so all of my Satellite Cannons gain one thousand attack points and Balsam-X gains three thousand!" (6000-7000x3) (6000-9000)

"I draw." Pegasus drew, watching as Lero's Satellite Charging Station grew in power and new sets of battery banks were underneath. "That spell is doing something interesting - I'm assuming it has something to with its name and your Cannons gaining attack points…"

Lero just looked back at him flatly. "You're the game creator, shouldn't you know?"

"Tsk, tsk - how rude you are! I know you raised you better than that!" Pegasus waggled a finger at him and then sighed as Lero's look didn't change. "Oh well, if you're going to be like that, then I'll just have to remind you the hard way which one of us is the parent and the better duelist."

He grabbed a card in his hand and a cartoonish building with 'Bank' on it bubble letters appeared in front of him. Its windows ejected out like cash drawers and began to fire out dollar bills. "I activate a continuous spell of my own, Toon Bank, and I won't tell you what it does either!"

Toon Dark Magician held out his staff and a portal opened up alongside him. "Then I discard another Toon card and use my monster's ability to summon out Toon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my deck!" Out of the portal flew another cartoonish parody of a famous monster. But where the original Toon Red-Eyes had a charming, 'fierce but cute' feel to it, it became far more sinister under the effects of Castle Nightdread.

The jagged black body's edges had a razor-like edge, it smelt of brimstone and as it moved, inky blood would trickle out between the segments of its body. And its eyes were primal and hungry. (2400/2000)

"Isn't he just lovely? And like all my good pets, he's got a wonderful trick! He can summon out a Toon from my hand so come on out, another Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon!" Pegasus slapped down the card and another of the viscous, heavily-inked toons appeared alongside the first. They glanced at each other and then at Lero, both cracking their knuckles. (3000/2500)

"Now that I've assembled a formidable force, why don't we give a one-time special performance for three of Duel Monsters most iconic monsters! You can pay us with every one of your life points!" Pegasus lifted his hand and his Toons all readied themselves. "Toon Dark Magician! Give us a magical show-starter! Dark Magic Attack!"

The Toon stabbed his staff forwards and Lero grunted as the colors of his world inverted for a few moments. Then reality snapped back so hard he swore he heard a 'thwap' sound and he staggered at the sudden crush of pain in his mid-section.

"Red-Eyes Toon Dragon - follow it up and give him a real reason to know he's in the hot seats for this! Black Fire Bullet!" Red-Eyes Toon Dragon opened its mouth, spewing out a stream of fireballs that rocked Lero's field, leaving him trailing wisps of smoke and the art studio's carpet ashes under his feet.

"And for our grand finale - a duet by my two Blue-Eyes Toon Dragons! Burst Stream of Destruction!" Pegasus smiled as his two dragons inhaled air, bellies ballooning out comically and then in unison, they fired two massive blasts of energy right at Lero. They exploded and he saw Lero's form go crashing against the far wall, scattering a stack of canvas and paints. "Thank you, farewell and amen, my boy!"

The piles of canvas shifted and Pegasus' smile dropped as Lero shoved his way free of the art supplies, grabbing his cane for support as he got to his feet. As the younger man did, his life points flashed up above his head. "Eight thousand one hundred? And just how is that supposed to be funny, young man?" (LLP: 8100)

"It's funny because you're not laughing." Lero said with a smile himself and he hoped the confidence in hit hid the pain he was in. Feels like I feel down a few flights of stairs after running a marathon! "It's the effect of my Satellite Charging Station. Each time my Cannons gained power, it gained one counter for every one thousand gained. And I can expend those counters to boost my life points or their attack power."

He pointed up the window displaying his little armada and their still glowing weapons. "Collectively, my monsters gained twenty-five thousand attack points. I just used eleven counters of them to give myself nineteen thousand life points just before your attacks hit."

"Well," Pegasus huffed with only slightly-less-than-mock indignation. "I have a continuous spell card, too! Toon Bank - it's time for me to make a withdrawl!" The bank's windows shut, there were various cash register noises followed by a clock chime and a dentist's drill before they shot out again. Instead of money, there were four Duel Monsters cards in the windows and he picked them free. "When my Toons deal you damage, I can draw one card for each!"

He scanned his new cards and his grin was back. "And it looks like the goddess of victory is smiling on me today. She just sent one of her cousins to give me some help." He grabbed a card and flipped it around so that Lero could see it. "Now be a good boy and tell Daddy what Mischief of the Time Goddess does?"

Lero's eyes widened. "That lets you skip my turn and go straight to your next Battle Phase!" The Toons were already charging up attacks and he jabbed a finger skywards. "I expend eleven counters to increase my life points!" Light flooded around him. (LLP: 8100-19100)

"Oh, darn, your life points will survive my attacks!" Pegasus snapped his fingers in frustration. Then his grin became malignant. "But I don't think that's red paint on your suit, son - so do you think you'll survive?"

Lero didn't have time for a witty comeback, not that he had the brainpower to spare to think of one. He was too busy feeling another round of searing pain all through his body and wood splintered under him as he smashed into the canvases, then something wet and sticky he hoped was paint plastered itself over his suit. "Shit…" (LLP: 8200)

"I did not teach you swear, young man, even if you're facing your own shortcomings straight in the face! I mean, really, what son of mine just folds up after taking only two game-ending hits one after another?" Pegasus mocked. "And you call yourself a Pegasus!"

Lero kept his mouth shut, on account he knew that not giving his father ammunition was the quickest way to get him to shut up and on the account of he was afraid doing so would let all the pain in him escape as vomit. He leaned hard on his cane and tried to ignore how the world was hazy at the edges. Or how all of Peagsus' monsters were just laughing at him. Or how he could feel...something...trickling over his brow.

"Don't pull that strong and silent type with me, Lero-boy, I am your father and I'm going to get an answer out of you!" Pegasus chuckled to himself as he drew four more cards for Toon Bank. "Even if I have to force one!"

He grabbed another card and held it up. "I'll go to my Main Phase 2 and activate the spell Shadow Toon! Now I take the shadow of one of your monsters, make it a toon and it blasts you for damage equal to your monster's attack points." He lifted a finger and pointed at the image of Satellite Laser Balsam-X. "And I pick...the one monster you have with more attack points than your life points!"

Lero gaped as a screen appeared above Pegasus, showing the darkness of space and devoid of anything else. Then lights appeared, one after another in a ring and they all fired, converging on a single point. Through the center of that point a final beam fired. The ceiling above gained an ever-increasing glow that was rapidly becoming blindly. "I expend the last three to raise my life points again!"

He might have heard his life points increasing as the blast slammed into him. 'Might', because not only was the blast of power deafening, somehow the pain he was suddenly feeling was also deafening. The attack ended as quickly as it had begun, but Lero was only dimly aware of it. His reality at the moment was the dark ceiling above him, the pain and the panicked thudding of his own heart in his ears. (LLP: 2200)

TTTTTTT

"Ummm…." Cathy's voice pulled Sumrie away from the flashing images on her computer screen and looked over to see the reporter pointing at the screen that displayed the live-feed from the Duel Disks sensors. "Is Mister Pegasus' bars supposed to be that red? Or that high?"

"No, they're not." Annalissa was looking at it with a professional frown. "His heart rate is climbing and his respiration is high...and they're well above something like exercise or a duel. The Darkness Game he's in must be taxing him…"

"Jessiebelle's vitals are also higher than they should be." Sumire said without looking over - she didn't want to commit to memory her husband's current state; it would make her own anxiety set to boil that much faster. "So we should get them help. Doctor, are these the right places for the symbols?"

Annalissa looked over at the set-up and then pointed. "No, swap Earth and Humanity. Humans go in the center because they are the center of all the elements, master of them and all that."

"Plato, please move your piece to the center and Daniel, your piece should go to the middle far right." Sumire watched as the two complied with the commands and there was a sudden, satisfying click and all six doors creaked open slightly to show only darkness beyond.

"Geeze, that was anticlimactic." Toppa drawled after a moment.

"Do not stand there and make witty remarks - go and duel!" Sumire snapped and guided the drones after the six men as they rushed in through the doors. Except the drones all bounced off the thresholds and went flying backwards. A headache erupted as her brain tried to cope with the vastly different and new perspective shifts. "A barrier!?"

"Guess if you're not a duelist, you aren't getting in." Annalissa said tightly, switching her gaze back to the status screens along with the other two women. "Look - we're still getting a signal."

Sumire watched as six new stats of vitals appeared alongside her friends. She knew at this point she could only wait and yet her fingers dug into the arms of her chair tightly. There has to be more I can do to help!

TTTTTTT

Rosemary forced herself to stand against the pain, glaring from under her bangs at Ryou. "You...you do not love me, Uncle. I do not know if you are his shade called back from beyond the afterlife or some kind of twisted mockery of his memory, but this is not love!"

He sighed, as if he was expecting her response and just nodded. "I know...I know…" Those empty eyes stared at the floor for a long moment and then he straightened, filled with a kind of terrible resignation. "But just because you don't understand, does not mean it is not any less true what we are. And I have to do this."

Ryou drew for his turn, then glanced at the Swords of Revealing Light still caging in his monsters. "I cannot attack you, but the trap I just drew will deal with that." He flipped it around to show her. "It's called Volcanic Mine. When I activate it during your next Standby Phase, you will get five Bomb Tokens. Then I am going to use Playdread Rite's effect to place a String Counter on each of them, meaning you will be unable to tribute them or attack with them. And then, when you end your turn, Gimmick Puppet of Strings will destroy them all and deal you their attack as damage. Meaning you...will lose."

He plugged the card into his disk and it appeared in front of him. "I end my turn."

Rosemary stared at his card, fingers curling into fists. What do I do? Nothing my hand will work around that card and he can activate it the moment I draw. I...I… The spirit behind her twitched and spasmed in reflection of warring emotions, curling tighter on itself as if that could protect her from the stress and despair. "I…"

Her Duel Disk interrupted her with a sharp beep. "Battle Royal Mode now engaged! A new challenger approaches! The turn becomes theirs!"

A door banged open, both Rosemary and Ryou starting in surprise as a figure swept through it and strolled into the Gimmick Theatre like he owned it. "Hey, hey, hey, somebody order a pizza? Extra spicy with a side of awesome? And you wash it down with my latest and greatest hit - Toppa All The Charts!"

"Toppa?!" Rosemary stared as the rapper waved his arms, clearly trying to work up the crowd. But the dolls all just stared at him silently.

"Man, what a tough crowd - buncha stiffs…" Toppa rolled his eyes and threw Rosemary a smile and a thumbs-up. " 'sup? I'm here to help!"

"You are not welcome here - !" The flush of irritation was the first real emotion Ryou had displayed the entire duel. "Leave!"

"Not happening, ghoul gruesome! You wanna play with the big dogs, you gotta expect to keep up with the pack!" Toppa declared and held up his arm, his Duel Disk activating. "Now why don't you turn down that mouth while I turn up the heat!?"

TTTTTTT

Panik regarded his unconscious opponent - Kaede had not moved after he had destroyed her Hot Red Dragon Archfiend. He was not sure how long it was, but he knew in time her Duel Disk would ping as she failed to take a turn and automatically forfeited.

But time also had no meaning in this place constructed from Master Nitemare's power. That thought made him freeze, the dread inside him colder than the dead hanging from the surrounding trees.

What if because time was stopped here, her turn would never forfeit? They'd both be stuck here, forever, in this state between death and life, waiting.

Always waiting.

The dead hanging in the turns creaked as they turned slowly on their ropes, all of them seeming to come to stare at him. All of them having that slight, knowing, mocking smirk. And he could hear all the voices again - 'Stupid man. He made his own prison again. Can't even do the job he's supposed to be good at it. Stupid, hollow man. Empty of courage. And too dumb to be afraid.'

"No!" He bellowed at the voices and they retreated to the bitter and cold gusts of wind that swept through the Forest of Suicides. "I am not a man! I am the one who kills demons! The one who cannot die! I am Panik!"

'You cling to that name, don't you? And it's a good one. Panik. Because that's all you know how to do. You're always panicking. You couldn't even handle a little girl as your opponent. You were afraid of her flames and her hell demons. Afraid of her…'

"PANIK FEARS NO DUELIST!" His roar echoed through the trees, silencing the voices again. But it couldn't shut up those judging, dead eyes or those taunting smirks.

"Well, that's a pity, really. I mean, without fear, how do you know when you're facing something that's a true challenge?"

Panik's head twisted to look at the man descending down the steps that were a part of Kaede's field spell. He was gangly and bare chested, covered in tattoos. "Who are you!?"

"You can call me Crypt. And I'm a professional." He knelt and checked Kaede's pulse. Seemingly satisfied she was alright, he stood again. "And in about five seconds, I'm going to duel you."

"Duel me - I do not know how you came to be here, but you will have to wait until I've finished disposing of Little Mouto!" Panik said, then started as a voice from Kaede's Duel Disk.

"Battle Royal Mode engaged! A new challenger approaching! The turn becomes theirs!"

"And there we go." Crypt held up his Duel Disk and it activated. "So you look like Panik, yell like Panik, but that doesn't mean much."

"If you know of me, then you know you should be turning around and running, fool! Especially since I have the power of my Number!" Panik pointed at his Demilich and its clones and all of them raised their scythes menacingly. "You'll never be able to defeat it and when you lose, I will string you and Little Mouto up as trophies!"

"Please - didn't you hear what I just said? This is the kind of challenge a real professional would want any day of the week!" Crypt drew his opening hand, his blue-tinted smile garish and wide, stretching his cheeks so much it looked like his lanky body was topped by an actual skull. "So let's see if being dead did anything but improve your mouth, Panik!"

TTTTTTT

"Fascinating. I've heard that Shadow Games can warp reality to suit the participants. But to be stranded in a desert, surrounded by pieces like that of the Millenium Puzzle...and dueling what appears to be Seto Kaiba. Does that speak to the idea that even in death, Kaiba cannot let go of his grudge against Yugi...or is it reflective of how their rivalry could be easily transfused into passion…"

"Blackwood, quit talking fanfic bullshit and help!" Jackie barked at the big man as he trudged his way up the dune, apparently more curious than worried about their surroundings. At least she thought he was - his poker face was looking like it was his only face. "And how the freak did you get here?!"

Kaiba stared at him in confusion, then in frustration. "Did you just insuitate I have feelings for Mouto?!"

"We seem to be still in Pegasus Castle - we got in by solving a puzzle. And I am here to help." Blackwood's eyebrows as he took in Jackie's appearance. "You appear to be made out of Legos."

"What tipped you off?" Jackie rolled her eyes.

"I have asked you a question! Do not ignore me!"

"I have more questions, but they can wait. We must first defeat this spectre and hope the rest of our comrades are faring as well." Blackwood said, clasping his hands in front of himself.

Jackie stared at him. "...why aren't you doing anything!?"

"Answer my question!"

"I am waiting for the signal." Blackwood said and as if summoned by his words, Jackie's Duel Disk beeped.

"Battle Royal Mode engaged! A new challenger appears! The turn is theirs!"

"And there we are." Blackwood stepped so he was a good distance away from Jackie, activating his Duel Disk. He paused as he apparently stepped in something odd and lifted up his foot to check under his sole. "Ah...I appeared to have a piece of you lodged in my boot sole."

"Yeah. Kaiba's ghost over there hits like a freight train." Jackie said with a shrug and winced as parts of her clicked and popped off. "So...don't get hit."

"I'll keep that under advisement." Blackwood turned to look at Kaiba fully, adjusting his shades. "Now then - to business."

Jackie scoffed. "What - you're not going to play twenty questions with the dead celebrity and all the mystical bullshit he went through? Isn't that what you conspiracy nuts live for?"

"No. My interests lie outside Seto Kaiba and his ego." Blackwood drew his opening hand. "So let's move on from this annoying interlude so I can get back to the real mysteries."

TTTTTTT

"Lero-boy, Lero-boy, can you heaarrr meeeee?" Pegasus drawled, but the pile of suit, debris and stains didn't respond. Or move. He huffed and folded his arms. "I can tell you're faking being asleep - I've been asleep long to know!"

Still no response.

"Mmm...is there a doctor in the house?" Pegasus asked of his Toons and they all looked at one another, then shrugged back at him. "Well, maybe we should get a stick and poke him, then."

Lero's Duel Disk beeped. "Battle Royal Mode engaged. A new challenger approaches! The turn is theirs!"

Pegasus blinked, the Toons all looking around the room in confusion. There was no one there, but them. "Now what was that about?"

TTTTTT

"Battle Royale Mode engaged! A new challenger approaches! The turn is now theirs!"

The Puppeteer found himself being tugged to his feet - the Verthy doll he had was pulling on her control strings like she was trying to reel him upright. "Ah, thank you, thank you - Miss...ah, what was your name again?"

The doll put a hand over her painted mouth and shook with silent laughter.

"Mmm…" The Puppeteer's satisfied noise didn't last long - the duel was still on and the field still wrecked from the explosion of their monsters. The dolls that lined the walls were cowering in stacks behind the counters and each other. He could feel a sense of fear and trepidation from them.

His opponent was motionless, slumped over one of the counters. But nothing dared approach her - her deck was still radiating that twisted aura that Plasma had given off.

"You are a strange one, indeed. To have something in your power that scares even the dead who have nothing left to lose, not even their names." He breathed at last. "I wonder...do you think that power will break your destiny? Or simply give you a worse one in its place? Perhaps your beloved will answer with his dying breath…"

Verthandi did not move to respond, but her deck pulsed with anger and all the dead and the dolls and the dark in the room flinched.

The Puppeteer tugged his hat brim low, but it was a feeble shield. It was a silly thought, for a being such as him, but he had a sudden urge to ensure that he did not die again. Plasma had frightened him, having eaten his Number like that. Eaten its soul. And that's all he was now - a soul. And if you were dead...and died again...where was there to go?

The dolls all turned to face him as if they'd read his mind and their mood shifted from fear to sudden, almost angry...curiosity. Like they wanted to test that little theory on him.

He tugged the brim of his hat lower.

A feeble shield, indeed.

TTTTTTT

Jessie almost didn't hear the beeping over the noise of Dyson Sphere powering up and Keith's guffawing.

"Battle Royale Mode engaged! A new challenger approaches! The turn is theirs!"

Hope surged, taking away some of her aches and pain. Sumire or Plato or someone must have figured out this magical crud and sent help!

Keith was staring at her, then looked around the gambling den. His grin was cruel. "Ain't nothing but robots gambling, kiddo. Looks help ain't coming! Guess that Wheeler luck has finally run out!"

Jessie's hope flicked out as quick as it had come and she couldn't help but think that Keith didn't know how right he was. When she needed it the most, when it was most necessary to come into her favor - her luck failed.

Then she sucked in a breath and when she exhaled, all those negative thoughts went with it. A trick learned from her mother - a woman who had had the worst luck in the world sometimes. And who had taught her some brash courage worked just as good. "Don't feel so happy, Keith - it just means you won't have an audience around when I wipe the floor, the walls and the ceiling with you!"

"Cute, kid, cute." Keith just sneered, as up in space, Dyson Sphere beganto power up another attack. "I'll be sure to engrave those words on your tombstone!"

Jessie watched the blast fire, a wave of energy that shrank to a pencil-thin beam that would hit like a tank. And hoped that she had enough luck to make this move work. "Reverse card open!"

TTTTTTT

Daniel had known something was wrong the moment he'd stepped through his door. Call it instinct, call it intuition or just plain experience, the crazy twisted world he'd been expecting with the duel he was intruding upon just wasn't crazy or twisted enough.

And that just made it all the more frightening.

He was standing in a world mirrored against itself and while he was upright, that was rarely an indicator that gravity was working properly. The surface he was walking on rippled like water when he moved, but never lost that mirror property. And looking up into the sky was just looking into a mirror.

Mirrors that had no horizon line or feature beyond their glass smoothness. No depth or shadows or details. A blank void. Infinity gazing back on itself.

"Daniel!"

He turned, surprised, to find Reginald there. The other Pro looked like he was slowing down from a sprint, yet Daniel knew he hadn't been behind him a second ago. And there was nothing on the surface to trace his passage. "Reginald - you okay?"

"Yes. For a given value of the word." Reginald said, glancing around them. "Where is this place? What is this place? And where are the duels?"

"I think we're in some kind of 'penalty room'. They must have gotten our puzzle pieces wrong." Daniel said, waving his hand to draw the other man's attention back to him - he didn't want to think about what staring out at the infinity around them would do to Reginald. He himself was already on edge and he had the experience with magic that Reginald did not.

"Blast! If that's true, then they're still in danger." Reginald bite out. "And so are we."

"Yes, you are."

Both Pros turned around. Striding towards them was the owner of the hollow, dark voice. A skeleton of black bone, trailing a cape of black fires. Like them, he cast no reflection, but rather the world around them seemed to reflect him. "We will duel. And you will be silenced."

Daniel and Reginald shared a look, then spread out slowly so they formed a twenty-foot triangle with the skeleton. The redhead shuffled his deck, his nerves calming as he did. Regardless of anything else, a duel was something he was familiar with. "And just who are you supposed to be?"

"I am Nitemare." Nitemare held up an arm and flames erupted out of the ether, twisting into a black stone Duel Disk that looked like it should have snapped his arm like a twig.

"Charming name." Reginald was shuffling his own deck and Daniel noticed that, despite the tense set in his jaw, his hands were steady. That put his fellow a notch up in his book. "Am I to assume you are responsible for all this?"

"We will duel." Nitemare repeated. "And you will be silenced."

"O-kaaayy…" Daniel frowned slightly. This wasn't good. Beings that caused things like this normally couldn't shut up about their own greatness or their plans or desire for revenge or something. But Nitemare's skeletal body was still as a statue and his blunt words either indicated he wasn't taking this seriously or he just didn't think the two Pros could pose a threat to him. Any clue to what this guy wanted would be something…

He glanced around around the infinite, mirrored darkness they were standing in and decided that any guy whose will made a Darkness Game something like this was already saying enough.

"Let's begin, then, Nitemare." Reginald was saying as he shoved his deck into his Duel Disk. "You face two of the most powerful duelists in the world - you will regret taking us both on at once!"

Nitemare just stared at them.

"Save your breath, Reginald. If he thinks we're not worth the effort to talk to, then we do it with our cards." Daniel slid his own deck home and both of them drew their opening hands in unison. After they did, Nitemare glanced between them and then drew his, one card at a time. It's like...he's learning as he goes?

There was only one way to answer that question, though. "LET'S DUEL!" (NLP: 8000) (DLP: 8000) (RLP: 8000)

TTTTTTT

Plato stood in the depths of infinity, in an ocean of darkness and did not drown. Or become wet. Or even stop drawing breath though there was no air to breath.

He, however, was deeply annoyed. Not at the fact they had gotten part of the door puzzle wrong - there were no certainties in dealing with things in life that and he doubted the force behind this would simply play fair because it could. No, he was deeply annoyed at the fact this force had felt it necessary to sequester him away like this and assume such a simple trap was going to do anything but provide a mild inconvenience.

Master Bellerophon and Master Sumire, along with their chosen duelists and their guests, were under his care while on Duelist Kingdom. And this malignant force behind it was putting them all in danger? No, no, that was not tolerable in the slightest and he'd be damned if something petty like trapping him in infinite darkness was going to stop him from dealing with this problem.

Plato reached down and touched his wedding ring. His wife had long since passed, but it wore it for the sentimental value - and the fact it was more than just a ring. As he twisted it, the stone - which was not a diamond, but a thin oval of teal - glowed and spat out a single spark. The spark hissed through the darkness around him, trailing bubbles and crackles of magical current. The magic it held defiant against the infinite darkness.

The spark bobbed in front of him for a few moments, then it began to rise above him. Plato followed it, swimming through the morass he found himself in. To many, the idea of trying to swim through infinity was impossible. But Plato was the manservant - and if he allowed himself a bit of pride, more magical than most - and such a task was only going to take him a short while.

He could only hope dealing with the force behind all this was going to take an equally short amount of time.

He still had to prepare dinner for fifteen, after all…

TTTTTT

Yoshito was not sure what was going on, except that it was magical, he hated it and he was regretting leaving his personal sortie of weapons on his plane when he'd arrived.

He was trapped in some kind of hallway, but the architecture had literally twisted around itself so he was more like walking around in some kind of horizontal cone. There were several other doors or windows, but they just opened back into themselves or spat him out back where he was. "Leave it to the Pegasus family to take inspiration from M.C. Escher!"

His phone went off and he about tripped in surprise - earlier attempts to phone out for help had given him nothing but busy signals. He yanked it out of its case and placed it to his ear. "It's about time! Tell me you have help and firepower on the way and I may decide to forgive how long it took for you to reach me!"

"Are you talking to me like that because you think you're better than me, Yoshito?" A cool voice said on the end. "Or will I be chalking it up to the stress you're under?"

Yoshito paled, his confidence spilling out of him like a punctuated balloon. "St-stress, sir."

"That's what I thought."

"Sir, I…" Yoshito swallowed thickly, his tongue suddenly numb with the taste of fear. "About the Tournament, I want to apologize-"

"Oh, you can. But I won't be accepting it."

Yoshito tried to swallow again, nearly choked on his tongue. "I...see…"

"You see, unlike you, I arrange my plans so that the majority of outcomes benefit me. If you had won, having Industrial Illusions and the Kaiba girl in my pocket would have nice bonuses. But even though you lost, I still had time to do what needed to be done. You served as a magnificent distraction, Yoshito." The voice was casual, even politely congratulatory. "And all it cost you was your reputation, your public relations and every scrap of well-being and good graces you ever had. Well done, well done."

Anger loosened his tongue. "It would have cost me nothing but time and effort if you had let me do it how I wanted! The tournament in two weeks - after I'd had time to spin this stupid contract bullshit into something we were resolving in a fun way and to set myself up as the good guy! But you insisted otherwise! You cost me everything!"

"And yet, that is barely a dent in the debt your family owes me." The voice responded. "Still, you have a chance to repay more of it today. And come out ahead of this mess - after all, who doesn't love a hero swooping in to save the world from a magical crisis?"

"What do you mean?" Yoshito asked after a long moment. "I can't solve this mess - I don't even know what's going on!"

"I wasn't talking about Duelist Kingdom, Yoshito. It looks like something malevolent on the island woke up and I imagine the Pegasus boy and his friends are dealing with it. I was talking about the future, the war that will happen. And we're about to give your company the edge it needs." Before Yoshito could respond, the voice continued. "There is a door on the floor right in front of you. Open it."

Yoshito blinked, realizing there indeed was a door just around the corner. He reached down and found the knob unlocked. He opened the door and peered into the dark beyond. "It's a staircase."

"Step into it."

Yoshito wanted to protest, but there was a seriousness in the voice that told him the time for arguments was past. He tentatively gripped the doorframe and lowered himself onto the staircase. It was inverted, but still felt solid as his feet touched it -

And promptly lost their grip on it when he let go of the door. The world spun as he tumbled into the staircase's ceiling and he had the vomit-inducing feeling of falling upwards as he slid along the smooth stone like it was slid, slamming and crashing into the corners.

His trip ended when the staircase ended at another door that he crashed through and collapsed onto plush carpeting. Everything about him ached with developing bruises, but at least gravity worked like it should. He was able to stand up, clutching his head in one hand and phone in the other. "What was that?"

"The force has warped the castle's interior to defy natural laws and physics. You just fell sideways through one of the towers."

"That's impossible…" Yoshito said, then stared at the phone. "Wait - how are you able to even reach me? Or tell what's going on inside this place - that barrier outside…"

"I've encountered things like it before." The voice said casually. "Now, in front of you, there is a large, metal door, yes?"

Yoshito looked up, seeing indeed there was a large metal door. And it was bent and twisted like taffy around itself, more like a curtain than a door now. "Yes. But it's broken."

"Good. That is the Pegasus family vault. You are going to get inside and get me what I want from it."

"And what do you want?"

"Power."

TTTTTTT

A/N: The duels intensify, but help has not arrived for all and now Reginald and Daniel face off against Nitemare itself. How many souls will survive? And how many will drown in the darkness? Find out in Duel Madness: Destiny Unfurled!

As a reminder: Some cards not listed here because they have not all their full effects revealed yet.

ORIGINAL CARDS

Kaede:

Archfiend Sword- Frightlush
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Equip only to an 'Archfiend' monster. Each time an opponent's card is destroyed by an Archfiend monster's effect, gain 600 life points x the number of cards destroyed. Each time an opponent's monster is destroyed by an Archfiend monster's effect, place one 'Archfiend Counter' on this card. When this card is destroyed as the result of an opponent's card, inflict 600 damage x the number of counters on this card to your opponent's life points.

The Horror's Will
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Destroy one 'Archfiend' card you control, then target one 'Archfiend' monster on the field; activate the targeted monster's effect.

Panik:

Rank-up Magic - Nitemare Force
Quick-Play Spell Card

Effect: Target one 'Number' monster you control, Special Summon one 'Number C' monster from your Extra Deck using the targeted monster as material. (This Special Summon is treated as Xyz Summon. Any Xyz Material attached to the targeted monster also become Xyz Material to the new monster.) Then, equip this card to the summoned monster. Once per turn, if the equipped monster would detach an Xyz Material to activate its effect, you do not have to detach an Xyz Material.

Number C43: Fullshadow Lich
DARK
Rank 4
Fiend/Xyz/Effect
2300/0
Effect: Three Level 4 Monsters
Once per turn, you can Special Summon as many 'Phantom Token'(Fiend-type/DARK/ Level 1/500/500) as possible. (Quick Effect) : During your opponent's turn, detach one Xyz Material from this card and Special Summon as many 'Phantom Tokens' as possible. You may only activate this effect of 'Number C43: Fullshadow Lich' once per turn. This card cannot be targeted for attack or card effect while you control a 'Phantom Token'. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects while you control a 'Phantom Token'. If a 'Phantom Token' is destroyed, inflict 500 damage to your opponent, then increase this card's ATK by 500.

Jessie:

Gathering of the Dark Scorpions
Quick-play Spell Card
Effect: Activate only when you Summon 'Don Zaloog', add one of each of 'Meanae the Thorn', 'Chick the Yellow', 'Gorg the Strong' and 'Cliff the Trap Remover' from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand. DUring your turn (except the turn this card was sent to the graveyard), you can banish this card from your graveyard, add one 'Dark Scorpion' or 'Don Zaloog' from your graveyard to your hand.

Verthy:

Destiny Diamond
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If this card is activated, you can draw 1 card, then place this card atop your deck. (You may not add cards from your deck to your hand, including drawing, during the turn you activate this effect.) If this card is sent from the Deck to the Graveyard by the effect of 'Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude', you can activate the following effect during your next Standby Phase: Banish this card, then target one Normal Spell Card in your graveyard - this card's effect becomes the effect of the targeted Normal Spell.

Bellerophon

Satellite Launcher
LIGHT
2 stars
Machine/Effect
500/500
Effect: This card is treated as 'Satellite Cannon' while face-up on the field or in the graveyard. If this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, you can Special Summon one 'Satellite Cannon' from your Hand or Deck. if this card is in your Graveyard, except during the turn it was sent there, you can banish this card - increase the ATK of all face-up 'Satellite Cannon' you control by 1000 until the End Phase.

Satellite Charging Station
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Each time a 'Satellite Cannon' gains ATK, (except by the effect of 'Satellite Charging Station') place one 'Charge Counter' on this card for every 1000 ATK gained. (Rounded down.) (Quick Effect): You can remove any number of 'Charge Counters' from this card, then apply one of the following effects.

Increase your life points by 1000 for each counter removed

Increase the ATK of one 'Satellite Cannon' you control by 1000 for each counter removed until the End Phase.

Pegasus:

Toon Caste Nightdread
Field Spell Card
Effect: This card is treated as 'Toon World' while face-up on the field. Toon monsters you control can attack during the turn they were Summoned. You do not have to pay Life Points to attack with 'Toon Monsters'. (Quick Effect:) You can send one 'Toon Kingdom' or 'Toon World' from your Hand or Deck to the Graveyard. Until the End Phase, 'Toon' cards you control cannot be destroyed as a result of battle or card effect.