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.

18. Duel Madness! Marks of Destiny!

Heirs of Fate
By 7th Librarian

Chapter 18: Duel Madness! Marks of Destiny!

"Well, it was two steps forwards, but one step back." Annalissa's professional calm kept the irritation out of her words, but not her face as she clicked off the intercom. "That was Rosemary. She and Toppa are alive, but the door out her room is some kind of twisted pathway and she's not sure they can move through it."

"Crypt and Kaede report the same. As does Jessiebelle, but none of them report injuries." Sumire said. She looked off to be staring into space, but the eyepiece mounted over her right eye was busy, cycling through images and casting odd shadows on her face. "The drones can find them, but the passages are seeming to be more twisted and dangerous than they were a moment ago."

"Whatever is doing this must not like losing." The doctor suggested. "Keeping us from pulling the same trick twice. And at least they all landed up somewhere safe. If this thing can warp reality this, it'd have been an easy move to drop them into a pit of lava or something."

"Whose to say it hasn't done that to Daniel and Reginald? We haven't heard from them." Cathy Cathy put in worriedly. "Same thing with Blackwood and Jackie."

"Stop thinking of worst-case scenarios and be thinking about what we can do to help." Sumire barked in irritation. "Or better yet, keep your mouth shut."

"I'm trying, but I said, I stress talk and this is really, really stressful! What if something comes in here to duel us? None of us can play!" Cathy said, fingers fretting against each other. "And look how red Mr. Pegasus' vitals are! What if this kills him?! And then it comes after us!?"

"This will not kill him - my husband is used to such things and is one of the world's finest duelists." Sumire growled, but found herself looking at the stats screen anyway. Bellerophon's vitals were all disturbingly high and their corresponding bars were all red. Frustration gnawed at her - hadn't she promised to be a better wife to him after all this today? And now she was stuck watching him fight.

Her gaze flicked over the screen, finding the little box tucked in the corner labeled 'Maximillion Pegasus'. To her mild surprise, his stats were always spiked. "Dr. Annalissa, are Maximillion's vitals supposed to be high?"

The doctor looked over at the screen, staring at them for a moment. "They're not unnaturally high for a person in his position. But I'm not surprised that they're elevated. His vitals always spike when magical stuff happens around Duelist Kingdom."

Cathy's eyes bugged out. "Are you telling me this stuff always happens here?!"

"Not to this extreme." Annalissa assured her. "But there are some items around the castle that are magical. And when they act up, his vitals change. Like he's worried about the island and his son."

Sumire felt something twist in her heart and looked away suddenly, only to find herself looking at the man's sleeping form. His face was tight, as though he was having a bad dream - even when comatose, Pegasus was still worried about his son. What was it like to have that kind of bond? What if Bellerophon did die here? What if Pegasus woke up and found he'd exchanged a son for a daughter? How could she face him if that happened?

I will not let that happen. I cannot let that happen. Sumire promised the sleeping man. But what could she do now? They didn't even have a deck-

Her gaze fell on the stack of cards tucked into the man's folded hands. The deck Bellerophon had made for him. None of them know what it was or how to use the cards, let alone to play Duel Monsters at all. And yet…

Annalissa spared a glance at the stat screens, blinking as one of them caught her eye. It took her a moment to realize it was Sumire's. That's right, she's using the other pair of the headpieces Maximillion has.

Her doctor's intuition told her that it looked odd and following it, she brought up Maximillion's screen. Their vitals were separate, but their brainwave activity was odd. What are these random bits of overlapping? "Sumire - did you calibrate your headpieces before you put them on?"

"She's gone." Cathy squeaked and Annalissa whirled. Indeed, the room was empty of the Egyptian woman and the door was open. "She just grabbed the deck from Mister Pegasus and ran out, started climbing up the stairwell!"

"Why would she do that!? She doesn't play the game and it's dangerous out there!" Annalissa rolled her chair to the computer Sumire had been using, swearing under her breath as a new dot on the map labeled 'Sumire' was moving erratically along the paths. "Sumire!"

TTTTTTT

"Well, look who's up? And look at the messy bedhead, tsk, tsk." Pegasus drawled as his Toons snickered behind their hands. "Didn't I teach you to take more pride in your appearance?"

Lero didn't have a response ready to go and he wasn't sure he had the energy to invest in one. His whole body hurt and he could feel blood running along his scalp, a thick strand of his lilac hair now a ruddy purple. He was standing, but his feet felt leaden and he reached for his cane lying in the rubble. But when he pulled it up, only the top half came.

"You look so lost, Lero-boy! Must be a struggle to stay on your feet with the pounding you've just taken! Don't worry, just one more turn and I'll put you to bed!" Pegasus said in a fatherly tone, but it was ruined by his sinister grin. "First, I'll set four cards face-down…." They flashed into existence behind his four Toons. "And then I'll use Toon Dark Magician's effect again to summon Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

A curtain appeared and Toon Dark Magician drew it back, letting out the famous female spellcaster leap out. She was giggly and bubbly, but then the effects of Toon Castle Nightdread took hold. She suddenly looked more mature, more seductive and more eager to cause pain given how she fixed Lero with a look. She drew a finger under her throat and laughed. (2000/1700)

"There we go - now we have enough firepower so that when it hits you next turn, you won't feel a thing!" Pegasus promised. "So go ahead, son!"

Lero tried to growl, felt something catch in his throat and spat a globule of blood on to the stonework. "I draw."

He tugged the card free and then put it into his disk. A grinning green jar appeared in front of him and laughed before shattering. "Pot of Greed means I can draw two cards!"

Snapping them up, he held one up. "Let's see how you like direct attacks! I activate Reflect Energy! I tribute one of my Satellite Cannons-" One of his screens winked just, though not before showing the satellite exploding. "And now Balsam-X can attack you directly!"

His fusion satellite began to gather sunlight, charging up its weapons. Pegasus just chuckled. "Too bad I have a trap, Lero! Reverse card open! Dimension Reflector!"

Toon Dark Magician and Toon Dark Magician Girl floated up in the air, crossing their staves in front of themselves. Then they became glossy images on a gigantic mirror suspended in an ornate frame. It angled up towards Lero's Satellites. "My trap may banish my two magicians, but not only does it become a monster with power equal to your Balsam-X, it deals you damage equal to Balsam- X's attack!"

"Not if my Satellites aren't there! I activate my set High-Rate Draw!" Lero's trap flipped and his Satellites exploded, the pieces plummeting out of the sky to shatter the gigantic mirror. "I lost three machines, so I draw three cards!"

"I'd point out that you got rid of your defenses by doing that, but then again...against my Toons, there isn't a defense, is there?" Pegasus snarked as Lero drew and then slid two cards into his disk. "Weren't you listening? You can't stop my Toons!"

"I'm listening, but like most times when Dad gets all worked up, all I'm hearing is hot air." Lero grimaced as he shifted his stance and his body trembled traitorously. "End turn…!"

"My move and I'll start my turn by activating my Escape from the Dark Dimension trap card." Pegasus said as he drew. The card lifted and a rip in reality opened in front of him, his Toon Dark Magician squeezing itself out of it comically. "Then because I can never have enough cards, I'll use Magic Planter to send my trap to the graveyard and then draw two cards."

The trap blew apart and he drew again. "Next, my Toon Dark Magician is going to rustle up just a bit more firepower! I discard a card to summon BLue-Eyes Toon Dragon from my deck!" The third Toon Dragon appeared in front of him, all three giving Lero leering, hungry looks. (3000/2500)

"And now…!" Pegasus said dramatically, then grinned. His deck spat out a card and he shoved it into the graveyard, the eerie carousel music starting up again "I activate the effect of Toon Castle Nightdread! I send Toon World from my deck to the graveyard and now my Toons are safe from harm! You've proven a tricksy opponent, Lero-boy and I just can't take any chances!"

His Toon Dragons began to draw in their attacks, one after the other like they were a barbershop trio. "Any last words?"

"Just three - reverse card open!" Lero's card flipped up. "Born from Draconis!"

"Born from Draconis?" Pegasus looked confused, even as his dragon shared equally confused looks, but kept charging their attacks. "Did you not just hear me? That won't work on my Toons!"

"It doesn't hurt your Toons, it summons the monster that will!" Lero's graveyard began to slid out cards, one after another and he collected them all. "I banish all light machines in my graveyard! Then I summon one from my hand! Descend, Cyber Eltanin!"

Light flooded the room, a shape rising up behind Lero. It was absolutely massive, a metal dragon's head floating in the air. Then parts of it began to detach, lifting themselves up to reveal they were smaller variations on the Cyber Dragon style of head. The whole thing looked like a shiny, draconic star radiating dragons. "The monster summoned by Born From Draconis gains five hundred attack points for each banished monster! I banished twelve!" (0/0- 6500/6500)

"That's a whole lot of attack points." Pegasus agreed, even as his toons all comically panicked at the sight of the monster. "Pity they can't hurt my Toons."

"God, no wonder people hated Toons so much - you never shut up about how invincible they are!" Lero shoved his monsters into the banished slot on his disk and then lifted that hand out towards them. "But they aren't - Toon Castle Nightdread protects them from destruction, but not from rules of the game! Specifically, when Elantin is summoned, it sends all other monsters on the field to the graveyard! And sending is not destruction!"

Pegasus' eye widened, as did his Toon's, in true worry this time as Eltanin's primary head opened, gathering blue light in the back of it. "But-but-but!"

"Evolution Sublimation!" Lero couldn't help but smile in satisfaction as the blast fired, becoming a wave of light that swallowed up Pegasus' five Toons and erased them from existence. "Like sandblasting graffiti off my walls…"

"You just have no appreciation for fine art!" Pegasus growled, his smarmy face wiped clean with his monsters. Then his look became devious. "But maybe that's my fault- as an artist, I have to make sure my art is relatable! So lets' try taking your monster and giving it a make-over! Reverse card open!"

One of his set cards flipped up, revealing a quick-play card. It quickly began to glow white. "Swords At Dawn! I take one equip card in the graveyard and give it to a monster! So why don't I use my Comic Hand equip and take control of your Cyber Eltanin!"

A set of exetendable hands launched out of the glowing card, spreading big wide to clasp onto Eltanin like a child with a toy. Pegasus chuckled as they began to retract, hauling the machine towards him...then the hands shattered, their extension mechanism blowing up in sequence until it reached his spell and blew that apart, too. "What happened! Why did my spell card fail?!"

"Sorry, Eltanin's a big boy toy and you're too little!"" Lero taunted, chuckling himself as Pegasus growled. "I'll clue you in - the monster summoned by Born from Draconis is unaffected by all other card effects except its own and the trap's. You can basically say it does what your Toon Castle Nightdread does, but better!"

"Pity I can't say the same for your dueling skills and mine! There's a way around your monster and I can easily find it!" Pegasus held up a spell card. "I activate Heaven's Lost Property! Now we both draw three cards and discard two!"

They both complied with the effect, Lero flinching at the sight of Ra. Instantly, his body felt hot and dry, the sweat evaporating off him and in the back of his mind, a soft crackle of flames was building to a roar. He quickly shoved the card and his other choice into his graveyard, then glanced across the playing field. Pegasus was scowling, sulkily shoving two cards into his graveyard. "Ahh, didn't get what you want? Guess your skills are rusting away, old man."

Pegasus just glowered. "I end my turn."

"I draw!" Lero snapped up the card and snapped out a hand. "Now it's your turn to see what it's like to take a direct attack! Cyber Eltanin! Strident Sublimation!"

The ring of dragon heads charged up in sequence, but fired as one. Their blasts combined into a singular stream of power that enveloped Pegasus bodily and then detonated skywards, ripping open a portion of the ceiling and shaking the room. (PLP: 8000-1500)

TTTTTTT

Jackie scoffied. "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 interlude so I can get back to the real mysteries."

The Pro grunted in mild exertion as energy crackled over him. "Ah...the Intrusion Penalty…" (BLP: 8000-4000)

"Oh, that's fine, treat losing half your life points like a bug bite. Not like I've been losing literal pieces of myself here…" Jackie muttered under her breath. "Goddam show-off…"

"Please save your complaints for when I make my move." Blackwood said with the barest hint of a grin and drew a sixth card. "From my hand, A-Cell Recombination Device! I send Alien Harvester to the graveyard and then palace six A-Counters on your monster!"

"Hnnn?" Kaiba just sneered as six lights appeared in a ring around Rhongomyniad, only for his monster's sword to slash them all apart. "Rhongomyniad is unaffected by such a weak move! Such power cannot be tarnished!"

"Then I will just defeat it! I summon-" Blackwood paused as his Duel Disk beeped waringly at him. His brow knitted in frustration. "Another one of your monsters abilities?"

"Now you're catching on - Rhongomyniad has four or more materials, so you cannot summon monsters!" Kaiba laughed. "You can only cower in helplessness and wait for me to defeat you!"

"I set one monster in defense mode and three cards face-down." Blackwood swept all the cards into his disk. "End turn!"

"During your End Phase, Rhonogymiad loses one Xyz Material." Kaiba watched one of the floating spheres surrounding his armored monster wink out. "Now it has four."

"Which still means I can't kill that thing. Just great! Draw." Jackie pulled the card free, trying to ignore how her fingers were missing pieces. "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn and your broke-ass monster gets weaker." Another light winked out, leaving three remaining.

"It's still strong enough to beat you both." Kaiba said as he drew, his face settling in a sadistic smirk when he saw what it was. "But let's drive home how big the gap between you two and me is! Activate Monster Reborn! Revive, Mosaic Nemean!" Sand exploded nearby, the golden form of his lion fusion leaping free of the desert. "Battle! Destroy the bitch's set monster!"

"Go! Staunch Defender! You have to attack my monster now!" Blackwood's set card lifted and Nemean pounced, its massive forepaws shattering his set monster easily. "And it was Alien Grey - your monster gains one A-Counter as your attack flipped it up!"

Nemean growled in disgust as a leech-like parasite latched onto its body. Blackwood was already activating his other set card. "Then I reveal Alien Brain! You just destroyed a Reptile-type monster, so now your Lion becomes mine!"

"Tch, weak move! Stealing from your superiors!" Kaiba hissed. "Since I can't attack with Rhonogymiad thanks to Staunch Defender, I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Draw." Blackwood drew and then held it up. "I activate another A-Cell Recombination Device, sending Alien Mother to the graveyard to give Nemean six more A-Counters." The lion growled in protest as six more leeches latched onto it, but that was all it could do. "Then I end my turn by setting a card. And so your 'invincible' monster becomes decidedly less so. It now only has two Xyz Material."

"It's still stronger than anything we have." Jackie pointed out as she drew.

"That will change once you summon your dragon." Blackwood informed her. "I have set the stage for it."

"Eh?" Jackie looked over at him in confusion. All he's got his set cards and Nemean. And it's not like I can just borrow that thing's attack points…" She caught sight of the leeches clinging to the fusion and then it clicked. That monster he sent to the graveyard…!

"I activate Pot of Greed! I draw twice!" Jackie snapped up the cards. C'mon, deck, work with me here…! Yes! "I sacrifice my set monster for Timeater!" The warped purple clock appeared in front of her, its ticking made louder only by the desert's silence. (1900/1700)

"Then I return one card in my hand to the top of my deck to summon Plaguespreader Zombie!" The sand grew wet and soggy, burbling as the shambling, putrid Tuner crawled out of her, it's sores and pustules throbbing like hearts. (800/400)

"I tune my two monsters together!" The tuner exploded, becoming rings that began to consume Time Eater. "Peel back the curtain of life and expose the eyes of the underworld! Gaze upon all sin and become all darkness! Synchro Summon! Level 8!"

Her shadow stretched out behind, wider and broad and inhumane. Hundreds of eyes opened on it and it tore itself free of both her and the ground with a triumphant roar. "Hundred-Eyes Dragon!" (3000/2500)

"That thing is a dragon?" Kaiba sounded disgusted and annoyed. "It's a child's nightmare!"

"Don't care what you think! I activate Hundred-Eyes Dragon's effects! I copy the effect of one Dark monster in the graveyard! I select Alien Harvester in Blackwood's graveyard!" Jackie smirked as her dragons' eyes glowed an eerie shade of green. "My monster gains three hundred attack points for each A-Counter in play when it battles! And Nemean Lion has seven! Doom Glare!" (3000-5100)

Hundred-Eyes's body began to pulse, energy flooding the massive central eye on its chest. Then it fired, the beam leaving the smell of ozone in the air and glassing the sand underneath it as it ripped towards Rhongomyniad. The Xyz monster had to plant its weapon into the sand to remain standing as hte attack washed over it. Kaiba howling in sudden surprise and pain as the excess energy tore at his clothing. (KLP: 3200-1100)

Jackie swore as the attack ended and saw her target still standing, armor smoking violently. "It didn't die!? How many damn effects does that thing have!?"

"As long as it has one…you can't kill my monster in battle.." Kaiba managed to give her a smirk as he straightened, smoking himself. "And you can't kill me!"

"We'll see about that! I set one card face-down and end my turn!" Jackie slapped the card into her disk, watching as one of Rhongomyniad's two remaining materials winked out and its scores began to drop. "About time!" (3000/3000-1500/1500)

"Draw…!" Kaiba drew and chuckled coldly. "Normally, I'd be loathe to use this, but you two need a lesson in power! I activate Rank-Up Magic - Nitemare Force!"

Shadows exploded out of the sand, spearing into Rhongomyniad. The armor might as well be tinfoil with how they twisted into it. Then they began to coil around the monster, cocooning in a shadowy black heart. "Power great becomes power absolute! Stand above all in glory, their bodies the altar of your triumph! Rank-Up Xyz Summon! Number C86: Heroic Champion - Rhongomyniad Alter!"

The cocooning heart beat a few times, then went still before dissolving away. Underneath was a bulky armored figure, but a woman. She was covered in some kind of liquid metal clothing that was ever-shifting and flowing around her form. What skin was visible was covered in glowing tattooed lines and her eyes were an inhumane teal. Her hair rippled in the desert wind, more a gaseous mass than strands. And in her hands were two six-foot zweihanders. (0/0)

"...okay, I could totally blame Sky Horse for the upgraded version being some kind of super hot woman, but your card is clearly magical." Jackie said, eyeing up the new monster warily. Hundred-Eyes roared a challenge, but the woman didn't even flinch.

"I activate Oni-Gami Combo." Kaiba watched as the single orb of light around Alter winked out. "By removing all of her xyz material, she can attack twice this round."

He held up a second spell card. "Then I use Swing of Memories to revive Material Armadillo." The armored ball monster reappeared in a flash of light.

Alter's body began to shine with teal light, her swords charging up. "And now that she has no material, her full power is awakened! All other monsters on the field are destroyed! Destruction Great Wave!"

Alter slashed both swords through the air, unleashing twin waves of power. Jackie slapped a hand on her disk. "I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter! Hundred-Eyes leaves the field until the End Phase!"

Her dragon faded away, leaving her to shield herself as the crescent slammed explosively into the sand in front of her. Blackwood braced himself as the second crescent sheared through Mosaic Nemean like the fusion was butter. "I activate my two set Alien Healing Pods! They each give three hundred life points per A-counter when a monster with them is destroyed! Nemean had seven! I give them to Miss Jackie!"

Jackie breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she glowed, her life points rising and the missing Lego gaps in her began to patch themselves mostly up. "Thanks." (JLP: 300-4500)

Kaiba just laughed as Alter carved up Material Armadillo. "It won't save you for long! Alter gains one thousand attack points for each monster she destroys!" (0/0-2000/2000)

Twin roars echoed and out of the dunes behind him leapt two Material Lions. "And since Nemean went to my graveyard, I summon Material Lions in attack mode!" (1800x2)

He thrust a hand out at Blackwood. "Alter! Destroy that intruder! Spear of Destiny - Alter!" The monster charged with inhumane speeds, landing right in front of Blackwood before he had time to react.

"Blackwood!" Jackie stared as the Xyz slashed him across the chest in an 'X' pattern. The big man went flying, trailing lego blocks and went crashing out of sight behind a sand dune. "You bastard! You killed him!" (BLP: 0)

"The strong live, the weak die! Now drown in your own helplessness and die! Material Lions! Double Scratch Claw!" Kaiba laughed as his two lions pounced on Jackie, claw strikes sending sprawl of lego across the sands as they tore into her. (JLP: 4600-1000)

Eventually, they got bored and returned to Kaiba's field, growling and lashing their tails. Their owner just sneered at the prone woman. "How's it feel, turtle? To lie helpless on your back? To know your power isn't enough to even save yourself?"

"S...shut the fuck up…" Jackie rolled over, her broken body heaving and bile and lego spews tumbled out her mouth. "I'm...I'm gonna destroy you…!"

"You simply haven't the means, weakling." Kaiba sneered as his turn ended and Hundred-Eyes Dragon reappeared with an angry roar. But then the Synchro began to sag, its eyes closing one by one as it crashed to one knee. "Rhongomyniad Alter negates the effects of all other monsters when she has no material. And you cannot attack any monster I have but her! Your so-called 'dragon' is dead on its feet!"

An explosion shook the desert and Kaiba jerked in surprise as the rocking continued. The sky began to crack and a hunk of it fell away. In the hole was damaged stone work that had further holes in it and visible through all the damaged levels was the dome surrounding the island. It was all encompassing blackness.

Except for a burning point of distant red light. Kaiba stared at that red light and felt something worm its way into his body he didn't know he could feel.

Fear.

TTTTTTT

The explosion faded, leaving Pegasus panting for breath and slumped over.

Lero wanted to take satisfaction in it, but he wasn't too far from that state himself. He still felt hot from Ra's presence, but his clothes weren't damp, like the god was preventing him from sweating. Or maybe he was running out of water to sweat. His body ached and without his cane, he didn't trust himself to take a step without his leg struggling. And his armfold was more to keep them steady than confidence. "I set two more cards face-down. End turn."

"Very good, Lero-boy…" Pegasus managed as he stood straighter and dusted off his suit. "Very good indeed - it is going to make defeating you all that more satisfying. I draw!"

He did so and erupted into giggles. "Oh, looks like lady luck favors me. I do so hope you weren't planning on your 'invincible' monster from stopping me from winning, Lero!" He flipped his card around. "Monster Reborn! Revive, Toon Dark Magician, so we can start the fun all over again!"

A burst of light flared and the toon reappeared, twirling his staff again and looking menacing.

"Trap activate! Cyber Galaxy!" Lero watched as both Eltanin and Toon Dark Magician became shafts of light that launched themselves skywards. "I sacrifice one monster on either side of the field so long as they have over two thousand attack points and then I summon Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon from my deck!"

A pillar of light erupted in front of him, in which a dragonoid shape could be seen. The light condensed down onto the shape, molding over it into armor. The air hissed and sizzled as it cooled and in the depths of the angular helm, two eyes lit up with shimmering light that resemble swirling galaxies. (3000/2500)

"Oh no! You've foiled my Toons again!" Pegasus put a hand on his face in shock. "And I haven't a single Toon left who can defeat such a mighty beast!"

Lero narrowed his eyes. Oh, that's not good...Dad always does that when he's about to pull out a nasty surprise.

True to his prediction, Pegasus' lips went from shocked into a thin line of menace. "Good thing my next card lets me summon a monster that isn't a Toon! I activate Relinquished Fusion!" Two cards fell out of his graveyard. "I banish the Relinquished and Thousand-Eyed Idol I discarded last turn from my graveyard! This lets me fusion summon a monster who's not only quite the looker, but sees every wonderful stare the world can give it!"

It was a legless hunk of purple flesh floating in front of him with a single golden Eye of Horus in the center. And then the flesh parted, lifting into wings to reveal the emnicated, void of a mouth underneath, the longer, razor claws. And to top it off, with sharp wet noises, eyes began to open all over the monster. Dozens. Hundreds. A thousand. "Say hello to Thousand-Eyes Restrict! In fact, your Galaxy-Eyes is going to get up close and personal with him! Absorption Force!" (0/0)

"No!" Lero could only watch helpless as that gaping maw began to suck in air that quickly became a devouring vortex. His Galaxy-Eyes struggled, but even its heavy body couldn't keep it from being yanked off its footing and pulled into the mouth like something being sucked into a black hole. "Galaxy-Eyes!"

Pegasus just chuckled as Thousand-Eyes Restrict's wings folded shut and then the head of Lero's monster emerged from the flesh, clearly in pain and struggling. "You know, you've had this dragon for ten years and it's never seemed to do anything for you! Summon it and it gets destroyed, bounced or absorbed by my favorite monster! Kind of a weak card design if you ask me…"

He snapped his fingers as though an idea had occurred to him. "I know! Let's finally put to good use! A battery! My Thousand-Eyes Restrict gains his attack points!" (0-3000)

The older man pointed at Lero. "Let's give it a go! Thousand-Eyes Restrict! Pilfered Power!"

Lero felt his body twist in pain as light was sucked from Galaxy-Eyes' eyes into Thousand-Eyes Restrict, the Eye of Horus charging up a ugly blue attack. "I...I activate Dark Wall of Wind! I take no damage from your direct attack!"

"You're such a spoilsport, Lero-boy...I happen to like my wonderful theory…" Pegasus sighed dramatically, hand on his forehead. Then it lifted just enough to let Lero see the black, pulsing false Millenium Eye in his skull and the twisted smile underneath. "Oh what the hell! Let's do it anyway! Fire!"

Lero's card had generated a wall of wind around him and the attack slammed into it hard. Rather than being dispersed by the wind, it just ground against it, loud and angry as it drilled into the protection. It felt like the noise was being screwed into his head and Lero cried out as both his barrier and the attack exploded together, the backlash hurling him off his feet.

He felt rubble against his back, saw the ceiling and the damaged floors above him that showed out the outside darkness. His Duel Disk beeped, indicating his turn, but he scarcely heard it above the thundering of his heart in his ears. Everything inside him felt tight, like dozens of gears suddenly jammed to a halt and still straining to move. I don't have anything left…!

His deck had cards, but it was built around one-turn-kills. He'd burned through most of his moves and what he had left wasn't much. He tried to imagine what cards he had still, tried to piece them into a solution, but it all slipped through his mind like water through a sieve. Can't...can't...can't…

The word wound itself around his brain, squeezing out all other rational thought. His heart was thudding so hard he could feel the throb radiating up into his throat and into his ears. He needed to stand, but his legs were shaking too hard. Black began to cloud the edges of his vision. He had to get away...he had to move…

Off in a distance that was far, far away, he could hear Pegasus talking. "After all these years of climbing on rooftops and falling down the dungeon stairs, you've finally realised that staying down is the sensible option. Well, it took you a while, Lero-boy, but then again, you were never the sharpest crayon…"

Lero couldn't find a retort. He couldn't even find his tongue. Everything was cloying, choking and constricting. He just had to move...move...

But he didn't because he couldn't and he couldn't because he had to and for some reason, the motivation and the logic to make that happen just wasn't there.

In its place, in every part of him, was the quiet, cold fear that replaced his heart. Everywhere to go, nowhere to move.

And time stretched on.

TTTTTTT

The star burned towards Earth like a ballistic missile, traveling faster than it really had any right to and shedding crimson energy in a long, streaking tail. Of course, relative to other planetary bodies and the millions upon thousands of miles it had to cross, it may as well have been standing still.

It kept going, speed ever increasing in increments. Headed towards Earth, towards the resonance it could feel on the planet's surface. Two points, one struggling to get ignited in the sand and another fighting to stay lit in the darkness.

Even at lightspeed, it would not make it in time.

But the star had something else besides light speed. It reached out to those two sparks, reached to touch them and connect them to each other and itself.

Destiny travels faster than light.

TTTTTTT

Pegasus hummed the 'Funny Bunny' theme song to himself, tapping his toe in time to the music and broke with a delight noise as Lero's Duel Disk beeped. "Ah! Looks like he's timed out! Excellent - my move."

He drew, pausing pointedly. But Lero was busy staring sightlessly at the ceiling, twitching like a robot with misfiring circuits. "Nothing to do?" A dramatic sigh. "You can't even bring down a good curtain call, can you? How disappointing…"

He lifted his hand and Thousand-Eyes Restrict made a gurgling noise. "Put the poor boy out of his misery! Pilfered Power!"

The energy charged, gathering into the Eye of Horus and then with a sharp crack, launched towards Lero's prone form.

And struck something just before could hit him. Whatever the something was, it absorbed the full force of the attack, shuddered and then exploded into a cheerily brilliant shower of confetti. Pegasus stared at it dumbly, even as a bit of tinsel wafted into his hair. "What was that!?"

"That was Peformage Damage Juggler." A new voice called - Sumire, active Duel Disk on her arm and stepping into the room like she owned it. "And it can be discarded to negate the damage from one battle."

"Performage?" Pegasus questioned and then cocked his head at her. "And just who are you? Come to pay last respects - I wouldn't bother, though, he probably can't hear you."

Sumire ignored him, sprinting over to where Lero lay. She knelt and checked his pulse, then his airways and made sure nothing was going to hurt him. She put a hand on his forehead. "I am here, Bellerophon. You are not alone. I will not leave you alone."

Then she stood and stepped to occupy the space he had been. "This duel is not over!"

"Oohh, a new challenger! Maybe you'll be more fun than that droll boy that calls himself my son!" Pegasus said and chuckled as energy sparked over Sumire, making her clench her fists. "Toughing out the Intrusion Penalty? Afraid to show weakness?" (SLP: 8000 - 4000)

"Afraid to show weakness to a clown? If I were the kind of woman to laugh, that thought would make me giggle." Sumire drew for the start of her turn. "I activate the continuous spell card - Performapal Sky Stage!"

The card appeared in front of her and a cloud-themed stage appeared in front of her. The clouds had smiles painted on them and the curtain was shimmering silk, crossed top hats decorating the lower border. "When this card is activated, I may add Performapal Sky Magician from my deck!"

Her deck slid out a card and she caught between her fingers. "And when I have no monsters, Sky Stage lets the real star of this deck descend! I summon Performapal Sky Magician!"

The stage's curtains parted, a spotlight snapping on to illuminate the figure standing there. His cape was massive, more like wings of fabric than a garment. A rakishly tilted top hat with red feathers topping a brilliantly colored costume of red and blue and a painted smile on a mask. The monster bowed to Pegasus and clapped his hands as he straightened, pulling out five massive Chinese rings locked together. (2500/2000)

"Hmmm, a five out of ten. Good presentation, terrible on substance and longevity!" Pegasus snapped his fingers and one of his set cards flipped up. It transformed in a briefcase with zipper teeth and googly eyes. "Toon Briefcase is going to send him right back into your deck!"

"This magician's performance is just beginning, so the audience can remain where they are! Sky Magician, I activate your special ability!" Sumire snapped her fingers in a professional way and Sky Magician jumped into the air, cape spreading to carry him aloft. He twirled his rings around and then fell over the Sky Stage card, hiding it from view. "I can return one continuous spell on the field to my hand and then activate another!"

The rings lifted, revealing a pale green hand decorated in rings of all sorts on all five fingers. Seeing the Toon Briefcase launch forwards, the hand wagged a chiding finger and then made a gun. A single bolt of power blew the briefcase into pieces. "This is Magician's Left Hand! And once per turn, this card negates the effect of one you trap cards!"

"Ah…!" Pegasus watched his briefcases pieces smoke away into nothingness, then gave her a huff. "Not a bad move, miss. But a monster like that has to be a one-trick pony!"

"Everything is part of the act, not just the magician. When a continuous spell card is activated, Sky Magician gains three hundred attack points." Sumire held up the Sky Stage card. "And when Sky Magician returns Sky Stage, I can discard to add another continuous spell card to my hand." She shoved the card into her graveyard and caught the one her deck slid out as Sky Magician gained another ring to his set. (2500-2800)

"How nice - pity those attack points can't help your magician." Pegasus gestured to Thousand-Eyes Restrict, whose eyes were opening again. "My monster's Thousand-Eyed Spell is still active, meaning your monster cannot attack! Not that he can beat mine, anyway."

"That spell is a smoke show, you detestable doppelganger and I'm going to blow it away with my next move!" Sumire slapped down another card and a new spotlight snapped on to reveal her monster. It was a spider girl, cartoonish and adorable and dressed smartly in an usher's uniform. She waved cheerily to Pegasus with her flashlight. "Performapal Spider Usher is here to lead you to your defeat!" (800/1400)

Spider Usher snapped on her flashlight as Thousand-Eyes Restrict gurgled and shone it on the fusion. The other monster hissed and its eyes began to blink rapidly in protest at the blinding light. Pegasus cried out as several eyes began to shrivel and smoke. "Oh no!"

"Spider Usher can negate monster effects for other Performapals I have and I chose that eyesore! And now, not only is his Thousand-Eyed Spell negated, so is his ability to equip monsters!" Sumire smirked as Galaxy-Eyes-head vanished into light, Restrict's body rocking back and forth as countless eyes smoked. (3000-0)

"Don't get ahead of yourself! I activate my set card - the continuous trap Animation Spell!" Pegasus chuckled as the card lifted and spewed out a tidal wave of colorful ink over his monster. "This card turns all my other Spellcasters into Toons! Which means-"

"-which means you'll be using your Toon Castle Nightdread to protect Restrict from my attacks and effects." Sumire tossed her hair over her shoulder, hand on her hip at Pegasus' protestant noise. "I know how the card works, too."

"Knowing it doesn't change it!" Pegasus watched as the ink receded, leaving a soft-edged, googly-eyed version of his fusion behind. Catching sight of Sumire, the monster clasped its claws, its wing opening so the center mouth could make kissy noises while hearts spread in all of the eyes. "Aww, he must like you so much he wants to gobble you and you magician all up!"

His deck whirred and slid out a card. He grabbed it and held it up, revealing it to be Toon World. "But let's keep this safe. I activate the effect of Toon Castle Nightdread!"

"And I'll activate a quick-play spell card Encore Performance!" Sumire dramatically held out her hand and Spider Usher vanished. "By tributing a Performapal monster, I can reactivate Sky Magician's effect!"

Sky Magician twirled his rings around Magician's Left Hand to hide it from view and when he lifted it, an identical right hand was in its place. "Magician's Right Hand has got the right fingers for the job! Your spell card is negated!"

Pegasus grit his teeth as the hand snapped its fingers and the haunting carousel music of his field spell stopped. Then another snap and their surroundings just shattered into dozens of pixelated shards, dumping them back into the art room. "You'll pay for that…!"

"I do not care what the bill is, any price is enough to protect Bellerophon! I activated another continuous spell card, so Sky Magician gains three hundred more attack points." Sky Magician gained another ring amongst the ones he had. "And now he's going to use all of them to destroy Thousand-Eyes Restrict!"

Sky Magician took flight again and his rings began to glow as he spun them around. They whipped through the air, the lead ring slicing through Thousand-Eyes Restrict like it was made of soft butter. The two halves of it flailed comically to try and put itself back together, but it was too late as it exploded into dust.

"You can't beat me with that level of play! I activate the effect of Toon Bank!" Pegasus swept out a hand to indicate his spell. "It gained a counter each time I dealt damage with my Toons and now I want a return on my investment! Five hundred life points per counter!" The spell exploded, showering him with gold coins and dollar bills with Funny Bunny's face stamped on the sides. (PLP: 1500 - 5500-2400)

To his surprise, Sumire was just smiling at him. "Oh I disagree with that assertion - your level of play is childlike, so I will beat you like a child." She held up the last two cards in her hand and then swept them into her disk. "I set these cards face-down and end my turn."

Pegasus drew. "I don't know who you are, dear, but I'm afraid the gap between us is much wider than you can comprehend!" He held up a spell card. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Magician's Right Hand!"

"Sky Magician's effect!" The rings fell around the hand and lifted, revealing the left one. It snapped its fingers and Pegasus' spell blew up. "I activate Magician's Left Hand and Sky Magician's attack increases!" (3400)

"Ah, but now you've wasted that effect, which means you will not stop my next move! First, I activate Spell Economics. Now I do not have to pay life points to use my spell cards. Which means, I can play Soul Charge free of charge!" Pegasus smiled and spread his arms as orbs of light began to lift from his graveyard - three in all. "At the low cost of zero life points instead of three thousand, I revive my three Blue-Eyes Toon Dragons!"

The orbs settled in a row in front of him, each one popping to reveal the Toons mimicking the 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' statue. They held that pose, then caught each other's eyes and burst out into wild, belly-catching laughter. (3000/2500x3)

Sumire's lips thinned. "They cannot attack because they are Toons. And I know you only have one copy of Toon Castle Nightdread."

"It doesn't matter - Soul Charge means I don't have a battle phase. Though, my Dragons don't quite have the muscle to get over your Sky Magician. Hmm, what to do, what to do…" Pegasus rubbed his chin and then grabbed a card, sliding it into his disk. "I know - I'll ask the Mimicat what to do!"

The spell appeared in front of him and out popped a cartoon humanoid feline. He twisted his lengthy body around Pegasus', whispering in his ear. The older man nodded along. "Oh...yes...mm...that is just a delightful idea!" Mimicat cackled behind his hands as Pegasus clapped his hands. "Mimicat says Bellerophon has the card I want in his graveyard, so...go on over and get it for me, please?"

Mimicat stretched forwards over the prone Lero, sticking one hand into his graveyard slot. He stuck his tongue out as he rummaged around, then tugged out a card. Cackling again, he retreated to Pegasus and handed him the card before vanishing.

Sumire felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in warning. "What did you just get?"

"Why, nothing other than the source of Bellerophon's sufferings. As his father, I should ease his pain...by putting him out of it entirely!" Pegasus held the card aloft and it began to breath out flames that shot skywards to gather into a rolling sphere of fire. "I sacrifice all three of my Blue-Eyes Toon Dragons for the Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Sumire's eyes widened as the sphere grew and grew until it was a miniature sun. Then the flames scattered as it began to unfold, revealing the gleaming golden metal underneath. Wings spread and knocked down more of the ceiling, scrapped at the walls. Claws dug in the stone floor and the triumphant screeching roar kicked up a shockwave of dust and debris. (9000/6500)

Pegasus closed his eyes in thought. "Mmm...but even Ra can't attack if I have no battle phase...that is a problem. Unless…" He held up the last card in his hand. "I just so happen to have Mischief of the Time Goddess! Now it's my next turn's battle phase!"

Ra didn't even wait for a command, simply gathered up energy along the arch in its neck that became a roiling fireball in its mouth. The god's glare was murderous as it unleashed its attack….squarely at Bellerophon.

"Reverse card open! Farewell Performance! This card equips to Sky Magician and prevents me from taking damage when he battles! Then when he's destroyed, I can draw two cards! I give this draw to Bellerophon!" Sumire didn't even wait for the trap to finish lifting. "Sky Magician! Intercept the attack!"

The magician flew bravely in front of the oncoming fireball, his cape wings spread and his rings glowing with every ounce of his magical might. He held out longer than anyone could have expected, holding the attack back. But it was like trying to stop a fire hose with your extended palm and Sky Magician exploded.

Sumire threw herself over Lero, shoving him out of the way of the attack. The fireball hit hard, detonating and the shockwave sent them both tumbling. They slammed into a pile of rubble, Sumire first and she saw stars as her head slammed into something hard. Cracks spread everywhere across the castle's room, Ra's rage causing its power to surge and lash out, damaging everything even further. It'll destroy the whole castle if we do not stop it!

"Lucky, lucky…" Pegasus sang in mockery as Ra screeched in anger at being denied. "But just like the sunrise, your death is certain. But...do take your last turns. That is...if you either of you can. End turn."

Sumire clutched one hand at her head, forcing the world to righten. Then she blinked, staring at Lero sprawled across her lap and then up at the angry sun god across the field. All the knowledge she'd had a moment ago about Duel Monsters was gone and she stared at the cards blankly. Dread began to build in her, almost as fast as Ra was gathering flames again.

" 'sokay...Sumire…" Lero croaked out, his eyes open. He struggled to get up, body shaking. "I can do this…"

"Not without me." Sumire helped him stand, letting him rest his weight on her. Relief suffused her at the feel of him pressing into her. He's okay. He's still alive... "I can do this, at least…"

"You've done enough. I heard your last turn. That was amazing." Lero drew for his turn. Monster Reborn. But nothing in his graveyard could overpower Ra. He felt what little hope Sumire's presence had kindled flicker down to an ember.

But there was something else in him, something urging him to play the card. He could see a red star gleaming in the hole in the rooftop and in his graveyard, something pulsed with life. "I activate Monster Reborn! Be revived, Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon!"

Blue light flooded in front of him, scattering as his armored monster ripped through the light with its claws.

"Bellerophon…" Sumire clutched at him tighter. "Your arm-!"

Lero looked down at his right arm. Blood was trickling down it, leaking from a scar in the detailed shape of a dragon's head. What is this? Why doesn't it hurt?

Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon roared suddenly, the noise echoing through the room and probably the rest of the castle. Its eyes were shining brightly and then Lero heard another roar echo back. It stirred something in his heart and suddenly, there was strength in him. Strength enough to step away from Sumire and stand on his own two feet.

And there was a...a presence in his head. Hot, fluid and bitter in a good way. Jackie…?

TTTTTTT

Jackie clambered back to her feet, slipping on the loose sand and pieces of herself strewn across it. Her body felt oddly light, clunky and spindly. She refused to look at herself, instead focusing on the sight of Kaiba sneering at her. "Jackass…"

"Insults like that at a time like this? The last barking of a weak piece of trash trying to get someone to care." Kaiba shook his head, his expression becoming mocking as Jackie began to cough, spewing more pieces spattering across the sand.

Jackie hugged at herself as the coughing continued and then one particularly hard cough sent a wave of white pieces crashing down. "Shit...my mask…"

Kaiba laughed as he caught on as well. "Looks like I finally broke that shell, turtle! Why don't you…" His words died in his throat as Jackie looked up at him. He went pale. "Your face...that can't be...that's not…" and then it was his turn to lurch, bile spewing over the sands.

That's going to be the only victory I get here…making an evil ghost upchuck. Jackie couldn't bring herself to smile. She had nothing in her hand and she was barely standing. Hundred-Eyes isn't even standing. And even if I attack his Alter, I'll only deal a thousand damage. He'll have a hundred life points left.

Frustration burned hot in her gut and she clenched a fist. There has to be something - I am not letting this smug bastard get away!

Something glinted off the pieces in the sand. Something red and soft. Jackie twisted her head, seeing the gaping hole in the ceiling and the shining crimson star through all the damage. Where did that come from?

There was a growl from behind her and she whirled, surprised to see Hundred-Eyes forcing itself back to stand, all of its eyes opening again. A vaporous aura floated in and out of view around, the dragon spreading its wings. And Jackie could feel its strength returning, because the same strength was flowing into her. Did that star's light do this?

She glanced down at her body, finding it whole and unmarred. At the same time, a presence echoed in her being and a voice followed.

'The King's love has bestowed upon you the mark of the Crimson Dragon!'

Her arm burned and Jackie stared as a searing single point of red light traced out a dragon's claw on her forearm. When it was complete, the mark shone with the same light around Hundred-Eyes Dragon had and she felt something slide through her soul. Something, warm, luscious and honeyed, spreading through her insides and warming her against the cold of the desert's wind. Sky Horse…?

There was no time to put further thought on it, instinct took over and the mark on her arm shone as she grabbed her for her deck. The top card began to shine with the same light. "It's my turn, I draw!"

Jackie drew, the card trailing little wisps of vaporous red light, and though she had never seen it before, and it didn't even look like a spell, trap or monster, she knew what it did. "I activate Crimson Starlight!"

The card appeared on her field, its face etched with a dragon curled in a circle, then it shattered, the pieces melting into red energy. "When I activate this card, I summon a copy of a dragon monster! And I know exactly the one I want! Come out, Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon!"

Red energy swirled around and coalesced into the gleaming armored form of Lero's monster. But Jackie had neve seen it like this before. The light in the eyes was a shining red and energy spewed from vents on the back, becoming two diaphanous, ever-flowing wings that held the light of the stars in them. (3000/2500)

Kaiba staggered from the dust as Galaxy-Eyes beat its wings and then stared down at his hand. Where the starlight touched, bits of him were flaking away to reveal inky darkness underneath. It bled out in droplets, smearing over him. "What-!?"

"Both Hundred-Eyes and Galaxy-Eyes are level eight! I open the Overlay Network!" Galaxy-Eyes became a translucent frame version of itself, sliding overtop of Hundred-Eyes and folding its wings around them to cocoon them in starry, fiery red energy. "By the vengeful glare of my contract, my King's perils will be cast to hell! Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Hundred Galaxy-Eyes Dragon!"

The wings snapped open, revealing her new monster. It was Hundred-Eyes, though now its body was angular and jagged, twisted spines of saw-like bone trailing down its back and topping the lashing tail in spikes. Its eyes were swirling black holes that seemed to feast on countless tiny stars, but the eyes on its head were hollow bone. Then it snapped its wings wide, revealing them to have two ever-furious eyes on their surfaces. (3000/2500)

"It's not enough…!" Kaiba ground out, clutching his damaged arm even as more of him began to peel away. His Number was already slashing her weapons, sending twin crescents of energy. "Alter negates your monster's effect!"

The blasts soared for Hundred Galaxy-Eyes, but the dragon's tail flashed and shattered them, Jackie smirking at the sight. "My new monster's effect cannot be negated! And then I expend one of my xyz material to activate its other effect! Galaxy Corrupt!"

Hundred Galaxy-Eyes roared and spread its wings, the two eyes flaring with dark light. Kaiba stared in horror as his monster dropped her weapons, clutching at her head and then in an explosion of light, she had become a copy of Jackie's monster. His two Material Lions followed suit. But there were no wings of light, the eyes were all shut and the monster as a whole looked weak. "What-? You made them your dragon!?"

"Hundred Galaxy-Eyes can turn all monsters on the field into it! And that lets me use its last special ability! I can copy the effect of any 'Hundred Galaxy-Eyes' on the field!" Jackie's grin bared her teeth. "So let's try that field nuke! Go!"

Her monster shone and then roared, the action kicking up a shockwave of sand and power ripped all copy monsters to pieces. "And now we get that nice attack bonus for each monster I just nuked!" (3000-6000)

"This can't be!" Kaiba was struggling, trying to keep himself from corroding, from falling over. But her dragon's light grew and grew and the inky blackness was beginning to boil, wafting away in steam. "How-?"

"Hundred Galaxy-Eyes Dragon! Attack his life points! Strident Void!" The monster opened his jaw as light streamed into it, revealing there was something akin to a black-hole sucking it all in. The visibility around them dimmed until the only real visible thing was the dragon itself. Then it fired, the energy launching with the hiss and speed of a laser.

The attack enveloped Kaiba and he struggled against it, one hand desperately reaching forwards as if he could just push it back. But his fingers peeled away into the inky darkness that shredded into wisps and then the light swallowed him, his scream of defiance and everything else.

Jackie let out a long breath that she didn't realise she'd been holding, the full enormity of what had just happened suffusing through her, and turning her legs to jelly. That was intense...coming that close to death was nothing new to her, but this one was going to linger for a long time - she could feel it.

Over on the floor, Blackwood coughed and rolled over as the shadows began to disappear. They were in the castle kitchens. Pots and pans had been knocked off their hooks, and both duelists were standing (or sitting in Blackwood's case) on top of the stainless steel counters. Jackie winced as she realised her boots had left dusty footprints in the shiny metal. Plato's gonna be pissed…

"...uh how embarrassing...I haven't passed out in a duel since I was a child," Blackwood was grumbling and rubbing his face. Jackie's eyes snapped to the shattered pieces of her mask on the floor, and panic raced through her. Jumping off the counter, she seized a dish cloth and pressed it to her face. She turned to find Blackwood staring at her in confusion, and she shrugged awkwardly.

"I won't tell if you don't," she offered, looking around the room, unable to bear the curious frown he was giving her. "Come on. Let's just get out of here."

TTTTTTT

Lero could feel it, the pulse of power from Jackie and her dragon and then was in him, too. His mark spurted blood, then flared with crimson light. "Awaken, Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon!"

The dragon roared in agreement, the blue light flashing and driving back the harsh glow of Ra's flames. It's armor gained glowing lines of red power that crawled for its back and in turn erupted out in diaphanous red wings filled with starlight.

Pegasus shielded his face from the light, his twisted Millenium Eye spasming in sudden pain as if it were a separate creature entirely from him. "What on earth!?"

Lero held up his arm and Galaxy-Eyes' card rippled with light, changing from the tan background of a normal monster to the orange backdrop of an effect monster. "I activate Dimension Fusion! We both summon as many banished monsters as we can at the cost of two thousand my life points!" (LLP: 2200-200)

Three portals ripped open alongside his Galaxy-Eyes, spitting out three versions of his Cyber Dragon. One was a prototype, nothing but segmented regions held together, an even smaller version that had wires trailing from it and then one with an energy frill around its neck and pulsing with red lines of power. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core, Hertz and Alsafi from out of play!"

Galaxy-Eyes' wings flared and spread to shed its light over the new monsters. "All my monsters share the ability that means they are all treated as Cyber Dragon while on the field! So that means I can use Galaxy-Eyes' own ability to turn them all into level ten monsters!"

Level stars appeared above the monsters at one, two, four and eight and then flickered, all becoming a neat row of ten. "Then I open the overlay network twice with my two pairs of level ten monsters!"

The monsters became orbs of light that swirled around and vanished into the surrounding darkness.

Pegasus waited, staring off into it expectantly. Even Ra seemed to have found some patience, its gathering flames quiet and the aura of power radiating off its body calm. "Well - where is it!?"

A clattering noise caught his ears and he looked down. Stone chips on the floor were vibrantly so hard they were scooting across the floor. The rumbling intensified, so heavy and deep now he could now feel shaking the stone and then himself.

"Sorry, but my heavy artillery has emphasis on the heavy." Lero didn't even blink as out of the darkness to either side of him erupted two gigantic cannon barrels who nearly filled the room just by themselves. The castle groaned audibly in protest under the new weight and there were distinct crashes from somewhere else inside it."My Superdreadnought Rain Cannon Gustav Max! Times two!" (3000/3000x2)

"You might as well as add two more, because they cannot compare to Ra!" Pegasus declared triumphantly.

"They don't have to!" Gears clattered and the two cannons shifted so they were aiming squarely at Pegasus. Two large clangs echoed around the room, the noise of shells being loaded. "I can detach one xyz material from my Cannons! Then they each deal you two thousand damage!"

Pegasus' eyes widened in panic. "Lero-boy, think about this…! This isn't a very good ending! Wouldn't it be more climatic to beat Ra with your magic dragon?"

"Oh, it's a very good ending! Because it's the one where you stop talking and this nightmare is done with!" Lero snapped out his hand. "Now get the hell out of my house! FIRE!"

Both cannons fired, rocking hard from the recoil as they fired blasts of power that slammed into Pegasus. His cry was long since drowned out by the sheer noise of the energy and Ra's flames and then they detonated. The light turned Lero's world into a sheet of white, then the shockwave hit and threw him backwards, even as he felt Sumire hang tight to him and the dull roar of stone cracking under its own weight.

Followed by the ear splitting rumble as it all began to collapse.

TTTTTTT

In the endless, horizonless mirrored void of Nitemare's domain, silence reigned.

All the duelists had their opening hands, Daniel and Reginald staring intently at Nitemare. They weren't sure if Nitemare was looking back given that its eye sockets were empty. The beings' fire cape fluttered with nary any noise at all and not even a ripple disturbed the water's mirror surface.

The seconds ticked by.

"Ah." Nitemare's head tilted a micron, as though he had just realized something. "I am to take the first turn?"

Daniel almost face-faulted while Reginald's brow twitched in an unhealthy manner. Don't tell me he was wasting all the time figuring that out!

"I draw for the first turn,.." Nitemare picked up the card slowly, his bone fingers looking so thin and breakable that it was a wonder they could even lift the piece of cardstock. "Then I am allowed to take actions…" He fell silent again.

The two Pros exchanged looks.

After another amount of time of indeterminate length, Nightmare moved again, his cards scraping against one another as he pulled one free. "I set one card face down." It appeared in front of him in a soft ripple of power. "That completes my turn."

Daniel was glad his many years of professional experience meant he could keep surprise under control - he'd have let his jaw drop otherwise. He's acting like he doesn't understand the game and is just a beginner...but he could be suckering us by playing just the one card because he knows in a duel like this, none of us can attack on our first turns.

That wasn't too uncommon a 'flex' in higher-tier dueling circuits. Most people at their level ran powerful, cohesive strategies that didn't rely on a turn of set-up to function, so then you could invest minimally on your turn and then wait for your opponents to do all their moves so you can tear them down on the next turn.

But that only works when it's a free-for-all. When it's two-on-one - Daniel caught Reginald's eye again and the younger man nodded once. - one can be the sword and the other the shield.

They could do this, together.

And yet, Daniel couldn't help but feel that in this plane of infinite silent stillness, two was just as small as one.

TTTTTTT

A/N: A new power has come and destinies have been changed, but there's still one more threat to deal with. Facing two of the strongest in the world, Nitemare seems to have his hands full...but is there really such a thing as a limit for magic?

Next Chapter: Duel Madness! Pro Level!