Oh, the "Experience of Death." What human ever dreamed they could create Death? Death was a thing that found you, that came up from behind and clasped its hands over your mouth and dragged you away. A thing you met, or introduced to someone else. Not a thing you created.

But he'd done it, though, hadn't he? Hadn't he? He'd met Death over and over and over and over and he was still alive. He'd met Death and lived to tell the tale, as it were. So, once again, only he was qualified for the job. It was exhausting, being him.

It took the average person ten minutes to go insane from the "Experience of Death." How did one calculate an average? By running multiple tests and comparing the data, of course. Step right up, step right up! The "Experience of Death," this way, this way! Any volunteers?

Yes, volunteers, plenty of them. Volunteers everywhere you looked. Desperate people, nobody people, condemned people. Like, if you'd ever seen or been forced to watch footage of wars, the aftermath of wars. All those kinds of people. No family left, no houses anymore. Nobody would miss them. They knew it. So many people, many people volunteered. It was easy to get an average.

He wasn't average, though, was he? Was he? He'd invented Solid Vision (renamed from Virtual Torture, renamed from Endless Nightmare, to make it more palatable for the public, even though it made the same thing (death) happen and they knew it and they paid money to see it). And it took him a long time and a lot of money but even without time and money he'd had the idea for a long time. But it had never had a purpose, a reason to be born, till Death presented itself. Thanks, Yuugi. Thank you.

He thought, y'know, this could be scarier. But none of his designers' ideas were nearly as frightening as his own. He wanted to shake their shoulders and ask them, don't you sleep? Don't you collapse from exhaustion and keep falling till you land in the teeth of the Mad Dog of Darkness and your face is ripped off? Not your eyes, though, 'cuz you can still see the Wicked Worm Beast coming for you with his tube-y sucker thing-ys outstretched and he sucks the blood from your stomach and you scream and nothing comes out but more monsters can still hear you, somehow, and find you? Really? No dreams? No ideas?

His brother had no ideas. He was going to lose tomorrow. He wondered which end of the spectrum he'd fall on. Under ten minutes? Or a bit more than ten? He'd find out tomorrow.

Hm. Which monster was that, watching him now? So tiny. Looked like a human. Malice Doll of Demise, maybe? He couldn't make it out. It came for him, it sought him out, marching, running, straight as a bullet.

Wait. He knew that face! Oh my God—hilarious! Who had done this? Who had programmed this? They did a damned good job, whoever they were!

That's him! Little him! Little Seto! Running at himself, unarmed, what, was he going to choke him? Bite him? Pull his hair out in a playground fistfight? Haha! This was no playground, did he realize that? What was he doing here?

Hello, Little Seto! Are you lost? Took a wrong turn somewhere, huh? Still not paying attention?

BANG BANG BANG

What was that banging? Doll Hammer? Inferno Hammer? Ironhammer the Giant? Wasn't it kinda fun, not knowing which monster got you next? Like a prize from a prize machine, except you were their prize? Is that you, Little Seto? Hiding a hammer behind your back?

You're here!

Where else would I be, Little Seto?

You have to come with me!

I give the orders around here, Little Seto. I'm a CEO, did you know that? I shit money, did you know that? What you're seeing is worth more than your entire life's worth, did you know that?

Hurry! I can help you out! We can get out!

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Get out, huh? Why would we do that? You were made to be in here. And you want out?

Come on! Take my hand!

And have you rip it off, you fucking little monster? No thanks! No thanks!

Please!

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

"—been in there for hours! You'll die!"

Oh. Hm. Hours, huh? Hours? Mm. Couldn't have that.

Don't go! Take my hand! I need you—

Little Seto needed him, eh? Little Seto needed to grow up and wake up and look around and see and scream—

Please!

Too late, Little Seto. Hours, they said. You went insane a long time ago.

DON'T GO!

SLAM

...

"Seto-sama! Thank God! Are you hurt?!"

"...hff...hff...Are you kidding?"

"It's still running—should I shut down the simulator?"

"...hff...What?"

"Should I shut it down?"

"Leave it on."

"But—"

"LEAVE IT ON!"

"...y-yes, sir."

Someone's finishing up in there.

PIECE #14: SOLID VISION

Doctor's Note: Not much to add. :(

Thank you for reading! - Dr. MP