Nightmare Troubadour

by 7th Librarian

Sequel to 'Heirs of Fate'. Three months after the Bride Tournament and his marriage, Bellerophon Pegasus is dying. The curse of the Egyptian Gods steals away the shine of his future breath by painful breath. Worse, the sins of his father overshadow him, threatening to steal all he loves. And even as he battles against ancient darkness, it just seems to herald a greater terror...

7. We Two Kings - And a Dog

Nightmare Troubadour
By 7th Librarian

Chapter 7: We Two Kings - And a Dog

Lero was grateful for having such a cuddly dog.

If only because he didn't have any tissues at hand.

Artemis, patient, loving and stoic as she was, took him crying into her fur as he cuddled her close with grace and poise. Or a distinct lack of care, given she was a dog and dogs generally didn't care too much what got into their fur.

They were safe. Kaede, Jessie, Sumire, Plato, they were all safe. Sumire was very shaken and refused to so much as look at someone and he had some serious questions about how Kaede had exorcism on speedial, but that could wait.

For the moment, it was enough to feel relief.

Lero ran his fingers over Artemis' fur, blinking away the last of his tears. He hadn't even realized he'd been so worried until Plato had called him with the good news.

Or maybe it was because he was finally letting out all the pent-up feelings of uselessness and despair he'd been hiding all day.

He scowled, rubbing a wet face against his dog. His curse seemed to like to intrude on everything lately, but he refused to let it spoil this moment.

His friends were safe. That was all that mattered. Yes, he hadn't been able to help nearly as much as he wanted to. That didn't mean anything right now.

As if agreeing, Artemis licked his face, in her doggy version of trying to dry his eyes and help him move past this. He gave a weak smile and rubbed her head to show that he appreciated it.

"It's okay, girl," he kissed her on the head. "Everything's okay now…" It wasn't yet. He knew it deep down. They still had to get to the bottom of the prototype thefts. Still had to cure his curse. Still had to find out what their weird dragons and tattoos meant. But for a moment, he allowed himself to breathe.

Artemis snapped to attention, ears upright and alert, body tense, as her whole body swung to face the hedge maze. She dropped to a low crouch, growling at it like it was the cause of all her master's misery.

Lero swore under his breath and instantly punched a button on the lap that brought up the mansion's security. Kaibas were paranoid - justifiably so - and the security wouldn't let so much as a squirrel through without alerting someone about where its nuts were.

But the screen still showed green tags - and yet Artemis' hackles were raised and she was backing up, pressing her whole body against him protectively. That was prompting enough for him - he snapped the laptop shut and shoved it into the wheelchair's back and grabbed the joystick to wheel himself back inside the mansion.

Except there was a person standing in the doorway. A delicate-looking man with pale pink eyes, pale blue hair. He was dressed finely, to the point of ruffles on his sleeve and held Artemis' dingle ball in one hand.

Silence hung in the air, Lero contemplating what to do and how the man had gotten in the mansion, while the man just smiled genially at him. He shook the dingle ball expectantly, watching Artemis' eyes track it and then chucked it lightly over off to the left.

Artemis just growled at him.

"Ah. Well, I admit I'm not very good with dogs." The man said with a polite shrug. He stepped out onto the patio, light glinting off the fragile-looking golden wire braiding through his hair. "Hello again, Akl."

Lero narrowed his eyes. "You're from the orphanage."

"Yes. My name is Chrysaor, but you would have known me as Gyasi." The man's smile grew as Lero sucked in a breath. "You remember me."

"Hard to forget someone I fought with on a daily basis."

"Mmm. We were quite the rough little boys, weren't we?" Chrysaor said, taking another step forwards as he clasped his hands behind his back. Artemis's snarl kept him from advancing further. "I remember the time we got into a fight over dessert. You cut me with a fork somehow and it took four stitches to get shut."

"Well, considering I had my right thumb in a splint for two weeks, it was fair trade." Lero replied. "Not that that little fact stopped you from trying to brain me with a dictionary."

"And you tried to crush my toes with that dictionary. It took three of the staff to pull us apart and they put us in counseling. Not surprising, if you think about it. All of us in that place were from the streets, rats driven to do anything to survive. We weren't the only ones to cause problems." Chrysaor admitted. "Though, I cannot recall precisely why I didn't like you."

"Same here. Except something about you just rubs me the wrong way." Lero kept his words cool, but his mind was racing. Did Chrysaor have help? If so, how many? And why was he here? "So did you break into my home for a trip down memory lane or is there a point to your visit?"

Chrysaor looked a bit put out at Lero's abruptness, but answered anyway. "I am here, Akl, to reclaim my birthright. And everything else you stole from me."

"You think I'm the one who got Maximillion to not adopt you?" Lero rested his hands in his lap when Chrysaor started, staring at him in surprise. "You have a Greek name and I've always known that there was always one more person ahead of me in the adoption line. A person who is a danger to himself and others."

"Yes. I...was not a good son." Chrysaor said carefully, as if the words were literally heavy on his tongue. "Father was right to send me away to doctors who could help me. I did so many wrong things and I was just so angry, all the time, I…." He trailed, his expression a bit lost and pained. Then he let out a soft breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, but this situation is really awkward with your dog growling at me and me menacing you like I'm some kind of mustache-twirling villain. This should really be a proper conversation with some tea, no?"

He snapped his fingers and Lero had to grab Artemis' collar to keep her from launching to her feet - Rare Hunters seemed to just sweep out of the shadows like they'd been part of the decorations, thick robes hiding their faces. More disturbing was how silently they moved and what they did. One came out of the house, carrying a tray laden with tea and cakes. Another had a comfortable looking chair, while a third even had a double-dish full of dog food and water for Artemis. They arranged all of this at Lero's table with the efficient mania for a Broadway stage crew before spreading out in a ring that was just far enough to not be breathing down Lero's neck.

Lero watched Chrysaor sit down across from him, his eyes flicking to the man and then the tea set. The water was still steaming hot and the cakes hadn't begun to melt in the Japanese summer sun. There was even a small selection of European teas.

The Kaiba family did not keep a European tea set or fine china in their home.

His eyes fell back on Chrysaor, who gestured at the arrangement with a hospitable smile. "Please, help yourself."

"I am not thirsty."

"Akl, please." Chrysaor pushed - no, he almost pleaded. Like Lero having his tea was the most important thing right now. "I really don't want to make this harder than it is."

"I don't drink tea-" Lero had barely spoken the word when a Rare Hunter sidled up to the table, two small jars appearing from the depths of his cloak to be set alongside the teas. One was labeled 'Coffee', the other 'Hot Chocolate'.

Lero stared at Chrysaor for a long moment, trying to find some kind of clue or chink in his armor in those pink eyes.

Chrysaor stared back with polite expectation, his slender lips lifting in a smile that was utterly charming in its sheepishness. "I know I'm the guest, but I am rather thirsty and it is very rude of me to have any while my company has not."

Without looking away from him, Lero grabbed the hot chocolate.

Humming in delight, Chrysaor selected a tea from the pile. It was Earl Grey, the kind of tea Pegasus drank after his red wine sprizters with company.

Lero made himself a hot chocolate, trying not to start when a Rare Hunter set down a can of spray whipped cream and a shaker containing sprinkles. "You think you should be Pegasus' son instead of me."

"Mmmhmm." Chrysaor nodded absently as he apparently decided between brown or white sugar cues.

"Then you know that's impossible. I don't know what happened to you after he sent you away, but that was over twelve years ago. I've been his son to the whole world for that long of time, not to mention I'm married now. I don't really see how you think this is going to work out." Lero said carefully, every memory of his high society lessons flooding into his brain. First rule was never raise your tone and the second was never accuse anyone of anything - always allow room for interpretation.

"It's simple, really. Father will simply have to confirm my adoption and your marriage to Miss Kaiba and ownership of Industrial Illusions and the Duel Monsters patent will switch to me." Chrysaor blew on his tea to cool it, his tone apologetic. "I am older than you, by a few weeks at least."

"Maximillian's in a coma, Chrysaor. He can't approve of anything. And even if he did, I don't think he'd appreciate you stealing what I've had for years simply out of spite like that." Lero watched the other man for any sign - anger or irritation, frustration, anything.

Those pink eyes revealed nothing. "Yes, I know. But I know him better than you do. And once I wake him up, he will be grateful to see me again and restore our family." Chrysaor said before taking a drink of his tea. After lowering his cup, he seemed to realize something and then added, kindly. "Not that you'll be kicked out or anything. We're grown men and can certainly move past our differences to be good brothers."

Lero took a drink of hot chocolate to hide how his throat was tightening. He knew that tone Chrysaor was using. That tone of rock-solid conviction, the kind of religious zeal lurking under the surface of how your belief was inherently right. The same kind of tones he'd see with deluded fans, Ryou Bakura and even Ra himself. It was the bedrock of righteousness that one built a fortress of delusion against reality.

If he said the wrong thing…

So instead, Lero said the obvious thing. "Wake him up - that's not possible. No one has the means to wake a coma patient, Chrysaor. Not even the Lucindas."

"Yes, the ever-beloved, ever-talented Lucindas…" Chrysaor's fingers tightened around his cup at the mention of the medical family. Then he took another drink, letting out a sigh as he lowered his cup. "Anyway, Akl, I have the means to wake him. Or rather, my god does."

"Your...god." Lero didn't bother to hide his disbelief.

"Bishbaalkin. The deity of the Signers. He has promised me to wake Father up once I help restore his power." Chrysaor said, chuckling slightly at Lero's wide eyes. "Ah, I can see your Crimson Dragon has failed to inform you about Signers. Or anything at all."

"You could say that, yeah. Magical stuff really doesn't come with an instruction manual." Lero laced his hands around his mug. "Want to fill me in?"

"Certainly. The Signers are a chosen group of people destined to save the world from great and terrible evils. The same as in any standard fantasy world - Power Rangers, Lord of the Rings, Digimon, you get the idea." Chrysaor said with an airy wave as he poured himself another cup. "Though, I will say there is more to this than a generic, broad evil with no real motive beyond 'take over the world'. Which, if you think about it for more than a few seconds, is truly a terrible idea. Just imagine all the paperwork…"

"Mmm, did this evil leave you an itenary, a polite apology and a schedule for all your battles?"

"No, sadly, all our battles are not going to happen weekly and in the same rock quarry as every other one." Chrysaor said with a slight smile. "Rather, it is one of the cyclical battles between good and evil that happens. This one is between Bishbaalkin and the Crimson Devil."

"Meaning that the Bishbaalkin picks out its Signers and the Devil picks out his and then the two of you fight, with the winning side determining the fate of the world." Lero put in, sipping his drink. It was ridiculous of him to recall now, but he remembered protesting harshly when his father made him take kidnapping classes about what to do if he was in a situation like this. Which was delay, obey and talk. Information was the key. "With the medium being Duel Monsters."

"In a nutshell, yes. Though the Crimson Devil uses Speakers rather than Signers."

"Hmm…" Lero tried to sound thoughtful. "So have you...found your Signers yet?"

"A few. Not all. You think with such an important event and the high stakes, I'd have been given a list of contact numbers." Chrysaor said with a wry smile. "Alas, it seems up to the whims of fate that those who possess the dragons are guided to me."

Lero found himself distracted as the pieces began to form. So...the Crimson Dragon picked me...and it must have picked Jackie too - that's why we share this weird long-distance sixth sense about each other. Who else did it pick? Kaede with her own dragon was a good bet. If fate guides them to you then any of my friends could be a possibility…

He glanced at his arm, where beneath the fabric and skin lay the head of the dragon. Where are you Jackie? Can you feel this? Do you know how scared I am right now? It was the only lifeline he had left at the moment, and he was going to cling to it.

"How do you know when you find them?" he asked, curiously. Keep him talking… "Do you just lock eyes across the street and hear the proverbial victory music?"

"No. Like I said, they tend to cross my path. You see, given how the Signers have won this conflict everytime it occurs, their bloodlines have existed since immemorial. Bishbaalkin has told me that in ages past, the descendants of these bloodlines would hold contests or tournaments to determine who was worthy of wielding one of the dragon spirits Bishbaalkin gives. Then these candidates would have to prove themselves to the Signer King - in this case, me - and the King makes the final selection." Chrysaor explained, his expression taking on an air of bashfulness. "That is to say, once the King and the candidate are truly, deeply in love, they consummate the choice."

Lero almost dropped his mug in surprise, but managed to control himself. His mind flashed back to the Bride Tournament, his panic attack after Kaede's loss and how Jackie had chased him down, comforted him and talked to him. He'd felt warm and close to her because of it and remembered why he'd dated her in the first place. It was hard to tell what was more surprising - that they'd completed some ancient magical rite by banging in his bathroom or that she still held those romantic feelings for him.

"Unfortunately, things have gone awry this time," Chrysaor continued speaking, apparently not noticing Lero's little slip-up. "The Children of the Stars, Bishbaalkin's people, are gone and he has had to select his Signer candidates from the rest of the world. There is no support network, no guidance or allies this time, histories and faiths and rituals lost forever. I have had to rely on other means in order to find my Signer candidates."

"Like bossing around the Rare Hunters, a major criminal organization?" Lero asked with a gesture to the surrounding robed figures. "I don't think that kind of act suits a Pegasus."

Chrysaor's face fell. "No, it does not. But then again, they say the line between genius and madness is a thin one. And our family has always let our passions consume our reason. Just look at Father and his efforts to revive his wife. Soul-stealing, corporate skullduggery, putting innocent lives in danger. I am merely trying to avoid that." He busied himself with pouring himself some more tea. "The world is unaccepting of magic, Akl, to the point of trying to kill it. And the Crimson Devil and its minions move in shadow and secrets. I must do the same in order to keep the playing field level and innocents out of harm's way."

He had a point there, Lero allowed to himself. Rosie's biggest fear was the world learning she was a Darkborn lest they just burn her at the stake. Nor did Chrysaor have his resources of a giant satellite network, information, trillions of dollars and so on. If he was in the other's shoes in this kind of situation, he might just well have thought the same.

Which was slightly unnerving. Chrysaor was making sense. And that probably didn't bode well for Lero himself right now. Because for whatever reason Chrysaor was here, he'd already made up his mind and justified it to himself. Which meant Lero probably wasn't going to talk him out of it.

But he could still keep the other talking. "Chrysaor, while this is fascinating and actually really interesting, why do all this?" A simple sweeping gesture to encompass the table and the Rare Hunters. "If you wanted to make your case about being the proper Pegasus heir and everything, wouldn't that be better done after you've saved the world and proven yourself?"

He was surprised to see that for the first time since his arrival, Chrysaor looked puzzled. "Isn't it obvious? The two are one and the same. Reclaiming my rightful place in this family, is part of my victory over the Crimson Devil. To save the world, I must remove you from your position."

Lero's eyes flicked to the mark hidden under his sleeve. "I don't think an evil god gave me my mark."

"No, the Crimson Dragon is merely a false one, Akl. A rival being who sought to usurp Bishbaalkin and stole some of his power when he was weakened from the last conflict five thousand years ago. Given how everything is going as of late, it's not surprising the Crimson Dragon feels it can take Bishbaalkin's place in the conflict with the Crimson Devil." Chrysaor said with a look that Lero realized was genuine sympathy. "You are being tricked and manipulated. And I am truly sorry that you are."

"Thanks...I guess," Lero said slowly. "If you feel that badly about it, why not just leave me out of it, and focus on fighting the Crimson Devil? Honestly, I've got bigger concerns right now than taking your place...like the Egyptian God slowly crippling me."

He gestured to his wheelchair pointedly.

"That is an unforeseen obstacle, yes." Chrysaor agreed slowly, taking a drink of his tea. He nearly dropped the cup when a mark started to glow on his arm through his sleeve, the flames black and blue but otherwise identical to the mark Lero himself had.

He cocked his head, as if listening to something and then lowered the cup. "Ah, yes that would be sufficient. Akl, please give me your Signer Dragon and we'll be on our way."

"I…" Lero felt his throat go dry. "Chrysaor, I can't do that. That dragon is the only reason Ra's curse hasn't turned me into a clay statue."

"I know, but that will be only temporary. Once Bishbaalkin is at full strength, he will not only be able to awaken Father, but remove your curse as well." Chrysaor said in a soothing tone. "It's really in your best interest to do this, Akl. Personal suffering is very hard and heavy...but does the fate of the world weigh so little compared to your situation?"

In many respects, Lero knew that the answer was no, his personal situation wasn't nearly as important as the world. And while he would never be happy to just hand over his lifeline, he did understand the necessity of such an act. But in this case, it wasn't that he was being asked, it was who was doing the asking. Everything he knew was practically screaming at him to not let Chrysaor have his Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon.

"Akl, please. Don't make this harder than it already is." Chrysaor pressed, his face looking more than a little sadly torn. "You know what the right choice is, what the only choice is. The choice Father would make."

Lero felt his lips thin, mind racing to figure what to say to stall longer, to keep the conversation going, to stop this horrible sense of dread crawling up his spine. He was alone, surrounded by enemies and helpless to defend himself against them. There wasn't anything to do.

Chrysaor seemed to sense it as well, as he pushed his teacup aside and stood up with a soft sigh. "Very well. I cannot blame you, as I would be the same in your shoes. And this is hardly the epic clash I had imagined for us, Akl. I wanted spectacle and effort and a true competition so that we could see why I am the true son in an undisputable manner. But, as the saying goes, needs must."

A snap of his fingers and then several things were happening at once - Artemis was lunging, only to be downed as tranquilizer darts slammed into her side. Lero made to cry out and reach for her, but strong hands pinned him to the back of his wheelchair, trapping his arms while other hands searched his clothing, the chair and everything else. All done with the same methodical silence and professionalism that made the whole thing feel even more ruthless and intrusive than it was.

One of the Rare Hunters found his deck and passed it to Chrysaor. He carefully thumbed through it, frowning slightly as he set aside Lero's Extra Deck. "How odd, I suppose the Crimson Dragon copied more than its strategies from Bishbaalkin." He began to sort through Lero's actual deck.

"Leave my cards alone!" Lero felt his skin crawl as each card was studied and then passed over. It was disturbingly intimate to have something so meaningful to him pawed over.

"I do not want your cards, Akl. I just want the one that rightfully belongs to me," Chrysaor said, thumbing through the deck and then setting it aside as he separated it from the rest. "Here it is."

The card lit itself on fire.

Chrysaor screamed, dropping the burning card stock to the ground. He took half a step back as flames burst across the grass, past their feet and encircled them. "What are you doing?!"

"Nothing!" Terror made Lero's throat dry. He felt the flames shoot past him, but they didn't burn - they only seemed to tickle. The Rare Hunter pinning him to the chair seemed to think differently, for he screamed in pain, stumbling away and batting at his legs and body like he was trying to swat a thousand ants off him.

The flames swelled outwards, knocking the Rare Hunters back and Artemis as well, the dog barking wildly in fear and frustration. Chrysaor's arm began to flare with light in the shape of a dragon's head. The same dragon's head Lero could feel shining on his own arm.

The other man lifted his glowing arm and the fire near him darkened, warping into gray-scale parodies of themselves. Lero felt a shiver at sight of them even as the flames near him took on a crimson, ethereal hue that divested them of all yellow and orange and left them looking almost warm and comforting.

"So this is how it must be. A contest between us and our gods. A tradition since time immemorial." Chrysaor said, catching a Duel Disk that one of his Rare Hunters chucked through the flames and putting it on. His expression was resigned, but focused. "I am sorry about this, Akl. It should not have ended like this, with your sacrifice."

"Don't patronize me." Lero said, fingers digging into the arms of his chair even as Chrysaor looked startled at the sharpness in Lero's words. "You may actually be sorry for this, but I can already tell that your mind is already warping this into something you can justify to yourself."

"You think I wanted this? That I wanted revenge or justice to be like this?!" Chrysaor demanded. "That I wanted to be saddled with these burdens to save the world?"

"You're going to murder a crippled man for the sake of your goals instead of trying to find an alternative. You have no idea what it means to be a hero." Lero's gaze hardened, his words laden with frost. "You have no idea what it means to be a Pegasus."

Chrysaor's eyes widened in shock, then closed and he shook his head. "And you have no idea what it means to be involved with forces older than civilization itself. Still," His eyes opened, narrow slits of hard pink that glimmered darkly with reflected firelight. "When you say things like that, I start to remember why we never got along at the orphanage, Akl."

"That isn't my name anymore, Chrysaor. My name is Bellerophon Pegasus." Lero tapped a button and a tray folded itself out of his chair to settle in front of him. It lit up for tabletop Duel Monsters and he placed his deck, magically back into his hands, into the proper locations. "The first and only son of Maximillion Pegasus."

He drew his opening hand, feeling the weight of everything on his shoulders lessen with each card. Not his marriage or his role in his company. Not his father's coma. Not even the curse that he could feel tingling at the frayed edges of his deadened nerves. "And I...am one of the greatest duelists in the world."

The dragon's head mark on his arm flared brightly and for once, it did not hurt nor could he feel blood seeping from it. Instead, it invigorated him and for the first in six months, he could feel his old strength, the thrum of a coming battle pulsing in his veins. He lifted his head to look at Chrysaor, saw the other man's glower falter into concern at the harsh look on his own face. "And you're about to find out why."

TTTTTT

"Is...is she going to be okay?" Jessie's voice was barely above a whisper, as if she was terrified any louder noise would kick off a chain reaction of explosions.

Plato did not respond right away, preferring to instead finish his examination with all the tenderness and careful professionalism he could muster. Which, some part of him noted with detachment, utterly useless on someone who was dead to the world. Sumire was rolled into a ball in the corner of the room, her face hidden in her knees, arms wrapped over her head. She did not respond to speech, and touch had made her recoil further against the wall, and with a heavy heart, Plato knew all they could do was turn all the lights on and take a step back.

He did so, placing himself like a wall between Sumire and the anxious cousins. "She is safe, and will be okay. We should give her some space."

He ushered them away through the doorway, before turning and crouching next to his boss again. "We will be right outside Mrs Pegasus. Nothing will harm you. Join us when you are ready."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze, before sweeping for the door, leaving it open so that Sumire could still see and faintly hear them, and have the comfort of their presence without being intrusive. He dropped his voice to a low murmur. "She is having a panic attack - unsurprising given the circumstances. She will be okay once it has run its course."

"Sumire doesn't get panic attacks." Jessie insisted. "That girl can eat lightning and thunder at the same time!"

"You believe so?" Plato asked. "Tell me Jessiebelle, have you ever seen Mrs Pegasus sleep?"

Jessie blinked at the apparent randomness of the question. "No."

"Then you would have no way of knowing that she has a deep phobia of the dark." Plato explained. "Born out of her childhood. We had no way of knowing either until we had a power failure in the mansion a few weeks ago - only Artemis was able to calm her. It can be very debilitating, and she finds the idea of such weakness embarrassing - even in front of her friends." He added as Jessie opened her mouth to protest again.

"The best course of action for us right now is to let her calm down on her own terms. In the meantime, we need to locate Scott Irvine and alert the proper authorities." The manservant looked over to where Kaede was tapping away at one of the keyboards. "Any luck, Miss Mouto?"

"No. Scott was practically living here while running his crazy experiments." Kaede frowned at the images displayed on her screen. "And there's footage of him booking it out the side door with the pieces of that mask. Where he's gone, I haven't a clue."

"What about the authorities?"

"Domino City Police aren't going to like this, what with the dead bodies, nightmare-inducing magical remnants everywhere and stuff, so I've reached out to some people higher up the chain." Kaede explained. "They'll be here in about ten minutes."

"Who do you know higher on the chain?" Jessie asked, cocking her head. "You're, like, the biggest nerd ever. If you're not out dueling, you're at a computer screen."

"Hey, my dad's a national icon! You wouldn't believe how many ministers and aides and associates want him at their parties." Kaede said with a touch of grumpiness. "Least I met Lero out of all that boring stuff."

"Speaking of the Young Master, we should return to the mansion as soon as possible." Plato said. "I do not like leaving him alone."

Jessie scoffed. "Please, that mansion is better guarded than a Swiss bank vault and no one even knows Lero is there. What trouble could he possibly get into?"

TTTTTT

"Let's Duel!" (LLP: 8000) (CLP: 8000)

"I'm first, draw!" Lero yanked the card free. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core in defense mode." The monster materialized, a stripped-down version of Cyber Dragon that had wires running off it and was curled up on itself. "When this monster is summoned, I can add a Cyber spell or trap from my deck to my hand." (400/1500)

He added the card he wanted from his deck to his hand and then slapped it down behind his monster alongside another one. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My move." Chrysaor drew. Then shoved another card from his hand into his graveyard. "I discard Learning Elf from my hand to special summon Acastor, Dawnwalker from my hand in defense mode!" In a flash of light, a figure shrouded in rust-colored robes appeared in front of him. "And just like your monster, mine also gets an effect when I summon it - I summon Fire Ant Acastor from my deck!" (2300/1500)

The priest lifted his staff and a portal opened, letting a large, dog-sized ant scuttle free. Like the priest, it was decorated in geometric patterns. (700/1300)

"Learning Elf, when sent to the graveyard, allows me to draw one card." Chrysaro drew again and then pointed at his monsters. "Now I tune my two monsters together to synchro summon! The dawn breaks, the world awakens to your warmth! Illuminate the waking world and shine your blessing upon us all! Level 8! Sun Dragon Inti!" (3000/2800)

Lero watched as a soft orange light filled the space in front of Chrysaor, resolving into a large stone face of a sun with eight red-scaled dragon heads making up its rays. "Let me guess - now your next move is to set up to summon a monster reflecting the moon, right?"

Chrysaor's lips thinned in irritation and Lero chuckled. "I'm a Pegasus, remember? I know almost all the cards by heart now. Dad made sure of that. Though-" Lero's gaze turned mockingly thoughtful. "You wouldn't know what that feels like, would you?"

"How dare you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I hurt your feelings. That was really rude of me. But then, I am under a lot of stress, what with the curse trying to kill me and a stranger breaking into my home and trying to feed me a story about how I have to die to save the world." Lero replied, his tone mimicking the same politeness that Chrysaor had used earlier. "It's not like I'm trying to throw you off your game or make you react for my own amusement. What kind of Pegasus would ever do that?"

For a moment it looked as though Chrysaor was about to explode. Then he seemed to reign in the madness that was brewing in his eyes, and drew himself up with a deep breath. "This is not about me...this is a clash of our gods. I know what is on the line here, and you will not get a rise out of me that easily."

"Funny, I'm sure your Signer waifu says the same thing." Lero said smoothly, smirking as a ripple of irritation washed across Chrysaor's face. "No, no, don't mind me, just running at the mouth."

"I activate the continuous spell card Cycle of Night and Day!" The card flashed into existence behind Chrysaor's dragon. "This card's first effect lets me add Supay, Duswalker to my hand as I control Inti!"

He shoved a card into his graveyard and a new priestess appeared on his field, her expression cool and covered in blue patterned lines. In a flash of light, she was joined by a demonic mask. "When I summon Supay, Duskwalker, I summon Supay from my deck as well!" (2200/1900) (300/100)

"Then I tune my two monsters together! The night comes, the world sleeps bathed in your light! Guard our peaceful slumber and create the path to our gentle dreams! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Moon Dragon Quilla!" His two monsters faded into blue moonlight, which in turn resolved into a smiling stone face with six cool blue dragon heads around it. (2500/2000)

Lero just crooked his finger at the pair of monsters, his grin spreading.

"Quilla, attack Cyber Dragon Core! Lunar Breath!" The six dragon heads lifted and opened fire at once, the streams converting into a single mass that easily dwarfed the small machine.

"Trap card open! Waboku!" Lero flipped up the card and the blast slammed into Core, scattering harmlessly over its shiny surface. "This card negates all damage my monsters and I take this turn."

"Very well - I use another effect of Cycle of Night and Day. I destroy Inti and then draw one card." The sun-themed monster cracked everywhere, then exploded like a clay pot as Chrysaor drew. "Then I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Draw." Lero snapped up the card and then grabbed his remaining face-down card, flipping it over. "I activate my other trap card - Hero's Rule 1 - Five Freedoms."

Chrysaor stared in quiet horror as cards began to slid out of his graveyard. Fire Ant Acastor, Supay, the Daywalker and Duskwalker versions. And Sun Dragon Inti. "No!"

"I banish those five cards from the graveyard. So whatever strategy you think you set up is gone." Lero said, watching Chrysaor shove the cards into the appropriate slot on his Duel Disk. "Now that I've broken your hope, it's time to break you, too. Because my Cyber Dragon Core has only four hundred attack points, I can target it with Multiply!"

The machine shimmered with a rainbow of colors, each color separating itself out from the rest and then resolving into identical copies of the original. "Now I have four tokens who share the same name as my monster, which means they count as Cyber Dragons! Which is perfect for my next card - Double Fusion! I pay five hundred life points and then fusion summon twice in a row!" (LLP:8000-7500)

The four tokens all swirled together into nexuses that spat out much larger, identical monsters. Armored and heavy, they each had two heads, wings and twin-tails, cybernetic roars echoing over the playing field. "I summon two copies of Cyber Twin Dragon!" (2800/2100x2)

Lero held up a spell card, it's image depicting a Cyber Dragon surrounded by arms holding armor and weapons and schematics depicting Cyber Photon Dragon, Cyber Barrier Dragon and a few other variations. "Then my Cybernetic Evolution Unit transforms the original Cyber Dragon Core into Cyber Barricade Dragon in defense mode." His machine vanished, replaced by a much bulkier, segmented version of it coiled up on itself even as the blue lines all over its body began to hum with power. (2100/2800)

"Battle phase! Cyber Twin Dragon one attacks Moon Dragon Quilla! Evolution Burst!" Lero watched as one of the fusion's heads opened, belching out a fireball that slammed into the moon-themed synchro and shattered it into pieces. "And in case the name wasn't a clue, Chrysaor, my Cyber Twin Dragons can attack twice each! Evolution Burst!" (CLP:8000-7700)

Chrysaor reeled from the destruction of his monster, but pointed to his face-down card as a second electrical fireball launched towards him. A dark wind whirled around him, dispersing the powerful attack into nothing but a few feeble sparks. "I activate Dark Wall of Wind! Now I cannot be attacked directly this turn!"

"That's fine with me." Lero said with a shrug. "I end my turn."

"My move." Chrysaor drew, his expression a bit grim. "You certainly live up to your reputation. You defeated my Inti-Quilla strategy without even trying and unleashed a very powerful one-turn-kill. Even if I had a way to destroy your Cyber Twin Dragons, I'm sure that Barricade Dragon would keep them safe."

"You can't flatter me into liking you, Chrysaor. So move on." Lero's response was calm, but that Pegasus smirk was tugging at his lips. "Not that you know how to - it's been, what, sixteen years since you weren't adopted? And yet here you are, still riding that dead horse. It must be a zombie by now."

"And you cannot get a rise out of me with your crass behavior, Akl." Chryaor replied curtly and grabbed a card from his hand. His field slot slid open and he shoved the card into it. "I activate the field spell card Nechaul Ziggurat!"

The ground around them twisted and warped, taking away the patio and the lawn and replacing it with a broad, dark stone platform that gave the pair a bird's eye view of the titanic stone pyramid they were atop. The ground below was lost to a dark, swirling miasma and Lero could hear water running down spouts in the temple's sides to flood down the tierved levels and vanish into the mist.

Chrysaor held up another card. "Then I play Tribute Burial! I banish Quilla from my graveyard and then Cyber Dragon Core from yours to allow me to summon a monster from my hand free of charge!"

"If it's your god, go ahead." Lero said dryly. "I have some questions I want to ask about his design choices."

"No, I summon my Signer Dragon and my birthright! Descend now!" Chyrsaor slapped down the card, the flames on his side of the field flaring sharply and clawing higher into the air. "Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon!"

Darkness solidified onto his field, oozing and bubbling up from the temple like tar. It thickened and bulged, taking on mass and shape as it reached towards the sky. Tendrils began to twist and weave together to become the skeleton of a dragon. The darkness dripped off it endlessly, sheets of it creating faux-wings as it spread clacking wingbones. A silent roar filled the air with tension and danger as it fixed a sightless gaze upon Lero. (0/0)

Lero could feel it in that gaze. A malevolent hatred nursed in seething pain and rage, an endless cycle of one feeding into the other. The look made him feel so cold and heavy that even the heat of Ra's curse seemed to freeze, his heart suddenly thudding against in vain as icy fear began to coat it.

A roar echoed in his mind, shattering the fear like it was cheap glass. Another roar and warmth flooded his body, snapping his mind back into motion. His Signer Mark was flaring steadily with soft crimson light and he could feel a pulse of strength from his deck - Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon reaching out to him, just as it had when he'd dueled a nightmare version of his father and pouring its strength into him once again.

But Sumire had come to help him, then, aiding him in his desperate hour.

And now there was no help coming.

TTTTTT

"Madam, this area is restricted-"

"Do I look like I care?!" was Jackie's only response before she hammered on the locked door of the bridge. "Open the god damned door! I need to see the captain!"

"Madam," the deputy purser was flustered as she tried to insert himself between the door and Jackie's pounding fist. "I have to ask you to leave-"

"My friend is in danger and there's no cell coverage out here!" Jackie raged, shoving the man to one side and trying the door handle again. "I know you can hear me in there! I need your satellite phone!"

"Madam, if your friend is hurt then one of the crew can assist-"

"He's not on the ship, you dumbass!" Jackie snarled as the man positioned himself between her and the door again. "He's back home!"

"Then I'm sure someone will call for help," the purser said, not backing down from Jackie's boiling fury.

"You don't get it! This is an emergency!" Jackie tried not to scream as she felt the mark on her arm sear across her flesh again. Fuck this magical bullshit! Fuck this man! And fuck Verizon and their shitty coverage!

"You cannot do anything to help him while we are at sea," the purser was stern as he spoke, clearly having had his fill of angry women for one voyage. "The bridge communications have to be kept clear at all times for maritime accidents - it's the law. I can speak to one of the customer relations team and ask them to grant you access to the ship wifi so that you can email or send an IM-"

Jackie was about to explode. She had already sent over fifty text messages that had bounced back due to lack of network. And an email was not urgent enough for the burning she could feel radiating up her arm. Her fist curled tight, and she felt her heart race at the anticipation of venting her frustration in the most satisfying way.

But then she saw how this man must see her - an angry American woman, covered in tattoos and leather, ranting that her friend was in danger and storming into restricted areas like she owned the place. And she knew that if she lashed out now, he would not hesitate to brig her. I can't help Lero if I'm arrested the second I get onto dry land...

She steeled herself and lowered her fist. "Fine! Show me the god damned wifi."

TTTTTT

"I activate my monster's special ability!" Chrysaor held up a card and then shoved it into the graveyard. "I sent one dragon monster from my extra deck to the graveyard and then summon one Malefic Dragon Token!"

His dragon arched, letting out another soundless roar. Darkness gathered on his field again, though instead of liquid, it was transparent and thin, a curtain like miasma that twisted and wove itself into a copy of Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon with two glowing gold eyes. (0/0)

"Battle phase! Malefic Dragon Token attacks a Cyber Twin Dragon!" Chrysaor pointed at Lero's monster and the token surged forwards with a flap of its wings.

That move was ridiculous - the token had zero attack and defense, but Lero expected some kind of trick. Even that expectation, however, did not prepare him for the fact that as it charged towards his monster, the token began to...split. It's vaporous body tore and sundered like a fabric cocoon to reveal a massive, bone-covered dragon with heavy, sword-like claws and a mouth filled with fangs. "What the hell!?" (0-3000)

"When my Token battles, I can select a dragon fusion, xyz or synchro monster in my graveyard - then my Token embodies its might, taking on its power and its special ability!" Chrysaor watched as the monster, still wearing the tatters of his token like streamers, chomped down on Cyber Twin Dragon. "I chose the monster known as Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon!"

Lero watched as the mutant token tore at his Cyber Twin Dragon. There was no physical damage, but as it retreated, he watched in surprise as his fusion monster just shut down, the lights in eyes fading away and its body sagging. Squirming in the mouth of the Malefic Dragon Token was a shadowy version of his monster. "What did you do?" (LLP:7500-7300)

"Well, it looks like even machine monsters have a soul." Chrysaor chuckled as his token returned to his field, spitting out the ghost version of Lero's monster alongside it. "When Dragonecro battles, it can't destroy a monster. Instead, it steals your monster's soul, placing it under my control as a Dark Soul Token and leaving the body an empty husk!"

"Empty husk- shit!" Lero swore as his dragon's scores flashed above it, followed by the Dark Soul Token. (2800-0) (2800/0)

"Dark Soul Token, attack the weakened Cyber Twin Dragon! Death Evolution Burst!" The black version of Cyber Twin Dragon reared up, both heads volleying off a series of crackling fireballs.

"I activate one of the effects of Barricade Dragon! It shifts to attack mode!" Lero watched as his bulky armored dragon uncoiled itself, the lines on its body changing to red. As they did, parts of it began to expand and generate a glimmering red barrier over his playing field. "As long as its in attack mode, my Cyber monsters can't be destroyed in battle!"

"What?" Chrysaor's eyes widened as the attacks slammed into Lero's fusion, denting it heavily and leaving it smoking. But it stubbornly remained in play. "Why would you do that - it's not any use to you!"

"It's called 'strategy', Chrysaor," Lero ground out as the attack's backlash hit him. It wasn't much, despite the high damage, but it still made his body ache. (LLP:7300-4500)

"Alright, then. Show me." Chrysaor folded his arms. "I end my turn."

"Gladly." Lero drew and then pulled a different card free from his hand. "I activate Hidden Armory. I mill the top card of my deck to the graveyard and I can't normal summon this turn, but in exchange, I get to add any equip spell in my deck to my graveyard."

He held up the card of his choice. "It's Megamorph and I equip it to Cyber Twin Dragon! Since my life points are lower than yours, its original attack is doubled!"

"So you're trying to power up your other fusion-" Chrysaor's eyes widened as the damaged Cyber Twin Dragon powered back up, roaring loudly as the glow returned to its eyes and energy began to course over it. "You can't double the attack points of a monster that has zero!" (0-5600)

"You weren't listening - Megamorph doubles the original attack points, not its current ones." Lero smirked at his opponent's stunned expression. "Don't feel too bad - only a Pegasus would have learned that little loophole. I switch Barricade Dragon back to defense mode." The dragon curled up again, the sheen from its projectors going from red to blue. "And as long as it's there, you can't destroy my monsters with card effects."

The revived Cyber Twin began to gather energy in its mouths. "Attack Malefic Dragon Token! Evolution Burst!"

Chrysaor braced himself as the blasts crashed into his token, shredding it to pieces like a fire hose to a sandcastle. As the energy reached for him, though, dark flames erupted in front of him and absorbed the attack. "The effect of my Ziggurat - I take no damage from battles involving Malefic monsters or tokens!"

"I still have more attacks than you do monsters! Battle! My second Cyber Twin Attacks Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon!" Lero punched at the monster, his fusion firing before he had even finished the words. "Evolution Burst!"

"My dragon's third effect - I can redirect the attack to tokens and Malefic monsters!" Chryrsaor swept out his arm and the oncoming attack swerved into his Dark Soul Token. The token fired back just before it exploded and its shots glanced off Cyber Twin Dragon's side, ripping off one head and a wing before the fusion also became a cloud of shrapnel.

"Barricade Dragon's effect! It goes to attack mode!" Lero snapped his fingers and the dragon uncoiled, its energy shields radiating red as it gathered up similar energy in its mouth. "Battle! Evolution Recoiler Burst!"

The dragon did recoil from the energy it launched, Chrysaor staggering as the attack ate into Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon. The monster roared in silent pain, melting away under the onslaught until it exploded.

Lero watched Chrysaor stagger, clutching at his chest. If his dragon was magical like his, losing it must have felt he'd taken a sledgehammer to the stomach. It wasn't a pain anyone should really feel.

It didn't stop Lero's smirk of satisfaction at seeing Chrysaor lift his head, his pink eyes widening in horror as he saw the supercharged Cyber Twin Dragon powering up its second attack. "Evolution Burst!"

The attack slammed into Chrysaor, enveloping him and sending him skidding backwards until he slammed into the wall of fire behind him. It didn't burn him, but he still slumped to his knees, breathing heavily. (CLP: 7700-2100)

"I activate Gold Sarcophagus, banishing one card from my deck." Lero slapped down a second card alongside his new one. "Then I play Emergency Provisions, sending Gold Sarcophagus and Megamorph to the graveyard. Not only does this give me two thousand life points, but it restores my Cyber Twin Dragon to its basic attack points." (LLP:4500-6500) (2800)

Chrysaor didn't respond right away, just carefully rising to one knee and bracing an arm on it. Once he was sure it could support his weight, he forced himself into a standing position. "It would seem, Akl, that I find myself at a disadvantage against someone of your caliber…"

"I think at this point, you'd find yourself at a disadvantage against a novice." Lero's words were calm, but that didn't stop Chrysaor from looking up at him with a thin-lipped look again. "I'm not meaning it as an insult, just a measure of your skills and your lack of passion."

When Chrysaor remained silent, just matching gazes with him, Lero pushed on. "I feel nothing from you in this duel. No intensity, no duelist spirit, nothing to suggest that you're motivated by a burning desire for victory."

"I assure you, I am very motivated about this." Chrysaor corrected him tightly. "You have no idea what I've done to reach this point."

"Duel Monsters is a game that relies on your passion and fervor. They way you are now, a beginner with nothing more than a structure deck and enthusiasm for the game will be able to beat you. When you pour your being into your moves and your deck, your soul resonates with them and the game responds to you, becoming a part of yourself. But you, Chrysaor? You feel as cold and as dead as a grave." Lero said, his gaze harsh and his tone unforgiving. "And for a man wanting to be a Pegasus, such a half-hearted, weak and shallow will is nothing more than a disgrace."

He was half hoping for another explosion of rage - to burn away that polite facade and see just what kind of monster he was really dealing with. So he was surprised when his opponent instead recoiled, the cards in his hand suddenly shaking.

"Did you feel it, all those years ago?" Lero asked, suddenly curious. "Listening to Dad get so excited - all these ideas, and enthusiasm and love...and you just couldn't see what it was that captured him? Didn't see that spirit inside him."

Chrysaor drew a choked breath, and Lero was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "You - you - more r-right than I want to admit. This game...is just a game to me. To Father, it's everything. To me...just a means to an end."

Lero nodded. This was not the turn of events he had expected, but it was one he could use anyway. "Not understanding must have killed you. How could ink on card bring him so much joy? How could he not connect with you the same way? He had all that love for this game...but none of it to spare for you."

"I…" Chrysaor's fingers tightened on his shaking cards, almost bending them. "I will not listen to this. I am Chrysaor, I am his son! And I am Signer King! I will fulfill my destiny!"

Lero matched the sharp glare he was getting for a few long seconds...and then shook his head. "We both know that you won't. Just look at the field, the scores. I'm literally half-dead and I have been in control of this duel since turn one."

"Yes, there is no doubt that my skill is far below yours, Akl. But a good Pegasus plays to his strengths and I have strengths you will never own yourself. This turn, I will show you those strengths in full!" He reached for his deck. "I draw!"

He yanked the card free, eyes flicking to it and he swept it into his disk. "I activate Dragon's Mirror! I banish dragons from the graveyard to fusion summon! So I banished Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon and Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon to fuse my two Signer Dragons together!"

Lero's eyes widened as the two named monsters appeared phantasmally behind Chrysaor. The two monsters began to dissolve away, the mist their forms created twinning and twisting together. What shocked him wasn't the dragons, but the woman who had appeared alongside Chrysaor. She was a ghost, but lack of physical presence did nothing to dull the sheer aura she was putting off. Pale skin. Dark hair of three braids woven together. Ruby eyes.

And a burning mark of a dragon's claw on her arm.

She and Chrysaor lifted their arms in unison, though only he spoke. "By my divine rite, I invoke this contract! Let this offered soul be consumed in my power and become my glory! Fusion Summon! Level Eight! Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon - Waqralla!"

It was the bones of the original Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon, but they were wrapped in bleak, colorless flames that ribboned off its body in tattered streamers. It was no longer silent, its roar digging into Leros' brain and drawing out images of cracking bones, rending flesh and splattering blood. As it spread its wings, pinpricks of cold and dead light settled into its eyes to become tiny, whirling empty galaxies. (3000/0)

Lero could feel his own mark flaring again, his deck pouring off heat to the point he thought it might hurt to touch. Both the Winged Dragon of Ra and his own Galaxy-Eyes seemed outraged by the mere presence of the new monster. And he wasn't happy about it either. Just looking at the thing seemed to shrink his advantage into something feeble and sad.

Chrysaor's smile was grimly determined. "I go into the battle phase! Waqralla attacks your Cyber Barricade Dragon! Photon Blight Stream!"

"While in attack mode, Cyber Barricade Dragon prevents my monsters from dying in battle!" Lero watched as his monster extended its red barriers - only for the unholy stream of energy to punch right through them like tissue paper and shred his monster into nuts, bolts and scraps. (LLP: 6500-5400)

The excess energy kept coming and Lero braced himself, but the pain was nothing like he expected. The hit felt burned and stung as if Chrysaor had actually cracked a whip across his chest. He clutched at it, suddenly wheezing for breath despite there not being any blood. What?!

"Waqralla's ability - it destroys any monster it battles with and claims its soul! This generates a Malefic Dragon Waqralla Token!" Chrysaor swept out his hand and his monster suddenly had a duplicate of itself alongside it. "Not only that, the token is treated as Waqralla! Meaning when it battles, I can activate that effect again! Photon Blight Stream!"

Cyber Twin Dragon fared no better than Barricade Dragon had, the energy attack ripping through the advanced metal like nothing at all and sending heads, wings and tails flying. Lero screamed this time as the attack hit him harder than the last one, every part of his body throbbing in agony to the point all he could was hug his arms and hunch over the table. What is he doing?! How does it hurt this much!? (LLP:5400-5200)

A third Waqralla appeared alongside the other two and Chrysaor pointed at Lero. "With no monsters on the field, Akl, my new dragon is free to attack you directly! Photon Blight Stream!"

This time, Lero couldn't even brace himself. The blast hit him with all the speed and force of a car, sending him and his chair tumbling and crashing across his side of the field. The impact against the firewall behind him sent him sprawling over the ground and he felt a wheel bounce off his back as pieces of the chair rained down over him.

Everything hurt. Even his useless cursed legs felt suddenly so numb that they stung. He rolled himself onto his front, hauling himself up on the remains of the chair to look at his opponent. And then felt his heart freeze for a single moment at the sight of the inky darkness flowing into Chrysaor's eyes from the edges. "You're...a Darkborn…"

"Yes. These are my strengths. My bond with my Signers. And my innate Darkborn abilities. The power to make my attacks and effects feel very real, even if my opponent can defend against things like Shadow Games." Chrysaor's fingers clenched into a fist as the darkness covered one of his eyes completely. "Even if my tokens cannot inflict life point damage on you directly, they can harm your body. I have more than closed the gap between us. Surrender now and this will be over quickly."

Lero glanced at the duel tray, somehow still functioning despite being wrenched off the chair. He reached for his deck, picking up his hand cards one by one.

Chrysaor stared on in confusion. "What are you doing? You cannot hope to fight me any longer. Spare yourself more suffering and admit defeat."

"You remember that duelist spirit I was talking about a bit ago? You may not have one, but I do…" Lero gathered his hand together and forced himself to sit up, ignoring the blood running down his face. "And I am not going to roll over and die just because it's 'easy'."

This Signer Mark was shining sharply now, that warm, supportive heat flooding his body. Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon's roars echoed in his mind. And with them, a second set of deeper, hotter roars. The roar of a dragon who was born in hellfire.

Lero felt strength in his limbs now, enough to pull out a Duel Disk from the wreck of his chair and put it on.. "That pride, that fire for victory, the want to crush your face into the dirt - that's my hidden strength."

He shoved his deck into the slot and the device activated. His fingers touched on the top card and he felt a thrum of power pulse from it. "I may be on my knees, but I'm going to die on my feet. I draw!"

TTTTTT

"Plato, can't you drive any faster?" Jessie demanded even as the car made a sharp turn and sent her sliding into Kaede. "This isn't even rush hour traffic - just put pedal to the metal!"

"As much as I would like to, Jessiebelle, I cannot disobey traffic laws and get ourselves arrested." Plato said with a sharp look in the rearview mirror. "I am going as fast as I dare."

"Then you must be a chicken!"

Kaede shoved Jessie off her, reaching across her cousin and nabbing a seatbelt before jamming it into the buckle. "And you're an idiot for not wearing your seatbelt! How are you going to help Lero if you're in a bodybag?"

Sumire was silent, sitting in the front seat and staring flatly out the windshield. With her legs crossed, she might as well be just waiting patiently for a light to change. Only the death-grip her hands had on each other betrayed her own impatience.

Kaede saw a red light glance off her window and looked out of it. "Look at that - what the hell is that red star?"

Jessie used Kaede as a support as she shoved her way over to look out the window at the sudden red pinprick in the sky. "Geezus, that thing must be really close or really damn bright if it's visible in the daytime!"

"Get your hair out of my face before I inhale it, Jess!" Kaede shoved Jess back into her own seat, her irritation winking out as she suddenly went still.

"Uh...Kaede?" Jessie waved her hand in front of her cousin's face. "Kae? You okay?"

"It's Lero…" Kaede said, her voice distant. "He needs my help."

"He needs all our help right now, remember?"

Kaede seemed to ignore her and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a single card, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend. Jessie frowned at her, then let out a little eep as the card began to glow. "Oh, what now?"

Sumire twisted to look over her seat, just in time to see Kaede's eyes glow crimson even as the Synchro Monster in her hand faded away. Then Kaede went limp, slumping against Jessie lifelessly. "I think her soul has left her body."

There was a long silence in the car. Even the engine seemed to dim to a distant hum, until finally Jessie's screech filled the vehicle.

"WELL THAT CAN'T BE GOOD!"

OOO

Lero tore the card free and smiled at what he saw. Perfect. "During my Standby Phase, the card I banished last turn with Gold Sarcophagus activates! A Card From A Different Dimension returns to my hand and then we both draw two cards." He snatched the card out of the ether, then drew twice more. "Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two!"

Adding the new cards to his hand, he pulled A Card From A Different Dimension out to discard and then the other card he wanted...before pausing and grabbing the card he'd drawn for the turn instead, shoving both into his graveyard. He wasn't sure why he'd done it, but he trusted his instincts for dueling. They'd never led him astray.

Still, that doesn't mean my options are all that great. Lero stared across the field at the three dragons glaring down at him. I have to tear those things down to get to Chrysaor and I don't know all their powers. Plus, his field spell means I can't just use a big monster to rip away his life points and that can't be all it does.

He could not stop now though. He had a point to prove.

Another look at his hand and then instinct took hold again. "Since you have monsters and I don't, I summon Cyber Dragon from my hand!" In a flash, the bulky serpentine monster appeared with a cybernetic roar. (2100/1600)

"Then I activate the spell card Cyber Revsystem! I special summon one Cyber Dragon from my hand or graveyard and the monster I want is treated as Cyber Dragon!" Lero thrust out a hand and a pillar of light erupted skywards on his field. "Rise up, Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon!"

The light condensed in on itself, morphing into a tail and claws and a dragonic head. Sizzling filled the air as the outer layer cooled and became a gleaming, flightless armored shell over his monster. Only the swirling galaxies that were its eyes hinted at the power contained with. (3000/2500)

Roars and snarls filled the air as Chrysaor's dragon and tokens flared their wings, disapproval and anger in every motion and noise. Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon roared right back, the digitized edge it had drowning out the other monsters.

"It appears our monsters hate each other." Chrysaor noted, his calm expression was made creepy by how one of his eyes was completely black. "Not surprising, given that your dragon's power is stolen from mine"

"Yes, I'm very clear on that extremely important fact, thank you. I'm sure it will just change my life." Lero tossed back.

"It certainly doesn't seem like it can change your current fate, Akl." Chrysaor nodded at Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon. The roaring had calmed down, but that just meant the silence highlighted how much smaller and weaker looking Lero's monsters looked next to its counterparts. "Your so-called duelist spirit seems to have resulted in sparks rather than actual fire."

(Oh my god, is he one of those self-righteous assholes who says he's doing the right thing? 'Cause he sure sounds like the ones from my dad's stories!)

Lero's eyes widened at the voice suddenly in his head. (Kaede!?)

(Whoa - wait, Lero? Am I in your head? Is this what that feels like? Damn, Dad was right on track with that 'ghost with actual mass' feeling he said he was when the Pharaoh took over!)

(Why are you here? What is going on?) Lero immediately brushed the questions aside before she could answer. (Nevermind, I'm in the middle of a duel right now.)

(Yeah, I gathered.) He got the impression Kaede was peering through his recent memories of the last few turns. (Looks like you need to get through those big dragons.)

(Trying to come up with a plan to do that, yes.)

(So...burn them down. I didn't come alone, you know. My big fiery dragon came with.) Kaede's voice was smug. (And if I'm in your head, it's probably…)

"In my deck." Lero finished and pointed at his two monsters. "I activate Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon's effect! I can manipulate the levels of all 'Cyber Dragons' however I want! I make both of them level four!"

Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon's eyes shone with light and red energy spilled out of the vents on its back. That energy became diaphanous wings that engulfed the other Cyber Dragon. Level stars appeared above both monsters, flickered and then settled on two neat lines four.

"And what good will that do?" Chrysaor broke off as both of Lero's monsters were suddenly engulfed in gouts of flame that swallowed them up. "What on earth?!"

His response came with the earth in front of Lero ruptured as a fist punched through it. The hole widened as another followed. Digging into the ground, they hauled the rest of the monster free. The bulky red dragon flapped its wings once to scatter the remnants of the hellfire clinging to its heavy body before roaring in freedom. (3000/2500)

"A Signer Dragon?! But you have no Signers! And your powers are stolen - why do you have one of the originals?" Chrysaor demanded, ripping his gaze from the dragon and then his voice caught in his throat.

Lero was standing - he wasn't sure how or when he had made the motions to do it, but he just was. Nor did he know why he was wreathed in the soft red light identical to the one that emitted from his Galaxy-Eyes. He could just feel Kaede with him, the Devil Dragon's ever-simmering fury and burning will as familiar to him as his own. "Guess this strength of mine was so hidden, I didn't even know I had it."

He pointed across the field. "But I do know Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's strength! And that's destroying your monsters!" The dragon clasped both fists together and lifted them above its head as Kaede's voice rose along with his own. "Go! Crimson Tide!"

The Synchro Monster slammed its conjoined fists into the ground, sending a wave of cracks across the ground towards Chrysaor's monsters. Light billowed from the cracks, then heat and then actual flame ripped free to engulf the other three dragons and drown out their panicked roars. "All other face-up attack position monsters on the field are destroyed!"

"My dragons will not fall to your traitorous beast, Akl!" Chrysaor's voice echoed above the flames and then three sets of wings flapped free of the fires, their sharp beating dousing the hellfire. All three dragons were unharmed, their forms only singed and trailing wisps of smoke. "The effect of my Ziggurat means all Malefic and tokens I have cannot be destroyed by your card effects once per turn!"

Lero narrowed his eyes, felt Kaede hiss in frustration in his glanced down at his hand, then looked back up at Chrysaor. "I end my turn."

"I draw." Chrysaor pulled the card free. "One of my Malefic Dragon Tokens will attack Hot Red Dragon Archfiend! Destroy him and put him out of his misery! Photon Blight Stream!"

"I activate the effect of a card in my graveyard - Rescuer from the Grave!" Lero watched as five cards fell out of his graveyard and he held them up. "By removing these cards from my graveyard from the game, I can end the battle phase!"

Chrysaor frowned as his dragon's attack stopped charging up and the jaws closed, only a few tendrils of blighted power sparking free. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"Draw." Lero did so and then snatched a card out of the ether again. "My A Card From A Different Dimension activates, returning to my hand and letting us draw two cards."

He looked at his new hand and tried not to grimace. None of the pieces he had could fit well together. And using Hot Red's effect again would just get him nowhere.

(We can beat him.) Kaede said firmly. (We just have to do it together.)

(You know, that's not a bad idea at all.) Lero grabbed a card from his hand. "Monster Reborn! I revive Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon!" His dragon reappeared in a burst of light.

He grabbed another spell card, but only pulled it part way out of his hand before stopping. He could feel Kaede's frown. (Why are you stopping? It'll work!)

(Kaede, I think these dragons are connected to our souls. You, me, Chrysaor, we all reacted hard when they were destroyed. My life is one thing, but yours…) Lero stared down at the Polymerization card. (If this does work and that new monster dies, I might die, too. And you along with me.)

There was a sobering silence in his head now, Kaede's presence going still and silent. The seconds stretched onwards, each one feeling like an hour.

(I believe in us. I believe in our monsters.) Though it was not possible, he could almost feel her reach out and squeeze his hand. (Let's do it.)

"Right. First up is Hot Red Dragon Archfiend! Crimson Tide!" Lero watched as the dragon slammed its fists back into the ground again, kicking up a wave of fire that crashed over Chrysaor's monsters.

"My field spell protects them!" Chrysaor shielded his face from the heat even as the fires faded away, leaving his monsters steaming but unharmed. "Even hellfire cannot burn through my dragons!"

"Then we'll just make something even hotter! I activate Polymerization!" Lero slammed the card into his disk. "I fuse Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend together!"

"You fool!" Chrysaor looked genuinely angry as Kaede's phantasmal form appeared alongside Lero, sheathed in the same soft red light he was. "That woman is not a Signer! You risk your souls fusing your dragons like that!"

"That's a risk we'll take together!" Kaede's voice rang out as she punched the air in front of her. "By the infernal flames of my contract, my King's foes will be devoured by eternal torment! Fusion Summon! Level 8!"

Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's body was split like wounds as the hellfires inside of it forced their way free and consumed its body. The resulting phantom of flame wove and twisted itself around Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon, superheating the metal of its armor and twisting it, shaping it and infusing it with raw power. The red wings darkened into raw flames as the armor shrank to reveal a new body of obsidian, cracked and leaking sizzling blood. And the head became sharp, dangerously so and the light spilling from the monster's eyes took on a brutal fiery cast. "Galaxy Eyes Avernus Dragon!" (1000/1000)

Lero pointed at the new monster, who spread its wings. A few harsh flaps bathed the field in a sea of flames. "Avernus Dragon's ability! When it's summoned, all other monsters on the field take on its name!"

Chrysaor stared in horror as his dragons all glowed, becoming smaller copies of Avernus dragon, though without its flaming intensity or wings. "What have you done to them?"

"I've made them targets for Avernus Dragon's second ability! Not only is it immune to the effects of other copies of itself, it can attack them all! And it destroys them instantly, dealing you one thousand damage!" Lero swept out his hand, Kaede mimicking the action. "Strident Inferno!"

Galaxy-Eyes Avernus Dragon took flight with a bellowing roar, spreading its wings wide. They doubled in size as the flames burned so hot they went from red to blue. Energy flowed off them to race along its neck, gathering in its open jaws. The attack grew and grew until it shuddered with barely contained power before screaming towards Chrysaror's field.

"I activate my trap! Damage Diet!" Chrysaor had to shout to make himself heard over the attack as it sliced across his field and incinerated his dragons one after the other. "All damage I take is halved!" (CLP: 2100-600)

The flames swarmed towards him and he heard a shriek of pain, twisting to see the ghost form of his Signer reaching for him even as the flames ate away her as well. "No! Daiyu!" He reached back, fingertips phasing through hers even as they wafted away into ash. "DAIYU!"

He turned to glare at Lero and Kaede, but neither of them were affected by the look. "You will regret-"

"Galaxy-Eyes Avernus Dragon attacks you directly! Strident Inferno!"

The blast slammed into Chrysaor directly this time, throwing him back against the ring of fire surrounding him and dropping him to his knees this time. (CLP: 100)

"This...will not stop me…" Chrysaor gasped out as he got up on one knee. "During the End Phase of a turn when you destroy Waqralla, I can summon the original Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon!" In a flash of light, the undead form of his monster reappeared. "Now it is my turn-"

He drew and then his eyes widened as his Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon was bathed in flames that left it twisting in pain and then it was another copy of Avernus Dragon. "What did you do!?"

"Avernus Dragon can change one monster on the field into a copy of itself once per turn. And with that, your Malefic Dragon is sealed. It can't use its abilities and your field spell can't protect it. You cannot even fuse with it again, because its original name is gone." Lero informed him. "Even if you aren't the best duelist, you should recognize the situation you're in."

To his surprise, a grin tugged at Chrysaor's lips as the other man returned to standing. "Something funny?"

"Just that...I had thought I was ready for my task...that this was the last hurdle for me. But against you, Akl, I realize that was just simply hubris. Yet...to hear you talk like that to me, like a villain…" Chrysaor's expression tightened in determination. "Reminds me exactly why I have to do this."

The blue-haired man grabbed a card in his hand. "And while you changed my dragon's name, the soul of it, the magic that it embodies...still exists...and through that, I can reclaim what you have stolen! I activate Super Polymerization!"

The two dragons on the field began to dissolve into light, Lero staring in horror and then suddenly crashing to the ground as his legs gave out and a new heat filled him. A burning, dry heat that tasted of stale air and sand. And the rough voice of burning flames in his mind.

"Suffer the judgment of the gods…"

(Lero!) Kaede's presence was reaching for him, but the moment it touched him, he heard her scream in pain as the flames consuming his being leapt to her like they were alive.

The cries of Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend echoed in the back of his mind, twisted with pain and frustration even as they grew fainter.

As the world swam in front him, the surrounding flames seeming to draw in around him, he could see Chrysaor perfectly. And what struck him the most was just how unhappy the other man looked.

TTTTTTT

The empty helm of Galaxy-Eyes Cyber Dragon hit the ground with a mournful thunk noise that brought the noise and tension of the duel to an end.

It was not the end Chrysaor wanted. He had desired some grand spectacle, a clash of wills, god vs false idol and the triumphant revelation of the truth. Not this….he wasn't even sure calling it a tragedy was appropriate. At least tragedies were possessing some element of catharsis or denouement where the events were shown through a lens of necessity or cruel fate. This simply felt wrong.

Chrysaor had come here looking for victory, for honor in restoring Bishbaalkin's stolen power. He had succeeded.

He had lost.

There was a card in his hand. Galaxy-Eyes Malefic Dragon - Quetzalcoatl. It held the power of his god, he could feel it through the weight, the sheer density of presence the card held.

"You do not look like a man who is celebrating his successes." Kozaky's voice drew Chrysaor's attention, the lanky Duel Spirit striding from the mansion with his arms behind his back. "Is the moment overwhelming, my friend?"

"Yes. No. I'm not sure, Kozaky. This wasn't what I thought it would be and I am not sure it's what I needed, either. It's...too big to just trust my initial reactions." Chrysaor admitted with a headshake. "Akl...for the longest time, I thought him a liar, a trickster. Someone who stole my father from me, my life from me. And then...here, today, all I built him up to be was weighed against reality of him and was found wanting."

"The truth, I have found, is something that we understand in facets and pieces, building up its entirety piece by piece until we at least grasp at its true shape." Kozaky said in sympathy and put a thin hand on his shoulder. "The meaning of this event will come to you in time and with reflection, I am sure."

Chrysaor nodded slowly and then turned his head to look at his opponent. The man was face down, still and lifeless. Even as he watched, there were wisps of reddish steam curling away from Akl, the visible parts of his body falling apart as skin dried to the point of shrinkage and thus cracked open like a mud puddle in the desert sun. "Can you...can you do anything for him?"

"I wouldn't know where to begin." Kozaky admitted, his expression one of disappointment. "I have no experience with your world's gods or curses. Your Bishbaalkin could do something for him, perhaps?"

That option was off the table, Chrysaor knew without having to pray to his god. No deity would help a rival one, regardless of the circumstances. Especially not since the Crimson Dragon had stolen Bishbaalkin's power.

"I do pity the man," Kozaky seemed to be reading Chrysaor's mind. "But his fate is nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence of circumstance. I know you said you were prepared to make sacrifices for this journey to defeat the Crimson Devil, but you are not just a Signer. You are Signer King, Chrysaor, and to rule means that unfortunately or not, others will bear the burdens. All you can do is ensure those sacrifices have meaning."

"...yes." Chrysaor found the word heavy on his tongue. "Come. We have what we came for. We should go before his friends return and this situation escalates."

"What about his God Card?" Kozaky asked. "If your god is weakened as you saw, it may be possible to restore his power further…"

"Very well, you may collect it. But, Kozaky," Chrysaor gave his friend a stern look. "You are not to experiment on it, run tests on it or even poke it in a curious manner with a stick. Understand?"

Kozaky gave him a knowing smile. "Trust me, my friend, I know well the hazards of delving into secrets one was not meant to know. Having my mind collapse on me is an experience I have no desire to repeat." He moved over to Akl's body, kneeling next to it. Spidery fingers rummaged through the fallen duelist's deck, casually discarding the cards on the ground as he sorted through them. "Ah, here we are."

To Chrysaor's surprise, the Duel Spirit produced a thin card sleeve from one of his pockets and carefully slid the God Card inside it before sealing it shut. "Why do you have that? We did not know he had a God Card until we arrived here."

"It pays to be prepared. I have dealt with enough Duel Spirits in my time to know that even their card form can be dangerous. This case will keep anyone from finding this God Card or removing it without my consent." Kozaky said with a slight smile and returned the God Card to his labcoat. "I am prepared for any eventuality."

Something red came sailing through the air and punched into the crumbling remains of Akl's body, where it began to shine softly with crimson light.

Kozaky's eyebrow rose. "That is...unexpected…"

Akl's body exploded.

In the brief second between seeing the body explode and getting hit by the explosion, some part of Chrysaor registered that there was no blood or gore, not even tissue and bones. Just hard hunks of clay that were also rather warm, which just somehow made it worse.

Then he hit the ground, rolling to deal with his momentum and pushed himself up. "Kozaky! Are you alright?"

There was no answer, just the groans and noises of his Rare Hunters finding their own feet. Not that he could see any of them at the moment thanks to the thick fog that shrouded the mansion's grounds.

Fog that had not been there a moment ago when he had gone flying.

His dragon's hard mark burned in warning and he scrambled to his feet, trying to find some kind of point to focus on and orient himself. But there was nothing but fog everywhere and every step felt awkward and off, as if his sense of balance had suddenly been removed. "Can anyone hear me?"

The answer that came was not a voice he knew. It was a woman's voice, singing in a language he could not understand. The melody was easy and rhythmic, the kind of tune one might hear in a tavern or bar.

There - a flicker of motion through the swirling mists. A figure in Rare Hunter robes. Chrysaor stepped towards them, hand reaching to grab his comrade.

A second shrouded figure. The source of the song. A song that kept going when the figure suddenly let loose a scream that froze Chrysaor in mid-motion. The sharp wail drilled into his ears and caused his heart to skip a beat as a deep primal fear welled up in his core.

It seemed to have struck the Rare Hunter, for they made no resistance beyond a weak prostestant 'No!' as the woman used needle-like fangs to rip out their throat. Her voice rejoined the song as she dropped the limp body and faded back into the mist.

The unearthly wail was from behind now and in quick succession a gurgling death rattle. The too-familiar thud of a limp body hitting the ground. And there she was on the left before the echoes of the second wail had ended, the sounds of a wordless cry ending in a snap of bone.

The song continued on. Chrysaor balked as he heard another Rare Hunter scream, the noise drowned out by the woman's soul-shaking wail that barely hid the noises of someone's throat being stomped on. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

The fog in front of him roiled about, parting like a curtain of water to let the attacker through. His mind rushed to figure out how this tall woman could have done this to his men, only for it to piece together a dozen little clues that told him that this wasn't a human.

Silken black hair tangled back with obsidian brambles to reveal pointed ears. Her face was leonine, as if all that was unnecessary had been shaven away to reveal a powerful, predatory beauty even as blood dripped down her chin. Golden eyes that drew him in with unspoken promises of passion and lust. A tattered gray cloak failed to shroud a green dress which in turn couldn't fully conceal a body that was still alluring despite the blood staining it or her claws that seemed to sing with how sharp they were.

Without really knowing how he knew, Chrysaor felt the name of the creature slip free from his lips. "...banshee…"

"Aye, lad." Even her voice was intoxicating, the Irish accent swimming through his brain like he'd just knocked back a bottle of the finest whiskey in one go. "Your death."

She opened her mouth, teeth becoming needle fangs and her wail made Chrysaor scream in pain, clutching at his ears and dropping to his knees. He tried to make his body move, tried to defend himself, but all there was fear and helplessness as she lunged for his neck.

Colorless fire erupted around him in a dome, her forward moment not enough to break it as she smashed against the surface. The barrier contracted briefly, as if mustering itself, then bolted outwards and threw her backwards. To his horror, despite the licks of clear fire burning at her, she only snarled in pain as she caught herself and then fell back into the mists.

Another scream, but this time, the barrier blunted it and Chrysaor just braced himself as her claws sailed out of the fog, slashing at his defense and gouging hunks from it. But it held.

For the moment.

A third scream and her damage to the barrier spread as if she'd punched it, the flames shrinking and flickering in and out of existence. Chrysaor twisted this way and that, trying to find enough purchase to run in this twisted place or at least see where she was coming from.

A new scream, from above and he looked skywards. Only for claws to seize his ankles and then he was eating dirt as pain erupted from his leg. A stupid, simple trick and he had fallen for it.

They grappled, his mark burning sharply and lending its fire to his hand, her skin hissing and cracking like firewood he dug at her face and eyes to get a soft spot. Her hands were going for his throat, kept at bay only by his other arm and his twisting efforts to get out from under her.

The scream at point blank range was like someone driving nails into his ears and his eyes. His own return bellow of pain had nowhere near the same effect on her. But the response from his mark did, an explosion of colorless flames that ignited her cloak, the bramble hair and her skin. Her shriek of pain morphed into an animalistic snarl and Chrysaor saw death in those gold eyes now. The raw, endless kind born of berserk rage.

"Shield your eyes!"

He obeyed Kozaky's command on reflex, felt a whump of impacting air as something exploded nearby and then the banshee was rolling off him, hissing and spitting curses with all the venom of a pit viper. Hands seized his arm and pulled him upright, slinging his arm over a shoulder and only then Chryaor realized one of his legs was bloodied to the point he couldn't put his weight on it.

"The fog…" He ground out as Kozaky helped limp away. "It's magical...I don't think we can escape it."

"It's not magical enough to distort space, only our senses. The ground's actual size didn't change. I had to use echo-location to find the borders." Kozaky said, holding up a device that was showing off some kind of readout pointing them forwards. "This way - she'll have trouble finding us in the mansion and then we're going to get out of here."

"Thank you, my friend…" Chrysaor gasped out. "But my men -"

"I got out all the ones I could; bit of a trouble to keep them from charging back in after you." Kozaky said, amusement in his tone. "Just how do you inspire such loyalty?"

"Setting reasonable expectations, not killing them for every failure and a good dental plan…" Chrysaor managed with a weak smile. Their next few steps caused the mansion's back door to emerge and it was already open, his Rare Hunter reaching for him.

"I don't get dental." Kozaky said dryly.

"You're a spirit - I don't think you need it."

TTTTT

Everything hurt, the deep, gut-wrenching pain left one curled up on the ground, sobbing and clutching themselves.

She didn't do that, though. Pain was as familiar as her own face by this point and given just as much attention as her reflection was. Which was to say, little if to nothing at all.

The banshee brushed bits of her burning body off her like crumbs, the raw skin underneath layered almost like bark would be. The undamaged portions of her skin were already healing it, crawling over the wound to knit closed.

Her fog was fading away now, becoming nothing but dewdrops on the grass and patio. The spell had been cast in a hurry and without her actual song to sustain it, wouldn't linger for long.

She was too late.

Again.

So now the people she cared about were dead.

Again.

And the bad guys had gotten away.

Again.

Which meant she only left with corpses, blood and impotent fury.

Again.

Somewhere, she just knew it, Wise Mother Never was sitting over her spinning wheel and cackling with morbid glee at the beautiful tragedy of this life, of sacrifices made without hesitation and given fully that simply fell just short of the goal. A poisonous black thread that marred the otherwise bright colors of her lifestory skein. That was how the Fair Folk were.

But maybe that thread's color was about to change. She made her way over to where Bellerophon's body had been, claws shrinking and brambles flowing back into raven hair while fangs retracted. Though none of the blood was gone and she winced as she ran her tongue over her teeth on a reflex to clean them and got coppery thickness in her throat. She was going to need a whole bottle of mouthwash for that one. Or at least a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Sitting innocently on the grass was a red gemstone. It had been carved into a shape of six sides, though none were quite even and it had a more round appearance than, say, a six-sided die. Little gold etchings marked each side, rough against her fingers as she picked it up. A relic of her family brought on a whim and used as beyond a last resort.

As she rolled it over her palm, dread began to creep over her, spidery and venomous. Bellerophon had been unconscious, trapped in the throes of a god's curse and she had no idea if he'd been dead when she'd thrown it or stubbornly clinging to life. The explosion afterwards certainly hadn't helped.

Then the stone warmed against her skin, a tiny soft red light swirling within its depths. Relief flooded her as she clutched it in both hands to her chest, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

The light in the stone pulsed, her mind tingling with a questioning sensation. Naturally, of course, as no one expected their soul to be suddenly stuck in an inanimate object when their last known sensation was dying.

She squeezed the stone closer to her and reached back to that sensation, to let out the words she'd been longing to say for so many, many years.

"Hello, my husband."

TTTTTTT

A/N: Well, that was a lot in one go, but no one ever said that this was going to be a leisure cruise!

While you all process the preceding events, let's move to somewhere else in the world. Though not too far away. While the Pegasus family dealt with events at the warehouse, the Ishtar siblings have their own little side quest to deal with. They must enter the tomb of Pharaoh Seto and face-down a terrifying shadow of the past that longs to end a battle that started a millenia ago...

Next Chapter: Millennium Battle; The Prophet vs the Revolutionary