Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART

by Vile.EXE

Follow the story of Kohaku Yudin, an ace Game Card collector in the bustling metropolis, Sigma City. When he receives an odd silver card from another boy, it starts him on a path that will challenge his will, strength, and determination as he realizes his true destiny. My own unique YGO series!

31. Level 031

Computer Voice: Connection reestablished.

Vile: Stupid thing had to break down right at the end, didn't it? At least the chapter's only a day late. I don't have a lot to say, so let's just get into it. Enjoy!

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Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART

Level 031: A Castle Behind A Besieger

*Recap*

Kohaku: Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART, my day started out peaceful, learning more about how the world inside the Silver Game Card worked. Oh yeah, I can jump in there now, go figure! I got told a fortune from a sentient swami box called Zolton, and his fortune led me right to Dizzy-kun, who got himself in trouble with a local Pro Duelist over a cheating scandal. But I got a bad feeling about what's about to happen. I hope Dizzy-kun can handle it! It is ON!

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*12 second intro*

A new day brings new ways to play...
The next level begins, so go and chase your fears away!
One life, one try, show the world that you can fly.
Game Start! Player 1!
Feel the wind and make the jump!

Go beyond what you thought was all you could do and see just what you're truly made of
Yu-Gi-Oh GSTART, ready, go!
*four beat instrumental*
It is ON!

The road may be long and rough, but you are made of tougher stuff
So run until you reach the goal! See it to the end!
Don't let your worry keep you down, it's easy with friends around
Together you'll come out on top! See it to the end!

*6 second ending instrumental*

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*Field Recap*

Dizzy LP:600

Shinsuke LP:3200

Dizzy's field: Vor-Tech Aeroblaster, 1 facedown S/T

Shinsuke's field: No monsters, Ever-Growing Essence (Continuous Trap), no facedown S/Ts

Vor-Tech Aeroblaster: Lv.6 WIND Machine/Fusion ATK:2100/DEF:1200

"Such righteous anger… he'll be a good toy. I only wish I got here sooner…"

The faint echo of the watcher's giggle managed to find its way to Kohaku, and upon hearing it, a familiar pain flared up in his head, making him grab it with a groan. "Koha-kun? You OK?" Plata asked, getting the others' attention as well.

"That headache I was having?" Kohaku groaned. "It got a little worse… I don't…" His eyes aimlessly looked around, eventually catching sight of the tunnel, and what he saw made his vision laser focus on it. "...There. You guys see that on top of the tunnel?"

The others looked toward the tunnel, trying to make out what he was talking about. "That tall one, right?" Cleo asked. "I don't see any-" She stopped when caught sight of something being thrown into view, a red glow covering the object. "…Wait. What is that?" The gang watched as the glow faded, revealing something bright red floating down over the side of the bridge and seeming to hover above the field, spinning.

"What the heck?" Yoru said, suddenly catching the attention of Dizzy, Shinsuke, and the nameless flunkies. "Can anyone see that better?"

Shinsuke looked up and saw the red thing. "What the-" His question was cut off as the floating object suddenly shot down and impacted his face like a leaping animal, enveloping him in red energy and making him scream in pain as he fell on his back, writhing.

"Shinsuke-sama!" Both flunkies called out.

"Don't worry your little face." Said a voice within Shinsuke's head as he tried to pull the object off of him, sounding cute yet full of malice. "I'll be sure to use your anger to thrash him!" Then, the red energy vanished and the writhing pro's body stopped moving, going limp against the ground, only to then slowly rise up back to his feet as if directed by invisible strings. The object that hit his head had now morphed into a crude red mask with an angered face on it.

"What the?!" Kohaku exclaimed, a little creeped out, but then began grabbing his head again as his pain and agony seemed to amplify.

"Koha-kun?" Doc asked in concern, rushing to his side.

"That mask… I feel power from it. It feels… wrong!" He managed to groan out.

Shinsuke groaned, his voice distorting yet still with a noticeable growl to it. "Watashi no… TURN!" He drew his card with enough force that it could've ripped it. "Magic Card, Reload, hatsudo! All cards in my hand are shuffled into my Deck to be re-drawn!" As his Deck shuffled, all the cards glowed an eerie red as he went to draw. "RRRRAAAHH!"

"What's he doing?!" One crony asked.

"I don't know! I still don't even have our system back up!" The other replied.

The masked Shinsuke paid them no mind. "I Special Summon Bonze Alone from my hand!" His monster emerged as a very small monk of some sort, wearing a conical hat and wielding a staff with many rings on it.

Bonze Alone: Lv.1 EARTH Fairy ATK:100/DEF:100

"Now you will face my rage… I release Bonze Alone! Adobansu Shoukan!" A beam of light descended from the sky and consumed the tiny monk, but as he vanished, the holy shine seemed to change, becoming far less welcoming and far more harsh. Descending from above was a woman clad in white and red clothing not unlike a templar, but most of it had weapon marks, and it wasn't hard to guess what the red stains that peppered it were. Her fists were clenched and shaking violently, long white hair flowing as she didn't even need her wings to touch down. Notably, her face was entirely covered by a dark gray mask painted with eyes and a mouth in crimson 'ink', and her entire body exuded a red aura that seemed to shudder right along with her. "A warrior of anger and devotion! Berserk Battler - Llhava the Zealous!" Her growl echoed behind her mask as she rose a hand, light forming a sword with several chips in the blade in her hand, before slashing twice and letting out a distinctly undivine shout of rage, the markings on her mask actually glowing.

Berserk Battler - Llhava the Zealous: Lv.6 LIGHT Fairy ATK:2300/DEF:2000

"That's a different kind of monster." Doc said, sounding a little impressed.

"I've never seen that card before." Cleo commented.

Kohaku, in spite of his growing headache, peeked through one eye and saw something he didn't before. Shinsuke was covered in the same red aura as his monster, the two auras actually connected to each other. Not only that, the aura seemingly floated up to the top of the tunnel behind him. "What the…?"

The voice in Shinsuke's head giggled with sadistic glee. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"Magic Card, Counter Converter, hatsudo! This lets me transform any number of Counters on a card I control into the proper kind of Counter another card wants! So with three Genesis Counters from my Trap Card, I give Llhava three Rage Counters!" Three glowing feathers emerged from the Trap, floating around Llhava before merging with her wings, tingeing some of her feathers a crimson red. Her voice hitched from the feeling, only for her to start panting angrily, energy leaking out from behind her mask as she felt herself getting angrier and angrier.

Llhava: 3 Rage Counters

Essence: 4 Genesis Counters

"I didn't know there were cards that could turn Counters into different Counters." Plata noted.

"Must be something like those Tag Duel exclusive cards. So situational it's barely worth using." Yoru replied.

"ARE YOU MORONS GOING TO COMMENT ON EVERYTHING?!" Shinsuke shouted, the red aura causing a burst of wind that felt hot from the sheer rage.

Kohaku panted, trying to ignore the pain going through his mind. "That… That mask…" He groaned. "I-It's definitely making him this angry!" He pointed a shaking finger to the top of the tunnel, where the aura was floating. "U-Up there! Something up there's controlling him!"

Dizzy looked to the top of the bridge, only seeing the aura stop at the top. "What are you seeing that I'm not, Koha-kun? There's no one there."

"I… I don't know. It's just… some kinda trail." Kohaku groaned. "But I swear, it's there. And… is the air rippling?"

Doc placed a hand to Kohaku's forehead. "Doesn't feel like a fever." He put his fingers to his neck, immediately concerned about what he felt. "But good god, your pulse is racing."

"I just…" Kohaku tried to think despite the pain, feeling words fail him. "...I just feel… this wrong power…"

Shinsuke growled impatiently. "SHUT UP ALREADY! Llhava the Zealous, attack Vor-Tech Aeroblaster!" Llhava clenched the hilt of her sword hard enough to turn her knuckles white, reaching up and ripping off her mask to show her very angry face, eyes fully light blue with energy. Her wings matched this glow before charging forward with a yell, bringing her sword down on Vor-Tech and cleaving it in two as if he was nothing, the robot exploding violently.

Dizzy LP:400

Dizzy held up his arms to block the shockwave of the attack, but then, a stinging feeling went across his cheek, making him impulsively cover it. "Ah! What was that?" He pulled his hand back and gasped at the faint traces of blood on his hand. "…How did…"

Then Shinsuke started to chuckle. His voice was normal (barring the echo) at first, but then it started changing. Rising in pitch until eventually it no longer sounded like him. "Surprised, Baaaaaka?" The voice asked, now sounding feminine and cutesy, but still echoing and dripping with malice.

"Huh? What happened to your voice?" Dizzy asked.

Another giggle came from the voice. "Isn't it obvious? You're not talking to that little cheat anymore." As they spoke, Shinsuke's body moved as if he was checking himself out for the first time. "I gotta say, he's a fun little toy to try and break other toys with. Not to mention his style is something I can get behind."

Kohaku could hardly manage to look at Shinsuke as the voice spoke. "Who… Who are you?"

"Not someone you'd know. But maybe I'll tell you more if your friend here wins…" The voice never lost its feminine edge, but as she spoke, the pitch slowly got lower and lower. "But if he knows what's good for him… he'll make like a good twig and let himself be SNAPPED!" The red aura flared up at the shout of the last word.

Most of Kohaku's friends felt intimidated by the rage-filled force of this strange voice. Dizzy, however, glared and wiped the remaining blood off his cheek. "I don't bend to any storm. Since you destroyed Vor-Tech and sent him to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one of his Fusion Materials, like Mechwing Glider, for another round!" A purple portal opened up, producing a tornado that formed Mechwing. (ATK:1500)

"Of course you'd be stubborn…" The female voice growled through Shinsuke's mask.

The two cronies were feeling equally as unnerved as Kohaku and co. possibly even more so. The one not holding the laptop leaned over to the other. "...I don't know what the heck is going on, but I think this is a good time to get out of here."

The laptop holder looked between the Duel and the laptop before quickly closing the piece of tech. "Seconded! Let's bail!" The two turned and tried to run, but they quickly slammed face-first into a suddenly-appearing wall of red energy, knocking them back with a shock.

"Oh, you two aren't going anywhere." The controller said as the wall started to spread, circling the Duel until everyone was completely closed in. "No one is. So, I highly suggest you get that system running again… or ELSE." Cleo almost instinctively backed up, and ended up touching the barrier herself, getting a small shock. "I'm not done with this little game, and no one leaves until it's over. I'll let my toy take over for now. He's REALLY antsy, hahahaha!"

Dizzy clenched a fist. "I don't know who or what you are, but if you think you can get off just using others and hurting people for real, I'll find you and make you think twice for it!"

"Hold on to that anger, stupid. That's just what I want you to feel when your lights go out." Her girlish chuckle slowly grew deeper, eventually morphing back into Shinsuke's own voice. "Turn End! Let's see you come back from this!"

Kohaku's legs wobbled before fell to one knee. "Koha-kun!" Doc kneeled down beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Ugh… Just being around this power is making my head hurt…" He groaned. "It doesn't stop…" Unknown to him, the Silver Card was glowing in a pulsating rhythm like a beating heart.

The others knelt down next to him as well, trying to find way to help him. "Dizzy-kun, you might want to wrap this up if you can." Cleo said, making him look back and see Kohaku in such a pained state. "I don't think Koha-kun can handle much more of this."

"Aw, is your friend feeling sick?" Shinsuke taunted. "Maybe that's what you get for sticking your nose where it don't belong."

Dizzy glanced back with a glare, but nodded to Cleo. "i'll do my best, Cleo. Ore no turn!" He went back to the Duel and drew. 'If this doesn't set me up for a win, it's gonna take a miracle.' "I release Mechwing Glider! Adobansu Shoukan! Koi, Spinbore Mole!" The ground cracked before a large object spinning like a drill smashed its way out, unfolding and landing to reveal a short, fat mole creature with metal claws.

Spinbore Mole: Lv.5 WIND Beast ATK:2100/DEF:200

"Ike, Spinbore Mole! Attack his berserker!" Mole leapt forward, closing its claws around itself and spinning to take its drill-like form.

"You've lost it! That's not enough to beat my monster in strength!"

"Don't need it. Since one of my cards went to the Graveyard this turn, your monster is destroyed regardless!" Spinbore Mole slammed into Llhava's torso, refusing to stop spinning for even a minute, before it completely punched through and obliterated her without issue.

Kohaku felt his breath come a little easier as Llhava was destroyed. "Nice one, Dizzy! That worked a bit!" Yoru said.

"Kaado ichi mai settei! Turn end!"

"That was seriously the best you got?! Watashi no turn!" Shinsuke drew another glowing red card. "Since Llhava the Zealous had 3 Rage Counters when it was sent to the Graveyard, I can revive her during my Standby Phase to let her get some payback! Yomigaere! Llhava the Zealous!" A purple portal opened up, but then turned an eerie red as Llhava literally clawed her way out, panting with the same rage as before. (ATK:2300) "And with her return, your monsters lose 300 Attack for each Rage Counter she had! Raging Warcry!" Llhava clenched her fists near her face as energy leaked out from behind her mask, then she let out a loud yell that released a wave of energy. Spinbore Mole felt a sense of fear against its will as the energy hit it.

Mole ATK:1200

"Now to end this farce and take your head! Llhava, attack the weakling!" Llhava pointed her sword at Mole before charging forward, intent on skewering it.

"Trap, hatsudo! Swept Away! By shuffling Spinbore Mole back into my Deck, the Battle Phase ends now!" Wind swirled around Mole as he morphed back into a card, being carried back into Dizzy's Deck as the wind pushed Llhava away.

"Run all you want." Shinsuke growled, the red aura seeming to creep closer to Dizzy. "I will chase you down and make you pay! Turn end!"

Dizzy looked at his Deck, sighing. "…Well. Looks like it comes down to this, folks." He said, seemingly talking more to his stream audience than anyone. "I got one draw left. I doubt much is on the line, but dodging humiliation's all on Lady Luck now."

"You… still got Life Points, right, Dizzy-kun?" Dizzy turned, seeing Kohaku having finally got to his feet, albeit leaning on Plata and Doc for support. "I may have a headache… but no use thinking it's the end of the world. Win or lose, don't go out scared of the result!" Dizzy then heard the notification noise on his Gamepad going crazy, making him check and see they were coming from the stream chat. Messages from viewers were absolutely flooding in.

"ALL OR NOTHING!" "COME ON HYPE DRAW" "TOPDECK TOPDECK" "HEART OF THE CARDS! *hype emoji*"

Dizzy smiled at the show of support, and closed his eyes to take a deep breath. As he breathed out, Kohaku could actually see his breath having a green glow. "All right then… let's DANCE!" He drew his card, sending out a gust of wind. He grinned when he saw his card. "Yosh. Magic Card, Seize the Wind, hatsudo! First I banish Vor-Tech Aeroblaster from my Graveyard." Vor-Tech vanished from the world of the Graveyard. "Then I excavate cards equal to its Level and pick a monster, a Magic Card, and a Trap Card to add to my hand!" He picked up 6 cards, seeing Crimson Cycloner among them. 'Ready, partner?' He took Cycloner and two other cards, returning the other 3 to be shuffled. "And I've got just the right Magic Card: Cost Down!" He discarded the Trap he took. "By discarding a card, the monster I added has 2 less Levels while in my hand. (Cycloner: Level 6) But the Trap I sent to the Graveyard is the final piece to this little puzzle: Last Breath!" Three tornadoes erupted on Dizzy's field. "By banishing it from the Graveyard while I control no monsters, I can Summon WIND monsters from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard whose Levels equal the Levels of all monsters on your field!" The tornadoes faded to reveal Spiritwister, Vortex Trooper, and an earthworm-looking creature with its band and head forming a drill.

Spiritwister: Lv.2 WIND Spellcaster/Base ATK:900/DEF:200

Vortex Trooper: Lv.3 WIND Aqua ATK:0/DEF:600

Spinbore Worm: Lv.1 WIND Insect ATK:600/DEF:500

"Their effects are negated, and I can't Summon from the Extra Deck this turn… but I wasn't planning on it! I release Vortex Trooper!" A tornado swallowed Trooper, slowly turning a familiar shade of red. "When the wind turns red, order as it is known is in danger! Hold onto your hats as the hurricane hits high gear! Adobansu Shoukan! Koi, Crimson Cycloner!" Cycloner appeared atop the tornado, grinning down at Shinsuke before dive-kicking to the ground and sitting on a small tornado, flanked by his big hands.

Crimson Cycloner: Lv.8 WIND Fiend ATK:2900/DEF:1300

"Do you think it'll be enough?" Cleo wondered.

"I hope so…" Yoru breathed.

Kohaku, however, smiled through the pain. "I know so…"

"Feel the wind! Crimson Cyclone!" Cycloner rose his hands, causing the red wind even stronger. "One card on each field is destroyed!" Spinbore Worm and Llhava were slashed by biting wind and destroyed. "One card on each field goes back to our hands!" Spiritwister and Essence of Genesis were swept back to the hand. "Both of us discard a card!" Dizzy discarded Spiritwister while one of Shinsuke's cards was removed by the wind. "And one card in our Graveyards comes back to our hand!" One card was placed back in each hand. Shinsuke seemingly refused to actually speak in response, but he was shaking violently in anger. "Now you're wide open. You might have more Life Points than my monster… or do you?" He flipped around the card he recovered, revealing it was Fan of the Soaring Dragon. Said fan appeared as Dizzy played the card, being grabbed and swung by Cycloner with an evil-sounding chuckle.

Crimson Cycloner ATK:4200/DEF:0

"That's the end!" Both flunkies cried in fear, Shinsuke only able to growl in response.

"Ike! Direct attack! Red Dragonbreath Bite!" Cycloner directed his large hands with the fan before swinging it hard, kicking up a powerful red wind that surrounded the hands as they rose up. Then, the hands dove down locked together in clawed posture, wind surrounding them to make the form of a massive red dragon. Shinsuke felt his body seize up as the "dragon" flew right through him, the wind somehow not making the mask fly off. The force knocked Shinsuke hard against the force field surrounding them, sliding down into a seated position.

Shinsuke LP:0 - LOSER

"GRRRRRAAAAAHHHH!" The angry female voice sounded through the mask again. "You were supposed to break! How infuriating can you be!? Either that was dumb luck or you tapped into your Designator power!"

Dizzy sighed. "I thought I felt a rush go through me." Then his mind clicked with what she just said. "Wait, how do you know about that?

"You'll find out before long!" Then, the angry voice actually sighed. "At least I'll say this: I hate losing, but you make a fun opponent. You'll be seeing my face again soon, and your friends will have their own issues to worry about. Count on that, blowhard." With that, the mask on Shinsuke's face disintegrated into red particles, showing he was knocked out. The barrier disappeared, letting the boy's body fall back flat on the ground.

The two flunkies blinked for a moment, making sure they were actually still in reality. Eventually their minds regained function, rushing over to Shinsuke. "Shinsuke-sama!"

Shinsuke slowly sat up with a groan, his face back to normal. He looked at his Disk, seeing his LP at 0, and seethed. "Damn it…"

Dizzy crossed his arms. "Looks like you're out of the Dueling Circuit after this, Shinsuke."

Shinsuke scoffed. "Tch. A minor setback. Nothing more."

"S-Seriously?" One flunky asked.

"You only proved what I COULD do. I can win without it. I will, and I'll be back on top." Shinsuke said as he got to his feet, brushing off dust. He stared directly at Dizzy, an unflinching resolve in his eyes. "And when I do, I'll come back to make you realize what a fluke this Duel was. I evolve past ALL defeats." He then turned and walked off, one of his flunkies jabbing the other to get him to follow behind him.

Dizzy just silently watched him leave with his arms crossed as the others walked up to him. "You think he's bluffing?" Doc asked, earning a shrug from Dizzy.

"…Couldn't tell ya." He answered. "I don't know the competitive scene's standards for cheating outside official tournaments. I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't mean anything to them."

"Still, looks like you're gonna need to address that last bit of craziness to your audience." Cleo told him.

Dizzy sweatdropped, remembering he was still live. "Yeah… it's not like I really know what to tell them right now. I should probably end the stream now that I think about it." He picked the camera off his D-Pad and looked directly into it with a smile. "Thanks for the support and thanks for watching this impromptu stream, guys. If you want more context on who I Dueled, my mods will be fielding questions. As for any other craziness… I'll get back to you on that. For now, ja ne." With that, he turned off the camera, and stopped the recording, making sure nothing else was displayed on his page before closing things out.

"How you doing, Koha-kun?" Doc asked, looking back at his impromptu patient.

Kohaku took a deep breath in and out through his nose. "Leagues better." He told them. "When that mask vanished, it was like my headache just went right with it."

"Definitely feels like it's connected to whoever that was;" Plata figured, "but why was it affecting you at the Ramen shop?"

Before Kohaku could answer, Dizzy screamed as those lost words finally made him remember what he had been doing earlier.

"Shimata!" he exclaimed with wide eyes. "Dad's gonna cream me for taking so long on this. How am I gonna explain it?"

"Probably tell him you ran into more people still bitter over the School War." Yoru suggested. Plata, however, placed a sympathetic hand on her friend's shoulder.

"No problemo, amigo. We'll back you up." she said with a nod, which the others echoed.

*Later* *Naginata Ramen shop*

"...You are so lucky one of our regulars had your stream on his phone, Ren." Dizzy's father said while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Otherwise I'd be a lot more ticked than I already am. And If I wasn't your dad as well as your employer, you'd probably be fired." Dizzy just looked away with a sheepish look and a sweatdrop, already not looking very pleased at what he likely said earlier. "That said…" His dad slapped a hand on his shoulder, making Dizzy look and see him grinning. "You showed guts calling out that sneaky little pro rascal. Couldn't be prouder of ya for sticking to your morals."

Dizzy laughed, a bit out of relief. "Thanks, Tou-san. I… can start on those dishes now for you."

His dad waved dismissively. "Relax. We didn't have a lot of deliveries, so Aruto stepped up to help out here." He pointed with his thumb to a boy Dizzy's age with a delivery uniform for the restaurant, who was elbows deep in soapy water and ramen bowls. "BUT, you will be returning the favor the next couple of weekends taking his shift, and helping me with food prep before school." Even more sweatdrops covered Dizzy's head at hearing that. "Gotta keep ya busy somehow, Ren. Now go on, it's already been a long day for ya."

A while later, the group had moved to the unit upstairs where Dizzy's family actually lived, Dizzy himself sprawled out on his bed. "So, how did you know this guy was doing more than just vandalizing his cards?" Kohaku asked.

Dizzy was staring up at his ceiling when he answered, grabbing his Gamepad from nearby. "Honestly, I didn't until Bandit mentioned he was being investigated."

"Who's Bandit?" Cleo asked.

"BanditKiefer. He's one of the mods of my website." Dizzy said as he typed. "Guy helped me set up a lot of things after I took his online courses. After the war, I shared the pic I took of his trimmed cards with my community." He set his Gamepad down so the others could see a chat window between Dizzy and BanditKiefer. "And Bandit reached out, mentioning his work with Sigma Corp."

BanditKiefer: The guy has to be doing more than trimming. He's been suspected of cheating with the Genesis cards for about half a year, but we haven't fully figured out how.

DoormanDizzy: Wish I could help. I only got that footage.

BanditKiefer: Maybe you still can. If I can get into his Disk while he's dueling we can see what he's hiding.

DoormanDizzy: He already called me out, so I'll see what I can do.

While they were reading the chat messages, a new one popped up, making Dizzy pick up the pad to type.

BanditKiefer: Paydirt!

DoormanDizzy: Whaddya got?

BanditKiefer: Don't exactly know how he came across it, but according to his browser history he found some kind of chemical bath that, with the right kind of hack, allows cards to be read as a different kind of card altogether. Based on the duel you guys just had, my guess is he uses it on cards that are just similar to other cards he might need. Such as turning Rasetsu and Yaksha into each other depending on who's in his hand.

"I sure hope this isn't illegal." Doc commented.

"I doubt it, otherwise he wouldn't be saying something." Dizzy said before typing more.

DoormanDizzy: Bet you're reporting this to Sigma.

BanditKiefer: Done and dusted. Also sent them your footage. Good thing your girl friend was in frame to show her wiping her hand on her skirt. That's what tipped me off it could be a covering.

DoormanDizzy: Keep me posted. This is something I'm gonna wanna see.

With that, Bandit signed off, and a moment of realization hit Kohaku. "Oh, all this craziness, I almost forgot. You know how we kinda won that School War together?"

"Yeah?" Dizzy asked.

"The principal gave me a bunch of cool cards for it. Said it was a consolation prize from SigmaCorp or something that he picked out himself. He's got one for you too to pick up at school."

"That right? Sweet!" It was then that Dizzy glanced over at Kohaku's Deck case, noticing a familiar shine coming from it. "Koha-kun, I think you're being paged."

"Eh?" Kohaku looked down, saw the glow, and quickly pulled out the Silver Card. "Oh yeah! A riddle! 'Anger unleashed at perceived woes, turn the wind back behind you.'" He quickly inserted the Silver Card, the screen turning on to show Kukiran.

"There you are. You guys okay out there?" The fairy asked.

Kohaku looked over at Dizzy, who gave a thumbs-up. "As we'll ever be." He replied. "You called me?"

"Yeah, because something was making the white fluffy clouds here all gray and stormy." Kukiran explained. "It's going back to normal now, and oh yeah, a new space opened."

"Now that I think about it, I still haven't even done 2-1 yet, so I guess I can knock out two birds with one stone." Kohaku said, rubbing his chin.

Kukiran flew closer to the screen. "So, is no one going to tell the cute little fairy what you guys just dealt with?"

"Mostly someone who can apparently possess people with a mask and really make them ticked off." Kohaku explained. "At this point it doesn't even feel weird, even though it really gave me a headache."

"That's… different." Kukiran said before flying back to reveal the game world. "Anyway, you said you wanted to play?"

"More than that," Kohaku said with a sly smile. "Dizzy-kun, you are in for a shock." Dizzy just glanced at him with confusion as Kohaku placed the Gamepad on the bed and closed his eyes. In his mind, he was picturing a button that said "Enter", and then a button that looked exactly like what he was picturing appeared on the Gamepad screen. Despite his inability to see, Kohaku accurately tapped the Enter button, and the screen started brightly glowing. Kohaku's body turned into white energy before floating up and diving into the screen, almost making the screen ripple like water.

Dizzy's jaw dropped and his eyes nearly bugged out of his face. "Nani?!"

The light flew down to the junction between the beach of 2-1 and boardwalk of 2-2, morphing into Kohaku's D-Vatar. "All right, I'm back." It said in a high-pitched voice.

"Tha…that's really you in there, Koha-kun?" Dizzy asked, leaning over the screen.

"The one and only." Kohaku replied.

Before anyone could ask anything else, there was a knock at the bedroom door. "You ok in there, Ren-Ren?" A voice that could only be Dizzy's mom asked through the closed door. "I could hear you from the kitchen.

"Uh, yeah mom, I'm fine. Just got surprised by something on a friend's Gamepad." Dizzy quickly answered.

"Alright, we'll please keep it down, and remember to play nice, sweetie. We don't want the neighbors complaining again."

As they heard her footsteps depart, the others just looked at Dizzy. Plata snorted out a stifled giggle. "What? Sometimes I get loud on stream. It happens." Dizzy said, crossing his arms.

"Not what I'm laughing at, Ren-Ren." Plata teased.

"Bringing it back for a minute," Kohaku said through the Gamepad. "I figured I'd try playing one of these games firsthand. In person, so to speak." The group watched as he moved left at the junction, taking the beach path to the space of 2-1, checking the sign.

World 2-1: Frisbee Fetch

"Frisbee, huh? Beach game for a beach world. It is ON." Kohaku said as a gateway appeared, which he jumped through, causing the screen to zoom in and fade to white.

Kohaku's vision had also gone white, but it slowly faded back in to show him on a much larger beach with a different ocean than the big sphere in the middle of the floating islands; in fact, this beach seemed to actually be ground level. A few sun umbrellas were set up with D-Vatars relaxing as if on vacation. Then Kohaku heard a squeaky barking sound, looking down to see a D-Vatar version of a dog looking at him with its tail wagging, a frisbee in its mouth. Kukiran flew into view. "Looks like the little guy wants to play for this game." She explained. "It seems to be an easy one. He'll mark where on the sand you'll want to throw the frisbee to, so it's your job to throw it as close to the mark as possible. Try to go for a high score!" The dog dropped the frisbee, letting Kohaku pick it up.

GO!

"You think Kohaku will do ok at this game?" Doc asked.

"All I know is, if I were him, I wouldn't say no to a cute little puppy." Cleo said, gushing a little. Said puppy looked out at the beach and barked, an arrow marking a rough area.

"Just gotta angle for the arrow, right?" Kohaku said, before crossing the arm with the frisbee over himself, trying his best to get a good angle before letting the frisbee go. The dog immediately started running after the disc toward the arrow, watching as the frisbee started to veer left of its initial landing point, but it quickly jumped and caught the frisbee in midair.

Nice Catch!

Three colored rings spread out from the arrows: Green, yellow, and red from furthest to closest to the arrow. The dog was standing within the yellow circle, and Kohaku's score gained 50 points. "Nice going, little guy." Kohaku called to his game partner. The dog rushed back and dropped the disc again, barking and ready for another. The display on the game screen showed that Kohaku had 4 more throws left. The dog barked, marking another area in the sand. Kohaku took a slightly different stance before doing his best to let the disc fly at another trajectory. His aim was a little off, but the dog was still able to catch it near the ground. He was still within the yellow circle, but he only got 40 points this time. The dog brought the frisbee back as usual and indicated another area of the beach, but then, a large balloon materialized in the air right of the marked area. "What's this?"

"A little trick shot option." Kukiran explained. "If you can clip and pop the balloon with the frisbee, you get bonus points."

"Really? This may end up the easy part." Kohaku said, getting into position. "It's closer to me than the landing, so…" He threw the frisbee, making sure to let it go with good timing. As he predicted, the frisbee hit the balloon with little issue, adding 100 points to his score. "Yosh!" However, due to his angle, his frisbee was caught by the dog in the inner part of the blue circle. 30 points. "Ack…"

"Not very good at angles, huh, Koha-kun?" Cleo asked playfully.

"Hard to focus on two targets at once sometimes." Kohaku said, taking the frisbee from the dog. Another target appeared, as well as another balloon. "Hmm…" He tried to picture where he thought the frisbee would have gone, and on the screen outside, they actually saw that arrow briefly appear as he was aiming. The throw came out, popping the second balloon with ease, and this time it was caught within the very edge of the red circle. 70 points.

"Did you see that?" Dizzy said. "I think something fell out of that balloon."

"Huh?" Kohaku asked, looking out into the beach. "I don't see any-" He stopped when he saw the dog stop in the middle of bring the frisbee back, grab something with its teeth, and place it on the frisbee before finally bringing it back. Sitting on top of the frisbee was a torn piece of glowing white paper, which rose up to hover above Kohaku before disappearing with a small burst of light. "What… was that?"

"It kinda looked like a piece of a card." Kukiran mused. The dog marked another bit of beach, and another balloon appeared. "Last throw! Maybe another piece will come out of this balloon!"

Kohaku took his last stance, the dog raring to go. "Okay… Gotta make sure I get this one right…" His eyes twinkled before launching the disc, perfectly smacking the third balloon out of the air. The dog barked and panted to keep up, and as the disc sailed perfectly over the area that was marked, it jumped up and caught the frisbee out of the air, getting a bit of applause from the nearby D-Vatars. The dog was smack in the middle of the red circle: 100 points. Another glowing piece of paper floated up above Kohaku before vanishing.

FINISH!

Kohaku: 690

New Record!

Kohaku knelt down as the dog rushed back, petting it. "Nice job out there, little buddy." The dog barked, licking his hand. Then, Kohaku noticed a few screens appear in front of him, which also went across the outside screen.

Destiny Challenges

Balloon Bullseye 1: X

Balloon Bullseye 2: O

Balloon Bullseye 3: O

500+ Points: O

Perfect Score: X

"Destiny Challenges?" Kohaku wondered, scratching his head.

"Don't know what those are myself, but it looks like you beat 3 of them!" Kukiran chirped. Each O on the results screen then flipped over, revealing those card fragments that were seen falling out of the balloons. Another tally with their picture appeared, the pieces flying into the identical image next to it and causing the counter to go from 0 to 3.

"So now I've got three of… whatever these are." Kohaku mused. His vision went white as the Gamepad screen zoomed out, Kohaku jumping out of the portal to the game world back onto the map. The game space turned blue, drawing two paths along the beach: One that curved around the large spherical ocean and was a lot longer than most game paths, ending on another game space, and another that drew itself toward the edge of the sand, near the sky.

"Wish we coulda kept that little puppy with us. So, care for another game long as you're here?" Kukiran asked.

"Tempted, but I think I want to ask Grandpa Prime about these new collectibles," Kohaku told the fairy.

"Grandpa Prime?" The teens in the real world all asked at the same time.

"He's an NPC. Lemme show ya." Kohaku said, moving back down the sandy path to the left-right junction, hopping across a few clouds toward the entrance to World 2, then moving across a cloud path to the right, coming back to Grandpa Prime's lone cabin.

"Glad to see you're not being a stranger, boy." The old man said, using his cane to lift his hat out of his eyes. "Can I help ya?"

"What do you know about glowing white paper pieces?" Kohaku asked, maybe a little too directly.

Grandpa Prime's rocking began to slow down when he heard Kohaku ask that question. "...I may know somethin'. What kinda paper pieces?"

"Uh…" Kohaku looks at Kukiran. "Am I able to even pull these from an inventory?"

"Oh, never mind. I see 'em." Grandpa Prime said, pointing his cane at a readout showing that Kohaku had 3 of them (which had appeared when he wasn't looking).

"…Guess it's a good thing I bumped that button." Dizzy said, surprised. "But i'm surprised an NPC can see the screen details."

"Sometimes you just go with what the world lets you see." Grandpa Prime replied to him, lightly coughing.

Dizzy did a double take hearing that. "…Right…Gotta remember it's not a normal game card."

"So, what are they?" Kohaku asked again.

"Those, my boy, are Destiny Pieces." Prime answered. "Part of the power of an Alphomega is to cause a miracle should the need arise. In your case…"

Kohaku rose an eyebrow. "In my case?"

"…Did you even hear about a legendary duelist who pulled a card that could help him win in one turn even when he was way behind?"

"I… think so."

"Does he mean that "Heart of the Cards" meme from the early days of the game?" Dizzy wondered.

"That and more, though I believe the term is a Destiny Draw," Grandpa Prime said with laugh. "With those pieces, you can create a one-time use card that will last until the end of the duel. The more pieces you use in your draw, the stronger the card."

"That sounds incredible..." Kohaku said, taking in the wonder before realization hit. "…And kinda like cheating when I think about it."

"That's what calls for discretion, sonny," Prime continued. "No reason to go throwing those draws out if you don't need 'em. It's more to use against the forces of evil rather than winning some silly tournament." As his voice sounded more ominous, Prime started coughing again; becoming more serious when he got through his fit. "Besides, Destiny Pieces are a finite resource. You can't just farm them, as you kids say. They can only be earned." With that, he spun his cane around and pointed the end at Kohaku, right under his nose. "So be choosy, boy! Sometimes you gotta get out of a sticky situation by your own power, but if you really need that help, ain't no shame in askin' for it."

"Don't be afraid to ask for help, huh?" Kohaku said to himself, glancing up at the screen and smiling. "...Glad that's not something I ever had a problem with."

"Them your Designators?" Prime asked, looking up at the screen as well and seeing Kohaku's friends smiling down on him.

"Pretty sure. Only one of them seems to actually have any power so far." Kohaku said, turning back to Grandpa Prime. "You sure do seem to know a lot about the Alphomega for someone who looks like a game character. How much DO you know?"

Prime placed his cane across his lap. "You got something specific to ask in that question?"

Kohaku was about to answer, but then he slowly realized that he didn't immediately know what he wanted to ask. He found himself standing there, tapping his foot while trying to think, though he stopped for a moment when he heard snickering from above. "What's so funny, Plata-chan?"

"Hehe, sorry." Plata said. "It's just from this side of the screen, it threw up a choice of dialogue options. It's like the game knows what you're gonna ask."

"So, you guys can see what I'm thinking?" Kohaku asked, a little nervous.

"If it's not related to the Alphomega, no." Doc explained. "They all seem to be questions directly answering what Prime himself asked you."

"Well, there were a few things I did want to ask to that effect…" Kohaku snapped his fingers. "Why don't you guys pick one for me. See what happens." Doc and Plata looked at each other briefly before Plata tapped one of the options. The same question that was written on the text option, already floating around in Kohaku's head, came to the forefront of his thoughts. "Do you know about any enemies we have?" He asked the old man.

Grandpa Prime leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard. "That's a hard one to answer, sonny. I may have some knowledge, but it's not like I know everything." As he went on, a nearby palm tree that Kohaku wasn't looking at was slowly being scaled by a familiar long-armed figure, its head tilting back and forth. "All I do know is there was some kind of big monster that was once beaten by 'em. Don't really know anything specific."

"Dang…" Unseen by Kohaku, the dialogue box appeared again.

"What about sensitivities?" Cleo blurted out after looking over the options.

Prime looked up at the screen, tilting his hat to see clearly. "You askin' like if he suddenly becomes allergic to shellfish?"

Cleo was surprised, again caught off guard by the fact the characters in the game world could hear her, but quickly gave an annoyed pout. "No, old man, more like something giving him headaches."

Prime stroked his beard again for a moment. "Was there a lot of negative emotions around ya?" He asked Kohaku.

"Anger, mainly." Kohaku answered.

"Your Yamanba-like friend there might be onto something. Alphomegas are able to sense when there are evil intentions around, or a massive amount of negative energy. You still being green at this would likely mean those energies would be like hearing nails on a chalkboard constantly." He looked out near the beach. "I think I saw someone walkin' around here. He had a lot of stuff on him. Maybe he can help ya out." The camera on the outside panned back over to the beach, focusing on the long path. A D-Vatar hefting several bags on his back moved to about halfway between the two game spaces, smiling before slamming his bags down to whip up a dust cloud. The sound of banging and clanging was heard before the dust faded to reveal a fully set-up storefront, a completely new space now dividing the path in half.

"Convenient." Plata said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Life's funny like that, little missy." Prime said, giving a wheezing laugh.

"Well, this world hasn't let me down yet. May as well check it out." Kohaku said more to himself. Another dialogue option appeared, with the bottom option being selected. "Thanks for the info!"

"One more thing before ya go, actually to yer friends up there," Prime said, looking right up at the gang IRL. "If you are his Designators, don't get too discouraged about not getting your powers yet. Your strength is based on your bond with him, and manifests in ways that relate to you and how you'll best help him. Bear in mind, it's only when you're ready or needed." He then tipped his hat as Kohaku walked away from his space and seemed to fall asleep on the spot.

"That was nice of him to say," Dizzy complimented.

"For an old man, he's pretty cool." Plata said.

"By the way," Doc said, "I'm impressed you didn't react to him basically calling you a gyaru, Cleo-chan."

Cleo shrugged. "My skin's not that dark. I just think the old man's just losing his eyesight."

In spite of the conversation above him, though it sounded like it was in his ear, Kohaku ignored them, walking down the beach path to the new space set up by the shop. Entering the space caused a screen transition, and Kohaku walked up to a much more properly sized caravan storefront. A D-Vatar character with dark brown hair wearing a purple hat with a feather in it was at the counter, turning around to notice him with bright blue eyes and a sharp smile. "Ah-ha! Greetings, my friend." He said in a pleasant tone. "Welcome to Decadia Caravan. Come to see my wares?"

"Yeah, whaddya got?" Kohaku asked, walking up to the counter.

"I'm always on the hunt for new items to provide. Please, have a look." The shopkeeper gestured to his side, at various items arranged on shelves. Kohaku got closer to get a better look. Outside the game, a cursor highlighted each item he looked at. One was a bottle containing what looked like a fireball, one was a small circular shield, and one was a key that looked to be made out of sand.

Fire Essence (2 Alphcoins): Concentrated flame energy. Used as an ingredient.

Buckler (2 Alphcoins): A small, not very sturdy shield. Prevents knockback in a game when used.

Sand Key (Price Undetermined): A key made of concentrated sand. What does it open?

Questions were racing through Kohaku's mind as he kept scanning the wares. 'An ingredient for what?' was the most common question, almost making him zone out as he kept looking. However, one item caught his eye, being a bright yellow V-shaped object that looked like it could hook onto something.

Alpha Crest (5 Alphcoins): Eyeware equipment. Able to increase Omega resistance.

Something about this object just seemed to pull Kohaku's attention. Just looking at it almost made him feel… calmer. "Oh-ho, seeing something interesting, are ya?" The shopkeeper asked, snapping Kohaku out of his trance.

Kohaku pointed at the Alpha Crest. "I'll take that one."

The shopkeeper looked at the Alpha Crest. "The Alpha Crest, is it? I like a customer who knows what they want…" His face went a bit sour. "…but I should let you know: As it is, it does nothing. It's actually broken." Kohaku sweatdropped. "The other half of it is located elsewhere, meaning you'd have to find it." The shopkeeper then smiled. "That said, I know where it is." He looked at the Sand Key. "That key unlocks a location elsewhere in this world, not far from here. If you are able to obtain the other half of the artifact, its benefits will be yours."

"Of course it's never THAT easy." Dizzy groaned.

"You gonna go for it?" Doc asked.

"That Alpha Crest made me feel a lot calmer. If what Grandpa Prime said is true, maybe it'll help me with those headaches next time." Kohaku replied before addressing the salesman. "How much do you want for the Key?"

The shopkeeper laughed. "My my, so bold. And without an Alphcoin to your name, even." Kohaku heard a small buzzer sound, looking up to see a readout with the image of a bronze coin alongside a big red 0. "But as far as pricing goes… I'll make you a deal." This made Kohaku listen intently. "I'll give you the Key, and in exchange, while searching for the half of the Alpha Crest, you need only bring me any other treasures you find inside. If you do, I'll consider our transaction complete."

"Might want to think about this, Koha-kun." Cleo said. "You don't know if this thing will cure all the issues you felt earlier."

"I don't really have any other idea for how to deal with this." Kohaku replied. "And if this happens again, I really don't want to have to dip into the aspirin." He looked back to the salesman. "I'm gonna give it a shot."

"Excellent!" The salesman said with a clap of his hands. The Sand Key floated off its shelf and levitated toward Kohaku, who held his hands out to catch it. Once he had hold of it, the Key glowed before vanishing, though Kohaku could still feel it was near. On the screen, an inventory window came up, the Sand Key filling in one of the multiple slots displayed. Then, Kohaku felt the floating island began to rumble. The screen faded to black, returning to the overworld and panning down to the alternate path that branched off of World 2-1. The wind began to kick up a small storm on the beach, carrying and swirling sand into the air. The sand gathered together, sticking and piling onto itself as the wind shaped edges and gaps. Eventually the rumbling ceased and the wind died down, and what was once no more than a standard beach now stood a sand castle the rough size of an actual castle (relative to the world's scale, of course), the closed drawbridge facing the edge of the opening path and the back facing the open sky. A mystical sounding tune sounded, much like one would hear when a discovery was made or a puzzle was solved.

Once the rumbling stopped, Kohaku turned and could see the castle from where he was standing. "Wow. That was crazy."

"A world such as this leads one to be curiouser and curiouser, doesn't it?" The shopkeeper asked. "Looks like you already had the path to the castle open as well. I look forward to seeing what you find within!"

Back in the real world, another knock at Dizzy's door got the gang's attention away from the screen. "Ren-Ren, would you and your friends like a snack as long as they're staying?" Before he could answer, his mother, a woman with a long auburn ponytail and Dizzy's orange eyes, walked in with a tray with cookies and water, startling them. "I know I should have waited, but it felt rude not to offer your guests something. It's not often you bring mixed company over." She then looked around and noticed that there was one less head then there should've been. "Eh? Where's that Yudin boy?"

"Oh, he…" Dizzy stammered. "He's in the bathroom."

"Really? I was just in there. I don't think I saw him near the door." Dizzy gulped, sweating bullets and wondering what to even try and say now. The rest of the group didn't look any less afraid. "...Oh well, maybe I just missed him. When a day is busy, sometimes you can't see two feet in front of you." She sat the tray on the table. "I hope he enjoys the snacks I brought." With that, she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Dizzy let out a loud breath of relief, falling back on his bed.

"Lucky," Cleo said under her breath. "How did we dodge that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not questioning it." Dizzy replied motioning for Doc to lock his door before glancing at the Gamepad. "Hey, Koha-kun. Whatever you're gonna do in there, you might wanna make it quick. I don't think I need to explain all of this to my parents."

Kohaku had just arrived at the castle when he heard that. "I'll do what I can; but I have no idea what I'm about to walk into." Looking back at the castle, Kohaku saw a large padlock made out of sand adorning the wooden drawbridge. He took out the Sand Key and held it aloft, the key floating out of his hands and toward the door before jamming itself into the lock and slowly turning. A loud, dull CLICK was heard before both the key and the lock disintegrated into basic sand. Slowly, the drawbridge began to lower before touching the sandy ground, another completion jingle heralding the open path. Taking a small breath, Kohaku walked through the massive castle gate, a black spiraling transition overtaking the screen. It didn't take long for the same transition to play in reverse, now showing the inside of the castle. It looked surprisingly furnished, if deserted and still made entirely out of sand. However, what the gang was seeing didn't include Kohaku at all, only the screen seeming to move through itself. "Okay, I'm inside." Kohaku said despite them not being able to see him. "You guys seeing this?"

"Yeah, we see it, but we don't see you." Cleo told him.

"What do you mean?" Kohaku asked, looking around. As he did, the camera seemed to move.

"Oh, that's what happened. The game went first-person on us." Yoru realized.

"So… now I really know what being a game character feels like." He said, looking down at himself. "I'm not sure I like it anymore."

"Hey, no judgments among friends, amigo." Plata said. "You're still in control. It's more like watching one of Dizzy's streams."

"If you say so." Kohaku replied. "Let me know if I miss anything." As he looked around the great hall, he saw three things: A path open in front of him, a massive cracked shell against the wall to his right, and to his left what looked like a massive pile of driftwood. "Hmm…"

"Heyheyheyhey!" Kukiran was heard shouting before Kohaku turned to see her flying through the castle door, right up to Kohaku's face. "I didn't know you were actually going in here! I looked away for a moment at the shop and next thing I knew you were here!"

"S-sorry, Kukiran," Kohaku said, genuinely feeling bad. "I was just kinda in the zone."

"Something that tends to happen a lot irl too." Plata added to the snickers of the others.

Kukiran flew around Kohaku's head a few times. "It's okay. I shoulda paid more attention. At least you didn't go too far and end up facing an enemy or something."

"So, do you know anything about this place?" Kohaku asked her.

The fairy flew around a bit, getting a look around. "Mmm… Oh yeah! Apparently it's called 'Dune Fortress'." As the camera slowly panned across a few shots of the castle, the name Kukiran mentioned briefly appeared on-screen. "Unfortunately it looks like there's only one way you can go. I can see there's paths on the side, but…" She gestured to the shell and the driftwood. "...doesn't look like you can move these on your own."

Kohaku moved over to the shell. "See anything guys?"

"Guys?" Kukiran asked. "Are they here too? I don't see the screen."

"We can't see a path, but there is some kind of icon on the screen." Yoru said. "Kinda looks like a rock being broken." He tapped it out of curiosity, and it showed a message that he read aloud.

Doesn't look like I'm strong enough to break this. I might need someone with more muscle.

Kohaku gave the shell a few simple whacks with his hand. "Yeah, that sounds accurate to what I was thinking." He looked at the other path and walked up to the driftwood. "What about this one?" The icon that appeared instead showed a flame, which Yoru tapped.

It's too heavy to move, but if I had someone that could burn it, I could get through.

"Burn, huh?" Kohaku said with a smile. "I think I know someone who can help there in due time."

"With any luck, it won't take too long." Kukiran chirped.

"You're tellin' me. But it looks like you were right. Only one way to go from here." Kohaku turned around to head back to the center of the three paths. However, as he walked back, he could see the sand on the floor beginning to ripple. "Eh?" Kohaku then felt his vision flash as apprehension overtook him, instinctively making him take a battle stance. On the screen, the group saw this flash directly lead into a pan of the camera toward the ground, and two large piles of sand shot up, tunnels in the sand for mouths, small depressions with glowing angry eyes, and various tiny rocks dotted throughout them, the tops of their heads looking like the typical small sand castle.

"Monsters?!" Plata cried.

"Don't worry! They're just Phandunes!" Kukiran told them. "Kohaku can handle them!"

"I can?" Kohaku asked.

"Yeah, just use your power!" Kohaku then felt a glow appear in his hand. He opened his palm to reveal that his gold coin had somehow appeared there. He stared at the coin for a minute before clenching his fist around it, and golden light overtook his hand, forming a powerful-looking glove on his hand. The light then spread to his other hand, forming an identical glove. "Now you can punch out those Phandunes no problem!"

Kohaku gave a smirk before tightening his grip on his glove. "It is ON! …So, how do I do this?"

"It's turn-based, looks like." Cleo told him, seeing various commands on-screen.

"Okay… Kinda feels like the last boss battle. Maybe I should just try and attack." As he locked eyes with one of the Phandunes, the screen automatically selected the "Attack" option, targeting the Phandune Kohaku was looking at. Kohaku threw caution to the wind and leapt toward the Phandune. "HAAAH!" He gave it a clean punch right to the face, knocking off over half the health bar that was displayed on the screen, before jumping back to his initial position. From the perspective of others, the screen was locked looking straight at the monsters, and Kohaku briefly appeared on screen to do the attack before disappearing. "Okay, that was actually pretty easy!"

"I think you made 'em mad, though!" Dizzy said. "Looks like it's their turn!" The Phandunes let out hollow noises like wind blowing before one of them spat out a small blast of sand, smacking Kohaku right in the chest, followed by the other one not long after.

"Well, that stung, but nothing I can't handle otherwise." Kohaku said confidently.

"There is a way to make things easier." Kukiran told him. "You know how you made those weird shadows appear when you fought that big dragon?"

"Yeah?"

"You can still do that, y'know. Try it! Maybe if you get that kind of help again, it can make battles easier!"

Kohaku thought for a moment. "Sounds like a plan… but if this is all these sand piles got, I think I can take 'em myself." He mentally selected his "Attack" command again and punched the same Phandune he punched earlier. This time the health bar depleted completely, causing the creature to disintegrate back into the sand. Seeing its friend fall apart, the other Phandune faded away, with the text on-screen saying it fled, and in their place was a flask with some liquid and a small bag. Kohaku walked up and picked up the items.

You got 3 Alphcoins and a Health Potion!

"Hey, those could be handy for ya." Kukiran commented.

"I think I can use this stuff in the shop." Kohaku noted. However, he then caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, turning to find himself face-to-face with a figure fully clad in a hooded robe.

"Do you intend to journey further into this fortress?" The figure asked.

Kohaku took a moment to answer, glancing at Kukiran briefly. Somehow, he got the feeling that asking this figure who they were was probably not going to get him anywhere. "...Yeah. Or at least as far as I can go."

The figure merely gave a slow nod. "Then you should know: It's dangerous to go alone in places like this. Find help as soon as possible. They will give you the best chance possible of braving dungeons like this." Then the figure paused. "I see, however, that your comrades aren't able to help you at this time."

"I thought I could just summon shadows of them like I did before."

"In combat, yes. But know this: They do not possess the abilities that your true allies will ultimately attain." The figure told him. "You will find them before long. And when they have attained their power, there will be more to find… but also, more challenges to overcome." The figure then held out his hand. "Take these in the meantime." In his hand were three featureless doll-like figures, likely made of clay.

You obtained 3 Designation Dolls!

"Using Designation Dolls will allow you to summon allies that cannot presently assist you for the sake of combat assistance." The figure said as Kohaku took them. "However, the power within them is limited. Once you turn them into a shadow, they will only last as long as you remain in the dungeon. When you feel overwhelmed, simply place an item related to an ally into the doll and they will take on their future assets."

"Uh…thanks."

"The path ahead is short, but dangerous for the unprepared," The figure continues. "Use it as a way to understand what awaits you in future explorations; within this fortress specific, and within the world at large." The figure walked past Kohaku, toward the exit of the castle.

"Can you tell me who you are?" Kohaku decided to finally ask as the figure passed.

The hooded figure stopped, not turning around. "If once I had a name, it has become dust. All I have left is knowledge. Knowledge to impart to those I meet. Perhaps I will impart more… should we meet again." He continued walking out past the gate, disappearing completely like an unloaded NPC as he crossed the threshold. Kohaku just stood silently for a moment.

"Well, that was creepy."

"NAH!" Kohaku exclaimed as he suddenly jumped. "Geez, Cleo."

"Sorry. Didn't realize you were that zoned out."

"Not so much zoned as creeped." Kohaku said with a sigh. "Let's just move on." Kohaku turned back to the path ahead. "Any way to tell how far this goes?"

"Doesn't look like there's much of a map out here." Dizzy said.

"Guess I'll just have to charge in." Kohaku said, stretching his legs. "Wish me luck." He turned to the one unblocked path and started on his way.

As Kohaku traveled the path, fighting occasional enemies, the others irl were watching while enjoying the cookies Dizzy's mom left them. "Can I just say how bizarre this is?" Doc asked. "I mean, I'm all for watching my friends play games on a Saturday, but never to the extent of them being IN the game itself."

"I think it's clear by now that nothing about any of this is normal." Yoru replied.

"Hey, if you ask me, it's kinda cool, though." Plata said, mouth partially full of a cookie. "Beats anything they try to do with VR." They saw Kohaku reach a staircase, moving down to a lower floor.

"I feel like my father would still see this as a waste of time," said Cleo, "even if this really does lead to us saving the world in some way."

"Clearly you don't care THAT much about what he thinks if you're still here." Plata said.

Cleo paused for a moment. "Honestly… I probably wouldn't be into gaming if I didn't take the time to get to know you guys. Which I thought I blew after my 'marriage certificate' trick."

"Yeah, I heard about that little stunt." Dizzy said. "What was with that, anyway?"

"Not actually my idea." Cleo said with a sigh. "I practically got dared into doing it by someone who wanted to scare the hell out of Koha-kun. I don't even like him that way. In a way, I'm glad he called my bluff or I wouldn't be hanging with you guys right now."

"I'm kinda glad we're hanging out now too, Cleo." Plata said. "I honestly thought you were kind of the stuck-up Ojou-sama type at first."

"Making you my frumpy tomboy foil, Plata?" Cleo jokingly asked. Plata found herself involuntarily snorting as she started laughing, making Cleo laugh as well.

As the two were joking it up, Kohaku punched out another Phandune, picking up the coins left behind. At that moment, a treasure chest appeared ahead of him with a chime. "Treasure!" He said, walking over and opening up the chest, holding up a familiar glowing white card.

You found a Vision Card! Show it to Zolton to reveal its fortune.

"Huh. Hey guys, I found another tarot card!" It was then he could hear the girls laughing. "Guys? What's going on out there?"

He heard Plata sigh on the outside. "Sorry, Koha-kun. Just having fun talk while you're looking around in there."

"Gee, thanks. Now I have FOMO." Kohaku joked. He pocketed the card and continued on down the path, most of the area just flat walls. In fact, he didn't even encounter any other monsters as he came to yet another staircase downward, moving down to B2F. The staircase opened up to a large, more open room with only two entrances counting the one he was about to walk through. "Something tells me I'm about to reach the end of this route."

"You think?" Doc asked.

"Yeah, this totally looks like a mini-boss room." Kohaku slowly walked through the doorway into the room. "And now that I'm in here, that door is about to seal right about… now." He pointed at the door just as bars made of sticks and seashells sprouted from the sand to block the doorway. "Gotta love the classic tropes." At that point, the room started to shake and quake violently. Then, a loud BANG was followed by the far wall being completely destroyed, large crustacean legs stomping through the dust. A large black cannon gleamed, carried by the claw of a large blue crab. Said crab stared Kohaku down with its single eye, its right eye stalk missing, before it adjusted a black tri-corner hat on its head to cover where that eye would normally be and slammed the ground with its free, abnormally hooked claw. An alarm sounded from the Gamepad screen.

"WARNING! WARNING!"

Crustacean Corsair
Captain Crabalock

Kohaku gulped as he stared down this giant pirate crab. "Okay… now might be a good time for those dolls." He said, pulling out the Designation Dolls. "Place an item related to an ally into them? What did he mean by that?" He took one in particular and started moving it around to look for anything notable. Thankfully, the back of one doll had an element he noticed: A coin slot. "That's one question answered, but which coins should I use?" He pulled out the little box that contained the Silver Coins and started looking them over. As he looked across the coins, most of them had text boxes that didn't much more than a bunch of ellipses. Eventually he came across one that actually said more:

Omega: …I'll sedate the fiercest enemies…

Kohaku looked back at Captain Crabalock, seeing its cannon-holding claw twitch. "...I could use something to take the pressure off." He went to pick the Omega coin up, but it merely sparkled and floated out of the book on its own. The doll he was holding gained a similar sparkle and floated so the coin was in front of it, followed by the other two dolls hovering next to the first one.

"It says 'Choose 2 more.' out here." Dizzy said.

"Ok, uh…" Kohaku scanned over the coins again, breezing over the text boxes he could see until finally seeing some words.

Chi: …I've the strength of the mightiest dragons…

"That could be handy for the shell," Kohaku decided, as the Chi coin floated up to a doll. "Now, one more." Another scan of the coins led to him to another box with some actual info.

Tau: …When your body pains, I will mend you…

"A healer. That thing looks strong enough for me to need one." Kohaku chose the Tau coin, making it float up to the last doll. As Kohaku put the box away, all three coins inserted themselves into the slots on the back, causing the shines around them to intensify, but their bodies turned entirely black. The dolls floated to Kohaku's sides as he readied his gloves, growing and changing in form.

One gained the Chi symbol on its chest, taking on a feminine body form, and gaining long, sharp claws and bat-like wings. Another gained the Tau symbol, growing a thin yet masculine form, wearing a long coat and holding a staff. The last one gained the Omega symbol, growing another masculine form that stood slightly hunched, appearing to wear a cloak that stopped around the knees and lacking a hood. White lines drew the shape of the black ribbon-shaped mask across their shadowed faces, solidifying into those masks as they animated fully. "We're here to help!" They all cried with heavily distorted voices.

Kohaku narrowed his eyes, a building instinct starting to take over. The gold gleam of his own coin appeared on his chest before he pumped both fists, spreading that glow across his body until his outfit had been replaced by the same hero outfit he had changed to during the Duel with Atmos, green jacket and white scarf blowing from the surge of power. He placed two fingers parallel to his face and slowly moved them across his eyes, gold energy creating the outline of the same mask, before the mask fully materialized with a flick of his wrist. "Alpha Force, time to fight!"

"Roger!" All three shadows cried.

Dizzy's jaw dropped in awe. "Ok, that was epic!"

"Right?" Doc added. "Wonder what you'll do the next time you henshin!"

Plata was gonna say something, but stopped when she noticed something. "Cleo? You ok?"

"Huh?"

"You were zoned out. Esta bien?"

"Uh… yeah… it's just… something about that winged one. It feels… nostalgic."

"Not much I can do except just go in!" Kohaku said, jumping forward and delivering a clean punch right near the eye stalk. As Kohaku returned to his place, he looked at the shadows, wondering what they would do. However, none of the made any effort to move. The crab gave a gurgled roar before slamming its hooked claw on the ground to create a shockwave. The wave was angled in such a way that it only hit Kohaku and the cloaked shadow to his right, but it still nearly made them lose their footing, the shadow only doing enough to not fall over. "Why aren't they moving?"

"The dolls have no will of their own!" Declared a voice behind Kohaku. Kohaku turned, seeing the hooded figure behind him again. "They will only act on your command! Learn their power to emerge victorious!"

"Least I'm not on a clock, I don't think." Kohaku muttered to himself. He then started to look at the dolls beside them, hoping to see a move list of some kind from each. Luckily, he did, all listed top to bottom with small icons next to them. "Okay, let's see…" One by one, he picked moves that he thought would be helpful on each of his party members, before finally getting around to mentally picking his own move. "Let's go!' He jumped in, smacking Crabalock once again, doing the same somewhat low amount of damage.

The doll with the staff twirled said staff, gathering white energy in the end. As he did so, Doc felt himself staring intently at him, the light feeling… calming even out in the real world. "Feel the power of light!" He pointed the staff forward, firing off a blast of light that struck Crabalock, the energy going through the shell and doing much more damage.

The attack being over caused Doc to snap out of it, registering the damage. "That was effective! I think it's weak to magic!"

The cloaked shadow placed its fingers to its temples and closed its eyes. "Rest, raging beast…" The fingers glowed a lavender color as odd rainbow-colored bubbles started to form around Crabalock.

Yoru was pretty sure his narcolepsy was about to kick in, as just staring at these bubbles gave him a dreary feeling, as they did Crabalock, but then the crab shook its head and swiped the bubbles away, Yoru jolting awake at the same time. "Was that an attempt at a status effect?"

"Yeah, the move said it could put enemies to sleep!" Kohaku replied. "Guess this thing has some resistance to it, though!"

A growl came from the winged shadow, holding up her claws. "Time to crack that shell!" She jumped and used her wings to gain more height, energy gathering around her hand to create an illusion of a large dragon claw, before she dropped down and slammed the giant claw into Crabalock's back. The giant crab hissed from the impact, light blue cracks briefly forming on its shell.

Captain Crabalock's Defense fell!

"Okay, I think it's safe to say you three are definitely Designators," Plata said, pointing to Doc, Yoru, and Cleo, making them look at her in confusion. "All three of you mouthed the words that those dolls said, and there were no text boxes."

"Don't discount yourself, Plata-chan." Dizzy remarked. "After all, one riddle does supposedly relate to you."

"Yeah," Plata said, growing worried. "Don't remind me."

Cleo gave Yoru a slight nudge. "And you were worried you'd be left out." Yoru sweatdropped with a small smile.

Crabalock made a noise that sounded like an angry growl before pointing his cannon at the group. A fuse on the back end sparked, slowly burning away. "Looks like it's getting ready to blast us!" Kohaku realized, looking through his party's movesets again. "Man, I hope this works this time!"

"Try to set up a barrier if you can, Koha-kun!" Doc shouted.

Taking the advice, Kohaku scoured the movesets after deciding to try the sleep attack again. "Barrier, barrier…" Kohaku groaned as he looked through the movesets. Eventually he managed to find one in the healer's moveset. "Okay, let's try this." He selected it as well as another attack for the winged shadow. He then came back to his own move commands, and it was then he realized he had more moves at his disposal than he realized. "...Can I really do most of this?" After looking over at the boss, he eventually made a choice, selecting an attack with a lightning icon. Kohaku and the shadows got into battle position, and Kohaku held up his right hand and grabbed the wrist with his left. His glove started to crackle with electricity until an orb of lightning was forming, hovering above his hand. "Haaaaaah… Thunder Bomb!" He threw the orb at the giant crab with a lobbing trajectory, the orb exploding on contact and sending electricity throughout its body.

"Super effective damage!" Dizzy chirped.

The healer shadow twirled his staff. "If this hits, I'll blunt the blow. Light Field!" Holding the staff high, light beamed off it before covering the whole party in spheres of light, albeit briefly, icons indicating their Defense had all gone up as a result.

The cloaked doll once more created the bubbles. "Let's try again. Sleep!" It thrusted its hand out to launch the bubbles at the crab. Crabalock was too focused on aiming its cannon that it didn't see the bubbles until they were already popping in its face, spreading a strange mist around it that made its remaining eye feel heavy. Eventually it found itself drifting off before finally plopping down between its legs, a low snoring being heard from it.

"Yosh! The status worked!" Yoru cried.

"I've got this opening!" The winged shadow said, energy gathering behind her to create the image of a large dragonic tail. "Tail Rip!" She quickly spun around, causing the tail to lash across the giant crab's sleeping form. The impact caused the crab to drop its cannon with a loud THUD, also causing it to snap awake and look around.

"Now that was some major damage!" Plata cheered. "One more hit should do it!" Crabalock, however, realized it had dropped its cannon and vented steam from its head. Training its eye on the winged shadow, Crabalock rose its hooked claw and swung, slashing the winged shadow across the torso hard, a loud cracking noise heard as the damage inflicted.

"Critical hit!" Kohaku realized, watching Crabalock pick its cannon back up. "If his health is low, then let's try and finish this here!" He set the healer to heal the winged shadow, decided the rest of their moves, then selected Thunder Bomb yet again, gathering electricity within his hand yet again. However, Crabalock adjusted his legs and lowered his body a bit. "You're done!" Kohaku chucked the Thunder Bomb toward him, but as he did, Crabalock scuttled much faster than a crab his size probably should've, clearing just enough distance to be firmly out of the explosion's range. "Dang it!"

"That wound is nothing." The healer said to the winged shadow. "First Aid!" He pointed the staff at her, green energy gathering to her and causing much of the damage she took to be healed. Cleo instinctually took a deep breath as she ended up feeling a pleasant tingle run through her.

"Oi, Koha-kun!" Dizzy called. "A prompt just showed on the screen. It says 'Power Pass.'"

"Power Pass, huh?" Kohaku wondered. "Meaning what?"

"Says if you pass the next attack to another character, they combine power to double the strength."

Kohaku looked between the two shadows for a moment, noting that the winged shadow always seemed to go last. "...Alright then. Time for a combo!" The "Power Pass" option was selected by itself with a flash.

"Realize your dream." The cloaked shadow said, creating a rainbow bubble and making it float to the dragoness. "Let it become your power!"

The dragonic shadow reached out and closed her hand over the bubble, spreading rainbow energy across her body upon it popping. "I see our victory… and I will TAKE it!" The figure took a deep breath before unleashing a massive blast of flame from her mouth, the fire taking the form of a roaring dragon's head. The head of flame bore down on Crabalock before biting down hard, sending the fire flying throughout its body, practically cooking the crab. The heat from the fire caused the cannon to start glowing red before finally, the weapon violently exploded with the critical hit sound, giving off enough force to knock the boss over onto its back. Crabalock flailed for a moment, trying to right its posture, but the pain and the heat slowly drained its ability to move, and before long it merely curled up its claws and legs. A triumphant piece of music began to play as its body turned fully black, eventually exploding in a puff of green and black smoke, sending a sparkling object into the air, which bounced a few times before hovering above the ground in a slow spin.

Kohaku couldn't help but laugh. "Boss Clear!"

After that declaration, Kohaku reverted back to normal, but the dolls kept their appearances. "That was actually really awesome, man." Dizzy said. "I actually wish I was in there right now."

"Maybe next time, man." Kohaku responded, walking up to the object released from the boss, noticing that it looked almost identical to the Alpha Crest in the shop. As he took hold of it, he did a quick spin before holding the item aloft in a "Get Item" pose.

You got a piece of the Alpha Crest! There's one more part to it. Get them both to resist Omega Energy!

Kohaku pocketed the Alpha Crest piece, hearing the gate behind him lifting, but then he noticed the gate ahead of him opening too. Then, two glowing circles, each with the Alphomega symbol, formed on the ground, rings of light raising up before vanishing to reveal two treasure chests in the circles' place. "He-hey, more battle rewards!" He ran up to one treasure chest and started to unlatch it, opening the lid to reveal the glow within. A small jingle built to a crescendo as Kohaku rummaged around inside the chest, eventually pulling out and holding up a gleaming, ship-shaped figure.

You obtained the Treasure Ship Figure! It doesn't do anything, but someone might find it valuable!

Kohaku looked over the trinket he had found. "This looks pretty cool. I'm pretty sure the shopkeep would trade the Alpha Crest for this." He put the ship away, making it appear in his inventory, before moving over to the other chest, repeating the same process (complete with the same crescendo). This time the item he held up looked like a small spyglass, one that looked almost like a rustic D-Gazer.

You got a Clarity Glass! Use this to see through anything that makes it hard to see something. Use it wisely before it breaks!

"Wonder what this will do?" Kohaku asked himself.

"You'll see in due time," said a voice, as the cloaked figure appeared again. "For now, I suggest you save the rest of this for when you have actual allies to assist you."

"You're good at sneaking up on me, buddy." Kohaku replied. "But for some reason, I don't think you're lying. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a blockade down there I can't break."

The figure nods. "That is one reason. The lower you go, the harder your foes will be. The Designation Dolls may able to aid you, but they will never get stronger. Only when you have real allies will you be able to brave the deepest of not just this dungeon, but all dungeons." The figure waved his hand to create a small pillar of light next to him. "This will return you to the foyer, and one there will return you here. Go now, and return when you think you're ready."

Kohaku nodded. "Right. Arigatou."

"One more piece of advice." The hooded figure said. "There is one ally you possess that can aid in dungeon progression… but that dungeon is not here. When you feel prepared, the ruins of the castle plains hold your destination." He turned and started walking toward one of the exits. "Farewell, Fifteen. Until we meet again."

"Wait, how do you know so much?"

"When nobody hunts for knowledge… knowledge is a secret to everybody." With that, the hooded figure disappeared beyond a wall, and Kohaku quickly realized he could no longer hear his footsteps.

Kohaku just stared at where he had gone for a while before sighing. "Some things can't be straightforward." Shrugging, Kohaku stepped into the glowing pillar of light, turning to face the shadows of his allies. All three of them reverted back to the form of Designation Dolls because floating back into his inventory. Closing his eyes, Kohaku tried to imagine the first room he came to when entering the castle, which on the screen looked like the game auto-selecting "foyer" when asking "where would you like to go?" The pillar's glow brightened, making the screen white for a moment before Kohaku found himself returned to the main hall.

"Well, that was fun." Kukiran said.

"Yeah… and a bit exhausting." Kohaku said, letting out a breath before checking his inventory. "I got a new fortune card, the shopkeep would want this treasure… but I think I've been in the game world long enough for one session."

"Well, don't worry about losing everything. Your regular D-Vatar can hold on to it for you." Kukiran explained. "We can take care of business tomorrow or later if you like."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get out of here." Kohaku said, trying to picture the "Exit" button. However, he found it difficult to actually picture it for some reason.

"You… may have to leave the dungeon. I don't know if you can just jump out if you're not in the overworld." Kukiran told him.

"Okay… that makes sense, I guess." Kohaku started walking through the gateway, the spiraling transition making the screen go black.

Another transition brought Kohaku back to the overworld, a small white flag now blowing atop the Dune Fortress. However, Kohaku noticed on 2-1's space that there was something looking at the fortress: A strange creature, probably a head shorter than him, looking mostly humanoid but almost entirely colored magenta, blue lines resembling scars on its torso, clawed olive green feet that looked more like boots, and bright, wild red hair going down its back. If it even had a gender, there was nothing that gave it away. The creature didn't even seem to have actual arms attached to shoulders; what Kohaku initially thought were long pink arms with white gloves on the ends actually wrapped around its neck like scarves. As for the face, there wasn't much of one either: It was little more than a black, wooden, diamond-shaped mask that covered all where the face would be, slathered with various lines and patterns in mismatched bright colors that somewhat resembled sharp teeth, four spikes across the top two sides and one solitary spike on the bottom corner. The only actual facial elements of the whole object were two large, perfectly round, staring pink eyes with sickly green scleras. The creature stared at the castle intently, tilting its head back and forth while making a wooden clicking noise. Then it made eye-to-mask contact with Kohaku, and it suddenly became much more animated. "YIPE!" Practically scrambling on all fours with its long "arms", the creature ran as far as it could across the sky islands, ignoring the game paths completely before disappearing into a patch of clouds.

"What the heck was that thing?" Kohaku wondered.

"Don't know. Never seen it before." Kukiran said. "It didn't seem to like the sight of you, though. I'd be careful in case it shows up again."

"Duly noted." Kohaku said as he pictured the exit button again, this time seeing it. With a press of the button, Kohaku morphed into light and shot up toward the screen, his friends quickly backing up as he flew out and reformed in a nearby chair.

"Seeing that is gonna take some getting used to," Dizzy commented.

"I think I said that like 5 times as I was processing it." Kohaku replied with a light laugh.

"Well, I don't know if you heard or paid attention to us," Cleo said, "but i think it's safe to say Dizzy isn't the only one of us who's a Designator."

"Yeah, I heard all that in there." Kohaku said. He opened his hand and revealed a small orb of light, which formed into the glowing tarot card he found. "And I bet with this, I'm gonna see which one of you guys might be next to gain power."

At that point, there was another knock at Dizzy's door. "Ren, I hate to be that parent," his dad's voice said, "but we don't have the space and supplies for this many guests for dinner. Might want to wrap it up so they can make the trains they need."

Dizzy looked over at his nightstand, seeing the clock reading nearly 5 PM. "Dang, that took longer than I thought. Sorry guys, looks like this is break for the night."

"Aw man! And tonight was just getting fun, too!" Said a high-pitched, whiny voice Dizzy never heard before.

"Eh?" Dizzy wondered, looking around. "I know that wasn't any of you guys."

Plata rose an eyebrow. "I didn't hear anything."

"Me neither." Yoru added, looking around.

"Whaddya mean you can't hear me?"

Kohaku then yelped. "Dizzy-kun! Behind you!"

Dizzy whipped around and was suddenly face to full body with what he immediately recognized as a chibified yet transparent version of his Crimson Cycloner card character. "There ya go, follow the voice!"

"P... Partner?" Dizzy sputtered. "How the-"

"Don't really know." Cycloner replied, moving into his usual seated position. "One minute I'm a normal card, then you pick up that sword and turn me into a knight, now I'm like this!"

"Uh… Dizzy? Who are you talking to?" Doc asked, concerned.

"You can't see him?" Kohaku asked. The entire group sans Dizzy shook their heads.

"Eh, they'll probably figure out how at some point." Cycloner said, doing a mid-air backflip. "But if showtime's over, I can wait for more action." He floated up to Kohaku. "Just make sure you bring me and Partner along, you hear?"

"Uh… sure, I probably would've anyway." Kohaku replied, still a bit surprised he was talking to a card.

"Great!" Cycloner said before floating back to Dizzy. "Try not to sleep thinking this was all a dream now! Catch ya later!" The transparent imp then vanished before Kohaku and Dizzy's eyes.

Dizzy was still for a moment, falling back onto his bed. "How many systems we gotta learn here?"

"...As many as it throws at us, probably." Kohaku replied, looking at the glowing tarot card, wondering just what it would tell him.

---

*15 second intro*

We're rolling deep into your underground crib
Thought I sent a prior notice card for you
We wanna make this party you don't want to skip
Gonna be a show to remember

Take Over, it's time to boogie down
Make Over, nothing's gonna be the way you might like
(It) was over when you started with us
You should've thought twice, walked on thin ice
Hey, Game's Over

Take Over, it's time to boogie down
Make Over, nothing's gonna be the way you might like
(It) was over when you started with us
You should've thought twice, walked on thin ice
Hey, Game's Over

(Hey, it's time to boogie down!
Hey, it's time to boogie down!)

---

*Preview*

Kohaku: So the next fortune... It leads to Doc-kun?

Doc: Hey, hey, calm down, it's gonna be alright!

?: B-But my dad... I c-can't calm down!

?: There's nothing you can do to help him.

Doc: I won't give up this task. I won't leave someone just sitting there in need!

Kohaku: Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART: "Healer Joins The Party - Anxiety Attack"! It is ON!

---

Author-Made Cards

Berserk Battler - Llhava the Zealous
Level 6 LIGHT Fairy
ATK:2300/DEF:2000
This Attack Position card cannot be destroyed by battle. If you take damage from battles involving an Attack Position "Berserk Battler" monster, place 1 Rage Counter on this card (max. 5). If this card is sent to the GY while it has a Rage Counter(s): You can activate this effect; Special Summon this card from your GY, then all monsters your opponent controls lose 300 ATK for each Rage Counter this card had while it was on the field.

Spinbore Mole
Level 5 WIND Beast
ATK:2100/DEF:200
At the start of the Damage Step during a turn when a card you control was sent to the Graveyard, if this card battles a monster: Destroy that monster.

Spinbore Worm
Level 1 WIND Insect
ATK:600/DEF:500
Effects Currently Unknown

Crimson Cycloner
Level 8 WIND Fiend
ATK:2900/DEF:1000
Must first be Normal Summoned. This card cannot activate its effects unless both players control at least 2 cards (except this card). Once per turn: You can activate the following effects, but they must be activated in this order, and must all be activated at once.
* Destroy 1 card on each side of the field.
* Return 1 card on each side of the field to its owner's hand.
* Discard 1 card from both players' hands.
* Add 1 random card from each player's Graveyards to their hands.

Counter Converter
Normal Spell Card
Target 2 cards you control, 1 with counters on it and 1 that mentions a counter; remove any number of counters from the first target, then place an equal number of counters mentioned on the second target on the second target.

Seize the Wind
Normal Spell Card
Banish 1 WIND monster from your GY; excavate cards from the top of your Deck equal to the banished monster's Level/Rank/Quality, add 1 excavated monster, Spell, and Trap to your hand, place the rest on the bottom of your Deck in any order. During the End Phase, if you did not Summon, activate, or Set a card with the same name as the added cards, banish all cards you control. You can only activate 1 "Seize the Wind" per turn.

Swept Away
Counter Trap Card
If a WIND monster you control is attacked: Shuffle that card into the Deck, then end the Battle Phase.

Last Breath
Normal Trap Card
If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters: You can banish this card; you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck the turn you activate this effect, also Special Summon WIND monsters from your Deck whose total Levels equal the total Levels of all monsters your opponent controls, but their effects are negated.

---

Vile: Taste that fresh in-universe gameplay, folks. Figuring out this part of the Silver Game Card took me infinitely longer to figure out than I thought it would've... much like most of GSTART. Yeah, I'll be honest, much of my drought of updates has been the result of not even knowing what I wanted out of GSTART for the first 8 years of its life. The rest is just inattentiveness, laziness or writer's block. But I still make sure that when I DO post, it's always something I'd want to read. If you guys liked these chapters, feel free to leave a review, and I'll see y'all next time I have something to share. Ja ne for now.

Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.