Duel Terminal

by 7th Librarian

Bellerophon may have gotten a new lease on life with a new body, but that won't stop old enemies from trying to kill him. Chrysaor, former adopted son of Maximillian Pegasus, is out for Lero's blood. As the Darkborn gather, the war between Signer Kings spills into a new arena, the beautiful, corrupted world of Duel Monsters Spirits. Live or die, the only choice is to fight!

10. Burst Synchro! The Evolution of Fate!

Duel Terminal
By 7th Librarian

A/N: As a reminder, please make sure you've set Alerts to 'On' in your FF dot net profile in order to ensure you receive updates for my stories in a timely manner!

Also, like all of the best stuff in this chapter comes from darling waifu, Mei1105, so if you find anything in it that you like, she wrote it, not me! Love you, darling!

Chapter 9: Burst Synchro! The Evolution of Fate!

"See, Verthy, that wasn't so bad."

Sprawled on the mountain, heaving for breath and face as pink as her hair, Verthy just sucked in air and glowered at him.

"It wasn't an entire mountain climb," Lero said sheepishly. "It was only half the mountain…?"

She wanted badly to tell him all the ways he was wrong. But a lady did not complain, and especially not a lady who had been warned already that they would be doing exactly this kind of strenuous activity. It set a dangerous precedent to let the man think he could be right, after all. So she settled for shaking her hair out of her sweaty face and trying to compose herself.

"It was worse when I came originally," Lero said in hopes of consoling her. "You had to actually climb the mountain with all the gear - rigging, picks, pitons, rope, you name it. Now that my Master is still in a wheelchair, they put in that switchback trail."

"That trail reached only halfway." Verthy said, sitting up and staring at her hands. Her fingers ached, her skin was red and raw and it wasn't for the biting cold of the mountain air making them sting something fierce, she was sure they were numb with frostbite. "Why did we not wear gloves!?"

"Your fingertips are actually a lot better at grabbing small ledges and spaces than gloves could ever be," Lero said by way of explanation. "Besides, it wasn't that hard so long as you didn't look down. And we had the anchors and were roped together."

Verthy just huffed again and gingerly got to her feet. The Cyber Style Dojo was a standard Japanese temple, though how someone had managed to drag all the building materials up a mountainside to build it was beyond her. Two tiered slate-tiled roof, pillared walls and more. With the faint sheet of frost coating the faded yellow of the structure, it almost looked quaint and adorable. To her relief, she saw that their bags - she had fit all of her necessities into one large duffel but only on gambling that the dojo had a washing machine - and quickly strode for them (A lady did not moan in relief and sprint in desperation, after all) before digging into hers. Pulling out the First Aid Kit, she began to rub some of the pain relief cream over her fingers.

Lero wasn't nearly as classy, sighing openly in relief as he pulled out his own kit and did the same. His hands weren't nearly as damaged as Verthy's from the climb, but he had been in the lead and had to help drag her here and there, so she imagined the ache on his body was harder. "The first time I made that climb, I did so out of sheer spite and anger. I was so pissed at being left here and being told I was 'too soft' to do it by my Master. By the time I got up here, my hands were bloody and my pants had no knees."

"Ah, that infamous temper that your Father sent you here to fix." Verthy said, flexing her fingers to ensure the Band-Aids she was putting on stayed on. "Speaking of which, where is your Master? Or anyone else? I thought you told them we were coming."

"Probably inside, where it's warm." Lero said with a shrug and shouldered his bag. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."

Picking up her bag (and only slightly staggering under its weight), Verthy followed him into the dojo. The big double doors slid open at the slightest touch and she was grateful because it was indeed quite warm in the dojo. There were four massive braziers in the corners, blazing away enough to light up the entire front room. It was a pillared room with a center aisle lined with statues. The ones near the door were Cyber Dragon Herz and Core, then it progressed up the various incarnations of the monster like Cyber Dragon, Cyber Barrier Dragon and more until the final trio was a pair of Cyber Twin Dragons guarding a life-size version of Cyber End Dragon that loomed so large and realistically that Verthy had to check to make sure it was stone rather than metal. "How amazing…!"

"Yeah, Master said that each successive Master carves one to add as tradition or something." Lero agreed as he stepped up alongside her, chuckling a bit. "Though they're really not as impressive once you've been made to clean them top to bottom as training and punishment."

"And how many times did you have to do that?" She asked teasingly.

"Enough that I gave them all names. The Cyber Dragon Herz near the door is Snorky. And the old Cyber End here is Sir Gravitas." Lero said dryly, a smile growing as Verthy giggled. "You laugh, but when you're eight, swearing gets you in trouble and bored out of your mind, you do what you must to keep yourself entertained."

"Very true. I spent a lot of time dressing up my mannequins and setting them up so I could hold The Royal Court of Verthandi the Awesome when Papa was busy with work. My crown was so big I just wore it as a necklace." Verthy said and looked around. "No one is here, though…"

"They'll come to us." Lero assured her, seating himself against the base of the Cyber End Dragon statue. Verthy did the same, though with a bit more care. "Gives us a moment to catch our breath."

"Or allow for dramatic effect," Verthy muttered, pacing around the Cyber Twin Dragons with a musing look. "You know, you've never mentioned anything about your training here, Lero. Beyond it being rather physically strenuous, you've not hinted at it at all. Just what am I to expect here?"

"Looking to prepare yourself?"

"More like preparing my tombstone inscription depending on how I die here." Verthy said wryly, holding up her bandaged hands. Lero chuckled and she nudged him with her leg. "Now, now. It's not polite to not answer a lady's question."

"Don't worry, Verthy. You're going to experience it firsthand; that mountain climb was the easy part." Lero assured and laughed as she groaned in frustration. "Isn't that right, Master?"

"You've gotten better at spatial awareness, Bellerophon. At least you can now feel an old man in a wheelchair coming up to you; next we'll work on someone with a walker. The pinnacle of my students." The man's voice was rough and sardonic and firmly walking that line between familial sarcasm and outright insult. Seated in an electric wheelchair, he still managed to cut a dashing, lean figure. If it wasn't for the slight graying hair at his temples, he would have looked like Lero and Verthy's age. "And you even brought a friend. Was making one so momentous an occasion you just had to share?"

Lero groaned and rubbed the back of his head as Verthy gave him a raised eyebrow. "I know I was a right little bastard student, Master, but you don't have to be so mean about it."

"Sucks to be you, Bellerophon. Especially lately." The man noted as he eyed Lero up and down with a critical eye. "That mess with the Bride Tournament and you couldn't even pick up your deck to defend yourself. Then there's your new body - you're missing some of the old scars." The man said before Lero and Verthy could do more than open their mouths in amazement. "And now there's the feel of magic around you, too - I suppose some greater power took pity on you and handed you an insurmountable 'destiny'. I question their sanity."

Verthy just gawked while Lero sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Master, this is Verthandi Hannah Von Schroeder. Verthy, this man with no filter and uncanny eyes is the current Vice-Master of the Cyber-Style Dojo, Zane Truesdale."

"Filters are for people who have no courage in their strength to defend their words." Zane said flatly. "Now why have you brought this richman's daughter to me, little chick? I can already tell she's not here to learn the Cyber-Style; she hasn't the temperament to master it."

"She's here for moral support against your blistering tongue, Master." Lero retorted. "And she's part of the 'destiny' I got."

Zane regarded them for a long moment, then turned his chair around and began to roll away. "If you're going to try and bed a woman here, Bellerophon, I had hoped ten years would have made you smarter. Didn't think you'd take a step backwards instead."

Lero spluttered and Verthy had to cover her mouth to stifle her rather impolite giggles.

"If you want a room, follow me, otherwise you can sleep under the statue!"

TTTTTT

Kaede hadn't really spoken to Chloe in the month the Irish woman had moved into their lives. There had been that brief moment of talking to Chloe as a soul while Lero's soul was being bound to his new body, but that had been the equivalent of talking to someone while waiting at the bus stop. Hardly an informative encounter and given Chloe had been basically a guest/prisoner under Sumire's watchful eye until this trip to Europe, the chance for meeting one-on-one was limited.

So it was rather curious that when she had inquired to where she was, she had been directed to the pool because she knew the Duel Priestess was paler than her (which was saying something since she spent roughly twenty three hours of every day indoors illuminated only by a computer screen), and avoided sunbathing less she turn into a boiled lobster. Nonetheless, she found her at the poolside, under a giant parasol with a green cover up hiding her limbs from the deadly deadly sunlight. The occupant of the sunchair next to her was more familiar to Kaede.

"Uh - hey, cuz." Kaede said blankly as Jessie waved languidly, an actual smile on the blonde's face. Something that had been rare over the last day since the European Championship. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just shooting the breeze with Chloe." Sipping a glass of sparkling water, Jessie leaned back and pointed a small handheld electric fan at her face with the other hand. "Not that I don't love our shit-talking sessions, Kae, but sometimes it's good to get opinions from an outsider." She patted the chair on her other side. "But now you're here, I can go back to my normal post-break-up bitching, if you like."

It seemed that Jessie was taking all the stages of grief in no particular order, for she had gone from sobbing straight to fury already, and skipped over denial entirely. Kaede could not help but smile fondly as she sat down next to her, and obligingly smiled as her cousin took a selfie of all three of them. She's going to be just fine. She knows she did the right thing, and once the pain goes away, she'll have bounced right back. Truthfully, she had been deeply touched by Jessie's loyalty during the fight. Her cousin was a special woman, and whoever got her heart next would be lucky.

"Have you heard from Lero or Verthy?" Chloe asked, scooping her dark hair off her neck into a loose bun - the back of her neck was already sweating despite the shade.

"Nope," Kaede shook her head. "But I'm not surprised. There's no cellphone or internet up there apparently. Even Sumire hasn't been able to keep tabs on them with technology - she's had to pay the mountain villager who takes the supplies up there once a week to provide her with an update."

"...does Lero know his wife is spying on him and his new girlfriend?" Jessie asked, a grin spreading across her face. She cackled as Kaede shook her head. "Oooh please let me be there when she tells him!"

"Pretty sure he knows." Chloe said as she stirred her lemonade. Seeing Jessie pout at her, she elaborated. "He's been a Pegasus for over fifteen years and was one of the most important people on the planet before his seekrit surprise waifus ambushed him. Now, though, I wouldn't be surprised if Sumire had him chipped. Or Dark Virtue has a whole satellite keeping an eye on him."

"Well, that ruins my fun," Jessie sulked and took a drink of water to console herself. "Why don't I get a satellite?"

"Because your boobs can be seen from outer space, cuz," Kaede put in dryly, yelping as Jessie flicked an ice cube at her.

"You're just jealous that I'm fabulous!"

"The only thing I'm jealous about is that you got an invite to World Masters next year." Kaede said, irritability blowing one of her bangs out of her face. "And guess who can't because I2 is her employer!"

"I thought the whole point of being an Eliminator was to explore Duel Monsters as an enjoyable pastime without your father's name casting a shadow over you?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, but I still want to do big things on my own and kicking my cousin's butt is one of them." Kaede said wryly, dodging as Jessie flicked another ice cube at her. Her smile was a bit false, though. Big Duel Monsters dreams were big heaps of effort and there wasn't any room for anything else alongside them; it was a lifetime commitment.

Chloe's green eyes flicked over her and she swore the other woman was boring into her soul. "Hey, Jessie?"

"Yo?"

"If you're going to get another drink, could you be a dear and get the factor fifty from the bathroom?" Chloe tugged at her cover up and began to waft a breeze down the neck with the fabric. "I'm worried about my legs."

Kaede felt her eyebrows arch, as Jessie glanced down at Chloe's white pins. "...yeah, it is a little like sunbathing next to Dracula…" Stretching, she grabbed her half-drunk water glass and got to her feet. "Be right back."

Once she was out of earshot, Chloe sat up properly and fixed Kaede with a politely curious expression. "So. You've got something on your mind about this whole Signer thing?"

"...yeah." Kaede nodded. She shifted a bit, as if trying to jostle loose the sudden heavy weight pressing at her back. She wasn't sure if it was because of what she was about to do or because she was keeping secrets from her cousin like this. "Chloe, is it possible to give back our dragons?"

"You want to remove yourself from the Signer candidacy entirely?" Chloe asked. When Kaede nodded, she drummed her fingers against the metal frame of her lounge chair. "There is a way to do that, yes. But in better circumstances, the pool would be larger. Right now, there literally are only the six of us at the moment and there is a lot at stake."

"Yeah, I know." Kaede said soberly. "I just - Chloe -" Words dried up on her tongue.

"It's okay. I won't question you about why. It's not an easy thing, to be handed the duty to save the world and being rail-roaded into marriage and family." Chloe said with gentle encouragement. "I don't suppose you've got a replacement in mind?"

"I can do that?" Kaede asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Not in the way you're thinking. Just that someone to take your spot would make it easier on us to keep our numbers up and so on." Chloe explained in some amusement. "I don't think anyone here would like for someone like Maja to wind up with an engagement ring."

"Gods, no. I wouldn't wish her on anyone…well, maybe Raymon because I'm a petty bitch."

"It's not petty if they deserve it." Chloe said and they shared a brief smile. "But if you want to give up this path, Kaede, then we'll need to book plane tickets and head to the Amazon."

"The Amazon?" Kaede frowned, then groaned as she got it. "I have to duel that Skeleton Knight guy, don't I?"

"Yep."

The redhead huffed in frustration. "Why!?"

"The same reason you have to duel to get a dragon; you have to show the power and determination to stick to the path you desire." Chloe explained. "There is no taking the decision back if you win, Kaede. You will never get the chance to be a Signer again."

"That's fine. It wasn't mine in the first place." Kaede said, feeling that cold pallor pale her soul. Sei…I'm sorry.

"Cool - when do we leave?"

Kaede whirled to see Jessie had returned, sunblock in hand. "Whoa - no, no, no, Jessie, ah-huh! This is my thing, you just won a major tournament-"

"I have nothing on my docket for the next month and I just had a break-up. I need to get out and about and do something to put this behind me." The blonde said firmly. "And helping family is always doing something, even if it is moral support."

"...goddamn it." Kaede hissed in resignation. "Fine, you can come. But this is my decision and you don't get to pry or coax me otherwise or anything, Jess."

Jessie blinked, clearly taken aback by the fire in her cousin's voice, but nodded. "Alright. You got it. Now let's go pack and then butter up Sumire to see if we can get the dragon jets."

TTTTTT

"Aw, c'mon, Sumire! You gotta let us have the Blue-Eyes jets!"

"No, Jessiebelle. None of you have a pilot's license and I built one of those jets with my bare hands; I will not entrust it to just anyone." Sumire said briskly as she tabbed through some paperwork on her tablet. Her computer was occupied by an open Skype window displaying a pleading blonde. "As I told you in this office five minutes ago."

"Yeah, but it's Verthy's house, so you can't kick us out of this room!" Jessie pointed out triumphantly. "Now, we three sexy ladies need to get to the Amazon and you're the woman with the means!"

"You will have to settle for a private I2 jet that is non-stop between here and there." Sumire informed her. "I have already requested it and it will be ready in thirty minutes. You have that long to pack and prepare to leave - or you will have to walk."

"I think you're getting the wrong things from your husband; that joke was terrible-"

Sumire ended the call with a snap of her fingers and allowed herself a slight smile as a frustrated squawk echoed faintly through the mansion. She brought-up a holoscreen and tapped the image of the man she wanted. "Plato, please ensure Chloe, Jessie and Kaede make it to the airport and they have appropriate security accompanying them. Alert the excavation team that they are coming as well."

"Of course, ma'am. It will be done." Plato said pleasantly. "There is also a call for you on the special line."

The mention of the special line brought Sumire pause. "Have they been there long?"

"Only a few minutes. They did not seem to mind. Something about our hold music being very catchy, I believe."

"I see. Thank you." Sumire ended the call and then reached under the desk. She pulled out a laptop, pushed her current keyboard aside and set the new device up. It turned on instantly and displayed a single message.

Engage retinal scan.

Sumire leaned forwards, trying not to blink as the device's camera flared with light for a single second as it scanned her eyeball. The message vanished and was replaced by a single chat screen that had a lock over the camera feed. The keyboard was unique, the keys being clear and slightly ridged. As she typed in her password, each key flashed green for less than a second as it scanned her fingerprints.

The lock disengaged, evaporating off the screen. A moment later, Sumire's ears were greeted with a slightly off-key, if enthusiastic, rendition of the Funny Bunny theme. "He's a bunny, he's so funny, making jokes all around, you'll alwwaaayss lauuugh when you see him about town -"

Sumire kept her internal wince from erupting onto her face by cutting it off with manners. "Hello, Virtue Charity. I apologize for having kept you waiting."

"Naww, it'sall good in the hood, pretty Pegasus! I was just boppin', cause boppin' keeps me alive." Charity responded. A shorter woman with bright green and blue hair pulled into three ponytails for whatever reason, the Virtue just grinned as she kicked her feet up on whatever desk she was at. "Anywho, Justice says you gots some maps for us?"

"Yes. One moment." Sumire stood and marched over to the wall safe. She punched in the combination and retrieved the single flash drive that lay within. Plugging it into the laptop, she began to transfer its contents over the chat. "This is all the recent sightings my program has had of the Number monsters."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Charity lazily double-clicked with a single finger through her idle nods, mismatched eyes flicking like pinballs back and forth over the map. "Wow, lots and lots of 'em in major cities. They all the same Numbers?"

"Yes. Those locations have had major tournaments in the last month and a half. The duelists using them have the highest number of duels of any of the participants, but none of them had a high enough win record to place in any of them. Or even a good winning record. It suggests that the duelists are simply farming Barian energy from them."

"That or the Number duelists are working for a big boss number." Charity grinned lopsided as Sumire started in surprise. "You said Numbers amplify a duelist's desire to do battle and achieve victory. If that's the case, there's no way all of these duelists are so possessed by the Number that they just stop before reaching the top. If these things are made to collect energy, then they have to be collecting it for someone."

"I had not considered that." Sumire paused, opening the data on her original computer screen and studying it anew. "The one I dueled was possessed by a Duel Spirit - could they have a way to cross between words?"

"Could be. Could be homegrown magic, too. Seen plenty of that silly stuff. Never works out, really. Leaves everyone looking like Resident Evil monsters. You ever play those games? I know they're hella old now, but there's just some real satisfaction is blasting apart monsters-"

"I'm afraid my schedule does not allow for such things, Virtue Charity." Sumire cut her off before the rambling could build up steam. "I would like for Dark Virtue to look into the Numbers, please. I2 does not have the resources for us to do so and deal with Signer business at the moment."

"Yeah, sure, 'ppreciate the heads up." Charity said with a mild nod, then snapped her fingers as a thought occurred. "Oh, hey, two things - one, Justice said we found a lead on this Barian thing but you gotta follow up on 'cause you can get it easier than we can! And - and -and -and - we need to borrow your Duel Priestess!"

Sumire frowned. This had not been in her plan for this. Not wanting to harm her marriage to Bellerophon any further, she had decided to reduce her role in Number hunting to merely information gathering and pass it on to the U.N. organisation dedicated to magical threats. "What do you need Chloe for?"

"Cause we've been trying to follow up on all of the sites and clans she gave us and we've found some things that need looking over. And from experience, when magic A says it needs magic 1 to work, you don't try and force it with hand grenades and some cheese!"

The question of why those two things in particular stuck out in Charity's mind danced on the tip of her tongue, but Sumire held it back. "And what is this lead on Barian energy?"

"Can't remember, I'll get someone to let you know what it is!"

Before Sumire could ask for specifics, Charity was waving and the line went dead. She sighed and returned the screen to normal, wondering where on earth Dark Virtue managed to find such unique individuals. Then she remembered that they had found Kaede through the internet. The home of all humanity's curiosities…

As frustrating as it was to delegate a project to someone else when she was more than capable of doing it herself, she knew it was necessary. She had other responsibilities, to I2, to the other Signers, and most importantly to Lero. She had promised him she would not get involved. So as much as she wanted to call everyone in Dark Virtue until she got answers, she would wait.

Patience had never been her strong suit though.

TTTTTTT

As expected of a Duel Style, there was a lot of card games. Verthy would be the first to amidst she was not as passionate about the game as many of her friends, especially when she had to use a new set of cards completely outside her experience.

But even she was having more fun at the moment than Lero was and she wasn't even winning the duel.

Lero standing across from her, the looming form of his Cyber End Dragon taking up his field. He'd used Power Bond to summon it, meaning its impressive bulk was only dwarfed by its attack power. (8000)

He'd normally take the original attack of four thousand as damage at the end of his turn, meaning Verthy would win, but Lero had started his turn using a monster called Cyber Kirin to prevent that. (LLP:2400)

All Verthy had was a few wisps of steam and scraps of her own Cyber Dragon littering her field. And a few more life points than she'd expected this far into the game. (VLP:3200)

But for all the skill he'd put in the move, how easily he'd done in about thirty seconds while her turns were draggin on and on, he was far too robotic for her liking. Not in tone or appearance - he was enthused and that cocky Pegasus smirk was there, but something about his motions and even his cards just sat wrong with her.

"Don't just stare at his monster, pinkcess. Destroy it." Zane said from the sidelines, watching the duel with the intensity of a general inspecting troops.

Startled, Verthy drew for her turn on reflex. Some of these cards had been sitting in her hand since the duel had started, but that had given her time to read them. And now with the one she'd just drew, there was a combination there.

"I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon!" In a flash of light, a weaker, segmented version of Cyber Dragon appeared in front of her. (1100/600)

"Then I summon Cyber Processor in defense mode because I control a Cyber Dragon!" Verthy slapped down the new monster. It was a sleeker, more advanced model of Cyber Dragon riddled with antennas. "This monster also counts as Cyber Dragon while in play, but it has a further ability." (1500/1600)

Cyber Processor's tail, humming with live energy and transmissions to wherever, whipped around and smashed Verthy's set card. "I can send a card on my field to the graveyard and revive the original Cyber Dragon!"

The classic Cyber Dragon appeared with a mechanical roar as Verthy grabbed for the three cards still in her hand. "I hold three monsters that I special summon by sacrificing a Cyber Dragon I control - so come out! Cyber Stealth Dragon! Cyber Assault Dragon! Cyber Search Dragon!"

Light surrounded her three monsters and it began to transform them. The first one grew longer, the segments smoothing into a nearly-single piece of machine dragon while a 'V' set of wings appeared on the underbelly. The second one bulked up, gaining a pair of futuristic cannons mounted just behind the head. The last one also bulked up, searchlights appearing on the segments with a light-house style one appearing on the tip of the tail. (2500/800) (2400/1800) (2400/1500)

Verthy pointed at her middle monster. "I activate the effect of Cyber Assault Dragon! I banish one Cyber Dragon to destroy one monster you control! Evolution Barrage!"

Lero watched as the monster's cannons unloaded, barraging his much bigger monster with a salvo of shots. But it roared in anger at such an insult, the energy sliding off its metal body instead of perforating it. "I banish the spell Cyber Eternal card to prevent you from destroying Cyber End!"

"Very well - I move to my next effect! Cyber Search Dragon! Once per turn, I can special summon a banished 'Cyber' monster! Return, Cyber Bonder!" Verthy snapped her fingers and Cyber Search Dragon reared up, all of its searchlights focusing on a single point. From that point, a portal opened and spat out a fourth Cyber Dragon. This one was smaller than even the Proto-Cyber Dragon, but its face was covered in an angular welder's mask and the tail had a acetylene torch at the tip. (400/1000)

"Bonder's effect! I will fuse Cyber monsters I have together!" Verthy pointed again, Assault Dragon and Stealth Dragon blurring together. When it settled into focus again, it was a bigger version of Cyber Assault Dragon with darker metal armour all over it and the cannons replaced by shotgun barrels. "Cyber Tactical Dragon!" (3200/2100)

The new fusion aimed its cannons at Cyber End and fired. This time, the blasts punched two giant holes in the fusion's torso and wing. With a metallic warbling shriek, it exploded into dust. "Cyber Tactical Dragon can destroy up to two monsters during the turn I summon it, so now - direct attack! Tactical Evolution Burst!"

Lero braced himself as two more energy blasts crashed into him, leaving him reeling but on his feet. "Blast - thought I had you there!" (LLP: 0)

"That will never happen." Zane's blunt voice smashed through the post-game adrenaline with all the grace of a sledgehammer that had slipped mid-swing out of someone's hands. "I suspected that your skills may have decayed, Bellerophon-"

"Hey!"

"-but this is beyond simple atrophy." His Master finished, stepping out of the shadows, arms folded into his dark coat. "When was the last time you dueled for fun?"

Lero pursed his lips as he thought. "Last week. I've been training Sumire since we got married-"

"That is not fun. That is an obligation - a job." Zane corrected. "I am not talking about play testing cards, or demonstrating a new strategy. When did you last play because you enjoyed seeing moves unfold, or your monsters come to life? No stakes."

Seconds ticked by, and the sinking feeling in Lero's stomach weighed heavier and heavier with each passing second. "...when was the last time England won the World Cup?"

"Nineteen sixty six."

"Then I don't remember."

"You need to relearn it, then." Zane said flatly. "Who was the last opponent you had fun dueling against?"

Lero shook his head, shrugged.

"Do you want to beat anyone? To surpass someone?"

Another head shake.

"Then you're doing nothing but treating this dojo like a job and your deck like a tool. Neither of which is appropriate." Zane said with quiet insistence and then held out one of his hands. "Give me your deck."

"Excuse me - that is not appropriate! Lero only just got the chance to duel again after ten years and that deck is his! I-" Verthy's protest was silenced by a sharp look from the older man. "I…"

"It's okay, Verthy. I get it. I don't deserve to use it right now. I thought I was rusty when I dueled against Selinde but I was just going through the motions. There were literally no stakes and I was just…" Lero shook his head again and pulled his deck free of his Duel Disk, then pulled out the Extra Deck. Placing one stack atop the other, he passed it to Zane. "Now what, Master?"

"We go back to basics. Retracing your steps means you might find the pieces of yourself that you lost. If not…" Zane pocketed the deck in one of his inner coat pockets. "If not, then you'll just have to find another strategy to save the world with. The Cyber Style will be wasted on you otherwise."

"Yes, Master."

"Take five and get something to eat. Then report to the dance hall. I'm sure you remember the way." Zane said and turned to leave, the thud of the door closing behind sounding like a death knell as it killed all sound in the room.

Verthy stared after him with a scowl. "Teachers should have to take mandatory lessons in tact and dealing with students in a constructive manner."

"It's fine. The Cyber Style isn't just a diploma on the wall, it's his life and it takes time, dedication and energy to teach each student to embody the spirit of the Style. You can't just have anyone walking around summoning a Cyber Dragon and calling themselves a master." Lero said. To her surprise, he didn't sound angry or upset at all, but rather mild, as if they were talking about the weather. "And I'm certainly not one."

"Even so, he should be more understanding. You're here to prepare for your duties as Signer King and that's not a task he can just ignore. Especially given his own history with that Jaden Yuki gentleman." Verthy huffed. She turned around, deciding that food was at least going to help here and while it wasn't ice cream, peanut butter and jelly was a decent comfort binge. But her eyes widened. "Lero!"

"Mmm?" He lifted his head, looking at her as if he'd only just noticed she was there. "What?"

"You're crying!"

"I'm…" Lero raised a hand to his face and it came away wet. He did it again, staring at the liquid as if he didn't recognize it. Then he got the most absurd grin on his face and began to laugh.

Verthy grabbed his hand and the other flew to his face, pulling him around to look at her. He calmed a bit, still giggling and chuckling, but the tears were still flowing. "Lero, this is not a normal reaction. What's happening? Can you tell me how you feel?"

"It's just- I feel better, you know? Big weight off my shoulders - I mean, between my dad still dying and the company and saving the world, trying to have a fourth impossible job as a Cyber Style protege was asking just a little too much, right?" Lero said in a rush, blinking and smiling in a way that made Verthy's heart lurch uncomfortably. "It's not like I really love the Style or the cards or anything - I mean, my company makes the cards! I can just have my own! At least when they finally break, it won't be anyone else's problem!"

"Okay…" tentatively, Verthy reached out and took him gently by the shoulders before pulling him into a hug. "Okay you need to take a breath for me. Cry all these…feelings out, and then we're going to talk about this, okay?"

He just kept crying a mixture of laughter and despair into her shoulder. She rubbed his back softly, willing herself to stay there and let him feel what he was feeling, despite her urge to pull him into another room and shake him out of it. She had come here to support him, and that was exactly what she was going to do.

She had never seen him so fragile before. No, not fragile - Lero would have broken under the pressures of stepping into his father's shoes otherwise. But he was brittle. As long as constant pressure - his father, I2, Signer King and Cyber Style - was being exerted from all sides consistently, nothing broke. But now a piece of it had been removed and he'd finally crumbled.

When the tears stopped, he was just quiet, curled against her. His thumbs worried against each other and his breathing was a bit off, but at least he had calmed. Verthy just stroked his hair and hummed softly.

"I'm scared. And tired." Lero muttered at last. "I don't know how I feel anymore - about anything. I don't have any control of my life anymore, if I ever did. I almost miss my life on the streets - at least there, I knew which way was up."

The idea of him back on the streets, struggling to survive sent a chill down Verthy's spine, but she tried not to let it show, pulling him closer. "It's okay to feel this way. You've been dealing with so much for years - ever since your father went into his coma. It's understandable that everything is beginning to get too much." She sighed, taking his hands in hers and stilled his nervous worrying of his fingers by stroking them with her own. "Do you remember the conversation we had during the Bride Tournament?"

"When you tried to push me to hook up with Rosie you mean?" Lero gave a thin smile. "Feels like a thousand years ago now."

She nodded. It was hard to remember a time when Lero suddenly finding out he was married had been the biggest drama of their lives. "Before that I asked you what you were doing for fun - about your hobbies and such, remember?" he nodded slowly. "Your Master might be blunt, but he isn't wrong. Working, testing new cards, teaching Sumire how to duel - these aren't things you do for fun. You aren't looking after you. Even the Championships the other day, you were working while you cheered Jessibelle on."

"I had sex with Jackie the other day…" Lero trailed off with a wince as she fixed him with a look. "Yeah, okay, I heard how that sounded. Sex isn't a hobby, and neither is a relationship."

He flopped back against the floor, staring up at the ceiling, leaving her nimbly lounge next to him, propped up on one arm. "I just…I don't know how to have fun any more, Verthy. It feels like there's too much to do."

Her fingers came up to massage his forehead. "Lero, we're hundreds of miles up a mountain, with no cell phone service. There is nothing to do up here. No company. No relationships. No Signer nonsense. That's why you came here in the first place." She moved to stroke his hair instead. "When your father sent you up here for the first time, I'm pretty sure he didn't intend for you to become some kind of Cyber guru. He just wanted to help you deal with your feelings. So deal with them. Stop worrying about being worthy of this place, and try to remember why you like this game…"

She arched an eyebrow. "Because it is a game. It's a card game. I know the business nonsense can make it feel like a money machine, and the Signer drama makes it feel like life and death, but at the end of the day…you're supposed to be having fun with it. I think your father would hate it if you lost sight of that."

"You make a lot of sense." Lero agreed after a moment. "'Sfunny, really?" When she cocked her head at him, he continued. "When I dueled Chrysaor last month, I could feel it from him. He didn't play the game for fun, there was no love for Duel Monsters in his heart and I told him that a kid with a starter deck could beat him. I didn't think that applied to myself, too."

"But he couldn't get that from you, could he?" Verthy asked and Lero shook his head. "Then that proves the difference between you and him - there's a part of you that still finds the game fun and takes comfort in it. The part of you that made you want to play this big exciting game your new dad had. It's not gone, Lero. The little boy you were, the one who became the man I'm here with now, is still in you and that means you can be happy again. Because he deserved it then and you deserve it now."

Lero made an embarrassed noise and then Verthy squealed in surprised delight as he yanked her down with both arms and cradled her to his chest. A laugh escaped her. "You can't hide your embarrassment by blinding me with your chest, Lero!"

"Says you - you can't see anything!"

"I can see how ticklish you are-"

"Verthy - no - that's my ribs- no- hey - hey!"

TTTTT

Twenty-four hours later, Kaede was standing in front of the Machine Temple. Fifteen hours of those had been spent flying, eight of those hours had been spent sleeping and all of those hours had been spent in a fitful spate of anxious worrying and dark anticipation. She wanted - needed - to do this, but it had always been something distant. With every step closer, it became more real and powerful to the point she wasn't sure if her feelings or the temple loomed over her more.

"So, how do we get in?" Jessie asked after a moment of staring. "Didn't Jackie need to have a dragon and a mark, too?"

"No, that only unlocked the temple. Now we should be able to get in if Skeleton Knight allows it." Chloe said, producing her Stardust Dragon - Shternreis card as she moved up to the temple's double doors. She touched it to the Crimson Dragon mark and then all three women were wincing and blinking as they were suddenly in the darkened interior of the temple.

"Welcome, Signer candidates and guest, to the Machine Temple." The deep, neutral tones greeted them as torches lit up around the temple to reveal Skeleton Knight standing in front of the stairs up to the towering altar behind. "For what reason have you come to me?"

Kaede swallowed; Jackie hadn't been kidding when she'd said Skeleton Knight had made the biker feel like she was a kitten facing down a lion. But Jessie's comforting hand on her shoulder and Chloe's encouraging look prompted her to step forwards. "I've come to return my Signer Dragons - Hot Red Dragon Archfiend and Red Dragon Archfiend."

Skeleton Knight was silent for a moment, his empty eyes regarding her and Kaede forced herself to remain looking at that skull of a face. "And for what reason do you wish to do so?"

"My reasons are my own." Kaede flinched as Skeleton Knight's lance lifted sharply to point at her. "Eeeh-"

"Were this any other time, such reasons would be enough for you to return your dragons. But in this era, we who believe in the Crimson Dragon have been reduced to all but a few. And our enemies are numerous. Neither is time on our side." Skeleton Knight said, his omnipresent voice low with warning. "So speak to me your truth, Kaede Muto. For if you cannot speak to me, then by what means will your conviction be enough to defeat me?"

He was right and it was irritating, but Kaede found that conviction. "My dragons are not mine. They were supposed to go to a woman named Sei Kashiwagi - but because we - I - made a mistake, she lost her soul and her dragons were given to me. But I can't have this life; I can't steal it from her."

She heard Jessie's soft intake of breath, could feel Chloe's curious gaze, but her own eyes remained on Skeleton Knight. The undead being was regarding her with that empty gaze again and she felt something peer into her being.

"There is strength in your words, Kaede Muto, but no matter how hard you believe in somethings, you cannot- " Skeleton Knight paused as flames erupted around Kaede for a brief moment, the fire swelling and twisting into Kaede's two dragons.

"Damn - those are so cool!" Jessie whispered as the two red-armored dragons spread their wings, overshadowing the party easily. "Do you think I can get one?"

"Do you want to marry Lero?" Chloe asked

"He's like my brother…buuuuuutttt also, cool, rare magical cards…"

Kaede couldn't help but laugh quietly at the pair; the seriousness of the moment loosened around her briefly. But Skeleton Knight and the two dragons seemed to be having a kind of silent conversation and her amusement quickly faded.

The two dragons faded out of existence and Skeleton Knight lowered his weapon as he trotted the horse forwards. "So be it, then, Kaede Mouto. Your challenge is accepted. Victory and you will be relieved of your candidacy forever. Lose and you will remain one until you are not selected or a worthy replacement is found."

Before Kaede could reply, the black flames wreathing Skeleton Knight swallowed him up. The ball of dark fire shrank and condensed, peeling away like ribbons of burning silk to reveal a new figure. It was a woman who was strange in her familiarity; the height, the red hair and honey eyes were right but everything else was off. Dark shirt and pants were shrouded in a sharp, elegantly cut electric blue labcoat. The hair, a bit too red, was longer than it should have been, her bangs kept out of her face by a golden tiara. Her skin was paler than it should have been but that made the gold choker with its teardrop ruby dangling all the more eye-catching. "...Mom!?"

"Hmm? No, I don't have kids…" The Serenity look-alike responded with a curious look. Her eyes alighted on Kaede's hair and she burst into a fit of giggles, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Oh god- god yes! I had a kid with Yugi in this universe! That is the only way you get hair that awesome!"

"Oh dear…Aunt Serenity's been in the cooking sherry again," Jessie summarised in a sage voice.

Chloe stared at her, then Kaede, then back again. "You both just saw Skeleton Knight turn into her! You know that is not Kaede's mom!"

"Don't hold it against her, Chloe - Jessie's always been a bit dense because being a blonde."

"Screw you, cuz!"

At this, the doppelganger twisted to look at the other two women. Her jaw dropped, then the unmistakable squeal of raw delight that only came from fangirls meeting a celebrity erupted. "No way! Mai had a kid, too! You look just like her!"

"I get that a lot," Jessie said with no small amount of preening and hair tossing. "Though I wear the hair better…"

Chloe face-palmed. "This is supposed to be a test of resolve and faith, you know. Anyone else here remember that? Anyone?"

"Yeah, girl's got a point." Kaede said, eyeing the woman with a wary eye. "What is this? Are you Skeleton Knight? My mom on a bender? How's this supposed to test me?"

"Hmmm…" The woman tapped her chin with her left hand and Kaede did a double-take as she watched; it looked that woman's entire arm was nothing but black bone. "It's like this. Skeleton Knight, via the Crimson Dragon, can reach through any time or dimension the Crimson Dragon exists in to catch an 'echo' of a soul he feels is capable of providing for his challenge."

"Alternate universe version of my mom, then?" Kaede watched as the woman nodded. "Then…what makes you the one to challenge me?"

"Would you rather your real mom was standing here?" the edgier version of Serenity grinned at Kaede's disturbed face, showing canines that were too pointed to be anything but fangs. "Look, I don't know you…what was your name?"

"Kaede."

"Aww I love that name!" Serenity took a moment to gush before her voice became business-like again. "But yeah, I don't know you, or what kind of life you've led up till now - I hope it was a good one. But judging where you are now, I'd say you're caught up in some kind of magical shenanigans. And that's something I do know about. In my…reality, I guess you would call it…I've seen magic. I've used magic. Hell, technically I am magic." She tapped her necklace as she spoke. "So I guess maybe in some way I'm the most suitable version of your mom to see if you're up to the challenge of dealing with this kinda stuff?"

"...you sound like a shrink," Kaede pointed out. The doppleganger laughed.

"Funny - Mai always said I should have gone into psychiatry. But I stuck with emergency medicine and didn't look back." She flexed her neck and grinned. "So are we going to do this?"

"Oh, we are. I don't know what Skeleton Knight thinks you can do for me about this, but I'm not changing my mind." Kaede activated her Duel Disk. "And mom could never beat me in a duel, anyway."

"I'm not your mom. I'm Doctor Serenity Stormcloud, Queen of Arcadia, Eliminator and vampire." The woman's grin spread, a dark chuckle rolling free from her as thick, living shadows swirled out of nowhere and became a jet-black Duel Disk on her arm. "You've never dueled anything like me before!"

"This is so weird," Jessie said out of the corner of her mouth to Chloe. "Why do this? Wouldn't, I don't know, dueling Sei herself or maybe her dad test Kaede's resolve better? Why go with the cosplayer?"

"The Crimson Dragon doesn't have to explain her decisions to everyone and neither do her servants." Chloe said wryly. Then her expression became serious. "But that woman isn't wrong about Skeleton Knight being able to tap into other souls across the realms to find the one to correctly challenge a Signer. Jackie dueled herself because that was what she was struggling with the most. And I…"

"You?" Jessie looked at her with surprise. "You tried to power-up your dragon for revenge?"

"No. I wanted to return it. But I faced down a soul who convinced me to give up my revenge. And through my loss, I gained something better than that."

"Which is…?"

"Perspective."

"LET'S DUEL!" (KLP:8000) (SSLP:8000)

"I'm first! Draw!" Kaede snapped up her sixth card and then shoved it into her graveyard. "I discard Archfiend Commander to add Archfiend Hall - Avernus to my hand and then I activate it!" Twin demonic braziers appeared to either side of her, screaming souls visible in the fires. "With this card's effect, I special summon Terrorking Ascendant from my hand!"

The flames flared once, leaping out to form into her new monster. He resembled Terrorking, but his armour was more layered and he stood taller, more regal than before. Runes were carved into his body and he wielded a wicked laugh alongside a wicked sword. (2000/1500)

"Terrorking's power! I roll a die and get an effect!" Kaede pointed and Terrorking conjured a bone die in his hand that he crushed instantly. A ghostly six wailed into existence briefly above it. "With this effect, I add another Archfiend to my hand and I'll just summon it! Refraction Archfiend in defense mode!" Her new monster was a scaled red lizard coiled around a cracked mirror. The mirror reflected not Serenity's playing field, but a variety of tormented souls. (700/600)

The redhead gripped another card and swept it into her disk. "I set this face-down and end my turn!"

"Archfiends, huh? I like that - I like that a lot. Horror always has a special place in my heart." Serenity drew for her turn. "Let's see - let's see - here we go! I activate V - Vigilance Eternal, which lets me add two monsters listed on a particular fusion monster in my Extra Deck." A ghostly image appeared of her an angular golem wreathed in lightning and then she caught the two cards her deck slid out.

She held up a spell card. "I play Dark Fusion, fusing together Clayman and Sparkman into my hand to summon Evil Hero - Lightning Golem!" The two named monsters appeared, then vanished as the golem from before appeared in front of her. It was far more real than the second time, towering on the field and exuding dark intent. (2400/1500)

"Evil Hero?" Chloe asked, looking at Jessie in confusion.

"You got me. I am not the lady to ask for card lore and stuff." Jessie shrugged. "You want Lero."

Kaede, for her part, regarded the new monster with a curious wariness. "Evil Hero? What's that about? Someone think the E-Heroes didn't have enough fusions?"

"You can think of them like a darker take on the Elemental Heroes. I had this deck forced on me by my kidnappers, but I made it my own." Serenity said, grinning slightly as Lightning Golem began to charge up energy between his palms. "Love the aesthetic, love the deck, love the effects! Once per turn, I can destroy a monster! Voltic Ball!"

The fusion hurled the energy at Terrorking. It crashed into the fiend, leaving him howling in pain as it arced over him. Kaede pointed at her set card and it flipped up. "I activate Quick Summon, sacrificing Terrorking for Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" Terrorking vanished in a blaze of fire and electricity which yielded to the demonic roar of her new monster. It was a Summoned Skull, but charged with electricity everywhere and a brand-new, nasty attitude. (2500/1200)

"An escape dodge, huh. Haven't seen that since Battle City….the original one." Serenity added as an afterthought. "Did you guys get multiple ones, too?"

"We got two - second one kind of tanked. Too much nostalgia focus."

"Ugh." Serenity made a face as she grabbed a card from her hand. "I summon E-Hero Liquid Soldier in defense mode." Her Hero was an armoured man entirely in blue, even his face hidden. "When I summon this guy, I can summon another hero from my graveyard! Come back, Clayman!" In a flash of light, the burly bodied hero appeared crouching in defense mode. (1400/1300) (800/2000)

A card appeared behind her three monsters. "I set this and end my turn."

"Draw." Kaede drew. "During my Standby Phase, I have to pay five hundred life points for my Skull Archfiend." She grit her teeth as a stray bolt of power from her monster slammed into her chest. Then Refraction Archfiend shifted his mirror, its pieces showing Serenity in pain. "But then Refraction Archfiend forces you to pay four hundred life points, too!" (KLP:8000-7500)

Serenity didn't grit her teeth as black energy flared around her for a moment, sapping away her life points. Her lips just lifted in that fang-revealing grin again. "Nice." (SLP:8000-7600)

"I roll a die for Refraction Archfiend and pay that amount times one hundred!" Kaede watched a die clatter across the field and landed on a three. "So now we both pay!" (KLP:7500-7200) (SLP:7600-7200)

Serenity again didn't seem too bothered by the pain. "Got anything else or is your big strategy chip damage, kiddo?"

"Allow me to demonstrate - I activate Swords of Sealing Light!" The card appeared in front of Kaede and began to glow. "Once per turn, I change the battle position of any monster on the field! As long as this card is in play, that monster can't change its position!" A crackling blue sword launched out of the sword, piercing Lightning Golem in the chest and dropping him to one knee.

With a dark, rattly laugh, a small demon appeared on Kaede's field. "I summon Horrorpawn Archfiend and tune it with Skull Lightning! The Devil bleeds and his blood burns the world! Scorch down all shielding lies to reveal the rage that will ignite the world in war!" Flames swallowed Kaede's monsters, consuming them and then twisting into the heavy, armoured bulky form of her dragon. "Red Dragon Archfiend!" (3000/2500)

"Ooooh, that's nice. Definitely a magic dragon. I've seen a lot of those." Serenity admired the new monster, hand on her hip.

"Let's see how you like its effect! When Red Dragon Archfiend battles, all of your defense mode monsters are incinerated! Attack!" The Synchro Dragon roared and took flight, drawing back a clawed fist that quickly became wreathed in flames.

"Trap card! Fusion Duplication!" Serenity pointed and her card lifted, the trap shimmering to become a copy of Dark Fusion. "I banish one Fusion spell in my graveyard and copy its effect! Now fuse my Clayman and my Liquid Soldier!" The two monsters exploded, their pixels recombing into the new monster. Unlike the angular, lethal futuristic bent of Lightning Golem, this monster was ancient. Rounded boulders heaped upon one another, bleeding obsidian like blood as they were angled and polished into cruel spikes by unseen forces. "Evil Hero - Tellus!" (2200/2000)

Tellus met Red Dragon Archfiend's charge, their two fists colliding with an echoing boom that scattered flames across the arena and sent Jessie and Chloe scrambling for cover. "When I fusion summon Tellus, all your monsters go to defense mode and lose five hundred in their stats! Then Tellus gains five hundred for each monster affected! Earth Collapse!"

"Shit…!" Kaede braced herself, coat fluttering as Tellus landed a follow-up punch that sent her Synchro crashing down to the ground. Both of her monsters staggered, the lizard hanging onto its mirror for death life as Red Dragon Archfiend dropped to one knee, breathing so hard flames dripped to the floor. (3000/2500-2500/2000) (700/600-200/100)

"By the way, since I just used Liquid Soldier in a fusion, I draw twice and discard once." Serenity just chuckled as she did so and Tellus slammed one fist into an open palm as its power rose. "I told you, kiddo, you haven't dueled anyone like me. I'm the best duelist on Arcadia and it's not because people like to be nice to me." (2200/2000-3200/3000)

"Yeah, well, you're just like all the other duelists I eliminate from tournaments! One good turn and you think you've won! But trust me, I want this win more than you do!" Kaede growled back. "I set one card face down! End turn!"

She huffed in frustration as Refraction Archfiend exploded into dust. "Red Dragon Archfiend destroys any monster on my field that didn't battle this turn."

Serenity didn't comment as she drew, pointedly studying her opponent rather than her hands of cards. Then she snapped her fingers and Thunder Giant began to charge up energy in his free hand. "My monster destroys your Dragon!"

"Not happening!" A card fell out of Kaede's graveyard and she held it up. "When you target an Archfiend, I can banish Refraction Archfiend to negate that effect and destroy a card on your field! Tellus is toast!" The lighting lanced towards Red Dragon Archfiend, only to be caught on Refraction Archfiend's mirror, reverse course and pierce through Tellus. The fusion groaned and sagged, shattering apart into pebbles that rained across Serenity's field.

"Better - but I'm still ahead. I banish the monster I discarded last turn - Sinister Nekrom." Serenity held up the card as a dark shut flower rose up on her field. "I special summon one Evil Hero from my deck! Come out, Evil Hero Faded Tulip!" The flower bloomed, allowing a graceful plant woman to descend. Wreathed in brambles and wilted flowers, there was a sinister grace about her that was only slightly ruined by her mouthless face. (1900/2000)

"Should have stayed in the bulb, lady! Swords of Sealing Light!" Kaede pointed and another blue sword lanced from her spell card to pierce the new monster. She grunted and then sagged to her knees, still impaled.

Serenity just smiled. "Fine by me, her effect still works. I increase her attack by four hundred." The vines on her monster grew thicker. "Then her second effect - you take damage equal to the difference and one of your monsters weakens by that amount! Kiss of Thorns!"

Kaede's eyes widened as the plant woman swept out her hand, scattering a small haze of wilted petals into the air. In unison, the petals sharpened into blades and then rained down over her and Red Dragon. Both of them hollered in tandem as slashes opened on their bodies, the duelist being driven back a step as the Synchro monster tried to shield itself with a wing. (KLP:7200-6800) (2500/2000-2100/1600)

"I set this card face-down." Serenity plugged the card into her disk. "And that'll be my turn."

"Draw!" Kaede drew and grimaced at the card. "Fine - I equip my monster with Blood of the Archfiends!" Flames began to leak from her monster like blood. "Less attack points doesn't stop my monster's ability! Go! Red Dragon Archfiend!" The dragon roared, eager to avenge its suffering and clenched a flaming fist.

Serenity pointed and her set card flipped up. "The continuous trap card! Fusion Trench!" Red Dragon Archfiend slammed into a clear barrier. "Now only fusion monsters can attack!"

"Tch…" Kaede glared in frustration. "End turn!"

"Draw." Serenity snapped up her card. "Thunder Giant!" Her fusion charged up electricity and hurled it across the field.

"Blood of the Archfiends effect - I destroy another Archfiend card instead of being destroyed!" Kaede winced as Red Dragon roared in pain as the lightning struck. The flames leaking on it spread, but it remained standing as her Archfiend Hall - Avernus shattered apart. "When an Archfiend effect destroys a card, my monster gains six hundred attack!" (2100-2700)

"It's about to lose them!" Serenity's finger switched to her Faded Tulip. "Kiss of Thorns!" (2700-2300)

The rain of petals fell a second time, but this time, it was only the dragon's pained roar that filled the chamber. Kaede stared, her Synchro having moved to block the entire barrage. "Red Dragon…"

"I'm guessing she's your favourite?" Serenity surmised shrewdly, grinning as Kaede's startled look confirmed it. "Y'know, I get it really sucks to see your favourite like that, and I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but speaking as a former Eliminator, you should work on hiding that devastated look. Don't let your opponent know they got under your skin."

"Hey, my cuz isn't some rookie you're smacking around in the minor leagues!" Jessie put in, as Kaede's face went red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "She makes grown men cry, which makes her the most kickass Eliminator of all time to me!"

As much as Kaede appreciated Jessie sticking up for her, she realised that Serenity wasn't wrong. She would normally never have let something like that slip out. This was supposed to be the most important duel of her life - certainly the one with the most riding on it - she should be playing at the top of her game. So why was she getting thrown off, watching Red Dragon Archfiend weakening in front of her?

"Draw." Kaede pulled her card free, eyes flicking to it and then the rest of her hand. Then she plugged it into her disk. "I set this face-down and switch Red Dragon Archfiend to defense mode." Her dragon folded its wings around itself. "End turn."

"My move." Serenity drew.

"Activate continuous trap - Call of the Archfiend! I discard an Archfiend and revive Skull Archfiend of Lightning!" Kaede shoved a card into her disk and in a nearly blinding flash of lightning, the supercharged skull demon reappeared.

"Sure, I'll bite. Thunder Giant!" Serenity watched as her fusion hurled lightning at Red Dragon Archfiend, only for the dragon's wings to blunt the impact as Skull Archfiend exploded instead. (1900-2500)

The vampire watched it play out and then snapped her bone fingers, the sharp noise a gunshot echoing about the chamber. "Kiss of Thorns!" (2700-3100)

For a third time, Kaede braced herself as the shower of blade-like petals. Only to stare in shock as Red Dragon Archfiend unfolded its wings, taking all of it boldly. The burning blood flames on it became actual blood as the monster was littered with cuts. "Stop! What are you doing!?" (KLP:6000-4900) (2500-1400/0)

"Aww that's sweet," Serenity smiled, fangs flashing as she watched the ruby red drops trickle across scales. "I guess you're her favourite too."

"Stop it," Kaede could feel her heart in her chest as her dragon tried to shake off the damage, only to sway a little on the spot. "I know what you're doing! You're trying to make me feel guilty for wanting to give her back."

"Hey, I was just talking!" Serenity objected, holding up her hands. "It's pretty obvious you care about your cards, and I like that. Although…if your mind went straight to guilt, I'd guess you're already feeling pretty bad about the decision without any input from me."

"Well, I don't!" Kaede was nearly growling. How dare this woman think she understood? "This is the right decision! She was never supposed to be mine - she was supposed to belong to Sei!"

"It's not me you need to convince," Serenity reminded. "I'm just a stranger. But tell me this…do you think Sei would mind that you ended up with her?"

"I…she…" Kaede stumbled, her mind faltering over the question. Guilt over what she had done all those years ago suddenly parted to allow hypotheticals in.

Would Sei have minded? It was Kaede's fault that she had wound up in that duel. If she hadn't frozen…but that wasn't the question, really. Even knowing that it was her fault, she knew her friend. No, Sei was a good person. She would have wanted her to do whatever it took to escape. And if that meant using Red Dragon Archfiend then that was what she had to do.

That didn't make her less guilty. Or change the fact that by saving herself she had taken someone else's destiny.

"I activate I - Internal Darkness, letting me pick up any E-Hero I want from my graveyard and adding a Dark Fusion from any location to my hand!" Serenity held up Dark Fusion and Clayman, a second monster alongside them. "I fuse Clayman and Bubbleman together! Come forth, Evil Hero - Tainted Whirlpool!"

The two monsters appeared in front of her and then melted together, becoming a puddle of bleak, brackish black water. A moment later, the puddle shot skywards like a geyser that flowed and twisted into a vague humanoid shape with its features being voids of darkness in place of eyes and mouth. (1900/3000)

"Third verse, same as the first!" Kaede pointed at the fusion and her continuous spell card glowed. "Swords of Sealing Light!"

Both Serenity and Tainted Whirlpool shared a dark laugh as the blue sword slammed into the fusion - and was promptly shredded apart by the eternally spinning water. "During the turn I summon with Dark Fusion, that monster can't be targeted by your effects!"

She pointed at her Fusion Trench card, which began to glow. "And since I didn't summon anything but a fusion monster this turn, my Tainted Whirlpool can attack you directly! Go!"

Kaede howled as the fusion went from humanoid to a tidal wave that slammed into her with brutal force that knocked her off her feet. As it flowed back to Serenity's field, Kaede coughed up something she didn't care to think about and stumbled back to her feet. (KLP:4900-3000)

"I end my turn."

"Draw." Kaede pulled the card from her deck and then grimaced. "I set one card. End turn."

Serenity drew, watching as Kaede discarded a card and Skull Archfiend appeared on the field. "And after that, you'll do…" Her lips lifted in that scary fang-revealing grin as Swords of Sealing Light fired a sword at Tainted Whirlpool. Only for the fusion to laugh again as it shattered. "When you try and target a Evil Hero Fusion with an effect, my Whirlpool can reduce his defense by one thousand to negate it." (1900/3000-2000)

Kaede's eyes narrowed in frustration, watching as Thunder Giant hurled lightning at Red Dragon Archfiend and once again, Skull Archfiend blew apart instead. (1400-2000/0)

"Hm - don't think I want you to do that again, so…" Serenity held up a card and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared on her field, destroying Call of the Archfiends. "Now then - Kiss of Thorns!" (3100-3500)

The bladed petals blasted Red Dragon Archfiend again. (2000-400) (KLP:3000-1400)

"Via the effect of Fusion Trench, Tainted Whirlpool attacks directly!" Serenity pointed and her monster morphed into another cruel tidal wave.

"Trap card! Attack Guidance Armor! You have to attack Red Dragon Archfiend now!" Kaede watched as the tidal wave hammered Red Dragon Archfiend, extinguishing the bleeding flames. But the dragon refused to yield despite its wounds and struggle, somehow hurling the fusion back across the playing field. "I destroy Blood of the Archfiends to keep my dragon alive!" (0/0)

Alive was not a word that should have applied to her monster in this situation. Red Dragon Archfiend looked one good breeze away from crumbling. But still she held on.

"Got to admit, I'm impressed," Serenity nodded to herself. "Holding on even after all that damage. She really cares about you."

"Well, she shouldn't," steeling herself, Kaede tore her eyes away from her monster to glare at Serenity. "She'll go to a better person. Someone who actually deserves her."

Across the field, Serenity tilted her head at her curiously. "Really? Don't you think she should be the judge of that? That she should choose who deserves her?"

"She didn't choose me," Kaede objected. "I took her! I put Sei in that coma because I was too scared to help! Even if Sei would have wanted me to use her to survive, she was supposed to be the Signer, not me. Red Dragon Archfiend is her destiny!"

As she spoke, Red Dragon Archfiend gave a piteous sounding moan, her head twisting around to lock eyes with Kaede. Weak, and clearly in pain, those eyes still reached into Kaede's heart and twisted, love and trust washing over her.

No way…how can she love me after everything I did? Does she…want to stay with me?

"I'm not talking about your dragon," Serenity's voice was quiet, but it carried cross the field like the roar of a stadium full of fans. "Sei chose you, Kaede."

"What are you talking about?" Cards shaking in her hand, Kaede was feeling weak, though she wasn't sure why. "You think Sei wanted me to put her in a coma and take her destiny? Her life? Her future?"

"You can't see it, can you?" Serenity's words hung in the air. "Look at her, Kaede. Really look at her."

She was. For some reason, now that their eyes had locked, and she could feel every ounce of feeling being directed at her, she could not tear her gaze away. Love and trust were still there, but with so much more. Understanding how she felt. Regret - not at what had happened to Sei, but at allowing Kaede to carry this guilt around so long. A fierce determination to protect her, no matter what.

And beneath it all, a burning urge for her to see.

Look at me, Kaede.

Kaede sucked in a breath in realization and awe and fear and whatever else fit into the tumble of emotions that had been set loose. "...Sei?"

Through the pain that still gripped her, a sense of relief seemed to spill from those eyes, and the dragon crooned.

"...you what?" she had completely forgotten that she had observers, but Jessie's nature did not allow her to go silent for very long. "Your friend was a dragon type duel monster?"

"No!" She shook her head, because of course what Jessie had said was absurd. "She was…she was real. She was a person!"

But even as she said it, she saw Red Dragon Archfiend still observing her, her gaze so like her friend's that it was almost chilling.

"She was real." Serenity nodded. "But a person? You already know from Chloe over there that there are ways around that."

The Duel Priestess gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the dragon. "A homunculus body?"

"This is insane," Kaede could feel her heart thudding in her chest, desperate to ignore the knowing look in those eyes, and the outpouring of compassion and understanding that was still focused on her. "Sei was human! She was my friend-"

"Did you ever visit her home?" Serenity asked. "Meet her parents?"

"I…" Kaede felt something cold slip down her spine as she realised the truth. She's right. We always met at my place or in public. Even when I went to see her in the hospital I was always glad I never ran into her parents so I didn't have to tell them I was the reason she was in a coma…Now her legs really did give out.

"Why though?" she was glad Jessie still had the wherewithal to speak. "Why would a Signer Dragon turn into a human just to hang around with Kaede?"

Serenity snorted. "Way to make it sound like a chore!"

"Ten years ago, all of the clans were killed," Chloe picked up the story. "Some of them had Signer Dragons as guardians and guiding spirits. They probably put Red Dragon Archfiend into a homunculus body to hide it. I found evidence of something like that happening when I went to that clan to get things to build Lero's new body."

"And you never said?" Jessie demanded, her arms flapping as she took to anger on Kaede's behalf.

"I never thought it would come up!" Chloe raised both hands, clearly worried that the European Champion might strike her in the face with her flailing limbs. "It's not like you can just buy a new body on Amazon - they're really hard to make! I never expected to see another one!"

"But…" Kaede was having problems putting her words together. Her gaze was still held by Red Dragon Archfiend, gentle and understanding as she felt tears well up in her eyes. All these years, I thought I'd put my friend in the hospital.

"You see?" Serenity said softly. "She was trying to protect you, just like any Signer Dragon. You didn't steal anything from her, Kaede. You're letting her fulfil her purpose."

The words seemed to slide right off Kaede's mind, as she felt tears well up in her throat. "All this time…you've seen all the things I've done." She whispered to the silent, understanding gaze of her dragon. "The lives I've messed with just for fun. The people I've hurt, while hiding behind a screen. I let you do the fighting that day because I was a coward…and you still want to stay with me?"

Her hands balled into fists against the ground. "I don't understand! Why would you stay with me after all that?"

Red Dragon Archfiend moaned again, head sliding across the ground until it's nose was inches from Kaede. Still on her knees, and trembling with sobs, Kaede had never felt so small.

"Because she chose you," Serenity spoke again, but this time the words carried more weight. "As her Signer and as her friend. What Sei saw in you - what the Crimson Dragon sees in you isn't something you or I can put into words, because it's beyond words. And maybe because she knows that you can handle it. Being a Signer isn't a blessing. It's preparing for war. And your dragons will be your lifeline. You will rely on each other. And she knows now, that when the chips are down, you will fight for her."

Kaede was silent, only for Red Dragon Archfiend to croon at her again. She lifted her head, looking deep into those yellow eyes. Not judgement or fear, only love, concern and trust. Sei had done everything to save her that night. And Kaede herself had risked that much to help Lero during the Bride Tournament, to save Sumire and Jessie from an evil spirit just a month ago.

She chose to believe in that.

Her legs once again supported her wait as she rose to her feet, hand reaching out. Red Dragon Archfiend's scales were warm, hard silk under palm. "Alright. I'll do this. And…thank you. I never got to say that."

There were no words, but they both understood. They knew.

Duelist and dragon turned back to the battlefield, a fire in the Devil Dragon's eyes as fire leaked from the devil dragon's jaws. "Let's finish this, Serenity! This duel isn't over yet!"

Serenity smiled. "That's what I was hoping to hear." The smile turned sharp, vampiric. "Let's see how much that resolve means to you, Kaede Mouto!" She slid a card into her disk. "I set this card. End turn."

"Draw!" Kaede pulled the card free and then slapped it down. "I summon Seven Gambles Archfiend!" A black demon with seven arms appeared, a die in each one. (700/700)

She held up another card. "Then I play Monster Reborn, reviving Horrorpawn!" The cackling little demon appeared again. "And then I'll use his effect!" A die clattered across the field, revealing a three. "Yes! I make its level one!"

"One?" Jessie frowned. "That doesn't make sense! She doesn't have any level two synchros!"

Chloe smiled knowingly, able to feel the rising power in the chamber. "She does now."

"I tune my level one Archfiend Horrorpawn and Seven Gambles Archfiend together! The power of a ruler, the heart of a kingdom and the blood of a god! All housed in one vessel! The bloody future devours the ancient past!" Kaede watched as her two monsters exploded and the dust reformed. Instead of a new bone demon or fiend of any kind, it was a heart. It was black, littered with armored veins of bone and arteries of obsidian. Jewel-like in its existence, only the single slow beating showed it was still alive. "Level 2! Emperor's Heart!" (1000/1000)

"Oookayyy…" Jessie stared at the heart with barely disgusted distaste. "Does your religion need to rip out organs or something?"

Chloe just smiled at her, baring a banshee's fangs.

Serenity, for her part, just regarded the new monster with her own macabre interest. "That's the heart of Archfiend Emperor, is it? Just what are you going to do with it?"

"Empower my dragon! Let's go, Sei! Emperor's Heart is a tuner monster as well as a synchro monster!" Kaede jabbed a finger into the air as Red Dragon Archfiend lumbered to its feet. It spread its wings, fire spilling around its body as it began a see-through frame of itself. The heart floated over to it and sank into the monster's chest. "Two hearts beat as one as the fires of hell and the ambition of a king bind together! Terror drenched in fear becomes the dread that uplifts the tyrant king! Burst Synchro Summon!"

Her monster was wreathed in blazing hellfire, a living fireball that drowned out all the light in the room. Chloe and Jessie shied away from the intense heat, but Kaede just stared at it in relieved awe as her clothing and hair billowed.

Then the flames were sucked into the new monster with an abrupt roar. Kaede's dragon stood half as tall again as it had before, its wings nothing but raw, brutal flames. Bone armor mingled with red scales to create a cruel, tyrannical appearance as blade-tipped tail lashed about. The dragon's face had become a helm in which the face of Terrorking Archfiend could be seen, the bigger monster holding a larger version of his bastard sword. "Red Dragon Archfiend - Dreadking!" (3500/2500)

"That's it." Serenity said, her face showing pride. "Take the struggle that was forced upon you as your own and make it your strength - then, no one can make you suffer like that again."

"I activate Dreadking's effect! King's Judgement!" Kaede and her monster pointed at Fusion Trench together. "I destroy one card on the field!" The trap exploded, Dreadking holding up his sword as the pixels were sucked into it. "Thanks to the Emperor's Heart, my monster gets five hundred attack each time an Archfiend destroys a card!" (3500-4000)

Dreadking drew back his sword, black and red flames igniting around the blade. "Now my monster attacks and when he declares one, all of your monsters are destroyed! Tyrant's Judgement!"

Serenity braced herself as a sweep of the sword sent out a arc of flames. The flames slammed into all three of her monsters, incinerating them into ashes in an instant. Dreadking rumbled darkly in amusement at the expression of his power, then slashed his sword down. The new arch crashed into the original flames, causing the entire blaze to crash over Serenity like a tidal wave. (4000-5500)

"Jeezus, that's brutal!" Jessie couldn't help herself (something) as Serenity howled briefly in pain. "Kae, you could hold back a little, you know? She's practically your mom!"

Chloe pointed as the flames extinguished slowly. "I don't think Kaede's mom is like that, though."

Serenity was bleeding smoke, her body and clothing decorated in scorch marks. But her grin was eager and wild, a darkly pleased laugh coming from deep inside her. "That's a good hit, kiddo. You've finally felt like a real duelist rather than a play actor…now I can take this seriously." (SLP:7200-1700)

Kaede's return smile was just as dark, if lacking the vampiric cruelty to it. Dreadking just crooked his free hand in the universal 'come and get me' gesture. "Bring it."

"Done and done." Serenity drew and held up the card. "Graceful Charity. I draw three cards and discard two." She pulled the cards free and slid them into her graveyard. "Then, I play Dark Calling. I fusion summon an Evil Hero by banishing the materials from my hand and graveyard." Three cards fell out of her graveyard. "Avian, Bubbleman and Sparkamn combine!"

Lightning, water and black wind gathered together on her field into a small, violent tornado. It blew apart as her new monster stretched black-feathered wings. The monster looked like E-Hero Tempest or Typhoon, but instead of a blaster, he had clawed blades jutting over each wrist, the armor carrying that same darkly advanced vibe that Lightning Golem had with sharp angles and crackling electricity. "Evil Hero - Maelstrom!" (2800/2600)

"You can give him all the cool names you want, but he's barely half the strength of my Dreadking." Kaede pointed out as her monster regarded the lowly fusion with a sneer. She didn't bother to point out that thanks to Emperor's Heart, Dreadking could blow up a card she had in her hand to prevent his own death. The hero could learn that hard way.

"He doesn't have to attack your monster, just you." Serenity bared her fangs in a cruel sneer. "Maelstrom! Destroyer Mode!" Her set card shattered and the hero glowed, his armor and form shifting to became even more cruel and angular, his claw blades now sizzling with electricity like a chainsaw. "I destroy one card, reduce his attack by eight hundred and then he attacks you directly! Death Blow!"

Kaede gasped as the monster winked out of sight, then reappeared in front of her. Instead of slashing her, though, he drove both claws into and through her guts, lifting her off the floor as air painfully forced its way out of her lungs. It wasn't real and hurt only so much, but that didn't stop her from crashing to her knees as the fusion retreated. (KLP: 0)

"That was brutal." Jessie winced in sympathy at her cousin's labored breathing as she and Chloe trotted up to her. "In like all the ways - you need anything, Special K?"

"Yeah…a new nickname.." Kaede said with an eye roll at her cousin. She did accept the blonde's hand up, though.

"Still want to give up your dragons?" Chloe asked cautiously. "There is no rule saying you can't just challenge Skeleton Knight immediately - just common sense it's probably not a good idea."

"Ooh, ignore common sense and fight me again!" Serenity said with that fang-bearing smile as she came to the group. "We barely got our duel on, Kaede! It's not often I get to duel a mini-me!"

"Hey, if you want…" Kaede cracked a smile, holding up her Dreadking and Archfiend's Heart card pointedly. "Now that I know how to use these, there's no way -" She let out a sqwuak of panic and surprise as both of the cards vanished into golden lights. "Hey! My power-ups!"

Jessie stared at the vanishing card. "Hey! If she can't have them, can I?" As if to mock her, the cards dissolved away even faster.

Serenity laughed at the two cousins' nearly identical forlorn looks. "It looks like you've got a ways to go before you can handle that power-up. You only just came to grips with having a magical dragon and everything. Don't worry, You'll get there eventually." She pointed with her bone hand at her tiara. "I certainly did."

"You're not much older than I am." Kaede pointed out.

"For your information, young lady, I'm almost eighty." Serenity laughed again as all three women's jaws dropped. "Like I said, I'm magic. Speaking of which, I know why the Crimson Dragon picked me to challenge you, Kaede."

"You do?" Kaede blinked as the alternate version of her mother crooked her finger. The Eliminator moved over to her and let herself be pulled away as Serenity leaned in to whisper to her.

Jessie was leaning forwards, only to be yanked back by Chloe's hand on her collar. "Hey!"

"This wasn't your challenge, you're not a Signer or a seekrit surprise waifu." Chloe said sternly. "Don't be nosy."

"I'm her cousin! This was a huge moment for her! I want to share it with her!" Jessie huffed and crossed her arms as Chloe just stared levelly at her. "Fine, spoilsport. Sheesh, you have the whole 'mom face' thing down pat."

"I find being a Priestess is like being a parent, except the kids are also adults and even less likely to listen to you." Chloe said dryly, watching as Kaede strode back to them. Serenity was waving and then she vanished into a swirl of blue flames that returned to Skeleton Knight. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"No reason." Kaede said, slinging her arms around the shoulders of her companions and guiding them towards the Temple's door. "She just gave me some good advice about being myself and this whole 'destiny' thing."

"Any of it that the rest of us can use?"

"Sorry, Jess." Kaede didn't sound sorry at all. "Redheads only!"

"Psh, fine, whatever. You guys need something in common beyond not having souls."

"Gingers do too have souls!...we just tend to sell ours for stuff."

TTTTTTT

A/N: Well, that took a lot longer than I thought! But well worth it, neh? Next chapter, Verthy faces her own trial in both learning how to deal with the Cyber-Style and a Signer both as an enemy with a very familiar face comes to visit…

See it all in: The Invincible Sword of Heaven!

Created Cards:

Kaede:

Terrorking Ascendant
DARK
4 stars
Fiend/Effect
2000/1500
Effect:(This card is always treated as 'Terrorking Archfiend) During your Standby Phase, roll a six-sided die, then pay life points equal to the number rolled x100. (This is not optional.) Once per turn, you can roll a six-sided die and apply the appropriate effect depending on the result:
1-2: You can Normal Summon another 'Archfiend' monster this turn. (You can only gain this effect once)
3-4: You can add an 'Archfiend' S/T from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand.
5-6: You can add another 'Archfiend' monster from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand.

Refraction Archfiend
DARK
2 stars
Fiend/Effect
700/600
Effect: During your Standby Phase, roll a six-sided die, then pay life points equal to the number rolled x100. (This is not optional.) While this card is face-up on the field, when you pay life points for an Archfiend card, your opponent pays 400 life points. This card cannot be attacked if you control another 'Archfiend' monster. If an 'Archfiend' card you would be destroyed by your opponent's card, you can tribute this card; negate that destruction and destroy one card on your opponent's field. You can only use this effect of 'Refraction Archfiend' once per turn. You can only control one 'Refraction Archfiend.'

Serenity:

Evil Hero - Faded Tulip
DARK
6 stars
Fiend/Effect
1900/2000
Effect: This card's ATK can only be increased by its own effect. Once per turn, you can increase this card's ATK by 400. Once per turn, you can inflict damage to your opponent's life points equal to the difference between this card's original ATK and this card's current ATK; then, reduce the ATK and DEF of one face-up monster on the field by the amount of damage inflicted.

Evil Hero - Tellus
EARTH
8 stars
Fiend/Fusion/Effect
2200/2000
Effect: 1 'HERO' Monster + 1 EARTH HERO monster
Must be Special Summoned with 'Dark Fusion. When this card is Summoned, you can flip all of your opponent's monsters into face-up Defense Position. (Flip Effects are not activated), then reduce the ATK and DEF all monsters your opponent controls by 500, then this card gains 500 ATK and DEF x the number of monsters your opponent controls. You can only use this effect of 'Evil Hero - Tellus' once per turn.

Evil Hero - Maelstrom
DARK
8 stars
Fiend/Fusion/Effect
2800/2600
Effect: Elemental Hero Avian + Elemental Hero Sparkman + Elemental Hero Bubbleman
Must be Special Summoned with 'Dark Fusion'. Once per turn, you can destroy one card you control and reduce this card's ATK by 800, then apply one of the following effects:
-This card can attack your opponent directly.
-When this card battles an opponent's monster, at the start of the Damage Step, banish that monster.

E- Eternal Vigilance
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Reveal one 'Evil Hero' fusion monster in your Extra Deck; then add one copy of each 'Elemental Hero' listed as a Fusion Material Monster from your Deck, Graveyard or that is banished to your hand. You can only activate this card's effect once per turn.

Image: Elemental Hero Avian and Destiny Hero - Doom Lord overlooking an alleyway as a robbery is taking place.

I - Internal Darkness
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Add one 'Elemental Hero' in your graveyard and one 'Dark Fusion' that is in your graveyard or is banished to your hand.

Image: Elemental Hero Necroshade being bathed in power that is transforming him into Evil Hero - Sinister Nekrom.