Meisa didn't have time to wait and the moment the medical team arrived on site, she took the Map Card she needed, handed Haga over to them and left at a run, worried that she'd taken too long to get to her next 'class' and something bad had already happened.

The next riddle made it clear where their next lesson was to be held and the Pharaoh was fuming at its location. The Shadow Game that Hanaq had trapped them in was supposed to prevent both Pharaoh and 'teacher' from attacking the other's family and friends. Yet Ishizu had stolen Katsuya's sister and now had a minion threatening the Kame Game Shop, where their grandfather was watching the event on television between customers.

'Can you save your own precious store?' The words echoed around the Pharaoh's mind as she sprinted, the Duel Disk upon her arm slamming into her side repeatedly, leaving it sore. Not that she cared. They could heal it later, their Jii-san's safety was far more important.

She wished she had time to stop and enjoy watching the duels that were going on around her as she went. For most other people, Battle City was a festival. A time to relax and have fun competing against others of similar skill.

For her? And for her friends? Ishizu had turned a party into a hellscape. Every duel was a matter of life and death for her and Imoto.

Shizuka had been kidnapped, turning what would've been a bad couple of days into an absolute nightmare for Katsuya.

Honda was probably hunting for Katsuya's sister, meaning he would be on his feet constantly rather than getting any chance to sit down and watch a duel or two.

Anzu was stuck on edge of her seat, waiting for information to come her way, rather than able to actively assist for a while, and had to pretend nothing was wrong while quietly freaking out under the surface, because it was her mother's birthday and she'd insisted on Anzu going to the Aquarium with her and Anzu didn't want to ruin her day.

Even Amane and Ba-Khu-Ra were in hell with them and, hopefully, were helping Katsuya get his sister back, which meant possibly going head to head with Ishizu.

And now?

As she slid onto her street, she could already see the gathered crowd outside her store. Hoping against hope that they were only milling around because the place was busy, she reached the front door to find a huge, broad shouldered blonde male with a Duel Disk on his arm and an American flag for a bandana, was looming over her Jii-san, and several of the display cases had been knocked over.

Her Jii-san was being dragged into the mess with them.

The people outside were awkward looking regulars, one of whom grabbed Meisa's arm as she started to reach for the handle. "Careful. He's looking for you."

"Thanks for the warning." She gave a smile she did not feel but it seemed to reassure the customer, who let go and let her pass.

As the entrance bell rang, both men turned to look at her. Meisa sensed the shock that travelled through the bond from her sister as she recognised the one threatening her home and family.

'Howard Keith, aka Bandit Keith. He was the American Champion before Rebecca, but he wasn't there for regionals this year. Rumour was he got blacklisted, but no one's seen him in forever.' Imoto fed her twin the information as Meisa shut the door behind her.

Confusion flickered through the Pharaoh. They'd not had a run in with this Duelist. There was no reason for him to be hunting them for Ishizu.

"There you are." Bandit Keith smirked, his English laced with an accent similar to Katsuya's, suggesting he was from America, since Katsuya had learned the language by watching mobster movies. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

"I don't know what your problem is, but if it's with me then leave my store alone and come with me. We'll settle this like Duelists." She raised her left arm, indicating her Duel Disk.

"Yugi."

At her grandfather's call, she glanced from the American to him. Her lips pursed and anger surged as she noted the way he was guarding the entrance to the stock areas, whose door was slightly ajar. Through it, she could see Kiyoko, their full-time staff member, was hiding, clutching her right arm with her left, suggesting it was injured.

"I'll be fine, Jii-san." She made a promise she could not be certain she would keep as she nodded towards the front door. Keith glanced from her to the crowd outside, then to a golden coin that he pulled from his pocket.

Meisa's anger mingled with Yugi's anxiety as he contemplated the item, which radiated darkness. Just like the Spiderman toy that Haga had been carrying had.

"Not here." Meisa shook her head firmly, "Too many witnesses. Plus, someone will have called the cops by now. They'll interfere if they get here mid-Duel and you won't like the consequences if you're using Ishizu's magic. Trust me, cheating or having outside interference will have nasty consequences."

"Then what do you suggest?" Keith ignored the low hiss that Sugoroku let out at Meisa's words, and took a step towards the Pharaoh, "Because I'm going to kick your ass, one way or the other."

"Back garden. It's closed off and it'll take the police longer to find you."

It was also only lightly covered by the shop's security cameras, which would allow her some creative liberties when the police arrived.

"Fine. Doesn't matter to me. You're just a step on the path to get the bitch who fucked up my revenge on Duelist Kingdom." Keith agreed too easily, confusing Meisa further. She'd not seen Bandit Keith on the boat, nor had he been anywhere near her group of friends.

Still, it didn't matter. Not right now.

Instead of pressing for further information, she turned for the door. "Follow me?"

Turning her back was a mistake. The moment she wasn't looking at him, he burst into action, trying to seize her. The broken glass from the downed cases alerted her to his actions and she twisted around him, narrowly dodging his bullrush. He lashed out as he passed, knocking her sideways, to the floor, before sliding on the debris and collided with the case next to the front door.

It tumbled over, hitting the release button for the shutters which came down with a crash and blocked the entrance. Now trapped within the store, unless they wanted to let the brute up into their flat, Meisa rose sharply to her feet and placed herself between her grandfather and Kiyoko and the thug who had attacked them, trying to ignore the pain in her right arm and hand from where they had collided with the glass on the floor.

"Enough." She hissed, her eyes glowing in perfect synch with the Puzzle lighting up as she wiped the blood from her right hand on her black jacket. "Jii-san, I'll handle this. Please take Kiyoko upstairs."

"You're hurt. I should…"

"I'll be fine. Go!"

The distraction cost Meisa precious time and her eyes widened as her opponent glared at her and snapped the coin. Reacting quickly, she shoved her grandfather into the storeroom and slammed the door shut, just before the darkness that was unleashed swirled up and around, consuming the room and dragging everyone in it into the game.

The shop around them shifted and warped, its walls growing metallic and unforgiving. The air temperature dropped several degrees, and the sounds of mechanical construction provided a low hum, though Meisa knew that it was a product of the Shadows, rather than a real thing.

Just like the wires that wrapped around the legs and upper arms of both Duelists, holding them in place.

'Restrained again…' Meisa mentally hissed, unhappy with losing the chance to start the game on her terms and with once more being unable to move.

'We'll get out of this too, Anesan.'

Her sister's faith in her was reassuring as the Pharaoh watched the Duelist opposite struggle a little in his own bonds, as if testing their security.

When he was sure they were firm, he smirked at her.

"You're a valuable prize. If I defeat you, I've been promised another one of these." He let the pieces of the coin fall to the floor, "And about half a million yen."

Meisa wasn't sure he knew what the value of that was in his own currency. She was certain he would be sorely disappointed to find out it was only around $3300. Not that she planned to lose here.

Not with Imoto's life on the line.

She activated her Duel Disk and drew her first hand, trying to get a feel for the Shadows around her and what game had been put in place, but the energies were too chaotic. Her opponent didn't have a firm grip on the magic he was weaving, and it showed in the Shadow Game around them.

"You can go first." Keith sneered, unconcerned as he activated his own Duel Disk. "It won't matter."

"Just because you used to be a Champion, doesn't mean I'll be easy to beat." Meisa countered as she drew. "I summon Double Coston in attack mode and set a card face down. Your move."

The two little ball-like ghosts swirled around their summoner as their attack score flashed up at 1700, phasing through the wires binding her, as the face down card appeared before her.

"Your face down cards don't scare me, kid." The huge brute of a Duelist snickered, disconcerting the Pharaoh, who was used to people knowing about the dangers of her back row and being wary of it, "I summon Mechanicalchaser, who attacks your ghosts!"

The Machine monster, a spear-carrying mechanical guardian, appeared on the field. Its attack points flashed up as it lunged forward, revealing it could strike for 1850. It stabbed forward and managed to skewer both spectres who shrieked as they shattered, costing Meisa 150 life points.

As the Pharaoh's life points trickled down, electricity surged from the wires and coursed through her nerves making her yelp. The painful pulse was short lived and cut off when her life points settled but the Pharaoh shuddered as she tried to process what had just happened.

At the back of her mind, she could feel her sister barely holding back the wave of torturous memories that were threatening to overwhelm them both. Her own spotty memory was not much better behaved and as she forced herself to straighten and try to hide the pain, she had to force back the nausea that accompanied the torture- induced PTSD.

The last time they'd been electrocuted had been when they'd been at the mercy of Hirutani and his gang. She and Imoto had suffered what felt like an eternity of taser-induced pain at their hands before Katsuya had come to their aid.

"I…I draw." She stammered, her heart pounding and her muscles aching as she pulled the top card of her deck. She'd been bluffing with her face down card and now she needed to try and avoid getting shocked like that again. Thankfully her drawn monster would help. "Why would you even cast this Shadow Game? It'll hurt you too."

"I didn't think it would work." Keith admitted with a slightly more wary shrug, "I just asked the magic to do whatever would freak you out the most."

Meisa wasn't sure how she felt about that. While this was something she knew she'd be having nightmares about later, she also knew what would freak her out more. At the same time, she was really glad the Shadows weren't threatening her sister. Possibly because the game had to be fair, and Bandit Keith had no sibling here to offer as tribute for the game.

"I set a monster in defence mode." She called, setting her Mystical Elf on the field. "And end my turn."

"What's the matter? Scared?" Keith snickered as he drew, "It doesn't matter what you throw on the field, I'll wreck you and then I'll move on to the other bitch."

"Which other girl?" Meisa glowered, using her anger as a brace to force her mind to focus.

"White hair, one of those stupid golden things. Thought she had the right to challenge me to some stupid game after I tried to steal it from her." The former Champion gestured as best he could to the Millennium Puzzle.

Meisa's eyes widened as she realised who he meant and silently cursed the Thief Queen for antagonising the former Champion.

"I shouldn't have missed my shot, but I bet that hunk of gold will make me rich. Hers too."

"I won't let you have it." Meisa's hand rested upon the artefact in question as her eyes narrowed at the thug who wanted it.

He drew and placed a second monster on the field. A second Mechanicalchaser joined the first upon the field. The two knocked their spears together in greeting. "All I have to do is beat you and I can take it, right?"

"Over my dead body." Or Imoto's, but she wasn't about to say that out loud.

"By the time this duel is over, you won't have the strength to resist me." Keith sneered, "Mechanicalchaser, attack her monster!"

One of his beasts surged forward and tried to drive his spear into the card, only for the tip to break off and spin in Keith's direction, stabbing him in the foot. He bellowed in pain as a similar surge of lightning surged through him as his life points dropped to the same as Meisa's, 3850.

"See what you've put in motion?" Meisa asked as he shuddered. "You're as fragile in this realm as I…"

'Oh… oh no…' Yugi's words hit her at the same time as the understanding of just why the game was so dangerous.

If she lost, Imoto would die and, by extension, she would be sealed away again. Shadow Games had to be fair. Which meant the consequences had to be just as bad for her opponents.

'Ishizu would have known about that when she chose our enemies.' Meisa spoke quickly as she drew, 'That's why she's not using her siblings to test us. That's why she's sending cheaters. They're expendable, at least to her.'

She added the latter when she felt her twin's disagreement at a human being expendable, but in her own mind, if it came to the life of a bully and cheat, or the life of her twin, it would be her twin who won every time. Ishizu probably felt the same way about her brothers.

"I sacrifice my Mystical Elf for my Summoned Skull."

The huge demonic Fiend only fitted in the space because of the Shadow Game's expansion of the space, but its bellow as it beheld the mechanical monstrosities below its huge skeletal head was reassuring.

As much as their Dark Magician, Mahad, would always be their ace, the Summoned Skull had the same attack points, 2500, for one less tribute and 900 less defence. It was too valuable a card to put aside.

"Summoned Skull, Lightning Strike!"

The elemental lightning gathered in the great claws of the beast before lancing down and striking one of the Machines. It exploded, overcharged by miles, costing its summoner 650 life points.

Keith's cry as his own Shadow Game shocked him made Yugi shudder, but Meisa managed to hold still. He'd brought this upon himself and if she allowed herself to be distracted, she would get her sister killed.

He shuddered in his wire bonds as his life points settled on 3200, panting for breath for a moment before drawing, discarding a card and glaring at her, "This isn't over! Tribute to the Doomed!"

"What?!" Meisa yelped as depraved, decrepit, decomposing hands grabbed her Fiend and dragged it down, pulling it into the underworld and leaving her unprotected.

"Now you're wide open! Mechanicalchaser!"

At his demand the remaining Mechanicalchaser shot forward and ran the Pharaoh through. Its weapon pierced her side and passed right through, pain blossoming where it went. She quickly clamped down on the bond as the spear pulled back, just in time to protect her twin from the worst of the lightning that surged down the wires binding the Pharaoh, forcing her to let loose the scream she had tried to suppress as 1850 of her life points vanished.

As the Duel Disk finally settled on 2000, the shock cut off. Concern pulsed down the mostly closed soul link when the only thing keeping the Pharaoh upright were the wires binding her.

The body was trembling and her mind was shaking with it. The prolonged shock pushing her into a memory of the warehouse they had been dragged to and the vindictive, vicious brutes who had hurt them for daring to try and protect a friend from their wrath.

'Anesan!' Imoto's mental voice and pull, pushed through the jeers and dragged her back into the corridor between their Soul Rooms where she was pulled into a hug, just as Meisa had pulled her twin into mental safety many times before, "I've got you."

"I… I'm fine." The Pharaoh's hand went to the spot where the spear had struck and she swallowed hard as her hand came away covered in spectral, shimmering blood. "I'll be fine."

Yugi grimaced, unable to help but notice the correction. She reached for her sister, wanting to heal the wound, only to pull back when she remembered that interfering in the duel would have consequences. "I can help if you need me."

"No." The objection was firm as the Pharaoh straightened, not wanting her sister to think less of her. Especially when she could feel Imoto was as shaky as she was. "No, I've got this."

"Anesan." Yugi put her hand on her sister's arm. "If you need me, I'm here."

"Thank you." Meisa ruffled Yugi's hair and stepped back into the body, which straightened from its slump.

"You're awake?" Keith looked disappointed as she drew.

"You're dishonourable enough to win by default?" Meisa raised an eyebrow at him before considering her hand, relief settling in when she saw what her draw had provided her with. "Card in defence mode, card face down."

"A win is a win." Keith shrugged as he drew and summoned a second monster. His Ground Attacker Bugroth, an insectoid-looking machine with 1500 attack points, launched a canon blast at her newly set monster.

It flipped face up, revealing an elderly wizard with a cane.

"You flipped my Old Vindictive Magician and activated his effect." The Pharaoh smirked, pleased that she'd read him so easily and suddenly wondered if Pegasus had even needed his Millennium Eye to predict the former Champion. Or whether he was struggling more than he was letting on…

"He can destroy a monster when he's flipped up and I choose to get rid of your Mechanicalchaser!"

Keith's other monster exploded, preventing it from attacking Meisa directly as the Bugroth's attack shattered her magician. Since the Spellcaster was in defence mode, she didn't lose any life points, protecting her this turn as he set a card face down.

"I'm going to beat you." The Pharaoh promised she drew. "I call forth Beta the Magnet Warrior, and it attacks your Bugroth!"

The yellow mechanoid jumped forward and punched the opposing monster, turning it into trash and costing Keith 200 life points.

The short, sharp shock frustrated the American, who'd been more than willing to accept the win by default and his movements were sharp as he drew. His head was pounding, his chest tight, and the drag he could feel pulling him down made him even more short tempered.

He wanted to go and kick his opponent's ass but with the wires holding firm, he would have to rely on his cards doing it for him.

"I use Graceful Charity." At his call, he drew three cards and discarded two, "Then I activate my Monster Reborn."

The moment the card hit the field, a burst of silver light erupted from the ground and slowly shifted shapes until it took the form of a three-headed mechanical dragon, whose snouts were huge gun barrels. The system flashed up an attack power of 2600 which would've made Meisa take a step back, if she'd not been bound in place.

"And I activate its effect." Three coins appeared in the air before him. "If I get two heads, I can destroy one monster on your field and still get to attack."

Meisa's eyes widened as the coins tumbled from the air and she winced as they clinked to the floor with three heads face up. The dragon's barrels lit up and fired their ammo into her Beta, who didn't stand a chance and shattered into a million pieces.

"It's all over, Yugi! Barrel Dragon attacks you directly!"

The shots fired towards the Pharaoh would have eradicated her life points, except she flipped one of her two face down cards face up, revealing Magic Cylinder. The powerful cannon blasts were absorbed by one of the brightly coloured tubes and fired back out of the other, back at Keith, who took it to the chest, scorching his clothes and shocking him for 2600 life points.

Relief that it wasn't her, warred with anger and concern as Keith let out a screech. The electricity coursed through him, making him shudder and leaving him gasping for breath. As it finally cut off, he slumped in the grasp of the wires.

"I don't want to kill you." Meisa was honest as his life points flashed up at 400. "But I won't let you kill me either."

"You… little bitch." He huffed out as he staggered to his feet, "I'm gonna… kick your ass."

"You can try." She drew and hid her concern. She didn't know what was going on with her deck, but she just wasn't pulling the cards she needed. Still, the monster she laid in defence mode would help unless Barrel Dragon's effect destroyed it.

Then it would be all over.

"Your monster isn't going to save you." Keith's crow made Meisa a little nervous as the coins appeared before him again. "One coin toss stands between me and half a million dollars."

"Yen." Meisa reminded him as her eyes tracked the coins as they tumbled to the floor and both she and her sister prayed for tails.

They got their wish. Two coins landed on tails, preventing the dragon from using its ability and protecting their life points.

Until…

"I play Stop Defence." Upon activation, her monster rose unwillingly to its feet, through its card, revealing it to be Obnoxious Celtic Guard; a Celtic Guardian variant with 1400 attack that couldn't be destroyed by any monster with attack higher than 1900. "And attack your monster!"

While the Guard couldn't be destroyed, her life points weren't braced herself as the dragon's power ripped through the warrior monster. The attack cost the Pharaoh 1200 life points, which were ripped away in a burst of electricity that left her shuddering violently as her Duel Disk settled on 800.

"Next turn, you're toast." Keith gloated as she mentally leaned on her twin, able to sense that her sister was hurting as much as she was but needing the support.

The Pharaoh shook her head as she forced herself to straighten and draw. Her smile unnerved her opponent as she beheld her drawn card.

'Finally.' Yugi's relief merged with her own as she beheld the card she had drawn. "I sacrifice my Obnoxious Celtic Guard for the Dark Magician Girl!"

Mana took the field in a burst of purple and pink magical sparkles. Her head tilted as she considered the mechanical dragon opposite her and her attack flashed up as 2000.

"She's not strong enough to save you." Keith let out an unamused snort.

"But she can be with this." Meisa activated her face down card, the one she'd set in turn one. It flipped up to reveal Magic Formula, which shifted from a card into a book that settled in Mana's hands. The Dark Magician Girl flipped through the pages as her attack grew by 700, making her stronger than Barrel Dragon.

The curse Keith let out as Mana flipped her hair over her shoulder and levelled her staff at his beast wasn't quite drowned out by the burst of power that launched itself forward and ploughed through the dragon, causing it to collapse in on itself and disintegrate as it hit the floor.

The shock that came from a loss of 100 life points wasn't strong, but added to the previous jolts. It was enough to make Keith start seeing double. He only had 300 life points left. He couldn't afford to lose any more and his set card, Time Machine, would only return his Barrel Dragon to the field with 2600 attack.

Which wouldn't be enough.

He'd been warned that cheating would come with consequences, but he severely doubted that those consequences would be as bad as letting the game, which had gotten far out of hand, keep shocking him. He could feel his heart pounding fast enough to ache, his hands and feet were numb and his vision blurred.

He needed to end the game as fast as possible. And that meant cheating.

"I activate my Time Machine!" As the huge metal chamber rose from the ground, Keith took advantage of the distraction to palm one of the 7 Completed cards from under his wristband.

Meisa, who'd been watching Barrel Dragon return to the field through the Time Machine's doors, suddenly sensed the power imprisoning them in the game violently object to something that'd just happened. Her head snapped towards Keith, certain he'd cheated, but she didn't get a chance to say anything before he'd slipped the 7 Completed card into his Duel Disk, empowering his dragon by 700 attack points, sealing his fate.

"Barrel Dragon, attack her Dark Magician Girl! WHAT?!"

As his dragon blasted Meisa's ally into the next century, ripping away another 600 life points, leaving her with just 200 points, wires erupted from the surrounding area and wrapped tightly around Keith's wrists, stopping him from drawing anything else from under his wristband.

If the Pharaoh had needed any confirmation that the Shadow Game had thoroughly turned on its summoner, the lack of electrical shock from her life point loss confirmed she was the winner.

But still… the duel wasn't officially over and she HAD to win to protect her sister's life.

"The Shadows don't like a cheat. They will tear a cheater into pieces before they let them win. And so will I." The Pharaoh hissed out, able to hear the whispers of the darkness around them as the machine factory slowly faded into a nightmare hellscape of swirling magics, "I activate Card of Sanctity, allowing me to draw until I have six cards in my hand."

Her deck was as angry at his cheating as she was and gave her not only Monster Reborn, but everything she needed to win.

"I play Monster Reborn, bringing back my Beta the Magnet Warrior and tribute it and the Alpha and Gamma in my hand to summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!"

The magnet warriors appeared on the field briefly, then tumbled into pieces which reformed into a huge, intimidating winged mechanoid warrior with a sword. The 3500 attack point machine didn't hesitate to strike down its 3300 attack point opponent, taking another 200 life points from its summoner whose face went a pale shade of gray as he realised it was all, very much over.

"I'm sorry." The Pharaoh breathed, able to sense the sorrow in her twin's heart at having to do this to survive but knowing that the Shadows were going to claim him with or without her help, "But I don't have a choice."

Keith's bellow as he tried to rip free of the wires was feral. They held firm, preventing him from getting to the Pharaoh and hurting her.

"Do you have a move?" Meisa asked, her tone far calmer than she felt.

"Go fuck yourself," the former Champion finally hissed out, beyond furious that his plans had collapsed so badly.

"Not today, thank you." Meisa drew, but didn't need the card she pulled. "Valkyrion, please. Let's get this over with."

The Magna Warrior nodded and lunged forwards, running through Keith and deducting 3500 attack points from his life points, ending the duel.

The Shadows swarmed him in a vortex of nightmares as they dragged him back into the dark abyss from which Ishizu had freed his mind. Meisa could feel her twin look away, unable to watch, but she did not tear her eyes away. Not when she had cast this judgement upon him.

As the darkness faded away and daylight returned to the devastated store, her soul shook from the damage it'd taken and Meisa found her head swimming and her world tilting sideways.

Yugi surged up, trying to seize control, but before she could force a switch between them, the Pharaoh felt herself slump into the chest of another female and she glanced at the one who'd caught her only for her eyes to widen. "When did… you get here?"

"Hey Pharaoh. I've been here since just after the game kicked off." Ba-Khu-Ra smirked as she wrapped an arm around Meisa, giving her better support until she could find her footing again. "You look like shit."

"You should see… the other guy." The Pharaoh mumbled, weakly gesturing to where Keith's soulless form lay collapsed on the floor.

The Thief Queen's chuckle was cut short by the sound of Meisa's phone alerting her to a message. The Pharaoh checked it and let out a tired laugh, "Guess that's two down…"

"Oh?" Ba-Khu-Ra looked at the phone, which had more from Ishizu.

"Congratulations on passing test two." She read, able to feel the Pharaoh physically relaxing against her at the words, "Here is your clue for the next round."

"Bring it on." Meisa tried to push herself away from the Thief Queen, knowing she needed to manage for herself if she wanted to get through the rest of the trials, only to find the Thief's grip stronger than she'd anticipated.

"Lesson three will bring you down, unless in fear you do not drown. Your teacher belongs in a coliseum, you'll find him at…"

Ba-Khu-Ra frowned, "Have they all been riddles?"

"So far, yes." The Pharaoh nodded. "I have to go. Before the police get here."

Pounding on the door confirmed it was too late for that and as Ba-Khu-Ra finally let go, allowing the Pharaoh to stand on her own, Meisa grimaced, worried about the timings if she got caught up in their questioning.

"I'll help you get away." Ba-Khu-Ra promised. "But you and I need to talk first."

"What's happened?"

"You're going to want to sit down."