A/N: Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, f7 - a drabble novel, and for the The Halloween Trick or Treat Bag (Advent) (2015), day 14 - caramel corn: write a drabble novel.

This drabble novel was written after episode 127 aired, so it's probably not compatible with any future episodes. Because of this, some of the cards are made up as well, including two of the four special spells Leo made (and the other two are from Yuzu's and Selena's decks, but aren't necessarily the ones he meant - they just are for this fic). I've also tweaked Astrograph Magician's ability, because there's something in the current translation that ruins the entire premise that sparked this fic otherwise... It made sense in my head though, so we'll see if it occurred to anyone else or not.

Anyway, that's enough babbling from me. Enjoy!

The Critical Pendulum
1: break the glass

They were all engrossed. Reiji duelled the Professor, initial strategy thrown at the unexpected loss of his duelling partner, the four girls pounded on their glasses, Sakaki Yushou knelt next to his son and Reira wasn't sure what was happening to Yuuya.

Until his hair straightened and shortened and he stood up and took his place again, ignoring his father's worry. 'This looks like a fun duel.'

No, that wasn't Yuuya after all. He was bleeding with too much anger and hate and…something else, something he couldn't quite describe. Reira cringed away. The girls pounded on their prisons. Reiji tensed and now he was caught between two evils and he wasn't prepared to handle them both at once.

He'd stacked his odds on Yuuya, after all, and the scale was tipping the other way.

He had to do something. His brother needed help. But if Reiji was outmatched in that duel, he'd only be in the way and he was terrified. Terrified of the man that was the father on paper and no way else. Terrified of that dark power leaking from not-Yuuya's eyes as well. But the girls would be worse, locked away and unable to do a thing from behind that glass –

A clumsy plan slotted into place, but it worked because nobody saw it coming until it was too late.