Author's note: This doesn't mean the story's back on, sadly. Consider this a "lost chapter", one I posted elsewhere but never brought here until now. There were two others, but they involved characters and cards from Occam Razor/Cyber Commander/Brian, and we… haven't gotten along in roughly a decade now. So I'm afraid this is probably it, as far as that goes.

While I have your attention, I would like to apologize for the chapter "Catfight" and its rather hideous amounts of transphobia. I was younger then, and stupid when it came to the topic. Also, the duel was a terrible mishmash, not worthy of the story. The only thing I still like out of the chapter is the idea that Gerald makes an attractive woman.

I have spent almost seventy years on this Earth. My mastery of the arts of the druids is greater, perhaps, than any before me, and it has made my time here worthwhile. I have seen my son grow into a strong, kind man, one whose knowledge of our art is almost as powerful as my own, and I have lived to see him take a wife and bring children of his own into the world.

I, Ulysses Cantrell, Chosen of the Light, should have known that even this late in my life, such peace was an illusion. The Darkness has risen again, this time in the state I call home.

The one trusted to battle back the Darkness, Gerald Laxina, lies before me with a grievous wound in his side. Even as I try to fix it, however, I know for a fact that his counterparts are not going to sit idle. Gerald's friends are likely under attack even now, and I know my interference will not improve matters.

All I can do is hope for three things – that the Darkness is overconfident, that his friends can handle this on their own, and that I made a mistake when I looked into Chad's soul earlier, when I sensed that mass of chaotic, bestial impulses.

While I have faith in the veracity of my first two beliefs, I'm too good with my magic to have much hope for that last one...

Chapter Thirty-Three: Reflected Power

The glass bridge ended in a small room, at the end of which stood a giant door, apparently carved from solid oak and polished to a brilliant finish. Lucifer Allumette, standing in front of that door, knew better - there were no trees in Mythos unless someone put them there with their minds. The door was a solid illusion.

As he stood before the door, the Beloved of Fire took a deep breath, fire flickering around him. Once I pass through that door, he thought, my existence goes on the line. Whether I live on or cease to exist is entirely in their hands. Divine stand beside me...

There came a creak, and the doors slowly opened. Lucifer walked through the opening, following the red carpet.

Beyond those doors lay an immense hall, looking as though it were carved entirely from a single pink diamond of impossible size. The facets reflected Lucifer as he moved into the center, standing finally on a circle carved from blue diamond. Windows shone with a gentle light all around the top, and before the circle there stood a set of three thrones, sitting back-to-back-to-back.

The Beloved of Fire knew better than that – nobody ever sat in those thrones. They were there solely for appearance's sake.

A shout, a sigh, and a yawn echoed in the air, and Lucifer looked up, thinking, It is about to begin.

Pink mist blew through the hall, and three figures appeared within it, rotating slowly. As the mist faded, they became more defined, hovering over the three thrones and staring down at him. The figures floated in the air, each of them with their backs to a long ivory staff, its head topped with a pink diamond. They were the Awakened, the living embodiment of Dreams.

One of the figures appeared as a thin young man, his hair a dark gray and hanging in his eyes. He wore gray robes, and one leg hung down as the other was tucked up behind it. His eyes were half-open, and a permanent expression of dismay sat on his face. This was the Awakened Equity.

The second of the figures was a heavily muscled figure, its face veiled and its hands clenched into fists. It wore a long black cloak, and its eyes were wide and staring behind the veil. Every few moments its body shook in suppressed anger. This was the Awakened Rage, and Lucifer knew from experience that it would be his harshest judge.

The last of the three looked to be a young woman, her legs crossed beneath her and her eyes shut. Her hair was long and white, dangling around her shoulders as she floated beside the other two, yawning every moment or so. She wore robes of pure white, and a serene expression crossed her lips. This was the Awakened Understanding, most lenient of the Awakened.

For a moment more they rotated, and finally they stopped with Equity standing before Lucifer. The Beloved of Fire knelt, head down, and said in Mythian, "Masters."

"Lucifer Allumette, Beloved of Fire," Equity replied, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder why we trust you to act in your own interest."

"I have done nothing that need not be done."

The Awakened rotated so that Rage stood in front, holding one of its fists out. "You dare to say such a thing?!" it roared, glaring down at him. "You willingly flout the rules of the Balance and claim you do nothing wrong? What sort of spirit are you?"

Looking up, Lucifer answered, "I said nothing of the sort. What I did was wrong, but it needed to be done."

Again they rotated, until Understanding was in front, her hands tucked under her chin. "We know of your intentions, Lucifer," she said in a soft tone, "and that is why you were called here instead of being obliterated where you stood."

Gulping, Lucifer nodded, chains shaking.

Equity came forward again, clearing his throat. He then said, "The charges against the Beloved of Fire are as follows, in part: use of Dream magic more powerful than allowed without permission, use of innate powers more powerful than allowed without requesting permission, granting a Dream artifact to a mortal without permission, use of Dream magic for selfish reasons, use of innate powers for selfish reasons, failure to supervise and counteract a half-spiritual offspring below the age of accountability..."

Lucifer scowled as the charge came out. If her mother were another spirit they wouldn't levy that charge... he thought.

"...and the most grievous charge of the list," Equity concluded, "breaking the rule of noninterference and directly aiding a non-allied servant of Light. Furthermore, in doing so you used Dream magics, thus elevating the charge."

Rage took over, eyes burning, and declared, "These misdeeds are so great that the highest possible punishment is your obliteration! Your name will be scoured from Reality and your form reduced to nothingness, along with all connected to it! Do you understand what this means, Beloved of Fire?"

Even as he paled, Lucifer nodded and answered, "All members of the Allumette family, their relatives, and their homes will be purged from the world." For a moment, he saw everything he had worked for torn from the world in his mind, and his body trembled

"But circumstances require that we thoroughly examine the situation," Understanding said as she came to the fore again, yawning. "You acted in what you thought was the best manner for the situation, and the results of your action cannot be ignored. Furthermore, you acted on the suggestion of another. Thus we have convened here to determine the best course of action..."

Both hands pulled at his chains, and Lucifer thought, I see that I need not expect trial by combat.

Equity came forth again and said, "We shall examine your soul, and the soul of one other whom you choose to speak in your defense. Both of your hearts shall be opened forth, and we will link them to our essence, revealing every fact and secret you may have about the events in the Prime Material. Only once we fully understand every angle of this affair will we pass our judgment."

Now Rage took the fore, burning eyes locked on Lucifer's, and shouted down at him, "Understand this, Allumette! This is your final chance! If what we see in your soul and your chosen defender does not justify your actions, obliteration is the only other alternative! The Divine will not interfere!"

"Since when has it ever..." the spirit of fire muttered to himself.

"You know full well I can hear that!" Rage interrupted.

The Awakened turned, and Understanding frowned, her eyes still closed. Some said she was in an eternal dream, and if so it had taken on shades of a nightmare. "Beloved of Fire, please... name the one whose soul will be examined alongside yours. They will be brought here."

It only took a moment. Forgive me... Looking up, he said, "I choose my daughter, Vivienne St. Juliet Allumette."

All three faces of the Awakened looked surprised, but then Understanding nodded before holding out her hands and speaking in pure, ringing syllables. It was Celestine itself, the language of the Divine, and although Lucifer could understand the meaning it had no translation into any human tongue. In any case, the words themselves were merely an agent of delivery; the true meaning was a call to the True Name of a target, bringing them to the speaker.

And Lucifer knew that True Name all too well. When his daughter was born, he had heard it for but a moment in the heat of her newborn body as she laid in his arms. He would never forget it.

Between blinks, Vivienne tumbled into view, letting out a small yelp as she bounced on the floor of the hall. She was wearing a thick flannel bathrobe over her nightgown, and her hair was somewhat puffy; apparently she hadn't bothered to comb. Seeing the Awakened, she yelped again and pulled the bathrobe tighter.

"Vivienne, when I left ze Mall of America it was 10 in ze morning... What are you still doing in your sleepwear?" her father asked in English, hand pressed to his forehead.

Her shock faded, and the girl turned to him, rubbing her eyes. "Well, you were gone, and I didn't have a whole lot I could do, so I just went back to bed... I just had breakfast about a half-hour ago."

"Ah... Zat figure over zere is my superior, ze Awakened of Dreams."

Vivienne's eyes went as wide as they could, and she turned to them again, hands falling to her sides as she stared up at them. Attempts to form words failed.

"Please regain calm," Equity said to her, reaching down and holding his hand towards her. "We have called you here at your father's request."

Rage then turned to her and held out its fists. "But if you waste our time, both of you will cease to exist!" it snarled.

"Rage..." Understanding said next, turning her head towards him and frowning. She then turned back to Vivienne and began to explain what they had in mind.

All the while, Lucifer knelt in his chains, thinking seven names to himself, the names of his late wives. All that we worked for, he thought to himself afterwards, lies in the balance. I acted in the name of friendship. I won't let all that we created come apart just because of that.

0000000

Ulysses Cantrell had invoked a minor spell taught him by a servant of the Light twenty years before, calling one of his key magical tools to him. It was a long, carefully carved oaken staff, ancient druidic symbols carved into its head. Now he stood over Gerald Laxina and placed an acorn on the bullet wound, frowning.

The group had taken Gerald's shirt off of the young man and washed the wound carefully, but Gerald didn't look any better. His face was contorted in shock, and his limbs twitched as he lay on his back. Already his skin had turned pale, and even with the bleeding stopped he didn't have very long.

This, then, was why Ulysses had called his staff back. He cracked the knuckles on his left hand, uttering a few words in a language forgotten since the Romans had invaded Britain, and held the staff's head over Gerald's stomach. Now he chanted, calling on the powers of nature inherent in the acorn, before setting the staff to it and speaking the most powerful of those words.

Green light flashed, and when it faded... the acorn was still there, as was the bullet wound, and Gerald didn't look any better.

The old man frowned, pulling his staff back and looking it over. "Now what on Earth is wrong with you?" he asked it, tapping the wood with his knuckles. "You can't be rotting, I apply beeswax every year just to make sure of that..."

"So it's all true, then?" a voice asked from the room's window. It was Oliver Laxina, who hadn't left the room after seeing his son's condition. He had refused, and Ulysses commiserated. They were both parents, first and foremost.

Turning to him, the older man replied, "Would you mind elaborating?"

Oliver turned from the window and sighed. "Magic is real... You use it, Lucifer uses it, they use it... At this point I doubt I would be surprised if my wife used it. It would explain how she keeps her hair that curled." He managed a smile, which faded with his next words. "But if that much is real, then what else is? Vampires, zombies, werewolves, dragons..."

One of Ulysses's hands went up, and he chuckled softly. "You need not get that way, Oliver," he said. "Just because one legend is true does not make them all true. In order..." He counted off on his fingers. "Vampires... used to be real. But several centuries ago there was a great war, masked by the Inquisition. Mankind turned on the vampires and wiped the world of them. If there are any left, they fled too far to be found. Zombies were found only in the service of the most powerful houngans and mambos to begin with, and I doubt there are any with that sort of power nowadays."

Even with that reassurance, it was clear the idea that zombies were ever real did not agree with Oliver's stomach.

"Werewolves," Ulysses went on, "never existed. They are but cultural and Hollywood myths. Dragons are the same; they never were. Fairies, mermaids, and all the others are early man's attempts to explain what was. As I said, you need not get that way – magic is all the fantasic that the world can really tolerate."

Wiping off his forehead, Oliver exhaled and said, "I see... In a way it's a little sad, but at least I don't need to reinforce the house against mummy attack. What about Atlantis?"

The word apparently hit the druid like a cannonball, and his grip on his staff tightened. He took a few deep breaths and said, "It was, once. Ten thousand years ago, when the magic I wield was still wild and untapped, it floated above the ocean, powered by an energy more foul than you could contemplate. But as Plato wrote, it sank into the sea under the weight of its hubris, and even its legacy is gone now."

"How did you learn all these things?" Oliver asked, eyebrow raising as he moved to the room's unoccupied bed.

Ulysses chuckled even as he tilted the acorn in Gerald's bullet wound back upright. "I listen carefully to the world's breath, and ask questions of the stones as I move through the mists. Which is a fancy way of saying I read probably more than is healthy and talk to the right people." His mirth vanished as he stretched his arms. "Could you be silent for a moment, please? I need concentration if this is ever going to work."

The younger of the two went quiet, and Ulysses began chanting again, holding his staff level over Gerald's body. At the right moment, he touched the staff to the acorn, and there was another flash of green light... which faded to reveal absolutely no change.

"What in the name of my fathers is going on?" the druid asked himself, stroking his chin. "This spell should have worked twice now..."

0000000

As they always seemed to, Degas and Alexander had returned to the mirror room, both taking their positions. There was now a third chair in the room, however, sitting just to the side of Alexander's; Bethany sat here, as Degas had registered his discomfort at seeing her on Alexander's lap so often.

Unlike their usual state, today the mirrors were focused on several different events. One showed Gerald's dire state and Ulysses's failed attempts to heal him; another showed Chad and Laura in their room, moping at the table. A third kept track of Hanzaki's activities, and the rest reflected different parts of the lair, including Caiside (catatonic after Alexander's earlier punch) and Klaus (watching The Price is Right).

"I was always a fan of Plinko, myself," Alexander said as he looked at Klaus's mirror.

After giving him a strange look, Degas replied, "I cannot say I am familiar with that game. Either way, we must maintain concentration. The Chosen of the Light is currently out of commission, but we cannot rest assured that this will remain the case. This is why we are targeting his allies."

Steeling herself, Bethany asked, "But didn't you try that already when you sent me out?"

"Yes... and to our misfortune, the Light intervened on both of their behalfs, costing us dearly. The circumstances have changed, however – what energy the Light had is gone now, and the Reciprocal is empty. This is a beautiful time to strike again. Even if we fail, Plan V is about to commence, and a success there will make up for many of our earlier defeats."

This was only slight reassurance for Bethany, and she sat back, her discomfort in her eyes.

Alexander's gaze had shifted onto the mirror showing the critically wounded Gerald, and he frowned. "Why isn't the druid's magic working?"

Degas did not answer for a moment, instead adjusting his sunglasses. Eventually, he said, "The Darkness taints his wound; it was inflicted soon enough after the Dark Duel that the residual energy poisoned it. Ulysses will figure that out at some point if he's as knowledgeable as he appears. Without some sort of purification, magic can't heal a tainted wound."

The Dark Conduit bit his lip, but said nothing more.

One of the other mirrors suddenly flickered, and the man in black held up one hand, saying, "Enough questions for now. The second wave is about to start."

0000000

In the room down the hall from where Ulysses worked on Gerald, the wounded man's friends were around the table – Chad sat there, flipping through the TV channels, and Laura was standing with one foot on it, stretching her calves. The two were attempting to make conversation, but had run into a dreadful truth – without Gerald to faciliate such things, the two didn't have much to talk about.

"So..." Chad started, and then paused. It took him a few seconds to build the rest of the sentence in his mind. "You grew up in Maine?"

"All my life," Laura replied, switching legs. "You?"

"Same thing."

"Ah." There was another gap in the conversation, and then she asked, "You're an only child?"

Chad nodded, adding, "I have a few cousins, though."

"I don't. My father was an only child."

"What about your mother?"

A sudden chill sank into Laura's voice as she answered, "Do not ask."

"Right..." Chad sighed, thinking, Her childhood must be a really bad set of memories...

The TV suddenly went black, although it was still on. Glancing to it, Laura winced, muttering, "Oh, damn it, not again..."

Before Chad could say anything, the entire room turned black, and they appeared to be sitting on nothing. Thank Heaven, it's a distraction, the tall young man thought. He then blinked and added, Wait, this isn't anything to be happy about... We're probably under attack!

The furniture then disappeared, and he gave a short yell before both of them plummeted. Several terrifying seconds later, he hit another surface, hard, with Laura thudding into the ground beside him. Both moaned.

Once the shock wore off, Chad and Laura rose to their feet, dusting off their clothing. Their vision was blurry for a moment, but – perhaps to their misfortune – this wore off soon enough.

Firmly planting one foot, Laura stretched her other leg, looking around. "The last time I was pulled into another dimension," she muttered to herself, "at least it was interesting to look at."

"You don't call this interesting?" Chad asked, tugging his sleeves back down.

"There's a difference between weird and interesting."

At the moment, the two were standing in the center of a giant, floating disc, surrounded on all sides by a void of swirling, psychedelic color. The disc itself seemed to warp under their feet, but retained one odd feature – it looked like a giant eye with black veins and no pupil in the iris, like the eye of a Darkness Infected. From the looks of it, Chad estimated that the disc had a ten-foot radius, which made it...

"If a circle has a ten-foot radius," he asked Laura, "what's its area?"

The young woman gave a bitter laugh as she headed for one side of the disc. "I haven't needed to know that since I got out of high school."

Chad sighed, smiling as he shook his head. "Neither have I. And I used to be so good at math." He drifted towards the other side.

"Three hundred and fourteen square feet... give or take a half foot," two other voices said from nowhere.

Both of the people standing on the disc took a step towards its edge as the voices spoke, staring at each other. On the very center of the eye, a silhouette formed that resembled two people standing back to back. As it came into focus, the truth was evident – it was actually two people fused at the back.

One of the sides, the one facing Laura, looked like a roughly demonic figure – it had dusky skin, yellow eyes, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Its entire figure brought back further memories of Graz'zt, and so Laura shrank back a bit further. Muscles lined this creature's body, and it wore a pair of leather straps crossed over its chest, along with a crimson bodywrap around its waist.

The side facing Chad, on the other hand, was that of a beautiful woman, wearing a steel breastplate and a crimson skirt. She had long brown hair and a fairly petite figure, and her expression was a cold, sinister smile.

Both of the joined figures had their own arms, shoulders, and legs, and their heads moved independently – they appeared to be joined at the spine. The straps from the woman's breastplate crossed the demon's chest, and her skirt became its bodywrap roughly halfway between their sets of legs. The two floated about an inch off of the ground, settling the question of how they got anywhere.

"Well... I see Degas and Alexander are equal opportunity employers..." Chad said, eyebrow raising.

The two chuckled, and the demon said, "I suppose one could say that. In truth, however, we are constructs, forged from dark energy. I am Drehex..."

"...and I am Aquina," the woman finished. "We are together known as the Fangs of Division, the Second Fangs of Night. And this is where we will cut you down..."

Tilting her head, Laura whispered, "Second? Shouldn't you two be the first?"

Drehex had apparently heard that, as he answered her: "We are not sure who the First Fang is, but that is of no importance. We merely do as commanded. And bringing you here for disposal was our order."

"Where is 'here', anyway?" Chad asked.

"'Here' is a little place we set up called a Dark Edge," Aquina replied. "It is a sub-dimensional pocket, an adjunct to the part of reality our masters use as their lair. We merely connected it to your hotel room, opened it up, and..." She waved a hand around herself as if to say "Voila".

Tapping the toe of her shoe on the disc, Laura thought, Graz'zt did the same thing... She then said, "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess we're stuck here unless we can defeat you. Am I right?"

"Indeed," Drehex answered.

"Then let's get this over with." She adjusted her Duel Disk, asking, "So do you guys split up to duel or what?"

"That would be impossible," Aquina told her, looking over her shoulder. "We're joined at the back, as you can see. No, we do things a bit differently from the Pillars."

Chad thought about it for a moment, and then paled. "You mean a tag duel, don't you," he said. It was not a question.

Both of the Fangs nodded, and then Drehex said, "Chad, move directly in front of Aquina. Laura, move directly in front of me."

The humans looked at each other, eyes narrowed, and then stepped into the spots they were ordered to occupy.

"Now let me explain the rules," Aquina began, both of the Fangs holding their arms out. Darkness began to bubble on their bared arms. "This will be a Dark Duel, but with some additional twists. Both halves of a partnership – you two on one side, us on the other – will share a Life Point counter, and the starting total is 8,000 points. Damage to each of you is taken out of that. You have your own fields, but you may use Magic and Trap Cards to each other's benefit as you wish, and can block attacks on the other player with your own monsters. Only one Field Magic card is allowed at a time, though."

Drehex continued, "However, you are not allowed to look at each other's cards – which is impossible given your positions, anyway – and are not allowed to share information about cards in hand or discuss strategies. This same rule applies to us, as well. You are, however, allowed to take advantage of each other's cards in play if you can legally do so. Other than that, one other special rule is in play: when your Life Points are lowered to below 4,000, if you choose to call on your Images, both of your Images will activate simultaneously."

Chad and Laura nodded, both looking to the other and thinking, Don't screw up.

The darkness had finished gathering on their arms, forming twin black Duel Disks, and so Drehex and Aquina slid their decks into the deck slots, chuckling. "Shall we begin?" Aquina asked.

In reply, both Chad and Laura activated their Duel Disks. Their Life Point counters rose to 8,000.

The Fangs activated their own, Life Point counters setting, and Drehex said, "Chad will begin. Then Aquina will go, followed by Laura. I will go last. None of us may attack until all four have drawn once."

Which means Drehex gets to attack first, Chad thought as he drew his opening hand. Laura drew hers, as did the Fangs, and the duel began. Lines of darkness criss-crossed the eye, centering on Drehex and Aquina's feet, and the seal of the Dark Duel flared to life.

Drawing his first card, Chad nodded to Laura, and then said, "I begin by summoning Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode."

The air behind Chad began to swirl around itself, and a portal opened at its center. The giant, red-furred primate leapt from it, its knuckles slamming into the disc, and let out a scream as its fists pounded on its chest. (2,000/1,000)

"Now I set this facedown," Chad continued, sliding a card into his Duel Disk, "and end my turn."

As Aquina drew her first card, she shut her eyes and thought, Drehex, can you hear me?

Perfectly, Aquina, the demonic half thought in reply as his eyes closed. Good... our bond is active. Tell me what you're holding. There was a brief blur of images, and he grinned. That will make quite the opener.

Indeed... And what you're holding isn't bad for a starting move, either. Just be careful with our Life Points.

A hint of offense slipped into Drehex's thoughts as he replied, Now, now... I know better than that.

Opening her eyes, Aquina began by sliding a card into one of her Magic and Trap Zones. "For my first play," she said aloud, "I activate the Continuous Magic Card known as Side Attack!"

A line of light drew itself in the air above the disc, passing right between Aquina and Drehex. From it descended a shimmering curtain, its substance flowing down and through their joined spines. Laura gulped, and Chad frowned, both unable to see their partner at that point.

"What does that do?" Laura asked, speaking a little louder than necessary. She wasn't sure how well sound traveled through the curtain.

After a moment to laugh, the Fang replied, "Side Attack only functions during tag duels. When I play it, I designate one of my side as A1 and one as A2 – then I designate one of your side as B1 and one as B2. B1 can only attack A1, and likewise for 2. So I'll make myself A1..."

"Which makes me A2..." Drehex added.

Aquina pointed one finger at Chad as she concluded, "And the little beastman will be B1, making you B2, Laura. Now Chad can only attack me, and you can only attack Drehex! Also, there's this whole business about battle damage... but since both sides are sharing a Life Point counter, that's pretty much meaningless." She took two more cards from her hand and slid them into their proper places. "I set a monster in Defense Mode and a card facedown. Your turn, girl."

One of Laura's eyebrows twitched as she drew, thinking, Damn it. That makes it impossible for us to rush one of them, because we only have one target each... but those two aren't bound by that restriction. Chad, you better not leave any openings! Looking at her hand, she tossed a card onto her Duel Disk, beginning, "I summon my Marauding Captain in Attack Mode..."

Fog rolled over the field, and from within it emerged an old, tired soldier. He wore battered and dented armor, and scars lined his face. He drew two swords and sighed, preparing for the next battle. (1,200/1,400) Taking a breath, he whistled, and from the same fog emerged a Spanish man in colorful clothing, wielding twin machetes. They crossed weapons, and the Spaniard grinned, taking an active pose. (1,500/1,500)

"I am familiar with your captain," Drehex said, putting a hand to his chin. "When he is summoned, a monster of Level Four or less can join him, correct?"

Laura nodded, thinking, Yeah, everyone knows that card anymore. "And the one I summoned is called Double Pinaska. Now I set a card facedown..." The card appeared behind the warriors. "And end my turn."

As Drehex drew, he smirked and said, "From this point on, we may attack. First, I will play a Magic Card known as Poison Fangs." The Continuous Magic Card with a picture of green fangs appeared in front of him.

On hearing that, both Chad and Laura thought, Wait a minute...

"Next," the demonic half continued, "I summon... a monster you should know quite well. Come forth, Buster Wolf!"

What did he just say? both humans thought, eyes widening.

A ball of blue energy appeared on Drehex's hand, and he whipped it to the ground. It exploded, and from within it emerged a snarling, blue-furred wolf, its body crackling with glowing blue electricity. (1,800/0)

As sweat began to form on her forehead, Laura wiped it away, her mind whirling. I'm starting to get some very nasty ideas... It's obviously a Beast deck, but what if it's more than that?

"Buster Wolf," Drehex ordered as the beast before him growled, "attack the Marauding Captain with Rising Tackle!"

The wolf's claws dug into the platform for a moment, and then it charged forward, energy coating its body as it ran towards the Marauding Captain. He raised his swords, but that would clearly not be enough.

Hitting a button on her Duel Disk, Laura yelled, "Activate trap, Ready for Intercepting, which will switch my Captain into facedown Defense Mode!"

For a moment, the soldier vanished, replaced by a facedown card. He reappeared quickly enough, now kneeling, just in time to be sent flying as the shining wolf slammed into him. The Marauding Captain flew off of the disc, shattering into triangles as he went.

Drehex grunted, and then pressed a button on his own Duel Disk. "I can still draw first blood," he said. "I activate the Buster Wolf's effect, allowing me to sacrifice it and deal its Attack Points in damage to your Life Points. Granted, our Life Points take a hit as well, but only half the amount."

Leaping into the air, the Buster Wolf turned into a solid mass of power, which shot down into Laura as a thin blue needle. She cried out as it pierced through her body, and her hair stood on end, blue sparks shooting off of the tips. As she swayed on her feet, her Life Points dropped to 6,200.

Chad's eyes glanced to his own Life Point counter, which set itself to 6,200 as well. A twinge of pain grabbed at his heart, and he frowned, thinking, Great. We share Life Points and pain at the same time.

Aquina and Drehex both chuckled, their own Life Points settling at 7,100. "I set a card facedown," Drehex concluded, "and end my turn with that."

Shutting his eyes, Chad concentrated, keeping his hand steady as he drew his next card. In front of him, the Berserk Gorilla snorted, clenching his fists. "Give it a moment, my primate," he said. "I set a monster in Defense Mode, and then..."

The facedown card appeared in front of Chad, aligned in the sideways position that symbolized Defense Mode.

For a moment, Chad let his sentence hang, and then shrugged, shaking his head. "This deck was never big on finesse. Berserk Gorilla, attack her facedown monster."

Both fists struck the gorilla's chest as he let out a roar, and then the large ape sprang up, raising his fists over his head and bringing them down hard. There was a flash, and the facedown monster revealed itself as a small, yellow figure in a samurai's outfit, kabuto shaking as he held off the gorilla's attack with his spear. (1,200/1,200)

A coin appeared in Aquina's hand as she said, "Have you heard of Sasuke Samurai #4?"

"More than a few times," Chad replied, arms crossing. "So make your flip and let's see which one survives."

The Fang groaned, muttering, "It takes all the fun out of it when you act like that..." She flipped the coin, calling, "Heads!" as it rotated in the air.

As the coin fell to earth, she held her hand out, letting it land on her palm. Both could see it was tails.

For a second longer, the spear held off the gorilla's fists, but then the primate snatched it out of those small hands, cracked it in half, and threw the pieces aside. The next target he snapped in half was the samurai's spine.

One elegant finger jabbed into a button as Aquina shouted, "Activate trap, Option Hunter! Since you destroyed Sasuke Samurai #4, I now add its Attack Points to our Life Points!" Her half of the Fang body glowed, and her hands stretched out as she groaned in pleasure. Their Life Points rose to 8,300.

On the other side of Side Attack, Laura's eyebrows rose as she thought, A Sasuke Samurai and Option Hunter? Sounds familiar... then again, of course they would. I have both those cards.

"Anything else, Chad?" the Fang asked her opponent.

Chad nodded, sliding a card into this Duel Disk. "This facedown, and then I'll call my turn over."

Reaching down, Aquina slid her next card into her hand before taking up another one. As she played it, she noted, "My hand is a little light on the monster side of things. So in order to rectify that, I play this Magic Card, Reinforcements of the Army..."

A black dot appeared on the disc, and slowly expanded outwards, rippling as it did so. From within it emerged a very scarred and battered warrior, two swords hanging on his hips. His body flashed and became a card, which flew into Aquina's hand.

"I daresay you know how that one worked, so now I summon the monster I just searched for. Come forward, Marauding Captain!" she declared.

As it had on Laura's side (although Chad hadn't seen it), fog blew over the field from nowhere. Out of this fog emerged the same battle-scarred soldier that Aquina had put in her hand with Reinforcements of the Army, looking no less tired than before. He drew his swords and groaned. (1,200/400)

Clearing his throat, the warrior whistled, and a tiny superdeformed samurai trotted onto the field, wearing a sword on his hip. He straightened out his topknot and nodded to the Marauding Captain before preparing for battle. (500/400)

Her deck is giving me deja vu, Chad thought.

"Sasuke Samurai #1," Aquina said, identifying her chosen monster, "attack his facedown monster! Hyper-Velocity Wakazashi!"

As he had so often during Laura's duels, the samurai tilted his weapon down and wrapped one hand around the hilt. He drew it and resheathed it in the same motion, the air whistling as he did so. A line then drew itself down the facedown monster, which glowed before revealing itself as a large, green kangaroo with boxing gloves. There was a matching line on this monster's stomach, and it gulped before shattering.

"Don't bother explaining the effect," Chad muttered to his opponent. "I've seen it before – facedown monsters attacked by that samurai die without their score even mattering. Anything else?"

"Just a facedown card, and then... Miss Vesnic? Your turn."

Laura drew, tucked the card into her hand, and then stopped, blinking. A certain train of thought started in her head: Hold it... I'm about to play Reinforcements of the Army for Sasuke Samurai #2. I already played the Marauding Captain, and I have both Sasuke Samurais #1 and #4 in my deck. And Option Hunter, at that. Out loud, she said, "Chad... have you seen anyone else play Buster Wolf?"

The question made the tall man shut his eyes, and he thought for a moment before replying, "No. I think that card was a promo-" His words cut off as the conclusion hit him.

The same conclusion came to Laura, and she glared at Drehex, yelling, "What are you two up to? Those are our decks, aren't they!"

Both of the Fangs began to laugh, their laughter synchronized as Aquina put her hand to the side of her mouth and Drehex spread his arms. Once this calmed down, Drehex nodded and said, "Of course! We are the Fangs of Division, and the division we symbolize is that of partnership. You may be willing to team up against us, but can you withstand the force of your partner's deck?"

"Our masters are not stupid enough to try to turn your party against each other," Aquina picked up, "so they went with a different tactic. As you entered the Dark Edge, we read your minds and created your decks... not exact copies, as we added certain cards we thought would come in handy, but most of what you have is there."

The male Fang then added, "I suppose you are thinking this was a foolish move, as you can see what's coming. But consider this: you may know every card Chad plays, and Chad may know every card you play. Now answer one question – what would Chad play in this situation?"

Shutting her eyes, Laura thought, I plan to play a facedown card this turn, so he would play Chiron the Mage... or Cold Wave... or Spiritualism... or... Her eyes snapped open. I can't decide!

"Exactly!" Drehex said with a chortle at the end. "There is too much information for you to make a guess! Our decks have the element of surprise – any move we make will be a move you weren't expecting, because you were expecting several moves at once!"

With a cough, Laura slipped a card into her Duel Disk. "Are you done? It's still my turn! Now, I play Reinforcements of the Army to search for Sasuke Samurai #2..."

Much like when Aquina played the card (although Laura hadn't seen that), a black dot appeared on the field and rippled open. The small, basket-carrying monster appeared on Laura's field before vanishing, being replaced by his card, which flew into Laura's hand. She tossed it into a Monster Zone, and he reappeared, drawing a sharp knife from his basket. (200/300)

"Chad," Laura said louder than was probably necessary, "I'm using his effect to seal Drehex's facedown card for the turn. Your Life Points are about to dip by 800, so don't be alarmed!"

Even though he'd heard it, Chad's stomach still twisted as his Life Point counter lowered to 5,400.

On Laura's field, the Sasuke Samurai set his basket down and reached inside, taking a long, thin blade from within it. He flipped this in midair (the Double Pinaska dancing to one side), and then flung it at Drehex's facedown card, pinning it to the disc beneath them.

Aquina's voice resounded in Drehex's mind, muttering, I thought you knew better than to risk our Life Points like that?

Even if we know her deck, the male Fang replied with a snarl, we don't know what order she'll draw her cards in. Surprises like this are still quite possible... To put it another way, how was I supposed to see that coming?

"Double Pinaska," Laura ordered, "attack directly!"

The Spanish warrior spun the machetes around himself, and then dashed across the disc, one blade flashing. Drehex grunted as it dug into his upper chest, and then the Pinaska flipped the other blade in his open hand and stabbed Drehex in the stomach, lowering the Fang team's Life Points to 6,800. After wiping his machetes off on Drehex's shoulders, the warrior strolled back to Laura's field, smirking.

Smirking back, she nodded to the Sasuke Samurai #2, and the farmer tossed his larger knife at Drehex, hitting him in the foot. The Fang kicked the blade out of the wound, Life Points now at 6,600.

"I set one card facedown," Laura concluded, "and my turn stops."

Before Drehex could draw, he could hear Aquina's voice whispering, Don't screw this up

The male Fang drew his card and mentally whispered back, No need to fear that. Out loud, he declared, "To answer my question from earlier, I summon Chiron the Mage!"

A portal opened before him, and the armored centaur Laura had seen a dozen times before trotted out, holding his staff in one hand. His blonde hair seemed matted, and the armor was unusually dull. Magic crackled on his fingertips as he glared at her. (1,800/1,400)

One of Laura's hands curled into a fist, and her expression darkened. Damn... never thought I'd have to face it down.

"By discarding Spiritualism," Drehex went on, "I may destroy any one Magic or Trap card in play... but you know that, don't you?"

He slid the card into his Graveyard, and the orb at the head of Chiron's staff glowed, the image of the discarded card appearing within it. Raising the staff over his head, Chiron jabbed the point into the ground, and a mystic shockwave ebbed out from the impact spot, hitting Laura's facedown card. It lifted up, revealing itself as Draining Shield, and then shattered into a hundred parts.

The Fang grinned, his teeth horribly sharp, and ordered, "Chiron, attack the Sasuke Samurai #2! Get that little fool out of my sight!"

"Counter! Pinaska's effect activates!" Laura called out in response.

Raising his staff, Chiron gathered his power into it, eyes shut and other hand in front of his face. He then lowered it, opened his eyes, and fired a cracking beam of mystic power at the little warrior. The Sasuke Samurai #2 curled into a ball, whimpering... until the Double Pinaska leapt in front of him, machetes crossed, and arced the beam away from its target, letting it bounce into the void. Doing so left him breathing hard, and he slumped back into his zone, mustaches drooping.

"Right," Drehex noted, taking a card from his hand. "Your monster can negate one attack per duel. But now his power is gone, so..." He slid the card into his Duel Disk, adding, "I'll set this facedown and end my turn."

On the other side of the Side Attack curtain, Chad drew a card, thinking, I'm facing Laura's deck... That means most of her monsters will be weak on a base-power scale, but she'll have a lot of ways to make them stronger. It's also a fast deck, so I can't let her set the tempo. Taking the card he had just played, he said, "I'll begin with the Pot of Greed."

So quickly? Aquina thought.

Drehex thought back, Most players do so in order to avoid losing the Pot to other effects before they can benefit. There are few times that having two more cards is a demerit.

Ignoring the hologram, Chad drew twice, and then his eyes widened as he thought, Wow. Time for one of those showy play-your-entire-hand turns. "Now," he said aloud, "I'll use Snatch Steal to take over your Maurading Captain."

The card appeared on his field, and a pair of electric ropes launched out from it, lodging themselves in the warrior's head. He struggled against them, grabbing hold and trying to pull them from his head, but then his eyes turned blank and he strolled onto Chad's field, weapons at his sides.

"Let's forget him for now," he continued. "I will now play my Polymerization, fusing The Earth - Hex-Sealed Fusion and Big Koala together in return for the Master of Oz!"

The two monsters - the floating bundle of rocks and dirt, roiling at its center, and the giant marsupial with a bundle of eucalyptus in its hand - appeared for a brief moment, and then flowed into each other, spinning in a giant whirlwind of energy. This eventually fell away, revealing a monster that towered over both sides - the green, facepainted koala/kangaroo hybrid with boxing gloves. Laura could see it sticking out over the top of the Side Attack, and it slammed its gloves together, snorting. (4,200/3,700)

Taking another card (How many cards will he play? Aquina thought), Chad slid it into his Duel Disk, announcing, "Now I'll play Fusion Recovery, taking back that Polymerization and Big Koala I just played." The two cards spat out of his Graveyard, and he picked them up, adding, "And now I'll sacrifice your Marauding Captain and my Berserk Gorilla for that Big Koala!"

Snatch Steal shattered, and the Marauding Captain let out a cry of shock as he faded away. The Berserk Gorilla let out one last scream as it too disappeared, and in their place stood an oversized koala, the same one seen during the fusion. It stood taller than all of the duelists by far, but standing next to the Master of Oz it seemed rather dwarfed. With a shrug, it ate the eucalyptus in its hand. (2,700/2,000)

"Now that I've set up the stage," Chad concluded, "time for the show. Big Koala, I know you're a herbivore, but eat the Sasuke Samurai anyway."

After giving its master a look, the gigantic koala reached down, only to find its hand stopped by an invisible wall. It snorted and scratched its chin, shrugging.

Aquina discarded her Negate Attack, having acivated it, and asked, "Anything else?"

"No... The drawback to this turn is that I've burned out my hand," he admitted, "so I can't do anything else. End turn."

As she drew, the female Fang thought to her male side, Any clever ideas?

Depends on how long you can hold out, Drehex replied.

Scowling, Aquina threw a card onto her Monster Zone and turned the Sasuke Samurai sideways. "One in defense mode and Samurai in Defense Mode, and that's all I can do." The samurai sheathed his sword, gulped, and knelt.

After giving the Master of Oz a nod, Laura turned her attention back to her own field, drawing a card and frowning. It was distinctly unimpressive. I'm glad one of us has an advantage, she thought, because my side isn't looking all that safe. "I switch my monsters to Defense Mode," she declared, "and set a monster facedown in Defense Mode." The Spaniard and the farmer both knelt, the former crossing his machetes in front of him as the latter hid behind his basket. "Now I set a card facedown and end my turn."

Drehex drew, opened his Field slot, and slid a card into it. "Am I the only one getting tired of the void around us?"

"Now that you mention it, it does hurt the eyes," Aquina replied verbally. Mentally, she hissed at Drehex, You had better have a plan!

Relax, my other half, the demonic one thought back. All in good time. I know your side, and you can hold him off for a while yet. "Then let's obscure this eyesore – I play Forest, granting Beasts and Beast-Warriors 200 extra Attack and Defense Points! Also Insects and Plants, but what do we care about them?"

He placed the card in his zone, and the edges of the platform began to sprout tiny saplings. These stretched upward despite the lack of sunlight, and soon leaves unfurled from their tips, their growth accelerated. The trunks grew thick, and the boughs stretched outward.

It was all of five minutes by the time the trees were fully in place. Now, as Drehex had stated, the void around them could indeed not be seen, obstructed by the broad-leaved trees all around them. Chiron stretched out his arms, looking into the foliage. (1,800/1,400 – 2,000/1,600) Chad's Master of Oz and Big Koala, however, both settled a little more calmly on the disc; the Big Koala tore some leaves off one tree and ate them. (Master: 4,200/3,700 – 4,400/3,900; Koala: 2,700/2,000 – 2,9000/2,200)

Nobody benefits their opponents without a plan, Chad thought, frowning. What's his?

Stretching one arm out, Drehex slapped his fingers, saying to his Chiron, "Destroy the Sasuke Samurai #2 now that there are no... objections."

Chiron held up his staff, drawing power into the orb again. Once more, he fired off a crackling bolt of energy at the little farmer. Without anything to stop it, it hit him, vaporizing the monster in seconds. All that was left was his knife.

That hand waved, and the Fang looked over his shoulder, saying, "Move, Chad."

As Chad drew, he thought, Whatever their plan is, I'd best take advantage of the benefits while I can. "I can't summon anything, but do I need to?" he said. "Big Koala, attack Sasuke Samurai #1!"

The oversized marsupial nodded, lifting itself up from where it had sat. It stepped forward, snatched the tiny swordsman up, and looked at it. The Sasuke Samurai curled into a ball, whimpering, and the koala frowned before clapping its hands together, the samurai between them. Shards rained down.

Well... it is a herbivore, Laura thought.

"Now, Master of Oz," Chad continued, "attack the facedown monster!"

Throwing a few jabs as a warm-up, the looming beast drew one fist back. It threw the punch downward, air whistling around its arm as it came down on the facedown monster. The card turned over, and a young male with pointed ears appeared, dressed in green armor and carrying a silver sword. (1,400/1,200)

The blow connected on the other monster's sword, but then he turned and shifted his blade, and that fist slammed into the platform, causing it to shake and sending Chad and Laura to their knees. As they were floating, Aquina and Drehex were unshaken. Grunting, the Master of Oz drew his arm back.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, I take it?" Chad said, frowning.

Aquina nodded in reply, a sarcastic grin on her lips.

"If that's the case, then I can't do anything more." The tall man shrugged. "Your turn."

After making her draw, Aquina mentally chuckled. I have the most... unpleasant plan. It depends on what we draw, however, so it may not work. "I set this facedown," she said aloud, "and that's all I will do. Laura?"

"You don't need to shout," the redhead replied as she drew her own card. She paused, blinked, and then slid it into her Duel Disk, announcing, "Pot of Greed!" Drawing twice more, she reached down and turned her monster, adding, "I switch Double Pinaska to Attack Mode..." The Spaniard stood up, machetes at hand, just as she concluded, "...and play The A. Forces, raising his Attack Points by 200 for each Warrior!"

Signs of a battle began to appear among the trees behind Laura, swords and axes embedding themselves into the ground. From the void beyond the Forest came the sound of a trumpet, and the Double Pinaska crossed his blades, adopting a cocky grin. (1,500/1,500 – 1,700/1,500)

Unlike some, Drehex did not give a dismissive laugh. Instead, he thought to Aquina, We had best develop a plan soon. Otherwise I will be overwhelmed in short order.

His concern was valid, as Laura now announced, "I now summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode!"

Dark particles began to filter down onto the platform, gathering into a single mass. This mass expanded outward, forming into the shape of a man over time. It flexed its muscles, and the darkness exploded away, becoming the monster hero. He nodded to Double Pinaska, and the swordsman nodded back. (2,100/500) (2,100/500 – 2,300/500; 1,700/1,500 – 1,900/1,500)

With a snap of her fingers, Laura ordered, "Double Pinaska, attack Chiron the Mage!"

Clashing his blades together, the Spaniard shot forward, weapons at the ready. He spun on reaching his opponent, blades flashing, and two shining lines drew themselves on the centaur. First the head rolled off, and then the torso followed, leaving the horse portion of his body to collapse and shatter. The Fangs's Life Points lowered to 6,300.

I think I'll hang onto Zombyra's Attack Points for now, Laura thought before she said, "I'll end my turn there."

The male Fang drew, grunted, and slid a card into his Duel Disk before setting one atop it. "I set a card facedown and a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, "and that will end my turn."

Reaching for his deck, Chad shut his eyes and turned his thoughts inward. That's strange... it's quiet, but I can hear something... growling in my head. I wonder why. He drew and looked at the card, eyes widening. I'm running hot today, it seems... "I summon my Enraged Battle Ox in Attack Mode!"

One of the trees on the platform's edge began to shake, as if it were being struck with an ax. Wood chips flew, proving the "ax" theory, just before the tree fell. Standing on its trunk was a large minotaur with a battleaxe. (1,700/1,000) As he strode onto Chad's field, the trees shook, and he snorted, light reflecting off the points of his horns. (1,700/1,000 – 1,900/1,200)

That's it, Aquina thought. Walk right into the line of fire...

Chad began to speak, but then paused. The growling in his mind had grown louder. What the... Oh, never mind that. "It's a little too strong to destroy your monster, but thanks to its effect, your Life Points are gone! Enraged Battle Ox," he ordered, "attack the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

One fist pounded on the minotaur's chest before he charged across the field, raising his axe. The elven swordsman frowned and raised his blade, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Aquina clucked her tongue and pressed a button on her Duel Disk, shaking her head. A tone of staunch disapproval rolled from her lips as she said, "Honestly... Playing a deck like that just confirms you don't have a clue what you're doing, doesn't it? I activate my Trap Card, Zero Gravity!"

The artist set a hand to his forehead, thinking, Damn it. I should have listened to that growl... It was my instincts.

The trap rose, and suddenly every last monster in play – on both sides – lifted into the air, struggling as they rose above the Side Attack curtain. The Master of Oz barely lifted off of the platform, and Chad's other monsters clung to it, both hanging onto its gloves. Aquina's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian grabbed the Side Attack, and Laura's monsters took hold of her arms... lifting her off the ground as well.

"How long is this going to last?!" Laura yelled as she floated past Drehex's head. The male Fang tried not to laugh and failed.

In response, Aquina lifted her hand and counted off on her fingers: "Five, four, three..."

All of the monsters plummeted to earth, the Master of Oz shaking the platform on impact and knocking Chad to the ground. As he got up, he saw that his monsters were disheveled and dazed by the fall, moving into Defense Mode Aquina's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian landed on his feet, sword in hands, as Laura's monsters collapsed on the ground, legs twitching. Laura herself hit the ground with a cry and rubbed at her leg.

"You all right, Laura?" Chad called over.

The girl called back, "Just a little bruised. I've felt worse. By this point I think we all have..."

Gesturing to the monsters, Aquina noted, "Zero Gravity switches every face-up monster's mode, so now your monsters can't attack until next turn. Unless you can switch them back..."

"Even if I could, I'd have to leave my Battle Phase," Chad said, shaking his head. "Your turn."

Aquina drew, took her drawn card, and slid it into the Duel Disk, quietly saying, "Pot of Greed." She drew twice, and then her eyes went wide. Oh... oh, this is beautiful! "Now I play the Fusion Sword Murasame Blade on my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, giving him 800 extra Attack Points."

Sheathing his own sword, the elven swordsman held up his hands. A long, slightly curved blade appeared within them, and he took hold of the hilt, now holding the sword before him. His eyes closed, and his weapon shone softly. (1,400/1,200 – 2,200/1,200)

"And then..." Aquina paused, shutting her eyes and thinking, So beautiful. Opening them, she finished, "I summon my Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke!"

Under his breath, Chad snarled, and then frowned, thinking, Wait... why did my heart just go cold?

A cloud of smoke exploded into being on Aquina's field, and the ninja sprang into view, turning a cartwheel in midair before landing in a three-point stance. He wore green fabric and white bandages, and held twin kunai in his hands. (1,800/1,400)

Chad and Laura, even though they could not see each other due to the Side Attack, both cowered, knowing what was coming next.

One of Aquina's hands rose in a slow arc, pointing to the Master of Oz, which was still squatting on Chad's field. "Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke," she ordered, "destroy the Master of Oz with your special ability! Windmill Shuriken!"

The ninja reached into his clothes and withdrew a small piece of metal. He flicked his wrist, and it expanded and spun around on its axis, forming a giant throwing star. He hunched for a second and then sprang into the air, hurling the weapon at the giant koala/kangaroo creature. It made a whistling noise as it blurred through the air, and then the sharp metal made contact with the Master of Oz's throat.

Even with the curtain in her way, Laura needed merely to look up to see the Master's head slowly loll forward, and then topple off, falling to the ground with a wet thud. The headless body jerked for a second before tottering backwards, its weight crushing several of the Forest's trees under the massive bulk, and blood splashed onto Chad's shirt. For a second, the only noise was the monster's digestive system at work, and then it shattered, causing the Enraged Battle Ox and the Big Koala to lower their heads.

Another snarl left Chad, and then he shivered, speaking loud enough for Laura to hear. "Laura... Remember how I couldn't remember most of my duel with Reston?"

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Some of it... it's starting to come back. I remember this noise, like a thousand beasts, in the back of my head... It got louder every time I took damage..." He shook his head and admitted, "But I don't remember what else happened."

"Want to find out?" Aquina interrupted. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, destroy the Big Koala!"

Readying his blade, the swordsman leapt into the air, spun over himself, and brought the blade cleanly down on the Big Koala. A thin trickle of blood passed down the center of its body, and then - thankfully - it shattered before anything else could happen.

Not wanting to watch his monster die, Chad looked at his field and gasped, slapping one of the buttons on his Duel Disk. "Activate Animal Trail!" he shouted. "When one of my monsters is destroyed, I can search my deck for a Beast-Type and add it to the hand. So I'll search for Mad Dog of Darkness!" The card jutted out of his deck, and he pulled it free.

Both of Aquina's hands rose and fell as she clucked her tongue. "Like that will help." She looked over her shoulder best she could and said, "Your move, Laura!"

"When did I say you could call me by my name?" Laura groused as she drew a card. Adding it to her hand, she reached down and said, "I'll switch my monsters back to Attack Mode..." Both of her warriors placed their hands to the ground and pushed their way back to their feet, dusting off in turn. "And next I'll summon the Blade Knight, in Attack Mode – and I don't think I need to bring up the A. Forces..."

From the void emerged the new warrior, his armor a shining blue verging on black in the dim light. He carried a sword, like almost every other warrior in existence, over one shoulder, and his stance was one of serious business. Sticking the sword briefly in the ground, he nodded smartly. (1,600/1,000) The Double Pinaska and Zombyra turned and shook his hand in turn, their camaraderie obvious. (Pinaska: 1,900/1,500 – 2,100/1,500; Zombyra: 2,500/500 – 2,700/500; Blade: 1,600/1,000 – 2,200/1,000)

"And on top of everything else," Laura said, waving the one card in her hand, "If I have fewer than two cards in hand, the Blade Knight gets 400 extra Attack Points."

A blue aura flickered around the Blade Knight as he pulled his sword back out of the ground, hand gripping the hilt almost tight enough to crack it. (2,200/1,000 – 2,600/1,000)

You make this too easy, Drehex thought to himself as he moved his finger towards a button on the Duel Disk.

Taking a deep breath, Laura then shouted, "Zombyra, attack his facedown monster with Noble Fist!"

The monster hero held up one fist, concentrating. A yellow light swirled around it, bursting into golden flame as he glared at Drehex. One foot slid back, and then he hurled himself at the facedown monster, fist pulled back...

"I activate my Trap Card," Drehex countered, pressing the button. "It is called Reverse Trap, and it turns statistic gains into losses. Since Zombyra is gaining 600 Attack Points from your The A. Forces, he now loses that and 600 more points, leaving him with a final Attack Point total of 1,500!"

The facedown monster turned over as the facedown card rose, revealing a large, shining blue feline with a permanent snarl on its face and claws dug into the ground – a monster Laura recognized as Soul Tiger. (0/2,100) As it appeared, purple and green lights rotated around Drehex's hands, and he clapped, sending a shockwave of bruise-colored energy out across the platform.

It was like a snap in the air, and suddenly the Blade Knight and Double Pinaska lunged for each other, their previous brotherhood forgotten. Without that fueling them, Zombyra's blow weakened, the gold fire blowing out. (2,700/500 – 1,500/500) On Aquina's field, the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian collapsed, his sword too heavy for him, but this was not important. More important was that the power of the forest now sickened the tiger, making it huff. (0/2,100 – 0/1,900)

Still, it was too powerful for Zombyra to overcome, and the Soul Tiger slapped him to the ground. One paw held the hero down, and the tiger growled at him for a second before the hero struggled free, staggering back to Laura's field as her side's Life Points lowered to 5,000.

Groaning, Laura shook her head, saying, "I end my turn, then." The monsters stopped their arguing, and now looked at each other in embarrassment, their camaraderie restored. Meanwhile, the Soul Tiger curled up, tail waving, and the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian regained his feet, exhaling; all of the monsters affected by Reverse Trap regained their true Attack Points.

The male Fang drew, and then mentally said to Aquina, This duel is ours as long as we do not screw up.

You drew it? she thought in return.

Exactly! He played the card, stating, "As you saw, my partner slew Chad's Master of Oz last turn. But leaving it there... it just wouldn't suit a creature like that, now, would it?"

Laura paused, her mind flipping through all the cards she knew, and then gasped. "You didn't just draw..."

"Monster Reborn? You aren't that big a fool, Laura. That would be a miracle draw, since it's the only card in my hand. No, what I drew isn't quite so versatile, but it's useful nonetheless." The card appeared on his field, and the Fangs's Life Points lowered to 4,800. "I have to pay 1,500 Life Points, and then the Autonomous Action Unit can dig into an opponent's Graveyard and claim a destroyed monster for my use. And since you're both my opponents..."

A small piece of machinery fell from the sky and bounced a few times on the platform, settling just over one of the "eye's" veins. It slid open, revealing a drill, and moved into the ground, disappearing. There were the sounds of crackling and unfolding, and then... a familiar green head began to appear.

Laura and Chad both felt their blood freeze as the Master of Oz rose from the platform, its eyes glassy and dull and its head held in place with a clamp. The Autonomous Action Unit served as a framework, holding the dead monster together, and its spidery protrusions covered every part of the monster's body, allowing it to function despite being a cadaver. (4,200/3,900) Alive or dead, it was still a beast, and the trees surrounding the platform granted it strength. (4,200/3,900 – 4,400/4,100)

I think I will vomit, Chad thought. Yes, that seems like a good idea... He paused. But where?

Drehex grinned, his teeth reflecting the dim light of the platform, and then ordered, "Master of Oz, destroy Zombyra the Dark, will you? You haven't started rigor mortis yet..."

The Action Unit beeped, and one of those massive limbs began to rise as the framework creaked to life. It was weighed down by coagulated blood, and thus was even heavier than when the Master of Oz still lived. Once it was in place, the machine just let it drop.

Zombyra sprang into action, catching the limb with his bare hands as it plummeted down. The force of impact shattered his arms with a sickening crack, and then the full weight of the dead arm crushed his skull. It descended faster, and his body flattened out, flesh splattering on the floor.

Laura turned and quite calmly threw up over the side of the platform, where it disappeared, as her Life Points plunged to 3,300. Once that was taken care of, she wiped her mouth and turned back to her opponent, calling over to Chad, "Are you ready?"

The response was far more panicked than she had expected: "No! I can't use my Image!"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, one eyebrow raising.

On the other side of the Side Attack curtain, Chad wiped his forehead, fear brimming through his veins. "I remember it now... I remember everything that happened in the duel with Reston... And when I called my Image..."

"What happened?"

"It... it released part of my mind..." He swallowed hard, sweat dripping. "Inside of me there's a beast, a vicious animal that can only think of destruction... It reduces me to a mindless predator. I don't know how much of me I lose every time..." Chad's breathing turned shallow. "I can hear it in my head... It's growling, waiting to come out... We have to go without our Images, Laura. Please, for my sake, we can't!"

Good God... Laura thought. What must it be like, having something like that in your soul... "Chad," she said, concern on her voice. "I'm sorry, but we need our Images. I need mine if I'm going to have any chance at defeating your Master of Oz. Please... Fight it. Try to keep control. But don't let us lose because you're scared."

Taking a long, drawn-out breath, Chad groaned. "You're right. Let's... do it."

"I call my Image!" Laura then shouted.

Chad, meanwhile, inhaled and threw his head back, letting out a roar that shook the Forest around them. His eyes narrowed into slits as the roar echoed through the void.

Fog rose from both of their backs, the fog over Laura becoming the armored brunette known as Kanan the Swordmistress as the fog over Chad took the familiar shape of Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts. The tall man now lowered his head, the green eyes of a cat in his skull.

"As per my Image effect," Laura said, "all of my Warriors gain 200 Attack Points for each Warrior in play... in addition to The A. Forces. They lost 200 Points for losing Zombyra, but that doesn't matter now." The Double Pinaska and Blade Knight lowered their heads as Zombyra's corpse shattered, but then Kanan patted their shoulders, and they looked to her with hope in their eyes. (Pinaska: 2,100/1,500 – 2,300/1,500; 2,600/1,000 – 2,800/1,000)

Drehex's voice carried not a hint of surprise, nor did he sound impressed as he said, "Very well. I end my turn with that."

On the other side of the Side Attack curtain, Aquina frowned, watching Chad look over his body with his animal eyes, and thought to Drehex, I think we may have moved into territory we weren't prepared for... he has a Beast in his soul.

Mmmm... This is more dangerous than we assumed, then, Drehex thought back. But remember – we have the upper hand in this bout. And even if they provoke our Images, that will merely seal our victory.

For our sake, be right.

With a sigh, Chad spoke in the deeper, gruff tone that he had against Reston, not that Laura knew it. "Ah... back in control. I admit I didn't do very well against the Pillar of Death, but you aren't even a match for his skills." He drew a card, and then gestured to his Image. "Gazelle's power, Gift of the Prey, gives us 100 Life Points for each Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged-Beast in my Graveyard. Right now that's only three, but it's better than nothing!"

Gazelle gave a low growl, and light sparkled around Chad's body, raising his Life Points to 3,600. His eyes warped in their sockets, becoming the piercing eyes of a hawk. He glanced at Aquina, and she shivered, feeling as though he were looking through her body. Her lack of a soul became painfully apparent.

"Now that I have enough cards in hand to benefit," he continued, taking the card he had held earlier, "I play Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two. And I already have one discard in mind."

Even in this void, there was enough connection to the outside world that an angel could descend, landing before Chad. She was clearly unnerved, but still had enough self-control to wave to Chad's deck, causing the top three cards to jut out. He picked them up, took two cards from his hand (Polymerization and De-Fusion, Aquina saw), and gave them to her. She flew away in a flash of light.

"Am I truly that scary?" Chad said, his voice dragging on the S. "Either way, I now summon the Mad Dog of Darkness in Attack Mode."

The platform rippled as he played the card, and then the trees shook as something moved through the Forest. It emerged, revealed as a yellow-furred, eyeless dog, claws clicking on the ground. It snuffled about, and then let out a little growl as it sensed Chad. Chad growled back, and the dog cowered. (1,900/1,400 – 2,100/1,600)

"What will that-" Aquina began.

The sentence never finished, as Chad slid a Magic Card into the Duel Disk, announcing, "I activate Wild Nature's Release, giving my new monster its Defense Points as Attack Points. See what good this thing will do now?"

Rather than respond in words, Aquina bit her thumb, thinking to Drehex, We will be getting our Images sooner than I thought.

Very well, Drehex thought back. I suppose it falls on me to win this one...

On Chad's field, the Mad Dog of Darkness dragged its claws across the platform before letting out a low howl, body quivering as it did so. Its fur bristled and its muscles tightened. (2,100/1,600 - 3,700/1,600)

"Now attack the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke!" Chad yelled, eyes shining with his rage.

Paws struck the platform as the dog snarled and charged, flecks of foam flying off of its jaws as it ran forward. Its target, the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke, attempted to flee, only to fall under the monster's attack as the dog pounced. Those jaws flashed, and it set about eating him alive, bones cracking as it did so.

What the hell happened to the holograms? Chad thought, looking closely at his Duel Disk. Kaibacorp wouldn't have approved of this, and I know sure as hell Industrial Illusions wouldn't have.

Aquina and Drehex's shared LP lowered to 2,900, and they both chuckled, holding one arm up each. "Come forth, our Images!" they shouted in unison.

Black smoke poured from their joined backs, swirling over their heads and slowly taking on humanoid forms. The portion over Aquina's head slowly billowed away, exposing itself as a beautiful woman with long hair and deep eyes, holding a staff in one hand and wearing a red dress. Chad looked into her eyes and felt the beast within him cow away; he had to turn his head and blink after a second.

The portion over Drehex's head, meanwhile, faded out to reveal a giant warrior with a greatax, its face that of a skull and its eyes burning with rage. Laura stretched one of her arms and glared at the figure, eyes narrowing.

"My Image is that of the great Spellcaster known as Ruin, Queen of Oblivion," Aquina said, chuckling again.

Drehex picked up where she left off, saying, "And mine is that mighty warrior by the name of Demise, King of Armageddon!"

Suddenly blinking, Laura tilted her head, asking, "Hold on... you're both artificial creations, right? How can you even have an Image? Doesn't that require you to have a soul?"

"Usually, yes," Drehex replied. "But our Images are just as artificial as we are, attached to us in the process of creation. Thus can we summon them."

With a shrug, Chad slid one more card into the Duel Disk, hand empty afterwards. "I set this facedown and call it the turn," he said. "So much for the Mad Dog of Darkness."

As its bloodied muzzle lifted from the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke's corpse, which shattered, the Mad Dog of Darkness howled and shattered as well, pieces of its body melting away.

The female Fang drew, clicking her tongue a few times in thought. My Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can strike down his Enraged Battle Ox without much trouble, but that facedown card... I'm not running into it. "I set a card facedown," she said as she did so, "and set a monster in Defense Mode." The holograms flashed into being as she looked to the Side Attack curtain. "Laura, go."

"No need to tell me." The redhead drew and reached down, turning her Monster cards on their side. Kanan frowned at her, and she glared at her Image, stating, "I don't like this either, but nothing I have can deal with the Master of Oz, even with your assistance." The Double Pinaska and Blade Knight knelt, weapons ready to parry, as Laura slid a card into the Duel Disk. "I set this facedown and end my turn."

Across the platform from her, the male Fang flexed his impossibly long, slender fingers and drew, his Image hovering beside him and scowling. Taking the card he'd drawn, Drehex slid it into his Duel Disk and announced, "Card of Sanctity. Let us all draw to six cards..."

Well, he copied Chad's deck, Laura thought as she and the other three duelists drew their hands back to full size. It stands to reason he would have copied that card as well.

Chad himself, meanwhile, just snarled as he drew.

Once his hand was full, Drehex gestured to his Image, saying, "Allow me to explain what Demise's Image Effect is. I call it Severance, and while it costs us 1,000 of our Life Points, it has a truly.. unique effect. Simply put, I may destroy any one card on the field. The Winged Dragon of Ra has a similiar power..." The Fangs's Life Points lowered to 1,900, and Drehex ordered, "Demise, I call on your power! Destroy Laura's facedown card!"

The eyes in the skull face flashed, and Demise raised his axe high over his head. Black energy crackled through his body, dancing around his armor and along the edge of his axe, and he turned his attention to the facedown card. When the energy was at its peak, he slammed the hilt of the ax into the ground, sending the energy into the sky. This came down as a black orb, striking Laura's Magic Cylinder and shocking it to pieces.

Taking another of the cards in his hand, the male Fang laughed, showing his fangs, and declared, "For my next trick, I will sacrifice my Soul Tiger for a monster Chad once considered putting in his deck... but ultimately decided he would be too frightened to play..."

Those words caused Chad's conscious mind to force its way to the surface, and he began to stammer, muttering, "You can't be... not..."

"I summon the Manticore of Darkness!" Drehex concluded.

The Soul Tiger's fur stood on end, and it stood up, head moving back and forth as it sought out what had frightened it so. Unbeknownst to it, a cloud of utter darkness had rolled into place directly behind where it stood. One massive, vicious paw shot out, claws latching into the tiger's back, and pulled the tiger into it. Blood flew from the cloud amid roars and whimpers of panic.

When the cloud died away, a truly hideous beast stood there, blood already staining it. It resembled, to an extent, a humanoid lion, standing upright and with a blonde mane. Black eagle's wings emerged from its back, and a snake hissed where the lion would have had a tail. Its eyes burned with rage, and it growled with a hideous voice. (2,300/1,000 - 2,500/1,200)

As she studied the new situation, Laura glanced to her other facedown card, thinking, I set that one about three turns ago... which is more like twelve in this duel. I just hope it works.

"Master of Oz," Drehex then ordered, "attack the Blade Knight! Get that thing out of my sight!"

The Autonomous Action Unit beeped, and the framework dug into the monster's arm, forcing it to lift once again. As before, once the arm was high enough, the framework went slack, and it plummeted down like a stone, crushing the Blade Knight under its weight and throwing pieces of metal everywhere.

One of Laura's fingers slammed a button on her Duel Disk, and she declared, "I activate my Option Hunter trap, giving us Life Points equal to the Blade Knight's Attack Points! Since it goes by the original score, that gives us 1,600..."

Balls of light flew from the Blade Knight's body as it shattered, and they sank into Laura's frame, causing her to exhale in relief as Kanan patted her on the shoulder. Chad exhaled as well, his eyes flicking back to their normal state as their shared Life Point counter rose to 5,200.

The demonic visage formed into a sneer, and Drehex now commanded, "Manticore of Darkness, attack the Double Pinaska with Searing Roar."

Black feathers rained down as the Manticore took a long, shuddering breath, and then it let it out in one massive scream of rage and hatred. This roar echoed on the void itself, striking at the Double Pinaska from all directions. His clothes caught fire as the burning sounds tore through him, and after enough of this he was reduced to a melted pile of flesh, which shattered in seconds.

"All that stands in my way now is a single facedown monster," Drehex noted, smirking. "I'll end my turn and give you time to let that sink in."

Even as Drehex was saying that, however, Chad drew and paused, his eyes human again. Gazelle growled over his shoulder, and his side's Life Points rose to 5,600. Now that my mind is back at full power again, he thought, let's see what we have... He glanced to his hand and grinned. Okay, this will do nicely. "I'm tired of being cut off from my partner," he began. "Let's rectify that, shall we?" He played a single card from his hand, shouting, "Heavy Storm!"

Aquina and Drehex winced simultaneously.

The void around the platform began to whistle with a high wind, the clouds moving past them faster and faster and the whistle rose in pitch. Chad's shirt began to ripple, as did the skirt-like apparel Drehex and Aquina were wearing, and Laura's hair billowed in the breeze. Even the Side Attack curtain began to flutter.

And then the storm proper hit, and the wind slammed into the platform with Force Five intensity. Chad's Mirror Force shattered, as did Laura's The A. Forces (although the latter case didn't matter so much). More important, however, were the cards destroyed on the other team's side.

First the winds caught the Forest, ripping it up one tree at a time and hurling the trees into the void beyond without a care. Next, the Autonomous Action Unit buckled under the strain, its framework shaking as it clung desperately to the Master of Oz's corpse. This eventually failed it, and the unit snapped off, flying into the nothingness beyond. Without its influence, the Master of Oz sagged, and then collapsed on itself, ribs punching their way out of the chest as the body crumbled inwards before shattering.

Finally, the Side Attack curtain ripped loose and blew away, exposing both sides to each other. Seeing what was on Drehex's field, Chad narrowed his eyes and muttered, "A Manticore of Darkness? Damn you..."

"I explained it to her," the male Fang muttered back.

Shaking his head, Chad took his next card and opened his Field slot, moving on. "Now, I rather liked having that Forest in play, but I'd prefer it under my control. So now I play my own Forest!"

He set the card in place, and once again a series of trees rose from the platform, leaves shaking.

"For the next step," he continued, "I switch the Enraged Battle Ox back to Attack Mode..." The ax-wielding minotaur stood up, snorting loudly through his nostrils as he hefted his ax. "And then... Laura, I'm going to need 800 of our Life Points. Sound acceptable?"

The redhead nodded, adding, "I still owe you 800 from my Sasuke Samurai #2, so I don't have the right to complain."

"In that case, I pay 800 Life Points and bring back my Berserk Gorilla with Premature Burial!"

Why didn't he get back the Master of Oz? Aquina thought, frowning.

Chad's Life Point counter lowered to 4,800, and he held out his hand, wincing as blood flowed from it. It formed into a red circle and began to glow, red lights dancing within it. Soon the circle expanded, and the Berserk Gorilla rose up, breathing heavily as it did so. (2,000/1,000 - 2,200/1,200)

After a moment to make sure his hand wasn't actually wounded, Chad ordered, "Berserk Gorilla, attack her facedown monster!"

The Gorilla screamed and charged, raising its fists over its head. On reaching the target, it grabbed into the facedown card, pulling a red-armored female warrior from within it and dragging her onto her feet. (1,200/1,900) One hand wrapped around the thus-revealed Command Knight's throat, and the other fist pulled back.

Laura prudently looked away just in time to avoid seeing the Berserk Gorilla punch the head off of the Command Knight. Unfortunately, she did not cover her ears in time to avoid hearing it.

As the body shattered, the Berserk Gorilla ambled back to Chad's field, and he slid a card into his Duel Disk, saying, "I end my turn with this facedown card."

Before drawing her next card, Aquina shut her eyes and thought to Drehex, That was unexpected, but the plan does not change. I'll set them up on this turn, and you will land the killing blow. Agreed?

Agreed, the male Fang thought back, his Manticore's tail hissing as it flicked about.

With that in place, Aquina drew, sliding the card into her hand as she took another card and slid it into the Duel Disk. "I begin," she said, "with Mystical Space Typhoon on your facedown card."

The void around the platform began to swirl, and Chad's sleeves billowed slightly along with Laura's hair as the wind caught hold of it. As the wind intensified, a spinning column of air came down and touched Chad's facedown card, revealing it as a Ring of Destruction. The card tore itself apart under the force of the wind, the pieces flying off of the platform.

Aquina played another card before the wind even finished dying down, giving Chad a smile that made the animal side of him snarl in apprehension. "The next card I play is a... personal favorite of mine. It isn't quite the same as Laura's version..." She chuckled. "It's got a touch of darkness to it."

"Oh, you have to be kidding," Laura said, head shaking.

In answer, Aquina raised her arms and shouted, "I invoke the Black Luster Ritual! From my field I offer the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and from my hand I offer the Goblin Attack Force!"

For a moment, the world rippled, and then the all-too-familiar black altar appeared on the field, crossed swords emblazoned upon it, and the shield and swords resting on its surface. Twin pots flanked it, and over these a pair of iron cages swayed, held up by chains that led up and off into the void. Aquina's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared in one, clinging to the bars and reaching out helplessly; in the other languished several goblins, unarmed and frightened.

"You know," Laura said as she tapped her foot, "when I sacrifice monsters to the Black Luster Ritual, they go willingly..."

Clucking her tongue, the female Fang replied, "That's because your Black Luster Soldier was defanged. Either way..."

A fire burst out of the pots, causing both cages to rock as their occupants struggled with the doors. The cages lowered, and the flames shot up, causing both the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and the Goblin Attack Force to scream in horror as the fire roared over their bodies.

"The offering is accepted!" Aquina cried. "Come down, Black Luster Soldier!"

For several long seconds the fire burned, and then it fell away, leaving the cages glowing white-hot as the charred skeletons of the sacrifices collapsed to their floors. After a moment's stillness, metal footsteps echoed through the void, and then he arrived – the knight in black armor, wearing the dragon-headed helmet and with cold blue eyes under the rims. But unlike Laura's monster, he wore a twisted grin, and the eyes held traces of madness. He took his sword and shield from the altar, the other sword fading away, and turned to face Chad, the grin somehow even wider as he did so. (3,000/2,500)

That look caused Chad to quail, and without a moment's thought he let his conscious mind retreat, giving his predatory side reign. His eyes flickered and turned golden, a wolf's eyes glaring at the Black Luster Soldier. One corner of his lip curled as he growled.

Behind Aquina, the almost-forgotten figure of Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, reached down and tapped her shoulder. The female Fang nodded and slid a card from her hand into her Graveyard. "I know, Ruin," Aquina said to her Image. "I discard a card to activate her effect!"

Satisfied, Ruin swung her staff up and over her head, chanting in a language neither of the human duelists knew. Purple fire leapt from its end, and the Black Luster Soldier found himself surrouded by it. His only response was a mad laugh.

"And that means what to me?" Chad said in the guttural predator's voice.

"It means many things to you," Aquina replied, "mostly bad. For now, however, it lets my Black Luster Soldier attack twice this turn if he destroys a monster on the first attack."

The feral thoughts suddenly vacated Chad's mind, and his conscious self resumed control just in time to gulp.

With a grandiose wave, Aquina ordered, "Black Luster Soldier, attack the Berserk Gorilla with Chaos Blade!"

Throwing his head back, the Black Luster Soldier let out a wild cry before almost gliding across the platform, sword down and the tip throwing off sparks. His head lowered as he approached the gorilla, who pulled a hand back to slap him away. The sword then flicked, and he sliced off the gorilla's arm, leaving him screaming in pain for a moment – just long enough for the Black Luster Soldier to slice him in half lengthwise. The beast shattered, and Chad's Life Points fell to 4,000.

"Again!" the female Fang shouted. "Now on the Enraged Battle Ox!"

Both feet swiveled as the Black Luster Soldier pivoted on the spot, bringing the sword around in the process. The minotaur turned to hold him off with his axe, but by that time the blade had sheared cleanly through his waist. There was the inevitable beat before the upper half fell off of the lower half, and then the Ox shattered, taking Chad's Life Points down to 2,900. With that done, the Black Luster Soldier skipped – literally – back to his owner's field.

"I'll set this facedown," Aquina concluded, "and end my turn."

This is a hell of a duel so far, Laura thought as she drew. Chad goes berserk every thirty seconds, one of the opponents has an evil version of the Black Luster Soldier, and now we're pinned down and Chad's got nothing left. Gerald, if you can hear this, tell the Light to give me a little strength, could you? She looked to her drawn card and tossed it into play, saying, "I activate Graceful Charity!"

Laura had lost track of how often she had played Graceful Charity since she had begun dueling about three years ago. By her estimate, it had passed one hundred several months back. Every single time she played it, the angel of Graceful Charity was a young, blonde woman. Chad had played the card earlier, and that was the angel that replied.

This time, however, instead of that angel, something completely different descended from on high. This angel was easily seven feet tall, had pale skin, and was quite clearly male. His head was crowned with fire, and his eyes glowed red. On his frame, which consisted of elegant sculpted muscle, he wore shining red armor, and he bore a shield in one hand and a huge broadsword in the other.

As he landed on the platform, Aquina and Drehex shrank back into each other, Drehex turning his head and hiding his face behind his arm.

0000000

When the angel appeared on the mirrors, Degas recoiled, fingers digging into the armrests of his chair as he moved back. Alexander, meanwhile, shook his head and groaned.

"In the name of Gehenna," the man in black muttered as he got his heart rate under control, "can we not escape him?"

0000000

As per the effect of the card, the angel raised his sword and held it over Laura's deck, and she drew three cards. But as she was determining which ones to discard, the great angel spoke to her in a clear, ringing voice: Although he cannot aid you, Gerald is still with you. Through him, we, the Light, shall stand alongside you in this battle.

"Thanks," Laura said as she took Gearfried the Iron Knight and Heavy Slump from her hand, sliding them into the Graveyard. "But mind my asking who you are?"

I am Raziel, the Crusader, one of the servants of Sandalphon the Observer and a force for the Light. You might say I am your patron in a way, Laura. He raised his sword and held it before him. Both of us are warriors. The Light shall watch over you. And then he was gone, leaving the faint smell of sacred oils in the air.

Her nerves steadied, Laura smiled and said, "Well, at least I have that going for me." She took one of her draws and slid it into play, announcing, "I play Warrior Returning Alive to get my Zombyra the Dark back in my hand – but then I'm summoning him right after that!"

The Magic Card flashed, and in a burst of smoke, Zombyra reappeared on Laura's field, battered and bruised. Kanan the Swordmistress reached out and rubbed his shoulder, and he nodded, patting her arm before he stepped into the fray. His armor was cracked, but he still radiated power. (2,100/500 – 2,300/500)

"Now," Laura continued, "I flip my Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke into Attack Mode, powering up both of them due to my Image Effect!"

The facedown monster disappeared, and fifteen Ninja Grandmaster Sasukes appeared on the field. They then coalesced, forming into a single ninja, which proceeded to bow. (1,800/1,000) Kanan waved to him, and he gave her a bow in acknowledgement. (1,800/1,000 – 2,200/1,000; 2,300/500 – 2,500/500)

Drehex had recovered from his earlier shock, and dusted off his leather straps, thinking to Aquina, Steady...

The female Fang stretched her arms, saying and thinking nothing.

As she was out of the loop as far as telepathy went, Laura just continued her turn, declaring, "I play the Equip Magic Card named Pure Might on my Zombyra, raising his Attack Points by 800 and deleting his effects!" She took the Familiar Knight from her hand and slid it into the Graveyard as she said so.

Blue lightning crackled around Zombyra's limbs, and the superhero slammed his knuckles together, growling at the bottom of his throat. His muscles bulged, and Kanan took a step back, hiding behind Laura – which would have worked had the girl stood only a few inches taller. (2,500/500 – 3,300/500)

Drehex thought again, Steady... Behind him, Aquina nodded, causing one of Chad's eyebrows to raise.

Missing that cue, Laura ordered, "Zombyra, attack the Manticore of Darkness with Noble Fist!"

The superhero lowered his head and charged, pulling his fist back. Blue lightning gathered around his arm as he threw himself at the manticore, which roared a challenge. The sky overhead flickered with this barely-suppressed energy.

Now! Drehex thought to his counterpart.

One of Aquina's fingers struck a button on her Duel Disk, and she craned her neck, shouting, "I activate my Trap Card, Draining Shield! Now Zombyra's attack is negated and his Attack Points are added to our Life Points!"

Laura kicked herself in the ankle, thinking, Crap! That's right, you can use your traps on your partner's field! Stupid Side Attack... I forgot she had a field, too.

As Zombyra's fist came around, aiming for the Manticore of Darkness's stomach, it slammed directly into a metal circle. The metal sprang out, latching onto the hero's fist, and he struggled to get it free as one foot pressed to the glowing energy field that now emitted from the circle. Green light shone onto Drehex, and he chuckled as their side's Life Points rose to 5,200.

Only then did the circle let go of Zombyra, and he staggered back to Laura's field, spent. The short redhead glared, took a card from her hand, and slipped it into place. "I set this facedown and end my turn..." she muttered.

Both of the Fangs laughed as Drehex drew, their heads thrown back and their eyes closed. Once they got themselves under control again, the demonic one placed a card on his disk, declaring, "I begin by summoning Exarion Universe."

The air in front of Drehex warped and convulsed, splitting down the center and leaving a gaping hole in reality. From within it emerged the green centaur that Laura had seen her friend play so often, wearing the same shiny armor as Chad's monster and with its face hidden. Placing its hands together, it spread them out, creating a glowing javelin before snatching it out of the air. (1,800/1,900) As the hole closed, it raised a hand, apparently appreciating the Forest. (1,800/1,900 – 2,000/2,100)

Simultaneously, the Fangs declared, "Now..." And then they rose a little higher in the air and spun on their axis, Drehex now facing Chad and Aquina now facing Laura. Both settled at their original height, and their fields vanished before reappearing in front of their original player. The humans looked to each other in shock.

"Didn't expect this, did you?" Drehex said. "Well, why are you surprised? This is a tag duel, remember? Even if we have a preferred opponent, nothing prevents us from attacking the other one!" He grinned, looking on Chad's monsterless field. "And you have nothing to save yourself! Manticore of Darkness, attack Chad directly with Searing Roar!"

The lion-headed abomination drew its head back, taking one drawn-out, mighty breath and making the platform underneath them shake. Once it was ready, it let the roar out, those heated sounds lauching themselves at the tall artist, even as he panicked...

And then they echoed off of a solid space before him, bouncing harmlessly into the void. Chad caught his breath and glanced to Laura's field, where her facedown Negate Attack had lifted. "Forget what you just said?" he said to Drehex. "This is a tag duel. If Aquina can save your hide, Laura can save mine."

"And since that's your Battle Phase over with," Laura added as she slid her card into the Graveyard, "am I to assume we've switched opponents permanently?" She glanced to Aquina's Black Luster Soldier, grimacing.

In response, the Fangs rose from the floor and spun about again, facing their original opponents again. A sullen Drehex slid a card into one of his Magic and Trap slots and waved over his shoulder towards Chad.

The wild part of his mind reawoke as Chad drew, and he frowned, hearing its snarls and growls in the back of his head. He then said, "Gazelle's Image Effect activates..." The King of Mythical Beasts roared, and light surged around Chad as their Life Points rose to 3,400. He then lowered his head, placing a hand over his face.

So when he gets hit, he becomes the beast, Laura thought. When he gets healed, he stops being the beast... unless Gazelle heals him, in which case he's the beast again. And if he gets hit while that part's in control, he starts being himself again... Can't he just make up his mind?

A moment later, Chad lifted his head and stared at Aquina, snarling softly. His eyes had taken on the hungry, cunning look of a jackal's. "Now I set a card facedown," he said, his voice gruff again, "and summon Bazoo the Soul Eater in Attack Mode!"

All around the platform, the trees shook, leaves raining down as something hopped from tree to tree. It landed directly in front of Chad at the end of its travels, flexing its fingers. The monster looked like a large purple baboon, but with a mandrill's facial markings and row after row of sharp teeth in its mouth. (1,600/900 – 1,800/1,100)

Reaching into his Graveyard slot, Chad fished out three of his monsters, fanning them in front of himself. "For each Monster I give up," he said, "Bazoo gains 300 Attack Points. And since I have no need for Big Koala, Mad Dog of Darkness, or The Earth – Hex-sealed Fusion..." He slid them into his pocket.

The platform in front of Bazoo opened, and three glowing balls rose from within it, bobbing in front of the monster. Its hands latched onto each in turn, and it pulled them into its maw, fangs chomping through each of the souls. Bazoo's body now burned with an unnatural fire, and it let out a low, keening cry. (1,800/1,100 – 2,700/1,100)

Aquina was about to speak, but then Chad barked at her – literally. Behind him, Gazelle growled, and the artist took another card from his hand. "And now, I'll tip Bazoo's Attack Points over the boundry," he said. "I play Wild Nature's Release, adding its Defense Points to its Attack Points at the cost of its early demise. Frankly, I don't have that many monsters in the grave, so it's not like I'm throwing away a good resource..."

Again Bazoo let out a cry, even as its body bulked up and its fangs dripped saliva. Fire burned in its eyes as it turned its attention to the Black Luster Soldier, which put its sword in front of itself. (2,700/1,100 – 3,800/1,100)

Across the platform, Laura turned her full attention on Chad's field. A grim smile crossed her lips as she thought, Goodbye, you mockery of a good monster.

With a growl preceding it, Chad shouted, "Bazoo, attack the Black Luster Soldier with Soul-Gorged Rush!"

The ape's fingers dug into the platform for a brief moment before it rushed forward on all fours, jaws opening wide. Seeing it coming, the Black Luster Soldier raised his shield, head down. Bazoo sprang up, catching hold of the shield's edge, and then sprang off of it to grab hold of the soldier's breastplate. Its fangs lodged in the warrior's throat, and it began to chew, eyes wide and crazy.

After a few seconds, accompanied by the crunching of bone, the work was complete. The soldier's head teetered, and then fell completely off of his neck, just before the body crumpled to the ground and shattered. Aquina's eye twitched as her Life Points sank to 4,400.

Behind her, Drehex pressed a button on his Duel Disk, announcing, "I activate Numinous Healer, giving us 1,000 Life Points to compensate for our loss..."

"Oh, for God's sakes!" Chad yelled, throwing his hands up. "Can't anybody save themselves anymore?"

The angelic nurse floated down and into view, her eyebrows raising as she saw the Fangs. She then shrugged and pressed her hands to Aquina's arm, glowing softly. She exhaled as their Life Points rose to 5,400, whereupon the angel vanished.

"If that's the case," Chad said, fingers tensing into a fist, "I end my turn, which destroys Bazoo." The ape cried out once more before it shattered.

Drawing, Aquina thought to Drehex, Didn't we have this duel under control a few minutes ago?

The male Fang sneered and thought back, Are you saying you cannot handle it?

Even as she took a card from her hand, the warrior woman thought, Watch me. She then slid the card into her Duel Disk and stated, "I'll begin with my own Graceful Charity... and Raziel had better not show up!"

As it happened, he did not. Instead, the standard blonde angel descended from the sky and landed on the platform beside Aquina, giving the Fangs the same raised-eyebrow look that the Numinous Healer had. She then waved her hand over Aquina's deck, and the female Fang drew three cards, giving a slight gasp at what she saw. Once Aquina handed the angel two cards – Sasuke Samurai #3 and a card Chad knew far too well – she rose out of sight.

"And next," the Fang continued, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back a monster I just discarded..." She paused, laughing softly to herself.

That better not be what I think it is... Laura thought, eyes narrowing.

"...the Master of Chains in Attack Mode!"

"You bitch!" Laura yelled.

For a moment, the stylized ankh shone over the platform, and then plumes of black smoke rose from the ground, forming a rough circle. An all-too-familiar shape staggered to his feet at the center of that circle – but it wasn't a perfect match for Laura's Master of Chains. This one resembled nothing more closely than the Master's shadow, his entire figure black but for the eyes. He gave a shrug, broke out the kusari-gama, and stood there, tossing one end of his weapon up and down in his hand. (1,600/1,300)

A continuous stream of half-finished curses filtered across the void, as Laura tried to be profane but was apparently too angry to complete the words. Her body shook, and Kanan glared at the female Fang of Night.

"Come, now," Aquina said, waving a finger behind her back. "You do realize you aren't the only person with a Master of Chains in the world, right? Either way, as you know, this one gains 100 Attack Points for each Warrior in my Graveyard. That's a grand total of nine."

In front of her, as Laura's did each time, the Master of Chains rose his sickles over his head and hooked their ends, glowing with red light. (1,600/1,300 – 2,500/1,300)

Another card slid into the Duel Disk as Aquina added, "Now I equip my Master of Chains with the Axe of Despair, giving him another 1,000 Attack Points!"

The blades of the Master's weapon turned into twin hatchets, and he spun the chain around himself, long hair billowing out. (2,500/1,300 – 3,500/1,300)

Chad merely grinned at that, his mouth stretching further than it had any real right to. His eyes gleamed under the dim light of the void, still those of a jackal.

Despite being unnerved, the blonde woman still ordered, "Master of Chains, attack directly with Midare Gami!"

"Can't help it... Chain!" Chad shouted in reply, pressing a button on his Duel Disk. "Call of the Haunted brings back the Master of Oz!"

Both Drehex and Aquina thought, Damn it! That's why he was holding onto it!

Regardless of the situation, the Master of Chains thrust his arms down, crossing them in front of him as he did so. Chains began to shoot down towards Chad, trying to wrap around him... but then a massive green arm in a boxing glove shot up, and they wrapped around that instead. The arm flexed, yanking the chains from their moorings, and they flew every which way, some coiling around trees. Now the arm laid down on the platform, and its owner pulled itself up.

A few seconds later, the massive form of the Master of Oz towered over the Master of Chains, who gave a sheepish grin and took a few steps back. The kangaroo/koala snorted at him. (4,200/3,700 – 4,400/3,900)

Well, so much for that. I had fun... Sighing, Aquina said, "I end my turn."

"About damn time!" Laura said, drawing her card with a harsh jerk. She then slid a card into the Graveyard, declaring, "I discard my Axe of Despair in order to summon my real Master of Chains!"

A small circle of flames appeared between Zombyra and the Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke on Laura's field. In the center of this appeared the Master of Chains as he normally appeared – Union Jack shirt, jean vest, and blonde hair intact. He shrugged, adjusted his bandana, and smiled as he pulled out the chains. (1,600/1,300) Kanan patted his shoulder, and he gave her a thumbs-up before clasping hands with the other monsters. (1,600/1,300 – 2,200/1,300; 3,300/500 – 3,500/500; 2,000/1,000 – 2,200/1,000)

"So..." Drehex gulped, looking to his field, where his Exarion Universe and Manticore of Darkness had taken a step back. "How many warriors are in your Graveyard?"

"Seven," Laura replied, and in front of her the Master of Chains hooked his weapons and concentrated, glowing red for a moment. (2,200/1,300 – 2,900/1,300) "And now to make you feel every point of it! Master of Chains, attack Exarion Universe with Chain Bomber!"

One of the Master's hands snapped upward, the sickle bouncing a few feet up before he caught it, and then he took off running, the only sound his footsteps on the platform. As he got in range, he lowered his sickle and caught the green-skinned centaur in the stomach with it, and then he sprang skyward, his weapon tearing through the monster's armor and mask. Just as the mask fell away, however, the Exarion Universe collapsed and shattered, taking Drehex's Life Points to 4,500 as it did.

A cocky grin split the Master of Chains's face as he tucked his weapons under his arms and walked back to Laura's field. She nodded to him before ordering, "Zombyra, you're up - take out the Manticore of Darkness with Noble Fist!"

The monster hero didn't pause for even a moment before he charged, fist pulled back. As he approached, the manticore let out one of its powerful roars, but the warrior never missed a step. Blue lightning gathered around his fist before he struck, letting it flow and course through the Manticore of Darkness. The snake tail drooped, the wings lowered, and it exploded into pieces around his fist, sending the Fangs's Life Points to 3,500.

What was that you said earlier about being able to handle it? Aquina thought at Drehex, a mental sneer in her tone.

The demonic-looking Fang sighed in his mind, replying, All it takes is one bad turn...

That chain of thought stopped for a moment as Laura announced, "And now I'll attack directly with my Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Bowing to her, the ninja spun on his heels to face his enemy, and then his hands flashed in front of him, forming various signs. Where once there was one ninja, suddenly there were ten, and then none. Drehex raised his arms in front of himself...

...which did him little good, as the ten ninjas struck where he and Aquina met, flitting past and striking with their kunais. Both Fangs cried out in pain as the blows landed, and their Life Points sank to 1,300.

The original Sasuke landed on Laura's field, and she let out a satisfied sigh, stating, "I end my turn."

"And during your End Phase," Drehex interrupted, "I discard Bazoo the Soul-Eater for my Manticore's effect, bringing him back to my field..."

For a moment, Bazoo itself appeared on the field, scratching its behind as it sat there. But then two leonine claws grabbed it, and the baboon-like monster screamed as it was pulled under the platform. A moment later, the bruised and tired Manticore of Darkness pulled itself up, resting on its knees as it growled.

Now Drehex drew, and he thought to Aquina, We have but one chance. "I switch my Manticore of Darkness to Defense Mode," he said as he did so, and the Manticore folded its wings in front of itself, "set a monster facedown, and set this card facedown." The facedown monster and facedown card appeared beside it. "That is my turn."

Before Chad drew, one hand went in front of his eyes. His thumb and forefinger rubbed at his temples, and then he took the hand away, blinking. The eyes were human again, and he exhaled. "That... hurts..." He drew, and behind him Gazelle growled, the light much fainter than usual. "Gazelle's effect activates," he noted, "but I only have two monsters in my Graveyard." His Life Points rose to 3,600.

Not like we need it anyway, Laura thought.

"Next," Chad said as he played one of his two cards, "I summon Chiron the Mage in Attack Mode."

Aquina and Drehex both turned pale, and the female Fang thought to Drehex, We have no chance left.

It appears so... The male Fang sighed audibly. Ours was a short life.

The trees parted, and from them strode the same armored blonde centaur that had graced Drehex's field much earlier in the duel. This one, however, carried himself with a more noble bearing than his predescessor, and the Master of Oz looked down to him with approval. (1,800/1,400 – 2,000/1,600)

One of Chad's fingers pointed to Drehex's facedown card as he declared, "Now I'll discard my Swords of Revealing Light to destroy that card! Can't take any chances at this point!"

The Swords appeared in the orb on Chiron's staff, and he raised it into the air before slamming its point on the ground. The facedown card crackled for a moment and then shattered, pieces flying every which way, revealed as a Mirror Force.

That done, Chad chuckled, his laughter raspy, before declaring, "Master of Oz, destroy Aquina's Master of Chains! We don't need three monsters with Master in their name on the field!"

The Master of Oz stepped forward, looking down at the dark version of the Master of Chains. After a moment, the human raised his sickles to defend himself. Shaking his head, the Master of Oz raised one glove high and brought it down, crushing the chains master underneath it. Aquina and Drehex watched their Life Points sink to 400.

"Finish it," Chad said to Chiron.

Nothing more was needed. The centaur merely raised his staff and drew power into it, the orb shaking after a moment. A single wave of the weapon hurled a ball of energy at the Fangs, and it struck them hard, causing them both to shudder as their Life Points hit zero. The duel was finished.

For a moment after the impact of Chiron's magic, the Fangs of Night did not seem to notice. Then, however, a beam of light broke out of the space where their spines met, firing off into the void. More beams joined them as that seam began to split.

The two figures then pulled apart, a tearing noise filling the air as they ripped away from each other. They stumbled away from each other, and then turned, reaching out to take hold of their partner. Aquina screamed, Drehex roared, and they each exploded in a cloud of black smoke, dark ooze leaking across the platform from where they had stood.

Something fluttered down as the clouds dissipated. It was a Duel Monsters card, and it landed where the two had stood while joined. Chad knelt, turned it over, and remarked, "I could use that one." He slid it into his deck and stood up, looking around.

"Manticore of Darkness?" Laura asked, moving towards the center as he did.

The tall man shook his head, saying, "No... It's not one that Drehex used, but it will do me good." He paused, sighed, and asked, "Now what?"

"Now... I guess we wait for them to send us back."

Suddenly, Chad seethed, vitriol in his voice. "And then what? Degas and Alexander pull out another set of Pillars? They send more Fangs after us? Or, and I wouldn't be surprised, they take the Darkness Infected out of hiding and make us run the gauntlet... Well, screw it!" His eyes flickered to the wolf's eyes again, and he strode out to the edge of the platform, looking back to Laura to say, "I'm sick of this! Sick of having to deal with their minions one after the other! What sort of Darkness is this? Can't anyone do their own dirty work anymore?"

"Chad... What are you doing?"

Catching his breath, the artist continued, "Gerald was called here by the Light. You got dragged into this by the Darkness. Sol's trying to make up for what he was forced to do. I don't have a purpose here. I have no reason to be here other than being Gerald's friend. And some sort of friend I turned out to be. Well, damn it, I'm making a purpose!"

Turning to the void around the platform, he cleared his throat and shouted, "You're watching this! This is not the time to lie about it! You heard me... Now let's get this garbage over with! Stop hiding behind your servants and face me yourselves!"

0000000

The force of Chad's anger caused one of the mirrors to shake, and Degas turned to Alexander, pushing his sunglasses back up. "Forceful young man, isn't he?"

"Indeed," Alexander said, holding a startled Bethany. "It seems as though my brother chooses his friends to make up for his own lack of energy."

The man in black ran one hand over his scalp and then smiled, saying, "Perhaps... We should take him up on his offer. After all, just watching can be tiresome after a while, and we need a way to keep ourselves entertained until Plan V is complete."

"Degas, this seems out of character for you," the man in green replied, eyes narrowing. "After all, letting our servants do the fighting was your idea."

"Everyone can use a change now and then, Alexander. Besides, with any luck, he will not get past the Barrier. Now, open a portal for him..."

Even as he placed his fingertips together and shut his eyes, Alexander murmured, "This is not going to end well..."

0000000

Off the edge of the platform, black lightning began to crackle. Chad took a step back, adjusting his collar, and watched as a black line drew itself in the void. This line expanded, forming a swirling dark hole in the air.

Laura walked up to Chad, blinking, and then said, "Looks like they called your bluff."

"It wasn't a bluff," Chad answered, and then he sprang off of the platform without another word. His body disappeared into the portal, which closed up into the black line behind him. This line contracted into a dot, which vanished in a puff of smoke.

Under Laura's feet and around her body, the Dark Edge blurred away, forming into the hotel room once again as she rubbed her eyes. This is going to suck, she thought, sitting down again.

0000000

For five hundred years, a large mansion had stood in Marseilles, France, ancestral home to the Allumette family. It had seen dozens of the titular family's members pass in and out of its hall, and had fallen into other hands more than once. Now, however, it was firmly in the grip of the family's founder again, and stood as the home of Lucifer and family.

It was the beginning of the evening in France, but that did not prevent Stephan from weaving among the furniture in the study, celluar phone pressed to his ear and sunglasses riding low on his nose. He was wearing a comfortable pair of gray slacks, an article of clothing he would never let anyone outside the family see him wear, and was currently going shirtless, revealing the results of years spent on handball courts.

"Listen, Giorgo," Stephan muttered in Italian into his cell phone, "it is just as I said it was. You have to keep shifting the stock around or someone is going to figure out what we are doing, and if that happens, then we are all up the creek, to use an old term, yes? So either you move it to another buyer or our relationship ends here, and I do not like the latter prospect. Get on it or our time is through." He hung up and sighed, pocketing the phone.

One of the study doors opened, and another man shook his head as he walked in. This one bore quite a resemblance to Stephan – as he should have, being his brother Niccolai – but stood slightly smaller, with a darker tone to his skin. He wore a long cotton shirt and satin pants, "around-the-house" apparel, and was cleaning his glasses.

"Having trouble with your latest attempt at defrauding the public, brother?" Niccolai asked in Italian.

Switching to French, Stephan sighed, hand to his forehead. "You would think someone who spent three years locked away for this sort of crime would have worked the bugs out by now..."

"Might I make a suggestion? Next time you are attempting to squeeze money out of people, hire someone for the job who hasn't screwed up badly enough to be imprisoned for it."

The older of the pair looked at Niccolai and groaned, admitting, "That was a regrettable lack of foresight on my part, yes." He then narrowed his eyes. "Any news on Vivienne?"

Niccolai frowned, putting his glasses back on. "No... I've worked out that she left the continent, but once she crossed the Atlantic her trail died. Teaching her that spell was likely Father's only true mistake."

"He is going to roast us if we don't find her," Stephan said, head in hands, as he slumped into one of the chairs.

Crossing the floor, Niccolai picked up a book from one of the end tables, a smile on his face despite the discussion. "For all we know, brother," he said, "she may have left in order to join him..."

0000000

The trial of Lucifer Allumette was underway deep within Mythos. Five figures, three seated back to back, were silent and still. Light glowed from their chests, and a chain of gossamer threads joined their innermost selves together as the silent interrogation took place.

For a moment, two men could be seen in a facet of the diamond walls surrounding them – one tall and old, with a reversed collar around his neck, and one young and blank. They were there for but a moment before moving on.

SIDE ATTACK
Type: Continuous Magic Card
Image: Four ninja facing off, with two arrows pairing up specific ninja.
Effect: You may only activate this card in a Tag Duel. You become Player A1, and your partner becomes Player B1. Choose one opponent. That opponent becomes Player A2, and their partner becomes Player B2. Player A2 may only attack Player A1, and Player B2 may only attack Player B1. When the chosen opponent has no monsters in play, you may attack their partner directly.
Note: This card was originally used in the GX episode "Taken By Storm". All credit goes to the writers of that episode.

DEMISE, KING OF ARMAGEDDON
Image Effect: "Severance" - Pay 1000 Life Points. Choose one card on the field and destroy it.

RUIN, QUEEN OF OBLIVION
Image Effect: "Dark Permission" - Once per turn, during your Battle Phase, you may discard one card from your hand. If you do, choose one monster you control. If that monster destroys an opposing monster in battle during this Battle Phase, it may attack once more.

Coming next chapter: Degas and Alexander have much riding on the successful completion of Plan V. This Hanzaki knows, and he cannot fail such an important mission. But his objective is equally steeped in Darkness, having grown up with it. The aftermath of Monster Island still lingers even now... The question of Plan V, and perhaps some of the questions about Hanzaki, will be answered by the time the mission ends. Be prepared for Chapter Thirty-Four, "Harvest".