Dan LP: 1900

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: Fairy-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 3/ATK 2300/DEF 2000 – 4 OLU

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Polaris' Blizzard

Jad LP: 3000

Epignosai Aleph: Machine-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 4300/DEF 2300 – 0 OLU

Number 55: Vapour Freeze: Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200 – 2 OLU

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Epignosai Dimension Lab

The moment the Number appeared, Lithon started cycling through options on his D-Gazer. Dan assumed he was checking the monster's effects, but he was surprised when Lithon called out to him. "That thing, it isn't your original Number, is it?"

Dan shook his head. "No, this is a Number I obtained from another hunter. How did you know?"

"I have my methods," Lithon replied, tapping the side of his D-Gazer, which Dan now noticed was custom-made, not a standard model. "I find that a person's original Number tells me a great deal about their personality – remember, a person's original Number is created from the owner's personality and true emotions. In this way, it's like a reflection of their soul. For instance, I learnt a lot about your friend just from seeing her original Number in our brief exchange." Leah shuddered at the thought of this man reading so deep into her personality.

"Makes sense," Dan said. "Either way, this isn't my original Number, so good luck trying to read my soul there."

"Just finish your move," Lithon growled.

"With massive pleasure," Dan grinned. "I activate Number 3: Comet the Skylord's effect! By detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can destroy one face-up card on the field that has an effect, and increase Comet's ATK by 1000. I target Number 55: Vapour Freeze!" One of Comet's green orbs flew into its halo and let off a flash of light.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: 4 → 3 OLU

The green Overlay Unit changed shape, forming a shining spear of light. The spear shot forward, straight through the curtain of steam, and skewered Vapour Freeze between the eyes. The enemy Number let off a rumbling growl of agony, then exploded violently. Chunks of ice and droplets of water rained down on Lithon's head. The spear then dissipated into particles of light and flew back to Comet, where they were absorbed into its wings.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: ATK 2300 → 3300

Lithon didn't register any pain from his Number's destruction, but looked irritated by its defeat.

"Now I'll use the effect a second time," Dan was saying. "I'll detach a second Overlay Unit to destroy Epignosai Aleph!" Another spear of light was formed from the second Overlay Unit, this one striking down the incubation monster.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: 3 → 2 OLU

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: ATK 3300 → 4300

"Then I'll use the effect a third time, to destroy Epignosai Dimension Lab!" The process repeated again. This time, the spear struck Jad's duel disk, and a blaze of piercing light was emitted from it, blinding both duelists and all four spectators. When the light faded, they were back in the park, which had significantly less people in it than when they'd last seen it.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: 2 → 1 OLU

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: ATK 4300 → 5300

"If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing!" Dan declared. "I detach the last Overlay Unit to destroy my own Trap Card, Polaris' Blizzard!" For the last time, Comet formed a spear within its halo and, swivelling around, used it to destroy Dan's own card instead.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: 1 → 0 OLU

Number 3: Comet the Skylord: ATK 5300 → 6300

"Impossible!" Lithon cried.

"Battle! Comet the Skylord, direct attack! Heaven's impact!" The Number began to charge a sphere of pure energy within its spikey halo. With a loud humming noise, the sphere grew and grew until it was bigger than Comet itself. Without warning, Comet fired the sphere at Lithon, who watched it coming with wide eyes, knowing that there was nothing he could do…

The explosion was colossal. Grass and dirt where ripped from the ground and hurled in all directions as the attack engulfed Lithon. The spectators covered their faces as the blast wave hit them. Dan didn't guard himself, but rather watched the explosion carefully, making absolutely certain that Lithon hadn't managed to guard himself somehow. To his relief, it seemed he hadn't.

Jad LP: 3000 → 0

Dan LP: 1900 [WINNER]

The final claxon went off. The augmented reality faded away, and the Number disappeared along with it. The crater that Lithon was lying in, however, remained.

It was only then that the Deltas became aware of the awkwardness of the situation. Almost everyone in the park was staring at them. They had seen and heard the explosion, and could now see the crater it had caused, but they couldn't work out what had caused it. Some of them were scared, others were curious, and all of them were staring.

'Damnit,' Dan cursed, 'I can't risk a long range extraction with this many people, I'll have to go in closer.' With a feeling of apprehension, he called out "Are you alright?" and started jogging over to Lithon.

"What's he doing?" James asked.

"He's trying not to attract any more attention," Katie replied. "If he goes over to that guy acting all concerned, then people won't think he was responsible, and they won't come running over if someone's already on the scene tending to him. Plus, while he's close to Lithon, he can extract Lithon's Number without people noticing." James nodded in understanding.

Dan reached Lithon and shook his shoulder gently, but it seemed the man was out cold. Never once taking his eyes off him, Dan placed his right hand on the man's chest and pretended he was feeling for a heartbeat as the tendrils of light extended from his band straight into the man's body.

Feeling around Lithon's soul carefully, he hooked some of the tendrils around Vapour Freeze the moment he came to it, and continued searching, determined to sweep every single Number out of this man. He brushed against a second Number, and eagerly tightened his grip on it and kept looking.

Eventually, his search took him straight to the centre of Lithon's soul. He had only found those two Numbers so far, but here, buried deep within Lithon's soul, was a third Number. With a jolt, Dan realised that this must be Lithon's original Number. He hooked the remaining tendrils around it and gave all three Numbers a tug. The first two came away easily, but this third one refused to budge. Irritated, he pulled harder and harder, but the Number still exhibited a profound lack of movement. It simply wouldn't come away.

With a sigh, Dan let go of this Number, and instead focused on bringing the other two out. They materialized on Lithon's chest the moment the tendrils pulled them out, and he scooped them up before anyone noticed.

The glowing numbers fifty-five and eighty-six etched themselves onto the back of his hands very briefly as he examined his two new cards – Number 55: Vapour Freeze and Number 86: Underworld Hands - then pocketed them and called out to the others. "Hey guys, come over here!"

The remaining four Deltas were at his side in an instant. "What's wrong?" Leah asked.

Vaguely, Dan became aware that the over people in the park seemed to have lost interest in them. 'Good,' he thought, 'that'll make our lives all the easier.' He pointed at the unconscious Lithon. "Try using your band on him. There's another Number in there, and something's different about it."

"Did you get Vapour Freeze?" James asked.

"Yes," Dan replied, "plus one other Number. But there's a third one in there, and I couldn't get it out."

With a concerned look on her face, Leah took his wrist and examined his band. "Is your band malfunctioning? Because if it is, you're in a lot of danger from being possessed..."

Dan smiled. "Nah, my band's fine. I managed to extract the other two without any problems, but this one's different. Give it a try; see what you can do."

Leah nodded and placed her hand on Lithon's chest. She was about to extend the tendrils into his body, but was startled by another hand being placed on top of hers. Puzzled, she looked up to see Matt kneeling opposite her.

"It might be easier if both of us try at once," he suggested.

She looked at him for a moment longer, then smiled and nodded in thanks. She felt his hand tremble slightly, and wondered if he was nervous at the prospect of probing the soul of a Number hunter. Together, they sent their Number-extracting tendrils in though Lithon's chest.

Dan had already swept the entirety of Lithon's soul, so they went straight to the core, where they found that Dan had been correct. There was a third Number there. With deft, well-practised movements, the two of them gripped onto the Number and pulled with all their might.

It was no use. The Number simply refused to move.

But it was more than that. It wasn't like the Number was clinging to Lithon's soul with all its might. Instead, it felt more like something was holding it there...

Leah adjusted her tendrils' grip and went to pull again, but before she could, a hand shot up and grasped around her throat. It was Lithon. She gasped and grabbed at Lithon's arm - her band's tendrils still trailing from his chest – but he tightened his grip and sat upright, intent on choking the life out of her.

"Get... these... things... out of me!" he growled, tightening his grip even more. Leah couldn't draw in breath. She started to feel light-headed. Her resistance became weaker and weaker...

"Stop it!" Dan grabbed at Lithon's arm and pulled, desperately trying to get him off of her, but his grip never slackened, and the fury never left his face.

"Get... them... out!" he snarled, curling his other hand into a fist. Before he could through a punch, however, James latched onto his arm, forcing him back to the ground. Lithon went down heavily, but dragged Leah with him, who was now on the very verge of unconsciousness. Katie was standing well back, screaming at her friends to stop Lithon. Dan and Matt were frantically clawing and pulling at his arm, but that tenacious grip never slackened. James threw a wild punch which glanced off the side of Lithon's head, but he seemed not to notice...

Finally, in a last desperate attempt to save her friend, Katie activated her own band, and extended more tendrils into Lithon's chest. His body went rigid, his eyes widened, and his grip slackened just enough for Leah to draw a breath and keep herself conscious. Feeling around desperately, Katie wrapped her tendrils around the tendrils Matt and Leah had sent into Lithon's body, unhooking them from the immobile Number, and pulled as hard as she could.

It worked. Three sets of tendrils left the man's body and dissipated. The moment they were out, Doctor Lithon let go of Leah's neck and clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

The second Lithon released her, Dan and Matt caught her between them and half carried, half dragged her to a safe distance, where she doubled over, gasping and choking. Dan knelt down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder, urging her to calm down and breathe deeply. Katie ran over to help him.

"Hey, are you ok? Are you hurt?" Katie asked, kneeling on her other side.

Leah nodded, but didn't say anything, not trusting herself with words yet. Katie massaged her back, trying to calm her down as best she could. Slowly, painfully, Leah got her breathing under control and took a long, deep lungful of air to calm herself.

Matt took her pulse. "Her heartbeat's all over the place," he said worriedly.

"It's ok, that's just from the stress; it'll settle back into rhythm in a minute," Dan assured him. "Honestly, it's a wonder you didn't go into shock," he told her. Leah nodded, then burst into another fit of coughing.

"Her? What about us?" Katie grinned once she'd finished. "We got the shock of our lives!" Leah chuckled, then winced as the movement hurt her throat.

Matt stood up, his eyes blazing with anger, and turned around to confront the man responsible. But it was too late. The crater was empty, and James was looking around, bewildered.

Doctor Lithon had gone.

Author-made cards:

Epignosai Aleph (credit to Superjad)
Machine-Type/Xyz/LIGHT/Rank 4/ATK 2300/DEF 2300
2 Level 4 "Epignosai" monsters
This card gains the original Types of all Overlay Units attached to it. Once per turn: You can detach and banish 2 Overlay Units from this card, then target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that target.

Number 55: Vapour Freeze (credit to Superjad)
Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200
2 Level 4 monsters
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 face-up monster; apply 1 of these effects. ●Switch its current ATK and DEF. ●Halve its DEF.

Number 3: Comet the Skylord
Fairy-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 3/ATK 2300/DEF 2000
4 Level 3 monsters
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 face-up Effect Card on the field; destroy that target, then this card gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase. When this card destroys an Xyz Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Draw 1 card for each Overlay Unit attached to this card.

Epignosai Dimension Lab (credit to Superjad)
Field Spell Card
Once per turn: You can target 1 of your banished "Epignosai" monsters; return that target to the Graveyard, and if you do, banish 1 "Epignosai" card from your Deck.

Polaris' Blizzard
Continuous Trap Card
When your opponent Summons a monster(s): Place Polaris Counters on each of those Summoned monsters, equal to their respective Levels. You must control a face-up "Polaris" monster to activate and resolve this effect.

Fun Fact #22: Ok, that was interesting... the first proper action sequence we've ever written. Well, I use the term 'action sequence' in the loosest possible sense, but it did its job.

Fun Fact #23: We've actually written about Number 86 before. Can you remember where? If you can, then kudos.

Fun Fact #24: If it's worth doing, then it's most certainly worth overdoing!

Fun Fact #25: Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Guess what. Another Ultra-Subtle Foreshadowing Hint! Hurray!