Trueman chuckled again in his dark, oppressive tone.

“You’ve grown so much, Dear Kisaro. How noble and bold you’ve become. You’re not at all weak and helpless now.” Trueman remarked.

Judai could feel Kisaro tensing, like a predator readying to take down it’s prey. The brunette gazed up at her eyes, which had become clouded with darkness and rage.

“Bastard!” Kisaro snarled. “What are you planning?!”

Trueman shook his index finger teasingly, as though he were admonishing a child. “You’re as candid as ever, Kisaro Dear.“ He paused. “I have big plans for this world, but in order to fulfill my dream, I’ve needed to collect a vast amount of energy. People really are so naïve.” Trueman turned to Kisaro questioningly. “Don’t you think a world without thought would be so much better?”

She arched a brow. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“The EvilSwarm Virus….” Trueman began. “A very special sickness that I’ve personally created, a disease that corrupts the brain itself; indeed! A virus that will wipe out all thought!” The man sighed. “…But, in order to infect the world, I need a very special assistant.”  He turned this time towards Judai. “Someone you used to be very familiar with.”

Judai blinked. “Me?? Who do I know that would help you with this insane plan?!”

Trueman held up a hand. “I never said that they would do it of their own free will. I also never said it was someone that you necessarily remembered, Judai-Kun.”

The brunette was baffled. “Who…did I forget?”

The man smirked. “Who, indeed?”

“Answer me!” Judai demanded. “Who did I forget?!”

“Time will tell, Judai-Kun. I’m sure your reunion will be spectacular.” Trueman now faced both Peten and Saggi. “Capture Judai Yuki. Only his energy will truly be able to generate the revival I seek.”

Like a slick shadow, Trueman began to fade into the nothingness of the darkness. “Kisaro Dear….” He remarked. “You just can’t help losing the ones you love, can you?”

Furiously, Kisaro gritted her teeth at his taunt, unable to voice a word as her antagonist vanished.

Kazune….

Saggi let out a psychotic laugh. “Peten! It’s show time!”

The long-haired clown was hesitant. “I guess….”

Both of the Dark Clowns leapt at Kisaro and Judai, double-teaming against them. Kisaro gritted her teeth, knowing she wasn’t in peak condition for a fight. Saggi took a swing at Judai, which Kisaro managed to intercept and block in the nick of time.

“You’ll have to do better than that!” Kisaro said, although Saggi only smiled.

“Stupid wretch! I was just distracting you!” The asymmetrical clown exclaimed, as he directed her attention around, as Peten began blowing up a red balloon.

Larger, larger and even larger still the balloon grew to an unreal size. Peten threw the gigantic balloon at Judai, who was encapsulated immediately inside, and trapped.

“What the heck?” Judai exclaimed, in utter disbelief of what had transpired. “Is this thing for real?!”

“Judai!” Kisaro cried, beginning to feel a rare rise of panic. “Let him go!”

“No can do.” Saggi grinned. “Since Trueman-Sama needs him, after all.”

Kisaro scowled. “You really think I’m going to just let you take Judai….?”

“Don’t put up a tough front!” The asymmetrical clown growled. “You’re in no shape to fight, and you know it!”

The Sing-Star frowned, reluctantly coming to terms with the fact that Saggi was in fact, correct. If she was uninjured, it would have been a different story, but….

“You two…” Kisaro began. “You’re not wearing costumes, are you? You’re real Duel Monsters.”

Peten and Saggi were taken aback.

“That’s astute of you…” Peten remarked.

“So? What of it?” Saggi demanded.

Kisaro, holding her aching side, took out her black-holstered Deck with her free hand. “If you’re really Duel Monsters, then I say we settle this with a Duel!” She paused. “Unless you’re scared of getting beaten at your own game!”

“Yeah, why not?” Saggi grinned, nudging Peten. “Have a Duel with the little starlet. You always keep your head cooler in a Duel than I do.”

Peten was hesitant. “……All right….”

“Kisaro!” Judai pounded on the rubbery walls of the balloon he was sealed inside of. “You can’t Duel when you’re hurt so badly!” He cried desperately. “I’m not worth it!”

The Sing-Star, despite the pain she was in, only turned and smiled reassuringly to the brunette as she slipped her Deck into her Duel-Disk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Judai couldn’t say anything in response.

“Are you ready?” Peten asked, having activated his own brightly colored Duel-Disk.

“Oh, you’d better believe it! Stage On!” Kisaro drew five Cards from her Deck. “I’ll take the first turn!” She exclaimed, drawing her sixth Card, and looking over her hand carefully. “I’ll summon Fabled Raven, in Attack-Position!”

A new Fabled Monster came to Kisaro’s side of the Field; a gray-skinned, mask-wearing Fiend with blade-like wings.

~Fabled Raven - Attack: 1300/ Defense: 1000 ~

“So we unexpectedly got caught in a trap, huh?” He asked in his masculine tone.

“Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it.” Kisaro nodded.  “Judai’s life is riding on us now,  Raven.”

The Fiend smirked. “Gotcha, Kisaro-Sama.”

“My turn.” Peten said, drawing a card. “From my hand, I discard Marionette Mite, to activate it’s Effect,” The Clown said, slipping the Card of the patchwork, puppet-like insect into the Cemetery-Slot of his Duel-Disk. “To take control of one Fiend-Type Monster on your side of the Field until the end of this turn!”

“You-!” Kisaro began, stilted, realizing that Raven was going to be taken from her.

With Marionette Mite’s Effect, long strings, like those that would be used to guide a puppet came streaking from the Field’s ground, and wrapped around Raven’s arms, before ultimately pulling him downwards, where he vanished. Hardly a second later, the Fiend materialized once again, but now he was forced onto Peten’s side of the Field.

“Now,” Peten continued, placing a Card from his hand onto his Duel-Disk. “I summon Clown Zombie,  in Attack-Position!”

~Clown Zombie - Attack: 1350/ Defense: 0 ~

Something that should have been a symbol of good spirit, came rising to the Field, twisted. A zombified clown with jagged teeth and wielding a scythe let out a cackle; a wicked smile distorted his painted face, and caused his already peeling skin to further distend from the muscles beneath that it should have been connected to. Kisaro grimaced at the grotesque Monster, and readied herself for what she knew was going to come.

“Now! Fabled Raven and Clown Zombie! Attack her directly!” Peten commanded.

Once again, Clown Zombie let out his maniacal cackle, and leapt at Kisaro all too eagerly to maim her with his blade. With vicious precision, the undead clown swept his scythe down, striking the Sing-Star. It was only Solid Vision, and just a hologram, but the impact was real and strong enough to hit the young woman with recoil and cause her considerable pain.

Raven gritted his teeth, as his body moved against its will. His beloved owner, when she needed him the most….

“Forgive me….Kisaro-Sama….!” The Fiend exclaimed, as he took a swipe at her with his bladed arm.

Kisaro let out a final cry of pain, and shook her head dismissively. “Don’t worry yourself, Raven.”

~Kisaro Kisaragi – Life-Points: 1350~

“I end my turn with that.” Peten said decisively.

Marionette Mite’s Effect came to a close, and control of Raven switched back to Kisaro, who was standing her ground. She had taken more damage than she thought she had in the other dimension. Kisaro knew that her lack of energy had put a strain on the connection she had with her Deck. It was surely showing; she couldn’t remember the last time she had been knocked down to less than fifteen-hundred Life Points. It almost seemed like a foreign concept to her.

“Kisaro-Sama….” Raven mourned. “I betrayed you…”

“I’m all right, Raven.” She consoled. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Judai blinked, utterly disbelieving. Was Kisaro really getting pushed around in this Duel? She, who could out maneuver anyone’s tactics, she who could dominate the Field with one Monster, was down to less than half her Life-Points in the first turn of the Duel…?

He felt like a child, but Judai wanted to cry in guilt. It was his fault that she was getting battered, when she had been weakened and hurt to begin with. Judai knew she had been severely drained in the other dimension’s ordeal, but he hadn’t said anything. He shouldn’t have let her leave the infirmary, but she had seemed so strong, that he believed she was fine.

The brunette bit his lip, realizing that she had been acting like she was all right for his sake.

“Kisaro!” Judai called out to her. “Throw the Duel and forget me, already!”

She gave small “tsk” and shook her head. “Judai, I already told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The Sing-Star drew a Card from her Deck. “My turn! I summon Fabled Urustos, in Attack-Position!”

Materializing to the Field now was a graceful looking reaper; a cloaked skeleton with torn, black-feather wings.

~Fabled Urustos - Attack: 1500/ Defense: 200 ~

“Your will is mine, Kisaro-Sama.” Urustos spoke, voice whispering through his clattering jaw.

“Thank you, Urustos.” Kisaro replied, acknowledging. “Attack Clown Zombie!”

The tragic looking reaper, at his owner’s command, sent a shadowy surge twisting towards Clown Zombie, whom was engulfed and destroyed instantly, dealing Peten one-hundred-fifty points of damage.

“Impressive….” Peten remarked. “I’ve never known of a human to be able to converse with their Monsters ….”

“Stick around!” Kisaro snapped. “The conversations won’t end here! Raven, give him a Direct-Attack!”

“Yes!” The Fiend exclaimed, eager to once again be of use to his owner, and this time delivered a violent swipe at the Dark Clown with his sharply bladed arm.

~Peten, the Dark Clown – Life-Points: 2550~

“I’ll place one Card Face-Down, and end my turn.” Kisaro said, setting one Card in Reverse upon her Duel-Disk.

The long-haired clown stumbled backwards briefly before regaining himself. He hadn’t expected her to be able to get herself recomposed so quickly after losing her Monster and being dealt two Direct-Attacks in succession.

Peten looked down at his hand of Cards carefully. There is much more to this woman than meets the eye…

“I place two Cards from my hand, Face-Down.” Peten began. “….and I summon Jester Lord, in Attack-Position!”

A spindly, brightly-dressed fool materialized to the Field, and took his position before Peten.

~Jester Lord - Attack: 0/ Defense: 0 ~

“I activate Jester Lord’s Effect!” The long-haired clown continued. “For each Card in my Spell and Trap-Card Zone on the Field, his Attack goes up by one-thousand points!”

Kisaro grimaced worriedly, for this was an extremely formidable Monster. “Then…that would make it two-thousand…”

If it were just her, she wouldn’t have cared that she was being pressed into a tight spot. Kisaro didn’t care about herself. The fact of the matter was that it was not herself in jeopardy, but Judai. If she lost, he would be the one to pay the price.

“Jester Lord! Destroy Fabled Raven!” Peten commanded.

The almost delicate looking clown leapt into action, preparing to deliver a finishing blow to Kisaro’s faithful Fiend, and the Sing-Star clenched her fists, as she glanced over to Judai, who was gazing on worriedly about her. For his sake, she couldn’t admit defeat.

I won’t let it happen again….!

“Not so fast!” Kisaro exclaimed. “I activate Fabled Raven’s Effect!”

“What..?” Peten queried.

“I can discard as many Cards as I want from my Hand, and for each, Raven’s Attack increases by four-hundred points until the end of my turn.” She placed several Cards gingerly into her Cemetary-Slot. “….And I’m discarding three!”

Given a huge boost, Raven’s Attack shot up from a mere thirteen-hundred, all the way to twenty-five hundred, which surpassed Jester Lord’s Attack-Power with points to spare.

As the King of Clown’s Attack connected, Raven brushed it aside with ease, and delivered a returning punch of his own, and shattered Jester Lord into pieces.

Peten winced, as he was hit with the recoil of his Monster’s destruction and was dealt five-hundred points of damage in it’s wake.

“What are you doing, Peten?!” Saggi exclaimed. “You let her turn the Duel around in her favor again!”

“It was just a small hiccup, Saggi….” Peten said reassuringly. “It won’t happen again…”

“There’s something I have to know, as a performer myself.” Kisaro began. “You two also live in the spot-light. It’s our job to entertain people, and to make them smile. Why in the world are you doing as Trueman says?”

“Wench!” Saggi snapped. “Trueman-Sama’s plans are for the good of all! If all thought is wiped out, there won’t be anything to cause strife, and people will always be able to smile unbidden!”

“You think….that lunatic is going to help people?” Kisaro asked defiantly. “The only thing Trueman will create is madness! If there is no thought, people won’t even know what happiness is!”

Peten blinked. Have I….just been going blindly along with things….?

“Nonsense!” Saggi retorted. “Finish her off, Peten, and then we can bring this other brat to Trueman-Sama!” The asymmetrical clown ordered, pointing to Judai.

“What do you want with Judai, anyway?” Kisaro asked of Peten. “Why him?”

“It’s him.” Peten began. “His energy, his essence, that resonates the greatest with the thing that Trueman-Sama is trying to revive. It wants him….”

“What wants Judai?” Kisaro demanded sharply. “Trueman said that this thing was going to be his ideal partner, someone that Judai used to know. Who, or what in God’s name is it?”

Peten was wordless for a moment. “It’s something so terrifying…I can’t even comprehend it….”

“What is it?!” Kisaro demanded fiercely.

The long-haired clown spoke one word, then. “….Yubel…”

Judai blinked. Why….did that name seem so familiar to him….?

The brunette’s head began pounding, and his vision blurred momentarily, as that single name resounded in his mind. Instantly, memories began streaking back to him, of the Card that attacked all of his friends, and made everyone terrified to the core of him.

“Yubel…?!” Judai exclaimed, stricken. “That Card….?!”

Kisaro turned towards the nearly hyperventilating brunette worriedly. It was the first time she had seen him in such terror.

“Why couldn’t I remember until now…?” He asked of himself aloud. “How could I forget…..”

The Sing-Star swallowed, knowing from Chancellor Samejima that Judai’s parents had his memory altered to forget an incident involving a malevolent Card, but….

Was that process undone just now…? She wondered. Is this “Yubel” really that card…?

Kisaro frowned.  “I don’t know what that is, or what it wants with Judai….but if you think even for one second that I’m going to just hand him over when you have that kind of intent…” She said, raising her Duel-Disk up readily once again. “You’re sorely mistaken.”

“You’ll keep fighting….even though you hardly have any Life-Points left?” Peten asked.

“A Duel isn’t over until the very last Card is played!” Kisaro answered. “Besides, with someone important to me on the line, I would never quit, even if all the flesh is stripped from my bones! Mark my words, I’ll create a miracle!”

Judai almost wept. “Kisaro….”

“Here it goes! I’m activating an Effect from the Grave!” She exclaimed.

Saggi and Peten blinked. “From the Grave?!”

“You’d better believe it! My bond with my Monsters will go even that far!” She replied. “By discarding two Cards from my hand….I Special-Summon Fabled Soulkius from the Grave!”

A flash of light streaked down powerfully, and Kisaro’s newest Fabled Ace-Monster took the Field by storm. He was muscular, with big, bat-like wings, and spreading from each of his forearms, was a small, black-feathered wing. His grin flashed with the light that was evoked around him.

~Fabled Soulkius - Attack: 2200/ Defense: 2100 ~

“Glad you could make use of me, Kisaro-Sama.” He spoke in his bold tone.

“Yes,” Kisaro nodded. “Soulkius, attack Peten directly and end this!”

“You’ve got it!” He let out a might roar, and vaulted forward with his incredible wings.

Just as Soulkius’ Attack was about to connect, Peten placed a Card hurriedly onto his Duel-Disk.

“From my hand, I Special-Summon Battle Fader!” Peten called, as a crucifix-like Fiend materialized, and blocked Soulkius completely.

~Battle Fader - Attack: 0/ Defense: 0 ~

“When I’m about to take a Direct-Attack, Battle Fader can be Special-Summoned from my hand, and ends the Battle-Phase.” Peten explained.

Kisaro let out a small “tch,” and sighed. She did still have Raven and Urustos, but given that Battle Fader completely ended her Battle Phase, it made no difference. “I end, then.”

Peten drew a Card. “I summon the grand master of illusions, CopyCat!”

This Monster was humanoid and clown-like, but he lacked a face.

~CopyCat - Attack: 0/ Defense: 0 ~

Kisaro quirked a brow. “You seem to have a penchant for using Monsters with zero-Attack….what ability does he have?”

Peten closed his eyes for a moment. “You really live up to your reputation as a performer, Kisaro Kisaragi. I have not found a moment of this Duel to be unsatisfying……but I’m afraid it ends here.”

“Why do you say that?” She asked.

“CopyCat’s Effect activates! He will mimic the Attack-Power of your strongest Monster, which is Fabled Soulkius!” Peten called.

Instantly, CopyCat did just as his name conveyed, and copied Fabled Soulkius’ Attack-Power, which gave him an enormous boost from zero, to twenty-two-hundred.

Kisaro frowned. “But you’ve only tied us. If you attack, it’ll be a draw.”

“I don’t intend to attack.” Peten corrected her.

“What…?” She wondered, unable to anticipate his motive.

“I activate the Trap-Card; Mad Circus!” Peten exclaimed, revealing one of his Face-Down Cards. “It can only be activated when two opposing Monsters have identical Attack-Power, but when it is utilized, Mad Circus allows me to attack you directly!” The long-haired clown pointed a finger at Kisaro. “Now go, CopyCat! Direct-Attack!”

Kisaro’s eyes widened as the SpellCaster directed a hypnotic wave right at her. She heard her Fiends cry out to her in alarm, as they could do nothing to stop the attack.

Judai….!

The Sing-Star closed her eyes, and let out a breath; exhaling.

“Who….” She began, tone darkening. “Do you think I am?”

“What did you say?” Peten asked.

“I am the Fiend-Queen, Kisaro Kisaragi.” She said, firmly. “…..And I won’t lose anyone ever again!”

Judai blinked. ….Again….?

“As long as I have two or less in my hand, I can use Fabled Urustos’ Effect!” Kisaro began. “With it, all Face-Up Fabled Monsters I control gain four-hundred Attack-Points!”

At that, Urustos, Raven and Soulkius’ Attack-Power spiked generously.

“Our Attack-Power is no longer tied! Mad Circus is destroyed!” Soulkius exclaimed, swinging his arm forward and slamming CopyCat into the ground, destroying him.

~Peten, the Dark Clown– Life-Points: 1650~

“Damn….” Peten muttered under his breath. “This is-“

“This is the end!” Kisaro cut in. “Raven! Destroy Battle Fader!

“As you wish, Kisaro-Sama!” He cried, vaulting forward.

Raven, whose Attack-Power had been raised to seventeen-hundred by Urustos’ Effect, brought Battle Fader down with ease, and inflicted the full-brunt of his power to Peten’s Life-Points, which depleted them straight to zero.

“What….what a superb performance….” Was all Peten could manage.

“Now, you’ll release Judai, as we agreed.” Kisaro said firmly.

“Yes….” Peten replied, snapping his fingers.

As the sharp sound resounded, the balloon disintegrated, freeing the brunette, who hurryingly rushed over to Kisaro’s side.

“Kisaro! Are you all right?!” He exclaimed worriedly.

Smiling softly, the Sing-Star embraced the Osiris-Red, relieved that she had been able to save him. “I’m just fine, Judai.”

There was a soft, tearing sound and Kisaro held up her wrist, as the energy-draining admission band began ripping, as if being torn by an invisible hand. The same sound resounded all about, as the admission bands that had been sealed onto everyone began to tear and fall away.

“They all came off!” Judai smiled, relieved himself.

“It appears so…” She remarked.

Peten nodded. “Since you won the Duel, there isn’t much of a need for those to be worn anymore.”

“Thank you.” Kisaro smiled boldly.

Saggi watched the Sing-Star, furious, and gritted his teeth angrily. “Peten!” He exclaimed, stalking over to his Dark Clown counterpart. “How could you lose?! It was our job to further Trueman-Sama’s vision!”

Peten only shook his head, as he too glanced over at Kisaro and Osiris-Red. “Don’t you see, Saggi? That vision leads to nowhere.”

“How can you say that? If there is no thought, people can always smile, can’t they? Because they won’t have anything to be angry or sad about!”

“But…” Peten began. “….if there is no thought, there won’t be a need for either smiles or anger. A world of blank thought is a world of oblivion.”

Saggi recoiled. “That is…..”

“I don’t mind a world with strife…” Peten continued. “…because it makes our existence worthwhile, and gives us a reason to need to make people smile.”

The asymmetrical clown dropped his tense shoulders and sighed. “Maybe…I believed Trueman too readily….”

“Come on, then.” Peten said, extending a hand to Saggi. “I can’t be a solo act, now can I? We’ve always been a duet.”

“Yes,” Saggi conceded, taking Peten’s hand. “For the sake of happiness, the show must always go on!”

Judai and Kisaro watched, as the Dark Clown Duo’s forms began to meld away, into two identical glowing orbs.

“Thank you…” Peten’s voice resounded. “…..for guiding us once again back to the stage-light, Kisaro Kisaragi.”

At that, the two glittering orbs of golden light went flickering away skywards to the roof of the draping Big-Top, where they dissipated and ultimately disappeared.

“Man, what a crazy time that was…” Judai remarked breathlessly. “….But I’m glad that they weren’t such bad guys after all…”

“Ju-Chan…” Kisaro said, returning to her normal mannerisms. “I’m so sorry for all of this….”

“Wha-? What do you mean??”

“I only wanted to cheer you up….” She began, lamenting. “…But I never meant for any of this to happen....”

“Kisaro, I know that, but you shouldn’t have tried to push yourself for me, though!” He chided, as though he were scolding a child. “You had barely recovered from that mess in the other dimension…and I was an idiot for thinking you were okay, just because you seemed so strong….” He paused. “You’re a performer; of course you’re going to be good at acting!” He cried guiltily.

“Ju-Chan….really…” She began, appreciative for the concern he gave her.

“I won’t let it happen again!” Judai exclaimed, clenching his fists. Resolved, the brunette pointed a finger at the battered Sing-Star. “Kisaro, I’m going to be your own, personal nurse, and I’m going to take care of you until you’re better!”

Mouth agape comically, the Sing-Star blinked. "'Nurse,' did you say....?"