Balder and Prince were in a deadlock, staring down each other from each side of the table.

Prince took a sip of Bourbon from his glass without breaking eye contact, all the while scheming for his next move.

"Ok, so Balder has 3 cards all of the same number, they can't be twos since two twos have been played this round, but they could be three's or any other number for that matter.."

"If he calls Connerie on me even once and is wrong, he loses, but its the same for me, I have to play all 6 of these cards before he can lay down his three… It all depends on him…"

"Its your go Balder," Prince said.

"Skip" Balder said confidently

"I know for a fact that he has the three of hearts from the first round, he will use that card here," Balder thougt.

"One three of hearts," Prince said, laying down his card.

"Exactly, he has 5 cards left now, from the first round he had three jacks, that means that three of his five cards are not jacks, he will never get he chance to use them!"

"Skip" Lindor said once again.

"Two 5's " Prince said, laying the cards down.

"That's impossible!" Balder blurted out.

"Are you calling Connerie?" Prince said chuckling to himself

"I saw a man place down a 5 of hearts earlier! And in the previous round you had laid down to fives of your own!" Balder yelled

"Balder" Prince chuckled "Are you sure about that?"

"Impossible!" Balder thought "He definitely had the 3 aces at the start of the game but fooled me into believing that he didnt! Was it the same with the fives? Did he really not lay them down? No is it possible he never had fives at all and had been stringing me along this entire time! Think Balder think! What was he planning!"

Balder began to sweat as the pressure from the game began to build on him.

"That necklace Prince has is worth a small fortune! Just who is he exactly? He plays this game so well! Its as if he was a member of the den of wolves himself!

"Calm down" Balder thought. "This game is still mine to win! He has those 3 jacks in his hand! And with my three eights I win this match! All I have to do is skip!"

"Heh, nice try!" Balder said. "You tried to get me to slip up and call Connerie didn't you! Your trick wont work again! Hows this for a mind read! I know for a fact those last three cards are Jacks! And you have no choice but to skip the next round! Leaving me the victor!"

"Damnit!" Prince said pounding the table. "So you knew my plan all along! How could I have overlooked this!"

"I skip my turn!" Balder said laughing

Prince looked down at his three cards unsure of what to do.

"Whats wrong Prince?" Balder said

Prince remained silent

"Dont you have an 7? A single 7?" Balder laughed "Don't even bother laying down your cards its already-"

"Hehe, Hehehhe HAHAHAHAHAAHAH" Prince laughed

"What? Why is he laughing? Is this some sort of trick!"

"I didn't think it would be this easy, it was a pleasure Balder, but now its time to end this" Prince said, throwing down three cards.

"Three sevens!" Prince yelled.

"Connerie!" Balder yelled

Prince continued laughing without moving his hand.

"Connerie Connerie Connerie ConnerieConnerie!!!!" Balder yelled

"The cards are already out of my hand Balder" Prince said "The game is over!"

"No not by a longshot!" He said. "I still can call connerie! This game is mine to win!"

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this Prince said turning over his cards.

Turning face up, the three sevens were unveiled

"How! That's impossible! You never used your Jacks!" Balder exclaimed

"Balder" Prince said. "Your first mistake was letting me go first." Prince said "Your second mistake was not bullshiting me when you had the chance"

"Are you telling me… this whole time… you have never played a single card you said you played!" Balder exclaimed.

"Let me explain" Prince said

"From the beginning I realized that you always played the card you had, you spaced out the deck so that you would have the right hand when you were shuffling! You really put pressure on other players and forced them to BS while you hold all of the correct cards!" Prince said.

"Knowing this I purposely made you think I had cards that I didnt! I threw down those 3 jacks, and used them up as other cards as the game progressed! The three of hearts was a key factor I bet you thought it was a random card! But I knew when I revealed the Aces to you you would remember I still had it! Then when my turn came ,I placed the first Jack as a three, and you were convinced I had it! Then I got rid of my other two Jacks as fives in the previous round! This whole time I haven't had the cards I've called! I had a separate pair of cards that I never used, all for this one turn!"

Balder fell to the round overwhelmed by Princes strategy.

"The mirror" Prince said extending out his hand

"Yes.. you are the winner, take this" Balder said, handing him the mirror.

As Prince touched the mirror a surge of power overtook him, shifting his body.

"AHHHHH!!!" He screamed as he felt the forces of darkness course through him. As the dark power poured through him his eyes began to flash red and his hair became jet black.

"Wait! I know you! No wonder! You were Lindors strongest man! The red eyed devil of Vienne! The Dark Prince!"

Prince spun, throwing out a spinning backhand to Balder.

Blader caught the punch with his hand.

"You'll have to do better than"

Wham!

Seemingly out of nowhere a black hand came from Prince's shadow and smacked Balders temple, rendering him unconscious.

"Pedro," Prince said. "What is this new power?"

"Do we really have time to explain?" Pedro asked. "

"Your right" Prince admitted. "That was a nice excursion, but now, Its now time for phase 3."