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Damage marked on a creature remains until the cleanup step, even if that permanent stops being a creature. If the total damage marked on a creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a permanent is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.19, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).

If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different name gains that ability, each instance of the first name in the gained ability that refers to the first object by name should be treated as the second name.

Damage dealt to a creature by a source with neither wither nor infect is marked on that creature (see rule 120.3). If the total damage marked on that creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a creature is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.19, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).

Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. Spells or abilities that generate these effects are often cast or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur.

Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word “instead” doesn’t appear on the card but is implicit in the definition of regeneration. “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and its controller taps it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.” Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates. See rule 701.19.

Regenerate

If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and its controller taps it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”

If the effect of a static ability regenerates a permanent, it replaces destruction with an alternate effect each time that permanent would be destroyed. In this case, “Regenerate [permanent]” means “Instead remove all damage marked on [permanent] and its controller taps it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.”

Casting Debt of Loyalty puts a regeneration shield on a creature. If, later in the turn, that creature would be destroyed, instead it regenerates and you gain control of it. Note that it will be tapped when you gain control of it. The control change has no duration; you’ll retain control of that creature until the game ends or until some other effect causes it to change control.

If a creature has two regeneration shields on it — one from a Debt of Loyalty you cast and one from another effect — and it would be destroyed, its controller chooses which regeneration shield to use. If that player chooses to use the Debt of Loyalty shield, you’ll gain control of the creature. If the player chooses to use the other shield, you won’t gain control of the creature, but the Debt of Loyalty shield will remain on that creature for the rest of the turn (in case it would be destroyed again).

If you cast Debt of Loyalty but nothing happens to the targeted creature for the rest of the turn that would cause it to be destroyed, Debt of Loyalty has no visible effect. The regeneration shield wears off at the end of the turn. If the creature regenerates during a later turn, you won’t gain control of it.

You may cast Debt of Loyalty targeting a creature you already control. If you do, and that creature would be destroyed later in the turn, it will regenerate and you’ll gain control of it (though gaining control of a creature you already control usually has no visible effect).

A creature with indestructible never needs to regenerate, so Debt of Loyalty will have no effect on it.