Episode One: Hunted
On the platform of a subway station, a young girl waits for the train. She sighs and shoulders her backpack. Raising her arm, she checks her watch and leans forward to look down the tunnel, but sees nothing except darkness. She leans back and looks up, tapping her foot. She looks back to the tunnel and smiles hearing a distant rumbling. A beam of light shines out of the tunnel and steadily grows brighter.
The train screamed by with sparks flying off its wheels. The girl watches and waits for the train to stop. Something in the train windows caught her eye. In her reflection was a dark figure standing behind her. He was tall and forbidding, with eyes of bright red. The girl turns quickly and squeaks. "Is anything the matter?" Asks the elderly gentleman behind her. The girl smiles and sighs in relief. She shakes her head. "No, nothing at all." The man's full mustache turned up in a smile.
The train slowed to a stop and the doors slid apart. The girl walks in and takes a seat. She pulls out a small device from her pocket and a loop of earbuds. She plugged the earbuds in and slid them into her ears. At the press of a button, voices and music whispered from the buds. She closes her eyes and soon begins to tap her foot to the beat.
The old man takes a seat in the far corner, setting his suitcase down. After a few minutes, the PA clicked on and a female voice says: "welcome to Domino City Shuttle Corp, we hope your trip will be a pleasant one. Please stand away from the doors and take a seat. Next destination: Domino City Border." The doors slid closed and with a hiss sealed shut. The platform outside slowly moved away and the train enters the opposite tunnel. As the lights from the platform fade, the interior light of the train casts the elderly man's shadow onto the wall.
The shadow wasn't his own.
The shadow looked like a dark robed man. It rose, it's red eyes bright and intense as it stared down at the girl. It laughed maniacally and descended on her. A scream fills the tunnel and then goes silent.
Ω
A girl runs through the abandoned paths of a factory complex. She whimpers and pants as she runs, ignoring the pain in her legs and the burning in her lungs. Whispers filled the air, echoing off the sides of the buildings around her. With a cry, the girl trips on a power cable and falls flat on the ground. She cringes and chokes and fights to take a breath.
"You can't escape, she-human." Said the whispers.
The girl looks back and pushes herself up and onto her feet. She starts running again and her leg gives out. She falls to her knee, but rises again and limps away as fast as she can. Hot tears coursed down her cheeks and she sobs, looking around frantically for a place to hide.
"Don't run. We'll find you sooner or later. Might as well be sooner." The whispers said. A chorus of laughs mocked her as she limped faster. "Leave me alone!" She screamed.
She turned down an alley and sees a dumpster. She hides behind it and curls into herself, panting between sobs. Hearing something approaching she freezes and holds her breath. Shadows dance on the wall in front of her. The whispers were louder now, and she could hear shuffling just on the other side of the dumpster. The girl squeezes her eyes shut, desperately trying to quiet her breathing.
"I know where you're are." Whispered a voice. The girl hears something coming around the dumpster. She looks up and sees a huge shadow splayed on the wall. Looking down she notices a small window at the base of the building. She throws herself into it and rolls down into the factory basement.
She groans and picked herself up. Daring not to stop she continues running, dragging her bad leg along. She hobbles down the rows of ancient machines, skeletons of an industry. All looked like creatures reaching out to grab her. She hears the crackle of glass behind her and the whispers fill the room. She cries and makes for a metal staircase. She leans on the railing and pulls herself up.
"There you are!"
The girl bites her lip and moves faster. She can hear their feet shuffling closer. They were at the foot of the stairs now. With one last push she is able to reach the top. She scuffles to a door, which had a tilted and broken sign with "-xit" on it. She throws herself against it and pushes. To her horror, it didn't budge. She looks back at the stairs and she watches as a dark head rises from the staircase. Its pair of red eyes fix themselves on her and narrow.
The girl looks up at the door and pounds on it. "Open!" She screamed. She trembles and weeps bitterly, looking over her shoulder. A man was approaching her and others like him where stepping off the stairs and following him.
Turning back to the door, the girl threw herself against it. It squeaks weakly. With a glimpse of hope, the girl throws herself against it with all her might. The door breaks and swings open. She falls through the doorway and onto the ground. She raises her face and looks around. She is on a bridge suspended over old, rusty generators. She reaches up and grabs the rail and pulls herself onto her feet. She leans on the rail and pulls herself along.
She looks up and freezes. On the other end of the bridge were three men dressed in black cloaks. The girl shakes her head and looks back. Four men block the doorway to the factory. She sinks to her knees, shaking uncontrollably. She watches as the men step onto the bridge and approach her, gliding along the ground like black mist. Their eyes glittered from the featureless faces, staring at her like a cat eyeing its prey.
The girl cried, yet she didn't know it. She could only watch as the men came within reach, knowing the other group were right behind her. "Now or later." Whispered the one in front of her. They all laugh mockingly and the girl hangs her head weakly, her raven-black locks cover her face.
She hears the man in front of her stumble back and something slam down onto the bridge. The girl looks up and gasps. A young man stood between her and the men now. She looks back at the sound of a second thing crashing onto the bridge. It was a young woman, around the age of the man before her.
The black men's eyes flickered, obviously nervous. The first one, the leader, steps forward. "Stand aside and let us to what is ours."
The young man's shoulders shook as a chuckle filtered through the crimson red cloth across his nose and mouth. The man raises his arm and the blades of his duel disk slide forward, together and then out. "No chance of that happening, my friends." The man says confidently. His companion, a fiery red head, activates her duel disk as well.
The black men looked at each other and sweep aside their cloaks and hold up their own duel disks. They all activate simultaneously.
"So it begins." The young man mutters. His eyes, an intense yellow lined with red, flash white. The black men whisper in panicked voices, looking around as a dark dome formed around them. The light from the outside filtered down as curtains, ever shifting and shimmering.
"What is this?" The girl mutters in awe.
"A Twilight Duel." The young man mutters. He and the woman draw their cards. He looks at his hand and then selects a card, holding it up for his enemies to see. "I call forth Jain, Lightsworn Paladin!" A warrior in white and gold armor rises from a pool of sparks and holds his sword level with the men. The young man slips a card into a slot in his panel. "Then I set a card face-down and end my turn." He takes the top two cards from his deck and discards them. "Now the effect of my Paladin forces me to discard two cards from the top of my deck at the end of my turn."
"My turn!" The young woman declares. She looks at her cards and slaps one down on her panel. "I summon Asura Priest!" A spirit with many arms rises before her, taking a sacred pose. The woman then slips a card into a slot. "Then I'll activate Spiritual Energy Settle Machine!" A large machination rises beside her and it's dishes swivel toward her Asura Priest. "With this card, my Spirit monsters do not return to my hand at the end of my turn! All I have to do is discard a card from my hand at the end of my turn!" The woman explains. The machine fires waves at her Asura priest and he glows in a blue light. She slips another card into a slot and discards a card from her hand. "I'll set one card and end my turn as well."
The men draw their cards. They each hold up one card and declare its name in turn.
"I summon Vorse Raider!"
"Rise, my Dai Grepher!"
"I choose Raging Flame Sprite!"
"Warrior of Zera, come out!"
"I use my Skull Knight #2!"
"Come forth, Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
"I bring out my Mystic Lamp!"
The girl gasps, gazing up at the seven monsters bearing down on her defenders' monsters. "They won't make it!" She says in despair.
"Attack, our creatures!" Yells the leader.
"Not so fast!" The young woman says. She throws out her hand and a hologram of her face down card flips face-up. "I use my Negate Attack! This stops your first attack and brings the Battle Phase to an end!" The monsters stop halfway in their attack and return to their masters' sides. The girl lets out a breath and puts a hand to her heart. "That was close."
"It's not over yet!" Says the leader. He holds out a card. "I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Swords rain down from above and cage their monsters. The young man didn't seem phased, nor did his friend.
"We end our turn." Another black man adds.
The young man and woman draw a card from their decks. The man eyes the card he drew and looks over his shoulder at the woman. The woman catches his glance and nods with a smile.
"All right!" The man says. "I activate the card known as Fighting Spirit!" His Jain's eyes glow gold and an aura envelopes him. "This card gives my Jain 300 attack points for every monster on your side of the field." He explains. "But that means your monster's attack points are--" The leader mutters in shock. "3900." The man finishes for him.
"And that's not all!" The young woman interjects. "Since I sent Sinister Serpent to the grave, he comes back to my had - so I can keep discarding him and keep my Settle Machine can on the field." She selects a card from her hand and holds it out. "Now I activate Riryoko! This halves the attack of Jain, Lightsworn Paladin and adds the other half to my monster!"Jain's aura snakes across the ground and swallows up Asura Priest. His attack lowers to 1950, but Asura Priest's attack increases to 3750.
"It's pointless! Your Riryoko's effect will end when you're finished this turn, and you still have two more turns before our Swords of Revealing Light are gone!" The leader laughs, half with relief and half with scorn.
"You haven't seen what else we have in store for you." The man says. His tone sends a chill down the girl's back. She pulls herself up onto the railing so she can get a better view. The man points to his Jain. "I now sacrifice my Lightsworn Paladin to summon my Celestia, Lightsworn Angel!" Jain evaporates into mist. From above a beautiful angel lowers from the sky and takes his place. The black men take a step back, throwing up a hand to block the light that emitted from Celestia's wings. In her hands was a javelin, which she held at ready.
"Since I sacrificed a Lightsworn monster to summon her and by discarding the top four cards of my deck, Celestia can destroy two cards on the field." He points with a cold and indifferent light in his eyes. "I choose your Swords of Revealing Light and your face down card."
"No!" The black men cry.
Celestia jabs out with her lance and strikes the swords of light before her. They shatter on contact and a wave ripples out, destroying the face down trap with it.
"Let's keep the fun going, eh bro?" The young woman says. "I use Cost Down, which allows me to summon Great Long nose to the field without a tribute! And now I attack with Asura Priest! And unfortunately for you, he has the ability to attack all your monsters at once! Go, my Priest! Wrath of the Kami!" Her Asura priest brings two hands before his chest and forms an orb of energy between them. He throws out his hands and the orb collects in his other hands. The orbs fire out beams of energy, striking down every enemy monster. The black men grasp at their chests as their life points dropped to 2150, 2050, 350, 1250, 1850, 650, and 1950.
"Why stop the fun now?" The young man says. He throws out his hand. "We still have two more monsters that can attack! Celestia, Javelin of Light!" "Great Long Nose! Attack!" His friend commands. Celestia swoops down on a black man and drags her javelin through him as she passes. The man holds his chest and chokes. A mist starts to rise off his skin. He screams as he falls to the ground and wreathes in pain. His cloak turns to dust and he goes still, all that is left is a young man dressed in a school uniform. Great Long Nose attacks another, knocking him flat on the ground. He became a normal businessman.
"What...what happened to them?" The girl asks, her eyes wide in shock.
"We are in a Twilight Duel." The young man explains. "If you lose your life points you lose your soul. Now they are no longer one of them -- their dark sides are cast out forever." The young man explains.
"This isn't over!" The leader whispers. "There's still five of us here!"
"There won't be for long." The young man retorted. He slips a card into a slot. "But I must end my turn for now, so I set two cards face down." "I set one card face down and end my turn as well." His friend adds, discarding a card to keep her Settle Machine on the field.
The black men draw their cards. One holds out a card and declares, "I activate the field spell card Mausoleum of the Emperor!" The world rippled and melted away. The duelist found themselves standing on the steps of a large shrine lit by large bonfires. "With this card," the black man went on to explain, "we can summon monsters by sacrificing 1000 life points for every monster that would be required to sacrifice in order to summon it." The young man groans and crouches down. "This isn't good." The girl mutters.
"Now we summon Monarchs Thestalos, Catus, Mobius, Kuraz and Granmarg!" The black men said in turn. From a large bonfire Thestalos rises and lands before his owner. The ground fissures and quakes as Granmarg rises from the earth with a roar. An icy win blows and swirl in one spot. From the vortex steps out Mobius. Kuraz glides along a breeze around the Mausoleum and lands with the other monarchs. From the leader's shadow rises Catus, it's eyes glowing red. Kuraz appears with a flash of light and rises from his knee.
"Behold! The monarchs!" The leader declares. "And with them come their powers! Catus allows me to remove from play one card on the field and I choose your Celestia!" "No!" The young man says. Celestia moans and shatters into fragments. "And now my Mobius destroys two spells or traps on the field." Said another black man. He points to the young man. "I choose your two face downs." The man groans as his traps vanish. The girl brings a hand to her mouth with a gasp. "He's in the open!"
"My turn! My Kuraz destroys two cards too, but I choose your Long Nose and Ausra Priest!" A black man says. The young woman's monsters vanish with a flash. "Fortunately for you, you get to draw two cards." "Thanks." The young woman huffs as she draws. "You like that? Then you'll love my Monarch's effect! Granmarg destroys one face down card. Like yours, little girl!" Said another. The young woman's card explodes and she throws up her arms. "Who you calling little?" She says.
"And last but not least, I use my Thestalos's effect. A card is selected at random from your hands, and you are each dealt with 100 life points of damage times the level of the chosen monster!" Both the young man and woman hold up their hands. "I choose the one on the right for you, and the one in the middle for you." The black man said pointing at the designated cards. They both discard one card. The young man only lost 300 life points, while the young woman lost 700.
"But we'll have to leave it at that. Because of your Long Nose, we can't attack this turn. After that, however, you will be defeated! So we end our turn with a face down card." Said the leader.
The girl sighed with a smile, placing a hand to her racing heart. "I forgot. Thank goodness."
The young man draws and then holds up the drawn card. "I activate Solar Recharge! With this card, I am allowed to draw two cards as long as I discard a Lightsworn monster from my hand and two cards from the top of my deck!" The man does this and examines his hand. He picks a cards and holds it out. "I now activate Monster Reincarnation! This brings my Jain, Lightsworn Paladin back to my hand! And now I summon him in defense mode!"His Jain appears again and kneels down, bringing his shield before him. "Then I set two cards face-down." The man adds.
"My move!" His friend says. "And I summon the Spirit Kinka-byo in defense mode!" A small cat came around from behind her leg. It purred and brushed against her before walking out onto the field. It looks up at the black men and a large shadow beast rises from its shadow. "This monster allows me to summon another level one monster from my graveyard to the field and I choose another Kinka-byo!"
"Not so fast!" The leader interrupted. "I activate the trap card By Order of the Emperor! This card negates the effect of a monster that activates when it is summoned to the field. When this happens, the owner of the monster whose effect was negated gets to draw a card." The young woman draws a card with a disgusted face. "Fine then. Now I equip my Kinka-byo with Yata Mirror!" A small mirror appeared before the cat and gleamed in the firelight. "To finish, I discard due to my Settle Machine's effect." The young woman says. "Now I discard because of my Jain's effect." The young man adds as he discards.
"Now is the time!" The leader declares as they draw in unison. "Monarchs! Attack! You first Catus!"
The young man laughs out loud. "Don't you think we would have expected that?" He throws out a hand. "Behold and regret your mistake!"
Catus throws a punch powered by darkness at his friend but it glances off an invisible barrier. "What?" The leader exclaims.
"Thank your friend over there. He picked my Necro Gardna from my hand for his Thestalos's effect. When Necro Gardna is in the graveyard when you attack, I can remove him from play to negate it!" His Necro Gardna slips out of his graveyard and he pockets it.
The young woman sighs with relief. "Thanks there, bro." She says. "It's not over yet." He answers, glancing at her. He turns his gaze back to the black men. "Far from it."
"Attack Kuraz! Take out his Paladin!" The a black man declares.
"Ha! You just set off my trap!" The young man says. A hologram of his face-down card flips face-up. "Lightsworn Barrier! With this card, if you target a Lightsworn monster, I discard two cards from the top of my deck and your attack is negated!" Kuraz bounces off a wall of light that fell before Jain.
"Fine move, but it will not save you! You're existing on bought time! Sooner or later, you will die!" The leader says grimly. "You suppose too much, my friend..." The young man says. His eyes flash for a moment. "...Too much."
The leader huffs. "Believe what you wish! Numbers don't lie! So let's subtract a few from your Life Points!" "Go Granmarg! Attack her kitten!" Says another black man. Granmag pulls back a fist and throws it down on Kinka-byo. It feebly raised the mirror and it takes the punch before shattering. "Neat, huh? My Yata Mirror protects the Spirit that its equipped to." The young woman explains.
"Not for long! Go Mobius!" Says a black man. Mobius blows on Kinka-byo. The cat freezes in place and falls over, shattering into peaces.
"Thestalos, it is your turn!" Says the last black man.
Thestalos throws up his hands and the bonfires on either side flare. Streaks of flame rise from them and descend on Jain. Jain resisted, but with a groan he explodes. The young man blocks himself with his duel disk as sparks splash on him. "Now we end our turn." The Leader says with a chuckle.
"It's hopeless." The girl says. She sniffs and wipes her eyes. "Don't fight, just leave. It's me they want. Don't risk your own lives for me."
"Are you kidding me?" The young man asks. He looks back at her. "Even if I could, wouldn't." "Me neither." The young woman adds. "We Wasters look after each other."
The girl looks up at them. She smiles a bit. "Thank you. So much."
"Can we get on with the duel? We have business to tend to." The leader says impatiently.
"Alright then. Looks like they're in a hurry to die." The young man says cheerfully as he turns his attention back to the duel. The young woman laughs. "All the more reason to step things up a bit!" The young woman draws a card. Her eyes widen and then she smiles. She winks at her partner and he nods back. She holds up the card. "I Special Summon Yamato-no-Kami!"
Lightning strikes the field before her thrice and from her shadow rises a large being. He bears over her with a snarl. She snickers. "I bet you can't wait to see his effect, but first I'll activate Rush Recklessly, making him more than a match for your Monarchs! Go, Yamato! Shadow Rush!"
Yamato-no-Kami growls and charges Thestalos. With a swipe of his claws, Thestalos shatters into pieces. The owner cringes and groans. "Now his ability activates." The young woman says.
"No it doesn't! Not with our By Order of the Emperor on the field!" The leader says. The young man waggles a finger. "Uh-uh! For shame. Your reading comprehension leaves something to be desired. Your card states that if a monster effect activates when a monster is summoned, you can negate it and not when an effect activates during battle!" The leader stumbles back. "Gah!"
"That's right! And now my Yamato can destroy one spell or trap card on the field!" She points with a smirk. "I choose your By Order of the Emperor!" The card explodes and the young woman holds up a card. "Now I sacrifice my Yamato to summon Dark Dust Spirit!" A biting wind swirls around them as a fiendish being claws his way up through the ground. "And when he comes onto the field, all other monsters are destroyed!" The black men cry out in despair as their Monarchs vanish into the sandy winds.
"You like that?" The young man asked in a mocking tone. "Then you'll love the effect of my trap, Glorious Illusion! This card allows me to summon a Lightsworn from my graveyard! I choose my Lightsworn Paladin." His Paladin rises from a portal and twirls his sword. "Unfortunately, he won't be staying here for long." The young man holds up a card. "Jain, I sacrifice you! Come on out Gargonith, Lightsworn Dragon!" A large dragon rose from behind him with a shower of light. The young man laughs and points at the men. "This is the beginning of the end for you, my friends. This card gains 300 attack points for every unique Lightsworn in the grave." He holds up his duel disk. "There are 10 in here."
"Ten? That increases his attack points by three thousand!" The Leader says, shocked. The dragon roared as it grew in size, it's attack points rocketing to 5000. The girl pressed herself back against the railing as she stared up at it. "So powerful! It's so powerful!"
The young man chuckles darkly. He points at a black man and commands, "now attack my great beast! Iliaster Purge!" His dragon raised its head, forming an energy ball of light in its mouth. It throws down its head and unleashes the energy and bathes one of the black men in its white flames. The man cries out and falls to the ground -- a mere butcher now. The other black men didn't even seem to notice him gone.
"I set one card face down and end my turn." says the young man. "And now I must discard 3 cards from the top of my deck due to my dragon's effect." "And I discard for my Settle Machine." The young woman says.
The black men draw. They stare at their hands a long while and then one places a card on his panel. "I set one monster face down."
"And I set a face down in the spell and trap card zone." Says another.
"We end our turn." The leader says.
The young man narrows his eyes. "I don't like this at all." He thinks to himself. "Maybe they're giving up." The girl says hopefully. The young woman smiles confidently. "If that's true, then let me make it easy for them! Attack, Dark Dust Spirit!" The young man turns to her. "No! Don't!" He cries. It is too late, and Dark Dust Spirit destroys the face down card. The young man eyes the spot warily. The young woman holds her breath, eyes wide.
A large squirmy creature appears and swallows Dark Dust Spirit into its mouth. The girl brings a hand to her mouth. "What is that thing?"
"It's Jowls of Dark Demise! This creature can absorb a monster that attacks it and possesses it!" The leader says. Dark Dust Spirit remains on their side. Its veins bulge and pulse and its eyes turn red. "Not only that, but he can attack your life points directly from now on!"
The young woman sighs and looks at her friend apologetically. "I'm sorry, bro." "It's fine." He says. He looks down at his deck. "All right. It comes down to this. The card I draw now will define the end of this duel!" He thinks to himself. He lays his fingers on the top card and pulls it out. He holds it away, unable to bring himself to look at it.
"Come on, bro." The young woman said encouragingly.
"Please. You can do it. You're my only hope." The girl said, her eyes swelling with tears.
The young man looks sidelong at the card and his eyes widen and then narrow. A sudden blast of wind radiates from him and the young woman and girl are buffeted by it.
"I use Light of Redemption!" He declares, holding up the card. An orb of light slips through the top of the dome and lowers down to his hand. It becomes a card and settles in his fingers. "With this card, I can return a LIGHT monster that was removed from the game back to my hand for a mere 800 life points! And now I'll summon it! I sacrifice my Gargonith to summon Celestia, Lightworn Angel!" His dragon exploded into a shower of light, which collected and formed Celestia. Her eyes snapped open and she twirled her javelin before bringing to her side.
"I'm sure you remember her effect." The young man says. "I now destroy your Jowls-possessed Dust Spirit and your face-down card!"
"Gah!" The leader cries as his monster vanishes along with his trap. The young man's eyes become cold and intense. "Attack, Celestia..." She lowers down before another black man and stabs him through the chest with her javelin. He groans and falls, changing back into a soccer player. The young man laughs darkly. "I think you've had enough now. I end my turn."
The leader eyes what is left of his team and draws a card. He looks up at the young man and woman and stares at them. His partner steps up beside him. "I summon Luster Dragon!" The second man came up on the leader's other side. "I summon Ruby Dragon!" The leader holds up another card and declares, "now I sacrifice these two dragons to summon Emperor of Lightning!" Storm clouds fill the dome, and lightning flashes and growls. From the clouds lower an immense being. Sparks of energy jump along his arms and body. "And when this monster depletes an opponent's Life Points to 0, the whole duel is won." The leader says. He eyes the young woman. "Even if you or your friend are still alive." The young woman groans and steps back.
"Now attack her, Emperor! Lightning Devastation!"
"Oh no!" The girl cries.
The young woman braces for impact and cries out when she is hit. She stands for a moment against it, but is thrown back. She skids along the bridge and lays still.
"Kirei!" The young man exclaims. "Are you okay?"
"Peachy, bro!" The young woman said weakly. She raised her face and her lips curled into a smile. "They activated my trap!" A hologram card flips up. "Last Turn!" She says. She rises and flexes her shoulder. "This is how it works. All other cards on the field are destroyed except Celestia. Then you guys must summon a monster from your deck. That monster must attack Celestia and whichever monster wins, their owner wins the duel!" Lightning Emperor vanishes and the young man chuckles. "Nice one." He faces the black men. "Choose your monster!"
The men look through their decks and glance at each other. The leader slaps a card down onto his panel. "I summon Summoned Skull!"
Kirei and the girl gasp in horror. Kirei shakes her head slowly, tears falling unbidden down her face. She looks at the young man. "I'm so sorry, bro." She blinks back her surprise when she hears him laugh. "Ha! I'm not done so soon!" He says. He shows a card from his hand. "I activate the quick-play spell Land of Demise! When you special summon a monster, I can activate a field spell card from my deck. I choose my Light Realm!"The field changes from the Mausoleum to a city of light. They stood before the gate to the city, with towers bearing over them on either side.
"Impressive. But it won't save you!" The leader laughs.
"Indeed. When I activate my trap, however, you're going to be even more impressed! I activate the trap Destruction of Destiny. I discard three cards from the top of my deck, and I lose 1000 life points for every spell or trap." His life points drop by 1000 points. "And it's well worth the price. My Light Realm gains a Shine Counter every time a card is discarded from the top of my deck. Also, for every Shine Counter on my Light Realm, Lightsworn monsters gain an extra 100 attack points!" Three windows in one of the towers lit up.
"No! I don't believe it!" The leader said, cowering back. "Please spare me! I'll do anything!"
"Attack, Celestia!" The young man declared, pointing at their Summoned Skull. "End this!"
Celestia jabs out with her javelin and its tip explodes into light. Summoned Skull evaporates as the rays of light touch him. The three men fly back and land on their backs. Celestia and the Light Realm fade along with the dark dome around them. The young man deactivates his duel disk and lowers his arm.
Kirei sighs and goes over to him. The girl stares at him in amazement. "He's so strong. Could he be the man I'm looking for?"
"I'm so glad you're alright bro." Kirei says softly. The young man doesn't answer. He walks over to the leader, who was struggling to stay alive. He stares down at the gasping man, who stares back up in fear. He grabs the man's collar only to pull him to his feet and bring their faces together. His eyes were bright and almost feral as he hissed these words into the man's face: "who do you serve?"
The man was silent.
The young man shakes him viciously and asks, "does he have a scar?"
The man nods slowly, eyes wide in horror. The young man grips tighter. Though his voice was softer than before, it was no less dangerous. "Where is he?"
"D..." The man choked. "Domino..." He goes limp in his hand. The young man drops him and he changes back into an elderly, mustached gentleman.
"Bro?" Kirei asks softly. The young man stands there, staring down at the old man. His hand clenches into a tight, white fist. He turns to her and looks passed her and at the girl. She freezes with wide eyes. The young man closes his eyes and sighs, releasing his grip. He looks back up at her. He seemed less wrathful than before and yet there was a look of restrained anger in his eyes.
"Come with us." He says. With that he turns and walks away.
Kirei comes over and pulls the girl's arm around her shoulders. "Where are you taking me?" The girl asks nervously. Kirei flashes a wry smile. "To a refuge. It's not safe out here in the Wasteland." "Refuge?" The girl mutters. Kirei nods and starts to walk. The girl limps along, helped by her. She stares up at the man walking ahead of them.
"Please. May he be the one." She thinks to herself.