Vile: Chapter 3 is coming at ya, people! It's getting a little hard to word some of these revelations, but I'm trying my best. There are altered flashbacks from another episode, so PLEASE bear with me on these. At any rate, enjoy!

Note: For a better reference, Storm Gladiator has been renamed to "Number 50".


Numbershot 99: No More Falsehood

Chapter 3

Yuma and Akari both gasped at what Byron had said. "Tou-chan... Dr. Faker made Tou-chan disappear...? And Kaa-chan too?"

Yuma glared at Faker. "Answer him! What happened to my Tou-chan?!"

Dr. Faker cringed at the mention of the Tsukumo man, his fists clenching. "It haunts me to this day... It was never supposed to happen." Byron and Yuma looked confused. "It happened five years ago... Kazuma contacted Byron and me about finding the portals to alternate dimensions. It was merely a side project for me, so I chose to aid him. Kazuma, Byron, and I pooled our research, believing there were twenty-one entrance points to these worlds and trying to pinpoint where the next one would be. But it didn't work."

"Yet Kazuma corrected us, revealing there were twenty-three." Byron said.

Faker nodded. "We finally tracked down where the gate was... but then, our lives changed forever."

*Flashback*

A younger Kazuma, Byron, and Faker entered a mysterious temple, but eventually came to a dead end. "I can't thank you enough for saving me back there, Kazuma." Faker told him.

"It was no trouble." Kazuma said.

As they walked, Faker looked around and noted some hieroglyphics on the ground, causing him to stall. Byron noticed this. "What are you doing, Faker?"

"Trying to read these hieroglyphics. They seem interesting." Faker told them. Kazuma and Byron were slightly ahead of him. Faker saw the hieroglyphics beneath their feet, and was able to translate them. "'When two souls are offered up... the door will... open'. Odd." All of a sudden, the hieroglyphics began to glow, and Kazuma and Byron glowed red.

"Nanda?!" Byron cried. All of a sudden, the two of them were covered with and shocked by red electricty. "AAAAAAGH!" The circular platform they were on rose up, taking them with it, stopping high above the ground.

"Kazuma! Byron!" Faker cried, horrified. Unfortunately for him, neither Kazuma nor Byron could hear him over the shocking.

The two men on the platform struggled to look at Dr. Faker. Through the red glow, it seemed to them that Faker was actually smiling at them, when he was actually looking at them in horror. "D-Dr. Faker... Why? Why are you doing this?!" Kazuma groaned. Faker tried to say something, but they still couldn't hear him.

All of a sudden, a red portal opened up behind them, beginning to pull them in. "Whaaaaaah!" Byron lost his footing and was pulled toward it, but Kazuma grabbed hold of his arm, holding onto him. "K-Kazuma!"

"There's... no way... I'm letting you get sucked in!" Kazuma groaned. However, he himself was being pulled in.

"But what about Mirai?! Akari?! Yuma?!" Byron cried. "Think about your family!"

"You have a family too, Byron! Chris, Marcus, Keegan!" Kazuma told him. "Hold on! Kattobingu, Byron!" He struggled harder.

However, it wasn't enough, as they were both pulled into the portal, falling through it. They couldn't hear him, but Faker heard everything they said, especially when Byron shouted angrily. "MARK MY WORDS, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, FAKER...!"

Faker was horrified. "No... NO!"

*End Flashback*

Dr. Faker was shuddering. "I've wanted to take it back ever since then... but I thought my friends were gone forever. Calling it an accident is an egregious understatement."

Byron was speechless. "Faker..." He breathed. "But... I survived. Wouldn't that mean that Kazuma survived as well?"

"I can only hope that he did, Byron. It would give me at least some more peace than I have knowing you are alive, yet my enemy." Faker said. "However... now I can explain what has happened to us... the Astral World's curse. After Kazuma and Byron were gone... I was able to enter the portal."

*Flashback*

Dr. Faker moved through the other dimension, the area around him looking as if it was permanently on fire. "Kazuma! Byron!" He called out, hoping to get a response from them. He did not.

"So... you were the one who gave the sacrifices..." A voice told him. "How nice to meet you, hahahahahahaha!" Faker turned and saw dark red energy materialize in front of him. The energy morphed until it became a humanoid figure with spiky hair, red eyes, and what looked like wings on its back.

"You... What have you done with them?!" Faker cried.

"You offered them to me, so you could say they are gone." The figure said with a chuckle. "But I suppose I should humor you. As you have accessed this world... I can give you power that you could only dream of." He held out a hand. "What say you, human...?"

Faker stared at the hand for a moment, then glared at the figure. "Keep your power, you monster!" He lunged forward and tried to punch the figure, which dodged. "Bring back my friends! Now, damn you!" He continued punching, but the figure continued to dodge lazily.

"Oh, how foolish you are." The figure said, grabbing his arm. "Once you offer the sacrifices, I can't repay them. Not that I would even if I could, hahahahahahahahaha!" Faker's eyes widened. "However, I find your insolent attitude insulting, so you will depart this world." The figure's face leaned closer to Faker's. "...May the curse of the Astral World turn the lives of you and all you care about into Hell..." An energy attack blasted Faker clean out of the portal and back into the temple. Another energy blast screamed out of the portal, out of the temple, even, before the portal finally closed.

*End Flashback*

"After that... our misfortunes began. Haruto exhibited his powers... his soul became lost... I was convinced that the curse was real." Faker said. "I decided to take my vengeance on the world that had cursed me and those I cared about, and that had taken my friends from their loved ones... I would destroy the Astral World."

"That world... it doesn't sound like the Astral World." Mia said, scared. "What kind of monster could that be?"

"I put Kaito under training to make him ready for my assault. When the Numbers were released into the world, Kaito's training was put to use as a Number Hunter, in order to power a weapon I had made to destroy the Astral World: The Sphere Field Cannon." Faker sighed. "But when part of Heartland Tower was destroyed, the main power source of the Cannon was destroyed as well, rendering it useless. But I will not give in. I will find a way to make the Astral World pay, and, if possible, get back Kazuma! Kaado ichi mai settei! Turn end!" A facedown emerged.

Helix Baryon ATK:0

"Watashi no turn! Draw!" He drew his card. "Continuous Magic, Crystal Unicorn, hatsudo! It can only be activated while I control Crystal Zone, but it Special Summons itself as a monster!" Light blue crystals sprouted from the ground and were carved into the shape of a horse with a horn on the front of its head.

Crystal Unicorn: Lv.6 LIGHT Rock ATK:2200/DEF:0

"Another Magic Card as a monster..." Akari breathed.

"Watashi wa Reberu Roku no Crystal Phoenix to, Crystal Unicorn de Obarei!" His two crystals turned fully yellow and shot into the air in a spiral. Another galaxy portal opened up, and both his monsters sailed inside. "Ni tai no monsuta, Obarei Netwaaku kochiku! Ekushiizu Shoukan!" A burst of light occurred.

The number "50" formed and flashed in green, and the monster's sealed form emerged as a large black thundercloud. "Arawareyo, Nanbaazu Gojū (Number 50)!" From the top of the cloud, a hulking form began to emerge. It had a muscular torso clad in yellow and pink armor, with two large arms. The head had blue skin and stern eyes, clad in a helmet with the green "50" printed on it. Oddly, the armor resembled a Roman gladiator. "Storm Gladiator!" Nothing past the upper body formed from the cloud. The eyes snapped open, and the monster moved its arms out, causing a flash of lightning and a boom of thunder, two green Overlay Units circling it.

Number 50: Storm Gladiator: Rank 6 WIND Thunder/Xyz ATK:2700/DEF:2200 2 Overlay Units

"Another Number!" Jenaveve gasped.

The Distributor smirked. "Kakuchon no kouka hatsudo! There are still two different Attributes aside from Kakuchon, so that's 1200 more damage!" This time, Kakuchon reflected yellow and green light at Faker, damaging him.

Faker LP:1600

"Storm Gladiator no kouka hatsudo! By using an Overlay Unit, I can return one card from both sides of the field to our hands!" An Overlay Unit moved in front of the monster, then he clapped his hands, absorbing the unit. "Return Tempest!" With a wave of his arms, the Number caused powerful winds to blow across the field, sweeping up Helix Baryon and the Distributor's facedown and sending them back to their hands. "Hahahahahaha... Hahahahahahahahaha!"

"What's so funny, Distributor?!" Yuma growled.

"I'll take that as the question for my turn, Tsukumo." The man replied. "The fate of Kazuma Tsukumo is unknown... or so we all think. But the fact that Byron became warped from what he really is... doesn't that humor the possibility that the same thing could happen to him?"

"What do you mean?!" Yuma growled.

A grin came onto the Distributor's face, and a red aura formed over him. All of a sudden, a figure formed above him... a familiar one. "Greetings... Dr. Faker."

Faker stepped back in fear. "Y-YOU! You are the one... who cursed me!"

"Oh, you're still hung up over my little curse?" The figure said, bursting into maniacal laughter.

Astral gasped. "That figure... It is just like what Shark described! ...Barian!"

"Barian...?" Yuma and Kotori breathed.

The red figure looked over at them. "So, Shark told you all about me, eh? Well, perhaps you should know this: I am truly called Vector, not Barian."

"Astral World monster!" Faker growled at it. "You will pay for what you've done to us, and for what you've done to Kazuma!" He then looked at the Distributor. "And you! You told me about the Numbers and what they could do! Why are you aiding him?!"

The Distributor chuckled. "I haven't been aiding him. We've been aiding each other. I was once a pathetic soul who was on the brink of death... but Vector here found me floating around in his world. He gave me a new soul... one that was powerful. In exchange, he inhabits my body, allowing me to take him anywhere. It's a win-win, I think. My look might have changed, but it's a small price to pay."

Yuma stepped forward. "So if the person we're looking at isn't who you really are... then who ARE you?!"

Another chuckle came from the man. "You sure you want to know, Yuma? The truth is going to hurt, both you and Akari. Oh, if Kaa-chan was here right now, she would have a heart attack."

"'Kaa-chan'...?" Akari said.

"I've evolved from the man I used to be... I've surpassed my limits farther than I ever expected... And to think, I didn't even need my own Kattobingu in order to do it!"

"My own Kattobingu..." Yuma breathed, then he gasped, his eyes deathly wide. "No... you can't be!"

"Oh, but I am..." The Distributor's piercing blue eyes faded to red. "...Son."


Author-Made Cards

Number 50: Storm Gladiator
Rank 6 WIND Thunder/Xyz
ATK:2700/DEF:2200
2 Level 6 monsters
Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material to target 1 card you control and 1 card your opponent controls: Return those targets to the hand. If this card is destroyed by battle while it has Xyz Materials: Special Summon this card during your next Standby Phase and attach a number of monsters in your Graveyard equal to the number of Xyz Materials this card had when it was destroyed -1 to this card as Xyz Materials.

Crystal Unicorn
Continuous Spell Card
Activate only while you control a face-up "Crystal Zone". Special Summon this card as an Effect Monster (Rock-Type/LIGHT/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 0). (This card is also still a Spell Card.)


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