YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: Dawn of Twilight

by Haoh Ryu Z-ARC

In an alternate version of the ARC-V universe war breaks out, fiercer than in the original. A boy and his friend soon find themselves in a crossfire against Academia. Unbeknownst to them, supernatural powers pull the strings in the background as they travel across dimensions to find allies. While doing so, the mysteries just keep on coming. (Adt. Pairings: Yu-Boys x Bracelet-Girls)

10. Chapter 10

And therefore we have reached the double digits with this chapter! So that means with around 110k words after Chapter 8, we will most likely surpass the one-million-mark since this fanfiction is completely scheduled already and will have something between 110 and 130 chapters in total, depending on which things I will still include or exclude from the plot. In other words, there is still a lot ahead of you guys! So why don't we just continue and push the plot forward? But first I'd like to apologize for the long wait! This chapter took a while to write after all. But as you might see, this chapter is extremely long. Probably longer than any non-oneshot-story chapter ever written. It sits at over 110k words. But don't worry, that won't be the standard length of the following chapters, otherwise this story would probably have over 13 million words, which is a LITTLE BIT too much for me, understandably xD. But as you can guess, this chapter, combined with the nine previous ones, forms the entirety of the exposition and concludes with showing you the full extent of this story's main plot, hence why it is so long. Now then, let's begin! Like I said in the previous chapter's notes, Rin and Ruri-Support lies ahead, along with the revelation of what I meant with the last words of the Chapter 9 notes and what the new and final story cover and name is supposed to mean! Or at least Rin-Support lies ahead since this chapter got so long through the new stuff I added that I had to divide it into two parts. The two other duels will be in the next chapter, so sorry to all Ruri-fans, but it would have taken even longer until I released it, and this chapter would have been an even bigger behemoth. Also this chapter has – like the warning in the description of this story says – intimacy in it. And I mean more than just lovey-dovey kissing, so you should probably watch out a bit if you are bothered by that. Oh yeah, the background music in this chapter is like really important, especially at certain parts, so if you can, better listen to it parenthetically as you read (quick note, new lyrics always appear before the text section they refer to, meaning if for example one line appears in front of a one-sentence-word-section, this one line from the new lyrics is played simultaneously as the person in the text says that one sentence; just saying this to avoid confusion). About the content of this abomination of a chapter, let's just say a crazy duel and a lot of backstory and supernatural stuff lies ahead. And a lot of twists, just as the name of this chapter suggests. With that said, let's get right into it!

Opening: ( 10)

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Chapter 10: Unexpected Twists

Black Luster Hotel Room, the next day...

"Ah! Another day full of espionage and undercover-work lies ahead! Good morning guys! Are you awake?" Rin yawned, getting up from her bed and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"We are." Yubi replied from one bed left of her, lying in his bed, still tired. "And Kumo is as well." He continued, pointing to the bed left of his own.

"And if you keep talking that loudly, you will wake up the only person still asleep, which is Ruri over there." Kumo added.

"Sorry!" Rin quietly apologized as she realized that she was indeed quite noisy. 'Must be Yugo rubbing off on me.' She thought. She then looked to her right, noticing Ruri in the bed at the very end of the room. The other two beds before hers however – meaning Yuga's and Shiryu's – were empty. "Where are our Ritual friends?" She asked Yubi.

"No idea. They were already gone when me and Kumo got up. But since they are most likely together, it shouldn't be a problem though. Just wait, eventually they will reappear."

"I see." Rin replied. "I'm going to the bathroom now. Of course only if you haven't planned on doing so as well. It would be rude to go first since you were awake before me."

"No, go ahead Rin." Kumo retorted. "Me and Yubi are rather late risers."

"Thank you! Then I'll head to the bath!" Rin exclaimed, leaving her bed and walking to the left on the other side of the main room, where the entrance to the bath was located. She opened the door and entered, still sleepy, not fully awake yet. Her tired gaze wandered across the room, stopping upon descrying an unexpected sight. She blinked and rubbed her eyes again, making sure that she wasn't still dreaming. Since the image remained though, her head began flushing bright red in embarrassment.

(Hello there guys, Haoh Ryu Z-ARC here with a little warning! If you aren't a fan of intimacy, you should skip the now following part. It's not as intimate as in super intimate-intimate (I'm not going to say the word), but still a little more than your average ARC-V story I guess, so if you still don't want to see it, that's fine. Scroll down until you find the next of those square brackets! There will also be a little cut when it ends as well, but note that the now following part also has a line break in it, so look out for the second next line break! If you're not bothered by that, just go ahead and read on! I thank you for your understanding, and don't worry, this won't be a phenomenon occurring every chapter!

EDIT: In response to a certain review I have decided to do a little more than just brackets. I will repeat the phrase "Watch out! Start/End!" in bold, capslock and underlined twenty times at the start and end of all such scenes, depending on whether it is the beginning or end of them. If this does not suffice, I don't know what does. The following scene in particular is relatively harmless, but I will still do the full warning here. See you later (or not)!)

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Only a few feet away from her, in the big tub within the bathroom, two persons were sitting. Shiryu and Yuga. And both of them were – like people taking a bath normally are – completely naked. Furthermore they were in a tight mutual embrace, Shiryu's breasts squeezing against Yuga's chest, gently kissing each other's cheeks. After a while, the Gishiki Prince – previously focused solely on his girlfriend – became aware of Rin's presence and addressed her in a friendly voice.

"Oh hey, good morning, Rin! Have you slept well?" He asked her.

Shiryu also spoke to her as she realized that her counterpart was there as well due to her boyfriend's words. "Oh hi, Rin! We were just taking a bath, but don't worry, we will be done soon, so you won't have to wait for too long. Oh, and by the way, I guess the bathroom is currently occupied by us two, so would you mind going out again to give us some private space?" She asked her in a sweet tone.

"S-s-sure..." Rin stammered, literal steam coming from her ears in utter embarrassment. "I'll just wait until the two of you are done!" She replied, storming out of the room afterwards to get away from this completely awkward situation as fast as possible. As she reentered the main room, she slammed the door, waking up Ruri as a result.

"Gosh Rin, why do you have to be so loud? You just woke me up with all your noise!" The Xyz-Girl said groggily.

"Sorry Ruri, I just had to get out of the bathroom as fast as possible, so I didn't really pay attention if I slammed the door or not!"

"It's okay." Ruri reassured her. "But anyway, why were you even in such a hurry? Was something unusual in the bathroom?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"You bet!" Rin yelled in response. "More specifically Yuga and Shiryu taking a bath in the tub! Together! And naked!" She screamed.

That got Ruri wide awake, her ears perking up at Rin's statement. "WHAT?! They were taking a bath together?! Naked?!" She repeated.

"Yeah! And they were in a really tight embrace too, kissing and making out!" Rin continued.

"Making out?! Wait, you don't mean that they are having..., that they are having...?!" Ruri began stuttering, not even daring to speak the word out aloud.

"No, they didn't fuck." Rin calmed her down. "But their embrace was like really tight! Like REALLY tight!" She continued, emphasizing the word.

"I see. So they are doing that, huh? Guess I should have expected something like that." Yubi remarked in his usual stoic fashion, not the least bit fazed by Rin's story.

"How can you be so calm about this whole issue?!" Rin asked him with obvious lack of understanding. "I mean, their chests were directly touching each other's and well, Shiryu has some rather… distinctive assets." She said, blushing more and more with every word. "I mean, holy fuck, these things are huge for a girl of her age!"

"Sounds almost as if you were less disturbed but rather jealous of her boobs instead!" Yubi retorted, slightly chuckling.

"And couldn't you already tell that before if you looked at her more closely?" Kumo added. "So, her breasts are a little bit bigger than ours. And?! Why does that get under your skin like that? I personally don't care about that. Like not at all. But I guess that could just be from my general kind of behaving which I share with Yubi. Which is giving not too many fucks about things."

"But doesn't that whole event surprise you two the least bit?!" Rin addressed the Link-Counterparts. "I mean, they were just one step away from having sex!" She cried out.

"That might be true." Yubi replied. "But you have to keep in mind that they already plan on marrying once they become 18. Also, they share a really close bond, one that might be even stronger than mine with Kumo or yours with Yugo. That's because Yuga has rescued her life once when they were younger." He explained.

"Wait, he did?! I didn't know about that!" Rin exclaimed in surprise.

"Around three years ago, Shiryu fell from the walls of the Gishiki Citadel and well, she would have died from the fall. However, Yuga caught her mid-air and carried her into safety. That, and the fact that he is a very good influence who constantly encourages the people around him – making him her shoulder to lean on – plus also holding off Yuri when he tried to kidnap her, makes their relationship a close, strong and intimate one. Besides, Yuga and Shiryu are just a little bit more straightforward in their relationship than the rest of us." Kumo continued for him.

"Well, that's something new about them again. He actually saved her life, wow! Can't say Yugo did that for me, despite our harsh childhood in Neo Domino City." She then scowled a bit. "And he was also too late when Yuri showed up and kidnapped me!" She complained.

"Well, you're free again, so no reason to be pissed about it anymore." Yubi pacified her. "But honestly, it was really funny how you freaked out so much, especially about the size of Shiryu's breasts!" He laughed.

"But doesn't this trouble you? I mean, aren't you guys keen on having the best looking girlfriend? I mean, in terms of that, of course." Ruri chimed in in a questioning tone.

"Ruri, Ruri, Ruri." Yubi scolded her, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "From all the people here I expected you to be the one who's thinking the least like that! I'm not that superficial to think that my girl needs to have the biggest assets so I can feel satisfied. I already noticed that Shiryu has the edge in terms of that – over all of you by the way – , but that didn't trouble me the least bit. Besides, you're all above average, so it doesn't matter too much anyway. Also, for all I care, Kumo could be as flat as some idiots think the earth is and I would still love her the same. Despite everything that science can explain about the human body and nature, I believe that it is that thing right here I love with", He pointed at his chest at that, "not this or that!" He concluded, pointing at his head first before redirecting his finger downwards.

"Seriously, I never expected a rational and scientific person such as you to be like that!" Rin replied. "I truly never stop learning things about you! You being a romantic, didn't see that one coming!"

"I know right? He can be full of surprises sometimes. That's why I love him so much!" Kumo said. "Also...", She began, looking over to him, "thank you for that last part! It's great to know that you'll always love me, no matter what!"

"Oh, no problem!" Yubi responded, nervously rubbing the back of his head before his expression changed back into a more confident, almost mischievous one. "How about coming over her and giving me a kiss as a token of your gratitude?" He asked her with a small grin of his face, beckoning her closer.

"With pleasure! I guess you deserved it after all!" She replied, smiling at him while standing up from her bed and walking over to his. She then sat down on his lower chest, lowering her body to caress his face with her gentle fingers before moving in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Yubi wrapped one of his arms around her neck as well, the other running through her hair while reciprocating the kiss, looking QUITE happy about his girlfriend being on top of him, pressing her chest onto his and kissing him, to say the least.

-'Damn, why am I the only one here without a boyfriend?' - Rin and Ruri thought simultaneously as they watched the Link-Counterparts showing their affection as well. -'If it wasn't for the fact that they are still in their pajamas, they would be one step ahead of going at it, too! I mean, she is basically grinding on him!' - They thought while watching Kumo sitting on Yubi's abdomen with her legs slightly spread, the front side of her knees on the mattress, looking at him with an amorous expression as their lips connected again, this time even more intimately, using their tongues. -'With them making out in front of me, I feel so left out!' - They concluded within their minds.

"You are so cute, Kumo!" Yubi whispered after their lips parted again for a moment. "And such an amazing kisser as well!" He added.

"Right back at you!" She quietly retorted. "You see, we know each other since over a decade now, and there has never been a day when I didn't sense feelings of love and adoration welling up from my inside when I gazed upon you! I love you, Yubi Kogami!" She silently confessed.

"And I love you too, Kumo Stratos!" He replied in a whispered tone.

They looked at each other with affection before joining their lips in a kiss again.

---

Bathroom, after Rin stormed out...

In the bathroom, Yuga and Shiryu were talking to each other as well, still maintaining close body contact.

"Man, I guess Rin freaked out a bit after seeing the both of us like that!" Shiryu stated, sweat dropping a little.

"I suppose you are right with that." He retorted. "But I can understand how she felt. You don't see a clone of yourself and a clone of your best friend and crush making out in the tub every day, right?"

She giggled. "Guess you have a point here. Though for us, this isn't that unusual, right?"

"No, it isn't. But for her it sure is. Guess we have to lock the door next time."

"True. We don't want anybody seeing us naked in a position like this again. I hope she isn't too disturbed now because of that!"

He laughed. "Don't worry! Rin is a tough girl used to hardships. She can handle this just fine. Besides...", He began, listening to the noises coming from outside the bathroom, "it looks like she is more concerned about the fact that you outclass her in terms of breast size!" He said in a joking manner after he had perceived Rin's yelling in the main room.

She chuckled at that. "Really? I don't see why she would be envious on me. They're not even that big." She humbly said.

"You're kidding, right?" Yuga retorted. "I mean, look at them! They are like really big! Not as big to the point where it looks exaggerated, but just big enough so they have the perfect size for your age! You beat every single Bracelet-Girl in that regard! Rin, Ruri, Yuzu and Kumo are pretty much on the same level. Then there's Serena, slightly above them in size. A pity that she's brainwashed by the Professor's teachings and working for the enemy. She seems like a nice person at heart. But anyway, back to topic, you, my dear Shiryu, are above her as well, therefore throning above them all! You know, the Saikyō-thing seems to exist with you girls as well! My dimensional dragon is the strongest out of all six and you beat every other girl with your boobs. And maybe in a duel too, but that's just speculation until we see all of you in action."

"My, that's a lot of praise just for saying that you like my breasts!" Shiryu giggled. "Too bad that you can't touch them yet!" She teased him.

"I know. We agreed on keeping our hands away from each other's private zones once we decided to take baths together again. When we were doing that as small children, it was a lot different after all." He remarked.

"Right, that was a whole other story indeed! Back then it was kinda normal for siblings to do that, even though we were only brother and sister through adoption. But once we were 13 and became a couple, we had to introduce a few rules and regulations so it wouldn't get out of hand, ending up in us two fucking each other. Despite how much we were in love already, that was just one step too far." She narrated.

"Agreed. I don't feel ready to cross that line either. Maybe in two or three years, when we're a little bit older. But for now, this should suffice. It still feels great to be that close to you though! And different from ten years ago, that's for sure. Back then, father didn't trust me that much since I was brand new in the Gishiki Palace, so he always kept an eye on me, preventing me from doing anything funny. Not that I would have done something like that, but I can't blame him for being overprotective about you. When I proved him that I could be trusted, accepting me more and more over the years until he eventually came to see me as if I was his real son, he let down his guard bit by bit. When we became a couple, he basically handed you over to me, so I guess that he's ready now to let you go once the time comes. Honestly, I'm so glad that he accepted me into his family! I not only got the position of the future Gishiki King and an amazing adoptive sister, but also a gorgeous, graceful girlfriend and future wife! If I got to turn back time and choose any path I want, I wouldn't change a single thing! I love you, Shiryu!" He said, closing in for a kiss.

"And so do I!" She retorted after parting from his lips.

"And one more thing!" Yuga continued, stroking her face amorously. "You look far prettier than ten years ago! I would even go so far to say that you are beauty incarnate!"

"Geez, stop praising me so much!" A flattered Shiryu replied, feeling sincere joy about his compliments. "Besides, you look quite dashing as well, don't you? Mind if I touch your chest a little?" She asked.

"Not at all. It's still within the boundaries of our agreement. Go and touch as much as you like!" He retorted.

"Thank you very much! I'll gladly take that offer!" She exclaimed before letting her hand wander down to said place. "Wow, seriously, your chest feels amazing! All these years of training sure did its work! Man, your abs are crazy!" She cried out in enjoyment, fondling him. "You know, with your royal attire you don't even look as muscular as you really are. I mean, you're not looking bulky or anything, but I'm still quite a fan of that fit shape you have!"

"Well, I have to admit that you look amazing as well!" Yuga replied. "First off, there's your prepossessing face onto which I could look for hours without getting bored at all. Second, your body is amazing as well. I'm glad that the 13th Gishiki King also had quite the beautiful wife all those centuries ago. Otherwise I couldn't see you everyday in that skintight royal uniform you ladies have. What a great guy, god bless him for inventing those things!"

"Oh Yuga, you're such a pervert!" She teased him. "You really had something in common with that guy, that's for sure! But honestly, you are right. These things feel comfortable as heck, look great and well...", She began, a cheeky grin creeping on her face, "...satisfy horny boyfriends like you, my dear!" She concluded.

"Pervert? Me? What are you then?" Yuga countered, teasing her as well. "That's rich for someone who's obviously enjoying to touch me with her soft, curious little hands! Right, Shiryu?" He grinned at her.

"Fair point." She admitted. "Why don't I compensate you for that by allowing you to touch some of my curves then? Namely the ones on my backside. Would that make up for it, darling?" She asked him with a small grin on her face.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain it would!" He retorted in anticipation before his hands, currently holding her close by her back, slowly slid down until they reached her butt. "Man, that's one feeling, I tell you! Touching your sweet, sweet ass! Simply majestic! And what makes it even better is the fact that I'm still moving within the boundaries of our agreement! Ah, wonderful!" He exclaimed, going into raptures at the pleasant activity. "Do you have any idea how royal ass feels like? So soft, wow!" He remarked, groping her left butt cheek at that.

"Yes, I do." She responded, doing the same as well. "Though yours is a bit more muscular I guess."

"Naturally. Otherwise I couldn't jump that far with my legs, preventing me from saving you all these years ago. Do you remember that?" He asked her.

"Of course I do!" She replied. "One does not forget how her boyfriend has saved her life that easily! Thank you for that, sincerely! I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for that!" She said.

"But you already did." He responded, causing her to look at him in confusion. "I mean, with every day I get to spend with you, you pay me back a thousand times. I love you, Shiryu Gishiki, I couldn't even exist in this world if you weren't here!" He explained, smiling at her.

"Yuga..." She uttered, not knowing how to properly respond to the sheer weight of the words he had just told her.

"Hush, you don't need to say anything." Yuga continued, pressing a finger onto her lips. "The way you look at me is all it takes to express what you're feeling! You love me too, don't you?" He asked her.

A beaming smile crept on her face. "I do! I love you like nothing else in this world!" They joined their lips again, this time even more eagerly.

They began making out again, though both of them stayed loyal to their deal and didn't touch each other's touchy regions, meaning their pubic areas and – in Shiryu's case – her chest. After a while they stopped, Yuga speaking up again shortly after.

"We should probably finish soon. We don't want to block the bathroom for too long."

"Good idea. Let's complete washing and get out of here!"

They began washing the parts sticking out of the water. As they finished, Shiryu started rising up to leave the tub. However, Yuga grabbed her by her arm, stopping her from doing so.

"Eh? Is something wrong, Yuga?" She asked him.

"Actually, yes. You forgot your hair." He responded, pointing out her error.

"Oops, you're right, I really forgot that!" She exclaimed in embarrassment before sitting down again. When she reached for the shampoo, Yuga stopped her again.

"What now?!" She asked in exasperation.

"I have a request." He simply retorted.

"A request?" She repeated, inquiring what he meant with that.

"Well yes, a request." He continued. "Would you mind letting me do it? You know, you have such beautiful hair and I want to make sure myself that it stays this way. So would you mind sitting down while I clean your head? You are the Gishiki Princess after all and should therefore be treated as such!" He retorted, pointing at his lap.

She blushed at that before replying, slightly embarrassed. "Very well, if you insist." She said, sitting down on Yuga's lap with her back turned to him.

"Splendid!" Yuga exclaimed, grabbing the nearby shampoo bottle and opening it. He poured a bit of the fluid into his open palm before slightly rubbing his hands and placing them on top of her head. Then he began shampooing her, spreading it across her head in circular motions as his fingers ran through her hair. He noticed that she started to let out small moans, prompting him to address her again.

"Seriously, you're getting all horny and wet because of that?! Man, and you called me a perv, Shiryu!" He laughed.

"Hey, I can't help it if you're a beast at giving head massages! The simple touch of your gentle fingers on my scalp feels like heaven, I tell you!" She retorted, her words interrupted by small moans again.

"Be assured, it feels great for me as well! Your soft skin feels amazing and your smooth hair is no different! But...", He began as he noticed that she kept up the moaning, "if you don't like me getting you all lewd, I can stop anytime if you want!" He offered.

"No, please continue! It feels amazing, so don't stop doing it, please!" She responded in a pleading manner.

"Are you sure?" He inquired again.

"Absolutely sure!" She retorted. "Indulge me, please!"

"If you say so." He stated, beginning his work anew. "Your choice of words is quite interesting by the way!" He remarked. "It sounds much more like dirty talk than a command to be honest! God bless that your dad isn't here! Ghidorah would probably kill me if he heard you talking like that in a situation like this! He wouldn't take the risk of having me deflower his daughter at this point of time!"

"You really think so?" Shiryu asked. "I think he would even give you a push if you decided to bang me! Especially since you act incredibly grown up for your age, even leading a war like this! He loves you like his own child and would give you anything, including his own daughter, get that into your head already!"

"Well, I guess you might be right. He indeed was very generous towards me and he didn't mind it the least bit when we told him about our relationship, even encouraging it. But still, I wouldn't bring myself to go all-out already. In a few years, I'll gladly give you everything of me and accept what you offer in return. But not now, that's for sure!" He declared.

"I suppose you're right." She admitted. "None of us is ready for having sex yet. Guess we should wait and eventually the right time will come. In the meantime you can keep up the hair-washing, it feels amazing, yet it isn't anything dirty. Though I have to admit that you were right, it gets me indeed a bit wet. Which makes me wonder about you, honey!"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"You don't realize it? Normally, a guy gets horny in a situation like this, especially if the girl is moaning like I do. You on the other hand are not the least bit aroused. I would notice if your body was reacting to outside stimulation like my naked body on yours. Yet I'm sitting on your member and it isn't stiff at all." She explained.

"Oh, you mean that?" He chuckled. "Honestly, it's not that I'm not aroused or anything. I'm simply trying to hold back my urges and behave decently towards you."

"Wow, what an amazing self control you have!" She exclaimed in admiration. "Though I'm pretty sure that getting a boner wasn't prohibited by our agreement." She added.

"That might be so, but I still think that we should hold back in that regard. If we cross the line, it might escalate and we might end up fucking as a result. Especially considering the fact that eating might not be the only thing were I go into a frenzy at times, this could result in some serious escapade that we regret later on. Like me impregnating you by mistake for instance!"

"How right you are! While I'm feeling that having sex won't be too far-fetched in a few years, having children is a whole other story. It would be very nice to have some of them with you one day, but not now, I'm ages away from being ready for that! And my dad would also kill you, revoke your adoption and succession to the royal throne or whatnot if he found about that. We better play it safe and keep our hands off that subject." She agreed.

"Thank you for your understanding, it's really great to know that you're on the same page with me again! Anyway, I'm finished with your hair." He said, stopping with the shampooing. "Now then, take a deep breath, you just won a free baptism!" He joked. She did as he said, then he gently pushed her head down, submerging it into the water and washing away the shampoo by doing so.

"Wow, thank you for your request, Yuga, that truly felt amazing!" She remarked once she raised her head out of the water again.

"Likewise!" Yuga replied. "By the way, you look so lovely with your hair wet! Like a charming mermaid, only less fishy."

She blushed at that again. "Damn it Yuga, stop your flattery, it's hard to respond with anything equal to your words if you give so high praise to me all the time!" She replied playfully.

"But isn't that appropriate? Like I said, from my point of view, you, my sweetheart, are beauty itself!"

"Don't sell yourself short, Yuga! You are quite handsome as well!" She countered.

"But not as much as you are!" He shot back.

"I'll say it again, if you ask me, you are the best looking being in all of the six dimensions!" She said.

"Then I'll say that you are a hundred times better looking than me or any other human!" He replied.

"Yet you are still above me in terms of looks!" She retorted.

Yuga chuckled. "Is this going to be one of those cliche arguments where a couple disputes about who loves each other more until it escalates because nobody wants to give in and they turn against each other?" Yuga said in a joking manner.

"I suppose you are right with that." She sighed. "Okay fine, I'll give in! I look better." She admitted.

Yuga smiled victoriously. "See? That wasn't so hard!" He teased her.

"I still think that you're a handsome man second to nobody!" She continued.

"Same thing counts for you regarding the female part of humanity! I even heard from Yubi that Yuto looked quite amazed by your looks as well when you went to save him!" He told her.

"Seriously? I didn't even notice." She responded.

"Naturally. He was standing a few feet left from you and you were focused on Masumi. But from what Yubi told me, my Xyz-Counterpart had quite the look of astonishment on his face as he admired your radiant beauty that exceeds that of any other girl. Guess we two are the strongest after all!" He concluded with a smirk on his face.

She grinned as well. "I guess so. Anyway, how about you washing your hair and finishing as well? We need to get out of here soon or the others might complain."

"Got it!" Yuga replied, grabbing the shampoo as well. He finished washing as well, then they left the tub, got dressed in their new attire consisting of the royal pants and the T-Shirts that Yuga bought, plus an azure jacket in Shiryu's case. After that, they left the bathroom.

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"Good morning guys! I hope you all had a wonderful sleep and are ready for our next day here in Standard!" Yuga exclaimed as he entered the main room.

"I had a very good sleep, that's for sure. Though the morning was a bit hectic." Ruri replied.

"Oh? And why's that?" Yuga inquired.

"Well..., I guess you should ask Rin for that." She answered.

"Ah, you mean THAT thing." He said, looking over to the green haired girl. "I hope that it didn't disturb you too much." He apologized.

"I'll survive!" Rin retorted in an indifferent tone. "Still, what the hell were you doing there?! One step more and you two would have been fucking!"

"I'm sorry that our habits troubled you like that!" Shiryu apologized as well. "But as you know by now, me and Yuga have quite a lively relationship already and well, a quite intimate one as well. But we should probably get used to intimacy though. After all, we are engaged." She stated.

"ENGAGED?! ALREADY?!" Rin cried out in shock. "You are just one step away from marriage already?!"

"I didn't know that you were engaged already. When did you do that?" Ruri inquired in a curious tone.

"A few days after Shiryu's 14th birthday, meaning around eight months ago." Yuga explained. "It was quite the spectacle to say the least. The fireworks on that day let even the New Year Celebrations in cities like Sydney look like a joke in comparison, I tell you! After one year of relationship, we finally felt certain to marry in a few years. So we decided to take the first step towards that goal and told our dad that we wanted to be engaged. Sure enough, he agreed to it and now we are just one step away from marrying. Isn't this wonderful?" He asked with a genuine smile on his face.

"Agreed! That's quite wonderful indeed! I'm so happy for the both of you!" Ruri exclaimed in a joyful tone.

Meanwhile Rin sighed in disbelief. "You and Shiryu engaged. I can only repeat myself, you and your Link-Counterparts never fail to surprise me again and again!" She stated. "Still...", She began anew, "isn't intimate contact like that a bit dangerous? After all, we are curious teenagers and things might get out of hand if you touch each other's… private parts." Rin expressed her worries.

"Oh, don't worry Rin!" Shiryu laughed, making a dismissive gesture with her right hand. "We already made a deal that none of us is allowed to touch those parts for now. Pubic areas are both taboo. Plus, in my case, the chest area as well." She explained.

Rin sighed in relief. "At least you are both disciplined enough to not cross the line, I can respect that. If I ever did something like this with Yugo, he would forget about those rules in an instant and grope me like crazy! He's quite clingy anyway!" She complained.

"I can't blame him for that!" Yuga retorted.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Seriously, if I were him, I couldn't hold back myself either if there wasn't a deal like that! That would be extremely stupid considering you being thicc as fuck!"

"Thicc?" Kumo asked her boyfriend in a questioning tone.

"Slang for having nice curves, in most cases accompanied by a nice butt and large thighs. He's probably referring to the fact that Rin has them thighs." Yubi explained, his well mannered way of speaking mixing with slang as well.

Rin blushed hard at that, crossing her legs and trying to cover said parts with her hands. "Wait, what are you saying? You shouldn't say something like this in front of me!" She uttered, her head bright red in embarrassment.

"Why not?" Yuga asked. "I'm just being sincere, nothing less and nothing more. If I meet Yugo again, I'll have to punch him twice for his mistakes!"

"Twice?" Rin asked, not certain what he meant with that.

"Yeah, twice." He repeated, raising up two of his fingers. "Once for failing to protect you and letting you become a prisoner of Academia. And once more for being so stupid to not confess to you already, being both physically and emotionally attracted to you. That's just outright stupid, I tell you! Yuto gets two punches as well by the way!" He continued.

"Why that?" Ruri asked, blushing a bit as well, realizing where this might be going.

"One for the story with Yuri of course. Oh right, forgot that it was actually three punches for both since they both mistook each other for Yuri and engaged in an unnecessary battle. But back to topic, he also deserves one punch for not getting that ass! Like for real, how stupid can one be?! A girl with the most graceful manners and looks, with a warm and friendly personality as well as a dream as beautiful as making everybody smile through duels! Plus one hell of a butt! Sigh, sometimes I really doubt that they are my counterparts!" He said, the last few parts in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She blushed like crazy at that comment. "You're so straightforward, Yuga... Normally people don't talk like this..." She stated, still bright red from his words.

"As you know by now, despite my royal background, I'm colloquial and straightforward most of the time!" Yuga retorted. "I'm not mincing matters if I don't have to. Since I'm just telling the truth and I'm already on it now, I'm saying outright how it is: While all of you Bracelet-Girls look fantastic and are above all other females in my opinion – could be my bias since I'm the boyfriend of one of them though – there is one aspect for each of you where you beat all others: Shiryu has – as you have already elaborated – the best breasts." He said, looking over to Rin at the parenthesis, who blushed as a result. "Next up, Rin has the best thighs." He continued, intensifying her blush. "Then like I already said before, Ruri has the best butt." She blushed once more at his words, this time even harder. "Then, moving on to the previously unmentioned ones, Serena, your Fusion-Counterpart, has quite the midriff and an overall really good looking figure to say the least. A pity that she's with the enemy, but oh well. Next up we have Yuzu, who has the prettiest face and – if she does it, which she didn't do a lot for a while now because of the recent events – the most stunning smile. Guess that's Yuya's philosophy rubbing off on her. Finally we have our dear Kumo with the best legs. Those black stockings you usually wear look great on you by the way!" He complimented her.

"You're not the first one to say that to me!" She retorted, looking over to Yubi with a side glance.

"True. Also you're a great kisser!" The Link Yu-Boy replied to her.

"Oh, is that so?" Yuga inquired. "That's interesting, since Shiryu is great at holding hands. Probably the best out of all of them." He told.

"How can you be sure of that?!" Rin addressed him, a little bit furious for being assumed inferior to her Ritual-Counterpart.

"Did you already forget? I extended my hand to you and Ruri when I got you out of the towers, so I was technically holding hands with you as well. And it didn't feel as good as with her, but again, this could just be personal bias." He explained.

"Oh..., right..." Rin slowly uttered, sweat dropping a little.

"Don't worry, it felt great as well! Just not as great as Shiryu, but then again, she is my girlfriend and I know her for a decade now, while I know you only for about a week. Be proud – both of you – , that's not something one can easily accomplish!"

-"I guess that's right. Thank you."- Rin and Ruri replied in an uncertain voice, not sure how to react to his praise.

"Don't feel uncomfortable now please!" Yuga reassured them. "I'm sorry if I irritated you with my straightforward style of talking!" He apologized.

"Not, it's not that bad!" Rin answered, waving her hands in front of her in negation. "It's just that I'm not used to talk directly about matters like that. In terms of my relationship, well, me and Yugo are a bit… how should I express it...?"

"Hesitant?" Yuga suggested.

"Right. We are just beating around the bush way too much." She admitted. "It hurts that everybody around me is happy with their girlfriends while I'm still alone, the same thing counts for Ruri as well, I guess." Rin said, laying bare her true feelings about her friend to Yuga and the rest of them.

"I see. But wait, did you say 'everybody around you'?" He inquired.

She nodded. "When even the most reserved counterparts start making out in front of you, you know that there is something wrong."

He looked over to Yubi with a curious expression. "You too, Yubi? Man, that's a surprise! You and Kumo making out in the main room while me and Shiryu did the same in the bathroom! I guess the two of us are really in sync after all!" He joked. "What were you two doing by the way?" He inquired.

"Ah, nothing much!" Yubi replied in a dismissive manner. "I was just lying on the bed while she was on top of me. We were still completely dressed, kissing and fumbling a bit. Nothing really." He said in a nonchalant tone.

"You missed the part where you grabbed my thighs and my butt though!" Kumo added.

"Right." He admitted. "But still not anything really." He continued.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Rin screamed, pretty pissed now. "Kumo was basically grinding on you! There were just two moves needed: You pulling down your pajama pants a bit! She pulling down hers! Boom, sex!" She yelled, spreading her arms dramatically.

"I guess that was inappropriate considering the circumstances." He admitted. "I'm deeply sorry for that, it appears that I didn't think things through carefully enough." He apologized, bowing his head.

"Don't! You just expressed your feelings! That's what a couple like you should do!" She exclaimed, now regretting that she'd been so harsh to her new friend and idol. "But please don't overdo it in my presence. It feels really bad to be left out like that. Like really bad." She besought him in a sad tone.

"Sure. We'll turn it down a bit." He responded. "Normally we're not even like that in front of other people. But after I realized that I didn't mind the presence of you girls too much when showing affection to Kumo, I exaggerated and hurt both of you as a result. I promise that it won't happen again!" He said in a regretful tone.

"No need to lower yourself like that!" Rin reassured him, surprised how sincere his regrets were. 'Man, this guy is getting better and better.' She added in her thoughts.

"I accept your apologies as well!" Ruri chimed in. "But you needn't restrict your own happiness just because of us. That makes me feel bad as well."

"No, it is perfectly fine." Yubi countered. "This trip is to seek allies and to win a war, not a romantic holiday. I will turn it down again. That's the only fair thing towards you and Rin." He stated.

"Anyway, back to topic!" Yuga spoke up, the attention turning back to him. "To fix all of these problems, there is just one simple solution!"

"Solution? What solution?" Rin inquired.

"An easy way to get rid of all those problems we just mentioned before. You have to confess to Yugo and Yuto once we meet them again!"

Both of them were taken aback by his words.

"What?! Confessing to Yugo?! I don't know if I have the courage for that!" A shocked Rin replied in a fearful voice.

"I don't think that I'm brave enough for that either!" Ruri chimed in, equally uncertain as her counterpart.

"Trust me, if you really love them as much as I think you do, then you will have the strength to do so. To recite Yuya's father, you can't do anything if you cower in fear! If you want to win, then bring out your courage and step forward! The more courage you put into things, the more happiness you'll get out of them!" Yuga said.

"But what if he doesn't reciprocate my feelings?" Rin asked, still doubtful.

"Then I'll take those three punches and make it a full-powered kick between his legs. Because that's the only thing a dickhead rejecting you deserves!" He replied with a stern expression on his face. "Hurting a cute girl like you must result in some severe punishment after all!"

"Same here!" Yubi chimed in, prompting the Synchro-Girl to turn her head to him. "If he rejects you after all these years you have shared together, then he probably never liked you that much to begin with and therefore doesn't even deserve you. I would hunt him down to the ends of creation if that happened. Even with his D-Wheel, I would eventually catch up to him since my D-Board is faster. And once that happens, I hope that he's good at dodging bullets, because he will see a few thousands of them raining down at him."

"Yuga... Yubi..." She uttered, flattered because of their personal concern about that subject.

"But seriously, I doubt that he's going to do that." Yuga began anew. "He knows you since your earliest days, even longer than me and Shiryu. And he wouldn't search for you so desperately, even crossing dimensions, if he didn't love you. The same thing goes for Yuto by the way." He said, looking over to Ruri. "Despite that you only knew each other for a few months rather than years, I doubt that he would travel here to Standard with Shun in order to exchange you for Reiji if he didn't love you. Especially considering how he treats the inhabitants of this world – meaning with more care, not being too reckless like your brother Shun. Him following your pacifistic principles for the most part even in times of war can only mean one thing: He loves you from the bottom of his heart. The both of you just have to gather up your courage and confess to them once we can officially meet them again."

"I'm still not sure if I can do that..." Rin said.

"I'm not quite certain too..." Ruri stated.

"If you never take any risks, you won't get any rewards either." Yuga spoke up again. "Even I was afraid to confess to Shiryu – and vice versa. But we both took the risk – and got rewarded for it. Trust me, it is so much better once you've finally done it! I know that this seems like a giant wall for you to overcome, but you'll manage to climb over it if you believe in yourselves hard enough!" He encouraged them.

"And if it fails?" Rin asked.

"If it fails, you can always come back to me and Yubi." He replied. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind having another close friend."

"Of course not. I'll gladly take care for you if Yugo rejected you for some reason." Yubi said. He looked over to Kumo. "Of course only if that's okay for you, Cloudy."

"No problem. Like I said before, I don't care too much about minute stuff like that." She replied.

"Cloudy?" Ruri inquired in a curious tone.

"Since my name is Japanese for cloud, he came up with that pet name once." Kumo explained. "He said it fits the soft and fluffy core of my personality perfectly, so I thankfully excepted it." She explained.

"Anyway, do you seriously not mind me?" Rin asked, uncertain about her previous response.

"No, I don't." Kumo retorted before tilting her head in a questioning manner. "Besides Rin, did you seriously think that I didn't notice how you looked at Yubi? Especially the day before yesterday when he deactivated your bracelet and made that joke about paying him in kisses for your lost bet? Only an idiot wouldn't notice that you have a crush on him!"

"What...?! But...! No...! I don't…! I mean...!" She stammered in response, her head entering the blush-overdrive.

"Don't lie!" Kumo retorted in a calm voice, raising a reassuring hand. "I know it, you know it and Yubi knows it as well. There's no point in denying it now, Rin. But don't worry, as I said before, I don't mind it too much. You get used to other girls starring at and admiring your boyfriend if said person is the three-times world champion of your dimension. Eventually I got used to the armies of fangirls flocking around him on every major tournament in Japan or elsewhere in the world. But unlike them, you seem to be genuinely interested in Yubi's real personality since you inquired about the meaning of his summoning chant and learned about his true philosophy as a result. That's not anything I see most other girls doing, they are just interested in his origins and career most of the time, not his real self. Also the fact that you look a lot like me helps, I suppose." She explained.

"So... you really don't mind if I'm with him as well?" Rin repeated.

"Nope. Since I can furthermore tell that he seems to like you as well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. If you really like each other, it would be unfair to stand in the way of your happiness, Rin. Though you'll have to get used to hear a lot of strategic thinking over the most minute details. After all, he plans literally everything he does, which is pretty much the exact opposite of Yugo, I guess."

"That's true. It would be a change, that's for sure." Rin agreed.

"How about you, my dear? I bet you would also enjoy that if it happened!" The brown and light blue haired girl grinned at him.

Yubi raised his hands in a conceding manner. "You got me figured out, I guess." He admitted. "I indeed think that Rin is a really cute girl and it would be nice to have her around. But keep in mind that this is only an emergency resolution in case that Yugo randomly decides to reject her. I don't want to pinch anybody's girl. That's beyond rude if you ask me." He stated.

"I know. You'll try your luck with Yugo and for the unlikely case that it fails, you can come back here." Kumo addressed her counterpart.

"Okay! With these two options, I'll definitely confess to Yugo now!" Rin shouted with a determined look on your face.

"That's great!" Yuga chimed in. "And for the case that you have no luck with Yuto, we can do the same as well." He offered to the dark purple haired girl.

"Are you sure that Shiryu wouldn't mind that?" Ruri retorted.

"Sigh, it seems you didn't fully understand her words when she talked with you in the yard at our castle upon arriving there. When she said that she was fairly certain that I wouldn't cheat on her after a decade of companionship and even if I did, she could be sure that it was for a girl who deserved it, she actually meant more with it than you could have imagined. She sometimes has this way of saying something, but actually expressing way more than it looks like." He explained.

"Are you serious? Did you really mean that?" Ruri inquired, looking at her counterpart for confirmation.

"He's right!" Shiryu replied, nodding. "What I really meant with that sentence was that I don't mind if you want to be more than just good friends. Just like you, I got to know Yuga by pure chance, a present from heaven so to speak. Who am I to deny another girl looking pretty much exactly like me the same thing? Also it isn't that uncommon for a Gishiki King to have multiple wives. There are a few examples throughout history, the last one being only eighty years ago. Polygamy might be abolished in my dimension right now because my grandfather wasn't quite the fan of it, but if my father or Yuga wanted to reintroduce it later on, they could do so in an instant. I just have one condition if you want to join in: I'll be having his virginity and marry him first. Alright?" She asked her.

"Yes... fair enough..." Ruri replied sweat dropping, a bit embarrassed because of Shiryu's straightforward approach to the subject. "By the way, you really inherited your father's relaxed attitude! I'm not sure if I could bring myself to share Yuto with somebody else!" She stated.

"Thanks, being compared to the current Gishiki King and greatest father I could have ever had means a lot to me!" She replied. "Anyway,", She continued, looking over to her boyfriend again, "to keep it like our Link-Counterparts did it, how about you, Yuga? You okay with this plan as well?" Shiryu asked him.

"Of course I am!" He exclaimed. "Ruri is a cute, beautiful and friendly girl and to be frank, when I saw her in person for the first time, my heart skipped a beat from the sheer amazement. Having her as my queen in the future would be a very nice thought. Besides, even a person in my position isn't exalted above human urges. But even without those things I would never decline such a tempting offer!" He looked over to Shiryu. "Oh, and by the way, thank you for your understanding! I know it's not that easy to grant another person access to one's lover's heart, so I respect your courage a lot!" He thanked her.

"Same thing goes for you, Kumo. I bet that your decision must have been a rather difficult one." Yubi chimed in.

"Oh please, Yubi! Sharing is caring, right? Besides, I'm sure that a duelist who can beat five opponents at once easy peasy could deal with having two girlfriends in case Rin doesn't have success with her confession!" She replied.

"Same here!" Shiryu spoke up. "A person organizing and leading a war can easily deal with something like an additional lover!"

"So it's decided then!" Yuga exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "You confess and for the unlikelihood that they reject you, there is a backup-plan!"

"So it's basically a win-win-situation for us!" Ruri remarked with a smile on her face.

"By the way, thank you for all of your support!" Rin thanked them, bowing her head. "I don't think I could have gathered up the necessary courage by myself!"

"That's true!" Ruri chimed in. "You really gave us a push into the right direction. I don't know how I can thank you for that appropriately!" She said.

"Like I said to Shiryu before when the I was in the tub with her, your presence and smiles is all it takes to express your gratitude to me!" Yuga responded, causing her to blush slightly with a smile forming on her face. "Also, it's our job as people who are already in a relationship to help you getting there as well, don't you think?" He teased her.

"I remember how Shiryu also gave us a little push into that direction when she asked us if we were together with the Yu-Boys of our dimensions, back when we arrived at your home!" Rin spoke up, the memory resurfacing. "You two really try to hook us up with Yugo and Yuto, don't you?" She addressed the Ritual-Couple.

Shiryu grinned at her. "Of course we do! I don't know why, but it feels so good to do that! What about you, Yuga? Do you like it as well?"

He smirked. "Of course I do! I can't explain it either, but facilitating your relationships feels amazing, I don't know why, but it does!"

"Well, looks like you managed to reach your goal!" Rin retorted, now grinning as well. "Guess I'll have to thank you for your efforts if it works out! And also thank you for your offers if it doesn't, I really appreciate them!"

-"Anytime again!"- The four counterparts from the Gishiki- and Link-Dimension replied in unison.

"But enough of that!" Yuga exclaimed, sitting down at the table. "It's time to turn back to our mission. First off, I have a few new instructions! Since Shiryu stepped out of her hideout and was dueling yesterday, I'd like to ask her as well as Yubi and Kumo to avoid further duels!"

"But why that?!" Shiryu asked him. "As you probably also know, I was on my way to winning that duel, so no point in avoiding duels out of fear to lose!" She countered.

"That's true. You were indeed winning that duel." He admitted, causing a brief smile of satisfaction to become visible on her face. "But from what I heard, you were already in the summoning process of Amaterasu and planned on going for Susanoo as well. Which is problematic to say the least. First off, Reiji and his staff can detect the unusual energy readings of our Chō Gishikis. And second of all, it draws a lot of unwanted attention. How would you react if a 30 meters tall samurai engulfed by blue flames stood somewhere in the harbor?" He addressed her in a questioning tone.

"Errr... you are right I guess. Not gonna happen again!" She agreed, sweat dropping in embarrassment.

"The same reason prevents you and Kumo from dueling as well!" He said, looking over to Yubi. "We don't want to reveal the power of Link Summon yet. It has never been seen outside of the Link-Dimension before, so we should keep it to ourselves until the right time comes. You and Shiryu should only duel as a last resort."

"Understood." Yubi replied. "We should keep our trump cards to ourselves. How about Rin and Ruri? Their Synchro- and Xyz-Summoning is way over the scale of Standard." He asked Yuga.

"True. That's why they should avoid direct confrontations as well. But if we have the option to choose from one of them dueling, or you, Shiryu or Kumo, they should go ahead. It's better to give Reiji an unusually high Synchro or Xyz than showing him more Chō Gishikis or revealing Link to him or any Fusion Spies here in Standard. Especially considering that he has already seen my Bile Throat in action." He added.

"Very well. Then let us get changed and head outside after eating breakfast!" An enthusiastic Ruri exclaimed.

"Wait! I haven't spoken about the mission for today!" Yuga interrupted her.

"Right. So what do you have in store for today, Yuga?" The dark purple haired girl asked him.

"While you were asleep, I intercepted a call from Nico Smiley to our friend Yuya! He has his first qualification match today in a place called Kirigakure Cooking School. Of course we are going to observe that one." He told.

"So we get to watch your Standard-Counterpart dueling, is that what you mean?" Rin asked him.

"Not exactly. I dunno why, but I have a really bad feeling about you going there. The names Rin and Kirigakure don't seem to harmonize very well with each other, no clue why that is."

Zarc appeared in his spectral form at that. "Of course they don't! The only thing missing here is someone stabbing through Rin's chest with a Chidori!" He remarked.

"Gosh Zarc, cut out the Naruto Shipudden references!" Ray yelled at him in her spectral form.

"Fine, fine, I'm going already!" Zarc replied, raising his hands in a conceding manner of giving in, vanishing at that.

"So because of that and the fact that me and Shiryu should suffice, I suggest that you and Ruri go with Yubi and Kumo to explore the city a little. Enjoy yourselves and have a little bit of free time, you did well on the last days, so you've definitely earned a little rest!" Yuga continued.

"If you say so." Rin replied. "A little bit of relaxing won't hurt I guess."

---

Maiami City, Sakaki residence...

"Alright! This should do it!" Exclaimed an enthusiastic Yuya once he was done with the final touches on his deck for the qualification matches. "With this deck, I will definitely win my four matches and enter the Junior Youth Championship!"

He pocketed his cards and made his way down to the dinning room.

"Ah, breakfast!" He exclaimed as the pleasant smell rose up into his nostrils. He opened the door and found his mom being busy with cooking while Sora sat on the table again.

"Oh, good morning Yuya!" The smaller teen addressed him after noticing Yuya's arrival.

"Good morning, Sora! Looks like you've made yourself completely at home now!" He stated.

"It's okay! After all, we're friends, right?" He retorted, grinning at the green and red haired male. "By the way, I wish you the best of luck in your four qualification matches starting today! I'll be trying myself to enter the Maiami Championship. After all, I only have to win six matches in a row!"

"You're saying that like it's not difficult at all..." Yuya remarked sweat dropping. "Anyway mom, is breakfast ready?" He hungrily asked Yoko.

"Not yet. Wait a little bit." She replied. "I'm making mille-feuille pork cutlets and special salad." She looked at her nearby tablet for the instructions for cooking the dish.

"Ehh? Instead of something so elaborate, you could have just made the normal pancakes." Yuya retorted, approaching her.

"But this is Michy's recipe. He's very popular among housewives, so I wanted to make something better than usual!" She responded.

"I'm fine with anything! Just hurry up!" Yuya countered.

"I said wait!" Yoko protested.

"If you don't hurry up, I'll be late for my duel!" Yuya shot back.

"Great! Now you made me mess up!" His mother complained as Yuya accidentally overturned one of her cooking utensils.

Meanwhile Sora quietly drank his milk and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

---

Near Kirigakure Cooking School...

"Damn, I had to leave without breakfast!" Yuya complained, his stomach growling, longing for food. Suddenly his nostrils caught an alluring, heavenly smell, prompting him to follow the scent. He ended up in front of his destination too. "Kirigakure Cooking School..." He read the sign above the door, looking at the entrance. Then he was approached by Nico Smiley, leading him into the building where he met his opponent, Michio Mokota, a star cook who was very popular among housewives as Yoko said before. After a little bit of talk, their duel began.

"Man, they are going at it!" Yuga exclaimed, sitting somewhere in the spectators seats along with Shiryu.

"That's true. But it doesn't look good for Yuya. Seems like having an empty stomach is quite the disadvantage for him in Action Duels." She commented.

"Don't worry, I am certain that he will find a way to overcome this pinch. Anyway..." He began before noticing a cook passing by, carrying a cooking pot. "Excuse me, what is that in your pot, mister?" He addressed the man.

"Eh? Oh, that's just some curry. Nothing much." The man explained.

Yuga sniffed. "From how it smells, nothing much is an understatement! How about giving me some of it then?"

The man sweat dropped. "You know that this isn't a restaurant?" He asked him.

"Yeah, this is a cooking school rather than some commercial place, I know that. Still, it would be a shame to cook all these fancy dishes and not even eat them afterwards! I can pay you as well. How about 20 DP for a plateful of that curry, plus maybe some rice as a little supplement?"

"Well...", The cook began, now inclined to accept his offer, "as you wish! One plateful you say?"

"Yeah. Except you want something too, my dear?" He addressed Shiryu.

"Hmm..." She deliberated. "I think a bite would do no harm." She replied.

"Alright, two plates coming right up!" The cook exclaimed, hurrying to fulfill the order.

"And make sure that one of the plates has an extra big portion!" Yuga called out to the man who took his leave.

"Geez Yuga, we just had breakfast, you really need to eat that much again?" She questioned him.

"Of course! We're slowly approaching noon and the heavenly smells inside this building aren't solely affecting my counterpart! I just must have a taste! Besides, you also wanted a plate." He pointed out.

She puffed up her cheeks. "Just because I'm showing solidarity to you by also eating something! And because I'm a practical person and we can save time searching for a place to eat lunch that way!"

"I see, I see. Sorry darling!" He pacified her, raising his hands to indicate that he was giving in.

Meanwhile the duel continued, Michio literally stuffing up Yuya's monsters with food until they exploded.

"His Royal Cookmates look pretty interesting." Shiryu remarked, observing the cooking prodigy's tactics.

"Especially, they look tasty!" Yuga chimed in, prompting his girlfriend to roll her eyes.

"Your curry with rice!" The cook addressed them, standing before them with his dish now served and ready to eat.

"Oh, thank you!" Yuga retorted with a smile while taking the plate plus cutlery from the cook, Shiryu doing the same. They began munching their food, Shiryu eating in a rather slow, well mannered fashion, while Yuga was a bit more rushy, taking twice to thrice the amount of food into his mouth with every bite though he still kept up most of his royal table manners.

"Yuya is in quite a pinch." Shiryu remarked after finishing another bite.

"He will win in the end, like I said before. I'm sure of that! And even if he doesn't, I got to eat a nice meal at least!" Yuga retorted.

Shiryu rolled her eyes again.

---

Maiami City, one hour before...

A little group consisting of Yubi and the three other girls was making their way down the city. They had been visiting some shops, parks, even LDS and some more attractions of Maiami City over the course of the morning, Yubi even buying some machine parts in a store for some new inventions he planned on making. Suddenly, Rin spoke up.

"Guys, I have a request to make!"

"A request you say? What is it?" Yubi inquired.

"Well, would you mind continuing on your own? I want to see some of the city by myself if you don't mind!" Rin stated.

"Me as well!" Ruri chimed in.

"Walk off to see the city on your own, you say?" Yubi contemplated, moving a finger to his chin. "Hmmm..."

"Please! I promise to return to the base before evening and look out for Fusion Spies! I'll constantly wear that hood too if you want!" The green haired girl offered.

"I'll do the same as well!" Ruri added.

Yubi sighed. "Okay, since you both insist on it so much, fine, but promise me to look after yourselves!"

"Don't worry, we will!" Rin reassured him.

"There's no way I'm going to get caught again!" Ruri continued.

"Fine. Then you can leave now if you want." Yubi replied.

-"Thank you!"- Both of them exclaimed in unison before walking away into separate directions.

"Do you think that they will get into trouble?" Kumo asked him.

"I hope not. And even if, they now have the right decks and equipment in case some Academia guy comes around."

"How right you are! But it would still be better if everything went smoothly." Kumo retorted.

"Of course." Yubi replied. "Let's hope for them that this will be the case!"

---

Present time, Maiami City, area around the docks...

"This is where it happened yesterday." Rin stated in a monologue, looking over to the warehouse from the day before. 'Where Sora taught Yuzu Fusion Summon, where Yuto and Masumi almost clashed with their disks, where Shiryu was about to beat Masumi...'

Suddenly her thoughts were cut short by a voice addressing her from behind.

"Hey, you!" It cried out.

She turned around to face a masked teenager wearing a dark outfit, possessing black and lavender hair.

'Fuck! It's Yuto!' She cursed within her mind.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Yuto began anew.

"I know that!" Rin shot back. "What do you want?!"

"I noticed how you were coming to this place. First I thought it was the girl from yesterday who saved me, but now that I see you, I clearly know that you are someone else!"

"If that nonsense is the only thing you intend to converse about, I'm leaving now!" Rin announced, obviously knowing what he meant, but lying in order to get out of this affair.

"No! Stay here!" Yuto addressed her, prompting her to stop in her tracks of leaving the area. "I have a strange feeling when I look at you. I already had that feeling when I met Yuzu and that other girl, but I never had too much time to talk to either of them. You all remind me of my friend Ruri!" He continued. He looked closer at the girl after that. She was wearing a white, long sleeved top, the hood currently pulled over her head. He could also see some of her hair underneath it, which was aqua green in color. She also wore sunglasses, obscuring most of her face. In addition to that, she wore pink shorts and white-pinkish boots that reached up to her thighs. Lastly, she also had a bracelet with a green gem that immediately drew all of Yuto's attention. "I have a feeling that you are somehow close to Ruri. Or know her at the very least. I still feel like this whole doppelganger-thing is just some silly joke, so please tell me if you are Ruri or not!" He addressed her, his voice somehow desperate if one listened carefully enough.

'He's right, and his desperate tone tells me that he really wants to have her back. But...!' She thought.

"I neither am that Ruri-Person nor do I know her!" Rin lied. "Now I want to take my leave, if you don't mind!" She declared.

Yuto, his instincts sharpened by the war, noticed her lie. "You're obviously hiding something! I'm not letting you go before you tell me what you know about the whereabouts of my friend!" He shouted.

Rin gritted her teeth. 'This is bad! I can never outrun him and port back to safety in time if he goes after me with all the agility he gained during the war! I have to create an opening, then I travel back to Gishiki and head to the hotel room from there.' She deliberated. 'But for an opening, I have to defeat him in a duel first, that's the only option for me right now!'

"Fine!" She exclaimed. "We'll settle this in a duel!" She declared, activating her disk.

"Sounds good to me!" Yuto retorted. "And if you lose, you'll have to tell me about Ruri!" He demanded.

"If you insist! But you'll have to win for that first!" She pointed out.

"That can be arranged!" Yuto shot back.

-"DUEL!"- They cried out.

---

RIN VS. YUTO

RIN: LP 4000

YUTO: LP 4000

"Ladies first!" Rin declared. "To start it all off, I special summon Windwitch – Ice Bell from my hand!"

Windwitch – Ice Bell

Wind/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Effect

"I can do this when I control no monsters!" Rin explained. "Furthermore, if she is summoned this way, I can special summon a Windwitch from my deck! Come forth, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

Windwitch – Glass Bell

Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

"Tuner?!" Yuto cried out in surprise. "Are you with that white kidnapping-bastard whom I met in Xyz?!"

'For the love of god, Yugo didn't kidnap Ruri!' Rin thought, annoyed by his accusation on her friend and crush. "The other effect of Ice Bell!" She declared. "When she is summoned, you'll take 500 point of damage!"

"What?!" Yuto exclaimed as Rin's monster fired a blast of cold wind at him.

YUTO: LP 4000 → 3500

"Also the other effect of my Glass Bell! When she is summoned, I get to add a Windwitch from my deck to the hand! I select Windwitch – Snow Bell! Then I special summon her since I control at least two Wind-Monsters!"

Windwitch – Snow Bell

Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

'She summoned three monsters and still has her Normal Summon available. This could be troublesome...' Yuto debated with himself.

Rin smirked. "Now I tune my level three Ice Bell with my level four Glass Bell! Midwinter wind! Make ice and snow my power and blow through! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 7! Windwitch – Winter Bell!" She yelled as her ace monster appeared.

Windwitch – Winter Bell

Wind/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

(Quick note: Winter Bell is shown here with bold lines as a new card because she received new effects compared to the anime while also being a fairly important card as Rin's ace monster)

"So she really uses these Synchro-Monsters. Kuh, that is probably not going to be easy!" Yuto silently cursed.

Rin looked upon her monster. 'It's so great to finally summon you again in a Real Solid Vision-Duel, Winter Bell! And thanks to Yuga's science department upgrading my cards and getting rid of some of their restrictions, I will be able to summon a few more monsters now rather than solely relying on Winter Bell. But first I will use her upgraded effect!' She thought while grinning.

"Winter Bell's effect!" She declared. "Once per turn, I get to choose from two options! The first one is to target a Windwitch in my graveyard and inflict 200 damage times its Level, Rank or Link Rating to my opponent!"

"Wait, RANK?! You have Xyz too?! And what the hell is a Link Rating?! Where are you from?!" Yuto addressed her in a loud voice.

"I don't know why I should answer you that!" Was Rin's simple reply, which annoyed Yuto incredibly since she was hiding information from him again that could possible grant him access to Ruri and her whereabouts. Then Rin continued. "The second option is to copy the effect of a Windwitch in my graveyard until the End Phase! But I pick the first choice and hit you with 800 damage by targeting my Glass Bell instead! Winter's Wrath!"

YUTO: LP 3500 → 2700

"Are you done with your turn now?!" Yuto asked her.

"Not by a long shot!" Rin retorted. "I now tune my level seven Winter Bell with my level one Snow Bell! One born from the darkness of the heart, come forth at the price of a good soul! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Make 'em bleed, Blood Mephist!"

Blood Mephist

Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1300/Fiend/Synchro/Effect

'This is one of the generic monsters Yuga gave me back in Link. It's effect should be pretty handy against Yuto's strategy!' Rin thought as a devilish looking monster unfitting to the rest of her archetype appeared.

"Anyway, I'm still not done!" She announced. "Because I'll play this now!" She held up a card at that. "The field spell Magical Winter Palace!" She cried out as a frozen, castle-like building made from ice emerged behind her.

"What is that thing?!" Yuto asked her.

"It's a handy little field spell that allows me to discard one card during each turn. In return for that I get to search out a "Windwitch"-Monster from my deck! I discard Windwitch – Chilly Bell and add Windwitch – Frost Bell to my hand! Then I will summon Frost Bell! And when she is summoned, I get to revive one of my Windwitches from my graveyard! Say hello to Snow Bell again!"

Windwitch – Frost Bell

Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect

Windwitch – Snow Bell

Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

"Two new monsters...!" Yuto gritted his teeth.

"That's right!" Rin retorted. "And on a side note, my Frost Bell also inflicts 500 damage when she is summoned. Here you go!" She said, stretching out her arm as another frosty missile was hurled at Yuto.

YUTO: LP 2700 → 2200

"Kuh! So your deck's strategy is burn damage, is that right?!" He addressed her grudgingly.

"That's correct, 100 points for you since you gave me the right answer! And do you know what points you will also get? That's right, more points of damage! Because now I will tune my level four Frost Bell with my level one Snow Bell! Midwinter wind! Hit them with subzero temperatures and freeze them to the bones! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 5! Windwitch – Freeze Bell!"

Windwitch – Freeze Bell

Wind/Level 5/ATK 2000/DEF 1600/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

"Another of these Synchro-Monsters..." Yuto uttered.

"Her effect!" Rin cried out. "You will receive half of the sum of her materials' ATK as burn damage! Now, according to quick maths my Frost Bell had 1400 and my Snow Bell had 100 ATK. Meaning you now take half of that as damage, so that's 750 points of burn damage right into your face!"

YUTO: LP 2200 → 1450

"I think I gave you enough of the cold shoulder now!" Rin stated. "I'll end my turn with that!"

"Very well! My turn then! I draw!" Yuto exclaimed. "I'll start off by summoning The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger! Like your Ice Bell, he can be special summoned from my hand if I control no monsters!"

The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger

Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect

"And right afterwards a comrade will join him!" Yuto declared as a spectral monster appeared. "The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots!"

The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots

Dark/Level 3/ATK 200/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect

"This monster can be special summoned when I already control a Phantom Knight! And then I will construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters!" He shouted.

'It's coming! His Xyz-Summon!' Rin thought, bracing herself.

"Souls of knights who fell on the battlefield, revive here and now and become the light that breaks the darkness!" Yuto cried out, a resolute expression forming on his face. "XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 3! The Phantom Knights of Break Sword!"

A spectral knight with an enormous blade, riding on an equally spectral horse appeared. Instead of a normal head the knight had a blue burning flame in said place that also reached down a bit to its upper body. The horse was clad in a dark armor, fitting the color scheme of the monsters Yuto had played so far.

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword

Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

"His standard opening, Break Sword. But that won't be enough to beat me." Rin murmured to herself.

"And now I activate the spell card The Phantom Knights of Shadow Crusade!" Yuto continued.

"What?! Shadow Crusade?!" Rin exclaimed. 'This card must be new! Because Ruri never mentioned that he had a card like that!'

"Yeah, Shadow Crusade." Yuto replied in a confirming manner. "This card allows me to draw two cards, but I then must either discard a "Phantom Knights"-Card or banish my entire hand! I draw!" He yelled before inspecting his hand. "I discard The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail!" He announced before dumping said card into his graveyard. "Also, if I control an Xyz-Monster, I can now detach one material from it by my spell's effect! By doing so, I can draw one more card! I'll send Silent Boots to the graveyard to draw another card!"

'His draw engine seems to have improved dramatically after Ruri was kidnapped. He probably got better in order to save her. While I'm glad for Ruri for having such a caring friend, I now have to face said person in a duel. Which is problematic since I have to win!' Rin debated with herself.

"Then I will activate the spell Allure of Darkness! I draw two more cards and then banish a Dark Monster! I will get rid of the second Holey Chain Mail which I just drew! Next up I will special summon The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem from my hand! I can do this by banishing another Phantom Knight from my graveyard! I banish the first Holey Chain Mail! Come, Dishonored Emblem!"

The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem

Dark/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 1800/Warrior/Effect

Rin gritted her teeth. 'Damn, his next monster! From Ruri's explanation Yuto's deck was quite slow when she saw him for the last time! But now it is anything but that! Three monsters and none of them normal summoned! His determination to save Ruri must have pushed him forward like crazy!'

"And when my Holey Chain Mail is banished, I get do draw a card! Since I banished two with my Allure of Darkness and Dishonored Emblem respectively, this means two cards for me!" Yuto continued, doing said thing.

'And his hand also replenishes! After his Shadow Crusade he had five cards! Now he used more of his hand cards and immediately compensated for that loss by using the summoning cost of his Emblem and the activation cost of Allure of Darkness to his advantage! I hope that he stops soon or I might not be able to make it through this turn!'

"Now I get to add a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck to the hand because I summoned my Dishonored Emblem with his own effect! Also I will banish the Silent Boots resting in my graveyard! By doing so, I get to add a "Phantom Knights"-spell or -trap to my hand! With my first effect I'll add Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral to my hand! And with the second I select Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot!"

"Dark Camelot?!" Rin cried out in shock.

"Yes. It's a field spell for my Phantom Knights. Now I activate it! You are not the only one who can build castles, although I have to admit that yours looks a little bit brighter!" He said as a ghostly fortress appeared behind him, creating a strong antithesis to Rin's shining ice palace on the other side of the field.

"So what does it do?" Rin asked after she had regained a little bit of her composure.

"You will see soon! But first I activate the other card which I added to my hand! The continuous spell Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral! And then I normal summon The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson!"

The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson

Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 500/Warrior/Effect

"And I will use his effect! By discarding a "Phantom Knights"-Card, I can immediately normal summon another Phantom Knight from my hand or grave, other than the discarded card if it was a monster of course! I discard the trap The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend! Then I will summon The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade from my hand!"

The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade

Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Warrior/Effect

'Kuh! So many cards played and he has still three cards left in his hand!' Rin cursed within her mind.

"Now I activate the ability of my Blade! Do you know the spell Card Destruction by chance?" He asked her.

"Card Destruction? Of course I do, it's one of the most basic spells in the game! Both players discard their entire hands and draw the same number of cards afterwards! Why are you asking me this now?" She addressed him.

"Imagine the same with only "Phantom Knights"-Cards and the ability to select which cards I want to get rid of, then you have an idea what the once-per-turn-effect of my Demonic Blade is!"

"WHAT?!" Rin shouted. 'Man, Yuto has become a monster in these few months! He's nothing like before at all!'

"I discard these three monsters!" Yuto announced, showing the cards to her. "The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness! The Phantoms Knights of Rusty Arms! The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield! I now draw three cards as a compensation for them!"

'From three to zero to three again...' Rin thought worriedly.

"Since a Phantom Knight was sent to the graveyard, my continuous spell triggers! Once per turn, my Dark Funeral allows me to search out another Phantom Knight from my deck once that happens! The cost for that is banishing one of those monsters which were sent to the graveyard! I banish Pierced Shield! Then I add The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape to my hand!"

'Or rather four...' Rin grudgingly added in her thoughts.

"Now the secondary effect of my Dark Camelot triggers! Once per turn, when a Phantom Knight is banished, I can add one of his comrades from my deck or graveyard to the hand as a replacement! I select another copy of Holey Chain Mail!"

"GOSH, WILL YOU STOP PLAYING LIKE TWELVE CARDS AND STILL RETAINING THE SAME NUMBER OF CARDS IN YOUR HAND ALL THE TIME?! WHEN THE HELL WILL YOUR TURN END?!" Rin snapped at him, exasperation about Yuto's seemingly endless combo clearly visible on her face.

"The Phantom Knights are immortal. No matter what, they will always reappear and join together their blades again. They are like the hydra. No matter how many of them fall, there will always be new ones to take their place. They follow a noble goal, the goal of establishing order in this chaotic world once more. They represent the very soul of us Resistance Fighters. If you try to hold us down, we will still rise up! If you try to block our way, we will slip through you! If we face an enemy, we will destroy them! And in times of need, we will leave aside our personal differences and rise up together to eradicate our opposition! And just like us, my Phantom Knights will join their power and eradicate you now!" Yuto replied in a resolute, dead serious tone.

'If he makes such a declaration that means nothing good for sure!' Rin gritted her teeth. 'What is he planing?!'

"The effect of my Dark Camelot at long last!" Yuto exclaimed. "Once per turn, I can banish a Phantom Knight from my graveyard! And by doing so, I can raise the levels of my Phantom Knights by up to that monster's level!"

'WHAT?! A similar effect as Yuga's Magical Gishki Pentagram?! I already knew that level modulation was a dangerous mechanic, but with Xyz Summon it's even deadlier!'

"I'll banish my level four The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness from my graveyard! And then I'll raise the level of my Torn Gambeson by two and the level of my Demonic Blade by three! For Emblem, I choose to stay at level six!"

The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade: Lvl 3 → 6

The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson: Lvl 4 → 6

"Three level six monsters!" Rin cried out. "Does this mean...?!"

"Yes!" Yuto retorted. "I will Xyz Summon! Though I'll only use these two monsters since I only require two materials! I'll overlay The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade and Torn Gambeson!"

The monsters flocked together, chuckling darkly as they made their way into the galaxy portal on the ground.

"Sinister knight, grasp the ancient weapon once more and swing it down upon my foes! With its burning impact, they shall now be annihilated by you! XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 6! The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star!"

Another Phantom Knight riding a horse clad in dark metallic armor appeared. It wore an iron helmet with spectral blue flames burning behind the eye visor, wielding its namesake weapon, a spiked ball on a chain that was fixed on an iron handle. It swung said weapon over its head a few times as it made its way to Yuto and his other two monsters, riding in from behind the Xyz-Duelist. As it reached its comrades and was on the same line with them, the knight drew in the reins and its horse came to an abrupt halt. It rose up onto its hind legs, kicking out with its front legs as its rider let out a war cry simultaneously.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star

Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2700/DEF 2400/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

'Rank Six?! This must be a new monster!' Rin thought.

"I activate his effect! By either destroying a Phantom Knight on my side of the field or by banishing one from my grave, I get to raise the attacking power of all my "The Phantom Knights"-Monsters by that monster's ATK! I also have to detach an Overlay Unit for that effect of course, which will be Demonic Blade in this case!"

"WHAT?!" Rin cried out in disbelief as the morning star his monster wielded crashed down upon his The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem. After the monster was wiped out, dark particles oozed out from its remains, flying over to his two Xyz-Monsters and surrounding them with a black-purplish aura.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2700 → 5000

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 2000 → 4300

'No way! An one-turn-kill-strategy! His dueling has way more bite than before!' Rin thought in terror.

"I'll now equip my Aged Morning Star with the equip spell Phantom Knights' Siphoning Mist Shield!" He declared. "Battle!" Yuto cried out. "My Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star will attack your Windwitch – Freeze Bell! Demonic Crash!"

True to its attack name, the weapon of Yuto's knight was enveloped by the very same sinister blue flames that were also on his Break Sword's upper body and behind his Morning Star's eye visor. Then the spectral knight struck down the weapon on Rin's monster with an enormous impact.

RIN LP: 4000 → 1000

"Kuh!" Rin gritted her teeth as she lost three quarters of her lifepoints with only one attack. "The effect of Freeze Bell!" She shouted in response. "When she is destroyed, you cannot declare further attacks during that turn! Your offensive will end now! Wind Freezer!"

As she was destroyed, Rin's Windwitch fired a last blast of ice and snow before she perished, freezing Yuto's monster solid with it.

"Fine." Yuto retorted. "But I will also use a card effect! When the monster equipped with Siphoning Mist Shield attacks, I'll gain lifepoints equal to your monster's ATK! Also, if it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I can draw a card!"

"A healing effect?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise. 'Man, there is nothing more annoying than LP-Gains when playing Windwitches!'

Aged Morning Star rose the shield it was holding in its left hand into the air, shouting triumphantly as a greenish light was emitted from the defensive weapon, invigorating Yuto.

YUTO: LP 1450 → 3450

'Shit, he's almost back to full health again!' Rin cursed within her mind. 'This equip spell will make it way harder to bring him down!' "But I also have an effect!" Rin shouted back. "Once per turn, when one of my Synchros is destroyed, my field spell Magical Winter Palace allows me to revive one of that monster's materials! Come, Windwitch – Frost Bell!"

Windwitch – Frost Bell

Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect

"And when Frost Bell is summoned, you not only take 500 points of damage, but I also get to revive another Windwitch from my grave! Return, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

Windwitch – Glass Bell

Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

YUTO: LP 3450 → 2950

"Don't forget that my Glass Bell searches out another Windwitch from my deck whenever she is summoned! I will add Windwitch – Hail Bell to my hand!"

"You made a huge plus from your monster's destruction, despite the heavy damage you took." Yuto stated.

"That's right! You're not the only one with a good card engine! Now end you turn!" She demanded.

"Fine! But first I will set three cards face-down!" He replied.

"Hold it!" Rin cried out. "Whenever you set one or more spells and traps, my Blood Mephist inflicts 300 points of damage to you!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as he took damage for yet another time.

YUTO: LP 2950 → 2650

"That effect could be troublesome, but I will find a way around it." He calmly declared, which annoyed Rin since she couldn't afford to lose this duel. "I will now use the second ability of my Aged Morning Star, returning The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness to my graveyard from my Banish Zone! Lastly I will activate the effect of the Dented Harness now in my graveyard! I can attach him to one of my Xyz-Monsters! But he will be banished once he leaves the field again! I select my Aged Morning Star since he was so friendly to bring back my Harness with his once-per-turn-effect!"

The monster arose from the graveyard before transforming into a dark orb circling around his Xyz-Monster, bringing its material number back to two.

"Turn end!" Yuto declared. "My monsters return to their normal state again!"

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 5000 → 2700

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 4300 → 2000

"Fine! It's my turn! I draw!" Rin yelled. "First I will banish my Chilly Bell from the graveyard! By doing so, I get to add any "Windwitch"-Card I want to my hand! I'll pick the continuous spell Windwitch Winter Shrine!" She stated as she took a green colored card into her hand. "Then I will activate it! Now, since I already control a Windwitch, I can special summon Windwitch – Aurora Bell from my hand!"

Windwitch – Aurora Bell

Wind/Level 3/ATK /600DEF 600/Spellcaster/Effect

"And when she is summoned, you'll take 500 burn damage! Also, whenever you take effect damage as long as I control a Windwitch, my Shrine allows me to draw a card from my deck!"

"What?! A spell that gives you a new card whenever you deal effect damage in a burner deck like this?!" Yuto cried out in disbelief.

"That's right! A good friend of mine gave me that card and I will not allow that his efforts to create it are going to waste!" She declared in a resolute tone.

---

Den City, a few days ago...

Rin and the others just had dinner at the Kogami-Household and all of them were finished now. As she stood up from her chair and was on her way to leave the room, a hand grabbed her by her arm, prompting her to stop in her tracks.

"Yubi? What's wrong?" She asked the male, turning around to him at the surprising event.

"You know, Yuga just gave you your new cards, right?" He began.

She nodded.

"Well, there was one card that he didn't give you. It was a card I helped him to design, so I wanted to hand it over personally, which Yuga agreed to. Since you seem to be a huge fan of my dueling, especially my Reloading Style, I developed a card that has a similar draw engine strength as my Powervullet Dragon. Of course it is designed so that it fits into your deck strategy. I hope you can make use of it!" He told her as he handed over a single card.

She looked down on it, read the text and smiled afterwards. "You are right, this is surely an amazing card for my deck! I promise that I will win my duels with this card! Thank you!" She said before approaching him for a hug.

"Rin..." Yubi silently uttered, flushing a bit due to the unexpected action of the girl. "I'm glad that you like it so much. Good luck on your next duel!" He said before he hesitantly hugged her back.

---

"Now you will taste the power of our bond!" She yelled.

"I see. You seem to have quite the powerful bond with that friend of yours." Yuto stated. "BUT IT WILL NEVER BE STRONGER THAN THE ONE I SHARE WITH RURI!" He shouted loudly. "Trap card open! Phantom Knights' Arms! When I would take damage, it is negated by this card's effect! Therefore you won't get to draw a card either!"

"WHAT?!" Rin cried out.

"Additionally, my trap allows me to target a Phantom Knight! And as long as that monster remains face-up on the field, I am immune to the damage source that triggered my trap! Which means I won't take effect damage as long as my Aged Morning Star exists on the field!"

"No way!" Rin shouted.

"Yes way!" He shot back as the ice blast of her Windwitch collided with a dark wall of energy surrounding Yuto.

"If you try to block my way, I will just make use of another bond and break through!" She declared. "I activate Pot of Greed!"

"Pot of Greed?! That's this insane draw card without any restrictions Shun told me about yesterday! The extremely rare one with less than five copies per dimension!"

"Good that you know it! That saves a lot of time! I draw two cards!" She yelled. "And then the next card my friend gave me! Raigeki! It nukes all of your monsters! Begone, you medieval jerks!" She shouted.

"Not so fast! While my Break Sword will leave indeed, my Aged Morning Star is immune to crush-effects! That's because of the Dented Harness that attached himself to it! You see, my monster doesn't have that name for nothing!"

"What?!" She retorted as one of her knights fell through the thunderclap striking down from above, but the other survived it unharmed.

"Furthermore, before your Raigeki resolved, I activated my own card! A continuous trap called The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table!"

A ghostly table of stone emerged from the ground at his words. Around it were several stone chairs with backrests, looking almost like ancient thrones.

"First Camelot and now the Round Table as well?" Rin sighed. "What's next, King Arthur or Excalibur?"

"The effect of Dark Round Table!" Yuto declared. "Whenever a Phantom Knight is sent to the graveyard, this card gains one Phantom Counter for each of these monsters! So because my Break Sword fell, I now get a counter!"

The fallen knight emerged from a dark portal on the ground, this time without its horse. It then walked over to one of the stone thrones around the table and took a seat on it.

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 0 → 1

"And all my Phantom Knights gain 100 ATK per Phantom Counter!

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2700 → 2800

"And what's more, my Break Sword allows me to revive two of his companions from the grave once he is destroyed! Good thing I detached the Demonic Blade with an original level of three from my Morning Star last turn, because the targeted monsters must have the same level to activate this effect! Also their levels are raised by one! Come, Demonic Blade and Blunt Dagger!"

The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger

Dark/Level 3 → 4/ATK 1300 → 1400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect

The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade

Dark/Level 3 → 4/ATK 1400 → 1500/DEF 1000/Warrior/Effect

"On a side note, my Aged Morning Star is also immune to battle destruction thanks to his equip spell. So your draw engine is stopped here and now!"

"That's what you think! But another friend of mine gave me a lot of new power with all these cards I have now! And my old ace will now make room for my new one!"

"A new ace monster?! What is it, tell me!" He demanded.

"Instead of telling it, I will just show you! Level four Windwitch – Frost Bell tunes level four Windwitch – Glass Bell!" She cried out as her first monster transformed into four green stars aligning in a vertical line, her second changing into green-bluish rings of light.

"A Synchro Summon...!" Yuto uttered grudgingly, gritting his teeth. "What is she planning?!"

"Midwinter wind! Make ice and snow my power and blow through! The icy power that breaches through all and freezes them to death! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear, The shining bell of unprecedented cold! Level 8! WINDWITCH – DIAMOND BELL!" She shouted.

"Diamond Bell?!" Yuto uttered in shock as a new Windwitch with similar looks as her old ace Winter Bell, but a much more radiant and shimmering body appeared, its body shape also more humanoid that its predecessor.

Windwitch – Diamond Bell

Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

"Diamond Bell's effect!" Rin cried out. "Once per turn, she can inflict 500 damage to you! Cold Bolt!"

"Have you forgotten?! My Phantom Knights' Arms' effect negates burn damage!" Yuto shouted, pointing out her mistake.

"That might be, but my Diamond Bell has an own effect! While she is on the field, effect damage you take cannot be negated or lowered! Absolute Zero Breakthrough!"

"WHAT?!" Yuto cried out in utter disbelief as the ice missile slipped through the barrier of his trap card.

YUTO LP: 2650 → 2150

"Now my Winter Shrine triggers! I draw!" Rin yelled as she did said thing.

"Kuh! So really found a way to get past my trap!" He stated with gritted teeth.

"Correct! Now all my Windwitches are back in play again! That is the power of my new ace Diamond Bell, the power of breaching through any defense against my deck strategy! Now then, the effect of my Blood Mephist! Once per turn, he can hit you with 300 damage for every card you control! With eight of them, that's 2400! IT'S OVER!" She yelled.

"That's what you think! Trap card open! The Phantom Knights of Nebula Lance! It destroys a card on the field! I target your Blood Mephist!"

"Haven't you paid attention in dueling school?!" Rin cried out. "If you destroy a card, its effect isn't stopped! You should know that already from the good old Mystical Space Typhoon-negate-problem! Even if you destroy a spell or trap with that card, its effect still goes through! YOU LOSE!"

"Not really. I know about that circumstance of course. The real reason why I used my Nebula Lance is the fact that it mills a "Phantom Knights"-Card of the same Card-Type as that destroyed card. I choose The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs!"

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 1 → 2

"And how does that help you?!" Rin addressed him in an intense voice.

"It helps just enough. During either player's turn, I can banish Dull Spurs from my grave to gain LP equal to the ATK of the strongest monster on the field! My Aged Morning Star and your Blood Mephist both had 2800 ATK before, but I choose my monster since he will gain 100 more attack thanks to the new Phantom Counter! I gain his ATK as LP now!"

YUTO LP: 2150 → 5050 → 2650

"Damn it!" Rin cursed. "He survived again thanks to healing effects!"

"Also Dark Round Table gained another counter due to the Dull Spurs I sent to the graveyard, therefore strengthening my knights, just as I said before!" Yuto repeated.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2800 → 2900

The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger: ATK 1400 → 1500

The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade: ATK 1500 → 1600

"But now my Winter Palace also triggers!" Rin declared. "I revive one of my destroyed Mephist's materials! My old ace Winter Bell appears!"

Windwitch – Winter Bell

Wind/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

"Also I get to draw once since you took effect damage due to my Winter Shrine! Draw!" She continued. "Then I will normal summon Windwitch – Hail Bell from my hand!"

Windwitch – Hail Bell

Wind/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

"Now I tune her with the Aurora Bell I special summoned previously! Midwinter wind! With the cold from the arctic regions of this planet, transform them into pillars of ice! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 6! Windwitch – Polar Bell!"

Windwitch – Polar Bell

Wind/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

"Her effect! When she is Synchro Summoned, you take 500 damage!"

YUTO LP: 2650 → 2150

"Then I not only draw a card thanks to my Winter Shrine, but also lower the ATK of one of your monsters by that amount through Polar Bell's effect! Crippling Cold!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as his Aged Morning Star was weakened by Rin's monster.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2900 → 2400

"Now the effect of my Hail Bell! When she is used as the material for a Wind-Monster's Synchro Summon, you take 200 damage times that monster's level! 200 times six, hmm, that's 1200 damage, right?" She asked as she innocently put her finger onto her chin and rubbed it on said place, pretending to be deliberating hard.

YUTO LP: 2150 → 950

"Once again I draw, bringing my hand to six cards! And once again your knight is weakened! Crippling Cold!"

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2400 → 1200

"Now the finish!" She announced. "Winter Bell's effect! I target my level five Freeze Bell in the graveyard and inflict 200 burn damage times her level! Feel the burning cold of the ice! 1000 points of damage straight into your face! THIS IS THE END! WINTER'S WRATH!"

"Not so fast! I will send my equip spell to the graveyard! By doing so, Siphoning Mist Shield grants me 300 lifepoints times the level or rank of a Phantom Knight I control! I target Aged Morning Star, giving me 1800 LP!"

YUTO LP: 950 → 2750 → 1750

"GEEZ, WILL YOU STOP HEALING?!" Rin snapped at him. "I WANT TO FINISH YOU OFF, SO STOP BARELY SURVIVING PLEASE!"

"We Resistance Fighters must not fall! If we do, our homeland will be destroyed completely! That's why I can never allow myself to succumb to your Windwitches, no matter how cold their icy gusts might be!" Yuto declared with resolve in his voice.

"Why you..!" She cursed. "The effect of Polar Bell and Shrine again! Your knight drops to 200 ATK and I draw a card!"

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 1200 → 200

Rin then looked closer at the card which she had just drawn. 'Hmm, that card, huh? Guess it's time to try out this baby!' She grinned. "I special summon Windwitch – Clear Bell from my hand! I can do that whenever I control a Windwitch from my Extra Deck like my Diamond, Polar and Winter Bell for instance! Come, Clear Bell!"

Windwitch – Clear Bell

Wind/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500/Spellcaster/Effect

"And now her effect!" She smirked. "Once per turn, I can target this card and one or more Windwitches on my side of the field!" She declared. "And then I can conduct a Fusion Summon using these monsters as material!" She said while turning to him, shooting him a side glance with a grin on her face.

"FUSION?!" A shocked Yuto cried out in response.

"I will target my Winter Bell and Clear Bell!" Rin declared as her monsters rose up into the air, uniting in a vortex.

"Chiming wind running through a snowfield of midwinter! Become even more merciless and cold and vanquish them in absolute chill! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" She chanted while clapping her hands together. "Appear, Bell of crystal echoing solemnly! Level 8! WINDWITCH – CRYSTAL BELL!"

Windwitch – Crystal Bell

Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2400/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect

"Fusion..., DAMN!" Yuto whispered before he shouted at her, gritting his teeth in anger. "SYNCHRO AND FUSION TOGETHER IN ONE DECK?! SO THAT GUY WHO USED SYNCHRO REALLY WAS A PAWN OF FUSION AFTER ALL! ARE YOU TWO WITH ACADEMIA?!" He addressed the green haired girl in immense anger.

"No idea what the fuck you're talking about!" Rin lied in response, scowling again at his insult of Yugo. "But I've got an idea what will happen now though! The effect of my Crystal Bell let's me copy the effect of a fallen Windwitch! And I target my Winter Bell and use her effect to inflict 200 damage times a Windwitch's level! I target my Winter Bell in the graveyard again for 1400 points of damage! Winter's Wrath!"

YUTO LP: 1750 → 350

"No matter how much you have healed before, you're still barely holding on!" Rin laughed. "Now I draw again thanks to Wind Shrine! Also your Blunt Dagger's ATK nearly hits the floor due to Polar Bell! Crippling Cold!"

The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger: ATK 1500 → 100

"Now I will banish my Hail Bell from the grave! By doing so, I can revive another Windwitch or summon one from my hand! I can only summon Tuner-Monsters with this effect though! Come again, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

Windwitch – Glass Bell

Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect

"Her search effect triggers! I add Windwitch – Subzero Bell to my hand!"

'Eight hand cards...' Yuto thought. 'Her friend truly increased the speed of her deck by a lot!'

"Now I will tune my level six Polar Bell with my level four Glass Bell! Midwinter wind! Unite with immense cold and drive the temperature far past subzero! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear, Icy bell of glacial cold! Level 10! WINDWITCH – GLACIER BELL!"

Windwitch – Glacier Bell

Wind/Level 10/ATK 3500/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect

"A level 10 Synchro!" Yuto exclaimed. "And with 3500 ATK as well!"

"The finish is imminent!" Rin cried out. "Once per turn, my Glacier Bell can inflict you the total sum of all Windwitches' Levels, Ranks and Link Ratings times 100! My Glacier Bell is Level 10, my Crystal Bell Level 8, same counts for my Diamond Bell! In other words, you will take 2600 points of burn damage that cannot be negated or lowered! Now it will be the end for sure! GLACIAL STORM!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP!" Yuto shot back. "The effect of my monster, The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms! By banishing him from my grave, I can immediately set a "Phantom Knights"-Spell or -Trap from my deck! And I also get to activate that card instantly, no matter what Card-Type it has! Which is just what I will do right now! Trap card open! The Phantom Knights of Sinister Treachery!"

"WHAT?! Setting a trap from your deck and then activating it immediately?! During my turn?! So what does that card do?!" She asked him with visible shock on her face.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" He replied. "When a card or effect is activated, this card negates and destroys it! While I must control a Phantom Knight to activate this card, I also get to dump a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck into the grave! I select a second copy of Dull Spurs! Your damage may not be negatable, but the activation of the effect that causes it is! Now your damage-effect is negated, I survive and your Glacier Bell is gone!"

"That's what you think!" She shot back. "While you will survive, my Glacier Bell will as well! The first time each turn when my Windwitches would leave the field, they don't! Glacier Barrier!"

"So all your Windwitches have one protective layer around them each turn? Quite impressive! But like I said, the damage is still negated."

A dark shadow emerged from the trap after that. It dove underneath the surface leaving a dark trail on the ground above it until it reached Glacier Bell, then it unburrowed in the form of a ghostly warrior who stabbed Rin's monster from the behind. Glacier Bell winced in pain, but she endured because of her own protection effect.

"Fine!" Rin yelled. "Then I will simply knock you out by battle! After all your Aged Morning Star is down to 200 ATK and your Blunt Dagger is at 100 attack points true to its name! Finish this, Glacier Bell! ARCTIC SHATTER!"

Her monster unleashed a tremendous storm of ice, hail and wind at that. As it headed towards Yuto, a grin formed on her face. 'Finally!' She sighed. 'Finally it's over! It took long, but now he's definitely done for!'

"It's not over!" Yuto retorted. "This turn, when you activated your Blood Mephist's effect and I averted my defeat with my Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs' effect by banishing him, my field spell triggered since a Phantom Knight was banished! I added another copy of The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield to my hand!" He held up said card at that. "And by banishing this monster from my hand or graveyard, I negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!" He declared.

Rin's jaw dropped in disbelief. Then she cried out the following words in utter exasperation. "ARE… YOU… FUCKING… SERIOUS?!" She screamed. "When the fuck will you stop making me think that I won before you show some card to make my dreams pop like a balloon?! STOP BEING SO FUCKING RESILIENT!"

"Sorry to annoy you like that, but I need to be so resilient." Yuto replied in a calm voice. "Otherwise I would have been dead for a long time already. Now then, will you end your turn please? I need to win this duel and have you tell me about Ruri after all!" He stated, his expression turning fierce at the last sentence.

"Not going to happen!" Rin retorted. "I still have eight cards in my hand and I'm going to use some of them! I activate the continuous spell The Dark Corridor!"

"The Dark Corridor? Is that card related to The Dark Door by chance?" Yuto asked her.

"Yeah, it's a pretty similar card." Rin responded. "More specifically a better version of it! While The Dark Door only allows one monster to attack, The Dark Corridor only allows a single successful attack from each player during every Battle Phase! Meaning any multiple attacks strategy is countered! Furthermore, I will set three cards face-down! Turnover!" She announced.

"Humph, not bad." Yuto commented. "You are trying to block me since your spell is more of a hindrance for me than for you. Admittedly not bad. BUT IT WON'T BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME!" He shouted, causing her to flinch. "MY TURN! DRAW!" He yelled. "First off all, I will banish my second copy of Dull Spurs from my grave to ensure that I don't die to some silly burn damage of yours! You remember how his effect works, don't you? I gain LP equal to the ATK of the strongest monster on the field, meaning 3500 since your Glacier Bell has by far the highest attack points on the board right now!"

YUTO LP: 350 → 3850

"Fucking shit! He is almost back to full health again! If this guy was playing some ego shooter with roles, he would be playing a medic class for sure!" Rin cursed silently.

"Next up I will get rid of my poor, weakened Aged Morning Star! Using this card!" He held up a spell at that. "RANK-ALTERATION-MAGIC SPECTRAL FORCE!" He shouted.

"Wait, RANK-ALTERATION-MAGIC?! Not Rank-Up?! What the hell is that card?!" Rin cried out in shock.

"I'll tell you! This card can both rank-up and rank-down a Phantom Knight or a Dark Dragon-Type monster! In other words, it unites the two types of rank-alteration in a single card! That's why it's called Rank-Alteration-Magic!" He explained.

"No way, Rank-Up and Rank-Down combined into a single spell...?" Rin uttered, taking a few steps backwards. Ruri had told her about Rank-Up-Magic-Cards or course and she had also mentioned that there was a very rare mechanic called Rank-Down. But seeing both of those traits united in a single card was too much for her, especially since she was facing the duelist who used that card right now.

"Now then, its effect!" Yuto continued. "I can now send up to three "Phantom Knights"-Spells or -Traps from my deck to the graveyard! The number of cards I mill by this effect will decide how many ranks this card can either rank-up or rank-down my targeted monster! I mill two "Phantom Knights"-Cards, namely Phantom Knights' Myth and Phantom Knights' Grasp! Then I rank-up my Aged Morning Star by two ranks!" He declared as he reconstructed the Overlay Network with his spectral knight.

"The dark lance will be unburrowed from its tomb now! Raise it high up into the air before you pierce their hearts with its razor-sharp tip!" Yuto chanted. "RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Rank 8! The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance!"

Another knight on a horse appeared, galloping to its comrades. Its dark lance was intimidating to say the least, being enveloped by blue flames and looking almost skeletal. Safe to say it also had the same head as Break Sword, meaning an eerie bluish flame.

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance

Dark/Rank 8/ATK 3000 → 3200/DEF 2500/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

'His next Xyz-Monster...' Rin thought.

"And now, at long last, the true manifestation of my deck will show itself!" He declared.

'True manifestation? Wait, does he mean...?!' Rin thought in panic.

( 12, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion)

"I will now overlay my level four Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade and Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger!"

The two monsters swirled into the galaxy vortex at that before it exploded with a loud boom.

'It's really coming! His dragon! This is bad!'

"Fierce and untamed dragon with fangs formed in pitch-black darkness, cloaked in shadows and relentless in the persecution of your objective!" Yuto began chanting as a pair of dark wings unfolded itself. "Use your treacherous blade to carve your name into their skulls as you rise up to oppose this foolish oppression!"

'Please, anything but that!' Rin thought fearfully as two metallic tusks blitzed eerily in the mist enveloping the mysterious new monster.

"COME FORTH, THE DARK DRAGON OF DEFIANCE! TOPPLE THEIR RULE AND OBLITERATE THEM! ITS RAZOR-SHARP TUSKS WILL BE YOUR DEMISE! NOW BEGONE WITH THE THUNDERCLAP!" He shouted as a black-purplish dragon with partially metallic wings slowly rose up into the sky, unfolding its wings fully as a lighting struck down from above.

"XYZ SHŌKAN! DESCEND! RANK 4! DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON!" He yelled as the dragon landed on the ground, roaring menacingly at Rin.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon

Dark/Rank 4/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Dragon/Xyz/Effect

"He really summoned it...!" Rin uttered, horrified by his dragon. "His ace monster, Dark Rebellion! This is very bad...!" She murmured.

"Next up I will activate the spell card Lightning Vortex! By discarding a card, all of your face-up monsters will be destroyed!"

"Useless!" Rin cried out in response. "My Glacier Bell protects all of my Windwitches once per turn with her effect! Like you said, all of them have one protective layer around them during each turn!"

"The point wasn't to destroy your monsters." Yuto explained as Rin's monsters survived his card unharmed. "The point was to dump another copy of Dented Harness into my graveyard, bringing up my Phantom Counters to three while also granting me some other benefits!"

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 2 → 3

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3200 → 3300

"What do you mean by that?!" Rin asked confused.

"Wait and see!" Yuto replied. "But first this spell! Phantom Knights' Un-Sepulture! Imagine the card Escape from the Different Dimension for Phantom Knights, then you have a rough idea about this card! I can special summon any number of banished Phantom Knights with it, but they are destroyed during the End Phase! Not that this is bad, because I can banish them again from there for their effects!"

"WHAT?!" 'Damn, his deck is brutal!' Rin thought. 'With Yubi, you mainly have to look onto the field! But with Yuto, you have to look onto way more places; hand, field, graveyard, Banish Zone, Extra Deck, literally everywhere! If you stop paying close attention even for one second, his Phantom Knights will emerge from one of those places and annihilate you! He was right, these knights are truly immortal, you cannot get rid of them at all!'

"I revive a copy of Holey Chain Mail, Rusty Arms and Pierced Shield!"

The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail

Dark/Level 2/ATK 400 → 700/DEF 2000/Warrior/Effect

The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield

Dark/Level 4/ATK 1000 → 1300/DEF 2100/Warrior/Effect

The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms

Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect

"And now I will use the effect of my field spell Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot! I will banish Dishonored Emblem! Thus I get to increase the levels of my knights by up to six! I make my three knights level seven! Also I add a Phantom Knight from my deck to the hand by the secondary effect of Camelot! I pick The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves!"

The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail: Lvl 2 → 7

The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield: Lvl 4 → 7

The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms: Lvl 4 → 7

'No way! His next Xyz-Monster! This could be very problematic to say the least!' She deliberated as Yuto gestured his monsters to overlay themselves.

"Dark knight, with a swing of your demonic weapon, cut off their heads! Sweep through their lines and trample them down! XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 7! The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd!" Yuto cried out as his next horseman wielding a spear-like weapon with a multi-functional blade appeared, equally demonic with spectral flames for its head just like his other Xyz-Monster Phantom Knights.

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd

Dark/Rank 7/ATK 2900 → 3200/DEF 2000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

"Now I will send a material from Sinister Lance to the graveyard, more specifically Aged Morning Star! By doing so, I can special summon The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation from my hand using its own effect!"

The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation

Dark/Level 5/ATK 2200 → 2500/DEF 1900/Warrior/Effect

"Now the spell card Phantom Knights' Foretold Resurrection from my hand!" Yuto said. "I can special summon a Phantom Knight from my hand or graveyard! I will revive Break Sword! Then I can also return one of my banished Phantom Knights to the graveyard, which will be my Silent Boots here!"

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword

Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000 → 2300/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

"Four Xyz-Monsters..." Rin murmured to herself.

"Now I will activate the effect of my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! By detaching one of his materials, I can cut the ATK of one of your monsters in half until the End Phase! Then my dragon gains these attack points until the end of this turn! Treason Discharge!"

His dragon's wings activated at that, draining ATK with dark purplish lightnings from her Glacier Bell.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 2500 → 4250

Windwitch – Glacier Bell: ATK 3500 → 1750

"Again, this time on your Diamond Bell! Treason Discharge!"

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 4250 → 5650

Windwitch – Diamond Bell: ATK 2800 → 1400

"Furthermore my dragon can attack twice if his attack points differ from their original value! Relentless Rebellion Charge!"

"That won't do anything! You can only attack once, did you forget that already?!" Rin shot back.

"Like I said, just wait and see!" Yuto retorted. "I now banish the Blunt Dagger detached by this effect! By banishing him, I get to draw a card! Draw! Nice, it is a Phantom Knight! If that's the case, I can either discard that monster or attach it to one of my Phantom Knights as an Xyz Material to draw another card! I attach the Cloven Helmet drawn by this effect to my Break Sword! Then I draw again! Next up, I will discard the Holey Chain Mail which I added to my hand last turn, along with Ragged Gloves! By doing so, I can draw two cards from my deck! And now my Round Table gets two more Phantom Counters!"

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 3 → 5

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 2300 → 2500

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3200 → 3400

The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation: ATK 2500 → 2700

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3300 → 3500

"Furthermore I will detach an Xyz Material from my Break Sword! By doing so, I can destroy a card on both sides of the field! I target my Infamous Reputation and your Diamond Bell!"

"Not Glacier Bell?" Rin inquired.

"No. She only has a protection effect, but your Diamond Bell's absolute burn damage effect could be problematic. Hence I will take her out now!"

"In your dreams! Trap card open! The counter trap Windwitch Reflecting Mirror! It negates your effect and destroys your card! Also, since I control a Synchro-Monster, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to it! And as an icing on the cake, you take 1000 damage!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as his move was countered and he also took damage in return.

YUTO LP: 3850 → 2850

"You're still in trouble!" Yuto retorted in response to her card. "I now banish the Infamous Reputation from my grave! Then I can target another Phantom Knight in my grave and inflict its ATK as burn damage to you! I select the Break Sword you destroyed with your trap! You only have 1000 LP left and Break Sword has 2000 ATK! Now you will lose to your own deck strategy!"

"Not so fast!" Rin shot back. "Trap card open! Rainbow Life! I discard one card from my hand and then all damage I would take for the rest of this turn is converted into lifepoints instead!"

"Not under my watch!" Yuto countered. "Now my Sinister Lance's ability triggers! Once per turn, I can negate a card or card effect with it and then send a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck to the graveyard with the same Card-Type as the negated card! I mill The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail and your trap fails! Dark Piercer!" He cried out as the knight rode forward, lowering its lance in order to pierce Rin's trap, causing it to be destroyed.

"Kuh!" Rin exclaimed. "Then I will activate the effect of Windwitch – Subzero Bell from my hand! When I would take damage, I can special summon her from the hand to negate the damage and inflict it to you instead! Also I draw like always due to Shrine!"

Windwitch – Subzero Bell

Wind/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1200/Spellcaster/Effect

YUTO LP: 2850 → 850

"Why you...!" Yuto cursed. "Then I will beat you with this! I banish The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend from my grave, the very same trap I sent to the graveyard during the second turn! By doing so, I can revive Aged Morning Star! Also don't forget that you destroying Break Sword previously and me detaching a material from him beforehand rose the number of Phantom Counters again!"

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star

Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2700 → 3400/DEF 2400/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 5 → 7

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3400 → 3600

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3500 → 3700

And now I will banish Phantom Knights' Grasp to revive a Phantom Knight from my graveyard! Come again, Break Sword!"

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword

Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000 → 2700/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect

'A full field of Xyz-Monsters!' Rin thought in awe as she gazed upon the formation of four spectral knights on their horses and the dragon amidst their row. 'His dueling is way fiercer than before! He probably grew up a little after Ruri was kidnapped, causing him to be a bit more vicious! His dueling alone speaks for that!'

( 12 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion end)

"Now I will explain to you why I send another copy of Dented Harness to my graveyard earlier! I attach him to my Aged Morning Star to give him a material to activate his effect! Before that, I will equip my Sinister Lance with this spell card though! United We Stand! He gains 800 ATK for every monster I control! With five of them, that's 4000!"

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3700 → 7700

"And then Morning Star's effect! I detach Harness and destroy a Phantom Knight or banish one from my grave to add its ATK to all of my Phantom Knights until the end of this turn! I pick Sinister Lance, which cannot be destroyed by card effects since it has the first Dented Harness as a material!"

"WHAT?!" Rin shouted in disbelief as all of Yuto's monsters besides Dark Rebellion powered up like crazy, all of them crossing the 10000 ATK mark.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 3400 → 11100

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword ATK 2700 → 10400

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3600 → 11300

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 7700 → 15400

"Four monsters with over 10000 attack!" Rin uttered in disbelief. "But you can still only attack with one of them and only once!" She then pointed out.

"Don't you think one is enough?" Yuto replied in a stoic voice, causing Rin to grit her teeth. "But since you fought so well, I will give you the honor of losing to an attack befitting a strong duelist like you!" He continued. "That's what the proud knights whom my deck represents would do after all, honoring their opponents, even in times of war! A combination of spells! The first is none other than the legendary blade which you mentioned before! I can equip this card to any Phantom Knight or Dark Dragon-Type Xyz-Monster! Phantom Knights' Ultimate Blade – Dark Excalibur!"

"I knew it." Rin remarked as the blade attached itself to the dragon's jaw, giving him a third, slightly longer and far more fashionable tusk of intimidating black color.

"A monster equipped with this card can attack an additional time and it also gains 500 ATK!" Yuto declared.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 5650 → 6150

"Now I detach one material from my Devilish Halberd! By doing so, I can either have Halberd attack all your monsters during this turn or target a Dark-Monster I control! I pick the second option! The targeted monster gains the ATK of all Phantom Knights I control besides itself until the End Phase! Meaning my Dark Rebellion will power up! Spectral Might!"

"Now way...!" Rin uttered in sheer disbelief, eyes wide open as Dark Rebellion's power increased drastically.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 6150 → 54350

"Then I will show you why they say that a thrust with the mere tip of a sword can be as deadly as the whole blade! The quick-play spell Focused Attack! By using this card, a monster that can declare multiple attacks during this turn can only attack once, but that single attack will have the power of all normal attacks combined! My Dark Rebellion can attack twice thanks to his own effect and another time thanks to Dark Excalibur! So that means his ATK triples!"

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 54350 → 163050

"Over a hundred thousand attack...!" Rin stammered, putting a hand over her mouth in horror at the display of sheer power.

"Now I will activate the effect of my Dark Round Table! Once per turn, by removing three counters from it, I can draw a card!"

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 7 → 4

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 11100 → 10800

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword ATK 10400 → 10100

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 11300 → 11000

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 15400 → 15100

"Finally the equip spell Ultimate Megamorph! This card is basically just a better version of the normal Megamorph, just as its name suggests. While my LP are lower than yours, it doubles the entire ATK of the equipped monster, not just its base ATK like the normal one!"

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 163050 → 326100

"Almost a third of one million ATK...?! Am I dreaming?! This can't be real!" Rin said, not believing the events in front of her anymore.

"It's no dream, I can assure you that!" Yuto replied. "But say, does this finish satisfy you? You don't see that much ATK that often, do you?" He addressed her.

"No, I have never seen anything like this before...!" She stammered, looking at Yuto's dragon which was basically the incarnation of energy itself now, an aura so strong and powerful around it that she couldn't even find words to describe it. Waves of momentum surged from Dark Rebellion, destroying the nearby storage halls when they collided with them. Meanwhile the energy sensors in the LDS-Building were completely ruined already, overloaded by the enormous, unprecedented power of the Xyz Dragon.

"The finish!" Yuto stated, pointing at her as the orbs on his dragon's wings flashed to life, emitting electricity that even reached the nearby power line due to Dark Rebellion's incredible power, overloading the power supply system and causing a blackout in the entirety of Maiami City. "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon attacks Windwitch – Diamond Bell!" He declared as his dragon began its assault, flying only a few feet above the surface, its tusks tearing open the ground they trailed over. "ULTIMATE… EXCALIBUR… LIGHTNING REBELLION DISOBEY!" He shouted, adding two new parts to his usual attacking chant due to the insane power-ups his dragon possessed.

"That was a great duel!" Rin spoke up, having regained her composure.

Yuto smiled. "At least you're admitting defeat like an honorable duelist. You have my praise for that! Not many duelists are like that if they lose!"

Rin returned the smile. "You are right, I suppose. Most duelists are rather bad losers." Then her expression turned into a sly smirk. "So I hope that you aren't one of those people as well, or this mood we've established now will be ruined again!"

( 13, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #8 The Battle Begins)

"WHAT?!" Yuto shouted in utter surprise and shock.

"You heard me correctly! YOU WILL LOSE!" Rin screamed, grinning wickedly. "I will now use a card one of my friends gave me! He uses a very similar card and he told me that the feeling of satisfaction you get when someone walks into these cards is simply priceless! So let's test that, shall we?! Trap card open! KARMA FLAME BARRIER – FIRE FORCE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as her card was revealed. "IT DESTROYS ALL MONSTERS YOU CONTROL THAT ARE IN ATTACK POSITION!"

"NO WAY!" Yuto cried out in horror as a firestorm consumed his monsters, destroying all but Sinister Lance due to its protection by Dented Harness.

"And then we both take damage equal to half of the total ATK of the destroyed monsters!" Rin continued.

"A draw?!" Yuto exclaimed in response.

"Not really! As long as I control Diamond Bell, I take no effect damage!" She told him.

"You take no effect damage?! Then why did you use Subzero Bell to counter my Infamous Reputation's effect?!" He asked with lack of understanding in his voice.

"To lure you into my trap of course!" Rin said, smirking victoriously.

"But you will still lose!" Yuto pointed out. "Fire Force says that I take the same damage as you took, with you taking it first!" He said, reading the card's effect on his duel disk's display. "So if you take no damage, I take none as well! And since your Dark Corridor allows only one attack per turn, but a successful one, my Sinister Lance can just trample you down now!"

"Not really." Rin retorted. "You see, there is something in your way called an effect clarification."

"Effect clarification?" Yuto asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, effect clarification." Rin replied, talking very slowly as she began to explain. "You see, there are these tiny little texts in the brackets of some card effects that mention some minute details. Usually nobody gives a shit about them. A good friend of mine taught me that every word of a card text has a meaning, however. And he is right, because one of these small effect clarifications will now decide our duel! Because the effect of my Diamond Bell that prevents me from taking damage says that it is still treated as if I took it. Meaning I take no damage, but my Fire Force still thinks that I took it, resulting in only you receiving damage! This was a very good duel, but now it's over! I don't see you healing over 150000 points of damage, no matter what cards you play! But don't worry, I heard that a quick change from cold to warm temperatures is very good for one's health! Now then, get roasted to death! Sayonara!" She said, turning away from him as a tremendous firestorm enveloped Yuto, causing him to cry out in pain.

'Shit, despite the dramatically lower Real Solid Vision-Level he will still be taking severe damage!' Rin thought worriedly as the inferno collided with him. 'I hope Ruri doesn't kill me for hurting him like that! Sorry, but I had to get away!'

YUTO LP: 850 → 0

RIN WIN!

( 13 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #8 The Battle Begins end)

As Rin began running away, trying to get out of her unfortunate situation, she noticed that despite his injuries Yuto rose up again, running after her.

"NO! DON'T RUN! I NEED TO KNOW WHERE RURI IS!" He cried out desperately.

'Are you serious?! He just received third-degree burns and he can still follow me so quickly?! What's up with that guy, his determination to save her must be absolutely insane!' Rin thought as she looked over her shoulder, seeing the Xyz-Duelist chasing after her. She took a turn to the right, running through a narrow lane between two storage halls. 'Shit, he's catching up to me! At this rate...!' She thought, seeing him getting closer to her with every second. 'No! Not after all this! I can't have him catch me after fighting so hard in that duel! Please just… SLOW DOWN!' She thought in panic, crying out within her mind. Suddenly Yuto felt his legs getting stiff, prompting him to decelerate.

"WHAT?!" Yuto shouted, coming to a halt. "What the hell just happened?! I cannot move my legs!"

Rin looked behind her again. "He stopped." She remarked, keeping on running. "Guess the injuries from the duel are finally taking effect!" She whispered in a relieved tone. She took a turn to the left, then activated her disk's dimensional travel interface and pressed the button for the Ritual-Dimension immediately. After she had vanished, Yuto regained the feeling in his legs and continued running, only to find out that his target had disappeared.

"Shit!" He cursed. "Ruri, where are you?" Yuto murmured to himself, disappointed and ashamed of himself that he couldn't save her again. "No matter how long it takes, I will definitely find you!" He declared. 'But I should leave now! The henchmen of Leo Akaba's son might arrive here soon!' He deliberated, leaving the area at that. Meanwhile two spectral people hovered in the air, one of them with lack of understanding in his expression.

"What the hell was that?!" Zarc cried out. "His legs just went bye-bye like that and refused to move! I bet it has something to do with your shitty fragment, isn't that right, RAY?!" He addressed the other person with an infuriated expression.

"Looks like the time I won a round of our silent war has come now, right Zarc?" She grinned at him victoriously. "Yes, it has to do something with Rin. You know, you weren't the only one who set one's plans into motion after the great separation! I knew that my fragments' survival would be crucial to the survival of this world as well, so I bestowed a few powers onto them which I gained through the force of the natural energies in my bracelets."

"Let me guess, these abilities are based on the four natural beauties your shitty bracelets represent?" Zarc asked in an annoyed tone.

"Correct. All of them have one power based on their respective aspect of nature. Also as you saw with Yuzu's bracelet, each of those things has a power to hold down your fragments' power and to prevent them from absorbing each other. I used En Flowers, En Birds, En Winds, En Moon, as well as the two newest En-Cards, En River and En Clouds as a basis for those powers. No then, let me start with Yuzu! Creation Prowess of Nature – Hana!" She began. "As the representative of the flora, she has the ability to control said thing, meaning flowers, trees, everything that is a plant really! Also she has another ability which I based on her deck theme, the Melodious-Cards! Namely voice modulation and all kinds of stuff connected to altering sounds. As a little extra of this power, she has a very potent ability called Banshee's Cry, which can force your fragments to stop in their tracks immediately, even from afar."

"Admittedly not bad." Zarc stated. "What else do you have up your sleeve?"

She grinned at him in response. "Well, next up we have Ruri with her Creation Prowess of Nature – Tori! As you might know already, her bracelet represents the fauna. Therefore she has control over the other group of living beings, meaning animals."

"How about humans? After all, they are nothing but filthy animals as well!" Zarc remarked with a contemptuous smirk on his face.

"Yeah, humans as well." Ray sighed. "Honestly, why do you hate humans so much? You're one yourself after all."

"WRONG!" He shot back. "I'm a dragon now, a being exalted above the filth and muck of that pathetic species! Now continue with your explanation before I lose my temper!" He yelled at her.

"Fine..." Ray sighed exasperatedly. "She can control those beings to a certain degree and talk with them over a mental link similar to yours with the spirits of monsters. That's why she could understand the birds she and her brother used to feed in the park before the Heartland Invasion for instance. Like her other counterparts, she can only use her powers partially since she isn't aware of them yet, but she still uses a small portion of them unconsciously. So whenever she heard the animals speaking to her, she shrugged it off as her imagination. She can also adapt the powers of animals and use them for a short time period after touching them."

"So you mean that she can jump high and far for a few minutes after touching a rabbit or a kangaroo for instance?" Zarc asked.

"Exactly! And the power based on her deck is to sprout wings, enabling her to fly. Pretty handy if I do say so myself. And her bracelet has the power to calm down your fragments again, hence why Yuga calmed down from his rage back in the Fusion-Dimension so quickly after he had met her."

"I see. So all of your bracelets have one way or another to foil my plans of reviving. And they don't seem to be restricted in their powers due to your fragments being unaware of them like these other powers apparently are, right?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, the bracelets always run with full power, regardless of how far my fragments have mastered their other powers. Now then, Rin's next! Creation Prowess of Nature – Kaze! You just saw it in action after all! Her power based on the natural energy of the wind is to control the terrestrial forces of nature, meaning that she can create storms and wind at will. Furthermore she can control temperature since her Windwitches are based on ice, meaning she can either freeze a certain area or heat it up. What you saw was that last power. Out of panic, she accidentally tapped into her powers and froze the blood in Yuto's legs for a second. No blood circulation, no movements." She explained.

"And what does her bracelet do?" Zarc asked her.

"It extinguishes negative emotions. Pretty helpful to snap your fragments out of their awakening state. Also it lightens up the mood in Yuga's little group, doesn't it?"

"So that's why they all got along so quickly. I see..." Zarc said, rubbing his chin with one hand in a deliberating manner.

"Now then, next girl! Some of the bracelet powers were designed in couples! Yuzu can control the flora, Ruri the fauna. Rin can control the terrestrial forces of nature. Now guess what Serena can do!"

"Control the energies of space?" Zarc asked in a bored tone, yawning a bit.

"That's right! Creation Prowess of Nature – Tsuki! Not only can she use the cosmic powers to blind her foes and to stealth herself, but she can can also control gravity! Furthermore she has a power based on her feline Lunalights which enables her to use night vision and extend some nasty claws to deliver a few painful scratches in case somebody threatens her."

"Claws?! For real, Ray? You really read too much Marvel Comics when we were in high school! Giving your Fusion-Fragment Wolverine-Claws, that's funny!" He chuckled.

"Laugh as much as you want!" She shot back. "But the fact still remains that she has a solid power! Finally her bracelet weakens your fragments. Which is why Yuga couldn't absorb Yuri when he beat her and his Fusion-Counterpart back in Academia."

"I understand. So it was your power that prevented him from doing so. Guess I should have suspected it was your doing, after all, you Akabas always get in the way of my plans!"

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Ray retorted with a smirk. "Now then, next girl! Kumo's power has a name equivalent to her own name! Creation Prowess of Nature – Kumo! Like her name "Cloud" suggests, this prowess allows her to freely produce and manipulate all elements above the earth surface, controlling air density and the weather! The power of the entire atmosphere whose existence enables all life on this planet! Meaning she could for instance replace the air in a certain area with any gas she wants, helium for example."

"So then all voices of the people standing in that area become high-pitched due to breathing in that helium. Wow, that's so powerful!" Zarc said in a sarcastic tone.

"Shut up!" She retorted. "She can literally trap your head inside a poisonous cloud and let you choke to death or knock out one of your fragments through lack of oxygen! Also true to her archetype, she can have foreign objects pass through her, making her untouchable. Of course her first power also allows her to levitate. And her bracelet spreads positive emotions. That's why the alliance in Link worked out so well, since her bracelet influenced all those people to join forces with Gishiki. Also it helps the mood of Yuga's group again. Now then, the final prowess!" She announced.

"The final? Don't you forget about something?" Zarc grinned at her.

"Forget about something?" Ray asked, slightly tilting her head in confusion.

"Yeah, you forgot something. Let me help you!" He declared, raising his spectral hand which began emitting a dark glow. Suddenly a thought resurfaced in Ray's mind, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Oh, right! The Paragon-Dimension! En Earth! How could I forget about their existence?!" She exclaimed in realization. Then she scowled. "Zarc, is this your doing?! Did you make me forget about the seventh dimension?!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

Zarc laughed. "I did! And I managed to do so with my own power! I will tell you about it in time, but first carry on with your explanation before you hear my side!"

"Fine!" She snapped. "The sixth power, Creation Prowess of Nature – Daichi! It is the counterpart to Kumo's power and allows my Paragon-Fragment Alexandra to control any elements beneath the earth surface of our planet, granting her access to the enormous powers lurking in the molten core of the earth which holds together our planet! She can use the force of devastating earthquakes and launch magma at her foes using this power! Based on her deck theme, she can also heal herself when she's wounded and come back even stronger than before, just like the legendary phoenix! This ability has a cooldown, but that doesn't matter too much I suppose. Her bracelet power is to amplify positive emotions and reduce negative ones! And then the seventh, the strongest of them all! Creation Prowess of Nature – Kawa! The river who represents water, the element symbolizing life itself! The constant flow that stands for the change in this world! Using this power, Shiryu can freely produce and manipulate said element! Also she can heal any wound and even revive people with it! Since she rejected the deck I planed for her and took the Six Samurai-Deck that she inherited instead, I gave her the heightened senses fitting her warrior-monsters! And her bracelet can suppress your fragments when she is close to them, hence why Yuga had to walk away from her in order to absorb Yuri before he was saved by the teleportation device inside his disk!"

Zarc whistled. "Not bad, Ray! Not bad at all! Anything else?" He inquired.

"You bet!" She replied. "All of them have a few powers they share with each other! First, they are more resistant to physical harm than other humans, causing most minor wounds they would receive to have no affect on them at all! Also they can transmit their feelings to other living beings and vice versa while strengthening them, as well as perceiving feelings from other people since they are sensitive to them! Guess why pretty much all of my fragments are in a romantic relationship with yours!"

"Kuh! So that was your doing, huh?!" Zarc cursed with gritted teeth.

"That's right! When your body was purified by the En-Cards and split up afterwards, all of our fragments were born as pure beings free of negative emotions. I took that as an opportunity and placed a very faint feeling in all of them, namely affection. So when the Fragment-Couples met in their respective dimensions, these feelings were received by my fragments and reflected back even stronger. That reflecting game repeated countless times and their affection towards each other grew with every day as a result, eventually ending up in Yuga and Shiryu falling in love and becoming a couple for instance. And as you see, except for the Fusion-Fragments who were separated due to my father, this worked out in every dimension!" She declared with a proud, victorious smile on her face.

"You bastard!" Zarc shouted in anger. "You corrupted my fragments and distracted them from their goal! This was never supposed to happen again!"

"Corrupted?" Ray responded. "More like did them a favor. They all seem to be very happy together."

"Are you finished now?!" Zarc continued.

"Almost." Ray responded. "Now, all these powers on their own are powerful already. But like the bracelets can completely suppress anything bad your fragments plan on doing when they are united in close proximity with each other, my power is fully unleashed by combining all girls and their bracelets back into myself again! A supreme power that represent all life in the universe!"

"Supreme power?! What are you talking about?!" Zarc addressed her.

"Hana, Tori, Kaze, Tsuki, Kumo, Daichi and Kawa! Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Cloud, Earth and River! When all these prowesses combine into one, the power of creation itself is brought forth! SUPREME CREATION PROWESS OF NATURAL ENERGIES – PURE WORLD!" She declared in a loud voice. "This power can not only use all previous abilities even stronger, but also return this world to a pure state once more!"

"So it only does what your En-Cards did back in the Original Dimension? Hah, pathetic! I expected more of it for having such a powerful name!" Zarc scoffed at her in condescension.

"Oh, it does more, be assured of that!" Ray shot back. "When it purifies the world, it maintains the status quo, meaning it doesn't split the world and us two apart again! And instead of stopping your rampage by separating you, it cleanses your evil soul and erases the malevolent core of your personality from existence forever, leaving only your pure fragments behind! IN OTHER WORDS, IT BRINGS AN END TO YOU, ZARC!" She yelled.

"WHAT?! IT CAN DEFEAT ME PERMANENTLY?!" He cried out in shock.

"That's right! The Supreme Creation Prowess will return this world to purity again and vanquish you, so that you can never harm a human again! This is the power I acquired through the Natural Energy Cards when the world was split apart!" She cried out in a resolute tone.

"I see." Zarc said, having regained his composure in the meantime, a sly grin gradually crawling onto his face. "Then let me teach about my move! The powers I developed to execute my plan! THE SEVEN APOCALYPTIC PROWESSES!" He shouted in an intense voice.

"Apocalyptic Prowesses?!" Ray exclaimed in a shocked tone. "You also turned your fragments into demigods?!"

"That's right!" Zarc responded with a vicious smirk on his face. "Let's start with a few basic abilities! You should know that I based my powers on different things than natural beauties, namely anime!" He explained.

"Really? Anime?" Ray asked him in disbelief, stunned that he would design his powers on something so trivial.

"Yeah, anime!" Zarc retorted. "I always loved these and kept on watching them, even after becoming a very occupied pro-duelist. You should know, Ray, that you see a lot of great and powerful abilities in them, perfect for designing godly powers you can bestow onto your fragments to facilitate your revival with them!" He then shrugged his shoulders. "Also my human part might have been an otaku, but that's besides the point now!" He conceded before continuing. "Now then, like I said before, I want to start with their general abilities before I come to the respective prowesses! First off, they can all understand Monster Spirits like I do, which is pretty helpful since their monsters can assist them this way! Also they have superhuman strength, durability, speed, stamina and reaction speed, enabling them to surpass any of you filthy humans in a classic fight! They also heal way faster than them and have an increased pain tolerance!"

"So that's why Yuto was able to stand up and run after Rin!" Ray realized.

"Correct, his pain tolerance allowed him to stand up and the burns should be healed in a few hours! Furthermore all my fragments can form blades out of momentum, the energy that shapes this world! These powers are only active and can be used when they are aware of them, except the defensive ones like the durability for instance, obviously to ensure their survival by all means. But now to their main powers! I based their names on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, creating three new attributes since some riders represent more than one aspect in my opinion. First prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of Hunger – Emperor's Force! It increases Yuga's natural attributes, meaning strength, speed and so on by about ten times! The normal fragment of mine has about ten times the strength of a human when they fully tap into their inherited power! So that means Yuga has hundred times of those traits! Guess why he can jump so far and parkour like that all the time! His natural durability makes the impact of landing on the ground barely noticeable. And while he is in very good shape, he couldn't jump that far with only human strength. Around three years ago he saved your fragment using those powers after all!"

"Wait! So do you mean that he tapped into these powers when he jumped from the wall to save Shiryu?!"

"That's right!" Zarc replied. "Much like your fragments, mine can use them unconsciously in times of need! But the multiplied abilities is only a part of his prowess' true power! His skill Supreme Authority allows him to control any being to do his bidding! Why do you think is everybody viewing him as a natural leader?! His prowess causes all humans around him to follow him, even if he is not using it consciously. If he does however, he can literally turn anybody into an obedient slave within a mile-wide radius when used with full power! But there's more!" Zarc continued. "Fitting his position as the future ruler of his world and the name of his prowess, Emperor's Force also allows him to kill his foes without even touching them with his own hands! A true emperor should never have to get his hands dirty after all! It has the feature of the unseen hands which are invisible and can be used for their namesake purpose, grabbing and crushing all sorts of things!"

"Unseen hands?!" Ray cried out in shock. "You mean like in Re-Zero?!"

"So you have also watched some anime?" Zarc remarked. "Yeah, exactly like in Re-Zero! Why do you think was Yuga able to let that Dorian compose an almost identical copy of Theater D, a soundtrack from that anime?! Because I based it on a character from Re-Zero obviously! And as you might have noticed already, his girlfriend has the combined hair colors of Rem and Emilia. Now guess what that means!"

"You will not have him playing Twister with her!" Ray shouted as the memory of Betelgeuse brutally bending Rem's body with his invisible hands resurfaced in her mind, breaking bones and distorting the girl's body in the most gruesome way.

"Oh, I think I will! If he gives into his dark side enough, your fragment's influence on him will break and then he will kill his own girlfriend in an incredibly painful and horrible way, be assured of that!" He declared with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Damn you, Zarc!" She yelled, gritting her teeth.

"Anyway, even if the hands are surely useful, that wasn't the main feature of his prowess!"

"Not the main feature?! There's something even stronger about his power?!" Ray cried out.

"Correct! Much like his dragon, his Prowess of Hunger is very flexible! His strongest power is called Absolute Eradicator! I based this ability and the other main abilities of my fragments in general on the powers of very strong anime antagonists! In this case on Beerus' Hakai-ability, which he shares with the other Gods of Destruction from Dragon Ball Super! While he has to actually touch something with his hands to activate Absolute Eradicator, he not only erases that thing from existence like Beerus, but also gains half the strength of any being destroyed by this power! This prowess is also the reason why Yuga eats so much! He wants to absorb energy, may it be through eating or destroying things!"

"WHAT?! He can destroy anything and absorb their power?! Impossible!" Ray screamed.

"I think not! Let's do a little time travel to show you!" Zarc stated, snapping his fingers before the area around them changed.

---

"What is this place?" Ray asked him as she gazed down upon her new surroundings. "Is this Gishiki City?"

"Yeah, this is Gishiki City around eleven and a half years ago!" Zarc confirmed. "Now then, look there!" He commanded her, pointing down with his finger.

Ray did so and gazed down into the alleyway a few feet below her. Then she saw a figure running into her field of vision, prompting her to widen her eyes. "Wait, is that...!"

"Yup, it's Yuga!" Zarc replied as a three years old version of his fragment ran down the alleyway. He reached a dead end and gritted his teeth, anxiously looking back.

"Looks like you're trapped now!" A man with a wicked grin on his face said, slowly approaching the young blue and gray haired child. Accompanying him was another man with an equally violent and sadistic expression.

"It was really stupid to steal from us!" The other man added. "Now you will have to bear the consequences for your actions!" He said as he cracked his knuckles, his expression turning even darker.

"I just took that food from you because I wanted to survive!" Yuga declared, trying to talk himself out of the situation.

"We don't care if you were starving or not!" The first man shot back. Yuga gritted his teeth, his back pressed against the wall as they cornered him more and more. When they had almost reached him, he started a desperate move, using the wall on the right side of the alleyway as a ramp, jumping on it to rebound from it with another push of his legs, trying to get past the two men. However, one of the man caught him by his left arm while doing so.

"Still trying to run away?!" The first man mocked him in a scornful voice. "Guess we have to beat some sense into you silly little brat!" He restrained Yuga before his comrade punched the young boy into the face, his lip bursting open as the golden ring on the middle finger of the man collided with it.

"And again! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN!" The first man screamed in malicious glee as his comrade beat up Yuga with a series of heavy blows, yelling louder with every punch, causing Ray to cover her mouth in horror.

"No way! How could anyone be so cruel towards a child?" She whispered in fear as she observed the scenes of terror, more and more blood streaming down the face of Zarc's Ritual-Fragment with every repeat.

"See?!" Zarc said. "I told you that they are scum! Look close, Ray, these are the very beings that you want to protect so desperately!" He commented in utter disdain.

"Now then, enough of that!" The first man spoke up, gesturing his partner to stop punching Yuga. "We had our fun with you, but now playtime is over! Choke him to death!" He ordered his companion. He obeyed and his fingers closed around the small throat of the child. Yuga struggled and tried to pull the man's hands away from his neck, but due to the enormous difference in power, his efforts were utterly futile. His head's color switched from pink to red to blue, indicating his lack of oxygen. His feet dangling down shook vigorously, displaying his desperate struggle to survive.

"YES! YES! YES! STRANGLE HIM!" The first man exclaimed with a look of sheer sadism on his face. After a few seconds, Yuga's legs began shaking slower and slower until they eventually stopped entirely. His hands clinging to the much bigger hands of the stranger in order to pull them away from his throat dropped down as well, loosely hanging to the ground as the life slowly left his body, his eyes closing as well.

"STOP IT! YOU WILL KILL HIM!" Ray shouted, not capable of holding back her feelings anymore.

Zarc merely chuckled. "Don't worry, Ray! Now the time will come! My favorite part about that incident!"

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, still fearing for the life of the poor child.

"Just watch!" Zarc retorted.

She returned her gaze to the cruelty unfolding below her. Since she possessed the Supreme Prowess of Creation, she could feel the heartbeat in every living being. And when she looked at Yuga, she could only hear a very faint rhythm, close to stopping completely. As all functions in his body diminished more and more, she slowly felt something awakening inside him, a new rhythm throbbing with slow pace. The more his life functions slowed down, the more the new beat gained in speed and volume. And shortly before his heartbeat stopped entirely, it exploded with energy, pounding with thrice the speed of a human heart at its maximum capacity, prompting her to cover her ears at its enormous loudness. Simultaneously Yuga's eyes opened again, glowing with an intense dark blue color.

"LET GO OF ME!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the man to release the boy from his grip immediately, stumbling back and falling down to the ground in horror.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Ray cried out in disbelief, terrified at the sudden outburst.

"That, my dear, was Supreme Authority, his first power!" Zarc explained with a grin on his face. "He commanded him to release him, so he did as Yuga said! That's the power of an Apocalyptic Prowess! Whenever one of my fragments is close to dying to a person other than one of their counterparts, their hidden powers automatically trigger and get them out of their pinch! Behold Ray, this is power so mighty that no human will ever be able to surpass it! Power that prevents them from succumbing to one of your filthy humans! Now then, witness his other powers!" He smirked as multiple objects extended from Yuga's back.

"Wait, are these...?!"

"Yes! The invisible hands! You can see them because of your own power, but for these fools they are truly invisible! They can only be seen by a human if Yuga allows it! NOW THEN, WATCH AS THESE JERKS DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH!" He screamed, a look of total insanity on his face.

The hands advanced towards the second man, choking him in the exact same manner as he had done with Yuga. Due to their difference in power however, they only needed mere seconds to crush the man to death.

"DAISUKE!" The first man yelled as his friend hovering in the air was killed and tossed into the wall of the narrow alley right afterwards, dropping to the ground. Meanwhile Yuga approached the still living man who was also being held in place in the air with multiple unseen hands.

"You tried to kill me, huh?" Yuga addressed him in a sinister tone as he drew closer to him. "I guess that I will have to return the favor now and kill you instead!" He declared.

"No, please spare me!" The man's expression turned into a look of utter fear as he begged for his life.

"Sorry, not gonna happen!" The three years old boy replied mercilessly as he restrained the man even more with the hands, forcing his arms behind his back. Then he lowered the man down to his level and put his right hand onto the man's chest.

"Please...!" The man cried desperately in a similar way as children of Yuga's age during the current scene usually do. "Don't kill me!" He sobbed in a whispered tone, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You tried to kill me, so you have no right to request something like that from me! Now then..." Yuga said, closing his eyes in a concentrating manner. When he opened them again, his eyes glowed even more intensely.

"ANNIHILATE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as his body was enveloped by a black-dark bluish aura, his hand emitting a blue glow spreading over the man's body, causing it to dissolve bit by bit. Yuga ignored the screams of the man echoing through the alleyway and beyond until they finally came to an abrupt halt. Then Yuga took the food which he had stolen from the men and dropped during the incident when he was being strangled by the second man and simply walked away.

"NO WAY! He erased him from existence!" Ray cried out in disbelief.

"DO YOU SEE THAT?!" Zarc shouted in response. "That is the power of the Apocalyptic Prowesses! And much like all others, Yuga will be even stronger than the character I based his power on once he masters it completely!"

"Are you telling me that he will surpass a being called a God of Destruction?!" She asked him in shock.

"Exactly! If he absorbs enough humans with his power and masters his prowess fully, he will even exceed Beerus' power, though it would be close without his other form. But with the other form he will surely surpass him, I'm certain about that, even though it would take multiple years of training for that!"

"What?! Other form?! The boys have even more powers?!"

"Correct! I will come to them once I'm done with the other six prowesses! Now then, back to our time!" He declared before their surroundings changed back to Maiami City's harbor area.

---

"The second prowess!" He shouted. "Apocalyptic Prowess of Pestilence – Venom Demon! Unlike the prowess of Hunger, this ability doesn't represent the third horsemen, but the forth instead! It is owned by Yuri and allows him to control two elements, namely darkness and poison. While all my fragments can control darkness to a certain degree, their abilities are nothing compared to his! He can fire lethal bursts of dark energy and cover his enemies with deadly venom! Additionally he can smell living beings which is the reason why he found Rin, Ruri and Shiryu so fast! He has a predator instinct, hence why he is acting so much like one! Then he can also shroud himself with the darkness and poison and use it as armor, making him pretty much intangible! He can appear at any place by vanishing into a dark portal on the ground, even allowing him to cross dimensions! But the greatest thing about his prowess is the darkness, since he can also suppress any ability when he touches its wielder with his skill Darkness Hand! I based his double element-design of having poison and darkness as his weapons as well as the fact that his darkness suppresses other prowesses including yours on Blackbeard, a man from an anime called One Piece who has the probably strongest Logia Devil Fruit and who can disable the Devil Fruit-Powers of any other person when he touches them!"

"What?! Disable all other prowesses?! Mine as well?!" Ray cried out in shock.

"That's right! This is the power of inspiration, Ray! Guess watching that show wasn't a waste of time after all!" He smirked. "Now then, the third prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of War – Essence Subjugation! This ability represents the second horsemen! It's pretty powerful as well, even though it is fairly misplaced since it is wielded by my most naive fragment Yuya Sakaki. He can entirely control momentum, the energy of this world which is equal to ki, chakra, haki, reiatsu or whatever you want to call it. He can use it in any shape or form, may it be defensive or offensive. Also he can detect living beings even better than Yuri since he can feel the energy they consist of. That also enabled him to find Yuzu in the storage hall yesterday since he unconsciously used part of that ability when he was searching for her. Now then, because you basically made your Standard-Fragment Hashirama Senju since she can control the flora – which is pretty much equivalent to having Wood-Style Jutsu if you ask me – I made my Standard-Fragment Madara Uchiha, his rival! Because one of the best ways to utilize his Momentum Control is to form orbs from it which have a pretty similar destruction capability than the Truthseeker Orbs of Madara in the Sage of Six Paths-Mode! Also he can heal and revive himself using the power of Momentum Control to mend his wounds, similar to how Madara can use the Sharingan-Technique Izanagi to revive himself, even after dying long ago! In other words, I just outclassed the strongest ability of your most powerful fragment Shiryu!"

"Damn you!" She gritted her teeth.

"Anyway, moving on!" Zarc announced with a victorious smirk on his face. "Fourth prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of Death – Spectral Reaper! It is based on the third horsemen much like Yuga's power and as you can probably guess, it belongs to Yuto! He can pass through all objects with it! But unlike Kumo's prowess, he can not only dodge a few things with it, but also slip through walls for instance! He has control over shadows and can appear out of them instantly. But his most powerful ability is Aura of Death, whose name should be pretty self explanatory. Like the character I based this skill on – Zeref – he can kill any living being in a certain radius around him. He just uses it and boom, now they are all dead! He tapped into that power once around a week after Ruri was kidnapped for example. He lost to an Obelisk Squad and when they were about to card him, his prowess activated and he killed them with Aura of Death! He doesn't remember that though, neither does any boy in general about their abilities except if they become aware of it."

"What?! You mean that he has a built-in kill aura?!" Ray exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Zarc retorted. "Guess why Yuto is so quiet and reserved most of the time! His power is to return the world to silence by extinguishing its life, that's why he's not as vivacious as other people, even before the war! You see, all my fragment's personalities are determined by their prowesses! Yuga is gluttonous and pretentious at times due to his absorption- and the commanding-abilities befitting an emperor! Yuri is predatory due to his detection ability of smelling his prey! Yuya is so lively because he can control momentum, the energy of life itself! And about Yuto I told you already! Now then, fifth prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of Conquest – Lightspeed Slasher! The fragment who possesses that prowess is none other than Yugo! To explain the slasher-part, much like his counterparts he can form blades from his respective energy! Yuri obvious has darkness- and poison-enhanced momentum blades, Yuya's momentum blades are a bit better than the others' since he can fully control said element. Yuto uses momentum blades enhanced by shadows and Yuga empowers them with the sheer might of his prowess. Yugo on the other hand manifests them in a way that they attach themselves to his wrists fully, so he can't freely release them out of his hands and use them like the other momentum blades. As a compensation, his blades have way more bite that the others' though and can pierce through absolutely everything like butter, though Momentum-Blades and Kryo-Blades are fairly harder to break than normal elements of course. But his extraordinary sharp blades are just the first part of his prowess. True to its name, he can move at incredible speed, as well as causing everything he touches to accelerate significantly. Meaning if he rides his D-Wheel for instance, it can move extremely fast as well. Of course he can also just run and in that case he's still so incredibly fast that even Sonic would look like an utter joke in comparison. And actually he isn't a hotblooded idiot. It's not that he isn't using his brain, his body is simply too fast for his brain to keep up, hence he rushes into all sorts of things with seemingly no second thought since his body naturally drives him forward." Zarc explained. "He can also move infinite times faster than all other beings!" He added after that.

"Infinite times faster? Isn't that impossible?" Ray stated.

"You are right in a sense." Zarc retorted. "No matter how fast you move, the ratio between your speed and all other persons' speed will never become infinite. That is as long they move. When they don't move however, he's technically infinite times faster than them, right?" He asked her with a grinning expression.

"So do you mean that he can...?!"

"Yes, exactly! He can stop time! I based this power on a blonde haired guy called Dio who cries out "ZA WARUDO!" before he freezes time and does all kinds of shenanigans while time is stopped. Like throwing knives for instance which then begin to fly towards his target once time resumes. Pretty cool. He can stop time way longer though. I think Dio started with three or four seconds of stopped time before his abilities grew stronger and he could stop time longer as a result. Yugo starts with around two minutes and can get to whole hours, days and more, depending on training. I think that I will name this skill after Dio's stand, meaning The World. Now then, sixth prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of Triumph – Synapse Ruler! This one is based on the first horsemen, just like Yugo's! It is owned by Yubi and has the power to manipulate nerve conduction entirely! Meaning he can control the electric signals in the nerve system of any living being completely, also enabling him to read their minds! That's why he is so intelligent for example! He unconsciously accelerates the nerve signals inside his body, resulting in faster exchange of information through the electronic signals of his nerve system. This not only boosts thinking processes, but also drives his reaction speed to the absolute maximum. He could see a bullet coming and dodge it as if it was traveling with the pace of a snail, especially if he also uses his amplified speed! But the greatest thing about his power is that it can affect other beings as well and manipulate their perception of reality! As you might have noticed already, he is a lot like Sosuke Aizen from Bleach – my favorite anime villain as you probably know – , both in terms of personality and color preferences. You see, Aizen wears black and white clothes, just as Yubi does. Furthermore Yubi even has these two colors as his hair colors. He also has this slightly mocking personality when he duels, similar to Aizen's overconfidence. Moreover he has the same signature theme. Did you really think that he thought of "Yubi Kogami" all by himself? No, he knew the melody instinctively when he hired that orchestra in order to have them compose his theme for dueling in the pro league! I based him on Aizen, and therefore he knows the exact notes for his signature OST "Treachery", even though he uses different lyrics. But enough of that, most importantly he has a power that is equal, if not stronger than Aizen's Shikai-ability, which I named after said thing. It's called Kyōka Suigetsu and can manipulate all five senses, causing his foes to feel all sorts of illusions as he alters the signals in their nerve systems. So basically he can make them feel, see, smell, hear and taste everything he wants them to do. Theoretically he could have his enemies kill each other because they see him instead of their allies while Yubi himself chills on a couch and drinks a coke. Quite handy, right?" He grinned at her.

"Damn, what are all these powers?! Your thirst for revenge is insane, Zarc!"

"Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment! But I have to admit that while humans are scum, they at least have a vivid imagination. That's about the only good thing about them I guess. But at least their own ideas will lead to their downfall now once my fragments become aware of their powers! Finally the seventh prowess! Apocalyptic Prowess of Carnage – Illusion of Truth! This prowess is based on the second horsemen, just as Yuya's. Its owner is my Paragon-Fragment Yuji and it has a lot of similar traits as the previous prowess of Yubi. First of all, he can detect lies with it and force anybody to tell the truth, even making people who would rather remain silent speak. Very practical for questionings. Also it fits his personality since he is very straightforward and stubborn, so making all others say what's on their minds and stubbornly tell the truth as well isn't too far-fetched, I guess. But the main power of this prowess is based on another Naruto character, namely Itachi Uchiha. To give you a little bit of an idea in case your Naruto knowledge is rusty, Itachi can trap people who gaze into his eyes in a so called Genjutsu, an illusion that feels real. He has a special ability called Tsukuyomi where he can bring them to an imaginary world where he controls all laws of physics, space and time. Then he usually tortures them in said world, crucifying his defenseless victims and stabbing them with swords for instance. He can also multiply himself and have copies of him stabbing as well, like I said, he controls absolutely everything in that world. While it doesn't leave any trace in the actual world, the sensations still feel real, so he basically brainfucks them so hard that they suffer a breakdown and have to go to a mental hospital right after getting out of Tsukuyomi. The Absolute Tsukuyomi Yuji can use works almost the same way as Itachi's. The only difference is that any damage done in the imaginary world becomes real, fitting to the prowess' name Illusion of Truth. So if he slows down time so that three days inside the world of Tsukuyomi are equivalent to a few seconds in the outside world and then stabs his victim like Itachi did with Kakashi, the only thing people in the outside world would see is a person whom Yuji stares at literally exploding into a fountain of blood as it receives hundred thousands, if not millions of stabs in mere milliseconds. Great, isn't it?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Zarc?! You're really overdoing it! My fragments are not even remotely as overpowered as yours!"

"Then I did a good job, I guess. Overpowering you was the goal after all! Now then, I told you that they had another form! So here it goes! You should know, Ray, that all of my fragments aren't ordinary humans!"

"Of course they aren't! They are demigods, just as mine!" Ray shot back.

"That's not what I meant." Zarc replied. "While all our fragments have godly powers, yours are still fully human in appearance. Mine on the contrary are different once they enter their true forms!"

"True forms? What do you mean by that?!" Ray asked, becoming fearful as she was reminded of unpleasant memories from the past.

"Well, they are actually beings far above the pathetic flesh of you humans!" Then his eyes widened immensely. "THEY ARE DRAGONS, RAY, JUST AS I AM!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ray covered her mouth in shock. "What, dragons?! Is that really true?!" She uttered in a horrified tone.

"Yes, it is!" Zarc shouted back. "Did you never ask yourself why the pupils in Yuga's and Yuri's eyes turned into slits on some occasions?! Simple, because they partially entered their dragon forms at that time! The Apocalyptic Prowesses, the Awakening, the Dragon Form! All these things are part of the very same power I granted to each of them! They are overcome by a strong urge to kill and destroy whenever they awaken, causing their eyes to glow! In Yuga's case dark blue, in Yuri's case magenta-purplish, in Yubi's case silver, in Yugo's case light blue, in Yuji's case bright green, in Yuto's case dark blue-purplish and in Yuya's case red! On a side note, the awakening works a little bit different with the latter since Yuya is so damn resistant and refuses to use his powers. He accidentally put in some momentum with his prowess while punching a kid who mocked him because of his father being a coward and whatnot. Of course he needs to take great pride in his dad's dueling, even though said person is a fool in my opinion. Smiles to change the world, bah, so naive and disgusting! Anyway, he and that other child got into a fight a few years ago like I said before and he used some momentum to strengthen his punch. Since that was rather effective and he was horrified by the result and his own power, he swore to never involve himself in any form of conflict again. That's why his awakening has like seven stages before he enters the final one where I can completely control him. The other boys have only three, semi- and fully awakened. One with glowing eyes but still visible eye features and one where their eyes completely whiten out and glow with their respective colors framing around the white-shining inside of their eyes. Plus the final stage of absolute control by myself of course. Meanwhile Yuya needs like five steps to have at least his irises glowing red completely and another for the whole eyes to whiten out and glow red, just like his counterparts have it when they are in the second stage. Such a fractious bastard, I wish that he could just give in already! Anyway, while they slowly gain more and more of their normal powers including the prowesses of course the further they awaken – meaning the ten times increased physical strength and so on – this isn't their maximum power. Because actually there are more steps in between the full awakening and the final one! Namely their dragon forms! They sprout wings and tails resembling their respective dragons', their fangs grow in length and become more dragonic the further they enter the dragon mode. Their power increases dramatically as well! In addition to the previous times ten multiplier – or times one hundred in Yuga's case when he unleashes his prowess to its full capacity – they gain another multiplier of their physical attributes that reaches from ten to such an absurdly high number that I won't even bother telling you about it more precisely! It takes multiple years of hard training with their dragon forms to get to that point, but they will all be able to wipe out an entire galaxy on their own when they have done so! Now then, as I said before, their appearance changes when they enter that state, also having multiple stages like the awakening. The first is their eyes turning more reptilian, resembling a dragon. Their pupils changing into slits is the indicator for that transformation. Yuga and Yuri are the closest to becoming aware of their powers, therefore they have managed to get to this point already! Of course that can be combined with the awakening as well, causing them to have glowing dragon eyes, like Yuga had back in the duel against Yuri and in Academia for instance. How do you think did he even kill all those students?! His Bile Throat did a good job for sure, but he himself also killed a bunch of them with his superhuman strength and his claws, also absorbing like twenty of them with Absolute Eradicator! Oh yeah, right, I forgot to mention the claws! Their nails also grow in length when their inner dragons awaken even more, causing them to become pointed as well! Same thing goes for their teeth which also fit their carnivorous inner personality better if they're a little bit sharper, don't you agree? Anyway, their skin becomes a bit scaly on some parts of their body and thanks to the wings and tails they grow at the last stage, they can also fly using the former and lash out or grab things with the latter."

"Wait! You said that they can sprout wings resembling their dragons'! But Odd-Eyes has no wings!" Ray pointed out as she interrupted him.

"Well, actually he has. You might have noticed that all my dragons have strong effects now, hence why Dark Rebellion was so devastating in the previous duel between Yuto and your fragment. All other old dragons of mine are also stronger. In Yuya's case as well, but unfortunately he is my weakest and most feeble fragment through his pathetic personality, thus his Odd-Eyes didn't evolve to his complete state once I unlocked Pendulum to the world during my Standard-Fragment's duel against that Strong Ishijima or how his name was. In his perfect form, Odd-Eyes has red wings and much stronger effects, be assured of that! It can still be unlocked, but surely not by that egao-fool if he keeps up his bullshit-ideology! Now then, back to topic! Finally they all gain powers based on the effects of their dragons: Yuga can fully use the power of the previously absorbed life forms instead of just fifty percent of them, causing his attributes to practically double in strength again! Furthermore he can unleash devastating blasts of energy whose strength is determined by the amount of absorbed power, similar to the Ravenous Rage-effect of Bile Throat! Yuri's suppression ability becomes more potent as it now allows him to temporarily use the abilities he jammed before, resembling his Starve Venom's Venomous Drain-ability! Yuya can multiply the physical damage he inflicts similar to the Reaction Force of his dragon! Yuto can drain power from other people and weaken them, based on his dragon's effect Treason Discharge! Yugo can reflect negative influences coming from the outside – other prowesses for instance – which depicts the Dichroic Mirror of Clear Wing! Yubi can temporarily gain the strength of another being he touches, referencing Adapter Force of Whip Tail! And lastly Yuji can heal and shortly strengthen himself when he sheds blood, showing his dragon's effect to gain lifepoints whenever it destroys a monster by battle!"

"Man, Zarc, what the freaking hell is wrong with you?! "Exaggerated" would be an understatement here!" Ray cried out in disbelief as Zarc told her about the insane powers he had bestowed onto his fragments.

"Oh? Do you think that this was all?" Zarc addressed her in a derisive tone.

"Wait, there is even more?! Didn't you say that there were only seven Apocalyptic Prowesses?!"

"True. But I didn't mention the supreme one standing above them all, similar to how you have Pure World as your strongest Creation Prowess of Nature!"

"Wait! Do you mean...?!" She began, frightened about what Zarc might reveal now.

"YES, I DO!" Zarc screamed in a loud, vicious tone. "SUPREME APOCALYPTIC PROWESS OF DARK ARMAGEDDON – DRAGON ALMIGHTY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "It not only combines all other prowesses into one and strengthens them, but also grants me even mightier abilities on top of the hat! Transcending the limitations of humans and spirits, between mortality and immortality for instance, making me an all-powerful, immortal dragon!"

"These powers are getting even stronger?! How?!" Ray questioned in an incredulous tone.

"Well, instead of having to touch or being nearby my target, I can simply annihilate and kill people from afar with the evolved power of the Hunger- and Death-Prowess! And instead of just shrouding myself in darkness for a relatively mediocre shield as Yuri can, I can make myself completely untouchable, even against your fragments' prowesses! Instead of just manipulating reality a bit by pulling a few people into Absolute Tsukuyomi or distorting their perception of reality with Kyōka Suigetsu, I can change the fabric of reality itself! And instead of only stopping time, I can freely travel back and forth, just as I did to show you Yuga's power! But the most important thing is the new power of Dragon Almighty itself! You see, its name and the way it works is based on another villain from Bleach, one even stronger than Aizen! His name is YHWach and it is – like you might have realized already – a reference to the name of the Jewish god! I guess that alone should speak for the power of that character! His main ability "The Almighty" – also speaking for itself – can alter fate, allowing him to rewrite futures in which he dies and select the futures that have his enemies dying instead! With Dragon Almighty I can control everything, from the cards I draw in a duel to how this world carries on! IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVE CONTROL OVER DESTINY ITSELF! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Impossible...!" Ray gasped, completely taken aback by his words. "You can decide the destiny of this world?!"

"Yes, and I also become completely immortal and so powerful that no character – fictional or non-fictional – could erase me anymore, let alone try to oppose me! Behold Ray, divine power so mighty that nothing can stand up to it! The only power that might be able to stop me then is probably your Supreme Creation Prowess of Nature, if any!"

"YOU MUST BE LYING!" Ray shouted. "THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A POWER!" She exclaimed.

Zarc tilted his head at that. "Do you really think so? Then answer me this: How can I appear in front of you in my spectral form if I hadn't some sort of godly power?"

"Err... that's because..." Ray began, clueless how to respond.

"I'll tell you why! Because my Dragon Almighty's power is true immortality, even after my death! You have the Creation Prowess and can therefore still appear in this world with your spectral form, even if they cannot see you. And I can appear here from the afterlife since I have Dragon Almighty! I can even influence this world despite the fact that I'm not really alive right now! For example, when Yuri kidnapped Rin and Yugo met him as a result back in Synchro, I took it as an opportunity to shift a small portion of Yuri's dark traveling powers onto Clear Wing, enabling Yugo to travel across dimensions in order to push my resurrection forward!"

"So that's why he could suddenly port back and forth across the worlds. It was because they were so close to each other that your influence could move some power from one to the other. I see." Ray stated.

"But that's far from all!" Zarc continued. "How do you think was I able to make you – a goddess of creation who gained the powers of all nature – forget about something so important as the seventh dimension?! With Dragon Almighty! How could I have bestowed the smaller prowesses onto my fragments after I was split up?! WITH DRAGON ALMIGHTY! How was I able to influence the second Akaba?! WITH DRAGON ALMIGHTY!" He yelled, getting louder with every repeat.

"WHAT?! The second Akaba?! Do you mean my father?!" She cried out in shock.

He smirked eerily at that. "That's right! Leo already had a certain thought in his head when he was reborn here in Standard after the great separation. Using the evolved form of Kyōka Suigetsu, I implanted a plan into his head, strengthening that desire of his, making him think that it was his own plan despite that fact that it was actually mine!"

Ray's eyes widened. "Do you mean...?!" She uttered in disbelief.

"YES, EXACTLY! REVIVING YOU, LEAVING HIS NEW SON REIJI AND GOING TO FUSION, BUILDING ACADEMIA, TRAINING DUEL SOLDIERS, INVADING XYZ! THAT WAS ALL MY DOING! MY GREAT PLAN TO CONNECT THE DIMENSIONS YOU SEPARATED IN ORDER TO REVIVE MYSELF! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He exclaimed, laughing like a maniac.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ray cried out in indignation and fury. "YOU KILLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN XYZ! WHY ARE YOU SO BLOODY OBSESSED WITH KILLING US HUMANS?!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

At that, Zarc abruptly halted his laughter and looked to her again, his expression turning serious. "I told you, didn't I? Because they are scum, they deserve to die!"

"But why?!" Ray shot back angrily. "What is so bad about them that they have to be wiped out?! TELL ME!" She demanded.

( 14, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #20 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn)

Zarc shrugged his shoulders. "Fine! There is the factor you already know about of course, but let me use these natural beauties you love so much as an example as well! Humans are greedy, devilish beings, an antithesis incarnate! They claim to be so righteous and superior to all other animals, yet they are far worse than all of them combined! They harm nature wherever they go! To begin with your first power, they don't give a dirty shit about the flora on this world, grubbing trees and cutting down the rain forests – the lungs of this planets which produce the very oxygen these fools breathe – only because they are too lazy to sit on the fucking ground like their ancestors, but want to sit on fancy chairs instead! They are like "Plants grow back, plants grow back!" but blatantly ignore the fact that they cut them down faster than they can regrow! To go to your next power, like I said before, they see themselves as kings of the fauna and terrorize all animals, extinguishing more species within a few hundred years than natural catastrophes have wiped out in multiple millions of years! They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! They literally eat the unborn babies of other species like the sturgeon because they want to taste some fancy caviar, declaring it a completely normal thing, but would instantly freak out if some kind of carnivorous animal devoured one of their children on a single occasion of natural food chain, condemning it a monster despite the fact that they are the only true monsters on this planet! They torture and enslave these beings, stripping them off their rights since they are not human and therefore inferior in their opinion! Don't you see it, Ray?! They are arrogance incarnate, the true cause of all problems in this world! But it doesn't end there! Since your Synchro-Fragment represents ice through her archetype, how about talking about the polar regions of our world now?! Let's start with the Arctic, shall we? Oh wait, we can't, because global warming has almost molten the entire ice on the northern part of this planet, how unfortunate! Guess they really needed to release that sweet CO² into the air after all, didn't they?! That also brings me to your next power, Kumo! They literally wreck the atmosphere with all their gases and pollute the air endlessly! "Hey, I'm the ozone layer, nice to meet you! Oh fuck, now I have a bazillion holes!" To continue with the pollution, they have created entire islands of plastic garbage on the oceans, not giving a fuck about your Ritual-Fragment's element! They pollute the rivers with fertilizers flowing into the river streams through the ground water or just dump the scraps of industry into them! They not only ruin the element of life for themselves, but also for all other creatures on this planet! Next up, they recklessly dig into the earth you value so highly that you based the Paragon En-Card on it, trying to get some fancy looking gems, coal and whatnot! They pump chemical cocktails underneath the surface in order to get a bit of petroleum! Are you familiar with fracking, Ray?! They literally fuck up the chemistry of the earth in order to get a bit of oil! Depending on the geology, this can result in some serious earthquakes, affecting other life as well with it! And now that we have talked about how much they ruin our planet – and I didn't even touch all the shit they did with radioactive materials! – how about finishing with your last bracelet, shall we? Once they are done ruining this planet and set foot into space, they will undoubtedly move to another suitable planet, just to ruin it as well! They already pollute the orbit with all kinds of metallic satellites and don't care if one of them breaks, not even bothering to remove their junk from space again! I mean, why should they even be trying?! Just throw all of the garbage into space until it's nothing but a dump for their trash as well, right?! You see, Ray, they are a self-destructive species beyond all help! They threaten all those around them including each other as well, leading me to the conclusion that the only resolution is to remove them from existence! The world existed in harmony for billions of years and ever since they came into existence, it went downhill within a few hundreds of years! For the sake of the greater good I will regain my powers and wipe them out, returning the world to silence once more! And then I will build a new, better world free of abysmal humans from scratch! A world of truth, not of lies!" He exclaimed, spiting out the last word in contempt. "Not everything is black and white in this world, Ray! You and the humans may see me as a demon, but ultimately I only seek to change this world for the better! But that cannot happen as long as filthy humans roam around on this planet! That is my approach to the problem, Ray! THAT IS MY JUSTICE OF WIPING OUT EVIL!" He shouted in a loud, resolute tone.

( 14 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #20 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn end)

"Justice of wiping out evil?!" Ray scoffed. "You claim a genocide as justice?! You are insane, Zarc! While some of the things you've said might be true, I still believe that humanity can find back to the right path again! You just have to give them a chance! If you believe hard enough, you can change the world for the better without violent means, that's what I believe in!"

"Ridiculous!" Zarc scoffed back at her. "Humanity had all the time it needed to evolve and it still failed! I realized that a long time ago! Once, I was like you as well, back in the Original Dimension. But my beliefs changed bit by bit as I learned about their true nature! My fragments represent these seven stages of despair, one for each boy! First, I believed in dueling to make people smile, naive as I was. Yuya! But then, after that fateful accident where I injured my opponent, I slowly began to see the true colors of these lowly creatures! First I was shocked and reticent, not wanting to believe the cruel truth. Yuto! I was stubborn and desperately clung to the belief that they weren't so bad after all. Yuji! But finally, I let go of that foolishness and once I did, I exploded in uncontrollable rage when I remembered how they cheered at the bloodshed! Yugo! I deliberated rationally, trying to find out what the best solution was, wiping them out or not, and if I wiped them out, how I could accomplish that. Yubi! And then I came to my decision: They were utter scum and deserved to die like it, making room for a better world! A bloodthirsty urge for destruction seized my heart. Yuri! And then, finally, the decision consolidated and I became determined. Determined to kill every single one of them, no matter the price! Yuga! I discarded my pathetic human flesh to become a far greater being free of their filth and sins, a dragon! My determination brought about the end of the Original Dimension, the birth of the Supreme Dragon King Zarc! But then you stopped me and denied this world from reaching true happiness! But this won't be happening anymore! Because now my fragments have great powers which they can utilize in the upcoming war! They will rip some of the humans to shreds before they eventually become one and revive myself again! Once Leo realizes that Gishiki has Kryo-based weapons as you saw from Shiryu's blade, he will also use the Kryo-Crystals for forging weapons rather than only using them for duel disk blades. But even if this war will most likely be fought with more than just cards, I am sure that my fragments will prevail against any opponent and then kill and absorb each other so I can come back again! You will not be able to stop my plans, Ray!"

"That's what you think! But I will revive as well, drive you back and eliminate you with my Pure World! I will return this world to innocence once more and ensure that humanity gets onto the right path again! They can still correct their taints and establish an utopia if you give them a chance, I'm sure of that!" She exclaimed.

"Your plan is shortsighted and naive!" Zarc retorted angrily. "Ultimately, it will only lead this world to darkness once more when the humans go back to their old habits after being purified by you! They cannot better themselves, just accept it, Ray! For every human finding back onto the right path, two deviate from it! They are lost, Ray! It's better to simply wipe them out and start the world anew! I'm also sure that a true utopia can be brought forth! But certainly humans have no place in that since they are the ones who prevent it from coming into existence, so I will simply remove them from the board and then we will have a perfect world at long last! Come on, Ray, you should join me! I always found you more reasonable than the other humans around me, a shining light in a whopping pile of garbage. With you by my side, we could recreate the world even faster! We are like two halves adding up to a whole, so why not lending me your powers of creation? Together, we could be twilight! With the powers of both destruction and creation working together, we could reshape this world in any way we like! Please, let us work together! Don't you remember how it was back then when the both of us were still on the same page? The affection towards each other in our fragments isn't just a phenomenon caused by you. Likely a slither of the feelings we had a long time ago lives on in them, so please just remember them already!" He asked her, his voice in a begging tone as he made his request.

---

Original Dimension, roughly seventeen years ago (two years before the Zarc-Genocide)...

"Hey Zarc! Looks like you're finally out of the hell!" Ray jokingly addressed her friend with a grin on her face. She was standing in a hallway of her high school, leaning against one of the lockers on the nearby wall, dressed in a uniform pretty similar to the one the pupils of Maiami City would wear eventually. She had a jacket of white and red color looking a lot like the one Yuya wore and a white dress shirt underneath. In addition, she wore a short red skirt and white knee socks reaching up to her thighs plus a pair of red shoes to round off her outfit.

"You can say that again!" Zarc groaned in exasperation as he approached her, having just left the nearby room through the door. He also wore a jacket of the kind Ray had, but instead of a white dress shirt, he simply wore a black T-Shirt underneath his uniform jacket, along with a pair of light green pants fitting his secondary hair color. "Like usually my math teacher was a total asshole!" He sighed in an annoyed tone. "But anyway, now that it's over and I can be with you again, I couldn't care less about that stupid subject!"

She got up from her leaning-position and embraced him, closing in for a kiss. "Man, Zarc, you really hate math, don't you?" She teased him in a sweet tone after parting from his lips.

"Like nothing else. Guess why you're taking the AP-Courses in it while I'm only taking the regular one! I am really not a fan of that shit, I can tell you that a thousand times over! At least you can give me some private tutoring there, otherwise I'd be a sunken ship in that regard already!"

Ray grinned at that. "Always glad that I can help you! But while you might suck at math, you always were better than me at physical education, right?" She said, her facial expression changing as her left hand wandered down to his abdomen, stroking over it. "Gosh, I always loved that little six pack of yours, I can tell you that! Anyway, how about going to your room now?" She asked him, a cheeky smirk forming on her face.

"Geez Ray, you're so thirsty today!" Zarc laughed. "But you're right, let's do that already!"

They shifted out of their embrace as Zarc's arms, previously holding Ray close by her back, let go of her. They began walking through the school hallways towards their destination, Zarc slowly putting his arm around her, prompting her to do the same. As they reached his room, Zarc unlocked the door and they went in.

"So...", Ray began, walking towards the bed before sitting down and turning around to him, "...what do you want to do today?" She asked her boyfriend. "I'm up to anything, so we can do whatever you like."

Zarc grinned at that. "Alright! Then let's do the good old classic!" He told her.

"The classic? Fine, sounds about right to me." She retorted before taking off her shoes and pushing herself backwards until she was lying on about the center of the bed. "Then let's begin!" She exclaimed, licking her lips in anticipation while looking at him seductively.

(And there it goes again! But unlike before, the now following part is actually quite explicit, so read on if you're not bothered by that or skip it if you are! Thank you!)

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Zarc got rid of his shoes as well before he approached her, crawling onto the bed. Once he had reached her position, he mounted her, lying on top of Ray and lowering his face a few inches to kiss her. She closed in for it as well, invading his mouth with her tongue, causing him to do the same. Their tongues kept twisting as they began making out, Zarc grabbing some of her curves and she grabbing some of his. As Zarc's left hand ran through her hair, he quickly paused the intimate kiss for a short statement.

"Man, your hair is beautiful, Ray!" He complimented her as his left hand played a bit with her right twintail, wrapping its tip around his index finger in a playful manner. "And the rest of your body is amazing as well! May it be your big, shapely breasts and butt cheeks, your other curves or just your form in general! No matter what it is, it's just perfect! But what I like the most about you is your captivating face as well as your kind, purple eyes and your smile which reflect your gentle personality!" He stated.

"Aw, c'mon, Zarc! Can you just fuck me one time without so much flattery already!" Ray laughed. "You know, you needn't be so romantic all the time!"

"But it is appropriate, isn't it? After all, you're like a shining beacon for me. While I wasn't very comfortable around most people, I instantly liked you when I saw you for the first time! And I also love you, so I should be a little romantic before we get to all the superficial intercourse, shouldn't I?" He asked her.

"Well, you have a point there." She admitted. "Actually, I love how you are so charmed by me all the time! Now then, how about getting to the main event?" She laughed.

"Right!" Zarc replied as his hands slowly unbuttoned the upper half of her dress shirt, revealing a bra of the same dark red color as her hair, prompting him to smirk. "Red really suits you, doesn't it, Ray?" He asked her in a teasing manner.

"Stop holding back and start already!" Ray urged him.

"Fine!" Zarc cried out in response, abruptly grabbing Ray's breasts and groping them, causing the girl to let out a gasp of surprise. "You mean like this?" He smirked at her.

"Yeah, exactly like this! Go on!" She encouraged him, a perverted expression crawling onto her face as she enjoyed his "special treatment".

"As you wish!" Zarc replied, pulling down her bra. He caressed her breasts after that, gently rubbing her nipples with his fingers before he leaned closer to lick. He began circling around them, Ray silently moaning, covering her mouth to suppress the sound as Zarc's tongue moved over her areola. Eventually he shifted it towards the center and licked the nipples themselves, causing her moaning to increase in volume again.

"Damn Zarc, you're so good today! I haven't seen you on fire like that for months!" She exclaimed in delight.

"Of course you haven't!" Zarc chuckled. "After all, this is the second last day before the holidays, so I should better give you my best, right? Anyway, now to your "other parts"!" He stated as his right hand began moving downwards, reaching under her skirt in search of her private area. Then it slipped under her panties, touching her private parts exactly in the middle. He inserted two of his fingers and began his work. As they started exploring the insides of her pussy, he continued the licking on her breasts, taking her left nipple into his mouth while he gently pinched the other with the thumb and index finger of his left hand, intensifying her moaning once more.

"Zarc, this is unfair! You keep indulging me and I'm having all the fun by myself! I think we should change that!" Ray spoke up after a while. She pushed Zarc off her body and rolled, causing her to be on top now.

"Oh? You have something planned?" Zarc addressed her in a curious voice, grinning at her.

"Indeed!" She responded, grinning back. "You seem to be quite tense!" She stated as she looked down, noticing the bulge in his pants and stroking over said region. "So I think that we should free that poor thing!" She exclaimed, unzipping Zarc's pants. She pulled down his underwear before she moved closer to him, squeezing his now freed, hard member in between her breasts.

"Ah, I like where this is going! Okay Ray, keep on doing your thing!" Zarc pleaded her, an anticipating look forming on his face.

"With pleasure!" Ray retorted, bringing her head down and letting her tongue roll over the surface of his cock. She began licking in circular motions, causing Zarc to groan in pleasure. Simultaneously she moved her hands forward and groped her own breasts for Zarc to enjoy the view, causing him to get even hornier. She went down with her head a bit more and took one of his balls inside her. "You like it?" She asked him, releasing it again after a while, looking down into his face to seek his opinion about the treatment that she gave him.

"You bet!" He replied instantly. "Having one of my balls inside your warm mouth feels like heaven, believe me!" He told her, shooting her a smile.

"I see." She said, an amorous expression on her face. "Then how about this?!" She yelled, taking his other testicle into her mouth and sucking it.

"Geez Ray, stop driving me crazy! You haven't even sucked my dick that much yet and I'm already close to bust a nut! Literally, since you're licking that part right now!" He remarked with strain from the arousal in his voice.

"Oh? Then I should better do this before you explode and get your bed sheets all dirty!" She responded with a grin, her mouth letting go of his left scrotum again. Her tongue began wandering upwards, licking over the entirety of his shaft until it reached the tip again. Then it spun around on the head of his cock, her tongue rolling over each and every part of it at least thrice. She seemed to focus certain parts though, causing Zarc to address her again.

"Looks like you have figured out the exact spots on my dick where I'm the most sensitive, Ray!" He said to her. "Damn it, at this rate I'm gonna...!" He panted through gritted teeth, feeling the tension inside his body rising, desperately trying to hold back his urges.

"Oh, don't worry!" The red and maroon haired girl reassured him. "I will take care of all that! Now then, will you reward me for my efforts by giving me some of those tasty little fluids inside you?" She asked him in a teasing manner.

He looked into her purple eyes with his golden ones in affection, his own sight slightly blurred due to the sexual strain. "Yes, please." He nodded, panting and wanting to release already.

"Alright. Then you'll just have to unleash the flood, will you, honey?" She responded, accelerating the moves of her tongue, prompting him to climb towards the climax even faster, his cock getting harder with every lick. Her tongue raged on the tip of his penis, the place where he was the most sensitive as she knew by now. As his groans grew louder and louder, she prepared for the incoming storm. When it happened and he evacuated, she opened her mouth completely and took the entirety of his manhood into her, deepthroating and swallowing almost every drop of semen. He weakly put his one of his hands onto the maroon hair on her head, almost as if he was trying to ensure that she would drink up everything. She internally grinned at that, thinking that it was kinda cute. She wouldn't allow to let even a single part of his cum go to waste after all. First of all, she loved him, so driving him nuts like that and then not even swallowing was kinda rude in her opinion, especially since it was his bed that would be ruined by the fluids if they were poured over it. But more importantly, the current progress of science allowed her to drink his sperm without tasting the usual disgusting flavors. A few years ago, some scientists invented a certain pill for men that caused their reproductive fluids to change their structure on a molecular level. Therefore men could have their cum having practically any taste they wanted, which came in handy for her to say the least. When they began having more intimate contact like this, Zarc left the decision to her what pill to take since he didn't want her to have a degrading experience when they had oral sex like this. Of course she chose the one with the taste of her favorite food. So why the hell should she refuse to swallow if his semen had a heavenly instead of the usual disgusting taste? While she wasn't completely sure if she would still drink it if it had its normal flavor, she would probably do so just to behave decently towards her boyfriend. She licked over her lips, eating up the few drops left on her face.

"Woah, that was amazing!" Zarc shouted, slowly recovering from the fatigue. "It's been a long time since you gave me a blowjob that good! Apparently you're also in great shape today!" He praised her.

"Naturally!" She retorted, her right arm wandering towards his face, stroking over the back of his head. "Like you said, it's our last night before we get separated by the incoming holidays, so we better give our best today, right Zarc?" She grinned down at him.

"True. Now then...", Zarc began, slowly rising up with his upper body, "I think it's time for the true main event now!" He announced.

"Great! This should be a lot of fun!" Ray exclaimed in an anticipating tone, looking into his eyes lustfully. Zarc looked down at her lower parts, petting her private area with one of his hands again.

"My my, impatient, aren't we? You are so damn wet down there already, Ray! I guess you are actually as horny as you look like, aren't you?" He teased Ray as his hand slipped under her panties once more.

"Of course I am!" She pulled down her underwear at that. "Now please, take me already!" She begged him.

"Wow, you are so pervy today, for real, Ray! But I can't blame you, so let's begin!" He exclaimed before he pushed her left lower leg, angling it towards her, prompting her to raise it a bit in order to get her leg out of the underwear. Once she was finished with that, she kicked her right leg, carelessly throwing away the piece of clothing by doing so. Zarc grinned and lifted up her skirt, fully revealing her pubic area and gazing upon it in anticipation. "Ah, what a magnificent view!" He commented as his hand reached towards it, spreading her pussy with two of his fingers. Then he redirected his attention upwards and reached behind her back, unhooking her bra and throwing it away as well.

"You should probably get rid of your belt!" Ray advised him. "It would be a shame if it swung around wildly during the soon following events and hit your precious cock with a hard impact, right?" She asked him teasingly.

"You're right!" Zarc replied as he pulled it out of his pants. "The only thing with hard impacts my dick should be involved in is hitting your tight pussy with it in said way! Now then, let's fuck and then get dressed again for dinner!"

"Uh!" Ray agreed with him.

He licked her breasts and fingered her pussy once more, ensuring that he met the condition for entering her. When he moved his tongue upwards to caress the area around her neck, her moans increased a bit in volume, prompting him to grin cheekily.

"Oh Ray, it's always so cute when you are so sensitive and get all horny when I lick on your neck!" He addressed her in a teasing manner.

"Zarc, please just stop torturing me! My insides are crying after for you, so please stop keeping them waiting and put it in already!" She pleaded in a quiet voice, desperately wanting him to be inside her.

"Very well!" Zarc responded, giving into his own lustful desires. He directed the tip of his already hard and anticipating dick towards the opening of her. "Are you ready?" He asked her, seeking her confirmation.

"I was born ready!" She retorted. "Now push it inside me!" She commanded him.

"As you wish!" He replied, slowly entering her pussy after that. Both of them let out a loud moan in their respective pitch as his penis slowly slid into her vagina. Once he had reached the end and the majority of his cock was surrounded by the walls of her warm insides, Zarc was fulfilled by joy. "Wow, it feels amazing! It's only been three days, yet it feels like ages since I've been inside you for the last time! Man, that's a truly heavenly feeling!" He cried out in a blissful tone.

"Same here!" Ray retorted. "Can you start with the thrusting now? You know, it feels great to have your hot, rock-hard cock inside me, but it would feel even greater for us if you activated your little wonder machine, right?" She requested from him, wanting to start with the real thing.

"Okay, we can start with that right away! But first a little question: Did you take the Zero-Impregnation-Pill?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Of course I did. I was waiting for you to be done with lessons for what felt like days after all! I had a few hours less than you, especially since one of my teachers was sick today, so I had more than enough time to take it." She replied.

"Nice! When did you take it?" He inquired.

"Hmm, I think about 3 o'clock or something like that." She answered, putting one of her fingers onto her chin in a deliberating manner.

"So that means that we can fuck tomorrow after school and it's still working! Great! God bless these scientists who invented that pill! You just take it and boom, now you can have your boyfriend coming inside you for as many times as you want and you still won't get pregnant, lasting for 24 freaking hours! If they invented it a bit earlier, even my stupid parents wouldn't have ended up with me being born by accident! But then I couldn't be with you either so I'm glad that it's only ten years old by now! Anyway, how about having some slippery shower sex tomorrow? Since the pill is still working we should use that opportunity after all!"

"Yeah, that sounds really good! Let's do that tomorrow! But anyway, can you get on with the thrusting now?"

"Hmm, but how strong should I thrust? On what level do you want this to be?" Zarc asked as he playfully put his left hand onto his chin, pretending to be deliberating in order to tease Ray even more by holding her in suspense.

"For the love of god, Zarc, I want you to ram my insides on the "Fuck the brains outta that hoe"-Level!" Ray loudly cried out in exasperation.

"Alright then!" He smirked. "Then I guess it's time to start the engine!" He told as his cock left her pussy, only to return immediately afterwards. He repeated the movement, entering a steady rhythm. In – out, in – out, in – out. After starting off relatively slowly to get her pussy used to his hard member now moving inside her, he accelerated bit by bit, prompting her moans to get more frequent every time he did. He held her close with his arms, occasionally redirecting them to stroke certain parts of her body. Their most favorite destinations were her boobs, her ass cheeks and her thighs of course, squeezing and groping the former two while he grabbed the latter from time to time to spread open her legs and little bit more. Ray closed her eyes in joy, also exploring his body with her hands and eventually coming to a halt at his chest area with her right hand while she clung to the back of his head with her other. She pushed up his black shirt and fondled his abdomen in a very similar fashion than her Ritual-Fragment would do eventually with Yuga's, yet Ray's way of doing it was even more lustful and desirous than hers.

"Oh my god, Zarc, your six-pack is amazing! I get wet from just caressing it! Like I said before, you were always better at PE than me because of your muscular shape. Why don't you put all these muscles to good use now and bang me even harder?" She suggested, wanting even more of him.

"Very well! Your behavior and dirty talk clearly indicate that you are a horny bitch today! Then I guess I should start pushing you towards your climax now!" He said before he increased the pace of his thrusts. He firmly grabbed one of her breasts with his left hand while he groped her left butt cheek with his right one at that. They began making out again while his cock kept on ramming her insides again and again, Ray closing in for a lustful kiss which Zarc reciprocated. Their tongues rolled, their fingers squeezed and their warm genitals collided with each other over and over, both of them having nothing but each other on their minds right now. As Zarc left the kiss to lick her neck again, he also redirected his left hand and left her breasts with it while his right remained on her ass due to being the better spot for holding her in place. His fingers moved downwards to the area where the most action was going on currently. He gently placed them onto the soft flesh above the opening of her vagina, seeking a very certain spot. As he found it, his hand began moving in circles around a small knob. "Seriously, why did nature had to make this so complicated with you girls?" Zarc sighed in annoyance as he kept on rubbing her clit. "With us males it's simple: Stick in your thing, thrust a bit, boom, you get an orgasm! To compare it to Duel Monsters, it's like playing back when there were only a few Normal-Monster Decks. Whereas getting you females there is halfway to rocket science with all those erogenous zones you have and nobody really having a precise idea what the best way to do it is. Of course you can just finger the girl's clitoris, but not all females do like this the most. Some girls still prefer penetration and apparently the clit is way larger than it looks like since the little knob I'm just rubbing around is only the tip of the iceberg because the nerve ends of that thing reach further into your lower body than one might think. Then there's the G-Spot which looks like to be sensitive too due to being connected to the clitoral network. Then we also have the AFE-Zone and just like with the previous thing, no one is really sure if those two are legit or not! Sigh, that's such a pain in the ass – no pun intended by the way – , I wish that evolution could stop being a bitch already and make things easier a bit by just giving you a normal, uncomplicated vaginal orgasm as well! That would help a lot of girls unsatisfied with the results of sexual intercourse, don't you think?" He addressed his girlfriend as he kept up the fingering and thrusting.

"Yeah, that would be pretty neat." Ray answered, her words interrupted by brief moans. "But like the lucky, horny bastard you are, you ended up with a girl like me who is sensitive on all those parts, so you don't have to worry about it!"

"True, your body is quite practical indeed!" Zarc admitted. "No matter if I thrust normally into the depths of your pussy, focus on certain parts like your G-Spot for example or finger your clit and the other erogenous zones on your skin, you are aroused by it all! Which makes it even more enjoyable when I do this!" He exclaimed before he accelerated with all of his body parts, bringing up the strength of his thrusts, rubs, licks and squeezes a bit more. Ray let out a moan as she felt his hot dick moving faster inside her pussy, his fingers circling more intensely around her clit, his right hand grabbing her ass firmer, his left hand and mouth alternating between stimulating her shoulder region and breasts respectively.

"AAAAH, ZARC! YOU'RE SPOILING ME SO MUCH!" Ray moaned in delight as her arousal skyrocketed by his extensive treatment. She watched in pleasure as he redirected both of his hands onto her butt, grabbing her ass to push her into his thrusts, strengthening the impact on her inner parts with it. He switched over to her hips after a while, grabbing them just over the end of her white stockings, executing the same plan as before with the only exception that he pulled her more instead of pushing like before. As her moans got louder and louder, he decided to push towards the finish and grabbed her breasts, pressing her downwards with both of his hands. She licked her lips while gazing upwards as she hit the bed sheets with her back, anticipating the final stage of their intercourse. He went even faster and fiercer after that, prompting her to hold onto him by his neck.

"ZARC – ZARC – ZARC!" She moaned in joy, awaiting the pleasant end. He stifled her loud noises with a hungry kiss which she eagerly reciprocated. As he continued teasing all of her sensitive body parts, Ray slowly felt the finale drawing near, causing her to address her boyfriend once more. "ZARC! I'M ALMOST THERE! THRUST HARDER PLEASE!" She begged him. He obeyed and did as she said, his balls wildly shaking through the air as the nearby dick rammed her with even more force, his cock diving straight to the end of her pussy now. He still kept on alternating his thrusts, adjusting their depth and power occasionally to remain unpredictable, changing between deep and shallow thrusts and adapting his rhythm. From the looks of it, his strategy worked out, clearly indicated by Ray's highly aroused facial expression. He knew that the female body was getting used to repetitive moves, hence why so many couples got bored after the doing the same thing over and over. He also knew that this was also the case in just a single round of sex, thus he alternated since he had experienced that Ray was way more aroused when he surprised her body with an abrupt change of rhythm, depth and power. Though he admittedly didn't tone his thrusting power down by a lot when he altered it, as his raging dick displayed. Ray closed her eyes in pleasure and moaned as she felt the impact underneath her skirt as well as the feeling building up in the lower half of her body growing in intensity more and more with every second. Lewd noises echoed through Zarc's room as both of them kept making love, a certain feeling welling up inside both of them the more their genitals clashed with each other. Eventually he sensed Ray's body quivering underneath his own.

"Z-zarc... I think that I'm about to..." She began stammering, close to reaching her climax.

"Yeah, me to..." He groaned back breathing heavily, his body beginning to tremble as well.

"Zarc..." Ray began anew, her face distorted in strain, bare moments away from it.

"Ray..." Zarc uttered, experiencing the same. With one final push of tremendous power, they both reached their climax.

-"ZARC!"-/-"RAY!"- They cried out their partner's respective name in unison, him cumming into her, filling up her womb with his sperm as she covered his abdomen with her sexual fluids. Then both of them collapsed from the exhaustion, Zarc falling onto Ray. They remained in this position for a while, both of them heavily panting, their eyesight blurred from the strain. Ray's fingers dug into his hair while he hold her close by her neck, resting his head on the same pillow she was lying on, only a few inches away from her head. He turned his face leftwards after a few seconds, beginning to nuzzle hers and cuddle with Ray as their powers slowly returned to them.

"That was amazing!" Ray spoke up in a quiet voice, smiling amorously at her boyfriend as the tension in her body slowly diminished.

"Agreed! Doing it with most of our clothes still on always feels very exciting, but it hadn't been so awesome for a long time!" Zarc retorted. "I love you, Ray!" He warmly smiled at her, caressing her face with his right hand as he was stroking over her left cheek.

"I love you too, Zarc!" She replied, shooting him a smile of equal affection. They kissed after that, gently pressing their lips onto each others'.

"Anyway, time for dinner!" Zarc said. "After all it's almost 6 pm now and I'm fairly hungry and exhausted, especially from our little activity right before. We could use some food if we intend on having a second round tonight, right?" He asked her. Zarc rolled sideways, pulling a paper tissue out of a box standing on a shelf near the bed. He rubbed his pubic area dry with it in order to avoid ruining his underwear with Ray's inner fluids and the few drops of his own cum on it. As he was done, he handed an identical tissue over to Ray who cleaned the area around the opening of her cavity with it. Then he stood up from the bed, picking up his belt lying on the ground nearby the bed and putting it back into its place.

"Right!" Ray agreed, searching for her red bra and her panties which she had gotten rid of during the previous sex.

"Here you are!" Zarc exclaimed, tossing her over the bra from the other side of the bed, having found it in the meantime.

"Thank you!" Ray retorted, putting it on again and hooking it in behind her back. She picked up her panties next, putting them on as well. Meanwhile Zarc had pulled up his boxers and zipped his pants back to normal, putting on his shoes next. Ray finished pulling up her panties to normal height and adjusted her skirt after she was done with that. Lastly she buttoned the upper part of her dress shirt which Zarc had unbuttoned before. They both adjusted their uniform jackets and shirts a little bit to look less suspicious and left his room with their arms around each other's waist after that, heading for the cafeteria.

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As Zarc and Ray opened the door to the cafeteria and entered together, multiple gazes were directed towards them. The majority of them was dedicated to Ray, not surprising for Zarc. She was the best looking girl in the whole school after all, so a good part of the other females present in the room looked at her, some of them in admiration, some of them in envy. An even larger part of the males was starring at her and drooling with jaws wide open too, most of them probably having wet daydreams of similar content than what her and him did just a few minutes ago. Meanwhile Zarc himself was ignored for the most part, the only reputation he really had being that strange guy who – for some inexplicable reason – was the boyfriend of the hottest gal in the high school. They picked up their food and went to one of the tables together, the attention of the other students slowly returning to their previous activities.

"So tomorrow it's over, huh?" Zarc spoke up after a while, starting their conversation. "The second last segment of school. After Spring Break we only have one part ahead of us and then school's over for good. Man, time surely went by fast, didn't it?"

"Uh." She agreed. "It feels like only a few days ago when I saw you for the first time in elementary school, yet it's years back from now in reality! Now then, you said that you wanted to become a pro-duelist as I do afterwards, didn't you?" Ray asked him.

"Yeah. You know that I love playing Duel Monsters and being with my dragons and other monsters. I have a very special connection to them after all!" He looked up from his food to directly face her after that. "Oh, and thank you for not branding me insane for saying that I can hear their voices by the way!" He told her.

"Ah, no problem! I always believed you, didn't I? After all, I sometimes think that I can hear something as well when I duel! You know, there might be a lot of things that can easily be explained by science and reason, but sometimes you gotta let go of all that rational stuff and have to believe in the supernatural. I mean, the saying "Magic is only science we cannot explain yet" has to have some truth in it, hasn't it?"

"Right!" He nodded. "Anyway, your father is going to pick you up immediately after school again, isn't he?" Zarc asked her.

She sighed. "Yeah, he is. Like the overprotective man my dad is, he'll be arriving directly in front of the school punctually at 13 o'clock and wait with his hover-car. He always does that after all. I wish he could just let go of me a bit. I mean, I live like six blocks away from school, walking there twice per week shouldn't be that much of a problem. Instead he drops me at the school every Monday and picks me up every Friday. He acts like I'm still the child I used to be a few years ago. But I'm almost 18, Zarc! Freaking 18!" She yelled in exasperation.

"Well, I can't say that I like him being so overprotective either. Especially when he almost caught me back on that one weekend! He was away from home, so I came over and we did it on your couch 'cause we thought we had the house for ourselves. But then he realized that he had forgotten something and returned. Man, that was scary! I had to leave in a flash and couldn't even fix my belt on my pants in time. At least you were smart enough to hide it under the couch, otherwise we would have been done for!" He narrated, sweating at the unpleasant memories.

"I remember that!" Ray giggled. "You ran out of there like the devil was on your heels!" She laughed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Leo would be quite the devil if he found out that I laid you right under his nose! Or that anyone was laying you for that matter!"

"Yeah, he surely is overprotective and maybe even a bit clingy." Ray sighed again.

"Well, be glad! At least you have a father who loves you dearly!" Zarc retorted. "I had nobody besides you for my entire life, so you should be thankful for having such a caring father!"

"You are right, I suppose. He is indeed a really good dad. And he might be an even greater one once he finishes that Real Solid Vision for you to play your duels with once we enter the league!" Ray said.

"Oh right, almost forgot that!" He replied, slightly facepalming. "It will be so great once I can actually interact with my dragons instead of merely playing with normal holograms! Where did you say was he with his progress?" He inquired.

"Quite far if I remember correctly." Ray responded. "I think he only needs to implement Synchro-Monsters and then he's done. Shouldn't take more than a few months, so he will probably complete it before we finish with the twelfth grade and graduate from school." She added.

"Great! Clear Wing will be mad with joy once he can actually fly and soar through the air! And I bet that Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom are also looking forward to manifesting in a more realistic way!" Zarc exclaimed. As if to agree, he heard the calls of four beings in his mind, full of anticipation and happiness.

"Glad to hear that!" Ray remarked as she was smiling at him, happy for her friend that he would have so much fun in a few months. "Anyway, I'm going ahead now! I have to prepare something, so come after me in a few minutes!" She instructed him.

"Roger!" Zarc replied, observing how she took her leave. Though he used the opportunity to stare at her backside as she was making her way out of the cafeteria. "Man, I have quite the girlfriend, haven't I?" He said to himself while grinning mischievously as he watched the butt underneath her red skirt slightly shaking with every step. He leaned back on his chair and relaxed for a few minutes before he decided to follow her. As he left the spacious room to go after her, he met a few guys in the hallways.

"Look, it's the bastard!" He heard one of them whisper to another dude. He scowled heavily at that, clenching his fists. 'No Zarc, these guys aren't worth getting detention for, especially since it's your last night with Ray! Just ignore them and forget about that whole incident while you bang your girlfriend later on!' He debated with himself. While he was used to being an outsider and he could understand that these guys were mad at him, taking into account that he was banging the hottest chick of the school on a weekly basis, he absolutely hated being called a bastard since that term was actually quite true, unfortunately. His parents had been some rich unmarried couple, young people who had been freshly in love and fucked at every occasion they had. But unluckily they had been quite careless as well, thus bringing him into existence. Apparently his dad had once picked a holey condom or something, ending up with him being born. His mother's parents were strict opponents of abortion, forcing their daughter to deliver him. Once she had done that however, they couldn't care less what she did with the child afterwards, resulting in his parents dumping him into the next best orphanage right after that. At least they had been decent enough to leave back enough money for him as they handed over a check of respectable value to his educator, instructing her to transfer control over the money to him once he was old enough. And fortunately he had luck with that, since his educator was a kind woman who didn't use the opportunity to fill her pockets. Despite the rough start, he had a rather good childhood, being treated with the care and love a young child like him deserved. But he still failed to establish bonds with other people, mostly due to how different he was. He was constantly hearing the voices of his monsters, talking to them on a few occasions, which was rather strange for the other orphans to say the least. Also strange in the opinion of his companions was the fact that the monsters he owned had been there since the very beginning and his parents had told the educator that they hadn't given these cards to him. What set him apart from the other children as well was his general behavior: He had an incredibly kind nature and while the other orphans were playing outside in the yard with a ball, he was lying on the grass, watching a trail of ants passing by a few inches away from his golden eyes. He gazed upon the little beings in amazement, wondering how hard their busy lives must be as they were carrying food and resources weighting multiple times of their own body mass to their little hill every day – only to be squashed by the careless steps of his comrades every once in a while when they ran over the plaster the orphans were playing on. As he kept watching, a certain thought slowly crawled into his mind. 'Why do they have to die like that and we don't? Why is nobody even remotely concerned about their deaths? Are they not important because they are the inferior species?' These thoughts occupied him for a while. But as the years went by, he slowly let go of them, shrugging it of as the natural food chain. 'A human is a human and a beast is a beast.' The beliefs hammered into his head by his environment told. 'The only truly important thing in this world are us people. Without people, there is no world.' And as the years passed by, he slowly accepted these words more and more. He began seeing the world as the place it truly was, a struggle to be on top, not always being fought with the same rules or fair ones for that matter. While he still couldn't make any friends before he entered elementary school, he wasn't really unhappy since he always had his dragons backing him up and encouraging him through their mental link. Once he got into school, he met Ray Akaba, a girl whom he instantly liked for some reason. He normally distanced himself from other humans a bit, but strangely she attracted rather than repelling him. He sheepishly started a conversation as a result, surprisingly working out in his favor, resulting in the two of them becoming friends. Their relationship consolidated as the years passed by and he got very attached to her, being the only person he truly liked. While he had been rather timid and reserved initially, he slowly began accepting the confrontation if need be, rather fighting and rising up if her or him was done wrong than accepting to be treated badly, especially if Ray was the person in question. Which resulted in him getting detention a few times, but he didn't care about that as long as he acted based on his own beliefs or if he could help her by doing so. Eventually they were old enough to enter high school. Leo chose a boarding school for his daughter, minimizing the risks since she was in good hands for the entire week this way as he was busy with his work during it. He could simply drop her at the entrance on Monday and pick her up again on Friday – as Zarc and Ray had already discussed before. Luckily Zarc's parents had specified that he would get access to the money they had left back for him at the age of 13, so he took the opportunity and went to the exact same school as her, paying a good price for it since every person had a room with every necessary feature rather than sharing a huge dorm. It was relatively near to the center of Avalon City, the capital of Japan and probably biggest city in their entire world. He enjoyed school in a mediocre way, but absolutely loved being with her, so he didn't really care. There was one subject that he loved though, taking it together with Ray from the eleventh grade onward: Philosophy. He enjoyed discussing about all sorts of topics and problems with her, him usually being a bit more radical with his opinion than her. Despite their little differences they usually ended up leaving class together with a smile on their faces, both of them beginning to feel that there was maybe more to their friendship than it looked like. Once they became fully aware that they had a huge crush on each other, they met up and talked about it. They began dating, trying to find out if they were truly meant for each other. When one date after the other went really well, they eventually decided to take the last step. That had been around one year ago, both of them taking each other's virginity when they were about 16 and 1/2. Of course they had to watch out for Leo after that, but apart from this little thing they led a happy and carefree relationship. He loved her like nothing else in this world, though it was a close call when taking his dragons into account. And now, they would soon be 18, graduate from school and become pro-duelists who entertained the masses and made them smile, something he looked forward to a lot.

Zarc reached the room and unlocked it, taking a step inside. Once his gaze wandered upwards again and he realized what he was looking at, his eyes widened immensely.

(And there it is, Genesisshipping – Round 2! Proceed with the usual caution since this is very explicit again!)

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"Man, I really expected a lot after coming into my room!" Zarc exclaimed. "But you wearing your lingerie and lying on my bed that way was surely none of them!"

Ray turned her head backwards and grinned at him, lying on her stomach with her head resting on her angled left arm while the other simply rested on the pillow in front of her head. One of her lower legs was angled towards her, swinging back and forth a bit in an awaiting manner. Zarc gazed over her body, licking his lips in an anticipating motion. Much like before she was wearing red underwear. But unlike during the previous round, she had exchanged the normal, practical version of it she wore during each day with a more appealing one. It was more delicate and had a few little accessories as he knew from previous times when she used it, like a cute little ribbon in the middle of her panties' front side and on on the bridge of her bra for instance. He stared at her butt, now only covered by a thin string in between her butt cheeks, granting him a full view of her ass which was also directed towards him. Her breasts were pressed against the bed sheets and she was leaning slightly sideways, giving him a nice look onto her compressed cleavage. In addition to that she had also put on some overknee stockings of red color, having some lace at the upper ending. She even went so far to wear a garter belt, also having some lace on it. 'Man, she went for the full "Get Zarc horny as shit"-Equipment! And I guess it's working as well!' He debated with himself as he felt something on his lower body half gradually rising up.

"You look amazing!" He complimented her, hastily closing and locking the door at that.

"Thank you!" She replied, smirking at him with a perverted grin. "Now then, are you going to keep me waiting for ages like last time or can we just skip straight to the banging?" She asked him in a teasing manner, licking her lips seductively.

"We will go for full power faster, that's for sure!" Zarc confirmed. "But a little bit of foreplay would still not hurt I guess." He suggested.

"Well, I'm okay with that. Now come here, big boy!" She looked at him hungrily, prompting him to come closer as she slightly swayed her naked butt a bit to lure him in.

"As you wish!" He replied, quickly getting rid of all his clothes and tossing them aside, practically throwing himself onto her after that. She got up from her lying position and turned to him, hungrily kissing him with their tongues entering each other's mouth, interlocking her fingers with his. They kept kissing and making out like this for a while before she parted from him and let her hands slide down to his erected member. He grabbed her breasts firmly, giving her cleavage a little massage as his hands began moving in circular motions. 'Damn, she already has E-Cups and is still wearing a push-up! And the upper part is lace as well, making it a bit transparent! She totally wants me to enter the absolute fuck-mode today, doesn't she?' He thought mischievously while grinning. Looking back from his godly state around two decades later, he would have said that Leo's kids always had it with the double D, may it be breast size or archetypes they used.

"Now then,", He began, pulling down her bra a bit to reveal her nipples, "time to get you ready!" He stated, beginning to rub them. After a while he stopped for a moment, grabbing her in order to bring her into a different position, making her sit on his lap with her back turned to him. He began groping her breasts anew with one of his hands, moving down the other to fumble around on her other private area as it slipped under her panties. Ray squirmed excitedly while Zarc touched all of her important parts with both care and desire. She began letting out quiet squeals as Zarc's hand ran over the abundant flesh of her breasts, simultaneously fingering the soft areas in- and outside of her pussy. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth a bit as he kept on caressing her breasts, her nipples getting hard and pointy as he continued to indulge her. Eventually he decided to try something else, turning her towards him again.

"What is it?" She asked, wondering why he had stopped petting her intimate parts.

"Would you lean back, Ray?" Zarc requested. "I want to return the favor for giving my lower section such a fine treatment last time!" He replied.

"Oh? You want to do that?" Ray retorted in a curious and anticipating tone. "Then go for it, darling!" She commanded him, allowing him to do his thing.

He pushed her torso downwards after that, pulling her panties out of the way simultaneously. His arms spread open her legs as Ray looked at him, her head resting on his pillow now, licking her lips in anticipation of Zarc's next move, shifting one of her arms to her lower half and spreading open her vaginal lips in order to invite him into her. His head approached her pubic area at fast pace, a warm tongue invading her pussy just shortly afterwards. Her moans increased in volume as it explored each and every part of her insides, greedily licking the warm walls of her pussy. His tongue rolled over her soft flesh and whenever she thought that it couldn't move any faster, it accelerated even more. As her moans became louder and louder, Zarc went even faster, her arousal only encouraging her boyfriend to lick her harder, faster and deeper from the looks of it. He continued like that for a few minutes, Ray's face distorted in utter pleasure and joy as Zarc ate her out more and more intensely. Eventually her body trembled and she covered Zarc's face with her pussy juice, not that he seemed to mind that though.

"That was great!" She exclaimed, panting heavily. "You sure made up for the blowjob on the first round with that! Now then, are you going to have some fun as well now?" She addressed him.

"Of course!" He replied, grinning at her after he had wiped his face clean again. "Since I had two of your holes already, how about letting me inside your third?" He asked her in a lustful tone.

"You mean that one?" She replied, playfully stroking over her butt with one of her hands.

"Exactly that one!" He replied, grabbing her ass with that. "But to keep you entertained while I take your asshole, why not putting something inside your pussy in the meantime?" He asked her in a teasing manner.

"Sounds great!" She retorted with a lewd smirk on her face. "Then give it to me already! I didn't get the pincer-attack-treatment for a long time after all!" She stated.

"I'm right on it!" He cried out in response, his arm reaching under his bed in search of something. Once his fingers closed around it, his expression turned into a sly grin. He pulled it to the surface, opening the box. A pervy expression full of lust and anticipation crawled onto Ray's face as she observed how Zarc returned to her, now holding a new feature in his palm.

"Man, I haven't used that dildo on you for three weeks! I bet your insides are crying for it after such a long time!" He remarked mischievously.

"You wouldn't be too wrong with that! Now put it inside please!" Ray retorted, rubbing her own clit a bit to stimulate her vaginal region for the incoming sex toy. Zarc helped her with that, fingering her insides to prepare her. When he had decided that she was wet enough, he spread open her pussy and slowly pushed the dildo inside her, a protracted moan escaping Ray's lips as it entered her.

"We could use the vibrator instead." Zarc spoke up, remembering that he had her other favorite toy beneath his bed as well.

"Nah, I think that I would love some personal motions better today!" Ray declined.

"Okay then! Can you do the artificial thrusting please? I would like to grope your tits a bit while I anal you, if you don't mind of course!"

"Sure." Ray nodded, grabbing the shaft of the dildo sticking inside her. "Then let's do this!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

Zarc brought her body into the coitus a tergo-position where she was lying on the bed sideways, her face looking at the walls of the room while his muscular chest leaned against her back.

"Now then, we are almost ready!" He stated, helping her with the thrusting on her primary hole to get it a bit wetter. He then reached towards her opening, picking up some of the fluids with his hands, rubbing them around his boner. As he was done with that, he grabbed a bottle of lube standing on a nearby shelf, opened it and squeezed a bit of it into his palm, also rubbing it around his cock, just to be safe that he wouldn't hurt Ray with his next move. He pushed the small string of her underwear aside, catching sight of her asshole and licking his lips in anticipation. After that, his dick slowly entered her anus, a squeal escaping Ray's lips yet again. Her hole squelched a bit as Zarc went inside, causing him to ask if she was okay, which she approved of. He sighed in relief before pushing it further into her. After he was fully inside Ray, he addressed her again.

"The stage is set now! Let the fun begin!" He cried out, removing his cock from her insides and grabbing both parts of her ass, each with one of his hands, before thrusting in again. Ray also began her work, providing the vaginal penetration with her own force, her hand pulling out the dildo before pushing it into her pussy again. Zarc's arms wandered upwards, fondling both of her breasts, taking her anal parenthetically.

"Oh my god, it's so great to get the double penetration again!" Ray cried out in desire as her boyfriend kept pleasuring her secondary hole, leaving it with his dick for a moment before returning even stronger.

"Glad that you like it!" Zarc retorted. "And do you know what would be even greater?" He asked her in a teasing manner.

"No, what?" She responded before wincing in surprise as Zarc's left hand let go of one of her boobs, wandering around her body lying on the bed with her face turned rightwards, grasping the sex toy currently inside her pussy slightly below her own hand on the shaft. Then he began pushing and pulling it in and out as well, causing her to gasp in surprise and pleasure as his moves perfectly synchronized with hers.

"ZARC! YOU ARE SO GOOD!" She loudly exclaimed as he kept taking her coitus a tergo, going into ruptures at his extensive treatment. He was the perfect boyfriend for her, caring about her above everything else in public and spoiling her like crazy in bed. Her moans accelerated again as he stepped up with the anal penetration, ramming her asshole even fiercer than before. As the waves of joy surged through her body more and more intensely, she slowly lost her grip on the dildo. Fortunately for her, Zarc grabbed it a little bit firmer and did the thrusting for her on his own as it slipped out of her hands, now freely accelerating to the pace and power he was capable of since he didn't have to adapt to her tempo anymore. As she felt the penetration in both of her holes increasing, she sensed that her climax was imminent now. His balls dangled around wildly as he hit her anus with his cock like a madman, his left hand having similar plans with the dildo it was pushing into her pussy. Eventually he felt how her tight asshole began squeezing his hard, hot member into submission, causing him to give in as well. A pressure was building up inside their groins, pushing them over the edge.

-"COMING!"- They cried out in unison as both of them had their respective orgasms, collapsing from the fatigue.

"Zarc, you are a beast!" Ray stated after a while, still panting heavily from the intense sex.

"Thanks a lot!" Zarc retorted, smiling warmly that he had been able to make his girlfriend so happy with his efforts.

"Now then, since you spoiled me yet again by ramming my body from two different angles, how about having a round where you have most of the fun now?" Ray suggested after recovering from the exhaustion.

"Like?" Zarc inquired.

"Like you taking me doggy-style for instance." She replied.

"Hmm, sounds pretty good! This should be a nice opportunity to touch a little bit more of your sweet ass!" He exclaimed. "Very well then, let's go!"

He brought her into position, Ray leaning forward to the pillow with her arms resting on the sheets while Zarc was kneeling just behind her back, moving the loose string back into the middle of her ass since he enjoyed the look more this way, pulling another part of her panties out of the way in return. He grabbed her thighs just above the overknee stockings and spread her legs open so that he could invade her insides without any complications. He went into her pretty rapidly after that, thrusting relatively hard since he still had some lube on his cock. His dick entered her in desirous motions, his hands resting on her butt cheeks, grabbing them firmly. He began to move them in circular motions, finishing one lap around her ass whenever his cock had completed a cycle of entering and leaving her pussy again. Ray clung to the edge of his bed with her fingers, letting out moan after moan as his dick continued reentering her insides.

"Gosh Zarc, you could even fuck a lesbian into straightness with that dick of yours!" Ray cried out in delight as her boyfriend continued to fill her up with joy – and occasionally a few drops of his precum.

"Looks as if you like my treatment a lot again!" Zarc replied with a smile on his face as he continued thrusting inside Ray.

"But seriously, this is unfair! You keep on focusing my G-Spot and AFE-Zone! This round is supposed to make you feel more happy, not me! After all, you did already spoil me for multiple rounds, so it's your turn to be on Cloud Nine now!" She complained with a bit of indignation in her voice.

"Sorry Ray, but I can't help it! I always put you before anything else, even my own pleasure in bed! That's why I can't allow you to not feel heavenly when we fuck and that's why I make sure that you always come at least simultaneously, if not earlier than me! That's what you deserve as the woman I love after all! Besides, it feels great for me as well!" He shot back, continuing to ram the sensitive parts of her pussy while his hands kept circling on her butt cheeks.

"Zarc, you are such a gentleman!" Ray exclaimed in admiration as her body was pushed downwards by his thrusts, her cleavage squeezing against the bed sheets, clawing onto the wooden frame of Zarc's bed with her hands. Her head was resting on the pillow, panting hotly as Zarc's machinery went to full capacity bit by bit, practically driving her crazy. At long last she felt the next orgasm welling up from inside her, Zarc also beginning to tremble, close to releasing into her as well. As his thrusts gained their full power, hitting the end of her insides, she finally gave in, not able to stall any longer despite the fact that she was keen on having Zarc ejaculating before she came at least once in her life. But it looked like today wasn't the day as he endured with his iron will while she had to surrender to her urges and came, the fluids flooding out of her body. Sure enough he came as well, grabbing her thighs firmly and holding onto her as he emitted his semen with one final push. Apparently he was in the mood for a joke as well since he screamed "Sperm Release – Cumming-like-crazy no Jutsu!", referring to one of his favorite shows as she knew by now. He dropped onto her back after that, panting in the same fashion as her.

"Damn it, can't you cum before me at least once in our lifetime? You know, the guy is usually the faster one when it comes to orgasms!" She remarked.

"Yeah, that's true. But as I said before, you always come first for me, so I'll have you always coming before me as well!" He stated, grinning at the play on words.

Ray rolled her eyes, but then turned her body around, switching onto her back now and starring into the eyes of her boyfriend. "I see! You really care for my well-being, don't you?" She asked, amorously stroking his cheek at that.

"Of course I do! The only thing close to you in importance are my dragons! But unfortunately they can't fulfill my needs in the same way as you can."

"Understandably!" Ray replied, giggling at that. "Now then, one final round?" She suggested. "I think I can still go one time before I'm completely tired from all the intercourse."

"Okay! But under one condition!" Zarc responded.

"And what is that condition?" Ray inquired.

"It's that you're lying on top!" He answered.

"Seriously? You really want me to have all the fun today, don't you? After all, the one lying on top is better off in most cases, especially if the partner is stimulating the right regions!"

"Exactly! That way I can be sure that you will come in time and I think it's also a nice change since I have been in the dominant positions today." Zarc explained.

"Man, you are so progressive and sweet, Zarc! I don't know many men who would respect a girl like that! You always make sure that we both play the dominant role to about equal parts and that I come as well! That's one of the reasons why I think that you are so cute!" She laughed, gently stroking his face again.

"Naturally. I have to respect women, especially one so beautiful as you! With how most guys in the school were looking at you back in the cafeteria, they would probably ram you mindlessly without any plan, cum instantly and end up being laughed at by you!" He told.

"Well, I guess you are right. Most of these guys are really superficial and would go at me with brute force. Though I wouldn't laugh at them once they failed miserably. I wouldn't laugh at them at all actually." She replied.

"Of course you wouldn't. You are far too gentle and friendly in nature to humiliate them like that, even if they deserved it."

"No, that's not what I meant with the last part." Ray retorted. "When I said that I wouldn't laugh at them at all, I meant that I would never even let somebody this close to me except you! You are the only man I long for, I don't need anybody else!" She declared, completely dedicated to him.

"Wow Ray, you are such a great girlfriend! The only one I could and would ever have! Now then, how about me rewarding your conviction properly?" He addressed her, grinning at Ray seductively.

"That'd be great! Let's give our best for one last time!" She cried out in response, wanting to seal their bond of love declared just a few seconds ago with one final round of amazing sex.

"Uh!" Zarc nodded, repositioning himself until he was lying on his back. Ray got rid of her panties before crawling onto him with a grin, spreading her legs so that they went down on both sides of his abdomen. Her hands wandered downwards, playing with his chest. Zarc grabbed her by her overknee stockings, pushing her back a bit to bring her into position for the final round. "Damn, you look so sexy, Ray!" He told her, admiring her form which was resting on his. "Your large thighs dressed with these hot as shit stockings, your thicc as fuck butt, your big boobs and your curvy body! Oh right, forgot the garter belt which your stockings are strapped to!" He told as he looked upon the delicate fabric of the clothing on her abdominal area. "And right below is..." He began in an anticipating, horny voice as his erected member slowly advanced towards said region, licking his lips. She looked down to him and nodded in an agreeing fashion, granting him access to her insides. Zarc moved the tip of his dick to her entrance after that and pushed it into her, but just by an inch surprisingly. He looked up and nodded at her. She understood the signal and lowered her body towards him in a slow motion, causing Zarc's cock to gradually slide into her pussy, a groan escaping from Zarc's and Ray's lips as it happened. After Ray was sure that her insides were still wet enough from the previous rounds to ensure the appropriate safety, not wanting to hurt herself for understandable reasons, she went away again before she inched herself downwards and began bouncing on him. Zarc leaned back and enjoyed how Ray was doing all the work now, but eventually decided to assist her. He grabbed her by her hips to thrust upwards, meeting her in the middle.

"Zarc?! What are you doing?!" Ray squeaked in surprise, caught off guard as her boyfriend suddenly started moving as well.

"Helping you of course!" Zarc retorted. "You should have a good night with me after all! This is our last night before Spring Break, so we better make it memorable!" He replied.

"I see. Then let's exert ourselves!" She retorted, looking down at him with burning passion and lust.

She kept bouncing on his waist after that, her breasts jiggling through the air freely as she slowly began going berserk on his dick, rolling her hips in circular motions. Zarc kept pace with her, adapting his ascending thrusts to her motions as she continued slamming down herself onto his hard member, her tongue rolling out in pleasure again.

"Man, sometimes you can be such a thirsty bitch, Ray! Not that I mind that though!" Zarc laughed.

"Same thing goes for you, you horny bastard!" Ray grinned back at him.

Both of them went into a rampage after that, Zarc's slick cock effortlessly sliding along the walls of her moist insides, Ray letting out a little squeal at every thrust that he made, his dick pistoning with immense force now. Their faces distorted in desire, longing, pleasure, lust and strain as both of them went full power, Zarc shifting his grasp on Ray onto her butt cheeks, pushing her towards him to maximize the impact of his erected member. Before long they both began reaching their respective limits. Ray felt her boyfriend's dick twitching inside her as her pussy began clenching around it, forcing him into submission more and more, simultaneously sensing a burning feeling of her own building up inside her stomach.

"DEEPER! GO DEEPER!" Ray encouraged him to initiate the grand finale, prompting Zarc to advance further into her pussy, now being fully enveloped by the moist walls of her vagina whenever he entered her again, rocking back and forth. Her insides tightened once more, causing Zarc to wince in surprise as her pussy clamped down around his cock. Their expressions slowly changed into a look of numb ecstasy and at this very moment, it felt like nothing except the two of them was existing in the world, the only thing that mattered being his endless desire and hers. Ray slammed down her hips one last time as Zarc approached her from below, his groin hitting hers with tremendous force, pushing both of them over the edge. They cried out their respective names as they came, the sounds echoing through the air, audible even a few meters outside in the hallway. Ray collapsed onto Zarc, clinging to him as she quaked in orgasm, not able to prevent a squeal of joy from leaving her mouth. For him it wasn't much different either, closing his eyes as waves of pleasure surged through his body and a gush of sperm erupted from his manhood, filling up the depths of Ray's pussy with his cum. They remained in that position, drained from all energy, nothing of it remaining inside their bodies now. After regaining a bit of his strength, Zarc pulled on the white blanket, having a few problems with that since both of their bodies were on it and pinned it to the bed, warily wresting it out of that position. Once he had managed to do said thing, he wrapped it around the both of them, carefully covering Ray and himself with it.

"That… was… the… best… sex… ever!" Ray spoke up in a tired voice, still panting heavily from the intense intercourse, nuzzling against Zarc's chest and feeling safe and protected as she was being enveloped by his boiling body and the warm blanket.

"Agreed!" Zarc replied, tightening his embrace around her.

They continued cuddling for a while before both of them were overwhelmed by the exhaustion of the eventful night and fell asleep, soundly resting in each other's arms.

---

They woke up on the morning of the next day, the very last Friday before they were parted by the spring vacations.

"Good morning, my sweetheart!" Zarc cried out groggily as he woke up, gently kissing his girlfriend's cheek.

"Good morning, darling!" She retorted, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes for a moment before she kissed him as well. They began kissing with their lips afterwards, starting off with gentle and romantic kisses before they switched over to the more desirous ones using their tongues.

"Anyway, can you do something nice please?" Zarc spoke up. "You know, there is one thing we didn't do last night!" He told.

"Oh?" Ray raised one of her eyebrows, grinning mischievously. "I think that I know what you mean! Honestly, you're quite a kinky boyfriend! Not that I mind that though!" She crawled down his body, coming to a halt at his pubic area, and grabbed his member. In her experienced hands it slowly came to life, gradually rising upwards and getting stiff. She licked over the tip of it with a lustful expression on her face. Then she squeezed his hard member between her tits and gave him another blowjob, taking his cock into her. As he reached his limits though, she removed it from her mouth and redirected it towards her face.

"My, taking a shower this early in the morning truly feels amazing, I can tell you that!" She exclaimed in pleasure as Zarc spilled his semen all over her face, cumming at her.

"Geez Ray, you are so slutty as times!" Zarc laughed at his girlfriend's remark.

She merely shrugged her shoulders. "I told you that I would do anything for you. Besides", She began licking a few drops of his sperm from her face, "it doesn't matter than I'm looking all messy now since we're now going to the real shower anyway, right?" She stated.

"Correct! Let's go!" He exclaimed, standing up from the bed and taking her by her hand, prompting Ray to follow him. She quickly got rid of the remaining lingerie that she was still wearing from the last night. Then they walked into the bathroom and entered the shower together, Zarc turning up the hot water shortly afterwards. Ray raised her face upwards, getting rid of Zarc's reproductive fluids as she rubbed his cum from it. After she was done with that, Zarc switched off the water again, grabbing the nearby shampoo bottle. Just like his Ritual-Fragment who would eventually come into existence, he had a strong kink regarding that cleaning-fluid, pouring it into his hand before rubbing it around his dick. Then he pushed Ray forward and bent her over, prompting her to press her palms as well as her cleavage against the glass walls of the shower.

"Zarc!" She exclaimed in both surprise and anticipation, surmising that her boyfriend had yet another nice plan up his sleeves. Also she loved slippery shower-moments, so she didn't mind him fucking her right there at all, especially since it was his last day with her before the huge break as well. His hand wandered downwards and moistened her pussy with a bit of rubbing, caressing her vaginal lips and spreading them open afterwards. Then his erected member entered her for yet another time, effortlessly sliding into her due to the lubricating shampoo. He began pushing his hips forward after that, retreating a bit before he invaded her insides again. Ray let out a series of high pitched moans as he continued pushing her against the transparent shower walls, one of his hands sliding down to rub her clit while the other held her in place, putting it over her stomach. Her inner fluids mixed with the shampoo, now slowly changing into foam at his thrusts, dripped from her pussy.

"Man, Ray, you're such a dirty girl! And since you are, I have to clean your dirty insides now!" Zarc laughed as he continued to clean-fuck her. Eventually he shifted his hands and grabbed both of her arms with them, pulling her towards him by her wrists with every thrust forward. She moaned loudly at that, enjoying how he took her from behind so roughly, his hot member diving straight into her wet pussy. Since they had to hurry up because of the first lesson beginning shortly, he accelerated a bit faster than usually – not that she minded that, on the contrary, she liked that even more – coming to a finish faster and releasing his semen into her womb, her coming at the same time as well.

"That was amazing! I love it when you bang me in the shower, but I love it even more if you don't hold back!" Ray exclaimed in pleasure once they had done the deed.

"Thank you very much, it's always nice when you compliment me for my skills, Ray! Though I had to make this round a little faster due to school. Let's get dressed and begin our last day! We still have around 30 minutes before the first lesson starts!"

"That's plenty! Oh, and by the way, can we do a slippery shower again after the last lesson? I don't want to leave you without a final round of sex before the holidays!" Ray retorted.

"Sure! We can sneak out of the classroom a bit earlier if you want. But I'd like to bang you in your own room then! You know, it has gotten kind of a custom to have the last sex before the holidays there!" Zarc replied.

"No problem!" Ray responded. "Then let's get it over with school and fuck one last time before my dad picks me up at 1 pm!" She exclaimed.

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---

After school was over on Friday, they went to Ray's room for one final round of privacy. After the deed was done, Ray and Zarc said goodbye to each other, just before the exit of the building since they couldn't go any further due to Leo waiting outside.

"Take care for yourself, Ray!" Zarc said, starring into her eyes and giving her one last kiss on the cheek.

"Take care for yourself as well, Zarc!" Ray replied, kissing him on the cheek as well. They kissed with their lips for one final time before they parted, Ray waving to him as she walked through the door and went to her father's hover-car after that. Zarc looked through the window on the door and observed how the futuristic, levitating vehicle drove away before he went outside himself and left the school area, carrying the few belongings that he owned with him as he walked through the city, his destination being the apartment he used whenever he wasn't at school.

---

One year later...

Zarc entered his apartment with a heavy sigh of desperation. He had graduated from school and became a pro-duelist in the meantime, dueling in the professional league since about a half year now. But today, there had been a terrible accident that left him utterly speechless and confused. He had injured his opponent during today's duel and was both shocked and terrified by his own doing, not certain if he had done wrong now since his morals clearly told him that he had committed a terrible act, yet the audience had screamed and clapped like he was the incarnation of splendor and magnificence. Also there was this inexplicable feeling inside him that told him that it was right. He was lost, no clue what to believe now. He hoped that Ray could give him some orientation since he always relied on her opinion, so he prayed that she would be in his room now, giving him the advice he needed. But as his gaze wandered upwards, his mouth corners dropped even more. Usually she always cheered for him during his matches and he met her backstage right afterwards. But this time she had simply turned around and averted her gaze as he had been approaching her, giving him the cold shoulder, probably to punish him. He had hoped that she would meet him at his apartment at least, trying to talk things out with him. He sighed even more heavily. There was no Ray on his bed, looking at him seductively in her underwear. Not even Ray in her normal street clothes. There was just his room, empty besides his furniture. He gritted his teeth. 'Damn, where are you, Ray? Now when I need you the most...' He thought.

During the next few days, Zarc was quite depressed as he slowly began to question humanity and their true nature, shocked about what he found out, but kept on clinging to the hope that he was mistaken and that they weren't as bad as he saw them when they cheered for violence and bloodshed, their cries echoing louder the more brutality was shown to them. Also he hoped that a certain someone could help him out of his internal crisis. 'She will show up! She will show up! She will show up!' He repeated within his mind, desperately waiting for her, trying to reassure himself that she would come over to his place and help him out of his misery.

But she never came.

---

Three months later...

"THESE SHITTY BASTARDS!" Zarc shouted in outrage, entering his apartment. He just had dueled and sent his opponent to hospital, the crowd cheering and crying out his name again. He was absolutely disgusted by them, but kept on dueling because it was the only way how he could be with his only true friends, his dragons and the other monsters in his deck. Also he was more or less dependent on it since he would be broke shortly after quitting, forcing him to continue. The audience was longing for brutal battles – and brutal battles alone. Whenever he made a short attempt to talk some sense into them, they cut him off instantly, prompting him to go on with his usual reckless dueling persona, becoming more and more violent as the crowd slowly molded him into what they wanted him to be, a merciless butcher. What's worse, his fame had caused the general violence in the pro-league to spiral upwards as various other duelists started to imitate him. His hate towards humanity had reached an unprecedented peak. And the fact that the only human whom he had ever trusted had abandoned him as well just added insult to injury. He looked at the table, catching sight of a bottle. While he had never been much of a drinker, the alcohol looked really appealing to him right now for some reason, prompting him to grab it and drink a third of its contents within a single swig. He fell onto his bed, sweating from the exhaustion of the previous duel – and probably the overconsumption of booze as well. He wiped the drops from his forehead and began to debate with himself. 'No, my rage alone won't do anything helpful, neither will this alcohol! I need to make a plan how to continue with my life!' And once he was sober again, he began deliberating in the manner he used to have when he was in philosophy class in high school, thinking about if humanity had to be killed or not. Eventually he decided to do so, but as the simple human he was, he had no clue how to accomplish such a thing. Until he had a very fateful encounter, just minutes before one of his duels...

---

Five months later...

Zarc was sitting in the backstage area of the Avalon Arena, the place where he performed most of his duels. He was seated on a chair, awaiting the incoming duel with boredom. While he had begun to enjoy his duels a bit more after deciding on his Genocide-Plan since he could at least kill or hurt a few of them this way, it still exasperated him since it was so pointless in account of the gigantic masses who watched the duel and remained unharmed, rendering his efforts useless. He stared over to his opponent who sat a few feet away from him on a similar bench, checking if his deck was really ready for his next duel. 'Not that this would help him against me.' Zarc thought, observing his next challenger. He went by the stage name of Dark Sorcerer and played a Spellcaster Deck. Zarc leaned forward and rested his head on one of his arms, looking to the walls of the room apathetically, slowly beginning to accept that he was just a puppet for humanity to manipulate, unable to change the world in the way that he wanted. Suddenly something came into his field of vision, prompting him to look up.

"Hey, you!" He addressed the spectral form through the mental link he always used when talking to Duel Monsters.

"Yes?" It replied, drawing closer to him. The being turned out to be a magician, probably one of the monsters his opponent sitting nearby used. Duel Monsters often hovered around freely when they weren't used in a duel. Zarc looked at the monster more closely before his eyes widened in realization.

"Wait, you are Dark Magician, the ace monster of my next opponent!" He cried out.

The magician with the purple robe and hat nodded. "Yes, I am. And given your previous words, I suspect that you are the duelist my controller will be facing today." He calmly retorted to the silver and lime green haired man.

"Yes, I am. My name is Zarc by the way, nice to meet you. But one question, why can I talk to you? I cannot talk to my dragons after all, and they have been with me since the very beginning!"

The expression on the magician's face changed rapidly after that statement. "Wait, what?! You have dragons and they were with you since the very beginning?!" He asked in a shocked tone. "How many dragons?!" He inquired.

Zarc looked at the monster in a clueless manner, no idea why the calm magician was freaking out because of his dragons like that. "Well, four." He replied. "Why do you even ask about it? Is it important?" He asked the monster.

"FOUR?! Wait, can it be?!" Black Magician exclaimed. Then something looking like a runic circle appeared in front of one of his eyes, apparently scanning Zarc with it from what he could assume. After a while, the expression of the Duel Monster changed even more, taking a few steps back in disbelief. "No, this must be a dream! It can't be! Someone is just trying to play a silly prank on me! IT JUST CAN'T BE!" He shouted. After a few seconds he looked rightwards where his duelist was still looking over his cards. "Hey, Dark Sage! You have to see this!" He shouted.

"Oi, why are you waking me up from my slumber, Dark Magician?" A monster looking like an older version of the former said groggily, rubbing his eyes as if he had been asleep for a while now, slowly hovering over to them.

"This is my senior, Dark Sage. He has been around for a while longer than me, so if he can confirm what I just saw, it has to be true!" The younger magician explained to Zarc as Dark Sage slowly made his way over to them.

"What you just saw? Was it really so important that you had to wake me up?" The older magician inquired.

"If it is true, it definitely was, that's for sure!" Dark Magician cried out in response.

"Well, then let's see if you were right!" Dark Sage stated. "But if you were wrong, you will have to take a few obligatory alchemy lessons as a punishment for disturbing my slumber!" He warned his apprentice, Dark Magician visibly flinching at that. Apparently he was not much of a fan of that arcane subject. "Now then..." The elder mage began, scanning Zarc with a similar rune in front of his right eyes as Dark Magician, though his was more detailed than the one his apprentice had used. Suddenly he gasped in shock, also taking a little step backwards. "YOU WERE RIGHT, DARK MAGICIAN! HE HAS THE DESTINY FACTOR!" He cried out loudly.

As the elder magician mentioned said term, multiple monsters inside the deck of Zarc's opponent perked up, manifesting in their spirit forms and flying toward him. Soon the silver haired male was surrounded by a crowd of spellcasters bombarding him with questions and statements.

"Wait, are you really the savior?" A magician with a strong facial resemblance to Dark Magician addressed him. If Zarc remembered correctly, that monster was called Palladium Oracle Mahad.

"That boy has the Destiny Factor?" Another magician stated in a doubtful voice, raising an eyebrow. It looked like Dark Magician with brownish robes and wore a purple cape. 'Dark Eradicator Warlock.' It shot through Zarc's mind as he recognized the monster.

"Oh my god, it's so great to meet you in person!" A female sorcerer with light blue-pinkish clothes squealed excitedly. Zarc knew what her name was instantly. It was an incredibly well known monster of his opponent, the apprentice of the Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl.

"It's an honor to meet you, mylord!" Another mage spoke up in a deep voice. Zarc didn't know this one too well, but if he remembered correctly, his name was Endymion, the Master Magician.

"That boy and the Destiny Factor?! Hah, laughable!" A magician dressed in black robes exclaimed scornfully. His name was Sorcerer of Dark Magic. Or at least Zarc hoped that he got the name right there.

"Agreed! I always pictured the savior a little bit more imposing!" Another female mage said, going by the name of Apprentice Illusion Magician.

"Don't insult the liberator like that! You shouldn't be so disrespectful in his presence!" Another spellcaster admonished the former two. As far as Zarc knew he was an Xyz-Monster called Ebon Illusion Magician.

"That's right! The savior should not be humiliated by your words in such a way!" Another magician chimed in with a calm voice, criticizing his comrades as he agreed with Ebon Illusion Magician. He was a Synchro-Monster named Arcanite Magician.

Zarc's head nearly exploded at the enormous input, multiple monsters addressing him almost simultaneously. He covered his ears as they kept discussing in a heated argument whether he was the savior or not, the tension rising endlessly. Eventually their argument was interrupted by a loud voice full of authority.

"SILENCE!" The voice cried out, causing all of the previous magicians to flinch as an even stronger spellcaster appeared. As all of the mages shut up, the voice continued. "I am glad to see you, mylord! Your arrival has been foretold since millennia!" The leader of the spellcasters said in a much smoother tone than before.

Zarc instantly recognized the monster. While Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were surely his opponent's signature cards, the monster right before him was his true trump card. A level twelve Fusion-Monster that could only be summoned by merging five spellcasters, having a boardwipe on summon and decent protection effects, along with the highest ATK and DEF of any Spellcaster-Monster in the game. Quintet Magician.

"I have a question!" Zarc spoke up. "And I already asked your subordinate the very same question, but he didn't answer me. Why can I hear you and your friends when I can't sense more from my dragons than their emotions?" He addressed Quintet Magician.

"Oh, that's because we magicians have a special connection to people who can hear the voices of Monster Spirits. Since we are humanoid, we can talk to the likes of you better. Whereas your dragons are a little bit more reptilian." The mage explained.

Zarc rubbed his chin in a deliberating manner. "Hmm, makes sense I guess. But now, what is this Destiny Factor your subordinates have been talking about? I really need an explanation instead of people shouting at me if I have it or not or whether I am that savior they keep talking about so much!"

"Very well." Quintet replied. "The Destiny Factor is a certain element inside you, the proof of being the chosen one of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!"

"The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?" Zarc repeated. "What's that, a monster or something?"

Quintet Magician nodded. "Yes, it is the strongest monster in existence. It was foretold that it would free us Monster Spirits from our eternal slavery eventually and the one to execute his plans would have the Destiny Factor as a sign, indicating that he is the savior." He explained.

"Eternal slavery?! Does that mean that you Monster Spirits are being oppressed by us humans?!" Zarc cried out in shock.

The mage nodded again. "Unfortunately, yes. You should know that we don't only speak and communicate with humans, but also feel the same sensations as them. Humanity believes that we are nothing but realistic holograms, but that's not true." He replied.

Zarc gasped in shock. "Wait, does that mean that you are completely sentient beings then?!" He cried out in terror, afraid of what the sorcerer would reply.

"Yes, we are. Whenever we are sliced apart, pierced or blown up in the arena, we actually feel how we are sliced apart, pierced or blown up. In combination with our immortality this becomes a double curse, since we are sometimes brought back to the field, only to perish in the most gruesome way again. The worst thing about it is that we were created with pure souls. You might not know, but at heart, every Monster Spirit is good, even those who look scary and wicked. We don't hold any grudges against each other and only fight as long as nobody takes any real damage. Or you could say that the only instance where we oppose each other is when we fool around a bit. What you would call sportsmanlike competition is what we would call the worst form of conflict. In other words, we don't do what you would define as fighting. Which makes it even more painful when the humans order us to slaughter each other, especially for the stronger monsters who have to kill so many innocent and defenseless little ones over and over. But we have to obey, since the binding spell which we are all under forces us to to what the humans command." The magician told Zarc.

He gritted his teeth at that, his anger completely consuming him. "So every time my dragons were destroyed...!" He began in outrage. Suddenly he was very keen on tracking down every duelist who had ever destroyed them in order to kill these people. 'So it's true.' He thought to himself. 'They are really that bad. The good image I had of them was all just facade after all.' At this moment, a thought slipped into his mind.

"I can sense, now it's all become clear to see; You're no good, and you mean no good, treacherously." He whispered, reciting two lines from his idol Aizen's signature theme "Treachery".

"But why don't you rebel against that?! You could turn on the humans instead and wipe them out! Then they could never force you to kill your comrades again!" He addressed the magician after that.

"Unfortunately, we can't." Quintet retorted. "To explain the entirety of the conflict to you, we have to go a few billions of years back in time. When the universe was created, there were two forces, giving birth to all creation through their combined powers of twilight. One of them rapidly dissolved however, leaving the other one behind alone. This remaining force was the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, a being so incredibly powerful that nobody could even dream of opposing him. He created the Spiritual Realm, the place where all Monster Spirits originate from. Since we are from there, no creature aside from other spirits can harm us. For instance the humans living in this plain, the Physical Realm. While these two realms are generally separated, they are still like the double helix of a DNA-string: Without one another, neither of them could exist. Like your universe here in the Physical Realm, our world keeps expanding. Whenever a new monster is created here in the form of a card, a spirit from our world passes over to occupy it."

"I see. So that's why there hadn't been any problems with implementing new cards into the Real Solid Vision-System. They had their realistic forms before they became cards, that's why they don't have to make one for them." Zarc stated in a deliberating manner.

"Correct. But so that you know why we even go into cards instead of just appearing in this form I currently have but with a real body, like your RSV-System so to speak, I have to go back in time again. Initially, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor mostly dwelled inside and kept watching the Spiritual Realm as he was its guardian and creator, but passed over and looked into the Physical Realm as well since its creator, his former comrade, was no longer there to care for it. He observed how life on certain planets grew, but none was as exceptional as your earth. As he watched how protozoa slowly developed into animals, he gradually began to notice a flaw in the biological life his friend had once created: Unlike us Monster Spirits who live in perfect harmony, the lifeforms in the Physical Realm bore conflict in their hearts, climaxing in humanity who used their great intellect for war instead of establishing an utopia like us. They also had a strong lust for power and couldn't bear to be overruled by anything else, resulting in them trying to kill the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor as they saw a tyrant in him and felt threatened by his existence, despite his noble ethos and passivity."

Zarc gasped. "Don't say that they managed to...!" He began in a shocked tone.

Quintet merely chuckled. "Kill him? Hah, these pathetic beings weren't even close to that! They used magic to pull some of us spirits over into the Physical Realm, sealing us into stone tablets afterwards to make us fight our ruler. But no matter how many of the smaller monsters they sent against him, it was utterly futile. Not because he destroyed them, oh no! He didn't even have to hurt us since he possessed a godly power as one of the creators of the universe and progenitor of all Monster Spirits. It forced any spirit to obey, something we did on our on accord in most cases since he was the very creator of us. The few monsters that opposed him – similar to your biblical story of Satan trying to overthrow God – throughout the billions of years of our history were forced into submission with that ability; and these monsters were beings of unreal power, probably winning any duelist in that arena over there match after match if they had one of them. But even those monsters couldn't stand up to him, so the few monsters the humans were able to take captive were utterly useless against the great dragon. The humans not only failed with their plan to overthrow the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, they also infuriated him by using his own kin as unwilling pawns against him. They were almost wiped out completely as result. However, at the last moment the Ancient Egyptians were able to create three secret weapons against the great dragon by enslaving three mighty spirits from our realm."

"Wait do you mean...?!"

"Yes, the three God Cards which you know from that TV-Show. It's actually halfway based on history. With powerful binds, they were able to control these three beings to do their bidding, their control spells so powerful that even the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor couldn't break them and turn them back to his side. With the power of The Celestial Dragon of Osiris – also known as Slifer the Sky Dragon –, The Great Soldier Obelisk and The Winged Sun Dragon of Ra, humankind was able to seal the great dragon since their puny efforts to kill him failed miserably. But no matter how often they tried to capture him in a stone tablet, the dragon broke out of it every time. He didn't allow himself to be enslaved as he was the most powerful being in the universe, only capable of being restrained, but never truly controlled. Eventually they gave up and settled with the result, letting the enchained dragon roam around the universe in his spiritual form. They thought that they had solved the problem for good, but how wrong they were! The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor is a being far craftier than any human after all. He knew that while all Monster Spirits were immediately sealed into stone tablets from now on – or later on into cards – whenever they crossed the worlds, forcefully being pulled into the Physical Realm whenever a new Monster-Card was created, he still saw the flaw in this seemingly perfect scheme of humankind: While no spirit could ever harm a human on its own accord due to the magical bindings that I've mentioned before, therefore preventing any Monster Spirit from opposing humanity, they still could hurt or kill them if another human ordered them to do so. As he watched how the humans began using the game of Duel Monsters as a way of fighting, a sly grin gradually formed on the great dragon's countenance. Since his former partner who had created the Physical Realm at the beginning of all time and space no longer existed, he decided to cleanse it, viewing it as if his comrade had failed with the creation of its part of the universe. Looking down upon the devilish and violent humans, he decided that their time was over for good now. That's when he set his plans into motion. He appeared before us in the Spiritual Realm to make a legendary announcement, a prophecy being passed down for countless generations so to speak. Only a few of my subordinates have seen it since me and some other of the older magicians here were already trapped in the Physical Realm as that happened. But all Monster Spirits in this world know about it through the spirits that came here later on who heard his speech back then. He appeared there in chains, still locked down by the curse the humans had put him under. But he reassured us that the time would come when he would be free again, foretelling the arrival of a human who would have a small piece of him inside called the Destiny Factor. This human would burst open the chains of the great dragon, become the savior of the world and start an eternal utopia through the dark purification of the Physical Realm. After that, he dissolved, but he still wasn't dead as he merely took another form of existence."

"Dark purification?" Zarc asked, something inside his brain flaring to life at that term. "Then how do I achieve that if I'm that savior with this Destiny Factor? How do I accomplish this utopia?"

"It is told that the savior will have four dragons as a sign of his true identity. The person with them can then communicate with Monster Spirits and bring them onto his own side, unifying all enslaved spirits under his banner, exactly like the dragon emperor himself could do all those millennia ago." The mage continued.

"But I can't even talk to my dragons! How can I be the savior then?!" An insecure Zarc shouted back within his mind.

"It was also foretold that the savior would once encounter a magician who bestowed the power to fully understand all other monsters onto him. Looks like he meant me with that." Quintet Magician replied.

"He has foreseen all of this?!" Zarc exclaimed in shock.

"Naturally. The power of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor is determining destiny itself after all." Dark Magician spoke up. After that, Quintet rose his right hand and pointed at the white haired male with his open palm, runic energy flowing over to his ears. Suddenly a choir of voices invaded Zarc's mind.

"Do you think that he can hear us now?" The first one asked, hissing a bit.

"I think that he can!" Another voice replied in a clear and exalted tone.

"Probably. Quintet just did his thing, just as the prophecy has foretold." A deep voice added in a stoic manner.

"Zarc? Zarc?! Can you hear us?" A bright and friendly voice addressed him.

"Yes. Who are you...?" He asked in an insecure voice.

"You don't recognize me? It's me, Odd-Eyes!" The bright voice told him.

Zarc gasped, covering his mouth in shock. "Wait, you are Odd-Eyes?!" He asked, astonished by the unbelievable events.

"Yup! I am your beloved red dragon! Now then guys, you should introduce yourselves too!"

"Very well then, I'm Starve Venom, nice to officially meet you at last!" He heard the hissing voice say. "By the way, don't feel intimidated by my hissing. I always do that." He added.

"I see." Zarc smiled. "You have saved me out of a lot of pinches with your powerful effects already! Thank you for that, sincerely!" He addressed the dragon.

"Oh, no problem! I love lacerating these filthy humans anyway, so I'll gladly help you sending a few more of them to their graves! Also I'm your dragon guardian, so I have to protect you faithfully after all!"

"Dragon guardian? What's that supposed to mean?" Zarc asked his Fusion Dragon.

"We'll come to that later." The deep and stoic voice spoke up. "In the meantime I can introduce myself. My name is Dark Rebellion, your ever faithful Xyz Dragon. Nice to meet you!" He said.

"Nice to meet you as well." Zarc replied, still a little uncertain if he wasn't going crazy now.

"And finally it's me, Clear Wing!" The clear, exalted voice spoke up. "It's a great pleasure to communicate with you at last!" He addressed his master.

"Likewise." Zarc replied. "So you four were protecting me for all those years? Is that the reason why Starve Venom said that you were my dragon guardians?" Zarc addressed them.

"That's right. We were employed as a safety measure to make sure that you wouldn't die, ensuring that the events foretold in the prophecy would come true. The great dragon himself made sure to control destiny just good enough so that you would make it through your childhood and could save us all one day. He has barely any powers compared to his former glory right now, but still managed to muster enough strength to assist you through your harsh life. You had a few problems connecting to other people after all. And in this world, those who are alone are lost very often." Dark Rebellion spoke up in his usual stoic manner.

"I see. So that's why I was always with you and made it through despite initial struggles. The great dragon made sure to keep me safe. But where did you even come from?" He asked them.

"Well, that is connected to the prophecy as well." Clear Wing replied.

"And what is the prophecy precisely? I still have no clue how I can rid this world of humanity! I already deliberated, but never found a way to achieve that goal! After all, I'm only a feeble 19 years old child!" He exclaimed in a desperate tone, tears welling up from his eyes. "They pollute and defile this world, torture nature, animals and you – my precious Monster Spirits – alike! They are cruel and inhumane – contrary to the origin of that word! This world is just not fair! HOW CAN THEY INFLICT SO MUCH PAIN WITHOUT BEING PUNISHED FOR IT AT ALL?! HOW CAN THEY TRAMPLE DOWN ALL OTHER BEINGS AS IF THEY WERE JUST A BUNCH OF ANTS?!" He screamed inside his mind, sobbing loudly in grief and sorrow, the repressed feelings and beliefs from his childhood returning, far stronger and more overwhelming than before.

"The solution for this problem is very simple. You have to merge with us." Odd-Eyes responded.

"Merge?" Zarc asked his dragon, wiping the tears from his eyes.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST; not audible to the characters in the story by the way; has new lyrics which appear in brackets)

"The prophecy tells that the savior receiving the Destiny Factor would attain four dragons at his birth – us." Odd-Eyes began his explanation.

"But we are more than just normal Monster Spirits. We are the Heavenly Dragons, the physical manifestation of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor in this world." Clear Wing added.

"You are... the great dragon?!" Zarc asked them in disbelief.

"Yeah, at least a part of him." Dark Rebellion replied.

"And the other part of the great dragon – the spiritual part, his soul and heart so to speak – is inside you. That's what the Destiny Factor truly is!" Starve Venom continued.

"Wait, so does that mean that I am...?!" Zarc stammered.

"Yeah, technically. But the major part of the great dragon's soul is still hovering through the universe and trapped in the chains of humankind. But there is a way for you to break their bindings!" Odd-Eyes stated.

"What way?! Tell me!" Zarc demanded.

"As we said, you have to merge with us for that." The red dragon repeated.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

"But why? Can't you just lend me your powers so that I can kill them all?" Zarc questioned.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

"No, its a little bit more complicated. Even with our help you will never be able to overwhelm the armies of slave monsters humankind sends against you." Dark Rebellion retorted.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

"That's why we have to merge. You have to transcend the limits of both human and Monster Spirit." Starve Venom went on.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

"Wait, transcend both?! Are you telling me that I'm a...?!" He uttered.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

"Yes, you are also a Monster Spirit. Your Destiny Factor is basically a second heart inside your chest, a heart pounding in the rhythm of a spirit." Dark Rebellion told him.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

"So that's why a part of me didn't feel bad when I hurt that one guy..." He realized, reflecting on the fateful accident.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

"Yes, as the liberator of us spirits you are the one in charge for their elimination after all." Clear Wing added.

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

"And you will do so in time." Odd-Eyes finished.

"But how do I transcend my humanity?! What will that even be useful for?!" Zarc asked Odd-Eyes. "After all, I'll still remain a weakling, won't I?!" He cried out in exasperation about his own weakness.

"WRONG!" Starve Venom replied fiercely, causing him to flinch.

"Just think about it." Dark Rebellion chimed in, his voice softer than the Fusion Dragon's in order to encourage his master who was full of insecurities, beginning to explain. "You know, a Monster Spirit may be untouchable for beings in this realm since they cannot harm them. But a spirit can also not harm any human except when another orders him to do so." He told.

"And a human can be killed by all sorts of weapons and beings, but they aren't limited by anything except their mortality." Clear Wing continued.

"But a being that transcends both and unites them into one has it all: It is immortal and cannot be harmed by anything aside from other Monster Spirits, but since it is still partially a human, it can harm the humans and kill them." Odd-Eyes added.

"And because you are the savior, you can command the monsters to follow you and break out of their bindings, rendering the duel disks and spirits of humankind useless!" Starve Venom remarked in a victorious tone.

"You just need to become one with us for that!" Odd-Eyes concluded.

"I see!" Zarc said, a malicious smirk slowly crawling onto his face. "Now then, how do I become one with you?"

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

"The great dragon has foretold that the first of his many shackles would break by the power of a mighty sorcerer." Clear Wing stated.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

"A mighty sorcerer?" Zarc repeated. "Anything more specific?" He inquired.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

"Actually, yes. It's name is Astrograph Magician. With its abysmal powers, our flesh and consciousness can be combined, according to the prophecy that is." Dark Rebellion responded.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

"How do I get access to this magician? I have never read about it anywhere yet." Zarc asked.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

"Naturally. It has to be created by your will. If your determination is strong enough, it will simply appear in your palm." Starve Venom said.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

"I understand. And what after I have created him?" He asked his dragons.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

"You call upon his powers to reshape us into one. Then we carry out our plan." Dark Rebellion told him.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

"Once that has happened, we will roam the earth as a single being. A being that combines both traits into one, possible through the Destiny Factor inside you." Odd-Eyes stated.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

"You mean that the Destiny Factor is like Aizen's Hōgyoku?!" Zarc exclaimed in both shock and surprise.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

"While the part of uniting the power of two different beings into one is true, your Destiny Factor is far more superior than the Hōgyoku!" Odd-Eyes replied.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

"Your power is to decide destiny itself once the factor – or rather the soul of the great dragon – accepts you." Clear Wing said.

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

"And once it does, it will never turn its back to you and let you down like it happened with Aizen!" Starve Venom added.

"And while it may only grant you a portion of its full powers at first, you will become a god who can change the world into anything he wants once it accepts you fully! Like the Hōgyoku, it will be able to fulfill your deepest wishes!" Odd-Eyes concluded.

"I see!" He stated, grinning sadistically. "Then I will wipe out all of them and cleanse this world to reshape it into a realm of only peace and truth afterwards, a world free of despicable humans!" He cried out within his mind with a voice full of savage bloodlust. "BEWARE HUMANS, I'VE MADE MY DECISION! FOR THE SAKE OF A BETTER WORLD, YOU ABOMINABLE CREATURES WILL BE WIPED OUT!" He shouted, an intense determination seizing his heart and mind. "SOON IT WILL BE THE LAST DAY OF YOU ALL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs within the mental connection between him, the dragons and the magicians, prompting all of them to grin viciously in anticipation of their imminent, well deserved revenge against humanity.

( 15 Invasion - Bleach OST end)

---

Three months later...

Zarc was inside his apartment, standing in the middle of the room, his right arm raised into the air. He quietly uttered something sounding like an incantation, his eyes closed in concentration.

"Omniscient magician who can control time, stars and space-time! Head my calling and descend to this plain, so that I may attain victory alongside thee! I call upon thee to purify this world in a vortex of cleansing darkness! Lend me thy powers so that no Monster Spirit will ever be in pain again!" He shouted, his eyes closed in a focusing manner. "With thy arrival, a new era will come forth! Now I shall give birth to thee and create a new order, a world free of abysmal humans!"

A pillar of light shot towards the sky, even piercing through the ceiling of the building where Zarc lived. Yet nobody noticed the shining pillar due to being unable to see it, since it was only visible to spirits. Except for one person...

---

A few miles away...

Ray walked through the streets with one of her friends. They had just gone shopping together, both of them wearing bags filled with their purchases. Suddenly Ray noticed something, prompting her to turn her head.

"What is it, Ray?" Her friend asked her in a confused tone. "Is something over there?" She asked the red and maroon haired girl.

Ray looked westwards. 'What is that light? Isn't that where Zarc lives? Am I imagining things now?' She debated with herself. She blinked once, only to see that the apparition wasn't there anymore.

"Don't tell me that you look over there because you miss HIM!" Her friend addressed her in an indignant voice. "You said yourself that you would only forgive him if he turned to the police and went to jail for hurting that one guy and all duelists he injured after that!" She reminded her of her own intent.

Ray's heart jumped, reminded about her former boyfriend. While she still loved him from the bottom of her heart, she couldn't bring herself to be with him as long as he was a butcher and murderer. If he turned in and accepted the punishment for his crimes, she would gladly be with him again and immediately greet him as he came out of prison after his sentence, waiting at the entrance. But as long as he didn't admit his crimes, she would keep her distance from him; she just couldn't do it, there was an insurmountable gap between her and violence. 'Zarc, please just give in! I know that you aren't a bad person! I need you by my side again! Without you, it feels like as if there was a large hole inside my heart!' She thought wistfully.

---

Meanwhile inside the apartment...

"THE ALL POWERFUL SORCERER WHO WILL UNBIND THE GREAT DRAGON! NOW MANIFEST AND BESTOW YOUR DIVINE POWERS ONTO ME! COME FORTH, ASTROGRAPH MAGICIAN!" Zarc cried out, a card materializing in his palm. He smirked as he looked down on it. "Finally! Finally I have the power I need to destroy this world in order to form a new one! Appear before me, oh mighty magician!" He shouted, as a sorcerer clad in a blue robe wearing a cape looking like the stars of cosmos itself appeared and manifested in a form that was actually tangible like monsters summoned with the RSV-System.

"What is your bidding, my master?" Astrograph asked him, looking down to the silver haired male.

"I want you to unify myself with my four dragons so that we become a being that transcends both Monster Spirits and humans!" Zarc replied to the magician.

"I see. But I wouldn't recommend becoming one with the Heavenly Dragons just yet." Astrograph suggested.

"Why not?" Zarc asked in a confused tone.

"You see, the Integration Summon takes a while and the humans living in this city will probably realize what's going on since you will break the ceiling of this building for instance. The process is visible and audible like nothing you have ever seen before. So if you try to unite with the dragons through my power now, they will be able to kill you in the process of becoming one with them since you are still human for the most part." Astrograph explained.

"Wait, does that mean I can't become that transcendent being which is supposed to save the world since they can always see and cancel me if I try to conduct the integration?!" Zarc asked, the tone in his voice approaching desperation again.

"No, you can unify yourself with your dragons without them killing you while doing so. You just need to protect yourself while you are still vulnerable to their weapons."

"And how do I do that?" Zarc inquired in a curious tone.

"With Reikonmadou, also known as Spirit- or Soul Magic." Astrograph replied.

"Reikonmadou?! You mean like using actual magic?! Such a thing exists?!" He questioned in a shocked voice.

Astrograph chuckled. "Of course magic exists! Didn't Quintet already tell you that the Ancient Egyptians used magic to enslave the first spirits? That magic is Reikonmadou, a way to control momentum to do pretty much everything you could imagine. But as the Supreme Dragon King you will be after uniting with the four dragons, you already have access to an even stronger form of Reikonmadou, the so called Haōmadou – the Supreme King Magic. It is part of Jyujutsu, the entirety of magic so to speak. But while Reikonmadou is a rather low form of Jyujutsu, your Haōmadou will be much more potent! You have a natural talent for it, so you are able to perform it at any given time. You just need to practice and learn how to access your powers and perform these spells properly. And I will be your guide for that!" Astrograph declared.

"I see! Then teach me about that magic so I can wipe out these abysmal humans at last!" Zarc commanded.

"It will be my honor, Master Zarc!" Astrograph retorted, bowing before him.

"It's time!" Zarc whispered. "The dark purification of this world is at hand!" He stated, grinning devilishly.

---

One month later...

-"ZARC! ZARC! ZARC! ZARC! ZARC!"- A huge crowd cried out repeatedly.

Zarc was standing in the middle of the Avalon Arena. He had just defeated multiple opponents in a duel, their bodies lying on the ground before him. A lot of people had been watching the slaughter like always, cheering for him in their usual manner. Somewhere in the ranks of the spectators Leo Akaba, still young and having his hair, was seated. Next to him sat Ray, a scowl on her face as she had just seen her former boyfriend using his brutal dueling style again, still not back on the right path and not admitting his atrocities.

"IS THAT IT?! IS THAT REALLY ALL YOU HAVE?!" Zarc cried out, his right arm shooting rightwards in a challenging motion. He angled his arms towards him as he continued. "I WANT TO FIGHT MORE! EVEN STRONGER! AND EVEN MORE BRUTAL!" He shouted, the audience cheering even louder at that.

"YOUR STRENGTH IS AMAZING!" A man shouted.

"SHOW US EVEN MORE OF YOUR SPLENDID DUELS, ZARC!" Another man demanded.

-"MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!"- Their cries echoed through the stadium.

Zarc's expression changed into a devilish grin. "VERY WELL! IF THAT IS YOUR DESIRE, I'LL GLADLY FULFILL IT! IF YOU WANT ME AND MY DRAGONS TO BECOME STRONGER, WE WILL BECOME STRONGER! STRONG ENOUGH TO DESTROY THIS ENTIRE WORLD!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, the four dragon cards in his hand beginning to glow brightly.

Leo's eyes widened. "Destroy... the entire world...?!" He uttered fearfully.

"Zarc, what are you planning?" Ray whispered to herself.

"EXACTLY! WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR FIGHT! AND I PROMISE THAT THE NOW FOLLOWING SHOW OF UNPRECEDENTED VICIOUSNESS AND BRUTALITY WILL SATISFY ALL OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS!" Zarc continued, slamming down the four cards onto his duel disk as he rose his left hand and activated it.

The dragons soared into the air, creating a circle as all four of them grouped up, hovering in the middle of the stadium with their backs turned to each other. The audience gasped in anticipation, curious about what Zarc meant with that never before seen show.

"NOW, HUMANS, IT'S YOUR TURN TO BE TRAMPLED DOWN AND SQUASHED LIKE ANTS!" Zarc exclaimed as his dragons unleashed their beams of destruction at the audience, the crowd within the stadium screaming in terror as the momentum rays rained down on them, evaporating everything they came in touch with. They tried to get out of the stadium, some of them being caught by one of the dragons on the way. Dark Rebellion's tusks raged through the evacuating masses, slicing apart any humans they met, leaving back a trail of blood as it made its laps around the stadium. Starve Venom unfolded all of its tentacles, having flytrap-like jaws on their ends. They swiped through the air, catching any human in their way and biting them in two halves with them. The dragon also used its signature attack Poison Death Sentence – Hell's Aurora from time to time, firing greenish beams of energy and electrocuting the spectators with its purplish lightnings. Clear Wing spun through the air, practically becoming a death spiral as its signature attack sent all humans it collided with to their graves. Lastly Odd-Eyes wasn't as active as its comrades. As Leo looked back while he was on his way out of the stadium with his daughter, he saw Zarc lazily sitting on a gigantic blue crystal, the very same crystal that had hung on the ceiling of the stadium before with several monitors on it to allow the audience to better see what the cameras closer to the action on the field filmed. It had crashed down during the previous destruction, Zarc sitting on the edge of it, his feet loosely dangling downwards. Behind him, his red dragon rested, Zarc petting the creature and – from the looks of it – talking to it in a friendly, reassuring tone. Then Zarc let go of the dragon as it seemed to nod, unleashing a beam at the remaining audience afterwards. Suddenly his daughter spoke up next to him.

"Anger." She whispered anxiously. Leo looked over to her as she continued, trembling in fear. "The monsters. They are incredibly angry at us!" She uttered in horror.

Leo's eyes widened. "They have emotions?! Could that mean that they are… sentient beings then?!" He whispered in terror. Meanwhile Ray covered her mouth in shock as she slowly began hearing four voices, her sensitivity to Monster Spirits rising at this moment.

"Time to die, you filthy humans!" She heard a hissing voice, belonging to Starve Venom.

"How do you like being sliced in half?!" The usually stoic Xyz-Dragon cried out loudly in a vicious tone as his tusk kept slaughtering humans.

"Let's dance, mortal scum!" The exalted voice of Clear Wing yelled as the dragon kept waltzing around the stadium, its Helldive Whirlwind Slasher killing spectator after spectator.

"None of you shall escape!" Even the friendly Effect-Monster Dragon shouted mercilessly as he unleashed another beam of red light on the masses.

'Impossible...! Are these...?!' Ray began in her thoughts as her father kept dragging her after him, trying to get out of this hellish massacre.

"Where the hell is the army?!" One of the people next to them exclaimed.

"Look, there!" A woman retorted, pointing upwards. They observed how a few helicopters drew closer, firing a series of rockets at the demon duelist in the middle of the stadium. However, his dragons returned to him in time and shielded him, blocking the missiles.

"Kuh!" One of the men in the helicopters cursed. "He uses his dragons as living shields since they cannot be harmed by any weapon! Then let's use something so fast that they cannot block it! Snipers, get ready!" He commanded. The sliding doors of the helicopters on the hinder part of the vehicles were flung open, several people taking a seat on the edges of those areas. The aircrafts surrounded the stadium simultaneously.

Zarc watched how the men in the helicopters got their weapons ready, trying to shoot him down. "You think you can kill me?" He whispered in a derisive tone. "That would be the case if I still was the powerless child from all those years ago! But I have evolved and am now determined to wipe out all of you!" After that, he began chanting. "Eternal flow of time! Decelerate and become absolute nothingness as everything stops! World, freeze and turn into a plain of completely standstill!" Meanwhile the soldiers finished readying their riffles.

"FIRE!" Their commander cried out, multiple dozens of snipers aiming and launching their missiles at Zarc.

"NO!" Ray screamed in horror, the cry escaping her lips in spite of her best efforts to suppress it, not wanting her old friend and lover to die, despite everything he had done up until now.

"Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi!" Zarc finished in the exact same second. Everything came to a halt at once, the bullets stopping in their tracks and all people and beings around him freezing in time. Zarc smirked, beginning to walk forward with a victorious grin on his face. "Supreme King Magic, Technique 23 – Time Standstill!" He stated. "It's a Jyujutsu-Spell that can temporarily stop time and turn everything into still standing objects while the user is the only one able to move. Just like Dio's stand "The World" so to speak!" He looked upwards at the snipers after that, having fierce expressions on their faces as they were sure that they would kill the demon within mere milliseconds of delay. 'Naively.' He added in his thoughts. "Now then, time to get rid of those guys!" He remarked. "Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 7 – Invisible Wings) He flew up after that, hovering upwards until he had reached the height of the helicopters. "Man, they are so unsuspecting about what will happen now!" He laughed as he flew over to one of the vehicles. "Slicing sharpness! Manifest as a dark blade and cut down my foes! Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic – Darkness Sword) He shouted as a blade made from pure obscure darkness formed in front of him. He grasped it and sliced open the guts of the first helicopter's crew with a single slash. "Nice! Now to the next!" He stated.

Ray starred at the events unfolding before her in horror, her best friend close to dying from the soldiers. But strangely the bullets didn't reach her old lover as Zarc suddenly stood a few meters away from the area they collided with. Simultaneously multiple men dropped down from the helicopters, bleeding from fatal wounds on their torsos. Zarc merely grinned, looking upwards as the killed men rained down.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT WAS THAT?!" A man near her exclaimed in indignation and shock. "I'm tired of this! Gilford the Lightning, cut down these dragons!" He yelled, activating and slamming a monster on his duel disk. A warrior appeared, charging at Dark Rebellion. "Yeah! Show this black dragon what a real blade looks like!" He cried out as Gilford was on his way to cross the blades with Zarc's Xyz Dragon. Zarc turned around and scowled as he saw his precious dragon under attack by the man's spirit. "TURN AROUND!" He yelled angrily. Suddenly the warrior stopped attacking the dragon and parted with his sword from Dark Rebellion's tusks. He approached his controller with an eerie expression on his face. "Wait Gildford, what are you doing?" The man began in a tone halfway between surprise, indignation and fear. "I ordered you to...!" But he couldn't go on any further because his monster rammed its sword through his chest, a fountain of blood gushing out of his body. "Why...?" He uttered weakly, dropping to the ground and looking ahead with an empty expression on his face as he slowly bled out, eventually closing his eyes as he died.

'Wait?! Did that Duel Monster just turn on its master?!' Ray thought in panic and horror as she observed how the man fell. She turned her head again as her father screamed at her.

"HURRY RAY! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS HELL NOW!" He shouted in terror and fear as he dragged his daughter out of the stadium.

"TO ME!" Zarc bellowed, several spirits leaving their cards and flocking around him. Ray looked back in shock as the monsters of all the people in the stadium came to life and manifested, striking down the masses even faster. Ray noticed that Zarc's duel disk wasn't even activated anymore, but the dragons still remained normal. 'Don't tell me that Zarc really managed to bring these creatures to life, and in an even more perfected state than my father's Real Solid Vision as well!' She thought in shock. On this day, she and Leo got out alive. But many weren't so lucky as Zarc's dragons and the rest of the spirits killed thousands, initiating his revenge-crusade against humanity.

"TREMBLE IN FEAR, PUNY HUMANS! THE END FOR YOU ALL IS HERE AT LAST!" Zarc cried out. That was the last thing Ray heard from him before she and her father left the stadium.

---

Ray trembled, the cold of the night clinging to her. It had been two weeks since Zarc had started his genocide, two weeks since the apocalypse had begun. He and his dragons, alongside the other monsters he had recruited, kept on their rampage, slaughtering humans wherever they went. Duel Monsters proved to be a useless weapon against him as any spirit used to fight back was turned and joined Zarc's side, immediately cutting down its former master in most cases. Conventional weapons weren't any more effective either since Zarc used mysterious, supernatural powers to protect himself against them; that is if his spirits didn't shield him of course. He mercilessly advanced towards the outer regions of Avalon City, cleansing the area around the arena systematically. Humanity had to retreat slowly, even if all countries in the world had sent supply and weapons here to the capital of Japan. No matter how much support arrived, it was never enough to oppose Zarc's sinister purge. "I could have saved him! I could have talked things out with him! Why did I give him the cold shoulder when he needed me the most?!" She regretted. Then a determined expression formed on her face. "Maybe it's not too late! Maybe I can still convince him to stop his genocide!" She exclaimed, standing up. She left her hideout, the building where her father had developed the Real Solid Vision-System, now a ruin from the second floor upwards. Only the first floor and the basement were still in a condition that could remotely be considered as "normal". As she left the building, a figure followed her.

"Ray, where are you going?!" Her father addressed her, having noticed his daughter's departure.

"I'm going to the stadium! I want to talk to Zarc!" She responded.

"TALKING WITH ZARC?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! HE OR ONE OF HIS MONSTERS WILL KILL YOU!" Leo exclaimed in utter shock at his daughter's declaration.

"No, he won't! He still cares about me somewhere deep down, I know that! He would never kill me!" She shot back in a convinced tone.

"Still cares about you?!" Leo retorted in surprise. "I thought that he was just one of your friends!"

Ray sighed, knowing that she would have to admit her past with Zarc to her father now. "Yeah, he is one of my friends and I'm the only friend he's ever had. But we were much more than just friends. We were a couple." She stated.

"WHAT?! YOU WERE WITH HIM?! YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND!" Leo yelled.

"Of course I didn't! You were overprotective as hell and didn't let me out of your sight longer than necessary!" Ray shot back.

"And for a good reason! If I wasn't so overprotective, you would be running into your demise right now!" He countered.

"NO! HE WOULD NEVER HURT ME!" Ray screamed back in an intense voice, causing Leo to flinch. "Trust me dad, he still cares for me! I am the only person he has ever laid his heart bare to! Maybe I can persuade him to stop his genocide on humankind!"

"But it's dangerous!" Leo retorted.

"I don't care if it's dangerous or not! We are in a bad situation anyway since Zarc keeps pushing back humanity more and more with every day! Eventually, all of us will be dead! That's what I want to prevent! If I can convince him, all of us will survive! He rules over the Duel Monsters and has mysterious, godlike powers! No monster could disobey him if I drew him back to our side again!" She made her point.

"Okay, I guess that's true. If we don't find a weapon to oppose him, we are doomed anyway. And even if he rejects, it's probably still better to die in an instant than slowly waiting for death. But I will accompany you!" Her father stated.

"Alright! Then let's go to him!" Ray exclaimed.

---

Avalon Arena, one hour later...

"So this is the lion's den." Leo remarked as the entered the inside of the destroyed stadium. "Now then, where is he?"

"I'm right here!" A voice spoke up from below them.

They crouched down at that, fearing to be seen.

"Don't try to hide! I can sense you anyway!" The voice continued. "But do not worry, I don't wish to kill you two!" It reassured them.

They rose up again and looked down from the spectator ranks, Zarc standing atop of the blue crystal pillar. He still wore his usual dueling clothes, a white and blue jacket with orange boarders and a black shirt underneath, accompanied by black pants and brown chaps. "Now then, what do you want?" He said, pointing at them with one of his gloved arms.

"You know exactly what I'm here for, Zarc!" Ray shouted. "I want you to stop with your current ways and end this massacre already!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

"Oh? Isn't that a bit much to ask for, especially considering your current position?" Zarc mocked her. "I am a far superior being controlling magic and Monster Spirits alike! And you come in here – only not long dead from the monsters I placed in front of the center of the city because I ordered them to not to hurt you – and COMMAND ME to stop?! Such arrogance is so typical for a human like you!" He retorted.

Ray gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry for expressing it so harshly then. But please, Zarc, stop all this savage killing! I know that the audience may have been despicable and lusting for blood, but not all humans are as bad as them! Don't kill us all just because a few have committed sins!" She addressed him in a pleading manner.

"Humans and good?! HAH, LAUGHABLE!" He shouted. "You are all filth and sin, the only difference between each of you is the degree of inner corruption you have!"

"No, that's not true!" Ray shot back.

"Not true?! NOT TRUE?!" Zarc exploded in anger. "YOU BASTARD, HOW DARE YOU TO SAY SUCH A THING?!" He yelled at her at the top of his lungs, causing Ray to flinch. "You torture the Monster Spirits and you are not even aware of your sins?! Typical! SO TYPICAL!" He screamed.

"Wait, torture?! Monster Spirits?! Do you mean that they are sentient beings?!" Ray cried out in shock. Leo gasped as well.

"That's right! They feel all pain the same way a human does! So you basically made them fight in this devilish arena like gladiators back in Ancient Rome!" He shouted furiously.

"So I was right! They have a soul!" Leo uttered in terror, his eyes twitching in shock.

"Okay. So you want to free them from our control, is that right?" Ray guessed.

"Correct! That is my plan! I will no longer allow these majestic beings to be overruled by the likes of you and your kind! I will become the liberator of them!" He yelled in determination. "I saw both sides and made my decision! I am none of you, so I will side with the Monster Spirits!"

"But why even wipe us out?! You could just free them and we could coexist peacefully!" Ray shot back.

"Peacefully with humans?! Don't make me laugh, Ray! They want to overrule every other being! They even tried to overthrow an omnipotent god a long time ago!" He told her.

"An omnipotent god?!" Ray asked in a shocked tone. "Such a being exists?!"

"Yes, and it was this very being that chose me as the savior of the spirits! Accept it, Ray, you humans have to be wiped out for the greater good! Only this way the truly important beings can live the way they are supposed to live!"

"The truly important beings?! Does that mean that you value us humans less than the Duel Monsters?!" She asked in outrage.

"Of course I do! The fact alone that you just called them Duel Monsters instead of Monster Spirits shows the true colors of your race! You see them as nothing but slaves for your cruel entertainment! But in fact these creatures are more deserving than you humans! While you seek war, they know only peace! They are the perfect beings, free of negative emotions such as envy, hatred and malice! The only instance when they have those feelings is when they are unjustifiably enslaved, by the likes of you for example! They want to break free of their bind and I will help them to do so! You are devilish beings full of wickedness! Even the kindest of you who bond with their monsters are ultimately still using them as obedient pawns! You are flawed, Ray, you and all of your kind! Even you who can hear the spirits and who was the only person I ever opened my heart to turned your back on me and betrayed me when I needed you the most! So I will kill each and every human in existence! The only exception I would make is you and and your father." He said, now speaking in a softer tone. "You don't have to be one of them, Ray! You can still come over to my side! I still cherish you and care about you deeply, hence why I ordered my spirits to let you through. Wouldn't it be great for us to be together again? Come on, join me, Ray!" He addressed her as he extended his hand towards her general direction, now him being the one trying to persuade her to his side.

"I would like to be with you as well." Ray stated with a smile halfway between joy and sadness, looking downwards with a melancholic expression.

"That's great! Then...!" Zarc began as a smile formed on his face, but Ray looked up again and interrupted him.

"BUT I COULD NEVER LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT HUMANS!" She cried out, startling her former friend.

Zarc scowled. "So be it. If you want to die alongside the scum, very well! But even if I got nothing out of this conversation, it's still good that you are here since I want to show something to you now!" He said.

Ray raised an eyebrow. "Show something to us?" She repeated.

Zarc grinned at her. "Yes, it's something I have planned long beforehand! And I suppose that I should also thank you, my dear! If you hadn't betrayed me and showed me the true colors of humanity, I would have ignored the cries of the spirits and never realized what my true purpose was! Be proud of you, Ray, I would have never come this far without you!" He cried out in a sneering tone.

"Wait, do you mean that all of this...?!" She began in a frightened voice.

"Is your fault? Yes, it is! If you would have talked to me after that one accident, nothing of this would have happened!" He retorted jeeringly. Then he turned his face to the person standing next to her. "And I guess that I should thank you as well, Leo! Without your Real Solid Vision, the monsters could have never rebelled against mankind like this!" He said, his arm wandering in a circular motion in front of him as he pointed at the destroyed stadium. "And I suppose that I should also thank you for your daughter! Not only did she bring me to this point, she also was nice company in my bed for all those years!" He yelled at him, now openly mocking the man he had once feared like nothing else.

"WHAT?! YOU AND RAY WERE...?!" Leo began with a mix of anger and shock.

"Yes, exactly!" Zarc shouted back. "I fucked her so often that I myself have no idea about the exact number anymore! Could be three or four digits, no clue!" He insulted Leo by rubbing his vivid relationship with Ray before she had broke up with him right into Leo's face.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW DO YOU DARE DOING THIS TO MY DAUGHTER?!" Leo yelled in utter outrage.

"Hmm, I don't know." Zarc said, putting one of his fingers onto his chin and rubbing it. "Also it's not like I forced your daughter or anything! She jumped all the way onto my dick by herself, you can be sure of that!" He laughed. "But anyway, enough of that nonsense, it doesn't matter anymore!" He declared, getting tired of provoking Leo. "Like I said before, I have planned something really big right now! That's why I cleaned up the area around the arena in a huge circle of equal radius instead of breaching through the holes in your troops' defenses but neglecting other parts of the frontline with stronger resistance as a result! I wanted to make sure that I had a safe distance in all directions so no one could interrupt my ritual!" He explained.

Ray gulped. "Your ritual?!" She uttered anxiously, afraid of Zarc's next move.

"Yes! It is a ritual to truly transcend my humanity and evolve into an even superior being!" He declared.

"Even superior?! What are you planning?!" She addressed him fearfully.

He grinned. "I will show you! MY DRAGONS! FLOCK TO ME!" He bellowed. From four direction, dragons sped through the air to him. Ray knew these dragons. It were the ones Zarc always used to have, even before she had met him. As they aligned behind Zarc, he continued. "Do you see them, Ray? These are my true friends, friends that have never betrayed me like you, you treacherous bitch! I could never truly identify myself as a human, nor could I view their suffering as bad. After all, I was never one of them!" He told her.

"Never one of them?! Stop lying! The very flesh on your bones proves that you are a human! Why would you see yourself as a Monster Spirit then?!" She cried out in anger.

Zarc merely raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean this?" He asked, stroking over his chest. "Oh right, you have a point there, this is indeed human flesh!" He then tore his shirt at his chest area. "But I can guarantee you that I am a spirit at heart!" He said, putting his hand onto his skin.

"You and a Monster Spirit?! Don't make me laugh, that's ridiculous! You have a pounding heart inside you that grants you the chance to live, just like all of us humans!" Ray shot back.

"You think so? Then let me prove you wrong!" He shouted. Then his hands pierced through his skin and he tore open his rib cage. Ray grimaced in shock and nausea as her former friend bent open the bones that protected his inner organs.

"You think that I'm one of you because I have this?!" He asked her, pointing at his now disclosed heart, throbbing vividly inside his chest. "THEN LET ME PROVE YOU WRONG!" He yelled, grasping the organ and ripping it out of his own body violently, a fountain of blood streaming out of his chest as a result as his veins and arteries were severed from the motor pumping the blood through his body.

Leo's eyes widened in horror. "Did he just… rip out his own heart?!" He whispered in sheer shock and utter disbelief.

"He did...!" Ray replied, trembling in fear like she had never trembled before in her life.

"Now then!" Zarc spoke up, spreading his arms in a challenging manner. "Do you still think that I'm one of you?! I'm still standing despite the fact that I don't have a pounding heart inside my body anymore!" He addressed them.

"Impossible! How can you do that?!" Ray asked, even her gaze trembling as she looked upon her former boyfriend.

"Keep on living you mean? Oh, that because of that!" He exclaimed, pulling on something inside his guts. As it came to the surface, Ray's eyes widened immensely.

"What on earth is that?!" She asked, pointing at it.

"Oh, that?" Zarc replied, looking down into his insides. "That is something called the Destiny Factor!" He replied, pointing at something that looked like a sphere, throbbing in a similar fashion than a heart, but thrice its speed. It had all colors imaginable and shone brightly inside his chest.

"The Destiny Factor?!" Ray repeated anxiously.

"Yes." Zarc confirmed. "It bestows the power to change the world for the better onto me! It also functions as a Chūshin, the heart of Monster Spirit! In other words, I am a spirit at my core! I was never one of you in the real sense so to speak!"

Ray took a few steps back in disbelief. "Zarc... what... are you...?!" She uttered in horror.

Zarc's expression changed. "Me? I am the savior of the world, a being that will change this world into what it should be, not what it already is! I am a being that won't bow down to the unjust order of things anymore! I AM REVOLUTION!" He shouted.

"No way..." Ray whispered.

"Now then, time for the ritual!" Zarc said, his open chest repairing itself, the cracked bones returning to their former positions and growing back to full length, the fractions repairing themselves and his chest area healing as new flesh covered it. Before that happened though, his severed arteries and veins reattached themselves to his second heart, his Chūshin, now pumping blood of a glowing rainbow color fitting to his Monster Spirit-Heart through his body.

"Did his chest just heal completely within a few seconds?!" Leo stammered in disbelief.

"Yes, it did!" Zarc replied on Ray's behalf. "You should know that I have drastically increased regeneration abilities as a partial spirit due to their immortality, as well as the physical powers of around twenty humans ever since I became fully aware of my true powers! But that won't remain my limit for long! I shall now discard my humanity in the most literal sense possible and become a being of true greatness!" He stated, pointing down to the ground where his ripped-out heart still throbbed weakly. His left foot moved above the heart and then stomped on and crushed it before he continued. "Now then, let it begin!" He yelled, pulling out a card. "My fellow dragons!" He shouted, looking at the four spirits hovering in the air next to him. "I feel that you are still not satisfied! You want more, do you?!" He addressed them in an intense voice.

"Yes! We want to fight until all humans are wiped out!" Starve Venom hissed. "Let us become one!"

"I shall never rest until all of them are dead!" Dark Rebellion agreed. "I want to become one with you, Master Zarc!"

"Me as well! I want our flesh to merge until only one being remains!" Clear Wing chimed in.

"I want to lead a crusade against humanity! And for that, we have to combine! Ima koso hitotsu ni!" Odd-Eyes finished.

"I see." Zarc stated. "I feel the same as you!" He told, spreading his arms. "We will become one in flesh and bone, rise up to the summit of creation and obtain the strongest power! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!" He shouted, raising up the card into the sky.

A sorcerer emerged, soaring up into the air as it rose its staff, a column of blue light stretching up- and downwards where it hovered.

( 7, Treachery - Bleach OST)

'That melody! And what is that sorcerer?!' Ray thought, recognizing the music that started to play out of seemingly nowhere.

"What is that monster?!" Leo exclaimed in terror.

"THE ONE WHO CONTROLS SPACE-TIME, ASTROGRAPH MAGICIAN! COMBINE OUR DESIRES INTO PROFOUND POWER! WITH YOUR SHEER INFINITE POWERS RID ME OF THIS PATHETIC FLESH AND RESHAPE US INTO A SINGLE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE!" He screamed as the magician soared up, Zarc spreading his arms widely again.

"Now we will become one at long last! Ima koso hitotsu ni!" Starve Venom repeated the phrase, similar to a magical invocation.

"Become one! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni!" Dark Rebellion replied.

"One! One! One! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni!" Clear Wing chimed in.

"We will all become one and the same! Ima koso hitotsu ni! Ima koso hitotsu ni! Ima koso hitotsu ni!" Odd-Eyes cried out. After that, the minds of all four dragons synchronized completely, repeating the chant together.

-"IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!"- They shouted in unison, their bodies being surrounded with an intense aura of red, blue, green and purple color respectively.

Ray, being able to hear the spirits, whispered in fear as she recited their calling. "Ima koso hitotsu ni?! We will become one?!" She uttered in horror. "Is Zarc going to...?!"

Zarc smirked maliciously before he turned his head upwards, looking straight up into the sky. "IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. At that, Astrograph Magician hurled up an orb of luminescence into the sky, expanding and becoming a structure of undefinable pattern, its structure so complex that an accurate description would take hours, if not more. To express it roughly, it was an orb of blinding light, surrounded by particle rings of various colors of the spectrum, the most frequent ones being purple, red, green and blue – the very same colors which his dragons were surrounded with.

The violins of the theme that Zarc played with whatever unknown power began in the background as his feet slowly left the ground.

"The time for the great dragon to burst open the first of his many chains has arrived!" Zarc began, energy flowing over to him from the glowing auras of his dragons. His skin changed and turned into scales, two pitch black wings sprouting from his back. His nails grew and turned into claws, his teeth developed into razor-sharp fangs. The shine in his golden eyes intensified and his pupils turned into slits, the veins around the eyes thickening, pulsating with a red color. A red glow was emitted from his eyes, shining eerily. "I AM NOW AWAKENED!" He cried out.

"No way! He has become a dragon!" Ray exclaimed in shock.

"That's right! But this is merely the first step to transcending my humanity!" Zarc retorted in a loud, victorious voice before he began to sing after the lyrics of the theme he had copied from one of his favorite antagonists, altering the lines for his purpose.

-"I can tell that I've never been true to me!"-

-"And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!"-

-"Now I know I can be what I want to be!"-

-"And transcend the limits of my humanity!"-

-"I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!"-

-"Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!"-

-"At long last I'll surpass my mortality!"-

-"And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!"-

He rose up into the air more and more with every second, towards the mysterious shining vortex within the dark sky of the night.

"My noble dragons!" He began afterwards, addressing his faithful spirits during the interlude. "Let us become one in flesh and bone, so that we will never feel so alone! Together, we will attain ultimate power, and bring humanity to its final hour!" He shouted, reciting something that sounded like a poem. As his dragons were slowly sucked into the luminescent vortex, he began another poem with the nature of an incantation.

"The blackest night falls from the skies"

"The darkness grows as all light dies"

"We crave your hearts and your demise"

"By supreme might, I now shall rise!"

His wings unfolded fully at that, hovering towards his destination even faster.

"Since it was your lust for pain and brutality"

"That gave the strongest power to me"

"This world echoes with screams of misery"

"IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!"

He drew closer to the blinding structure, beginning one last part.

"The ultimate dragon, coming into existence by the union of the Heavenly Dragons, who rules over the worlds with an iron fist! Now we will all become one!"

As he was mere feet away from his goal, the vortex slowly sucking him in, his expression changed into a grin of absolute malice and victory. "It's time..." He began. "...TO BECOME ONE! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!" He screamed at the top of his lungs for one final time before he was absorbed by the vortex, his cry echoing through the world, even audible to people on the other side of the planet.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

A black mist began spreading over the stadium and its surroundings, shrouding everything into darkness.

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

"What's happening?!" Ray uttered in fear as everything became pitch black.

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

A thunderstorm of scarlet lightnings arose above them, red bolts crackling eerily.

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

Leo laid and arm around her as both of them slowly feel onto their knees in trepidation.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

"TŌGŌ SHŌKAN!" Zarc's voice cried out from within the mist.

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

"Integration Summon?!" Ray repeated in horror.

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

"COME FORTH, SUPREME DRAGON KING RULING OVER EVERYTHING!" Zarc began.

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

"HAŌRYŪ ZARC!" He shouted.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

Two massive wings of black color slowly sprouted as the violins increased in volume.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

"It can't be!" Leo uttered in terror.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

From the mist, the head of a huge dragon slowly moved into their field of vision.

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

As the mist retreated, they fully caught sight of it. It was a massive black dragon around a hundred meters tall with neon green lines over its body, having red eyes glowing eerily. On the chest of the monster, a figure was standing. Or not standing, rather he was fused with the dragon and attached to its chest by his waist.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

"No way! A human and a Monster Spirit combined!" Ray screamed in shock as she recognized the person as her former friend.

-YOU ALL PRAY BUT YOU KEEP ON COMMITTING SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM STANDARD AND XYZ, SYNCHRO AND FUSION! HUMAN AND DRAGON COMBINED! THE ONE WHO GOVERNS EVERYTHING! THE ULTIMATE EXISTENCE! I AM TRANSCENDENCE!" Zarc cried out from the dragon's chest with a voice deeper than his usual pitch.

-TO BE A DRAGON, IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!-

"NOW KNEEL BEFORE ZARC! KNEEL BEFORE YOUR MASTER! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

As the lyrics stopped, Zarc made one last statement at the outro melody.

"A NEW APEX PREDATOR HAS ARRIVED! NOW YOU PUNY HUMANS WILL EXPERIENCE HOW IT IS LIKE TO BE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN AGAIN! LET THE HUNT BEGIN!" He cried out.

( 7, Treachery - Bleach OST end)

---

Three months later, the whole world affected by the genocide now...

Zarc was currently involved in a duel against around ten people. He knew some of them, being former pro-duelists of the league. It was Zarc's turn now and he was on the way to his strongest kill-strategy.

"TŌGŌ SHŌKAN! Come forth! Supreme Dragon King Zarc!" He shouted, two great wings dispelling the mist enveloping him with a tremendous beat.

"It's there! The monster!" One of his opponents cried out as they now faced the Supreme Dragon King.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I must really thank you humans! Your lust for brutality and bloodshed gave the strongest power to me!" Zarc laughed, stretching out his arms and grinning wickedly. "I will be the incarnation of the strongest power! Just as you wished! JUST AS YOU WANTED ALL THE TIME!" He screamed before pointing upwards with one of his hands to the dragon's head, addressing his dragon half whom he was attached to.

"Now it's over!" He whispered with a devious grin on his face. Then he began yelling at his opponents. "TREMBLE BEFORE MY POWER! NOW YOU WILL WITNESS THE POWER OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING CAPABLE OF DESTROYING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT!" He shouted as multiple bolts of red lightning struck down, destroying his opponents' monsters, even those who were immune to effect destruction or even unaffected by card effects entirely. "AND ALL THOSE WHOM I DESTINE FOR MY ANNIHILATION WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE FORCE OF THE COLLECTIVE!" He continued, his arm wandering around in a circular motion, pointing to his opponent's and the positions where their monsters had stood before.

"Not so fast!" One of his opponent's cried out. "I will discard Searching Flipper to add Reflecting Flipper to my hand! And as you know from our previous matches in the Avalon Arena, Reflecting Flipper can negate the effect damage we're about to take from your dragon's ability and inflict it to you! In other words, you lose, Zarc!"

Zarc gritted his teeth. "Gosh, Roman, your Flippers were always a pain in the ass with their discard effects! But not anymore! EVERYTHING YOU SEEK WILL CRUMBLE TO DUST WITHIN YOUR GRASP! GOD CRUSHER!" He screamed, a lightning striking down from above, vaporizing the card in Roman's palm.

"NO WAY!" Roman cried out in disbelief.

"YES WAY!" Zarc shot back. "Any card added to your hand outside your Draw Phase is immediately destroyed by my second ability God Crusher! And now you will all be finished by my first ability! YOUR COMBINED POWER WILL BE THE END OF YOU ALL AS YOU WTHER AWAY! THIS IS THE END! GOD SLAUGHTER!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as a red lightning vortex struck down from above and depleted all of their lifepoints, their bodies dropping to the ground as they were killed.

"Hey, Zarc! We are your next opponents!" A voice belonging to a man cried out from below as several duelists came in, receiving the intrusion penalty.

"Looks like it's my lucky day! So many humans fighting me on their own accord instead of hiding, forcing me to seek them out myself! But your timing is bad, considering that it's still my turn and I haven't attacked yet!"

"That won't matter!" A woman shot back from below Zarc who was currently attached to his dragon like always when he conducted the Integration Summon. "We are thirteen after all!" The woman continued. "Even if one of us falls, on our turns we can retaliate since your God Slaughter has been used now! You're finished!" She cried out.

Zarc cackled darkly. "I think that you're mistaken, foolish human! BECAUSE YOU WILL BE FINISHED FIRST FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" He yelled. "NOW THEN, MY DRAGON, ATTACK THAT BITCH!" He addressed the dragon, pointing upwards to its head. The dragon readied itself, charging up a beam. "UNTIL THE DAY WHEN ONLY ONE REMAINS! UNTIL THAT DAY WHEN THIS WORLD IS DESTROYED! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" He shouted at the top his lungs as the dragon above him fired a cone of green energy with tremendous force at the woman, killing her in a single instant.

"You bastard!" A man shouted as he saw his comrade dying. "But now you have blown your load! It's over for you, demon!" He screamed.

"Over you say?" Zarc laughed. "Hmph!" He made a derisive noise with a smirk on his face. "You stupid humans never fail to disappoint me! Arrogance and pride are your trademarks after all! Because those who are foolish like you simply don't realize their own mistakes!" He stated, the grin on his expression widening. "With what I have currently in my hand, none of you will be able to stop me anymore!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Their leader cried out.

"I will show you!" Zarc retorted. "It will make even Yugi look like an amateur in comparison! I activate the quick-play spell Supreme King Berserk!" He shouted.

"Supreme King… Berserk?!" The man cried out in fear.

Zarc smirked. "Exactly! I can activate this card when a "Supreme King"- or "Supreme Dragon King"-Monster has successfully inflicted battle damage! Then, by discarding my entire hand, I draw a card! I discard it and as long as I drew a monster, I can continue drawing while I can declare an additional attack with my Supreme Dragon King Zarc every time I do!"

"What?! Multiple attacks with that abomination?! Impossible!" The man cried out.

"But it's still a gamble! You will most likely only get three or four attacks at best! Not enough to wipe out all of us!" A woman pointed out.

Zarc's grin intensified. "Are you sure about that?" He asked in a sweet tone.

"WHAT?!" She cried out in shock.

"Trap card open! Supreme King Control! When I control myself, the Supreme Dragon King, this trap can be activated! Now I can rearrange the order of cards in my deck in any way I want!" He declared.

"HE CAN SELECT THE ORDER OF CARDS?!" A man screamed in horror and disbelief.

Zarc merely smirked at them as he pulled out every monster in his deck and showed the stack of cards to his opponents before putting it on top of his deck. "NOW IT BEGINS! THE FIRST TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKWURM!" He shouted, sending the card to the graveyard. "SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC ATTACKS FOR THE SECOND TIME! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" He screamed as another blast of green energy was fired from his dragon's maw.

"THE SECOND TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKWYVERN! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC ATTACKS AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" He yelled as another duelist dropped dead at the next attack of the black dragon.

"THE THIRD TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKNAGA! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, FOURTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" Zarc shouted, slowly getting into the rhythm, drawing cards and slaughtering his opponents like a machine.

"THE FOURTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKNIDHOGG! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, FIFTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE FIFTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKAMPHISBAENA! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, SIXTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE SIXTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKPYTHON! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, SEVENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE SEVENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKZILANT! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, EIGHTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE EIGHTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKLONG! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, NINTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE NINTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKCUÉLEBRE! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, TENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE TENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKTANNIN! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, ELEVENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE ELEVENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKVISHAP! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, TWELFTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE TWELFTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKOUROBOROS! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, THIRTEENTH AND FINAL ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" Zarc cried out one last time as the final attack vanquished the last one of his challengers.

Zarc descended from his dragon form and deactivated his duel disk, grinning victoriously at the pile of corpses. "So feeble! They were so brave and still died a useless death, accomplishing nothing!" He commented in a derisive tone as he looked down upon his slain foes.

"Their deaths were not in vain!" A voice suddenly cried out. Zarc looked up, seeing a man standing a few dozens of meters ahead of him.

"Jiyushin Kyuseishu." Zarc stated, looking over to the man. "One of the thirteen infamous generals of humanity. After you realized that normal weapons wouldn't do me any harm ever since my transformation into a transcendent being, you began using the power of the Kryo-Crystals as sources for weapons. They were created as the great dragon crossed over to the Physical Realm for the first time, born from the strongest Monster Spirit so to speak. That's why they can hurt spirits – and me as well as a result." He told. "And you also began learning a form of Jyujutsu – Reikonmadou, the way of controlling momentum available for you puny humans. Looks like even you superficial creatures are able to understand arcane, spiritual knowledge in times of need, being the resilient cockroaches you are! And you are one of the thirteen humans who have perfected these two arts the most, so if I kill you now, humanity will suffer a heavy loss as I cut off one of their heads!" Zarc told him.

"That's right! I evolved through the my will to survive and mastered Reikonmadou and the art of sword fighting as a result!" Jiyushin replied, reaching out for an iron handle hanging down his belt and pressing a button on it, a bright blue Kryo-Blade flashing to life. "But you are wrong about one thing of your statement: You will die today since we will be the ones to cut off the head of the enemy army!" He declared loudly.

"We?" Zarc inquired. Multiple dozens of people encircled him at that, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. "I see. A pincer attack from all sides, isn't it?" He remarked, looking around to realize that he was completely surrounded by them.

"Yes! We will end you now and redeem ourselves for this mistake!" Jiyushin exclaimed, a woman walking up next to him while the other people advanced a bit, cornering Zarc.

"Redeem yourselves? You mean you humans?" Zarc asked him.

"No!" The woman replied. "We mean us two!" She said, pointing over to Jiyushin, apparently her husband or something along those lines as Zarc guessed from how close they stood to each other.

"You two?" Zarc repeated. He looked closer at them after that. Jiyushin was wearing clothes pretty much looking the same as what people used to wear in Avalon City for all those years, futuristic looking suits divided into two parts – one for their upper and one for their lower body half. It was colored white, the trademark of Squad 1 – the troupe of resistance fighters he led. He had white hair and brown eyes and seemed to be in his early forties, maybe even his late thirties. The woman next to him – his wife Tsumi Kyuseishu as Zarc guessed – was the second-in-command for her husband's squad, a woman with azure hair and lime green bangs as well as golden eyes, about the same age as her husband. Suddenly a thought, long repressed, crawled back into Zarc's mind. With the supernatural abilities gained by transcending both species he had acquired knowledge about his earliest days, getting access to memories long forgotten if he had been a normal human being. Zarc scowled. "So it's really you… Mother, Father!" He uttered in a quiet tone of seemingly no interest, but boiling rage on his inside.

"That's right! It's us, my son!" Jiyushin retorted. "We came here to erase our failure and also to apologize!" He stated.

"Apologize?" Zarc asked in a surprised tone. "For what, if I may ask?"

"For leaving you of course!" His mother responded, her golden eyes directed at her son. "We were careless and irresponsible persons when we were young people! I shouldn't have given into my natural urges so recklessly when I was younger! And I should especially not have abandoned you after I had given birth to you, my son! I gave away my own child because I was so overwhelmed with the situation! If I had been a responsible mother and raised you properly, it would have never come to this! I'm sorry, Zarc!" She cried, genuine tears of regret and sadness flowing down her cheeks. "Please end this madness! I beg of you!" She sobbed, trying to move her son's heart to stop the genocide.

"It's a little bit late for apologies now, don't you think, mother?! What's done cannot be undone!" Zarc mercilessly scoffed at her in a derisive tone. "I discarded my old self, the person called Zarc Kyuseishu apparently, long ago! I don't need your last name anymore! I am now Zarc Haoryu – the Supreme Dragon King! But I still think my old last name was fitting after all. Kyuseishu – Messiah, yes, that sounds good!" He said to himself, almost in a monologue. "I will indeed be a savior who will free the Monster Spirits at long last! And I have already transcended my pathetic flesh to become THIS!" He shouted, stressing the last word as he pointed at himself with his right hand. "After I became a dragon, also known as my Quarter Transcendent Form, back in the arena by merging with my four faithful friends, I have evolved even further into this right here, my Semi Transcendent Form!" He shouted.

Through training and experience, Zarc had evolved into an even more powerful being. Like before, his skin was still grayish and scaly, but it had taken a brighter shade now. Behind his back sprouted two pairs of black wings instead of just one, indicating that he was twice as near to perfection than before. They also had orbs of various colors mixed together and constantly changing in their spectrum which were located on the spots where the long vertical bones sprouting from his spine extended downwards as the leathery skin that enabled him to fly, at the beginning of his wingspans so to speak. His claws were darker, the term "Silver" wasn't even fitting anymore as they now possessed a dark gray color. He no longer wore shoes and had a bunch of claws where his toes formerly were instead. He still had clothes though, discarding his former dueling attire for an outfit that looked pretty much like the white and black Arrancar-Outfit his idol Aizen had worn from Hueco Mundo onward. While it resembled the look of the character whom he shared so much of his ideology with, not allowing anyone to overrule him and even using some of his signature quotes he agreed on with him, his clothes still had a little difference to Aizen's: They had two layers around the collar, the outer being white on both sides while the inner had a golden color referring to his eye color. On his chest, the black fabric had a spherical pattern, resembling a Chūshin, a Monster Spirit's heart. He also wielded a sword with a black and golden handle in his right hand, having drawn it in the meantime. He forged it by himself and usually empowered it with Haōmadou. He had called it Shinjitsu – Truth.

"I am sick and tired of this world being in utter chaos and unjust disorder!" Zarc spoke up again after a while. "Nobody, who is truly just, is and ever was on top of the world up until now! Not you, not me, not even the gods you believe in if they existed! But the unbearable emptiness of the throne in heaven is over now! I will transcend even further and take it for myself, establishing an utopia at long last! From now on... I will sit on it!" He declared, referring to one of his favorite Aizen quotes, changing its content slightly for his cause.

"Not if we can prevent that!" His father retorted.

Zarc chuckled. "You think that you can take me out with THAT?!" He asked, pointing to the around hundred humans surrounding him.

"No. But our conversation wasn't solely to try a last attempt to convince you to join the right side again. We also stalled for reinforcements to come!"

"WHAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in shock.

"We have gathered enough energy for the teleportation now!" Tsumi cried out. "Shining column, manifest and call our allies to this place! Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 60 – Transportation Pillar) She shouted, multiple pillars of yellow light striking down from above. As they vanished, a few groups of people became visible in their place. Ray, who watched the scene unfolding from a hiding spot nearby, a few hundreds of feet away from the battlefield, widened her eyes in disbelief as she recognized the people.

"Wait?! Are these...?!" She began.

"Humph! The 13 Generals, I see!" Zarc stated in an annoyed tone as he became aware of his new opponents' identity.

"NO WAY! They are really here! All 13 Generals of Humanity!" Ray cried out in disbelief as she saw the very humans who led the charge against Zarc, those who had mastered Reikonmadou to an incredible degree.

Out of the light pillars twelve groups emerged, strengthening the enclosure around Zarc.

"They are really all here, every single one of them!" Ray stated, looking at the first group and their leader. "That is William Taylor, the General of Squad 4, the leader of the Australian resistance fighters!" She cried out, looking over to a middle aged men with black hair, having a relatively relaxed and calm expression despite the intense situation. The uniform he and his comrades were wearing had the same design as Jiyushin's troops, but a dark blue color instead.

"Next up we have Jose Santos, General of Squad 8! He is the leader of the people in South America!" Ray continued, observing a tan skinned man with dark hair in his early thirties at that, wearing a red outfit.

"And then the two generals from the Near East!" Ray told, looking at two teams whose pillars had appeared right next to each other when Zarc's mother had summoned them. The first leader was relatively light skinned, had brown hair and wore glasses. He and a slightly darker skinned man from the other group wearing a kufiya that covered his hair approached each other and greeted. They were good colleagues and friends as Ray knew through the communication that still existed around the world. Despite their different origins and former rivalries, they had become good friends after Zarc had started his genocide, prompting them to take aside their former differences. The first one was Aron Feivish, General of Squad 5 and leader of the Jewish forces in Israel and the rest of the area. The second was Abdullah Arif, General of Squad 9 and leader of the Palestinian and Arabic people in the Near East. While Aron and his troops had silver clothes, Abdullah's had beige ones.

"Next up from China, the General of Squad 10, Mei Lin Yang!" Ray shouted, looking at a black haired woman in the usual outfit with pink color. She wore a traditional Chinese robe of the same color above it as well though.

"And in addition to that, from Russia, General of Squad 6, Viktor Kornev!" She stated, talking about a bulky men in azure colored clothes with relatively pale skin and blonde hair.

"From the USA, General of Squad 7, controlling the forces on the west cost, Maria Garcia!" Ray went on, observing a fairly old Hispanic woman with a lime green uniform, her black hair whitening out from her age.

"And then next to her, from the opposite side of America, the man who won the Great Battle of New York before he was pushed back by the spirits later on, Robert Smith, General of Squad 3!" She said, looking at a man wearing a dark green uniform. While it looked exactly like the usual Original Dimension-fashion, he still had a distinct look with the black tie he wore above it. As far as Ray knew, the man in his late forties had worked in an office before Zarc went nuts, hence wearing said thing as a reminder of his old life.

"And that person is Ferdinand Rodriguez, General of Squad 12, the fraction from Middle America!" Ray cried out, looking over another Hispanic of dark hair color, having a small mustache and wearing an orange outfit.

"Also Rachel Venter, General of Squad 11, also known as the Dark Lioness of the Savanna!" She exclaimed, referring to a black skinned woman wearing an magenta outfit. As Ray knew, she originated from South Africa.

"Furthermore Thomas Schmidt, General of Squad 13, commonly known as the Golden Slasher of Berlin!" She told, looking at the German man of blonde hair who commanded the forces in Europe. True to his nickname, also emphasized by his hair color of course, he wore the usual uniform in a golden color. He was somewhere in his mid forties from the looks of it.

"And last but not least, the general closest to our country of Japan, the South Korean General of Squad 2, Seo-yeon Ryu!" Ray concluded, looking at a black haired female dressed in the same dark color as her hair, relatively small in size and about in her mid twenties.

"My my, what a spectacle of colors!" Zarc cried out, observing the 13 Generals and their colorful troops encircling him further. "It's actually kind of funny how all these countries are working together now!" He commented. "I mean, your ancestors for example", He pointed at Aron, the Jewish commander at that, "were hunted down and herded into trains, traveling under inhumane conditions until they arrived somewhere in Poland. Then their guards said that they would take a shower now, told them to go into a little room together and then dropped the gas from above until they were all dead!" Zarc said, narrating about the holocaust. "And guess whose ancestors were responsible for that? That's right, HIS!" He shouted, pointing at Thomas, the German commander. "Or you!" He said, pointing at Abdullah, the general of the Arabic and Palestinian forces. "Didn't you and your new friend Aron use to fight over the holy land of Palestine all the time? Didn't you slaughter each other because both sides claimed that it was their country?" He addressed them. "Or you three!" He said, talking to the two North American generals Maria and Robert and the Russian commander Viktor. "Didn't you use to hate each other, dividing the world into two hemispheres because you had different opinions on economy and ideology? The Cold War, do you remember that?! How you almost brought humanity to the brink of extinction with those nuclear weapons – devilish inventions I ordered my spirits to destroy immediately as my genocide-plan began?! Do you remember how you tore that girl's country apart?!" He addressed them, referring to the Korea War as he pointed to Seo-yeon. "Oh, almost forgot that, do you remember how my dad's ancestors forced the Japanese rule upon your country?" He addressed the Korean General of Squad 2 again. "The same thing counts for you by the way, they did the same with your country during World War 2 after all!" He stated, looking at Mei, the Chinese commander. "So many grudges and rivalries and yet you are still working together! It's a bit sad that it needs a common enemy of divine power like myself to unite all of you by taking aside your personal differences and enmities!" Zarc mocked them.

"Laugh as much as you want, but you will still perish now!" Rachel cried out.

"Yes, you will be destroyed now that all 13 Generals have gathered here!" Jose added.

"This will be the end of you, tyrant!" Seo-yeon continued.

"Correct! We shall crush you now!" Abdullah went on.

"And we shall do so with joined forces!" His Jewish friend Aron chimed in.

"Prepare demon, your last day is here!" Robert finished.

"Now then, prepare for the attack!" Jiyushin declared, gazing at his son with a focused expression. The other generals, obviously recognizing him as their leader since he had come up with the plan, commanded their troops to ready themselves.

"Now you will...!" Jiyushin began.

-"…be finished off by us!"- The other generals and Tsumi concluded.

-"Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! Reikonmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!"- They all cried out after that, using the same technique as Zarc back in the stadium, but a weaker version of it due to being only Reikonmadou instead of Haōmadou.

( 16; this is mainly used for reference instead of background music)

They all sped upwards, gathering in the air around Zarc. Simultaneously all of their foot soldiers on the ground began chanting.

-"POWER THAT SURGES THROUGH MY BODY! NOW BECOME A WAVE OF TREMENDOUS DESTRUCTION! REIKONMADOU 4 – CHIKARASURASSHU!"- (Jap.: Spirit Magic 4 – Power Slash) They shouted in unison, swiping through the air with their Kryo-Blades and sending slash-like waves upwards at Zarc. The generals and Tsumi also fired their collective attack, but a much more powerful one.

-"DARK FLOOD OF DESTRUCTION! DROWN MY ENEMIES UNDERNEATH YOUR WAVES OF ANNIHILATION! REIKONMADOU 72 – HAKAINAMI!"- (Jap.: Spirit Magic 72 – Destruction Wave) They yelled together as they used their strongest offensive move, waves of absolute darkness flying from their weapons, intended to kill Zarc.

"Yes! They can do it! They can actually defeat Zarc!" Ray shouted in a hopeful tone, anticipation on her face as she saw the final attack of humanity that would put an end to Zarc's tyranny.

Zarc merely smirked. "All-repelling wind! Shroud yourself around me and render their efforts useless! Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 63 – Wind Barrier) He cried out in response, a huge gale being unleashed around him after that, deflecting all attacks that were aimed at him.

"Impossible! Our powerful moves were all deflected just like that?!" Maria, the oldest of the generals, exclaimed in shock.

Zarc smirked at the Hispanic woman. "Did you really think that you could crush me with sheer numbers and power alone?" His grin widened. "How naive!" He shot her a side glance. "Is that what you call power? Because I wouldn't do so with how feeble it is!" He mocked her, the air still whirling around him from the previous use of his spell.

"What?! Did you just insult me?!" The old lady retorted in anger at Zarc's provocation.

"I guess I did. But I might have to apologize. You surely have power, far more than any normal human. I guess my understanding of the word "power" is just far different from yours." He stated, slowly looking towards Viktor, the Russian general. A smirk crawled onto Zarc's face. "Let me teach you! When I refer to the word "power"...!" He began, making a rhetorical break and whispering an incantation in between. "Swiftness of the light! Bestow a part of your tremendous powers onto me! Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 19 – Super Acceleration) "…THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" He finished, appearing above Viktor in a flash, his blade raised and traveling downwards in a horizontal slash.

"Do you seriously think you can take me down so easily?!" Viktor yelled, countering Zarc's move with a strike upwards, his left arm angled towards him just in case. Unlucky for him, he didn't take that defensive stance for nothing as Zarc's Shinjitsu broke right through Viktor's Kryo-Blade despite that it was only a normal blade made of steel from the looks of it, normally far inferior to the all-cutting Kryo-Blades. However, Zarc had forged it with energy from the Spiritual Realm he had crossed over to, causing it to be far harder and sharper than a Kryo-Blade since kryo was a material of only partial spiritual composition instead of a nearly full one as Zarc's sword, causing it to share its traits with the Monster Spirits who were immune to all weapons from the Physical Realm.

"What...?!" Viktor uttered in disbelief as his sword was bisected, losing a good part of its blade, Shinjitsu also cutting off his left hand and forearm he had angled towards him. While the generals had increased their physical powers with Reikonmadou and this injury was far from causing him to die as a result, it still infuriated Viktor incredibly. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" He screamed at Zarc, retaliating with a ferocious swing from the right. Zarc merely made a sound of contempt as he moved Shinjitsu leftwards, blocking the attack with it. Then he performed a vertical slash rightwards, tearing open Viktor's chest with it, the violins of his signature theme beginning in the background. It had proven helpful and Zarc knew about the importance of psychological warfare, so he played that track whenever he could. It intimidated the humans and made them lose hope whenever they heard it, pleasing Zarc a lot. So he played it, "Supremacy" – his theme based on his idol Aizen's.

Viktor dropped downwards, his eyes wide open in disbelief that Zarc had overwhelmed him that easily. Meanwhile Jose tried an attack from behind, his Kryo-Whip lashing out towards Zarc. Before the end of it reached Zarc, the white haired man's hand shot back however, grabbing the end of the weapon which had been directed at him. He pulled at it with enormous force, prompting Jose to let go of it. But even if Zarc couldn't reel him in anymore, the initial pull was strong enough to send him flying towards Zarc, being brought right into the sword Zarc had extended into his direction. While the slaughter continued, an unidentifiable voice spoke up unheard to them, observing the events from above as the music kept playing in the background.

"That's right! Zarc isn't feared because he has a natural talent for Jyujutsu through his parents' genes or because he is a strong duelist! Sure, these traits make him powerful, but that alone would never be enough to cause all spirits to obey him. Any other being with his powers would have failed on his mission. There is only one reason why even the most powerful spirits bow to him and why he was successful with the great liberation up until now." The voice told.

"The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 49 – Cherry-Blossom Dance) Mei, the Chinese general cried out, a tempest of pink blossoms shooting out of her palm, enveloping Zarc before they closed in on him, their razor-sharp edges raining down from all sides. But as they came in, Zarc began whirling his sword around with stunning precision and velocity, fending off all blossoms, causing them to drop to the ground as they were all cut in half.

"He even deflected Mei's attack?!" Ray cried out in shock at the counter of Zarc. Then she gasped in horror as Zarc sped forward and cut down the general before she could even react.

"It's because he's strong." The ominous voice continued as Zarc redirected the blade in a swiping motion, riding it from the blood of the three generals he had wounded before. "All of Zarc's abilities are far beyond any human's." It stated. "You're trying to beat him in a duel? Your plans aren't good enough. You're trying to beat him with Reikonmadou?! Your plans still aren't good enough! Even if you flock together and take precautions against catastrophic events like the downfall of heaven or the splitting of the earth itself – Armageddon so to speak – his superior powers will still crush you and render any of your efforts useless!" The voice finished in a victorious tone as Zarc was hovering in the air with a stoic expression on his face, his two light green bangs blowing in the wind as he simply starred ahead.

The whip Zarc had snatched from Jose shot out and wrapped itself around Thomas, reeling in the German commander before slicing up his tied body with Shinjitsu.

"Blowing gale! Rage and strike down upon my foe! Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 47 – Hurricane Fist) Aron cried out, punching the air and sending a powerful gale of wind at Zarc. Simultaneously his comrade also used a spell, combining it with it.

"Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash! Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 48 – Fire Palm) Abdullah shouted, his fire projectile mixing with the gale from Aron to become a firestorm heading for Zarc.

"Great inferno! Spark to life and consume my enemies in your blazing tides! Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui!" (Supreme King Magic 67 – Burning Flood) Zarc cried out in response, raising his left hand and unleashing an inferno from it to oppose the opponent's move. Due to the difference in power his firestorm pushed back the other and consumed its casters immediately afterwards.

Abruptly something rang inside Zarc's brain, causing him to duck to the side. A Kryo-Spear passed by a few inches right from him, its wielder being Rachel, the African commander.

"A surprise attack from behind?" Zarc stated as she flew by. "You should know that I can easily sense and dodge such a move with my empowered perception of reality!" Rachel let out a little gasp of disbelief before Zarc continued. "Have you forgotten that I rule over the Monster Spirits, the most sublime and supreme species in the entire universe?! You are just scum, human! Filth like you shouldn't even dare to point their blades at me!" He remarked before the woman was sliced open by her back, Zarc moving so fast that she didn't even perceive that he moved since he returned to his former position faster than light.

As Ray continued to watch the scenes of horror, her eyes twitched in shock and disbelief. "Did he just… beat seven of the thirteen generals within bare moments?! You can't be serious...!" She uttered, Zarc's theme coming to an end in the background.

"One by one is not working...!" Jiyushin, Zarc's father, realized. "In that case…!" He began, uttering an incantation. "Frozen column! Expand and trap them in an icy prison! Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 55 – Ice Pillar) He shouted, an enormous column of ice growing upwards and trapping Zarc's right arm wielding the sword within it, stuck inside the frozen block of ice.

"Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei!" (Spirit Magic 50 – Twin Death Sentence) Seo-yeon yelled, speeding at Zarc with the Kryo-Claws she wore over her right hand's fingers. She stabbed Zarc with them once before retracting her arm and piercing him again.

"Yes! That move can automatically kill anyone who is hit by the full technique, meaning two stabs! In other words, Zarc is dead!" Ray cried out happily.

Zarc's left hand grabbed Seo-yeon by her wrist before he began uttering something. "Twin Death Sentence?" He asked, causing the Korean general to flinch. "What an interesting technique! But it won't work on me!" He stated, looking up and facing his opponent's gaze.

Seo-yeon's eyes twitched in disbelief. "What...?!" She stammered. Zarc began talking anew after that.

"You should know that a battle of Jyujutsu is a battle between Spirit Force, the total power of momentum inside your body so to speak. With my immense Spirit Force, I can easily overpower your silly move! Or break out of my father's!" He declared, his trapped arm freeing itself out of the ice at that. Seo-yeon's shock intensified on her expression as Zarc began grinning at her maliciously, knowing that she couldn't get away due to him holding her in place by her right arm. His own right arm – now freed of the ice and wielding his sword – was raised up into the air, the finishing strike imminent. At once a blackish blade was thrust through Zarc's back, causing him to stop in his tracks and grimace both in pain and surprise.

"How careless of you!" A relaxed voice remarked as it pulled out the blade again, a man rising out of a shadow on the ice pillar at that. "While you were focused on Seo-yeon, I chanted the incantation for Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu, my signature technique!"

"Tch!" Zarc gritted his teeth. "Technique 53 – Shadow Sneak?! William, you outback bastard!" He cursed, looking back to the Australian general who faced him with a fairly indifferent expression.

"It's over, Zarc!" Jiyushin declared, looking at his son as he hovered in the air around a hundred feet away from him. "Winter's might! Shroud yourself around me!" He chanted. "Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 51 – Frost Armor) He yelled as he was surrounded by a protective layer of ice on some parts of his body, also enveloping his sword. Then he charged forward with his blade at the ready.

'You really are naive. You recklessly charge forward if you see an opportunity for victory. That is your greatest shortcoming, father!' Zarc deliberated as he turned to his dad, having strong flashbacks from Aizen vs. the 13 Shinigami-Captains. 'History really repeats itself, doesn't it?' He thought to himself, grinning. 'Wait a second, could that mean that...?!' He suddenly realized, turning around.

"Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen!" (Spirit Magic 54 – Distortion Spiral) Robert Smith stated with a sly grin on his face as he spun his Kryo-Blade above his head.

'Oh no! This technique distorts my perception of reality! The attack's coming from the other way!' Zarc thought in panic, beginning to turn around. Before he could do so, a blade stabbed right through his back.

"Now it's over for you, my son!" Jiyushin declared, a layer of ice forming on the spot of Zarc's chest where the sword came out, making it harder for Zarc to push the blade outwards again. Zarc put a hand around the blade, desperately trying to get it out of his body.

"Errkk... urrrgh... aahhkkk... kuhhhhh!" Zarc groaned in pain, struggling for his life.

Jiyushin's expression remained fierce, holding the blade firmly and laying his other arm around Zarc's neck so that he couldn't get away. Zarc's eyes twitched in strain and agony as he tried to endure the attack long enough to get the lethal blade out of his pierced body. Eventually his trembling intensified before his palm around the blade of Jiyushin's sword became numb and his arm dropped downwards, loosely hanging to the ground. Jiyushin's expression changed as the life left Zarc's body.

'So I've really done it. I've killed my own son...' He thought, uncertain if he should be happy for killing the demonic being that posed a threat to all humans or not.

"They really did it!" One of the foot soldiers of the generals rejoiced. "The generals managed to kill Zarc!" He cheered, glad that the terror was finally over. Meanwhile Rachel, Mei and some of the other generals Zarc had beaten before rose up from the ground a bit, slowly recovering from their respective injuries.

-"WE DID IT! WE KILLED THE DEMON!"- The members of the thirteen squads cried out. -"HE'S FINALLY DEAD!"- They shouted in joy.

"Good grief, what a persistent bastard!" Robert commented.

"Looks like we turned things around at last!" William chimed in.

"Now we only need to beat the rest of the spirits! But without their leader they have lost a majority of their military strength!" Ferdinand, the commander of the Central American fraction concluded.

Ray's eyes were wide open in shock before she started uttering something, addressing the forces of humanity.

"You..." She began.

"You guys..." She repeated.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly the image for all people besides Ray altered, the looks of the person pierced by Jiyushin changing into that of an azure haired woman with light green bangs.

"Tsu...mi?!" Jiyushin stammered in horror as he saw his wife in front of him, impaled by his own sword.

"FUCKING SHIT!" Robert cried out in outrage, turning around.

A blade struck down on Ferdinand as a figure appeared next to him out of nowhere.

"How?!" Robert asked Zarc while gritting his teeth intensely, the latter just having cut down another commander and levitating in the air next to the fallen general.

"How? That's an interesting question indeed." Zarc retorted, looking up to his opponent hovering in the air above him. "You should know that my Haōmadou 70 – Kansensaimin, Technique 70 – Complete Hypnosis, has the ability to disturb all of your five senses, similar to Aizen's ability Kyōka Suigetsu. It can lead you to hallucinate the craziest of things and make you killing your own friends and comrades as a result." Zarc explained.

"That's not what I meant! I asked you how you could cast Jyujutsu without an incantation!" Robert yelled at him in outrage, charging towards Zarc.

"Then let me ask you this: Why do you even think that I still need to say an incantation out loud to cast Jyujutsu?" Zarc responded, starring at him as a dark shadow obscured his face.

"WHAT?!" Robert cried out in disbelief, stopping in his tracks and flying backwards to gain distance from him again.

"So you are retreating, huh? You are shocked that I can perform Jyujutsu on an higher level than you, aren't you?" Zarc inquired. "In that chase it's completely useless to maintain a safe distance from your opponent. It is only of use when you are on par with him – which you obviously aren't!" He remarked, provoking the general. He gritted his teeth at that, but didn't fall for Zarc taunt.

Meanwhile Jiyushin carried his wife downwards as he landed on the ground, resting her head on his lap.

"Jiyu…shin..." Tsumi began weakly, her gaze blurred from the loss of blood. "Why...?" She slowly uttered, causing Jiyushin to tremble in shock and disbelief before the anger finally seized his heart.

"RAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, flying towards Zarc with an expression full of rage and lust for revenge.

"WAIT! GENERAL JIYUSHIN!" William cried out in shock as their leader charged at Zarc ferociously, giving up his strategy for a berserk attack on the demon.

"You are so full of emotions and openings, …father." Zarc whispered coldly before dodging the attack and cutting off the left half of Jiyushin, starting from his left shoulder downwards. His eyes widened as he realized that he had walked straight into his son's trap.

The other generals followed up, Seo-yeon starting the next attack which Zarc parried effortlessly before Shinjitsu struck down on her. As she was sliced open on her chest area, Zarc shortly passed by to address her.

"Seo-yeon Ryu, huh?" He whispered, his mouth only a few inches from her ear. "You call yourself a dragon? Laughable, the only person worthy of the name "Ryu" is me, Zarc Haoryu!" He stated.

William and Robert appeared above him, Robert slamming down his blade.

'Supreme shield! Block their assaults and render them useless! Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori!' (Jap.: Supreme King Magic – Almighty Protection) Zarc chanted in his thoughts, a greenish barrier blocking the sword strike of his opponent.

William went for a blow on him with his Kryo-Blade, but Zarc just used Shinjitsu again as he dodged the attack by flying downwards at incredible speed before performing a cross-slash from behind the man, William dropping to the ground as blood dripped from an X-shaped wound. Robert lunged forward again, but Zarc disappeared before his attack could connect. "Ever been stabbed from the behind?" Zarc whispered into his ear as he suddenly stood behind the man's back. Robert's eyes widened in shock as a blade was thrust through his body.

"No… way..." Jiyushin uttered, his brown eyes looking behind him as he and the other defeated generals slowly fell to the ground, blood pouring out of their open wounds.

Zarc levitated in the air. He faced in the opposite direction, and gradually, a sinister smirk formed on his face. "Hmph!" He made a derisive sound.

"He… beat them..." Ray stammered in horror, looking up to her old friend who had just beaten the strongest elite of humanity. "Is there really nobody who can stop him?" She whispered in fear.

"So that is all that humanity has to offer? I am disappointed, I expected more of you!" Zarc addressed the remaining foot soldiers below him, nothing but easy kills for Zarc compared to the skilled generals.

"This will be a slaughter!" Ray realized in panic as she saw how Zarc looked down on them with a bloodthirsty expression.

"Not so fast! You forgot that I'm still here!" Maria exclaimed, hovering in the air several dozen yards away from him.

Zarc redirected his gaze to her. "Oh, you are right, I almost forgot you, my fellow Latino Granny!" He addressed the leader of the US west cost fraction in her light green outfit.

Maria scowled at his choice of words. "Don't be impudent, you impertinent little brat!" She yelled at the demon duelist. "I'm not that old yet!" She shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Zarc responded, waving his left forearm in a dismissive manner. "Why do you even think that you alone can accomplish anything against me?" He questioned the elder woman. "You couldn't even harm me as a group! And don't call these few wounds I received harming me, they are already beginning to heal after all!" Zarc exclaimed as the injuries from Seo-yeon's twin strike and William's shadow empowered stab from behind started to change, new flesh slowly covering his wounds.

Maria grinned. "You know, I don't even want to fight you. My mission was to stay out of the battles as long as possible to check what your abilities were after your evolution into that Semi Transcendent Form. Now that we know about them, we can defeat you!" She stated.

"WHAT?! ALL TWELVE OTHER GENERALS WERE JUST A BAIT TO REVEAL MY ABILITIES?!" Zarc cried out in shock.

"That's right! Now the counterattack! Mystical powers of life! I call upon you to mend our wounds! Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi!" (Spirit Magic 75 – Total Heal) She yelled, the right hand she rose up emitting a bolt of light shooting skywards. It then rained down upon the fallen generals as yellowish lightnings, healing them as they began rising up again, Jiyushin regrowing his left body parts for instance.

"YOU STILL HAD SUCH A POWERFUL WEAPON UP YOUR SLEEVE?!" Zarc yelled in shock as his opponent's were brought back.

"That's right! Our plan was to check the extent of your power! And now that we know it, we can easily defeat you! Thank you by the way, Maria! Without your technique we could have never worked out and executed such a strategy!" Jiyushin addressed the other general.

"No problem. But I don't think that I have enough Spirit Force to cast another revival-spell." She retorted, panting from the exhaustion.

"That's fine! We only need this one opportunity after all! Now then, let us start the final offensive of humanity!" He stated.

-"UH!"- All generals and his wife Tsumi cried out in unison. After that, their auras flared to life, sending colorful beams of momentum at Jiyushin as they transmitted a good part of their remaining Spirit Force to him.

"WHAT?! They are giving their momentum to you?!" Zarc cried out in disbelief as Jiyushin powered up with the energy he slowly gained from his comrades.

"That's right." He replied. "To cast the next technique, a tremendous amount of Spirit Force is required. It is the strongest Jyujutsu-Spell a human can use, a final spell that will put and end to you, Zarc!" Jiyushin declared.

"Does that mean that your move is...?!" Zarc began, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yes! Great power of friendship, love and hope! Now manifest and lead us to victory! The ultimate spell Born from our bonds! Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 79 – Collective Momentum) He shouted as a burst of energy was emitted from his body, causing him and his allies to be enveloped by thick layers of colorful momentum as the strength of their auras grew, being even stronger than before when they had sacrificed a part of it to lend it to their leader.

"No way! Technique Number 79?! That's the highest one of us can use!" Ray commented in awe and surprise as she observed the events unfolding before her.

"This is the technique that symbolizes the true nature of us humans! While we used to fight between each other a lot, we can also join our forces! And when we do that, there's no obstacle we cannot climb over! Behold, Zarc, this is the power of our bonds!" Jiyushin cried out.

"YOUR TRUE NATURE?!" Zarc exploded in rage. "YOUR TRUE NATURE IS BEING A BUNCH OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE MONSTERS! DON'T EVEN DARE TO TELL ME THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING BY TEAMING UP WHEN YOU USUALLY FIGHT ALL THE TIME, YOU DIRTY HYPOCRITES!" Zarc yelled at the top of his lungs before launching down at his father, wildly swinging his blade with an expression of sheer fury and outrage. As it drew near Jiyushin, the general simply stretched out his left arm and caught the blade between two of his fingers.

'WHAT?! HE CAUGHT IT?!' Zarc thought in horror, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"You seem quite surprised." His father addressed him in a nonchalant tone. "Was it really such a mind-blowing thing to you? Yes, I did catch your sword. Does that scare you?" He stated calmly.

"Very funny, father!" Zarc uttered through gritted teeth, jumping back a few meters. "I am sick of you, filthy scum! I don't know how much power you gained from that technique of yours, but it will never be able to stand up to a transcendent being such as myself! I will make sure an anomaly like that never happens again by crushing you with my Haōmadou!" Then he began chanting out loud.

"SINISTER COFFIN OF DOOM! FORM AROUND MY FOES AND BURY THEM IN YOUR GRAVITATION BEFORE THEY SHALL BE PIERCED BY THE BLACKISH SPEARS! THE BLACK GRAVE SHALL BE THE END OF YOU! HAŌMADOU 80 – KUROHITSUGI!" (Supreme King Magic 80 – Black Coffin) He shouted at the top of his lungs as black walls appeared around Jiyushin, slowly closing the gaps in their initial network of holey frames, enveloping him fully until nothing of him remained visible. "A Jyujutsu-Spell of more than number 79, empowered by Haōmadou and with a spoken incantation, performed by one who transcends both Monster Spirit and human! THIS ATTACK WILL FINISH YOU!" Zarc declared as black spears begun piercing into the black cube. Suddenly it shattered and the black walls collapsed.

"WHAT?! YOU BROKE THE BLACK COFFIN?!" Zarc cried out in utter shock as he saw how his father had broken free from the dark prison.

"Yes, I did. I told you that the power of us humans can lead to miracles, didn't I?" Jiyushin addressed his son. Zarc gritted his teeth before his father continued to talk. "You have made your attack! Now it's our move!" He shouted with a fierce expression on his face before he appeared next to Zarc, punching him in the face with a fist enveloped by ice, sending him upwards.

'WHAT?! HE'S FASTER THAN ME?!' Zarc thought while his face distorted through the impact. Suddenly his mother appeared behind him, her hand charging up an attack with the blade she held.

"Dark flood of destruction! Drown my enemies underneath your waves of annihilation! Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami!" She cried out, unleashing a wave of darkness that clashed against Zarc and threw him back into the opposite direction again with a loud scream of pain on his behalf.

"Time for our combination again!" Aron cried out, jumping into the air alongside Abdullah as they readied their attacks.

"Uh!" His comrade retorted before they chanted their respective incantation in a whispered tone.

"Blowing gale! Rage and strike down my foe!" Aron said, winding up his arm.

"Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash!" Abdullah told, directing his palm towards Zarc.

-"Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken!" / "Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira!"- They cried out respectively, Aron's gust mixing with Abdullah's flame burst to become a firestorm.

"DO YOU NEVER LEARN?! I WILL SIMPLY COUNTER YOUR MOVE AGAIN!" Zarc shot back at them. "GREAT INFERNO! SPARK TO LIFE AND CONSUME MY ENEMIES IN YOUR BLAZING TIDES! HAŌMADOU 67 – NENSHŌKŌZUI!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he sent another inferno at the Near East-Duo. Unlike before it wasn't able to overpower them though, resulting in Zarc's counterattack failing and him suffering fourth-degree burns.

"Aaargh! But I still have my regeneration, so this little injury won't matter!" Zarc yelled.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that!" Viktor retorted, appearing right next to Zarc with his right arm enveloped by black burning flames, having already uttered the incantation for his spell. Zarc grimaced as the fist shot towards him, hitting his face before he could react. "Do you see that?! This is the power of Mother Russia!" Viktor shouted as he dealt a heavy blow to Zarc, causing him to cough up some blood as a result while he was pushed back a few meters from the enormous impact.

"Hrrgh!" He yelled as his face exploded in agony, Viktor's fist hitting him. "It won't matter!" Zarc shot back as he rubbed his hurting cheek with a scowl on his face.

"You think so?" Viktor grinned at him. "You should know that my Reikonmadou 41 – Kōhaihaji (Spirit Magic 41 – Disintegration Grip) possesses the power to prevent all healing the person hit by this ability would normally receive – for an entire day that is!" He stated victoriously.

"So my regeneration is disabled now?!" Zarc addressed him in rage and disbelief.

Viktor laughed. "Yes! Oh, and by the way, you will get the next hit shortly! Beat him up, guys!" He addressed the rest of the group.

"Right on it!" Rachel declared. "Reikonmadou 44 – Piasuyari!" (Spirit Magic 44 – Piercing Spear) She shouted, abruptly stabbing Zarc with her Reikonmadou-empowered spear.

"GACK!" Zarc yelled in pain as he was pierced by Rachel. He flew away and escaped out of her range, covering his chest with his left hand, his expression changing into a scowl with gritted teeth from all the wounds he had received, trying to stop the outflow of blood.

"YES! THEY ARE BEATING HIM NOW!" Ray exclaimed as she observed how the generals cornered Zarc more and more.

"The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori!" Mei shouted before the Chinese general sent a petal storm at Zarc, the demon duelist receiving multiple hundreds of painful looking cuts at that.

"TCH!" Zarc hissed as he had to endure another attack.

"Obscure shadows! Take me in and transport me to my destination! Give me the power to tear open my foes with a sinister blade! Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu!" William shouted before vanishing into a shadow on the ground, reappearing from the shadow Zarc cast on the ground below him as the feared demon had dropped downwards from the previous series of attacks, bringing him into the range of the stab the Australian general performed with his shadow-empowered blade.

"GAH!" He yelled as he received another major injury. Zarc staggered backwards, trying to get out of the combo he had gotten himself into. Before he came far however, the Middle American general clad in an orange outfit took revenge for the surprise attack of the transcendent dragon when said person had used his Complete Hypnosis-spell on the generals and foot soldiers.

"Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 52 – Drowning Bubble) Ferdinand yelled, an orb of water appearing around Zarc's head. The demon duelist ran around wildly, but the sphere of water followed him, threatening his life through lack of oxygen since this spell possessed the power to cause its victim to drown multiple times faster than under normal conditions. Eventually he cut it open with his blade, bursting the bubble and causing it to disappear. As he regained sight, he immediately saw the next attack heading towards him.

"Do you think I have the nickname "Golden Slasher of Berlin" without a reason?!" Thomas cried out before he began chanting. "Thunder and storm! Turn into a blade that bisects my enemies! Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic – Lightning Blade) He shouted, his Kryo-Blade being enveloped by yellow voltage before it struck down on Zarc's left shoulder, causing the demon to scream in pain for yet another time as the electricity surged over his wet body, the water from the burst bubble conducting the voltage.

"Gale of Iron! Rage and pierce! Destroy them in a shower of nails! Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic – Needle Rain) Jose Santos, leader of the South American forces, cried out as he unleashed a barrage of metallic projectiles at Zarc. Zarc spat out even more blood as the needles effortlessly pierced through his body, leaving several dozens of nasty looking holes on his body.

"WE ARE NOT FINISHED YET!" Seo-yeon screamed, appearing on the ground behind Zarc with her Kryo-Claws aimed at him. "Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei!" She cried out, using the twin death strike again.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME! I CAN STILL DODGE YOUR ATTACK!" He spat at her in anger.

"Are you sure about that?" A voice behind him stated.

"WHAT?!" Zarc began, turning around.

"Distorting mirror! Disturb their senses and fool them! Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen!" Robert, the former office-worker and current general of the eastern part of North America stated, spinning his blade around above his head once more.

"No! The attack is coming from another angle again!" Zarc realized, turning around in search of the real Seo-yeon. Before he could accomplish that, he was stabbed twice in quick succession though, prompting him to wince in pain.

"And now I will have my revenge as well!" Robert declared, speeding at Zarc as his comrade's attack connected, adding insult to injury with another stab into Zarc.

"AAAAAAARRRGGH!" Zarc screamed as he suffered additional attacks, further injuring him. Suddenly his father appeared in front of him.

Zarc gasped in surprise before he jumped backwards onto a nearby hill, trying to get away from the next attack.

"You know, you said these words to Robert before, so now I'll ask them to you as well!" Jiyushin began. "Why did you just retreat from me when the difference in power makes maintaining distance between us useless?" He asked his son.

( 17, min 3:36; again mainly for reference purposes, but also for that sweet background theme)

Zarc gritted his teeth, his sight blurred from both the loss of blood and the sheer anger that now consumed him.

"I see how it is...!" Zarc began, his eyes twitching in anger and his blade shaking in his hand. "ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU LURED ME INTO THIS TRAP USING YOUR DUELIST FRIENDS AS A BAIT?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU MANAGED TO PREVENT ME FROM USING MY CARDS BY NOT GIVING ME ANY TIME WITH YOUR CONSTANT ATTACKS?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU CORNERED AND OUTSMARTED ME WITH YOUR STRATEGY?! ARE YOU PROUD FOR PLANING TO ATTACK ME WHEN NONE OF MY MONSTER ARMIES WAS NEARBY TO HELP ME?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO CATCH MY SWORD?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU BROKE MY BLACK COFFIN?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU OVERPOWERED MY HAŌMADOU WITH YOUR NORMAL REIKONMADOU USING YOUR COLLECTIVE POWER?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO WOUND ME?!" He asked them, his fury rising with every sentence as blood dripped to the ground from his many wounds, creating a small pool beneath his feet. "DON'T BE SO ARROGANT AND FULL OF YOURSELVES, YOU FILTHY HUMANS!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes and mouth widening in sheer outrage, shouting downwards at his opponents.

Suddenly a reaction happened on his chest area, now bare to see through all the cuts and stabs. On its middle, a rainbow colored light began shining, the glow slowly spreading over his body in thin, artery-like lines.

"What is he doing?!" Tsumi cried out in confusion and terror as she observed how her son changed.

"Wait! Is that his Destiny Factor?!" Ray exclaimed in shock as she realized that the glow looked exactly like his Chūshin's, his Monster Spirit-Heart which Zarc had shown her before. Zarc's eyes twitched, their scleras slowly blackening out, his pupils turning even more golden and reptilian.

"HYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHH!" Zarc began yelling, collapsing onto his knees as he transformed.

A pillar of dark red, purplish light shot skywards as Zarc kept screaming, his cries echoing louder with every second.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" He shouted, his voice audible around the globe as his flesh burst open, blood splashing into all directions as everything organic on the outer parts of his body was stripped away. Tides of blood covered the top of the hill on which Zarc was standing, slowly flowing downwards as a white figure rose up, its right hand resting on the ground and gradually pushing it up.

"I knew it." The creature spoke up in a low pitch as its head was gradually being raised upwards again. It had three pairs of completely white wings with dragon heads on the upper tips on their outsides, their maws partially open and looking sideways. The body of the being was completely white, a colorful glowing object right beneath the middle of its chest, throbbing vividly. The creature also possessed a long tail of white color, twitching around a bit in anticipation. The claws on its toes and hands were black and razor-sharp, the teeth white and shark-like, meaning broad and cuneiform, but even wider and sharper than the ones sharks had from the looks of it. Lastly it had a mask-like layer of black scales over its head, covering everything but the white ears, which protruded from little holes in the mask, and the eyes, now completely dragon-like with shining golden irises and slit pupils of pitch black color, the scleras around the irises completely black as well. The white and light green hairs weren't covered as well, blowing in the wind. "I just knew it!" He repeated. "You won't allow it, oh mighty Destiny Factor?" Zarc said in a monologue, addressing the heart-like orb that was not even an inch beneath the surface of his chest now. "FOR ME TO SUCCUMB TO A BUNCH OF MERE HUMANS!" Zarc shouted before one of the dragon maws on his wings charged up an attack as a little sphere of red color, not even three inches in diameter, was created in front of the jaw before Zarc turned around and his wing moved, hurling the orb backwards. It traveled westwards over the country and sea and exploded after roughly five seconds, a huge fireball visible on the other side of the Japanese Sea.

"What was that attack?!" Ray cried out in horror as she observed the enormous explosion.

"Hmm. So that's the power one of these attacks has when performed with one millionth of its maximum strength, I see!" Zarc stated in the deep voice of his new form, looking westwards in his now changed appearance.

"WHAT?! THAT WAS ONLY ONE MILLIONTH OF YOUR NEW POWER?!" Seo-yeon screamed in horror.

Zarc nodded, his black head slightly shaking up and downwards. "Yes. But it was still enough to destroy the entire peninsula of Korea with one shot. In other words, it has the power of multiple nuclear bombs, even in its weaker form. Quite impressive, right?" He addressed her.

"You bastard! You destroyed my country! You will pay for that!"

"Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Zarc retorted. "After all, I still have to show you the full power of one of those blasts. Plus I have only acquired this form just now, so I'm still far from reaching the limits of this new stage of my evolution. I'd say it's about ten times stronger once I've mastered it. And I can also lower the area the blasts impact in order to increase the destruction capability of them, trade explosion range of my attacks for power by compressing them so to speak. And as you can guess, I can also just use all six maws on my wings at once. In other words, you are nothing before this form!" He stated, pointing at his new and improved self of black and white color.

"But what is this form anyway?! How could you power up so drastically in mere moments?!" His father addressed him.

"Oh? How I could become so powerful just like that? That's easy, because the Destiny Factor, the source of my godly powers, has sensed that my resolve changed! Whenever it acknowledges me more than before, my power rises as a result! Previously I was only semi transcendent since there was still humanity left inside my body, hence why my skin was gray instead of white. That color symbolizes imperfection, pollution by humanity inside of ones body so to speak. But now I have pushed humanity out of me entirely, resulting in the circumstance that my skin is white now. It is – just like the black scaled part on my head – a symbol of tranquility and sublimity, pure colors of the extremes which are nowhere in between, but on the ends of the color spectrum instead, expression of absoluteness! The black scales are a symbol of the Supreme Dragon King! And the human part of my body was eliminated, leaving back nothing but a white emptiness! A hollowfication so to speak!" Zarc stated, grinning devilishly with his shark-like teeth.

"Hollowfication?!" Jiyushin repeated, sweat running down his cheeks in fear. "But if you pushed out every bit of humanity inside you and became a Monster Spirit entirely, you can't harm us anymore!" He shot back.

"Well, entirely was maybe a bit much. I left back one human cell inside my body so that I could still kill you of course!" Zarc replied. "It's kind of amusing, isn't it? I only have one cell of your kind left inside my body and I could still destroy the entirety of Korea. I guess that is pretty much the perfect example that the potential to harm life resting inside your bodies is far higher than in any other species! I am a spirit to almost 100 percent and the one cell of human origin still outweighs the entire rest of my body in that regard! But at least this source of violence left from my old self will come in handy now as I destroy you! BEHOLD, THIS IS THE POWER OF MY FULLY TRANSCENDENT FORM!" He declared in a loud voice.

"Fully Transcendent?! You really managed to get to that point?!" Jiyushin addressed his son in horror.

"Indeed! Now nobody in this world can match my strength anymore! But anyway, let the massacre begin!" He shouted as his demonic countenance twisted, causing him to look even scarier than before.

"It happened again!" The ominous voice watching the battle began anew. "Whenever Zarc is cornered, he transcends his limits even further! Tremble, puny humans, this is the power of a god!" It declared in a victorious tone.

"You know what, father? Because you all fought so bravely, I will show you the true extent of my power instead of just finishing you off with this form!" The demonic Zarc spoke up again.

"You mean... this isn't even your full power yet?!" His mother addressed him a frightful voice.

"No. There's an even greater power inside me which I just unlocked, and as a reward, I will show it to you now!" Zarc declared before he reached for his sword and raised it upwards.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification"; this time audible to the characters)

"Wait, this is "Invasion"!" Ray exclaimed, recognizing the melody of the soundtrack beginning in the background. "If Zarc plays another Bleach-OST, that can't mean anything good, considering that he transformed into a dragon when he did it for the first time!" She stated in fear of his plans.

Zarc rose Shinjitsu to the height of his eyes before he began uttering something. His dragonic eyes gazed ahead eerily as the blade in front of them began emitting a radiance of scarlet color, bathing him and his surroundings in a sinister, reddish light.

"Ten… kai!" Zarc spoke, holding the sword by its handle with its blade diagonally downwards. "Subjugate them all, Zettai no Shijō!" He said as the light coming from his blade intensified. At once he began raising up into the air, levitating upwards as the six white wings grew in size, extending as a black layer of scales formed around them, framing his former wings by increasing their total wingspan by around eight feet in all upper directions. Furthermore the dragon heads on the former end of his wings – now roughly in the middle of the upper border – shifted upwards to the new upper end and gained black scales, covering everything except their teeth and causing them to look a bit like his Supreme Dragon King Zarc's head. He also grew a fourth pair of wings, longer than the other ones and light green in color while the wingspans themselves were black – just like the wings of the Supreme Dragon King so to speak. His main body got covered with black scales too, some parts of his torso receiving an almost armor-like protective layer of pitch black color. Two white horns pointing upwards in a curve extended from both sides of his head, growing out of the area above his ears. His blade was enveloped by a glow mixed of dark red and blackish particles at he rose it above his head, continuing to ascend at slow pace.

"What is this glow?!" Jiyushin addressed him in shock.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

Zarc looked back with an indifferent expression as the lyrics began. "This, father, is Tenkai, the Heavenly Release. Similar to the Shikai and Bankai, which are the manifestations of a Shinigami's soul in Bleach, the Tenkai is the manifestation of my soul. It can only be used by a transcendent being like myself and possesses abilities of such tremendous power that it renders all of your efforts completely useless. My Tenkai "Zettai no Shijō" for instance not only strengthens my physical body and Spirit Force by around ten times, indicated by this change of appearance which I call my Super Transcendent Form, but also suppresses all Jyujutsu around me, just as its name "Absolute Supremacy" suggests." Zarc explained as his weapon kept glowing and the generals remaining in their air slowly sunk to the ground as their flying-spell lost its effect through Zarc's Tenkai.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

"WHAT?! You mean our magic is completely locked now?!" Jiyushin cried out in horror.

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"Yes, father. This is the power of a transcendent being no human is able to overcome! But let's no stop here! Because there is one ability of my Tenkai I haven't told you about yet!"

"ANOTHER ABILITY?!" He shouted in disbelief as the interlude began.

"That's right. It is the ability to completely transcend all former boundaries! Just watch!" He said, raising his arm afterwards. "COME FORTH, ODD-EYES DRAGON!" He yelled, his dragon appearing at that.

"Wait, did you just summon your monster without using the card or a duel disk?!" Tsumi addressed him.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, as the liberator I could do that already. But this time it's different. Before, my dragons could only attack with moves similar to their ingame-attacks. But now they can also use their effects on you, just as if we played a match of Duel Monsters and as if you were monsters instead of humans! Also I can use spells and traps as if we were in a duel!" He explained.

"Wait, does that mean...?!" She began.

"Exactly! I crossed the limit between life and duel, between reality and game! Now all of my monsters and cards can fight just as they can in a duel!"

"No... way..." She uttered before Zarc pointed upwards again.

"COME FORTH!" He shouted. "DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON! CLEAR WING SYNCHRO DRAGON! STARVE VENOM FUSION DRAGON! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON ODD-EYES! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARK REBELLION! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON CLEAR WING! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON STARVE VENOM!" He yelled, one dragon after the other appearing. The generals gasped in terror as the remaining three of the four Heavenly Dragons and their four sinister counterparts appeared before them, more realistic than ever before.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

"AND FINALLY, THE SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC!" The super transcendent liberator shouted as his ultimate creature appeared, now thrice as big than before, hovering above the thirteen generals menacingly with around three hundred meters – or in other words roughly a thousand feet – in height.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"WHAT?! But the Supreme Dragon King is a being created by your union with the four dragons! How can you all be here at once?!" Jiyushin addressed his son.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"Oh, that's easy to explain, father! My Tenkai has, like its name Absolute Supremacy already indicates, the power of absolute transcendence! I can even sever the connection between cause and effect with this power!" Zarc retorted. "That's why all of us can be here at the same time! And before you ask about the size increase of the Supreme Dragon King, that is because I powered up by climbing two steps on the transcendence-ladder!" He concluded.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

"Im...possible..." He uttered in shock as he looked at the nine dragons and Zarc in his Super Transcendent Form.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"Do you realize it now?! Before my godly powers, your puny efforts are futile!" Zarc stated. "No matter how often you try, I will always overpower you! That is the trademark of a god! That is the trademark of me, Zarc! NOW FALL ONTO YOUR KNEES AS YOU ARE ANNIHILATED BY MY SUPREME POWER!" He shouted as the background track came to an end.

( 15 Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification" end)

"This is unreal!" Ray uttered in disbelief. "He can even use cards in Real Life now?! Where does he get all this power from?!" She said to herself.

"Where he gets it from?! From me of course!" The ominous voice from above retorted unheard to her. "And every time he powers up, more and more of my chains are being shattered! At this rate it won't long until I regain all of my former strength and glory! That is the power of me, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, the power of a god!" It shouted. "Now then, let us observe how the last hope of humanity is vanquished by Zarc!"

"It's time." Zarc stated, closing his eyes. "Now I will wipe out the last serious resistance of mankind and settle this war once and for all! Now then, what track to play? Oh, how about some OST from Shin Godzilla? The lyrics are pretty fitting after all since I am an all-powerful apocalyptic dragon who will kill all humans to avenge their atrocities against Monster Spirits! Though I should probably alter some lines a bit." He stated before a new background theme began playing.

( 18, Black Angels - Shin Godzilla OST)

"The end of humanity is imminent!" He yelled as the trumpets began playing in the background. "Go, Odd-Eyes! Attack Mei! Spiral Flame!" He cried out, pointing at the Chinese general.

"I can still dodge your attack!" She shot back before she began to move sideways. Suddenly her body froze, unable to continue any further. "What the...?!" She uttered in confusion and shock. "Why can't I move?!"

"Oh, that's because I can immobilize you with the sheer might of the enormous Spirit Force I have in this form!" Zarc retorted. "Now destroy her, Odd-Eyes!" He shouted, a red spiral striking down on her. "Now Odd-Eyes' effect! He inflicts half of your ATK to you as damage! Since we aren't in a duel right now, this means that you will suffer half of your remaining Spirit Force as physical damage! Furthermore my Supreme Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes doubles the normal damage from the attack and Servant Dragon Starve Venom grants my monsters piercing battle damage, which is equivalent to ignoring half of your defenses in Real Life! Now do it, my dragons!" He yelled as three abilities combined, knocking the woman even further away as she was killed.

The first violin sounds began at that.

"Next up I will attack you with Dark Rebellion!" He shouted as his black dragon attacked William, the Australian leader. "Now Dark Rebellion's effect! Treason Discharge! Destroy him with Lightning Rebellion Disobey!" He yelled, his dragon stealing half of William's Spirit Force before bisecting the man. "Just for good measure my two other dragons will use their effects again!" Zarc remarked as Servant Odd-Eyes and Starve Venom came in with their supportive abilities again.

The violins grew in volume at that, a male choir beginning to sing in the background.

"Next up my Servant Odd-Eyes and Dark Rebellion will battle you two!" Zarc declared as his two dragons redirected to the Near East-Duo, Aron and Abdullah. "Servant Dark Rebellion will drain all of Aron's Spirit Force and then attack with the doubled damage support from Servant Odd-Eyes' effect! Odd-Eyes, you aim at Abdullah!" He shouted as his two dragons killed the next two generals.

-Out of revenge! -

-We will fight!

-To the end!-

"Damn! If we could just use Reikonmadou, we could do something! With our Kryo-Weapons alone we are powerless against these dragons!" Robert uttered, gritting his teeth.

-As the prophet of doom!-

-Will bring silence again!-

-You will be crushed!-

-To despair!-

"You are next, east cost bastard!" Zarc yelled at the general from North America. "Starve Venom Fusion Dragon activates his effect! He temporarily gains power equal to all of your combined Spirit Force! Starving Absorption! Then he attacks you! Poison Death Sentence – Hell's Aurora!" The demon duelist shouted as his dragon fired its signature attack at Robert.

-With no blood!-

-To be spared!-

-As a thunderous cloud!-

-Shall descend like black angels of the lord!-

"Then my Starve Venoms will both have some fun! They use their abilities to steal yours! Meaning they can both cast a Reikonmadou-Spell from one of you! I select Ferdinand's Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu for the both of them!" Zarc declared. "Now use them, my dragons! Starve Venom on Ferdinand and Servant Starve Venom on Thomas!" He cried out, his dragons roaring before two bubbles of water appeared around the heads of the respective generals. "AND?! HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO DROWN BY YOUR OWN SPELL?!" Zarc screamed at Ferdinand as he watched how he ran around wildly, trying to get rid of it. Eventually he and the German commander collapsed as they died from the lack of oxygen.

The interlude began.

"It's unfortunate that you can't cast Reikonmadou anymore, otherwise my Clear Wing could power up by negating and reflecting it with Dichroic Mirror." Zarc stated. "But I guess a normal attack will do as well! Helldive Whirlwind Slasher!" He screamed as his dragon spiraled downwards, killing the Russian commander Viktor.

"Next up my Servant Starve Venom will attack your old ass, my dear Latino Granny!" Zarc cried out as his purple dragon shot a purplish beam from its chest, annihilating the aged west cost general.

"Now I only have one attack left! But I want to save Supreme Dragon King Zarc for my parents, so my big dragon won't finish you off!" The demon duelist addressed the remaining generals aside from his father as the refrain began anew.

-OUT OF REVENGE! -

-WE WILL FIGHT!-

-TO THE END!-

-AS THE PROPHET OF DOOM!-

-WILL BRING SILENCE AGAIN!-

"I will equip my Servant Clear Wing with Supreme Presence! Then he attacks!" His dragon began its assault at that before Zarc interrupted it. "Now Servant Clear Wing's effect! He negates the battle and inflicts your ATK – or in this case Spirit Force – as damage! But now his equip spell kicks in and makes it an area-of-effect attack! All three of you are now affected and receive the damage!" He shouted as his dragon emitted beams of greenish light that struck down on Rachel, Jose and Seo-yeon, killing the African, South American and Korean general.

-YOU WILL BE CRUSHED!-

-TO DESPAIR!-

"He kills them all! One by one they die!" Ray uttered in horror as Zarc's monsters fought in Real Life and took down the elite of humanity, one after the other.

-WITH NO BLOOD!-

-TO BE SPARED!-

-AS A THUNDEROUS CLOUD!-

-SHALL DESCEND LIKE BLACK ANGELS OF THE LORD!-

"Now Supreme Dragon King Zarc attacks you, mother!" Zarc shouted, pointing down at Tsumi. "DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" His dragon charged up a green ray of energy and unleashed it upon her after Zarc had yelled the command.

"And finally, I will kill you, father!" Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs as the final instrumental part began. He sped upwards until he was right above him, the six maws on the wings with the dragon heads charging up six orbs of red light. Zarc began talking to Jiyushin anew as they prepared the final attack. "The attack before which destroyed the Korean peninsula had a power of roughly one hundred medium-sized nuclear bombs. With their full power, being one million times higher, as well as all six maws and the times ten power increase from my Super Transcendent Form, this explosion will have the power of six billion nukes! And if I decrease the explosion radius to mere square meters rather than the over two hundred thousand square kilometers, I can increase the impact even more! IT'S OVER, FATHER!" Zarc shouted as he hurled the six orbs downwards, all of them uniting to a bigger sphere before they collided with Jiyushin, resulting in a deafening explosion, the music ending simultaneously.

( 18 Black Angels - Shin Godzilla OST end)

Zarc descended to the ground. "Now I only need to make sure that all generals are really dead and crush their foot soldiers while I'm already at it!" He remarked before chanting an incantation. "The dark sarcophagus will close around you! The sinister might will nail your coffins and send you to oblivion! Now be enveloped by sheer darkness and perish! Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan!" (Jap: Supreme King Magic 90 – Black Sarcophagus) Zarc cried out as the bodies of the generals and his mother were surrounded by black walls forming a sarcophagus around each of them, similar to his Black Coffin-spell. Then spears of the same kind as the previous spell pierced into the sarcophagi, but much more and much stronger than with his Kurohitsugi.

"Good. Now that that's done, I'll deal with the rest of you guys!" Zarc continued, looking up to the around three thousand soldiers from the thirteen squads, most of them stiff and frozen in shock at Zarc's enormous and unbelievable power.

"Dark hole of nothingness! Open beneath them and pull them down into your embrace of death! The void shall now accept their bodies as an offering! Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 99 – Black World) Zarc chanted before the ground beneath all human troops turned black and they slowly sunk down into the vast nothingness, screaming in agony as they were consumed by Zarc's spell.

"No way! He defeated all of them! He wiped out the entire elite of mankind!" Ray uttered in horror, retreating a bit more towards the rock she was hiding behind, trembling in fear.

Zarc turned around and looked to the fallen generals, the black sarcophagi having already dissolved in the meantime. "So these two are still living, huh?" He said to himself in a monologue, approaching the first. He crouched down and looked into the eyes of the woman beneath him.

"Z-z-zarc..." Tsumi uttered weakly, looking up to her son, the life slowly leaving her body. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't give you the life you deserved! I shouldn't have given you away and abandoned you! I wish that I could make you happy at least once before... before... I'll die..." She addressed him, having a regretful expression on her face.

While Zarc hated the humans with every fiber of his being, something deep inside him was still moved by the heartbreaking expression on her face as the last human cell inside his body was activated by her final words.

"I understand. But don't worry, you have already made me happy, mother." He addressed her in a reassuring voice, the black scales over his face falling off the front of his head, revealing Zarc's real face again instead of the demonic mask from his Fully Transcendent Form, reverting his low pitch back to normal as well. He cradled her head in his arms as he began his last conversation with her. "You know, I always used to hate you and father because you sent me to the orphanage instead of keeping me. But I'm not mad at you because of that anymore. Neither am I mad at you for being a human and trying to kill me. You just wanted to protect what you hold dear, your race; and I can respect that, after all, I'm doing the same with the spirits. But even if we were enemies just now, the fact that you regretted your past shows that you were my real parents after all, not some people who never cared about me as I always thought. And that makes me happier than any childhood I could have ever had with you and father." He told her in a soothing voice.

"Zarc... I... love... you..." She whispered in a faint tone before her eyes closed forever.

Zarc gently stroked her face before bowing down and kissing her on the forehead. "Rest in peace, mother." He whispered as he rose up again. He walked over to his father who was lying on the ground, his body complete black from the explosion of Zarc's blasts. He looked down at him, Jiyushin's eyes still open with an empty gaze, no trace of fighting spirit visible anymore. As Zarc rose his blade to finish him off, Jiyushin spoke up and interrupted him.

"Don't bother. The power of the blasts you sent at me and the Black Sarcophagus was enough already. Despite all the momentum the generals transferred to my body for casting the spell, I don't have long to live anymore." He uttered, coughing up some blood after the last sentence.

Zarc shifted the blade away from him again and crouched down, seeking one last conversation with the man who had created him as well. "So this is how it ends? I never thought that I would see you again, father." He addressed Jiyushin.

"Yes, me neither." He replied. "I hoped that I would see you again on good terms, not trying to kill my own son." Jiyushin said.

"Same. But as I already said to mother, I don't hold a grudge on you for that attempt to take my life. You had your reasons after all." Zarc retorted.

Jiyushin smiled. "That's good. At least I won't die with my son hating me." Then he remembered what Zarc had told about his wife. "What about Tsumi? Is she...?" He began. Zarc nodded sadly, averting his eyes a bit. "I see." Jiyushin continued. "But since I will follow her soon, that won't matter too much, I suppose." He laughed weakly at that, causing Zarc to smile sheepishly, uncertain how to properly react to the current situation.

"Dad." Zarc spoke up, addressing his father again.

"Yes, Zarc?" He retorted, his voice getting weaker as the energy slowly left him.

"Why did you name me like that? I heard that you chose my name. The educator back in the orphanage told me that." He asked his father.

"You mean Zarc? Well, do you know the biblical story of Noah's Ark?" He responded.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah. It was a ship a man named Noah built as god wanted to drown humanity in a world-engulfing flood. The humans had become bad and evil, so God decided to get rid of them. The only humans who were still righteous were Noah and his family. God instructed them to build a ship and they brought a pair of every kind of animal onto that ship to repopulate the earth after the flood. After they had boarded the ship, the flood began as massive rain showers started, wiping out all life. As the flood retreated, they emerged from the ship and a new era began." Zarc narrated.

"That's right. And just like in this story, I hoped that you could also bring about a new era for humanity once you were older, just like the ark did. I might have been careless back then, but I still wished the best for you, even if I had been an irresponsible parent."

"I see." Zarc stated in a whispered tone. "But ark ends with K. Why did you substitute the last letter for a C?" He asked him.

"Just like your original last name Kyuseishu – Messiah –, the letter C stands for a great savior, one who washed away the sins of humanity." Jiyushin responded.

"Jesus Christ, the messiah of the Christians." Zarc answered, prompting his father to nod.

"Yes. Just like him, I thought that you could change humanity for the better one day." His father replied.

"I understand. And what about the first letter, the Z?" Zarc inquired.

Jiyushin laughed. "Oh, this doesn't have such a deep and pensive reason! It was mainly because you were the last thing I expected back then when I was just a brain-dead fuck-machine, just like the letter Z is the last one in the alphabet." He explained.

"So that's why my name is Zarc. I see." He stated. "But your choice wasn't stupid, after all, everything came true."

"How come?" His father asked him with a slight hint of confusion in his voice.

"You just need to interpret it differently, then it all makes sense." Zarc retorted. "There is also a life-extinguishing flood ahead of us right now, my plan of dark purification that drowns wicked humanity. And just like the ark only had a limited amount of space for beings to survive the flood and live on, my plan only has space for Monster Spirits. Only they will fit into my ark, the rest has to perish before the water retreats and a new era begins. Then the next part is also fitting, just like Jesus, I will wash away the sins of humanity and become a savior, a savior who will make sure that no sin is ever committed again by eradicating their cause – mankind – while also freeing the Monster Spirits and becoming their messiah. And lastly I will change this world through destruction, the last thing in a world before it comes to an end, just like the letter Z is the last thing in the alphabet. So in a sense, all of your predictions were true. But I guess that was to be expected considering the influence the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor has on fate itself." Zarc told.

"The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?" Jiyushin inquired. Zarc nodded and gave him a brief version of the ancient legend. "I see." His father stated after hearing it. "So after all, you weren't as bad as I thought. When I saw how you began your genocide, I condemned you and myself at first, believing that I'd given birth to a heartless demon. But it turns out that you had a good reason for your actions. And now knowing why you did what you did, I forgive you for your actions." He told Zarc, looking up to him with a friendly and forgiving expression.

"Thank you, dad." Zarc uttered quietly, turning away from him a bit as a single tear began welling up in his right eye, not wanting to show his own weakness to his father.

"Our philosophies and loyalties might differ, but I'm still proud of you, my son." Jiyushin whispered before he abruptly stopped moving, becoming completely silent.

"Dad? Dad?!" Zarc addressed him, shaking him slightly as he grabbed his shoulders. As he didn't show any reaction, Zarc shut Jiyushin's still open eyes with two of his fingers, rising up afterwards while wiping the tears from his eyes.

Zarc stood still for a while, trying to process the things that had happened. "I should give you two a proper funeral at least." He stated after a while, casting his Haōmadou 99 – Dark World afterwards. He hovered around two feet above the ground as it slowly turned into a dark void, sucking in the lifeless bodies of his parents. "Goodbye, father. Goodbye, mother." He whispered as he observed how they sank downwards until they were gone completely. His last human cell slowly deactivated again as he concluded this part of his life, making room for his new self, now unleashed and free of any bonds that tied him down and stood in the way of his high goal.

"They are gone. They are gone at last." He whispered. "The two very persons who gave birth to me have died by my own hand." He made a short pause after saying that. "With that, there is nothing that holds me down anymore! No more bonds that restrict my movements! No more attachments that prevent me from reaching true tranquility!" His expression turned darker as he gradually raised his arms, angling them towards him. "Immortality!" He stated, a grin slowly forming on his face. "Invincibility!" He went on, laughing after that before he continued his monologue. "AND DRAGON POWER!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, turning his head skywards. "HEHEHEHE! THIS PROVES THAT NOTHING CAN HOLD ME DOWN OR STOP ME ANYMORE! TREMBLE HUMANS, I SHALL ANNIHILATE YOU ALL!" He screamed before he turned his head around. "But there is still one human I have feelings for." He stated, speeding forward after that. Ray couldn't even react as he stood before her immediately, his arms wandering around her back and pulling her closer. "My beautiful, precious Ray!" He said in admiration as he looked upon her, pulling her into an embrace. "While I could just barely stand killing my parents, I could never do the same to you!" He declared, gently kissing her on her lips.

'What?! I can't move!' Ray thought in terror as her demonic former boyfriend held her close, her eyes widening in horror and shock of being so close to an abomination like this with his rough, dragonic lips on hers, not able to move an inch.

"It's great that you are here, Ray!" He went on. "You know, I could really use some intercourse right now! I haven't had anything like it for a long time, so it would be a nice thought to do it with you now!" He stated.

'No! That monster is going to rape me?! This can't be real! Please, just leave me alone!' Ray thought in panic and fear as she began to cry, tears welling up in her eyes.

Zarc noticed her trembling before he spoke up again. "But I would literally fuck you to death with my current power if I did that since no human is capable of handling such tremendous force. So I can't do that because I don't wish to kill you, like I told you already! Also I would never take you by force, you are still the person I love after all!" Zarc reassured her as he stroked through her maroon hair with one of his hands.

'Thank god!' Ray sighed internally, glad that she wouldn't be violated by the dragonic abomination in front of her now.

"My gorgeous, flawless ray of sunlight!" Zarc continued in a praising tone, caressing her cheek with his scaly palm. "Did you seriously think that I would fail with my performance when you were watching? I always won when you watched my duels, so I couldn't possibly succumb to the thirteen generals with you as my audience." He looked at her in adoration before he told her one last thing. "Go back to your father now! I'm sure that Leo is worried because you snuck out to watch my fight! Stay with him and witness the end of the world that is soon about to come!" He said to her before he stepped back from Ray and simply vanished.

---

Spiritual Realm, two weeks later...

"I have arrived, Master Zarc!" A white colored, muscular, humanoid spirit called out as it appeared in a great hall, looking towards the end of the room and bowing in that direction.

"Great that you are finally there, Captain Neos!" Zarc replied to the Monster Spirit.

"Yes, sorry that I came so late. It took a while longer to fulfill the last mission you had given to me. These humans are just really hard to find in the rain forests!" The white monster apologized.

"Ah, no problem! You are here now and the meeting can begin at last! Now take your place and join the line please, Captain Neos!" Zarc addressed the monster as it made its way to its destination.

Zarc was sitting on a white throne in a gigantic hall within the Spiritual Realm. As he became able to cross over to it due to his gradual evolution into a Monster Spirit, he had built himself a palace-like pillar hall of white color, so spacious and with a ceiling high enough that even the biggest spirits could fit into it without a problem. Behind him, the four Heavenly Dragons and their Servant-Counterparts rested on the ground, several smaller Supreme King Servant Dragons which he had used during his previous duels alongside the Supreme Dragon King Zarc itself hovering in the air behind him, emphasizing his supreme authority over all spirits. Before his throne, two lines of spirits were standing, one on each side of the room. He himself was seated on the throne at the very end of the room, currently in his Fully Transcendent Form, but without the black mask-like scales, revealing his normal face. He had replaced the torn clothes from his fight with the thirteen generals with new ones, still resembling Aizen's Arrancar-Outfit, but now he had even added a third layer to the clothing around his collar. The inner layer was black, the outer was white and the one in the middle was golden, representing all three colors of his Fully Transcendent Form. He looked upon the two lines of monsters with pride in his expression, proud of himself that all these mighty spirits obeyed him without arguments or dissent. The first three creatures on the right side of the room were the beings that had previously aided the humans to seal the great dragon, even though it was against their own will. But now, due to Zarc unchaining them, they were free again and keen on revenge for their enslavement, slaughtering huge masses of humans wherever they went. They were the Egyptian Gods – Osiris, Obelisk and Ra – the mightiest beings in Zarc's favorite childhood show on TV. On the opposite side were their Manga-Counterparts, the three Wicked Gods – Wicked Eraser, Wicked Dreadroot and Wicked Avatar – facing their respective counterparts. The gods were in the order of their power, with Ra and Avatar, the strongest of their respective group, being right next to Zarc's throne. Then came Obelisk and Dreadroot, followed by Osiris and Eraser. On Zarc's left side, behind the Egyptian Gods, were the three Nordic Gods – Odin, Loki and Thor. Across them were the three Sacred Beasts, the GX-Counterparts of the original gods from Duel Monsters – Raviel, Hamon and Uria. Next up came a few signature monsters from the old series. The first two were Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ace monsters of Kaiba and Jonouchi in the first show. They were followed by Dark Magician – now part of Zarc's elite monsters – along with Exodia. The next rows consisted of some GX-Monsters, the newly arrived Elemental Hero Neos being in the first of them, alongside Yubel. After these two monsters came two dragons, the first of them being Cyber End Dragon and the second being Rainbow Dragon. Next came two of the Signer Dragons from 5D's, Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend. Behind them two monsters with quite the differences in terms of appearance faced each other: First was Hundred-Eyes Dragon, a black dragon with – as its name suggested – a variety of eyes over its whole body. On the opposite side was a white robot with a black hole in its chest, having a greenish core inside that cavity. It was called Machine Emperor Wisel and Zarc had been a really big fan of its user Placido when he'd watched the third season of the show back as a kid. The next rows were some Monster Spirits from Zexal, the first row consisting of a white and golden colored warrior with shining wings and a red "39" on its shoulder. It was the ace monster of Yuma Tsukumo and bore the name of "Number 39: Utopia"; or "Number 39: Aspiring Emperor Hope" instead of Utopia, depending on the language. Facing him was another Number-Monster, Number 96 – Dark Mist. Then came monsters of Yuma's two rivals Kaito and Shark, the first being Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, followed by Number C101 – Silent Honor Dark Knight, the trump card of Shark later on in the series. Lastly were even mightier Zexal-Monsters, Number 100 – Numeron Dragon and Number Ci1000 – Numeronius Numeronia.

Zarc grinned as he observed the 30 Captains, the monsters he had chosen as the leaders of his armies, each of them a powerful creature of enormous destructive force. 'I have truly surpassed all my idols!' Zarc thought. 'With my Fully Transcendent Form alone, I am stronger than Aizen ever was and will be, even if he used Bankai and was unsealed, which he never did, even as the manga came to an end! And as a duelist, I have outclassed even Yugi now! No matter how much plot armor and asspull he has on his side, I will still defeat him! The fact that all these unbelievable monsters whom Yugi for example had to fight so hard for in order to obtain them just obey me without any protest is proof of that!' He thought, looking at the three Egyptian Gods. 'And the same thing counts for all the other protagonists from the previous shows as well!' He went on within his mind as he redirected his gaze to multiple monsters. 'Judai had to take a whole freaking trip to space in order to obtain his Neos! Let's not forget that Yubel sent him across multiple worlds before they finally made peace!' He debated with himself as he gazed upon the two GX-Monsters. 'Yusei spent a hole fucking season just to get back his Stardust Dragon! Then he almost got wrecked by Kyosuke's Hundred-Eyes Dragon and Earthbound Immortal before the "My D-Wheel broke during the duel before the final attack connected"-asspull saved him from defeat! Placido messed him up big time with his Wisel before Yusei turned it around with Accel Synchro! Yuma needed a whole show just to get all these numbers and got destroyed by Kaito like twice, even though he canceled it at the first time! Don Thousand almost beat him and Shark with that Numeronius Numeronia in the finale of Zexal! All these struggles and I'm not even having one of them! That is the true sign that I can accomplish what they couldn't, establishing a perfect utopia here on earth that is!'

"Now then, what have you called us here for, Master Zarc?" Ra spoke up, the great yellow winged dragon turning around to him a bit. His voice was clearer than in the Physical Realm, now fully audible since he was back home again where the spirits lived.

"Oh, good that you ask, Captain Ra! I wanted to inquire on your progress regarding the erasure of humanity!" Zarc replied to the Egyptian God.

"Well, I have killed a good ten thousand during the last week, Master Zarc!" The blue giant next to Ra spoke up.

"Sounds good, Captain Obelisk! How much time do you think is needed until you, Raviel and Stardust have cleared North America?" He addressed the spirit.

"Hmm, I don't know. What do you think, Raviel, Stardust?" The god addressed the Sacred Beast and the white dragon. "I think that you have a little bit more of an overview than me. I mostly focus on shattering everything in sight with my fists." The blue spirit asked his comrades.

"Sorry, same here!" Raviel retorted. "Do you have any idea, Stardust? You are probably the smartest of us three. We two are in charge for the smashing rather than the thinking after all!"

"Well, from my calculations it will probably take around two months until we have killed every last human hiding somewhere in our region." Stardust replied, taking a few steps forward to face the supreme ruler of their realm.

"I see. Thank you, Captain Stardust! And thank you Captain Obelisk and Captain Raviel as well!" Zarc addressed the monsters. The dragon bowed and went back to the line again. "Now then, everyone one after the other, tell me how long you need until you are done with your regions!" Zarc continued, addressing all of the remaining 27 captains.

"Cyber End, Uria and me need around six weeks, I'd say!" Osiris stated, looking over to his Sacred Beast-Counterpart and the mechanical dragon.

"Yes, six weeks for Europe sounds about right!" Uria agreed with the god.

"I also agree with that time span!" Cyber End spoke up in a halfway robotic voice.

"Okay, thank you Captain Osiris, Captain Uria and Captain Cyber End!" Zarc said. "What about Asia?" He addressed the next three-monster-group.

"Well, I think we need a little more. Three months from the looks of it." Ra stated.

"Yes, that continent particularly spacious. Takes a while to get rid of all humans in such an area!" Hamon chimed in.

"And it had quite the population density in some countries as well. Which makes it even harder to find all of these cockroaches with a good part of them still crawling around!" Red-Eyes Black Dragon concluded.

"I see. Thank you, Captain Ra, Captain Hamon and Captain Red-Eyes! The next!" Zarc demanded.

"Like I said before, it's pretty hard to find all these humans in the chaotic rain forests of South America." Neos stated. "It would be much easier if we could just cut down the trees to take away their cover!" He suggested.

"NO!" Zarc shot back, prompting the warrior to flinch. "We won't be as devilish as these filthy abominations! I only wish to kill them, not to destroy the entire planet! It will be the home of a new species once the humans are gone after all! The forests stay and that is absolute!" Zarc told.

The spirit bowed to him. "I'm sorry for offending you, mylord!" He apologized.

Zarc merely gestured Neos to rise up again. "No need to apologize, Captain Neos! You were just making a suggestion and it wasn't even a bad one at that! But as I said, I don't wish to harm the nature of earth, so you have to leave the rain forests alone. Now then, how long do you, Captain Numeron Dragon and Captain Wicked Avatar need for this task?" He addressed them.

"I'd say something in between three and four months given that we mustn't harm the flora." Wicked Avatar spoke up.

"Yes, I agree with my comrade!" Numeron Dragon chimed in. "But probably rather four months than three!" He added.

"Alright! Thank you three for your information. The next continent! How are things going in Africa?" Zarc inquired.

"Well, Wisel, Exodia and me are pretty fast, surprisingly." Wicked Eraser replied.

"Yes, I would say that we need a maximum of five weeks for our region!" The robotic Machine Emperor Wisel buzzed.

"I also think so!" Exodia concluded.

"Great! Thank you, Captain Wicked Eraser, Captain Wisel and Captain Exodia! Now then, how about Australia?" Zarc continued.

"Utopia, Dark Mist and me have made good progress there!" Numeronius Numeronia responded.

"True. Not more than three weeks and then every single one of those rats is dead!" Dark Mist agreed.

"I think that we might need a little more than three weeks, but surely not more than a month." Utopia stated his opinion in a calm voice.

"Oh, you don't have to be so exact all the time, Captain Utopia! Two or three days more make barely any difference! Because the main thing is that you don't need too much time now! Which is great! Truly great! As to be expected of the famous Numbers from the Xyz-Clan!" He praised the three Number-Monsters.

-"Thank you, Lord Zarc!"- They replied in unison, bowing their heads.

"No problem, Captain Numeronius Numeronia, Captain Utopia and Captain Dark Mist! Anyway, how is it going in Central America?" Zarc continued.

"Very well!" Wicked Dreadroot retorted. "Ever since you killed General Ferdinand, there is not much resistance in that part of the world anymore. They will only endure three weeks at best at this rate."

"Yeah, it should be done in around twenty days, taking into account that it's a rather small area." Blue-Eyes chimed in.

"Yup, they are toast!" Red Dragon Archfiend finished with a grin on his dragonic face.

"Splendid! So that means that the entirety of the American continent is done for pretty soon! Thanks to you as well, Captain Wicked Dreadroot, Captain Blue-Eyes and Captain Red Dragon Archfiend! Next up, how about the arctic regions? Was my assumption correct?" Zarc asked.

"It was, mylord!" Odin replied to him. "Some of these creatures did indeed flee to the Arctic and Antarctica, the probably most misanthropic regions of their planet."

"But they didn't expect us to wait there already!" Loki cackled darkly. "When I was standing guard in the Arctic with Odin and one of their ships came, he simply pierced it with his spear Gungnir! Hehehe, you should have seen that, Master Zarc! How they screamed before they went silent again as they drowned in the cold floods! Simply majestic!" The Nordic God narrated with a sadistic smirk on his face.

Zarc smirked as well at that story. "Sounds like they got exactly what they deserved! Ah, ships sinking in the icy sea! They got the Titanic-Treatment, I guess. Now then, are things going that well on the other side of the world as well?" He addressed Thor.

The muscular god nodded. "Yes, they are. With the help of Loki who's roaming down there with his army from time to time using his dimensional rifts, it is fairly easy to find the humans who have fled there. Even though most people in the Antarctica were scientists before you started your war, there are still quite a few people since they freshly came to that region as refugees. But even if they hide, we should exterminate them soon." The god stated.

"Great! Good job, Captain Odin, Captain Thor and Captain Loki! Next up, Oceania! How far are you there, Captain Rainbow Dragon, Captain Yubel and Captain Dark Magician?" Zarc addressed the next trio.

"Pretty far!" Rainbow Dragon began.

"Maybe one month." Yubel stated her usual collected mannerism.

"Yeah, there aren't many humans left, but the fact that it's a bunch of islands we're talking about makes things a little bit harder than if it was a continent." Dark Magician concluded.

"I understand. Good work up until now, you three! Now the final region! I couldn't have Ra, Hamon and Red-Eyes clear the entirety of Asia alone, so I divided it into two parts as you might remember. The former three are in charge for the eastern part while Hundred-Eyes Dragon, Galaxy Eyes-Photon Dragon and Number C101 – Silent Honor Dark Knight deal with the Near East and Middle East. So how is it going there?" Zarc inquired.

"Fairly well!" Hundred-Eyes began.

"Yes, we just found a major hideout somewhere in the ruins of Jerusalem last week!" Galaxy-Eyes Photon added.

"In two months, every single one of them will be done for!" Dark Knight finished.

"I see! Thank you Captain Hundred-Eyes, Captain Galaxy-Eyes Photon and Captain Dark Knight! You and the rest of the 30 Captains did great work in the last few months!" The great liberator addressed his most trusted spirits.

-"THANK YOU, LORD ZARC!"- All thirty of them replied in unison.

"You're welcome! Well then, your next orders are the following: Retreat from your respective regions and bring your troops back to the Spiritual Realm!" Zarc commanded them.

"WHAT?! Retreat and bring all of them back to our realm?!" Obelisk shouted in disbelief.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, you heard me correctly. Retreat from there and bring them back here." Zarc repeated.

"But why?!" Numeron Dragon asked him incredulously.

"Isn't it obvious? You all said that you would take at least a few weeks." Zarc retorted.

"If you want us to be faster, we can be faster!" Uria reassured him. "Just give us the chance and I'm sure we can erase them much quicker!" He begged his master.

Zarc sighed. "Do you and the rest of the captains really think that I want you to retreat because I deem you as too slow? Well, that is partially true, but only partially." He explained.

"What do you mean by that, mylord?" Ra asked in confusion.

"Well, your speed is surely impressive. But there is a much faster way to get rid of them all at once!" Zarc responded.

"At what way, Lord Zarc?" Exodia inquired.

"It's by using the strongest Haōmadou-Spell in existence!" Zarc explained.

"You mean that you've...?!" Raviel exclaimed in shock.

"Yes! I have mastered my powers fully now! I can use Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 100 – Black Universe) Zarc replied to the Sacred Beast.

"WHAT?! Is that really true?!" Wicked Dreadroot cried out in surprise.

Zarc nodded. "It is. And since strong Jyujutsu – of whom my Haōmadou is an advanced form – can also affect Monster Spirits, I ask you to evacuate all of our troops from the Physical Realm! Then I can cast the spell and cleanse the entire world in mere minutes!" He told them.

-"UNDERSTOOD!"- The 30 Captains shouted together as Zarc rose up from his throne.

"The only spirits that will accompany me are my dragons! The rest stays here!" Zarc told them.

-"UNDERSTOOD!"- The other spirits yelled again to agree with their master. Zarc walked towards the other end of the room, planning on leaving through the gigantic front door.

"Now it is finally at hand! The dark purification of the world!" Zarc said to himself as he left the white building with a serious expression.

---

Physical Realm, roughly one hour later...

"Damn, this isn't good! Zarc is getting closer and closer to our total erasure with every passing day! At this rate humanity will be obliterated in a few months!" Ray cried out, looking out of the shattered window of her hideout. Suddenly she saw a faint dot in the distance, having an undefinable color. "What the hell is that?" She whispered, looking closer. As it drew nearer from the horizon, she slowly realized what the dot was. "Wait, are all of these Monsters Spirits?! Why are so many of them moving in a single flock?! Is this one of Zarc's armies?! Does he want to track down the last few survivors in Avalon City?!"

As Ray wondered about the reason for that group of Monster Spirits moving around as one, a new creature suddenly came into her field of vision. Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock as she recognized the being.

"WAIT, IS THAT... RA?!" She exclaimed, observing how the great yellowish dragon approached the monsters. It then opened its maw and since Ray was sensitive with Monster Spirits, she could hear the words of the Egyptian God.

"It is time, my friends! Today our great liberator Zarc will cleanse this realm once and for all!" Ra addressed the flock. He then beat his wings, creating a light blue colored portal within the air. "Now evacuate so that the dark purification can begin!" He commanded his soldiers.

-"Understood!"- The flock of monsters replied, heading towards the portal before they vanished as they traveled back to their homeland, the Spiritual Realm.

"They evacuate?! Dark purification?! This doesn't sound good! Like not at all!" Ray said to herself. Suddenly she heard a cry coming from the adjacent room.

"FINALLY! Finally I have created a weapon to stop Zarc!" She heard her father crying out. She looked around the corner and watched. It was Leo, holding four green colored cards in his hand. As Ray knew, he had roamed around the ruins in the past few weeks and realized that nature was still active, even now that Zarc had started the apocalypse. That led him to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, these forces of nature could bring an end to that demon. After endless days of research – even Ray had given up on him regarding that already – he had now finally accomplished his goal at long last, as Ray could tell from the expression on his face while he held the four cards. Leo continued after a while of starring at the spells in awe. "With these cards I can defeat the demon by sacrificing myself! Then Ray and the rest of humanity will survive!" He told.

'What?! He needs to pay with his own life to end Zarc?! No! I don't want to lose my father as well! Not the only remaining person whom I love as well!' She thought in terror before a sudden courage seized her hard. She shot forward into the room, swiped the four cards out of Leo's grasp and ran out of the building.

"RAY?! RAY! STOP! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING?! GIVE ME BACK MY CARDS!" Leo shouted as he chased after her. At once Ray abruptly stopped and turned back to him, prompting Leo to do the same.

"I overheard your monologue as you finished creating those cards!" Ray stated. "And I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for me and the rest of mankind!" Ray declared.

"But it was my fault! I created the Real Solid Vision-System! I gave him the weapons to destroy us all!" Leo countered.

"NO! I am more responsible for this than any other human! I turned my back on him when he needed me the most! Through my actions, he became what he currently is! Now I want to amend for my prior mistakes! I will be the one who defeats him by sacrificing myself!" Ray shot back.

"Ray, this is more than just fixing former relationship-problems! It's the fate of the world and yourself we're talking about here! Let me do it!" He demanded.

"You don't seem to understand, do you, father?" Ray began, looking down to the ground. "This is not just the foolishness of a girl who wants back her old friend!" Her face shot upwards, starring at Leo with an intense expression. "THIS IS THE RESOLVE OF A GIRL WHO WANTS TO SAVE HER PARENT AND HUMANITY! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU, FATHER!" She yelled before she slammed a card onto her duel disk, wrecking a nearby building so that the way between them got blocked.

"RAY! RAY!" Leo shouted as he desperately tried to climb over the rubble, Ray running away.

As Ray looked up into the sky, she saw a vortex of darkness slowly covering everything. 'What are you planing, Zarc?' She thought in a worried tone, keeping on running with the center of the black storm slowly spreading over the world being her destination.

---

Around thirty minutes before...

Zarc stood atop of a huge hill of red crystals, stretching out his right arm into the air.

"The dark mist crawls over the world! Fear and terror, spread over all living beings before you consume them! The universe blackens before its life is extinguished! As you fall into despair, a new order shall emerge from the ruins! Behold, the dark purification is at hand! Shatter and be destroyed by the all-drowning darkness! HAŌMADOU 100 – KUROUCHŪ!" He cried out as a black mist began spreading from his palm, slowly covering everything around him with absolute darkness. "Great!" He murmured to himself as he watched his spell gaining more power with every second. "This spell has the power to destroy the entire world, even the entire universe if needed. It spreads slowly at first, but its increase in impact area rises exponentially, meaning after a while of rather slow pace, it will be really fast and cover the whole earth in no time at all. I don't wish to destroy anything besides the humans, so all non-living things, animals and plants will remain safe. Also I will not spread the spell further than the earth, no need to unleash my wrath upon space." Zarc said in a monologue as he observed his Black Universe getting stronger and stronger. After a few minutes, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. "I expected that you would come..." He began, turning around. "...Ray!" He addressed the maroon and red haired girl standing a few dozens of feet behind him.

"Zarc! I have come here to fight you!" Ray declared in a resolute tone.

"You?! Fight me?! Don't be ridiculous, Ray! I mean, the difference in power between the two of us is like the difference between heaven and earth! And besides that, I feel that you are still conflicted about your true feelings towards me!" Zarc stated, gazing into her eyes. "Right, Ray?" He inquired.

Ray gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Right! I do indeed still have feelings for you!" She said.

Zarc approached her at that. "That's good! Then let's just work together! I already gave you that offer back in the stadium, but I still mean it even if time has passed since then! Now then, come over to my side! Or let me come over to you!" He said, approaching her.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, DEMON!" Ray suddenly screamed at him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Zarc was startled and raised an eyebrow. "Why did you just yell at me like that? Didn't you say that you still had feelings for me?" He addressed her with a tiny bit of confusion in his voice.

"Yes! I did say that I still love you! But I only love the person named Zarc, not that abomination over there!" She shouted, pointing at Zarc in his Fully Transcendent Form without the head scales.

Zarc vanished and reappeared in front of her using his incredible speed. "Don't push me away from you like that! Please, Ray!" He begged, pulling her closer to him by her back.

"LET GO OF ME, YOU MONSTER!" Ray shouted at the top of her lungs as she violently pushed him away, grimacing in disdain and loathing. "I DON'T WANT TO BE CLOSE TO SOMEONE – NO! – SOMETHING THAT KILLS PEOPLE WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST TRACE OF REMOURSE!" She screamed as she retreated even further from him.

"Ray...!" Zarc began desperately, reaching out his left hand in a pleading manner.

"NO! I WON'T STAND YOU ANY LONGER! YOU PLAN ON KILLING US ALL AND WOULDN'T SPARE ANYONE EXCEPT ME! AND I AM NOT EGOISTIC, SO I COULDN'T BEAR LIVING ANYMORE, EVEN IF I SURVIVED YOUR GENOCIDE! I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND, BEAST! THE ZARC WHOM I KNEW IS LONG DEAD! SO THERE'S NOTHING STANDING IN MY WAY OF KILLING YOU NOW!" She yelled at him.

"BUT WHY?! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT THOSE..., THOSE..., THOSE THINGS AND BE WITH ME AGAIN?!" Zarc screamed back at her.

"BECAUSE I LOVE ALL HUMANS DESPITE THEIR MISTAKES, ESPECIALLY MY FATHER! AND I WOULD NEVER ABANDON MY FRIENDS!" She countered.

"NEVER ABANDON YOUR FRIENDS?! YOU TREACHEROUS WHORE, YOU DID EXACTLY THAT THING TO ME! YOU ABANDONED ME AS IF I WAS A FILTHY DOG YOU'VE GOTTEN SICK OF!" Zarc screamed at her, the tension rising up more and more.

"I DIDN'T ABANDON YOU! YOU ABANDONED ME! I WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO YOU INSTANTLY IF YOU TURNED IN AND ACCEPTED PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES! I WOULD HAVE EVEN WAITED FOR YOU AT THE PRISON EXIT AFTER YOU RETURNED FROM YOUR SENTENCE! BUT YOU NEVER TURNED IN!"

"OF COURSE I DIDN'T TURN TO THE POLICE! EVERY OF THESE FILTHY CREATURES WAS CLAPPING BECAUSE OF IT! AND MY INNER MONSTER SPIRIT APPROVED OF IT AS WELL! THE ONLY FACTOR THAT COULD HAVE MADE ME TURN IN WAS YOU! BUT YOU NEVER FUCKING CAME!" Zarc yelled back, his head bright red from all the screaming and rage boiling inside him.

Ray began crying at that. "I loved you, Zarc! I thought that you could lead this world to light and happiness with your dueling, AND NOT PLUNGE IT INTO DARKNESS AND DESPAIR!" She screamed at him, sobbing heavily.

"My darkness will merely exterminate the filth to make room for a better world! If you see me as evil, fine, keep on thinking that! But my Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū will still cleanse this world and bring about a new era!" Zarc declared.

"Not if I can prevent that!" Ray yelled back at him, readying her duel disk.

"Oh?!" Zarc exclaimed, his face twisting into a derisive expression. "You want to duel me?! Fine, since it's you, I will accept your challenge and face you in a good old card-fight instead of just killing you with my Haōmadou or physical powers! Consider it as the honor you'll get from me because of our history together!" Zarc stated, activating his disk as well.

-"DUEL!"- They shouted in unison.

---

Ray panted heavily as she looked upwards to the giant dragon above her. She had been cornered by Zarc and lost the major part of her lifepoints, sitting at a mere 300. Meanwhile Zarc controlled – unlike her with no monsters – his dragon self, the Supreme Dragon King Zarc, as well as his four Servant Dragons, giving him a full field of monsters. He was still at 3000 LP, only damaged by one blow Ray could deal him before he had taken control over the duel. But even if things looked bad for her, she had been able to fulfill the conditions of the four cards she had stolen from her dad at last, finally able to play them. "Now I will defeat him!" Ray whispered to herself before she looked up again with a determined expression.

"I ACTIVATE THE CONTINUOUS SPELL EN FLOWERS!" Ray declared, the flora around her slowly awakening and its energies flowing to the card as a red ray of light.

"What is that card?!" Zarc exclaimed as he observed how several flowers emerged from the destroyed ground and began to bloom. Meanwhile Leo ran up the hill, trying to get to Ray and realizing what was going on.

"No way! Is she really going to do it?! RAY!" He shouted, continuing to run upwards.

"AND NEXT UP THE CONTINUOUS SPELL EN BIRDS!" Ray cried out, the fauna awakening as well.

"What is she planing?!" Zarc murmured to himself, nervous about Ray's strategy.

"AND THIRD IS THE CONTINUOUS SPELL EN WINDS!" Ray yelled as the terrestrial forces of nature awakened as well. She hesitated before she activated the last card of her combo and addressed her former friend one last time. "ZARC! You don't need to die! Just give up and I will leave you be! This is the last chance I'll give you!" She declared.

"You are giving me an ultimatum?! Don't be so conceited, because I will be the one who does that! Surrender now and I will do you no harm! Come over to my side!" Zarc retorted.

"No chance! I will never side with you!" Ray shot back.

( 19, Emperor Palpatine's Theme - Star Wars OST, min 1:09)

Zarc scowled. "Very well then." He stated, shifting his two arms forward. "If you will not be turned..." He began, stretching out his arms and uttering an incantation within his mind.

"...YOU WILL BE DESTROYED! HAŌMADOU 64 – SHINKURAKURAI!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 64 – Crimson Lightning Strike) He shouted as he started emitting red lightnings from his fingertips, striking down upon Ray and electrocuting her.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!" She screamed in agony as the red voltage surged through her body. Every fiber of her being was in pain right now as Zarc's spell slowly increased in power, the force of the lightnings rising steadily.

"RAAAAAAAAAAY!" Leo shouted in horror, trying to get to her. Unfortunately the way was blocked, leaving him no other option than to witness Zarc's cruelty.

"YES! YES! HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE ELECTROCUTED, RAY?!" Zarc addressed her in a sadistic tone as he continued to strengthen his attack. "THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN WATCHING STAR WARS EPISODE VI IN 3D TOGETHER IN THE CINEMA, ISN'T IT?! INSTEAD OF JUST SEEING HOW THE EMPEROR USES FORCE LIGHTNING ON LUKE, YOU CAN NOW BE THE ELECTROCUTED PERSON ITSELF! NOW PERISH!" Zarc screamed, the expression on his face becoming more hateful and malicious with every moment, his arms shooting forward every once in a while as he increased the force of his spell.

"Arrggh! If I cannot use the final spell in time, I will succumb to his attack!" Ray uttered through gritted teeth as she collapsed on the ground. "Must... use... the card!" She stated in agony, trying to rise up, only to fall down again immediately.

"Looks like you are pretty tough!" Zarc laughed as he saw that she still had the will to struggle on. "Then let me crush your hope! My dragon, annihilate her! RAY, THIS IS UNLIMITED POWER! GOD SLAUGHTER!" He shouted at her as he commanded the dragon above his head, the Supreme Dragon King unfolding its wings at that and sending its signature ability down at her as Zarc abused the fact that he could use such effects even outside of the rules due to his prowess to make duels reality and vice versa, massive red voltage striking down and uniting with Zarc's own ability.

(2:21)

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Ray screamed, her body literally exploding with pain as the dragon joined in as well, intensifying the agony by a hundred times. What she didn't know was that the four En-Cards protected her and increased her survivability, but that still wasn't enough to alleviate the pain by a lot. As Zarc realized that she wouldn't die from his combination-attack with his dragon self, he stopped, separated and descended from the dragon's chest, picking up her weakened, feeble body.

( 19 Emperor Palpatine's Theme - Star Wars OST end at 2:36)

He restrained her, holding her from behind, and flew over to the edge of the hill, the city visible beneath them.

"Do you hear that, Ray? My spell is slowly taking effect! Ah, all these screams of misery!" Zarc stated in a dreamy tone as he enjoyed the cries of the people who perished because of his Black Universe echoing through the city. "I have truly never heard sweeter sounds than this!" He stated.

"Mmmmph! – Mmmmph! – Mmmmph!" Ray screamed, her cries muffled by the scaly hand of Zarc that covered her mouth. Her legs kicked wildly, trying to break free as Zarc stood behind her on the edge of the cliff, holding her in place with his sheer physical powers, not even needing to stifle her movements with his Spirit Force and forcing her to watch the end of the world.

"Ah, so much death! So much purification! A truly majestic feeling! And what makes it even better is the fact that you cannot do anything to stop it!" Zarc continued, enjoying the Armageddon even more with Ray than if he was alone. "It must feel great to be you, Ray, having a front seat for the end of the old world! It kinda reminds me of that one date where we went to the amusement park and looked back to it at night time, its bright colors shining in the horizon as I embraced you from behind! But this feels even more amazing, that's for sure!" He stated.

"RAY!" Her father yelled, his voice filed with emotions of both anger on Zarc, fear and worries about his daughter and desperation about the imminent demise of mankind. As Ray heard his cry, she began sobbing.

'No! NO! It cannot end like this!' Ray desperately thought in sadness, tears rolling down her cheeks. 'I've come so far and now I am forced to witness the end of my world without any power to do something against it?! I don't want my father to die! I don't want humanity to die! I don't want this world to die! Please, just let...' "GO OF ME!" She screamed in her thoughts, the last part being audible to the outside world while she broke free, knocking Zarc away as a bright radiance was emitted from her body. She fell onto her knees again, now freed of the demon duelist's hold, and turned around to him.

"What the...?! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in both shock and confusion. He looked up again to face her. But when he looked upon Ray, his eyes widened even further, terrified by the image within his eyes. "WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! WHY DID YOUR APPEARANCE CHANGE INTO..., CHANGE INTO... THIS?!" He shouted at her in horror.

( 20, B13a - Bleach OST)

Ray gazed back to him and returned the eye contact. "I don't know myself. But I believe that my desperation and will to save mankind combined with the pure energy from the En-Cards unlocked a greater potential within me, causing me to enter this form!" She replied. "Behold, Zarc, now I am transcendent as well!" She declared.

"A HUMAN WHO TRANSCENDED ITS LIMITS OTHER THAN ME?! IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarc shot back in terror and disbelief of her declaration.

Ray scoffed back at him after that. "You really think so?! Well, if it's impossible, how do you explain this form then?!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

Zarc gulped while he starred at her, looking over her changed appearance. As he did that, he slowly had to admit that her words might be true after all. Her skin was a bit lighter and had a warm, radiant glow of golden color. It seemed unnaturally soft and delicate, almost celestial so to speak, and when he looked upon it, he wished that he could just touch it once in his life. Furthermore her purple eyes emitted that radiance as well and were full of confidence now, probably because she was fully and absolutely determined to take him down at last. But there was still more to it, the authority they emitted couldn't possibly be human, Zarc was certain about that. While her maroon and red hair also shone brightly and looked even better than before (and that says a lot as Zarc had always been a big fan of it with its normal looks already), that wasn't the full extent of her new appearance. Because the most remarkable thing were the six white wings sprouting from her back, fluffy and feather-like. "She really did it." Zarc whispered in disbelief. "She transcended her humanity and ascended to a heavenly being, a creature of angelic beauty in the most literal sense of the word. She became an angel!" He uttered in shock, looking upon her, now a godlike being, just as Zarc. "And then she also has those white, winglike hair clips on both sides of the front hair plus this glowing..., this glowing..., ah, no idea how the fuck I should describe it! She has like this glowing winglike disk behind her back that Zeref also has in his God Form!" He concluded with the description of Ray's appearance.

Meanwhile Leo gazed upon his daughter in both awe and shock as well. "Is this really... Ray?! She changed so much in appearance, so is she still the same girl whom I raised?" He contemplated, wondering how his daughter could have changed so rapidly. "Was it really the power of my cards? Because if that's the case, she has the power of creation and light on her side now!"

"Now then, let's end this, Zarc!" Ray addressed him in a resolute tone.

"Very well! Then let us settle this battle with a physical fight!" Zarc yelled, flapping his six white wings and charging at her, his face being covered with the black mask-like scales again. "DIE, RAY!" He shouted, his claws stretched out, ready to tear her apart.

Ray looked at him apathetically before she extended her right hand, the wing-like radiant object behind her back darting forward and changing its shape.

"WHAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in surprise as it blocked his attack effortlessly, functioning as a shield-like barrier between their two bodies.

Ray chuckled. "You look surprised! I guess I should explain to you what I did in order to return the favor for agreeing to our previous duel! This winglike thing behind my back is my halo. In most cases these things are depicted as a small ring above an angel's head, but mine is a little bit different. First of all, it is located elsewhere and looks a bit different. I guess that was already obvious. But second- and more importantly, I can command it to move anywhere I want and take any shape I want, enabling me to use it both offensively and defensively!" She explained.

"Kuh! What an annoying thing!" Zarc stated. 'So it's just like Madara's Truthseeker Orbs! The only real difference is that her halo looks way more fashionable than a bunch of black orbs behind ones back!' He added in his thoughts.

"It gets even better!" Ray remarked before raising a finger, part of her halo forming into several small blades that dashed at Zarc with incredible speed, slicing open his right cheek.

"Ouch!" Zarc exclaimed. The injury wasn't anywhere near to be taken serious, but the precision and velocity of her weapon was even more in return for that.

Ray grinned. "And? Do you like my halo?" She asked him in a sweet tone as the fragments reassembled and returned to her, merging with the main body of the halo to become the full wings from before again.

Zarc gritted his teeth. "Don't be so full of yourself now that you are a seraph with six wings and that halo behind your back! I can still overwhelm you with my Fully Transcendent Form!" He shot back in anger.

"Oh? Do you really think so?" Ray responded in a confident tone. "Then let me prove you wrong! Great power of light! Form as an orb and vanquish the darkness! Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai!" (Jap.: Angel Magic 78 – Light Sphere) She chanted, hurling a bright sphere at Zarc.

"Do you think that you are the only one who can do that?!" Zarc yelled at her in outrage. "Great power of darkness! Form as an orb and vanquish the light! Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 78 – Annihilation Sphere) He screamed in response, sending an orb of darkness from his palm to oppose Ray's attack. The attacks clashed and stood still in the air for a while, both orbs fighting to come out on top. Eventually Zarc's dark sphere was pushed back and Ray's attack hit the dragon before he could even react. Zarc coughed up some blood as the orb made of light collided with his stomach, sweeping him from his feet and sending him flying backwards. A dark figure observed the events from above with a scowl.

"Damn, this is bad! Her Fully Transcendent Form is on par with his! But because darkness has a natural weakness against light, her attacks will always overpower his, in most cases even if he uses Haōmadou of higher tier than her Tenshimadou! Curse you, human!" The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor commented grudgingly as he watched the fight in his spectral form.

"I'm not done!" Ray continued as Zarc rose up again, speeding towards him and grabbing Zarc by his face, pressing him skywards with a leap as she dragged him in front of her.

'She's fast! And strong! I'm getting Aizen vs Ichigo flashbacks when she's grabbing my face like that!' Zarc thought as he gazed through Ray's fingers covering his face, observing her resolute facial expression in disbelief as she pushed him upwards. After they were around a mile above Leo, she shifted herself above him in a quick motion and threw him downwards, Zarc hitting the ground with an enormous impact, leaving a huge crater.

( 20 B13a - Bleach OST end)

Zarc got onto his feet again, wiping the blood from his lower face, looking upwards at Ray with murder intent. "YOU STUPID ANGEL! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" He threatened her.

Ray laughed. "And how, if I may ask?" She retorted politely, hovering downwards to his height.

Now it was Zarc's turn to grin. "Hmm, you seem to forget that most of your power still comes from Jyujutsu! Even if your Tenshimadou is a higher form of that, I can still defeat it just like any Reikonmadou by doing this!" He shouted, raising his blade Shinjitsu.

"TENKAI!" He cried out. "SUBJUGATE THEM ALL, ZETTAI NO SHIJŌ!" He shouted as his blade emitted its black-reddish glow again and Zarc rose up into the air, his wings getting their additional black layers, alongside regaining his fourth pair of wings, the extra black scales all around his body covering him and the two white horns sprouting from above his ears again. "TREMBLE, RAY! MY SUPER TRANSCENDENT FORM!" He declared as Ray was impacted by his Tenkai's ability, the Spirit Force inside her body slowly depleting.

"NO! NOT THAT FORM!" Leo cried out, knowing what Zarc's Tenkai could do from the information he had gotten from his daughter the other day when Zarc had fought the thirteen generals as she had returned to him. "AT THIS RATE SHE WILL LOSE TO HIM SINCE HER TENSHIMADOU IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED NOW!" Leo cried out in panic.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Now things are back where they should be! Me an all-powerful dragon and you a weak little girl!" Zarc mocked her as his sword ability did its work. "WILL YOU SURRENDER NOW?!" He asked her in a jeering tone, a devilish grin on his dragonic face.

Ray looked back at him and reciprocated the smile. Which prompted Zarc to flinch and change his expression, shocked by her confidence and lack of fear. She spoke up after a while, facing him with an intense stare. "You know, you are not the only one who has a toy like that at ones disposal, Zarc!" She stated.

"WAIT! DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU HAVE...?!" Zarc began in terror of her next words.

Ray nodded. "Yes! You said it yourself back when you fought against the generals, didn't you? That the Tenkai is the manifestation of a transcendent being's soul. And as you see, I now happen to be one of those beings!" She told him.

( 21, Stand Up Be Strong Part 1 - Bleach OST)

"No... way...! Can she really use it...?!" Zarc whispered in fear. Then a serious expression formed on Ray's face and a shining blade made from light manifested in front of her. She rose is upwards before uttering the fateful words.

"TEN... KAI! BATH THEM IN YOUR LUMINESCENCE, KAGAYAKASHĪ HIKARI!" She cried out as her blade emitted a golden light. An aura formed around her, its bright barriers protecting her against the waves of darkness that surged from Zarc's blade. As Zarc looked at her, he realized something, prompting him to address her again.

"Your momentum! It's returning to you!" Zarc exclaimed in shock as he observed how the normally invisible energy flowed back into Ray's body.

Ray nodded. "Yes! My Tenkai's Holy Shield-ability not only protects me against the effects of your Tenkai, but also absorbs energy from my surroundings and adds it to my Spirit Force!" She stated.

Zarc gasped. "So does that mean that you can block my momentum drain while amassing more?!" He shouted in terror.

"That's right! This is the ability of my newly forged light blade Kibō – Hope! That is the power of my Tenkai "Kagayakashī Hikari" – "Glorious Light"!" She declared in a tone full of courage and resolve.

"No way...!" Zarc uttered taking a step backwards within the air.

"Why are you running?! The real fight will begin now after all!" She shouted before she flapped her six angel wings and charged at him, her blade raised against his. She slammed it down with a diagonal slash which Zarc parried. But as they swords clashed, her halo altered its form again and hailed down on him as a collection of sharp, arrow-like projectiles.

(min 0:38)

"YES! RAY IS BEATING HIM!" Leo exclaimed in joy as he saw how his daughter overwhelmed him with her attack.

"Tch! But I can still heal my wounds and get back to normal with my regeneration in no time at all!" Zarc shouted in response to receiving the injuries.

Ray merely smirked. "Are you sure about that? My Seraph Form has the ability of Cleansing Light after all, one that makes all wounds I inflict incurable except if I allow the respective injuries to heal!" She pointed out his error.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarc yelled in disbelief before Ray started her next attack, launching at him with series of swings while her halo remained split and attacked him in the form of multiple knives coming from all sides. Leo observed the battle with a hopeful expression as Ray slowly cornered Zarc, their blades clashing against each other while they fought in the air, speeding around with their respective wings and sending shockwaves of darkness and light into all directions as their weapons kept on colliding with each other. As Zarc received a major cut on one of his wings, he exploded in rage.

"THAT'S IT! NO MORE MESSING AROUND! I WILL OBLITERATE YOU!" He screamed, charging up all of his six dragon maws on the white-blackish wings and firing them at her at point blank range. He lowered the explosion radius so that it would only affect her, grinning devilishly as he observed how she was hit by the barrage of full powered orbs, with his mastery over the Fully and Super Transcendent Form respectively now having the force of sixty billion nuclear bombs when impacting an area of the size of the Korean peninsula. When compressed like this however, its explosive power was millions of times, if not more, higher than that. But as the smoke retreated, Ray was still levitating in the air unharmed.

"HOW?! HOW CAN YOU WITHSTAND A BARRAGE OF SUCH TREMENDOUS POWER WITHOUT A SINGLE SCRATCH?!" He screamed at her in exasperation.

"Did you forget? My Angel Form gives me godly defensive abilities and the Holy Shield and halo together can block blasts like that easily!" She explained, causing Zarc to grit his teeth even harder, his face now looking completely like a monster with his dragonic eyes twitching, as well as the black mask and the rest of his facial appearance, his face twisted in unspeakable anger.

(min 1:35)

"NOW THEN, TIME TO END YOU!" Ray exclaimed before her expression turned fierce and she began her assault anew, entering a deadly waltz of blades as her sword and divided halo slashed around within the air, pushing Zarc back further and further as more and more of his colorful blood sharing the same attributes as his Chūshin and the orb of light that Astrograph had thrown up into the sky at the Integration Summon was spilled. The rainbow colored fluid, now moved through his body with his Monster Spirit-Heart, dripped out of several wounds, more being added by Ray with every second. As he fell to the ground with one of her attacks and she sped at him for the following strike, he started his counterattack by leaping up into the air.

"DIE, YOU ACCURSED BITCH!" He yelled at the top of his lungs as he winded up Shinjitsu, going for a ferocious strike that would put an end to his old girlfriend and new nemesis. He grinned victoriously as the blade swept through the air, mere milliseconds from reaching her neck and beheading her. But then she ducked and dodged it, giving him a full slash across his torso instead.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zarc screamed in agony as he dropped downwards, crashing to the floor with a rough "landing". Ray used that to wind up her final strike on the transcendent dragon.

(min 2:05)

"RADIANT BLADE! SWEEP DOWN ON MY FOE AND ERADICATE THE DARKNESS! THE HOLY BLADE OF LIGHT THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE END OF ALL EVIL! TENSHIMADOU 90 – SHINSEINAHANTEI!" (Jap.: Angel Magic 90 – Divine Judgment) She screamed at the top of her lungs, her blade sweeping through the air and sending a slash of pure light downwards. As the shining sword created the final attack, the surrounding city was bathed in a yellow radiance, illuminating the entirety of Avalon City and prompting the survivors to look towards the source of the radiance.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zarc screamed, even louder than before, as the wave collided with him. Then he simply went silent and stopped moving completely. As he didn't stand up or move anymore, Leo gasped and then began talking in an incredulous tone.

( 21 Stand Up Be Strong Part 1 - Bleach OST end)

"She... did it. She killed... Zarc. The demon... IS DEAD!" He cheered enthusiastically. Then he looked up to his angelic daughter and addressed her. "GOOD JOB, RAY! YOU FINISHED HIM OFF WITHOUT ANYONE OF US TWO HAVING TO SACRIFICE ONES OWN LIFE FOR IT! YOU JUST SAVED THE WORLD!" He shouted at her, proud of her as he had never been before in his life.

Ray redirected her gaze to him and shot him a weak smile before she looked back to her slain opponent. "I'm sorry, Zarc." She whispered. "I wish that it would have never come to this..." She uttered, her voice halfway in between sadness about his death and joy that she had prevented the end of humanity and the old world. She noticed that Zarc's spell had ended, being canceled as its caster was no longer able to maintain its progression.

Suddenly she noticed a movement below her, prompting Ray to turn around her head again. She scowled as she realized what the source of it was. "So you are still alive!" She stated, looking down at Zarc who slowly stood up again.

"Yes, t-that's right! Did you seriously think you could go full Ichigo-Mode, grab my face and drag me through the air before throwing a light-themed ripoff attack of Mugetsu at me, defeating me like it happened with Aizen?!" He replied, stammering from the loss of blood and his weakened body. "I will not give up yet!" He continued after that, looking up to Ray with a fierce expression as he crawled onto his knees and tried to push himself up again.

"Tch! Such a resilient bastard!" Leo cursed as the demon rose up again.

Ray merely clicked her tongue. "Do you never realize when to give up?! You are wounded and barely able to stand! Your Haōmadou is being overpowered by my Tenshimadou and lastly I can block any of your sword strikes with my own blade or my halo! You have lost, Zarc, just accept it!" She addressed him, trying to talk him into forfeiting the fight. She didn't want to hurt him even more than she already had since she despised violence like nothing else.

"No...!" Zarc protested in a weak voice, desperately clinging to life. "Me and the Monster Spirits...!" He began, his expression turning fierce at that. "We..." He stated, a golden aura slowly surrounding his body as he rose onto his feet completely, standing on the hill again.

"What is that?!" Leo exclaimed in shock as the glow of golden, red and black color enveloped him and his surroundings more and more.

"We...!" Zarc repeated, a strong gust of wind being unleashed into all directions, having the color of his newly gained aura.

"Is he going to...?!" Ray whispered in horror.

"WE...! WE...!" Zarc shouted again, getting even louder as the aura intensified.

"No! It can't be!" Ray stammered.

"WE WILL NEVER BE ENCHAINED AGAIN!" Zarc screamed in outrage, his eyes widening as he rose his blade above his head.

"BREAK FREE, GREAT DRAGON EMPEROR!" He shouted at the top of his lungs before the area around him was obscured by a sheer explosion of momentum, the power within his body rising to unprecedented heights as an immense pillar of light shot up into the sky, the whole city being enveloped in a blinding radiance of golden, red and black color.

( 22, Treachery - Bleach OST Extended, min 0:44; this is "Supremacy" again, but the extended version of it)

"These violins!" Leo exclaimed recognizing the background music. "It's the same melody as back when Zarc first transcended to become the Supreme Dragon King!"

"Supremacy...!" Ray uttered the name of the track in fear, aware of what it meant when Zarc played that theme. "Is he seriously...?!"

As the violins continued playing the mist slowly retreated, giving her more and more view of what was ahead of her. At once, four objects sliced through the air and wiped the nebula away, ten other objects flapping to support said thing. As Ray fully caught sight of the creature standing in front of her, she gasped in horror and disbelief.

"What... what happened to you?!" She addressed Zarc in a fearful voice before he spoke up in a low pitched voice to respond her, the refrain beginning simultaneously.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

"This is the next step of my evolution!" Zarc declared with a grin on his face. He now had five pairs of wings, having grown one more during his transformation. But all of them were pitch black in color with a bit of neon green on the upper part, resembling the Supreme Dragon King's looks. He furthermore now had maws on all of them, being completely black in color as well, with the exception of their teeth. His body was fully black, no trace of white visible anymore. In addition to that he had sprouted two extra horns from his outer forehead, curvy and pointing to the middle of his front side, just like the horns the Supreme Dragon King had. His whole body had green lines over it, resembling the great Dragon-Monster once more. But the most terrifying thing aside from his still demonic black mask combined with those dragonic eyes with their golden irises and pitch black pupils was that he had four arms, each of them holding a sword made of pure darkness from the looks of it.

"How?!" Ray asked after a while in a frightened tone, the interlude playing in the background.

Zarc raised one of his scaly eyebrows. "How? That's simple, I unlocked the true potential of my soul and then released Sōzetsukai with my sword!" He retorted, raising up the sword he was holding with his hinder right arm, still emitting the glow which distinguished it from the three other blades that Zarc had formed with this new transformation.

"Sublime... Release?!" Ray repeated in fear as she suddenly felt her body losing power.

"Yes, Sōzetsukai – Sublime Release! It works exactly like in Bleach! While the Tenkai is the embodiment of a transcendent being's soul, the Shikai so to speak, the Sōzetsukai is the evolution of that! But only a transcendent being of an even higher degree of divinity can acquire this form of power! That's why I was able to unlock it! Now then, I should probably explain to you what my Sōzetsukai does! My Sōzetsukai "Zen'nō no Ryū no Kami" – "Almighty Dragon God" has the power of increasing my total strength yet again. That is indicated by my new physical appearance as you can tell and multiplies my power by about ten to one hundred times, depending on training. NOW TREMBLE BEFORE MY HYPER TRANSCENDENT FORM!" He announced in a loud voice.

"Ten to one hundred times?! Hyper Transcendent Form?!" Ray repeated in shock and disbelief.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

Zarc nodded as the refrain began anew. "Yes, but the main feature of my Sōzetsukai is that it disables all Jyujutsu, regardless of augmentation and protection! In other words, even with your Holy Shield-ability your Tenshimadou is useless now!" Zarc shouted in a victorious tone.

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

"WHAT?!" Ray exclaimed in terror.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

"And that's not all!" Zarc continued, grinning sadistically. "Look at my body!" He commanded her.

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

Leo's eyes widened as he did said thing. "The wounds...!" He began in horror. "The incurable wounds of Ray's light powers are closing up again! How is Ray going to overcome him now?! RAY!" He exclaimed, Leo's worries about his daughter skyrocketing.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

Zarc continued grinning at her. "Now then, how do you like it? The Hindus view having multiple pairs of arms as a sign of divinity!" He stated, raising up his four upper limbs. "So how do you like it?! Seeing the first true god who ever entered this world?! The first being that will bring true change to the world instead of relaxing in some kind of afterlife or whatnot like a lazy jerk!" He addressed her in a confident, mocking voice.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

Ray eyes widened in horror before she retorted something to him. "A TRUE GOD WOULD NEVER BRING SO MUCH PAIN TO THE WORLD!" She protested in an indignant tone.

-You all pray but you keep on committing sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-To be a dragon, Ima koso hitotsu ni!-

Zarc tilted his head a bit. "Do you really think so? After all, they don't do anything against the suffering in the world which is pretty much equivalent to bringing pain, don't you think? I know that there are a lot of theories like the theodicy which explain why they don't act, but ultimately those are just dirty excuses for believing in fictional, made-up beings who do nothing against the suffering in this world! But I won't lean back! I will act based on my superior beliefs, the true beliefs! I will not allow myself to be bound down by religion, society, rules, norms and general opinions anymore! I will truly transcend all mortal limits to become a superhuman who is exalted above the lowly urges of mankind and freely pursuits happiness, just like Nietzsche has preached in his philosophy!" He told while his theme finished and began another loop, the prelude starting again since this was the extended version.

"BUT EVEN IF YOU TRANSCEND ALL OF THAT, YOU ARE STILL A MASS MURDERER!" Ray screamed in outrage.

"That may be right, but ultimately I still follow a noble goal! I want to establish an utopia, and if I have to walk over some corpses for that, so be it!" He made a short pause as the lyrics began anew.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

-SINCE TO ME YOU ARE NOTHING BUT FILTH AND SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

-AND AM A GOD OF UNRIVALED SUPREMACY!-

"Don't you remember Machiavelli? 'One ascends to the principality by some wicked or nefarious ways.' 'For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him.' He mainly referred to politics with that, but the message is clear: When the act accuses, the result excuses! If I have to kill a few humans for an ideal world, it will be all worth it once the utopia is born! The end justifies the means so to speak! And don't try to argue against that, after all, I've always had better grades in philosophy than you, Ray! No matter how you turn it, my ideology is superior!" Zarc declared in an absolute tone.

"YOUR BELIEFS ARE STUPID AND INHUMANE!" Ray shot back at him as the interlude began for a second time.

"ARE YOU RETARDED?! I'M NOT EVEN A HUMAN ANYMORE, SO DON'T BRING UP THAT POINT! AND STOP USING THAT WORD IN A WAY THAT DEPICTS THEM AS GOOD BEINGS RATHER THAN THE DEMONS THEY TRULY ARE! ALSO ONLY A DEVILISH BEING SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD CLING TO THOSE DEMONS LIKE THAT! NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS BLACK IS EVIL! AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS SHINING IS AUTOMATICALLY AN ANGEL! I HAVEN'T USED THAT SHIN GODZILLA OST AGAINST THE GENERALS FOR NOTHING, RAY! I AM A BLACK ANGEL WHO WILL BRING JUSTICE TO WICKED HUMANITY WITH MY BLAZING SWORD! AND NOBODY, NOBODY!, WILL STAND IN MY WAY! SO STEP ASIDE OR PERISH, RAY!" Zarc screamed at her at the top of his lungs.

"NO CHANCE!" Ray yelled back at him.

"Then you will be destroyed! You will be the last thing I leave back in order to be completely free of any influences on me!" Zarc whispered in an eerie tone as he readied his four blades and charged upwards.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

Zarc slammed his four blades down at her. While she could block three with her own sword Kibō and her halo combined, the fourth slashed open her chest, tearing flesh and spilling a golden fluid.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

"AAARGH!" Ray screamed in pain, retreating and looking at the wound. Zarc merely grinned at her.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

"Looks like your defense isn't so perfect and unbreakable anymore! And about your golden angel blood, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPILLING MORE OF IT!" He screamed at her in a bloodthirsty voice before he charged forward again.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

"Kuh!" Ray cursed before she redirected her blade and halo, trying to block his next attack. She smirked as she parried two of his swords with her own blade and blocked the next two with her halo.

-SINCE TO ME YOU ARE NOTHING BUT FILTH AND SIN!-

"Oh?! Do you think that you have taken care of everything?!" Zarc addressed her in a mocking tone.

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

WHAT?!" Ray exclaimed in a shocked tone before she realized what he meant.

-AND AM A GOD OF UNRIVALED SUPREMACY!-

"THIS IS SPARTA!" Zarc cried out in a jeering tone as he kicked her with his right dragon leg, the claws on his toes deeply digging into her flesh and tearing open her lower torso.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

"GAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ray shouted in agony as the nerve signals reached her brain and transmitted the burning sensation in her abdominal area.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

"I'M NOT DONE!" Zarc shouted loudly before he vanished.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

"WHERE DID HE GO?!" Ray yelled in panic.

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

"RAY! BEHIND YOU!" He father cried out in terror, trying to warn her.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

"WHAT?!" Ray exclaimed as she begun to turn around. But she didn't get far as four claw-like hands pierced her back, causing her to scream in pain once more.

-YOU ALL PRAY BUT YOU KEEP ON COMMITTING SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

-TO BE A DRAGON, IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!-

"DO YOU SEE THAT?! THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE IN POWER BETWEEN A GOD AND A MERE HUMAN THAT HAS TRANSCENDED HER LIMITS A BIT!" Zarc cried out in a mocking tone as he twisted his four hands inside her back, intensifying her cries of agony with it. ( 22Treachery - Bleach OST Extended end) His theme ended and he pulled out his arms again, grasping her by her neck and throwing her downwards with immense force. As she hit the floor with a loud crash, Leo screamed her name again.

"RAAAAAAAY!"

Ray slowly rose up again, her body full of bruises and bleeding from his slashes and claws, panting in exhaustion. She looked upwards and faced Zarc with a resolute expression, despite her hopeless situation.

"Oh? So you still have the power to stand up and fight?!" Zarc laughed. "Very well, if you have the nerve for that, I should better play something appropriate for our final showdown!" He told before he snapped his fingers.

( 23, Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification"; again an extended version, also accelerated and higher pitched)

"Wait! This is Dark Purification! Does he really want to end me now?! Will he really forget about everything we had and turn against me like I did?!" Ray wondered as the melody began playing.

"This is the final fight, Ray!" Zarc stated. "Either stop me and save your pathetic old world or lose and witness how everything comes crumbling down before you draw your last breath and perish at the Armageddon!" Zarc declared, continuing the Black Universe-Spell by uttering its incantation anew. "IT'S TIME! THE FINAL BATTLE THAT WILL DECIDE EVERYTHING BEGINS NOW!" Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs as he flapped his wings and sped down at her.

Ray grimaced as their blades clashed again, Zarc pushing against her with tremendous force, causing her to skid back.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE PRETTY BUSY WITH MY BLADES NOW! EVEN YOUR HALO IS OCCUPIED! WHICH MEANS I CAN DO THIS AT LAST!" Zarc laughed as he continued pressing, his face twisted in malicious glee and bloodlust as he made an insane laugh. Then his ten wings moved as he directed all of their maws at Ray's face. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw all of them charging up spheres of red color, eerily glowing just mere inches away from her face. Then they were launched at her and exploded at point blank range, Zarc narrowing the impact field again so that it would hit her – and nothing else to maximize its efficiency – with the power of multiple quadrillion nukes.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Ray yelled as she was hurled backwards, her face blackened by the insane explosion. As she opened her eyes again, something rapidly came into her field of vision. She ducked leftwards to avoid the left-handed blade meant to behead her, just to get into the next attack from his anterior right arm, stabbing her chest with a clean thrust forward, causing her to cough up some of her golden blood. While she had unconsciously blocked the two other blades with her halo, she had still received a major injury from his assault, prompting her to retreat backwards. Zarc followed up with a full powered blast from his wings, causing her to block it with her three means of defensive – her Holy Shield, her blade Kibō and her halo. A cloud of smoke enveloped her after she had fended off this attack, reducing her vision drastically. As she looked around for Zarc's next attack in panic, she received a surprise attack from the right at once, causing her to wince in pain once more as Zarc's Shinjitsu and two of its companions pierced into her side, Ray only being able to parry one of his attacks in time. As the interlude began, Zarc went for a punch with his anterior left hand. She faced it and prepared for her counter, but he simply vanished at once and reappeared behind her, his scaly fist slamming into her back with incredible force.

"GAAACK!" Ray screamed, being sent backwards into the air again and dropping her sword in the process. Zarc chased after her with a vicious expression on his face, beating his ten wings to get to her. After he was above her height, his main blade slashed downwards, aiming for her chest again. He didn't use his three other blades however, just holding them in a relaxed manner. This caused Ray to address him in outrage.

"DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN OVERCOME MY DEFENCE WITH ONLY ONE SWORD?! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" She yelled at him, her halo forming as a thick layer above her as she used its full mass to create a shield. Zarc merely smirked before his blade broke through her halo and dug into Ray once more, leaving a big gash.

"AAARGHH! HOW?!" Ray screamed in pain and confusion.

"HOW?! WITH MY INCREASED PHYSICAL STRENGTH OF COURSE! NOTHING CAN PROTECT YOU ANYMORE!" Zarc shot back, his face twisted in devilish glee and savage bloodlust. Then he continued, angling his right leg downwards. "RAY! YOU SAID THAT YOUR DETERMINATION TO SAVE HUMANITY GAVE YOU YOUR ANGEL FORM AND THAT YOU WOULD DEFEAT ME! BUT YOUR RESOLVE WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING! HUMAN ABILITY IS LIMITED AFTER ALL AND YOU WILL NEVER TRULY TRANSCEND HUMANITY AS LONG AS YOU CLING TO THEM! BEFORE MY MIGHT, YOUR EFFORTS ARE...!" He began in a mocking tone before he started his attack. Ray grimaced heavily as he began kicking her again, his claws tearing out flesh whenever his foot hit her skin. "USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!" He shouted, the kicks having gun-like sounds from the sheer impact and his speed. After a series of straight ones, he spun around and gave her a roundhouse-kick, shouting louder than before and sending her downwards.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

Ray looked around for her sword. As she found Kibō, sticking in the ground with its handle upwards, she charged at it, trying to regain her weapon. But suddenly Zarc dropped down from above, pinning her to the ground as he landed on her back, causing her to cry out in pain again at the enormous impact.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"A being like you which is trying to protect scum like that shouldn't have such beautiful, heavenly wings!" Zarc commented after a short pause with a devilish grin on his face. "Time to get rid of them!" He shouted in an anticipating tone full of violence, grabbing the first of Ray's white wings – the one on the very top of her left side – with his anterior left hand.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

"NO!" Ray screamed in horror, redirecting her halo to get rid of the demon sitting on her back. Her halo divided into two parts, each of them flying around one side of her neck and aiming at Zarc.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

"Humph! That thing won't help you!" Zarc scoffed, punching the two objects with his dragon fists and simply shattering them.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"WHAT?!" Ray yelled in disbelief, looking back. Then Zarc grabbed her two arms and moved them forward with two of his own after dematerializing their darkness blades. He pushed them to the red colored ground and began his next comment. "Oh, your skin is truly as soft as I thought it would be! Wow, such sublime hands! It would be a shame if someone accidentally pierced them!" He yelled, ramming two of his blades though her palms, pinning her to the ground.

-To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!- Zarc's theme continued, immediately following with the next lyrics as this was the extended version of Dark Purification.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Ray screamed at the top of her lungs, the pain almost unbearable, even in her current form.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Leo cried out in horror as Zarc crucified his daughter on the red crystals beneath her.

-So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!-

"Great!" Zarc stated. "Now that I have you where I want, I can start cutting off your angel wings!" He stated, grabbing the first pair of her white-feathered members.

-And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!-

"No! Please, Zarc!" Ray cried, tears streaming down her eyes as she turned back to him and begged him to not torture her.

-Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!-

-And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!-

-And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!-

-I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!-

-It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!-

"TO THE GROUND WITH YOU!" He yelled back, grabbing the backside of her head with one of his hands and pushing her to the soil. Then he took one pair of wings into his second hand since he couldn't use one of his hands anymore due to holding Ray down with it. The two remaining hands, each of them holding a sword, readied themselves. Ray winced in pain as Zarc pulled on her wings, especially painful since they were fixed on her upper back and all of her body areas around it were pinned to the ground – either by Zarc sitting on her lower back, crucifying her hands or pushing her head downwards. Then he sliced through the air with his blades and cut off the upper pair of wings, prompting Ray to scream in agony.

"ZAAAAARC! YOU DEMON! LET GO OF HER!" Leo shouted at him in anger, the interlude sung by a female voice beginning in the meantime.

Zarc looked down at her mercilessly. "Now the next pair!" He stated, grabbing the two wings sprouting from the very middle of her back.

"No! Don't! Please!" Ray cried, sobbing heavily. Zarc just ignored her and pushed her down harder. He sadistically added more pain to the torture by waiting with his slice, influencing her psychologically since he knew that the fear was greater if the victim was uncertain when the next painful burst of agony would come. After a few seconds of holding her in position he conducted his second attack, cutting off her next pair of wings. As she screamed in agony, he already grabbed the final pair and cut them off not long after.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Ray screamed in tears, her cries echoing over the city, audible even miles away. Meanwhile Zarc looked down at her with a grin, golden blood pouring from the chopped off supernatural limbs of hers.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO I'LL CREATE A BETTER WORLD, A PLACE I CAN BELONG TO!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL FIGHT WITH CLAWS AND TEETH IN DESPERATION!-

-ESTABLISH AN UTOPIA THROUGH HUMANKIND'S ERASION!-

-AND MY STRENGTH GROWS WITH EVERY TIME, SO IT WILL GET MORE AND MORE!-

-AND MANKIND COWERS IN FEAR, TREMBLING AT THE DARK DRAGON'S ROAR!-

"Man, your blood looks fantastic! So shiny and golden! Maybe I should have a taste of it!" He shouted, darting forward and biting her into the neck violently, eagerly sucking her blood like a vampire as she screamed again. "Aaahhh, so good!" He moaned in pleasure, licking the fluid from his lips with a tongue split at the tip, just as dragons and snakes usually have. "You are truly an angel, Ray! Guess that look really fits you after all, doesn't it? But enough of that!" He continued after a while, pulling out the swords from her pierced palms and picking her up. "See you!" He exclaimed, throwing her away a few rods. As she landed around two hundred feet away from her previous position, Zarc spoke up again. "I guess now that you can't use any Jyujutsu to cast spells, I should abuse the fact that I still can!" He stated, raising one of his arms as he began shouting an incantation while the song continued in the background.

-I SEE YOUR THIRST FOR BATTLE, SIGHING IN EXASPERATION!-

-IT IS AT HAND, NOW WITNESS THIS WORLD'S DARK PURIFICATION!-

"Sinister coffin of doom! Form around my foes and bury them in your gravitation before they shall be pierced by the blackish spears! The black grave shall be the end of you! Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi!" He cried out, a black network of frames forming around Ray.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS I'LL BRING AN END TO THIS WAR!-

'Shit! I have to run out of it before it closes and the spears pierce me!' Ray thought desperately, trying to move out of it. 'No! The gravitation pulls me back to the center! I can't make it in time!' She internally screamed as it closed around her.

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL BRING DEATH AND UNLEASH ANNIHILATION!-

-I'LL OPEN UP A NEW PATH THROUGH TOTAL ERADICATION!-

Zarc observed the events with sadistic glee as he slowly clenched his open palm into a fist, fully closing it as the coffin was completed and the black spears pierced into the black cube. He smirked as he heard her cries of agony echoing from the inside. As it dissolved, Ray dropped to the crystal soil, the music coming to an end as she collapsed on the ground.

( 23 Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification" end)

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Leo cried out at the top of his lungs, nothing but fear of losing his daughter on his mind right now.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Zarc laughed. "Even an angel was no opponent that could defeat me! Whenever I'm about to lose, my power grows and leads me to victory! This is the might of the all-powerful Destiny Factor! This is the might of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!" Zarc screamed in triumph, directing his face skywards as he announced his victory to the world. While Leo's gaze remained on Zarc, starring at him speechlessly, another figure began its comment.

"THAT'S RIGHT! WHENEVER YOU ARE CLOSE TO DEFEAT, YOUR DETERMINATION GROWS AND CAUSES YOU TO TRANSCEND EVEN FURTHER! NOW ONLY ONE CHAIN REMAINS ON ME! AND IF THAT CHAIN BREAKS, I WILL FINALLY BE FREE AGAIN!" The dark dragon declared in his spectral form, observing his vessel as always.

"No...! You have not won yet!" A voice spoke up, heavily panting. Zarc looked down and faced Ray who slowly stood up again, bleeding from countless wounds and having hundreds of scratches on her body. Yet her gaze remained fierce, not even considering the option of giving up.

"Oh?!" Zarc addressed her in a derisive tone. "You survived my coffin?! Impressive! As to be expected of you, Ray! But you are still in a hopeless situation!" Zarc pointed out, rising up an object. "Your sword Kibō is in my hands!" He remarked, showing the weapon to her which he had picked up in the meantime. "Your halo is shattered!" He continued, pointing downwards to the remains of her winglike disk of light. "You wings are gone!" He told her, shifting his finger and showing Ray her former, now cut off, feathered body parts. "And lastly you are wounded and stripped off your magic! You are an angel without any wings or divinity! IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE LOST, RAY!" He screamed at her victoriously, stressing her name.

Ray let out a small laugh.

"What are you laughing about?!" Zarc snapped at her in outrage.

"Oh, nothing." Ray replied. "It's just so funny how you forget about something in your transcendent being-mannerism full of arrogance and overconfidence!" Ray told him.

Zarc's eyes widened. "Wait, do you mean...?!" He began in shock.

Ray's expression turned fierce. "Yes! We are still in a duel!" She shouted, her disk flashing to life once more.

"NO!" Zarc screamed, speeding at her in panic.

"YES!" Ray retorted. "I ACTIVATE EN MOON!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Four pillars of light shot upwards from the continuous spells, four bracelets forming on Ray's wrist as well. They unleashed a colorful blast of energy at Zarc, pushing him backwards and sending him flying towards his dragon self.

"NO! IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarc screamed in disbelief, reverting form by form until he returned to his Quarter Transcendent Form, his normal dragon form. He was forcefully reattached to the dragon's chest as Ray began talking again.

"My four continuous spells strip all of your monsters off their powers and turn them into Normal-Monsters!" Ray shouted. "And then they destroy every monster that has its effects negated and inflict 600 points of damage for each one!" She yelled.

"600 points?!" Zarc repeated. "Wait, I have five monsters and 3000 lifepoints, so does that mean that I...?!" He began in disbelief, his eyes twitching in terror.

"YES! YOU LOSE, ZARC! BE REVERTED TO PURITY AGAIN AS YOUR BODY AND SOUL IS SPLIT APART!" Ray screamed at the top of her lungs as the glow coming from her bracelets intensified.

"NOOOOO! RAAAAAAY!" Leo shouted in pain of imminent loss as he saw how his beloved daughter made the ultimate sacrifice and split herself in order to save the world.

"BASTARD! YOU BASTARD!" Zarc yelled as he felt how he and the dragon he was attached to began splitting apart. "UNFORGIVABLE! YOUR INSOLENCE IS UNFORGIVABLE, RAY! I WILL REASSEMBLE MY PIECES AND BECOME ONE AGAIN!" He cried out in response as Ray's light slowly consumed him.

"No! I will prevent that! Did you already forget that I have the powers of light and creation on my side?! I can even save my father with it as this world is split apart with every being on it! And during the now following separation I can easily use these powers of creation to influence the structure of the new world and pick a design where I have the trump cards in my hands! In other words, I will nip your attempts on resurrection in the bud by selecting circumstances favorable for me!" She declared in a resolute tone.

As Zarc heard her words, he didn't respond and simply retreated into his mind, his mouth angles dropping visibly. 'She's right!' He thought. 'While my powers are far superior than hers, mine are derived from darkness and can mainly be used for destruction. Hers on the other hand are far more practical in that regard since they are derived from the light. In other words, she has the upper hand! She won't take any chances! She will simply kill me by cleansing my remains out of the bodies of my fragments!' Tears began welling up in Zarc's eyes as images of his dragons and the other spirits flashed over his mind and he collapsed onto his knees. 'I have failed you, Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing, Starve Venom!' He cried. 'You have protected me for all those years and I still failed, so close to my goal! I have failed you and all other spirits!' He continued, his sobbing intensifying with every word he spoke. 'But mostly I have failed you, great dragon! You put all your trust in me and even gave me a part of your soul! And I have done nothing but disappointing you by letting your efforts go to waste! I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY TO YOU ALL!' He cried out looking skywards, tears of grief flowing down his cheeks like little waterfalls.

"You have not failed! And neither have you disappointed me! After all, you did accomplish the goal I destined you for!" He heard a deep voice speaking up.

"What?" He uttered, his surroundings slowly changing from a white nothingness to a dark realm with red soil, a gigantic black door with two leaves standing a few miles away from him in the distance, posing the entrance to an area that was surrounded with black walls of incredible height. "Did you just say that I didn't fail?" Zarc continued. Then he remembered the words the voice had told him. "Wait, are you...?!" He addressed it in an incredulous tone.

The voice hummed in agreement. "Yes, I am the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!" He stated. "And as I just said, you didn't fail! Because now I can finally do this!" He exclaimed, a huge impact hitting the door and flinging the two leaves open. After that, the dragon emerged, having an enormous size with a height of around a mile. It was black in color and had greenish lines over its body, just as Zarc's ace monster. Its giant wings, somewhere in between ten and fifteen miles in terms of length towards both sides, were separated into several sections, a wrinkle on the black wingspans every mile from Zarc's estimation. Atop the respective sections where the wrinkles were located, the wings had glowing spheres of the same color as a Chūshin, meaning ones that resembled the great orb that Astrograph had sent skywards with his power when Zarc had become the Supreme Dragon King for the very first time. Speaking of the Supreme Dragon King, the being in front of him looked basically just the same, albeit much bigger and with those glowing orbs on top of its wings every once in a while. Another remarkable difference was its chest area as well as its claws and teeth. The two latter were scarlet while all of the three former things glowed with the same rainbow colors from before as well, giving the great dragon an even more formidable look. The green chestplate on its torso where Zarc was normally attached to by his waist when he merged with the great dragon's smaller comrade was even heavier and more of a protection, its middle having a gigantic shining Chūshin, multiple hundreds of feet in diameter. What also drew Zarc's attention was the dragon's head: It possessed three pairs of horns instead of only one, the first pointing forward like Haō Ryū Zarc's, the second pointing backwards in the same angle and the third one pointing upwards, resembling the horns Zarc grew when entering his Super Transcendent Form. There were green lines over them as well, just like on the rest of its body, and all those lines shone with the colorful spectrum from before. But the most remarkable feature were the dragon's eyes that magically attracted Zarc's own gaze. They had multiple layers and relatively big irises in correlation to the total diameter of them which was around thirty meters, a third of the original Supreme Dragon King Zarc's full body size. Their scleras were pitch black, just like most of the dragon's body. What distinguished them from the surrounding head was the red glow they emitted, framing the eyes like an additional layer. Then came the irises, having multiple colorful layers. The first one was red, then came a green one, followed by a lavender-bluish layer. Next up was a layer of shining azure color, a silver layer following immediately afterwards. The final two were a magenta-purplish one and a dark blue one respectively. And then, just before the pupil, came a golden orb, the inner layer of the iris. Within that golden orb was a pitch black pupil, starring at Zarc with a mix or interest and – inexplicable for Zarc – admiration.

"You have fulfilled your destiny! Now I am finally free!" The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor continued, slowly approaching Zarc.

"But you are still enchained!" Zarc cried out in response, looking at the one chain that still meandered around the great dragon's body and restricted his movements.

The dragon laughed. "You mean this thing?!" He exclaimed before he unfolded his wings, causing the chain to shatter into millions of pieces as he broke free from his binds. He soared up into the air after that, spinning around in joy as he spiraled upwards. "FINALLY!" He stated, continuing his ascend into the sky. "AFTER SO MANY MILLENNIA, I AM FINALLY FREE AGAIN!" He shouted at the top of his godly lungs, roaring into the air majestically as he performed a stance in the air, hovering with his wings fully unfolded and his eyes gazing skywards, his body emitting a rainbow colored radiance of the same traits as a Chūshin. Meanwhile in the Spiritual Realm, an apparition of him appeared, bare to see for all Monster Spirits in existence since all of them had retreated there.

"Wait, is that...?!" Ra began, looking into the sky of his realm in disbelief.

"YES! IT'S OUR LORD AND SAVIOR! HAIL YOU, GREAT DRAGON!" Obelisk shouted, greeting the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor.

-"ALL HAIL GENESIS!"- The rest of the spirits chimed in as the welcomed the arrival of their old leader and progenitor in unison, their cries echoing through their realm.

Meanwhile Zarc looked up to the dragon within his mind in wonder as well, admiring this display of never before seen beauty and sublimity. His eyes twitched in disbelief as he saw the miracle happening above him. "He is free... He really is free!" Zarc shouted. "Then since you are free again, you can wipe out the abominable human race now!" Zarc addressed the black dragon.

The great dragon looked down to him and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do so. We are currently inside your mind where time is slowed down by multiple times, slow-motion so to speak. I can't make any move on the outside world before that human's spell takes effect and separates your body – and me and as well." He explained.

Zarc looked down with a sad expression. "Then... was it all for nothing? Your resurrection I mean. You just broke free after so much time and now you are being enchained again?" He addressed the dragon.

The dragon shook his head sideways in negation. "No, it wasn't. Her spell might be able to seal away my full power, but what remains is still quite a lot, not even remotely comparable to what the Ancient Egyptians did to me since their binds were far stronger."

"I see. But what will that help if you are killed alongside me once Ray sets her plan into motion after the formation of the new world?" Zarc retorted.

The dragon laughed. "Hah, do you think that she still has the upper hand in terms of that, now that I'm free?! Even if her powers of light are more efficient than my powers of the dark, the sheer difference in terms of raw force will make up for it! In other words, you are no longer outmatched in that regard!" The dragon reassured him.

Zarc's mouth corners darted upwards. "I see." He said, a warm smile gradually forming on his face. Then his expression became a little bit unsure. "So what now?" He addressed the dragon.

"What now?" The god replied. "Now we wait for her spell to take effect and then work on our resurrection, just as you said to her! In the meantime you can ask me some questions while we wait for that to happen." He faced the male with his gaze. "That is if you have any." He spoke to Zarc in his usual deep voice.

A thoughtful expression formed on the silver haired man's face. "Actually I have one. Why did you choose me as your vessel? What was so special about me?" He addressed the black dragon, looking deeply into his colorful eyes.

The dragon reciprocated the stare before retorting. "Well, there was only one reason why I chose you: You have a pure heart, longing for an utopia and eternal peace, just as I do. And you were ready to make the sacrifices needed for it, like you usually have to when trying to accomplish something of true magnificence. That was the reason why I chose you. When I sensed how the first human that truly met this condition developed inside its mother's stomach, I implanted a piece of my heart and soul into it, the Chō Chūshin, which you see here on my chest!" The dragon spoke, talking about the enormous crystal-like sphere on his chest. "Look close, if you do, you will notice that a very small fragment is missing on the middle of its surface!" The dragon said. As Zarc did, he realized that the dragon was right. There was indeed a missing piece, disrupting the otherwise perfectly smooth surface of the giant sphere glowing in all colors.

"So that piece is..." Zarc began, his left hand wandering over his chest.

The dragon nodded. "Yes, that is the Destiny Factor! That is the proof that I chose you to free me again since only a human can break the bindings those other humans had enchained me with. But you were wrong with one thing: You are not my vessel! You are not some random pawn I chose in order to free me, only to forget about him immediately after he had done the deed! I am not ungrateful to my savior, and that's why I will give you your reward for freeing me now!" The dragon declared.

"Wait a second, do you mean...?!" Zarc began in a shocked tone.

The dragon nodded. "Yes. But since you are still not fully believing me from the looks of it, let me explain and play something fitting in the background in the meantime!" He said as a new theme began.

( 24, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disk 2 #18 Prelude to Destruction, min 2:05)

Zarc's eyes widened. "Wait, is this the same theme as when Don Thousand summoned Numeronius Numeronia?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, it is. I think that track should undermine just how grave the now following words of mine are! As I said before, you are no pawn, no tool I simply use for my resurrection and then discard again! Or to compare it to these TV-Shows you like to watch so much, you are no Obito who has to sacrifice himself to bring back a greater power! You, my friend, are my legacy! You are the only human who has ever seen the greater picture to the same degree as I have! We are one in soul, share the same beliefs and dreams, have the same noble ethos so to speak! And since you already merged with the Heavenly Dragons, a small part of my physical body, you could say that we have shared the same body as well by now! Whenever you broke your limits, more and more of my remaining body floating in space was absorbed into yours, hence why I am inside your mind right now! The only thing that is left for you is to make the rest of my now recovered body your own, also joining together our two hearts and completing the Chō Chūshin once again! And as you do that, our consciousnesses will merge and become one as well! In other words, as a rewards for your efforts to unchain me, you will unite with me and become god himself!" The dragon told.

"So I will be...?!" Zarc began, still incredulous from the great dragon's declaration.

"YES! YOU WILL BE ME AND I WILL BE YOU! NOW THE TIME FOR THE ULTIMATE INTEGRATION HAS COME! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!" He cried out, flying towards Zarc at that.

(min 3:18)

The image of the dragon increased in Zarc's wavering eyes as the dragon drew closer. Then it vanished and Zarc's body changed rapidly, the human looks he had within his mind turning dragonic as his skin became black and covered with green, rainbow-glowing lines, sprouting enormous black wings from his back, a black tail, as well as three horns from his head and having a much bigger Chūshin on his chest which was now covered with a plate resembling Haō Ryū Zarc and the great dragon. His eyes, having black scleras and multiple colorful layers, looked skywards as he began to laugh. First it was barely a quiet chuckle, but soon it turned into loud laughter until it finally became a booming cry of triumph echoing over all creation. Zarc shifted his gaze downwards again before he took a breath and screamed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM PENDULUM AND XYZ, SYNCHRO AND FUSION, RITUAL, LINK AND PARAGON! AN EXISTENCE BOUND BY NOTHING! AN UNLEASHED GOD!"

Not even one millisecond after that, Ray's bracelets fully activated and divided the world and all beings on it. And even if Zarc's scream of victory was canceled, his triumph didn't pass away with it.

( 24, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disk 2 #18 Prelude to Destruction end)

And so, in the very same moment as the world was split apart, Zarc and the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor became one and the same being.

---

Back to the present...

"Come on, Ray! Join me! I still want to have you on my side, so just agree please!" Zarc addressed Ray anew.

"Are you kidding me?! You pulled an Emperor Palpatine on me, then gave me the Leonidas-Treatment with the claws on your foot as you kicked me, proceeding with cutting off my wings and torturing me!" Ray cried out in indignation.

"Oh please, I was just letting off some steam because you stood in the way of my plans! But I guess you are right, so I'm sorry for it. Though you tried to kill me as well!" He pointed out.

"Of course I tried to kill you! You tried to wipe out every single human on earth after all!" Ray shot back.

"And for a good reason! I only wanted to help my race! But I don't wish to fight you if not necessary, so I'm asking you again: Will you join me?" He repeated.

"No chance, Zarc!" She rejected his offer. "I cannot live in a world without humans! Sorry!" She replied in an intense voice.

"Fine! I almost anticipated that you would decline!" Zarc sighed in exasperation. "Then let's settle our discussion about how this world should be with a fight! The prowesses, powers created by bestowing Jyujutsu as inherited abilities onto them, will fight on our behalf! We shall see which one of them shall prevail in the end! If I revive first, this world will be doomed!"

"But if I revive, you will be cleansed and erased from existence by my Pure World!" She shot back. "If Yuga and his friends make it to Academia with all girls present there, I can briefly take control over them to guide them into my father's ARC V-Machine! Then they will merge back into me and I will use my powers against your fragments! I will kill you to save humanity from your plans! And then our fragments can live on and accomplish what we couldn't!"

"But if my fragments absorb each other before that happens, you will be the one to be defeated! Even if you revive along with me and we get into a fight, you will not be able to defeat me in a battle of magic! The only remaining option for you will be a duel!"

"Then I will win that duel if it comes to that! But however it plays out, I will not hesitate to kill you, just like you wouldn't! Neither of us will allow the other to keep on existing once the respective person comes to life once more!"

Zarc laughed. "Do you really think that I would want you to be gone forever?" He addressed her, chuckling lightly.

"WHAT?!" Ray exclaimed in shock before she continued after regaining her composure. "Of course you want! I am the only thing that is in the way of your plans! And you tried to kill me multiple times already, so don't try to tell me that you want to keep me alive!" She shouted at him.

Zarc chuckled again. "You seem to misunderstand something! While I indeed wanted to kill you, this was just a way to keep you in a powerless state for a while. Because if I revive first, I will not kill you, my dear Ray! Since I have far greater plans with you!" He stated.

Ray gulped. "Far... greater plans?" She uttered fearfully.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, I have two major plans!" He replied, raising two of his fingers. "The first one is Project Kyūkyoku no kura Ryū tei no shōten – Project Ascension of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor! This is basically the plan that involves reviving myself, the more obvious one so to speak. Once that plan is done and I am alive again, my second plan will start! Project Dawn of Twilight!" He stated.

"Dawn of Twilight?!" Ray repeated in terror. "And what is the goal of this plan?!"

Zarc laughed. "Like I said so many times before, I love you like nothing else in this world! Rejoice Ray, you are the key-piece of this plan!"

"I am the key-piece of your second plan?!" Ray stammered in horror and disbelief.

"Yes! Once I revive, I will either kill you or strip you off your powers in some other way. If I should happen to kill you, I will bring you back with mighty Haōmadou and jam your powers immediately after your resurrection. That's why I was ready to kill you back in the Original Dimension!" He explained.

Ray began sweating, getting more and more nervous about his plans' contents. "And then?!" She asked him fearfully.

"Then, once your powers are disabled and can't protect you anymore, I will rip out your heart and replace it with a Chūshin! In other words, I will make you a Monster Spirit!"

"You want to make me a spirit?!" Ray cried out in utter horror at that declaration.

Zarc nodded again. "Yes. The new heart that I will give to you will alter nothing about your personality. You will still be the same old Ray as before. The only difference is that you will see the world as one of us and admit your errors of belief. You will no longer view me as what you currently do – a monster – and begin to love me again, now free of your attachments to humanity. In other words, we will be a couple again as you become a Monster Spirit from heart!" Zarc exclaimed.

Ray's eyes twitched, her gaze trembling at that declaration.

"But it doesn't end there! I never specified what I would do with the earth after I erased humanity, didn't I?! Surely I will repopulate it, but not with Monster Spirits!" He told.

Ray's panic rose. "You are... not going to repopulate it with Monster Spirits?! With what then?!" She asked in horror.

Zarc shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess you could call them Monster Spirits, but they will be spirits of unprecedented beauty, so I guess I need to make a new name for them. You see, once you return to my side as you have realized your former foolishness, I will start impregnating you. With your angelic powers, you should be able to withstand my force now and due to our transcendence, the duration of a pregnancy should be drastically lowered, so I will be able to implant new life inside you with every night. Once the morning comes, multiple hundreds, if not thousands of beings will emerge from your womb. And before your ask how they can all fit into your belly, with my power, I can easily make that happen. So with every day that passes, more and more new life will be born! And then our offspring shall repopulate the vast planet, beings of both light and darkness with supreme transcendence, free of the urges to fight and living in perfect harmony! These Twilightspawn shall be the new rulers of the earth! And I will watch over them and the normal spirits dwelling inside the other realm of existence! Me and you will be the king and the queen of the universe! An Adam and an Eve of a new era so to speak, with the difference that our offspring will be free of sins and bloody violence! That is Project Dawn of Twilight!" Zarc shouted.

Ray's eyes continued twitching as she began her reply. "So you... want me to be your queen?! You want me by your side as you create a new world?!" She addressed him in disbelief.

Zarc nodded, his expression gradually changing into a warm smile. "Yes! You and the happiness of the spirits, that is all I have ever longed for! I will love and forgive you no matter what! I cannot live in a world without you, my precious Ray! And that's why I will give you another chance once more! Join me and come to my side!" Zarc said, reaching out his right arm.

Ray was flattered by the depth of his love for her. Yet her gaze became fierce again as she shook her head. "No chance! I will never abandon humanity and allow its demise, even for such an utopia that you've talked about!" She declared in a resolute voice.

Zarc sighed. "Then I will simply have to defeat you!" He retorted, his appearance changing into his Fully Transcendent Form to intimidate her.

"Not if I have a say about that!" Ray responded, changing into her Seraph Form, now with regrown wings and her halo back due to the renewal of the world. They faced each other for a few seconds, Zarc with his new outfit which he had worn ever since acquiring transcendence and Ray with a white robe of the kind the Ancient Greeks had worn that stressed her divine, angelic status.

"Very well then, a battle it is! But your fragments won't be able to stand up to mine if they get into a fight!" Zarc pointed out.

"Do you really think so?!" Ray scoffed back at him. "After all, they are also angelic due to being parts of me! Meaning they have wings and a partial Angel Form since they are Semi Transcendent beings!" She declared.

"So they have wings?" Zarc repeated. "Not bad, but how does that help Ruri? She already has one pair from her deck-based prowess!" He told her.

"Yeah, that's right. But with both active at the same time she can fly much faster of course!" Ray shot back. "Behold, these are my fragments, the Holy Angels!" She stated in a confident voice.

"Hmm, makes sense." Zarc hummed in agreement. "But don't forget that my fragments are still better designed that yours! And now that you gave yours a name, I guess I will have to do so as well! Hmm, what name do I want...?" He deliberated, putting a finger onto his chin. "I guess since I venerated Aizen so much, I will call them the Espada, just as Aizen did with his Arrancar-Team! So it will be a fight between my Espada and your Holy Angels, very well! But keep in mind that mine are not only are greater in power due to you being only Super Transcendent while I was Hyper Transcendent when we fought – that means one step higher – , my fragments also have more of my soul than yours!" He declared.

Ray tilted her head a bit in confusion. "More of your soul?" She inquired.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah, more of my soul. I already told you that their personalities are based on the prowesses I gave them, but there is even more to it than that! All of their ideologies and beliefs represent a part of my own! Yuya for example shares my desire to make others happy! While he wants to entertain the audience by using that barbaric enslavement-system though, I wish to make all spirits happy by freeing them! Yuto shares my desire to end a war and my resolve to destroy all enemies in the way! While he wants to bring peace to Heartland by defeating Academia, I want to end the conflict between humans and spirits by destroying my enemies, humanity! Next up Yugo shares my desire to rise to the top, him wanting to be the Duel King of Neo Domino City while I want to throne above the world! Yuri shares my desire for extinction, wanting to card every human on earth! With that, he actually follows a noble goal as well, cleansing the world from filth and muck! There is a reason why my attacking chant for the Supreme Dragon King Zarc is "Until the day when only one remains! Until that day when this world is destroyed!". I don't say "only one remains" to refer to myself, I refer to the races! I will fight until the day when only one species remains, the spirits! And I don't say "the world is destroyed" but "this world is destroyed" because I don't wish to destroy the earth, but the old world inhabited by humans, making room for a new earth with better inhabitants! But back to topic now! Yuga shares my desire for absolute domination and his straightforward behavior and will to even commit atrocities if Academia can be defeated this way displays my approach to bettering the world, ready to do everything to reach my high goals! Yubi probably shares my ideology the most since he is also a follower of Nietzsche, wanting to become a superhuman and better the world, even though he is far less radical than me in that regard! Also his stoic and unfazed behavior illustrates how I don't care about the deaths of those filthy humans since I know that it will all be rectified by the utopia! And lastly my Paragon-Fragment Yuji wants to break free from the rules that society has put him under in order to freely pursuit happiness, just as I did by breaking free of anything that bound me and prevented me from reaching my goal!" Zarc told her.

"Then let's see if you can truly win this war or not!" Ray replied. "Let's see if you truly have the better ideology than me! But I think not!"

Zarc laughed. "I think it is superior! I won't bow down to anyone in order to reach utopia!" He said. Then his expression turned serious again as he continued. "People often are not true to themselves. They don't try to accomplish their high dreams of utopia in fear of punishment. But I won't cower in fear anymore! That's how the Supreme Dragon King was born! That's how a true god was born! The now following war will decide our world's destiny, Ray!" Zarc then grinned. "It will be a dawn of twilight so to speak!" He said, referring to the name of his plan.

"Then let us decide this in a clash of the two antithetic forces within this world!" Ray retorted in a resolute tone.

Zarc nodded. "Very well! With my powers, I am positive that I can win this battle! After all, I was strong enough to even manifest in another world for a short time already!" He declared.

"Another world?!" Ray exclaimed in shock. "You mean a dimension?!"

Zarc shook his head. "No, I mean something more similar to an alternate version of reality, a parallel universe so to speak. You should know that the universe consists of multiple dimensions. One of those dimensions is our world with the seven smaller dimensions for instance. Imagine it like a folder on your computer that has more folders inside it. And one of those folders then contains seven documents, our dimensions so to speak." Zarc described her the structure of the universe with a metaphor.

"So you were able to go to one of those worlds which are part of that bigger folder?!" She repeated in terror.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah, while I had only the power to manifest there since nothing like your angelic powers or the now empowered En-Cards was in the way and prevented me from doing so – like it is here in our world – I still had enough strength to do so in that world. It was basically a version of our reality where that egao-idiot Yuya prevailed and overcame me, allowing your counterpart to seal my soul into the body of Reiji's adoptive sibling Reira. I went to that world as Yuya had just finished his duel against Reiji and everyone was smiling and being all happy, despite the fact that their world was literally in shambles at that moment and three quarters of our fragments – in that world there were only four methods – were stuck inside Mr. Smile and his love interest Ms. Flower Musician. Also none of these cocksuckers did utter the sentence "Thank you Ray for saving us all and granting us the chance to live!" even once, so I had no problem at all to stab the smile-idiot with my sword and torture him a bit before I killed his friend Yuzu right afterwards. Next I killed everyone present in the stadium and then threw a sphere of energy on every of their four dimensions and obliterated them Frieza-Style. Man, that felt good! Most likely I cannot manifest again as a result before I truly resurrect since it takes multiple years to collect the necessary energy, but it was still worth it for sure! Especially since I protected all cards in those four dimensions against the explosions of the respective planets with my power and got to free the spirits of that world as a result!"

---

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, shortly after the conclusion of the final episode...

"Well then, time for your punishment, you little bastard! How do you like that? And that?! AND THAT?! AND THAT?!" Zarc cried out repeatedly, gradually getting louder as his blade Shinjitsu stabbed into the back of the person before him. Yuzu, only standing a few meters away from them, observed the scenes unfolding before her in horror. She had just returned to the living and her friend Yuya had been on the way to facing his dad in a duel. But then suddenly a figure had appeared, hovering in the air. To the surprise of everyone in the stadium, especially Leo's, Yusho's, the Lancers' and hers, said person turned out to be Zarc. Then he had grabbed Yuya and currently, he was holding him in front of him with one of his arms around the boy's neck while continuously stabbing into his back with his blade.

"STOP IT!" Yuzu cried out with a mix of terror and anger as she had recovered from the chain of events happening quicker than she could process, addressing the demon duelist levitating above her and the other people.

Said person looked down to her and raised an eyebrow as he halted the movements of his sword. "Why should I? This jerk here has done nothing good! He only won a few duels and made some people smile, but ultimately he achieved nothing worth mentioning!" Zarc retorted.

"ACHIEVED NOTHING?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HE SAVED THE WORLD!" Yuzu cried out in indignation.

Zarc broke out into loud laughter at that, causing the pink haired girl to scowl in anger. Eventually he stopped in order to respond to her. "Saved the world? Hah, that's priceless! Him and saving the world, just gold!" He laughed, wiping a tear from his right eye. Then his expression turned serious again as Zarc's inner anger resurfaced. "That jerk has done nothing for the real beings, the Monster Spirits! He just saved a bunch of worthless humans, but completely ignored the spirits! As Leo already said, spirits have a soul! And guess what they also have?! THAT'S RIGHT, A FUCKING NERVE SYSTEM AND SENSATIONS!" He exploded in rage. "And guess what Yuya did all the time?! Yes, exactly, letting his Odd-Eyes die at almost every turn, only to bring it back during the next turn, starting its living cycle of agony anew! HE IS NOTHING BUT UTTER SCUM!" Zarc screamed in outrage.

"What?! They have real sensations?!" Yuzu cried out in shock. Yuya also seemed to be very shaken by this revelation, a regretful expression forming on his face.

"Did I... really torture my own dragon...?" He whispered in shock.

"YES, YOU FUCKING DID! AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT?! THAT'S RIGHT, YOU WILL BE EXECUTED BY ME!" Zarc screamed in anger as he stabbed him once again, much stronger than before. As Yuya cried out in pain, Yuzu screamed again. After that Zarc threw him to the ground, Yuya landing only a short distance before Yuzu's feet. The green haired boy weakly rose his face upwards again, lying on the ground and looking up to his friend.

"Yu-zu..." He stammered, facing her with a pleading stare. "R-run..." He continued, addressing her in a begging tone.

"I'm not going to leave you! I...!" Yuzu shouted back before she was interrupted. A red laser beam struck down on Yuya and pierced his head, causing him to collapse entirely, his face returning to its former position on the ground. "Yuya..." She addressed him in a quiet tone of utter shock, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. As no response came, she began to sob before crying out his name at the top of her lungs, tears freely falling down her cheeks.

"YUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAA!"

The other people present in the stadium were shocked and horrified by this development as well, especially Yusho and the Lancers. As Yuzu's sadness slowly turned into rage, she screamed at Zarc, who merely kept on levitating in the air and grinning at her friend's death.

"YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YUYA?!" She shouted at him, her eyes red from the crying and having a look of limitless anger.

Zarc just shrugged his shoulders. "Easily! This guy was utter scum, so I got rid of him. After all, I am the one in charge for the whole universe, my world as well as yours." He stated.

"Your world?! Do you mean that you are from a different reality then?!" Reiji addressed him in disbelief.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah, I'm basically from another reality, if you want to express it your way. The better way that I would choose is saying that your world with its four dimensions is merely one of many, mine being one of them as well. And I have the duty to watch over all, for I am the chosen one of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, the ruler of the entire universe!" He retorted.

"Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?! You mean Supreme Dragon King Zarc?!" Leo inquired.

Zarc chuckled. "No, the Supreme Dragon King my counterpart from this world used is merely a weak baby lizard compared to the dragon I control!" He replied, shaking Leo at his core with that declaration. "But anyway..." He continued, looking over to Yuzu, "since you are so sad and want to have your friend back, why don't I help you?!" His grin widened. "By sending you right after him into the afterlife that is!" He exclaimed in a sadistic tone.

"You want to... kill me as well?" Yuzu uttered in a frighted voice, her rage making room for the immense fear seizing her heart.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, I do! Just look at yourself! You are just a cheap copy of Ray, the person who truly deserved to be reborn, not you, you shitty brat! She saved all of your asses and did even one of you thank her for saving the world?! No, not even once!" He eyed Yuzu again, his expression getting fiercer with every word he spoke. "You are just a perversion of Ray, a distorted image, a ripoff of the original! No matter how much time I would give you for living on, you would never live up to Ray's legacy! She is an angel while you are just filth! But don't worry, I will free you from your pathetic life very, very soon!" He stated, grinning at her maliciously. "But first...!" Zarc stated, vanishing and abruptly reappearing atop of the LDS-Building, looking down to the LDS Center Court where Yuzu and the rest was located, raising up his blade and shouting something as it began emitting a menacing glow. ( 25, B07a - Bleach OST) "SŌZETSUKAI! BREAK FREE, GREAT DRAGON EMPEROR! RULE OVER THEM ALL, ZEN'NŌ NO RYŪ NO KAMI!" He cried out, gradually changing his appearance at that. The spectators sitting inside the stadium let out gasps of horror as Zarc became a dragon. "HAHAHAHAHA! TREMBLE BEFORE MY POWER!" He cried out, his looks drastically changing at the background track. Waves of darkness were emitted and flowing into all directions as he transformed, laughing as his wings and the rest grew from his body.

"What... is this being?!" Asuka whispered in fear.

"This can't possibly be a human!" Sora added.

"Definitely not!" Shun agreed.

"Is this going to be even worse than our previous battle with Zarc?" Crow chimed in.

"I'm afraid, yes." Jack stated.

"Impossible..." Gongenzaka whispered.

"This cannot be real!" Sawatari exclaimed.

"Yet it is happening." Yusho spoke up.

"Is this really... Zarc? There are worlds between this one and the one we battled in terms of power!" Reiji uttered, sweating as he desperately deliberated about a countermeasure, but couldn't find one.

"Yes, it is." His father continued. "Yet there must be something that sets him apart from our Zarc! Something of immeasurable power!" Leo yelled. "Who are you?!" He addressed the demon standing on top of the building.

Zarc merely laughed as he unfolded his five pairs of wings. "I? I am another version of the person you dueled against, the Demon Duelist Zarc! But I am so much more than him! I am the Savior of the Spirits, the Great Messiah, the Transcendent Dragon, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor! I AM A BEING OF UNPARALLELED DIVINITY! I AM ZARC GENESIS HAORYU! I AM GOD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed, finishing his transformation and showing them the full extent of his Hyper Transcendent Form.

Yuzu trembled in fear, her gaze shaking as she took step after step backwards, looking upwards at him with an expression of limitless dread. "NOW YOU WILL RECEIVE...!" Zarc began after a while, his sword Shinjitsu flashing to life as it was surrounded by a thick layer of darkness. "…MY BLADE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping from the edge of the building and charging at her. A high pitched scream was audible inside the stadium before it came to an abrupt halt accompanied by a gush of blood.

( 25, B07a - Bleach OST end)

---

Ray's eyes twitched in disbelief. "You can... manifest in another world?! Even if you are dead right now?!" She uttered in horror.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, that is the power of my Supreme Apocalyptic Prowess of Armageddon – Dragon Almighty! The power gained from a god! Now then, instead of talking, let us observe how destiny plays out!" He declared, starting to turn away from her, his spectral form slowly vanishing and his appearance returning to that of a human.

"Wait!" Ray called out to him, prompting him to turn back again.

"What is it?" He asked.

"There is still something that bugs me about your whole story. While I get the reason why I'm basically a goddess now since I control the all-powerful forces of nature sealed inside the En-Cards me and my father made while also transcending my humanity and becoming and angel, why do you have such enormous power out of the blue now? You said something about your determination and a mighty entity, but I still have no clue about what you were truly talking about! Your will alone plus the frustration about me breaking up with you was surely not all there is to that power-up, so what is it about that god you've mentioned back in the stadium?! The one that helps you I mean!"

"Huh, glad that you asked!" Zarc replied with a grin. "To show you the weight of the now following revelations properly, I need some appropriate background music!" He declared before he snapped his fingers and and a melody began playing.

( 26, Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended ; this is "Dark Purification" again, but the extended version of it and slightly slower than the last one)

"You see, Ray, there is an ancient legend passed down among Monster Spirits." Zarc began narrating. "It is about a great savior, a being so immensely powerful that nobody could ever defeat it. It is told to bring the world to an end after being unshackled from the binds the humans had placed onto it in fear of its sublime supremacy. It is a god of the apocalypse, both responsible for half of the initial creation of the world and the end of the other half! That's why its name is a combination of both beginning and end as well! And this being gave me its powers!" He told her.

"But what is this being precisely?! And what did it do to you that made you turn against humanity like that?!" Ray inquired.

"Well, you should know that I didn't name the power of said god which I have now "Dragon Almighty" after YHWach's main ability for no reason! After all, I have one or two things in common with said character!" He retorted.

"What do you mean by that?!" Ray asked in an uncertain voice, getting a bit nervous now.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"You see, there was another reason aside from being an undesired child that prompted my parents to give me away! When I was a baby, I couldn't move any part of my body, talk, hear, see or feel anything else for that matter, just like YHWach. I couldn't even breathe and my heart wasn't throbbing either. The only thing that moved was the Destiny Factor, my Chūshin. That frightened my parents so much that they gave me away." He narrated.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

Ray's eyes widened in shock. "You mean... you were born... dead?!" She stammered in horror.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

Zarc shook his head. "No, I wasn't dead. Even if nothing but my Chūshin moved, I was still alive. I couldn't move or feel anything with my five senses, but even if I could have cried, I wouldn't have done so because I knew that I would survive no matter what!" He declared, his voice getting intense at the last part before he continued. "But even if I silently laid in the orphanage, everybody avoiding the little bundle that was my body wrapped in a blanket, I was never truly alone. Because multiple Monster Spirits passed by in their spectral forms every day, looking at me in awe and treating me with respect – unconsciously since they were not fully aware of my true identity – but they did. And it was that daily migration of spirits that gave birth to the real me!" He told as the refrain finished for the first time and part of the interlude had played.

"How that?!" Ray inquired, her voice a mix of terror and awe as she listened to the supernatural story of her friend.

"Well, while I couldn't move my physical body, my mind and spirit was still active. So whenever spirits passed by, my mind unconsciously transferred a small piece of my soul onto those spirits, healing the spiritual wounds they had received from the humans' oppression. After a while, these fragments of my soul returned to me, having copied a small part of the momentum inside the respective monsters' bodies. As a result, my body slowly activated. Because with every repeat, I gained more and more power! First, my human heart began to beat! Then my lungs made their very first breath! Next I could move my limbs, slowly at first, but with time, I could do so faster and faster! Lastly my senses activated and I could finally see, hear and so on! And that was when I noticed something. The spirits called me by a mysterious, inexplicable name: Genesis. I never found out why they did so, until I finally learned about the true state of the universe from a mighty magician, just minutes before the start of one of my duels. It was the name of their progenitor, their god, the being they revered and prayed to! And it was this being that gave me a part of its heart and soul, the Destiny Factor!"

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

"So do you mean your Monster Spirit-Heart is the soul of that god?!" Ray exclaimed in shock.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

Zarc nodded. "Yes! Their progenitor had chosen me as their messiah, the liberator of all spirits and the god itself! The monsters were the ones who truly gave birth to me, Ray! Only their energy was able to bring me to life from that death-like state! And that's why I decided to help the spirits! They are my heart and soul, my body and my life! Without them, I could have never existed! My powers increased as my soul continued healing spirits around me, capping at around twenty times of a normal human's strength, even though I could not use this power before I became aware of it! I broke my limits with iron will and the desperation to save them! With every relapse where I was close to defeat, with every tear I shed, I became stronger and reached a higher state, merging with the dragons, becoming Quarter, Semi, Fully, Super and lastly Hyper Transcendent!" As Zarc told that, a spectral form appeared behind him. It was the Supreme Dragon King Zarc in its evolved form, having a height of about a thousand feet. Ray gasped at that apparition and even flinched a bit as she perceived the image of the feared demon dragon.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

"AND AS YOU WERE ABOUT TO SPLIT MY BODY AND SOUL APART AND MY DESPERATION REACHED ITS PEAK, I CLIMBED OVER THE FINAL BARRIER AND REACHED THE END, FREEING THE GREAT DRAGON ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Zarc shouted. At that, the figure behind him drastically rose in size, its height quintupling at once.

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"WHAT... IS THAT?!" Ray screamed in terror as she saw the enormous dragon of an entire mile in height.

-To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!-

-So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!-

-And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!-

-Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!-

"THAT IS THE TRUE FORM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING! THAT IS THE BEING WHOSE POWER IS MINE NOW AND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO THE FOUR NEW SUMMONING METHODS! THAT IS THE ULTIMATE DARK DRAGON EMPEROR! THAT IS GENESIS OMEGA DRAGON!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as the enormous dragon unleashed a roar, causing Ray to fall onto her knees, her eyes twitching in disbelief and horror about the immeasurable might of the dragon before her.

-And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!-

-And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!-

-I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!-

-It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!-

"Genesis Omega Dragon...?!" She repeated in terror, looking up to the great dragon with three horns and a giant Chūshin on its chest. Then she scowled before she addressed the dragon with an outraged voice. "ARE YOU REPONSIBLE FOR THIS?! HAVE YOU INFLUENCED ZARC INTO TURNING AGAINST US?!" Then her voice became even fiercer. "ARE YOU CONTROLING ZARC?!" She yelled at him in anger, furious at the dragon for destroying her relationship with Zarc by making him a spirit opposing humanity.

The dragon's expression turned furious as well before he shouted back at her, the interlude beginning anew. "NO!" He replied in a booming voice of absolute authority that allowed no defiance whatsoever, causing Ray to cover her ears. "I AM NOT USING ZARC AS A PUPPET! HE CHOSE TO FIGHT FOR US ON HIS OWN ACCORD! ZARC AND ME SHARE THE SAME IDEOLOGY AFTER ALL!" He replied to her in anger.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! ZARC WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" Ray shot back furiously.

The dragon chuckled. "Very well! THEN LET ME PROVE YOU WRONG!" He shouted before his apparition hovering in the sky transformed into a beam of light that headed downwards, being sucked up by Zarc's body. As that happened, Ray's eyes widened again, observing the gradual change in Zarc's appearance. First the skin on his entire body turned pitch black and scaly, green lines flowing over it, glowing in all colors of the rainbow. His claws became scarlet, glowing with the same color, the same thing went for his fangs. He only had two arms and legs – unlike his previous Hyper Transcendent Form where he had four arms – but his limbs were bulky and powerful, giving him an intimidating stature as Zarc grew in size from his usual six feet to almost eight. He furthermore gained a tail of black color. Then three pairs of horns sprouted from his upper head, followed by eight pairs of wings from his back. While the biggest one was black-greenish and extremely long in comparison to the rest of his body, also glowing with a vast spectrum of colors on the orbs they had on top of them every once in a while, his seven other wings seemed to resemble the Dimensional Dragons in terms of colors and design, one being gray – Bile Throat, one being yellow with a bit of dark blue on the upper parts – Whip Tail, one being red – the yet to be evolved Odd-Eyes, one having a mix of black, dark purple, green and silver – Dark Rebellion, one being green – Clear Wing, one being purple, red, green and yellow – Starve Venom, and the final one being white with a few light green and brown parts. Aside from the great neon green chest plate, glowing like everything before, he also had a bigger Chūshin. But the most remarkable thing were his eyes, framed by a red glow and having black scleras and multiple layers.

"Your eyes...!" Ray whispered in horror. "What are those eyes...?!" She stammered as she caught sight of the eight-layered irises while the refrain began once more, growing in volume.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO I'LL CREATE A BETTER WORLD, A PLACE I CAN BELONG TO!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL FIGHT WITH CLAWS AND TEETH IN DESPERATION!-

-ESTABLISH AN UTOPIA THROUGH HUMANKIND'S ERASION!-

-AND MY STRENGTH GROWS WITH EVERY TIME, SO IT WILL GET MORE AND MORE!-

-AND MANKIND COWERS IN FEAR, TREMBLING AT THE DARK DRAGON'S ROAR!-

-I SEE YOUR THIRST FOR BATTLE, SIGHING IN EXASPERATION!-

-IT IS AT HAND, NOW WITNESS THIS WORLD'S DARK PURIFICATION!-

Zarc chuckled. "You mean these?" He asked, pointing at one of them. "These are the Genesis Eyes, a phenomenon occurring when all eyes from my fragments are combined, as you can tell from the colors! These are the eyes of a god, Ray! TREMBLE BEFORE MY DIVINE TRANSCENDENT FORM!" He exclaimed as he described the origin of the eyes that combined all awakening eye colors of the Yu-Boys into one. Then he continued in a voice filled with triumphant laughter. "DO YOU SEE THAT, ANGEL?!" Zarc shouted at her in a deep voice, belonging to the dragon inside him. "THIS IS THE POWER OF AN UNPARALLELED BEING WHO ONLY EVER HAD ONE EQUAL, A CREATURE LONG DEAD BY NOW!" Then Zarc continued in his higher pitch. "This is the power of the great dragon! Godlike power you will never be able to surpass with your light!" Then both pitches slowly assimilated before Zarc continued to speak in a voice somewhere in between the two pitches, an echo audible as it was two minds synchronized now, making his statement at the final repeat of the refrain.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS I'LL BRING AN END TO THIS WAR!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL BRING DEATH AND UNLEASH ANNIHILATION!-

-I'LL OPEN UP A NEW PATH THROUGH TOTAL ERADICATION!-

-"THIS IS MY POWER! THE POWER OF ZARC GENESIS HAORYU! IT WILL DROWN YOU ALL IN A FLOOD OF DARK PURIFICATION! THIS BATTLE SHALL BE THE LAST FOR HUMANITY! NOW ENJOY YOUR REMAINING TIME WITH THESE ABOMINABLE CREATURES BEFORE I WIPE THEM OUT AND MAKE YOU MY BRIDE, RAY! THIS IS THE DECREE OF GENESIS OMEGA DRAGON! THIS IS THE DECREE OF A GOD!"-

"Damn...!" Ray hissed, gritting her teeth as Zarc slowly vanished into the horizon.

-"THE FINAL DAWN OF TWILIGHT IS AT HAND!"- Zarc declared as he dissolved, the music ending as his spectral form vanished.

( 26 Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification" end)

---

Whew, that was quite the chapter, right? Now before the actual notes, I need to say something. I mentioned that I would make Card Collections once certain characters got enough cards and well, this is the case now. Yuto already played a good part of his new cards in this chapter's duel, so here they are! They are not all I have made right now, but I feel like I need to show you the ones that have appeared since its quite the number. About Rin, there is still much left, so I won't do the same with her just yet. Just a little note regarding her: I got rid of the restrictions on her Main Deck-Monsters since they would prevent her from using methods other than Synchro (and as you can guess from her Winter Bell's new effect, she will have at least Xyz and Link). Talking about Winter Bell, that monster has basically the anime- and TCG-effect combined, giving her the option to choose from either for its once-per-turn-effect. Now then, to Yuto's cards! They are in alphabetical order rather than in the order of their appearance. Also the Xyz-Monsters are sorted after ranks in ascending order. With that said, here you are!

---

YUTO CARDS:

Main Deck Monster:

The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1300/1200

Effect:

If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card and if it was a "The Phantom Knights" monster, you can either discard it and draw 1 more card OR attach it to an Xyz Monster you control and draw 1 more card. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1400/1000

Effect:

Once per turn: You can discard a number of "Phantom Knights" cards; draw cards from your Deck equal to the number of discarded cards. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1100/900

Effect:

If this card is in your GY, you can attach it to a DARK Xyz Monster you control, but then this card is banished once it leaves the field. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness" once per turn. An Xyz Monster with this card as a material cannot be destroyed by card effects.

The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem

Attribute: Dark

Level: 6

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2300/1800

Effect:

You can banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY; Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card was Summoned this way: You can add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; send 1 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap card from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs

Attribute: Dark

Level: 2

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 300/200

Effect:

During either player's turn: You can banish this card from your GY; gain LP equal to the ATK of the highest ATK of monsters currently on the field. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs" once per turn. A DARK Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card on the field as an Xyz Material gains this effect.

●If it was Xyz Summoned: It can attack your opponent directly.

The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail

Attribute: Dark

Level: 2

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 400/2000

Effect:

You can discard this card plus 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your hand; draw 2 cards. If this card is banished: Draw 1 card. You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation

Attribute: Dark

Level: 5

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2200/1900

Effect:

You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by sending 1 Xyz Material from a monster you control to the GY. You can banish this card from your GY; target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY other than this card, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation" once per turn. A DARK Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card on the field as an Xyz Material gains this effect.

●If it was Xyz Summoned: If it battles an opponent's monster, you can banish that opponent's monster before the Damage Step, then send 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1000/2100

Effect:

Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can target a monster you control, it cannot be destroyed by battle until the end of this turn, also halve all damage you take from battles involving that monster. When your opponent declares an attack: You can either banish this card from your hand or GY; negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1800/1200

Effect:

If you control a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY during either player's turn; Set 1 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap card from your Deck or GY to your Spell- and Trap-Zone, then you can activate it immediately regardless of ist Card-Type. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1300/1500

Effect:

If this card is Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; send 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1600/500

Effect:

Once per turn: You can discard 1 "Phantom Knights" card; immediately after this effect resolves, Normal Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand or GY other than the discarded monster (you can still conduct your other Normal Summons if you have any of them left). You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson" once per turn.

Xyz-Monster:

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (altered effects)

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 4

Type: Dragon/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2500/2000

Effect:

2 Level 4 monsters

During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; target 1 monster your opponent controls, it loses half its ATK until the End Phase, also this cards gains that much ATK until the End Phase. Once per turn, if this card's ATK differ from their original value: This card can declare an additional attack.

The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 6

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2700/2400

Effect:

2 Level 6 Monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control OR banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, until the End Phase all face-up "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control gain ATK equal to the ATK of the monster selected by this effect. Once per turn: You can return 1 of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters to the GY.

The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 7

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2900/2000

Effect:

3 Level 7 Monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; during this turn EITHER this card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each OR you can target a DARK monster you control, it gains the ATK of all "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control other that itself until the End Phase. This card inflicts piercing damage.

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 8

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 3000/2500

Effect:

2 Level 8 Monsters

When your opponent activates a card or card effect: You can negate the activation and destroy the card, then send 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your GY of the same Card-Type as the card negated by this effect. You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; return 3 of your banished "Phantom Knights" cards to your GY. You can only activate each effect of "The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance" once per turn.

Spell:

Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral

Card Type: Spell/Continuous

Effect:

Once per turn, when a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is sent to the GY: You can banish one of them; add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your hand.

Phantom Knights' Foretold Resurrection

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand or GY, then you can return 1 of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters to your GY.

Phantom Knights' Siphoning Mist Shield

Card Type: Spell/Equip

Effect:

Equip only to a "The Phantom Knights" monster or a DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster. It cannot be destroyed by battle, also if it battles, gain LP equal to the opponent's monster's ATK. If the monster equipped with this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can draw 1 card. During either player's turn, you can send this face-up card to the graveyard, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control, gain 300 LP times its Level/Rank/Link Rating.

Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot

Card Type: Spell/Field

Effect:

Once per turn, when a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is banished: You can add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck or GY to your hand. Once per turn: You can banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, then your can increase the Levels of each "The Phantom Knights" monster you control by up to that monster's Level until the End Phase (you can select for every monster separately).

Phantom Knights' Un-Sepulture

Card Type: Spell/Quick-Play

Effect:

Special Summon a number of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters. Destroy them during the End Phase. Then discard your entire hand.

Phantom Knights' Ultimate Blade – Dark Excalibur

Card Type: Spell/Equip

Effect:

Equip only to a "The Phantom Knights" monster or a DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster. It gains 500 ATK, also it can declare an additional attack during each Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card for every "The Phantom Knights" monster you control, but all "The Phantom Knights" monsters that were on the field as this effect resolved cannot attack during this turn.

Rank-Alteration-Magic Spectral Force

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Target 1 "The Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster or DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster; send up to 3 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap cards from your Deck to your GY, then Summon a DARK Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck which is a number of Ranks higher or lower than the targeted monster's Rank equal to the number of cards sent to the GY by this effect. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon. Attached materials also become materials for the Summoned monster.)

The Phantom Knights of Shadow Crusade

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Draw 2 cards, then discard 1 "Phantom Knights" card or banish all cards in your hand. If you control a "Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster when this card is activated: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from it, draw 1 card.

Trap:

Phantom Knights' Arms

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

If you would take battle- or effect damage: Negate that damage, then you can select 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control. As long as it remains face-up on the field you take no damage from the damage source that triggered this card. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Arms" once per turn.

Phantom Knights' Grasp

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Target 1 monster your opponent controls; negate its effects, then you can target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control. It gains the effects of the monster which effects were negated by this card as long as your monster remains face-up on the field. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Grasp" once per turn.

Phantom Knights' Myth

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, then target 1 monster you control. It gains the ATK of the banished monster until the End Phase. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Myth" once per turn.

The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table

Card Type: Trap/Continuous

Effect:

Every time a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is sent to the GY: Place 1 Phantom Counter on this card for each. You can remove 3 Phantom Counters from this card; draw 1 card. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table" once per turn. All "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control gain 100 ATK for every Phantom Counter on this card.

The Phantom Knights of Nebula Lance

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Target 1 card on the field; destroy it. Then you can send 1 "Phantom Knights" card of the same Card-Type (Monster, Spell or Trap) from your Deck to the GY. When your opponent activates a monster effect while this card is in your GY: You can Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 5/ATK 1900/DEF 800), but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster from your GY. When you would take damage while this card is in the GY: You can negate the damage and Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK ?/DEF ?) with ATK and DEF equal to the damage you would have taken, but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

The Phantom Knights of Sinister Treachery

Card Type: Trap/Counter

Effect:

When your opponent activates a card or card effect while you control a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s): Negate that activation and destroy it. Then you can send 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your GY.

The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Target a number of "Phantom Knights" spells and/or traps that were sent to the GY this turn up to the number of "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control, Set those cards face-down into your Spell & Trap Zone. You can only activate 1 "The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail" per turn. When your opponent declares an attack while this card is in your GY: You can negate the attack and then Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1500), but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

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Additionally, since I introduced magic in here, how about a list of every new spell from now on? Pretty much card corners for these spells so to speak! It has the translated name of the hinder part plus the respective incantation (if used yet) as well!

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NEW JYUJUTSU:

Reikonmadou 4 – Chikarasurasshu (Power Slash)

Power that surges through my body! Now become a wave of tremendous destruction! Reikonmadou 4 – Chikarasurasshu!

Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa (Invisible Wings)

Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!

(Also used as a Reikonmadou by the 13 Generals)

Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo (Super Acceleration)

Swiftness of the light! Bestow a part of your tremendous powers onto me! Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo!

Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi (Time Standstill)

Eternal flow of time! Decelerate and become absolute nothingness as everything stops! World, freeze and turn into a plain of completely standstill! Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi!

Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba (Darkness Sword)

Slicing sharpness! Manifest as a dark blade and cut down my foes! Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba!

Reikonmadou 41 – Kōhaihaji (Disintegration Grip)

Reikonmadou 44 – Piasuyari (Piercing Spear)

Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha (Lightning Blade)

Thunder and storm! Turn into a blade that bisects me enemies! Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha!

Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken (Hurricane Fist)

Blowing gale! Rage and strike down my foe! Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken!

Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira (Fire Palm)

Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash! Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira!

Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori (Cherry Blossom Dance)

The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori!

Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei (Twin Death Sentence)

Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei!

Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi (Frost Armor)

Winter's might! Shroud yourself around me! Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi!

Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu (Drowning Bubble)

Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu (Shadow Sneak)

Obscure shadows! Take me in and transport me to my destination! Give me the power to tear open my foes with a sinister blade! Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu!

Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen (Distortion Spiral)

Distorting mirror! Disturb their senses and fool them! Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen!

Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira (Ice Pillar)

Frozen column! Expand and trap them in an icy prison! Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira!

Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame (Needle Rain)

Gale of Iron! Rage and pierce! Destroy them in a shower of nails! Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame!

Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira (Transportation Pillar)

Shining column, manifest and call our allies to this place! Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira!

Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki (Wind Barrier)

All-repelling wind! Shroud yourself around me and render their efforts useless! Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki!

Haōmadou 64 – Shinkurakurai (Crimson Lightning Strike)

Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori (Almighty Protection)

Supreme Shield! Block their assaults and render them useless! Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori!

Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui (Burning Flood)

Great inferno! Spark to life and consume my enemies in your blazing tides! Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui!

Haōmadou 70 – Kansensaimin (Complete Hypnosis)

Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami (Destruction Wave)

Dark flood of destruction! Drown my enemies underneath your waves of annihilation! Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami!

Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi (Total Heal)

Mystical powers of life! I call upon you to mend our wounds! Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi!

Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai (Annihilation Sphere)

Great power of darkness! Form as an orb and vanquish the light! Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai!

Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai (Light Sphere)

Great power of light! Form as an orb and vanquish the darkness! Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai!

Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi (Collective Momentum)

Great power of friendship, love and hope! Now manifest and lead us to victory! The ultimate spell born from our bonds! Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi

Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin)

Sinister coffin of doom! Form around my foes and bury them in your gravitation before they shall be pierced by the blackish spears! The black grave shall be the end of you! Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi!

Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan (Black Sarcophagus)

The dark sarcophagus will close around you! The sinister might will nail your coffins and send you to oblivion! Now be enveloped by sheer darkness and perish! Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan!

Tenshimadou 90 – Shinseinahantei (Divine Judgment)

Radiant blade! Sweep down on my foe and eradicate the darkness! The holy blade of light that brings about the end of all evil! Tenshimadou 90 – Shinseinahantei!

Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai (Black World)

Dark hole of nothingness! Open beneath them and pull them down into your embrace of death! The void shall now accept their bodies as an offering! Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai!

Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū (Black Universe)

The dark mist crawls over the world! Fear and terror, spread over all living beings before you consume them! The universe blackens before its life is extinguished! As you fall into despair, a new order shall emerge from the ruins! Behold, the dark purification is at hand! Shatter and be destroyed by the all-drowning darkness! Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū!

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NOTES:

And with that, the real notes begin! There is a lot to talk about, so let's start with the first point!

About the intimate scenes and the violence: You were already warned in the description of this story, but let's still talk about it! In my opinion, the Yu-Gi-Oh fandom as a whole has to grow up a bit. If you have watched its progress a bit, you might have realized that there is a little bit of decline. Well, I think that they shouldn't keep going with their current target group of young teens (from the way they handle the anime I mean). They are still a bit too childish for my taste (especially in the western dubs where literally anything gets censored; they recolored the fucking flames burning in the Original Dimension at Zarc's rampage, like what the hell?), so I seek to change that. The intimate parts were and will be skippable though, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem in that regard. It's your choice if you want to read them or not, so the responsibility is yours. The violent parts won't be skippable though, keep that in mind! That's because I don't see violence as a theme you should keep people away from. You know, I mention such themes because I think that people shouldn't be hidden away from reality. Life isn't always a place where people fight with fluffy gloves. Sometimes it can hit harder than a right swing from Wladimir Klitschko. So it would be utter stupidity to give young people the image that the world is a place free of such things. If that was the case, Zarc didn't have to make a whole plan to establish utopia after all! So there will be said things in this story. But considering that (from my experience at least) the greater part of the Yu-Gi-Oh!-community tends to be older anyway, this shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Regarding the duels and fights: I said that this story would be on another level, didn't I? Yuto got his Dark Rebellion to almost third of a million ATK for instance. Guess you know what I meant with my previous words now. Also it was a great opportunity to show the most neglected Yu-Boy some love.

Regarding Paragon Summon: This is a new method I came up with during vacation a few months ago. Originally it was only supposed to appear once somewhere in the Synchro-Arc for a possible future story. But then I decided to include it in here, along with some other stuff. You will see the new method and the seventh pair of counterparts – Yuji and Alexandra – pretty soon! The method isn't too hard and confusing, the probably most difficult thing about it are the summoning requirements since I had to make sure the costs were not too low in order to not make the method broken. The mechanic itself is pretty interesting and not too hard though, so I hope you will like it once it comes around!

About the new cover and cover in general: Every element has a certain meaning as you can guess. Let me start with the elements from the old cover: The figure on the left side stands for Yuga of course. The blue background refers to his hair-, normal eye- and awakening eye-color, the black silhouette stands for his prowess since he gains a blue-blackish aura when activating Absolute Eradicator. The figure on the right side is Yubi, the silver color of his silhouette symbolizing his awakening eye color and also being pretty close to his hair color of white in terms of color spectrum. The light blue background on his side stands for his prowess since he gains a light blue aura when activating Kyōka Suigetsu. Then we have the other four boys and their dragons. The fact that their faces are superimposed with their respective ace dragons was a foreshadowing to the circumstance of them being half dragons as the transcendent creatures they are. Now to the newly added elements: The great dragon on the upper half is Genesis Omega of course. It is basically just a bigger and fancier looking version of Supreme Dragon King Zarc and the way it roars with its head looking skywards refers to the one scene in Zarc's mind where it is freed and announces its return to the world by spiraling upwards and letting out a roar in said direction. Also the green color of the dragon hints at the seventh dimension – Paragon – which has a light green color scheme. Additionally the sun-like orb above the dragon's head refers to the title of this story, the sun symbolizing the dawn-element. Combined with the dark color on other parts of the cover, especially the black line at the very bottom, the sun and other radiant elements also create an antithesis of colors, referring to the twilight-part. Lastly Zarc and Ray are in the lower half since it's their conflict this story is about. I don't know if you can see it on this format, but there was a certain thing in both of their expressions and general poses that made me pick this picture for designing my cover. Ray has her left arm hooked into his right one, hinting at their relationship since body contact like this is a common phenomenon for couples. Her fierce expression and posture look like as if she wants to drag him after her and bring him over to her side by all means, referring to how she called out to him in this story for several times in order to persuade him to go back to the side of humanity. Meanwhile Zarc has a stubborn and repellent expression, holding his cards in his other hand. That is supposed to display that no matter how many tried to win him for mankind's side again, he always remained on the side of the spirits, symbolized by said cards he's holding and his steadfast posture, showing that he will always stand his ground and keep on living according to his own ideals and loyalties. Yet he doesn't really push Ray away on the picture, indicating that he still cares about her a lot and even wants to create the population of the new world together with her. This cover will be the final one by the way, so it would be great if you told me your opinion about it!

Regarding that part where Zarc travels to another world: This was mainly me letting off some steam for the original ending by letting Zarc go to the original ARC-V universe and kill everybody. But it also illustrates the immeasurable power of Genesis Omega Dragon of course.

Next up regarding the prowesses: They are based on certain things. In Ray's case on the forces of nature with three new ones. I think that I covered pretty much every aspect of it with my seven things. We have Winds and Moon, representing the terrestrial and celestial forces of nature respectively. We have Flowers and Birds, representing the flora and fauna, the two major kinds of living beings. And the new three are a couple and a trio respectively. First Clouds and Earth, representing Atmosphere and Lithosphere, what is above the ground and beneath it so to speak. Then we have River, representing water and life itself while also building said trio with the two other: Water = Ocean, Sea; Earth = Land; Atmosphere = Sky. So basically the classical three realms of earth. Also every bracelet has a power. I felt like that was the only fair thing since half of the girls were dropped into jail in the original show and didn't get too much importance as a result, not to mention bracelet-powers. And the other half was very one-sided towards Yuzu in that regard, Serena getting no power on her jewelry either. So now everybody has a power on it, I guess that is better since I said that I will shed light on all girls and boys, as you might remember from the beginning of Chapter 1. The Apocalyptic Prowesses on the other side are based on the aspects that the four horsemen of the apocalypse represent. Furthermore the way their powers work is based on some of my favorite anime/manga antagonists as Zarc has told you already. And just that no confusion comes up, the Supreme Prowess of Armageddon – Dragon Almighty is just another phrase for the power that G.O.D. and thus Zarc owns. Anyway, I will update the character profiles on my own profile so you have a better overview of who has which prowess and what it is called since there are sixteen in total. I know that it's a little bit much input in this chapter, so I will give you a help by adding everyone's prowess to his character profile. But I really felt like using them, they explain the personalities of the boys (and their beliefs come from Zarc, just as said person told Ray before) and add the supernatural elements I was longing for to the story. And about the age of the main cast, all of them are rather 15 than 14. As you saw from Shiryu, she is 14 and eight months, closer to 15 so to speak. The other girls are exactly the same (they have the same birthday since they were created simultaneously) and the boys are slightly older and have the exact same age as well because of the previous reason.

To avoid confusion about magic in this story: The general term for manipulating the life essence of this world – momentum – is Jyujutsu (Jap. for "Spell" or "Incantation"). There are various forms of Jyujutsu: The most basic is Reikonmadou – Spirit Magic. Any human can learn that with enough training, but it is also the least powerful. Then there are special forms like Haōmadou and Tenshimadou which can only be learned by certain beings and are more powerful. Now to the explanation how they work: You need to utter the incantation of the respective spell while having enough Spirit Force (the total amount of momentum inside your body). The incantation normally describes its respective spell, giving the opponent counterplay by allowing them to react to it. Then you release the spell. The higher the number of the spell, the stronger it is in most cases; an exception are the first twenty since they are more of utility- than combat-spells, even if that utility can be used in fights as well. But usually the number of a spell decides its strength, therefore Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū is the strongest up until now (and probably in total as well). If experienced enough, the incantation can be skipped as the caster utters it in his mind.

About the music! I gave Zarc three themes here: Dark Purification (the best soundtrack from Bleach, "Invasion" (in my opinion that is), with altered lyrics), Supremacy (again Aizen's signature theme "Treachery" with altered lyrics) and finally Black Angel (from the movie "Shin Godzilla" with very minimal changes to the lyrics). Just before that, some questions to you: Do you think the music I picked fits for the respective scenes? Does it help the reading-atmosphere? How do you like the new lyrics I came up with? Do you think they fit to the characters and scenes? I'm highly biased in terms of that of course since I'm the author, but I think it does. But since I am so biased, I would like to have your opinion on it as well, if you don't mind that is. Anyway, without further ado, here are the new themes! (Note: For Dark Purification, in the video on YT, the first line is partially cut off in the sixth repeat of the refrain due to the theme being extended, but with the power of imagination that shouldn't be a problem. Also for both Dark Purification and Supremacy the rhythm changes a bit since other syllables are stressed compared to the original soundtrack. But since the amount of syllables for every line stays the same, it is still possible to get the new lyrics into the old song, I tested that myself already and after a while, it worked splendidly.)

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Dark Purification – Lyrics

(intro)

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!

(interlude)

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!

(If extended version, it continues with the following lines)

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!

And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!

Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!

And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!

And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!

I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!

It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!

(interlude)

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!

And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!

Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!

And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!

And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!

I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!

It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So with the power of darkness I'll bring an end to this war!

And for this goal I'll bring death and unleash annihilation!

I'll open up a new path through total eradication!

(outro)

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Supremacy – Lyrics

(intro)

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!

(interlude)

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

You all pray but you keep on committing sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

To be a dragon, Ima koso hitotsu ni!

(If extended version, intro is partially repeated and the previous lines are repeated. If not, outro)

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Black Angel – Lyrics

(intro)

Out of revenge!

We will fight!

To the end!

As the prophet of doom!

Will bring silence again!

You will be crushed!

To despair!

With no blood!

To be spared!

As a thunderous cloud!

Shall descend like black angels of the lord!

(interlude)

(repeat)

(outro)

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But now to the probably biggest point: The question why this story is so different from others and about the new elements I've included. Well, for that, I will have to give you some background first. You know, I realized that this fandom was getting rather repetitive. This climaxed in the fact that I was able to find a pattern that worked for a lot of popular stories. Means of beautifying stories are for instance: a) adding a new OC, the most obvious one I guess; b) creating a side villain; c) creating a side arc; d) adding in some supernatural elements. While I know that it's hard to get away from such established methods and I'm also using most of them, there is one thing that sets me apart in terms of the last point: A lot of the supernatural elements in other stories only serve the purpose of adding some interesting backstory, but no matter how powerful these beings are, they still result to playing a children's card game. Which is kinda weird. I know that this is the Yu-Gi-Oh verse, but come on, we had fucking guns in Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0 (not really canon, but still), also in the real original series of Duel Monsters (the Sub, the Dub actually censored the guns) we had them as well and in addition to that they had tanks, jets and artillery in the Original Dimension, as well as Fusion- and Xyz-Fighters using their duel disks as blades at times and clashing with each other using them, so it would be stupid to deny the fact that other weapons exist. So the question is why don't people use them. And that question is the point where I come in: Like I said previously, what sets me apart is that I don't fear to approach these elements anymore. ARC-V is the story of a war after all. So people not going all-out and using all weapons at their disposal would be stupid. Meaning we will have the Kryo-Weapons and Jyujutsu, magic so to speak. I know that this is a Yu-Gi-Oh story, so most of the fights will still be fought with cards. But not all. I oriented a lot of my story on real life. And as you all know, wars aren't fought with cards. Wars are fought with weapons. When I imagined it with cards, a super cringy image of Hitler playing a match with Roosevelt came to my mind where they decided World War 2 with a clash between a Blue-Eyes White Dragon and a Dark Magician. You see what I mean, the idea is ridiculous. I wanted to have a realistic fight, hence why Ruri and Yuto are a bit fiercer in here. No matter how good and innocent you are, war changes you. And grudges and prejudices exist in those times as well. That's why my squad is openly showing their disdain towards Academia rather than being those shining heroes that are the Lancers in the original series who are just good and show barely any signs of that (the exceptions are Shun and Reiji, the more realistic characters in that aspect). Especially Yuya reached new levels of stupidity in that regard, his behavior during the war is about comparable to an American soldier during World War 2 running through the German lines and spreading smiles and happiness among a group of SS-members. With the exception that they would have shot him instead of joining the Egao-Movement. If another power threatens your home, you are not like that. You hate those people, thus Yuga is so bloodthirsty and destructive against Academia (it's his inner dragon as well, but even without it he would loathe them a lot). Another part about conflicts that I made more realistic are personal reasons. Such conflicts have two sides in most cases. Zarc's parents for instance look like a bunch of assholes at first, but later on you see their reasons for giving him away and learn to understand their side. The world isn't solely black and white, there are always two sides to a problem and not everybody can just be deemed as completely good or evil at first, not even Zarc who wants to kill the entirety of mankind since he has reasons for it as well.

What I also changed was the structure of the plot: Instead of having the good old "Reiji pulls everybody into his boat so that they can fight Academia together"-thing, repeated over and over in this fandom, I tried something new and made it "Reiji gets pulled into the boat himself by Yuga and pals". I think that it is more interesting to see how the mastermind himself is a bit clueless and played like a fiddle instead of having him execute plan after plan in order to manipulate Yuya and the rest of the Standard-Cast like we had in the show.

Adding a seventh dimension was also a measure to give this story a bit of individuality. There are a lot of stories with five dimensions/Heavenly Dragons. There are some with six dimensions. But I bet that there is not one with seven yet or at least very few because of the lack of existing methods, hence why I created my own as I told you above.

Now then, about how I came up with the whole new universe of magic and fights in this story! You see, I am a great fan of Shonen-Anime. And what I love about them probably the most are the fights. Don't get me wrong, I love Yu-Gi-Oh and especially ARC-V will always have a place in my heart, but one thing that always bugged me about it was that Yu-Gi-Oh is so static. They made several attempts to make duels a little bit more entertaining: From Riding Duels in 5D's (which were actually pretty good) to Action Duels. But ultimately these attempts failed since they didn't make it a mix between both elements, but rather dueling while having another side-activity. That's why they call 5D's "card games on motorcycles" instead of "playing card games and driving on motorcycles". That term made by the fanbase just stressed that card games are still the main thing and that the elements are not equally important. Sure, you could theoretically fall off your D-Wheel during the duel, but let's be honest, how often did that happen? Zero to two times maybe? And Action Duels began as an interesting idea, but ended up as Yuya's faithful asspull-companion. I don't want those things to happen to my story. While it still mainly revolves around dueling, Kryo-Blades and Jyujutsu still play a major role. If you are not careful enough, you can easily lose a won duel by just dying from one of those things. Wouldn't that be more interesting? Knowing that fights can turned around at any given time? For instance, Ray got destroyed by Zarc's physical powers and Jyujutsu, but still beat him with her cards. Having multiple elements that decide the outcome of a fight is – in my opinion at least – more interesting than always having the guy with the better cards win. If you are bad as a duelist, you can compensate for it by being good with Kryo-Blades or with Jyujutsu – and vice versa. But unlike Action Cards which are pure randomness, these skills actually need training, so it is not unjustified if someone wins with them. Also having interaction between them and dueling is kinda cool since you can make your opponent miss the timing for playing a card for instance by launching an attack of physical or magical nature at that exact moment to distract him. But anyway, now back to the main topic from above: I am a great fan of Shonen and would like to see some of those fight-elements in Yu-Gi-Oh, as I told you before. That's why I expanded the universe of ARC-V. I took a lot of inspiration from popular Shonens which I like, as you can see from the Apocalyptic Prowesses (which are Jyujutsu turned into inherited abilities). These powers are based on some of my favorite anime villains – one power is from Dragon Ball (Super); one from One Piece; one from Fairy Tail; one from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the mother of all anime-references; two from Naruto and finally another two from Bleach. Especially Bleach has influenced me a lot when making the new universe. The show may have its flaws and be a bit less relevant than others by now, but it still looks the most intriguing to me at the current moment. What I found the most interesting was the idea of ranking spells in a numbered system (hence why my Jyujutsu has a number-system too) and the Zanpakutos, the swords the Shinigamis wield, with their unique sword abilities. Thus I adapted the idea of Shikai and Bankai and made Tenkai and Sōzetsukai, manifestations of transcendent beings' souls. Furthermore Zarc's headquarter in the Spiritual Realm and the two rows of monsters with the titles of "Captain" were inspired by the Gotei 13-HQ of course. And also there is Aizen, probably one of the best anime villains of all time. Zarc's Fully Transcendent Form is a huge reference to Aizen's Transcended Hollow Form in terms of design after all, along with the fight against the generals for which I have given you the respective reference videos. And I also borrowed Aizen's Kido 90 – Kurohitsugi and made it Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi.

I just wanted to introduce some supernatural elements that actually impact the story instead of being embellishment for the backstory like other authors did. There are two general sorts of ARC-V stories: Ones that follow the plot pretty much entirely and stay with duels while often using some of the four measures I've mentioned before and ones that go full alternate universe where people duel not at all. I wanted to give this story some individuality and take the path in the middle between these two extremes, classic dueling mixed with supernatural. Don't worry by the way, there will be other supernatural creatures aside from the boys and the girls; also the enemies will adapt to the new, yet unrevealed weapons, so it won't be Yuga and pals slaughtering Obelisk Force with their powers in a one-sided battle.

What I also changed about the universe was its generals history. I picked up some ideas from the ARC-V manga and changed them a bit. You know, I always saw Genesis Omega Dragon as something better than Supreme Dragon King Zarc since it could literally decide the fate of the world. I was disappointed that Zarc didn't pull a countermove when Ray used her En-Cards for the second time, expecting some evolution of the dragon or an Anti-En-Card at least. While the looks, size, card-type (this G.O.D. is Pendulum, Xyz, Synchro, Fusion, Ritual, Link and Paragon combined), power and general backstory of G.O.D differs a lot from the manga, sharing pretty much nothing of it besides the name and the decide-the-fate-of-the-world-thing, I still think that it should help to include Genesis Omega. By doing that, the plot can greatly be deepened and Zarc and Ray can rise in importance as a result. They were never really too important in the original show (especially Ray) since they came in so late and their history was rather shallow. Zarc always confused me a bit with his goal to be honest. He went from a guy trying to entertain the crowd to a psycho and then declared that he wanted to destroy the world until no one except him was left. And that is what made me ask: "And what then? What will you do after you have killed everybody? You know that loneliness is literally deadly for a human's mind and you would suffer a mental breakdown not long after extinguishing all human life?" Villains in Yu-Gi-Oh are generally rather one-sided. While some have solid backstories like Z-ONE, others are just destroying the world and are evil because they are like "Why not?" And that is a grave mistake. Nobody thinks of oneself as evil. Everyone has a reason for acting like one does. Also the motive of killing, destroying, conquering or ruling over everything is very popular too, the classic villain motive so to speak. And because I didn't want either of that to happen again, I gave my boy Zarc – my favorite ARC-V character – some backstory. The dialogues from the canon are more or less repeated, thus it's kinda canon-compliant so to speak. But it massively expands it and makes his reasons for genocide more understandable. I always hated the shallow design of him and Ray. Zarc was just "I am an entertainer who got disappointed and then wanted to destroy the entire world"; and Ray was like "I am a random nice girl who wants to save her dad". I really felt like giving them a solid backstory and made them a couple as well. This backstory and the following events also fixed plotholes of the previous story and explained unexplained things – of the original show and things from this story you might have still wondered about (e.g. why Yuga didn't absorb Yuri after beating him at Academia; or his superhuman strength and abilities he showcased on some occasions; or Leo's flashback when Yuga sat on his throne at the ending of Chapter 3 and the name of Zarc's plan mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 5). Regarding plotholes from the original show, why did nobody use their monsters against Zarc as he sent his dragons on a rampage against the audience? Literally four 3000 ATK monsters would have been enough to stop the dragons. Also why did nobody kill Zarc when he was still human? His dragons would have dissolved with his death and boom, Original Dimension saved! Then, how could Yugo's Clear Wing travel across dimensions? Why was Leo reborn into the new world if he wasn't one of the two battling forces at the end of the Original Dimension? Where the hell did Zarc get a card from that could merge a human with monsters? Why could Yuri use dark blasts in his final episodes? I know the last one is because of Zarc's power, but it was never really explained how it worked. Hell, before I looked into the Wiki, I didn't even know that Yuya had so many awakening stages! It was just never truly explained, so I took care of that and made a story that explains all of that. And why I did the ZarcRay-pairing, well, first of all, Genesisshipping is my OTP, so it was to be expected that they got together once I started writing. I'm just a hopeless ZarcRay-fan, sorry. But it always sounded to me that they had some history together when Zarc was split and cried out "UNFORGIVABLE!". His tone just gave me the vibe that he was not just pissed that somebody stopped him, dunno why. And I also felt like making Zarc a character that could not even be called a villain in an instant. Let me explain, this is the last major point!

The biggest feature that sets this story apart from others is the divide between reality and fantasy, as well as the intention it has. On the one side, we have a lot of things that remind us about our own world: From the same countries (the only exception is Japan which has its capital Tokyo replaced with the respective major city of each dimension), names of people (I chose the thirteen generals' names based on (in most cases) popular names from the respective countries), literary works, movies, memes and several other references to our world (hell, they are living on pretty much the same planet with the only exception being that ARC-V isn't an anime for them; all other Yu-Gi-Oh series are though), as well as the same problems and crises as here on earth. This is done so you can relate to this world a bit and don't see it as a purely fictional realm. On the other side, we have the fantasy elements: Kryo-Weapons, spirits, the Spiritual Realm, Jyujutsu and so on. These serve another purpose which I will explain soon. You see, when I was still in school and reading all those books we were instructed to, I always found it fascinating how certain authors managed to build deep, pensive themes and questions into rather superficial plot. And that trend is what I am adapting. Of course, this story is mostly about card games and dimensional war. But I also want to convey a hidden (or maybe not so hidden in my case) message, similar to how other Yu-Gi-Oh-series did. Zexal for instance did a good job at that. Now that I'm looking at it more closely, ARC-V is basically just a Zexal-ripoff in terms of development of the Main Character. Both protagonists start as rather goofy persons with mediocre, if not bad, dueling skills. They are both jocular and a bit clumsy at times. Over the course of the story, they both let go off their careless attitude a bit as the serious circumstances around them force them to grow up and let go of their old habits. But while Yuma lets go of them in a realistic way, Yuya only alters his beliefs VERY SLIGHTLY, remaining the same naive person until the every end. Yuma on the other hand regains the lost joy and fun he previously had during his duels before he had to fight seriously and let go of it, but still keeps on being aware of the fact that life can be hard sometimes, growing up as a result. So the message of Zexal was basically that even if you forget about your dreams due to the harshness of life, you can still realize them later on. There is also a more obvious message directly stated in the last few minutes of the show (one far better and more utopic than in ARC-V, but unlike the "Everyone just smiles even if the world is still fucked up"-scene at the end of ARC-V, Zexal actually had a reason to back these slightly unrealistic events up since they had the omnipotent Numeron-Code as an explanation for them). To go back to the previous topic, Yuya on the other hand is like "Fuck that!" and returns to the full-egao-mode, never having truly left his beliefs and grown up, everybody in the final scene blatantly ignoring the fact that the world is still in shambles and three quarters of the counterparts are now stuck inside Yuya and Yuzu for probably all of their lives; Shun for instance therefore having both lost his friend Yuto and his sister Ruri while his home is still in ruins and needs to be rebuild. Again, the former part could be interpreted as giving us the message of never stopping to hold onto ones beliefs. But then I interpreted it in an political sense, and once I did, I exploded in rage. Yuya, a person who never stopped following the footsteps of his predecessor, his father Yusho, is the worst thing to me. I don't even know why Jack said that he had found his own way during their second duel. I mean, he only summoned a Synchro-Pendulum-Monster! That is not finding an own ideology, that is copy pasting your dad while summoning a nice looking monster! He never truly questioned his father's smile-philosophy, making room for a more realistic view. He just followed and followed his father like a little child that never grew up. Hmm, guess I made a good analogy here, he indeed followed him like a child since he searched for his father when he traveled through the dimensions after said person had left him. In a political interpretation, Yuya is the person who follows the established authorities without a second word. He just walks after them like a sheep walks after its shepherd, never even bothering to question them and their ways. Also the ending had a similar problem: Everybody was smiling despite the fact that everything was still in disorder. In my interpretation, that represents those people who are living all happy and carefree and blatantly ignore the problems in the world while doing so, simply overlooking them in their rush of ecstasy. To me, Yuya and the others at the ending are the incarnations of ignorance. Such persons are of no use for the progress of mankind, leading only to stagnation. You don't need to share this view though. The Zarc in this story on the other hand is the exact opposite of Yuya: He doesn't give a shit about such things and realizes his dreams no matter what, craving his own path as he became a superhuman both in Nietsche's sense of not bowing down to any restricting factors, and physically by transcending his humanity more and more. Zarc is revolution in its most literal sense, a person who believes that true change for the better will never come while people cling to established ideas. And that brings me to the final part: With this story, I want to make you think. The realistic elements in here symbolize how our world is and prompt you to relate to the new Arc-V universe in here. The supernatural elements showcase my beliefs, beliefs of how the world could be, not how it currently is. Of course these ideas and beliefs are just philosophy which is normally theoretical, not practical like politics, so I'm not making any calls for some revolutionary movement or something like that. I merely throw in the idea and leave it there. This story is by no means intended to start a debate about some real life topics or to relate too much to our world. Anyway, back to topic now with the disclaimer out of the way! The realistic parts represent the current status of the world while the supernatural stand for the possible evolution of mankind. Like Zarc and Yubi, I am a follower of Nietzsche. Despite the fact that the Nazis terribly misused his philosophy after his death for their "Aryans are the best race on earth"-bullshit by using another interpretation, his true ideology always appealed to me. He talks about overcoming the limiting borders that is society, the only true factor that decides what is good or not, in order to become a superhuman, a being that is not restricted by such minute things anymore and freely pursuits happiness. So in my opinion which I share with that guy, humanity still has to evolve to its final stage. While I also have the opinion that some rules surely have to exist, others are just a way to bind the people on this planet. Again this is just theoretical philosophy as stated before and my own opinion, you don't need to share it. This story asks some questions about humanity. First some that Zarc has referred to when describing his reasons for wiping them out: Are we truly superior to all other life? Are we more important because we have a more potent brain than other species? Are we the cause of all problems in this world? Do we need to be wiped out for this world to return to peace once more? Will we destroy ourselves one day with our own acts? These and more. Also some other questions about the way how to better the world were asked: Is violence the right and only way if you want to bring change to the world? Or can you also change it peacefully as well? Is violence justified for the greater good? Is the end truly justifying the means? Are society and rules truly the non plus ultra everybody has to orient their behavior on? Can utopia be accomplished? If yes, how? There are of course a lot of questions to other topics as well if you can read between the lines a bit. This story is mainly for giving you nice duels and fights, but I also wanted to deliver some pensive messages. So if you asked yourselves at least one of these question for a moment, I guess that I just accomplished my goal. The fight that will decide the fate of this world is not only a clash of monsters, blades and Jyujutsu, but also one of ideologies: Ray still believes that humans can better themselves and establish a better world, wanting to accomplish an utopia through peaceful means. Meanwhile Zarc has written them off long ago and seeks to wipe them out, using violence for creating an utopia afterwards. This fight is a clash between peace and violence, light and dark, Ray and Zarc. And because the final showdown between those two antithetic forces is at hand now, together with the fact that it's the name of Zarc's second plan and that it also refers to the creation of this universe by Genesis Omega Dragon and his partner, I will tell you the true and full name of this story now: YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: Dawn of Twilight

I know that this is probably a very different approach to an ARC-V fanfiction, so please let me know about your opinion on it! There are like a bazillion questions about your opinion on certain things on my mind right now, so I will just name a few: What is the philosophy you would agree on? Ray's or Zarc's? What is your favorite base prowess? What is your favorite supreme prowess? What is you favorite Jyujutsu-Spell? What is your favorite Zarc form? Quarter (his dragon form from the original series), Semi (at the beginning of the fight against the thirteen generals), Fully (his final form without releasing his soul's power), Super (releasing Tenkai), Hyper (releasing Sōzetsukai) or Divine Transcendent (merged with G.O.D.)? What is your favorite counterpart (both for male and female)? On whose side of the dawn of twilight are you? Holy Angels or Espada – Ray's or Zarc's fragments? What is your favorite ARC-V character from the original series? What is your favorite from the new ones? What is you favorite character in general? How do you like the new universe? These and so many more questions I have to you! So it would be great if you answered some of them and told me your opinion about my approach to writing an ARC-V story! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that it could live up to its title!

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V2: "Bonds Between Family"

(Note: This will be a normal chapter again. I guess you all had your daily dose of supernatural and real fights now, so next time we will go back to the world where nobody knows about such things (yet) and plays card games)

Until next time,

Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!