Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC V - The Movie -
Chapter 10: Overwhelming Emotions - Part 2
~ Somewhere in Paradise City ~
In the ruined remains of a section of the city, we find Number One sitting quietly atop a throne made of the destroyed rubble around him as he looked on at two cards in his hand. Alongside him, inside a sphere-like capsule, was a now age restored Reira floating unconsciously within. Looking over his shoulder, the images on the cards appear to be the faces of Ray Akaba and Zarc, their souls taken from the infant's body. Just then, as a gentle breeze added to the silence around him, Number One looked up and saw Little Z approaching him.
"S-Superior…..I need to talk to you." he said. The giant set aside the cards before rising from his seat.
"I had a feeling you'd come Number Four. Let me guess. You wish to plea for that boy's life?" he asked. Little Z gulped, his face sweating from fear.
"I….I know you sent me here to locate Zarc and to report back to you….but…please. Hear me out. He's NOT the monster you keep claiming he was. Would the Zarc you spoke of spare me from his dragon's attack? That's what Yuya did for me….before you came. Can't you sense it? His aura….it's not the same as Zarc's." Little Z replied "In fact….I don't really think you can call him "Zarc" anymore." Number One simply looked on at him. He crossed his arms behind him before slowly approaching him.
"Tell me, Number Four. Would you like to hear a story?" he asked. Little Z seemed surprised as Number One stopped right in front of him.
"My world…..the place I called home….it was beautiful. It was the most wonderful sight in the world to behold." he said "But, sad as it is to say, my time eventually came to an end. However, after death, I heard a voice calling out to me. It said there was much more for me to do….before I was allowed the peaceful afterlife so many others had." Little Z gasped.
"And what did it want you to do?" he asked. Number One sighed.
"What the voice asked of me….was to control the spirits of the four Dimension Dragons, monsters that were overflowing with nothing but raw, uncontrolled emotions." he replied, making Little Z gasp "For what felt like years, centuries even, I tried so hard to break their spirits. But no matter what I tried, they remained the same….malevolent to the core." he said. In a flashback, Number One could still remember their faces as the dragons violently lashed out against their imprisoned cells, letting out violent roars.
"Feeling there was no end in sight….I had given up hope of containing their anger. Instead, I chose to use the powers given to me to put an end to their existence. However, it was then that I could sense something from my old home. That feeling….led me to meet the boy named Zarc." he said. Little Z remained stunned, lost for words, as he listened to his story.
"When I met Zarc in this form, I could sense that he had a gift….a gift that could possibly help to control the savage intents of these monsters. It was then that I transformed the dragons into cards…..and passed them on to Zarc before departing once again. Knowing the world I had left behind….I had high hopes that he would be the one to mellow their savage nature." he said. He then slowly raised one of his hands, looking on at his palm, before firmly tightening it into a fist.
"But….I was a fool. Soon after granting him the power of the cards, Zarc went on a rampage with them….destroying EVERYTHING in his wake. And what's worse….the people I had believed to be of no ill intent….were the ones that fanned the flames of darkness born in his heart. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the chaos befalling my home." he said "Fearing the worst, I attempted to return to my world to put a stop to Zarc and take back the dragons." In his mind, he pictured his arrival, transporting himself into the world just as the people were fleeing in terror. But the instant he arrived, he looked through the massive crowd of people and saw the events unfold between Ray and Zarc, letting out a gasp.
"However, when I arrived, I was too late. The actions between Zarc and Ray Akaba destroyed my home. The people I once knew were gone…..along with everything else." he continued. Just then, Little Z gasped as he watched Number One slowly reach for his mask. Clutching it gently, he slowly removed it from his face, shocking Little Z. The face beneath was that of an old man, half his face now distorted because of the massive eruption that took place. He looked down at Little Z with his bright green left eye as the other was simply a glowing orb of light.
"W-What happened to your face?" Little Z asked.
"This….is the result of the amount of intense pain I suffered…..when I was caught in their crossfire. Even though I was strong enough to survive the world's destruction, my body was not so fortunate. I am only this way now….because of the amount of time I've had to recover." he said, letting his mask drop to the ground. The human side of his face started to well up tears in the corner of his eye before letting out a single tear.
"And….you say Zarc and Ray did this to you?" Little Z asked again. Number One nodded.
"Yes. They took everything from me…..my homeworld, the people I loved….all gone…..because I gave into weakness." he cried, covering his face with his hand. Still taking everything he was hearing in, Little Z gasped.
"B-But wait. If Ray and Zarc are the ones that did this to you…..then why are you attacking everyone else throughout the dimensions?" he asked. Number One looked through his fingers, looking down at Little Z.
"As you may recall…..the people of my world were the ones that help start the fire Zarc eventually brought about. I couldn't believe that they, of all people, would give into such savagry that easily. After what had befallen my world…..and seeing the chaos brought about by Leo Akaba and his "Arc Area Project", I realized what had TRULY destroyed my home….and would eventually bring about the end of this world." he said, bringing his hand down onto Little Z's shoulder. He crouched down on one knee.
"It was nothing more…..than the savage nature within us all. Humanity doomed themselves when they fanned Zarc's dark flame and they almost did a second time when so many flocked to aide Akaba in his insane attempts to reform the world." he said. Little Z gasped.
"Don't you see Number Four? We MUST end this madness….before someone with the same intentions as Zarc and Leo Akaba appear in this world. As the closest beings in this world to "gods", it is our DUTY to put humanity on the correct path." he explained, putting his other hand on Little Z's shoulder. The young boy looked over his shoulder.
"I….I don't think I can bring myself to do that….sir." he said. Number One looked on in shock.
"W-What? Why?" he asked. Little Z looked up at him.
"Well…..in the time I've spent in this world, the "Pendulum Dimension", I see nothing but light and goodness around me. The people in this world smile brightly than anything I could have expected. And the two life forms that spawned from Ray and Zarc's separation, Yuya and Yuzu, are the ones smiling the brightest. I can't see any reason to hate them as deeply as you do." he said. Number One remained silent, looking into the young boy's eyes.
"What you see as a future eventually overrun by darkness…..I see a world full of so much promise and a bright future for everyone. I want to see where the road humanity takes now ends up. I…..I….." he said, starting to sniffle. Number One gasped, seeing so much emotion welling up on the boy's face as tears built up in his eyes.
"I want to protect this world! And I want to stay by Yuya's side through it all! Because…..he's my FRIEND!" he cried out. Number One remained petrified, shocked to see Number Four flat out reject his ideals. He fell silent as his head slowly drooped downward.
"Please….master. Stop this now….before anyone else needs to suffer." Little Z sniffled "I believe there is some good in you still." The giant eventually let go of the boy's shoulders. However, what followed was his giant hand suddenly clasping directly over his face. Little Z gasped, muffled by the giant's palm. Number One's head raised again as he looked on at Little Z, his face now flooded with anger.
"I should've known better…..than to plead myself to a FOOL LIKE YOU!" he yelled. Little Z gasped, kicking and screaming, as the giant stood back up and rose him skyward.
"You want to take their side? You want to stand alongside your FRIEND?! I should've realized sooner that it was foolish to have a creature SPAWNED from the likes of THOSE TWO working alongside me! You're just as foolish as the rest of them!" he yelled. Through his fingers, Little Z's eyes widened from fear as a powerful energy surged from his body, overtaking his small body in no time.
"I see I have no choice….but to ERASE YOU AS WELL….TRAITOR!" Number One bellowed. The pressure emitting from Number One's body intensified as it enveloped Little Z's entire body. Trying to worm himself free, Little Z's fight was to no avail as the giant's grip tightened more.
"M-MASTER! NO! STOP! PLEASE!" Little Z pleaded, his voice muffled by his hand. When it became clear that the pain would not let up, the boy's limbs simply drooped down. Tears welled up in the boy's eyes.
"Yuya…..I….I'm sorry….." he thought, slowly closing his eyes "I….I wanted to help you….." But the second the boy's eyes closed, the pressure suddenly stopped and the roar of Odd-Eyes echoed across the vacant skies. Little Z's eyes flashed open as Number One gasped as well. In an instant, Odd-Eyes came charging onto the scene with Yuya riding on its back with Yuzu clutching onto his waist.
"LET HIM GO!" Yuya roared, his voice echoing as loud as Odd-Eyes. Number One watched in total shock as the dragon opened its gaping jaws, violently biting through his arm like a toothpick. As the dragon's teeth punctured through his arm, it was suddenly revealed to everyone that his arm was nothing but a mechanical limb. His severed hand suddenly released its grip on Little Z's face as Number One fumbled backwards, howling loudly in pain while looking at his severed limb. Meanwhile, the charging dragon skidded to a stop as Yuya and Yuzu climbed off its back.
"Y-Yuya!" Little Z gasped. Yuzu raced to the boy's side. Still clutching his severed arm, Number One turned towards Yuya.
"D-DAMN YOU DEMON! L-LOOK AT WHAT YOUR MONSTER DID TO MY ARM!" Number One yelled. What looked back at him was Yuya's glowing pupils, complimented by the same face he wore when engulfed by Zarc's darkness. The fiery white aura that surrounded him earlier now enveloped his entire body.
TO BE CONTINUED…