Chapter 11: Into the Darkness

"Find anything yet?" Jason's voice came through Marcus' Bluetooth as he walked about the streets of Japan looking for clues of the missing KG team and the Samurai who were with them.

"Nada on ourend." Marcus spoke for him and Mike, scouring the area around Sengoku Zone.

"Same on this end." Vanessa added on, accompanied by June. She turned to her friend, and the young nature duelist had a face of regret on it, feeling as if it was her fault that they're missing.

"Hey, come on, it's not your fault." She reassured her. June's mood didn't waver. "I just hope Jake is alright."

"Guys, I think I found something!" Peyton exclaimed over the comm.

From where he was, Peyton could hear and see the commotion blocks away. He remember Karon saying something about Akihabara and that's where he decided to start his search. Fortunately for him, he guessed right. Whatever was causing that noise, it had to be related to NOVA.

While riding on Dark Sanji, the beast carried Peyton over roof tops as it dashed ahead to where it was. From a safe distance, Sanji halted and having a better view, Peyton continued. "I found Jake and Karon. They were split up by the Quasar Six."

"Can you identify them? It'll give us a better idea on who we're dealing with." Jason replied.

"By the looks of it, it's Neptune and…" he hesitated.

"Neptune and who?" Jason asked quickly.

"…Saturn. Karon just ran into Saturn."

There was a brief silence before Jason spoke up again. "Do you see my sister or the others?"

"Just them two. Jake is fighting with Neptune, and Karon and Saturn are just… talking by the looks of it."

"Peyton, you need to get Jake out of there!" June exclaimed.

"June, what's wrong?" Vanessa asked her.

"Justin, he's a distraction, they're after Jake and ARC! You have to get Jake out of there before ARC takes over."

Peyton hesitated to answer, causing her to speak again. "Peyton!"

"Relax, I heard you… it just that I think I'm already too late for that…"

"What do you mean…?" the fear in her voice made him not want to explain himself, but he swallowed and answered her.

"I mean, whoever is fighting Neptune down there… is not the Jake that we know…"

"So, we finally meet again, Dark Reaper…" Justin said, as Karon reached him. "I forgot to tell you before, but I've always been a fan of yours."

"You got a funny way of showing it." Karon replied to him, rolling his neck. "Now then, last I checked, you have something that belongs to me. I want it back."

"Tsunami Catastrophe, right? Yeah that's fine. It's going to be a while before she's done with him, so why not?"

Karon looked over his shoulder, Kelly and Jake continuing to go at it with each other. "I could see. Tell me, does it take years to practice on being a decoy, or do you just have that skill of being used?"

Justin scoffed. "Are all you Reapers smug or were you just born with that god complex?"

Karon smirked and Justin returned it. "Glad you noticed."

"What can I say? I am a huge fan after all." He shrugged.

Karon nodded and crossed his arms. "Seriously though, I'm curious. What's so special about this "ARC" thing anyway?"

"To tell you the truth, I can care less what it is or why she wants it. Unlike the NOVA members you fought before us, we all have our own goals. If they just so happen to fall into one another, then we offer our services. She wants ARC for his power, whatever that may be."

"And I can only assume you want June, don't you?"

Justin nodded. "Pretty bright there Sherlock. I help her get ARC, she promises me to get June back."

"And what makes you think she or any of us will allow you to get her?"

"Because…" Justin's hand sparked. "She is the only thing I have left on this Earth that I can truly call family and I'll be damned if some smug insects keep me from what's rightfully mine."

Karon grinned, and chuckled. "Insects huh? And you say I'm the one with the god complex."

"You sure you want to be laughing Reaper? You'll be dead in a few moments, if I were you I'd get any last minute thoughts off my chest."

"You want a thought huh? Well how about this: If you think you're capable of killing me, you're more than welcomed to try." Karon snapped his fingers and the building under them erupted forming two slabs before them. His hand sparking violently, he reached for his deck and held it in front of him. "Kettou Da!"

Justin nodded and grabbed his deck. "Yoshi, I accept!"

Just then Peyton leapt across the building and landed behind Karon before he could set his deck down.

"Pluto…" Justin said recognizing Peyton.

"Karon, do you mind? This is personal."

"I do actually. He's the one who took Tsunami Catastrophe."

"Then just like the first time we dueled, I'll beat him and strip it off him."

"Man, June really has a following doesn't she? Well since Kelly's taking care of one of her favorite people, I guess I have no choice but to rid you out of the picture. Then nothing will stop me from getting to her."

"That's not going to happen because win or lose, I'm sending you to hell." Peyton's hand sparked as he held his deck in his hand.

Karon scratched his head and turned back. "Don't get yourself killed fighting this low life."

"Don't worry about me. We've all gotten stronger since becoming DCA agents."

Karon nodded. "Then I expect nothing less from the man who claims to be a true Grim Reaper."

Peyton smirked and set his deck on the platform. "Understood."

Karon nodded and looked down below where Kelly and Jake still fought. He drew a card from his deck and afterward leapt off the rooftop to the streets below.

"Now that he's gone, are you ready to get started?" Justin asked his new opponent.

"More than anything…" Peyton replied.

Decks set, and the ten shields materializing before them, they got themselves ready.

"DUEL START!"

Justin started, charging darkness mana and ending his turn. Peyton drew, and followed the same pattern, charging darkness mana and ending his turn.

Justin drew, set fire mana this time and tapped his cards. "I summon Chitta Peloru." He called out as the small firebird adorned with a headdress materialized behind Justin. "I end my turn."

Silent, Peyton drew, set water mana and tapped. "I cast Ghost Touch. Discard a card from your hand."

Justin turned his hand over and shuffled the cards in his hand, tossing the top card of the pile into the grave. He snickered at the sight of Inferno Sign starting off the graveyard stack.

"I end my turn." Peyton stated, turning the duel over to Justin.

Justin drew, set mana and tapped all three. "I summon Dark Lupia."

Dark Lupia materialized, the skull-wearing chick resting the scythe in its tiny wings.

"Chitta, break his shield, ike!" he tapped his creature.

Chitta soared to Peyton's side and took out a shield. The shards shot back past Peyton, he not reacting to it. he held his hand back and retrieved the card, adding it to his hand.

"My turn," Peyton drew, set mana and tapped. "I summon Maxval, Electric Shadow, and end my turn."

Maxval materialized behind Peyton, awaiting its opponent to make a move.

"A Blocker huh…? Think I have something to fix that." Justin said, drawing. He set mana and tapped two. "I cast: Knight Caster- Critical Destroyer! Maxval to the graveyard."

The two firebirds in response lined up next to each other and flew forward, shooting through Maxval, causing the creature to explode.

"And now, Chitta, break another shield, Dark Lupia, break a shield as well."

The two firebirds flew forward once more, shattering two more of Peyton's shields. While one didn't result in anything, the second one did.

"Shield Trigger: Aqua Surfer to the Battle Zone! With it, I send Chitta Peloru back to your hand."

With a snicker, Justin watched as the surfer materialized and washed away Chitta. He caught the card as it bounced into the air. "I end my turn."

Peyton drew, set mana and tapped. "I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Puppet. Discard the last card in your hand."

The white-haired doll creature materialized with the guitar-shaped saw and forced Justin to discard.

"And to follow up, Aqua Surfer attacks Dark Lupia!"

Surfer set it sights on Dark Lupia and took no time at all, wiping it out.

"I end my turn." Peyton finished, turning it back.

"You know for a second, I forgot I'm dueling against a former Supernova. I gotta keep that in mind from here on."

"As a member of the Quasar Six, you are much weaker than I expected." Peyton replied to his comment. "Maybe Karon is right. You are just being used."

Justin chuckled. "Like how you five were? Yeah, don't compare me to you all. That's embarrassing." He drew his card and set it in mana. "I end my turn."

"For us maybe, being compared to a lackey who thinks he a big shot." Peyton drew his card, set mana and tapped. "I summon Gorgonshack, the Shadow Warrior, and also Generate Wicked Gear – Coumaric Chain."

A blue creature with several snake-like appendages on both arms materialized, alongside a chain-like weapon with a spider head mounted on the blades of the weapon.

"Surfer, Break his shield!" Peyton tapped his creature and Surfer rode in and tackled a shield to bits.

"Jenny, Break his shield!"

Following that Jenny also sliced a shield with her saw. The shards shot past Justin and materialized into his hand. Neither one triggers, much to his dismay.

"I end my turn." Peyton said. "Better come up with a counter because by the looks of things you aren't going to be leaving this alive."

Justin ignored Peyton's taunting and drew. He set mana and tapped. "I summon Flaming Jet Dragon!"

Peyton hesitated, watching the crimson, rifle-armed dragon materialize.

"How this for a lackey?" Justin snapped. "Thrilling Three!" His hand swiped over the top three cards of his deck and he revealed them. "Death Romanov the 5th, Cocco Lupia and Dark Soul Creation. Good thing I only needed one dragon for this." He said, setting the cards under his deck. Seeing the shock on Peyton's face made him feel good, especially since his partner Romanov the 5th was the card that granted Jet the additional shield.

"Double Break!"

Flaming Jet Dragon acknowledged the command and aimed his sights on the remaining two shields, and took both out in one shot.

Peyton shielded himself and retrieved the cards in his hand. He was surprised by the shield trigger, but hesitated, as it wouldn't do him good.

The one time Spiral Gate was a bad idea.

"I end my turn." Justin told him. "One more turn and soon I will have June by my side."

Peyton, feeling anger from his words drew his card and set another into mana. "After what you did to her, what makes you think she'll come back to you? Why would she abandon her family for a low life who resorted to kidnapping her, huh?"

"It won't matter! They promised me—!"

"They're lying to you!" Peyton slammed his hand on the platform. "Ryuusei's lying to you like he did to us! Hopefully, for June's sake you'll wake up and get out of this mess before Ryuusei finds he can't manipulate you any more than he has."

"You know, you're beginning to grate on my ears." Justin said.

"You just don't like hearing the truth." Peyton said. "I summon Maxval, Electric Shadow, and Cross Wicked Gear onto Aqua Surfer!"

Maxval appeared with the group and Surfer held its arm out, allowing the Gear to equip swung it about and pulled the chain.

"When Aqua Surfer attacks, Coumaric Chain grants my creatures +2000 power and takes -1000 from your creatures."

Justin was taken aback. This meant that even if he hit a Hell Scrapper, it wouldn't be enough to wipe his field.

"Surfer, attack Jet Dragon!"

Surfer and Jet Dragon soared in the air, and with the boost in power, Surfer proved to be a match for the dragon. Surfer threw the chain and Jet fired back, both striking each other directly and exploding in the sky.

"Gorgon, Break his shield!, Jenny, Break his shield!"

The two creatures followed Surfer's lead and reduced Justin's shields to one.

But Justin refused to give up. "Shield Trigger: Terror Pit on Gorgonshack!"

Peyton watched helpless as the shield shards morphed into a crowd of dark hands that overtook the creature.

"It's not that I hate hearing the truth…" Justin said solemnly, drawing his card and setting mana. "I just can't get over the fact that I let myself drift this far into the darkness…"

Peyton didn't expect that.

"June is the only family I have in this world… my adoptive parents…? That's a joke. Nothing but low-life NOVA agents ordered to recruit children who showed potential to tame Supernovas. A lot of kids from the orphanage we grew up in were forced to try to tame them. Kelly, Danny, and I were the only three who managed to survive the torture they put us through. Kengo Watanabe and Yuki Suzuki… Those two monsters stripped me away from June and sent me to Hell and back!" Justin practically screamed.

Peyton stood quiet, speechless. Justin looked up at him and Peyton could sense the anger in him.

"Necrodragon Dolbolzark, come forth…"

The red Zombie Dragon arose from behind Justin and a card shot from the deck and into his hand.

"Because of them, I lost out on almost ten years with her. I was forced to tame this instead…" He revealed Saturn as the creature retrieved. "I will never get those years back and just having it is a painful reminder of what I was stripped of."

"I'm… I'm sorry." Peyton finally spoke.

"Nothing personal," Justin said. "But if I kill you, just know that its out of the anger I have pent up."

"You know she used to talk about you." Peyton ignored his comment. "She waited for your letters, but they never showed up. She honestly thought you forgot about her, but when she saw you that day she couldn't stop grinning."

Justin felt his throat close. Peyton's words were piercing him, but the Darkness Duelist continued. "Your words are sincere, I'll give you that. And to be honest, I want to help you two reunite with one another."

Justin felt tears growing in his eyes and his stomach twisting in knots. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was it true?

"But, unless you turn away from NOVA, my siblings and I will die before we even allow you anywhere near her."

And Justin's fantasy shattered. "You know that's not easy."

"Then you better get to working on it. If June really is that worth it then you shouldn't hesitate. When she nearly died, we didn't hesitate to put her first over our allegiance to Ryuusei. If we can do it, then someone who claims that she's his everything, should be more than willing to lay his life for her. If you can't do that, then I will make sure you rot in your grave, regretting your decision."

Justin clenched his free hand and locked his eyes on Peyton, who drew his card and set his mana.

"Arise, Dark Master of the Underworld! Grave Evolution: Maxval, Evolve into Hades, Emperor of Death!"

The ground under them shook, with a blue and purple energy orb materializing before them. an Evo crystal also materialized and fused with the orb, and like an egg, the orb broke apart and revealed the content inside. The creature was a white-faced humanoid with crimson eyes, with a monstrous chest piece and red scythe-like arms and an endless amount of spider-like appendages that resembled spikes over its lower half.

"Hades, Double Break!"

"Dolbolzark, Block!" Justin quickly ordered the dragon to shield himself and it took the full brunt of Hades' darkness blast. Amongst the smoke, Jenny giggled as it sliced Justin's last shield in two.

"I end my turn." Peyton said.

Justin grunted, looking at his hand. "It's not fair…" he drew his card and set mana. "I summon Necrodragon Babelginus."

A white, multi-armed creature with half of its arms being dragon heads materialized behind him.

"I use its ability to destroy it, and bring back one non-evolution creature from my graveyard. I re-summon Flaming Jet Dragon."

Babelginus exploded behind Justin and in the flames, leapt out the resurrected Flaming Jet."

"Thrilling Three!" Justin revealed the remaining cards of his deck: Terror Pit, Galzark, Metal Zangilas."

"That's two dragons. Which means that Jet breaks three shields…" Justin dipped his head and smiled. "Break his shields…"

"Maxval blocks." Peyton said, uneasy about how Justin was acting. If he didn't know better, he would think that Justin snapped under the pressure.

"Oh well I tried…" Justin shrugged without looking up. "Go on, Grim Reaper, I'm ready."

That did it. Peyton couldn't go through with finishing it off.

"What's the matter?" Justin looked up. "Kill me…"

"You're insane! June's heart is torn enough, I'm not adding on to that!"

"Being dead is better than living like this!" Justin cried. "I can't take it anymore…" he dropped to his knees and clutched his head. "I just can't deal with it…"

Peyton collected his cards, his creatures disappearing as a result. He ran over to Justin and got him on his feet. "Come on, I got you." He shuffled through his deck and brought out Sanji and hoisted him on its back. We'll get you back to HQ, and you'll see her soon. I promise you. This will be the last time—!"

Sanji skidded back, narrowly dodging the dark tentacle that pierced the rooftop. The creature retaliated by expelling a dark mist from its jaw. Unfortunately all it did was shroud itself from the tentacle that came under it, striking it from below and expelling it from the area.

Peyton and Justin landed on the roof and Peyton rolled over to look up at what attacked them. to his shock, hovered a black armored creature with spiked appendages shooting back into place, resembling spikes on the armor itself. The creature radiated with the dark energy as it slowly flapped its dark, glowing wings that held it in place.

The creature released one of its spiked, shooting out and grabbing Justin's motionless body. Peyton reached out, but the strain from the duel held him down. From above, two people walked over to him through the doorway Karon used before and looked down. Peyton looked up and saw Kelly, amused at his state, and her companion.

"So… that's what Justin was talking about… You gave into the darkness…" He said heavily.

"Quite the contrary..." Jake said, having piercing red eyes and his voice mixing in with ARC's. "We reached a mutual agreement."

"If I were you I wouldn't be lying about." Kelly pointed out. "Your friend down there might not make it if you continue to be lazy."

Peyton's eyes widened and forced himself up and saw to his horror, Karon on the ground, with paramedics hoisting his blood-soaked body into the ambulance.

"He was your teammate! How could you do that?!" Peyton snapped.

"He was weak." Jake said. "I don't tolerate weakness. Had it not have been for Ryuusei's plans I would dispose of this boy as well. But lucky for him, this pawn still has some usage after all."

"You son of a—!" Peyton went to punch him, but Jake raised his hand and snapped his fingers, sending lightning via Spell Shot to cut him off.

"We shall meet again soon, Pluto." Kelly told him. "For now, take these for all your trouble." She threw the cards and he caught it in his fingers.

"Tsunami and Grand Cross… Catastrophe?"

"You'll need them if you hope to get your friends out of the Kaijin no Sekai in one peace."

"What do you mean?"

"You are searching for them are you not? Well that's where you'll find them."

"You witch…"

Kelly smirked and blew a kiss. "Ta-ta for now, Grim Reaper. Arcadios!"

The creature responded flapping its dark wings, and blowing Peyton off the building, sending him hurdling down below. With quick thinking, he summoned an Aqua Surfer who swooped in and grabbed him from an impending death. While riding to safety with the creature, he had to think of what to tell his team when he returned to base.