For a few minutes Lucifer just stood there taking it all in. He had defeated the five signers. He had ascended to a level that no human being had ever reached before. The power of the Crimson Dragon was coursing through his veins. He could destroy the entire world if he felt like it, but he decided not to. Without this world what would he be god of? Besides, if he just went ahead and killed everyone there would be no one to duel.
"But I think I've had enough of that for one day… Hmm… With my new status I require neither sleep nor sustenance. So what should I do in the meantime?"
"You are a god now Lucifer." said the spirit of the Vilespawn Dragon "And every god needs a temple."
"Ah yes… not just a place for dwelling in, but a terrifying symbol of my power, something to remind these pathetic mortals who their lord and master is… I'll get started right away."
Crow's runner had been damaged when he lost the duel. As a result he had to walk it all the way back to the hospital.
"I'm assuming the whole Crimson Dragon turning purple and falling out of the sky thing means you have bad news." said Trudge.
"I tried."
"Well Crow there is no try, there's do and there's ****** royal, and you're ****** royal!" said Jack.
"He didn't beat me that bad."
"So that's it? We're all gonna die?" asked Tank.
"Well… the city's been quiet… What happened after Lucifer beat you?"
"He absorbed the Crimson Dragon and just rode off."
"Well let's see… If I was a mutant clone, just defeated the five signers, and absorbed the Crimson Dragon, where would I go and what would I do?"
"Wait! What's that?!"
Rally had been looking out the window. The others rushed over to see what was happening. Far off in the distance they could see what appeared to be a huge palace erupting out of the ocean on the other side of the Daedalus Bridge. The building had huge towers erupting out of its foundation that stretched so high into the sky that they couldn't see the top. The towers were circled by huge helix spirals that went from top to bottom, except for the one in the center which had huge vertical drop instead.
"Was that always there?" asked Nervin.
After a few minutes of looking at the towering building they rushed to see if there was anything about it on the news.
"We're live from the Daedalus Bridge. Moments ago a giant building just erupted out the water. Compounding this anomaly was the appearance of a giant dragon in the sky. Witnesses believed it to be the same dragon that appeared when Yusei Fudo dueled Jack Atlas at the Fortune Cup some years ago. Wait… something's happening!"
At that moment a stone bridge rose out of the water to connect the temple to the Daedalus. Lucifer emerged out of the door at the foot of the central tower dressed in his armor and floated over to the place where the news team was watching. His body was radiating with power and a purple version of the mark of the Crimson Dragon's seal was visible upon his chest plate.
"Greetings everyone… I am Lucifer, the one that you saw defeat Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, and the other legendary signers on live TV these past few nights. For those of you who don't already know this I started out as a mere clone created by the late Dr. Keith Wilmut with the DNA of the five signers and his son who perished in an unfortunate car accident. But by defeating the five signers I've become what no other human can ever achieve… I've become a god!"
"He really knows how to charm his audience, doesn't he." said Yanagi.
"Now in celebration of my ascension to godhood, I have built the magnificent temple you see behind me. As of right now it will be opened to any duelist who thinks he or she has what it takes to challenge me. I will be expecting at least one duelist to challenge me a day, if not… well, let's just say it won't be pretty. Any duelist can challenge me, and I mean anyone. I don't care if you're a three year old or a dueling monkey; all you need to challenge me is the guts to show up. Now I hope I haven't scared you from visiting, I'll be waiting at the top."
Without saying another word Lucifer rose up and disappeared into the sky.
"It won't be pretty? I'm not sure I want to know what he means by that." said Blitz.
"He's built a huge building and intends to celebrate his ascension to "godhood" by forcing people to duel him? What does he hope to gain from it?" asked Martha.
"Simple. He's insane." said Trudge.
"He's a thrill seeker." said Jack "He beat all of us, so now he wants every yahoo and his sister who thinks they can take him to try."
"Can you beat him?"
"I'm not sure Carly. He's beaten all of us already, even though we know what half the cards in his deck are; he always finds a way to surprise us."
"You have to try." said Mina "If no one else can beat him, I don't imagine it will be long before he gets bored and starts demanding a real challenge."
"Come on Yusei…" thought Akiza "We need you… I need you."
"I've failed… They were all counting on me… and I let everyone down…"
Since his defeat Yusei hadn't been able to move. He didn't remember much, all he could recollect was how badly he had been beaten. He was plagued by nightmares of his friends being crushed by Lucifer; he also saw the Crimson Dragon moaning in pain. All the while Lucifer was laughing in his face.
"I'm sorry… Rally… Jack… Luna… Leo… Crow… Akiza… I'm so sorry."
Suddenly all the painful imagines disappeared and Yusei heard a voice.
"Yusei…"
"Huh?"
"Yusei…"
"Father?... Father is that you?!"
The next moment Yusei saw his father standing above him.
"Yusei, my son… I know you've been through a lot… but I can tell this isn't just because you lost a duel… You're afraid… but not of Lucifer…"
Yusei was never afraid of Lucifer, he was only afraid for the safety of his friends and his wife.
"Your friends are fine Yusei, but I know that's not the only thing that is bothering you… Akiza wants to start a family with you, and you're afraid to become a parent. That fear is what's holding you back."
Earlier Yusei's back had felt like it was on fire, now the pain had dulled a little, but he still couldn't move a muscle. He was also groggy and could barely respond to his father.
"I… I… I was raised in an… orphanage… and grew up… on… on the… streets… What do I… know… about… families? I'll ne…. ne… never be a good… father…"
"My son, what you're feeling is very common. Many people don't know much about raising a family when the time comes. I myself wasn't sure if I was ready when your mother had you… I guess I didn't have to worry much about that."
Yusei would have laughed, but the morphine in his system left him too out of it to do so.
"But one thing I do know Yusei, a real father wouldn't be setting a good example if he just laid down and died."
"I'm not lying down and… dying… dad… I… I'm just… I'm…"
"You're afraid… Yusei I was afraid of what it would be like to be a parent too… But as you can tell… Life is just too short… you can't live in fear."
"What… about… you and the… Ener-D Reactor?"
"Yusei, you starting a family is hardly as serious as something that could blow up the city. Akiza's counting on you; she doesn't want to have anyone's babies except yours. You don't want to disappoint her, do you?"
"Akiza… no… never… but…"
"Yusei, from what your mother and I have seen, we both think you'd make a great father."
"From what you've… seen? But…"
"We may be dead as a can of spam Yusei, and you may not always be able to see us, but we're always watching… Now wake up."
"Guys! I think he's waking up!"
With his father's words hitting hard, Yusei started to find the strength to open his eyes. At first all he could see was a bright light and hear muffled voices.
"Yusei!"
"Shh! Give him some room to breathe!"
Slowly Yusei's sight came back to him. His room was full of "get well soon" cards and presents from his fans, but he was more focused on his friends and Akiza's loving eyes. He tried his best to smile.
"Hi guys."
(To be continued)
