Author's note: A reminder that bold cards are not actual Yugioh cards.
Chapter 13: Lost
The young Ryuunosuke soon fell defeated, after which Devack regained consciousness. The former quickly caught on fire soon afterward, but Hamon remained and blew out the flames with a few gusts created by his wings. The hood had burned away, revealing a light-skinned face with untidy crimson hair. Yuina walked up to him and picked him up, but not before pick pocketing the FIRE card he held. The platform started descending again, and she took her place on her Duel Runner (which was also on the platform), along with Devack, to whom she had given the child.
Just as the platform reached the ground level of Satellite, Yuina sped off, heading back to the hideout of her friends. As she arrived, she was told that, somehow, the Ember Brotherhood was dissolving. She told them that she had to leave, but before she did, she requested them to look after Ryuunosuke. His eyes opened then, and he asked where he was.
"That depends," was her answer. "What was the last thing you remember?"
"I don't know," he told them, confused. "I seem to have grown a lot, I remember being much smaller. I was just looking at a fire in a present Papa got me, but once I did, it exploded and engulfed me in flames. I dreamed after that that I was a servant of the Gods, but I don't remember which gods I served."
"Eight years had passed since the inferno," Devack spoke up, getting off the Runner and walking into the distance. "You were being manipulated by a false god, Ryuunosuke-sama."
"Devack-san… where is everyone? What happened to Papa and Mama?"
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Ryuunosuke-sama, but their lives were claimed in the blaze. I was outside of the mansion at the time, but you were the only survivor of the blaze, the last of your family."
"Everyone's… dead? You, the family butler, are the only one to survive? Just who else can we turn to for support now?"
"Like I was saying," Yuina continued. "You are among friends now. You guys, raise him well. Akane and Daichi, keep up the good work, and as for Hibiki and Kumiko, I hope things work out for you two lovebirds."
"Where are you going?" Daichi asked.
"As much as I'd like to, I cannot remain with you. I've got someone who needs me a lot more than you do, and I've made him worry for too long."
"In that case, bye Yui. We'll remain here if you ever want to see us again."
With that, Yuina drove off on her remodeled Raptor towards the Daedalus Bridge. The sun was setting by the time she crossed, and soon she arrived back where Toby was staying. As soon as she reached his apartment and knocked, she saw the door opening… whereupon she got slapped in the face by Toby.
"Where were you?!" he shouted.
"Satellite. Had to go there for some business," she responded, slightly surprised that his hand had left an imprint on her face.
"What business?"
"Before my removal to the Void, I had friends in a Duel Gang who helped me to stay alive in Satellite. Besides, I got my hands on the FIRE Blessing Card."
"You too? I got the LIGHT. How did you come across yours?"
"Well, my friends were being bossed around by a secret order, so I make it my mission to find out who the hell they work for, and with some help, I find and Duel their leader. He had strange monsters."
"How strange?"
"He had a FIRE Attribute on the field, and five other monsters of other Attributes equipped as Equip Spell Cards, and when he got all six Attributes out, he removed them all from the game to Special Summon something powerful."
"I've seen that twice already. The Warden could do that as well with his Black Machine cards, which focused on an EARTH monster, as could the person with the LIGHT Blessing Card. She had a LIGHT monster powered up exactly the same way. Come to think of it, though, where's Rebecca?"
"We got separated, so I don't know. She's tougher than she lets on, so don't worry."
Rebecca had, while all of this was happening, been traveling through Satellite and laying low. The Securities were still hunting her, and as she traveled through the run-down neighborhoods, she wasn't sure whether to regret or be thankful for not taking a spare change of clothes aide from her white tank top and denims, as people were looking at her and, in some cases, trying to pursue her on foot. The good thing about that was that it slowed the Securities down.
She eventually found solitude in an abandoned Subway, which was just out of sight for the Securities… or so she thought. Someone, a young child with long red hair, came running in a few minutes later, claiming that he was being followed. Not long afterwards, someone from Sector Security entered, looking for the 'thief', but upon spotting Rebecca, he challenged her instead, promising to walk away if she won. If she lost, however, she would have to turn over the child and would also be arrested because of 'her own transgressions'.
Rebecca took the first turn, using Polymerization in her hand to fuse Maiden in Love and Succubus Knight and summon Succubus Temptress (2000/1500), ending with two set cards and one set monster.
The Security summoned Assault Dog (1200/800) and attacked Succubus Temptress, whereupon the latter's ability activated: Rebecca was now required to flip a coin. The coin flip landed on tails, meaning that nothing happened and the battle resumed as normal, with her monster destroying the dog. This activated its ability, Special Summoning another Assault Dog from the Deck, albeit leaving the Security at 3200 Life Points. Finally, he used Monster Reborn to revive the first Assault Dog, and Tributed it to summon Handcuffs Dragon (1800/1800), placing a card face-down to end his turn.
"Now I'd be careful if I were you," he boasted. "If your Temptress destroys Handcuffs Dragon, she loses 1800 Attack points."
"Thanks. I'll just make it mine then," Rebecca purred as she drew. "Reveal face-down monster: Jowls of Dark Demise. Although it only has 200 Attack points and 100 Defense points, it will do just fine. When this face-down monster is flipped face-up, it can take control of one of your monsters until the End Phase of the turn the effect is activated, and I choose Handcuffs Dragon!"
As the Dragon came over to her side, she also summoned Dark Psycho Eye (400/1100) and used one face-down card, Destruct Potion, to destroy it (increasing her Life Points to 4400) and activate its effect, taking control of the Assault Dog until the End Phase. He revealed Hyper Refresh then, doubling his Life Points as he controlled no monsters, and Rebecca's combined monsters' ATK of 5200 exceeded that of his Life Points of 3200, coming to 6400. First, Rebecca attacked with the stolen Handcuffs Dragon, followed by the Assault Dog, then the Succubus Temptress, dealing 5000 damage in total and leaving him on 1400 Life Points. Her turn ended there, with Assault Dog and Handcuffs Dragon returning to the Security's side of the field.
The Security, once he drew, grinned. He played Pot of Greed to draw two cards and sent three monsters in his Hand to his Graveyard to Special Summon Montage Dragon (?/0). The Levels of the monsters were: another Level 8 Montage Dragon, another Level 5 Handcuffs Dragon and a Level 3 Guard Dog, totaling 16 Levels. Montage Dragon's effect gave it 300 ATK for each Level totaled this way, netting it 4800 ATK.
"Now, my Montage Dragon attacks your Succubus!" the Security shouted.
"Fine by me. My monster's ability activates: I must flip a coin. If it lands on heads, your monster receives a Maiden Counter and becomes mine. Well actually, either way, its mine."
"Your coin landed on tails, so my attack goes through, destroying your monster and reducing you to 1200 Life Points."
"Trap activate: Cross Heart. When I take Battle Damage, I also take my opponent's monster. So, thanks for giving me your Montage Dragon."
Rebecca's turn came, and she attacked with the stolen monster, wiping out the Security's Life Points. He departed on the spot, and she decided to have the 'bishoujo' that was being followed act as a guard while she slept, warning that if her Deck were to go missing, she would know how it happened. The bishoujo, apparently actually a young boy called Rally, agreed to the terms, saying that he'd wake her if any more people came looking.
She awoke the next day to find Rally sleeping on her. Quickly grabbing her Deck and looking through it, she saw everything still in place, and with that, she rose, waking Rally in the process. Just as he came to, Raviel, Lord of Phantasms materialized and placed its translucent blue wings over them, with the blue 'Oni' kanji appearing on Rebecca's left hand. She immediately sensed that something was off, so she wrapped the young child in her arms just as a blue wave of energy passed over them.
"What w-was that?" Rally stuttered.
"Don't mind that," Rebecca said. "That's just what protected us. I'm more intrigued as to what it protected us from."
"Protect- ah! Your hand is glowing blue!"
"Again, don't mind that. Anyway, thanks for watching over me, Rally-chan,"
Rebecca got on her stolen Duel Runner and drove off into the morning. As she got over the bridge, though, she realized that she didn't know where Toby's apartment was. She continued to drive around aimlessly, with every street looking like a mirror of the other, until she spotted Leo and his sister Luna walking into a building. It was the only chance she had of finding out where her friends were based, so she stopped by their building and leaped off the Duel Runner to race inside and catch them, oblivious to the vehicle that toppled over in her wake.
"Hey! You two!" she yelled after spotting them by an elevator.
"Huh? I recognize you, but what's your name?" Leo questioned.
"You first, bishonen,"
"Leo, and this is Luna."
"Name's Rebecca. Mind if I crash with you, I'm a little lost and I need to rest."
"I… suppose not."
"Leo, be careful about who you invite upstairs!" Luna scolded.
"Come on Luna, she said she's lost, and besides, she wasn't a bad person was she?"
"I'm not so sure about that… I can sense something off."
"Come on Luna, quit complaining. This way, Rebecca."
Keeping the lift open for her, Leo took Rebecca upwards to the penthouse suite.