[Angel: 4000]

Zak looked at the Life Points, perplexed. But he gave a sigh of relief when he saw what had just taken place. Angel was still standing with a smile that read 'Yeah, that's right!' and a opened trap card which Zak knew well: Draining Shield. AngelZERO's attack had been negated while Angel had regained Life Points equal to the attack of Master Hyperion. Now Angel reigned with the highest Life Point total while Zak stood there amazed. Angel had been waiting for just the right moment to use her trap. She turned to Zak and winked at him. He couldn't help but smile in relief.

Angel's duel ghost made no response except for playing Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Angel's Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. It seemed that the ghost did not want Angel to make a comeback. The turn ended there and Angel was up next. Angel drew her card and activated it promptly. It was Pot of Greed and so Angel could draw two more cards. The next card to hit the field was Chaos-End Master in attack mode. Angel then activated Monster Reborn from her hand to Special Summon Honest back from her graveyard. Angel then tuned her Honest with her Chaos-End Master with a grin on her face and Synchro Summoned Ancient Sacred Wyvern.

Due to the effect of Ancient Sacred Wyvern, it would gain Attack points equal to the difference in Life Points between Angel and her opponent; if Angel's life Points were higher. Her opponent that she was targeting was her own duel ghost: so Ancient Sacred Wyvern got a boost of 2600 Attack points, pushing it to 4700. Angel winked at her own duel ghost as she gave the word for Ancient Sacred Wyvern to destroy Master Hyperion. The beast complied and roared with a burst of white flame which burnt Master Hyperion to ashes.

[AngelZERO: 0]

Angel's duel ghost growled in rage as it faded into darkness and disappeared. Angel was relieved; that had been the second time she'd beaten herself now. Now only two duel ghosts remained. Angel knew she couldn't do anything else against them and so ended her turn. Since Shark's duel ghost had already been defeated, Zak was up next. Zak drew his card and nodded when he saw his next plan of attack. He activated the only card in his hand: Blustering Winds, and used it to raise Darkshine Dragon to 4000 Attack Points; putting it on par with KiteZERO's Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Zak directed Number Thirteen to attack Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon with all its might.

KiteZERO tried to escape the attack and used Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon's effect; attempting to banish it and Darkshine Dragon. But Zak was a step ahead and used Number Thirteen's effect: negating Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, destroying it and then gaining 500 Attack points. Since Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon had been destroyed, a replay occurred and Zak attacked KiteZERO directly with Number Thirteen. The 4500 Attack points tore through KiteZERO's Life Points and left it with nothing. The latter then faded into darkness. This time, however, it was silent compared to the other duel ghosts which would shriek or growl. Now only IV's duel ghost remained, and Zak was about to take it down too.

'Here we go!' Zak shouted in a powerful voice, 'I use Number Thirteen: Darkshine Dragon as an Overlay Unit so I can evolve it into something greater! Go: Chaos Xyz Evolution! I summon the true power of chaos from within my own soul! Behold! Chaos Number 13: Darkshine Dragon Ascension!'

The shining armoured dragon tore through the portal that had been used to summon it and gave an almighty roar to signal its appearance. Zak too, felt the power of it coursing through him. IVZERO looked on in silence.

'I use my dragon's ability! By using all Overlay Units; it can destroy all monsters on the field and deal you damage equal to their combined Attack Points!' Zak said confidently, 'So go Chaos Number Thirteen! Destroy Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder and end this madness! Eternal Sunlit Shadow!'

The clouds parted as the dragon soared through. After a crack of thunder boomed across the cold Heartland, meteors rained down upon Number 15 and destroyed it. Then, coated in a powerful silver flame, Chaos Number Thirteen flew straight into IV's duel ghost in a black and white explosion.

[IVZERO: 0]

Even though the duel was not technically over since Zak and Angel had been opponents; they both deactivated their duel disks and removed their D-Gazers after IVZERO had faded into darkness like the other four duel ghosts. Both gave a long sigh of respite; that duel was finally over. Five duels ghosts against the two with all duelists on 2000 Life Points and the rules biased against them. And they had come out on top. But there was no time for celebration because they still had a task at hand. They looked over to where the hospital was in the distance and saw that dark red clouds had formed all over the cold Heartland. The cold and the darkness were also still just as powerful and tormenting.

Zak looked at Angel and they both nodded at each other before running off toward their destination once again. They rushed out of the alley and raced toward the ever present Heartland hospital; hoping that the mysterious was there and unpossessed. Angel called out to Zak as they ran.

'Hey sweetie?' Angel asked, 'How do we know that the mysterious guy is there?'

'We don't,' Zak replied shortly, 'Let's hope he is.'

'Wonderful,' Angel replied sarcastically, 'But I still didn't get my Chaos Number.'

Zak smiled as they ran; if that duel back then hadn't prepared them for anything, then nothing would. They reached the hospital in five minutes and broke through the doors to the elevator. They caught their breath as much as possible as it took them to the roof. It had been a tough journey to get there; running for ages at top speed and fighting a small army of duel ghosts. The duo was exhausted from their small ordeal; but now they were at their destination. And they just hoped that they didn't have to fight further.

When the doors opened, Zak and Angel saw the one they had been searching for. The mysterious figure was standing on one side of the roof. But he was not alone. On the other side of the roof were two duel ghosts, and all three had their duel disks activated and were locked in a duel. Zak recognized the two duel ghosts as duel ghosts of Gauche and Droite: the two previous administrators of the World Duel Carnival. But why were the duel ghosts fighting against the mysterious figure? Unless he wasn't possessed, Zak thought. But Zak's relief was short lived when he heard the deep voice of the mysterious figure boom in his and Angel's minds.

'Number Zero's ability activates. Gauche's monster is destroyed and he takes damage equal to its attack.' The voice said powerfully.

Zak watched in horror as the giant figure of Number Zero, which was standing behind the mysterious figure, raised its giant sword and destroyed the monster that GaucheZERO had on the field. The monster had been called Heroic Champion – Excalibur and it had 4000 Attack points. How could Zak and Angel have missed it? It was just like it had been in Zak's nightmare: only real now.

[GaucheZERO: 0]

The duel ghost faded into darkness as the mysterious figure gave the order for Number Zero to attack and destroy the monster DroiteZERO had on the field; Photon Papilloperative. Another slash of the giant blade later and the small monster was annihilated.

[DroiteZERO: 0] [Winner: ?]

The elevator doors closed behind Zak and Angel as the giant skeletal warrior of Number Zero faded from the field and Droite's duel ghost faded away into nothingness. Zak and Angel walked slowly to face the mysterious figure. Then his voice sounded once again in their minds.

'Welcome, you two, to the end.'