Hello once again, Ladies and Gentlemen! I told you that you wouldn't have to wait very long!

Now move over everyone because Number 43 is taking total control of the duel, and man oh man is he going show just how much he loves playing with his food before swallowing it whole!

Will Yuma fall for his cunning Manipulations as easily as Shark did? Let us find out!

Zexal is not mine, but if it was, then the Tron Siblings would have figured out a lot sooner that their estranged and deformed father was using them as tribute fodder.

Enjoy!


Chapter 29: Struggle of the Sons

Current Status of Duel

Yuma: 2200 Lifepoints

Kaito: 2500 Lifepoints

III: 1600 Lifepoints

V: 2000 Lifepoints

Yuma's Field:

Gauntlet Launcher: Rank 6/EARTH/Warrior/2400 atk/2800 def

One card face down in the Spell/Trap Zone

Kaito's Field:

Starliege Paladynamo: Rank 4/LIGHT/Warrior/2000 atk/1000 def

One card face down in the Spell/Zone

III's Field:

Number 43 Manipulator of Souls: Rank 2/DARK/Fiend/0 atk/0 def

V's Field:

Number 9 Dyson Sphere: Rank 9/LIGHT/Machine/3500 atk (Originally 2800)/3000 def (Equipped with Gravity Ring)

III's Turn

The Manipulator breathed in the smell of fear in the air. It was such an intoxicating aroma, one that he coveted and one that he prided himself on creating. He chuckled to himself. These poor humans had no idea who he was or where he came from. All they new was that he was a Number, but they would soon come to learn that he was so much more than that.

"Ah, the desperation of young humans such as this one." He mused, referring to III. "How easily their emotions can be manipulated to my advantage, and now that I am finally here, I shall be taking total control of this duel! You are all my puppets now!"

"What do you mean by that?!" barked Kaito. "You're just a Number, another Number that I need to hunt down and add to my collection! You have no power over me!"

The Manipulator's eyes darted to the Photon Duelist, and the bold words of Kaito sent him into a fit of roaring laughter.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Oh Kaito! If you knew what I really was, the first thing you would do would be to run away from me and protect that pathetic little brother of yours! I am no ordinary Number, my friend! In fact, you are but an insect attempting to fight against a tidal wave! You and your foolish father stumbled onto power of the Numbers the same way an idiot trips over a rock! You think this Photon Hand of yours gives you power over my kind? HA! It merely gives you a sense of false hope! Haruto is going to die whether you collect all 100 Numbers or not! You cannot save him, Kaito, and your little Number Hunting crusade is only your way of denying that there is no hope for him! You are going to lose him forever!"

That shut Kaito up. How did the Manipulator know about Haruto? If he did, then who told him? How did he find out?

"What is that? No response?" The Manipulator taunted. "It is just as I thought. You are all talk. Underneath that glowing white trench coat is a frightened and pathetic little boy who hides behind a dragon to pretend he is strong!"

"Hey! Leave Kaito alone!" Yuma yelled at him, although the yell contained no fiery spirit at all. His fire had been stomped out by his fear.

"Ah yes! Yuma Tsukumo!" The Manipulator turned back towards his intended target. "So nice to finally meet the champion of the Astral World with my own eyes. I have a message for you, boy, an offer if you would understand, and you had better listen to it if you know what is good for you!"

Yuma was not nearly as bold as Kaito about confronting the Manipulator. In fact, he was downright terrified. There was only one other Number who bore such similarities to this creature, and that was Number 96. As if he thought this day couldn't get any worse. Now there were two evil talking Numbers running around, and who knew what this one's plans were.

"Yuma..." Astral warned his friend as he trembled at the sight of the Number. "That darkness... The darkness within that Number... The hatred, the malice, not even Number 96 had this much darkness within him!"

"What?!" Yuma let out a shocked whisper as he took in his friend's words. "Are you serious? What do we do?!"

"There is only one thing we can do, Yuma. We have to win this duel. We have to defeat that Number."

"I heard that, Astral." hissed the Number as he floated dangerously close to the young duelist and his ghostly ally. "But why continue this duel? Why try to defeat me when I only wish to talk? There is no need for us to fight, especially when we could do so much more together!"

"Why should I help you?" Yuma asked, his voice angry and distrusting. "With a name like "Manipulator", you don't exactly seem like the trustworthy type".

"Heh Heh, Smart Boy." chuckled the Manipulator. "I am the bargaining type, however, and I understand your plight more than anyone. All your friends have either been eliminated or revealed themselves to be traitors, and even the woman you love so dear has been twisted and corrupted into such a vile demoness of a creature. You are all alone, Yuma Tsukumo, and even you know that you need help to stop the Barian Menace, my help to be exact. I am one of the most powerful Numbers of them all, and with my power at your disposal, the Barian World will fall, and the two of you shall be free to claim all 100 Numbers for yourselves, including Number 96, the one responsible for Kotori's corruption!"

"OH NO!" Yuma protested. "Not this again! Number 96 tried to make the same kind of offer to me, and I am going to give you the same answer I gave him. NO! WAY! IN! HELL!"

Number 43 was unhindered. He continued his attempt at manipulation, this time on a more personal level.

"And why would you continue to refuse such power? Kotori didn't refuse, and look what she has become now!"

The comment worked like a charm. Anger sparked within Yuma's heart.

"You leave her out of this!" Yuma hissed.

"Why? Is it because you still believe that Number 96 brainwashed her? Let me inform you of some news my friend! Number 96 didn't need to brainwash her in order to transform her into the deliciously beautiful creature she is now! I was there when she took that leap of faith! She wanted the power! She wanted to embrace the power of Number 96! She wanted to BE NUMBER 96!"

Yuma couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Number was just saying this to get to him, right? Kotori would never do that! Would she?

"You... You're LYING!"

"Am I, Yuma? Am I lying?" The Manipulator continued his sadistic machinations. "Perhaps I need to be more specific on what she said."

Number 43 coughed a few times in order to clear his throat, and then Yuma was horrified to hear the Number's next words spoken in a disturbingly perfect imitation of Kotori's voice!

"Oh, Master! Yes! MORE! I want more of your power, Master! Teach me to be like you! Teach me to be DARK! Teach me to be CRUEL!"

Hearing Kotori's voice come out of that demon's mouth made Yuma shudder. The memories of that horrific day played back in his mind, and he remembered watching Kotori's sweet and beautiful face morph into a cruel sneer as she tore through Gilag with Number 96 while laughing like a madwoman. He could feel his arms and legs shaking from it.

"SHUT UP! STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" Yuma yelled, unable to take it any longer.

Seeing Yuma in so much psychological pain sent a wave of pleasure through the Manipulator's phantom body. He continued his taunting even further, driving the nails of manipulation further into his prey.

"Oh no, Yuma! I won't stop! I won't stop until you understand how much hatred that makes you feel! Doesn't it, Yuma?! Don't you HATE Number 96 for what he did to her?!"

V had enough of this Number. Ever since that Number was summoned to the field, he knew something was wrong, and this all but confirmed it. Whatever power was in that Number that his father had given his little brother, it was now out of control. This was not part of the plan at all, and he needed to intervene before the situation got any worse.

"Whoever you are, Number! I command you to be silent! I will not have you torment them any longer!" The eldest Tron sibling yelled.

V immediately regretted making such a protest, for the moment those words left his mouth, the Manipulator had traveled over to him with lightning fast speed and had one of his claws wrapped tightly around his throat.

"LET ME DO MY JOB, HUMAN!" The Manipulator roared. "Your father slipped me into your brother's deck for a reason, so I suggest you allow me to talk to these individuals if you want to win this duel and claim their Numbers, and if you so much as interrupt me again, I swear I will take your brother's soul straight down to HELL!"

V couldn't even speak since the demonic Number Monster had such a tight squeeze on his neck. His words only came out in wheezing gasps as his face started to change color from lack of air.

"Nod twice if you understand me." The Number growled, to which V did so, resulting in the Manipulator finally letting go. "That's better, now where was I?"

Kaito could only stare at the situation in shock. He had never seen a Number Monster behave in such a way. If someone had the power to control the Numbers then the summoned Number Monster was supposed to obey the command of the duelist, but here, this Number monster was violently threatening its holders and acting on its own agenda. Just what was this creature? Clearly this Number was alot more dangerous than Kaito had anticipated.

"My apologies for that violent outburst. A good puppet master has to keep his pawns in line. As I was saying, I believe I have figured out the problem with you, Yuma Tsukumo". The Manipulator began again. "I think I know the reason why you will never be able to win this war, why you will never be able to defeat Number 96 and free Kotori Mizuki from his clutches. You do not know how to hate! You cling onto these foolish ideals, this "Kattobingu" philosophy that you repeat to yourself every day, thinking that if you just have enough faith in yourself, you can accomplish the impossible. Do you know how many people have wandered into an early grave for believing such foolishness?! Your own mother and father followed such a code of conduct, and where are they right now? Are they alive to cheer you on and raise you like loving parents should? NO! They are dead, and they are never coming back, and it is all because of their foolishness represented by that key around your neck, and now look! A third person you love so dearly, Kotori Mizuki, is to be lost forever to the darkness of Number 96 BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR FOOLISHNESS!"

Yuma gripped they key in this hand as the memories of his childhood returned to his mind. He remembered that horrible day, the day when his older sister and his grandmother told him of the terrible news, the day where a hole was torn open in his heart from knowing that his parents were gone forever.

A single tear dripped down Yuma's face. "Mom... Dad..."

"I can feel the pain in your heart, Yuma!" Number 43 whispered. "But I can also make it go away! You must understand that your ideals only hold you back from your true potential! Only through learning how to hate can you truly accomplish your goals! Only by mastering your hatred can you overpower all who stand in your way! That key is the symbol of the shackles that your ideals use to bind you! Hand it over to me, and together we can overpower Number 96! We can overpower the Barians! We can be INVINCIBLE!"

"My... My Key...?" Yuma stared at the pendant for what seemed like hours. In a vile and twisted way, Number 43 had some truth in his words. All his life he had tried to reach as high as he possibly could only to realize too late that he was in over his head. This could not have been more true during his first duel with Kaito. He had allowed his recent success in obtaining Numbers and believing in his Kattobingu to get to his head. He got cocky, and it almost cost him everything. It was only by pure luck that Kaito stopped the duel and didn't take Yuma's soul that day. Could the Manipulator be right? Could his Kattobingu really be holding him back?

"Cast aside that key!" The Manipulator commanded It represents all your ideals, all your hopes, all your foolish naivete! You must understand that this is a cruel world that eats idealists alive, leaving nothing but empty shells of despair! Only true hatred can allow you to accomplish your goals! Only by casting aside your ideals can you truly embrace the power you need to defeat Number 96 and save the woman you love!"

The Manipulator extended the open palm of his middle arm in an offering, expecting Yuma to place the source of Astral's power into his hands like the naive fool he believed him to be.

"That's it, Yuma. Listen to my words. Hand over the key! Hand over the only thing that will protect you from me, and then I can feast upon your delicious soul and take Astral's power for myself! No one will stand in my way after that! Not even Number 96!"

It was then that Astral saw it, the flicker of dishonesty in the Manipulator's eyes. This Number had been giving him a bad feeling from the beginning, and this speech all but confirmed it. He remembered what happened the last time Yuma lost the Emperor's Key. Number 96 escaped and almost killed them both! If it had not been for Kotori, they would have most certainly died. If this Number had any intentions similar to Number 96, which given its behavior it most certainly did, then handing over that key would mean the death of them both.

"Yuma listen to me!" Astral called out to his friend. "Don't you think even for a second that your ideals are a weakness! They are your greatest strength of all, and hatred will only poison it! Had it not been for your spirit, you would never have had the will to continue or even try in the first place! Had it not been for your Kattobingu, I would not have seen how powerful of a duelist you truly are! I would not have understood how much of a dear friend you are to me! Kattobingu is who you are, Yuma. It is what makes you more powerful than this Number before us!"

"I am afraid that is not up to you to decide, Astral." Number 43 interrupted. "Besides, what advice can you offer a human when you understand so little of humanity yourself? You do not understand how black the hearts of every man, woman, and child on this planet truly are! Every single human has the potential for true hatred, and only by unleashing its potential can true power be achieved. Do you understand now, Yuma? Do you understand how to hate?"

The Manipulator reached out his hand just a hair closer to grab the key, but then, to his absolute rage and surprise, Yuma pulled the key away from him.

"I understand hatred." Yuma explained to him. "It's only natural that I hate what happened to Kotori, but I'm not going to let it destroy who I am! I'm not going to let it use me! I won't let YOU use me, and that's why I am not giving you this key! Your words are poison, Number 43, and I'm not listening to them!"

This was impossible. This could not be happening before the Dark Number's eyes. No one in the history of his time on earth had rejected his offers. Even the most stubborn, willpower filled humans eventually fell to his cunning manipulations, so why now? Why him? Out of all the people that he attempted to manipulate, Yuma Tsukumo was the one who not only resisted and denied every offer he made, but flat out rejected him?! It was just too infuriating for the Number to handle!

"INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!" Number 43 roared. "I GIVE YOU THE OPPURTUNITY FOR THE POWER TO SAVE KOTORI AND YOU SPIT IN MY FACE?!"

"And I'll spit in your face again if it means you'll stop talking!" Yuma barked defiantly at the enraged Number Monster.

"No matter, Yuma. I have other ways to teach you how to hate." The Manipulator's voice returned to its normal oily rasp, which put everyone on edge.

"After all, Kotori is not the only one you care about. There are so many other fragile and vulnerable humans whose lives you value so much. Perhaps I should pay your older sister, Akari a visit, or perhaps your poor old Grandmother! I wonder how loud they will scream when I devour their souls?!"

"YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THEM!" Yuma snapped.

"That is entirely up to you, Yuma Tsukumo! You refused my bargain, so now I am forced to make threats, and I promise you that my threats are never idle!"

"You won't get the chance to do that when I defeat you in this duel!" Yuma argued back.

"That is something you cannot do, and I shall show you why! It is still my turn after all!"

"No, it's III's turn!" Kaito yelled. "You're just a monster on the field!"

"I told you I would take total control of this duel, Gentlemen, and I meant it in more ways than one! Observe!"

Number 43 suddenly rocketed into the air and positioned himself just above III. He extended his three hands, and glowing red puppet strings descended from his claws and attached themselves to III's body, turning the youngest Tron sibling into a literal puppet. Manipulator moved one of his fingers, and III's arm raised up in preparation to play his next card. The poor boy didn't seem to even know what was going on. It was as if the Manipulator's influence had all but lobotomized him.

V had never felt more helpless in his life. In his blind loyalty to Tron and his determination to carry out his will, he had failed to protect his younger brother. How could his father do this to his youngest son? He had to have known. Tron had to have known about the dark power this Number Monster possessed, and yet he gave it to III anyway, completely uncaring whether something like this would happen to him or not.

The truth that V had been denying for so long was now coming to the surface. Byron Archlight was gone. Byron Archlight would never do this to his own children. Tron was not the reincarnation of his father who wanted a justified revenge. Tron was a monster who would send his own children to their deaths. How could he have not seen it until now?

The Manipulator chucked as he tested the movements of his puppet.

"Now that feels a lot better! Now little Michael is more adjusted to his role as my puppet, and I can make things a bit more comfortable for me! I shall activate my special ability, which allows me to target a Number Monster in the graveyard, and it becomes equipped to me as an equip card. As long as that monster is equipped to me, I cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects! Return from the Grave, Number 36! Come and serve your true purpose!"

Number 43 dug his claws into the ground and pulled out a small, miniature version of Number 36, which connected itself to The Manipulator's red puppet strings.

"Next I shall put III's second Xyz Monster to good use! I activate the spell card, Chronomaly Recovery! By banishing Number 33 from III's graveyard, I can gain lifepoints equal to its attack points, and then since I only have one card left in my hand, I get to draw two cards from my deck! Come Number 33! HEAL ME AND GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

III: 1600 + 1200 = 2800

"And here is where the excitement truly begins! Since my lifepoints increased, it triggers my second special ability! Now Yuma Tsukumo, you will take damage equal to the amount of lifepoints I gained, and then that damage is added to my attack points! EVIL INFERNO!"

Number 43 formed an enormous ball of black flames in his hands and fired it at Yuma, who was engulfed in the blast and blown backwards, crying out in pain as he fell.

Yuma: 2200 - 1200 = 1000

Manipulator: 0 + 1200 = 1200 ATK

"Yuma!" Astral cried out in concern.

"I warned you what would happen if you defied me." growled the Manipulator. "Now you and your friend will suffer at my hands! That was but a taste of my power, and there is more on the way! I set two cards face down and end my turn."

Kaito knew this turn had to count. This Number would spell the death of them both if he did not act now. Luckily, despite all its power, Number 43 was still a Number, and it would soon learn what would happen when one crosses the master of the destroyer of Numbers.

"My turn then! Draw!" Kaito announced his turn. "I activate the spell card, Light of Redemption! By paying 800 lifepoints, I can bring a light attribute monster that was banished and bring it back to my hand, and the monster I choose is my Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon!"

Kaito: 2500 - 800 = 1700

"Next I summon Alexandrite Dragon in attack mode!"

A large bipedal dragon whose body was covered in bright multicolored gem stones appeared next to Starliege Paladynamo.

Alexandrite Dragon: Level 4/LIGHT/Dragon/2000 atk/0 def

"And now you will fall, Number! I sacrifice Starliege Paladynamo and Photon Crusher in order to special summon GALAXY EYES PHOTON DRAGON!"

The dragon and the star warrior transformed into particles of light, using their power to pave the way for the summoning of Kaito's ace, the powerful glowing blue dragon that crushed all Number Monster's in its path. The dragon gave a monstrous roar at the Manipulator, unleashing her anger and raw strength.

"Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon..." The Manipulator breathed out in a state of false awe. "We meet at last..."

Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon: Level 8/LIGHT/Dragon/3000 atk/2500 def

"So much for your power, Number 43! You can't stand against my dragon! Galaxy Eyes, attack Number 43 with PHOTON STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!"

"Weren't you listening when I explained my effects?" Asked the Dark Number in a mocking tone. "I cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects."

"But you can be banished!" retorted Kaito. "With the effect of Galaxy Eyes, I can banish both herself, and you, and when you get banished, you will lose all your overlay units, the Number that is equipped to you, and all your power! You'll be as vulnerable as a sitting duck!"

"YES! GREAT WORK KAITO!" Yuma cheered.

"I would not celebrate just yet!" Roared the Number. "I counter with my trap card, Curse of the Dark Soul! Since your dragon decided to attack my monster, the effects of your Photon Dragon are negated, and then I gain attack power equal to your dragon's attack power, giving me more than enough strength to slay that pathetic beast of yours! FEEL THE PAIN OF MY DRAINING FEAST!"

Manipulator: 1200 + 3000 = 4200 ATK

Kaito could only watch in a state of complete helplessness as the attack backfired. The dragon opened her mouth to charge her attack, but the Manipulator rushed over to her like a black blur and forced her jaw shut with his two claws, and with the third claw, he formed a tight iron grip around the dragon's throat and started to squeeze. The three claws glowed a bright red, and they pulled back, taking the dragon's soul with it and absorbing it into the crack in the manipulator's mask. The dragon let out a disturbingly painful wail of a roar as her body was reduced to a withered skeletal husk before dissolving into ashes.

Kaito: 1700 - 1200 = 500

"Ha! Your dragon is no more!"

Yuma and Astral were both completely baffled by the turn of events. The Number Monster had actually managed to not just defeat, but utterly crush Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon. If not even Kaito's dragon could defeat Number 43, then what good could they do? They had absolutely nothing in their hand to defend against the brutal assault of the Manipulator, and they knew that their next turn would be their last if they didn't do something. With a powerful effect like that, they would certainly lose if the Manipulator ever increased his lifepoints again.

"I... I end my turn... Damn it..." Kaito muttered in a state of defeat.

V drew his card, but over the course of the past two turns, his priorities had changed. Now there was only one thing on his mind, rescuing his little brother from the clutches of this Number Monster. To hell with Tron. Tron betrayed him the moment he gave such a dangerous Number to his little brother, and there was no doubt in his mind that once Yuma and Kaito were defeated, Number 43 would most likely kill them both anyway, or worse. He had to act now, and he had a plan to do it. He may not win the duel, but he would gain a much more important victory by destroying this vile Number Monster once and for all.

"I activate Creature Swap! Now I can take control of one monster my opponent controls as long as I give them one of mine. Yuma! I am taking your Gauntlet Launcher, and in return, I am giving you Number 9: Dyson Sphere!"

The two monsters obeyed the rules of the spell card. Gauntlet Launcher walked over to V's side of the field, while the enormous, planet sized Number Monster floated in the air over to Yuma's side of the field.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" The Manipulator roared. "Why would you give him your Number Monster?"

"Yeah, I was actually wondering the same thing!" added Yuma.

"I gave it to him so that I could stop you, Number!" V snapped. "You have one chance. Surrender the duel and release my brother, or be destroyed."

The Manipulator wasn't sure where V was even going with such a futile threat. What good would giving a Number to Yuma do? Unless...

It finally began to add up in the minds of both Yuma and Number 43. Dyson Sphere's effect would allow it to go past Number 43 and attack directly since Number 43 was the strongest monster on the field. If that attack was successful, then everything would be ruined. The Manipulator would lose the duel and he would be back to ground zero.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Thundered the Manipulator. "YOUR BROTHER WILL SUFFER FOR THIS AND THEN I SHALL TEAR YOUR SOUL APART!" The Manipulator flew over to V and suddenly began strangling the eldest Tron Sibling. V struggled in the monster's iron grip, gasping for air as his face changed color, but to no avail.

"I... end... my... turn..." V gasped with the last of his breath. "Yuma... Hurry..."

Yuma wasted no time at all. He drew his card and called his attack immediately.

"Time to cut this Puppet Master down to size! NUMBER 9: DYSON SPHERE! ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY WITH SUPERNOVA STORM!"

The Giant Eye on the Machine expanded with mechanical anger at the sight of its master being strangled by the Manipulator. Striking with the full force of ten atomic bombs, the gigantic machine fired its crimson laser directly at the Manipultor.

Number 43's attempt at draining V of his soul was seconds away from being complete, but then he felt an intense heat growing closer and closer to him. He turned around and saw it, the full force of the sun itself rocketing towards him and carrying his doom with it.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The Manipulator cried out as the attack struck him directly in the chest, sending him flying backwards from the battlefield, where he soared for what seemed like miles until he crashed into a building, ending his influence over Michael Archlight.

III: 2800 - 2800 = 0 (LOSE)

The Puppet Strings on III disappeared and the symbol of Number 43 on III's hand shattered into pieces. Life and color returned to the youngest Tron Sibling's eyes once more.

"I... What... Happened? V... is that you?"

III fell over due to fatigue and V caught his brother in his arms.

"It's Chris, Michael. Chris Archlight."

III's lips curled into a weak smile. "Chris... I have wanted to hear that name again for so long... I just wanted us to be a family again... I just wanted that..."

"We will, Michael. We will. I promise." V comforted his brother.

III's exhausted eyes drifted over to his opponents. "Yuma... Kaito... Thank... You..." Succumbing to his exhaustion, III fell into a deep sleep, his eyes closing as he dreamed of happier times.

V shed a few tears of joy as he lay his brother down on the ground. "Sleep well, brother. You have earned it."

The eldest Tron sibling turned back to face his two opponents. It seemed like he was going to continue fighting, but then he did something that surprised them both. He put his hand on his duel disk.

"You have done me a great service. Thanks to you, I have my brother back, and that vile Number Monster has been defeated, so I am surrendering this duel. You have earned the right to take our Numbers. I wash my hands with them anyway."

V: FORFEIT (LOSE)

Winner: Yuma and Kaito

Yuma and Kaito both breathed huge sighs of relief as the duel concluded. V took III's duel disk off his arms and walked toward his former opponents. He handed his heart pieces as well as his brother's to Yuma and Kaito and then he reached into his extra deck and pulled out

"As a reward for your assistance in defeating Number 43, I hereby gift you with the Numbers we have collected. Kaito, you may take Number 9: Dyson Sphere, and Yuma, I give you III's Numbers, Number 36: Chronomaly Fork Hoyuk, Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech, and Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis. Use them well in your crusade to defeat the Barians."

V looked through III's extra deck, but then he came to a horrifying discovery.

Yuma noticed the shock in V's eyes. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"The card of Number 43: Manipulator of Souls..." V responded. "It is not in III's extra deck anymore. It has vanished."

Astral's eyes widened in shock. "Then that means we have not seen the last of Number 43."

Yuma nodded back to his floating friend. "If he shows up again, he'll get the same beating he received today."

V bowed in a respectful apology. "I am truly sorry for all the trouble my family has caused the two of you. I hope you will forgive us."

"Of course we forgive you, V, er... Chris!" said Yuma.

"What he said." added Kaito. "If there is anyone to blame for this, it's Tron. He has to be taken down no matter what."

V's eyes darkened. "And taken down he shall. I cannot let what he did to Michael go unpunished."

He reached down and carried his comatose brother in his arms. "I intend to wash away the sins of my family tonight. If I fail, then I leave it in your hands to stop Tron. Good Luck on both of your quests, Yuma and Kaito."

V used the power of his crest to teleport away, leaving Yuma and Kaito behind.

Yuma turned to Kaito. "So... what do we do now?"

Kaito stared back at Yuma. "Now we head to Heartland Tower. With the heart pieces that V gave us, both of us now have enough to enter the World Duel Carnival Finals."

Yuma would have jumped for joy to celebrate his entry into the finals, but there were more pressing matters at hand, like whether Kaito was friend now, or still a foe.

"Listen, Kaito..." Yuma began... "About your brother..."

"Save it Yuma!" Kaito cut him off. "It's none of your business."

"But it is since you need the Numbers to save him!" Yuma argued. "Look, I know you don't seem like the type who accepts help from others, but I am not collecting the Numbers for myself. I want to use them to help someone I care about just like you want to use them to help your brother! I know we have been enemies in the past, but whether you like it or not, I PROMISE YOU! I will use the Numbers to help your brother. He will get better! I mean it!"

Kaito was taken by surprise in the sincerity of Yuma's words. It confused him infinitely as to why someone would try to help him even after he tried to take his soul when they first met. Part of him wanted to spit in Yuma's face, but then again, he did appear to mean every word of what he said.

"Yuma..." He sighed in defeat and swallowed his pride. "Thank you... I appreciate it, but you do realize that I have Numbers too, and you know what has to happen eventually."

Yuma nodded back to him. "I know. We are going to have to have a rematch, and this time, it will be an even better duel than before! You won't get the better of me this time!"

Kaito smirked as Yuma's words ignited the flames of a new rivalry, "We shall see about that, Yuma. We shall se about that."

The two duelists shook hands, and with a new sense of respect for one another, they departed for the tower, eager for the World Duel Carnival Finals to begin.

Unbeknownst to them, however, they were being watched. The Manipulator had not left the area yet, and he stared back at the departing duelists with hatred burning in his demonic eyes.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, you pathetic humans. Your curtain will fall soon enough, and I will make sure you suffer as I feast upon your souls!"


Author Made Cards:

Chronomaly Recovery: Quick Play Spell Card

Effect: Banish one Chronomaly Monster from your Graveyard. Gain lifepoints equal to half its Atk. Then, if you have one or less cards in your hand, you can draw two cards.

Curse of the Dark Soul: Normal Trap Card

Effect: When an opponent's monster attacks a DARK Monster you control, negate the effects of the attacking monster. Then one monster you control gains Atk equal to the attacking monster's original Atk until your next end phase.


Authors Notes:

And So Number 43 has been defeated! FOR NOW...

He will be back right around the finals, where he will watch to see if his plan to make Shark kill Durbe comes into fruition!

Will he succeed? Wait and see ladies and gentlemen... Wait and see...

Anyways, the World Duel Carnival Finals officially begin next chapter, and that is when the fun really begins!

So what did you think of the chapter? Did you like it? Did you not like it? Whatever your opinion is, leave a review and let me know!

Until Next Time! This is Nox Descious signing out!