Chapter 37: The End and the Outcome
"Arrrrrrggggghhhh!" The Security officer screamed in pain as he collapsed, surrounded by other injured officers, all lying in their own blood.
HorReaper ScareClaw cackled at the sight, it's claws painted crimson as Hotaru sighed. "If you had just told me where he was, I wouldn't have had to do that, now, would I?" He deactivated his Duel Disk, making Scareclaw vanish, before turning on his heel and walking away.
"Everybody in this dimension is so pathetically narrow-minded it hurts." He muttered to himself. "I wish I was back at Academia, eating chocolate bon-bons, slaughtering more useless soldiers. The finer things in life." He surveyed the dark air, the rioting, and the annoying messages that keeped popping up about HIM. "God, he pisses me off so much. I am so gonna enjoy it when I find him."
He then turned his direction skyward, and sure enough, Timestream Destruction Dragon was still flying through the air.
"Hmph..." Hotaru frowned. "I reckon he's done his job...besides, there's only room for ONE kawaii psychotich killer in this dimension. Me! So, I think it's rather obvious..." He gave off his dark grin. "Time to go meet Elliot-senpai."
Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Timestream Destruction Dragon! Massacre Cannon!" I cackled as my beautiful dragon obliterated several buildings. "Steeeeeeeeeerike! Now for the next ones!"
"Coooooooo-weeeeeeeee!" Who was that? Wait...there...he was standing on the bridge, the black water washing against the supporting the pillars, waving at me...Hotaru. "Hello, Elliot!"
"Heyyyyyyyy, Hotaru!" Destruction Dragon landed on the other end of the bridge, and I hopped off with a jolly merry skip. "Y'know...I really hate you."
"Awwwwww, you hurt my feewings." He pouted, before grinning. "Let's not waste time Elliot, you've done a great job destryoing things around here...but you have very poor taste in how to go about it. So I think it's time I put an end to your little 'spree'."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you think you can defeat me?" I cackled. "I'm going to enjoy hurting you."
"You saucy little minx, you stole my line." Timestream Destruction Dragon faded away, as we both activated our Duel Disks, lightning crackling above us.
"DUEL!"
Elliot vs. Hotaru LP: 4000
"Bagsi me first!" Hotaru grinned. "I activate the Spell Horrible Fusion to fuse the HorReaper's ScareClaw and KnighTrap in my hand!" The two monsters were twisted together in the dark portal. "Grotesque clawed watchman, suffer in the maws of steel fangs, and reveal the disgusting creature of immorality and sadistic pleasure! Fusion Summon! Behold! Level 4! HorReaper CrimiNail!"
The monster that emerged seemed to have a body made of black and white bandages wrapped tightly around its skinny frame, most being mouldy, and some peeling away to reveal nothing but a skeletal ribcage for its chest. It's right arm seemed to cut off at the elbow, and was replaced by a long black pickaze covered in scars, whilst it's left arm just fell limpy, impaled by multiple needles. It's legs bent so that the monster was constantly hunched over, as rusty shackles bound its ankles together, and a greying chain connected an iron sphere with a grinning face on it to its legs. It wore a black metal choker with spikes around its neck, with a red hot flame emanating from the end of each spike, whilst its head was an iron mask with screws twisting into it at the chin and head, with two horns potruding from it, though the left one was bent and mangled.
HorReaper CrimiNail, Level 4, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1800 DEF: 400
"I activate CrimiNail's effect." He continued. "Once per turn, by banishing a HorReaper from my Graveyard, I can inflict 800 damage to you. I think I'll banish HorReaper ScareClaw." CrimiNail moaned as purple nails materialised all around it. "Go! Nail Scream!" The nails came flying at me, and I shielded myself as nails stabbed into my arms, drawing blood.
Elliot's LP: 3200
"With that, I end my turn." He finished. "Your up, amateur."
I let my arms fall limp, before grinning. "Don't mind if I do! My turn! I activate the Spell Foolish Burial to send the Timestream Unknown in my Deck to the Graveyard!" The card slid out and I slotted it into my Graveyard. "Since Unknown is in the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it as long as it's banished when it leaves the field! Return from the dead! Timestream Unknown!" The card slid out again and this time I placed it on my blade, making the twisted monster reveal itself.
"I Normal Summon Parally Yomi Yarn from my hand!" I continued as the little Parally appeared. "I now activate it's effect to perform a Fusion Summon using this monster and one other I control! And if you needed a hint, idiot, it's Timestream Unknown!" Yomi's yarn tendrils stretched out and bound Unknown in a choking hold.
"I fuse Timestream Unknown and Parally Yomi Yarn!" The two monsters swirled together in dark purple and black. "Unformed thread of darkness, combine with the ungodly error of time! Hatred, sorrow, fury! Combine now, and form into a true evil monstrosity, and kill all worthless annoyances in this useless world of blood and shadows! Fusion Summon! Rise! Level 7! Parally Evil Enigma!" The unholy Parally emerged with a roar of anger and 2300 ATK.
"How beautiful...it seems you do have some style, Elliot." Hotaru complimented.
"BATTATTATTATTALE! Parally Evil Enigma! Attack HorReaper CrimiNail! Vicious Torture!" Evil Enigma impaled CrimiNail with its spear before it exploded.
Hotaru's LP: 3500
"I end my turn." I smirked. "By all means, you go."
"Thank you for the kind offer, I'll gladly take it. My turn!" He drew. "I summon HorReaper FiguRobe from my hand!" The standard HorReaper appeared. "When FiguRobe is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower HorReaper from my Deck with it's attack and defence reduced to 0. Come forth, HorReaper GhoScisssors!"
This HorReaper had a ragged, dirty grey cloth acting as a body, which was torn and stitched up in multiple places, whilst the top of it's head had a little jagged wisp to it, with a little rusty locket of a broken heart hanging off the end of it. It's 'face' was shown through a giant tear in the front of it's cloth, specifically widely torn so that it looked like the gaping maw of a monster, and glowing red inside of it were two crescent shaped eyes and a creepy crescent smile, like what you would see on a jesters mask. It's arms were little more then jagged, lightning bolt shaped wireframes, leading to the two scissors acting as its hands; the right scissors were blood red, and had sharp shark teeth edges, whilst the left scissors were pitch black and had a diamond shape when snipped together.
HorReaper GhoScissors, Level 2, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1500 DEF: 0
"Now I activate the effect of Horrible Fusion in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can fuse these two monsters I control!" Hotaru declared as the two monsters swirled together. "Cloaked figure of deceit, be ripped to shreds by the spirits anguish! Merge and form the disgraced maiden with blackened heart, constricted by piercing steel! Fusion Summon! Behold! Level 5! HorReaper WidoWire!" The pained HorReaper moaned as she rose from the ground.
"Awwww, she's adorable!" I giggled.
"You won't think that for long." Hotaru snickered. "I activate WidoWire's effect! By banishing a HorReaper from my Graveyard, I can reduce the attack of one monster you control to 0 until the End Phase! I banish HorReaper GhoScissors and target Parally Evil Enigma!" The monsters barbed wire stretched out and bound the monster, making it screech in pain as its ATK dropped to 0.
"Also, HorReaper GhoScissor's effect activates." The shadowy phantom of GhoScissor hung above WidoWire. "When it is banished from the Graveyard by a HorReaper monsters effect, that monster gains 500 extra attack!" WidoWire absorbed the phantom, raising her attack to 2100.
"Battle! HorReaper WidoWire, attack Evil Enigma! Pained Ballad!" The monsters wires stabbed into the monster, whilst more whipped me across my arms, drawing blood and sending me flying back as my half of the bridge was lashed and covered in whip scares, from the ground to the supporting pillars.
Elliot's LP: 1100
"When WidoWire battles, neither monster is destroyed." Hotaru grinned. "I'll set a card and end my turn, meaning your monster is released." The barbed wire retreated, returning Evil Enigma's attack to normal.
The only thing I really undoubtedly remember personality wise during this whole Duel, was that I was enjoying myself in the most sixk and twisted way, revelling in receiving and dishing out pain with this insane Duelist. It really was a horrid experience, but I loved every minute of it, and willed my body to keep going.
"Hahahaha! My turn!" I grinned at the card I drew. "I, using the Scale 2 Devil Knight, and the Scale 8 Angel Knight, set the Pendulum Scale!" The two monsters rose up either side of me. "Now I'm able to simultaneously summon monsters Levels 3 to 7! Endless power of dark origin, grant me the power to kill all who oppose me! Pendulum Summon! Appear! My monster minion!" A single stream of light fell from the portal.
"Level 3! Parally Wonder Wax!" The rainbow flame with a waxy body appeared. "I activate Wonder Wax's effect! Once per turn, it can create a Wax Token with the same Level as another monster on the field, whilst treating it as a Normal Monster! I make a Level 3 Wax Token by targeting Wonder Wax itself!" WW threw a blob of itself that formed into a Level 3 marshmallow candle.
"Now I activate Angel Knight's Pendulum effect!" I continued. "I can make the Level of 1 monster I control from one of 1 through 7, by making it's Pendulum Scale equal to that Level! I grant Evil Enigma a Level of 3, so Angrl Knight gains a matching Scale!" Angel Knight pointed her rapier at EE, making it's Level and her Scale become 3.
"Three Level three's..." Hotaru smiled. "Come on then, bring it out."
"I overlay my Level 3 Parally Evil Enigma, Parally Wonder Wax, and Wax Token!" The three monsters turned into streams of energy; 2 red and 1 purple, that dived into the galactic portal. "Dragon soaring across the vast timeline, raise your mighty fangs! Xyz Summon! Arise! Rank 3! Timestream Dragon!" The brilliant dragon appeared with a roar and 2400 ATK.
"So that's what it originally looks like...meh, not as cool." Hotaru shrugged.
"Battlllllllllllllle! Timestream Dragon! Attack WidoWire! But! Plot twist! I activate Timestream Dragon's effect! By detaching 2 Overlay Units, I negate the battle and inflict damage equal to your monsters current attack! Time Stream!" The monster absorbed both its Overlay Units before launching a barrage of lasers from its wings.
"I activate the effect of HorReaper ShaMask from my hand!" Hotaru held out the card. "By discarding this card when I would take Battle or Effect damage, I can reduce that damage to 0!"
ShaMask's entire body seemed to be its namesake mask. It as mainly pure black in colour with an egg shape, but had two dark purple curving horns on either side of it, with a crimson red fireball burning on the ends of each one. Its eye sockets were set into a mean expression, whilst it's mouth curled down into a snarl with yellow teeth and very sharp pointed canines. Blood red tribal flame paint covered the eyes, chin and forehead, whilst at the top a plume of dark purple hair rose up, which had a burning fire on the end of it, like a torch, whilst hanging just below its body around a invisible neck was a bead necklace made of small skulls, whilst the three most prominent ones o the front were, from left to right, a green eye, a red diamond, and a purple smoke-filled orb. The monster appeared on the field and literally swallowed the Time Streams, licking its lips with a long serpent tongue before disappearing.
HorReaper ShaMask, Level 1, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 0 DEF: 0
"Stupid little bastard! I've still got a trick up my trousers!" I grinned. "I activate Devil Knight's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can Rank-Up a Rank 4 or lower monster I control!" Devil knight threw his axe into the ground, causing a galactic portal to open up, which Timestream Dragon dove into as a stream of yellow energy.
"Rage filled monster, wrongly sealed for your glorious power, be released from your prison! Drown the world in fire and screams! Paint the world red with blood! And destroy the corpses of all who dare to oppose you by tearing their flesh from their bones and mercifully ending their pathetic existence from time itself! Rank-Up! Xyz Change! Arise! Rank 4! Timestream Destruction Dragon!" The Dark dragon rose from the ground and roared horribly.
"There it is!" Hotaru laughed. "Man, it's soooooo cute!"
"Timestream Destruction Dragon! Attack WidoWire, and activate your effect! I detach 2 Overlay Units to reduce your monsters attack to 0, and inflict damage to you equal to it's original attack! Drain Annihilation!" It devoured its Overly Units as its jewels detached and stabbed into WidoWire, making it scream in ain as purple lightning shocked Hotaru.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha! What power! It's hilarious!" Hotaru cackled as lightning devastated his side of the bridge, exploding the supporting pillars and making large chunks fall into the grey water below.
Hotaru's LP: 1900
"Resume battle! Destroy Hotaru! Massacre Cannon!" Detruction Dragon fired its deadly attack.
Hotaru wagged a finger mockingly. "Sorry, but I can't allow that. Activate Quick-Play Spell: Horrible De-Fusion." The card showed the sae tormenting darkness from before, only this time the tortured souls were literally being ripped apart from another in a violent flash of red and black, both screaming in pain. "With this, I send 1 HorReaper Fusion monster I control to the Graveyard, obviously my choice being WidoWire, and if this is activated when my opponent declares a attack, that attack is negated." WidoWire turned into a ghastly black spirit that collided with the attack, unleashing shockwaves that cased the ground to crack. "And THEN I can add 2 HorReapers in my Graveyard to my hand. I think I'll choose HorReaper FiguRobe and HorReaper KnighTrap." The two monsters materialised in his hand.
"Sheesh...you really annoying! I set a card and end my turn!" I finished.
Hotaru giggled like a little girl. "Is that all? Let me show you how a professional psycho does it. My turn! I once again summon HorReaper FiguRobe from my hand, and with its effect, I'll Special Summon HorReaper PirAnchor with 0 attack and defence!"
This monster was horribly bent over, as a giant dark blue iron anchor, covered in spiky grey coral, was strapped to its back with mouldy rast rigging, and a broken chain hanging from the anchors hoop. It had a long, moss green soggy beard matted with seaweed and mould, with a left leg that was a metal spike as a peg leg, and a right leg that was wet, grey Frankenstein skin with clawed toenails. It wore a waterlogged dull red captains coat with a rusted gold necklace, with grey fingerless gloves and a dark blue bandanna that was torn across the scalp, revealing a rusty cutlass stabbed into its skull.
HorReaper PirAnchor, Level 1, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 0 DEF: 0
"I activate the Spell, Horrible Deliverance, to add my banished Horrible Fusion to my hand, and activate it! I fuse the HorReaper's FiguRobe and PirAnchor I control with the KnighTrap in my hand!" The three monsters all appeared and swirled together in the darkness.
"Cloaked figure of deceit, drowned scourge of the ocean, suffer in the maws of steel fangs! Hunter of the dead, eclipse the red moon with your black scythe, and reap the seeds of death from the field of bones! Fusion Summon! Appear! HorReaper CronuScythe!" I instantly recognised the satanic monster as it wielded its giant, demonic scythe with 2200 ATK.
"Seem familiar? This is the monster you nearly got acquainted with the first time we Dueled." Hotaru's eyes widened with sick glee. "But there are no more interruptions THIS time! But first, KnighTrap's effect activates! Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can destroy your set card!" KnighTrap's namesake emerged out of the Graveyard and chomped through the card.
"I activate CronuScythe's effect! When it's Fusion Summoned, I can banish any number of HorReaper's from my Graveyard to destroy the same number of cards -1! I banish HorReaper CrimiNail, WidoWire, ShaMask and PirAnchor to destroy all your remaining cards! Life Reaping!" CronuScythe swung it's weapon, instantly destroying Timestream Destruction Dragon, Angel Knight and Devil Knight. "Since PirAnchor was banished from the Graveyard, I get to draw a card." He then smiled. "This seems familiar, doesn't it? Battle! HorReaper CronuScythe! Attack Elliot directly! Grim End!" The monster raised it's scythe, and forcefully brought it down towards me.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid! I activate the effect of Stop n' Block in my Graveyard! By banishing it, and shuffling the Crazy Dealer into my Deck, I negate the attack!" The scythe sing was blocked with a pink shield, bouncing it back.
"Oh? You even have something like that?" Hotaru asked, amused.
"Crazy Dealer's effect activates!" I cried as the monster appeared above me. He had a long black cape divided like a scarf, with a red bowtie that had white spiked teeth aong it, and a white tuxedo as a body. It had two floating gloved hands that carried five cards each, all with backings that were a purple pumpkin face. It had a black top hat with a tear in it, with two red eyes peering out, as the same cards spun around in a circle behind it.
Crazy Dealer, Level 1, Fiend, LIGHT, ATK: 200 DEF: 300
"When it is shuffled from my hand into the Deck, I draw a card!" I did so.
"Heh...I suppose great minds think alike." Hotaru chuckled. "I set a card and end my turn."
"My turn! I activate the Spell, Pot of Cupidity! I banish the top 10 cards of my Deck face-down, then draw 2!" I grinned at the two cards. "I activate the Ritual Spell Release of Yavix!" The shrine rose up from the shadows. "I send Yavix the Imprisoned Warrior in my hand to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Yavix the Unchained Monster!" Yavix appeared and was bound by chains, being dragged down into the abyss as its monstrous counterpart rose up with a hideous roar and 2800 ATK.
"Ritual? That's archaic." Hotaru stated with a bored look.
"Yavix's first effect activates! When it's Ritual Summoned, I can destroy a number of Spells and Traps you control equal to the number of monsters used! I destroy your set card! Torture Chains!" Yavix's chains stabbed into the card and made it explode. "BATTLE! Yavix! Attack CronuScythe! And with it's effect, Yavix will gain attack equal to half of CronuSccythe's! 1100!" Yavix roared as its ATK rose to 3900. "KILLING SCREAM!" Yavix's attack obliterated CronuScythe and sent Htaru sprawling as a large chunk of the bridge was destroyed by the sheer force of the attack.
Hotaru's LP: 200
"I end my turn!" I screamed. "I'll kill you Hotaru! Over and over again, no matter how long it takes! And I'll never grow bored of it! Just die already!"
Hotaru slowly rose to his feet. "...Sorry...Elliot..." His shadowed face was partially revealed, to show a crazed grin and a wide eye in a disturbing look. "But not even the devil can kill me. Because I work for him!"
He faced me fully. "My turn! I activate Different Dimension Fusion from my hand!" The card showed D.D. Warrior and D.D. Warrior Lady emerging from the different dimension, only to be fused together straight afterwards. "By paying half my Life Points..."
Hotaru's LP: 100
"I shuffle a number of banished monsters back into my Deck, and Fusion Summon a monster using them! I shuffle HorReaper's ScareClaw, KnighTrap and GhoScissors back into my Deck and fuse them together!" As the three cards were shuffled into his Deck, the three monsters rose up and fused together.
"Grotesque clawed watchman! Forgotten knight of steel! Be ripped to shreds by the spirits anguish! Fuse and become the pure flower tainted with silver iron and crimson blood, in your tomb of pain and sorrow! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 6! HorReaper VirgIron!"
The HorReaper was female at least from what could be seen of it. It's arms were sleek metal with spikes coming out of them, and five claws for fingers, whilst heavy black chains bound its arms, connected to her back where a large silver lock was, connected to a form-fitting steel corset that had wheel saws on its shoulders with a black heart on the front of it, whilst blood seemed to drip down from it down to its exposed waist, which had what seemed to be bones extending around from a spine that ran along its back, the bones stabbing into her stomach. Her lower half seemed to be a chain mail dress with multiple swords stabbed into it, with a metal ring bound around the ankles of the dress, with spikes extending out from it. She seemed to wear an iron mask, with blood running down from the eyes, whilst her blood red hair was split up into two zigzagging pigtails that reached the ground, with spikes stabbing and hanging inbetween the strands.
HorReaper VirgIron, Level 6, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 2500 DEF: 1900
"I activate VirgIron's effect! When she is Fusion Summoned, I can banish any number of HorReaper's from my Graveyard, to inflict 500 damage for each! I banish HorReaper's FiguRobe and CronuScythe, and inflict 1000 damage to you! Maidens Tears!" The monster literally began weeping, as its tears turned into molten metal waves that forced me to jump back as they completely incinerated the ground in front of me.
Elliot's LP: 100
"Useless! Fucking useless! That monster cannot defeat Yavix!" I growled.
Hotaru gasped mockingly. "How dare you insult my beautiful iron maiden!?" The monsters spirit actually seemed to lift as he said that. "I'll prove you wrong now! Battle! HorReaper VirgIron! Attack Yavix the Unchained Monster!" The monster floatd above Yavix, who growled up at it.
"Retard! Suffer as Yavix destroys your monster!" I cried.
"I activate the effect of Horrible Ovation from my Graveyard!" A Trap rose out of the Graveyard. It showed a shadowy imp being set on fire, laughing manically as shadowy claws rose up, clawing and scratching, as a blood red spotlight and purple confetti fell around the imp.
"That card I destroyed?" I realised.
"When a HorReaper monster I control battles, I can banish this card from my Graveyard, to have that HorReaper monster gain 300 attack for each of my banished monsters until the end of the Damage Step! With my banished HorReaper's FiguRobe, CrimiNail, WidoWire, ShaMask and CronuScythe, she gains 1500 attack!" A round of screeching and thunderclaps that were supposed to be an applause echoed around VirgIron, making her ATK 4000.
"4000 attack!?"...My feelings still felt fuzzy, but...for the first time, I think my dark side felt...fear.
"Resume Battle! HorReaper VirgIron! Destroy Yavix! Brilliant Iron!" All of the monsters weapons glowed a blinding white before they all launched and tore Yavix to shreds, before hitting me.
"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!" I screamed in pain as horrible wounds erupted with blood on my arms, legs and body as pain surged throughout my entire being, and the darkness was forcefully and agonizingly dispelled.
Elliot's LP: 0
Hotaru: WIN!
Yu-Gi-Oh!
...Where was I?
This felt familiar...like when I Dueled Leiko.
I looked around, it was nothing but darkness, until I heard something behind me. I looked to see a faint light, and the shadows of two figures. I walked towards them until I could hear what they were saying.
The first voice was female, that much I could tell. "Hey, can you tell me something?"
"Depends." I froze at the second voice. It was Hotaru.
"What exactly do you hate about everything?" The voice asked.
Hotaru chuckled, but not in a malicious way. "That's it? Easy. I just don't like any of those dimensions, they're all flawed. Think about it, there's always horrible people, horrible rules, horrible actions, no matter what happens, it's inevitable. What's the point in liking any world like that? All I've gotta do is hate it, and kill everything I don't like, then it'll turn out alright for me in the end."
The other figure nodded. "Makes sense..." There was a short pause inbetween them. "Is there anything you DO care about?"
Hotaru tilted his head. "Well...one thing, I suppose. People I like."
The figure shrugged. "Do you like me, then?"
Hotaru laughed. "Yeah...I do." The figure wrapped an arm around him. "...Your constricting me."
"Yep." She stated plainly, only serving to squeeze tighter.
He laughed again, then leaned into her. "Thanks..."
he said a name, and then everything faded into white.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Next thing I know, I'm lying on the ground of an utterly devastated bridge, pain infecting every inch of my being and blood dripping down my body.
"Consider yourself lucky." I heard Hotaru speak. "If that was a direct attack, you would be dead. Aren't I merciful?"
I ignored the pain as I struggled to my hands and knees, and see him standing there with a small grin on his face. "This is where we differ, Elliot. You have things you 'care' about, things you want to 'protect'. In the end, that only holds you back, whilst your darkness holds you back from being a good guy. Being conflicted certainly isn't nice, is it?"
He laughed. "But with me? I don't care about anything, so I'm free to destroy anything I want to my hearts content, without repercussions. Really, Elliot, you and I are miles away in terms of strength, so just give up and let me do my job, 'kay?"
"...Liar." I spat.
"Hm?" Hotaru held a hand to his ear. "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said LIAR!" I screamed. "You DO have something you care about!"
"Oh?" He grinned in amusement. "Pray tell, enlighten me."
I grit my teeth and clenched my fists, as I shouted out the name I heard.
"HARUKA!"
And for the first time ever, Hotaru's face actually changed to one of shock, to sadness, and confusion, as the name registered with him.
However, he quickly switched back to is usual smirk. "As lovely a name that is, it doesn't affect me. I believe I've wasted enough time here." He turned to walk away, then looked over his shoulder. "By the way...thank you for what you did to Katsu. He really annoys me. Though, really...I would've preferred it if you had got the job done." He then started to walk, but not before waving a hand at me. "Ciao!"
My body began to feel heavy as everything weighed down on me. Hotaru had deliberately sent Katsu to me so that I would kill him, and orchestrated the release of my darkness. And even during that Duel...he could have Fusion Summoned VirgIron instead of CronuScythe and defeated me with the effect damage.
The entire time, he was just toying with me...
I felt my strength leave me, and I collapsed.
Meanwhile, Hotaru gained a serious expression. "So it's true then...we really are the same. In that case, I guess it's lucky I didn't kill you, Elliot."
At that moment, a beam of light pierced the sky, and the dark clouds dispersed.
I don't know how long I was there, but the next thing I knew someone was helping me to my feet.
"Hey, asshole! You'd better not be dead or I'll fucking kill you!" It was Leiko.
"At least show some form of compassion!" Ayu berated him.
"You two...what are you...?" I wheezed.
"Don't try to talk, you should rest." A familiar voice said, and I looked up to see two figures.
"Greiger...Kalin..." I breathed.
"We located your Duel Runner." Greiger showed me my D-Wheel. "We were worried and started looking for you."
"That's when we ran into these two." Kalin nodded at them. "We explained the situation, and went together."
"Listen, things are looking up!" Leiko told me. "That Yuya and Jack showed us a really cool Duel!"
"Things are finally beginning to look better for the City. Never thought I'd see the day." Ayu admitted.
I, however, looked at the path Hotaru had walked away on. It led to the Security Tower. "What did you come here for, Hotaru?" I shakily stood up and walked towards my Duel Runner.
"Hey, Elliot! Your too fucked up to be going anywhere." Li said.
"I have to get to the Security Tower." I told him as I put my helmet on. "My friends are there! I have to meet up with them."
"Then we will go with you." Greiger said as he mounted his own Duel Runner.
"Now that the City is recovering, we will do what we can to help all of you who have made it this way." Kalin agreed.
"I guess I owe you then...shit, this is weird, having another guy looking like Leiko." Ayu sighed. "Is this a nightmare?"
"Oi! I take bloody offense to that!" Leiko complained.
"Let's go!" The five of us set off on our Duel Runners, speeding forward in a V-formation. 'I won't let you do as you please, Hotaru!'
Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Fall!" Roger screamed in mad glee. "All of you fall! I'll drag you all into the dimensional gap with me!"
The Lancer's present shielded themselves from the dimensional energy as wind and lightning flashed around them.
"I will live on! No matter what!" Roger roared.
"Oh...is that so?"
Immediately, Roger's expression turned from one of victory to one of horror, and everybody's gaze turned upward.
Sitting on one of the ledges, with his legs crossed, was Hotaru, smirking darkly. "Hello, Roger."
"Elliot?" Yuya asked, uncertain.
"H..." Roger took shaky steps back, his eyes filled with fear. "Hotaru!"
"Hotaru...?" Sawatari looked up at him. "The Hotaru that Zekaki mentioned!?"
Reira's eyes widened with fear, as he clung tightly to Reiji.
"N-No!" Roger shook his head, as if Hotaru was a horrible nightmare. "Not you! Leave me alo-" He took too many steps back, and began to fall towards the wormhole.
But HorReaper ScareClaw grabbed him by his coat, and pulled him up, so that he was face to face with Hotaru, sweating nervously as Hotaru just grinned, leaning his head in his left hand.
"...You know something, Roger?" Hotaru asked slowly, grinning in satisfaction. "You really piss me off." His expression turned insanely joyful and dark. "You know what happens to people who piss me off."
"Hotaru! Please!" Roger begged fearfully. "I won't-" He was cut short.
Yuzu screamed. Yuya's eyes widened. Reiji clenched his fist. Everybody else froze.
HorReaper ScareClaw had stabbed Roger through the chest, blood dripping down from its claw.
Hotaru gave a mocking wave. "Ciao...Roger." ScareClaw tossed the corpse of Jean-Michel Roger into the wormhole, making it close afterwards, and everything fell silent, as ScareClaw disappeared.
"He...He killed him..." Yuzu sobbed with tears in her eyes.
"How could you do something like that!?" Yuya yelled.
"Because I can." He replied simply, before grinning at them. "And technically, I personally didn't do it, far too messy. But ANYWAY. I'm SO glad I finally got to meet all of you. And Sora! I hear your a traitor now! Congrats!"
Sora grit his teeth as an injured Tsukikage looked up at him, still weary from his battle with Elliot.
"You are a despicable excuse for a person!" Gongenzaka stated strongly.
Hotaru waved him off. "Save your breath, tubby, I've heard it all before."
"Tubby!?" Gongenzaka fumed.
"Akaba Reiji..." Hotaru directed his attention towards the Professor's son. "I wish you the best of luck in your invasion of Academia." The two stared at each other for a moment, before he continued talking. "In the meantime, I'll just kick back and have some chocolate. Tell Elliot I said hi! Ciao!"
"Wait!" Yuya called, but Hotaru had already teleported back to Acacemia.
Then, the Dimensional Portal opened up again.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
"We're almost there!" I said as our group drove towards the Security Tower, now with the entrance visible in front of us.
"What is that?" Greiger pointed as a green beam of light erupted out of the tower, and began to envelop it.
"This isn't good! Hurry!" We all accelerated as fast as possible towards the entrance, as more and more of it was swallowed by the beam. "We're not gonna make it!"
Suddenly, I felt something ram into my Duel Runner from behind. I looked over my shoulder to see everybody pushing my Duel Runner using theirs. "What are you-?"
"Don't worry about us!" Kalin told me. "Go to your comrades!"
"We're gonna be just fine on our own now! And you can count on us to help you in your Dimensional War!" Ayu assured me.
"I've got my own way to cross dimensions, so just leave that to me!" Leiko grinned.
"All of you..." I breathed as we rocketed towards the entrance.
"Hey, Elliot!" Leiko gave me a giant grin. "360 no-scope all those Academia bastards!"
They all instantly accelerated, pushing my Duel Runner forward just as the tower was completely absorbed. I shielded my eyes from the blinding green light, as I felt myself crash through the door. Then I tumbled off of my Duel Runner, and lay on the ground as the light faded away.
HorReaper CrimiNail: 2 'HorReaper' monsters. Once per turn, you can banish 1 'HorReaper' monster from your Graveyard to inflict 800 damage to your opponent.
HorReaper GhoScissors: When this card is banished from the Graveyard by the effect of a 'HorReaper' monster, that monster gains 500 ATK.
HorReaper ShaMask: When you would take Battle or Effect Damage, you can discard this card from your hand to reduce that damage to 0.
Horrible De-Fusion: If this card is activated when your opponent declares an attack, negate that attack. Target 1 'HorReaper' Fusion Monster you control; send it to the Graveyard, then target 2 HorReaper' monsters that are not Fusion Monsters in your Graveyard, and either add them to your hand or Special Summon them.
HorReaper PirAnchor: When this card is banished from the Graveyard by the effect of a 'HorReaper' monster, draw 1 card.
Crazy Dealer: When this card is shuffled from the hand into the Deck; draw 1 card.
Different Dimension Fusion: Pay half your LP. Shuffle up to 3 of your banished monsters into your Deck, then Special Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck listing those monsters as Fusion Material (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon)
HorReaper VirgIron: 3 'HorReaper' monsters. When this card is Fusion Summoned, you can banish any number of 'HorReaper' monsters from your Graveyard; inflict damage to your opponent for each banished monster x500
Horrible Ovation: When a 'HorReaper' monster you control is destroyed by battle with an opponents monster; reduce that monsters ATK to 0, and it cannot change its Battle Position. When a 'HorReaper' monster you control battles, you can banish this card from your Graveyard to have that monster gain ATK equal to the number of banished monsters you control x300, until the end of the Damage Step.
New chapter, finally! Hooray! Sorry this took so long everybody, but I've been very busy, and I had a lot to include in this chapter, so, yeah.
Anyway, this is practically the end of the Synchro Dimension Arc! Just one more chapter to go! I was actually hoping to end it on 37, because, y'know, my username? But we still have one last Duel to go through first! Which actually brings me onto my QOTC!
QOTC: Next chapter is the last Duel of the Synchro Dimension Arc! Who should Elliot's final opponent be out of Sora, Crow, Jack or Zevrakex?
Most importantly, though...I want to thank all of you for the reviews last chapter, they were very heartwarming to me, especially ftom NewComer1, The Fresh Prince of BANANAS, SuperSparks and ThatLoneAvenger. I truly do have moments when I compare myself to everybody else on the internet and just feel worthless, but as long as I have people like you behind me, I think I'll be okay at least.
So then! Thank you all so much for reading, and I'll see you next chapter for the finale!