Chapter 54: Farewell, Leiko

Ryoga and Rio looked upward as they ran. Looming in front of them was a giant stairway, which led up to Academia.

"This looks like its the main entrance." Ryoga said. "Let's go!"

"Shark! Rio!" The two of them looked ahead to see their comrade running towards them.

"Rise! There you are!" Rio called.

"I've been looking all over for you two!" She groaned. "This looks like the main entrance, anyway."

"Well then, let's show them what the Resistance can do, with a full-on frontal assault!" Ryoga declared with a clenched fist.

"You three won't be going anywhere!" The trio looked up the giant stairway, only to flinch at what they saw.

50 Obelisk Force members were blocking their way, each controlling a Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound.

"Do you think we would just let you intruders waltz on in here!?" The one at the front sneered. "We won't let you take one step inside of Academia!"

"Ngh!" Shark hissed.

"Can we take this many?" Rise wondered.

"Leave this to me." Rio stated, stepping forward.

"Rio!" Shark quickly grabbed her arm. "Don't! I can't lose you again!"

Rio sighed and glared back at him. "You think I don't know that? But I'm fighting in this war, too! And you can't stop me!" She then wrestled her arm out of his grip.

"No!" Shark gasped, when Rise placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Let her. She's dead set on this, so don't hold her back." She told him. Shark still looked unsure, but relaxed his body slightly.

As Rio stepped forward, the first Obelisk Force member grinned darkly. "So you're first, eh? We'll card you in an instant!"

"Try it if you can. My turn!" Rio drew a card as her Duel Disk activated.

Intrusion Penalty: 2000 Life Points.

"Gaaaaahhh!" She cried out as she was shocked.

Rio's LP: 2000

"Rio!" Shark cried again.

"Don't even think about it." Rise stopped him again.

"But-!" He started.

"I'm fine!" Rio assured them. "I Normal Summon Snowflake Eye!" This monster also looked like a snowflake, however, its pattern in the center looked like a giant crystal eye.

Snowflake Eye, Level 2, Aqua, WATER, ATK: 1000 DEF: 600

"I activate Snowflake Eye's effect!" Rio pointed. "By reducing its ATK to 0, I can add a Snowflake monster from my Deck to my hand!" The monsters attack was reduced to naught as Rio picked a card from her Deck. "And now, as there is a monster with 0 attack on the field, I can Special Summon the Snowflake Butterfly I just added to my hand!" Another snowflake appeared, only the edges on this one spread out further and curved around, making them look like butterfly wings.

Snowflake Butterfly, Level 2, Aqua, WATER, ATK: 400 DEF: 1300

"I overlay my Level 2 Snowflake Eye and Snowflake Butterfly!" The two monsters became blue energy that dived into the galactic portal. "Dancing snowflakes, cloak all in pure white for the silent shadow to run through! Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 2! Snowflake Ninja!" The ice cold female monster appeared on the field with its 1200 ATK.

"Hahahahahaha! What can that puny little Xyz monster do against all of us!?" The Obelisk Force laughed.

"I activate Snowflake Ninja's effect!" Rio cried. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, all monsters my opponents control lose 300 attack for every monster on the field!"

"Wait, what!?" He gasped.

"I don't need to count them to tell you that all your monsters have their attacks reduced to 0!" Ninja blew a chilling breath that froze the mechanical hounds solid, dropping their attacks to nothing.

"Tch! That doesn't matter! We'll crush you with new monsters as soon as you end your turn! There's no possible way you can defeat all of us!" He yelled.

"Is that what you think?" Rio threatened in an ice cold tone, causing him to shudder. "I activate the Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Snowflake Dance." The card showed several snowflakes glowing brightly as lines connected them, forming a constellation similar to the big dipper. "I target a Snowflake monster I control, then ERank it up 1 Rank higher! Of course, I target Snowflake Ninja!" The Xyz Monster turned into blue energy that rose up into the galactic portal.

"Dancing snowflakes, descend all around to herald the arrival of beauty! Rank-Up! Xyz Change! Descend! Rank 3! Snowflake Angel!" The fair white skinned snowflake monster appeared with its 1600 ATK. "But I'm not done. I activate the other effect of Rank-Up-Magic Snowflake Dance in my Graveyard! By discarding two cards, I can add it from my Graveyard to my hand!" She slid two cards from her hand into her Graveyard before taking the Spell out. "Again, I shall activate Rank-Up-Magic Snowflake Dance, to Rank up again using Snowflake Angel!" Once again, the monster became blue energy, but suddenly a harsh blizzard enveloped the area as the monster descended into the portal.

"Dancing Snowflakes, cover all in brilliant, sparkling white as the ruler of winter descends to this world! Rank-Up! Xyz Change! Descend! Rank 4! Snowflake Queen!"

The monster that appeared as another pale skinned woman, only she had giant, wavy white hair with tiny blue diamonds in them, and large glittering blue eyes as a crown of ice rested atop her head. She wore a long, flowing white dress with sapphire and baby blue crystals all over it, as a giant steel snowflake rested on her waist and stuck out, the blades dangerously sharp as the sleeves of her dress covered her arms with its frilled wrists.

Snowflake Queen, Rank 4, Aqua, WATER, ATK: 2100 DEF: 1800

"I activate Snowflake Queen's effect!" Rio declared. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, I destroy all monsters on the field with 1000 or less attack, and then my opponent takes damage equal to their combined original attacks!"

"What!? Impossible!" They shouted.

"Take the power of all of your monsters against you! Winter World!" Snowflake Queen absorbed an Overlay Unit as ice covered the entire area, and the frozen Fusion monsters all shattered into a brilliant blizzard.

"Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!" The Obelisk Force screamed as they were thrown skyward by the power of the effect before crashing back down to the ground.

50 Obelisk Force Members LP: 0

Rio: WIN!

Rio's Duel Disk deactivated, before she turned to Rise and Ryoga. "You see? I can handle myself perfectly fine!"

Ryoga stared at her in shock for a moment, before softly smiling. "Yeah, you can. It seems I forgot that after being without you for so long." He placed her hands on her shoulders. "Forgive me, Rio. You truly are strong."

"You know it." Rio smirked. "But that doesn't mean I don't need you, big brother." Both of them chuckled lightly whilst Rise rolled her eyes, then they all walked up the stairs towards Academia.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

"My turn!" Hotaru smirked, drawing his card. "I Normal Summon HorReaper SerVial!" A giant vial filled with dark purple liquid appeared, having black spikes around its cork and a demonic face on its body. A steel frame bound it to a small monster carrying it on its back, as the frame was wrapped around the vial, whilst the two ends pierced into the monster shoulders as black iron spikes forced their way out of its back, and black strings bound the broken horns on its head to the top. It wore nothing but tattered, fleshy rags with demonic grins and evil eyes all over them, as its blue eyes glowed in the darkness of its hood with a depressed look, as its arms were stitched to its body, with simple, mechanical two gingered claws acting as substitutes.

HorReaper SerVial, Level 2, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1100 DEF: 200

"I activate HorReaper SerVial's effect!" Hotaru pointed, as the monster slowly and painfully leaned forward, causing the purple ooze in the vial to spill out onto the ground, hissing like acid as it did. "By banishing two HorReaper or Horrible cards in my Graveyard, I can add one of my banished HorReaper or Horrible cards, other then the ones banished, to my hand! I banish the HorReaper PitchFreak and HorReaper ManiAxe in my Graveyard..." In the purple ooze, the two cards were shown being dissolved, before a card rose up out of it and flew into Hotaru's hand.

"To add the Spell, Horrible Fusion to my hand, and activate it!" The card appeared on his field. "I fuse the HorReaper SerVial on my field with the HorReaper PirAnchor in my hand!" The two gory monsters fused together in a purple and black whirlpool. "Drowned scourge of the ocean, dissolve in the deadly poison, and reveal the disgusting creature of immorality and sadistic pleasure! Fusion Summon! Behold! Level 4! HorReaper CrimiNail! The ragged monster appeared with an inhumane scream and 1800 ATK.

"Now I'll activate HorReaper CrimiNail's effect! By banishing a HorReaper from my Graveyard, you take 800 damage! I'll banish HorReaper PirAnchor, so please enjoy this, won't you? Nail Scream!" Nails shot forth from the monsters body, exploding around Leiko as he was forced to drive through them.

Leiko's LP: 3000

"Since PirAnchor was banished from my Graveyard, its effect allows me to draw a card." Hotaru did so. "I'll set a card and end my turn."

"What the hell is this?" Leiko growled.

"Hm? Whatever do you mean?" Hotaru feigned ignorance.

"You left that 1800 attack monster in that position when I have the 2800 attack Super-Computer!" Leiko declared.

"Oops! How silly of me!" Hotaru gasped in a deliberately high-pitched voice, before snorting. "Just kidding! That's for me to know and you to find out." He then beckoned towards Leiko. "Come on, then."

"My turn, asshole!" Leiko drew and stared at the card. "This one is...I Normal Summon Psybernetic Follower!" A small circular robotic psychic appeared, with several small green lines extending out all over it like a web, as small cubes, spheres and diamonds spun around it, connected to each other by the wires.

Psybernetic Follower, Level 4, Psychic, LIGHT, ATK: 1600 DEF: 1100

"If I destroy HorReaper CrimiNail with Super-Computer, then attack directly with Psybernetic Follower, I win!" Leiko thought aloud. "Battle! Advanced Psybernetic Super-Computer will attack HorReaper CrimiNail! Overdrive Rush!" The giant Synchro unleashed a flurry of punches that obliterated the smaller Fusion, causing it to explode into debris smoke.

Hotaru's LP: 1600

"Now I'll crush you, bastard!" Leiko shouted.

"Tut, tut, tut, so premature, Leiko!" Hotaru's red eyes gleamed through the smoke. "Trap card, open! Horrible Retribution!" The card showed several dark souls screaming in pain as white souls began to devour them with demonic red grins. "When an Attack Position 'HorReaper monster I control is destroyed by battle, I instantly end the Battle Phase, then destroy the monster that destroyed it, and inflict its ATK to you as damage! I'll destroy Advanced Psybernetic Super-Computer, and inflict its 2800 attack to you as damage!" The same white souls emerged out of the card before biting into and destroying the Synchro monster,m then charging towards Leiko.

"I'll use my own Trap! Psybernetic Damage Cancel!" The card showed a green cancel symbol being held up by Psybernetic Coder. "When I would take battle or effect damage, I reduce that damage to 0!" The white spirits bounced off of the card, making them disappear. "Then I can Special Summon a Psybernetic monster from my hand. Come on! Psybernetic Apprentice!" The little Level one Tuner appeared on the field, its single light floating next to it.

"During my second Main Phase, I activate Psybernetic Apprentice's effect! With it, I can make its Level equal to the number of Non-Synchro Psybernetic monsters in my Graveyard! I currently have 5, so Apprentice becomes Level 5!" The little Tuner's one comet suddenly split into five, along with its level.

"I tune my Level 4 Psybernetic Follower to my Level 5 Psybernetic Apprentice!" Apprentice turned into five rings for Follower to fly through. "All knowledge in the world, the universe! Now converge and create the blessed ark of divination! Synchro Summon! Descend! Level 9! Advanced Psybernetic Quantum-Computer!" The giant psychic monster towered over both Duelists, breaking two pillars in the now cramped room as it appeared with its 3000 ATK, the pillars crashing down and causing the ground to crack beneath them.

"Hahahahaha! What a comeback! Interesting! So very interesting, Leiko!" He cried.

The Turbo Duelist glared, his eyes glowing brighter. "You demon...I end my turn!"

"Mine then! I can't wait...I can't wait to destroy this monster too! I can't wait to tear away your last shred of hope!" He screamed joyfully. "I draw! I Normal Summon HorReaper GravediGloves!"

The monster that appeared had very thin, spindly spider-like legs attached to a bulky, black suit wearing torso that had a dead black rose in its breast pocket, and looked very tattered as a golden plaque reading 'GRAVE' was stuck to its chest. It had similar spindly arms, on the end of which were giant white gloves with red eyes on the backs that had golden hex symbols around them, whilst the word 'DOOM' was spelled out on the knuckle of each finger, and spiked black bands were wrapped around each wrist. It's head was also quite small, and was nothing but a red crescent moon smile as its eyes were stabbed with coffin nails that had googly eyes stuck on the end of them, as a crooked top hat sat wonky on its head.

HorReaper GravediGloves, Level 4, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1400 DEF: 1300

"I activate HorReaper GravediGloves effect!" Hotaru grinned. "By discarding a card, I can Special Summon two HorReaper Tokens! I'll discard HorReaper ShadoWing..." The discarded monster was nothing more then a sinister shadow with a single clawed arm and angry red eyes, that had two giant devils wings with mouths that had sharp teeth and forked tongues in them stretching out behind it.

HorReaper ShadoWing, Level 3, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 300 DEF: 1900

"Now come out! HorReaper Tokens!" Form the ground burst two skeletal, shadowy figures with glowing red eyes, both at Level 1 with 0 ATK. "With these three now on the field, I banish Horrible Fusion from my Graveyard to fuse HorReaper GravediGloves with my two HorReaper Tokens!" The three monsters became a red and purple whirlpool spiraling together.

"Keeper of corpses and your undead abominations! 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 female monster appeared with a wail of pain and misery with 2500 ATK.

"Another one! But it's still not as strong as Quantum-Computer! And my monster is unaffected by your card effects!" Leiko declared.

"Don't think your so safe, you poor little fool!" Hotaru grinned. "I activate HorReaper VirgIron's effect! When she is Fusion Summoned, I can banish any number of HorReaper's in my Graveyard to inflict 500 damage to you for every one!"

"500!?" Leiko echoed.

"I banish HorReaper SerVial, HorReaper CrimiNail, HorReaper GravediGloves, and HorReaper ShadoWing! Take 2000 damage! Maiden's Tears!" The monster wept as its tears turned into giant fireballs that forced Leiko to swerve around them as they exploded into the ground, and soon, the whole room was ablaze, casting dark shadows over the two Duelists.

Leiko's LP: 1000

"Now this is where it gets interesting..." Hotaru chuckled as the fire illuminated his features in a menacing way. "I activate Horrible Box's other effect! By sending it to the Graveyard, I increase the attack of a HorReaper monster by half the amount of damage it negated, until the End Phase! Horrible Box negated 2800 damage, so HorReaper VirgIron gains 1400 attack!" The box spat out a dark aura that enveloped VirgIron, boosting its ATK to 3900.

"Battle! HorReaper VirgIron will attack Advanced Psybernetic Quantum-Computer! Brilliant Iron!" The monsters claws flashed before she screamed and furiously slahed Quantum-Computer, causing the monster to collapse and explode on top of Leiko.

"Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh!" Leiko cried as he was thrown off of his Duel Runner, the compartment opening and dropping something out before the Dueling motorcycle crashed into the wall and exploded.

Leiko's LP: 100

Leiko struggled to his feet as blood ran down his cheek and his helmet fell off of his head. "M...My Duel Runner!" He tried to run towards it, but fell to his knees from fatigue, the only thing left of the burning wreckage was his Duel Disk, the blade still activated.

"Uh-oh, did I break that? Silly meeeee." Hotaru taunted. "Really though, you won't miss that thing, right? It was so stupid anyway! Ahahahahahaha!"

"My Duel Runner...the Duel Runner I made for Yugo and Rin!" Leiko punched the ground in frustration. "The Duel Runner I completed with Ayu's engine!" He punched the ground again. "The Duel Runner I used to find everybody I care about again! GONE!" He punched the ground a third time, before setting a murderous glare on Hotaru. "And it's all YOUR FAULT!"

"My, my, what a scary face. It really doesn't suit you." Hotaru pouted.

Leiko grabbed his Duel Disk and attached it to his arm. "I won't forgive you...I will NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

He looked around and saw something. Running over to it, he delicately picked it up to find it was the Beta the Magnet Warrior doll Ayu gave to him. "...Ayu, give me strength!" He held the doll close to his heart before delicately placing it down and turning to face Hotaru, the red hot flames around them burning strongly as Leiko's face was dead serious.

Hotaru's grin merely widened. "I end my turn."

Leiko placed two fingers on top of his Deck. "No matter what, I'll defeat you! My turn! As I control no monsters, I Special Summon Psybernetic Streamer from my hand!" The monster that appeared looked like a diamond with two pairs of sharp green green wings, as a rainbow aura trailed behind it.

Psybernetic Streamer, Level 5, Psychic, LIGHT, ATK: 1900 DEF: 2200

"I activate Psybernetic Streamer's effect!" Leiko yelled. "Once per turn, by reducing its Level by 1, I can add a Psybernetic with an equal or lower Level from my deck to my hand!" Streamer's Level dropped to 4 as Leiko took out a card. "I add the Level 3 Psybernetic Cracker from my Deck to my hand, and Normal Summon it!" The smaller, fist wielding monster appeared on the field.

"With that, I'll activate Psybernetic Follower's effect in my Graveyard!" He continued. "By tributing a Psybernetic I control, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard! I'll release Streamer to revive it!" Streamer burst into sparkles as Follower reappeared on the field. "Since Follower was Special Summoned by its own effect, it is treated as a Tuner monster!"

"A Level 4 and a Level 3?" Hotaru's eyes widened joyfully. "Are you finally going to bring it out?"

"I tune my Level 3 Psybernetic Cracker to my Level 4 Psybernetic Follower!" Follower turned into four Synchro rings which Cracker flew through, turning into a white beam of light. "Almighty warrior cloaked in iron, come forth and slash through the gathering darkness! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7! Yavix the Enhanced Samurai!" The Synchro monster appeared wielding its twin photon blades with 2700 ATK.

"There you are at last! Yavix!" Hotaru cheered.

"Yavix the Enhanced Samurai's effect activates!" Leiko pointed. "When it's Synchro Summoned, its attack becomes 4000, and my opponent cannot activate Spells or Traps, until the End Phase!" Yavix glowed green as its ATK rose to 4000. "Also, since Psybernetic Cracker was used as a Synchro Material, its effect activates! With it, I can destroy HorReaper VirgIron!" Yavix fired a green beam of light from its photon sabers.

"So sorry, but that's not gonna happen!" Hotaru countered. "Since HorReaper VirgIron banished HorReaper ShadoWing, ShadoWing's effect prevents VirgIron from being destroyed by card effects!" A dark barrier formed around VirgIron, blocking the attack.

"But due to Cracker's other effect, I can draw a card!" Leiko drew as hard as he could, and looked at the card, before focusing on Hotaru again. "Battle! Yavix the Enhanced Samurai! Attack HorReaper VirgIron! Twin Energy Rush!" Yavix furiously slashed the monster to pieces, causing it to scream before it exploded.

Hotaru's LP: 100

"Hah...hah..." Leiko panted. "I...set a card, and end my turn. At this point, Yavix's effects end." The monster lost its glow as its ATK returned to 2700.

There was a pause for a moment, the fire still burning around them, before Hotaru slowly smiled. "This is it...thisistthisisitthisisit!" His eyes glowed even more fiercely. "This is the feeling I want! To face everything! To feel the power of Yavix! My will to destroy everything growing all that much stronger! It's so incredible!"

Hotaru set his smirk on Leiko. "For making me feel this way, I shall reward you...by destroying you in the grandest way possible! My TURN! I Normal Summon HorReaper PsycHex!" The monster that appeared was a small imp-like figure with madly rolling red and purple eyes and a crazed sharp toothed grin with several teeth missing, as it wore a full body black suit under a tattered dark red robe, that had white spikes around the wrists, waist and ankles, And hovering above it, like an evil halo, was a giant red hex symbol crackling with black electricity.

HorReaper PsycHex, Level 4, Fiend, DARK, ATK: 1700 Def: 1100

"As I Normal Summoned HorReaper PsycHex successfully, I activate its effect!" Hotaru gestured to it. "With it, I can Special Summon one of my banished HorReaper monsters with its effects negated and its attack and defence reduced to 0! Return! HorReaper PitchFreak!" Out of the monsters hex symbol came the other demented monster, laughing crazily.

"Behold, Leiko...this is my power!" Hotaru screamed as a dakr aura overcame him. "I activate the Spell, Polymerization! And with it, I fuse my two DARK Attribute HorReaper's together!" The two monsters laughed as they became a red and blue whirlpool.

"Hideous deformed souls, become the form that pierces all nightmares! Brings forth all insanities! And weaves all fear in the minds of mortals! Let your screech pierce the heavens and blacken the clear skies as your hellish form descends! Fusion Summon! Descend! Level 7! Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare!"

A dark fog billowed around the area, blocking out even the red flames. Then, two gigantic, rainbow coloured slitted eyes emerged from the darkness, setting a piercing gaze on Leiko. As the darkness began to clear, it was revealed that the moving eyes were actually patterns on two gigantic, black, blade insect wings with multicoloured veins pulsing to their irises. These wings were attached to the back of a giant, pulsating body, mainly dark pink in colour, as a black shell-like armour seemed to covur its shoulders, the edges shooting out into giant spikes. Its torso glowed a blood red as crimson gems were embedded in its dark pink chest, with black veins spreading out from them along its body. It's arms were skinny, as a pale blue line shot down the side of each of them as black spikes hot out of the elbows, and on its hands were black armoured claws. It had no legs to speak of, but instead had two sets of curving blood red scythes below its waist as it hovered in the air, whilst a very long tail extended out behind it, on the end of which hung a giant black stinger, which seemed to have curled up fangs underneath it. At its head were two smaller, yet just as sharp scythe mandibles with spikes jutting outward from them, as a pair of red insectoid eyes opened on each side of its head, and on top of its head, a giant, multicoloured slitted eye, the same as the ones on its wings, also opened up, glaring at its Synchro counterpart.

Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare, Level 7, Insect, DARK, ATK: 2700 DEF: 1800

"Y-Yavix...!" Leiko flinched.

"Yes...I'm so glad our Yavix's could finally meet each other, Leiko." The Fusion monster screeched inhumanely. "Soon, they shall be together again."

Suddenly, Hotaru's eyes widened with manic glee. "I activate Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare's effect! When it's Fusion Summoned, I can equip a monster my opponent controls to it!"

"What!?" Leiko gasped.

"Leiko...I'll be taking your own Yavix, so that it may power mine!" The wings on Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare's eyes glowed before its tail extended and stabbed into Yavix the Enhanced Samurai's back. The fangs underneath it coming out and stabbing into the monsters sides, capturing it, and pulling it over to the Fusion monster.

"Yavix!" Leiko reached out a hand in vain as his monster was held above Disgraced Nightmare, as suddenly a giant spikes shot from the Fusion monsters back and stabbed straight into its chest, the ends of it blooming open like a purple and pink flower as it glowed brightly.

"And the equipped monsters attack power, is added to Yavix's own!" Yavix the Enhanced Samurai greyed as its power was sucked away by its Fusion counterpart, the monster roaring as its ATK doubled to 5400.

"Here it coooooooomes..." Hotaru giggled. "BATTLE! Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare! Attack Leiko directly!"

Yu-Gi-Oh!

I continued running, until I could see something up ahead. "What is that?" Continuing to run, I squinted at the colours in front of me. "Is that...fire!?" I quickened my pace and found myself in a burning room. "What is...gah!" I ran and jumped through the flames, standing up fully I recoiled at what I saw.

Leiko seemd to be Dueling Hotaru, only Leiko's Yavix was in the clutches of some kind of horrible, demonic monster Hotaru was controlling.

"Elliot!" Hotaru suddenly cried. "I didn't expect you here so soon!"

"Elliot!?" Leiko gasped. "What are you doing here!?"

"Hotaru! Leiko!" I cried out to both of them. "What is...!?"

"Stay right there, Elliot! We'll be done soon!" Hotaru laughed. "Go, Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare!"

'Yavix!?' My eyes widened as the monster flew above us. 'That monster...is Hotaru's Yavix!?'

Suddenly, Leiko stepped in front of me. "Don't count on it! Trap Card, open! Blaze Drift!" The card showed a blazing u-turn with lightning bolts sparking off of it. "Whwen an opponents monster attacks, I negate that attack, then all monsters you control lose 1000 attack, and you take 500 damage for each monster affected!

Hotaru looked shocked. "H-Huh!?"

"You only have 100 Life Points, which means I win!" Leiko declared.

"N-No! This can't be happening!" Hotaru cried. "Impossibllllllllle! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

But then he smiled. "Just kidding! I activate Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare's other effect! By sending the monster equipped to it to the Graveyard, I negate the activation of a card or effect, and destroy it!" The Yavix the Enhanced Samurai attached to it burst into sparkles, before the tail that was previously holding it down shot a pink beam which destroyed Leiko's Trap.

"A-Ah!" Leiko gasped.

"Since Yavix has lost its meal, its ATK returns to normal. But your Life Points are 100, so it doesn't matter, right?" The monsters ATK became 2700 again.

"Shit...!" Leiko crused through gritted teeth.

"Ciao...Leiko." Hotaru giggled. "Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare! Nightmare Eyes!" The monsters three giant eyes glowed before each fired a dark pink and black laser.

'I have to stop him!' I thought quickly, going to activate my Duel Disk.

"Elliot, look out!" Suddenly, Leiko pushed me out of the way just before the attack enveloped him. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Leiko's LP: 0

Hotaru: WIN!

"Leiko!" I shouted as he was sent flying back, crashing to the ground as the flames finally died down.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Hotaru applauded. "That truly was fun!"

"Leiko! Leiko!" I ran over to him and knelt beside him. "Hey, can you hear me!? Stay with me, Leiko!"

For a moment I feared the worst, but then his syes slowly opened. "E...Elliot...ack! Shit!" He clutched his side in pain.

"Don't talk, Leiko! You're injured!" I told him.

"Fuck...fucking shitting bastard piss!" He swore. "I...I couldn't even save Rin...damnit! I'm so fucking useless!"

"Shut up, you idiot!" I scolded him. "You need to save your strength!"

"I...I..." Leiko looked up at me, and to my horror I could see he was scared. "Elliot...ugh...I...I need you...to do a favour for me..."

"Hey...Hey! Don't start talking like that!" I yelled.

"I...I need you...to tell everybody...something..." He groaned. "I want you...to tell Yugo...that he was my best fucking friend...and I...I treasured every single moment that I was with him...building our Duel Runners...Dueling together...just being with him...made me so, so happy..."

"Leiko...stop it!" I cried out desperately. I didn't know what else I could say!

"I want you...to tell Rin when you rescue her...and you better rescue her, bastard...is...I'm sorry I couldn't at least help save her..." Leiko coughed. "That I wanted to...I really wanted to...and that...I'm sorry for being so lewd...and perverted...and stupid..."

"Stop, please!" I begged. This was so scary for both of us...he was dying! I didn't know when he was going to stop breathing!

"And...and this one's important!" He emphasised. "Tell Ayu I'm sorry for messing up so many times...and that...that I think she's hot! And, and that she's got a nice firm butt...and great boobs...and, and really sparkly eyes...and a gentle voice...and...and..." He choked on his words as he started to cry. "...That I love her."

"Tell her that yourself! She'd want to hear that from you, don't you get that!?" My voice was breaking as I too was crying.

"I can't...I want to...I always wanted to...but now I can't!...I really do screw everything up..." He breathed.

"You don't! Get that through your thick skull! They couldn't live without you!" I told him.

"They'll be fine...they're strong...they're amazing...they're the people who are most precious to me..." He smiled lightly. "Elliot...please...tell them...one more thing..."

"Leiko..." I sobbed.

"Tell them...that even though I was a good-for-nothing bastard...they still stuck by me...they were everything to me...tell them...tell them..."

He smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks. "That I'm so thankful...they loved me!"

And with those words, his body burst apart into green sparkles, and I was left holding nothing. The only thing left of him was his yavix the Enhanced Samurai card, and his Beta the Magnet Warrior doll.

"Leiko..." I let the tears fall freely as I sobbed, before lifting my head to the sky. "LEIKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I hunched over and cried as the green sparkles faded away, holding his Yavix monster. Somebody...had died in my arms! It was so horrible! It was everything I hated, everything I feared, all over again!

"Leiko..." I mumbled into my hands.

"Pfffffffffhahahahahahahahahaha!" Suddenly, laughter filled the air. "Can you believe that!? What sentimental crap!"

Slowly, I looked over my shoulder at Hotaru. "Seriously, he went out whining! How pathetic is that? Still though, it made for quite the show!"

My sadness instantly gone, I stood up and faced him. "HOTARUUUUUUUUU!" I ran at him ready to punch him.

But before I got close iron bars suddenly extended out of the ground around me, forcing me to stop and grab them. "Hotaru! You bastard! I'll kill you!"

"Uh, uh, uh." Hotaru chided, wagging a finger at me. "I can't Duel you yet, Elliot! You just absorbed Leiko, which means that we have to wait for Anzel to be absorbed by one of us first! Then, it will just be you and me, the perfect final Duel!"

"I'm not some part of your sick game, Hotaru! I won't let you have it your own way!" I shouted at him.

"You don't have a choice, Elliot." Hotaru smirked. "Take good care of Leiko until I can take you both, okay? Ciao!" And with that, the cage suddenly descended into darkness.

"HOTARUUUUUUUUUUU!" I screamed up at him as the hatch above me closed, and I was in complete darkness.

Hotaru sighed happily. "Soon...soon everything will be as it should be."

He then walked over and picked up the Beta the Magnet Warrior doll, sneering at it. "Ugh, what a tacky thing. Well, Leiko won't be needing it anymore, will he?" He then dropped the toy on the floor, before stamping on it, breaking it into pieces, before walking off.

Snowflake Eye: You can reduce this cards ATK to 0 to add 1 'Snowflake' monster from your Deck to your hand.

Snowflake Butterfly: If there is a monster with 0 ATK on the field, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

Rank-Up-Magic Snowflake Dance: Target 1 WATER Xyz Monster you control, Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 WATER Xyz Monster, but 1 Rank higher, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.). If this card is in your Graveyard, you can discard two cards to add it to your hand.

Snowflake Queen: 3 Level 4 WATER Monsters. Unaffected by card effects. If this card has a 'Snowflake' monster attached to it as Xyz Material, it gains this effect:

Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to destroy all monsters on the field with 1000 or less ATK, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to the combined original ATK of the destroyed monsters.

HorReaper SerVial: Once per turn, you can banish 2 'HorReaper' or 'Horrible' cards from your graveyard to add 1 of your banished 'HorReaper' or 'Horrible' cards, other then the banished monsters, to your hand.

Psybernetic Follower: If this card is in your graveyard, you can tribute 1 'Psybernetic' monster you control to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If this card is Special Summoned by its own effect, it is treated as a Tuner monster whilst face-up on the field.

Horrible Retribution: If an ATK Position 'HorReaper' monster you control is destroyed by battle, end the Battle Phase, destroy the monster that destroyed it, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to their destroyed monsters ATK.

Psybernetic Damage Cancel: When you would take battle or effect damage, reduce that damage to 0. Then, you can Special Summon a 'Psybernetic' monster from your hand.

HorReaper GravediGloves: Once per turn, you can discard 1 card, then Special Summon 2 'HorReaper Tokens' (Level 1/Fiend/DARK/ATK: 0/DEF: 0) to your field. They cannot be Tributed for a tribute Summon.

HorReaper ShadoWing: If this card is banished from the Graveyard by a 'HorReaper' monsters effect, that HorReaper monster gains this effect:

This card cannot be destroyed by card effects.

Psybernetic Streamer: If you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can reduce this cards Level by 1, then add 1 'Psybernetic' monster from your Deck to your hand whose Level is less then this cards.

HorReaper PsycHex: When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, you can Special Summon 1 of your banished 'HorReaper' monsters with its effects negated, and its ATK and DEF reduced to 0. Banish it during the End Phase.

Yavix the Disgraced Nightmare: 2 DARK Monsters. When this card is Fusion Summoned, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls, equip it to this card. This card gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the monster equipped to its by its effect. If a card or effect is activated, you can send the monster equipped to this card to the Graveyard to negate that card or effects activation, and destroy it.

Blaze Drift: When an opponents monster declares an attack, negate that attack, reduce the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls by 1000, then inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster affected by this cards effect.

...Wow...not gonna lie, I actually cried writing that scene.

I had it planned from the beginning, I knew it was coming all this time, but still...actually writing it was heartbreaking. Leiko is gone.

In honour of his passing, this chapters question is:

QOTC: What were your favourite Leiko moments/Duels?

As always, thank you all for reading, and I truly appreciate your support as we reach the end. I'll see you in the next chapter, as always!

Farewell, Leiko.