Barian of the Void

by TrueHeartKnight

She wanted to hope. To hope that things would finally be different. To hope that she would be able to prove herself to the world. To hope that she would bring honor to her name and become someone worth remembering. And most of all, to hope that finally she would no longer be just a "Zero". What she got was all that and more, as hope is reborn one last time. In the form of Chaos.

31. Battle at the Dawn of Albion!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Zero no Tsukaima. Yu-Gi-Oh! Belongs to Konami Entertainment and Zero no Tsukaima belongs to Noboru Yamaguchi. Please support them both.

---

The scene was like that of a painting.

A small chapel with signs of destruction and conflict scattered about it. A man dressed in regal robes with blood pouring from his chest as he lay next to a broken altar, seemingly dead. A girl with noticeable pink hair having fainted at the entrance to the chapel, her cheeks marred by fresh tears.

And a tall man standing in the middle of it all, holding a rapier-wand that helped to portray him as the one responsible.

The one who caused the destruction.

The one who killed the man in robes.

The one who hurt Louise!

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDES!"

Ryoga's blue and red eyes flared as he kicked off the giant spear he was standing on and flung forward, the force making the weapon tilt back. Derflinger was drawn from his side and swung toward Wardes' neck. The griffin captain swiftly brought up his rapier-wand to intercept and defend himself, but the strength and momentum of the attack was greater than anticipated and sent him reeling. The soles of his shoes scraped across the floor and dragged him several feet back before he finally came to a stop.

"Impossible!" Wardes shouted, bafflement displayed across his face. "How are you in Albion!? How did you know we were here!?"

Ryoga gave no words. It was wasted energy on the dead.

He charged forward again, Derflinger cutting through the air with savage speed and strength. Wardes met head on with his wand. The sounds of colliding metal rang as their weapons began clashing, neither one refusing to back away or allow the other to gain momentum.

Ryoga's mind flooded with rage that he put into every swing. Rage towards the man in front of him. To being tricked into believing another lie. To have allowed Louise to be placed in such danger.

But most of all, he felt rage towards himself for being such a fool!

---

At some point one wonders if being used to pain was a good or bad thing? People have sayings about such experiences, usually along the lines of "You get used to it" or "Pain is an old friend", but did that really make it better?

Ryoga wasn't quite sure on the answer, but he was too used to waking up and staring at ceilings to care.

The Duelist's eyelids flickered as he gave a small moan. Consciousness slowly returning, his eyes opened up and allowed his vision to return. Although blurry for a moment, he quickly took in the unknown ceiling above and found himself lying in a soft bed and wrapped up in warm blankets.

"...How many times does this make it now?"

A small chuckle escaped his lips at his own joke. Ryoga sat up and did a check around. He was in a decently sized room that was illuminated by some lamps along the walls. The room itself was pretty basic, with the only additional furniture being some chairs against the walls and two small desk on each side of the bed. Atop one of the chairs he spotted his shirt and jacket, along with his Duel Disk and cards.

Looking down to check himself, he found his upper body was openly exposed and covered in bandage wrappings. He could also feel a large pad pressed against the spot where he had been badly wounded.

Reaching out to touch it, he found himself wincing, only discovering now that he was sore all over. Nevertheless he pushed on and felt around the pad. While he couldn't touch the skin directly, the pressure on his body told him all he needed. He felt no trace of the open flesh from before. Instead it felt closed up and normal against the pad, like it did before the Duel with Fouquet.

"That's right… Fouquet..."

The memories came rushing back. He had just defeated Fouquet and was trying to grab her, only to be suddenly ambushed by some unknown figure in a cloak. The figure then grabbed Fouquet for itself and disappeared. There was no memory after that except for hearing Katie call out to him, so he must have fallen unconscious right after.

Considering he wasn't trapped in some dark cell and had free movement, it was safe to assume Fouquet's rescuer hadn't bothered to finish him off despite his weakened state. Most likely Katie and Guiche brought him someplace safe and got him patched up.

"That person though…"

The former Barian frowned as he thought back to the cloaked figure. Though it was only for a brief time, the heavy weight of that figure's presence wasn't easy to forget. The way it appeared next to him without any notice or sound was chilling, and when Katie hit the figure with a spell it just brushed the attack off like it was nothing.

But its words…

Cold as the voice sounded, it was the words the figure spoke that struck the water user the most.

"You're here… The one thing I desired most to see again. The single hope I had left in this pitiful world… You're here…"

That was-

BA-BUMP!

"Ack!"

Ryoga gave a startled cry and gripped his head. He stayed that way for about a minute before calming down, although his breathing had turned a lot heavier while sweat started dripping down the sides of his face.

"Wha… What the heck was that?"

Just now, the memory of what the cloaked figure said to him caused some sort of scratching noise to erupt in the back of his head. Needless to say it was painful, almost feeling like something was trying to carve its way out of his skull.

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ryoga eventually got his breathing back to normal and lowered his arms. He wasn't sure what caused that noise, but it had thankfully stopped. Still, perhaps he wasn't as healed as he originally believed. He should try to take things a little easier until he knew for certain about his condition.

Regardless, it didn't deter him from his train of thoughts. The figure knew him. Somehow, someway, it knew who he, Kamishiro Ryoga, was. Or at least acted like it did.

Questions upon questions stacked inside the Duelist's head. How did the figure know him? Had they met somewhere before? Was the figure the one who taught Fouquet about Duel Monsters? Did that mean it was also responsible for the incident with the possessed bandit? If so, then would that mean the figure came from his world? How then did it end up in this world like him?

Too many questions and no clear answers on any of them, save for maybe the ones about Fouquet and the bandit. But one thing was crystal clear. The figure, whoever or whatever it was, held the key to those answers.

"Meaning the next time I see that person, I'll make sure to wring those answers out," Ryoga said with determination.

A sound at the door caught his attention. He watched it open as someone stepped inside. It was Katie, who carried a metal tray with some towels and rolls of bandages on it. Behind her was Guiche who was holding a bucket of water.

Both of them stopped when they saw Ryoga sitting up and staring at them.

"Katie. Guiche." Ryoga relaxed at seeing the two.

"Sir Shark! You're awake!" Katie gasped, being the first to react.

"I can't believe it," Guiche uttered surprised. "The doctor told us it would be several days before you woke up!"

"And I told you guys not to worry," a voice spoke from Katie's waist. It was Derflinger, who was hanging against her side. "My partner has been a fast healer for as long as I've known him."

"You've only known him a short while though," Guiche said.

"Exactly."

Ryoga smirked. Seems his earlier assumption about Katie and Guiche bringing him someplace safe was correct. And now he knew where Derflinger had been hiding. It was a weight off his heart given what could have been while he was unconscious.

Katie walked to the bedside and set the tray on the nearby desk before moving closer to him. "How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?"

Ryoga shook his head. "Minor throbbing and a bit of soreness, but nothing major," he told her, rolling his shoulders and arms to demonstrate his recovered state.

"That's good to hear." Katie gave a large sigh of relief.

"How long was I out?"

"A little over a day. It's a few hours before morning actually."

Ryoga considered the time frame. "Yeah, that sounds about right for me."

"That you could even make such a joke makes me truly wonder about your mental state," Guiche said as he put down the bucket and stood next to Katie.

"You aren't the only one," Ryoga thought to himself while speaking out loud. "So, where are we exactly?"

"A minor clinic in La Rochelle," Derflinger replied. "That Tabitha girl was the one who found it. She sent her familiar back to find you and bring you here."

Ryoga's eyes grew wide before becoming hardened at the mention of the bluenette. "Tabitha… Does that mean Kirche is here too?"

"Yes, she is," Katie said.

"...How is she?"

Katie's face fell, her lips bending down into a frown. "Still recovering I'm afraid. The doctors did what they could regarding her burns, but she hasn't woken up yet, and they aren't sure when that may be. Miss Tabitha hasn't left her side since bringing her here."

"...I see…"

Ryoga's hands clenched. If only he acted sooner, then Kirche might not be in this position in the first place. The reaction from the Sphere Field wasn't something he could have predicted. It couldn't be faulted to him, yet he felt the blame regardless. He had been Fouquet's target after all. Kirche just happened to get caught in the crossfire.

"The doctors weren't sure when you'd wake up either. It was very worrying for them, for all of us," Katie continued.

Ryoga's brow furrowed. "Didn't the doctors tell you it'd be several days?"

Katie lowered her gaze. "Well…that's what they said, but we could tell they weren't sure. You came in with a lot of injuries, and this clinic isn't as big or stocked like the ones back in the capital. It was hard to figure out a proper story to tell them that sounded believable."

"Especially since we still don't understand everything that happened ourselves," Guiche added. Ryoga gave him a hardened stare, to which he raised his hand up. "But you can relax. As much as I may want to know about what I witnessed that night, I've already accepted that you aren't open with such things unless you want to be. And also, I admittedly still need more time to process it all."

Ryoga was surprised, not used to the blonde actually being so considerate. Katie saw this and leaned down to his ear to whisper.

"I talked with him about it after the doctors told us you were stable. I convinced him wait until you were released before we start questioning you."

That made more sense.

Wasn't a bad thing though. Maybe the idiot could learn after all.

"Regardless, you definitely look better than when we brought you in," Guiche went on. "You were bleeding everywhere and pale as a ghost. The doctors didn't know for sure if they could do anything, and for a while we thought you might actually- ack!"

The playboy was cut off from Katie stepping on his foot with an angry glare. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. Ryoga's expression dropped and was replaced with guilt.

He did look like a sorry mess at the end there, didn't he? It wasn't the kind of picture a person should ever see, especially someone like Katie. Just looking at her now, he could tell she was pretending to be fine and trying to hide her emotions. They couldn't escape his sight though. The worry and fear were clear as day, as were the faint streak marks on her cheeks.

"Just how much did I make her cry?" Ryoga wondered with sadness. "Sorry about that," he apologized softly.

"N-No, it's fine! It's not your fault for what happened," Katie reassured. "I'm just glad you're awake now and feeling better. That's the most important thing."

"R-Right," Guiche agreed, wincing from the pain in his foot.

They weren't wrong. Better he was put into a temporary coma and still able to wake up than to add another tally mark to the death board.

...That sounded way worse than it should have. Probably best never to say such a thing out loud.

"Guess I can't argue with that," Ryoga said, giving a small smile so as to make Katie feel better. It appeared to work as she returned the smile with one of her own.

"In any case, we should start checking on your wrappings. Hopefully they shouldn't need too much changing," she said optimistically.

"Let's hope so. I'll be in your care then."

Katie nodded and grabbed one of the rolls of bandages she brought with her. She then sat on the bed and moved closer to Ryoga.

She began checking on the wrappings, testing to see if they were holding well or if any spots were coming loose. Her cheeks tinted bright red as her hand moved across them, feeling the rather fit and toned muscles lying beneath. Her eyes meanwhile occasionally broke away to soak in the sight of the exposed skin, recording how smooth it looked under the light from the lanterns. It helped that the body heat Ryoga emitted was rather soothing. Almost to the point she wouldn't mind being wrapped up in it and-

"Did you do it?"

"Huh!?" Katie squeaked, her head snapping up to Ryoga. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction but ignored it and scratched at the bandages.

"The wrappings. Did you do them?" He reiterated.

Katie blinked before her eyes widened. "O-Oh!" Her face turned crimson as she became embarrassed over what she'd been unconsciously doing. The quiet laughter of Derflinger didn't help. With a quick nod she went back to her work, doing her best to avoid looking directly into the ocean blue eyes watching her. "Y-Yes, I did. The doctors did them when you first came in, but after they told us you were stable I volunteered to help change them."

"And they actually let you?"

"Being a noble does have its privileges," Guiche commented.

A roll of the former king's eyes told how predictable that kind of answer was. Then again, it reminded him of when Louise took it upon herself to care for him after his battle with Guiche. Siesta said she watched over him the entire time he was out, even paying quite a fee to have him healed.

Ryoga became sullen. Such thinking only served to remind him that nothing was changed about their situation. Before Fouquet's sudden attack he was trying to deal with having hurt Louise in his fight with Wardes, and even before that she made it pretty clear how angry she was with him. Given all the things that just happened, both to her and the others, her mood may have only worsened.

"Would explain why she's not here this time."

The next few minutes were kept in relative silence as Ryoga remained still so Katie could continue her work. Occasionally she took off some wraps and replaced them, while having Guiche wet some of the towels with the water he brought and give them to her so she could wipe away any excess dressing. After a while the task was finished and Katie pulled back, her face still red as a tomato while her ears burned hot.

"T-There, that should be all you need."

"Thanks for that," Ryoga said with a genuine smile this time. The action made Katie even redder.

"I'm still surprised," Guiche said. "The doctors said that even with the spells they used it would take some time for you to fully heal. I don't think they were expecting it to be this fast."

Ryoga shrugged. "Like Derf said, I'm a fast healer."

Given the frequency of how often he got himself injured, it was no surprise. His already high endurance and tolerance to pain combined with the power of Chaos probably made his body become so adaptive to getting hurt it gave him some miniature healing factor or something. Not that he ever bothered to check if he actually did possess such a power.

"Well fast or not, you should still take it easy," Katie suggested. "You may say you're fine, but the doctors will want to check on you once they learn you're awake."

"Trust me, I know," Ryoga mumbled with a groan, recalling all the numerous checkups from his past and how often he was forced to stay in bed despite wanting to get up and move. "You don't have to worry about me wandering off anytime soon. After that Duel with Fouquet I'm not exactly up for anything strenuous."

Katie smiled in approval before suddenly remembering something. "Oh! I almost forgot! Sir Shark, I have news about Miss Louise."

"Is it about her being awake?"

That caught the nobles off guard.

"How did you...?" Guiche wondered.

"Cat Shark told me during the Duel. Said Wardes was watching over her," Ryoga explained, his answer being accepted by the two.

"Wait, doesn't that mean you already knew when we told you?" Guiche accused Derflinger with a pointed finger.

"Of course I knew. I just figured you'd want to hear it from partner," the living sword said. Guiche gave the sword an annoyed look.

"How is Louise doing?" Ryoga asked.

Katie took a moment to think before speaking. "Well, when I last saw her she seemed to be doing well. She didn't look to be in any kind of pain and was moving around without much trouble, so I would take that as a good thing."

"I can agree with that," Guiche said. "While I was a bit preoccupied at the time to really look, she was certainly acting like her usual self."

Ryoga laid back on the bed and sighed. "That's good." Whatever issues he and Louise had, it was enough knowing she was okay.

"Don't worry, Sir Shark. I'm sure Miss Louise will be just as happy to know that you're okay too," Katie assured him, as if somehow able to read his mind.

"Who would be happy about that?" Ryoga scoffed, trying to mask what he was feeling. Katie gave him a knowing smile, which he turned away from. "Whatever. All it means is that Louise will rush straight over here the second she learns I'm up and start interrogating me like she usual." His eyes dipped down and gained a solemn look. "That is...assuming she even wants to talk to me."

Katie's smile faded. "Sir Shark…"

Guiche shook his head at the water user. "You and the Zero really are a troublesome pair."

"You're the last person I want to hear that from," Ryoga stated bluntly. Guiche just shrugged.

"Well at least you'll have plenty of time to think over what you'll say to her. The next ship out to Albion won't be for a couple of days, so who knows when will be able to meet up with Louise and Lord Wardes again."

"Huh?" Confusion showed on Ryoga's face. "What do you mean by that?"

Derflinger twitched. "Oh, right. You're gonna want to brace yourself, partner. You probably won't like this."

Ryoga's brow narrowed. "Like what?"

"The ship we were supposed to take to Albion has already departed," Guiche informed. "We won't be able to charter another trip until a new ship comes in."

That was certainly annoying, but nothing unexpected. Given how long Ryoga was out for it only made sense. But from Derflinger's comment, he knew there had to be more.

"What else? You mentioned something about Louise and Wardes. Did anything else happen while I was out?"

"No, everything has been quiet since that night," Katie said. "And as far as we know they aren't anywhere in the city. So hopefully that means they made it to Albion."

"THEY WHAT!?"

Katie and Guiche jumped at Ryoga's shout.

"What do you mean 'made it to Albion!?' Why would Louise be in Albion right now!?"

"Yup. There's the reaction," Derflinger mumbled.

"C-Calm down, Ryoga," Guiche said. "Going to Albion was part of the mission, remember? That's the whole reason we came here."

"Don't treat me like an idiot! Of course I know that!" Ryoga snapped. "What I want to know is what the hell you meant by Louise being in Albion!? When was this decided while I was out cold!?"

"It wasn't!" Katie said. "Miss Louise and Lord Wardes went to Albion the night we were attacked!"

Ryoga paused and looked at her in shock. "What?"

Having captured his attention the first-year took the opportunity to explain. "It was when myself, Guiche, and Miss Tabitha were barricading ourselves against the soldiers that were attacking us, the ones we now know Fouquet hired. Miss Louise and Lord Wardes found us there, and it was Lord Wardes who explained that the men were trying to make us use all our magic and that fighting back would only delay them. He said our focus should instead be on completing the mission, and that it could be accomplished even if half of our group made it to Albion."

Ryoga's eyes narrowed. Wardes decided to just go to Albion and take Louise with him? While the others were fighting for their lives?

"You told me Louise was fine."

"She is, or she was. As I said, it was during the attack that I got to see her," Katie said, understanding Ryoga's desire for clarity on the matter. "I should have been clearer on that, but I thought you already knew."

"What would make you think I would know anything about this?"

"Cat Shark," was Katie's response. "Since it told you about Miss Louise waking up I presumed that meant it explained everything else to you." She looked down with guilt. "It seems I was wrong though. I shouldn't have made such assumptions. I'm sorry."

Ryoga's teeth clicked together, signifying his frustration. "You're not the one who should be apologizing."

The positive atmosphere from moments ago was completely evaporated. Louise was gone, all the way in another continent. That he was only learning about this long after the fact made his mood grow all the more sour.

He didn't fault Katie or Guiche. He had been the one who passed out after dealing with Fouquet. And Katie's assumption wasn't in the wrong either. Thinking back on it, Cat Shark had tried to tell him something about Louise and the hotel right before it disappeared. Probably about them going to Albion.

"That's at least one thing I don't have to worry over."

Knowing the Duel Spirit was by Louise's side put Ryoga ever so slightly at ease. Wardes may also be with her, but since it was his idea to just take off in the first place, that didn't put the man in the best light right now. Having another set of eyes out there meant Louise would be better protected.

Taking a deep breath, Ryoga steadied his emotional storm before speaking. "So what you're telling me is Wardes took Louise and left all of you behind?"

"Well…" Katie hesitated, knowing how it would sound regardless. "Y-Yes. B-But it wasn't for any bad reasons!" She quickly added to try and assuage Ryoga's concern.

"Katie, that doesn't excuse him abandoning you guys."

"But he didn't! It was something we all agreed to do, even Miss Louise!" The statement received a look of skepticism from Ryoga. "We all thought that if he and Miss Louise could make it out safe that it would be fine. They would be able to continue the mission and we would all be able to meet up later once we found you." Katie looked over Ryoga's form again, her expression becoming downhearted. "Although, had we known about Fouquet, maybe Lord Wardes would have stayed."

"He shouldn't have left in the first place," grunted the water user.

"Perhaps. But it still happened, and we're still here, Sir Shark. We managed to survive against Fouquet's soldiers. In fact, Lord Wardes' actions helped us. He said once he and Louise snuck away that the soldiers would eventually notice the disappearance and split up to find them, which would make the fight easier for us."

Ryoga arched an eyebrow. "Did it?"

"No idea," Guiche spoke up, able to find his voice again after seeing Ryoga settle down. "We couldn't exactly keep track of their numbers, not when a bunch of arrows were flying at us. Lord Wardes did attack them when he and Louise ran off, so it's fair to assume he caught their attention and had them give chase."

Ryoga opened his mouth to say something but stopped. He frowned and seemed confused. "Wait, Wardes attacked them? I thought you said his idea was to sneak away?"

"Well, yes. He and Louise would sneak out and their disappearance would cause the soldiers to leave and find them."

"Then why attack them?"

Guiche blinked. "Huh?"

"The soldiers. Why did he attack them? That defeats the entire purpose of sneaking."

Guiche blinked again, followed by Katie. They looked almost puzzled by the question.

"To...draw them away?" The blonde guessed.

"You just said they were supposed to be drawn away from noticing the disappearance," Ryoga reminded.

"W-Well…" Guiche started to seem unsure and rubbed the back of his head. "M-Maybe Lord Wardes was just caught in the moment and decided to give us some aid?"

"No…" Katie put a hand to her chin. "Sir Shark is right. Didn't Lord Wardes mention that he and Miss Louise couldn't afford to fight because it would exhaust them before they reached the harbor?"

Guiche hummed as he tried to remember. "I...think so? I recall him saying something along those lines."

"Did he say anything else?" Ryoga asked.

Katie gave a nod. "Yes. I remember him mentioning that having the soldiers see them leave would be bad. We know they would have eventually searched for him and Miss Louise once they were discovered to be missing, but it wasn't supposed to be something that happened right away." Her tone took a turn of uncertainty toward the end. "At least...I'm fairly certain it wasn't."

Having the subject brought up now got the brunette thinking about it and recognizing the flaw that was pointed out. If Lord Wardes and Miss Louise left before the soldiers noticed their disappearance, that would be one thing, but that wasn't what happened at all. Had she been so caught up in the fighting that she hadn't realized it?

Guiche was starting to share similar thoughts, making him equally concerned. It was silly to believe Lord Wardes would do such a thing on purpose, yet a tiny part of him questioned it. Why did Lord Wardes launch that attack if he was trying to sneak away? Was it truly a mistake, or was it perhaps what griffin captain had in mind didn't match what he told them?

But that couldn't be the case...could it?

"Let me make sure I got this right," Ryoga said as he crossed his arms. "Wardes' plan was to sneak away with Louise and reach the harbor so they could head for Albion. Meanwhile, you guys would keep Fouquet's mercenaries busy until they noticed Louise and Wardes were gone and split up to make the fighting easier. But instead of sneaking away quietly, Wardes attacked them and drew their attention to him. That right so far?"

"Yes," Katie confirmed.

"Alright, then let's assume for a minute Guiche is right and Wardes was just caught in the moment. Did either of you actually see the soldiers split off to chase them?"

Guiche flinched and averted his gaze. "I...was keeping my head down, so I didn't get to see," he said with a bit of shame.

"I saw some try, but Miss Tabitha attacked them once they were in the open," Katie told him. "I'm not sure if they tried again after that, but it's possible they left through the hotel entrance since that's where they first came from."

"But did you actually see it?" Ryoga asked again.

"No. Actually, after Lord Wardes and Miss Louise left, the soldiers started becoming more aggressive. I could barely peak out from cover and had to fire my spells blind most of the time."

Ryoga glowered. Nothing about this sounded right. He could understand dividing an enemy force to make it easier to combat them, but the contradiction between actions and words was off-putting.

The best way to divide an enemy was to draw their attention to something else and make them either investigate or confront it. Hit-and-run tactics were one way of doing so, as the enemy wouldn't stand being picked at from a retreating target and would give chase. If that had been Wardes' game from the start then there would be nothing wrong with his actions.

Except based on what he was told, that wasn't supposed to be the plan at all. Wardes claimed he and Louise would sneak away, and that having a confrontation was bad for them, yet engaged the enemy anyways. If the need to conserve energy was so important, that alone would put a damper on the scenario. Heck, based on what Katie said, Wardes just pissed off the soldiers and made things worse.

Even disregarding that, having members of your group sneak away and escape wouldn't be anywhere near efficient to carry the task of catching the enemy's attention unless you knew they were keeping a close eye on you. Due to the nature of combat and chaos - not the power, but the disorder - it would take time for the soldiers to notice the missing group since their main focus would be locked to what's happening right in front of them at that very moment. If the fighting was as bad as Ryoga imagined, Louise and Wardes could have easily snuck away the moment Katie or Tabitha launched an attack at the soldiers and forced them to take cover. How long would it take then for the enemy to realize there were mages missing?

"Partner, what are you thinking?" Derflinger asked.

"I don't know. But…" Ryoga went silent again, musing on the information. "Something just doesn't add up." He knew there was a possibility he was overthinking this. That his paranoia could be attributed to his concern for Louise. Yet he couldn't shake the idea that this entire scenario smelled bad. In fact, one part in particular disturbed him. It was something he had to know the answer to before he could make any final judgements. "Katie, how large was the group that attacked you? Did they have mages of their own?"

"No, just men with armor and weapons," Katie said. "The only other people we saw using magic that night were you and Fouquet. As for how large, I would say several dozen at least."

"So about the same numbers as the bandits we encountered?"

"Most certainly."

"Alright. And how tough were they to deal with? As bad as the bandits, or worse?"

Guiche was the one to reply, accompanied with a loud groan. "Worse I'd say. They fell as easily as the bandits, but causing it to happen was another thing entirely. I could barely create my precious valkyries in that setting, what with all the arrows raining down on us. And we were so cramped together it was hard to move without putting ourselves in the open."

"Yes. It was very difficult to fight back because of how cornered we were," Katie agreed.

Ryoga's brow tightened. "But outside of that, none of those soldiers acted strange?"

"Ummm…no? I mean, not any stranger than them trying to kill us."

That was all he needed to hear, and now after hearing it, the answer to what was bothering him became a question of its own.

"Why didn't Wardes fight?"

Out of everything, that bit of news was the most troubling.

Having a party stay behind to delay enemy forces and buy time wasn't wrong. Nor was splitting off to complete a mission. In the art of battle, both actions were practices that were frequently used. A look at the history of his world proved that. There was nothing inherently wrong with deciding to invoke either one in order to turn the tide and gain the advantage.

However, that judgement also relied on whether circumstances called for such actions to be necessary. And as of now, Ryoga couldn't see it going that way. Not by his own experience.

Had Fouquet's hired goons been much stronger, like say on par with the possessed bandit or even the thief herself, it would make sense. Fighting in an enclosed area against a powerful opponent, and multiples at that, would not only be difficult, but the destruction it'd bring would pose great risk for any bystanders, including allies.

That wasn't what Katie and the others faced though. They faced mercenaries, soldiers at that, who were no different from the bandits that ambushed them days prior, and whose numbers and equipment matched equally. Their tactics were better suited, but could most likely be attributed to Fouquet, as she was the one who hired them, putting her in the position to label their targets and explain what they were up against. Aside from that, there wasn't much of a difference in threat level except for the location, which put them at the advantage against the mage students.

Knowing this, what then prevented Wardes from fighting alongside the others? During the bandit ambush he charged into at least half of their numbers and took them on all by himself, coming back not only in victory, but without a scratch on him. Then days later, Ryoga got to experience firsthand the griffin captain's strength. While no victor was named, both could tell that the other was holding back.

"Wardes is strong, no denying that, but he's also smart. He should have been able to tell that those soldiers were easy to deal with. But instead he separated from the others and grabbed Louise so they could go to Albion. What kind of sense does that make?"

Ryoga scratched his head, trying to fathom what went through the noble's head that made him take such a course of action.

Then he froze as a thought crossed his mind.

"Unless…"

What if...that was the entire point? What if the reason Wardes didn't fight was because he had no intention of doing so? What if instead, he wanted to get Louise to Albion, regardless of the others?

"But for what reason? What would he have to gain from it?"

The answer came in a memory. From when the cloaked figure that attacked him was grabbing the unconscious Fouquet.

"Still, you played your part well in keeping him stalled long enough, so I'll keep you around for a bit longer."

He had been in too much pain to focus on what was being said, but now that he could, the revelation it brought sent a chill of dread dripping down the former king's spine.

Stalled. Fouquet had gone after him to get her revenge, but the cloaked figure said she was keeping him stalled. To make sure he was occupied and unable to interfere with anything else happening.

Such as Louise leaving the city and going to Albion.

Pieces started falling into place. Connections started forming, and as they did, an emotion ignited inside Ryoga. One he was very familiar with. It burned hot and rapidly grew as his expression transitioned into something fearsome.

"..upid…"

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Katie asked.

"I'M SO STUPID!"

Ryoga's voice reverberated throughout the entire room, almost seeming to make it shake.

"Eek! S-Sir Shark!?" Katie yelped, taken aback by the outburst. A reaction shared by Guiche. She watched Ryoga throw aside the covers of the bed and stand up, wincing from the pain but pushing past it regardless. "H-Hey! W-Wait a second! What are you doing!? You shouldn't be moving yet!"

"Partner, what's wrong?" Derflinger asked.

The Duelist walked over to the chair with his stuff and started putting them on. "Louise is in trouble!" He stated without looking at the others.

"Eh!?" Everyone voiced.

"What are you talking about?" Derflinger asked.

"The cloaked guy that rescued Fouquet. Whoever they were, they said something about her doing well in keeping me stalled," Ryoga said, his voice heated with anger. "Fouquet didn't just attack me to get payback. I think she was sent to make sure I couldn't interfere with Louise leaving!"

"What!?" Katie yelled. "Are you sure?"

"I know what I heard."

"H-Hold on, that doesn't make sense!" Guiche claimed. "How would Fouquet know about Louise going to Albion? We were the only ones who knew about that! Perhaps you misunderstood and Fouquet was meant to keep you from helping us?"

Ryoga snapped on the Duel Disk. "You'd have a point, except that the cloaked guy said I was kept stalled long enough. That means what they wanted to have happen happened already. You guys were safe by that point, so it wouldn't make sense to be talking about you. There was only one other thing going on at that time, and only certain people who knew it."

Katie gasped, suddenly understanding what was implied. "Wait… You're not suggesting…?"

"I am." Ryoga turned around, now fully clothed and armed with all but Derflinger. "I think Fouquet knew Louise would be going to Albion that night. And I think the reason she knew was because someone told her. Someone who planned to take her there."

Guiche reached the same conclusion and turned deathly white. "Lord Wardes!"

Ryoga nodded, the emotion inside him rising: pure anger. No, not anger. Anger didn't touch what he felt. It was wrath. The same wrath he felt towards Vector upon losing his sister for the first time, and then again when Vector, as a Barian, betrayed the Barian Emperors and killed them.

He finally understood why he was always cautious around Wardes. It wasn't because he was jealous, but because the air around Wardes was the exact same as Vector. Of a man who put on a mask to pretend in front of others, then removed it when the time was right. Just as Vector had done to Yuma, to the Emperors! And exactly like back then, he hadn't noticed until it was too late!

Yes, wrath was what Ryoga felt, and it was wrath that would be brought down on Wardes!

"No way. Then this entire time, the viscount and Fouquet were…" Guiche stumbled back, filled with complete shock and disbelief. The idea of someone like Lord Wardes, one of the most famed and beloved nobles in Tristain, being a traitor was...was too big to grasp.

"T-That can't be. It just can't," Katie said in denial.

"Wardes is strong enough that if he helped you guys, you would have defeated those soldiers a lot faster. Instead he left you to your fate and took off with Louise. If that was intentional, then he wanted those men to kill you," Ryoga told them. The idea of Wardes planning such a thing struck both nobles hard. "There's no telling what else he's got planned, and if I don't hurry then Louise will only be put in greater danger." He walked over to Katie and reached for Derflinger, only for her to step back. His eyes turned up to her. "Katie?"

"Sir Shark, I-I..." Katie looked down at the floor and stuttered. "T-This is too much. What if you're wrong? What if Lord Wardes isn't a traitor and Miss Louise is fine?"

"Then I'll apologize for it later. But if I'm right, Louise is going to need my help," the water user said.

"But you're talking about going to Albion! Even if you're right, you're in no condition to be moving around right now! Besides, there isn't another ship yet. How do you plan to get there?"

"I don't need a ship. I have my Duel Monsters for that."

"But you can't! You should-"

"GIVE ME THE SWORD, KATIE!"

Katie flinched, the volume of the shout making her feel afraid. She looked up at Ryoga, excepting to see his wrath aimed on her. Yet to her surprise, that wasn't what she found.

"Please…" Ryoga's voice lowered, almost to the level of begging. "You told me you trusted me. So trust me now. If I'm right, then Louise…" His teeth gritted, not wishing to speak further of the possibilities.

"Sir Shark…" Katie stared at him wide-eyed. He was scared. Scared and desperate. She'd only seen him like this once before, not long ago at Lagdorian Lake. He was scared then too, when the truth of his identity got exposed. Only this time his fear was for Louise. No, it was far greater.

She was scared too, learning a traitor had been hiding among them all this time. The viscount at that! He tried to set her and the others up to die, and she allowed Louise to go with such a person. It left her feeling almost paralyzed to do anything.

Which was why after a moment, she ever so slowly reached down and unfastened Derflinger.

Guiche looked at her stunned. "Are you sure?"

"No," Katie admitted. "But if Miss Louise really is in danger, I would never forgive myself for not doing anything to stop her from being rescued." She held out the blade to Ryoga. He reached out and grasped it, but found Katie's hand still holding tightly to the sheath, preventing him from taking it. "Sir Shark, take me with you," she demanded.

"Out of the question," came the immediate rejection.

"You can't expect me to sit back after learning all of this!"

"That's not it. I need you and Guiche to stay here in case Wardes planned for anything else."

The nobles became confused.

"What do you mean?" Guiche asked.

"Kirche is still unconscious, and Tabitha won't leave her side. That makes two vulnerable people," Ryoga reminded. "If Wardes planned on the possibility of you guys surviving, there's a chance he could have more soldiers or someone equally powerful as Fouquet go after them. And this time they'll be better prepared. Tabitha can't handle that alone if she's trying to protect Kirche."

Katie winced, not having considered such a scenario. It was only a possibility, but a dangerous one. And it wasn't like Guiche could be relied on to keep calm and help Tabitha if it happened.

Despite every fiber of her being telling her to reject the notion, the brunette knew what the right decision was, and knew she had no choice. "Fine." Her violet eyes lifted to look into blue. "But I want a promise." Her grip on the sheath tightened. "Promise me you'll come back. And that you'll bring Miss Louise with you. No matter what, you both return to us. Okay?"

Ryoga nodded. "I promise."

Katie watched him for a moment before nodding back and releasing Derflinger. Ryoga gave her a grateful look and strapped the sword to his waist, finally ready to rescue Louise.

"But, Ryoga, how do you plan to get to Albion?" Guiche inquired. "You've never been there before, right? Even if you tell us to stay you'll need someone to guide you."

"Don't worry. I've got that covered."

After saying that Ryoga stormed out of the room, with Katie and Guiche right on his tail. They made their way through the clinic, ignoring the doctors and nurses working or telling them to stop, until eventually they were outside. The streets were still bare of people since it was night, with only the smallest peaks of the rising sun etching their way over the mountainside.

Ryoga searched until he found a large alleyway that was vacant. He entered the alleyway and activated his Duel Disk, drawing two cards from his Deck and calling them out. "Awaken! Killer Rabca! Tripod Fish!"

Two pillars of water spouted from the earth and the monsters emerged from them, both letting out fearsome sounds.

"Those familiars again," Katie whispered. "Then you plan to…"

"Xyz Summon!" Ryoga gave the command to his monsters. They roared and became auras of light that then dived down into a red portal. "Come forth, Black Ray Lancer!"

The portal erupted as the mighty black warrior rose up with spear in hand. Even with the gravity of the situation, Katie and Guiche couldn't help but stare in awe at the beast. Having only seen it from afar, the close-up experience was truly breathtaking as it was equally intimidating.

"Amazing…" Katie breathed.

"I can hardly believe it myself," Guiche uttered.

Black Ray extended a hand to Ryoga, allowing him to climb up onto its shoulder and grab one of the spirit's shoulder spikes to secure himself. Once settled, Ryoga closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to feel for the connection between himself and Cat Shark. He felt it, however it was very faint, to the point where he couldn't rely on it directly to guide him. Given the distance between the city and Albion, it made sense

"In that case…" He placed his free hand on the Barian pendant. "I don't know how or why, but you've always guided me where I needed to go, even when I don't know it myself," he spoke to the pendant through his thoughts. "So please guide me now. Find Cat Shark. Show me the way to Louise."

BA-BUMP!

An instant response. Ryoga's eyes snapped open and turned toward the direction he felt. "There! Black Ray Lancer, full speed! Don't stop for anything!"

The Xyz roared and turned, it's wing's lighting up with crimson color.

"Sir Shark! Be careful!" Katie called out.

Ryoga gave no indication if he heard her as Black Ray flew off into the sky at high speeds. Within seconds the distance between the Duel Monster and La Rochelle increased, making the city shrink in size until it was barely visible. Rising higher into the sky, the sun's rays greeted the pair, yet neither felt the warmth it carried.

"Louise, just hang on! I'm coming for you!"

---

Derflinger struck down on top of Wardes' wand, Ryoga putting as much strength as he could behind the attack, as if trying to slice the magical item in half. Wardes grunted and pushed the sword to the side before throwing a kick at Ryoga, who stepped back to avoid the hit. Ryoga then immediately launched forward with a thrusting attack. Wardes spun on his heel to avoid the strike and channeled his wind magic, summoning a small wave that sent Ryoga careening into the air.

Ryoga crashed into one of the chapel benches, knocking it over and tossing him on his back. Disoriented for a moment, he quickly rolled to his feet just in time to see three spears of wind hurtling toward him. Instead of moving to dodge he brought up his Duel Disk and hit one of the buttons.

"Instant Magic! Cascade Barrier!"

Having preset the card on the way to Albion, it activated and materialized a wall of water in front of Ryoga. The water knocked aside nearby benches and intercepted the spears of wind, halting them until they dispersed. Once the water cleared Ryoga searched around for Wardes, but couldn't find him.

"Behind!"

Instinct and Derflinger's warning came together, allowing Ryoga to leap out of the way of another spear of wind. Wardes dashed in right behind the attack and began delivering a series of thrust with his wand, which was covered at the tip with wind magic shaped into a drill. Ryoga moved to dodge and deflect each thrust, narrowly avoiding getting skewered.

After one dodge he swung the Duel Disk down on the wand, making it hit the floor and cutting off Wardes' momentum. He followed up with a sideways swing of Derflinger aimed at Wardes' chest. Before it could land, wind rapidly gathered at Wardes' feet. A second later the mage was yanked backwards, almost seeming to float away, allowing him to dodge the edge of the sword, which only succeeded in scraping his robes.

"Damn you…" Wardes muttered as he glared at the purple boy.

"WARDES!" Ryoga's fury echoed out as he chased after the man.

"Breaking Wind!" Wardes thrust his wand forward, creating a large tunnel of wind that flew out at Ryoga.

"Zeus' Breath!" The Duelist countered with his Trap Card, summoning an equally large wave of water.

The elemental forces collided with incredible might and fought for dominance before erupting outwards, making wind and water spread around the chapel in every direction. Ryoga dashed through the storm and swung Derflinger, aiming to remove Wardes' legs. The attack missed as Wardes flew over the swing and Ryoga's head using wind magic. He landed gracefully a good distance away and turned to cast another Breaking Wind spell. He was cut off however by - of all things - Ryoga reversing his hold on Derflinger and hurling the sword like a javelin.

The look on Wardes' face would have been priceless had Ryoga not been wanting to tear it off.

The griffin captain dove out of the way of the flying sword, which impaled into one of the benches. Ryoga didn't waste the opportunity. He immediately closed the distance, appearing to almost teleport inside of Wardes' space, and threw a punch with his right hand. Wardes caught the fist with his free hand, only to then bring up his wand to block the Duel Disk that came right after. Locked in their positions, Wardes didn't think Ryoga could do anything further, and so was unprepared for the boy to ram his head up into his nose.

Wardes' head snapped back as he yelped and grabbed his face. This gave Ryoga to opportunity to continue his attack. Three heavy jabs were delivered right into the noble's stomach, followed by an uppercut that made him stumble. Ryoga's knees bent as he jumped up and delivered a roundhouse kick to Wardes' side, knocking him into one of the benches. Ryoga dove in for another strike, but Wardes wasn't having anymore of it and unleashed a burst of wind from his wand, which struck Ryoga in the chest and knocked him back.

Wardes got back up and continued his retaliation by throwing a hail of wind bullets at Ryoga, who started running between benches for cover. As Ryoga ran he drew another card and checked it. Getting an idea he looked to where Derflinger was before activating the card.

"Magic Card! Aqua Jet!"

Unlike when the card was used on Jawsman, no metal wings with jet turbines appeared on the Duelist. Instead they appeared on an apparatus-like device that was summoned. It was about as large as Ryoga and similar-looking to the one that made up Aero Shark's body.

Ryoga grabbed the Aqua Jet with both hands and aimed it in the direction of Derflinger. Water then shot from the turbines and the device pulled him into the air at high speed, outpacing the barrage from Wardes. The distance between Ryoga and Derflinger was closed almost instantly, and once in range he reached down and grabbed the sword mid-flight, his momentum yanking it out of the bench it was stuck in. In the same motion the water from the Aqua Jet cut off, letting him hit the ground running.

Once he managed to come to a stop, Ryoga swung the device around and pointed it at Wardes. Water fired again and the Aqua Jet flew, this time without Ryoga, as he let go at the last second, sending it off like a missile toward the noble.

Wardes countered by shooting another spear of wind at the incoming projectile. The spell pierced the Aqua Jet and made it explode right in front of him, creating a cloud of smoke. Ryoga jumped out of the cloud to try and stab Wardes, but the man seemed to predict the action and once again avoided the attack by flying into the air. Instead of landing he remained in the air and floated back until he felt safe.

"Tch, this wasn't supposed to happen," Wardes said irritated as he looked down at Ryoga. "To think I would have to deal with you like this. That wench, she cut corners, didn't she?"

Hearing that made Ryoga's glare grow fiercer. "Wench… So then it's true! You're working with Fouquet, aren't you!?"

Wardes went silent before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a white mask and put it on, one Ryoga immediately recognized. It was the same mask worn by the figure who was with Fouquet when she appeared before him and Kirche.

There was no doubt left. Everything that happened was exactly like what Vector did to Yuma! To all of them!

"You bastard…!" Ryoga's fingers tightened around his sword, the rage in his heart being further fueled.

"I suppose there's no point in trying to hide it anymore," Wardes said as he removed the mask and let it drop from his hands.

"WARDES!"

Ryoga stepped on one of the benches and used it give him lift as he jumped into the air at Wardes. The noble flew around and away from the slash while simultaneously casting another Breaking Wind. Caught mid-air, the wind plowed into Ryoga and tossed him into the chapel wall. He let out a pained cry before hitting the ground.

"Partner! You okay!?" Derflinger yelled.

"I'm fine!" Ryoga rushed to stand but stumbled and fell once more.

"Hey, take it easy! Remember what that girl said!"

He didn't want to, but his body couldn't ignore the aching all around his muscles nor the desire of wanting to collapse. It was just as Katie warned. Having woken up only a short time ago and then put into extraneous action right afterwards, he was in no condition to be moving, let alone fighting. Especially when his opponent was someone like Wardes.

"Why are you here, Gandalfr?" Wardes asked. He crossed his arms and floated next to the portrait of the Founder that was still hanging, looking confident and self-sure. Almost like he was purposefully displaying his superiority. "Was it Louise? Yes, that must be it. You must have sensed that your master was in danger."

Ryoga's teeth grinded together, his expression equivalent to that of a dangerous animal. He dug his sword into the floor and used it to help lift himself. "Why...?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you betray Louise!? Betray Henrietta!? What's in it for you!?"

Wardes shrugged. "To accomplish a goal, you can't be selective with the means."

Ryoga spat. "So you were just using us then! Using Louise! From the start, you didn't even care about her, did you!?"

"Such a selfish belief."

Wardes swung his wand and cast another Breaking Wind spell. At the speed it was coming, Ryoga knew he couldn't respond in time to draw a card. Instead he raised the Duel Disk up for cover and kneeled down, using Derflinger to brace himself. The wind rushed over him, slashing away at the surrounding area as it threatened to take him into the air again. The spell ended before that could happen, but the result still left Ryoga with many cuts across his clothes and skin.

"That's it?" Wardes said with a cruel smile on his lips. "Gandalfr, your movements seem much slower than last time. I thought a Duelist of your caliber would at least try and make this more entertaining."

Blood dripped from a gash on Ryoga's cheek as he growled. "So you knew."

"Of course. Like I told you, I did my research on you. I know that you do not belong in Halkeginia, and about your abilities as a Duelist. The whole reason I arranged that fight between us was to see how big of a threat you were." Wardes expression hardened. "Yet even I did not foresee you being so strong. You weren't even using your abilities as a Gandalfr as far as I could tell."

"Stop calling me that!" Ryoga yelled. "Whatever you think this 'Gandalfr' is, only I get to decide who I am! So you can fuck off with these mind games you're trying to play!"

Wardes let out a loud scoff of contempt. "To deny what you can't possibly begin to understand. You're more foolish than I thought." He lifted his wand and started channeling magic for another spell. "But it matters little. Believe whatever you wish, you'll still die all the same."

Ryoga's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure about that?"

A loud cracking sound emitted behind Wardes. He hastily spun around but was too late, as the wall shattered from a large black armored fist punching through it. The concussive force and flying rubble crashed into Wardes, knocking him down from the air.

The wall continued to collapse until a large hole was left in its place, from which Black Ray Lancer could be seen. It gave a loud cry as it flew inside the chapel and over to its spear, which had remained in the same spot it first entered. It yanked the weapon out and spun it before moving to hover next to Ryoga protectively.

"If you know about Duelists, then you should have remembered we never fight alone," Ryoga said as he stood straight and smiled at his monster. There had been a reason he entered the chapel the way he did.

With the help of the Barian pendant Ryoga directed Black Ray Lancer on the faint trail of Cat Shark's spiritual essence and the paths it took. This led him to Albion, where he found the hidden cavern below the floating continent and went inside. By that point he could sense Cat Shark's exact location, and in doing so, he also sensed the emotional distress it was in.

Knowing something was wrong, he instructed Black Ray to rush to the location. They both arrived at the chapel just in time to see Cat Shark get blasted outside. Alarmed, he hurriedly checked on the spirit and became appalled and furious by the state it was in. Thankfully Cat Shark was still alive, but unconscious and in no way able to be moved without risk of worsening the damage.

Then Louise screamed and Ryoga's mind switched into overtime. Preparing for the worst, he had Black Ray toss him into the chapel on its spear so he could interrupt whatever may be going on. But not before he ordered the Xyz to remain outside and follow him using their bond. If needed, he would call for it to bust inside from whatever spot it was in and help him.

Which was exactly what happened now.

Wardes shoved the broken piles of rubble off of him and faced Ryoga and Black Ray Lancer. His gaze hardened, but had a shard of interest mixed in.

"That appearance… So that's the creature that gave Fouquet so much trouble," he muttered as he got up.

"That's right." Ryoga affirmed. "And there are many others like it that I can summon at a moments notice. So if you're smart, you'll drop your wand and surrender." He pointed Derflinger at Wardes. "Though to be honest, I don't have much interest in letting you walk out of here alive. So by all means, feel free to fight back. It'll be more satisfying for me."

Wardes could tell the boy was serious. He would kill him if given the chance. Still, even after hearing it, the man remained confident.

In fact, he looked more confident.

"I see. Perhaps I have been taking this too lightly." He dusted himself off and spread his arms open. "In that case, let's get serious, shall we? It is time to teach you why wind magic is called the strongest. And I'll do so by meeting your summons with my own."

Ryoga frowned in confusion. "Your own?"

Wardes raised his left arm. Wind started to pick up and swirl around him as the sleeve around his arm rippled. It then tore open as something burst out.

The sight made Ryoga grow wide-eyed. "That's…!"

Without question, the thing on Wardes' arm was a Duel Disk. Like Fouquet's, it was neon green in color with a gray underside, but that was where the similarities ended. The base was a feather pattern in design that colored in brown, silver, and gray, with the centerpiece being a bronze eye with a slit pupil. The extended part for the cards resembled an eagle's wing, with a claw design for the deck holder slot.

And in that slot, lay a full deck of cards.

"Did you think Fouquet was the only one capable of using your power?" Wardes asked with mockery. "Where did you think she learned it from?"

The former Barian stilled. Only now did it dawn on him. Fouquet and Wardes were working together. Both knew about Duel Monsters. And Fouquet knew how to use Duel Monsters because someone taught her. Someone much stronger.

Which meant…!

"Black Ray!"

The Xyz responded to Ryoga's call and lunged for Wardes. Its massive spear came down to cleave the man in half. Wardes had already started to move however, jumping out of the way like an acrobat before the attack could land, letting the spear crash into the chapel floor, creating a large fissure in its place.

"Ubiquitous Dell Wind…" Wardes chanted. When the spell was completed, his body suddenly doubled. Then doubled again. And again.

After a few seconds, there were now multiple copies of Wardes floating in the air and laughing.

"Clones?" Ryoga looked on in shock.

"It is not only a 'clone'. It's Ubiquitous Wind, uneven distribution," one of the Wardes spoke. "As the name implies the wind is unevenly distributed. The place where it blows is not just a matter of appearance, but it has a substantial power too."

Seeing the number of clones made Ryoga realize something. "That time, when you were with Fouquet wearing the mask, that wasn't you! It was one of these!" He deduced. If the attack at the hotel happened at the same time Fouquet confronted him, that would put Wardes in two places at once. Something that normally would be impossible, but with a spell like this, he could make it so.

"That's right," another Wardes admitted. "More so, each one has the power of the original. I told you, right? Wind is unevenly distributed!"

The Wardeses moved. Many of them flew at Black Ray Lancer and started attacking it with multiple spells. Black Ray roared as the spells landed, seemingly doing little harm to it. It swung its spear at the doubles, which they flew out of the way to avoid, though two were hit and disappeared. They then moved in again and cast more spells. This pattern continued, with the doubles circling around and attacking Black Ray while it tried to hit them, though the speed and smaller sizes of the doubles kept the spirit from being able to land proper hits.

Meanwhile, several other copies engaged in battle with Ryoga. Their rapier-wands were covered by whirling blades of wind, which they tried to stab him with. Ryoga blocked the attacks with Derflinger and his Duel Disk, but because of his tired state and the number of opponents he was quickly pushed on the defensive.

The last Wardes, the true one, flew over to the stained glass window at the back of the chapel. He floated there and looked over the fights before turning to his deck. He drew a card, looked at it, and grinned as he slid it into the Duel Disk before lifting his wand and chanting.

While the fighting went on, several feet away, Louise stirred as her eyes weakly opened.

"Where…?"

She tried to move but found it difficult. Her body felt somehow numb and on fire at the same time. She could barely tell that she was lying on the cold chapel floor. Sound slowly reached her ears, moving her focus in that direction.

She saw the destruction around the chapel, the multiple Wardes, and Black Ray, but gave no reaction to any of them. It was only when she saw Ryoga that her mind properly switched on and her face filled with surprise.

"Ryo...ga…?"

A spell of wind tackled Ryoga and knocked him back against a bench. He didn't let the action to deter him and used the momentum to roll over the bench, avoiding a wand that pierced the wood. He swung Derflinger at the Wardes copy, only for another copy to bat it away with its own wand. A third copy used the opening to strike, which Ryoga twisted Derflinger to block, but still skidded back from the impact.

"Dammit!" Ryoga ducked under another stab aimed for his head, then put his Duel Disk in the way to catch two more hits. This was bad. It was the Guiche scenario all over again, only much worse. He couldn't even draw a card to use, and a glance over to Black Ray showed the Xyz still struggling with the other Wardeses. "If something doesn't change soon…!"

The true Wardes laughed. "Truly, you are not bad for a brat! After all, you are the legendary Gandalfr and a Duelist. However, this is where it ends. You are no match for my Ubiquitous Wind spell, and it is time to put an end to your life!"

The chanting finished, making the air in the chapel begin to cool. Ryoga noticed the freezing sensation on his skin and looked at Wardes in confusion. "What is he doing?"

"Partner, get on guard!" Derflinger warned, recognizing the spell.

Wardes flew at Ryoga. Black Ray Lancer saw the movement and tried to intercept with its spear, but the other doubles acted first and created a barrier of wind. The weapon struck the barrier, having a brief struggle before cutting through it and the doubles. However, the time bought was enough for the real Wardes to slip past the spirit.

Ryoga pushed back the copies he was fighting and faced Wardes. He raised his sword and Duel Disk up to defend himself just as Wardes cast the spell.

"Lightning Cloud!"

Pain.

Utter burning pain.

That was all Ryoga knew while he screamed.

Lightning wracked throughout his body as it emanated out of Wardes' wand, struck Derflinger and the Duel Disk, and entered him. His skin started to cook and sizzle, while his insides felt scorched and burned like he was being touched by a red-hot branding iron. The current left a blazing trail along his clothes, which burned and caught small fires.

Eventually it was too much and Ryoga fell to the floor, unable to withstand the pain. A gash from the current continued to burn on both arms, though it was especially bad on his right side, where he held Derflinger. The gash moved from his hand straight up to his elbow and into his shoulder.

"Partner!" Derflinger cried.

Louise gasped, horror etched on her face as she watched Ryoga fall.

Wardes cut off the spell with a satisfied smirk, his doubles mimicking the action as they surrounded the Duelist.

A loud roar shook the chapel. Black Ray Lancer, having felt and seen what happened to its master, was enraged. The spirit's power ruptured out, knocking aside and destroying all the doubles surrounding it. Its eyes locked on the real Wardes and it charged at the man.

"Don't think I forgot about you." Wardes calmly lifted his Duel Disk and activated the card he inserted into it. "Trap Card, open."

Black Ray's spear thrust forward, only to be met with a giant twister of wind that suddenly formed behind Wardes. The wind knocked the attack back and started to rapidly grow. Then, as if alive, the top of the twister curved and drilled into Black Ray's chest, pinning the spirit to the ground.

"That's not all." Wardes drew another card. Seeing what it was brought him a look of jubilation. "Allow me to demonstrate true power." He raised the card up. "Eye of the storm, peer down from the heavens on the helpless and depraved fools below! Sweep away their pitiful existence from this land!" He slapped the card down on the Duel Disk. "Arise!"

The Duel Disk glowed as the wind pinning Black Ray Lancer escalated. Light outside the chapel grew dark, dimming the interior as the sound of blustering winds and thunder rumbled. Suddenly, huge gusts blew through all the openings in the chapel, flowing around the inside and toward the twister. Loose debris was picked up from the suction and swirled around in a violent fashion.

"The heck is going on!?" Derflinger shouted.

Ryoga clasped his right arm as he watched the tempest. "This is...a summoning…"

Black Ray Lancer groaned as it tried to press against the twister pinning it. The current was too strong though, preventing it from escaping. Glaring toward Wardes, it lifted its spear, ready to try and throw the weapon at him.

A claw grabbed the Xyz's arm, halting the attempt.

Black Ray's head snapped to the twister. Inside the storm, a pair of glowing green eyes shined. Whatever they belonged to was obscured by the wind, but the claw reaching out was raptor in nature.

A loud screech came from the twister as another claw appeared and gripped Black Ray Lancer by the neck. The twister lifted, bringing the spirit up with it, before throwing it back down. Black Ray tried to pry the claws off with its free hand, but they held tight and threw the monster down again. This happened several more times, with each one being more ferocious than the last. The twister then curved up and flung Black Ray into the ceiling, creating a web of cracks along the surface. Black Ray started to fall, only for the twister to carve into its chest.

"Black Ray Lancer!" Ryoga screamed as he witnessed the onslaught. He tried to get up so he could help, but was kicked down by one of the Wardes copies and shoved onto his back. "Gah!" Excruciating pain was sent coursing through his body, making him spasm and curl up.

"You should worry about yourself," the double spoke, keeping its wand pointed at him.

Black Ray continued being tossed around like a rag doll. It attempted to fight back, even managing to get in a few hits with its spear, but these seemed to do nothing against the mass of wind; not even slow it down. Whatever Wardes summoned was too strong to care.

Eventually the wind monster grew tired of playing around. The twister became larger and swallowed Black Ray inside of it. Sounds of slashing and ripping somehow echoed past the torrent, with flashes of light depicting a massive figure attacking Black Ray. With a final piercing screech the twister condensed on itself and Black Ray was tossed out of it toward the chapel entrance.

Louise yelped and ducked down. The area around her quaked as Black Ray passed overhead and crashed nearby. Once the quaking ceased she lifted her head to look, and was petrified by the sight.

The armor of the Xyz monster was cracked all around, with some pieces hanging loosely or broken off. Its spear lay on the floor snapped in two and grinded down at the bladed tip. Its wings were shredded apart and dark purple liquid seeped from all of its wounds, especially at the helm, where the red eyes of the creature could no longer be seen, indicating the spirit was passed out.

Or worse.

The windstorm began to settle down, although the large twister remained. It hovered over next to the group and behind Wardes, the noble chuckling in delight.

"Is that it? To think Fouquet struggled with such a creature. I have to say, I'm not impressed."

"Black Ray…" Ryoga couldn't believe it. One of his strongest monsters was defeated so easily. Just the hell did Wardes summon?

"Still able to speak?" Wardes switched attention to him. "Your tenacity is quite annoying. A shame your monster doesn't seem to share that trait."

The living twister peered over Wardes' shoulder at Ryoga. Its raptor claw extended out and dropped on top of the Duelist, making him cry out. Unable to resist, he was helpless as the talons squeezed and lifted him up, making Derflinger slip from his hand and clang against the floor.

"Even so, the spell I cast usually kills people just on its own. With the amount of power I put behind it, I'm amazed you're still alive." Wardes checked up and down Ryoga's form. He took note of the state of both arms and the sword on the ground. "Hmm… I see. Looks like your sword somehow neutralized some of the current. That's expected of your Duel Disk, but I'm not sure why it's the case for this weapon. Isn't it made of metal?"

"Like I'd tell you even if I knew!" Derflinger shouted angrily.

Wardes smirked. With a wave of the hand the raptor claw threw Ryoga back down, delivering more pain on his body and making him cough blood.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. This farce is already finished." Wardes pointed his wand at Ryoga. "Though I have to know one thing. Why did you come back to die? To risk your life for Louise who despises you? I can't understand how a commoner's mind works."

Ryoga scowled at the noble defiantly. "Of course not…" He said between gritted teeth. "Someone like you...would never understand..."

"Oh?"

"You're the kind of bastard who sees people only as a means to an end. It didn't matter that Louise was your fiancee...that she loved you... All that mattered...was how useful she was."

"Hahahahaha!" Wardes and his doubles laughed. "Is that it? Is that why you came back? Because of a servant's hopeless love for his master! That's really funny! That arrogant Louise will never turn to you! Mere compassion mistaken for-"

"You're wrong!"

Burnt fingers gripped the end of Wardes' wand, making the man and his copies cease their laughter.

"I came here...because she's my friend!" Ryoga declared, his voice loud and clear even against the flaring in his arm.

Louise's eyes opened fully at the declaration.

"Your friend?" Wardes snorted. "Louise doesn't seem to think so. Not with all the secrets you've hidden from her. I didn't even need to do much to divide you two."

"Yeah… I lied to her," Ryoga admitted. "I kept secrets. Out of my own fear, and because I felt there wasn't a reason for others to know." His gaze grew stronger. "But...that doesn't change how I feel! Louise may be frustrating to deal with, and she may be arrogant and ignorant about things, but she's also a good person! She summoned me to this world just to use me, but she gave me another chance when I didn't deserve any! That's all the reason I need to be here!"

"And what? You thought if you saved her things will change? That she'll suddenly forgive you and everything will go back to normal?"

"I don't care if she does or not, because I'll still protect her! That's the kind of bond I have with her! Unlike you, who cares only about himself and manipulated Louise's love for your own gain, I won't turn my back on her! I won't let this world take someone like her, who has the same strength and hope as Yuma, and crush her because of monsters like you!"

Hearing such words, Louise's heart thumped loudly in her chest.

"Ryoga…"

The air around Wardes shifted. For the first time he showed something akin to actual loathing. He kicked Ryoga in the face, making him let go of the wand and putting him on his back again, then stomped on the boy's burnt arm.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Partner!" Derflinger cried.

Louise's heart froze at Ryoga's agonizing scream.

"You really are a fool," Wardes said with a cold tone. "You wish to hold to such childish hope? Then you can die with it!"

Keeping his foot on the arm, Wardes chanted for another Lightning Cloud. Ryoga glared up and clenched his jaw, biting back the pain and refusing to fall so easily. He reached his damaged hand out for Derflinger, determined to put at least one cut into the bastard.

"FIREBALL!"

Both of them stopped. They along with the doubles and Wardes' monster looked over in surprise, finally noticing Louise, who was pointing her wand at them.

"Louise?" Ryoga uttered.

BOOM!

With a loud sound the spell aimed at Wardes hit dead center and exploded. The explosion not only blew Wardes away from Ryoga, but also all of his doubles, destroying most of them in the process. Wardes' summon wasn't unscathed either, as the twister fell back and flailed around startled.

From his position Ryoga wasn't as affected by the blast aside from a minor ringing in his ears and momentary blindness from the smoke. It still took a second for him to grasp what happened, then another two to start moving. Rolling to his knees he grabbed Derflinger with his less damaged hand and got up into a crouched position. He searched for Wardes and found the mage several feet away on the ground, currently dazed and incapacitated by the blast. Ryoga didn't know for how long, but he took the opportunity to face Louise.

The pinkette slowly lowered her wand. Listening to Ryoga in pain and seeing what Wardes intended, she acted without thinking and cast the first spell she could think of. Like all her spells it failed in creating a fireball and instead left an explosion. But unlike previous attempts, the result was positive and somehow worked out for the better, something that amazed her.

"Louise…"

She sharply inhaled. Her head slowly turned until her pink eyes encountered blue and red ones.

"...Ryoga…"

Silence permeated between the two that seemed to last for an eternity.

A sharp squall of wind disrupted their attention and redirected it to Wardes' summon. The twister rose up and let out a vicious screech as its body became a blender that sliced everything it touched, signifying its anger. The eyes inside the twister found Louise and glared. Wind began to condense into a ball between them, the sight of which made Ryoga pale.

"Louise, run!"

The ball fired and struck the area around Louise faster than she or Ryoga could react. Louise shrieked as she was cut up by the vicious wind and blown away. Her body cracked hard against the chapel wall behind her, knocking the air out of her lungs and making her lose consciousness as she fell to the floor.

Time slowed for Ryoga. He stared shocked and numbed at Louise, the rest of the world around him being pushed to the background.

"Damn," Wardes cursed as he and his remaining doubles stood. By his count, only four remained. "I didn't think Louise would wake up. I should have kept my eye on her." His brow furrowed in thought. "But that power just now. Was that… No. If it was then the card would have worked earlier. So then how?"

The words didn't reach Ryoga's ears. He just continued to stare at Louise. The moment of her being attacked replayed in his head over and over again.

Only each time it played, two images overlapped it. Images created by memories of very similar scenes Ryoga was forced to witness.

Where he lost two of his most important people.

"Merag. Nasch. I'm really glad...I was able to meet you…"

"Ryoga… Our walk down the road of fate… I am glad I was together with you."

He could see their bodies flying in the air. How they smiled at him as their lives faded away. This reflection from the past was brought to the forefront of his mind and blended with the emotions he was feeling now.

BA-BUMP!

Ryoga's hands clenched.

"Bastard…"

Wardes looked at the Duelist. "Huh?"

BA-BUMP!

Ryoga started shaking as red energy began permeating off of him.

"You bastard… How dare you… How dare you…!"

BA-BUMP!

He spun around, rage burning in his dual-colored eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT LOUISE! WARDES!"

BA-BUMP!

The Barian pendant shined as a demonic roar cut loose from Ryoga's mouth and the power of Chaos erupted around him. The entire chapel tremored as the crimson energy blasted upwards into a massive pillar and tore through the ceiling, creating a massive hole.

"What!?" Wardes stepped back startled. "What is this!?"

Ryoga's power continued flowing, seemingly without end as it formed an aura around his body. A strand of the aura broke off and wrapped around his wounds, including his burnt arms. The energy pulsated before shattering apart to reveal all of his wounds healed and both arms restored to normal.

"Impossible! Your wounds healed in an instant!?" Wardes shouted.

"WARDES!"

Ryoga's eyes blazed as he suddenly vanished. No, not vanished. He just moved so fast it seemed like he vanished. Wardes was barely able to track him as he appeared before the Wardes double closest to him and bisected the copy with Derflinger.

"Wha-" Wardes couldn't even finish his sentence before Ryoga dashed at the next double and cut it down the middle of its body, leaving only two doubles left. The remaining doubles began to move, hoping to attack Ryoga before he could attack them. The one further back unleashed a hail of wind bullets, while the other ran at him with its rapier-wand covered in a blade of wind magic.

Ryoga didn't so much as flinch at the threats.

He rushed forward, evading every bullet coming his way until he was right inside the space of the melee Wardes. It attempted to stab him but was far too slow and was instead the one stabbed by Derflinger. Ryoga then pulled the copy into the path of the wind bullets and continued running at the second Wardes. The hail assaulted the double, which soaked up the attacks until it disappeared. By that point Ryoga was already in range, and with a swing of the sword the final doubles' head was detached, instantly killing it.

"Incredible!" Derflinger vibrated in Ryoga's grip. "This power! This power is overwhelming! It's too much for a simple sword like me! But these emotions! I feel nostalgic for some reason! Like I can suddenly remember something I forgot!"

Ryoga's sight locked onto Wardes. He went to attack but came to a stop when blades of air cut into the path he nearly stepped on. The former Barian jumped back as Wardes' summon dove at him, the twister's relentless winds threatening to shred him apart if he approached.

"Don't think it will be that easy!" Wardes yelled. "Whatever trick this is, I still have the power from your world, Gandalfr!" He pointed at the water user. "Kill him, my monster!"

The twister screeched as wind began condensing, just like what happened when it attacked Louise.

SHINK!

A beam of red energy struck the ball, making it combust and break. The twister let out sounds of pain and confusion before it was somehow grabbed and thrown to the side. The eyes inside the twister searched for the attacker, and were startled by the find.

It was Black Ray Lancer, somehow covered in the same power of Chaos as its master and rapidly healing. Black Ray held out its hand and in a flash of light its spear appeared, completely repaired. Its red eyes shone even more red than usual as it roared and attacked the twister, which roared and attacked back.

With the two monsters clashing, nothing stood between Ryoga and Wardes, the latter of whom stepped back nervously.

"D-Damn you!"

Wardes went to draw a card from the Duel Disk, but Ryoga was already moving and threw a fist out, which fired a beam of Chaos energy. Surprised, Wardes abandoned his move and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the beam. He wasn't given time to relax as Ryoga was upon him with a second attack from Derflinger. The griffin captain barely escaped by flying high in the air.

"Do not forget! You are fighting me! The air is my element! You can't surpass my skills, Gandalfr!"

Wardes cast Breaking Wind at Ryoga, who pivoted on his heel and ran to the right to avoid. Wardes didn't let up and rapidly chanted for Lightning Cloud. Arcs of lightning gathered on his wand and spewed forth, threatening to put Ryoga back in the same position as before.

"MRROW MRROW!"

However, a red blur rocketed into the lightning, taking the attack head on and making it disperse.

"You!?" Wardes uttered in disbelief.

"Mrrow!" Cat Shark hissed at him. Like Black Ray, it too was covered by the power of Chaos, with its green irises now reflecting the crimson color. Somehow its burns and injuries were completely gone, despite all the damage done to it earlier.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAARDES!"

Ryoga's aura intensified as he ran up the chapel walls and pushed off it with extreme force, launching himself past Cat Shark and straight at the noble.

Derflinger slashed down. Wardes brought up his wand to block.

The wand shattered.

The power of Chaos lit the entire chapel in red as the energy swallowed Wardes, traveled toward the ground, and exploded. Ryoga landed on the ground shortly after. He stumbled and fell to one knee, panting heavily. His aura lowered a little but remained active.

When the smoke cleared from the explosion, Wardes' was seen lying in a massive crater. The noble's robes now sported a massive gash across the front while blood dripped from his head and mouth. Most noticeably was the stump where his right arm used to be, having been completely destroyed by Ryoga's power.

"D...Damn…" Wardes coughed, barely able to lift his head to stare at the purple teen with hatred. "You defeated me… I can't believe it…"

Wardes' summon violently screeched. It threw a strong gust into Black Ray Lancer that knocked the Xyz back. It didn't move in to strike though, and instead rushed over to Wardes, curving its twister form around its master protectively.

The twister hissed at Ryoga but made no other action toward the Duelist, putting priority on Wardes' safety. Black Ray Lancer and Cat Shark did the same and floated next to Ryoga, keeping close watch on the opposing Duel Monster.

Wardes coughed some more, spitting out some blood in his mouth. "That power… That's not Gandalfr… He never said...anything about that…"

Ryoga snarled. He wanted to move in and finish the job, but he knew even with Black Ray and Cat Shark, Wardes' summon would not make the chance easy. But even so, he wouldn't let Wardes get away with what he'd done! He would-

"Ugh!" Ryoga winced as a spike of pain shot through him. He barely caught himself from collapsing to his other knee.

"Easy, partner," Derflinger spoke up. "I understand how you feel, trust me. But don't act foolishly now. That stunt you pulled just left you exhausted. Dragging this out when we've already won won't help anyone, especially the missy over there."

Being reminded of Louise stopped Ryoga. He looked over to her, then back at Wardes. An internal struggle played in his heart: rescue or revenge. The same struggle he'd dealt with in each lifetime.

The answer was easy.

The power of Chaos slowly wilted, though Ryoga still kept his guard up and his attention fixed on Wardes.

"Hehehe…" Wardes chuckled weakly. "Oh dear… It seems...that I managed to accomplish only one of the goals," he said as his Duel Monster lifted him gently with its wind. Despite the pain of losing an arm and having a deep gash in his chest, Wardes somehow still sounded calm. "I don't know...what that power was that you used… But you've still lost, Gandalfr!" He gave a wicked smile. "A large army...will soon burst in. Can you hear...the sound of horses' hooves and dragons' wings?"

Ryoga didn't understand what Wardes meant until he heard something in the distance. Indeed, it was the sound of battle. Noises of cannons and fire magic explosions, as well as the roaring voices of nobles and soldiers mixed up in a battle. Because of all the fighting inside the chapel anything happening outside had been drowned out.

"You may have won...but Albion still loses!" Wardes gained a maniacal look. "The army of Reconquista approaches! So go! Take Louise and escape! You and your foolish master will be burned eventually! The next time we meet, I'll be sure to put you where you belong!"

With those last departing words, the Duel Monster of Wardes gave a final loud roar and took Wardes completely inside the storm. It then flew out through the hole Black Ray Lancer first created and fled from the area.

Ryoga waited a moment before finally relaxing, the power of Chaos now completely faded from him and his monsters. His head then snapped over to Louise and he rushed to her side.

"Louise!" He kneeled down and pulled her prone form into his arms. "Louise, wake up! Louise!"

He called out and shook her, but there was no response. Panicking, he put an ear to her chest and listened.

There was a thump, followed by another. A faint heartbeat.

"She's alive…" Ryoga slowly pulled back, relief showing across his face. "She's alive..."

His eyes watered. Louise was injured, but only worn-out, and not...not what he had feared. He had made it in time and saved her.

He hadn't failed again.

"Guh!" Ryoga winced from another bout of pain and started to fall over.

"Mrrow!" Cat Shark caught him before either could happen. "Mrrow? Mrrow mrrow!?" It looked a him with worry.

"I-I'll be fine. Just exhausted," Ryoga reassured. If anything he was more surprised by Cat Shark's state. The spirit had looked so horrible outside, yet now it seemed perfectly fine, and Black Ray as well. Did the power of Chaos somehow transfer to the two of them?

"Mrrow, mrrow." Cat Shark helped Ryoga straighten before landing on the other side of Louise. It nuzzled her in concern. "Mrrow?"

"Yeah, she's alright," Ryoga informed the spirit. He gave a grateful smile and patted its head gently. "You did good, pal. You did good."

"Mrrow..." Cat Shark grew just as relieved and continued to nuzzle Louise.

Ryoga took some deep breaths to relax himself. Once accomplished, he looked at Louise again to check on her condition. Her mantle was torn and her knees and cheeks bruised and scraped. He imagined there to be more bruises under her clothes. There was also a bit of blood dripping from her head, most likely from her impact against the wall, which probably reopened the same head injury she'd gotten days before. No amount of past guilt stopped him from placing his hand on her head to put pressure on the wound.

That's when he noticed Louise's hand was grasping her chest, where her breast pocket was. The pocket itself had come off, but he could see a letter peeping out from the inside. He could tell however that it wasn't the one given by Henrietta. The texture and color was different and much more worn out.

"Then that must be..." Ryoga shook his head in amazement and smiled. It seemed that, even unconscious, Louise was determined to keep her word to Henrietta no matter what.

Really, this girl was an absolute idiot. Just like Yuma.

"Partner, I don't want to interrupt, but what do we do now?" Derflinger asked. "Can you hear the shouts outside? I think the fighting is getting closer. I don't know if Wardes was serious, but I'm not keen on the idea of facing an army."

Ryoga agreed. The explosions and battle roars were getting closer and closer to the walls. It was only a matter of time before they came bursting in here.

"Right." He sheathed Derflinger and lifted Louise into his arms. "Let's get out of here."

"Mrrow!" Cat Shark spoke up. "Mrrow, mrrow mrrow!"

Ryoga looked at Cat Shark surprised. "What did you say?"

"Mrrow! Mrrow mrrow!" The spirit pointed to the back of the chapel. "Mrrow mrrow, mrrow mrrow mrrow!"

Ryoga continued to listen as Cat Shark spoke, becoming rather startled by what he was told. He looked to the back of the chapel and considered what to do. After a moment he held out Louise to Black Ray Lancer. "Watch her," he instructed. The Xyz nodded its head and gently took Louise, being careful not to hurt her.

Ryoga walked to the back of the chapel with Cat Shark. He stopped next to the broken altar and looked down at the body before him. He had seen it when he first entered on Black Ray's spear, but hadn't thought anything of it because of his desire to protect Louise. Now looking at the young face, he could feel the same sensation he felt with Henrietta; that of a royal blood.

"Prince Wales?"

"Mrrow." Cat Shark nodded.

Ryoga frowned. He didn't know what to say, if he should say anything at all. Most would pray for the fallen prince. He didn't have the luxury of time, and it wouldn't mean much since he never got the chance to meet the man or know what he was like.

Still...this would break Henrietta's heart.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, even knowing Wales wouldn't hear him. "Had I been faster, I might have been able to save you as well. I hope you can forgive me, wherever you are now."

The former king turned to the chest Cat Shark mentioned and used the power of Chaos to sense the contents inside.

BA-BUMP!

No doubt about it. The essence of Duel Monsters slumbered inside that chest.

How? Why? Once more his brain was afflicted by questions he had no answers for. But the sound of fighting drawing closer left no time to contemplate.

"Cat Shark, grab the chest."

"Mrrow!" Cat Shark flew to the chest and lifted it, though it struggled a bit because of the lack of fingers on its fins.

Ryoga looked back at Wales and noticed the ring on his hand. It matched the Water Ruby ring Louise wore that was given by Henrietta, almost perfectly in fact. Henrietta said she got the ring from her mother, so if Wales had one just like it, maybe the rings held some other significance. Perhaps a symbol of royal status?

He debated for a moment before softly easing the ring off the prince's hand. Some would call it blasphemous or wrong to steal from the dead, especially from one who died recently. He didn't care. He wasn't doing it for himself, but for Henrietta.

"She should have something to remember you by. Just like I did with Rio." Ryoga pocketed the ring and looked at the prince's face one last time. "I can't promise it'll be pleasant, but I'll try to break the news as gently as I can to Henrietta. I owe you that much for trying to protect Louise."

He gave a small bow of respect.

"You have my word, as Leader of the Barian Emperors."

Finished with his task, Ryoga made his way back to Black Ray Lancer. Taking Louise in his arms again, he secured himself on Black Ray's palm. Cat Shark took up the other palm with the chest. Once they were all secure, Ryoga gave the command.

"Fly."

Black Ray took off through the hole in the chapel ceiling, moving as fast as it could to get away from this horrid place.

---

Louise dreamed. Unlike the usual dreams of darkness and monsters, this was a different kind of dream. An old one in fact.

She was in her hometown, the place she was born and owned by the La Vallière's, and at her "Secret Garden". The pond in the forgotten courtyard was silent, the only noise being from the small boat floating in the water, and the sobs coming from it.

Louise laid in the boat, her normally sixteen-year-old body now being that of six. It was the time she felt most at peace in this place. Whenever she faced difficulties, she hid herself and slept there. It was her world, her secret place nobody could intrude on.

It did nothing to help the pain in her heart.

Louise snuggled deeply into a blanket that wrapped around her. Lord Wardes, her gentle Viscount Wardes, didn't come today. He didn't come here anymore. Her childhood noble crush, her fiance of marriage arranged by their fathers' mutual agreement, was gone, and she was left all alone.

There was no Wardes who would take her from her secret place anymore. He was a dirty betrayer that murdered the courageous prince. Those kind hands that once held her in comfort belonged to a cold-hearted murderer.

Young Louise sobbed softly in her shallop, uncaring for the rest of the world.

A noise echoed on the water.

"Is that you, Viscount?" Louise asked in her dream, only to shake her head at once. No, the viscount didn't come here anymore. And the boat was in the middle of the lake. Then, who?

A shadow hovered over her. She looked up to see who it belonged to, and gasped.

"Ry...Ryoga?"

The Duelist stared at her, standing perfectly atop the lake's surface with his ever so calm expression present. He stepped onto the shallop and sat on the other side of Louise.

Louise's heart throbbed. Why? Why was he here? How was he here?

"You're crying," said the dream Ryoga.

Louise nodded childishly, unable to trust her own voice.

"Are you hurt?"

She nodded again.

"I see…" Ryoga looked out to the lake. "...I'm sorry."

Louise stiffened. Hearing him say that was...

"No!" Her voice was suddenly found as she jumped up and shouted loudly. "I'm the one who should apologize! I called you such horrible things! I said such cruel words! I was wrong about you, and was nasty to you, a-a-and I...I-I…"

She broke down. Holding her face in her hands, tears poured endlessly from her eyes. Her sobs were no longer quite, but loud enough for the entire world to hear.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Ryoga! P-Please don't leave me! Please!"

Arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. Louise tightened her own arms around Ryoga's back and cried into his chest. The two just stayed that way for an unknown period of time.

"Don't leave… Please...don't leave me alone…" Louise begged.

"...Idiot…"

Louise's head tilted up as blue and red eyes closed and leaned in.

---

Louise woke up. She felt cold wind blowing against her cheeks and realized she was in the air, though not falling. She soon became aware that she was held in Ryoga's arms. They were sitting in Black Ray Lancer's palm, with Ryoga embracing her tightly.

"Ah, this isn't a dream," she thought. "Then…I survived."

Louise stared at Ryoga's face from the side, as it seemed like he didn't notice she was awake. Her mind became filled with feverish thoughts.

"I was almost killed by that traitor Wardes, but then Ryoga jumped in. Then I fainted and woke up again. I chanted some magic, and after that...I lost consciousness again. But if I'm here with him, then...we must have survived."

But only them. The royal army… If they went into battle as planned, it was already over. They were all defeated, and Wales died as well because of Wardes.

The happiness of surviving mixed with sadness almost made Louise cry. However, not wanting to cry in front of Ryoga, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

She stayed that way for a while, too ashamed to reveal herself awake and talk to Ryoga. The last dream she had was a reminder of the problems between them. She could apologize all she wanted in the dream, but doing so in the real world… She felt like a coward for not having the strength to do it.

Nevertheless, Louise secretly watched Ryoga from the corner of her half-closed eyes. She almost flinched when his head turned and looked at her. His gaze was so direct that she could see the emotions in his beautiful blue and red eyes.

Huh… A red eye.

Oh, right. It was like that when she saved him from Wardes, wasn't it?

Had his left eye always been that way? No, the left was usually blue. Another secret probably. Yet...she didn't mind so much. It was just as good on him as his usual color.

Black Ray's speed increased, making stronger winds hit her cheeks. But that wind felt pleasant when overlayed with Ryoga's burning gaze.

Louise couldn't hide her feelings. Her mind was in turmoil about so many things. The traitorous Wardes, the crown prince's death, the noble union's "Reconquista" victory, their ability to use Duel Monsters, and having to report to the princess about it all.

Yet, for various reasons, and while Louise felt sorry for them all, right now all those thoughts were blown away by the wind and gaze. After nearly escaping death, she wanted to savor the feeling of life for a while. Savor it without limits, while pretending to sleep.

Ryoga leaned closer, making Louise's heart skip a beat. His hand came up and brushed some hair gently behind her ear as his expression turned somber.

"I'm sorry, Louise."

Ryoga looked away, not noticing Louise's eyes open a little more with shock. The strong wind no longer felt pleasant.

Her heart ached, wounded by the sad events and pain. And seeing Ryoga being affected by it was...wrong. It felt wrong to her. He shouldn't ever look like that. She didn't want him to look like that.

Something new filled her heart. A type of determination she couldn't identify, but sought to pursue. She couldn't now because of the circumstances, but when the time came, she would try.

But at least for now…

She snuggled into Ryoga's arms and rested her cheek against his chest. Her eyelids fully shut as she let herself fall asleep, enjoying the wind that blew from an unknown world.

"I'm sorry too, Ryoga."

---

*Sits in chamber, tossing a ball at the wall over and over while looking at master seals on right hand. I sigh and pray that Abby and Eresh can hold off for a year before I summon then, not wanting them to be put in harm's way because of what's happening with the Magus Inspectors. I think of all my other servants and frown, hoping they're okay. Especially one in particular.*

Melt…please be safe...

Hi guys, hope your holidays have been well! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanuka, or whatever else you celebrate! It's the end of the year and time for a fresh new one. I'm gonna totally relax for a while one the new year hits, and focus on doing some practice on other things for my job searching. Once I get a good handle though I'll be back with the next chapter, which will be a more cooldown time so hopefully not as stressful.

I love writing fights, but also hate it!

Now on a note, do you recall how in my last A/N I mentioned Vrains and my hope for the seventh series?

*Looks at Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens*

….

*Takes deep breath*

I'm going to do a… "minor rant"... So excuse me…

*Goes to corner*

WHAT. IN THE ACTUAL. FUCK! KONAMI!

WHY DOES THE ART LOOK LIKE A BUDDYFIGHT/BUSHIROAD STYLE!? WHY IS THE STATUS SYMBOL FOR ATTACK POSITION A CARTOON SWORD!? WHY IS RUSH STYLE A SEPARATE GAME TO MAKE THE GAME FASTER WHEN IT'S ALREADY FAST AS SHIT!? WHY DOES THE NEW STYLE LET YOU DRAW UNTIL YOU HAVE 5 CARDS EACH TURN AND LET YOU NORMAL SUMMON AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!? WHY DOES RUSH STYLE HAVE THE 3 ZONE SLOT!? SPEED DUELS DO THAT ALREADY! WHY DO THE RUSH CARDS ART LOOK SO STRANGE AND WEIRD!? WHY DOES THE MAIN CHARACTER'S ACE MONSTER LOOK LIKE THAT!? IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE THE JUNK WARRIOR/DECODE TALKER OF THE SERIES!? WHY DOES THE MAIN CHARACTER PULL A YUYA AND CHANGE THE GAME TO HIS WILL!? DID WE NOT LEARN FROM Z-ARC!? WHY DID VRAINS DIE FOR ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS AND RANTING THAT I SHOULDN'T GIVE BECAUSE I LIKE ZEXAL!?

AND WHY IS MY PRECIOUS BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON BEING USED BY SOMEBODY THAT IS NOT SETO KAIBA!? (I'm sorry Rokujuro-sensei)

*Walks back into view and takes another deep breath*

….So to give credit, I am glad for the new rules that allow pure Fusion/Synchro/Xyz Decks to be used without restriction or reliance on Links. And I'm not saying I'm against Sevens, as I do like Zexal, whose main cast were also young and childish. I also get that this series is to be targeted at a MUCH younger audience than previous series, so I don't have issue with that.

My issues are the Rush Style (which I will have to see in action before making full judgement), the MASSIVE change in artistic style, and my worry over the cast and story because of how the main character is pulling a Yuya and changing the rules for himself. I'm not against that idea, and I am still going to give this series a fair and honest try, but I don't want another ARC-V repeat.

Also how sad is it that among the initial cast of characters shown to me, the one whose design and idea I like the most is AGAIN the main female!? (Looks at Aoi, remembering how I loved her initial character arc and story and have always loved her human design over the "Blue" series designs.)

Do NOT mess up with another female lead, Konami. I'm watching you.

Side note: I find it hilarious how the main character is the shortest of the cast, just like how Yugi was in gen 1. Good times.

On another side of Yu-Gi-Oh! News….

ABOUT TIME SHARK GOT NEW CARDS! GEEZUS! HE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE SUPPORT A LONG TIME AGO! BUT INSTEAD YOU WAIT TILL NOW!? AND YOU MAKE AERO SHARK'S ANIME EFFECT A MAGIC CARD!? MOTHER-!

Yeah, I will definitely plan for those babies to be used in the future. Have NO doubt about that.

NOW FOR REVIEW TIME!

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REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER!

Evil-Mech Lord Apex: Thank you my friend! Hope you enjoy this chapter just as well, especially with Ryoga going wild and savage at the end! Wardes sadly isn't done yet. But he'll hopefully get his comeuppance in time.

Yamilix: Yeah, same. It had a lot of flaws, especially the first season's constant flashback episodes, but wasn't bad and had a lot of potential to grow. Sadly, they cut it short, which sucks because I wanted to see more of where they could go with AI as the enemy. (to minorly rant again, VRAINS DIED FOR SEVENS!?)

Muda: Good question. Also Zexal did give SOME references to them (see episode 60 of Zexal with the Scrap series), but I do wish they weren't ignored either. WE HAD A FREAKING RITUAL MONSTER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Still, I cannot give a direct answer due to spoiler/plot ideas for future. Let's say however the groundwork has been laid out. If you look at past chapters again, you may find the answer.

Heroi Oscura: Thank you! Haha, it's always nice to have people praise my story when I always feel unsure about it. Hope you enjoyed the fight between Wardes and Ryoga! As for the rebels using cards, OHHHHHHHH yes. It may not be big now, but there will be impacts later on because of this. I won't say about which characters (especially since you'd have to tell me who you mean), but just stay tuned for future events!

Omega Porunga: Thank you man! Always good to see you. And I'm glad you liked Cat Shark. It may not have been able to stop Wardes, but it damn well didn't give up and protected Louise until Ryoga could show! Cat Shark is still a Duel Monster, and it shows! Hope you especially liked the Ryoga vs Wardes Round 2.

Andromeda: Wish granted! Thank you so much for your support! Hope this is a lovely holiday present and you enjoy it!

Thestorm4: INTO THE VRAINS! Hehe, I will miss that series despite its problems. And it's nice to know you've been with me from the start. I really appreciate that. It...makes it all worthwhile, hehe.

REVIEWS FROM OTHER CHAPTERS!

Guest: Yes and no. I can say it without too much spoiler (especially since this chapter helped reveal some info). She was taught, however as you saw she DID end up possessed, and she didn't even seem to realize it. By what or who, I will not say. But it is the state of "she knows" vs "someone makes her know".

Evil-Mech Lord Apex: Oh believe me, I WANT to write the Yuri/Rosario crossover SO BADLY IT KILLS ME! But given that I can barely work on one story as it is, plus the stuff in rl, it would be very hard for me. I would definitely like to write it when I finish this one. Although...if I was to write stories on timeline...the next one would be DXD and Kaito. But that's a matter to figure out in the future.

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Thank you again for the reviews and support guys! Now time for everyone to enjoy their final days of the new year and prepare for 2020! We're in a new Decade folks! Let's make the most of it!

As I said, I will relax and focus on other things for a bit for the new year, but will get back to story afterwards. So don't worry too much.

Until next-

*Alarms start blaring in Chaldea*

What the-? What's going on?

*Hears gunfire*

The hell!? What's happening!? *I bang on door multiple times to get out* HEY! OPEN UP! WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE!?

*Door hisses open, making me step back and see who it is*

Melt!? Lip!? What's-!?

"No time, Albrecht!" *Meltryllis says.* "We have to go, now!"

Go? Why? What's going on?

"Just follow us! We'll take you to Mash!" *Meltryllis dashes down the halls.*

"Stay close, master! We'll protect you!" *Passionlip begins to follow her sister.*

Protect me!? W-Wait! *Looks at you guys* Uh...till next time! Happy New Year! MELT! LIP! HOLD ON!

*I give chase, wondering what's happening in Chaldea*

TrueHeartKnight

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*Preview shows Ryoga and Lousie standing before Henrietta, telling her what happened as she stares in shock.*

Louise: Princess...I can't imagine what you must be going through.

*Ryoga hands Henrietta the ring, making her eyes grow wide and watery.

Louise: I couldn't save Wales… Wardes betrayed us… And now you have to marry someone you don't love.

*Hands are thrown in the air by a celebrating army at the destroyed Albion castle. Watching in disgust from the side is a cloaked woman.*

Louise: All these things happening… And yet...I'm still thinking about my own problem to solve. But I can't even find a way to do it.

*Louise looks at Ryoga from a distance with uncertainty.*

Louise: Ryoga… What can I say to you?

*Ryoga looks at the open chest of blank Duel Monsters cards.*

NEXT TIME ON BARIAN OF THE VOID!

A CONFLICT OF EMOTIONS

Louise: Just what am I supposed to do? Ryoga…

*Ryoga's hand moves toward the blank cards, with several of them starting to glow.*