Time for Yugi and the gang to make their getaway! But they will have obstacles blocking their path…

Yugioh: The Power of Four

Chapter 29: ARC-V — PART 15

"So that's the plan. Do you really think it will work?" Yuzu asked, sounding hopeful.

"I'm certain it will. My father won't anticipate what I have cooked up. We just need to exit the building first." Reiji replied with confidence.

"I trust Reiji. If he believes his plan will work, then we mustn't doubt it." Yusho said.

"That's good enough for me." Yoko added.

"But still, it's very risky. What if something goes wrong?" Yuya asked, felling uncertain and afraid.

"We have each other, Yuya. We need to believe in one another if we are to have any chance of getting away." Yugi said firmly. The others pretty much said the same thing.

Yuya still seemed unsure until Yuzu took his hand, surprising him. "Yuya, we can do this. I know we can." She told him. Looking at her determined face, Yuya felt her confidence and finally began to let go of his doubt. He smiled and nodded at her while gripping her hand tighter.

"You're right." He said. Yuzu nodded back at him.

"Then why are we still standing around, people? Let's get a move on!" Judai declared.


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


"Yes Professor! None shall pass us!" The purple haired toga wearing Diana declared as she and Apollo ended their connection to Leo. Now she and her fellow Guardian awaited the arrival of the Professor's son and his associates. Diana guarded the inner door beneath the building, while Apollo was positioned at the outer door. As she stood at her post, the female Guardian Duelist thought over recent events.

She could not believe things had come to this. It had been a surprise to learn of Sora's betrayal, but now learning that Edo Phoenix and Dennis Mackfield also turned their backs on Academia was even more shocking. 'Why is this happening? Why are people all of a sudden becoming our enemies? Whatever the reason, they shall all pay for this!' Diana was determined to fulfill her duty to the Professor, no matter what.

A couple of minutes later, she saw them coming not too far from her position. She immediately recognized the Professor's target, Yuzu Hiragi, and her protectors, the Four Devils. With one button on her Duel Disk, she made contact with her partner. "Apollo, Reiji Akaba, Yuzu Hiragi and the others are within my sight. If by some slight chance they get past me, it will be up to you to halt their progress." She instructed.

"Understood. Between the two of us, they won't get far at all. Good luck, Diana." Apollo told her before he disconnected. Reiji, who lead the group, halted and made everyone else stop.

"Looks like like my father doesn't want us to leave from here." He said as Diana smiled.

"You are right about that, son of the Professor. Not one of you will be leaving! Now while I stand in your way!" Diana said strongly.

"And you are?" Yusho asked.

"That is Diana, one of Academia's Guardian Duelists. There are two of them. I'm guessing the other one is elsewhere." Edo said. Diana scowled at him, Sora, and Dennis.

"You! How dare you three betray the Professor?! What possible excuse could you have for such treachery?!" She demanded while pointing at the trio. Dennis chuckled before he gave an answer.

"I guess you can say that we… don't like to see certain girls mistreated."

"Having Serena kidnapped would be considered more than that, traitor!" Diana retorted.

"Kidnapped? Is that what baldy told you? Serena came with me by choice. I didn't force her into anything." Judai admitted, but Diana wouldn't hear of it.

"Don't bother with your lies, Judai Yuki! Your misdeeds in Academia will not go unpunished! You and the rest of the Four Devils will fall before the Professor's wrath!" She said adamantly.

"Four Devils?" Yuma asked, confused.

"It's what Academia's calling you guys now." Dennis revealed. "Kinda excessive of you ask me." Diana growled.

"Enough chattering! Not one of you will get past me!" She then activated her Duel Disk, intending to Duel.

"I'll take her down." Sora stated as he moved forward and slipped on his Duel Disk.

"You said not one of us will get past you, right? So… how about we double the fun?" Dennis said as he too put on his Disk. "You don't mind, do you?" He asked Sora, who smirked at him.

"If you insist." They both then activated their Duel Disks.

"Can they defeat her?" Yuya asked Edo.

"As a Guardian, Diana is not to be taken lightly. Hopefully, Sora and Dennis will get the job done." He answered. Sora, Dennis, and Diana stood ready as they started their battle.

"DUEL!"

(Sora: 4000) (Dennis: 4000) (Diana: 4000)

"I shall go first! My turn!" Diana said, starting the Duel. "I play Polymerization to Fuse Moon Soldier Lady and Guardian Baou in my hand for a Fusion Summon! When the shining moonlight hits the Flamberge, the two warriors become one! Fusion Summon! Moon Protector! Descend!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2100; DEF: 2400) Before Diana stood a light purple skinned female in an light blue armored dress. In one hand it held a shield with a crescent moon on it no one hand, while the other held a staff with another crescent moon at the tip.

"I figured she would play that." Sora said confidently.

"That is her Ace. Not really that surprising." Dennis added. Diana snarled.

"Silence traitors! I activate Lunar Keeper's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Keeper's Shield Token to my Field!" (LIGHT; Level 1; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) Now next to Lunar Keeper was a small stone tablet in Defense Mode. "As long as I have at least one of these Tokens in play, Lunar Keeper cannot be attacked! I now Set 2 cards facedown and my turn!"

"If she gets too many of those Tokens on the Field, it will take us a while to reach the exit." Reiji said uncertainly.

"You have no idea." Edo said, getting then group's attention. "Dennis and Sora need to be careful."

"This definitely feels like a stalling tactic. Those two need to find a way to defeat her quickly so we can get out of here." Kaito said. At that time, Dennis turned to his dueling partner.

"Say Sora, mind if I "entertain" us this turn?" He asked in a playful tone. Sora smirked.

"Sure, go soften her up for me." He replied. Dennis chuckled.

"Alrighty then! My turn! Draw!" The former Academia Entertainer was pleased with what he had. "I activate Double Performance! This nifty Magic card lets me Special Summon two "Entermage" Monsters from my hand with the same name to my Field! I Special Summon two copies of Entermage Flame Eater!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1600) Two black balloons with capes and wizard's hats appeared on the Field. "With these guys here, I can call out the main star! I Overlay my two Flame Eaters! The Show must go on! Artisan of the air, swing across the stage with grace! Xyz Summon! Appear now! Rank 4! Entermage Trapeze Magician!" Dennis' 2500 Attack Point Xyz Monster swooped in where his first two Monsters were.

"It's funny. Last time I saw that thing, Dennis was dueling me. He never got a chance to use his Monster's Effects back then." Yuma commented.

"Perhaps he might now." Astral said. Diana smirked.

"Fool! You did what I expected! Trap card open, Admiration of the Keepers! I can activate this when you Special Summon a Monster from the Extra Deck! Now two more Tokens are added to my Defense!" She said as now three Tokens in Defense Mode stood with her Fusion Monster. "My Trap has another Effect! While this card is active, your Trapeze Magician's own Effects are negated and it can attack all my Tokens, one at a time! If it does not, it is destroyed at the the end of the Battle Phase!"

"Okay, so Dennis can get rid of all those Tokens in one go and then he can go after her stronger Monster. That doesn't sound bad." Tristan said.

"You haven't taken the Effect of Lunar Keeper into account." Edo said, sounding less certain.

"What Effect?" Joey asked. Edo motioned at the Tokens in play.

"When one of those Tokens gets destroyed while it is on the Field, Lunar Keeper can not only take 800 Attack Points from Dennis' Monster, but it also raises Diana's Life Points by 800." Joey and Tristan gasped as they now saw the problem with beating Diana.

"And that mean gal has three of those things to protect herself." Joey said.

"I take back what I said before." Tristan replied with a sweat drop. Edo then smirked.

"If I know Dennis, he'll have a way to bypass Diana's defenses." Dennis was about to prove him right.

"Nice defense, as always. Too bad I saw it coming from a mile away." He said to his former comrade.

"What can you do?" Diana asked, sure of her strategy.

"In a show made to entertain, the main star has to have a partner to help get the job done. And that's what I'm going to do! I play my own Polymerization to Fuse the Entermage Damage Juggler and Entermage String Figure in my hand! Acrobat that freely manipulates even the pain! Merge with the infinitely form-changing strings that connect people, and become a new witch that spurs the sky! Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 7! Entermage Trapeze Force Witch!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1800) Now standing next to Trapeze Magician was a female performer in a blue and purple clown outfit holding a baton with a pink star on each end.

"He Summoned another Monster?" Diana asked herself. She felt a little annoyed. If his first Monster succeeded in destroying all the Tokens, he could attack Lunar Keeper with the other. Of course, she wasn't too worried about that. Plus, all Dennis would do would be increasing her own Life Points. However…

"With my Trapeze Force Witch around, I can get rid of those little shields of yours without worrying about the Effects of your cards!" Dennis declared.

"Excuse me?" Diana asked in disbelief.

"Trapeze Force Witch can protect all "Entermage" Monsters from being targeted and destroyed by card effects! Meaning my Trapeze Magician can no longer be targeted by Lunar Keeper and Admiration of the Keepers! In return, while I have another "Entermage" on my Field, Trapeze Force Witch cannot be attacked by any opposing Monster!" Diana cursed.

"Sweet! Now Diana's Life Points won't get a boost and can't weaken Dennis' own Monster!" Joey cheered.

"Since my Trapeze Magician can use it's Effects again, I'll go ahead and use it! By detaching an Overlay Unit during either of our turns, I can make another Monster on the Field attack twice! I'm selecting my lovely Trapeze Force Witch!"

"Dennis can destroy all the Tokens without any setbacks now." Kaito said. 'However, Lunar Keeper will still be an issue.' He thought to himself. He figures he was leaving that part for Sora to handle.

"Let's do this! Battle! Entermage Trapeze Magician and Trapeze Force Witch, attack all those Keeper's Shield Tokens!" With some swinging motions, Dennis's Monster duo disintegrated all of Diana's Tokens. She wasn't deterred though.

"That means nothing! Trap card open, Lunar Shield! For each Token that was destroyed this turn, I gain 800 Life Points! Also, while this is in play, my Lunar Keeper cannot be targeted and destroyed by battle or card effects!" Dennis gave a playful sigh.

(800 x 3 = 2400)

(Diana: 4000 + 2400 = 6400)

"Well, at least I reduced the number of Monsters she has. I'll leave the finishing act to you, Sora. I end my turn." Sora nodded as he got ready to make his play while sucking on a lollipop.

"Oh, I plan to end this Duel with a bang! My turn! Draw!" He smiled big time. 'Great! I can make good use of these!' He thought gleefully. "I think I'll start with this! I play Polymerization to Fuse Edge Imp Scissors and Furnimal Bear in my hand! Demonic claws, sharp fangs! Become one in the mystic vortex and show us a new form and power! Fusion summon! Show yourself! Mystical jungle beast that rips everything to shreds! Death-toy Scissors Tiger!" Sora's 1900 Attack Point Fusion Monster came out roaring at it's intended prey.

"That… is no kid's toy." Joey said while shivering at the sight of it.

"You said it." Tristan added fearfully.

"Now Scissors Tiger's Monster Effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, I can destroy cards you control for each of it's Fusion Materials aside from Edge Imp Scissors! I'll now destroy your Lunar Shield!"

"Damn!" Diana yelled angrily for losing her only means of protection.

"I'm not done! Scissors Tiger's other Effect! All "Death-Toy" Monsters I control gain 300 Attack Points for each "Furnimal" and "Death-Toy" Monster on my Field! That includes Scissors Tiger itself!"

(Death-Toy Scissors Tiger's ATK: 1900 + 300 = 2200)

"It still doesn't mean victory for you. Even if you destroy my Monster, I will still have more than enough Life Points to survive until my next turn!" Sora then chuckled as he took a bite out of the lollipop in his mouth.

"That's what you think. I play Death-Toy Factory! By banishing Polymerization from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a "Death-Toy" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck using Monsters in my hand or on my Field! I Fuse Edge Imp Saw and Furnimal Lio in my hand! Steel blades possessed by demons. Become one with the fanged beast, and show us a new form and power! Fusion Summon! Show yourself! King of the hundred beasts that tears everything to pieces! Death-Toy Wheel Saw Leo!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2000) Sora's new Fusion Monster was even more frightening looking than the previous one. It resembled a torn up stuffed lion with saw blades embedded in it.

"Okay, seriously! Did that kid have some issues with stuffed animals growing up, cause his Monsters seem to imply that!" Joey shouted incredulously.

"Don't forget, with Scissors Tiger, both of my Monsters now get even stronger!" He said as his Monsters' Attack Power rose.

(Death-Toy Scissors Tiger's ATK: 2200 + 300 = 2500)

(Death-Toy Wheel Saw Leo's ATK: 2400 + 600 = 3000)

"That's still not enough!" Diana told the younger Duelist. Sora chuckled.

"Wheel Saw Leo has an Effect too! Once per turn, I can target a Monster you control and destroy it! If I do, you also take damage equal to it's Attack Points!"

"What?! No!" Diana shouted in horror. She couldn't do anything as Wheel Saw Leo shot one of it's blades at Lunar Keeper and shredded it to pieces.

(Diana: 6400 - 2100 = 4300)

"Now you got nothing left!" Sora said as he big down on his lollipop, crunching it in the process.

"If Sora attacks with both Monsters now, it's over for Diana." Edo said, still smiling.

"Do it Sora!" Yuya and Yuzu both cheered. Sora didn't disappoint his new friends as he launched his final assault.

"It's over Diana! Battle! Death-Toy Wheel Saw Leo and Death-Toy Scissors Tiger… DIRECT ATTACK!" With vicious attacks from both Monsters, Diana was defeated and lay facedown on the ground.

(Diana: 0)

She barely managed to look up and sneered at her enemies. "This is not… the end. Apollo… will stop you…" With that, the first Guardian Duelist disappeared in a swirl of blue particles.

"One down, and hopefully one more to go." Shuzo said.

"That was awesome teamwork, you guys!" Judai said appraisingly. Dennis and Sora smiled and nodded at one another.

"Well done, you two. Now let's get moving." Reiji instructed as the group resumed their escape.


/\/\/\/\/\/\


Apollo had just gotten the signal that Diana had lost her Duel. This meant Reiji and the others were now heading toward him. "Dammit. How could she have failed?" It didn't matter. What did matter was stopping them in their tracks. He swore to himself he would succeed where his fellow Guardian had failed.

It was less than 5 minutes later when the group came into sight and stopped before the big, orange armored Apollo.

"So, you managed to get past Diana. This will not do. Now it is up to me to keep all of you from leaving!" He told the group, immediately activating his Duel Disk.

"So, who gets to beat him?" Judai asked casually.

"I'll take a crack at him. You with me, Tristan?" Joey asked his longtime friend. He nodded with a determined smile.

"Oh yeah! Count me in! This is as good a time as any to try out my new Deck!" Apollo growled at the pair that decided to challenge him.

"Are you two mocking me?!" Joey smirked as he and Tristan each turned on their Duel Disks.

"Nah, we're not mocking ya… just confident that we can kick your armored butt!" Joey sot back as the next Duel began.

"DUEL!"

(Joey: 4000) (Tristan: 4000) (Apollo: 4000)

"I will take the first turn! My turn! I play Polymerization to Fuse Sun Soldier and Guardian Tryce in my hand! When the radiant sunlight hits the twin blades, the two warriors become one! Fusion Summon! Solar Keeper! Descend!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2100) Apollo's Fusion Monster was a big armored man wearing orange and white armor wielding a scepter with a glowing orange orb around two rings of spike, resembling the sun.

"Eh, I've seen tougher." Joey commented. Apollo ignored him.

"Next I activate Solar Keeper's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Keeper's Shield Token to my Field!" Like with Diana, a Token resembling a stone table appeared on Apollo's Field. "As long as I have one of these Tokens in play, Solar Keeper can't be attacked! I then Set two cards facedown and end my turn."

"His strategy doesn't seem different from Diana's." Gongenzaka noted.

"Actually, Apollo's tactics do differ slightly." Edo said.

"How so?" Yusho asked.

"You'll see." Edo replied.

"You think those two can win?" Sora asked Yugi. He nodded.

"I've known Joey and Tristan for a long time. They work well together. They can win this." He said confidently.

"Try as you might, I will not fail like Diana!" Apollo boasted. Tristan grunted.

"You know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall! My turn! Draw!" Tristan saw a way to make his point. "First, I Summon Machiners Soldier! (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1600; DEF: 1500) A light green armored robot soldier now stood on Tristan's Field. "Now I activate the Effect of Machiners Soldier! When it is Normal Summoned while I have no other Monsters in play, I can Special Summon a "Machiners" Monster from my hand except another Machiners Soldier! And here's some bad news for you Apollo. I got a really powerful one in my hand, and here it is! I Special Summon from my hand the top tank in my arsenal… MACHINERS COLONEL!" (EARTH; Level 10; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2500) Tristan's new Ace was a huge four legged blue tank equipped with a giant saw blade on one arm and a blaster on the other.

"Nice." Dennis said as he whistled.

"Your new Monster may be stronger than mine, but you still can't attack Solar Keeper with it." Apollo reminded him.

"Actually, you're wrong about that." Tristan countered.

"What do you mean?" The big man asked.

"Let me show you what I mean. I activate Machiners Colonel's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can destroy 1 "Machine" Monster I control to destroy all your Monsters that have the same Attack Points or less than that Monster! I destroy my Machiners Soldier to get rid of your only Monster that is weaker…"

"My Token!" Apollo gasped in shock. He then witnessed both Tristan's Soldier and his Token being blown up by Machiners Colonel's blaster.

"Now there's nothing protecting your Monster! Battle! Machiners Colonel, attack Solar Keeper! Mecha Slicer!" Using it's massive saw, the tank bore down on Apollo's Monster and sliced it in half.

(3000 - 2400 = 600)

(Apollo: 4000 - 600 = 3200)

"Damn you!" Apollo cursed.

"Oh yeah! In your face!" Tristan insulted.

'Not a bad opener for the dork. But it's too soon to celebrate.' Kaiba thought to himself.

"You shall pay for that! Trap card open, Solar Retribution! This will not only bring back my Monster, but it also makes it 1000 Attack Points stronger!"

(Solar Keeper's ATK: 2400 + 1000 = 3400)

"That's not good." Joey said, worried for his friend.

"There is more! Your own Monster gets destroyed and you take damage equal to the original Attack Points of Solar Keeper! Feel the wrath of the sun!" Tristan was knocked back and got slightly singed when his Machiners Colonel was blown apart in a big fireball.

(Tristan: 4000 - 2400 = 1600)

"Tristan! You okay, pal?!" Joey called out. Tristan gave him a quick nod while getting up again.

"Yeah man, I'm good." He then turned back to his opponent. "This guy's a bit nastier than his girlfriend was. I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Tristan then turned back to Joey. "Think you can finish him?" He asked. Joey nodded.

"No prob." He said.

"That's what I meant earlier. Where Diana's strategy involved increasing her own Life Points, Apollo actually focuses on inflicting damage to his opponent's Life Points." Edo explained.

"They can still win, right?" Yuzu asked Yugi, whose confident face didn't change in the least.

"I have faith in them, Yuzu." Yuzu nodded and decided to do the same, and so did Yuya.

"I'm with Yugi." Yuya told her. She agreed as they continued watching the Duel.

"Alright Apollo, time for Joey Wheeler to shine! My turn! Draw!" Joey knew at once the Duel was in the bag… his bag. "Here I go! I'll start my move by Summoning Baby Dragon! (WIND; Level 3; ATK: 1200; DEF: 700) A young, light orange dragon popped up on the Field.

"You must be joking. That pipsqueak is no match for my Monster!" Apollo boasted.

"Shut your trap, will ya! This is only the first step! Next I play a Magic card called Star Blaster! Now I get to roll a die, and I can increase my Baby Dragon's Level depending on the number it lands on! I'm typically a lucky guy, so hopefully good old Lady Luck is on my side! Go, dice roll!" A holographic six sided die then rolled out onto the Field.

'He must be planning to Summon his Ace Monster if he gets the Level he needs. It doesn't matter; I have something to take care of it just in case…' Apollo thought as the dice kept rolling before it stopped a moment later. The number it revealed was…

"Yes! A four! That means my Level 3 Baby Dragon has grown up to Level 7! Time for Star Blaster's other Effect! I can Sacrifice my now Level 7 Baby Dragon to Special Summon a Monster of the same Level from my hand! I Special Summon this bad boy: Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2000) Joey's new Monster was a huge thin black dragon with dark red eyes.

Apollo then made his own move. "I've been waiting for this! Trap card open, Desperation of the Keepers! This allows me to Special Summon three Keeper's Shield Tokens to my Field!" Three stone tablets then materialized next to Solar Keeper. "This Trap also forces your Monster to attack all my Tokens one at a time! Normally, the Effect of Solar Keeper weakens your Monster's Attack Power by 800 Points and you take 800 points of damage for each Token destroyed in battle, but Desperation of the Keepers doubles that damage!"

"That means if Joey's dragon attacks and destroys those Tokens, he'll take 1600 points damage from each attack! He'll be wiped out in an instant!" Yusho said in alarm.

"Hahaha! I have you now, Devil's Servant!" Joey snapped at Apollo's insult.

"Shut up soldier boy! Yugi ain't no devil! He's my best friend! I ain't gonna stand around and let you insult him!" Apollo brushed him off.

"Those words mean little when you are forced into your own defeat…" Tristan wasn't going to let Apollo have his way.

"No he won't! I activate a Trap, Solemn Strike! When my opponent Special Summons Monsters or activates a Monster Effect, I can pay 1500 Life Points to negate and destroy those Summoned Monsters! All those Tokens you just brought out are now dust!" One lightning bolt and all of Apollo's Tokens were incinerated.

(Tristan: 1600 - 1500 = 100)

"No! Damn you!" He cried out in anger. Tristan grunted with a smirk.

"Yes! Thanks to Tristan, Joey only has to battle Solar Keeper!" Yuya said.

"And no Tokens to protect it!" Shuzo added.

"Thanks Tristan!" Joey said to his friend.

"Anytime, man." He replied. "Now take him down." Joey nodded back.

"My pleasure. I'll play another handy Magic card, Energy Drain! With this, I draw one card and make your Monster's Attack Points drop to zero! Your Solar Keeper is now a Solar dud!" Joey's eyes widened from the seeing the card he just drew and was excited. 'Oh yeah! I've been waiting to use this!' Apollo cursed again as his Monster lost all it's power.

(Solar Keeper's ATK: 0)

"You dare?!" The bigger man shouted, clearly outraged.

"Oh, I more than dare! If you think my Red-Eyes Black Dragon is scary looking, wait until you see this! I Sacrifice my Red-Eyes for something really terrifying! In it's place, I Special Summon the one, the only… RED-EYES ALTERNATIVE BLACK DRAGON!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2000) The new Red-Eyes couldn't have looked any different from the old one. As it exploded from it's previous form, Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon resembled more of a demon than a dragon. It's black scales now had a dark red tinge to it and had large red cracks running along the beast's body. The head also more defined and it's red eyes were darker than before.

"Joey's new dragon is definitely a scary sight, but it's stats are no different than the original Red-Eyes." Edo said.

"It must have some kind of powerful Effect to change that." Sora guessed. A guess shared by Apollo as well.

"Whatever Effect your Alternative Red-Eyes has, I won't give you the chance to use it! I banish my Solar Retribution from Graveyard to destroy your dragon and inflict damage to you equal to it's original Attack Points!" It was Joey's turn to feel the burn as his Monster was destroyed and it's master taking damage.

(Joey: 4000 - 2400 = 1600)

"Joey!" Yugi, Yuya, and Yuzu cried out. Joey himself managed to remain standing, despite the damage he took.

"I'm alright guys! Don't worry!" He assured them with a thumbs up before he turned to his opponent. "Man, that really burned. You Academia guys don't mind bringing the pain in your Duels, don't ya?" Apollo chuckled.

"We never hold back against our enemies, no matter who they are! Now you have no means to defeat me!" To his surprise, Joey smiled big time. "Why are you smiling like that, you fool?"

"Why? I'll tell ya why Apollo. It's because you just guaranteed losing this Duel!" Joey declared, to his opponent's utter bewilderment.

"What kind of bluff is this?" Apollo asked. Joey himself chuckled.

"It ain't no bluff. You see, my Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon did have a useful effect. If my opponent destroys it in battle or by card effect, I can Special Summon a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" Monster from Graveyard except Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon. There's only one Monster like that in my Graveyard, and I'm bringing him back now to end you this turn! Return! Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey's original dragon came back, ready for battle.

"It still means nothing! I'll survive your attack and finish you on my next turn!" Joey's smile broadened.

"Hate ta break this to you, but you got no next turn!"

"Come again?" Apollo asked, fear now in his voice.

"Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon had one other Effect! If the Monster I revived was Red-Eyes Black Dragon, then my reborn Ace gets it's Attack Points doubled!"

"What?!" Apollo yelled and watched as Red-Eyes' Attack Power soared higher while giving off a bone chilling roar.

(Red-Eyes Black Dragon's ATK: 2400 x 2 = 4800)

"Now Joey can finish off Apollo with one attack!" Sora said, amazed by Joey's skills.

"I like his style." Dennis added. Kaiba snorted, knowing it was nothing compared to what he now possessed…

"Time for that butt kicking I promised! Battle! Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Solar Keeper! INFERNO FIRE BLAST!" With a gigantic fireball shot from the dragon's mouth, Apollo's Monster was gone and it's controller hit the ground on his back.

(Apollo: 0)

"Oh yeah! That's how it's done!" Tristan said as he and Joey shard a high five.

"They did it!" Yuzu cheered.

"Those two do make a good team." Yoko said, sounding impressed. Apollo groaned as he leaned up.

"Diana… Professor… I'm sorry. I failed… you both…" He then vanished on the spot like Diana did.

"That's both Guardians out of the way." Edo said.

"Then our path should be clear now. Follow me. The exit is not far now." Reiji stated as he resumed leading everyone out, hopefully without running into anyone else. How wrong they would be…


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


"Damn it all!" Leo shouted in fury. He had just heard from Apollo that he and Diana were both defeated and that Reiji's group would soon exit the building. He fumed over the Guardians' setbacks. 'I had hoped those two would keep them in long enough for the Kaiser to show up to stop them. But I've still had no word from Gloria yet. I need more time.' Leo then groaned. He hoped he wouldn't have to do this, but given the circumstances… he had no choice. He then opened a private channel to Academia, where a creepy old man answered.

"Hello, Professor! How is the operation in Standard going?" The man asked.

"Not well, I'm afraid. I'm waiting for a certain "someone" to arrive and our enemies are close to escaping. I need your assistance here… now." He ordered. The man chuckled gleefully.

"Perfect timing, then! My unique Deck is at last complete, but I have yet to test it. This sounds like the best opportunity! I will be there at once!" Leo nodded.

"You do that… Doktor." He said before closing the connection.

"Professor, you called the Doktor? Don't you think that's… extreme?" Sanders asked, sounding slightly concerned. Battle Beast felt a twinge of fear when he heard the older man's voice. Grace also seemed visibly disturbed by the man in question. Even Roget, who was still working out the glitches in his Gauntlet program, couldn't help but shiver of being near that guy. Leo grunted.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Leo said before looking away, appearing increasingly agitated. 'Gloria better be back soon with him… or there will be serious consequences.'


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


"I see… so that's what's happening, is it?" On an island in the Fusion Dimension, many miles from Academia, stood two individuals. One was the tall blond form of Gloria Tyler. The other was tall young man with short dark blue hair, wearing a black cloak over some white clothing that couldn't be seen. He right now had his back to the woman.

"I'm afraid so." Gloria replied, sounding depressed. After returning to the Fusion Dimension, Gloria tracked down the man she was sent to find at the very place where he learned to master his Duel Monsters Deck. She knew this was where he would be after he left Academia all those years ago. He was quite surprised that Gloria had come to him, considering what was said the last time they saw one another. The man gave a long sigh.

"Leo Akaba… that bastard is finally making his big move, huh? And to think that he would…"

"It hurts." Gloria interrupted, sounding distraught. "I know he needs Serena, Yuzu Hiragi and those other girls badly for the Arc Area Project. It's just… I never once imagined that he'd…" She stopped. She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. It was still disturbing her to no end. The man was silent for a minute before he spoke again.

"Gloria… I hated that it's come to this. I told that man that I would never return. Yet, he's found a way to get my attention. He has seriously pissed me off today, more than he's ever done…" Gloria saw his fists shake from unmistakable anger. "He must truly be desperate if he had the nerve to do this to the woman I love." Gloria couldn't help but give a weak smile.

"Unbelievable. You still love me… even after what we said to each other that day." The man himself finally turned around and faced her with great concern and affection in his grey eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you, Gloria. I was out of line. But know this: I never stopped loving you. No matter what we both go through or what we say, my feelings for you will not change… ever." He said with his own smile. Gloria blushed before looking away.

"I still love you too… Ryo." The two then fell silent for another long moment. Then Ryo walked over and hugged his old girlfriend, which she gratefully welcomed.

"Since it's come to this, I really have no choice. Tell Leo Akaba that I got his message. Tell him the "Kaiser" is returning to fight for Academia. And tell him…" he said with growing anger in his voice. "That I will come for him myself when this is over." Gloria nodded.

"I will." With that, Gloria released herself and activated the Dimension Move on her Duel Disk. As she did, she instantly left to return to the Standard Dimension. Ryo then walked into a nearby cave and took out his own Duel Disk. He looked out over the oceans surrounding his sanctuary.

"Just when I was starting to call this place home…" Ryo said to himself before he too vanished in a stream of blue particles.

To be continued.