Adena ordered that a grand feast get started for the heroes as they rested this night. Outside the blue sky slowly turned midnight blue and the stars came out. Three big moons hovered over the mountains, their light barely penetrating the thick curtains of the great hall where lords and ladies from across the land came to see the heroes who bested the labyrinth and destroyed the horrors within. Adena had also been spreading rumors that Mokuba and his group were the legendary heroes from the tales of old. It was prophesized that they would one day return and unite to defeat the Mythic Dragon and slay it once and for all. Being guests at the castle, the group was given a choice of exquisite clothing to wear for the party. It was a relief to be free of their armor, especially after journeying with it for hours. Cora felt free and lighter now that she didn't have her gear. Free food a good night's sleep was exactly what she and the group needed.
Once they were changed, they were led down the great hall, lit up with its crystal chandeliers and torches. The firepits, where pigs and chicken roasted, washed the great hall with splashes of orange and red, battling the brightness of the chandeliers for dominance. Andre was leaning against a pillar all by himself, still clad in his armor. He was not in the mood for food, and neither was Mokuba. They wanted to get on with the quest. Once he, the NPCs, and the girls stepped through, trumpets sounded off, announcing their arrival. They walked right behind Princess Adena and her lady-in-waiting all the way to the salts where they looked down upon the other guests. The great hall had two long fountains on both sides of the path that led to the salts, and they had lights glowing inside of them.
Cora and the others were sat on either side of Adena and eagerly awaited their food to be brought to them.
"Is there any time for this?" Kasumi wondered.
"There is," Adena answered. She rose from her seat and raised her goblet, tapping it with her steak knife to get everyone's attention. "Bless you all for coming here tonight and helping me welcome our brave heroes, who traveled from afar to help us slay the terrible dragon that has terrorized us for ages. We have here, Lord Mokuba and his niece, Lady Cora, the Summoner of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. With her mighty dragons, she slew the terrible Dark Clown."
The guests cheered.
Adena bobbed her hand up and down to quell their applause. "I know without a doubt that they are the ones the prophecy has spoken of. Wish them all good fortune; lords and ladies, for tomorrow they march across the Labyrinth Mountains and into the fiery wastes to do battle with our enemy. Hail the legendary heroes!"
"Hail!" the guests cheered, raising their goblets. Adena tapped her knife on her goblet once more and the cooks burst through the door, ready to serve. Though the food was virtual, Cora could taste everything as she chomped it down violently and noisily. She savored the herbs that crusted her steak, the rich taste of the wine, and the sweetness of the mashed potatoes.
"Didn't Ms. Goldwine teach you any manners?" Mai said. "Goodness me, Cora."
"She sure has a healthy appetite," Adena said. She didn't even touch her food.
Mokuba stirred his mashed potatoes around with his fork before setting it down. He looked Adena in the eyes and said: "Your Majesty, this is all very flattering and stuff, but we need to hurry. My brother is in terrible danger and he needs us. We can't delay any longer."
"It would be wise of you to rest," said Crusadia Avramax. "The ceremony of the Mythic Dragon can only be completed with two sacrifices."
"Sacrifices?" Candy asked.
"Human sacrifices," Adena replied. "Every year, our kingdom and another must offer a sacrifice to the Mythic Dragon. The other kingdom has already offered its sacrifice. A stranger from a faraway land."
"That must be Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed.
"It has to be," Cora said. "And who is the second sacrifice?"
Ana started to wipe away her tears and placed her hand on Adena's shoulder. Adena's eyes also began to well up with tears. "I have chosen to sacrifice myself to the Mythic Dragon."
"You what?" Mai said. "But why?"
"I fear it could be the only way to keep the dragon from bringing further suffering to my people. But...now there's hope. Now that you're all here, you could slay the dragon, just as the prophecy said you would!"
"Hold on a sec," said Kasumi. "You think we're the ones the prophecy spoke of."
"Yes, you must be!" Adena said. "I have never seen warriors quite like you before. And you defeated the Gate Guardian and the Dark Clown so easily. Look there." She pointed at a tapestry on the wall depicting a knight clad in armor fighting against a five-headed beast standing over the very mountains. Fire burst from his sword and the people around him were on their knees, begging for him to save them. Cherubs were blowing on long golden horns, heralding his arrival. "It is said that when warriors unite, the Mythic Dragon will finally be silenced and peace will once again be found across the land."
"Hey, check it out," Alexis said, elbowing Cora on the arm. "That Mythic Dragon of theirs. Doesn't it look familiar?"
"Yeah, it's the Five-Headed Dragon. A really powerful Duel Monster. Isn't he like the symbol of the Big Five and the Termnnian Bank?"
"Makes sense Seto would make that beast the bad guy here," said Mokuba. "Seto and the Termnnian Bank are not exactly on good terms. They tried to take over Kaiba Corp when Pegasus went crazy after his wife passed away."
"Crazy?" Cora asked.
"Pfft," said Mokuba. "I guess, more like mad. He wanted to seize control of the Diamond Throne from Yuri and tried to steal Yugi's Millennium Puzzle during an event called the Duelist Kingdom Tournament. But after Yugi beat him, Pegasus suddenly returned to normal."
"Normal in some way," said Mai. "I still don't get how Pegasus can still be both the High Chancellor and the head of the Regency Council after all he's done. Meh, politics. Never try to understand it." She chuckled. "I must admit, it's kind of funny how Seto took their organization's symbol and made it the final boss of his game."
"Good old, Seto," Mokuba said. He stuffed a piece of steak into his mouth. "Okay, so how do we get to the Mythic Dragon, Adena?"
Adena tilted her head to the right in confusion. "I'm sorry...but...what's a Diamond Throne. Who are these characters you speak of? Yuri and Pegasus. They sound important."
"More than you know, toots," Mai said. She took a drink of wine. "But that's nothing you should concern yourself with. How do we find the dragon and defeat it?"
Adena paused, tapping the cold steak on her plate as she gathered her thoughts. "Well, there's a citadel in the fiery wastes where the offerings are taken. But it's impossible to cross through it. It's nothing but fire and lava. The only way you can hope to get there is by taking the portal located inside a dark castle floating in the sky."
"A floating castle?" Cora scratched her bottom lip. "Are you talking about Cloudcastle?"
"Oh, goodness no!" Adena said and then she giggled. "That's a beautiful place where I go to relax on my summer holidays."
"Damn," Mai chuckled. "Remember to invite me along if you ever head there, Adena. You sure got style, hon."
"Hey, you mean the Castle of Dark Illusions!" Andre said. He walked toward them and took a bite out of his turkey leg. "That's the thing, right? That's the big castle you're talking about."
"Yes, yes," said Adena. "That's the one. Inside of its halls, there's a portal that will take you to the citadel. There you will probably find your brother, Lord Mokuba. However, reaching the castle is an impossible task as well."
Alexis gave a sigh and started flicking her fork as she rested her cheek on her palm. "Of course, it is. Nothing's ever simple, is it?"
"Why don't we just fly to the citadel?" Candy suggested.
"I'm afraid you can't. The castle is protected by a barrier that prevents all Duel Monsters from passing. It also prevents anyone from getting to the wastes as well."
"What do we have to do, Adena?" Mai asked. "Goddesses, this sounds so hopeless."
"There is still a way." Adena pointed toward another tapestry hanging on the left side of the salts. It showed what looked like a great, white, bird flying through a starry night. "Long ago, a hero escaped from the castle on a flying ship. But that was ages ago. No one knows what happened to it."
"That doesn't help at all," Andre said with a sigh. "We have to do something or else you're going to be taken as a sacrifice."
Adena smiled and looked at him at the others one by one. "There's no need to worry about my fate. The prophecy spoke of you brave warriors. I know it in my heart that you're the ones it spoke of. The fate of our kingdom is on your shoulders."
All of a sudden lightning flashed outside the window. A thunderstorm perhaps? The game did have its own weather system. But suddenly, the bells in the towers started ringing ominously and people in the castle started screaming.
"That is no ordinary storm!" Avramax said getting up from the table. "Guard the princess!" he ordered Kanan and Artemis. He stormed out into the balcony, Cora and Kasumi were right on his tail. He noticed the city was in flames. They were under attack. Down at the foot of the mountain was an army of warrior monsters called Throwstone Unit. Above, an army of Whiptail Crow, Dark Shade, Madjinn Gunn, Ocubeam, and Morinphen flew out of the clouds like ghosts.
"There's got to be thousands of them!" Kasumi gasped.
"Yeah," said Cora. "And they're here for the Princess."
Andre burst through the balcony and yelped when he saw the swarm of monsters flying toward the palace. "No way, man! I've never seen so many monsters like this before. But we've got to take them down!" He held up a card. "I summon Trance the Magic Swordsman!"
He summoned a spellsword knight equipped with a giant sword. He cast a spell on himself that allowed him to grow transcendent wings, allowing him to take off into the sky and attack the monsters.
Artemis hurried outside and shot the monsters with her arrows. Candy joined her, using Thori'dal to rain arrows at their enemy.
"I summon Power Angel Valkyria!" Mai yelled, summoning a beautiful purple-haired angel in white/gold armor. She struck two Ocubeams with her staff and bashed a Whiptail Crow with her shield. "That's three down!"
"It's not good enough!" Cora shouted. "We can't fight that many at once."
She noticed a dark streak gliding through the rooftops. "The hell?" she wondered. She then saw Mokuba and Adena running into the balcony as well, but they were trying their hardest not to be seen. A dumb move on their part; for the streak was none other than the Armed Ninja. He came sneaking in as the enemy's special forces, while the main force would attack the castle. He leaped toward a tower overlooking the balcony twenty feet away and tossed a net at Adena, capturing her.
"ADENA!" everyone cried out in horror. If she was taken, it would be all over.
"Stop him, Super War-Lion!" Candy called. She blew into her silver flute and conjured the mighty beast. It jumped out from a burning arcane circle.
The lion jumped from tower to tower with lightning speed and slashed the Armed Ninja on the chest, killing him. Just as he was about to grab the net holding Adena, a Whiptail Crow flew down and grabbed her, carrying her off into the night.
"ADENA!"
"He's gone!" Mokuba said, falling down onto his knees. "They've taken him."
It didn't take the group long to realize that Mokuba, wasn't Mokuba. It was Adena, now clad in his epic armor.
"Adena?" Cora approached her and helped her back on her feet. "What happened?"
"Mokuba told me to switch places with him. He asked me to change into his armor while he disguised himself as me. He was so brave and I was so weak and fearful. Now because of me, he's gone."
The corner of Cora's lip jerked upward into a smile. "Hah. Don't you worry about a thing, Princess. If I know Mokuba, he's got a plan. He's going to take care of things."
"But what the rest of us?" called Avramax. He jumped up high and sliced the wings off a Dark Shade. "There's still too many of them. And the city will not hold the attack of the Throwstone Unit."
"I've got an idea," said Mai. "Power Angel, return! Now I call on Harpie Lady and use Elegant Egotist to summon Harpie Channeler! Now, I'll Overlay them both to Xyz Summon, Tornado Dragon! Blow them away!"
Her two Harpies went back to back and then they started to spin until they became a giant F-5 tornado that took the shape of a dragon with burning orange eyes. The dragon let out a call that sounded like a hundred tornados blowing at once. He stomped toward the valley and sucked up the Throwstone Unit until they were gone. He then focused on the swarm of monsters, sucking them into his hands, which were F-4 class tornados. The other monsters then fled into the sky to avoid being taken by the dragon. When the swarm was gone, Tornado Dragon screeched and dispersed. Then the night was still and the stars once again came out.
"Way to go, Mai!" Alexis cheered.
"What's there to be happy about?" Adena said glumly. "They have Mokuba. And we still don't know how to reach the castle."
"Wait! Look!" Andre called, pointing down at the valley. "See that! Adena what is that down there?"
Adena struggled to get to the rail. She had never been clad in heavy armor before. She started to sway from left to right. Mai and Cora grabbed her. "Oh, thank you. I don't know how Lord Mokuba walks around in this thing."
"You ever tried twelve-inch heels, hon?" Mai giggled. She and Cora led her to the balcony. The light of the moons revealed ancient ruins and the drawing of a bird on the ground.
"I've never seen that there before," Adena gasped. "What on earth is that?"
"Hey, it's the flying ship from the story!" Alexis said at once. "Mai's Tornado Dragon must have uncovered it."
"That sure was convenient," Mai said. "But how do we get that thing up and running? It's been years, that thing is an ancient relic by now. There's no way we can restore it. There just isn't any time."
"Time?" Cora said. "Time! That's it!" she hurried for the ruins, her companions hot on her trail. Once they got there, she stopped and surveyed the land. Just as she was about to raise her card and summon the creature, she noticed something flashing in the earth. Something made of gold. Her friends hadn't caught up with her yet, so she took the time to start digging and see what she could uncover. "Cool," she said, upon discovering the item in the earth was a golden chest. She tried to open it, but it was sealed shut. Then she remembered something.
Of course! The key! The golden key the Mystical Elf gave her before their journey began. Cora took the key from one of the pouches around her waist and unlocked the chest. When it opened, she found that it was surprisingly empty. All that was in there was a necklace of some sort made of aquamarine. She put the necklace over her neck, hoping something would activate.
Nothing.
"Well, that was a ripoff," she said. "Pfft. Thanks for nothing, Mystical Elf."
"Cora!" Kasumi called out from the trail leading to the ruins. "Would you quit playing in the dirt. We have a job to do. What's this big plan of yours?"
"Oh, yeah." Cora stood and held up a fusion card. "Cyberse Clock Dragon!" Over her head formed a digital glyph and from it emerged the cybernetic beast.
"You run Cyberse Clock Dragon in a Blue-Eyes deck, Cora?" Alexis asked. "No offense, but that's really stupid."
Cora looked over her shoulder and glared at her. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Alexis. Of course, I didn't put this guy in my deck. I got this card for two gold Star Chips while we were at the park today with Avi."
"What did you need a Cyberse Clock Dragon for?"
"I wanted to add him to my dragon binder. I didn't have it on me so I put the card in my deck to protect it until we got home so I could sleeve it. Thank goodness I forgot to. Now, let's see if this guy can't work a little chronological magic for us. Do your stuff, Cyberse Clock Dragon. Turn back the clock and bring the machine back to life."
She stepped back and watched the dragon shot a beam from the center of its chest. It spread its wings and then numbers formed all over the ruins. Little by little, the old buildings began to rebuild themselves.
"You did it, Cora!" Mai cheered. "It's working!"
"Talk about luck," said Cora.
"It wasn't luck," Kasumi said. "It was the will of the Goddesses."
"Goddesses. I make my own luck," Cora said with a scoff.
"Don't speak like that?" Kasumi said. The world shook around her as the city was almost completely done restoring itself. "Things don't just happen, Cora."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
The city was finally rebuilt and stood like a jewel out there in the middle of the wasteland behind the mountain. Mai surveyed the city with her mouth agape in wonder, admiring the beauty and architecture of the old city. "Old Sin Lou," she said. "It's beautiful."
"Who cares?" said Candy. "Cora's dragon didn't bring the machine back. It didn't work."
The earth trembled with a violent quake that knocked the party off their feet. "What have you done!" Artemis shouted. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" The ground at the central plaza of the city then cracked open.
"Look!" Candy pointed at the destruction in front of her. Lights started beaming out of the cracks on the ground. "There's something rising out of the ground."
The legendary flying ship, at last, made its appearance, rising slowly out of the ground. It resembled a giant swan, four giant propellers hung under its wings. The party hopped on board and the ship slowly rose up toward the stars.
"Cora, you did it!" Kasumi said. She looked over the railing and saw the people of Sin Lou waving up at them. "Hey, talk about a bon voyage."
Adena stood at the balcony with her lady-in-waiting by her side, her knights were standing right behind her. "Goodbye, brave heroes!" she said. "Goodbye! Good luck on your mission!"
The flying ship disappeared into the clouds, which started getting darker and thicker as they approached the Castle of Dark Illusions. Avramax was steering the ship right towards it, his armor glowing brightly in the darkness. Artemis had her bow ready and her bear mount was snarling right beside her, ready to swipe his claws at any incoming beasts seeking to do them damage.
"This is it, everyone," Kanan said. "Now's the time. We're nearing the final battle. Whatever happens to us, I just want to say it's been an honor fighting with you in this quest."
"Hey, we're gonna be all right," said Alexis.
"Not for long!" Cora cried out. "Here come the Duel Monsters."
They came back, their fear of Tornado Dragon had been quelled. And since they were flying close to the Castle of Dark Illusions, their power had increased tenfold. "This ought to clear them off!" Cora said. "I summon Danger - Dogman, and Protector with Eyes of Blue! Synchro Summon! Level Eight! Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon!"
"I'll join in too!" said Alexis. "I activate the spell Meteornis Drytron! I sacrifice Drytron Ban-Alpha and Ras-Beta to ritual summon, Drytron Meteornis Draconids!"
"Same here!" Kasumi called out, jumping right into the action. "I summon Tenyi-Spirit Ashuna and Adhara and now the conditions are set for a Link Summon. Come forth, Tenyi-Sprit Sahasrara!"
The sky brightened up as though the sun had risen high above the sky, blinding the monsters and stopping them in their tracks. And they died blind. Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon shot through a beautiful and complex designed arcane circle. He was Cora's newest monster, a black dragon with royal indigo wings and an arc on his back forming from his back. He opened his claws then shot balls of bright green magic that killed fifty monsters within their blast radius.
Up in the sky missiles rained down, whistling as they flew through the air to destroy their targets. Drytron Meteornis Draconids was slowly descending from space, shining brightly like the northern star. The missiles hit their targets, creating a massive explosion in front of them.
"You girls are so great!" Andre said, pumping his fist.
The ship suddenly halted and just froze there in place while the tip struck an unseen wall that sparked and hissed as it kept pressing on.
"It's the barrier!" called Kanan. "We're almost there, friends!"
"Look! Something's coming out of the castle's entrance!" Mai shouted as soon as she spotted a fiery glow coming from the archway in front of the dark castle. A dragon made of flames stuck its head out, blowing jets of fire at the dragons to send them back. "It's a Darkfire Dragon!" Mai said.
Sahasrara then swooped out of the clouds and blocked the flames with a force field of radiant light. Sahasara then started waving its six arms around and formed a ball of white light in front of it. It then launched the ball towards the castle. Darkfire Dragon knew it was the end, but shot flames from its mouth again. The three beasts dodged the attack and struck the ship's wing.
"DAMN! WE'RE HIT!" Avramax called out. "I'm losing control!"
There was no saving the legendary airship. As quickly as they had gotten it, they were about to lose it. Thankfully, there were three big dragons to aid them. They each jump onto the backs of the beasts, Cora and Kasumi on top of Chaos Ruler, Candy and Alexis on Drytron Meteornis, and Andre with the NPC characters on the back of Sahasrara. The dragons flew the group toward the entrance of the Castle of Dark Illusions.
What lay inside, they did not know. All they could do was hope for the best and pray Mokuba and Kaiba were not offered to the beast yet.
Knox
"They've reached the final level already?" Father Telstan said, tapping the tips of his fingers together, his elbow resting on the arms of his chair. Knox was sweating profusely and pulled the collar of his shirt. "You assured me your associates were going to take care of them in the first level of the game. The two boys you sent in were no match for Cora and the ghost creature failed as well. We wasted a lot of time, holy magic, and resources trying to bring that creature into this world. And just like that, he is defeated. I am not pleased, Knox. Not pleased at all."
"But...I...don't count me out just yet. I've still got one more trick up my sleeve."
"I grow weary of your tricks, Knox. If Cora and her friends get Seto Kaiba out of that game world, pardon me for being dramatic, we're going to be in a world of shit."
Knox definitely knew he screwed up. Gold Priests were some of the holiest members of the Covenant and they swore to never mutter obscenities in their position. The Gold Priest looked at him and cackled. "But not before you are punished for this."
"I will not fail this time. I'm going to oversee Cora's destruction myself. Excuse me, sir."
Knox fixed his tie and stormed out of the room toward the control room upstairs where a virtual pod was waiting for him.
Seto
Kaiba's eyes slowly opened. Deep down, he had hoped this whole ordeal was nothing more than some dream. But once he saw the pebbles on the ground, he slowly started to remember where he was. He closed his eyes, hoping he would be back in his room again. Once he opened them, he indeed found himself back in his room again. Well, not like the one in the tower.
He was in a small room with white walls, a ceiling fan, and a balcony overlooking a valley with fields of flowers and a winding river.
"Ah, you're awake," said a familiar voice. The white-haired woman walked into the room clad in a white spring dress and a sun hat.
"It's you," Seto whispered.
"It's me," the woman replied with a giggle. She took her hat off and set it down on a white dresser with silver accents crafted to look like Blue-Eyes White Dragons. "You sure have found yourself in quite the predicament, haven't you." She sat down on the foot of the bed and placed her hand on Seto's leg, rubbing her down up and down over it. "I've told you time and time again not to fall in love with your machines."
Seto looked up at the ceiling. "Who are you to tell me what I can't or can't do?"
The woman smiled, tilting her head to the left. "Are you pouting at me?" She got up and went behind a screen of white, silver, and platinum to undress. "That's not kind, Seto. I only did bring you the keys to unlocking the true power of House Kaiba."
Seto peered over at the screen. It was conveniently placed right in front of the window. He could see her voluptuous silhouette and her dress peeling right off her body like the skin of a fruit. "What power?" he finally asked. "Start speaking with some sense, woman. I grow weary of these riddles."
The woman stepped out from behind the screen now clad in a silvery silk robe. She went to the bathroom and drew her bath. She placed her fingers under the water to test the temperature. Too cold. "I told you everything you needed to know. Cora is my gift to you."
"And what's her purpose? Why did you...'gift' her to me? Why? Answer me!"
The woman sighed. "Very well. As I have told you, you've raised Cora magnificently. And now it's time I told you my gospel for this family. For too long your House has lived without the power and glory of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
The woman tied her hair into a ponytail. "I have watched you, Seto, for a very long time. I have seen how you wield those dragons. Tathelrion. Tolthion. And Verronex. Your methods on acquiring them were questionable, but I thank you nevertheless for finding them and restoring them to their glory. Together they are called the Sapphires of the Northern Star. My most beloved children. And I sent them into the world after so many eons to be in your hands. You've raised them well. Just as you've raised Cora well. She's grown beautifully because of you. You've made my children happy."
"Your children..." It finally dawned on Seto. He finally found out who the woman was. Arasik. Daughter of Safaani, the Goddess of Dragons. Mother of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "It...it can't be."
The woman smiled and laughed through her nose. She got up from the side of the tub and walked to the door, leaning on its frame. "So you've finally figured it out, haven't you?"
"Arasik."
The goddess closed her eyes and gave that sweet and delicate giggle again. "That is what my mother and my sister Goddesses call me. But I find it a bore. One day I played around with the name and discovered it sounds nicer when said in a different way. It sort of grew on me since."
"You're the Goddess of the Blue-Eyes? All this time?"
"Yes. I am her. I am the Goddess of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, patron of the House of Rosenkruz, and creator of the Vollanti. It's finally nice to be fully acquainted with you, Seto Kaiba. Since we're friends, you can call me...Kisara."
"Kisara..." He didn't mention it to her, but, yes, the name did seem to roll off the tongue a lot better and sounded much more beautiful. "So...my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. And now Cora. They are your creation?"
"Yes. As well as her three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, whose cards I told you to forge when we first met. And Korinthia, too. The girl who healed you. It's thanks to Cora that she was able to find you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I've sent many agents into the world since the fall of Anubis. Justicars, I call them. They are my blades and deliver justice to those who do harm on dragons or slander the name of Safaani. Korinthia is one of my finest Justicars. I would have told her to find you and heal you sooner, beloved, but..." She looked at the ceiling and sighed. "Anubis polluted the world with so much evil that my link to them was severed. I could never come to contact with them again. I felt so hopeless watching the Rosenkruz Curse slowly take your life."
"You're a Goddess, aren't you?" Seto asked. "You couldn't have—"
"—Healed you myself? Sadly, I cannot. I can make many miracles happen when it comes to my children, Seto. But when it comes to the keys of life, I fear that is just not in my sphere. After I disobeyed the Higher Power in the dawn of time by creating my own race, creatures not part of his plan for the world, Horakhty took that gift from me. Cora was made by a very special collaboration between me, my sisters, and my mother, Safaani. What the details of that collaboration are, I'm afraid I can't say. But it will be revealed to you in due time. Now more than ever since Lady Avi is in the world waking True Dragons and bringing trust back into my mother. Trust that True Dragons and humankind can live in harmony as they did millennia ago."
"What do you want from me?"
"As I've told you. To restore glory to your House. And there's only one person who can help you do that. She will bring you back to the glory days of House Rosenkruz."
"There's got to be more to it than that?"
"Oh, there is," Kisara said. She sat down in front of her vanity mirror and started dousing her face with a sweet-smelling cream. "The world has fallen into chaos, Seto. Termnnia has fallen into a state of civil war across so many fronts. A vile religion is on the rise. And we both know what happened last time they came into power. They used their machines to destroy my precious dragons and brought extinction to so many more. History repeats, but people never want to learn. They wish to continue living in ignorance, believing certain things can never happen again. Yuri Wallcroft Pentagrast is a very gifted boy, but he still just one person. He's going to need your help to bring order into this world. Cora is the key, Seto. Please. Take good care of her."
"Wakey, wakey, Kaiba!" Witty Phantom said. Seto awakened from his vision. What a rush. Being in heaven then back into hell within seconds. The Witty Phantom laughed as he walked towards Seto, spinning his hat over his finger. "You can't go to sleep now! The party's almost begun."
"I told you before, I don't like parties."
"Oh, come now, Kaiba. Don't be so glum. I've even found a special guest to be joining us in the celebrations." He pointed at the ground in front of Kaiba. A girl in a pink and white dress rose out of a light that appeared from the ground. "His disguise sure didn't fool us," Witty Phantom boasted.
Just like that, Mokuba ripped the dress off and revealed his new armor underneath. "Seto!" he said.
"Mokuba! What are you doing here!?"
"What do you think? I'm here to rescue you, big bro!"
"You're not rescuing anyone!" Witty Phantom said. "No, you and your brother are about to take a dip in the Pool of Atonement. And once the ritual is complete, the Mythic Dragon will be awakened. Now, come here at once before I hurt you, boy!"
"You're the only one getting hurt, freak!" Mokuba threw a card, summoning Swordstalker. "Free my brother, Swordstalker!" The phantom warrior sniggered with glee, then he cut Seto's binds with ease, freeing him at last. "Here, Seto! I've brought your deck!" Mokuba handed him his cards and Duel Disk,
"Thanks, little brother," Seto said, slowly taking the gifts from Mokuba's hands.
"No! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Witty Phantom cried out in fright. He turned tail and ran.
Kaiba put the Duel Disk on, a devious smile growing on his face. "Time for a trip to the recycle bin, Phantom. I call upon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Finally. After so many days (In-game time) in captivity, Seto had power and control back in his fingertips again. His Duel Disk whirred and formed the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, filling him with joy and a lust for destruction. He wanted to see this place turn to ashes, along with everything lurking in it. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Destroy that phantom! White Lightning!"
His Blue-Eyes White Dragon snarled, charged up its attack, and released it without mercy, striking the phantom. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" He was torn to shreds and felt every moment of it. He was nothing more than a one-legged burning corpse. He tried to keep balance, but he gave way and fell into the pit where his suffering finally ended.
"Come on, let's go!" Seto said to his brother. He and Mokuba dashed down a rickety wooden bridge and were instantly swarmed by Armed Ninjas. They jumped all over the walls, then one of them summoned the Dragon Capture Jar.
"Looks like they want another one!" Seto exclaimed. "But I'm ready for them. Go, Trap Master! Destroy their trap!" He conjured a mad-mad with an orange hat and wild hair. His bottom half was nothing more than chainsaws, blades, and hooks, which he used to destroy traps. He cackled like a killer tormenting his victim while using his chainsaw to tear the Dragon Capture apart. "There!" Seto said as the jar broke to pieces. "Now the first Blue-Eyes White Dragon is back with me. Now I have twice the firepower. Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Slay them all!"
Both of Seto's Blue-Eyes White Dragons started to blast the ninjas to hell. As he stood there watching his two beasts cause their beautiful destruction, he started to think about their names. Tathelrion. Tolthion. And the third one in his deck was Verronex. Together they were known as the Sapphires of the Northern Star. Arasik's most treasured and beloved dragons. Seto never put any thought into names for the dragons, but he started to ponder that for a moment. If this woman gave them these dragons, the most precious in her flock, then was the woman in his dreams possibly, Arasik?
"Who cares!" Seto cried out, fighting with his thoughts. He would think about this later. "Blast them all away! Make sure none of them live!"
The cavern trembled with the power of the Blue-Eyes. The Armed Ninjas were evaporated one by one until they were all gone. All was quiet, save for the blasts echoing across the cave. Seto then looked at Mokuba and said: "Now, Mokuba, tell me again how you got here."
Mokuba looked down and tapped the tip of his foot with the other as he gathered the courage to tell him. "Well...you're not gonna like this, but I got help from Cora and her friends."
"WHAT! Why would you do that! This is dangerous! If anything happened to her..."
"I didn't know who else to turn to, big bro. And...I didn't know you'd take her helping out so harshly."
"That girl is..."
Mokuba smiled. "So you do care for her, huh?"
"She's the key to bringing restoring power to our family," Seto said. "If what the woman...If what Kisara says is true, we might bring House Kaiba out of the shadow of my father once and for all and restore it back to its former glory."
"You saw the woman in your dreams again? You sure about that Seto?"
"Now's not the time. Cora's out there. We need to find her and make sure she's okay. Come on. Let's see if we can't find a way to escape this game!"
Cora
The Castle of Dark Illusions was truly a thing built from nightmares. When Cora and her party first entered the castle, they traveled down a long tunnel that seemed to go on forever. And then, they found themselves in a forest that looked like it was many miles wide.
"A forest in a castle," said Mai. "Wow, I've heard about being creative but this is just taking things a little too far. Cora, remind your dad to get some fresh air and sunshine once in a while. Maybe he should find a nice girl to settle with and get laid."
"Not going to happen anytime soon," Cora said. She stopped. "Wow, we're going to be in so much trouble if those things wake up."
"What things?" Kanan asked.
"Look at those trees." Cora pointed at a formation of trees as tall as a skyscraper. There was something sticking to their trunks. "Cocoons of Evolution. They'll probably evolve in Great Moths, but knowing those programmers, they're going to make it something stronger."
"Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth," Candy said with a shiver. "Eww, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross." She stopped talking and listened. "Wait. Hear that? The Cocoons are buzzing."
"I don't think it's the Cocoons that are buzzing, hon," said Mai. "Aw, hell! An entire swarm of Killer Needle!"
"And Hercules Beetle, too!" shouted Avramax.
"Hang on, everyone!" Andre held up a trap card. "Mirror Force! Let's see them get past this!"
The bugs stupidly flew into the force field Andre created, igniting them into balls of fire as soon as they touched it. The flaming bodies of the bugs then fell down and started burning the forest. The flames and the smoke started waking the Cocoons. As Cora said, Perfectly Ultimate Great Moths started coming out of them, hissing and screeching. They ripped right out of the cocoons.
"Thirty-five hundred attack points!" groaned Andre. "Man, they're not making this easy, are they?"
"Got anything to beat them?" Cora asked. "I can't use my Ultimate Dragon because that skill is still charging."
"I've got something that could help!" Candy said. "I summon Alpha, the Master of Beasts! Now I equip him with the spell, Double-Edged Sword! This will increase his attack power from 3000 to 5000! Take them out!"
Alpha, the Master of Beasts gripped the handle of the sword with his jaws. He sprinted across the flaming forest and jumped up high, slashing the moth's wings off, causing them to fall into the flames where they burned alive.
"Nice work, Candy!" Mai patted her on the back. "I see something up ahead. It looks like the entrance to a cave."
"Let's hurry," Artemis cried. "This forest is burning fast. I don't want to get cooked here."
They made it into the safety of the cave and paused to catch their breaths. They were beaten. They had no supplies left. They summoned their best monsters, leaving the mana pools dry, and their gear was falling into disrepair."
"We're in no condition to face the dragon like this," said Avramax. "We have to go back."
"There is no going back," Alexis said, gasping for air. "We all knew this trip wasn't going to be an easy one. Those programmers in the Covenant are going to make sure we are never going to win."
"It's going to take a miracle for us to make it out of here alive," Kasumi said. "Damn it, what was I thinking coming here?"
A roar thundered from somewhere in the cave.
"Did you hear that?" Mai asked.
"I sure did," Cora replied. "It sounds familiar."
She stepped forward and heard the roar again. "Oh, I know that roar alright. It's coming from down here." Even though she was exhausted and thirsty, Cora found some strength to dash into the tunnel. The others were out of shape as well, but also managed to find their second wind and followed Cora deeper into the cave. Up ahead was a pedestal made of purple glass. Above it was a black vortex. The roar got even louder.
From the vortex, something showed itself. Something big and white.
"A Blue-Eyes White Dragon!?" cried Alexis. "Cora, did you do that?"
"No..."
She shrieked and stepped back when two figures fell from the same vortex where the dragon was sticking its head out.
"SETO!" Cora cried out in joy. "Seto, you're okay!"
"Cora," Seto said. "You should have known better than to come in here."
Mai couldn't take his attitude anymore. "Hey, a little gratitude would be nice, Kaiba. She is your daughter after all! Come on!"
"I didn't need her help."
"Sure, sure," said Kara. Her face appeared on a window that projected over Seto's face. "You've also got me to thank for getting them here. You know, the Church was going to do anything and everything to try and stop them from reaching you."
"Kara Kestrel," Seto said, narrowing his eyes. "Why am I not surprised you'd be here?"
"Because your security systems suck and are not as good as you say they are. You let yourself get hacked again, big time. Maybe it's time you..."
Her image started to become static and then she vanished.
"Kara?" Alexis shouted. "Kara! Kara, come in, we've lost you."
She stopped speaking once a haunting voice cackled at them from out of nowhere. "Don't be expecting help from her anytime soon, little princess. Thanks to my elite group of programmers, they've prevented you from receiving any more aid."
"It's Knox!" Mokuba yelled.
"Yes, it is, little Mokuba. So you've gotten help in this little venture. Perfect. Kaiba, now I can not only knock out both you and your pestersome brother, but I can also destroy your little brat as well. No more will she fill the eyes of my lambs with her indecent pictures, her foul language, or her precious dragons. Congratulations, gamers. You have made it to the final level of my game. I did not expect you to make it this far. But your journey is not yet over."
Seto scoffed at his words. "Correction, you slimeball, we've beaten the game."
"Oh, is that so, Seto Kaiba."
"Yes! I've escaped the lava pool and Princess Adena is safe. Therefore, the Mythic Dragon cannot be summoned. It's game over."
Knox laughed at him. "Oh, it will be game over for you, alright. But for you and your pitiful band. Not me. I've made a few modifications that will grant me victory over each and every one of you."
The cave dissolved and they found themselves standing in a realm of nothing but circuit board patterns.
"What have they done?" Artemis said in fright. "Where have they taken us?"
A could of grayish-blue mist rose from the ground, breaking apart into five separate columns that looked like necks. "It can't be!" Seto backed away from the smoke. "Knox has rewritten the program. He's summoning the Mythic Dragon himself!"
Five-Headed Dragon finally made its appearance, however, it wasn't the original. It was the Link version, Five-Headed Link Dragon.
Red cybernetic patterns flashed up and down their body and up their necks and across their wings. Cora had dueled against it many times during her early days in the academy when she and her friends had friendly mock duels. But seeing it here like this filled her with fear. She quaked in her armor and her teeth chattered. It looked far more menacing than any incarnation she had ever seen before.
All of a sudden, Avramax, Kanan, and Artemis were being paralyzed by bolts of electricity. They fell to their knees, yelling and groaning in pain.
"What's happening to them!" Cora shrieked. She heard a horrible charging noise whirring inside the Five-Headed Link Dragon's body. It then fired multiple attacks from each of its heads. The water head shot a stream of water glowing green. The flaming head fired neon-red flames, the white head unleashed a tornado. The darkness head shot flames as black as shadow, and the metallic one released a fluorescent green beam that had a strange buzz to it. The flames spiraled together, forming into one massive beam. It struck Avramax, Artemis, and Kanan, burning them to cinders. They were gone.
"NO!" Cora yelled. She fell to her knees and sobbed. "They're gone...he's killed them."
"What did you do to them, you filthy rat!" Kasumi roared.
Knox chuckled menacingly from inside the Five-Headed Link Dragon. "Just a little bit more reprogramming my team did. You love dragons, don't you girls? So I did you all a big favor. I call it the Dragon's Seal. It turns this lair into a sacred place where only Dragon-class monsters are allowed. Every other monster-type is useless. This shall be an ultimate duel of dragons!"
Seto's shoulders started trembling and then he started cackling. He reared his head back and started laughing.
"What's gotten into him?" Kasumi asked.
Cora pinched the bridge of her nose while shaking her head in disbelief. She sighed. "There he goes again. You say the words 'Duel' and 'Dragons' together at once, and he starts getting giggly like a little girl at a Jack Atlas Duel."
When Seto's laughter died down he stared the Five-Headed Link Dragon in the face. "You fool! You dare challenge me to a Duel of Dragons! Very well. I use Polymerization, fusing my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons to create Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" He held up his card. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon flew out from behind a gate of white light and let out its famous roar.
"Well, I can't hang around this game all day, can I?" said Cora. "All right, time to get out of here. I summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!" She held up her card. And the beast slithered out of a portal. It reared up its head and cried out, releasing a metallic-like roar.
"I call upon Harpie's Pet Dragon!" Mai said, conjuring the faithful dragonic servant of the Harpie Lady. The creature rose out of a pool of glittering light.
"I don't have any dragons!" said Kasumi. "My deck are all Wyrms."
"Then I'm afraid that disqualifies you from this Duel, my dear. Farewell!" Knox laughed as the metallic dragon head opened its mouth and shot her with its green beam. It went right through her like a bullet through a block of gel.
"KASUMI!" Cora roared. She sprinted for her and held her in her arms just before she hit the ground. "Oh, Kasumi. No."
Kasumi coughed and placed her hand on Cora's cheek. "Cora. It's okay. You can beat that thing."
"Kass, no! Not without you." Cora hiccuped and big, round, tears dropped from her eyes. "Kasumi, please. Please don't leave me."
"I love you." She leaned in for one last kiss, but she digitized into a thousand sparkles of light.
Cora slammed her fists into the ground. She reared her head up. "NOOOOOOO!"
"Cora," Mai said, tears coming out her eyes, too. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." She glared at Knox. "YOU SICK WEIRDO! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!"
"YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET AWAY WITH THAT! "Candy raised up her card, too, tears sprinkling from her eyes like glitter. "I summon Master Peace, the True Dracoslayer!" Candy had a knack for just stuffing pretty cards into her deck. One of the many signs of her being a terrible Duelist, but Cora and the others were quite thankful she decided to stuff a dragon into her deck.
"Well," Alexis said. "I don't keep many dragons in my deck, but thankfully I've got a few in my Extra Deck just in case. And this is is going to make you pay for what you've done! Borrelend Dragon! Go!" She threw her card in the air and summoned a three-headed mechanical dragon that had mini guns inside of it each of its mouths and laser cannons and missile launchers hidden in various parts of its body.
"And I'll call upon Curse of Dragon!" Andre said, holding up his card to conjure his beast. "Your Mythic Dragon can't stand up to the combined power of our dragons!" he boasted to Knox.
"Oh, really?" Knox said with a chuckle.
"Attack!" Andre commanded his Curse of Dragon. It flew above the Five-Headed Link Dragon and shot a fireball at it. Then Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon slithered into the air and fired its Blue Lightning Attack. Borrelend Dragon opened its three heads. Its three heads opened their mouths and shooting miniguns with kinetic rounds at the dragon. Master Peace raised his golden blade, engulfing it in flames. He aimed it at Knox, releasing a stream of fire at him, hoping it would be enough to end him. Harpies Pet Dragon then launched a twister from his mouth, joining the rest of the attacks.
The Five-Headed Link Dragon snarled and fired beams from each of its five heads. Even though he was outnumbered, his attacks were far stronger than any of theirs. The beams collided in midair and created a terrible explosion, blinding them in a cloud of black smoke.
"What happened?" Candy coughed into her fist. "Did we win?"
"No!" Cora fanned the air in front of her. "No, our attacks just blocked each other out."
"So they have," Knox sniggered delightfully. He was mad with power and was now going to torment the party. "It seems one of you doesn't have a dragon on the field. Isn't that right, little, Mokuba?"
"You wouldn't!" Seto roared.
"Oh, I would!"
The five heads shot their attacks at once. "Curse of Dragon! Block it!" Andre commanded. Curse of Dragon took the hit and was destroyed, as were the rest of Andre's Life Points.
"Well, I guess it's game over for me," he said, falling to his knees from feeling so weak. He felt like a piece of paper ready to fly away in the wind. "Cora, I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help to you. Beat this creep, will you."
"Andre wait!"
Andre held up his thumb and he was gone.
"There goes another one," jeered Knox. "Which one of you is next? Ah, little Princess Alexis. You know, I found it hilarious when Aldric and his goons tortured you when they kept you in captivity. Whining and yelping like a common dog. You're not royalty, you welp. Begone!" The dark head pulverized her Borrelend Dragon with a bath of black flames.
"ALEXIS! NO!" Mokuba cried.
Alexis started to fade as soon as her dragon was vaporized. "Cora..." she whispered. And she was gone.
"Dad!" Cora cried, running for Seto. "What...what do we do? It's too strong. He's programmed that thing to be unbeatable."
For the first time in his life, Seto Kaiba was out of ideas. He looked at Cora and shook his head. "I...I don't...huh! Wait! That necklace! Cora! You found the game's hidden power."
Cora stepped back and examined the jewel. "What? This old thing?"
"Cora, it may be our only hope to win this thing. Our dragons alone can't beat that creature. But thanks to that necklace, you might have found just the monster to beat him."
"What do I have to do?"
"It's going to take a ritual that will require you to summon three monsters."
"I don't think Knox is going to let me do that," she said.
"Don't worry about Knox!" Mai growled in fury. "We'll distract him long enough for you to complete the ritual, Cora."
"Hurry, Cora!" Candy shouted. "We can't hold him back forever."
The remaining dragons regrouped, then started to battle with the Five-Headed Link Dragon.
"Three monsters, huh?" Cora said. "I knew you couldn't resist, Seto. Let's see if this works. I summon King of Dragons!"
"You will do no such thing!" Knox shouted. "Suffer!" The water head unleashed its tidal beam attack. It was heading straight for Cora, then Master Peace flew out of nowhere and took the hit.
"CANDY!"
Candy's body was riddled with pain. She wobbled around and fell. "I've done all I could. Cora...it's been fun hanging out with you."
"Candy, don't go!"
But there was nothing she could do. Candy was gone, but Cora would not allow her sacrifice to be in vain. The attack was delayed long enough for Cora to summon her dragon summoner. Because he wasn't a Dragon, he could not attack. He was paralyzed by the sanctuary and force down on one knee. "I now activate Flute of Summoning Dragon!" said Cora. "And I summon two Blue-Eyes White Dragons!"
"NO!" Knox roared. He knew what it was she was trying to do. "You will not stop me! I will end you before your little ritual is complete."
The metal head screeched before opening its mouth to release its green energy beam. Mai's dragon flew down from above, tackling the beast and knocking it on the ground.
"I've had enough of these games!" Knox shouted. Two of the dragon's heads grabbed Harpie's Pet Dragon by the wings. Then the dragon had its head blown off by the metallic head of the Mythic Dragon. Mai's body stung and she began falling limp. "Cora...I'm sorry I could stick around to see how things play out."
"Mai! Please stay with us! Please!"
"There's nothing you can do!" shouted Seto.
"Mai, please!" Cora pleaded.
"Focus on the ritual!" He commanded Cora, then he watched Mai disappear. She giggled, winking at Cora one last time before she was deleted. "She's gone, Cora. As will we if you don't complete this ritual."
"Cora," Mokuba said. "You want to be a Kaiba. Well, now's your chance to prove it! Take down that beast!"
"Yeah, I've got one more card left to play," Cora said coldly. She turned and faced Knox. "You're not going to take anyone else away from me! Do you hear! NO MORE!"
"And just what do you plan to do to stop me, Cora? Only you, your little uncle, and your pathetic father remain. And your two dragons pale in comparison to my beast. You both are finished, so is the will of the flaming god. I am a Yeyunist."
Cora's necklace started glowing and hovering over her face. She clutched it with all her might. Her body started to glow and her hair rose above her. Her three Blue-Eyes White Dragons circled above her. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon and Seto's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon then joined in. Seto approached Cora and locked hands with hers.
Cora looked at Knox, her eyes were now burning blue. "And I...am a Kaiba."
The necklace shattered and a card appeared in the grip of Seto and Cora. They both shouted at once, holding the card up together. The entire sanctuary was blackened, leaving them in darkness, with only a symbol glowing dark blue at the feet of the family. A familiar choir started to sing and the sanctuary trembled from the Song. The Song from the Divines.
It meant only one thing.
"What trickery is this!?" shouted Knox.
The Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon and the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons Cora summoned were then turned into orbs of light. The orbs melded together before shooting into the earth. The ground cracked open and from it emerged the great beast Kaiba once controlled many years ago.
Knox babbled in horror, watching the dark-blue behemoth roar as it lunged out of the earth and stared at him with its flaming eyes.
"It...it can't be!" Knox babbled. "NO! It's Obelisk the Tormentor! You added that demon into the game?" Knox chuckled. "It matters not! Thanks to my seal, your monster won't..." He stopped, watching as Obelisk picked up Lord of Dragons and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. He started absorbing their energy, giving him infinite strength. He opened his mouth and cried out in a divine fury. Lighting flashed all around him, revealing the features of his face for a few brief seconds.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING! My seal prevents all other monsters from attacking." He begged for his team to do something, but Obelisk's power was off the charts, causing their equipment to malfunction and spark. Their PCs caught fire and some even exploded, as did the monitors.
"Sorry, Knox," Cora said, her voice was deep and metallic. "He's not a monster. He's a god!"
"No!" Knox gasped. "No!"
"And with this last attack," Kaiba said, "You will pay for bringing harm to my family!"
"So get lost and don't ever come back!" Mokuba shouted. "Let 'em have it guys!"
"OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" The three of them shouted. "FIST OF FATE!"
Obelisk raised his fist and held it up until it was covered by a golden aura. Obelisk roared and smashed his enchanted right on the dragon's chest, striking him with the power of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. "HELP MEEEEE!" Knox cried. The dragon digitized and then he was gone. Obelisk snarled standing over the Kaiba family, proud of his victory, even though it was an easy one. Cora looked up at the beast and smiled at it. "My father told me so many great stories about the days when he wielded you. It was an honor to meet you...Obelisk."
Obelisk looked at her for a moment and then he vanished. Then the ground vanished as well, plunging Cora, Seto, and Mokuba into an abyss of infinite darkness.
Knox
Knox awoke to a realm of chaos. All around him, computers and other electronics were burning. His programmers were lying dead all over the control room. But there's no way that Obelisk could have killed them. He was about to escape his pod when a foot pressed down on the glass, keeping him trapped inside.
"YOU!" Knox cried out in shock.
A young man, clad in tight black and red armor and wearing a red-visored helmet was standing outside, pressing the glass down with all his might. The red holographic ornamentation over his shoulders and chest turned everything into a menacing red within a five-foot radius of his body. "You didn't think you could just fail and presume there'd be no consequences, did you?" he asked.
"Wait...I...just give me one more chance!"
"We've given you plenty of chances, Knox. This whole virtual world fiasco was your idea. Your last chance. You fucked it up. And now the Covenant and Antilles are going to spend a lot of gold to cover up this mess."
"Antilles knows?"
"Yeah. He's done with you. And so is The Master. We don't need you anymore. Project Yeyu is now under new management." He held out a metal rod. With a shake, it formed a red nano blade, sparking with crimson. "I could have you sliced and diced like your group of nerds in here, but I think that's just a little too merciful. Father Telstan suggested I flay you and hang your body in the cathedral as a warning to all who disobey him. But we both thought that was too merciful. Instead, we're just going to leave you trapped in the virtual world."
"No..."
"So long, Knox. Oh, by the way. I think your show sucks." He flicked the switch of the pod. The sedative was implanted into his brain. Knox tried his best to fight it back, but he was knocked out and his mind was sent to the deepest, farthest part of the realm of virtual reality. To make sure he stayed there, the boy cut the cables to the pod, which lit it on fire, burning Knox's body inside so that even if he could leave, he'd wouldn't. He would have nobody to return with. Knox was going to be imprisoned in there forever.
"Thank you for getting rid of that fool," Telstan said. "I've heard great things about you."
"Your flattery doesn't mean shit," said the boy. "Transfer the funds into my account as soon as possible, if you please." He brushed by Telstan and walked down the hall.
"Of course. Will you be dealing with Cora yourself then?"
The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Nah. Let her have some fun. I've seen what I needed to see."
Cora
Cora opened her eyes slowly. At first, all she saw a turquoise glow. She realized she was looking at the sky. She sat up at once, feeling the sunlight caress her cheek. She heard someone grunting right next to her. Mokuba was laying right beside him, too. He slowly got up and looked around as the sound of a large crowd cheering them woke them up.
"What's this?" Mokuba said. "Hey, we're back in Sin Lou, guys."
The people were gathered all around a stage where the three of them woke up. "Our heroes!" "Three cheers for the slayers!" "You did it! You slew the Mythic Dragon!"
Cora gave a nervous chuckle. "Whoa, have they been watching us asleep this whole time? That's...kinda creepy."
"Our heroes!" Adena cheered. She was coming up the stage with her lady-in-waiting and a troop of knights. "You have done it! You vanquished the evil dragon and have brought peace. Our people will no longer have to live in fear ever again."
Cora soon remembered what she lost in the battle. The feeling of dread and sorrow overcame her and weighed her down heavily, making her hang her head dejectedly. "We...we're not the ones you should be cheering for, Princess. I lost my friends and my girlfriend in there."
Seto placed his hand on Cora's shoulder. He said nothing to her but his face said it all. He was sorry for her loss. He merely nodded at her assuringly, telling her it was going to be okay.
"I'm sorry, Cora," Mokuba said. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "If only there was something we could do."
Adena still had that smile on her face. "Fear not, my friends. The losses you've suffered are too great to bear no matter how strong they are."
The three of them looked at her. Her words filled them with hope. She laughed, holding out her arms and summoning the Mystical Elf with the tiara she wore. The elf opened her eyes, beaming at Cora and her family. She clasped her hands in prayer and muttered a chant in the elvish language, summoning a beam of light that came down from the sky. The beam dispersed, revealing their fallen teammates. Mai, Candy, Kasumi, Alexis, Andre, even Avramax, Kanan, Artemis, and even her bear formed before their very eyes.
Mai patted herself down and laughed joyfully. "I...I'm back!"
"We're all back!" cheered Andre. "Yeah!"
"Kasumi!" Cora shouted. She ran for her and embraced her.
"Hey now, calm down, kiddo," Kasumi said, patting her back. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily."
Cora kissed her then turned to look at the Mystical Elf. "Thank you, so much!" she said, holding back her emotions. Her voice cracked a bit, but she laughed to try and hide it.
The Mystical Elf bowed her head. "I told you that key unlocked the greatest treasure in the land."
"Hold on," said Seto. "You helped Cora find Obelisk?"
"Oh yeah! You put Obelisk the Tormentor in the game, Seto?" Cora asked. "I knew you couldn't let go of that beast."
"Yes, I did. But players have a one in a million chance of attaining him. He's impossible to find in the game. I made sure of that. But...this creature here. She helped you get him from the start. How?"
"I knew there was trouble the moment that Dark Clown entered the world," Adena said. "I had heard about the game's ultimate monster by reading all the codexes and hints you wrote to find him, Lord Kaiba. And so I asked my faithful eidolon, The Mystical Elf, to help me uncover the items necessary to locate it. She, unfortunately, could not find the beast, but she did manage to find a key while searching through the Labyrinth Mountains."
"And when I met Cora, I just knew I had to give her the key," the Mystical Elf added. "And it looks like I wasn't wrong; for she found the treasure chest with the artifact needed to summon Obelisk the Tormentor."
The earth seemed to tremble with giant footsteps. The crowd cheered and clapped when they saw Obelisk the Tormentor looming over the mountains. Adena laughed with joy and clapped her hands, welcoming the beast. "And now with this Divine creature as our ally, we will never have to fear evil again. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts."
Adena then held out her hand and opened a portal.
"Oh..." said Cora. "I guess...I guess this is goodbye, huh, Adena."
"Aw, what a shame," said Mai. "I'm really gonna miss you, hon."
"I shall miss you as well," Adena said as tears dripped down her cheeks.
"We will miss you," said Avramax. "Cora. Mokuba. All of you. You were all the finest, bravest, warriors I have ever met."
"Maybe we'll see each other again someday," Artemis said. "Don't be strangers. Come back and visit us some time."
"Bless you all." Kanan bowed. "And be safe on your way home."
"We'll never forget any of you," Cora said. "So long."
The citizens of Sin Lou waved goodbye to the heroes. They all stepped into the portal, leaving Sin Lou, Adena, and all its citizens behind.
The Holy Patrols were ready to cut open the metal door with a blow torch they uncovered from the tool shed nearby. They all gathered around the patrolman using it and cheered for him. But just as he was about to burn down the door, it opened.
"Damn, dude," said M. "Didn't anyone tell you not to play with fire?"
"So, you finally got the balls to open the door, eh, tough guy!" said another patrolman. He bashed his fist against his palms and cracked his knuckles. "Get ready to rumble, pretty boy. This is gonna hurt." He saw Nixie, Jericho, and Madeline standing right behind him.
"Oh, they're pretty. And you. I remember you." He pointed at Nixie. "I can't wait to see our Purifyers brand you in the ass again like the mule that you are."
M cracked his knuckles. "Sure, we can rumble, but it's not gonna be for long."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it's game over for you!" Mokuba declared, hopping out of his pod.
"What the! Look! They beat the game! That must mean..."
"Yeah, it does," Cora said, climbing out of her pod. "Your boss has been...terminated. And it looks like you morons are out of a job."
The Holy Patrolmen stepped back. "You mean..."
"Yeah, that's right!" Mokuba boasted. "My brother is getting out of his pod as we speak. And he's sending in the troops from Azure to take you guys down. The mercenaries are the best of the best and they take no prisoners. So if I were you guys, I'd get the hell out of here."
"He's right!" said the guy with the blow torch. He took it off and bolted for the exit. "Come on, let's get out of here!"
They didn't argue with that. The poor fools went after him, yelping like frightened dogs. Back in the control room, the friends regrouped and collected themselves. Madeline helped Candy out of her pod and handed back her teddy bear. "So, how was it?" she asked.
"It was scary at first, but after a while, I thought it was kind of fun. Can we go back and do it all over again?"
"Hell no!" Alexis cried out. "I've had enough video games for one day."
They heard a toilet flushing. Then the door to another room opened. Mai walked out wobbling about. She looked as though she were high on something. "Cora...girls? Is that you in there. Oh, it is."
"Mai Valentine was in there the whole time?" M said. "Hot damn!"
"Are you okay Mizz Mai?" Madeline asked. She handed her a bottle of water.
"Thanks, hon," Mai took the bottle and chugged down huge gulps. "So...you all okay?"
"We are now," Kasumi said, her arm slipped around Cora's waist. "Thanks for your help in there, Mai." She turned and looked at the screens displaying Kara's face. "And you most of all. You're a real hero, Kara."
"That she is," Cora agreed. "Alexis. Thanks so much for introducing us to her."
"Aw, it was nothing," Kara said. "Just tell Seto Kaiba to keep better track of his security systems next time he wants to go diving into a virtual dimension."
"Hey, Kara!" Mokuba called from the end of the room. "Thanks for everything. I'll be sure to ask Seto to give you a position with us. We sure could use your skills. I'll also see to it that you're well compensated for your trouble."
"It was no trouble at all, little man. And keep your money. I'm just content with knowing you're all okay. Say, what happened to that Andre guy?"
"He was using those prototype VR headsets my brother made," Mokuba replied. "But I'm sure he's okay wherever he is."
"I have a feeling we're going to run into him a little more," said Cora.
Kasumi slid her hand under Cora's cheek. "I don't know about you, babe, but I don't want to run into anyone else for a while. I just want you all to myself for a long, long time. Oh, I promised you a bubble bath, didn't I?"
"That you did," Cora purred.
"Oooo!" hooted Mai. "Go, Cora!"
"Aww, man," Mokuba groaned. He placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "Get a room."
Everyone laughed at him, relieved that their nightmare in the falsebound kingdom was finally over. What tomorrow would bring, they did not know. But so long as they had each other, they knew they could face whatever it threw at them. They were more than ready.