"What is that thing?" Akiza asked, referring to the glowing mark over New Domino City. "I don't know. It looks one of the Dark Signer Marks," Yusei said. "Yusei!" Crow's voice called out. Yusei turned his head to the side and saw his friend driving up with another old friend of his. "Look who I found," Crow said. "It's Jack and Crow," Yusei said. "Yeah, and from the looks of it we're here right in time," Jack said as he and Crow came to a stop. "So you're Akiza? I'm guessing you won your duel," Crow said before he looked around and realized someone was missing. "Wait, where's Alex?" he asked. "He was taking part in my duel against the Dark Signer, and he," Akiza tried to say, but found herself unable to finish the sentence.
"So he's gone," Crow said solemnly. Suddenly the ground began to shake again. "What's with the earthquake?" Trudge asked. "I'm not so sure this is an earthquake," Yusei said as he looked to the site of the old reactor and saw a strange glow coming from it. "Now what?" Jack asked. "Hey, I know that area," Crow said. "Yeah, I'm afraid that I do as well. That's where the first Ener-D Reactor was, and I have a hunch the portal to the Netherworld it opened is now open for business," Yusei said. Just then, black slime began to come out of the crater before taking shape into a giant monster. "We got trouble," Yusei said. "It's headed towards the city," Luna pointed out. "Yusei, Roman said if we failed to seal the four towers in time, that the King of the Netherworld would appear," Crow said. "I know, and I'm guessing that's him," Yusei responded. "You guys, Kuribon said if it reaches the condor mark, a lot of bad things are gonna happen," Luna told the group. "What kind of bad things?" Yusei asked. The creature began to slowly make its way to New Domino City. "So how do we stop that thing?" Leo asked. Suddenly everyone's Signer marks started glowing and the Crimson Dragon appeared.
They were all surrounded in a bright flash of light before being transported to Goodwin's mansion, or rather, what was left of it. The temple that had been underneath Goodwin's mansion had risen to the surface, destroying the structure that had once sat atop it. "So this is where the condor is coming from," Akiza pointed out. "Then that means the King of the Netherworld is coming here, but what for?" Leo asked. "I don't know," Yusei said. "In that case, allow me to explain. You may have succeeded in defeating the Dark Signers, but not in time to close the gate to the netherworld," a familiar voice called out. They all looked to the top of the temple and saw someone they knew very well standing there.
"Alex?" Akiza asked, unsure if she was seeing who she thought she was. "Indeed," he responded. "How are you here? We thought you disappeared after you lost the duel. And how do you know what's going on?" Yusei asked. "I know what's going on because I've lived through this before. And as for what's happening, the King of the Netherworld is headed here for the ritual," Alex answered. "What ritual?" Yusei asked. "The ritual that takes place at this temple every 5000 years," Alex responded.
"So what exactly happens in this ritual?" Yusei asked. "And what did you mean when you said you've lived through this before?" Jack asked. "Simple. The person I was in my original life was responsible for the creation for the Earthbound Immortals. And since then, my soul has been cursed to reincarnate alongside them every 5000 years, and as for the ritual, it all depends, but this time it's something that's never happened before," Alex explained.
"What?! You were responsible for creating the Earthbound Immortals?!" Jack asked in shock. "That's not true is it?" Akiza asked. "Not me exactly, but rather the boy I was millions of years ago. The boy who inherited a throne well before he should have and turned to a dangerous source of help in a time of desperation," Alex responded. "What did you mean when you said this ritual would be different from the ones in the past?" Yusei asked. "It's different because of this," Alex said as he pulled out a glowing canister that had the Dragon Head mark of the Crimson Dragon floating inside of it. "How did you get that? And who did you get it from?" Yusei asked.
"Believe it or not, this was in the possession of Rex Goodwin," Alex said. "Wait, Goodwin was the fifth Signer?" Jack asked. "Yes and no. A Goodwin was the fifth Signer, just not Rex Goodwin," Alex explained. "What? You're saying Roman was the fifth Signer?" Yusei asked. "Yes. It all happened because of a bizarre twist of fate. Roman bore both the mark of the Crimson Dragon and an Earthbound Immortal, but in the end he succumbed to the darkness and left his Signer mark in Rex's care so you would have it when the war began," Alex explained.
"But then why do you have it?" Jack asked. "Simple, I took it from him after defeating him in a duel. When I first arrived here after losing my duel with Misty, I was confronted by Rex who explained everything, including why I was still here," Alex said. "Wait, don't tell us that you're," Yusei began to say. Alex turned around so his back was facing them and revealed the mark of the condor on his back. "Indeed, I am the final Dark Signer, just as I was 5000 years ago," he said as his sclera turned black and a purple thunderbolt mark appeared on the left side of his face. "However, unlike 5000 years ago, this time I will wield both the power of light and darkness," Alex said as he turned to the canister.
"He can't," Mina said. "He won't," Jack responded. "And who, pray tell, is going to stop me?" Alex asked as he removed the lid from the canister. He plunged his hand into the canister and a bright flashed from inside. Alex removed his arm from the canister to reveal that the Dragon Head Mark had been transferred to his arm. "No way!" Leo shouted. "He transferred the mark to himself!" Jack shouted in surprise. "What are you planning Alex?" Yusei asked. "Simple. By combining the power of the Earthbound Immortals with the Crimson Dragon, I will become the perfect being and remake this world," Alex said as he raised his arm with his newly acquired mark into the air, causing the temple to rise. "Everyone take cover," Jack shouted. They all fell back to avoid the falling debris. "Alex, you were fighting with us to save the world, not destroy it!" Yusei shouted.
"And I will save the world," Alex responded. "What are you talking about?" Yusei asked. "As it stands, our world is corrupt and beyond saving, which is why I intend to start over. Using the power of the Earthbound Immortals, I will cleanse this world, and then I will rebuild it using the power of the Crimson Dragon," Alex explained. "You can't do this Alex. You can't just burn the world down and then start over," Yusei said. "Yeah, what gives the right to make a decision like that?" Jack asked. "Simple. I stand at the pinnacle of perfection and have realized the truth. Human beings are flawed by nature. We corrupt and destroy our own world with no concern for the damage left in our wake. I will break the cycle of this endless war and create an eternal paradise under my rule," Alex answered.
"No one person has the right to rule over the world Alex. And it's up to all of us to fix this world," Yusei responded. "Discussing this with you is pointless. In fact, it's not even a discussion to begin with. Whatever a perfect being such as myself tells imperfect people like you is just meaningless. I can clearly see what is right and what is wrong. I alone have the knowledge to know what should be done," Alex said. "You've lost your mind Alex. But if you're going to go down this path, then I'm going to stop you," Yusei said. "So will I," Jack added. "Count me in," Crow said. "How foolish. If you wish to learn your place, then I shall teach it to you. I will create an eternal paradise here. For that reason, this world must be cleared away. You three will also have to disappear along with it, but fear not. In my new world, you will be honored as heroes who fought for a better existence and happiness for all," Alex said as a stone slab rose up in front of him.
"Alex, you're not talking about happiness, you're talking about subjugation," Yusei said. "Call it what you want. We shall now hold the ancient ritual to welcome the King of the Netherworld. We will duel on the crest of the condor. There I will crush you and complete the ritual," Alex said. "That's fine by us," Yusei responded. "We're not afraid of you Alex," Jack added. "Yeah, you can call yourself the perfect being all day long, but in the end you're no better than we are," Crow said. "I assure, I am much better than you. And I shall prove it by defeating you," Alex said. "Then let's get started, because Crow, Jack, and I are all set to rev it up!" Yusei shouted.
"You guys can do it!" Leo shouted. "Be strong," Trudge added. "And be careful," Mina said. "Very careful," Akiza added. "Before we begin, I shall set the terms for this duel. Since there are three of you and only one of me, you will each hold 4000 life points will I hold 12000. In addition, no one may attack on their first turn. I trust there are no objections?" Alex asked as the condor glyph tilted back to create a duel track. "None here," Crow said. "That all works for me," Jack added. "Same here, so let's go!" Yusei shouted as they all drove onto the track.
All: "Duel!"
Alex: 12000 LP
Yusei: 4000 LP
Crow: 4000 LP
Jack: 4000 LP
"I'm going first," Crow said as he pulled in front of Yusei and Jack. "I summon Blackwing Mistral the Silver Shield in defense mode. And then since I now control a Blackwing, I can summon Bora the Spear from my hand," Crow said as he summoned another monster. "I place one card face-down and end my turn," he said. "Which means you get to deal with me now," Jack said.
All SPC: 1
"I summon Mad Archfiend in attack mode," he said.
Level 4/DARK/Fiend
ATK 1800/DEF 0
"Next I'll throw a face-down and call it a turn," Jack said. "Which means I'm up," Yusei said as he began his turn.
All SPC: 2
"Alex, why are you doing this?" Yusei asked. "You don't realize it do you Yusei? Even if you had won, this war would just start again in the future. And I would once again be thrust into the center of it because of my past mistakes," Alex said. "So you're doing this to break yourself out? I don't believe that Alex. You're a lot of things, but selfish isn't one of them," Yusei said.
"You are mistaken, I don't do this for my sake. With the power I now wield, I will end this war once and for all, and make the world anew, and create a perfect existence for all. One free of want, pain, or loss. One where people don't blindly hate or look down on others because of where they come from. A world where everyone can be happy. Don't you see that you should be helping me? After all, you three know the injustices of this world better than most," Alex said. "While it's true we never had the best life, that doesn't mean we want to erase the whole world and rebuild it," Yusei responded. "And I hoped you would show some sense and join me. Very well, if you wish to fight against the inevitable, then duel with everything you have," Alex said. "If you insist. I summon Max Warrior in attack mode. I'll end my turn with that," Yusei said. "Then it's my turn," Alex said as he drew a card.
All SPC: 3
"I'll start by summoning an old friend of mine, Netherworld Spirit Knight in attack mode," Alex said.
Level 4/DARK/Fiend
ATK 1800/DEF 1300
"And due to his special ability, when he's summoned, I can summon another level four or lower Netherworld Spirit monster from my hand, such as the tuner monster Netherworld Spirit Leo," Alex explained as he summoned a lion made entirely out of flames.
Level 4/FIRE/Beast
ATK 1700/DEF 1200
"A tuner monster?" Crow asked. "That's not good," Jack said. "And it's about to get worse. When Leo is summoned, I can add a Netherworld Spirit card from my deck to my hand, like my Dark Tuner Netherworld Spirit Camazot," Alex said as he pulled a bat-like monster from his deck. "A dark tuner?" Yusei asked. "Now level four Leo tunes with level four Knight. The shadows merge to bring forth the envoy of darkness. Synchro summon! Sharpen your claws, Netherworld Spirit Shadow Dragon!" Alex shouted.
Level 8/DARK/Dragon
ATK 3000/DEF 2500
"I don't know, that thing doesn't look so tough," Yusei said. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not finished. I activate the effect of Netherworld Spirit Leo from my graveyard. By banishing him, I can bring Knight back to my field. Next, since I control a Netherworld Spirit Synchro monster, I can summon my Dark Tuner Camazot to the field," Alex said as he summoned his monster.
Level 4/DARK/Winged Beast
ATK&DEF 0
"And now I activate his special ability. Once each turn, Camazot can add the level of another Netherworld Spirit monster onto his own, and I choose my Shadow Dragon," Alex said.
Camazot: LV 4-12
"Level 12?!" Yusei exclaimed in shock. "That's right, and now I'll have him dark tune with my level 4 Knight. When the shadows are devoured by darker shadows, the fangs of the Netherworld poise themselves to strike. Dark Synchro! Show yourself, Netherworld Spirit Abyss Dragon!" Alex shouted.
Level -8/DARK/Dragon
ATK 2500/DEF 2000
"He has a synchro and a dark synchro on his field?" Yusei asked. "Yes. Now due to Camazot's effect, when he's used as material for a dark synchro monster, the top 3 cards of my opponent's deck are banished, so say goodbye to the top 3 cards of your deck Yusei," Alex said as 3 of Yusei's cards disappeared. "No way!" Yusei exclaimed. "Next, due to my Shadow Dragon's effect, the first time each turn one of your cards is banished by the effect of a Netherworld Spirit card, I draw a card from my deck," Alex explained. "You mean he has a synchro and a dark synchro monster out and he still has 5 cards in his hand? What kind of nonsense is that?" Crow asked. "Now you see the difference between you and me. I place 5 cards face-down and end my turn," Alex said as he laid his entire hand face-down. "Then it's my move, I draw," Crow said.
All SPC: 4
"First I play the Speed Spell Tune Up 1 2 3. With it, I roll a die, and then Mistral's level goes up depending on what I rolled," Crow explained. "Since I got a 2, his level goes up by 1, which means I can tune him with Bora the Spear to summon my Blackwing Armor Master," Crow said as he summoned his ace monster. "And since I control a Blackwing monster, I can summon Elphin the Raven without payin' a dime," he continued.
Level 6/DARK/Winged Beast
ATK 2200/DEF 1200
"Now Armor Master, attack his Shadow Dragon," Crow ordered. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to Crow," Alex said. "Then you should know Armor Master can't be destroyed in battle and I take no damage, but now your Shadow Dragon loses all of its attack points this turn," Crow said.
Shadow Dragon: 3000-0 ATK
"Now Elphin the Raven, attack his monster with Dark Claw Strike!" Crow ordered. His monster leapt at Alex's dragon, slashing it across the chest and destroying it.
Alex: 9800 LP
Alex SPC: 2
"So much for your dragon," Crow said. "I activate Shadow Dragon's special ability. When your monster destroys him, either by battle or effect, your monster is banished, and you suffer half its original attack points as damage," Alex explained as a bolt of purple lightning came out of nowhere and struck Crow.
Crow: 2900 LP
Crow SPC: 3
"You see, it's pointless for you to stand against me," Alex said. "No matter how small our chances, we'll fight until the bitter end," Crow said. "How foolish," Alex said as he raised his arm. Suddenly, everyone else's Signer marks disappeared. "No way!" Jack shouted. "They're gone," Luna said. The mark of the Crimson Dragon then appeared on Alex's chest. "It's Alex! Somehow he's taken them all for himself!" Yusei exclaimed. "Now do you understand? That you have no hope of victory? Do you comprehend just how powerless you are before me?" Alex asked.
Hey everyone. So if it wasn't clear, Alex's Dark Signer persona was inspired by Lucemon Chaos Mode/Falldown Mode from Digimon Frontier. The mark I described is the same as the one Lucemon had over his left eye. I realized how similar Rex's goal was to Lucemon's, and so I thought it would be interesting to reference the character. Also, I now what was actually in the canister in the original script, but I'm not sure that would line up with the current rating of this story, and I don't feel like going in and changing it at the very end just because of a single chapter. I hope you all enjoy, have a great day, and stay safe.