Susano-o: At this point we're about as consistent as Konami is about giving female characters better development….Looking at you VRAINS.

Sekhmet: Looking at most shounen anime, let's be honest.

Susano-o: So jokes aside, we're not dead yet, we will finish this fic if it kills us, and we will move onto more. We're not gonna abandon this even if it takes forever for us to upload.

Sekhmet: We're in the home stretch of the slogfest anyway. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. After this, we get to do all the fun stuff.

Susano-o: So yeah, here's the beginning of the end. Probably like two chapters left after this.

Sekhmet: If we decide to split this duel up, yeah. So let's get it done already.

Duel 67: Oh God Everyone's Dying

The crowd stood silently as Axel's ashes floated away in the breeze. "Well then," Night-Yusuke chuckled as he looked at the gawking crowd. "Who's next?"

"Damn you!" Chazz roared as he activated his duel disk. "I summon 'Armed Dragon LV3' (1200/900) and I play 'Ojamatch' sending 'Ojamagic' to the grave to add 'Ojama Red' and 'Armed Dragon LV5' to my hand and Ojama 'Green', 'Yellow', and 'Black'! Now I send 'Level LV3' to the graveyard to summon 'Armed Dragon LV5' (2400/170)!"

"Ah the next challenger," Night-Yuske smirked. "Very well, I draw, I think I'll activate 'Terraforming' to add 'Clear World' to my hand, now I'll activate it, and since you have a wind monster, you can't activate spell cards anymore," Night-Yusuke smirked. "-But I can, I activate 'Clear Wall'." A large crystal appeared around Night-Yusuke and then vanished. "Finally I'll summon 'Clear Rage Golem' (1600/1800), set a card, and end my turn."

"You think not having spells will stop me!" Chazz screamed. "I'll just attack with 'Armed Dragon LV 5'!"

Night-Yusuke smirked as his monster was attacked, however before the attack could hit him 'Clear Wall' returned and blocked it. "Sorry, but 'Clear Wall' prevents my attack position 'Clear' monsters from being destroyed, and any battle damage involving 'Clear' monsters less than 1000 becomes 0."

"That won't stop me," Chazz snarled. "I set a card and end my turn."

"My move!" Night-Yusuke yelled. "I'll play 'Pot of Greed' to draw two cards, then I activate 'Clear Haven' and summon 'Clear Phantom' (1200/800) and these two will attack your 'Armed Dragon LV5' and use 'Haven' to turn those attacks into direct attacks."

"I activate 'Ojama Trio' to summon three 'Ojama Tokens' (0/1000) to your side of the field!" Chazz shouted as the two hit him directly(Chazz LP: 8000-5200)

Night-Yusuke smirked. "Also 'Clear Rage Golem' deals you an additional 300 for each card in your hand, and I count six." (Chazz LP: 5200-3400). "So I think I'll end my turn here."

"And now because of your 'Clear World' you'll have to destroy a monster on your side of the field," Chazz smirked. "And if you pick an 'Ojama Token' you'll take 300 points of damage!"

"Oh well," Night-Yusuke said, shrugging as the gems destroyed his 'Ojama Token' (Night-Yusuke LP: 8000-7700).

"And now It's my turn," Chazz said. "And i'll send 'LV5' to destroy another token!" (Night-Yusuke LP: 7700-7400). "Now I'll use 'LV'5' effect to send 'Ojama Red' to the grave to destroy the final token!" (Night-Yusuke LP: 7400-7100). Then I'll end my turn with a facedown and use 'LV5's' ability to summon 'Armed Dragon LV7' (2800/1000)!"

"Is that all?" Night-Yusuke smirked. "Oh well, I send my 'Phantom' and 'Rage Golem' to the grave to summon 'Clear Vice Dragon' (0/0), attack Chazz directly!"

"I use 'Threatening Roar' to end the battle phase!" Chazz yelled. Night-Yusuke smiled again. "I set a card and end my turn."

"And now I'm gonna wipe that smile off your face for what you did to Axel!" Chazz snarled. "I send 'Armed Dragon LV7' to the grave to summon 'Armed Dragon LV10' (3000/2000)!" 'Armed Dragon LV7' exploded into a blazing inferno and reformed into a massive dragon with giant bladed wings that loomed over Chazz. "And 'LV10' has a special ability at the cost of one card, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field, leaving you open for a direct attack that your 'Clear Wall' won't stop!"

"Wonderful plan," Night-Yusuke said, clapping.

"I send a card, so say bye-bye to your dragon," Chazz smirked. "Go blade bombardment!" 'LV10' roared and fired off his shoulder blades at 'Vice Dragon'.

"I'll send a card to the grave as well to activate 'Clear Vice Dragon's' effect, negating your effect and destroying your card," Night-Yusuke responded. "Scouring Roar."

'Vice Dragon' roared and the two blades became covered in crystal, then shattered against 'Vice Dragon's' crystal barrier, sending the shards bouncing back at 'Armed Dragon LV10', destroying him. "Now I'll use my facedown 'Clear Force' when a monster you control is destroyed by a 'Clear' card, you take damage equal to that monster's attack." A crystal version of 'LV10' appeared on the field and attacked Chazz (Chazz LP: 3400-400).

Chazz grit his teeth and looked at his hand. "I activate 'Ojamassimilation' revealing 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' and banishing my 'Red', 'Yellow', and 'Green' to summon my 'X-Head Cannon' (1800/1500), 'Y-Dragon Head' (1500/1600), and 'Z-Metal Tank (1500/1300)." Then I'll banish my 'Ojamassimilation' to add my 'Ojama's' back to deck and draw a card," He said, then smirked. "I send my 'X-Y-Z' monsters to the grave to summon 'XYZ-Dragon Cannon' and now I summon 'Ojama Blue' and use 'Fusion Tag' to change its name to 'VW-Tiger Catapult' to summon 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!" (3000/2800). "Now I use his effect to banish your 'Vice Dragon' and attack you directly!" (Night-Yusuke LP: 7100-4100). "And next turn this duel will be over."

"Correction, this turn," Night-Yusuke said, drawing his card. "I activate 'Monster Reborn' to summon back my 'Clear Vice Golem' and now I attack your 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon' and use 'Clear Haven' to make it a direct attack!" (Chazz LP: 400-0). "Game over," Night-Yusuke laughed.

…

Rose wandered through the craggy surface in a daze, she didn't feel anything, everything was blurry and her head felt like it was full of water. She tripped again over a crack she could barely see in her spinning vision.

"Y-Yubel?" She mumbled. "Where are you?" She asked not understanding who that was and why she needed them.

"Oh? Well there you are! Ha! I knew those two wouldn't be able to separate us!"

"Wait what?" Rose asked.

"Ah, I suppose ripping us apart would scramble a few things in your head, no matter, just follow my voice and we'll be back together soon my love."

Rose looked around still in confusion until a subtle pull inside her stomach sent her walking again towards something she didn't understand.

…

"Anyone else want to play the fool?" Nightshroud asked as Chazz' ashes melted away into the breeze.

"I'm up next." Jesse said.

"A former host. This will be almost too easy." Nightshroud said.

"Duel!" (LP: 8000)

"I play "Terraforming" to add 'Clear World' to my hand, and I subsequently use it. With that, I set a card and end my turn."

"I summon 'Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger' (1600/400), then I play 'Crystal Bond' to Special Summon 'Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat' (1200/400), then I play 'Ancient City-Rainbow Ruins' and end my turn."

"Very well, but due to 'Clear World's' effect, you must destroy one monster on your side of the field, as per its effect on Earth Type monsters." 'Amethyst Cat' disintegrated without a word. "Now, I'll play 'Clear Haven' and set this monster. And that's it."

"I draw, and play 'Crystal Tree'. Now, whenever I put a 'Crystal Beast' monster in my Spell/Trap Zone, I can add one counter to this card. I can't do much else though. Then I set this monster and end my turn." 'Emerald Tortoise' disintegrated from its set position.

"And it will only get worse. I tribute both my monsters to summon 'Clear Vice Dragon' (0/0) and I use the effect of 'Clear Haven' to attack you directly. (Jesse's LP: 8000-4800)

"I draw! I summon 'Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus' (1800/1200) and use its effect to Special Summon' Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle in my Spell/Trap Zone. (Crystal Counter: 1) Then I'll set one card facedown and attack Clear Vice Dragon!"

"I activate 'Clear Wall'! This prevents my 'Clear' monsters from being destroyed, and since the damage would have been more than 1000, I can destroy this card instead."

"I end my turn."

"I draw, and attack with Clear Vice Dragon! Oh, and due to 'Clear World''s effect on Wind Type monsters, you cannot activate Spells." (Jesse's LP: 4800-1200) "Then I'll set a card and end my turn."

"I summon 'Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth' (1700/1600) and since you don't have that spell to protect you anymore, I'll just attack your Clear Vice Dragon to get that menace off the field!"

"I activate 'Threatening Roar' to end the Battle Phase."

"I...end my turn."

"I attack with Clear Vice Dragon." Nightshroud said. (Jesse's LP: 1200-0. Winner: Nightshroud.

…

Rose looked up at the large craggy hill that seemed to be the place where her feelings were taking her.

"There you are!" The voice said happily. "Come here my love!"

Rose climbed up and in the waning sunlight found a winged demon standing on the top smiling at her.

"There you are my love!" The demon said happily. "Oh I missed you so much!"

"Wait…" Rose said, looking them up and down as her memory slowly trickled back in. "You, I remember you…"

"Oh of course you do!" The demon said happily flying over and pulling Rose into a hug. "Oh my love I missed you so much!"

"No…," Rose muttered looking at the flapping demon. "No, I remember you," She said, getting angrier. "You- you ruined my life!" She screamed, shoving them off. "You're-You're!"

"Yubel yes my love!" Yubel said happily. "Oh I'm so glad you finally remembered me! It took so long for you to do so!"

"That's because I put you away for a reason!" Rose screamed. "I lock you inside my subconscious because you're an absolute sociopath! You're the reason my parents are dead! You're the reason everyone thought I was a dangerous lunatic hurting people!"

"Oh don't be so dramatic my love," Yubel said waving their hand dismissively.

"I'm not!" Rose shouted, attempting to let her rage out and unleash her Darkness to rip Yubel apart, but found she couldn't. "W-what?" She said angrily looking herself over.

"Oh?" Yubel giggled. "Something wrong?"

"I-I can't," Rose stuttered trying to grab ahold of her all consuming rage, the rage that let her attack even her friends without feeling any remorse, to tear Yubel into shreds for all she had done to the people in her life, but she couldn't. Rose could feel her anger at Yubel bubbling under the surface, but the spark, the ignition switch that would let her go absolutely berserk, wasn't there. "I can't feel it."

Yubel giggled at Rose's confusion. "That's because I'm out here," She laughed. "That spark, the little part of you, that set of the powder keg that was your anger was all me!"

Rose looked at Yubel in confusion. "You?"

"See, after the accident, you were always so willing to bottle up your anger and let yourself be pushed around to appease people," Yubel sighed longingly. "It made me so sad, to see you so hurt, so I just slid myself into your anger and whenever I needed you to go mad, I just lit the tiny spark to let it go off."

"Y-You did that!" Rose yelled.

"Yep!" Yubel said happily again. "Only I'm allowed to make you sad! So when I saw other people do it I couldn't hold back!"

"Wait what?" Rose growled grabbing Yubel by their top and hauling them up. "What do you mean?"

"Rose, I love you and you're supposed to love me," Yubel said soothingly, rubbing Rose's cheek. "So we're only allowed to hurt each other, no one else can."

"Hurt me? Wait what?" Rose asked, dropping Yubel. "What are you talking about you nutcase?"

"Rose my love, love is pain," They said smiling. "And you gave me so many years of pain and suffering, it's great that I'm finally able to repay you for all that pain!"

"...Are you insa- wait I already know the answer," Rose sighed, grabbing her head. Yubel looked at Rose with a glare.

"Rose my love," Yubel said evenly. "You are really starting to bug me."

"And you're been bugging me for the entire year so I don't really give a fuck," Rose snapped. "Just get back inside my mind so I can lock you away for good!"

Yubel snickered, which slowly transformed into full blown laughter. "Oh I'm sorry my love," Yubel said darkly. "-But I'm not going back there," Yubel said, summoning their duel disk. "And I'm prepared to fight for it."

Rose glared. "No, I'm leaving," She said, before a dark tendril reached out and snared her around the waist, dragging her back and forcefully attaching and activating her duel disk.

"Oh no my love," Yubel smirked as the tendril returned to their shadow. "You aren't leaving either, we're gonna duel, and I'm gonna win."

"Fuck you," Rose snarled. "I'm sending you to the void forever, my powers be damned."

"Oh yes," Yubel chuckled. "I draw!" They yelled. "And I play 'Samsara Lotus' (0/0)," They said, summoning a small lotus headed fairy. "And now I'll set two cards and end my turn."

Rose glared and drew her card. "I summon 'Elemental Hero Avian' (1000/1000) and now I activate 'Fake Hero' to special summon 'Elemental Hero Shadow Mist' (1000/1500) and now I can activate her effect-"

"Oh no you don't," Yubel smirked. "I activate 'Zero Hole', when an effect monster activates its effect on summon, the monster's effect is negated and destroyed." 'Shadow Mist jerked as a hole appeared below her and sent her falling into the void.

Rose snarled. "'Avian' attack 'Samsara Lotus'!" (Yubel LP: 8000-7000).

"Thank you," Yubel chuckled. "Now I can activate 'Sinister Seeds' to get two 'Sinister Seed Tokens' (100/100), two for the price of one my love."

"Don't call me that!" Rose snapped. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"And now it's my turn," Yubel chuckled. "I send my two 'Tokens' to the grave to summon 'Yubel' (0/0)!"

Rose grit her teeth as Yubel's card form appeared on the field. "I hope you have a plan, because if you don't sacrifice a monster then 'Yubel' will be destroyed."

"I do, I'll summon 'Giant Germ' and sacrifice it, then I set two cards and end my turn."

"So your plan is just to stall'," Rose chuckled, drawing a card. "I'll use 'Polymerization' to fuse 'Necroshade' and 'Clayman' to summon 'Elemental Hero Escuridao' (2500/2000) and then I'll activate my face down 'Form Change' to switch out 'Escuridao' with 'Masked Hero Anki' (2800/1200)!"

"Well then, I activate 'Raigeki Break' to destroy your 'Avian'," Yubel said, smirking. "Hmm now I suppose you think you're safe because you can attack me directly," Yubel said. "See Rose you forget, I know your deck just as well as you know it, but you don't know mine," They smirked. "So go on, attack me."

"I will!" Rose yelled. "'Anki' attack directly!"

"Go 'Super Junior Confrontation'!" Yubel yelled. "Now the attack is negated and one monster with the lowest ATK in face-up Attack Position you control battles against one monster with the lowest DEF in face-up Defense Position I control. After that battle, the Battle Phase ends," Yubel explained. "Unfortunately for you we both only have one, so you'll be taking the damage!" Yubel chuckled (Rose LP: 8000-5200).

Rose grit her teeth. "I end my turn."

"I draw," Yubel said, looking at their hand with a hum. "I'll summon 'Grave Squirmer' (0/0) to sacrifice to 'Yubel' then I'll set a card and that will end my turn."

Rose glared at her opponent. "I draw, and I summon 'Elemental Hero Burstinatrix' (1200/800), then I send 'Anki' to attack you directly again!"

Yubel grinned. "I activate 'Dark Spirit of the Silent' when you declare an attack I can negate it and have another monster you control attack instead, so your 'Burstinatrix' will now attack 'Yubel'!" (Rose LP: 5200-4000).

"Ah!" Rose screamed as 'Yubel's' sonic attack hit her again.

"At this rate you'll end up taking yourself out!" Yubel laughed maniacally. "And then I'll have you forever!"

"How?" Rose asked, trying to buy time. "If I lose I die?"

"Hehe," Yubel giggled. "Oh no you won't, I'll make sure you survive and stay with me forever~" Yubel sighed in happiness.

"Can you explain how?" Rose asked.

"Hmm ok~," Yubel said coyly, making Rose cringe at how cheery they sounded now. "See even if you die in this duel your spirit is still connected to me, and I have a card, a very special card, it's the one Nightshroud is after."

"And what is it?" Rose asked.

"It's call, 'Super Polymerization'," Yubel said.

Rose blinked. "...That's incredibly underwhelming," She muttered.

"Yes true," Yubel said, shrugging. "-But it's name doesn't matter, it's what it can do that makes it so interesting," they smiled.

"And what does it do?"

"It's a special version of 'Polymerization' that can fuse monsters from both sides of the field and can't be negated," Yubel explained. "-But the best part is, here in the dimension of the gods, you can use its power to fuse anything!" They loudly exclaimed.

"...Umm," Rose said confused. "I'm not following your plan."

Yubel grinned manically. "I'm going to fuse us together again, so the two of us can be together again forever, but this time I'll be the one in control!"

"...Oh fuck me," Rose said.

"Oh I will~," Yubel moaned with bedroom eyes. "I'm gonna do so much to you~."

"Nope," Rose said, setting a card. "No no no, I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Oh it's not up to you," Yubel chuckled, drawing theur card. "When I draw 'Super Polymerization' it's all over, but for now I'm going to activate 'Stray Lambs' to give me two 'Lamb Tokens' (0/0) that I can sacrifice to 'Yubel', then I'll activate 'Fissure' to destroy your 'Anki' and with a set card I'm going to end my turn."

"I draw," Rose said. "I'll use 'Miracle Fusion' to banish my 'Burstinatrix' and 'Clayman' and 'Avian' to make 'Elemental Hero Core'(2700/2200)!"

"And I activate 'All-Out Attack'," Yubel responded. "Now your special summoned monsters have to attack on the turn they are summoned."

Rose smirked. "You act like that wasn't my plan, 'Core' attack her 'Lamb Token'!" Rose ordered. "And now I'll use his effect to destroy 'Yubel', go 'Tectonic Crush!"

'Core' slammed his hands together and summoned a massive shelf of rock above Yubel's field, and with a scream he threw it down on top of 'Yubel'.

Yubel smiled wide and wider and wider as they started laughing madly. "Oops, that was not a good idea," She laughed. "-Because now I can activate 'Yubel's' effect to summon 'Yubel-The Terror Incarnate' (0/0)!"

Rose looked on in shock as Yubel's giant monster appeared on the field looming over 'Core'. "Damn it," She hissed. "I summon 'Elemental Hero Bubbleman' (800/1200) and activate my facedown 'Mask Change' to summon 'Masked Hero Vapor' (2400/2000)."

"So you think that because 'Vapor' can't be destroyed by card effects you'll be safe from 'Terror Incarnate's' effect?" Yubel asked. "A good attempt, but you still won't win," Yubel smirked, drawing her card. "I activate 'Pot of Green' to draw two cards, next I'll activate 'Reload' to send my hand back to my deck and draw a new one," Yubel said, shuffling their deck as Rose bit her lip in fear hoping Yubel didn't draw 'Super Polymerization'.

"And here we go!" Yubel said, drawing their new hand. "Oh shoot," She pouted. "Well I guess, we won't be together yet," Yubel smiled darkly. "I'll set a card and end my turn, now 'Terror Incarnate' destroys your 'Core' and unfortunately for you, you don't have a fusion monster in your graveyard to summon," Yubel chuckled. "Go Nightmare Sacrifice!'

"I draw!" Rose yelled, ignoring as her monster was destroyed in a wave of black sludge. "I activate 'Miracle Fusion' to fuse 'Necroshade' and 'Bubbleman' to make 'Elemental Hero Absolute Zero' (2500/2000)!" She yelled. "Good luck with destroying him," Rose smirked.

"Rose you're forgetting something~" Yubel giggled. "'All Out Attack' activates, so now you have to attack, and look I only have one!"

"I don't care!" Rose yelled, ordering her attack. "Since your 'Terror Incarnate's' effect has to activate next turn your board will be cleared!" (Rose LP: 4000-1500), I set a card and end my turn."

"I draw," Yubel said smiling. "I end my turn, so now 'Absolute Zero' is destroyed."

"And now 'Terror Incarnate' is destroyed too, go Frozen in the Moment!" Rose yelled.

Yubel smiled widely as both monsters were destroyed. "Thank you my love, because now I can summon the instrument of your destruction," They chuckled as their duel disk ejected a card covered in jet black fire. "When 'Terror Incarnate' leaves the field, I can summon 'Yubel- The Ultimate Nightmare' (0/0)!" they yelled while playing the card.

Rose shivered as 'Terror Incarnate' returned to the field and begun sucking the heat and light out of the field, turning the colors gray and blotting out the sky as 'Terror Incarnate's' body started getting bigger till it was standing as tall as a Wicked God; its body started morphing again as new wings appeared out its body and new eyes appeared over the body. The chest underneath its eye opened up to a split male and female face, and finally a new head came out with giant devil horns and a demonic smiling face.

"Shit," Rose said, shaking as this monster loomed over the field. "Fuck me."

"Oh~?" Yubel laughed. "If you insist~"

"Shut up!" Rose yelled, drawing her card. "I summon-" She started before stopping. "What a minute," She mumbled.

"Oh, you ready to give up?" Yubel asked.

"No," Rose said smiling. "I set a card and end my turn."

"What?" Yubel asked. "No monsters?"

"Nope," Rose smirked. "I'm not gonna keep feeding monsters to your 'Ultimate Nightmare'," She chuckled. "It can't deal damage on its own, so I'm gonna just stop summoning till I can get around it."

Yubel growled. "No! This isn't how you're supposed to play the game!"

"If it works," Rose said, shrugging.

"No, No, No, No, No!" Yubel yelled, stomping her foot. "You can't just sit on an empty board!"

"Haha, turn counter go brr," Rose snarked to see how far she could push Yubel.

Yubel screeched like a toddler throwing a tantrum. "You're supposed to lose!"

"Yubel," Rose smirked. "You should know by now I'm terrible at doing what I'm supposed to do."

Yubel screeched. "I won't let you do this to me!" They yelled and cried. Rose looked at the screaming demon with a small look of pity, as they stomped their feet and sobbed. "I activate 'Reckless Greed' to draw two cards!" They snarled, drawing them, then screaming again when they didn't get 'Super Polymerization'.

"You're such a baby," Rose said drawing. "I set a card and end my turn."

"I'm not a baby!" Yubel sobbed. "I just want you back!"

"What does that even mean?" Rose yelled angrily. "Who are you to me?! What am I to you!?"

"I've been waiting almost two millenniums for you to come back," Yubel sobbed, rubbing their eyes. "My entire purpose is to protect you, I exist for you."

Rose paused. "Explain, slowly," She ordered.

Yubel let out a shaky breath. "You're the reincarnation of The Supreme King, the original king who used the power of the Gentle Darkness to stop The Light of Destruction."

"Ok I knew that already," Rose said, crossing her arms. "How do YOU fit into all this?"

Yubel looked down and held themselves close. "I was to be your best friend across all your reincarnations, my job was to protect and guide you, I willingly gave up my humanity to become a monster card and connected myself with the Darkness so I could be with you always my love," They said smiling sadly. "-I didn't know it would take so long for you to come back, the silence, the blackness, the cold, it was almost too much to bear, but I held on knowing you would one day come back to fight The Light again!" They smiled widely. "And then you came back! I was so happy! You were such a cute baby."

Rose blushed, but Yubel continued. "And then when you got your first cards I knew I could finally reveal myself to you, and we became friends again!" They said giggling. "The best of friends just like before!" Yubel's expression turned dark. "-But there were others, others who tried to be your friends, others who would hurt you because only I could be trusted with your happiness, so I scared them away."

"You hurt them," Rose snarled. "You were my friend and you hurt them!"

"I did it to keep you safe!" Yubel yelled. "And then your parents tried to send you to a psychiatrist when you didn't need help! You were going to end up in a mental hospital and then who would fight The Light?!"

"So you killed them!?" Rose screamed back.

"I didn't mean to!" Yubel screeched. "I just wanted to hurt them to show them I loved them too!"

"What is with you!?" Rose yelled.

"I spent years in pain because I love you, and so I hurt you to show I love you back!" Yubel explained.

"Oh my fucking Ra," Rose muttered rubbing her temples. "See this, this is why humans shouldn't mess with magic, it always always goes wrong somehow, no one in history has ever messed with magic and not have it backfire horribly."

Meanwhile…

Somewhere in the Duat, Atem pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "It's true, but she shouldn't say it."

….

"So you've spent two millenniums waiting for me and you think I did that on purpose, that means pain means love?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Yubel smiled.

"Yep," Rose said, throwing her hands up. "I'm officially calling it, this year can bite my ass."

"Oh-"

"No!" Rose yelled, interrupting her. "None of that, shame on you." Yubel pouted. "Look, Yubel," Rose said calmly. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, ok, no one deserves that kind of life," She said. "-But doing it to me won't make you better, it'll just lead to both of us suffering."

Yubel growled. "Then we'll suffer together!" They yelled.

"No we won't!" Rose yelled back, drawing her card. Then calmed down when a soft coo filled the air. "Hey 'Winged Kuriboh'," She said sighing.

"Hello Rose," 'Winged Kuriboh' cooed. "Are you ok?"

"No," Rose mumbled. "I'm currently dealing with a nutcase who's part of my psyche, I'm lost in a dimension I don't know, and I really, really, need to pee."

'Winged Kuriboh' chuckled. "It's ok Rose, I'm here to help you," He said floating around Rose's head.

"Well how are we gonna do this?" Rose asked. "Yubel only needs one draw to win, and I can't get around her 'Ultimate Nightmare'."

"I have a plan," 'Winged Kuriboh' said. "But...you may not like it."

"What?" Rose asked.

"You'll need to summon me, and then I can give you the card you need to win."

"...Alright," Rose said. "I set a monster and end my turn."

Yubel snarled. "I send 'Ultimate Nightmare' to attack it!" (Rose LP: 1500-1200).

"That's it," Rose said looking at her grave. "Now what?"

"Here you go," 'Winged Kuriboh' said. Rose's deck shined as she drew her next card. "This will be the only time you can use it, a gift from Banner."

Rose looked at the card and smiled. "I activate, 'Sabatiel-The Philosopher's Stone'."

"What is that?" Yubel growled.

"It's a gift from Professor Banner, and when 'Winged Kuriboh' is in my grave I can pay half my life points to change it into a 'Fusion' or 'Polymerization' card," She smiled. "And I choose, 'Super Polymerization'." (Rose LP: 1200-600)

"Yes, now fuse her 'Ultimate Nightmare' away!"

Rose nodded, and before she did the play, she paused. "...No," she said calmly.

"What?"

"I...have another idea," Rose groaned biting her lip. "It's stupid...but I'm doing it."

"...I know you'll do the right thing."

"I send 'Fusion Gate' to the grave to activate 'Super Polymerization'," Rose said. "And I'll use it to fuse me and you!"

"What?" Yubel yelled as the world collapsed around them into a void of light.

"Yubel I know what you've gone through and I'm sorry," Rose explained. "-But I also know we can't be apart without both of us being incomplete, so I'm gonna make it up to you," She said slowly.

"..."

"I….remember when I was young, when we were friends," Rose said slowly. "I don't want to shove you back into the void, so I'm going to help you be free."

"..."

"So let's go home together," Rose smiled.

Yubel sniffed as they scrubbed at their eyes. "Ok," They said softly. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I know," Rose sighed.

"I really really didn't mean to kill them," Yubel sobbed. "I just didn't want anyone to harm you."

"I know," Rose sighed, walking over to Yubel. "I know, and I'm gonna try to fix what happened to you."

"...Ok."

Rose smiled and slowly held out her hand. "Come on, come back to me."

Yubel nodded and grabbed Rose's hand, and the two came back together as one.

….

"Anyone else want to try?" Night-Yusuke asked looking around.

"Yes, me," Sartorius said, taking a step forward.

"Oh really," Night-Yusuke laughed. "The former host of the Light wants to challenge me?"

"Yes," Sartorius said, activating his duel disk. "You forget Nightshroud, I was good enough for the Light to take control of me, and I've improved since then," He said drawing a card. "So then Nightshroud, let's duel!"

"Yes," Night-Yusuke smirked. "Lets."