Chapter 38 The True Beginning
"Captain Barrett! There is a black mist approaching and both our people and the Citizens start to disappear!" One soldier calls out to him.
"What?" Barrett is surprised as then the black mist comes towards him, he is also being devoured inside.
"What shall we do, Chairman? Reiji Akaba has abandoned us." Bordeaux asks their leader.
"Hmm…it seems we have no choice but to try to win over Roget again. I'm sure we can agree with him." White Taki says with his usual smile.
"Indeed. He is the only one who can drive out the Academia right now since he has control over Security." Azul agrees with the chairman.
"From the very beginning, Lancers were small in number and most of their Duelists were sent to the Underground Facility. We cannot really expect much from him." Gael remarks on what happened during the Friendship Cup.
"Now that we have decided, we must–" Before Gray can finish, the black mist also covers the room as the members also disappear.
In the security room, Roget is watching people getting disappear, he muses, "So the Dark Signers are starting their plan huh? I might as well watch it as entertainment."
Back in Standard, Shuzo, Yoko, and the others hear screaming and they go outside from the You Show Duel School. "What's going on?" Shuzo asks.
Then they see people disappear inside the mist, and they are horrified as they hug one another, also being devoured inside.
In Academia, Leo and the other Academia members are also swallowed inside the mist, except for the three shadowy figures, one of them says, "Dark Signers? I guess we weren't expecting that..."
"Indeed, but it seems amusing to watch." The second one says.
As for Yuya and the others, they see the black mist devouring the city as Crow asks, "What is going on?"
"People are disappearing. Both Synchro Dimension Citizens and Academia..." Shun says.
But as the black mist comes to them, Yuya, Yuni, Katrina, Reisho, and Ruka's marks start to glow as they form a shield to protect every one of them.
"Our marks..." Reisho says.
"It protects us..." Ruka says.
"Hey, Yuya, what is actually going on here?" Sawatari asks.
"Well..."Before Yuya can explain, the mist disperses and they see no one on the streets, not even a single person or an animal.
"All the people are gone!" Rua says in shock.
"No way..." Frank says. "This is crazy..."
"Where did they go?" Tanner says a little scared.
Yuni asks, "Bruno, are you able to detect any survivors around?"
Bruno types on the mechanical arm and says, "No, there aren't any people except us."
"I see you are protected by the Marks, huh?" Just then, much to their surprise, in front of them, there are 8 Dark Signers with robes in front of them, due to their faces being hidden, nobody can tell who they are.
Yuya yells, "Is this your doing? Are you the ones who made them disappear?"
"Yes. Our fated battle should not have interference, so I've taken them to safer places." Condor says.
"Safer places? Sacrificing them to the Earthbound Gods is called safer places?" Yuni asks.
But they didn't answer Yuni's question. "It is time for the battle between the Signer and the Dark Signers to begin. We have set up 8 gates. Which were named Ccapac Apu, Ccarayhua, Aslla Piscu, Cusillu, Chacu Challua, Uru, Lililus, and Manibus." Aera says.
Vivian flinches at the name of her Earthbound God as Condor says, "Once the gates are fully activated, the god from hell will arise. The only way is to stop those gates and eventually face me myself."
"Each gate will have a Dark Signer protecting it, so you'll need to defeat 8 of us." Aera says. "Once you've defeated 8 of us, you'll be able to get to the ninth one."
"Hold on! You said that there are 9 of you, but I'm counting 8...where is the ninth one?" Reiji asks.
"Who knows? I'm sure that she will be back with us in no time." Condor says.
"Why don't you show your faces? Scared?" Sawatari asks.
Before they can say anything, Yuni and Yuzu glow and they switch into Ruri and Rumi.
"Ruri, Rumi..." Yuya mutters, and this causes others to be surprised.
Shun asks, "Ruri, Rumi, what are you..."
Ruri says, "I may be not a signer like Yuni or Sister. But I will join the battle, I am not going to let you be subjected to the darkness."
Ron asks, "Ruri, what are you talking about?"
Condor and Aera just stare at Ruri, Condor says, "Ruri...the words you said are truly genuine. It seems that you are ready since our last meeting."
Everyone is surprised as the leader says her name. Satoshi asks, "You know them?"
Rumi says, "We know them too well. Isn't that right? Mom! Dad!"
"What?" Those who don't know the truth are surprised at what Rumi and Ruri had said, and both Condor and Aera took off their hoods and show their faces.
"Mom...and Dad? No...it can't be..." Shun widens his eyes in horror, he can't believe that his parents are in front of them.
"Mr. and Ms. Kurosaki? But how..." Ron and Jean are sharing the same shock.
"It's painful to have a reunion like this, isn't it, Shun?" Condor asks. "Academia not only carded us, but they also killed us by ripping our cards apart. And we got revived thanks to the Dark Signers."
Kurosaki Shun doesn't know how to react to that, his parents were in the Synchro Dimension all this time, but they are standing in front of them, as enemies.
"Our vengeance of Academia and our parental love let us be back to this world." Aera says."You don't know how happy we were to see you here."
"Mom." Ruri says, holding the kneeling Shun back up. "You don't know how happy when Ruri and I got to see you again."
Rumi shows the locket and says, "And we've promised, we are going to save you! No matter what!"
"We can't escape our fate. Even though we have a common enemy, we still need to fight against each other." Condor says. "Well then, let us meet at your fated destinations - each of your stars of fate."
Before they leave, Yugo notices green hair coming from the one with the purple cloak. Shun yells, "Wait! Mom, Dad!"
Shun tries to chase after them, but Ruri holds him back and shakes her head, causing him to grit his teeth.
"Dark Signers!" Yuya yells as he also runs forward, and so is Yugo. "Brother!" Katrina says.
"Don't run! You're finishing things with me!" Yuya yells.
"Let's not be hasty, Sakaki Yuya. The stage in which we settle the outcome has been set." Condor's voice echoes in the mist.
"I don't care about that! Fight with me now!" Yuya yells.
"Come to the destination of your star of fate. Venture on according to your fates." Aera says, causing Yuya to grit his teeth.
At the same time, Yugo manages to catch up to Rin, and he says, "Hey, wait! I need to talk to you!"
Rin tries to run, but Yugo manages to take off the cloak, revealing it to be Rin. "I knew it, Rin. That's you, right?"
"Yugo..." Rin turns around, with a sad face.
"Impossible. Why did you become a Dark Signer?" Yugo asks with horror.
"If you want to hear the answer, then come to see me..." Rin gets her cloak on and says, "Yugo..."
Yugo can only watch as Rin leaves, he can only yell in anger at how things turned out to be like this.
Back with Yuya and the others, Reiji steps forward and asks, "So I assume that they are Ruri and Rumi's, as well as Kurosaki Shun's parents?"
Yuni says, "Yes. If I have to guess the 6 Dark Signers behind those two...Mark, Lisa, and Rin. We have no idea who the other three are."
"So Rin really is a Dark Signer?" Yugo asks as he shakes her, but Aki manages to get ahold of him before he can do anything. "Calm down, Yugo. Getting angry won't solve anything!"
Katrina says, "When Sergey crashes Yuzu at that duel, Rin saves her at the last minute, which causes her to fall to her death and revived as a Dark Signer."
"No way..." Yugo kneels with tears on his face.
"The Dark Signers have told us that this whole duel is related to the Four Dimensions." Reisho says. "It is not just Synchro Dimension...but Fusion, Xyz, and Standard as well."
"Does that mean even Dad is..." Yuzu covers her mouth in surprise.
"Maybe we're the only ones left..." Yuya frowns. "We know that they will be using Dark Synchro, Dark Xyz, and even Dark Pendulum... but we don't know if there's a Dark Fusion..."
"Most of the Dark Signers are from the Xyz Dimension or the Original Dimension like Mark...we also didn't know who is Reisho and Ruka's fated enemy..." Yuni says. "If I have to guess, it might be someone from the Fusion and Synchro Dimension..."
Reisho says, "Either way, we must close the doors of the underworld. The only thing we can do now is believing in our futures."
The others nod, as they all head to Yugo's orphanage to come up with a plan to fight against the Dark Signers. Thanks to Mikage, she manages to bring a map of Neo Domino City to them.
"So this is the full map of the City. But where will the 8 Dark Signers be located?" Officer Kazama asks.
"That is a good question." Yuya says. Just then, all five Dragon Marks glow, and they show 8 marks on the map. "This is..." Yuya gasps.
"Quick! Someone get me a pen!" Reisho yells, and Choujiro quickly gives him a pen so he can mark the locations.
"So these are the places where they're located?" Ron asks, "How did you guys do that?"
"We don't know." Yuya says as he points at the spots on the map, "These eight spots...monkey, flower, giant, lizard, hands, whale, spider, and hummingbird."
"So what should we do? Should we all go to them in order?" Crow asks.
"I know it might be a waste of time, but we have to stick together." Yuni says. "Those with marks can protect others from the Earthbound God's absorption. We're in this together."
Everyone nods, and then Jean notices Burno and asks, ""By the way, Yuni, who is he? I have never seen him before."
Yuni says, "Oh, this is Antinomi, or Bruno we called him. He is an android that Reisho and I managed to rebuild."
"What? An Android?" Sawatari says in shock. "It looks so like human."
Yuya says, "Well, when Zarc's Rampage, he joined a group to save others, but then with the heavy work, he finally collapsed. That is why a scientist put his soul in the robot. He was one of the people that tried to go to the past to rewrite the history so the rampage wouldn't occur."
Bruno says, "But I was defeated. I was supposed to be destroyed until Yuni and Reisho rebuilt me."
Vivian says, "Wow, that is great."
Sora says, "Still, to think you have an android to help you is amazing."
"Speaking about which…" Sawatari turns his attention to Sora and glares at him. "Why is he here!? He is an enemy!"
Sora shudders and frowns as Sawatari is pointing at him with hostility, but doesn't say anything to retort.
"That's not it, Sawatari! Sora has switched his side. He joins us and even helps defeat the Academia students that tried to take Serena." Yuni says.
"He could've just pretended to help and then stab us in the back when he has the chance!" Sawatari retorts.
"If Yuya and Yuni said that Sora is not an enemy, then I, the man Gongenzaka will trust Sora. Sawatari, you have no choice in the matter!" Gongenzaka says.
Then Kurosaki Shun also says, "To be honest, I still can't trust him either." Everyone turns to him. He says, "But from my duel with Satoshi and Reisho, I learned that I should give him a chance."
"Shun..." Katrina says.
"But that doesn't mean that I'll let you away." Shun glares at Sora. "As well as your sister, since she was the one that kidnapped Ruri..."
"I know." Sora says with guilt, and Sona also feels the same.
After they decide to talk to each other, Yuni quickly calls Astral, Orbital, and Tsukikage. She says, "Can you guys go to the Security Building? I want you guys to check if Roget is watching us. And if it is possible, I want you guys to also find out the truth about Sergey."
"Roger that." Orbital says as the three of them leave the area. Yuya asks, "Are you sure it is a good idea?"
"Astral and Orbital can help Tsukikage, so I trust them." Yuni says. "By the way, are you sure you're ready to face Mark?"
Yuya frowns and remembers Mark, he says, "I'm definitely going to bring Mark's smile back, Mark was dead because of me and I am going to save him from that darkness."
The others nod, and Yuni notices Vivian staring at the map, she walks towards Vivian and asks, "Are you okay? You didn't look very well."
Vivian frowns and says, "I don't know how long I'm going to hide... they even set up a controller for Manibus even though I was not with them..."
"I know. Just be yourself and fight with us like normal. No matter who wins the duel, we will save you." Yuni says.
Vivian can only nod she decides to stare at the map. As for Katrina, she is sitting with Kurosaki Shun, who seems to be frustrated about what just happened.
"To think that Mom and Dad were Dark Signers..." Kurosaki Shun mutters. "Because of them, I've been making a lot of mistakes..."
"Shun." Katrina says, which gains his attention. "I know how terrible it is to see your parents become our enemies. Your Mom and Dad took care of me ever since I left from Standard to Xyz, and I wanted to bring them back as well. This is why we fight together."
"Katrina..." Shun stares at the birthmark on her arm, and he decides to say nothing because he knows that Katrina, being the Signer, will definitely save his parents. If only he can also save them instead of being an observer this time...
And I'll end the chapter right here, this is the chapter before the true Dark Signer and Signer battles begin. I hope you like this chapter and we'll be starting with the Monkey in the next chapter.