Chapter 41: Requiem

"Five minutes. We go in for five minutes. We don't find them, we keep heading down this path. Alright?" Jesi asked.

Vaila nodded and they started down a hidden path toward a cave. Suddenly, a figure ran out of the bushes and knocked right into Jesi. They banged their heads and hit the ground, eyes swirling.

"Mi… gome?" Vaila blinked. "Um… are you two okay?"

"I… I need to know. I need to know what is happening. I am your twin. I can't let you bare this burden alone," Bann said. He stared down at the ground the whole time. Tear began to form in his eyes. "I am sorry, Recks." He lifted his head. "I free you from the Seal! Activate Royal Upkeep – Taking the Hill!"

The ring of the Seal began to spin violently. The Seal above Recks' and his dino's heads vanished and their eyes changed back to a normal color. At the same time, the Seal appeared above Bann's eyes, which burned a blood red. Finally, the ring slowed down to reveal that it was now completely turned around.

"I… I bare your burden now…" A dark aura flowed over Bann's body. "Prepare… pre… prepare to lose your soul!" he said darkly. "I activate the Warrior Returning Alive. Return, Dark Blade!"

The black armored knight rose from the ground. He hit the ground with his arms and two silvery swords rose out, which he grabbed. The Seal appeared on his forehead and the already red eyes under his helmet brightened.

"Dark Blade, combine with Kiryu!"

Dark Blade jumped into the air as Kiryu swooped down. Dark Blade landed on the dragon's back and the two nose-dived at Dimtritadon.

"Dark Blade Kiryu, Triple Blackfire Striker!"

Dark Blade swung his swords, launching twin beams of black light as Kiryu shot a stream of black flames from its mouth.

"I activate Call of the Haunted, bringing back Dark Tyranno. Now your combo must attack him."

"No problem."

Dark Blade Kiryu's attack struck Dark Tyranno, obliterating the carnivore with ease.

"Now I activate Combination Attack! This split Dark Blade and Kiryu and allows them to attack again!"

Kiryu launched another attack at Dimitritadon as Dark Blade ran up to Recks and slashed him with both swords.

"This duel will be over soon enough!" Bann said with anger. "Now I combine Dark Blade and Kiryu. Turn end."

'Just as I thought, the Seal clouds your judgment as well. You only attack, you don't defend…' "I summon Dilophotar. When this dinosaur is summoned…"

A black, goopy substance rose from beneath Kiryu. It trapped the knight-dragon duo within it, preventing them from moving.

"…it traps one of your monsters in a tar pit. Then I cast a Spell and end my turn."

"Kiryu, Dark Blade separate!"

Kiryu shot a stream of flames from its mouth, releasing it from the tar. However, Dark Blade fell off and landed within the pit, still stuck.

"So, Kiryu was released. That means…" Bann stared at Recks and laughed. "Kiryu, kill my brother!"

Kiryu shot another stream of black flames at Dilophotar.

"I activate Last Breath Instinct!" 'I can't let you win. Not while you are influenced by this infernal device.'

Dilophotar ran through the flames and started a battle with Kiryu. The two clashed and clawed. Dilophotar slashed at Kiryu and Kiryu bit Dilophotar. Both hit the ground, dead.

"You killed my dragon… but you still took a lot of damage, brother."

"It was enough…"

"I cast a Spell. One more hit and you're finished."

'I need to do something. Bann, I can't take your soul. You sacrificed yourself to save me from this Seal of Orichalcos.'

Suddenly, a silvery dragon began to appear around Recks.

Far off, Darsus watched.

'What is this? He can't possibly summon that. You only obey me, remember?' Darsus thought. He was a bit startled at what he was seeing. "Ge… you are my servant. Remember what I gave you." He began to chant in a strange tongue. The words seemed to suppress the dragon spirit that was forming. Darsus hit the ground, weakened, standing on one knee.

"Master Darsus, is something wrong?"

"Leave me." 'Ge, what are you doing? Why are you being summoned?'

The silvery blue dragon continued to solidify within the pond. Darsus watched on, furious.

"If I cannot prevent you from summoning, then I will…"

'Activate it…'

'A voice… in my head… who…' Bann struggled to think.

'Activate your spell. Do as I say!'

"I… I must… I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Taking the Hill."

Beneath Recks and Bann, the Seal began to spin again. The dragon that was appearing behind Recks started to turn into a dark blue and purple serpent and vanished. When the spinning stopped, Recks was now under the Seal's control again and Bann was normal.

"Recks… I took the Seal… I can't give it back to you!"

The Seal spun again, stopping with Bann under its control and Recks normal.

"Recks… you need… to beat me! Do it!"

Recks stared at his brother. He was both shocked and horrified. Bann had managed to overcome the powers of the Seal and whoever was controlling him.

"Recks… do it now!"

"Bann… this is my burden to bare. I cannot let you use the Seal. I activate Heavy Storm!"

Fierce winds blew within the Seal, forcing it to spin again, once again turning onto Recks' side of the field and taking control of him.

"I'm… I'm… sorry… Activate Canyon of Lost Souls."

Rocky walls rose around them. A dinosaur known as Soraptor ran passed Recks and another one followed.

"This is it. This is the final battle. Soraptors, attack Dark Blade."

The two small raptors lashed out at Dark Blade, who was still stuck in the tar and unable to defend.

"One Soraptor would have been enough… but I was so looking forward to the extra damage."

"Recks…"

"I cast two Spells. One more hit and you're finished."

'What do I do? If I win, he loses his soul. If I lose…' "Recks… you… you win. I give up."

The Seal began to close in around Bann, who dropped to his knees.

Recks started to laugh, but soon stopped when he realized what had just happened. "Bann! Don't give up! You've got to win! If we tie… if we tie, maybe neither of our souls will be taken!"

"You're right, but this is sure. I can't put you at risk." He looked down at the ground."

"No… no this is all wrong. If you don't finish this battle with me now… then I will force the Seal to take me instead! As long as the Seal gets a soul, it'll be happy, right? Take me!"

"Fine, we'll finish this."

The Seal stopped and spread around Bann and Recks again.

"I activate Partial Fusion and Mid-Knight Polymer."

Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight surrounded Bann. The lifted their swords and began to fuse, but separated soon after. Joker's Knight also appeared now, behind Bann. All four of his card knights were now before him.

"Thanks to Mid-Knight Polymer, I was able to fuse my fallen knights. Then, Partial Fusion split them up again."

"There's a weakness to using that. Your knights' attacks all half."

"I know… Joker's Knight, attack Soraptor and end this duel."

"That was your plan! You idiot! I activate Forced Requiem. This forces you to play a monster, magic, or trap that I choose. Timaeus, fuse with Joker's Knight! Now I lose!"

"Brother!" Bann just stared. He couldn't stop Recks now.

Timaeus fused with Joker's Knight to form Heavenly Dragon Knight Solitaire.

"Bann, I have to attack."

'Jest, if you…'

"I know. Your brother will lose."

Bann stared down at the ground. Tears began to form in his eyes. "Solitaire's attack increases for each Knight on the field other than himself… There are now three. Recks, you won't survive this attack. Prepare… to lose your soul…"

Jest, now in teal armor, charged at the Soraptors, followed by the other three knights. All four knights met in battle with the two dinosaurs, destroying both and defeating Recks. The Seal closed in around Recks and he screamed as his soul vanished. Bann collapsed to the ground along with his brother. He stared down at the ground as he wept. Kia and Jest stood by him.

"Bann, I'm really sorry. He… he forced me to attack."

Bann looked up. A burning hatred in his eyes, the tears could no longer be seen beneath the flames. "It wasn't your fault." He closed his eyes and rose from the ground. "The one who deserves to pay… IS GARU!"

"Well, it seems that our friend Recks lost."

"Well, looks like that Bann kid is more cold blooded than I thought."

"You're wrong. Recks forced his brother to defeat him. Now Bann wants vengeance."

"I see. Then I guess I must be off, master."

"Make sure you take his soul, Garu."

"Yes master."

"Bann, where are you going?"

"I must find Garu. He did this. It's his fault that my brother's soul was taken. I will get my revenge."

"Please, if you fight for vengeance, you will become what you are fighting."

"Nobody asked you, Kia. In fact, why are you still here? Shouldn't you have vanished along with Jest?"

Kia stopped. "Fine." She disappeared.

'Recks…'

"So, we keep going?"

"No, let's head back. I have a bad feeling."

"About?" Tiamat asked.

"Bann and Recks were forced to duel Morgen and Garu. I think it would be more important for us to find out what happened to them right now," Zakei answered.

"I agree. Besides, if we have them, it will be much easier to take on Darsus."

"Alright, let's head back."

Tiamat and Zakei, got up and headed back down the mountain.

'Rooko? He isn't here. I saved him over there, at the cliff. I don't know why I did it, but I am now glad I did.'

Sagitar spread his wings and hovered a bit above the ground. He looked over the cliff and down the mountain. He then began to think back to his meeting with the sage.

'"You are a Bloodwing, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Yet you saved me. Very unlike one of your kind." Rooko grinned.

"I'm not like them… those chauvinists are too bent on what they believe will be their rise to power. They have no idea what real power is."

"And you have this power?"

"I will one day. I will show them all, destroy them, and make them believe." Sagitar looked at his right hand and clenched it. It transformed into a black claw. The nails cut into his skin and red blood began to flow out of the self-inflicted wound.

"I think I may be able to help you. I know that Bloodwings cannot use Cree. Their souls are too twisted with malice. You seek the power of the gods, right?"

Rooko's Archangels appeared around the recovering sage.

"I see, so you're Rooko, the White-winged."

"I am no longer so pure that I could be called White-winged." The angels' wings all turned black. Their angelic bodies burst open to reveal demons.

"That… that power!" Sagitar stated, wide-eyed.

"I've recently been inflicted with a darker side. Archdemons, you would be a perfect master of them."

"Tell me how I can get my hands on them."

"Since you saved my life, I will give you part of my soul, the darkness will latch onto yours. Then you should be able to use them. Of course, there is a catch. Once I die, I will be taking all of my soul with me."

"You die and I can't use this power anymore?"

"I die… and so do you."'

"Well, you aren't dead yet, old man," Sagitar laughed.

Next time on City of Fire: Sagitar's Lonely Battle