...duels continued from last chapter:
RAIN ORICHALCUM [LP: 1100] vs. MISTY TREDWELL [LP: 2900]
R Cards in Hand = 3 / Cards on Field = Blue-Eyes White Dragon [3000/2500] in Attack Position; face-up Aegis of Gaia; 1 face-down trap
M Cards in Hand = 0 / Cards on Field = Field Spell Mirror Labyrinth; Sad Story - Unwavering Truth, Sad Story - Sorrowful Memories; Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua [2800/1800] in Attack Position; 1 face-down trap
KALIN KESSLER [LP: 100] vs. AKIZA IZINSKI [LP: 100]
K Cards in Hand = 0 / Cards on Field = Black Rose Dragon [2400/1800] equipped with Dark Necrofear
A Cards in Hand = 1 / Cards on Field = Overdoom Line
I have seen what the darkness does
Say good-by to who I was.
I ain't never been away so long
Don't look back – them days are gone.
(Meet Me in the Woods - Lord Huron)
Chapter Twenty-Four
Legendary Knight Hermos
Trepidation infected me from the frequency of my blackouts despite my partner's reassurances. I figured I needed to focus on the task at hand and drew the top card of my deck.
I announced, "As it so happens, I drew another Legendary Dragon, which is unaffected by your Sad Story spell cards!"
"Those cards aren't real," the wicked god hissed. The fires of the dark sign of the Lizard caught as a gleam in her dark eyes. "They are illegal for use!"
"And yet here Hermos is," I said with a smile. The mahogany dragon's yellow eyes blinked at me. I wondered if he was smiling back. At the thought, a memory rose from the depths of my mind.
"Hey, Rain. Do you mind if I just call you Rain? The whole 'Knight' junk gets old quickly."
"Sure," I said. I had learned to let Hermos do most of the talking. I set aside my sewing kit and the black cloak I was embroidering. Hermos removed his red helmet and tossed his brunet locks. "What do I call you?"
"Me? Stick with Hermos, though my full name's Hermocrates." He winked at me. I wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean. "Anyways, I've been looking for you because I wanted to ask you something. Do you- Eh, it might not be a good idea to bring it up, but I can't shake it. Do you regret what you did?"
Did I regret it. The short answer was no. However, there were subsequent events I could not have foreseen happening as a result. I said, "In some ways I do, yes."
Hermos sighed. "That's good. You'll have to see them all again. I wanted to make sure it wouldn't mess with your head."
Of course it wouldn't. That moment was the most clear of any in my life. But it was past, as Timaeus said. Hermos went on: "Just, whatever happens, I want you to know we're friends. We have your back."
"I don't think that's true."
"What?" he shouted. "I have your back no matter what, and if you try to fight that-"
"No, not that part," I said. "The part about being friends. I don't think I'm friends with anybody. Well, I was, but he's… you know."
"Oh, yeah. Him." Hermos's face fell. "I think of you as a friend. So, in my book, we're friends!"
"If you could see and know everything about me, I don't think we would be."
"Meh. All that's happened is happened, sure, but Rain! I know you now, and I like being pals with you. How about we keep a good thing going?"
A small smile played at my lips. "Yeah. Yeah, fine. Get out of here, would you? You're distracting me!"
Hermos had a ridiculous smile. He put his helmet on backwards, twirled it around, and said his good-byes.
The reminder of my "pal" Hermos left the same goofy grin on my face. I explained, "This is the Claw of Hermos, and I can combine him with a monster to create an Equip Spell Card. I'll fuse him with The White Stone of Legend to create Sacrificial Shining Stone! This spell equips to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my field, who I can now tribute to special summon two Blue-Eyes from my deck!"
A glowing white rock of perfect smoothness floated before Blue-Eyes. The dragon and stone broke into a thousand tiny lights, which gathered into the forms of two more white dragons.
"Now I'm able to use this card in my hand: Dragon's Mirror! By removing from play the two Blue-Eyes on my field and the one in my grave, I can Fusion Summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
Three scales merged into the mirror's reflection, and the three-headed dragon of power shattered through the glass. "Now I'll activate the trap I drew last turn. Dust Tornado destroys your Field Spell, Mirror Labyrinth. Your Earthbound Immortal loses its abilities!"
A typhoon whipped up, ripping apart the dome separating us from the others. The blue and purple shards dissolved within the tornado. The wicked god chuckled.
"You've made a horrible mistake. By relying on a powerful monster instead of your weaker ones, you've doomed yourself! I activate my trap, Nightmare Wheel! This equips to your Ultimate Dragon and prevents it from attacking. Each Standby Phase, you'll take 500 points of damage! This duel is only a matter of time for you."
"I haven't made any mistakes."
Blue fire caught on the last card in my hand.
"I release Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to special summon Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!"
I pulled away the Fusion Monster and slammed my card on the disk. Though Ultimate Dragon disappeared, nothing took its place. My field was empty and silent. I blinked. "Um."
"Maybe the hologram's messed up," Kalin muttered. "Bummer. Looked like a cool move."
"Hologram?" My head ached. "My monsters aren't holograms."
"Oh. Hate to break your heart, but psychic powers give the hologram attacks physical form. They're not real or anything."
"No, that's not true, because - I'm not psychic." I gripped my temples. "I remember-!"
"Remember what? Hey, stay with me," he pleaded. "Please, please don't blackout on me again."
My monsters were real. That's why in my 'psychic' duels they came to both sides of the field, with me and against me. It's because I asked them to back when monsters and humans shared this world. The Spirit World didn't exist back then – over five thousand years ago.
When I was young, I saved a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, one of the most dangerous monsters to exist. My city despised monsters. I couldn't turn away from its suffering. Because of me, the dragon evolved. The strongest version merged with me.
The reason why I was the Crimson Dragon's only choice for a vessel, the reason why the humans hated me, the reason why I could visit the Spirit World: I was only half-human. My other half was…
Azure flames sparked from my soul and raced across my skin. My blue eyes glowed, and my white hair floated behind me as though gravity forgot each strand. The Blue Flame served as my aura.
Leo screamed and shouted about me being on fire while Luna said, "I can see a spirit in there! Wait, is- No way! The spirit's in Rain."
"Let's try this again," I said. "Awaken from within, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!"
The fire exploded off me and melded into the form of a bright-winged dragon. Large sapphires sparkled along his streamlined body, and light like the sun's poured out of every scale. An azure glow matching the Blue Flame burned from the accents along the dragon's body.
"Shining Dragon," Luna said in awe. "It's beautiful."
"Don't let his lovely appearance fool you. Our first ability, Shining Burst, takes effect! Each dragon in my grave gives Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon 300 extra attack points. Right now, I have the White Stone of Legend and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon boosting our attack to 3600! Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, annihilate Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua! Shining Neutron Blast!"
My dragon's roar quaked the heavens. The Lizard squealed and tried to scuttle away. Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon's blinding blast of breath tore through Ccarayhua's wide-open jaws. The blackness shattered into hundreds of freed souls. The wicked god's life points fell from 2900 to 2100. Its shrill scream pierced my eardrums.
The violet glow faded from Misty Tredwell's eyes and red markings. A sigh escaped her as she hit the earth. She held herself up on her hands and knees. "Where am I? The last thing I remember… I was trying to fold so Akiza could win. Oh, God, I tried to kill her, and she didn't do anything wrong!"
"Hey, Misty!" Kalin called. "Is it really you? You're back?"
"Kalin? And, you- you're Kalin's girlfriend, Rain. How are both of you here? Your dark mark is gone!"
My partner's hand fell upon his right forearm. "Well, see, you're not the only one who screwed up. I lost, and I was glad to do it. Rain knocked some sense into me."
"Sense," I muttered, gazing into the brilliant light of my Shining Dragon. "Everything makes sense. Misty, you're freed. The wicked god is dead. We can end the duel, and-"
"I'm sorry." Misty held up her arm, which bore the dark sign of the Lizard. "As long as I live, so do the Earthbound Immortal and these fires. You have no choice but to win this duel. It's fine. I'm the one who made so many mistakes. This is what I deserve."
"Making one mistake shouldn't doom you!" My stare darted around frantically. "W-we can find a way around the fires, and-"
"It's okay. You don't have to panic," my partner assured. "Listen to her."
Misty's gaze was far away. "Maybe I can see Toby again. Maybe he'll forgive me, one day, even if I don't deserve it. I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for you all. Thank you for stopping me.
"And, Akiza, please know how wrong everything I said and did to you was. You're an astounding duelist, a strong woman, and a role model to psychics everywhere. I'm happy my brother found you. I'm happy that, before he went, he had someone who understood. Don't let Sayer break you, too. I know how powerful a ghost can be, but you are stronger."
"A role model?" Aki was still on her knees, and her eyes were empty. She touched her disheveled hair. "But you said I belong as a monster."
"I was wrong. Those powers of yours don't mean anything. You're human like everyone else. I'm so sorry for believing otherwise. It was because of Sayer. He was the real monster and the only one."
Tears streamed down Aki's cheeks. "I forgive you, Misty. I forgive you! I'm so sorry for what Sayer did. I'm so sorry he caused all this pain, and I can't even let him go!"
"Don't despair." Misty smiled. "Ghosts cannot hurt you. The same will go for me. My darkness will be gone, and you can save the world as your destiny foretells."
Aki clutched at her temples. "I can't! I can't let Sayer go, and that means I-"
The red tendrils representing her anger surrounded her again. Kalin said, "I get the feeling we should finish this now."
My eyebrows scrunched. "But, Misty…"
"Oh, and, Kalin," she called. "You two look right. I can see where you belong now."
"It's… been real, friend." My partner's smile quivered. Fiery determination wiped it away. "I hope you're not planning on going down without a fight!"
Misty looked to my dragon. "Of course not. My draw. This is a trap I can keep, but it doesn't make a difference to Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. This is Sakuretsu Armor."
"Right," I said, not able to place any fuel in my voice. "Shining Diffusion can negate any ability that targets us."
"I pass my turn to you."
My breath caught in my throat as I met the eyes of the woman I was about to kill. Kalin's voice steadied me. "We'll do it together, okay? Back-to-back, and you focus on me."
"Okay." He pressed his shoulder blades to mine, and I felt the heat we shared instead of the cold claw gripping my heart. I started, "Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon."
"Black Rose Dragon!"
My partner and I shouted in unison, "Direct attack!"
Raging petals and blazing light met their marks. Aki's life fell from 100 to zero, and Misty's points dropped from 2100 to zero. Neither of our attacks physically hurt our opponents. Misty smiled at Shining Dragon, and she said, "I feel… hope."
She collapsed into dust. Aki was rooted in place. I could feel her despondency through our crimson bond, and it aligned with my own. Kalin was the first to move; he took Black Rose Dragon from his borrowed duel disk, shuffled his cards into his deck, and held the deck out to me. I didn't have the energy to ask. He could read the question in my expression. "As long as it's with you, I know it's safe."
"But your deck is your everything."
He lifted my stained-red hand, placed his deck in my palm, and rested my other hand on top. "That would be you. So! You keep this. Really. It belongs with you. While you're putting it away, I'll take care of that tower."
I managed a smile as he ran to the Lizard control unit. My anchor, Kalin's old deck, returned to its resting place in my back pocket. The former Dark Signer used his stolen dragon to seal the tower, and he dashed out before it shook and sank into the dirt.
Leo was shouting about how awesome the duels were, and Luna couldn't rip her gaze away from me. My Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon had disappeared like the holograms, but maybe she could see the Blue Flame within me. I wondered if she could tell I wasn't human.
She is not afraid, young dragon. She is in awe.
Am I truly like the rest, Crimson Dragon? Am I a duel spirit?
Check your Extra Deck.
I pulled out the small pack of cards tucked in a compartment beneath the Main Deck. A Fusion Monster I didn't recognize was included. I scrutinized the card art, which displayed:
Me, wearing the full set of armor like in the Spirit World and holding a white sword.
Air escaped my lungs, and the card fluttered from my grasp. I was sensible enough to catch it before it landed in the dust. I held it close to my chest. Internal screaming reverberated throughout my empty mind. The tremble of my hands spread like an infection to my other limbs.
Rain, please. Feel the crimson threads woven into your soul. You are connected to these people, and though you may be half-Duel Monster, their opinion of you would not change.
I can't… I can't trust-
"Hey, partner, it's okay." Kalin's whisper was as gentle as his touch as he held my shaking hands. "You saw her when she went, right? She was peaceful. You didn't do anything wrong."
My breathing hitched. "C-could you say that last part again?"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
My grip on him tightened. "Thanks. Thank you."
"No problem!" He released me, and my trembling had stopped. I had to work through the crazy revelations I'd just experienced.
Besides my existence being tied to a piece of cardboard, I learned I wasn't born a psychic like Aki. Ancient Fairy Dragon made me an offer to tie my soul and heart to the duel spirits, which allowed the true monsters to appear in response to my emotions.
I pulled the edge of my shirt away from my chest and peered within. A dark mark similar to the Seal of Orichalcos was carved in the skin over my heart like a tattoo. No, more like a scar. I let go of the fabric, leaving it to fall back in place. The symbols outside the ring translated into a different sentence than the Seal-
"Rain." Kalin was staring at me. "Did you just check yourself out?"
"What? No!"
"Aw, it's okay. If I were you, I would, too," he said with a wink.
My blush prevented my thoughts from traveling further. He watched with a snicker. "Sh-shut up!"
"Fiiine. What's next?"
"I was worried about Aki."
"Check this out." Kalin hooked his arm around my shoulders, and we watched her together. Yusei had knelt by her side. His tail mark shone through his glove.
"I'm just- I'm so alone without him." Aki wrapped her arms around herself. Yusei ran his finger along the outline of her crimson sign, and she watched with a blank expression.
"You don't have to be. You can let go of the façade he built for you. You can be yourself. Personally, I think you should. Whenever a glimpse of her shines through, I feel graced to see something truly wonderful."
"You don't get it! He loved me like no one else could!"
"Well, I-" Yusei was forced to recover any composure he could grasp through his raw emotion. With a shaking voice, he said, "I love you, too, Akiza."
Blush blossomed on her cheeks. "But I'm a-"
He cut her off with a kiss, which she met. The pink dusting her cheeks darkened to scarlet. Yusei broke away and said, "You're a beautiful hero."
"Oh."
By her stunned look, I guessed it was all she could say. I clasped my hands together and rested my cheek on them. How adorable. She'd never acted so precious around me. Somehow that made it all better.
A rectangle of light formed at Aki's chest. It transformed into a card and fluttered onto the ground. She read the name of the spell card aloud: "Attack Pheromones?"
Yusei's fingers curled into a fist. "I guess this was his last 'gift' to you. Are you feeling okay now?"
"I feel amazing," she said. Her smile was sweeter than any I'd seen from her. Honestly, I was surprised she was so open about it. As though hearing my thoughts, she straightened and brushed dirt off her dress. Aki cleared her throat, and her brow darkened. "Kalin."
My partner threw Black Rose Dragon so the card sliced through the dirt beside her. "I'll expect a greeting card in the mail! Better say 'thank you' in fancy letters!"
Her balled fists shook, and her glare blazed. She swiped up Black Rose Dragon and turned her back on him. I whispered, "I sort of hoped she would stop hating you."
He kept on laughing.
"The hell is going on here?" Jack's bellowing voice captured everyone's attention as his white duel runner skidded to a stop. He tossed his battered helmet away and stormed towards the gathered crowd.
"Hey, you won! Nice going," Crow said. "That means we sealed the control units in time! Uh, why do you look so pissed off?"
Jack shoved him aside and glared daggers at my partner. Through grit teeth, he said, "Why are you here?"
"Oh, lookie. The gang's all here!" Kalin giggled. "So, pretty boy, how'd it go? You look roughed up. I'll bet she enjoyed it, too!"
Jack marched forward, grabbed Kalin by his cloak's collar, and slammed his fist into Kalin's cheek. As he went sprawling to the ground, Jack said, "All you've left behind is broken pieces. Yusei hardly moved for months after what you pulled with Security, and I had to practically carry Rain back to Martha's after she saw you! You don't give a shit about anyone! So why should it be you, Kessler? Why the hell should you get to live?"
I planted myself between the two. "I'm sorry, Jack. I'm sorry she's gone, but please don't act like this."
His arms dropped to his sides, their fists unclenched. "You… how are you even standing after your runner crash?"
He knew? My hand went to my likely broken ribs. "I didn't plan on dying today."
"Looks like someone had a different plan for you."
"Oh, yeah!" Kalin was back on his feet, and a mad grin was plastered on his face. "But Rain always ruins my plans. You did the same to your little fangirl, didn't you?"
Jack growled, "I'll kill you myself!"
Before he sprung forward, Yusei and Crow restrained him. Yusei said, "Cut it out, you two! We're on the same side!"
"You must be joking! Look at him! He tried to kill you both!"
Kalin laughed while touching the swelling bruise on his face. "You know, this is exactly how I imagined our team reunion would go! You're right, Jack. I should have stayed dead and forgotten. I should have done a lot of things, but here we are."
"No, you shouldn't," I whispered. Kalin heard, and a frown erased his manic expression. Jack also eased. Crow and Yusei released him. "The towers are all gone. Are we done? Is it over?"
"'Fraid not," Kalin answered. "Roman was really hunting the Vessel because the big red dragon's card is required to seal the reactor in the crater."
I fidgeted. "Did you tell him I-"
"No. I wouldn't sell out my partner."
"We were kinda supposed to be enemies."
"Yeah, well, I didn't see it that way."
"Could've fooled me," Jack grumbled. "What are you even talking about? There's no Crimson Dragon card. The Dragon is this mystical thing that shows up sometimes."
A card popped out of my Extra Deck, and I showed it to Jack. "I'm the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon Godwin talked about. The Dragon's holding me together right now."
"Interesting."
The comment from atop the apartment complex left my heart dropping a thousand feet. The Dark Signer stood with his arms crossed on the highest balcony. Roman wore that mocking smile of his. "The Crimson Dragon didn't abandon you, after all."
"Your spider trick didn't work!" I shouted. "I'm sealing the reactor and stopping the King of the Underworld!"
"The trick did work," Roman said. "Kessler reported the absence of the Crimson Dragon, but I assumed him not to be trusted. I sent a spider after you with a different intended target. I returned your memories to the Crimson Dragon."
Jack said, "What's he on about now?"
"The memories from before the Satellite!" Yusei said. "Roman said to challenge him for them. He gave them back? No, he gave them to the Crimson Dragon! He can tell you who you were!"
I thought, Dragon? Is that true?
Silence, deathly.
Roman said, "You appear confused, Soul Reaper. With what you've learned today, you understand you were the Crimson Dragon's only option for a vessel. Perhaps he has not abandoned you. In this moment, I assure you he wishes he had."
"Only option?" Crow said. "What makes you so special?"
"She hasn't told you?" Roman chuckled. "Here I thought you'd made new friends, Soul Reaper. Alas. History tends to repeat, as you told Ccarayhua. Now! I am feeling quite generous. Instead of defeating me for your memories, I'll return them to you."
The glass tarantula glowed violet in his grasp. Roman said, "The artifact shatters, and Rain Orichalcum returns to us. My gift to you."
The Dark Signer tossed the glass object. All eyes watched the fall of the spider. When it hit the ground, I would finally understand. I'd know myself. The pieces I'd wondered about for months would fall into place.
Scarlet traced along my pale limbs. The Crimson Dragon surged from within and snatched the artifact out of the air. He held the tarantula tenderly in his jaws. I said, "What are you doing?"
The blazing sun of the Crimson Dragon's eye burned into me. He commanded, Cast aside your blade.
My fingers glanced the hilt of my saber. "My sword? Why?"
For once in our unified time, obey me, Rain.
He used my name. He never used my name. "What're you talking about? You don't trust me?"
Aki said, "Who is she talking to?"
"The Crimson Dragon!" Luna said. "They can communicate!"
"You're joking," Jack said. "The flaming god? Rain's just having a good ol' chat with it?"
"First you say there's a Spirit World. Next, the holograms know my name. Now there's talking dragons?" Trudge said. "You kids are nuts."
"You realize we're here to seal the underworld," Mina said.
"When you say it, it sounds reasonable!"
"Rain!" Yusei called. "What did the Crimson Dragon say? Why isn't he letting you have the memories back?"
"He said I- I need to throw away my sword first."
"Ah," Roman commented from his perch. "The Crimson Dragon reveals his fear early."
I said, "What do you mean 'fear?'"
Roman's dark eyes closed but his smile widened. "Simply put two and two together, Soul Reaper. The Crimson Dragon's fear of you equals mine. Why else would I be standing all the way up here? He must assure you can be easily detained if your memories return."
"Like I'm dangerous?" I asked. The memories of Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos nipped at the back of my mind. Each of them had referenced a sin I had committed. Hermos in particular made it sound awful. "Did I… do something bad?"
The Crimson Dragon said, Leave the sword, Rain, and all will become clear. I am withholding the memories for your own sake.
"My own sake," I spat. "Everyone says that. Everyone keeps me in the dark and makes decisions for me. No longer. I take fate into my own hands and decide for myself. You are not keeping myself from me."
I sprinted forward and sliced my saber out of its sheath. A spinning green blast exploded against the Crimson Dragon's fangs. The glass tarantula shattered into a million shards.
Shining violet liquid sprinkled down like acid rain. I raised my face to the storm. The sickly-sweet water slid down my cheekbones like tears. Thousands of emotions clashed and melded. Flashes of images clicked together.
The Crimson Dragon slithered down and kept his body as a wall between me and the humans. The Dark Signer laughed and leapt down from the complex. The violet liquid dripped off the split ends of my long, soaked hair. Roman stepped in the forming puddle.
"Rain?" Leo said. "It's, uh, kinda creepy how you're not moving! Did you turn her into a statue?"
"You'd require time to process, too, if you instantly had years of experiences to comprehend," the Dark Signer said. "Especially if you had to come to terms with your own evil nature."
In front of the Signers, the Crimson Dragon's body coiled as though prepared to spring at any moment. Crow said, "That's the wildest lie I've ever heard! Since I met Rain in the Satellite, she's fought to help people! All day today, she's been trying to save the world. Rain's a hero if I've ever seen one!"
Yusei added, "The Crimson Dragon chooses those with selfless hearts, and she's no different!"
A moment in the past found clarity. A particular day while I was on Team Satisfaction, I experienced a blackout. Kalin Kessler, the Team leader, was knocked unconscious before my very eyes. The sight of the guilty gang member approaching my leader inspired my unchained fury. Before this moment, I couldn't recall how I chose to act in response.
Roman shook his head. When he cast out his arm, his fingers nearly touched my shoulder. "You're not hearing me, Fudo. The murderer you harbored was the Crimson Dragon's only option. You see, she's the only being in existence who is half-human, half-duel spirit. That is why she can cross realms to the Spirit World. I believe she enjoys her duty as executioner there."
Luna's hands flew to her face. "R-Rain, when y-you killed Zeman, you said- No, it's not true. It can't be! Rain protected me! She's not evil!"
"Explain me this, Signer," Roman said. "Why does the Crimson Dragon feel the need to protect you in this moment? He knows more about his vessel than you."
"Because of you," Aki countered. "Because you're trying to use Rain against us."
And, oh, Kalin was sly. He wiped the blood off the knife's blade before passing it back to my hands. He let me believe I'd done nothing wrong. The look on his face told a story, though. At the time, I'd figured it some mix of shock.
Fear was an expression the real me would never mistake.
The Dark Signer met my eyes. I couldn't quite focus on him or anything outside of myself. Roman said, "Look at how the humans defend the architect of their demise. You prove to be more useful than the plan intended. Surprises can be pleasant. Signers!"
Roman looped his arm around my midsection and threw me over his shoulder. I couldn't move or speak against him. The images flashing through my mind refused me room for any other function.
"The trophy for victory against me has changed. One hour until sundown. If you want Rain Orichalcum back, you must defeat me at the crater. Only then can she seal the final control unit."
Dark fire swept us away. Rainbow light scattered against layers of rock making up the crater's outer ring. Iridescence shimmered on wires of spider silk. Roman dropped me so my back was propped up and said, "Welcome to the reactor, Soul Reaper."
Roman knelt before me. He grabbed my right forearm, and the dark sign of the Giant flared through my makeshift bandage at his touch. "Now this is unexpected. I suppose you regret the decision since you remember your true nature. We'll prove who you are to the Signers. Until then, enjoy your trip down memory lane."
The passage of time left my surroundings dim for the sake of my returning past. Years and years of building blocks that made up my true self clicked together. The confusion infecting me from the beginning melted away.
The flood of images slowed to a halt. The final memory was a blast of rainbow-laced light like the illumination in the crater. The explosion burned my skin, my muscles, my brain.
The feed ended.
I finally, graciously, felt like myself again.
In a red flash, my eyes snapped open. The Crimson Dragon's card was between my fingers. I shoved to my feet to find myself standing on a wide platform. I was at the far end of a metal bridge spanning a sea of forever shifting rainbow light.
On the other end stood Yusei Fudo, the Signer bearing the Crimson Dragon's tail mark. He was locked in a duel with Roman, who posted up on the bridge's central platform. His Earthbound Immortal, the Spider Uru, loomed above him. Its shadowy form was lined with a red vein-like pattern.
Upon noticing my movement, the Dark Signer wore that goddamned mocking grin. "Ah, you're awake."
I palmed my bloodstained sword.
"Rain! Rain, I'm so glad you're back," Yusei said. Relief softened his features. "The clock above us is counting down to sunset. In twenty seconds, we would have lost the world, but now you can save it! The control unit is right next to you! All you have to do is place the Crimson Dragon's card, and this will be over. The war can end."
I glanced back. Sure enough, Roman had left me next to the seal. A spider symbol was etched underneath a rectangular-shaped groove. The digital clock above Roman read eight seconds. I held up my Crimson Dragon card and observed the cheering crowd behind Yusei: Akiza, Jack, Crow, Luna, Leo, Trudge, and Mina.
Four seconds. Yusei urged, "You just put it on the unit, and everything will be okay!"
Three seconds. I reached for the seal.
Two seconds. I let the Crimson Dragon card slip from my grasp.
One second. The looks on their faces decayed into sheer disbelief mixed with misery.
Zero.
I couldn't stop my smile. "Oops."
Roman laughed and laughed as the crater rumbled. "I warned you, Signers! The Vessel of the Crimson Dragon is pure evil! Witness the rise of the King of the Underworld!"
Violet light shot from below and scattered the dark clouds above. A massive, four-legged being formed from black sludge loomed above the crater. The King of the Underworld sprouted wings and roared, its red eyes gleaming.
Across the bridge, the children were screaming and crying. The others had fallen into utter despair. Yusei muttered, "Rain, how could you? You're our friend. You're…"
"They refuse to accept the truth. I'll offer you one last grace before your world is destroyed. I'll show you the Vessel's heart!"
"Uh, no." I pointed the tip of my blade towards his chest. "I've planned out my last moments, and they involve you screaming until your blood chokes you."
"Humph. Send the Soul Reaper into the blackest depths of her heart, Uru!"
One of the Spider's many legs slammed into me lightning fast and pinned me against the bridge. More of my ribs broke under the intense pressure. Purple sparks arced along the Earthbound Immortal and shocked me to my core.
My last sight before I lost consciousness was the King of the Underworld lurching forward in the beginning of a march.