Chapter Twenty-Six

Blaze On

Blinding light scattered. I coughed from the pain in my ribs. My sight came into focus slowly. I became aware of the black sky ringed by the crater's edge. The dark sign of the Spider glowed against the clouds. Next, I realized warmth was shared with me from…

Kalin cradled me in his arms. The tear in his abdomen was fixed, and my wrists still bled where I'd torn them. The open handcuffs lay nearby. They appeared to have been used to lock me to the metal railing.

"Welcome back," he whispered. His small smile and the steady support of his arms provided a comfort I never imagined could exist. I threw my arms around his neck and nuzzled into the space between his collarbone and jawline. The many pains from the movement were nothing compared to my giddiness.

"Oh, I'm terrified," he joked, and I laughed. Kalin helped me to my feet. We stood on a metal bridge spanning a sea of forever shifting rainbow pastels. Spider silk trailed up the rocky edges of the crater; the silver patterns reflected iridescence from below.

Possessed Roman was at the bridge's center with Yusei at the far end. Earthbound Immortal Uru stared down Yusei's Stardust Dragon. The crater rumbled around us whenever the King of the Underworld above took a step.

"Impossible!" Roman bellowed. "The darkness of your heart was far too deep for anyone to dive! How could Kessler have matched it?"

"You made a dire mistake," Yusei said. "There are bonds in darkness as there are in light. You underestimated the bond Kalin and Rain share!"

"Gee, he makes it sound cool," I muttered. "Wait, were- could they see what was happening?"

"Guess so," my partner said. I noticed the movement of his hands. The stem of a crystal blue flower spun in his fingers. I forgot my embarrassment for wonder.

Across the bridge, Roman glowered at the Signer. "You seem attached to that word, Fudo. Have you realized yet that your bond with this monster is what will cause the destruction of the world?"

"That wasn't Rain!" Luna shouted. "You tricked her with your scary spider stuff like you did when she was dueling Misty!"

"She betrayed you of her own volition, fool. The Crimson Dragon's Vessel has the same protections as you Signers against possession."

Luna muttered, "You must… be lying!"

"He's right, though," I said. "I'm not a friend to you. I wanted you to die."

"I know that isn't who you really are," Aki said. "Your instinct was to save me and be a nice dork."

"Instinct?" I murmured. "Wait. Dork?"

Aki explained, "I'm the same way. Well, not the dork part, but my instincts. Causing pain and being a monster was learned. Their influence persists, but we can overcome it."

"You… really think so?"

"I know so," she assured. "We're friends, and we support each other through everything. I obviously didn't believe it at first, but they proved it true – like Yusei did to me when I treated him like my enemy."

"What your maniac of a boyfriend said was correct," Jack added. "Whether our road takes many twists and turns is irrelevant. The important point is where it takes us in the end."

Kalin snickered. "Speaking from experience, pretty boy?"

"As much as you were," Jack grumbled. "Neither of you used the noblest of methods to accomplish what you set out to. I'm the same way. Regardless, us three place our efforts towards the sake of saving the world at the end of our paths."

My teammates inspired my smile, as always. "Yes, and this villain will correct her mistake. The big blob up there will be but rust upon my blade, this I swear. A knight has a duty to uphold her promises."

"Knight?" Roman scoffed. "I have your memories. I've seen every dark secret! How could you ignore the inescapable truth within you? You are worthless and powerless. You are nothing but an accessory, a doll to be owned, used, and tossed out!"

A sickly-sweet scent reached my nostrils. The memories he referenced flashed behind my eyes. I tried to breathe but couldn't find the air. My knees buckled. The oxygen I tried to swallow wouldn't stay so I kept on with the sharp intakes of breath but nothing would keep and black surrounded my vision-

A gloved hand held mine. "Hey, listen to me. You have to breathe slowly. Slow, okay? In, out."

Kalin repeated the words. I followed his instructions and forced myself to drink in long, steady breaths. My vision restored. I focused on the crater's opaline array swirling in my partner's eyes. "I'm okay now. Th-thanks."

A gentle squeeze on my hand had me glancing down. He whispered, "What happened?"

"Some m-memories cause it. Usually, I can distract myself, but he- he has control over them."

"That's serious," he said. "You were hardcore hyperventilating, and you almost passed out."

Roman chuckled. "You see? You are no hero, and the fate of the world will not change. You are but a shadow of who you used to be."

A new onslaught of mental images assaulted me. Every muscle in my body tensed. Breathing again became a struggle. Kalin took my hand in both of his and held tight.

"I should have guessed you were a reverse time traveler or whatever."

I blinked. That was sorta out of nowhere. "What do you mean?"

"There was this one time Martha was suuuper worried about you and also mad at you. She didn't want to show it so she brought it to me. See, you freaked out because of the soap she had. The stuff turned into foam. You were so amazed, apparently, that you pumped it all out."

I remembered the soap. It smelled like clementines. "I never did figure it out. How does it turn into foam?"

He laughed a little. "Good news is you've got your whole life here to figure it out, huh."

Very good news.

The poisonous scent remained and buried memories threatened. I focused intently on my partner's grip. I murmured, "As soon as Yusei wins, the investigation is on."

"Feh! Please," Roman said. "So long as the Crimson Dragon stands opposite him, he is powerless. You cannot touch the King of the Underworld as long as an Earthbound Immortal remains undefeated. Your Signer is first doomed, and the world follows soon after."

Yusei held his head high. "Rain stands with us. As you saw in your 'trap,' we've always been friends to her, and she's the same to us. It's like what you said yourself while dueling Misty, Rain: one mistake shouldn't doom you. We believe that, too, all of us! We forgive you!"

I touched the Orichalcos pendant at my neck. "Seriously? You mean that even after what I did?"

"Of course I mean that," he assured with a comforting smile.

Roman laughed. "Your hope is quite the effort in futility. Say, Rain, do you know what allowed me to take hold of this host? It was his fear of you. I groomed the doubt rooted by the Crimson Dragon's choice of a vessel. Once he drowned in it, I took full control and caused this reactor to explode! Do you know why? It was because I wanted the blast to kill you. Roman's loss of life and the Zero Reverse are your fault. Thousands of deaths, the horrid nature of the Satellite, and the hatred between the Satellite and the City can all be traced back to you."

My stomach coiled. My teammates could have had ordinary lives and families. My partner could have always felt free. Unity would be the norm. Instead, because I existed-

"Bullshit," Jack bellowed. "You spent your duel going on and on about how you tracked down Rain and had her memories to convince us you knew her better than us. If you wanted her dead prior to the Signer War, she would have been. You bet all-in on this trap of yours. Shame it'll go to waste."

"You- how could you?" Crow shouted at Roman. "Because of you, all those kids..! Yusei, you have to finish this guy like Rain said! If he really created the Satellite, he has to go down!"

"Me? It was the murderer you call a friend!"

Yusei's fists were clenched. "You act like what you did was nothing. Not only that, but you use a horrific tragedy to weaponize my friend's empathy. Don't you realize what you caused? Every single person in the Satellite has suffered unimaginable pain for years because of what you did. What do you have to say for yourself?"

My teammates – they weren't doubting me for a millisecond. The crushing sensation in my chest lightened.

"You're fooling yourself once again, Fudo," Roman said. "The monster behind me is the source of your suffering."

"Weird." Aki crossed her arms. "You keep trying to convince us she's the big bad. At the same time, you always accuse her because you know she's the softie who'll fall for it. Which is she, huh?"

I pouted. "H-hey."

She tossed me a smirk. My partner shrugged. "Hate to admit, but she's right."

"I'm starting to think there's a reason you're keeping Rain doubting herself," Yusei said, "and I believe it has to do with a certain someone you've been holding over us this entire duel."

Eh?

"The Crimson Dragon," Yusei finished.

Roman chuckled. "Please. The Dragon would never remain with such an evil being. He has abandoned you, and you are foregone at the seat of the abyss."

"And what do you have to say about that, Rain?" Yusei asked.

The entity that was the Crimson Dragon had inhabited my thoughts and emotions for weeks. At first, I thought him horrible for leaving me alone after my partner's death. He realized his mistake and was forthcoming from then on. He worked to prove himself trustworthy. When I managed to work up courage, he told me how proud he was.

I folded my hands over my heart. We never quite got along before I lost my memories. I argued and snapped and defied. The Crimson Dragon put up with me. After Roman stole the memories away and I became who I was at my core, though, we felt like a supportive team.

That I let him down gave me a heavy heart.

Do not fret, young dragon.

Ink bled onto my limbs. The maroon resembled scorch marks. Red blazed from the tracks. Thousands of scarlet threads curled from the burgundy on my skin, wove together, and birthed the Crimson Dragon. His snakelike body coiled around our side of the bridge, and his massive head lowered to meet my eyes.

"He's free?" Ghastly shock conquered Roman's features. "Impossible! Why would a god of hope remain tied with a monster who would throw away the fate of the world laughing?"

The crimson spark was no longer an alarm; the pumping of my heart soothed me. I whimpered, "You stayed."

The Crimson Dragon said, Do you remember when we first met?

My lower lip had started on that quivering thing it tended to do. In my thoughts, I said, I do. It was the first Signer War – five thousand years ago. Doesn't feel that long to me.

For your frozen state, it would have been only months past to your memory, he said. Five thousand years for me, yes, but I could never forget that moment. I approached a convicted murderer suffering her sentence for her crimes in hell. I required you as a Vessel because of my wounded state. You refused, citing the evils of the surface world. But.

I bit my quaking lip. I understood exactly where this was going. He wasn't supposed to know…

I revealed myself to you, young dragon. I begged you to help in my true form – the one I wear at this moment. You saw my wounds. You witnessed my suffering, and you chose to become my Vessel only after asking if my pain would end if you did. You wanted to heal me, young dragon. Why would I abandon someone who could not turn a blind eye to my suffering?

"How could you tell? I mean, I thought I hid it really well!" His laughter rung through my mind. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. "Y-you mean you didn't think I was a burden?"

White coated the Crimson Dragon. Light flecked off. His miniature, ghostly form bounded towards my arms. I leapt forward to catch him. The tiny dragon's whiskers tickled my collarbone. His long, fluffy tail brushed my toes. The Dragon peered up at me. You never were.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks. I hugged the little guy to my chest. Across the cavern, Jack bellowed, "Is she hugging the flaming god?"

"Aww!" Luna said. "They're so cute!"

Leo grumbled, "I thought the Crimson Dragon was a lot cooler a second ago."

"None of this changes the facts!" Roman spat. "Yusei Fudo cannot defeat my Earthbound Immortal! Your Signer will be consumed by nihility!"

I was too busy bawling in the happy way and holding my dearest friend. Crimson shone from Yusei's deck, and he grinned at the draw. "I summon Majestic Dragon and use the effect of Stardust Xiaolong in my grave, special summoning it to the field. The three tune together to Synchro Summon Majestic Star Dragon!"

A lustrous, four-winged dragon formed from the original Signer Dragon. Its light was near blinding, and its azure accents glowed like Yusei's eyes. He shouted, "Majestic Star Dragon is the culmination of our unbreakable bonds as a team! Majestic Star Dragon's effect activates, cancelling out your Earthbound Immortal's ability. Just like how your trap ended up, I'll flip what you thought was your greatest advantage into my own! Majestic Star Dragon can now use the Earthbound Immortal's cancelled effects! It can attack you directly!"

Roman stumbled back. "It cannot be."

"Majestic Star Dragon!" Yusei called. "Show Roman our ineffable hope! Shooting Blaster Sonic!"

The brilliant monster clenched its fists. The gathered energy outshone the sun. I shielded my eyes, and the Dragon scrambled onto my shoulders. Majestic Star Dragon surged through the Dark Signer as a shaft of luminescence. His life points chirped upon reaching zero.

"No," Roman stated. "I go out on my own terms."

He strode towards Yusei and cast aside his duel disk. His arm was all metal and no flesh. My partner's voice came from a few feet behind me. "The hell? He has an explosive on that thing!"

Roman broke into a run and roared, "Fudo!"

The crimson spark shot adrenaline through me. I sprinted forward.

Click.

Roman halted. The wrist of his metal arm stuck high in the air. The cuff locked on him was attached to a taut wire, which I had in a firm, tug-of-war grip. My heels dug into the bridge. Roman thinned his eyes at the Team Satisfaction cuff, followed the wire, and glared at me.

"Drop it," he commanded.

Painful memories flooded my senses. I talked through grit teeth. "Never. You couldn't use me to end the world, and you can't use me now. I'm a young dragon. I blaze on."

"But don't you know?" he mocked. "If you go, the Crimson Dragon goes with you."

"What-"

Roman gripped the wire and yanked backward. His tremendous strength sent me flying through the air towards him. He ripped a panel off his arm and tore apart circuitry.

An explosion flung me back. Light burned the back of my eyes and pain flared throughout my body. My ears rang. I plummeted through a cloud of black smoke. The smoke cleared to show the rainbow lights I had seen earlier swiftly approaching.

I flipped my body midair to see the Dragon in his true form plowing through the smoke, racing downwards in a desperate attempt to catch me. My friends called out my name. The world seemed to slow. The iridescence swallowed me.

Kaleidoscope lights burned my corneas. I tried to cover my eyes, but my limbs refused to move. My shoulder and hip slammed into hard tile. Air hissed in through my grit teeth. I blinked several times in attempts to figure out where I was.

My lengthy shadow fell upon a tombstone.

My breath caught. I threw a glance over my shoulder. Sparks leaked from above. Cracked ceiling tiles littered the linoleum floor. Monitors lay cracked and eschewed. The source of the desolation was a device at the center of the room.

The swirl within the thick glass matched the sea of mosaic light I'd drowned in. The switches, keyboards, and screens around the base matched an object I'd seen before. I squinted. Sure enough, the etched mark of the Spider was below the glass.

Uru spoke on the reactor, which exploded and caused Zero Reverse. Why was it intact here? The one I'd seen was in ruin like the rest of the room. I gulped and turned to the grave. Wilted lilies lay upon the dead's chest. The headstone read, "FUDO."

I swallowed a lump in my throat. That didn't mean Yusei, did it? I scanned the room. A black wall separated me from rounding the left side of the reactor. Something to my right caught my eye.

I picked my way to the next corner of the room, careful to avoid glass shards. A plaque on the floor resembled a broken headstone. Unlike the well-kept Fudo grave, this had a myriad of deep scratches on the metal as though a caged animal tried to escape through it. I moved so the reactor's light could land on it. Through the deep gashes, I made out the name Z-ONE.

Violet shone from the adjacent corner. I approached the third grave. A new Dark Signer glyph glowed on the rock. A bird in upwards flight surrounded the name Rex Godwin. Ugh. He was the last person I wanted to be reminded of.

The final corner was the one the wall blocked me from approaching in the first place. A man with long, blond locks was seated upon a tall tombstone. His white lab coat touched the grimy floor; the coat's hem was blackened.

I approached him. He raised a pistol and aimed the barrel between my eyes. When he spoke, smoke escaped his mouth. "Not another step, Orichalcum. Hands up."

I paused and exhaled through my nostrils. My arms lifted so my bare palms faced him. He clenched a cigar between his teeth, and the molten end threw a red sheen onto his face. I said, "Who are you? What is this place?"

Holding the cigar between his first two fingers, he blew smoke towards the ceiling. He watched the spin of the reactor. "You're playing dumb. What, you don't recognize the project leads on the world's first Ener-D reactor?"

"No, of course I-" My mouth snapped shut. My brows knit, and I stared at my dirty feet. "Yusei's father. The first grave was his dad…"

The scientist pinned me with a stare. He took a deep drag of the cigar and let the smoke swirl in his lungs. He clenched his teeth and huffed, allowing it to escape the edges of his lips like an angered dragon. "I see. The two of you are not the same. I'll fill you in. There were four of us – four to blame. Fudo, Z-ONE, and the Godwin brothers."

"Brothers?" I cast a glance towards Rex's tombstone. "Then, you're-"

"Roman Godwin." He stuck the cigar back in his mouth and straightened his posture upon his grave. "Rain Orichalcum. I'm responsible for freeing you. It was a mistake."

I raised my chin. "I'll make it right for the both of us."

"Doubtful," he said. "Zero Reverse is impossible to correct. Years and years of culture lost and prejudice built… Orichalcum! Tell me how you did it. How did you survive Zero Reverse?"

The way he inched the pistol forward implied it was a very, very important question. I said, "Shining Nova."

"Elaborate."

"I'm half-Duel Monster, and monsters have abilities. The monster I share souls with used his Shining Nova ability, which grants wishes at cost. I was saved from dying but lost my memories and however many years I was left unconscious."

Smoke exhaled through his mouth. The cigar's end burned brighter. Roman's silvery blue eyes matched Rex's, I noticed. His skin was dark where Rex's was pale, though.

"Am I supposed to believe a monster can change their mind like the flip of a switch? Do you have the same sentience and morality we humans do? Is this a sick game you're playing, Orichalcum? I don't believe 'the power of love' or 'the power of friendship' could change you. I don't believe I should let you leave this place."

Panic clouded my thoughts. This guy wouldn't lift a finger for me. Begging wouldn't do anything, so I said, "I'm not the one who matters! You can't keep the Crimson Dragon locked away. The Signers need him!"

"You'll turn your back on them all," he said, "like you did to your own family."

I frowned. "They weren't like a family. Except my brother."

"Doesn't matter." He brushed ashes off his lab coat. "You're supposed to hold the highest respect for your family. The betrayal you made is unforgiveable."

"Same to you," I said, "for robbing every kid in the Satellite of their families."

He grimaced. "Uru only reached me because of you. I was meant to be a Signer. I should be alive, and he should, too. He should…"

Roman coughed. He rubbed at his mouth and his hand came away stained by a dark liquid. He threw a wistful stare towards the decrepit ceiling. I said, "W-what's wrong?"

He straightened his arm holding the pistol. "Pretending to care doesn't earn any points."

My upper lip curled back over a fang. This dead sack of rotting flesh would not hold me here. I promised I would live, and I didn't break promises. I spat, "A wicked god manipulated you and preyed upon your doubts. That's not my fault. I'm not accepting your blame for the event you clearly have a lot of guilt over. Pushing it onto me isn't gonna fix your problem. Keeping me here won't, either. What're you hoping to accomplish?"

His mouth opened. Closed. "The last Dark Signer."

"Last…" I peered back. "It's Godwin? Erm. Rex."

A war waged in Roman's expression. "He was the fifth Signer. I gave him my sign – I cut my goddamned arm off for him. I did it all for him, and he goes and loses on purpose to Uru. He betrayed me. His own flesh and blood. He's a traitor."

Sounded perfectly reasonable for the Rex Godwin I knew, but Roman appeared devastated. I twiddled my thumbs. "Um. Sorry."

The stare he pinned me with showed utter bafflement. "What are you doing?"

I glanced down at myself. Blinked. It was sort of an awkward situation, I guessed, so my raised palms had fallen into a nervous habit. "Uhh. Just. Uh, I don't really know what to say."

"You act like a child!"

I pouted. "I am not! I'm, like, um. Somethingteen. Six? Eight? Somewhere in there. It'd take some math."

I started counting on my fingers. Roman was flabbergasted. "You're meant to be thousands of years old!"

"I was, like, frozen?" I said. "I mean, not actually frozen. There was the crystal you freed me from, which I haven't thanked you for yet. Right. You said it was a mistake. Thanks anyway. I'm glad I've been able to live here even if I don't make it out of here."

"A child," he repeated. He tapped ashes off the cigar. "Good God. That explains your volatility and stupidity. No wonder you took a dark mark from a fling romance."

"E-excuse me?"

"Have you even considered the consequences of being a Dark Signer? Do you believe you'll eliminate the King of the Underworld, and the wicked god attached to your arm will allow you to lead a joyful existence?"

My finger ran along my lavender headband. "I can't know the future, so I'll stick to handling it all moment-by-moment."

"Moment-by-moment," he repeated. Roman crossed his arms, and it was the first time since meeting that the barrel of his gun wasn't aimed at me. "I suppose I can see the Crimson Dragon's angle with choosing children. You are not risk-averse and your beliefs are malleable. That god has strong hope to see the five of you Signers, by the end, all pointing north. What will he do with Rex?"

I gulped. I didn't know what to say, and the Dragon offered no words. Roman Godwin's focus dropped and sharpened upon me. "Orichalcum. You are a Knight. You are bound to oaths and fulfill last wishes."

"Y-yes."

"Defeat Rex Godwin," he said. "Make that promise and you may be freed."

I pressed my fist to the floor and lowered so my bangs brushed the tiles. "On my honor, I swear to defeat the final Dark Signer."

"No matter what he offers?" Roman said. "No matter the mountains he throws at you?"

"No matter."

"A last request."

I lifted my head. Roman gazed at his brother's grave, and the tilt of his eyes was melancholic. "Tell Rex I'm waiting for him."

I stood stick-straight and saluted. "I promise."

A crack formed in the reactor. I spread my stance. Vicious gales tore from the minor break. Roman said, "Orichalcum. I must tell you: one person in this room lives on."

"W-what? Oh. Rex!"

"No," Roman said. "Rex lost to a Dark Signer."

That's right – the fate of those who lost was sealed. I said, "Who-"

"If you meet the final person, say…" The cracks in the reactor lengthened. The tempest raged. I scuttled away so my back flattened against the metal wall, and deathly cold seeped through my shirt. I looked to Roman. His body was charred and features unrecognizable, but his dried lips moved:

"You were too late"

Energy burst outward from the reactor. I screamed as the light consumed me. I landed on a wooden surface. I checked myself for burns or wounds of any kind, but I was left unscathed. Deep breaths allowed me to gather my bearings. Okay. I was okay and free and alive.

I sat on the edge of the Daedalus Bridge, the unfinished structure in the Satellite reaching towards New Domino City. My pose slacked. Gee, it was relaxing to finally not be held at gunpoint. Who would have guessed? I said, "What's happening now?"

The Stairway to the Dragon Star has risen again, along with the Condor, the Crimson Dragon said. Across the ocean, the ancient temple pierced the dark sky where Rex Godwin's mansion once stood. A fuchsia glyph displaying a bird in upwards flight shone upon the Stairway's face.

"Ah, boy. It's always something in this world, isn't it?"

There you may correct Rex's mistake. Once he has fallen, you may battle the King of the Underworld to correct your own mistake.

The murky beast trudged through the water separating the Satellite from the City. I wound a strand of hair around my finger. "Um, I'm sorry I let you down."

I do not expect you to be perfect, young dragon. You will make it right. The King will be vulnerable once the one beckoning him is gone. You may slay him then as you have the Earthbound Immortals.

"One last Dark Signer, huh. No big deal. The Condor, then?"

Correct.

Waves crashed below me. "How can I cross an ocean?"

I have wings.

"Righty-o. What if I need my runner?"

You will not.

"Mkay. You're the big red boss!" The Dragon swept me up and flew close to the black water. Waves parted in the wake of his flight, and mist sprayed me. The Dragon dropped me off at the same spot I'd contemplated giving up weeks earlier. "I'd say things are different, but Kalin just saved me. Again. What a stellar partner."

The Dragon set his paws on the wall separating me from the ocean. He tried to kill you hours ago.

"I'm sure you'll warm up to him." He grunted and disappeared, his essence dissolving into my soul. I heard gasps around me. The people of New Domino City pointed and whispered. They held up odd devices with small, black dots like eyes on the back of them.

I pushed past them, my knight's cape flapping behind me, and strolled towards the mansion. Most citizens were in awe of the Stairway. One particular vendor caught my eye amidst the madness. "End of the world special!"

"That's an interesting business tactic," I said.

"Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment." I paused before moving on. "I'll take one."

He served me, and I continued my first walk through New Domino City as a free woman. Whatever it was he gave me was cold and sweet, a wonderful combination I had never considered before.

Rex Godwin's wrought-iron gates were locked shut. The little clown man – Lazar, I recalled – hollered at the gathered, panicked crowd. I shoved through them and managed to keep my treat safe from harm. Lazar broke off his speech and stared at me. "The fugitive? What are you doing here?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "World to save again. You missed some crazy stuff in the Satellite. Insane drama, like the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon in love with a Dark Signer, a Signer losing her marbles and nearly her life, and this wacky ape man trying to destroy his own world. Which made literally no sense. I mean, everything interesting happened over there. Why're you here?"

He blinked several times. "You can't go in, if that's what you want!"

The edge of my blade kissed his throat in an instant. "You are but a means to an end. Open it, or I'll kill you and do it myself."

He fumbled with something in his pocket. The gates opened. I sheathed my sword while Lazar loosed a meek, high-pitched whine from the depths of his throat.

A corner of my mouth lifted as I recalled the last time we'd met. Who was the vermin now?

The mansion entrance shut behind me, and I took another bite of my treat. I strutted forward and, seeing a sparkling fountain at the Stairway's base, sat to where I faced Rex Godwin's pedestal.

Everyone from the crater was gathered ahead of me: Trudge, Mina, Crow, Leo, Kalin, Luna, Yusei, Aki, and Jack. The Signers' marks tossed their signature glow across the stone around us like carelessly thrown crimson paint.

A voice from the top of the monument boomed, "With the powers of the Crimson Dragon and Earthbound Immortals combined, I will ascend as a deity!"

Rex Godwin's eyes bore the black trademark of a Dark Signer. His dark sign – the same bird in flight from the Stairway and the grave – shone on his back instead of his forearm.

On that arm shone the first mark of the Crimson Dragon, the head. He looked significantly different from before, namely his shirt ripped off to reveal bulging muscles and purple lines along his body. His skin was darker now to match Roman's tone. "I will destroy this world and create it anew!"

"Godwin!" Yusei called. The final Dark Signer paid him no attention, laughing as the Stairway rumbled. The monument clawed its way higher and higher, and its force pushed the Signers back.

I crossed my legs at the knee and took another bite. "You could have just told me he was the fifth Signer. Why do you have to be so damn cryptic?"

The Crimson Dragon said, You never asked.

"Ugh. Worst companion ever. I have to do all the heavy lifting."

I feel the need to remind you I am the only force keeping you conscious at the moment.

A smile played at my lips as I took another bite. "Relaaax. Just a joke, friend."

"Rain?" Kalin must have heard our argument; he turned away from the others and ran to me. His stare rolled over me. "You're okay! You made it! You… stopped for ice cream?"

"Oh, is that what it's called?" I observed the spun soft serve. "It's pretty good. Want to share?"

His focus darted between my leisurely form and the rising Stairway. He burst out laughing and sat beside me. I noticed the crystal blue flower in his grasp. "If it's really your first time having it, you should keep it all to yourself."

Godwin's voice boomed from his spot among the clouds. "Now the ritual begins! I must defeat and sacrifice the Signers to the King of the Underworld for the world to be recreated!"

"What's in it, anyway?" I asked.

"It's, like, milk, ice, and sugar."

Godwin shouted, "I can sense your sunken hopes at the sight of my combined power! You'll never overcome…"

"What? It can't be! I hate milk."

"How can you hate milk? You're so weird."

"I am not above sacrificing this delicious treat for the sake of shoving it in your face, Kalin."

"Excuse me!" Godwin exclaimed. "Stop interrupting my speech!"

"Well, sor-ry," I muttered. "Didn't know you could hear us from allllll the way up there, Mr. big shot god. You're the one interrupting us, anyways. Work on those manners, would you?"

"Rain! You're still alive!" Yusei said, and the Signers' relief was shared through our bonds. Great. More stunned looks.

In time, you shall become accustomed, the Crimson Dragon said.

"It's not like I was gonna die. Stars above. I literally just made an agreement to do the opposite. Besides, I still have a royal mess to clean up. I'll be kicking this 'god' to the curb and taking a well-earned rest once I slice through the enlarged swamp monster."

"Let's work together," Yusei said. "We'll be stronger if-"

My glare cut him off. "Let this traitor pay her dues."

"We don't see you as a traitor. You're still my teammate!"

"You… are too kind. I hope to one day earn back the honor of being a teammate to you. I hope to one day earn back the right to call you all friends. My road begins here."

Yusei started to speak but Jack dropped a hand on his shoulder. "You know she messed up big time, so let her fix it. I, for one, believe in her to take care of things."

He still seemed forlorn. I held my ice cream out to him. "Would this help? It was an end of the world special."

Yusei accepted it. Mostly out of confusion. Jack asked, "Did you seriously stop to get that?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "This guy is practically a nonissue. All villains are not created equal."

"I'm insulted." Aki's stare had me nervous. "You gave the ice cream to Yusei and not me? After I gave you a speech and everything?"

Yusei offered her the cone. She turned her nose away. From the way she smiled, though, I could tell she was kidding. Leo poked my arm. "Rainrainrain. When you get back, you'll teach me how to use a sword, right? Pleeease?"

My brows lifted. "Shouldn't you be afraid of me with a sword?"

"Pffft, no way! You were creepy for all of, like, two minutes until Kalin made you cry."

My partner said, "Is all you got out of the moment that I made her cry?"

"Uh, duh. It's, like, all you do, dude." Kalin shot Leo a glare, so he sputtered, "I-I mean, I, uh, take it back!"

"You would dare to ignore your new god?" Godwin shouted. "Choose your representatives!"

I stepped towards the Stairway. "Yup, hi, me. The short one. Must be hard to spot from your perch. Oh, I get it! Condor! Perch! Heh, I'm clever."

"You? You aren't even a Signer!"

"Then it's your lucky day! Destiny is totally on your side. Oh, wait. Karma's with me, though. Your brother had me take out an oath to defeat you. You betrayed him and your duty as the fifth Signer."

"I did not betray him. I am becoming a god to create a better world for us!"

"A world decided by one person is a living hell," I said. "Are you going to make me look up there the whole time? I mean, I know you're a pain in the neck, but this is a little too-"

A tempest screamed around me. Wind scattered, and I stood atop the symbol of the Condor in the sky. The glyph had tilted and shrank to the size of an ordinary duel field. The beak ended at Godwin's sacrificial altar.

Godwin said, "If you accept this duel, child, you are placing each of the Signers' lives on the line. Losing means they are all offered unto the King of the Underworld!"

"I hope that includes you." I scowled. This was exactly what I was trying to avoid. If I showed him that I was the Vessel of the Crimson Dragon, I could offer myself instead.

No, young dragon! He cannot know yet. If he does, you lose your advantage!

I didn't need any advantage.

Set aside your ego for one moment. This 'god' has the strongest Earthbound Immortal of them all and a Signer Dragon to go with it.

"Do it, Rain!" Jack called from below. "I know you won't lose!"

Jack…

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Aki agreed.

"I believe in you 'till the end!" Luna hollered.

"This is it, Rain," Yusei yelled. He pointed to the sky. "All of our belief is with you! You've got this!"

Their marks burned bright with my sheer determination and with my love for them. I spared a glance at my partner. He stood with his arms crossed and a knowing smile. I almost laughed. He didn't need to say anything, and he knew it.

A grin slashed my face. Oi, friend. In our first face-to-face conversation, remember what you signed off with? 'Cause I've never forgotten.

I do, but you have surpassed me in delivery. Would you say it again?

I put space between my feet, and my duel disk sliced open. I pointed at my opponent and shouted, "Blaze on!"

And the duel field between me and the excuse for a god scorched the sky.

End of Chapter Twenty-Six

A/N: i've had a few separate people check with me just to make sure the ice cream part was still in and, well, how could I remove it? Just hearing a part of the story was so important to you, I... T-T

y'all the best readers I coulda asked for. I LLOVE YOU GUYS (˚▽˚)