Chapter 8
A Confession
Hiraki only had one thing in mind; running. He had just learned the location where Kyle and Serena were and knew they needed help. His stamina was beginning to diminish, as he had already run several blocks, not to mention crossed the bridge in order to be in the suburbs. He thought of the environment a nothing too out of the ordinary per se. It consisted mainly of similar houses with gardens, garages and all the stuff regular houses in suburbs had, only these ones looked more devastated than anything he had ever seen. Everything just looked...horrible.
Hiraki's stamina was running out, so he decided to take a break near a stop sign and sat down on the sidewalk, panting heavily."Man, I sure ran a lot." He recalled the number of streets he ran."I'm somewhat close now...just got to turn to the right and I'll be there I guess." He closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to clear his mind.'What am i doing? Is this really a good idea...coming here by myself...? What would Serena do right now?' He shook his head rapidly.'Now's not the time to think like this, I have to go' He stood up just in time that an explosion went off."What the hell?!" He yelled in surprised. A cloud of smoke began to rise up from a few streets ahead of him. "Fuck! I have to go now!" Hiraki began sprinting to where the explosion had originated from.
After running several blocks, Hiraki had finally reached Central glanced around at the new environment, noticing that it was basically a regular park where kids would often go to to play."Is everything here destroyed? How awful..." While looking around, Hiraki noticed movement near the picnic area, just under a tree.
"Kyle!" Hiraki immediately ran after his friend. He got a closer look at him, realizing how badly wounded he was."Thank goodness you're alive..." He smiled in relief.
Kyle slowly began opening his eyes."Hi...Hiraki?" He mumbled. Hiraki got a hold of his hands.
"Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here!" Hiraki reassured him but the only response he got was Kyle shaking his dead.
Kyle did his best to stay conscious while signaling Hiraki to get closer."I'm alright...I'm the least of your concerns right now..." He closed his eyes.
Hiraki shook his head."What do you mean?"
Kyle bit bis lower lip as a few tears began falling down his face."I lost as soon as the duel started...I got one turn killed." He sobbed and turned to face Hiraki."I let her down! I left her by herself! I couldn't do anything!"
"You mean that..." Hiraki's eyes widened at the realization.
Kyle just whimpered."Serena is out there dueling those creeps by herself..." He stuck out his hand trying to reach Hiraki's face."Please...save her...those guys are dangerous and I'm afraid it might be too late..." He finally wasted his last bit of energy and passed out.
Hiraki put Kyle's hands on his belly."Just rest for a while. I'm sure your brother must on his way right now. Thank you, for being with Serena and for doing your best keeping her safe." With that, he stood up and went out to find out Serena's whereabouts.
Cat Dancer was sent flying across the street after being blasted by an energy blast.
Serena LP: 0
Winners: Lucas and Jarid
As the crossover field disappeared, Serena dropped to her knees, grabbing her right shoulder.
Both brothers were coming closer to Serena with malicious smiles on their faces."Well, that was rather quick. No need to worry though, pumpkin, we intend to enjoy our time with you as much as we please." Jarid offered her his hand but she slapped it away."Oh? You still have energy to resist?"
"Why...would I obey your commands...?!" She spat at them but nonetheless couldn't manage to get the strength to get up."I refuse to be taken back to Academia...just card me already."
Lucas knelt down next to her and placed his hand under her chin."Are you sure that's the best thing to do right now?" Serena opened her mouth to say something but refused to do so."Do you not care what Hiraki has to say in all of this?" Serena's eyes widened at hearing Hiraki's name. Lucas's look softened after noticing her reaction and got even closer to her face."Wouldn't you think it's better if you offer us an apology and become more obedient? For Hiraki's sake. Not to mention we didn't card that other kid just for you."
Serena's glared intensified with rage."You bastards...ke-keep Hiraki out of this..."
"I'm afraid you can't decide that on your own anymore." He looked at her sheepishly."Though, you might be able to keep us from getting to him if you cooperate a bit." He grabbed her by her shirt and forced her to stand up."All you have to do is..."he moved closer to hear right her. "make us "happy". Isn't that just a sweet deal?"
Serena stared at him with all the rage she could muster but eventually lowered her head."I...understand..."
"Good girl." Lucas looked over his shoulder to see Jarid rubbing his hands with anxiety."Grab her legs, even though she's weak right now doesn't mean she won't try to squirm."
Jarid stuck his tongue out like a dog and literally dashed over to the scene."I always dreamed of touching your soft legs! I'm such a fan!" He said in joy as he grabbed firmly both of Serena's legs.
"Calm down a bit, she won't go anywhere." Lucas fixed his gaze at her jacket."Why don't you take this off? The weather here is as hot as hell." He brazenly forced Serena's jacket off and stared like a hungry vulture at her figured."You have a nice body, you know that? No wonder that Secondary Union kid likes you so much. This is deluxe!" He sniffed her and forced her closer to him."For starters, how about I steal your first kiss?"
Serena closed her eyes as Lucas drew dangerously close to her lips. But at that moment-"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Aaah!" Jarid looked startled.
"Huh?" Lucas stopped from getting any closer to Serena and looked as Hiraki was just a few meters away from them, panting.
"What do you think you're doing to her?!" He yelled while clenching his fist.
"Well look who it is! We've been waiting for you to show up, Hiraki-kun!" Lucas said with a satisfied grin on his face.
"Talk about lucky. Things just keep looking good for us, am I right?" Jarid turned to his brother.
Hiraki's body tensed up and began shaking."You are..."
-Flashback-
A young Serena was sitting on top of Hiraki as he was doing push-ups outside of the Secondary Union's playground.
"Alright, that's enough for today." Hiraki collapsed, sweat running down his face after his long workout routine."Will you live?"
Serena got off of Hiraki and waited patiently for him to get up on his own."Yeah...it's just that my arms are sore."
"That's good." She handed him a towel.
Hiraki grabbed it and put the towel around his neck."What? The fact that it hurts? You meanie..."
Serena punched him hard in the shoulder, making him yelped in pain."You fool, that's not what I meant."
"Th-the-then what did you mean?!" Hiraki held back his tears.
She simply sighed in exasperation."Look, what I intended to say was that you're not whining anymore like before. It would seem you're growing tougher as you keep on training." She gave a satisfied smile."As your teacher, I find this to be a very pleasant experience, don't you agree?"
"Yo-you really think so?!" Hiraki'si eyes sparkled with happiness and got really close to Serena.
"What the hell are you doing, idiot!?" She pushed him away, a blush on her face."Anyways, moving on." With a goodbye gesture, she began making her way back to Academia's main school."Keep up the good work, Hiraki! I expect to see you ready for more training tomorrow!"
Meanwhile, Hiraki brushed off the dust off his pants, waving his hand in the air."Take care! And yeah! You can count on it!"
The sun was beginning to set. Hiraki thought it was a good idea to call it a day and get some rest so he could continue to do his best on his training with Serena. Once he was close to the dormitories, a pair of hands grabbed him by his mouth and his belly, pulling him away as he struggled to break free. The captor dragged him to the back of the boys' dormitories, shoving him against the wall.
"Well, hello Hiraki. Fancy seeing you here." The voice of a young man spoke.
It took Hiraki a moment to recuperate from the shock."Wait..you're..."
"That's correct, Hiraki-kun." Hiraki turned to see the man who had forcefully drove him away from the other students."It's me; Lucas, and my brother; Jarid. We just came to say hello as always."
"Enough with your crap! You're no better than those bullies! Hell, you're just like Yuri!" Hiraki snapped, making the twins chuckled.
Jarid kicked Hiraki's right leg, provoking him to fall down on his knees."Listen to yourself, acting all high and mighty now! I wonder what could have given such emotional boost."
Lucas's grabbed his brother's shoulder gently."It is quite fine, Jarid. I don't mind Hiraki to become more independent. It makes him even a funnier target to aim for."Hiraki attempted to get up only to find Lucas's hand grabbing him by the neck."Though, I see you're standards are quite high for someone such as yourself."
"You were looking at the Professor's favorite girl. Serena-chan, wasn't it? She looks so pretty!" Jarid exclaimed as he climbed on top of a dumpster.
"You guys...leave her alone!" Hiraki growled in rage, much to Lucas's disgust who kneed him in the stomach."Ugh!"
"Don't forget your place, trash. You're just a Secondary Union student yet you're hanging out with a talented girl such as Serena. You really are greedy, you know that?!" With a swift kick in the gut, Lucas knocked Hiraki onto the floor, blood coming out of his mouth."Though, this is perfect. Yes...it is."
"We've been looking for a perfect babe like her to finally show up! And to make our odds more favorable for us, she happens to be your little crush!" Jarid jumped from the dumpster to land on top of Hiraki's chest, causing him to yelled in agony.
"Please excuse my brother's behavior. He's just excited we have the access to a top notch girl like Serena all thanks to you. Though I think it'd be better once she grows up a bit. I mean, we're still underage and all." Lucas put his hands inside his pockets."You're welcome to be friends with her and all, hell, fall in love for all I care." He crouched down, headbutting Hiraki with tremendous force, cracking his head open. Blood streamed down Hiraki's face, some of Lucas's white jacket."However..." He grinned savagely."You won't be able to have the first taste of her virgin body, that much is clear." He turned to his brother and signaled him to get ready to leave."We'll be leaving then, hopefully you don't try anything 't worry, we'll be keeping an eye out for little Serena whenever you're getting your ass beat like this. Goodbye then."
-Flashback Ends-
"You...guys are here...?" Hiraki gasped in fear. Jarid eased his grip on Serena's thighs and proceeded to stand on his brother's side.
Lucas simply smiled back at Hiraki."It's been quite a while Hiraki-kun. I take it you've been well? Your beloved Serena was just here having a nice talk with us and said she wanted to let us enjoy her assets for a bit." He got a hold of one of Serena's breast, making her shriek.
"You bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing to her?!" Hiraki shouted in pure rage, gritting his teeth.
Jarid shrugged with a smug on his face."We caught her along with some kid a while back. We left the kid half-dead in the park. We were going to card him but she volunteered herself to duel the both of us! Now that she lost, she must pay up with her body..." He finished explaining.
"That aside, we are quite surprised to see you here so soon. We learned of your betrayal but I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to think your little group was enough to be able to stand a chance against Academia." He said while groping Serena's breast."Seriously though, how retarded can you be? Who in their right mind would dare to challenge Academia while being as weak and pathetic as you are? However, I must give you some credit for making it this far in your little adventure and keeping Serena in once piece! Or should I just say she's the one who has been keeping you alive, eh?" He chuckled."I also see you've been keeping her fresh just like we told you." He said while smelling around Serena's neck.
"Stop it!" Hiraki yelled, catching his attention."Get your dirty hands off of her!"
"What was that?! You fucker!" Jarid yelled back with a menacing snarl.
Lucas's hand went to Serena's butt, ignoring Hiraki's demands."Or what? What can trash like you do? Eh?"
Inside of Hiraki's mind, Kumai was enjoying a nice nap. He felt something uncomfortable and woke up right on the spot."What's with all ruckus?" He squinted his eyes to clear his view. Once he opened them completely, he watched as particles from his body were leaving to the outside of the body at a rapid rate."It seems that...my powers are being forced out of me?" He raised his head, glancing at what was going out outside."Hehe, you really are an interesting one, aren't you?...Hiraki..."
"Hiraki..." Serena's eyes were giving up on her and her energy was about to run out. She couldn't do much but to observe as a dark aura was beginning to surround Hiraki's body.
Lucas touched Serena's cheek with his face, taunting Hiraki."I can't wait until I take her first time...it will be so lovely. With this incredible body of hers, I'll never grow tire of her."
"You...have to leave..." Serena's voice came out as a whispered. Lucas licked her face from her chin up to her temple, leaving a trail of his saliva on her face. Serena closed her eyes, a tear falling down her face.
"I SAID STOOOOOOP!" Hiraki screamed, his dark aura creating a shock wave that destroyed all the glass around the area.
"The fuck...?" Jarid murmured. He saw in awe as Hiraki dashed at an incredible speed towards Lucas, holding his fist back."Lucas, watch out!"
Lucas tossed Serena aside and put his hand where Hiraki's punch was coming from."Attacking straight forward, huh? This is too easy!" Lucas blocked Hiraki's punch without much effort, but he soon realized that he was slowly getting pushed back by his power.'What the hell?! This can't be possible!' With a powerful swing, Hiraki managed to send Lucas flying.
"Lucas!" Jarid called out to his brother."Damn you, you stupid mo-" Jarid's sentence was cut off by Hiraki, who delivered him a kicked right in his forehead, knocking him back.
Hiraki rushed over to Serena, who was sitting down on the floor."Serena, are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" He put his hand on her back in order to help her sit down.
"Why...are...you here?" Serena's eyes then focused on Hiraki's, which were glowing faintly."Your..eyes..."
Hiraki noticed a shard of glass laying on the ground, next to Serena's hand. He noticed how his eyes were indeed glowing slightly, but shrugged it off."Never mind me. We have to get you and Kyle out of here. I'm sure Kurono will arrive shortly with reinforcements."
"Is...Kyle...?"
"He's just out cold and safe so don't worry about him for the moment."
"Hiraki... I'm-"
"You have gotten stronger, Hiraki-kun."
Hiraki gasped in shock and looked over his shoulder to see Lucas in the distance, brushing off the dust from his suit."Damn it!"
Jarid appeared next to his brother, covering his forehead with blood on his hands."How dare you hit us like that?!"
Hiraki put Serena down on the ground gently."Wait...don't..."
"I know that wasn't going to affect you guys." Serena's voice did not reach Hiraki's ears. "What do you guys want anyways? Take Serena back to Academia? Is that it? You think I'll let you do that?!"
"Just get closer and don't make us go over there. You won't like it, I assure you." Lucas beckoned him with his index finger. Hiraki looked at the ground for a moment and then focused on Serena."If you come over here, we won't do anything to her...yet."
"Alright." Hiraki took a couple of steps forward. Lightning could be seen up in the sky, letting a loud thunder roar.
"Right there is fine." Jarid said, making Hiraki stop in his tracks just a couple of meters away from them.
"Don't you dare...touch Serena ever again..." Hiraki muttered as he grit his teeth.
"We have a special condition for that. It is in your best interest if you hear us out." Lucas folded his arms.
"A special condition?" Hiraki echoed.
"That's right. We're gonna duel." Jarid said
Hiraki scoffed at his request."I knew it would come down to this. Alright, let's duel!"
"Hold your horses." Lucas interjected."We have arranged a special location in which we can duel freely. Call making this more...intimate."
Hiraki gave a deadpanned look and swung his right hand around."I don't swing that way."
Jarid's face turned deep red and elbowed his brother in the gut."Oh, pardon me." He coughed awkwardly."What i meant to say was that I'd like us to duel in another place where no one would be able to butt in."
Hiraki raised an eyebrow."Why would I do that?"
"Because, kid. If we duel right here, your beloved Serena would just be in the way. When we beat you, it'll be easy for us to just take her way." He then raised a finger."But, if you do as we say and come with us to duel more privately, then she'll have the chance of escaping. Hell, we'll let you call in for reinforcements so she can be safe."
"But why would you just propose all of this to us? What are you planning?"
"Truth be told, we're not here for her. Well, we are but that's just a personal matter." Jarid added with a sinister smile.
"We're here for you kid. We just want to break your hope and see reality as it is." He took a key out of his pocket and handed it to Jarid."Go turn on the engine."
"For me? What are you talking about? Didn't the Proffeso-"
"You're a traitor, remember?" Lucas waved a finger."You must pay the consequences for taking Serena away from the Professor." His expression changed into a serious one."So, what's it gonna be? Are you going to comply and come with us? Or shall we eliminate you right now and take Serena right away? Your call."
Hiraki didn't know what to do. He looked at his hands, asking himself what would be the best option.'I...Can I really do it?' He glanced at Serena for a moment, remembering that Kyle said she took them both on in order to keep him from danger."Sorry..." He was about to take a step forward, but a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.
"Don't go...they'll kill you...!" Serena tightened her grip."I..."
"Aw, isn't that just cute? She doesn't want to let go of you." Lucas remarked."Say, we'll be waiting in our car which is parked around the corner. You have enough time to say goodbye and what not." With that, Lucas took off to where his brother was.
Hiraki put his hands on Serena's."It's the only way to keep you and Kyle safe. Please...understand."
"You idiot!" She buried her face on his back."You don't stand a chance! Will you just listen to me?!" She yelled in frustration."Aren't you aware that these guys are no like the Obelisk Force? They'll..."
Hiraki chuckled and gently removed Serena's hands from his body. He turned around and crouched down in front of her, pressing her hands against his own."You know, I've been wanting to tell you something for a long time now. I think it's about time I tell you how I really feel."
Serena's expression changed from concerned to puzzled."What are you talking about?"
"I love you." He said casually.
"Huh?" She gasped."L-love?"
-Flashback-
2 months ago, Serena was sitting down on a bench outside of Academia's main campus. She was startled for a moment, noticing that a girl had sat down next to her.
"Hello there!" The cheerful girl greeted."Serena-chan, correct?"
Serena didn't pay much attention to her but replied."Just Serena is fine. You're one of the elite students, right? Seiko Akusa."
"Bingo!" She gave a thumbs up before sighing."God damn it, today just cannot get any worse."
"What are you talking about?" Serena asked.
Seiki crossed her legs."You know Hiraki, don't you? Well, I've been interested in him for a while but he won't notice me at all!"
"Hiraki?" Serena's curiosity was piqued."What? Do you want to duel him or something?"
"Not that you dummy.I'm attracted to him! I love him but he won't love me back...because he loves you."
Serena cocked her head."Love? What's the meaning of that word?"
"Wait, you actually don't know?" Seiko asked in an incredulous tone, earning a nod from Serena."Huff. Looks like you don't do much besides dueling...Anyway, I don't mind explaining you the basics of what love means!" She got closer to Serena, wrapping an arm around her.
"What are you doing?"
"Shut up! I'm trying to get emotional, damn it!" Seiko then dragged her closer."Have you ever had a feeling inside of your chest? Like your heart starts beating really really fast whenever you're around someone you like? Maybe around Hiraki?" She said teasingly.
"So that's what it was? I thought I had a disease or something." Serena replied with a relaxed tone.
Seiko laughed at her response."Gosh, you are like so lost on this topic. But yeah, when a guy tries his best to impress a girl it means that he likes her. Doesn't Hiraki try to act all tough when you're close to him?"
"Now that you mention it, he does act strangely at times." Serena put her thumb under her chin."But what should I do? What should my reaction be?"
"Honestly...I can't tell you how to interpret love. Every human being goes on about it differently. Best you can do is practice a bit; watch movies, read books, etc."
"Why are you trying to help me?"
"Well..."Seiko closed her eyes."Hiraki will never be attracted to me. He loves you instead. So, you better make you treasure him. A guy like him is a rare sight these days after all." She took a look at her clock on her Duel Disk and got up."I must be going now, dear. I have to get my nails done in about 3 minutes. Well, remember what I told you!" Seiko waved goodbye to Serena, leaving her thinking of her suggestions.
-Flashback ends-
'Seiko was...right. He does feel like that.' Serena could feel her heart beating faster and her face burning bright red."But...why?"
Hiraki's blush intensifies."Well, you're cute and pretty and beautiful and dependable and smart and funny." He counted with his fingers."But mainly, because you were the first one to ever wanted to talk to me when I enrolled at Academia. Frankly, I felt lost."
"Huh?"
"I don't remember much of my past as I have mentioned before. I don't remember who my parents were or even what my childhood was like. That's why I felt so close to you because you're almost the same as me. You didn't know who your parents were, right?"
Serena shook her head slowly."No...I did not." Hiraki frowned, looking near Serena's cheek."What's wrong?"
With a delicate move, he wiped off a single tear that was coming down from Serena's eye."Just a little something." He then placed his full hand on the side of her felt she was getting close to losing consciousness due to the fatigue."Serena..."
"I'm fine...I'm just...exhausted." She drawled with dizziness in her voice.
"Say, after all of this is over, I'd like you to meet my mother, Ms. Sotari. I promised her that I would introduce you to her soon enough. Believe me, when I tell you, she's excited to meet you in person." Hiraki chuckled."Well...I better get going then."
"Hiraki-kun!" Serena used the remaining strength she had left to hug Hiraki around his neck."Please...come back to me...alive..." Her last words came out as a whisper, but Hiraki understood them perfectly. He put Serena on the ground and took out the radio from his pocket. He then pressed the "emergency" button, which according to the General, should be used in critical conditions in order to call for backup."Goodbye...Serena." He kissed her forehead and put the radio in between her hands. Before leaving, he took out the Polymerization card with a picture of them they took before coming to Ritual and placed it next to her head. With determination in his mind, Hiraki went out to look for the brothers. He didn't get too far. The twins had kept their promise and were waiting inside a cop car.
Lucas noticed Hiraki approaching from the rear view mirror and stuck his head outside."Get in the back. Starting from now, you're an inmate!"
Hiraki glared at Lucas with hatred, his eyes glowing slightly. He approached the car and opened the back seat. He noticed that the interior wasn't anything out of the ordinary for a cop car."So what's your plan?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
Lucas and Jarid looked at each other for a second before bursting out in pure laughter."What's so funny?!" Hiraki put his hands against the rear partition of the vehicle.
"You know, you can't get out of the backseat from the inside. We could just leave you for dead here and get Serena for ourselves." Jarid stated with a matter-of-fact-tone, pissing Hiraki even more.
"However, there's no point in doing all of that. It'll be boring." Lucas pressed on the accelerator."Buckle up, the journey is kinda long but I'm sure you'll manage to bare with us."
Hiraki rested his head on his hand as he looked out the window, worrying over Kyle's and Serena's safety."My, you really are doing this, aren't you?"
'Kumai?' Out of nowhere, Hiraki found himself inside his mind with Kumai."What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that." Kumai pointed accusingly at him."Not only did you woke me up from a good ass nap, but you also didn't kiss Serena."
"S-shut up, it was too sudden!"
Kumai sat down with his arms crossed."However, I cannot believe you did something so foolish such as accepting this guys' challenge." He let himself lay down on the floor and put his hands behind his head."Do you not know? Not even Kyle and Serena were able to defeat these foes. So how you plan on taking both of them on by yourself? Serena had a better chance of beating them than you."
Hiraki rolled his eyes."Talk about some nice words of inspiration."He huffed in annoyance."Still, this is something I must do. Think about it as a test."
Kumai shook his head slowly."I wonder why you haven't told them anything."
Hiraki frowned at his sudden statement."What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that you've been keeping quiet. Even to Serena, whom you trust the most." Kumai replied as he began to float in place."You never confessed that you knew about the existence of other girls and boys who look like Serena and Yuri." He counted with his fingers, the tone of his voice sounding as sarcastic as possible."You never told Serena about these two fucks. Also, you never told them about what the Professor offered to you." He sighed aloud."Say, isn't it already past due? We could have gone and accepte-"
"Today is the last day." Hiraki interrupted him."I have no intention of accepting that man's offer. Besides, it's already kinda late to be thinking about that."
"Well, it's your caaaall" Kumai sang."I'm not against it, a boost in strength would've made you strong enough to beat these guys without much of an issue."
"Maybe so. But I have you after all." Hiraki smiled both in his mind and in reality."That reminds me, how are you able make me stronger?"
"That question again? I told you already, I can convert fear into power."
"That's not how it works. Then everyone would be able to do the same thing!" Hiraki argued back."What are you?"
Kumai bit his nails nervously."You are special, Hiraki."
"How? How am I special?"
"Well, you were lucky enough to have a partner like me!"
"But what are you then?"
"I'm your guardian angel." Kumai giggled."Just kidding, I do not know what I am. Guess we're in the same boat when it comes to knowing our true purpose in life."
"I see..." Hiraki's expression, in reality, changed into a sad one."Well, we don't have to suffer by ourselves. Let's keep doing our very best as partners. So what do you say, Kumai. Are you in?" Hiraki offered a bump fist, which Kumai returned happily.
"Hell yeah! These morons won't stand a chance against our power!" They both laughed together."You have a girl waiting for you to return, so you better give it you all you've got, you bastard.
With that, Hiraki opened his eyes to find himself back in felt more confident than ever thanks to Kumai's support."Yeah. No worries, I've got this!"
-Yu-Gi-Oh-
"Open the gates!" The General commanded, earning a salute from the people next to the gates. As the gate opened, a car came in and slowly it stopped.
Once the car stopped, all the doors that were hanging opened collapsed to the ground.A couple of guards rushed towards the driver's seat but stopped, noticing that Kurono had gotten out of the car on his own. Blood dripped from his wound, the shard of glass was already tainted crimson red."General!"
The General practically ran over to Kurono's side and let him lean on him for support."What happened, Kurono?!"
Kurono signaled with his head over to the interior of the car."Maria...me and Hiraki found her." Kurono's eyes widened and his mouth opened wide."Hiraki and Kyle...they're both in danger, General!"
"What?!" The General yelled out in surprised."Tell me, what happened over there?!"
Akaba Reiji and Tsukikage arrived at the scene, puzzled looks on their faces at seeing the amount of blood that was coming out of Kurono's arm."Those injuries could be lethal. We must take action now!" Tsukikage said, earning a nod from Reiji.
"Hiraki went to help Serena and Kyle...!" Kurono suddenly spoke again, his face covered in sweat."Forget about me and send reinforcements over to the suburbs!"
The General turned to face the rest of his soldiers."You heard him! Send over as many men as possible over to the suburbs!"
"General! We've got urgent news!" One cried out.
"What is it now?!" The General sounded as if anger was taken over him.
"T-t-there's a ton of them coming! A TON! Maybe dozens of them!" He shrieked in realizing this, the men closed the gate as fast as they could.
"Darn it all!" The General turned to a few men standing near him."Take all the citizens to the underground shelter immediately!"
"Yes, sir!" They said in unison and took off running.
Reiji stood beside the General and pushed his glasses further up his nose."Looks like we're going to have to force our way through them if we want to save our comrades. I'll let my men know what to do once they are finished with their opponents."
"Thank you, Reiji-kun." The General and Reiji exchanged nods."Take Kurono and Maria to the Medical Facility and treat their injuries! I want a squad taking the civilians to the underground shelter and the rest will stay to protect this place. Are you with me?!"
"Sir, yes sir!" Everyone cried out before letting out a battle cry as they activated their Duel Disks. The gate opened once more, revealing an army of cars coming their way.
"Tsukikage, make sure to take Reira to the underground shelter. I will contact the others to let them know of the situation at hand." Tsukikage nodded, taking his leave. Reiji took out a radio and put it in the right frequency."Everyone, this is Akaba Reiji speaking. I'd like to know whether you're available right now or currently in a duel. This of utmost important, due to the fact that Serena and Hiraki are i-"
"There's no time for that over here." Kurosaki cut off Reiji."My partner has been carded and I'm dueling 8 people. There are more coming this way as we speak."
"I'd love to help in any way I can, leader-sama. But me and Gon-chan have our hands tied behind our backs." Dennis said.
"I've got 10 over here! But no need to worry, these peasants are nothing compa-"
"What happened to Serena and Hiraki?!" Yuya interrupted, causing Sawatari to cursed at him.
"Apparently, Serena and Kyle have lost a duel and are being aided by Hiraki at the suburbs area. Kurono is injured, so Hiraki is most likely dueling by himself."
"Me and Saki are just about done, just a few more and we'll be finished."
"Perfect. Then I'll leave Hiraki and Serena to you, Yuya." With that, Reiji turned off his radio and rubbed his chin."This cannot be a mere coincidence. It's as if they are attacking simultaneously in order to keep us separated from the others." The sound of an explosion made Reiji come back to his senses, remembering the war going on outside of the base."In any case, dealing with this first is our main priority."
-Yu-Gi-Oh-
"We're just about there. Are you excited?" Lucas asked as he accelerated more. They went through a bridge that connected the main city to an island that was farther apart from the rest of civilization. The car stopped, and both brothers got out of it quickly. Lucas opened the door for Hiraki and dragged him out of him roughly, making him land hard on the ground.
Hiraki rubbed his head slowly, feeling a bit of pain on his skull. He glanced around, noticing that there was no forest or any houses nearby. Instead, they were in front of what it seemed to be a chemical plant of some sort."Where are we?" Hiraki wondered aloud, making both twins chuckled as they stood near a giant opened gate.
"This? This is your grave. Like I said before, we've prepared a nice place for you to die at." Lucas cracked his knuckles.
Jarid wiped the remaining blood that was on his forehead with his palm and licked some of it off."Precisely! You should be grateful, we're giving an inmate such as yourself a good place to rest for all eternity."
"D-die?" Hiraki murmured, a chill running down his spine."These guys..."
Kumai manifested on Hiraki's shoulder, hands on his hips."Looks like they were expecting for you to come here." He raised his head and hummed.
"What is it?" Hiraki made eye contact with him.
"You see that tower over there?" Kumai pointed at a tower located at the very top of the building. Its most noticeable feature was a giant antenna on top of it."I bet that place can send a signal to everyone in the city. Our best call is to find a way to get in this plant-looking place, make our way up and get inside that tower."
"So then we can call in for back up...Kumai you're a genius!" Hiraki praised, making Kumai rubbed his finger under his nose.
"You've been awfully quiet. How about you come forward a bit?" Luca's voice made Hiraki faced him instantly. He started walking slowly towards them, clenching his fists with anger. Suddenly, an explosion went off behind Hiraki, setting the car in flames. Hiraki fell down on the floor, startled by the sudden explosion."Like that, huh?"
Hiraki stood up and assumed a running position. He went full speed towards the twins, as these ones got into fighting stances. Hiraki reached for something in his pocket and pulled it out, jumping high in the air."Take this!" He threw a bottle of salt and landed right past them. The twins yelled in pain, trying to whip off the salt out of their eyes. Hiraki sprinted inside of the gate, finding himself surrounded by large buildings of all sorts, houses, maintenance rooms, etc."Holy shit..." Kumai whispered.
"I knew saving that salt from dinner would come in handy...someway or another." Just then, rain started pouring heavily as lighting began to thunder up in the sky.
"Rain...which means..." Kuma started.
"They'll be able to get the salt off more easily. Gotta ru-"
Hiraki heard footsteps coming his way rapidly."Go into that alley over there, near that red door with the shovel on the side." Kumai suggested. With no other option, Hiraki rushed over to the alley, finding a dumpster in which he could hide in. The footsteps grew louder, so he simply went to the side of the dumpster and crouched down. As expected, the twins kept running, passing Hiraki who kept silent the whole time."That was close!"
"Tell me about it, this is about to give me a heart attack." Kumai wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
"I found you!" Lucas ran full speed back to where Hiraki was, making both him and Kumai screamed. He instinctively got on his feet and jumped, dodging Lucas's attempt to grabbing him and used his shoulders as stepping stones in order to jump higher. Hiraki kicked one side of the air to another, jumping from side to side until he managed to get to the rooftop. Jarid came from the size, ready to throw a punch but Hiraki was quick enough to grab his arm and throw him out to the main path again.
"Jump through that window! Quick!" Kumai called out. Hiraki sprinted over to the window that was located on the side of a building next to the one he was on and jumped, breaking the glass as he began falling down.
He grabbed onto a pipe for his took a look at what was under him only to realize this was an abandoned chemical plant indeed, as he was just above a pool of a bubbling green liquid."Oh my goodness..." He gasped."I almost fucking died!"
"Sorry, sorry." Kumai apologized sheepishly."Anyway, get yourself up and let's hurry up. I've noticed that the buildings here are connected to one another. So if we keep aiming for the top, we'll be able to get to the tower and send the signal."
"That's right!" Hiraki pulled himself back up, standing on top of the pipe. He fixed his gaze upon a set of stairs just at the end of the pipe and made a run for it.
-Yu-Gi-Oh-
In the City, Yuzu was giving out speeches about how the dimensions are in danger of a massive invasion. Cody was motivated by her words and even felt connected to her somehow so he decided to help her out as well."This seems pointless..." Yuzu lowered her head.
Cody rushed over to her and pat her on the shoulder."Don't give up Yoohoo, I'm sure we'll convince some of them by the end of the day."
Yuzu just pushed him away."I told you that my name is Yuzu, not Yoohoo!"
"Come on you guys, no need to fight over something like that. Besides, people are looking at us." Yugo put a hand on his hip, glancing around the crowd that had gathered to see them talk. All of them were either laughing or taking pictures of the situation."I know it sounds unbelievable but it's true!"
Cody looked surprised at Yugo's sudden intervention."Oh yeah! Yugo, use Clear Wing like you did last time!" He shouted, making the light bulb on Yugo's head to turn on.
"Oh yeah!" He turned to see a couple just minding their own business. He took out Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and help it up in his hand."Spread your wondrous and beautiful, wings, and transport me at lightspeed! Clearwing Synchro Dragon!"
There was a long and awkward pause.
"Shit..." Yugo's skin turned pale.
Cody took out a card from his deck and stood next to Yugo, raising it up in the air."Be born from the scraps of machines, and take form of a dragon with the power of infinite machinery! Scrap Dragon!"
"Are these guys clowns or something?" An old man passing by eyed them.
Yuzu just covered her face in embarrassment until she felt someone touching her shoulder."Huh?"
"Listen, little girl. Your poor taste in clothes is just repulsive. How 'bout you get yourself out of th-" A man wearing a purple suit began to talk but was interrupted by Cody's fist connecting into his face, knocking him down.
Cody grabbed Yuzu's hand and signaled Yugo with his head to get out of there. The trio ran off as fast as they could, Cody couldn't help but laugh at remembering the man's face after he punched him.
-Yu-Gi-Oh-
"One! Two! Three!"
Hiraki busted through a door, falling down due to his momentum."I think I dislocated my shoulder...again..."
"Stop being such a sissy, kid. Look around you!" With a groan, Hiraki raised his head and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had finally made it to the rooftop of the main building. In front of his eyes a giant looking bridge that led to the tower he was going for.
"Man...this is huge!" He stood up slowly and took a few steps forward."Is this supposed to be the rooftop? It's so spacious."
"That bridge over there...I'm guessing that's where they took some cargo over. But where in the world do the vehicles come from?" Kumai inquired, glancing around.
"Maybe over that ramp?" Hiraki pointed at a path near one of the corners of the rooftop."How come we didn't see that before?"
"Who gives a shit? Let's just get a move on." Kumai insisted, poking Hiraki's ear.
With a sigh, Hiraki began jogging over to the bridge."Holy shit, it's gonna take me a while to get cross over this!"
"Enough complaining, more running."
Hiraki continued running at a good pace. He took a look at what was underneath the bridge and learned that there was a huge hole full of trash and next to it was what it appeared to be the sewer system.
"Watch out!" Hiraki jumped back by pure instinct, watching as Lucas landed right in front of him."We gotta go ba-"
Jarid was casually standing with his hands in his pockets, whistling innocently."Why, hello there."
"How did you guys find me so fast?!"
"We knew you were coming here in the first place." Lucas sneered."It doesn't take a genius to know that a coward like you would try something like this."
Hiraki gritted his teeth, seeing both of his available paths blocked by the twins."Whatever. My teammates will eventually find me and th-"
"No one will ever find you, though." Jarid stated, hands on his hips.
"Huh?"
"As we speak, there is probably a whole army of Unifiers of Chaos surrounding your so loved base. It'll take a while for the Militia to beat them all, if they can that is."
"In short, no one even knows we're here." Jarid activated his Duel Disk."You'll die and no one will have a clue of where your corpse is."
"That's right. We did tell you we had a good surprise in store for you." Lucas activated his on Duel Disk and chuckled."So, what's it gonna be?"
"Guess I have no other choice." Hiraki activated his Duel Disk. His shoulders faced each twin as he turned his head from one to another.
"Good boy. Gotta give it to you, you have guts. You might be able to get recognized by Serena if you managed to win." Lucas laughed maniacally.
Field Spell: Crossover
"Duel!" Everyone cried out in unison. A thunder roared loudly in the sky and the rain intensified even more.
Hiraki vs Lucas and Jarid LP: 4000 each
"Say, I think I'll take the first turn if you don't mind!" He drew his five cards as everyone else."From my hand, I activate Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's ability! By showing a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand, I can Special Summon it on the field!" With a loud roar, a white dragon appeared on the field, flying above Lucas's head.
Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon Level 8, Light, Dragon, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500
"W-what..." Hiraki breathed, amazed at the dragon shining up in the sky.
"I end my turn with that."
"Don't mind if I do! Draw!" Jarid drew his card and studied it for a bit."I summon Black Dragon's chick in ATK mode!" A little baby dragon appeared on the field, yawning.
Black Dragon's chick Level 1, Dark, Dragon, ATK: 800,DEF: 500
"Oh my God! It's so cute!" Kumai squealed, his face completely in red and his eyes sparkled in excitement.
"Not helping!"
"I activate my Chick's Special Ability. I can send this card to the Graveyard, and Special Summon a "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" from my hand! Come forth!" The baby dragon soon grew and turned into an adult version of itself.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon Level 7, Dark, Dragon, ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000
"I take that back. This dragon is freaking scary!" Kumai said, hiding behind Hiraki's shoulder.
"I also active the Spell Card: Inferno Fire Blast! I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to Red-Eyes's ATK! Go! Inferno Blast!" Red-Eyes fired a black ball of energy from its mouth.
"Action Card! Now!" Kumai urged on. Hiraki's eyes began glowing even brighter.
He jumped as high as he could, grabbing onto a platform with his right hand."Are you trying to escape again? There's nowhere for you to go!" Jarid cried out.
"No...that's not his intention..." Lucas observed.
Hiraki grabbed an Action Card and jumped down once again."Action Card: Acceleration! When an effect that inflicts damage to me is activated, I can make the damage equal to 0!" Hiraki dodged the attack gracefully, landing on top of the rails."Wooow!" Hiraki tried his best to not fall down. He carefully got off the rails and faced Jarid with a smug on his face."Not bad, right?"
"What the hell was that?!" Jarid exclaimed, grabbing his hair with his hands.
"Action Cards...so that's the Lancers' weapon, huh?" Lucas rubbed his chin."I see. At least I know what to expect in this duel."
"Trust me, it won't be as easy as you guys think!"
"Turn end!" Jarid growled.
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Kumai sat on Hiraki's shoulder, taking a look at his hand.
"Luckily you didn't brick this time. So let's try by going all out." Kumai suggested, earning a nod from Hiraki.
"I activate the Spell Card: Polymerization! I'll fuse together the 2 Cyber Dragons I have in my hand!" Both cards were sucked in by a multicolored vortex, showing the faint image of both Cyber Dragons."Powers of two lights form to make one! The wrath of the double headed dragon shall be unleashed! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Cyber Twin Dragon!"
Cyber Twin Dragon Level 8, Light, Machine, Fusion, ATK: 2800, DEF: 2100
"Battle! Cyber Twin Dragon! Attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Twin Evolution Burst!" Cyber Twin Dragon took aim, charging two lightning balls with its mouths and firing one of them towards Red-eyes, destroying it.
Jarid LP: 3600
"Cyber Twin Dragon's Special Ability activates! It can attack twice per turn! Destroy Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Cyber Twin Dragon fired its second beam immediately as Hiraki jumped on a few platforms, grabbing an Action Card."Action Card: Attack Force! When a monster I control attacks an opponent's monster with more ATK than mine, its ATK are increased by 600 until the end of the Battle Phase!" The attack grew in size, overpowering the almighty Dragon.
Cyber Twin Dragon ATK: 3200
Lucas LP: 3800
Cyber Twin Dragon ATK: 2800
"I set a card face-down, ending my turn." Hiraki folded his arms."I hope this made you realize what I'm capable of now. I'm not the same as I used to be!"
Lucas chuckled at this."My, how confident you are. Confidence is essential in these kinds of duels." He raised a finger."But Hiraki, stupidity is always something that can affect how you do in a duel."
"Shall we make this a bit more fair, brother?" Jarid said.
"Sure." Lucas shrugged, poking inside of his ear with his finger.."We'll change the rules a bit. It's my turn now. Then it'll be your turn, Hiraki, and then my brother's turn."
"You mean like a triangle?" Hiraki inquired.
"Something like that, yeah."
"Fine. It's your turn then."
"No need to be so hasty. You'll die in due time." He smiled."I draw! I activate the Spell Card: Return of the Dragon! Come back here, Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon!"
Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon Level 8, Light, Dragon, ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500
"Next, I'll Normal Summon the Tuner monster, The White Stone of Ancients in ATK mode!"
The White Stone of Ancients Level 1, Light, Dragon, Tuner, ATK: 600, DEF: 500
"Now, I could simply use Alternative's effect and destroy your monster, leaving you open for a direct attack..." Lucas pointed at his Tuner monster."...I'd rather have as much fun as possible with you. I tune my Level 1 monster with my Level 8 Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!" His Tuner monster turned into green rings, surrounding Blue-Eyes as it was covered in a white light."A legacy from the past reawakens as a star shining brighter than before! Let your cry resonate through the ages! Synchro Summon! Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon!" The white light turned blue, slowly dissipating and revealing a beautiful dragon.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon Level 9, Light, Dragon, Synchro, ATK: 2500, DEF: 3000
"N-no way...how do you guys know Synchro?" Hiraki breathed.
Lucas raised his hand in the air."Battle!"
"What? But you're monster's ATK are..." Hiraki's eyes widened.'An Action Card!'
Hiraki ran to a nearby platform and jumped on it. He scanned quickly the others ones, finally finding an Action Card on top of one of them and made a run he could grab it, blood came out of his mouth. Once he looked down, he realized Lucas's elbow had landed on his chest."Action Card: Flame Surge! My monster against 400 ATK until the End Phase!"
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon ATK: 2900
Azure-Eyes fired a light ball at Cyber Twin Dragon, disintegrating it as soon as it touched it. Lucas removed his elbow from Hiraki's body and kicked him in the gut, making him fall off the platform.
Hiraki LP: 3900
Kumai gave Hiraki more power, allowing him to rolled in the air in order to land safely. Once he did so, he felt to his knees, clenching his side in pain."He hit me...way to hard...so they're really aiming to kill...me?"
"Yes, and you should be able to get a hold of yourself! You'll lose if you keep taking this lightly." Kumai scolded him inside his mind.
Lucas landed in front of the tower, folding his arms."Well. That'll be enough pain for now. I'll end my turn with that. At this moment, Azure's ATK go back to normal."
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon ATK: 2500
"So, what are you going to do now, big guy? It's your move." Lucas spoke in a taunting tone.
Hiraki coughed even more blood, slowly getting back up."I...I'm not giving up! I'll make you pay for what you did to Serena! Graaaagh!" Hiraki screamed, the dark aura around him intensifying.
That's the end of chapter 8. Sorry it took so long. I'm in the middle of testing season at school and shit hit the fan so to speak xd. Anyway, don't forget to stay tuned for Chapter 9! And as always, enjoy!