Chapter 27
Trouble in Hell
"Damn it all! I lost him completely!" Cody cursed aloud as he rode on his D-Wheel.
"Cody! There you are!" Yugo almost crashed into the back of Cody's D-Wheel, stopping mere inches away from it."Thank goodness I found you! I was so worried!"
Cody faced Yugo with a regretful expression."Sorry, Yugo. Not only that I lose our only lead to Rin, but I've also failed to protect Yuzu...I just can't do anything right!"
Yugo shook his head, offering a warm smile."It's okay. Yuya and the others are already doing that. And believe me, Yuya won't let any harm come to her. I'm sure by now, they must have-"
"Not likely." A voice interrupted their conversation. Kyle appeared from behind a building, covered in bruises and wounds all over his body.
"I-is that you...Kyle?" Cody blinked a couple of times to make sure his eyes weren't tricking him."You look so...different."
"Long story." He chuckled dryly.
Yugo furrowed his brow at the white-haired boy."What do you mean "not likely"?"
"Many things happen. To sum it all up, I lost my duel against Yuke, but it turns out he's not the actual person I thought he was. You saw that light show in the sky, right?"
"Yeah, what of it?" Cody asked him.
"That's where that Roget guy was hiding. He must have captured Yuzu and dragged everyone else to another dimension. I cannot longer contact the majority of them."
"The majority?" It was now Yugo asking the questions.
"Yeah, there's a few that remained here for some reason. But like I said, the others were teleported somewhere else judging by the readings."
"Is Yuzu among those people that stayed here?" Cody wondered with worried.
"No. Honestly, I have little to what's going on. But I can tell you that neither Yuzu or Serena are in this Dimension. It also explains why the Unifiers and the Obelisk Force stopped attacking."
"Damn it! And they were so close!" Cody punched his steering wheel."What do we do now? It's not like we can just go on ahead and travel across dimensions."
"Actually, I might help with that." Kyle showed them his Duel Disk."When I woke up, I found a few Obelisk Force around my area, so I defeated them and took their Duel Disks and equip mine with some of their teleportation technology. In other words, I can take us to where they came from, the Fusion Dimension."
"And that's where Rin, Yuzu and Serena are!" Yugo connected the dots, a grin forming on his face.
"If you're okay with it, I can take us there now." Kyle offered.
"Hell yeah!" Cody boomed, a fist in the air."I still have a score to settle with that manga reader douche bag!"
"And I still have to get back at Evan and that smuggling bastard!" Yugo roared.
Kyle typed a few buttons on his Duel Disk, eyeing them both."Then let us go." The teleportation programmed opened up without a problem, but just when it was finishing initializing, lightning began emanating from it.
"Is that supposed to happen?!" Cody stammered, covering his face as the light grew stronger.
Before Kyle could reply, the boys were no longer there, and traces of blue energy dispersed in the air.
"Finally, I'm home." Evan breathed in relief as soon as his teleportation device finished.
A dark cackled could be heard from behind him, so he quickly turned to the source. In front of his aunt's house was Seiko, Daisuke, Lumi, and Irina. But to his shook, Rin and his aunt were standing in front of them. Rin had her arms extended, standing protectively in front of Evan's aunt.
"Oh, look who it is! What a good timing, Evan! No, really! Like, you just appeared as soon as we threatened them!" Seiko couldn't help but laugh.
Evan felt sick to his stomach, but felt adrenaline rush through his body and ran up to Rin, standing in front of her with his Duel Disk activated.
"Evan! You made it back!" His aunt cried out, relief clear in her voice."I was beginning to fear for the worst."
Evan could feel a pair of arms wrapping around his chest and a head resting on his back."I-I...I thought you weren't coming back..." Rin whimpered, trying her best to hold her tears."I must sound really silly...I'm sorry."
Evan chuckled at that, putting a hand on top of Rin's."It's alright. I kinda lost hope there for a second myself. But my luck kept me safe. And I managed to track down both Cody and Yugo. They're both alright. So, you can rest easy."
Daisuke spat at the mentioned of Cody's name."Annoying brat..."
"Must you always act as if you're some kind of old man? You're a bit older than he is." Irina pointed out, much to his annoyance.
Seiko frowned, putting her hands on her hips."Now, now. Settle down, why don't ya?"
"Seiko." Evan started, forming a forced smile on his face."Why are you here? I thought you were more interested in whatever was happening in Synchro?
"Oh, my sweet little cinnamon bun! While what was happening over there was fun, I never once stopped thinking about you. ANd how you broke the brainwashing." Her tone went from a sweet one to a dark one in a heartbeat.
"Rin woke me up from the trance. If it wasn't for her, I would still be following the others as I've always had."
Seiko placed a hand on her chin, nodding."Ah, yes. So, strong emotions and outside help is a counter measurement against the brainwashing. You must love Rin dearly because the brainwashing only weakens after a defeat in a duel."
Rin held onto Evan even tighter, to the point where she could feel him breathing faster due to the pressure on his lungs.
"An interesting theory. However, I assume you're here for Rin? If so, you are even more reckless than I thought you were." He readied his Duel Disk in front of him.
"Wait, Here for Ri- Oh, no, no, no! I wasn't being specific. You are slightly correct, though, the Professor sent me to get Rin back. Since I was originally leading the Unifiers of Chaos, the responsibility falls upon me since I recruited you." She sighed, shrugging."Although if it were up to me, I couldn't care less about this girl or the others."
"Huh?" Evan's fake bravado dropped."What do you mean? So then if you're not following the Professor's will, then what are you doing? Are you perhaps on board with Yuke's intention of a new world?"
"Idiot! I don't care what those two want! You wanna know why I'm really here? I'm here for you, my boy!" She grinned as she pointed at him.
"Me?" Evan asked, dumbfounded.
"That's right! You are important to the role of chaos, of course!" She replied.
Evan clenched a fist against his chest."You're wrong. I'm not a Unifier of Chaos anymore. I am no longer under your control!"
"What, you think because the chaos influence has been suppressed that you're free to go? You have noticed, haven't you? Your eyes turning crimson every now and then."
Evan's jaw dropped completely, recalling the times where he willingly changed the color of his eyes to confuse others."Y-you mean..."
"Duh! You can be really slow sometimes, ya know? I mean, who in the hell can change the color of their eyes whenever they damn please? You still have the essence of chaos inside of you, it's just suppressed!"
"You're lying!" Rin shouted to her, moving to Evan side and grabbing his hand."Evan is not a monster! He's not serving you anymore!"
"She's right!" Evan's aunt stepped up to his other side, grabbing his other hand."I raised Evan to be a respectful young man! Not be some whore's plaything!"
Daisuke flinched at that."What a mouth for a granny."
"Sheez, that was soooo uncalled for!" Seiko huffed, snapping her fingers."I guess I'll just have to show you. Irina."
"Yes, sister." Irina handed her a small golden ring with a silver stone engraved on it.
Seiko took the ring and put it in her index finger."Thanks to sacrificing the rest of the students from the Secondary Union, I've gained enough chaotic energy to reach a new level of power."
"What? Sacrificing the students from the Secondary Union? What for?!" Evan demanded, already agitated.
"They're worthless, so I've been using their souls for my own agenda. It's still too early to reveal all the secrets, so I'll give you a small demonstration." Seiko's ring began shining in silver as she rose it in the air.
Evan felt a burning pain deep down his core as if his soul itself was on fire."Gyah! G-raagh!" He felt on his knees.
"Evan!" Both Rin and his aunt rushed to him but he pushed them away.
"Go away! I-I ca-can't contr-ol it...!" He shouted in pain, wheezing and taking in as much oxygen as he could. His eyes began changing back to crimson and then to white, but then his cornea began changing from white to black while his skin turned even paler and his hair went from dark-grey to black.
"Evan!" Rin felt her heart accelerating even more upon seeing her boyfriend screaming as if he were being tortured.
Evan stood up, turning to them slowly, a hint of him battling the power overwhelming his mind."R-run..." He rose his arm, aiming his Duel Disk at his aunt."S-Seik-ko! Stop it!"
His aunt closed her red eyes, realizing that his son was no longer in control of his actions."I love you, my dear Evan. I love you as if you were my own son."
Evan clicked a button on his Duel Disk, creating a purple light that engulfed his aunt, leaving a card on the ground with her face on it.
"Nooooo!" Rin screamed in horror, picking up the card. She immediately rushed to Evan, who was now on his knees and clutching his Duel Disk."Evan...i-it's alright...I-I...we'll fix this!" She placed her head on top of his and rubbed his bangs.
"R-Rin...I carded her!" He screamed in agony."I CARDED HER, RIN! I CARDED MY AUNT! MY MOTHEEEEEER!"
Rin felt her heartbreak, feeling the pain he was going through. She knew there was nothing else she could do, so she did what any girlfriend would do. She closer her eyes and kissed the top of his head, caressing his hair."I know...I know...it's okay...you didn't mean to..."
Evan's vision began to get red but he focused all of his attention to this one moment."I love you, Evan." Rin whispered to him."I love you with all my might..."
"I-I..." Evan's voice began deteriorating and was now sounding as if his voice was combined with a deep, dark voice from a demon."I love you too...Rin."
A blue flash enveloped Rin and make her disappear into particles.
"Well, that was sentimental." Seiko smirked, deactivating her Duel Disk."But to think he'd go and card his own family like that. I underestimated this new chaos power that I've acquired. Now, what should I call this new state..."
Evan rose to his feet and looked at the sky with his silver eyes. His tears stopped as well as his grieving. The grim on his face he once has changed to a demonic-like toothy smile while a white aura began surrounding his body.
"How about...Chaotic Mode?" Seiko proclaimed with pride.
Serena was placed inside one of the cells in Academia's underground prison. The Professor had ordered for her to be transferred there for the time being until he decided when it was time for her to be of use to him. She felt powerless, pathetic, and above all, resentful for the people that dragged Hiraki into this mess. She demanded the Professor to show himself, but so far no one has made an appearance.
"I can't believe it came to this..." She hugged her knees, sitting down against a wall."I let myself be captured...And now there's no way I'll know what happened to Hiraki! Screw this!"
A sound of footsteps descending a set of stairs prompted her to stop her thoughts."Professor! Is that you?! Come out already! What are you planning to do with me?! Where's Hiraki?!"
"No need to shout. We are inside an empty cell system, you know?" A cold, collected voice replied.
"Hiraki...Yuke..." She muttered to herself."Hey! What are you doing?!"
Yuke opened up the cell and entered, making sure to lock it from behind. He sat down in front of her, crossing his legs."I felt the need to pay you a visit. I apologize if I came uninvited."
"What happened to my friends?" SHe didn't demand but ask.
Yuke remained stoic at her question, expecting it from the beginning."Yuzu Hiragi is still out there, although we do not know where. Fortunately for her, her friends have also traveled with her, though it's a mystery whether they landed in the same place or not. In conclusion, your friends are fine and well."
"Don't give me that bullshit! They are your friends too...right, Hiraki?"
"You are misinterpreting the facts. While I might have been your friend at one point, as Hiraki Sotari, I'm a completely different person know. My thoughts, feelings, emotions. All of that belonged to Hiraki has been suppressed to the deepest parts of my brain, allowing no ones to form. Ergo, the reason I am able to live as a different person as a whole."
"But you must have some memories about him, right?" She was hoping to hear an answer that would settle her worries.
"Unfortunately, all of those memories are gone, as I've said. However, my body seems to still be connected to the inner thoughts of Hiraki. When I teleported you away, tears began streaming down my face unwillingly, without me being sad."
Serena gasped."You...cried? I see...at least some part of Hiraki is still in you." She smiled warmly, grabbing her bracelet."Why did you come?"
"Your friends have also tried to reach up to me by that name. It appears as though Hiraki was a well-known person amongst your peers. Thus, my curiosity was piqued. A second time at that. Another one of your fellow Lancers, Kyle, gave me a much entertaining match before capturing you."
"Kyle?!" Serena was alarmed and grabbed his shoulders."What did you do to him?! Did you card him?! What did you-"
"Please, be at ease. No harm came to your friend by my hand. I suspect he's alive and well, probably looking for you as we speak." Yuke commented without much interest."Not to mention, Yuzu Hiragi is also out there as well."
"So, your master plan failed?" Serena bluntly asked.
"Not failed. Just a side turn. After all, you are here. I underestimated the possibilities of the hindrances that were going to appear sooner rather than later. But, had I done the opposite, everything would have been completely boring."
A moment of silence passed, neither of them saying a word to each other. Serena kept starting at every inch of his face carefully, attempting to not make it obvious.
"If you want to know about the difference between facial features, you could always ask. I welcome the questions." Yuke assured her calmly.
Serena blinked in surprise, but remember the boy is considered now a genius."Yes. You don't look like Hiraki anymore, which made it so hard for me to notice. How...was it done?"
Yuke shrugged slightly."My best guess is that the Professor performed human experimentation on this body such as plastic surgery to alter my face and other things."
"Doesn't that bother you?!" Serena urged for an answer."That's horrible! No one should go through that process!"
"It was necessary." Yuke replied without batting an eye."In order to reach the ultimate goal, sometimes you must make sacrifices that will make you question your morale. I hold no remorse to that man, but I also hold no further sense of loyalty than I already do. My plans are my plans. I merely help him further his own agenda for my personal amusement."
"And what does that have to do with the other girls that you've captured? What are you planning?"
"With the girls? Nothing. The Professor is the one interested in you for whatever reason. I am merely interested in creating a new world. A world of emptiness. The perfect world." Yuke explained in a monotone manner.
"A perfect world?" Serena echoed the thought.
Yuke shook his head."Disregard that. We are here to talk about Hiraki Sotari, not me."
"You do realize by any sense you are also Hiraki, right?" Serena pointed out, a sly smile forming on her face.
"How clever of you." His gaze tensed up."I mean what I said."
Serena rolled her eyes, giving up in her attempt to tease him."Well, what do you want to know?"
"What did you think of him? Clearly, there's a connection beyond friendship that you two posses." He placed a hand under his chin."Perhaps, it's what they call a bond of love."
Serena's cheeks turned crimson at that blunt statement."W-well, you see...We've known each other for a long time and well, you could say we are in love? He confessed to me before..."
Yuke nodded, not wanting to press further on the memories."Apologies. I did not mean to upset you."
"It's okay." She admitted, reminiscing her times with Hiraki."Now that I know that you're Hiraki, it doesn't hurt as much to remember. But...do you remember how it happened? How you ended up back in Academia?"
Yuke blinked as she did. They blinked at each other before Serena turned crimson."It was a stupid question, wasn't it?"
"Yes. Yes, it was." Yuke bluntly remarked."However, it's in human's nature to want to know what happened to someone close to them, regardless of how obvious it might seem."
Serena grimace, putting all the pieces of information she had together."So it's true. The Dragon Twins really did take you out..."
"The Dragon Twins?" Yuke looked over at the ceiling, recalling their names."Ah, yes. Students of Academia, as well as their mercenaries."
"You know them?" Serena asked."Then why haven't you-"
"Card them? For beating Hiraki Sotari, and thanks to that, allowing me to be today?" Yuke explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world."I have not encountered them, nor do I hold any sense of gratitude to them. Does that make you feel better?"
Serena sighed in relief, not really satisfied with his answer but it made her feel better."Next question."
"What kind of person was he? If you all are taking your time to care for him, then he must be of great value, isn't that so? Not to mention your strong feelings towards him."
"That's an easy question. Hiraki was a caring person, one who would often be at the back of a crowd due to his insecurities. It pains me to say this, but he wasn't a very skilled duelist. Compared to you, there's an abysmal gap even though you are by all means the same person. But what never stopped him from fighting. He sacrificed himself for me and Kyle's safety knowing full well he couldn't win."
"Sacrificed himself." Yuke repeated to clarify."Kyle lost and is nowhere to be found by your friends and you're here locked up. Does that mean he sacrificed himself for nothing?"
"Don't say that!" Serena exploded, drawing dangerously close to Yuke's face."He did what he could! If we screwed our opportunity lend from him then that's on us!"
Yuke looked at her with a blank expression, but a faint hint of regret appeared on his face, although it seemed it lasted a few seconds."I apologize. Perhaps I was harsh with the choice of my words. Still, you cannot deny that you are here, locked up away, even if he sacrificed his life for you."
"I know...I know...I was too weak to defend myself." Serena's eyes began tearing up."Too weak to protect Hiraki, to not get myself trapped in the Synchro Dimension, to win against you...and even now, to face you."
The door to the room was opened, and heavy steps could be heard going down the stairs.
Serena quickly placed a hand on Yuke's forehead, which he choose to let happen."I know you're in there Hiraki. I promise that I will fix all of this, even if it ends up killing me. Just bear with it a little longer while I do so as well. For our future together. I love you..."
"Yuke, it's time." A man with a lab coat said as he stepped closer to the light, revealing his blue eyes hidden behind a pair of reading glasses. He had brown hair swept to the back and a white shirt underneath his coat with a tie.
"Dr. Brueno." Yuke turned to Serena as he got up, offering her a hand which she took."I'm afraid our meeting is over. You will be in Dr. Brueno's care for the time being."
Serena nodded with no other choice and followed the man and took one last glance at Yuke, who was staring at the ground.
"I apologize for the rough accommodations, Serena-chan." The man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"I've had worst," Serena confessed dryly.
Dr. Brueno sighed after thinking."Serena-chan, I must also apologize for something else."
Serena's rose a brow, folding her arms."What?"
"I know you're already aware of who Yuke is-was. But I have to inform you that it was I that led the operation." He regretfully said, his voice whimpering a bit.
Serena's eyes widened at the confession, trying her best not to lose her composure."Why? What did you do to him? And why him? He didn't have anything to do with whatever the Professor is planning!"
"I know! But I never planned for it to go that far. Your friend was brought it when he was close to death. His legs were broken, he had at least 8 broken ribs, a broken nose, so we had to operate him quickly. I had a partner, the Doktor. I'm not sure if you know him. But he was ordered by the Professor to mess with Hiraki's brains to suppress his personality while I was in charge of altering his facial features. However, by that point, I had no control over the operation. Fortunately, I managed to convince them to suppress his memories, rather than erase them as a whole."
"Is there any way to bring them back? To reverse his brain alteration back to normal?"
Dr. Brueno shook his head."I was hoping that he'll regain his consciousness by coming into contact with you. But that hypothesis went flying out the window the moment he brought you here."
"He told me he cried!" Serena suddenly remembered, hope in her voice."He told me he cried when he sent me away, but didn't know why."
"Marvelous! That means his psyche is still within the body's memory functions!" Dr. Brueno cheered in glee."However, how ca-"
"Dr. Brueno!" A malevolent voice called out from in front of the hallway. An old man with white hair, crazed eyes, and a sinister grin was standing in front of a door next to a girl with green hair. Her expression was neutral but her eyes were completely dead.
"She looks like me...could she be...?"
"That's Rin." Dr. Brueno murmured to Serena before facing the Doktor."Doktor, I was told that Evan had escaped with Rin. What does this mean?"
"Oh, yes. Seiko already took care of that, Dr. Brueno. Evan was brought back along with Rin. Ah, and I see Serena is also under our custody as well! That means that only Hiragi Yuzu is left."
"That is correct." Dr. Brueno replied in a low tone.
"Anyways, the Professor has given me the permission to take Serena for further analysis." He gestured him to send her over.
"Stay safe, Serena-chan. Please, I beg of you to stay strong and never give up on seeing your friend again. I'm positive your crew is coming here as we speak." Dr. Brueno whispered as Serena began walking away.
"I know." She simply said. The Doktor led her and Rin inside the room he had come from, locking the door.
Meanwhile, back in the cells, Yuke was still looking at the ground. However, he was not alone.
"You know, I never really liked her." Wendy spat at the ground."She's too cocky, plus her hair is wack."
Yuke ignored her words and brush off a tear that had come down his right cheek."We are not going to the Standard Dimension."
"What?! Why?!" Wendy screams echoed through the small room.
"Because the probabilities of Yuzu Hiragi being in Standard are considerably next to zero. I have deduced that she is either here, in the Fusion Dimension, or in the XYZ Dimension. I've already informed Tatsuyo, Tokomaru, Evan, and Junpei to keep an eye out for her as well as our enemies, the Lancers. Meanwhile, we will stay here just in case the situation changes."
"But! Do you have any idea what kind of fun we would have had?!" Wendy refuted, stomping like a spoiled child."We could have carded their parents! Do you have any idea of much that would have break them?! Do slaughter their family and showing them trapped in cards?!" She suddenly stopped, placing her hands on her hips."She told you something, didn't she? That damn whore! What did she tell you?!"
Yuke quickly shot her a death glare, prompting her to shut up."I believe I made myself very clear when I told you we are not going. You seem to think that I am under obligation to keep you around, but trust me, you could not be more in the dark. I am the leader of this organization, and if I see you're unfitted to be here, I will card you myself and tear the card apart. Do you understand me?"
Wendy nodded in fear, backing away."Y-Yes sir!" She stuttered and left in a hurry, leaving Yuke on his own again.
He clenched his chest with his right hand intensively."Serena...he listened to your pleas, that much I guarantee you."
Kurono opened his eyes groggily, feeling a bit drowsy most likely due to the lack of sleep he's been having in preparation of coming to help his allies. When he came to, he realized that the sky was gray and the buildings around him were either destroyed or left in ruins.
"You know, if the sky was red, I'd say I'm back at home." He chuckled dryly."Still, by all logic, this is the XYZ dimension. But where exactly are the others?"
Kurono began walking down the empty streets of Heartland in hopes of encountering a human being that was not involved with Academia."It's incredible who humans are capable of doing this to a place like this. I bet this city must have been as gorgeous as my home back in the day."
Indeed, he reminisced about his city and how it prospered before the arrival of Yu. Yuke. Hiraki. 'There are many names under YU. But which one could be the real one? At this point, anything can be true. And it doesn't help that Yuke is so vague about his answers. Does he even know? If he doesn't, then it's true that Academia is just using him.'
Before he could ponder more on the matter, he saw a rock being thrown at his head. With ease, he stepped back, avoiding the projectile.
"That's far enough, Spawn of Chaos! This is where your path ends!" A young man with pale skin and short purple hair combed to the sides exclaimed. He had slightly lighter purple eyes and was wearing a torn attire that consisted of a dressing shirt that was missing half of the right sleeve along with black jeans and black sneakers.
"Spawn of Chaos?" Kurono rose a brow, confused at the sudden accusation."You got it wrong! I am not with the Unifiers of Chaos! I'm against them!"
"Lies! We left foreigners here before and look where it got us! We can't trust outsiders such as yourself!"
"My goodness, are all these peasants triggered happy?" A cocky voice boomed around them. Still, in shock, both duelists located the source of the voice inside of a building. A man with greenish-blonde hair came out, eating what remained of an ice cream cone."Seriously. If you were desperate to find us, then you should have asked."
"That's one of the people who were back in Synchro at the very end!" Kurono took a step forward."So you came after us?"
"Huh? He's not your ally?" The purple-hair boy was confused."Then, who are you?"
"I should be asking you that!" Kurono refuted with irritation."I'm Kurono Asayi. I come from the Ritual Dimension and I've allied myself with the Lancers to stop this war."
Junpei seemed unimpressed and just scoffed."Stop the war, you say? You can't even stop me, let alone an entire war between dimensions!"
"I'm Subaru Haramiya! I'll be helping you take this guy out." The now named Subaru jumped next to Kurono, activating his Duel Disk."Trust me, I want to make this guy pay for what he did to my friend's family, but I know I'm not strong enough to take him on alone."
Kurono sighed in defeat, shrugging his shoulders."Be my guest. Although I'd preferred doing this alone. But considering who our opponent is, then the situation merits it."
"Oh, what a disgusting sight. A duo of vermins think they can take me on? Ha! You're not even good enough to polish my boots!" Junpei activated his Duel Disk."I'll show you."
"Duel!"
Junpei vs. Kurono and Subaru LP: 4000 each.
"I'll start us off! From my hand, I summon Gishki Avance in ATK mode!" Kurono declared as a man wearing a purple cape, wielding a dagger appeared on the field.
Gishki Avance Level 4, Water, Spellcaster, ATK: 1500, DEF: 800
"Avance's effect activates! Once per turn, I can choose one "Gishki" monster from my Deck and place it on top of my Deck!" Kuruno browses on his Duel Disk for the monster he's looking for until he finds it quickly."There you are." With a click, a card pops out of his Duel Disk as he places it on top of his Deck."I set a card face-down and end my turn!"
"Up I go! My turn, draw! I Summon a monster in DEF mode and set 3 cards face-down! Turn end!"
Junpei began laughing, holding a hand to cover his eyes."Don't tell me this is your first move! I wasn't expecting anything, but you gave me literally something next to nothing! Honestly, this will be over sooner than I had anticipated."
"If you take us lightly, you're going to regret it. We might have started slow, but you'll see what we have in store for you soon enough!" Subaru pointed at his foe dramatically.
"If you say so, peasant. My turn! I draw! I'll start my play by summoning Dragunity Tribus in ATK mode!"
A humanoid with a crow head and wings appeared on the field, flapping its wings.
Dragunity Tribus Level 1, Wind, Winged Beast, ATK: 500, DEF: 300
"I then activate its Special Effect!" Junpei continued."When this card is Summoned onto the field, I can send a Level 3 or Lower "Dragunity" monster from my Deck to the graveyard! Next, by tributing a "Dragunity" monster I control, I can Special Summon from my hand Dragunity Arma Mystletainn!"
Dragunity Arma Mystletainn Level 6, Wind, Dragon, ATK: 2100, DEF: 1500
"And now, thanks to its effect, I can Special Summon and equip a "Dragunity" monster from the graveyard! I choose the one I sent to the graveyard thanks to Tribus' effect, Aklys!"
A small red dragon appeared on the field and wrapped itself around Arma's neck.
"He equipped a monster to another...but for what purpose?" Kurono wondered aloud, causing his teammate to shrug.
"You simple buffoons. There are plenty of ways for me to use my monster like this. For instance..." Junpei took out a card and activated it."I activate the Spell Card, Dragunity Action! I can destroy cards on my opponents' field equal to the number of "Dragunity" cards I control. Since I control two, both of you will lose one of your cards in play!"
In the blink of an eye, Kurono and Subaru lost one of their backrows respectively.
"Now then, it's I believe I've done enough damage for the time being. I set 2 cards and call it a turn. Your move, vermins."
"Fine, it's my turn! I activate the Ritual Spell, Gishki Ritual Ascensor! By sending from my Deck to the graveyard, I can Ritual Summon a monster from my hand with equal level! Ritual Summon! Come, Level 4! Gishki Psychelone!
A humanoid resembling an octopus with black wings appeared on the field.
Gishki Psychelone Level 4, Water, Fiend, Ritual, ATK: 2150, DEF: 1650
"I activate Psychelone's effect! I can declare one Attribute and one Monster Type, and if you have a monster with said type and attribute, you'll shuffle them into your Deck!"
"Naive! I activate my Continous Card, Endless Hunt! When my opponent activates the effect of a monster that was Special Summoned, I can negate the effect and take control of that monster. However, that monster will be in DEF mode."
Psychelone stopped in the middle of her attack by a chain wrapping up around her and pulling her to Junpei's side.
"He took control of my monster!" Kurono cried out in shock.
Subaru put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, nodding."Don't worry. I'll handle this. I activate my Counter Trap, Caught In the Act! When my opponent activates a Trap Card, your monsters lose 500 ATKs times the number of monsters on the field until your next turn! Since you now control two, both of them will lose 1000 ATKs!"
Gishki Psychelone ATK: 1150
Dragunity Arma Mystletainn ATK: 1100
"Subaru..." Kurono was amazed at how he was able to counter Junpei's tactics."Fine. I set a card down and end my turn."
"I'll take it from here! My turn! Draw! I Flip Summon Ghostrick Warwolf!"
A cartoonish like wolf appeared, showcasing its fangs and claws.
Ghostrick Warwolf Level 3, Dark, Zombie, ATK: 1400, DEF: 1500
"Since I control a "Ghostrick" face-up monster, I can Summon another "Ghostrick" monster from my hand! Say hello to Ghostrick Ghoul!"
A cartoonish zombie dug its way from the ground, moaning like the undead.
Ghostrick Ghoul Level 3, Dark, Zombie, ATK: 1100, DEF: 1200
"At this moment, I activate Ghoul's effect! A "Ghostrick" monster, other than itself, that I control gains the combined ATKs of all "Ghostrick" monsters on the field until the end of your next turn!"
Kurono smirked upon calculating."That means Warwolf's ATKs will boost increase to 2500!"
Ghostrick Warwolf ATK: 2500
"Battle! Kurono, I'm taking your monster away from him! Warwolf, attack his controlled Gishki Psychelone! Claw of Iron!" Warwolf's claws increased in length considerably and launched itself against Psychelone as the latter was cut in pieces by the wolf.
"Idiot! I won't be the one taking damage, you know!" Junpei cackled behind the smoke.
"What?!" Subaru gasped in horror."That means...!"
Kurono felt as if he was being electrocuted intensely and let out a cry of pain.
Kurono LP: 2650
"Kurono, I'm sorry! I-I didn't..."
Kurono rose a hand, stopping him."Don't mind me. I should be thanking you from not hesitating to save my monster, even if it was destroyed."
Subaru was perplexed. Why was someone who he just met, a foreigner, helping him out and looking out for him."Who are you?"
"Just a survivor, like you and your people." Kurono laughed at the irony of his words.
Subaru wanted to ask him more but decided that it could wait."At this time, I Overlay the Level 3 Ghostrick Warwolf and Level 3 Ghostrick Ghoul!"
Both of the monsters turned into purple energy and entered a black vortex as Subaru chanted.
"Undead monster that foreshadows the power of darkness, bring forth the power of the demon slayer! XYZ Summon! Appear, Rank 3! Ghostrick Alucard!"
A well dressed white demon appeared on the field, removing his cape from his to make his presence known.
Ghostrick Alucard Rank 3, Dark, Zombie, XYZ, ATK: 1800, DEF: 1600
"I see. So you must be the one who saved Kaito that day." Junpei whistled mockingly."Tough guy."
Subaru ignored his words and continued, recalling the day they carded Kaito's parents and almost him."By detaching an Overlay Unit, Alucard's effect activates! I can target a set card you control and destroy it!"
Alucard cackled in delight, pointing at the card set down on the field and fired a dark beam from its finger, disintegrating it.
"I set one card. Turn it. It's your turn, monster." Subaru looks at him in disgust.
Junpei cannot help but laugh at his impudence."Let's see you say those words after this turn. My turn! At this moment Mystletainn's ATKs are restored to normal!"
Dragunity Arma Mystletainn Level 6, Wind, Dragon, ATK: 2100, DEF: 1500
"I draw! I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Greed! It allows me to draw 2 fresh cards from my Deck! Next, I activate the Spell Card, Quake Armor! I can equip a "Dragunity" monster I control with another "Dragunity" monster from my hand! The one I choose is Dragunity Brandistock!"
A small emerald color dragon appeared on the field before it equipped itself to Mystletainn.
"Battle! Due to Brandistock's ability, my monster can attack twice! Borbanic Pierce!" Mystletainn flew over towards Alucard and pierces through its chest, letting a cry of pain.
Subaru LP: 3700
"Alucard's effect activates! When it's sent to the graveyard, I can add a "Ghostrick" from my Graveyard to my hand!"
"Second attack! You haven't suffered enough, you peasant!" Again, Mystletainn dived towards Subaru extending its sword forward.
"I activate my Trap Card, Ghostrick Last Run! When my opponent makes a direct attack, the damage is halved!" Subaru interjected.
The dragon warrior easily lashed at Subaru, knocking him to the ground.
Subaru LP: 2650
"Well, that was anti-climatic." Junpei whistled in amusement."Either way, you knew this day was going to come eventually. The day you are carded. I set one card and call in my turn."
"Subaru, are you alright?!" Kurono rushed towards his ally and helped him get up.
Subaru nodded slowly."Yeah, I guess so. Damn, he packs a good punch. Do you think you can still beat him?"
"Hard to say." Kurono looked through his sole card."Although it's really not much of a question about defeating him. It's my move! I draw! I activate Gishki Ritual Ascensor's effect! By shuffling it back to my Deck, I can add a "Gishki" monster from my Graveyard to my hand! Next, I activate the Spell Card, Preparation of Rites! I can add a Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand along with a Ritual Spell Card!"
"He refreshed his hand to the point where he can Ritual Summon and more..." Junpei grumbled under his breath."I expected at least as much from you, Lancers."
"Then, I activate the Spell Card Aqua Sage Summoning! I can Ritual Summon by sending from my hand to the Graveyard monsters whose level is equal to or greater than the monster I'm trying to summon! I sacrifice the Level 4 Gishki Avance and the Level 4 Gishki Emilia to Ritual Summon!"
A golden mirror appeared on the field, absorbing both monsters from one side as the other side began shining."Serpent that shifts the current of the water to its favor, slide to the mist of doubt and open a new path to the ocean! Ritual Summon! Appear, Level 7! Evigishki Levianima!
The serpent-like being came out of the other side of the mirror, its body curling around and wielding a gold-lined sword.
Evigishki Levianima Level 7, Water, Aqua, Ritual, ATK: 2700, DEF: 1500
"Battle! Levianima, attack his monster! Swift Hebi Dash!" Kurono watched as his monster slid over to Mystletainn and rose its sword above its head, swiftly chopping its head off cleanly. Both monsters attached to its neck, however, the red dragon flew against its attacker and pierced through its chest, leaving a gaping hole before exploding.
Junpei LP: 3400
Junpei fell on one knee, gasping for air. The attack had done quite a number on him, but allowed himself a smirk."Idiot. Aklys has the special effect of destroying a card on the field when the monster it's equipped with is destroyed. I destroyed that monster you worked to hard to summon."
"My monster has a Special Effect as well." Junpei countered, holding a card in his hand."When Levianima declares an attack, I'm allowed to draw a card from my Deck and if it's a "Gishki" monster, I can look at one card in your hand randomly."
"However, I currently have no cards in my hand. Such an effect is useless." Junpei refuted, confidently.
"Hey, it's a free draw. I'll take what I can get. I set the card I just got and end my turn."
Subaru nodded in approval."Not bad. You are really skilled but yet you're not from here, or Academia. I'll really have to prove myself to back up our reputation as duelists! It's my t-"
"It's my turn!" A singing voice interrupted him.
Out of the blue, a young man wearing a white cap, a blue hoodie, gray pants and brown shoes landed next to Junpei, a playful smirk on his face.
"Tatsuyo...why on God's green earth are you here?" Junpei asked with irritation in his voice.
"I figured you could use some help! You're in a rather..." He cleared his throat, holding back a chuckle."...compromising position right now. You forgot your Deck isn't the best out there to be taking on to two people with. I'll join in as your teammate."
"Intrusion Penalty!: 2000 LP!"
Electricity ran down Tatsuyo's body, but he didn't flinch in the least. Instead, he kept smiling as ever.
"Tatsuyo, you sly piece of s-"
"Woah, there!" Tatsuyo held his hand in front of him defensively."Give me a break! I'm just trying to help you out here. I mean, no one ever said finders keepers, right? And besides, you have no cards in your hand and these guys are outplaying you because you underestimated them."
"That's another one of the Unifiers of Chaos." Kurono recalled his previous encounter with them all.
Subaru nodded grimly."Yeah. He's the one who was trying to put the moves on a friend of mine. Makes me sick to my stomach."
Tatsuyo folded his arms and shifted his gaze to the other 2."You again, eh? Why are you guys still fighting? I mean, it's kinda pointless."
"What are you talking about?" Kurono inquired.
"Well, you clearly have been defeated by us, so what's the point of fighting a known outcome? Besides, Tokomaru is still in the Synchro Dimension, hunting down your comrades that were lucky enough to stay behind. It won't be long before he cards them. I believe your leader is among them as well? If so, this is a good chance for a checkmate. Without the head, the horses are lead wilding by themselves. This war? This fight? It's over."
"What is he talking about, Kurono?" Subaru was lost for words.
"I'm allied to a group known as The Lancers. Their aim is to stop Academia and the dimensional war before the dimensions pay the price for it. We might be late to prevent destruction from yours, but we can return the peace it once had, like my home, the Ritual Dimension."
"So wait, you're from another dimension?" Subaru asked him.
"Yeah. My home was ravaged like yours, but it was a massacre to another level. We've been terrorized by them for years. It all started with their leader." He pointed at both Chaotic duelists.
"Say what you will, but this is for the best. All we want is for the dimensions to come at peace and for a new world to bloom. If I'm not wrong, the Lancer's objective is to stop the war and to restore everything as it should, isn't that right? What if I told you it's not that different than our plan?"
"Not that different?!" Kurono rose his voice."We're not murderers!"
"So what? Actually, you are murderers. What do you think happens to the duelists that have come to stand in your way? They either die or are left for dead or even worse, they face punishment. You call your cause righteous, yet you slay in the name of justice. You fail to realize that. On the other hand, we kill for survival and orders alone. Scratch that! We don't even kill, we card! A person that's carded is still alive to the very core. Their life energy can be used to create a new world where peace and love is all we know! A world with no wars, no fights, no different sides trying to see which is right and wrong."
Subaru looked troubled. He lowered his head and Duel Disk."W-what are you...saying..."
"Lies." Kurono snapped."All the people you carded, the families you tore apart for your selfish goals! Nobody asked for that! You're trying to force your ideas into other people! I say fuck that, fuck your dreams and fuck you!"
Tatsuyo sighed heavily."So much for convincing them. Tariko was right, they do not listen. I guess we'll do this the hard way! My turn! I draw! From my hand, I summon Naturia Pumpkin!"
A green colored pumpkin appeared on the field, sitting down and yawning lazily.
Naturia Pumpkin Level 4, Earth, Plan, ATK: 1400, DEF: 800
"When this beauty of a plant is Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Naturia" monster from my hand to the field. I'll Special Summon Naturia Cherries in ATK mode!"
Naturia Cherries Level 1, Earth, Plant, Tuner, ATK: 200, DEF: 200
"That's a Tuner monster!" Kurono realized."I activate my Trap Card, Aquamirror Lock! When my monster Special Summons a monster, I can target that monster and destroy it!"
The small cherry exploded, leaving behind what appeared to be jam.
"Good job, Kurono!" Subaru praised him."You just prevented him from Synchro Summoning!"
Tatsuyo, instead of looking worried, just chuckled."You really think so? Naturia Cherries has the Special Ability that allows me to Summon up to 2 copies of it from my Deck if it's sent to the graveyard!"
A total of 2 small cherries appeared on the field, laughing mischievously.
Naturia Cherries Level 1, Earth, Plant, Tuner, ATK: 200, DEF: 200 (x2)
"No way! He saw my move coming and thought of a countermeasure!" Kurono's jaw dropped.
"Now then, I tune the Level 4 Pumpkin with the 2 level 1 Cherries!"
Pumpkin turned into 4 stars as the cherries turned into 2 rings, surrounding it.
"Beautiful plants that grow in Mother Earth's warm arms, combine into a being that represents the beauty of botany! Synchro Summon! The wise dragon, Level 6! Naturia Barkion!
Naturia Barkion Level 6, Earth, Dragon, Synchro, ATK: 2500, DEF: 1800
"I gotta say, we were gonna kill you all anyway. Your deaths will please the Professor greatly, you see." Tatsuyo began rambling again."I mean, not to mention the kind of life energy you will provide to us! I love when everything fits right into place."
"If you're done ranting about, can you hurry up and finish your move, you simpleton?" Junpei crossed his arms, an irritated look on his face.
"Fine, fine. Battle! Barkion, attack the one on the right direction! Sage Ignite!"
Barkion fired orange flames towards Subaru, who barely managed to avoid being engulfed in them. However, his right arm wasn't spare, as it was caught in the flames and burnt through his shirt and skin.
"Subaru!" Kurono rushed to the agonizing looking teen. He was recoiling on the floor in pain, holding back screams of agony.
"If only you forfeited sooner, we wouldn't have done this at all." Tatsuyo rubbed his nose."Well, at least not as viciously. I guess I'll set two cards and end my turn."
"K-Kurono...you have to leave." Subaru gasped for heavy breaths."
"What are you saying? I can't leave you here! Why would I even consider doing that?!" Kurono gritted his teeth.
"It's my turn anyway, you know...and besides, with these wounds, I'll only slow you down. We might have just met but, I can tell that you've suffered as well. By their hands..."
Kurono turned to face his foes, a desperate look on his face."Junpei! Tatsuyo! You have to snap out of it! We know that you're being brainwashed! Please, wake up! This isn'r you!"
Junpei frowned while Tatsuyo bit his lower lip, putting his hands on his hips."Don't you say that we are. You insolent buffoon. You know what, Tatsuyo, let's just captured them. Carding them would be a waste of resources and besides, that way we can drag their friends outside."
"Ah, a game. I like that. So, what do you guys think? We could card you right now or you could surrender. Don't worry, we won't treat you badly if you surrender. We just need you to attract the rest of your friends that are scattered in this dimension."
"No! You won't be kidnapping any more of our friends!" A female voice called out. Kurono and Subaru turned around and saw a group of duelists preparing to engage in combat. In front of them, stood a girl with glasses and a boy with orange hair.
"Allen! Sayaka! You made it!" Subaru exclaimed in glee upon noticing his friends.
Junpei just scowled, rolling his eyes while Tatsuyo smiled widely."Oh, Sayaka dearest! You finally showed yourself before me!"
Sayaka shivered a little at the sight of the boy's crazed eyes.
"Say, partner, I think it's best if we retreat," Tatsuyo whispered to his friend.
Junpei crossed his arm, shotting him a disgusted look."Why in God's green earth, would we retreat?"
"There's too many of them together and besides. We have other things to do other than engaging in a two against many fights, you get it?"
"I don't. But quite frankly, I don't care. Although you are right. I'd be a waste for us to simply dirty our hands by dueling these good for nothing thugs called the Resistance. Let us go."
Both Unifiers of Chaos deactivated their Duel Disk and sprinted away.
Allen and Sayaka rushed to their wounded friend as well as some members of the Resistance who readied a stretcher.
"You managed to get some allies together...that's good. At least there's still hope for us..." Subaru winced, the pain in his arm reminding him of reality
Allen turned to Kurono with a weary expression."Who is this?"
"He's a comrade. He comes from another dimension that's been subjected to the Unifiers of Chaos."
Kurono nodded slightly."My name is Kyle Asayi. I'm from the Ritual Dimension. Now...if you don't mind, can we discuss this later? I feel exhausted for some reason."
Allen narrowed his eyes and studied the newcomer before sighing."Fine. If Subaru trusts you, I'll take your word for it."
"Yeah, thanks for backing him up. We really appreciate it." Sayaka also showed her gratefulness.
"Not a problem." Kurono looked at the gray sky.'It's better if I wait for the others to eventually show up. If I tell them the truth about the Unifiers of Chaos, they probably won't believe me. I hope you guys are safe and sound. And I really hope you're still okay...little brother.'
Ace sat down in a small office in front of a wide table that had a total of 6 other chairs. A man with a bowl cut hair was pacing around the room worryingly.
"I see. So that's what happened with your mission." He said quickly, taking a seat next to Ace who was looking at the ceiling, feet on top of the table."So, Ace-sama, what is your leader's next move? Surely he has Heartland in his sights."
"I doubt he does. I met him just recently, but I can already tell he wouldn't waste time on nonsense. Heartland has almost been completely decimated, so you guys can probably finish the damn job already."
"I apologize, sir, but the citizens are craftier than we thought. As soon as Junpei, Tatsuyo, and Tokomaru left, they have been pushing us back quite a bit, even with their low numbers."
"But those idiots are back again, so they'll handle this. If not, I'll just step in and take their leaders."
"Are you not worry about the opposing faction, the Lancers? If what you say comes to pass, they'll come to this dimension and attempt to stop us."
Ace snorted arrogantly."Please. We beat them once, we'll do it again and this time for sure. Besi-"
Ace was interrupted by office door opening violently. A girl red eyes and long blonde hair stomped inside, followed by a girl with silver hair and yellow eyes who had a meek expression.
"You're back. Once again, you bless us with your presence." She said sarcastically.
Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance."Hello to you too, bitch. As usual, you're loud and blunt as fuck."
"You have some nerve showing your face to me again after what you did to Grace." Gloria growled dangerously."After what you di-"
Ace beckoned her to sit down on a chair, which she reluctantly did."Listen, there are other matters to attend to than your big sister complex."
"Ace..." Grace murmured, taking a sit down and avoiding looking at the boy.
"Why are you here anyway? I thought you were on a mission." Gloria said, earning a chuckle from the Hero user."
"Yeah, and it's done with. I'm here to take reigns again and because a group of people I'm interested in are here as well."
"Welcome back, Ace. I didn't know you were coming to visit us.
Mamoru, who had been quiet during the ordeal, turned to the entrance and started stammering."C-C-Commander in Chief!"
Ace looked at Edo with a boring expression on his face and rested his head on his hand."Alas, Edo Phoenix shows up in time. Fucking A. I was hoping to hear from you again..."
The room remained silent for what it seemed a minute but was mere seconds until both of them said simultaneously."...brother."