Flames. Nothing but fire and rubble, the remnants of what was once there. What was once the sprawling cityscape of Domino City was destroyed, reduced to dust and cinders with little hope of survivors. Except for two, which slowly dwindled to one.
One of them was a young man, only sixteen or so, in a blue jacket over his white dress shirt, with black spiky hair and golden bangs, as well as stunning blue eyes, now glazed over.
He stood hunch over, exhausted, scrapes anf bruises all along his body, his clothes ripped and beaten. On his arm was a device, a first generation duel disk, activated and in play.
Yugi: 500 LP, Hand: 0
On his field, his ace. A man, a spellcaster wearing dark purple clothing, with a staff giving a green glow within the top of the staff. On his face a contorted expression as he groaned kneeling on one knee and gritting his teeth.
Dark Magician: Lv7 [Spellcaster/ Normal] (2500ATK/2100DEF) DARK
His backrow consisted of two cards, the active Swords of Revealing Light, which allowed him breathing room by disabling his opponent's ability to attack for three turns.
It'd been three turns. The moment he'd end his turn, his opposition would end him. He had nothing, except the facedown on his field. A last ditch effort that would decide whether or not he'd live to see another duel. Another sunrise even. But it was only going to work under certain circumstances that the opponent had to trigger themselves. And even if it was activated, he had a slim chance of winning. in truth, this next turn very well may have been his last.
On the other side of the field his opposition stood. A man standing six-one, shrouded in a white cloak that covered every part of his body, save for his white metal tipped boots and raised arm, with a glowing yellow light blablade on the end of his arm guard. A mask was over his face, a fourth of a circle on the upper right side of his white mask, glowing a dim neon yellow along with the smaller full circle at the front of his face. in his hand two cards, ones that seemed to not be of any use.
???: 1900 LP, Hand: 2.
In front of the man shrouded in white, stood a beast, a monster no more the twenty feet tall. It was covered by the smoke and darkness, save for the neon yellow inner circle and fourth circle similar to the mask of its owner.
"I find it therapeutic. No matter how many duelists from this era I've come across, none have quite compared to the King of Games. Even if you're as primitive as the others." The masked figure crossed his armd as he stared at the young man. "My applause to you. You've been rather amusing."
"Just shut up and end your turn..." Yugi growled lowly, his pants dimming back to normal breath.
To that, the masked duelist uncrossed his arms, staring at his opponent through his mask. "Very well. I end my turn." He spoke dryly. "Now draw your final card, Yugi Muto."
The young spiky haired man groaned lowly, stumbling and struggling to stand straight. He taised the hand opposite of the arm his duel disk was mounted, putting two fingers atop the top card of his deck. He closed his eyes, his mind racing as he thought to himself.
"Pharoh...If you can hear me...If you can listen...Give me the power, the strength you always had. Just one last time!" His eyes shot open, as he grit his teeth, swiping the top of his deck out with a fiery determination. "I draw!"
Here we are. The end of days. The end of times. The very end of the world as so many knew it, four times over in fact.
And in the middle, the beast of nightmares, the devil of monsters. The Supreme King that had been forced apart so long ago, and started everything.
It was Zarc. The devil reincarnated, fused together with his monster. The icon of his want to spread cheer, which had rotten so long ago, and brought his spirits down along with him. The need to be the best, which had overflowed into a deep seeded obsession to topple his enemies in the brutalist way possible. The hunger of the blood from his dragons' victims, the anger distain towards humanity, so much so that he'd shroud the world in a bloody red to satisfy himself.
Here we are, again. So many victims of his brutality, the same brutality that some would call entertainment. Victims from other worlds, willing to die in order for the slim chance to bring back the ones sacrificed to awaken this monster.
All for nothing. In the end even the best duelists of the four dimensions, Fusion, Synchro, XYZ, and Standard, couldn't stop him. In the end only one stood, a man with relatively tame silver hair, wearing red framed glasses to go along with the red scarf around his neck. His breath was heavy, scratches and marks on his face from the battle that had ended only moments prior, leaving him to barely survive using the effect of a previous Duelist's trap card in the graveyard. Though he was still gravely weakened.
Reji Akaba: 500 LP. Hand: 0 MZ: 0 STZ: 0 GY: 27 Banished: 1.
Reji panted softly, his teeth clenched together like they were glued there. On one knee, guarding his face from the picked up dust and smoke with this arm.
"Hah! And here I thought you'd be considered a challege..." a growl was heard, as well as a snarl-like laugh from above. The source, the devil itself, Zarc.
From atop the chest of the mass and glowing demonic beast there he was. a pale man, seeming more monster than man, with hard scale-like skin, black frail wings tucked in, and piercing golden eyes. His body was originally not his. It was one of his counterparts, with red and green tomato-like hair, and a snarling grin. By either of his sides two dragons each. All corrupted by what once was the man that brought them purpose and joy.
Zarc: 4800 LP. Hand: 4 MZ: 5 STZ: 0 GY: 0 Banished: 4.
Supreme King Dragon Zarc: Lv12 [Dragon/Intergration/Effect] (4000ATK/4000DEF) DARK
Supreme King Servant Odd-Eyes: Lv7 [Dragon/Pendulum/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) DARK
Supreme King Servant Dark Rebellion: R4 [Dragon/XYZ/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) DARK
Supreme King Servant Clearwing: Lv7 [Dragon/Synchro/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) DARK
Supreme King Servant Starving Venom: Lv8 [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] (2800ATK/2000DEF) DARK
"I'm quite disappointed. Truly." The demon chuckled softly, looking down at the man like he was an ant. "Out of everyone here I thought my love's brother would be the one to challenge me, even just a bit! But alas..."
"Yuya! Snap out of it!" Reji shouted abruptly, much to the surprise of all his opposition. Including the dragons before him, who let out low growls of animosity. "This isn't the Yuya Sakaki I know! Weren't you the one who wanted to spread smiles to the world with your dueling?! Just like your father?!"
There was no answer. Only the low growls of the four dragons hovering above him. Full of anger for those ideals.
"Have you not figured it out yet, Akaba?" The monster-infused duelist spoke solemnly, clenching his free hand into a fist. "Yuya Sakaki is gone!" He shouted out, his voice intensifying in rage. "He never had the right to exist in the first place! He is nothing more than a former shadow of my naivety!" He growled, only to stop himself at the start of another voice. A familiar voice.
"You're wrong!" Spoke the voice of a young female voice, causing the monster and his servants to all look up above Reji.
Reji looked over his shoulder, towards a bright light that gave a blinding gaze.
"What the?..." Zarc growled while he grit his teeth.
"This isn't you, Yuya!" spoke another, younger voice, full of hope and desire to break through.
"Snap out of it, Yugo! You're better than this!" shouted another feminfeminine voice, filled with pure determination and want to get through to them."Quit bending to this thing's will and fight!
"W-What?..." Reji mumbled to himself, looking at the light above before turning his attention back to Zarc's field. Only to see his Synchro and Pendulum dragons as they roared towards the blinding light, in what seemed like agony of hearing those two familiar voices. Voices belonging to the second most important people in their existence. Yuzu and Rin.
The monster-like duelist groaned with a rough snarl, grabbing his head with one hand over his golden eye. "Silence..." he spoke in an aggressive tone. "Everyone, silence!"
"You can fight this, Yuto! Remember who you are!" another voice pleaded, causing the corrupted XYZ dragon to let out a sorrowful howl. For Ruri.
Already the demon began to ununravel, shaking his head as he growled out more. "I am not splitting again! Not even for you, my beloved! The world will get the entertainment duel that they deserve!"
"Maybe. But it won't be your own." spoke one last voice. A voice oh so familiar to him. The woman who kept him at bay for so long. As the blinding light grew closer it begun to take shape, into the figure of a mature young woman, with pigtails reaching to her back. Her gaze as warm as ever, even to this demon. "And I know this isn't what you want!"
"You know not what I want, Ray Akaba!" Zarc bursted out, with the Supreme Dragon roaring above him. "Humanity had its chance to change for the better! But now it's time for them to pay their debt!" He then turned attention back to Reji with a low growl. "I end my turn, Akaba!"
With a low groan the gray haired young man got onto his feet, stumbling and ready to topple over at any moment. His breath was intense, his vision growing blurry. This was it. This was how he failed. To save the four dimensions, stop his father, stop Zarc. Save Yuya and his counterparts.
Weakly he placed his fingers upon the top of his deck, narrowing his eyes. In one last ditch effort he reeled his arm back, the top card of his deck between his fingers.
"I...set one card facedown..." Reji winced, slapping the one card in his hand face down in the SpellTrap Zone. "And I...end my turn..."
This was it. It was over. He failed. And now the entire world is going to go up in flames, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Oh. How disappointing..." Zarc smirked, llifting his hand and putting his two fingers on the top of his deck before reeling his arm back with the card in hand. "Draw!"
He knew it was over. He had won, hands down. now was his time to relish it all. He didn't even bother to look at what he drew. "Battle!..."
The Synchro dragon let out a mighty roar, one of anticipation. He hated the idea of waiting to end the duel, giving his opponent a chance to come back. Out of all the dragons he couldn't stand it the most.
"Go, Clearwing! End this duel once and for all!" the demon shouted out, and without a hint of hesitation he obeyed. The dragon of clear wings snarled lowly, shooting up into the air at near sound breaking speeds. He flew into the sky, before going for a loop and coming back to earth as he spun his body like a top. Straight for Reji Akaba.
"Trap activate!" Reji suddenly called out, throwing out his hand, much to the king's surprise.
"Huh?"
Before him was a trap. One he had never seen before, him or his split counterparts. A trap card with the image of reality cracked like a mirror. And in the middle, four dragons blown apart from one another. Trembling Chains of Dimensions.
"If there is a monster in either player's banished zones I'm allowed to special summon as many banished monsters as possible to either side of the field!" Akaba declared.
"What?!" Zarc grew wide eyed. There were only four banished monsters, all from him and his extra deck.
"Appear by my side!" the young man called out, as from the image of the massive floating card beside him an endless string of chains shot out into the sky, shooting past the descending servant. As a tear in space formed above them all.
The endless chains dug into the tear into the endless abyss, before retracting itself. In their grasps were four dragons, the originals, the true souls of Zarc's servants. All pulled towards their new master.
Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon: Lv7 [Dragon/Pendulum/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) DARK
Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon: R4 [Dragon/XYZ/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) DARK
Clearwing Synchro Dragon: L7 [Dragon/Synchro/Effect] (2500ATK/2000DEF) WIND
Starve Venom Fusion Dragon: Lv8 [Dragon/Fusion/Effect] (2800ATK/2000DEF) DARK
All four dragons let out a roar, a shriek, a wail of pain and agony. And not from the chains that had them entangled and forced into Reji's servitude. This was not what they wanted. At least, not what they truly wanted. And finally facing their mirrors, the true monsters of this duel, they understood.
And Zarc could feel it. The sorrow of these dragons, sans Starve Venom, having to be consumed by such darkness that only left them seeing red and nothing more. They had become what they feared, hated and resented. They had become puppets to a monster, who only wished for blood in the name of entertainment.
All monsters on the field let out wailing cries, of rage, pain, sorrow. All mixed together towards their original master, or what was left of him.
"Ngrh...I cancel my attack!" Zarc declared, and as per his command his synchro ace stopped, though begrudgingly. The white armored dragon shot back towards his brothers alongside the Supreme King, spinning around to face the former shadows of their last life.
"And I end my turn..." The demon continued with clenched teeth.
But why? Each of these dimensional dragons were weak compared to their Supreme counterparts. From the last duels Zarc was shown to be merciless. So why would he spare these monsters, even his own? Reji had no idea.
But Ray did.
"You can hear them Zarc, I know you can." She started, only getting a growl from the hybrid duelist.
"Shut up..."
"They're suffering! Because of you!"
"Shut UP!" Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs, as the massive black dragon above all of the let out a shrilling echoing roar. In response Odd-Eyes let out a shriek, much like they were actually talking. The other three were quick to follow, letting out shrieks and roars of sorrow. "No, no no! Shut up, shut up shut up!"
He was breaking down, grabbing his head and nearly breaking the skin with his jagged nails. His golden glowing eyes changing. First green, then purple, and then blue.
"Yuzu?...I have to get back to her..."
"Ruri...I promised..."
"Let...me...OUT!..."
"I refuse...to be held down by...you!"
"No! Don't you dare!..." Zarc groaned out, wincing in complete pain. "You are nothing! You are nothing more than my shadow!..."
"No, they aren't!" Ray spoke out. "They are more than that! They're your ideals. Your determination! Your passion, your compassion! They're the best parts of you, Zarc!"
Ray did her best to council the monster infused man, but he wouldn't listen. Everything appeared to be collapsing. His dragons, now pure of his malicious influence had turned on him and his goals, the voices in his head, the counterparts he had imprisoned in his subconscious to make him whole were rebelling.
He was unravelling. Coming undone by himself, his own inferior counterparts.
Zarc let out a wail of pain and agony, both physical and mental, gripping his head hard enough to draw blood, as he heard his former frends' sorrowful howls.
"W-What? What is happening?" Reji stared at the beast in confusion, as the Supreme Dragon let out a near deafening roar.
"It's Yuya!" Ray declared. "And Yuto and Yugo! Even Yuri! They're fighting him the best they can!"
The young silver haired man looked up at the golden spirit above him, before turning right back to his opponent as he struggled to stay together.
"N-No...I'm the one in control!..." The hybrid growled with wide eyes.
"Not when you wanna use dueling to destroy the world!"
"We've come too far to let the world turn to ash again!"
"I'm not anybody's puppet! Got that?!"
"I'd sooner die than be another pawn!"
The massive pitch black mass wailed in agony once more, roaring into the dark cloudy sky.
"But they won't last long. Reji-"
"Understood." Reji nodded, and adjusted his glasses. "It's my move." He spoke firmly, pressing his two fingers on the top of his deck, before pulling it out with vigor.
"I draw!"
This was it. This was the last turn. The one to decide the fate of the universe. The silver haired man stood stoic, looking down at his one card. Crafting an impromptu plan. He had only one shot.
"I activate Starve Venom's effect!" Reji declared, out stretching hand as he pointed across the field to his Fusion monster's counterpart. "Once per turn I can target one monster on your side of the field. Starve Venom's name becomes that monster's, and he gains his effect!"
The venomous monster snarled lowly, its eyes gleaming with malicious intent as the spines from it's back shot out, opening their snake-like jaws wide as they darted towards the opposing monster, clamping onto its Supreme self's torso and shoulder while it roared out in aggression.
"Entrapped Assimilation!" Both venomous dragons roared out, as an eerie aura entangled around him. Before long his vines retracted, and the Fusion ace sneared.
"Starve Venom's new effect!" Reji continued, this time pointing to his own monster. "I can target one monster in either of our field's or graveyards! Starve Venom's name becomes that monster's, and he gains its effect!"
"What?..." Zarc questioned softly, still disoriented by trying to stay together. "Why would he choose Starve Venom just to choose another monster?..."
"I choose the monster in my graveyard!' He called out with a fiery tone. "The Pendulum monster! Doom King Armageddon!"
As he spoke, Stave Venom's devilish aura ceased, and in its absence was a purple fiery power.
"What?!"
"Battle! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon attacks your Supreme Servant Starving Venom!"
Of his command, the dragon of metal wings screeched, stretching its sharp back appendages as electricity began to surge through them. He shot into the air, right towards the opposition as its sword like chin swung head first. "Lightning Disobey!!"
"You fool! You're only hurting yourself!" Zarc spat, while his own ace retaliated, lunging toward the incoming dragon as it charge head first.
Both dragons collided, the XYZ aiming for the heart of the opposing monster. All for not, as the chest of the venomous monster opened up with its massive maw, chomping down on his neck. The sadistic monster wanted his weaker counterparts to suffer. And once the black ray of disobedience dispersed in particles of light, his new master would suffer as well. Comeuppance for daring to got against their ideals.
"Now, reap what you sow!" Zarc smeared. As he spoke, the Supreme Fusion monster swung its out stretching tail, right towards Reji, who was flown back on impact, falling on his back with a pain filled grunt.
Reji: 500 LP - 200 LP
All three remaining dragons turned back to watch their new master as he struggled to get onto his feet, before turning right back to their former, Odd Eyes and Clearwing growling lowly.
Slowly the young man stood up, just barely getting on his feet and outstretching his hand. "Starve Venom's new effect...When a monster I control is destroyed by battle, he gains attack equal to the opposing monsters' that destroyed it!"
"What?!"
"Demon's Deal!" Before them the venomous dragon screeched with hunger, being overtaken with a powerful aura which shrouded him.
Starve Venom: 2800 ATK - 5600 ATK
"Battle!" Reji declared, lining up his most powerful monster's target. "Starve Venom attacks Supreme King Starve Venom!"
The feral jagged maws of the fusion creature opened wide as the beast roared, lunging into the skies as vines stretched and elongated themselves, as purple and red beams of energy formed.
"Starving Pulse!"
"Heh! So what? Even if I take the damage, I'll just obliterate you next turn!" Zarc smirked. "You're just delaying the inevitabl-"
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell!" The silver haired duelist suddenly spouted, lifting the last card in his hand, before slapping it across his headlight blade. "Dark Contract of Mockery!"
"What?' His opponent questioned in confusion.
"By banishing a spell or trap card in either of our graveyards, this card can copy the effect of it for the rest of this turn!" Reji explained. "I banish Concentrating Curcuit!"
"What?"
"I target Starve Venom with its effect!" Reji pointed to the monster above him, as it became engulfed in a golden aura. "He gains Attack equal to his defense points!"
Starve Venom let out a screech of famine as he reeled its head back, allowing this new power to course through him.
Starve Venom: 5600 ATK - 7600 ATK
With that, the demon's eyes widened in horror. Even with the added protection of his servants, he'd be defeated in one move. One improvised move, using his own monster, his own friend against him.
And upon seeing the beams of poisoning lights above him and his slaves, engulfing his venomous demon and cutting through his ace monster, he realized it. He was defeated once more. And now, unlike last time he was all alone.
Zarc: 4600 LP - 0 LP
The fusion monster soon concluded his assault, the energy of his vines dimming while he snarled. His shot hit its mark. straight through the massive ominous dragon before him, and right through its abdomen.
For a moment the battlefield was enshrouded in silence, on both sides, as everyone looked towards the behemoth towering over them. Until suddenly, it began to crack.
The shell of the devil's pet gave way, chipping and breaking apart from the hole within its body, and letting the toxic energy within it seep through.
"No...NNNOOOOO!" The monster roared our pure pain and agony as it reeled its head back, while its servants and former allies roared in response. "YOU PAY FOR THIS AKABA! I'LL RETURN! AND I'LL END YOU ALL!"
Reji stared up as he saw the towering dragon slowly crack and distort. His stoic face concealed his confusion, and he looked up at the spirit. "What's happening?"
"He's breaking apart! He'll split himself into four again!" Ray stated, lowering herself to his side.
"I take it that's not a good thing." Reji questioned, looking ahead.
"If we don't do anything, he'll split the dimensions into four again! And without my counterparts they won't stay in check."
"Then what do we do?" the young CEO turned to the golden glow. He then heard a roar, and turned his attention behind him, to the floating Synchro Dragon. Then to the soft shriek of the T-Rex like Pendulum monster.
"Are you sure?" The golden woman questioned, floating towards the Pendulum monster as he whined lowly. "You'll be bound to his split soul again. He'll intoxicate you again."
To that, Odd Eyes cooed lowly. And she understood, just like Clear Wing. They wanted to see their masters again, to be with them like before. No matter what happens or where they end up, as long as they had them. And her, the only other person that all cared for.
"Okay...Okay..." Ray nodded softly, lifting and placing a gentle hand on Odd Eyes' beak-like snout. She then turned to her little brother, her smile concealed by her luminous aura. "I am so proud of you. Be good to your brother for me."
To that, the young man stood stoic, giving a single nod. It was more than enough.
With that, and a mighty roar of the Synchro Dragon, the spiritual dragons sprung into the air, high into the sky towards the Supreme Dragon, with their Fusion counterpart intercepting to join. Their targets, impacting dead into its chest and going through.
The demon reeled its head back, letting out another mighty roar of agony as its armor continued to degrade and break off.
Inside, the demon struggled. Stuck in everlasting darkness, no one to consuel him. No one to save him. He was truly alone.
And then, suddenly, he heard something. A familiar voice he hadn't heard in so long.
"Zarc!" The woman shouted out from above him, as she fell towards him. The first thing she did once she got close was wrap her arms around his scaly exterior.
"R...Ray..." The monster-like man spoke lowly. His eyes glazed over. He didn't even look up at her. "What...What did I do?..."
The young woman in him just stared, taken aback by the question, and his weak tone for it. He looked so broken, so deject.
Was this what happened to him? After he was torn apart, both mind and soul? Was this the real Zarc? So tired and defested?
"W...Where are we?...Where's little Reji?..."
Those words, they were enough for a tear to form, running down the side of her cheek.
"He's fine...okay?..." Ray smiled softly, putting a gentle hand through his silver hair. "He's really great...Amazing..."
"Heh...When...When do I get to meet him, again?..."
"Soon...I promise." The woman nodded softly. "You'll love him."
Hearing that, the blank stare on his face shifted slightly as his lips struggled to form a weak smile.
"Zarc, look at me..." Ray grabbed gentle hold of his chin. "I'm here for you. And I'm not going anywhere ever again. Okay?"
She didn't get a response. Nor did she need one. As she pressed her forehead against his.
Floating there in the darkness, the woman began to glow, keeping her former friend close to engulf him.
While outside, the Supreme Dragon howled in agony, as a white light engulfed him slowly.
"I'm here for you. We all are."