The heat of the morning sun is almost unbearable, but I don't move from my spot. I sit on top of the temple overlooking the Nazca plains. I stare at the dragon iconography adorning the temple. I recognise it from some research. Some people believed that the legend of the Crimson Dragon was connected to the god Quetzalcoatl from the religion native to this region. It would make sense, using the Crimson Dragon to keep the spirits of the Earthbound Immortals locked away. Could they ever come back? That question has been asked many times since we arrived here. A part of me says yes. The spirits call out to me, yearning to be free. I feel as if at any moment the spirits will break free from the ground and drag me down with them. I do my best to ignore it. I've noticed that Yusei is starting to get anxious. I know it's because of me. I should probably go back inside. The sun will be overhead soon, and I really don't want to be outside for that. I ain't getting sunburned. Max stands at the bottom of the steps as I walk down. I pat the top of his head as I pass him.
"What? The monsters that Max used in his duel against Jack aren't in his deck?" Yusei says as I enter the cottage.
"It was bugging me, so I looked at Max's deck." Bommer explains.
"Are you sure that was his deck?" I ask as their attention turns towards me.
"Yeah, Max only has one deck."
"That's strange." Yusei's brow furrows. "What did Max say?"
"He says that he remembers dueling Jack, but…" Bommer trails off. "Max doesn't remember what happened during the duel."
"Bommer, can I ask you something?" Yusei begins. "Why did you want Max to duel Jack? Max is only a child. Even if he managed to deal one serious blow, Jack's overwhelming power would've defeated him. So why?"
"I don't know myself." Bommer sighs.
"You don't know?" I raise an eyebrow.
"I thought my dream was a premonition." He explains. "I wanted Jack to realise that he trusted his power too much. That's why I wanted Jack to duel. But why Max?"
"Why did you invite us? Why Jack?" Yusei questions.
"Because I had that dream." Bommer answers.
"Why did you think Jack was going to die when you had that dream?" I ask, cutting to the heart of it. I've looked into the meaning of prophetic dreams. Dreams that directly foresee the future often have another meaning to them. My dreams are warnings of what will happen if I continue as I am.
"I don't know." Bommer suddenly goes quiet, head turning slightly.
"Bommer?" I ask. His eyes glaze over as I feel the stinging feeling return to my temples. Bommer shoves his hands on the table, standing up. "Bommer." I repeat.
"Crimson Devil…" He mutters. "Was I being used?"
"What do you mean?" I question. The room suddenly darkens as I hear a clap of thunder. My eyes widen as I feel the spirits in the earth tremble. We run to the temple.
"Max! What happened?" Bommer asks as we reach Max, still standing at the foot of the temple.
"Jack... Jack disappeared!" Max points to the top of the temple. We walk up the steps. The floor where I had just sat has collapsed in, revealing a staircase leading underground.
"What's going on? We built this temple by stacking rocks. Why is there a cave inside?" I feel a strange energy radiating from the staircase, as if the spirit resting underneath the temple burst through the stone.
"Did Jack go inside?"
"There's only one way to find out." I say as I start walking down.
"This wasn't here when we were building the temple." Bommer explains as we walk.
"This wasn't created by nature. Someone built this." Yusei responds.
"That means someone led me, Max and Jack to this place." I pick up my pace as Bommer talks. It's faint, but I sense Jack's aura. It feels as if the spirit is engulfing his aura.
"There's a light up ahead." I say, prompting them to start running too. We stop when the stairs enter a cavern. Jack stands in the center of the room, below us. He has a duel disk ready, I look across from him. A spirit who's body is made of fire stands in front of an altar, ready for a match.
"Jack!" I shout, running fast.
"Don't interfere!" The spirit shouts, stamping his foot. This causes the cavern to start rumbling. Rocks fly around Jack, cutting a podium for him to stand on as everything else falls away. The stairs in front of me start to collapse beneath my feet. Yusei pulls me by the arm towards him onto stabler ground. The flame spirit cackles, shooting a purple beam of light in our direction. It hits the steps we just came down. They fall away into the pit of lava below, leaving us stranded.
"Oh no! The exit! Jack!" Yusei shouts. His words seems to knock Jack out of some kind of trance. This causes the flame to laugh. Its hand moves, conjuring another beam of light. I see it move towards Yusei. I push Yusei back on the steps, taking the blow straight to the torso.
"Yuuka!" I hear Yusei and Jack shout. The force of the blow knocks me into the wall. My entire body tenses up as the purple energy seeps into me. Fire spreads through my chest and down my limbs. The air suddenly feels thin. I feel Yusei's hand on my arm, his face moving into my vision.
"Jack, the Crimson Devil's spirit used Max and me to bring you here." I hear Bommer shout as my vision starts to give out. I start trembling. Yusei's hands move quickly, as he starts to panic. I hear voices talking in my head.
"It's too late. The contractual ritual has already begun." The spirit's voice explains. The dark energy spreads through my limbs. My hands start shaking violently. I hear Yusei repeating my name over and over.
"Our agreement is void!" Jack shouts back.
"That's not allowed! If you win this ritual, I'll give you power. But if I win... Your body will belong to the Crimson Devil." My breath starts catching in my throat. My vision completely gives out. "By taking over Jack Atlas's body, the Crimson Devil will resurrect after a ten thousand year slumber. You will be sacrificed for this ritual."
Pitch black darkness. I hear a voice cackling, followed by indistinguishable whispers. I turn around, looking for the source. Nothing. I look back and find a small purple flame lit in the distance. I start walking towards it as it starts growing. It flies past me, my hair moving in the breeze. My eyes widen. I start turning around in circles as the fire creates a familiar pattern. I hear a shriek as I'm being pulled backwards. Everything goes black for a split second before the flames return. I turn around to face my demon. Earthbound Immortal Hawa Lluta. Its wings flap. The force of it sends my hair flying back. It stops, resting in front of me. It lowers its beak to me. I instinctively reach out to touch it. But I stop myself. That's what it wants. I clench my fist to stop my hand from shaking. Hawa Lluta raises its head. Its long beak stopping just short of my throat. If I stepped any closer, it would most likely pierce it.
"What are you going to do?" I hear a voice behind me, turning around to find the source. I find a copy of myself, dressed in my Dark Signer robes.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"You're in Nazca, home of the Earthbound Immortals." She looks at me as if it should explain itself. I look back at her, wide eyed. She sighs. "You can stop this." She points at Hawa Lluta behind me. "For good."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know." She stares at me, completely deadpan. "Use your imagination."
"Right."
"It's the only way you'll be able to save him."
"What?"
"You heard me. If you want to save Yusei Fudo from certain death, I suggest you get rid of this demon so you can focus on saving him." Her tone is harsh. "That's always been your problem. You're too backwards looking. There's a future for you and you waste it looking back. Unlike me."
"Unlike you?" She disappears in an instant. I turn back to look at Hawa Lluta. Soft noises emerge from it, it's almost completely still. I take a deep breath. The whispers in the distance grow stronger. Images keep flashing in my mind. Kiryu's thin face illuminated by multicoloured light. The look of betrayal on Yusei's face as I lowered my hood. Hawa Lluta shrieking above me before it attacked. The attack that left a scar on Yusei. The look of sorrow on Yusei's face before I died again. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My hand reaches out, but not for Hawa Lluta. A chill spreads through my body. I feel it manifest in my hands.
"Trishula." Its name falls from my mouth. One of Trishula's heads presses against my hand. "Finish this." Trishula steps back and lowers all of its head, I lower mine in response. It turns to face Hawa Lluta, necks stretched out. It roars before conjuring a blast of ice. Hawa Lluta shrieks as it takes the attack. The force of the attack pushes it into the flames. It cries, calling out for me. I can do nothing as the fire consumes it. It slowly fades from existence, the flames going with it.
"The contractual ritual is nearing the final chapter!" I can barely hear the voice of the flame spirit over the rumbling of the cavern.
"Yuuka." I hear Yusei call me. I jump slightly as I realise that he has me in my arms. I mean, any other time, I would be happy to be in his arms.
"Yusei." I smile, letting him know that I'm okay. He lets me stand, keeping an arm around my waist. There's an explosion, spurting rocks everywhere. Yusei pulls me closer to him. A giant red hand stretches out of the altar. Rocks tumble down from the ceiling of the cavern as a bright light shines from the altar.
"It's now time for my master, the Crimson Devil, to resurrect!" The flame shouts as more explosions sound. The wall behind the altar falls, revealing a large yellow eye.
"That's Scarlet Nova, the Crimson Devil!" Yusei exclaims. Scarlet Nova moves like it's too big for that small space and it's ready to burst free,
"Jack Atlas, my master says that you have no cards in your hand or deck that can defeat me!" The flame cackles as the stairs start rumbling beneath my feet. Yusei grabs my hand as he starts running back up the stairs, away from edge.
"Yuuka! Yusei! Bommer! Max!" Jack shouts over to us.
"They will be ritually sacrificed, and the sounds of their agonising death will be the climax!" The flame cackles as he points at us. Yusei hides me behind him in case it launches another attack.
"I won't let you do that!" Jack exclaims as his fist clenches. "My irreplaceable friends support me! Even if my body and soul burn out, I will protect them!"
"What are you talking about? The battle is over! Their sacrifices and your body belong to my master, the Crimson Devil!" I hear the Crimson Devil roar as red light flashes out from the altar.
"My soul won't let that happen! You forgot that my soul is coming back!" Jack's fist starts to glow bright red against his chest. "Red Daemon's Dragon resurrects during his Standby Phase." Fire erupts behind Jack. "Red Daemon's Dragon lights my soul!" The fire takes the shape of Red Daemon's Dragon.
"Red Daemon's Dragon won't be able to resist the Crimson Devil!" The flame shouts back, taunting him.
"I can feel the pulse of my soul!" The bright light turns into fire.
"That's…" The flame spirits says in a state of shock.
"My rugged soul!" Red Daemon's Dragon glows red.
"Burning Soul! Jack has the power of the legendary man." Yusei exclaims. I must have missed this conversation while I was out.
"My turn!" Jack declares.
"I won't let you!" The spirit shouts as the Crimson Devil roars. This causes parts of the ceiling to collapse, heading straight for Jack.
"Jack!" Max shouts.
"This is…" Yusei says as his Signer mark lights up. The Crimson Dragon appears, bathed in a soft red light.
"Quetzalcoatl!" Max finishes.
"The Crimson Dragon." I mutter.
"In this land, we worship the guardian god, Quetzalcoatl." Bommer explains as the Crimson Dragon shrieks.
"Red Daemon's Dragon that was removed from play by Synchro Soldier resurrects during this Standby Phase(ATK:3000)!" Jack declares. "When a Synchro Monster is on my field, I can Special Summon the Tuner Monster, Creation Resonator(ATK:800)! Next, I summon the Tuner Monster, Attack Gainer(ATK:0)! Tuner Monsters Level 1 Attack Gainer and Level 3 Creation Resonator double tune Level 8 Red Daemon's Dragon!"
"Two Tuner Monsters?" Bommer questions.
"You're allowed to Synchro like that?" I mutter.
"The person with Burning Soul gains the Crimson Dragon's power and creates miracles." Yusei turns to me. Jack puts his fist to his heart as it glows red.
"My rugged soul! I'll use its power to seal the Crimson Devil again!" His hand reaches for the sky and a card appears in his hands.
"What's going on? No way!" The spirit exclaims as the Crimson Devil disappears.
"Crimson Devil, I'll take all of your power! The King and The Devil, here and now, shall become as one. A Raging Spirit! Lift up the very cries of Creation itself! Synchro Summon! Come Forth, Scarlet Nova Dragon(ATK:3500)!" The light that was once the Crimson Devil merges with Red Daemon's Dragon, creating a new monster.
"Impossible…" The spirit says in disbelief. "You subdued my master, the Crimson Devil."
"I activate Scarlet Nova Dragon's effect! For every Tuner Monster in my graveyard, it gains 500 attack points! There are four Tuner Monsters in my graveyard! Therefore, Scarlet Nova Dragon gains 2000 attack points, making it 5500(ATK:3500-5500)!"
"No way... How dare you do that when I have no master!" The spirit shouts back at Jack.
"I'll show you my power! I used various strategies to gain ultimate power! This is my soul for my new battle technique! Scarlet Nova Dragon attacks Abyss Ruler Mictlancihuatl! Burning Soul!" The statue standing at the altar crumbles and fall onto the spirit. The stairs crumble beneath my feet, Yusei grabs me by instinct. I hear the Crimson Dragon roar. I close my eyes as we start to fall.
I'm thrown, meeting solid ground. I open my eyes on impact. I look at the remains of what was the temple. Rocks are littered all around us.
"The Crimson Dragon…" Yusei mutters. I look up to the sky as the Crimson Dragon flies up into the parting of the clouds. It must have saved us. We look at ones of the dragons that adorned what was the temple which landed besides us.
"Quetzalcoatl." I correct.
The spirits in the earth seemed to have calmed. Their calls have been silenced. Hawa Lluta's spirit seems fainter than ever. I suppose it's for the best. The Earthbound Immortals should stay locked beneath the ground, influencing nobody from their final resting place. Bommer gives me a small fragment of the stone from the destroyed temple. It bares the face of Quetzalcoatl. It should warn off bad dreams, he said. This temple was visited by the Crimson Dragon itself, that must account for something.
"Yusei, Jack and Yuuka, please come again." Bommer says as we prepare to set off.
"Yeah, we will." Yusei responds.
"You must be kidding! I've had enough with the occult!" Jack's comment gets a chuckle from Bommer.
"Jack, that's a lie and you know it." I laugh even though I know that spells out bad news for us. Vanquishing Hawa Lluta in that vision of me makes me feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
"I'll keep believing in my deck! As long as I believe, I can create a deck that rivals the King's!" Max pumps his fist.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it!" Jack smiles. "Someday, we'll battle using your trusted deck. I'll come here just for that!" For a second, I imagine Jack with his own kids. As much as he would deny it, he has a soft spot for kids deep down.
"Until next time." Yusei says before we set off. "Jack. The Crimson Dragon may have been the one who brought you to this land." Maybe, as strange as it sounds, the Crimson Dragon brought me to this land too. Is Yusei truly is fated to die, wouldn't the Crimson Dragon try to stop it? It has granted Yusei and Jack with Clear Mind and Burning Soul. They've pleaded to defeat Yliaster with this power. Maybe I should find my own way to fight. I won't stand by and watch Yusei walk to his death. Not if I have anything to say about it.
I've been home for maybe ten minutes and I'm already banging on the door of the Izayoi house. Crow told us that Aki had been discharged from the hospital. It seemed he was telling me while the other guys just happened to be there. Crow had seen her when she woke up, she was in a bad state. Not that she suddenly lost memories or whatever soap opera plot, but emotionally.
Her parents let me in. They seem nervous, despite everything seeming fine. Aki is perfectly fine physically except for some headaches, which I imagine are normal. I go up to her room alone. I don't take in the views of her exquisitely decorated house. I gently tap on Aki's door. I hear her mumble through the door, so I open it slowly.
"Oh, hello." Aki sits up a little straighter in the bed as I go into the room, closing the door behind me.
"Hey, how you doing?" I ask, moving the chair by her desk closer to the bed.
"I'm doing good, I guess," she sighs, "It's a bit hard to move without being in pain, there's headaches, but I could be a lot worse. Is this how you felt when you crashed?"
"Something like that," I answer, "My advanced healing probably helped."
"That's true." She places her hands in her lap and stares at the wall.
"What's up?" I lean forward in the chair. "I know you. There's something going on." Aki glances at me from the corner of her eye before moving her gaze back to the wall.
"My powers vanished."
"What?"
"They vanished," she takes a deep breath, "before I crashed, I tried to use my powers and I couldn't. I wanted to summon a monster. But I couldn't. I fazed right through the hologram and crashed." Aki starts to speak faster and faster before stopping herself.
"Why would your powers…" I rake my brain for something, but I only make myself more confused.
"I don't know." There's something desperate to her voice.
"Your powers were linked to your emotions, like mine. But unlike me, you seem to have that under control. Could that be it?"
"Maybe," she sighs again, "I just feel so helpless. Being a psychic is who I've been for so many years now, that it feels strange just not being one. That my powers have just disappeared."
"I know, it's okay," I reach out for her hand, "but you're still a psychic. You have an aura, you're still one of us. My powers disappeared once when I lost control. It's happened before and it can happen again. We just need to face this together."
"It's not okay, Yuuka." Her hands fly up to her face. "I'm scared and I don't know what to do." I shush her in an attempt of calming her down. "It's like my whole identity has been taken away from me."
"It will never been taken away from you." I assure her. "You're a psychic, no matter what. Please don't forget that. Your powers will come back, mine did too. I processed my feelings and they came back naturally. I think you need to do the same. There's a lot going on, and I think we all need to sit down and think about things. Panicking isn't going to help us now."
"You're right." Her hand moves to her arm, where her pyjama top covers her Signer mark. "I'm a psychic. I've been through too much to call myself anything else." She moves her hand again, this time closer to mine.
"Come on," I put my hand over hers, "You can't let this get you down." She smiles at me, and I can't help but smile back.