Jamira was getting desperate in his cell. He was starting to get hungry and he hadn't seen anyone since he got there. Then he heard something.
"Who's there?" he asked and got up.
Maybe it was someone who would bring him food. He saw the owl appearing the window again.
"Oh, it's just you... Nothing important then." the boy sighed and sat down again.
"O rly?" the bird asked and dropped a key on the floor. Jamira looked it without believing his own eyes.
"I could kiss you!" he yelled and took the key.
"O rly?" the owl asked.
"Not really, forget that." the boy said and unlocked the door.
"Yes, I'm free again!" he said, but went quiet when he saw Malice bringing Kokujo to the cells.
He ran back inside and locked himself in again, hiding the key. He wondered why Kokujo was in such place.
"By the way, you're awfully quiet. Did something happen?" Malice asked carefully since Kokujo hadn't resisted once since the left Zakira.
"None of your business." Ko murmured as a reply.
"Not as I would be interested! I just thought that... Ack, never mind." the girl said, irritated by Ko's cold impression.
But she knew something had happened.
When they came to Jamira's cell, Kokujo was hardly able to believe his eyes.
"Why are YOU here? I thought that a perfect coward like you would be as far from a place like this as possible." Kokujo wondered aloud.
"I got... lost. And then she brought me here by Zakira's order." Jamira explained.
Kokujo looked at Malice.
"I should have guessed. Just a mindless puppet without her own will, following others' orders." he said quietly.
"Excuse me! Apologize at once or I'm not gonna help you!" the girl said angrily.
The boys looked at her surprised.
"Why would you help us?" Kokujo asked.
He didn't trust Malice after what she had done before. After all, she was working for Zakira.
"Because I don't wanna be a mindless puppet who only follows the orders." she replied and looked seriously at Kokujo.
He didn't answer.
"Just wait a second and I'll get you out." she said to Jamira.
"That's fine, I have a key on my own." he replied and unlocked the door himself.
Others just looked at him surprised. Then they left the prison looking for a clear way out.
Meanwhile at Zakira's command chamber, the man stood on his own throne and took out a microphone which he used to call out his minions. In a few minutes Peeskwhy Perfect ran into the room, followed by Bura and Toto.
"Why did you call us, Zakira-sama?" Peeskwhy asked.
Zakira took out of his red jacket's pockets a book with some papers and maps.
"This is Kokujo's info regarding the location of Dorballom."
"What?!" the others exclaimed.
"I did your own work, you useless slaves!" Zakira got up and scolded them, his fierce glare instilling fear into the trio.
"Please, Zakira-sama, forgive us!" Bura bowed along with the other two and begged.
"Bura, Peeskwhy, Toto, get up at once!" Zakira ordered, disgusted of their pathetic attitudes.
In the very next moment the three were up on their feet and standing straight as if they were in the army. Zakira threw some dark green rays from his hand upon them.
"Wha-what's happening Zakira-sama?" a scared Toto asked.
"I gave you a new power. Now whenever you win a duel and todomeda your opponent, you will 'delete' him or her!"
"Delete?" they asked in unison.
"By deleting someone you will stuck them into a green stone. Only duelists with powerful spirits can escape the stone, but even if they escape, if they ever duel again their life energy will be sucked by green marks which will appear on their skin."
"This is awesome!" they all yelled happily.
Then Zakira walked to them and handed Peeskwhy and Bura two decks.
"Bura, this deck is the deck I wanted to give to White, but since we don't have him anymore in our ranks, I am giving it to you. Peeskwhy, you will have the honor of using a copy of my deck."
"Thank you, Zakira-sama!" the little kids said while admiring the decks.
"Have fun deleting!" the man wished them and then he sat back on his throne.
Meanwhile in a dark corridor, Kokujo, Jamira and Malice where wandering.
"So Malice, where is Zakira's room?" Kokujo asked her.
"At the end of the next hallway, but there are lots of security cameras and I don't want to be discovered as a traitor yet, so I will disappear into the darkness. See you at Zakira's room!" Malice said and in the next moment she became one with the shadows.
Like I need your help." Kokujo whispered while walking towards the hall.
"Wait for me!" Jamira shouted and ran after him.
They walked down the final corridor and when they reached the entrance to Zakira's room, Peeskwhy and Bura appeared in front of them with the two glowing decks.
"We challenge both of you to a duel!" the kids yelled.
Kokujo and Jamira looked at each other and then they both nodded and accepted. Thus it was Kokujo VS Bura and Jamira VS Peeskwhy.
"And now Vortex Evolution!" Peeskwhy announced. "Necrodragon Guljeneraid and Dorvolan, the Battle Attacking Dragon Rider, evolve into Zero Phoenix, Phoenix of Darkness!"
The dark brown Dragon and the mechanical red armored Dragon both fused together and turned into a purple Phoenix-like bird with two sharp swords in its paws.
"Oh shit, I'm in danger." Jamira thought and gulped at the sight of the menacing Phoenix.
"Ike, Zero Phoenix, send two of his shields to the graveyard!" the child ordered and the Phoenix screeched and used its weapons to slash off two of the red haired boy's shields, the cards falling into his graveyard. "Boy, Zakira-sama's deck is just too good!"
The shields that Jamira lost were Aqua Surfer and Demon Hand, whose shield triggers he could not use because they were sent to the graveyard instead of his hand. Drawing his next card, he said:
"Yes, I have one more chance!"
Peeskwhy raised an eyebrow when he heard such claims. Jamira gloriously raised a card in the air and placed it upon one of his Water cards, saying:
"I evolve Emeral into Rohmer, Super-Electro Ghost! While Rohmer is in the battle zone, all of my Cyber Lords and Hedrians can't be blocked and get +2000 power. Also, I summon Bloody Earring. Next I tap Battleship Man and turn all my creatures into double breakers. Ike, Rohmer, double break his shields!"
Peeskwhy took cover from the shards that came from his broken shields.
"Super Trash Train, Fuuma Devil, double break his shields!" Jamira ordered and the red train flew through two of the kid's shields, taking them down as well, the cat-faced boy looking angrily at him since he had received no shield trigger. "Train Man, break his last shield!" a third attacking command came from the snake boy and the red locomotive looking creature pierced his opponent's last shield as well.
"Shield trigger!" the exasperated Peeskwhy shouted, relieved to see that finally something came to his rescue. "I cast Demon Hand, destroy Sand Man!"
"Shit, I can't finish him this turn." Jamira thought and then said. "Turn end."
Meanwhile at Kokujo VS Bura, the Black Death had Deklowaz's Brooch crossed with Demonic Protector, as well as Deathblood, Mysterious Demon crossed with Quake Staff. If Bura wanted to win, he had to think his moves carefully.
"I summon Julius, Thunder Elemental. And now Auzesu, double break his shields!" Bura ordered and the green armored demon swung its sword and slashed away two of his opponent's shields.
"Shield trigger!" Kokujo announced. "I summon Aqua Surfer, send Julius back to your hand. Then I cast Demon Hand and destroy Auzesu!"
"Darn! I end."
"My turn, I summon Maxval, Electro-Fuuma and Super Trash Train, Fuuma Devil. Ike, Deathblood, break his shield! Then, Deklowaz's Brooch, break his shield! And then…"
"Shield trigger, I cast Demon Hand, destroy Aqua Surfer!" Bura said and the demonic hands crushed the potential attacker that would have harmed more of his shields.
"I draw a card thanks to Trash Train." Kokujo announced.
"My move, I summon Julius again and then I also summon Murmur, Apostle of the Formation!"
"I summon Melnia, the Aqua Shadow and then I evolve Quake Staff into Tsunami Catastrophe!" Kokujo said and the new cross gear he put out shined with a bright light as he laughed maniacally. "Now Deathblood has 7000 power and the race Demon Command added, plus he has a very special effect that I'll now show you! Ike, Deathblood, break his shield!"
"Block it, Murmur!" the scared Bura reacted.
"Now you will discard two cards from your hand and I'll draw two cards!" the long haired one announced and watched how the child helplessly lost Queen Alcadeias, Holy Gaia and Magic Bullet – Glory Gate while he himself drew three cards. "I draw one more because of Trash Train's effect. Now ike, Deklowaz's Brooch, break his shield!"
"Shield trigger, Super Spark!" Bura showed the Light card, somewhat relieved. "Tap all his creatures! My turn, I summon Bloody Shadow, Mystic Light Death Knight and Auzesu, the Demonic Holy Spirit! Ike, Julius, destroy his Trash Train and his effect will also destroy your Tsunami Catastrophe! Also, Auzesu's effect will destroy your Melnia as well! I end my turn."
"Grr, I have to find a way to resist." Kokujo thought, after which he did his turn. "I summon one more Maxval and then I summon Fuuma Garmagias and Gal Volf, Dark Wolfblade! When I put Gal Volf in the battle zone, I choose a race and then look at your hand. If I find a creatrue with the race I chose, then you will discard that card and I will send one of your shields to the graveyard as well. So I choose Angel Command!"
"What the…" the surprised Bura uttered as the cards from his hand revealed themselves.
Between them there was an Alphadios Lord of Spirits which is an Angel Command, and as such Kokujo discarded and Bura lost one more shield which was Demon Hand.
"Heh, loser, no one can beat me that easily!" Kokujo declared. "Ike, Deklowaz's Brooch, break final shield!"
"Block it, Bloody Shadow!"
"Since Deklowaz's Brooch was destroyed, you"ll discard two cards and I'll draw a card. Deathblood, break his final shield!"
"Shield trigger, I cast Magic Bullet – Arcadia Egg, destroy Fuuma Garmagias!"
"What the…" a surprised Kokujo reacted.
"Then since I have both Glory Gate and Arcadia Egg in my graveyard, I put Nero Gryphis, Mystic Light Emperor from my hand in the battle zone for no cost!" Bura said and an imposing purple armored angel appeared in the battle zone. "My turn, I summon Bloody Shadow, Mystic Light Death Knight and Bega, Vizier of Shadow. Bega's effect will give me one more shield and you'll discard a card from your hand. Now Nero Gryphis, double break his shields!"
"Block it, Maxval! My turn, I cross Deathblood with Demonic Protector and make him a Demon Command once again. Then I evolve Deathblood into Ballom Emperor, God of Demons!"
"Heh, I won't lose any creatures since they're all ."
"Then I cross Maxval with Demonic Protector. Ballom Emperor, destroy Nero Gryphis!"
"Block it, Bloody Shadow! Haha, I now activate Nero Gryphis' effect. Whenever one of my Knights is destroyed, I may cast a shield trigger spell or a spell with cost 6 or less from my hand for no cost. I cast Demon Hand and destroy Gal Volf!" Bura said and the demonic hands grabbed the red wolf demon with four swords and tore it to pieces. "My move, I summon Murmur and now Nero Gryphis has 10000 power! Nero Gryphis, destroy Ballom Emperor!"
"Block it, Maxval! And thanks to Demonic Protector, I draw a card. And now it's my turn again I evolve Ballom Emperor into Ballom, God of Demons!" Kokujo exclaimed and the two headed grey demon grew in size and became its previous blue skinned incarnation with just one head. "Ballom's effect destroys Murmur and now nothing can defend your creature anymore! Ballom, destroy Nero Gryphis!"
Bura watched with annoyance how the demon and angel battled and in the end the dark one triumphed by using its purple hand-lasers to take down its foe. That was yet another trump card biting the dust. His deck was strong, but it simply did not hold to par with Kokujo's persistent removal.
But it was not over yet. Bura couldn't lose, not after everything that happened. All of a sudden a memory flashed in his mind. The orphanage, the loneliness, the mean children on the playground, the even meaner women who mistreated him, that fateful day when the kind-hearted Zakira rescued him from that place, and ever since then he had offered his life to him as a sign of gratitude. Yes, he could not let down his master.
"I evolve Bega into King Alcadeias, Holy Gaia!" Bura said and a green-armored golden angel with a purple cape appeared in the battle zone. "As long as King Alcadeias is in the battle zone, whenever you put into the battle zone creatures that aren't multicolored, they're sent to the graveyard!"
"Tsh…" Kokujo spat.
"King Alcadeias, double break his shields!" Bura ordered and the King put both hands on his chest and fired a light beam from them which pierced through two of his opponent's shields.
"I could easily get rid of that King Alcadeias with Ballom, but he's just trying to stall for time in order to get out another finisher and win. I have to defeat him now!" Kokujo thought upon drawing his next card, after which he spoke. "I cast Grudge Gathering! This spell's effect lets me destroy one of your creatures that costs equal or less to the number of cards in my graveyard. I have 12 cards in my graveyard and how fortunate it is that your King Alcadeias costs 7, no?"
"Oh no…"
"Die, King Alcadeias, ahahaha!"
The mighty angel disappeared in a huge explosion as Kokujo laughed his lungs out with great satisfaction.
"Next I summon Bloody Earring and cross it with Demonic Protector. Ike, Ballom, break his final shield!" Kokujo ordered and the demon fired a beam from its hands which broke into pieces the last standing shield of the child.
"I… I summon Gregorias, Mystic Light Death Saint and return Nero Gryphis to my hand. Greogiras is a 3000 powered blocker, so that means that you can't defeat me yet. Also, next turn you'll say hello to Nero Gryphis again!"
Returning to the other duel, it was Peeskwhy's turn.
"I summon Fuuma Vines and with its effect I destroy your Bloody Earring. Also, I summon Cocco Lupia and Vortex Evolution, I evolve both into a second Zero Phoenix!"
Much to Jamira's dismay, another Phoenix emerged.
"Oh crap…" the snake duelist uttered in shock.
"My first Zero Phoenix, send his last shields to the graveyard!" Peeskwhy said and Jamira watched in disappointment how Phantom Dragon's Flame and Roulette Beam both went to his graveyard. "My second Zero Phoenix, todomeda! And now I shall delete you!"
"Jamira, run!" Kokujo yelled at him.
But before the red haired boy could do what he was told to, the giant dark phoenix hit him hard and had him float in the air as Peeskwhy fired a green beam from his hand which froze him into a dark green stone. The child then laughed evilly upon his victory.
"If I don't defeat Bura, I'm next." Kokujo thought and then he turned to his own duel. "He has no more shields and just that Gregorias blocker to stop me. Next turn he'll summon Nero Gryphis, so I'll have to finish him now, or else!"
In the next moment he drew his card and betrayed a smile. He then spoke to his opponent:
"I summon Aqua Surfer!"
"Oh no!" the scared Bura gasped.
"Aqua Surfer, send Gregorias back to his hand! And now, Ballom, put him out of his misery, todomeda!"
The demon formed a giant dark sphere of energy which it tossed upon the child. Right before the impact, Bura uttered:
"Zakira-sama, forgive me for failing you…"
And thus an explosion followed.
Peeskwhy quickly entered in Zakira's command room while Kokujo went to the stone where the frozen Jamira lied. He then shouted at it:
"Jamira, are you alright? Say something!"
"He was deleted." Malice informed him as she came out of the shadows.
"Is there any way to save him?" Kokujo asked him, a hint of concern coming out of his voice.
"I'm afraid he can't escape it if his spirit isn't strong enough. The only solution I can think of is defeating Zakira." the girl concluded.
"Then let's go!" the boy replied and turned his attention to the door in front of them.
Inside, Peeskwhy kneeled in front of his master's throne and informed him of what was going on.
"Zakira-sama, Bura is dead."
"Like it matters." Zakira coldly replied. "You shall be rewarded, Peeskwhy, and I shall give you half of my own power and make you my second in command if you defeat Kokujo!"
"Thank you so much, Zakira-sama, I will not fail you!" the child replied, trying to hide the grief he felt for his partner.
"Kaakakakaka, Zakira-sama, we are reaching the cave near Western Ohio!" Toto reported.
"The notes here say something about some kind of weird writing on a cave wall. Hm, interesting. Toto, prepare your deciphering machine!" Zakira ordered.
"Understood, Zakira-sama!" the clown enthusiastically replied.
"Also, fly faster to the cave!" another other came.
"Don't worry, in half an hour we shall be there!" Toto said while pushing buttons.
Little did our heroes know that during their little duels with Zakira's henchmen, Toto had turned the castle into an UFO that was heading to the coordinates given by the notes.