Prince of the Spirits

by bricann

Ancient gods protect the Forest of Life. And one human was taken in as their own. A bit less than a century later, the now humanoid spirit was forced to a human city. He had to learn to blend in. But he also had to keep the truth about him a secret. A secret which he kept from everyone. But eventually, secrets are forced to come out. And in the end, he will have to say goodbye.

10. His Final Duel

A/N: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF YU GI OH 5DS OR PRINCESS MONONOKE! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS! THE ONLY THING I OWN ARE MY OCS!

Chapter 9: His Final Duel

Yusei looked up in surprise as the new person came down while Lester's duel board and Primo's duel runner drove up alongside Jakob's duel runner. The three vehicles glowed and transformed before combining to create a new duel runner. The new person came down and parts of his body opened and revealed connection ports. An array of wires are sent from the duel runner and connected into the man and combined with his new vehicle and he fired his cards into their slots on the runner.

"Who are you?" Yusei asked in shock.

The new man opened his eyes and said, "I am Aporia, the Guardian of Despair. This is my true form. The Three Pure Nobles were separate aspects of a single being. You are as a duelist as he ascribed you to be. I had predicted that you would topple the Meklord Emperors, and with this, the Grand Design is now close to completion."

"What are you getting at?" Yusei asked.

Aporia ignored his opponent as he began his turn, "I activate Infinite Prison. By discarding Infinity Force, I can take Grand Core from my graveyard and set it as a spell card. I then use the second effect of Infinite Prison; By sending itself to the graveyard, I can take the cards set by its first effect and add them to my hand." Sky Core, Wise Core, and Grand Core were projected out of the Spell and Trap Card Zone and returned to Aporia's hand. "Total despair. A new power stronger than anything you have seen is about to descend. I activate Meklord Emperor Creation!" He threw the three Core cards into the air. "I am sending them to the graveyard to special summon my own ace monster: Meklord Astro Mekanikle (Attack 4000/ Defense 4000)!" In an instant, the Core cards combine and reform into the monster. It was a massive white and gold robot, which fired a beam into the sky causing lightning to appear and strike the city. "Heroes shall witness the power of Meklord Astro Mekanikle, the Devil of Despair! My monster can absorb a synchro monster once per turn, and increasing its attack by that of the absorbed synchro monster." Meklord Astro Mekanikle launched an array of beams at Shooting Star Dragon.

"I activate the effect of Shooting Star Dragon to remove itself from play," Yusei defended.

"I use another one of Mekanikle's effects. It can use the effect of any Meklord Emperor component I discard from my hand. I send Granel Guard 3, allowing Mekanikle to negate the activation of the effect of Shooting Star Dragon," Aporia fought and Yusei's monster was taken by Meklord Astro Mekanikle while the giant robot's attack rose to 7300.

'Not good,' the Signer thought.

"I stand before you as the door to despair. You will come to understand the despair that I have tasted," Aporia told him. "For myself, in order to fight that despair, I came to this era as three separate entities."

"What do you mean by that?" Yusei asked.

"The reason I broke off into the Three Pure Nobles, known as Jakob, Lester, and Primo…" he trailed off before Yusei and the others found themselves back in the future visions.

. . .

They looked to see a dome below them with someone inside. The man looked like Jakob dressed in tattered clothing. "Why did this happen?" the man asked.

"Jakob," Yusei muttered. But she then realized the truth. "No, it's Aporia."

The vision Aporia dropped to his knees. "Is anyone there?"

The present day Aporia began to narrate, "I witnessed the point in history where humanity met its end. I had thought I was the lone survivor and trembled in despair. But then three survivors came up to me: Z-One, Paradox, and Antinomy." Z-One held out his hand to Aporia. "We are the last survivors of this world; and as the only ones who live, we have an important mission to fulfill." The four survivors gathered in a building. Z-One held out his hand next to a stone, causing it to stand. "Our mission was to dispose of the core power of Ener-D, which took out the world, in order to create hope for the future. The four of us father the remainder of that power and sought to find a solution, which could restore mankind and the ruined world. However, that turned out to be reckless and naïve thinking. We performed endless experiments until I was the one of my friends left alive." As he explained this Antinomy and Paradox were seen in capsules with Aporia standing over them and Z-One in a machine. "I had been left alone and powerless again." The vision changed so that now Aporia was in a capsule and Z-One looking over him.

The vision Aporia said, "There is no future here. Z-One, please listen to what I have to say. My soul exists as three embodiments of despair: First, the despair I suffered after I lost those who loved me; Second, the despair I suffered after losing the one I loved; And thirdly, the despair I suffered after having no one left to love. Using the power I possess, I plan to split my soul into these three embodiments of despair. Z-One, use me as your servant. I am confident you will bring back hope and the future."

"I promise to do so," Z-One vowed and Aporia died with that.

. . .

Team 5Ds then returned once again to the current time and location. "Following that, I was reborn as three embodiments of despair. Under the names Lester, Primo, and Jakob, I created Yliaster in order to keep the promise I made to my friends; to prevent the downfall of the future. For that purpose, I plan to eliminate all traces of New Domino City's history. By destroying the source of Ener-D, I will save the future. And I will achieve this through Team New World's victory over Team 5Ds, which will cause the city to perish and the future to change," Aporia finished.

"I don't think so," Yusei disagreed.

"Now that my three embodiments of despair have joined back into one entity, you have no chance of victory. Witness the extent of my power born from despair!" Aporia called and launched a number of beams from his body, which struck and destroyed parts of the city, including a portion of the turbo duel circuit in front of them. The two of them ramped off the broken circuit and onto the road below. Yusei took notice of his wolf mother running along the rooftops, keeping an eye on him.

Yusei looked up to see the building high above. "The only way to stop this is to win the duel," he remarked quietly.

Aporia then said returning his attention to the duel, "Since I have absorbed Shooting Star Dragon, you have no hope left. All that is left is the black pit of despair for you to experience."

As they drove through the streets, Aporia's large duel runner smashed through parked cars, sending them flying and causing citizens to run for cover. 'I need to get somewhere void of citizens,' he thought.

"Mekanikle, attack Yusei directly!" Aporia ordered.

As the attack headed for him, Yusei spotted a young girl up ahead in the middle of the road, crying for her mother. "I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to negate the attack!" he declared while pulling his duel runner to stop in front of the girl. Yusei told the girl, "Get out of here!" She didn't hesitate and once she was a safe distance away, Yusei hurried off. 'I need to lure Aporia into the old BAD area. There's no people to be harmed in that area,' he thought and lured Aporia onto the bridges.

"It is futile," Aporia stated. "I set a card. And when I end my turn, the effect of Mekanikle activates, sending the synchro monster I absorbed to the graveyard and you will be dealt with damage equal to the attack of the synchro monster. With you having 2800 and the attack of Shooting Star Dragon 3300, your demise is inevitable."

"I don't think so," Yusei argued. "This is why. I activate Wild Tornado! This destroys Shooting Star Dragon."

Aporia growled. "I end my turn," he finished.

Yusei drew his card to begin his turn. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2. By removing 7 speed counters, I can draw one card." He drew it. "I summon Salvagent (Attack 300/ Defense 800)! But it's not staying for long. By releasing it, I can negate the effect of a synchro monster in my graveyard and special summon it in defense mode. So I call back, Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)! And due to another effect of Salvagent, it is no longer treated as a synchro monster. With that, I end my turn with two face downs."

Aporia laughed. "You called out a synchro monster by throwing away its effects?" he mocked. "My victory in this duel will bring forth destruction and within that destruction lies the door to a new future."

"There is no way a new future can be born from destruction," Yusei retorted.

"I will prove that it can, through the history Yliaster has created with their own hands." Aporia drew his card. "I use the effect of Speed World 2 to remove 7 speed counters and draw one card, as well. I send Wisel Attack 5 to the graveyard to give its effect to Mekanikle. So my monster can now inflict piercing damage equal to double the difference."

"I still have Scrap-Iron Scarecrow," Yusei reminded him.

"That is useless. Since Wisel Attack 5 has an attack, it prevents the activation of my opponent's trap cards when it attacks," Aporia retorted. "What do you think of the taste of despair?" He then laughed maniacally. "I will emerge victorious next turn and the Grand Design will be complete. When that happens, the limitless amounts of Ener-D will be released and the Divine Temple will appear in order to guide New Domino. The destruction will lead to the start of a new future free of despair!"

'What can I do to destroy Meklord Astro Mekanikle?' he thought.

"We shall go to a new future," Aporia bragged.

Jack and Crow came up and met with Yusei by the duel. "What're you doing here?" he asked knowing both Jack and Crow were still hurt to some extent.

"We've come to join you," Jack told him.

"We still have a battle to finish," Crow added.

"It's too dangerous with you still injured from losing to Jakob," Yusei argued.

"We don't care," Crow told him. "This burden doesn't just belong to you. We should be sharing it."

Yusei nodded slowly. 'Wait, I haven't used the card Jack left for me yet!' he realized. 'Since the cards contain the bonds between the three of us, I can't lose.'

"Meklord Astro Mekanikle, attack that Shooting Star Dragon! Cube of Despair!" Aporia ordered.

"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei called.

"That move is useless as the effect of Wisel Attack 5 negates and destroys trap cards," Aporia stated and his card was destroyed, but that didn't faze Yusei.

"But you forget, you can only destroy one trap card," he reminded my opponent. "I activate the card Jack left for me, Revenge Twin Soul! By removing two synchro monsters in my graveyard from play, Shooting Star Dragon gains defense equal to their combined levels time 100. So I remove Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon, giving Shooting Star Dragon 2000 more defense points (Shooting Star Dragon: Defense 4500). And if the attacking monster's attack is lower than the target monster's defense, the attack monster is also destroyed." Shooting Star Dragon was hit by the blast and deflected it back at Mekanikle.

"I activate the effect of Mekanikle! By removing a Meklord Emperor component in my graveyard from play, I can negate its destruction," Aporia defended. "So I remove Granel Carrier." Mekanikle was saved but he still took damage dropping his life points to 3400. "I must admit, Yusei, you are stronger than I had thought. But resistance is futile. All will still be lost. I set a card face down and end my turn." And because of it, Revenge Twin Soul's effect wore off and returned Shooting Star Dragon's defense to 2500.

"It's time for a counterattack," Crow told Yusei.

Yusei nodded and drew his card. "First I activate the Speed Spell- Angel Baton! This allows me to draw two cards by sending one to the graveyard. And then I activate my face down, Dimension Voyage! This allows me to special summon as many of my removed from play synchro monsters as I can. So I call forth Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon!" he declared and the dragons returned. "The turn those monsters are special special summoned, their effect are negated and cannot attack but are removed from play during the end phase."

"What are you planning to do with monsters that can't attack or use their effects?" Aporia wondered but Yusei ignored him.

"I switch Shooting Star Dragon to attack mode and activate Trust Chain! This allows me to increase the attack of Shooting Star Dragon by the total attack of all synchro monster I control, but prevents synchro monsters from attacking (Shooting Star Dragon: Attack 9600)," he continued.

"You've done it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Our bonds will bring us through despair," Crow added.

"No amount of despair can affect our bonds, which will carve a new future for ourselves," Yusei told them. "Shooting Star Dragon, attack Mekanikle!"

"Have you not realized yet that true despair cannot be beaten so easily?" Aporia asked him. "I activate Banishing Climb! It removes all synchro monsters from play." A hole cracked into the sky which sucked Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon into it before it resealed itself. "And without them, your Shooting Star Dragon returns to 3300 attack."

"I activate the other effect of Trust Chain! By sending it to the graveyard, I can end the battle phase and cancel the attack," Yusei defended and his dragon returned to his side.

Aporia growled. "And that means Banishing Climb's effect wears off as well returning your other pathetic synchro monsters to the field." His friends' other monsters returned to the field. "End your turn quickly, Yusei. How will you deal with true despair?"

Yusei finished, "I set a card face down and end my turn."

"I activate the effect of Mekanikle to equip itself with Red Nova Dragon and gain its attack," Aporia declared and the monster was sucked into the machine while Meklord Astro Mekanikle's attack rose to 7500. "Next I send Granel Top 5 from my hand to the graveyard so my monster can gain its effects. And its effect allows me to absorb another synchro monster, like your Black-Winged Dragon!" Mekanikle's attack sprung up to 10,300. "Watch as I change the future! The victor is already decided. With 10,300 attack, one attack from Mekanikle is enough to end it all and the new future will be realized." He grinned confidently. "So, Mekanikle, attack Shooting Star Dragon!"

"I activate the effect of Guard Master!" Yusei played. "By removing it from my graveyard from play, I can change Shooting Star Dragon to defense mode and make it unable to be destroyed by battle." The attack is deflected from Shooting Star Dragon and hit a nearby building, damaging it.

"I activate another effect of Mekanikle! By sending a synchro monster equipped to it to the graveyard, I can inflict damage to you equal to the attack of that monster. So I send Red Nova Dragon to the graveyard (Meklord Astro Mekanikle: Attack 6800) and deal you 3500 points of damage!" Aporia fought

"I activate Hardship!" the Signer of the Head defended. "This lowers the attack and defense of Shooting Star Dragon to zero, but also lowers the effect damage inflicted by Mekanikle to zero."

"Then I shall use the effect of Mekanikle again, sending Black-Winged Dragon to the graveyard this time," Aporia declared.

'Why would he do that? Hardship will only reduce the damage again,' he wondered. Black-Winged Dragon was sent to the graveyard lowering Aporia's monster back to 4000 attack points. "I activate Hardship once again to prevent that damage."

Once it resolved, though, Aporia called, "I activate Infinite Feast! This reequips Black-Winged Dragon and Red Nova Dragon to Mekanikle and inflicts 600 points of damage per monster to you for each time for each time Mekanikle has been equipped this turn."

"And since the two dragons were equipped during the Standby Phase and End Phase, Yusei will take 2400 points of damage," Jack calculated.

"I really wish Yusei had Black-Winged Dragon to negate that damage," Crow muttered.

"Eat this!" Aporia ordered angrily and the blast hit Yusei hard as his life points fell to 400. Yusei barely managed to regain control of his duel runner after the blast, the pain in his chest from before only worsening. "And now I gain another 600 life points." Aporia's life points returned to a full 4000. And with two synchro monsters equipped, Mekanikle was back to 10,300 attack points. "I end my turn there. Next turn will be when I settle anything."

'With only 400 life points left, if I take anymore damage I'll lose,' he thought worried.

"Don't hesitate, Yusei," Jack told him. "Our bonds are not broken so easily."

"Our bonds will lead us to victory," Crow added.

Yusei looked at his glowing mark. 'I haven't lost hope,' he thought. 'This last card is my find hope. My cards, please answer my call.' The cards glowed and he drew. "I activate the effect of Hardship, destroying it and Shooting Star Dragon."

"Why would you destroy your own monster?" Aporia asked surprised.

"Because it also destroys all equip cards on the field, including Red Nova Dragon and Black-Winged Dragon," she answered and the attack of Mekanikle returned to its original 4000.

"Your field is now empty. You have no way to defeat my Meklord," Aporia told me.

"My turn isn't over. I summon Mystic Piper. And now I release it to draw a card and if that card is a monster, I can draw another," Yusei declared and he drew Sonic Chick, allowing him to draw again saying, "In my hand lies hope. I activate my face down, Ghoul Summoner! This revives a synchro monster destroyed this turn and equips it to this card. So I summon Black-Winged Dragon (Attack 2800/ Defense 1600)!"

"Do you not get it? Synchro monsters are no match for Mekanikle," Aporia asked.

"I activate the other effect of Ghoul Summoner, allowing me to discard one card and revive another synchro monster and take damage equal to its attack," Yusei continued. "And I choose Red Nova Dragon (Attack 3500/ Defense 3000)."

"Are you really going to take that damage?" the opponent wondered.

"Black-Winged Dragon has an effect. It gains one Black Feather Counter and loses 700 attack, but also negates the damage," Crow pointed out and Black-Winged Dragon took the damage while its attack lowered to 2100.

"And Red Nova Dragon gains 500 attack for every tuner monster in the graveyard (Red Nova Dragon: Attack 4500)," Jack added.

"I then use the effect of Ghoul Summoner again. By discarding another card, I can revive Shooting Star Dragon (Attack 3300/ Defense 2500)," he called and Crow's dragon gained another counter while lowering to 1400 attack.

"Summoning three synchro monsters in one turn? Is this the true power of a Signer?" Aporia wondered in shock.

"The despair will be overpowered by hope," Yusei told him. "I then activate the effect of Black-Winged Dragon! By removing the two Black Feather Counters on it, I can reduce the attack of your Meklord Astro Mekanikle by 700 for each and inflict the same damage to you." The attack of Mekanikle and Aporia's life points fell to 2600 while Black-Winged Dragon returned to a normal 2800.

"And now Black-Winged Dragon has enough attack to surpass your monster," Crow pointed out.

"Black-Winged Dragon, attack Meklord Astro Mekanikle! Noble Stream!" Yusei ordered. Aporia's life points fell to 2400, though the opposing member used the effect of Mekanikle to remove a Meklord Emperor component in his graveyard from play, being Granel Guard, to prevent its destruction.

"Take the match, Yusei," Jack told him.

"Red Nova Dragon, attack Mekanikle as well! Burning Soul!" he continued. Aporia's life points fell to 500, but he removed Granel Attack from play to prevent his monster's destruction.

"I… I'm going to lose!" Aporia realized in utter shock.

"Our hope has surpassed your despair," Yusei proclaimed. "Shooting Star Dragon, finish this now! Attack with Stardust Mirage!" His dragon attacked and destroyed Mekanikle and finished off Aporia's life points.

"How could my plan fail?! It couldn't have after coming so far!" Aporia exclaimed devastated. He reached out his hand which suddenly blew up. Jack, Crow, and Yusei pulled over to the side of the road as Aporia's damaged runner sped past them and ramped into the water where it blew to pieces.