Kokusho: Wake up.

Volcaniclord: Five minutes mom.

Kokusho: WAKE UP. THE STORY IS GOING TO START.

VL: No more tuna. I'm full

Kokusho: this guy is supposed to be my creator. How lame. All right. I'll do it. Volcaniclord doesn't how Yu-gi-oh. You know the drill by now.

Declaration of war

The gang had come back from the battle opposing Yusei and Rudger. The dark signers had escaped, but it was only a matter of time before they would meet again. Their nemesis challenged them. They would answer. But for now, they had to get their strength back. The duel had left them exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

(Flash-back)

The battle had reached his peak. Martha's death had set the soul of Yusei and his friends on fire. Following the advice of Jack and Kokusho, Yusei decided to drop all form of defence and went on the offensive and summoned his ace monster, Stardust Dragon. After finding the weakness of the Earthbound God, Yusei ordered his dragon to go for Rudger directly. But the dark signer was ready. Using a trap card, he blocked the attack and created even more defensive monsters. Unwilling to give up, Yusei decided to continue the battle. But Rudger had something else in store for the signer.

Using his dark powers, he switched his place in the duel with one of Yusei's friends, a boy named Rally. And since it was a shadow duel, the loser would be absorbed by the black mist. Although the boy looked like he was duelling for winning, Kokusho saw through his plan, by listening to the sound of his voice. A sad, but determined sound, like someone who had accepted his destiny.

-No, said Kokusho, his eyes wide open.

-What, asked Mikage, worried.

-He doesn't want to win. He wants to die.

Down there, Yusei had arrived to the same conclusion. He desperately tried to convince Rally to change his decision, but it was futile. Using both the power of the Earthbound God Uru and his own cards, he managed to destroy the behemoth and reduce his life points to zero, ending the duel with Yusei's victory. After saying his final goodbye, the boy turned to black sand and vanished. Yusei's scream echoed inside the heart of everyone that was present. Then, the five dark signers suddenly appeared in front of them, challenging them to the final showdown. With fire in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts, the signers and their friends decided that they would fight.

(end flash-back)

And so, the group was preparing for the duel of their lifetime. It was decided that they would go when the morning would come. Each signer would go to a specific control tower that keeps the doors of the underworld open and where the dark signers would be waiting. Yusei would fight Kiryu of the giant, Aki and Mikage would face Misty of the lizard, Ruka, Rua and Ushio decided to go after Demark of the monkey, the one who had the dragon of Ruka and Jack, for some unknown reasons, said he would go after the dark signer of the hummingbird. Saiga and surprisingly Kokusho would stay at the house to protect the remaining children. When the meeting ended, Rua went to the room that Kokusho used in order to ask him some questions.

-KOKUSHO, yelled Rua as he opened the door.

-Yes Rua, responded Kokusho, smiling.

-WHY AREN'T YOU COMING WITH US? YOU SAID YOU WOULD HELP US.

-I'm going to help you, said Kokusho. But differently.

-What, asked Rua, confused.

-Remember when Yusei said to the kids that Martha could come back if we beat the dark signers, so they could calm down? Yusei wasn't sure that it was possible. I'm going to see if it's true.

-Really, asked Rua, suddenly happy. How?

-Rua, did you really forget about our powers already, said Kokusho, as he smiled and gave the little boy a little hit on his head. I can locate the brain waves of anyone in this island, if they are asleep. It might be possible that she is in a form of coma. If she is, it's possible to find her.

-In that case, let me come with you,

-No Rua, ordered Kokusho, suddenly serious. It might be dangerous. I have no idea if she is really alive and if she is, if I can reach her. There are too many uncertain factors. And besides, your place is somewhere else.

Kokusho putted a knee on the ground to be directly in the eyes of his young apprentice.

-Your sister needs you. You are her strength, her protector. Your place is by her side. You want to help her, don't you?

-Of course, said Rua, as he lowered his head. But I don't want you to be hurt. You're my friend.

Touched by the boy's feeling, Kokusho gave him a warm smiled and put his hand on his head.

-Don't worry. I will be fine. And speaking of power, I want to try something.

-What, asked Rua, puzzled.

Kokusho sat on the ground,his back against the wall , and asked Rua to come as well.

-I know you haven't entered the trance of the Dreamwalkers for a while now, but I would like to try something.

-What is it, asked Rua, while sitting against the wall as well.

-I want you to try to enter my dreams while I'm inside my trance, told Kokusho, while raising a finger, in a teacher's manner

-What, yelled Rua with a shocked face. I thought you couldn't enter my head when I was in a coma. If you couldn't do it, how can I succeed?

-Last time, your powers were chaotic, replied Kokusho. I couldn't focus on your brain waves because they were out of control. But mine are much calmer. You should be able to synchronize with them.

Rua felt like he wasn't sure if it would work, but Kokusho didn't let him answer. Instead, he put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

-Come on, Rua. Think of it as your final test before I can let you go.

-Wait a second, realized Rua. If I enter your mind while you're travelling the world of dreams, what will happen?

-No idea, replied Kokusho, wearing a playful smile. Let's find out.

And before Rua could reply, his teacher entered the world of dreams

-One second he's a serious guy that doubts his every movement, said Rua to himself, his eyes twitching. And one second later, he's a joker. Maybe trying to make him more social wasn't such a good idea after all.

Nevertheless, Rua decided to try. After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he closed his eyes and began to do what Kokusho and he had practice for many days: enter someone else's dreams. However, at first, he wasn't able to do it. Usually, his mind would unite with another one with ease. But Kokusho's brain waves were too big. Two more attempts s ended in the same result.

-Why can't I do it, thought Rua, getting quickly frustrated. It usually takes a bit of time, but I can do it almost instinctively.

And suddenly, Rua saw the problem. He was only focussing on finding the brain waves. He would then let his mind do the rest of the work on his own. If he wanted to succeed, he also had to synchronize the waves manually. Closing his eyes once again, the young Dreamwalker let his mind flow towards his master. Only this time, he kept his mind focused on his target. As soon as the two minds came together, Rua felt the impact to the very core of his brain. The brain waves were clashing with each other, like two bulls fighting for their territory. It took all for Rua's to remain concentrated. Although he wanted to let go, he knew he couldn't. Kokusho said that he could do it. No one, beside his sister, had said that he believed in him. They would always say that he was too young or too immature. But Kokusho believed in him. And he wasn't going to disappoint him. Fuelled with a new strength, Rua put all of his energy into a single action: synchronize. Using his mind, Rua shaped his brain waves in order to copy those of Kokusho. Like a blacksmith, Rua used his will to make his waves bigger, longer and more constant. Each second was like a year for him. But slowly, like someone making a puzzle, Rua came closer to his goal until finally, the two waves were identical.

As soon as this happened, Rua's vision changed. Instead of the usual blackness that came from the fact that his eyes were closed, he saw a world of darkness with a thousand little lights. The Crossroad of Dreams. However, instead of being alone, Kokusho was in front of him, a proud smile on his lips.

-I told you that you could do it, said Kokusho, his smile remaining on his face.

Rua didn't know what to say. There was too much emotion inside of him. The only thing he could do was nodding his head, with little tears in his eyes. His teacher seemed to understand what he was going through and let him have the time to sort his ideas. After a while, Rua managed to speak.

-Did you know this was going to happen?

-No, replied Kokusho, while looking at the top of his head with an enigmatic expression. I had the feeling it would work, but I wasn't sure. Now I am. And besides, the objective of this training is complete.

-You wanted me to try to control my power on my own, asked Rua, his eyes wide open with surprised.

-Yes, responded Kokusho, his face turning suddenly serious. You needed to know that. We are about to face creatures unlike we have ever seen. We need to be ready for anything. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that we will be needed for this battle.

-Kokusho, whispered Rua, can we win?

Kokusho looked at Rua. Usually, the boy was filled with determination. But now, he doubted himself. Kneeling in front of his disciple, Kokusho spoke to him.

-It will be difficult, but I'm sure we can win this war.

Rua raised his head to meet Kokusho's eyes. They were full of determination.

-Now, said Kokusho, while putting his hand on Rua's shoulder, forget your worries. You need to be strong. Not just for yourself, but for your sister has well. She needs you. Protect her.

Rua looked at him for a moment before nodding to him, his strength back and his doubts gone.

-I will.

-I know, said Kokusho. You will do just fine. And never forget. I'm proud to have you as my apprentice and as my friend.

Rua didn't know what to say. It was the first time that Kokusho was this open with him. But he was happy. And he knew that he didn't have to respond. There was a link between them now. A link based on thrust and friendship.

The sun wasn't even up when the group decided to leave. From the window, Kokusho could see them getting ready for the battle that they would have to face. He didn't want to disturb them, so he decided to stay inside. Just before they left, Rua looked at him one last time. He was afraid, he could tell. Although his face remained empty of emotion, he nodded his head to give him some encouragements. Rua, despised his nervousness, smiled a little in return. Kokusho wished he could do more, but his mind was focussed on the task that he had to accomplish. And besides, he had already said everything he had to. While turning his head, the young Dreamwalker went to the first couch he could find and began to meditate on it. After a while Saiga entered the room.

-They left, said Saiga, a grim on his face.

-Very well, replied Kokusho, his eyes closed. Now, it's time for me to go. Remember, if you see anything that looks suspicious, hit me on the arm.

-Are you sure it's a good idea, asked Saiga, looking sceptical.

-We need to know if Martha and the others are alive or not. It might be useful. And if they are alive, it could motivate Yusei and the others to fight harder. So I have to try it.

Without another word, Kokusho entered the Crossroad of Dreams. He welcomed the darkness with opened arms. Earthbound gods and dark signers weren't his speciality. Dreams and mind were his weapons. And he was going to use each one to his fullest potential. Setting his mind on Martha's brain waves, Kokusho began his search.

At first, there was nothing. No respond of any sort. But he was ready for that. He knew that if Martha was held prisoner by the Earthbound God, he would have to try harder. Unwilling to give up, Kokusho released even more waves. Again, no response. Panic slowly began to crawl inside Kokusho. Maybe he was wrong, he though. Maybe she was really dead.

No. He couldn't believe that. She had to be alive somewhere. A pure being as her couldn't die like that. Plus, he had promised Rua he would find her. And that was a promise he didn't want to break. Deciding to take a gamble, the white haired boy began to concentrate all of his might into one single wave. He knew that after that, he wouldn't be able to search for a dream for a while. He already made the experience once. But this wave would be far more powerful than the rest. If he couldn't find with that, that meant she was dead. Taking a deep breath, Kokusho gathered the rest of his powers. After waiting for a second, he released his energy in one shot. The wave was like a tsunami that was travelling everywhere and leaving no space untouched. And finally, Kokusho felt a response. It was small, but it was there. Smiling, Kokusho followed the signal to where the mind of Martha was.

When he arrived where the signal was coming from, he was speechless. The mind of Martha, along with dozen more, was locked inside a bigger sphere. But this one was dark, almost black. The lights could barely shine. Kokusho knew at first sight what it was. It was the mind of an Earthbound God. Instinctively, he touched the dark ball, but retracted immediately. The sphere had burned him.

Far away, in the B.A.D. sector, Rudger opened his eyes. He had been resting ever since his duel with Yusei in order to regain his strength. But now, something was calling him. Looking at his deck, he saw one of the cards shining. Frowning, he knew at once what was going on. Someone was attacking his god, Uru. However, he didn't know who could have done this. None of the signers had that power. Nonetheless, he knew what he had to do. Using his dark powers, Rudger sent a message to someone who was always with him. Someone who could find this mysterious attacker.

While swearing a bit, Kokusho shook his hand in an attempt to reduce the pain he was feeling. Obviously, these gods had an amazing mental defence. With his fingers on his chin, Kokusho began to think. Mere strength wouldn't be enough. He would have to use his other powers. If his power to change dreams could work on the god's mind, perhaps he could destroy their mind from the inside and free all the prisoners. But before he could go further in his theories, a new pain caught his attention. This time, the pain was coming from his left arm. However, the feeling was different from the last one. Kokusho realized that someone had touched his real body. Saiga was warning about something. Although reluctant, Kokusho left the world of Dreams.

The first thing he saw was the worried face of Saiga.

-What, asked Kokusho, annoyed.

- Someone just appeared outside, replied Saiga. I think he's one of the dark signers.

After hearing this, Kokusho rushed to the front door. Saiga was right. There was a man. He had a black cloak that hides most of his body, except a part of his face and his arms and a glowing mark shaped like a spider. Since this man wasn't Rudger, he assumed that he was one of those puppet duelists that Yusei and Jack talked about. Kokusho growled at this. He had a feeling that the dark signers would react to his attack, but he didn't think they would be this fast.

-Saiga, whispered Kokusho, go inside and make sure the kids remain safe. I will deal with this guy.

-WHAT, yelled back Saiga. Are you crazy? You can't do this alone. We can take this guy together.

-Saiga, replied Kokusho, you haven't dueled for quite a while now. It would be dangerous for you. And I don't trust these guys at all.

Saiga wanted to protest, but had to surrender to these arguments. After the man went back in the house, Kokusho finally decided to speak to the emissary.

-What do you want, demanded Kokusho, while keeping a poker face.

-I am looking for the one who committed the vile act of attacking an Earthbound God.

The strange voice of the man scared Kokusho a little bit. It was like two people were taking at the same time. This man was obviously controlled. And he wouldn't stop until his mission was complete, no matter who was in his way.

-You're looking at him, said Kokusho, deciding to face the problem right on. What do you want with me?

The man started to laugh in a sinister way.

-You have crossed the path of beings you can't even come close to comprehend. You have seen what's forbidden. And for that, there is no hope for forgiveness.

-I never asked to be forgiven, replied Kokusho, a determined look on his face. In fact, you can view this as my first act of war against your masters. I will help the signers to take you down.

-You just made a foolish choice, said the man, a wicked smile on his face, while placing a duel disk on his left arm. You will pay with your life.

-We shall see about that, replied Kokusho, lighting in his eyes and duel disk ready.

-Careful, yelled Saiga from the house. Dueling with these guys means taking real damage.

-Don't worried, responded Kokusho, a little smile on his face. I will be fine.

-Amusing, interrupted the cloaked man. You think you have a chance against the gods. Darkness will swallow your entire being.

-I don't know about your gods, replied Kokusho, his poker face back on, but I think I can take you down, whatever your name is.

-It's Norad, said the man, his wicked smile growing by the second. The last name you will ever hear.

-We shall see.

-Both: DUEL

As soon as they said these words, purple flames suddenly lighted up around them forming a circle that trapped them inside.

K:4000 N:4000

-I'll go first, said Norad. Draw.

Norad took a look at his cards before choosing one,

-I summon Newdoria, in defence mode (Def:800).

A weird demon rose from the field. It had green pants, orange skin and black bracelets all over his body.

-I also play the continuous spell card The Dark Door, which prevents both players to attack with more than one monster per turn. I end my turn. Now, said Norad, laughing, show me what you can do.

-Very well, replied Kokusho, his neutral face remaining. My draw.

Alright, though Kokusho. Since I don't know him, I can only analyse his deck. It's obvious that he is defensive. Newdoria will destroy the monster that destroys it and Dark Door limits my attack capacities. However, though Kokusho, a small smile forming on his lips, there is more than one way to attack.

-First, Said Kokusho with force, I play this field card: Nightmare Realm.

As soon as he played that card, a black shroud rose from the ground. It started to spin around, like a whirlwind, before creating a black twister. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary twister where you could see those inside. But inside, the black mist constantly showed purple images of monsters and creatures that only lived in people's fears. From time to time, those creatures would fly around inside the storm, making the twister look like it was haunted.

-This world was created by the nightmares of every human on earth, explained Kokusho to Norad, who showed a little surprised when the twister was formed. And here, my nightmares monsters are at the top of their capacities. Now, I summon Nightmare shaman, in attack mode. (Atk: 1500)

A man wearing a purple Indian ceremony dress with runes on it and a hat shaped like a raven appeared on the field.

-And when he is normal summoned, I can send the top three from my deck to the graveyard to place a nightmare counter on him.

Kokusho sent the top three cards. They were pot of avarice, Nightmare Golem and Nightmare Gatekeeper. The runes on the robe of the monster started to glow. Unknown to Norad, two pairs of purple eyes suddenly appeared on the surface of the twister.

-And now that my monster has a nightmare counter, he gets even stronger, since nightmare Realm gives 500 more attack points to every nightmare monster that has a nightmare counter on them. (1500-2000)

-You want to attack me, asked Norad while laughting. Go ahead.

-I'm not stupid, Norad. I know it's a trap, said Kokusho, emotionless as ever. And I won't fall for it. I use the special effect of Nightmare shaman. If he has a nightmare counter, I can send a nightmare monster from my deck to the graveyard and deals 500 points of damage.

After Kokusho sent his card, the shaman lifted his arms and started to sing. A beam of light came out of the raven's helmet and pierced Norad's shoulder. And a third pair of purple eyes joined the others on Nightmare Realm.

-Furthermore, said Kokusho as he took back the monster that was ditched to show it to his opponents, the monster I sent was Nightmare bomb. And when it is send to the graveyard while nightmare Realm is on the field, it deals 500 points of damage.

A black fireball with red eyes suddenly came out of the twister on Norad's side and exploded, forcing the cloaked man to kneel down because of the pain

-Finally, since Nightmare shaman can't attack if he uses his power, I end my turn with a facedown card.

K:4000 N:3000

Even if it was obvious that Norad was hurt, he didn't seemed to be affected by it. In fact, it was almost like he enjoyed it.

-My turn, said Norad. You might think you are winning, but you are wrong. I release my Newdoria to advance summon Dark Ruler Ha Des, in attack mode (atk: 2450).

The fiend turned into a multicolour sphere, from which a large green skinned demon emerged. He was wearing a strange dress made of both tissues and metal plates with a skull and a face at the middle.

-Now my ruler, yelled Norad, attack his shaman. Underworld scream.

The fiend opened his mouth and let out a huge roar that created a strong wind. Kokusho's monster tried to fight it, but failed and was destroyed. Kokusho received the impact as well. It hit himlike a cannonball and made him fell a few feet backwards. But he kept his poker face all the way.

-See now, taunt the envoy of the dark signers, my strength is far greater than yours. Give up and I will finish you without too much pain.

-When you do that kind of threat, replied Kokusho, you should make sure that your opponent doesn't have any others options. I reveal my trap card. Nightmare Rebirth. This allows me to bring back a level 4 or lower nightmare monster that was destroyed this turn, as long as I send a nightmare monster from my deck to the graveyard. And I send another Nightmare bomb.

The fallen shaman reappeared on the field. At the same time, another fireball exploded beside Norad. When the smoke cleared out, he rose once again. But now, he had lost his smile and he was clearly angry.

-Your little tricks won't work forever, snapped Norad. I will crush you, no matter what you do. I play two cards facedown and end my turn.

K:3550 N:2500

-My turn. Now, since you seemed to appreciate the power of my shaman so much, said Kokusho, with a taunting smile and a teasing voice, I think I will use it again.

-Wait up, interrupted Norad. Your shaman was special summoned. That means it doesn't have a counter.

-True, replied calmly Kokusho, but my nightmare deck holds far more power than you think. Noticed anything on my field card?

Norad started to look around and finally notice with surprise the four pairs of eyes on the side of the twister.

-This is the second effect of Nightmare Realm, explained Kokusho. Each time a nightmare monster is sent to the grave, I can place a night counter on my field card. And by removing three of them, I can place a nightmare counter on any monster on the field. So, I remove three counters to add a nightmare counter on my shaman.

Three of the four pairs detached themselves from the wall and flew to the shaman, reactivating the runes.

-And now, like they say in bars, let's have another shot, joked Kokusho.

The Dreamwalker sent his third bomb to the graveyard to activate his monster's ability. And once again, both the shaman and the bomb forced Norad to fall on the ground. A new pair of eyes appeared as well.

K :3500 N:1500

-Things aren't over yet, said Kokusho, showing the face of a fighter. I release my shaman to advance summon one of my favourite monster: Nightmare Phantom, in attack mode (atk:2200)

Just like the fiend lord, the sorcerer became a ball of color before a strange creature came out. It was almost a replica of the grim reaper, but where the skull was supposed to be, there was nothing, except two blue eyes. And a third pair of eyes made their appearance on the twister.

-When this monster is tribute summoned, he gains a nightmare counter, said Kokusho, as a purple skull appeared on the ghost's chest. This means that he now gains the power of Nightmare Realm. Furthermore, I remove my three night counter to place a second nightmare counter on it.

Once again, the three pairs of eyes went to the phantom. (2200-2700)

-Nightmare phantom, destroy his ruler. Nightmare claw.

One of the skeleton claws of Kokusho's monster suddenly began to glow and to become three times its size. It flew right at the fiend and slashed it, destroying it.

-I end my turn.

K:3550 N:1250

Good, though Kokusho. The taunt was perfect. He was playing right in his hand. A few more tricks and he would win.

-My move, said Norad, annoyed.

But as soon as he saw the card he drew, his wicked smile returned and he began to laugh. Kokusho didn't like it one bit. This guy couldn't bluff. That means he had something very powerful in his hand.

-You, who seemed to control nightmares, will now experience the greater fear your mind can imagine. First, I discard my Fiend of Knowledge to activate his effect. This let me search my deck for a spell card and place it in my hand. But if I play it, I can't use another spell or trap card, or normal summon as well.

Kokusho's eyes opened wide as Norad sent his monster to the graveyard. He was taking a huge risk. That spell must be worth it. But when the image of a geek looking demon holding a spell card appeared, he didn't recognize it. The image showed a vortex from where a famous monster was coming out. Dark Necrofear.

-You look puzzled, taunt Norad. Let me clear things for you. I play the spell card I gained: Legacy of Dark Necrofear. This let me remove three fiend type monsters from my graveyard so I can special a level six or lower fiend type monster from my deck. And I choose my Hell Gatherer (atk:1500).

The three fiends in Norad's graveyard suddenly materialised themselves to the field and fused together to create a black vortex, from which a weird looking demon came out. It had the head of a bull, the feet of a dragon and the claws of a bird. The rest of the body was hidden by a red dress.

-And since I special summoned my Gatherer, his special ability let me search my deck for any fiend type monster I want.

Norad searched his deck for a specific monster and when he found it, his face reflected only one thing: insanity.

-Soon, yelled Norad, you will face true terror. If at least three fiends monster have been removed from the game, I can special summon this monster. I summon Dark-Tuner D.D. Devil (atk:0).

From the ground rose a weird looking demon. Although it had roughly the same appearance of a normal demon, with muscles, a horned head and the tail of an imp, it constantly changed color. It would be red for a second, than blue and even transparent, like he couldn't remain stable in this dimension.

-And now, said Norad while lifting his arms in the air, you will face the instrument of your destruction. I'm dark-tuning my level 4 Hell Gatherer with my level 9 Dark-Tuner D.D. Devil.

The colourful demon suddenly broke into nine stars, which flew towards the other demon and entered the demon's body, which became transparent. The four stars inside Hell Gatherer vanished with four of the nine stars of the dark-tuner. The remaining stars became black and burst from the fiend's body, shattering it, and gathered together to create a portal. During this whole process, Norad was reciting some kind of incantation.

-When dark overlaps with dark, the doors of the underworld will open. To a world without light. Dark synchro. Appear now, Twin-Faces Devil (atk:2500).

Out of the dark gate came out a twisted creature. It was a giant demon that looked like it came out from Christian legends. It had red purple skin, large curled horns, sheep feet and a black sword in one hand and a white sword on the other. On top of that, his face was hidden by a half-white and half-black mask with no features. Kokusho couldn't help but be a little scared of it. He had heard of those dark synchro monsters, but it was something else to face one.

-Twin-face Devil, attack his phantom. Twin sword dance.

Kokusho tried to keep his surprise in check. Why would he attack a monster with higher attack points? But the attack still took place. The devil tried to slash the ghost, but had his blades caught by the bone hands of the phantom. Then, the phantom threw the swords away and slashed the demon with his claws, destroying it.

-I reveal my trap card, said Norad with the face of someone who had a plan. Option Hunter. This gives me life points equal to the attack points of a monster I control that was destroyed by battle. Plus, when Twin-Face Devil is destroyed, I can play two Mask tokens on the field in attack mode.

Two small masks, one black and one white, appeared on Norad's side (Dark; fiend; level 1; atk:0).

-I play two cards facedown and end my turn.

K:3550 N: 3750

Kokusho though that this situation was fishy. He didn't know where the point of this strategy was. If he wanted to use the tokens for a tribute, he would have waited for him to attack since his tokens were protected from a second attack, thanks to The Dark Door. And the tokens didn't seem to have any ability. He would have to keep playing normally before he could find a weakness.

-My turn, said Kokusho, a bit hesitant. I draw.

-During your standby-phase, the power of Twin-face Devil is activate, interrupted Norad. During the standby-phase of the turn after it was destroyed, I can tribute two fiend type monsters to bring him back.

The two masks suddenly turned into two balls of light and fused together to create a portal from which the Twin-Devil returned.

-Plus, when it's brought back from the graveyard, I can destroy one card on the field. And I choose your Nightmare Phantom.

The fiend placed his blades to form an X with them. An X from where a beam of light came out and rushed towards the ghost.

-I activate the special effect of Nightmare Phantom, yelled Kokusho, almost panicked. I can negate his destruction by removing a nightmare counter from it.

A black ball came out of the ghost body and created a black dome on which the beam was reflected. Kokusho was panting. He wasn't expecting this. He couldn't understand why he was so panicked. His monster was protected. And while he was catching his breath, he understood. Although he was winning, the fear of the consequences of this duel were still there. If he would loose here, his life would be forfeited. Plus, the pain here was real. This situation was hard for him, who usually waited for the opponents to use their combos before countering them. But he had to be calm. Otherwise, he could do a fatal mistake. Behing him, the white haired boy heard Saiga coming out of the house.

-Are you alright, asked Saiga, doubts all over his face.

At first, Kokusho didn't respond. He was too busy trying to breathe normally. But after a few seconds, he looked at him with a calm face and a little smile.

-Don't worry, said Kokusho. Just a bit of tension. Nothing to worry about. I'm okay now.

Especially now that I finally found his attack pattern, though Kokusho as he turned to face his opponents again. That devil is the core of the offence with his large amount of attack points and his ability. The other fiends are mostly there to summon it and to bring him back if one of the tokens is ever destroyed. The rest of the deck is probably focused on life gaining to negate the damage taken if one of the tokens is destroyed.

Kokusho was now confident. He had faced life gaining decks before, so he knew one of the weaknesses of the deck and of the duellists who used them. He would have to play a bit of a dangerous game, but it would be worth it.

-I use the spell card Nightmare regeneration, said Kokusho while taking a challenging face, which lets you draw a card and let me bring back a nightmare monster from the grave to my hand.

Norad drew his card, while Kokusho took his Nightmare Shaman back.

-I once again summon my Nightmare Shaman, in attack mode.

Just like the beginning of the battle, the shaman rose from the ground.

-HA, laughed Norad. Like I'm gonna let you pull that trick again. I activate my trap card. Torrential Tribute. When a monster is summoned, it destroys all monsters on the field.

A torrent of water erupted from the ground and splashed all the monsters on the field. When the water finally vanished, the only things left were the two masks left by Twin-Face Devil and Nightmare Phantom, protected by a shield, along with a new pair of eyes on Nightmare Realm.

-You're a fool, said Kokusho while forming a fist with his hand. By removing my last Nightmare counter, I protected my monster from destruction. And even if Nightmare Realm doesn't affect him anymore, he is still powerful enough to break that chain of resurrection and seriously hurt you. Phantom, attack his mask.

The phantom charged at the mask, his runes no longer glowing (atk: 2700-2200)

-You are the fool, replied Norad. Did you really think I would let you destroy my combo that easily? Go, Draining Shield. This trap card negates your attack and let me gains life points equal to the attack points of your monster.

A second before the ghost finished his attack, a shield blocked his path.

-Why you..., grumbled Kokusho. I play a card facedown and end my turn.

K:3550 N: 5950

-And I though you would be a challenge, mocked Norad. You are just a show-off. Soon, the darkness will claim your soul. My turn.

A light in the sky caught the attention of the two fighters. A figure was forming in the sky, just like the spider that was formed during the fight with Rudger. But this time, it was the shape of a monkey. This could only mean one thing: the battle between the signers and the dark signers had begun. And it started with the youngest of them.

-Ruka, Rua, whispered Kokusho, with a worried face.

-Afraid for your friends, yelled Norad, while laughing. Don't worry. You will be joining them soon. Twin-Face Devil, return.

The two masks once again merged to bring back the fiend.

-And now, say goodbye to your phantom for good. Devil, use your special effect and destroy that phantom.

The devil crossed his sword and shot his beam towards Kokusho's monster. This time, there was nothing to keep it safe and it was pulverised.

-Twin-Face Devil, attack him directly.

The fiend slashed his two swords in the air, creating a hurricane that hit Kokusho with full force and sent him directly towards the wall of flames. The impact on the barrier forced a cry of pain as he finished his course on the floor, face down.

-KOKUSHO, yelled Saiga.

Kokusho didn't respond. He was too busy trying to remain conscious. His whole body was hurting him. He had never played a duel like this before. Terror began to crawl inside of him. Half of him wanted to give up because of the pain, but the other one wanted to continue.

-Look at you, said Norad, a sadist smile on his lips. You were almighty looking a second ago. And you are at my feet now. Your courage was meaningless. I end my turn.

K:1050 N: 5950

Even though he was hurt, Kokusho couldn't help but smile. His plan has worked perfectly. As soon as he heard these words, he knew he would win. With great efforts, he rose on his feet.

-Are you alright, asked Saiga, worried.

-I'm okay, replied Kokusho, smiling. In fact, I'm perfectly fine. I'm about to win this duel.

-What are babbling about, said Norad, annoyed that his prey wasn't scared anymore.

-You played right into my hand, explained Kokusho. I have to admit, your strategy was impressive. I wasn't expecting that. But I faced these kinds of decks before and I know their weak spots.

-What weak spots, yelled Norad, his face deformed with anger. I have a powerful monster, you can only attack with one monster and my life points are far greater than yours.

-But you have no defense, replied Kokusho, with his teacher like voice. All duellists who use life gaining deck usually drop their guard, since they think they are immune to any attacks. And this makes them vulnerable to heavy attacks. And why I made you believe I was losing. So you could lower your defence, allowing to deal the final blow on you.

-Impossible. There's no way you can launch an attack powerful enough to finish me.

-Let's find out. My draw.

Kokusho looked at his cards for a second to make sure his combo was perfect. Then, he made his move.

-First, I summon my Nightmare Knight, in attack mode. (Atk: 1800)

Kokusho's black knight rose from the ground, ready to fight.

-Next, I reveal my trap card. Ultimate Offering. This continuous trap card let me normal summon an additional monster, if I give up 500 life points. So I give up 500 life points to normal summon my Nightmare Mask, in attack mode. (atk: 0)

The black mask appeared next to the warrior, completely motionless.

K:550 N: 5950

-It's time to finish this, said Kokusho, confident. I release my two monsters and give 500 more life points to summon my favourite monster and the mightiest of my deck.

K: 50 N: 5950

The two creatures fused together to create the familiar multicoloured portal, as Kokusho brought the card he wanted to use towards his forehead and began to recite his own summoning song, eyes closed.

-I call upon your powers, guardian of the night. Emerge from the dark and unleashed your wrath.

Kokusho's eyes snapped open as he placed his fateful monster on his duel disk.

-Advance summon. Bring terror in this world, Nightmare Hydra.

Norad and Saiga's eyes grew the size of plates as a gigantic creature emerge from the gate. It looked like an overgrown black and gray lizard with spikes on his spine and on its tail. It also had seven reptilian heads with two frills on each one and all of them were looking at the devil with their blue eyes like it wanted to devour him. (AtK: 2800)

-What is that thing, asked Norad, clearly intimidated by its imposing size.

-The monster that will destroy you, replied Kokusho. It's a creature born from the worst nightmare of human beings and it grows stronger amount them. This means that when this card is summoned while Nightmare Realm is on the field, I can place a Nightmare Counter on it. Furthermore, there are now four night counters on my field. So, I remove three counters to add a second Nightmare Counter on my hydra.

Three of the four eyes that were on Nightmare Realm flew towards the hydra. At the same time, a dozen of the creatures that were flying around the twister entered the hydra's body. After that, the eyes of two of the heads began to glow.

-For someone who claimed to fight the darkness, you use a lot of terrifying monsters, said Norad, slightly shaken by what he saw.

-No power is good or evil, replied Kokusho. It's the people whot use it that determine its purpose. Light can be the worst thing on earth or the best, depending on how you use it. And this is how I use mine. Now that my monster has at least a nightmare counter, it gets a power boost from my field card.

The creature roared to the sky as its attack points grew. (2800-3300)

-Nightmare Hydra, destroy Twin-Face Devil, shouted Kokusho. Nightmare breath.

The seven heads opened their mouth and breathed a torrent of black flames that consumed the fiend in a matter of seconds. The two familiar masks took his place.

K: 50 N: 5150

-A good attempt, laughed Norad, but it's futile. My life points are too high and you cannot attack with another monster. Next turn, my devil will be reborn and I will finish you for good.

-There won't be a next turn, corrected Kokusho, his smile back on his face. My guardian will deliver you the final blow right now.

-How, asked the emissary. It already attacked.

-You really can't guess? It's a hydra. Ring any bell?

Norad was silent for a moment, before realization came to him.

-Don't tell me that it can attack again, shouted Norad in fear.

-That's right, confirmed Kokusho. Nightmare Hydra has a special ability that let it attack an additional monster for every nightmare counter on it. This means that it can attack both of your masks this turn. And since they are in attack mode, you will receive 6600 points of damage. Nightmare Hydra, shouted the Dreamwalker, finish this duel. Nightmare breath.

Once again a black inferno emerged from the reptilians mouths, engulfing the masks.

-THIS CANNOT BE, screamed Norad as the rest of the flames fell on him.

K: 50 N: 0

Kokusho desactivated his duel disk and even if he was injured, walked towards Norad, who had fell on his knees.

-I have a message for your masters, said Kokusho, while pointing his thumbs towards himself. Tell them that my name is Kokusho Izumani and that they better get ready, because I'm going to fight alongside the signers and I'm going to crush them.

Norad was silent for a while, until he began to chuckle. Then it turned into a full laugh. The white haired boy frowned at that. He didn't like it one bit. After a while, Norad calmed himself down. But the cruel smile never left his face.

-You think you are strong, don't you, said Norad. Well, we shall see how strong you are after Demark send your little disciple to the darkness. We shall see.

After saying that, the cloaked man turned into a black cloud that was blown away by the wind. Realizing that everything was safe, Saiga went to Kokusho.

-Good job, complimented Saiga. You could do a blast in the pro duelling league.

But Kokusho wasn't listening. He was thinking of the last words of Norad. He obviously meant that the dark signers would target Rua. Only the signers interested the dark signers. Rua and he weren't that important to them. So why would they attack Rua? And suddenly, he looked at the mark of the monkey that was high in the sky. Demark was the bearer of the monkey. The one that Ruka was supposed to face. And then, he understood. It must be Rua that Demark is fighting right now. Not Ruka. Filled with worries, Kokusho turned towards Saiga.

-Is there any more vehicles that can be used around, asked Kokusho, clearly upset.

-Well, there is still another police jeep behind the house, replied Saiga, too surprised to argue. But why do…

Kokusho didn't let him finish. He ran towards the back of the house, even if the pain was still there, and found the jeep. Since it was supposed to be used for an emergency, the keys were still inside, so Kokusho had no problems to activate the engine. And without paying any attention to Saiga, who was trying to have some explanations, Kokusho drove towards the symbol of the monkey with only one idea in his head.

Save Rua.

(Author's note)

Hello everyone. Finally, I bring you a new chapter. I'm sorry if I took some time. My most sincere apologies.

I really want to thanks everyone that reviewed my story. It's always appreciated. So don't think that the reviews you put goes to an empty ears. I enjoyed each of them.

I decided to drop the card explanations at the end of the chapters. It was taking me too much time, and I believed I gave enough explanations during the duel. But if you prefer to have them, I will put them on the next chapter.

That will be enough for now. Sayonara my friends. And please, keep reviewing. It makes me happy.

Volcaniclord