"Shou-k-kun? W-What's happened to you?" Rei stammered fearfully.

Shou closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the fear in her voice. He opened them again and gave her a smile, showing his teeth. "I've woken up, Rei. For the first time in my life I'm truly alive! Judai never cared about anyone but himself. Never cared about me or his other friends for that matter. And certainly not for a pining little sheep such as yourself!" He spat furiously at the female bluenette.

"That's not true! Judai-kun loves me!" She yelled, equally furious at the evil bluenette.

"Really now?" Shou asked. "And just what makes you think that?" He walked back over to Asuka. "Has he ever told you that? Has he ever shown you?" He stood up on his tippy toes and gave Asuka a deep kiss on the lips. "Ever kissed you? No of course not." He taunted with a deep, cruel wicked laugh savoring the feeling of his girlfriend kissing him back in an equally deep manner.

"Big deal!" Rei shouted. As long as they didn't see she was scared, she was perfectly fine.

Shou turned back around to face Rei. "Hmmmm?" he purred. "No? Ask him Rei. He's here. If you're so sure, then ask him. Or deep down inside of you, you know the truth."

She turned to Judai. "Their lying, right Judai-kun?" She asked in her sweetest tone.

Judai nervously ran a hand through his mop of brown hair. "Rei, I..." He spoke very nervously.

Shou smirked. He turned to Asuka and smirked. "This should be good."

She smirked wickedly and nodded.

End Flashback

A knot lumped in Judai's throat. He drew in a jagged breath and spoke. "I...you...you're a really good friend, but..." The lanky Osiris duelist paused, unsure of how to continue. He didn't want to hurt Rei because of how fragile she was emotionally, but at the same time he didn't wish to lie to her and make her go on living a lie.

"Friend?" Shou asked, the poison oozing from his voice. He was loving every second of this.

"Go on, Judai-kun." Rei urged gently. At this point she was more susceptible than ever…

Judai gulped. "I've never thought about that...I mean you're a good friend. I've never thought about it before." He answered, adhering to that he had never thought about having a girlfriend before in his young 17 years of life…

Asuka watched, curious. She was rather interested in how little Rei would handle this news.

"Oh this is better than I imagined." Shou gave an evil little giggle.

"What do you mean my prince?" Asuka asked. She was puzzled by the small boy's enjoyment of the situation.

"Judai's own stupidity. He's helping us!" Shou giggled wickedly.

Judai gritted his teeth and shot his two former friends a fiery look before turning back to the small female Osiris. "Rei, you know that I'm all about the duel." He spoke.

Rei bit her lip, fighting back the tears that were sure to come. She could feel her little fragile heart breaking…

"Awww...whassa matter Rei-Rei?" Shou mocked. "Truth hurts don't it?!"

"It's...not true...I-it c-can't be!" She whimpered.

"Shut up Shou!" Judai screamed, his voice echoing in the cavern of the dimly-lit room they were in that was part of the Academia. He clenched his hand into a fist as he stepped forward.

"Oh look, my love." Shou glanced from Judai to Asuka with an evil but loving smirk. "I think he's going to try to beat me up!" He turned to Rei. "He's a simple thug really. Did you know he hit Asuka, Rei?"

"N-No! Judai-kun wouldn't do that!" She cried.

He turned to Asuka. "Care to show her your face, my love?" He asked almost gleefully.

"Sure my sweet." She replied, as though she were happy to show off an injury.

Asuka leaned forward. A deep purple bruise marred her otherwise perfect skin.

Judai's face went red from anger and a bit of embarrassment. Sure Asuka had turned evil and corrupted his once innocent friend, but he had struck a girl.

"A-A-Asuka-chan? J-Judai-kun really did that to you?" Rei asked, quickly growing scared.

Judai quickly answered before his former friends could. "Yes, Rei. I did. I'm not proud of what I did. I...panicked. I'm not justifying it. I just want you to hear it from me."

"See Rei? He admits it!" Shou smirked. "Look at my poor queen. Judai took her off guard. He's a coward!" He answered wickedly.

"I...I don't know..." Rei stammered.

"Shut up Shou!" Judai yelled. "Rei, you know I would never do that to you. Asuka...Asuka's not herself. I thought that it...it would snap her out of it." He pleaded desperately.

"And so you hit her? Oh very mature Judai." The wicked little Ra duelist mocked cruelly.

Rei looked down, unsure what to do.

"Rei...please..." Judai whispered. If he lost her as well, his soul would surely be broken…

"Rei, you are smarter than he gives you credit for." Shou's voice was silky smooth. "Don't be fooled by him like I was."

"Shou...I'm warning you!" Judai growled.

A snicker was all the response that Shou gave his former friend. He wasn't afraid of Judai's threats at all.

"Would he...hurt me?" Rei asked softly.

"Ask yourself if a day ago he would hurt Asuka?" Shou queried coolly.

"Probably not." Rei came back with quietly.

"But...he did, didn't he?" Shou hissed.

"Yeah..." Rei responded, beginning to trust the evil Ra…

"Rei...I..." Judai slumped his head forward as his shoulders fell. The fire that was inside of him was failing.

"Look my noble queen." Shou laughed. "Broken again." He added sinisterly.

"I see it." She said gleefully.

"Rei, please believe me." Judai pleaded.

"Oh, if I had a penny for every time I heard that, I would be richer than Manjoume!" Shou smirked, unknowingly somewhat quoting Seto Kaiba.

Judai's fire was rekindled. His vision ran red with rage. "Graaahhhh!" He roared as he charged Shou. Judai shot his fist forward and struck Shou in the face, sending the smaller boy flying backwards onto his rear.

For a moment, Shou was stunned. His vision was blurred and his head swam. It was only for a second, but the old Shou came to the surface. "Aniki?" he whimpered. The blood trickled from his busted lip into his mouth. The bitter taste brought back the vileness that had possessed him. He shook his head. "See Rei? Nothing but a brute! And you ask yourself if he would hurt you?" Shou spat blood.

"What can I do?" She asked quietly.

Shou slowly hauled himself to his feet. "You are a smart girl. What does your heart say?" Shou said, trying to keep the malice out of his voice.

"To stay away from Judai...but he could still hurt me. Isn't there some way you could help?" She asked the vile child.

Shou took a step backwards, shocked by her statement. He blinked once and then a sly grin came across his face as he turned towards Asuka. "What do you think my love? Should we help her?"

"Yes I think we should...She could become a Duel Zombie just like us..." She giggled evilly.

"Would you like the honor or shall I?"

"No...Rei...run!" Judai screamed.

"It doesn't matter. Either of us would do."

Shou licked his lips, actually savoring the state of the blood even though it was his own. He gave Asuka a deep bow and gave a sweeping gesture with his arm from Asuka towards Rei. "Then I will watch you, my love. I shall feast upon Judai's pain." Shou gave out an evil chuckle.

"Rei, I don't care if you ever speak to me again after this, but please, please run!" Judai pleaded with the girl.

Rei didn't move. "Rei... I can take away the pain..." Asuka said sweetly.

"How?" Rei asked quietly.

"Duel her Rei. Give up your energy. Become a Duel Zombie. You've never been alive until you've had the veil removed from your eyes and you see the truth!" Shou was almost dancing with glee.

"What if I joined you willingly...?" Rei suggested.

"Interesting. My queen?" Shou giggled.

"That's a splendid idea, my prince." She answered happily.

"Then join us Rei. Stand by our side. Reach into yourself and give up your energy...embrace the darkness." Shou's voice was smooth, imitative of Darkness, the first of the Seven Stars, Darkness.

"Come to us Rei." He added.

"Rei, please don't do it for me...do it for yourself! Run!" Judai pleaded.

"See Rei? He's afraid now. He's afraid of what will happen when you see the truth. When you stop thinking about him." Shou smirked. "Come, Rei." He beckoned the girl.

Rei nodded slowly, as she walked over to the zombified teen.

Shou took Rei's Death-Belt in his hands. "My sweet love, please join me."

She nodded, following her boyfriend's actions.

"Now close your eyes Rei. Feel your energy wash out and as it does you will be reborn!" Shou closed his eyes as he reached out to Martin and established contact.

As the 2 did this, Rei moaned softly, feeling Martin absorb her duel energy...

"Yesss Rei, rid your self of it. Let go." Shou whispered, purring as he spoke the word 'Yes', thus adding an extra 's' to it.

Judai dropped to his knees. "No...Rei...no." Once again the Osiris duelist was broken.

Rei nodded, her once bright chocolate-brown eyes becoming an almost inhumanly vacant dull brown shade as more and more of her energy was sucked away.

Shou opened his eyes slowly as he gazed away from Rei over to Judai. A lazy smile spread across his face. His swelling lip took away from the appearance of the newly reborn evil duelist, but there could be no mistaking the hateful glee that was dancing across his eyes. "Delicious!" he exclaimed. "Rei. How do you feel?"

She gave a slightly dark smile. "More stronger than I've ever been..."

To be continued…