~Ari~

No matter what we do, Joey won't wake up. So he's really gone. "Who did this?" Tea asks.

"It wasn't Valon. He looks like he lost as well." I say.

"It's obvious then. Joey dueled Valon and then Mai showed up! She's the only one to blame!" Tristan says.

"Yes, but the real mastermind was Dartz. That coward just waits in his fortress while others do his dirty work." Yami says, "But this ends now!"

He begins to run off, "Yami, wait!" I call as I run after him.

He enters Paradius Headquarters and I follow behind him. Yami then looks at me, "Go back, Ari. It's too dangerous here." He says.

"I'm not going to let you confront Dartz alone. Please, let me go with you." I say.

He looks rather conflicted about it, "Fine. But stay close to me." He kisses me and then we turn toward the elevator.

I look up and notice the light above the elevator and it seems to be heading down, and I'm pretty sure it's either another Orichalcos Soldier or one of the remaining Doma employees. It then hits the main floor and the doors open. Mai then falls over unconscious onto Yami, "Mai? Say something!" Yami says.

She doesn't answer, "Did she lose a duel?" I say.

"That's the only explanation I can give. But who did she duel?"

"Was it Dartz?"

"No, I don't think so."

He then sets her down against the wall and we enter the elevator. It seems that one of the floors has already been selected, so the elevator begins to head upward. I look at the controls to see that the elevator is heading up to the roof of the building.

The elevator then stops at one of the floors around the middle of the building. I look at the controls to see that the roof was the only button pressed. The doors open to a dark room. "Why do you think it stopped here?" Yami asks.

"I don't know." I say.

The room is dark, but I can tell that it's still rather large. I take a few steps forward and then a dim lighting turns on. I look to the other side of the room to see someone I'd spot from a mile away; Lucas. "Nice of you to come by." He says.

"I don't have time for you Lucas, we're here for Dartz." I say.

"Then you'll have to make time. We're dueling now."

"Ari, don't. There's no time." Yami says.

I shake my head, "No Yami, you go and find Dartz, I'll duel him."

"But-!"

"Just go! Get back in the elevator and find him. You can't talk me out of this."

He looks at Lucas and then back at me, "Fine. Good luck." He says walking back into the elevator. The doors close and it begins to head upward.

My attention goes back to Lucas, "You sure you're not going to run away again?" I say.

"I won't. Because this time, I'm going to win." He says readying his Duel Disk.

"We'll see."

"My move," Lucas says, "And I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!"

The Seal forms around us and the stakes have been set. "Then I activate Spring of Rebirth! And finally, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."

My hand contains; Magic Cylinder, Relay Soul, Mystical Elf, Dark Magician Girl, Kaiser Sea Horse, and Luster Dragon, "I'll set one card face-down and then summon Luster Dragon in attack mode! Now attack his Life Points directly!"

"Activate Mirror Force!"

"Fine, I'll end my turn."

"A wise choice. Now I summon Inaba White Rabbit in attack mode! Attack her directly!"

"I activate Magic Cylinder!"

Lucas is now down to 3300 Life Points. I draw Magician's Valkria, "I summon Kaiser Sea Horse in attack mode! Now, attack!"

Lucas is down to 1600. He draws, "Alright, I activate Soul Exchange! Now I can take control of Kaiser Sea Horse and tribute it to summon Dark Dust Spirit! Dark Dust Spirit, attack her directly!"

My Life Points drop to 1800. "And now that my turn is over, Dark Dust Spirit returns to my hand and I gain 500 Life Points from Spring of Rebirth."

Lucas is up to 2100. I draw Dark Hole, "I summon Magician's Valkria in attack mode and have her attack you directly!"

Now he has 500 Life Points left. "I activate Swords of Revealing Light! And then I'll summon Yaksha in attack mode! Now attack Magician's Valkria!" I'm down to 1500 Life Points. "Now Yaksha goes back to my hand and I'm up to 1000 Life Points."

I draw Queen's Knight, "I play Queen's Knight in defense mode! I'll end my turn."

"I summon Yaksha in attack mode and equip him with the Sword of Kusanagi! With this card, when I attack a defense mode monster, the difference between your defense and my attack will come out of your Life Points. Yaksha, attack now!"

I'm down to 1200 Life Points. Yaksha returns to Lucas' hand and he's now at 1500 Life Points. The Sword of Kusanagi also returns to his hand. I draw Magician of Faith, "I'll play Mystical Elf in defense mode and end my turn."

"I'll play Yaksha in attack mode and equip it with the Mirror of Yata. Now Yaksha won't return to my hand at the end of my turn. I'll end my turn."

I draw Fairy Witch. I decide to end my turn because there's not much else I can do. "Now I sacrifice Yaksha in order to summon my Dark Dust Spirit! And I'll equip him with another Mirror of Yata and Sword of Kusanagi! Dark Dust Spirit, attack Mystical Elf!"

My Life Points go down to 1000. I draw Kuriboh, "I activate Dark Hole! Now Dark Dust Spirit is destroyed. Then I summon Fairy Witch in attack mode and attack you directly!"

He's down to 700 Life Points. "I summon Rasetsu in attack mode! Now, destroy Fairy Witch!"

I'm left to a mere 300 Life Points. Lucas smirks, "Soon your soul will belong to the Great Leviathan! There's nothing left that you can do, so you mind as well forfeit now."

"I won't Lucas. I still don't get why you're against me, I haven't done anything to you."

"You have! I've already told you, you took the life I needed!"

"Ari let me try to talk to him." Sabrina says.

"Alright."

~Sabrina~

"You didn't need my life, you wanted it. I don't owe you anything."

"You owe what you stole from me."

"I didn't take anything. It was destiny that I was found."

"Whatever. Rasetsu returns to my hand and my Life Points go to 1200. Just make your move so I can end this duel!"

This is my last chance. I need something to help me. Come on, Heart of the Cards. I draw Pot of Greed, "Alright, first I'll activate Pot of Greed!" I draw Divine Queen and the Wing of Ion. "Okay, I summon the Wing of Ion! Then I'll fuse it with Divine Queen from my hand to form Divine Crystal Dragon!"

"N-no!"

"It's time to end this, Divine Crystal Dragon, attack him directly!"

I notice as his Life Points drop to zero, the Orichalcos stone around his neck breaks. I watch as the Seal grows smaller and Lucas' soul is taken by it. I walk up to his unconscious body, "Sorry Lucas, but we have to get through to Dartz. It wasn't necessary that you would have to be taken in the process, but hopefully you'll understand what I mean." I say.

"He will. Let me take over while we find Yami." Ari says.

"Okay."

~Ari~

I look up and then notice that the building starts to shake violently. What's happening? But whatever it is, I need to find Yami quickly.

Sorry about this delay, but something unexpected came up. On Monday, my grandfather started having health issues so my family dropped everything and drove to the other side of the country to see him. Unfortunately, he died on Tuesday about an hour before we got there. So I just got back home last night and I'm ready to keep writing.