Stardust Finex: "Ah, hello everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Orbital 7: "What took you so long, Finex-sama?"

Stardust Finex: "It was school-related. Anyway, here's chapter 5!"


Chapter 5

Thunder pounded through Heartland City like a typhoon. Rain fell down hard onto the city without any care. Despite the heavy weather, Kurai ran through the rain while carrying a bundle of rope and an unconscious Yuma. He ran and ran until he spotted a warehouse in the distance by Heartland Tower.

'Looks like I'll just leave this loser here,' thought Kurai.

Kurai approached the warehouse. He put down the rope and Yuma on the ground for a moment. He made his way toward the windows to make sure no one was inside. When all seemed clear, he continued his mission. Kurai tried to open the door, but with no luck.

"Damn door's locked," he grunted. "Wha-tever, it's a good thing I never leave without my blade."

He swished out his blade and placed the tip inside the lock. After a couple picks at it, the lock broke and the door opened. Kurai pushed the door open and then picked up the rope and Yuma, and entered the warehouse.

The warehouse was dusty, despite the building still being used. Overall, it was still in good condition. Kurai didn't care about the shed, he just wanted someplace to leave Yuma. He spotted a chair in a corner. He ran over to it and placed Yuma in the chair. He took out the rope and tied it tightly around Yuma's body.

"There, that should keep Yuma here from ruining my reign," he said, checking to make sure the knot wasn't loose.

Kurai looked around the warehouse. When all seemed clear, the boy darted out of the warehouse. Before he left, he realized something. "Shoot! I better put that lock back on the door or Yuma's gonna rat on me!" He quickly locked the lock he had broken and fled.


After evading police cars and idiotic drivers, Kurai finally made it back to Yuma's house. He took a moment to take a look at the place. The Tsukumo's attic was surrounded by various treasures and trinkets. Yuma's parents had collected these trinkets from their previous expeditions.

"I guess this house will do for now," declared Kurai, "until I find Kotori, I'll crash here."

The boy changed his clothes and he hopped onto Yuma's hammock and fell asleep.


Hope moaned in pain. It was restrained by black, jelly-like tentacles. They gripped hard on it's arms and legs. The unfortunate Number monster groaned in torture. Hope was suffering through lots of unfair torture.

Black Mist just smiled cruelly at Hope's suffering. The Number's torture was entertainment for the dark spirit. "Aw, what are you going to do? Cry? You say you're a mighty Number, but you're just a weakling!" heckled Black Mist. "It'll be all over soon, when you join the dark side!"

Inside the Key's realm, Black Mist hovered over to a stone alter. He placed his hands over a giant sphere and tablet projections appeared over his palms. The dark spirit read each tablet carefully. "The time has come for you to serve me, Utopia," declared Black Mist, "By the will of the darkness, your time to serve has just begun! Now, the ritual must begin!" Black Mist began to chant in the Astral World's language.

"Chi sama shijayu haya kita reyo esru yaka detnu no kaga sulo yo ne! (Come, my dark lord, turn this pure Number into a pawn of darkness!)" chanted the black ghost.

At that moment, Hope felt shrouds of dark energy covering his body. It tried to fight back, but the energy was stronger. But, it was too late. The darkness covered Hope's entire body, ceasing any movements.

Black Mist raised his arms. "Now, come and join the darkness, Hope!" he cackled, "Serve me, your Dark Lord! I am your supreme leader!"

Thunder boomed inside the Key during Hope's painful transformation. A storm of fury blew itself throughout subspace. The time for Hope to change has just begun. A huge purplr cloud hovered over Hope. Fast as lightning, a huge flash of yellow thunder hit the Number monster. The dark energy surrounding Hope's body slipped inside it. Hope could feel itself being…. taken over by the darkness. No, no, no! How could Hope let this happen! It's a Number monster, Yuma's guardian! Yuma… The mighty monster began to think of Yuma and all the duels they've been through together. But, time doesn't wait….

Hope now served the Dark Lord, Black Mist.

Black Mist grinned at Utopia's new appearance. The once pure monster now had on a midnight black armor, symbolizing it's dark side. On the left shoulder armor bore a purple "39". Hope's eyes were now a murky purple instead of the usual red eyes. It was now a servant of darkness, no longer a pure Number monster.

The door to Hope's heart was sealed.

The Dark Number hovered over to Black Mist, who was grinning at his work. Hope was finally his!

"I expected Astral to come and try to stop me, but he's too chicken to even save you! Heck, he's even more of a wuss than I had thought!" hissed Black Mist.

The black ghost turned towards a crystal ball on the altar. Inside the ball was a moving image of Kurai wounding Yuma with his blade. This boy was a lot more efficient than the other fools that had served him before. The dark spirit watched in amusement while watching the same image of the boy scarring Yuma in the alley.

"Kurai Tsukumo, you never disappoint me. You're a lot more useful than I had expected."


Tokunosuke: "No way! Dark Mist has Hope under his control, ura?"

Takashi: "To summarize, it looks like things are starting to get serious!"

Stardust Finex: "Yes, my friends, the story is getting darker, but fear not! Things WILL get better!