"So what now? What do we do?" Rua asked as they stared at the Condor in the distance.
An aftershock tore through the area. Everyone hung on the best they could, but fell in relative scatters.
"All right, who's not dead. Sound off," Trudge ordered once the shaking seemed to stop.
Groans met the officer's words. Those less shaken, helping the others back up.
"Look!" Aki pointed to something else glowing in the distance. "The Old Reactor!"
"Now what?" Jack complained.
Black slime oozed out of the Reactor. The sludge rose sickeningly, squelching over the landscape. Dripping of a monstruous form.
It reared its horned head back and roared into the dark sky. Lightning flashed in all directions.
"That is one ugly bug," Lise commented.
Yusei made a sound of disgust in his throat. "Please don't call it a bug."
The King of the Netherworld spread his wings. Skinny limbs stretching out. Crawling his way to New Domino City and the ominous Condor geoglyph.
Ruka winced. Her mark burned. "Guys, Kuribon said if that thing reaches the city then bad things are gonna happen."
Fish grumbled angrily. "We never catch a break. But still, if that thing needs an ass-whooping I'm more than ready to give it to him!"
Mikage frowned at the city's lights twinkling far away. "Should we head back for the helicopter?"
"Nope, I got this," Lise declared.
Her body buzzed with the need for action. They had come all this way, fought so many people, and succeeded with no casualties! But NO.
Too pissed off to doubt herself for the time being, Lise rounded on the group. Instincts telling her what to do. Hands slightly apart, like she held an invisible crystal ball between them.
"Our marks!" Ruka cried at the familiar burning situation.
Except this burn didn't hurt. Instead it surged with power.
Lise's whole body glowed. Even her eyes. She tipped backward. Arms flung wide and body dissolving from the feet up.
"Lise, what-"
Aki's question cut off. The full length of the Crimson Dragon unfurled out of Lise. Like a gymnast backflipping into an entirely new body.
"All aboard the dragon express!" Fish cried a second before the Crimson Dragon scooped them up on her back.
The Crimson Dragon paused for a moment. Body stretching and winding up. Like doing a head count before taking off. Mikage, Trudge, Rua, Ruka, Crow, Fish, Jack, Aki, and Yusei. Yes, all here.
Fish broke into whoops and giggles. The Crimson Dragon had taken off like a bullet for New Domino City. The others broke into cries and shrieks, hanging onto the dragon's scales for dear life.
In no time, the dragon deposited the Signers, companions, and even duel runners, before a temple. The Condor sign hovered above them. Spinning silently and ominously. Only their group to be seen.
With everyone off, the Crimson Dragon curled back into itself. Shrinking into Lise's body. Bringing her back with a slight sigh. Glow fading.
"You okay?" Yusei stood ready to help.
Lise smiled, nodding. He'd expected her to pass out again. Familiarized himself with the drawbacks of her powers. "This time."
"Hang on," Jack interrupted. "Isn't that the temple Goodwin had in his mansion?"
"The very same. Get out here, Goodwin!" Lise stalked to the front of their group. Expression thunderous.
Goodwin stepped out onto the top of the temple. "Nothing gets past you, Elizabeth." He chuckled to himself. "You see, you may have succeeded in defeating the Dark Signers, but I made sure the door to the Netherworld remained open."
"So what's going on?" Yusei demanded. "Why is that thing headed here?"
"For the ritual."
"What ritual?"
"The ritual that has been carried out at this temple for many millennia."
"Get to the point already!" Crow complained. "What happens at the ritual?"
Goodwin shrugged, maddeningly nonchalant. "It all depends. This outcome has never happened before."
He smirked and whipped out the capsule containing Roman's severed arm.
Ruka, Jack, Aki, Lise, and Yusei groaned in pain. The severed arm's marking glowed brightly, activating theirs as well.
"That's the final marking!" Aki realized.
Goodwin turned his back. Revealing the purple glowing mark of the condor. Goodwin's suit top ripped to pieces and his body bulged with new muscles. Purple markings stretched across his body.
"I think I'm gonna hurl," Fish clutched at her throat.
Crow gulped. "You and me both. That's nasty."
Lise groaned, pointing up at the temple. "Fish…"
"Now I require the Crimson Dragon's power!" Goodwin opened the capsule, and reached for his brother's severed arm.
"Yoink!" Fish used her water powers to lasso the capsule away. It tumbled precariously through the air. Fish jumped to intercept it, grabbing it in midair and stabilizing herself with a water surfboard.
The pain the Signers and Vessel felt immediately stopped.
"Nice work, Fish!" Crow grinned up at her.
Goodwin's eyes ablaze with a rage no one had seen from the older man ever before. Even with one arm, the muscles and Dark Signer powers frightened enough.
"Give me the power of the Crimson Dragon! NOW!"
"Oh fuck no!" Lise gestured dismissively. If Goodwin struck an imposing figure, she put him to shame. His demand had set her off, and she was not having it. "I've had enough tonight!
"We succeeded, damnit, but then you gotta show up like some cheap final boss after we're all exhausted! Fuck that!
"Tonight I've been cursed, beat up, forced into two duels, brought to Yliaster, coerced into potentially killing my friends, using my powers to the point of collapse, kissed, although that was kinda nice, and nearly kidnapped twice!"
Yusei's eyes went wide. Every cell in his body radiating with elation. OH MY GOD, SHE LIKED IT!
"Dude, dude," Crow gave his friend's shoulder a shove. "Focus!"
"What? Oh, right, right…"
"I've had enough! You want my power?" Lise cracked her knuckles and raised her fists. "Come and get it."
Slowly, Goodwin's rage turned to amusement. He threw his head back, laughing, and rose into the air. Flying down to the same level as the team opposing him. He landed with a nauseating crunch on the concrete.
"Fine, Elizabeth, let's finish this. Once and for all!"
Goodwin's body glowed purple with the Dark Signer marks. He traced a symbol in the air, reared back, and unleashed a giant beam of purple light. The enormous energy beam spanning from chest to hips, blasting straight for Lise.
Again, she knew what to do. She'd seen her own father use this technique before. This time she had experience, the drive.
Lise raised her hands, index and pinky fingers extended. She made quarter circles with both hands, connected the quarters in the center, and finished the circle. The Dragon Seal appearing, spinning before her, she stepped forward, throwing her hands out beside her. Four red, glowing orbs hovered over her extended fingers, and the markings of all her friends ignited. Hair hovering around her like a golden halo.
Red energy burst out of Lise's chest in a beam that extended all the way to her belly button.
The two beams clashed in the center. Red and purple. The continued blast a deafening hum.
Goodwin might have been a novice, but still powerful. Lise's teeth clenched with effort to maintain her continuous beam.
Her rage could only get her so far. She'd been through so much that night. The weight of it all, the sheer exhaustion…
"Lise, you can do it!"
Ruka?
"Yeah, we're with you!" Rua added enthusiastically.
"Don't back down!" Aki agreed.
"Hang in there, mate!" Jack.
"Get 'im, kid!" Trudge.
"Keep at it!" Mikage.
"You can beat 'im!" Crow.
"Team Oracle for the win!" Fish.
We're here for you…Lise… Yusei.
Lise's heart soared. Goodwin's power had nothing on all that. He fought alone. Lise on the other hand? Far from it.
Her body started turning red. Feet first, then steadily rising until every hair on her head glowed red. Dragon markings and eyes burning a blazingly, blinding white. A vision of crimson power from head to toe. Lise clenched her hands into fists and let loose a roaring yell.
Her energy beam flooded with newfound strength, ripping right through Goodwin's tiny, pathetic ribbon. Hitting him point blank. Goodwin smashed into the temple steps. Obliterating several stairs with his massive body.
All at once, Lise powered down. Hair falling back. Breathing measured and steady.
She rolled and cracked her neck. "That all you got, old man?"
Goodwin emerged from the rubble. Eyes glowing purple they practically steamed from his rage. He raised his arm to the sky in a spiral motion.
Purple darts jettisoned from the violet orb hovering above his head. Dark energy bullets.
"GIVE ME THE DRAGON POWER!"
Lise's four energy orbs, connected. Together they extended into what looked like a staff. It spun into the dragon seal. The red energy acting as a shield.
"No," Lise extended her hands. The shield expanding to protect everyone.
A second later Goodwin's bullets hit. By themselves, not much. Together the barrage acted like an insistent, deadly hailstorm.
Aki put her hand up on the shield. Her mark glowed brighter. The others followed her example, strengthening Lise's shield.
"You're not getting this arm!" Fish cried, hanging onto the capsule, and covering the edges Lise's shield couldn't reach with ice.
Goodwin's eyes narrowed at their group. Altogether, his attacks couldn't crack their shield when they worked together… But separate…
He kept the energy bullet barrage going with one hand. With the other hand, he curled his fingers menacingly. Violet energy coating his fingers like geometric, inorganic, lines. He sent the mass roiling and curling around itself for the shield.
As he hoped; the form dispersed at the shield. Flexing out like spider legs, it separated, and rejoined on the other side of Elizabeth's shield. Hitting her point blank in the face.
Lise tumbled backwards. Shield vanished. Fish's ice too. Goodwin's bullets hit everyone, knocking them off their feet. Or surfboard, in Fish's case.
Again, the ground shook beneath them. Goodwin had literally sunk both massive hands into the building. His energy powers warping the skyscraper into uneven, almost rocky ground.
Lise and the capsule skidded for the edge of the building. Ground sloping beneath them. It leveled in time for the capsule to perch perfectly on the edge. Lise snagged the edge of the skyscraper at the last second.
Wind whistled past her. Tousling her blonde hair. Even through the dark night, she knew it would be a long way down.
"Lise!"
Yusei ran for her.
Fish's water swept up the capsule once more. A second before Goodwin's energy.
But undeterred, he made a slicing motion with his middle and index fingers. A massive flat form of energy, like a giant, square-shaped knife, cut through the roof where Lise hung off.
"Goodbye, Elizabeth! Make sure there's something left to bury when you land, will you?!"
"Lise!" Yusei stopped at the new back edge of the skyscraper. He couldn't even reach for Lise before she fell from sight with the building rubble. The piece bigger than both were tall.
"Give me the arm!" Goodwin roared. He and Fish flying around each other.
"No way! Crow, catch!"
Crow did as he was told. Rolling backwards with the weight of the capsule. "Hey, I know this game! Rua, Ruka!"
The twins managed to grasp the capsule before it hit the ground. Together. Terrified, the two of them ran for it.
"This is so heavy!" Rua complained.
Ruka panted beside him. "Just run!"
Trudge grasped it next. "Goodwin, I quit! You were a terrible boss!"
"Seconded!" Mikage caught the capsule. "Even before you wanted to end the world!"
"Not to mention a lousy guardian!" Jack added. His turn with the arm.
"Ungrateful children!" Goodwin roared. "No more games!"
He extended his hands. Purple tendrils, like skinny lightning bolts, burst out of his digits.
The first one hit Fish in the chest. It wrapped her up, forcing her to drop her waterboard and the capsule.
Goodwin scooped it up. Faster than the others could dive for it. He ripped off his metal arm, and jammed Roman's severed arm onto his stump.
Dark and light energy rippled out of Goodwin. The force of such an explosion thrusting everyone away from him.
The purple lightning extending from his fingers found Trudge and Mikage. Trapping them just as efficiently as Fish.
"Now where are my Signers?" Goodwin flexed his new arm with glee.
More dark energy bolts darted about. Ruka and Rua swept up back-to-back. Jack, and Crow snagged almost too easily. Aki had been able to try summoning Hedge Guard to shield her, but the dark energy bolt cut through the monster like scissors.
"Don't think I forgot you, Yusei, and don't worry about Elizabeth. She's still useful for the time being."
"Useful?!" Yusei struggled against the dark power alongside everyone else. "You let a building fall on her!"
"We're not giving you our power!" Aki grunted. "And we're not helping you!"
Goodwin sneered. "I'm hearing complaints, and not my Signers cooperating."
He curled the fingers on his two hands that held Signers. Their lightning restraints crackled, flashing black, purple, and yellow. Extra bolts plunging into the skin.
Ruka let out a blood curdling scream.
Jack, Aki and Yusei weren't fairing any better. The darkness ripping into them with reckless abandon.
"Ruka?! Ruka, what's wrong?!" Rua struggled, trying to comfort his sister.
"It hurts! It hurts!" Ruka screamed.
Yusei had to agree. Spots popped in his eyes. Like electric claws had been dipped in lava then plunged callously into his arm. Stealing a part of him that should not have been separated so unnaturally.
It ended. A wave retreating.
Yusei slumped against his bonds. Panting. He'd broken out into a sweat too. The clawing of the purple electricity was gone, but it still felt like a part of him was gone. An emptiness.
He looked up at the others. Ruka had managed to stay conscious, but tears rolled down her cheeks. Rua squeezing her hand. The only part of her he could reach. Aki looked dazed and dizzy, but otherwise okay. Jack had outright fainted.
Goodwin inhaled deeply. "Ah, the power of the Crimson Dragon. Now there's just one last piece."
That was it. That was why Yusei felt so empty now. Goodwin had stolen their Dragon marks.
/
Lise's mind went completely blank. Panicking. She'd let go of the building as it split in two. Losing sight of her friends.
As one of the tallest buildings in the city, the chunk Goodwin had sliced off was still massive. It threatened to crush her if the fall alone didn't kill her.
But she could fly. Just had to be awake. And not afraid.
The chunk above her crunched into the building. Shattered glass from both pieces raining around her.
Pain did not help her concentration in the slightest. Wind whipping her hair back. Asphalt becoming more and more visible by the second.
No.
Lise closed her eyes.
Don't think about the danger.
Focus.
You can do this. You are the Crimson Dragon.
And you and your friends can't keep going on if there's no world to do it in.
You. Can. Do. This.
Lise took a deep breath. A smile broke across her lips.
Breath. The cornerstone for martial arts. Just like her mom taught her.
Lise's eyes flew open.
/
Yusei planned to throw another well-deserved insult at Goodwin, but he stopped. A pebble fell past his eyes. From…the sky? He'd only seen it because it almost hit his nose. But what?
He looked up. A prism shaped shadow moved through the clouds. Surrounded by some sort of red halo?
"Let's see, Elizabeth should be dead now? Do you all want to go look with me?" Goodwin chuckled nastily.
"There's no need."
Yusei grinned. The others broke out of their stupor. Looking up at Lise hovering in the sky. Alive, covered in cuts and bruises, but alive.
"I'm right here, Goodwin, and you dropped this." Lise reared back and made a forceful dragging motion, shoving the palm of her hands downward.
The pillar Goodwin had cut off his own apartment zoomed downward. Faster than he could respond. It acted like a hammer driving a nail into place. Except Lise kept going, forcing the pillar through the roof like a hot knife through butter.
Goodwin fell out of sight. Pinned down to the floor below most likely.
Unfortunately, his dark energy restraints didn't dissolve. Lise conjured sharp energy fans, slicing everyone free as she went.
"Everyone okay?"
"Lise, I'm sorry," Ruka blubbered through her hug. "Goodwin took… He-He took our marks."
"He what? How?"
"He has the arm," Fish said grimly.
"We don't need Signer power to beat him," Crow pounded his fist into his hand.
Trudge wiped at his brow. He didn't know how many more times he could lose his shit that night. "You mean dropping a building on him won't be enough?"
As if to answer his question, the rubble around the sunken pillar and the smoke still billowing out from the impact glowed purple from below.
"EL-IZ-A-BETH!" Goodwin roared through the rock. Enunciating each syllable of Lise's name.
Aki sighed. "Apparently not."
"Good fucking lord."
"Crow's right, we don't need Signer power to beat him. Come on," Fish lead the charge back towards the smoke and rubble Goodwin had disappeared into.
Lise, Yusei, Crow, Aki, and Jack followed her. Surrounding the circle of destruction.
Mikage and Trudge hung back with the twins. The kids had done enough, and someone had to stay with them.
"Come on out, Goodwin," Fish taunted. She kicked a rock into the gaping hole.
Aki's hands poised at the ready over her duel disk. She had Black Rose Dragon ready. The only monster she had that could potentially hold its ground.
Yusei stood with his hands up to protect himself. Lise did too, her body the only one still glowing with any form of Dragon Marking.
"Or are you scared of us?" Jack shouted down. He did not appreciate in the slightest losing the wings. They'd been a part of him since birth.
The marks had been a part of all of them. Connected them.
The air remained silent. Not even a shuffling of rock or coughing on smoke. He should have been making some kind of noise.
Dark purple energy burst out of the smoke. Bullets like earlier.
"There!" Fish cleared the way with her watery powers. The others running to action right behind her.
Except when the smoke cleared, no Goodwin to be seen.
Ruka screamed again. Hands rushing up to cover her mouth. Her brother unusually silent in his horror. Mikage and Trudge too.
Goodwin had pulled a feint. While they rushed to attack his decoy, he'd emerged to plunge a dark energy blade into Lise's chest.
Everyone froze.
Blood trickled out of Lise's mouth. She stared at her uncle. Hands shaking as she raised them to the handle of the long blade stabbing her clean through.
"W-Why?" she croaked.
Goodwin laughed, drumming his hands on the handle. Impatient and triumphant.
"You misunderstand, Elizabeth. I am not my brother, nor am I Sayer. I have no sentimental attachments to you, nor do I require a crutch of power to rely on in substitute for my lack thereof.
"No, for my plans to work, I needed you to be at your most powerful before I killed you and took the Crimson Dragon's power."
"Y-You bastard," Lise rasped. Glaring through the blood and searing pain. "You let me grow up knowing I was your pig for slau- AAH!"
Goodwin twisted his blade. Smirking at Lise's cries. The increased blood flow from her mouth and now her chest. Red power flowing from her body, through his sword, and into his body.
"Take heart, Elizabeth. You get to die for the future the Crimson Dragon and the King of the Netherworld will create. Aperfect world in my image."
Lise's hands clawed into Goodwin's hand holding his energy blade. He ignored her. Futile attempts to maintain control in her final moments.
Her palms on the blade and her fingertips found his hand. Red and orange glow sparked across their joined limbs.
Goodwin gasped at the spike in power. Elizabeth wouldn't let him have the Crimson Dragon until the last possible moment. Or she was just being stubborn. He hadn't felt much from her so-called attack.
"Fuck. You," Elizabeth growled through clenched teeth.
Enough of that. Goodwin sniffed and snapped his hand back. His dark energy sword vanishing.
Just as the light in Elizabeth's eyes faded.
"NO!"
Lise swayed backwards. Her hands coming up to her gushing chest. Yusei caught her before she could fall.
"No, no, Lise, I got you, I got you!" Yusei lowered them both to the ground.
Lise watched him yank his gloves off with his teeth. She'd never seen him so desperate before, but it…didn't register anymore. She couldn't feel his hands measuring her pulse and trying to stop the bleeding.
Could barely hear his voice.
"Lise, please, stay with me! You're gonna be okay, I promise! Just please…" Yusei held her cheek in his unusually bare hand. "Please, Lise…You've gotta stay with me."
Lise felt like she'd fallen slowly into a well. Murky waters muffling sound, blurring her sight. She knew how to swim…but her whole body felt…heavy…
"Lise… please, no, y-you're gonna be okay… Please don't go…" Yusei begged, his dark eyes watering. "Stay with me, Lisie, stay with me!"
Lise reached out of her well. Only a few inches. She didn't have the strength for farther. Her fingertips met the back of Yusei's hand.
"I'm sorry…" Lise whispered.
She wanted to say more. So much more. That she loved him. Cared for all their friends. That despite everything she was glad she met everyone. That she could try to bring messages to all their parents, or something.
Anything better than those two stupid words.
But that was all the strength she had.
Body slackened.
Eyes completely empty.
Yusei managed to close her eyes before the tears fell. He held onto Lise like the wind could blow her away in a second. Cradling her body tenderly, his forehead resting on hers. Tears falling silently. If not for his shaking shoulders as he cried, he'd be as still as a statue.
She was gone.
Lise was dead.
The emptiness he'd felt losing his Dragon Mark?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing compared to this loss.
Goodwin might as well have killed Yusei too.
With a cry like a wounded animal, Fish launched herself at Goodwin. Aki right behind her. Water and dragon attacking him with the ferocity of their wrath and grief.
"No…" Crow whispered, sinking to his knees.
Jack couldn't move. He'd become a tree. Rooted to the spot.
Rua and Ruka held onto each other. Both sobbing loudly. Their friend taken just like that.
All that blood. A stab wound right in the chest. Trudge had seen enough bodily harm in his line of work. You didn't walk away from something like that.
Mikage cried softly behind her hands. They were all too young for this…
Goodwin fended off Fish and Aki's attacks with ease. Batting the girls away like their powerful attacks meant nothing. They skidded back against the roof with their friends.
"Elizabeth fulfilled her purpose," Goodwin raised his hands. Flying back to his place atop the temple. "The Crimson Dragon is mine!"
Red light converged towards Goodwin's chest.
Greedily watching the crest of the Crimson Dragon etch itself into his bare chest…