The sound of cracking fire. A sweet smell. Warmth all around. He opened his eyes. Above was a ceiling made of wood. There were also walls made of wood, small glass windows revealing the beautiful scenery of a forest in the middle of winter. A small bed was in one of the room's corners. A rug made out of a bear's fur was lying on the floor right in front of a chimney. A deer's head was hung on a wall, facing a large bookshelf, its neutral expression with fixating eyes giving the impression that it was inspecting the room.
Just what was this place? And what about himself, was he still alive? He quickly checked his arms and was surprised to see them once more covered in purple fur, sharp claws coming out of his fingers. But how? One moment he was bound to a mortal body and now he all of a sudden was back to his true form? It made no sense!
"Ah, you're finally awake," a hauntingly familiar voice echoed in the room.
Shishima was alerted and scanned his surroundings even closer. He was lying in an armchair, in front of a wooden table filled with sweets, a kettle with two cups of tea in the middle. On the opposite side was The Writer, also sitting in an armchair, his dark blue bathrobe now giving him an eerily regal appearance.
"You again?" Shishima spoke in an aggressive tone.
"Why yes, who else? You looked so exhausted after your last murder that I thought of inviting you over to my humble abode," the old man replied in a surprisingly polite manner and calmly passed a cup of tea to his guest. "So, how do you like your second chance so far?"
"Spare me the niceties." Shishima pushed aside the cup of tea, his anger slowly increasing. "What's wrong with this human body I've received?"
"Oh, you don't like it? I made sure it was an exact copy of young Subaru's, just so you could feel right at home."
"It's way weaker than any other body I've possessed! How do you expect me to work my master plan if five times a day I feel like I'm about to die?!"
The Writer gave out a sarcastic chuckle, it only got on Shishima's nerves even more. "But I thought you already figured it out by now. Your demon powers are way too much for mere mortal flesh. Every time you pull off your illusions, you only put more strain on your body."
"Why is that the case?" Shishima asked through his fangs, still struggling to keep his calm.
"It's because all this time you've been possessing the bodies of other humans. If you share your body with another soul, that soul will keep it balanced at the cost of your independence."
The epiphany hit Shishima hard. Did that mean his freedom was going to be short-lived and he once more would have had to rely on other mortals? No, he would not accept that! And then he remembered All Over The World, maybe if he completed the creature and had full access to its power, he could maintain its body. But then, as if his inner musings had been heard…
"All Over The World is more than just a robotic creature made out of buildings," The Writer spoke up, interrupting his train of thought. "A high amount of mana had been used to give birth to this weapon of mass destruction and creation. Beyond its material façade lies the essence of the universe itself. A universe created by me."
"Stop bullshitting me, old man!" Shishima raised his voice, beginning to spit out his frustrations. "If you truly are the creator of existence, why won't you make it possible for me to have a healthy mortal body?"
"Where would the fun in that be?" A mocking smirk grew on The Writer's face. "If I gave you exactly what you wanted, you wouldn't have to struggle for it. And that would be anything but entertaining."
That was all it took to make the demon snap. He got up, pushing the armchair back, and he threw the table away, the sound of breaking porcelain echoing around them. The Writer stood still, unfazed by the tantrum he was witnessing. A claw caught his neck in a tight grip and pulled him out of his seat, both their faces getting uncomfortably close.
"I haven't crawled my way back from the Abyss just to be your little toy. So, either help me find a way to be healthy again, or get out of my sight!"
"I'd be careful if I were you, Shishima. Even if you do complete All Over The World, you still have a lot to learn before it accepts you as its wielder," the old man explained sternly, not one hint of fear in his voice or eyes.
"Oh, and what do you suggest I do about it?"
"Know yourself. It's the only way you can truly grow stronger."
Having grown fed up of the cryptic speech, Shishima made his claws pierce through The Writer's neck. And right in that moment he was assaulted by a heavy migraine, the wooden cabin around him beginning to melt before his very eyes.
He awoke a second time. This time in the same stinky dim alley where he had spent most of his time plotting. Just what had happened? Was his whole meeting with The Writer just a dream? As he pondered, he felt the coldness of the brick wall against which his back was pressing. The noon sun's rays fell weakly between the buildings. Looking ahead, he saw a highly panicked Bochiborof walking in circles and talking to himself, "Oh boy, oh boy, what am I going to do while the master is unconscious? If we're found with all these bodies in our possession, people will realize that we're really that ones who-"
"Calm down."
His servant screamed and jumped into a trash bin, begging desperately, "Don't arrest me, I didn't do anything, I'm just a plush toy minding my own business!"
"It's me, Bochiborof," the hissed voice spoke, causing the small one to peek from his hideout.
"Master, you're awake!" the purple wolf exclaimed with joy and jumped out of the garbage.
"Unfortunately, that doesn't say much." Demon Subaru reached into his black jacket's pockets and pulled out Bluenika, Greene, Blacko and Reddull. "Just one piece left…"
"When are we going to get it, sire?" Bochiborof asked while dusting himself. "If my insolence can be pardoned, your health is of huge concern, I dare say."
Demon Subaru gave out a loud sigh of defeat and nodded. "I'm afraid you're right."
"I am?" the plushie asked dumbfounded, then he shook his head. "I can't believe you finally agree with me on this issue, milord! What I mean to say is-" He was soon interrupted by a wild spectacle of colored lights as his master gripped his fingers around the four cards, trying desperately to suck more power out of them. But this time around his attempts were more like someone failing at lighting a fire, and after a few failed tries he gave up, resting again with his back against the brick wall.
"It won't work anymore…" Demon Subaru glared at the cards. "Now they're fully unresponsive."
"Maybe this is a sign that we should take things slower, master." Bochiborof approached him casually. "Shall I get you something to eat?"
Demon Subaru hid the cards back in his pocket and pulled the hood over his head. "I fear that won't help."
"How so?"
"It seems I might have unleashed too much of my powers on this weak flesh vessel."
"Meaning…?"
"Meaning that if I try unleashing more, the strain it would have on the body might ultimately signal my fate."
"It will be fatal?"
A nod followed, solemnly confirming the bad news. Bochiborof gasped and covered his mouth.
"But if I continue to lay in this state of utter weakness, sooner or later I will have the same fate. At this point there's no going back for me, not after how much I've used up this flesh."
"What do you suggest then?" the Funky Knightmare asked and he watched his master force himself up while breathing heavily. "Oh no, you should take some time to rest!" His pleas fell on deaf ears as Demon Subaru walked to their first bag filled with corpses. "Are you even listening to me?"
"I'm too tired to go after the last one. It seems that I'll need a little help."
Black smoke came out of Demon Subaru's fingers and entered the bag, making it rustle. While creating illusions would have meant him using a great amount of his power and body's resources, here he was merely transferring a small part of his demonic essence, a far less straining action, for a particularly nefarious deed. One of the dead bodies arose on its feet, its brown suit with black pants darkened by bloodstains. The upper half of its skull floated in the air and reattached itself to the lower one. The wounds quickly sowed themselves shut. Rotten skin became healthy white and young again. Blood pumped through veins. Rich brown hair once more covered his scalp. A pair of demonic wings tore through his jacket as they came out of his back. He opened his eyes, their sclera immediately turned black and his pupils shone bright red. A roar of pain escaped his mouth, exposing many sharp fangs. Bochiborof was rendered speechless at the sight of his master's creation.
"Welcome back to life, Demon Edo," greeted Demon Subaru with a smile of utter satisfaction.
The resurrected one looked around and upon catching the sight of his killer he immediately grew alert. "You again!" he exclaimed and jumped behind a trash bin. "What do you want from me? What have you done to Suby?"
"Calm down, there's no need to be afraid anymore." Demon Subaru cautiously approached. "I'm not Subaru, I merely borrowed his body again for my own purposes."
"You expect me to trust you after what you did to me?!" shouted Demon Edo, his wings spreading instinctively.
"Yes," Demon Subaru replied flatly and took out a mirror from his pocket, putting it in front of the brunette. "Take a better look at yourself."
Demon Edo's jaw dropped. "I'm young again?" He shook his head. "No, you made me a monster just like yourself!" He walked out of his hideout.
"I brought you back to life because I need your help, I don't intend to hurt you anymore."
"Like I'd fall for that big lie! If you really needed my help, why would you do this to me?"
"Because now you're young again, and more so, you're smarter, faster, stronger than you ever were as a human in your prime!" Demon Subaru argued, slightly offended at Demon Edo's ungratefulness, but he calmed down quicker this time around. "Look, there's no need for us to be enemies. If you want to see your friend again, we can strike a deal."
"Never!" Demon Edo stomped his foot. "I'd never strike a deal with you after every-"
"The deal is: you'll get to see Subaru again and I'll explain who I am and what my intentions are," Demon Subaru offered, and this time his words left Demon Edo speechless. "In exchange, all you have to do is serve me. What do you say?"
The former chosen duelist calmed down and tried analyzing the situation. The last thing he could remember was being chased by the one in front of him and having a surfboard shoved down his throat. And now there he was, looking like in his early twenties, but with a pair of wings bringing weight on his back and his face looking just like the monster who murdered him. But what if his words were true? That meant Subaru was still somewhere inside and needed his help. Yet could he trust the one who murdered him in cold blood? No, he needed to get away and spend some time alone to think things through. Out of the blue, he spread his wings again and took off.
"Don't let him!" Demon Subaru ordered and Bochiborof was quick to act.
The plushie jumped in the air and punched Demon Edo hard in the gut before he could reach an opened window. He had a hard landing, his face on the dirty ground and the plushie crashing on his back with a triumphant smile.
"Let go of me, I'll never join you!" he protested and tried getting up, but the toy was surprisingly heavy, almost like a human midget.
"Perhaps I should prove you my will to help," Demon Subaru suggested and kneeled down to him. "You know, it would be a pity if you were all alone out there."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Demon Subaru stretched his hands back to the opened bag and fired another black smoke into it. The other corpse came out as a multitude of pieces of flesh and organs. Each of them lined up and united like a puzzle completing itself. Cut off bits were sown back together and soon it all took the form of a young woman also in her early twenties with long green hair and green tattoos all over her skin. A dark green sleeveless kimono also arose from the empty bag to cover her. Long sharp claws appeared instead of nails on her hands' fingers. She opened her eyes, revealing that they were the same as Demon Edo's and Demon Subaru's, and she also gave out a roar of pain upon her resurrection, exposing her own mouth filled with sharp fangs.
"It can't be, you killed her too…?" asked Demon Edo.
"And now I revived her as well." Demon Subaru turned to the girl. "Welcome back to life, Demon Sora."
"This is not happening." Demon Edo shook his head in denial. "It must be an awful nightmare."
"Oh, but I assure you, it's very real!" Bochiborof responded and pressed his foot harder on the other's spine, making him grunt. "If you're feeling pain, then it surely is real!"
After a few minutes of short explanations, they all calmed down and the winged duelist was back on his feet, next to his resurrected friend.
"So, you mean to say we're no longer human?" Demon Sora asked, looking at her claws.
Demon Subaru nodded. "Attempting to reintegrate into human society is now futile. Even if you're not discovered, you cannot maintain your old people disguise for long. More so, in these forms you cannot age and are basically immortal."
"It's not natural, what's happened to us. We're not meant to be demons. This is… just wrong."
"Why did you do this to us? What do you need our help for?" Demon Edo intervened.
Demon Subaru crossed his arms and stood tall in front of them like a shadow ready to cast itself and engulf everything.
"My name is Shishima. I was once the prince of a realm called the Twilight Kingdom. It's located in the afterlife, right between Hell and Purgatory. My far ancestors had escaped Hell's prison and sought to make a place of their own, where they could rule themselves. These rebellious demons became known as the youkai."
"Youkai… I've read about them. They've got the ability to shapeshift, but usually have animal features," Demon Sora brought up.
"That is correct," Demon Subaru continued. "I myself am a lion daiyoukai, the highest class of the Twilight Kingdom. I have come to this world a little over a thousand years ago, after my banishment."
"Banishment? What happened to you?" Demon Edo wondered.
"Let's just say that there have been differences in vision between me and the rest of my kin. The point is, they're bent on conquest, and they have been tracking me down over the past centuries. Sooner or later, they will arrive to your world, and when they do, they will wipe out mankind as we know it."
"How's this any different from what you've been doing, huh?!" Demon Sora snapped at him.
"Yeah, you've been torturing and killing humans ever since we've known you!" her friend added.
"I'm trying to demonize this world so that it will survive the Twilight Kingdom when it comes!" Demon Subaru claimed, the two duelists looking at him with surprise. "Do you actually think that you've got a chance in facing them as weak mortals?"
"I… don't know," Demon Edo said, unclenching his fist. "I'm not sure of anything anymore."
"Well I am!" Demon Sora maintained her aggressive tone. "From what you're telling me, either mankind becomes demonized by you or gets wiped out by the Twilight Kingdom. There are no good sides here! How are we supposed to choose?"
"What if I told you that you can be together with your friends again?" Demon Subaru replied with a hint of kindness in his voice they had never heard before. "You'll never have to worry about aging or dying, you can forever live in the moment without any worries."
What followed was silence as the two reflected upon his offering. Although what Demon Subaru was promising tempted them to no avail, they could not get over the fact that he had killed them brutally. Even if he was kind enough to resurrect them, what guarantee did they have that he was not simply lying or tricking them? But when they looked at each other, they knew that things were different now, there was no way they could go back to being human ever again. Before they could decide on an answer, Demon Subaru widened his eyes which glowed bright red.
Suddenly, the two of them awoke in a peaceful meadow, the pleasant scent of lavender in the air, the warm rays of spring's sun gently touching their skin, the gentle mountain breeze soothing their minds. It was as if they had been snatched out of that infernal existence and taken straight to paradise. Looking down, they both saw their reflections in the river. They were still young, but this time around they lacked all their demonic features.
"Guys, is that really you?" called a familiar voice, both turning to see their old friend Subaru, as young and happy as them. "Edo, Sora, I've missed you so much!" He ran up to them and hugged them both, the trio spinning until they fell on the grass, laughing all the while.
But alas, the moment of bliss did not last forever, and they awoke from their happiness back into the smelly alley, still in their new bodies, and a cold glare staring them down in expectation.
"W-what was that all about?" muttered Demon Edo, still in disbelief of what he had just experienced.
"I allowed you to enter his soul and be reunited with him. He's still alive, deep inside this body, and you can see him again as many times as you wish. But you know what you must do in exchange."
What other choice did they have? Even if they refused his offer and ran away, they could not go back to their friends or loved ones. Their normal lives had ended the moment Demon Subaru killed them. Now what they had ahead was a new life, one so uncertain that both felt as if everything was out of their control.
"There really is no other way, is it?" Demon Edo mused.
"Very well, Shishima." Demon Sora fell on her knees, a tear of blood streaming down her left cheek. "We shall serve you."
Although still uncertain, Demon Edo followed her example and also kneeled.
"Don't let the weakness of compassion and mercy get in the way of your new mission. Embrace your violent side, let the demon blood take over!" Demon Subaru waved his hands above their heads and they began shaking and growling, exposing their fangs and foaming at the mouth like rabid animals. Although their minds were still their own, their darkest thoughts and desires had surfaced, thus corrupting their once cheerful personalities. "Now your rebirth is complete." They both looked at him with predatory eyes. "Go, kill Tsugumi and fetch me the last piece of All Over The World!"
"It will be done, master!" Demon Sora promised.
"She'll cooperate or die struggling!" Demon Edo added, the two of them cackling with newfound vigor.
Once they left, Demon Subaru collapsed back between the trash bins. At last, he no longer needed to mask his fatigue. After a few deep breaths, he instructed, "Bochiborof, fetch me some meat."
"Right away, milord!" The plushie complied and ran off to find some random human to kill.
Now alone, he could ponder on his newest creations in peace. It worked, it actually worked. Not only had he managed to bring two mortals back to life, but he also demonized them, giving each a trait of his true form. This was something he had dreamed of doing over the last few centuries, for demonized servants were way more useful than zombified servants. And much easier too, all he had to do was transfer a bit of his essence into those corpses. That was enough to bring their souls back from the afterlife and revitalize their bodies. Maybe All Over The World was an even better power source than he imagined.
As for the lies he had fed them, he knew that they were not really the most emotionally stable out of his enemies, so his words and illusions were enough to keep them under his thumb for the time being. There was indeed a truth in what he had said. He remembered the vow he made upon his banishment to the human world, that he would one day become a god and take revenge on the Twilight Kingdom for daring to forsake him. And with each small victory he gained in the city of Sagakin, he could finally feel that day approaching.
Tsugumi relaxed on her sofa, taking a sip of green tea as she watched the news on TV. For the first time in that week she felt like her worries were beginning to dissipate. Hajime was finally strong enough to defeat her, so she was certain that he could stand up to the Demon. Each of her chosen duelist friends had received an invitation to the Shirayama mansion for the weekend, and the following day was Friday, meaning that the team was going to reunite soon and discuss how to combat the upcoming threat. As she listened to the news presenter assure the citizens that the police were meticulously working on the case and gathering evidence, she began to wonder if her worries over the past three days were well-founded. Maybe all that mass hysteria had been caused by a really deranged individual and her supernatural enemy had been gone for good.
The sound of the doorbell caught her attention and she put her cup of tea back on the table and got up. That was strange, usually the mailman did not ring and just left the envelopes in the mailbox near the yard's gates. She checked the security cameras and was surprised to see Sora, so she pressed a button and opened the gates, after which she went to unlock the door. The two old women cheerfully greeted each other and hugged.
"Great to see you, Sora! You don't know how hard it's been for me without you guys these past days," Tsugumi confessed and broke their embrace.
"I know, I've also been scared since you told me the news," Sora said while dusting her feet, the two of them entering the mansion afterwards. "My boss called me and said I got a day off from the pizza parlor, so I decided to drop by early and talk to you."
"You shouldn't have, seeing how we'll all be meeting tomorrow anyway. But I'm glad you came, I really needed someone to talk to."
"What about Hajime? Don't you usually talk to him?"
"Yes, but…" Tsugumi sighed as they both sat on the sofa in the living room, "…not like this. I've been so scared after everything Demon Subaru made us go through, I didn't want to burden him with my nightmares. It's bad enough that the death of his best friend hit him so hard."
"I'm so sorry to hear that. How has the boy been handling it?"
"You know Hajime, he doesn't easily show his true emotions, you need to pull them out of him. But it's clear that he's out for justice. I just hope he won't get himself in trouble."
"You've been a good grandmother." Sora put her hand on Tsugumi's. "I'm sure that in a few years he'll be doing great things."
"Gee, thanks. You always have the right words, don't you?"
"That reminds me – Edo called me this morning said that he has a surprise for the two of us. He said he's waiting at his clown workshop."
"That's a few blocks away from here. Did he give you any hints about his surprise?"
"No, he just said we should come there fast before he goes to work. What do you say?"
"Sure, why not? But it might be dangerous out there with a killer on the loose."
"Don't worry, it's daytime and we'll be walking together. If anyone dares to attack us, I'll just pull a jujitsu move on them!"
With a light laugh, Tsugumi finally gave in. Soon the two of them were outside the gates, Sora watching her friend lock everything up and set the security codes.
The walk downtown was surprisingly pleasant. The warm weather served only to relax Tsugumi even more and she adored seeing her precious city ever so prosperous. Having her old friend along the way only made things even more pleasant as they talked about past adventures in their youth, laughing all the while like it were all a good dream which ended too soon. And before they knew it, they were in front of a large old deposit with a poster on its door that depicted a juggling clown on a monocycle.
"Wow, it looks bigger than I remember. I haven't been here in years," Tsugumi murmured, more to herself.
"Edo said we should walk in, he'll finish his business when he sees we're in," Sora explained.
"I don't know, maybe it's not polite to bother him."
"Don't you worry, you know that you can never bother someone like him."
"I guess you're right."
Tsugumi grabbed the handle and opened the door. Right in that moment, Sora shoved her in and she fell down a large spiraled slide all the way to the basement. Down there, toys were scattered everywhere, along with balloon animals, horns, party hats, jars of candy and makeup kits, it truly was a workshop for clowns. Demon Edo dragged a large metal table filled with sharp spikes to the end of the slide, ready to impale their unsuspecting victim. But out of the blue, Tsugumi crashed right into him, the two of them falling into a wall. As she got on her feet and tried to regain composure, Demon Edo quickly reverted to his old man looks and turned to her.
"What the hell, Tsugumi?!" he snapped, his anger surprising her. "What are you doing here? And where's Sora?"
"I'm sorry, Edo. She pushed me down this slide that you've set at your front door. I didn't mean to bother you."
"You wait here, I'll be back," he instructed and ran to the stairs from beneath the slide.
Never in her life did Tsugumi see Edo this grumpy. Maybe work had been hard on his previous day, but even so he was always with a smile on his face. Did they arrive too early and he could not finish his surprise in time? That was preposterous, whenever he called you to visit him, he always had the surprise ready beforehand. But more importantly, she could have sworn for a moment that she saw wings coming out of Edo's back. Maybe it was some new costume he was preparing for the kids. She turned to the object he was carrying and was shocked to see that it was a table filled with spikes. What kind of children's show used something like that?! The voices of her friends came from the stairs as they descended.
"Why the fuck did you bring her so early? I didn't have time to finish the trap!" Edo scolded.
"I'm sorry, you said you wouldn't take more than half an hour so I didn't talk to her much," Sora excused herself.
Frustrated, Edo groaned. "You know Shishima will be pissed to no end if we don't take care of her and bring him the last piece!"
Tsugumi stared at them in disbelief. Just what exactly was going on? Both friends walked up to her, worried expressions on their faces. They were aware that she had heard them.
"Were those spikes for me…?" she asked, her legs beginning to shake.
"I'm surprised you figured it out," Edo replied with disgust and nodded to Sora.
The two of them grinned at her and their teeth grew into sharp fangs as their bodies became younger, their eyes turned demonic. Tsugumi's blood pressure grew and her skin became pale as she witnessed her old friends looking exactly like the monster from her nightmares. Just what happened to them? Did he get to the two of them before their meeting? Or had he entered their bodies instead of Subaru's this time around?
"You're… trying to kill me?" she muttered, sheer terror in her voice.
"Yes, now shut up and we'll make it a quick one!" Demon Edo said, spreading his wings.
Tsugumi turned around to run away, only for Demon Edo to fly right in front of her and grab her tight. He turned her around, caught her arms in a tight grip and forcibly exposed the front of her body. Demon Sora sharpened her claws and slowly approached, ready to tear her insides out. In the nick of time, Tsugumi stepped on her captor's foot, the pain making him let go. She quickly elbowed him in the stomach and ran off. Spitting out a curse, Demon Sora quickly went after her. Tsugumi grabbed a box filled with marbles and spread them all over the floor, causing her pursuer to trip on them and crash face-first on the floor. She then climbed the stairs as fast as her old age allowed her, the workshop's exit being at just half a minute away from her reach.
"Dumbass, wake up, she's getting away!" Demon Sora cried out at her partner.
"Oh no she's not." Demon Edo pulled out a remote from his pocket and used it to lock the front door.
And so, her last chance at escaping the nightmare was gone, at only a few seconds distance. Tsugumi paused to catch her breath and looked down at the demons who resembled her friends. The winged one grabbed the clawed one by her elbows and flew them both to her level, elongated grins of pure malice on their faces. Seeing no other way out, she pulled out two decks and challenged them to duels. They both landed on the stairs beneath her and took out their own decks, accepting the challenge and making four dueling tables emerge. Thus, their double match began.
"I summon Onikamas, Strange Flow." A blue bipedal barracuda appeared by Demon Edo's side, a golden trident and a golden shovel in its hands.
"I summon Jasmine, Mist Faerie and destroy her." A small green-haired faerie wearing a brown dress appeared by Demon Sora's side and soon vanished in an explosion, causing the top card of her deck to go into her mana zone.
"I cast Aquan Jr.'s Delivery on both sides." Tsugumi revealed Rainbow Spark, Dragon's Sign and Miracle Star, Time Caster on one side, as well as Heaven's Gate, Miradante Twelve, Time Pope and Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental on the other side, all cards going into her hands.
"You like to draw cards, ey? I can do that even better – I cast Streaming Shaper." Demon Edo revealed Aqua Super Emeral, Giga Speed, D2W2, All For One, Machine of D and VV-8, Forbidden Machine, all going into his hand.
"I summon Gyou, Growthkind." A small green pterodactyl baby appeared by Demon Sora's side, sending one of her shields to her mana zone, the card being Lion Knuckle.
"I cast Rainbow Spark on both sides." Tsugumi then drew two cards for each.
"I summon Shuff, Eureka and choose 5," Demon Edo said and a suited robot wielding a deck of cards appeared. "With his effect, you can't cast spells that cost 5 and your creatures in the battle zone that cost 5 can't attack or block!"
"I summon Sasoris, Dragon Edge and equip her with Boaroaxe, Evil Tomahawk!" A green squirrel donning a white mask and tribal undergarments appeared by Demon Sora's side, wielding a silver axe. "With Boaroaxe's effect I put Ochappi, Pure Hearted Faerie from my mana zone into the battle zone. Ochappi's effect, I send Jasmine from the graveyard to my mana zone.
"I summon Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental which stops Shuff from attacking or blocking until the start of my next turn!" A winged blue dragon wielding a large golden bell appeared and rang its instrument, incapacitating the robot. "On the other side I cast Dragon's Sign and bring out Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge along with Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle! Reddull gives Heaven's Rosia speed attacker, so I attack with him and Revolution Change into Miradante Twelve, Time Pope!" The armored humanoid appeared and got surrounded by a red aura which caused him to attack, but he quickly turned around and hi-fived with the white angelic dragon with long blonde hair and a clock surrounding its back, disappearing from the battle zone. "Miradante Twelve's Final Revolution, you can't summon creatures which cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" A pair of golden vines appeared out of nowhere and tied Demon Sora's hands. "And with his other effect I cast Dragon's Sign which brings back Heaven's Rosia along with Endless Heaven, True Holy Church! Now go, Miradante Twelve, triple break her shields!" Tsugumi ordered.
Demon Sora took cover as she was left with one last shield.
"I end my turn and since I have more shields than you, I dragsolution Endless Heaven into Neverend, True Destiny King!" Tsugumi announced and the floating church took on its creature form.
The situation looked good so far for the her - one of her opponents could no longer incapacitate her with Shuff, while the other was both locked down and almost defenseless.
"This can't be…" Demon Sora murmured, shocked at the tight position she was caught in.
"Focus, Miradante Twelve locks down only summons, not puts," Demon Edo reminded her, snapping her back to reality. "Anyway, my turn, I expand All For One, Machine of D!" And then around them a blue laboratory in which two interconnected glass containers and a giant spanner were the center of attention materialized. "I end my turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Shuff and replace him with VV-8, Forbidden Machine." The spanner crushed the suited robot and his pieces went into one of the containers while a white robot with motorcycle features appeared in another. "I look at the top five cards of my deck, take two in my hand and put the rest on VV-8 as seals."
"I attack with Ochappi and S-Rank Invasion "Tribe", I evolve her into Sanmadd, S-Rank Tribe!" Demon Sora managed to tear the golden vines and the peach-haired faerie in white dress rushed to attack and evolved into a tall furry caveman wearing three skulls on his head, chest and left shoulder, wielding a shovel, a spear and a hammer. "Since there are 4 or more creatures in the battle zone, Sanmadd sends Miradante Twelve to your mana zone! Now go, Sanmadd, triple break her shields!" After making the Angel Command Dragon disappear, the caveman gave a battle cry and rushed to the opponent, using each of his weapons to take down a shield. "Sasoris, attack and Boaroaxe brings Ragmal, Spirit Knight from my mana zone into the battle zone. I send Ragmal back to my mana zone."
"I send Heaven's Rosia," Tsugumi replied and she watched her humanoid partner disappear once more.
"Sasoris, break her shield!" Demon Sora ordered and the squirrel cut it down with the silver axe. "Gyou, break her final shield!" The baby pterodactyl flew into the remaining one, rendering the old woman defenseless on one side.
Tsugumi took a better look at her two opponents. Mono Water VV-8 and Mono Nature Sasoris, those definitely were the same decks that her friends used. And their play styles, one with spamming creatures and taking extra turns, while the other also spammed creatures by going for the offensive. Yes, her friends indeed dueled like that. But was it indeed them beyond that fiendish exterior? No, she refused to believe that the Edo and Sora she knew would have so easily fallen to the dark side, let alone tried to harm her. It all had to be some kind of trick done by Demon Subaru, and she was going to put an end to that charade right then and there.
"Shield trigger, I cast Heaven's Gate!" she announced and both Wisdompheus, Dragonic Spirit and Miracle Star, Time Caster appeared in her battle zone. "With the effect of Wisdompheus I check the top 5 cards of my deck, take Arcadia Spark to my hand and also cast it – shuffle Gyou into your deck and draw a card!" A blue ray hit the small pterodactyl and made him disappear. "Miracle Star's effect, I return spells with different costs from the graveyard to my hand!" One by one, Aquan Jr.'s Delivery, Rainbow Spark, Dragon's Sign, Heaven's Gate and Arcadia Spark went back to her hand. "And now my turn, on this side I summon Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental and set a shield from my hand. Then Gravity Zero, I cast Miracle Stop for free and you can't cast spells until the start of my next turn!" A pair of golden vines appeared and tied themselves around Demon Edo's shields. "Kernel, attack and Revolution Change into Miradante Twelve, Time Pope! Final Revolution, you can't summon creatures which cost 7 or less until the end of your next turn!" Another pair of golden vines bound Demon Edo's hands. "Then I also draw a card from his other effect. Go, Miradante Twelve, triple break his shields!" Tsugumi ordered and her angelic dragon fired beams from the clock on its back, taking down three shields. "As for the other side, I summon Kernel and stop Sasoris from attacking or blocking. Wisdompheus, break her final shield and Neverend shall freeze Sanmadd!"
Demon Sora lowered her head in shame as she saw that there was no shield trigger to save her from what was to come.
"Neverend, todomeda!"
One blow from the creature's double-bladed spear was enough to send the green haired girl tumbling down the stairs. Demon Edo mentally cursed their situation, now he was left all alone to face the one who was probably the strongest of the former chosen duelists.
"Your move," Tsugumi passed the turn, ever so confident.
He may have been locked down by that pesky Miradante Twelve, but fortunately for him, his opponent forgot that his D2 Field's effect also bypassed said lockdown. He just needed to draw the right card to stall for one more turn. His smile resurfaced as he saw said card.
"I end my turn and with All For One's effect I destroy Onikamas and replace him with Shuff, Eureka." Demon Edo moved his hands and ripped off the vines as the spanner crushed the barracuda and the suited robot wielding a deck of cards appeared. "Since Shuff is a Water Command, I take off one of VV-8's seals. Then I choose the number 8!"
"That won't be enough to hold me back – I summon Heaven's Rosia which brings out Reddull, giving it speed attacker! Heaven's Rosia, attack and Revolution Change into another Miradante Twelve! Final Revolution once more and I also cast Rainbow Spark, tap Shuff and draw 2 cards. Now go, break his final shields!"
Demon Edo also lowered his head as each of his last two shields was broken, surrounding him with their floating shards. His opponent placed her hand on her last remaining untapped creature, ready to give the final attack, when…
"Shield trigger, I cast Tune Again and return a seal to my hand. Since this seal is a Water Sonic Command, I put it in the battle zone for free – come out, Giga Speed, D2W2!" A white tank with two heads appeared, breaking the last seal of VV-8 and freeing the motorcycle cyclops robot out of its tube. "VV-8 has been unsealed, which means that I'll get an extra turn! Now with Giga Speed's effect, since I have a D2 Field out, I send both Emeralda and the untapped Miradante Twelve back to your hand!"
Tsugumi gulped as her two creatures disappeared and their cards returned to her hand. She passed the turn reluctantly.
"VV-8, destroy the other Miradante Twelve!" he ordered and the robot moved on its wheel feet to the majestic Angel Command Dragon, jumping in the air and punching him so hard in the face that he vanished in an explosion. "I end my turn and All For One destroys Shuff and replaces him with another VV-8. I draw two cards and set three new seals on it. And now… time for my extra turn!" Demon Edo grinned with expectation, savoring his opponent's growing nervousness as her confidence began to fade. "Miradante Twelve's lockdown is now gone, so I summon Wild Speed, D2W. With his effect I check the top two cards of my deck and put Aqua Super Emeral into the battle zone. Then since I have a D2 Field out, each of my creatures gets the Sonic Command race from Wild Speed!"
"That means that both Wild Speed and Aqua Super Emeral can take away a seal from the new VV-8." Tsugumi realized, sweat falling down her forehead.
"Giga Speed, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space", I evolve him into Adamski, S-Rank Space!" The tank rushed towards the old woman, but it quickly transformed into a robot made out of three flying saucers piloted by little green aliens, breaking the final seal and freeing the other motorcycle robot. "Now with the second VV-8 unsealed, I gain another extra turn! Go, Adamski, double break her shields!"
Tsugumi braced herself for the attack, knowing that the shield trigger she had set up with Emeralda was going to save her no matter what. Then, much to her shock, the creature did not break her shields, but it instead fired a blue laser on her deck, putting the top four cards into the graveyard.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Kehehe, instead of breaking shields, Adamski mills your top two cards for each shield that would have been broken by him. I now attack with VV-8 and S-Rank Invasion "Space" again, I move Adamski onto him and mill four more cards!"
Only then did she realize what her opponent's strategy was. He had stalled so long and made extra turns just to bring out Wild Speed and turn all of his creatures into Sonic Commands. That way, he now had an army of attackers for Adamski to mill her deck instead of actually breaking her shields. In other words, if she did not have enough cards left, it was all over.
"And now, my other extra turn begins," Demon Edo announced with glee. "I summon Onikamas and two Mypad, Start Dash. Adamski, mill four cards! Giga Speed, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space", Adamski shall mill four more cards!"
In the moment when she saw that her deck had thinned considerably did actual despair hit Tsugumi. That was it, one more attack and she would have lost to a deck out.
"Aqua Super Emeral, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Space"! Adamski, finish her deck!" Demon Edo ordered and with one last blue beam, Tsugumi was left with an empty deck.
An explosion took her by surprise and blew her right into the locked door. Demon Edo took a breath of relief, it was anything but an easy victory. Looking back, he saw that his injured partner had climbed her way back despite the hard attack she had received from Neverend.
"Are you alright?" he asked and inspected some of her bruises.
"Normally I'd have said 'no'. But this is different, I feel like I've got brand new stamina. My wounds are healing much quicker now!" she admitted and then they both turned to the defeated one. "You take Whitey and fetch me a body bag. I'll personally deal with this bitch."
Back in the alleyway, Demon Subaru was struggling to eat a human arm from the freshly-butchered corpse that Bochiborof had brought him. Two shadows fell on him and he turned to see his new servants, Demon Sora holding a large bag which reeked of freshly spilled blood while Demon Edo tossed in front of him the last card he needed. Demon Subaru set aside his meal and stared at it, half of him in disbelief that his first quest was finally over, while the other half was in pure joy.
Not wasting any more time, he picked the last piece and took out the other four. A pulse came out of the cards, echoing in their heads. They glowed with the rainbow's colors and floated in the air, taking a V position in the order of Greene, Whitey, Reddull, Blacko and Bluenika. The pulse grew louder, giving headaches to the three servants, but Demon Subaru felt nothing. His eyes grew wide as he saw the entirety of existence right before his eyes, millions of years and countless galaxies racing before him in the span of a few moments. And then the mythical creature which he had called upon the previous day finally appeared, its stare piercing him. As they looked at each other, the passage of time seemed meaningless. But Shishima finally understood that he had passed the test and was accepted by the creature once more. Though he knew that it would not yet grant him access to its power, he felt a sudden wave of energy go through him.
With a single blink, he awoke back in the alley. He was on his two feet, and his body felt way lighter than before. There were no more difficulties with breathing, no more sudden coughs, and no bone or muscle ached him anymore. At last, that pathetic body had been fully healed.
"Milord, you're finally back to your old self!" Bochiborof cheered.
"It seems so." Demon Subaru nodded and put All Over The World's cards back in his pocket.
"What shall we do next?" an eager Demon Edo asked.
"I want you guys to leave a little message for me."
Later that evening, Hajime arrived home and was surprised to find it locked. Luckily for him, he remembered all of his grandmother's passwords, so he typed the access code and stepped inside the yard. A chilling wind blew as he looked around, noticing that the security cameras did not seem to function anymore. Upon opening the house, he had the shock of finding a message written on the wall in blood: SHE HAS JOINED US. What? How? When did it happen? No, it had to be some kind of bad joke, it just had to.
His first instinct was to search the entire mansion, calling out for his grandmother, but to no avail, there was no sign of her anywhere. It was all his fault; he should not have allowed the killer to blackmail him into staying silent. If he had dared to go to the cops and present them his information, maybe their nightmare would have been over. Feeling utterly hopeless, he gave in and took out his phone.