Demon Subaru looked at the starry sky which was partially blocked by the various roofs. He could do nothing but smile. Everything went better than he wanted. Not only was he finally free of human hosts in a fully healthy body, but now for the first time in over a thousand years he once more had a group of loyal followers. Of course, those humans may not have been the most useful of subjects due to the frailty of their bodies, but that Shinobu girl seemed she was both willing to truly worship him and also had the proper skills to coerce the others into doing the same. And then there was Hajime, he could feel his inner turmoil over the death of Tsugumi so well, it fed him even more than when he had killed Ken. Unable to hold his joy any longer, he climbed on a trash bin which he used as a podium, and posturing proud in front of Demon Edo and Demon Sora, he held his victory speech:
"Many bodies we'll reap, many souls will fall…" The other two stopped looking through their decks and paid full attention. "The chosen duelists are dead, which means that nobody will stand in my way ever again! Thanks to All Over The World restoring my powers, with each new life we take, I only grow stronger. Soon not even the entire Twilight Kingdom will be able to stop me. Nobody will ever throw me back in the wretched prison of the Abyss!"
Demon Subaru laughed, washing away those past days of frustration in the sea of insanity's mirth. His laughter then paused when they all heard a little rustle behind the trash bins near the street. Having his sharp senses restored, he sniffed the air and felt the subtle scent of leather and cows. He jumped off his makeshift podium and walked past his two servants.
"And who do we have here? A little sneaky rat is eavesdropping on us!"
He pushed the two tins aside to reveal an old woman wearing boots, blue jeans, a white shirt covered by a brown leather jacket, a cowboy hat covering her gray hair which was caught in a ponytail, her pale skin aged and wrinkly. Despite the initial shock, her green eyes soon revealed cold anger as she got up and tapped her foot.
"Rita Thornton, what a surprise! I must say, you had a lot of guts to come here all by yourself, and I suppose that's something to be admired, although guts alone are not enough to defeat me."
"Alright, ya good for nothin' faker, what'd ya do to Subaru this time?" Rita demanded in her thick Texan accent, not at all impressed by his pompous speeches.
"Unfortunately for you, that's not information you're entitled to," Demon Subaru smugly replied. "Now I'm going to give you two options: either I kill you here and now or I'll prolong your suffering for a few more hours. So, what will it be?"
Rita's response was to take out her glowing deck and to back down as two dueling tables arose between them. "One way or another, Ah'm gonna get answers from ya!"
"Keh, have it your way then." Demon Subaru grinned widely and took out his own deck.
Five shields materialized above both duelists as each drew five cards. And thus, their match began.
"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." The cowboy humanoid with the serpent skeleton on his arm appeared by Demon Subaru's side.
"Ah cast Faerie Life," Rita said and put the top card of her deck into the mana zone.
"I summon Jenny, the Dismantling Doll." The white-haired doll in a dark red dress who was wielding a razor weapon appeared, forcing the opponent to reveal her hand: Pixie Life, Faerie Shower, Jenny, the Dismantling Doll and Team Tech's Wave Go. "Discard your own Jenny and I end my turn."
"Ah cast Faerie Shower." Rita checked the top two cards of her deck, adding one into her hand and the other to her mana zone.
"I evolve Jenny into Black Psycho, Revenge." The doll got surrounded by a dark aura and transformed into a dark purple demon in jester's clothing, wielding a sword and shield and donning a hockey mask. "Black Psycho's effect discards two cards at random from your hand," Demon Subaru explained and gleefully watched his opponent discard Pixie Life and Team Tech's Wave Go.
"Ah expand Cyberdice Vegas, Gambling Expert of D." A casino appeared, containing slot machines, roulettes, a circle made of playing cards and a blue 6-sided dice in the middle. "Ah end mah turn and draw a card from Cyberdice Vegas."
"Ho? You also use D2 Fields? That's an improvement coming from your slow ramp deck. Regardless, I can also draw – I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A gray armored-knight with a horned skull-shaped helmet and a large shield in one of its hands joined BloodRayne and Black Psycho by Demon Subaru's side. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Ninjariban, Dragon Edge landed in his graveyard, allowing him to draw a card.
"Ah summon Sr Spellcyclica, Dragment Symbol and recast Faerie Shower from the graveyard, then Ah take it to mah hand," Rita said and the white and blue dragon made of crystals appeared, allowing her to cast her spell once more, adding another card into her hand and another to her mana zone. "Ah end mah turn and draw another card from Cyberdice Vegas."
"All those discards and you're still keeping a good number of cards in your hand. Maybe your deck's not as weak as I recall it," Demon Subaru remarked, only to receive the same silent cold glare from the cowgirl. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue in the last few decades?"
"Just do yer turn, big mouth."
"Keh, you'll regret those words – I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" The winged and horned purple wolf plushie appeared alongside the winged demonic palace, causing the top two cards of their owner's deck to go into his graveyard, those being Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation and Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter. "Welcome Hell's effect, I revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge which brings out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle." The blue ninja plushie also appeared, bringing forth a red Japanese-styled castle with burning swords coming out of its edges.
Rita's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, that's Rad's dragheart!"
"Was Rad's dragheart," Demon Sora added, a smirk of satisfaction showing her own sharp fangs.
"Does that mean that ya two...?"
"It's true, Rita. We were once the Edo and Sora you knew." Demon Edo spread his wings and did a mock bow in front of her. "But now that's all in the past. The master made us much better than we ever were!"
"So, when ya said earlier that the chosen duelists are dead…"
"Look at my hyperspatial zone." Demon Subaru pointed at his table and Rita was stunned to see the other pieces of All Over The World. "They've all been dealt with. You're the very last, and how generous of you to spare us the trouble of hunting you down!"
Rita her head in denial. "It can't be, this must be some kind of devil's trick ya wanna pull on me. Ah won't accept it, Ah won't!"
"You definitely weren't the brightest among your pesky little group of heroes. Anyway, Reddull gives Hellborof speed attacker, so I attack with him and Welcome Hell revives Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter." The long-haired purple wolf plushie appeared, causing Magnum, Allshot Doll, Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and Ninjariban, Dragon Edge to land into his owner's graveyard, the latter going into his hand. "Hellborof, double break her shields!" The winged plushie used his bone scythe to cut off two of the opponent's shields. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Savage, Forbidden U landed in Demon Subaru's graveyard, allowing him to draw. "Then I destroy BloodRayne, Black Psycho, Vader and Bochiborof to dragsolution Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace fired two lasers which blasted the four creatures away, then its center cracked open to reveal the Demon Command Dragon inside. "With the effect of Deathgoros, I destroy Sr Spellcyclica!"
"When he's destroyed, Sr Spellcyclica goes to the bottom of mah deck instead! Now it's mah turn, Ah cast Faerie Shower." Rita looked at the top two cards of her deck again, one in her hand and the other in her mana zone. "Then Ah cast Hyperspatial Faerie Hole, put the top card of mah deck into the mana zone and bring out Victorious Gaial Kaiser. Attack and Revolution Change into Puchohenza, Mia Moja!" she ordered and the red-armored dragon wielding two flaming orange swords rushed in the battle zone and then turned around and hi-fived with a golden-armored warrior riding a lion, disappearing and letting the other creature take his place. "Final Revolution, Ah send all creatures weaker than Puchohenza to our mana zones!" The warrior aimed his bow and arrow at both Hellborof and Ninjariban and shot the two plushies, making them disappear. "Go, Puchohenza, triple break his shields!" The lion roared and ran straight into Demon Subaru's shields, taking them down. "Ah end mah turn and draw from Cyberdice Vegas."
"I think it's time I got rid of that pesky Cyberdice – I expand Haridelberg, Hell of D!" A mountain filled with spikes appeared and replaced the casino, a metallic skull in the middle of its valley. "Then I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor and BloodRayne, Start Dash."
"Both enter tapped because of Puchohenza," Rita reminded him and watched the knight in purple armor wielding a sword and shield appear alongside the cowboy, the two of them forced to kneel.
"Deathgoros, attack Puchohenza!" At Demon Subaru's order, the giant demonic dragon flew at the warrior riding the lion, its owner putting Duenyan Emperor from his deck into the graveyard and reviving Jenny once again, the doll forcing his opponent to discard her last card – Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper, after which Deathgoros rammed his scythe right into Puchohenza's stomach, the blade coming out of his back and stabbing his lion too, both of them wailing in agony and disappearing in an explosion.
Rita gulped, she had lost both her D2 Field and her big finisher. She needed to quickly draw another in order to turn the tables back in her favor. And as if her prayers were answered, she breathed a sigh of relief upon drawing her top card. Tapping all eleven cards in her mana zone, she raised her voice and said, "Ah summon Wedding, Zenith of "Celebration"!"
Demon Subaru was taken aback at the sight of the giant white angelic creature wielding two large shields. It had been a long while since he had seen a Zenith creature, and he never expected that an opponent would manage to ramp and stall enough to bring out one against him. Maybe he had been a little too lenient on her.
"Wedding's effect, choose 4 cards in yer hand and/or creatures in the battle zone, and send them all to yer shields!" Rita watched how her opponent sent BloodRayne, Hell Mission and Jenny to his shields, while Deathgoros flipped back to Welcome Hell.
"Since Hell Mission left the battle zone, I destroy Wedding!" Demon Subaru added.
"Eternal Omega, Wedding goes back to mah hand. Yer move."
"Don't think you've got it easy now, foolish human! I summon Hellborof and equip him with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade!" The winged plushie reappeared, this time wielding a pale blue bone scythe, and it made Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and BloodRayne, Start Dash to fall into his owner's graveyard from the top of his deck. "Go To Hell's effect, I revive Ninjariban, which in turn brings out Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace. Now discard Wedding!"
"Hmph, fine." Rita tossed another finisher into her graveyard and began her turn. "Ah cast Faerie Shower, check the top two cards of mah deck, add one to hand and the other to the mana zone." She then smiled slickly at her opponent. "Ah cast Team Tech's Wave Go, return all your cards which cost 5 or less back to yer hand!"
"What the…?" Demon Subaru's jaw dropped as he saw Reddull, Blacko, Go To Hell and Welcome Hell return to his hyperspatial zone, while Haridelberg and Ninjariban went into his hand. "Don't think these cheap tricks of yours will save you for long! I summon two Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and they will bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins and Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress!" The two ninja plushies brought out two more pieces of All Over The World, allowing their owner to ramp a mana and draw a card.
"Ah summon VAN Beethoven, Zenith of "Shura", return all yer creatures to yer hand!" A tall white dragon with a spiky blonde mane appeared, wielding a shield shaped like the Sol key and a large spear, he roared and made the two plushies disappear. "Now whenever ya put a Command or Dragon in the battle zone, VAN Beethoven will send those critters to yer graveyard instead!"
"Fool, you're helping me much more than you think! I summon both Ninjaribans again and they will bring out Whitey, Dragon Soul Church and Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace!" The two ninja plushies reappeared, bringing out two more pieces of All Over The World. "Whitey's effect shall freeze VAN Beethoven."
"Ah summon another Wedding, Zenith of "Celebration"!" The white angelic creature reappeared by Rita's side, sending both Ninjaribans and the two cards in her opponent's hand to his shields.
Demon Subaru growled. Rita was becoming less of a fun opponent and more of an annoyance. He drew his next card and quickly played it, saying, "I summon School Man and destroy him."
"Ah destroy VAN Beethoven. Eternal Omega, he goes back to mah hand. And now mah turn, Ah summon VAN Beethoven once more! Wedding, burn three of his shields!" Rita ordered and the Zenith fired a beam from both its shields, sending Hellborof, Haridelberg and BloodRayne to their owner's graveyard. "Let's see how yer gonna use shield triggers now."
"Tsh, I summon Vader, Dark Armor. I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Jenny, the Dismantling Doll landed in his graveyard, allowing him to draw.
"Ah cast Intense Vacuumin' Twist." Rita checked the top five cards of her deck and took Bell Hell De Skull to her hand, returning Vader to her opponent's hand. "Then Ah summon Bell Hell De Skull, Moon Reaper and return Team Tech's Wave Go to mah hand. Wedding, burn three more shields!" Heeding her order, the creature fired another beam from its shields, this time sending Jenny, Hell Mission and Inferno Sign to her opponent's graveyard.
"I summon Savage, Forbidden U. With his effect I put the top card of my deck into the graveyard and I return… Ninjariban, Dragon Edge to my hand. Keh, now you're done for – I summon Ninjariban and bring out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle. Super Dragsolution!" Demon Subaru exclaimed and the five dragheart fortresses united in the V position, flipping to the other side. "All Over The World, Supreme True Dragon Soul!"
The ground shook and the air got heavier as the four duelists all looked up and saw the robotic creature made of buildings appear, although it was still too small to cause any actual havoc, it was large enough to fit in that alleyway. What a pity, just a mere shadow of its former self.
"Kehehehe, now witness true power, pathetic little mortal!" Demon Subaru gloated. "The very weapon your five friends tried to keep separated is now in my hands! How does it feel to be at its mercy?"
Rita clenched her fist as she watched all of their other creatures get shuffled back in their decks alongside the cards in their hands and graveyards.
"Now, All Over The World, break all of her shields!"
Rita took cover as the dragheart creature fired beams from each of the buildings comprising its body, leaving her defenseless. She tried her best to keep her balance and not be thrown away. While All Over The World was tapped, it could not leave the battle zone, meaning that creature removals could not deal with it. However, it was comprised of five cards, and each individual card was considered to cost 0 mana. That meant that a single card removal could get rid of one piece, and since the creature could not exist incomplete, the entire thing would go away. Picking up the remaining cards from her shield zone, she prayed once again for the right ones to come. And again, her prayers were answered.
"Shield trigger, Ah cast Team Tech's Wave Go, send all cards which cost 5 or less back to yer hand!" A blue wave came from Rita's side and it hit All Over The World, separating all five buildings comprising its body and making it disappear. "Also, shield trigger, Ah expand Cyberdice Vegas, Gambling Expert of D!" Once more the casino appeared in the battle zone, after which Rita smiled with confidence at her opponent for the first time. "Not so strong now, ey?"
"Your cheap tricks won't save you for long! Now that you're without any shields, you're at my mercy now!"
"We'll see about that, won't we? Ah summon Wedding again! Then Ah end mah turn and draw from Cyberdice Vegas."
"I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter," Demon Subaru said and the purple wolf plushie with long hair appeared, causing School Man, Duenyan Emperor and Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor to be milled from his deck. "I return Duenyan Emperor and evolve Bochiborof into him!" The purple wolf grew bigger and transformed into a fat black cat wearing an emperor's cape and crown and wielding a golden staff shaped like a fish's skeleton. "Duenyan Emperor, todomeda!"
"Denjara Switch, Ah turn Cyberdice Vegas upside down and cast Hyperspatial Gallows Hole! Return Duenyan Emperor to yer hand and Ah bring out Aqua Attack (BAGOOON Panzer)! Now mah turn, Ah draw an extra card from Aqua Attack. Then Ah summon VAN Beethoven again! Wedding, burn his last shields!" The remaining three cards from his shield zone landed into his graveyard, those being two Ninjaribans and Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja. "Now yer the one at mah mercy!"
It was Demon Subaru's turn to stay silent and glare coldly at his opponent. Truly he had underestimated her, maybe he should have kept being aggressive against her instead of stalling out to show off his brand-new finisher. In the end his overconfidence had gotten the better of him.
"What's the matter, partner? Cat got yer tongue?" Rita asked in a similarly smug manner. "Now enough fooling around, Ah want answers! What happened to Subaru and the others?" But no answer came, just the same passive-aggressive stare. "Fine, if ya won't speak up, then there's nothing else for me to do besides… Aqua Attack, todomeda!"
The Liquid People manning a golden tank fired a blast at the opponent, throwing him back and having him collide hard against a brick wall. As the smoke of his collision filled the alley, Rita quickly packed her cards and ran off. Worried, Demon Edo and Demon Sora went to the aid of their master. Although his wounds would heal up rather quickly, the attack still looked like it did a considerable amount of damage to his body.
"Shishima-sama, are you alright?" Demon Sora asked, inspecting his body for wounds.
"That final attack was pretty powerful," Demon Edo added. "Maybe you should-"
"What are you two doing here?" Demon Subaru growled as he opened his eyes and looked past them. "After her, don't let her get away!"
Rita hid inside an abandoned building and waited a few minutes. Soon enough, both her demonized friends ran past it, going into the street. She peeked outside and gasped. The night sky was turning red.
She then recalled being in an airplane, heading from Texas to Japan. Tsugumi had invited them all to meet up at her mansion by the weekend, so she decided to come a day earlier to spend some time with her grandson too. She had tried contacting her friends ever since Tsugumi had warned her that Demon Subaru might have returned, but none answered. That worried her even more, she kept voice messaging all of them and they did not even see her attempts. However, she did not even inform Jack that she was coming to visit, for she wanted it to be a surprise. On that evening, she landed in Tokyo after a long boring ride, and she was disappointed to not find anyone waiting for her. Maybe Tsugumi was busy. That was what she thought upon sending yet another voice message. In the end she took the train.
Upon arriving in Sagakin after a shorter yet still boring ride, tired as she was from all the traveling, she decided to have a drink at the closest bar before going to the Shirayama mansion. As she enjoyed a nice pint of cider, she spotted an unusual sight from the corner of her eye and turned to the window. It was Edo and Sora! But it was strange, they seemed so… young. Dropping everything else, she went out of the bar and shouted after them, but they seemed to not notice her and they entered a dark alley. She was quick to follow them and she soon met the shocking surprise. A pair of wings came out of Edo's back, while Sora's hands had sharp claws. Both of them stopped in front of someone whose face was covered by a hood. After sending away a small purple plushie who looked like Uroborof, he revealed himself as Demon Subaru, making her realize that the Edo and Sora she had seen were made in his very image.
Snapping back to the present, she came to the conclusion that she needed help to face those fiends. Having no other option, she took out her phone and dialed Jack's number. Suspense bewildered her as she waited for a response, any response. But the device did not even ring. Looking better at it, she saw that the connection was nonexistent. After letting out a silent groan at the inconvenience, she remembered that the college dorms were not too far from where she was. Not wasting any more time, she got out of her hideout and ran into the empty open street. Although she was tempted to scream for help, she feared that her pursuers might have heard her. Thankfully, she spotted a police station ahead and headed towards it, but she stopped in her tracks as she saw Demon Edo and Demon Sora standing in front of it. She sought refuge in a bus station and peeked out, listening to their conversation.
"We've searched the whole street and there's no sign of Rita. What if she managed to escape?" Demon Edo wondered.
"Even if she got away, what's the point? The entire planet will be demonized, she'll be no match against our new world," Demon Sora argued back, then she let out a sigh of concession. "Still, I suppose an order remains an order. Let's search the street once more."
Rita was relieved to see one fly away while the other covered the ground. Once they were at a safe distance, the old cowgirl left her hideout and went straight for the police station's front door. She tried pushing it, nothing happened. She tried pulling it, same deal. Much to her annoyance, it was locked. Frustration taking over, she knocked at it and shouted for help, but strangely enough, the men inside did not seem to notice her, they just kept on going through their paperwork and watching TV. Was the building soundproof?
Suddenly, rushed footsteps alerted her and she turned to see Demon Sora running in her direction, Demon Edo flying above her as well. Out of instinct, she pulled out her laser gun and zapped the flying one, who soon crashed into his partner. Rita took the opportunity and ran away as fast as her old legs could take her, hoping to reach the dorms in time. Soon enough, she heard the familiar sound of rushed steps and flapping wings from behind, but she did not even dare to look back. Those few minutes seemed like forever, but at last she went past the city hall and found the complex of buildings that were the dorms. Just then, Demon Edo caught up with her from the air and landed on her, both of them rolling on the ground. When they stopped, he pulled her up and held her tight from behind, preparing her like a cow for slaughter. Demon Sora soon appeared as well, and like lightning, she shoved one of her clawed hands into Rita's stomach.
It hurt. Oh, it hurt so bad. She felt as if she had eaten something sharp and it was now cutting her on the inside. The satisfied look from the one whom once she called her friend only added more to the pain. Still, she could not end up like that, not when she was so close. Struggling against her own body, she managed to pull out her gun again and zapped Demon Sora once more, throwing her away. Then, using whatever force she had left, she shoved Demon Edo off of her, quickly turned to face him and zapped him as well. Holding on to her wound with both hands to stop the bleeding as much as she could, she looked at the two demonized chosen duelists. Unconscious, smoke coming out of their bodies… Then she looked at one of her palms and was disgusted to see and smell her own blood. Trying her best to ignore the nausea, she kept moving forward, soon ending up in front of the dorm's entrance.
"Someone, anyone, please answer!" she shouted as she desperately pounded on the door, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, God, let someone hear me!"
"Oh, I heard you loud and well," Demon Subaru's hissed voice spoke from behind.
"Not again." She closed her eyes and leaned with her forehead against the door. "Why're ya doin' this to us? What've we ever done to ya?!"
"Rita, poor, poor Rita…" She then felt a pair of hands grab her shoulders and tenderly massage them. "You've been away from your friends for so long, you barely even knew what was going on here over the past few years."
"Don't touch me!" Rita reprimanded him and slapped his hands away, turning to face him, her anger helping her ignore the painful wound she had received. "What happened to Subaru? Why do ya keep torturing him and mah friends?"
Demon Subaru gave a short chuckle. "What makes you think I did something to him? Maybe I am the real Subaru. You don't even know anything about what was going on inside his head."
"Yer not the real Subaru… he'd never kill his friends!"
"Maybe you're right. But then again, are you so sure you truly knew him? Unlike you, I shared my body with him."
At that point she no longer cared for the truth. Mustering whatever strength which she had left, she tried to shove herself shoulder-first into the door to open it.
"I'm afraid your struggles are now pointless. Had you been a bit quicker, you might have escaped my powers of warping reality," Demon Subaru explained, making her pause. "Once you saw the sky turn red, you ended up in my little pocket dimension. Here everything looks like in the real world, but you can no longer interact with anything inside buildings or anyone else for that matter."
"Ya mean to tell me there's no escape…?" Rita muttered, no longer masking her fear.
Giggling, Demon Subaru waved his hand and caused an earthquake, the replica of the dorm building shaking wildly. Rita tried to run away, but this time around she was hardly fast enough. Those hissed giggles turned into laughter as the heavy weight of concrete crashed upon her, putting an end to her struggle.