Yu-gi-oh/RWBY Season 2 Chapter 18

Despair vs Hope

"I am Aporia."

The new being descended from the heavens, and Ruby was left dumbfounded. "What just…" "Allow me to explain. I come from the far future. In my time, humanity grew arrogant, complacent, threatening to destroy the planet and everything in it. The Ener-D itself reacted against this and created a machine army to wipe out humanity. The Three Pure Nobles represent the three despairs of my life as a result of the attacks: Lucciano, when I lost my parents, my only family. Placido, when I lost the love of my life. And Jose, when I realized that I was the only human left on the planet. Save for another."

"Another?" Ruby repeated. "Yes. The one known as Zone. She had discovered a way to send me back in time to prevent this disaster from occurring. The only way to do so is with this!" Aporia gestures upward, towards the flying city. "The Divine Temple. Over the course of the WRGP, it has been collecting your energy every time you duel, and when the circuit is complete, it will be able to enter reality fully, and destroy Neo Domino City, stopping Ener-D at its source."

"But you would kill everyone in this city! Millions would die!" Ruby protested. "A small price to save humanity itself." Aporia announced as he waved his hand, summoning Lucciano's and Placido's duel runners to fuse together with Jose's, creating a new duel runner that Aporia floats down to occupy. "I activate the effect of Infinite Prison, discarding a card to place Grand Core in my spell and trap zone." The final core appears alongside its two counterparts. "I then activate the other effect of Infinite Prison, sending it to the graveyard to send all three cores to my hand." The trap dissipates and the cores disappear as their cards appear in Aporia's hand. "I set a card and end my turn."

"I won't let you just take the lives of everyone I know and love! Not for a plan so insane! I draw!" (Aporia 3-4, Ruby 3-4) "I immediately activate my face-down Machine Emperor Creation!" Aporia interjects. "By sending my 3 cores to the graveyard, I can summon their true form! Total despair. A new power stronger than anything you have seen is about to descend! Appear, Machine Emperor Machinicle Infinity Cubic!" The three cores open and light pours out of the three of them. The lights combine to form a large machine resembling that of Aporia. (Level 12/4000)

"That doesn't scare me! I activate the effect of Silver Eyes, destroying cards on the field for every tuner I reveal!" Ruby only reveals one, Red Lotus, but she is confident that it is enough. Silver Eyes fires a ball of energy at Machinicle, which doesn't do any damage. "If Machinicle would be destroyed, I can banish a part of a Machine Emperor to prevent its destruction. I banish Granel Top." And he has a ton of those too, thanks to the efforts of his counterparts! Ruby realizes. Was this all planned from the start? "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"I draw!" (Aporia 4-5, Ruby 4-5) "I activate the effect of Machinicle, equipping Silver Eyes Rose Dragon onto itself." Energy ribbons appear out of Machinicle, aiming for Silver Eyes. "I activate the effect of Silver Eyes, banishing my monster to negate your effect!" "I counter with the effect of Machinicle. Once per turn, I can send a Machine Emperor part from my hand to the graveyard to gain its effects for this turn. I choose Granel Guard 3, so that I can negate your monster's effect." Silver Eyes attempts to dodge the ribbons, but is ultimately held by them and dragged into Machinicle. (Machinicle 4000-7500)

Aporia's duel runner flies off the bridge and onto the streets of Neo Domino, and Ruby is forced to follow him. "Machinicle, attack Ruby Rose directly with Cube of Despair!" The machine readies its arm cannon, preparing to fire at Ruby. As it does, random passerby notice the danger and run away in a blind panic. Ruby positions herself between Machinicle and the crowd. "I activate my face-down Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, negating your attack once per turn!" The metal statue blocks the attack and resets itself. "Brave, but pointless. I set a card and end my turn. During the end phase, Machinicle can send a monster equipped to itself to the graveyard to deal damage equal to that monster's attack." The image of Silver Eyes is hurled towards Ruby, who only barely dodges. (Ruby 4000-500)

"RUBY HAS BEEN PUSHED INTO A CORNER WITH APORIA'S NEW ACE MONSTER! IS IT ALL OVER FOR HER?"

"What are you doing?" Neo demands of the announcer. "Haven't you noticed the storm out there? We have to evacuate!" Sure enough, a large energy storm has gathered around the bridge, and most of the audience has already evacuated. The announcer doesn't relent. "Even if the stadium is torn apart, I swear to keep commentating on this duel! Ruby Rose isn't giving up, and neither will I!" Neo, baffled by his courage, leaves him to his fate as she runs for safety.

"I draw!" (Aporia 5-6, Ruby 5-6) "I activate my face-down Rose Dragon's rebirth, banishing Silver Eyes from my graveyard to summon its synchro materials!" Silver Eyes appears from the graveyard, only to split into Crescent Rose and Ruby Dragon. "I then summon Thorn Lancer!" (Level 4/1700) "I now tune my Level 4 Thorn Lancer with my Level 3 Ruby Dragon! Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!" (Level 7/2400)

"I now banish my Crescent Rose Dragon with my Black Rose Dragon! The forces of Creation and Destruction mix together to create something even more beautiful. Contact Fusion! Appear, Black Crescent Dragon!" (Level 7/3000) "When Black Crescent is fusion summoned, your monsters lose attack equal to the combined attack of all monsters in my graveyard until the end phase. Twin Rose Dance!" Black Crescent Dragon spins in place, scattering rose petals all over its mechanical opponent. (Machinicle 4000-0)

"Black Crescent Dragon, attack Machinicle with Purple Rose Flare!" The dragon fires a purple blast at Aporia's monster, but he doesn't flinch. "I activate my face-down Infinite Permanence. Machinicle gains attack equal to my life points." (Machinicle 0-3000) I also banish Granel Attack to prevent Machinicle's destruction." Machinicle completely shrugs off the attack, and fires a counterattack that wipes out Black Crescent Dragon. "Do you not see, Ruby Rose, harbinger of destruction? This is the pinnacle of despair. This is how you lose, and the world is saved."

"You hypocrite!" Ruby yells. "Look around you! All of this destruction, all of this chaos, and you call yourself some kind of savior? You want so badly to be some big hero that you don't care who you hurt. Well, if all you see is destruction, then I'll give it to you! I activate my face-down Accel Reincarnation, returning my banished Silver Eyes to the graveyard to summon another synchro monster one level lower from my extra deck, but it's effects are negated and it will be returned to the extra deck during the end phase."

Ruby's hair flies up, and rubble on the ground starts to levitate. "Pitch-dark flower, grow and reach new heights beyond your wildest dreams. Accel Synchro! Appear, Black Thorn Dragon!" (Level 9/3600) "Black Thorn, attack Machinicle with Thorn Piercing!" The monster fires a volley of thorns from its wings that fire at Machinicle. "I banish Granel Attack 3 to prevent Machinicle's destruction." Aporia calmly states as Machinicle shrugs off the attack, though he feels a strong sensation from the damage. (Aporia 3000-2400)

"Your anger, though understandable, isn't enough. If I don't stop you, the machines will come and destroy everything." "But you're not just facing my anger. You're facing the fury of everyone in this city! The second effect of Accel Reincarnation lets me banish a synchro monster from my graveyard to allow Black Thorn to attack again! I banish Celica Nova Dragon! Heartbeat Burst!" Life-force Explosion!" Black Thorn charges its body up with energy and fires at Machinicle.

"I banish Granel Guard!" Machinicle is still undamaged, but Aporia starts taking damage to his body. (Aporia 2400-1800) "I banish Ruby Dragon! Gem Burst!" Black Thorn summons a giant ruby which it fires at Machinicle. "I banish Granel Guard!" Aporia now feels a sense of panic as his body is starting to come apart. (Aporia 1800-1200) "I banish Black Rose Dragon from my graveyard! Black Rose Flare!" Black Thorn lets out a black beam of destruction. "I banish Granel Carrier." Aporia barely gets out as his right arm is blown away. (Aporia 1200-600) "Aporia! Your grand plan will be stopped right here, right now! I banish Crescent Rose Dragon! Red Rose Flare!" Black Thorn fires a red beam of destruction, wiping out Machinicle and forcibly separating Aporia from his duel runner. (Aporia 600-0)

"A MIRACLE! DESPITE ALL ODDS, RUBY ROSE DEFEATS THE UNSTOPPABLE MACHINICLE AND STOPS THE MADMAN APORIA! TEAM 5DS WINS THE WORLD RACING GRAND PRIX AND SAVES NEO DOMINO CITY!"

...

The victory party is short-lived as the team nurse their injuries back at Arcadia and look onto the horizon. "I don't get it. Ruby destroyed Aporia, so why is the Divine Temple still there?" Weiss questions. "I bet that Zone Aporia mentioned is in there, still directing it." Ruby remarks. "We'll have to find a way in there to shut it down." "How?" Whitley asks. "It's still pretty high up there, and I can't fly." After some thinking, Yang answers "I have an idea."

...

"Of course you do." Neo resignedly admits. It figures that the signers would want to go towards the flying fortress of doom. "And you want me to spare a plane to escort you there?" "You still owe us for stealing the speed program Ruby and Penny wrote." Yang threatens. Neo puts her hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. But the weather has only been getting worse. Not only will I be evacuating the city, but I'm not sure if my pilot will be able to bring you back." "That's our problem." Ruby replies. "You just take us there. Pyrrha, Penny, you help evacuate the city."

Penny steps forward. "Actually, I request that I go with you into the Divine Temple. Ever since I first laid eyes on it, I've been getting the feeling that the key to my missing memories is in there. I will do my best to not be a burden." Ruby nods. "Very well then. We leave immediately."

...

As Neo predicted, the flight over was remarkably turbulent. As they were getting close, Ruby's phone went off, despite the fact she has turned it off. Nonetheless, she warily answered. "Hello?" "Ruby Rose. It is me, Coco. I am giving you one chance. Turn back now or you will die." "What are you talking about, Coco?" "The only way to save the world, and to bring back my parents, is if Neo Domino City is destroyed. You cannot stop it, so you must save yourself now." Ruby couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why was Coco repeating the same rhetoric as Aporia? She shook her head. It didn't matter. "Listen well, Coco. And tell Zone this as well. I would willingly give up my life if it meant saving this city we've worked so hard to protect. So I'm giving you one chance; get out of our way." After an uncomfortable silence, Coco answers "I tried to warn you." before hanging up.

Soon after that, the team landed, and rode out on their duel runners towards the center of the Divine Temple, the pilot hurriedly taking off after they're gone. "My duel runner's scanners reveal four devices powering the temple." Penny explains. "If we take them out, the temple should be shut down." Just as Ruby was figuring out a plan, three portals suddenly appear right in front of their path. They have no time to dodge as one takes Yang and Blake, one takes Weiss and Whitley, and the other takes Penny, leaving Ruby all on her own.

...

Yang and Blake decelerate as soon as they enter the portal, finding themselves in a strange room with a giant gear under the floor, slowly turning. In the center of the room, Coco awaits them, with her duel disk readied. "Yang, Blake, I'm sorry, but this is as far as you go."