Chapter 22: Darkness Within

Zarc, after being a father for five years now could say with certainty that being a parent was much harder than that of being a champion duelist. When the kids were younger, they'd wake him and Ray in the night needing to be changed or what not, and now, despite having started their first year of school, which Zarc thought had crept up too quickly, they'd still pester him asking to see his dragons, or just to have a fun duel against him. He had actually needed to buy a duel disk that had no Solid Vision capabilities for himself, as the coffee table was apparently unacceptable for a duel field, and he didn't want to accidentally hurt his children, as a known risk of Solid Vision was harm.

He'd just finished writing up a proposal that a youth dueling league be added, partially at his children's insistence, but also because, given that Duel Monsters was the biggest game in the world, played by people all over, he wanted younger people to actually experience the rush of dueling competitively. Of course, there was a lot of potentially contentious issues with it, but Zarc had spent many a night on working on making work arounds for those issues.

It was currently 2 AM, and Zarc was working on a duel disk, testing his most recent version of the safety protocols for children, when he heard the door to his workshop/office open, his wife's voice entering his ear not long later, "Zarc, honey, I think you've done enough for today. You should come to bed now." She complained to him, exhaustion clear in her voice,

"I'm nearly done," Zarc responded, "I just need to finish this and then I can come. Probably won't take me longer than half an hour." He couldn't exactly see Ray's face from where he was sitting, but he could tell that a small smile would now be there, amused with his methodology. "Well, I'll see you in bed." Ray said, closing the door as she left, and Zarc then pulled the deck that was sitting on the desk closer. For some reason that he couldn't quite tell, his Dragons were being a lot more active, often complaining about something that he couldn't quite understand, which was strange. He'd always been able to understand them, even if he didn't understand the concept, he'd be able to hear it, which was very confusing to him. Sighing, he pulled the four cards out of his deck, and placed them in a square-like formation, and he then extended the connection he had with his monsters.

"There is another!" the venomous voice of Starving Venom drawled,

"Another like us?" Dark Rebellion's stoic tone asked, although Zarc couldn't tell if it was for his sake, or because the Xyz Dragon actually needed to ask this,

"Yes. Starving Venom and I found a surge of Link energy when a card was played. Not unlike ourselves with our respective summoning methods." Clear Wing's refined voice spoke,

"A Link Dragon?" Zarc asked through the connection, "How could that exist? Links are only, what, seven years old at this point?"

"We are not certain. All we know is the kinship we feel with the Dragon, whatever it may be." Odd-Eyes' voice said,

"Well, shall I work to track it down?" Zarc inquired to his Dragons, who would obviously wish to, at the very least, meet this dragon,

"Of course." All four replied at once, and a pulse of energy was released, not to Zarc's knowledge. After ensuring his Dragons that he would search for it in the morning, and that he needed to get some sleep, Zarc retired to the bedroom where Ray had fallen asleep, and Zarc momentarily looked over her sleeping form, a warm smile appearing on his face.

The next morning, it was his turn to take the children to school, and so he did, but when they were at the school gate, Ren tugged on his coat's arm.

"Dad, could we duel this afternoon?" The young boy asked, and Zarc couldn't help but smile down at his son, his daughter seemingly wanting to ask the same,

"Well, I don't see why not. And Izumi, I can see that you want to as well, don't you?" He asked,

"Yeah! Could we both duel you at once?" Izumi said, Zarc letting out a little laugh as he ruffled his children's hair,

"I'll say it again, I don't see why not. Now run along, you don't want to incur the wrath of the ferocious Supreme King Dad, do you?" Zarc joked, his kids laughing as he saw them off, and he smiled, placing his hand at the base of the back of his neck, as he turned away, thinking of the work that needed to be done.

That afternoon, he picked up his kids, and when they got home, after saying a quick hello to their mother, they tore down to their rooms to grab their decks and put their bags down. "Seems like they're excited." Ray smiled at her husband as they embraced,

"Yeah, promised I'd duel them both at once. Got to whip out a different deck for this one. I think they'll like it." He said, grabbing a cup of tea and heading to his desk where his decks were stored. He, of course, had the 'Supreme King' deck, but he also had a few other decks, as not every duel was serious, although if he had to be frank, almost all of the other decks were only for dueling his kids. Picking up one of them, he also removed Odd-Eyes Dragon from his main deck, he placed it in the Main Deck of this one, and shuffled the cards almost unconsciously. Sitting down at the coffee table, where Ren and Izumi were already waiting, eagerly trying to shuffle their cards in an efficient manner, but one or two cards kept dropping. "So, you two ready?" Zarc said, sitting on the armchair that was unequivocally his, and placing the deck of cards face-down on the table, not bothering to separate an Extra Deck as this one didn't have one.

"YEAH!" Ren and Izumi exclaimed, having finally managed to shuffle their cards to what they considered an acceptable standard.

"Alright then. I'll go first, then Ren, then Izumi, OK?" Zarc asked,

"That's fine!" Izumi said, Ren nodding in agreement,

"Very well, LET'S DUEL!"

Zarc: 4000 LP

Izumi: 4000 LP

Ren: 4000 LP

Turn 1: Zarc

"I'll kick things off by summoning Performapal Longphone Bull in attack mode and then end my turn!" Zarc declared, placing the card down. He wished he could do more of a combo, but this was the best he could do, considering his opponents.

Performapal Longphone Bull: Level 4, 1600 ATK

"Then I end my turn."

Turn 2: Ren

"My turn! I draw and summon Lus... Les... LESTER DRAGON!" Ren exclaimed placing the card for Luster Dragon down on the field,

"Luster Dragon, Ren." Zarc fondly corrected, knowing that the word would be rather difficult to pronounce, as after all, he'd had issues with it before.

Luster Dragon: Level 4, 1900 ATK

"Oh, thanks Dad! Then I put this trap face down and end my turn!" Ren replied, Zarc also bringing up how you don't say what type of card you set, Ren taking the advice in stride.

Turn 3: Izumi

"I draw!" Izumi declared, before pondering what card in her hand to play for a moment, "I will place this monster in defence and end my turn." A proud smile was on her face, Zarc chuckling internally at it.

Turn 4: Zarc

"Now, let the real duel begin!" Zarc theatrically announced, "I draw, and summon Performapal Hip Hippo! Then, I shall use the first effect of this duel, using Hip Hippo to tribute summon! Come forth, Odd-Eyes Dragon!" Zarc summoned the only one of his dragons that he put in the deck, the delighted sounds that Odd-Eyes was making undercut by something that Zarc couldn't exactly place, but the duel continued on.

"Go on, Odd-Eyes! Attack that Luster Dragon!"

"NOOO!" Ren practically yelled, "Go, Trap card! Magic Cylinder do what you do!" Flipping over the face down, Zarc laughed as he subtracted 2500 from his life points.

Zarc: 4000 LP - 1500 LP

"Nice one, Ren! In that case, I'll just end my turn." Zarc smiled, Ren picking the top card off the deck.

Turn 5: Ren

"I will use Luster Dragon to summon Luster Dragon 2!" Placing the azure dragon in his graveyard pile, Ren placed the pale green dragon's card in the zone the first had been in.

Luster Dragon #2: Level 6, 2400 ATK

"Now attack Dad's Bull!" Zarc moved the now destroyed monster to his graveyard, removing more of his life points.

Zarc: 1500 LP - 900 LP

"Go ahead, Izumi!" Ren finished his turn, doing nothing more.

Turn 6: Izumi

"OK! I'm going to flip over my sea horse monster!" Izumi flipped the card, revealing Kaiser Sea Horse, "And then I will use it to summon Blue-Eyes Legacy Dragon!" Izumi put a card that vastly resembled the now late Seto Kaiba's ace monster on the field, the card in question having been made after the CEO had unexpectedly passed away, with, like the original card, only three copies existing, Zarc managing, with great difficulty, to secure one for his daughter who had been entranced by the Blue-Eyes Master, and had been greatly saddened to hear of his death, and was very upset to learn that the three copies of the man's ace monster were to be buried alongside him, having wanted a copy for herself, but not knowing how she would get it.

Blue-Eyes Legacy Dragon: Level 8, 3000 ATK

"Looking good, Izumi. Now go ahead and attack me!" Zarc playfully taunted,

"No! 'Cause then I'd have to destroy Odd-Eyes!" Izumi said, seemingly happy to just sit on her tankiest monster,

"Fair enough, but what if you have to duel me for the title of Champion one day and I summon Odd-Eyes or one of the others?" Zarc asked, intrigued to hear his daughter's answer,

"But I wouldn't want to be Champion if you already were, Dad." Izumi honestly answered,

"You do know that eventually I will have to leave the title, right?"

"Yeah, but not for a long time!" Izumi confidently stated, and she ended her turn.

Turn 7: Zarc

"Very well, I will activate a spell card called Wonder Balloons! This spell allows me to discard my Draw Muscle to put a counter on it. Then, by sending it to the graveyard, I think that that Legacy Dragon better start preparing its legacy, given that it will be losing 1000 attack points!" Zarc declared,

"NO!" Izumi called out as her dragon weakened.

Blue-Eyes Legacy Dragon: 3000 ATK - 2000 ATK

"I'm sorry, Izumi, but Odd-Eyes will attack with Spiral Strike!" Dramatically picking up the card, Zarc slapped it down on Izumi's monster, and she begrudgingly moved it to the graveyard.

"Then, Odd-Eyes' effect deals you damage equal to half Blue-Eyes' attack points. Could you tell me what that is?"

"Uhhh… 1500?" Izumi said uncertainly, having been taught how to easily half attack points,

"Correct! Good job, Izumi!" The young girl smiled at her father's praise, despite her life points dipping.

Izumi: 4000 LP - 1500 LP

"There you go, Ren! Your shot!"

Turn 8: Ren

"Um, OK! I activate a spell called Black Pendant." Ren said as he placed the card down, his Luster Dragon becoming the strongest on the field.

Luster Dragon #2: 2400 ATK - 2900 ATK

"Now attack!" Ren declared battle, and Zarc smiled.

Several Turns Later

Turn 20: Izumi

Zarc was now down to 100 life points, his children having both returned to full life points after suffering some damage, and Izumi had managed to revive her Legacy Dragon using a Monster Reborn she had taken from her father's hand a few turns earlier.

"GO! ATTACK DIRECTLY AND DEFEAT MY DAD!" Izumi yelled, Zarc just laughing as he accepted defeat, Ray having appeared and was leaning in the doorway to the living room, a smile on her face at her children and husband's pure joy at the card game.

Zarc: 100 LP - 0 LP

Ren and Izumi Win!

"Great job kids!" Zarc said, scooping both of them off the ground to their protests, and after playing with them for a while, it was time for them to be settled into bed, which he did with ease.

"So, you prepared for that exhibition tomorrow?" Ray asked her husband as he lay down on the couch, flicking the TV on,

"Yeah, and then I've got the prototypes to work on as well. Got a long few weeks ahead of me." Zarc remarked, almost mornfully. The pair eventually went to bed, and the next morning, Zarc returned Odd-Eyes to his 'Supreme King' deck, and the family entered their car, Zarc driving them to the stadium where an event showing off a massive new set was to be held.

The day went by without much incident, but then Zarc was called up for his duel, and he thought for some reason that the dragons in his deck were laughing with an almost maniacal glee, if only for a second.

Standing opposite his opponent, he smiled at the man, who looked to be about his age.

"So, who do I have the honour of facing today?" Zarc inquired, readying the yellow blade of his duel disk,

"The name's Joseph. This may be an exhibition, but I've prepared so much to defeat you!" His opponent, now identified as Joseph declared, Zarc smiling,

"Very well then. I await defeat if that is what you pledge."

The duel started, Zarc giving up the first turn.

Zarc: 4000 LP

Joseph: 4000 LP

Turn 1: Joseph

"That is your first mistake! Letting me go first allows me to activate my Branded Lost continuous spell, then I activate the spell card known as Branded Fusion! This allows me to send my Fallen of Albaz and my Danger! Dogman! to the graveyard from my deck and Fusion Summon the dragon who sears all that get close, Lubellion the Searing Dragon! Then, Lubellion activates its effect! I use it and the Fallen of Albaz in my graveyard to Fusion Summon once more! I shuffle them back to the respective decks and Fusion Summon a dragon so cold that even liquid magma is frozen solid in an instant! FUSION SUMMON! Appear, level 8, Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon! Then I end my turn with a face down card." As the roaring frigid beast appeared, Zarc took a wary step back, but his face had a smirk on it.

Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon: Level 8, 3000 ATK

Turn 2: Zarc

"Is that all? In that case, I shall start by activating my Supreme King's Denial, which allows me to summon two 'Supreme King' monsters with their effects negated. So say hello to both Darkwurm and Darkseer! But that's not all. Then, I use my monsters to build the overlay network!" Zarc suddenly felt a strangely heavy heartbeat, and something changed, "Cloaked in shadows and relentless in its objective, I call upon the most dangerous of dragons! I Xyz Summon! Rise up, Rank 4 Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" Dark Rebellion appeared, magenta lightning sparking.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: Rank 4, 2500 ATK, 2 ORU

"Then I activate Dark Rebellion's ability! Treason Discharge!"

"Not so fast!" Joseph countered, "Mirrorjade's effect! By sending Lubellion to the graveyard from my extra deck, Dark Rebellion is banished!"

"Well, it is a good thing I have this then, isn't it? I activate a spell known as Super Polymerisation! This allows me to discard a card and Fusion Summon using material from either field! I discard my Odd-Eyes, and use Mirrorjade and Dark Rebellion to FUSION SUMMON! Come together to form a whirling blossom of deadly allure! I Fusion Summon! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!" Zarc's voice kept changing between tones, one hostile, the other his normal, much to the confusion of many, and Zarc's second dragon appeared, "Then Monster Reborn revitalises Odd-Eyes!" As Zarc's third dragon appeared, it was Joseph who took a step back, although similarly, he was sure he would win, as Zarc was when he had stepped back.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon: Level 8, 2800 ATK

Odd-Eyes Dragon: Level 7, 2500 ATK

"HAH! Those monsters will be gone by turn's end, and you don't know what this card is!" He taunted,

"Oh that doesn't matter. Not when I have a spell called Mystical Space Typhoon which destroys that face down," As the card shattered, Joseph's eyes widened, realising the predicament he was in, "Now my dragons! Bring down the curtains! DUAL DRAGON'S DEMISE!" The Dragons charged, Starving Venom hit first, a slosh of acid rippling across Joseph's face, causing him to scream in excruciating pain, and then came the capstone. Odd-Eyes whipped around, its tail hitting Joseph clean in the stomach, the force of which sent him flying, blood streaming from his mouth and nose. He made impact with the side of the stadium with a sickening crunch, and a small pool of blood appeared under him, paramedics rushing out, Zarc and the audience standing there in a stunned silence. However, it didn't last long as someone began to clap, and then almost all of the stadium was clapping and cheering for Zarc. Sensing his dragons' pride, Zarc internally laughed. So, this is what they want? OH! I'DBEHAPPY TO PROVIDE!

Next Chapter Preview: After the unfortunate incident, Zarc changed. Gone is the light-hearted persona of an entertainer, and now set in the persona of the one called the Demon Duelist. Find out what happens next in the conclusion to the 'Original Truths' arc!

Custom Cards:

Blue-Eyes Legacy Dragon

LIGHT

Level 8

Dragon, Normal

"Why should anyone settle for anything better than the best? I didn't reform KaibaCorp to let it be mediocre, and that is all I have strived for. Now rejoice as we enter a new era of dueling!" – Seto Kaiba, announcement of the Duel Disk Mk. 15, 2077

Supreme King's Denial

Normal Spell Card

Special Summon two 'Supreme King' monsters from your deck, but negate their effects, also banish them during the End Phase of this turn. You can only activate one 'Supreme King's Denial' per turn.

Hey all, sorry again for the delay this chapter had in coming out. As mentioned in the (now deleted) update, I had a bunch of assessments and also a mild case of writer's block, which is hopefully resolved now. I was just not having a good time trying to write this chapter, due to external reasons, but I hope you all enjoyed regardless.

Also, yes, you have been pinged twice for the same chapter number if you have email alerts, but this is perfectly fine. The first was the update which I've since deleted.

Anyways, to the responses to reviews:

Aquatic Dragon – Thank you yet again for your constant support, you don't know just how much I appreciate it. Also, yeah, that Dragon really is going to have some weight to pull when it is properly introduced, lol.

Kazuki Takahashi (Guest) – Thank you for reviewing and thank you for your praise, although I can't help but notice your choice of guest name. I hope you enjoy the story going forward.

naminexriku2468 – Thank you for reviewing. Looking at your review, I really can't tell if it is meant to be sarcastic or not, although I am leaning more towards the former (damned text and its relative inability to communicate emotions), but either way I hope you enjoy the story.

Anyways, next chapter is the end to this mini-arc, and then we'll be back to Xyz. I also have a rather large announcement to make! This story is going to go cross platform! I am in the process of creating an AO3 account, which will be under the same name, with my pen name being the same as well, where I'll cross-post this story. The pacing of uploads there will be rather erratic until it catches up with this version, and do not worry, I am not going to be abandoning the fic on this site, I just wish to give more viewing options. This time next week (The 27th of October), the first handful of chapters will likely be up there, so if you want to, please do check it out.

Anyhow, I'll see you all next week where Zarc's past will be finally fully revealed! – NightWingBOI

P.S. Blue Angel's (VRAINS character for those who don't know her) Duel Links theme just released and is amazing. It actually really helped with the writing of this chapter, lol.