Chapter 23: Supreme King's Throne
Ray wasn't sure what had happened. The duel had proceeded as normal, but then Zarc had seemingly snapped at something. He had lashed out, and in doing so, she though his opponent would be lucky if he lived. She had covered her children's eyes when Odd-Eyes attack hit, and when they had reunited after the duel, Zarc seemed distant, as if he were a different person. He wouldn't talk as much as he had anymore, and his responses when she got them would be one or two words. Their children had been extremely confused when their father refused to duel them, Ray just having to make up an excuse for him, which pained her heart. She was also shocked to see that this more violent duel style wasn't a one-off thing, it actually becoming practice for the hospital to have a bed ready for Zarc's opponent, assuming they survived the initial onslaught.
Ray had gone to her father to inquire about the Real Solid Vision, as she had though that what Zarc was doing was impossible, which Leo confirmed, and he had remarked about how he'd lost quite the bit of sleep over Zarc's new impossible dueling style. Ray had returned home that day to an empty house, and a note on the fridge.
Ray, it read, I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm no longer the man you once knew. I have decided to pack up my things and leave. The most you'll see of me now is if you decide to watch one of my duels. It wasn't signed, but the content made it obvious who wrote it. Ray cried herself to sleep for the first time that she could remember.
Five long years passed. Ray still hadn't got over her husband's sudden abandonment of their family, Ren and Izumi had, somewhat thankfully, not exactly understood what had happened, but they had always known that whatever had prevented their father from returning home was what was making their mother upset. Thankfully, since their relationship wasn't exactly public, which Ray found ironic, the fact that her name was only associated with Zarc due to his connections with her father she found comfort in. Zarc had never changed his dueling style, and the structure of tournaments had to change as a result of it. Now, Zarc only dueled against challengers, not competing in the bracket, and his only real challengers were the winners of the tournaments, but Zarc would easily put them in what the public believed to be their place. More than 50 hopefuls had lost their lives playing a card game of all things, almost five times more with critical injuries and as a result, Ray had since gained a jaded view of the game. She was often in disbelief about what Zarc would do, about what innocence he snuffed out. Everyone would cheer and celebrate the most recent disembowelment, but Ray wouldn't have it. She often spoke to her father about implementing the nearly finished safety protocols that Zarc had left, but he'd always dismissed her, which only infuriated her further. When she picked up Ren and Izumi from school, they were chatting about some video they'd watched of a recent duel, her heart slowing, "So, who was dueling in that video?" She asked, hoping that her fears wouldn't be confirmed,
"Some random challenger and Zarc." Ren answered innocently, Ray paling,
"Did you enjoy watching it?" Ray was very much hoping they didn't, thankfully both her children shook their heads,
"The challenger's style was interesting. A deck based on swarming a field with low level monsters, then summoning a powerful Xyz monster sounds cool!" Izumi stated,
"But not Zarc's. He was too brutal." Ren agreed,
"Well, at least you two have your heads on straight in that regard." Ray muttered under her breath. Soon the family reached their home, and the kids rushed off to do whatever it was that they did, Ray wasn't exactly sure, only it involved an online game set in Ancient Egypt or something. She would much rather them play that than get involved in the card game that had taken away their father, despite how they still owned the decks that Zarc had given them when they were younger. Turning on the TV, she almost immediately regretted it, as a news report about her technically still husband, because while they'd never divorced, they might as well have, the report being about the announcement of not just a regional championship, but a world championship with a rare card ante rule, something that was unprecedented since Seto Kaiba's infamous Battle City tournament nearly 90 years prior. She knew that Zarc wanted something from that tournament, one that she was unsure of what exactly, but given some of their first interactions, she had a pretty good guess.
Four months later, the tournament was reaching its conclusion. Ray had been noticing some rather strange developments involving Zarc, a legion of his most loyal fans assembling what looked like an army, a symbol resembling a green pendant she'd seen on Zarc a few times with a draconic shape bursting forward from it. The final round soon came on, Ray now knowing exactly what Zarc was after, his opponent, one Yutaku Kosiaki, who owned two cards called 'Corrupting Tail Link Dragon' and 'Destructive Soul Link Dragon'. The duel was short and exceptionally brutal, with Zarc summoning a dragon she'd never seen before, but it was far from good, especially since it shared a stylised version of his name. After winning, the cards of the Link Dragons being absorbed into the massive form of Zarc, or rather, Z-ARC, as he'd likely call himself now. "Who is brave enough to challenge me?" He declared, a blast of bright green energy getting unleashed on the audience as no one responded to the challenge. Horrified, Ray woke her children who had gone to sleep for the night, saying that they had to leave then and there. Despite the now 11-year-olds being rather confused, they abided by their mother's word, and gathered some essentials, Ray taking one thing in addition, being the one thing Zarc had left behind when he left, being the framed deck that his father had once owned.
Taking her children to her father's laboratory, seeing the immense destruction caused by Z-ARC, swerving more than once to avoid a crater or half-dissolved vehicle, and eventually they arrived, and she rushed them into the room where her father was working hard over a computer.
"Father, are you okay?" Ray asked, Leo looking up,
"Not really. Ever since he became that I've remembered a project I had a while back. To harness the power of nature itself into Duel Monster cards. The song of birds, the beauty of flowers, the mystique of the moon and the refreshing breeze of the wind. The core elements of nature that, when combined, will hopefully destroy the unnatural abomination that is Z-ARC." Leo said, his voice seemingly cracked from not having drunk much water,
"You plan to harness nature itself?" Ray was sceptical, but then again, Zarc had become Z-ARC through Duel Monsters, so what isn't possible,
"Of course. The activation of the cards themselves would be extremely costly though. I suspect that in order to activate these cards one would have to give up their life. After all, nature doesn't like being constrained, and as such, would need constant energy from the wielder to function."
"Don't tell me you plan to use them yourself?!" Ray exclaimed,
"Why wouldn't I. I'm at fault for introducing Real Solid Vision, which in turn led to this. I will happily give up my life if it means that you, Izumi and Ren will live on." Leo affirmed,
"No, you can't! I've already lost Zarc, I don't know what I'd do without you!"
"But I must. Other than you, no one has such a close connection with the world of the Duel Monsters to be able to even touch the cards." Leo's face was as hard as stone, no emotion showing, but Ray could see the sorrow in his eyes. That sorrow which indicated he was entirely serious about what he said,
"Then let me. It'll be hard for Ren and Izumi, I know, but given that I presume it would also kill Zarc, I'd rather die with him and let you live." Tears were threatening to escape her eyes, but Leo shook his head,
"They don't deserve to become orphans in one move. No one does. I'm getting old anyway. Others also know how to manage the Solid Vision systems, so if they decide to continue using it, they can do the technical side of things."
"F-Fine," Ray said, defeated, "If that is what it takes, then that's fine I guess." Tears were now flowing as she embraced her father, a small smile on his face. Breaking away, Leo returned to the computer, asking a staff member to get Ray and her children a hot meal.
The next few weeks were hell on Earth. Constant fear that they'd be discovered by the raging Draconic Tyrant burning like adrenaline, but it was always brought down when the estimates of death counts came in. It had started in the high tens of millions, but it rather quickly drizzled down to tens of thousands a day, glances at the outside telling them that that number wasn't because of the people getting better at hiding, more the number of people was getting closer to zero. Leo had finished the cards a day earlier, and Ray was formulating a plan. She knew it would be torturous to leave her children behind, but for the greater good she would have to sacrifice herself and she was fine with that. She saw her opportunity one day, and she quickly wrote a note to her father about what she was doing, and swiped the cards and the deck that her father was going to use.
Running for what felt like an eternity, narrowly avoiding the cult of fanatics that Z-ARC had amassed as Zarc, she made her way to the cliff where Z-ARC was known to take residence and take pot shots at the remnants of the city, and she called out seeing the draconic form in the near distance.
(A/N: The following sequence is a slightly altered version of Chapter 10's second duel, from Ray's perspective rather than a Yuya who's along for the ride.)
"Z-ARC!" She called, "I, Ray Akaba, shall challenge you to a duel."
Turning around, the dragon smirked, "Well then, Ray," it growled, "After I defeat you, it shall be the destruction of this world that follows!"
With this, a massive duel disk appeared on Z-ARC's wrist, replacing a wrist-wing, and a blade emerged, and Ray activated the duel disk on her wrist, gritting her teeth at the challenge ahead, despite the admittedly stacked deck, so that she wouldn't need to rely on luck.
"Duel!"/"Duel" they both called, starting the duel.
Z-ARC: 4000 LP
Ray: 8000 LP
"Given my new form, I will be starting with Supreme King Z-ARC on my field, but I'll let you start with double the life points! Not that they will do anything!" Z-ARC laughed, taking the first turn.
Turn 1: ZARC
"I play 5 face-down cards and end my turn." ZARC stated, passing the turn with a smirk on his draconic face, leaving Ray slightly confused, Only five face-downs? And only himself on the field? She thought.
Turn 2: Ray
"I draw, and due to the cards in my hand, they will allow me to win! I start things off by activating Pot of Greed, drawing two additional cards, then 3 copies of Extremely Foolish Burial which allows me to send three copies of three different monsters from my Extra Deck, so I send three copies of Tornado Dragon, Junk Warrior and Dark Paladin to my graveyard, and by banishing one, I draw one more card," Ray said, placing the cards in her graveyard slot and drawing the card, "This then allows me to activate 4 continuous spell cards that my father made! En Flowers, Birds, Moon, and Winds!" She called, placing the 4 spells in her duel disk, a serene smile on her face,
"That doesn't matter. Like any card could do anything to me!" Z-ARC snarled,
"Oh no, they will! My spells strip your dragon of the four attributes it has: Fusion, Synchro, Xyz and Effect! And when you only control Normal monsters, my En Flowers destroys them all and deals you damage equal to the attack points those monsters had! And that's not the best part! You are unable to activate any spells or traps in response!" Ray shouted, raising her arm in the air. Suddenly, her arm started glowing as four bracelets appeared on her wrist, each silver with a differing gem on them. She was surprised, however, when she heard what sounded like spirits in her ear, pleading for her to win and stop the tyrant before her. She felt a fifth bracelet form around her wrist, and she couldn't see it, but her eyes, along with the usually yellow eyes that were left on Z-ARC's husk of a human form attached to his body, were glowing five different colours: Green, Violet, Purple, Red and Blue.
"WHAT IS THIS?" Z-ARC screeched as the spells on Ray's field started to emit a massive amount of light. Ray was suddenly overtaken by visions of some unknown people, each a pair of a boy and girl of the same age. One pair were on a theatre stage, the girl wearing a white dress bringing attention to her dark purple hair, bowing alongside a man with black and violet hair, a butterfly-like domino mask covering part of his face, another on a podium, the boy with banana-like hair hoisting a golden trophy above his head as a green-haired girl celebrated alongside him, a third pair entertaining at a children's hospital, some rather silly looking monsters under the boy's control who had red and green, tomato-like hair accompanied by a girl with pink hair, her monsters looking like they could easily perform the hardest opera as if it were speaking, a fourth being a boy with indigo hair, watering a garden, while a girl with indigo hair stood nearby, hands on her hips, as if she were barking an order, and the fifth and final being rather simple. A boy with long, black hair laughing opposite a girl who's hair colours reminded her of Zarc, a board game on the table in front of them.
Realising that all the boys shared Zarc's face and the girls, hers, Ray smiled, and let the power of the bracelets, of the cards, of Nature itself, course through her, and her last thought was Zarc, we'll finally be together again. Across a universe of peace and prosperity.
"No, I am the Supreme King! I cannot fall! NOOOOOOOOO!" Z-ARC screamed as the world faded into white light and was subsequently split into four.
Original Truths – Fin
And that's a wrap! The Original Truths mini-arc is finally finished. I'm sorry this chapter is late, writer's block was really doing me in this past week, and I could barely get a hundred words onto the page at a time. I also am announcing a small two week break from writing, as I need to focus on my end of year exams, and the next chapter will be uploaded on Saturday the 19th of November, AEDT, to coincide with the 6-month anniversary of this fic. I know that there was a three (?) week gap between chapters 20 and 21, but after this one, I'll hopefully be back to full speed and be able to focus more on this fic. I hope you all enjoyed this mini-arc, and I am personally looking forward to the next chapter where the second part of the Xyz Arc will begin. Onto reviews!
Aquatic Dragon – Yeah, it is rather sad that all this happened with Zarc, but, kind of like you said, it was bound to happen. Also, thank you for those summoning chants, they'll definitely make writing that duel easier! Furthermore, yeah, Zarc has the decks of Yuya, Yuto, Yuri and Yugo as suggested by that scene, but Ren's deck is in a bit of a limbo, as Zarc doesn't own Corrupting Tail Link Dragon yet (Totally not to cover the fact that I haven't decided on a theme for his proper deck, lol).
naminexriku2468 – Ohhhhhh! Now I understand where you're coming from. It should be noted, however, that the fact that the present-day Ren and Izumi share their names with Zarc and Ray's children is just a coincidence, they are fragments of Zarc and Ray like the Yu-boys and Bracelet Girls. Also, in Chapter 19, I did say that Izumi knew that the love she felt towards 'Ren' wasn't hers, and that they had shared a sibling-like bond. My apologies if you felt I was leaning towards doing something like that.
Again, I hope you all enjoyed, and also, last time, I mentioned this fic going to be on AO3, and, as of publishing this, it is up on there! Same fic name, same pen name, and chapters there will be going up every few days, so, if you can, I'd love it if you came to say 'hi', even if you just visited it. Finally, according to Word and a version of this story with no A/Ns, we have surpassed 65000 words of raw story with this chapter. No 'Next Chapter Preview' this time around, as I want some things to be a surprise when I see you all next time - NightWingBOI
