Thick storm clouds hovered above Duel Academy, keeping the sunlight from poking through anywhere. Most of the students stayed in their dorms, not wanting to risk braving the storm... but one of them in particular stayed at the bedside of Yusuke

Ryo made it to the infirmary just before the rain started and noticed the lights were dimmed. He looked around and saw his friend lying on his back, breathing evenly.

He walked over and pulled a chair. Looking down, he saw his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth turned down. His seaweed hair was fanned out on the white pillow, and the white sheet was pulled up to below his shoulders. He had on a black high neck shirt that could be seen where the sheet ended. Ryo sat down, and reached out to touch his forehead. It was slightly warm, so Ryo moved to grasp a hand.

"Oh you came." Nurse Ayukawa said as she rounded the corner. Ryo looked at her and then back to his friend "I'm sorry Ryo-kun, he said the migraine was really bad for the second day in a row. I think this storm is also playing havoc on him. So I gave him some medicine and he went right to sleep."

"Could this be causing more damage?" Ryo asked worriedly. Yusuke had been trying to force his memories for the last couple of months, before any of them could convince him to let it happen naturally.

"Well, I can't be sure. He may have these migraines for the rest of his life or it may just be a byproduct of what he went through. Only time will tell, but at least he now is willing to ask for something when he needs it." Nurse Ayukawa gave a smile. She ran a hand over her hair and down the front of her white and blue dress.

"Is it alright if I just stay here for a bit? Or at least until the storm passes?" Ryo asked.

Nurse Ayukawa smiled. "Of course Ryo-kun. You never cause a disruption, feel free to stay as long as you want." With that she turned and left both the best friends in peace.

"Five Shadow Riders down, and only three are left." Ryo looked at Yusuke sleeping. "None of the ones we met so far had any answers regarding Yusuke and his missing memories. I hope the last three will have the answers I need. I want Yusuke back, the way he used to be," Ryo thought. He closed his eyes with a small smile as a memory came to mind.

Flashback

A 13 year old Ryo Marufuji was sitting at the bench of his school park going through his deck.

"Hey Ryo!" Ryo turned to see the familiar voice of Fubuki giving a cheeky grin and accompanying him was their fellow classmate Yusuke Fujiwara who appears to shy but also pleasant to be with.

"Fubuki! Fujiwara! What brings you two here?"

"Actually Fujiwara has something important to tell you" Fubuki sneered as he playfully elbowed Fujiwara, "Come on don't be shy Fujiwara! Just tell me

Yusuke nervosly fumbled his jacket as he looked at Kaiser with a awkward smile, "Ryo I was thinking if you and Fubuki could be my best friends."

Ryo's eyes widened in suprise before giving him a warm smile, "Offcourse I would be glad to have you as a friend Fujiwara". Much to Fubuki's suprise Ryo accepted Yusuke's friendship offer with a warm hug. Ryo finds it strange that someone wanted to be friends with a stoic and reserved guy like him but he liked to have someone who wants to genuinely be his friend like Yusuke.

Ryo, Fubuki and Yusuke became inseparable ever since they attended Duel Prep school together and 3 years later the trio enrolled to Duel Academy where they were placed in Obelisk Blue dorm with Professor Chronos de Medici being their Headmaster. Because of their good looks, excellent grades and top-notch dueling skills the three eventually became top honors student in DA known as the genuis trio and even gain a fanclub under their names which made many guys envy of them. Yusuke comes first since his talent is considered more genuis than Ryo, with Ryo himself coming 2nd and Fubuki third.

2 years ago Ryo still remember it was like yesterday he saw both of his best friends Fubuki and Yusuke for one last time.

"I wonder what the big surprise Fujiwara has is," Fubuki wondered aloud. He was leaning against a pillar in front of the school.

School had let out early and everyone was taking an easy day. They were the only two in front of the school right now. Yusuke had said he wanted to show something to them, and asked them to wait there. So here Fubuki and Ryo stood, leaning against the pillars in front of the school.

Ryo looked up from his book, and raised an eyebrow. "If I knew, why would I tell you? He said it was special, so let's let him tell us." Ryo went back to reading the book.

Mischief glinted in Fubuki's brown eyes and he inched closer and reached around Ryo from the back, yanked the book out of his hands. Ryo's head whipped up and he lunged for the book, clear murder in his eyes. Fubuki laughed and looked at the title: 'How to Repair Relationships'. The title caused Fubuki to raise his eyebrows at Ryo and looked at him in question.

"Something you want to tell me?" Fubuki asked.

Ryo yanked back his arm, and clenched his fist as if he would slug Fubuki. Putting the book in front of his face for defense, he looked at Fubuki closely. A light flush was on his cheeks and he ripped the book from Fubuki's hands. Pulling it close, he turned his attention forward again and proceeded to ignore Fubuki best he could.

"Ryo, seriously if you need to talk about something you can. I know I crack jokes and try to lighten everything up, but I seriously am here if you need someone to talk to," Fubuki tried to make his voice as level as possible.

Ryo looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. Sighing, he pulled the book up and looked at the cover before raising his eyes back up. He turned his head and opened his mouth to talk, but the sound of footsteps rushing toward them had his mouth snapped shut and his eyes shuttered again.

They both turned their heads to see Yusuke running up with something cradled against his chest. His face was flushed from his sprinting over and mild embarrassment. He slowed to a walk and stood in front of the other two. His violet eyes were downcast and his head bowed. Slowly he revealed what was in his arms and they saw a hightec digital camera.

"What's with the camera Fujiwara?" Fubuki asked with his hands on his hips and eyebrows raised.

Ryo remained silent, but he leaned closer in interest. Yusuke looked at both of them and pursed his lips as if he was thinking on what to say. Finally he looked over his left shoulder and somehow that seemed to convince him to speak. He looked them dead in the eyes and squared his shoulders.

"I want to get a picture of all three of us. I also want to share something, but I don't want it getting around. Truth be told… it's kind of embarrassing." Yusuke once again averted his eyes for a moment.

"Yusuke." Ryo waited until the green haired duelist met his eyes. "We are friends, so whatever you tell us in confidence will remain that way." Ryo looked at Fubuki out of the corner of his eyes.

"That's right! The three of us have solidarity and confidence. We never betray that trust," Fubuki added in.

Yusuke's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Well… I have this fear of being forgotten. My parents died when I was young and I had no one to take me in. My family had money and that was all they saw, not me as a person. I have always felt as if I am invisible." His gaze slid to Fubuki. "When you put an arm around me and declared we were friends… that was the first time that happened." His gaze went to Ryo next. "Then when those teens were giving me such a hard time, you stepped in without a thought. Both those experiences reminded me that not everyone forgets I exist."

Fubuki grinned and grabbed his arm, he pulled Yusuke in the middle between Ryo and himself. "Well what are you waiting for? Let's get a good picture. You just have to promise that we all get a copy."

Yusuke grinned widely and nodded his head. Holding the camera out, he angled it to get the best shot. Ryo looked slightly at the other two, Yusuke stared ahead and Fubuki had his eyes on Ryo. Yusuke snapped the picture and turned it around to look at it. They saw it and all smiled at how it turned out. Yusuke once again pulled the camera close to his chest and smiled so wide it shocked his friends. His eyes glittered with pleasure and he was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Thank you both. You are the only ones I can truly call my friends." Yusuke for that moment looked like a young, carefree teen. It was the first and last time.

"You miss him so dearly. But there is a way to get him back...,"

Ryo's eyes snapped wide open at a dark voice then came from behind hum, who leapt up and stepped protectively in front of Yusuke.

"What do you want?" Ryo demanded.

His voice rose an octave, causing Yusuke to twitch. Yusuke started to open his eyes, his sight was a little blurry. Ryo didn't even notice as he stood up. There was a floating black mass in the room, Ryo was glaring at it.

"Come with me, and I'll give Yusuke back all his memories. All you have to do is defeat me in a duel. At the place called, The Abandoned Dorm," the dark voice said.

The image of Titan, appeared behind Ryo and clamped his big arms around Ryo. Yusuke's eyes snapped open as he jerked up in the bed. His hand snapping out to reach for Ryo, to pull him back. Yusuke's eyes widened in panic, what was going on?

"W-What, who was that? What's going on here?" he gasped.

He tried to force himself out of the bed, unfortunately he wasn't too steady on his feet and he ended up falling to the floor. He lay face down, head throbbing and even worse, knowing his friend was in trouble but couldn't do anything about it. He moved his head to the side and tried to force himself up. He only made it partially up, before he collapsed back, his head resting on his arms.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.

A warm, golden glow seeped from his pocket and he glanced at it. He hoped somehow Honest could help. His eyes slid shut and he succumbed to darkness.

Judai slowly opened his eyes, hearing the call of Winged Kuriboh, who was floating right by his head.

"No... Kuriboh, no wake ...must sleep," he mumbled, fighting to go back to sleep as his partner hooted wildly.

As Judai began to close his eyes, a loud knocking on his dorm room door woke the other two Slifer's up. Chumley yawned and climbed down from his bunk, an irritated look on his already very tired face.

"Alright, alright, just a second!" he snapped as the knocking continued. He walked to the door and pulled it open, only to scream at the sight of a pale, zombie face that moaned loudly.

"STAY BACK!" Chumley shouted, backing away from the door.

Judai looked away, horrified at the face while Syrus flinched.

"What's with you?" the smaller Slifer asked the 'zombie'.

Chazz glared at him as the Ojama Brothers hovered around his head looking worried, "Couldn't sleep because of the news I just heard," he muttered, glaring at the five monsters.

Judai sat up, "What's up?"

"I see ya'll heard, too,"

"What's going on?"

Led by the Ojamas, Winged Kuriboh, and Chumley's Des Koala, the five Slifers ran down the hall leading to the Academy's infirmary. As they approached the room, a flash of lightning illuminated the hallway, and revealing two dark figures ahead of them.

They skidded to a stop as Asuka and Dr. Chronos came into light.

"So?" Judai panted, "What's up?"

"Ryo isn't around." Asuka said, rubbing her eyes from sleep.

Chazz frowned, "There's no sign of him... it's like he just disappeared,"

"I don't understand, it's not like Signore Ryo to up and vanish. Maybe Signore Fujiwara knows where he is," Chronos pointed out.

The others nodded their heads and opened the door to the infirmary. The sight they all saw, took them by surprise and nearly sent everyone into a frenzy. Yusuke was lying on the ground, eyes closed and shaking.

"Fujiwara!" everyone exclaimed at the same time.

Asuka shot forward and knelt down beside him. Pulling Yusuke against her chest, she helped steady him. She wrapped her arms around her chest and held him tight. She could feel the tremors running through Yusuke's thin frame.

"Dear me. Is he alright?" Chronos questioned. He leaned down and looked closely at Yusuke.

"What happened?" Judai asked. He knelt in front of Fujiwara.

Yusuke opened his eyes slightly and everyone could see the pain in their depths. Sweat was running down his face and he grit his teeth. "It was him… T-Ti...tan," Yusuke managed to grit out.

"'It was Titan'? Who is Titan?" Judai questioned. He looked around the room at the others.

Yusuke squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head slightly. Asuka felt him shaking more and tightened his hold. She hoped this was not putting him under even more pressure, but they needed to know where Ryo was. Something was clearly happening and, once again, only Yusuke had the answers. Asuka placed a gentle hand on top of Yusuke's head and ran it down his hair.

"Talk to us Fujiwara. Take a breath and talk to us," she whispered soothingly. Praying that would help, to do anything to ease the pain that was written clear on his face.

No one standing there noticed Chronos take an involuntary step backwards. He remembered the name of the Shadow Duelist he hired to scare Judai months ago… and he forgot to pay him! To top it off, he now abducted another student, this was not going to end well for him. His eyes slid to Yusuke, who was trying to force himself away from Asuka, and Asuka who was keeping a firm hold on him.

"Fujiwara talk to us. What happened? Where is Ryo?" Asuka tried again.

"Abandoned Dorm." Yusuke tried taking a deep breath, even though his heart felt like it was going to explode. "He said to meet in the… place called Abandoned Dorm…" Yusuke clenched his eyes shut and a hand went to his chest.

"That's it," Asuka snapped.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. Judai seemed to clue in first and he rose up. Reaching for the white jacket hanging on the hook he pulled it off. He shook it out and looked at Asuka.

"Odds are he will just try to get there on his own anyway. Might as well bring him with us, that way we can at least keep an eye on him," Judai said.

Asuka sighed, but had to concede Judai was right. Yusuke sucked in a breath, and held it for a moment. Asuka kept a tight arm around his waist and motioned for Judai to help get his jacket on. Once the jacket was on, Asuka gripped one of Yusuke's arms and pulled it across her shoulders. Judai moved to the other side and did the same.

"Let's get to the Abandoned Dorm," Judai said. Everyone nodded and made their way out.

Ryo felt his mind clear as he blinked his vision clear. He looked around and noticed he was back in the basement of the Abandoned Dorm. He sucked in a breath when he heard dark laughter he narrowed his dark colored eyes at the person making the sound.

"So we duel and then you restore ALL of Yusuke's memories. That's the deal!" Ryo exclaimed.

He was so furious, this guy taunts him about Yusuke not remembering anything and then drags him to the Abandoned Dorm. To top it off, this was the perfect shot for revenge.

"Well, your end of the deal at least. However if I win, I get something too… your Spirit Key and your soul. I get to take those back to the Shadow Realm." He kicked the duel disk across the way to Ryo. The young duelist looked at the disk and glared back to Titan. "An authentic Shadow Rider. Let us begin!" Titan clicked open his own duel disk.

"There they are!" Asuka's voice echoed through the room.

Ryo looked over to see everyone running up. Yusuke was being supported by Asuka and Judai. His pale face was drawn and he looked to Ryo with worry in his eyes. Ryo met the eyes of the person he loved most, and felt his resolve strengthen tenfold.

"They're going to duel!" Chumley exclaimed. He was worried about Kaiser

"And how! Kaiser we're here for you. Now show this creep that you don't mess with us!" Judai yelled out in encouragement.

"Ah, so this isn't about collecting that check," Chronos muttered, relieved.

However Chazz was standing right next to him and heard every word. Chazz raised his dark eyebrows and turned his head to look at the teacher. "What check? What does that mean?" he demanded.

Chronos started sweating and laughed nervously. Running a trembling hand over his jacket, he shook his head. "Oh… oh nothing!" Chronos said. Everyone looked at him suspiciously.

Ryo stared down Titan, the enemy's expression inscrutable behind his mask.

"Well now…I understand you were the one who destroyed Nightshroud. Your reputation seems to be at least partly justified, Kaiser." Titan placed sarcastic emphasis on the title. "But I have yet to be impressed."

Ryo found himself in a quandary; how could he respect an opponent so vile and cruel? The Kaiser was used to facing arrogant people – he was an Obelisk Blue, after all. But a person like this…Ryo found his ideals put to the test in a big way.

"Duel"

"Turn 1 Titan

"Take your turn." Ryo tried to play on his opponent's arrogance, hoping that Titan would go first and not ask questions. Luckily, the ploy succeeded, and Titan drew his first card.

"I set a monster and two face-down cards." A monster and two face-down appeared in front of Titan, his deck's style still in the shadows.

Turn 2 Ryo

Ryo furrowed his brow. This man knew about me, he made that much clear with his boasting earlier. The Kaiser looked at the cards in his hand, I wonder if summoning the Cyber Dragon would play into my opponent's hand. But he had no other choice – his style of dueling revolved around swift, overwhelming power, not misdirection and guile. "I call forth Cyber Dragon (ATK 2100)!" The image of a chrome serpent slithered by Ryo's side. A tense moment passed in which Titan seemed to consider a counter.

"Any response?" Ryo grunted.

"Hmm, no." Titan said after a time.

"Ok. I'll continue by summoning Cyber Larva (ATK 400)." A weak silver snake appeared, a baby Cyber Dragon. "It may look weak, but-" Ryo was cut off.

"It has special abilities, yes." Titan finished mockingly. "Don't patronize me, boy. I'm sure you're used to dueling wet-behind-the-ears schoolboys, but that's not me." Ryo bristled, but continued his turn. "I attack with Cyber Dragon." The Kaiser's characteristic monster let out an equally characteristic blast of blue photons. The energy wave washed over Titan's monster, which was revealed to be Doomdog Octhros (800/800), a red and black demonic doggo.

"When Doomdog is destroyed, I can add a level 8 fiend type monster from deck to hand." Titan thumbed through his deck before settling on a target.

"Strange…Doomdog whatsits? I don't remember ever seeing that card before." Ryo thought in confusion. He thought he was familiar with damn-near every card released, but clearly this was not the case. Titan smirked, as if knowing what Ryo was thinking. The Kaiser soon shook it off though. "I attack directly with Cyber Larva!" The larva let loose a weak yellow blast that struck Titan directly. The masked man took a step back to brace himself but needed little more than that as his LP dropped to 3600. Titan's lack of a reaction reminded Ryo of the first time he dueled Judai, back at the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago now. "Only this time, the attacks are real, and this guy still shrugged it off like nothing." He grimaced but remained mostly calm.

"I set a card and end my turn." A set card appeared behind Ryo

Turn 3 Titan

Titan slid the next card off the top of his deck. "I'll begin by activating my continuous trap card, Sinister Yorishiro. Each turn, I can now normal summon a level five or higher fiend monster without tributing for it." The undertaker explained.

"What is going on here? I haven't heard of that card either." Ryo's bewilderment was rising by the moment.

"And I think I'll start by summoning the monster I added to my hand last turn. A monster truly worthy of its title. Behold, Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror (ATK 3000)!" From behind Titan, a gigantic pillar of pure blackness erupted from the earth itself, reaching high into the air and splitting clouds. Seemingly from the depths of hell, an enormous purple skinned demon clawed out. It was so large that it towered over the Central Duel Academy main building, which was four stories in height discounting the duel arenas at the top. It made the Cyber End Dragon look like a yapping dog. Red eyes glared balefully at Ryo caring little if he lived or died. Ryo's eyes widened. "What on Earth…how is this possible? Where did you get these cards?" He muttered. "Master Kagemaru is truly a man above…his ability to convene with duel spirits has granted me new and powerful cards! My campatriots decided to stick with their own decks for reasons I cannot fathom…but I will never tire of growing stronger!"

"It's like fighting in the dark!" Ryo said, shocked.

"An apt comparison." Titan smirked. "Now, I shall use Archfiend Emperor's effect. By banishing an archfiend from my hand or graveyard, I can destroy a card on the field. And I think I will choose your irksome Cyber Larva!" The gigantic demon disintegrated Ryo's monster with one swing of its blood-red sword, faster than the Kaiser could react. "That's right, I know all about that blasted thing's effect! It prevents you from taking battle damage when it attacks, and it replaces itself when it's destroyed by battle! I am not so foolish as to be misled by its weak battle power. Next, I'll flip over my other trap card – Escape From The Dark Dimension! This allows me to special summon a banished dark monster, like the one I just banished for the Emperor's effect. Come forth, Archfiend Cavalry (1900/0)!" A skeleton knight riding a ghoulish horse galloped onto the field, clad in red armor. "Attack the Cyber Dragon, Archfiend Emperor!" Titan thrust his hand forth to signal the beginning of his assault. The demon patriarch sliced apart Ryo's dragon effortlessly, sending shards of chrome shrapnel every which way dropping Ryo's LP to 3100.

Archfiend Cavalry, charged Ryo as he felt the pain of a spear impaling his midsection it was so intense and real that his mind went blank for a few moments dropping his LP to 1200. A strangled gurgle escaped his lips as he tumbled to the ground, clutching his chest in agony.

Ryo's mind was a flurry now not even Yusuke Fujiwara could overwhelm him this quickly in their practice duels. This was so far beyond what he could have imagined when he took on the responsibility of being a key keeper. In truth, the possibility of losing scarcely crossed his mind. He had strong principles, and by holding to those principles, he had stayed at the top for all of his time at Duel Academy. Honor, a respect for one's opponent, trust in one's deck, and a passion for the game – these were the components that made a true duelist in Ryo's mind. Time and time again, they steered him true

And yet, Titan's very existence flew in the face of those principles. He had risen from the depths of hell, given an undeserved second chance at life by an evil madman. His cards were strong, far stronger than any he had ever seen. And it was all secondhand – they were just given to him by Kagemaru! He didn't have to build that deck – he didn't care a bit about respecting his opponent or trusting his deck. And yet, Titan was winning handily and Ryo was on the back foot.

"Why? Why did you do to deserve this power?" Ryo was thinking aloud, and Titan heard him.

"You think power has something to do with morality? A child's correlation. I am powerful because I do as I please and impose my will on those who stand in my way. Before master Kagemaru resurrected me, I was a contractor who took any number of unsavory jobs. Let's put it this way – kidnapping that blonde bitch back in May was the tamest job I had in quite a while." Titan explained gratuitously.

"Watch your tongue! That's my friend you're talking about!" Ryo rose to defend Asuka's honor, even as his body was still wracked with residual pain from the last wave of attacks.

Titan merely laughed. "The real world is gonna chew you up and spit you out, Kaiser. Before you go to your grave, I will impart this eternal lesson to you. Strength is the only thing that matters in this world – everything else is just a delusion for the weak."

Ryo's cobalt eyes widened. Titan's words spoke to the very worst parts of him – the parts he had hidden away ever since he was a boy. To be ruthless, cold, and power-hungry came easy to him. The calm, collected visage he normally presented wasn't a façade per se, but he always felt like he was…holding back. He didn't want the words to make sense, but they did…god damn it, they resonated so much. But it would take more than that to unhinge him.

"That's not true – a real duelist wins with honor and respect!" Ryo shot back. Surely the lessons he learned as a boy were right, they had to be.

"Then why am I winning?" Titan responded in kind.

"Well, if you believe that strength is the only thing that determines a true duelist, then what do we make of this? You're lying on the floor, Titan. Even by your own logic, you're a loser." Ryo normally felt himself above such taunts, but the taste of blood sharpened his tongue. But Titan only chuckled, rising to his feet. "The duel isn't over until the last card is played." It was a phrase Judai was fond of – just hearing the words from Titan's mouth was a perversion in Ryo's view. All in all, it amazed the Kaiser just how much disgust he felt for the man in front of him.

"Just make your damn move." Ryo spat.

"Oh, I will." Titan drew. "And I'll start by playing another Allure of Darkness!" He drew two and banished a dark monster once more. "Then, I shall play Preparation of Rites, letting me add a level seven or lower ritual monster from deck to hand. Then, I can add a ritual spell from the graveyard to my hand." Ryo saw him add back the ritual of the Matador. "Does he plan to summon the Matador again?" Ryo wondered, hoping he would draw into another method of monster removal. However, Kaiser's assumption was incorrect. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card, Advanced Ritual Art! This lets me ritual summon a monster using normal monsters from my deck as a sacrifice!" A light blue pillar, similar to the Cyber Dragon's Evolution Burst in color, shot up from the ground behind Titan. Ryo cried out as his eyes were overwhelmed by the sudden, blinding light.

"By sending Summoned Skull from my deck to the graveyard, I can summon the creature that will bring about your end. It is fitting, that a monster used often by the King of Games will bring about the Kaiser's end, don't you think?!" Titan cackled.

"What do you mean?!" Ryo demanded.

"It's not exactly the same, but its mere image will suffice! I summon Advent Summoned Skull (ATK 2500)!" The creature that emerged from the blue light bore great resemblance to the Summoned Skull formerly used by Yugi Moto back in his early dueling days – it was a fearsome and tall demon with a white, bony carapace and violet skin. But the difference lied in the blue lightning that coursed around the demon's body, crackling menacingly.

"A ritual Summoned Skull…" Ryo once again found himself out of his depth.

"Master Kagemaru is a generous man, to have blessed me with a more powerful version of my favorite card." Titan said appreciatively. "I know not where he got such powerful cards, but I can tell that this is only a taste of an entire new world of power…"

"I will defeat everything you throw my way. Every thing." Ryo's adetermination was absolute.

"That statement will be put to the test soon enough. This monster cannot be destroyed by the attacks or effects of non-ritual monsters. I assume you play ritual monsters, right Kaiser?" Titan explained. Ryo didn't play ritual monsters, they both knew this. But the Obelisk Blue student could still draw into a spell or trap that could destroy it. This new variant of Summoned Skull was strong, but far from unbeatable. He tried to remember this as lightning sparked at the demon's fingertips. "Advent Summoned Skull, attack Cyber Dragon Drei with lightning strike!" The demon shot out bolts of blue electricity at Ryo's smaller dragon form its fingers.

Ryo's eyes adjusted to the new source of light well enough, and he quickly responded. "I use the effect of your Dark Arena to direct our attack at Cyber Dragon!" In the shadows, Ryo's dragons switched places, the stronger of the two shielding the weaker from the lightning bolts. Cyber Dragon exploded, sending Ryo flying backwards and dropping his LP to 800. Ryo screamed as he landed on his side awkwardly, and pain began to linger there.

"Someone should go in there. Someone OTHER than me of course," Chronos said. He took a small step back.

Yusuke narrowed his eyes, a sickening feeling settling in his gut. His heart and head throbbed in tandem. He looked at the darkness of the arena, trying to see Ryo through the black mass.

"Grilled cheese, I am eating a big triple deck of it," Chumley chanted to himself, standing next to Judai.

Chazz looked at Judai with concern. "Judai, you took this guy on right? Tell Kaiser how to get out of this!"

"I wish I could, but he's different this time. The guy I dueled was a sham," Judai said dejectedly. The Shadow Charm around his neck was glowing bright.

"I concur, I don't know why I ever hired him," Chronos said without thinking.

Chazz froze, he slowly turned his head to Chonos. The teacher quickly realized his mistake and took a step back. He was instead advancing on Chronos

"You… did… WHAT?!" Chazz yelled. His grey eyes blazed with furry and he clenched his fists. "Do you even realize that Asuka was innocent in that whole thing? Titan used her to get to Judai, all because you had too much damn pride!" Chazz crouched down and launched at Chronos taking him to the ground and began shaking him back and forth harshly. His grip tight around Chronos' collar, cursing him the entire time.

Yusuke looked over and tried to move, but Asuka and Judai stopped him. He looked at them and raised an eyebrow. Asuka shook her head and tightened her grip on Yusuke's wrist. Her gold eyes looked closely at the person who her brother loved.

"Let him get it out of his system. His temper was famous for a reason. It took a lot to get him this mad, but when he did, it was never pretty. Ryo used to be able to calm him down, but, for now let him get it out," Asuka said soothingly. She didn't want Yusuke getting wound up too.

All of a sudden the dark arena began to crackle with purple lightning. Everyone froze looking at it. Judai's Shadow Charm lit up even more, he reached a hand down and grabbed it. Looking back up he clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes in worry.

"Man, I hope Kaiser is ok in there," Judai murmured.

"Don't worry Kaiser, at least your friend won't remember you failed him!" Titan's voice could be heard laughing from the darkness.

Chazz stood up, leaving a shaken Chronos on the ground and looked worriedly at the darkness. Ryo was good, but anyone can make one mistake and the cost of this duel was too high.

All of a sudden, the arena began to electrify again. The purple lightning was everywhere, and Yusuke had enough. He needed to get in there. Moving his arm away from Judai, he tried reaching for the darkness. It was just barely out of his reach, and he strained harder. The need to get in there and get Ryo out was coursing through him. Asuka noticed and took a step back, taking Yusuke with her. She didn't want Yusuke anywhere near this darkness.

"I know it's tough Fujiwara-san. But you need to believe in Kaiser. He will pull this through," Asuka tried to placate him. However she was worried as well.

"You've put up a decent fight, considering that you've been fighting in the dark. If you're lucky, perhaps you will be strong enough to rise from the dark pits as well. Then, we would be brothers." Titan laughed with sick humor.

"I have a brother." Ryo muttered.

"If you'd like, I can send him to join you in hell. I always try to honor a man's dying request – unless that request is to spare his life, of course." Titan replied with a smile.

That did it. That was the final straw. Ryo pounded his fist on the ground. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" He roared – it was the first time he had raised his voice in many years. Titan ceased smiling immediately.

...To Be Continued...

Well this is the beginning of Ryo vs Titan and it makes ccompletely sense for Ryo to duel Titan and retrieve Yusuke's memories. Next chapter we reach the climax of the duel and will Ryo succeed in saving Yusuke find out next chapter.