Zarc continues in their attempt to work the supercomputer. His fingers hit key after key trying to get a clear image up on the monitor. Before losing hope he suddenly receives an incoming feed from outside of the dimensions. He is quick to follow up on it.
The rest of the Lancers enter the room just as Zarc pulls up a live feed from Reiji's duel with Darc, still currently undergoing. The feed is delayed, so far showing just Reiji's turn.
"Damn it, Reiji. We agreed to go after him together!" Zarc bangs his fist on the keyboard in his rage, angered by his friend abandoning him to fight alone.
"Maybe you're a lot alike than we thought," Zarc hears Serena's voice from behind. He turns around to see her standing there with the rest of the team.
Shun is quick to get in his face as he grabs him by the collar, "You owe us an explanation. Where is Reiji? What are you planning?"
Zarc gestures to the monitor, "The feed!" Everyone's attention turns to the duel between Reiji and Darc.
"Is that, Zarc? The evil one?" Shingo comments, seeing the clear difference in the two halves of Zarc.
"Why is he going at it alone? Should we be there too?" Jack questions, annoyed he isn't able to have his rematch with the evil Zarc.
Zarc is freed from Shun's grasp and is allowed to speak. "I'll tell you everything. I originally wanted to, but Reiji talked me out of it. The plan was for us to destroy the pillars protecting my evil half so then Reiji and I could sneak off and battle my other half, destroying them once and for all."
While the Lancer believes him, they still feel like he's skipping an important detail. Not helped by as the duel plays behind them, they notice Reiji's deterring condition. Looking out at a sea of faces, new and old, former friends of his counterparts, Zarc laments.
"Reiji is dying. Our duel against the Professor weakened him to the point of barely standing for so long. We both realized this and thought that we could go together to destroy my other half. Since we were both under the impression that neither of us would be able to return."
Zarc's words shake the other duelists. Their emotions are mixed, unsure of how to feel. Made worse as the feed finally catches up to the duel in real-time, right as Darc summons his new monster. Zarc turns to the screen, feeling Darc's dragon calling out to him, and his dragons.
Reiji 4000 LP
VS
Darc 4000 LP
Back to the duel, Reiji still has both his pendulum monsters, Galilei and Kepler, as well as his new boss monster Dues Machinex, and one set face-down.
[Galilei Scale 1]
[Kepler Scale 10]
[Dues Machinex Rank 10 Dark Fiend Xyz Pendulum ATK 3000]
On Darc's side of the field, he has his scales Gate Zero and Infinity, as well as his new Pendlum Ritual monster, Dire Supreme King Dragon Darc.
[Gate Zero Scale 0]
[Gate Infinity Scale 13]
[Dire Supreme King Dragon Darc Level 12 Dark Dragon Pendulum Ritual ATK 5000]
Darc rides on the back of his dragon. He stands on top of his head, holding himself above all others in the world as his monster hovers in the air. "You'll soon see the power I hold. Even now, I have been reborn with greater purpose."
He takes one of the cards in his hand and activates it. "I activate the continuous spell, Supreme King Decree. As long as this card remains on the field, any time a monster is destroyed by anything other than battle, the owner takes damage equal to their attack points."
Reiji can tell that he's planning something from how he sets up his field. "I now activate Darc's special ability. Once per turn, I can destroy all face-up cards you control. Say goodbye to your monster, and your scales!" Darc's dragon form lets out a fear-inducing roar as it erupts with great energy, shaking the foundations of the world.
Reiji is quick to counter their monster, "I activate the effect of Dues Machinex. By detaching two materials, or destroying a Dark Contract, I can negate your monster's effect, and then attach it as material to my monster!"
"Not bad. Except you're out of your league. I use the quick-play spell, Supreme King Surgence. When you use a monster effect while I control a Supreme King, I can negate its effect, and then gain lift points equal to its attack points." Reiji's monster is hit by a sudden bolt of lightning, reducing its presence to nothing as Darc drains it into himself.
[Darc LP 4000 - 7000]
The storm finally hits. Reiji's cards are destroyed within an instant. His scales, Machinex, all of it. All that remains is his set card.
"Don't forget. Decree now activates its effect next!" Darc unleashes another storm, one that strikes Reiji directly, taking nearly all of his remaining life points away from him, and any strength he had to stand.
[Reiji LP 4000 - 1000]
Reiji lies on the ground, his body smoking after taking such a direct hit. Darc however just laughs like a maniac at his accomplishment. He nearly defeated one of the strongest duelists in the dimensions and has put himself out of reach for them to even counter.
"You've already got one foot in the grave. Now you have your whole leg in it too. But if it makes you feel any better, you won't be dying alone today. It's time!" Darc gestures to the sky, ordering his dragon self to attack.
Darc's dragon form fires a single concentrated blast at the sky, striking an invisible barrier. Reiji watches it in horror as the glass shatters, and suddenly an outpour of monsters bursts out. Hordes of fiends, demons, and unnatural beasts descend, ignoring the plate they stand on, charging head-first into the other dimensions.
The Lancer watches all of this through the live feed.
"Not good! Reiji's down, and we've got an army coming straight for us!" Shingo grabs his hair in panic, the situation growing worse. He looks over at Zarc, then Serena. He watches their faces, both hiding their concern. He realizes this isn't the moment to be panicking. "What do we do?"
Zarc slams his hands down on the keyboard before turning to face the others. "Alright, listen up! I know you might not like me right now, but I need you to trust me. Our friend Reiji is fighting for his life just to give us the chance to live. All we have right now is each other. And that's more than enough to destroy my other half!" Zarc's voice cracks with raw emotion as he gives his plan. "All of you return to your home dimensions, rally anyone and everyone able to fight. Those monsters may be already at the gates now trying to claw their way in. My other half might have power and an army behind him, but we've got the united strength of four dimensions and each other. And that's damn well more than what he has. Anyone say otherwise?"
The room falls silent after Zarc finishes his speech. The Lancers don't say a word at first, but their heads lift as he sees the smiles on their faces, and the fire in their eyes. "So that's where Yuya got it from," Kaito comments before being one of the first to teleport out. Everyone else follows behind. Shun, and Shark return to heartland while Shingo is sent to Standard. Jack and Akiza leave for the City, while Zane and Serena head out to recruit the academia.
Leaving Zarc alone in the room once more. He pulls out his dragon cards. All four of them are resonating with something. Zarc can feel it within his being. He knows what's coming.
As if Zarc's words can transcend space and time, Reiji finds the strength to get back on his feet. Pushing himself up, he can feel something, a voice, channeling within him, calling for him to win.
"I'm impressed. You don't stay dead when I tell you to. I set this card face down, and end my turn." Darc leaps down from his dragon, and lands on the ground, shaking the plate.
"I'm glad to know I impress you. Although praise from the likes of you means nothing but trash." Reiji tightens his scarf before pushing back his glasses. "I'll show you something to be impressed by. My trap, Dark Ritual with the Ultimate King!" The trap card flips open, creating a sudden shockwave that battles the storm.
"First I send a monster to my graveyard for every D/D monster destroyed this turn. You destroyed three. One on the field, and two in the pendulum zones. I send Genghis, Alexander, and Caesar to the grave." Reiji sends his ace Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz monsters to the graveyard with ease. "Next I fuse my three monsters. Level 6 Genghis, Level 7 Alexander, and Rank 4 Caesar. By using these three monsters, I Fusion Summon!" The three elemental kings meet in the world beyond and unite their powers. Their fused form appears on the field. A demon, a warrior king with four arms, half covered by a torn white and gold cape, carrying the weapons of their materials. "Level 10! Ultimate-D/D/D King Arthur!"
[King Arthur Level 10 Light Fiend Fusion Pendulum ATK 3500]
"What a monster. But what can it do against me?"
"Shut up, and watch me show you." Reiji draws for his turn. He takes one look at his card before placing it face-down in the back row. "I activate Arthur's first effect. I negate all face-up Pendulum monsters on the field, and zones!" Wielding their swords, Arthur sends a powerful energy pulse that shuts down Darc's monsters. "Then, for each card negated I can set a monster from my extra deck into my pendulum zone. However, for as long as they are on the field, neither of us can activate the Pendulum effects of monsters." Galilei and Kepler return to Reiji's side, setting themselves in the pendulum zones. "Now with a scale of 1 Galilei and a scale of 10 Kepler, I pendulum summon D/D/D Death Great King Hell Armageddon!" His ace pendulum monster comes to his side also.
[Armageddon Level 8 Dark Fiend Pendulum ATK 3000]
"So you brought back your favorite monster. So what? Neither of them can stand up to me."
"I told you to shut up. I'm not done. I use the second effect of Arthur. I tribute one Pendulum monster on my field. Doing this, Arthur gains that monsters attack until the end phase, as well as an additional attack for the turn." Darc's eyes widen as Reiji releases Armageddon. Arthur absorbs their essence, increasing their power.
[Arthur ATK 3500 - 6500]
"Battle. Arthur, attack Darc!" Calling his attack, the multiple sword-wielding demon king charges for Darc's dragon self. Each blade glows, radiating with the energy of the three fused monsters, plus that of tributed Armageddon. They block against Darc's attack, defending themself before clashing it with four blades. The dragon lets out a hard row as it explodes, taking a decent amount of damage from Darc.
[Darc LP 7000 - 5500]
Darc twitches in pain, feeling the destruction of his monster self. He looks up to see the demon king still able to attack.
"I still have one more attack, Darc. For the last time, go to hell! King Arthur, attack Darc directly!" Reiji's final monster charges for the demon duelist.
Before they can hit, Darc smiles. "Trap activate. Supreme Tragedy! This card allows me to summon one Supreme King monster that was destroyed this turn from anywhere. Then it makes both monsters battle again!" Darc resummons his behemoth of a dragon to the field once more. Arthur is forced to do battle with it. "I use the second effect of Tragedy. By banishing it, our monster's attack becomes equal!"
With both monsters at equal strength, they clash, destroying each other in the process. A wave comes down from above, knocking both duelists down. While Darc gets back up with ease, Reiji isn't fairing as well.
The boost of energy Reiji gained suddenly leaves his body. While still able to continue, he can't even stand anymore. Just as he falls to the ground, a pair of hands catches him before he can truly fall.
Darc's eyes narrow as he starts laughing. "So you finally came to finish what we started. Huh, other me?"
Zarc has come to the space between dimensions. Standing by Reiji, he has come to destroy the darkest parts of his being, and finally rid the dimensions of the devil that is Darc.