Rio Kamishiro could only sigh internally as she watched Kyoji and Yuma start their duel; she just hoped that her friend would go easy on him.

While Yuma was probably the weakest duelist in the School, that did not mean that Rio disliked him. She just didn't care about him; she really didn't care about a lot of things that weren't Kyoji or her brother. As the world just seemed to have it out for them.

Though where as Rio stopped caring about the world and its people, Kyoji.

Kyoji just got angrier and angrier as time went by, and so he was genuinely annoyed by Yuma's existence.

And so she was pretty sure he was going to destroy him in a way he didn't deserve, but again, Rio didn't care; it was so hard to care.

"I am going to go first, I summon Zubaba Knight in attack position!" Yuma declared as he summoned a knight. "I then end my turn."

"No defenses?" Kyoji asked, his voice filled with disgust at Yuma's lack of foresight, his anger fully directed at Yuma. "I summon Shiny Black "C" Squadder in attack position, and with its 2000ATK points, I will destroy that monster of yours!"

"Oh no!" Yuma said as his Zubaba Knight was removed from the field by the Sentai Hero-like monster.

Showing that Kyoji was still a kid at heart, that his anger and darkness hadn't fully taken over his mind, but Rio wondered how long that would last? As the core of it. That shard of metaphorical darkness that had been implanted by the actions of the Fake. She and her brother had not been able to remove it, but they had been able to suppress that darkness. But it had still grown ever so slightly, but the loss of Ryouga and his subsequent ban from professional play had accelerated its growth, and this had resulted in the current Kyoji that was now dueling.

The Kyoji that was filled with anger and hatred toward the world. As Rio, without Ryouga, could no longer suppress it, as she herself was now being affected by her own negativity and…

But even so.

Even if he fell into Hell, Rio would follow Kyoji as she…

Yuma LP: 3600

"I set a card and end my turn," Kyoji said.

"I draw!" Yuma said. "Heh, with this, I will be halfway to victory."

"First will summon Gagaga Magician and equip him with Wonder Wand, increasing his attack by 500!"

"And now they are equal, meaning they will destroy each other," Kyoji stated the obvious.

"Yeah, but I am not done yet; I activate Blustering Winds, meaning that 1 face-up monster that I control gains a thousand attack and defense points until my next standby phase, meaning that Gagaga Magician's attack points are now at 3000!"

"Go Yuma."

"Show that Kumo who is boss!" The others cheered, but Rio just stayed quiet; there was no need to cheer for Kyoji's success; he was going to win. There was no path for Yuma to achieve victory.

"I set a card face-down and move into my Battle Phase, Gagaga Magician, destroy that Kamen Rider reject of his!" Yuma declared as the spellcaster went on the move.

"Tsch, I activate my face-down, Quick-Play, Spell Card: Twin Twister; by discarding a card, I can target two back row cards and destroy them, and look at that, you've got two targets for me," Kyoji said as he sent a card and two twisters shattered the Wonder Wand and the set card, revealing it to be a Counter Trap. Namely, Goblin Out of the Frying Pan. "If you had set that card during your first turn, your Wonder Wand would have been safe, and also, since the card I discarded was Gokipole, I can add a Level 4 Insect Monster from my Deck to my Hand." And just like that, Kyoji came out on top even if his monster had been destroyed.

Kyoji LP: 3500

"Grhh," Yuma growled as he ended his turn.

"Did you really think you could win your friend's card back with those paltry dueling skills," Kyoji stated. "It's honestly pathetic."

Yuma grimaced, and with that, the duel was over; Kyoji had broken his spirit, and now that he mentally surrendered, he was going to play even worse.

Rio just sighed.

"Don't listen to him, Yuma!"

"You can do this!"

"And there we have the cheer squad. Can you really not do anything without them?"

"Yeah, I can't," Yuma said. Surprising both Kyoji and Rio. "I am not the kind of person to duel alone, so even if I constantly fail, even if I get constantly laughed at, as long as I have my friends by me as I duel, I can feel the flow, and then I feel the flow I can believe in myself. And then you are feeling the flow; there's no going back, and so am I!" Yuma declared as he clutched that keychain around his neck and then it glowed brightly for a second.

And then it was gone.

"What just happened," Rio muttered as she stared at the dueling field.

"A being from Astral World has arrived." A voice ran in Rio's head, shaking her as it was a voice that she had not heard in two years now, the voice of the being that had… that had…

Rio's mind sunk into memories of what had once happened.

Xxx

Two years ago.

"I can't believe it," Kyoji said as he looked at the smaller kid who was standing in front of the three friends. "I thought I was never going to be able to see you again."

"I thought that too, Big bro," Yuji Yagumo said with a big smile on his. "But then I saw you on TV winning on all those deals, I showed it to the adults, and they let me come see you."

"Heh, I guess your plan worked, Kyoji," Ryouga said with a smile.

"I guess it did," Kyoji replied as he said to the two of them that while he dueled in the big tournaments so that, he could earn money for all of them. (Shark doing the same) Kyoji also hoped that his success would be seen by his little brother and he would be able to find him as the two had gotten separated after their parents had died in a plane crash six years ago. With Kyoji going to their orphanage while Yuji got sent to a foster home he didn't know the location of.

"And now I am here, Big Bro," Yoji said as he came up and hugged Kyoji, and Rio saw a face she rarely saw on the light-blue-haired boy.

One of pure happiness and joyful tears.

"Don't cry, Big Bro," Yoji said. "I am here."

"That you are; let's show you where we live; hopefully, you will be able to join us permanently," Kyoji said, and Rio couldn't help but be happy for the two brothers.

"I hope so too, Big Bro."

And so Yuji had basically joined their little family with him basically moving in on a permanent basis.

But after he did, Rio noticed things…

Changing in their household, just slightly.

More arguments started to happen as things seemed to go missing in their apartment, and reports of things being stolen increased at various tournaments.

With Ryouga eventually accusing Yuji of being the one behind it.

This resulted in a huge fight between Kyoji and Ryouga, which Rio had not been able to watch, and so she hid in her room.

"I have a thing, and I hope when I get back, you will be able to see the truth, Kyoji," Ryouga shouted, and a few seconds later, Rio heard the door open and then slammed shut.

A few minutes later, she exited her room and saw Kyoji and Yuji sitting at the dinner table talking.

"Please tell me you haven't been taking things, Yuji?" Kyoji asked.

"Of course not, Big Bro; why would I take things from you?" Yuji responded. "You have given me so much, though, Big Bro, I had an idea."

"And that is?" Kyoji asked.

"I've been reading about how people who do comebacks get extra money, so what if you lost your next tournament?" Yuji suggested shocking both Rio and Kyoji.

"Yuji, please tell me its a joke" Kyoji said.

"It's not. Just read about this guy here and his come back; that could get the money that is missing back ten-fold," Yuji said as he sat the D-pad on the table and began scrolling. "See." He spoke, coming up to the page he was looking for.

Though as he did, Rio saw Kyoji staring at Yuji, more specifically at Yuji's hand as it was scrolling.

"Right." He whispered, his eyes narrowed to pinpricks as a shadow came over his face.

"Huh?" Yuji asked.

"Why are you using your right hand? Yuji is left-handed… your not Yuji!" Kyoji roared as he grabbed the younger boy and pressed him up against the wall. "Who are you!?"

"Kyoji, what are you doing!?" Rio yelled, trying too pull him off the boy.

"This isn't Yuji, he is a fake!" The Insect user roared, madness in his eyes as fury danced across his fake.

"No, that can't be right; if he was a fake, he wouldn't be able to know the stuff he has been saying, Kyoji," Rio said.

"Tsch, well, I guess the gig is up." 'Yuji' spoke, his innocent look replaced by a crooked grin

"What?" Rio asked.

"Who are you?" Kyoji demanded.

"Me, I am just the kid that happened to live with the same Orphanage your stupid brother lived in after his foster family ditched him. But I hated him; I was jealous of him and his big, successful big brother he couldn't wait to see. So I thought, since we look so much alike, I could replace him. And then I pumped him for information about you and your family. And then, to make sure I couldn't be busted, I killed him. Man, to think that being right-handed would screw me over, never noticed he was left-handed." The faker spoke with a cruel giggle, laughing it off like a joke as Rio felt sick to her stomach.

"You, you fucking!" Kyoji roared, and Rio watched to her horror as Kyoji started choking the Imposter, grabbing onto his neck as he lifted him up. "If I couldn't save Yuji from you, I can at least avenge him!" Kyoji cried out, angrier than she had ever seen him before as he didn't let him.

"Gargh, hargh." The Fake choked, trying too pull Kyoji off him. "H-help m-me, Big Bro." He cried out, Kyoji dropping him in horror as he fell to his knee's.

The Imposter grabbing his neck as he rubbed it, giving a glare and a dark smirk at Kyoji "That's the last thing he said before I killed him, shame you weren't there." Was the last thing he said before he ran out the door, disappearing into the night.

Kyoji collapsing to as he gripped onto his head, so many emotions overcoming him.

Rage, Horror, Sorrow, Despair, Panic.

Her best friend since childhood just breaking down there and then as he screamed like he was being murdered.

(But she couldn't blame him, if she had learned someone had killed Ryoga and replaced him, she didn't imagine she would fair better.)

The bluenette wanted nothing more than too go over there and hug him, too reassure him that everything would be alright. But how could she? His world was once more cruelly torn apart, all by some greedy monster who wanted to profit off him...

He... he had too pay...

Her body moving on its own, Rio started to feel more and more like a passenger in her own body as she went after the boy who had taken advantage of her sweet Kyoji's kindness, a coldness speaking in a voice that was hers, but not hers at the same time.

"He infiltrated our family, abused our trust, stolen from us, killed someone dear too our friend, hurting Kyoji like that," This other her spoke with frost in her voice. "Death, he deserves death for his crimes."

No, she didn't want him to die; she wanted him to pay.

No, this wasn't right.

Unbeknownst too the girl, her hair had grown longer as her skin turned as pale as a vampire. Mouth disappearing as her violet eyes lost their shine, now like two cold daggers that glared at you like a beast waiting to strike.

Soon enough, she managed to catch up to the Imposter, the Fake had run into the nearby park and was now catching his breath.

"Fuck I was too hasty, too careless; there goes the easy life of success." The Yuji imposter spoke, cursing himself for making that big of a slip up.

"And your life," Merag spoke with a tone of cold. So cold in fact, the area was starting to freeze over.

"What?" The Fake said as he turned around. "Mo-mo-monster!" He screamed.

But it was too late; Merag had already caught him. His feet frozen to the ground.

He fell as Merag placed Rio's hand on his body, and the growth of ice accelerated as it started to cover his body.

"Big Bro, help me!" He shouted, but unlike on Kyoji this tactic would not work on Merag, as this monstrous Rio froze the Fake solid.

The boy screamed until he no longer could, and he was turned into a sculpture of ice. And with a flex of her hands, he was shattered into a thousand pieces.

Xxx

Rio shuddered at the memory of what the other her, who was called Merag, had done. Though until now she had never heard her speak again, but Rio had been aware of her. Always present in the back of her head, ready to shatter the ice wall that separated the two of them and take control of the body they both lived in.

"What," Rio was brought out of her thoughts at Kyoji speaking, and she saw something dark swirl around his body. "What is this power?"

"Hey, who are you?" Yuma said, and Rio saw him staring at nothing?

No.

There was something.

An outline of a person floating in the air.

And then it was gone.

What was that? Rio thought as her attention was brought away from Yuma's rambling to Kyoji.

There was an expression on his face that she had never seen before, but… it was stirring something inside of her.

"I summon Resonance Insect in attack position, and then by paying a 1000LP, I can special summon Guard Mantis in defense position," Kyoji said, and he now had two monsters on the field.

Kyoji LP: 2500

"Two Level 4 monsters on the field. Is he going to XYZ summon?" Testuo asked.

"Then I am going to Overlay my Level 4 Resonance Insect and my Level 4 Guard Mantis to create the Overlay Network." Kyoji declared, and Rio blinked.

She was pretty sure that Kyoji didn't have any Rank 4 Monsters.

So what was he going to summon?

"Now come forth Rank 4! Number 66: Master Key Beetle!" Kyoji declared as a golden beetle with a rather sinister arura appared on the field.

"A Number Card, so has it begun?" Rio heard Merag speak once again. The other her now much more active than she had been in a long time.

"And with this, my victory is set in stone, Yuma!" Kyoji declared.

Xxx

A/N: If you like this or any other of my stories, you can donate to my SubscribeStar. Adult /StreamingViking or my Pa Tre on at pa tre on. com (slash)StreamingViking776 and read commissioned stories and chapters before they are released publicly and where you can participate in polls, that determine which story is written next or determine things in them for only 3$ a month or for 10 and up see character at work for the stories. Pa tre on money goes towards more artwork