Doors were flung open hard as some medics were rolling a medical bed down the hall. On it was Mario as the boy had just been rushed to the hospital by his family. Twilight was by her son's side, and she could see the pain on her child's face.
"Stay strong, Mario! It's going to be alright!" said Twilight. She let go and stopped when the doctor and nurses entered the emergency room.
The sign above the door lit up to indicate an operation was underway. Twilight took a deep breath as she struggled to keep herself together. Then, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder as Isaac stood behind her. She turned and immediately fell into her husband's chest to let out some tears. Isaac hugged his wife tightly and put on a brave face. The World Champion looked at the glowing sign, knowing his wife's worries.
Out in the lobby, Roll and Zipp were seated in the waiting room as they weren't allowed. The girl held her shark plushie and treated it like a stress ball. Seeing her older brother in such a state didn't sit well with her, as she knew Mario to be tough. Zipp just leaned against the wall as she tried to keep her cool, but it was hard, given she just witnessed one of her friends be rushed to the emergency room.
The hospital doors burst open at that moment, and the rest of their friends and Haven appeared.
"Zipp, Roll!" said Sunny.
"You made it," said the heiress, seeing the rest of her friends.
"What happened? Where's Mario?" asked Sunny.
"He just got taken to the emergency room," explained Roll.
"Emergency room?" said Pipp, almost covering her mouth, hearing that.
"What happened?"
"He… was in a duel… and lost," explained Zipp.
"What?" said Hitch.
"M-Mario… lost," said Izzy, even though she was in disbelief and felt that Zipp was lying. "N-No, he couldn't… it's Mario… he… he never loses."
"Izzy…" responded Zipp as the usual energetic girl shut down and accepted the reality.
The doors to the hallway opened, and Isaac stepped out. The World Champion called to his daughter, who obeyed and went with her father. The others could only watch the pair disappear as Haven began to speak with the receptionist to sort some things out. Standing outside the operation room, looking through a window, was Twilight, who could see the many nurses and doctors operating on her son. Isaac appeared as he brought their daughter, who immediately held her mother's arm.
"How does it look, doctor?" asked one of the nurses.
"He's got some serious bruising on the right side of his abdomen," said the doctor as he noticed Mario's bump from his duel.
"Come on, Mario. Be strong," whispered Twilight to her son, praying her voice could reach him.
"He'll pull through. I know he will," stated Isaac confidently, as they knew how tough their son was.
"Doctor's, how's it looking?" asked another nurse.
Time passed as Sunny and the others remained in the lobby with Haven. The kids were silent, closing their eyes as if praying their friend would be okay. Izzy fiddled with her bracelet as she examined it.
"Poor Mario," said the girl, concerned for the boy as he was one of the first friends she'd ever made.
The door to the hallway opened, and Isaac and the doctor stepped out. Once the kids saw them, Zipp immediately spoke.
"Tell us, Doc. How is he?" asked the heiress.
"He'll make a complete recovery," smiled Isaac as he knew his son would be okay.
"He'll need a few more days of bed rest, but he'll be just fine. Just keep him from dueling for a while, okay?" smiled the doctor as he left to fill out some paperwork.
"That's a relief," said Sunny, holding a breath and clutching her heart.
"So, what now?" asked Hitch.
"Now… we go after who did this to Mario and make them pay!" said Zipp, fired up and wanting revenge on Rose for what she did to her ex.
"Oh, no, you won't!" shouted Haven as she looked at her eldest daughter. "After tonight, no one is going anywhere to get revenge on anyone."
"But Mom…"
"I will not have it, Zephyrina!"
"Your mother is right, Zipp. Mario is okay; that's what's most important right now. It'd be best if you all just go and get some rest. We'll talk about this tomorrow."
Zipp couldn't believe Isaac was taking her mother's side as she'd figured that, as a father, Isaac would want to get revenge on Opaline and her minions for what they did to his son. The heiress looked at her friends' faces and could see they didn't want anything bad to happen after what they went through. The girl sighed as she succumbed to her mother's wishes.
"Go home, all of you. Get some rest," instructed Isaac.
"Come along, kids!" said Haven as they followed the CEO.
Izzy took a moment to stop and turn before she walked toward Isaac as he spotted the girl.
"Can you give this to Mario?" asked Izzy as she pulled a crystal from underneath her shirt. "It's an Obsidian. It's said to bring good healing and process emotions from where I'm from. Please?"
"I'll make sure he gets it," smiled Isaac as he took the stone from Izzy and rubbed the top of her head, feeling her fuzzy hair. "Now, hurry up, Izzy."
The girl nodded as she left to catch up with the others. The World Champion smiled as he looked at the stone the girl asked to give his son.
"Son… you got some good friends who care for you," said Isaac as he went through the doors.
Mario was now out of the emergency room, resting. Twilight was sitting in a chair by his bedside, her hand on her son's. Isaac came in, and the door opened.
"How is he?" asked Isaac.
"He's stable. The doctor says he'll be asleep for quite a while."
"Where's Roll?"
"She went to the bathroom. She said she wanted to give Mario her shark plushie to remind him of us," said Twilight as the girl put her stuffed animal near her brother's head as if to reach him in his unconscious state.
"All these years, we asked him to look after her. And now it's her turn to look after him," said Isaac, standing on the opposite side of their son's bed. "I just sent the others with Haven to go back home."
"How could this have happened, honey? Our son… in this…"
"Hey, it's not your fault, honey. Mario's tough, you know that. It's clear this threat isn't gonna be a walk in the park. We knew that going in."
"I guess I just never expected I'd see one of our children beaten up and lying in the hospital. I'd expect that from you, but… not our kids."
"Hey. Why don't you take Roll and get some rest? I can stay with him." said Isaac.
"I can't leave our son."
"It's okay. I can look after him. Go get some rest."
Twilight looked at her wife before she stood up to lean over to her son's face.
"Be safe, Mario," said Twilight, kissing her son's forehead before running her hand through his hair. "Watch him, please."
"I will," said Isaac, pulling his wife in for a passionate five-second kiss. "I promise," said the World Champion before he pulled Twilight in for another heated kiss.
Twilight then grabbed her satchel and left the room to find her daughter and take them home. Once his wife was gone, Isaac went to the chair where she sat. He stood over her, looking at his son. He then looked at the stone Izzy had given him and set it on the other side of the pillow.
"Your friend Izzy said this was supposed to help, son. You really got everyone worried, especially your mother, and I thought that was my job, " Isaac chuckled lightly as he sat down.
Silence filled the room briefly as the World Champion looked at his son before sighing.
"I don't know if you can hear me, Mario. But… I'm glad you're okay. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't. I'm glad you and your sister found some good friends. They're worried sick for you. But I know you'll pull through this. I know you will, hijo."
Isaac took a moment to run his hand across his son's forehead before using the back of his hand to caress his cheek. He then looked at his son's deck on the nearby table as he grabbed it. The World Champion looked through the cards, fanned them out, and closed his eyes. He communicated with the spirits of his son's monsters as if he were talking to them. He then opened his eyes and put the cards back before taking a seat. The World Champion began to watch over his son as he was joined by the spirits of his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, who felt their master's uneasiness and wanted to remain by his side.
In the hideout of Opaline and her forces, the door to the room opened as Rose walked in. Sitting at the head of the table was the evil sorceress herself, and the look on Rose's face was anything but happy.
"Why did you stop me from sending him to the Shadow Realm? We had a chance to eliminate one of them, and you let it slip through your fingers!"
"You forget your place, Rose. Besides, as I told you, a specific energy must be created to unlock the door and allow the army of shadows to enter this world. One that can only be created when light and dark are fated to clash on the battlefield. We have the battlefield set but don't have those signers and their marks. Not to mention, we haven't gathered all our forces yet, either. Don't focus on what you didn't do, but what you did do."
"And what is that?" barked the girl.
"By showing Mario the true power of the darkness, you were not only able to send a message to the others, but you were able to reach into his heart and crush his confidence. The look on his face when your monster blasted him. He was terrified. You could feel him tremble. He now doubts himself, and self-doubt is a duelist's worst enemy. The uncertainty he feels inside of him will grow and eventually tear him apart. And he does that… so too will the others follow."
Opaline smirked as Rose did the same.
"Where am I?" said Mario.
The boy was in a shroud of darkness as he returned to the stadium, where he dueled Rose. He was brought back to the scenario as he turned around and saw the massive monster the girl brought out.
"Petal Doom Roseata Dragon, obliterate my ex!" commanded the girl.
Her dragon opened its mouth and fired its attack. Mario saw the attack coming as he covered up before being blasted.
Mario's eyes opened up as the boy sat up and panted heavily. The teen felt his heart racing as the nightmare he had really messed with his mental state. He then ran a hand down his face as he got rid of some of the sweat. He then felt some pain as he instinctively clutched his stomach as he was shown to have been bandaged up.
"Well, look who's awake," said Twilight as she was shown opening the curtain of her son's hospital room to allow some sunlight in.
"Mom. What happened?"
"You took a nasty bump during your duel."
"Duel? Wait, I remember. There was a duel between me and Rose… yeah, and I… I… I lost," said Mario as what he said registered in his mind.
"You know, Mario. I told you when you were little that dueling can be dangerous, and now look at you. You're a wreck."
"Mom, you don't understand. Rose she…"
"I heard from your friend, Zipp. She filled us in when she helped bring you here."
"She helped me?" said the boy, surprised to learn the heiress didn't leave his side.
"She's quite the girl, Mario. In fact, all of your friends are unique. I'm glad you and Roll have a group of friends you can count on. So answer me this, sweetie. Why are you trying to do this all on your own?"
"I'm not! Mom, I don't…."
"You don't want to be a part of this. I get it, Mario. But, like it or not, you are. After last night, it's clear Opaline has her sights set on you. So even if you chose not to partake with the others, she wouldn't take no for an answer. So I ask you, why are you trying to go solo?"
"Because I don't want to let anyone hold me back," said the boy.
"Oh, sweetie. That won't happen. If you try to do things on your own, you'll end up in a hospital bed. If you asked, your friends would give you the clothes on their backs. You have friends who will follow you and stand by you till the ends of the earth. They support you, Mario. You all need each other. Life's hard enough without having friends to look out for you. Your father and I know firsthand how powerful having friends is, so if you're gonna be a part of this, you'll need all the friends you can get. Your life is just too important to ride solo."
Mario took in the words his mother was saying as the boy had a look.
"Here, eat this," said Twilight as she served her son a plate of apple slices.
"Thanks, Mom," said the boy, grabbing the fruit plate and smiling at his mother.
"Now, don't go running off without the doctor clearing you. 'Cause mark my words; those bruises will just be the beginning," said Twilight, sternly warning her son.
Back at the estate, Sunny and the gang were gathered in the living room as they'd been meaning to hear from Zipp about what went down. At the same time, Haven was on the phone trying to do some crowd control. The TV in the foyer was on as the reporter was speaking.
"We're coming to you live from Zephyr Heights' stadium, where a mysterious force rocked the entire city last night. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast. Although there were no injuries, a reported 160 people seem to have simply vanished. There were also scattered reports of strange glowing lights in the sky. Now, the people are demanding answers to what really happened, all eyes are-"
"You saw those lights, right?" asked Zipp.
"Yeah," answered Hitch.
"So, what happened, Zipp?" asked Sunny.
"We ran into Mario's ex."
"His ex?" repeated Pipp.
"Yeah. Looks like she's one of the bad guys."
"Is that good or bad?" asked Izzy.
"She calls herself one of Opaline's top commanders and had a glowing mark on her arm. She calls it the Mark of the Shadows. Only it wasn't glowing red like ours; it glowed purple. She made the forcefield appear and the mark appear in the sky."
"And that monster she summoned?"
"She said she used the energy of innocent people to call upon it. Guess that explains the glowing lights we all saw and the missing people."
"So… those people… are they gone for good?" asked Sunny.
"I don't know. But if these Shadow Duelists require souls to awaken their beasts and unleash their power. We need to stop them!" said the heiress.
"That's easier said than done. I mean, look at what happened to Mario. He's one of our best, and he couldn't beat them. What chance do the rest of us have?"
"Come on, Hitch. You're really gonna back down now!" exclaimed the heiress as she felt her friend was starting to be a coward.
"I'm just being real," answered the boy.
"Look, I understand! Just tell them it was an earthquake!"
The kids overheard Haven as she was doing her best to quiet the city's chaos from the many calls she was getting.
"How's Mario?" asked Izzy.
"I talked with Roll earlier. They said he's okay but needs to stay a bit longer just to make sure," said Pipp.
"That's a relief," responded Sunny, pleased to know her friend was okay. "But what I'm more concerned about is I thought Isaac said Opaline and her forces were in Maritime City, and now they're fighting here. What the deck is going on?"
"How is he?" asked Isaac as he and his wife were outside their son's room while the doctor was doing routine checkups.
"He seems to be okay. I told him that he doesn't have to do things alone. It's okay to ask for help and lean on his friends. He just doesn't want it to be seen as a sign of weakness." said Twilight to her husband.
"Well, glad he's starting to come around," responded Isaac. "Where's Roll?"
"She said she was going to the cafe to get something to eat. But I'm more worried about if they're ready?" said Twilight.
"Did I take the wrong elevator?" said Roll as she was lost in the massive leveled hospital.
The teen wanted to get her brother some food from the cafe but didn't know where it was. She had asked some nurses for directions but seemed lost in the many levels and labeling. The girl was now exiting an elevator as she walked down the hallway; she reached the end and came to a balcony hallway.
"Where is everyone? I could use some directions," said the girl.
"Lost your way, little girl."
Roll turned in the direction of a voice as she saw someone walking toward her from an adjacent hallway. The person in question wore a robe as they had some kind of mask that disguised their face. Roll was hesitant about the mysterious person confronting them as she hoped they weren't here for trouble, but that idea was far-fetched.
"Looks like daddy's little girl wandered off too far. Or should I call you 'Sea Maiden,'" stated the masked figure.
"Who are you?" asked Roll.
"I do happen to have a name, you know," responded the figure.
"Then tell me?" demanded the girl.
"In due time. I've waited a long time for this, Miss, whatever you call yourself. I'm here for one reason. I'm here for your father!"
"My father? What do you want with my father?" asked Roll.
"He did something to me, and I intend to repay him. Now… where is he?"
"He's not here!"
"You're a liar."
"What did my dad do to you? Answer me!" said the girl.
"I'm surprised you don't know."
"Why would I? I don't even know what you're talking about!"
"Enough lies. I want answers, and I want them right now. Your father screwed my life, and now I'll give you one more chance to tell me the truth. Where is your father, Sea Maiden?"
"Even if he is here, what makes you think I would just tell you!" barked Roll.
"Then we duel," said the masked figure.
"Fine, let's go!" stated Roll, not backing down from this figure trying to ask of her father.
She strapped on her duel disk and slotted in her deck as it projected a blue card tray. Her opponent did the same as he slotted in his deck and stared down the girl through his mysterious mask.
"To tell you the truth, I had hoped it'd come to this. A duel should be a perfect chance to try out some of the new abilities I've recently been offered. You're not the only one here who's keeping a big secret. Do not let this mask fool you!" stated the mysterious person.
"New abilities?" said Roll, not understanding what this person was saying.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said their duel disks.
Roll's Life Points: 8000-
?'s Life Points: 8000-
"Let's duel!" said both duelists.
"If I can't get you to talk, maybe my deck will!" said the mysterious person.
"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt my family!" responded Roll.
Turn 1: Roll (Hand 5)
"I'll go first. I draw!" said Roll as she looked at the card she drew. "Time to teach you a lesson about swimming with sharks. I activate the spell card, Moray of Greed. So I shuffle 2 Water monsters from my hand back into my deck. Then I can draw three new cards to replace the ones I lost."
"Draw all the cards you want. It won't make a difference," said the masked figure.
"Well, I beg to differ, especially with this monster. Since I activated a spell card, I can special summon my Surfacing Big Jaws(1800/300)!" A whirlpool emerged on Roll's field before it burst apart to reveal her ferocious shark. "Then, because I summoned my monster, I can add one Fish 'Shark' monster from my deck to my hand. Next, I summon Saber Shark(1600/1200)."
A shark with a shark blade tip on its head appeared as it growled.
"Due to my Surfacing Big Jaws' ability, despite it being a Level 4 monster, it can count as a Level 3 monster when I use it to Xyz summon a Water monster. Then, I'll activate my Saber Shark's ability. Up to twice per turn, I can target one Fish monster on the field and either increase or reduce its level by 1. So, I'll change my Saber Shark's level from 4 to 3. Next… I overlay my two monsters to build the Overlay Network!"
Roll's two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged.
"Now I summon a monster that's both feared on the land and in the water! I Xyz Summon! Submersible Carrier Aero Shark(1900/1000, OLU: 2)!"
The masked figure looked at Roll's monster as he wasn't intimidated.
"I now activate Aero Shark's ability! By using one overlay unit, you take 400 points of damage for every card in my hand. And I'm holding four cards, so that's 1600 points of damage!"
Roll's monster loaded a missile capsule and fired it. It broke into several torpedos that bombarded the mysterious figure as he didn't flinch from the girl's move.
?'s Life Points: 6400-
"I set one card facedown and end my turn!"
Turn 2:? (Hand 5)
"Then it's my move. First, I summon Jinzo - Jector(800/2000). Then, I'll activate my monster's ability. I can add a 'Jinzo' monster to my hand by tributing it. Next, I can reveal all the set cards that my opponent has, and if any of them are trap cards, then I can summon a 'Jinzo' monster for each one. So, let's see what you're hiding?"
Roll's facedown was flipped up as it was her Ghost Salvage trap card.
"Ghost Salvage, eh?" said the masked person as the girl gritted her teeth, not a fan of her cards being revealed. "Well, since that's a trap, it means I can summon this Jinzo(2400/1500) from my hand. And as long as Jinzo is on the field, trap cards can't be activated, and Jinzo negates all traps."
Just great.
"Now Jinzo, attack her Submersible Carrier Aero Shark!" commanded the masked figure.
The humanoid machine put its hands together to form a black orb of energy before firing it as it took out Roll's monster, resulting in the girl covering up.
Roll's Life Points: 7500-
"Too bad you can't activate your facedown. Otherwise, you'd be in prime position for your next move, so you can Xyz Summon again. Now… are you going to tell me where your father is?"
"Never!" shouted Roll.
"Maybe this will change your mind. I activate the Machina Armored Unit continuous spell card. And I'll also activate the Machine Assembly Line continuous spell. Thanks to this spell, all my Machine-type monsters gain 200 extra attack points." stated the masked figure as his two spells appeared before him. "I end my turn."
Turn 3: Roll (Hand 3)
"My move!"
If only I could activate my trap…
"I activate the Whitefish Salvage continuous spell card. Now, I can add one 'Fish' monster in my graveyard back to my hand. And I choose my Surfacing Big Jaws!" said Roll as her duel disk ejected the card for her grab. "Then, due to my monster's effect, since I activated a spell card, I can special summon it right now! Return!"
The girl's killer shark emerged, ready to chomp at the bits again.
"I then summon Lifeless Leaffish(1500/1600). And when this monster is summoned, I can send one 'Fish' monster from my deck to my graveyard!" Roll touched her duel screen as she scanned through her deck's contents. Once she chose, she clicked confirm as the card slid out for her to grab, and she sent it away.
"Now… I overlay both of my Level 4 monsters to build the Overlay Network!" commanded the girl as her monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "Let your roar create tidal waves in every ocean! I Xyz Summon! Bahamut Shark(2600/2100, OLU: 2)!"
A tall, giant shark appeared, standing on its hind legs and letting out a roar. It was white and blue and appeared to have four giant fins on its back.
"Bahamut Shark, take out his Jinzo!" stated Roll. Her monster opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful stream of blue energy that pelted and destroyed the mysterious figure's monster.
?'s Life Points: 6200-
"What do you want with my father?" asked Roll.
"You really have no idea who I am, do you?" said the mysterious figure.
The masked person then reached for his mask as he removed it to reveal his face. Roll was now staring at the true face of her mysterious opponent; she was shocked to see the person was a boy who looked slightly older than her.
"My name is Bolt Switch. And your father ruined my father's life!" said the boy.
"What? What are you talking about?" responded Roll as she felt the teen was delusional.
"Years ago, your father and mine dueled against each other. But your father… he got reckless, and what he did to mine, well… I can never forget. Because of that, my father can no longer walk the same way he once did… and it's all because of you and your so-called 'hero of a dad.'"
"I don't know what nonsense you're spewing, but my father would never intentionally hurt someone!" said Roll.
"Lies!"
"I'm telling the truth! My father is someone to whom everyone looks up. He would never hurt another duelist for his own personal and selfish gains!"
"Stop lying to my face, Sea Maiden. I will have my revenge with these new powers I spoke of earlier. I will do so!" stated Bolt Switch. He then raised his right arm, and it began to glow. "For you see… The Shadows have granted me power, and my new associates have given me the Mark of Shadows!"
"Mark of the Shadows? Then… that means… you're one of Opaline's commanders!" said Roll.
At that moment, a blinding light surrounded Bolt, and Roll covered her eyes to protect her field of vision. When the light died down, the boy was dressed in dark robes with marks under his eyes. He opened his eyes, which were now black. His pupils were yellow, and he had a glowing purple mark on his arm similar to Rose's when she dueled Mario.
"My mark!" said the girl as she felt her arm light up and her mark glow red. What do you want?"
"The truth and I'll get it even if I have to shake it out of you!" declared Bolt.
He then raised his arm as the entire building began to shake. Isaac and Twilight, along with everyone else left in the building, felt the shake as they instinctively grabbed onto something.
"What was that? An earthquake!" said Isaac.
"I don't know. Owlyscious, what's going on?" asked Twilight as she spoke into her glasses to see if her A.I. could tell her.
"I'm not sure, Twilight. Running diagnostics now!" said the program.
"Mom!"
Twilight turned when she saw her son's arm glowing. Both she and her husband knew what that meant. The others felt their marks glowing at the estate as they looked at them intensely.
"Oh, no. Don't tell me!" said Haven as she saw her daughters and their friends looking at their glowing marks as she feared the worst.
"It's Roll," said Hitch, feeling the presence of his friend in the Shadow Duel she was partaking in.
"Now, since you destroyed my Jinzo, my Machine Assembly Line allows me to put two Junk Counters on it. Then, my Machina Armored Unit allows me to summon a 'Machine' monster from my deck with the same attribute and fewer attack points than the monster that was destroyed and sent to the graveyard. So I'll bring out my Jinzo - Returner(600/1400) in defense mode! And due to my Machine Assembly Line, it gets 200 more attack points."
"I end my turn!" stated Roll.
Turn 4: Bolt Switch (Hand 3)
"My move. I activate the spell card, Machina Redeployment. I can add two 'Machina' monsters from my deck to my hand by discarding one card. Next, I summon Machina Gearframe(1800/0). And when I normal summon this monster, I can add a 'Machina' monster from my deck to my hand."
The evil Shadow Duelist knew what card he wanted as it slid out, and he grabbed it.
"Now, due to Jinzo - Returner's ability, it can strike you directly!" stated Bolt Switch as his monster bypassed Roll's monster and struck the girl with an open palm as she covered up. This time, she actually felt the pain from her opponent's attack as him revealing his powers as a Shadow Duelist took effect.
Roll's Life Points: 6700-
The area around Roll took some damage as it was clear this was a Shadow Duel.
"Next, I'll have my Machina Gearframe attack your Bahamut Shark!"
"What are you up to?!" shouted Roll, knowing her monster was stronger.
"Watch. By discarding my Machina Resavenger from my hand, I can target one 'Machina' monster and give it an extra 1200 attack points until the end of the turn. So now it's stronger than your Bahamut Shark!" stated Bolt Switch as his monster reeled its fist and threw it as it was surrounded with power. This time, the attack made Roll drop to a knee as the area around her began to break apart, creating a tremor-like shockwave that rocked the whole building.
Roll's Life Points: 6100-
"What's going on?" asked Mario.
"Everyone evacuate!" said a doctor as he came in. "There's an earthquake happening. We need to leave now!"
The doctor left as he had to make sure his colleagues got out. While everybody else assumed it was an earthquake, Isaac, Twilight, and Mario knew that was false. It was clear what this really was as the glowing mark on the boy's arm told the whole story.
"We need to find Roll!" said Twilight.
"I'll go. You get Mario out of here!" said Isaac as he ran out of the room to find their daughter.
"Come on, Mario!" said Twilight as she put on her satchel.
The boy grabbed his deck, Izzy's crystal, and his sister's plushie, knowing she'd kill him if he left it behind. The pair then began to avoid the scattered chaos of people running about as they looked to leave the tumbling building.
"I activate my facedown, Ghost Salvage! This trap brings back my Water-attribute Xyz monster, and when it returns, it can bring along two monsters that were used to summon it by negating their special abilities. So here comes Surfacing Big Jaws, Lifeless Leaffish, and Bahamut Shark!" Roll's monsters appeared before her as anchors were cast down a black hole as they were pulled from their watery graves.
"Well, since my Machina Gearframe was able to destroy your Bahamut Shark while my Machina Resavenger is in my graveyard, I can add it back to my hand. Next, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 5: Roll (Hand 2)
"My turn. I now overlay both of my Level 4 monsters to build the Overlay Network!" stated Roll as her two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before the girl as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light exploded.
"The land and the sea merge into a new lifeform! I Xyz Summon! Number 37: Hope Woven Dragon Spider Shark(2600/2100)!"
A fearsome aquatic creature appeared behind the girl. It had a shark-like head and body along with dragon-like appendages. Its sharp teeth were bared and gave off a menacing glare.
"I now activate the effect of my spell card, Whitefish Salvage. So I'm adding back my Surfacing Big Jaws, and then, due to its effect, I can special summon it from my hand! Then, I'm activating my Dragon Spider Shark's ability! Using an overlay unit, all your monsters lose 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!"
Roll's new monster absorbed one of the materials circling it as it unleashed a torrent of water that sprayed Bolt Switch's monsters, making them all rust part of themselves away.
"Bahamut Shark, take out his Jinzo - Returner! Divine Voice!" commanded Roll.
Her monster unleashed a fierce roar that blasted away the rusted machine as Bolt Switch covered up from the heavy damage he took.
Bolt Switch's Life Points: 3600-
"I now activate my Jinzo - Returner's special ability. When it's destroyed, I can target a 'Jinzo' monster in my graveyard and summon it. But it gets destroyed at the end of the turn. So I'm bringing back Jinzo himself!" stated the evil boy as a cyborg-like human appeared. "And that's not all, because thanks to my Machine Assembly Line, I get two more Junk Counters on it."
"Well, I'm far from done. Dragon Spider Shark, take out his Machina Gearframe! Spider Tornado!"
"Since I have my Machina Resavenger back in my hand, I can discard it to give my monster an extra 1200 attack points until the end of the turn. So I'll be minimizing that damage!" said Bolt Switch as he braced himself when Roll's monster delivered its attack.
Bolt Switch's Life Points: 3200-
"With my monster destroyed, I get two more Junk Counters. And next, I'll trigger the ability of my Machina Armored Unit. So I can replace my 'Machine' monster with one from my deck with the same attribute and fewer attack points than the destroyed one. So I'm summoning Machina Sniper(1800/0)!"
"Well, I'll end my turn. And since it's the End Phase, your Jinzo is now gone!" stated Roll as Bolt's monster vanished.
Turn 6: Bolt (Hand 1)
"Look, Bolt. I don't know what lies Opaline has told you. But they're not true. Trust me! Whatever my father did to you-"
"I don't have to trust nor believe anything, Roll! And don't pretend you're sorry! Your father took something away from me. And because of that, I will never forgive him. All I want is to return to him that same feeling I felt when I saw my father. And what better way than to send his beloved daughter to the Shadow Realm! Get ready, Sea Maiden. Now… ancient seal, come to me!"
Bolt held his arm up high as his glowing mark lit up. Roll's mark also lit up even as purple fires began to etch around them. Twilight and Mario had just made it outside the building when they turned to look around as the forcefield that was put surrounded the entire hospital building. They couldn't believe their eyes, nor could any of the other people that were outside. At that moment, a news helicopter was shown circling the building as the live feed was up.
"We're currently above the Zephyr Heights General Hospital, where this strange purple light appeared seconds ago. It seems to be the same one that appeared a few days ago at the stadium. Authorities are trying to figure things out as we speak."
Sunny and the others at the estate were watching the live broadcast as they saw the giant glowing mark.
"Again?" said the girl.
"I hope Roll and her family are safe," said Hitch, as it was clear their friends were in danger.
Isaac was still inside the building, running about, trying to find his daughter. The World Champion took a moment to look out of a window and see the ancient seal surrounding the structure. He then wasted no time booking it, as he needed to find Roll. The whole thing was now becoming unstable, as he had to avoid parts of the ceiling falling and other obstacles. Roll felt her mark as she looked at her arm.
"My mark. It's trying to tell me something, but what?" said the girl.
"It's telling you to be very afraid of the darkness' power," smirked Bolt.
"I guess there's no convincing you is there," sighed Roll. "So that means this duel is full steam ahead!"
"The end is near, Sea Maiden! My move. First, I'm activating the effect of my Machine Assembly Line. So, by sending it to the graveyard, I can summon a monster whose Level is equal to or less than the number of Junk Counters on it. So since there were six Junk Counters, I'm bringing back my Jinzo!" stated Bolt Switch as his monster appeared.
"Next, I activate my facedown, Machina Duplication. This allows me to copy the level of a monster on my field, so I'll change Machina Sniper's level to match that of my Jinzo. Then, I'm sacrificing both monsters to summon an even greater power. By overlaying my two monsters, I can open the door to the Shadow Realm and Xyz summon… Goblinstein Machina Superior(3000/3200, OLU: 2)!" said Bolt Switch as he held his card out while his eyes and the marks under them lit up in purple. "I offer the taken to power my monster!"
A blinding light occurred as Roll covered her eyes with her arm. At that moment, Mario and Twilight were outside, witnessing something. Besides them, some people began to vanish, transforming into weird lights. It made them gasp as, one by one, more people that were nearby in the vicinity were being sucked in. Sunny and the others at the estate all winced in pain momentarily as the mark on their arms gave them aching pain. Mario clutched his as he tried not to let the searing pain of his mark affect him.
"Mario, what's the matter?" asked Twilight.
"My mark is hurting just like it did when I dueled Rose."
At that moment, the boy's mark began to do something, creating a circle that expanded and soon surrounded the boy and his mother, who seemed to be in some forcefield.
"What is this?" asked Mario, unsure of the protective bubble his mark created.
"I'm not sure," said Twilight as she looked through her glasses to analyze the contents of the magic bubble. "But my readings are telling me we're safe," stated the card designer.
"These are the same lights as when Mario dueled," said Roll upon seeing some lights fly past her. "What's going on!" demanded the girl as the light from Bolt Switch died down.
"My monster is absorbing the spirits of the citizens of Zephyr Heights to awaken and fuel its power. But don't worry, it won't absorb you because I'm saving you for last."
At that moment, something shook the building from outside. Mario and Twilight looked up, and their eyes widened upon what they saw.
"Uh, guys! You might want to see this!" said Hitch as he looked out the estate window.
The group all got near the window and widened their eyes upon seeing what they saw.
"What gives? Where's this monster? You did just summon one, didn't you?" asked Roll as she saw nothing on Bolt Switch's field.
"Oh, I summoned one, all right. Turn around, Roll."
The girl looked confused before she began to do as she was told. Slowly, she turned her head, and a low groan could be heard. Behind the teen was a hallway with an open window at the end. When Roll managed to turn her head to look back down the hallway fully, her eyes were overcome with fear. The girl was now staring at a dark object before it opened up and was now an eyeball. Roll stepped back and covered her mouth in fear as she nearly screamed at what she was seeing.
"W-What… what is that?" said the girl.
Outside, holding onto the building, was Bolt's monster. A large, goblin-like Frankenstein was shown, with parts composed of metal and flesh. There was a giant screw in its head that went through it as it roared with undead eyes. It turned its head to momentarily lean back and let out a sound that echoed throughout the city as it toppled the hospital and several other skyscrapers nearby.
Isaac was still running in the collapsing building when he pushed through a door and entered the balcony hallway. He spotted his daughter across from him as he rushed toward the railing.
"Roll!"
"Dad!"
Hearing that, Bolt turned his head and saw the World Champion. His eyes pulsed with power, matching his hatred toward the pro duelist.
"We need to get out of here!" said Isaac as he covered up and stepped back from some debris falling. "The whole place is gonna come down!"
Roll heard that and quickly looked up to see some debris about to crush her before she jumped back. The teen now saw more of the building beginning to collapse upon Bolt summoning his giant of a monster.
"Looks like we'll have to finish this another time, Sea Maiden!" said Bolt as he realized they couldn't finish their duel with the building falling.
The boy put the hood of his cloak over his head as he vanished into a sea of dark clouds that appeared for a moment before disappearing. Roll, not going to question how he did it, began to rush toward her father.
"Come on, Roll!"
The girl rushed toward her father before part of the hallway before her broke. There was now a giant gap between the pair as she took some steps back.
"Jump! Don't worry, I'll catch you!" said Isaac.
The girl trusted her father as she took some more steps back and began to run forward. Once she reached the edge, she pushed off and jumped with all her might as she put her arms out. Isaac extended his arm and caught his daughter's wrist, now dangling off the edge. The World Champion grunted as he gave one mighty tug to pull his daughter up. He then put Roll on his back, and she held on while her father began to run.
Outside, Mario and Twilight witnessed Bolt's monster starting to disappear, along with the purple flames, into the ground. The shield around them also began to vanish. They looked at the building's entrance and saw the boy's sister and father emerge from the falling building.
"Hurry!" said Twilight as she and Mario got in, knowing the whole thing could fall on them any minute.
Isaac and Roll got to the vehicle as the girl entered the backseat. While he got into the passenger seat, Twilight put the car in drive and raced off just seconds before the whole building would have fallen on them. The car raced down the street as dirt and debris followed them.
"Honey!" shouted Isaac as he didn't have a chance to put his seatbelt on and was having to endure his wife's insane driving.
"Hang on!" exclaimed Twilight to everyone as she slammed her foot on the gas.
As she swerved the car like in a racing film, debris landed before them, and Isaac held on for dear life.
"Priestess!" shouted Twilight, holding a card between her fingers.
She called upon her most trusted monster in her deck as it appeared alongside the vehicle. The magician used her spellbook and magical properties to teleport them ahead a few meters just as the last debris fell behind them. The family was now safe as Twilight eased off the acceleration; Isaac took a deep breath and was grateful they had survived his wife's crazy driving.
"I love you, honey," said Isaac, out of breath while trying to calm his heart.
"I know," smirked Twilight, seeing her husband in such a state. She leaned over and kissed his cheek as she continued to drive.
"Is everyone okay?" asked Isaac as he turned to look at their kids.
"Heh, super duper, Dad," chuckled Roll to her father while in her brother's arms.
The car had just turned as the group headed toward the estate. The past few days would need to be addressed, and it was clear that Opaline wouldn't wait for them to be ready. Things might have to be dealt with sooner than they expected.
To be continued...