Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter has originally been edited by TM11 when this chapter was originally released. On April 1st, 2020, this chapter was edited again by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot... and other people.
Yugioh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi, Konami… 4Kids?... and other people.
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
Please support the official release.
"Hello." -Normal talking
"Hello." –Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts
Kon'nichiwa [Translation of Hello]
Chapter 16:
Scene Change: Behind the Sealed Door
Ichigo entered the room. He could see a long, dark hallway. Ichigo cast a low-powered Shakkahō, just enough to provide light. As he walked through the dark hallway, Ichigo noticed a photograph on the wall. It was a photo of himself and Tatsuki playing in a park when they were younger. Ichigo resumed walking and encountered another photo. It showed Ichigo in his school uniform with Sado, Orihime, and Uryū right after the rescue mission, but the faces of Uryū and Sado were blacked out, leaving only Ichigo and Orihime together.
Ichigo started to feel creeped out but decided to continue. He began to jog down the seemingly never-ending hallway. The next photo depicted Ichigo happily eating lunch prepared by his younger sisters. Ichigo did not remember this photo being taken. What was also odd was that other people's faces were blacked out as well. Growing more nervous, Ichigo ran down the hallway. The next photo showed Ichigo lost in thought as he looked outside the classroom window. Ichigo did not recall taking this photo. Like the other photos before it, all the other people's faces were blacked out. Ichigo decided to ignore the rest of the photos and ran down the hall.
Ichigo was forced to stop at what appeared to be a dead end. This photograph wasn't darkened like the others. It had lights shining down on it as if it were a masterpiece. The photo was actually two pictures. Ichigo recognized it; it was from the last dance at Mashiba Middle School. Ichigo had taken Moka to that dance and asked Orihime to take the photo. It was one of the few photos in which Ichigo had smiled. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a charcoal vest, blue tie, charcoal dress pants, and black dress shoes, while Moka wore a black Victorian-styled gown with heeled platforms. Ichigo kept a copy of this photo and remembered giving one to Moka. However, this photo was completely different from his or Moka's copies. This photo had Moka's entire side ripped apart and taped back together, with Ichigo now alongside Orihime.
Ichigo looked around, finding himself at a dead end. He touched the walls and the area around the photo but found no secret switch or trick wall. Deciding to investigate the picture, Ichigo began to touch the frame. He felt a breeze hitting his fingers and managed to pull the picture to reveal a hole behind it. Ichigo created an opening big enough to squeeze through and safely enter.
Scene Change: Behind the Photo
Warning: Graphic Details!
Ichigo walked through the tunnel towards a distant light. He started to jog towards it and emerged from a closet. Looking around, he realized he had somehow ended up in Orihime's room. Ichigo walked out to investigate and noticed nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He left Orihime's apartment and began walking around the neighborhood. Suddenly, Ichigo saw a body. He ran over and was shocked by who he found. Tatsuki lay there, her clothing ripped off, bruises all over her body, and several large cuts. The worst was a large hole near her heart. The murderer had cut a large hole, then reached inside Tatsuki's body and pulled out her heart. Ichigo saw the gaping hole and realized the murderer had stolen her heart. Ichigo pulled out his phone, only to discover there was no service. He sighed and noticed bloody footprints on the street. Summoning Yorugetsu, Ichigo followed the footprints. Around the corner, he found the murderer's second victim: Unagiya Ikumi. Just like Tatsuki, Unagiya's body had her clothing ripped off, bruises, and a gaping hole where her heart had been stolen. Ichigo followed the bloodier footprints. At the next corner, he found the murderer's third victim: Yoruichi. Like the previous victims, Yoruichi's body had her clothing ripped off, bruises, and a gaping hole where her heart had been stolen. Ichigo followed the bloodier footprints as they led closer to his house, hoping the madness would end.
Outside his house, Ichigo noticed a body lying face down. He ran to it and immediately recognized the signs of torture. The victim's arms and legs were broken and twisted out of place. Ichigo flipped the victim over and regretted his decision. It was Karin. Her body had all her clothes ripped off, and every spot was covered in bruises. There was a gaping hole in the center of Karin's chest, where her heart had also been stolen. Ichigo saw bloodier footprints leading inside the house and ran in. He rushed to the living room to find the next victim: his mother. Ichigo could tell that Masaki had also been tortured similarly to Karin. In the kitchen, Ichigo saw Yuzu's arms and legs butchered into tiny pieces. The oven was on, so Ichigo turned it off and opened the oven door. What he saw made him vomit in the sink. Yuzu's body was even worse than Karin's and Masaki's. Her vagina and anus were stuffed with various ingredients, her face was slammed into the stove, giving her third-degree burns, and her body was charred black.
Suddenly, Ichigo heard a loud thunk from upstairs. He ran upstairs and opened his door to see the most horrifying sight. Orihime was wearing a red wedding dress. Wait… the red was dripping. The wedding dress wasn't originally red; it was covered in blood! Ichigo looked down and recognized the pink hair—it was Moka. Orihime was oblivious as she carried Moka's heart to the bed. Ichigo noticed a replica of himself on the bed. The chest was opened, revealing six other bloody hearts inside. Orihime placed the seventh heart in the chest and closed it. She smiled and began to cuddle with the Ichigo doll. Ichigo had had enough. He walked over to the oblivious Orihime and slapped her. Orihime's eyes slowly regained focus, and her smile turned to shock as she saw Ichigo standing there.
End of Graphic Warning!
"…Ichigo?" Orihime said.
"Yes," Ichigo replied.
"H…How are you here?" Orihime asked.
"Doesn't matter," Ichigo said.
"Doesn't matter…" Orihime repeated quietly. "Doesn't matter," Orihime said a little louder. Ichigo could hear the background rumbling. "DOESN'T MATTER!" Orihime screamed. Ichigo heard explosions going off. "OF COURSE IT MATTERS!" Orihime yelled at Ichigo. "IF YOU ARE HERE, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE REIATSU. WHICH MEANS YOU DIDN'T NEED TO LEAVE!" Orihime yelled.
"Wait…" Ichigo tried to interject.
"THAT MEANS WE COULD BE TOGETHER!" Orihime yelled. Ichigo slapped Orihime in the face. Orihime looked back at Ichigo with a hurt expression.
"It would never work," Ichigo said.
"WHY! WAS IT ME? WAS I NOT STRONG ENOUGH OR BEAUTIFUL ENOUGH? WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX MYSELF!" Orihime screamed.
"It wasn't you," Ichigo said.
"WHO WAS IT? TATSUKI? YOUR BOSS? YORUICHI? THAT WHORE MOKA? WHO WAS IT?" Orihime yelled as tears dripped down. Outside, a tornado was destroying everything.
"It was me," Ichigo said. Suddenly, everything went silent.
"You?" Orihime said. "N…no, that can't be right. You're perfect…" Orihime said.
"Orihime, the problem is that I do not love you," Ichigo said.
"WHY?" Orihime asked.
"I… just don't. I only love you as a friend," Ichigo answered and walked away.
"No," Orihime said. "No. No. NO!" Orihime screamed. The tornado returned with more fury. Ichigo decided to get out of there. Ichigo used Shunpō to escape. He managed to Shunpō back to Orihime's room and entered the tunnel. Ichigo climbed out of the hole behind the paint and Shunpō'ed out of the hallway and out of the room. The door unsealed itself as Ichigo ran out to see Dark Orihime.
"How far did you go?" Dark Orihime asked.
"The farthest I went was the fake Karakura Town, seeing Orihime finish killing Yuzu, Karin, Okaa-san, Yoruichi, Tatsuki, Moka, and Unagiya-san," Ichigo said.
"Shit," Dark Orihime said.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked. Suddenly, they heard a loud slam at the door. All the chains and metal bars moaned under stress.
"I tricked Orihime into fully planning her revenge against those girls who 'stole her Ichigo's heart.' While she was distracted, I made all these barriers to attempt to contain her," Dark Orihime said. More slamming could be heard from the door. Some of the chains began to break, and more moaning came from the gate. Ichigo chuckled.
"They say that Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned… Now let's put it to the test. Whether a woman's scorn is worse than Hell's fury," Ichigo said as the door finally gave in and broke. An enraged Orihime walked out of the door in her bloody wedding dress. Ichigo summoned Yorugetsu and stood ready. Orihime still had on her bloody wedding dress.
"Roku Shinsei Yōsei Yoroi [Six Sacred Fairy Armor]!" Orihime yelled. Six dull orange lights appeared, revealing all six of Orihime's fairies.
"Yes, Mistress," all six fairies said, glowing dull orange before starting to spin around Orihime. The dull orange glow covered Orihime, revealing her in some sort of armor similar to the armor from The Fairy Empress of Six Flowers.
"Stride forth to the gates of Heaven and use your might to tear the Heavens asunder. Charge forth to the gates of Hell and destroy the chains of the damned. Enter the doors of your Humanity and use your strength to shatter fate… ZANGETSU!" Ichigo yelled and released Zangetsu into its Shikai form. Ichigo Shunpō'ed towards Orihime.
"Santen Kesshun!" Orihime said, activating her shield to block Ichigo's strike. Ichigo leaped towards the far right of Orihime and attempted to strike her. Orihime's Santen Kesshun shifted over and blocked Ichigo. Ichigo repeated this. Orihime's Santen Kesshun continued to block Ichigo's strikes. Ichigo Shunpō'ed faster in an attempt to catch her off guard. Ichigo even spun in a different direction to catch Orihime off guard. In addition to blocking Ichigo's attacks, Orihime fired an orange blast from the center of her Santen Kesshun. Ichigo barely managed to dodge most of the orange blast. The orange blast barely grazed Ichigo's arm, leaving a large cut.
"Ichigo!" Dark Orihime screamed as she appeared next to Ichigo. The surrounding skin began to bubble. Dark Orihime looked intrigued as the wound closed itself up as if it had never been damaged in the first place.
"High-speed regeneration," Ichigo replied.
"I see," Dark Orihime said. Ichigo and Dark Orihime dodged the orange blasts from Orihime. They could see large fissures appearing on the ground from Orihime's attacks.
"Can you do anything to restrict her powers?" Ichigo asked, remembering times when Zangetsu would seal parts or even all of his powers back then.
"I can't," Dark Orihime said.
"I see…" Ichigo said as he continued to dodge Orihime's attacks.
"King, I think you are going to need to use that," Zangetsu suggested.
"I thought so too," Ichigo said as he dodged another attack. Ichigo held both Zangetsu in each hand, raising them horizontally with the blades facing down and the points toward Orihime.
"This is the end!" Orihime yelled as she fired another blast toward Ichigo. Ichigo took a deep breath. Black, white, red, and blue reiatsu started to swirl around Ichigo.
"Ban…Kai," Ichigo said as the reiatsu storm picked up and engulfed him in a tornado of black, white, red, and blue reiatsu. The tornado was forced away by Ichigo. Instead of wielding two large blades, Ichigo now wielded a pair of black tonfa-like weapons. One part of the black tonfas covered Ichigo's fists, resembling knuckle guards, while a large black blade extended in line with Ichigo's forearm. Ichigo's outfit also changed. He now wore a black, bandage-like carapace around his torso, neck, and over his nose and mouth in a mask fashion, and the remains of a tattered black cloak covered his lower body. "Tensa… Zangetsu," Ichigo said.
Before Orihime could comment on Ichigo's new Bankai, Ichigo appeared right next to her and swung a punch at her. Orihime managed to raise her Santen Kesshun to block the first punch. Ichigo saw that the shield barely withstood the attack. With that in mind, Ichigo decided to continue the assault. He used the enhanced speed to jump around and quickly attack Orihime, then shift to another part of the shield. Orihime did not have enough time to let the shield recover. She forced more and more reiatsu into the shield in an attempt to strengthen it. However, the blows were too much for the shield. Ichigo managed to break Santen Kesshun and punched Orihime in the face. The blow was strong enough to knock her a few feet away. Ichigo immediately jumped and grabbed Orihime's face.
"Inemuri," Ichigo said. Orihime's pupils dilated several times before she fell unconscious. Ichigo carried her out of the rubble.
"New Bankai?" Dark Orihime commented.
"Yeah," Ichigo replied.
"What does it do?" Dark Orihime asked.
"Just like before, Tensa Zangetsu increases my speed, durability, and attacks. What my true Tensa Zangetsu also does is condense Zangetsu's destructive power into my knuckle blades. This allows my hands to hit as hard as a normal Getsuga Tenshō. I can also fire a Getsuga Tenshō from my hands," Ichigo said.
"I see. Anything else?" Dark Orihime asked.
"The other thing I can do is one ultimate finisher," Ichigo said and deactivated his Bankai. Dark Orihime called the six fairies. Orihime glowed dull orange before her armor vanished and the six fairies appeared. Ichigo found a small clearing that was not destroyed and laid her down. He then took out both the Millennium Key and Millennium Scale.
"What are you planning to do?" Dark Orihime asked.
"What I am going to try and do is essentially switch you and Orihime around," Ichigo answered.
"What?" Dark Orihime replied, further confused.
"I am going to use the Millennium Scale to shift control of Orihime's powers to you," Ichigo began.
"Okay…" Dark Orihime replied.
"Then I will use the Millennium Key to make it so you are the one in control of Orihime's body," Ichigo said.
"I see," Dark Orihime said. With the explanations done, Ichigo began to concentrate. Dark Orihime could see Orihime starting to lose color. Orihime's orange hair slowly turned black. Her skin turned bleached white, and her clothing became black and white. In contrast, Dark Orihime began to have orange hair, her skin became a light tan, and her clothing gained color. A few seconds later, what appeared to be 'Dark' Orihime was on the ground, and the 'normal' Orihime stood right next to Ichigo. From 'Dark' Orihime, a dull orange glow appeared and wrapped itself around the fairies. Slowly, that glow shifted from 'Dark' Orihime to 'Normal' Orihime. 'Normal' Orihime let out a gasp as she gained full control of her powers.
"It is done," Ichigo said as he lowered the Millennium Items.
"Thanks!" 'Normal' Orihime said. "What are you going to do about her?" 'Normal' Orihime asked as she pointed at 'Dark' Orihime. Ichigo grabbed 'Dark' Orihime and carried her through the rubble back to the fake Karakura Town. Ichigo found the cemetery there and created a stone tomb for 'Dark' Orihime. He placed her inside the tomb, cast a few kidō spells to prevent 'Dark' Orihime from waking up, and sealed the tomb. Ichigo found the entrance to the fake Karakura Town and sealed it with kidō, locking it with the Millennium Key.
"Why are you using the Key?" 'Normal' Orihime asked.
"Any change that involves the Millennium Key requires the person to touch the Millennium Key to undo the changes," Ichigo explained.
"So if 'Dark' Orihime manages to break free, she can't undo the changes you made unless she acquires the Millennium Key," 'Normal' Orihime said.
"Exactly," Ichigo said as he walked out of the gate and locked it once more with Kidō and the Millennium Key.
"Thank you, Kurosaki-sama," the fairies said and bowed to Ichigo.
"You're welcome," Ichigo said and left Orihime's mindscape.
Scene Change: Ichigo's Room
It had been a few minutes since Ichigo entered Orihime's mind. Yuzu was pacing around, waiting for Ichigo to come out of Orihime's mind. Meanwhile, Karin was lying in bed with Eu.
"Yuzu, stop it," Karin said.
"I know. I know," Yuzu responded as she looked at the frozen Ichigo and Orihime. Suddenly, the key began to turn counterclockwise.
"Karin, look," Yuzu said, pointing at the key. Everyone watched as the key finished turning and Ichigo unfroze.
"Are you all right, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked.
"I am, Yuzu," Ichigo said.
"Ichigo, can you let me out now?" Orihime said, startling everyone except Ichigo.
"Sure," Ichigo said as he removed the kidō from Orihime. Ichigo ripped open a Garganta.
"Thank you," Orihime said and left.
"…What just happened?" Yuzu said.
"Girls, sit down," Ichigo said. Yuzu, Karin, and Eu sat on the couch, facing Ichigo. Ichigo sat down and began to tell the girls what happened. Once Ichigo finished explaining, he saw the expected reactions. Eu remained deadpan, but Ichigo could tell that Eu was still shocked by what Ichigo's friend had become. Meanwhile, Yuzu and Karin were shocked at how insane Orihime had become. "Girls, try and get some sleep if you can," Ichigo said as he stood up.
"Where are you going?" Eu asked.
"To get some fresh air," Ichigo said and left the room.
Scene Change: Dueling Arena
Ichigo used the elevator to arrive at the Dueling Arena located above the KaibaCorp Blimp. When Ichigo arrived, he expected to be the only one there. Surprisingly, Yugi was there as well.
"Hello, Yugi," Ichigo said.
"Oh, Kurosaki-san," Yugi said.
"Yugi, I've told you many times, you don't need to be that formal with me," Ichigo said.
"Sorry," Yugi replied. "What are you doing out here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Ichigo countered.
"I asked first," Yugi replied.
"Fine," Ichigo said. "I decided to get some air."
"So did I," Yugi said. The two stared out at the night sky. After a few minutes of gazing at the night sky, Ichigo got bored and had a great idea.
"You know what, let's duel right now," Ichigo suggested.
"What?" Yugi replied.
"Yes. From what I heard from Mokuba, all the duels you had were with Rare Hunters—duels where your Millennium Puzzle was at stake," Ichigo said.
"So… a fun duel?" Yugi asked, clarifying the request.
"Yeah," Ichigo said.
"Sure," Yugi said. The Millennium Puzzle began to collect reiatsu to perform the soul swap. Ichigo silently sent a burst of reiatsu to temporarily short-circuit the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi looked at the Millennium Puzzle with confusion.
"You are dueling me, Yugi, not Yami," Ichigo said.
"Why?" Yami asked as he appeared next to Yugi.
"The reason is that Yugi needs to grow stronger. I understood Yami taking over for most of the other duels since there was something at stake. But this is a fun duel and allows Yugi to grow," Ichigo explained.
"I see…" Yami said. "Yugi," Yami said mentally.
"Yes, Pharaoh?" Yugi replied.
"I am sorry that in many of these duels, I took over and prevented you from growing into a better duelist," Yami said.
"No problem," Yugi replied.
"Yugi," Ichigo said to regain Yugi's attention. "Are you ready to duel?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, I am," Yugi said. Ichigo walked to the other side of the open field and inserted his deck.
{Yugi 4000 / Ichigo 4000}
"I summon Queen's Knight in attack mode!" Yugi said as a woman in red armor appeared on the field. "I set one card face down and end my turn," Yugi said, with 4 cards in hand.
"I draw. I summon Black Stone of Legend," Ichigo said as a black and red egg appeared on the field.
"Not so fast," Yugi said. "I activate my trap card, Chain Destruction," Yugi said.
"What?" Ichigo asked.
"I can choose one monster with 2000 attack points or less, and you have to send all other copies of that card in your hand or Deck to the graveyard," Yugi explained. Ichigo sent his other two copies of the Black Stone of Legend to the graveyard.
"By tributing my egg, I can Special Summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes Monster from my deck," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Ichigo said as the Black Egg broke open and another black dragon took its place. "I attack your Queen's Knight," Ichigo declared. The Red-Eyes destroyed Queen's Knight with a crimson fireball.
{Yugi 3100 / Ichigo 4000}
"I end my turn," Ichigo said, with 5 cards in hand.
"Draw," Yugi said. "I activate my spell card, Monster Reborn, to bring back my Queen's Knight," Yugi said as Queen's Knight reappeared on the field. "I then summon out my King's Knight," Yugi said as a man in orange armor appeared. "I then activate my King's Knight's effect," Yugi said as both Queen's Knight and King's Knight began to glow. "When Queen's Knight and King's Knight are on the field, I can Special Summon Jack's Knight from my hand or deck!" Yugi said as a man in blue armor appeared on the field. "Then I activate my Polymerization, which allows me to fuse my three knights to bring out Arcana Knight Joker!" Yugi yelled. The three knights jumped into a swirl of colors. From that swirl, another knight emerged. He had black armor and appeared older than any of the other knights. "Now then, Arcana Knight Joker, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Yugi ordered. Arcana Knight Joker charged forward, swung his sword, and defeated the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
{Yugi 3100 / Ichigo 2600}
"I set my last two cards down and ended my turn," Yugi said, ending his turn with zero cards in his hand.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate my Red-Eyes Fusion. I send my Red-Eyes Black Dragon and my Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact to the graveyard to Fusion Summon Meteor Black Comet Dragon!" Ichigo said. "I then use his effect to send my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to the graveyard to inflict 1400 damage to your life points," Ichigo said.
{Yugi 1600 / Ichigo 2600}
"Meteor Black Comet Dragon, attack Yugi's Arcana Knight Joker!" Ichigo ordered.
"But my Arcana Knight Joker has 3800 ATK compared to your Meteor Black Comet Dragon's 3500," Yugi said.
"Not for long," Ichigo said. "I activate the effect of Vengeance!" Ichigo said as he revealed a black angel-looking monster card from his hand. "During either player's Damage Step, when a DARK monster I control battles, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard; that monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling, until the end of this turn," Ichigo said.
"What!" Yugi said as Meteor Black Comet Dragon's attack rose to 7000 ATK.
"Then I activate my trap card, Spellbinding Circle!" Yugi said. A seal from the trap card appeared and bound Meteor Black Comet Dragon. "This card prevents your Meteor Black Comet Dragon from attacking or changing its battle position as long as this card is on the field," Yugi said.
"Fine. I end my turn with a face-down," Ichigo said.
"Draw," Yugi said. "I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards," Yugi said. "Then I will have my Arcana Knight Joker attack your Meteor Black Comet Dragon!" Yugi said.
"Not so fast! I activate my Quick-Play Spell, Battle Fusion!" Ichigo said. "When an attack is ongoing involving my Fusion Monster and my opponent's monster, my Fusion Monster gains the ATK of my opponent's monster," Ichigo explained.
"What!" Yugi said as Meteor Black Comet Dragon's attack rose to 7000 ATK.
"Now then, Meteor Black Comet Dragon, counterattack!" Ichigo yelled as Meteor Black Comet Dragon fired a black fireball at Arcana Knight Joker.
"I activate my other face-down card, De-Fusion!" Yugi said. "By returning my Arcana Knight Joker to the Extra Deck, I can Special Summon my three knights!" Yugi said as Arcana Knight Joker glowed goldenly, and Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight reappeared on Yugi's field. "During my Main Phase 2, I sacrifice my Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight…" Yugi said. Red energy began to surround Yugi.
"Bringer of lightning and skies that roar… Heavenly Dragon, it is time to soar... Show force of unmatched height… Instill hope with thine might… Osiris the Heavenly Dragon!" Yugi yelled. A blast of energy burst out towards the sky, clearing out the clouds. The pillar of light is split into four parts. Two of those parts formed into wings. Another pillar began to form the long tail as it coiled around the KaibaCorp Blimp. Finally, the last pillar formed the head. Osiris the Heavenly Dragon appeared on the field. Osiris the Heavenly Dragon let out a mighty roar and created gusts of wind blowing toward Ichigo. Ichigo shook it off.
"Good job, Yugi, on summoning Osiris the Heavenly Dragon. But you only have one card in your hand," Ichigo said, pointing out the fatal flaw with Osiris the Heavenly Dragon.
"You're right that I only have one card, but this one card will make the difference," Yugi said. "I activate the spell card Card of Sanctity!" Yugi declared. "This card forces all players to draw until everyone has six cards," Yugi explained as Ichigo drew 2 more cards and Yugi drew 6 more cards. "With 6 cards in my hand, Osiris the Heavenly Dragon's attack points are 6000!" Yugi said as Osiris the Heavenly Dragon let out an even mightier roar. "I end my turn," Yugi announced.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I acti-" Ichigo began before being interrupted.
"Enough," someone said. Yugi and Ichigo looked to see an annoyed Seto and a tired Mokuba. "No duels at the dueling area without official refereeing," Seto said. "You should have known that, Ichigo."
"Ichigo?" Yugi said nervously as he turned off his duel disk.
"Okay," Ichigo said, brushing Seto off. He turned off his duel disk and walked to the elevator. "See you guys tomorrow," Ichigo said as he pressed the button for the elevator. Yugi quickly ran over and entered the elevator with Ichigo. Ichigo pressed the close door button before Seto or Mokuba could say anything.
"How do you feel?" Ichigo asked.
"…What?" Yugi replied.
"How did that duel feel?" Ichigo asked.
"It… it felt… good?" Yugi said.
"How did it feel dueling without Yami's help?" Ichigo asked.
"I felt different," Yugi said. Before they could say anything more, the elevator arrived at the living area. Ichigo and Yugi got off.
"Night," Ichigo said.
"Good night," Yugi said as the two went back to their respective rooms.
Scene Change: Hall: Morning
Everyone came down and met for breakfast, everyone except Marik. Once breakfast was over, Roland walked out, and Fuguta pushed the oversized bingo cage. "Morning, everyone. We will start the semi-finals right now. Everyone here has an assigned number," Roland said as a screen above him displayed the numbers.
[1. Kaiba Seto. 2. Kurosaki Ichigo. 3. Kurosaki Karin. 4. Eucliwood. 5. Rose Franceska. 6. Moto Yugi. 7. Wheeler Joey. 8. Ishtar Marik.]
"The first duel will be," Roland said as the bingo machine lit up and the screen showed the remaining numbers. "Wheeler Joey vs. Ishtar Marik!" Roland announced, pointing to two corridors. "Wheeler Joey and Ishtar Marik, you both will use the elevators in these opposite corridors," Roland said. Joey and Marik followed Roland's instructions. "Everyone else will use the elevator behind us," Roland said as everyone except Fuguta entered the elevator. Everyone soon arrived at the top of the elevator. Roland pressed a button, causing the stage to slightly elevate and stairs to appear on each side. Joey and Marik walked up on stage. "Duelists, are you ready?" Roland asked both. Joey nodded, and Marik glared. "Let the duel begin!" Roland said.
[Like Canon]. The duel was amazing. Joey almost won. He managed to survive The Winged Dragon of Ra's final attack. Joey almost won, but he fell unconscious, and Marik won the duel due to a technicality. Everyone went back down to the staging area.
"The first duel is finished, with Ishtar Marik winning," Roland announced as the screen changed back to show the numbers.
[1. Kaiba Seto. 2. Kurosaki Ichigo. 3. Kurosaki Karin. 4. Eucliwood. 5. Rose Franceska. 6. Moto Yugi.]
"Our next duel will be…" Roland said as the bingo machine lit up and the screen showed the remaining numbers. "The next duel will be Kurosaki Karin vs. Eucliwood!" Fuguta reported from the bingo machine. Karin and Eucliwood went up to their elevators while everyone else went back up the elevator. Once everyone arrived on stage, Roland took his place as the referee.
"The duel between Kurosaki Karin and Eucliwood begins!" Roland announced.
{ Eucliwood 4000 / Karin 4000 }
"I'll go first," Karin said. "I summon my Gladiator Beast Bestiari in attack mode," Karin said. "I then set three cards face down and end my turn," Karin added.
"Draw," Eucliwood said. "I summon my Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, and activate her effect," Eucliwood said. "I can switch her to defense mode and destroy one of your set cards," Eucliwood explained as Lyla switched to defense mode and shot a beam of light at Karin's left face-down card. The destroyed set was Storming Mirror Force. "I set four cards face down and move to my end phase," Eucliwood continued, setting four cards. "During my end phase, I send the top three cards from my deck to the graveyard," Eucliwood said as she sent her Bottomless Trap Hole and two copies of Shaddoll Falco to the graveyard. "When my Shaddoll Falco is sent to the graveyard, I can special summon it from the graveyard in face-down defense position," Eucliwood added as Shaddoll Falco appeared face down. "With that, I end my turn," Eucliwood concluded.
"Draw," Karin said. "I activate my spell card, Raigeki!" Karin declared. A large lightning bolt blasted from Karin's side of the field to Eucliwood's side, destroying all monsters on Eucliwood's field.
"Not so fast," Eucliwood said. "My Shaddoll Falco's effect activates once more," Eucliwood said as Shaddoll Falco reappeared face down.
"Doesn't matter," Karin said. "Gladiator Beast Bestiari, attack!" Karin ordered. Gladiator Beast Bestiari charged forward and destroyed Shaddoll Falco. "During Main Phase 2, I'll return Gladiator Beast Bestiari to the deck to special summon Gladiator Beast Sekutor," Karin said. "With that, I end my turn," Karin added.
"Draw," Eucliwood said. "I summon my Mathematician," Eucliwood said. "He allows me to send one card to the graveyard," Eucliwood explained as she sent Shaddoll Hedgehog to the graveyard. "When my Shaddoll Hedgehog is sent to the graveyard, I can add a Shaddoll monster to my hand," Eucliwood continued as she added another copy of Shaddoll Falco. "Now then, Mathematician, attack Karin's Gladiator Beast Sekutor!" Eucliwood ordered.
"Not so fast!" Karin yelled. "I activate Waboku, which prevents me from losing any life points for the rest of this turn," Karin said. Three mages appeared on Karin's side of the field and began to chant. A magenta barrier began to appear.
"Before Waboku can finish, I activate my trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device," Eucliwood said. "This card allows me to select one monster and return it to the owner's hand," Eucliwood explained.
"No…" Karin said.
"Yes. Gladiator Beast Sequtor, go back to the hand!" Eu ordered as Gladiator Beast Sequtor returned to Karin's hand.
"But my Waboku still protects me," Karin said.
"You're right. But only for this turn," Eu said as she ended her turn.
"Draw," Karin said. "I summon my Gladiator Beast Laquari and—" Karin said before being interrupted.
"Not so fast. I activate my trap card, Torrential Tribute," Eu said. "When either player summons a monster, it destroys all monsters on the field," Eu explained.
"Sigh. I end my turn," Karin said.
"Draw," Eu said. "I set one card and activated my trap card, Sinister Shadow Game," Eu said. "By sending one Shaddoll card from my deck to the graveyard, I can flip up any face-down Shaddoll monsters," Eu said as she sent Shaddoll Beast to flip up Shaddoll Falco. "When Shaddoll Beast is sent to the graveyard, I can draw one card," Eu said. "Now my Shaddoll Falco's skill activates once more," Eu said as she set Shaddoll Hedgehog down. "I end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Karin said. "I set one monster and another facedown card, and end my turn."
"During your end phase, I activate another Shadow Game," Eu said as she sent her Shaddoll Core to the graveyard. "This time, I flip up my Shaddoll Hedgehog," Eu said. "Shaddoll Hedgehog's effect allows me to add one Shaddoll Spell or Trap Card from my deck to my hand," Eu explained as she searched her deck. "I'll add Shaddoll Fusion," Eu said as she revealed the fusion card.
"Now then, it is my turn," Eu said as she drew. "I activate my spell card, El Shaddoll Fusion, to fuse my Shaddoll Beast from my hand and Shaddoll Hedgehog from my field to summon out El Shaddoll Winda," Eu said. "Both Shaddoll Beast's and Shaddoll Hedgehog's effects activate," Eu said. "Shaddoll Beast's effect allows me to draw one card, while Shaddoll Hedgehog's effect allows me to add Shaddoll Dragon to my hand," Eu said as she drew a card and added Shaddoll Dragon to her hand. "I now activate Shaddoll Fusion in my hand," Eu said as she showed her card. "I fuse my Shaddoll Falco and my Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress, to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Construct," Eu said. "Now then, Shaddoll Winda, attack Karin's set."
"I activate another Waboku," Karin said as she revealed her facedown card. Three mages appeared on Karin's side of the field and began to chant. A magenta barrier appeared.
"I end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Karin said. "I activate my Gladiator Proving Ground. This allows me to add one Gladiator Beast from my deck to my hand," Karin explained. "I'll add Gladiator Beast Laquari to my hand and set one card down, then end my turn."
"Draw. I summon out Shaddoll Dragon," Eu said. "Shaddoll Dragon, attack Karin's face-down card." Shaddoll Dragon charged forward and destroyed Karin's Gladiator Beast Laquari. "Now then, El Shaddoll Winda, attack Karin directly!" Eu ordered. El Shaddoll Winda charged forward and unleashed a blast of dark fire at Karin.
{Eucliwood 4000 / Karin 1800}
"Now then, El Shaddoll Construct, finish this!" Eu yelled as El Shaddoll Construct shot violet strings at Karin.
{Eucliwood 4000 / Karin 0000}
Everyone left the stage and went back down to the waiting room. "We shall continue the next two duels after lunch," Roland announced to the crowd. Everyone left the room and went to the dining room for lunch. Once lunch was over, everyone went back to the waiting room. Roland and Fugata were waiting on stage. "Our next duel will be…" Roland said as the bingo machine lit up and the screen showed the remaining numbers.
[1. Kaiba Seto. 2. Kurosaki Ichigo. 5. Rose Franceska. 6. Moto Yugi.]
"The duel between Moto Yugi and Kaiba Seto begins!" Roland announced.
[Like Canon] The duel was quite impressive. One of the main reasons was that Yugi and Seto both summoned their Egyptian God cards, and Yugi's other ace in the hole, Dark Paladin. He gains 500 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster on the field or in either player's Graveyard, and since all of Ichigo's deck consists of dragons, Ichigo better watch out if he ends up dueling Yugi. Instead of returning to the waiting room, Roland shouted, "The final duel will be Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Rose Franceska!" Ichigo and Franceska went up to their elevators while everyone else went back up the elevator. Once everyone arrived on stage, Roland took his place as referee.
"The duel between Kurosaki Ichigo and Rose Franceska begins!" Roland announced.
{Ichigo 4000 / Franceska 4000}
"Ladies first," Franceska said. "I summon my Amazoness Swords Woman, set four cards down, and end my turn," Franceska said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate Cards of the Red Stone," Ichigo said. "By sending one Level 7 Red-Eyes monster to the graveyard, I can draw two cards," Ichigo said as he discarded Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon to draw two more cards. "I then activate Allure of Darkness," Ichigo said as he drew two more cards and removed Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Next, I summon Black Stone of Legend," Ichigo said as a black and red egg appeared on the field. "By tributing my egg, I can Special Summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes monster," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Ichigo said as the Black Egg broke open and another black dragon emerged. "I know this is going to hurt, but Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon, attack Amazoness Swords Woman!" Ichigo ordered. Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon fired a black fireball at Amazoness Swords Woman. Amazoness Swords Woman cried out in pain as she took the attack from Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon. Before she was destroyed, Amazoness Swords Woman threw her sword at Ichigo, hitting him in the chest.
{Ichigo 3100 / Franceska 4000}
"I set three cards down and end my turn," Ichigo said.
"During your end phase, I activate my spell card Mystical Space Typhoon!" Franceska shouted as one of her spell cards revealed itself. "I choose the middle card," Franceska said as a large gust of wind charged toward the middle set card and destroyed it.
"The card you destroyed was my Trap card, Return of the Red-Eyes," Ichigo said as his graveyard glowed black. "When my Return of the Red-Eyes is destroyed, I can Special Summon one Red-Eyes monster from my graveyard. Return to me, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Ichigo said as a red light shot out of Ichigo's graveyard, and Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon appeared in attack mode.
"Now I draw," Franceska said. "I activate Upstart Goblin. You gain 1000 life points, and in exchange, I get to draw one card," Franceska added.
{Ichigo 4100/ Franceska 4000}
"I then activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted," Franceska said. "This trap card allows me to special summon one monster from my graveyard in face-up attack mode," she explained.
"Damn it," Ichigo muttered.
"Yep!" Franceska replied. "Come back, Amazoness Swords Woman!" Franceska exclaimed. "Now I summon out my Amazoness Chain Master in attack mode and reveal two of my spell cards, Sword of the Dragon's Soul and Fusion Sword Murasame's Blade," Franceska said. "Both of these equip cards can only be equipped to Warriors. Sword of the Dragon's Soul gives the equipped Warrior an additional 700 attack points, and when it battles a Dragon, it is destroyed at the end of the battle phase," Franceska said with a smile.
"Shit," Ichigo thought.
"Fusion Sword Murasame's Blade gives the equipped Warrior an additional 800 attack points, and the equipped monster cannot be destroyed by card effects," Franceska continued, still smiling. "And I equip these two spells to my Chain Master," she said as Amazoness Chain Master put her chains away and now held two swords, raising her attack points to 3000. "Now, Amazoness Chain Master, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Franceska commanded. Amazoness Chain Master charged toward Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon fearlessly. She ran and used both of her swords to decapitate Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon.
{Ichigo 3500/ Franceska 4000}
"Now, Amazoness Swords Woman, attack Ichigo's life points directly!" Franceska ordered.
"Not so fast, Franceska," Ichigo said. "I activate my trap: Red-Eyes Spirit," he declared as his graveyard glowed yellow.
"NO!" Franceska exclaimed.
"Yes," Ichigo said. "Red-Eyes Spirit allows me to special summon one Red-Eyes monster from my graveyard. Return to me, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Ichigo said as a red light shot from his graveyard, and Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon appeared in attack mode.
"Damn it," Franceska said, glaring at Ichigo's field. "Fine then, Amazoness Swords Woman, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon," Franceska commanded. Amazoness Swords Woman charged at Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon fearlessly. She leaped, ready to slash Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon. Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon blocked her attack and fired a blast of red fire at Ichigo. Amazoness Swords Woman cried out in pain as she took the attack from Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon. Before she was destroyed, Amazoness Swords Woman threw her sword at Ichigo, hitting him in the chest.
{Ichigo 2600/ Franceska 4000}
"I end my turn," Franceska said.
"Draw. I activate Red-Eyes Insight. This card allows me to send one Red-Eyes monster from my hand or deck to the graveyard and add one Red-Eyes Spell or Trap to my hand," Ichigo said as he sent a copy of his Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the graveyard. "The spell card I choose is Red-Eyes Fusion, and I activate it," Ichigo continued. "This time I send Red-Eyes Black Dragon and my Summon Skull to the graveyard and special summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon!" Ichigo declared. "Now, Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, attack Amazoness Chain Master!" Ichigo commanded. Archfiend Black Skull Dragon charged forward and blasted a fireball at Amazoness Chain Master, destroying her.
{Ichigo 2600/ Franceska 3800}
"Now my Archfiend Black Skull Dragon has another neat effect," Ichigo said. "When he inflicts damage to my opponent, I can send one Red-Eyes Normal monster from my graveyard back to my deck, and you take damage equal to its attack points," Ichigo said with a smile.
"NO!" Franceska yelled.
"I send my Red-Eyes Black Dragon back to the deck!" Ichigo said. Archfiend Black Skull Dragon charged up a large black fireball and threw it at Franceska.
{Ichigo 2600/ Franceska 1400}
"I end my turn," Ichigo said.
"Draw," Franceska said. "I set one card and end my turn."
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate my trap card, Return of the Red-Eyes," Ichigo said.
"Another one?" Franceska asked.
"Yes. This time, if I control one Red-Eyes monster, I can special summon one normal Red-Eyes monster from my graveyard. Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Ichigo said as a red light shot from his graveyard, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared in attack mode.
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Franceska's face-down card!" Ichigo ordered. Red-Eyes Black Dragon fired a black fireball at Franceska's face-down card, revealing it to be Amazoness Paladin, which was swiftly destroyed. "Now then, Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, finish this!" Ichigo commanded. Archfiend Black Skull Dragon opened his mouth and unleashed a large blast of black flames at Franceska.
{Ichigo 2600/ Franceska 0000}
"The winner of the final duel is Kurosaki Ichigo!" Roland announced. "We will have the semi-final duels tomorrow. Use this time to refine your decks and prepare for the semi-finals and the finals!" Roland declared. With that, everyone left the duel field. As Ichigo was walking away, Kyōka commented on something.
"Hey, Ichigo," Kyōka said.
"Yes, Kyōka?" Ichigo replied.
"Franceska seems familiar to me," Kyōka said.
"I'll look into it," Ichigo replied.
"Ichigo!" Franceska called out as she walked towards him.
"Yes, Franceska?" Ichigo replied.
"Can I talk to you in private?" Franceska asked.
"Sure," Ichigo said. Franceska guided Ichigo to her room on the blimp.
"Want anything?" Franceska asked.
"I'll take water," Ichigo replied. Franceska gave Ichigo a water bottle, and the two sat down.
"You're probably wondering why I called you over," Franceska said.
"I am," Ichigo replied.
"Before we continue, I want to let you know that I am aware of the supernatural," Franceska said.
"Okay," Ichigo replied.
"I am Franceska Rose, and I am the adopted daughter of Ares, the God of War," Franceska said.
"Adopted daughter?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, adopted daughter," Franceska confirmed. "I am half Japanese and half African American." She continued, "I lived with my parents and my sister, Mila Rose, in Japan. But then a large argument broke out, and my parents split. I went with my father to America while my sister stayed with my mother.
Flashback: In America
While I was in San Francisco, my father was killed in a collision. He was driving his car when a drunk motorcyclist crashed into him, instantly killing him. As I sat in the car in shock, I noticed other people appearing.
"Ares, what made you so angry?" a woman asked. She was wearing a beautiful white gossamer dress, with a delicate golden crown on her head, gold earrings, and a gold necklace draped around her throat.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with, dear," Ares said.
"What about the child in the car?" the woman asked.
"The Mist will take care of this," Ares replied.
"What Mist?" Franceska whispered. Ares heard Franceska's question.
"The child. She can see through the Mist," Ares said.
"She can?" the woman asked. Ares approached Franceska. Franceska noticed that Ares was a huge, muscular man with a belligerent attitude and a vicious sneer. He typically wore black jeans, combat boots, a black leather duster, and a red muscle shirt under a bulletproof vest. He also wore a pair of red-tinted wraparound sunglasses.
"You can see both of us, can't you?" Ares asked.
"Y-yes, I can," Franceska replied.
"Well, she is your responsibility now," the woman said.
"WHAT!" Ares exclaimed. "WHY?"
"Because of your stupidity, you killed her father. Not only that, but I can also sense something from her," the woman explained.
"Fine," Ares said before looking at Franceska. "Girl, get on my bike," Ares commanded. Franceska got on Ares's bike. Ares took Franceska to San Bernardino, a trip that would normally take six hours or more, in just twenty minutes. They arrived outside a building with the word "AMAZON" on it.
Flashback Ends
"From there, Ares took me inside the building and I discovered that the company AMAZON is operated by Amazons and families of Amazons," Franceska said.
"I see," Ichigo replied. "The story is interesting, but is there a significant reason for trying to find me?" Ichigo asked.
"Excellent question," Franceska replied. "I was tasked by Lord Hades/Lord Pluto to find you and present you with this scroll," Franceska said as she handed the scroll to Ichigo. Ichigo examined the scroll, which was sealed with black candle wax and bore an impression of a crown. He used his finger to break the candle wax seal, unrolled the scroll, and began to read the message.
"Dear Kurosaki Ichigo, my name is Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld. I wish to invite you to meet and discuss the contract I have with the former Jigoku no Kōtei and to revise it if needed. This meeting will include Thanatos, the being in charge of death; Charon, the being who collects and guides souls to the Underworld; and Tartarus, the being who punishes all Greek monsters who defy the rules set by the Greek Gods. I will have this meeting on the Winter Solstice. Please write your response in the space below. Hades, the Greek God of the Underworld."
"Dear Kurosaki Ichigo, my name is Pluto, the Roman God of the Underworld. I wish to invite you to meet and discuss the contract I have with the former Jigoku no Kōtei and to revise it if needed. This meeting will include Mors, the being in charge of death; Charon, the being who collects and guides souls to the Underworld; and Tartarus, the being who punishes all Roman monsters who defy the rules set by the Roman Gods. I will have this meeting on the Winter Solstice. Please write your response in the space below. Pluto, the Roman God of the Underworld."
"Why is the message repeated with a few name changes?" Ichigo asked Franceska.
"You see because the Greeks were conquered by the Romans and many of the gods were renamed, it caused the gods to develop split personalities," Franceska explained.
"I see…" Ichigo replied. He pulled out a pen and wrote, "I accept." The ink from Ichigo's pen was absorbed by the parchment of the scroll.
"Well, I think my job here is done," Franceska said as she stood up.
"Ichigo," Kyōka said.
"Yes?" Ichigo replied.
"Show her this photo," Kyōka said as she placed a photo on the table.
"Franceska, can you look at this photo and see if that is your sister?" Ichigo asked as he pushed the photo towards Franceska. Franceska examined the photo of a dark-skinned, green-eyed person with long, thick, wavy brown hair and large breasts. She wore a three-sectioned crown around her head, a thick necklace, armor covering her breasts and upper arms, gauntlets on her forearms, and a white skirt.
"This… This looks like my sister," Franceska said. She then looked at Ichigo. "How did you find her when my stepfather could not?"
"Because she died," Ichigo said.
"What?" Franceska replied.
"The photo you are looking at is of Rose Mila as an Arrancar," Ichigo explained.
"Arrancar? What is that?" Franceska asked.
"Arrancar is a group of Hollows that removed their masks to gain Shinigami powers and a more human form," Ichigo said.
"What are Hollows?" Franceska asked.
"Hollows are souls who lost their hearts to despair or regret, or who remained in the Human World for too long," Ichigo explained.
"So… Mila died and entered a state of despair, becoming a Hollow," Franceska said.
"Possibly," Ichigo replied.
"Possibly? What do you mean by that?" Franceska asked.
"Not all Hollows lose their hearts to despair or regret, or remain in the Human World for too long," Ichigo said. "Some souls are forced to become Hollows for various reasons. These reasons include the Chain of Fate being forcibly removed from the soul, souls absorbing Hollow reiatsu, or being eaten by a Hollow and then gaining control of the Hollow due to a stronger will."
"I see…" Franceska said. "Do you think there might be a chance for me to talk to my sister?" Franceska asked.
"I don't know," Ichigo replied. Before Franceska could question his answer, Ichigo continued explaining. "The reason is that some souls may have lost their memories of their life as humans. Some Hollows may retain or regain fragments of their memories," Ichigo said.
"So you're saying my sister Mila might be alive but has forgotten about me?" Franceska asked.
"Essentially," Ichigo said. Franceska looked away from Ichigo and let out a long sigh. "Look," Ichigo said as Franceska looked back at him. "I will do what I can to convince Mila Rose to meet with you," Ichigo said. Franceska looked up with joy. "But I can't do that because if I appear in Hueco Mundo, the Shinigami would be able to find me," Ichigo explained.
"Okay," Franceska replied.
"Can you give me your number so that if I manage to get in contact with her, I can reach you?" Ichigo asked.
"Sure," Franceska said as she took out her phone and gave Ichigo her number.
"All right," Ichigo said as he stood up. "I know it's hard to be so close to a loved one but still so far away," Ichigo said as he stared out the window for a few seconds. "But hope for the best," Ichigo said and left Franceska's room, heading back to his room. Ichigo saw that the girls were ready for bed, so he went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Afterward, Ichigo climbed into bed with the girls, who wrapped around him and cuddled.
"Good night, Ichi-nii," Yuzu and Karin said.
"Good night, Ichigo," Eu said.
"Good night, Ichigo-sama," Kisara and Valiona said.
"Good night, girls," Ichigo said, and everyone fell asleep.
Scene Change: KaibaCorp Blimp: Morning
Early the next morning, Ichigo heard a phone ring. He reached for the phone without disturbing Karin and Valiona.
"Hello?" Ichigo asked.
"Hello Ichigo, this is Roland," Roland replied.
"Good morning, Roland. What does Seto want?" Ichigo asked.
"Master Seto wants everyone to meet in the waiting room in thirty minutes," Roland said.
"Okay. See you in thirty," Ichigo said and hung up the phone. "Girls," Ichigo said, waking them up.
"Good morning, Ichi-nii," Yuzu and Karin said.
"Good morning, Ichigo," Eu said.
"Good morning, Ichigo-sama," Kisara and Valiona said.
"Good morning, girls," Ichigo replied. "Seto wants everyone to meet in the waiting room in thirty minutes," Ichigo said.
"Okay," the girls said. Valiona and Kisara returned to Ichigo's mindscape while Yuzu, Karin, Eu, and Ichigo got dressed and took care of their business. When they arrived at the waiting room, they saw everyone except the soulless duelists and Marik.
"Good morning, guests and duelists," Seto said as he walked in with Mokuba following behind him. "If you look out the window…" Seto said as the blinds were pulled away. Everyone saw the sun rising in the distance, with a white tower standing prominently. "The semi-finals of the Battle City will take place in the Battle Tower," Seto announced.
"We should be arriving at the Battle Tower in twenty minutes," Roland reported via the intercom. With that, everyone had breakfast while waiting for the KaibaCorp Blimp to land at the Battle Tower. The blimp landed outside the Battle Tower. Before anyone could leave, Seto addressed the final duelists.
"Only the final duelists will leave this blimp," Seto said, ignoring the complaints from the guests. "When all four of you leave the blimp, there will be four doors. Each duelist will enter the tower through a different door. The first two to reach the top of the Battle Tower will duel in the semi-finals." The bay door opened as Ichigo, Eu, Yugi, and Marik walked out of the KaibaCorp Blimp and entered the Battle Tower.
Scene Change: Battle Tower
As Ichigo walked up the Battle Tower, he felt the hallway slowly shifting. Ichigo placed his hand on the wall and used his metal bending to locate everyone in the Battle Tower. Somehow, Marik was already at the top. Yugi and Eu were close together, and Ichigo was somewhere in the middle. Ichigo subtly used his metal bending to bring Yugi closer to the top of the Battle Tower. A few seconds later, Yugi arrived at the top to find Marik standing there.
"And our other semi-finalist has arrived!" Roland announced via the intercom. Ichigo noticed a door next to him appear, so he took it. The door led him to the top of the Battle Tower with Eu. "Our semi-final match will be Moto Yugi vs. Ishtar Marik and Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Eucliwood," Roland announced. Ichigo and Eu moved to the side to watch the duel. Each duelist activated their duel disk. "Let the semi-final duel begin!" Roland said.
[Like Canon] Ichigo stood back and watched the chaos of the duel unfold. He was pleased that Yami Yugi managed to win despite everything going on at once. "This concludes our first semi-final match. Our second semi-final match will be Kurosaki Ichigo vs. Eucliwood," Roland announced. Ichigo and Eu moved to the duel field while Yugi and Marik stepped aside to watch. Each duelist activated their duel disk. "Let this semi-final duel begin!" Roland yelled.
{Ichigo 4000 / Eucliwood 4000}
"I'll go first," Eu said. "I set one monster and one trap card, and end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I summon my Black Stone of Legend," Ichigo said as a black and red egg appeared on the field. "By tributing my egg, I can special summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes monster," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Ichigo said as the black egg broke open, revealing a black dragon. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Eu's face-down monster," Ichigo commanded. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon fired a fireball at the face-down monster, revealing Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter.
"When Ryko is flipped up, I can destroy one card, but I need to send the top three cards to the graveyard," Eu said as she sent Shaddoll Falco, Shaddoll Fusion, and Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress to the graveyard. Red-Eyes Black Dragon suddenly glowed yellow before exploding. "Since my Shaddoll Falco was just sent to the graveyard, I can special summon that Shaddoll Falco from the graveyard in face-down defense position," Eu said as Shaddoll Falco appeared face down.
"I end my turn," Ichigo said.
"Draw," Eu said. "I set another card down and end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I set one card down and activate Black Stone of Legend's other effect," Ichigo said. "I can send a Red-Eyes monster from the graveyard back to the deck and add Black Stone of Legend back to my hand," Ichigo said as he returned his Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the deck and added Black Stone of Legend back to his hand. "I end my turn."
"Draw," Eu said. "I set another card down and end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I summon out my Black Stone of Legend," Ichigo said as a black and red egg appeared on the field. "By tributing my egg, I can special summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes monster," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Ichigo said as the black egg broke open and another black dragon took its place.
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Eu's face-down monster," Ichigo ordered. Red-Eyes Black Dragon fired a fireball at the face-down monster to reveal Shaddoll Falco. "I end my turn," Ichigo said.
"Draw," Eu said. "I summon out my Mathematician," Eu said. "He allows me to send one card to the graveyard," Eu said as she sent her Shaddoll Hedgehog to the graveyard. "When my Shaddoll Hedgehog is sent to the graveyard, I can add a Shaddoll monster to my hand," Eu said as she added a copy of Shaddoll Dragon to her hand. Eu then flipped up her Shaddoll Falco. "I can special summon a Shaddoll monster from the graveyard in face-down defense position," Eu said as she special summoned the Shaddoll Hedgehog face down. Eu then flipped up Shaddoll Hedgehog. "I activate Shaddoll Hedgehog's effect, which allows me to add one Shaddoll Spell or Trap Card from my deck to my hand," Eu explained as she looked through her deck. "I'll add Shaddoll Fusion," Eu said. "I activate my Shaddoll Fusion," Eu said. "I send my Mathematician and Shaddoll Hedgehog to fusion summon El Shaddoll Shekhinaga," Eu said. "I then activate my Nephe Shaddoll Fusion and equip it to my Shaddoll Falco," Eu said. "This card allows me to change the attribute of the equipped Shaddoll Monster," Eu said as Shaddoll Falco glowed white. "Now I fuse my Shaddoll Falco and the face-down Shaddoll Hedgehog to fusion summon El Shaddoll Construct!" Eu said. "El Shaddoll Construct allows me to send a Shaddoll monster from the deck to the graveyard," Eu said as she sent Shaddoll Beast to the graveyard. "When Shaddoll Beast is sent to the graveyard, I can draw one card," Eu said.
"I summon out my Shaddoll Dragon in attack mode," Eu said. "Now then, El Shaddoll Construct, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes!" Eu said as El Shaddoll Construct shot out its purple strings, instantly destroying the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "Shaddoll Dragon, attack Ichigo's face-down card." Shaddoll Dragon charged forward and destroyed Ichigo's White Stone of Legend.
"When my White Stone of Legend is destroyed, I can add one Blue-Eyes White Dragon to my hand," Ichigo said as he added a Blue-Eyes White Dragon to his hand.
"Now then, El Shaddoll Shekhinaga, attack Ichigo directly!" Eu said as El Shaddoll Shekhinaga swung its long arms at Ichigo.
{Ichigo 1400 / Eucliwood 4000}
"I end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I remove from play my Black Stone of Legend and my White Stone of Legend to summon out Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight!" Ichigo said. "I use Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight's effect to remove El Shaddoll Construct," Ichigo said.
"Not so fast, I activate my El Shaddoll Shekhinaga's effect," Eu said. "By discarding one Shaddoll card from my hand, I can negate the effect of a special summoned monster and destroy it," Eu said as brown strings from El Shaddoll Shekhinaga wrapped around Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight, and destroyed her.
"This is not over yet," Ichigo said. "I remove from play my Red-Eyes Black Dragon and my Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight to summon out another Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight!" Ichigo said. "I use Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight's effect to remove El Shaddoll Construct," Ichigo said. This time, Shaiya, Guardian of the Twilight managed to remove El Shaddoll Construct. "Now then, I activate Red-Eyes Insight. This card allows me to send one Red-Eyes monster from my hand or deck and add one Red-Eyes Spell or Trap to my hand," Ichigo said as he sent a copy of his Red-Eyes Black Dragon to the grave. "The spell card I chose is Red-Eyes Fusion," Ichigo said. "I then activate my Return of the Dragon Lords to bring out Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Ichigo said. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Shaddoll Shekhinaga."
"But my Shaddoll Shekhinaga is stronger than your Red-Eyes," Eu said.
"True, unless I activate this," Ichigo said as he revealed a black angel-looking monster card from his hand.
"NO!" Eu said.
"I activate the effect of Vengeance!" Ichigo said. "During either player's Damage Step, when a DARK monster I control battles, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard; that monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling, until the end of this turn," Ichigo said as Red-Eyes Black Dragon grew bigger and its ATK points increased to 5000.
{Ichigo 1400 / Eucliwood 1600}
"I end my turn," Ichigo said.
"Draw," Eu said. "I switch Shaddoll Dragon to defense mode, set one monster down, and set two face-down cards. I end my turn," Eu said.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "By revealing one Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I can special summon one Blue-Eyes Alternate Dragon," Ichigo said.
"I activate my Trap Card, Torrential Tribute," Eu said as a large bluish fire burst out and destroyed all monsters on Eu's field and was currently moving over to Ichigo's side of the field.
"By removing my Return of the Dragon Lords, I can prevent all destruction of Dragons on my field," Ichigo said.
"But your Shaiya is still destroyed," Eu pointed out.
"Either way, your field is still wide open. Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Eu directly!" Ichigo said as Red-Eyes Black Dragon opened its mouth and fired a black fireball at Eu.
{Ichigo 1400 / Eucliwood 0}
"This concludes our second Semi-Final match. Our second Semi-Final winner is Kurosaki Ichigo," Roland announced. "After a short break, we will have our Final Match of Moto Yugi vs Kurosaki Ichigo!" Roland announced. Ichigo got up and noticed that Yugi and Marik were talking.
"Yo," Ichigo said.
"Hello, Ichigo," Yugi replied.
"Hello, رسول أوزوريس ل." Marik said.
"Please call me Ichigo," Ichigo replied.
"As you wish… Ichigo," Marik said.
"So, it appears that you've regained control," Ichigo observed.
"Yes, thanks to you, Yugi and Pharaoh," Marik said as he unbuttoned his shirt.
"W-what are you doing?" Yugi stuttered.
"My parents carved special writing on my back that contains the secrets to help the Pharaoh," Marik explained as he removed his shirt to reveal his back. Yugi immediately recognized the image as the "Tablet of Lost Memories" from the Domino Museum. Although similar, it was not the same; Marik's back and the tablet both had wings at the top, the three Egyptian God Cards in the middle, and hieroglyphics on both sides of Slifer's carving. However, Marik's back had a carving of the Millennium Ankh between the God Cards with only hieroglyphics at the bottom, while the tablet featured the Millennium Puzzle between the images of the God Cards, a few hieroglyphics all around, and pictures of Priest Seto and Pharaoh, along with their favorite monsters, at the bottom instead.
"Also," Marik said as he handed the Millennium Rod to Yugi, "I want you to take this." Yugi accepted the Millennium Rod from Marik.
"Finalists, please meet at the dueling platform for the final duel," Roland announced over the intercom. Yugi and Ichigo walked up to the dueling platform.
"Remember, no Yami. Just you vs. me," Ichigo said.
"I remember," Yugi replied.
"Are you sure, Yugi? Ichigo will be a challenge," Yami said.
"I know, but it is something that I need to do," Yugi replied.
"As you wish," Yami said.
"Ready?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Yugi replied.
"DUEL!" Ichigo and Yugi shouted.
{Ichigo 4000 / Yugi 4000}
"I'll go first. Draw," Yugi said. "I summon Blockman in defense mode," Yugi continued as a monster made of Lego appeared on his field. "I then activate Swords of Revealing Light," Yugi said as swords made of light appeared and landed on Ichigo's side of the field. "I set one card and end my turn," Yugi added, finishing his turn with one card in hand.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I summon my Black Stone of Legend," Ichigo continued as a black and red egg appeared on the field. "By tributing my egg, I can special summon one Level 7 or lower Red-Eyes Monster," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Ichigo said as the Black Egg broke open, and another black dragon emerged. "I then activate Red-Eyes Insight. This card allows me to send one Red-Eyes monster from my hand or deck and add one Red-Eyes Spell or Trap to my hand," Ichigo continued as he sent his Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to the graveyard. "The card I choose is Red-Eyes Rebirth," Ichigo said. "I set two cards and end my turn," Ichigo concluded, holding two cards in his hand.
"My turn. Draw," Yugi said. "By discarding one card from my hand, I can special summon The Tricky," Yugi said as he discarded a card to summon a monster with a question mark on its face and chest. "Now I activate the effect of Blockman," Yugi continued. "Since Blockman has been on the field for two turns since it was summoned, I can sacrifice it to special summon two tokens," Yugi said. Blockman broke apart and formed two tokens. "I sacrifice my Tricky and my two Block Tokens…" Yugi said.
"Great being of war. Come forth from the underground. Bound in blood and bone, I offer these tributes to you. Lord of Power, I beg upon thee, Come forth, Obelisk the Great War God!" Yugi shouted. The ground began to rumble, and a roar could be heard. Suddenly, a giant being began to form behind Yugi. Ichigo remembered it from Yugi's duel with Seto and Yami Marik. Obelisk the Great War God had appeared. "Obelisk the Great War God, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Yugi ordered. Obelisk raised its fist and slammed it down on Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
{Ichigo 1600 / Yugi 4000}
"I end my turn," Yugi said, holding one card in his hand.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate Red-Eyes Fusion. I send my Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon and my Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact from the deck to the graveyard to Fusion Summon, my Meteor Black Comet Dragon in attack mode!" Ichigo announced. "I then use his effect to send my Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon to the graveyard to inflict 1200 damage to your life points," Ichigo said.
{Ichigo 1600 / Yugi 2800}
"I end my turn," Ichigo said, holding two cards in his hand.
"Draw," Yugi said. "Obelisk the Great War God, attack Ichigo's Meteor Black Comet Dragon!" Yugi commanded as Obelisk tensed its muscles and prepared to punch Meteor Black Comet Dragon.
"I activate my Quick Spell, Battle Fusion!" Ichigo said. "When an attack involves my Fusion Monster and my opponent's monster, my Fusion Monster gains the ATK of my opponent's monster," Ichigo explained.
"What?!" Yugi exclaimed as Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK rose to 7500.
"Go, Meteor Black Comet Dragon!" Ichigo shouted as Meteor Black Comet Dragon blocked Obelisk and swung a punch right back at Obelisk's face, destroying it.
"By discarding Kuriboh, I can negate all battle damage this turn," Yugi said.
{Ichigo 1600 / Yugi 2800}
"I summon Queen's Knight in defense mode and end my turn," Yugi said as a woman in red armor appeared on the field, ending his turn with no cards in hand.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate my Trap Card, Red-Eyes Spirit. This card allows me to special summon one Red-Eyes monster from my graveyard," Ichigo explained. "Come back, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!" Ichigo said. "Now, I use my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's effect. This card allows me to special summon one Dragon-type monster from my graveyard. Come forth, Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Ichigo continued as another dragon appeared. "I now normal summon you again. This allows my Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon to gain its effect," Ichigo said. "I end my turn," Ichigo concluded, holding three cards in his hand. At that moment, Swords of Revealing Light vanished.
"Draw," Yugi said. "I summon my King's Knight in attack mode," Yugi said as a man in orange armor appeared. "I then activate my King's Knight's effect," Yugi said as both Queen's Knight and King's Knight began to glow. "When Queen's Knight and King's Knight are on the field, I can special summon Jack's Knight from my hand or deck!" Yugi said as a man in blue armor appeared on the field. "I reveal my facedown card, Card of Sanctity!" Yugi said. "This card forces all players to draw until everyone has six cards," Yugi said as Ichigo drew three more cards and Yugi drew six more cards. "Then I activate Polymerization, which allows me to fuse my three knights to bring out Arcana Knight Joker!" Yugi yelled. The three knights jumped into a swirl of colors. From that swirl, another knight emerged. He had black armor and appeared older than any of the other knights. "Now then, Arcana Knight Joker, attack Ichigo's Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Yugi ordered. Arcana Knight Joker charged forward, swung his sword, and defeated the Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon.
{Ichigo 0200 / Yugi 2800}
"I end my turn with a face-down," Yugi said, ending his turn with five cards in his hand.
"Draw," Ichigo said. "I activate Dragon Shrine," Ichigo said. "This card allows me to send one Dragon monster to the graveyard. If that card was a normal monster, I could send another Dragon to the grave." Ichigo explained. "I sent my Blue-Eyes White Dragon and then sent my White Stone of Legend. Then my White Stone of Legend's effect activates, adding a Blue-Eyes White Dragon to my hand." Ichigo explained. "Revealing one Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, I can special summon one Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon," Ichigo said as a Blue-Eyes-like dragon appeared on Ichigo's field. "I activate Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon's effect to destroy your Arcana Knight Joker," Ichigo said.
"Not so fast. By discarding a monster from my hand, I can have Arcana Knight Joker negate the effect," Yugi said.
"I see," Ichigo said. "I activate my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's effect," Ichigo said. "I can special summon one Dragon monster from my hand or graveyard," Ichigo explained. "Come forth, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Ichigo said as Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared from the graveyard. "Then I activate Polymerization, which allows me to fuse my Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my field, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, and my Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon, who is treated as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon while on the field, to bring out… Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Ichigo shouted.
"No!" Yugi said as the new dragon appeared and stared down at him.
"Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack Yugi's Arcana Knight Joker!" Ichigo commanded. All three heads of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon opened their mouths and blasted Arcana Knight Joker with a blast of white light.
{Ichigo 0200 / Yugi 2100}
"When my Arcana Knight Joker was destroyed, I activate my trap, Soul Rope," Yugi said. "When a monster I control is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points to special summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my hand or deck," Yugi said. "Come forth, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," Yugi said as his new monster appeared in defense mode.
{Ichigo 0200 / Yugi 1100}
"Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, attack Yugi's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," Ichigo ordered. Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon fired a fireball at Yugi's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. It was a direct hit. When the dust cleared, Yugi's Obnoxious Celtic Guardian still stood there. "What?" Ichigo said.
"My Obnoxious Celtic Guardian cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster that has 1900 or more ATK," Yugi explained.
"I see," Ichigo said. "I end my turn," Ichigo said, with four cards in his hand.
"Draw," Yugi said. "I activate Fusion Recovery," Yugi said. "This card allows me to add a Polymerization and one Fusion Material that was used for a Fusion Summon from my graveyard to my hand," Yugi said as he showed Ichigo Polymerization and his Queen's Knight. "I then activate Emblem of Dragon Destroyer," Yugi said. "This card allows me to add a Buster Blader from my deck or graveyard to my hand," Yugi said as he added Buster Blader to his hand. "Next, I activate my Polymerization!" Yugi said. "I fuse my Buster Blader and my Dark Magician in my hand to Fusion Summon… DARK PALADIN!" Yugi yelled as dust blew up, obscuring Ichigo's view of Yugi. Suddenly, something parted the dust cloud as Dark Paladin stood there. "I activate Dark Paladin's effect," Yugi said. "He gains 500 ATK times the number of Dragons on your side of the field and graveyard," Yugi said as Dark Paladin's attack points increased from 2900 to 7900. "Now then, Dark Paladin, attack Ichigo's Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Yugi said as Dark Paladin charged towards Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Meanwhile, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon charged up its attack and fired it back at Dark Paladin. Upon contact, both attacks kicked up dust, obscuring the view. "I've won!" Yugi said.
"Yugi, don't think so yet," Ichigo said. Yugi looked up to see Dark Paladin blocking the attack of Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
"What!?" Yugi said.
"I activate the effect of Honest," Ichigo said as he revealed a white angel-like monster card from his hand. "During either player's Damage Step, when a LIGHT monster I control battles, I can send this card from my hand to the graveyard. That monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling until the end of this turn," Ichigo said.
"What!" Yugi said as he noticed that Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack points were not 4500 but 12400.
"Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, finish this duel with White Obliteration Burst!" Ichigo shouted as Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon increased the strength of its attack and managed to destroy Dark Paladin.
{Ichigo 0200 / Yugi 0000}
"And that is it. Our Champion of the Battle City is Kurosaki Ichigo!" Roland announced. Ichigo put his deck away and approached Yugi.
"Good game, Yugi," Ichigo said as he extended his hand. Yugi looked at the hand and accepted the handshake. After that, Roland escorted Yugi, Ichigo, Eu, and Marik down the Battle Tower.
"Wait. How is third and fourth place decided?" Yugi asked Roland.
"Normally, Marik and Eu would have to duel, but due to Marik surrendering, he automatically gets fourth place," Roland said.
"I see," Yugi said. "Marik."
"Yes?" Marik asked.
"What happened to the souls of the duelists who lost to Yami Marik?" Yugi asked, concerned about his friend.
"I made sure they were all released when I regained full control of my body," Marik said. Everyone arrived at the KaibaCorp Blimp to see that everyone who had dueled Yami Marik was awake and moving around. They boarded the KaibaCorp Blimp, and it flew away from the Battle Tower. During the flight, everyone rested, and a few duelists said a short prayer. "I hope those fangirls aren't waiting for us," Ichigo, Yugi, and Kaiba thought. Somehow, the KaibaCorp Blimp managed to reach the unfinished Domino Station by nightfall. During the flight, Ichigo brought out the Millennium Scale, Millennium Necklace, and Millennium Key and gave them to Yugi. Fortunately, none of the fangirls were waiting for them. Seto was kind enough to arrange for taxis and a limo to be waiting for everyone. Everyone said their goodbyes and left the stadium.