Little surprise before my holiday break. This time, we will finally catch up with Ai! How is his mission on the Astral World coming along? Will he get some long awaited answers? Due to how much there is to tell regarding Ai, I'm making this chapter a two parter. Here is part 1! Please enjoy!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 7 – Enna's Duty
"Then we are in an agreement." Ray then turned to Astral. "Astral, if we work together again, I believe we can send Ai to the Astral World. Whatever he finds, I promise that you will be the first to know." Astral nodded.
"Very well. Let's do it." He and Ray each placed a hand on Ai. "Be careful, Ai. Do not let yourself get captured or possibly killed. Other than learning more of the specifics of the Astral World's conditions, your top priority is the Numeron Code. Remember, that card has powers no being, mortal or Ignis, can fathom. If you feel it may be in danger of falling into the wrong hands, obtain it and find a way to send to us." Ai nodded.
"Got it! You can count on me!" He said determinedly.
"Okay. Good luck, Ai." Ray said.
"Don't get into any trouble over there, Ai." Playmaker advised.
"Oh, and while you're there, check up on a woman named Enna. She's a friend that may be in trouble." Yuma suggested.
"Enna, check!" Ai said. Ray and Astral then closed their eyes.
"Stay still. This may tickle a bit." Ray warned. She and Astral then glowed blue again, and that glow covered Ai within seconds. He then laughed a little.
"Heheh! It does tickle!" He commented. Ai then saw his body beginning to vanish, so he gave a wave to everyone. "Don't worry about me, everyone! I'll be alright!" A moment later, the Dark Ignis could no longer see anyone on Cyberse World. The bright blue light was all there was. Swirls of light blue with shades of purple and dark blue could be seen flowing around him. This fascinated him. An eternity seemed to have passed before the light faded and Ai found himself in a new environment… but not a friendly looking one. "Oh boy." He said to himself as he took a look around.
It appeared as if he just arrived in a celestial version of Hell. Everywhere he turned, the Ignis saw black and dark green structures that resembled twisted towers. The sky was covered with dark heavy clouds with green lightning bolts shooting out randomly. The nearby ocean was a sickly green color, like someone had dumped a ton of toxic waste in it. There were hints of blue trying to claw it's way to the surface, but the blackness kept overtaking them.
The thing that scared Ai the most were the hundreds, if not thousands, of black and green creatures crawling all over the structures like ants. Except, they looked nothing like ants. After quickly hiding behind a nearby rock, Ai got a better look at them. The creatures were long and lanky, covered in what seemed to be dark green armor with claws on it's hands and feet that were red as blood. Each of their heads was like a mix of a vampire and a werewolf from the horror stories told by humans. They were black as night with huge bat like ears and a wolf's snout. Their jaws had two rows of razor sharp teeth, with the two upper and lower ones in front having the longest and were shaped like snake fangs. They also had snake like tongues that were also night black. Finally, they all had eyes that glowed the same green as the corrupted ocean.
"This is the Astral World? Man, I don't like this at all. Eek!" Ai quickly ducked out of sight as a couple of the creatures crept to the water nearby. He watched as the beasts stuck out their tongues and dipped them in the water, and saw them glowing the same color. He realized they were absorbing the energy from the water, meaning it had to be their primary source of nourishment. Or at least one source. He did not know if they actually ate anything, and honestly, he did not want to find out.
Once the things were finished "drinking", they turned and ran off in the opposite direction. Ai shivered. He was liking this less by the minute. Still, he had a mission to complete and he had to get moving. He needed to learn the status of the Numeron Code's hiding place, to know if the card is in danger of being stolen. Ai also had to find Yuma's friend Enna and learn what happened to her. He started to wonder if Enna was even alive, given the state of this place and the creatures running amok.
'Personally, I don't see how anybody could survive here. For I know, I might be the only sentient form on the Astral World right now.' Ai thought depressingly. However, he could not be one hundred percent certain of that. He had only been here for a brief time, and there was still more to do. With that in mind, Ai quickly and quietly floated through the messed up terrain of the Astral World.
He was very fortunate he was small, making it easy for him to hide in certain spots incase those creatures got wind of him. There were actually a few close calls. Once, one of those things came within inches of where Ai hid himself. It sniffed the air and gave a low growl. Ai feared it picked up his scent. His eyes were shut and kept himself silent, but he was scared as hell. Just when he thought he was demon chow, the beast began sprinting in another direction at a fast pace. Ai sighed with relief before he resumed his reconnaissance.
The more he explored, the more alone he felt. So far, he had not seen a single natural being of the Astral World. Suddenly, memories of his days after Bohman's defeat resurfaced. It had been the most painful time of his life. He had been the only surviving Ignis, having failed to save the others from their fate. It was not long after that he recalled Lightning's last words and found his simulation of a future with Ai as the reason for humanity's fall. That was why he decided to end himself to prevent that… along with a more "personal" reason. Ai shook his head and pushed those awful thoughts out as he moved on.
In the distance, the Dark Ignis saw a nightmarish tower that stood far taller than the rest. In fact, it pierced the green lightning filled clouds blanketing the sky. The top could not be seen, but what Ai could see made him tremble with fear. What he saw was looked like a thick muscled body crouching on four legs. Ai no doubt believed the head was far above the clouds, and he was glad he couldn't see it. The structure was covered with long, glowing green veins. It would seem energy was flowing through them from the ground the tower was standing toward the very top.
Ai wondered if it was the same energy those creatures took from the ocean to feed themselves. His instincts told him it was highly likely that it was. 'If that tower thing is taking energy from the water like those creatures, then is there something inside that is feeding on that energy as well? If it is, what could it be? Could it be whatever it is that made the Astral World like this to begin with?' He pondered what changed the Astral World from it's original state to how it was now.
He suspected Lightning had a hand in it. According to Yuma Tsukumo, Lightning somehow forced Yuma's friend, Enna, to fight for him. She believed she was protecting her world. From the way things looked, the Astral World didn't need protecting; it needed saving, big time. So far, he had not seen any Astral World being since his arrival. All he saw were these horrifying creatures. Maybe he was too late to find any who survived this world's monstrous transformation.
The Ignis was so focused on his thoughts that he failed to notice a green lightning bolt striking right above him, causing an avalanche. "Eh!?" By the time he looked up, it was too late. The falling rocks came down hard and fast. He tried to dodge them all, but there were dozens of all sizes. To his misfortune, one fist sized rock struck Ai on the back of the head. "Ow!" This caused him to fall and be pinned down by the other rocks. He was losing consciousness fast and was being buried alive. 'Oh come on! It can't end like this for me! It just can't! Not when I've just decided to get back in the game, dammit!' He thought frustratingly to himself.
Just before all went dark for him, Ai thought he glimpsed someone or something running toward him. If it was one of those beasts, he was done for. He couldn't be sure as the last speck of light blocked out his sight and he thought not more…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Very slowly, after an undetermined length of time, Ai opened his eyes and found himself in a bright blue cavern. It was very large, big enough to contain a house. "Woah. This is definitely an improvement over that nightmare I traversed across. But… how the heck did I end up in this place?" He asked himself curiously.
"I brought you here." Said a soft and kind female voice. Ai turned to see a tall figure wearing a tattered cloak. Ai stiffened when he saw the stranger approach him. "It is alright. You are safe. This cavern is protected from the corruption that has festered the Astral World." The figure said assuringly. Eventually, Ai relaxed, feeling he really was safe for now.
"Thanks a lot. I owe ya. How long was I out?" He asked.
"A month has passed since I brought you here." Ai was shocked.
"A month?! Seriously?!" He said incredulously. 'How was I unconscious for that long?!' As if the woman heard his thoughts, she answered.
"Those rocks drained you of nearly all your life force upon contact. Another part of my home that was cursed. You were barely alive when I saved you. I then watched over you as your strength returned. It was a slow process."
Ai was not happy he had been out cold for that long. He still felt a tiny bit woozy, but he believed that would soon pass. Right now, he had questions.
"So, who are you?" He asked first. The figure stopped in front of him and removed the cloak. It was indeed a woman, and a strikingly beautiful one at that, Ai thought. Her skin was light blue, had long silver hair and had solid yellow eyes. She wore a white and blue sleeveless, strapless dress.
"My name is Enna, one of the few survivors of our desecrated home." She said in a sad tone as she kneeled down to face him. The Dark Ignis gasped in surprise.
"You're Enna? Really?" He asked, hardly believing it. The Astral woman nodded, surprised that the little being knew her name. Ai sighed with relief. "Oh man, I was starting to think I'd never find you!"
"How do you know about me? Who are you?" She questioned.
"My name's Ai. I heard of you from Yuma Tsukumo. He asked me to look for you and see if you were alright." Enna gasped as well.
"You know Yuma? Is he okay?" She asked, sounding concerned.
"He's fine. You were the one he was worried about, though." Ai answered.
"Then… he knows what has occurred here?" She asked. Ai shook his head.
"No, not really. At least not specifically. But Astral does." He clarified.
"Astral?" She asked. Ai hesitated briefly before replying.
"He's okay too. However… he's pretty shaken up about what's happened to his home world. Last I checked, he wasn't ready to tell Yuma or anyone else what he saw." Enna looked down.
"How did he find out?" She eventually asked, sounding sad.
"He had help from a friend named Ray. Together, Ray and Astral sent me here to find you and learn more about the Astral World's predicament."
"I see." Enna said. The pair were quiet for a moment before Ai broke the silence.
"So, you were the one who dug me out of that rock pile?" He asked. Enna nodded.
"Yes, and I was very surprised by what I found. You are not of the Astral World, that much is clear. Nor are you human or any of those "abominations" running around outside. What are you exactly, Ai?" She asked curiously. He then held the back of his head with his hand and laughed.
"Oh, well… hehe. That's kinda hard to explain. See, I am what humans call "Artificial Intelligence", or A.I. for short. Funnily enough, I got my own name from that. Anyways, me and five others like me were created by a brilliant human scientist to help mankind. He named all of us "Ignis" after an ancient myth. His plans didn't go quite the way he hoped, I should say." Ai explained.
"That's fascinating." Enna said. "Where are the other Ignis now?"
"Four are with Yuma and three other Duelists for their own safety. Their names are Yugi Muto, Judai Yuki, and Yusei Fudo. They're all good people so I have no worries." Ai said.
"And the sixth?" Enna asked. Ai looked away with a pained expression.
"He… has become our enemy. He's hiding out somewhere in the world I come from. Ray is looking for him now." He said nothing more on that subject.
Enna was very interested by what she learned. Still, something bothered her. "If Yuma does not know about what has happened to the Astral World and Astral has not told him… then why did he ask you to find me specifically?" Ai turned back to her.
"Well, he believes you got into some kind of trouble. I think I heard something about you attacking some humans on another world…" He said. Enna widened her eyes in shock.
"He knows about that?" She asked, her voice low and remorseful as she looked away in shame. Ai nodded.
"Yeah. What exactly was that about?" Enna struggled to control herself. She hated what she did to those humans. She never wanted to attack them or anyone else, but she was left with no choice. Finally, she decided to confess.
"It started when "he" appeared before me…"
Flashback
Enna smiled as she watched three children run around and laughing on an open field of flowers. Ever since Yuma Tsukumo and his friends stopped the recent crisis, things have been very peaceful on the Astral World. She felt eternally grateful to Yuma for all he did to make a difference. Because of him, Eliphas, the Will of the Astral World in physical form, became more receptive of the energy of Chaos and it's benefiting effect's on their world.
At the moment, Eliphas was overlooking the majority of the population from the balcony of the Astral Tower. Enna, on the the other hand, chose to be on the ground with the people. Before Eliphas was created by her and the rest of it's citizens, Enna led the Astral World. She and the others believed getting rid of the Power of Chaos would benefit their world, only to learn it did the exact opposite. It was during this time they created Eliphas to represent the view that Ranking Up was all that mattered. Thanks to Yuma's Efforts, that problem was solved and the Astral World prospered once again.
"Thank you Yuma." She whispered in gratitude as she made her way back inside her personal dwelling. She looked forward to the day she would meet Yuma again, feeling he was more than worthy of entering the Astral World when his time came.
That good feeling did not last long, however. Suddenly, Enna felt a strong darkness from behind her. She turned around to see a doorway she had never seen. It appeared dark and distorted. She immediately backed away, fearing it's presence. After that, a voice she never heard before spoke to her.
"Hello Enna, Lady of the Astral World." Enna didn't like the sound of the voice at all. It chilled her to the bone.
"Who are you? What do you want?" She demanded. The voice chuckled as an image showed itself within the doorway. Through it, she saw three teenage humans: Two boys and one girl. She did not know them nor did she know where they were.
"Who I am is irrelevant. What I want is for you to duel those humans. Show them your might and no mercy. Do it or I will have to force you." Enna was appalled by this. She could easily tell that whoever was speaking to her had no benevolent intentions.
"Never!" She shouted in defiance. The voice sighed.
"So the hard way it is, then. You shall be my puppet, under my control!" The voice declared as a dark yellow hand came through the door and reached out toward Enna. She tried to flee but as she did, she tripped and fell to the floor. She barely had enough time to look on in horror as the hand clasped onto her face.
"No!" Enna shouted while the voice laughed with twisted glee. However, that laugh turned into a scream of pain as the hand instantly removed itself. Now free, Enna backed up against a wall and stared at the now smoking hand as it retreated back into the darkness of the door. She was stunned and confused of what just happened. That thing said it was going to take control of her, only it failed. She didn't know why, but was very glad of this.
"Dammit! What is this energy?!" The voice cried in pain. Enna didn't say anything. She should contact Eliphas now to deal with this new threat. She looked to see that the door leading out was just less than a foot away. She tried to make a break for it when a new hand blocked her path. "No! You shall not leave! I still need you!" Enna turned to the direction of the dark doorway.
"I have already refused your order! Leave now or suffer the consequences!" She threatened bravely. The malevolent voice then decided to use a different tactic.
"Very well. If I cannot control you, then I will force you to obey… by threatening to annihilate all of the Astral World!" Enna gasped.
"You cannot! Eliphas will stop you!" She declared. The voice laughed.
"I didn't actually say that I would be the one to do the deed. I have a "certain someone" with me that is very eager to ravage your precious home world and your people. Trust me when I say that she is more than capable of ripping the "Will of the Astral World" apart. However, if you agree to battle those humans at the best of your ability, then you have my word that I will leave the Astral World untouched." Enna hesitated.
"How do I know that you will keep your promise?" She questioned, fearing the owner of the voice was lying about leaving the Astral World alone.
"You don't." The voice simply said. Enna still struggled with the choice she had to make. She didn't want to harm those innocent humans. On the other hand, she could not risk the Astral World being attacked by some evil entity.
"Why are you asking this of me?!" Enna demanded fearfully.
"I have me reasons. Now, do we have a deal or not, Enna?" The voice asked. She clinched her fists tightly with anger. She truly had no choice now as she materialized a Duel Disk on her left arm.
"Very well. I will do it." She said with the greatest reluctance. The voice was pleased.
"Excellent. Now proceed through the door I made and show those humans what the Lady of the Astral World is capable of!" Enna marched toward the doorway and passed through it, hating every second of it. Once on the other side, the three human teens were shocked by what they saw.
"What's going on? Who are you?" The dark skinned human girl demanded.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Enna replied right before activating her Duel Disk…
Flashback End
"And so, I fought those humans in a Duel and won. I had to fight for the sake of the Astral World. It was perhaps one of my greatest regrets. Yuma must be so disappointed in me for this." Enna said, lowering her head. Ai had no doubt it was Lightning that forced Enna to do battle. He floated over toward her.
"Actually, Yuma didn't seem to blame you at all. He figured you had a good reason for everything." Ai said softly. Enna gave a small smile.
"I'm glad to know that." She replied. Ai hesitated before he spoke again.
"I know how you feel, Enna." He said softly. She looked up at him in surprise.
"You were forced to fight humans too?" Ai nodded, recounting his own pain.
"Yeah, but not quite the same as you were. It's a… very bad story. See, after a great battle, I was under the impression I was the only Ignis left alive. At the time, I didn't know the others had survived, so I thought I was all alone. I later found a simulation made by Lightning, the Ignis that betrayed us. It showed that humanity would be doomed because of me. No matter how many times I tried to change it, the outcome was still the same. The worst of it was that… a human very close to me dies to protect me. Over and over, I failed to alter anything. It was traumatizing. It was then that I decided the only way to stop all that from happening… was to end my own life. And that involved fighting humans that I considered good friends… including the one that would die for me."
"Ai." She said, feeling pain coming from the Dark Ignis.
"My plan was working, which led to a final Duel between me and the human closest to me, Playmaker. I programmed myself to self terminate if I lost against him. Our battle was intense physically and emotionally for me. Eventually, he won and I was deleted…" He said.
"But how are you alive now?" Enna questioned.
"Ray brought me back to life, which was when I learned that most of the other Ignis had also returned because of her. I was so overwhelmed to see them again, alive and well. I will always be grateful to Ray for saving them." Ai then shut his eyes and lowered his head. "However, I was still hurt on the inside from my recent actions. I went into self isolation for the next few months. They all tried to help me feel better, but I felt I didn't deserve any of it after all I've done. So I stayed alone." He said, finally done with his sad tale.
It was then that Enna actually pulled him in for a gentle, but firm hug. "Oh, Ai. I feel so sorry for you. Your pain is even greater than mine." Very stunned, Ai felt like crying himself as he wrapped his little arms around Enna's neck. It felt really good to be held by someone that understood him. They held each other for a seemingly long time before separating.
"I actually have more to say." Enna listened as Ai continued. "Right before I came here, I learned that Lightning had returned and is causing trouble again. That was when I decided to get my act together and take him down for good!" He said, anger now in his voice. He then looked Enna squarely in the eye. "Enna, you should know… it was Lightning that forced you to duel those humans."
"What?!" She said, clearly in shock. "The Ignis that turned traitor?! Are you certain of this?!" Ai nodded.
"Oh yeah, very certain! See, you weren't the only one Lightning had forced to battle against other humans. He brought in several bad people, and even controlled a couple of good ones who weren't willing to cooperate. They all fought against friends of Yuma and the other three with him." Enna was stunned to learn all this. "But from what I understand, you were the only one out of all of them that he couldn't control. Why is that? And why did he choose you in the first place? Why not that Eliphas guy you mentioned?" Ai asked. Enna shook her head.
"I do not know why I alone am immune to his abilities, but I am grateful for it. As for choosing me instead of Eliphas or anyone here on the Astral World, I pondered on that since my return. I think I may know why. But Ai… do you not wish to know first how the Astral World came to be this nightmare?" Enna asked. Ai nodded eagerly.
"Oh! Sure I do! How did it happen? I'm sure this world wasn't always like this." Ai said. Enna lowered her head and closed her eyes. She then talked in a very serious tone.
"No, it was not. The Astral World was once a peaceful, beautiful realm where pure spirits come to when their mortal lives end. Nothing bad existed here. Until…" Enna went on to tell of how she bore witness to the Astral World's horrifying transformation.
Flashback
"Please forgive me. I truly wished not to harm any of you, but I was left with little choice. I pray you will somehow survive this." On the ground lay the defeated trio of Masumi, Yaiba, and Sawatari. They all had cuts and bruises on their bodies. Enna turned to walk back through the door from where she came.
"Wait! Why are you… doing this? Just who… or what… are you?" Masumi demanded weakly. The woman turned around and frowned.
"My name is Enna. I am trying to protect my own world. Again, I hope you can one day forgive me. I must go now." Masumi told her to stop, but Enna had already gone through the door and was out of sight.
As soon as Enna returned to the Astral World, the door behind her had vanished. She did not hear that voice again as well. All seemed calm now. Somehow, she felt this was not over. Not even close. She still needed to go to Eliphas and tell him what had transpired just now. Just as she opened her door leading outside, she saw that she had a visitor. She was shocked that it was the very one whom she needed to see… and that he didn't look so good.
"Eliphas! What has happened to you?!" Eliphas, a tall bulky blue man in gold armor with one green eye and one orange eye, collapsed into Enna's arms. He was covered with several wounds, with the most serious one being a massive whole in his chest. He lost a lot of blue colored blood and was shaking badly. Enna gently laid him on the floor. The man coughed up blood as he tried to talk.
"Enna… I'm sorry. I am… dying. I tried… but I… failed. I could… do nothing… to stop…." He coughed again, preventing him from finishing.
"What are you saying?! Stop what?!" Enna asked, sounding frantic now. Eliphas tried to speak, but instead suffered a major coughing spasm. And then, dark green light began shining in through the windows. 'What is this?!' she thought. She had no idea what was happening.
"Do not… go out there. Look… through… the crystals." Eliphas instructed while wheezing. She did as he asked and observed what was taking place. She saw a tall slim figure floating just above the Astral World's ocean and held up an arm. The green light Enna saw was coming from the skies above… in the form of a gigantic ball of dark green energy with black energy bolts crackling around it.
Enna could not make out the person's face, but she could see a malicious smile showing very sharp teeth. "Who is that? What is he doing?" She questioned her fallen overseer as she turned back to him. Eliphas looked up at her with pained eyes.
"That… is a woman. She is… not of this world. I do not… know her name, but… she is more dangerous than… Don Thousand himself was. She appeared before me… and told me she had come… to take over the… Astral World." Enna gasped in horror. "I refused to let her… have her way with our people. That was when… she did this." He gestured with his hand at the gaping hole he was badly bleeding from. "She attacked me… without any warning. No provocation. She just… attacked. Strangely, she did not finish me."
"That demon allowed you to live?" Enna asked. Eliphas barely managed to nod.
"She let me… come find you… to warn you. She also told me… that she desired the… Numeron Code."
"The Numeron Code? What does she want with it?" Eliphas coughed more before he went on.
"When I asked her… she refused to say. All I know is… she desires it for a… specific purpose. I strongly believe… it cannot be good…" The injured entity coughed some more and stopped talking.
Enna then recalled the evil voice that forced her to duel those humans. It mentioned a "She" that it claimed was more than a match for Eliphas and desired to attack the Astral World. 'That must be the one the voice was talking about. If so, then this means he lied to me! He had no intention of sparing the Astral World!' Enna berated herself ever believing the now clear threat to her people. Eliphas then grabbed Enna by the arm.
"Listen Enna. There isn't… much time. Save as many… of our people… as you can. Protect them… from what is about… to take place. Most of all… protect the… Numeron Code… like you always have… as it's guardian. That beast… must not… take it. It would… surely… be the end… of this universe."
"But Eliphas!" Enna tried to protest, but the dying man silenced her.
"This… is your… duty. The people… will need you… more than ever. Protect them… and the Numeron Code. Do not… fail them… nor me." After another violent cough, Eliphas felt his life was about to expire. With his dying breath, he gave one last piece of advice to the very frightened woman. "Enna… always remember. Remember… that the answer… lies within…" He said with a surprisingly warm smile.
"Answer? What answer? And within what?" Enna demanded. Eliphas did not answer. Instead, he closed his eyes… and faded into particles of blue and gold light. "ELIPHAS!" The woman cried out in anguish. She covered her face with her hands as she sobbed. She didn't have long to mourn, for she had a far more immediate situation to deal with. From beyond of her dwelling, Enna heard a cold, cruel laugh. She turned back to the crystals to see the evil figure making her move.
"The time is nigh! People of the Astral World, you are now… MINE!" She with the flick of a finger, the green and black energy sphere plunged itself into the ocean with a mighty splash. As the ball sunk deeper beneath the surface, Enna knew she had very little time to act. Quickly, she made her way outside to call all who could hear her.
"Everyone, please follow me inside immediately! Now!" At once, all the nearby Astral World citizens scrambled toward Enna and her shelter. She knew of a secret cavern beneath her home that would provide protection. She hoped it would be enough. All the while, she kept watch over the ocean, which had started glowing the same green as the ball that fell into it. "That's it! Hurry! Run in here now!" She kept telling those that ran in. More were still coming, but Enna feared she wouldn't have enough time to save them all… and she was right.
Not even a minute had gone by when a humongous tidal wave formed in the waters and was heading straight for the mainland. It was approaching fast. There was no time left. Very reluctantly, Enna shut the door to her home and locked it before running after the ones she saved through an underground tunnel. As she did, Enna sealed the tunnel entrance with a block of Astralite. She hated leaving behind the people who tried to get in, but she just couldn't help them before the flood reached them.
When Enna finally caught up with the many she did save, she used the nearby crystals to observe what was happening back on the surface. It was the most indescribably horrible event she ever witnessed. Everywhere the flood touched, the landscape changed from light blue and purple to a dark green and black. The buildings were twisted and reformed into unfamiliar, but evil looking structures that no one would ever go near. While this occurred, black storm clouds with bolts of green lightning completely filled the sky.
That wasn't even the worst part. As the flood passed through the cities, the people left behind were instantly transformed into terrifying creatures when the water touched them. The Astral World people screamed in agony as they had undergone the unnatural metamorphosis. They resembled nothing Enna had ever seen. They all gave a cry that made all who hear them not want to go to sleep for fear of seeing them in their nightmares.
Enna could not believe this was happening, any of it! She then saw the figure who caused this disaster float up to the Astral Tower, which had now been transformed as well into her own palace. She then turned away from the crystals, not wanting to see anymore.
"Lady Enna…" a small Astral boy walked up to the woman with a most upset looking face she had ever seen. "What is happening?" Enna then knelt down and hugged the boy, tears of pain in her eyes.
"I don't know, little one. I truly don't know."
Flashback End
"Oh man." Ai said after he heard the whole thing. Enna opened her eyes, wet from fresh tears, and stared down at the ground.
"The Astral World has never suffered anything like this, not even when it was in danger from Don Thousand and the Seven Barian Emperors. This is without a doubt the darkest event in the history of this universe. The most sacred, holy place in existence… contaminated, twisted, and defiled." Enna said as her voice cracked. "Eliphas told me to protect the people… but I couldn't save them all. The ones left behind have been…" She couldn't finish, tears dripping from her face and hitting the floor.
Ai didn't say anything. What could he say to help her feel better? The answer was simple: Nothing. What Enna had seen, what she survived from, was not something no conversation could help her through. "I'm sorry." He eventually ended up saying. Enna didn't respond. For a long time, she remained quiet. Some time later, Ai spoke again. "So, that evil demon woman… you still don't know who she is?" He nervously asked. Enna shook her head.
"No." She said with great disdain. "I know nothing of that vile witch. Still, I kept track of the "infected" to make sure they couldn't find this place. So far, they haven't. I was keeping watch using those crystals when I saw you appear out of thin air. I wasn't sure at first if you were hostile or not, but the fact you constantly hid yourself from them convinced me you were not an enemy. I left my sanctuary to find you to learn more. That was when I saw those rocks fall on you and pulled you out. I had to be swift and silent so that we wouldn't be spotted."
"Again, I'm grateful for you saving me." Ai said. Enna gave a small smile.
"I am glad I reached you first." She said in return. She couldn't tell if Ai was smiling or not since he had no mouth, but she felt he his gratitude.
"So then… where are the survivors?" He asked. Enna then got back on her feet.
"They are deeper into the cavern. Follow me." Ai then floated alongside her as she walked. Further and further down they went, guided by the blue light from the very walls themselves. It wasn't too long before the pair entered a much bigger cave than the one Ai woke up in. Before his eyes were perhaps two dozen blue skinned people, all huddled at a far wall of the cave. Unlike Enna, whose eyes were yellow, all of the survivors' eyes were blue/green. He wondered why that was. Several of them were small children who looked scared as hell. All of them looked scared. Ai hated to see so many suffer like this. As soon as they saw the Ignis, the survivors gasped and backed away in fear. Enna stepped forward and got their attention. "Everyone, calm yourselves. This is Ai, a friend of Yuma Tsukumo. He has not come to hurt any of us." She told them.
At the mention of Yuma's name, the Astral citizens began to be less afraid and became curious instead. Ai gave them all a friendly wave. "Hehe. She's right. I'm here to help if I can." He told the crowd. Surprisingly, a small boy bravely came toward Ai. He floated down to meet his eye level.
"Mr. Ai… do you really know Yuma Tsukumo?" He asked shyly. The Dark Ignis nodded.
"I sure do." He said.
"Will he come to save us?" The boy questioned. Ai nodded again.
"Oh, I have no doubt he will! Count on it!" He said, trying to sound positive. It seemed to have worked as the boy ran back to tell his parents what he heard. This brought a smile to Enna.
"That was very nice of you to do." She said. Ai turned to her.
"I wasn't just being nice. Once Yuma knows the situation here, I'm sure he and some friends of his will come and set things right." Enna nodded.
"I hope so too." She told them. It was then that Ai gestured her to move further from the survivors. She figured he wanted to talk about something without being overheard. They walked to the center of the cave, just far enough to not be eavesdropped. "What is it?" Enna asked softly.
Ai then became more serious. "There is another part of my mission I haven't shared with you yet."
"Which is?" Enna asked.
"The Numeron Code." Enna's eyes widened with surprise again. "I have to know how safe it actually is. If it looks like that psycho monster woman might get her claws on it, I'll need to get it out of here." Enna frowned.
"I see." She said. Her tone didn't sound promising.
"You said earlier that you are it's guardian, so you must know where it is. Right?" Ai asked. Enna paused a bit before she answered.
"After Astral used the Numeron Code to reunite the Astral and Barian Worlds into one, he decided to hide it on the Astral World to keep it safe. After that… I do not know." Ai gaped at her.
"Huh?! What do you mean you don't know?! You don't know where it is?!" He shouted. Enna shook her head.
"I'm sorry Ai, but I cannot seem to remember. That memory is a blank. When I asked Eliphas where the Numeron Code was hidden, he told me that Astral said the knowledge of it's location was locked away in my mind, from my own memory."
"I see. You have the Numeron Code's location in your head, but you cannot recall the hiding place itself." Ai surmised. Enna nodded.
"That's correct. I was told the only way to unlock that knowledge… was to defeat me in a Duel." Ai understood.
"So then, someone has to win in a Duel against you to learn where the Numeron Code is." Said the Ignis.
"Yes. Obviously, that has not happened." Enna pointed out.
"You must be really tough if no one's managed to get the info out of you yet." Ai said.
"As the Numeron Code's sole guardian, I have to be exceptionally strong to be able to protect it. So then, Ai... Can you duel?"
"Actually, I am definitely a strong Duelist. Why do you… Huh?!" Ai did a double take as Enna formed a Duel Disk on her left arm. "W-Wait a second?! You actually want me to duel you?! Right now?!" The woman nodded.
"Yes, now. I believe our enemy, Lightning, may know that I am the guardian to the most powerful card ever created. He must have expected those humans to defeat me so that the location would be revealed. When that didn't work, he had sent "her" to do his work for him. I believe that the Numeron Code should be taken from here, away from her, and by your hand. If you are as strong as you claim, then try and defeat me Ai! If you win, you must take the Numeron Code to where she can never get it from!" She said.
Ai thought this over, and realized she was right. This was the only way to find the answer. He finally agreed. "Alright Enna! I'll duel ya! But first, I need to make one small change…" he said before he started glowing and changed shape. When he was done, Enna was stunned by Ai's new "human" form.
Ai was now a tall young man with yellow eyes that have rectangular pupils, black shoulder length, spiky hair with yellow tips, along with purple bangs with pink highlights. He wore a light purple formal shirt with a black cravat, vest, pants, and cape with golden stripes at the bottom and a red lining. He also wore black boots with silver toes. He had a pair of purple earrings with orange studs that resemble his original head and a blue diamond chip on his neck and back. Finally, he had his own Duel Disk on his arm. "So Enna… What do you think?" He asked with a smirk.
"I… didn't know you could do that. Your new appearance… actually suits you." Enna replied, feeling a little warm for some reason. The Ignis chuckled.
"Thanks. Now then… let's do this!" Ai said, getting the Duel for the Numeron Code's location underway.
"DUEL!"
To be continued.