This thing started off with quite a "bang", wouldn't you say? After we see the aftermath from that explosion, we'll move right into the action! Also, to Vlad Ginger, my previous chapter confirmed those three Monsters will appear in this arc. Devil Kaiser gave them to Amon. I just introduced them in their original Japanese names. Okay, let the real fun begin!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 34: Kaiser Arc – Part 6
"All of you! Get away from the arena! NOW!"
Judai knew they only had a precious few seconds before they'd possibly meat their maker. He had to act now. Quickly, he slipped on and activated his Duel Disk. "Guys, protect everyone!" Judai, whose eyes had now changed to dark gold, commanded as he Summoned several Monsters to aid his friends. They barely managed to reach everyone before all went white…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Ryo sighed as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. Being the Obelisk Blue assistant was busy enough, but filling in for his supervisor was another thing. Since this morning he had to do the work Chronos was supposed to do. His unexpected disappearance increased his workload a great deal.
He wondered where the hell he was and why he never mentioned anything. It was not just him, either. Asuka earlier informed him that Emi had also vanished without any prior warning. Neither of them had been seen since yesterday evening. Ryo started to get a bad feeling about this. He wished he could go look for them, but Principal Samejima made it clear he had work to do and shouldn't abandon his duties. The same was said for Asuka, who also had to fill in for Emi's non gym teacher duties.
On the other hand, this extra work gave him a good excuse not to see Sho, who would have arrived on the island by now with Judai and the Ignis, Flame. The death of his counterpart would no doubt have left the younger Marufuji in a very vulnerable emotional state. He could not risk complicating things with his presence. Ryo felt the best thing for him, and for Sho, was to stay away as long as possible. At least, long enough for Sho to fully process his grief and heal.
Still, he wished he could help Sho with missing his older brother. But he could not figure out how, seeing how he himself was a total reminder of the brother he just lost.
It was at that moment, during his contemplation, that Ryo fell out of his chair from the loud bang he heard and violent shaking he felt. "What the hell?!" He shouted in shock. The rumbling caused books and other office stuff to fall of their shelves and covered the floor. This lasted for several seconds, during which he hid under his desk for cover. Once everything had quieted down, Ryo slowly got on his feet and looked around. The office was a total mess, books and papers everywhere. 'What was that?! It feel like an earthquake! But I also heard some loud noise… like a bomb had just gone off. What could possibly have caused…?'
Then he remembered Dr. Zweinstein's experimental dimensional gateway being setup in the main dueling arena. Could the cause of this incident had been there? And was anyone in the building harmed because of it? His eyes then widened in fear, also remembering something else. Judai and his friends were to be invited to witness the experiment! Could they have been nearby when that quake happened?! Could Sho be among them?! Could they all be…?! Without another second to waste, Ryo dashed out of the office and ran to the arena… praying his counterpart's brother didn't lose his life too.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Deep underground, as he was resting by the alter, Devil Kaiser felt the earth around him shake. He also felt a powerful pulse from his Deck. The unholy being smiled from this. He knew that their spy, Ryan Stevens, had just completed his task. He took out his Deck and examined the source of the energy pulse. The dark white glowing card in his hand gave him a clear message. "It has begun." He muttered with a wicked chuckle.
At the same time, Amon and his group were just outside Duel Academy. They were walking toward the building when they witnessed the school shudder violently and spat out a huge column of thick smoke. 'Seems like Ryan had just accomplished phase one of the plan.' Amon thought.
Just after that, most of them felt a strong pulse from their pockets, halting their progress. Echo, Commander Mackenzie, Lieutenant Rabb, and Chosaku each pulled out two cards, while Makoto and Emi both held one. All were glowing the same darkened white color.
Amon and Chronos were the only ones who had apparently did not have such cards. "What's up with those cards?" Chronos asked. Amon turned to him, grinning. He knew full well what it meant.
"It means that Ryan has come through. Let's hurry."
"Of course." Chronos said as he moved right behind Amon, Echo, and the others.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Once the violent shaking had stopped, Serena opened her eyes to see what had happened. She was shocked by the sight. The walls were cracked all over and the rows of seats around the arena had been practically demolished. 'What just happened?' She thought, shocked by the destruction.
The girl also saw that they were protected by Elemental Hero Neos and a dark, female Monster she had never seen before. The most peculiar thing about her was that one of it's eyes was green while the other was orange. She had no doubt the Monster belonged to Judai if Neos was there with it.
"Is everyone okay?" Asuka called out from behind her. Serena looked around to her, pleased that the older woman was okay.
"I'm alright." Serena responded. She looked to see Masumi, Johan, and all the others were also uninjured and they made it clear they were. Most of them at least. Serena and Masumi noticed that Yuri had not said a word.
"Yuri, are you okay?" Masumi asked as she turned to him. She was surprised to see Yuri frozen with a look of pure terror on his face.
"Yuri?" Serena asked as well, but got no response either. At first she thought he was stunned by all the devastation around them. But when she looked at what Yuri was staring at, she also couldn't hide her own shock. 'Judai's eyes… they changed color?! Why?! And why is Yuri so freaked out by that?' This discovery also shocked her dark skinned friend. What Serena and Masumi did not understand was what those eyes meant… and what impact they had on the boy.
Yuri recalled all too well the last time he looked into those dark golden eyes. Things had not gone so well for him then. Ever since that incident, Yuri had been scared to death of what Judai Yuki was and what he was capable of. 'Those eyes… it's those same eyes as before! Why are those scary ass eyes back again?! What does it mean?!' Yuri's fears were compounded by the reappearance of the very female Monster that made short work of the Obelisk Force that day. He wished she would just go away already.
Putting Judai's mysterious eye condition aside for the time being, Serena looked over to where Dr. Zweinstein and Misawa were at and saw they were also covered by Summoned Monsters. The ones in question seemed to be a green man in feathers while the other was a woman wearing red. It seemed everyone was unharmed, thanks to Judai and his Monsters. 'Wait! How could Judai's Monsters have protected us from that explosion? I was under the impression that Duel Disks in this world don't have the capability to make Monster holograms solid.' Even though Serena knew Judai for a while now, she realized she didn't quite know everything about him.
"Everyone is good, right?" Judai asked loudly in a more serious voice than usual.
"Yeah, we're all fine." Asuka assured him.
"So are we!" Misawa responded, speaking for himself and his mentor.
Once he saw this himself, Judai recalled his Monsters (thanking them as he did) and allowed his power to recede, returning his eyes back to normal. "Man, that sure was way too close for comfort." He then saw that Serena, Yuri, and Masumi stared at him like he had two heads. "Uh… what's with the looks?" They never got the chance to ask about his "other side".
"Judai!" Judai and company turned to see Sho, Fubuki, and Yusuke run in from the other side of the arena. "We felt the ground rumbling and saw the smoke! Is anyone hurt?!" Sho asked frantically.
"No, bud. Everyone's okay." Judai assured him.
"What the hell happened?!" Fubuki demanded.
"We nearly got blown to bits by a more than slightly deranged guy." Johan said, surprising Sho's group.
"Johan! And Edo too! Why are you guys here?" Sho asked.
"Something that didn't go the way we wanted." Edo replied.
"Like what?" Yusuke asked
"I've got a much bigger question: What the hell is that?!" Manjome shouted while pointing toward the dueling arena. Or rather, what used to be the arena. In it's place was a huge dark white energy dome that covered the entire circumference of the area. It also appeared to be pulsing in a steady pace. The whole group was astounded by the sight.
"Woah!" Grace muttered.
"What the hell?" Gloria said disbelievingly.
"I'll say!" Rei replied.
"Indeed." Principal Samejima added.
"What in the world is this phenomenon?" Dr. Zweinstein asked, totally bewildered.
"The means to our end." Everyone turned back to the doors leading to the main hall, where Amon Garam had just entered. Judai, Asuka, Sho, Johan, Edo, and Manjome were shocked by his return.
"Amon?!" They all yelled. Amon smiled at their reactions.
"It has been quite some time, hasn't it?" He asked politely.
"Jun, is that the same Amon you talked about before?" Grace asked. Her boyfriend groaned.
"Unfortunately, yeah." Manjome said before he turned to his "personal enemy" with disdain. "I never imagined you would show your sorry ass here again." Amon chuckled.
"You and me both. I see you have a woman now." He said, seeing how friendly Grace seem to be to him. "I'm truly happy for you, Manjome." Manjome snorted.
"Not nearly as much as I am." He proudly declared, making Grace blush.
Amon then focused his attention on the former Osiris Red. "You've grown a bit since we last met, Judai."
"Amon… H-How are you back?" He questioned the utterly perplexed young man.
"Let me take a guess. Lightning brought you back like when he had you duel me and Kenzan?" Manjome questioned.
Amon raised any eyebrow. "Lightning? Are you referring to that mysterious voice from before? If so, I really don't now. I just somehow ended up back in this world after our Duel. I haven't heard that voice again since." His facial expression then hardened. "But enough about that. I have a much more important mission now."
"What mission?" Judai asked.
"To save my littler brother, no thanks to you." Amon responded angrily at the boy. This declaration stunned them all.
"Meaning what?" Judai demanded, offended by the comment. Amon sneered at him.
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Judai. Soon enough, you will pay."
'Pay for what?! I didn't do anything!' The young man thought incredulously.
"What is wrong with your brother?" Gloria asked more rationally. Amon sighed.
"My brother, Shido, fell into a coma last month. His condition has not changed. A new associate of mine dropped by around that time and offered a solution to help Shido wake up." Amon then motioned to the energy dome. "What you see there is a door to another dimension… but not the one you were originally hoping to travel to. It is there that phase two of the plan to revive my brother can take place."
"Who's helping you?" Johan asked curiously.
"That I'm not telling. Sorry, Johan." Amon said, having no intention of mentioning Devil Kaiser.
"What does this have to do with your brother?" Misawa asked.
"And how do you have access to this special dimension of yours?" Dr. Zweinstein inquired. Amon chuckled at the scientist.
"Your assistant, Ryan Stevens, actually worked for me on the inside." He revealed.
"He what?!" The old man yelled in total shock. Everyone else was just as shocked to hear the truth.
"While he was helping you put together your dimensional doorway, he also secretly altered the dimensional codes by locking on to a completely different source of energy. Once that was done, all Ryan had to do was "press the button" shall we say. And lo and behold, he completed his objective." Amon explained.
"I knew something felt off about that young man from the start. To think, he was plotting against me the whole time." Said the discouraged scientist.
"But then, what happened to Ryan when that door opened?" Misawa asked. "Did he somehow survive?" Amon shook his head.
"I very much doubt it. You saw the destruction caused here by that contraption. I'll bet you anything he didn't make it."
"Damn. The dumb bastard was willing to die for something like this." Kenzan muttered, lamenting the death of his opponent.
"You still didn't answer my previous question regarding your brother, Amon." Misawa asked again.
"If you insist, Misawa. All the energy from dueling inside that dimension will be gathered to make a serum powerful enough to revive Shido. The ones participating are me, my group, and whichever Duelists they will face… to the death." Amon said.
"Death?!" Judai and the others said in disbelief. They were liking this situation less and less.
"Oh, did I mention that when you lose a Duel in that other dimension that your life force will be sucked right out of you?" Amon asked casually.
"No you sure as hell didn't!" Manjome yelled.
"Why would you do something that will cost people their lives?!" Serena asked furiously.
"Right now, the only life that matters to me is my brother's. I will do what I must to help him." Amon said in an unexpectedly detached way.
"Where is this "group" of yours anyway?" Edo asked. It was then that Echo came in with her two subordinates.
"My King will accomplish his mission." Echo said proudly as she stood next to him, along with a man and woman in military uniforms. "With us by his side, nothing shall stop him!"
"Echo?! You're alive too?! How?!" Edo shouted. He remembered what happened to her in the past. Amon had sacrificed her to gain the power of Exodia in that other dimension. Judai shared his surprise, since he witnessed that even as well. Echo smiled.
"That I will never tell." She replied coolly.
"Our Captain won't say anything to the likes of you, so don't bother asking further." Said the rude blonde man next to her.
"It is best that you all just cooperate for what we came here to do." Said the orange haired woman.
"Commander MacKenzie and Lieutenant Rabb here are my two best and loyal officers. They are here at my request for our mission." Echo explained.
MacKenzie scanned the crowd until she laid eyes on Fubuki and gasped. 'That guy… could it be?' She continued to study him as the others talked.
"So you must the girl Amon tossed away like nothing." Manjome said to Echo. "How come you're still with that bastard, after how he treated you?" He demanded. Echo gave him an angry glare.
"Don't you dare address him that way. My feelings for Amon will never change. I will stand by him no matter what."
'Delusional.' Manjome thought.
Despite the circumstances, Asuka couldn't help but admire Echo's determination to stay with Amon despite his prior treatment of her. It almost mirrored her own stance with Judai. Of course, Judai would never sacrifice her, or anyone really, for power like Amon had done.
"We are also taking part in this grand festivity." Judai, Asuka, and Principal Samejima were stunned beyond belief to see none other than the two teachers that went missing.
"Chronos?!" Judai shouted, not believing what he was seeing.
"Emi?!" Asuka added, her own incredulity.
"What is the meaning of this?! Why are you two with them?!" Samejima demanded. Chronos chuckled.
"Simple, Principal. Miss Emi and myself have seen the light, and we will see to it that it's will is carried out."
"And soon, everyone else here will." Emi said with an arrogant smile.
"Light? What Light?" Masumi asked. She, Serena, Yuri, and the Tyler Sisters recalled Ryan saying the same thing before he tried to blow everyone to bits. Of course, none of them had any idea what it meant.
Judai, Asuka, Manjome, and Edo all glanced at one another with a knowing look. 'Could this mean the Light of Destruction has returned?' Judai guessed.
'How could that be? We have sealed it away ourselves.' Yubel said, also surprised by this turn of events.
'Yeah, and how did it take Chronos and Emi?' Judai added, his confusion growing.
"What did you do to my staff members?!" Samejima angrily asked Amon.
"I wasn't the one responsible. That's all I'm saying." He replied.
"Cut the bullcrap! This is your doing, so spill it you stuck up prick!" Manjome said heatedly.
"Always with the foul mouth, little brother?" Manjome was shocked even more to see one of his older brothers now standing with his adversary.
"Chosaku?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Chosaku chuckled.
"That's actually a very interesting story, Jun. You'll hear it… right before I duel you into oblivion."
"He's your brother?" Grace asked, surprised. Manjome nodded again.
"My oldest brother. I have another older brother named Shoji, who is younger than Chosaku. Shoji is the best in the financial business, while Chosaku here is a top notch politician. They both have high expectations for me, wanting me to be at the top in the world of dueling."
"From what I hear, you're doing well in the Pro League." Chosaku said before sneering. "But your success there doesn't justify the "sin" you committed against our family!"
"Sin?!" Manjome said, not understanding what his brother was getting at. "The hell's that supposed to mean?!" His brother didn't reply. 'What is going on with him? What did I do to piss him off?' Before Manjome could question his brother further…
"Fubuki?!" All eyes were on Commander MacKenzie. She stared at Asuka's brother with such immense shock that she appeared close to fainting. She was sure of who he was now. "Can it be you?"
"You know her?" A surprised Asuka asked Fubuki, who seemed very confused.
"I'm… not sure." He said with uncertainty.
"You don't remember me?" MacKenzie questioned with a pleading look in her eyes.
Fubuki studied the woman's face carefully. 'Now that l look at her, she does kind of look familiar. Where have I seen her before?' He felt something nagging in the back of his mind. Maybe a lost memory? But he just couldn't place it.
MacKenzie then took out a locket she wore around her her neck beneath the collar of her uniform. She held it up and opened it. It revealed a picture of a much younger Fubuki inside it, surprising the young man and his sister even further. "I know it has been a long time, but you must remember this. You have mine too. Remember that, and your promise?" MacKenzie urged.
"You have a picture of that woman? And what promise did she mean?" Asuka asked her still confused brother. 'I don't recall Fubuki ever having a locket with her in all the years I've know him. If he did, how come he never mentioned her before?'
Fubuki's memory felt another tug. He felt he was close to the answer, but it still somehow eluded him. Instead of answering his sister's question, he asked his own toward the Commander. "What did Echo say your name was?"
"MacKenzie." She told him, loud and clear.
"MacKenzie…" Fubuki muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes in concentration. He studied the locket again before focusing on the woman's face once more. Then, all of sudden, it clicked. That name had been the thing he needed to trigger his memory. Like a flood, many old memories from long ago came back in waves and waves. His eyes grew wider and gasped. He finally remembered. "Reggie?! Is that really you?!" He exclaimed.
Reggie smiled as her eyes started to moisten. "You remember. About time, you big flirt." She said in a shaky voice. Judai and the others were more surprised than ever.
"I am so lost right now." Judai said while scratching his head.
"How the heck do you know her?" Yusuke asked Fubuki, who smiled warmly.
"Reggie Mackenzie and I knew each other when we were little kids. Asuka wasn't around at the time. We were very close and spent a lot of time playing together. One day, Reggie told me her family was moving away to another country. We were both upset and didn't want to stop seeing each other, but there was nothing we could do about it. So, the day last saw one another, both of us gave each other lockets with our pictures on them. Her locket had my picture and mine had hers. We also both made a promise to one day find each other again." Fubuki then blushed a little. "Right before she gave a peck on the check."
Reggie chuckled. "I couldn't let that opportunity pass up." She then frowned. "Several years later, I found out through the grapevine that you got into Duel Academy. I was in military school during that time. I was thinking about going to your school to surprise you, but then…" she paused, pain showing on her face. "I heard that you disappeared along with several other students, and that you were never found. I actually feared the worst. That news devastated me. I cried all night, berating myself for not finding you again sooner. After that, I completely dedicated myself to the military and eventually became Commander. But in all that time, I kept the locket you gave me. It was the only thing I had that reminded me of you." She said, a tear flowing down her check. "I never actually thought I'd ever see you again, Fubuki. I missed you so much."
"Reggie…" Fubuki said, hurting to see his old friend suffer like that.
"Why didn't you ever mention her before?" Asuka asked. Fubuki flushed a little.
"Sorry sis. Her leaving was a very sad time for me. I didn't want you to think I was hurting or anything." Fubuki then turned back to his old friend. "I missed you too, Reggie. I'm so sorry you went through all that pain… because of me. I can't believe I forgot about you." He figured all that time possessed by Darkness somehow screwed with his memory a bit until now. Reggie shook her head.
"What matters is that you remember. Do you still have your locket?"
"I…" Fubuki was about to reply when Rabb butted in.
"Enough with this sappy crap. We have a job to do, remember MacKenzie? Don't you dare get soft now by conversing with a guy that completely forgot about you." Reggie stared angrily at him.
"David…" She was about to give him a big piece of her mind when her superior got there first.
"Lieutenant Rabb, keep your comments to yourself." Echo ordered coldly. Rabb snorted before turning away.
"Aye, Captain." He uttered annoyingly. Echo then turned to Reggie and somewhat softened her tone.
"MacKenzie, Rabb may have been out of line, but he's right. We need to stay focused and get our mission done without any further distractions. Can you do that?" Reggie looked from Echo to Fubuki with regret in her eyes.
"Reggie, are you really going along with this?" Fubuki asked. His old childhood friend looked away, refusing to answer him. Instead, she turned to her superior.
"Captain Echo, I know I gave you my word I will provide my assistance for this mission. But… now I have a condition."
"Which is?" Echo asked, not liking that her subordinate's loyalty was wavering.
"It must not include Fubuki Tenjoin." She said boldly, to the surprise of Echo and Fubuki. "If he becomes involved, I will leave right here and now. I refuse to be part of an operation where his life could be at risk. Please keep him out of it. Do that, and I will follow your orders to the letter."
"Reggie… don't do this. Please." Fubuki tried again. Once more, she did not reply to him.
As for Echo, she frowned from her officer's request. She had never acted rebellious toward her before. Reggie was always obedient and respectful. Seeing her old friend again clearly changed things for her. On the other hand, Echo saw how much Fubuki meant to Reggie. 'It would seem her feelings for him are not so different from mine for Amon.' She then faced her own beloved. Amon shrugged, apparently not opposing to Reggie's request. Echo sighed. "Very well, MacKenzie. If Mr. Tenjoin agrees, then I will approve your request."
While Reggie seemed relieved, Fubuki couldn't have felt more the opposite. "You can't be serious Reggie! We're talking about people's lives here! Why would you take part in something like this?!" Reggie once more looked regretful.
"I have to Fubuki. Please promise you won't be dueling us. I can't bear to lose you again." Reggie urged.
"Reggie…" Fubuki was about to argue further when Yusuke grabbed his shoulder, getting his attention.
"Fubuki, stop. She's clearly made up her mind. Just accept this for now. We'll figure out something later." Fubuki wanted to protest further, but he knew Yusuke was right. He couldn't do anything regarding Reggie for the moment. With a heavy sigh, he accepted.
"Fine. I'm staying out of this." He declared reluctantly. Reggie appeared grateful.
"Thank you." She said. Fubuki stared back angrily. Reggie knew he didn't like this one bit, nor did she. But this was the only way to keep him safe.
"Then, I take it that we should decide now who will duel against whom?" Sho asked after an awkward second.
"Funny you should be the one to ask, Sho Marufuji." Sho gasped when he saw the next member of Amon's team approach from the shadows. He recognized him instantly.
"Makoto?!" The older Duelist smirked as he took his spot with the others. Judai and Samejima recognized him as well from the Duelist's last visit.
'Not him again.' The principal thought with annoyance.
"Bingo. Our last Duel left a very sour taste in my mouth. But I'm back and stronger than ever!" He then pointed at Sho. "To prove it, I will defeat you and finally wipe your inferior Cyber-Style off the map once and for all!"
"You want a rematch? But why? We already settled this months ago!" Sho retorted. Makoto snorted.
"That was just a temporary setback. I never once gave up on my mission. With the new power I've acquired, I will bury you and your "Cyber" Monsters!"
"What's this guy's deal, Sho?" Serena asked, not understanding the situation. Sho looked rather uncomfortable as he explained.
"Makoto Inotsume came from a dueling dojo that focused on Jinzo-Style Decks. It rivaled with the Cyber-Style dojo my brother went to. Eventually, the Jinzo dojo Duelists were all defeated and their style was abandoned… all except for Makoto. A few months before I graduated, he came after my brother to prove his dojo's dueling style was superior to Ryo's. Due to his poor health, Ryo couldn't finish the Duel himself. I then took his place, added his cards to my Deck, and defeated Makoto three days later."
"And now I've come to deliver some serious payback, Marufuji!" Makoto declared. "Today, we shall duel with not just our respective dueling styles, but also our very lives on the line! What say you?"
Sho grimaced as he turned away, unconsciously putting his hand over the pocket where the box contains his brother's cards was. He never thought he had to deal with Makoto again, especially since he removed all of Ryo's cards from his Deck. He didn't believe he stood a chance the way he was now.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Ryo had witnessed everything that's been happening from the entrance above a few rows of seats. He arrived within the arena just after Sho's group did. He was relieved that everyone was okay, especially Sho. No one had noticed him yet, nor did he want to be. He still didn't think Sho should see him this soon.
Ryo was surprised by all he saw and what he heard since he showed up. Now, this Makoto guy seemed to want more than just to beat Sho and prove his Deck's superiority. He sounded like he actually wanted to take his life! Plus, Ryo could tell something was wrong with Sho. It was not just because he was still suffering from the other Ryo's death. The way he held his hand over his jacket like that meant something, plus his hesitancy to accept Makoto's challenge. Not only that, but both Yusuke and Fubuki looked at Sho with great concern. They seemed to not want Sho to duel that jackass, like they knew something no one else did that would put Sho in even further risk. If that was the case, then he couldn't let his counterpart's brother go through with it. 'I have to do something or Sho will be in serious danger.' Ryo thought before coming to a drastic decision…
"Well, Sho! I'm waiting! What will it be?!" Makoto demanded impatiently.
Sho saw that Fubuki and Yusuke were both giving him pleading looks. They, along with Flame, were the only ones who knew of Sho's secret with his Deck. He couldn't tell the others, not even Judai (at least not at that moment). He knew he shouldn't refuse a challenge to a Duel, even if it was one where he might lose and die. 'Then again, maybe it won't be so bad...' Sho suddenly thought. Perhaps Makoto could end his suffering. Sho then decided that he would fight with all he had as he was, and if he lost… he believed he would finally, truly pay for his unforgivable sin and be at peace. He took a deep breath and let it out. "Makoto, I…"
"I will accept your challenge, Makoto!" Sho and the crowd twisted around to see Ryo walk down the staircase between seats, a look of conviction on his face. "There is no need for my little brother to humiliate you again! Plus, I wanted the opportunity to defeat you myself! I can assure you, I won't have any health issues this time!"
"Ryo?!" Sho exclaimed, extremely surprised to see his brother's counterpart getting involved. Everyone else was just as shocked, but even more so were Amon and his team.
'So then… this must be that "other Ryo" Chronos and Emi filled us in on.' Amon thought. Last night, after they were brainwashed and added to their ranks, the two Duel Academy teachers informed them of the alternative Ryo Marufuji working as Chronos' assistant. Devil Kaiser was the most surprised of all. Despite this unexpected discovery, he felt the other Ryo's presence shouldn't affect their overall plan. Even with this knowledge, the team were still not expecting him to get in the middle of this.
Makoto stared disbelievingly as Ryo reached the main floor and came in between him and Sho.
"Ryo, stay out of this! This isn't your fight!" Sho said, now sounding upset. Ryo ignored him and kept his face forward, resisting the urge to turn around.
"As you recall Makoto, we started a Duel but Sho took over in the end. Our battle was never really settled. I want us to have a "proper" Duel. You and me. Wouldn't you prefer that?"
Makoto was bewildered and miffed by this Ryo's butting in. He was about to tell him that he knew he wasn't actually the former Kaiser and to go shove it, but he recalled Devil Kaiser warning him and the others to not give any hint of his existence or the consequences would be "worse than death" as he eloquently put it. Calling out on this alternate Ryo's identity would probably do just that. Although, this presented Makoto with a rare opportunity. He seemed to actually consider Ryo's words. His frown then became a devious smile, his mind made up. "You know what? Maybe this is a blessing. Alright Ryo… I'll take you on instead."
"Good." Ryo said, pleased that Sho would be spared.
Sho, however, wasn't. "Ryo, you can't do this! I should face him! Let me…!" He was cut off when Ryo suddenly whipped around and peered down at Sho with a sharp look.
"That's enough, Sho!" He shouted, his voice taking on a harsh tone. "The decision has been made! As your older brother, I'm ordering you to drop this and stay back with those that are not fighting! Do I make myself clear?!"
Sho was stunned. The way Ryo stared at him, his eyes showing nothing but conviction reminded him of his brother. Once Ryo made up his mind, he would not change it. What this other Ryo was doing was no different. Sho's fists tightened for a brief second before he relaxed them.
"Fine…" He replied pitifully and uneasily moved back to stand with Fubuki and Yusuke. Ryo saw that both of the older boys gave him a grateful nod.
'Ryo… why would he interfere like that? He knows Sho can handle himself in a Duel, plus he heard that Sho had kicked Makoto's butt last time. What gives?' Judai thought, taken aback by Ryo's unexpected actions. When this was over, he planned to have a word with him about it.
Amon then cleared his throat. "Well, with all the family drama over, what say we get our contest started?" He saw, motioning toward the dark white dome.
"Hold it! Why do we have to go inside that thing in the first place?" Edo interjected. Amon sighed as he looked over at Echo, who pulled out two devices from within her uniform. One of them was a flat square with a white button on it. The other, the one with a black button, looked liked a detonator.
"Let me put this in another way. If anyone refuses to comply, Echo will push that black button and the energy used to maintain that doorway will blast this whole damn island to pieces." Everyone gasped in horror.
"Blow up the island?! Are you mad?!" A terrified Samejima demanded.
"Not mad sir… desperate." Amon said before moving on. "Now to business. When Echo presses the white button, that dome will expand to cover this whole area. Everyone it covers will instantly be sent to our "new arena". Me and my associates here will duel against our opponents there. The damage taken inside will be real so be expecting more than a few bumps and scraps. If you want to survive, don't hold back." Amon advised. He paused to let this sink in before moving on. "I've already decided to take you down myself, Judai." He said to his chosen enemy, who gritted his teeth. "Manjome and Ryo clearly have been chosen by their respective adversaries. That leaves Echo, MacKenzie, Rabb, Chronos, and Emi. Who will they get to face?"
"I've got Echo." Asuka said, eyeing the woman who devoted herself to the madman who threatened everyone she knew and loved.
"I'll face Commander MacKenzie." Johan decided.
"I will handle Lieutenant Rabb." Edo said.
"I will bring Emi back to her senses." Gloria said before turning to her sister, who looked worried. "Don't worry Grace. I'll be fine." Grace nodded, though still felt uneasy.
"I know you got this, sis." She said.
"That just leaves yours truly then. Who will be unfortunate enough to face my superior skills?" Chronos challenged arrogantly. Yuri smirked as he stepped forward.
"How about me?" Suddenly, Masumi moved and took Yuri's hand. "Masumi?!" The girl gave Yuri a determined stare.
"Yuri, something tells me we should defeat him as a team. I think we both know Professor Medici is being controlled somehow. If we work together, we just might snap him out of it." Masumi had another reason for tagging with him. Yuri didn't show it, but he still seemed shaky from whatever was going on with Judai. She was afraid he might become distracted because of that and could jeopardize his life. She wasn't going to let anything happen to him in that unknown place.
Yuri started dumbfounded at her. "You sure?" He asked. Masumi nodded.
"Yes." Yuri smiled at her as he held her hand tighter.
"Okay then. Guess it's a date." Masumi blushed furiously from hearing that.
"W-Whatever." She softly muttered. Chronos chuckled.
"Well isn't that adorable? Very well then, a 2 on 1 match it is. I'm confident I can squash you both."
"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents." Yuri warned. Chronos didn't seem the least bit concerned.
Little did they or anyone else knew, one member of Judai's friends had not made himself known. Within Yusuke's Duel Disk, Flame stayed silent and began figuring out a way to save the others from this awful mess. 'People dying from losing a Duel in some messed up dimension? Not if I have anything to say on the matter!' Thought the Fire Ignis, confident he could do it.
Amon eyed everyone participating. "Alright. Looks to me like we got our matches set up. All that's left now is for all of us to enter our "new" arena. Echo… do it." Amon ordered his right hand woman. With a complying nod, Echo pressed the white button.
One by one, everyone was encompassed by the strange energy… where the two teams would fight for their lives.
To be continued.