The final battle against Devil Kaiser is here! I was originally going to put the Duel in last chapter, but I decided to split it up because I feared it would end up too long. But it's here now! I really enjoyed writing this one! Mwahahaha!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 44: Kaiser Arc – Part 16
Devil Kaiser grinned maliciously as his three opponents now stood before him. Sho stood in the middle, with Judai on his right and Serena to his left. All three then activated their Duel Disks. "Whatever you are, whatever reason you're really here, my friends and I will stop you!" Sho bravely declared.
"You will try." Devil Kaiser replied as he too activated his Disk, starting the final battle in the Domain of Destruction.
"DUEL!"
(Devil Kaiser: 4000) (Sho: 4000) (Judai: 4000) (Serena: 4000)
"The first move is mine. My turn! Draw!" Devil Kaiser smirked at his opening hand. "I Set one Monster in Defense Mode, Set two cards facedown, and end my turn."
Sho was extremely wary of his opponent. He knew next to nothing about him. He had to be careful. "I'm going next! My turn! Draw!" The card he drew might shed some light on Devil Kaiser's tactics...
"Trap card open, Needlebug Nest!" Devil Kaiser interrupted. "This allows me to send the top five cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!"
'Why would he do that?' Sho wondered before he proceeded with his turn. "I Set four cards facedown, then I Summon Patroid!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1200) What appeared to be a police car in robot form materialized before Sho. "I activate Patroid's Effect! Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can look at one of your facedown cards, then put it back in how it was! I'm choosing to peek at your facedown Monster!"
Devil Kaiser smiled wickedly as his facedown Monster was revealed. (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 2100) The thing looked like a machine like purple dragon with large, dark green wings with long metal spikes.
Sho was momentarily surprised by what he saw. 'That Monster… it looks similar to the Cyber Dark Monsters Ryo and I used to have. But it can't be.' Sho didn't want to think what this could mean. It just wasn't possible.
"What do you think of my Cyber Dark Chimera? Looks so much like it's brethren, doesn't it?" Devil Kaiser asked with great amusement before his Monster got Set back facedown.
"Cyber Dark?" Serena asked. Judai, Ryo, and Samejima gasped in shock more than most of the others. Sho started to tremble. He was beginning to understand what he was truly dealing with… and it was so much worse than he ever imagined.
"No. No! That's… That's impossible! You can't have the Cyber-Art Reverse Deck! There's no way you can!" Sho said in denial. Devil Kaiser then snarled.
"Why not? Because you destroyed the cards yourself?" Sho's shocked silence said it all. Devil Kaiser went on. "Oh yes. I know full well what you did that day, Sho. The day you thought you helped your brother get his dueling life back. Only, you took it all away."
"What is he talking about?" Serena asked. Sho didn't answer her. He only looked down. He knew everyone had to be staring at him again by now.
Devil Kaiser regained his malicious grin as he noted the confusion on nearly everyone else's faces. "What's this? You didn't tell them?" Sho still wouldn't answer. "Oh this is going to be good." The villain turned to face everyone. "The cards of the Cyber-Art Reverse Deck, the Cyber Dark cards, prevented Sho's big brother from dueling ever again. Sho wanted to fix that problem by burning the Cyber Dark cards, thinking that would break their hold on the former "Kaiser". The thing was, it didn't fix poor Ryo. Instead, destroying those cards caused Ryo's heart to be diseased beyond repair! The power from those cards did the same with both his replacement hearts, keeping him from recovering! Within a month of that little event, Ryo Marufuji died on his bed… and I arose later in his place!" Devil Kaiser pointed a thumb at himself. "Do you see it now? I am the manifestation of the Cyber Dark cards Sho foolishly burned away! He is not only the cause of his big brother's death, but also the one who allowed me to take over his brother's body for myself! All the events that took place today only happened because your so called "friend" made the biggest mistake of his life!" Devil Kaiser laughed insanely at revealing his secret origin to Sho's friends.
Nobody said a word, but continued to stare at the young Marufuji… most of them deeply shocked by what they had heard. "Sho… is this true?" Serena eventually asked. Still, Sho refused to reply or even look up. He kept had his head lowered, most of his face covered by his bangs. "Sho!" Serena tried again, but to no avail.
"It's true." Judai answered for his best friend, causing the stunned Serena to turn to him. "Sho told me everything last month when me and the others came back from your world. At least the part about the Cyber Dark cards killing Ryo he told me about."
"I've heard the story too." Ryo admitted. Now everyone turned to him, surprised further. "However, we've never heard the part about my counterpart's body being taken over by the spirits of those cards. I'm thinking Sho didn't explain that because he never knew it himself."
"You both knew all this and didn't tell us?!" Manjome said incredulously.
"It wasn't our secret to tell." Ryo told him firmly.
"That's my excuse too." Judai added. 'Heck, I don't think even Flame knew the truth either.'
He was right. Flame heard every word from Devil Kaiser and was just as shocked as anyone. 'Damn. This whole time I've been hanging out with Sho, and he never uttered a word of this. The guilt he must be feeling must be unbearable…' That's when the Fire Ignis understood. This had to be Sho's reason for removing all the "Cyber Dragon" cards earlier. Fubuki and Yusuke stared at one another, realizing the same thing themselves.
'Sho…' Serena could hardly imagine the depth of Sho's pain. It had to have been killing him everyday for the past month!
Devil Kaiser was enjoying every second of Sho's suffering from the truth being exposed. "Yes. What an agonizing tragedy, wouldn't you agree Sho?" The younger Duelist remained silent. "Come now. You must have something to say?" Finally, Sho spoke a few words.
"I… I end my turn." He said it just loud enough for everyone to hear. He sounded cracked, broken.
Hearing him speak like that caused pain in Serena's own heart… great emotional pain. It was almost too much for her to see Sho like this. How could she possibly help him?
"Hey freakshow! Leave my best friend alone!" Judai shouted loudly, making Devil Kaiser face him. "He's been going through enough already without you pouring more salt into the wound! I won't let you make things even worse for him! Get ready, cause it's my move now! My turn! Draw!" Judai was determined to do what he could to help Sho beat that dark spirit. "First I play a Continuous Magic card called EN Wave! You'll see it in action before long! Then I play Polymerization to Fuse Elemental Hero Neos and Neo-Spacian Black Panther in my hand! Warrior of Light, merge with the Cat of Darkness and create a new brave Hero! Fusion Summon! Appear! Elemental Hero Brave Neos!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2000) The latest form of Judai's Ace looked very similar to the original, except it had two blue diamond knee guards and a blue/silver shoulder guard for each shoulder. "For each "Hero" and "Neo-Spacian" Monster in my Graveyard, Brave Neos gains 100 additional Attack Points! Since both Neos and Black Panther fit the bill, that's 200!" Brave Neos glowed silver as it's strength grew.
(100 x 2 = 200)
(Elemental Hero Brave Neos' ATK: 2500 + 200 = 2700)
"Judai isn't holding back for this." Misawa noticed, seeing how serious Judai was now.
"Now the Effect of EN Wave activates! Once per turn, if one or more of my "Elemental Hero" Monsters is used for a Fusion Summon and is sent to the Graveyard or banished, I can Special Summon a "Neo-Spacian" or a "Elemental Hero Neos" from my Deck! I'm Special Summoning Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin in Defense Mode!" (WATER; Level 3; ATK: 600; DEF: 800) A blue humanoid dolphin appeared, kneeling next to Brave Neos.
"What can that do?" Yuri asked.
"You're about to find out." Asuka said with a smile.
"Next up is Aqua Dolphin's Monster Effect! Once per turn, by discarding a card from my hand, I can look at your hand and choose a Monster in it! Echo Location!" One sonic blast from the alien's mouth forced Devil Kaiser to reveal the only Monster in his hand in hologram form: A long, dark purple mecha worm. (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1600; DEF: 800)
"My Cyber Dark Cannon! What is this?" Devil Kaiser questioned.
"Here's the thing! If I have a Monster on my Field with more Attack Points than the chosen Monster, the latter gets destroyed! Right now, my Brave Neos is way stronger than your ugly metal worm! Therefore, it heads straight to the Graveyard! Lastly, Devil Kaiser… you lose 500 Life Points!"
"Why you! Gah!" Devil Kaiser cursed when his Cyber Dark Cannon was blown to pieces.
(Devil Kaiser: 4000 - 500 = 3500)
"Nice!" Manjome cheered.
"Here's another thing! The card I discarded to activate Aqua Dolphin's Effect was another of my friends from out of this world: Neo-Spacian Grand Mole! With another "Neo-Spacian" in my Graveyard, Brave Neos gets another 100 point boost!" Judai revealed. His Fusion Monster's Attack Power was now at 2800. "Now then, I'll Set my last card facedown and call it a turn."
"I'll get you for that, Judai Yuki." Devil Kaiser promised. Though he was annoyed by Judai's cards, he still felt confident he would win in the end.
"Don't you forget about me! I won't let you hurt Sho either! My turn! Draw!" Serena declared, starting her move next. "I Summon Moonlight Emerald Bird!" (DARK: Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1000) A female light green humanoid bird with dark green wings attacked to it's arms appeared. "I activate the Effect of Emerald Bird! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can send a "Moonlight" card from my hand to the Graveyard to draw another card! I'll choose Moonlight Indigo Mink! When Indigo Mink goes to the Graveyard by the Effect of a "Moonlight" Monster, I can Special Summon two "Moonlight" Monsters from my Deck, but with their Effects negated! From my Deck, I Special Summon Moonlight White Rabbit and Moonlight Black Sheep!" (DARK: Level 2; ATK: 100; 600) Next to Serena's 800 Attack Point white humanoid rabbit was a pale skinned female wearing a long black dancing outfit with two large orange horns in the back.
"She's gearing up for a powerful Fusion as well." Gloria said, and assessment both her sister and Yuri agreed.
"I now play Polymerization to Fuse my three Monsters together! The elegant green bird cast by the moon's glow! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! The beast lurking in jet-black darkness! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and emerge with a new power formed from these three! Fusion Summon! Come forth! Moonlight Sabre Dancer!" (DARK: Level 9; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2600) In place of Serena's weaker Monsters was a tall, purpled skinned woman with long, wild blond hair and wore a dark pink dress. It also held a pair of twin swords in it's hands. "Sabre Dancer can't be targeted by my opponent's card effects! Also, it gains 200 Attack Points for each "Beast-Warrior" Monster that is banished or in the Graveyards! There are four, so my Fusion Monster gains 800 Attack Points total!" Serena's Monster also gave a glow when it powered up, this time a dark pink glow.
(200 x 4 = 800)
(Moonlight Sabre Dancer's ATK: 3000 + 800 = 3800)
"Tough looking dancer alright." Asuka noted, impressed.
"Now for Emerald Bird's other Effect! Because it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Moonlight" Monster that was either banished or in my Graveyard in Defense Mode but with it's Effects negated, except for "Emerald Bird" itself! I Special Summon Indigo Mink in Defense Mode!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 2000) Kneeling next to Sabre Dancer was a gorgeous blue haired, fair skinned woman wearing a revealing but tight indigo dress with an indigo scarf around it's next. The dress had the face of a mink in the center. "With one less "Moonlight" Monster in my Graveyard, Sabre Dancer's Attack Power drops a bit, but she's still more than capable of slashing you and your Monster to ribbons!" Serena said while her Fusion Monster's Attack Points dropped to 3600. "I now Set one card facedown and end my turn."
Devil Kaiser saw that both Judai and Serena have strong Monsters to defend them. Sho's, however, was by far the weakest. He knew who to go after first. "My turn! Draw!" He smiled wickedly. "I activate Cyber Dark Impact! It returns "Cyber Dark Horn", "Cyber Dark Edge", and "Cyber Dark Keel" from my hand, Field, or Graveyard to my Deck to Special Summon their combined form! I return them to my Deck from the Graveyard! Fusion Summon! Appear! Armored Black Dragon - Cyber Dark Dragon!" (DARK; Level 8; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1000) Appearing before it's master was a big, long, black and dark grey metal dragon with no arms of legs. It's wings looked like it shred anything apart. Lastly, it's head had four huge horns around it's face.
Sho grimaced at the sight of the hell-like machine. He remembered all too well the last time he confronted it. It did not turn out so well for Sho himself.
"Not so tough for a Level 8 Monster." Serena taunted.
"You might want to rethink that." Judai warned her, knowing what the Monster was capable of.
"He's right. My Fusion Monster is about to get so much stronger! When Cyber Dark Dragon is Special Summoned, I can take a "Dragon" Monster from my Graveyard and Equip it to my Monster! After that, Cyber Dark Dragon gains that Monster's Attack Points! From my Graveyard, I Equip it with Hell Dragon and add it's 2000 Attack Points to it's own power!" Cyber Dark Dragon extended some wires, pierced beneath the ground and pulled out a black dragon with a horn on it's snout. The Dragon then became entangled in the wirings as it became connected to the evil machine.
(Cyber Dark Dragon's ATK: 1000 + 2000 = 3000)
"I hate that thing! It looks like it just enslaved that Monster!" Ryo complained furiously.
"That's the point of the Cyber-Art Reverse Deck." Samejima said. "The Fusion Monsters of that Deck take other Monsters and use their power for themselves. It was one of the many reasons that Deck was locked away… until it was taken by this world's Ryo Marufuji."
"Why would the other Ryo use a Deck like that?" Gloria asked, also not happy with the display.
"It's a long story." Samejima said with a sigh.
"Cyber Dark Dragon also gains 100 more Attack Points for each Monster in my Graveyard! Only one remains there, and it just happened to be the one Cyber Dark Cannon that Judai himself destroyed with his Monster's Effect!" Judai groaned from that.
(Cyber Dark Dragon's ATK: 3000 + 100 = 3100)
"It can't get worse than that, right?" Grace asked. She was about to wish she hadn't.
"Now then, I think it is time to turn up the heat! I play my Field Magic card: Cyber Dark Inferno!" At once, the playing Field changed. Surrounding the four Duelists was a huge ring of fire, and scattered everywhere were dozens of jagged black stones that glistened like hot metal. It looked like they just arrived in Hell itself. "While this card is active, all "Cyber Dark" Effect Monsters I control that have Equip cards attached cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects!"
"Apparently it can get worse." Rei said in a discouraged tone.
As he and the others gazed around, Sho saw images playing out on each of the stones. None of them were good.
"What are those?" Serena asked while looking around. Judai didn't answer, but frowned while looking at Sho. He knew what they were witnessing, and he hated Devil Kaiser for pulling this stunt.
Wherever he turned, Sho saw a terrible memory from his past. On one stone was where his brother, the Ryo he knew, sacrificed himself to save Sho from the vampire Duelist, Camula. Then he saw Ryo, as "Hell Kaiser", on TV, to great shock from another stone. Sho also saw himself lose to Ryo in a Duel after that, failing to bring him back to his old self. There was also the time Ryo "died" during his Duel with Yubel while she was possessing Johan's body. He also saw the memories of Ryo collapsing, learning that he was dying and, worst of all… the very day Ryo passed away in their apartment. Every word and every sound could be heard from the images. And the worst part was that the memories were in a constant loop, playing over and over again nonstop. Sho was forced to experience all of this repeatedly without end. He was shaking again before falling to his knees, his hands on his head. He looked like he could break down and burst into tears any second. "Stop. Please… just stop." He begged in the most pitiful voice Serena ever heard.
Devil Kaiser laughed. "There is no mercy for you! This is what you deserve for failing your brother! This is your Hell, Sho Marufuji!"
"Those are… Sho's memories?" Masumi asked in a hushed tone.
"Talk about a new definition of pain and suffering." Yuri muttered.
Ryo gritted his teeth and snarled. 'Damn you, Devil Kaiser!'
Hating what was happening, Serena turned to the evil that was tormenting her friend. "Stop it! Stop doing this to Sho!" Devil Kaiser smirked at her.
"Why should I? Sho brought this upon himself. If he had not been so stupid, I wouldn't be here to rightfully torture him. He had it coming."
"No! You're wrong! Sho only wanted to help his brother!" Serena retorted.
"And you now know how well that played out." Devil Kaiser reminded her. "He is a person that deserves nothing less than to be constantly reminded of how much of a failure he truly is."
"SCREW YOU!" Serena screamed, her fury at it's peak. "Sho Marufuji is the one of the best people I've ever met! He's strong, kind, and puts the well-being of others ahead of himself! I'm glad I have met him, to have him in my life! I swear to you, I will help him and Judai take you down!"
"Serena…" Sho barely said above a whisper. Her words of comfort and support, her pledge to aid in defeating Devil Kaiser brought a warmth to his heart he hadn't felt since… since the day he first met her.
"You tell him girl!" A pleased Judai said. Devil Kaiser snorted.
"Don't make promises you can't keep." He then refocused on the Duel. "I now activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy one of Sho's facedown cards!"
'Not my Life Force!' Sho was dismayed at the loss of his Trap card.
"You've felt the emotional pain of your sin. Now for the physical kind! Battle! Cyber Dark Dragon, attack Patroid! Full Darkness Burst!" An eruption of dark purple fire burst out of the mecha dragon's mouth, headed right for Sho's much weaker Monster.
"Sho!" Judai yelled.
"Do something!" Serena begged him. Fortunately for them, Sho heard them and acted accordingly after getting on his feet again.
"Trap card open, Supercharge! When an opponent's Monster attacks a "Machine" Monster I control, I can draw two cards!" He drew his cards just before his patrol car robot was eliminated.
(3100 - 1200 = 1900)
(Sho: 4000 - 1900 = 2100)
Devil Kaiser seemed amused. "Like that would do you any good. Still, I am curious to see how you'll respond. I end my turn."
Sho was surprised by the two cards he drew. It was as if they wanted Sho to know that "they" wanted to fight with him…
Serena then noticed that her bracelet was blinking brighter and faster than before. It seemed to have been intensified by Sho's resistance. Like before, she felt her piece of jewelry was trying to tell her something. 'What is it? What do you want me to know?'
She held up her bracelet again in front her, toward Devil Kaiser, and stared hard at him. The glow became solid now, no longer blinking. Then she gasped. Through the light of her bracelet, Serena saw something that shocked her more than anything. Or rather... she saw someone. Someone who looked extremely familiar and appeared to be trying, and failing, to escape a sphere of darkness. He was shouting words she couldn't hear, banging his fists in a futile attempt break free.
'Is that... Ryo?! As in, Sho's older brother?! Is he actually...?!' The bracelet gave off a warm hum as she thought this, like it was giving her confirmation on what she suspected. Convinced she was right, Serena immediately turned to Sho. "Sho, listen to me! Your brother is not dead! He's alive!" Sho, Judai, and Devil Kaiser faced her, all deeply shocked.
"Our Ryo… alive?" Asuka said shakily to her brother, who couldn't hide his own surprise.
"Can it be?" He said. Sho stared at Serena like he couldn't believe it.
"W-What do you mean, Serena? That's impossible. I confirmed it myself on the day he…"
"No, listen! My bracelet showed me your brother! He's alive, but trapped! Trapped inside him!" Serena said while pointing at Devil Kaiser. "When that thing took over Ryo's body, I think it also imprisoned his soul deep inside! He's been trying to get out this whole time, but couldn't! We can still save your brother!"
"Are you serious?" Sho asked, really wanting what he was hearing to be true.
"Of course she's not!" Devil Kaiser butted in, now sounding pissed. "Your brother is dead! Dead and gone! There is no saving him!"
"Shut it!" Judai snapped at the villain. "If Serena really believes that our Ryo is alive, then so do I!" Of course he believed it. This was almost the same as when he was being possessed by his Supreme King side.
"We have to save him Sho, by beating Devil Kaiser! Trust me on this!" Serena urged.
Sho saw the fire and determination in Serena's eyes, as well as her conviction. 'Could Ryo, my brother, really be alive all this time? Can we actually save him?' He then looked at Devil Kaiser again. The evil being did appear greatly angered, like his biggest secret had just been exposed. Perhaps that's what just happened. At that moment, Sho tightened his fists, stood tall, and faced his destined enemy. "I've had enough of you messing with my head, Devil Kaiser! I'm fighting back, for my brother's sake!" The awful memories vanished from his declaration, and never returned. It was as if Sho's strengthened spirit told Devil Kaiser's Field card to shut up and never speak up again. Sho then looked past his opponent. "Ryo, if you can hear me, hang on! I swear I will free you, no matter what! My turn! Draw!" Sho couldn't see it, but the trapped soul of his brother smiled from his brother's words.
"Go get him buddy!" Judai encouraged. Serena smiled warmly, knowing Sho will fight seriously now.
Sho then studied his cards, and smiled. He saw a way to fight back, big time. "From here on out, I'm not holding back! First, I play Double Cyclone! This destroys one Magic or Trap card on my Field and one on yours! I'm destroying one of my facedown cards and your Hell Dragon, since it is being treated as an Equip card!" Devil Kaiser grunted annoyingly from losing his Monster's defense.
"That may be, but because Hell Dragon is in the Graveyard again, Cyber Dark Dragon gains 100 more Attack Points!" He said as his Fusion Monster's Attack Points became 1200 instead of 1100.
"I'm not worried about that! Now not only did Cyber Dark Dragon's Attack Power drop, but now it can't use the Monster Equipped with it as as shield from attacks! Also, Cyber Dark Inferno can't protect it either!" Devil Kaiser growled. "Next, I'm bringing out my own Fusion Monster to join everyone else's! I play Polymerization to Fuse the two Cyber Dragons in my hand! Fusion Summon! Appear! Cyber Twin Dragon!" (LIGHT; Level 8; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2100) A bright, silver metal dragon with two heads emerged before their master, who was finally willing to fight again alongside the Monsters he previously set aside.
"Sho's Summoned one of his brother's Fusion Monsters!" Fubuki shouted excitedly.
"He sure did!" Yusuke replied. They both felt Sho truly recovered now and was at last going to give what was denied of them earlier.
Ryo felt a pulse from his Deck when the new Cyber Monster appeared. Unlike when Devil Kaiser appeared with his Cyber Dark cards, this pulse felt warm and assuring. 'It's reacting to Sho Summoning his Monster!' He realized.
"This is for my brother! Battle! Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Cyber Dark Dragon! Evolution Twin Burst!" The silver dragon shot a pair of bright blue beams of light from their mouths straight at it's dark counterpart, blowing it apart.
"Dammit! Trap card open, Power Wall! When I take damage from an attacking Monster, I can reduce the damage by 100 points for each card I send from my Deck to the Graveyard! The total amount of Battle Damage I would take is 1600, so I send sixteen of my cards to the Graveyard to reduce the damage to 0!"
"He threw away that many cards to not take any damage?!" Serena said.
"I'm not done!" Sho spoke up. "My Monster can attack twice in each Battle Phase! Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Cyber Dark Chimera!" Another powerful strike and Devil Kaiser's facedown Monster was also gone.
"Now he's got nothing!" Yusuke said.
"I wouldn't say that! Since Cyber Dark Chimera has gone to the Graveyard, I can send a "Cyber Dark" Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard with a different name from the cards in my Graveyard! I'm sending my Cyber Dark Horn! After that, I banish Cyber Dark Return from my Graveyard to revive the "Cyber Dark" Monster that was just destroyed in Defense Mode, but with it's Effects negated!" With that, Chimera was back to protect it's dark master.
"I knew I wouldn't beat you that easily. I end my turn." Sho said with renewed confidence.
"So much for having nothing." Fubuki said.
"You surprised me, Sho. I actually thought I broke your spirit with my Field card, preventing you from putting up a fight." Devil Kaiser reluctantly admitted. Sho smiled.
"You nearly did. You may have succeeded if I was fighting you on my own. But I'm not alone." He said as he glanced at Judai and Serena, both of whom smiled back at him. "Also, your message was completely false: I have not failed my brother! Now that I know he's still alive, I will fight to my last breath to save him from you!"
"It is a futile effort. Ryo will never be free from me." Devil Kaiser said with conviction.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Judai said nonchalantly. "But now I'm up! My turn! Draw!" He saw a couple of moves he could make. "Battle! Elemental Hero Brave Neos, attack Cyber Dark Chimera! Brave Strike!" With a double handed slam from above, Devil Kaiser's remaining Monster was gone once more. "Now for Brave Neos' Effect! Because it destroyed a Monster in battle, I can add a Magic or Trap card from my Deck to my hand that specifically mentions "Elemental Hero Neos" in it's text! I'm selecting a qualified Trap called Favorite Contact! Now I throw down a facedown card and call it a turn."
Serena was determined to fight her hardest against that abomination in Sho's brother's body. As she was about to draw, her her Deck resonated with her still blinking bracelet. "It's my move now! My turn! Draw!" Serena was surprised; she did not recall ever seeing the card she now held. Still, she knew it would come in handy later. With no Monsters or facedown cards on his Field, and unless Cyber Dark Inferno had a defensive Effect she didn't know about, Devil Kaiser was unprotected from a direct assault. With her own Monster's Attack Points just a bit higher than her opponent's Life Points, she could beat him right now. Serena had to take the chance. "I'm finishing you with this! Battle! Moonlight Sabre Dancer, Direct Attack! Moonshine Slash!" The blades in the hands of Serena's Fusion Monster glowed a like the Moon as it danced toward Devil Kaiser.
"A meaningless effort! I banish Cyber Dark Vary from my Graveyard to end the Battle Phase, draw three cards, and inflict damage to you equal to the original Attack Points of your Monster!"
"What?!" A dark wall covered Devil Kaiser, forcing Sabre Dancer back and redirecting the damage to Serena herself, who got knocked down on her stomach from the blow.
(Serena: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
"Serena!" Sho shouted, concerned. After a brief moment, Serena got back up.
"I'm okay." She assured him, though she got a little bruised. "Damn. I was so close." She muttered angrily to herself. Devil Kaiser was more resourceful than she thought. "I'm not giving up. I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
"Darn it! Serena nearly had him!" Grace complained.
"He's a very tough opponent. Those three will have to duel their best to win against him." Ryo said.
Devil Kaiser knew he was at an disadvantage. He had to turn the tides back to his favor now. "None of you will defeat me! My turn! Draw!" He smiled, for he drew just what he needed. "You three have powerful Monsters to use against me, but now I'm leveling the playing field! I activate Dark Hole!"
"Not that card!" Samejima said in great worry. Above the Duelists, a huge black hold swirled to life.
"This powerful card destroys every single Monster on the Field! That includes your Moonlight Sabre Dancer since Dark Hole doesn't target Monsters!" Devil Kaiser informed Serena, who cursed him. Judai, Sho, and Serena watched helplessly as all of their Monsters were lifted off the ground and sucked into the vortex. Then it closed up and vanished, leaving the Field empty of Monsters.
"I never thought he would have that card in his Deck." Misawa said to himself in a disgruntled tone.
"That possibility had not occurred to me either." Zweinstein added.
"You will pay for that!" Serena vowed. "Trap card open, Moonlight Reincarnation Dance! When a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster I control is destroyed, I can add two "Moonlight" Monsters from my Deck to my hand! I'm adding Moonlight Blue Cat and Moonlight Purple Butterfly!"
"I doubt they will be of much use against me." Devil Kaiser said condescendingly. "Now I activate Cyber Dark Rampage! It allows me to Special Summon as many non-Fusion "Cyber Dark" Monsters from my Deck and Graveyard as possible, but I will not be allowed to Special Summon any more Monsters this turn except Fusion Monsters! Also, those Monsters will be destroyed during my End Phase! I Special Summon Cyber Dark Horn (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 800), Cyber Dark Edge (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 800), Cyber Dark Keel (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 800), Cyber Dark Cannon, and Cyber Dark Claw (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1600; DEF: 800)!" All of Devil Kaiser's "Cyber Dark" Monsters are dark, evil monstrosities compared to their lighter counterparts. "Now it's time for a "dark" upgrade! I activate my Polymerization to Fuse all of my Monsters on the Field! Fusion Summon! Appear! Armored Hell Dragon - Cyber Darkness Dragon!" (DARK; Level 10; ATK: 2000; DEF: 2000) The new Monster appeared similar to the original Cyber Dark Dragon, except it had four massive claws in front and a huge cannon like weapon mounted on top.
"I've never seen that before!" Sho admitted.
"It wasn't there when you had the Cyber Dark cards?" Judai asked him. Sho shook his head.
"No. I definitely would have remembered if it was."
"Cyber Darkness Dragon is one of the newest members of my grand arsenal! Now for it's Monster Effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can Equip a "Dragon" or "Machine" Monster from my Graveyard to it and give it the original Attack Points of that Monster! I choose Cyber Dark Dragon!" The two Dragons then merged together using the same wiring as before.
(Cyber Darkness Dragon's ATK: 2000 + 1000 = 3000)
"Not good!" Rei said in alarm.
"Now that my new Monster is Equipped, it will be protected from opposing card effects thanks to Cyber Dark Inferno!" Devil Kaiser then set his eyes on Judai, who tensed up in response. The villain grinned maliciously. "I must apologize, Judai Yuki. I'm afraid I have been neglecting you. Sho and Serena both took heavy damage to their Life Points, while yours remain untouched. I should remedy that..."
"Uh, there's no need! I'm pretty good right now, thanks!" He pleaded feebly. Dark Kaiser snickered.
"How funny you are, but my mind is already made up! Battle! Cyber Darkness Dragon, attack Judai Yuki directly! Super Darkness Burst!" The cannon mounted above started to charge up…
"Like I'm allowing that thing to zap me! Trap card open, Favorite Contact! This let's me Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck that lists a "Hero" monster as one of it's Materials! This is done by placing said Fusion Materials listed on it on the bottom of my Deck in any order, from among the cards in my hand, my Field, my Graveyard, and/or my face-up banished cards, ignoring that Fusion Monster's Summoning conditions! From my Graveyard, I place Elemental Hero Neos, Neo-Spacian Grand Mole, and Neo-Spacian Black Panther into my Deck! Warrior of Light, Mole of Earth, and Cat of Darkness! Return home and call out new galactic Hero to take up the fight! Appear! Elemental Hero Nebula Neos!" (EARTH; Level 9; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2500) Judai's new version of Neos was grey and black, wearing pale yellow armor on it's chest, arms, shoulders, and legs. It also had four metal wings with boosters in the back and had a double drill weapon on it's right hand.
"Alright Judai!" Asuka cheered. Devil Kaiser sneered.
"Pretty neat looking, isn't he? Oh, and one more handy detail about Favorite Contact! Because I placed "Elemental Hero Neos" in my Deck, Nebula Neos can't go back to the Extra Deck like most of his counterparts do!" Judai told his disgruntled opponent. "Now for Nebula Neos' own Effect! When it is Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can draw cards equal to the number of cards you control! You have three cards on your Field, so that means I can draw three cards!" Judai then drew his cards, which he was pleased with. "Also, Nebula Neos can negate the Effects of one face-up card on the Field until the end of this turn! I'm negating your Cyber Dark Inferno!" After a dark energy ball formed in it's left hand, Nebula Neos launched it at the fires around the arena, instantly putting them out.
"Fine, I'll attack Nebula Neos instead. However, if you think your new Monster will protect you from harm, think again! When a "Cyber Dark" Monster I control battles a Monster with the same Attack Points as itself, I can banish Cyber Dark Equal from my Graveyard to prevent both Monsters from being destroyed, but you take damage equal to the Attack Points those Monsters share!"
"Crap!" Judai panicked. Once Cyber Darkness Dragon finished powering up, it fired the cannon at Nebula Neos, who retaliated with it's two drills. When the two attacks collided, both Monsters backed off, but Judai got blown backwards onto his back while yelling in pain.
(Judai: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
"Judai!" Sho and Serena yelled. Devil Kaiser smirked as he watched Judai struggle to get up again.
"I'm good, you guys. I can still keep going." He told his dueling partners.
"You sure?" Sho asked. His best friend nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"Your friend won't be so confident for much longer. I Set one card facedown and end my turn. At this time, Nebula Neos's Effect ends and Cyber Dark Inferno is active once more." The fires that were gone before had blazed back to life.
"Devil Kaiser is brutal." Yuri noted heavily.
"Yes, he is. But I feel we still haven't seen the worst he can do." Masumi told him.
Sho had the same feeling. "My turn! Draw!" With what he had, he knew there wasn't anything he could for the moment. "I end my turn."
"Nothing to play this time?" Devil Kaiser taunted, but Sho didn't take the bait.
"I'm sure Sho knows what he's doing. My turn! Draw!" Judai smiled. "It's time for a little payback. I play my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Cyber Dark Inferno!"
"You're going to wish you hadn't done that!" Devil Kaiser yelled furiously as his Field card was obliterated, returning the dueling Field to normal. "When Cyber Dark Inferno is destroyed by an opponent's card effect while under my control, I can add a "Polymerization" Magic card or "Fusion" Magic card from my Deck to my hand! I'm taking Overload Fusion!"
This made everyone feel very uneasy. 'If Devil Kaiser is planning another Fusion, then I need to be ready.' Judai thought to himself. "Good for you. I Set a card facedown and end my turn."
Serena was also on edge. 'I can't make any more mistakes at this point. Sho and Judai are depending on me.' "My turn! Draw!" What she had just drawn gave her an idea. One she prayed would work. "I activate Moonlight Perfume! With this, I can Special Summon a "Moonlight" Monster from my Graveyard! I'm bringing back my…"
"I activate the Effect of Cyber Darkness Dragon! When my opponent activates a card or Effect, I can send an Equip card on my Field to the Graveyard to negate and destroy that card! I'm sending Cyber Dark Dragon back to the Graveyard to stop you!"
"But your Monster is weaker now!" Serena pointed out as the dark machine's power dropped back down to 2000 the same time her Magic card was negated and destroyed.
"A sacrifice that had to be done to prevent you from reviving your Sabre Dancer." Devil Kaiser retorted. To his surprise, Serena smiled.
"Fooled you! My Moonlight Perfume was just a decoy tactic to get you to use whatever Effect your Fusion Monster had, and you fell for it!"
"What?!" Devil Kaiser said, stunned that he had been duped.
"To be clear, I wasn't trying to Special Summon my Sabre Dancer. That Monster can only be Fusion Summoned. My target was actually Moonlight White Rabbit. With no more Equip cards for you to get rid of, I can put my real plan into action! I now activate Moonlight Fusion! This will allow me to Fusion Summon a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck using Monsters in my hand or on my Field! And because you control a Monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, I can also use a Monster in my Deck or Extra Deck as a Fusion Material! I'm Fusing the Moonlight Blue Cat and Moonlight Purple Butterfly in my hand with the Moonlight Panther Dancer in my Extra Deck! Elegant beast dancing on the moonlit wilderness! The cat prowling in the azure darkness! The butterfly that wields violet poison! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth! The king of beasts dancing atop the summit of the moonlight wilderness! MOONLIGHT LIO DANCER!" (DARK; Level 10; ATK: 3500; DEF: 3000) A purple skinned female warrior emerged wearing lion like armor on it's arms and leges, a long cape on it's lower back, and held a big long sword.
"Awesome!" Sho said.
"Thanks!" Serena replied before turning back to Devil Kaiser. "Lio Dancer cannot be targeted and is unaffected by my opponent's card effects! I have one more trick up my sleeve! During my Main Phase, except the turn where it was sent to the Graveyard, I can banish Moonlight Sabre Dancer from my Graveyard to give 3000 Attack Points to a Fusion Monster I control until the end of the turn! I'm giving that extra power to my Moonlight Lio Dancer!"
(Moonlight Lio Dancer's ATK: 3500 + 3000 = 6500)
"Damn!" Devil Kaiser cursed himself for allowing this to happen.
"Serena's got him now!" Kenzan said, hoping she would succeed with her next attack.
"Here I come! Battle! Moonlight Lio Dancer, attack Cyber Darkness Dragon! Full Moonlight Cresta!" Serena's strongest Monster leapt high above the dark dragon mecha, raised it's blade, and then slicing the opposing Monster into pieces.
"You won't beat me! Trap card open, Hyper Burning! If my Life Points would become 0 from Battle or Effect Damage, I can make the damage 0 instead by paying half of my Life Points!"
(Devil Kaiser: 3500 / 2 = 1750)
"It's not over! My Monster can make a second attack during each Battle Phase! Lio Dancer, Direct Attack!" Lio Dancer leapt forward for another strike.
"That won't work either! When I'm about to take damage from a Monster with more than 3000 Attack Points, I can banish Cyber Dark Veiler from my Graveyard to negate the attack!" The feline warrior's blade stopped short of hitting Devil Kaiser.
"Crap! Doesn't he ever run out of defenses?!" Serena complained, having failed to defeat her enemy again. "Grr. I end my turn. At this time, Lio Dancer's Attack Points return to 3500." She said with reluctance before turning to Sho. "I'm sorry. I really thought I could take him down that time." Sho smiled at her.
"It's alright. You did really great! Devil Kaiser may not have lost the Duel yet, but you did destroy Cyber Darkness Dragon and forced him to cut his Life Points in half! That's definitely something!"
Serena felt warm from his words. "Thank you Sho." Their touching moment was broken when they heard Devil Kaiser laughing insanely again.
"You shouldn't praise her for her efforts, Sho! Nor Judai for that matter! Their most recent actions have practically guarantied your eventual demise!"
"Meant what?" Sho demanded to know,
"I will show you! My turn! Draw! I activate Cyber Dark Draw, allowing me to draw six cards since I have at least six "Cyber Dark" Monsters in my Graveyard!" Devil Kaiser laughed again in triumph. He now felt ready to reveal his "real" Ace Monster. "Remember me mentioning a special card given to me by Lightning? Well guess what? I'm going to unleash it now!"
"I really don't like the sound of that." Judai said quite nervously.
"Get ready! I activate Overload Fusion! This will let me Fusion Summon a "Machine" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck by banishing it's Materials from my Field or Graveyard! I am banishing both Cyber Dark Dragon and Cyber Darkness Dragon!"
"Here it comes!" Serena said.
"Fusion Summon! Behold! The zenith of my power! CYBER DARKNESS DEVIL!" (DARK; Level 12; ATK: 4000; DEF: 4000) Dark mist formed around the spot where Devil Kaiser's true Ace rose out of. It was gigantic, about as big as the Three Phantasms, and seemed to be made of dark white armor with small black armor plates placed throughout it's body. It had two very thick legs, but no arms. Instead, it had several similarly armored tentacles protruding from it's sides and from it's massive dragon like head. Lastly, it's eyes were glowing black, just like it's master.
Judai, Sho, and Serena stared up at the creature with terror. None of them could utter a word.
"What an abomination!" Samejima blurted out in disgust.
"So that's what attacked almost everyone during those Duels?!" Johan asked in horror.
"It's worse than I ever pictured." Edo commented.
"It's super scary!" Manjome turned to see Ojama Yellow and his brothers floating at his left. "We were very glad to not have messed with it!" Yellow said.
"Is that why you cowards didn't help out when my brother was attacked?" Manjome asked in a very annoyed tone. The trio rapidly shook their heads.
"No no no! That ain't it!" Ojama Green said while waving his hands in front of him.
"Of course not, Boss! We ain't that cowardly!" Replied Ojama Black. "It was simply because there was no need to lend our assistance! Those thing's tentacles didn't show up, right? And Shoji got out of there alive, didn't he? Everything was well under control and no help was needed from the mighty Ojama brothers!" He said while trying to be boastful. Manjome sweat dropped.
"Just… shut up and go away." He ordered before the apologizing brothers disappeared.
"Magnificent, isn't it?" Devil Kaiser said, admiring his creation. "This creature was created from a piece of the Light of Destruction itself combined with my own power! It is unstoppable, as you're about to see! Cyber Darkness Devil gains 200 Attack Points for each Monster banished and/or in my Graveyard! I count ten total, so my Monster gains a grand total of 2000 Attack Points!" He revealed with another laugh.
(Cyber Darkness Devil's ATK: 4000 + 2000 = 6000)
"One hit from that thing and any one of them is a goner!" Kenzan said worriedly.
Devil Kaiser fixed his eye his host's brother. "Brother of Ryo Marufuji. Feel the wrath of the Cyber Dark spirits you idiotically betrayed! Battle! Cyber Darkness Devil, attack Sho Marufuji directly! Mecha Hell Fury!" The evil creature lashed out two of it's glowing dark white tentacles at Sho.
"Sho!" Everyone screamed. But he still wasn't going down like that.
"You're the one that hurt my brother! When an opponent's Monster attacks me directly, I can banish Cyber Force from my Graveyard to return Cyber Twin Dragon, a "Cyber" Fusion Monster, to my Extra Deck! Then, if I was successful, I can Special Summon three copies of "Cyber Dragon" from my Deck and Graveyard to my Field and end your Battle Phase!"
"You what?!" Devil Kaiser stared in shock as his Monster's Effect was cancelled out by the arrival of the three 2100 Attack Point silver metal dragons.
'All three Cyber Dragons are on Sho's Field! I wonder if he plans to…' Fubuki thought, his anticipation and excitement growing, as well as relief that Sho was okay.
'When did that card get in his Graveyard?! Wait! Was it when…?!' Devil Kaiser understood. "That was the card you destroyed with your Double Cyclone!" Sho smirked.
"That's right! Good thing I did!"
Devil Kaiser fumed. "You won't escape your fate next time! I Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
Sho then frowned at the demon in his brother's body. He mentioned Sho's "betrayal" of the "Cyber Dark" cards. Clearly he meant when the cards were burned. But why punish Ryo, rather than Sho himself? "Devil Kaiser."
"What?" He snapped. Sho remained calm as he spoke.
"Before I start my next turn, I have to know: Why were you hurting my brother after I added your cards to my Deck? Why did you prevent him from dueling again? And why did you attack him instead of me when I destroyed the cards?" Devil Kaiser didn't answer right away. He seemed to be considering his words before responding.
"When Ryo first took the Cyber-Art Reverse Deck, I felt the great potential within him, along with the desire to win at any cost. I thought he would be perfect… but he didn't use the cards the way I hoped."
"Ryo didn't respond to your need to grow and improve." Sho deduced. Devi Kaiser went on.
"No… he misused the great power he took. Ryo wanted to duel "his" way, not mine. I, the soul of the Cyber Dark cards, found his ways unforgivable. To punish him, I placed a curse upon his own soul: As long as he drew breath, he would never be allowed to play Duel Monsters ever again, no matter what Deck he might try to use. This curse lived on even after the cards came to be in your possession."
"That's cruel!" Serena shouted furiously.
"I second that!" Judai added, angry as well.
"It was his own fault." Devil Kaiser said. "He didn't understand me… not like you, Sho. You learned to accept the Cyber Dark cards by making us part of your Deck… learned to accept me. For once, I felt I had found a more suitable host than your brother ever was. We were truly beginning to connect..." He then sneered. "But all that evaporated instantly when you burned the cards!"
"I was desperate. I couldn't let my brother suffer anymore because of you." Sho explained. Devil Kaiser growled like the beast he was.
"You still don't get it. Making his heart diseased and weak, having him "dying" this past month, wasn't to punish him: It was to punish you!" Sho and the others gasped at this. "You were the host the Cyber Darks wanted for so long, and you disposed of them like unwanted trash! We were supposed to achieve greatness together! But you chose your foolish disabled brother over me, over the power of the Cyber Dark cards! Taking your brother from you was the best way to carry out my vengeance on you for that act!"
"Then why are you coming after me now if you already got your revenge?!" Sho demanded.
"Because it was not enough! After you suffered enough emotional turmoil from losing Ryo, I came to finish the job by ending you myself! Also, I wanted the satisfaction of beating you with the power that you threw away! To prove to you how mistaken you were to abandon the cards over the brother that misused them!"
"How dare you?!" Ryo shouted from the sidelines, filled with rage. He hadn't felt this pissed since he discovered Yusuke's murder back on his world. "What kind of "greatness" can come from using something like you?!" Devil Kaiser smiled as he spread his arms out.
"Growing and improving was just the start! The will of the Cyber Dark cards, my will, does not end there! Through cooperation with our desired host, we would seek to battle and conquer any opponent that crosses our paths, continuing to become stronger in the process! We would obtain victory after victory, even if it meant sacrificing our host and the opponent do it!"
"That is so messed up." Judai said in disgust. Everyone was sickened by this revelation, especially Sho and Ryo.
"How could such evil even exist?" Ryo questioned the audacity of what he heard.
"You are the one to blame, Sho Marufuji! We could've accomplished all that together had you not turned against me!" Devil Kaiser said to Sho, who finally heard enough.
"Do you see these Monsters? The ones I went through the trouble of Summoning?" He said, pointing at the Cyber Dragons in front of him. "These cards never hurt me or my brother! They represent a different bond, one that I share with the Ryo I know! He and I dueled through kindness and respect! That is how a Duelist truly grows, not by inflicting pain and suffering to ourselves and everyone around us! I nearly cut off my bond to the Cyber Dragons, but I fixed that! I will prove to you what being a "true" Cyber Duelist means! My turn! Draw!" Sho was stunned. 'It's here! Judai's card!'
"Trap card open, Cyber Shadow Gardna! When activated during my opponent's Main Phase, this Trap is Special Summoned as an Effect Monster but returns facedown in my Magic and Trap Zone during your End Phase!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: ?; DEF: ?) A black metallic alien like figure appeared next to Cyber Darkness Devil.
"What's that for?" Manjome asked. Samejima groaned.
"I have suspicions. I should know; it was also in my Deck."
This didn't shake Sho's fighting spirit. He glanced over at Judai and Serena. "Alright guys, I trust you to know what to do if this backfires. Don't let me down."
"If what backfires?" Judai asked him, but didn't receive an answer.
"I activate my remaining facedown card, one I'm sure we are both very familiar with: Power Bond!"
"Sweet!" Judai shouted happily.
"I was wondering when he was going to play that." Devil Kaiser said to himself.
"Power Bond let's me Fusion Summon a "Machine" Fusion Monster using Monsters in my hand or on my Field! For this, I am Fusing my three Cyber Dragons! Fusion Summon! Appear! The true power of a Cyber Duelist and the Ace of my brother: CYBER END DRAGON!" (LIGHT; Level 10; ATK: 4000; DEF: 2800) Replacing the three metal dragons was a far bigger one with three heads. The right head had blue eyes, the left head had red eyes, and the middle head gold yellow eyes. It had large wings and a blue stone beneath each head. The whole group gazed at the new Fusion with amazement.
"He Summoned it!" Fubuki and Yusuke shouted with undisguised joy. Fubuki himself actually teared up at the sight of Ryo's Ace.
Ryo was amazed at the sight of it, as well as the Tyler Sisters. "Wow!" Grace said in awe.
"That belonged to Sho's brother? The Ryo of this world?" Gloria marveled at the sight.
Ryo's Deck gave a much stronger pulse than before, letting him know how powerful the Fusion Monster was. He smiled. "Sho's brother was a lucky guy to have had a Monster like that."
"The Fusion Monster Summoned through Power Bond gains Attack Points equal to it's original Attack Points! Cyber End Dragon's Attack Power is 4000, so now it gets stronger by that amount!"
(Cyber End Dragon's ATK: 4000 x 2 = 8000)
"8000 Attack Points right off the bat?!" An astonished Masumi said.
"That is an incredible boost, but I suspect there's a heavy price to go with it." Yuri surmised. He was correct.
"Because I used Power Bond, I will take damage equal to the Attack Boost my Monster just got at the end of the turn." Sho revealed.
'Sho will take 4000 points of damage when his turn ends?!' Serena realized. 'Is he trying to finish this with his next attack?'
"This is it, Devil Kaiser! The Ace I inherited from my brother will bring you and your Monster down! Battle! Cyber End Dragon, attack Cyber Darkness Devil! Eternal Evolution Burst!" The three heads each fired a bright blue energy blast from it's mouths.
"Do it!" Yusuke called out. It looked as though Sho would indeed land the finishing blow. Devil Kaiser didn't think so.
"An impressive effort I will admit, but not impressive enough! Continuous Trap open, Cybernetic Hidden Technology! When an opponent's Monster attacks, I can send a Cyber "Machine" Monster I control to the Graveyard to destroy that Monster and end the Battle Phase! I'm giving up my Cyber Shadow Gardna to deprive you of your precious Cyber End Dragon!"
"No!" Sho yelled, unable to do anything as the mighty dragon mech exploded into nothing.
"Bastard!" An angry Yusuke insulted. Devil Kaiser laughed at Sho's misery.
"Yes! Not only did your best hope fail you, but when your turn ends, you will lose the rest of your Life Points from Power Bond's Effect! My victory over you is complete! Hahahaha!"
"Not it isn't!" Serena interjected, cutting the villain's celebration short. "When a Fusion Monster is destroyed by a card effect, I can banish Moonlight Indigo Mink from my Graveyard to Special Summon that Fusion Monster back to that controller's Field, ignoring it's Summoning conditions!" Everyone watched as Cyber End Dragon returned with it's original 4000 Attack Points.
"So what if you bring it back? That won't change the fact that Sho will lose when his turn ends!" Devil Kaiser reminded the girl.
"Yes it does! When Indigo Mink revives that Fusion Monster, that Monster's controller won't take any Effect Damage for three turns! So now Power Bond won't touch him!" She proudly revealed to Devil Kaiser's outrage.
"Damn you!" Serena smirked from his reaction.
"Remember; Sho is not fighting you alone! Judai and I are right here to help him stop you! As long as we still stand, we will fight!"
"Thank you Serena!" Sho told her, who nodded to him in return. He then looked to Judai, who also nodded.
"I'm not going anywhere either, pal!" Said his best friend.
Sho smiled as looked at the card Judai had given him. He felt he now knew how to use it. "It's true! It's the three of us against you! It has been from the start! Together, we will win! I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
Devil Kaiser clinched his fists angrily. He was beginning to grow tired of Sho's teammates getting in the way. He swore he would do away with them on his next turn.
"I'm definitely pulling my weight to help out my best friend beat you! My turn! Draw!" Judai declared, starting his next turn. Devil Kaiser wasn't going to give him a chance to help Sho.
"Don't be so sure! I activate the other Effect of Cybernetic Hidden Technology! I can send it and a Cyber "Machine" Monster in my hand to the Graveyard to destroy one face-up Monster my opponent controls! I'm sending my Trap on the Field and the Cyber Dark Larva in my hand to destroy your Elemental Hero Nebula Neos!" Judai's Fusion Monster was annihilated in an instant. "With another Monster in my Graveyard, Cyber Darkness Devil's power grows!"
(Cyber Darkness Devil's ATK: 6000 + 200 = 6200)
"So not cool!" Judai complained, but then smirked a second later. "But it's just a little thing! I play Monster Reborn to bring back the Monster you just destroyed! Come on back, Nebula Neos!" The intergalactic warrior returned to Judai's side (which infuriated Devil Kaiser). "Now that he's back, I'm play the facedown card I was going to use before you butted in: Contact Out! This sends Nebula Neos back to my Extra Deck and Special Summon it's Fusion Materials from my Deck! Come back out in Defense Mode: Elemental Hero Neos, Neo-Spacian Grand Mole (EARTH; Level 3; ATK: 900; DEF: 300), and Neo-Spacian Black Panther!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 500) The first Neo-Spacian was a furry mole with a drill on each shoulder and had a metal covering on the upper portion of it's body, while the second was a sleek black cat wearing a long black cape and a golden collar with the initials "NS" inscribed on it.
"Why would Judai split his Fusion Monster back into it's Materials?" Masumi wondered. Judai moved on.
"Next I Normal Summon Card Blocker!" (EARTH; Level 3; ATK 400; DEF: 400) A miniature purple armored soldier holding a sword and a spiked shield appeared next to Grand Mole. "When Card Blocker is not Summoned in Defense Mode, he automatically switches to Defense Mode!" Judai said before Card Blocker kneeled with it's shield in front of him. "That's all I need to do here. I end my turn." Judai could have either Summoned Grand Neos or Black Neos with the necessary Materials in play, but he knew neither would help, and especially didn't want to risk losing Neos. He suspected Cyber Darkness Devil may have some kind of negating Effect, which could work against both suggested Fusions. Therefore, his best option was to keep all three of them out in Defense Mode.
"I'm next! My turn! Draw!" Serena declared. She then weighed her options. 'Lio Dancer isn't nearly strong enough to strike at Cyber Darkness Devil. Plus we don't know what other Effects it may have. Even if I could make my Monster strong enough to cut it down, I have a feeling it won't.' She saw that the cards in her hand won't be of much help. Also, she couldn't risk losing with Sho and Judai still needing her for the Duel. For once, and she didn't like this option, she decided to play it safe this time. "I switch my Moonlight Lio Dancer to Defense Mode and end my turn."
"None of you will be safe when I am done here! My turn! Draw!" Devil Kaiser grinned. "Your Monsters will all fall before my power! I activate Cyber Dark Retribution! This Magic card allows a "Cyber Dark" Monster I control to attack all opposing Monsters this turn, but in return I cannot Summon my own Monsters until my next turn!"
"He's going to attack everyone's Monsters on the same turn?!" Asuka said, more worried than ever.
"Definitely bad!" Her big brother added. Judai, Sho, and Serena prepared themselves for the incoming onslaught.
"Who shall I strike at first?" Devil Kaiser asked himself in amusement before settling his eyes on Serena's Monster. "Looks like it's ladies first! Battle! Cyber Darkness Devil, attack Moonlight Lio Dancer!"
"Grrn!" Serena held her arms up front of her just before her Monster was destroyed by the smashing tentacles.
"One down…" Devil Kaiser focused on Judai next. "My next target is your Elemental Hero Neos! Attack!"
"Oh no you don't! Trap card open, Negate Attack! When a Monster attacks, that Monster's attack is negated and the Battle Phase ends!"
"Futile! I activate the Effect of Cyber Darkness Devil! Once per turn, if my opponent activates a card or effect that targets my Fusion Monster, I can shuffle one Monster in my Graveyard into my Deck to negate the card's activation and destroy it! I shuffle Hell Dragon back in my Deck to do away with your Trap card!" Devil Kaiser countered.
"But then your Monster loses some Attack Points!" Judai brought up as Cyber Darkness Devil's Power dropped to 6000.
"That hardly matters at this point! My attack on Neos proceeds!"
"Second verse, same as the first!" Judai said. "The Effect of my Card Blocker kicks in! When one of my other Monsters is being attacked, Card Blocker becomes that target instead!"
"Another delaying tactic, but very well! I will obliterate your Card Blocker!" Just like with Serena's Monster, Judai's small protector quickly met it's end. "Now you have nothing left to protect Neos! I'm destroying it now!" The beast's tentacles closed in on Judai's Ace, this time with nothing left to save it from the attack…
"I'll stop it!" Serena said, cutting in. "Trap card open, Moonlight Ring! When a non-Fusion Monster is being attacked by a Fusion Monster, I can Equip my Trap to that Monster! Now it can't be destroyed in battle by Fusion Monsters!" A bright purple ring formed around Neos and blocked the tentacles from touching it, forcing them back.
"Nice move Serena! Thanks!" Judai said appraisingly. Serena gave her own thumbs up. She still didn't know how that Trap card got in her Deck, but she was glad it did.
Devil Kaiser sneered from Serena's interference. "You will regret that!" He informed the girl before moving on. "I can still get rid of your other Monsters! Cyber Darkness Devil, attack Neo-Spacian Black Panther!" The dark feline gave a painful roar as it too got smashed. Judai regretted not being able to save it. "Now to do the same with your Grand Mole!" The mecha behemoth moved to face Judai's remaining Monster.
"Bad move! When Grand Mole either attacks or is being attacked by a Monster, it can send itself and the attacking Monster back to their controllers' hands! But since Cyber Darkness Devil came from the Extra Deck, that's where it will end up!" Judai revealed.
"It won't! When an opponent's Monster activates an Effect that makes one of my Monsters leave the Field, I can banish Cyber Dark Larva to negate that card's Effect! My Monster is going nowhere, but yours is!" Grand Mole too met it's end by Devil Kaiser's ruthless assault.
Devil Kaiser turned towards Sho. "One target left! I saved the best for last! This truly is the end for you, Sho Marufuji! Cyber Darkness Devil, attack Cyber End Dragon! MECHA HELL FURY!" Every single glowing tentacle the creature had spread out and moved to tear it's enemy apart.
"Don't give up Sho!" Ryo, Fubuki, and Yusuke yelled in unison. Sho had no intention of giving up. He knew the time had come to use "it". He smiled confidently.
"It's nowhere near my end! I discard the remaining card in my hand to activate my facedown card: Super Polymerization!"
'He's playing it!' Judai thought happily.
"What?! Judai had Super Polymerization?!" Yuri said in shock.
Devil Kaiser was equally shocked. He knew full well that card was never in Sho's Deck. "That's the card Judai gave him before the Duel?!"
"Definitely surprising! What is Sho creating?" Serena wondered.
"Super Polymerization Fuses Monsters on either side of the Field and no cards can be activated in response to it! I am using this card to Fuse Judai's Elemental Hero Neos with my Cyber End Dragon!"
"Those two… Fusing together?!" Asuka said to herself. She and the rest of the gang watched the two Monsters swirl into something completely new. Judai and Sho both made the introduction.
"Here it is, Devil Kaiser! The new hope born from a strong hero and a powerful beast of steel! Fusion Summon! APPEAR! THE CYBERNETIC CHAMPION OF HOPE! CYBER NEOS!" (LIGHT; Level 10; ATK: 4500; DEF: 4000) The new Monster rivaling the size of Cyber Darkness Devil was a jaw dropping sight. It had the shape and face of Neos, but the complete body armor it wore was the same as Cyber End Dragon's steel plating, and had the large circular blue stone on the center of it's chest. Two of Cyber Neo's hands were the shape of two Cyber Dragon heads, while the helmet it wore resembled another head. Lastly, tightly held in both of of it's hands was a massive silver and blue sword that formed from both the dragon's wings attached together.
"Incredible!" Ryo exclaimed in total amazement.
"I second that!" Samejima admitted. All the gang's reactions were the same.
"I love it!" Grace admitted.
"So do I." Gloria said.
"It really is a sight to see." Serena said, smiling up at the new Monster before looking back at the two Duelists that created it. 'Those two really are best friends to make something like this.'
Devil Kaiser was not as impressed. "Whatever you just made, it cannot hold a candle to my Ace! Cyber Darkness Devil, attack Cyber Neos! Smash it to pieces!" The tentacles went in for the kill… only for a silvery blue barrier to deny them of that privilege. "What?! Why wasn't it destroyed?!" Devil Kaiser demanded.
"During the turn it was Fusion Summoned, Cyber Neos can't be destroyed by battle and I take no damage from that battle!" Sho answered. Devil Kaiser was furious that he once again couldn't finish off his primary victim.
"Curse you! Both of you! But don't let your new metal warrior's success go to your heads! I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
'This is it. I have to end this Duel now! I have to save my brother and help all of us return home! I can't fail them now!' Sho thought while preparing to draw. "My turn! Draw! I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards!" Sho smiled. "Next I play Monster Reborn to revive my Patroid!" Sho's police car robot returned, appearing on Cyber Neos' left. "After that, I Normal Summon Proto-Cyber Dragon from my hand! It's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" while on my Field or Graveyard!" An unfinished version of Cyber Dragon with 1100 Attack Points appeared on Cyber Neos' right. Now Sho had what he needed to bring out his "secret weapon". He knew Judai, Serena, and the others were going to go nuts when they see this one…
"Don't put too much faith in whatever you are planning! Your new Monster is not strong enough to defeat Cyber Darkness Devil!" The evil being taunted. Sho shrugged it off.
"Not yet, but I'm about to change that!" The young man raised his arm in the air. "Here goes! Appear, the circuit of the Cyber-Style!" Above Sho, what appeared to be a blue digital square with eight arrows around it materialized. This startled everyone.
"What the?" Judai said in total confusion.
"What is that square?" Serena questioned, having no idea what Sho was about to do.
No one did... except a certain Ignis still keeping out of sight. Flame chuckled, very pleased that Sho was finally putting "it" to good use. "About damn time." He muttered proudly.
Sho went on. "Arrowheads confirmed! The Summoning conditions are two "Machine" Monsters, with one being "Cyber Dragon", which Proto-Cyber Dragon is now called! I Set "Cyber Dragon" and Patroid in the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" Both of Sho's Monsters changed into blue energy that shot themselves into the left and bottom arrows, which now glowed red. The blue square also pulsed from the reaction.
"What the hell is he doing?!" Devil Kaiser said, not understanding what was happening.
Sho smiled brightly. "Link Summon! Appear! Cyber Style's new power! Link 2! Cyber Dragon Zieger!" (LIGHT; Link-2, ATK: 2100; Middle-Left Marker, Bottom-Center Marker) Sho's brand new Cyber Monster looked like a buffed up Cyber Dragon with silver fins with electric blue lines and hexagons spread throughout it's body. It had two sides of a blue energy ring on both sides of it's head and the same color for it's eyes. "While on the Field or in the Graveyard, this Monster's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" as well!"
"LINK SUMMON?!" Everyone shouted simultaneously. None of them ever expected Sho to pull off a new type of Monster out of the blue like that.
"How and when did Sho learn to do that?!" Judai said in astonishment at his best friend.
"Sho. When did you…?" Serena questioned him. He gave her a big smile.
"A gift from a friend." He simply told her.
"Explain yourself Sho! What did you just do?!" Devil Kaiser ordered heatedly. Sho turned to him.
"I just performed a Link Summon to Special Summon a Link Monster! It is a Monster with no Level, Rank, or Defense Points! That last part means it can't be switched into Defense Mode! To Summon a Link Monster, you have to have Materials that match the number of arrows it has, or Link Markers! For Cyber Dragon Zieger, I needed to have a couple of "Machine" Monsters and have one of them be "Cyber Dragon"!"
"Where did you learn such a Summoning Method?" Devil Kaiser inquired.
"A certain friend taught it to me not long ago." Sho said. The demon scoffed.
"Regardless, your new Link Monster cannot defeat my Ace either!" Sho smirked.
"That wasn't my plan." He said, confusing his opponent further. "Battle! Now I activate the Monster Effect of Cyber Dragon Zieger! Once per turn, during the Battle Phase in which it has not attacked, my Link Monster can give 2100 Attack and Defense Points to another "Machine" Monster I control that has 2100 Attack Points or more for the rest of the turn! With "Cyber End Dragon" in my Graveyard, Cyber Neos is also treated as a "Machine" Monster! So now it gets much stronger!"
"WHAT?!" Devil Kaiser yelled, shocked by the huge increase in the opposing Monster's power. Cyber Neos glowed electric blue from the power up.
(Cyber Neos' ATK: 4500 + 2100 = 6600; DEF: 4000 + 2100 = 6100)
"Now Cyber Neos can crush that devil mech!" Yusuke said.
"Totally!" Fubuki agreed.
Devil Kaiser was beginning to panic now. "I won't allow you to win against me! Quick-Play Magic open, Gravity Lash! This lowers the Attack Points of one face-up Monster on the Field by it's Defense Points until the end of this turn! Your Cyber Neos now has 6100 Defense Points, so it will lose that much Attack Power!"
"That ain't gonna happen!" Judai interrupted. "With "Elemental Hero Neos" in the Graveyard, Cyber Neos is unaffected by your card effects! So your Gravity Lash can't do squat against it!"
"No! Dammit!" Devil Kaiser cursed again.
"I have more bad news for you!" Serena called out, making her play. "By banishing my Moonlight Ring from my Graveyard, I can increase the Attack Points of a Fusion Monster on the Field by 1000 until the end of the turn! I'm giving that power to Cyber Neos!" The new Fusion Monster glowed a bright purple now as it became even stronger.
(Cyber Neos' ATK: 6600 + 1000 = 7600)
Serena's bracelet glowed a solid purple light now. She felt her piece of jewelry wanted her to use her Trap's other Effect even if the added Attack Points wouldn't be necessary. She started to understand why, as well as how she got the card in the first place.
Though curious as to why Serena made his Monster stronger than he required it to be, he didn't object.
"How is this happening?!" Devil Kaiser yelled. "How can this happen to me?!"
Sho frowned at him. "You have tormented me and my brother long enough!" He turned to his best friend. "Hey Judai! Let's do this together!" Judai nodded.
"You bet bud!" Speaking at the same time, Judai and Sho launched the final attack.
"Go! Cyber Neos, attack Cyber Darkness Devil! Neos Evolution Slash!" With a swing of it's mighty sword, the combined form of the two Duelists' Ace Monsters eradicated the evil creature birthed by the Light of Destruction.
(7600 - 6000 = 1600)
(Devil Kaiser: 1750 - 1600 = 150)
"Almost there! If only it's Attack Points got a little bit higher…" Grace said, wishing that strike had finished the bastard off.
"Curse you both! But I'm not done yet! On my next turn, I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!" Devil Kaiser threatened.
"No you won't!" Both Duelists said.
"What do you mean?!" The villain said, his fear now apparent.
"Cyber Neos has one more Effect!" Judai started. "Since Cyber Neos destroyed a Monster in battle…"
"You will take damage equal to the difference between our Monster's Attack Points and your destroyed Monster's Defense Points!" Sho picked up from there. "Cyber Darkness Devil had 4000 Defense Points, so if you subtract that from Cyber Neos' 7600 Attack Points…"
"No! The damage I take is 3600!" Devil Kaiser realized to his horror. "No! NO! This cannot be! This was supposed to end with my victory!"
Sho felt no pity toward the demon. "You caused me, my brother, and all my friends a lot of pain! THAT ALL STOPS NOW! EVOLUTION'S END!" From the blue chest gem on Cyber Neos, a big blue and purple energy ball formed and shot straight at Devil Kaiser. He screamed in agony from the impact that sent him flying before sprawling on the floor, face down… defeated.
(Devil Kaiser: 0)
"They did it!" Asuka cheered along with the others.
"Hell yeah! I knew they would!" Kenzan said.
Devil Kaiser lay there, more pissed than he ever imagined. Here he was, facedown on the ground, defeated by the very person that he came to destroy. He looked up at the trio of Duelists that bested him, his black eyes glaring at Sho. He hated him more than he ever had.
"Damn you, Sho Marufuji." He muttered hatefully.
That was not all. He also felt that Ryo Marufuji's soul was gone. Somehow, he had been released, no longer his prisoner. Devil Kaiser could not comprehend how that could have have happened. But one thing was for sure: He had lost.
'At least... I only lost the Duel.' He suddenly thought. Maybe he could still accomplish his goal after all. "You think you've won? Your foolishness has no end, does it?"
"Of course we've won! You're finished, Devil Kaiser!" To the surprise of Sho and the others, Devil Kaiser laughed.
"That is true. I may be down... but I'm not going down alone!"
Before anyone could react, Devil Kaiser pointed two fingers at Sho and fired a black laser like blast right at his heart. In what seemed to be in slow motion, Sho was lifted off his feet and then fell down on his back. He did not get up.
The scream that came out of Serena was heartbreaking.
"SHOOOOOO!"
To be continued.