It is time for Shun's big date with Akari! Will it be a fun or stressful evening? Or possibly both?

Let's watch the fun! And I promise, next chapter will see some serious plot development!

Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Hope of Six

Chapter 65: Demon Arc - Part 3

"Alright! That should do it!" Shun shouted to an older bearded man in greasy overalls standing above him. Shun Kurosaki, also wearing oil stained clothes, lay beneath a D-Wheel like vehicle that was elevated to perform maintenance work on it.

The man nodded. "Got it! Come on out and I'll get it a try!" Once Shun got up and backed away, the older man lowered the vehicle, got in, and turned on the ignition. The smooth sound of the engine revving up was like music to his ears. "Ho yeah! That did it! Nice work Shun!"

"Thanks, Frank." Shun said while wiping his brow of sweat with a cloth. "That's our 5th one today, wasn't it?" For about a month now, Shun had been hired and worked at a nearby vehicle repair shop as a part time assistant after school. It didn't take him long to learn the basics of how to examine and fix up engines and became an invaluable asset.

Frank nodded as he turned the engine off and climbed down. "Yep. We've fixed them all up, and just in time too." He said, looking up at the nearby clock. "It's about time to close up shop. Head into the main office and tell our customer that his bike is all fixed up."

"Sure thing." Shun said as he walked to the office.

Once the customer was satisfied with the repairs, he paid the duo and took off. Frank smiled at his younger assistant while locking up everything. "Well done, kid. We've had some happy customers today, including a cute girl who batted quite a few eyelashes at you." He said with a hearty chuckle. Shun smirked.

"Not my type." He replied.

"You have a type?" Frank asked with a smile. Shun shrugged.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know that I'm not into girls like that earlier customer."

"Come on, a hardworking handsome devil like you? There's gotta at least be one girl you're interested in." Frank pressed further.

At those words, Shun thought of a certain female journalist. He also recalled agreeing to go on a date with her at some point. "I really can't say." He replied without giving away anything, except a small smile. Frank doubted his words but decided to drop the subject.

"Well anyways, here's your pay. I suggest you head out to the bank before it closes." Frank advised.

"I will. Thanks Frank. See you on Monday." Shun said gratefully before leaving for the weekend. As he left, Frank hoped that whoever the girl was on Shun's mind would treat him right. He deserved it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hm, which would work for tonight?" Akari asked herself while looking at her bedroom mirror. She was trying to pick out a good outfit to wear for her upcoming date with Shun. Earlier that day, he called and told her he had just gotten paid and wanted to know if tonight would be good for their date. Akari told him the timing couldn't be better, since she was free that evening. After picking a nice restaurant and time of arrival, she told him she would pick him up at 7. Once Shun told her he would be waiting, Akari moved on to the next step: picking the right clothes.

That turned out to be a bit bothersome, since she hadn't been on a date for a while and didn't know how to present herself. She couldn't decide between her black biker outfit, her formal white outfit, or something more casual. She groaned frustratingly. "Having some trouble, honey?" Akari turned to see her mother peeking in. She looked amused. Akari wasn't.

"Choosing what to wear for a date shouldn't be so complicated." She said.

Mirai giggled as she walked in. She and her husband had stopped by for a few days to check on the family and for any possible updates about the Astral World. "Would Shun care how you dress?" Mirai asked. Akari blushed a little.

"M-Mom! Who said it was Shun?!" She demanded defensively. Her mother continued to smile.

"Akari, I can tell you like him. You want to look your best to impress him, but do you need to? He doesn't strike me as the type to care so much about appearances." Akari sighed.

"Even if it is Shun, and I'm not saying that it is, cause I'm not… it doesn't tell me what I should wear." Mirai put both hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Trust your instincts, just like you do for your job." She advised. "It's always worked for you when you find a good scoop. No reason to doubt it now."

Akari looked at her mother and smiled. She was right. "Thanks Mom." She then turned back to her options for attire… and grinned broadly. "You know what? I think I know just what to throw on…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You look nice, big brother." Ruri commented on Shun's appearance.

"You think so?" He asked, looking over the dark jacket over a white shirt with navy pants.

"Ruri's right." Rio added with a smirk. "You look like a real lady's man."

"I'm sure Akari won't turn away after she sees you in that get up." Shark teased.

"Good to know." Shun said before turning to the other occupant in the room. "You got any opinions, Earth?" The Earth Ignis, who stood atop Shark's D-Pad on the living room table, thought for a second before giving his reply.

"From what I understand, appearances matter a great deal for humans, especially for humans who intend on dating. The more presentable they look, the more likely they will enjoy their time together. If Ruri, Ryoga, and Rio all say you look "good", then I agree with them." Shun chuckled.

"If a socially awkward A.I. says I'm dating material, then I guess I have nothing to worry about."

"You don't." Ruri told her older sibling confidently. "Listen Shun, I can tell that Akari likes you, a lot. And you like her, don't you?" Shun's cheeks flushed a bit.

"Well, yeah. I mean, she's a… good person, and all." He cleared is throat loudly before quickly turning to Shark. "Say Shark, how are things with you and Luna?"

Shark frowned and sighed. "I don't know. We haven't seen or talked to each other since we came back from the camping trip. I tried to contact her a few times, but she never responded. It's like she's… avoiding me." He then cleared his throat too. "But it shouldn't matter that much. We barely just became friends. Luna and I aren't even a thing."

"She kissed you, remember?" Rio reminded her brother. Shark glared furiously at her.

"I never said that kiss happened. Ever. Even if it did, I'm sure it was because Luna momentarily forgot I wasn't the version she dated. The point is, we haven't interacted at all for a month. No clue why. I'll bet she's just busy with Kaito and his father to figure out a way to get to the Astral World."

"A whole month with no communication? Not even making time for a friendly chat?" Rio said, hands on her hips, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Luna seems to be even more socially awkward than me." Earth surmised.

"It's not just Shark." Ruri reminded her friend. "The rest of us haven't heard from her either." They all nodded.

"If Luna isn't interacting with anyone outside Kaito's place, she must have her reasons." Shun assumed.

"I guess." His sister said sadly. She wondered if Luna will ever be alright. Ruri didn't like that she was apparently closing herself off to the outside world. But then, this world wasn't the one she came from. The world that she lost…

They were brought out of their concerning thoughts about Luna when they heard a car honking outside. Shun looked at the nearby clock, which said 7:00 pm on the dot. He knew who it had to be. "That must be Akari. She did say she would be driving."

"In that case, don't keep your date waiting." Shark said with a small smile.

"Be very sociable." Earth instructed.

"Have a good time." Rio said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Just be yourself and everything will be fine." Ruri assured her big brother.

Shun nodded at the group. "Thanks for all the advice. I'll be back in a few hours. Behave yourselves." He said sternly.

"I was about to say the same thing." Rio teased with a wink. This annoyed the older teen, but not enough for a retort.

"Also, keep an eye out. Cathy and Anna may not have been the only ones that got their hands on those "Number" copies that possessed them." Shark strongly suggested. After what happened earlier that day, he felt he had every right to be worried. Both girls and Earth nodded in agreement.

"I doubt I will bump into a Number holder tonight, but I'll be watching just in case. See you guys later." Shun said before walking out the door. He was surprised by what the sight before him. "Um… hey, Akari."

Leaning on a big red car with a black hood, Akari looked back at him with a smug grin while crossing her arms. She wore tight black pants and a dark red strapless tank top in a short sleeved white jacket. "Hey yourself. You look good." She was quite pleased with flustered reaction she got out of him. Shun tried to compose himself before replying.

"Uh, thanks. You look… nice, Akari." He fumbled with his jacket for a second.

"Thanks Shun." She replied, also blushing slightly. After a moment, Shun gave a small cough.

"So… shall we get going?" Akari nodded as she patted the top of her car.

"Hop in. I know just the place." As soon as they both got in, Akari started up the car and drove to their destination.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadowed figure that observed them from afar began tailing after them, jumping from one lamp post to another…

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I've never been here before." Shun said as he and Akari took their seats at a table next to a window. The restaurant they were in was packed and everyone present seemed to be enjoying themselves, including the kids that were with their families. "Seems family friendly."

"It is. My parents and I used to eat here quite a few times when I was younger. After Yuma came along, we sorta stopped." Akari said.

"How come?" Shun asked. His date sighed.

"Yuma was very needy when he was a baby. Looking after him took a more of a priority. It was a… rough time for me."

It was right then the waiter came to ask for their drinks and meals. Once the two made their orders, the waiter left. "How was it rough?" Shun asked once they were alone again. Akari sighed.

"I was used to being the only kid in the family. The one that liked to be the center of attention, you know?" Shun nodded.

"Sort of." He said. Akari went on.

"After Yuma was born, I was pretty jealous that he was getting more attention than me. I was not liking it one bit. What about you?" Shun smiled.

"Actually, I wasn't really that jealous when Ruri became part of my life. To me, she was just a little angel I needed to look after. That became more so after the Invasion." Akari smiled back, admiring Shun's maturity.

"Man, I wish I was more like you back then. I acted like a spoiled brat." Shun shook his head.

"That was then. This is now. I like the person you are." She smiled more.

"Right back at you." She said in a soft voice that made her date blush.

Akari then frowned, which Shun noticed. "What?" After taking a drink, Akari looked Shun right in the eye.

"Shun. If you don't mind me asking… Have you ever had a girlfriend? Like, before your home was attacked… or after?" The question really caught the young man off guard.

"G-Girlfriend?" He stammered for a second and took a moment before he answered. "Um… no. Before Academia showed up, my time was mostly on studying, dueling, and watching over Ruri. I never even considered dating. Ruri and Yuto both suggested more than once that I should give it a shot, but I told them I was just not interested." Shun frowned himself. "Then after we were invaded, I simply pushed that possibility out of my mind and did what I needed to do. Protecting Ruri and fighting Academia to survive were my only priorities. I had to toughen myself up to last as long as I did." He paused. "And you?"

Akari snorted. "I wasn't much of a dating person myself. Although, there was this one guy…" She then shook her head. The thought of that man both infuriated and intrigued her. The former more so than the latter.

"Yes?" Shun asked curiously. The young woman sighed.

"Let's just say he had serious commitment issues. It never would've worked out."

"That's too bad." Shun said. Akari agreed silently.

Right then, the waiter came back with their orders. They didn't hesitate to dig in.

"Delicious." Shun said, complementing his dish after taking the first bite.

"Yep, this is good quality cooking right here. And the prices are reasonable." Akari told him to both their delights.

"I agree on both fronts." As they ate, Shun caught something in his peripheral vision and gazed sideways out the window. It was for an instant, but there was definitely movement outside near Akari's car. He narrowed his eyes, trying to discern what it was he saw. Yet, he saw nothing but darkness.

"Shun, what's wrong?" Akari asked, noticing how intently he looked through the window. After another moment, he turned back to his date.

"I thought I saw something, but it was probably just some squirrels running around with their nuts." He then changed the subject. "So Akari, what made you want to become a journalist?" Akari smiled fondly.

"Chasing after current events has always been a dream of mine. Ever since I was a kid, whenever I see something big going down, I just knew I had to be first on the scene to get the scoop. I may have gotten into trouble a few times for it during my teen years, but nothing really serious."

"I'll bet. Not exactly the perfect little princess type, were you?" Shun said. Akari smirked.

"Shun… I couldn't be more of the opposite." They both laughed. After a minute, they calmed down. "How's working at the machine shop doing?" Shun shrugged.

"It's fine. The pay is decent and Frank is a good man to work for. I'm grateful to have that part time assistant job. The only downside is all that grease that gets on my overalls."

"Well, what did you expect when you applied to be a grease monkey?" Akari asked in a teasing way.

"At least this monkey knows enough to patch up your car if something bad happens to it." Shun told her, teasing back. Akari then seemed slightly uncomfortable. "What?" The young man asked. His date sighed.

"Sorry. It's just that, my dad gave me that car. It's very precious to me. I seriously don't want anything to happen to it." Shun nodded.

"I understand that. I was serious though, about the engine fixing part." He assured her. Akari relaxed more.

"Glad to know that."

The rest of the meal went by very pleasantly. Shun was grateful he was able to pay the check when it came. It used up most of his pay from work, but he didn't mind. He was actually enjoying his time with Akari, and she seemed to be feeling the same.

"So, are you enjoying our date?" Shun asked as they walked out the restaurant front door. Akari smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm having a great time. You?" Shun nodded.

"I am. I'm glad I went out with you tonight." He said. Akari felt very warm… which had nothing to do with the temperature outside.

It looked like the remainder of the evening might go without any problems. Which was exactly when a major problem literally dropped in. Before the pair could get near the car, a cloaked figure landed on it from above, crouching from the impact.

"What the hell?" Akari shouted, totally shocked by the stranger appearing like that.

"Who are you?" Shun demanded of the individual.

The figure slowly stood up and smiled unsettlingly. The hood was lowered to see a pale man with long, unkempt, dull blond hair. He had red eyes like the blood moon. Most shockingly, a pair of long pointed fangs were shown in his upper front teeth. "The name's Vlad. And tonight I have my eyes, and my fangs, on that fine lady with you."

"Hell no! I ain't going anywhere with you, freak show!" Akari said vehemently. Vlad gave a chilling laugh.

"Such spirit! Drinking your blood and taking your soul will be so delicious!"

Shun instantly stood in front of the freaked out Akari, blocking her from Vlad's view. "She's off limits. Get lost." He said adamantly. Vlad still smiled as he jumped off the car and onto the pavement.

"I'm not leaving without her. I shall take her as my prize… after slaying you in a Duel!" Vlad declared, taking out a red D-Pad that became a Duel Disk that was shaped like the wing of a bat. Shun followed suit.

"I accept the Duel, but you will be the one that goes down!" He told the psycho vampire wanna be.

"Go get him Shun. Be careful." Akari advised. Shun nodded, telling her that he would be.

"Duel Disk Set! D-Gazer Set!" The two opponents shouted in unison as they strapped on and activated their D-Gazers and Duel Disks.

"AT Vision, Link Established." Once the digital field materialized, the two combatants got started.

"DUEL!"

(Shun: 4000) (Vlad: 4000)

"I shall begin. My turn! Draw!" Vlad said as he began. "I play Call of the Mummy! This Magic card allows me to Special Summon a "Zombie" Monster from my hand once per turn if I control no Monsters! I Special Summon Vampire's Curse!" (DARK; Level 6; ATK: 2000; DEF: 800) An armored vampire with wings and green hair appeared before it's controller. "Next, I Normal Summon Malevolent Mech - Goku En!" (LIGHT; Level 6; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1400) A four legged winged beast sprouting blue blames emerged next.

"That's a Level 6 Monster! How can you Normal Summon it without a Sacrifice?" Shun demanded.

"This charming brute can be Normal Summoned without a Sacrifice. But by doing so, I have to send it to the Graveyard during the End Phase and then take damage equal to it's original Attack Points. Fortunately, it has to be the only "Zombie" Monster on the Field for that Effect to activate, and it's not. I won't have to worry about that though, after what I'm going to do next!"

"I'm not liking this." Akari muttered.

"I Overlay my Level 6 Vampire's Curse and Goku En! With these 2 Monsters, I build the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon! Arise! Number 24! The blood thirsty beast of the night! Sink your fangs on your prey and drain them dry! Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon!" (DARK; Rank 6; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2800) Standing now was a large winged black and dark red dragon with fanglike spikes throughout it's body and a mane of long blonde hair. It also wore a white mask with glowing red eyes behind it. Lastly, a red "24" was shown on the left side of it's chest. That same number materialized on Vlad's forehead.

"A Number?!" Akari gasped. She had heard about Cathy and Anna from Yuma and Yuto, but she never imagined another Number incident would happen during her date.

Shun gritted his teeth. This was going to be more complicated than he initially thought.

"With my Ace Monster out, I Set 1 card facedown and end my turn. You have no hope of prevailing against me, mortal." Vlad taunted. Shun wasn't intimidated in the least.

"Forgive me if don't agree. My turn! Draw!" Shun knew he couldn't take his time dealing with that lunatic. What he held would help him get the job done quickly. "I Summon Raid Raptors – Skull Eagle!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 500) A purple and white bird mech appeared. "Because I control at least 1 "Raid Raptors" Monster, I can Special Summon Raid Raptors – Heel Eagle from my hand!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 700; DEF: 700) A robotic eagle colored black and dark purple materialized next to it's fellow Monster. "Now, I Overlay my Level 3 Skull Eagle and Heel Eagle! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 3! Raid Raptors – Devil Eagle!" (DARK; Rank 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 0) A black and red mechanical eagle emerged in place of the weaker Monsters. "Since Skull Eagle was used for it's Xyz Summon, Devil Eagle gains 300 Attack Points!"

(Raid Raptors - Devil Eagle's ATK: 1000 + 300= 1300)

"How can Shun win with that?" Akari wondered.

"Heh. Even with that little boost, your tin canary cannot put a dent in Dragulas!" Vlad said insultingly. "Not that it could in any case, since only a Number can destroy another Number in battle!" Shun grunted.

"I was never planning to attack in the first place." Shun responded.

"Eh?" Vlad asked, confused.

"I activate Devil Eagle's Monster Effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can detach an Overlay Unit to inflict damage to you equal to the Attack Points of a Special Summoned Monster on the Field! I'm choosing your Dragulas!" A shower of purple energy from it's wings came down on Vlad, making him flinch and grunt.

(Vlad: 4000 - 2400 = 1600)

"Nice opener!" Akari cheered.

Vlad sneered, hating that his precious Number's power had been used against him. "You will pay for that with your soul!" Shun's expression remained stoic.

"I'm not too worried about that. I Set 2 cards facedown and end my turn."

"If Shun keeps this up, he'll definitely kick that guy's ass." Akari hoped. Vlad didn't think so.

"You got off at a lucky start, mortal, but that is about to change! My turn! Draw!" Vlad smiled again with the card he drew. "I'm putting your bird to sleep with Dragulas' Effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can detach an Overlay Unit to make a face-up Monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck switch to facedown Defense Mode! Your Devil Eagle can't touch me this time! Soul Rest!"

"Tch." Shun grunted in annoyance after his Monster flipped down and disappeared from sight.

"With that nuisance dealt with, I can begin my counterattack! Trap card open, Energy Drain! It increases the Attack and Defense Points of a face-up Monster I control by the number of cards in your hand times 200 until the End Phase! You have 2 cards in your hand, so my Dragulas gains 400 Attack and Defense Points!" Vlad declared as his demonic Ace powered up in a red glow.

(2 x 200 = 400)

(Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon's ATK: 2400 + 400 = 2800; DEF: 2800 + 400 = 3200)

"Why would he do that? With Devil Eagle in Defense Mode, Vlad can't get to Shun's Life Points." Akari asked herself. Shun was thinking the same thing, and they were about to get the answer in a bad way.

"I play a particularly nasty Magic card called Vampire's Ruthlessness! It has a couple of useful Effects that last until the End Phase!" Vale stated. "First off, it switches the Attack and Defense Points of a DARK Xyz Monster I control with a "Vampire" Monster as an Overlay Unit! Dragulas still has Vampire's Curse attached, so it's powers get moved around, which also makes it stronger!" Shun saw the evil Number now having 3200 Attack Points and 2800 Defense Points. "After that, all DARK Monsters I control can inflict piercing damage when battling a Defense Mode Monster, but not destroy that Monster!"

"Not good." Akari muttered. She hoped Shun was prepared for that.

"Next, I banish Vampire's Ruthlessness from my Graveyard to Special Summon Vampire Lord from my Deck!" (DARK; Level 5; ATK: 2000; DEF: 1500) A light blue haired vampire wrapped in a batwing liked cape appeared. "Then, by banishing Vampire Lord, I can Special Summon Vampire Genesis from my hand!" (DARK; Level 8; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2100) A big, bulky purple vampire with a single big wing stretching around his back emerged between the other 2 Monsters. "I activate the Effect of Vampire Genesis! Once per turn, I can discard a "Zombie" Monster from my hand to Special Summon another "Zombie" Monster in my Graveyard whose Level is lower than the discarded Monster's! I discard my Level 8 Blood Demon to Special Summon Vampire's Curse, the Overlay Unit I detached from Dragulas, from my Graveyard!" Vlad's first Monster rose from the ground and once again stood with its fellow Monsters. "Now for Blood Demon's Effect! When it is discarded by a card effect, I gain Life Points equal to the Attack Points of the strongest Attack Point Monster I control! The 3200 Attack Points of my Dragulas will give me even more life!" Vlad declared with a mad laugh when his Life Points went up.

(Vlad: 1600 + 3200 = 4800)

"Are you kidding?!" Akari complained.

Shun braced himself for the onslaught that was about to unfold.

"Time for the fun part, where I watch you fall and then feast on your soul! Battle! Vampire Genesis, attack that facedown Raid Raptors – Devil Eagle! Hell Vicious Blood!" The big vampire crossed it's arms, gathered up power, and unleashed a torrent of dark mist that flowed toward Shun's Monster, which then flipped face-up due to being attacked.

"Trap card open, Raid Raptors – Evasive! If a "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster I control is being attacked, I can negate that attack by returning it's only remaining Overlay Unit to my hand!" The mist was blocked by a small purple light that left Devil Eagle and flashed to Shun's hand. Vlad snorted.

"Wast of time! By removing that last Overlay Unit, you can't use your bird's damaging Effect again! That will be your downfall! Now, try to stop this! Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon, attack! Soul Bite!" Vlad's Number Monster spread it's wings, took flight, and dive bombed at it's target. It's fanged mouth opened for the strike…

"Quick-Play Magic, Raid Raptors – Backlash Shield! When a "Raid Raptors" Monster is being attacked but is not destroyed, that attacking Monster is destroyed!" A shield composed of the Raid Raptors' emblem blocked Dragulas' attack and destroyed it, but not before the force of the assault bypassed Devil Eagle and sent Shun flying into a lamp post behind him.

(Shun: 4000 - 3200 = 800)

"Shun!" Akari yelled. "Are you hurt?" Before she could move to help him, Shun was getting himself back up.

"I'm… alright, Akari. I've felt worse." He admitted painfully. Vlad snickered at his opponent's suffering.

"Believe me, you're about to feel so much worse when my next attack finishes you! But first, Dragulas's second Effect! If it is sent to my Graveyard or banished by my opponent's card effect while face-up and under my control, I can Special Summon it back to my Field in facedown Defense Mode! Demonic Resurrection!" A dark cloud formed where Dragulas now returned in Defense Mode.

'Damn. That thing is harder to get rid of than I thought.' Shun thought in frustration. Vlad smiled evilly.

"It's time! Your soul is mine! Vampire's Curse, finish him off! Blood Lust!" The weakest of Vlad's Monsters flew forward, intending to end the conflict and bring down it's master's enemy. It didn't get that far.

"Wrong! Once while Backlash Shield is in my Graveyard, i can negate battle damage in a battle involving a "Raid Raptors" Monster!" Once more, the emblem representing Shun's Monsters appeared and forced the vampire Monster back. Vlad snarled from the setback.

"Damn you! You are only prolonging your suffering! Mark my words, you will soon die and that woman will be my bride! Until then, I end my turn. At this time, the effects of Vampire's Ruthlessness wear off."

Akari had had enough of Vlad's nonsense. "Hey, you wacko! I'm no one's bride, and certainly not for some Dracula wannabe! I'm never going anywhere with you!" Vlad turned her snarling face at her.

"You won't have a choice! With my power, you will belong to me! No one else! That will become reality once this pathetic fool is dealt with!" He promised while pointing at Shun.

Shun, on the other hand, felt quite differently. "You heard her. She's not interested. And it is your ass I'm about to kick! I've fought to survive in a war that devastated my home and I'm not going to fall before some delusional freak! My turn! Draw!" Shun knew the time had come to win this fight. "I play a Continuous Magic card called Raid Raptors – Intercept Form! You will see it's Effects soon! Then I Summon Raid Raptors – Retrofit Lanius!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 1200) A green bird mech with six winglike appendages appeared on the Field. "When this Monster is used for an Xyz Summon of a "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster, it can be treated as 2 Monsters!"

"I hope that whatever he Summons can turn things around." Akari said softly. Vlad didn't think the same thing as he watched with no concern.

"I Overlay my Level 4 Retrofit Lanius! Blaze with crimson light! Set flame your thirsting wings to light my soul! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Raid Raptors - Blaze Burner Falcon!" (DARK; Rank 4; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1000) A robotic bird in red, blue, and silver descended from above to float next to Devil Eagle. "If my opponent has at least 3000 more Life Points than I do when it is Xyz Summoned, Blaze Burner Falcon can gain 3000 Attack Points! The gap between our Life Points is big enough for my Monster to become strong enough to end you!" Shun declared strongly as his new Monster grew stronger.

(Raid Raptors - Blade Burner Falcon's ATK: 1000 + 3000 = 4000)

"Yes! Now any of Vlad's Monsters can be beaten!" Akari said to her delight.

"I'm not scared!" Vlad stated. "Your new Monster may be stronger than all of mine, but you still won't beat me!"

"I'm still warming up!" Shun retorted. "Because I successfully Xyz Summoned a "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster, I can play Double Raid Raptors! This Magic card allows me to Xyz Summon another "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck that is 1 or 2 Ranks higher than the Xyz Monster I use to Summon it! I Overlay my Rank 3 Devil Eagle! Ferocious falcon! Break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes! Rank Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Raid Raptors – Blaze Falcon!" (DARK; Rank 5; ATK: 1000; DEF: 2000) A black and red robot falcon materialized in the place of Shun's previous Monster.

"Whatever you're planing, I'm making sure it won't work!" Vlad declared. "I banish Blood Demon from my Graveyard to flip a facedown Defense Mode Monster I control to face-up Attack Mode! Return and fight again, Dragulas!" The dark Number Monster reappeared to do it's master's bidding. "Now for my Number's second Effect! When it is flipped face-up, Dragulas can send 1 card on the Field to the Graveyard! I'm sending your Blade Burner Falcon to the dark underworld! Soul Deprivation!" He laughed. To his surprise, Shun smiled.

"I think you forgot about my Magic card. Once per turn, during either of our turns, when an Effect is activated that targets an Xyz Summoned "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster I control, that Effect is negated!" A silver glow formed around Blade Burner Falcon and kept it from going anywhere.

"Dammit!" Vlad cursed.

"That's my guy!" Akari cheered, then blushed after realizing what she said. Luckily for her, Shun was too preoccupied with the Duel to hear her comment.

"Vlad, you have taken up enough of me and Akari's time, so I'm ending this! I activate Blaze Falcon's Monster Effect! By detecting 1 of it's Overlay Units, I can destroy as many of your Special Summoned Monsters as possible and inflict 500 points of damage to you for each one! With 3 Monsters, the damage you take is 1500! Raid Blast!"

"WHAT?!" Vale yelled fearfully while watching all his Monsters get blown apart.

(500 x 3 = 1500)

(Vlad: 4800 - 1500 = 3300)

"He's wide open now!" Akari said happily.

Vlad bared his fangs. "It's not over! Thanks to Dragulas' Effect, I can revive it again in Defense Mode!" The dark cloud started to form again…

"Not this time!" Shun told him.

"Huh?" Vlad asked.

"I banish Raid Raptors – Backlash Shield from my Graveyard to negate the Effect of a non-"Raid Raptors" Monster!"

"NO!" Vlad yelled in despair. He watched helplessly as his Ace Monster vanished and went to the Graveyard.

"It's over for you Vlad! Battle! Raid Raptors – Blade Burner Falcon, Direct Attack! Blaze Shot!" The stronger bird mech flew up and fired a blue blast from it's mouth that struck the screaming vampire Duelist in the chest, knocking him down and out.

(Vlad: 0)

As the Duel ended, Akari saw Vlad's Number card fall to the ground near her. It started to glow darkly. Akari then felt an overwhelming impulse to pick it up. It was like she heard a voice saying "Come to me. I can make your desire a reality. Come to me.". Without realizing it, she began stepping toward that Number…

"Akari! Don't!" Shun dashed in front of her and snatched the card before Akari could pick it up. The moment he did, a bright golden glow formed around his hand and completely disintegrated the card. It was gone, along with the glow. "What the?" Shun asked, bewildered by what he witnessed.

Akari shook her head, as if from a trance. "Shun, I…I'm okay. I don't know what got into me. Thanks for that."

"I'm glad you're alright." Shun said as he frowned. "I've been told of the Numbers' corruptive influence on it's holders. I didn't want that happening to you. But why did that Number vanish when I touched it? What was with that glow?" He asked while looking at his hand.

That's when Akari remembered. "Wait. I've seen that glow before. It came from Ruri's bracelet when she revived you after you got sealed in that card by Yuri."

"But, Ruri wasn't here. How did I…?" Shun questioned. Akari thought for a moment.

"I've got a theory. After Ruri brought you back, some of her bracelet's energy must have remained inside you. That left over energy must be what allowed you to destroy that Number copy like Ruri did with those other Numbers."

Shun thought about that, and agreed with her. "I think you're right. Lucky me."

"Yep. You are." Akari told him. Shun smiled at her.

The two then hear a moaning from nearby. Vlad was regarding consciousness. "Stupid bird man… Stupid son of a…"

Before Shun could do anything, Akari marched over to the creep that put her date through hell and punched his lights out. "And stay down, jackass!"

Shun was amused. 'Note to self: Never piss her off.'

As she observed from her throne, Hiretsuna eyed Shun interestedly. "Curious. That human has the same power as that dark haired girl. He could be another potential problem. For now, I'll just keep watch and see what happens next." She said, sounding more bored than concerned. Hiretsuna eyed her now incomplete prisoner, who just lost another portion of his body. She hoped he would remain intact long enough for her and Devil Kaiser's plan to work. After all, that Ignis' role was a crucial one.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Akari contacted the authorities and they arrested Vlad upon their arrival. It turned out that he had a record of abducting young women for his sick minded pleasures. The man was mentally unstable and could not be reasoned with. He was also very obsessive with vampires and their lore. Him finding that Number only made him even more dangerous than he normally was. Of course, that last part Shun and Akari kept quiet about.

After giving their statements, the pair got in the car and drove away. Neither of them talked during the drive. That was fine. They both had a lot on their minds.

Once they arrived back at the Kamishiro residence, Shun and Akari both got out. "Well, that was an, um… interesting evening." Shun said delicately.

"That would be putting it mildly." Akari replied. "I never thought one of those crazy Number holders would butt in on our date."

"Neither have I." Shun said. "This whole Number situation is starting to concern me."

"Me too." Akari said in agreement. "So far, no one has gotten hurt." She then thought about her knocking out Vlad. "At least… no one we care about."

Shun nodded. "That I'm grateful for. Other than that, I think our date went rather well." Shun admitted.

Akari smiled. "Me too." She and Shun stood awkwardly for a moment before the former broke the ice.

"I really did enjoy our time together tonight. In fact," Shun hesitated before finishing with "I wouldn't mind having another with you in the future." Akari gasped, surprised by the statement.

"Really?" She said while blushing.

"Really." Shun answered with a small smile.

Akari was left speechless. She hadn't expected him to say that. The thought of her having future dates with Shun actually made her giddy on the inside. Of course, she did her best to not show that. She couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, she walked up to him… and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Shun." Akari said warmly before stepping back into her car and drove home.

Standing there next to the road, a stunned Shun Kurosaki blushed furiously. He felt the spot where Akari kissed him, not quite believing that had just happened. After a long moment, he turned to walk back toward the house with a happiness he had never felt in his life.

To be continued.