NOTE: Finally got this chapter done. This is the finale of the 3rd arc!
I'm not gonna lie, I can fully understand why the anime's writers stopped using this format for battles after S1. It's kinda tedious in general. Like, I enjoy the one-on-one's far more, but damn do I just wish I could just skip straight to the main Bakugan battling. All this strategy stuff is not for me.
Enjoy and Review!
Chapter 24: Truth Revealed
That's fine but trust me that when this battle is over…that'll be the last of your worries.
Ah, you know what, before we finish you both for good, I guess I could enlighten you on something about us…or more specifically that friend of yours, Leonidas. He's…
"BWAH!" Dan Kuso shot up from his hospital bed, sweat pouring down his face. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to get his heart back under control. Dan looked around his environment to understand where he was. The last thing he could remember was his devastating battle with Marduk and Vladitor. No, even then, he could remember seeing Runo moments before fully losing consciousness.
"For me to end up in the hospital, that battle must have taken more out of me than I thought…" Dan grits his teeth in frustration. His hands clenched the white sheets before tossing them off to reveal his light blue gown. "There's no way I'm letting Marduk get away with this! He's on the top of my shit-list alongside that creep Masquerade! Next time I see him, I'm going to-"
BEEP!
"Huh?" Dan stopped his tirade to see his Baku-Watch beeping. He picked it up off the table next to his bed to see what was going on. His eyes widened at the message alert.
BATTLE ROYALE FINALS: YUJI SHUJIN VS MARUCHO MARUKURA VS JULIE MAKIMOTO VS RUNO MISAKI
"The finals…" Dan muttered. If the finals were going on, then that meant he's been out for the entire duration of the tournament. When his eyes landed on Yuji's image, the memories of his battle with Marduk resurfaced. "Crud! Right…! Yuji and Leonidas, they're in danger! Not only that but…!" Realizing that there were far more important matters than a tournament, Dan started rushing towards the door…
…Only to remember that he wasn't properly dressed.
Thankfully, he found his clothes lying on a neat pile next to his bed on one of the chairs, courtesy of his mom. "Oh yeah! Thanks, Mom! I'll remember to get her something really awesome for her birthday this year!" Dan throws off his gown to quickly put on his clothes. Once he was back in his usual get-up, the Pyrus Brawler turned to the table to grab his deck and Bakugan. His partner, Drago, was still sleeping on the table. "Yo, Drago, buddy, time to wake up!"
Drago didn't respond.
Growling at his lazy partner, the leader of the Brawlers rolled up a magazine. "I said, wake up!"
SMACK!
Drago went bouncing off the table, rebounding off the wall, and flying straight into Dan's forehead. "OW!" Dan yelped, falling on his rear while Drago stabilized himself in the air.
"Are you out of your mind, Dan?!" Drago yelled.
"I tried waking you up nicely, buddy!"
"So, you resorted to hitting me?!"
"You woke up, didn't you?!"
The Dragonoid really hated that Dan had a point there.
"Besides, we need to hurry to the stadium! Yuji and Leonidas are…!"
"I know!" Drago flew down to latch onto Dan's shoulder. "They're in danger! Let's hurry, Dan!"
"Yeah!"
Alice held Runo tightly, she and everyone else watched with bated breaths as Yuji and Leonidas confronted the true perpetrators of everything. All of the pain she and her friends have been going through the past week were the fault of Marduk and his Darkus partner. The non-Brawler looked pained, noticing the anger coming over the Haos duo. "Yuji…! Leonidas…!"
"Send me to hell? Do you truly think such a thing is possible, Leonidas?" Vladitor asked.
"I don't care! I'm going to break you!" Leonidas swore, heatedly.
"Heh! Looks like someone's rearing to go already." Marduk smirked at the dragon.
"Did you…"
"Hm?" Marduk gives his attention back to Yuji. The usually kind boy was sending him such a dark glare that it made him question his attribute usage. "Oh? Is the little baby gonna cry?"
"Did you really do that? Did you really hurt Dan and Drago?" Yuji asked.
The Darkus enemy rolled his eyes. "Do you really have to ask? I just told you and everyone else here that we're the ones that sent those losers packing." He then gave a cruel smile. "What? Are you hoping that I might regret my actions or something? That maybe I'm just lying to distract you?"
"I-" Yuji is interrupted by Marduk grabbing him by his collar, bringing him in close. Their faces were inches apart, their eyes glued to the other.
"Listen here, kid, if there's anything about me that's true it's that I don't lie about anything! Taking credit for someone else's work is nothing short of cowardly and pathetic! Vladitor and I are the strongest duo, therefore all of our victories are true!" Marduk declared. He gasped slightly when he felt a hand grip his wrist. He looked down to see that Yuji was pushing back against him.
"I don't care about your claims, nor do I care if you're the strongest or not…!" Yuji's grip increased, causing Marduk to wince slightly. "All I care about is whether or not you're the one who hurt Dan and Drago! You can say whatever you want about me, do whatever you want to me, but I'll never tolerate anyone who hurts my friends!" Marduk released his grip when Yuji shoved him back.
"Yuji…!" Serena gasped.
Marduk held his wrist, feeling the intense heat from Yuji's grip. The masked boy's eyes stared at his enemy, words from before echoed in his head.
Take back what you said! I don't care what you say about me, but don't you ever call Leonidas a coward! The only coward here is the guy insulting people for no reason!
Teeth clenched as his anger boiled, dark energy started swirling around him. "That…! That's the part of you that I hate the most!" Marduk was about to lash out violently until he felt Vladitor touch his shoulder. The Darker Brawler cooled his emotions, listening to his partner's presence.
Yuji stepped forward. "It's your fault! You're the reason Alice and the Brawlers have been going through all this pain!"
Seeing an opportunity to get his upper hand back, Marduk grinned at the boy. "No duh, moron! I hate to admit that I had to have the help of Masquerade, but that little plan of ours worked pretty well! We didn't even have to do much!" He points at Runo, which causes Alice to start shielding her slightly. "Runo over there was the biggest contributor! If it wasn't for all the hate she already held towards you guys, tearing the Battle Brawlers apart would have been futile! I'm sure if Dan was here to see this, he would hate your guts!"
Runo starts crying again, knowing that everything was her fault. If she had listened to Alice and Tigrerra, then she wouldn't have hurt everyone. If it wasn't for Yuji, then she would have utterly destroyed her friendships and tore the Battle Brawlers apart.
"Stop it!" Alice yelled, surprising Marduk. "Yes, Runo was in the wrong for what she did, but she wasn't the one that caused this mess! It was you and Masquerade who created this scenario in the first place! You put Dan in the hospital, and Masquerade gave Runo the Doom Card! The real villains here are all of you!"
"Yeah! Tell him, Alice!" Preyas and Serena support from behind.
"Alice is right! None of this is on Runo! And if Dan was here, he would be just as furious at you as we are!" Julie shouted.
"You're our enemy, Marduk! Not Runo, not Yuji, and especially not Leonidas!" Marucho defends his friend as well.
"I don't really like the Brawlers, but I can tell when there's an even bigger jerk around!" Akira agreed.
"What they said." Nene added.
"And who cares what you losers say?! I can beat any one of you any day of the week!" Marduk taunts.
"Oh yeah?!" Julie stomps forward. "Gorem, we're gonna-"
"STAY OUT OF IT!" Leonidas roars, silencing the entire field. He didn't even turn back to look at them, his eyes locked fiercely on Marduk. "NONE OF YOU ARE ALLOWED TO INTERFERE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
Serena stepped forward. "Wait, Leonidas! This guy defeated Dan and Drago!"
"Exactly! He took what was ours and I refuse to let that go! If any of you choose to interfere with this battle, I'll consider you an enemy and destroy you along with them!" Leonidas declared.
"Yuji, you can't possibly-" Alice stopped when she saw the look in Yuji's eyes. While he wouldn't word it in the same way as his partner, she could tell that he felt the same. Alice decided to back down. "O-okay, you guys can do this."
"ALICE?!" The others were shocked at how easily she gave up.
"Just…trust them, guys. They've been able to prove themselves time and time again." Alice smiles gently, then looks down at Runo. "We have to trust that they can win this one too."
"Alice…" Runo mutters, sniffling quietly.
"Let's support them together, okay, Runo?" Alice's voice was as soft as a pillow. She gently held Runo's hand to let her friend know that she wasn't alone. Tigrerra could be felt vibrating between their palms, also supporting Runo.
"Are you all settled? Can we finally get this battle on the road?" Marduk pulled out a card. There was no need to activate the field, since it was still active.
Yuji nodded his head. "Yeah! We're doing this, Marduk! For everything you've done, we're going to take you down!" He pulled out his own Gate Card.
"Save the cheesy hero-lines, loser! You and that stupid dragon are going to face the same despair Dan did!" Marduk declared.
"GATE CARD, SET!"
As the battle commenced, Alice kept her eyes on her boyfriend(?). "Yuji, Leonidas, you guys have to win this."
Marduk raised a hand. "Since I'm such a great guy, I'll let you have the first turn."
"Whatever!" Yuji pulls out another Gate Card. "GATE CARD, SET!" He tosses it down next to his own. Then he noticed something. "Are you not going to use that Doom Card?"
"Didn't I already tell you? I'm not a coward. Besides, there would be no point." Marduk smiles sinisterly at that last part, confusing everyone.
"What is he talking about?" Nene asked.
Marucho stroked his chin, contemplating his words. "I don't know…but…" His eyes trailed between Vladitor and Leonidas. "There's something weird."
Leonidas looks at his partner. "Am I going in first?"
"No, I want to see what he's got first. We don't know what abilities he can use." Yuji responds as he pulls out another Bakugan. "Bakugan, brawl!" He sends out his Bakugan, throwing it towards his own Gate Card. "Bakugan, stand!"
Rising from the holy light was a beautiful butterfly-like Bakugan with a feminine body. She circled the air before stopping down.
Haos Monarus: 240 Gs!
Marduk smirked and waved his arm. "Gate Card, open! Darkus Requiem!"
"What?!" Yuji cried.
"Darkus Requiem?!" Serena exclaimed, confused.
"I've never heard of that card before!" Alice shouted. She and the others looked down at their Baku-Watches to see the card's details.
The Gate Card behind Monarus illuminated with a dastardly purple light, revealing its true contents to everyone. The card's design was of a black religious cross symbol, a skeleton was nailed to cross, its body frail and broken. Suddenly, limbs of black energy sprouted out of the card, latching onto Monarus and causing her to scream out. Not only that, but the card's energy was spreading to the Gate Card as well.
Haos Monarus: 240 Gs to 0 Gs!
"Hey! What's going on!" Yuji demanded to know.
"I guess, I can explain it to you." Marduk's smugness was palpable. "Darkus Requiem is a Gate Card that can infect my opponent's Bakugan and Gate Card." The black limbs dragged Monarus away from Yuji's Gate Card, bringing her onto Marduk's. "Not only does your Bakugan lose all of its power, but your Gate Card is now null and void!" To visually prove his words, Yuji's card melted away into a pile of ash.
Monarus was now left crucified on top of Marduk's Gate Card, powerless to free herself from her bindings.
"No way…!" Yuji gasped, stunned.
"Until the battle is done, Monarus can't be moved to another Gate Card by any other ability." Marduk finished explaining.
"A card that can destroy the opponent's Gate Card and completely drain all of the G-Power from a Bakugan?!" Alice was shocked by the sheer power of that Gate Card.
"Where the heck did he get a card like that?!" Akira asked.
"W-well, he can only use it once, right?! That means Yuji shouldn't have anything else to worry about!" Serena tried to reassure everyone.
Marucho wasn't convinced. "I don't know…if he has one card that we have no information on…"
"Then he probably has more." Gorem realized.
Marduk was taking great pleasure in their fear and awe, his ego was simply exploding in ecstasy. "I think it's time we show them how outclassed they really are, Vladitor."
"Agreed." Vladitor acknowledged the idea. He returned to ball form, allowing Marduk to grab him. A black mist of energy swirled around his hand as he prepared to launch. "Bakugan, brawl!" Marduk launched his partner directly at Monarus.
"ARISE, DARKUS VLADITOR!"
Vladitor formed into a pitch-black comet as he descended onto the battlefield. He landed with a thunderous shockwave that almost knocked everyone over. A violent storm of energy distorted the air as the Black Knight of Bakugan rose to his full height. His footsteps shook the very dimension with each step taken.
Darkus Vladitor: 500 Gs!
"5-500 Gs?!" Yuji stuttered, surprised. That was far more than Drago, Leonidas, and every Bakugan he's come across up to this point. He looked up to stare at Vladitor's encompassing figure, blown away by the sheer presence of the Darkus Bakugan.
His friends were in a similar state as him. Preyas, Gorem, and Tigrerra shivered under the full might of Vladitor, a terrible familiarity overcame them. "H-he feels just like him…!"
"Who?! Hydranoid?!" Julie asked.
"No… He feels exactly like Leonidas." Tigrerra responded, shocking the Brawlers.
Alice could feel Runo shivering in her arms, clearly afraid of the Black Knight. Normally, something like this wouldn't have affected her so much, but the tsundere's mental state had taken a massive hit in the last few minutes. Runo was nowhere near the top of her game, so Alice made sure to do her best to protect her. Then she noticed something else, the children were all stumbling in fear of Vladitor. Her protective instincts took over, with Runo in her arms, she hurried towards the kids to stand in front of them. "It'll be okay, just stay behind me, okay?"
"Alice…" Serena's voice was small. For once, she looked like a child too afraid to make any snide remarks.
The only one who wasn't shocked by Vladitor was Leonidas, instead his own anger was burning at the sight of the Darkus Bakugan.
"Crush his pathetic Bakugan, Vladitor!" Marduk ordered.
"As you wish." Vladitor raised his armored hand and plunged his fist deep into Monarus' chest, bones and flesh melting to his might. Such a brutal display of violence made some of the humans and Bakugan sick to their stomachs.
Monarus returned to Yuji's feet, defeated. He picked his defeated Bakugan up and glared up at Vladitor. The Black Knight gave him and Leonidas one last glance before returning to his miniature form. Marduk caught his partner, grinning like a sick bastard. "So, how was Vladitor?"
"I'll admit that he's powerful, but Leonidas and I are stronger!" Yuji exclaimed.
"As if!" Marduk scoffed.
"Yuji…" Leonidas calls his partner.
"Yeah, he was sending out a challenge by using Vladitor first. I guess we should respond in kind, huh?" Yuji smirked.
"Obviously!" Leonidas forms into a ball for Yuji to tightly hold. The champion winds back his arm before unleashing his partner with a powerful launch. "Bakugan, brawl!"
Leonidas descended onto the Gate Card like a brilliant falling star, a shockwave pulsated throughout the field, followed by an animalistic roar they all recognized.
"STAND UP, LEONIDAS!"
Every bit of fear caused by Vladitor vanished upon the sight of the powerful Haos Dragon. Leonidas continued roaring down at their enemies, prime and ready for battle. "Bring it! I'll crush you both here and now!"
Haos Leonidas: 430 Gs!
"Big talk for such a baby lizard!" Marduk's taunt made Leonidas snarl dangerously.
"Marduk, allow me to-"
"Not yet. They haven't earned that privilege." Marduk pulled out a card. "GATE CARD, SET!" He tossed out another Gate Card next to Yuji's card. Then he whipped out a different Bakugan. "Bakugan, brawl!" The Darkus Bakugan bounced along the card before stopping beneath Leonidas' feet.
"Bakugan, stand!"
Emerging from the blackened light was a robotic-like Bakugan. It is a giant of a monster with four laser cannons at the top of his shoulders, strongly resembling a machine from Classic Battletech.
Darkus Laserman: 390 Gs!
"Now, then, let's add this into the mix!" Marduk twirls a card on his finger before catching it between his index and middle. "Ability Card, activate! Black Arrow!" He tossed the burning black card onto the field.
"Black Arrow?!" Yuji cried, surprised to see another card he didn't recognize.
"Is that supposed to scare me?!" Leonidas snarled.
The card's black mist formed an arrow that swirled past Laserman to stab Leonidas through the shoulder. He was actually surprised to see how much that arrow actually managed to hurt him. Its size suddenly doubled, increasing the pain inflicted on the dragon. "GAH!"
Haos Leonidas: 430 Gs to 330 Gs!
"Leonidas?!"
"That ability dropped his power down by 100 G-power!" Marucho exclaimed.
Haos Leonidas: 330 Gs to 230 Gs!
"A-another?!" Serena stuttered.
"R-Ragh!" Leonidas fell to a knee, gasping for his breath as he felt his power being drained away from him. His eyes trailed over to the burning arrow in his shoulder, the inflicted wound was starting to grow by the second.
Yuji whipped his anger at his opponent. "What did you do, Marduk?!"
"Heh! Black Arrow's ability is to inflict damage to the opponent's Bakugan overtime. As time passes by, he'll keep losing 100 Gs until he hits 0!" Marduk explained. "Looks like the big bad dragon is going to lose all that power he's so proud of!"
Haos Leonidas: 230 Gs to 130 Gs!
"Y-you wish!" Leonidas shouted, pushing himself back to his feet. "No matter the challenge, I'll keep fighting!" Though his words sounded mighty, his body lacked the usual ferociousness. That poisonous arrow continued to drain his energy from him like a leech.
"What a heroic thing to say." The masked villain said with disgust. He snaps his fingers, giving out his next command. "Laserman, finish this lizard off!"
The robot-like Bakugan's weapons buzzed to life, unleashing a barrage of shots into the dragon's body. Leonidas crossed his arms to block the attacks, grunting in pain from the unrelenting blaster fire.
Seeing his partner in such a dangerous predicament, where his power was failing him, forced Yuji to act quickly. "Leonidas! Ability Card, activate! Alpha Blaster!"
"WHAT?!" Preyas shouted.
"He's using their ace card already?!" Akira gawked at the reckless move.
"Yuji must've panicked…!" Marucho realized.
"No…" Alice muttered.
A mighty stomp from Leonidas boosted him into the air, his power skyrocketing as the effects of his trademark ability coursed through his system. The pulsating hot blue plasma surged in his mouth, then was unleashed onto the battlefield, taking out Laserman instantly.
Both Bakugan returned to their Brawlers, but it was hard to tell who the victor was. Marduk didn't seem all that concerned that he had lost Laserman. "Man…wasn't that pathetic."
Yuji ignored him in favor of focusing on his partner. "Leonidas, are you okay?"
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why did you use Alpha Blaster just now?! There was no reason to waste my power like that!" Leonidas roared.
"I… I didn't want to lose you." Yuji admitted without shame. His eyes stared at his partner with fondness, something that made Leonidas' heart flutter.
"Yuji…"
"How sweet!" Marduk's mocking laughter grabbed their attention. "You two losers can keep getting all mushy, that's all you're good for anyway!"
"Shut up!" Alice suddenly shouted. "Don't insult their bond just because you're too much of a jerk to understand it, Marduk!"
"Excuse you? Do you know who you're talking to?" Marduk growls.
"Yeah! A big bully who enjoys picking on others to cover his own weaknesses! Yuji and Leonidas are stronger than you think! No unknown cards, tricks, or Vladitor will ever be able to compare to the strength of their bond!" Alice declared passionately.
Something inside of Marduk snapped at that. He stomped at the non-Brawler, snarling angrily. "Don't you EVER assume that some worthless upstart and his baby lizard could ever compare to Vladitor and I! We're far stronger than they could ever hope to be!" Marduk roared.
"Then prove it!" Leonidas called him out. "If you believe yourself to be stronger than us, then face us right here! No more tricks, no more waiting! Fight me, Vladitor!"
"So, be it." Vladitor accepted.
"Vladitor?" Marduk questions his partner.
"You know as well as I do that it was going to come down to this, Marduk. This is a battle that we cannot afford to lose." Vladitor explains.
"Pah! We were never in danger of losing to these losers, Vladitor." For the first time, Marduk spoke softly. "There's nothing that can stop us."
Across from them, Yuji watched the interaction carefully, surprised to see the brief look of fondness from the masked villain. The sight of Marduk and Vladitor reminded him of something, something familiar.
Marduk's "mask" came back a second later. "Fine! We'll do it your way! One last round, Leonidas vs Vladitor!" He tapped the buttons on his watch. Yuji looked down at his screen to see the rule adjustments made by Marduk. "Just don't come crying to me when you regret wasting your chances of a comeback."
Yuji's eyes narrowed at Marduk. He prepared to press down on his watch to accept the terms, but then a white flash of light caught everyone's attention.
"HOLD IT!"
Eyes widened at the familiar voice. "Wait…that voice!" Alice exclaimed.
Stepping out of the light, intruding on the battle was none other than Dan Kuso and the Pyrus user didn't look happy in the slightest. His eyes glared angrily at Marduk and Vladitor. "We're not done just yet, Marduk!"
"DAN!" His friends shouted, happy to see him awake.
"...Dan?" Runo gasped, relief filling her heart. But at the same time, she was fearful of his reaction to everything she had done.
"You're awake!" Yuji shouted, happily.
"Tch! So, you finally decided sleepy time is over?" Marduk mocked.
Dan lets go of his glare to smile at his friends. "Sorry, that I made you guys worry so much. Drago and I are back to normal!"
The Pyrus Dragonoid floated up to show himself. "As Dan has said, we apologize for everything that's happened. We're back now."
"And we've got some unfinished business with Marduk and his creepy pal. I had hoped we could get here before Marduk could get to Yuji and Leonidas, but we were too late." Dan said.
"What do you mean, Dan?" Serena asked.
"They're connected." Marucho answered, earning all eyes. "I thought Marduk's words from before were strange, but Vladitor's power is strangely similar to Leonidas. I figured there had to be some connection between them."
"That's impossible!" Serena exclaimed. "There's no way Leonidas could be connected to some creepy Bakugan like Vladitor!" She didn't notice the way Marduk scowled at her words.
"No, Marucho's right." Dan dispelled any doubt. "Marduk told me himself during our battle."
"Is that true?" Yuji looked over to Marduk and Vladitor.
"Well, I wanted to save the truth for after we broke your spirits, but I guess there's nothing wrong with saying it now." Marduk chuckled darkly. "Vladitor?"
The Darkus Bakugan moved forward to address everyone, more specifically, Yuji and Leonidas. "Leonidas, tell me, what do you remember of Vestroia?"
Leonidas was silent for a moment. "Why should I?"
"Humor me."
"I don't like jokes."
"He means, answer the question." Yuji clarified. There were several eyerolls from Leonidas' failing to understand the phrase.
Now understanding, Leonidas did ponder the question. "I… I can't remember much."
"I see, do you remember the Haos Space?"
"Yes."
"The others too?"
"...I do." Leonidas' answer surprised his allies. "Bits and pieces, barely anything concrete."
"Wait, but that doesn't make sense! I thought Bakugan weren't able to travel between spaces in Vestroia?" Julie shouts, confused.
"That's correct, Julie. It shouldn't be possible for any normal Bakugan to travel between spaces." Tigrerra confirmed.
"Then why does he remember all the other ones? Is that what you're all wondering?" Marduk leers with glee. "It's simple really."
"Simple?"
Vladitor's eyes met Leonidas' with a strange sense of warmth. "We're brothers, Leonidas, you and I. Bakugan born from the Doom Dimension."
"WHAT?!" Shouts of disbelief echoed through the field. The revelation of Leonidas and Vladitor's true heritage was the final piece of the puzzle to explain the strange phenomenon of their presence and power.
However, none were more stunned by the news than Yuji and Leonidas. The Brawler couldn't believe that his partner was born in such a desolate and hell-like place, while the Bakugan was finding himself realizing something. Though his memories were filled with pieces of Vestroia, there was one particular memory that always confused him.
A lifeless land filled with corpses, dark purple skies without a hint of light, and disasters ringing out as far as the eyes could see… It all made sense now.
"B-but how is that possible?! For a Bakugan, let alone two, to be born from the Doom Dimension?! It's logically impossible for Bakugan to live there!" Marucho couldn't wrap his head around it all.
"Unlike the rest of our kind, we were not created by the core of Vestroia. Instead, we were created by the hate, anger, and despair of the Bakugan doomed to spend eternity trapped in the Doom Dimension. The last of their spirits came together from one vengeful wish: The destruction of all Bakugan."
Silence followed the conclusion of Vladitor's tale, astonished by the explanation of the mystery known as Leonidas. All of his anger, violence, mentality, and desires made sense now that they knew the truth.
"So, what?"
All doubts and concerns were blown away by the simple response of Leonidas. The dragon stared back at Vladitor, but with none of the warmth the knight held. "I was born from the Doom Dimension?! So what?! I was born from their spirits?! So what?! We're brothers?! So what?!"
Vladitor actually looked…hurt by Leonidas' disregard of their history. "Leonidas…are you saying that our connection means nothing?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying! Nothing you said changes a thing between us! I am Leonidas, the one who will become the strongest of all Bakugan! And you are the one who took away my victory over Drago, that is a sin punishable by death! Vladitor, I WILL CRUSH YOU!" Leonidas declared, fiercely.
"Leonidas…" Yuji muttered before giving a smirk. If his partner wasn't going to let this information stop him, then neither would he. They were together in this, no matter who or what they were. "Leonidas is right! Him being from the Doom Dimension doesn't change a thing! He's still my partner, my friend, and I'll keep fighting alongside him no matter what!"
"Yuji…! Leonidas…!" Alice smiled, brightly.
"They're right! Leo is Leo, no matter what!" Serena supported. She turned to her best friends for agreement. "Right, guys?"
"Sure. The dragon is pretty funny at times." Nene agreed.
"They still owe me a rematch, and no being from the Doom Dimension is going to change that." Akira declared.
Julie nods her head enthusiastically. "Yuji and Leonidas are cool in my book! I'm rooting for you guys to kick Marduk's butt for what they did to Dan!"
"You guys can do this!" Gorem cheered too.
"Take 'em down!" Preyas shouted.
"You can do this!" Marucho added his own cheer.
Tigrerra could feel her mistress' regret and hesitation. She turned to her, nuzzling softly into Runo's cheek. "It's okay, Runo, you can support them too."
That push seemed to do the trick. "I-I have faith too…" Runo could barely work up the strength to get louder. She wanted to let them know that she was sorry, that she wanted to take it all back. Then she felt Alice's grip on her hand a bit tighter.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they can feel your support too." Alice smiled.
Dan was proud to see that Yuji and Leonidas were still standing strong together even after hearing the truth. Their bond really did get stronger. But he knew it wouldn't be enough to overcome the difference in this battle. "Yuji, let Drago and I-"
"No." Yuji denied.
"Eh?"
"We got this." Yuji responded, confidently. "We're gonna win this one."
Dan felt himself freeze on the spot at the strong expression held by Yuji. Prior to this point, he had never seen Yuji seem this…this tall. No uneasiness, no hesitation, and no fear could be found in his eyes. Dan backed down, staying in his spot. "When did you grow so much?"
Drago felt the same as his partner, baffled by the unwavering confidence coming from the two. Last time they had seen them, Yuji and Leonidas were still struggling to find their balance. Yet now, they felt like they were in complete harmonization.
"Let's finish this, Marduk!" Yuji shouted, accepting Marduk's terms. The battle's structure changed to a one-round battle. Whoever won this battle would win the entire match.
"I thought you'd never ask!" Marduk grabbed his partner. "We're going to crush them, Vladitor!"
"Let's do this, Leonidas!" Yuji grabbed his partner, pulling back his arm. "We're going to beat them!"
"BAKUGAN, BRAWL!"
Haos and Darkus were launched simultaneously, a white and black streak collided in the center, exploding in a destructive discharge that ruptured the pocket dimension.
"STAND UP/ARISE, LEONIDAS/VLADITOR!"
Fists crossed immediately, smashing into the other without wasting a second. Unfortunately, Leonidas' punch barely made Vladitor flinch, and the dragon was sent sliding back from the impact.
"Leonidas!" Yuji cried.
Darkus Vladitor: 500 Gs!
Haos Leonidas: 430 Gs!
"As much as we all hyped him up, there's no changing the power difference between them!" Nene exclaimed.
"Vladitor stomped forward. "I'm only going to give you one last chance, Leonidas. Give up this fruitless battle and join us. We brothers should stick together, and with Marduk with us we'll rule over-"
Leonidas snarled at his enemy. "Shut the hell up!" He dashed forward and punched the Black Knight. "I already gave you my answer, so keep quiet!"
Vladitor was silent for a moment, mulling over the conclusive words of his brother. There was a sorrowful air around him for a moment, then it vanished as if it were never there. "Understood. Then, I shall treat you like the rest of our enemies and crush you under my heel."
"Try it!" Leonidas attempted to attack again, but Vladitor evaded his blows. The Black Knight struck back with more precise and expertly timed strikes. Vladitor grabbed him by his neck and slammed Leonidas into the ground, harshly. Then he picked the dragon up to brutally bash his face in with his armored fists.
"Leonidas!" Drago cried.
"Fight back! What are you doing?! Do something!" The children were screaming loudly.
Leonidas tried to counter, but the knight blocked the attack, then knocked Leonidas back with his own fist. "You cannot defeat me, Leonidas! You're too young, too inexperienced, and too used to your opponents being weaker than you!" Vladitor buried his fist into the dragon's stomach, then grabbed him by his face to bring his head down into his knee. Leonidas stumbled back from the blow. He attempted another step forward only for Vladitor to punch him in the throat, stunning him.
"No!" Alice screamed.
"Leonidas, you gotta fight back!" Dan tries to encourage. He looks at the shocked Yuji. "You have to do something, Yuji!"
"Right!" Yuji snapped out of his stupor. He brings out an ability to get Leonidas out of the bad situation. "Ability Card, activate! The Glow-"
"Ability Card, activate! Negative Wave!" Marduk countered Yuji's attempt with a negation card. Yuji's ability was drained of its color as the counter card stopped it cold. Marduk waggled a finger. "Nuh uh! Let's watch the beat down slowly!"
"No way…!" Yuji gasped.
"And to make things even better! Gate Card, open!" Marduk revealed the card's identity. The field glowed shortly before unveiling the Gate Card as Vladitor's Character Card.
Darkus Vladitor: 500 Gs to 700 Gs!
The Darkus Bakugan didn't waste a moment to savor the taste of the power. He continued wailing relentlessly on the powerless Leonidas without a shred of mercy. He wasn't going to end it just yet, Vladitor wanted to ensure that his brother suffered for rejecting his offer.
"I-it's hopeless…they can't win…" Marucho admitted.
"Shut up!" Serena yelled at the short teen. "Yuji and Leonidas aren't going to lose! They can't!" Tears were building in her eyes as she watched the battle. She was so used to seeing Leonidas dominate a battle that it was causing her great pain to see him on the other end. "I-if they lose to these jerks…then…then…!"
"GAH!" Leonidas crashed against the ground. A metal boot stomped down on his chest, then again, and again, and again, and again! Vladitor didn't stop his attempts to cave in Leonidas' chest. The once mighty dragon cried out from the pain, his screams filling the pocket dimension.
Serena couldn't take it anymore. "STOP IT! STOP HURTING HIM!" She tried to run out towards the battle, but Akira held her back.
"Stop, idiot! You'll just get in the way!" Akira shouted.
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Serena thrashed about, hitting the boy repeatedly. Akira's grip was near loosening until Nene jumped in to try and help. But even she wasn't going to be enough until Dan rushed over to take over. His larger size was much better at keeping the weeping girl at bay.
"Serena, you have to-"
"NO! LEO, LEO IS GONNA BE…!"
SMASH!
"GRAAAAAAAAH!" Leonidas' screams were growing worse by the second. Alice couldn't continue watching either, turning her head away from the battle. The others were all the same, turning away to not see what happened next.
Yuji felt utterly helpless as he watched his partner being beaten to death. Marduk's obnoxious laughter echoed in his ears like poison. The masked villain was basking in the delicious despair. "Oh, come on! Where's all that disgusting hope and courage you all had a few minutes ago?! Didn't you say that your bond was stronger or something?! Didn't you say you were going to crush us?! What happened to all that talk, loser?!"
Yuji didn't say a word. He lowered his head, blocking his eyes with his bangs, the boy's fists clenched from frustration. How could he turn the situation around? There had to be a way to save his partner. Yuji almost assumed there was no hope until he remembered that they still had the card gifted to them! "Leonidas, hang on! Ability Card, activate! Boosted-"
"NO!" Leonidas roared, pushing against Vladitor's foot. The knight backed off, allowing the dragon a chance to breathe. "Y-Yuji…don't use that card…!"
"W-what?! Leonidas, you're-"
"I-I refuse to rely on someone else's power to win this fight! We'll win this…with our own strength!" Leonidas was struggling to even sit up. "...please…"
Yuji's eyes widened at the desperate tone of his partner. To hear Leonidas beg him to not use the special ability gifted to them, it made him pause. This card could save them, grant Leonidas the edge he needs to bridge the gap for a comeback…and yet…
…He couldn't betray his partner's wishes.
BAM!
"GUAH!" Vladitor laid the dragon back down on his back with his fist. There was barely any strength left in Leonidas for him to even move.
"LEONIDAS!" Yuji screamed.
Vladitor just looked down at his brother with disappointment. "Even with the chance of victory granted to you, you still hold onto that pride of yours. A foolish child without an ounce of true strength to be seen. It's time I brought this to an end. Marduk!"
The masked villain smiled sadistically. He raised a single card, the power of the card was flowing into Vladitor. "All you had to do was ask, partner. Ability Card, activate!"
Vladitor clapped his hands together, slowly to reveal the growing storm of dark power between his palms. The energy combined into a pure black sphere of destruction. Its size increased with each passing second. "Leonidas, know this, though you may have been weak, you managed to overcome challenge after challenge. This attack won't just defeat you, but it will wipe you away from this life forever, returning the essence that created you back to where it belongs. Farewell."
Leonidas didn't say anything as he stared at the black sphere that would be his end. He could barely make out Vladitor's final words to him, nor the screams of Serena and the others as they watched his last moments. As he was about to close his eyes, the dragon felt something small touch the closest spot to his eye. He looked to see the face of Yuji, the young Brawler was screaming at him. "Yu…ji…"
Yuji kept screaming at him.
Will battling with you give me the opportunity to defeat other Bakugan?
Yeah! We'll be the strongest!
Do you need a reason to become the strongest?
Ever since I met you, I've never been happier to have a friend! My best friend!
"LEO-"
He's my partner and together we're going to defeat everyone who comes our way!
"-NIDAS!"
Leonidas could feel a tear rolling down the side of his face as he stared at his partner. "Yu…ji… We're going to be…the strongest…right?"
Yuji was crying too, nodding his head vigorously. "Yeah! We're going to be the strongest! No matter what!"
"FINISH THEM, VLADITOR!"
"AS YOU WISH! DARK SPHERE IMPACT!" Vladitor roared, launching his strongest attack down at the human and dragon. Neither Leonidas or Yuji made a move to escape the attack. Yuji pressed his head against Leonidas, smiling softly as the sphere of black swallowed them whole.
"NOOOO!" Everyone screamed, helpless to do anything about it. They could only keep themselves steady as the shockwave from the attack's explosion threatened to knock them over. Marduk just kept laughing as if this was the funniest joke he's ever heard, while Vladitor watched the destruction in silence.
Serena hung limply in Dan's arms, her brain threatened to shut down after witnessing the demise of her brother, and the Bakugan she considered family as well. There weren't any more tears, just complete silence. Then, as the dust started to settle, her emotions overwhelmed her all at once. Serena unleashed the biggest and loudest wail any of them has ever heard, the young child's grief was all too real. Dan hugged her tightly, trying his best to comfort her and apologize for failing her and his student.
Alice too felt like screaming, feeling utterly helpless to do anything. Yuji, the boy she loved so much, just died alongside Leonidas. After everything that had been through, after everything they had done for her, she couldn't even help them in their darkest hour. Tears streamed down her face as overwhelming shame and pain tore her heart.
Everyone else lowered their heads or started crying too. They weren't as close to Yuji or Leonidas, but they still never wished to see the two meet their end in such a way. Let alone how little they did to help them.
The only happy one present was Marduk. "How was that, losers?! That's the power of Vladitor and I, the strongest duo on this Earth and Vestroia! You and that dragon can take that pitiful bond of yours and burn in hell! WE WON!"
"No…" Marduk stopped his gloating after hearing that voice. He turned his attention to Runo, who was smiling despite the despair in the air. "...You're wrong."
"The hell do you mean by that?! Denial can only get losers like you so far!" Marduk shouted.
"Runo…?" Alice muttered, looking down at her friend. "What are you…?"
"Those two can't lose like this, that isn't their style. No matter how many times they were close to the brink of defeat…they always…" Runo slowly raised her hand to the sky. "...they always overcome it all." All eyes followed her arm upwards to see whatever had caught her eye. "Trust me…"
There was a light, a bright one at that. It was getting closer and closer with each passing second, allowing everyone to make out its shape. Alice and Serena could feel the pain in their hearts being banished by the light.
"...I know that better than anyone."
That familiar light barreled into Vladitor, blowing the surprised Black Knight back. He screamed in pain just from the impact, shocked to feel the damage and knowing who it was that had done it. The illumination shrouding that light dissipated to reveal the mighty visage of Leonidas, and standing on his head was none other than Yuji! Visible in the boy's hand was a card basked in a shining golden light.
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Leonidas roared, loudly, announcing his return.
"YUJI! LEONIDAS!" Serena and Alice cried tears of joy.
Marduk was flabbergasted by the sight of them, having been certain of his victory moments prior. He actually took a step back in slight fear. "H-how?! How the hell are you both still alive?!"
Yuji raised the card in his hand. "I told you, Leonidas and I aren't going to lose! Our bond is far stronger, and our drive to be the strongest won't ever falter! Ability Card, activate! Limit Breaker!"
"Limit Breaker?!" Marucho exclaimed. "Did they do it again?! Their bond created another miracle!"
Runo smiled at the name. "A name like that suits them, right, Alice?"
The non-Brawler was trying to wipe away her tears. "Y-yeah! It suits them perfectly!"
Vladitor glared at the two, preparing to beat them back down. "Your survival matters not! I will still bring you down!" He lunged forward to silence Leonidas with a punch, however, to everyone's shock, Leonidas caught Vladitor's fist in his hand. "H-how?!"
"Limit Breaker can only be used when my opponent's Bakugan is stronger than my own! For the rest of this current battle, Leonidas receives a temporary boost of power to overcome his opponent! And last time I checked there was a 270-point gap between Leonidas and Vladitor!" Yuji explained the newest card's ability.
Leonidas pulled back his other fist. "Which means…!" He shot it forward, bashing his fist against Vladitor's face, blowing the knight backwards once more. "I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU!" The dragon dashed towards Vladitor to land several more punches into the knight's body. Vladitor released loud gasping grunts with each strike that landed.
"N-no…! No! No! No! No! No!" Marduk's air of superiority vanished with each attack that landed against Vladitor. "This can't be happening! Vladitor can't lose! We're the strongest!"
Vladitor stumbled back, barely able to keep himself standing. His eyes stared at his brother with disbelief at the turn of events. "Leonidas…you…"
"Vladitor, I should thank you." The dragon admits, shocking the knight. "If it weren't for you, then I wouldn't have been able to grow stronger." Leonidas pulls back his fist for the final strike. "Now…allow me to hand you your first defeat!"
"GO, YUJI! LEONIDAS!"
Leonidas' smashed his fist against Vladitor's chest, breaking through the armor as if it were glass. Vladitor's body went flying backwards off of the Gate Card, flying right above the stunned Marduk. The Black Knight stared at the sun, accepting his defeat. "I'm sorry, Marduk." His body was illuminated by a bright glow before returning to ball form. Vladitor rolled to his partner's feet, causing the masked villain to fall to his knees.
…
…
…
All at once, there was a massive eruption of noise as everyone released a victorious roar into the sky, Leonidas and Yuji being the loudest of them all. The pocket dimension around them finally started to give way, blanketing them all in a flash of white light.
Now standing in the fighting room of the stadium, Yuji felt everything that just transpired crash down on him. His body and mind were beyond exhausted, his legs were shaking like jelly. He cursed his luck as he fell backwards, expecting to hit the hard metal floor. Instead, Yuji was caught by a soft pair of arms, his head colliding with soft, pillow-like mounds. He tilted his head up to see Alice smiling at him. "Alice…"
His girlfriend(?)'s eyes were still red from all the crying, but her eyes were filled with happiness. "You're alive…! Thank you for being alive!" Before Yuji could respond, Serena crashed into him, her head buried in his stomach.
"Y-Yuji! Y-y-you're…!" She hugged him tightly, crying into his shirt.
Yuji smiled softly, hugging her back. "Sorry, for scaring you guys like that. I'm okay. We're okay." He said, looking up at Leonidas.
"Yes, we're better than ever!" Leonidas confirmed.
"Leonidas!" Serena cried towards him too, grabbing the Bakugan. She nuzzled him into her face, causing him to fuss about her clinginess.
Dan watched with a surprised smile. "Nice one, you two. Right, Drago?"
"Yes, they managed to surpass our expectations yet again." Drago agreed. Dan then looked over to Runo, who was being held by Julie. He didn't have full understanding of what happened while he was asleep, and he planned to find out later. Right now, he was more concerned over-
SLAM!
Eyes snapped to Marduk, who was slamming his fist on the floor repeatedly. The Darkus villain held his partner in his other hand gently, contrasting his behavior. "No! No! No! No! No! No! It shouldn't have ended like that! We shouldn't have lost! Not fair! Not fair! Not fair!"
"Marduk…" Dan muttered.
Marduk's eyes glared hatefully at Yuji and Leonidas as a white door materialized behind him. "I swear…next time we meet, it'll be you who's on the floor crying!" With those words said, Marduk disappeared from the arena.
Silence hung in the air as they tried to swallow the villain's departure and promise to return for revenge.
Suddenly, Dan could feel his watch ringing. He looked down, thinking it was his mom trying to call him for vanishing from the hospital. The leader's eyes bugged out of his skull at the I.D. that actually popped up. "SHUN?!"
Arc 3 End
NOTE: Phew! That one a big one! Yuji and Leonidas have defeated Marduk! Everyone has learned the truth of Leonidas' heritage, Runo's back to normal, and now Shun is coming back! I wonder what's going to happen next?
I hope you guys liked the story original cards. There won't be many of those as I was just trying to come up with specific stuff for Marduk and Yuji. If you guys want to suggest some for the rest of the cast for potential future battles, feel free to leave some ideas for original Ability/Gate Cards in the reviews.
Yes, Vladitor was planning to kill Leonidas there. In his eyes, it was a mercy kill.
We won't be jumping into the next tournament immediately, because the characters need time to digest everything that just happened to them.
Have a great day!