Chapter Text

Signs of Renewal 

Part 1: Chapter 11 - Myths and Memories (Part 4)

“Explain to me everything Roget told you about us,” Jatun invited, still calmly sitting on her throne. 

Yuya had not wanted to repeat that awful tale again, but ultimately he’d conceded to Jatun’s request. To his surprise, the spirit had not interrupted him, merely nodding at most or giving a hum of thought. 

When he had finished, despite supposedly being a ghost himself, Yuya’s throat felt dry as he continued to glare at Jatun. “Tell me, how much of what Roget said was true?”

“Hmmm, the basic summary is more-or-less factual,” Jatun admitted. “It is true that my people did indeed wreak destruction upon the People of the Stars and destroyed their civilization. But the interpersonal relations and the motivations, what your more informed scholars would call the ‘human element’ of history, have naturally been twisted.”

“Which parts have been twisted!?” Yuya growled. “The part where you murdered innocents? Possessed people against their will?

“Arguably both, though I’d say the latter moreso,” Jatun replied, not missing a beat. “Though there have been instances where Jibakushin have possessed their vessels, those examples are generally not looked upon favorably by us, and is therefore not a practice we encourage. It’s certainly not something that occurred with Cavillace and Akllasisa, any more than it has with myself and Ruri. As for the comment about ‘killing innocents’ well…I’d say that’s a bit more complicated.” 

“Meaning what!?” Yuya growled. 

“War, regrettably, is a messy undertaking,” Jatun sighed. “Let us look at this Interdimensional War, as an informative example. You, the Lancers, and the Resistance, all consider Academia to be an evil force, which, of course you should think. They are attempting to slaughter all life in the Four Worlds to feed the Professor’s mad goal of a so-called Utopia. In fighting against this evil, you and the Lancers are willing to go to certain lengths, yes? What if defeating Academia meant a few innocent people were caught in the crossfire, not the least of which being the many conscripts, who no doubt, don’t truly understand the ramifications of their actions.”

“I’d never hurt an innocent!” Yuya yelled on instinct, getting out of his seat. 

“A noble goal, though quite naive,” Jatun replied. “Unfortunately, even if you did hold to that standard throughout the entire war, you must understand that your enemies certainly won’t. In fact, in abiding by your rigid standard of no harm to innocents for any reason whatsoever, you give your enemy an advantage over you. What’s to stop them from, say, holding up an innocent as a shield? Holding to your standard, you would simply have to freeze and let that enemy continue harming other innocents, lest by attempting to stop the enemy, you hurt that human shield.” 

“I would find a way!” Yuya countered. 

“And what if you didn’t?” Jatun challenged. “Would you do what needs to be done? I would certainly hope so. And you should not condemn yourself if you were forced to make such a difficult choice. It does not make you equivalent to Academia.” 

“And why not?” Yuya scoffed. “If I become just like Academia to defeat them, then what’s the point?” 

“The point is that you wouldn’t become just like them,” Jatun smoothly replied. “And do you know why that is?” 

Yuya scowled, not appreciating the condescending tone. 

“Because unlike Academia, a conquering oppressor who delights in causing suffering and genocide, your cause is just and your heart is pure. You do not desire to hurt or oppress. Even if you had to fight and kill, it would be for the mission of stopping a great evil. In fact, I imagine you’ve already had to do some questionable things. Or am I to believe that you truly are some kind of absolutist incapable of doing anything even remotely morally gray for the greater good?” 

“I believe in fighting against evil, but I absolutely won’t fight like them! The fact that you seem to have no problem with using their tactics makes you no different from Academia!”

“Really? No difference whatsoever?” Jatun questioned, raising an eyebrow. “I suppose from your perspective you might think that, though I hope I can change your mind eventually.”

“You’re not fooling me. I saw what one of your kind did to Yuzu,” Yuya growled. “I won’t let you take anyone else!”

“Ah, I see,” Jatun sighed. “So you’ve concluded we’re enemies. Wonderful. And now that we have established that you intend to fight both Academia and the Jibakushin, might I ask what your plan is? Did you just develop some new summoning technique? Find an army? Or perhaps you know some secret that will help you win this two-front war immediately. Honestly, as admirable as your conviction is, even if your goal were just fighting Academia, which by the way, I really want to help you with, then I believe you’ll need greater insight than you currently have, insight which I can provide.”

“And why should I trust anything you have to say?” Yuya growled. 

“Well, that’s the crux of the issue, really,” Jatun shrugged. “It all comes down to trust. As hostile as you have been, I have chosen to trust you, Sakaki Yuya. I have done nothing to harm you thus far, but of course, that simple gesture is not enough for you. Honestly, I doubt I could do anything at this time to alleviate your suspicion. So all I have left are my words. But what good will they do? I’ve told you I mean you and your friends no harm, but you could just assume I’m lying. So we’re back to the same problem. What token of good faith can I give that will at least make you willing to hear me out, if not put me in your confidence?” 

Yuya remained silent, not trusting himself with a response. 

 “How about this?” The goddess suggested, leaning in closer, “I’ll give you a free gift. I’ll answer some questions that surely have been on your mind.” 

“Like what?” Yuya replied, still tense with suspicion. 

“For instance,” Jatun continued, eyes locked with Yuya’s, “ why is the interdimensional war happening? Why is The Professor after Yuzu and all the other girls who share her face? Why do you share the same face as three others across the dimensions? Why did your father, Yusho, vanish into the ether?”

The last question struck Yuya like a slap in the face. 

“Don’t you ever use my father’s name…” he said with quiet anger. “He would–”

“He is still alive,” Jatun said.

Yuya felt the words die in his throat. “He, he’s…”

“Oh, he certainly didn’t run away, or abandon you,” Jatun answered, causing Yuya’s jaw to drop. “He ended up in the Xyz Dimension, and he assisted them in fighting off Academia’s invasion. I know that he faced the Commander-in-Chief of Academia’s invasion force himself. I am uncertain of what exactly happened to him afterwards, but there was no body left behind, and the Commander-in-Chief certainly did not card him. He’s continued hunting him, but been unable to find him. That Yusho truly is a resourceful man, amongst humans, a most admirable singular individual indeed. I hold out hope that he found a way to survive.”

Yuya could feel his body, well, soul, become lighter. His father was alive. He was alive. Alive and still fighting Academia, just as Yuya would have hoped. 

“D-dad’s…he’s still out there?”

“I choose to believe so,” Jatun replied with a smile.

Yuya couldn’t stop the smile that spread on his face. Even if it was a lie…no, it had to be true. Yuzu had heard from Ruri, and his father was said to have ‘vanished’, not been carded. It was true, it had to be!

“You seem calmer now,” Jatun noted.

Yuya blinked as he looked at the spirit.

“If so, are you more willing to listen?” she asked.

Yuya hated how a mention of his father had caused his suspicion of Jatun to falter…and internally cursed himself for letting that relief take over. He had to keep his guard up.

“How do you know all this?” he asked. “How do I know what you told me isn’t a lie?” 

“Those are two very different questions,” Jatun replied. “But very well. Let’s start with the first one. We, the Jibakushin, were informed of the existence of other dimensions thanks to Academia’s activities in this dimension, our plane of origin. Once we learned of their existence, we took steps to send our eyes and ears into those other worlds. Your father, Yushou, was one person of interest for us, and we monitored him up to the point he vanished. We are still looking for him.” 

“Why didn’t you help him when he was being attacked?” Yuya asked. 

“The familiars we sent are not capable of much interference,” Jatun replied. “Think of them as… tiny cameras. Useful for observation, but not for fighting. Believe me, I wish we could do more, but to do so, we need bodies, which is why I have partnered with Ruri.” 

Yuya bit his lip, considering. 

“As to your second question,” Jatun continued, “I’ve already done everything I can reasonably do to garner your trust. So ultimately, it all comes down to a choice, Sakaki Yuya. Will you put more of your trust into Jean-Michelle Roget? The proven liar, manipulator, and brutal dictator? Or will you, at least, give me a chance?” 

Yuya sighed before sitting back down. 

“So what is the truth?” He asked. “About the Jibakushin? What do you want and why are you here?” 

“Again, you pack in two questions, though I suppose in this case, they are more closely related,” Jatun considered. “What we want is very similar to what you want, Sakaki Yuya. We have been fighting a war that has gone on far longer, and which some might argue, has been far more devastating than your Interdimensional War. We want our war to end. To do this, we have chosen to align ourselves with Ruri and her companions in order to end her war, and in doing so, take a step closer to ending our own.” 

“And how are you going to end your war?” Yuya asked. “How would defeating Academia help you with that?” 

“Again two questions at once. This time I’ll address the last first. It’s a little complicated, but suffice to say that Academia has something that we need to end our imprisonment,” Jatun explained. “And anyways, it does us no good if Academia were to actually succeed in their goals, so naturally, we oppose them as surely as you and Ruri do.” 

“And the first question,” Yuya pressed on. “ How are you going to end the war? And sorry for two questions again, but…when you and Ruri fight Academia…what are you going to do?” 

Jatun locked her gaze with Yuya’s, fixing him with a hard stare. 

“In this case, the answer to both questions is the same,” She replied. “For the sake of our freedom, we will do whatever it takes.” 

…

Yuzu strained against the statue of the chess piece, trying her hardest to knock it off its pedestal. But despite everything she tried, the lump of stone sat unyielding atop the pillar. She tried pushing, pulling with her chains, even kicking and punching it as hard as she could, but evidently whatever superhuman strength she had as a Dark Signer didn’t carry over into her soulspace. Still, she tried. What else was there to do? If she just gave up then Sara would-

A bright, blood-red light flashed into being a few feet from Yuzu, causing her to fall to the ground mid push. In moments, the light formed into the petit body of Sara, who glared at Yuzu the second she had finished materializing. 

“Do you have ANY idea how LONG I’ve been looking for you!?” Sara shouted. “Here I am, about to die and when I come looking for your help, I find you in MY room!? What in the underworld are you doing here!? GET OUT!” 

Yuzu stared open-mouthed at the goddess, so shocked that it took several seconds for her stunned silence to give way to rage. 

“Are…are you serious?!” Yuzu yelled in disbelief. “You locked me up in my own soulspace! You’ve violated my entire soul room! You took over my body without permission, AGAIN, and you’re acting like I’M in the wrong?!”

“I’m not the one who got a brain-control chip shoved up our head!” Sara shouted back. “Remember? I TOLD you to MOVE, but you just sat there drooping like a dying plant! What did you expect me to do?” 

“Maybe help me escape from THIS!” Yuzu screamed, indicating the statue of the chess piece. “I saw your memories, Sara. You LET this happen to me!” 

“You saw my WHAT!? AGAIN!?” Sara snarled. “What did you see!? I didn’t give you permission!” 

“Permission? PERMISSION!? When have you EVER cared about PERMISSION!?” Yuzu shouted. “When have you EVER respected anything that was mine!” 

“I’ve respected you! I raised you from the dead and have been protecting your sorry butt this entire time!” Sara countered, “Don’t you think I deserve a little gratitude after all that!?”

“You are unbelievable…” Yuzu gaped, trying and failing to understand just how self-absorbed this little brat of a so-called ‘goddess’ was. “...I have been trying to understand you…to sympathize with you…to give you a chance. But every time I come close to thinking I get where you’re coming from, all it takes is one nanosecond of being with you, or seeing you in action, to remind me why you are one of the WORST people…goddess…plant… THINGS …I’ve EVER had the displeasure of coming across, COUNTING Yuri and Sergey! At least they didn’t try to gaslight me!” 

“I don’t care what you think about me!” Sara shouted back. “I only came here for your power! Give it to me now, or we’re both dead!” 

She lunged at Yuzu, hands reaching for the bracelet. Yuzu dodged out of the way, but Sara stamped her foot like in the memory, vines erupting from the ground from where she had stamped. Yuzu jumped and flipped onto a platform above them, barely escaping, but Sara leaped onto the platform, hand unfurling one of her metal tessen fans. The little goddess swiped at Yuzu, but before her hand could connect, another hand, its surface emblazoned with a crimson, dragon-head mark, caught it in a firm grip. 

“Now isn’t this… interesting… ” Yuu Hashimoto mused, gazing down at Sara, who openly gawked at his presence, eyes and mouth gaping with horror, face pale. 

“Hello, Sara,” said Yuu, looking down at the goddess, an amused smile on his calm face. “I trust you understand why I am here?” 

“I-I-I-” Sara sputtered, alternating between bowing and staring. She looked like a child who’d been caught with her arm in the cookie jar, only her terror felt far less comical to Yuzu. 

“Evidently not,” Yuu sighed, still regarding Sara with an unsympathetic smile. “Very well. I shall explain. Sara, you have been informed repeatedly that possession will not be tolerated, save for in extreme circumstances. And let’s be clear, before you babble out some inane excuse about a mind control chip, what you have done here is quite simply possession with extra steps. Indirect, yes, but no less unjustified.” 

“But this was justified!” Sara protested, face growing paler and paler, eyes falling on the pulsating spiral mark and then darting to the ground as she jerkily bowed again and again, “I had no choice! They were going to take us! There was no other way to save Yuzu! I HAD to do it!!” 

Yuzu opened her mouth to retort, but Yuu shushed her with a calm wave of his other hand before returning his attention to Sara. 

“And I’m sure you were very upset over the whole situation,” Yuu continued, almost chuckling, “So upset that you decided to lock the mind control program beneath layers of protection rather than purge it and free Yuzu the moment you could?” 

  Sara’s only response was to splutter and gasp, only getting out a few words that quickly tripped over themselves as she stumbled over a useless retort.  

“You have sown dissension and disorder between yourself, your vessel, and your Jibakushin allies at large,” Yuu continued, ignoring Sara’s feeble stammering, “and you haven’t even managed to make good use of it by defeating a single Signer.” 

Sara met Yuu’s eyes, her expression desperate, pleading. 

“Naturally, I have had to inform your family about your behavior,” Yuu sighed, though his expression conveyed nothing but cold amusement. Sara’s legs shook, with her face somehow becoming paler. “Suffice to say…they are not pleased.” 

“Please…please…don’t…” Sara barely managed to get out. Part of Yuzu felt a kind of savage satisfaction watching the horrible little gremlin brought so low, the kind of satisfaction of seeing a brat finally get caught after getting away with lying for so long. But parts of Sara’s raw emotion continued to bleed through her bond, forcing Yuzu to experience some of the dread. She felt the impact of Yuu’s cold, reprimanding eyes, and felt the goddess’s tension as she awaited the punishment that was about to come. 

“Few Jibakushin have ever been foolish enough to rebel against the explicit will of the matriarch,” Yuu mused, “Yet those fools have existed, and they have paid for that foolishness. Yanañamca and Tutañamca …Mallko Llachi…Wasikamayuq…” 

He paused, glaring down at Sara, saying the next few names slowly and deliberately. 

“Coniraya.” 

“Ocllo.”

“I’m not like them!” Sara wept. “I’m not a traitor! I’m not!” 

“They received instruction from the matriarch and rebelled against it,” Yuu coldly replied. “You received instruction from the matriarch and rebelled against it. Those who do this are all the same. All fools. All traitors. All punished. Would you like to hear about those punishments in detail?” 

Sara vigorously shook her head “no.”

“And yet you’ve done everything in your power to experience those punishments first-hand,” Yuu sighed. “Nevertheless, let it not be said that the Matriarch has no mercy. She is willing to grant you some…leniency. You will not be brought before a tribunal of your higher Jibakushin to be judged.” 

Sara fell to her face, feelings of intense relief flooding Yuzu as the goddess experienced the same emotion. 

“Instead,” Yuu continued, “your punishment will be administered by…another manner.” 

The momentary feeling of relief Yuzu experienced through Sara instantly evaporated. 

“W-what?” Sara questioned. 

“You are young and stupid,” Yuu calmly explained, “so your…transgression…is understandable. Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored. With circumstances as they are, it would be unreasonable to drag you to a Jibakushin court, especially considering the scope of the matter at hand, so we will settle things quickly and decisively. This dispute is between you and Yuzu. The two of you will work it out between yourselves.”

The spiral mark on Yuu’s chest burst alight with multiple colors. Around Yuzu and Sara, the room trembled, the entire layout shifting and rearranging as slabs of stone and pieces of junk lifted up from the ground and stacked themselves in new places. The ground Sara, Yuzu, and Yuu were standing on rose into the air before splitting into three pieces and depositing them in different areas, Sara on one side of a circular arena that was forming, Yuzu on the other side, and Yuu standing above them on the newly formed viewing stand. The room settled, allowing Yuzu and Sara to examine their surroundings, which had been shaped into something like a miniature colosseum with raised platforms and stone barricades scattered around the open field. Perched above Sara’s head on her side of the field was the statue of the pawn, which held Yuzu’s long chains, anchoring her to the field like a heavy leash. 

“Makanaquy is an ancient form of dueling,” Yuu explained from the stands, “You will battle one another in this manner. The victor will have the power to decide the sentence of the loser.”

Sara blinked, seemingly surprised. Eventually, she smiled, Yuzu feeling confidence, triumph, and glee radiating from the goddess, which was proving to be a bad mix with the trepidation and worry she herself felt.

“We’re settling things…by Maqanakuy?” she breathed, eyes settling on Yuzu with smug satisfaction. “You don’t stand a chance!” 

“Seeing as Yuzu is inexperienced with Jibakushin ways,” Yuu continued, leaping down from the stands to land on Yuzu’s side of the arena, “I will be giving her some brief instruction before we begin. You may use this time to strategize and choose your champion, Sara.”

Sara shrugged before stamping her feet. Around her, a mass of sunflowers sprouted before forming into a sealed dome where she stood, obscuring her from sight and sound. 

Yuu turned to Yuzu. 

“Let’s begin. How much do you know of Maqanakuy?” 

“I saw one in Sara’s memories,” Yuzu replied. “When she was meeting with the matriarch.” 

“Yes, I passed through that same memory,” Yuu replied. “A shame Sara didn’t pause to wave at or notice me while she was racing towards you. I trust you paid better attention to those memories, so you will have some idea of what to expect.” 

“She utterly destroyed those…” Yuzu began, though stopped as she tried to find a word for the opponent’s Sara had chopped to pieces. 

“Battle familiars,” Yuu supplied. “And yes, she will no doubt be just as vicious this time around.” 

“Do I get a weapon?” Yuzu asked. 

“You have several,” Yuu replied. 

“What do you mean?” Yuzu asked, looking down at herself. Other than her chains and bare fists, she was not equipped with anything remotely useful for combat. 

“Remember what I told you about the original purpose of dueling?” Yuu asked. “This is it. Even if you are not holding your physical cards, their power is a part of you. Part of your mind and part of your spirit. You can call on their power during the Maqanakuy as you move about the arena, dodging attacks, taking cover, and striking back when the moment is right.” 

“So…it’s like an Action Duel?” Yuzu asked. 

“Quite similar, actually,” Yuu affirmed. “Though completely without turns, so even more comparable to some of the solid-vision slugfests that you and your friends have seen and participated in. In this case, however, you are not allowed to simply summon a solid-vision manifestation of whatever and however many monsters you can fit onto a Duel Disk. For this duel, you will bind your spiritual energy to a single monster champion, who will manifest through that energy and fight on your behalf. You can support that monster by calling upon the powers of the spells and traps that make up your deck, though other than some…special exceptions…you will not be able to replace that monster, or call on backup. If your champion falls, you will fall, and vice-versa.” 

“So I summon a single monster champion, and so does Sara, and we try to defeat one another that way,” Yuzu summarized. “Can I choose a monster from the Extra Deck for my champion?” 

“You can,” Yuu confirmed. “Though there are often…conditions…tied with those kinds of monsters which you are not yet trained enough to safely achieve. Also, Yuzu, I would strongly suggest you forget about what’s written on your cards.”

“Forget what my cards say?” Yuzu questioned. “But why? Isn’t that important?” 

“Duel Monsters, as a whole, oversimplifies reality with a host of stats and largely unimaginative stative effects assigned to each monster, spell, and trap,” Yuu replied. “Such details are not wholly irrelevant here, but I wouldn’t concern myself with such things. Here, of far more importance than high ATK or a powerful effect is the strength of the bond each duelist has with their respective champion. You have been given plenty of new cards as of late, though I suspect there is a particular card with whom you have a strong connection.” 

“A card I have a strong bond with…” Yuzu thought aloud, considering the various monsters in her deck. There were a lot of them, each one special in their own way, though one stood out from the crowd. One she had specifically treasured since the days she first obtained her deck. 

“We shall begin,” said Yuu, turning his back on Yuzu before leaping up into the stands with a supernaturally strong jump and speaking to both Yuzu and Sara with a magnified voice.

“Each participant will select their champion with whom to tie their life force. The participants may call upon any of their powers to aid them in their duel, but this fight will be to the surrender instead of to the death. The first to express their desire to surrender will face the judgment of the remaining duelist. Now choose quickly! Even with the time compression of this soulspace, you don’t have many moments to spare.” 

“No problem, I already know what I’m choosing,” Sara replied, emerging from her nest of sunflowers. She strolled confidently onto the field, grinning wide, before raising her hands into the air. 

“I created something very special while you were away,” said Sara, addressing Yuzu. “A little something I created with the help of that Fusion card you and Roget like to use. I think it’s only fair if I show it to you! Behold my new power! DARK FISSION!” 

She slammed the fist of her left hand into the open palm of her right hand. Above Sara’s head, a darkened, mangled version of the familiar fusion portal appeared before Sara rose into the air in the center of the portal. The sunflowers Sara had conjured earlier were ripped from the ground before joining Sara in the center of the portal. Yuzu stared open-mouthed. Was Sara using herself as a fusion material?

But no, Sara and the sunflowers weren’t blending together in a swirl of colors like Yuzu had seen in every other Fusion Summon. The bodies of the flowers and Sara were…melting, their skin turning translucent and their flesh liquifying before merging together. A cluster of white orbs in the center of the liquid mass began pulsating with energy, beating like a furious heart…

…before erupting in a violent explosion. 

Yuzu threw her hands in front of her face, body falling backwards from the force of the explosion as droplets of translucent liquid scattered across the field. Yuzu’s hands fell away, the girl wondering in shock if Sara had accidentally destroyed herself. But the droplets of liquid suddenly quivered before launching into the air like reverse raindrops and flying to the other side of the arena, the liquid coalescing into a vaguely humanoid shape before the figure gained color. In moments the shape became Sara, now clad in a frilly dress, a pair of sunflowers sprouting from her back. 

“Behold my new form!” Sara proclaimed, throwing her head back. “Earthbound Disciple Melodious Muse!” 

“Did you just…choose yourself as a champion?” Yuzu gawked. “Is that allowed?” 

“Quite legal,” Yuu affirmed. “And some would even say tactically advantageous. Naturally, if you wish, you can choose to represent yourself as your own champion, Miss Hiiragi. Otherwise, I suggest you choose your own monster to fight by your side.” 

It didn’t seem fair in the least to Yuzu, but there was nothing to be done about it now. She had to trust her heart and go with the decision she had made. 

“I choose Mozarta the Melodious Maestra as my champion,” Yuzu declared. “Come forth, The Supreme Genius!” 

Yuzu felt a stirring deep inside her as something, or rather, someone responded to her call. The sound of elegant melodies echoed in her ears, slowly becoming louder as the presence became stronger and stronger, as if who she was calling was coming closer. Around Yuzu’s feet, flowers of every color began blooming before shining light from their faces, the music changing from mere mental keys to sounding outside in the spiritual plane. In the air above Yuzu, light gathered before coalescing into the radiant figure of Mozarta, who landed in front of Yuzu, baton at the ready, her wings outstretched protectively. Above, Yuu spoke again. 

“The combatants will now begin,” Yuu declared. “MAQANAKUY!” 

“MAQANAKUY!” Sara echoed. 

“Maqan-a-kuy,” Yuzu repeated in a more subdued manner, struggling with the pronunciation. 

Sara rose into the air, body floating by some invisible power. The sunflowers on her back began glowing with the same purple light Yuzu had seen just before Sara had struck with her powers in her giant sunflower form. Action Duel instincts kicking in, Yuzu dashed towards a nearby barricade, intending to use it as cover. Yuzu’s chains dragged heavily against the ground, slowing her progress. Grinning, Sara slammed her palms together. The sunflowers on her back responded in kind, firing a loud beam of blood-red energy from their faces. Instinctively, Yuzu moved her body to dodge, only for Mozarta to respond on cue, scooping Yuzu in her arms and launching them both into the air with a flap of her wings. The twin beams of light struck where Yuzu had stood just a moment ago, the ground beneath exploding in a massive blast. The force of the explosion slammed against Yuzu and Mozarta, knocking them almost to the opposite wall before the large fairy regained her balance, Yuzu’s heavy chains causing the fairy to dip slightly in the air. Yuzu gawked at the opening attack, stunned by just how much force Sara had used right off the bat. 

“Yuu said this was just to the surrender!” Yuzu shouted at Sara, ears ringing from the force of the explosion. 

“Want to give up already?” Sara mocked. “That’s fine by me.” 

“That can’t be allowed for this duel!” Yuzu protested. 

“Maqanakuy, get it right!” sneered Sara tauntingly. 

“It means duel!” Yuzu shot back. “And this duel has rules! There is no way THAT ,” she indicated the smoldering crater, “is legal!” 

“Oh yeah?” Sara laughed. “Well sorry, Yuzu, but guess what? This isn’t some fluffy entertainment duel for mortal squishes like you. This is Maqanakuy! It’s kill or be killed here, and I will NOT be killed!” 

She fired another blast of energy from her sunflowers, the beams cutting through several barricades and almost grazing Mozarta’s wings as she managed to dodge out of the way one more time. 

“It is quite legal,” Yuu idly commented from the stands, “Though I would advise using lighter attacks, Sara. Yuzu cannot die as a cognitive manifestation, true, but it is still in your best interest to not cripple an essential source of your power as a Dark Signer, even if you do intend to imprison her.” 

Sara grit her teeth, but seemed to comply. Flexing her petals, she began firing a different blast from her sunflowers, this time of pure sound and shockwaves. Yuzu seethed at Yuu’s apparent indifference, but kept her focus on the duel, or maqanakuy as everyone kept reminding her. Mozarta responded to Yuzu’s will, weaving through the air and dodging the blasts of sounds, but the elegant fairy was unable to do much else. Sara’s attacks increased in rate and intensity, the goddess alternating between each flower as the two sunflowers blasted the arena with stronger and stronger concussive blasts. 

“You can’t dodge forever!” sang the sociopathic flower brat. “I’m gonna get you eventually! And when I do it’s gonna hurt! You sure you don’t wanna give up, partner ?” 

“I’ll never give up! Not to you!” protested Yuzu.

“Alright, then get ready to FEEL THE HURT!” the diminutive goddess cackled, lobbing more sound blasts from her flower cannons.

As defiant of a front that Yuzu was putting up, she had to admit that finding victory seemed near-impossible. Sara had turned herself into a total juggernaut, her past experience in these sorts of battles showing. It was all she and Mozarta could do to dodge each attack. If it had been an Action Duel, Yuzu might have felt she could stand a chance, but while a Makanquy featured the movements of an Action Duel, the lack of Action Cards was…well, more than a sticking point. Her instincts of looking for them to get out of the situation, or at least hold Sara off were working against her. Attacking was not an option. All she and Mozarta could do was dodge.

The chains dragging her down weren’t helping either. Even with Mozarta carrying her, the pawn statue served as an immovable anchor, leashing Yuzu like a dog and limiting Mozarta’s movements to a radius as long as the chain. If she could just get rid of the stupid chain then-

Sara fired off a powerful blast of concussive sound from one of her flowers, which Mozarta barely managed to dodge out of the way. But just as she flew one direction, Sara immediately followed up with a second blast, catching Mozarta in the blast before the fairy could shift her momentum. The blast tore Mozarta’s left wing and blasted her into the far wall. Mozarta dropped Yuzu, who managed to roll onto the ground seemingly unharmed, only, just a few moments later, for an intense, burning pain to burst throughout her shoulder and upper back!

It was strange, she had not been hit nearly as hard as Mozarta, thanks to the protection of her ace monster, yet Yuzu felt as if she had taken the full force of the attack. Her energy seemed to be…draining away, as if she were bleeding. Looking at her wounded ace monster, Yuzu realized that she had shared in Mozarta's pain. It seemed that binding her energy to her ace monster carried more than its fair share of repercussions. Yet another factor showing how out of her depth she was.

“Ouch! That looks like it hurt!” Sara cackled from above. “Be glad this isn’t a real shadow game or that love tap would have made you BEG to have your squishy mortal existence ended! Honestly, I should have let you get brain-chipped earlier. Other than being a glorified battery, you’re completely worthless! You really should have just given me your power when I came here. Then I wouldn’t have had to peel away your cognitive skin layer by layer like a corn husk!” 

“To the surrender Sara,” Yuu idly reminded the spirit. Sara scowled before diving towards the ground, feet outstretched beneath her blooming dress. She landed hard, creating a shallow crater where her feet impacted against the ground. Around Sara, a forest of thick, blood-red vines erupted from the impact site before hissing towards Yuzu like a pack of hungry snakes. Yuzu tried to flip out of the way, but one of the vines wrapped around her heavy chains before yanking her forward so that the rest of the vines could wrap around her arms and legs. Yuzu screamed as Sara’s vines began yanking in four directions, pulling Yuzu into a spread-eagle position. Before the vines could tear her limbs from their sockets, a blast of musical sound slammed into the vines, snapping them into pieces. Yuzu fell to the ground, Action Duel instincts allowing her to quickly recover with a roll onto her feet. Mozarta stood not far off, fighting off more vines with blasts of sound from her baton, face haggard, left wing and most of her dress torn from Sara’s attacks. Rushing to her ace monster, Yuzu took Mozarta by the hand before leading her behind a barricade while the fairy laid down more covering fire against the squirming vines. 

“OH JUST GIVE UP ALREADY!” Sara shouted, impatience flooding her tone. “Do you really think you stand a chance? I’ve been going easy on you, but I won’t stay patient forever! That so-called ‘champion’ of yours is already about to collapse, and you’re not far off either!” 

Yuzu crouched behind the barricade with Mozarta, panting heavily while Mozarta used her baton to blast away any incoming vines with her baton. As much as Yuzu hated to admit it, Sara was absolutely right. The power difference between them was staggering! It reminded her of when she had been utterly outclassed by Yuya’s sadistic Fusion counterpart, Yuri, only this time, her bracelet wasn’t going to bail her out by warping Sara away. Worse, even if they were on equal footing, Sara was more experienced with this AND Yuzu was chained! If Yuzu was going to win this, then it would not be by overpowering the goddess. She needed to think of a solution, but in order to do that, she needed to stall for time.

“It didn’t have to be like this!” Yuzu called from behind the barricade. “If you’d been honest with me from the beginning and not tried to possess me, I might have been willing to help you! I was willing to help you! But you just kept pushing me away!” 

“I don’t NEED your help!” Sara screamed. “Everything I’ve ever done, I’ve done it on my own!” 

“That’s not true!” Yuzu shouted back, mind racing. Sara wasn’t attacking in earnest while she was talking. The longer Yuzu could keep this up, the better. “We created the Pendulum cards together!” 

“That was your power , not you!” Sara argued. “I could have done it myself if I just took that power earlier! I made cards on my own before I had your power. What cards did you make before you had mine?” 

“It wasn’t just the power!” Yuzu retorted. “We bonded for just a brief moment! I…I understood you.”

She choked, tears coming to her eyes as she mind continued racing, trying to keep Sara distracted while genuinely recalling the spirit’s pain. “You never wanted this war! All you wanted to do was protect your loved ones! Like me!” 

“I am NOTHING like you!” Sara screamed, flowers firing a blast of sound at the barrier, which barely held against the shockwave. “At least not now. You DON’T understand me! You don’t know what it’s like! You’ve never actually lost anyone you care about! I don’t get to pretend the world will be all sunshine and rainbows if I’m NICE! I’m EARTHBOUND! I’ve lived my entire life in prison just for EXISTING! And every time I or any other Earthbound tried to break free, humans like you KILLED them!” 

Sara panted heavily, Yuzu feeling the intense rage and pain through the bond. 

“Every…time…we tried…to be kind…you punished us…” Sara breathed, Yuzu gasping from the horrific emotional agony emanating from the spirit and twisting through her chest like gnarled roots. “I won’t make the same mistake!” 

“I am sorry…for what you’ve been through!” Yuzu gasped. “But you can’t-!” 

“SHUT UP!” Sara screamed, amplified goddess voice causing the arena to shake, “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! I DON’T NEED YOUR OPINIONS! I DIDN’T COME HERE TO LISTEN! I AM HERE TO FIGHT !” 

She unleashed a blast of blood-red energy from her flowers, not the lighter shockwave of sound. Scooping Yuzu up, Mozarta managed to leap out of the way, but the subsequent explosion from the blast launched them into the air, only for the chains to grow taut and jerk them back towards the ground. Mozarta dropped Yuzu, but managed to grab her chains and slow their descent by unfurling her remaining wing like a parachute so that they landed behind another barrier. 

“Last chance!” Sara shouted, “Surrender, or I’ll slowly squeeze the life out of you and your ace monster until you’re even more unconscious than the brain control chip made you!” 

The mind control chip.

Yuzu glanced over the barrier just enough so that she could see the Pawn piece on its pedestal, mind racing. True, there was no way she could overpower Sara like this, but maybe attacking the goddess directly wasn’t the answer. Sometimes, in an Action Duel, you had to pause dueling the opponent in order to grab an Action Card, and often, that required making use of one’s surroundings. True, there were no Action Cards in this duel, but there was something just as important. 

“Mozarta, you’ve been responding to my wishes without me having to command you,” Yuzu said to her ace monster, who turned her head to listen. “Do you understand what I’m thinking right now?” 

There was a slight pause, and then Mozarta nodded her head. 

“Then let’s do it!” Yuzu called, leaping out from behind the barrier before charging at Sara. The goddess’s eyes widened, obviously not expecting such a suicidal move and readied the flowers on her back to fire. But just before she could, Mozarta leaped from the barrier, baton upraised. Reacting quickly, Sara stamped her feet, forming a wall of vines in front of her so that Mozarta couldn’t hit her. 

But Yuzu wasn’t aiming for Sara. 

Mozarta’s attack streaked up, past Sara before slamming into the pawn piece. The piece shook on its pedestal, the motion of the chains pulling at Yuzu’s arms and legs, before a single crack formed in the middle of the statue.

The entire room shook with a miniature earthquake, Yuzu feeling a sensation in her mind, as if an iron band around her forehead were splitting. The manacles on her wrists and ankles vibrated, a crack forming down them. The vines surrounding Sara quivered with the earthquake before falling over, revealing Sara, who tripped on her enormous dress and fell onto her back. 

Yuzu continued forward, Mozarta following on the side. With an angry shout, Sara leaped back onto her feet and began rising into the air, pointing one flower at Yuzu and the other at Mozarta. But before she could fire, Yuzu and Mozarta pulled on Yuzu’s chains, yanking them tight before closelining Sara in the chest, knocking her back on the ground before running past her. From the stands, Yuu watched with an amused smirk. 

“Clever, Yuzu. Very clever.” 

Mozarta scooped Yuzu in her arms before jumping, using her remaining wing to boost them into the air. Yuzu focused on the chess piece, which remained intact in spite of the previous attack, which had been further away and less effective. If she could move Mozarta closer, then maybe-

A thrown metal tessen fan sliced across Mozarta’s remaining wing, nearly cutting it in half. Mozarta cried out in pain, with Yuzu doing the same as she felt the same phantom pain cutting into her own back. She leapt from her ace monster’s arms and landed, barely managing to roll onto the ground instead of crashing. From behind, Sara launched herself into the air, face furious. 

“Don’t you DARE turn your back on me!” Sara shouted, “That stupid chess piece isn’t your opponent! I AM!” 

Yuzu and Mozarta stumbled to their feet, ignoring Sara’s rant. Mozarta raised her baton towards the chess piece, preparing another attack. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Sara shouted, “Activate! ROAR OF THE EARTHBOUND!” 

Sara’s jaw unhinged, mouth opening abnormally wide. An ear-splitting roar erupted from Sara’s throat, the air rippling with the shockwave, which slammed against Yuzu and Mozarta, knocking them against the far wall before Mozarta’s attack could go off. Yuzu’s ears rang from the concussive blast, vision becoming blurry, but she forced herself to move forward, Mozarta pulling her along so they could hide behind another nearby barricade. 

“Gotta say,” Sara panted, “didn’t expect a worm like you to actually try and fight back…even if it was just to smash that stupid chip. But now you’ve gone back to playing hide-and-seek? Okay. Fine. You wanna play that game, I’ll come and find you! Activate! Earthbound Sowing!”

She swooped down on the field, feet stamping the ground. Around her, a forest of vines erupted from the ground in a large radius. From the forest, four elegant creatures with feminine shapes and bodies made of vines and flowers emerged, sharp tessen fans made from branches and sharp seed shells growing from their hands. 

“GET HER!” Sara commanded before the four monsters charged forward. 

Mozarta blasted one of the charging familiars with her baton, covering Yuzu as she leaped away from the barricade to avoid another familiar that jumped on top. Another of the creatures slashed at Mozarta’s side, but the tall fairy blasted the assailant with a beam of light from her palm before swinging her baton at the fourth, conjuring a blast of soundwave which caught a fourth that was charging towards Yuzu. Across from them, Sara sneered before leveling her flowers at Yuzu and Sara and firing a strong blast of sound. Mozarta leaped forward, catching Yuzu in a tackle before the burst of sound slammed into both of them. Rather than try and brace against the attack, Mozarta allowed herself and Yuzu to roll away before the two of them leaped back onto their feet and ducked behind a pillar. The four creatures Sara summoned regrouped, two of them trying to throw their fan-like weapons around the pillar to hit Mozarta and Yuzu, while the other two held back to guard the pillar. 

“YUU SAID YOU COULD ONLY USE ONE CHAMPION, SARA!” Yuzu shouted over the noise of Mozarta blasting back the projectiles with her baton. 

“And I am,” Sara sneered. “Tokens are completely legal. They’re just another one of my many powers, the privilege of being a full goddess and not a weak mortal.” 

Yuzu looked to Yuu, who idly nodded. 

“Sara is, in this instance, quite correct,” he commented, examining the crimson dragon-head mark on his hand. “She did not summon a new champion, but simply used another of her powers. You will need to tap into similar powers if you wish to win, Hiiragi Yuzu.” 

“She’s not winning anything!” Sara shouted back, rising into the air. “I’m finishing this!” 

The sunflowers on her back began glowing with purple energy, their stalks expanding as if filling with water. Whatever Sara was about to do, she clearly didn’t care how much damage it caused. In all likelihood, it would not be the kind of attack Yuzu and Mozarta could dodge, or shield against with their cover. She had to act quickly. Yuzu’s mind raced, thinking of what Yuu had just said. The thing Sara had done, summoning those familiars. Those didn’t seem to be a natural ability of her monster form. She had drawn that power from something else. Not a monster, but monsters weren’t the only cards in a deck. There were spells and traps too. Yuu had said she had several “weapons” available to her, maybe she could access those. What had Sara said when she had used those other abilities?

“Activate…” Yuzu began, feeling a spark of something resonate within her. 

Mozarta and Yuzu suddenly leaped from behind the pillar before charging directly at Sara. Sara blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly, a savage grin on her face. A burst of intense, red-hot light erupted from both her sunflowers, so hot that it melted the sand beneath and cut a deep line, bisecting the arena. Three of the four familiars Sara had summoned were caught up in the immense blast, their plant bodies fizzling, popping, and bursting into ash in less than a second, but Sara didn’t seem to care. She had hit her target. Yuzu and Mozarta were caught in the blast, their bodies vaporizing in an instant. 

“I WIN!” Sara cackled, seeming to have completely forgotten the point of the Makanaquy. She was panting, the attack apparently having taken a great deal of effort, but her face was ecstatic. “I WIN, I WIN, I WIN!”

“A predictable mistake, Sara,” Yuu calmly replied. “I would suggest being more observant.” 

“What?” Sara sputtered, “but-...” 

The goddess’s eyes scanned the field before widening. Far from the pillar, Yuzu and Mozarta were running, opposite the direction where they had just been a moment ago. 

“How-!?” Sara stammered. 

“Quite clever using Melodious Illusion, Hiiragi Yuzu,” Yuu remarked from the stands. “I had wondered if you would be able to discern its applicable uses for this situation.” 

“YOU CHEATING-” Sara roared incoherently. “JUST DIE ALREADY!” 

Her petite body seemed to shrivel slightly, veins popping out along her arms, neck, and face as the sunflowers on her back swelled with even greater purple energy. With a primal roar, she fired another blast of blazing-hot energy. 

Against the oncoming death, Yuzu and Mozarta stood their ground. 

“Activate!” Yuzu called, once more feeling a spark of power within her, “PIANISSIMO!” 

Mozarta waved her baton through the air, her personal glow fading as she seemed to grow physically weaker, Yuzu feeling the same bout of fatigue. Around them both, a glowing barrier of multicolored light appeared, protecting them from the surge of deadly light and heat as it vaporized the ground around them, turning the sand into glass, melting stone-

-and obliterating the mind-control chip. 

The chains connecting Yuzu to the chip shattered . Chunks of metal shrapnel flew from her wrists and ankles before fading into nothing. Yuzu gasped, feeling as if a vast weight had suddenly been lifted from her chest and shoulders. Her mind seemed to awaken , with the intense fatigue from the makanquy fading as her very being seemed to fill with renewed strength, focus, and energy. Sara recoiled in shock at the sight, body falling to the ground as she panted from fatigue of using so many of her abilities, realizing the mistake she had made. 

“No, no, NO! REDO! REDO!” she sputtered. “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” 

“And it would seem,” Yuu remarked from the stands, “that victory goes to Yuzu.”

Yuzu stared at her freed wrists in wonder, still amazed that her plan had worked. She could feel it now. The force that had kept her trapped inside her own soul no longer held any power over her. She could wake up now, reclaim what had been taken from her. 

She had won. 

“No…no…no…NO!” Sara panted from the other side, drawing Yuzu’s attention. The spirit looked haggard now, headdress almost falling from her sweat-soaked brow, but she was still furious, a primal hatred pushing her on. “It’s not OVER!” 

“You accepted the terms of the Makanaquy!” Yuzu shouted back. “You’ve lost!”

“No!” Sara snarled, taking a stumbling step forward, a pair of metal tessen fans unfolding in her hands. “Didn’t you hear? This Maqanakuy is to the surrender and I…DON’T…SURRENDER!!!” 

The Spirit leaped at Yuzu. Mozarta moved in to protect her, but Sara lashed out with her fans, slicing off Mozarta’s baton arm before slashing her other fan across the fairy’s face. Mozarta fell to the ground, the fairy screaming in agony as Sara dove for Yuzu. Yuzu attempted to will herself to wake up, to escape from the nightmare, but Sara pounced on her, tiny hands sinking into the sides of Yuzu’s head as she was forced to the ground. Yuzu screamed, feeling the horrible pressing that had crushed her spirit the first time Sara had tried directly possessing her. 

“YUU!” she called. “STOP HER!” 

“Regrettably,” Yuu replied, seemingly unconcerned, “Sara is correct in this case. The Maqanakuy is not finished. If you want this to stop, you have two choices. Defeat Sara, or surrender.” 

Yuzu strained against the possession, arms reaching up in an attempt to pull the child-like spirit off herself. Sara resisted, shifting her body so she could slam a foot into the ground, summoning a swarm of vines which wrapped around Yuzu, holding her in place while Sara pushed one hand into Yuzu’s chest and the other into her forehead. Sara still looked weakened, cheeks hollow, lips dry and cracking, but she wasn’t any less savage. Veins popped from her face, and her teeth were bared like an ape’s as she pressed her attack, palms slowly and painfully sinking deeper inside of Yuzu. 

A flurry of Sara’s thoughts, emotions, and memories screamed into Yuzu’s head, blending with Yuzu’s own in a cacophonous haze. Yuzu struggled to focus, straining against the incredible pain and pressure, not backing down. Sara may have been incredibly strong and stubborn, but Yuzu was just as stubborn, and unlike Sara, nowhere near as fatigued. She filtered through the blinding torrent of emotion and memories, experience from peering into Sara’s soul multiple times guiding her struggle. It was dark, full of pain and hatred, but Yuzu blocked it out, focusing on her own memories, keeping her attention focused on-

Light. 

She saw it. Felt it. Like Mozarta and the other cards within. Only this wasn’t just another source of power, though it was strong ! She felt it. Felt… her . A presence within herself. Another will, separate, but familiar. 

“Take this,” a memory echoed in her head before handing her a glowing card. In her memories, Yuzu took it, the woman sinking into the depths, her physical manifestation gone. But within, her voice continued. 

“I give it to you. My power. The little I can spare. I am sorry I cannot give more. I gave my life so you could be. My vision, to give you the happiness I could not have. I fight against the darkness where I can, but leave the rest to you. Do not give up, Yuzu. Press forward…”

“...and SMILE!” 

Yuzu grasped the light within her, allowing it to illuminate her from within. Outside, Sara gasped, hands pulling out as if they were burning. The vines around Yuzu writhed as her inner light began shining outward, the bracelet on her arm bursting with bright, pink energy. 

“ACTIVATE!” Yuzu called in an amplified voice, “EN VISION!” 

She acted, feeling guided by instinct, eyes seeing a new possibility. Stretching her hand towards where Mozarta had fallen, she released a ray of brilliant pink light, which fell over Mozarta, causing the fairy to glitter and glow as her arm regrew and the slash across her face healed. Mozarta stood up, her skin and eyes shining with radiant light, clothing morphing to become more crystalline, with shades of red and blue, while her broken wings healed, growing in size while a second set sprouted right beneath them, both of them shining like crystal. She opened her eyes, her once solid-sapphire eyes now more detailed with white sclera, blue irises, and flower-shaped pink pupils. Sara gaped in shock, arms moving to direct more vines to attack Mozarta, but the regal fairy stood her ground, waving her baton through the air. The blood-red vines retreated as a burst of sound and light rippled through the field, the vines around Yuzu falling away while Sara was blasted on her back. Pointing her baton at Sara, Mozarta chanted, a multitude of blossoms and vines sprouting around Sara before binding her wrists and ankles. 

“No! NO!” Sara screamed, thrashing and straining against the binds. “Let me go! LET ME GO!” 

“As I said,” said Yuu, observing events with a smug grin, “It would seem victory is Yuzu’s. Well done, Miss Hiiragi. Now then, Sara, will you surrender?” 

Sara screamed incoherently, headdress falling from her head as she writhed, her struggles useless, but she didn’t surrender. 

“Well then, I suppose there’s only one thing left,” Yuu smirked before raising his right hand into the air. 

“Come forth! Mystic Fire Ritual Dragon!” 

Yuzu shielded her face as a sudden burst of crimson light erupted from the mark on Yuu’s hand. Above Yuu, a sphere of white-blue fire exploded into existence before dissipating to reveal a slender dragon with a body the same color as the blue-and-white flames, colorful wings that seemed to be made of flaming feathers, ribbon-like tail-feathers, and a golden head with spiked horns, red eyes, elongated white eyebrows, and a sharp beak. The dragon stretched its wings into the air, the crimson dragon-head mark appearing between its wings as it moved its head towards Sara with murderous intent, beak opening to let out a high-pitched shriek. 

Yuzu shrank back against the dragon and its burning light, feeling the same pain she had whenever she looked at one of the crimson marks, but magnified a dozen-fold. Sara stared into the face of the dragon, face growing pale as she fell silent, body no longer struggling. 

“I surrender!” Sara whimpered, voice squeaking with terror as tears poured down her cheeks. “I surrender.” 

“Wise choice,” Yuu replied before lowering his hand. Above the Dark Signer, the dragon slowly disappeared, eyes remaining locked on Sara until it completely faded away. The mark on Yuu’s hand dimmed and he turned towards Yuzu. 

“And now, for the conclusion. Congratulations on your victory, Hiiragi Yuzu. As specified by the terms of the Maqanakuy, you get to decide Sara’s fate. Naturally, if you were to destroy her, your soul would go with her, but that doesn’t mean you have to continue tolerating her annoying spiritual presence.”

Sara wept, little body quivering. Yuu spared her a glance, barely masking a look of pure contempt and disgust, before returning his attention to Yuzu. 

“Speak the word, and I will bind her in the deepest recesses of your soul room. She will remain locked away, unable to bother you. I can even put further restrictions on her soul so that she’ll remain bound even when you choose to summon her, or call upon any of her other powers.”

Yuzu turned her gaze towards the little spirit bound to the dirt by Mozarta’s flowers. She looked so…pathetic…lying on the ground, crying like that, her hair and clothing disheveled, skin slightly withered. But Yuzu knew better. This was a vicious little monster . She was willing to hurt and kill, and she would imprison Yuzu again if given a chance. The best choice was to make sure she stayed locked away, where she couldn’t harm anybody ever again. 

And yet…

Yuzu approached Sara before kneeling over the little spirit. Sara flinched away, as if expecting Yuzu to kick or hit her. Instead, Yuzu began speaking. 

“I wasn’t lying,” she whispered. “When I said I would have been willing to help.”

Sara closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“You’ve done horrible things,” Yuzu continued. “To me. To others. And I don’t know if you even want to change. But I know why you are like this, or at least, I’ve seen enough to understand.” 

She swallowed, reflecting on the memories. 

“It doesn’t excuse you,” Yuzu continued, taking a deep breath. “But I also know there’s more to you than…this. I want to believe you can change. Be better. But a huge part of me is saying to lock you away, and throw away the key!” 

Yuzu blinked, feeling tears stream down her cheeks. 

“But that…would make me no different than the people who imprisoned you,” Yuzu continued. “This war, this horror, this pain, it has to end ! Someone has to begin. But I can’t do it alone. Not if you’re going to undermine me at every turn. I need to know, Sara. Can I forgive you? Will you be my partner?” 

Sara opened up her eyes and stared into Yuzu’s face, a look of deep surprise and confusion on her face. Her eyes darted about, seemingly trying to figure out what to say, but she remained silent. Yuzu waited patiently. If the time in the outside world caught up to the compressed time in her soulspace and the Signer destroyed them both, then so be it. She would not reclaim her freedom by imprisoning another and she would not continue fighting the spirit. 

Eventually, Sara spoke. 

“You can’t…trust me,” she wept. “Nothing I say…will help, and besides, we both know what I am. I…hate them, and I don’t…want to die. I could say I won’t possess you, but we both know that’s a lie. So just…do it. Lock me up. I was born in prison. It’s all I know.” 

Yuzu sighed before kneeling down and touching the vines binding Sara in place. Her bracelet glowed and the vines retreated, releasing Sara, whose eyes widened. 

“It’s time to show you something else,” Yuzu replied, taking Sara by the hand before lifting her from the dirt. “I know I’m probably making the stupidest decision of my life, but I was taught people could change if given the chance. Please don’t prove me wrong.” 

Sara stared at Yuzu, open-mouthed, utterly shocked and confused. Yuu looked on, head cocked to the side. 

“How very…interesting,” he said after a while. Slowly, he turned towards Sara, whose head darted towards him, the spirit hastily bowing. 

“You have been dealt with very mercifully,” Yuu murmured, eyes glowing with a fierce, blue light. “Most would even say you did not get what you deserved. How will this affect your future choices, I wonder. Will you repay your partner with kindness, or let this humiliation fester, waiting till the right moment to strike back and reward Yuzu’s kindness with spiteful vengeance? Either way, though I’ve found you significantly more boring than your vessel…I will begin to watch your choices with much greater interest .” 

He turned, a multi-colored spiral portal appearing in front of him. Stepping inside the portal, Yuu vanished, followed by the portal, which closed in on itself, leaving Yuzu and Sara alone together. Taking Sara by the hand, Yuzu looked up towards the ceiling, willing herself to wake up. 

“Let’s go,” she whispered. 

…

Rin vs Kazama and Rally

Speed Counters

Rally: 6

Rin: 8

Kazama: 5

“Watashi no turn. Draw!” Kazama declared. 

“Continuous Trap, From the Depths, hatsudo!” Rin interrupted before he could continue. Her trap card revealed itself, its picture depicting a group of shadowy sea-creatures rising from a watery, black abyss. Amongst the creatures was Earthbound Disciple Aphotic Kelpie, the demonic horse’s eyes glowing with ghostly white light. “Once per turn, I can Special Summon one WATER Dark Synchro Monster from my graveyard, at the cost of being unable to Special Summon non-Dark Synchro monsters this turn! Revive, Aphotic Kelpie!”

The demonic horse from before reappeared to Rin’s field, tentacles writhing as it bared its unnatural fangs. 

Earthbound Disciple Aphotic Kelpie / WATER / Level -7 / Sea Serpent / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 3000

“We’ve defeated that monster before and we can do it again,” Kazama replied before continuing with his turn, “Speed Spell, Chaos’ Shadow, hatsudo! By paying two Speed Counters, I target one DARK Synchro Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon a Dark Shadow Token whose Level is equal to that target.The monster I choose is Chaos Overking Archfiend, so I summon a Level Seven Token!”

Emerging from a graveyard portal was a shadowy facsimile of Chaos Overking Archfiend the exact same size and shape, but cold and ethereal. 

Dark Shadow Token / DARK /  Level 7 / Fiend / ATK 0 / DEF 0  

Kazama: 3 Speed Counters

“Next,” Kazama continued, “I Normal Summon the Tuner Monster, Sinister Sprocket!”

The next monster to appear was a demonic sprocket with a pair of blue eyes and a long bike chain. 

Sinister Sprocket / DARK / Level 1 / Fiend / Tuner / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 0

“I tune the Level One Sinister Sprocket with the Level Seven Dark Shadow Token!” Kazama declared before his new tuner morphed into a single green ring and surrounded the token. “Burning Pride, ascend from the pit of the fallen to reclaim your crown! Synchro Shoukan! Come forth! Level Eight! Chaos Emperor Archfiend!”

A pillar of white light erupted onto Kazama’s field before his new Synchro Monster emerged in a blast of flaming magma. Chaos Emperor Archfiend looked similar to Chaos Overking, but it now had two pairs of wings, and wore a golden mask and armor over its avian body. Instead of two pairs of swords, the creature wielded a pair of two-handed battle-axes, one with its two left hands, and the other with its two right. 

Chaos Emperor Archfiend / DARK / Level 8 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2800

“The effect of Sinister Sprocket activates,” Kazama continued, “Since it was used to summon a DARK Synchro Monster and sent to the graveyard, I can destroy a face-up Spell or Trap card. I will use this effect to destroy your From The Depths trap card!”

“Bassoonist’s effect!” Rin countered, stretching her hand towards her monster, which began sparking with electricity, “Once per turn, I can negate the activated effect of a monster and reduce the Level of a monster I control by one. I’ll use this effect to negate Sinister Sprocket’s effect and reduce Bassoonist’s Level by one!”

Bassoonist leveled her hybrid bassoon/cannon arm towards Kazama as a phantasmal version of Sinister Sprocket appeared before lashing out with its chain. Before the chain could touch Rin’s trap card, Bassoonist fired, the shockwaves from her effect obliterating the ghostly chain. 

Bassoonist: Level 3

“I suppose that was to be expected,” Kazama sighed, “But now that you’ve already used that effect, you can’t use it again, meaning I’m free to do this. Chaos Overking Archfiend’s effect activates! If a Synchro Monster is summoned or leaves the field, Overking special summons itself.”

A flaming graveyard portal opened up before Chaos Overking Archfiend reappeared, the avian demon burning with flames as it brandished its four swords. 

Chaos Overking Archfiend / DARK / Level 7 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2600

“A strong recovery,” Yene complimented. “And equally impressive that he managed to set this up when he used his Battle Assessor to use Virtuoso’s attack against us, taking the 3000 damage to stack his deck. If I were to guess, I’d say his Chaos Emperor Archfiend can overcome Virtuoso and that he’s entering his end game.” 

“If he thinks this is enough to beat me, then he’s got another thing coming!” Rin shot back, “Virtuoso’s effect! I decrease the ATK and DEF of all my opponent’s monsters by one thousand! Explosive Timbre!”

Virtuoso pointed her baton towards Kazama’s monsters before firing her instrument cannons. The blasts of sound knocked into Kazama’s two monsters, causing them both to shriek with pain, but when Rin checked the stats of the respective monsters…

Chaos Overking Archfiend: 1600 ATK / 1600 DEF

Chaos Emperor Archfiend: 2800 ATK / 2800 DEF

“What gives?” Rin gaped. “Why didn’t Chaos Emperor Archfiend’s ATK or DEF drop?” 

“Technically, they did,” Kazama explained. “However, Chaos Emperor Archfiend gains one-thousand ATK and DEF for every DARK Synchro Monster I control, so the net loss was zero.” 

“And I’m guessing the fact that Virtuoso’s ATK is 3000, thus higher than Chaos Emperor Archfiend’s, makes no difference,” Yene remarked before Rin repeated the comment to Kazama. 

Kazama nodded. 

“Great,” Rin thought. 

“Battle! Chaos Emperor Archfiend attacks Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso!” Kazama declared, “At this time, Chaos Emperor’s effect activates, halving the ATK and DEF of the monster it battles!”

Kazama’s monster swooped onto Virtuoso, dodging a blast from her instrument cannons as she tried to shoot it down. With a swing of one of its flaming axes, Chaos Emperor Archfiend cleaved off one of Virtuoso’s robotic arms, disarming her of the baton. 

Virtuoso: 1500 ATK

With a swing of its second axe, the demonic synchro monster chopped off Virtuoso’s head before she could so much as cry out in pain, the rest of the cyborg monster’s body exploding in a blast of fire and sparks, which slammed into Rin as she held tight to her D-Wheel, fighting to keep it from skidding. 

Rin: 4000 - 1300 = 2700 LP

“Battle Assessor’s graveyard effect!” Kazama declared. “If my opponent takes battle damage, I can banish this card from my graveyard in order to make it so that this turn, whenever my opponent takes battle damage, I gain life points equal to the damage inflicted.” 

“Bastard,” Rin growled as the ghostly form of Kazama’s Battle Assessor reappeared before leveling his vacuum-like gun and sucking in the flames from Virtuoso’s explosion. 

Kazama: 1000 + 1300 = 2300 LP 

Rin: 8 - 1 = 7 Speed Counters

“And because we used the effect of From the Depths, we cannot use the effect of Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso to Special Summon a Level 6 or lower ‘Synthphonist’ monster from our graveyard,” Yene commented. 

“I know!” Rin growled, managing to regain control of her D-Wheel. 

“Next, Overking attacks your Bassoonist!” Kazama continued, “And you do remember Overking’s effect now, don’t you?”

“It changes the ATK and DEF of any monster it battles to whichever is the lowest value, so you can actually defeat Bassoonist even though her DEF is 2000 right now,” Rin replied. 

“Bingo,” Kazama agreed before his second demonic Synchro Monster charged forward, flames from its wings slamming into Bassoonist. 

Bassoonist: 400 DEF

“Bassoonist is in DEF, so I won’t take damage!” Rin called back, hand shielding her face from the flames. 

“Actually,” Kazama retorted, “Chaos Emperor Archfiend gives DARK Synchro Monsters piercing, so you WILL take the damage!”

“Ah, still taking the damage, I wonder if we should also make that a point game?” Yene mused. “Then again, it happens so often I think we’d break the score board.” 

“Not helping, Yene!” Rin snapped. 

“How about I remind you of a certain graveyard effect then?” Yene replied. 

“On it!” Rin replied, stretching her hand towards her GY, “I banish my Dark Tuner - Shadow Depths from the graveyard to activate its effect! I banish Savant, Adept, Violinist, and Clarinetist to reduce Overking’s ATK and DEF by five hundred for each monster I banished!”

Erupting from a black graveyard portal, Rin’s ghostly angler fish appeared before clamping its jaws on Chaos Overking Archfiend’s neck.

Chaos Overking Archfiend: 0 ATK / 0 DEF

Recovering from the flames Bassoonist raised her cannons towards Chaos Overking Archfiend before firing a blast of sound and electricity, knocking the monster back and striking Kazama with another bolt of electricity. 

Kazama: 2300 - 400 = 1900 LP

“Aphotic Kelpie’s effect!” Rin declared, stretching her hand towards her demonic water horse, which raised its electrified tentacles, “You take effect damage equal to the amount of battle damage you took!”

Nickering, Aphotic Kelpie lashed out with its tentacles, scraping the sides of Kazama’s D-Wheel. 

Kazama: 1900 - 400 = 1500 LP

“You’re out of moves,” Rin growled, “End your turn!”

“Actually…” Kazama grunted, regaining control of his D-Wheel, “Chaos Emperor Archfiend can attack twice during the Battle Phase so…Chaos Emperor Archfiend, attack Synthphonist Bassoonist!”

“Okay seriously? ATK boost, piercing, second attack, AND halves the stats of the monster it battles? Anything ELSE this monster of yours can do?” Rin complained. 

“Immunity to my opponent’s destruction effects and immunity to your targeting effects.” Kazama answered earnestly.

“I WAS KIDDING!”

Chaos Emperor Archfiend charged forward, using one of its axes to cleave off the ends of Bassoonist’s cannons. 

Bassoonist: 200 DEF

“This…is going to hurt,” Yene grumbled before Chaos Emperor Archfiend bisected Bassoonist with its other ax. The resulting shockwave sent Rin flying forward, her D-Wheel tilting so far to the side that its sides scraped into the road, making sparks fly. 

“Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Lean back! Lean back! Lean back!” Yene called through the D-Wheel’s speaker. 

With a roar, Rin managed to right the D-Wheel and turn seconds before she would have careened over the side of the highway. 

Rin: 2700 - 2600 = 100 LP

Rin: 7 - 2 = 5 Speed Counters

Kazama: 1500 + 2600 = 4100 LP 

“NOW, I end my turn,” Kazama called before turning his head towards Rally. 

Speed Counters

Rally: 7

Rin: 6

Kazama: 4

“It’s all yours, buddy!” Kazama called, “Let’s finish this!” 

“Boku no turn, draw!” Rally replied, nodding back with a determined expression. “I Normal Summon Turbo Catapult!”

A miniature robot with an elongated slingshot body ending in a rocket booster appeared to Rally’s field, a robotic arm pulling back an elastic band before affixing it to a hook near the rear. 

Turbo Catapult / WIND / Level 2 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

“Turbo Catapult’s effect activates!” Rally declared, “Upon Normal Summon, I can Tribute it and summon a Synchro Monster from my graveyard, but that monster’s ATK and DEF become zero.”

“Which doesn’t matter because that monster already has no ATK or DEF…” Rin muttered.

“Exactly!” Rally replied, “I tribute Turbo Catapult and bring back Turbo Cannon in defense position!”

Turbo Cannon appeared at the end of Turbo Catapult. The hook of Turbo Catapult retracted, releasing Turbo Cannon as the elastic band launched it forward. 

Turbo Cannon / FIRE / Level 3 / Machine / Synchro / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

“Turbo Cannon no kouka! I destroy Aphotic Kelpie and finish off the last of your Life Points!” Rally declared as his Synchro Monster leveled its cannons towards Aphotic Kelpie. 

“Time for some evasive maneuvers,” Yene called, to which Rin nodded. 

“I activate the other effect of From The Depths!” Rin countered. “By tributing a monster I control, I can Special Summon a Dark Tuner from my Deck or Graveyard! I release Aphotic Kelpie and summon Dark Tuner Phantom Wave from my Deck!”

Aphotic Kelpie dived into a dark pool of water that appeared in front of it, sending a great splash from the pool. Turbo Cannon fired, its shots missing Aphotic Kelpie. Emerging from the pool of water was a delicate fish with a ghostly, translucent body and large, rainbow-colored fins. 

Dark Tuner Phantom Wave / WATER / Level 1 / Fish / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0

“Tch,” Rally growled. “I end my turn.” 

Rin let out a long sigh, relieved that they had just managed to make it. 

“Well, things are certainly not looking good for us,” Yene remarked. “Collectively, Rally and Kazama have six-thousand more lifepoints than we do and all we have is a single Dark Tuner Monster with no attack.”

“Yep,” Rin agreed. 

“Looks like we’ve got everything we need to win!” Yene enthused. 

“Agreed,” Rin replied with a smile, “Watashi no turn…DRAW!” 

…

Seijun and Emma watched as the Dark Signer closed her eyes in a meditative pose, bracing for what would come next. Though they had established a solid lock on the Dark Signer, the previous turn had proven that it could potentially be broken with the Action Cards.The Dark Signer was stubborn, and neither believed for a moment it would go down without struggling till the very last nanosecond. 

Around her, Sly and Bob finished off each of the familiars they were dueling, the plant bodies of the creatures withering away as they were defeated. The boys approached Seijun and Emma, ready to help out, but Seijun waved them away, keeping her attention on the Dark Signer. 

The body of the Dark Signer writhed, her eyelids flickering, beneath the eyelids, Seijun noticed the telltale purple glow of a Jibakushin possession. So the God had decided to completely strip away its vessel’s agency, no doubt blaming the poor girl for all its failures. However, the purple glow faded just as quickly and the Dark Signer opened her eyes before rising. 

“Please,” the girl pleaded, hands raised in a placating gesture, “whatever happened in this duel, let’s just…stop. I only want to talk.” 

“Haw!” Emma spat. “ Now you want to stop the fight? Not surprising considering you’re about to lose!” 

“Wait, Emma,” Seijun replied, “There is…something odd going on. I think she is…sincere.” 

Emma scowled, but the Dark Signer nodded her head, keeping her hand away from her Deck and Duel Disk. Seijun approached the Dark Signer, or rather, the girl who had become a Dark Signer. 

“You are Hiiragi Yuzu,” Seijun remarked, “the contestant from the Friendship Cup? I’m guessing you were promised vengeance against your murderer, Sergey Volkov? Even if I let you go so you can pursue that, and even if I believed that you wouldn’t hurt anyone past him, you must know that will never give you peace.” 

“I agree!” Yuzu replied, to the shock of Seijun. “I never came back so I could get back at Sergey! The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to end the interdimensional war and go home. Now that I’ve learned about the conflict between the Jibakushin and Signers, I want to end that war too! Not by destroying the Signers, but peacefully.” 

Seijun regarded Yuzu, eyes narrowed. 

“It’s true!” Yuzu insisted. “I wasn’t in control before, but now I want to stop this duel and the rest of the war. I know the Signers and Dark Signers have been at war for a long time, but surely there is something we can do beyond constantly fighting and killing each other.” 

“Young lady, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Emma growled. “There is no such thing as a peace accord with the Jibakushin. Not one that leaves humanity alive, anyway. The Jibakushin were imprisoned for a reason. Let them out, and the result will be death.” 

“It doesn’t have to be!” Yuzu replied. “I can start! I can be the first Dark Signer to not fight the Signers!” 

“You say that, but how can I believe you?” Seijun replied. “I can see you are not possessed, but how long will that last? And even if your desires were truly pure and you could hold your Jibakushin at bay forever, why should I have confidence in the other Dark Signers?” 

“Let me speak with them,” Yuzu insisted. “I know one of them. Ruri. She doesn’t want a war with the Signers. She’s just a victim of the Interdimensional war. Her home dimension, Xyz, was destroyed by Academia. All she wants is to defeat them and end the war like me.” 

“And in defeating them, she will no doubt wreak untold devastation beyond what even this Academia has already wrought. With no one left to fight, who will she and others like her bare their fangs against next?” Seijun questioned. 

“It won’t be like that!” Yuzu insisted. “Not if we can start trying to find a peaceful solution, together!” 

“And do you think your Jibakushin masters will have any interest in your ideals?” Seijun replied. “I am sorry, Yuzu, but you don’t seem to understand the situation you’ve been thrust in. The creator of the Jibakushin only cares for your wishes insofar as it aids her. She will not have her will defied. And her will is nothing short of total annihilation for the rest of us. And I still don’t truly believe you can control your own Jibakushin.” 

“Sara?” Yuzu called. Next to her, the phantasmal form of a little girl in a grass skirt appeared, the human avatar for the Jibakushin. In contrast to the cruel and arrogant expression the Jibakushin had worn on its vessel’s face, the spirit looked…subdued? Nervous? She almost seemed concerned that her vessel was going to hurt her, though she didn’t exactly shy away from Yuzu. Yuzu regarded the spirit with a gentle expression, as if prompting her to speak. 

“We…had a disagreement earlier,” Sara explained, somewhat hesitantly, “but we…worked things out? I…won’t be possessing my…partner…again. If she wants to…make a peace agreement with you…or something…then I won’t try to stop her.” 

Yuzu nodded, taking Sara by the hand. 

“Please,” she continued, “I can keep her under control and there’s been too much blood between you and the Jibakushin. I know Sara did terrible things, but killing her will only continue the war. There has to be a way we can stop it, show the rest of the Signers and Dark Signers another way!” 

Seijun shook her head. 

“I am sorry, Hiiragi Yuzu. I want to believe that you are truly sincere, but even if I accept that, it does not matter. I cannot risk keeping you or any of the other Dark Signers alive. I promise, when my turn comes, I will make it quick.” 

Sara grimaced, gripping Yuzu’s hand tighter. “I told you it wouldn’t work! Now can we get an Action Card!?” 

“No!” Yuzu insisted desperately. “Please, Seijun! I’m not lying!” 

“I believe you,” Seijun replied, turning her back to Yuzu. “I am sorry it has to be this way.” 

“Her turn time limit is almost up,” Emma remarked before suddenly touching her left ear. 

“Kazama?” she called, still holding a finger to her ear, “What is it?” 

“Emma! Seijun! We have a situation!” 

“What happened!?” Emma growled. 

…

“ Our turn !” Rin and Yene declared in unison. “ DRAW !”

.

Speed Counters

Rally: 8

Rin: 7

Kazama: 7

“ We activate the effect of Dark Tuner Phantom Wave! By targeting the Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso in our graveyard, Phantom Wave’s Level becomes the same as Virtuoso’s plus one, while Virtuoso is treated as being Level One! ”

A graveyard portal opened up before the mangled remains of Virtuoso rose to the surface. Phantom Wave swept its rainbow fins over Virtuoso’s corpse, white spheres rising from the monster before getting absorbed into its translucent body. 

Dark Tuner - Phantom Wave: Level 9

Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso: Level 1

“ And then …” Rin and Yene grinned. “ Phantom Wave lets us Dark Synchro Summon by banishing both it and the monster we targeted for its effect! We dark tune our level nine Dark Tuner Phantom Wave and level one Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso! ”

Phantom Wave’s body vanished, the nine spheres in its ghostly body escaping and sinking into the corpse of Virtuoso before two of them fused together and the remaining eight darkened into black spheres. The spheres rose in front of Rin, orbiting a region of blank space as the Dark Signer reached out to grasp them. 

“Sink ever deeper, beyond the depths of imagination and bind yourself to a world without light! Dark Synchro! Rise up from the depths! Level Negative Eight! Jibaku Kairei Bathypelagic Rusalka !”

A pillar of pitch-black light erupted from the center of the black spheres. From the depths of the pillar, the pale, white-haired head of a woman with four deep blue eyes appeared, followed by a human torso with four arms, and a lower body like that of a large eel. Fluorescent bulbs of light illuminated the length of her slender tail and the tips of a multitude of tentacles that sprouted all along the length of the eel body and up through the woman’s humanoid spine. Throwing back her head and arms, the monster let out a haunting shriek that seemed to echo through the very fibers of those listening. 

Earthbound Disciple Bathypelagic Rusalka / WATER/ Level - 8 / Fish / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3200

“ Bathypelagic Rusalka no kouka!” The Dark Signer continued, “If this card is Dark Synchro Summoned, we can target cards our opponent controls, up to the number of materials used for its Dark Synchro Summon! Those targets cannot activate their effects, and any monsters targeted have their battle positions changed! We target Rally’s Turbo Cannon !”

Closing her eyes, Rusalka began singing a bewitching melody, black tendrils reaching out to ensnare Turbo Cannon before forcing it into an upright position. 

Turbo Cannon: 0 ATK

“Not good!” Rally groaned. 

“Stay close!” Kazama advised. “I’ll make sure you come out of this alive!” 

“Just make sure to finish her off!” Rally shot back. 

“ You won’t get that chance,” The Dark Signer retorted, “We next activate the effect of From The Depths! Revive, Aphotic Kelpie !”

A pool of water appeared next to Rusalka before the demonic horse emerged with a violent splash. 

Earthbound Disciple Aphotic Kelpie / WATER / Level -7 / Sea Serpent / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 3000

“ BATTLE! JIBAKU KAIREI APHOTIC KELPIE ATTACKS TURBO CANNON! ”

Charging forward, Aphotic Kelpie trampled the small robot beneath its hooves before lashing out with one of its tentacles, smacking Rally’s D-Wheel. Swerving, Kazama grabbed Rally off the D-Wheel, saving him before the bike crashed. 

Rally: 2000 - 2800 = 0 LP

“The Battle continues!” The Dark Signer declared. “Jibaku Kairei Bathypelagic Rusalka attacks the 0 ATK Chaos Overking Archfiend!” 

“Chaos Overking Archfiend’s effect!” Kazama began. 

“Makes no difference since Rusalka’s ATK is already lower than her DEF, but nice try!” 

Rusalka lashed out with her tentacles, ensnaring Kazama’s Chaos Overking, which struggled before a surge of electricity burst through the tentacles, frying the demon. 

Kazama: 4100 - 3000 = 1100 LP 

“Jibaku Kairei Aphotic Kelpie’s effect!” The Dark Signer roared, surging forward, “You take effect damage equal to the Battle Damage you just took!” 

Kazama barely had time to recover before the demonic horse stampeded into his D-Wheel, headbutting it in the side and sending him skidding backwards, though, surprisingly, it didn’t lash out with its tentacles, instead vanishing along with the rest of the Dark Signers monsters as her D-Wheel sped away. 

Kazama: 1100 - 3000 = 0 LP 

“Emma! Seijun! We have a situation!” Kazama called through his headpiece. 

…

Rin sped across the highway at maximum speed, closing in on the nearby ziggurat. Swerving, she launched the D-Wheel off the trackway and into the air. The D-Wheel soared, wheels still spinning, before crashing into the side of the Ziggurat, near where a Signer and her underlings were facing Yuzu. The old woman leaped out of the way of Rin’s bike. 

“Hate to intrude,” Yene called through the D-Wheel’s speaker as Rin drew an opening hand, “But…” 

Rin: 4000 - 2000 = 2000 LP 

“Magic Card, Earthbound Eruption, activate!” she called, slamming one of the cards she had drawn into her disk. “I discard Earthbound God Yene Paryqaqa in order to inflict damage to my opponent’s LP equal to his ATK! GO!” 

She revved up her engines, speeding towards Yuzu before scooping her up and shoving her onto the backseat. Before the Signer could react, the ghostly body of Yene appeared in the air above, the whale’s spiral eye sketch giving a little wink before diving and crashing his titanic body into the side of the ziggurat. Emma, Sly, and Bob managed to leap out of the way, their bodies rolling down the steps of the pyramid as the whale spirit’s body smashed into the bricks, kicking up a plume of smoke and dust that obscured everything from vision, its phantasmal body vanishing moments later. 

Seijun: 6700 - 2900 = 3800 LP 

“Fuck! My bones! FUCK!” Emma swore, hands holding her back. “Where the HELL did they go!?” 

Seijun raised the mask-like tail mark to her face. 

“Rua, Ruka, the Dark Signers have escaped. Find them!”

…

Daichi and Frederick observed Rin as her D-Wheel erupted from the cloud of thick smoke, Yuzu riding on the back as they made their escape from the Signer. 

“It would seem events unfolded, more or less, as we predicted,” Daichi shrugged. 

“Indeed,” Frederick agreed. “It would seem these Dark Signers have a certain handler, who has yet to make his physical appearance, but who, no doubt, was responsible for coordinating Rin’s rescue mission.” 

“How likely do you think it is that we'll find him should we follow that little spiral mark that floated off Yuzu’s ankle the moment she woke up?” Daichi asked. 

“I will follow it,” Frederick clarified. “You will tail Rin and Yuzu and gather intel on them, as I doubt the Signer would have failed to leave contingencies for situations like this one.” 

“Oh how delightful!” Daichi gushed. “You know, it’s been so long since I got to ride on my old D-Wheel!” 

Frederick grimaced, glad he would not have to participate on the ride. Speaking into his Duel Disk, he gave a brief report before pressing a button on the side of his half-moon spectacles, activating a spy function that let him keep the small, multi-colored spiral mark in view. By his estimation, the bracelet girl Dark Signers would be a simple matter to deal with. The true objective would be in finding their handler and defeating whoever that person, or entity, may be. 

…

“Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, disable those guns!” Yuto commanded, his dragon dodging out of the way of a blast from one of the armored vehicle’s turrets. The blast, aimed directly at the hospital, would have obliterated the edifice’s walls, but before it could make contact, a ghostly shield appeared and deflected the projectile. 

“Earthbound Disciple Judgement Cherubim, cover him!” Ruri commanded her angelic monster, which rose into the air, metal wings forming into a ring before firing a beam of white light into several nearby vehicles, the force flipping those vehicles onto their backs. 

Yuto and Ruri stood side-by-side against Security’s onslaught, defending the hospital from being destroyed. The hospital staff and patients had fled, all except for Sora, who had been left behind in the chaos. Yuto and Ruri stood alone, the only two defenders against a seemingly endless hoard of attackers bent on killing indiscriminately. 

“This is just like old times, isn’t it?” said Yuto, dodging out of the way of a strike from a Goyo Predator before activating a Phantom Fog Blade to press the attacker back. 

“Except Shun isn’t here,” Ruri replied, slamming another card onto her disk. The air above their heads seemed to implode into a miniature blackhole before the space unfolded and a serene-looking angel meditating in the center of a wheel-like symbol appeared. Around Yuya and Yuto, a barrier of light formed, deflecting several blasts from another squadron of vehicles. 

“I’m guessing you were planning on saving him?” Yuto asked as Dark Rebellion fired several bolts of lightning into two more vehicles, disabling them. 

“I came to kill Roget,” Ruri admitted. “Taking him out would have saved Shun and this dimension from his tyranny. I failed.” 

“I’m sorry I got in your way,” Yuto replied, “but…I’d never seen you like that before. I mean, I agree that Roget has to be stopped. Honestly, Shun and I probably would have killed him in your place. But you? What changed?” 

“I guess I’ve just been forced to face reality,” Ruri replied bitterly. “It only took me getting killed to make that happen.” 

“Ruri…” Yuto replied, heart sinking. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but what words could be said? 

“I don’t blame you, Yuto,” Ruri replied, as if in reply to something Yuto had thought. “Especially with everything that happened to you. What did happen to you?” 

“I don’t completely understand it myself,” Yuto admitted. “I think I died, but I can’t remember many details. All I know for certain is that now I’m part of Yuya. I’ve had periods of consciousness, but it was only after seeing you that I was able to…wake up like this.” 

“Yuya did this to you?” Ruri asked. 

“He definitely didn’t kill me,” Yuto hastily clarified. “He…preserved me somehow. The last thing I remember before awakening inside Yuya was dueling another person who shared my face.” 

“Yuri?” Ruri asked. 

“No. Another one. Yugo,” Yuto replied. “My counterpart from Synchro.” 

“Rin spoke well of him,” Ruri noted quizzically. “Why would he attack you?” 

“I think it’s for the same reason Shun almost attacked a lot of people in Standard,” Yuto replied. “This Yuri person, he’s the one who kidnapped you. I assume he has my face as well?” 

“Only on the surface. He is nothing like you,” Ruri replied before sighing heavily. “What a mess everything has become.” 

“We’re together again. That’s what really matters,” Yuto assured her. 

“I suppose it is,” Ruri agreed, “but I still intend to stop both Academia and Roget, who, by the way, is also from Academia. Did you know that?” 

“He mentioned that,” Yuto replied. “I think he was trying to build trust with us so he could trick us into joining him.” 

“Showing what an absolute fool he is,” Ruri scoffed. “I imagine you were there to encourage Yuya to reject his slimy offer?” 

“Yuya didn’t need too much convincing,” Yuto affirmed. “He’s just as against Academia as we are, even if he hasn’t experienced the level of horrors we have. But Roget did talk about you a lot. What are the Jibakushin? What happened to you?” 

“Rin and I tried to escape from Academia,” Ruri explained. “I think Academia wanted to capture us again, but someone was too…trigger-happy. Ironic, isn’t it? To think Academia would encourage that kind of violence with their “hunting games” only to have it backfire on them. It ended up costing them two of the professor’s ‘most valued gems’, as they were so fond of calling us.” 

“What did they do to you and Rin while you were in prison?” Yuto asked, face looking disgusted. 

“I would rather not talk about it,” Ruri swiftly replied. “Suffice to say, Rin and I were determined to break free before it was too late. We almost made it…but I ended up leading Rin into a trap.” 

She looked down, guilt painting her features. 

“It’s not your fault,” Yuto assured her, activating another trap to summon a ghostly knight to stop an attack from a Goyo Chaser. 

“Maybe not, but I failed all the same,” Ruri replied before commanding Judgment Cherubim to bisect the Goyo Chaser. “After I died I…saw…what was on the other side. It wasn’t pleasant. I would have faded away from despair…but I was given another chance.” 

The heron-shaped mark on her back glowed with ghostly white light. 

“Jatun bonded with me and resurrected my body,” Ruri explained. “Through her, I was able to resurrect both Rin and Yuzu. If you are actually dead and just a spirit inhabiting Yuya’s body…then perhaps I can resurrect you as well.” 

Yuto paused, considering the possibility. He could not deny how tantalizing such an offer would be. He had been a spirit for not even a month and he already missed having his own body so much. But still…

“Roget called the Jibakushin ‘Evil Gods,’” said Yuto, glancing over Ruri’s shoulder, down at the mark on her back. “He described them as liars and manipulators who only take advantage of and even possess their vessels.” 

“Do I look possessed to you?” Ruri asked.

As much as Ruri’s eyes had darkened, Yuto could still see the light of her soul gleaming within her irises. They were not dull eyes, or eyes that had the intent of another forced into them. Those were Ruri’s eyes, a gaze that Yuto had become very familiar with.

“...No,” answered Yuto after those precious few seconds of thought.

“Jatun shares the same pain we’ve felt, and she shares our goal to defeat Academia,” Ruri explained. “You and Yuya can trust her.” 

Yuto considered. 

“Where is Yuya?” Yuto asked, noticing that his spiritual companion had vanished. 

“In the Security HQ? Good,” Ruri replied, eyes closed. 

“What?” Yuto asked. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t talking to you,” Ruri apologized. “I’m just…I set up a contingency for Roget. Some helpers I formed a connection with. Just give me a moment to coordinate things with them.” 

Yuto nodded before turning his attention back to the Security forces, summoning The Phantom Knights of Broken Blade to stop a charging Goyo Chaser. Ruri continued to speak with her eyes closed, the mark on her back and left eye glowing as she spoke to someone far away. Yuto picked up the words “trap,” “assassinate,” and “kill” as she spoke. There was no questioning what she intended to do. It left Yuto with mixed feelings, but…well…what did he expect in a war? Did he really think victory could be attained without any violence? Like Yuya, he believed in dueling to make people smile, but it had been Ruri who had taught him that ideal in the first place. If she was now embracing harder tactics, then perhaps it was time for him to reconsider as well. 

He just hoped Yuya would be equally open-minded. 

…

“...whatever it takes.” 

Yuya considered the implications of Jatun’s reply, not liking the conclusions. Eventually, he stood up. 

“Does Ruri agree?” 

“We are of the same mind,” Jatun affirmed. “Neither of us wants to inflict unnecessary suffering, but we both understand what it takes to fight a war. Though in some ways it is an admirable ideal, 'egao', as it were, is not enough. One day, you must accept this, Sakaki Yuya.” 

He didn’t, and he wouldn’t. No matter what anyone else thought, he would find another way. 

“And what if, instead, I try to stop you?” Yuya asked. 

“I do not wish to fight you, Sakaki Yuya,” Jatun replied, rising from her throne, “but you must understand my position. One thing Roget’s story did not adequately explain was the true hell our existence has become. Mere imprisonment is insufficient to describe. Our curse condemns us to a fate many would argue is worse than death. We are diminished, hollow, and ever-rotting, eternally fading in both body and mind. Our only escape from this torture is oblivion or winning the war. So understand, Sakaki Yuya, if you do choose to fight me, I will fight back. Swiftly and decisively. With tears, perhaps, but I will not hold back.” 

Yuya nodded, understanding. 

“So what happens now?” Yuya asked. 

“I would say that I’d like to have your answer on whether or not you will help us,” Jatun sighed, “but I am deluding myself if I pretend I don’t already know the answer. I do hope, however, that you will eventually be persuaded otherwise. For this reason, and because I am not as much a monster as you think I am, we will both return to the physical world, where our respective vessels can see and commune with us.” 

She tapped the end of her spear against the void. Around them, the darkness faded and Yuya found himself standing next to Yuto. Not far from his counterpart, Ruri stood, now flanked by Jatun, who looked on, spear held tight in her hand. 

“They’re in retreat!” Yuto called to Ruri. Looking into the distance, Yuya saw a convoy of Security vehicles leaving. Around the perimeter of the hospital lay the debris of several vehicles that had been overturned, with a few security officers littering the ground, most of whom were unconscious. Yuto turned and started when he saw Yuya standing next to him. 

“There you are,” Yuto remarked. “Where have you been?” 

“I talked to Ruri’s Jibakushin,” Yuya replied, turning to face Jatun and Ruri. Yuto turned with him, eyes settling on the tall woman. 

“You’re Jatun,” he remarked, to which the spirit bowed. 

“And you are Yuto,” Jatun replied. “It is an honor to meet someone of whom Ruri has spoken so highly.” 

“There’s no need to be so formal,” Ruri laughed. “We’re all friends here. Or, well, I haven’t really met you yet, Yuya, but I hope we can get along just as well.” 

Yuya’s eyes fell. He would have liked that, but he couldn’t ignore what he had learned. 

He turned towards Yuto. 

“Did Ruri tell you what she and Jatun are going to do?” he asked. 

“She told me about her plans to overthrow Roget and defeat Academia,” Yuto affirmed. “It’s the same thing we’re here to do.” 

“And did she tell you what they were willing to do to achieve that goal?” Yuya asked. 

“What are you implying, Yuya?” Ruri asked, stepping forward. 

Yuya turned to face her. 

“When you came here, you were going to kill Roget. If we hadn’t stopped you, you would have killed Sora as well.” 

Ruri sighed, expression annoyed. 

“Yes, Yuya, I would have done that,” Ruri replied. “And you know what? I am still going to do that, because it’s the right thing to do!” 

“But it isn’t right!” Yuya replied. “If you go around killing like this, then you’re no better than Academia!"

“That is Barian-shit and you know it!” Ruri swore, though Yuya could not help but feel confused by the unfamiliar expression. 

“Ugh! Whatever!” Ruri scoffed, “Do you really think what I am doing is even comparable to them? They attacked us , Yuya, just like they attacked you! Don’t tell me you went into this war and expected to talk Academia into surrendering? 

“I’m willing to fight, but not murder ,” Yuya replied, before turning towards Yuto. “And what about you? When you were defeated, you asked me to teach people dueling with smiles. Do you still believe in that?” 

Yuto looked torn, looking from Yuya to Ruri.

“I…I do believe in that ideal, yes, but…” Yuto stammered before indicating the recent destruction, “But look around us, Yuya. You know there are some people those beliefs just won’t work on. Roget is one of them. I doubt The Professor will be any more reasonable. What if we had to kill him to stop this war?”

“I don’t believe that,” Yuya replied. “And I don’t trust anyone to judge who is worthy of life or death!” 

He turned back towards Ruri. 

“If you had killed Sora, you would have hurt my friend! Yes, he may have been part of Academia, but I still believe there is good in him! I won’t let you hurt him!” 

“Oh not this again!” Ruri scoffed. “First Yuzu, now you! Sora…is…NOT…your…friend! He…is…an…Academia…SPY! They come into your life, pretend to be your friend, and when their mission is done, they destroy your home! Stop letting yourself be deluded! Come on! Follow me. I’ll show you what Sora is really like.” 

She marched towards the hospital, towards Sora’s room. Yuya stepped in front of her, stretching out his hands. 

“I won’t let you hurt him!” he growled. 

Ruri stepped straight through Yuya. Yuya felt a jolt of discomfort, and not a little embarrassment at forgetting he was a ghost. However, as she continued forward, Yuto stopped her. 

“Wait,” he whispered. 

“Let go of me,” Ruri growled. 

“We don’t have to do this,” Yuto replied. “What’s Sora going to do? He’s critically injured. Even if he wanted to hurt anyone, he can’t.” 

“What’s this about ‘even if he wanted to’?” Ruri snapped. “Don’t tell me you’re taking his side!” 

“There doesn’t have to be a ‘side’ here, Ruri,” Yuto replied, not letting go, “Look, we both want the same thing. Let’s not let some petty argument get in the way.” 

“Petty argument?” Ruri replied, incredulous. “Yuto, I am trying to win this war, and Yuya is all but threatening to stop me! How am I supposed to take that? Am I supposed to just ignore him? I mean, I suppose I could if you’re going to keep him a ghost forever.” 

“I’m not doing that,” Yuto replied. Yuya smiled, feeling gratitude towards his counterpart. “I just want to resolve this.” 

“I told you to let me go,” Ruri murmured, body stiffening. 

“I will,” Yuto promised, “but not before I am certain. Ruri, I don’t like this. I’m with you. I’m willing to fight Academia, and I know what it means to wage a war. But…I’ve seen this path before. It almost consumed Shun. It almost consumed me. I won’t let it consume you. Please, before you do something you can never take back just…take a step back.” 

Ruri stared at him, looking shocked. 

Then she grabbed his hand. Yuto gasped, shocked by her apparent strength. 

“I told you, to let…me…GO!” she growled before throwing him off her. Yuto went flying, body slamming into the wall of the hospital. 

Yuya felt himself get pulled forward, senses returning. He blinked and found himself in his body again, slammed into the same wall Yuto had been moments before. Recovering quickly, he rolled onto his feet before activating his Duel Disk. 

“Astral gods!” Ruri exclaimed, looking shocked. “I…I didn’t mean to-Yuto, are you okay!?” 

“How…unfortunate,” Jatun sighed. 

“Where’s Yuto!?” Ruri exclaimed. “Bring him back!” 

“I think you drove him away,” Yuya growled, not moving. 

Ruri eyed Yuya, face hardening. 

“If you…don’t move…” Ruri began. 

“Then you’ll do ‘whatever it takes,’” Yuya coldly replied. “You and Jatun. I was wrong to think you were possessed. It’s even worse. You’ve willingly let yourself become a monster. I hope to the Egyptian Gods Yuzu hasn’t done the same. Either way, I will stop you, and save her!” 

“You are making…the BIGGEST…mistake of your life!” Ruri growled. “I’m not your enemy!” 

“Then stop trying to hurt Sora,” Yuya replied. 

“MOVE!” Ruri roared. 

They stared at one another, neither backing down. Ruri’s hands twitched, slowly moving towards her Duel Disk. 

Suddenly, Jatun’s eyes widened. 

“No!” the spirit exclaimed. “Impossible!” 

“What is-?” Ruri asked, before the mark over her eye began glowing. Ruri’s mouth fell open, face utterly shocked. Yuya also stared, taken aback by the sudden outbursts. 

“What’s going on?” Yuya asked. 

Ruri turned back to Yuya, before pointing a quivering finger at him. 

“You need to come to your senses, and fast ,” said Ruri, voice quivering, eyes on the brink of tears, “because your smiles are going to get the ones you care about killed !” 

A pair of ethereal wings appeared on Ruri’s back. With a single mighty flap, she rocketed into the air, leaving a plume of dust where she had once stood. Yuya stared at where Ruri had once been, before deactivating his Duel Disk. 

“Are you still here, Yuto?” Yuya asked. 

No words came back from his counterpart, but he did sense feelings. Shock. Confusion. Horror. Betrayal. Concern. Strongest of all was a deep hurt. Sighing, Yuya entered the hospital, navigating the empty hallways before entering Sora’s room. Sora stared at him, expression uncertain. 

“It’s alright, Sora,” Yuya soothed his friend. “Come on. I’m going to get you out of here.” 

…

“We have arrived at HQ,” the driver reported as they pulled out of the service tunnel and into the building’s main parking lot. 

Roget breathed a sigh of relief as an aid opened the car door, allowing the Chief of Security to step outside. Along the perimeter of the parking lot, lines of Security guards stood at attention, just a small sample of an ever-growing number of recruits he would have to crush Ruri and Academia. He had lost more than he would have liked, true, but mind-control chips were easy to mass produce with his resources and he could easily replace them with more mindless peons willing to throw their bodies in front of his. 

A group of four such peons approached him now before stopping and saluting. The tallest one, in armor with a vaguely feminine shape, began speaking. 

“We are ready to escort you to the control room,” the officer reported, voice disguised by the gas mask she wore. 

“Yes, yes, get on with it!” Roget replied, waving his hand impatiently. “I do not have all day.” 

“Please follow us,” the officer continued, before the four of them surrounded him and headed towards the building’s elevator. Roget followed, considering his multi-layered plans, when a pair of metal claws suddenly erupted from the chest of a security guard to his right. 

Roget screamed, falling backwards, blood from the security officer splattering his face. The claws retracted from the groaning security officer, revealing a tall man wearing an academia uniform and a familiar horned helmet Roget never thought he would see again. 

“A-Aaron Tarleton…” he stammered, blood freezing. Had Academia sent the Dreadroot as an assassin!? But wait…no! That couldn’t be right! Aaron had been planning a coup against The Professor! If anything, Academia should have assassinated him! Knowing Smith’s meticulousness and Naga’s ruthlessness, they should have done it already! Why was Aaron still alive?

“Pyotr!” One of the security officers screamed before running towards the officer that had been stabbed. Wait…why was it doing that? His officers shouldn’t have cared about protecting anybody but him . Unless…

“Jurrac Titano, shoukan!” the tall officer lady roared before a massive, flaming dinosaur appeared in front of her and lashed out at the Dreadroot, who dodged the attack. Roget blinked, growing more confused at his officers not using regulation Goyo decks, but the other officer followed her lead, summoning his own monster. 

“Celestial Wolf Lord, Blue Sirius, come forth!” the fourth officer commanded, as a three-headed wolf monster appeared to his field. Once it had materialized, he pointed at Roget before barking an order. 

“Kill Roget!” 

Roget’s breath left his body as the monster charged forward, fangs bared. But before it could reach Roget, a massive, Antique Gear Ultimate Golem suddenly appeared before slamming into the smaller wolf monster and flipping it into the air with one of its massive, robotic claws. Jurrac Titano attempted to fight the monster, but the colossal, centaur-like machine batted away the relatively smaller dinosaur before charging towards the other officers, attempting to trample them. The other officers managed to dodge out of the way, the one who hadn’t summoned any monsters, carrying the bleeding body of the officer Aaron had stabbed. 

“Mission compromised!” said the tall security officer, speaking into a…pigeon? Yes, speaking to a pigeon that had landed on her shoulder. “Abort! Say again! Abort!” 

The pigeon shrieked before suddenly swelling in size, becoming a massive heron which picked the security officer up with its claws before carrying her into the sky. Three other herons appeared from the sky soon afterwards, each one swooping down before grabbing an officer and carrying them out. Aaron stood next to his Ultimate Golem, watching them leave, not attempting to stop their escape. When they were completely gone, he turned towards Roget before offering him a hand. 

“Hello Roget, it’s been some time since we last saw each other, has it not?”

Roget looked around at the other security officers who had activated their Duel Disks far too late. Aaron seemed to be eyeing them from the corner of his eye, as if daring them to try anything. 

Roget lifted himself from the ground, refusing to take Aaron’s hand. 

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, trying and failing to keep his voice from quivering. 

“Now, now, let’s not rush things,” Aaron soothed, approaching Roget to brush off his uniform. Roget very much wanted to command his Security officers to kill the man, but he was so close, and with those claws still drenched in blood... “You’ve had a long, traumatic day. Come, let’s have a light-hearted chat, just you and I, like old times. We can catch up on the time we’ve missed.” 

He pushed Roget forward, arm around his back. Roget sweated, knowing that at any moment, he could end up like the man Aaron had stabbed, Security or no Security. The infuriating man waltzed into the middle of the HQ as if he owned the place, glibly waving to the various receptionists and Security who stopped what they were doing to stare. 

“Nothing to see here,” Aaron soothed. “Go back to your duties. Roget here just asked me to escort him back to his office. Ain't that right, Roget?” 

“Withdraw,” Roget murmured, face sweating. The Security officers, Armityle damn them, obeyed his command without question, because what else could they do?

Aaron patted Roget on the back before leading him into the elevator, where they were completely alone. 

“It must be nice, having soldiers who obey you without question,” Aaron sighed. “Of course, I had those too at one time, though I had to work to condition them, and their loyalty wasn’t as infallible as I might have hoped. But of course, you know what that’s like.” 

He chuckled to himself, gazing through the glass of the elevator, bloody, clawed hands clasped behind his back. 

“How are you alive?” Roget gaped. “I cut myself off from the happenings of the other dimensions, but I was certain The Professor would have had you killed.” 

“Oh, he succeeded,” Aaron enthused. “Stopped my operations just when I was on the cusp of succeeding. I had the power of a god literally in my hand, and would have led Academia to a truly glorious future, but, well, The Professor had to send one of his mindless flunkies with no real vision, and even less ambition, to get a cheap shot on me.” 

“Succeeded?” Roget questioned. “But you’re…” 

Aaron took off his helmet before regarding Roget with a crooked smile. 

Roget recoiled beneath the man’s gaze. Aaron had a handsome, almost disarming face with a muscled neck and messy hair, but his eye, his unnatural mutated right eye, with two pupils and irises instead of one. Most people thought the Dreadroot wore his horned helmet to make himself look intimidating. That was only partially true. The truth was, even without the helmet, Aaron could put almost anyone off-balance just with his uncanny gaze. It was certainly intimidating Roget, much as he would deny it. In fact, the number of people Roget was aware of who truly weren’t unsettled by that uncanny dual-pupil went up only to the single-digits. 

He wavered, eyes darting from one pupil to the other as he tried to maintain focus. Aaron only smiled, amused by Roget’s discomfort, as the bastard always had been. 

But it wasn’t the damnable double-pupil alone that was discomfiting Roget. The sclera of Aaron’s eyes, they had darkened into black pits. Black pits he had seen in only one kind of being.

“Dark Signer?” Roget breathed. 

“Close. Dark Disciple,” Aaron corrected. “A little gift from our mutual friend.” 

“You can’t mean-” Roget gaped. 

“Oh, but I do,” Aaron replied. “I have to say, Roget, as useless as you were, I owe you one. Had you not allowed Yuu to spy on The Professor and I, I doubt I’d still be here. Thanks for being a traitor.” 

“You dare call me a traitor when that’s exactly what you are?” Roget hissed. 

“Oh, don’t take it like that, Roget, I mean it as a compliment!” Aaron laughed. “Who would want to work for that bald-headed fart? Certainly not me! Not after he undermined our positions and tried to kill us for daring to step out of line. I’m thinking a change of leadership is in order, don’t you? And if a bit of treason is needed for that, well, who am I to complain?”

“You intend to overthrow The Professor? Rule Academia in his place?” Roget replied incredulously. “You? Who apparently lost to some unnamed footsoldier?"

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t look so surprised,” Aaron scowled before quickly recovering with a jovial smile. “Yes, I intend to make good on my ambition, Roget, and I wanted to stop by to thank you for giving me this glorious opportunity.” 

“Do not play games with me,” Roget growled, trying to maintain as much dignity and composure as he could. “What do you really want?” 

“Oh Roget, must you ruin everything?” Aaron sighed. When Roget didn’t budge, he rolled his eyes, which was especially unnerving given his right eye. “Very well, Roget, you caught me. I’m here on business. Yuu wanted me to check up on you. He was concerned you wouldn’t be able to…handle yourself. Thought you could use an extra trio of eyes,” he added with a wink of his right eye. “Good thing I showed up too. Who would have thought a fourteen-year-old girl would have managed to outsmart and assassinate a tactical genius, wheeling dealing politician like you?” 

He chuckled some more. Roget, in spite of his discomfort, felt his blood boil. 

“That…fourteen-year-old…is a Dark Signer ,” Roget growled. “A Dark Signer, which, if I understand correctly, cannot exist unless Yuu created her! Why did Yuu create her, and why is she fighting me !?” 

Aaron regarded Roget with his trio of eyes. 

“Come now, Roget, I would have thought you’d have been able to guess,” Aaron replied, voice quieter. “After all, we’ve both made deals with the devil. Did you think you’d be able to get away without paying?” 

“But I did pay!” Roget rasped. “I gave him exactly what he wanted!”

“And in exchange, he gave you a kingdom, which you were free to rule, for as long as you could hold it,” Aaron replied. 

“He intends to take my city away from me?” Roget growled. “And give it to her ? Why? What qualifications does she have that I don’t?”

“Oh, I doubt Yuu intends to coronate any rulers,” Aaron scoffed. “At any rate, he definitely did not command Ruri or any of her other Dark Signer allies to attack you. That was entirely their choice.” 

“But even if he didn’t command them to attack, why isn’t he stopping them? Surely, Yuu must realize that it cannot benefit him to undermine one of his allies!” Roget protested. 

“‘Ally’ is a stretch for any association Yuu makes,” Aaron replied. “And as for your downfall being to Yuu’s detriment…don’t kid yourself. This is all in accordance with his will.” 

“ How ?” Roget demanded. “Why would he allow his Dark Signers to undermine my regime? I would have happily worked with them! After I had secured Synchro, I could have helped them conquer Academia! The rest of the multiverse, if they so wished! But this?” 

“Yuu doesn’t need your armies or resources,” Aaron replied. “In fact, he doesn’t need anything from you. Not anymore. He has other priorities at the moment.” 

“Which are?” Roget probed. 

“Yuu is about to make a selection,” Aaron explained. “Just like Leo used to test the loyalty of his soldiers, Yuu is testing our competency . He’s pruning away the weak in order to find the ones worthy to obtain his greatest gifts. And I don’t want to put you down, Roget, but…you haven’t been doing that well.”

Roget opened his mouth to retort, but Aaron cut him off. 

“Be careful, Roget,” He warned. Over his chest, a multi-colored spiral mark appeared. From it, a smaller spiral, the same shape and color, materialized before rising into the air and floating between them like a watching camera. “Yuu can hear and see everything I can. I would advise against complaining, or attempting to appeal to his mercy. His sense of humor, maybe. But eventually everyone gets tired of jokes.” 

Roget licked his lips, biting back a number of reckless retorts before calmly replying. 

“I do not understand why Yuu feels the need to undermine what he and I have successfully built,” he explained carefully. “I gave the Jibakushin top-secret information regarding the other dimensions and the secrets of inter-dimensional travel. Why, when there are three other realms for them to conquer, do they feel the need to interfere in the affairs of this one? And if Yuu truly is not directing his Dark Signers, then why? Why risk allowing his new agents to undermine his own agenda?”

“Well, if I were to guess, I’d say giving these new Dark Signers free reign is exactly in line with Yuu’s agenda, at least for now,” Aaron shrugged. “He’s testing them as well, you see, observing what they can accomplish without his guidance. Had they chosen to ally with you like you suggested, I imagine Yuu would have been equally hands-off as he is now, giving you and the Dark Signers an opportunity to prove your competence as allies. Unfortunately for you, it would seem that they have decided to topple your little kingdom. I suspect Rin had something to do with that. Being a native Common, growing up hating your Security Regime, and all that. So I guess you get a chance to prove yourself as their enemy.” 

Roget grit his teeth, thinking of the stupid orphan girl, who he wished had stayed trapped in Academia. Still, some parts of what Aaron had said in his explanation caught his attention. There was an opportunity here, if only he could grasp it. 

“And if I should… foil …their plans? What is this favor Yuu offers?” Roget inquired, barely managing to keep the hunger from his voice. 

Aaron paused, seeming to reflect on the question, though Roget knew full well this was just another of his acts. 

“If you could manage to capture or destroy Ruri, Rin, and Yuzu?” Aaron considered, “Why…if you managed to do something like that, well, I suspect Yuu would grant you more power than any of them. Immortality, superstrength, your own God Card, maybe two? Who knows? Still, the question remains, how do you plan on doing that?”

Roget’s mind worked furiously, considering. Yes, he was fully aware it could all be a lie. And yet, if he did defeat Yuu’s precious Dark Signers? Even if Yuu was only toying with him right now, the Dark Signer would have to reconsider if Roget managed to pull it off. 

“I have…a plan,” Roget carefully replied, not wanting to reveal too much and inadvertently warn the other Dark Signers through Yuu. “There is still something, or rather, someone I can use against Ruri. Once I have her, the other two will fall into place.”

“Yuu congratulates you for your nimble thinking, especially after your near-death experience,” Aaron replied with a bow, “Of course, this plan will work out where the other ones failed.” 

Roget grit his teeth. 

“Oh, come now, don’t be so hard on yourself!” Aaron laughed, slapping Roget on the back, “A battle between a mortal and a Dark Signer really isn’t a fair fight. It was to be expected that you would fail…even with your vastly superior numbers and resources, but I digress. Yuu is giving you another chance. And to make it more interesting this time…”

He reached into his Duel Disk before presenting Yuu with four cards. Hesitantly, Roget approached, examining the proffered cards, eyes widening. 

“Are these…?” he gaped, unable to believe the tremendous gift, no, weapon , he had been handed. 

“Yuu created them,” Aaron replied with a nod, “Recently, one of the Jibakushin even managed to corrupt our favored summoning technique. I have mixed feelings about it, but cannot deny its power. All these are yours to mass produce and use as you wish.”

Roget reached for the cards, mesmerized, only for Aaron to withdraw his hand, much to Roget’s deep annoyance. 

“A warning, Roget,” Aaron cautioned, “Mortals aren’t meant to use these cards. There’s a reason Dark Signers and most Dark Disciples are dead. The negative energies these cards produce are very deadly. Most people foolish enough to use one of these cards will find themselves dropping dead after only a few turns. If you do choose to use them, just carefully consider who will use them. They will most likely die. But of course, I’m sure you’re willing to make some sacrifices.” 

Roget nodded his head before eagerly taking the cards, head spinning with the many possibilities. The elevator stopped, its doors opening. 

“And this is where we depart,” Aaron sighed, staying in the elevator while Roget entered his control room. “Duty, unfortunately, calls yet again. Good luck with your latest plan. As always, Yuu will be watching with great interest.” 

“Tell Yuu that if he wants a show, then he shall be given a spectacle to rival anything he has seen thus far,” Roget replied confidently before handing the cards off to an aid with orders to begin mass production immediately. 

“We shall see,” Aaron replied before the elevator doors closed. 

FREDERICK FIELD REPORT 

Frederick: Yuzu has managed to escape thanks to the timely assistance of her fellow Dark Signer, Rin. Rin used the following card to facilitate the escape. 

Earthbound Eruption
Normal Spell 

Send 1 “Earthbound God” monster you control or in your hand to the GY; Inflict damage to your opponent’s LP equal to the ATK or DEF of that monster (whichever is higher). You cannot Special Summon monsters and your opponent takes no Battle Damage during the Turn you activate this effect. During the Standby Phase of your next turn: Special Summon the monster sent to the GY with this effect. You can only activate 1 “Earthbound Eruption” per turn. 

Frederick: Suffice to say, I find this card highly situational, as it requires the presence of an Earthbound God in the hand to work. Of greater interest is in the fortuity of Rin’s intervention. I suspect the Dark Signers are being coordinated and am in pursuit of a lead. Will report on further findings. Glory upon Academia. 

OTHER FAN CARDS 

Rin’s Monsters

Dark Tuner - Icy Grip
WATER / Level 1 / Sea Serpent / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
If you control a Synchro Monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand or GY) but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only Special Summon Dark Tuner - Icy Grip once per turn this way. If this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 Tuner in your GY; Special Summon it, but its effects are negated and it cannot attack, also, destroy it during the End Phase. You can only use this effect of “Dark Tuner - Icy Grip” once per turn. 

Synthphonist Violist
WIND / Level 2 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / ATK 800 / DEF 1100
This card is treated as a Normal Monster while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard. While this card is a Normal Monster on the field, you can Normal Summon it to have it become an Effect Monster with this effect.
● Up to thrice per turn (Quick Effect): you can target 1 “Synthphonist” monster you control; Increase the Level of that target by 1 (Max. 12), and if you do, that target gains ATK/DEF equal to its Level X 100. 

Dark Tuner Shadow Depths
WATER / Level 2 / Fish / Dark Tuner / Effect/ ATK 0 / DEF 0
Once per turn: You can target 1 Synchro Monster you control; increase the Level of this card by the Level of that target (Max. 12). (Quick Effect): You can banish this card and any number of Tuners from your GY to target 1 monster your opponent controls; decrease the ATK/DEF of that target by the number of Tuners banished for this effect X 500.

Dark Tuner - Phantom Wave
WATER / Level 1 / Fish / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
If you control a Dark Tuner, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon “Dark Tuner - Phantom Wave” once per turn this way. You can target 1 Synchro Monster in your GY; This card’s Level becomes equal to the Level of that target + 1, also, that target’s Level is treated as 1, then, Dark Synchro Summon 1 monster from your Extra Deck by banishing this card and that target as Material. 

Rin’s Extra Deck

Sonic Synthphonist Adept
WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1600
1 Tuner + 1+ “Synthphonist” Monsters
(Quick Effect): You can target a number of cards in either player’s GY, up to the number of Tuners used in this card’s Synchro Summon; Shuffle those targets into the Deck, and if you do, “Synthphonist” Monsters you control gain 200 ATK/DEF for each card shuffled into the Deck until the End Phase. If this card is used as a Material for a Synchro Summon: You can draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of “Sonic Synthphonist Adept” once per turn. 

Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy
WIND / Level 6 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2400
1 Tuner + 1+ "Synthphonist" monsters
This card can attack once per Battle Phase for each Tuner used as a Synchro Material for its Synchro Summon. During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 "Synthphonist" monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn). If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can target 1 Gemini monster in your GY; Special Summon it. 

Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso
WIND / Level 8 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000
1 Synchro Tuner + 1+ “Synthphonist” monsters
(Quick Effect): You can decrease the ATK/DEF of all monsters your opponent controls by 500 for each Tuner used in this card’s Synchro Summon. “Synthphonist” Gemini Monsters you control are treated as effect monsters and gain their effects. If this card is removed from the field: You can target 1 Level 6 or lower “Synthphonist” monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You can only use each effect of “Hypersonic Synthphonist Virtuoso” once per turn. 

Earthbound Disciple Aphotic Kelpie
WATER / Level -7 / Sea Serpent / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 3000
1+ non-Dark Tuners - 1+ Dark Tuners
If this card is Dark Synchro Summoned using 3 or more Materials: You can Special Summon 1 monster from your GY whose Level is between -1 and and the number of Materials used for this card’s Dark Synchro Summon X -2. Each time a Dark Synchro Monster you control inflicts Battle Damage, inflict damage to your opponent’s LP equal to the Battle Damage inflicted. If this card is destroyed or removed from the field: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; Send it to the GY. 

Earthbound Disciple Bathypelagic Rusulka
WATER / Level - 8 / Fish / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3200
1+ non-Dark Tuner - 1+ Dark Tuners
If this card is Dark Synchro Summoned: You can target cards your opponent controls up to the number of Materials used for this card’s Dark Synchro Summon: Change their Battle Position, also, those targets cannot activate their effects. This card can attack once for each Dark Tuner used in its Dark Synchro Summon. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 WATER Dark Synchro Monster from your GY. 

Rin’s Traps

Synthphonist Ensemble
Continuous Trap
Target 1 or more “Synthphonist” Monsters you control; Special Summon 1 “Synthphonist” monsters from your hand, deck, or GY whose Level is equal to the total Level of the targeted monster(s). If the monster Special Summoned by this effect effect is a Gemini Monster, it is treated as an effect monster and gains its effects. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.

Synthphonist Interlude
Continuous Trap
Once per turn: You can shuffle 1 “Synthphonist” Gemini monster on your side of the field or in your GY into the deck; Special Summon 1 “Synthphonist” Gemini monster from your deck, and if you do, that monster is treated as an Effect Monster and gains its effects. 

From the Depths
Continuous Trap
Target 1 WATER Dark Synchro Monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You can tribute 1 monster you control; Special Summon 1 Dark Tuner from your Deck or GY. You can only use 1 effect of “From the Depths” per turn and only once that turn. You cannot Special Summon monsters the turn you activate either of these effects except Dark Synchro Monsters. 

Kazama’s Monster

Battle Assessor
DARK / Level 10 / Spellcaster / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2500
If an opponent’s monster declares an attack: You can discard this card; Negate the attack, and if you do, take damage equal to the ATK of that monster. If you took 1000 or more effect damage with this effect: You can excavate cards from the top of your deck, for every 1000 points of damage you took; Add one of the cards excavated by this effect to your hand, and if you do, place the other cards on top of your Deck in any order. If you inflict Battle Damge to your opponent’s LP: You can banish this card from the GY; Gain LP equal to the damage inflicted. 

Kazama’s Extra Deck

Chaos Overking Archfiend
DARK / Level 7 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2600
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuners
If this card battles: Change the ATK/DEF of the monster it is battling to become equal to its ATK or DEF (Whichever is lower), and if you do, negate its effects. If a Synchro Monster is Special Summoned or leaves the field: You can Special Summon this card from the GY. You can only use this effect of “Chaos Overking Archfiend” once per turn. 

Chaos Emperor Archfiend
DARK / Level 8 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2800
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuners
Cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent’s card effects. Increase the ATK/DEF of this card by 1000 for each DARK Synchro Monster you control other than this card. This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase. If this card battles an opponent’s monster: Halve the ATK/DEF of the monster it is battling until the end of the Damage Step. DARK Synchro Monsters you control inflict Piercing Damage. 

Kazama’s Spell

Chaos’s Shadow
Speed Spell
Pay 2 Speed Counters to target 1 DARK Synchro monster in your GY; Special Summon 1 “Dark Shadow Token” (Fiend/DARK/ATK 0/DEF 0) To your side of the field. “Dark Shadow Token’s” Level is equal to the Level of the targeted monster. 

Kazama’s Traps

Target Scrambler
Continuous Effect
If your opponent activates a card or effect that targets 1 or more cards you control: You can negate the activation of that effect. You can only use this effect of “Target Scrambler” once per turn. 

Chain Nullify
Counter Trap
If your opponent activates the effect of a Spell/Trap Card: Negate the activation of that effect, also, for the rest of this turn, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects with the same name as that card. 

Rally’s Monsters

Blast Shield Soldier
FIRE / Level 2 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2000
If this card is Normal Summoned: You can change its battle position. If an opponent’s monster declares an attack: You can pay 500 LP; Change the attack target to this monster. 

Turbo Missile
FIRE / Level 2 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
If an opponent’s monster is destroyed by the effect of one of your monsters: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can Tribute this card and 1 Synchro Monster you control to target up to 2 Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls and 1 monster your opponent controls whose Level is less than or equal to the Level of the Tributed Synchro Monster; Destro them. You can only use each effect of Turbo Missile once per turn. 

Turbo Catapult
WIND / Level 2 / Machine / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
If this card is Normal Summoned: You can tribute this card; Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your GY, but it’s ATK and DEF become 0. 

Rally’s Trap

Turbo Launch
Normal Trap
If an opponent’s monster declares an attack: You can Tribute 1 monster you control; Destroy that attacking monster, and if you do, you can add 1 Level 2 or lower Monster with 0 ATK from your deck to your hand. 

Ending A/N: 

And with that, this MASSIVE 4-part chapter is FINALLY completed! Immense thanks goes to the following:

bladeWriter3: Who did massive work on the duel outlines and written duel segments, along with general cleanup, review, and jokes to keep me motivated. 

Epsilon Tarantula: He helped a lot with editing and is directly responsible for the Makanaquy between Sara and Yuzu existing. Originally, I was going to have it be a regular duel with cards, until he suggested a “spirit” duel similar to what we got in the OG series when ancient Egypt was depicted. I quite enjoyed this unique duel format, so expect it to make future appearances to shake things up. 

Nox Barian: He also helped a lot with editing and more importantly kept me well fed with delicious rice rations. He is one of the best writers and funniest guys I know and you should all read his Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal fanfiction! If you see him, could you please tell him I typed this exactly the way he wrote it in his notes for me? 

Romadrox8975: He created the art piece of Sara in her Bloom Prima cosplay and art of Mozarta's evolution, which will most definitely not be making a reappearance ever. Please give him a look if you want commissions from him and check out his webcomic. 

Concealed Organic: He created the sketch for Mystic Fire Ritual Dragon. He is a very talented artist who is working on many more dragons for me…not that there will be legions of other dragons appearing in future chapters or anything…

Shimmering-Sky: She helped with editing and created the lovely colorized art of Concealed Organic’s sketch, which was displayed in this chapter. Thank you for adding so much Beauty to this story. 

And finally, thank you, all my wonderful readers, for continuing to support this series. We reached a milestone with over 10,000 hits! HOORAY!

I can’t tell you how giddy this makes me. I am now drunk with fame and power and will wield said fame and power with reckless abandon until my pride and hubris leads to my tragic/comedic downfall! 

But until then, LET’S CELEBRATE!

As promised in a previous chapter, as a thank-you for your support, I will be taking your drawing requests! Leave your request in the comment section and your art may be featured in a future chapter either as something that actually happens in a scene or at the end in the Ending Author Note section. 

(Certain restrictions apply, Donny does not do porn and he may reject the request for entirely petty reasons.) 

I look forward to seeing your requests, and only now realize just how time-consuming this might be for me…WHOO BOY! But I’m still gonna do it!

Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to reading your comments. See you in the next chapter! 

BONUS OMAKE!!! (By bladeWriter3)

“I’ll never give up! Not to you!” protested Yuzu.

All of a sudden, Sara began to sing

“Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! I’m gonna run around, and hurt you! I’m gonna rule the world, and desert you!”

“You mean like how your sister deserted you?” Yuzu fired back

“OH!!!!” Yuu exclaimed. “Shot’s fired!”

“NOOOO!!! EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!!!” Sara shrieked before falling over like a withered plant.

“Neat, I win!” Yuzu grinned.

And nothing bad happened to Yuzu ever again, the end.

Thanks blade. I am going to be trying to get the next 2-part chapter out by Christmas! 

bladeWriter: ZARCMAS!!!

Right, Zarcmas. Hopefully I’ll see you all then, otherwise the Supreme Dragon King will most certainly destroy me! Give me your drawing requests in the comments! I’ll see you all next chapter, bye bye!