Chapter Text
Signs of Renewal
Part 1: Chapter 1 – A Second Chance
Ruri awoke feeling cold. Normally, she was the type of girl that would leap out of bed, pop a few sore muscles, and greet the new day with a smile.
Ruri did not feel like smiling. She did not feel like anything. Her body felt hollow, as if all her innards had been sucked from her lifeless corpse and emptied into a bottomless drain.
She craned her neck to take in her surroundings, if one could even call them that. Overshadowing her vision was an endless sea of pitch-black mist, encompassing her on all sides while an empty black sky seemed to press down upon her from an infinite height, pushing her further and further down an endless black void.
Scrambling, Ruri somehow managed to stagger upright, despite the complete lack of floor, walls, or ceiling in the vast emptiness. Panting, Ruri tried to make out anything, anyone, in infinite nothingness, but saw nothing, the darkness so powerful that when she put her hand in front of her face, only formless darkness greeted her.
“Is anyone there!?” Ruri called into the darkness.
No reply. No echoes. Silence permeated the shadows. A silence so deep and loud that Ruri felt deafened by it.
No.
This could not be it!
This could not be the end!
Ruri began talking to herself, trying to fill the void with meaningless chatter, just to keep back the horrible, empty silence. As she jabbered away, Ruri slowly became conscious of the fact that she couldn’t even remember what had happened to her in the past 24 hours.
What happened to me?
Who am I?
Remember!
Remember!
Remember!
As she struggled, vague recollections, mostly faces and names, flickered in her mind. Desperate, she began listing them out-loud.
“Sayaka…” she murmured, recalling the image of a short girl with glasses.
“Yusho…” A gentleman wreathed in colorful lights.
“Shun…” She saw him, her brother, stroking her hair, promising he would stay with her. Where was he!? Where was she!?
She continued to try and list names.
“Kaito…” A tall boy who had been Shun’s rival.
“Allen…” Sayaka’s orange-haired friend.
“YUTO!” Ruri gasped as sharp pain stabbed through her chest. She could clearly see his face in her mind, warm, tender eyes staring back at her. A true friend, almost a second brother, someone she could confide in even when Shun didn’t understand her.
Ruri remembered feeling safe and happy when he was around. Some had jokingly called him her knight in black armor. She had called him family.
And now he was gone.
Completely…gone.
Ruri flailed her arms through the darkness, groping in every empty direction as if trying to tear her friends and family from the shadows. But she found no one. No one came. No one was going to come. They were gone. As the reality of her loneliness sunk in, Ruri felt her sorrows press upon her so heavily, that she knelt and wept in the black emptiness.
She suddenly wanted to stop remembering, to let the darkness take her, to go to sleep and cease existing! But her mind rebelled against her wishes. More names and faces bubbled up from her memory, like burning hot lava.
“Dennis…” Ruri murmured, recoiling in horror. Someone who had acted like her friend before betraying her and her entire world with a cold, nonchalant smile.
From the image of the sadistic grin, Ruri saw legions of brutal soldiers heartlessly hunting down the inhabitants of Heartland, the city burning to ash. Reliving this memory, rewatching the destruction of her home and people filled Ruri with a new emotion.
Fury!
What had she or any of her people done to deserve annihilation!? Since befriending Sayaka, all she had wanted to do was bring people from across the world together with the smiles that entertainment dueling could produce. She had never been a particularly skilled or strong duelist, but she had followed her dream, learning to focus on the happiness of others rather than whether or not she won or lost.
And what had that dream brought her? Defeat. Loss. Death. Suffering at the hands of people whose only entertainment was in the domination and destruction of others.
A new face and name surfaced.
“Yuri!” she hissed through clenched teeth. She had mistaken him for Yuto when they had first met in the refugee camp, but despite his uncanny resemblance to her friend, he could not have been more different.
He was a cruel and sadistic hunter. He had relished every second of chasing her down like a scared mouse before slowly twisting in the knife, mocking her every effort to defend herself, to attack him, to escape, to do anything. He laughed at her feeble efforts until he grew bored. Then he brutally counterattacked, unleashing all his cruel power into his strikes, leaving her broken, unconscious, and utterly defeated.
She had been taken then. Whisked away from her home and family to another world, where she had been locked away in a cage like a lab animal; her only companion, a girl who looked exactly like her.
Rin.
Rin.
“RIN!?” Ruri cried into the darkness, remembering her companion in captivity. She had not known what to think when she had met the girl who was practically her clone, down to knowing someone who was like Yuto and being captured in just the same way. It had been even more disorienting to learn from the Academia scientists that there were two more who looked just like her.
But Rin had turned out to be far more than just some weird doppelganger. Whenever Ruri had wanted to give in, Rin had always shown defiance, regardless of the threats from the Obelisk guards. They had covered each other’s backs throughout their imprisonment. On some occasions, they had even managed to find hope after some small victories of sneaking food, passing notes, and exchanging information.
Ruri had learned from Rin that she, like herself, had hoped to one day become a professional duelist…specifically a “Riding Duelist” …and inspire others to pursue happiness through her duels. Even in prison, she continued to pursue her dream, saying that so long as she could keep Ruri happy, then she would be happy as well. Rin could be fierce as a tiger towards the Obelisk guards, and as loving as a mother towards Ruri when nothing but despair seemed to be in their future. The fact that Ruri had gotten to know someone so heroic had been the one ray of light in the hell that was her imprisonment.
And now…she was gone too.
Ruri strained, desperate to remember where she and Rin had been before the darkness encompassed her, but nothing coherent came to mind.
Escape plans…
A change of guards…
Suddenly, the doors to their cells opened…
Running through halls
Climbing through vents
It was night. They reached a balcony, only to be suddenly cornered by guards. Mechanical dogs snarled and bit at them. Rin braced herself, ready to hold them off and let Ruri escape.
And then…
A flash of light. An explosion! And then…
Falling. Thirty meters…fifty meters…a loud thud…and then…
Ruri’s head ached. She felt a medley of pain, despair, and fury erupt within her, the emotions crashing against one another like a raging tempest. Rin had not deserved it! She had not deserved it! Why, after living her entire life wanting only to make others happy, had she ended in this infinite and endless darkness!?
Feeling the injustice of it all, Ruri cried into the void.
“DO YOU HEAR ME!? THIS IS NOT RIGHT!” she screamed in agony.
Nobody answered. She had not expected an answer. She had screamed anyway. She did not want to let it go. Her anger. Her sorrow. Her righteous indignation. She would NOT let it go!
“None of this is right! Why are the innocent suffering while the guilty go free!? Who’s letting this happen!? Why is nobody fixing this!? Is there nobody willing!? If I can do anything to fix it, I WILL! I’ll do it! I’ll give anything to set things right!”
Silence.
Then…
“You will give anything?” a calm, mellow voice questioned.
Ruri recoiled in shock. After such silence, such emptiness, the last thing she had expected from her ravings was a response. Had she gone mad?
“Who’s there?” she called, whipping her head around, vainly attempting to make out some shape hiding within the black veil. “What do you want with me?”
“The abyss does much to those who stare into it,” The voice continued, as if it hadn’t really heard Ruri. “I’ve seen despair, contrition, anger, weeping, catatonic stupor, madness…but it’s very rare for me to find what you’ve shown. Resolve. Tell me, Ruri, is what you said true? Would you give anything to make things right?”
“What do you mean?” Ruri stammered, still confused.
“Would you, for instance,” the voice replied, “make the ultimate sacrifice? Just how far are you willing to go? Would you, for instance, give your soul?”
Ruri stared back into the darkness, not knowing how to respond.
“Would you give away your very identity to become something else? Would you cast it aside to gain what you would need? The powers of a god?” questioned the voice. “Would you do all these things if you could truly redeem this universe and bring joy to its inhabitants?”
Ruri gaped at the darkness, realizing that, despite her misgivings, she was not insane. This was really happening. Plucking up courage, she addressed the voice.
“What are you offering?” she asked.
“I offer you the fulfillment of your dreams,” the voice said. “The power of a god in exchange for your soul.”
“How…how?” Ruri stammered, wondering if this was all just a strange dream.
“You possess great potential,” explained the voice, “my powers can unlock that potential and set you free from this place to use your powers as you wish.”
Ruri was dumbstruck by the strangeness of the situation. Collecting her wits, she called into the darkness, “Who are you?”
Multi-colored light suddenly enveloped Ruri. As the thick shadows evaporated, Ruri could suddenly make out the blurred form of a hooded man walking towards her on empty space like it was level ground. Beneath a black cloak trimmed with multi-colored lines, primitive-looking markings of birds, insects, humans, flowers, trees, fish, beasts, and geometric shapes glowed in radiant colors as diverse as the rainbow. As the man drew closer, Ruri could see the drawings lay directly on the man’s skin like strange, luminescent tattoos. He had an average build, pale face, short, white hair, and piercing blue eyes with sclera blacker than the shadows Ruri had been trapped in. Wearing a calm expression, he bowed slightly to Rui before introducing himself.
“I am what you are, Ruri,” he began, folding his arms across his chest. “A soul that has suffered death and now belongs to the underworld.”
He let the sentence linger in the air while Ruri attempted to take a step back in the emptiness.
“Underworld?” she asked, looking around. “So this is…so I’m?”
The man nodded in answer.
She felt tears well up in her eyes.
“Do you remember what happened?” asked the man, taking Ruri in his arms and gently wiping tears from her cheek. Pressed against his cold skin, Ruri could feel that there was no heartbeat within the man.
She shook her head “no.”
The man nodded quietly. “It happens,” he said. “The shock of death, and the oblivion that follows, I suppose. As I said, the abyss does much to those who face it.”
“Do you know what happened?” Ruri whimpered.
“I do,” the man replied. “I see a great deal. The past. The present. Even possible futures. Everything. Forever.”
“How did I get here?” Ruri continued, panic taking hold, “Where’s Rin!?”
The man held out his hand to stop her, face remaining calm and nonchalant.
“Rin stands between the doors of the living and the dead just like you,” he explained. “You were both killed by the reckless action of an Obelisk guard in your desperate escape attempt. Whether you wish for either you or your friend to survive your deaths is up to you.”
“What are you saying?” asked Ruri, looking at the man with skepticism, “That you can raise us from the dead?”
In answer, the man spread out his arms, displaying the myriad marks that covered his body from head to foot. The images glowed even brighter while the man’s dark eyes lit up like lamps before he lowered his arms, the light fading to its original luminosity.
“The gods I serve,” he replied, “have long possessed such power. I offer this power, and more, to you. Accept my offer and you shall possess the spirit of a god within your body. You will have the power to raise the dead, to punish the wicked, and to build the world anew.”
Ruri considered the man. “You said my soul was the price. Why do you want it and why should I give it to you?”
“What you do with yourself is up to you,” the man shrugged. “I am indifferent either way. In order to receive this power, however, changes will need to be made to you. But you can choose. Decline my offer, and you will stay here along with Rin, who will soon be joining us in our blissful oblivion. Perhaps we can watch Academia destroy the multiverse together as they are set to do, given their current path…before they too are consumed in the apocalypse sure to follow, an afterthought in the ashes of the cosmos, like everything and everyone else.”
He leaned in closer to Ruri.
“But do you really want this?” he whispered. “Is this how your story ends? Ruri, the girl who rotted away in a foreign land while her friends and family were hunted down one by one? The girl who could do nothing, a helpless pawn wasting away at the behest of an egomaniacal idiot, before being meaninglessly thrown away by his equally idiotic minions? Ruri, the girl who could save no one.”
Ruri clenched her jaw, feeling her muscles tighten.
The man drew back, smiling at Ruri.
“I think we could do a little better, don’t you? Would it not be far more interesting to write a new story? One in which you were given a second chance? One in which the righteous prevailed, while the wicked were punished?”
Ruri sank into thought, considering. The man was not wrong about Academia. She had seen first-hand its capabilities. If it could destroy her world, what would stop it from destroying the others? She did not understand what he had said about an apocalypse to follow, though she didn’t need much to imagine. What would the evil empire be left with after they had destroyed everything? There was a small bit of comfort from the suggestion that Academia would also soon rot away after making so many billions suffer…but what about everyone she cared about?
Could she make things right?
She thought of her friend, Sayaka, safe and happy.
She thought of Shun, enjoying school and becoming a professional duelist.
She thought of Rin, reuniting with her friend from her own world, free to pursue her dreams.
Then she thought of Yuto. What if she could see his face one more time? What if she could be the one to save him and everyone else in the multiverse?
Suddenly, she was caught up in a vision. Laid before her gaze were the four dimensions, Xyz, Synchro, Fusion, and Standard. She saw wars and flames engulfing the worlds as hordes of Academia soldiers carded men, women, and children.
Her vision shifted and she suddenly saw herself standing before the oncoming hoards. Clothed with might and power, she saw herself sweeping the forces of Academia away like dust in the wind. Everywhere she went, she breathed new life into the universe, until a paradise stood where there once had been rubble.
“I said I would do anything to set things right,” Ruri thought to herself, “If I have to sacrifice myself for the sake of my friends, so be it!”
Ruri looked back at the man who was patiently standing in front of her with his arms folded.
“I’ll take you offer,” she said, holding out her hand, “In return for the power to save my friends and the multiverse, I offer my soul.”
The man smiled softly before slowly turning around, showing Ruri his back. In the center of his back, curling along the length of his spine, a large, white, bird tattoo with an elongated, curling neck glowed with power, shining like a star until Ruri was forced to hold her hands to her face, nearly blinded by the overpowering light. Ruri jolted back as, through the slits of her fingers, she beheld something immense standing over herself and Yuu, who stared up at the creature as it stretched a pair of pitch-black wings with glowing, white markings into the emptiness, the being’s head lowering from a long neck.
“She is yours, Jatun,” the man spoke, stretching his arms before the creature’s lowered beak. “Go forth and seek the fulfillment of your destiny.”
“I ACCEPT THIS ONE AS MY VESSEL,” a powerful, feminine voice boomed back in a tone that was forceful, but not shouting. “LET THE READVENT OF THE EARTHBOUND BEGIN!”
The man turned towards Ruri before approaching her, left hand raised.
“Congratulations, Ruri, you have been accepted,” he said. “Brace yourself. This…is going to hurt.”
He clamped his hand against her back.
A sudden burning erupted across Ruri’s back and up her neck. Screaming in agony, she felt energy course through her as thick, black shadows swirled around her and congealed into a thick, black, ooze. Stretching and writhing, the ooze began covering her body, enveloping her. Through the sludge, Ruri was able to look up to see the creature from before transform into a pillar of white light wreathed in shadows, the light rising into the air before curving and slamming into her back. Screaming, Ruri felt as if something was being carved into her face as her eyes darkened and lost vision.
Ripping his arm from her back, the man stepped away and watched as Ruri suddenly recovered, the ooze having solidified into a set of elegant black robes with white trimming, an open back, and a dark hood. Steadying herself, Ruri rose up and stood at her full height.
Shining through her clothing with brilliant white light, a massive heron-shaped mark with its body and legs on her lower back and a long, zig-zagging neck stretching all the way up to her neck, pulsated with white energy. Turning to face the man, Ruri looked far more powerful and intimidating than she had moments before. The whites of her eyes had blackened, and her stare had become harder and more intense. Over her left eye, a white, wing-shaped mark blazed with light like a neon sign.
“How do you feel?” the man asked with a smile.
Ruri flexed her muscles. She felt strong and tough, like her body was made of stone or iron. She felt confident. Suddenly, all of her problems seemed insignificant as she felt absolute power coursing through her very being. She felt driven, hopeful, and vengeful…it was impossible to find mere human words adequate to describe her emotions! All she knew was that, for the first time in many months, her destiny was in her hands. The forces that had oppressed her for so long would be crushed, while the ones that she loved would be saved.
She regarded the strange man that had offered her this gift.
“You never gave me your name,” she said, surprised at how authoritative her voice sounded.
The man shrugged his shoulders with indifference. “I suppose it really doesn’t matter. You never would have known me before, and I doubt you’d know me if I gave my name to you now.”
“It is Hashimoto Yuu,” he said, introducing himself with a small bow. “You can call me Yuu-sama, Yuu-san, Yuu-kun, just plain Yuu…the honorifics don’t really matter to me. All that you need to know,” he continued, “is that you have made yourself an ally to the ones I serve. The one who has bound herself to you now shares in your goals, just as you will soon come to share in hers. Together, you will work to see both those dreams fulfilled. As for myself, I am indifferent how either of you choose to use your new connection, though I will be watching you with exceedingly great interest. Do try to make things entertaining. Eternal oblivion is…rather dull at times.”
Ruri smirked with confidence as she began to instinctively grasp her ever-growing powers. Yes, it was as Yuu had said. She could feel someone within her. The being she had seen before. She was there, a part of her, and she was beginning to share in the being’s thoughts, intuiting things the creature had known.
“He will try to control us.” Ruri thought to herself. “Just like he’s tried to control the others.” More inspiration came to her as she felt the being stir from within. “Isn’t that right, Yuu?” she continued, projecting her thoughts at the man. “This bond not only connected me with the god, but created a mental link with you. Did you think to monitor me so you could manipulate me like a puppet?”
“So you two have already managed to synchronize your thoughts. Interesting,” Yuu thought back at them, unconcerned. “It’s good to see you mastering your powers so quickly. You will be a great Dark Signer.”
“So that’s what I am,” Ruri said to herself. “A Dark Signer.”
She felt at the mark on her back.
“This mark houses the spirit of the god.” Ruri mused to herself. “Her name is Jatun, correct?”
Yuu nodded. “She is already supplying you with the knowledge you need. An important step if you intend to escape from Academia. You’ll need to master your powers quickly. Shall I show you the way out?”
Ruri shook her head, feeling that she could leave whenever she wished.
“Remember this, Yuu,” she said, stepping towards him. Before her, Yuu suddenly looked small and insignificant, as new insights burst into her mind. “You may have given me this power, but you are not my master. I see what you are now. You are nothing. A mere human receptacle and custodian of greater power, waiting to pass it off onto others far more worthy. Do not forget your place. I can watch you just as easily as you can watch me. Feel free to offer advice, but don’t think for one moment that you can command me.”
She leaned in closer, whispering into his ear as he had done earlier.
“I have my own vision for the future, and I am going to pursue it. If you stay out of my way, you can share in this vision. Otherwise, I will stamp you out!”
Yuu bowed to Ruri, not any deeper than he had before, though he did seem to genuinely be showing respect.
“I am, and have only ever been a servant of the gods,” Yuu replied. “Never fear, Dark Signer. I will not interfere with your goals, for I have none of my own, though I suppose you could always read my response as an elaborate ploy to put you at ease. Your wariness will serve you well. Just be sure to find allies to assist you in your goals. Even you are not entirely invincible.”
“I already know what to do,” Ruri replied, turning away. Feeling her feet navigate the empty void as easily as solid ground, Ruri slipped away from Yuu’s vision before vanishing into the black mist.
