Yu-Gi-Oh! - Dead Zone [FINISHED]

[Aerion Brightflame]

Oh yeah, I didn't actually catagorically state my major gripe - 

 

There's too much detail in the planning. Not like in the sense that things get done down to fine detail (Since that's fine), it's feeling at times like the Villains are going 'Because you had tea instead of coffee three weeks last thursday, I was able to gather all the requirements to complete the Doom Machine'. I'm fine with plots because complex, and requiring a certain amount of leading in on the end of other people, and having contigency plans. But for a while, I've thought that the plans are just so dependent on outside circumstances. And as a a result they just feel conveluted and that you are cramming them in to make the villain seem more threatening. When you shouldn't need to do that at this stage - We know Eizan can play people masterfully, and that he's terrifyingly power. We don't need it reassured with so many 'Just as planneds'. You shouldn't have to make the reader suspend there disbelief about the plots at this stage, hell it shouldn't be happening period. But whilst reading it feels like I have to do that. 

 

The explanation for the bigger parts of the 'Just as Planned' is... satisfactory for now. He has still played the card a few times to many, and yeah even with the reason, it just becomes dull character wise. Because it's like 'What's the point? He's got a plan to stop us no matter what happens, why were bothering again?' To much omni-presence just kinda dulls a lot of the drive there. 

 

Top decking at the final stage of the duel is fine. My gripe there was with Triple Honest alone. It's pretty damn Cliche tbh, and I would have rather you stayed away from it. It was such a beautiful duel otherwise that it didn't deserve such a weak ending. (And no offence, symbolism doesn't recover it there. You can go for Symbolism without going overly cliche. Like have Yuusukue use some other method to pump up his monster, have Honest thrown down on him, and then Maya turns around and saves him with her own one. That to me feels better than triple Honest. It might be a personal thing but again... Triple Honest top deck... Or hell, even have one of the Honests be shown getting set up, like adding it back to hand from grave, it works better than forcing suspending disbelief for a second) 

 

By exxcisive about the Wicked Gods, is that it had enough build up to warrant something major of it's own. Putting it in this duel forced the thing to get... resolved awkwardly as it were? Like it was sort of detracting from the wider scene happening. Which is a shame, since in terms of actual duel alone, putting it in there was so good. Like I keep saying, probably the most beautifully thought out duel I've ever read. 

[Vector Nightmare]

Well, this got delayed a while, but IRL has been a pain lately. But hey, the one good thing about having only a few people commenting, is that the rest ain't got the right to complain. *shrug*

But anyways, the time for the end is now.

Instead of throwing all the remaining chapters at you at once, I'll be doing a mini-countdown thing, posting a new chapter every some hours, with the intent of spreading the remaining chapters over today and tomorrow. Partly to raise TENSION and partly because bulk-posting the last update was quite annoying due to YCM bugging a lot from the size of the chapters.

So lo and behold, the first part of the lengthy final stretch. Revelations, plot twists, drama, chaos... and of course, CARD GAMES, can all be found in abundance here.

Each chapter will be followed by a duel transcript like before.

Enjoy.

NOTE: Just in case it doesn't become obvious, this chapter goes a bit back timeline-wise from the end of the finale's first part. It will become obvious where the two parts converge.

[spoiler="Chapter 76"]

Chapter 76: Dragonic Force

Am I really... still on the seventh floor? Sanjou Kiishiro fell to his knees. It felt as if he had been running for weeks. The Tower seemed never-ending, as if each floor stretched out before his feet, even though he was following the shortest route to the next staircase according to ZONE's map. His mind was exhausted, it had already been exhausted, and the feeling was spread to his arms and legs. He had spent most of his energy holding off the innumerable Cataphracts back at the first floor.

And, it was all for nothing.

Because the timer on his holographic display, the countdown until the point when the Nexus would be in the correct alignment with the Aria Tower and the virtual world, which would then allow Duel International to attempt to control it -

Time left: 0:00:54

- there was less than a minute left. And in that amount of time, it was impossible for him to reach the top of the Tower.

Iseya Yuko had sacrificed herself for nothing.

Nothing.

Time left: 0:00:36

He had been told he was a hero chosen by some higher power to combat a great threat. And he had believed it. He had tried to live up to the role set forth for him by ZONE, and he had become stronger. But then he realized that he couldn't be strong enough. He hadn't been strong enough to protect his own mother, much less the whole world.

And so he had tried to find a different source of strength. By steeling his emotions, discarding those parts of him that could not be turned to ice - he had become a monster that could instead sacrifice his mother for the sake of saving the world - and in the end, he hadn't been able to do even that.

He had failed. His mother had paid the price for that failure. Iseya Yuko had paid the price for that failure. And now everyone else would pay that price, too.

Time left: 0:00:12

The seconds counted down, one by one, agonizingly slow yet blindingly fast at the same time. And he just lay there, motionless, powerless.

Time left: 0:00:05

It was over.

Time left: 0:00:00

Kiishiro did not know what exactly he expected to happen when the countdown hit zero - he had not even thought that far. What actually happened - he felt a massive energy spike somewhere above, a pulse that ran through the entire Tower and would have certainly knocked him away if he had been standing, and then -

Nothing. Silence. It was as if nothing had changed. The narrow window of opportunity for Duel International to take over the Nexus had passed, and nothing had seemingly happened.

Did that mean that Christina and Yenma and the others had won? No. Since that major energy pulse a few minutes ago, he had sensed no further major activity, besides some muted clashes further upwards. Nothing that would suggest a decisive victory against the opposition. More importantly - it didn't feel over. It wasn't just Kiishiro's own premonition - in his deck, Black Rose Dragon, too, was warning him that the battle was not through yet.

Then, what had happened? As if on cue, the communicator opened, and ZONE appeared on the holographic screen. Kiishiro looked up warily.

"It seems we bought ourselves a chance." ZONE spoke, his words coming through distorted and weak, as if something was interfering with the communication system. "I had hoped that we would be able to neutralize Gregory Dunkan and his allies before the countdown reached zero. Even though we did not accomplish that, though, Jinrei Yenma managed to intercept Dunkan as he was about to enter the portal to the Original Sin, the point from where Dunkan intended to control the Nexus. Now it appears that they have both travelled there. Suffice to say, if Dunkan had managed to gain control of the Nexus, or if it had spiralled out of control, we would have clearly experienced the consequences. Therefore, it is safe to assume that right now they are at a standstill. How long that will last, and just what will happen, I do not know, which is why it's imperative that we keep moving." Kiishiro only nodded mutely, only barely able to process the information.

"This is important." ZONE's tone became grave. "Now that the portal has closed, it is not possible for us to access the Original Sin. I have devised a plan to temporarily take control of the Nexus and steer it away from this world, and your own world, but for that we need to gather sufficient energy - the Pylons. Also, it is imperative that Gregory Dunkan is defeated. I do not know whether Yenma can accomplish that. Whether he does or not, you need to go there. The Signer Dragons you and Christina wield - they possess a fragment of the Crimson Dragon's power, therefore, they are beings capable of transporting themselves through the void between dimensions, capable of reaching the Original Sin. As I mentioned, the path is closed, but the Signer Dragons you wield are connected to each other. A portion of that power also lies within Yenma's Blackfeather Dragon. Through that connection, you two, and only you, should be able to travel to the Original Sin... Christina is recovering as much energy as she can."

Kiishiro shook his head. He did not want to hear any more. Yenma was there, he should deal with this. He was tired, tired of playing at being the hero. He should just rest, let the others handle things.

"...this will be hard to process." ZONE continued, with a little difficulty. "However... as I mentioned, we need the Pylons to control the Nexus. Even if Dunkan is defeated, without them, we're doomed. We are trying to locate the remaining Pylons in the Tower as we speak. But I fear that, in a worst case scenario, they will simply not have enough power left. If that is true, then... our only option will be to forge a new Pylon, which will need to be located in the Original Sin... and the only way to do that is to use the Signer Dragons you three possess."

Somehow, Kiishiro's numb mind was able to understand what ZONE's words meant. They needed to go to the Original Sin, and once they managed to defeat Dunkan, they would have to use their Signer Dragons to fuel a Pylon. If they did that - then they would need to remain there until the end.

They would need to sacrifice their lives.

And just like that, it was as if a fog was lifted from his mind. He slowly pushed himself upward, managing to stand on unsteady feet. "I... will go." He croaked. His voice felt like lead running through his throat.

But he meant it. He would go.

Because for a person like him... sacrificing his life, might be the only path left. I have to go. I have to. ZONE nodded once, and the communicator closed.

Gritting his teeth, Kiishiro pushed his battered body onward.

---

Christina sat in silence, the spirit of Elemental Master Dryad hovering beside her. Silence, except the occasional groans and cries of the people that had been anchored to Raviel, people they had barely managed to save by pushing the Phantom Demon back into the hellish realm it came from. As ZONE had told her, she was trying to recover her strength - but her mind was working furiously.

Why? She asked herself that question again and again. Why had she been told to stay behind? Yenma was as tired as she was or even more, and together they would stand a better chance than Yenma would, alone. As it was, they were risking everything - if Yenma was defeated, at least before Christina found a way to reach him, they were all doomed.

So why had ZONE made her stay behind? There had to be some reason behind it. She glanced around, trying to mute the noises of the fallen humans ahead of her. This was the virtual world, anyway - just how was she supposed to recover her strength, the energy she needed to fight, just by sitting around? No, there had to be a way... she looked at Dryad, whose features were focused in a calm, serene expression.

And suddenly she realized it.

She hadn't stayed behind because she needed to recover her strength. She had stayed behind because she was the only one who could recover her strength. ZONE's reason, that he couldn't have expressed in front of Yenma and the others...

"We have to... drain the energy from those people..." She whispered. And the words terrified her, because she knew - she was ready to follow them through.

Christina knew that it was possible to transfer energy from two different entities in the virtual world, like Duel International had done, using those humans as power generators for Raviel. However, that likely wasn't a simple task. It would require deep, intricate knowledge and command of the mechanics of this reality, or technology to take advantage of them.

And next to Christina was Dryad, a being that was born in this world, inherently possessing that knowledge. Dryad was the master of all elements, and the way she was looking at Christina now was proof enough that her assumption had been right on the mark.

There was one thing Christina had that Yenma didn't - King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon, the monster they had used to defeat Raviel. A phantasm powerful enough to use in a Pylon. Right now, it was out of her reach - just the energy needed to summon it would kill her, she knew that much.

But if she drained enough power... she would be able to utilize Hamon as a weapon. In other words, what ZONE was aiming at - was to maximize their combat potential.

"Can you do it?" She whispered to Dryad, not trusting her own voice. "Can you take enough energy from them, without killing them?"

"..." Dryad did not immediately answer. "I could..." She said slowly. "If you wanted me to take enough energy to return us to a battle-ready state, I could do that with relative safety. But..."

Christina knew. To summon Hamon before, her own strength hadn't been enough - she had had to borrow power from Takechi and Sugita, and even then it felt like a miracle that they had managed to survive the feat. If she were to try and summon Hamon alone - she would need a lot more power than she had before.

And to get that kind of power...

"I'm going to be honest here, these people were forced to spend most of their lifeforce to sustain Raviel... a more appropriate way to phrase this would be - even if I were to take all their energy and kill them all, I still wouldn't be able to completely guarantee having enough to facilitate another summoning of Hamon."

Christina looked at the people in front of her. Yenma had not wanted to sacrifice these people, even to the point where he risked everything to avoid it. For him, he wouldn't even consider it as an option.

...so why was she considering it?

"We should just... we can't kill them." She said weakly. "Just a little bit of power, will be fine..." Hamon wasn't necessary to win. To begin with, Yenma might well be able to defeat Dunkan. She couldn't just condemn these people, not unless absolutely necessary.

But those thoughts were fake, and she knew it. No, she was not like Yenma, she was more like Kiishiro, no, probably even worse than him, she was ready and willing to sacrifice any number of nameless people to stop Duel International and get her revenge on Dunkan. Abraham Lee told me that the person I lost wasn't everything. That I should also treasure the person I have become.

But what she had become - was that really a person, or was it a monster who could throw away the lives of uninvolved people, if it meant reaching her goal?

---

Yenma had no idea how much time passed since they plummeted through that portal. The world was all white, and he couldn't see, feel, or hear anything, not Dunkan, and not even his own body. It felt like a single instant suspended in time, where there was no motion, no space, no reality.

And then, he was there.

The Original Sin was simply a white expanse amidst the sea of black, as wide as a small Duel Field in the virtual reality. There was nothing else. It felt like a horizontal platform, but in this void between space and time, where rules such as gravity and direction held no sway, it was impossible to tell.

On that platform, opposite to him, stood Gregory Dunkan.

Gone was the furious expression of the man he had fought just a few seconds ago - or however much time had passed, anyway. Now, Yenma was looking at the face of a man who was about to destroy the world. Tall and well-build, with a stark, austere stance that was filled with unwavering confidence and eyes blazing with ruthless determination, the true mastermind behind Duel International, and the one who had orchestrated the mad scheme that was steadily leading to the end of the world, and potentially much worse. Faced with the bottomless abyss of those black eyes, even though he had thought he had conquered his fear, Yenma stepped back - it seemed as if he had landed on the platform, though he had not registered how. Those weren't the eyes of a lunatic, of a crazy megalomaniac with some outrageous ambition. They were the eyes of a man who was determined to see his goal through.

"Right now, the Original Sin connects the virtual reality with the Nexus. It is part of both, and as such, governed by the rules of both." Dunkan's voice was calm. A quiet, subtle ripple passed over the surface of the platform they were standing on. A white ring-shaped boundary rose from the edges of the platform, surrounding them, and right in front of each of them, two blank, flat surfaces, the same translucent white as the platform they were standing on - though Yenma only just now noticed it was virtually transparent, since there was nothing to see underneath either way - appeared in mid-air. These panels appeared to be designed for dueling, equipped with all appropriate slots. "A duel... will be the method, by which the victor, the one who deserves to control the power of the Nexus, will be determined."

Startled, Yenma glanced at the consoles - their respective decks were already placed on the appropriate slots, even though neither had moved. And, the five uppermost cards from each deck vanished, only to reappear in their owners' hands. Finally, Dunkan spoke again.

"I did not believe it would come to this. Out of all the scenarios I envisioned... to think you would break through the defenses of my tower, defeat the Machine Emperors, conquer Raviel, and follow me here... no, that was definitely not one I considered likely."

"Well, it happened." Yenma answered crisply. Hearing the man speak so matter-of-factly, in that calm, emotionless voice, kindled the rage slowly building in his chest, now that he had gotten over the initial shock. "And don't think we're going to stop here, either! I will defeat you, and save the world!"

"Such a nice little heroic speech, but you are overlooking one thing." Unfazed, Dunkan examined his cards. "Defeating me will destroy the world. Right now, my system is the only thing that keeps the Nexus at bay, and only I can control it. Without me, the Pylon system will collapse, and the Nexus will incinerate this world, our original world, and countless other worlds, in a heartbeat."

"We're working on that!" Yenma snapped. "ZONE will seize control of the system from the Aria Tower! With it, as soon as you're out of the picture, we can avert destruction!"

"You can't." Dunkan replied, continuing to show no emotion. "Even assuming there was a way to control the Pylon system from the Aria Tower, it is already too late. The only way to save the world from destruction would be to use the Pylons and seize control of the power lying inside the Nexus - with it, everything becomes possible. ZONE knows that, of course, which means that he has been deceiving you all along. His real plan is to claim the power of the Nexus for himself."

"No!" Yenma shouted. But in his heart, a very small sliver of anxiety appeared. ZONE... he had saved all of their lives on numerous occasions, to be certain, and practically everything he said turned out to be sound advice, but how much did they truly know about him? But, no matter what... he couldn't believe ZONE was planning to let the world die. He refused to let himself believe that. "Just because you are a megalomaniac bastard with a god complex, doesn't mean everyone else is!"

"Even if his intentions are genuine, like I said, it is completely impossible to stop the Nexus, not without its own power. And even if it were possible, you still need the Pylons, and you can't control them from the Aria Tower."

"Why?" Yenma asked, although a creeping feeling in the back of his head told him he already knew the answer.

"Because I brought one of them here." Dunkan said, and for the first time, a small smile appeared on his lips. It was not a sinister, or even a triumphant smirk, and that was what unnerved Yenma the most. It was simply the expression of a man who was once again several steps ahead of his adversaries.

"You are, I assume, aware that the first Pylon, consisting of the three Devil Gods, was removed and stolen from the Aria Tower." Dunkan did not wait for his reply. "To compensate for that, we had to... improvise. A fourth Pylon was then created. However, in light of the previous failures, I made a few adjustments, ensuring it was possible for it to fulfill its role even from outside the Aria Tower, where the system framework was located. Even from here. And, needless to say, I also made certain I could use it, should things come down to that." Seeing Yenma's expression, he smiled slightly again. "I said I did not think it was likely for you people to come here. That doesn't mean I didn't prepare for it. The question is, are you ready to face me, knowing that defeating me will trigger the tragedy you are trying so hard to overcome?"

"I... I am." Yenma wished he sounded more certain. "All I have to do is beat you, take the Pylon you brought here back to the Aria Tower and connect it to the other one. Then we can save everyone, both from the Nexus and from you!" But Dunkan only shook his head with an amused expression.

"You do not even know what you're talking about. I spent years, decades preparing for this moment. Do you truly believe that you can overcome all of that, without knowledge, without preparation?"

"...normally, no, I wouldn't believe that..." Yenma said slowly. "But if there's one thing during these past two weeks ever since you started this whole mess... it's that, as long as something is possible, no matter how difficult or unlikely, it can happen. Here, as long as I hold onto my conviction, I can accomplish anything, even if it requires a power that transcends miracles!"

Something flashed in Dunkan's eyes. Startled, Yenma realized that for the first time since they had arrived here, his enemy was genuinely angry.

"You want to talk to me about conviction?" He said, his voice lowered to a barely audible snarl. "You think your feeble, blind idealism can match my resolve? A path I've pursued for far longer than you've even been alive? No. You stand before me, playing at being the hero, and talk to me about conviction? Just because of that mark on your arm, you believe you're slated for some greater destiny? My path far transcends anything you could possibly understand, or hope to achieve."

"Then I'll have to show you how deluded you are!" Yenma shouted. I won't let myself be intimidated! I know what I have to do! "Let's settle this, Dunkan!" Two sets of eyes, each blazing with their own resolution, locked into each other.

"Duel!!"

"I'll start things off!" A sixth card appeared in Yenma's hand as soon as he called out.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 4000
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 4000

Turn 1 - Jinrei Yenma

Against that woman, I summoned Blackfeather Dragon in my first turn, and it was immediately destroyed... I absolutely can't make any reckless moves here. I should play defensively, and figure out what his strategy is first. If what he said is true, and he has access to monsters like that Raviel, even the slightest opening could be fatal.

"I set a monster, and I also set a reverse card." He reached out for the cards, but they immediately disappeared from his hand, appearing instantly on the white surface before him, coupled with larger projections materializing between him and Dunkan. He shook his head - now was not the time to be distracted by details. "Turn end."

Turn 2 - Gregory Dunkan

"By discarding the monster card, Level Warrior, from my hand, I activate the effect of the magic card, One for One." A card was transported from Dunkan's hand to the Graveyard, and one more was ejected from his deck, flying straight into the field. "One for One allows me to summon a Level one monster from my deck, like Tuning Supporter." A peculiar, tiny robotic creature with a pan-shaped helmet materialized in Dunkan's field.

[spoiler=One for One]One for One
SPELL / Normal
Send 1 monster from your hand to the Graveyard; Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Tuning Supporter]Tuning Supporter
LIGHT / Machine
Level 1
100/300
If this card is used for a Synchro Summon, you can treat it as a Level 2 monster. If this card is sent to the Graveyard for a Synchro Summon: Draw 1 card.[/spoiler]

"Tuning Supporter is a Machine type monster with less than 500 attack - and therefore, a valid target for this." Another card disappeared from Dunkan's hand. "Magic, Machine Duplication Technique. I Special Summon two more Tuning Supporters from my deck!" The small machine's body split into three identical clones. Of course, it's not going to stop here... there's a reason for this monster's name... Yenma tried to shake off his increasing worry, as yet another one of Dunkan's cards landed on the field.

[spoiler=Machine Duplication Technique]Machine Duplication Technique
SPELL / Normal
Target 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control with 500 or less ATK; Special Summon up to 2 monsters from your Deck with the same name as that face-up monster.[/spoiler]

"I Normal Summon the Tuner monster, Debris Dragon." The relatively small-sized, silver-and-blue dragon took form next to the array of robots. This guy... his deck is completely focused on Synchro Summoning! What is he going to bring out? "Debris Dragon's monster effect then revives Level Warrior from my Graveyard." A humanoid figure clad in red super-sentai outfit appeared, striking a confident pose. Five monsters already?!

[spoiler=Debris Dragon]Debris Dragon
WIND / Dragon / Tuner
Level 4
1000/2000
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 monster with 500 or less ATK from your Graveyard in Attack Position. That monster's effect(s) is negated. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. The other Synchro Material Monster(s) cannot be Level 4.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Level Warrior]Level Warrior
LIGHT / Warrior
Level 3
300/600
If there are no monsters on the field, you can Normal Summon this card as a Level 2 monster. If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand) as a Level 4 monster.[/spoiler]

"I told you before that ZONE was deceiving all of you, and you refused to believe me." Dunkan stated. "But that is not the only delusion you are under. You should have never stood against me. And now you will find out why. I activate the effect of Tuning Supporter, allowing it to be treated as Level 2 for a Synchro Summon. And then I tune two of my, now Level 2, Tuning Supporter, to my Level 4, Debris Dragon! Synchro Summon!"

Fire. In this realm where there was nothing else, not even feeling, there was fire, piercing black flames that made it hard to breathe. A coruscating line of four burning rings, wherein four stars, shining black like miniature suns under the veil of an eclipse, crossed through. A vertical pillar of hellfire rose high, but the flames had a will of their own, warping, transforming themselves into the shape of a horrifying beast...

---

"Aaagh!" Christina fell to the floor, clutching her arm.

"Are you alright?!" Dryad asked, kneeling beside her. "What happened?!"

"I feel... something terrible." She mumbled. The mark on her arm was blazing, burning with a heat that scorched straight through her body and soul. "Power... and rage. Boundless, exploding anger and hatred..."

She knew, instinctively, what that power was. And she knew it was not on their side. Blinking tears away from her eyes, she managed to stand up, although only barely.

Until now, she had not felt it yet... just what terrifying power they were up against. A shadow flew across her eyes. What should I...

---

"Th - this monster..." Yenma panted, grasping his left arm right above the blazing mark of the Crimson Dragon's wings, and staring at Dunkan's arm, where a glowing red symbol similar to his own, shaped like an arrow representing a tail, had manifested. "It... can't be..."

"It is." Dunkan responded flatly, standing below the massive red-and-black dragon. Its bulky body was more demonic than serpentine, with sharp horns and claws and fierce red eyes searing with rage. "This is the fourth of the Signer Dragons - Red Demons Dragon."

[spoiler=Red Demons Dragon]Red Demons Dragon
DARK / Dragon / Synchro
Level 8
3000/2000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
After damage calculation, when this card attacks a Defense Position monster your opponent controls: Destroy all Defense Position monsters your opponent controls. During your End Phase: Destroy all other monsters you control that did not declare an attack this turn. This card must remain face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

"N - no... but this means..."

"This means, that you've been deluding yourselves all along." Dunkan cut him off, raising his arm where the Signer mark was glowing. "You actually believed that you were chosen to save the world by the Crimson Dragon? A being that has witnessed the birth and death of infinite realities, so far removed from our current scope of existence that the destruction that would occur by the Nexus devouring our reality would not even be noticed by it. No. What you inherited were specks, fragments of its power from an age long lost in space and time, when such things had meaning to it and its world, and you can very much see that you are not the only ones to have claim on that kind of power." Red Demons Dragon roared, emphasizing this declaration.

"It seems you are still unable to grasp the situation." Dunkan said, watching Yenma who was too stunned to speak. "Then I will just drive the point home even more. Because Tuning Supporter was used as a Synchro Material, I draw one card for each." Two more cards appeared in his hand. "Magic, Call Resonator. I can add a card with Resonator in its name from my deck to my hand." Yet another card vanished from his deck to reappear in Dunkan's hand - but it did not stay there long, either. "And because I control a Level 8 or higher Synchro monster, I can Special Summon the card I added immediately - Create Resonator!" A small fiendish creature, its head covered by an iron plate helmet, brandishing a rod and a tuning fork and sporting two feathered wings and a blastfan attached to its back, appeared next to the mighty dragon.

[spoiler=Call Resonator]Call Resonator
SPELL / Normal
Add 1 "Resonator" monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Create Resonator]Create Resonator
WIND / Fiend / Tuner
Level 3
800/600
If you control a face-up Level 8 or higher Synchro Monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.[/spoiler]

"Wait..." Yenma croaked, counting the Levels and features of the monsters in Dunkan's field. "It can't be - you can't be planning to..."

"I tune the, now Level 2, Tuning Supporter, and the Level 3, Level Warrior, to the Level 3, Create Resonator." Dunkan pressed on. "Synchro Summon!"

Cold winds like the touch of steel burst forth, expanding outwards in this place where there should be no wind. Five stars, glowing silver, filed through the array of three white rings, forming a pillar of wind shrouded by a billion small specs of glowing argent dust, which coruscated into the form of a new creature, terrible in its frozen majesty...

---

Deep in the confines of the Arc Cradle, sealed in an airtight cylinder, was a severed human arm, and inscribed upon it was the mark of the Crimson Dragon's head. It was faded and its power had vanished long ago. ZONE didn't know why the symbol hadn't been erased altogether. Possibly it remained there as a reminder of his sins. But now the mark vanished and even from the Aria Tower, ZONE felt the last tiny specs of its otherworldly power escape.

The time and place that he had carried that mark on his arm as a Signer had long been buried in the infinite, eternal chronicles of the history that encompassed all realities. But as he felt the echo of the cry of what was once his faithful companion, the deep, wrenching regret for his mistakes that had led to the damnation of a whole world, regret he had thought left behind, surfaced again in his heart.

---

"Behold, the last mark." Dunkan raised his right arm, and Yenma saw that the mark of the Crimson Dragon's head was inscribed upon it, mirroring the tail on his left. Two marks. And... He glanced up, at the lean, silver-and-blue form of the new beast. "And the fifth, and final, of the Signer Dragons - Stardust Dragon."

[spoiler=Stardust Dragon]Stardust Dragon
WIND / Dragon / Synchro
Level 8
2500/2000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When a Spell, Trap, Spell/Trap effect, or Effect Monster's effect is activated that destroys a card(s) on the field: You can Tribute this card; negate the activation and destroy it. During the End Phase, if this card negated an effect this way during this turn: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.[/spoiler]

White and black, blue and red, head and tail. Two marks, two dragons, and the only form of divine providence he had thought was on their side in this otherwise too uneven battle was gone, stripped away from them and leaving him helpless and alone.

"So now, even though it's too late, you understand." Dunkan said flatly. "Every hope you used to cling to was a mere illusion. And now I will crush your feeble resistance. First, because I used Tuning Supporter for a Synchro Summon, I draw one card. And then, battle! Red Demons Dragon! Unleash your power!"

The winged behemoth flew over to his side, facing his sole shield, the reverse monster. Yenma shielded his face from the intense, scorching flames, as the dragon's claws wrapped around his concealed card.

However...

"My reverse monster is Shield Wing!" He shouted, to be heard above the cackling flames. "Up to twice per turn, it won't be destroyed by battle!" Indeed, the small silver dragon resisted the force of Red Demons' attack. But, to his shock, the black dragon didn't give up. It opened its jaws, and a large ball of fire exploded from within, instantly obliterating his monster.

[spoiler=Shield Wing]Shield Wing
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 2
0/900
Up to twice per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.[/spoiler]

"Wh - what happened?!" He cried out.

"Red Demons Dragon's monster effect destroys all defense position monsters after it battles with a defense position monster." Dunkan explained. "Of course, this includes the monster it battled with, should it survive the attack, and Shield Wing's effect does not protect it from effect destruction."

"And now, Stardust Dragon! Direct attack!" The silver dragon's head reared, and it released a thick, almost solid stream of compressed air that surged towards him.

"Trap, activate!" Yenma shouted. He had planned on Shield Wing surviving, and saving this particular card for a moment when he'd be able to possibly take out more cards and retaliate better, but he had little choice now. "Holy Barrier - Mirror Force! This destroys all your attacking monsters!" A barrage of light beams shot out from his side of the field, breaking through the incoming attack.

[spoiler=Holy Barrier - Mirror Force]Holy Barrier - Mirror Force
TRAP / Normal
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler]

Once more, though, Yenma was shocked, because moments before it would be struck by the holy barrage, Stardust Dragon disappeared on its own, vanishing in a cascade of silver flakes that formed a wall in front of Dunkan's side of the field, causing Mirror Force's energy to bounce off harmlessly against them. "Again?! Just what - "

"That was Stardust Dragon's effect." Dunkan said. "By releasing itself, it can negate a destruction effect." So Red Demons will survive... well, at least I got one of them, so it wasn't a total loss.

"Moving on, I set two cards from my hand." Dunkan continued. "And, during the End Phase, if Stardust Dragon was released by its own effect, it is Special Summoned to my side of the field." Yenma felt like crying, as the fearsome monster rematerialized through a veil of crystal dust. "Turn end."

Turn 3 - Jinrei Yenma

Panting heavily, Yenma examined his options. To say this game was going badly for him so far would be a huge understatement. His field had returned to its entirely empty state and on Dunkan's side were two formidable monsters, which could demolish his defenses and seal down his destruction effects. I have to... work my strategy anew...

"I... set a monster, and set a card." He breathed. "Turn end."

Turn 4 - Gregory Dunkan

"The same move?" Dunkan scoffed. "Is hiding and defending all you can do? In that case, I will have to demonstrate the power of my two dragons once more... battle! Red Demons!"

"Ugh..." Even though Yenma was protected from damage again, the scorching heat licked at his feet, and he was forced to step back as the dragon's claws slammed into his defensive monster. But what was revealed was an animated tomato with a sinister face. "Killer Tomato's effect activates! I can Special Summon a low attack Dark monster from my deck!" And another copy of the laughing vegetable appeared to replace the destroyed one.

[spoiler=Killer Tomato]Killer Tomato
DARK / Plant
Level 4
1400/1100
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 DARK monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler]

"Then that one will meet the same fate! Stardust!"

And this time there was no defending. The crystal stream of frozen dust that shot from the great white dragon's mouth disintegrated Yenma's monster without resistance. He gasped as the aftershock struck him with the force of a hammer, causing him to reel backwards. He barely caught himself before he was shot off the platform - he did not want to find out what would happen if he fell. Th - that impact - !! He clutched at his chest. This is the power of Dunkan's Signer Dragons... Numbly, he forced a third Killer Tomato to materialize in front of him.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 4000

"Turn end."

Turn 5 - Jinrei Yenma

Alright. Yenma inhaled, taking a deep breath. I took some damage, but... it's time to counterattack! "I sacrifice Killer Tomato!" His monster disappeared in a storm of particles. "Advance Summon! Wind Emperor Raiza!" The light green-colored storm golem, surrounded by a raging gale, appeared on his field.

[spoiler=Wind Emperor Raiza]Wind Emperor Raiza
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 6
2400/1000
When this card is Tribute Summoned: Target 1 card on the field; return that target to the top of the Deck.[/spoiler]

"Raiza's effect activates! I return Red Demons Dragon to your Extra Deck!"

"I don't think so." Dunkan retorted. "Trap card, open. Demon's Chain seals your monster's abilities and attack." Yenma groaned as Raiza was wrapped in diabolic chains that sprang from the ground, striking him with a jolt of dark red lightning. "Furthermore, Demon's Chain is a permanent Trap card that will remain on the field even after your turn ends!"

[spoiler=Demon's Chain]Demon's Chain
TRAP / Continuous
Activate this card by targeting 1 Effect Monster on the field; its effects are negated, also it cannot attack. When it is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

"Guh, then..." One of the three Killer Tomatos, as well as Shield Wing, appeared briefly in the sky, drawn into a dark grey vortex. Looks like I have to rely on you again. "I remove from the game the Dark monster, Killer Tomato, and the Wind monster, Shield Wing! The conditions are met - now, I can Special Summon this! Dark Simurgh!" A storm of black feathers burst across the field, as the great raven bird took form into the vortex, dominating the sky.

[spoiler=Dark Simurgh]Dark Simurgh
DARK / Winged Beast
Level 7
2700/1000
While face-up on the field, this card is also WIND-Attribute. You can banish 1 DARK monster and 1 WIND monster from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish 1 DARK monster and 1 WIND monster from your hand; Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. Your opponent cannot Set any cards on the field.[/spoiler]

I won't be able to get rid of both his monsters this turn, but... "Battle! Dark Simurgh, attack Stardust Dragon!"

But as soon as Dark Simurgh spread its wings, ready to unleash its storm of dark feathers, another set of enchanted chains wrapped around its body, forcing it to the ground. The great winged beast groaned in fury as it tried to break them, but it was useless. On Dunkan's field, the second face-down card had been revealed - another copy of Demon's Chain. Ugh, then... Faced with this situation, Yenma only had one choice.

"Main Phase 2... I remove Wind Emperor Raiza from the game." The trapped monarch disappeared in a column of golden particles, leaving the chains to collapse on the ground. "To summon this! Different Dimension Spirit!" In its place, a chubby child with angelic wings, surrounded by a column of green rings, materialized.

[spoiler=Different Dimension Spirit]Different Dimension Spirit
LIGHT / Fairy / Tuner
Level 1
0/100
You can Special Summon this card from your hand by removing from play 1 face-up monster you control. If you do, return the removed from play monster to the field during the next Standby Phase.[/spoiler]

"You said before that my conviction doesn't hold a candle to yours. Well, that is... probably true." Yenma took a deep breath. "I don't think I have such a strong resolve myself."

"But -"

Yenma held up his hand, where the wings of the Crimson Dragon blazed red.

" - this resolve, it isn't mine alone! Everyone who gathered here, we all share the same hopes, and we are prepared to walk down the path we've chosen along with each other, no matter how hard it is! My conviction was born by the bonds between us, and now, I will show it to you! I tune the Level 7, Dark Simurgh, to the Level 1, Different Dimension Spirit!"

A massive pillar of pitch-black wind rose from the ground, surrounded by a whirlwind of black and silver feathers. The shadows cloaked everything, except the mark of the Dragon on Yenma's arm, a beacon of hope to the dying world...

"Synchro Summon!" The noble winged creature, bearing black wings with feathers of white steel, was now floating silently beside Yenma, its scarlet eyes glaring at its fellow two dragons. "Blackfeather Dragon!!" An angry croak came out of its bird-like beak.

[spoiler=Blackfeather Dragon]Blackfeather Dragon
DARK / Dragon / Synchro
Level 8
2800/1600
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters.
Whenever you would take damage from a card effect, place 1 Black Feather Counter on this card instead. This card loses 700 ATK for each Black Feather Counter on it. Once per turn, you can remove all Black Feather Counters on this card to have 1 face-up monster your opponent controls lose 700 ATK for each Black Feather Counter, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK lost by that monster because of this effect.[/spoiler]

"So you finally brought out your Signer Dragon." Dunkan commented impassively. "But it won't change anything. Your Battle Phase is already over, and your monster is weaker than mine. You won't even be able to buy time like this."

"On the contrary! I equip Blackfeather Dragon with Silver Wing!" Silver Wing could only be equipped to a Level 8 or higher Dragon Synchro monster, and it would protect it from battle destruction up to twice per turn. Blackfeather Dragon's wings glowed with a radiant white luster as they curved defensively in front of its body. Now, it could survive against even the stronger Red Demons Dragon.

[spoiler=Silver Wing]Silver Wing
SPELL / Equip
Equip only to a Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type Synchro Monster. Up to twice per turn, if it would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. If it would be destroyed by a card effect, you can destroy this card instead.[/spoiler]

"Turn end."

Turn 6 - Gregory Dunkan

"Another meager attempt at defense, another wasted turn." Dunkan shook his head. "Do you not realize how inadequate your efforts are, do you not realize how grossly short of reaching me you fall?" He held up a card. "The conditions are still correct, so I Special Summon another copy of Create Resonator from my hand. And then, I Normal Summon Hellway Patrol." The blastfan-carrying Tuner, followed by a demonic figure on a motorbike, appeared on the field.

[spoiler=Hellway Patrol]Hellway Patrol
DARK / Fiend
Level 4
1600/1200
When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Level of the destroyed monster x 100. You can remove from play this card in your Graveyard to Special Summon 1 Fiend-Type monster with 2000 or less ATK from your hand.[/spoiler]

"This deck isn't only focused on my Signer Dragons." Dunkan said. "I built it to anticipate any scenario, counter any threat... can your deck do the same? I tune the Level 4, Demon type monster, Hellway Patrol, to the Level 3, Demon type monster, Create Resonator!" The pillar of darkness was enveloped by an even thicker black mist. "Synchro Summon!" But then the shadows were cut apart by a massive scythe. Its wielder, a great demon king clad in silver armor, coated by a black cloak, appeared, sending feelings of dread up Yenma's spine. "Heavenly King - Black Highlander!"

[spoiler=Heavenly King - Black Highlander]Heavenly King - Black Highlander
DARK / Fiend / Synchro
Level 7
2800/2300
1 Fiend-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Fiend-Type monsters
Neither player can Synchro Summon. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls that is equipped with an Equip Card; destroy all Equip Cards equipped to that monster, and if you do, inflict 400 damage to your opponent for each card destroyed.[/spoiler]

"I knew, eventually, that I would have to face the other Signer Dragons." Dunkan's voice had grown hard. "This monster is for that purpose... while Black Highlander exists on the field, Synchro Summons are not possible." Yenma gulped audibly - without Synchro monsters, he had little chance of overcoming Dunkan's army - but as long as Blackfeather Dragon was still on the field...

"Heavenly King - Black Highlander's second effect activates." Dunkan continued. "Once per turn, I can target a monster, and destroy all equipment cards attached to it." The demon king raised his scythe and unleashed a sweeping black wave. Blackfeather Dragon shielded itself, but the energy blast shaved the silver coating off its wings, rendering it vulnerable. "Then, for every card destroyed by this effect, the opponent takes 400 damage."

"But, Blackfeather Dragon can negate that damage!" Yenma called out. The great black creature spread its wings, whose blade-like feathers began glowing crimson, as the remainder of the attack was absorbed into them. It sagged slightly, its attack power dropping to 2100.

"Reducing your monster's attack power this way will cost you more Life Points." Dunkan snarled. "Battle! Red Demons Dragon, annihilate it!"

The red mark on Yenma's arm began throbbing just as soon as Dunkan worded the command. Immediately, Blackfeather Dragon unleashed a spiralling stream from its beak. Red Demons met the attack with its claws, and Dunkan's arm began glowing more fiercely, too.

"Wh - what's going on?!" Yenma shouted, surprised. Powerful gales in the form of rippling shockwaves began shooting off from the impact point, and the very platform under their feet began feeling shaky and unstable.

"These creatures were never meant to fight against each other." Dunkan said, unheeding of the raging storm around them. "When two great powers clash, they will doubtlessly affect the world around them... we stand before the Nexus, and reality here is transient, fragile. Damage the balance too far and..." He didn't have to finish. Yenma understood full well what enormous risk using the Signer Dragons entailed. Red Demons Dragon tore apart the attack with its powerful claws, and charged energy in its right arm, diving in.

For the purpose of winning... it was a risk they would have to take.

"Reverse card, open!" He shouted, and Dunkan's eyes widened slightly. "Forbidden Holy Chalice! I activate this card by targeting Blackfeather Dragon, increasing its attack by 400 at the cost of negating its effects!" The beast's attack rose to 2500, and it flew out of the way just before it was smashed to pieces by its rival's meteor-like attack. "And, because its effect is negated, the attack reduction from its effect is lifted!" And Blackfeather Dragon turned downwards once more, meeting Red Demons head-on - even though it seemed like a suicidal charge against the bulkier demonic dragon, Blackfeather's bladed wings spread out, cutting through its opponent's flesh. Red Demons screeched wildly before being torn to shreds, in a blast that shook the entire arena and threatened to throw them both off the platform.

[spoiler=Forbidden Holy Chalice]Forbidden Holy Chalice
SPELL / Quick-Play
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; until the End Phase, it gains 400 ATK, but its effects are negated.[/spoiler]

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 3800

Finally... I damaged him. Yenma breathed as Blackfeather Dragon settled in front of him, valiantly defending him against further attacks. Dunkan's face had an unreadable expression now, even though his body bore the marks of the last attack.

"I set one card." He said quietly. "Turn end."

Turn 7 - Jinrei Yenma

"Alright, let's go!" Yenma shouted. The effects on Blackfeather Dragon expired, returning its attack power to 2100, and Wind Emperor Raiza returned to the field, as per the effect of Different Dimension Spirit. He only had one card in his hand now, which he couldn't put to use just yet - but what he had on the field was enough. "The second effect of Blackfeather Dragon activates! It can reflect the energy it has absorbed, and weaken one of the opposing monsters while recovering its strength!" The red slates on the dragon's wings returned to their original metallic color, and a sphere of scarlet-and-black energy wrapped around Black Highlander. Now Blackfeather Dragon's attack returned to 2800, while Black Highlander's fell to 2100. "Furthermore, the opponent takes damage equal to that amount!" The red aura surrounded Dunkan, too, who cringed and staggered as he suffered his monster's pain.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 3100

"Battle!" Yenma was not going to let up the advantage. "Raiza, destroy Black Highlander!" The wind emperor unleashed a gale of raging wind that obliterated the demon lord. Dunkan shielded himself from the aftermath of the cutting whirlwind.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 2800

"And now... Blackfeather Dragon! Attack Stardust Dragon!" He tensed, expecting some sort of retaliation, but Dunkan stood still as a statue. Stardust reared its head again, in defiance of the black creature that challenged it for dominion over the sky. However, it was stopped short when a storm of iron feathers rained down on it, clinging on its wings and causing it to lose its balance and altitude. And when it was defenseless, the spiralling scarlet breath of destruction struck it straight in the chest, causing it to cry out in despair, before dissolving into motes of silver light.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 2500

I... can't believe it. Yenma trembled with anticipation and exhaustion. I did it... my Life Points are higher now, and I destroyed both of his dragons! The marks on each of Dunkan's arms had now faded, only a faint outline remaining.

I can win this - !!
[/spoiler]

[spoiler="C76 Duel Transcript"]TURN 1 - Jinrei Yenma [4000 LP, 6 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Set 1 monster
> Set 1 card
TURN 1 END - Jinrei Yenma [4000 LP, 4 hand, 0/1 monsters, 0/1 s/t]

TURN 2 - Gregory Dunkan [4000 LP, 6 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Activate "One for One", discarding "Level Warrior" to Special Summon "Tuning Supporter" from his deck
> Activate "Machine Duplication Technique", Special Summoning 2 "Tuning Supporter" from his deck
> Normal Summon "Debris Dragon" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Level Warrior" from his Graveyard
> Tune 2x "Tuning Suporter" to "Debris Dragon" to Synchro Summon "Red Demons Dragon", draw 2 cards with the effect of "Tuning Supporter"
> Activate "Call Resonator", adding "Create Resonator" from his deck to his hand, and Special Summon it with its own effect
> Tune "Level Warrior" and "Tuning Supporter" to "Create Resonator" to Synchro Summon "Stardust Dragon", draw 1 card with the effect of "Tuning Supporter"
> Attack Yenma's Set monster with "Red Demons Dragon". "Shield Wing" is flipped face-up and not destroyed by battle, but it is destroyed by the effect of "Red Demons Dragon"
> Attack directly with "Stardust Dragon", but Yenma activates "Holy Barrier - Mirror Force". Activate effect of "Stardust Dragon", Tributing itself to negate that effect
> Set 2 cards
> During the End Phase, "Stardust Dragon" is Special Summoned from the Graveayrd
TURN 2 END - Gregory Dunkan [4000 LP, 2 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]

TURN 3 - Jinrei Yenma [4000 LP, 5 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Set 1 monster
> Set 1 card
TURN 3 END - Jinrei Yenma [4000 LP, 3 hand, 0/1 monsters, 0/1 s/t]

TURN 4 - Gregory Dunkan [4000 LP, 3 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]
> Attack Yenma's Set monster with "Red Demons Dragon". "Killer Tomato" is destroyed and Special Summons "Killer Tomato" with its effect
> Attack and destroy "Killer Tomato" with "Stardust Dragon". "Killer Tomato" is destroyed and Special Summons "Killer Tomato" with its effect (Yenma LP 4000->2600)
TURN 4 END - Gregory Dunkan [4000 LP, 3 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]

TURN 5 - Jinrei Yenma [2600 LP, 4 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/1 s/t]
> Tribute "Killer Tomato" to Advance Summon "Wind Emperor Raiza" and activate its effect, but Dunkan activates "Demon's Chain", negating its effect
> Banish "Killer Tomato" and "Shield Wing" to Special Summon "Dark Simurgh"
> Attack "Stardust Dragon" with "Dark Simurgh", but Dunkan activates "Demon's Chain"
> Banish "Wind Emperor Raiza" to Special Summon "Different Dimension Spirit" from his hand with its own effect
> Tune "Dark Simurgh" to "Different Dimension Spirit" to Synchro Summon "Blackfeather Dragon"
> Equip "Blackfeather Dragon" with "Silver Wing"
TURN 5 END - Jinrei Yenma [2600 LP, 0 hand, 1/0 monsters, 1/1 s/t]

TURN 6 - Gregory Dunkan [4000 LP, 4 hand, 2/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]
> Normal Summon "Hellway Patrol"
> Tune "Hellway Patrol" to "Create Resonator" to Synchro Summon "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" and activate its effect, destroying "Silver Wing" and dealing 400 damage, but Yenma activates the effect of "Blackfeather Dragon", reducing its ATK by 700 and gaining 1 "Black Feather Counter" to negate that damage
> Attack "Blackfeather Dragon" with "Red Demons Dragon", but Yenma activates "Forbidden Chalice", negating the effect of "Blackfeather Dragon" (which returns its ATK to normal) and giving it 400 ATK. "Red Demons Dragon" is destroyed (Dunkan LP 4000->3800)
> Set 1 card
TURN 6 END - Gregory Dunkan [3800 LP, 1 hand, 2/0 monsters, 2/1 s/t]

TURN 7 - Jinrei Yenma [2600 LP, 1 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> "Wind Emperor Raiza" returns to the field
> Activate effect of "Blackfeather Dragon", removing 1 "Black Feather Counter" to reduce "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" ATK by 700 (Dunkan LP 3800->3100)
> Attack and destroy "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" with "Wind Emperor Raiza" (Dunkan LP 3100->2800)
> Attack and destroy "Stardust Dragon" with "Blackfeather Dragon" (Dunkan LP 2800->2500)
[/spoiler]

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

...

 

... you trolly git. Well, they had to come out somewhere, and it had to be Dunkan. Nice little confrontation though.

 

So... now I'm thinking Stardust and RDD formed a pylon with... oh I give up. :unsure:

 

Also yes Highlander appearance, with your oh so random effects being highly convenient working together here. Was expecting Chaos King Archfiend for some reason there but Highlander was cool.

 

You said "Yenma had not wanted to save these people, even to the point where he risked everything to avoid having to sacrifice them"

 

Dunkan: "To compensate for that, we had to... improvise. A third fourth Pylon was then created.

 

Only errors I could see. I think anyway... I've totally lost track of them :mellow:

[Vector Nightmare]

If spoilers could occasionally work as intended on the first try, I would be grateful.

@errors: I hope you mean you lost track because they weren't too significant / detracting, and not because there were so many >.> at any rate, those you pointed out are now fixed.

Regarding what you guys said about length: originally the finale arc consisted of five chapters (73 through 77). But these chapters were huge and were cut into parts for practical reasons (for example, the chapters 73, 74 and 75 from before were originally two super-chapters). Similar with these. As it is, there will be two or three more chapters until the end (debating on a certain split). So don't worry, there's still a lot of material to read. At any rate, though, even though they aren't as gigantic as they originally were, these chapters are some of the longest in the whole story, so I don't think that's an issue. I'm inclined to think that because 76 was more focused on the duel and didn't have too much exposition and such, it felt shorter. Well, in that case, this chapter certainly won't suffer from that issue.

Enjoy. Rest of the stuff tomorrow.

[spoiler="Chapter 77"]

Chapter 77: Ally Mind

It was as if the great, black storm hovering over their heads had disappeared in an instant, dissolved by the brilliance of the sun that emerged behind the clouds. Not only the two Signers, but everyone in the Aria Tower felt it - the resonance of the effort that had resulted in the destruction of Red Demons Dragon and Stardust Dragon. Christina and Kiishiro had no way to know exactly what was going on in the Original Sin, but the connection they shared through the marks of the Crimson Dragon was enough. They knew that Dunkan had summoned the final two of the Signer Dragons. And now they knew that Yenma had defeated them.

And with that knowledge, came hope. Hope that their efforts, the battle that they had paid dearly for so far, wouldn't be for nothing. Hope that they wouldn't have to make any more sacrifices. Ever since they had come here, they had been chasing after fleeting shadows, they had faced obstacle after obstacle, met with all sorts of expected and unexpected resistance, and their end goal seemed to constantly elude them, skirting away between their fingers. Now, for the first time - it felt like victory was within their grasp.

However...

---

Yenma felt almost dizzy. He had actually managed it... managed to come out on top of that destructive exchange. Now... all that's left, is to keep it up - !!

"Turn e - "

And then the ground exploded in fire, unholy flames that rose into the nothingness overhead, converging to form a terrible shape. Aghast, Yenma looked up - and the fierce eyes of Red Demons Dragon met his, as the beast growled in unchained fury.

Turn 8 - Gregory Dunkan

"Hope is such a feeble, fragile thing." Dunkan commented calmly, drawing his card. "So easy to burn away. During your End Phase, Wicked Reborn revived Red Demons Dragon at a cost of 800 Life Points. And now it's time to put my monster to use once more." He raised his hand, which was blazing with the red mark again, and pointed.

[spoiler=Wicked Reborn]Wicked Reborn
TRAP / Continuous
Pay 800 Life Points, select 1 Synchro Monster from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. Its effect is negated, and this turn it cannot declare an attack. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2600
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1700

The massive dragon did not need any more prompting. With a mighty howl, it sped forward, ready to extract its revenge on Blackfeather Dragon that had turned the tables on it before. Only this time, Yenma had no way to save his monster. Red Demons' claws clamped around Blackfeather's head, and a huge fiery meteor formed between them. With a cry of anguish, before Yenma's horrified eyes, Blackfeather Dragon's head imploded, and the rest of the proud creature's body fell apart in flames. No...

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 2400
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1700

"Now, I set one monster." Dunkan continued calmly. "Normally, this would be ill-advised, since Red Demons will destroy all monsters on my field that did not declare an attack during the end phase - but Wicked Reborn negates that effect, keeping my monster safe. Turn end."

Turn 9 - Jinrei Yenma

He turned the tables on me again. Yenma ground his teeth, squirming under the oppressive presence of Red Demons Dragon. His arm felt as if on fire. Now that the adrenaline rush was running low, his body remembered just how exhausted he had been from his previous duel. But, I cannot let myself give up! I can do this! He reached for his deck, and a new card materialized in his hand. This card - !! It was one of the Black Feather monsters that Sugita had lent to him.

"Our hope won't crumble so easily!" He shouted. "Raiza, attack that reverse monster!" The mighty golem unleashed a shearing wind that struck the hidden card - however, when it turned face-up, the small, oriental dragon that appeared seemed entirely unaffected. Stardust... Xiaolong? Yenma frowned. I cannot destroy it by battle?

[spoiler=Stardust Xiaolong]Stardust Xiaolong
LIGHT / Dragon
Level 1
100/100
When you Synchro Summon "Stardust Dragon", you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard in face-up Attack Position. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.[/spoiler]

"I..." Yenma looked at the two cards in his hand. "I set one monster." If he left himself open, all Dunkan would need was a monster with 1800 or more attack to finish him off. "Turn end."

Turn 10 - Gregory Dunkan

However, for some reason, Dunkan didn't seem to be able or willing to deploy any more offensive power to the field. Glancing at the card he had drawn, he simply ordered Red Demons Dragon to strike down Raiza. Yenma recoiled as his monster was incinerated, and he received the breakthrough damage. After the battle was done, Dunkan only set another monster and ended his turn quietly.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 1800
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1700

Turn 11 - Jinrei Yenma

"My... turn - !!" And he felt it. Before he drew the card, he knew what it was. I... I promise, I won't let anyone's sacrifice be in vain! I won't let anyone die any more! He opened his eyes. He could, he would, defeat Dunkan, and end this madness. "Let's go! I Flip Summon Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite!" The black-winged monster with the elongated silver beak and blue plumage that Sugita had given him appeared out of the face-down card. "And then, because I control a Black Feather monster, I can now Special Summon Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind!" The smaller, wide-eyed Tuner monster joined the fray, flapping its wings.

[spoiler=Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite]Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite
DARK / Winged Beast
Level 4
1600/1000
If this card is in your Graveyard: You can return 1 face-up card you control to the hand; Special Summon this card from the Graveyard, and if you do, take 400 damage. Each player can only use the effect of "Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite" once per Duel.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind]Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind
DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner
Level 3
1300/400
If you control a "Black Feather" monster other than "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind", you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can halve the ATK and DEF of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls.[/spoiler]

"First, Gale the Whirlwind's effect activates, cutting down the attack and defense of Red Demons Dragon by half!" Red Demons roared as it was surrounded by a storm of black feathers, forcing it to shield itself. Alright, now - !! "Battle! Zephyros the Elite, attack Red Demons Dragon!" The winged warrior dashed ahead, lashing out with its clawed arm and piercing straight through the weakened dragon's chest, while evading the furious retaliation from the beast's claws. Red Demons clutched at its chest, where a deep red fire pulsed that spread out, consuming its whole body. And for the second time, Dunkan's Signer Dragon disappeared.

Jinrei Yenma - LP: 1800
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1600

"And, I won't let up! Gale the Whirlwind, strike his reverse monster!" Even though Gale did not have a lot of attack points, Yenma knew it would be worth the risk. His worries proved unfounded, as the sharp gale that was conjured by the little creature's wings instantly obliterated its target, which was revealed to be a priest clad in blue and white robes, wielding a long silver scepter, with his head covered in a helmet shaped like a dragon skull. "And now - "

But his words froze in his mouth, as a flow of silver dust, born out of the nothingness around them, converged into the center of the field, and an icy wind spread out, freezing him down to his soul.

---

Hope is something that is born easily. But, it is also something that disappears easily. Just like how Red Demons Dragon was revived, and Blackfeather Dragon was destroyed. And now, even though Red Demons fell again...

I won't... rely on foolish hopes any more. Christina clenched her fists. She knew what had to be done. She hated it. And she hated the person she had to become to do it. But to end this, once and for all...

"Let's go." Her words cut like blades. Followed by a silent Dryad, she went through the door Raviel had been guarding, climbing to the topmost chamber of the Aria Tower. As per ZONE's instructions, she'd be able to use the residual energy from the portal, along with her Signer Dragon, to travel to the Original Sin from there.

Behind her, she left only deathly silence.

---

"My reverse monster was Stardust Phantom, a monster with the ability to revive Stardust Dragon from the Graveyard when destroyed." Dunkan declared coolly, as the great silver behemoth hovered silently behind him. Wh - what? Specific support for Stardust Dragon? Yenma was beginning to sweat. Cold tendrils of fear had begun weaving their way through his skin, into his heart. Are those monsters... immortal?

[spoiler=Stardust Phantom]Stardust Phantom
LIGHT / Spellcaster
Level 1
0/0
When this card you control is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or card effect) and sent to your Graveyard, you can select 1 "Stardust Dragon" in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. You can remove from play this card in the Graveyard to select 1 face-up Dragon-Type Synchro Monster you control. Once per turn, that Synchro Monster cannot be destroyed by battle, but each time this effect is applied, it loses 800 ATK and DEF at the end of the Damage Step.[/spoiler]

"I... I tune the Level 4, Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite, to the Level 3, Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind." The third monster Sugita entrusted me with... no matter what, it can defend me! I won't give up, I will never give up! "Synchro Summon!" Another Synchro array spread into the graceful form of the black-armored airborne warrior, keeping its muscular body afloat with its powerful wings. "Black Feather - Armored Wing!"

[spoiler=Black Feather - Armored Wing]Black Feather - Armored Wing
DARK / Winged Beast / Synchro
Level 7
2500/1500
1 "Black Feather" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. If this card attacks a monster, you can place 1 Wedge Counter on that monster at the end of the Damage Step (max. 1). You can remove all Wedge Counters from your opponent's monsters to reduce the ATK and DEF of each monster that had a Wedge Counter to 0, until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"I... I end my turn." Armored Wing can't be destroyed by battle, and I won't take any battle damage! He looked at the card that was left in his hand. If I can just hold on - !!

---

Turn 12 - Gregory Dunkan

"I promised you, when our duel started, that I would show you my conviction." Dunkan's newly-drawn card flew upwards, hovering in mid-air. He glanced at it. This card... will open the path to victory. He looked at the boy that stood opposite to him, staring wide-eyed with trepidation. The boy that had been guided by a flighty ideal, drawn to this path of collision, where he would pit his resolve against Dunkan's.

Where he would be shown - just what massive difference existed between the two.

Dunkan's resolve would not waver. It was not allowed to waver. On that day, sixteen years ago, he had given up the right to doubt his decisions. That day, he had knowingly taken the first step on a path he knew he would have to follow until the very end.

November 13th, 2021

Heavy rain was peltering the massive glass sheets that surrounded the round, spacious hall. Floor and walls were carved out of dark marble, with the tall ceiling supported by symmetrically placed pillars. A table in the shape of a Greek P, with 3 seats placed behind each of the edges, all made entirely of translucent glass, was centered in the room, which was devoid of all other decorations or objects.

"Impressive." The gruff voice of a man, among the five that had just entered the room, admitted. "But, anyone can tell it's not real."

Indeed, this room was only a faithful reconstructed replica of the original, the Corona Chamber that was located in the top floor of the world's tallest building, the Sun Tower in Los Angeles, standing at one and a half kilometers above ground level.

"Exactly. Considering my funding and resources, the fact that I made something at this level should give you a hint of what this virtual platform is truly capable of." Another man answered. He was striding confidently in the center of the company, a few steps ahead of the rest. He was a little shorter, then, and his eyes hadn't become quite so cold and calculating yet, but he was still recognizable as the 28-year-old Gregory Dunkan, who had been acknowledged as one of the brightest minds of the new generation, but who had abandoned a potentially explosive ascension in a career in academics or research and faded from the spotlight after finishing his post-graduate studies in applied sciences. Two years before, though, he had resurfaced from relative obscurity, revealing an astonishing new bunch of achievements that forced many eyes, including those belonging to some of the most powerful, influential men in the world, to turn to him. But in the end, all that was a facade, an elaborate ploy to draw the attention of a few, very specific targets. And those targets, those power players he had handpicked during those four quiet years, were now walking behind him, ready to buy what he had to sell them. He had searched very hard to find them, because his criteria had been very specific: they had to be rich. They had to be involved in fields that would help him further his plans of creating a fully-structured virtual world. And most importantly, they had to have suggested, somehow, at some point, the existence of different, unperceivable realities as a possibility. He had found only three, but for now, they would have to suffice.

From Japan, Sannosuke Takizawa, a major investor in the world's largest electronics manufacturer, and Sarunoki Moboro, who anonymously owned many small companies and corporations, all centered around the development of mind stimulants of various kinds - and various tiers of legality. Hailing from Germany, Cornelius Klein, the one who had spoken before - despite his rather questionable interests, Klein had been the hardest for Dunkan to persuade to get here. Klein had inherited a great fortune, and was now the primary funder of a major study project in the perception of paranormal phenomena. And Abraham Lee. Lee did not fill any of Dunkan's criteria, but he was a person whose intellect and resolve Dunkan had grown to respect and admire, and one of the few he had considered a friend in the past. Dunkan knew he could trust him, even with something as massive as this.

"You've brought all of us here, but you still haven't said anything about what you want from us." Takizawa said in almost perfect English. "Your virtual reality system is certainly impressive, but surely this isn't all you want to talk about?"

"Indeed." Dunkan smiled, a devilish grin. In the social food chain, these people were magnitudes above him. They possessed riches, influence, power. They believed they held the upper hand in any negotiation, in any proposal. But Dunkan was different. Compared to anyone else, he could offer more. "I haven't. Why don't we get seated?" He pointed at the table. The four reluctantly took their seats such that an empty chair lay between them and their nearest person. They weren't allies. Not yet, anyway. Dunkan strode forward until he was standing behind the far end of the table, where he could look at all of them.

"Well, my dear gentlemen." He addressed them. "I have a plan to propose to all of you - a plan that will require all of us working together. This plan has two stages. The first stage is for us to become the, by far, wealthiest and most powerful men in the world."

This grandiose declaration was met with flat faces and sour expressions. Of course, Dunkan was far from the first person to have appeared before them with some absurd plan he wanted financed, promising some unfathomable reward. But behind their masks of disapproval and scorn, there was doubt. Dunkan had worked his way carefully with each of them before this moment. They would not reject him outright.

"You said, 'the first stage'." Sarunoki Moboro said sharply, his drawling English accent noticeably weaker than his compatriot's. "Once you have all the money and power you can get, what else is there? What is your so-called 'second stage'?"

Dunkan grinned. They had nibbed the bait. Now it was time for them to bite, so he could reel them in with one fell swoop. "The second stage, is to go beyond that. Beyond the limits of our world, that is."

That first meeting had more-or-less gone as Dunkan had expected. The three men had left in rage, accusing him of being clinically insane and wasting their time. But they had bitten the bait, and they could not go further than the line allowed. Three weeks later, he received a call from Cornelius Klein. Two months, Takizawa approached him. A week afterwards, and Moboro came into the fold.

It was far from smooth sailing from there. Dunkan had had to work hard to convince them to use his idea of a Duel Monsters virtual platform as their main fundraiser and the basis of their plan. Eventually, Dunkan recruited the brilliant financial advisor, Draco Ross, the infamous hacker, Nakahara Inoue, whom Takizawa recommended, Jacqueline Deveraux, a woman with sharp intellect and an exotic charisma, and finally, Lynette Rayleigh, the daughter of Marie Rayleigh, a professor who, during his university days, had helped him introduced his virtual reality prototype system to the public. The nine of them formed a tight-knit circle, controlling the supercolossus company Duel International that, as Dunkan had promised, became the highest-grossing corporation in the world. And they all shared the hidden agenda - use the virtual reality to open the doors to the different, infinite worlds that lay out there.

The Nexus had not been a part of their plans from the beginning. In fact, it was only until later that they had discovered the existence of those massive collectives of energy, serving as giant stars in the abyss of the multiverse which caused realities to orbit around them, incinerating them when they drew too close. But once they did, after they had found a method of peering through the Gap, they were convinced that this was the endpoint of their path, their mission.

The term Dyson Sphere was coined around the twentieth century in fiction, to describe a superstructure meant to envelop and continuously harness the energy emitted by a star. The creation of such a structure in order to use the sun to cover the Earth's ever-increasing energy demands was proposed several times, but it was never realized - in the end, it was too costly and impractical. Of course, there was no question about the possibility of using the same method to harness the power of the Nexus, a mass of energy that existed beyond the laws and logic of their universe. But Dunkan felt that the same concept could be applied. First, they had to find... something that could survive the void between dimensions. That something had to be strong enough to withstand the close proximity to the Nexus. If they found enough of those things, then arrayed them in a way that they could offset the energy output of the Nexus, and then bring their reality close enough to touch it, while the control system prevented the radiating energy from destroying their world completely... this trail of thought led to the development of the Pylon system. It took years upon years of hard work and impossible amounts of resources, but they finally manufactured a workable pattern, and found the entities they needed to manifest it. From there on, it was a matter of putting things into motion.

Chaos is born when a single, isolated reality attempts to interfere with those around it. The virtual reality they had created was not a true independent world, as it was completely bound to their real, physical world, but it was close. It constituted a sort of parallel layer to reality, and the more its rules deviated from the original, the more it - and by extension, the physical world - were drawn to the Nexus due to the increased entropy. Dunkan and the others used this to their advantage, to control their approach to the Nexus. When they were ready, they sealed the virtual world from the physical world, causing hundreds of thousands of people to be trapped within and releasing a massive amount of chaotic energy. And as soon as the Nexus came close, before it could burn through the Outer Sphere, Dunkan activated the Pylon system.

None of this went as smoothly as Dunkan had hoped - Cornelius Klein's sudden defection and his stealing one of the three Pylons, then Eizan's interference and the betrayal of Nakahara Inoue and Jacqueline Deveraux, the blasted ZONE and the people he gathered against him, Lee turning coat at the last moment and damaging the stability of yet another Pylon, and every layer of defense he had placed in the Aria Tower collapsing before the intruders... no, nothing had gone as intended. But he had accounted for the worst, and despite all these difficulties, the Nexus was within reach. And the aspiration that had been born in him, many long years before he had ever known anything about different realities, would soon be realized. To accomplish that goal, he had sacrificed a tremendous amount of things, he had risked destroying the very world.

And that, was the source of his resolve.

"I summon the Tuner monster, Spore, from my hand." The fluffy white cotton ball appeared in front of him. "And then... I tune the Level 1, Stardust Xiaolong, to the Level 1, Spore." The two monsters dissolved into a dark grey Synchro array. "Synchro Summon! Open the gateway to a new possibility! Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!" A small multi-colored, four wheeled racing vehicle materialized out of the surging beam of light, racing around the platform at impossible speeds.

[spoiler=Spore]Spore
WIND / Plant / Tuner
Level 1
400/800
If this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove from play 1 other Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard, and increase its Level by the Level of the monster removed from play to activate this effect. Each player can only use the effect of "Spore" once per Duel.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Formula Synchron]Formula Synchron
LIGHT / Machine / Synchro / Tunero
Level 2
200/1500
1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner monster
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can draw 1 card. During your opponent's Main Phase: You can Synchro Summon using this face-up card you control as a Synchro Material Monster.[/spoiler]

It's time.

---

"A Level 2 Synchro monster... furthermore, a Synchro Tuner?" Yenma blinked. "What... what are you planning..." Suddenly, something changed. He didn't know what, but all of a sudden, he felt like there was the faintest hint of motion, as if the platform they were standing on was shaking slightly. Needless to say, that was quite enough to make him to feel uneasy. "Wh - what's going on?!"

"We're moving." Dunkan said simply. "More precisely, we're moving at relativistic velocity that defies the realm of logic, accelerating at an infinite rate to cross the infinite distance between the Original Sin and the Outer Sphere of the Nexus. First of all, I draw one card due to the effect of Formula Synchron. And then, at this speed - !!" Suddenly, the two Synchro monsters in Dunkan's field were briefly surrounded by a green aura, so intense that Yenma had to shield his face. When he looked again, they were both gone.

"Accel Synchro!"

Timespace warped before his very eyes, opening a hole in reality. From within, countless streams of silver light exploded, expanding in every direction. And between them, a new creature emerged. Its form vaguely resembled the original Stardust Dragon - but its scales had changed, becoming more rounded and mettalic in appearance, forming a sort of exoskeleton around its body. Two horns protruded from the sides of its head, and its wings had changed to resemble those of jet planes. Its eyes ignited with a cyan flame as it abruptly ceased its breakneck-speed flight, revealing superb control of its velocity as it remained hovering in mid-air.

[spoiler=Shooting Star Dragon]Shooting Star Dragon
WIND / Dragon / Synchro
Level 10
3300/2500
1 Tuner Synchro Monster + "Stardust Dragon"
Each of these effects can be activated once per turn: • Reveal the top 5 cards of your Deck. Shuffle them back in, and this card's maximum number of attacks this turn is equal to the number of Tuner monsters revealed. • Negate the activation of an effect that would destroy a card(s) on the field, and destroy that card. • When your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can select it, then remove this card from play and negate the attack. During the End Phase, Special Summon this card that was removed from play by this effect.[/spoiler]

"What... is this monster..." Yenma whispered, awed. "Is this... the evolution ZONE talked about?"

"This is Shooting Star Dragon." Dunkan said. "This is an Accel Synchro monster, born from tuning a Synchro monster to a Synchro Tuner monster. The result of insatiable greed that led to the pursuit of more and more power, until the boundaries of what should have been allowed were breached, and a creature defying the confines of reality was born. This power once destroyed a world. It is powerful enough to offset the energy output of the Nexus."

---

"Just where the hell is the control room for the Pylons?" Takechi exclaimed. They had been searching every nook and corner of the tower ever since Yenma's duel against Dunkan had begun, but to no avail. ZONE was using the Arc Cradle's advanced technology to detect any anomalies, looking for any hidden gateways that could indicate a path to a blocked-off location - but there were none to be found. According to ZONE, it was absolutely certain that the control room was somewhere inside the Aria Tower, but -

All the warning they had was ZONE's abrupt halt, and a feeling of dread, before the world burst in a massive explosion of energy. Huge amounts of power swept through the Tower, the world, everything. Takechi and Sugita would have been swept clean off their feet, if ZONE hadn't conjured a barrier around them to deflect the wave.

"What the hell was that?!" Takechi gasped once he was able to orient himself. He glanced around, half-expecting everything to have turned to dust... but the Tower around was untouched. Yet energy was still seeping through, much like...

"Like... before..." Sugita muttered. "Is this..."

"Yes." ZONE replied gravely. At the same time, holographic displays appeared, a bewildered Kiishiro and Christina having opened their communicators. But ZONE's unicycle tilted slightly, as if he was trying to look upwards, beyond the ceiling of the Tower - beyond the boundaries of the world. "Accel Synchro... furthermore, that monster..." He paused briefly.

"I... was the one who created that monster." Everyone stared at ZONE. "And it is the one... that destroyed my world. The Signer Dragon that used to be mine, Stardust Dragon - it evolved in order to match up to the invading Machine Emperor army."

"The same Machine Emperors that we faced?" Sugita asked incredulously. "They... they appeared in your world?"

"Yes. Though you faced only one of each, the Machine Emperors were, in fact, mass-produced models designed for cross-dimensional travel - only unlike most entities that can accomplish that, they are creatures that enforce, rather than violate, natural order. They are an army that was built to invade and destroy any world that develops technology that threatens to violate its boundary, like my world did. We had to fight against the Machine Emperors, and to do that, we used Accel Synchro monsters - but in the end, they proved our own undoing. I already knew that somehow, from the remnants of our world, Dunkan had managed to salvage the remains of the Machine Emperor monsters and rebuild them, and I had already sensed Accel Synchro being used. But to think... that Dunkan even managed to obtain this monster..."

"Heh, whatever it is, that kid can beat it!" Takechi tried to sound optimistic. But ZONE's expression was grave.

"No... Shooting Star Dragon, is not something that can be defeated so simply..."

---

"I - I don't know what you are planning, but even with 3300 attack points, it cannot harm Armored Wing!" Yenma protested. But deep down, he felt that, whatever defense he had built... before this silent, overwhelming might, it would crumble to dust.

"I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect." Dunkan pushed on. "Once per turn, I can reveal the top five cards of my deck, and the number of attacks this monster can launch during this turn becomes equal to the number of Tuner monsters revealed by this effect." Five cards flew from the top of Dunkan's deck, coming to a halt in front of his Accel Synchro monster. They spread out in a pentagram shape, their identities masked by blinding white light. "And they are - !!" All five slowly turned arund - to reveal two Tuner monsters - Force Resonator, and Dark Resonator. Two attacks? But even with two, it can't -

"Battle." Dunkan ordered. The glow from the two cards was absorbed into Shooting Star Dragon, whose body split into two identical copies, shining with red and blue light respectively. "Shooting Star Dragon, attack Black Feather - Armored Wing!" The blue copy spread its wings, taking to the sky. Then, it nosedived to the platform, causing a sonic boom to spread behind it. Guh... Yenma shielded himself from the intensity of the meteor-like impact. He gasped as shock run through him, and when the dust cleared, the attacking clone of Shooting Star Dragon was nowhere to be seen - but neither was Armored Wing, and...
 
Jinrei Yenma - LP: 1400
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1600

"When Shooting Star Dragon attacked, I activated the Instant magic, Forbidden Holy Chalice." Dunkan explained impassively. "It raised Armored Wing's attack points by 400, but it negated its effects, including battle invulnerability and its ability to stop damage."

"No way - ! But, this means I..."

I... am going to...

"And so it has come to this." Dunkan said gravely. "I won't - I can't - be defeated. Your resolve, your courage - they are all based on ignorance. You don't know who I am, you don't understand what I am striving for. And while you don't understand that, you are afraid of me - and while you are afraid of me, you can never beat me. Are you prepared?"

---

"We have to hurry - " Christina and Dryad were now in front of the Nexus portal. Dryad had gathered all the residual energy in her hands, and Christina had raised Ancient Fairy Dragon's card overhead, streams of crimson energy flowing from the lithe dragon's body that was hovering behind her into the portal.

"I can only open the gate for an instant." Dryad warned. "And I won't be able to come with you."

"But..." Christina felt as if she was going to waver. But the elderly spellcaster put her hand in hers, and a card appeared in it. It was - Dryad's own card.

"Christina. You are angry, and afraid." Dryad spoke soothingly. "You were tossed into a path you weren't ready to take, you were forced to make choices you should never have had to face. And I can't tell you if you made the right choices or not." Christina's eyes filled with tears, the image of a dozen writhing, dying shapes lying before her feet...

"...the only thing I can tell you, is to make the most of those choices." The girl only nodded mutely.

"Are you prepared?" ZONE asked through the communicator. "You know what you are up against."

"I know." Her voice came out hoarsely. I know.

Yenma... would never have sacrificed them. But Yenma is... Only an overflowing despair, an all-encompassing fear, could be felt through the mark now.

She was not like him. She couldn't be like him. There was too much fear, too much anger.

And so she had made her choice... and now she had to live or die by it.

She stepped through the portal.

---

Yenma fell to his knees.

What had he pursued? The answer was simple. He had pursued the 'morally correct' choice. He had not killed the people that were feeding Raviel their energy, which cost them a lot of time and effort, that could have been used to avoid this situation.

Between light and shadow... where do you stand?

He had chosen the 'light'. The pristine hero who could walk in and save the world without any sacrifices, without dirtying his hands, or sacrificing his morality. And yet he had missed that the world had nothing to do with morality. Those words had been a warning. He had clung to his own ideals, and they had been scattered like dust in the wind.

...such ideals, were way too fragile to carry the weight of the world.

In his mind, he heard the distant, wounded, but almost tender cry of Blackfeather Dragon. I know. He thought back. We both tried for the same ideal... it wasn't wrong. We weren't wrong. With the realization came relief. We lost this time... but we fought till the very end, putting everything on the line. Even if I die here, even if the world ends now... I will not allow myself to regret it. He pushed himself to his feet, spreading his arms. He glared at Dunkan.

"I may not understand you." He said slowly. He glanced one last time at the last card in his hand. It couldn't save him now. Slowly, it faded into nothing. "But, I will never approve of what you've done. I have lost... but I believe that somehow, you will be stopped. I believe... that my fight was not for nothing. Finish it." Dunkan frowned for a moment, before nodding imperceptibly.

"Shooting Star Dragon... attack."

The world exploded in silver and crimson.
 
Jinrei Yenma - LP: 0
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1600

---

A white platform appeared before her, suspended in the black void. On the far side stood Gregory Dunkan, inscribed in her memories with irrevocable hatred. Behind him, some sort of futuristic silver dragon.

And on the other side, lying beside her -

She had known, of course - both Christina and Kiishiro had sensed it the moment Yenma's life had ended. But until now, it had just been something she knew. Now, she could see... if she had not known, she would not have been able to recognize who the charred, mangled remains belonged to. Dark smoke was rising from the place he had fallen, the very fabric that comprised this platform fractured by the attack that had struck him.

In front of Dunkan, as well as herself, two translucent white slabs hovered, obviously used in lieu of duel disks or similar equipment. Christina averted her eyes from the corpse, and focused her attention on the enemy.

"So you came. Another one of the Signer Dragon wielders." Gregory Dunkan said coolly. "Your ally is dead, and the power of the Nexus draws ever closer. Do you intend to follow his fate?"

"You - you bastard..." Christina muttered, gritting her teeth. "Don't you recognize me?" Dunkan looked at her carefully, then shrugged.

"I'm afraid not." He said.

"You took me away from my family!" She shouted. "You... you and your other murderers, you put me through all kinds of torturous duels, and then you left me for dead!"

"Then you are one of many." Dunkan's tone did not change in the slightest. "Dozens - no, hundreds - of lives have been sacrificed in order for me to stand here. And if I had to, I'd sacrifice them all again and again."

"Do you even know what you're saying?!" Christina screamed. "You... you think you are some sort of god, who can bend everyone's lives to their will? I won't let you get away with this! I will kill you, right now!"

"Then try." Dunkan said coldly, motioning towards the console. Stiffly, Christina walked forward, Ancient Fairy beside her dematerializing into a card as she returned to her deck.

"You will pick up from where your friend left off." Dunkan continued. "In exchange, I will get an extra 4000 Life Points. Of course, field and hand remain intact. You will take the first move." Dunkan held one card in his hand, while his field was empty except for that monster, probably the Shooting Star Dragon that ZONE had mentioned. 3300 attack points was certainly a lot... but it didn't matter. Yenma... I will crush him. I will make sure you didn't die for nothing!

"Duel!!"

Christina Neville - LP: 4000
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5600

Turn 1 - Christina Neville

Through eyes red from fury, Christina tried to inspect her cards. She was feeling dizzy - but at least, her deck had given her the tools she needed to take down that monster right from the start.

"I activate the permanent magic, Gem Tree!" She shouted. A tree with numerous branches, each bearing a fruit that resembled a precious gemstone of a different color, sprouted before her - but right now, all of the gemstones were dull, the glow drained away from them. That would change soon, though. "Next, I summon Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus!" The white winged unicorn took form, galloping across the emptiness to land in front of the tree. "When Sapphire Pegasus is Summoned, I can then place another Gem Beast from my deck, hand or Graveyard to the Spell and Trap card zone, as a permanent Spell card. I choose another copy of Sapphire Pegasus!" A blue crystal of similar colors to the deep blue gems on the winged horse's gear appeared directly next to the tree, and at the same time, the blue gemstone hanging from that tree lit up, regaining its luster. "When a Gem Beast appears on my Spell and Trap card zone, Gem Tree gains one Gem Counter!"

[spoiler=Gem Tree]Gem Tree
SPELL / Continuous
Each time a "Gem Beast" monster(s) is placed in either player's Spell & Trap Card Zone: Place 1 Crystal Counter on this card. You can send this card to the Graveyard; take a number of "Gem Beast" monsters from your Deck equal to the number of Crystal Counters that were on this card, then place those monsters face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as Continuous Spell Cards.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus]Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus
WIND / Beast
Level 4
1800/1200
When this card is Summoned, you can place 1 "Gem Beast" monster from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard, face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone; it is treated as a Continuous Spell Card. If this card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"I'm not done." She growled. "I set a card, and then equip Sapphire Pegasus with the equipment magic, Mage Power! This increases Sapphire Pegasus' attack and defense by 500 points for each Spell and Trap card under my control, and including the crystallized Gem Beast and Mage Power itself, I count four!" The Gem Beast, glowing with a furious golden aura, neighed as its attack skyrocketed to 3800.

[spoiler=Mage Power]Mage Power
SPELL / Equip
The equipped monster gains 500 ATK and DEF for each Spell and Trap Card you control.[/spoiler]

"Your monster is finished! Sapphire Pegasus, take down Shooting Star Dragon!" The pegasus jumped an impossible distance, aiming its magnified golden horn at the designated target.

"I wonder about that." Dunkan said quietly. "I activate Shooting Star Dragon's effect. When an attack is declared, I can Banish it in order to negate that attack. And, during the End Phase, it returns to my field."

"What the - " Christina watched, stunned, as the silver dragon suddenly disappeared inside a white hole, causing Sapphire Pegasus to miss its mark. "Ugh... turn end." Immediately, the same hole opened, and Shooting Star reappeared, seemingly without having moved at all. What the hell is this monster...

Turn 2 - Gregory Dunkan

"It's my move." Dunkan said, unpertrubed. "Gem Beasts... I remember now. I should have connected the dots when Lee started acting strange. Ah well, it's not important anyway."

"Not important?" Christina bristled. "I spoke with Abraham Lee! Wasn't he your friend? How could you cast him aside like this?!"

"He was my friend." Dunkan confirmed. "And I wasn't the one who cast him aside. He chose to walk away himself. I trusted him, moreso than anybody else, perhaps, and he betrayed me, almost destroyed the plan I spent the majority of my life to perfect."

"Of course he did!" Christina yelled. "Your plan was madness!"

"Was it? No." Dunkan said sharply. "Their plans were the mad ones, the plans of these people who wanted to change and reshape the world, to control it, using the power of the Nexus."

"Isn't that what you are about, anyway?" Christina pressed on. "Use the Nexus in some mad gambit to take control of everything?"

"No." Dunkan responded immediately. "That is not my plan at all."

"Then what? What was it that countless people lost their lives for?" She demanded. "What? What kind of reasoning could you possibly have for killing off half the world?!" Dunkan paused briefly, as if considering.

"Very well." He said finally. "I will tell you... why I chose to pursue this path that many, including my own colleagues, thought of as true madness."

---

Yenma... is dead. Christina... is fighting. Kiishiro was haunted by those thoughts as he finally made it to the ninth and final floor. And the opponent...

The last two Signer Dragons and... the monster ZONE had called Shooting Star Dragon. That monster had already killed Yenma.

And yet, he didn't feel fear any more, even as each step dragged him closer to what felt like unavoidable doom. One way or another... it will all be over.

---

"Do you believe in God?" Dunkan asked.

"No." Christina answered immediately. "If God existed, then people like you wouldn't be alive." But he shook his head.

"I don't mean if you believe in a religious interpretation of God. I'm also not referring to entities treated as deities due to them possessing attributes typically attributed to beings of divine origin - we are both well aware that those kinds of existences are quite common throughout the multiverse. No, despite being a scientist, or perhaps because I was a scientist, I used to be a staunch believer in God as a Creator, a being that existed outside everything else, and had shaped everything else. How else could I explain a universe modelled so perfectly, a machine tuned so finely that even the slightest deviation from the established rules would cause everything to cease existing, and yet one that could keep running so smoothly? No, for me the existence of God was an undeniable fact, and I worshipped that Creator deity with every fiber of my being, with more faith than the most devout missionaries. However, at the same time, I always wondered - why, in his obviously infinite wisdom, did God decide to keep the privilege of 'creation' to himself, rather than spread it amongst his creations?"

"To elaborate, you first have to understand that we, as humans, do not create anything. Anything we build eventually consumes resources, lessening the available sum. For our so-called creations, we drain our world from its components. The same applies to any process in the known universe. Every world, and everything in it, exists only to die and disappear. This is the one unbreakable rule that even violating the boundaries of reality, even transcending time, won't allow us to circumvent. However, as I explained earlier, there has to be something that can create, because, while the rules that govern each world and even the rules that govern the multiverse are all based on entropy, the existence of the multiverse itself defies entropy."

"When I was very young, as far back as I can remember, I was able to catch echoes from different worlds. I still do not understand why, or how, but occasionally I would perceive glimpses, sensations, whose origin was clearly removed from my immediate environment. I very quickly realized that was something only I could experience, and so I kept it a secret from everyone else, and gradually, I began studying that phenomenon. I found reports of experiences similar to mine and after a long, arduous research that took up most of my adolescent years, I was able to ascertain the existence of different worlds, running parallel, but separate, to our own. Armed with this knowledge, from there on, I decided it was my mission - no, my destiny - to discover the answer to the question that had been tormenting me, the reason why our creator, in all his infinite power and wisdom, never saw it fit to share the depth of his ability with his creations."

"The rest is history. I took over Duel International and used my intelligence and resources to build the virtual reality as a means of breaching the Gap and peering into different worlds. It was during our extensive experimentation that we discovered the existence of the Nexus - but I also discovered something that was much, much more important to me, something I had kept a secret from everyone. I found out the 'original' world, the 'location', so to speak, in the multiverse, from which every other reality sprang into existence. I named that world Akasha, after the Sanskrit word for Aether, the origin of all things. In that world, I surmised, the creator I was worshipping must exist, residing in his cosmic laboratory. So I immediately poured every available resource, every last ounce of effort, into reaching out to that world. At the moment, just a glimpse would be enough, just a minor insight into this wondrous space - from there, I could work my way into understanding and, though that was only a distant dream thus far, perhaps communicating with the being that inhabited it. And eventually... I managed it."

Dunkan paused for a moment, as if reliving the memories he was narrating, and right then, that iron hard look on his eyes faded slightly, replaced by an expression of immense terror.

"What I found there... was no God." He said, his voice softer than before. "There was no higher entity that, in its infinite wisdom, used its powers of creation to give birth to life. There was only... a machine. Heartless, mindless, soulless, a thing without conscious, a thing that could only aptly be called a force of nature, without direction or purpose. I immediately realized, then, a truth more terrifying than anything I have ever experienced."

"I mentioned earlier that I believed in a creator deity, because the universe was modelled too perfectly to be the result of random occurence. Indeed, if you take into account all the necessary variables that need to be regulated in order for a universe such as ours to exist - then the probability of it actually existing becomes astronomically low, unless someone tampers with the parameters of creation. What I found out was that there was noone to tamper with anything. The reason that our universe exists in its current form, the reason we exist... is that my so-called creator deity constantly creates infinite universes. Now even if you take an astronomically low chance, when you apply it to an infinite sample, then it becomes... certainty. And that is how our reality, how every reality, came to being. No careful planning, no conscious hand guiding creation. Just a random after-effect of an endless thought experiment."

"This... this waste, enraged me. There it was, something with enough power to create infinite universes, and it did... just that. Without control, without regulation, it just senslessly spawned out worlds that served no purpose, worlds where no life could ever exist, worlds that disappeared a fraction of a second after they were born, each requiring an immeasurable amount of energy, and each being led to an inevitable demise. My entire world, everything I had ever believed in, everything I based my life on, was dust and ashes. And then... I decided. That void... that error, I would be the one to fill, to correct it. I would become the creator God I used to worship. I would enter Akasha and guide its power to shape worlds with meaning, to create a universe that made sense, to allow every entity, sentient or not, on every world, to live a life that was not just part of an endless cycle leading to nothingness. I needed great power to do that, and now I have it, almost within my grasp."

They both remained silent now, Christina staring at her opponent, stunned. She... what... just what...

"Just what... are you saying..." She mumbled, struggling to find the words. "Are you... are you trying to tell me..."

"ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME, THAT FOR SUCH A BULLSHIT REASON, YOU KILLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE?!" Losing the last specs of self-control, she shouted, ramming her hands on her console. Pain stabbed her arm as the mark of the Crimson Dragon resonated with her rage, burning as if it was on fire, but she ignored it.

"SILENCE!" Dunkan was equally livid. "You want to talk to me about millions of people? For every person on this world, there are trillions upon trillions in each and every one of trillions of trillions of worlds that never even had the chance to be born! A million people isn't even a grain of sand in the infinite desert of the senseless, dying multiverse! Are you such a hypocrite, that you will care only for the life of those in front of you? No, my purpose was never something as narrow as that. I will save and direct everything in the universe, regulate it so that people, things, worlds won't senselessly die and disappear, and if I have to kill you to do it, then I won't hesitate for even a second! I summon the Tuner monster, Junk Synchron! And with its effect, I revive a Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard in defense position, with its effect negated! Return to my side, Tuning Supporter!" The orange cap-wearing, bespectacled mechanic with the tuning gear attached to its back, and the small round robot appeared next to each other.

[spoiler=Junk Synchron]Junk Synchron
DARK / Warrior / Tuner
Level 3
1300/500
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower monster from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Position. That monster's effect(s) is negated.[/spoiler]

"I tune the Level 1, Tuning Supporter, to the Level 3, Junk Synchron!" Dunkan commanded. The Tuner pulled on its engine trigger, revving it up and dissolving into fragments of light that united into three rings, through which crossed the sole star formed out of the body of the monster it had Special Summoned. "Synchro Summon! Arms Aid!" Christina cringed as she saw the familiar clawed gauntlet materialize out of the Synchro array.

[spoiler=Arms Aid]Arms Aid
LIGHT / Machine / Synchro
Level 4
1800/1200
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can either: Target 1 monster on the field; equip this card to that target, OR: Unequip this card and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. While equipped by this effect, that target gains 1000 ATK. When that target destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster in the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"Because Tuning Supporter was used as Synchro Material, I draw 1 card! And then I activate the effect of Arms Aid, equipping it to Shooting Star Dragon." Dunkan continued. The gauntlet disappeared, rematerializing attached to the dragon's arm. "With this, my monster gains plus 1000 attack, putting it above your Sapphire Pegasus!" That wasn't all that Arms Aid did - if the equipped monster were to destroy another monster by battle, then the opponent would take damage equal to the destroyed monster's attack power. However, luckily, her Gem Beast was safe from that. When a Gem Beast monster was destroyed, it would crystallize in the Spell and Trap zone instead of being sent to the Graveyard, and the effect of Arms Aid wouldn't activate. She was safe from the one-turn-kill for now.

"Furthermore, I activate Shooting Star Dragon's second effect." Dunkan said. "Once per turn, I check the top five cards of my deck, and this monster can attack a number of times equal to the number of Tuner monsters revealed by this effect!" What?! Christina gasped as five cards appeared between them, cloaked in light. "Reveal!!" The five card images were opened, and - "Unknown Synchron, Effect Veiler, and Flare Resonator. Three Tuner monsters - Shooting Star Dragon can attack three times during this Battle Phase!" The silver dragon split into two perfect mirror images of itself, enveloped in green, blue and orange auras.

"It's over." Dunkan closed his eyes, as Christina stared, terrified, at the 4300 attack power behemoth that could attack her three times. "You can't stop me. Nothing can stop me now."
[/spoiler]

[spoiler="C77 Duel Transcript"]TURN 7 - Jinrei Yenma [2600 LP, 1 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> "Wind Emperor Raiza" returns to the field
> Activate effect of "Blackfeather Dragon", removing 1 "Black Feather Counter" to reduce "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" ATK by 700 (Dunkan LP 3800->3100)
> Attack and destroy "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" with "Wind Emperor Raiza" (Dunkan LP 3100->2800)
> Attack and destroy "Stardust Dragon" with "Blackfeather Dragon" (Dunkan LP 2800->2500)
> Dunkan activates "Wicked Reborn" to Special Summon "Red Demons Dragon" from his Graveyard (Dunkan LP 2500->1700)
TURN 7 END - Jinrei Yenma [2600 LP, 1 hand, 2/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]

TURN 8 - Gregory Dunkan [1700 LP, 2 hand, 0/0 monsters, 2/1 s/t]
> Attack and destroy "Blackfeather Dragon" with "Red Demons Dragon" (Yenma LP 2600->2400)
> Set 1 monster
TURN 8 END - Gregory Dunkan [1700 LP, 1 hand, 1/1 monsters, 3/0 s/t]

TURN 9 - Jinrei Yenma [2400 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Attack Dunkan's Set monster with "Wind Emperor Raiza", but it is "Stardust Xiaolong" and cannot be destroyed by battle
> Set 1 monster
TURN 9 END - Jinrei Yenma [2400 LP, 1 hand, 1/1 monsters, 0/0 s/t]

TURN 10 - Gregory Dunkan [1700 LP, 2 hand, 2/0 monsters, 3/0 s/t]
> Attack and destroy "Wind Emperor Raiza" with "Red Demons Dragon"
> Set 1 monster
TURN 10 END - Gregory Dunkan [1700 LP, 1 hand, 2/1 monsters, 3/0 s/t]

TURN 11 - Jinrei Yenma [1800 LP, 2 hand, 0/1 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Flip Summon "Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite"
> Special Summon "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind" with its effect and activate its effect, reducing "Red Demons Dragon" ATK to 1500
> Attack and destroy "Red Demons Dragon" with "Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite" (Dunkan LP 2500->2400)
> Attack and destroy Dunkan's Set monster with "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind". "Stardust Phantom" is destroyed and Special Summons "Stardust Dragon" from Dunkan's Graveyard
> Tune "Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite" to "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind" to Synchro Summon "Black Feather - Armored Wing"
TURN 11 END - Jinrei Yenma [1800 LP, 1 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]

TURN 12 - Gregory Dunkan [1600 LP, 2 hand, 2/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]
> Normal Summon "Sunny Pixie"
> Tune "Stardust Xiaolong" to "Sunny Pixie" to Synchro Summon "Formula Synchron", then draw 1 card with the effect of "Formula Synchron" and gain 1000 LP with the effect of "Sunny Pixie"
> Tune "Stardust Dragon" to "Formula Synchron" to Synchro Summon "Shooting Star Dragon"
> Activate the effect of "Shooting Star Dragon", revealing 2 Tuners
> Attack "Black Feather - Armored Wing" with "Shooting Star Dragon" and activate "Forbidden Chalice", negating the effect of "Black Feather - Armored Wing" and destroying it (Yenma LP 1800->1400)
> Attack directly with "Shooting Star Dragon" (Yenma LP 1400->0)
TURN 12 END - Gregory Dunkan [1600 LP, 1 hand, 1/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]

-----

TURN 1 - Christina Neville [4000 LP, 6 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Activate "Gem Tree"
> Normal Summon "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus", send "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" from deck to S/T with its effect
> Set 1 card
> Equip "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" with "Mage Power" (ATK 1800->3800)
> Attack "Shooting Star Dragon" with "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus", but Dunkan activates effect of "Shooting Star Dragon", Banishing it to negate the attack
TURN 1 END - Christina Neville [4000 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/1 s/t]

TURN 2 - Gregory Dunkan [5600 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]
> Normal Summon "Junk Synchron" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Tuning Supporter" from the Graveyard
> Tune "Tuning Supporter" to "Junk Synchron" to Synchro Summon "Arms Aid" and draw 1 card with the effect of "Tuning Supporter"
> Equip "Arms Aid" to "Shooting Star Dragon" (ATK 3300->4300)
> Activate the effect of "Shooting Star Dragon", revealing 3 Tuners
[/spoiler]

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

...

 

.....

 

......

 

Well fair play to Dunkan, he does make a convincing argument.

 

And play a trolly Yusei/Jack tribute deck. I thought you didn't like Yusei, yet you give him such love and affection? :P

 

Yenma dying I... can't say I felt especially choked up about this. But that's probably me being tired/had whiskey. Am liking that you're making the final match a Gauntlet match though (which I'm taking full credit for :P)

 

Kiishiro to appear and win though... boo. As soon as he turns up I'm supporting Dunkan to become the all powerful Creator and I'm not afraid to say it. Although Eizan is still to get involved.

 

So yeah, enjoying Dunkan's reasoning as it's better than most YGO villians (certainly better than mine ever are :() and enjoying the duel.

[Reinforce]

It was an interesting couple of chapters to read. I find myself in the rather unusual position of actually supporting Dunkan, if just to see what he manages if he succeeds, and because he actually has a decent argument for his position. I really wasn't expecting him to have the last two Signer Dragons though, but since they showed up and all, along with Shooting Star, I'm kinda hoping for an appearance by Red Nova Dragon too. I'm looking forward to seeing the ending of this anyway.

[Vector Nightmare]

A little delay here. Blame me falling asleep >.>

Now, I may not like Yusei as a character, but his deck was probably my favorite of the main character decks. Plus there's a decent amount of Jack-ness in Dunkan's deck that offsets it.

I don't want to spoil anything this close to the end, so I'll just let you read. But
[spoiler="small note for this chapter"]You will have to forgive one last usage of Morphing Jar.

:raziontrollface[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Chapter 78"]

Chapter 78: Parallel World Fusion

Gregory Dunkan, along with Jinrei Yenma and Christina Neville, had now travelled to the Original Sin, engaged in one final battle for control of the Nexus, during which Yenma had fallen.

Kirizaki Maya and Aizawa Yuusuke had travelled underneath the Vision Cathedral, to the ruins of the Crimson Sanctum, to confront Miyataka Eizan.

ZONE, as well as Ryusaki Sugita and Bando Takechi, were scouring the Aria Tower to locate the Pylon control room, which they would need if they were to save the world from destruction, should the Signers succeed in defeating Dunkan.

Adam Fergusson was stranded in the Road to Tomorrow, after defeating Ylaidus.

The rest of the Cataphracts, those that hadn't died during Iseya Yuko's final stand, had all been terminated manually, since their purpose had expired. Their remaining lifeforce had then been used as extra energy to stabilize the Pylon system.

That left only one living person in the Aria Tower unaccounted for.

ZONE had surmised that the Pylon control room had to be somewhere inside the Tower. The Arc Cradle's sensors had detected no recent transfer activity from the sector besides their own, and it was obviously necessary for Duel International to have stable access to it. If it was located anywhere else, they'd have to have some means of travelling back and forth - and that would be time-consuming, risky, and easy for their enemies to detect and track. In other words, not something they could afford at this stage.

Therefore, that room had to be inside the Tower. Hidden, protected, disguised - ZONE was confident that no matter what lengths Duel International had gone to to secure it, he would be able to find it using the Arc Cradle's superior technology. But even though he was deploying it to the fullest - he was having no success so far.

ZONE's initial assumption - had been correct. The control room was indeed inside the Tower.

In the Vision Cathedral, which now formed the bottom floor of the Aria Tower, there was a room called the Halls of Reflection, which contained all the data generated by the activity throughout the virtual world. Two weeks ago, Kirizaki Maya had visited this area to find data relating to the incident that led to Sanjou Kiishiro's accident, and to Aizawa Yuusuke's mysterious encounter with the artificial intelligence called Ghost. There, she had been confronted by Cornelius Klein - in reality, Miyataka Eizan - who had forced her into a duel, during which he had subsequently used the Devil God cards - the first of the three original Pylons that were to be used to offset the Nexus.

In hindsight, this was odd. The Devil Gods were phantasms that would release enormous amounts of energy. For none of the other directors to have detected this surge and gone to investigate - either they had all been in the physical world at the time, or -

- the entirety of the Vision Cathedral was insulated against the Devil Gods' energy output.

As mentioned, the Halls of Reflection contained massive amounts of data. Within that enormous, labyrinthine flow, carefully encrypted - was the control system for the Pylons. The system, whose heart lay in the Halls of Reflection, was spread out throughout the Vision Cathedral. Moving the Aria Tower on top of the Vision Cathedral had been perceived by ZONE as a desperate effort to prevent him from travelling there immediately - but it had been long part of Dunkan's calculations.

Something like this would require painstaking effort to set up - and of course, that was why it was so difficult for ZONE to find. But even if he were to locate it, isolating, decrypting and accessing the control data without the proper keys that Duel International possessed would take too long, and time was a valuable commodity.

But, just in case, one person had been stationed there to protect it.

Lynette Rayleigh was the daughter of Marie Rayleigh, a theology professor in New York University. Even among the rare category of humans who could perceive the Gap, and the different worlds that lay beyond, Lynette was an oddity. She could interact with other dimensions so strongly, it was as if she was physically experiencing the events that transpired there herself. This wasn't something she could control, at first, and she would often fall into lenghty comatose states because of the shock. Her mother, who had the general idea of what was wrong with her daughter, even though she was unable to figure out the details, had turned to Gregory Dunkan's promising virtual reality technology, as a potential 'cure' for Lynette's condition - if Lynette could be placed into a virtual reality simulation, perhaps she could gradually begin overcoming those lapses where she seemed to briefly live in a world of her own.

Dunkan, however, took the then young girl under his wing instead, and turned her into his most valuable ally. Using her deep insight into the workings of different realities, he was able to turn a large part of what he had only practiced on a theoretical scale so far into reality, and develop a lot of the technology that was eventually placed inside the virtual world. And in return, through her experiences in the virtual world, Lynette was better able to suppress and control what was happening to her.

A goal? A wish, that could be fulfilled by obtaining the power of the Nexus?

Lynette didn't have that.

The girl who was living in countless different worls at once, to survive, had become a person who couldn't have such things.

A panel had been brought up that displayed the events in the Original Sin, the cruel fight between Dunkan and that girl, who had replaced Jinrei Yenma after his death. Even though the Original Sin was a dimension of its own, the presence of the last Pylon there meant that Lynette could connect to it. And so she watched, idly, a cruel smirk tugging at her lips.

No goals, no wishes, no desires. The young girl had discarded all emotions that would have torn her apart and killed her, because of the things she lived through again and again. There was only...

---

"First attack! Shooting Star Dragon, obliterate Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus!"

"It won't be so easy, Dunkan!" Christina snapped. "Trap card, open! Gem Prayer requires me to send a Gem Beast from the Spell and Trap card zone to the Graveyard, and destroys one card on the field!" One of the two rubies shot forward, empowered by a blinding light, aiming to spear straight through the opposing dragon.

[spoiler=Gem Prayer]Gem Prayer
TRAP / Normal
Send 1 "Gem Beast" card from your Spell & Trap Card Zone to the Graveyard to target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that target.[/spoiler]

"Shooting Star Dragon's third effect activates! Once per turn, I can negate a destruction effect!"

"Wh - agh!" Christina shielded herself as Shooting Star Dragon unleashed a volley of light streams that cut straight through the meteor-like gem and her card, causing it to shatter into fragments. How strong is this thing?!

"The attack continues!" The dragon's body split into three clones, a red, orange, and golden one. Christina braced herself as the first clone swept through her Pegasus, incinerating it with its sheer velocity. "Gah!" And she received the damage. "When Sapphire Pegasus is destroyed... it is crystallized in the Spell zone... and Gem Tree gains an extra counter..." She panted weakly.

Christina Neville - LP: 3500
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5600

"Futile!" Dunkan retorted. "The second attack will settle this! Shooting Star Dragon, direct attack!"

"Battle Fader!" But Christina was still not entirely defenseless. For her deck that could quickly fill the back row and leave her no room to use Traps as protection, having an additional layer of defense that could be activated from the hand was necessary. "Your attack stops here!"

[spoiler=Battle Fader]Battle Fader
DARK / Fiend
Level 1
0/0
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, then end the Battle Phase. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, banish it when it leaves the field.[/spoiler]

"Turn end." Dunkan scowled. Christina took a deep breath.

Alright... I can't destroy this thing by effects, and it can even avoid battle... furthermore it can attack multiple times. On her field was only Battle Fader, two crystallized copies of Sapphire Pegasus, and Gem Tree with two counters. In her hand was Ruby Carbuncle. She needed a good draw here. "My turn - !!" Luckily, her deck had provided her with a good card.

Turn 3 - Christina Neville

"I activate Rare Value, which would let you choose one Gem Beast from my Spell and Trap card zone to send to the Graveyard, and in exchange I can draw two more cards. But right now both my crystals are the same, so..." One sapphire sank to the ground, and two more cards appeared in Christina's hand. Yes!

[spoiler=Rare Value]Rare Value
SPELL / Normal
If there are 2 or more face-up "Gem Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone: Your opponent chooses 1 "Gem Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Card Zone and sends it to the Graveyard, then you draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

"I set one monster and one card face-down." She said. "Then, the Field Spell, Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins!" A low rumbling noise echoed in the emptiness, and their surroundings changed to depict the ruins of an archaic colosseum - although in the middle of the darkness, it looked haunting and eerie. "Turn end!"

[spoiler=Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins]Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins
SPELL / Field
This card gets these effects, based on the number of "Gem Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Card Zone. • 1+: This card cannot be destroyed by a card effect. • 2+: Once per turn, you can halve the Battle Damage you take. • 3+: You can send 1 "Gem Beast" monster you control to the Graveyard to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. • 4+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can draw 1 card. • 5+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can Special Summon 1 "Gem Beast" card from your Spell & Trap Card Zone.[/spoiler]

Turn 4 - Gregory Dunkan

"...I see." Dunkan spoke, while a third card appeared in his hand. "To defeat you... if that face-down monster is another Gem Beast, I'd need two attacks to clear your field. Then you'd be able to halve the battle damage from one attack with the effect of your Field Spell, meaning I'd need to reveal at least four Tuners to beat you. And, counting on the possibility that I don't, you will be able to use Gem Tree next turn to fill up your back row and retaliate." Christina only glared at him defiantly.

"...you are underestimating me too much." Dunkan raised his arm, and five cards shot forth from the top of his deck, arraying themselves before the Accel Synchro monster. "You think you are safe? For me, who pursues a power beyond miracles, something like this - !!" The first card began glowing brightly, and slowly turned around, followed by the second, and the third.

"The first card! Tuner monster, Barrier Resonator!"

"The second card! Tuner monster, Effect Veiler!"

"The third card! Tuner monster, Dark Resonator!"

"Wh - three Tuners?!" Christina's eyes bulged in disbelief, observing card after card comprising the pentagram reveal its form.

"The fourth card! Tuner monster, Delta Fly!"

"W - wait..."

"And, the fifth card!" The light shielding the final card faded away. Dunkan and Christina stared at it for a few seconds.

"Tuner monster. Steam Synchron."

Th - this is a lie, right? Christina's body went numb. He just... just like that, he revealed five Tuner monsters?! Now all five cards turned into spheres of energy that were drawn into Shooting Star Dragon's body, which dispersed into five copies.

"This is just how deluded your hopes are!" Dunkan yelled. "Battle! Destroy her, Shooting Star Dragon!" And the first, golden-colored copy swept through Battle Fader, turning the pendulum demon to dust. "Second attack!"

"Agh, I - I activate Magical Silk Hat!" Christina shouted desperately, having almost forgotten about the card she had set. Suddenly, three black hats fell onto her field, one of them concealing her reverse monster, before they shuffled around. "I can choose two Spell or Trap cards from my deck and hide them under these hats, along with a monster I control! Now you have to destroy all of them before getting to my Life Points!"

[spoiler=Magical Silk Hat]Magical Silk Hat
TRAP / Normal
During your opponent's Battle Phase: Choose 2 non-Monster Cards from your Deck and 1 monster you control. Shuffle those 3 cards and Set them on the field in Defense Position. The 2 cards chosen from your Deck are treated as Normal Monsters (ATK 0/DEF 0) and are destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.[/spoiler]

"..." Wordlessly, Dunkan raised his hand, and the three copies of Shooting Star Dragon dashed forward, each plowing through a different hat.

"My face-down monster was Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle, it becomes a crystal when destroyed!" Christina placed the card in her back row, and a bright red crystal joined the blue one next to the tree, where a third gem began glowing. As for the other two cards, they were placed in her Graveyard, but since they were non-monster cards to begin with, she was safe from the effect of Arms Aid.

[spoiler=Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle]Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle
LIGHT / Fairy
Level 3
300/300
When this card is Special Summoned, you can Special Summon as many "Gem Beast" cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Card Zone. If this card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

Except, Shooting Star Dragon still had an attack left. "Fifth attack." And Dunkan wasted no time ordering it to move. Christina knew that this was her last, desperate shot.

"The effect of Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins activates!" She cried. "Because I have at least two crystallized Gem Beasts, battle damage is halved!"

Despite the spectral barrier that rose around her defensively, the impact with the incoming dragon hurt. She screamed as the monster clashed against her shield, almost blacking out as the aftershock rippled through every part of her body. In the end, the attack was over, and she collapsed on her knees. This... Yenma was killed by this attack... If Shooting Star Dragon had been at full power, she'd have shared that fate without a doubt.

Christina Neville - LP: 1350
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5600

"Down so easily." Dunkan shook his head. "You don't have what it takes to stand against me, any more than that boy did. I place one card face-down, turn end."

Turn 5 - Christina Neville

"Ugh..." For a few seconds, Christina could do little more than glare at her opponent, before she was able to stand back up on unsteady feet. The top card of her deck reformed in her left hand. "I won't... give up! I activate the effect of Gem Tree, sending it to the Graveyard, in order to select a number of Gem Beasts from my deck equal to the number of Gem Counters that were on it and place them on the field as permanent Spell cards." There were three counters on Gem Tree, and there would be three empty slots once it was sacrificed. "I choose Gem Beast Amethyst Cat, Emerald Turtle, and Cobalt Eagle!" The tree rumbled and sank into the ground, but not before dropping the illuminated crystal fruit, which resulted in three crystals colored pink, green, and light brown respectively forming next to the blue and red ones. "And now... with the effect of my Field card, since I control four or more crystallized Gem Beasts, I can draw once!" Come on - !! And she knew exactly what she needed to draw.

[spoiler=Gem Beast Amethyst Cat]Gem Beast Amethyst Cat
EARTH / Beast
Level 3
1200/400
This card can attack your opponent directly. When it does so using this effect, any Battle Damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. If this card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Gem Beast Emerald Turtle]Gem Beast Emerald Turtle
WATER / Aqua
Level 3
600/2000
Once per turn, you can change 1 of your monsters that attacked this turn to Defense Position. If this card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Gem Beast Cobalt Eagle]Gem Beast Cobalt Eagle
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 4
1400/800
Once per turn, you can return 1 face-up "Gem Beast" card you control to the top of its owner's Deck. If this card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"I activate the fifth effect of Rainbow Ruins, Special Summoning Sapphire Pegasus." Christina stated, as the sapphire crystal shattered to reveal the winged horse. "Then Sapphire Pegasus moves Gem Beast Topaz Tiger to the Spell and Trap card zone from my deck... and I Normal Summon Gem Beast Amber Mammoth." An orange crystal replaced the blue one, while a bulky dark-skinned mammoth joined the pegasus, tapping the ground impatiently with its hooves.

[spoiler=Gem Beast Topaz Tiger]Topaz Tiger
EARTH / Beast
Level 4
1600/1000
If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Gem Beast Amber Mammoth]Gem Beast Amber Mammoth
EARTH / Beast
Level 4
1700/1600
When another face-up "Gem Beast" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can make this card the attack target instead. If this face-up card is destroyed while it is in a Monster Card Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell Card, instead of sending it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"All seven Gem Beasts..." Dunkan narrowed his eyes.

"Yes." Christina spread her hands, and blue, red, green, yellow, brown, pink and orange beams of light shot from the five crystals and the two monsters on her field, converging into a long, curving array. And through the veil of nothingness, called forth from beyond space and time - the majestic form of the crystal dragon deity appeared. "I summon Rainbow Dragon!!"

[spoiler=Rainbow Dragon]Rainbow Dragon
LIGHT / Dragon
Level 10
4000/0
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 7 "Gem Beast" cards with different names on your field or in your Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card cannot activate its effects the turn it is Special Summoned. • During either player's turn: You can send all "Gem Beast" monsters you control to the Graveyard; this card gains 1000 ATK for each card sent. • You can banish all "Gem Beast" monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle all cards on the field into the Decks.[/spoiler]

"Keh, that monster... the one that defeated Lee." Dunkan had obviously watched her battle. "But it can't touch Shooting Star Dragon! Even if you intend to create an opening by forcing me to remove my monster so that you can attack directly, it doesn't have enough attack power!"

"No." But Christina rejected that statement. "No, this turn, Shooting Star Dragon will be destroyed... and the key to that end, are these - !!" And she held up two cards, the same two cards that had been sent to the Graveyard before... when they were placed on the field by the effect of Magical Silk Hats, and destroyed by Shooting Star Dragon. Dunkan's eyes widened in outrage, as their identities revealed themselves to him.

"First, Trap card, Breakthrough Skill! It can be removed from play from my Graveyard during my own turn, to negate the effects of one monster you control!" Christina pointed at Shooting Star Dragon, and the great beast lost some altitude, as red sparks ran through its body, weakening it. "And second, Trap card, Skill Successor! Like before, It can be removed from play from my Graveyard, in order to boost the attack of a monster on my field by 800 points!" And Rainbow Dragon was filled with a dark red luster, growling slightly as it powered up.

And now her monster was stronger than his.

[spoiler=Breakthrough Skill]Breakthrough Skill
TRAP / Normal
Target 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate the effects of that opponent's face-up monster, until the end of this turn. During your turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 face-up Effect Monster your opponent controls; negate that target's effects until the end of this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Skill Successor]Skill Successor
TRAP / Normal
Target 1 face-up monster you control; it gains 400 ATK until the End Phase. During your turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from the Graveyard, then target 1 face-up monster you control; that target gains 800 ATK until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Battle!" Christina shouted with all her might. "Rainbow Dragon, destroy Shooting Star Dragon!"

"Trap, activate!" Dunkan snarled. "You won't defeat my monster that easily, Emissaries of Harmony will stop all battle damage and destruction!"

[spoiler=Emissaries of Harmony]Emissaries of Harmony
TRAP / Normal
You take no battle damage from your opponent's monsters this turn. Your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.[/spoiler]

"Not a chance! Rainbow Ruins can negate that effect by sending one Gem Beast monster to the Graveyard!" Amber Mammoth disappeared in motes of light, and Dunkan's card was forced back face-down and exploded. Rainbow Dragon continued charging its massive multi-colored energy beam. Yenma... this is for you!

A massive blast echoed through the emptiness, oddly muted due to the strange properties of this space. And Shooting Star Dragon was struck head-on by the all-erasing beam of light, its entire body breaking apart into molecules. With a mournful screech, it vanished, and Dunkan had to shield himself from the aftermath of the attack.

Christina Neville - LP: 1350
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5100

"And now, Sapphire Pegasus! Direct attack!" The horse charged onwards, horn protruding forward, but Dunkan slammed a card from his hand onto the field.

"Battle Fader!" And just like Christina had done before, the pendulum demon unleashed a sonic wave that stopped the Gem Beast in its tracks.

"Then I end my turn." Christina exhaled. She might not have been able to deal much damage, but she had finally destroyed Shooting Star Dragon. And with Rainbow Dragon on her field, and the ability to negate one of Dunkan's Spell or Trap cards... I can end this! And Dunkan seemed to think the same, because his expression was contorted in outrage.

Turn 6 - Gregory Dunkan

"My turn! I sacrifice Battle Fader!" The small demon vanished into dark specs. "Advance Summon, Salvage Warrior! And with its effect, I revive Junk Synchron!" A thickly-built, chain-wielding ogre appeared in its place, and cast its chain into the ground, digging up the Tuner mechanic. "And now I tune the Level 5, Salvage Warrior, to the Level 3, Junk Synchron!" The two monsters dispersed into light, forming five bright stars that crossed through three rings. "Synchro Summon!" And the black-armored android sporting four silver wings on its back, ironically the very same monster that Yenma had used earlier against Lynette, appeared from the Synchro array. "Junk Destroyer!" Christina cursed - she was able to stop Spell and Trap cards with her field, but not monster effects!

[spoiler=Salvage Warrior]Salvage Warrior
WATER / Warrior
Level 5
1900/1600
When this card is Tribute Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Tuner monster from your hand or Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Junk Destroyer]Junk Destroyer
EARTH / Warrior / Synchro
Level 8
2600/2500
"Junk Synchron" + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can select and destroy cards on the field, up to the number of non-Tuner monsters used as Synchro Material Monsters for this card.[/spoiler]

"Junk Destroyer's effect activates when summoned, destroying your Rainbow Dragon!" Christina barely had time to register the command, as the robotic warrior dashed forward with incredible speed, plowing through her monster. Rainbow Dragon screeched as it dispersed into particles, its body disappearing into nothing.

"And now, battle!" Dunkan pressed on. "Attack Sapphire Pegasus!" Making a one-eighty turn, the warrior rammed its fists on the Gem Beast, destroying it immediately. Christina winced as she received the damage, even though it was halved by the effect of the field. With her Spell and Trap card zone full, Sapphire Pegasus was unable to crystallize and disappeared into her Graveyard.

Christina Neville - LP: 950
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5100

"For now... I set one card. Turn end."

Turn 7 - Christina Neville

"My turn, draw!" Christina looked at her new card, but it was nothing that could help her destroy Junk Destroyer. "My Field's effect activates, letting me draw once more!" Even though her new card did not offer an immediate answer, at least...

"I activate the effect of my field spell, Special Summoning Topaz Tiger! And then I Normal Summon Trust Guardian!" A small angelic fairy with pink wings appeared next to the fierce striped tiger. "Now... I tune the Level 4, Gem Beast Topaz Tiger, to the Level 3, Trust Guardian!" Holy light rained from the empty sky overhead, forging three rings of gold that were crossed by four brilliant stars. "Synchro Summon!" And the guardian deity that had saved her life manifested before her. "Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

[spoiler=Trust Guardian]Trust Guardian
LIGHT / Fairy / Tuner
Level 3
0/800
This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster. Once per turn, that Synchro Monster cannot be destroyed by battle. Each time this effect is applied, that Synchro Monster loses 400 ATK and DEF at the end of the Damage Step.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Ancient Fairy Dragon]Ancient Fairy Dragon
LIGHT / Dragon / Synchro
Level 7
2100/3000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters
Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your hand. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. Once per turn, you can destroy a Field Spell Card. If you do, gain 1000 Life Points, and you can add 1 Field Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

A beautiful warm brilliance filled her soul as soon as the regal beauty of Ancient Fairy had formed. It was as if all the pain, the anger, the hatred, the chaos, the loss - they were all washed away by that unshakeable tranquility. Even the emptiness around them, the isolated void that separated them from the Nexus and the virtual world, seemed warmer now. And that warmth resonated across dimensions, reaching even Kiishiro through the mark on his arm, who was now pushing his way across the ninth floor of the Tower. Hesitantly, Christina placed her hand on Ancient Fairy's fur, as the dragon hovered close to her.

"Can you... save him?" She whispered, even though she already knew the answer. Ancient Fairy Dragon had saved her from practical death. Against all hope, she prayed the same could be done for Yenma.

Her mark began glowing bright, so bright it hurt. Christina felt the dragon's answer. Ancient Fairy had many powers, but reviving those that had already died was not one of them. And Christina, who had made her path by cutting away innocent lives, was not allowed to beg for such a miracle in the first place. No... for her, the only path was to avenge the dead. She closed her eyes.

Ancient Fairy Dragon had been Synchro Summoned in defense position, and with its high defensive power as well as the effect inherited from Trust Guardian, she should be able to defend her, until she was able to counterattack. So Christina quietly ended her turn.

Turn 8 - Gregory Dunkan

"So you finally summoned your Signer Dragon, and you choose to hide behind it?" Dunkan snarled. "How pathetic, it won't be enough to protect you! Nothing will be enough!" But the card he had drawn was apparently not the right one to live up to those words, because he stared at it for a second, before setting it next to the robotic destroyer and ending his turn.

Turn 9 - Christina Neville

"Draw!" Now - I will decide it - !!

Perhaps it was because she had summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon, but her heart, that had been numbed by the pain and the impossibility of the situation around her, was now beating fast with confidence and resolve. And she knew - that in this turn, she would muster the force necessary to crush Dunkan, and end this nightmare once and for all. "I activate the effect of Ancient City!" She reached for her deck, and an immense power surged between her fingers. This - this is - !!

"Dunkan." She said softly, holding the card aloft. The man had sensed something was off, because he stared at it with narrowed eyes, wary of the power that had begun to emanate from it. "To get here, to get to you, I did... I hated myself for what I did. Maybe I feared you too much, or hated you too much. You've sacrificed so many people to get here. But I did the same."

"So..." She looked at Ancient Fairy Dragon, who responded by sending a warm aura through the mark. She had chosen her path. She would pay the price for it.

"So, right now, we stand on equal footing - !!" And the path she had chosen, was the source of the power she was about to call forth.

Lances of lightning thick as tree trunks filled the sky, creating a dome around them. The very space began distorting and bending. Dunkan looked around, wide-eyed for a moment, until he turned back to her. "You... you brought that here - !!" He snarled. Thunder rumbled, and lightning bolts struck the field, landing on the back of Christina's side, incinerating three of the crystals that were positioned there.

"I send Gem Beasts Amethyst Cat, Emerald Turtle and Cobalt Eagle, which are all treated as Continuous Spell cards, to the Graveyard!" She shouted. "This fulfills the requirement to summon this monster..." Pain surged through her body and mind as she held up the card, and it was as if the lightning was hammering down on her soul, threatening to burn it to cinders. She shouldn't be able to summon this card, she shouldn't have the power, she shouldn't have the right.

But thanks to the lives she had stolen, she did.

"I SUMMON THE KING OF DESCENDING THUNDER, HAMON!!"

And the lightning arced and turned inwards, fusing together over Christina's head to give birth to the skeletal dragon deity of thunder. Surrounded by primordial lightning, Hamon unfolded its wings, roaring with fury. Christina almost collapsed, using the platform to steady herself. She was experiencing first-hand, just how impossible it was to keep a transcendent phantasm under control. But... I cannot - waver - !!

[spoiler=King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon]King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon
LIGHT / Thunder
Level 10
4000/4000
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by sending 3 face-up Continuous Spell Cards you control to the Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card destroys your opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. While this card is in face-up Defense Position, your opponent cannot target other monsters for attacks.[/spoiler]

"Hamon..." Dunkan muttered. "I thought you'd at most manage to sacrifice it in order to destroy Raviel, and even if you didn't, that you'd kill yourself trying to summon it... looks like I underestimated you on both counts."

"Say... whatever you want." Christina panted. "You're through, Dunkan!" A second copy of Topaz Tiger appeared in front of her, and then Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins and the remaining crystallized Gem Beast, Ruby Carbuncle, were sent to the Graveyard, to allow for the summon of a giant carnivorous centipede. Ancient Fairy Dragon was also switched to attack position - and now Christina's field had enough monsters to completely overpower Dunkan and erase all his Life Points.

[spoiler=Giant Anteater-Eating Ant]Giant Anteater-Eating Ant
EARTH / Insect
Level 5
2000/500
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by sending 2 Spell or Trap Cards you control to the Graveyard. You can destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.[/spoiler]

"Battle." Her voice was a weak wheeze. "Hamon... obliterate Junk Destroyer!" A massive surge of lightning fell from the sky, a pillar so thick it encompassed half the platform they were standing on. Dunkan screamed as his monster was incinerated in an instant. When the smoke cleared, he was barely standing, and his skin was blackened and scorched - even he wouldn't be able to take an attack from a greater phantasm unscathed. He was glaring at her with hate-filled eyes, but Christina wasn't done with him. "Hamon's effect activates when it destroys another monster by battle... dealing an extra 1000 damage!" And Dunkan was struck by another, lesser bolt, which nonetheless forced him to his knees.

Christina Neville - LP: 950
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 2700

"To think... a nothing like you, can defy me this much - !!" Dunkan grunted, pushing himself up on his feet. "I won't yield to you!"

"Then... I will just have to kill you." Christina pointed at Dunkan's set monster, finger trembling. "Ancient Fairy..." And her dragon spread its wings, unleashing a wave of light magic that swept the hidden monster out of existence... but not before the strange jar with the laughing face stuck inside appeared. That's... Metamorpot! And Christina recognized the thing. It would force them both to discard all cards in their hands - though neither of them had any right now - and draw anew, until they held five. And so five cards appeared both in Christina's and Dunkan's hands. I see, he had this method to refill his options... but I can defeat him, before he can use them!!

"Battle continues! Topaz Tiger, direct attack!" The white tiger dashed across the field, sinking its sharp teeth into Dunkan's shoulder, who cringed and stumbled back. Just one more - !! But she was cut off, as a mass of shadows began gathering on Dunkan's field.

Christina Neville - LP: 950
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1100

"When I take... battle damage..." Dunkan panted. He was exhausted, but there was a feral gleam in his eyes. Despite herself, Christina stepped back. What is that thing?! The amorphous dark fog began shifting into a coherent shape, an abyssal demon with sharp spikes protruding from its pitch-black body. "I can summon... Tragoedia!" And even worse, the frightening monster's attack had become 2400, beyond Anteater-Eating Ant's reach. Tragoedia... Christina had never heard of that card, but the aura she felt from it almost made her sick.

[spoiler=Tragoedia]Tragoedia
DARK / Fiend
Level 10
?/?
You can Special Summon this card from your hand when you take Battle Damage. This card gains 600 ATK and DEF for each card in your hand. Once per turn, you can send 1 monster from your hand to the Graveyard to take control of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls with the same Level as the sent monster. Once per turn, you can select 1 monster in your Graveyard; this card's Level becomes the same as that monster's, until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Surprised? Tragoedia is quite a rare card, one we made for special occasions." Dunkan's calmness had returned. "You said we are both murderers... then, this card is fitting for us! Fitting to kill you, that is!"

"Guh..." Her attack had been stopped, but Christina wasn't out of options just yet. "Since it didn't attack, I can activate the effect of Giant Anteater-Eating Ant to destroy one Spell or Trap card you control!" Her target was the reverse card Dunkan had set two turns ago, but it was flipped face-up to reveal Demon's Chain, which sealed the power of Anteater before it could destroy it. Only then did Christina realize that there were two more copies of that card, already turned face-up, on Dunkan's field. Wait - he didn't use this card on Hamon? Christina frowned. Just what... At any rate, she had to defend herself, as her Life Points were too low for comfort. "I activate Earthquake, switching all monsters on the field to Defense position!" All her monsters assumed defensive stances. Now, thanks to the effect of Hamon, Dunkan could attack none of them except Hamon itself, and with 4000 defense points, defeating it wouldn't be easy. "Furthermore, I activate Gem Tree, and Gem Blessing!" Another copy of the crystal-bearing tree materialized behind her monsters, and the next Spell she activated forced Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus and Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle that rested in her Graveyard to reform into crystals, and Gem Tree gained one counter. "Then, I set one card!"

[spoiler=Earthquake]Earthquake
SPELL / Normal
Change all face-up monsters on the field to Defense Position.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Gem Blessing]Gem Blessing
SPELL / Normal
Select up to 2 "Gem Beast" monsters in your Graveyard and place them in your Spell & Trap Card Zone, face-up, as Continuous Spell Cards.[/spoiler]

Having exhausted all but one cards from her replenished hand, Christina allowed herself to take a deep breath. She had not been able to win this turn. But the card she had just set was Dimensional Imprisonment, which would negate one attack and remove the attacking monster from the game. Even assuming Dunkan managed to get past that and destroy Hamon in order to get to her other monsters, if Topaz Tiger was destroyed, Christina would be able to instantly refill her back row with Gem Beasts with the effect of Gem Tree. In the end, she had still managed to establish a solid advantage.

But there was something... something about that monster's oppressive dark aura, that frightened her. And worst of all, the expression on Dunkan's face, as he examined the new cards he had drawn, was one of triumph. And deep down, a nagging, oppressive instinctual dread - that she had missed her chance.

"Turn... end."

---

"ZONE!" Kiishiro shouted through the communicator. "What the hell is going on?! I... just what the hell happened?!"

His agitation was understandable. After a harrowing treck upwards, he had finally reached his destination - the chamber where the portal to the Original Sin was located. As per ZONE's instructions, he had tried to gather the energy and use the Crimson Dragon's mark to open a gateway there. But... "Nothing, is happening!" And what was even more worrying, for a couple of minutes now, the stream of emotions he felt from his link to Christina was... weak. Dulled. She was still alive, and Kiishiro could even sense Ancient Fairy Dragon, but... it was as if something was in the way, a darkness so deep that it could even overpower the bond shared by the Signers, a bond that could transcend dimensions.

"Probably... something was summoned." Kiishiro could sense the grave weight in ZONE's words, even though his voice was the same as always. "Something that is exerting its influence over the boundaries of the Original Sin, blocking all outside interference... this is bad. We need to change our plan - Kiishiro, we will regroup in the central chamber of the ninth floor." That was only a short climb down for Kiishiro.

"What... can we do?" Kiishiro muttered, his voice cracking with despair. The dread he felt... even though it was muted, he realized exactly where it originated from.

"Pray." ZONE retorted. "Pray that Christina wins... because right now, she's the only chance we have."

---

Turn 10 - Gregory Dunkan

"It is my turn." Dunkan's voice was eerily calm as he added a fifth card to his hand. "You've probably already realized this - this monster is not normal." He pointed at Tragoedia. "It might not be as conceptually strong as Shooting Star Dragon or Hamon, but nonetheless, it is the third monster that I added myself, to the Pylon that Jacqueline built. Also, unlike all other monsters used for the Pylons, it is the first and only greater phantasm... that was born in our own, physical world."

"What?!" Christina was taken aback by this. "But it is - !!" Something as evil as that, was created from our world...

"Tragoedia is a representation of mankind's darkness." Dunkan explained. "More precisely - when a person dies, all the grudges, the unfulfilled desires, the envy, the pride, the anger, the hatred - every negative emotion, every 'sin' that was locked in their heart, is released... and Tragoedia is the collective embodiment of those. It is attracted by darkness, and it even found a suitable host, but she was unable to awaken its true power - and so I reclaimed it. I told you I am striving to build a universe where meaningless 'death' does not exist. This creature... it is everything I wish to overcome, everything I wish to change. It is proof of what I've had to surpass in order to get here. Do you truly believe you can stop me, when I have tamed this darkness?"

"Keh, no matter how you try to make it sound like you're on some high ground, you said it yourself - Tragoedia isn't as strong as Hamon." Christina clenched her fists. "Try getting through him before you brag!" It's just that monster. She tried to convince herself, to silence the fear that was plaguing her mind, drowning even Ancient Fairy Dragon's soothing aura. That darkness is making me afraid, but I still have the advantage! But Dunkan shook his head.

"I never intended to get through Hamon in the first place." He admitted, plucking a card from his hand. "I told you earlier that I did not think you'd manage to actually bring Hamon here, much less control it. But I'm thankful that you did. Because now... I can rebuild the Pylon that I had to disband, and secure my control of the Nexus even further!" And he cast the card aside to the Graveyard. "Tragoedia's effect! By discarding a monster, I can take control of a monster on the opposing side of the field, as long as their Levels match! The card I discarded is Level 10, therefore - !!"

Thick black tendrils sprang from Tragoedia's body, surging to the sky and attaching themselves to Hamon. Like giant siphons, they funneled the very same dark essence that Tragoedia consisted of into its body and mind. Hamon struggled to break free, but soon the lightning that surrounded it was dyed black, and before Christina's disbelieving eyes, her strongest monster, her last hope - was subdued, and dragged over to the enemy side.

"I could end the duel here and now by attacking your Anteater with Hamon, and killing you with the effect damage from its effect..." For a moment, Christina felt a small hope rise in her chest - if Dunkan did that, Hamon would just be removed by Dimensional Imprisonment, and she'd be safe again. "...but of course, it won't stop here." Dunkan played another card from his hand. "Tragoedia has served its purpose... I summon Unibird, and remove it from the game, along with Tragoedia itself." A small blue bird surrounded by a golden aura was summoned, but immediately, a dimensional vortex appeared behind it, absorbing it and the demon of death. "Unibird's effect counts the total Levels of the removed monsters and summons a Synchro monster from my Graveyard whose Level is equal to or lower than that." Christina flinched - Tragoedia was a Level 10 monster, with this, he could even summon Shooting Star Dragon! "I have a different target in mind. Be reborn, Red Demons Dragon!" She was forced to shield her face from the pillar of molten lava that exploded from the ground, revealing the hellish form of the dragon she had not yet seen, but whose aura of power she had clearly felt even from the Aria Tower.

[spoiler=Unibird]Unibird
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 2
100/600
You can remove from play this face-up card, and 1 face-up monster you control, to select 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard with a Level less than or equal to the combined original Levels of the other 2 monsters. Special Summon that Synchro Monster.[/spoiler]

"And now that Red Demons is on my field, I can activate the Spell card - Crimson Hell Secure!" What?! Christina did not recognize the card, but its effect became immediately obvious - Dunkan's Signer Dragon flew to the sky, its claws charged with dark energy - then it unleashed a burning wave that swept through the back of her field - immediately incinerating the two crystallized Gem Beasts, Gem Tree, and even her reverse card. No - !!

[spoiler=Crimson Hell Secure]Crimson Hell Secure
TRAP / Normal
Activate only if you control a face-up "Red Demons Dragon". Destroy all Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls.[/spoiler]

"...Dimensional Imprisonment." Dunkan mused. "To think, you still had a trick up your sleeve... nonetheless, Crimson Hell Secure is a card that can only be activated if I control Red Demons Dragon, and can immediately destroy all of your Spell and Trap cards." Like Stardust Xiaolong and Stardust Phantom, it was a card specifically designed to support the Signer Dragons Dunkan had managed to acquire.

And so, Christina's last chance had been turned to ashes. She had fought, and she had lost, she had been completely defeated, and to add insult to injury the very monster she had killed so many people to control was now staring at her from the enemy's side, and it would be the very one to crush the life out of her. In the end, maybe it is fitting... this is simply... the end I deserve. Abraham Lee had tried to steer her to a different path, but she had been unable to find it, and now she would meet her end at the path of death she had chosen.

"There is only one last thing to do." Dunkan's voice seemed to come from somewhere beyond her range of hearing, and yet somehow the words still hammered at her, each one mocking her, driving deeper the volume of just how completely she had lost. "Perhaps you're wondering, if a Pylon has three points, and if Hamon was the first, and Raviel the second - where is the third one? The answer is..." Another card turned over. "Right here - !!" And the three Demon's Chain Trap cards vanished from his field, consumed by pillars of otherworldly fire that rose to shape a long, serpentine body - a crimson dragon that rivalled Hamon in size, settling to a hovering position next to the golden thunder emperor. "King of the Divine Flames, Uria!!"

[spoiler=King of the Divine Flames, Uria]King of the Divine Flames, Uria
FIRE / Pyro
Level 10
0/0
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by sending 3 face-up Trap Cards you control to the Graveyard, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 1000 ATK for each Continuous Trap Card in your Graveyard. Once per turn: You can target 1 Set Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; destroy that target. Spell and Trap Cards cannot be activated in response to this effect's activation.[/spoiler]

"Much like Hamon requires Spell cards, Uria can only be brought out by sending three Continuous Trap cards to the Graveyard." Dunkan savored the appearance of the second Phantom Demon. "And then, it gains a thousand attack points for every one of these Trap cards that exist in my Graveyard... right now, there are four." And so Uria's power rose to match Hamon's. "But... you don't need to worry about that. Right now, I will remove from the game Hellway Patrol in my Graveyard, allowing me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Demon type monster from my hand... such as this." An amorphous black mass, like liquid tar, manifested on the ground underneath the three airborne monsters. "Phantom of Chaos can mold itself to take the form of any monster in my Graveyard, including its name, power and effects, for one turn..."

[spoiler=Phantom of Chaos]Phantom of Chaos
DARK / Fiend
Level 4
0/0
Any Battle Damage your opponent takes from battles involving this card becomes 0. Once per turn: You can target 1 Effect Monster in your Graveyard; banish that target, and if you do, until the End Phase, this card's name and ATK become that monster's name and ATK, and it gains that monster's effects. You must control this face-up card to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

"Now, after your admirable effort earlier, this monster suffered heavy damage, and I would not have been able to call upon its powers... however, I did keep its card." Dunkan held out the card he had discarded earlier with Tragoedia. "I'm sure... you are familiar with this form..." And Phantom of Chaos grew larger and larger, its form shifting and changing, until... Christina felt like she was going to throw up. This was the form of Raviel, that she had thought she would not see again - it was only a imitation, formed out of the same black liquid that Phantom of Chaos was made of, but...

[spoiler=King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel]King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel
DARK / Fiend
Level 10
4000/4000
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 3 Fiend-Type monsters, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Each time your opponent Normal Summons a monster(s): Special Summon 1 "Phantasm Token" (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 1/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) for each monster Summoned. These Tokens cannot declare an attack. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 monster; this card gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the Tributed monster, until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Now Phantom of Chaos holds a fragment of Raviel's power, and that is enough." Dunkan had emptied his hand again... but he had assembled all three Phantom Demons on the field. "I told you I intended to reforge the Pylon that Lee forced me to take apart by stealing Hamon. That is not something that can be simply done, though, even if I have all the points - I'd need to travel back to the control room and rebuild the system from scratch..."

"...unless, that is..."

Reality was torn apart as a gigantic dimensional vortex, a black hole, manifested over their heads. The three Phantom Demons were dragged by its powerful gravitational pull, struggling as they were dragged towards its core, their bodies breaking apart to nothing...

"...I forcibly fuse them!!" Dunkan had come up with this method after Lee had stolen Hamon, a way to instantly rebuild a Pylon in an emergency. And the three Phantom Demons were molded together, to form... "Descend!" A new creature appeared from the vortex, so large it dwarfed the entirety of the space around them, that was beginning to break apart. It had Uria's long body, Raviel's thick torso and head, and Hamon's wings... and emanated a power that was far beyond any of its three parts. "Chaos Phantom Demon, Armityle!!"

[spoiler=Chaos Phantom Demon, Armityle]Chaos Phantom Demon, Armityle
DARK / Fiend / Fusion
Level 12
0/0
"King of the Divine Flames, Uria" + "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon" + "King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel"
Must first be Special Summoned (from your Extra Deck) by banishing the above cards you control. (You do not use "Polymerization".) This card cannot be destroyed by battle. This card gains 10,000 ATK during your turn only.[/spoiler]

---

"N - now what..." Takechi mumbled. Sugita, Takechi and ZONE had met up with Kiishiro, but before they could even begin formulating a course of action - an explosive force of darkness radiated from the point where Kiishiro felt Christina's last, desperate struggle to remain alive. The monster that had been casting that oppressive shadow before had disappeared a bit earlier, but now it was replaced by something much, much worse...

---

"Battle!" Dunkan shouted. "It's time to finish this! Red Demons Dragon, attack Ancient Fairy Dragon!" The demonic dragon dashed forward, ramming its claws into the sacred creature's chest. Ancient Fairy... Christina looked up.

Her dragon, was still fighting. Struggling with all her might, she unleashed a wave of light from her wings, pushing her demonic rival backwards. And as she did, the warmth of hope reached through her bond. Do not despair. Do not regret. Every path ends... and every path's end, is the beginning of a new path. Tears filled Christina's eyes. It was hopeless. Ancient Fairy's defensive magic was enough to offset Red Demons' destructive attack power - but even the holy dragon could do nothing to stop what was coming next. The mighty black-and-red dragon released a wave of fire and brimstone from its jaws, an infernal eruption that struck Christina's field like a meteor. The unstoppable ability that eradicated all defensive monsters... Anteater-eating Ant and Topaz Tiger were incinerated immediately, the latter only barely managing to reform into a crystal. Ancient Fairy Dragon lasted a second longer, enough to send one last warm pulse through the mark, before it, too, evaporated into light.

Leaving Christina all alone, to face the strongest fused demon.

"Armityle's attack power, during my turn, it will become..." Christina could see the sphere of black energy forming before the creature, containing an amount of power that she had never experienced before. "Ten thousand."

Yenma had been reduced to a smoldering corpse after being hit by a third of that power. What would be left of her, after this strike? In an odd, detached way, Christina could almost see her body being vaporized entirely, leaving not even ashes. What an odd thing to regret, at this final moment - that there would be nothing left of her, nothing to be mourned, nothing to be remembered. It was especially odd, considering the fact that the entire world was going to be destroyed soon anyway.

" - attack."

Devouring everything in its wake, the sphere of destruction swept onward. Christina closed her eyes, awaiting the inevitable end. Was it her imagination, or did a bright light manifest in front of her, at the very last second before -

Christina Neville - LP: 0
Gregory Dunkan - LP: 1100

---

" - !!" It was not just Kiishiro who felt it, this time. Armityle's attack was not something one needed the Signer bond to sense - the impact had shaken the entirety of the virtual world to its foundations, and condemned all their efforts, all their sacrifices - to nothingness.

Christina had been defeated. There was no way to access the Original Sin. Dunkan would take control of the Nexus. There was nothing they could do to stop that, and there was nothing they could do to stop Dunkan once he did.

Everything, was over.

---

"..."

Dunkan surveyed the translucent platform that was the Original Sin. Armityle's attack had caused cracks to appear along its surface, but they were quickly mending themselves. The power of the Nexus was way beyond even that of the Chaos Phantom Demon - and well it should be. Dunkan had not come all this way for something so weak.

"...it seems, you've actually managed to cling to life." Dunkan's voice betrayed no emotion - he was merely stating a fact. Christina's body, despite being struck by ten thousand points worth of attack power, was intact, though severely battered and bruised - she lay unconscious, and would probably never awake even if she was given the chance to, but she was alive. It had been only for an instant, but Dunkan had clearly seen the form of Elemental Master Dryad appear before the girl, using up all of her lifeforce to conjure a defensive shield, that just barely managed to keep her alive by a thread.

It was truly amusing, because it was completely futile.

Armityle vanished, its integration concluded - it would now resume its role as a Pylon, to keep the Nexus from destroying everything until Dunkan could put it under his control. And that - was going to happen, now. Any enemy that would challenge him, any possible presence that could disrupt the process, was eliminated. There was nothing in the way.

Dunkan spread his arms - and the sky opened, revealing a world of brilliant white emptiness.

The Nexus.

After countless years, countless battles, countless sacrifices - it was his.

Dunkan screamed, as the energy began flowing into him.

[/spoiler]

[spoiler="C78 Duel Transcript"]TURN 2 - Gregory Dunkan [6400 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]
> Normal Summon "Junk Synchron" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Tuning Supporter" from the Graveyard
> Tune "Tuning Supporter" to "Junk Synchron" to Synchro Summon "Arms Aid" and draw 1 card with the effect of "Tuning Supporter"
> Equip "Arms Aid" to "Shooting Star Dragon" (ATK 3300->4300)
> Activate the effect of "Shooting Star Dragon", revealing 3 Tuners
> Attack "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" with "Shooting Star Dragon", but Christina activates "Gem Prayer", sending "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" from her S/T to the Graveyard to destroy "Shooting Star Dragon". However, "Shooting Star Dragon" negates the effect of "Gem Prayer". The attack continues. "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" is destroyed and moves to the S/T with its effect (Christina LP 4000->3500) (Gem Tree counters 1->2)
> Attack directly with "Shooting Star Dragon", but Christina Special Summons "Battle Fader" from her hand, ending the Battle Phase
TURN 2 END - Gregory Dunkan [5600 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/0 s/t]

TURN 3 - Christina Neville [3500 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/0 s/t]
> Activate "Rare Value", sending "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" from her S/T to the Graveyard to draw twice
> Set 1 monster
> Set 1 card
> Activate "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins"
TURN 3 END - Christina Neville [3500 LP, 0 hand, 1/1 monsters, 1+2/1 s/t]

TURN 4 - Gregory Dunkan [5600 LP, 3 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/0 s/t]
> Activate the effect of "Shooting Star Dragon", revealing 5 Tuners
> Attack and destroy "Battle Fader" with "Shooting Star Dragon". "Battle Fader" is Banished with its own effect
> Attack Christina's Set monster with "Shooting Star Dragon", but Christina activates Magical Silk Hat", setting "Breakthrough Skill" and "Skill Successor" from her deck to the monster card zone.
> Attack and destroy all three of Christina's Set cards with "Shooting Star Dragon". "Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle" is destroyed and moves to the S/T with its effect (Gem Tree counters 2->3)
> Attack directly with "Shooting Star Dragon", but Christina activates the effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", halving the battle damage (Christina LP 3500->1350)
> Set 1 card
TURN 4 END - Gregory Dunkan [5600 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/1 s/t]

TURN 5 - Christina Neville [1350 LP, 1 hand, 0/0 monsters, 1+3/0 s/t]
> Send "Gem Tree" to the Graveyard to place "Gem Beast Cobalt Eagle", "Gem Beast Amethyst Cat" and "Gem Beast Emerald Turtle" from her deck to S/T
> Activate effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", drawing 1 card
> Activate effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", Special Summoning "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" from her S/T, and activate its effect, moving "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger" from her deck to S/T
> Normal Summon "Gem Beast Amber Mammoth"
> Special Summon "Rainbow Dragon" with its own effect
> Banish "Breakthrough Skill" from her Graveyard to negate the effect of "Shooting Star Dragon" until the End Phase
> Banish "Skill Successor" from her Graveyard to increase the ATK of "Rainbow Dragon" by 800 until the End Phase
> Attack "Shooting Star Dragon" with "Rainbow Dragon", but Dunkan activates "Emissaries of Harmony", but Christina activates the effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", sending "Gem Beast Amber Mammoth" from her field to the Graveyard to negate its effect. "Shooting Star Dragon" is destroyed (Dunkan LP 5600->5100)
> Attack directly with "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus", but Dunkan Special Summons "Battle Fader" from his hand, ending the Battle Phase
TURN 5 END - Christina Neville [1350 LP, 0 hand, 2/0 monsters, 1+5/0 s/t]

TURN 6 - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 2 hand, 0/0 monsters, 2/0 s/t]
> Tribute "Battle Fader" to Advance Summon "Salvage Warrior" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Junk Synchron" from the Graveyard
> Tune "Salvage Warrior" to "Junk Synchron" to Synchro Summon "Junk Destroyer" and activate its effect, destroying "Rainbow Dragon"
> Attack and destroy "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" with "Junk Destroyer" (Christina LP 1350->950)
> Set 1 card
TURN 6 END - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 0 hand, 1/0 monsters, 2/1 s/t]

TURN 7 - Christina Neville [950 LP, 1 hand, 0/0 monsters, 1+5/0 s/t]
> Activate effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", drawing 1 card
> Activate effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", Special Summoning "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger" from her S/T
> Normal Summon "Trust Guardian"
> Tune "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger" to "Trust Guardian" to Synchro Summon "Ancient Fairy Dragon"
TURN 7 END - Christina Neville [950 LP, 1 hand, 1/0 monsters, 1+4/0 s/t]

TURN 8 - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 1 hand, 1/0 monsters, 2/1 s/t]
> Set 1 monster
TURN 8 END - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 0 hand, 1/1 monsters, 2/1 s/t]

TURN 9 - Christina Neville [950 LP, 2 hand, 1/0 monsters, 1+4/0 s/t]
> Activate effect of "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins", drawing 1 card
> Send "Gem Beast Cobalt Eagle", "Gem Beast Amethyst Cat" and "Gem Beast Emerald Turtle" from her S/T to the Graveyard to Special Summon "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon" from her hand
> Normal Summon "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger"
> Send "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins" and "Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle" from her S/T to the Graveyard to Special Summon "Giant Anteater-Eating Ant" from her hand
> Attack and destroy "Junk Destroyer" with "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon", and deal 1000 damage to Dunkan with the effect of "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon" (Dunkan LP 5100->2700)
> Attack Dunkan's Set monster with "Ancient Fairy Dragon". "Metamorpot" is flipped face-up and both players draw 5 cards. "Metamorpot" is destroyed
> Attack directly with "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger" (Dunkan LP 2700->600). After receiving battle damage, Dunkan Special Summons "Tragoedia" from his hand
> Activate the effect of "Giant Anteater-Eating Ant", targeting Dunkan's Set card, but he flips "Demon's Chain" face-up which negates the effects of "Giant Anteater-Eating Ant"
> Activate "Earthquake", switching all monsters to DEF
> Activate "Gem Tree"
> Activate "Gem Blessing", moving "Gem Beast Sapphire Pegasus" and "Gem Beast Ruby Carbuncle" from the Graveyard to her S/T (Gem Tree counters 0->1)
> Set 1 card
TURN 9 END - Christina Neville [950 LP, 1 hand, 4/0 monsters, 3/1 s/t]

TURN 10 - Gregory Dunkan [1100 LP, 5 hand, 1/0 monsters, 3/0 s/t]
> Activate effect of "Tragoedia", discarding "King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel" to take control of "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon"
> Normal Summon "Unibird" and activate its effect, Banishing it and "Tragoedia" to Special Summon "Red Demons Dragon" from his Graveyard
> Activate "Crimson Hell Secure" to destroy all Spell and Trap cards Christina controls
> Send three "Demon's Chain" from his S/T to the Graveyard to Special Summon "King of the Divine Flames, Uria" from his hand
> Banish "Hellway Patrol" from the Graveyard to Special Summon "Phantom of Chaos" from his hand
> Activate the effect of "Phantom of Chaos", Banishing "King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel" from his Graveyard
> Banish "Phantom of Chaos" which is treated as "King of the Phantom Demons, Raviel", "King of the Descending Thunder, Hamon" and "King of the Divine Flames, Uria" to Fusion Summon "Chaos Phantom Demon, Armityle"
> Attack "Ancient Fairy Dragon" with "Red Demons Dragon". The effect of "Red Demons Dragon" activates, destroying all of Christina's monsters
> Attack directly with "Chaos Phantom Demon, Armityle" (Christina LP 950->0)[/spoiler]

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

...

 

...

 

... hmm.

 

So:

• The makeshift pylon was Stardust, Red Demons, and Trageodia
• The two other Demon Chain's remained from the Yenma duel right?
• Christina mistimes Anteater-Ant's effect because? The trap had been there for a while and done nothing?
• Dunkan has confidence in his deck and likes to winmoar. He also has taken back... whose Trageodia? Maya's?
• Christina is still alive thanks to Dryad, who seemingly has stronger defensive magic than AFD...

Not entirely sure how happy I am with all of these things, or at least that last thing.

 

Lynette exposure of her slumped on a couch watching the deciding battle somewhere amused me though, as does uber mode Dunkan actually winning.

 

[spoiler=Dunkan winning]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35adqIEBj9Y[/spoiler]

 

Which is cool. Shame Eizan is on his way to screw up his day, and probably open up a three way duel between them and Kiishiro (having been presented a gap to the Original Sin because of Eizan's interference) for the fate of everything.

 

I am going to work shortly, and by the time I am back I expect the end of this to be posted. I will be deeply unhappy if it isn't. Understood? <_<

[Vector Nightmare]

I was purposefully holding this back, fishing for even some rudimentary "hey where's the new chapter?" comment. But it seems you people have no soul =(

Nonetheless, here we are.

First, addressing the one and only comment;

1) Well, more precisely, it was Shooting Star Dragon and Tragoedia. I'm sure the third one won't be too hard to guess. It has already been stated that the Signer Dragons (in their base forms) aren't quite up to par for making a Pylon.
2) Yeah, Dunkan kept his field and Graveyard. The two Demon Chains had been left face-up, because the monsters they were attached to weren't destroyed (Dark Simurgh was used as Synchro material, and Raiza was temporarily Banished)
3) Christina doesn't mistime the effect, if she had used it in her MP1, she wouldn't have been able to attack with Anteater, and she wouldn't have had enough ATK to finish off Dunkan. She left Anteater's attack for last, and since it couldn't go through Tragoedia, she used its effect in MP2 instead.
4) Yeah. Dunkan was experimenting with stuff for a long time, which was why he passed Tragoedia on to Maya, but Maya only had the card, and wasn't in control of the actual monster, so Dunkan was able to claim it back when he needed it for the Pylon. Tragoedia being a bit special has been hinted at before.
5) Already answered this via PM, but here it is, just in case anyone else looks at it: Dryad's magic isn't stronger than Ancient Fairy's, but Ancient Fairy was still bound by the rules of the duel and was just meteor'd by Red Demons, so she couldn't exactly be very helpful in that moment. Plus Dryad had to sacrifice herself.

Now.

Dead Zone will conclude on chapter 80. After that, there will be an epilogue chapter and maybe a couple of other things - however, the main story of Dead Zone will be done at that point. This means that the chapter you're about to read is the penultimate chapter. And, after it, the very next stop - is where it all ends. But a bit more on all that when the time comes.

For now, enjoy.

[spoiler="Chapter 79"]

Chapter 79: Macrocosmos

"I have to go. I have to."

ZONE stared at Kiishiro levelly. Takechi and Sugita were too shellshocked by the force that had been unleashed by the Chaos Phantom Demon that had defeated Christina to respond.

Not to mention that the last hope for their world had just disappeared.

After the duel was over, whatever was blocking off the Original Sin from the Tower disappeared. Because Christina had somehow survived the attack, even if just barely, Kiishiro could now travel there.

But...

"You won't be able to do anything." ZONE's voice had no emotion in it; only finality. Dunkan now had control of the Nexus. Even if it would take some time for him to tame all of its power... it was hopeless. Kiishiro wouldn't be able to force him into a duel, he wouldn't be able to as much as touch him. Dunkan could just destroy him on the spot.

Even so... he had to go. He set his jaw stubbornly, glaring at ZONE. He had to go. ZONE couldn't stop him.

After a few moments, ZONE nodded imperceptibly. "Fine." He said. "At this point, it's just about choosing where to die."

Kiishiro did not need anything else. He turned around and started sprinting back, without looking back.

---

"Is it really... over?" Takechi muttered. He couldn't believe it. After all they had done, all they had been through... was this where it all ended?

"No." But the answer didn't come from ZONE. Sugita, who was clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles had turned white, stepped forward. "No! I refuse to accept this! Not after... not after Yuko gave her life for this! There has to be something, a chance! I don't care how small, I don't care! But we can't give up! No matter how minimal... we have to believe in that possibility!"

"..." ZONE was quiet for a few moments.

"The power of the Nexus is absolute." He said finally. "As long as Dunkan holds it, he is invincible. As long as we don't have a way to interfere with the Nexus itself, we can't do anything. Even disabling the Pylons wouldn't be possible now, because Dunkan can control them directly now that he controls the Nexus."

"But... on the impossible chance, that Dunkan's control was disrupted..." ZONE's voice remained neutral, not revealing any hope. They all knew already, just how small that chance was. "Taking control of the Pylons, should be enough to defeat him. And, thanks to the energy surge from the phantasm he created, I was able to track down its flow, and locate the control system. It is situated in the bottom of the Tower, in the Vision Cathedral."

"Then, we will go there." Sugita said matter-of-factly. Anything was better than staying around doing nothing. If he was going to die anyway, he was going down fighting. Takechi nodded grimly. He, too, had a bone to pick with these guys.

And so the three began climbing down the Tower. The trip was much shorter due to ZONE having uncovered most of the Tower's hidden passageways, which allowed them to move between floors quickly, and the fact that there was noone left to impede their process. They marched quietly across the empty corridors, no sound except Sugita's and Takechi's footsteps, and the light whirring of ZONE's unicycle.

They had gotten so used to the monotonous, uniform scenery that Sugita and Takechi nearly jumped out their skin when they almost literally stumbled into the first sign of life they had encountered since they had split up with Kiishiro. "It's you two!" Takechi exclaimed, pointing his finger at the two people he had last seen what felt like ages ago, around this very same spot - only then it was filled with a horde of mindless enemies. With everything that had happened, he had almost forgotten about them.

"Yeah, it's us. Now pipe down!" Kirizaki Maya snapped irritably. The European champion and her friend looked fazed, but otherwise unharmed - the expressions on their faces, though, were almost as desperate as Takechi thought his own must be. "We have some bad news."

"Oh great, bad news." Takechi groaned. "Because we really could use more of those." It seemed that, admirably enough, even while the world was ending, Bando Takechi had managed to retain some sense of humor.

---

Power.

Nothing else was there, nothing else had ever been there, nothing else would ever be there. The entirety of the complex, wondrous universe had been stripped down to its base components, to the elementary, primordial particles that held the key to creation and destruction. Pure, untainted power flowed into Dunkan, and along with it, knowledge, experience - what he had dreamed of, that lofty final goal, it was now easy, mundane. Eternity and infinity were now simple parameters that could be controlled, and his mind was instantly flooded with new ones, elements he had never even imagined existed, concepts of a macroscopic scale, the methods to create, reshape, destroy entire universes in an instant. Energy surged within him, he was standing at the core of a sun that was infinite times bigger than the largest star. And he had only just begun. He could sense it - there were many times more, infinite times more, than what he already had in his hands, and there was nothing to stop him from taking it.

And yet, in this apex of existence he had just obtained - he could still not help but ask -

"What did you come here for?" The question had no substance, no meaning. It was simply something Dunkan wondered, as he glanced at the child that had appeared in front of him. Sanjou Kiishiro, who had been one of the first outsiders to be involved in Dunkan's plan, once it was set to motion - even though it was ZONE who had dragged him in, who was the final person that had been blessed with a mark of the Crimson Dragon, did not reply, only glared at him defiantly. But that, too, was meaningless. The deductive ability that Dunkan had taken pride in was nothing now that he had the power of the Nexus, which laid all the knowledge in the universe bare before his eyes. As soon as the question had been asked - no, as soon as it had been formed - the answer was there.

"I see, so you came here to die."

It was in pursuit of atonement for his actions, as well as desperately seeking an 'end' to the painful, bloody path that he had been forced to walk on, that the boy had travelled to the Original Sin, despite knowing full well that he could no longer make a difference. Dunkan could not relate to that - the conceptual 'death' that was the end of human existence offered no redemption, no escape - it was the decisive fate of complete oblivion, of one's utter removal from the cosmic pattern - it was what Dunkan had been trying to avert, not just for humans, but for everything that existed.

It was something that he had now accomplished.

And yet, Dunkan saw no reason not to grant the boy's wish. Before his eyes that were able to fully perceive the scope of the multiverse, one life was less than nothing, not something that there was any merit in sparing or erasing.

Dunkan had realized by now just how the unfathomable power of the Nexus worked. It wasn't so much doing something, than choosing what is to be done - and then the world would mold itself to accommodate that outcome. He was already putting that power to use, forcing the Nexus to open a gateway to the world of creation, his ultimate goal.

- compared to that, killing the boy was not even afterthought.

Without even looking at the teenager, whose eyes were beginning to show the fear hidden in his soul, Dunkan began molding the world - to a state where Sanjou Kiishiro didn't exist.

---

The Road to Tomorrow.

A 'side way' to the Nexus, designed to directly connect from the area called the Crimson Sanctum to the Nexus, using stored, perpetually cycling energy as the catalyst.

But, even though it was meant to be an infinite road, the path of one Duelist had come to an end on top of it.

Adam Fergusson, who had aspired to complete his brother's dream. Who, like his brother, had been manipulated by Miyataka Eizan, and who had made it his path to get revenge.

And this was the end of that path for him.

Fergusson had defeated Ylaidus. But that was it. From there on, there was nothing he could do. To reach the Nexus from here, the energy gathered in the Road wasn't enough. He needed another thing, another catalyst, to open the gateway. Something he didn't have, he didn't even know what it was. Therefore, for Adam Fergusson, who always considered himself a 'main character', the only thing to do right now - was to sit on the sidelines, and wait for the final battle to end, powerless to influence it. It seemed, his role had ended long before the finale.

But, even as he waited, something changed. He could not immediately define what - but it was as if the ever-shifting kaleidoscope of colors was getting slower, duller. And... cracks appeared on the walls and floor, small at first, then bigger - but what was more worrying was that these cracks remained. The Road to Tomorrow was build on constancy, coherency - any change would soon revert to its original state, even the damage done by Ylaidus' D-Wheel crashing had been fully repaired. No, something was wrong, something was -

He felt it a few fractions of a second before he saw it. He instinctively reached for the amulet around his neck, a blazing red crystal hanging from a silver thread. It was something his brother had left him - Fergusson had no clue how or where he had obtained it, but whatever it was, it could offset conceptual damage to some degree, which was how he had been able to survive his own Jurak Meteor's effect in his duel against Ryusaki Sugita. And now it saved his life again, as the enormous cloud of black particles, seemingly a uniform wave of destruction, swept past him. The scarlet barrier that was formed by the crystal wavered, but held, until the unidentified mass had passed through, speeding forth at impossible speeds.

Gasping, Fergusson looked at the item in his hand. It had melted, and was now dissolving into particles. The cloud... whatever it was... had simply passed over him, and yet that brief, fleeting contact would have spelled certain death for him. And that wasn't even all. Behind him, he could see the road breaking apart in front of his eyes, the very energy that was holding it together dissolving into nothingness, melting into the abyss beyond.

With a wry smile, Fergusson remounted his D-Wheel. It looked like sitting around and waiting for things to end, was no longer an option.

But that was the way he liked to do things, anyway.

---

"Whoa - what the hell is that thing?!" Takechi, who had voiced his surprised, along with Sugita, Maya, Yuusuke and ZONE, had barged into the Halls of Reflection - only to find a huge holographic projection taking up the center of the massive room, which displayed a massive white sphere orbited by dozens of much smaller ones.

"That is the Nexus." A melodiuous female voice answered him from somewhere in the back - and Lynette Rayleigh stepped into view, seemingly unfazed by the intrusion. "A representation of it, at least. I've got to say, I was expecting you sooner... I was getting lonely down here, you know."

"Why don't you spare us the mockery and hand over the Pylons?" Sugita, who had encountered her earlier, snapped at her impatiently. "You are outnumbered here! The four duelists stepped forward, while ZONE had already begun analyzing the data flows of the area, trying to locate and isolate the control system. "All your allies are dead, only you and Dunkan remain, and Dunkan has left you here to rot!"

"Ooh, how scary." But Lynette did not acknowledge their anger. "Maybe I should... have some fun after all." And for a moment, even Sugita, still driven by his fury for Yuko's death, stepped backwards - an enormous killing intent was suddenly emanating from the woman in front of them, whose smile had turned dark, and her eyes had become cold as steel.

"But..." It only lasted one second, however. "It doesn't really make much difference to me, either way. So I won't fight. However, you might want to wait a few seconds - I have this feeling something interesting is going to happen."

"What do you - " Sugita started, but then they all noticed the irregularity in the projection. Far below the giant white sphere, but approaching it at breakneck speed, coursing through a rainbow-colored path that turned black with its passage, was a thick dark particle cloud.

"What the hell is that!" Takechi exclaimed.

"That..." Maya muttered, her voice trembling slightly.

"That is the bad news."

The black cloud reached the Nexus, and in an instant, the entire mass was turned from white to a hellish black and crimson.

And immediately afterwards, a cataclysmic explosion shook the entirety of the world, and in Maya's and Yuusuke's ears, the memory of a malicious chuckle echoed...

---

If there was a way to describe the feeling when all the flesh was torn apart from a human's body, that would be what Dunkan felt right now. All the enormous power, the near-omniscience, the absolute control over reality - they were all stripped away in an instant, without warning, and from the apex of creation he was tossed down to a mere human, a form that felt far too inadequate now. He snarled and screamed and fought against the pain, the rage, the disbelief - just what could have possibly caused this? He had made certain nothing could get in his way, he held the power of the Nexus in his hands, so why - ?! He heard a soft gasp beside him. He turned to face Sanjou Kiishiro, whom he had not been able to kill before control of the Nexus was stripped away from him - but the boy wasn't looking at him, instead, he was looking straight above over their heads. Tilting his head backward, Dunkan saw the giant white sphere that was the core of the Nexus - after defeating Christina, he had finally maneuvered the Original Sin closer to the core, so that wasn't the strange part.

But somehow, the pristine white superdimensional structure - was slowly turning black, with thick crimson lines spreading from its center, and sparks of red lightning surrounding it.

One of the main statements in Dunkan's theory regarding the Nexus, was that it was impossible to affect it. Control it, guide it, draw power from it, yes - but to actually tamper with it, was simply not doable - the Nexus existed outside, and ignored, all laws of all possible worlds, it was something that could not be touched by things that weren't on its scale.

Or at least, that was what Dunkan had believed... until now. Clearly, his assumptions had been wrong, and someone had found a way to tamper with the Nexus directly, circumventing Dunkan, who controlled its power, completely, and affect it to such an extent that that control had been forcefully ripped away from him, and had now probably fallen to the hands of the one who orchestrated that scheme. And Dunkan knew only one being who could pull something like this off.

"Miyataka... Eizan - !!" He shouted at the unheeding darkness, that had now almost consumed the entirety of the Nexus. But even though he now knew just who had foiled his plan... there was nothing he could do about it. Only stare, powerless, as the Nexus was transformed from a tool which Dunkan would use to gain access to the powers of creation, to an engine of absolute, total annihilation.

"You've been trying to stop me, because you claimed I would destroy the world." Dunkan spat at the boy opposite to him. He had been so close, so close. And now it was all gone. "You didn't stop me, but thanks to you, someone else had the chance to. And now you will see... just what true destruction is."

---

Kiishiro didn't understand what had happened in the short time since he had arrived at the Original Sin. However, two things were obvious to him. First, Dunkan no longer had control of the Nexus. And second, Dunkan was the least of their problems now. They had been trying to prevent Dunkan from taking control of the Nexus, and at the same time prevent the Nexus from slipping out of control and destroying their world.

That the Nexus had fallen into the hands of this Miyataka Eizan, who seemed hell-bent on the destruction of everything, even moreso than Ebony had been - that was a worst-case scenario. Just what would happen now - it was impossible to predict. They were safe, for the moment, in the Original Sin, at least until Eizan specifically turned his attention to them. But Kiishiro could already see reality breaking apart around them, the darkness shattering like a dome of glass to reveal glimpses of other worlds, worlds that were instantly wiped out of existence by the overflow of chaotic energy... their own, physical world, about to be swept by a chaotic wave, one that would erase the entirety of their universe on a molecular level. As he watched through horror-filled eyes, the final words of despair, the acknowledgment of the end, escaped from his mouth.

"We have - failed..."

This was - the end of everything. And in an ironic twist of fate, Kiishiro, who had pursued redemption in death, would be alive long enough to witness it.

I have failed.

"NOT - A - CHANCE - !!"

And a deafening blast resounded across the emptiness, while an explosive force knocked both Kiishiro and Dunkan backwards, almost off the edge of the platform. In front of their disbelieving eyes, the space around them fractured once more - only this time, instead of a glimpse into a different world, a single person came through - a young man riding a giant crimson motorcycle, which was in the process of being torn apart, reduced to nothing due to the influence of the space around them and the proximity to the Nexus - yet it was somehow flying through the void.

"You are - !!" Dunkan snarled. The bike's rapid ascent slowed suddenly, as its rider turned to regard them. And Kiishiro recognized him as Adam Fergusson. However, he couldn't process why he would be here, now.

"Listen, kid." Fergusson addressed him, and his voice was stern, focused - but at the same time, there was a gentleness in it. It was the tone of a person who had finally found what they had been looking for for a long time. "Throwing away your life - I ain't got no problem doing that. But if you do it - " And he suddenly revved up his D-Wheel, accelerating even faster, ever upwards.

"THEN MAKE SURE, IT DAMN WELL MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!" And with a scream, he flew, higher and higher, his vehicle falling apart, and yet glowing ever brighter, so bright that it was as if it was a miniature red-and-gold sun... "AND IF ANYONE ASKS, TELL THEM - " He was shouting at him now, and even though he was an impossible distance away, so far that Kiishiro could only see a tiny bright dot. he could still hear his words clearly.

" - TELL THEM, THAT I WENT OUT WITH A GODDAMN BANG!"

And the single point of light, collided with the Nexus.

---

His bike was disintegrating.

His own body was disintegrating.

But the mass that was burned away, was converted to energy, contributing to the ever-growing, burning aura that surrounded him, pushing him faster and faster until even acceleration became relativistic, and it was as if he had stopped moving completely.

It was one fraction of a second, that stretched to eternity.

One fraction of a second before what was left of his body was burned away.

One fraction of a second before that fire smashed through the Nexus.

And in that eternity, with satisfaction, Adam Fergusson, Firesoul, now living up to that name, thought -

That dream, I reached it.

---

Everything came to a grinding halt.

Two foreign, overwhelming, massive, unstoppable forces had collided straight at the Core of the Nexus, a clash that was clearly felt across the multiverse, as the sky overhead immediately turned to a sea of fire.

And then, those two forces - cancelled each other out.

As if the past few minutes had only been an illusion, the Nexus returned to its former, pure state.

Both Kiishiro and Dunkan, who were in the Original Sin, and Maya, Yuusuke, Takechi and Sugita, who were in the Halls of Reflection, were so stunned they didn't react for almost ten seconds. Even ZONE seemed to have frozen briefly.

Dunkan was the first to break free from his stupor. "The Pylons - !!" He shouted. He couldn't even begin to understand just how Adam Fergusson had managed to intervene and stop Eizan, but it didn't matter to him - all that mattered was that now he could reactivate the system, and take control of the Nexus again - and this time, ensure that nothing got in his way, by immediately erasing every one who could potentially stand against him from existence, like he should have done before.

But that would not go so smoothly. As soon as Dunkan reached for the Pylon system - "They are not - there - ?"

He couldn't comprehend it. The Pylons hadn't been destroyed - if they had, then the backlash would have swept through the Original Sin, killing them. But they were still alive, and the Pylon system that was surrounding the Nexus was not there any more - they were not destroyed, so they had had to be removed, which could be done from only one place. Snarling, he opened a window to the Halls of Reflection, where the Pylon control system was hidden - that wouldn't have been possible before, but now, the virtual reality and the Nexus were so close they had almost merged, and even though direct travel was still impossible, opening a rift to reality, similar to the ones that had opened before while Eizan was controlling the Nexus, that could allow basic contact, was doable. And what he saw - "You - !!" Of course, Dunkan's eyes immediately fell on ZONE and the four duelists, whom he thought were to blame for this situation. "You removed the Pylons - do you have any idea what you've done - !!" Without the Pylons, noone could control the Nexus. They were safe for now, because the Nexus actually seemed to have fallen into a brief dormant state after Eizan's and Fergusson's interference - but that would not last.

However, the intruders looked at Dunkan in question - because they were, in fact, innocent of what they were being accused of. They had only been inside the Halls of Reflection for a few minutes, and most of that time was spent trying to survive against the apocalyptic destruction that had suddenly threatened to destroy everything. They had not had the time to find, much less remove, the Pylons. No, the true perpetrator -

"Sorry... I guess, that was me."

Seven pairs of incredulous eyes turned to face Lynette Rayleigh, who was smiling airily while she held out her hand. Three motes of light appeared between her fingers, that transformed into three cards - the last of the three original Pylons, and the only one to have remained untouched until now.

"You... how... when...?" Dunkan had trouble choking out the words.

"Ah, I took these three cuties a while back." Lynette stroked the cards. "But I only dismantled the system just now, when you were all distracted. Pretty clever, no?" She seemed pleased with herself.

"Then that serves us perfectly well!" Before anyone had even registered him moving, Sugita had stepped forward and drawn out a card, conjuring Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind before him. "We can just kill you here, and then we're done!" And before Lynette had time to as much as blink, the lightning-fast winged warrior's sword had cut her in half...

...or at least, had cut through her - Lynette's image rippled for a brief moment, but once the attack had been completed, she simply reformed, untouched. "Oh, did I forgot to mention? I left the virtual world a while ago... this is just a projection." She said cheerfully.

"Wh - why..." Everyone was speechless, but Dunkan had one more question that he needed to ask. "Why, just why... would you betray me..." Everyone else had betrayed him, but he had expected them to - he had planned for them to. But not her. Lynette, whom he had met when she was just a child, whose astounding intellect and insight had made her a fair match for his own mind, and who had earnestly believed in him, embraced all of his ideas, and walked with him through his path from the beginning to the end... no, she was the one person he had not expected to betray him. And so he demanded a reason, a reason why she had thrown away the bond that had lasted through all those years, a bond deeper than the one Dunkan had shared with anyone else - because he and Lynette, who had both experienced the true depth of the worlds beyond the Gap, were the only people who could understand each other.

"Why... huh." Lynette seemed to ponder the question for a few moments.

And then her eyes narrowed, as her lips curved into a smirk, and Dunkan froze. This... this can't be... Even from across two worlds, Dunkan could sense the change. People wore masks all the time, disguising their intentions, thoughts, feelings, even their true selves. And Dunkan's specialty was to rip apart those masks, and uncover the truth hiding underneath them. That was how he built the biggest company in the world, that was how he made it as far as he had - he could not be deceived by anyone, and he could use the truths he uncovered as weapons to control those who would stand in his way. By being able to understand people, he was able to preemptively eliminate the threat they might pose to him.

Because he had become so good at it - he could tell now, that Lynette had just shed her 'mask', a mask worn by the person closest to him, and yet one he had never even suspected existed. And the true face of Lynette Rayleigh was revealed to him.

"...for fun, I guess?"

The face of a person without a single shred of empathy or desire, who was guided only by her whims. That was all it was. The reason she had stayed with him for so long, and the reason she had abandoned him now - was merely a whim.

"Anyway, this has been quite entertaining." Lynette continued cheerfully, entirely ignoring Dunkan and addressing the rest of her audience, which had fallen quiet. "I can't wait to see how it all turns out, so do your best, ok?" And with that, her projected image blinked away after waving them goodbye.

"...!!"

There was another thing that Dunkan did well - adapt. No matter what happened, he would quickly get over it, and move on. The situation was difficult, but it was far from hopeless, as it had been when Eizan had taken control of the Nexus. Dunkan had experienced the power of the Nexus before, he could control it, even without the Pylons if he had to. I won't be stopped here - !!

But nothing happened. Even though the Nexus was directly within his reach, even though it should be just like before, only without the Pylons to regulate the output - there was nothing. And then Dunkan remembered what had briefly disappeared from his mind - another important factor that he had established during his research, and one that, unlike the previous assumption, was, evidently, true.

The Nexus was uniform, coherent, singular. The energy contained within could not be 'split' or 'shared'. This was something he had conveniently kept secret from his fellow directors, a lie by omission that allowed them to believe they would all be able to realize their goals, when in fact only one person could lay claim to the final prize, and even if the others had stayed alive, Dunkan still intended to be that person.

And right now, Dunkan couldn't take control of the Nexus again, for the exact same reason why he had had to duel Jinrei Yenma and Christina Neville into submission before.

He wasn't the only one reaching out for that power.

"You..." The connection to the Halls of Reflection vanished - there was nothing more to be done about it, and these people wouldn't be able to interfere. The only obstacle left...

---

Make sure, it makes a difference.

These words had struck a chord in him. And Kiishiro remembered, just why he had originally gone along with ZONE's unbelievable tale.

He had wanted to make a difference.

He still thought that what he had done - let his mother be hurt, risk the fate of the world to save her, then fail to save her, kill countless nameless people in vain, allow Iseya Yuko to sacrifice her life for him - couldn't be forgiven easily. But now he knew, that rather than repent for them by offering his own life -

- he could make up for them, by using up that life in exchange for a miracle.

"I will stop you, Dunkan - !!"

"Then bring it!" His opponent roared. The consoles in front of them reactivated, and Kiishiro's deck materialized on top of his. "We will continue the duel from where it stopped earlier, I will get an extra 4000 Life Points to match yours!" A fierce black-and-red dragon appeared behind Dunkan, and Kiishiro's mark began throbbing. It's one of the Signer Dragons... Kiishiro had never seen that monster before, but suddenly, he knew its name and abilities. Red Demons Dragon... I see. He touched his mark. It is because Christina is still alive... The marks they shared were now transferring Christina's memories and experience from her duel into Kiishiro's mind, alerting him to the brutally efficient strategy of Dunkan's deck.

"Armityle can't be brought back." The Chaos Phantom Demon's power was too great, once it had been dismissed in order to form the, now defunct, Pylon, Dunkan could no longer use its power. "In exchange, I will start out with five cards, just like you." And Dunkan drew cards, until his formerly empty hand matched Kiishiro's, who had already retrieved the cards from his deck with nothing more than a thought.

"The boy came at me with hope and ideals." Dunkan snarled. "The girl, with hatred and anger. They both fell. You come at me with nothing. The only fate that awaits you, is death!"

"Then if it does, I'll just have to make it count!" Kiishiro shouted. He had been prepared to die the moment he left Yuko behind, at the mercy of the army of Cataphracts. "Let's go, Dunkan! This is the final battle!"

Now, he was prepared to live.

"DUEL!!"

Gregory Dunkan - LP: 5100
Sanjou Kiishiro - LP: 4000

Turn 1 - Gregory Dunkan

"I will crush you." Dunkan promised. "I have tolerated you people for way too long... but it all ends now! I set two cards, turn end!"

Turn 2 - Sanjou Kiishiro

"My turn!" Kiishiro ignored Dunkan's provocations. For the first time in a long time, his path felt clear, laid bare before him. There was no room for hesitation. He examined his cards. He had realized that this was not a regular gauntlet duel - he could not make use of the cards in Christina's and Yenma's fields and Graveyards, while Dunkan still had access to all the cards he had used before.

But, that wasn't going to stop him - !!

"Come forth, Night-Rose Knight!" The young elven swordsman materialized in front of his field, brandishing its weapon. "And with its effect, Lord Poison is Special Summoned from my hand!" The bipedal amphibian serpent appeared next to the soldier through a black portal.

[spoiler=Night-Rose Knight]Night-Rose Knight
EARTH / Warrior / Tuner
Level 3
1000/1000
Your opponent cannot select a Plant-Type monster as an attack target. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Lord Poison]Lord Poison
WATER / Plant
Level 4
1500/1000
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard, except "Lord Poison".[/spoiler]

"I activate my two reverse cards." Dunkan suddenly interjected. Kiishiro flinched - At this timing?! But the cards that were revealed on Dunkan's field were not counters. "First, the Instant magic, Emergency Teleport, Special Summons Clairvonce from my deck." The jester-like Psychic monster appeared out of thin air. "Then, the Trap card, Call of the Living Dead, Special Summons a monster from my Graveyard, like Formula Synchron." And a small cart also appeared, dashing around the field. Eh? Dunkan should clearly anticipate what Kiishiro was aiming for, and what knowledge Kiishiro now had from Christina's duel indicated that there were monsters in Dunkan's Graveyard that could stop it - if Dunkan had chosen to revive Shooting Star Dragon, which could negate destruction effects, or Black Highlander, which could prevent Sychro Summons altogether, Kiishiro would have had to revise his strategy. Instead, he had brought out two weak monsters... he frowned.

[spoiler=Emergency Teleport]Emergency Teleport
SPELL / Quick-Play
Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Psychic-Type monster from your hand or Deck. During the End Phase this turn, remove from play that monster.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Clairvonce]Clairvonce
DARK / Psychic / Tuner
Level 2
1200/400
When this card is selected as an attack target, you can pay 800 Life Points to negate the attack.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Call of the Living Dead]Call of the Living Dead
TRAP / Continuous
Select 1 monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the monster. When the monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

I can't be distracted here. Kiishiro clenched his fists. If I don't make my move, if he gains control of the match... then I'm dead. And so is everyone else. On Kiishiro's field were two monsters. Ironically, these were the same two monsters that ZONE had initiated their duel with two weeks ago - had it only been two weeks? - when the world was a simpler place, and Kiishiro was just a boy who was excited to have been challenged by a high-ranked player, and awestruck by ZONE's deck and skill.

Everything had changed since then, and that boy was gone. But one thing remained the same - the monster, that was about to be summoned... The mark on Kiishiro's arm ignited, sending pulses of raw energy through his body and heart.

"I tune the Level 4, Lord Poison, to the Level 3, Night-Rose Knight!" Three dark violet rings, crossed by four deep blue stars. A dance of pitch-black petals, coated in deep crimson glow. "Synchro Summon!" And from that majestic veil emerged a dragon coated in red blossoms, with thorny vines protruding from its underside. The fifth and final of the Signer Dragons to have been summoned in this space. "Black Rose Dragon!!"

[spoiler=Black Rose Dragon]Black Rose Dragon
FIRE / Dragon / Synchro
Level 7
2400/1800
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can destroy all cards on the field. Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard to change 1 Defense Position monster your opponent controls to face-up Attack Position, and reduce its ATK to 0 until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Black Rose Dragon's effect activates!" And Kiishiro would waste no time putting it to use, he wasn't about to risk delaying his move. "All cards on the field are destroyed!" The dragon raised its wings, and a massive petal storm was conjured around the field, ready to sweep everything in its wake -

- only then, did the triumphant smirk reveal itself on Dunkan's face.

"Fool." The man shook his head. "You think something of this level is enough to touch me? No, let me reveal to you, just how deluded you are..." And suddenly, Formula Synchron exploded in two massive, concentric green circles, parallel to the platform - followed by Clairvonce, which formed another two rings that were stacked between them.

"Wh - what the hell is going on?!" Kiishiro demanded - this should not have been possible, there were no Set cards on Dunkan's side..."

"Formula Synchron is a Synchro Tuner monster." Dunkan explained. "And because of that fact... it possesses a special effect, the ability to initiate a Synchro Summon as a quick effect, during your turn." Quick effect? That means... After Kiishiro had activated Black Rose Dragon's effect, Dunkan was chaining a Synchro Summon to it?!

"This ability was the key to create Accel Synchro monsters, like Shooting Star Dragon, which are born by tuning a Synchro Tuner to a Synchro monster. However, this effect isn't restricted to this type of summon. No... this is a different type of Synchro Summon altogether." Red Demons Dragon suddenly scattered into particles, that reformed into eight black-and-red stars that filed into the array of rings. "I tune the Level 8, Red Demons Dragon, to the Level 2, Clairvonce, and the Level 2, Formula Synchron!"

"But both Formula Synchron and Clairvonce are Tuners!" Kiishiro exclaimed. At the same time, a stab of warning pain shot up through his arm - this was Christina's memory, too, but not of this duel. She had seen this before... a Synchro Summon using two Tuners as materials. Only this one, was on a completely different scale, as Kiishiro realized by counting the stars of the three monsters used as materials. "A Level 12... Synchro monster..."

"Stardust Dragon, and Red Demons Dragon. During a time when another world was threatened by destruction due to external influence, the Crimson Dragon's marks appeared to bestow their powers upon five chosen Signers." Dunkan said. "However, the peril was so great, that even the Signer Dragons fell, defeated. To counteract it, those two chose a dangerous path - the path to evolution, embracing the very power they were meant to shield the world from. With the help of their wielders, they managed to increase their strength and fight back the invaders... but eventually, that power proved too massive, and ended up being the very trigger that destroyed the world."

"Due to this, both Stardust and Red Demons were sealed by the Crimson Dragon within the remnants of the sundered world. It was there that I found them, there that I obtained the two marks - there, that I awakened them and the power they had released. They, too, wanted to atone for the ruin they had wrought... and so, together, we will end this fate of chaos and destruction! Stardust Dragon aligned its form with a Synchro Tuner monster, in order to evolve into the Accel Synchro monster, Shooting Star Dragon - the peak of bioengineering that would enhance a biological lifeform with the apex of augmentation technology. And Red Demons Dragon took unto it the essence of the demon king lurking deep within the earth, taming the force that opposed him and turning it into power... combining itself with two Tuner monsters, it evolved..." Crimson and black exploded through the Synchro array, a pillar of hellfire. Kiishiro fell backwards, as the flames parted...

"Synchro Summon... the absolute ruler of heaven and earth, the indomitable demonic dragon king!" Dunkan cried. An otherworldly roar shook Kiishiro to his very core, and glistening red scales manifested out of the flames, coated in black shapes... it was a dragon, but also a demon, a massive beast with a thick exoskeleton and razor-sharp spikes protruding from its back and tail, wreathed in the apocalyptic flames that had spawned it...

"Scar-Red Nova Dragon!!"

[spoiler=Scar-Red Nova Dragon]Scar-Red Nova Dragon
DARK / Dragon / Synchro
Level 12
3500/3000
2 Tuners + "Red Demons Dragon"
This card gains 500 ATK for each Tuner monster in your Graveyard. This card cannot be destroyed by the effects of your opponent's Spells, Traps, or monsters. When your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can select it, then remove this card from play and negate the attack. During the End Phase, Special Summon this card that was removed by this effect.[/spoiler]

---

"Whoa, what happened now?!" Takechi shouted. Another gigantic energy pulse had shaken the whole building - though after the chaos before, this one could almost be called mild.

"Probably... the third monster of that Pylon of Dunkan's was summoned." ZONE hit the mark. And he knew what its identity most likely was, too - if Dunkan had both Red Demons and Stardust, and had obtained Shooting Star Dragon, then he would almost certainly also possess its counterpart; the demonic dragon, Scar-Red Nova.

"H - hey, is Kiishiro going to be ok?" Yuusuke asked noone in particular.

"There is nothing we can do to help him right now." ZONE replied. "We have our own duty."

That duty was figuring out a way to restore the Pylon system to some extent, so that the Nexus wouldn't simply fall out of control. Of course, they still needed to beat Dunkan, in order to secure the Original Sin, which was the only place from which the Nexus could be diverted away from their world - but also, having a functional Pylon system was an equally absolute requirement.

ZONE had managed to completely decrypt the Pylon control framework. Unfortunately, Lynette had slipped through their fingers with the last of the three Pylons that had originally formed the core of the system. As for the other two, Dunkan had both the Phantom Demons and his newest Pylon at hand right now, and there was no way to get them. And without other comparable phantasms, the framework itself was as good as useless.

Of course, the obvious suggestion had immediately arisen - why not use the other Pylons they had at hand? Maya had the Devil Gods, and Yuusuke had retrieved Eizan's Arcana Force EX monsters as well as Master Hyperion, which, according to Eizan, were phantasms powerful enough to form a Pylon. Between them, they could build two Pylons, a number that fell short of the original three, but would still be better than nothing, hopefully enough to cover their needs.

However, there was a problem - all three of the Devil Gods had been destroyed by Judgment Dragon's effect, and THE LIGHT RULER as well as Master Hyperion had been destroyed by Chaos Soldier - later on, Maya and Yuusuke had also destroyed THE DARK RULER in a futile attempt to prevent Eizan's escape into the Road to Tomorrow. Of course, having their conjured forms destroyed was not nearly enough to kill, or even seriously harm phantasms of that scale, but it would severely weaken them for a time, meaning their power simply wouldn't suffice for the task of offsetting the energy output of the Nexus.

Unless...

"What if... we change the framework?" Sugita suggested slowly. Everyone turned to look at him, and Sugita, who was skilled in mathematics and physics, illustrated his plan as quickly as possible. The original Pylon system was based on three focal points with three satellite points each. But if they were to expand them... using data provided by ZONE, Sugita quickly set down the equations that would calculate the necessary format to accommodate for the power loss.

"This - can work - !!" Yuusuke exclaimed at the end of the lenghty explanation, clapping Sugita's shoulder.

"There's only one problem." Maya, however, was not so optimistic. "We still don't have enough power, even if we rearrange the framework." Sugita's solution made it possible to utilize the weakened former Pylons, but there were not enough of them to form even two complete Pylons.

"We could count on using the monsters Dunkan has with him, if Kiishiro wins, but..." Takechi quickly realized that would not work. Even assuming they got their hands on these monsters, ZONE had already confirmed that the fused Phantom Beasts were no longer in a usable state - and who knew what would happen to whatever monsters Dunkan was using.

"For now, then, I will reshape the Pylon framework to match Sugita's blueprint." ZONE said. "We will figure out our next step... once the outcome of the battle is decided."

---

"Scar-Red... Nova... Dragon..." Kiishiro whispered in awe, shrinking before the behemoth that towered over him.

"Scar-Red Nova's attack power increases by 500, for each Tuner monster in my Graveyard." Dunkan's discard pile glowed. "Thanks to your friends, I was forced to summon quite a few Synchro monsters, therefore I have quite a few of those..." Seven streams of light flew from Dunkan's Graveyard, empowering the unholy dragon to twice its original strength.

"Seven thousand attack points?!" Kiishiro shouted. That monster was already way beyond the reach of anything Kiishiro had seen - only the Chaos Phantom Demon from Christina's memories was stronger. But he quickly shook himself. "Either way, even if you Synchro Summoned like this, you haven't stopped the effect of Black Rose Dragon! No matter how strong it is, your monster will still be destroyed!"

"And that is why I said, you are a fool." Dunkan sighed. "Scar-Red Nova Dragon cannot be destroyed by card effects." What?! And the only monster consumed by the raging gale, was Black Rose itself, while the much bigger red dragon emerged entirely unscathed, the razor-sharp petals failing to even penetrate its skin.

"Ugh, I... I set two cards face-down. Turn end."

Turn 3 - Gregory Dunkan

"Recklessly charging in, so impulsive, so destructive." Dunkan drew his card. "It is exactly because the world suffers from these flaws, that what I'm doing is necessary! All you can see are the few small, insignificant lives in front of you, but I can see everything, everything! Death and destruction are the laws of the universe, and I will change them! Battle! Scar-Red Nova Dragon, direct attack!" The giant creature was engulfed in a sphere of flames, and nosedived towards Kiishiro like a meteor. "BURNING SOUL!"

"Not - yet - !!" But Kiishiro had an answer ready. "Trap card, Guard Block! Battle damage becomes zero, and I draw once!" A spherical energy barrier manifested around Kiishiro. No matter how strong the offense, it was a card that would prevent any harm - at least, that was the theory, but...

[spoiler=Guard Block]Guard Block
TRAP / Normal
Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. The Battle Damage you would receive becomes 0. Draw 1 card.[/spoiler]

Scar-Red Nova smashed into the barrier. The world stopped for an instant, no sound, no movement. And then, the explosion.

Kiishiro did not even realize just when Guard Block's defensive barrier was shattered and he was thrown flat on the ground, a sweeping wave of fire passing over him.

- Kiishiro couldn't understand this. He had received no damage, he was not injured. Then...

...why did his body feel, so impossibly heavy...

"Then, you experienced it." Dunkan's voice seemed to come from far away. "This is... 'conceptual weight'. And it is the sole, primary reason why you can't win."

"Conceptual... weight?" It took a few times, but Kiishiro finally managed to rise to his feet. His whole body was trembling uncontrollably. Even though... I haven't been harmed...?

"The Pylon system was removed." Dunkan continued his explanation. "As a result, there is nothing to regulate the energy flow of the Nexus right now. Despite its unfathomable volume of power, the Nexus has no consciousness, no will - without direction, that energy will simply follow the absolute laws of gravitational attraction. Strong concepts are drawn to strong concepts and humans, like every sentient entity in the multiverse, have conceptual weight too. I dislike using such mundane terms but... words like 'resolve', 'willpower', 'determination', are apt descriptors. In other words, even throughout this fight, the Nexus will lend its power to the one most deserving of it..."

"...and I shouldn't even have to tell you, which one of us that is. In other words, what you felt just now was simply... the difference between my 'ability to win', and yours."

"Feh... like I'd be... scared by something like that!" Kiishiro defiantly rejected Dunkan's declarations.

But the problem was, he was scared. He could feel it in his soul - that last attack, had been more than an attack - it had been proof of the massive gap he'd have to cross. And judging by the mocking smirk on Dunkan's face, he, too, could sense Kiishiro's bluff.

"I set one monster, and one card. Turn end."

Turn 4 - Sanjou Kiishiro

"Draw! No matter what, I'm not giving up..." Kiishiro muttered. "Power, isn't everything!"

"But you don't really believe that, do you?" Dunkan nodded to the side, and even though he tried not to, Kiishiro was forced to look. Yenma's corpse. Christina, unconscious, clinging to life by a fragile thread. "Power is power and the only thing that changes is how you use it, and the only thing that matters is if you have enough to accomplish what you want to achieve. I seek the ultimate power for the ultimate goal. I held that power in my hands before, and I will do it again. You have no chance. I am the only one who can control the Nexus without the Pylon system now. Even if you had the ability to defeat me, then that would be the end of our world. But it is exactly because you don't have that power, that you won't be able to defeat me in the first place."

Those words were true, Kiishiro knew that much. And in front of the towering wall that was the 'truth'... his only option...

"Then..." He held out a card from his hand.

" - I will just have to show you, my own power - !!"

He looked at the card he had drawn, and immediately motioned for his Set card to be revealed, his own copy of Call of the Living Dead reviving Night-Rose Knight to his field, and then he Normal Summoned Dandylion. "I tune the Level 3, Dandylion, to the Level 3, Night-Rose Knight!" The two monsters dissolved into a three-to-three Synchro array, red stars crossing dark green rings. "Synchro Summon!" Thick vines sprang from the column, and a fierce, dauntless storm of petals formed to reveal a tall blonde elf maiden, clad in elegant green robes and commanding the flurry of raging plants around her. "Splendid Rose!!"

[spoiler=Dandylion]Dandylion
EARTH / Plant
Level 3
300/300
When this card is sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 2 "Fluff Tokens" (Plant-Type/WIND/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position. These Tokens cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon during the turn they are Special Summoned.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Splendid Rose]Splendid Rose
WIND / Plant / Synchro
Level 6
2200/2000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard to halve the ATK of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, until the End Phase of this turn. If this card attacks, during the same Battle Phase you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard to halve the ATK of this card (until the End Phase) and attack once again.[/spoiler]

"First, Dandylion Special Summons two tokens to my field." Two small animated flowers materialized around Kiishiro's monster. "Now, I activate Splendid Rose's effect!" Kiishiro retrieved a card from his Graveyard, and the spectral form of Lord Poison was absorbed into the plants around the rose queen, empowering them. Then, they shot towards Scar-Red Nova Dragon, tightly wrapping around its arms, legs, wings, torso and neck, forcing it to the ground. "By removing a Plant monster in my Graveyard from the game, the attack of one of your monsters is halved!" And so the demon dragon's power fell to 3500, its original value.

"Bah, Scar-Red Nova still overpowers your monster by more than a thousand points!" Dunkan scoffed. "Is this really all you have to bring against me? That girl had more fight in her."

"No! No, this isn't all!" Kiishiro slammed another card on the translucent console. "Synchro Cancel!" Splendid Rose returns to the Extra Deck, and its materials are Special Summoned!" Night-Rose Knight and Dandylion reappeared next to the two tokens. "And now, combine your powers once more! Synchro Summon!" And the Synchro process repeated itself, allowing Splendid Rose to reappear on the field.

[spoiler=Synchro Cancel]Synchro Cancel
SPELL / Normal
Target 1 face-up Synchro Monster; return that target to the Extra Deck, then, if all of the monsters that were used for the Synchro Summon of that monster are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them.[/spoiler]

"Splendid Rose, activate your power!" Kiishiro pointed at Scar-Red Nova, this time removing Dandylion from the game. The elf extended her hands, palms facing outward, and large thorns sprang from the coiling vines that were restricting the opposing monster, afflicting it with a weakening venom, and causing its power to further collapse to 1750. "Splendid Rose, destroy Scar-Red Nova Dragon!" With a feral scream unfitting with her regal appearance, Splendid Rose dashed forward, drawing a thin silver rapier from her waist. "This is my power, Dunkan!!"

"..." The man watched impassively at the charging monster. And then -

"...you truly are a fool."

Tongues of flame surrounded Scar-Red Nova, burning away the vines holding it in place, and enveloping it in a giant crimson sphere. Splendid Rose froze in her tracks and shielded her face from the scorching heat. Kiishiro had to look away, too, and when he opened his eyes again -

"It... disappeared?!" No! Kiishiro knew from Christina's duel that Shooting Star Dragon had the ability to avoid battle by removing itself from the game, but he had not imagined that Scar-Red Nova, which could vastly increase its own power, would be able to do the same. "No, I..."

"And so, even now, at the final hour, you understand." Flickers of dark flame rained over Dunkan, casting black shadows over his face. "Your friends couldn't defeat me. You can't defeat me. From the moment you decided to stand against me, you had already lost."
[/spoiler]


[spoiler="C79 Duel Transcript"](Dunkan's field contains "Red Demons Dragon", left over from his Duel with Christina. He retains the Life Points he had left at the end of that duel and adds an extra 4000, then draws five cards to compensate for the conditions of the gauntlet match. Kiishiro cannot use the cards left by Christina and Yenma. The duel begins at Dunkan's Main Phase 2)

TURN 1 - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 5 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Set 2 cards
TURN 1 END - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 3 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]

TURN 2 - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 6 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Normal Summon "Night-Rose Knight" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Lord Poison" from his hand
> Dunkan activates "Emergency Teleport", Special Summoning "Clairvonce" from his deck
> Dunkan activates "Call of the Living Dead", Special Summoning "Formula Synchron" from his Graveyard
> Tune "Lord Poison" to "Night-Rose Knight" to Synchro Summon "Black Rose Dragon" and activates its effect to destroy all cards on the field, but Dunkan activates the effect of "Formula Synchron", tuning "Red Demons Dragon" to "Formula Synchron" and "Clairvonce" to Synchro Summon "Scar-Red Nova Dragon", which cannot be destroyed by card effects. "Black Rose Dragon" is destroyed.
> Set 2 cards
TURN 2 END - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 2 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]

TURN 3 - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 4 hand, 1/0 monsters, 0/0 s/t]
> Attack directly with "Scar-Red Nova Dragon", but Kiishiro activates "Guard Block", reducing damage to 0 and drawing 1 card
> Set 1 monster
> Set 1 card
TURN 3 END - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 2 hand, 1/1 monsters, 0/1 s/t]

TURN 4 - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 4 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/1 s/t]
> Activate "Call of the Living Dead", Special Summoning "Night-Rose Knight"
> Normal Summon "Dandylion"
> Tune "Dandylion" to "Night-Rose Knight" to Synchro Summon "Splendid Rose", "Dandylion" Special Summons 2 "Fluff Tokens"
> Activate effect of "Splendid Rose", Banishing "Lord Poison" from the Graveyard to halve ATK of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" (ATK 7000->3500)
> Activate "Synchro Cancel", returning "Splendid Rose" to the Extra Deck to Special Summon "Dandylion" and "Night-Rose Knight" from his Graveyard
> Tune "Dandylion" to "Night-Rose Knight" to Synchro Summon "Splendid Rose", "Dandylion" Special Summons 2 "Fluff Tokens"
> Activate effect of "Splendid Rose", Banishing "Dandylion" from the Graveyard to halve ATK of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" (ATK 3500->1750)
> Attack "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" with "Splendid Rose", but Dunkan activates the effect of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon", Banishing it to negate the attack
[/spoiler]

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

"had it only been two weeks?"

 

No, it's been three and a half f***ing years!

 

Just kidding.

 

Also, wasn't Kiishiro the first to get the signer mark, not last. :huh:

 

I... have gripes here. I mean like how Dunkan had it, but then how does it take so long to kill someone? This situation is entirely his own doing. (I also enjoyed his backstory as to how he obtained his cards).

 

Lynette was Lynette and being her absent minded, childish, malevolent selfish self. She has the same attitude as Juri from Street Fighter, who I've always liked. Sugita and Bando did as well as they always do helping out.

 

Also, I like how Ferguson got resolved and went out with SUCH A GODDAMN BANG!!!

 

But...

 

... with Eizan... um...

 

... is that it?

 

I... dunno if I just built myself up to a three way duel, but I'd be kinda disappointed if Eizan didn't make more of an impact and he's finished now without another line or anything. I know his Yuusuke Maya duel was pretty epic and hard to top, but... still. If this was his end it seems a bit underwhelming.

 

But then Kiishiro overcoming both Eizan and Dunkan seems a bit much too. But then Dunkan and Eizan could tear into each other and tbh that would be his best chance.

 

Also, send me the last chapter. You know I deserve it and no-one else :)

[Aerion Brightflame]

Ok... I probably should have commented earlier, but... I didn't because I wanted to reread the chapters you've posted recently. 

 

Because tbh, I don't think they are you at your best. That's not to say the writing in them is bad or anything, it's obviously of a good quality because you've written it (And no, that's not me kissing arse or anything, it's basically a statement of facts; you are good at writing). It's just other bits of it are just not what I expected from the finale of Dead Zone. 

 

For starters the duel; The gauntlet style of the duel itself is fine, in fact I love the set up. And I love Dunkans deck... Except for putting the Sacred Beasts in... Like you are normally very good at keeping card choices and the like as being believable choices for that persons deck. Even the Wicked Gods in Maya's deck was fine because it worked well enough with her strategy. But the Sacred Beasts in Dunkan's deck? And only two of them at that as a show of force? Yeah... Not so much. 

 

I would rather that part of it not being in duel, and him creating Armityle outside of the duel (Partially because I'm an advocite of not having duels solve all issues ever on the planet in a fic, but still). It's just like... Up until then good lord was that an amazing duel. And even afterwards it was good. Hell, I think the duel would've flowed better with him just going straight into Red Nova to blow away Christina. Then in the next duel you can basically do the same thing, only have him nuke without it being chained to. It was just... an irritating change of direction that just ruined things a bit for me.

 

And then... It's length. I know you said the chapters are actually long. But they feel so short when I'm reading them. And this is just compared to like the first few chapters of the the final stretch. All of the Eizan duel chapters felt substantial, but these just don't. And I'm not sure if that's an editing mishap, or something else... But I feel like a complexity twist has been missing at the final stage. (Which given how mind numbingly complicated this thing has been at time isn't wrong to think in my eyes). I'm not sure if that's because I still think ZONE is going to backstab everyone or whatever... But... I dunno, at this stage it feels like it's lost some complexity. (Which will probably return in the last chapter, but still)

 

Oh and then just some little plot points that just don't make sense to me. Like Eizan, the master of Chaos just being taken out so damn fast. By Fergusson, for no apparent reason beyond creating a dramatic moment... Yeah... that's a cheap out and then some? It just seemed to happen from nowhere to the extent that it kinda makes Eizan look bad, and that the second/joint first smartest being in existence just had his master plan undone with so little effort.

 

Then Dunkan not suspecting Lynnette of being a psychopath (Since, that's what she comes across as, given she is doing things only because she enjoys them)... is sort of able to be believable? I mean I can understand him kinda not getting that. (Though why it didn't occur to him when he had all the power in the multiverse is another question, given I think you said a lot about his deductive reasoning going up by infinity). But for him not to have taken a precaution against her interfering given that he'd been betrayed a lot already... yeah I can't believe that as much? 

 

I'm sorry if it looks like I'm just picking holes, or that I'm not enjoying it; I'm obviously enjoying it or else or I wouldn't be typing this since I wouldn't have read it. I just think there's been a sort of... quality dip since the start of the final arc, and I don't think it's just due to my personal hype for this. I just feel like there's some stuff missing here. 

[Vector Nightmare]

No, it's been three and a half f***ing years!

Just kidding.

Hah. Just that deserves a like.

Also, wasn't Kiishiro the first to get the signer mark, not last. :huh:

Dunkan meant that he was the last one left, since all the others were accounted for. Also, Dunkan had his marks longer than Kiishiro did, and technically Christina did, too.

I... have gripes here. I mean like how Dunkan had it, but then how does it take so long to kill someone? This situation is entirely his own doing. (I also enjoyed his backstory as to how he obtained his cards).

Not long, but Eizan's timing was just that good.

Read my answer to Horus for more about the situation with Eizan.

Because tbh, I don't think they are you at your best. That's not to say the writing in them is bad or anything, it's obviously of a good quality because you've written it (And no, that's not me kissing arse or anything, it's basically a statement of facts; you are good at writing). It's just other bits of it are just not what I expected from the finale of Dead Zone.

Well, it would have been surprising if they were completely up to par. I wrote them a long time later, compared to the bulk of the story, and frankly after a while I wasn't that invested in it any more. I really wanted to give it a proper ending and tried to make it as good as I could, but obviously that gap fact was reflected.
 
For starters the duel; The gauntlet style of the duel itself is fine, in fact I love the set up. And I love Dunkans deck... Except for putting the Sacred Beasts in... Like you are normally very good at keeping card choices and the like as being believable choices for that persons deck. Even the Wicked Gods in Maya's deck was fine because it worked well enough with her strategy. But the Sacred Beasts in Dunkan's deck? And only two of them at that as a show of force? Yeah... Not so much. 
 
I would rather that part of it not being in duel, and him creating Armityle outside of the duel (Partially because I'm an advocite of not having duels solve all issues ever on the planet in a fic, but still). It's just like... Up until then good lord was that an amazing duel. And even afterwards it was good. Hell, I think the duel would've flowed better with him just going straight into Red Nova to blow away Christina. Then in the next duel you can basically do the same thing, only have him nuke without it being chained to. It was just... an irritating change of direction that just ruined things a bit for me.

Well, I hoped Dunkan using a bunch of Continuous Traps that stayed on the field, and him having a deck with a lot of Fiends even though its core was Synchro spam, would have been a decent lead-in. But honestly, I... really don't think it would have worked if the duel had gone on as usual, and then Dunkan randomly went 'oh hey I have these too' and summoned them outside the duel. I did recognize how they'd be disrupting and that's why they were kind of a one-turn deal, and Armityle vanished afterwards.
 
And then... It's length. I know you said the chapters are actually long. But they feel so short when I'm reading them. And this is just compared to like the first few chapters of the the final stretch. All of the Eizan duel chapters felt substantial, but these just don't. And I'm not sure if that's an editing mishap, or something else... But I feel like a complexity twist has been missing at the final stage. (Which given how mind numbingly complicated this thing has been at time isn't wrong to think in my eyes). I'm not sure if that's because I still think ZONE is going to backstab everyone or whatever... But... I dunno, at this stage it feels like it's lost some complexity. (Which will probably return in the last chapter, but still)

Here... I don't know what to say, except that the chapters are, roughly, as long as the previous batch. But, I mean... they probably don't feel as complex because I'm trying to get things resolved here. I mean, I could have Dunkan unleash an extra fifteen layers of planning, but then the story would last for another arc.
 
Oh and then just some little plot points that just don't make sense to me. Like Eizan, the master of Chaos just being taken out so damn fast. By Fergusson, for no apparent reason beyond creating a dramatic moment... Yeah... that's a cheap out and then some? It just seemed to happen from nowhere to the extent that it kinda makes Eizan look bad, and that the second/joint first smartest being in existence just had his master plan undone with so little effort.

Once Eizan fused with the Nexus, he was no longer the smartest being in existence. He was no longer anything, really, just a trigger for the Nexus to start blowing up things. And I think that if I had a giant ball of energy start going JUST AS PLANNED on people, I'd be pushing it.

What I wanted to show wasn't that Eizan's plans were perfect, it was that they weren't. He played everyone and everything up to that point, but still missed the one small factor that did him in in the end.
 
Then Dunkan not suspecting Lynnette of being a psychopath (Since, that's what she comes across as, given she is doing things only because she enjoys them)... is sort of able to be believable? I mean I can understand him kinda not getting that. (Though why it didn't occur to him when he had all the power in the multiverse is another question, given I think you said a lot about his deductive reasoning going up by infinity). But for him not to have taken a precaution against her interfering given that he'd been betrayed a lot already... yeah I can't believe that as much?

Dunkan is perceptive, but he's also human, and suffers from the same weaknesses that humans do, and one of the most important is personal bias clouding one's judgment. Plus Lynette is really really good at pretending. And, for now, I will just say that even though she's younger than Dunkan, she has probably 'lived' for a much longer time than him.

When Dunkan took in the power of the Nexus, he didn't immediately become god - that would take some time, until he took in enough power and managed to control it properly. He gained a lot of abilities, but again, he also remained human, and his first thought upon getting a hold of the power he had chased after for so long wasn't to check and see whether Lynette was going to betray him, simply because he didn't think there was anything she could do to stop him in the first place (which he would have been right to think, sans Eizan interference).

I'm sorry if it looks like I'm just picking holes, or that I'm not enjoying it; I'm obviously enjoying it or else or I wouldn't be typing this since I wouldn't have read it. I just think there's been a sort of... quality dip since the start of the final arc, and I don't think it's just due to my personal hype for this. I just feel like there's some stuff missing here.

No, that's understandable, I'm probably the single person who is most aware that this isn't as good as it could have been. Part of it is what I mentioned earlier, and part of it is poor planning on my part; I built up a lot of things for the finale, but didn't realize just how many things were added to the list of what needed to be resolved. Pacing problems were bound to occur (valuable lessons learned for the next thing I write, whenever / whatever that will be). I just tried my best to work with what I had.

Dunkan and Lynette obviously aren't done yet and will be getting more exposition and focus in the final chapter. And there's even an Eizan segment that briefly of explains how things went down. Perhaps those will help a bit with the issues you two pointed out.

Said final chapter will be up on Monday, as I'll be away for the weekend - get ready for it.

[Vector Nightmare]

Well. I don't really have much to say here. This story is quite old, and will probably hold little interest for any new reader, since all the cards used are long outdated. It's also not that great, honestly - it's not badly written, but due to the time it took to write and the long breaks between certain segments, quality fluctuates wildly.

But for any new readers who are interested in giving it a shot, and for any old ones who still happen to feel like reading it to the conclusion - it's here. I'm not expecting any comments or anything since this is really just long, long overdue. But for the sake of completion, here goes - the ending of Dead Zone.

Chapter 80 contains the bulk of the ending. The last couple of scenes are contained in the aftermath. The epilogue is the obligatory "a few years later" narration.

[spoiler="Chapter 80"]

Chapter 80: Last Turn

I am dead.

Christina knew this fact, because this was a situation she had experienced before. The numbing of all senses, all feelings, all thoughts, the slow descent into the empty nothing... this was the second time she had been submerged into this void, struck beyond the end of her natural life...

This time, there would be no salvation, no second chance. Christina knew she had failed, she knew the price for failure. The end. For her, and everything. But even as she willed the darkness to embrace her, to finish it all, it shied back, and then they returned. The memories, the anger, the fear... the pain. She was now inside a translucent cocoon seemingly made of golden light. It was the same magic that had saved her life all those years ago, even though the memory of that time had only just returned to her. She was being kept alive because of it, because of Ancient Fairy's intervention. But the one that had cast the shielding spell that had managed to minimally offset that devastating blast, the attack of a phantasm that could wipe out a world in one shot... "Dryad..." She whispered. The spirit that had stood by her, that had guided her - was no more.

She was the most loyal of my children, and the one gifted with the most wisdom and insight. Christina felt Ancient Fairy's words in her head, resonating with her own thoughts. Even though the world she was born in was only an artificial realm, she loved it and wished to protect it... just as she loved and wished to protect you.

"Why?" Christina asked bitterly. "Why did she give her life to protect me? I failed. I lost. There's nothing for me out there. She gave her life for nothing!"

Perhaps she did. Christina's heart sank after this admission. The worth of your life is something only you can determine. Dryad sacrificed herself because she believed that you could find a path to call your own.

"But I - I do not deserve that! I do not want that!" Christina continued to protest angrily. She had been saved once before, at the cost of her old life, and thrust into a new one. She had begun her revenge by killing Abraham Lee and she had felt nothing, and she had attempted to end it by killing Gregory Dunkan and stopping his mad plan, but she had failed. "I made the wrong choices, I took the wrong path, I killed innocent people, you gave me your power to stop Dunkan's plan and I failed. Yenma did his best, he was better than me, he would fight to protect everyone, and he died!" She was tired of surviving just to face failure after failure. "Just... let me..." Die.

Living and dying have nothing to do with who deserves what. Ancient Fairy's voice was gentle, but stern at the same time. Everyone deserves to live, and everyone eventually dies. You, us, and even the one who stands above us, will be subjected to that fate. As long as you are alive, your path has not ended yet. And also - we never gave you the power of a Signer to stop anything.

"What?!" Christina was certain she had misheard.

Eons ago, in a distant world, the five dragons that correspond to the marks on your arms were born. We were born to defend that world from the forces of darkness that threatened to devour it. One, born out of the shards of a star that fell on the ground. One, born out of the primordial flowers that decorated its hidden natural sanctuaries. One, born out of the shadows of the deepest night. One, born out of the raging flames of a volcano. And the last, myself... born out of the pure, untainted dreams of those who inhabited that world.

Eventually, the five prevailed, but during the battle, their physical forms were sacrificed in order to ensure victory. A being of a higher caliber, the Crimson Dragon, that was wandering across the dark edges of the void between the worlds, and had been drawn to that world due to the chaotic influx, decided to immortalize the spirits of the five dragons, giving them the ability to manifest, again and again, throughout the multiverse, by forming a bond with a soul that could resonate with their own. And so, time and again, when a world was threatened by annihilation, we would forge pacts with those chosen, marked by the symbols of the Crimson Dragon, and lend them our power.

Numerous worlds were saved in this fashion. However, on one fatal occasion - the power we possessed was simply not enough to offset the fate of destruction that awaited, and in a last, desperate effort, two of our kin sought greater power, power so great that could transcend the natural boundaries of the world they were summoned unto. The very birth of these beings ripped reality asunder, resulting in the destruction we were so desperate to avoid.

"Then, that was why... Stardust and Red Demons..." Christina mused quietly.

No. But Ancient Fairy quickly rejected that notion. No, Stardust Dragon and Red Demons Dragon were not punished. In fact, it was their own, willing choice to seal themselves away, because they felt their tainted souls no longer deserved the grace of immortality. But they were mistaken...

I told you before, that we never gave you the power of a Signer to save anything. The power of the five dragons, the power of the Signers, was never meant to be used as a tool of salvation, of maintaining some higher natural order. Rather, in the end...

...all we were meant to do, was carve our own path and make our own choices, along with the souls that were chosen to stand beside us, wherever these choices might lead. And in this war, these choices led the five of us on opposing sides of the battlefield.

And that was the reason they had been led to a situation like this.

And one more thing. Christina looked at the spectre of the holy dragon.

The battle isn't over yet.

---

Standing atop the precipice of the Nexus, two humans, two souls, fought against each other, wagering everything on that battle.

One of them was plagued by self-doubt, weakened by fear, rooted by frustration and the pain of loss.

The other was empowered by a strong resolve, standing firm as he stood before the end of the path he had chosen, determined to see it through.

The power of the Nexus had gravitated towards those powerful feelings that blazed fiercely even throughout the void between the worlds.

Which one of the two that person was, that was a fact clear to both of them.

But what they didn't realize -

- was just how easily things could change.

---

June 3, 2018

"Hey, what'cha doing?"

Lynette casually strolled into Gregory Dunkan's office, located in the topmost floor of a hundred-story skyscraper in the center of Los Angeles, owned exclusively by Duel International. Dunkan idly wondered just how the ten-year-old girl had managed to obtain the clearance codes to get by the multiple electronic security systems and access this area unannounced, codes which only Dunkan himself was supposed to have access to. Either Lynette was a genius hacker that could put even Nakahara Inoue to shame... or, as usual, she had found a completely different way of getting what she wanted, something that even Dunkan himself couldn't have imagined. Still, he couldn't bring himself to reprimand her.

"I am working on my plan to obtain the ultimate power in the universe... which, right now, entails planning a trip to Paris." He replied airily. He had spotted a promising potential recruit in the capital of France, one he deemed worth paying a personal visit to.

"Awesome!" The girl's eyes shone with sudden excitement. "Can I come with you? Can I come?" Dunkan couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Your mother would kill me." He said wryly. Dunkan didn't think there were many people in the world who could actually accomplish such a task, but Marie Rayleigh definitely belonged to the group that fit the bill, should something happen to her daughter that she had entrusted Dunkan with.

"Oh, we can tell her that we're planning to visit a special institute or something! A few fake websites, some pretend phone calls - everything can work out just like that!" And she snapped her fingers to demonstrate. Dunkan wondered if Lynette had known about his plan well in advance, and had prepared everything just for the purpose of convincing him to come along. Well, it wasn't as if he was particularly objected to the idea in the first place.

And so, eighteen hours later, Dunkan and Lynette sat side-by-side on Duel International's private jet plane that would carry them across the Atlantic in less than five hours. The girl had immediately fallen asleep and was snoring softly, leaving Dunkan to witness the fluttering of her eyelids as she dreamt... of what? What could those eyes see, what kind of endless oceans beyond this world could they travel across, sights that made the view from the aircraft's windows seem dull by comparison?

When Marie Rayleigh, the professor he had met during the demonstration of his virtual reality system, had introduced him to her daughter, and briefly explained her issue to him, Dunkan had almost immediately suspected the true cause behind Lynette's often lapses of consciousness, and talks of impossible things that seemed dream-like but were far too detailed to be products of a five-year-old's imagination. Lynette was one of those few people who could peer beyond the Gap, but unlike Dunkan, who could only catch occasional glimpses - Lynette could actually cross it with her five senses, experience things of different worlds at a different temporal frequency, not as a removed observer, but as if she was living right there in the moment...

At any rate, her mother's intuition in reaching for Dunkan's help had been right on the mark. Dunkan had been able to help Lynette, who was showing serious signs of mental breakdown, by teaching her how to control her 'journeys', avoid or block away the most painful of experiences, and to some extent, be able to return to her own frequency at will. It wasn't perfect and it didn't always work, but it certainly helped alleviate Lynette's mental stress, and she had been getting better at it very quickly - Dunkan had realized that, whether by natural talent or through the endless things she had experienced, she was an almost unparalleled genius, matured way beyond her years. Dunkan knew that probably, he could let Lynette return to her mother and lead a safe life from now on - and Lynette almost certainly realized that as well. But neither had approached the subject. Dunkan's motivation... ever since he had seen that girl, so frail, and yet with eyes so deep and powerful that even he, who could deceive others and read through them as naturally as he could breathe, felt powerless before them - he had wanted to protect her, so that he would eventually be able to see, too, just what kind of wonders she had experienced. And at the same time, he had been immensely jealous of her - the path he had been trying to find for so long, the path that he believed he was a pioneer to, the path that could lead across dimensions and to the infinite knowledge that lay outside of space and time - that path, Lynette was already walking along it.

Damnit... why am I... remembering these things now...

For Dunkan, Lynette was the only other person in the world who was walking the same path that he was, seeing the same truth that he was. And so, she was the only other person in the world that could understand him, the only other person in the world that was worth understanding.

The only one he could trust.

And yet...

Why...

He had been trying to supress this question. It was not allowed to reach his mind. It had happened, and no matter how much it had disrupted things, in the end, it was an obstacle that could be overcome.

So why... couldn't he silence it?

Why... did she... betray me...?

---

Sanjou Kiishiro glanced at the two cards in his hand. His fingers trembled, hovering over one. He was clutching at straws, he knew there was no chance, no matter what he did, he was shut down from all sides. Christina's memories concurred - she had been countered, battered, crushed at every corner. Even with Hamon in her deck, she had been utterly defeated, and Kiishiro did not have a power like that.

Then, what was the point of fighting on?

And, more importantly, had he forgotten... just why he had come here in the first place?

He knew. He had known. This was a hopeless battle. He didn't come here to win. He came here to fight and die. It was all too late anyway. What did he have to fight for? The world out there, a world he knew only a small piece of, a world that now seemed so weak and fragile, that was already lying in ruins, probably never to recover? His mother, whom he had abandoned in Ebony's clutches, along with the hope of ever seeing her again? No, none of those reasons remained, and so the only reason he fought, was because he had no choice but to fight, no choice but to hunt down his own, bitter end.

You always have a choice.

Wait.

He seemed to remember these words from the fog of his memories. He couldn't place them, but they rang true. They didn't seem to matter, then, and they probably didn't matter now, either. But... if he did have a choice, if it was his own choice that led him here...

There must be, another reason.

And as he looked back - he suddenly realize it.

Christina, who was lying unconscious after Dryad had given up her life to protect her from Armityle's devastating blast - to protect her.

Yenma, who was dead after he had bravely stepped up first against Dunkan, given his life at the vanguard of the war - to avenge him.

If he had no other reason -

- then he would make those two his reasons to win.

---

The strengthening of one's resolve.

The weakening of the other's.

It had only been a brief second.

But that short time was enough for the scales to completely shift.

The two marks blazing on Dunkan's arms weakened, losing their luster.

And the single mark on Kiishiro's flared, the blood-red shine turning into a pristine, pure white glow.

---

Is this... the power of the Nexus - ?

Kiishiro looked down at his hand which trembled, only this time not from fear, but from the vast power he felt surging through his body. With the corner of his eye, he caught Dunkan staring at him, bewildered.

Was this the same man he was so afraid of, the same man he hated so much, the same man he considered undefeatable, just a few moments ago?

Ridiculous.

Dunkan wasn't anything now. With this much power, Kiishiro would win. That was a foregone conclusion.

With a voice that wasn't his own, he declared -

"Activate, magic. Fragrance Storm. One Fluff token is destroyed. In exchange, a card is drawn." One of the small flower vanished, and Kiishiro held out his hand. A card appeared between his fingers, wreathed in golden light. He could see it clearly now. The path that led to victory... First, Scar-Red Nova Dragon must be eliminated. "The card drawn is the Plant-type monster, Petit Tomabo. Therefore, a new card is drawn." Another card appeared in the same manner, but before he even looked at it, he knew what it was. I cannot lose. Fate itself is willing me to win. Like this...

[spoiler=Fragrance Storm]Fragrance Storm
SPELL / Normal
Destroy 1 face-up Plant-Type monster on the field and draw 1 card. If that card is a Plant-Type monster, you can reveal it to your opponent and draw 1 more card.[/spoiler]

"Activate, magic. Magic Planter. The used Call of the Living Dead is sent to the Graveyard. Two cards are drawn." And those two as well, were the next, crucial pieces.

[spoiler=Magic Planter]Magic Planter
SPELL / Normal
Send 1 face-up Continuous Trap Card you control to the Graveyard. Draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

It was time to get rid of that dragon.

"Activate, magic. Burial from a Different Dimension." Dunkan gasped in outrage as Kiishiro set his new card to work. "Three monsters that are removed from the game, return to the respective Graveyards... target, Dandylion, Lord Poison... and naturally, Scar-Red Nova Dragon. If it is no longer removed when the turn's end comes, its effect to return won't activate."

[spoiler=Burial from the Different Dimension]Burial from the Different Dimension
SPELL / Quick-Play
Select up to 3 Monster Cards that are removed from play, and return them to their owners' Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"Set, two cards. Turn end."

---

"Y - you..." This bastard, how did he - he was just about to give up a moment ago... But Dunkan knew what had happened. He knew that he had wavered - and that he was paying the price for it. Damn you, Lynette... And he knew, better than anyone - just what kind of overwhelming odds he faced.

However...

"...if I couldn't contend against that kind of power, I wouldn't be able to wield it in the first place!" He reached for his deck. Opposite to him, the boy was staring at him with the same expression he knew had been on his face mere minutes ago. Control. Power. Dunkan knew better than anyone what his opponent must be feeling now. Absolute confidence, as if there was nothing in the world or beyond that could stand in his way.

And that was probably correct, too. As long as Kiishiro held the power of the Nexus, defeat was an impossible concept for him.

But the situation could change. Kiishiro was just a naive child. Dunkan's own weakness was to blame for the current state of affairs, not his opponent's strength.

The tides would turn once again.

"Draw!!" He glanced at his newly drawn card, then immediately thrust it onto the console. "Jar of Avarice. Junk Destroyer, Dark Highlander, Formula Synchron, Arms Aid, and Shooting Star Dragon all return to my extra deck." The five Synchro monsters floated upwards, the cards morphing into spheres of light that converged back onto the side of Dunkan's field, bringing his half-empty extra deck pile close to its original height again. "And I draw twice." Now, everything is set. "I flip summon Jinhua Cat." The pitch-black spirit cat appeared silently on his field. "And with its effect, I Special Summon Spore from my Graveyard." The cat meowed, and the giant verdant spore materialized out of ghastly black fog.

[spoiler=Jar of Avarice]Jar of Avarice
SPELL / Normal
Select 5 Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Return those cards to the Deck, then draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Jinhua Cat]Jinhua Cat
DARK / Beast / Spirit
Level 1
400/200
This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card returns to its owner's hand during the End Phase of the turn it is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up. When this card is Normal Summoned or flipped face-up, you can Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your Graveyard. When this card is removed from the field, remove from play that monster.[/spoiler]

"Can you guess what comes next? You do not have that boy's memories." Dunkan pointed towards Jinrei Yenma's corpse - he had hoped to shake his opponent, even slightly, but Kiishiro's eyes didn't even waver. "I tune the Level 1 Jinhua Cat, to the Level 1 Spore! Synchro Summon!" The two monsters transformed into spiralling orbs of light, forming a vortex from which the tiny vehicle, the catalyst for Accel Synchro Summon, reappeared. "Formula Synchron!" And Dunkan drew an additional card thanks to the effect of his monster. "And now, Stardust Flash!" His Trap card lifted face-up. "I can Special Summon Stardust Dragon from my Graveyard!" In a pillar of silver flakes of ice, the magnificent Signer Dragon manifested with an otherworldly cry.

[spoiler=Stardust Flash]Stardust Flash
TRAP / Normal
Target 1 "Stardust" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.[/spoiler]

"Transcend the boundaries of space and time!" Dunkan shouted. "Accel Synchro!!" The Original Sin began moving, orbiting the Nexus at relativistic speeds - not quite touching it yet, no, or this would already be over. Eight stars, blazing like meteors, crossed two massive emerald rings that shimmered from the impossible velocity while still appearing to be still. And when the portal opened, the silver-winged dragon of the future was there, perfectly motionless. "Shooting Star Dragon!"

Dunkan knew that relying on Shooting Star's multi-attack effect would be risky right now. Thankfully, Shooting Star Dragon was just an insurance - he had a more reliable way of settling the match. "I activate the magic card, Stardust Shimmer!" Just like Stardust Flash, this was another card that did not exist until Dunkan acquired the two Signer marks, another card whose power was drawn straight from the blessings of the Crimson Dragon. Another proof, that his path was right. "This card allows me to use monsters in my Graveyard as materials, in order to directly Summon a Dragon Synchro monster from my Graveyard, bypassing the Tuner requirement!" In other words, as long as the Levels matched... He held up his hand, and two cards floated upwards from his Graveyard, dissipating into silver light. The ghostly images of Red Demons Dragon and Phantom of Chaos appeared on his field, forming twelve spectral black stars that converged into an explosion of abyssal fire. "Return from the Grave!" And the massive demonic beast took shape from the flames, roaring with renewed rage, still at a massive 7000 attack power. "Scar-Red Nova Dragon!"

[spoiler=Stardust Shimmer]Stardust Shimmer
SPELL / Normal
Discard 1 card. Select 1 of your removed from play monsters, Special Summon it in Attack Position, and equip it with this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the equipped monster.[/spoiler]

The two great dragons, white and blue, red and black, stood side-by-side, towering in the empty sky of the Original Sin. They were the pinnacle of Dunkan's power, the two strongest monsters, blessed by the power of the Crimson Dragon, wrapped in the breath of chaos, and touched by the very essence of the Nexus itself. They had chosen to stand by his side - and so Dunkan, too, would live up to that power. All that was left -

"I activate the Equipment magic, Different Dimension Revival." He placed another card on his console, and allowed one more to fall from his hand to the Graveyard. "With this... I can revive a creature that rests in the beyond." Pitch-black darkness rose in front of him, reforming into a terrible shape. "Arise, incarnation of calamity! Tragoedia!" The phantasmal demon of disaster howled, a cry of despair and agony born from the depths of hell, as it took its place behind Dunkan.

[spoiler=Different Dimension Revival]Different Dimension Revival
SPELL / Equip
Select 1 Dragon-Type Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. Remove from play other monsters in your Graveyard whose total Levels equal the Level of the selected monster, and Special Summon it from the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

With these three monsters, his final Pylon was assembled on the field. And for the first time since Sanjou Kiishiro had seized hold of the Nexus from him, an expression appeared in the boy's face - it was muted shock. The power he was relying on... now that he had his Pylon ready, Dunkan could disrupt his control over it.

A smirk appeared on his face.

He had won.

---

"Alright, what the hell is going on?" Yuusuke and the others, still at the ground floor of the Aria Tower, had felt two massive energy spikes, which had almost entirely destabilized the Pylon system they were trying to rework - but they had no idea just what was happening in the Original Sin. They just knew it couldn't be that bad, because, well, they were still alive.

"The restructure of the Pylon framework is complete." ZONE informed them. He brought up a holographic screen, which visually demonstrated the way the system would work. "Now all we need..."

"...is for Kiishiro to win his battle." Yuusuke finished that sentence grimly.

"And to gather the necessary power to create the Pylons." Maya added. Everyone remained silent after that - because they knew that either condition was going to be hard to fulfill. "Your framework suggests we need... thirty phantasm-level monsters." The original framework contained three Pylons with three points each - with the rework, the minimum amount of power each monster that could be placed in a Pylon had to have was reduced considerably, so that even lesser creatures could be used, but the total number of Pylons was ten, with three points each. Even counting the weakened Devil Gods and Eizan's monsters, that still left a lot of power unanswered for. "Just how are we going to make that happen..."

"It is possible, with these." ZONE answered calmly. Ten cards flew from his unicycle, arranging themselves in an array above him. Each one pulsed with tremendous power. Maya and Yuusuke looked at them questioningly, but Takechi and Sugita immediately recognized them for what they were.

"The Time Machine Gods!" Takechi exclaimed. "There were so many - !!"

"Yes. Ten deities, each will serve as the focal point of each Pylon. The Time Machine Gods contain the core of the Arc Cradle's technology... they voluntarily sealed themselves within machines in worder to ward off the power of chaos. They have enough power to contain the Nexus, if aided."

"Alright." Yuusuke mused. "So we have, six cards here." He and Maya held out AVATAR, ERASER and DREAD-ROOT, as well as LIGHT RULER, DARK RULER and Hyperion. "Then... I suppose we should be able to use these, as well." They pulled Judgment Dragon and Chaos Goddess from their decks. "And this one..." The Chaos Soldier that he had inherited from Jacqueline. Quietly, Sugita and Takechi retrieved Lone Silver Wind and Laval Stellaid. The cards that had been turned into their bond, had been elevated to the class of lesser phantasms - enough to function as parts of these lesser Pylons.

"So we have eleven more between us." Maya said. "We still need nine..."

"If we could somehow get to the Original Sin, we could make it." Takechi complained. "Kiishiro's Splendid Rose, Christina's Rainbow Dragon, and Yenma's Dark Simurgh, along with the two Pylons Dunkan has..."

"No, we can't rely on that. If the Pylons aren't ready by the time the fight ends... no, even if we did have enough time, the likelihood of being able to access the Original Sin at all at this point is minimal..." Everyone fell silent again at ZONE's words, reminded of how bleak the future looked, no matter the outcome.

"However..." Another card began manifesting in front of ZONE, this time with a deep purple border. "We do have a few more phantasms we can use."

"That card is - Sarunoki Moboro's Worm Zero!" Sugita exclaimed. "I see - the decks of those megalomaniacs from Duel International, they contained powerful phantasms too!"

"Indeed, and the ones who defeated them in battle have the right to use them." ZONE explained. Wordlessly, Yuusuke and Takechi materialized two cards in their hands - Jacqueline Devereaux' ace card, Naturia Extrio, and a monster called Inverz Grez - the strongest monster in the Inverz deck Draco Ross used, that he had not managed to deploy. Technically it was Yenma who had delivered the finishing blow in that duel, but Takechi also had the right to invoke it.

"Still missing six!" Takechi cursed, as their sources of possible power were dwindling.

"No, wait, if that is the case - !" Maya exchanged a knowing look with Yuusuke. They closed their eyes and concentrated - it took a few moments longer, because they weren't even certain what they were looking for - but soon enough, two cards appeared in their hands. They were Sannosouke Takizawa's Real Genex Black Engine, and Nakahara Inoue's Eviritua Zealgigas, both of which had been obtained by Eizan after he defeated their previous owners, but had then passed on to Maya and Yuusuke when they managed to defeat him.

Unfortunately, as for the rest - Dunkan and Lynette were still at large, Cornelius Klein was out of the question, and whatever card Abraham Lee may have had that they could have used was with Christina.

"Damnit, are you sure we need so many?" Maya demanded impatiently. "Can't we make do with what we have?"

"No, in the first place, this is the absolute minimum we can work with, none of these monsters even compare to the full power of the original Pylons." ZONE admitted.

"Just four more." Sugita sighed. "We've come so far, and yet..."

"Then, use these."

Once more, everyone's heads snapped back - and stared wide-eyed in shock at the green-eyed, white-clad young girl who stood there, having tossed three cards at them that now hovered next to the other phantasms they had gathered.

"You are - Ivory!" Yuusuke exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you, obviously." The girl said dryly. "When you first came to this world, I thought you would bring only destruction." She addressed ZONE. "But I have to admit now, that you just might be... the key to this realm's salvation." It was hard to tell from his helmet, but they felt ZONE nod in acknowledgement. "These cards... I got them from my sister, when she was defeated." Two of the cards she had presented to them were the two Earthbound Gods that Ivory and Kiishiro had managed to defeat during their battle against Ebony, Ccapac Apu and Ccarayhua. "Ebony had to leave them behind, in order to retreat in time. And as for that..." The last one was Ivory's own Dragunity Barcha, the strongest of the Dragunity monsters.

"These will work, now we only need one more!" Yuusuke shouted.

"No, we don't." This time it was Sugita who said these words softly. "The last one..." He spread his hand, and a blue-and-white aura wrapped around his fingers, slowly taking shape into a single card, a card they did not expect to see here... Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier - the phantasm that had protected Iseya Yuko during her valiant last stand. "This card... it still carries her will." Gently, Sugita nudged the card upwards, until it floated to take its place with the others. "Even now... she is with us."

Ten Time Machine Gods, and twenty other phantasms of sufficient conceptual strength. The thirty cards arrayed before them in ten triangles. "We are ready now." ZONE informed them, floating forward. The duelists, even Ivory, formed a circle, and placed their hands together on top of each other. "We need to put together all our power for this."

"Alright." Takechi grinned. "For Yuko, and everyone else who fought or who is still fighting - "

" - let's do this!!"

---

Dunkan was ready - now that Sanjou Kiishiro's unexpected resolution had shattered, and he had reformed his Pylon on the field, he could assume at least partial control of the Nexus again. Once that happened, nothing would stop him any more.

But -

"The Pylon - won't function?!" Without even realizing it, he growled these words out loud, causing Kiishiro, who was frozen in panic, to glance up at him. The three monsters he had on his field - Shooting Star, Scar-Red Nova, and Tragoedia - were no longer connected to the system he had built with so much painstaking effort. The reason was obvious - his thoughts flew back to the vermin that had invaded the Pylon control room before Lynette's betrayal. "Those bastards - what did they do?!"

Quickly, though, he suppressed his anger - if he gave into it, he would lose whatever control he did have left. He didn't have a Pylon any more - but neither did the damned boy. So in the end, the power of the Nexus was still up for either of them to seize. Dunkan, who had resumed control of the duel, had managed to seize a small portion of it - but it was a strained, uncertain hold. It would not last, not until he crushed the life out of that child.

Thankfully, he did not need the Nexus to do that. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet." He growled. "Dark Resonator!" And the fiendish tuning fork-wielding creature appeared on his field.

[spoiler=Dark Resonator]Dark Resonator
DARK / Fiend / Tuner
Level 3
1300/300
Once per turn, this card cannot be destroyed by battle.[/spoiler]

"And now, battle!" On Sanjou Kiishiro's field were the three defense position tokens summoned by Dandylion, and Splendid Rose. Dunkan also had four monsters. But the duel could be decided instantly. "Scar-Red Nova, attack!" The demonic behemoth roared, charging forward. "Your target is Splendid Rose!" The boy still had all his Life Points remaining - but they would be wiped out in one shot if the attack landed.

"Instant Magic!" Kiishiro shouted. "Book of Moon!" Ch. Scar-Red Nova vanished in black motes, returning to face-down position. Fine, then... "Attack! Tragoedia, Dark Resonator! Shooting Star! Wipe out his tokens!" Instead of eliminating the stronger Splendid Rose, Dunkan ordered his three monsters to mow down the defensive wall formed by the three small plants.

Now to drive the point home. "Second Main Phase!" He shouted. "Tragoedia's effect! I discard the Level 6, Dark Emperor Gaius from my hand, in order to take control of a monster with the same Level on your field!" The dark monarch's card was buried in his Graveyard, and Tragoedia unleashed a mass of writhing tentacles that wrapped around the rose princess.

"No!" The boy screamed, stretching his arm, as if he could protect his monster that suffered under the invading darkness. Splendid Rose screamed and struggled, but Tragoedia's poison sank deep within her veins - her skin turned into a sickly dark purple, and once the tentacles released their hold, she floated over to Dunkan's side, staring back at its former owner with a frozen, expressionless face. Kiishiro returned that stare with horror in his eyes. This should be over, but just in case...

"I now activate Tragoedia's second effect." He declared. "By targeting a monster in my Graveyard, I can change Tragoedia's Level to match it." He lifted up the Level 4 Debris Dragon. "And I tune the, now Level 4, Demon type monster Tragoedia, to the Level 3, also Demon type monster, Dark Resonator!" The two creatures disappeared into a spiral of swirling darkness. "Return to my side, king of the heavenly abyss! Black Highlander!" The scythe-wielding demon lord materialized by his side - and now Dunkan's victory was complete. Kiishiro's field contained only one set card, and in his hand was only a useless monster, Petit Tomabo. Due to Black Highlander's effect, Synchro Summons, the Signers' trump card, were not allowed.

But just in case, just to address the slightest possibility of another impossible comeback - Dunkan was prepared to drive the final nail in the boy's coffin.

"Tell me." He addressed the boy, who still seemed stunned by Dunkan's onslaught. "Have you considered the possibility of defeating me while I command the power of the Nexus?"

His opponent's bewildered stare told Dunkan what he wanted to know. Of course, such a possibility had never entered the boy's brain - as someone who, however briefly, had control over the Nexus, Kiishiro understood full well that that power was way beyond any human limit.

And that was exactly why Dunkan would win this battle, without fail.

"You still do not understand?" He shook his head. "Your admission just now - it is that 'my power isn't enough'. You yourself know, that you need the power of the Nexus. However, that..."

"...that was the very basis of my ideal from the start."

"What?!" Kiishiro shouted. "No, I - !!"

"It's useless to refute a truth that your mind has already acknowledged." Dunkan did not let up. "You know for a fact that you need the power of the Nexus in order to become strong enough to surpass your limitations. If, by some twist of fate, you manage to seize control of it and use it to defeat me - you will have surrendered to my ideal, acknowledged that my path was right from the start. Humans desire, need, must reach greater heights, greater power. You are no exception. Therefore, the outcome of this battle is predetermined. You will either be crushed by me, and I will take control of the Nexus - or you will take control of the Nexus, but when you do, the very basis of your conviction will shatter, because you will admit that the opponent you are fighting against is right, and you are wrong. And at that moment, you will lose control and be crushed anyway."

"Face it - for you and your allies, a 'path' that leads to victory does not exist..." He spread his arms, feeling the power of the Nexus surge through him, as his words sank in the hopeless boy's mind.

"...because that 'victory' did not exist in the first place!"

---

He is right. Understanding that fact felt like a thousand tons on his shoulders.

Kiishiro knew, now perhaps better than anyone except Dunkan himself, what kind of incredible power was contained within the Nexus. The power to make the impossible possible, to manifest miracles. Then...

Just what... am I trying to accomplish?

With the abrupt clarity of a dying man, Kiishiro saw the two possible paths that could lead to a reversal.

The first path - the path of the hero, who would simply draw power from somewhere, surpass Dunkan, surpass the very Nexus itself by sheer willpower and seize victory.

...what a joke. Maybe someone like Aizawa Yuusuke could play the part convincingly. Surpass the Nexus? Yeah, right. For him, something like this was impossible to begin with.

Then, the second path - the path of the anti-hero, who would acknowledge the truth in Dunkan's words, but even so possess such indomitable conviction, that he would be able to seize control of the Nexus without surrendering to the doubt in his heart - no, such a person wouldn't have doubts in the first place.

...no, that wasn't him. Conviction? He barely had any of that in the first place. Kirizaki Maya just might be strong-willed and stubborn enough to do it - but not him.

His thoughts - led back to the same conclusion, the same fact he knew from the very beginning.

I am - the least suitable person to stand on this stage.

I am cowardly.

I am selfish.

I am weak.

Fate - had simply played a cruel joke on everyone.

There is no victory. There wasn't any from the beginning.

From the very moment he had received Black Rose Dragon's power - everything he had done was useless, worse than useless. His thoughts drifted to his mother, who had suffered so much because he thought he was a hero.

I am not a hero. I am nothing more than...

...a simple human. A simple human would never be able to stand up against Dunkan, would never be able to survive agains the power of the Nexus.

His head sank in despair. His heart felt hollow.

Trembling fingers reached for his deck, although whether it was to finally accept his defeat and surrender, or to make a final, useless effort, even Kiishiro did not know for sure.

I... am sorry.

---

"Framework - complete!!"

A massive pillar of light surged around the Aria Tower, exploding upwards, reaching through dimensions. The absolute pinnacle of power they managed to amass, thirty phantasms, empowered by the last wishes and hopes of a dying world, now hovered in the void between existence and nihility.

There was no outside observer to visualize it, and the ones responsible for its manifestation could only see a holographic approximation. It would be a truly wondrous sight. Thirty orbs of light flowing through the blackness of space to surround the pure white singularity that was the Nexus. At the very top, 'Keter', the Crown, Time Machine God Metaion along with Yuusuke's Judgment Dragon and Maya's Chaos Goddess. To the left, 'Binah', Understanding - Time Machine God Tzaphion along with Takizawa's Real Genex Black Engine and Inoue's Eviritua Zealgigas. - to the right, 'Chokmah', Wisdom - Time Machine God Razion along with ARCANA FORCE EX - THE LIGHT RULER and Ross' Inverz Greys. Underneath, 'Geburah', Strength - Arcana Force EX - THE DARK RULER along with Yuko's Dragon of the Ice Barrier, Trishula, and 'Chesed', Mercy - Time Machine God Zadion along with Master Hyperion and Takechi's Laval Stellaid - and between them, Tiphareth, Beauty - Time Machine God Raphion along with Sugita's Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind and Jacqueline's Naturia Extrio. Below these, 'Hod', Splendor - Time Machine God Michion along with Ivory's Dragunity Barcha and the Earthbound God Ccarayhua - then 'Netzach', Victory - Time Machine God Hairon along with Chaos Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning and THE DEVIL'S DREAD-ROOT, and between them 'Yesod', Foundation - Time Machine God Gabrion along with Earthbound God Ccapac Apu and THE DEVIL'S ERASER. And finally, at the bottom of the array, 'Malkuth', Kingdom - Time Machine God Sandaion along with Moboro's Worm Zero and THE DEVIL'S AVATAR.

The monsters took form within the void, the angels sealed within their temporal stasis holding the spheres of light in front of them, while the monsters summoned to support them hovering beside them, their power flowing into those orbs. The Sephiroth tree lit up, the Nexus at its very center. The ultimate, glorious achievement of humanity, a beacon of hope across the multiverse.

ZONE sighed, watching the display in front of him. He had done everything within his power. Now, if they managed to seize control of the Nexus, they had a chance - still a small chance, but now a chance - to avert total destruction. But it would all be for nothing if Dunkan won.

It is all in your hands now, Sanjou Kiishiro...

---

At that moment, both Kiishiro and Dunkan sensed it - the huge power surge that caused the entire Nexus to shake to its very core. It didn't mean much to Dunkan. He had won, and he could seize control of the Nexus from here once the duel was over - and when that happened, it would be trivial for him to take over the Pylon system ZONE had set up and use it to his advantage.

But for Kiishiro, whose mind was rapidly being clouded by despair -

- it was as if a ray of sunlight shone through his dark thoughts.

He sensed it. Behind him, Christina - was still unconscious, but now he felt her through the bond of the Signers - no, the bond they shared as duelists who fought alongside each other in the same battle. He somehow sensed her willpower, her strength, and the single thought that flowed into him -

Goddamnit, don't you dare - give up - !!

And finally, the answer became obvious to him. An answer so weak, so fragile, so stupid that it was laughable. It could barely be called an 'answer'. But right now -

Right now, it was the very path that opened before Kiishiro's feet.

I am weak.

I am selfish.

I am cowardly.

I am...

There was no denying his weakness, his inadequacy, his failings.

But in spite of those failings...

No, exactly because of those failings...

He was...

I am...

Only... a human.

And there was the answer.

He didn't have to be a hero.

He didn't have to surpass his limits.

All he had to do - was be a weak, selfish, cowardly human.

"LET'S GO, DUNKAN!!" He roared with impossible strength. It was borrowed strength, because he was weak.

But that was alright.

He was human.

And it was fine like that - just to be human.

Dunkan's ideal was correct. For humans to surpass their limits, they needed more power, power such as that of the Nexus. As long as they sought to go beyond the pathetically narrow scope of their miniscule existence, there was no other path.

But...

Kiishiro had selfishly decided he did not desire to go beyond those limits. Because he was human, he was able to selfishly decide that things were fine this way. Nothing more needed to be said.

And he was not alone. Christina and Yenma stood beside him, their will driving him on. In the end...

"THIS IS OUR..."

It's not like I don't understand. To go beyond our limitations... that is something everyone has desired at some point.

But to do so, would mean to sacrifice something that defines us.

For me...

And maybe, for most of us...

"NO, FOR HUMANITY... THIS IS - "

Being just a human, is good enough!!

And because he was a selfish human, he would use anything he could lay his hands on in order to follow his own path.

Even if it's a contradiction, I will take it - the power of the Nexus, just enough to win, I will selfishly use it!!

Such an incredibly self-centered outcome was only possible in the first place - because he was human.

The card on top of his deck ignited with pure white light as he touched it. No, it wasn't just his fingers touching it, Christina was standing right by his side as well, and Yenma on the other side - even though he was dead, he was there.

In the end... Maybe, I'm not the only one, who is content with just being a weak human - !!

Their united hands dragged out the card, and placed it among the others - not just the one card that Kiishiro was holding, but the two cards that had been left in Christina's and Yenma's hands as well.

Let's go, everyone.

"FINAL TURN!!"

---

Dunkan had to blink in order to confirm - that what he was seeing wasn't some sort of hallucination. Because beside that brat, even though their bodies lay right a few feet behind him - stood Jinrei Yenma and Christina Neville, whom he had already crushed, looking at him with determined expressions. Just what the hell... do these brats think they can do - !!

And yet, impossible as it was, he could sense it. Somehow, Sanjou Kiishiro - was channeling the power of the Nexus.

From the very moment that Dunkan had caught his first glimpse of the infinite multiverse that lay beyond his world, he had encountered innumerable adversities throughout his path to his impossible ideal.

Most of those adversities, he had conquered.

Most of those he hadn't conquered, he had anticipated.

Most of those he hadn't anticipated - he had at least understood.

However, what was happening before him right now - Just how, in this stage, could he possibly have a conviction strong enough to wield the Nexus?! - this, he could not even begin to understand.

Perhaps it was a failing. But in truth, it was because - not even once in his life had Dunkan felt content, happy, with just being. Always, he wanted more, he needed more, he needed to break free of the stifling boundaries of his existence.

And that wasn't wrong.

No, it could be said to be the most noble of ideals, a desire to surpass the limitations set upon the human race by some cruel outside force and lead all of mankind into a world beyond even their wildest imaginations.

But that ideal had a price - change.

And the weak, pesky humans who were satisfied with the cheap, fleeting happiness of their mortal lives -

Those fragile humans that could take joy in loving, in being loved, in living their every day as if it were their last -

That ideal faltered before their selfish conviction.

But even with this, even with the cards that those nobodies had left behind -

"JUST WHAT THE HELL IS IT, THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN DO - ?!"

---

He hadn't asked for much. No, it could be said that he was only using an embarassingly small portion of what the Nexus could offer.

But that was all he needed, all he was entitled to selfishly take.

Enough - to win.

Four cards in his hand - the two that Christina and Yenma had left when their Life Points ran out, the Petit Tomabo he had drawn during his last turn, and the card he just pulled out of his deck. Also, on his field, a crystallized topaz appeared - after Red Demons Dragon had destroyed Christina's monsters with its effect, Gem Beast Topaz Tiger had crystallized in her Spell and Trap card zone. The Set card he had placed last turn. And more than that - all the cards that had been played by Yenma and Christina were now present in his Graveyard. He did not know how or why this had happened - but he could sense them fighting beside him.

Those cards would be the key to victory.

"Jar of Avarice." He began by playing his newly drawn card. Instead of returning his own monsters, he picked out five of the monsters that Christina and Yenma had played, placing four of them on top of his Extra Deck, while returning the fifth to his main deck and shuffling. He then drew out two new cards - one was the monster he had just returned, and the other... "And now Equipment magic, Carved Seal of the Rose!" To pay the cost, he removed Lord Poison from play again. A deep scarlet rose mark appeared on Splendid Rose's cheek, and she was surrounded by emerald light as her skin color began returning to normal, her eyes regaining their brilliant, fierce luster.

[spoiler=Carved Seal of the Rose]Carved Seal of the Rose
SPELL / Equip
Banish 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard; equip this card to a monster your opponent controls. Take control of the equipped monster. During your End Phase: Give control of the equipped monster to your opponent. During your Standby Phase: Take control of the equipped monster.[/spoiler]

"What?!" Dunkan shouted as Kiishiro's brainwashed monster returned to his side. "That's the monster you choose to take control of?!" His outrage was justified, because Shooting Star Dragon could destroy any of Dunkan's monsters - and if Kiishiro activated its effect and revealed enough Tuners, it could potentially end the duel on its own. Kiishiro was well aware of that fact, but... when he had experienced their attacks, he had also felt it - the resolve and pride of those two dragons, that had willingly reduced themselves to empty husks in order to carry out their conviction. Unless he had no other choice, Kiishiro was going to respect that pride. Furthermore, even if he took control of Shooting Star Dragon, only a possibility of victory would open.

That was not enough right now.

As Splendid Rose returned to him, Kiishiro felt his monster's spirit resonate with his - and in that instant, connect to the seven other cards that they had chosen to represent their bond. In that moment, he saw it - a beautiful tree of light, standing proudly in the void, enveloping everything - and he was at the very center.

That's right, in the end - all our feelings are connected.

"First, I activate another Magic card from my hand - Forbidden Holy Chalice!" A sacred aura surrounded Dunkan's Black Highlander, empowering it by 400 points - but at the same time negating all of its effects, including the dark aura that sealed Synchro Summons. "And then I activate the effect of Splendid Rose!" By removing Dandylion from the game, the flower princess screamed with rage, unleashing her thorn branches that wrapped around the scythe-wielding king, forcing him to the ground and causing his attack strength to fall to 1600. And with that out of the way...

"Now I Normal Summon, Petit Tomabo!" A pair of tiny tomato-shaped creatures appeared on his field. "And now..." It's time, Yenma.

[spoiler=Petit Tomabo]Petit Tomabo
DARK / Plant / Tuner
Level 2
700/400
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon up to 2 "Tomabo" monsters from your Deck. The monster(s) Special Summoned by this effect cannot be used as Synchro Material Monsters this turn.[/spoiler]

He turned back and glanced at the body of his friend, of the one who had fought alongside him. Yenma was dead, a sacrifice in this cruel war, and without using the power of the Nexus, Kiishiro could not bring him back. That was a choice Kiishiro had had to make when he rejected Dunkan's ideal - and it was one he had to live with.

But as long as he did not waver - he felt that Yenma was standing right beside him.

He raised his hand, and the symbol of the paired wings, blazing with scarlet light, appeared in the sky. "I tune the Level 6, Splendid Rose, to the Level 2, Petit Tomabo!" He shouted. Waves of crimson and black energy exploded around the arena, converging into a mass of steel blades that spun to form serrated feathers, attached to the wings and body of a lean, black bird-like dragon. "Synchro Summon! Rise up once more, Blackfeather Dragon!!" The noble creature cried out, a mournful screech of loss and resolution.

"Th - that monster - !!" Dunkan yelled.

I'm not done yet. Once more, Kiishiro glanced behind him. Christina was still unconscious, suffering from the Chaos Phantom's final blow. But she had survived, lived on, through the blessing of her guardian spirit. To avenge those who have died... to bear the will of those who have survived... Christina, too, had been lost - and she had fought on to the absolute extreme of her power. Her body was unresponsive, but her mind, her soul - they were right by him, and he felt the warmth of her fingers on top of his. Christina... the grudges you bear - let us put them to rest, together!!

"I activate the effect of Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite from our Graveyard! By returning a face-up card under my control to my hand, and taking 400 points of damage, I can Special Summon it!"

"But you have no cards - !!" Dunkan protested. As a Synchro monster, Blackfeather Dragon couldn't be used to fulfill that condition. But Kiishiro reached out for his Spell and Trap card zone, and the crystallized topaz dissipated into motes of light, reforming into Gem Beast Topaz Tiger's card in his hand, while the black-winged warrior, Sugita's monster that he had entrusted to Yenma, and had now been passed on to Kiishiro, reappeared out of a fierce whirlwind.

"At the same time, I activate Blackfeather Dragon's effect!" Lances of scarlet energy flew towards him - but the proud Signer Dragon was in front of him immediately, absorbing the harmful effect into its wings and causing the bladed feathers to turn crimson, as its attack fell to 2100. "And now I activate its second effect! By releasing the absorbed damage, I can weaken one of your monsters by that amount, and deal damage to you!" Immediately Blackfeather Dragon unleashed the stored energy in a black-and-red vortex that struck the already weakened Black Highlander, whose attack collapsed to a mere 900. Dunkan grunted as the excess force surrounded him, shaving at his Life Points.

Gregory Dunkan - LP: 4400
Sanjou Kiishiro - LP: 4000

"And now!" Kiishiro did not give his opponent time to react. "Because I control a Black Feather monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" Smaller than Zephyros, another black-winged bird appeared on his field, with green feathers forming its plume. "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind!" With a violent flap of its wings, Gale unleashed a hurricane that surrounded Shooting Star Dragon - though the raging gale did little damage to its pristine metal exoskeleton, it did spear through its propulsion systems, significantly weakening it. "Your monster's attack is halved!" It's time! "I tune the Level 4, Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite, to the Level 3, Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind!" Four black stars ran through three emerald rings, transforming into a pillar of pure light - the light of the world's hope. "Synchro Summon!" Ethereal sapphire serpentine body framed by translucent white butterfly wings - Christina's Signer Dragon rose besides Yenma's with a gentle cry. "Ancient Fairy Dragon!"

One last thing remained. One last card to be played. Kiishiro reached for the final card in his hand, besides the retrieved Topaz Tiger. He closed his eyes, and suddenly he was somewhere else, in a world hidden deep within the recesses of his mind. In front of him hovered the magnificent black beast covered in red petals.

Why... did you choose me? Kiishiro finally voiced the question he had chased after ever since he first laid eyes on this card.

Black Rose Dragon only howled softly, but somehow, Kiishiro felt the meaning flow into his senses.

Your soul... it is impure, damaged. Fated to reject everything and be rejected by everything, just like a rose that will not allow itself to be touched.

And yet, the heart that is hidden within those thorns...

...it is there, that the flower called 'hope' blooms.

"I activate - Raise Dead!!" The mark of the dragon's claw pulsed on Kiishiro's arm with an intensity he had never felt before - and a storm of red petals burst in front of him, gathering into the shape of a dragon. "Be reborn, Black Rose Dragon!!"

[spoiler=Raise Dead]Raise Dead
SPELL / Normal
Special Summon 1 monster from either player's Graveyard to your side of the field.[/spoiler]

"Activate effect!" Kiishiro shouted. "I remove Splendid Rose from the game!" Tentacles leapt from Black Rose Dragon's underbelly, and he felt the spirit of his favored monster empower them. "I can target a defense position monster you control and switch it to attack, and reduce its attack power to zero!" They coiled around Dunkan's hidden card, and the massive form of Scar-Red Nova reappeared, shackled to the ground and stripped of all the massive strength it had obtained.

Three monsters on each side. Kiishiro had brought back the three Signer Dragons that had chosen to stand by their side. Dunkan had the evolved forms of the remaining two, the ones that had chosen his path - and the king of the abyss, Black Highlander. It would all come down to this last battle.

"I have to applaud your tenacity for making it this far." Dunkan grunted. His dry tone made his thoughts clear - he did not believe he had lost yet, not by a long shot. Especially your last turn - I would never had predicted that you would be able to overcome your hopelessness and retaliate with such force. But in the end..." He spread his arms, indicating his field.

"...you haven't forgotten, how futile it all is? Even if they are weakened, Shooting Star and Scar-Red Nova can avoid all attacks! Out of the three attacks you can unleash, two will be negated! There is no way you can deal enough damage this turn, and when you are finished, my two dragons will return at their full strength!!"

"..." Kiishiro had not forgotten about the last, absolute defense that Dunkan had in place. But the countermeasure - was already in place. The card he had drawn last turn, when he was influencing his own fate using the borrowed power of the Nexus - the 'answer' that could shut down the abilities of Dunkan's monsters.

And in another instance of clarity, he could see it. What had driven Dunkan to this point, what had brought them face-to-face on this final stage. The desire to break through the walls placed in front of him, to overcome his limits.

But their feelings - they were a wall that couldn't be broken so easily.

"I activate - Imperial Iron Wall!!"

A tall wall of steel rose in the void around the narrow platform, confining them within its boundaries. It was a wall that prevented both players from removing their cards from the game. While trapped inside, Dunkan's monsters could no longer escape.

It was over.

[spoiler=Imperial Iron Wall]Imperial Iron Wall
TRAP / Continuous
Cards cannot be banished.[/spoiler]

"Battle!" He shouted, and Christina's voice overlapped with his. "Ancient Fairy Dragon! Strike down Scar-Red Nova!" The holy dragon spread her wings, unleashing a sheet of blinding golden light. "Eternal Sunshine!!" The demon writhed and struggled, raising its claws in a futile attempt to shield itself - but the all-encompassing light of hope speared through its body, causing it to disintegrate. Dunkan howled as he suffered the feedback from the attack.

Gregory Dunkan - LP: 2300
Sanjou Kiishiro - LP: 4000

"Now, Blackfeather Dragon!" Yenma's words echoed his own. "Attack Shooting Star Dragon!" The monster's beak opened, and a sphere of spiralling red-and-black energy formed within. "Noble Stream!!" And then it exploded forward in a twisting stream that struck the mechanical creature straight through the chest. Overloaded with energy, the white dragon's body imploded from the inside, and Dunkan's Life Points fell below the thousand-point mark.

Gregory Dunkan - LP: 650
Sanjou Kiishiro - LP: 4000

"Black Rose Dragon..." Kiishiro whispered. Once and for all, let us end this... He looked at Dunkan, who was standing there motionlessly, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. His eyes, glazed, could only stare on, at the single monster that was left before him. "Last attack! Black Rose - !!" The screeching noise of a tornado echoed across the Original Sin, and millions of rose blossoms, deceptively sharp underneath their scarlet beauty, gathered in the air - and then rippled forward, a mass of destruction fated to sweep everything in its past.

" - GALE!!"

The weakened Black Highlander was devoured by the typhoon, scattering into particles that fled into the void. And then the petals struck Dunkan. The final attack, the one that Kiishiro had put his own soul behind - it became the blade that finally cut down on the ambition that threatened to destroy the world.

Blood exploding from the thousands of wounds that were carved all over his body - Dunkan fell.

Gregory Dunkan - LP: 0
Sanjou Kiishiro - LP: 4000

---

It was ironic.

How, at the very end, the monster that stood before him -

It reminded Dunkan of himself.

That was what had become of his ambition. He had turned himself into a solitary king, wishing to reign over a sky of black.

His soul, heart and mind had all become steel, stronger than steel, in order to accomplish the thing only he could achieve.

Having overcome countless adversities, only to fall now, at the eleventh hour - every part of him should be burning with rage and despair.

And yet, as he watched Black Highlander dissolve into nothingness, and the fierce attack strike his own body - there was no anger, no pain, even though he felt his very life bleeding out.

No, in his last moments, all he could remember -

- was the first glimpse he caught of the world beyond. The vision that had first set him on his path.

From an objective standpoint, in retrospect, it was a silly thing. Nothing overwhelmingly inspirational or dramatic enough to drive him so far on its own

What he had seen was simply -

- a field of green, that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

- a clear blue sky, that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

What he had sensed at that moment, was simply -

- freedom.

With effort, he forced his eyes to open again. But it was futile - all he could see was an empty blackness. Straining himself even further, even though there was no point - he propped himself up on his elbows, so he could look at the boy that had defeated him.

"You do understand, that though you might be hailed as a hero now..." His hoarse voice trailed off as he choked slightly - even speaking was almost beyond him. "...in the future, humanity will realize the truth - that you are the one who stopped me from bringing mankind into a new era, an era of miracles. You will be cursed as a demon. A monster who, just to preserve his own, cozy perception of reality, destroyed the biggest opportunity for evolution mankind has had since it first walked the earth."

And the boy's response - was exactly what Dunkan's had been, when he had been asked if he truly was prepared to sacrifice the world in his gamble to attain the power of the Nexus.

"If it happens, it happens. I will stick to my own path until the end."

I see. His vision blurred. Even regret was a distant emotion now. It was quiet, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat die out. To be defeated... if it is by a resolve as strong as mine... A final, pained breath escaped his lips, as his senses were consumed by nothingness.

I... can accept it.

---

In grim, solemn silence, Kiishiro watched Dunkan as life disappeared from his body, leaving only an empty husk. Mechanically, driven by something outside his own will, he walked over to his table. The cards in his deck had all vanished - all except two. Quietly, Kiishiro picked up Stardust Dragon and Red Demons Dragon, and placed them alongside their fellow Signer Dragons. They might have lost their battle - but as far as Kiishiro was concerned, they had earned their redemption.

They had finally - won.

But even though they had...

Kiishiro glanced upwards, as the black sky overhead began to shatter into fragments that rained down on them. With Dunkan's defeat, the connection to the Aria Tower was shut down. Kiishiro could only hope that the new Pylon system he had briefly seen meant that ZONE and the others would be able to prevent the worst.

But for the two of them that were left here... it was over. The space around them was disintegrating and once it was gone, they would be exposed to the full output of the Nexus - and disappear instantly, as if they had never existed.

Well - it was a fair price to pay, he thought as he sat down, waiting for the inevitable end.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="C80 Duel Transcript"]TURN 4 - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 4 hand, 0/0 monsters, 0/1 s/t]
> Activate "Call of the Living Dead", Special Summoning "Night-Rose Knight"
> Normal Summon "Dandylion"
> Tune "Dandylion" to "Night-Rose Knight" to Synchro Summon "Splendid Rose", "Dandylion" Special Summons 2 "Fluff Tokens"
> Activate effect of "Splendid Rose", Banishing "Lord Poison" from the Graveyard to halve ATK of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" (ATK 7000->3500)
> Activate "Synchro Cancel", returning "Splendid Rose" to the Extra Deck to Special Summon "Dandylion" and "Night-Rose Knight" from his Graveyard
> Tune "Dandylion" to "Night-Rose Knight" to Synchro Summon "Splendid Rose", "Dandylion" Special Summons 2 "Fluff Tokens"
> Activate effect of "Splendid Rose", Banishing "Dandylion" from the Graveyard to halve ATK of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" (ATK 3500->1750)
> Attack "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" with "Splendid Rose", but Dunkan activates the effect of "Scar-Red Nova Dragon", Banishing it to negate the attack
--
> Activate "Fragrance Storm", destroying 1 Fluff Token and drawing "Petit Tomabo", then drawing 1 more card
> Activate "Magic Planter", sending "Call of the Living Dead" to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards
> Activate "Burial from the Different Dimension", returning the Banished "Dandylion", "Lord Poison" and "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" to the Graveyard
> Set 2 cards
TURN 4 END - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 1 hand, 4/0 monsters, 0/2 s/t]

TURN 5 - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 3 hand, 0/1 monsters, 0/1 s/t]
> Activate "Jar of Avarice", returning "Formula Synchron", "Shooting Star Dragon", "Junk Destroyer", "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" and "Arms Aid" to his Extra Deck in order to draw 2 cards
> Flip Summon "Jinhua Cat" and activate its effect, Special Summoning "Spore" from the Graveyard
> Tune "Jinhua Cat" to "Spore" to Synchro Summon "Formula Synchron", then draw 1 card with the effect of "Formula Synchron"
> Activate his Set "Stardust Flash", Special Summoning "Stardust Dragon" from the Graveyard
> Tune "Stardust Dragon" to "Formula Synchron" to Synchro Summon "Shooting Star Dragon"
> Activate "Stardust Shimmer", removing "Red Demons Dragon" and "Debris Dragon" from play to Special Summon "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" from the Graveyard
> Activate "Different Dimension Revival", discarding one card to Special Summon his removed from play "Tragoedia"
> Normal Summon "Dark Resonator"
> Attack "Splendid Rose" with "Scar-Red Nova Dragon", but Kiishiro activates his Set "Book of Moon", returning "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" to face-down Defense Position
> Attack "Fluff Token" with "Tragoedia"
> Attack "Fluff Token" with "Dark Resonator"
> Attack "Fluff Token" with "Shooting Star Dragon"
> Activate effect of "Tragoedia", discarding the Level 6 "Dark Emperor Gaius" to take control of "Splendid Rose"
> Activate effect of "Tragoedia", targeting the Level 4 "Debris Dragon" in his Graveyard to change its Level to 4
> Tune "Tragoedia" to "Dark Resonator" to Synchro Summon "Heavenly King - Black Highlander"
TURN 5 END - Gregory Dunkan [5100 LP, 0 hand, 3/1 monsters, 0/0 s/t]

TURN 6 - Sanjou Kiishiro [4000 LP, 2(+2) hand, 0/0 monsters, 0(+1)/1 s/t]
> Activate "Jar of Avarice", returning 5 cards from his Graveyard to his deck to draw 2 cards
> Activate "Forbidden Holy Chalice" to negate the effects of "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" and increase its ATK by 400
> Activate "Mark of the Rose", Banishing "Lord Poison" from his Graveyard to take control of "Splendid Rose"
> Activate effect of "Splendid Rose", Banishing "Dandylion" from his Graveyard to reduce the ATK of "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" by half
> Normal Summon "Petit Tomabo"
> Tune "Splendid Rose" to "Petit Tomabo" to Synchro Summon "Blackfeather Dragon"
> Take 400 damage and return "Gem Beast Topaz Tiger" from his S/T to his hand to Special Summon "Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite" from his Graveyard. Negate the effect damage with the effect of "Blackfeather Dragon"
> Activate the effect of "Blackfeather Dragon", dealing 700 damage to Dunkan and reducing the ATK of "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" by 700
> Special Summon "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind" from his hand with its own effect
> Activate the effect of "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind", reducing the ATK of "Shooting Star Dragon" by half
> Tune "Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite" to "Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind" to Synchro Summon "Ancient Fairy Dragon"
> Activate "Raise Dead" to Special Summon "Black Rose Dragon" from his Graveyard
> Activate the effect of "Black Rose Dragon", Banishing "Splendid Rose" from his Graveyard to switch "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" to attack position and reduce its ATK to 0
> Activate his Set "Imperial Iron Wall"
> Attack and destroy "Scar-Red Nova Dragon" with "Ancient Fairy Dragon" (Dunkan LP 4400-2100=2300)
> Attack and destroy "Shooting Star Dragon" with "Blackfeather Dragon" (Dunkan LP 2300-1650=650)
> Attack and destroy "Heavenly King - Black Highlander" with "Black Rose Dragon" (Dunkan LP 650-1500=0)

DUEL END
[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Aftermath]

Aftermath: Gateway to Dark World

It had been too long.

Too long since his fight had started, too long since destiny had played its cruel game on him.

He had been called a savior and a destroyer, a god and a demon.

And now it was time for it all to end.

He felt it pulsing through his heart, a bond long forgotten in the ashes of time.

He had once been a Signer.

He had abused the power he had been given, and led his world to ruin.

He had tried to atone, to make up for it, by saving other worlds. Sometimes he succeeded, and sometimes he failed. Often, he would come close to a failure that would end his own existence.

ZONE looked up, as the Arc Cradle vanished from his sight. He was now alone in the Original Sin, floating in the machine that had become his sole permanent companion.

This time, to save the world - the sacrifice that was demanded was himself.

However, he did not feel sad or angry. Because, finally -

- it was time for his soul to find redemption.

With a guttural scream born of his final effort, ZONE gathered the energy of the Pylon into his own body, using flesh that should be long dead as a conduit to channel the power of the Tree of Sephiroth.

It lasted only a moment, a brief moment, before ZONE's body disappeared into light, assimilated into the Nexus itself.

But that moment had been enough.

The Nexus wavered - then, directed by the Pylon, began moving away.

---

"DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP YET!!" A booming voice suddenly burst through his ears, shaking him out of his momentary trance. That was - Aizawa Yuusuke's voice? No way... Yuusuke and the others should still be in the Aria Tower, and he...

A bright light filled the void, and suddenly, the sky was no longer empty - the interdimensional fortress Arc Cradle had somehow materialized inside the Original Sin. And from its peak, a pure white dragon surged down, breaking the sound barrier in order to reach the platform.

"Quick, climb up!" Yuusuke, who had mounted the Lightlord Dragon Gragonis, urged. Kiishiro took a moment to react, still numb from the shock. But he swiftly jumped to his feet and rushed to Christina, picking her up from her shoulders and knees - even though he felt he should barely have the strength to carry a feather right now, he somehow managed to bring the unconscious girl up to the serpentine dragon and climb up after her. He cast a regretful glance at Yenma's body - that, they would not be able to bring back, as the ground underneath their feet was already falling apart.

"We have to hurry!" Yuusuke shouted, although Kiishiro did not know if he was talking to him or his dragon. He just held onto Christina tightly with one hand, the other trying to keep them both tethered on their mount, as Gragonis flew back up.

However, now the very sky was being torn, shattering as if made from glass, revealing a white infinity that was more terrifying than the black void. The Nexus... The unfathomable power threatened to consume them, burning away at their very existences. Even the Arc Cradle was affected, the ruined buildings that were hanging from its bottom breaking apart and debris falling into the nothingness below.

The next few - seconds? minutes? hours? - passed by in a blur. The next thing he knew, Kiishiro was sitting on the floor, still clutching onto Christina's body. Around him were Yuusuke and Maya, as well as Sugita and Takechi. They all had grim expressions on their faces.

He just wanted to close his eyes and block everything out, let whatever wanted to happen happen, and just let it all wash through him. But this wasn't over yet. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to release Christina and stand up.

"Where... are we?"

"We're currently in the virtual world - or at least what's left of it. In the Zero Zone." Takechi clarified. "Somehow, we managed to make a Pylon of our own, and steer the Nexus away."

"The virtual world, and by extension our physical world that is connected to it, are drifting apart from the Nexus." Sugita filled in. "We... have done it somehow. We saved the world." Even though we had to sacrifice a lot for it.

"Where is ZONE?" Kiishiro pressed on with the questions. He needed this to be over fast, so he could rest. From the way everyone was acting, it was clear that they were not entirely out of the woods yet - but he didn't care. At this point, even if he died, it was all the same to him.

"ZONE... had to stay behind." Yuusuke's voice was dark. "To control the Nexus... even with the Pylon, it was impossible from outside. So, ZONE remained in the Original Sin, while the Arc Cradle returned to the virtual world with the rest of us."

"I see." Kiishiro could only reply flatly, even though an emotion nudged at him. He was too tired to even feel sorrow right now. "So... now what?"

"Now, we escape." Maya said sharply. "It's not only the Nexus that is drifting apart - the virtual world has been almost completely severed from the physical world. In a short time, it will be impossible for us to leave - and the way things are going, there won't be much of a virtual world left anyway."

"It's been a long battle." Yuusuke added, almost gently. "But now it's over, and it's time for us to return to our own world, and rebuild our lives there." He did not state the obvious - that that would be far from an easy task, after all the destruction Dunkan and his allies had wrought.

"Using some coordinates he salvaged from the Aria Tower, ZONE managed to open a portal to the physical world from here." Sugita pointed at a gateway inside the room that Kiishiro hadn't noticed so far - it looked like an ordinary portal that would take them to a different area, except it was pure white. "It changes destinations constantly due to the wild fluctuations in reality caused by the influence of the Nexus, so we will probably be separated for a while... it will be a tall order to get whoever finds us to believe us, but it's the only shot we have."

Return... to the real world... Kiishiro only nodded numbly. This... this is the end, right...?

"Now then." Yuusuke walked towards him briskly, bending down and lifting Christina's unconscious form in his hands. "I'll go first." He headed towards the portal - and right before he walked in, he glanced back at Kiishiro and gave him a short nod. "It was a good fight, man. I'll see you on the other side." And with that, he disappeared.

Kirizaki Maya followed quickly behind him. It was hard to tell from her expression because she looked as grim as she usually did - but as she mimicked Yuusuke and nodded at him, he thought he saw a hint of respect in her features.

"Well done." Bando Takechi offered a brief handshake to him, which he barely managed to return. "Yenma and Yuko's will... you carried them all the way to the end. You have my respect for that." And he, too, was gone, leaving him alone with Ryusaki Sugita.

Wordlessly, Kiishiro held out his hand - three cards were there, the three Black Feather monsters that Sugita had given to Yenma. It was a foolish gesture to return them now - these cards had no meaning outside this world, and this world would soon cease to exist. Kiishiro almost laughed as he realized that fact. Almost. But Sugita shook his head.

"Keep them." He walked towards the portal. "A token of my respect." And he disappeared.

Now he was alone. The portal was beckoning to him, urging him to return to -

- where? The 'real' world?

What meaning was there in going back there, now?

"You should leave." Kiishiro turned back to see Ivory standing behind him, arms crossed in front of her chest. She was looking at him with an expression that managed to be both stern and sad at the same time.

"What will happen to this world?" He asked, demanding a straight, honest answer. Ivory looked troubled for a moment, as if not knowing how to respond.

"It will last for a while." She admitted eventually. "Several years, maybe, before it vanishes completely. But..."

"No." Kiishiro replied, his voice almost steady. "No. If there is a chance, even the slightest chance, that I can find my mother - then I can't leave, not yet."

Ivory looked as if she was considering physically pushing him through the portal. She likely would have managed it in his current state. But in the end, she only closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I understand." She spread her hands. "Then, I will help you in any way I can. I promised, after all."

Together, they watched the portal, the last, feeble string that bound the two worlds together, flicker - and disappear.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Epilogue]

Epilogue: Bright Future

People had called the decade between 2015 and 2025 a huge step back for mankind. Conflict was translated to virtually open warfare in most areas of the world, and all development not only came to a halt, but regressed by a factor of over a decade. However, it would be later agreed that these few weeks of May, 2037, had done immeasurably more damage than those ten disastrous years.

Just to repair the physical damage caused by the Nexus would take decades - maybe centuries. To reclaim what was lost, to tend to those who had suffered the most, to mourn the fallen - there would be no time left for new ideas to be thought or implemented, no way to feed the eager young minds who sought to move forward. But maybe it was for the best. Duel International's disaster proved what damage could be caused when too much power was placed in hands not prepared to wield it. To move forward, first a huge step backward would have to be taken.

It had been unanimously decided by everyone involved, that the exact truth about the people who played a part in the battle of the virtual world would be concealed. To be hailed as heroes was something none of them wished after suffering through those cataclysmic events. It would be better to leave things shrouded in mystery, and allow the legacy of the world's saviors to pass into legend. Some of the darkest aspects of what had happened were better kept silent, anyway, and others would be just as soon forgotten rather than frozen in eternal memory.

Five years passed since May 9th, 2037 - the Nexus enveloped the world, and the three chosen Signers, with the help of their allies, thwarted Gregory Dunkan's insane plan to tap into it. Five years of recovery, of salvaging the debris. But also, five years for everyone to reevaluate the value of everything they held dear, and accumulate the lessons which so much blood had been shed to learn.

May 9th, 2042.

---

Of all the people that kept their lives after the fateful day, only one was ever proven to be a confirmed, knowing collaborator in Duel International's plan. Howard Rowen, leading director in Duel International's American branch, had been set for the death sentence - only one charge was named or needed. Mass genocide. Some even said that for a crime of this caliber, perhaps other, more primal forms of punishment would have to be used.

In the end, though, humanity prevailed. Death, too much death, had plagued the world, so much as to make the two World Wars of the previous century seem like minor conflicts by comparison. If it could be avoided - no more blood should be shed, no more, if there was another option. Therefore, Howard Rowen would rot in jail until the end of his days. A whole new security level was invented for his incarceration, and it was hoped that he would forever remain the only human to ever be held in its cells. Forbidden to talk to anyone except its jailers, and never to see the light of day again - it was a cruel fate, but a well-deserved one, for someone who had helped bring the entire world to the precipice of annihilation.

Oddly enough, perhaps, he seemed resigned to such a future, as if he, himself, acknowledged the extent of his sins and the right of such a sentence. Shortly after his imprisonment, he wrote a full account of everything, in his knowledge, that was related to Duel International and its schemes. Though it came too late to do any good, it helped provide some answers, answers that would hopefully contribute to forming the entire picture, and preventing such things from ever happening again.

Rowen sighed, sealed in his cell. It was an empty, dark hole, with only a bed, a makeshift bathroom, and a stool. He was only provided books to read, and paper and pencil to write. He was hardly ever spoken to, and that was never more than a couple of words. He hardly ever responded. Five years had passed like this. Five years, and who knew how many more. He had considered suicide, longed for it, even, at first. But he could not go through with it. Even at the very end of the line, he was still a coward.

He ruffled his graying hair with his hand. He did not regret his inability to put an end to his existence. Even now, in this miserable cell - even now...

After all, he was still alive.

---

Christina Neville looked sadly at the humble tombstone, standing alone in the middle of a land full of unmarked graves. The desert winds had taken their toll on the stone during the past three years, but even so, the figure of the majestic dragon engraved on the white marble could still be seen. Unconsciously, she rubbed her lower arm, where the mark of the Crimson Dragon was once carved.

One of her first goals after reclaiming her lost memories and returning from the virtual nightmare was to seek out her old family in Ethiopeia. It had taken a lot of effort and time, seeing as, for all intents and purposes, she logistically did not exist, and her memories of that time were blurry and inadequate. In the end, she had found the whereabouts of her parents and siblings. They had moved to a nearby town, using the money Duel International had left with them for taking Christina to escape from poverty. However, that had ultimately not saved them. They had been killed during those fateful days when the Nexus touched the world, and despite her efforts into making them a proper grave in the ruins of their old village, there were no bodies to be laid to rest within the Earth's embrace.

Christina had finished her studies quietly, and took up work as a psychologist. It felt natural to her to help other people. Those that had lost their families. Those that had suffered through similar ordeals as she had. Her own adoptive family had been fortunate enough to survive the disaster unscathed, and they had fully supported her in her effort to not only rediscover her past, but to define her future.

A whisper in the wind. A faint voice in the whirling sand. A warm pulse filling her heart. She knew that Ancient Fairy Dragon lay beyond her reach now, resting in a place she'd never be able to touch again. But she could still feel the afterglow of her presence, a guardian spirit that would never truly abandon her. That gave her the courage to live on.

The sun was setting, casting beautiful colors across the desert. It would take decades until even a semblance of civilization took root in this place again. Until then, nature would have its way. Christina returned to her car - thankfully, the drive to the closest town, where she could stay the night in a hotel until the morning would lead her to the airport and back to Europe, was a short one.

The tire tracks on the half-vanished pathway would soon be gone, erased by the wind along with her footsteps. Nothing would remain to mark her presence here until her next visit a year later. But at the very least, she found solace in the fact that her family would not pass on to eternity forgotten by her. It was a small comfort, when thinking of how many others had died, disappeared without trace - lost in the disasters in the physical world, or killed in the virtual world.

And the one boy that had sacrificed his life in a place beyond both worlds. Jinrei Yenma, who had fought until the bitter end. Christina could have died, too, no, she should have died, saved only by a twist of fate, and a noble sacrifice.

To make the most out of the sacrifices that had bought this world its survival, so that Yenma's courage would never be forgotten... Christina was determined to move forward.

---

"Here, pass!" The ball, expertly handled by the feet of Bando Takechi, shot across the small field towards Ryuzaki Sugita, who leapt to control it with his chest, before preparing for a direct shot. Two members of the opposing team charged at him, but he ducked low and ran forward.

Even though Sugita had had a brilliant career ahead of him, with his talent in mathematics and computer engineering, he had chosen to steer clear of anything that would even remotely remind him of the virtual world. He instead focused on volunteer work, helping with recovery. Takechi joined him without second thought, and as a pastime, the two picked up soccer. Not competitively - both of them felt like they had exhausted their competitive spirit for years to come after their adventures. Instead, they joined an amateur five-on-five team, and with a few years of practice, they became a formidable duo.

Under pressure, Sugita passed the ball to Takechi again. This maneuver caught the opposing team off-guard, as Takechi was quite farther from the goal than Sugita. However, Takechi was already an athlete long before he took up soccer, and he managed a clear-cut shot from the open space to the upper left corner of the opposing goal, securing another point. Even if an individual's efforts were not enough for victory, teamwork could compensate. This was a lesson they had all learned while fighting against enemies far more superior to their own powers in the virtual reality.

Fifteen minutes later, the match ended in victory for Sugita's and Takechi's team. The two young men cheered along with the rest of the team, and walked out to cool off.

"It's that time of the year again, huh?" Takechi muttered. When the world was set straight, the ninth of May would be set as an international holiday, perhaps, the day the world's end had been so closely averted. But for now, it was a day for people to pray quietly to the heavens. Mourn the dead, and offer thanks that they were not amongst them. And, it was the day when, for Sugita and the others, the memories and nightmares of that time resurfaced at their strongest.

"I'm not saying we should have told anyone about it." Takechi complained. They had not had a chance to discuss this before leaving the Arc Cradle - but none of them had said anything about their role in the conclusion of the battle. They had simply allowed everyone to assume that, just like many other people, they had been trapped inside the virtual reality, and were among the few fortunate ones to have been forcefully returned to the real world after Dunkan's defeat. It was a convenient lie that didn't draw too much attention. "But the least we could do was like... organize a reunion, once a year. It's not like we'll forget all about it if we don't talk about it, so why not celebrate our victory a little?" That caused Sugita's thoughts to darken. It had been a victory, but one they had had to pay dearly for.

"I don't think any of us are ready for it yet." He said solemnly. That was an understatement. Iseya Yuko's death still weighed heavily on his conscience, and Yenma's did as well, even though there was far less he could have done to prevent it. For some of the others, it had to be worse. And for one of them, the battle was not over yet...

---

Once more, Ivory walked down the now familiar halls of the interdimensional fortress. Ever since they had averted disaster and pulled away from the Nexus, she had often visited Sanjou Kiishiro in this place. He was now in control of the Arc Cradle, and of what remained of the virtual world. He had not left his fortress even once in those five years. He devoted the entirety of his time to two goals only.

Like ZONE once had, Kiishiro used the interdimensional floating castle to cross through time and space. He'd travel to other realities, realities that were in danger of being consumed by a Nexus, and do what he could to save them. He could only get to a few, and of those few, he only managed to save a minor fraction. But, according to him, the effort was worth it if it would prevent other worlds from meeting the fate of destruction his one almost did.

Kiishiro could be found, most of the time, in his own private chambers in the Arc Cradle. It was a magnificent room. A throne lay in the center, framed by the statues of five dragons. Directly behind the ornate chair stood Black Rose Dragon, its wings spread protectively. To the left and right, Blackfeather Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon, respectively. And further yet, almost completing a circle, Stardust and Red Demons. A testament to their final will, and a symbol of the sacrifices these creatures had made.

On the throne itself sat their sculptor. Sanjou Kiishiro's virtual appearance had remained unchanged, of course - but his expression had grown darker, more solemn. His eyes had acquired a depth and sharpness that made even Ivory nervous. And well they should, for what was left in the virtual world could never provide enough power to combat the Arc Cradle.

After the final battle, the virtual reality had been separated from Kiishiro's world. At this point, it could be destroyed without affecting his reality, and there was hardly a living soul remaining. However, Kiishiro still clung to it. His mother, held captive by Ebony, was trapped here, and Kiishiro relentlessly hunted her again and again to the ends of his domain, more often than not fruitlessly, but always with renewed fervor.

Ivory did not mind disappearing, along with the rest of her world. More than once, she had tried to persuade Kiishiro to put an end to it all - use the Arc Cradle to annihilate the Duel Terminal system forever, ending this nightmare, and going back to his life - it should be possible, with the Arc Cradle's technology, to warp back to his own world by now. But he never gave in. He firmly believed his mother to still be alive, and, following that conviction, he kept hunting down Ebony.

Ivory inclined her head in Kiishiro's direction. He merely nodded. "What happened?" He asked. His voice had grown distant, emotionless. She could never hope to read his thoughts in it, or in his frozen expression. A part of him had died when he had been forced to make choices no human being should have to make. She could only hope that success in this mission - if success could ever be reached - might be enough to revive it.

"I chased her as far as possible, but she threw me off." Ivory, of course, as she had pledged, would aid Kiishiro in his hunt until the end. She still had her own score to settle. "She cannot last much longer." She had already lasted beyond either of their expectations, and she had, more than once, threatened to completely reverse the tables on them. Ebony was vicious, resourceful, and still powerful, as powerful as her sister. And she was consumed by desire for vengeance. This hunt was not without danger on their part, and though Ebony seemed weaker every time they fought her, one misstep was all she needed. The best option would be to end everything instantly. But he would not be swayed.

Kiishiro nodded, as if expecting nothing more, and nothing less. He brought up a projection - a three-dimensional map, consisting of thousands of small, shining spheres, dancing around larger white globes, swimming in an otherwise empty blackness. It seemed like a representation of a galaxy, except Ivory knew it was supposed to show something much larger. This was only a crude interpretation of the void between the worlds, an attempt to depict them in a concept that included time and space. The larger spheres, less than a dozen, represented the Nexi. Ivory could see the one they had been so close to, and she could see their own reality. The virtual world was still drifting dangerously close to the Nexus, however, once Kiishiro's world had been detached from it, that had moved farther away to safety.

"There is still much I have to do." Kiishiro's eyes were no longer looking at her - he was lost in his own thoughts. "I will take the Arc Cradle once more. You will continue the hunt. Be careful."

That last warning was unneeded. Without the backing of the Arc Cradle, Ivory's power was equal to Ebony's, and though the latter had been driven to exhaustion after the consecutive battles, a confrontation between them could go either way. Still, she nodded. She would do what she could. She turned away to leave, when Kiishiro's voice suddenly sounded behind her.

"She is still alive, Ivory. I know that she is." Ivory half-turned. Kiishiro's expression and tone had hardly changed. "I cannot abandon her. Not again."

"I will do what I can." Ivory answered. This was not the first time they had been through this, and it would not be the last, she feared. But this was all he had left, now. Perhaps all either of them had left.

---

Two more of the humans that saved the world that day remained, two more that, although they had not fought at the precipice of the Nexus, they had won another battle that day, overcome what could have been an even greater darkness. They had crawled into the depths of despair, and emerged victorious under the light of hope.

"Ready?" Maya asked, her expression determined. Yuusuke, standing a few feet away from her, nodded firmly. They were both bearing devices in their arms identical to the Duel Disks they had used in the virtual world, and though Kirizaki Maya and Aizawa Yuusuke might not look as imposing as their virtual alter egos, they still looked ready to duke it out to the end.

After the collapse of Duel International, noone would even dare to bring up the subject of virtual reality technology any more, not for a very long time, and perhaps for good reason. Another huge step back for technological advancement. But that didn't mean the legacy of that war had to be buried. The game itself was already a huge hit, and in this recuperating world, Yuusuke had seen it fit to reestablish it. With the help of his father, and several other lead developers of virtual systems, they devised a different way. Holographic technology that would project images in front of the players, much like the one that had been used inside Duel International's virtual world. It had taken a lot of effort to convince the public that such technology was harmless, of course, and many would never be convinced. It had taken a lot of time to develop and turn it into a functional franchise. It had taken many resources to mass-produce it. But for Maya and Yuusuke, it was something they had to do. This game was irrevocably connected to their past, their memories - sad and joyful. And they had learned full well that they could not throw away their past, not without losing themselves. Thus, on the eve of the system's release, they would be the most fitting pair to exhibit a demonstration. Standing like that, opposite to each other, ready to engage - they couldn't help but smile, remembering a time when everything was more innocent.

"Duel!!"

Aizawa Yuusuke - LP: 4000
Kirizaki Maya - LP: 4000

"I'll take the first turn. Draw!" Yuusuke said. "I'll start off with this! Reinforcements of Light!" He positioned the card in his Duel Disk's slot, allowing it to be read. The card game was finally in circulation again, and it had not taken them long to get used to the real life version of the dueling system. "I send the top three cards of my deck to the Graveyard, and add a Level 4 or lower Lightlord to my hand." The upper trio of cards in Yuusuke's deck was unlocked for him to place in his discard slot. After that, a small touch panel was projected in front of him, displaying a list of available choices. He made his decision quickly. "I add Garos to my hand! And then I activate Solar Exchange, discarding Gragonis, in order to draw twice, as well as send two more cards from my deck to the Graveyard." He fished out another two cards, then turned one of them around to demonstrate it. "Lightlord Beast Wolf's effect activates! When it is sent straight from the deck to the Graveyard, it is Special Summoned!"

[spoiler=Reinforcements of Light]Reinforcements of Light
SPELL / Normal
Send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. Add 1 Level 4 or lower "Lightlord" monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Solar Exchange]Solar Exchange
SPELL / Normal
Discard 1 "Lightlord" monster. Draw 2 cards, then send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Lightlord Beast Wolf]Lightlord Beast Wolf
LIGHT / Beast
Level 4
2100/300
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. When this card is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.[/spoiler]

The air shimmered between them, light coruscating into a broad pillar that slowly dissipated to reveal a life-sized, rather realistic image of the ferocious white beast. Though technology had not yet implemented to depict complex patterns, it still looked fearsome enough while brandishing its deadly stave. It was a scene they had witnessed thousands of times inside the virtual reality. But here, it had a different feel.

"I also Normal Summon Garos, and activate the effects of Zombie Carrier and Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy in my Graveyard! By returning a card from my hand to the top of my deck, I Special Summon Zombie Carrier, and by removing Diaboloic Guy from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a new one from my deck! Finaly, I activate Lightning Tune, treating my Lightlord Warrior Garos as a Tuner monster!" Three more creatures of light and darkness joined the fray, standing before their controller. Though this match was being broadcast all over the world, Maya and Yuusuke were alone in this prototype arena, created to enhance the visual technology used by their Duel Disks. Outside of such places, the real life version of Duel Monsters wouldn't look nearly as impressive - but here, they might as well have been in the Duel Terminal's virtual reality.

[spoiler=Lightlord Warrior Garos]Lightlord Warrior Garos
LIGHT / Warrior
Level 4
1850/1200
Each time a card(s) is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Lightlord" monster you control, except "Lightlord Warrior Garos", send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. Then, draw 1 card for each "Lightlord" monster sent to the Graveyard by this effect.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy]Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy
DARK / Warrior
Level 6
800/800
You can remove this card in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon 1 "Destiny Hero - Diabolic Guy" from your Deck.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Zombie Carrier]Zombie Carrier
DARK / Zombie / Tuner
Level 2
400/200
You can return 1 card from your hand to the top of the Deck to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If you do, remove this card from play when it is removed from the field.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Lightning Tune]Lightning Tune
SPELL / Normal
Select 1 Level 4 LIGHT monster you control. It is treated as a Tuner monster while it is face-up on the field.[/spoiler]

This formation was no coincidence. It was the same one Yuusuke had used when he first fought against the mysterious Ghost, a duel which was the beginning of the dramatic events that led them to the abyss of the virtual world. "I tune Diabolic Guy to Zombie Carrier, and Wolf to Garos!" Two dark purple circles crossed by six black stars, and four golden circles crossed by four white stars, formed on Yuusuke's either side, creating two cylinders that reached up to the ceiling. "Synchro Summon! Dark End Dragon, Light End Dragon!"

[spoiler=Light End Dragon]Light End Dragon
LIGHT / Dragon / Synchro
Level 8
2600/2100
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner LIGHT monsters
When this monster battles, you can activate this card's effect at attack declaration. If you do, this card loses 500 ATK and DEF (permanently), and the monster it is battling loses 1500 ATK and DEF until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Dark End Dragon]Dark End Dragon
DARK / Dragon / Synchro
Level 8
2600/2100
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner DARK monsters
Once per turn, you can have this card lose 500 ATK and DEF, and send 1 monster your opponent controls to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

Light and darkness. Maya beheld the sight of the glorious white serpent, and the disfigured black beast, as they settled a few feet above the ground, opposing her. Duality. Chaos. Lessons etched deep into her heart. There was no light without darkness, and just like nothing was purely evil, nothing was purely good, either. It was only with acceptance, and understanding, of their own contradictions and failings, of their own shortcomings and conflicts, that they had been able to overcome their destiny.

"I can't attack during the first turn." Yuusuke said. "It's up to you now."

Maya knew, and Yuusuke knew it as well, that this would probably be their final duel. Certainly, this game had been a huge part of their lives, and practically the reason they became so close. But it was time to move on. Both of them had new responsibilities, and a whole new life to tend to - both together, and apart. They could not linger in the past. However, that did not make ths moment any less important. It was time for them to finally find closure, to end the saga that had lasted so long, that had determined so much. To draw the curtains in a spectacular fashion, that would leave something to be remembered in the future.

"Draw. Since you control at least one monster, while I have none, I Special Summon Priest of the Sun to the field. And then I activate Hell Reckless Summon! I can use this card when I Special Summon a low-power monster while you have a monster on the field, and then I target that monster, and you can select a monster you control. Then, we can Special Summon all copies of them from the deck, hand, or Graveyard. However, since both of your monsters are Synchro monsters, you can't take advantage of this effect."

[spoiler=Priest of the Sun]Priest of the Sun
LIGHT / Spellcaster
Level 5
1000/2000
If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can add to your hand 1 "Fire Ant Ascator" or 1 "Supay" from your Deck.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Hell Reckless Summon]Hell Reckless Summon
SPELL / Quick-Play
You can only activate this card when 1 monster with an ATK of 1500 points or less is Special Summoned to your side of the field while there is a face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field. Special Summon all cards with the same name as the Summoned monster from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard in face-up Attack Position. Your opponent selects 1 monster on their side of the field and Special Summons all cards with that same name from their hand, Deck, and Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"Now, I activate Instant Fusion, paying a thousand of my Life Points to do so." Her counter fell accordingly. The last time they had done this, their Life Points had been directly linked to their lives, and giving up a thousand so easily would have been out of the question. It was a different time, a different battlefield. But the old horror still crept up on her as she watched the numbers decrease. Yes, it was time to bring closure. "Instant Fusion Special Summons, ignoring restrictions, a Level 5 or lower Fusion monster from my Extra deck, though its ability to attack is locked down, and it is destroyed at the end of my turn. Appear, Nightmare-Galloping Death Spirit!" The skeletal swordsman materialized next to her three oracles. Time for something new.

[spoiler=Instant Fusion]Instant Fusion
SPELL / Normal
Pay 1000 Life Points; Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon). The Fusion Monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack, and is destroyed during the End Phase. Only 1 "Instant Fusion" can be activated per turn.[/spoiler]

Aizawa Yuusuke - LP: 4000
Kirizaki Maya - LP: 3000

[spoiler=Nightmare-Galloping Death Spirit]Nightmare-Galloping Death Spirit
DARK / Fiend / Fusion
Level 5
800/600
"Soul-Erasing Death Spirit" + "Nightmare Horse"
This card is not destroyed as a result of battle. Destroy this card when it is targeted by the effect of a Spell, Trap or Effect Monster. This card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly even if there is a monster on your opponent's side of the field. If this card successfully attacks your opponent's Life Points directly, your opponent discards 1 card randomly from his/her hand.[/spoiler]

"I hope you are ready for this, because I'm not holding back!" She warned, dragging two cards out of her Extra deck. It was convenient in the virtual world, where a lot of things were automated, handled by voice commands, or controlled by direct mind signals. "I Overlay the two Level 5 monsters, Priest of the Sun, and Nightmare-Galloping Death Spirit!" The projections of the creatures dissolved into two orbs of light, spinning into a spiral while the darkness of the universe enveloped them. "Xyz Summon!" This was what would be left behind. A new world, a new order, a new legacy to carry on. The twin spheres fused into a larger light, that split open to reveal an angelic warrior, sword and shield at the ready, skin and armor white as a statue while golden wings spread out behind it. The monster pulsed with the surging light, as the two orbs that were the monsters used to summon it floated around its body in circles. "Tiras, Keeper of Genesis!"

[spoiler=Tiras, Keeper of Genesis]Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
LIGHT / Fairy / Xyz
Rank 5
2600/1700
2 Level 5 monsters
This card's effects can only be applied/resolved while it has Xyz Material. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked: Target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy the target. During each of your End Phases: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card.[/spoiler]

Where there is light, there is darkness.

"I also Overlay my remaining, Level 5, two Priests of the Sun." Maya continued. "Xyz Summon!" Her next set of monsters also created another pathway, resulting in the birth of another force. A pitch-black wild devil, armed with a short crimson dagger and flailing its feathered dark wings, materialized next to its Light counterpart. "Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon!"

[spoiler=Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon]Adreus, Keeper of Armageddon
DARK / Fiend / Xyz
Rank 5
2600/1700
2 Level 5 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; destroy it.[/spoiler]

Twin sets of twin monsters, mirrors of light and dark. The old generation, and the new generation. And for them, the end of an era, and the dawn of a new one.

---

And so our heroes found whatever peace they could, striving to settle their affairs, and walking onwards. For some, the healing had already been completed. For others, it would take a long while yet. But, for them, the nightmare was over.

For them.

Power, knowledge to obtain that power, desire to obtain that knowledge - they never truly disappear. They lay forgotten, until a new horror rears its head. It could take years, decades, centuries even - but inevitably, the shadow would rise once more.

Lynette Rayleigh had also safely escaped the virtual world, though she had taken steps to fake her own death in order to avoid unnecessary complications. There was no way for her to salvage what was left of Duel International's technology and resources, and no need either. She had followed Dunkan's course through, and though for him and the others it had been the end, for her, it was only another major step in a much longer road.

The Caribbean was an idyllic place for her to spend her prolonged vacation. Sipping cold lemonade while lying on the soft, white sand, she wasted little thought on what the alternatives could be. It did not matter. It was too early for her life to end. There was still much to know, much to accomplish.

Discreetly, she withdrew three cards from her purse. It was unthinkable that any of the nearby patrons of the beach would even remotely suspect that these three cards were media to a power that could bring this world to end. The final Pylon, the Polar God cards that she had retrieved, allowing the Nexus to be freed and ultimately, this world to be saved.

She could not yet say why she had done it. She had originally thought it would be more interesting to watch everything end. But some instinct had driven her to act as she had.

Lynette pushed the question away, as she waved her hand to order another drink. Those five years, she had been laying low, contemplating on what to do next. Perhaps, in the near future, she could try out something new. Maybe even put the power of these three cards to good use.

But, that is a story of a different place, of a different time, for another day. For now, peace reigned, and it would hold for a long time yet. A long time - but surely, for those who would be called to arms in order to deal with the next threat, it would never be long enough.[/spoiler]

So, there you have it. It's close to its fourth anniversary, but hey - it's probably the longest story in terms of sheer word count you will find here.

Well, either way, I said all I really wanted to say. Happy reading, everyone.